Skeletons Galore [Saf/Arch]

Safefta Pardek wrote:

Safefta's feeling of fear was beginning to transition into anger as Archangel detailed her relationship with her political husband. Such things were not unknown on Romulus, obviously... but it didn't assuage the feeling of rage brought on by the idea of her friend being caught in the middle of it.

Unfortunately, her going along to help was doing much more than just painting a target on her back at this point... it was putting a weapon in the enemy's hands and nearly an invitation for the same to happen to her. Though Safefta had often considered the life of a bond-slave on Romulus over her current position in Starfleet, she didn't actually intend to immerse herself with that culture or the aggressive advantages taken y Romulans.

"I see. I will do my best to prevent him from bringing too much harm upon you," she promised. There wasn't much else to do to get away from it, so here she was.

"Thank you, Safefta," Archangel told her sincerely, offering the other Romulan a faint smile. "Hopefully, it won't actually come to fighting. It doesn't normally, but each time seems to be getting worse and worse. He's getting... frustrated with me. He even tried forced artificial... well, you can imagine, but it didn't work out. It's only a matter of time before he tries again." She swallowed hard, shaking her head as if to disspell a memory. "I can't thank you enough for agreeing to this, Safefta. I know it's hardly a vacation."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

"Thank you, Safefta," Archangel told her sincerely, offering the other Romulan a faint smile.  "Hopefully, it won't actually come to fighting.  It doesn't normally, but each time seems to be getting worse and worse.  He's getting... frustrated with me.  He even tried forced artificial... well, you can imagine, but it didn't work out.  It's only a matter of time before he tries again."  She swallowed hard, shaking her head as if to disspell a memory.  "I can't thank you enough for agreeing to this, Safefta.  I know it's hardly a vacation."

Safefta gagged slightly. There were some things that transcended beyond the realm of vile and into an entirely new area of disgusting perversion that had no definable name. "If he attempts to do so again, I will not allow him to complete the task," she assured.

"Making you his wife is enough of a burden. Why must he insist that you bear him children as well?" The concept was beyond her, like most things involving relationships of any kind.

A new, more pertinent question came to her mind. "Will he attempt to injure me?"

Safefta Pardek wrote:

Safefta gagged slightly. There were some things that transcended beyond the realm of vile and into an entirely new area of disgusting perversion that had no definable name. "If he attempts to do so again, I will not allow him to complete the task," she assured.

"Making you his wife is enough of a burden. Why must he insist that you bear him children as well?" The concept was beyond her, like most things involving relationships of any kind.

A new, more pertinent question came to her mind. "Will he attempt to injure me?"

Although she was relieved that the other Romulan had changed the subject away from the attempted marital practices that Alidar tried to force on her, Archangel thought that she detected a note of fear in Safefta's voice as she asked about the possibility that she might be hurt.

"I don't think so, but we can also try to choose a role that will give him even less of a reason to hurt you, maybe even one that'll let him ignore you completely. I just can't for the life of me think of one."

Safefta laced her hands in her lap and looked firmly at the ground. She couldn't believe she was going to come up with ideas to justify putting herself in danger. Still, there was no backing out of a promise she'd made to her friend and captain. One of the things Safefta was known for was her small friend circle, but fierce loyalty to those within it.

Her mind was racing, now. She filtered through options of positions she remembered from the Romulan class system. "I cannot go as I am, obviously. A lower-class position would be preferable to prevent detection... one where I would have direct access to you and would be at your side so I would not have to leave you alone for any reason."

The idea of a messenger was considered, then discarded. That would infer leaving. A regular assistant would not spend all day around Archangel, either. "Assign me as a bond-slave. I will keep my house crest covered for secrecy. As a personal servant, you would have logical reasoning for keeping me with you at all times," she suggested.

This is pure insanity.

"No!" Archangel burst out, jumping to her feet. "I won't-" The young captain swallowed hard, forcing down her indignation at subjecting one of her best friends to such a demeaning role as to be a slave. Safefta had a point. A bond-slave wouldn't be questioned and would, ultimately, be ignored by everyone. As much as it grated on her and made her uncomfortable, it would keep Safefta safe, or as safe as she could be.

