Sleight of Hand (Part 2)

Posted on Thu Oct 3rd, 2024 @ 1:24am by Commander Patricia Cooke & Boso Gane & Lieutenant Akira Kogami & Lieutenant JG Eradaar Ezazzan
Edited on on Thu Oct 3rd, 2024 @ 1:24am

1,571 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: I-402
Timeline: After 'Sleight of Hand (Part 1)'

Previously, on Star Trek: Missouri:

As they left Eradaar's office, Patricia tapped her combadge:

"Cooke to Security: Bring the male prisoner, Mr. Gane, to Sickbay." She ordered. One way or another, Patricia wasn't going to give up on Akira.

=A=Aye, Captain,=A= came the response. =A=We'll be down there in 10 minutes; Security out.=A=

And now, the continuation:

Eradaar quietly followed the group, her mind deep in thought. She was confident in her decision to accept this course of action, yet as a Gorn she did not have the ability that Boso Gane had - or any Betazoid for that matter. She instead had to rely on her intellect, empathy, and patience to solve issues. Quietly she hoped that her combined traits, as limited as they were, had permitted a way out for Akira to recovery.

A few minutes later, Patricia arrived in sickbay with Eradaar behind her. She stopped a nurse to be pointed towards Akira's biobed. After checking the chronometer, she informed the nurse that Security would be by in a few minutes, and would need to know the same information before heading towards Akira's biobed.

"Hey there, Akira:" She greeted warmly as she approached. "How are you holding up?"

Akira shrugged indifferently. "I'd be better if Doctor Bakshi would just discharge me already so I can get back to active duty," she stated as if this were just something Patty could give to anyone who asked politely. "Speaking of which, where is that woman? I haven't seen her in... what was it, a week now? I've lost all sense of time..."

Patricia's eyes narrowed.

"Doctor Bakshi and Major Aurelius were reassigned following our resupply." She explained. "But not to worry; we'll be getting you back to active duty soon."

Akira blinked. "You gotta be shittin' me; that's how many members of our senior staff they've reassigned now? All the while we've been dealing with a major threat to galactic security? Are the fuckers at Starfleet Command even taking this shit seriously?"

"At this rate, we've practically gone through an entire change in senior staff." Patricia shrugged. "Though fortunately, Starfleet Command seems to be coming around in light of more... Recent events..."

Patricia looked over her shoulder as she saw Security enter Sickbay and ask the same nurse whom Patricia had notified earlier for the directions to Akira's biobed.

Akira glanced over Patty's shoulder and observed the new arrivals. "Here to pay me your respects, fellas?" she called out to them.

The green-haired Lieutenant shook her head. "Afraid not, Lieutenant."

Akira glanced back over at her Commanding Officer. "Patty, what's going on here?"

Patricia sighed.

"Akira, Lieutenant Ezzazzan has told me that at the current rate you're going, I would have no choice but to bench you... Permanently." She said.

Akira raised an eyebrow. "So what's this supposed to be then? Some kind of intervention?"

"Akira, you, Izumi, and Ezazzan are the only senior staff members I haven't had to replace." She explained in clearer words than sports analogies. "And replacing you as Chief of Security is one of the last things I want to do as Commanding Officer: But, if the damage done to you is too severe, then there's only one other course of action that I can take, and I'm not sure if it's even going to work:"

Patricia nodded to the other security officer on hand, a young Ensign. The Ensign stepped aside and pulled a third figure forward: A Hebitian man, bound in shackles. Patricia had now revealed her hand, hoping that the man who caused Akira's problems might be able to fix them. However, in so doing, the Ensign had been positioned in a manner so that his phaser was within easy reach of Akira.

Perhaps not too surprisingly, Akira was... less than receptive of this newcomer, and that was putting things politely.

"You son of a bitch!" she scowled, leaping off the bed and making a lunge for The Hebitian. "Do you f**king realize what you've put me through?!"

"Whoah, whoah! Easy, Akira!" Patricia pleaded as she and the Ensign moved to restrain Akira.

"GET THE F**K OFF ME! Akira shouted as she struggled to break free.

