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How Forged the End (Part 2 of ???)
Nov. 16th, 2009 09:32 amPike felt a rush go through his veins, swimming as hot as the Vulcan sun with Commander Robau’s words. He felt David tense up beside him, could mentally see that smile curl up on his lips like a cat that spotted the bird in the grass. It suddenly felt much, much cooler in the tent, and Pike could hear his own heartbeat in the silence that followed those three small words. We’ve found them. He did not have to be told what it meant. “Where?” He said in a voice softer then he had expected. Maybe he had not even said them aloud. George Kirk’s small ‘hmph’ was clearly audible.
“Here.” Robau reached over the large map that covered his desk and touched a specific spot with the tip of his finger. Pike and David leaned over at the same time, studying the area. Pike knew it only vaguely, tucked into the curl of the deepest rock by the massive mountain that was far enough away not to be visible on the horizon of their camp, at the very edge of a place they called Yonal-eiktra, or in Standard, the Fire Plains. He knew it only from map studies, a place marked in the wide, wide area that was called possibility.
“Are you sure?” David asked, and Pike glanced up to see Robau’s eyes narrow in annoyance. Fool, don’t test his patience. They all knew the sting of Robau’s words. Only dead men knew the sting of his blade or worse, Kirk’s. He knew little about the blond man other then he was almost anonymous in a way, with no known background other then his name and that he had been at Robau’s side for years. Pike hated the man, with that constant smug smirk beneath falling yellow strands and bright blue eyes that he was sure had fooled many in the past. He was far from fooled and treated Kirk like a bomb about to explode at any second.
“We’re sure.” Robau’s accent played with the words as he spoke, “We found something moving on a sweep of the area, concentrated our resources there, and two days later, spotted Vulcans sneaking in and out of the area. They are very good, even with people watching around the clock, we also didn’t spot them.” His finger tapped the spot again, marked with a bead of some amber-colored material.
“The area, as you no doubt know,” He spoke in dry tones, “Repels any attempt to not only transport there but has the special property to repel the majority of any energy strike.” It was also a part of why the planet itself was under attack. The Federation wanted that material desperately, Pike knew, so that it could be studied to be used on their ships. “No doubt it’s also well guarded, but after so long of our inability to locate it, we’re hoping that they’ve let down some of their defenses.”
“How do you plan--” David started, but Pike shifted his weight so he could step down on the arch of David’s foot with a rough but steady pressure in a silent nudge to shut up.
Robau’s displeasure showed again, “We can’t strike from above or even on surface. So instead…” He barely even moved his hand before Kirk had stepped away, digging and pulling out a silver case. Pike turned his attention to the other man as Kirk laid the silver case on the table. It required Robau’s thumb print and voice command to get it opened.
Inside was something unlike anything Pike had ever seen before. He wiped sweat from his brow as he leaned over, trying to figure out what it could even be. It was about as long as the length from his elbow to his wrist, a tube wrapped in white metal, capped at either end. He could have sworn he heard the faintest of humming coming from it as well. “…Sir?”
“This,” Robau let their eyes linger over the unknown tube for only a short time before gesturing again. Kirk closed the case with a solid click. “This is a material that we’ve discovered from one our long distance ships. It captured an enemy ship coming out of the Delphic Expanse, and found this material contained within. Much to our surprise, it seems to have an incredible effect on the Vulcans. This is part of that small sample, and all we have. One shot to wipe out huge amounts of the rebels.”
Already Pike was grasping what Robau was getting at, and he did not like it. “You would need someone to physical implant this in the rebel base.” He let his tone be flat, indicating he understood.
“You always were a bright one, Pike.” Robau’s tone was equally flat, but Kirk’s smirk grew in size. “It has no effects on humans that we’ve found, but since we can’t transport it into their base, we need a bit more of a physical hand in delivering them this package.” The commander leaned back. “You most likely had Kavanagh pass you on the way out. The three of you will be dropped off seventeen miles at this point,” He tapped another place on the map, “You have the rest of tonight to prepare, and at 0400 you’ll be on your way.”
Pike studied the map in silence. Their camp was tucked into a canyon not an hour away from Shi’Kahr, It would take at least seven hours by vehicle to reach that far, if they took something fast and stealthy. So they would be in location by 1100, roughly, which meant they would be traveling through the desert at its hottest. Not only the desert, but one of the worst parts of all outside of the Forge, and it would be no one but the three of them. No means of back up, no additional supplies but what they could carry.
He looked to David, and felt the faintest chill down his spine at the fact that even this information had not stopped David from smiling. He had known the other man for years now, trusted him not only at his back but when he slept, and had never seen quite the same look in his eyes. David was excited about this. David was the more wild of the two of them, more daring, while he was the steady one that fought hard and planned well. David was wildfire, ready to leap and dance and scour without care of which way the wind blew, and that was how he fought in battle. Pike had seen allies go down under David’s blade. Together they formed a team that few had seen in all their years at the academy and even more so once they had been sent to Vulcan.
“Kavanagh,” Pike took the silence as a chance to question, “What are his skills?” The name was only vaguely familiar.
To his surprise, it was Kirk that answered, “All you need to know is that he knows how to handle this.” Kirk’s fingers tapped on the silver case holding the unknown material. Pike made a two mental notes. One was to ask Kavanagh on the way about the material. The second was to make sure he killed George Kirk.
