One-shot Prompts: Tal Shiar Years (2385-2387)
Posted on Thu Jan 19th, 2023 @ 9:44am by Lieutenant Commander Rayek trLhoell
1,794 words; about a 9 minute read
Prompt - Saurian Brandy
Centurion Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Romulus - Tal Shiar Head Office - 2385]
Rayek waited nervously in ante-chamber of the Vice-Chairman's office. Finding the Tal Shiar Head Office would have been nigh impossible, had Rayek not received specific and detailed directions in a brief comm-call in which he was instructed to memorize the directions that would be provided. He was told the directions once before his contact cut the call abruptly. Thankfully Rayek had a rather good memory and had been able to recall the instructions well enough that he'd found the place right away. The young centurion figured that the memorization and ability to locate the Head Office through verbal cues only was all part of the interview process.
Nothing about the building, its listed directory or its location hinted at all at what organization was truly within. This really was covert stuff and the young Romulan could scarcely believe that he'd been one of the few screened-in - because of his service record or maybe his family connections - for an interview. If things went well, he could become an intelligence operative of Tal Shiar. The idea of it was quite exhilarating.
A chime sounded and the guard standing at the doorway looked to Rayek and nodded. "The Vice-Chairman will see you now."
Rayek rose from his seat and was allowed entrance to the office beyond. The room was luxurious to say the least. Furniture and art of the latest contemporary design accented the spacious room. From the opposite side of a wide marble desk rose Vice-Chairman Vakis.
She was small in stature but everything about her bearing was alert and controlled. From what little Rayek had managed to find about the female Vice-Chairman, she had been in the Tal Shiar since before 2370. That she had her eye set on becoming Chairman was obvious, which is why no doubt she was seemed so alert. She likely had many enemies.
"Centurion Rayek tr'Lhoell, ma'am." The guard announced. Rayek offered the Vice-Chairman a salute, bending his elbow to bring his fist to his chest with his arm horizontal to the ground, then extending his arm out towards the Vice-Chairman sharply. He held this position until his salute was acknowledged by a nod. The Vice-Chairman regarded him for a long moment before nodding.
"Jolan'tru, Centurion Lhoell." She greeted as she waved off her guard who exited the room, closing the door behind; then Vice-Chairman Vakis motioned for him to take a seat at the chair positioned directly in front of her desk.
"Jolan'tru, Vice-Chairman Vakis." He responded and moved to take the seat she'd indicated. While he did so, she moved away from her desk, to walk over to a mirrored cabinet. From it she pulled out a distinct looking bottle.
Rayek watched her saying nothing. She glanced over to him and smiled, "Saurian Brandy. A perk of the job." She poured herself a glass all the while watching Rayek. That the brandy was currently an illegal substance because of a trade dispute with the Saurians was not lost on Rayek.
"Would you like a glass, Centurion?" she asked pointedly. It was a test, Rayek recognized - but what solution she wanted out of him eluded Rayek. Best to play it safe yet give the impression of confidence.
"Your offer honors me, Vice-Chairman. But I would not presume to believe I have earned such a reward quite yet. Ask me again after my first mission for the Tal Shiar and we can toast together my success." It was a bit of bold statement but it seemed to have been the right answer for she laughed and downed the drink in one gulp.
"Very well, let's talk about your future, Rayek."
END Scene
Prompt - subordinates pet
Uhlan tr'Lhoell (of the Tal'Shiar)
[yr 2385 - Romulus - Imperial War College]
A week had passed since Rayek had met with Vice-Chairman Vakis, and during that time Rayek had gone through various strenuous physical and mental processes to test his knowledge, skills, abilities and limits. His main examiner - or perhaps interrogator/torturer would be a better term - was a middle aged Romulan in his mid-60's. A senior Tal'Shiar operative who had the unfortunate task of assessing Rayek's skills and providing him a crash course on what was expected of the young, wet-behind-the-ears officer. The man's name was Tanibak and he was ranked as Major - having been with the agency for at least 30 yrs. He was a skilled operative that the higher ups thought the younger Uhlans could learn from. Rayek wasn't positive but he got the sense that while the man was undeniably steadfast in his loyalty to the Empire and the agency, and held a strong sense of duty and integrity, Tanibak seemed overly discontent - or maybe that was just his serious nature.
Today, Rayek had received instructions to meet the Major at the Colleges' weapons training area. Rayek grinned. He enjoyed weapons training - even if it was painful when he lost - which was more often than not when he was pitted against more senior members. As he entered the training area, Rayek was surprised.
