Hunting S'hib and Miraj
Posted on Sat Oct 10th, 2020 @ 10:13am by Lieutenant JG Nerinath zh'Rhilror [Lalor] & Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani
Mission:
SEASON 4: Episode 1: Know Thy Self!
Location: Arena Station - Mirror Verse
Timeline: MD4 - early
3122 words - 6.2 OF Standard Post Measure
Another day had dawned on the station and once again the mercenary slave master was on the hunt. There was less and less of the federation crew running around and if he had any luck it would be few still. He'd been in a good mood especially with the two huntresses he had with him. Their brainwashing and modifications had gone well. You could barely tell they'd been a bajorian or an andorian merely a day and a few hours before. Girrer had certainly earned her pay.
Stopping the gorn knelt down as he found a drop of blood on the floor. Still warm. They couldn't have gotten far. "Someone near." he said softly as he readied his Webber. Another one to add to his collection.
Naxea, now Nivnaa waited for a command to be given as she looked at the deck, seeing the blood. She closed her eyes as she knew she would be sent to hunt another.
Nerinath, now Veddaash, stood in silence beside her sister in the hunt and waited for the order to go.
Miraj was listing her assets. She was on a ship in space. That was her natural habitat. She just didn't know where on that ship she was. The turbo lift had plunged down, then side ways and up and side ways again so dizziness fast she had been slammed into the wall and when she came round she wasn't sure if minutes or hours had passed, only that she was lying on the turbolift floor, its door opened to the darkened corridor.
She'd leapt out, not trusting the doors to not bite her in half, but they had remained open.
Now she was standing on the deck in bare feet again. Another asset, her sense of a ship, even a stationary one. She was close to the core, and if she was on a sigma, like she thought, the extra bass to the rumble had her hoping the docking bay was nearby. She might even find the Elysium. The real one, not its evil twin. Her dad had hammered into Mal and her when they were young: If you get lost on any ship, head up and to the centre.
With nothing better to do, she started walking. She wasn't going to risk the turbo lifts again, so she needed to find access to the jeffries tubes again. She found a couple of access points. But they were welded shut, so she kept going, she turned this way and that down silent corridor and silent corridor. She was alone, she was thirsty, and hungry, and tired. But she was alive, and free. Keep walking, and hope that she could find a safe hiding spot if the hounds were released again. Hope against Hope that S'hib and Sapphire had escaped, that T'kek and Ryan were whole and hadn't fall in the lift shaft trying to get her back. They'd found each other before. They could do it again.
Hearing the faint trances of footsteps in the distance the gorn paused to listen to it. Hearing the footsteps he indicated to his two huntresses to split up and flank the target.
Nivnaa took off at a sprint towards the port corridor that would eventually swing around to where the target likely was. She didn't particularly enjoy these hunts--a part of her told her it was wrong but her mind compelled her forward.
Veddaash followed her sister almost blindly into the hunt, her brain thirsting for the kill. She took the other corridor without a thought and headed for her prey.
Miraj heard foot steps coming towards her, slow and heavy, and instinctively slowed herself. They were coming from the intersection ahead. She tried the nearest door, but it didn't open. Nor the one opposite. So she hung back as best she could, and hoped the walker didn't turn.
The foot steps got louder, and a feint shadow, barely darker than than the gloom around started to cross the hall. She held her breath.
And then a familiar profile walked into view. "S'hib!" Relief flooded her and she ran to him. "I'm so glad to have found you!" She flung her arms around his waist. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," He lied as he hugged her back, still high on adrenaline and nervously looking around. "Just glad I found you."
"Where are the others? Did they find you?" She dreaded to think that those dogs had got T'kek, or Ryan, or Lieutenant Morgan.
"They're all safe, last I saw anyway..." He nodded softly, pulling her closer with a final thankful hug.
"Thank goodness," She pushed away after a moment. "We can't use the turbo lifts. They're being-"
She stopped. She thought she heard more footsteps.
Nivnaa came to a halt just at the entrance on the intersection, looking confused for but a moment before her eyes locked onto the two people in the corridor. The tall Sequus looked familiar to her, as if she should know him. "Two targets located, Master," she said into her comm unit on her wrist. She pulled a dagger slowly from the sheath tied at her waist, taking a step towards the two. She could hear her sister approaching from the opposite corridor. "Surrender," she said evenly as she slowly approached, keeping her knife low as she did so.
Veddaash Came around the other corner and pouted as she raised her weapon. "Awww you found them first."
S'hib by now had pushed Miraj behind him, attempting to put himself between her and whomever these new threats were, an ear flicking between them both. "N...Naxea?" He sputtered in disbelief. "What are you doing..." He asked cautiously, unsure if it was her or not.
" What doesss it look like? Ssshe'sss hunting?" the slave master said from the shadows mocking the federation crew with his counterparts lisp.
Veddassh moved to cover Miraj and flicked her hair with her rifle. "Pretty colour," she mocked.
Miraj stared from one woman to the other. And then realised who she was seeing. They'd taken her antennae, changed her hair and skin, but it was definitely Nerinath. And the other one. Poor S'hib. To see Naxea like this. Assuming they were their Neri and Naxea. No. even if it was the alternate universe ones, no one deserved to be robbed of identity like that.
