My Cruel Valentine: Chapter 10: Breaking

Maybe it’s a BIT early for Baras to be phoning Quinn. But considering after my friend played it and before I played it, I had the idea that Quinn had something to do with the betrayal on Quesh, I wanted to introduce it early in Part 3 to give Quinn lots of time to stew.

 

Chapter 10: Breaking

The incessant pinging of the holocomm drew him to the back of the cockpit. It was, of course, his job to screen all inbound calls. It wasn’t anyone else’s business who was calling Akuliina, and it was unlikely that any of the others would use proper decorum when answering.

But it was the frequency that he never answered – the Basilisk’s Sting, Moff Broysc’s flagship. Quinn sighed and hit the ignore button, preparing to ignore an irrational half-hour long rant. It was his good fortune Akuliina had never walked into the cockpit during one of these sessions. And there was no ‘block’ function on this ship’s holocomm. Baras’s wish, no doubt, that his subordinates should never be able to avoid him.

But this was the second call today. Surely the Moff had other responsibilities besides harassing Quinn and getting good soldiers killed. One a day he could deal with. Two a day… could be an issue.

He could hear Broysc yelling at the recording machine. “When I capture you, you villain, I’ll send you someplace worse than Balmorra! Worse than Folor! Worse than Kessel! You dare think you can escape me, admiral? I am a Moff! I outrank you!”

“I’ll just have to become a Grand Admiral, then,” Quinn muttered.

“Just deliver yourself up. Deliver yourself! Your hijinks on Manaan will not go unpunished!” He’d never been to Manaan. He actually wasn’t sure where it was. “You’ll no longer plunge the galaxy into chaos and disorder! I command that you stop this instant!

Broysc finally yelled at Rodjnik to end the transmission and Quinn sighed in relief. If there was anything in this galaxy he hated more than listening to Broysc, he couldn’t think of it. Well. There was the brewing situation between the woman he loved and the man he owed his life to… but besides that.

Beedy-boodoop. Beedy-boodoop. It was pinging again. Who was it now?

It was Moff Broysc again. Was it a slow day over at the Basilisk’s Sting?

Quinn massaged the bridge of his nose and went to find a really large cup of tea.

 

He went to find Akuliina that evening. “My lady, I’ve been dealing with a situation that’s getting out of hand.”

“Oh? Out of hand even for you?” She raised an eyebrow. “Must be a significant issue indeed.”

He didn’t exactly appreciate the teasing at this time. “Moff Broysc contacted the ship some time ago and was incensed to find me at the helm. Since then, he’s been leaving recorded messages that are progressively more nonsensical. He’s always been… scattered, and aggressive, but now he seems completely unhinged.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh Quinn, you should have said. I’ve been longing to see him ever since you first told me of him. The next time he calls, I would speak to him.”

“I’d appreciate that, my lady. Tens of thousands of soldiers and some of our most critical campaigns are at the mercy of his commands.” He felt the pressure of long-bottled frustration in his chest. He’d managed to salvage some of those soldiers, some of those conflicts, from his new posting with Akuliina. How much more had been lost while he was exiled on Balmorra? How much more would he not be able to save simply because Broysc was in command?

Her lip curled. “How is that even possible? This is the Empire.”

“I don’t know. He’s always had powerful allies. Perhaps it suits them to have an easily controlled, incompetent puppet. I hope the man comes to his senses, but I fear there’s small chance of it.”

She frowned suspiciously. “What I’d like to know is how he got our frequency. Not your frequency, I note, but the one of my ship. Someone’s been selling information. And more importantly, does Baras know?” She waved dismissively. “Of course Baras knows. Have you answered any of these calls?”

“No, my lady. Not since the first couple.” So all the calls received since Quesh didn’t necessarily mean Akuliina was being tracked. Her continued existence might be hinted at, but not confirmed.

She glanced side-long at him and smiled. “Well, it’s good to see you showing proper emotions for once. Keep it up.”

He flinched. He was slipping. He was supposed to remain emotionless on duty. “I apologize, my lady.”

She snorted. “Quinn, you’re not a droid. We have a droid on the ship, and frankly, one is enough.”

“I’ll take that under consideration, my lady.”

 

Akuliina was on Belsavis, and for once she had not taken him along, choosing to take Jaesa, Pierce, and Broonmark. Since her target was Darth Baras’s sister, a notoriously vicious Sith Lord imprisoned there for years by the Republic, he understood her desire for an equally vicious team.

Beedy-boodoop. Beedy-boodoop.

“Shut up!” Quinn snarled at the holocomm. He really was sick of Moff Broysc’s interruptions.

“Dear, dear, Captain Quinn. I hope you don’t answer all Lord Akuliina’s calls that way.”

Quinn almost fell out of his seat, springing to his feet and bowing. Darth Baras. He felt a cold sweat running down his spine. “My apologies, my lord. I’ve been dealing with some calls from very persistent unwanted parties recently. How may I serve you?”

“It’s good to see you still so faithful after the first attempt on Akuliina failed. I must apologize for that. She is extremely dangerous, as you no doubt know, and I felt forced to sacrifice you and Lieutenant Pierce in order to destroy her. Sometimes collateral damage is unavoidable, even at the cost of good men.”

If Akuliina hadn’t saved him, she would have gotten away unscathed and he would have perished. “I… understand, my lord.”

“Good, good. With my initial plan having been met with failure, I must turn to a more… personal touch.”

“What do you mean, my lord?” Please don’t be speaking of that. Anything but that.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Captain. I know you are not without reservations regarding harm towards your current commander, but I assure you, she is a threat to the stability of the entire Empire. My position on the Dark Council, as the Voice of the Emperor, is too important to be jeopardized by one Lord. You know her temperament, Captain. An excellent tool when blunt force is required,” as subtle as a turbolaser cannon, Quinn recalled, “but not one suited for a position of true power, no matter how much she craves it and schemes for it. That is why she must be eliminated.”

“Why… why me, my lord?”

“Because she trusts you.”

“And if I refuse…?” Quinn asked, very softly, very afraid.

Baras’s hologram raised a hand, and Quinn felt his throat begin to constrict. Commander Lanklyn was killed over holo. Pierce told me. “You are my servant, Captain. You owe me everything. Your posting, your rank, your life. Without me, you would have been disgraced and dead years ago. I understand you would develop some loyalty to her during your time together, but I am your true master.”

“Yes… my lord…” Quinn gasped, struggling for air. Baras released him and he fell to the floor, to his knees. “It… will be done… as you command.” Oh Emperor, what was he doing?

“Good. I will send you resources towards this goal. When it is over, you will return to me, and bring what remains of her resources with you. I doubt they’ll give you much trouble.” Her ship. Her crew. ‘Resources’. “I will be keeping an eye on you, Captain.”

Quinn continued to kneel on the floor after Baras had terminated the call, staring blankly through the grating at the tubing and wiring beneath. This wasn’t possible. There was only one way he was going to escape this alive, and for how long?

For the first time, he wished he was back on Balmorra.

 

Chapter 11: Invasions

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