Slowly, she sat down again, rubbing her brow ridges. "I'm sorry, I spoke without speaking," she said in a softer tone. "It makes sense. I don't like the idea, but it makes sense. You'd have a reason to be with me at all times, and it would protect you. No one would bat an eyelid that the wife of the Praetor turned up with a slave."

Pardek nodded solemnly. "Please do not think of this subjugated position as demeaning, captain. I am choosing to do this to assist you." The young Romulan was also sure that this position was almost certainly the only one that could suit their needs and purposes. "I am... sure you will not like it, but you and I must both make the effort to hold this facade for as long as possible." This would infer an uncomfortable amount of commands and orders- nothing Safefta was unused to, but she could tell that Archangel was already uncomfortable with the whole idea.

She shifted slightly where she sat, and began to sift through variables. "My name... at least, my house name is very recognizable. No Pardek would be in my cover position. The name 'Safefta Pardek' also would raise far too many eyebrows. I believe by public opinion I should be dead, and to the Tal'Shiar would be too keen on investigating why their failed torture and execution case is alive and at the side of the praetor's wife."

Safefta sighed. This was a knot of uncomfortable problems.

"At the very least, I am very good at following orders."

"We might be able to get away with saying that you don't have a house name," Archangel said softly, trying to find a way around the problem. She rubbed her temples again, still trying to get her head around the whole 'your best friend is going to pretend to be your slave' element to their plan. Pesky Federation values kept surfacing in her mind and getting in the way.

"I'll leave it up to you to determine what you want to do about a name. You're the one who's going to have to answer to it after all."

The mention of following orders well brought a slight, wry smile to Archangel's face. "That you are, Safefta. Even so, I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

As her hand moved to rub her brow ridges, she paused for a moment, another thought obviously making it through her foggy mind. "It might be a good idea to do a little light cosmetic work on you, conceal your more... distinctive features a little more."

Safefta pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Romulan names were not meant to be trifled with. However, given the circumstances Safefta knew she was going to have to change hers. She fell silent for a minute while she conjured up a false identity for herself. Whatever would attract the least amount of attention would be ideal.

"I will be Thue, from the Umrika Lowlands. It is a common-born name, and I will avoid house names entirely to avoid a database search," she said softly. Her given name was still far too distinctive for her to use elsewhere, even without her house name attached.

At the mention of cosmetic alternation, Safefta's hand immediately went to her face and trailed though her white hair. Unfortunately, her full-body map of scars would point her out more than anything else. "I believe that may be inevitable. I would suggest leaving a few. That may help allude to... a more convincing element for this facade." Safefta also didn't want them all covered for the very reason she kept them to begin with- they were a mark of who she was and what she'd lived through.

Unfortunately, all this meant she had to erase that and assume a new identity for the sake of a mission.

Fvadt.

"Thue," Archangel repeated, getting her tongue familiar with the roll of the name so that it would sound more practiced when she came to use it on Romulus. Nothing would blow their cover worse than her stumbling over the name of her own slave while they were there.

There was some obvious discomfort from the other Romulan at the mention of cosmetic alterations, but they were unavoidable. She reached out, patting Safefta's shoulder lightly. "Whatever we do, it'll be reversible when we get back. I've gone through dermal reconstruction before for assignments, and the scars stay even once it's been reversed," she assured her, her hand going to the thick scar she had kept on her chest, one that spanned between the points of her shoulders, a reminder of an incident that had done a lot of damage to the lives it hadn't claimed.

"Safefta... I'm due to go back in a week. We have that long to put all of this into place if we're going to do it at all."

Safefta was marginally relieved that she wouldn't have to remove all her scars... but the entire situation was still hanging on her so heavily that it barely made a difference. "That is acceptable. I will undergo the procedure for this mission." Sickbay didn't enthrall her much, but... there was not much she could do to avoid it.

Their timeslot was narrow. Pardek frowned immediately. "If we only have such a short period of time, then we must make haste in preparing. How long do you assume we will be on Romulus?"

