And The Truth Shall Set You Free...

Posted on Sunday, 17 October 2021 - 12:08pm by Commander Soral & Captain Barret Stillwater

Mission: Operation: Mirror of Madness
Location: Vulcan

ON:

Soral sat back in his cell in the monastery writing. It was around mid day when he was interrupted by a monk who said a human was here to see him. Soral raised an eyebrow followed the man to the meeting room and bowed to the monk. He turned and watched the old man go and then entered the room.

Barret Stillwater was dressed in drab attire, robes of a muted color that reminded him of the skin of a Barlett pear from earth. He looked the part of a common peddler or merchant, not that of a Starfleet Captain, an intentional act as to not draw attention to himself unnecessarily while traversing the Vulcan worlds. Finding Soral had not been that difficult of a task. The Captain could go unrecognized on Vulcan dressed as he was, a Human was not an uncommon sight.

He kept his hood up, however, mostly to protect him while outside from the blinding and blistering sunlight. While in the monastery, however, it was just easier to keep his face hidden. Anyone passing by may assume he was Vulcan, and that sat just fine with Barret. Stillwater moved carefully and kept some distance from his First Officer while approaching. "You'll forgive me if I do not step forward with a warm embrace," the man said with full blunt sarcasm. Neither of them were the 'hugging type,' but now more than ever, it was the last thing on Stillwater's mind.

"Considering how easy it was for you to stab me in the back," began Stillwater, "I dare not let you get too close to my chest to finish the job off." Stillwater had taken a look around and made sure that the two were essentially alone before lowering the hood of his robes. "You had asked me to keep your wife occupied and safe while you tended to business on Vulcan, Soral. I can see why you did that, now. Betraying both of us as you have."

"I have done no such thing." Soral sat down at the table in the room. He studied Stillwater. "I did what was needed and what was right for Vulcan. Can you imagine if the Terrans continued to rule Vulcan? " He motioned. "Now, then. By coming here you reminded me why I.,." He waited his hand. "Nevermind that."

"Terrans?" Barret replied. He had no memory of Soral ever referring to anyone from Earth, human or otherwise as 'Terran' and it was unsettling to hear the term slip from the Vulcan's lips. "What the hell is that even supposed to mean? Nobody is ruling over Vulcan nor any member world of the Federation. You were supposed to be protecting Vulcan by ensuring the Federation remained together, Soral, not advocating for its collapse."

Soral smiled a little. "Ahhh and why is that?"

"Because the man who became my First Officer is the man who risked his commission and career on saving Romulan refugees, otherwise, he'd...you would have made Captain and have a starship of your own. Instead, you've been at my side, and I refuse to believe all this time you were simply waiting to push this radicalized separatist agenda."

Stillwater crossed his arms. "Where the hell is the logic in betraying the Federation? Breaking away from it for what, Soral?" The Human took a deep breath. "You know as well as I do that if the Vulcans leave the Federation, nothing will be there to stop the Andorains from coming back and finishing you off. If you keep pushing this agenda, you will be bringing Vulcan to the edge of annihilation."

Soral laughed. "And that, my friend, is where the Romulans come in." He smiled an eerie smile. "You were never one for being off the book, hell you were always one of the darlings of the Terrans. I can attest to that from agonizing hours under your thumb. Now then, Vulcans, Romulans, Remans, those of Vulcan blood are much stronger then we let on. As for the Andorians I have it on good authority they want something more then the destruction of Vulcan...to be the head of your Federation snake so with Vulcan help and a temporary alliance with us we can give them that. Who knowns Earth better then Vulcans?" He sat back. "Stillwater, my old nemesis, the logic of it all is flawless, you've never been one to see it."

"Nemesis?" Stillwater scoffed. "So this is how it ends, Soral...what I thought we were building together. You have been concealing ulterior motives. Your service to the Federation, your loyalty to me, the bond of your marriage. You are going to throw it all away for your Kumbaya Romulan fantasy..."

