Cold Call (Closed, Zuriel Only)

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Andoria - Tavern]

Stafford had come here looking for an old friend, and a drink. He wasn't disappointed.

Before he was even bellying up to the bar, the old Andorian bartender was pulling out a decanter full of a deep blue liquid, and a tall shot glass.

"Vulcan, human, Klingon, Andorian?" The old fellow asked, getting ready to pour.

"I'm a human," Stafford said, confused. He didn't look anything but.

"I meant are you a real man or some pinkskin?" The Andorian cracked. "That's the size of the drink."

"Oh." The captain said. He grinned and sat down, setting his cane down between his legs, on the floor. "I believe I'll wait for my companion."

"Not many other humans hereabouts," The bartender said as he put the cap on the decanter and set it aside.

"He isn't human." Stafford said absently, taking a look around. The place had a typical Andorian look: blues, whites, grays, a decidedly militaristic decor. And it was cold: his breath was turning to mist as he spoke. "But he looks it."

"Ah, one of those," The bartender said. "I saw him in here a few days ago. A buddy of mine, a big, sturdy miner chap, picked a fight with him. Your friend whipped my friend's ass."

"Good thing you like an honest fight here on Andoria," Stafford replied, smiling. "You'd get one from Zuriel Soreka, should you want it."

[Zuriel Soreka]

[Andoria - Bravo Mining Convoy - Licern Ice Road]

Zuriel kept himself in formation while he rode his hoverbike, himself and 5 other riders had been given a contract to protect the Andoran mining companies assets as it moved from the mine to the refinery 20 kilometers down the road. While Andoria had long been a supporter of the federation, many on the planet still thought of this as a rather bad idea, and where quite vocal about it, vocal meaning attacking any shipment of good bound for the federation shipyards, Zuriel was asked to come here not because of his service record but because the Andorans wanted give the image that they were not just running around killing each other, even though that about summed up the current climate of the planet.

"We got raiders on our tail trailing about 500 meters back. Do your job pink skin." A rough voice said over the radio.

Zuriel signaled to the rest of his defense group, and in unison they braked, and fell the the rear of the convoy. The group formed in to a left echelon, each member pulled out a metal cylinder held by a silver handle. "3...2....1...mark." Zuriel directed over the radio, and the group each activated their cylinder with a button on the thumb, which in turn released four silver spikes out of the bottom. each rider dropped the objects, Zuriel peeled off and stopped his bike in the middle of the road. pulling out a detonator he calmly walked forward gazing down the three trucks racing toward him through his goggles. "unidentified aggressors, you are in direct violation of no less than three Andoran treaties, turn around or I will turn you around." The El'Aurian said rather distracted, he know what the answer would be. after about a hundred feet of no answer Zuriel waited until they were close to the cylinders he and his men dropped, when the trucks had reached the proper area Zuriel hit a switch, the cylinders activated and completled over loaded the gravitic reverters on the bottom of the trucks, this sent them into a tumble right over themselves landing on the wrong end. This did not kill them as he could see some of the attackers crawling out of the wreckage. Zuriel paid them no mind, he simply got back on his bike and rode off the catch up to the convoy.

Zuriel was due for a good drink after the long run once he got back into town he made his way into the tavern. Empty as usual this time of day, he sat himself at the bar, the bald human to his right would normally not garner his attention, but the man had a scar just under his left ear, the kind that came from a would that could not be healed properly, even by this times medical standards, the kind his old crewmen Luke Stafford got from a Braxian while saving his Captain. "Luke....you got old." Zuriel said not looking at the man as he took the hands wraps off his own scarred hands. "Two Andoran Ales...on me, it seems I have some catching up to do."

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Tavern]

Stafford almost stood to greet his old friend, but his hip was drawing and throbbing in this cold. Instead, he indicated to the bartender to pour, and when the fellow did he held out a big shot glass of Andorian ale to Soreka.

"Not me. I'm in my prime." The captain chuckled. "What are you now, 400, and you still stink like cheap liquor and sudden death."

Stafford did look old, however. His head gave the impression of a skull, and his goatee had grown scant and was flecked with white. He had formerly been a virile man, who sat down in the mess and closed the joint after hitting the weights in the gym. But the fat and muscle had been sucked from his bones. He was deliberate in his movements, as if each one cost a great deal of effort.