Draining the last of the water in her glass, Archangel set it down on the low table, grimacing slightly as she thought about how long she was going to have to stay on Romulus, playing wife to the Praetor once again.

"A week, maybe two," she replied, shifting uncomfortably. "I never really know, to be honest. Sometimes, he'll request that I stay longer, or let me go early. It's... it's all up to him really." It was apparent from her expression that the last statement disgusted her greatly, the knowledge that her actions were so controlled by a man she loathed sitting ill with her. "You're right, we should start making preparations."

Safefta nodded sharply. "Too much time away from the Federation would raise an eyebrow or two," she said blankly. A few weeks she could handle... hopefully. Preferably, she would never have set foot on the planet again. Since she couldn't have that, she was going to have to see the silver lining- that they weren't going to be there forever.

"I shall have to do some research on the protocols surrounding bond-slaves and their behavior. I was not born into that life and will require practice," Pardek explained as she rubbed her hands together to help her think. "I will also spend time practicing my low Rhian... as it would be strange for a lowlander to be speaking the higher dialect." Safefta had grown up speaking high Rhian as her language, and would have to tamp down on her rateg accent.

"I must ask this- what sort of behavior should I expect from the praetor, and what do you consider 'red flags' for me to intervene?"

Archangel nodded slowly as she listened to her friend. All the preparations she spoke about made sense. The better the cover, the less likely it was that it would be discovered and Safefta put in danger. It was going to require a lot of work on her part, something that Archangel felt guilty about. She made a mental note to rearrange the duty rosters discreetly, allow the other Romulan more time off in which to make those preparations. It was unlikely that she would ask for the time herself, and might be offended if it was given overtly.

The next question, she paused for a moment to consider, looking down and to the right, a clear sign of discomfort for the young captain. "In public, he doesn't tend to make any moves. I... tolerate what physical contact there is in order to maintain the image that we need to project. Sometimes, the Tal Shiar will move in while we're in public, but always discreetly and generally out of uniform. The real problem comes when we're in close company, or alone." She shifted uncomfortably. "He becomes more... aggressive, in his advances. If I don't respond, he doesn't hesitate to threaten or strike."

Safefta's lips immediately twitched into a frown. Apparently, she was going to have to do a little more defense than she though. She wouldn't allow him to injure her friend. "Such a man is not fit to preside over the Empire's affairs," she said scathingly. She was very angry at this Praetor for believing he had the right to abuse his political wife because it pleased him to do so.

"If he attempts to do so, what is it that I must do?" she queried. Obviously there was a right and a wrong way to step in, and in order to maintain her cover Safefta would have to toe that line very precisely.

"Incidents can be cut down to begin with if you choose to spend evenings or silent periods with me... for whatever reason you wish to tell him. But in the case he does attempt something, what procedure should I follow?"

"His manner of dealing with ruling the Empire are quite different from how he tries to rule me," Archangel assured her friend. "I don't make a very good trophy wife, so there were always going to be problems."

She fell silent for a moment as she tried to think through how it would be best for Safefta to intervene on the numerous... incidents that were likely to happen. She rubbed at her brow ridges, trying to come up with a plausible plan of action.

"I try not to fight back more than absolutely necessary. It just escalates matters. I think... unless I can't get away from him, it would be better for you to keep a low profile. Stand by with a bone knitter and a dermal regenerator. Maybe... maybe we could try to put together some sort of code? A trigger word that I could say to alert you that I need your help in defending?"

"A bone knitter?!" Safefta angrily exclaimed. "No, captain. I will not allow him to do anything to you that would require repairing broken bones." Evidently, she'd been unaware as to the true extent of the Praetor's aggressive behavior. She could see now clearly why Archangel wanted her along.

"If you have a... trigger word... then I could intervene by non-violent means if I am not already by your side. I will.. say your presence is required elsewhere, or... ask nonsensical questions regarding the house or duties I need to perform or..." Pardek was breathing quite heavily now as she was beginning to get upset.

She forced herself to stop, breathe more slowly, and calm herself before she continued.

"Even if he turns angry at me, I will not fail you, captain."

