The Fools Done It

Posted on Tue Jul 18th, 2023 @ 11:03am by Alexis Agrax (Mirror) & Ledeya Ehestri (Mirror) & Executive Officer Jake Ford (Mirror)

Mission: Mirror Mirror
Location: ISS Fenrir
Timeline: 2398
1669 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Ledeya stirred and mumbled something against the sensation of voices in the background before she realised there should be no voices. She woke properly and looked around, everything looked normal. Skewing man, dark quarters, no sounds but she was sure that she heard something. “Get off me!” She heard a screamed at upside and gulped as she had been correct in hearing a voice. “Jake…” she poked.

The sleeping man next to her made a growl of annoyance.

She shook her head against his annoyance at being woken but she could not blame him he had been asleep barely an hour. “There are voice in the corridor.” She explained. “Someone screaming telling someone to get off them.” She explained.

Ledeya's words stirred instincts in him. Jake's hand went to the dagger behind the headboard, palming it as he found his feet. "Stay there," he growled. It wasn't out of concern for her, but rather the understanding that she might get in his way. Stalking his way to the door, he thumbed the panel with blade already up and ready to strike any would-be assassins.

The woman listened and stayed on the bed pulling on her dressing gown so that she at the very least had something better on if she needed to defend herself. "Be careful." She said softly.

He snorted at the notion. Being careful was part of life. But tackling threats head-on had got him to where he was now.

As the door opened the noises became louder and revealed three people surrounding a smaller former on the floor. "Get off me!" Alexis growled as she stood from the floor and kneed one of the men surrounding her despite the blood that was leaking from several cuts and scrapes that had already been inflicted.

Seeing that it was Agrax under assault, Jake acted quickly to grab one of the attackers roughly by the shoulder and yank him backwards hard, with enough force to lift the slightly smaller individual off their feet and crashing into the opposite bulkhead.

"Stand down!" he barked. "Unless one of you is feeling like you want this day to be the last you spend breathing."

One of the men got one last kick into Alexis's side before throwing her against the bulkhead with a thud. "Ah, the Executive Officer who likes witches." The man spat as he saw Ledeya rush forward to wrap an arm around the younger woman to support her. "Of course, you come to the rescue."

"You know fully you cannot attack Inquisitors and escape consequences," Ledeya said shaking her head as she saw just how bloodied everyone was. Alexis had put up a good fight before being overpowered.

"Do not talk..." The man started but Ledeya grabbed up the knife and throw it so it missed his head by inches.

"I might look like the weak one here but I am a doctor and surgeon..." She said darkly revealing under her facade there was something more.

Jake wasn't about to intervene in Ledeya taking out some anger on the men. Rather, he waited to see if they were about to back off. His eyes flicked to Alexis and her bruised face. "You are now outmatched," he warned the attackers. "Your last chance to escape with your lives."

“Just your wait Sir one day your witches won’t protect you.” The man glanced as Alexis and smirked. “You won’t always be saved witch. One day you and your kind will be dead as you should be at my feet.”

“And then you will be dead at the butcher feet for breaking Imperial law.” Ledeya said simply taking Alexis arm and pulling her into the quarters not even acknowledging them as they slowly turned to leave with curses and spark works. Alexis waited for the the door to close and lock before she pitched forward nearly hitting the floor before she gripped the edge of the couch wincing at the pain coursing through her.

"Those idiots will be in an agony booth in an hour," Jake vowed, remaining by the door in case they decided to change their minds about fleeing. "To attack an Imperial Inquisitor in the open is not just bold, it's madness. They must have known they would be recognised. Unless they were sure of being protected..." he considered.

“They are drunk and thought to have her dead before they were discovered.” Ledeya said shortly as she retrieved a first aid box to start at least repairing some of the damage. It was barely useful but it could at least check for anything internal. “She is going to need more than this shitty first aid kit though.”

"The sickbay, then," Jake surmised. He motioned to Ledeya. "Help her stand. I have some loyal men, I can have a path cleared from prying attention."

