Writing Contest: Fables of Betrayals!
The Vintaak Job
This was, undoubtedly, one of the happiest days of half-Romulan Praevus Aethra’s young life. Considering much of that life had been spent on the run, trying to evade pursuers sent after him ad inifinitum by the Terran Empire’s Imperial Starfleet, happy days had been a very rare thing for quite some time. However, as he knelt before his beloved Khellian, the most beautiful emerald ring he had ever seen clutched in trembling fingers, he could not remember ever having felt so content, or so hopeful for the future. The “yes” that had just escaped Khellian’s lips had changed everything.
Khellian leaned in closer, a grin beaming across his sun-darkened features, and he held out his hand so Praevus could place the ring on it. Praevus slipped it over his fingertip, sliding it down slowly… until it stuck on Khellian’s knuckle.
Praevus sighed. “Damn it! I knew I should have asked for your ring size, but I didn’t want to give away the surprise.”
Khellian chuckled warmly. “It’s OK. Let me try.”
Khellian struggled with the ring for several moments, but it quickly became clear that it wasn’t going to fit his finger. He eventually had to give up trying to force it and slipped the ring into his pocket.
“It’s beautiful, Praevus,” Khellian exclaimed, leaning in for a kiss. "Once we get it sized I’ll never take it off again.”
One long, slow kiss later, Khellian spoke again. “As wonderful as this has been, you know we really should talk about the job.”
Praevus had to admit Khellian was right. Money was tight, and they were going to need a lot more if he and Khellian were going to have any kind of real life together. They couldn’t keep running forever, but if they could get their hands on the Vintaak Records, they’d be set for life. What had really happened when the ISS Enterprise was destroyed in its clash with the USS Defiant and the Tholians at the Vintaak system was a closely guarded secret by Imperial Starfleet, and there would be no shortage of people willing to pay a hefty price for authentic logs from the wreckage of the Enterprise.
Most of the rest of the evening was spent planning the heist. The records were being held nearby at Imperial Intelligence. It was going to be a difficult job, but not impossible. There would be the usual guards and alarm systems to get past, and Praevus knew there would be several deadly traps to disarm or avoid as well. Fortunately, the right lips had been loosened and Praevus and Khellian were in possession of a rather detailed set of plans for the facility that should allow them to reach the vault unscathed.
Neither of them had much experience with cracking vaults, however, so they were going to need a third man. That’s where Sebastian would come in. If Sebastian couldn’t open those vault doors, they were impregnable. He was also a known factor: Sebastian had frequently been a third in Praevus and Khellian’s bed over the years, and there were few people the two of them knew better, or more intimately, than Sebastian.
Many hours later, when the last details of the job had been discussed and finalized, Praevus and Khellian retired to the bedroom to enthusiastically celebrate their engagement.
---
The job had gone almost exactly as planned. Except for one unexpected encounter with a patrolling guard, which was rapidly solved by a mild and very precise use of force, the trio of Praevus, Khellian and Sebastian had reached the vault doors. While Sebastian rigged a series of cobbled-together electronic devices to the door’s locking mechanism and Khellian monitored the building’s security feeds on a tricorder, Praevus slowly patrolled the hallway for more immediately present dangers.
After what seemed like hours, and may actually have been, Sebastian let out a whispered cry of victory. There was an audible click, and the door to the vault swung open slowly.
The three men entered the vault, and quickly found the shelf where the Vintaak Records were said to be stored.
“Allow me,” Praevus grinned, and fired a short blast of phaser fire at the door closing off access to the shelf, blasting a hole just large enough for a hand to fit inside. He reached in and felt something cold and metallic. It would not fit through the hole, but fortunately he could reach the interior latch with his hand, and with a flick of his fingers managed to unlock the door. Inside was a box which, Praevus could tell after a quick inspection, was quite likely to be a recording device from the bridge of a starship. While the exterior was seriously damaged, it appeared to be intact, and the engraving of “I.S.S. Enterprise” along one side was still barely visible.
Praevus felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, knocking him to the floor. He lost his grip on the box and it tumbled across the floor of the vault. Barely conscious and blinded with pain, he could focus on nothing while he heard the unmistakable sound of a hand phaser powering up.
“No, Sebastian. Don’t!” It was Khellian’s voice.
Sebastian’s voice replied. “I guess you’re right. We can just close the door behind us when we go, and Imperial Intelligence will find him eventually.”
Praevus’s vision was slowly clearing, though he could only make out vague shapes as he lay on the floor, the pain in his head crippling him and preventing him from standing. He watched helplessly as Khellian left the vault, followed closely by Sebastian, who only paused a moment to reach behind him and pull the vault door closed with his left hand. On that hand, Sebastian wore the most beautiful emerald ring Praevus had ever seen.