Archangel flinched at the angry outburst that was hardly characteristic of the quiet, almost meek Romulan she was used to dealing with. "Safefta, my structure is far sturdier than a human's, but I'm still only half Romulan. I'm not as strong or as sturdy as they are, or even as you are. It's quite easy for him to break my bones."

She took a deep breath, calming herself as well. "I don't want you to get hurt either, Safefta."

Safefta ran a shaking hand back through her white hair. She needed to calm herself further, or else she was going to get nowhere. This entire mission prospect had her hair standing on end. Fvadt u'hnaev... if I dead by the end of this at least it will be a release from this terror.

Yet, even in that, she refused to waver in her resolve to see this through.

"At this revelation, I might as well take your identity and share his bed for you. He would hurt me much less," the Romulan said bitterly, only half-joking. There is almost nothing left to break of me, anyway.

"No," Archangel said firmly. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even an enemy. If I knew then, when I was pushed into the union, what I know now, I don't think I would have acted the same way." She gave a bark of mirthless laughter. "At least the Federation benefits from it, and there is peace between it and the Star Empire, no matter how shaky it is."

She drew in a deep breath and let it out again slowly. "As for, for want of a better term, a safety word, the first thing that comes to my mind is 'red alert', but I'm not sure how well that would work."

"Red Alert would only attract attention. It would have to be something benign, or easily said in conversation so you could say it if you felt threatened before things escalated."

The fact that Archangel had so strongly dismissed her other comment was simultaneously no surprise and a disappointment. A strong eyebrow raise came from the young Vulcan hybrid. "I would not be so quick to discount the notion. Even if the entirety of the idea is not feasible, I could be a suitable distraction. It would allow you some time to recuperate, at least." The concept was revolting- but Safefta was surprising herself more and more by how far she was willing to go to protect her friend.

The young captain seemed to shiver before she got to her feet, wrapping her arms around herself as she stepped over to one of the viewports, looking out at the stars as they streaked past. As much as she was grateful to Safefta for the offer to take her place should the need arise, she refused to let anyone else suffer as she had, let alone one of her best friends.

"I refuse to let you put yourself in my place, Safefta. As per the human expression: 'I made the bed, so I have to sleep in it'. I never understood the logic of that phrase, but the underlying meaning to the expression stands." She took yet another deep breath. "So, 'red alert' isn't going to work. Any ideas?"

"I am familiar with the expression, and it does not apply here," Safefta muttered to herself.

Safefta did not get up along with Archangel, preferring to remain seated and frown to herself. Somehow, she saw this alternative as one viable option to keep her friend safe, even if it meant subjecting herself to the Praetor and his abusive attempts at courtship. Still, she refrained from saying more on the matter. She'd bring it up again, likely on their way to the planet.

On the matter of code words, Safefta furrowed her brow as she attempted to think of an option. "Do you typically call him by his name, or by his title?" she queried. "If you call him by name, his title could be used as a trigger word and would not raise suspicion. The same would apply the other way."

"I generally try not to all him by anything," Archangel muttered, more to herself than to Safefta. She sighed quietly, lifting her voice a little so that it was clear that she was speaking to her friend and not to herself. "I use both his name and his title, but I've never referred to him by his given name. It's not particularly broadcast, but on the other hand, it wouldn't be unusual for me to know it since I am supposed to be his mate." She looked round at Safefta. "Jaron."

"Jaron," Safefta repeated. It would make a suitable warning word, provided Archangel did not use it anywhere else aside from as a call for her to assist. Perhaps one day I will be able to look back on this conversation and think of it in a lighthearted manner. Today was not that day.

"We should employ that," she said. "In other concerns, we should practice how I am to address you or the praetor or anyone else who may accost me."

A brief nod acknowledged that 'Jaron' would become their warning word for Safefta's required intervention. Archangel returned to her seat on the couch, running one hand through the thicket of black hair wreathed around her head.

"On Romulus, I'm referred to by my Romulan name, Dhael. I'd imagine that no one would question you calling me that. Alidar is referred to by everyone I know outside of his close circle by his title."