Confrontation II
Posted on Fri Jan 2nd, 2026 @ 7:44pm by Lieutenant Commander Emilio Navarro
659 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Episode 1: A New Sheriff in Town
Location: Big Bear, California, Just Outside the San Bernadino Forest
Timeline: Seven Days Prior to Joining Starbase Mohave
---Now the Continuation---
Navarro and Cortes locked eyes. There was definitely tension between. The room seemed to shrink around them as Navarro spoke first, his voice edged with suspicion.
“What are you doing here?”
Cortes didn’t flinch, his tone was cold and calculated. “I could ask you the same, Navarro. But we both know the answer.”
Before Navarro could fully grasp the implications of Cortes’s presence, his gaze shifted to the bed behind him. Laying on the bed was Lieutenant Ansol, Lake's assistant. A faint smile on her face.
The realization hit him hard although he didn't show it much. It seemed there was a far reaching conspiracy which ran deeper than he imagined. His own colleagues were involved, operating right under his nose.
As the weight of the situation settled in, another figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Captain Lake the one and only. Her expression was unreadable. Her presence alone made the situation clear.
Navarro was trapped. He was cornered between Lake and Cortes, with no clear way out.
“Captain,” Navarro said. His voice was tight with controlled anger. “Looks like you’ve been busy. Unusual for someone on vacation.”
Lake’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t bother with pleasantries. “You’re not supposed to be here, Navarro.”
In one hand, she held a blade, its edge caught the light. In the other, a compact medical device.
“What’s that for?” Navarro asked, his eyes flicking to the device in Lake’s hand. He already knew what the blade was for.
“Its a tranquilizer,” Lake replied flatly. “Paralyzes the target before.”
“So” Navarro said quietly, “Is this some kind of cult you have here?”
“Call it whatever you like,” Lake said, her voice hard. “We’re past caring about your labels.”
Navarro’s mind raced. Lake and Cortes were ready to move. He was outnumbered, outgunned but his eyes caught the bathroom door just a few feet away. Above the toilet, a narrow window.
It was a long shot but he didn't have a choice.
Without warning Navarro bolted.
Lake and Cortes reacted instantly but Navarro had a fraction of a second of advantage. He slammed the bathroom door shut and locked it. Banging from the other side.
Navarro didn’t hesitate. He forced the window open and hauled himself through as the rain outside turned into a storm and began to escalate. Behind him, the lock and handle of the door burst inward.
Rain lashed his face as he scrambled onto the roof and the wind nearly knocked him off balance. He moved fast, each step slick and dangerous. Cortes appeared at the window, a phaser in hand searching for him, but the darkness and rain gave Navarro just enough cover.
He slipped over the edge and onto the ground.
The impact hit hard, pain flaring through his body, but he rolled with it and forced himself upright. Navarro reached the tree line and vanished into it.
Lake, Cortes, and Ansol exited the house moments later but stopped short. Navarro was already swallowed by rain and forest.
“Are we going after him?” Ansol asked, tension sharp in her voice.
“No,” Lake said, clipped and resolute. “It’s too late. We initiate now. We may only have a few hours. Get to the compound. We need to do this tonight. Remember, its a mile north of Fort McDowell.”
“Yes, Captain,” Ansol replied, retreating into the house.
Lake lingered, scanning the dark forest as rain poured down, masking any sign of movement.
Unseen, Navarro watched from the trees. He had heard enough. Lake’s plans were clear.
He had to warn Starfleet Security.
Lake finally turned and disappeared back into the house.
Navarro waited a minute longer, then sprinted deeper into the forest, activating his communicator as he ran.
Then he was gone.
The forest returned to silence, rain falling undisturbed, the wilderness once again serene as if nothing had happened at all.
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