CAPERNUM: The Lost is Found

Posted on Wed Jul 9th, 2025 @ 4:33pm by Lieutenant Griffon Resch & Lieutenant Ainkara "Kara"

Mission: CAPERNUM: {CD&MISSION} On Duty
Location: Dark Harbor
Timeline: Current

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Griffon Resch had spent several hours catching up with his old Starfleet service buddy Martin Smith, now a Dark Harbor Security officer keeping order. As the time passed, both men became honest with each other as they walked the evening streets. Resch explained to Martin why they were there but never gave any specifics as to who 'they' were. Martin, for his part, explained to Griffon why he had come all the way to Dark Harbor after resigning from Starfleet. The only word that described everything he felt in one was: corruption. From the Federation Council, to Starfleet Command, and trickling down to the lowest personnel and citizens. In his opinion, Smith felt that the Federation was not too far behind the Romulans and Klingons in forming an empire of sorts, and he would not be a part of it.

Now alone, Resch continued to walk the streets at night as he contemplated all that Martin Smith had said, and he began to recall times he had seen the corruption first hand. It was there, subtle but there, and the more he thought on it the more he began to realize it happened quite often. His legs moving at their own pace, his subconscious doing the steering, Griffon ended up walking into the 'noble' district's marketplace, which even at night was going strong. Not quite as many as the daytime activities, but there were still plenty of pedestrians moving about and looking at wares. Coming to a stop at the top of a large, stone cut staircase built into the outer wall of a massive tower, Resch could look out across the sea harbor, so he stopped and allowed his eyes to look at the serene scene even while he was in thought.

"Yoohoo, I'll make you famous." A female voice that came from behind him.

Griffon cautiously spun on his heel to look at who had spoken, seeing what was obviously a humanoid female in all white. Stark white, her head covered by a hood and balaclava, with a mask over the front of her face. All that could be seen were her eyes and a tiny portion of her eyebrows. She wore a white equipment belt with various pouches on it, no sidearm, but she did have something on her hip he recognized due to Loewen's presence. This being carried the Meji weapon known as a lightsaber. He had to be careful. "Famous? How will you make me famous?"

The people in the market seemed to know her, and even as she stood with the market at her back, those in close proximity to her back began to move away from her, all of them moving out of any firing line even as they tried to gawk at what was about to take place. "I take it you are here for a rescue mission? Or, should I say, a recovery operation?"

~Damn it~ Resch thought. ~Martin had talked. So much for trust~

Deciding to remain polite and ready for anything, Resch gave a nod. "To be honest, yes. Word has come to us that one of our missing officers is in the slave pens here. So, we came to see if there was any truth to that rumor."

The woman in white continued to stand with squared shoulders, facing him, chin slightly dipped for action should that be necessary. Her head gave the slightest tilt to her right. It was hard to make out if there were any expression changes to match, what with the mask, hood, and the dim lighting in this area. "And, if the rumor were true, what then?"

Resch tilted his own head as he made to respond, finding something familiar with the tone of voice. He knew that tone but could not readily place it. "We will do what we must to recover one of our people."

"So," the woman began to speak as she slowly closed the ten meter distance between them. A casual, yet purposeful gait. "You choose to fight for this person? They must be important indeed." She stopped once she came to a point roughly three meters from him, her hooded self now bathed in a halo of street light.

As she stepped into the light and stopped, Griffon's well-trained eyes once again went over her covered face, his focus on the eyes and any flesh he might be able to discern. On the outside of each eye he could make out the slightest hint of the cartilege there, a physical trait he recognized as Voran. His face went from sturdy and ready to askance and relieved. "Ainkara?"

Kara gave him a nod, then reached up and pulled the mask down off her face, pushing the hood back and off, then doing the same with her balaclava. With that done her olive complexion, braided black hair, and facial features were on full display. "Griffon. It has been a while." She came in fast and wrapped her arms around him, clasping him in a friendly, loving hug.

On his end, Resch was so surprised that he let the hug happen, both his arms coming up to prevent them being pinned down, at first. It took a moment to realize she was hugging him in greeting so he reciprocated the gesture, squeezing her warmly in return. When she stepped back, the crowd seeing they were friends and dispersing, Kara gave him a grin. "Ainkara? What the hell? You've been free all this time and never thought to call?"

The grin disappeared faster than warp ten. Her eyes hardened and there was no more friendliness in them. "I have not been free. What you see in me has been earned! The disgusting things done to me, the fight to climb to a favored position! All of it was survival!" Her chest was rising and falling with heavy breathing brought on by her dear friend, rage. "How dare you minimize my suffering!"

Griffon's own eyes showed his dismay at her reaction. He knew her better than anyone, and she him, so what he had asked was not meant to harm her in any way, it was just who he was; seeking answers. "How dare you insult me by not understanding my meaning." He kept his voice even, logical, and controlled. "I would never, ever, minimize suffering of any kind. But, if you feel that I have slighted you then go ahead, belt me one."

It took a great deal of willpower and Control to not do just that; hit him. Kara's shoulders began to relax and she took in a large breath and let it out slowly, the rage going from a full on furnace in her core to just a cinder. "I am not going to strike you. You are correct, it is in your nature to ask such things. My apologies for my...reaction." Looking back over her shoulder, still seeing some oglers, Ainkara reached out and clasped his left bicep, turning him to walk with her. "Come. Too many eyes here."

Resch allowed himself to be steered, seeing she had got herself under control. This would be quite a story he was sure.

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