Mind Games (Highlight - Finale - yr 2385)

Posted on Sat Jan 21st, 2023 @ 8:36am by Lieutenant Commander Rayek trLhoell

3,179 words; about a 16 minute read

Uhlan Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Romulus - Ki Baratan - Inner City Streets >>> Latihk's apartment >>> Tal'Shiar Compound - Year 2385]

Dazed from the blow to his head and in shock at what he'd witnessed - the brutal beating of his friend - Rayek was listless and barely conscious seated in the back with a guard that seemed prepared for him to burst into an attack. But the uhlan had no fight left in him at that moment. There was only the sickening realization that he was the reason his friend was dead. Vandar may have been the one striking but it was because of him. His stomach soured at that knowledge and after a while the nausea grew to much for him and be began to gag on the bile rising. 

This more than anything he figured prompted his sudden release from the vehicle but not before he received kick to the gut as well, even as he emptied the contents of his stomach. But the beating he received from the guard - Vandar couldn't be bothered getting out of the vehicle to kick the uhlan and instead ordered the guard to do so - were nothing in comparison to the savagery the Vandar had inflicted on Latihk.

Then his handler and the guard were gone, leaving Rayek in an back alley somewhere in the city. 

Rayek didn't know how long he stayed there before his sense of responsibility urged him to stand and attempt to return to Latihk's apartment. Maybe if he were quick he could at least retrieve his friend's corpse and honor it properly rather than having it 'disposed of' never to be seen again. He owed his friend that much.

Yet despite hurrying to secure a 'taxi', by the time he arrived, all sign of an altercation was gone. He knew from Tal'Shiar protocol that the place would be wiped of all DNA trace but for Latihk's. Body disposal, however, was not something he'd had been tasked within during his short time with the organization, so Rayek could only guess at where the guards might have dumped the corpse. Still Rayek looked. He checked for sign of recent activity at the city's refuse center. He scoured the city for every possible place HE would have used to dispose of a body... and found nothing.

It was only as sunrise was touching upon the city that Rayek reluctantly admitted defeat and made his way back to the compound frustrated and seething, where he retrieved his communication device... something he left behind in hopes of protecting Latihk from Vandar's attention - the bitter irony of that was sharp and brought Rayek a fresh wave of anger towards the Praetor's man. The comm he discovered held a message. Vandar it seemed had seen fit to act as if nothing had transpired and had sent him a notice that Rayek was due to meet with Praetor that morning. 

His three days granted to find proof of Senator Tocul being complicit in the movement against the Empire were up. Rayek needed to provide his proof or risk the Praetor's displeasure and subsequent execution. But Rayek had none because he had followed orders and given it all over Vandar trusting the man to bring it to the Praetor. Yet from Vandar's own mind, gleaned while the Praetor's man was gleefully beating Latihk to death, Rayek knew that Vandar had claimed the intel as his own. 

Unless there was a way to convince the Praetor that the intel was his, that he had value... Rayek knew he would soon be as dead as his friend. It was selfish to think of his own well-being and that of his family so soon after Latihk's death but Rayek had to be practical. 

Rayek moved to sit at his desk and recorded message. He programmed the message to send on a delay, then heading to wash up and dress for his meeting with the Praetor.


[Romulus - Ki Baratan - Hall of State - Praetor's office waiting room - Year 2385]

Once more Rayek found himself announcing himself to the guards just outside the Hall of State, and once more he was granted passage. This time however Rayek knew who he was meeting and what he could likely expect. Knowing would not make his task any easier, but it did give him at least a chance.

He had arrived early hoping to impress and yet was made to wait past his appointment time. No others came or went from the waiting room - inside there was just him, not even a guard at the door. An hour past and still he waited, worrying that the Praetor had already been swayed by Vandar and made his decision.

Then suddenly the door was opened and Rayek rose to his feet to approach cautiously. As feared Vandar was already within and it took everything in him not to launch himself at the man with his bare hands to exact revenge for his friend's death. He wisely lowered his gaze to avoid seeing the man's smirk.

Rayek paused at the open door, not crossing it's threshhold and repeated his obeisance to the Praetor, dropping to a knee and saluting. Fist over heart extending out towards the leader of the Empire. He waited to be acknowledged and granted permission to enter. "Shaoi kon, Fvillha!"


~~
Chulan watched as he stopped at the threshold and then gave him the respectful greeting. "Sh'ben," he said, this time without making him wait longer than necessary. "H'tah-fvienn."

What Chulan had learned from Vandar was, that the young man had presumed to be disrespectful to the Tal'Shiar operative and his right hand man. That didn't bother the Praetor much, he knew that Vandar knew how to deal with such things. Chulan waited until Rayek had entered while he watched him closely.

"You look tired, uhlan tr'Lhoell," Vandar remarked gloatingly from behind the Praetor. He was sure Rayek didn't have had any sleep at all.

