Exchange of Plesantries

Posted on Wed Feb 10th, 2016 @ 1:08am by Captain Liarra Von

Mission: By Dawn's Early Light
Location: Main Operations
Timeline: Immediately after "The Sojourners Arrive"

[ON]

The communications officer swallowed heavily as she stared at the viewscreen and the imposing image of the Sojourner Fleet seemingly crawling through space and getting closer and closer to its target. So enthralled by the sight was she that it took a moment to register the urgent beeping on his console. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her right temple as she looked down. "Captain!" she called, her anxiety evident in the volume of her voice. "Their flagship is hailing us."

Von was not surprised that the Sojourners wanted to talk. In her brief confrontations with their leader before, Vaishaa was certainly arrogant enough to want to flaunt her victory before it had been secured. Liarra had no doubt that this is what the woman wanted to do now. She was willing to play the game, especially if it bought them some more time. She moved away from the holographic display of the station and the Sojourner fleet, and turned to address the main viewscreen. With a vigorous tug at her uniform jacket to make herself more presentable, Von nodded to the communications officer. "Put them on."

The viewscreen shimmered and the aquiline visage of Vaishaa replaced the view of her ships. Almost immediately, the Sojourner leader's passive expression cracked into a predatory sneer and her eyes lit up. "Captain Von!" she said. "What an absolutely pleasure to see you again. I trust you are well?"

Liarra put on her best fake smile. If her counterpart wasn't going to be genuine, than neither was Von. "I'm doing fantastic, Vaishaa. I hope you have been well. What brings you to our little corner of the galaxy?"

Vaishaa's smile suddenly and dramatically vanished, replaced by a dark, menacing scowl, her lip curled and eyes afire with a flash of hatred. "Unfinished business," she growled, each syllable laced with malice. But as quickly as the smile vanished, it returned, as thought the brief vision of the Sojourner leader's veritable self was blocked again by the pleasant veneer.

"But you're a reasonable woman, Captain, I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement. I notice your fleet hasn't arrived yet. Perhaps the prudent thing for you to do would be ... to abandon your station and surrender it to me."

Von kept up her smile. Unlike her counterpart, she wasn't about to let her emotions show. "I guess that shows how little you know me. I never abandon a fight that I know I can win. Because I know that no matter what happens here today, attacking a Federation station will bring a wrath upon you greater than anything that you could imagine. Why would I run away when I can have a front row seat to the fall of the Sojourners?"

The Sojourner leader's visage cracked again. She bared her teeth and her eyes bulged from their sockets in a brief, terrifying flash of rage. "You're a fool!" Vaishaa roared, almost launching herself forward in her chair as though she could reach through the viewscreen and grab Von. "We are stronger now than we've ever been. If your Starfleet were capable of unleashing a wrath upon me, they would have done it long ago. But no! They know they don't have the resources in this part of the galaxy to destroy us. And after today, after we destroy you and your starbase, they will cower back to Earth and keep their unwelcome noses out of our space."

Vaishaa's outburst was sudden, and felt out of character from the collected individual she faced on Myaz. She must have been getting desperate, Liarra mused. "Stronger? You have a hodge podge of ships that you've pieced together from scrap. The Myaz and Pak'Leth ships are out of date, and the only powerful ally seems to have stayed at home. What's a matter? Did the Ritorians feel like you could handle the matter on your own? Or did they smell your blood in the water and decide to leave you on your own. I'm sure they're smart enough to know a lost cause when they see one. Starfleet isn't going anywhere, Vaishaa. Cowering on Earth? You're barely a blip on the radar. The only reason Starfleet hasn't unleashed its wrath already is that small fry like you isn't worth the effort. You know that you're never going to amount to anything more than a small time antagonist. When this is all said and done, your whole empire will be nothing but a footnote in the history of the galactic south." Liarra knew her response was a gamble. Enraging the woman threatening her station may backfire, but it may also throw her off her game. Von needed every advantage she could get.

The facade cracked again. The Sojourner leader seemingly giving up on any pretence of civility. Now all her anger and frustration was laid bare for all to see; she was past caring about false pleasantries. "Maybe so, Liarra," Vaishaa snarled. "But you'll never find out. Mark my words, by the end of this day you will be dead."

With a final, furious glare Vaishaa cut the connection.

"That went well," Liarra stated to no one in particular as she exhaled. She had been terrified of slipping up, letting her emotions flare just as Vaishaa's did. But feeling like she came out the victor on that exchange, all that was left was to survive the siege. "Red alert!" she shouted just before the klaxons came alive. With this little exchange over, now it was time to get serious.

[OFF]

Captain Liarra Von
Commanding Officer
Starbase 332

Vaishaa
Commanding Officer
The Sojourners