The Life of the Driver Is Ended by the Kniver

Posted on Wed Feb 9th, 2022 @ 11:29am by Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Lieutenant JG Revana Nazar & Lieutenant Johnathan Anderson III

Mission: S1 Episode 1: Caretaker, Part I
Location: ISS Vengeance
Timeline: MD 32, 1430 Hours
685 words - 1.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Johnathan was finishing up some administrative work in his office. Looking over at his chrono, he saw that he needed to get back up to the bridge, to finish out his shift at the Helm. Closing down his system, he exited his office, allowing his slaves to go about their duties of cleaning it, and made his way to the turbolift.

When he reached it, he saw an engineer busy working on the lift, apparently trying to fix an issue with the system.

Ensign Revana Nazar had only removed the turbolift call button moments before. She knelt now in front of the display, her shapely green form providing a distracting image for any passers-by. Noticing someone coming, she looked over her shoulder.

"Sorry, sir, this call button is malfunctioning. You know how machines always break, right?" she said, offering an attractive half smile. "If you've got 15 or 20 minutes, I should be able to clear it up by then. If not...you might be better off taking a Jefferies tube a few decks up and grabbing the lift from there."

"Well, shit," he grumbled to himself. "Alright, I guess there's no other choice. Guess I'll use this as a readon to get some more cardio in today." He chuckled to the attractive ensign, giving her a handsome, boyish grin.

After contacting the bridge and informing them of the situation, he entered the nearest access hatch, and began his climb.

Unannounced to him, a second person shuffled in the tube a few decks up, standing in an alcoved area to make himself invisible to anyone coming up the ladder. They moved quietly, like they were practiced at going unnoticed, and they wore a hood and cloak which obscured their image completely.

About ten minutes into his climb, Johnathan reached the next junction. He paused briefly to take a breath.

Once Johnathan reached the landing near the Jefferies tube, the man peeked out to make sure his back was turned to him. When he saw that it was, he lunged forward, grabbed him quickly with the gloved hands of an Imperial Officer, and drove a knife squarely into the man's back.

"Lieutenant Marshall sends his regards." he said in Johnathan's ear.

Johnathan sensed the movement behind him too late, as a strong arm wrapped around his throat. He was grabbed and then bent backwards. Hearing the voice speak, he tried to identify it, only to gasp in agony when he felt the blade get driven into his back three times.

The cloaked man reached his hand under Johnathan and pulled his commbadge off, casting it down the vertical tube Johnathan had just climbed up. Quickly, he pushed the wounded man to the ground, turned, and disappeared out of the door.

For several moments, Johnathan lay there, gasping for air. His body was screaming pain messages to his brain as he continued to bleed out from his wounds.

Painfully rolling up onto his side, he reached up and tried to activate his commbadge....only to find it missing!

Several images started to flood his mind. His parents, the orphanage, Ne'ela, the Sequis slave who cared for him there. He saw his time at the Academy, joining Red Squad, then later leading it. His time on the ISS Ishiguro was next, followed by the disaster that ended her service life.

Finally, two faces crossed his mind's eye. Callie, her beautiful smile and love for him. Then, he saw Kassandra. His heart soared at her image. It was of her first smile to him.

He suddenly felt a surge of adrenaline coarse through his body. He would not die! He refused to leave Kassandra's side. So, while he held onto the image of her face, he drew on all of his fading strength and slowly, painfully, crawled to his feet.

He had to get to sickbay. If he didn't, he would die. That was all there was to it. So he started to crawl towards the nearest access hatch back out into the corridors of the deck he was currently on.

He would live.

And he would get his revenge.

~TBC~