"Neri?" Miraj was very conscious of the rifle only a few feet from her. "What has he done to you?"
S’hibs mind reeled with questions, mounting confusion and pain in his heart threatening to cloud his judgement, no Miraj was his concern for now, she was all that he be certain of. “Point that near her again...” He snorted with his voice booming down the corridor, moving Miraj once again behind him so the tip of the rifle levelled at his own chest.
Veddaash merely smiled. "My master would love a horse hide rug."
Still hanging back the slave master smirked at who he'd caught. pressing his communicator he couldn't help but laugh. " Sthilg to S'hibs i have your counterpart here. Do you want me to bring him in?"
“Do what you want, Im busy...” S’hib snorted loudly over Sthilg’s comms, the sound of a woman enjoying his company coming through just as he cut off the channel.
Rude bastard. The gorn thought.
“Ensign...” S’hib said lowly, looking down at Miraj and hoping she knew what to do after what happened next as he turned his bulk back towards Veddassh.
Miraj was redfaced just from the brief sounds of the Other S'hib and his companion. But she focused on the people in front of her. "Keep to the code, right?" She knew he was probably going to start fighting and would want her to run. And those who fell behind, were left behind.
Without saying another word S’hib lurched forward, gripping the barrel of the rifle as it slipped under his arm and misfired into the wall beyond, his momentum continued, pulling Veddaash forward by her weapon and into his bulky Sequus shoulder, snatching it free from her and knocking her back all at once. “GO!” he yelled for Miraj as he placed a hoof on top of the first huntress, pinning her down as he flicked the rifle down towards Naxea.
Miraj dropped her boots and bolted, running off away from the direction the Gorn and their freinds had come. She knew she was on one of corridors that was perpendicular to the core. That was good. hopefully no straight lines and no dead ends. But she couldn't help feel a sting of guilt. S'hib would fall behind.
The gorn fired his webber after the fleeing woman but missed by mere inches. The orange web attached itself to a pillar as it began to crush it.
"Mine!" Veddaash all but sang and lept after Miraj, ignoring the horse in front of her, she basically placed a hand on S'hibs back and used him as a vault. She hit the ground and began to chase. "ohh come back pretty hair!"
Miraj flinched at the web slammed into the bulkhead behind her, and spend up. And when she heard Neri calling, she didn't look back either. Neri was taller than her, with longer legs to boot. And whatever else had been done to her, she didn't look tired and scared and dehydrated either. All Miraj had left was adrenaline.
What she needed was luck, and she was out of that too. The corridor curved and Miraj swore. She'd gone from a clear run to a corridor filled with debris, broken down doors, ripped open bulk heads and a support beam haven fallen from the celing, blocking the way. She skidded to a halt, and began to scramble through, not daring to see how close Neri was getting.
A hand clasped around her ankle and Veddaash laughed insanely. "ohh i caught her!" she squealed delightedly. "Master will be so pleased!!!"
Miraj kicked her in the face with her other foot.
It was a wild blow, born of desperation, and even with everything she had behind it, it wasn't much, not in barefeet, not to an Andorian. But she did it anyway.
"oohh nice feet, maybe Master will let you keep them" Veddaash giggled as she snagged it and bound it to the other one she had. "Maybe Master will let Veddaash and Nivnaa have a new sister." she hauled Miraj back towards her as she wrapped rope up her legs and then grabbed one of her wrists. "Be good little one. If you aren't master may have you cooked for dinner"
Then before she could tie Miraj up any further two bulky arms wrapped around Veddaash's small frame, dragging her up into the air. "You get to play with me now." S'hib snorted stubbornly as he tightened his grips around her body, refusing to let her go as he walked backwards towards Nivnaa and their pack master.
Nivnaa came around the corner at a full sprint with a grin on her face as she saw her target. She let out a primal scream as she slashed out with her knife at the Sequus.
S'hib turned, still holding Veddaash against his chest and let her flailing legs get in the way of Nivnaa and her knife. "Naxea!" He snorted loudly, trying not to trip on the debris and uneven floor. "Stop, it's me!" He pleaded as the blade knicked his left forearm, dashing his uniform and skin apart in one swoop.
"My name is Nivnaa," she said as she rushed him again and dropped low, slashing at his legs with the knife as she rolled.
"Fight back Naxea! You're stronger than this!" He neighed in panic, stumbling backwards to avoid the blade while trying to keep hold of Veddaash.
Veddassh slung her head back towards his face and lashed out with her legs. "Down horsie!" She laughed as she tried to give her sister a better target to aim.
"My name is Nivnaa!" she screamed as she jumped at S'hib, grabbing him and pulling herself onto his back and raised her dagger.
His muzzle burned but he had no choice now, he had to fight them both, whether he wanted to or not.
His mind raced as he processed what was happening, he needed to let go of Veddassh to deal with Naxea, but if he did she would scurry off after Miraj. "Remember on Casperia," He snorted as he threw himself into the nearby wall, hurling them both with him. "By the lake!" He cried as he spun around and hurled Veddaash out of his arms.