"No, for information on how to destroy the Borg, for a way to safeguard my family, for a way to bring Lexi back home, but for the dominance of Vulcan. Think on this. While the Andorians are going after the Federation, the Klingons will leave and while you are all fighting the Vulcans will dominate and we will lead the Empire. It will be our flags flown and peace will finally truly be within the grasp of the universe. True peace." He sat back. "There is a logic to my madness, those are the words you said to me once when you had the upper hand." He looked around. "It was your … lack of loyalty that set us on a different path Barret Stillwater. You fed me to the Borg but I survived. You took my ship and now I will take yours." He smiled. "I'm guessing by now they are on the way here."

The Borg were practically obsolete, the artifact was a testament to that. The laugh, the betrayal, the talk if the Borg. This insanity could mean only a few things, and one of them was glaring back at him peculiarly like a fun house mirror. "Where the hell is Soral?"

Stillwater uncrowded his arms, slipped a hand into the robe he was wearing and brandished the phaser he had been concealing for the duration of this encounter. "Out of respect for Commander Soral, I didn't shoot him in the back, but I won't lose any sleep over killing you. So, either surrender and tell me where Soral is, or we can do this the difficult way."

Soral smiled. "Soral is sitting right here, or perhaps by now he's dead on some rock, or there maybe an alternate way of looking at this. Before you go all commando, sit." He motioned to the empty chair. "Harming me in a Vulcan Monastery might actually work for my cause and push the Vulcans a little bit in the separation direction."

"Perhaps we talk first. You don't seem to be your merciless self here although he's in there." Soral sighed. This version of Barret Stillwater was … interesting. "You know your husband never quite forgave me for banishing you to Talos."

"You don't know me," Stillwater said quickly. "Not a damn thing about me. You are not my Soral and I am not the man you knew. Shooting you here dead with a Federation phaser may cause more problems, but it would be worth it to prevent the destruction you are trying to cause."

"But would it save your Soral or doom him?"

"You are from a wretched universe, a seedy underbelly, void of integrity and ethics. For all I know, my Soral is dead. It is the sort of thing we expect whenever one you cross over here."

"He's alive for the moment. Your ship, or should I say Whitley's ship, now, is on her way here bringing my Lexi to me and my trusted friend who is keeping me well informed of the Standing Bear." He motioned to the chair. "I am indeed from a wretched universe, I like this one more, possibilities but I can assure you I will get back to my own once I have what I want." He studied Stillwater. "Your husband is exactly half way to Prairie, you know?"

"And you are a quarter of the way to hell," Stillwater grumbled. "I may not be able to kill you here with this phaser, but I can stun your sorry ass and drag it to the Vulcan forge until you wither and die. It will take forever for anyone to find you...or what's left of you."

Soral smiled again. "I can fully believe you and...my weaker self were friends. He saw in you the courage he never had. Sad really." Soral shrugged and stood. "Something to drink?" Before Stillwater could respond Soral pressed a button and the door opened a monk walking in.

Soral's demeanor changed. He stood taller, more regally, like the Soral of this world. "I shall have a spiced tea and my friend here..." He turned to Stillwater and raised an eyebrow. "And you Captain?"

Barret had enough of the charade. The former Starfleet Captain took the phaser, aimed at the Vulcan monk, the setting on stun, and fired a beam of amber arching across the room, hitting the monk squarely in the chest.

No sooner had the monk hit the floor, did Stillwater begin to close in on this perversion of Soral. "I was never one for drawnout foreplay. The next shot is for you, and I'm not going to hesitate switching to the kill setting."

Soral side stepped the falling monk. As soon as Stillwater was within range he dropped to the floor kicking the monk forward into Stillwater's legs bringing he man down. "Catch me if you can." He ran out shutting the door tight and locking it.

He wasn't going to be caught this close to a flawless plan.

And the chase begins!

Should have shot you while I had the chance Stillwater thought as he hit the door. He pounded a fist against it. It was locked, and Stillwater had been intel. He knew the layout of the monastery. This Soral would be long gone by the time he managed to get the door opened. "This isn't over!" shouted Barret. "I'll track you down across the quadrant, chase you across the stars, and I will end you."

OFF: