A Talk over Tea

Posted on Sun Apr 14th, 2019 @ 1:58am by Az'Prel & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox

Mission: Detours
Location: Deck 11 crew lounge
Timeline: 2396

The training exercise in the Deck 11 gymnasium had gone well. The U.S.S. Hera's newest resident, the refuge freedom fighter from a nightmarish mirror reality, Az'Prel, had risen to the challenge to begin teaching some of her combat skills to the ships security team.

It was a request made by the ships XO, Commander Rita Paris and in that request, Paris had asked Lieutenant Mnhei'sahe Dox to participate and observe the battle-hardened Vulcan woman in action. A few months prior, Paris had put Dox in the same situation, asking the young Romulan pilot to instruct the security officers in the Romulan martial art of Llaekh-ae'rl, which Dox was adept at.

At the conclusion of the day's exercise, Dox found herself curious about the ships newest resident and extended an offer to meet after class at the Deck 11 lounge for tea. Dox had only had the most minor of interactions with Az'Prel, but wanted to see how the transplanted woman was adjusting to such a dramatically different life. Arriving first, Dox was happy to see the small lounge was empty. A few small tables and chairs and a replication station along one wall, a row of windows looking out into the void of space and the two women would be all that Az'Prel would need to worry about.

Walking over to the replicator, Dox ordered herself a cup of Romulan coffee, black. The bitter, strong concoction was an acquired taste, but one the young woman enjoyed. Walking over to a small table near the windows, she sat down to look out into the expanse of space she so loved and waited.

As for the Vulcan woman, though she had not worked up a sweat, she was mentally fatigued from teaching so many and decided to go with a relaxing spiced tea and a small plate of honeyed saffir. Joining her Romulan comrade, she stretched her neck and back as she undid the top snaps of her padded armor, popping several joints in the process. "Thank you for inviting me."

Smiling lightly, Dox was generally nervous with most kinds of social interaction but was committed to making an effort to reach out. "You're welcome."

Taking a sip of her coffee, Dox continued. "We only really spoke briefly when you came on board, and I thought that since we spent a little time throwing each other around the gym today, some downtime might be in order."

"Indeed," Az'Prel sipped at her tea before continuing. "You picked up the lessons well today and I believe you would have much you could teach me as well. However... I know this vessel is large, but just how large is it? And how many crew are aboard?"

"Thank you. I would be glad to continue whenever you'd like. There's always more to learn and my own skills tend to lean towards the more... extreme, so more options in a combat scenario would be... welcome." Dox was slightly uncomfortable talking about her own training but pushed past it to answer Az'Prel's question.

"The Hera is a modified Nebula-class Starship. She's got 42 decks with the pod, is about 440 meters long, 460 meters wide, and carries a crew of about 750 at any given time. She's big, but she's home."

The Vulcan woman stared for a moment, trying to take it all in. "That is far larger than anything even the Terran Empire is rumored to have built in my time and universe. It will take some time to get used to the sheer scale of everything in this universe and time as well, it seems."

"When I need to think or relax, I like to just wander the ship. It's a good way to get to know her." Dox looked out the window as she spoke. "I also have holodeck programs that replicate what it would be like to walk on her hull without needing a spacesuit. That's a great way to see her in all her glory. Commander Paris and I go jogging on the hull that way once a week. It's really beautiful, and more fun than going out there for real."

Dox chuckled awkwardly as her mind drifted to her unsuited spacewalk from a few moments ago that almost killed her. "You're always welcome to join us, of course."

"That may be a wise course of action to better acclimate myself. However, I do not wish to intrude." As the Vulcan woman spoke, she poked at her saffir and nibbled on a bite.

"No intrusion at all." Dox sighed slightly, picking up on a very familiar concern. "I can say from personal experience... that the people on this ship will offer many helping hands... and it took me a while to learn that they meant it sincerely. My own... experience didn't prepare me for people that really wanted to help me. But that's the Hera."

Chucking slightly, Dox took another sip. "Honestly, I still second guess if I'm imposing too much half the time. But that's just my default setting."

Az'Prel sipped at her tea calmly. "Then I will avail myself of your offer as well as the other six invitations I received that the computer notified me of this morning."

"Excellent. I look forward to it." Dox took a sip of her Coffee. "I thought the class went well today. I hope you didn't mind my interjecting. Commander Paris had me do the same a couple of months ago and I was a nervous wreck. I'd never tried teaching anyone anything, much less a class of security officers."

"Indeed, though I have instructed before, it was a group of three. This was slightly more overwhelming than I had anticipated." The Vulcan woman took another bite of her saffir and chewed thoughtfully. "I was invited to train for something called a tribunal. Are you familiar with this term?"

Leaning in slightly more, this situation wasn't a surprise to Dox. Az'Prel was a freedom fighter in her native reality and some degree of involvement in the Tribunal was a natural fit for her skills. "Unfortunately, yes. Captain Telvan, beyond being a Starfleet Captain, is also the heiress to a family run fleet of Privateers. Basically, Pirates that hunt slaver pirates. The Artan family."

Crossing her hands in front of her, the anxious young Romulan continued, "Captain Telvan is the princess. Her mother is the queen and is demanding that Enalia provide her with a granddaughter to raise to rule the family since the Captain has resisted that position herself. Either generated the old fashioned way or simply by giving up a DNA sample, regardless of if she wants to or not. I... have more than a few problems with that myself."

"We also have reason to believe the queen is conspiring with the Orion Slave Syndicate to wrest control from the Captain, who has called a tribunal to try and decide who will have ultimate control of the family. The vote will come down to the Baronesses of the family, of which I am one. We will be standing behind the Captain, but it's likely the tribunal will fail which will lead to conflict and a duel between the two. Still, proof of that conspiring might tip the balance in the Captains favor and negate the need for an actual armed conflict. At least that's the hope. Working WITH slavers is pretty much the one unbreakable rule the Artan family has." Dox did her best to summarize the outrageous circumstances for Az'Prel.

