Taylor
YaBB AdministratorHost CO Combatant Serenity Crew
Dude! Where's my starship?!
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OOC And now for the conclusion ON It wasn't as though he walked towards his final destination he stalked his way there, it was all coming to a head the end was almost upon him. For several year's his life had been interfered with by a small group of men, one was already dead and tonight another would end up the same way. Either that or Dan would find himself dead. The blade in his hand felt as though it had been created especially for him, he knew that wasn't the case in reality it had been created for Wade. Dan just found himself using it. The Chang blade given to him by poQ had been a means to an end, the Klingon had meant to teach him something – Dan felt he had learned and learned well – perhaps one day he would find out if he had learned the lesson poQ had meant for him to learn. With the help of Droj, Falco, Jackie and K'Hare's Dan had managed to track John down to his quarters, somehow John had managed to remove all access to the stations systems, even the high level security granted to Taylor by Starfleet Intelligence was for naught. He stopped outside his targets quarters and smiled, it didn't take any special access to put a bet'leH through some wiring. With one swing Dan did just that, a few moments later he had the doors open. As he stepped inside he spoke very calmly and quietly “John, I think it's time we have a little chat” * * * Vice Admiral John Jefferson's head snapped around towards the voice that broke the wonderful silence he had been enjoying, basking in the glow of a well executed plan he had given no thought to the idea that Taylor would survive long enough to reach him. His orders to Lieutenant Chadwick had been quite explicit, Taylor was to be stopped by deadly force if necessary the fact he had managed to convince half of the station that Taylor was the traitor behind the bomb that had been found. In John's mind that was better than the bomb getting him, the image of Taylor cutting himself up because Duerkes died in a bomb meant for him. It was the kind of hell only a man with morals would put himself through. For that reason alone john was glad of his own flexible approach to right and wrong. Those thoughts died completely as John saw Dan enter the bet'leH clutched in Taylor's hands wasn't what scared John it was the mans eyes. Stood before him was a man who with a fire in his eyes John had only seen once before in life, back then his flight or fight reaction had caused him to run. Back then it had saved his life, today he doubted if he would make it half way to the door. “I thought you were civilised Mister Taylor” John almost spat the word civilised as he tried to bury his fear, loosing his head now would do him no good. “John” Dan said with a deep sigh “You have a vision of me in your head don't you, the upright honest Starfleet Officer the do gooder” John swallowed as Dan took a step forward reaching down behind his desk and slowly opened the draw. “Well” Dan swung the bet'leH down on to John's arm blunt side down “I wouldn't be doing that John because your wrong” Turning the blade around he gently pressed one of the edges against John's wrist “Today we are going to settle this matter with honour” a cold smile flashed across his face “not for my sake, but for K'Hare's. If it were up to me I'd strike you down now.” As the blade pressed against this wrist John's face turned white, there was a edge to Dan's voice that spoke volumes about his intent a look at his face caused the last of the colour in John's face to drain away. Looking down at a man with a face as white as a sheet Dan forced his own features to soften “I suppose I should let you know my intent” Silence filled the room as John found his throat constrict, being up close and personal wasn't his style he preferred dealing with problems through a third party. He couldn't find the will to say anything. As the silence filled the room Dan reached up with his free hand and removed his pips, one side at a time. “To put it simply for you, I aim to miss behave today there is no leaving this room until one of us is done. You and your friends have sat in your ivory tower, messed my career about, and killed the brother of a dear friend” He pointed to his pips where the sat on John's desk “I want you to understand I do this as me, not as a Starfleet Officer nor as a business man, simply as Dan Taylor – a civilised man” he spoke the words in a way that suggested he was mocking John. Dan fell silent for a moment before stabbing his bet'leH down causing John to wince in pain “But what is absolutely your worst crime is Scardia, I've seen how you treated people, how many people you have killed. They've taken to looking at me as some kind of hero, to be honest I'm far from that.” He fell silent and walked away from John for a few moments, he remain silent while he replicated something. Returning he threw it to the table where it landed with a dull thud. “Pick up the weapon John” Dan moved back