Unpleasant Anticipation

Posted on Thu Apr 18th, 2019 @ 2:35pm by Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Jaeih Dox-t'Aan & Captain Enalia Telvan & Commander Rita Paris

Mission: Detours
Location: Crew Quarters, Deck 8
Timeline: 2396

"You may tell your Captain, that I am not unsympathetic to her situation. That said, I will have... criteria that must be met I order to assist her in this tribunal of hers. And those criteria are to be discussed with her and her only. And discussed face to face, not with a hologram."

The recording of Jaeih Dox repeated, playing out on the PaDD in the hand of the Romulan woman's daughter, Lieutenant Mnhei'sahe Dox. The bargain, offered in response to Captain Enalia Telvan's need for Jaeih's assistance in her family's upcoming tribunal, had already been forwarded to the beleaguered Captain and the situation was now out of the young pilots hands.

Still, she found herself sitting in her quarters, off duty, with her uniform top pulled open and hanging while she was flumped on the couch nursing a glass of hot tea. The PaDD replaying the conversation of a few days ago now when Jaeih had called and the call was answered by Mnhei'sahe's bond-mate, Mona Gonadie. The awkward and tension filled conversation came to a conclusion only when the younger Dox arrived home to relay the Captain's need and ended with the somewhat decisive terms that had just played out.

Tossing the PADD on the small coffee table next to her, Mnhei'sahe took a sip of tea and stared out the window into the expanse of stars stretching into infinity. The U.S.S. Hera was the first place that the flight Chief could remember ever feeling like a home, and she quietly hoped that the Captain would decide that she didn't need Dox's mother so she might never have to see the woman again. Then she sighed, feeling guilty for the thought.

Which was when the door chime sounded, to interrupt her reverie.

Slightly startled as the chime pulled her from her introspection,Dox stood up and closed her uniform top as she walked across the room to open the door.

Standing outside the door to her quarters was Commander Rita Paris, in the anachronistic yet singularly distinctive gold minidress uniform of her native age, the three gold pips on her black V-necked collar and the raised version of her ancient Starfleet command delta the only nods to the modern day. The old-school officer was a living throwback to the classic age of the five-year missions, when Kirk and his Enterprise had explored the galaxy, changing the course of galactic history.

In the modern day, Captain Telvan had rescued her from the latest in a long series of transporter accidents that befell the woman with alarming regularity. In doing so, she had recognized the resourcefulness and dedication the woman possessed, and made her the First Officer of the Hera. Now she lent her old-time Starfleet principles and morals to a Starfleet Intelligence vessel, working to act not only to keep the starship running efficiently, but to act as the conscience of a vessel which could all too easily sink into the moral shadows, never to return.

Since coming aboard, the fulsome first officer had taken a particular interest in the shy junior grade lieutenant who had wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ranks and get by. Instead, Rita Paris had drawn the young woman out, supported her quest to find herself, and as Lieutenant Junior Grade Melanie Dox had become Chief Flight Control Officer Mnhei'sahe Dox, Paris had been there behind, beside and occasionally in her way when she felt it was needed.

As a mentor, she pushed Dox to believe in herself and seek more. As a friend, she supported the young woman through crisis personal and professional. And as a commander, she had stood in the way when she felt that Dox was going astray... something that happened often when it came to her duties as a Baroness in the Artan pirate family, a boon bestowed upon her by the Captain.

Today she stood in the doorway in uniform, which likely indicated this was an official visit, although if it were completely official she would have summoned the young lieutenant to her office, or to the bridge. Thus this implied that this was official, yet unofficial business, as illustrated by the expression on the face of the old woman who was, paradoxically, physically the same age as Mnhei'sahe herself. Hands clasped behind her back like a Vulcan, posture erect, stiff and military, it spoke volumes to the professional pilot before she said a word.

"Lieutenant Dox, may I come in? We've a matter to discuss, you and I."

Looking slightly concerned, Dox replied, "Come in, Commander."

