"One moment . . ."
Written by Cyndi Fryar
Commander Rhea Kennit

Her arms and shoulders ached miserably. A deep down, muscle burning kind of ache which just flat out refused to go away and leave her in peace. Slowly. Unwillingly. Rhea started to return to consciousness. As she did so, her much abused body began to complain of other indignities suffered in the past few hours since being taken from the Bridge and brought..whereever it was they'd brought her.

There wasn't a muscle or nerve in her body which wasn't quite annoyed with her and letting her know about it in no uncertain terms what-so-ever. Someone was shouting, a rough voice she didn't recognize speaking in a language she didn't understand. Then, Rhea heard Marisa's voice speaking urgently to...someone..

Something about the aliens wanting to know why the USS Victory-A had invaded The Shroud. Wanting all of the data and information regarding the Federation's involvement in the illegal war being waged by the Bith against the K’Abithan General Pluralistic. Rhea groaned again, she'd spent what seemed like an eternity screaming under their torture as Degan and Krannik had 'interrogated' their prisoner. The 'prisoner' being her..

Nothing she'd said had convinced them otherwise, Rhea didn't know anything about the Bith being involved in a war, illegal or otherwise, against another alien nation and she'd never heard of the K'Abithan General Pluralistic until Degan had savagely attacked her just before things really got bad.

Rhea slowly lifted her head, it felt as if she was having to lift ten times the normal weight of her skull to do so. Only then did she realize she'd been blindfolded as well as tied uncomfortably tight to the chair she sat in. Her arms where bound so tightly behind her back that her hands and fingers were going numb and the bindings themselves felt as if they were cutting into her flesh at the wrists.

Fear struck then, what were they going to do now? Who was Marisa talking to?

Unable to see what was going on, Rhea gasped in shock as suddenly she felt a hand lock about her hair and jerk her head back into a painful arc. She heard Krannik's rough, gravelly voice snarl out "Tell them to release the tractor beams on us or else!"

Rhea felt as if her neck was going to break, Krannik had her head forced so far back she could feel the back of the chair digging into her shoulders and her neck muscles quivering in protest. Essentially blind.. Rhea felt the first real fingers of cold fear sinking into her heart and mind as she waited.. helpless..

Krannik listened in rising anger as Torme repeated his demand. After a moment, Krannik looked towards the door where another of the guards paused to check a display mounted on the wall and then looked back him. The guard shook his head.

Krannik's face twisted into a sneer. "You think I'm toying with you?!" he shouted at someone.. evidently a comm viewer.

Without warning, he released the savage hold he had on Rhea's neck and then took two steps so that he stood before her. Swiftly, he lashed out and hit her brutally three times on the face hard enough to draw blood from her lips. She gasped with shock, the unexpected pain sending a jolt of fear racing through her veins. Rhea could handle alot, but somehow being bound, blind and helpless was something she wasn't prepared for..

Krannik glared at Torme.. "Tell them! Release the tractor beams or it will go even worse for her! I can inflict considerable harm without killing .. we need the information she has in her accursed mind however you would be amazed at how badly I can hurt her and not kill.."

To prove his point, he withdrew a small, silvered device from his hand and jabbed it against Kennit's neck. A brilliant blue/white energy sparked from the device and danced over Kennit's throat and torso. In response, her entire body convulsed as the nerve induction device sent agony through her body.. Rhea screamed..unable to help it as she felt what seemed to be fire surging through her body.

Krannik faced the viewer again, "Release the tractor beams!" To prove his point, he then pressed the device hard enough against Kennit's throat that the two small, pointed tips which generated the agonizer field punctured her throat sending two thin crimson rivulets down her white skin. "We will not allow the Federation to assist the Brith any longer!"