JP: Subcommanders V’Tak & Sojot - Hidden Fangs

[Karrod Niac]

((OOC:  I had a blast writing this JP with Lt. Cmdr. @Krindo Pandorn!  It was originally meant to be a fun curveball for folks during shoreleave, but the reaction has been so strong we've decided to use these events to build into a full scale mission!  Great writing with you, Krindo!))

((Talisin Forest, Outside Lokesh City))

Hidden in the underbrush and wrapped in a sensor dampening shroud, Subcommanders V’Tak and Sojot were into the third week of their mission on this hateful world.   Through a set of high powered optics, they could see their foe in the distance - the outlines of their stolen structures, grotesquely covered with the insignia of Starfleet.  Somewhere on that base, their target was blithely going about their day, completely unaware they had been marked for death.  

These fat, lazy Starfleet people had no idea why their mothership had been recalled at the last moment.  Their communications to the homeworld had been monitored, and quite naturally ignored by the high command.  As far as they were concerned, things were going precisely to plan. The arrival of the Klingon battleship had served the Tal Shiar’s ends perfectly, creating a moment of confusion when their operatives beamed to the surface, completely unnoticed.  Now, their patience had nearly been rewarded. Communications from the Embassy, easily intercepted from the planets traffic control network, indicated that their quarry was about to leave the protected confines of their installation aboard a small craft traveling north.  

It was the perfect opportunity to kill an Admiral.  

V’Tak:  It makes my blood burn to think of those Federation people inhabiting a structure that rightly belongs to the Romulan Republic.  Perhaps when we’ve succeeded in our mission, the Praetor will give it to us as a reward for our service?

Sojot: And don’t forget the revenge we will have after Jorok Three and Thendara Two. The reward will be substantial I would gather.

V’Tak:  The Federation has much to answer for, brother.  We are fortunate to have been chosen for this mission of retribution.  Have you inspected the canon?  

Nearby, sitting on a complex mechanical mount, hidden beneath a holoshroud, was the instrument of their vengeance.  A surface to air disruptor battery, stripped down to its minimum size and weight for portability. It would only give them a few shots before the power supply was depleted, but that would be more than they needed.  

Sojot: We’ll get one or two shots from it then it will most definitely burn out. It wasn’t made to be stripped down this much.

V’Tak:  Then our aim must be true, or we should not bother attempting to leave this place.  Better to be killed fighting Starfleet.  

He shuddered briefly, thinking of the torments he had seen dispensed to those who failed the Tal Shiar.  Men and women with shattered bodies and shattered minds to match. It was not to be his fate.  

Sojot:  Should we fail to shoot them down, I’ve rigged a self destruct charge to detonate on command. We won’t be taken by those Starfleet veruul.

V’Tak:  Very well.  There must be no trace of our presence here.  Either we are successful, or we cease to exist.  For the good of the Romulan people. Jolan Tru.  

Sojot: For our people. Jolan Tru, my friend.

Through the optics, V’Tak saw activity at the airfield.  Crewmen moving with purpose, and landing doors being retracted.  It was nearly time to strike.  

V’Tak:  Ready the weapon.  The honor of the kill shall be yours.  

Sojot tapped a few commands on a side panel and watched as power levels rose indicating the weapon is charging. When the panel was green, he nodded to V’Tak.

Sojot:  The weapon is ready. We will show our people what real Romulans are.They will remember what we do here.

V’Tak:  Your zeal is to be commended.  So many of our brothers and sisters have grown weak these past decades, listless and docile...a lost race.  They must be reminded that to be Romulan is to be feared.  Our names should be spoken in whispers, by those who fear to anger us.  That day will come again.  

Sojot: ::::lifts the weapon to his shoulder, exhaling at the weight of the launcher and facing the Embassy:: Let this be our mark in our struggle.

From the Embassy grounds, several small craft took flight.  Two appeared to be standard shuttlecraft - unremarkable except in how small and vulnerable they were.  Starfleet - always so arrogant. Always so trusting. Fools. A third ship took flight and V’Tak’s lips curled back into a feral grin.  The Admiral’s personal yacht, an obscene and garish vessel easily three times the size of the shuttles, alighted and fell into a lazy formation with the shuttles.  They were heading directly towards their position.  

Sojot: ::scoffs:: They make it so easy. What is the human expression...sitting goose?

V’Tak:  ::Hissing slightly:: Don’t dirty your tongue with human turns of phrase.  Focus on our mission. Our target comes. 

Sojot: My apologies. Been on this rock a bit too long. ::takes aim at the yacht:: They will be dust soon enough..

V’Tak:  This assignment has been a difficult one, brother, but it will soon be worth our efforts.  Hold the target lock until the last moment, I don’t want to give their pilots a chance to react. 

Sojot: Almost here. They are closing quickly. ::an soft audible beeping indicated range::

As the three craft drew near, V’Tak could hear the whine of the canon’s power pack intensifying.  The barrel articulated on its mount with a worrying grind and V’Tak’s eyes narrowed.

V’Tak:  What is the problem?

Sojot: Power pack is overloading. Auto fire is not responding. Have to take the shot manually.

V’Tak ground his teeth in frustration.  There were an ancient set of rules in their profession, handed down from time immemorial to assets and agents like him.  Always among them was the reminder ‘Technology will always let you down.’

V’Tak:  Very well.  Fire when ready.

Sojot listened as the beeping got more and more rapid. When the beeping was almost a steady whine, he pressed the fire button and two bolts of green disruptor energy flashed their way to the approaching craft. One bolt was a clean miss, while the other struck one of the smaller craft in its port nacelle, causing it to smoke heavily and veer off course. It was going down.

Sojot: ::cussing in Romulan:: One of the support craft was hit. It’s going to crash.

V’Tak:  FOOL, that was not our mission!  I have seen better shooting from a Ferengi garbage merchant!  Quickly, fire again! 

Frantically tapping on the controls, the canon ground to a halt, its power pack expended.  The still aloft Starfleet vessels began darting erratically and picking up speed, quickly moving out of their reach.  V’Tak considered the magnitude of their failure and considered his sidearm...first for the fool who had doomed them both, and then for himself, but the sound of a screeching engine coming closer stayed his hand. 

One of the shuttles was pitched over, yawing violently as a nacelle belched smoke and flame.  The shot had missed the crew cabin, but the vessel was picking up speed on its descent.  It would hit the ground near their position.  Perhaps there was a chance to still salvage something from this disaster. 

V’Tak:  If any survive the crash, we will take them back with us for interrogation.  For both of our sakes, pray their pilot is more competent than you are. 

Sojot:  We’ll need to find them first. This forest is very thick and some of the locals say it’s haunted. I will make up for my failure, I swear it.

V’Tak:  The only spirits trapped here will be ours if we fail again.  Quickly, destroy the weapon.  We must get to the crash site before a Starfleet rescue team arrives. 

As the burning shuttle collided with the nearby treetops the two Romulan assets set off, leaving behind nothing but a large scorched area where their useless equipment had burned.  Their only hope now was to capture someone valuable enough to offset their failure.  Desperation added speed to their steps as they crashed deeper into the dense forest. 

 

===============================

Subcommader V’Tak

Tal’Shiar Field Asset

V239509GT0 (AKA Geoffrey Teller)

&

Subcommander Sojot

Tal’Shiar Field Asset

Z239308KP0 (AKA Krindo Pandorn)