Interim Mission: Eitreih'Okhala - Festival of Fire

[Deleted]

Following the fiasco that was the S’Harien’s last mission, Taev was given a classified assignment that took him away from his post as Commander of the S’Harien. In one of his final acts as Commanding Officer, he had promoted Mirok to the rank of Centurion and appointed him First Officer of the S’Harien. The time of the year for the Romulan Festival of Fire had arrived, and its celebration served well to occupy the crew of the S’Harien while a new Commanding Officer was selected and transported to Starbase Assailant where the crew joined the Starbase’s small population Romulan residents in the festivities.

Fire was one of the four elements in Romulan belief that defined the universe around them. As such, the Festival of Fire was a Romulan holy day, associated with many traditions and rituals. The element Fire represented more things that just flame itself and the light it gave, it also represented energy, power, the stars, explosions, and lighting. And as the fire that burned within each person, it also represented passions, strength, and the soul.

Mirok stood gathered with the other Romulans, dressed in red ceremonial robes special for this occasion, which had been a gift from the family he had once belonged to. Mirok was a follower of the Fire sect, and as such this Festival had particular meaning to him. Members of the different elemental sects celebrated all of the festivals, though the Festival for their sect was usually a favored one.

A fire burned bright in the front of the room. Standing before the fire, a Priest recited a poem to commemorate the occasion:

Four Elements are there.
In Star's heart and heart's desire
Here burns Fire:

Leaping, dancing flames give warmth, give light
Entice us -- but venture not too close,
For Fire gives death, too, to we who live,
And those who play with Fire are always burned.
Never truly tame, unstoppable once loosed,
Wildfires and atom bombs, lightening and supernovae
Destroy. But Fire also builds;
Sunfire, starfire, lifefire in our nerves,
And the fire in our hearts,
Our passions: Love, Joy, Loyalty,
Treachery, Hatred, Despair all feed our power.
Its blaze consumes, searing away
All pretense, leaving truth amidst the ashes.
In crises, it is our hidden strength,
Giving all, unambivalent, holding nothing back.
In brilliance blinds, an inferno,
And in one moment of glory
Fire burns hot
And burns out.

After it had concluded, Mirok stopped forward along with others one by one and stretched forth a candle into the flame. “In the flame I light my candle, a symbol of my passion, my strength, and my soul. May it burn bright and bring honor to myself, my family and the Empire.” He knelt a moment before the flame in meditation before adding his candle to a line of others that had already done the same. “And may our fires burn together to the glory of the Empire.”


Later, he approached the other senior officers. “I managed to procure a bottle of Romulan Ale even on this Federation Starbase, if anyone would like to join me in celebration.”

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(Credit: Poem and other Beliefs information - www.pfrpg.org/RH/beliefs.htm )

[Deleted]

"What was he singing daddy?" Kasia's voice, though soft, rang clear across the silent room. The little girl knew nothing of Romulan beliefs, and precious little of the language though she was picking up on it fast enough.

In hushed tone, Tedak explained to the two-year old what was going on. He wasn't a follower of fire, but rather one of water. Water was the element of life, in his belief, it sustained where fire might not. Or where Earth might not. But he wouldn't shy away from another's beliefs, in fact he took interest in them most of the time. Hence, with his daughter by the hand, he too walked forward, lit a candle and offered a silent prayer.

"Can I do that too daddy?" the girl asked, trying to tone her voice down to a whisper. "I want to do that too, I want to pray for mommy."

Bowing his head, Tedak handed her a candle and instructed her to hold it tight in one hand. Guiding her other hand with the lighter, he helped her light the candle. "Don't say it out loud," he whispered, "just think of it, inside your mind." He watched as the little girl wrenched her eyes shut, her tiny face a mask of concentration, before she reached out to place the candle alongside her father's.