Stepping into the room, Commander Paris looked around with some appreciation. The quarters looked like a home with the addition of one Mona Gonadie to the renegade Romulan's life, and the fact that it now looked like someone actually lived here always made her happier. Stepping in, Paris explained, "I'm afraid that I have some bad news, Miss Dox. Would you prefer to be standing or sitting for this?"

Sighing slightly, Dox's expression was one not of surprise but of inevitably. She tugged on her uniform top and folded her arms behind her back and nodded. "I can stand."

"In the upcoming Tribunal of the Captain's in which you will be participating, it seems she is calling in a number of markers and resources to employ in her efforts to free herself of the current political machinations of her family business. With that in mind, it seems that your mother is coming aboard. I thought it best you heard it from me first." Paris stood, calm on the surface, giving the young officer a chance to process this news in her own time and way, which explained why she was here, yet in an official capacity.

The conflicted young pilot closed her eyes for a moment as she thought on Paris' words. "Unfortunately, I was expecting this. One of the Baronesses is a Romulan woman named Sienae Nei'rrh. The one that's still on the fence that the Captain is hoping my mother can convince to vote on... to side with the Captain against her mother."

Bristling slightly as she stood in place, Dox's anxiety was rising in her stomach. "I relayed the Captain's request, but my mother insisted on discussing the matter with the Captain in person."

"Is... Is she on her way?" Dox asked, as the more official tone of her voice cracked ever so slightly from anxiety. Immediately, the young woman internally chastised herself for letting herself get emotional.

"She's here," Paris stated flatly. "Or rather, she's arriving in about ten minutes. So I wanted to give you the option to meet her in person with a few Security personnel. Or if you prefer I'll be happy to do it." There was an edge to the Commander's voice that Dox recognized.

When last they had parted, Paris had been there, and while she didn't know any of what had been said, Mnhei'sahe's reaction had been enough to tell her all she needed to know, and she'd shamed the elder Romulan for her choices, plain and simple. While many Romulans purported to be Rihannsu, creatures of honor, she knew the insult would sting, and she'd intended for it to. Seeing a mother and daughter who could come together and heal instead continue to fight because Jaeih lacked the capacity to be honest with her daughter made her angry, and Paris was not one to be less than honest in all things.

Thus her offer to meet with the elder Dox was more an offer to protect her friend, than her defending the starship from a security risk, as was the duty of the First Officer.

Standing in silence for a few long seconds, Dox thought hard on her Commander's offer before replying. "I ran as far as I could imagine from her. But this is my home, and I will not run from her here. I won't hide from this. Not here. Not anymore."

"Admirable choice," Paris replied. "Would you like to face this alone then? I'll be happy to accompany you, and Security will be there regardless, because I trust your mother as far as I can throw a Thunderchicken. But I can order them to maintain distance to give you some privacy. This one is your call, Lieutenant."

"Whatever deal she ends up making with the Captain, as of right now she's still in Starfleet custody, 'consultant' or not. I'd rather she know that from the beginning." Dox replied somewhat flatly. "But ... protocol aside... I would... appreciate your presence. Thank you."

"That being the case, Jablonski and S'Rina are waiting outside, V-Nus and Lu are at the shuttle bay. Let's go say greet our newest prisoner, shall we? I'm sure that'll improve relations between you two," Paris pointed out, as she turned on her heel to about-face.

"Aye, Commander." Dox replied with a sad flatness to her voice. There was determination but also depression as she followed behind Rita Paris. She had known that this was coming, but was still unprepared deep down, though she knew there would never be an ideal way or place for her to face her mother again. Now was as good a time as any.

As they stepped out into the corridor, a nod from the Commander was enough to summon the Security detail to fall in behind the two senior officers. At one point Security on the USS Hera had gotten out of control, so the first officer had taken over the department, flushed and restaffed it, and rebuilt it from the ground up. Now it was staffed primarily by Amazons, large, physically striking and muscular women whose physical prowess was quite impressive. their loyalty and obedience as well as their understanding of their duties set them apart, and made them an exemplary fighting force.

