Differences

Posted on Fri Sep 25th, 2020 @ 6:39am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Lieutenant Sapphire Morgan [Lalor] & Captain Gary Taylor & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Heather De La Rosa {Kelea-Salik}

Mission: SEASON 4: Episode 1: Know Thy Self!
Location: Various
Timeline: MD1
2775 words - 5.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Back in the centre chair, sat a nervous female Erisian. She was not used to being the focus of the crew’s attention. In fact, she spent most of her time, locked in diplomatic quarters, which while luxurious as befitting her position as High Lady of Erisia, was still far from the crew’s eyes. And far from her brother’s gaze as he could manage it. She knew he married her because she was a threat to his throne. Any man who married her, would have a claim to the High Lord’s throne. So, he had negated the threat then, once they were aliened with the Terran empire, had, shipped her off to earth. Captain Taylor had requested her presence after a probe sent to the other universe had shown that her mirror was a captain and captain of USS Elysium, Mirror to the ISS Elysium. So, she was here, now, Taylors explicit instructions ringing in her ears, pretending to be someone she was not. The real Phoenix Lalor was currently being held on the ISS Elysium. The swap having taken place in the wee hours of the morning.

So now, here she sat, silent, dressed in a strange uniform and surrounded by strange people. People she had, until then read about. Taylor had drilled it into her. Be silent and just let them do their jobs. Confirm orders and suggestions given by the XO and you will be fine. Claim headaches if you need to. But there was one thing, just one thing, she could not fake. When they had done the swap, scans had shown a marked difference between the two women.

Penelope had seen the scans. Phoenix Lalor was pregnant. And She, well she was not and never would be. The next High Lord would be the son of her brother’s mistress, she knew that. When he finally picked a mistress to get pregnant and they were not killed off by other mistress’s families. It was like a slaughterhouse some days on Erisia.

As she sat and watched as the crew of the USS Elysium went about their business, she mused on the differences between Phoenix and herself. Phoenix had left home at 16, run away and forged herself a career away from court and the twin, she and Penelope both despised. She had risen through the ranks of this Starfleet, gained the rank of Captain before she was 26 and now commanded one of the best ships in the fleet. And, she had the respect and admiration of those under her command. Penelope could see it. They spoke respectfully to her, believing her to be Captain Phoenix Lalor. They looked to her, for direction.

Direction… the only direction she had, really had to give was “Lay in course for Risa, Warp 4” And the young pink haired female at Helm had replied with a 'Yes Ma’am' and done it. And she felt quietly pleased that she had not been discovered yet. Now all she had to do, was pray that the rest of the plan happened as they wanted. She hoped her body language did not show how nervous she was. And she also knew, it was a one-way trip. Taylor would kill her before he allowed her to be captured. Killing her would be the one thing her brother would have agreed to. It was a good thing, that this universe's Miran had chosen to stay on Earth at their new home. It would assist with keeping her secret. And the bomb in the back of her neck would show that.

She knew this ship had a specialized drive the Terran empire wanted, and she also knew her role to play in getting that drive. Erisia would also receive it.

She clenched her hands in her lap and watched the view screen. Even as she did, a proximity alert began to sound.

From Operations came the call "Captain, Sensors are picking up a ship, coming towards us, warp 5. "

Penelope took a breath. "Drop us out of Warp Ensign"

Gary looked over at Phoenix from his XO station. "Strange we aren't suppose to meet with any other ship. You know anything about this Captain?" He asked, his voice full of curiosity.

"We're in normal space," Miraj reported from the helm. "Cruising at one-quarter impulse, adjusting heading for rendez-vous. Arrival in three minutes."

Lia stood at Tactical, her mind turned over what she was seeing. Something about her friend Phoenix wasn't right, she couldn't put her finger on it but there was doubt in her mind.

Alicia was sitting in her seat trying not to give away what she sensed, there was a lot of unease coming from Phoenix and there was one very troubling matter indeed. From what Alicia was sensing Phoenix was no longer pregnant, the duality she sensed from her pregnancy was gone and that couldn’t be easily explained. She needed to speak to Taylor but only when she could speak to him alone.

Arrianna was quiet. Staring right at Phoenix, in fact she was staring right at her unwavering for the last thirty or so minutes. She turned towards her console and typed out a text message to Lia and Gary.

From: A. an Vantar
To: A. Holmes, G. Taylor

'Phoenix would never keep secrets from us about any rendezvous. I was not informed of this. This is very irregular.'

Spotting the message, Lia responded. 'She would have normally said something in regards of Security, like yourself I have heard nothing'.

Gary typed back to both Arri and Lia, 'Agreed. Something's up.'