"One of the Baronesses that is on the fence is a Romulan as well. Baroness Sienae Nei'rrh. She and her crew are all former refugees of the Romulan Star Empire. When I was young, my Mother and I were... smugglers." Dox admitted with a hint of hesitation, not wanting to go into too many personal details, but feeling oddly comfortable talking to the Vulcan woman. "We primarily worked to free other Romulans from the grip of the empire and worked towards the goal of reunification with Vulcan. It was a cause my mother was extremely committed to. She still is, really. As such, the Captain is hoping my Mother and I may be able to sway this swing vote to her favor."

The displaced Vulcan woman steepled her fingers in front of her in contemplation as she absorbed what she had been told. "This explains much about your Captain and you and the way you carry yourselves. Of all the people I have met in this reality, she is the only one constantly guarded and you both have the eyes of survivors."

"I will accept this invitation. I have been on the receiving end of a slaver's agony stick and I would do my best to spare that pain to anyone in this universe if I am able." A dark shadow passed over her eyes for a moment as those memories passed through her mind, but she quickly recomposed herself. "If your Captain has need of me in this, I live to serve."

"I will convey this to the Captain. I know we're going to need all the help we can get, and this won't be a Starfleet operation. And as it stands, it could easily end mine and a few other careers, but it's a risk I'm willing to take for the Captain." Dox's tone was a somber one as she thought of all the possible ramifications of what was to come.

After a moment's pause, the young Romulan woman looked up at the Vulcan refugee. "I don't wish, to pry... or dredge up things you'd rather not think about, but may I ask you a question... about the universe you hailed from?"

The Vulcan woman sipped at her tea and motioned for Dox to proceed. "Please... Feel free. It may help instruct or enlighten you and your response may do so in turn for me."

"Thank you... I..." Dox paused again for a slight moment. "When you first came on board, in describing your reality, you mentioned the Terran Empire and the Romulans in the same breath. Were the Romulans a... tyrannical empire in your reality?

Az'Prel set her now empty teacup aside. "No, in 2160 Remus was destroyed and Romulus became a colony world of the Terran Empire. There are... Were very few Romulans in my time. In fact, the few I met, many were half Vulcan and followed the path of logic."

Sighing slightly at the information, Dox seemed as if the slightest of weights were lifted. "That's... Oddly comforting. It the reality Commander Paris comes from, Romulans destroyed Vulcan. Killed the entire planet and tried doing so to half the Federation. When I thought... Well... for a time I thought that there wasn't a reality in all of existence where I didn't hail from a race of tyrants."

The young red-headed Romulan fidgeted with her empty mug. "It's almost a relief in a strange way. Which I know probably sounds very selfish of me."

A strange sound like a half chuckle came from Az'Prel. "I felt the same way when I came here and found out that Vulcans here are all emotionless and logical. To think that the way of life that I had to hide my entire life is the default state in this universe... It is refreshing... My habits and methods may differ, but at our core, we are the same. I think the same may be for you. The Romulans of my universe were those of truth and heart, ready to sacrifice much for others and the greater good."

"Heh..." Dox laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, that sounds like the exact opposite of Romulans here. It's a big part of why my Mother and I worked towards reunification. Trying to embrace Vulcan philosophy and culture seemed like the only way to save what our people have become. Hasn't quite worked out all that well, unfortunately. The movement is all but dead these days. And obviously, logic and me never quite clicked."

"Perhaps the Romulans of this Universe were never meant to follow the tenets of logic either. Perhaps in the quest for reunification, you should have aimed for a less destructive and open form of emotions, rather than a route to logic." Az'Prel offered. "To become the Republic that the Romulans of my universe tried to become."

Standing back up, Dox grabbed her mug. "Would you like a refill? And you're probably right. But at this point, it's been what it is for so long that I'm afraid it's just doomed to that path. I can at least be happy that we got as many people that wanted peace out as we did."

"Yes please," Az'Prel replied, accepting the offer of a refill. "Spice tea. The completion of a job is reward enough in most cases. If you have brought peace to others, then it is doubly so."

Walking over to the replicator, Dox ordered up the drinks and returned to the table, placing Az'Prel's tea in front of her before sitting back down. "So... on that note... you are in a unique position now. As I understand it this is the first time you've been free to make choices about what it is you want to do with your life and I can only imagine how overwhelming that must be."

The young Romulan woman asked, with a hint of concern in her voice. "Service to others... to a cause... Is admirable and can be extremely fulfilling to be sure. But have you thought about what it is you want to do with your life?"

The Vulcan woman lifted her cup to savor the smell and thought about it a moment. "I want to..." Then she just said the first thing that came to mind. "... Help people be free..." She then nodded and sipped her tea.

"That's a good thing," Dox replied. "And there's always a need, to be sure. Just know that if all you wanted to do was go to Vulcan, go to Mount Selaya and meditate for the rest of your life, that's also an option that's open to you. Sonak has offered to take me there, introduce me to the elders. He would do the same for you for sure. All of these options are yours to consider."

The displaced Vulcan woman nodded at the advice. "I do seem to have a lot more life expectancy ahead of me now. I should have plenty of time for that and more. For now, I will travel with this crew and find my way to see how I may best help people be free. Once I am more familiar with the ways of this universe, I will wish to see more of it."

Smiling slightly, Dox took a sip of her coffee. "Well, the prophets brought you to the right place, then. And I can say that we're glad to have you."