Posted by Commander Ardashir “Jack” Creed (Executive Officer / CIO) in Deltana V - The Ritual

Posted by Lieutenant Celina Rodriguez (Chief Tactical Officer) in Deltana V - The Ritual

Posted by Commander Ardashir “Jack” Creed (Executive Officer / CIO) in Deltana V - The Ritual
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
SNIP
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Two hours later.........
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Jack would wake to the feeling of being rocked gently. It was a soft comforting swaying sensation like he was in a hammock. The air felt damp and moist. It was dark indicating they were no out in the bright light of outdoors. The gentle sound of water could be heard as if he was sleeping on a boat. Jack was physically not uncomfortable but soon found his hands and legs were bound by thick hemp around what one could only describe as the cabin portion of the mast running down from the top deck.

“I’m gonna kill him… I’m gonna kill him.” Jack said as he looked down at his situation. He began scanning, trying to see if he could spot Cesar or Celina, wondering what else was going to be happening.

Creed, XO

“God just get up and stop bouncing the bed,” Celina groaned letting her hand flop about looking for the covers. “And turn the heat up while you make coffee. It’s freezing in here.” Unlike Jack, Celina seemed to have a much more comfy spot than tied to a mast. She was sprawled out on what seemed to be a makeshift bed of rough muslin blankets. Pulling up the edge of one she stirred some trying to wake up.

Lt. Celina Rodriguez

“Celina? Oh, Celina wakes up baby girl come on.” Jack said as he kept swaying trying to get out of his binding. Celina was near and he needed her awake if they were to have any chance. The trick was when Celina was asleep she was like rising the dead to get her to function. She had a period where if she didn’t get Cuban coffee in her within five minutes she reverted to a state he called Baby Celina. “Come on love… please wake up,” he said as he loosened his shoe from his foot, as he launched it to hit her at the back of her head.

Creed, XO

“Será mejor que empieces a correr porque voy a matarte y volar el cuerpo por una esclusa de aire,” spewed from her lips as Celina sat up rubbing the back of her head. Daggers shot out of her eyes as she blinked trying to snap out of her coma like sleep. A deep moan escaped her lips but Celina did not seem cognizant of her surroundings yet. “You need to call Max. Our quarters are free,” she stopped in mid sentence.

“Why are you on the floor,” she stated the obvious as consciousness slowly started to process through the fog of sleep. “Wait are we on a boat?” The chill and sound of water coupled with the heavy wood floors and walls reminded Celina of a boat. “Did we get drunk and pass out in the holodeck again? If so this was a bizarre program. I dreamt we fell down a hill and woke up on a beach where you were all slicked up with oil in like some linen tunic thing. Computer end program. I need a coffee,” she muttered standing up and looking around the room. Celina had no idea why Jack was sleeping on the floor of a clipper ship but it wasn’t the first time she had woken up fuzzy on the details the next day with Jack.

Celina Rodriguez CTO

“Baby… this isn’t the time… you need to untie me, untie me now honey.... UNTIE ME!” Jack shouted at the end as he was squirming in his binds. It was clear he was getting agitated as he was wrestling to escape. He was thinking of dislocating his thump to slip out but wanted to try a less painful method if Celina could just focus. “I am going to kill Cesar, I say it all the time but I even have a plot picked out… no one will know where though so I can dance on it in peace and quiet.”

Creed, XO

“Take a number and get in line,” Celina groaned remembering that somehow her brother did have to be at fault for this predicament and not that this was some alcohol-induced nightmare. As she moved over to Creed lying on some muslin cloth, Celina knew this was going to take a lot of love and time for Jack to get over this. Maybe not as long as it took Jack to get over the time Cesar convinced Jack to road trip with him but forgot their Federation papers to get back home. Probably longer than when Jack got jailed for drug trafficking when he picked up the ten-pound gummy bear at the spaceport. Chewing her bottom lip Celina debated where this adventure would fall in the forgiveness time line however, seeing Jack flopping about like a fish out of water spurred her into action.

“Faster, I don’t know where we are and the slower you are the longer it takes for me to prepare for things.” Jack chided as he felt the boat swaying back and forth.

Jack was fighting his bound hands enough that Celina was struggled to get the knots loose. “Ugh stop moving or you are going to jam your wrist or something.” Slapping at his hands, Celina hoped it would settle him down. If not there was one thing she could get Jack to focus on which never failed no matter. Pulling at the think hemp ropes, Celina immediately knew this was going to take more time than Jack would have the patience for.

“Tell me how you are going to kill Cesar?”

“You don’t need to worry, it’ll be painless… you can’t know where I bury him.” Jack said with a silent determination.

Celina pulled at the knot as Jack continued to impede her progress by trying to speed the process up. “Jack,” she stopped running her hands through her hair. “You are going to dislocate your thumb and you know how I hate that snick-pop sound it makes when it slides back in.” The frustration was growing in her voice at the same rate the ache in her head was growing.