The Ensign who had moved in to help the captain looked up at the green haired Lieutenant who seemed to be doing nothing to help.

"Get the prisoner's cuffs off, Lieutenant!" He barked. "NOW!"

The Gorn swiftly acted, using her great strength, with gentle care, to restrain Akira in her position.

The Lieutenant nodded and quickly moved to undo Boso's restraints.

"You'd better hope that you're a man of your word," she warned as she pointed her phaser at the back of the Hebitian's head. "Because if this turns out to be a ruse to gain control of the Missouri, then I will not hesitate to blow your head off."

Without responding vocally, Boso closed his eyes and held out his hands. Within seconds, he was inside Akira's head: It was rare for him to reenter the heads of his victims: Normally, the turmoil he caused would heal naturally within a week at worst, but not this one: In this one's head, Boso had unleashed a great maelstrom - one that refused to heal by natural means.

"You are in great pain..." Boso spoke inside and out of Akira's head. "I was wrong to do this to you..." That line was more for the ones outside: "But your crew needs you now, so come back to them...

...Come back to them..."

"NO!!!" Akira resisted, clutching at her forehead and allowing Patty and Eradaar to safely pin her to the bio-bed. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU FILTHY BASTARD!!!"

Boso grunted as Akira resisted. Clearly this one had been learning how to resist telepathy, which was only making his job harder. The fissure in her head could only be closed with her cooperation:

"Let me help you!" Boso pleaded. "I see I-400 for what she is. I am not your enemy..." Whatever kind of reassurances that they were now on the same side, Boso was now offering to Akira.

This pleading and bargaining with Akira subconsciously went on for several minutes before finally Akira stopped trying to get him to let go of the rope to close the fissure, and started to help him pull it closed:

"Come back to your crew..." Boso said as he and Akira pulled the fissure closed. "Come back to them..."

"Come back to them..." He and Akira began muttering simultaneously on the outside. "Come back to them..."

At last, the fissure finally sealed, but doing so had drained Akira mentally, and she lost consciousness, the act of doing so pushing Boso out:

Blinking to reorient himself, Boso slowly raised his hands from where they were into the surrender position, looking towards Patricia:

"Now, do you trust me?" He asked. A serious question for all the officers present.

Eradaar moved to provide bio-readings using her tricorder. She took a moment, then looked to the Captain. "She's stable," the Counselor reported. "I would not recommend we repeat this procedure, however."

"There shouldn't be a need to repeat it." Boso added. "The Lieutenant should be back to her old self when she regains consciousness."

Patricia watched as the security Ensign picked up the shackles from the floor, with the intent to put them back on Boso and escort him back to the brig with the green-haired Lieutenant.

"Stop, Ensign." Patricia put out a hand. "There are some unused crew quarters on deck 4: Take him there instead of back to the brig."

"Sir?" The Ensign responded, concern entering his voice.

The Green-Haired Lieutenant glanced up at Patty, then over at Boso.

"You heard her, Ensign," she ordered as she cautiously returned her Phaser to her belt, all the while keeping it withing arms' reach at all times. "Take him to Deck 4; that's an order."

"And bring his sister to him as well." Patricia added.

The Ensign nodded.

"Aye, sir." He said as he helped Boso to his feet.

"I see we're finally starting to be taken seriously around here." He smirked as he was led out of Sickbay.

When Security left with Boso, Patricia turned back towards the unconscious Akira and sighed.

"Do you really think she'll be back to her old self when she wakes up?" She asked the counselor.

"No," Eradaar admitted truthfully. "But that's the process of healing. I'm not ultimately familiar with the end outcomes of telepathic healing. However I am familiar with therapy. I know it'll take time."

"But will it be enough for her to return to active service?" Patricia asked.

"Yes," Eradaar replied simply.

"Then, that's good enough for right now." Patricia declared, turning to an unconscious Akira. "Welcome Back, Kogami. We'll get you cleared as soon as you're awake." She said before turning to leave Sickbay.

Posting by

Commander Patricia Cooke
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Akira Kogami
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant JG Eradaar Ezazzan
Chief Counselor

Boso Gane
Newfound Ally

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