Taking her by the hand again, the Romulan diplomat walked out to rejoin his shipmates, smiling as Mirok mentioned Ale. "Which vintage?" he querried as he approached. "Incidently, may I offer congratulations on being assigned temporary commanding officer? Or should I offer my sympathies instead?"

[Deleted]

"Both, perhaps," Mirok replied as he stared into the fire. "I'm sure this garner me quite a few enemies among the crew, jumping from Uhlan to Centurion in one shot, but I am glad to be out of that Engine Room."

"And as for the Ale, the vintage is..." He stopped as he felt a wince of pain. His psionic abilities usually proved more of a burden than a gift, especially at times like this as he picked the sensation of someone accidentally burning themselves as they lit their candle. "Sorry, the vintage is 2362," Mirok finished. He likely would never have remembered that fact if it hadn't been the same year he was born.

He then noticed the presence of the Ambassador's two-year-old. He crouched to be eye-level with her, the hems of his red robe rustling as they settled on the floor. "And how are you, Kasia? Do you like the fire?"

It was a rather inane question to ask on a sacred occasion such as this, but what else could you ask a two-year-old about the Festival of Fire?

[Deleted]

Fierce eyes settled on the centurion, traveling across his form as if to commit him to memory. Then, she shyly reached out, touching the fabric of his robes. "I do like the fire," she answered slowly, then looked up at her father. "Daddy why aren't we in red? I really like that colour.."

Tedak smiled as he towered over the both of them, indicating his own deep blue robes. "That's because we aren't followers of the Faith of Fire," he explained patiently, "once you're older you can decide which path you follow. I won't stop you whatever you decide, because no matter what, you are my child."

He scooped her up in his arms, then tossed her in the air, before catching her again. The girl squaled in delight when he did it again, before cradling her to him. "So you like the red hm? Do you want us to find you a red dress then? Or perhaps something red to go with your blue?"

The ambassador glanced over the girls shoulder down at the still kneeling commanding officer. "Where would I find something red for her to wear?" he asked, "it's too late now to return home to get her changed." Home, how strange that sounded since in his mind, Assailant was still his home. The base contained most of his memories, at least the happy ones. S'harien might be the place he lived, but it just didn't feel like home.

At least, he reasoned, he could get along with the current commanding officer, which seemed a welcome change. "Have we received new orders yet?" he asked quietly, making room for the next in line to light a candle.

[Deleted]

Sub-lieutenant Mavak stood shaking his head as he watched Ch'varak scuttle out the door. He waited a moment before following. "Legate, the Federation Doctors are fully capable of delivering an evaluation," he said sagely. "Perhaps, it might be prudent -"

"Silence. I've had enough of your diversionary talk." Tevio scampered by the observation portals which offered their impressive view across the Starbase's inner dock. He turned to look periodically, jerking like a madman, while keeping a feverish eye on the other side of the passageway and the door numbers. He stopped abruptly and spun to face Mavak, who had been following at a standard pace.

"Seeing as you've chased me, I'll allow you to open it." Tevio indicated an inconspicuous grey door.

Mavak regarded the door and his Legate dubiously. It seemed to him that his concerns were fully justified. Ch'varak had not properly recovered from the injury he'd sustained at the climax of their last assignment, at least not mentally.

Yes the Legate had been returned to duty soon enough, but he'd stumbled dazedly about the Intel office for the remainder of that day, hardly responding to queries from his staff and appearing rather disconnected. And then he had begun his precipitous fall into this current state of derangement. Perhaps under ordinary circumstances he'd have been relieved, probably immediately in fact, but it was a time of upheaval for the S'Harien's command staff. Intraship affairs had been made secondary while command deliberated on the appointment of a new CO.

Mavak peered closely at the door, struggling with the unfamiliar human letters and frowning heavily. "Open it," the Legate said, glaring at his underling while glancing up and down the corridor. This area of the Starbase was quite deserted.