To Phoenix he asked. "Captain, do we raise shields? As we've no notice of any meeting with other ship. It's standard procedure."

Alicia looked at Phoenix, she could tell the crew were getting suspicious. “Captain I’m sensing your emotions are very high right now, is there something that we should know?”

Penelope took a breath. "What you are sensing Counselor is none of your business! I do not know what is going on. But we are within Federation Space are we not? Ensign bring us around to face the oncoming vessel." She ignored all other comments and looks. And she needed to move away from the Betazoid.

As the Elysium turned gracefully on the spot, the other ship appeared out of warp. Painted Black with red hull accents it was bristling with armor and weapons. And as the Elysium's sensors focused on the hull, the insignia of the Terran Empire appeared.

Penelope stood and walked towards the holo padd in the centre of the bridge, deliberately putting room between herself and the rest of the Senior staff. "hail them" she ordered the Lieutenant at Operations.

Lt. Morgan gave her a look and then looked at Commander Taylor. "sir?"

"I gave you an Order Lieutenant." Penelope said, allowing her temper to reign, her eyes going that silvery blue the crew normally only saw when Phoenix was totally ticked off.

Morgan stared.

Gary didn't answer right away. He looked at Phoenix. "Captain." His voice even and level. "Just what is going on?"

"That's an Odyssey." Miraj blurted out. "But that's not starfleet livery. Or any pirate insignia I know off, and I'm pretty up to date. Are we missing any?"

Arrianna walked up to the Captain. "Who are you? I have known Phoenix Lalor for two years. And I do not see those eyes on her often. Who are you really?"

Gary nodded. Gary listened as Arri questioned Phoenix. Even as she spoke spoke he waved his hand to the security officers on the upper level to come and detain the Captain.

Penelope knew she was caught. So she reached out and hit the comm button herself. The Screen suddenly came to life and there on the screen was the bridge, only not their bridge. And the person in the centre chair was definitely not their captain.

As the security officers grabbed her arms, Penelope raised her chin, "Captain Taylor. You are right on time."

Miraj's jaw dropped, and she turned in her seat to check that Commander Taylor was behind her. There he was, staring at the captain, whilst security was heading towards them. She turned back to the screen. And there was Commander Taylor, on the other ship. What in Davy Jones name was going on?

Captain Gary Taylor smiled wolfishly. "Yes, you performed your charade quite well 'Captain' Lalor. Very well done indeed." He looked past her and to Gary. "So your me. I can say I'm not impressed. Surrender your ship."

Penelope looked over her shoulder at the group of gobsmacked officers. "Better do it. There is a bomb in the back of my neck, if he has to he will activate it, and it will take out this entire bridge." She let her icy gaze wander.

"Then I suggest you get on with it." Arrianna noted. "Every one of us is willing to give our lives in service to the Federation. We will not surrender to you, and we will destroy our ship rather than let you have it."

Captain Taylor nodded off screen. "Your Captain Lalor is our 'guest' though I do have to say that she is not currently enjoying herself or our hospitality. In fact I can guarantee she isn't."

Penelope laughed softly. "Go on, do it Captain, they want to kill children."

Miraj looked down at the helm controls. How fast could they go to slipstream? Fast enough that the other Commander Taylor couldn't make good on the imposters threat? Or would the cold start destroy them more thoroughly than a bomb on the bridge? She'd have to test it in the holodeck. She wasn't quite ready to experiment.

Alicia looked at Taylor. “Commander she’s telling the truth, every word.” She looked at Lalor. “Are you really so expendable? Wouldn’t that make you as much a prisoner as we’d be?”

Penelope looked at her. "I am High Lady Penelope Lalor of Hiran, wife of the High Lord Pallas Lalor. I have been expendable since birth."

A scream suddenly echoed through the bridge. "Oh sounds like she is having fun" she said with a cool tone.

Gary heard the scream and knew it was Phoenix, their Phoenix and it sounded like they were killing her.

Alicia winced, she felt the pain level that went with the scream. “Stop it! You know the Captain is pregnant, it’ll harm her baby!” She looked at Taylor, she’d been through the hell of a miscarriage she didn’t want Phoenix going through the same thing.

Penelope merely shrugged. "Maybe they will, maybe they won't. My brother needs an heir..." she drawled. "tick tock Commander Taylor. Make your choice"

Gary caught Alicia's pained look. It wasn't in his nature to quit but he had others to think of especially the children. Lia and the others he cared so much about. He looked to Lia then a quick glance at Arri to get their ideas.

Arrianna looked at Gary and sighed, she couldn't let Phoenix suffer like this. She nodded to Gary and turned towards his alternate. "You kraven borg'nkta!!!!"

