"To Kill An Admiral" - Part 3

Posted on Mon May 25th, 2015 @ 2:03am by

He had left Elizabeth prepping the runabout while he marched Tillmar through the city. He found Liza Parsons waiting for him, flanked on either side by nondescript men in plate-armor, the Starfleet check on their breastplates. "This him?" she asked, lofting a brow at the man.

Stern nodded. "Thadus Tillmar." He passed the man to the two guards and pulled Parsons aside. "This is deep," he said, concern written across his face. "They are gunning for Charles. I don't know just how deep this goes, but it is bad. Tillmar is just the tip."

Parsons furrowed her brow. "Surely Charles has his own defenses; the man didn't get to his station without learning a few things."

Stern nodded. "I know, I should have more faith in him, but it's my nature."

She smiled, rubbing the side of his face. "You always had a soft spot for Charles. We'll make sure he stays safe," she said.

Stern pulled the documents out of his jacket. "I need these to get to him," he said.

"Consider it done."

Stern squeezed her shoulder. "And Tillmar?"

Parsons silenced him with a smile. "Consider that done as well."

Stern nodded. "Thank you," he said, stepping past her and losing himself in a throng of people as he made his way to the runabout.

Parsons watched him go and then looked at the guards. "Take him away."

--

Stern climbed into the runabout; Elizabeth already had the engine purring softly. "Ready for launch?" he asked.

She nodded once. "Yes," she said, as if thinking for a moment. I think we've moved beyond any official capacity of anything, she reasoned to herself. "I am, Mister Stern," she added, dropping her official formality with him.

Stern slid into the seat next to her and smiled. "Good," he said. He felt anxious. He was sore, and hurt, but he felt good. He knew where his target was, and he felt like he was moving in the right direction. He would protect Charles, get Gohan, and die happy. "Let's go," he said.

--

The cell was small and dark, and there were no windows. The walls seemed made of stone, and the floor was a hard gray cement.

Thadus Tillmar found himself stripped naked and on his knees, his hands bound tightly behind his back. Agonizingly sharp pain lanced from his mangled shoulder down to his hand, and radiated through his entire body. It was cold and he shivered involuntarily, causing more pain to rush through him.

"You should have been more careful," came a woman's voice.

"I was careful," Thadus replied. "Someone told him where I was; he would have never found me otherwise."

There was a pause, and then a feminine sigh. "Thadus, you knew the risks. You were compromised, and now you are a liability."

Thadus shivered again, this time out of fear. "I can still be useful," he said.

"No," the woman said, "you can't. And honestly, even if you could, I could probably do it better."

"Chesa, please," Thadus pleaded. "After everything Damian and I have been through, to end like this..."

The woman stepped out of the shadows. Liza Parsons - Chesa - smiled. "It is because of that history that I am here to do this and not some thug," she said. "I'll be quick, and I'll be gentle," she promised.

"Chesa..." Thadus's eyes were pleading.

"Shh." She placed a hand on his lips. "Don't be pathetic right now," she said, placing a thin blade at his throat.

"Chesa, this isn't right, I still have-"

The blade drew a red line across his throat as she slid it against his flesh, and Thadus Tillmar's life-blood spilled out across the dark cell's floor.

Chesa slipped out of the cell and into another room where a comm-table was located. It was on, and a holo-display of Admiral Gohan cast a blue glow in the otherwise dark room. "It's done," she said.

"And the documents?" Gohan asked.

"In my possession," she replied. "He should be on his way to Ventax now."

Gohan nodded. "Good." He smiled; it was faint, and a rare expression for him, but he allowed himself to experience it. Everything was finally falling into place. "Good."

--