Sal Taybrim Posted September 19, 2016 Posted September 19, 2016 ((Starbase 118 - CR Center 3)) (( A few days after returning to base)) ::T’kar was a reasonable man. It was part of what had led to him being given the role he had - Crisis Response required one to be cool headed and efficient in the direst of circumstances as well as able to handle people who were panicked, injured, or otherwise compromised. He was not a councillor, however, and he reflected somewhat glumly on this fact as he looked at the boy in front of him. The Orion incident was some weeks ago now. The kidnapped crew had been returned safely, the ship impounded and searched top to bottom, and any contraband confiscated. That’d included the slaves found aboard. For the most part the slaves had been cooperative. Most were simply scared and relieved to be saved. Others were quiet and unsure of themselves, as if waiting for the Orions to return for them the moment they grasped at hope. This one, however, as different. They’d had to strap him to the exam table. He’d attacked the officers who found him on board and even when he was quiet, his yellow eyes watched them all, waiting. One of T’Kar’s colleagues had described the boy like an abused dog, attacking out of fear. The boy was watching him silently as T’Kar tapped his commbadge. His reasonable, cool approach seemed useless. The boy barely understood basic, much less logic. T’Kar: =/\= Ensign Kasun? I would like to speak to you in CR Center 3, if your schedule allows. =/\= Kasun: =/\= I can be there in a few minutes. =/\= T’Kar: =/\= Understood. I will see you shortly. =/\= ((Time Jump)) :: Ishani hurried to Center 3. If T’Kar was calling her it was most likely about the now former Orion slaves they had rescued a few months ago with their crewmates. She had assigned T’Kar to head up their recovery. Quinn and Vaeden were both great with traumatized people, but given how deep the the wounds ran in in this case she felt it was best to have someone with more specialized knowledge coordinating things. :: Kasun: :: Arriving promptly at her destination she nodded towards T’Kar. :: Ensign T’Kar, you wished to speak to me? T’Kar: Yes, sir. I’m afraid one of the slaves recovered from the Orions is proving...difficult. ::The Vulcan looked perturbed for a moment. Frustration was a universal emotion, despite the teachings he followed.:: My techniques are not effective. Kasun: :: Ishani raised an eyebrow in surprise. :: Really? ::pause:: Where is he? T’Kar: He’s over here. ::The Vulcan led her to the Center’s medbay. The boy that lay strapped to the table was a sight - small and covered in fur, he looked somewhat like a more humanoid Caitian. His claws were long and sharp but disproportionate to his small hands, the claws on his feet the same. A cat’s tail thrashed angrily as he tugged at the restraints. When he saw them enter he turned his head, revealing big yellow cat eyes and large fanged teeth. His fur was black and brown, and a large Orion brand had been burned onto his face. He made a sound, a sort of sharp hiss, but stopped struggling and watched them cautiously.:: T’Kar: They found him under a bed in the personnel quarters. He’s.. ::It was odd to see a Vulcan trail off, but T’Kar did as he considered his description.:: Difficult. We’ve been unable to convince him we don’t mean to harm him. We tried putting him with his fellows, but the result was much the same. :: Ishani frowned as she analyzed the boy’s behavior. Wary, untrusting, hyper alert, and more than a bit animalistic. Whether it was because of or merely enhanced by his catish features she wasn’t certain, but he did bring to mind her trip to an animal shelter many years ago to adopt a pair of cats. The facilities had been more than adequate, the employees clearly cared deeply for their charges, but some of the animals had clearly seen hell. Wary and untrusting, just like the boy in front of her now. :: Kasun: I see. T’Kar: I admit I am unsure how to proceed. Kasun: Does he have a name? T’Kar: He answers to Sebok. Kasun: :: She glanced up at T’Kar and then back at the boy. :: Sebok. :: Sebok watched her like a hawk as she approached, bearing his teeth when she got to the bedside. Up close he was quite small, his short form wiry and lean. Muscle was stretched over his bones with little to no flesh between. His age was hard to determine. He had both the features of an adult and a child, and his cat like features