Chapter 4.3

Posted on Mon Jul 18th, 2022 @ 3:02am by Minister Zehoi D'ian & Minister Osyraa & Director Esoria sh'Vreshaa

1,002 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Waiting for the End
Location: Cerulean
Timeline: 3189-03-16, 00:00

Director Esoria sh'Vreshaa stepped through the portal into the Executive Stateroom aboard the Cerulean holding a datapad in her hand and sporting a broad smiled on her sharp features. The Andorian's antennae were in a comfortable position as she approached the table that Minister Zehoi D'ian sat at, her visage a message of confidence, "Sorry I haven't been by to see you since yesterday morning. You know what it's like."

Zehoi D'ian sighed, "Esoria what do you want now? I already told you I know nothing about the Federation ship or their plans. I was just using them to try to find somewhere to go."

"So you've said," the Captain answered nonchalantly as she sat across from her captive. "I still don't understand why you didn't ask us to take you anywhere you wanted to go. Between you and your brother you're kinda legends in the history of the Chain. Melani D'ian was one of the leaders of the Orion Syndicate we rose from the ashes of. We owe your family a debt we can't possibly repay." She glanced, "I may've tried with the Ktarian apples that you still never seem to have taken one of."

"I'm good," the Orion answered as she placed her hands in her lap. "All I want to do is to leave. I want nothing to do with the Chain, the Federation, anyone!"

Director sh'Vreshaa glanced back at the door, "You were free to leave at any time. Problem is someone else wants to speak with you now, Minister."

"Stop calling me that!" Zehoi yelled boldly. "I'm not a Minister! I renounced my titles and rights."

"I'm well aware," another voice from outside the room informed. Stepping through the doorway, Osyraa - Prime Minister of the Emerald Chain - came into full view. Dressed in a form fitting leather uniform that accentuated her Orion features, Zehoi was struck by how stereotypically evil it was in appearance. It was almost like it had found her from the pages of popular culture on Old Earth in its simplistic design and darkness. It was hard not to laugh.

The former Minister sighed, "What do you want, Osyraa?"

"Can't I just come to see an old friend?" She asked with mock sincerity so fake it almost seemed real.

Zehoi leaned in, "That depends - didn't you order that the old friend was an enemy of the Chain at was to be hunted down at the earliest opportunity?"

She shrugged, "I sign so much paperwork in a day it's hard to keep track of it all."

"I'll bet," Zehoi sighed. "Though I'm pretty sure you know full well that you signed my death warrant. I know too much," she looked at Director sh'Vreshaa, "so did Ryn. She tell you that the Chain's running low on Dilithium and she's struggling just to keep what we already have going?"

"That is a vile and odious lie," Osyraa spat back. "The ramblings of a lunatic that couldn't stand that her family had lost their place in the upper echelons of our society. How small you've become."

Zehoi stood, "I don't care about the Chain! I care about my survival!"

"I think you care a little bit about more than just that," Esoria countered after being silent for so long.

"So you can speak! Hallelujah!" The former Minister cheered.

sh'Vreshaa nodded, "I can and I can do a lot more than you give me credit for. Like did you know I descend not only from Andor but also the Aenar subgroup? It's a little back in my genome, but still enough that I have a touch of the telepathic abilities that they're known for. More empathy than anything. Know what it told me?"

"I have a feeling you'll tell me like it or not," D'ian mumbled.

"Not this time," Osyraa interrupted. "I thought I'd share what the good Director found. Do you know that you had some emotional connection to Svian when the Director last left you? Probably barely perceptible even to yourself, but her Aenar genes picked up on it. So, we want to honor your steadfastness with a gift to the Svians." Osyraa manipulated her TriCOM, "You've got it."

Esoria manipulated her TriCOM into PADD mode and smiled at what she read, the privacy screen blocking what Zehoi could see. She dropped the monitor, "You see, former Minister, the Chain has been testing some new technologies and equipment recently. Some pretty exciting things and some things that could make the Space Pope go running in terror. We've been looking for a site to demonstrate the true power of our new resources and, in a way, you have selected the site of our first test." Pressing her communicator, "Proceed."

Osyraa motioned toward the window, "After you."

Slowly, Minister D'ian walked toward the octagonal window that overlooked the water world below. Behind her both Osyraa and sh'Vreshaa stood with broad smiles as a turquois orb shot from the Cerulean toward the planet below. As soon as it entered the atmosphere above the planetary colony, an antiproton beam lanced out from the forward emitter and connected with the rapidly descending sphere. An immense cloud of green gas erupted outward from the explosion, engulfing the colony.

"That's a biological agent that we were able to uncover recently from a former Federation outpost you may be familiar with," sh'Vreshaa explained.

Osyraa looked between the two others in the room, "I think that Miss Zehoi needs to think about the consequences of her actions and how her choices have impacted the rest of her people. Let's go get some rest and let her watch her handiwork," the leader of the Emerald Chain suggested.

"That's a great idea!" The Andorian replied as she walked toward the exit with the Prime Minister along for the ride.

"See you in the morning," Osyraa called back as the doors slid shut behind them.

As the others left the room Zehoi D'ian could only watch in horror as the colony below was enveloped in darkness.

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