“0400. If we’ve seen no sign of your success in three days, we’ll presume you both dead.” Robau’s eyes were cold, “You’d better be, or you’ll wish you were.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Here.” Robau reached over the large map that covered his desk and touched a specific spot with the tip of his finger. Pike and David leaned over at the same time, studying the area. Pike knew it only vaguely, tucked into the curl of the deepest rock by the massive mountain that was far enough away not to be visible on the horizon of their camp, at the very edge of a place they called Yonal-eiktra, or in Standard, the Fire Plains. He knew it only from map studies, a place marked in the wide, wide area that was called possibility.
“Are you sure?” David asked, and Pike glanced up to see Robau’s eyes narrow in annoyance. Fool, don’t test his patience. They all knew the sting of Robau’s words. Only dead men knew the sting of his blade or worse, Kirk’s. He knew little about the blond man other then he was almost anonymous in a way, with no known background other then his name and that he had been at Robau’s side for years. Pike hated the man, with that constant smug smirk beneath falling yellow strands and bright blue eyes that he was sure had fooled many in the past. He was far from fooled and treated Kirk like a bomb about to explode at any second.
“We’re sure.” Robau’s accent played with the words as he spoke, “We found something moving on a sweep of the area, concentrated our resources there, and two days later, spotted Vulcans sneaking in and out of the area. They are very good, even with people watching around the clock, we also didn’t spot them.” His finger tapped the spot again, marked with a bead of some amber-colored material.
“The area, as you no doubt know,” He spoke in dry tones, “Repels any attempt to not only transport there but has the special property to repel the majority of any energy strike.” It was also a part of why the planet itself was under attack. The Federation wanted that material desperately, Pike knew, so that it could be studied to be used on their ships. “No doubt it’s also well guarded, but after so long of our inability to locate it, we’re hoping that they’ve let down some of their defenses.”
“How do you plan--” David started, but Pike shifted his weight so he could step down on the arch of David’s foot with a rough but steady pressure in a silent nudge to shut up.
Robau’s displeasure showed again, “We can’t strike from above or even on surface. So instead…” He barely even moved his hand before Kirk had stepped away, digging and pulling out a silver case. Pike turned his attention to the other man as Kirk laid the silver case on the table. It required Robau’s thumb print and voice command to get it opened.
Inside was something unlike anything Pike had ever seen before. He wiped sweat from his brow as he leaned over, trying to figure out what it could even be. It was about as long as the length from his elbow to his wrist, a tube wrapped in white metal, capped at either end. He could have sworn he heard the faintest of humming coming from it as well. “…Sir?”
“This,” Robau let their eyes linger over the unknown tube for only a short time before gesturing again. Kirk closed the case with a solid click. “This is a material that we’ve discovered from one our long distance ships. It captured an enemy ship coming out of the Delphic Expanse, and found this material contained within. Much to our surprise, it seems to have an incredible effect on the Vulcans. This is part of that small sample, and all we have. One shot to wipe out huge amounts of the rebels.”
Already Pike was grasping what Robau was getting at, and he did not like it. “You would need someone to physical implant this in the rebel base.” He let his tone be flat, indicating he understood.
“You always were a bright one, Pike.” Robau’s tone was equally flat, but Kirk’s smirk grew in size. “It has no effects on humans that we’ve found, but since we can’t transport it into their base, we need a bit more of a physical hand in delivering them this package.” The commander leaned back. “You most likely had Kavanagh pass you on the way out. The three of you will be dropped off seventeen miles at this point,” He tapped another place on the map, “You have the rest of tonight to prepare, and at 0400 you’ll be on your way.”
Pike studied the map in silence. Their camp was tucked into a canyon not an hour away from Shi’Kahr, It would take at least seven hours by vehicle to reach that far, if they took something fast and stealthy. So they would be in location by 1100, roughly, which meant they would be traveling through the desert at its hottest. Not only the desert, but one of the worst parts of all outside of the Forge, and it would be no one but the three of them. No means of back up, no additional supplies but what they could carry.
He looked to David, and felt the faintest chill down his spine at the fact that even this information had not stopped David from smiling. He had known the other man for years now, trusted him not only at his back but when he slept, and had never seen quite the same look in his eyes. David was excited about this. David was the more wild of the two of them, more daring, while he was the steady one that fought hard and planned well. David was wildfire, ready to leap and dance and scour without care of which way the wind blew, and that was how he fought in battle. Pike had seen allies go down under David’s blade. Together they formed a team that few had seen in all their years at the academy and even more so once they had been sent to Vulcan.
“Kavanagh,” Pike took the silence as a chance to question, “What are his skills?” The name was only vaguely familiar.
To his surprise, it was Kirk that answered, “All you need to know is that he knows how to handle this.” Kirk’s fingers tapped on the silver case holding the unknown material. Pike made a two mental notes. One was to ask Kavanagh on the way about the material. The second was to make sure he killed George Kirk.
“0400. If we’ve seen no sign of your success in three days, we’ll presume you both dead.” Robau’s eyes were cold, “You’d better be, or you’ll wish you were.”
“Yes, sir.”