Eventually Chulan addressed Rayek. "I have given you three days to investigate Sentor Tocul's involvement in the conspiracy against me. Now I want to hear what you have discovered."
~~


The almost immediate acknowledgement was unexpected, he would have thought after having been made to wait over an hour that the Praetor would be in no hurry to hear his news. However, he had been told to 'come over here' so Rayek rose to his feet and with gaze still downcast, entered the room and approached the Praetor and his Right-Hand.

Vandar's words taunted and Rayek struggled to keep from shouting accusations at the man. He swallowed his anger down before glanced up trying his best to hide the hatred and loathing for the man and force a slight strained smile. "How perceptive of you to notice, sir. My evening has been spent in search of a dear friend who I suspect has met a foul end at the hands of a faelirh ch'susse-thrai.". (translation: son of a bitch)

Glancing away from Vandar, Rayek offered an apologetic nod to the Praetor who had spoken while he was answering Vandar.. "My apologies at my crudeness, Praetor and for speaking out of turn. I am still quite distraught but will reign myself from further outbursts."

He then nodded at the Praetor's request for the proof sought. "Yes, of course sir. Through my investigation of Senator Tocul, I discovered that the Senator did indeed have a tie to an assassination plot against you. But with Vandar's leadership, the men involved have been apprehended. This includes an Imperial Guard, Kenakh; a cripple, Lolir and three others - Lutal, Kulair and Sinsar - that as of last night had all been collected."

This last bit of intel Vandar hadn't shared with him but Rayek had learned about from quick stop by the cells this morning before coming here. The three were interrogated -likely by Vandar himself - last night prior to Rayek being called to La.... Rayek paused in his oration for a moment as his thoughts took him to a place he couldn't afford to go right now.

This exclusion from his own investigation reminded him that he had to be the one to come clean about his father... that way there would be less doubt about his loyalty and it might grant him some sway in how his father was processed if it became necessary.

"Praetor, I must point that much of the investigation verifying the guilt of these men through interrogation, had to be done without my presence as it came to light that Lolir had at least attempted to contact Proconsul Talen... my father. The interrogation of Lolir confirms that Tocul was a conspirator but it left my fathers' involvement vague.

I know he will need to be vetted and investigated, and still I would ask that I be permitted to assist. My father's mind is open to me and reading him should be easy."



~~
Vandar had listened to Rayek's report closely. The first time he frowed was when Rayek reported about the apprehension of Lutal, Kulair and Sinsar. He was sure that Rayek couldn't know about it. But the more impossible thing Rayek just couldn't know about was what he had found out during the interrogation with Lolir. Vandar had sent Rayek out and the man had not been able to speak two sentences after he had used the mind probe. Vandar's rage spiked. Had he been right in Latihk's appartment? Had the telepath been invading his mind? Vandar had not been sure about it. He thought he'd been quick enough to notice it. But apparently that wasn't the case. Yelling expletives at Rayek in his head Vandar reminded himself to stay calm.

"Praetor", Vandar took a step forward after Rayek made his request to assist in the investigation of his father, the Proconsul. "I suggest to not include Uhlan tr'Lhoell in this. He had been useful in the investigation of Senator Tocul's involvement but there was nothing that a thorough interrogation couldn't have done." With that he meant the mind probe and he neglected the fact that it was only for Rayek's work that they had gotten the hint for Lolir in the first place.

Vandar turned his gaze towards Rayek even as he continued speaking about him to the Praetor. "In the three days I have been working with him I've gotten to know him well enough to know that he's a cunning man who lacks proper respect to those who are his superiors while trying to hide just that." Vandar's gaze seemed to grow colder with every word he spoke. "Plus he has a habit of getting drunk at secluded places. Isn't that right? What was your friend's name again?"

It was a low blow but Vandar just wanted to beat Rayek down. Turning his gaze back to Chulan he continued. "He's done the work that has been asked of him. But I don't trust him to not try to save his father at all costs and leave you with a potential threat in your closest vicinity, fvillhu."

Praetor Chulan had lifted his hand to his chin as he looked back at Rayek in thought.
~~


Rayek tried to keep his expression calm and respectful as Vandar undermined his contributions, before flaunting his poor judgement to the Praetor and then rubbing Rayek's nose in the fact that he'd gotten his friend killed. Rayek would have loved nothing other than to shout out his own accusations of the man, but knew that would only result in his own execution all the sooner. 

All he could do was answer the questions put to him in the best light possible. "I would disagree that one time in three years is a hardly a habit, but yes I went out drinking with my friend as I had done in the past, as not doing so would be suspicious and I didn't wish to risk him mentioning my odd behavior to others. His name was Latihk tr'Kheiin." He met eyes with Vandar briefly - seeing the man's hatred there clearly - before looking down to the ground feeling that sense of defeat building once more. "He deserved better. The attack on him and his death were senseless and didn't serve the Empire one whit." he added more to himself than in answer to Vandar.

