Tangled In Chains, Part 3

Posted on Thu May 13th, 2021 @ 6:02pm by Lieutenant Kurt Bishop & Noq't

Mission: S2:3: Snow Drift
Location: Lutash System

Before returning to the USS Pelta, the away team had documented the crime scene. Lieutenant Bishop did not know if the JAG officers back at Canopus Station would charge the pirates for murder. In case they did, he wanted the evidence. He wanted to hear the pirates' side of the story. Orianna had a look of sad resignation as she starred at the deck. Rinji was whimpering softly. Renji's head was on Wyoneth's shoulder as the freckled woman tried to comfort her.

"We just got back from your mining site on the moon. We found your fifth friend. Are you going to tell me what happened?" Bishop began the interrogation, flanked by Ensign Dimorro.

"We haven't returned to your station? We need to leave this place!" Orianna replied with a panic in her voice.

"We aren't leaving until you start telling me what happened." Bishop coolly replied. Bishop was not empathetic, but he could hear the anxiety in Orianna's voice. He would use it as leverage against her.

"He was our overseer." Orianna finally admitted.

"Does he have a name? A rank, nickname, or any other titles would be helpful." He asked.

"He was Nakwul, Oar Tongue, Order of the Iron Tower." Orianna replied.

"His nickname was Oar Tongue?" Bishop asked, a bit confused.

"No, that was his rank. He was D'zorgur. Their home world is an archipelago. Their ranks are based on positions on a war galley." Orianna explained.

"You seem to know a lot about them. Are your people servile to them?" Bishop asked.

"No. Like us, they are a servitor race." Orianna told him.

"They're a proud race that likes to hear themselves talk. Most of us don't care about their culture. The only reason Orianna listens to their ramblings is because she's a lore singer." Wyoneth chipped in.

"Speaking of which, you haven't told me about yourselves. Where do you come from and why are you here?"

"We are Tylwyth of the planet Coedwig and our people sold us into slavery. We were sent to the moon of Lutash V to mine Uelynium." Orianna told him.

"Is that why you're covered in bruises?" Bishop asked.

"Uelynium is hard to mine. It is hard to detect and if the ore isn't there, it isn't there. Nakwul even had us stop doing drone maintenance to increase productivity. But, no matter how long we worked, we could never meet our quota." Orianna shook her head.

"The more we got behind, the more he would beat us. He even cut back our sleep cycle and reduced us to chlorella rations as punishment. But it didn't matter, the Uelynium is just to hard to mine." Wyoneth added.

"So you got tired of the beatings and killed him?" Bishop asked.

"No!" Orianna quickly objected. "One of the drones malfunctioned and killed him."

"She is lying." Dimorro told Bishop.

"Nakwul left a big mess when his internal organs were pureed. Who ever killed him probably has some splatter on her." Bishop calmly told the pirates.

"I killed him." Rinji looked up at Bishop, tears streaming from her eyes. "Nakwul wouldn't allow us to do upkeep on the machines. Cyzal was working with a drill when it exploded. When I saw her lying on the ground dead, I couldn't control myself. I guided one of the mining drills at him."

"Pardon my ignorance, but those drone don't look very fast. Why didn't he just shoot you before the drill got to him?" Dimorro asked.

"There is a sensor on the drones that will not allow them to work on biological material. Nakwul didn't know the sensor on that drone wasn't working. Again, he didn't allow us to fix any broken machine." Orianna explained.

"He actually taunted Rinji before it was too late." Wyoneth added.

"I take it you and Cyzal were close?" Bishop asked the distraught woman.

"We were lovers." Rinji replied in a sad voice.

"So before you could escape back to your home world, your shuttle broke down?" Bishop turned to Orianna.

"The shuttle didn't break down. It stopped operating for us. I think it may be some sort of security protocol. I'm sure the shuttle sent a signal to the D'zorgur. They are coming and we need to leave. Please, bring us back to your station. We'll suffer whatever punishment you have for us." Orianna pleaded.

Before Bishop could reply, he was interrupted. "Khang to Bishop. A ship has just arrived out of warp."

"No!" Orianna shouted at Bishop as her face took a look of terror.

"Stay calm. We aren't going anywhere." Bishop told them in a firm voice as he headed to the bridge.

"A vessel about 50 meters long came out of warp. I'm picking up about fifteen life signs on board." Khang reported to Bishop as he and Dimorro came onto the bridge.

"They are hailing us." Khang informed Bishop. He noddod to bring up the signal.

On the view screen were three D'zorgur clad in bronze uniforms with olive green piping. Two did not look up as they operated a control panel. The one in the middle was on an elevated seat as he addressed Bishop.

"I am Lash Master Raxmul, Order of the Flaming Claw. We are here to retrieve our property. Do not attempt to stop us." He told them.

"Greetings, I'm Lieutenant Bishop of Canopus Station. We have no intention of interfering with your efforts." Bishop told them.

"There are no life signs at the landing site and none on the shuttle. Do you have our slaves?" Raxmul asked.