*Translation: Borgsoul. In Alindari culture, it is an irredeemable insult. She's insulting Mirror Gary, his family, his ancestors, his honor, and all his descendants.*

Captain Taylor looked off screen and made a mocking face at whatever he was watching presumably Phoenix. "Oh, that looks like it hurts a lot." He said in a conversational tone. He deliberately avoided looking at Gary, making him wait.

Another scream echoed.

Penelope yawned. "Hurry up!, Commander Taylor. Is this why you are not captain?"

"Enough. Stop hurting her!!!" Arrianna's usually controlled emotions suddenly burst out of here. "Please stop!!"

Captain Taylor looked at the Elysium bridge crew. "let me make your choice a little easier Gary." He nodded and the view changed to one showing Phoenix in an agonizer booth, one that had been modified. She hung inside it. Her arms and legs flung wide. Her clothes and skin were drenched in a combination of sweat and water. It was clear she was in pain as another scream burst forth from her lips as she shook and trembled as electrical charges coursed through her.

Miraj put her hands over her mouth, to stop the gasp of horror as she saw her captain being tortured. She turned back to Commander Taylor, wondering if he'd tell them to run, or to heave to.

Lia now looked at Gary and made her report, "Weapons and shields are down Commander, I for one will no longer continue to sit and watch my Captain being tortured. I've made my choice, you can reprimand me at a later date". She then stood back from her console and raised her hands, her vision was locked on the mirror universe Captain. *You are fucking dead, once we get her back*, she thought to herself.

Alicia was sitting in her seat cradling her head, the sheer amount of pain Phoenix was experiencing was proving difficult to block out. “Please Commander” She looked up at Taylor. “Make them stop!”

Captain Gary Taylor chuckled mercilessly, "Yes Gary, make me stop."

Gary stared at his mirror image, his face devoid of all emotions but his eyes, his eyes were alive with a fire that would not be quenched until his doppelganger was dead, dead slowly and horribly. Gary nodded to Lia, then to Captain Taylor. "The ship is yours."

Arrianna spoke. "What is it that you really want? I find it hard to believe you'd go through all this trouble for what which you already have." Arri was attempting to get Gary's doppleganger to talk, and he apparently liked the sound of his own voice.

Taylor smiled, "I want your Slipstream Drive. With it the Empire will be unbeatable."

Miraj instictively, possessivley, clutched the conn, as if she could protect Elysium from such a violation. The idea of them taking one of the things that made her ship so distinct, such an individual, was just... gross, and wrong and all levels of disgusting. And then a little voice inside said maybe they should take it. Let them have it, with no explanation or instruction. Hopefully their helmsman would breath wrong, the whole slipstream would collapse violently, and they'd scatter themselves across a sector or three. It would serve them right.

In the background behind Captain Taylor a familiar figure entered into the picture waiting for her moment to speak with her superior. As an inquisitor she was responsible for overseeing the loyalty of Taylor’s crew not just that she also put her Betazoid abilities to use during interrogation of prisoners and right now she was waiting to see what Taylor wanted to do with his prisoner. Her red hair stood out well in the background behind him. “What would you have us do with the prisoner Captain?” Heather looked at Taylor awaiting a response.

"Ah Heather, monitor for now. Keep me appraised of her thoughts. She is very valuable. We don't want to kill her yet."

“Yes Captain” Heather nodded and walked back over to the agoniser booth to monitor the slave inside.

Penelope moved away from the security officers, and stepped up to the comm. She hit the broadcast. "Attention all hands, Everyone is to report to Cargobays 1 and 2. Once there you will follow the instructions given by the personnel in black."

She glanced at the Viewer. "As ordered Captain."

“Which cargo bay do you want us in?” Alicia motioned to those on the bridge as she looked at the alternate Phoenix.

"Oh you will remain here until Captain Taylor says so." A voice came from the back of the bridge where a group of black clad officers had just beamed in. They were lead by a woman with brown hair.

From Operation Sapphire stared at her own doppelganger. "Well this is fun" she muttered as the woman, rank pips of Lt. Commander strode forward.

"Bridge is ours Captain Taylor" SJ Morgan stated looking at the viewer. Her team moved and each took the arm of a member of the bridge crew, and placed phasers at their necks.

"Excellent Morgan. Now get that scum of the bridge and out of my sight."

SJ Morgan smiled. "Aye" and she waved her hand. "To transporter room 1."

the officers in black nodded.

"After you Commander Taylor" SJ placed her weapon at his neck.

Gary said nothing , there was nothing to say. He had turned over the Elysium to save it's captain and his friend. He only hoped that neither he or Phoenix along with the entire crew regretted hos decision.