Rayek heard Vandar's final suggestion and despite his hatred of the man, realized that Vandar while enjoying this was only looking out for the Praetor's best interest. It was reasonable to think that Rayek would put family first. If he were in Vandar's position, he too would recommend against allowing someone to investigate their own family member. 

"I understand your mistrust. Were I in your place I also would deny such a request. Though in doing so, I would be allowing an opportunity to be missed. I am a good son. I respect my father though he and I do not often see things the same way. But on one point we do tend to agree - and that is that the good of the Empire comes before all." Rayek spoke to Vandar's statement first, then turned once more to the Praetor, keeping his gaze respectfully low. 

"Fvillha, you are the embodiment of the Empire. I've sworn my service to you and know of no more powerful means of proving my loyalty to you than by assisting to rout out my father as a traitor - whether directly or by his association with those who are." he explained his reasoning for wanting to be involved. 

"However, while I ask you to trust me to be a part of this investigation, I do not do so without giving you all that you need to publicly bring down my father without need of an investigation. I sent a message to you earlier, in the anticipation that Vandar's bias might result in my execution or imprisonment. If you check your messages - likely one that has been marked as junk - you will find a recording of my confession of being a telepath and denouncing my father as one as well." Rayek swallowed, that recording could end him and his father but in coming clean, he hoped that the rest of the family might be saved, if this meeting did not go well.

Rayek lifted his head slightly so that his gaze rested on the Praetor's hand stroking at his chin in thought. "Yet Fvillha, I humbly ask that you hold off on using that recording. Permit me to subtly sift through my fathers thoughts, question him conversationally about his associations to find who else might working against you. It is these soft measures that found Lolir, Kenahk and the others. It is through this method that I passed on to Vandar about the Tal'Shiar member with the loose tongue passing on Tal'Shiar intel to Taheen, the Senator's daughter. Hard interrogation methods like the mind probe do work.. but you need to know who to question first for that method to be effective. I can point Vandar in the direction of who should be in the hot seat."


~~
Praetor Chulan listened as Rayek talked back to Vandar and then spoke about his friend. Chulan had never heard of Latihk tr'Kheiin. The added muttered words about an attack and the friend's death made Chulan pick up his ears, though. Had there been some incident? Or was the Uhlan referring to an event further in his past? He waited in anticipation if his right hand man would reply anything to that, but he didn't.

Chulan then heard what Rayek said further, affirming his loyalty to him and the Empire and that he would rout out his father if he should be a conspirator. What he had not expected was that the young man outed his own father as a telepath. Admittely, the assumption had been there. But he couldn't deal with the Proconsul like he did with anyone else. Plus, Talen was popular among the Romulan people. While the Praetor could demand loyalty, certain actions could result in riot. He had to be subtle with this and Rayek speaking of 'softer' investigation methods seemed to serve him well in this matter. Even if it was the son investigating on his own father. Chulan had a big enough leverage on the young Uhlan.

Nontheless, he eyed Rayek warily for a long moment. "I hope you realize that the consequences for betrayal in this matter will be shattering - for your whole clan."


Vandar shot Rayek a warning glare when he had started to speak of Latihk and the attack and the young man's death. Not that he felt shame or remorse about his actions. He just didn't need the Praetor to ask questions about this right now. His glare most likely went unnoticed since Rayek kept his head down. The Special Operative took that as sign that his intimidation still worked on Rayek.

What he then heard made him stare at the young man in disbelief. Really? He was proposing that? It was only when the anticipated reaction of the Praetor didn't come that Vandar relized that the ruler of the Romulan Empire was actually considering granting the Uhlan's wish.

"Fvillha", Vandar spoke up, turning more to Chulan now so he could look at him properly. "We have not been reliant upon telepaths helping us with protecting the Empire and you as our Praetor. And we still are not." He paused to glance condescendingly towards Rayek before he turned back to Chulan. "Uhlan tr'Lhoell had been smug towards me regarding his telepathic abilities and had been trying to outwit me after just having joined the Tal'Shiar on his first day. I don't put it past him to continue this behaviour and him thinking he can conspire with his father against the Empire and fooling us at the same time."

"His bond to his wort (*bastard) family will be stronger than his loyalty to you, fvillha."


Chulan let silence fill the room for a moment while he regarded Rayek with narrowed eyes. The potential failure of that operation was very real, he agreed with Vandar on that. But he also knew that the opportunity was too good to let it pass. Not often had the outcome of an investigation resulted in the apprehension of five deliquents. They would have to find a way to neutralize the telepath's advantage. Chulan would give instructions later on to research and develop a device that would do exactly that.

Leaning forward, the Praetor's expression was one of determination now. "Uhlan, you will investigate on your father and report back to Vandar." That he'd be watched closely wasn't needed to be pointed out, that was a given. But the following he would point out. "If there will be just the slightest reason to doubt your loyalty, there will be no talk, no warning, you and your family will be finished. Is that understood?"
~~

Rayek held the Praetor's gaze as the responsibility for his entire clan rested on his shoulders now and answered the only way possible. "Ie, Fvillha!"

 

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