Cowardice and Bravery
Shalema picked herself up off the floor, Ololot humming angrily within her, and dusted off her arms and legs with an idle interest.
It had taken almost two months before Gregar Taxus tried to kill her.
Her bed was smashed into three pieces, the blankets thrown across the room. The Vesk lay in the middle of it, wrapped up in the mess, his limbs still pooling back into the floor. He had a shiv between his teeth -- a screwdriver sharpened to a point -- which he had attempted to stab her with as he fell. She'd been asleep, so she hadn't seen the first few steps, but clearly he'd underestimated TRAVIS's reaction time.
Shalema had rolled out of bed at the first sign of trouble, and here they were... Waiting in an awkward silence.
TRAVIS: "Interim Captain? Are you well?"
Shalema: "I am. Status?"
TRAVIS: "Um... Private Taxus attempted to murder--"
Shalema: "Rest of the ship, TRAVIS."
TRAVIS: "Oh. All is well, Interim Captain. The other crew members are asleep, save Horchata at the helm. Would you like me to notify her?"
Shalema: "No. Seal my door." There was a rush of air as nanites melded her bedroom door into a wall, and the silence returned. Gregar stared at her in defiance, blood trickling from a busted section of his lip -- he must have landed on the shiv in the fall. She waited until he removed the screwdriver from between his teeth, and let him have the first word. Gregar Taxus: "Well, go on." Shalema laughed -- the emotion real, but the volume all theatre. She let her head fall back, her hand sliding up to her stomach, and shook her body with the sound of it. Gregar's brow furrowed, his pupils dilating into slits, his words hissing between his teeth. Gregar Taxus: "What are you laughing at?" He tried to crawl forward, but his limbless body was stuck in the broken timbers. While she didn't find the struggle at all humorous, she laughed anyway, and the Vesk's embaressment built. Gregar Taxus: "Do it! Kill me, you bitch!" Gregar slid forward an inch, and Shalema cut the laughter. In an instant, she was kneeling beside him, her pistol cocked and up against the bottom of his jaw. The Vesk tilted his head upward, only barely able to meet his eyes, his gaze shining with mock bravery, and the sweet, suicidal thoughts that bounced around in his skull. Shalema: "Why? Too afraid to await judgement? You are a coward, Gregar Taxus."
Gregar Taxus: "I know what I am. A slaver, a thief, a killer. The penalty for those crimes is death, Captain. You have the authority to deal me that death. Do it."
Shalema: "Authority has nothing to do with it. Isra and her people will judge you with their laws and morals, not mine." She stepped up and back, and Gregar snarled at her, his teeth clacking together as he attempted to bite her face, and missed. The coolheaded facade faded away, and the animal deep inside the Vesk came to the surface. The mewling creature Tesin left in the dark on Ezorod. Gregar Taxus: "I deserve a warrior's death! I was defeated in combat! If not that, give me this death. An assassin's death..." She sighed, thinking how much easier it would be to put a bullet in this lizard's skull. To no longer hear his voice, or worry about his episodes. Then she thought of Tesin and Isra, and the effort they'd taken to contain him. In the pursuit of some higher justice -- the kind that she'd only ever dreamed of. Shalema: "TRAVIS?"
TRAVIS: "Yes, Interim Captain?"
Shalema: "Remove Gregar Taxus from all crew listings, then put him in the brig." The Vesk howled, his face gone sharp with fury, but then the floor rose up to swallow him -- broken bed and all -- and then there was nothing left. Shalema: "What's our ETA on Apostae?"
TRAVIS: "Five days, Interim Captain. Would you like a new bed?"
Shalema: "No need, TRAVIS. Goodnight." The speaker system cut off, and Shalema walked to the corner where her bed had been, resting her head against the wall. Ololot purred inside her, brooding over her own thoughts. Ololot: "Offspring..." His silvery cocoon came over her like a blanket, warmth spreading to her fingers and toes, but she didn't sleep. Instead, Shalema hummed along with the song inside her mate, and thought of Tesin Movahesh.
Shalema: "I am. Status?"
TRAVIS: "Um... Private Taxus attempted to murder--"
Shalema: "Rest of the ship, TRAVIS."
TRAVIS: "Oh. All is well, Interim Captain. The other crew members are asleep, save Horchata at the helm. Would you like me to notify her?"
Shalema: "No. Seal my door." There was a rush of air as nanites melded her bedroom door into a wall, and the silence returned. Gregar stared at her in defiance, blood trickling from a busted section of his lip -- he must have landed on the shiv in the fall. She waited until he removed the screwdriver from between his teeth, and let him have the first word. Gregar Taxus: "Well, go on." Shalema laughed -- the emotion real, but the volume all theatre. She let her head fall back, her hand sliding up to her stomach, and shook her body with the sound of it. Gregar's brow furrowed, his pupils dilating into slits, his words hissing between his teeth. Gregar Taxus: "What are you laughing at?" He tried to crawl forward, but his limbless body was stuck in the broken timbers. While she didn't find the struggle at all humorous, she laughed anyway, and the Vesk's embaressment built. Gregar Taxus: "Do it! Kill me, you bitch!" Gregar slid forward an inch, and Shalema cut the laughter. In an instant, she was kneeling beside him, her pistol cocked and up against the bottom of his jaw. The Vesk tilted his head upward, only barely able to meet his eyes, his gaze shining with mock bravery, and the sweet, suicidal thoughts that bounced around in his skull. Shalema: "Why? Too afraid to await judgement? You are a coward, Gregar Taxus."
Gregar Taxus: "I know what I am. A slaver, a thief, a killer. The penalty for those crimes is death, Captain. You have the authority to deal me that death. Do it."
Shalema: "Authority has nothing to do with it. Isra and her people will judge you with their laws and morals, not mine." She stepped up and back, and Gregar snarled at her, his teeth clacking together as he attempted to bite her face, and missed. The coolheaded facade faded away, and the animal deep inside the Vesk came to the surface. The mewling creature Tesin left in the dark on Ezorod. Gregar Taxus: "I deserve a warrior's death! I was defeated in combat! If not that, give me this death. An assassin's death..." She sighed, thinking how much easier it would be to put a bullet in this lizard's skull. To no longer hear his voice, or worry about his episodes. Then she thought of Tesin and Isra, and the effort they'd taken to contain him. In the pursuit of some higher justice -- the kind that she'd only ever dreamed of. Shalema: "TRAVIS?"
TRAVIS: "Yes, Interim Captain?"
Shalema: "Remove Gregar Taxus from all crew listings, then put him in the brig." The Vesk howled, his face gone sharp with fury, but then the floor rose up to swallow him -- broken bed and all -- and then there was nothing left. Shalema: "What's our ETA on Apostae?"
TRAVIS: "Five days, Interim Captain. Would you like a new bed?"
Shalema: "No need, TRAVIS. Goodnight." The speaker system cut off, and Shalema walked to the corner where her bed had been, resting her head against the wall. Ololot purred inside her, brooding over her own thoughts. Ololot: "Offspring..." His silvery cocoon came over her like a blanket, warmth spreading to her fingers and toes, but she didn't sleep. Instead, Shalema hummed along with the song inside her mate, and thought of Tesin Movahesh.
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