" Oh were you two an item? " The gorn said firing his webber at S'hib's legs. " I'm afraid your girl isn't in the driver's seat any more horse boy."
Veddaash rolled to her feet giggling and then leaving her sister and Master to deal with the Horse, moved back to finish up with Miraj.
The webber hurled through the air towards S'hib, expanding as it closed the short distance, snagging over the debris that was strewn across the corridor before finally flying under his hooves mere moments after he jumped.
Bloodied nostrils flared as he looked at the far end of the corridor to see Sthilg, but this one he had every rational right to fear.
Miraj had started pulling at the ropes around her ankles the moment the Sequus had dragged Neri off her. Miraj was good at knot, really good. but she'd never had to deal with knots pulled tight with Andorian strength. She couldn't get loose.
She looked up the battle, S'hib trying not to hurt his love; Neri heading her way, and the doctors counterpart aiming his web gun again. Her fingernails snapped and broke on the rope around her ankles. She couldn't get out. "S'hib!" She shouted, accepting there was nothing more she could do now. She was lost, but her friend was not. "Keep to the code!" She tried to keep her voice calm, as reassuring as she could manage. "Keep to the code."
Rearming his webber the gorn aimed and fired catching S'hib by the feet causing him to crash to the ground. " Girls make sure he's properly restrained." he barked to his orion huntresses.
Veddaash giggled as she calmly reached Miraj and took the other's arm. "Be a good prey now," she said mockingly as she hauled her up and pinned her arms behind her back. "once I have got you to my Master, I will help my sister" These words were done in a sing song voice. "Master will reward me!"
Miraj couldn't fight physically. "Neri, fight this. This isn't you!"
Veddaash giggled and bound her and then dragged her past S'hib and her sister and dropped her at the Gorn's feet. She then all but skipped back to help her sister.
"Neri isn't in the driving seat anymore love. Don't worry you'll be just like her." the gorn smirked.
"You're going to hate me for this..." S'hib said through gritted teeth as he through his bulky neck back, cracking Naxea across her face with the back of his head as he lay atop of her.
the sound was horrible and made his heart ache beneath his panicked lungs, but he was a Sequus, and his stubborn heart would soldier on regardless.
He threw his head back again as Veddaash approached, waiting until the last moment to raise both netted legs to his chest before kicking out, hitting the huntress in her stomach and sending her crashing back several feet onto the floor.
"Naxea, dear... I need this..." He snorted in frustration as he grappled with the knife in her hand.
Nivnaa laid on the deck in a daze as she tasted blood. Everything was confusing. She focused on the Sequus--she knew him. Why did everything hurt? "S--s'hib?" she muttered before everything went dark.
The knife struggled to cut the thick wires that had coiled themselves around his legs, but brute force and adrenaline prevailed as he hastily kicked the netting free.
Miraj, he thought. "Red sands forgive me," He whispered to himself as he hurried his arms under Naxea and hurled himself up, glancing back to Miraj. "I'm so sorry..." He said through gritted teeth, holding Naxea tightly as tears streamed down his face as he turned away.
"No, you don't horse boy." The lizard said coldly activating the collars explosive mode. " Take one more step with her and her head goes pop."
S’hib froze, a hoof gently placing itself down as he closed his eyes out of frustration and turned back, unwilling to let Naxea go.
Everyone seemed to hold their breath at the gorn's threat, a frozen tableau. Then Miraj, lying forgotten at his feet, twisted and slammed her bound feet into the lizards groin.
The control unit went flying, skittering along the floor to Stop at S'hib's hooves.
He looked down, pulling his hoof away out of fear of setting it off before his mind finally realised what had happened. “Damn it Miraj... sticking to the code is supposed to save you, not me!” He snorted as he crouched quickly and cupped the device in his palm, stumbling slightly as he rushed to stand back up, locking eyes with furious gorn.
“I suppose you’ll be able to track this right?” S’hib snorted spitefully as he walked back? waving the device under Naxea’s legs. “Just remember, I know you’ll be coming this time...” He spat, turning and hurling himself into a sprint away from the Great Lizard.
" You'll both pay for that." The gorn yelled in a blood-curdling scream as he pulled a knife from his belt and stabbed it right through Miraj foot pinning it to the ground.
Miraj yelped as the blade went through her instep, and then it really began to hurt, stinging and hot, and when the tip scraped on the deck it sent spasms of pain flaming up her legs. She quickly rolled over and did her best to keep her foot still.
Ignoring the screams from the girl he stood up drawing another control pannel from his belt. " Computer beam Nivnaa back to me. " He said coldly letting Miraj hear it.
Veddaash frowned when nothing happened. "Oh not good. Maybe computer doesn't work here." She bent down and picked up Miraj. "Master?"
The gorn growled angrily as he heard nothing. Turning to Veddaash he tilted his head slightly. " Get her back to my quarters."
"Seas of old what have they done to you." S'hib cursed as he rounded the first corner he found, looking down at Naxea and her emerald green skin, her nose ridges missing and her lips foreign.
OFF
