Carpathia IV: Episode 71 - Kitnapping
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer, Interrogation Room
With the Shadowdancer stopped, the crew searched every corner of the ship for Kit but found nothing. Their only lead now sat in the interrogation room deep in the bowels of the ship, an unpleasant place and as basic as a room could get, a simple box with a table and chairs with a few cameras perched in the corners. In one of the chairs sat Cinnai, one of the ship's tokki cooks, leaning back so that the chair rested on only two legs and with his feet propped on the table. Outside, Nalma, Teren, Joust, and Aire watched on the monitor.
Joust: I'd almost admire his cockiness if he wasn't too stupid to know how much trouble he's in.
Aire, Joust, and Nalma turned their attention away from the monitor to converse with each other while Teren continued to watch Cinnai.
Aire: And he's really our only lead?
Nalma nodded sombrely with his arms folded across his chest.
Nalma: Unfortunately. The Saveas are ridiculously wealthy and I can think of two dozen places they could take him. Tracking their ship won't help either since they've almost certainly have dispatched one of their runabouts to take Kit wherever he's going.
Joust: I'd like to know how they were able to get him off the ship without our noticing.
Nalma: I can only guess, but there have been rumors that the Savea labs have been working on scan-proof fabric. Until now, they were only rumors, but if they were successful, they surely could have smuggled Kit out in their bag from the kitchen. A tokki as small as Kit could fit inside a false bottom in something like that easily.
While they considered what to do next, Teren spoke without looking up from the monitor.
Teren: Permission to eat him, Captain.
The others turned sharply toward Teren, who had the same grim, stern expression on his face as he'd had all along. Silence prevailed, if only for a moment. Aire was fairly sure that Teren must be joking, dark as it was, but still a nagging doubt in his mind wondered if Teren might really do it if given the go-ahead.
Aire: Unfortunately, Teren, we need him to help us learn where they're taking Kit.
Teren: In that case, permission to begin the interrogation, Captain.
Aire: Proceed.
Teren took his tablet and entered the interrogation room. Biting his lip, Cinnai watched Teren march to his chair while the doors slid shut behind him.
Teren: Where is Kit?
Cinnai paused before answering with a condescending sigh and a smirk.
Cinnai: How should I know where the little freak is?
Expecting a defiant answer, Teren was ready with his tablet and pointed it at Cinnai, showing a photo of his apron and pointing to a red smear just below the waist area.
Teren: A smear of red sauce on your apron at the exact height and type on a shelf in Kit's quarters. The sauce on the shelf was fresh and Kit does not leave messes.
Teren swiped to the next picture on his tablet.
Teren: The computer console in the kitchen that was used to interfere with the security system with your biometric information recorded at the exact time the system glitched.
Teren swiped again, this time showing an official Tokkastran document.
Teren: Finally, with the help of some contacts, we did some digging. You are not Cinnai. Your name is Jaima Shanslee, a rohin whose father exited the Shanslee Enclave soon after you were born and took you with him. Did they offer to take you back if you did them a favor?
Cinnai, or rather, Jaima, sneered and looked away.
Jaima: Hmph. Nalma. Shoulda guessed he'd start poking around.
Teren: It doesn't matter. Tell us where Kit is and we'll make sure your punishment is more agreeable.
Jaima: Meh. Whatever. Maybe I'll spend a few years in a tokki jail. I'm not telling you anything.
Before Teren could say anything more, the door opened and Aire stomped in, slamming his hands on the table.
Aire: You're not going to tokki jail. You are in our custody now, which means you're going to our jail. That means you're going to be all by yourself in a cell. You get that? You're going to spend a long time with no way to satisfy your tokki urges except by yourself. Oh, you might be extradited eventually, but that tends to take a long time, especially if we choose to contest your extradition at every single step.
Aire leaned in close and narrowed his eyes.
Aire: Years, Jaima. Years without any easy access to any willing partners.
All confidence left Jaima's eyes and the smirk disappeared as he slunk down in his chair. Aire and Teren glared at him, silent and motionless, waiting for Jaima to respond. He took his time, perhaps waiting to see how serious Aire was.
Aire: Teren, take him to the brig. You can continue your questioning there.
Teren: Understood, Captain.
Teren stood while Jaima flopped his feet to the floor and pressed his back against his chair.
Jaima: Wait! Wait! I don't know where they're taking Kit, but I'll tell you what I do know.
Captain's Ready Room
While Teren escorted Jaima to the brig, Joust, Aire, and Nalma gathered to have a meeting about what they learned.
Nalma: Assuming Jaima is telling the truth, I'm fairly sure I know where Rhalma is taking Kit. The Saveas have an unregistered ringship that they salvaged from junkyard parts and they keep it in a secret location. I think he's being taken there. I should be able to confirm this soon. I assume you have both read my file?
Joust: I assume you mean the part that says you're currently under surveillance with suspected membership in secret organizations. You already seem to be able to find out more than the Tokkastran government can, like Jaima's actual identity.
Nalma: It's all true. My people, the Elai Enclave, work to oppose the Saveas. We have an operative on the Savea pirate ship. He'll be able to tell us if Kit is being taken there. I can contact my people and they can contact him and let us know.
Aire: Thanks, Nalma. I'll inform Admiral Zhang right away and you let us know when you have confirmation.
Nalma nodded, but seemed far less like his usual, optimistic self, for when his head went down at the end of his nod, it stayed where it was.
Nalma: Captain, if I may, there's something I'd like to say.
Aire leaned in, knowing this must be serious.
Aire: Go ahead, Lieutenant.
Nalma raised his head and Aire immediately noted the glassiness of his eyes.
Nalma: I understand why Carpathia is suspicious of me. I would be too. I want you to know that my interest in being here has nothing to do with my opposition to the Saveas. The Elai Enclave, and many like us, believe strongly in diversity and friendship. Thousands of years ago, we were explorers until we lost our way. I'm here to learn what I can so that we can be explorers again, side by side with you. I keep tabs on our opposition to the Saveas, but I don't actively participate. I don't use my position on this ship to affect anything that's going on with the resistance, until now, anyway.
Aire stood and rounded his desk to place his hand on Nalma's shoulder.
Aire: As long as I have anything to say about it, your status with us is secure, Nalma.
Nalma raised his head and smiled, if only a little.
Nalma: Thank you, Captain.
Aire returned to his seat and pulled his communications monitor close.
Aire: Commander, please join me while I contact Admiral Zhang and update her on what we know. Nalma, I want you to stay and listen, but don't say anything. I don't want to give anyone more reason to be suspicious of you.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
