Rat In A Cage

Posted on Sat Jan 21, 2017 @ 5:38pm by Captain Madelina Weisz & Commodore Michael Aravan & Lieutenant Commander Arrda & Lieutenant Commander Alex Rho

Mission: An Orion to Die For
Location: Intelligence Secure Holding And Interrogation Facility
Timeline: MD 3 || 1400 Hours

The Transporter effect fell away, and Douglas sent his officers back to their duties. For his part, he took his prisoner to the Intelligence department and had him confined to their Secure Holding and Interrogation Facility. Once he was sure the man was secure, he got the Executive Officer's location from the computer and went to give his report on the situation.

Alex had received the call from the reception office that Lieutenant Mallory was requesting access to the Intelligence facility with a prisoner. As the Chief of Security, he would have been cleared, so Rho gave the authorization. He turned around from where he was and headed back in the direction of the nearest turbolift. He rounded the corner and didn't see anyone else in the corridor. And since this was an emergency in his opinion, he utilized his personal transporter and appeared in the Intel Working Group Office Complex. Everyone kept on with their business as if it were nothing big. Alex passed through Office Complex and down the corridor to the holding area. He entered the first holding quad on the left and saw that their prisoner was safe and sound. He walked over the console where the Intel officer was standing and entered a message that Raimus was in Intel's Secure Holding, under his guard and sent it to the Executive Officer.

Maddy just finished reading the message sent from Lieutenant Rho and put her terminal on standby before she rose to her feet. Now that they had their man, she could make her way to greet Raimus personally, plus she wanted to confirm he was actually their target. As sad as it was, she still didn't trust Vashkele.

Smoothing her hand over her uniform, she made her way down the corridor to the nearest turbolift. It was going to take her a moment or two to get there, so she used the time to compose her thoughts.

As Douglas approached the Executive Officer's office, he saw her leave it and head his way. Turning as they met in the corridor, he walked alongside her. "I was coming to report on the mission, but I can give you the report on the fly too." he informed, then continued silently beside her awaiting any response she might give.

"On the fly is how it will have to be, Lieutenant. I'm on my way to Intel presently," she stated, still moving forward. "What do you have for me?"

Having been given the go-ahead to give a mission report in the corridor -- this was a public place rather than the privacy of one of their offices, and so unusual -- he proceeded to outline, with his Enforcer-trained Neutrality in place, the details of the away mission. He kept any of his own feelings or opinions on the actions of the marine commander out of his voice and expression, though to give her a full report, the details of the actions of said individual had to be included.

He ended with the fight between his people and raimus' people and his interchange with Raimus. "And the rest, you know." he finished, the rest being that they were beamed back and he had placed Raimus in the Intel Secure Holding Facility.

His Enforcer-trained Neutrality didn't impress the Commander. In fact, the actions of an individual did, and the fact that Mallory had a hand in bringing Raimus in was. However, hearing of the Marine CO's actions, along with four lives lost, made her blood boil. That was something she would have to deal with, and soon, but right now there was a prisoner that she needed to see. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I expect to see a written report on my desk by the end of the day. You're dismissed," she said, not worried that they were out in the open. The redhead woman was moving so fast anyone around them would be lucky to hear fragments of what was being said.

Douglas acknowledged the order and broke off from the commander. He had noted the shift in her demeanor during his report and was very glad that her ire was not directed at him. Before returning to either his office or his Bridge station, he quickly checked in on the people that had been on the mission with him to ensure that all were well and duty-ready.

Assured of his people's status, he returned to his Bridge station to finish out his duty shift. He would do the report after he was relieved, and that would still get it to her desk by the end of the day.

---

Alex walked to the cell where their prisoner was being held and looked in. "Comfortable, Raimus?"

The Farian man looked up as the human in the grey uniform of Intelligence approached the cell where he was. "You're going to regret this," he said. "The Federation has no jurisdiction in Orion space."

Alex looked at him and shook his head. "Now what does all of that have to do with you being comfortable?"

Raimus got up and approached the forcefield. "I was far more comfortable on my own ship," he said as he looked beyond the Starfleet officer. "Actually, I think this ship would be suitable payment for destroying mine."

"Somehow I don't think you're going to be paid this time," said Alex. "Especially with this ship. In the meantime, why don't you have a seat and rest for a bit. I don't imagine it will be too long before we have company. And then we'll all have a lot to talk about."

"You strike me as someone who likes intrigue and that which favors the bold," Raimus said. "How would you like to have both to your heart's content, Lieutenant....?"

