A Call to Arms for a Different War

Posted on Thu Dec 28th, 2023 @ 7:19pm by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Inara Senn

Mission: Hard Earned Peace
Location: Captain's Ready Room

Inara tapped a door chime at Shran's ready room.

"Enter" Shran replied.

"Captain..." Inara entered, looking more than worn down and disheveled. Fighting Hela both in mind and body was harrowing for Inara Senn. "We need to get Hela off this ship now. I managed to beat her back. There was a price for opposing her, but she can be beaten." She continued. "Shoniara is her focus. But it was she that made a deal with Hela. We're going to have to fight for her, there is going to be casualties, but we cannot let Hela have her prize, not without a fight. There will be a price, but we cannot let this hideous abomination win!!!!"

Shran was calm yet concerned. "I'm all for getting Hela off this ship and away from my crew. But we cannot act rashly. These entities thrive when they throw us off balance, get us to act impulsively. I will do all I can to protect my crew and this ship from them lieutenant, but we will be smart about this, tactical in our approach."

"Captain, our allies are sandbagging. On one side, they want to help us, on the other side, they can't. For reasons they refuse to discuss, they have to allow Hela to collect her debt because it's fate. Fate!! We didn't surrender to the Dominion because it was 'Fate?' They knew what she was doing, they allowed this loose cannon, and to them we're fascinating to study at best, and a divine comedy at worst." Inara noted and sat down. "I had to watch Josie get tortured by her, and the alternative was becoming something my love would have hated. Goddammit Captain. I'm going to need leave after all this. If we have to let Hela collect her debt, even wine won't solve that problem. She deceived Shoniara into selling her soul to her, and now that I've meet her, she understands how it feels to do anything... ANYTHING, to get someone you loved beyond all measure back. And that... was very hard for me to give up. I watched Hela kill Josie... rather than betray her again."

Shran listened to Inara rant. "You make it seem cut and dry, but you are obviously emotionally involved and not thinking rationally lieutenant. I understand how close you are to this, but that may be clouding your judgement."

"The blue one is correct" Morrigan said as she appeared near the window. "You keep treating everything as some personal attack on you, as if everyone is somehow innocent of the poor things that are coming to them. We can't stop Hela regarding her deal because it wasn't coerced, it was asked for willingly. That free will thing you all are so fond of, it comes with strings, with consequences."

"I do believe I need to get all the details of the ordeal to attempt any sort of action" Shran replied calmly.

Inara sighed. "No wonder. So, tell us Morrigan, why are you even here, if you and Brigid are not here to coddle us? If Hela is our problem, not yours. Now I have to question your motives."

Morrigan glared at Inara, "You are free to challenge Hela on your own if you so wish. Be sure to have your affairs in order. After all, you are so eager to die alone."

Shran raised a hand in protest, "Now wait a minute. Nobody under my command is challenging Hela to some sort of mortal combat until we have gotten all the details. We will be tactical about this, and that is an order lieutenant."

"Yes, sir." Inara glared at Morrigan. "I will refrain from questioning the motivations of the gods in the future, Sir."

"Question away. I trust them only to be what they are, self-satisfying beings that have significantly more power over certain parts of existence than we do. Once you take the time to realize that they aren't so bad" Shran said with a wry grin. "Of course, I say this as an Andorian, we don't have gods of any kind, nor any mythological heroes or villains. We found that we had plenty of heroes and villains all of our own without having to bestow such lofty titles such as god or goddess on anyone, villains in particular once we encountered the Vulcans."

Inara sighs and thinks to herself 'We're so screwed.' She then spoke, "Permission to be dismissed?"

"Very well lieutenant" Shran replied.

Morrigan remained after Inara exited. "She is going to do something impulsive and unwise."

"I would expect nothing less. She is deeply troubled, and Hela has struck a chord with her. I'll hold you to your promise to protect her from Hela, even if that means protecting her from herself."

Morrigan huffed. "Very well."