Against all better judgement

Posted on Wed Feb 19th, 2025 @ 9:41am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gaz & Lieutenant JG Adrax Kakistos

605 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: The Serpent's Tooth [3]
Location: Unused Observation Lounge, Pier 2, Lower Docking Bay
Timeline: 1745 - MD04

Gaz had admittedly fallen asleep by the time the Lieutenant got there, but in his defence he had started work more than twelve hours earlier.

Lieutenant Kakistos had cleared his throat several times, then tried announcing himself to the sleeping Tellarite a few times, then finally he asked the computer to play a tone sufficient to waking a Tellarite in the Chief’s state.

“Yes, sir, yes. What. Hm?” Gaz said, stirring from his slumber.

“I’m here to speak with the prisoner.” The Lieutenant said with unearned confidence.

“I haven’t heard anything from CIC about this. Security’s in charge of the prisoner. I’m keeping watch until someone ranked higher than full Lieutenant comes in.” Gaz said, with all the obstinance he could muster.

“With Communications Officers Frak, Akzhouri and Sylok on the Excalibur, I am at present the senior officer in communications, and therefore an acting member of the senior staff. I’m going to speak with the prisoner.” Kakistos told Gaz. “Open a channel, chief.”

“Are you sure about this, sir?” Gaz asked, looking for a moment out to the enclosure where they now held Volsunga, shaped like a spinning top, held in place by tractor beams and forcefields, with atmosphere and water beamed in and waste beamed out.

“Open a channel, chief. If I have to ask again I’m writing you up.” The Betazoid threatened.

Gaz opened the channel and took his hands away from the console, standing from his seat. “All yours, sir. Call me when you need me. It’s all recording if you screw up.” He left the room.

“Volsunga. My name is Adrax Kakistos, Son of the 28th house of Betazed and holder of the sacred marbles of Vrim. I am a level six telepath with degrees in advanced non-verbal communications and telepathic warfare, and I warn you that if you do not comply, I cannot guarantee the remains of your sanity.” Kakistos told Volsunga confidently.

Volsunga stirred at the threat, standing from his kneeling prayer position and moving to the ceiling-to-floor window where he could see the man in the distance. Volsunga remained there, silently, watching.

“My family have been truthspeakers to Betazoid nobility for generations. Don’t think you can lie to me.” Kakistos said. “Your name is Ramielos Volsunga, correct?”

“Correct.” Volsunga responded.

“And you are a ‘Wolf of Fenris’, yes?”

“Correct.” Volsunga said again.

“What does that mean?”

“Outsiders call us the Space Wolves. We are the sixth legion of astartes. It is our name as a Chapter.”

“What do you know about the United Federation of Planets?” Kakistos asked.

“A paltry regional power based on self-defeating weaknesses masquerading as virtue.”

“And what will you tell your Imperium about us, when we get you back there?”

“Much the same. You’re not worth our attention.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“So what?” Volsunga said lazily.

“So if I don’t believe you, I’m going to check.” Kakistos locked eyes with Volsunga, and stretched out his telepathic awareness.

Volsunga closed his eyes, and opened his mind.

It was not difficult to find the psychic persona of the prisoner. His was a simple, basic mind. Kakistos knew he’d have no problem.

The security recording would show that he held a confident expression until his nosebleed began, about 30 seconds after he finished speaking, then he went completely still. At the one minute mark almost exactly, Kakistos’ head exploded into a pink mist. Nothing remained above the C6 vertebra.

It wasn’t until the panicked first responders got to the body that Volsunga opened his eyes again and smiled, just a little.

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