"Oh, yes, how ill-mannered of me. Rho, Lieutenant Rho," he said. "And you know how to read people, very well I might add." Whether Raimus was right in one or both of his observations, Alex would never let him know. But he would play to see if there might be anything he could get out of Raimus at this point. After all, was he talking a lot already. "What did you have in mind?" Perhaps this would lead them to something they didn't know or have yet. Or maybe it would have something to do with their other guest in the Brig. There was only one way to find out.

"Do not think to attempt an corrupt my crew," the red haired Commander said as she approached the two men. She wasn't looking at Lieutenant Rho, but straight at the man being held behind the forcefield. "Lieutenant Rho... do you make it a habit to partake in idle chit chat with wanted criminals?"

Alex turned to see that the Commander had entered. "You call it idle chit chat, Commander. Down here, we call it a form of intelligence gathering or interrogation. And now, I'll never learn what Mr. Raimus has the ability to give me nor what he wants in return." Alex wasn't being an ass, but neither was he going to be questioned as to his techniques.

Maddy finally turned her attention to Alex. "Lieutenant Rho... your methods are questionable at best. I'm sure it's come across your desk where he falls among the most wanted for crimes against the Federation. What he has the ability to give you is irrelevant, as is what he wants in return. He is a prisoner in our custody. Perhaps, you should go back to your office and brush up on your interrogation techniques, because they've done very little to impress me thus far."

"My apologies, Commander. Please, proceed," said Alex. He stepped to the back wall where the Ensign stood at the console. From that vantage point, he could see all four of the cells in the quad.

"Where are the people from the Orion Sector Tactical Command outpost?" Maddy asked as she looked toward Raimus.

"How would I know?" Raimus asked with an amused look on his face after observing the interaction between the Intel officer and the new Commander who had entered the area. He hadn't really planned on offering up anything and was just passing the time until a rescue operation could be mounted. "Could you get me a glass of water, please?" He asked her. "The replicator seems to be disabled in here."

The Commander didn't look the least bit amused. "You would know because I think you might have had something to do with their disappearance. You don't have to talk of your own free will if that's what you choose, but you will talk," she stated. "I'll see to it that those wheels are set in motion. In the meantime..." She began to list all of his crimes from memory. Someone did their homework.

Raimus yawned when she was done going down the list of charges against him. "Is that all?" he asked her. "I'm afraid that seems rather short, but I wouldn't expect you Federation types to be on top of things. I heard that it was taken out and I'm rather disappointed in whoever did it, but it wasn't me. I have far more important things to do than be bothered with a pesky little outpost that provided no information. Do you really think that I honestly believe that you'd resort to less than ethical treatment of a prisoner? I know how soft your beloved Federation is."

"I'd say we're on top of things, and definitely not soft. We got you, didn't we?" Maddy asked with a smirk before turning her back to him so she could look at Alex. "Mister Rho, you're up." With that, she moved away from the cell and stood on the opposite side.

Alex immediately opened his mind to search the thoughts that were undoubtedly flowing from the minds in the room. He nodded at the Commander and approached the cell from the back wall. "So much for what we were talking about earlier, eh?" Alex stood there, hands in his pockets.

The only thought Alex was able to pick up from the Farian was how to keep stalling for more time. Raimus seemed to unusually patient for a prisoner even after his jabs at the Federation and seemed disinclined to respond right away. Instead, he merely glanced at Rho and went to the thin platform that served as a seat and a bed. "So it would seem, but you can't win them all."

"Actually you can," said Alex. "You just have to better at the game than everyone else. Isn't that how you made it as far as you have? Being better at the game?" Alex had picked up on one thought from Raimus, stalling. Usually, people stalled when they wanted more time. And right now, he and Raimus were the only ones who knew that.

"Yes," Raimus said and looked at the disabled replicator again. "Unfortunately, I don't feel like talking much at the moment since your Commander was disinclined to get me a glass of water.:

"What is it with you and water, Raimus." Alex wished that he could get his right hand on the Farian's skin at some point. The implanted bio-pattern disk in his thumb would copy Raimus' bio-pattern, which could be very useful for Starfleet Intelligence. Unfortunately, he hadn't been here when Mr. Raimus had been dropped off. And that would have been the most opportune time. For now, Raimus was laying down and that was perfect. He walked back to the console, and without a word, activated the replicator, ordered it to make a paper cup of water, and then immediately shut it off. "There," he said, "a cup of water."

"An interesting fact, Lieutenant, is that nine out of ten humanoid species require water for continued existence," Raimus said as he took the cup and noted that it was made out of paper. "Don't trust me with a grown up glass? Tsk, tsk. How are we ever going to get along?"

