Subject: Grail: The Great Brightness: `The Face of the Enemy'
<Stardate: 47307.31>
<En route to Sickbay>
Two of Brinns Marines, including `Sarge' Kirby, preceeded the
Romulan Subcommanders `guard' to the turbolift. Castle and Kirby
exchanged a serious nod when their eyes first met. Neither one of them
had had any positive experiences with Romulans.
Kirby and his second entered the lift and departed. The next lift
arrived almost immediately. En. Cariss Thorn, who had been moved from
Beta Shift to accomodate T'Arnas absence, and Kwan Lo Pan preceeded
Brinn and the Romulan, before Castle and Tifa Charr finally entered. It
was a little crowded.
"Deck 10.", Brinn ordered.
Rather than facing the doors, Castle and Charr faced the interior
of the lift. Or rather, they faced the Romulan. Castles barely perceived
anger made slow bubbles to the surface of his voice.
"Where is the honor in bio-weapons, Romulan?", Castles voice was
low, but biting. "You green-blooded lizards are always professing a
warriors ethics, but you poison your enemies with weapons that should be
adequate to kill them if you had any skill."
The Romulan looked Castle straight in the eye, but deigned to
decline from responding. Castles anger burned hotter, but expressed
itself with control.
"We are a deep-space salvage team.", Castle explained. "We are
ambassadors. We are families and we are children. And you poisoned us
for having the audacity to aid in the rescue of a Science Vessel that
your people attacked without provocation."
Something changed in the eyes of the Romulan, but she did not speak
and she did not look away.
Castles teeth were clenched in a snarl. "Did you know the people of
the T'Saloset?"
The Romulan did finally speak. "Yes, I did. Though I did not order
their attack on the Indiana. Commander Sarvid took his own initiative
and it would seem you have punished him for it." Her eyes showed some
anger as well, but Castles was more intimidating. Thalissa was angry for
herself. Castle was angry for a thousand innocent people.
Castle held up the disruptor he had taken from Thalissa upon her
submission after leaving the escape pod. "If this shows the same
contaminants as the disruptors on the Indiana...", Castle hissed as the
turbolift doors opened. "... I will personally file criminal charges of
war crimes committed against civilians and I will personally oversee
your execution."
But the Romulan was no longer looking at Castle. She was looking
behind him.
"That will be enough, lieutenant.", a deep voice spoke from behind.
Castle turned to face Captain Epic Terrakian, flanked by Kirby and his
second. The Captain nodded in understanding, but his eyes showed it was
time for things more constructive.
"I am Captain Epic Terrakian.", he said without emotion. "When my
First Officer is done with you...", his voice became sinister. "... the
three of us will have a long talk."
by Logan Castle with a last word by Epic Terrakian
Lt. Logan Castle
Chief Security Officer, USS Grail
theShadowKnight@webtv.net