Mavak made a quiet noise of disgruntlement but did as he was ordered, the door rolling back to reveal a cramped maintenance space with several hatches leading off in various directions. "What are we doing, Legate?" he asked, as Tevio made him shuffle into a tunnel lying behind one of the hatches.

"We are observing the Starfleet brass. A gathering of flag officers and other senior officials is taking place in an establishment on the promenade. They are discussing things that are of use to me."

"What?" Mavak mumbled in disbelief. He stopped in the tunnel, blocking the way. "Sir, this is... preposterous. If we wanted to observe, wouldn't we be better served by using the S'Harien's facilities?"

Tevio snarled and pushed the Sub-lieutenant out of the way, clambering down the tube into the darkness at its far end. He rounded a corner and passed out of sight. Mavak cursed and crawled after him. He would come to regret this later, he was sure, no matter how it ended...

[Deleted]

Mirok now stood, as it was hardly worth it to remain kneeling now that the girl was now longer in front of him. He gave his robes a slight shake to straighten them. “For the moment, our orders are to remain here while a permanent Commanding Officer is decided upon. I am only a Centurion, after all, and a newly promoted one, at that. And I was only just appointed as First Officer as well. But then, Commander Lhoell was a Sub-Lieutenant, so we shall see. However, I do know that once that decision is reached, our assignment involves ferrying a Starfleet Admiral on some very important matter. Regarding where to or why, I have not been informed.”

He winced as he perceived the feeling of yet another person getting their hand too close to the flames. Of all times for his gift to be so active, why did it seem to choose the most inconvenient ones? Or perhaps intense sensation was more easily picked up on his part.

Mirok turned his attention back to Kasia. “As for her, there is a tailor with a shop just down from the Embassy. He mainly does more human clothing that is influenced by Romulan styles, but from what I know he does carry some genuine Romulan pieces. I’m sure that with the Festival going on, he’d be carrying some red ones to cater to the situation. He even offered me a handsome price to buy these ceremonial robes from me. Naturally, I wouldn’t part with them.”

[Deleted]

"See, Mavak, the goals of the Tal Diann and the Navy are laid out before you. They're telling us all we need to know." Tevio seemed almost excited as he watched the Starfleet flag officers' conversation.

Mavak turned to look at him. "Legate. They're discussing breakfast."

Tevio shook his head, as if he were talking to some incomprehending child. "Listen and learn." He pulled a small device from his side that came away with a click and pressed its central button. It beeped twice and he affixed it to the tunnel's grating. "Room is bugged."

"They'll find it," Mavak stated. "They'll discover its origin. Legate, this is a Federation Starbase. One that we are attached to as the Romulan envoy." Mavak had to resist the temptation to shake his chief by the shoulders. He was lucky that there was hardly room to do so, "This is a tactical and political disaster unfolding before us, sir!"

"Silence. Now come with me before you attract their attention." Tevio turned and crawled on down the Jeffries' Tube, knocking a fist on the wall as he went. "These walls are not wholly soundproof."

Mavak sighed, shaking his head as he once more followed his chief. They halted at the next junction point and Tevio scanned beyond the exit door. "Corridor is clear," he said, and released the door catch.

A Starfleet-booted foot stepped into the doorway, and the door slid back. The surprise that registered on all three of their faces would've been a quite remarkable sight to behold. Mavak had no time to comment on Tevio's mistake as the Starfleet officer immediately executed a roundhouse kick to the Sub-lieutenant's face. Green blood flew from Mavak's mouth and he hit the deck.

Tevio ducked, twisting as he retreated towards the tube and drawing his dagger. His facial expression - while having momentarily been one of shock - had returned to cold neutrality and the air of seeming implacability he normally exuded.

The gold-collared Starfleet officer took a step forward, assuming a martial stance.

The Legate glanced at the floor, "What do you think's happening here?" he asked the human. "That was an unprovoked attack."

The Starfleet security guard said nothing, barely blinking and rotating in his stance, searching out the best attack point.

