<USS Avalon> "The Conversation" By Cmdr Skyer & Ensign Cate

"The Conversation"
written by:
Cmdr Skyler & Ensign Cate


  Quietly, over the pounding in her head, Lt. Cate slurred, "Good, actually. 
Compromise complete. If I'm your captive I can't kill you and I don't think 
that you are going to kill me. Though, whatever you hit me with hurts like 
hell." She was a bit dazed and disoriented.


         Her answer surprised Skyler a great deal. 'She let me capture her,' 
thought Skyler, 'on just the hope that I won't kill her?' 

         Skyler looked at her "prisoner" with some shock. Now she had to 
figure out what to do with her. She already knew she wasn't going to kill her. 
The 
question remained what was she going to do with her.

         "So explain to me this sudden turn around. You don't think I am 
going to kill you and you really didn't want to kill me. So exactly what was or 
is 
the grand scheme of this plan of yours? I must admit you have me a little 
confused."

         "I don't have a plan," Lyryn replied rather groggily. "It's your 
plan. You're the one who attacked me and tied me up. I didn't have a chance to 
stop you." The sarcasm in her voice was apparent.

         Looking at the XO's bewildered expression, Lyryn continued, "Look, I 
don't think you all deserve to die. However, I'm following my orders. It's 
what I do. You've just happened to thwart my orders is all. As a result, I'm 
not 
killing you, but I'm not being court martialed and imprisoned for disobeying 
orders, either. And I don't think that you are going to kill me, though if you 
choose to, I would hope that you are willing to show the same mercy I 
would've shown you." She then closed her eyes as she began breathing slowly, 
attempting to relax the pain away.

         Her calmness unnerved Skyler and she briefly wondered if it was all 
an elaborate trap. She was bewildered that was for sure. This......this woman 
was beginning to frustrate the hell out of her and that was even worse than 
being the prisoner. She hoped that Phillipa had made it to safety and alerted 
the Captain. Even more, she hoped that Mehdi was aware of the situation and 
would not worry as much. Sitting on a stool, she just watched as Cate slowed 
her 
breathing. She thought for a moment and decided that two could play at that 
game.

         "Actually, this is still your plan with a twist. You started it, 
knowing full well that I would take any opportunity to attempt an escape, and 
you 
gave me that opportunity. The question remains is why? Why did you leave the 
room and why did you send your henchmen away? What are you hiding about this 
time and what else are you omitting?"

         Skyler just sat back and waited. She wasn't going anywhere, at least 
not quite yet.

         Lyryn continued her meditation, ignoring the other woman's presence. 
At least ten minutes had passed before she opened her eyes again. The 
pounding in her head had lessened somewhat and she was no longer groggy. Skyler 
was 
still sitting on the stool and Lyryn smiled at her. It was a sad smile.

         "Disciplined. That's good," she commented. Seeing that Skyler was 
keeping her calm, Lyryn was impressed enough to keep talking. 

         "It is all quite simple, really. The Avalon disappeared about 500 
years ago, before the wars. We sure as hell didn't think you would show up 
here, 
but you did. You never made it back. Do you understand that? You never made 
it back." She stopped to let the impact of her words sink in, then continued.

         "We can't let you go back in time and technically you can't live 
here with us. Not that you should want to, but they say it is wrong for you to 
be 
here and by the prime directives, you and your crew must be destroyed. I'm 
not much for genocide, so yes, I let you capture me. I don't get into trouble, 
I'm not killing you, and I've given you some time to devise some means of 
escape. I don't see why that is so difficult to follow." Lyryn smiled again. "I 
feel sorry for you. Truly, I do, but this is the best I could do about it." She 
shrugged her shoulders to reiterate the point of being tied up.

         Skyler let the words sink in all right. What did she mean by "you 
never made it back" ? Skyler thought, 'I have no memory of even being here so 
how is this all possible?' God, she hated temporal mechanics. 

         "What do you mean we never made it back? Never made it back from 
where? I have no memory of anything you are talking about. Why do you feel 
sorry 
for me? Shouldn't you feel sorry for yourself? I don't think you want to be in 
this situation any more than I do. Besides, who or what gives you the right 
to determine who lives and who dies?"

         Skyler was not going to allow this person from the future to get to 
her. She would remain calm and as controlled as she possibly could. But there 
was no way in hell that the Avalon was going to get killed "again" as Cate so 
doggedly put it. 

