Say a little prayer for me

Posted on Thu Apr 7th, 2022 @ 10:51am by High Priestess An'Dalus & Sovereign T'handu & Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Marine CO's Office; Marine Country; USS Elysium
Timeline: Three weeks before - Darkness Abounds
1676 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

T'handu clicked hurriedly next to the High Priestess as she marched through Marine County, concern mounting as she ignored the demands of others in the distance. "Mistress, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Are you doubting my wisdom? T'han?" She scoffed as they approached the office of Colonel Naxea.

"No, of course not... I just simply th-" T'han replied before being cut off, the High Priestesses commanding voice silencing him in an instant.

"You aren't here to think, just guard the door." She snorted, chiming the door while watching the approaching marines bolting it down the corridor towards them both.

"Yes, Mistress." T'han replied before readying his phase staff under his arm, placing the weight of its length atop his other wrist as stomped forward in defiance of the approaching marines.

The doors slid open to reveal Naxea leveling a Type 2 phaser at the Sequus Priestess standing at the door. "I'd suggest you stand down and explain why you proceeded past security without authorization and make it fast."

"Ah, yes..." Anne said with a hint of surprise to her voice. "this certainly explains why he is so enamored with you." She added with an aire of arrogant satisfaction as she looked down at the fierce face before her, meeting Naxea's eyes with her own subdued ferocity.

"My dear we have a great many things to talk about, and as you can see it is rather urgent that we do."

Behind her hooves thumped at the carpet as T'handu bared his teeth, towering over the two marines with his imposing Sequus physique.

"So..." The Priestess continued, slowly raising her hand in one long motion until the back of a single finger touched the side of the phaser. "May I come in?" She added as her finger pushed the barrel gently to one side.

"You will come in when your guard stands down and relinquishes his weapon. You are on a Starfleet vessel and intruding in Starfleet Marine Territory. I have every right to shoot you on sight and haul you both to the brig," Naxea replied, moving the phaser back towards the woman as security fields in the corridor activated.

"Is there a problem here, Colonel?" Man'darr asked as he approached the scene, leveling a pulse rifle as the Sequus bodyguard. He hoped this didn't caused an Intergalactic incident, but he also would stand by his CO fully.

Keeping her eyes, on the Priestess. "Standby, Man'darr," she ordered before addressing the priestess. "I take it there's not a problem here?"

The priestess briefly smiled before turning her head towards T’handu, barking an order in native Sequus.

An order that was carried out in an instant as her Sovereign disengaged his weapon with a forceful twist, stood up straight and slammed the hilt of the phase staff into the deck.

“If you would please…” Anne said softly, glancing down at the phaser still pointed at her.

"Stand down, Man'darr," Naxea said as she holstered her phaser.

"Understood, Colonel," Man'darr replied, lowering his pulse rifle.

"You may enter, but why did you feel the need to barge to my office? I would have made time to meet with you," Naxea asked as she stepped back, allowing the Priestess to enter.

"I never got the chance to barge in..." Anne smiled as gently clicked inside the office, ducking under the doorframe before standing tall once more. "And that's partly why I did what I did, a test of character if you may." She continued while her eyes flicked about the office, hovering over the vase of flowers for a brief moment.

Outside T'handu had taken up sentry beside the office door, his gaze fixated on the wall opposite, ignoring the marines as best he could.

Man'darr kept his position as he wondered what the hell S'hib's people were thinking casing such an incident.

Inside her office, Naxea gestured to a nearby chair. "Feel free to have a seat. As for testing me, your actions were very risky. Why did you feel the need to test my character?"

"My role as Ambassador to my people is a rather new occupation for me you see, but being a High Priestess of the mortuary cult has been a lifetime commitment that I'm oathbound to continue regardless of my," She paused, gesturing around with her hands. "Whereabouts."

"You see," She continued, flicking her tail to one side before gently sitting down, one leg over the other. "One of my duties is to look after the reproductive health of a herd, this includes making sure those within are best suited for one another... and if not helping them find others that are."

"That last part thankfully won't need to be done, as he has undoubtedly found a mare disguised as a Bajoran." She beamed, blissfully unaware of how offensive this whole interaction had been thus far to a none Sequus.

