The Battle of Arengosh - Second Perspective
Posted on Wed Oct 14th, 2020 @ 11:52am by Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun
Mission:
Diplomatic Masquerade
Location: Bajor
Timeline: Vision set during the Bajoran resistance
[Verse 2]
The innocence in your face bled out without a trace
You've won without an enemy, you're ill without a remedy
As night bleeds into night, and I know I came off better than you
It doesn't mean that I feel better
It doesn't mean that I feel better
And let it shine on, let it shine on us
And if I say I love you, well then I love you
And if I say I love you, well then I love you
(Credit Mumford and sons - If I Say)
Ever vigilant in his drive to be at peace with the prophets and their will, Remal studied the verse and pushed himself to be a humble servant despite everything they had allowed him to go through in his life. On occasion when he felt his hands or his heart had reached a point where doubt and blood stained the very fabric of his soul, he returned to quiet solitude and meditation. Fully aware no man or woman was perfect in the eyes of the prophets, being the counselor that he was, this particular day seemed to try his soul.
And so as his last session for the day concluded, he returned to his quarters, a shared space he had for with only one other, the blonde bombshell, the love of his life, Captain Rhenora Kaylen. He started by removing his suit and returning to a more comfortable attire. Then when he felt he was mentally ready, he approached the small shrine in their room and lit the candles on either side. The next part, the quieting of the mind, was ever more difficult. As more and more time passed his focus was on breathing, in and out, in and out, still and quiet, in and out. The peace was darkened as a gray cloud descended over his mind, a vision of time past, of a darker more desperate time.
He could smell the fire first, the charred rubble of burning buildings started at his nasal cavity and traversed his sinuses into his brain as a chemical signal that something was not right. He continued to breathe in and out. It was the screams next which brought him full force into the fray. Like a slowing of time he could hear everything from phaser fire to angry yelling, to calls for help and crying children ringing through the night. He knew right away he didn’t want to open his eyes because he knew he was being taken to a place he didn’t want to be, but a rough tap upon his shoulder brought him back into the light.
Standing over him, a man many years his senior, a face he hadn’t seen in what felt like a lifetime, holding out his hand. “Come brother, we have to move. They’re closing on this position.” Remal clasp his hand and rose into a ready to fight or flight position. “Keep your head low, we’ve still got a long way to go before this night is over.” This man, Remal knew this man, was not their cell leader but another fighter. His name gave Remal a churning stomach for later in his life Remal knew this man would attempt to kill him, not once, but twice. “Hey, you good Kajun? You’re looking pale.”
Remal brought his mind back into focus, “Yeah Dure, I’m good. Where are we?” The skyline was growing dark, lit mostly by the fires and occasional weapons fire. So far his cell group had not been detected but he had this gut feeling they were pushing towards something. Something more important.
Dure didn’t answer, another cell member did, a woman Remal also recognized, a ghost. His heart almost stopped as he heard her voice. “Are you kidding Kajun? This is Arengosh. You remember me telling you about that cell group who absolutely pasted the local command center here? Well welcome to the retribution.” Her name was Relisha and she was Dure’s bride-to-be. He quickly summed up the moment and realized this was the night they made for Aragamesh, a weapons store just south of Arengosh. This was the night before Relisha would be lost forever.
Remal began to shake, he didn’t want to see this again. He didn’t want to be pulled back to the dark days. He closed his eyes and attempted to push the memories away, but the prophets had other ideas. An explosion erupted in the tree line near their position, shredding the timber into flying shards. “Move, move, move!” came the signal from the cell leader. He was there now and he had to obey the wish the prophets had for him to experience this scene once more. He tucked low, and followed his band of brothers low along a particular stone wall.
They made it 10, 15 feet and stopped again as a shout split the night air above the din. Then a moment later another yelled ‘Stop!’. He recognized the voice, familiar yet distant, like a memory in a fog. There was weapons fire exchanged, then another shout to ‘Run!’. His cell took the opportunity to do just that, all except him. He stole a look into the night, over the wall to see whose voice he had heard.
She was there, staring down a Cardassian Glin whose face was lit only by the embers of a house fire. Her blonde hair short and pulled back was easily recognizable as his beautiful bride. Remal watched as she made a motion, tucked her pistol and a moment later made several quick motions that led to the Cardassian falling to the ground, and her subsequent removal of his weapon. He was impressed to say the least. Unfortunately as she tried to dart away, the Carddy was quick to follow. They disappeared up a side street where Remal couldn’t see them anymore.
He looked back at his cell, still moving away along the stone wall. Relisha looked back, her eyes questioning. He made a decision quickly, motioning for her to carry on and hoping she would understand, he threw his medpack over his shoulder and in one motion hopped the short stone wall.
As he rounded the corner where he had seen them disappear several pot shots hit the house next to him. He ducked and returned fire, dropping another Cardassian to the ground. He carefully scanned the area for more and for the blonde woman only to spot a blood trail upon the ground in the dim light. Keeping low he followed the trail down the stone path towards a house whose roof had been ignited in flame. He couldn’t be sure if she was there. All he could be sure of was her name, which he recklessly shouted into the night. “Rhen!”
Unfortunately what he got was the attention of a patrol, a Cardassian patrol. Three of them rounded the corner twenty yards ahead. He quickly darted up an alley, but he had been spotted. Two of them followed him up the alleyway, while the third, a younger man was heard yelling ‘Brother!’ into the night. Remal knew he could take two, if he was prepared, but not three and so gave a sigh of gratitude. However, two followed him as he made his way towards the town center, hopeful to be lost in the throng of the masses.
As he approached a larger, stone faced building, one of his pursuers took a shot at him and missed. He turned and fired, dropping one to the ground. The other was faster and managed to reach Remal before he could get another shot off. They were matched in height but not weight, where Remal had been practically starved, the Cardassian was well fed and probably full of Kanar.
The Carddy got a few good punches in, two to Remal’s face, one to the gut. But Remal was a fighter and returned the favor. One punch landed in the rib cage, the next to the chin. To keep him from punching again, the Carddy grabbed Remals right hand. Remal did the same and grabbed the fighters right. They wrestled, evenly matched, into the dirt and back up again, finally tumbling towards an unsuspecting Rhenora. She struck the Carddy upon the back of the head, rendering him unconscious, on top of him. He let out an oof as she helped roll the man off.
Before him hovered for a moment the most beautiful woman he had ever met, like a vision right out of a prophetic orb, which she was. Their eyes locked momentarily before another round of weapons fire graced their presence. Their little scuffle had garnered the attention of the local Cardassian brood. He heard her cuss which made him smile inside. Despite his large frame he rolled up and onto his feet in a flash then took aim and fired a covering shot. He had seen her broken nose and momentarily dared to mend it before moving on but he felt a pull towards something else at that moment. Gentleman that he was, he at least had to say "thanks." Before he fired another shot and dashed away. In his wake he left a solid image of a medical field kit on his back and a pistol in his hand, a doctor not to be trifled with.
He pushed on into the darkness, expecting to be reunited once more with his cell team as had happened in the past. For he desperately wished to see Bradre Dure and Relisha again. Especially Relisha, the one he had lost. But as the prophets would only allow, he reached the edge of town and looked back as the flames now reached ever point in the village, edge to edge they burned. That was the night Arengosh burned. He didn’t wonder about Rhenora for he knew she would be okay. What he did wonder about was the lasting ramifications of this night, the losses personal and tragic on both sides.
His eyes went dark once more and he protested to himself, questioning why they would only show him what they wanted to see. He didn’t understand. What did this vision have to do with their current situation? He wouldn’t get it until later, when Rhenora found him and shared with him a rather different perspective.