#writingcontest
This was, undoubtedly, one of the happiest days of half-Romulan Praevus Aethra’s young life. Considering much of that life had been spent on the run, trying to evade pursuers sent after him ad inifinitum by the Terran Empire’s Imperial Starfleet, happy days had been a very rare thing for quite some time. However, as he knelt before his beloved Khellian, the most beautiful emerald ring he had ever seen clutched in trembling fingers, he could not remember ever having felt so content, or so hopeful for the future. The “yes” that had just escaped Khellian’s lips had changed everything.
Khellian leaned in closer, a grin beaming across his sun-darkened features, and he held out his hand so Praevus could place the ring on it. Praevus slipped it over his fingertip, sliding it down slowly… until it stuck on Khellian’s knuckle.
Praevus sighed. “Damn it! I knew I should have asked for your ring size, but I didn’t want to give away the surprise.”
Khellian chuckled warmly. “It’s OK. Let me try.”
Khellian struggled with the ring for several moments, but it quickly became clear that it wasn’t going to fit his finger. He eventually had to give up trying to force it and slipped the ring into his pocket.
“It’s beautiful, Praevus,” Khellian exclaimed, leaning in for a kiss. "Once we get it sized I’ll never take it off again.”
One long, slow kiss later, Khellian spoke again. “As wonderful as this has been, you know we really should talk about the job.”
Praevus had to admit Khellian was right. Money was tight, and they were going to need a lot more if he and Khellian were going to have any kind of real life together. They couldn’t keep running forever, but if they could get their hands on the Vintaak Records, they’d be set for life. What had really happened when the ISS Enterprise was destroyed in its clash with the USS Defiant and the Tholians at the Vintaak system was a closely guarded secret by Imperial Starfleet, and there would be no shortage of people willing to pay a hefty price for authentic logs from the wreckage of the Enterprise.
Most of the rest of the evening was spent planning the heist. The records were being held nearby at Imperial Intelligence. It was going to be a difficult job, but not impossible. There would be the usual guards and alarm systems to get past, and Praevus knew there would be several deadly traps to disarm or avoid as well. Fortunately, the right lips had been loosened and Praevus and Khellian were in possession of a rather detailed set of plans for the facility that should allow them to reach the vault unscathed.
Neither of them had much experience with cracking vaults, however, so they were going to need a third man. That’s where Sebastian would come in. If Sebastian couldn’t open those vault doors, they were impregnable. He was also a known factor: Sebastian had frequently been a third in Praevus and Khellian’s bed over the years, and there were few people the two of them knew better, or more intimately, than Sebastian.
Many hours later, when the last details of the job had been discussed and finalized, Praevus and Khellian retired to the bedroom to enthusiastically celebrate their engagement.
---
The job had gone almost exactly as planned. Except for one unexpected encounter with a patrolling guard, which was rapidly solved by a mild and very precise use of force, the trio of Praevus, Khellian and Sebastian had reached the vault doors. While Sebastian rigged a series of cobbled-together electronic devices to the door’s locking mechanism and Khellian monitored the building’s security feeds on a tricorder, Praevus slowly patrolled the hallway for more immediately present dangers.
After what seemed like hours, and may actually have been, Sebastian let out a whispered cry of victory. There was an audible click, and the door to the vault swung open slowly.
The three men entered the vault, and quickly found the shelf where the Vintaak Records were said to be stored.
“Allow me,” Praevus grinned, and fired a short blast of phaser fire at the door closing off access to the shelf, blasting a hole just large enough for a hand to fit inside. He reached in and felt something cold and metallic. It would not fit through the hole, but fortunately he could reach the interior latch with his hand, and with a flick of his fingers managed to unlock the door. Inside was a box which, Praevus could tell after a quick inspection, was quite likely to be a recording device from the bridge of a starship. While the exterior was seriously damaged, it appeared to be intact, and the engraving of “I.S.S. Enterprise” along one side was still barely visible.
Praevus felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, knocking him to the floor. He lost his grip on the box and it tumbled across the floor of the vault. Barely conscious and blinded with pain, he could focus on nothing while he heard the unmistakable sound of a hand phaser powering up.
“No, Sebastian. Don’t!” It was Khellian’s voice.
Sebastian’s voice replied. “I guess you’re right. We can just close the door behind us when we go, and Imperial Intelligence will find him eventually.”
Praevus’s vision was slowly clearing, though he could only make out vague shapes as he lay on the floor, the pain in his head crippling him and preventing him from standing. He watched helplessly as Khellian left the vault, followed closely by Sebastian, who only paused a moment to reach behind him and pull the vault door closed with his left hand. On that hand, Sebastian wore the most beautiful emerald ring Praevus had ever seen.
#writingcontest