“That’s the idea buttercup, if you can’t get us out I have to find a way… unless you got some wonder woman in you and can kick everyone’s butts.”

The sound of heavy foot falls and gruff voices over Celina’s head made her pause slightly as she tried to make out words in the voices. Dust from the deck above filtered between the boards showing the path the men were walking above them. Yanking at the rope, the rope loosened enough so that Jack was able to wiggle his hands so that they came free. “Start on getting your feet free. I think we are about to have company,” Celina jumped up and began looking around the room for anything that could be used as a weapon.

Not finding anything but yards of muslin and a few barrels, Celina moved with a wobbly gait towards one of the banging squares of wood along the hull. Pushing it up gingerly with her hand, the vast turquoise of the ocean met with the baby blue of the sky as far s she could see. Spray danced up along the side of the hull spritzing her face as the ship rolled along the waves. “Jack…we are on a boat. Like a boat boat. How did we get from the jungle to a boat,” she looked at him perplexed. “We did get thrown off a cliff and then tumbled down into a sand dune right....or am I literally losing my mind.”

Celina

“Winner for the obvious award goes to you…” Jack said looking around with a sigh as he looked back to Celina.

Celina spouted off in a slurry of less than lady like terms including several about Jack’s masculinity and a half a dozen others about his intelligence. “I know you are just as cranky as I am but if you don’t apologize,” she started finally in English before Jack cut her off.

“I’ll apologize later right now I need to find out where we are and who we are with… just save your righteous indignation for them.” Jack said, knowing that the comment would have her flying off the handle if he didn’t start treating her better.

Creed, XO

“Ugh,” she took off her shoe and tossed it at him. It was the only thing she had available. She was hot, tired, irritable, and ready to take out all her frustrations on whoever was in her path. Since their captors were not present Jack would have to do.

The door flung open and several men that seemed to look like the ones chasing them slowly began filling the room. Not one of the men didn’t have a tattoo or a knife somewhere on their body. It seemed odd to her that they were packing phasers but long pointy objects were just a more personal way to kill someone and did the job as effectively as a phaser in the end.

“You two done here,” a man finally spoke pulling out a long machete-styled knife. “You are wanted topside. You coming easily or are we going to need force?” After a small pause, the man looked directly at Celina indicating he had more doubts about her cooperating than the large man she was with.

“Wait why are you looking at me,” she immediately became defensive. “I am like five four and a buck twenty-five wet. He is tall, brooding, and giving you the stink eye. Why you acting like I am going to be a handful,” Celina crossed her arms definitely over her chest in an oppositional posture.

“Is she serious,” the man looked at Jack questioningly.

Celina Rodriguez

“Usually… I find she has a very poor sense of humor at times… she didn’t laugh once when we watched It’s Always Gloomy on Fernignar and that show is brilliant… me on the other hand… I wanna know who the hell you guys are right now. You have taken two officers from the United Federations of Planets, and unless you want my foot up to your ass as I force you to talk… I suggest you speak on your own accord.” Jack said, not feeling at all deterred by being outnumbered. He had in fact faced harder odds, but it would still be a challenge all the same as he began to plan his attack if he was forced to.

Creed, XO

Celina debated about bringing up how the crew of It’s Always Gloomy pulled the same hijinks every episode so 320 episodes later it was the same jokes but with different props however maybe now was not the time or place. Taking in the room, Celina began to judge the distances. The small hole in the wall next to her with the flapping board would possibly fit her body but Jack’s shoulders would never fit. The thought of abandoning him to his fate was only kibashed due to the fact Celina only saw ocean when she looked out. Celina was a strong swimmer but transversing an alien ocean was not something she wanted to do.

“You are not giving the orders,” the man snarled pointing his sword at Jack’s chest as several of his men made a semi-circle cutting him off from Celina. “And think about your next move because whatever you to us we are going to do to her…twice and twice as hard.” The sneer on the man’s face was malicious but also testing. It was as if the pirate wanted Jack to react. “Take her upstairs,” he yelled over his shoulder.

A hand reached out and curled its fingers into a fist in Celina’s hair. Immediately she began to fight back. Her hand connected with on of the men surrounding her but without a weapon and five on one in such a small space proved challenging for defensive maneuvers. “Jack!” Her voice calling out his name was more to locate where he was in the chaos than a true cry or help. She fought and kicked until her muscles burned with exertion as they men bodily moved her to the steps.

“Hey…no biting,” one of the pirates yelled out feeding his forearm into her mouth. The man’s reaction was one taught in self defense and employed by Celina so she had no recourse but to open her mouth as he forced her jaw wider.

“Jack!” There was not way she was not going up the step but still Celina gripped the sides of the stair well trying to slow her ascent. In the dark and dimly lit space, she could see Jack fighting tooth and nail with the men surrounding him.

Celina