"You're an intelligent man, Raimus. Or you wouldn't be where you are today. So let's cut to the chase, now that you have your water." Alex wasn't sure how much time he had left before whatever happened came to be. That which Raimus was stalling for. "What do you know of the disappearance of the men and women from the Orion Sector Tactical Command?"

"You're right," Raimus said. "I am an intelligent man. Which is the opposite of being a stupid man. Given the fact that I am intelligent..." he paused to take a drink of water. "What makes you think that I'm willing to tell you anything?"

Alex walked up to the force field. He looked at Raimus, cocked his head to the side, and smirked. The Intel Chief just stood there smirking at their prisoner. He knew that Commander Weisz was still standing back there. "Why are you stalling?"

"Because I'm not stupid," Raimus said as he returned the smirk.

Alex smiled. Raimus assumed that he figured it out on his own. That was fine with him; it meant he still had one card up his sleeve if he needed it. "I never said you were stupid, I said you were intelligent. But apparently not intelligent enough." Alex took a deep breath and turned to the Ensign at the console. "Dismissed, Ensign." The Ullian watched as the Ensign nodded and left their quad of Secure Holding. The doors closed and Alex spoke, "Computer, secure this location, authorization Rho-zeta-four-zero-gamma-gamma-two. Let's talk."

"No," Raimus said as he finished his water and sat down to begin tearing the paper cup up into little pieces.

Alex nodded. Raimus was going to be a tougher nut to crack than Vash had been. But that was to be expected. With an idea in mind, the Intel Chief telepathically spoke to his Executive Officer. No mind probe or anything of the like, just a telepathic statement. Commander, permission to speak with you telepathically. Alex walked back to console and began to input information.

Permission granted, Lieutenant, Maddy answered in her mind, keeping her face neutral as to not alert anyone else what was going on. She had some other business to tend to, but that would have to wait until this was over.

You said earlier that Raimus would talk and that you would see to it that those wheels were set in motion. I request permission to move forward with your order, full-board Intelligence style, with a touch of Ullian telepathy. I will do what is within my abilities as an Intelligence Officer and an Ullian to protect this crew. The Intel Chief input a one more command into the holographic console. If the Executive Officer granted his request, all he would need to do touch one more spot and it would be implemented.

Permission granted, Lieutenant Rho. Proceed. The Commander said, clasping her hands behind her back. She was eager to see how this was going to play out.

Thank you, Commander. And be prepared for complete darkness, ma'am. And with that, Alex touched that spot. The gravity in Raimus' cell turned off. Five seconds later, the lights in the entire quad went out. Alex then spoke telepathically to their prisoner. Good evening, Mr. Raimus. Welcome to the show. Please, take a seat. I said take a seat! Oh, I'm sorry, you can't.

As Raimus began to float upwards from the shelf and the lights went out, he sighed. However, when he heard the voice in his head, he took a chance that whoever it was didn't speak his language and began to think in his native Farian. He thought of his boyhood crush, a young Orion woman who stole his attention and was later punished for having designs on him because his father had other designs in mind. He thought of the anger that had caused him and what led him into the path that he had taken, and the pleasure he had taken at killing his father later on.

"I believe it was water you wanted earlier. Computer, stage two." The replicator activated and began rapidly filling the room with random amounts of water. And in the null G environment, the water became globules. Randomly sized blobs of water started quickly filling the room and floating around. The replicator shut off when it had reached the programmed amount...which would normally have filled the first three feet of the cell.

When Raimus felt a water globule come in contact with his skin, he immediately tried to bat it away. That caused the water bubble to burst into small globules which scattered and his sudden movement sent him into a spin. "Oh come on now!" He shouted. "Give an old man a break! I didn't think you Feddies had it in you to torture someone!"

Alex spoke to Maddy, The oldest and strongest emotion of many humanoids is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. "Computer, stage three." Sounds from the cosmic horror genre began to fill the darkened room. Mysterious sounds. Unearthly cries. Spectral tones. Sounds that would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up as you tried not to picture the creature that could have made them. Then Alex began to project flashes of images into Raimus' mind. Images of creatures that were spawned from the frightful legends of many worlds and a nameless horror in a niche behind a black veil.

Maddy watched the scene as it unfolded before her. Rho's techniques were quite interesting, but she still wasn't sure how she felt about his methods. Of course, Intel had to do what they could, and this was the first time she saw it in person. I know all too well, Lieutenant.

With the water still filling his cell, Raimus tried to manipulate his body to get closer to the ceiling with slow movements. Those failed when the sounds began to play and he jerked around again, throwing himself halfway across the cell to bound off a wall. He clamped his hands over his ears and started to take a deep breath for something, but ended up sucking in a mouthful of water. He sputtered and coughed it out, then started cursing in Farian, which the translator interpreted as nothing a man who kissed his mother should ever say.