"Ledeya nodded agreeing with everything as she looked at the pale woman curled up on the sofa. "You need to call Fenruse... This is her Officer... Inquisitor... and Gregnol." Ledeya said logically as she grabbed her shoes and something better to cover herself with. "He has a soft spot for her and them all." It was a move that would let no one else get in.

"She gets assaulted outside of my quarters, the Butcher will ask questions. Maybe he'll believe my word, maybe he'll toss us in with another Inquisitor just to make sure. It's the attention I'd rather not deal with." Jake shook his head, shooting a look at Agrax. "I'm assuming this doesn't count as returning any favours, either."

“This counts. They were happy to go to hell to kill me or worse.” Alexis whispered as Ledeya pulled her to her feet and supported some of her weight. She was bloodied and bruised but the fire in her eyes was palpable. “We are even for now Ford.” She did not like it but his assistance had been appreciated and had been the man's reason for leading them there when she had realised she had been in danger.

"Just like that." He shrugged. He remembered just days earlier that she had wanted to strangle him over the whole affair with the inhibitors. "If I'd known it would have been so simple, I'd have arranged for someone to attack you myself. Though I'm sure you would've seen through a plot like that."

“And I'm sure both of you will be uneven and back to murdering each other soon enough,” Ledeya said with a roll of her eyes.

“Do not worry Ford you will be back to owing me favours soon enough,” Alexis commented as a chime went at the door.

"No doubt," he growled, unhappy but not arguing. At the door chime, however, he motioned for quiet and waved for Ledeya to grab a weapon just in case. Satisfied that they were ready for anything, he touched the button and waited for whoever it was to enter.

Ledeya grabbed the knife from his discarded uniform belt as the door opened revealing Gregnol with several bodyguards. It was usual for him to be followed by so many people. "I heard that there had been trouble." He said taking in the scene and watching as Ledeya lowered the knife.

"The Captain demanded to know where we were going." The security crewman beside the Captain said as he looked to his department head.

There was a small thought in the back of Jake's mind that he could take the head off the serpent in that moment; it wouldn't have been hard with Ledeya there to take out the Butcher and claim his place. But Agrax was still an unknown factor in that. Her loyalty was in question. So the opportunity passed...for now.

"Trouble?" Jake ended up echoing. "A minor scuffle. Some drunken fools are about to be taught a lesson in pain. Nothing that requires the Captain's intervention."

“It does when my inquisitor looks like this.” Gregnol strode over and took Alexis’ chin in his fingers to look at her face better.

“I’m fine. I just need sickbay.” Alexis argued yanking her chin was his grip nearly losing her footing in the process but Ledeya caught her arm and kept her standing. The two women exchanged a glance for a moment a split second before it passed- you never showed weakness in a room of men.

"As I said, a minor scuffle. The culprits will be severely punished." Jake watched Gregnol's attentions cautiously lest he took an interest in other things. "Further evidence of indiscipline in the ranks. We should increase the penalty for such behaviour."

"We shall. I will follow to sickbay and make sure all parties survive intact." Gregnol said firmly as he glanced at Ledeya for a moment taking in her presence before he indicated the door. "If you can walk Agrax."

"I can walk," Alexis said firmly forcing herself to put one foot in front of another.

Jake stood aside and watched her grimacing face as she departed with Gregnol's entourage. He looked over at Ledeya. "The Butcher seems to have noticed you," he observed.

"Course he has." Ledeya grinned. "He likes pretty Betazoids... seems he and you have similar tastes." She pointed out quietly still grinning at him. "Are you going with her?" She asked watching as the last bodyguard stepped out.

"And force myself to spend any more time with him? I'd rather not." Jake bitterly eyed the blood-soaked rag Agrax had left behind. He was weary now that the adrenaline was easing. "I will check on things in the morning."

Ledeya nodded. She could not blae him the slightest there and it made sense. Alexis was safe for the most part and whatever was going on was over for now. "Go back to bed. I will clear all of this up." Ledeya offered already starting to tidy the bloodied and used things away.

Grunting but not disagreeing, Jake half-shrugged and returned to the bed. "Don't take too long. I might not be able to sleep..." he leered.