Tanibak was standing in the center of one the training mats - but that wasn't what was surprising. No. What surprised the young would-be operative was the fact that at the older man's feet was Kemala's pet set'leth. A bad feeling formed in the pit of Rayek's stomach at the sight of his sister's cherished companion surrounded on all sides by weapons designed to kill.
(ooc the story here is a tip of the hat to the Final Test.. from the Kingsman movie)
End Scene
Prompt - Dilithium crystals
Uhlan Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Remus - underground city of Shavokh - yr 2385]
As the green shimmer of the transporter faded from around him, Rayek, the recently conscripted Tal Shiar officer, found himself plunged into shadow. He had barely been with the intelligence agency for a month, when Rayek was assigned this month long training exercise on Remus with orders to meet his instructor at the oddest of locations - an abandoned dilithium mine. Rayek remained still, listening attentively as he let his eyes adjust to the near darkness around him. A faint light approached from his left, and after first checking about him in the other directions, he turned to face the approaching light warily, it's light glinting off the small unmined dilithium crystals that lined the mine walls.
The Reman that came into view, holding a dimly lit lantern, had the typical appearance of one of its species. It was tall - easily a foot taller than Rayek who stood 6'1". It had whitish gray skin with very prominent facial features, with cheek and forehead ridges that protruded sharply. The Reman stared at Rayek with dark pupiled eyes in a yellow sclera, sunken into blackened sockets. It came to stop about a meter and a half away, saying nothing and merely watched Rayek, seemingly assessing him. Despite knowing in advance what Remans looked like, this was Rayek's first time in the presence of one and he found himself a little daunted by the encounter, even if the creature was little more than a slave.
Not willing to let his fear get the better of him, Rayek straightened still watchful of the male Reman - at least Rayek thought it was a male, that was the impression he got from it as he made his own assessment of the Reman. The Reman was dressed in long dark, tight-fitting leather, making his already lean form seem even taller and more menacing. The hands which held the lamp were long and slender with well-groomed nails that were filed to sharpened points like talons. It was definitely not the appearance he would have expected to see from a former mining slave. Mind you it had been over 5 years since the Reman rebellion and Shinzon's coup, much had changed for the Reman's since then. Few remained. Most had voluntarily relocated to an uninhabited Klingon planet, rather than be hunted down and persecuted by their former masters.
Rayek had joined the Romulan Star Navy in 2380. His first ship assignment aboard the IRW Mogai had been to track down escaped Reman after the death of Shinzon and the fall of his regime. As a mere uhlan at the time, Rayek was always on duty elsewhere, when they had the prisoner executions, so he had to watch the recordings of them after the fact on his tablet. The executions were mandatory training - reminders to all of what happened to those that didn't put the Empire first. Now nearly 5 years later, Rayek was meeting his first Reman, face to face. He wondered if the stories that said Reman could read minds like a Vulcan were true... and if so, Rayek wondered if this one was reading his mind right now?
The silence between them grew as Rayek weathered the assessing gaze of the other. Finally, it grew too much for Rayek to bear any longer.
"I am Rayek of the clan tr'Lhoell." He stated hoping to prompt a confirmation from the Reman that he was indeed his contact.
The Reman smiled a craggy toothed smile. "We know who you are and why you are here - more so than you. Your mind, open to us now, will be trained to keep secure the secrets of your owners, and taught the ways of moving through the thoughts of others."
Rayek blinked in surprise at the Reman's words. Trained to block his mind and taught how to read other peoples minds... How was such a thing possible? No Romulan was telepathic - not anymore.
The Reman chuckled harshly, watching him with odd yellow eyes. "It is possible because you were born with the rare natural trait - which you already unknowingly use to sense the motivations of others. You just need to be trained to use it properly. I have been ordered to be your teacher. Come."
The Reman turned away and began walking back further into the mine with his dim glowing lantern. Rayek had little choice but to follow, or be plunged into darkness once more. He kept back about 3 meters still uncertain as to whether the Reman was speaking the truth; finding it hard to accept that his Tal'Shiar superiors intended him to be trained to use such a highly feared skill. Then again, such a skill if kept secret, would be of unimaginable value in routing out dissension and plots against the Empire.
He doubted the Reman was correct in his assessment of Rayek's 'natural trait', but decided to go along with the training regardless. He was stuck here for the next month anyways. What harm could come from trying?
End Scene
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