Alex ordered the replicator off again and the water stopped filling the cell. What was thought to be an air vent three feet from the top of the cell opened and the water began to drain. It was enough that Raimus' head and shoulders were out of the water and there was clearance from the ceiling. All of this time, Alex had been learning bits and pieces of the Farian language. Telepathy allowed one to learn languages much easier because the mind usually associates images with thoughts. And that was precisely what Alex had been doing. He spoke to him telepathically again, this time in his native language. Krimtah. Do you recognize that name, Raimus? Krimtah. Krimtah was the name of an Orion from when Alex was in deep cover.

Raimus gasped for air as the water began to drain, but it still took him a minute to orient himself in the null G watery environment. He didn't know who was talking to him telepathically, but he suspected that Rho was a Betazoid who had his eyes modified. I have a name for you, he shot back with venom. Melani D'ian will have all of your heads for this!

Alex reactivated the gravity as Raimus began to talk, even if it were to just give a name. Alex passed the name along to the Commander to telepathically and continued. My head will remain exactly where it is. But Krimtah, he was especially talkative. Who do you think pointed us to you and your location? How do you think we were able to capture you so quickly? Krimtah gave us the layout of your ship and everything.

"You lie!" Raimus shouted. "Syndicate members give up nothing under penalty of death! Krimtah would not know my schedule, lying dog!"

"Did I not say he was talkative?" said Alex. "Unfortunately, he escaped. Such a bad mistake on his part. I'm sure Melani D'ian would love to hear how much I was able to get out of you. Including the fact that she was behind the disappearance of Starfleet officers from the OSTC."

"I never said anything about the OSTC," Raimus growled and moved near the forcefield. "And she has ways to finding out who talks and who doesn't talk. That's okay for you to think what you want because you're on that side of the forcefield and I'm on this side, but one day, you won't be protected and when that day comes, the Syndicate will have your heads."

"Oh... I know she'll think you talked. After all, it's like you said, you're on that side of the forcefield. Individuals will do anything to try to make their lives easier when looking at spending a lifetime on a penal colony somewhere. As a matter of fact, I'm willing to bet the Syndicate knows of your capture already," Maddy said with a smile as she moved toward the cell again. "Only... they're not going to try and save you. No... they're going to dismantle your empire and split it amongst themselves. What's the saying... to the victor goes the spoils? You lost."

Raimus looked at Maddy as if he were appraising a piece of meat. "Keep talking, dubi," he said, using the Orion word for 'slave'. "Not all women are prized for their tongues, but very few are required to talk. You would be much better without vocal cords."

Maddy couldn't help but grin. If she was supposed to be impressed, she wasn't. Intimidated? There was none of that, either. Who would be? He was a criminal... locked in a cage like a dog. "That's cute. You're trying to ruffle my feathers. It isn't going to work, and that's simply because I know I'm better than you. You... well... you're nothing more than a dried up has been. You are a nobody now, and you will be until the day you take your final breath. Oh, don't worry your pretty little head..." she made it sound so condescending. "You'll be alive for a long time thanks to medical advancements. Rho... I want a full report on my desk by the end of the day."

Alex had stepped to the side slightly when the Commander had started to speak. The exchange was interesting. "Yes, ma'm. You'll have it. Computer, drain water from Raimus' cell restore lighting to one hundred percent, and release Intelligence lock on this room, authorization Rho-zeta-four-zero-gamma-gamma-two. Also computer, stop the cosmic horror sounds." The computer complied with all of the Lieutenant's requests. "Thank you for attending the Raimus show, Commander."

"Thank you for having me, Mister Rho," she said as she started to depart. Just before exiting, Maddy turned to look back at the Intel Chief. Oh, and Mister Rho... it's best if I don't know what your plans are for him. Culpable deniability." That being said, she smirked at Raimus once more, then exited.

Alex smirked as Commander Weisz exited. He turned to Raimus. "Want a paper cup of water?"

"No, but thank you," Raimus said as he twisted the sleeve of his garment to wring some water from it. "I think my thirst has been satisfied. Is there anything else?"

"To drink? No. But I'm still open for information," said Alex. He couldn't help but smile as Raimus wrung some water from his sleeve.

"Yeah?" Raimus asked as he stepped up to edge of the forcefield. "Here's some information for you. Prepare your final wishes because you'll be dead soon."

Alex nodded. "Until the next time, Raimus." Alex turned and headed out of the Secure Holding Facility.