For all of that, however, his mood was cheerful and jolly. When he smiled it seemed to light up the decrepit old face, and the laugh lines at the corner of his mouth made him look like some little girl's favorite uncle.

"You going to drink that ale or let it freeze? I didn't come all this way to be sober." Stafford prompted.

[Zuriel Soreka]

[Tavern]

Zuriel playfully smelled himself under his long coat, he was in fact ripe, he had been on assignment for nearly three weeks and the watch schedules at the mine where so close there was little time to do anything else but eat and sleep. Removing his long coat Zuriel placed it on the seat to his left, "I'm not starfleet anymore Luke if I want to smell like ass it's my right as a sentient being, plus that was my last job, I'll be heading back to the wife in kids."

Zuriel took off his winter hat and tied his long hair into a knot, which was noticeably easier since it was so dirty, he took a cloth out of a sealed pouch on his hip, wet it with water the the bartender had given him, then wiped the mine dust off his face. "My girls are doing well thank you, they are both seventeen now, at least in your 'humie' years. Adonia will stay on El-Auria and help with efforts to rebuild our race and our history, Avigail however is heading to the academy, which is why I left." Zuriel finished after taking a large swig of his drink, he rubbed his brow as if all the things he had down came back to haunt him at once. "After word on 31 broke I could not stomach being in uniform anymore, some us us may have been a bit overzealous but you and I both know, there was much worse out there, threats we stopped before they even came to bare on the ones we loved."

For once in almost a hundred and seventy years Zuriel shed a tear, an actual tear, "They were our brothers and sisters, how could I stand by and watch them drag them through the mud like that, they talk about us now like we were boogiemen, they call us criminals, and everyday admirals and captains send thousands knowingly to their deaths....no offense. Yet they get a medal and a cushy chair, you call that fair because I don't." Zuriel finished as he aggressively shook his head. "I thought they might investigate me next, and with Avigail looking up to me, talking about nothing but dreams of joining the fleet, to be just like me,Captain Zuriel Soreka, apart of the infamous Shadowfleet." Zuriel Scoffed. "Zuriel Soreka the war hero." he Spat. "Zuriel the Murderer." he said solemnly.

"I could not do it, I could not break her heart, or dishonor my house...I'd rather be remembered as I was." Zuriel for a slight moment showed his age on his face, he collected himself and took another swig of his drink, " I hear you have done well, for yourself, Avigail tells me your the Captain of Starbase Columbus, good on ya man, no one deserves it more." He said as he took one long string of gulps and finished off his drink. "You need a nipple for yours?" he said pointing to the Captains drink.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Tavern]

At the mention of Section 31 Stafford turned as cold as the ice around them. Soreka was a friend, an old one, but he had been out of the game for so long. He tried not to hold it against him. In any case, there was true feeling beneath his words, a lot more than Stafford had seen from him during their time in Starfleet together.

"Your former organization assaulted Admiral Kirok," He said quietly. "Archangel had one of her thugs try to kidnap him, he had to come to the Columbus for help. Now they've all gone rogue, with Archangel as their ringleader. These are dark times."

At the mention of his drink and the change of subject, Stafford knocked back the ale with a practiced flick of his wrist. Wordlessly, he pushed the glass towards the old Andorian man, who was ready for him.

"I wasn't kidding about the sudden death," Stafford mentioned casually as his drink was refilled. "What have you been up to? Why are you here on Andoria? Can't be because of the weather."

[Zuriel Soreka]

Zuriel began with a gulp of his next drink, " Officially I am Flight Control consultant contracted in a second hand manner by starfleet to oversee, the development of a new impulse drive." Zuriel chuckled as he swirled his cup around on the bar making lines of condensation appear and reappear. "Now that all sounds rather important, but six months of being here I have only ever been in the research lab once, I told them that their specs were promising but starfleet would want something more concrete, that thinning out the safety measures would not sway the admiralty, even if it meant more maneuverable ships." he took another drink hastily. "So they we assigned me her to ascertain if the materials themselves were the issue. They just wanted someone with a starfleet background to be here so they could push their plans through, but my contract is up, I'll be heading home in the morning, make it back to earth to see avigail off to the academy."

