Backpost: Voices in the Dark Twice Removed

Posted on 12 Nov 2014 @ 5:53pm by Commander Norvi Stace

746 words; about a 4 minute read

Yvaine Stace looked radiant. Her slip-dress of woven silk skimmed her slim, aging body and danced about her feet as she walked across the reception at Cardassian Headquarters on Cardassia Prime. She'd developed a fondness of Cardassian culture since her earlier experiences whilst serving for the Trill Senate Tower, and tried to visit the planet as often as she could in her ailing years. Her dignitary status allowed her free reign amongst the galaxies and she enjoyed every privilege it offered. But war was brewing all about her. She'd heard distant rumours of the proud folk moving into quiet, idyllic territories towards the edges of familiar space but this was not her concern. Nor why she was here. She clutched her glass of kanar, a drink that took a little getting used to, and made her way to Gul Amarrk who stood centrally regaling a crowd with loud anecdotes.

"The lady of the hour!" he toasted to her, as her delicate frame waltz over with a regal quality that both age and beauty commanded. Her silvering hair was pinned high above her crown; curls of stone rivers washing up and over her head held in place by delicate gold clasps that glinted in the warm lights that adorned this banquet hall. She chuckled and crinkled her nose with affection, a trait that would seemingly pass down the Stace line beyond her own lifetime.

"You fool, Amarrk!" she chastised him in jest. "We both know that this soiree is entirely for the honour of yourself. I'm just grateful to have been invited and allowed to indulge in the passions of my youth once more with friends. How have you been?"

Amarrk wrapped his strong, aggressive arms around her and planted an usually delicate kiss on her right temple, just where her spots made way for her ears. He chuckled with genuine pride, took hold of both her shoulders and stepped back to survey her. "My, Yvaine! The years seem to ply you with more beauty with every passing cycle. Like a rose growing more beautiful with the warmth of each advancing sunrise."

"You old fool!" she reiterated, retuning his kiss and patting his strong shoulder. "The years seem less kind to your failing youth, however." She cut him a wink and the took a drink of her kanar. "But you look better for it. All that black hair slicked atop your head. It looks good speckled with a little grey. Less severe. But I suppose you needed that severity to carve the reputation in the military you have. How is retirement for you? As bad as they say?"

"I wouldn't know, my dear" he shot back with another chuckle. "They haven't managed to force me into it yet. Plenty have pushed but I'm as stubborn as I ever was. I'll die on the battle bridge of a ship and smile as my life is ripped from my weak, ailing hands!" He lift both hands up in a mock surrender, speaking ever louder.

"I'm half inclined to agree with you, Amarrk." She paused and then lowered her head as her face became a little less jovial, and leaned in for a whisper. "But enough of the pleasantries. We can catch up later. Do you have it?"

His face twisted into one of jolted shock as his steely eyes buried into hers. "Not here, Yvaine. Later."

She gripped his hand firmly, not out of anger or threat but out of insistence and then she sighed. "You know that we don't have much time left. Is it here?"

He returned the grip, his tightened hand wielding less power than they ever used to, and slowly nodded silently.

"Where?"

"There's a blank key fixed into the bottom of whisky bottle that's been left in your suite for you. It opens locker 300256 in the Cardassian Museum of Science History in the capital."

"Thank you," she mouth as she went to leave him. His hand then gripped tighter and jarred her back a little from escaping.

"You can't come back from this once you access it," he whispered to her, as though he was leading into an embrace. "You know that."

"I do," she replied with a delicate smile, looking up to his familiar friendly face. "Neither of us can." And with that she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. She then caressed it with genuine affection and added, "I'll be back in twenty minutes," as she left the ball.

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