and lifted his own bet'leH in to a ready position “let us finish this, only one of us leaves the room” he smiled again “sorry, only one of us leaves the room alive” John took several deep breaths as he stood up looking at the blade before him he finally spoke “You know I can't” his fingers traced along the weapons “you know” his voice raised slightly as he spoke again. Dan grinned “never the less you will” “You know I can't!” screamed John as he smashed his fist down on the desk “Pick up the blade” Dan spoke quietly, anyone would have expected him to raise his own voice but he was beyond that. No longer angry, just intent on finishing the job he started “Unlike a Klingon, I have no qualms about striking you down unarmed” Realising he had no true way of escaping this he picked up the bet'leH from the table in front of him, turning to Taylor he steeled himself and tried to calm his own frayed nerves, he failed miserably and exploded in a fit of rage. “You are trying to take everything!” he ran at Taylor and swung his blade wildly, for all the weeks and months he had spent pouring over books about fighting with a betleH he was acting like a child in the middle of a tantrum “First you mess up our plans for Task Force 17, then instead of going to the arse end of space you find your way in to Task Force 86. To make matters worse you quit and go on some fools errand to find us causing us to leave our biggest cash cow” Swinging the blade wildly Dan kept side stepping him and bringing his own blade in to block, the man was blinded by his own rage. “Scardia was making money hand over fist before you ran us out, and since then you've take over all our business enterprises baring one” The shock of Jefferson's words phased Dan for a moment again and allowed John to get a good blow on his leg. Pain pierced through the haze in Dan's head, lifting his own blade he swung it towards John the block came to slowly to stop the power of Dan's attack. Sinking his blade in to his opponents shoulder Dan finally broke his silence “It is all about you!” He brought his blade around in a slow arc to let John get a block in, as the blades locked together again “Did you ever stop and think of another person ever? Even the other members of the quad?” Jefferson heard Dan's words and couldn't believe he knew their name, the veil of secrecy they had spun had been shattered some how. “Surprised I know?” Dan smiled as he spoke “Yes I know who you are, all of you. All I can say is two down, two to go” John was speachless, he just stood there trying to comprehend it all. “You never have thought of anyone but yourself have you” Dan spoke quietly before kicking John in the knee, Jefferson fell to the floor with a sickening crunch as his knee broke, there were ways a human body wasn't meant to bend “So the contract on Mansfield was to protect yourself I guess?” “How?!” John fought through the pain in his leg “I'm sure you'd like to know wouldn't you” Dan circled the prone form of John Jefferson “I'll tell you” he paused for a moment “but first, you need to explain how you rationalise the bomb, killing half of your station? For what reason?” John grimaced through the pain “To stop the inevitable loss” his voice trailed off as he began realising how exactly he had messed up. Dan laughed as he heard John speak the words “Loss?!” he fought the urge to bend double. “You crazy crazy fool” He kicked John as he laughed “You were getting promoted to Admiral and re-assigned to earth in a week, and you've blown that. Intelligence was happy to let you live in the lap of luxury forever and a day to watch you” “I...” John gulped “I.. had no idea” “I can see that” He settled the blade in his hands once more “and because of that your having to go through this, if you had asked me about my intentions John do you know what I would have said?” Tears welled in John's eyes “You would have taken everything” Dan shook his head “John, your a fool. I turned down this job remember, until two days ago I wasn't even sure I wanted to be in Starfleet. I did know I didn't and still don't want command of a base or even command of a ship” He took a deep breath “All I've ever wanted to do is my job” Silence hung in the air for several minutes Dan was lost in his own thoughts, John dared not move or speak a word the pain of fighting, of finding out how stupid he had been. Eventually Dan spoke again “You know, you are a dangerous man. Very dangerous” he fell silent for a few moments “It's because of that, you simply can't be allowed to live” “I'm sorry” John croaked the words it was obvious he was begining to believe he was truely sorry. “I'm sorry” Said Dan with a shrug “but you die by my hand, just as Mansfield did sorry doesn't cut it today” before John could say a word Dan swung the blade. * * * His blade still bloody Dan exited the quarters of Vice Admiral John Jefferson, with a deep sigh he spoke “It's done” Exhausted he fell to the deck, allowing his bet'leH to clang noisily to the deck. OFF OOC That was hard to write....
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