"We have three prisoners. They attempted and failed to hijack one of our shuttles. Your fourth slave is deceased and we are in possession of her body." Bishop informed him.

"We cannot find the life sign of one of our warriors. Did you kill him?" Raxmul asked in a accusatory tone.

"No, one of your slaves did before they tried to escape." Bishop explained. "We will turn them over to you."

"Yes, you will." Raxmul disdainfully replied.

"What will you do with them?" Bishop asked.

"They will be bombarded with high levels of radiation until they die. Then, their remains will be ground up and feed to Marnicrun larva. Primates are part of their diet and they find Tylwyth particularly nutritious." Raxmul gave Bishop a cruel smile.

"But only one of them killed your warrior. The others had nothing to do with the murder." Bishop told him.

"Irrelevant. If a slave attacks a warrior, the others are to come to the aid of the warrior. They failed to do so. Therefore, their lives are also forfeit." Raxmul explained.

"I find your questions tiresome. I am sending down a team of warriors to investigate the mining site. After they are done, you will send over the slaves." And then Raxmul cut the signal.

"What a charmer." Bishop responded. "Could you read anything, Ensign?"

"A lot of contempt. He was irritated when he was talking to you." Dimorro told Bishop.

"So we are just going to turn them over to those creeps?" Mapleton asked.

"The Prime Directive is clear. We don't get involved in the issues of other societies." Bishop replied.

"They are going to cook them alive! That doesn't sound like justice!" Mapleton protested.

"This isn't our concern. I'm not going to start a conflict over three fugitives." Bishop told her.

"I remember during the Dominion War you Federation types would never pass the opportunity to give us Klingons a lecture about the Empire's use of servitor races. How times have changed." Noq't casually told Bishop.

"Not you too. It's out of my hands." He replied.

"The Federation, and humans in particular, have a complex set of moral and legal values that give an exemption to almost anything. It seems odd that you are at an impasse now." Noq't mused.

"Well, if they were to ask for political asylum the Federation would have to consider their fate." Bishop told the Klingon. Mapleton snorted and left the bridge in a huff.

"So you could do that?" Noq't asked.

"Only if they ask for it and I'm not going to ask them." Bishop explained.

"Shouldn't we?" Dimorro asked. "Maybe we should let them know they have options? They do have the right to legal representation."

"Don't start playing lawyer ball with me, Ensign." Bishop told the empath.

"Mapleton to Bishop. The fugitives have asked for political asylum." She told him over the comm.

Bishop's face went red. "I'll be there in a second."

As Bishop entered the brig, he approached Orianna. "So, Petty Officer Mapleton tells me you want political asylum. Is that true? For all of you?"

The trio nodded in agreement. "Okay. So tell me Orianna, what does political asylum mean?"

There was an awkward pause as Orianna thought out her words. "It means you will not turn us over to the D'vorgur." It was obvious she was unsure.

"Return to the bridge." Bishop ordered Mapleton in a stern voice.

"What a coincidence? I was just discussing the possibly of asylum with the ambassador when you got up and left the bridge. Then, with no idea what political asylum is, our little pirates ask for it." Bishop laid out the events.

"It happened." Mapleton replied.

"I'm glad you find this amusing. Consider yourself on report, Petty Officer. You'll be relieved of your position when we return to the station." Bishop scolded her.

"For what? Informing our prisoners of their rights?" Mapleton shot back.

"They are not our prisoners. I'm turning them over to the D'zorgur." He coldly told her.

"You can't do that. They asked for asylum." Dimorro protested.

"Your concerns are dually noted and ignored." Bishop dismissed Dimorro's concerns.

"Isn't there a reporter on the station. I'm sure he would love to report that Starfleet refused slaves political asylum that led to their executions." Mapleton mused.

"You tell that reporter anything you'll find yourself on a penal colony. No talking about this to the press, that's an order." Bishop was getting a bit agitated.

"I will tell the press." Noq't told Bishop.

"Go ahead. You'll be on a shuttle back to Qo'nos so fast your head will spin."

"And the Federation will have some uncomfortable questions to answer." Noq't smiled at Bishop.

"Lieutenant, the D'vorgur are hailing us." Khang finally interrupted. Bishop gave the okay to put the signal through.

"We are finished here. Is your ship equipped with transporters? If so, beam over our slaves." Ruxmul ordered.

"We have transporters but we aren't beaming them over. They have asked for political asylum and we are going to respect their request." Bishop firmly told Ruxmul.

"You are willing to die for some filthy tree climbers? I will let you think it over. When we hail you again you will be prepared to beam the criminals over to us. If not, I have found you to be an obnoxious person and your presence offends me." Then Ruxmul cut the signal.

"Lieutenant, the alien ship is powering weapons. I'm reading 50,000 TeraJoules of power." Khang reported.

"That is about the power of a Galaxy class. A lot of fire power in a little ship." Noq't told them.

"This isn't good. Mister Khang, contact Canopus Station. We may have started a war." Bishop ordered.

"If it is any consolation, your doing the right thing." Mapleton told Bishop.

"All of our atoms are about to take separate vacations. No, that isn't a consolation." Bishop replied.