Zuriel cocked a inquisitive eye to Luke, "And why are you on this heap of a planet? We could have had this conversation by message, what's going on?"

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Tavern]

"Freelance work?" Stafford would never have pegged Soreka for a mercenary. The other man had not exactly said it, but the captain had an inkling that the El Aurian was a soldier for hire. It would suit his new life, Stafford realized, but he wasn't acquainted with the new Zuriel Soreka before him. Only his old captain. "Guess it's keeping you busy."

"The reason I asked you here is we need you back." From the inner pocket of his parka Stafford produced a handful of golden items: a commbadge and three pips, two golden and one black. "And for the very reasons we mentioned. Section 31 is public enemy number one. We need your help."

[Zuriel Soreka]

"Freelance no, I haven't killed or hurt anyone for the Andorans, I was not even paid, i just wanted to get off planet, it an El-Aurains nature, we tend to roam." Zuriel finished just before Luke tossed him a commbadge and rank. "Half those kids I trained myself, if they are as rouge as you say they are your in bigger trouble than you realize, you cant kill them all, you can only make sure they are after external threats, somehow they have been convinced the federation itself is threat, which mean there is someone in the federation feeding them bad intel, the head of the snake so to speak." Zuriel sighed, he always knew his past would come back to haunt him.

"Well i mist say you are not less inspiring...the less you know about what I will do the better, but one way another, they will fall in line." Zuriel raised his glass. "To Shadowfleet."

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Tavern]

"To Shadow Fleet!" Echoed Stafford back, clinking the glass before downing his second hefty shot of Andorian ale. Soreka had said exactly what Stafford had wanted to hear. The El Aurian warrior's pride was injured. He had served in Section 31 because he was a patriot, and it had gone downhill without him. He saw himself as a protector and a restorer, unlike those that had taken his place.

"Starfleet, eh?" growled a rough voice behind them.

Stafford half turned in his seat and beheld the largest, ugliest Andorian he'd ever seen. Andorians usually tended to be slim and lithe, but this was a miner, all bulk and muscle from long, hard work down in the dark. The captain swallowed just a little.

"This is still the ground of the Empire," The Andorian said. A few of his fellows, all of them cut from the same icy cloth, had gathered behind him.

"There are Andorians in Starfleet," Stafford pointed out.

"Not many, and that's good," The miner shot back. "Our ways are the old ways, and the better. Every once in a while we get humans like you two lousy pinkskins traipsing around here like they own the planet. I don't take kindly to it." 

[Zuriel Soreka]

Zuriel had a clear smile on his face, he could not deny he missed the fleet, and now he was finally coming back, and for a good reason no less. "My wife will be very hap-" He was cut off by the cold voice to the Andoran behind him. Zuriel stayed quiet as Luke tried to fix the situation, it was the right hing to to seeing as he was the ranking officer, it did not seem to be going very well however, which was common when talking reason with an Andoran, too proud for their own good. This is when Zuriel came up with the idea to make it worse.

"If memory serves and it's a long one for me, you blue noses could not even defeat the Vulcans, they made right fools of you at every turn, and if it were not for the pink skins as you so eloquently put it, you would be still hiding in your caves talking about what you should have done..." Zuriel said rather lazily as he finished his drink. "Another he called to the bartender as he was now turned around in he stool his back leaning on the bar."and I'm going to need a clean glass."
"Why you insolent wretch, I will make you eat those words before the day is done!" The Andoran snapped
"No you wont, I'll tell you what is going to happen, your going to rush into a fight like you always do, we are going to beat you within an inch of your life, and because you rudely interrupted us for no other reason but your pride, I am going to brake your arm in four places. So with respect I ask you to walk away." Zuriel said as he looked down as is dirty finger nails, Luke was right he really did look like crap.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Tavern]

The miner's antennae were curling towards them in high disdain, and aggression. His voice was clipped and harsh.

"Andorians were running to fights before you humans were even wearing animal skins, you lousy---"

He was interrupted by a solid whack on the ear, a sidearm strike that was delivered with an economy of emotion by Stafford. He'd gathered his cane up with his feet and palmed it while the Andorians were jaw-jacking.

The blow staggered the big Andorian, who had immediately sprouted blue blood from his ear.