"You realise we are from the IRW S'Harien, conducting tests on behalf of your commanders?" the Intel chief said.

"An anomaly has been detected in this area. I was sent to investigate," the guard replied, "What do I find but two Romulans sneaking around in a Jeffries' Tube?" The human dived forward in a blinding flash.

Despite the haze of his delirium, Tevio retained enough sense to remember his agent training. He pivoted, placing a foot forward and catching the guard off-balance. He had his arm around the human's neck now, squeezing from behind, but then decided simply to use the dagger to stab the man in the back of the neck. Red blood seeped to the floor, soaking as if it were tar into the room's dark carpet. The human choked, his breath fading in a gentle wheeze like the calm sigh of the sea. His lifeforce left him, like it'd left many others in this situation.

Tevio pursed his lips, blinking away his anger and impossibly slight regret, before picking up Mavak and taking him from the room. He re-entered the room, having ordered Mavak to clean himself up, and disposed of the human's body in a plasma conduit. They then returned to the S'Harien by conventional routes, knowing that the Starfleet authorities would be monitoring the area and would pick up any immediate beam-out.

A brief cover-up task would ensue and then they could resume Tevio's mad task, whatever that may be, Mavak thought. Unless he took steps to have Tevio temporarily relieved.

[Deleted]

A small Romulan shuttle docked at the Federation Starbase, after a short security check two very large Romulan men stepped out each holding a foot in their hand, behind them dragging along the floor the unconscious body of Krieala Vyaln.
They muttered several expletives between them, she had put up more of a fight than either of them could have imagined, they gained several awkward glares from Starfleet officers but they merely waved them off stating they were on diplomatic business. Entering a large hall where they recognized a ceremony of fire was taking place they walked into the center of the room and dropped her legs.

There she lay still out cold as one of them grinned. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I present your new Commander.” He motioned to the floor before looking to his companion. “Let us leave shall we?” the other nodded and they made off for the exit.

The room had fallen rather silent, and the footsteps of the two men as easily heard as they ploddingly walked to the exit, it was more than enough for Krieala to ascertain their position amongst the crowd. She sat up in a flash at the same moment her arm shot out, a small knife shot through the room it sped passed both mens heads and got stuck in the door.

They both turned to see Vyaln walk up to them. She slightly smiled, “Gentlemen, when you disarm a person make sure you do it properly I has seven more of those.” She looked with disdain as she reached out and plucked a black pair of gloves out of one of their pockets. “Those are mine, now you may go.” She reached past them and pulled the small knife from the door.

Turning her eyes scanned the crowd, she took a deep breath as she pulled her gloves back on. “This ceremony is over.” She declared, “Those of you from the Sh’arien return to the vessel, senior officers stay where you are.” She glared. “Now move.”

As people started to file out of the room she looked to the ones standing still. Her eyes scanned each of them slowly before she turned with a frown. “One of you is missing, the intelligence officer.” She took another deep breath. “Predictable people of narrow vision intelligence officers are.”

She sighed as she turned, stepping forward so she was in front of Mirok she said. “You are relieved of command by order of the senate, remove your junk from my office as soon as you get back to the ship and resume your duties as my second.”

Now looking to her security officer she sighed. “You I don’t know.” She said she looked the woman up and down slowly She stepped forward her gloved hand lightly grabbed her throat and she pulled her closer. “Your hair and clothes play into the weak look about you, but you fail to mask the fire in your eyes.” She reached down and pulled the gun from the security officers holster. “I seem to have lost mine.” She pushed the woman back.

“Ambassador.” She remarked as her head turned to look at Tedak, “Once we have left extend our gratitude to our hosts here and inform them they should look for our Intelligence officers handiwork.” She took yet another deep breath.

“Romulus believes you the dregs of our military, the least of what they have to offer.” She titled her head slightly. “I intend we prove them very wrong, now back to the ship.”