         "There is another option, perhaps, for both of us. If you truly do 
not want to stay here in this time period you can always join the crew of the 
Avalon and help us to escape. Of course, you would face a few charges and I am 
sure the temporal police would do something to you and to the crew of this 
ship. But, I get the feeling you don't want to remain here and live to tell 
about 
it. Am I wrong?"

         Skyler patiently waited for an answer, not sure of what it would be.
Lt. Cate cocked her head to one side as if considering the Commander's words. 
Actually, she was just trying to decide how to proceed. Skyler seemed to be 
thinly holding onto a calm facade. She was scared, it was obvious.

         Taking a long, deep breath, Lyryn willed the XO to calm herself as 
well. Neither of them were going anywhere if they couldn't keep calm. She tried 
to quietly explain things to Skyler once again to make her understand.

         "Okay, let's try this again," Lyryn began, very patiently. "The 
Tempest is a patrol ship. We are ordered to destroy any unallied or unfriendly 
ships. When we picked up the Avalon on our sensors we were confused, for you 
were 
completely out of place, to say the least. After some research, we determined 
that you must've been the USS Avalon that disappeared over 500 years ago. 
There is no record of the Avalon ever returning to it's own time." Seeing the 
look of hurt that crossed Skyler's face, Lyryn added, "I'm sorry. Now, I've 
studied temporal mechanics very little, but I'm pretty sure that if we don't 
destroy you, and you manage to make it back, it will possibly create some sort 
of 
paradox, changing my history and your future. Does that make any more sense?"

         Cmdr. Skyler sat still letting the Lt.'s words sink in. After a 
moment, Lyryn continued, "Therefore, we are not to let you attempt to get home 
and 
I can understand that. However, I don't see why we can't let you live in this 
time. That is why I'm currently tied up and you are still alive. Now, I think 
you best go and do whatever it is that you need to do. I'm obviously not 
going anywhere," she smiled. "I need to have a reason as to why you're not 
dead. 
And I'm not sure when Brin will start wondering where I am. As long as 
possible, I'm sure. He doesn't like me very much." Lyryn winked at Skyler as 
she 
finished speaking as if they were sharing some private joke.

         Skyler was amazed at how calmly that the Lt. was taking this whole 
situation and considered what Lyryn had said. "What about coming with us? 
Helping us?" she asked.
"You know I can't do that. If you stay in this timeline, I will be a fugitive 
or a captive, depending on how the captain of the Tempest sees it. Either 
way, you will be hunted. If you make it back to your time, which I seriously 
hope 
that you have enough sense not to, then I cannot possibly go with you. We 
would have the same paradoxical mess, only possibly worse, for my going to a 
place I do not belong. You have your freedom from me, so go. It would've been a 
pleasure to meet you under different circumstances, Commander."

         Skyler found a communicator in the corner of the room, so she used 
it to contact the Captain.


         "Captain Ketchum this is Cmdr Skyler. I wanted to let you know about 
the current situation. Things have reversed themselves. I am no longer being 
held hostage and in fact, it is the other way around. I am now holding the 
intruder captive. We will be moving from this location to a different one 
momentarily. I just wanted to let you know that her two henchman are still out 
roaming about the lower decks. I am unsure of their exact location. Skyler out."

         Reaching down Skyler undid the bonds that were holding Cate's feet 
together and helped her stand up. She held onto her for a moment, until the 
dizziness passed. Skyler gently led Lyryn by the arm, after blind folding her, 
to 
Skyler's personal quarters. Once inside, Skyler removed the blind fold and 
allowed the Lt to look around.

         "You won't mind if I leave your hands secured for just a while 
longer. At least until we get to know each other a little better."

         Lt. Cate never so much as blinked. "Do what you must," she replied 
in her same quiet and serious voice. There was no hint of malice or excitement 
as she continued. "I should warn you, though, that if you intend to use me as 
leverage with the captain of the Tempest to gain your freedom, it will not 
work. They would not risk my death lightly, but no life is above sacrifice to 
them to accomplish their mission. You would be better off just transporting me 
back to my ship and trying to get the hell out of here. Oh, and more than four 
of my "henchmen" as you so kindly called them, boarded this ship. Just thought 
I'd give you a heads up." Cate cocked her eyebrow with that last sentence 
accompanied by a crooked smile, showing that she still felt some measure of 
control in the situation. 

         Her confidence was infuriating to Cmdr. Skyler, to say the least, 
though she grudgingly appreciated the information.

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