"Never let another start a fight when its already inevitable," Stafford announced, and stood. His hip popped ominously with the motion. He held his cane like a sword. "'Lay on, Macduff, and damned be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'"

[Zuriel Soreka]

Zuriel could not believe his eyes Luke had gone ahead and made this a real fight, there was nothing for it now, Zuriel reacted quickly and tossed his glass up in to the air,  by the time it had come down he had already stood up, he executed a side kick and sent the glass over the shoulder of the Adoran that Luke had just hit, and landed it square in the face of another, it shattered in a spray of ceramics and blue blood.

Zuriel walked a quick pace forward to the group of jerks, he was going after the one he warned which was retreating behind his comrades, he knew what was coming, and Zuriel would make sure to count aloud for him. Ducking under the feral swing of one, and rolling over the back of another Zuriel had now placed himself in front of the leader with two of his flunkies stumbling toward Luke, he grabbed the mans arm and braced it against his own, take the man forearm just below his wrist he flexed his muscle and pushed with his other hand, a loud audible crack echoed through the room, "One." Zuriel said spitting it out like a cobra who was just about to strike.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Tavern]

Stafford couldn't have kicked or fought as well as Soreka even in his prime, but a lifetime of front line duty had sharpened his reflex, his mind. Most of all, he fought dirty, and tended to win more than he lost.

An Andorian bulled right into him, trying to devolve things into a wrestling match. Stafford wouldn't allow it. All it took was a single, sharp poke in the belly with the bottom of the cane.

Checked, the miner tried to lash out with a forearm. Had he took the blow Stafford would have been hit flung like a rag doll. Instead, the wooden, inch-thick cane came whistling down. The Andorian yelped like a kicked dog, cradling his forearm, and backed away.

A chair went flying across the tavern as the other patrons, all of them rough mining types, started to join in on the fun. A handful were approaching Stafford and Zuriel, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, began to fight one another. Andorians loved a good battle.

[Zuriel Soreka]

Once the realization set in that Zuriel was keeping his word, the brutes flanking the leader advanced toward him, with the leader still paralyzed with pain he would have just enough time to deal with the issue. With a quick kick the the stomach Zuriel bent the brute to his left over. Zuriel knelt down and punched straight up knocking the man out in one shot. he took this chance to send another kick tripping and toppling the brute to his right, he slammed against the cold floor, Zuriel added a cherry by heeling the back of his head.

Zuriel got to his knees and wrapped his arms around the leader tackling him into the wall, he used his position to flip him down on all fours. Zuriel grabbed his arm and went head over heels as he land on his back and pull with all his might until he heard another audible snap echo in the cold, the leader wailed in pain. "Two." Zuriel chided as you would a toddler caught stealing cookies.

It was at this point Zuriel finally noticed a few more takers coming at him and his friend, While some backed off after the second break, some still wanted in on the action. Zuriel lowered his grip on the mans arm as he thought of what he could do to clear the room. He twisted and pulled until he felt rather than heard another crack."Three." Zuriel had an idea.

No matter how you looked at it, the odds were not in Luke and Zuriel's favor. The El-Aurian stood keep the mans wrist in his grasp, he then stomped down on the man shoulder blade firmly, the arm in hand was not fully malleable. "Four" Taking a punch to the face from one of the aggressors Zuriel reeled back a few steps, afterward landing a devastating punch of his own, he began to fight his way to Luke.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Tavern]

The situation was rapidly deteriorating. Stafford had been swinging his cane in wider and wider arcs to fend off the ravenous crowd of Andorians. More and more glasses and furniture were being thrown. Not very fit for this kind of fight to begin with, Stafford was tiring.

An Andorian seized his cane from him and pulled, taking Stafford along with it. Playing it to his advantage, the captain headbutted the fellow right before falling to the ground thanks to the Andorian's strength and momentum. The fellow cursed loudly and turned away, cupping his shattered nose.

On the ground, Stafford saw that someone had raised an empty glass tankard, and intended to brain Soreka with it. Getting on his knees and cursing himself due to the pain in his hip, Stafford grabbed the miner's dirty boots and pulled, toppling him forward.

"Zuriel!" Stafford shouted over the din of yelling, fists hitting flesh, and furniture being destroyed. "We've got to get out!"