[Deleted]

Pulling his daughter to him, Tedak turned sharply at the sound of Kreiala's voice. “And what handiwork would that be?” he querried, somehow surprised by her indirect accusation that went unaccompanied by an explanation. From behind his legs, little Kasia looked up at the woman and offered her a shy smile and wave. Young though she was, she did remember this woman, who had given her sweets when she was abandoned and left in the hands of her father's aide.

She pulled her gloves tighter as she turned to look at Tedak, her eyebrows raised slightly as she replied. “I am not in the habit of doing other peoples work Ambassador, simply inform the Commander that he should do a search of this deck.” She took a deep breath as she looked to the last of her crew leaving the room.

“I noticed very few of our intelligence officers in this room, so it reasonable to assume their chief led them on a little mission.” She took another deep breath. “Make sure not to send the message until after we leave, if indeed they did do something I don’t intend to stick around and offer an explanation.”

“Those little missions are part of his job,” the diplomat answered curtly, “and it's not my job to inform any commander of anything, but yours as acting commanding officer. I am a diplomat, I deal with diplomatic situations and this is not one of them even if Admiral Magellan is my friend. As it is, I too am a guest on this station as it is no longer my home.”

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Ambassador listen to me very carefully because I don’t like to repeat myself, I am not acting anything I am the Commanding Officer.” She smiled slightly, “And your job as diplomat is to liaise between us and other governments, in this case Starfleet will find whatever it was they did by themselves, if we inform them first it will lessen the amount reparations our senate will need to give the Federation to make it go away.”

Looking slightly annoyed now she added. “If informing someone we may have sabotaged or spied on them isn’t a diplomatic incident I’m not sure what is.”

“If the legate has sabotaged anything, then that is his problem not ours. If he has committed a crime, then he will pay for it and we will make sure the Federation knows that he was punished for his acts. I still don't see this as being an incident but I can go with you when you talk to anyone. You are correct, I liaise, but I'm not a commanding officer any longer. It's your authority that counts here, not mine. I can only try to diffuse a situation but you need to be the informant. If I do it, it'll be seen as you hiding behind me, and I doubt that's what you want.”

She frowned slightly, “Ambassador, I’m not talking to anyone you are going to send the message once we have disembarked.” Letting out a deep breath she added. “I wouldn’t normally inform Starfleet but our next mission will involve them heavily.” She shook her head. “So can you for just one moment trust I know what I am doing and do as I have instructed.”

“I'm not yours to instruct commander. I'm a diplomat, not one of your subordinates. I don't answer to you.”

She stayed calm which was very unlike her. “Ambassador, you are a member of the crew on my ship, you do answer to me.” She shrugged her shoulders. “You can accept that fact or you can remain here while we leave without you.” She took a deep breath. “Govan would have attacked you by now.” She stated simply. “Make your choice Ambassador I do have other things to attend to.”

“You're not Govan and I doubt he would've attacked me. He was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. You could try, however...” Of course he would send the message but there was nothing more amusing than rile up the commanding officer and she what she was made of.

“Stupid was chief among them.” She scoffed in reply. “Tedak, there are times you are just going to need to trust me I can’t have this little display every time we disagree, if you have a valid argument I will listen and I will make a decision, once I have it is final.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “As for me attacking you? Pray I never do I’ve attacked exactly seven people in my life and they are all.” Her right hand touched the top of her left hand under the glove the self-inflicted scar lay hidden she paused noticing the child peeking out from behind Tedak. “Not in a position to disclose how they lost the fight.”

“I don't lose,” Tedak replied confidently. “Very well I will send the message.” He picked up his daughter and held her to him. “Right now, however I have time to spend with my daughter. Excuse me.” Holding her close, Tedak brushed past the woman, not looking back.

“And that statement is how I know you would lose.” She mumbled to herself as she watched him walk for the door. “Spend it on the ship Ambassador we are departing in thirty minutes.” She called out before he left hearing range.

