Ensign Kimonzi Lahl - I thought Steven Was Dead

[Lhandon_Nilsen]

I'm a sucker for a good "you're not meant to die yet" scene, and I'm even more of a sucker for weaving in aspects of your backstory and building them throughout the mission. In this one, we learn about Steven. We wonder, who is Steven? Clearly, he means a lot to her. @Kimonzi Lahl

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((Bottom of a ravine, 3 Klicks from Sbadni’s main compound, Sbadni’s Moon))

Kimonzi pressed on them the importance of moving along, especially with some sort of satellite in orbit. Additionally, they had a time schedule to keep to.

Lahl: Either way, I think it’s best that we get moving.

She walked with the rest of the team as they approached the…palace was really the only word to describe it. It was an ostentatious display of white stone and wealth and Kimonzi found it off putting.

Richards: You guys seeing this?

Promontory: Looks like we’ve found our target!

Nilsen: Tacky is the word we’re looking for.

Lahl: Tacky implies that it could be brought around to good taste.

Richards: Yeah. Not exactly what I was expecting.

((Sbadni Moon, Outside Palace Walls))

As they got closer, Kimonzi’s impression of the palace didn’t improve. The whole ordeal was over the top with precious metals, marble, and other ostentatious displays of wealth. Even a Ferengi would have told the owner to tone it down.

Promontory: There! At the base of that spire.

Nilsen: The perfect spot. Enough to tell them to look here, but not enough to bring it down.

Lahl: Oh yeah. ::looking around:: The structure is actually pretty sound.

Richards: Okay. This is it. Everyone ready?

Nilsen: Yep, I’m ready.

She joined the rest of the party in vaulting the walls, getting set up around the base of the spire.

Lahl: Aye sir.

Richards: I don’t know how many guards exactly. But I’m sure I saw at least twelve.

That concerned Kimonzi. While Richards was here, and Lhandon was huge, she was going to be a liability if they were engaged in hand to hand combat.

Promontory: Hopefully we’ll be in and out before anyone even notices us. (beat) Well, until we set off the explosives, that we want folks to notice!

Nilsen: Five minutes? Get them set and then get out of here.

Lahl: Aye sir.

Richards: Response

As she opened her case, she came to the same realization that Commander Promontory was expressing, and what Lhandon was also experiencing. The charges were already set and the timer was too close for comfort.

Promontory: Hey, did someone already set the countdown timer?

Nilsen: No I’ve :beat: Oh sh..

The numbers were too close to zero for anyone to be comfortable, and of course it was time for the fight or flight response to cause a cross in the streams.

Lahl: Oh ::unleashing a torrent of ancient Trill curse words.:: Go!

Richards: Response

Promontory: Run!

Kimonzi’s brain finally allowed her to run, open to find some shelter from the ensuing explosion and debris, but for all the ostentation in the building, there wasn’t a whole lot of shelter or outcroppings around it.

oO What went wrong? Oo

Nilsen: Run

Lahl: Already going!

Richards: Response

3…2…1.

She felt the shockwave hit her, and then a thump on the head as she came down…

((Blank White Room, Kimonzi’s Mind))

Kimonzi opened her eyes and sat up, looking around her. As she did so, she noticed a young man standing in the room she found herself in. She stood up, and came face to face, at least as much as she was ever able to come face to face with anyone, with someone she hadn’t seen in almost six years.

Lahl: Steven? What are you doing here? ::she shook her head, trying to clear out the cobwebs, but the tall, dark skinned human was still there::

Steven: I could ask you the same thing Kimonzi. What are you doing fallen victim to an explosion? That was always my thing wasn’t it? ::a sad smile crept up on his face::

Lahl: Don’t joke about that! ::smacking him on the chest before wrapping him in a big hug:: I’ve missed you…

Steven: I’m sure I would appreciate that if I were real, but unfortunately, I’m just an apparition.

Lahl: I…I know…I kinda hoped though. ::looking up at him through the hug, she could feel tears forming in her eyes::

Steven: Hey, this is your “dream” isn’t it? ::wiping her tears away:: No need for that.

Lahl: Sorry…it’s just been so long…I’m sorry about what happened after the accident. I tried to get…

She was interrupted by the apparition in her own mind, which was different than how her thoughts usually interrupted her.

Steven: It’s not your fault Kimonzi. You did what you could. Anyway, I think it’s time for you to go back now.

Lahl: What, what do you mean? ::pulling him tighter, realizing that everything was fading away::

Steven: ::fading back into Kimonzi’s imagination:: Thank you for making sure I received a funeral Kimonzi. Don’t be showing up here again any time soon.

((Outside the walls, covered in dirt and debris, now looking like a bomb site, Sbadni’s main compound, Sbadni’s Moon))

Kimonzi was coming back slowly, far too slowly for her own good she felt. She was groggily coming to, and she shook her head, trying to get back sooner.

Which turned out to be a massive mistake, as her head decided that she needed to punished severely for her transgressions with a splitting headache. Which meant that she probably had a concussion that was going to bite her in the butt later in life

Slowly, the rest of her senses came back, with her hearing deciding that she needed to hear a piercing ringing sound in her ears. She worked her jaw to try to see if she could pop her ears. 

She looked around and noticed that Nilsen was up and standing. She coughed as she approached him.

Nilsen: =/\= Nilsen to Bridge, ::cough:: have medical on standby, the explosions :cough:: went off too early. Can you ::cough:: locate the others? =/\=

She wasn’t sure if it got through, but something crackled through.

Bridge:  =/\= What’s going on down there?  =/\=

Nilsen: =/\= I did not copy ::cough:: repeat last message =/\=

Bridge: =/\= ::garbled:: Lhandon? Lhandon, stay where you are. If it's safe, lie down. Otherwise, get somewhere safe and wait there. Don’t put anything in your ears. You may have ruptured your eardrums. We’ll get you out of there.  =/\=

Kimonzi felt Lhandon put a hand on her shoulder as he came to her. He was bleeding quite profusely and she figured she looked about as bad as well.

Nilsen: Are you alright?

Lahl: WHAT?! ::her ears were still ringing::

Promontory/Richards: Response (optional)

Nilsen: I can’t hear you.

Lahl: My hearing’s shot too!

Promontory/Richards: Response (optional)

She was trying not to shout too loud, but neither one of them was hearing that well.

Nilsen: Have you seen the others?

Lahl: No. You’re the first one I’ve seen.

Promontory/Richards: Response (optional)

Kimonzi looked around, trying to find the two other members of her party. A few paces away, she noticed the gold and red uniforms they would’ve been wearing.

Lahl: Lieutenant Nilsen! Over here!

Nilsen: Response

Richards/Promontory: Response (optional)

She went over to where Commander Promontory and Lieutenant Richards were located.

Lahl: Are you guys ok? ::tilting her head to try to hear better::

Richards/Promontory/Nilsen: Response

Lahl: What happened? How did the timer start? The detonators shouldn’t have been affected by the turbulence, and Lhandon put us down on the ground perfectly.

Richards/Promontory/Nilsen: Response

Lahl: Well, either way, we need to make ourselves scarce. Someone is bound to be here so-

She was rudely interrupted by shouting from what had to be the guards Lieutenant Richards had mentioned. As they did so, she thanked the premature explosions for allowing them to have some debris to hide behind. She did so behind a larger chunk of rock and reached for the phaser she somehow still had on her belt.

Richards/Promontory/Nilsen: Response

Tags/TBC

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Ensign Kimonzi Lahl
Engineering Officer

U.S.S. Octavia E. Butler

O240107KL4