An Equal and Opposite Resistance

Posted on Sun Oct 15th, 2017 @ 11:31am by

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Tellor Outpost, Cardassian Space
Timeline: June 16, 2399 @ 1040

Olivia Bowman - The real one - was asleep in the cell that had been her home for four months. She knew nothing of what just happened, or even if Gul Kasella's plot had worked. All she knew is she certainly hoped not. As much as she knew she barely talked to a lot of the crew, she would change that if she ever had the chance to get back. If she wanted to go back at all.

Two armed Cardassian guards came to pick her up. They looked at her as they walked through the force field.

"Wake up." One guard commanded.

Bowman complied. "Good morning to you too."

"Prisoner Olivia Bowman, former rank, Commander. Starfleet. You have by order of Gul Kasella been determined to no longer be of any use to Cardassian interests and are therefore commanded to be executed."

"Executed?" Bowman asked. "You're not serious."

The second guard forced her to stand. "We are quite serious. You are in Cardassian space now, have you forgotten this?"

"I demand to speak to a representative of the Federation Council." Bowman said.

"Your request is denied. As far as anyone knows, you are now working for a group subversive to the Federation and are a traitor. Within a few hours, you will have orchestrated the destruction of the ship you served on." The guard said.

"So you're just tying up loose ends." Bowman said. "They'll find out. Captain Ross will have sorted it out by now. The crew will stop you and they will kill Gul Kasella if she overplays her hand."

Saying little of what they knew, the second guard simply looked at Bowman... "Your usefulness to the cause of a greater Cardassia is no more. Accept your punishment, Prisoner. Have you any last words?"

"How about 'fuck you, you spoonhead son of a bitch.' Does that count?" Bowman asked.

The guards both attached Bowman with the butt of their rifles, and applied a shock to her neck. "Move her along." the first guard commanded. She was marched down the corridor, simply being commanded to move and walk faster along the way. She walked into the chamber where her execution was to take place when suddenly a firefight burned out. A phaser hit her, only stunning her. And that was the last thing she remembered before watching her captors be shot and killed. As she rose, someone applied a spray to her and she blacked out. It was the last thing she would remember before coming to.

=====5 Hours Later=====

Bowman awoke in what appeared to be a bunk. It didn't look like a prison cell. In fact nothing about it looked Cardassian. She was in some kind of a medical bay, still wearing prisoner garb. She saw a Bajoran and a Cardassian, though neither in uniform. But it was certainly an odd sight. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was she dead?

"Be still, Commander." The Bajoran doctor said. "Everything is all right."

"Except for the fact that I'm still around more Cardassians, and why the hell are you helping them?"

"Allow me to explain." The Cardassian civilian said. "We freed you. The shots that killed your captors were fired by me and another. You are on board... Well.. it used to be a Maquis raider. We captured several of them during the war and bought it from a Ferengi that wanted a little too much for it."

"I still don't understand." Bowman said.

"I am Tovus, of the Cardassian Dawn." the man introduced himself. "This is our medical aide, Joras." he pointed to the Bajoran. "There is a movement on Cardassia that has been banned by Protector Lihret. It advocates a far more peaceful and civil Cardassia than what you have seen in the last 8 years of his rule. We are in many ways, a political resistance. We learned that a Starfleet officer was captured and had been impersonated by Gul Kasella."

"Lieutenant Joras. Bajoran Intelligence." The 'nurse'. "But don't worry, I actually am a trained medic. We'll get you some food and explain more along the way. As for why the Bajorans would assist a Cardassian resistance movement? There is nobody that would benefit from a kinder, peaceful Cardassia than the Bajoran people."

Bowman was still confused. "So.. I'm aboard a Cardassian resistance raider staffed by Bajorans and Cardassians? And I've been rescued?"

"Correct. You are currently traveling through Cardassian space under cloak." Tovus said.

"Cloak?!" Bowman asked. "Maquis raiders didn't have cloaking devices."

"When they're sold by a Ferengi for special purposes, they do." Tovus replied.

"Lieutenant, why would the Bajoran Militia not choose to do this if there's interest on Bajor's behalf?" Bowman asked.

"Because the Cardassians would know a Bajoran ship. Even frankly right now the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau probably knows what's happening but can't come through Federation space." Joras said

"As soon as we're in communications range, I need to send a message to the Wellington." Bowman said.

"Unfortunately, to avoid detection, we're running at barebones systems. This raider has room for 20 crew. We're flying it with 7. The communication array was damaged and we've got a few more days through Cardassian territory. You're deep in the heart of the Cardassian Union. And there's no guarantee the Cardassian military won't find us. The 10th Order is probably already on high alert." Tovus replied

"10th Order?" Bowman asked

"The order that Kasella commanded before impersonating you." Joras said. "If it makes you feel any better, she's probably too narcissistic to really do a credible impression."

"I was a little too stiff and formal aboard the Wellington. Withdrawn. Reserved.... They probably will just assume I took my father's death too hard. Assuming of course that Captain Ross didn't figure it out."

"That's where we have no information." Tovus replied. "We don't have the resources of the CIB to find out much. I wish I could be of more comfort there."

"How long are we looking at to get to the Delta Quadrant?" Bowman inquired.

"At the capacity this ship has? It's at least a few weeks travel to the wormhole. And that's assuming we even make it out of Cardassian space alive."

"Then I suggest we continue on course. Need an engineer?" Bowman asked. "Before I was First Officer of the Wellington, I was the Chief Engineer."

"I thought you said you were its Operations Officer in your interrogations?" Joras asked.

"You really think I'd tell Gul Kasella everything she needed to do her job?" Bowman said with a smirk. "Frankly if they want to bust her, all they have to do is try and get her to repair a gelpak conduit."

"I think you'll find getting Kasella to do much dirty work that doesn't involve slaughtering people to be a bit of a challenge." Tovus replied. "For now you should rest. We've assigned you a quarters and I will update you on our progress. Do not try and contact anyone at this time. You may give away our position."

"Of course." Bowman replied. "Good luck. And... thank you. For rescuing me. Never thought I'd be saying that to a Cardassian."

Tovus simply smiled and nodded. Hopefully they could get this old pile of junk out of hostile territory.


Commander Olivia Bowman (The Real One)
Executive Officer
USS Wellington

Lieutenant Joras
Intelligence Operative
Bajoran Militia

Tovus
The Cardassian Dawn