“I was planning to,” came the response before the ambassador turned around the corner.

[Deleted]

As the intruders upon the ceremony announced that the body they had just dragged in was their new Commander, Mirok pushed his way forward through the crowd to see who it was.

Kreiala Vyaln. Mirok didn’t think they would see her again so quickly. Mere months before she had been only a Sub-Lieutenant, though now she sported the rank of Sub-Commander. But then again, only days before he himself had been an Uhlan. Clearly something had happened – or she had made something happen. She had likely found a way to get herself in a position of greater power, but that it had also partially backfired. After all, she was in charge of a backwater assignment. She and Mirok were a lot alike, in that respect. In the time they had served as relative equals, Mirok had come to respect Kreiala. She was eminently practical. Practical, but harsh; she would not be an easy Commanding Officer to serve under.

Resume his duties as her second? More like begin his duties as second. He had yet to really perform them at all. Taev had promoted Mirok after being informed of his reassignment, and as such Mirok had spent mere hours as his First Officer. Indeed, within a day, Mirok had gone from Chief Engineer to Temporary Commanding Officer. Very temporary, now it seemed.

Mirok was about to object to her choice to cut the ceremony short, but then after witnessing the conversation between her and Tedak, he thought twice about it. He didn’t want to be the second person to question her orders and get a split-second introduction to where one of the other seven hidden knives had been placed before it was used on him.

Instead he approached her, his ceremonial robes swishing as he stopped abruptly before her. “Good to see you again, Commander. I look forward to serving under you,” he said, then proceeded toward the exit himself, leaving it to her to wonder how genuine his statement might have been.

[Deleted]

The intelligence officer regained consciousness, his mind sliding back into tandem with reality. The S'Harien's medbay snapped into focus around him, hazy grey-beige lines resolving into the walls of the intensive care unit.

"Sub-lieutenant. You're awake," a voice spoke haltingly, scything into his mind in short stabbing motions.

Memories of the Legate's knife came to him. Its sharp malign edges piercing the human's neck, the blood a viscous crimson as it pooled into the carpet and the last of the human's breath leaving him. The Sub-lieutenant remembered this clearly, even though it was the last thing he was able to recall. He must've passed out then, head traumatised by the human's roundhouse kick.

Tevio Ch'varak's face materialised in his vision, seeming for a moment to hover disconnected from its body. "You were fortunate, Mavak. The human's assault on you did more damage than I'd thought."

Mavak turned his head to the side, studying the datapanel adjacent to his biobed which displayed his biosigns. "I've been in surgery," he stated.

"Yes, you have. A major artery was ruptured and you were badly concussed. Taranek nearly lost you twice."

"I don't understand." Mavak's eyes moved back and forth rapidly, his mind reliving new memories as they flashed their way to the surface. It seemed that the Legate's act of murder was not his last memory. "I walked from the room and tended to my wounds, as you ordered. I was debating our next course..." He paused. He'd actually been weighing up reporting Tevio to Acting CO i-Dartha. "And then nothing."

"You collapsed as we were making our way back to the S'Harien. I had us beamed by emergency straight here. Starfleet may have detected it," Tevio huffed, "And they may well be on to us now... No matter. Our new CO has arrived and she has informed us that we'll be departing in thirty minutes. Slightly under twenty now."

"Twenty minutes?!" Mavak's veins bulged in his temple and down his neck, causing him no small amount of pain. It felt as if his whole head was locked in a vice, being twisted in multiple directions by cold, unrelenting metal.

"Rest, Sub-lieutenant. I have this under control."

Mavak barely managed to nod. Alarms on the vitals panel started beeping quietly, causing the Doctor to come over and Tevio to be pushed back. "Yes, sir. I'll... rejoin you as soon as I am able."

Tevio stared at him wild-eyed, a gaze which Mavak returned critically. His chief's mood was indecipherable as he repeated, "I have this under control."