Naxea looked at the other in disbelief after sitting down behind her desk. "Or perhaps he simply found a Bajoran. It is obvious you don't know my people very well. We have endured pain and suffering that would have broken most other cultures and we can be some of the fiercest fighters you could ever know."

"You also don't know mine, otherwise you would understand the context of the comparison... hardship and pain can very easily make a person bitter, or arrogant of the trials they have overcome like so many Klingons or Romulans... regardless, however, that is another discussion entirely, one I'm sure we will have at some point.

"But I digress, Colonel..." Anne continued, her eyes never leaving Naxea for a moment. "for you see, Sequella is a Matriarchal society... and with it comes rules, rules I am trying very hard to adjust to suit you and S'hib..." She sighed, adjusting her hands uncomfortably atop her legs.

"Some I can bend, break... even, which I have already, but even with my political power and position as Ambassador. well, there are some I cannot touch at all. which is why I am here."

"And exactly what rules are those?" Naxea asked. This was the reason why she hated religious species--including her own. In her opinion the Kai could take her hat and shove it up her prophetic ass.

"Well, for starters Commander S'hib... especially at his age, would be expected to have made many mares pregnant. Obviously, that's not going to happen for a myriad of reasons... but he will eventually be recalled to Sequella to fulfill this obligation, under arrest if need be." Anne replied, pausing briefly before continuing to speak, raising her voice somewhat as the Bajoran lips before her curled back, ready to shout in protest.

"However!" She pleaded, raising her cloven hands. "...however, there is a workaround

"Other than me not giving a damn about what the Sequus government wants?" Naxea seethed. She was beginning to hate S'hib's people more and more. She couldn't imagine Starfleet and the Federation allowing something as S'hib being arrested to occur. She sure as hell wouldn't. "What is this option?"

"A new herd, I take it you are both sexually active?" She asked with a soft smile.

Naxea was suddenly at a loss for words at the Priestess' question. It felt it wasn't any of the woman's business. "It doesn't matter if we are or not," she said, finally able to construct a sentence. "Sequus and Bajorans aren't the most compatible of species."

"No, I don't suppose we are." Anne sighed as she sat up in her seat.

"Nevertheless... you are mating with a Sequus so it is customary I offer you a fertility prayer, though such prayers do require physical contact. Will that be ok?" She asked, edging at the notion of standing.

In reality, Naxea wanted to tell the woman to jump out the nearest airlock. Prayers had never done anything for her. It didn't save her father from being killed by the Cardassians, or her people enduring decades of suffering and abuse. However, she knew she had to be diplomatic. "Sure, what the hell," she replied, standing. "What is involved?"

"Nothing from you," The priestess remarked as she gently stood, sensing the hostility blazing over the desk like the midday sun. "Just... think of it more as a gift." She added as she silently moved around the desk and knelt down beside Naxea, the gentle thump of her weight resting sounding just that much louder inside the thick silence that hung between their tense conversation.

"One I'm sure in time you will cherish." Anne added cryptically as she reached her right hand out, her four cloven fingers resting against Naxea's lower abdomen one at a time.

Naxea watched the woman as she touched her abdomen, she flinched slightly at the touch.

The priestess made no attempt to acknowledge the flinch, instead, she pressed her fingers more firmly before silently muttering a prayer in her native tongue.

A few more moments passed in muttered silence before a cold chill grew between her fingers and Naxea's skin.

Then one moment more as a pained look shot across Anne's face and she recoiled her hand back to her lap, quickly grasped and tentatively rubbed by the other.

"All done." She said with a weak smile before standing back up on shaking legs, hiding the immense pain that now burned through her body.

"But I'm afraid I shall be going now dear..." Anne added as she stumbled around the desk. her voice shaking, almost on the verge of tears as she called out for her Sovereign.

Wordless T'handu clicked inside the office and rushed to her side, letting her lean on him as they walked to the door.

"The Priestess thanks you for your time," T'han said as he turned his head back to a very confused Naxea still standing behind her desk. "And apologises for the hasty departure." He added with a polite nod.

'What the hell was that?' Naxea wondered at seeing the Priestess showing pain after the touch. She would certainly have to discuss this with S'hib later.