didn’t match the obvious guess of Caitian.:: Kasun: Hello, Sebok. I’m Ishani. ::He didn’t respond, but kept his eyes locked on her.:: Kasun: How are you feeling? Sebok: ::He laughed dryly and spoke in Orion, his tone clipped and a bit raspy.:: Let me up from this table and we’ll find out, n’wah. ::He didn’t seem to expect she could understand him.:: Kasun: :: She frowned down at the boy. Ishani didn’t know what that last word meant but she could tell just by his tone alone that it was both very rude and probably a threat. :: I don’t think so. ::Sebok’s tail thrashed in frustration again. Now that there were two officers looking down at him, his gaze shot back and forth, unsure which of them he should be keeping his eye on. He chose Ishani.:: Sebok: Unstrap my hand and I’ll claw his eyes out. Kasun: oO Okay that one was definitely a threat. Oo :: Eyes narrowed, Ishani reached out and thumped him lightly on the top of the head with the side of her hand. :: We don’t say those things here. :: Ordinarily Ishani wouldn't stoop to violence with a patient unasked, though some of her previous clients had required it both emotionally and culturally in order to move on. But this kid was clearly used to the language of violence, it showed on his body and in his reactions, and words were not going to be enough. The boy looked almost comically surprised at that, the wind completely knocked out of his sails. T’Kar looked at Ishani in shock, but when Sebok sucked his breath in and got it back, he looked at her with a renewed sort of interest. Caution flickered on his face.:: T’Kar: Sir, what was - Kasun: Listen kid, the only way to get out of those restraints is to behave. ::Sebok took that moment to twap Ishani across the face with his tail. It wasn’t the least bit painful, but it was the only limb that could reach her.:: Kasun: :: She sneezed and grabbed his tail. :: You are not helping your case kid. Sebok: ::He laughed and coughed at the same time, looking at the ceiling.:: So the Federation women aren’t so different after all. ::His gaze settled on her again, calmer now. He sized her up.:: What exactly is it you want, you n’wah? Kasun: :: She watch him carefully for a moment before answering. :: We want to help you. To give you a better life than being a slave. Sebok: I bet! I know you Federation, always thinking you know best. Think your little hug circle’s beyond things like slavery and murder, do you? That what you have to offer? A better life? ::He spat and hit T’Kar on the leg.:: Sebok: Where y’gonna put me? You gonna get me a job? Train me to fly a garbage scow for latium shavings and then pat your backs about what good work you do? ::He sneered.:: You lot haven’t experienced a bad day in your lives. Kasun: :: Ishani closed her eyes and flashed back to being captured by Khante, to the floating frozen corpses of the Avalon’s crew, to the scorch mark where Dovak had been not a moment before whole and healthy. She opened them and stared straight into Sebok’s eyes. :: You’re wrong about that. Sebok: Really? ::He leaned forward as much as he could.:: You ever killed someone, missus? Ever killed someone ‘cause it was you or him? Ever licked the blood off of you ‘cause it was all you were going to eat that day? ::He slumped back to the table.:: Sebok: You don’t know where or what I’ve been. You don’t know shi- Kasun: Do you want to go back to being a slave? :: Her tone was cold and sharp. Sebok wanted a reaction and she would give him one, though it probably wasn’t the one he wanted. :: Do you want to go back to having no food, to being beaten, to kill others for your own survival? Because despite your tough guy act, I doubt you do. ::He watched her in silence. T’Kar looked between the two.:: T’Kar: Ensign, perhaps we should sed- Sebok: Shut up, you point-eared git. ::T’Kar didn’t speak Orion, but the boy’s tone made whatever he’d said clear enough.:: You, woman. Is she dead? Kasun: Who? Sebok: Khante! Is she dead? Kasun: Yes. Sebok: ::He slumped suddenly, not bothering to hide relief - and trepidation. He didn’t seem to know what to make of this news.:: I hope she suffered. I hope she bled. Kasun: :: dryly :: Oh that she did. oO Commander Falcon certainly made sure of that. Oo Ensign Ishani Kasun MD, PhD Crisis Response Unit Starbase 118 Ops O239306IK0 & PNPC Sebok Simmed by Lieutenant JG Taelon Science Officer Starbase 118 OPs O239303T10 2
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