Romulan Empire Log | Fire and Brimstone | EnRiov Shiarrael t'Rehu

Posted on 241504.18 @ 1:25am by Praetor Arrenhe t'Ahaefvthe

Mission: Reconciliation & Reconstruction [Fleet Plot]
Location: Romulan Klingon Border
Timeline: A Week Previous

Several days ago near the Romulan Klingon Border…

[ch’Karaun]

Sooty dust swirled away from the thrusters in spiraling cyclones as the landing struts bounced against hard ground. A group of bedraggled soot faced Romulans collapsed to their knees pressing dirt caked fingers into the ground and bowed so deeply that their foreheads pressed into knuckles. The craft’s rear emerald door parted to a whooshing sound as the atmosphere equalized causing the cloud of dust hovering nearby to smoke away.

Standing at the opening Shiarrael looked out at the devastation that painted its way across the landscape in hues of black and grey scarring. An overwhelming smell of burnt flesh lingered sourly in the air and she crinkled her nose in response to the offensive odor. In the distance towards larger tower-shaped structures long columns of black smoke rose heavily into the sky creating a dark shadow above the city. Terrible. Her eyes moved to the decrepit lot that had gathered at the remains of the local spaceport. Slowly she made her way down the metallic ramp and stopped at its base as two other admiralty followed her along with a large contingent of unnecessary security.
“This smell.”
“Terrible.”
Shiarkek stopped next to Shiarrael. His eyes gazed over the rabble and slowly seemed to pan around the landscape. Looking down at one of the disheveled greeters he stepped forward and knelt down grabbing the back of a crinkled shirt collar pulling them partially up. The woman’s large raven eyes widened at the sudden gesture as her short peppered hair bounced away from her face “Do you have no words? Where are gai’sh…” a spray of moisture suddenly flowed outward from her lips coating Shiarkek’s face. The Khre’Riov released his grip and recoiled desperately rubbing his palms into his eyes as if he had just been hit by acid. The exaggerated motions caused him to topple over backwards and everyone looked up horrified. The only exception was the woman who simply stared at him. Those eyes. Shiarrael could almost see a flicker of flame in them. Anger. After a moment of lingering silence at the woman’s temerity thunder finally struck. Shiarkek was on his feet disruptor in hand and pointed it at the woman “how dare you!”
“How dare you.” Anger resonated in the crackle of a gravelly contralto who stared defiantly into the weapon’s nozzle “how dare you come here with such pretention and grandiosity.” She grabbed her dirt caked shirt and pulled on it “your uniforms are clean and ours are” her eyes glimmered with forming tears “soaked in the blood of our children! We asked, no, we begged for help and where was the Galae? You left us to die!”
“Impudent hag! We-” Shiarkek swallowed his words as the glinting tip of a sharp blade touched the flesh at the base of his throat where sliver of emerald liquid began to course its way down the polished tip.
“Enough Khre’Riov.” Shiarrael pressed the tip of her Kaleh forward just enough to leave a mark that he would remember and then pulled it back “I’m not certain what has you so riled but I will not tolerate such theater in my presence. She is right. We abandoned them but don’t let the truth get in the way of our pride?” She scowled. Always so petulant. She would have done away with him had he not been one of Argelian’s men. She turned away from Shiarkek to look towards the source of approaching steps. A haggard column of soot cloaked Gai’Shian marched, if one could call their meandering steps such a thing, up the cobbled pathway towards her. When they arrived the leader stepped forward and bowed.
“Forgive us for being late. We have been attempting search and rescue efforts. The last Klingon bombardment has damaged much of the city’s center and there are still people trapped.”
“No need to apologize.” Shiarrael glanced at Shiarkek’s fuming visage deciding that she didn’t want him on the planet any longer “I will have Shiarkek coordinate relief efforts from orbit.” Her eyes narrowed at the Khre’Riov who expressed surprised irritation at her in the form of a deep frown “make sure to be thorough Khre’Riov.” She turned away from him “what is the death toll?”
“Six thousand at least…possibly seven? It’s impossible for us to get an exact number. The Klingons destroyed our orbital satellites in the initial attack. Later our ground based generators were hit so most of our systems are on dying batteries or without power. We have tried our best but we are simply overwhelmed EnRiov.”
Seven thousand? The number prickled at her flesh like sharp needles. Looking at the audacious woman who had spat on Shiarkek she fully understood the animosity. No wonder they hate us. They expected protection and all they got was death. “I will look for myself. Lead the way.”

As they neared the city’s center the combined mixture of burning composite and charred flesh created the most nauseating fumes. Shiarrael had to resist the urge to cover her sensitive nostrils with the fabric of her sleeve knowing that doing so would likely be futile. As they walked they passed dozens of bodies which lined the pathway in morbid rows. Half of them seemed to be in the early stages of bloating. Most were Romulan and many still held weapons in tight death grips. Every so often they would pass a Klingon corpse wearing that ridiculous glimmering metallic regalia like some out of place ancient savage. They also passed living bodies- shell shocked figures caked in soot and dust who meandered lifelessly about.
“Our garrison was too small to defend against the ground forces. The citizens took up arms but…” her guide shook his head “the Klingons were just too many. Too vicious. There was never any hope. Only the elderly and children are left.”
Only. She sighed. It was not the first conflict zone she had been to nor was it the first time she had come to face brute carnage. Yet, even now, to see such a slaughter made her ill. The Praetor had hoped by ignoring the Klingons that the situation would miraculously fix itself. Unfortunately that dream was always just a sad nightmare. There was no denying it now. Something needed to be done.

[To be continued]