Who were not without questions.

"Commander, this is prisoner escort duty?" asked the Klingon woman, the thickly muscular S'Rina.

"That is correct, petty officer," the Commander replied without looking back.

"Will be escorting the prisoner to the brig, Commander?" The inquisitive security officer pressed.

"We will not, Petty Officer Wil'I'Ams," Paris explained. "We will be escorting the prisoner to VIP guest quarters number 10, which has been specially prepared for them."

"If all of our prisoners are kept in the guest quarters, who do we even have a brig, Commander?" the perplexed and irritated Klingon warrior asked.

"So we have somewhere to keep insubordinates who don't follow orders, Petty Officer," the chief of security whose patience was known to be limited responded. "Do you have an opinion on that subject that you'd like to share?"

There was sullen silence in response to that question, and the curvaceous commander did not look back as she pressed on.

-----------

Sitting in the secure transfer unit of the transport Runabout, 'Clarion’, Jaeih Dox looked out the window as the stars streaked past at high warp. She didn't know the name of the Starship she was being transferred to, but she knew why she was going there.

Jaeih's daughter was Lieutenant Mnhei'sahe Dox, the Chief Flight Officer of a top secret ship under the auspices of Starfleet Intelligence. It was a ship Captained by a woman the elder Romulan woman had known from her years as a smuggler, Enalia Telvan. Or Enalia Artan, princess of the Artan Pirate family, as Jaeih knew her. And this Starship Captain had need of Jaeih Dox.

So a deal had to be arranged and Jaeih Dox insisted that any such deals were to be discussed in person. As such, she now found herself warping through space to an unknown destination to speak with Enalia Telvan… and very likely her estranged daughter as well. An encounter she had been dreading, particularly moreso now since her disastrous holographic conversation with Mnhei'sahe's bond-mate, Mona Gonadie.

Once again, Jaeih had figured out the exact way to say and do everything wrong by her daughter's standards and didn't know how to rectify the situation.

Starfleet protocol meant that in spite of her sixteen years of service as a 'consultant’ to Starfleet Intelligence, she was still a prisoner due to her past as a smuggler. As such, she found herself buckled into her seat and secured there. On her wrist was a tight black band with a steady red light on it. The collar that ensured her cooperation and reminded her of her place.

Sitting across from her was a gold clad security officer who looked bored at his assignment as she largely ignored him.

As an engineer for the Romulan Star Empire, her expertise in Cloaking technology had made her extremely valuable to her captors. But now it was her relationship with Enalia Telvan's mother Arenara, the queen of the Artan Family, and the Baroness Sienae Nei'rrh of the Romulan Refugee Corps that gave her a new kind of value. As a smuggler, the Dox's ferried Nei'rrh and the Romulans that now fill the ranks of her crew from servitude on Romulus to freedom and the woman owed Jaeih a boon. A boon that would be extremely valuable in the upcoming tribunal between the mother and daughter at the head of the Artan family.

--------------

As she thought on all of this, the Runabout fell out of warp into normal space again. In the cockpit of the, the two pilots looked puzzlingly at their instruments as they brought the small ferry to a halt in the vast expanse of space.

“Confirming, these are the coordinates for rendezvous with the U.S.S. Hera, but I don't see her.” the pilot called over to the co-pilot. “Are you seeing anything, Myers?”

From the cockpit, the comm came to life. “U.S.S. Hera to Runabout Clarion. You are cleared for landing in Shuttlebay three. Coordinates being sent now.” As the voice came across their systems, the purple nacelles of the mighty nebula class Starship began to glow from the darkness as a pearlescent shimmer of shielded black hull plating repolarized to reveal the Hera in all her glory.

“Holy shh…” the stunned pilot exclaimed as his jaw hung open at the sight of the not-quite-cloaked starships appearance. “Uh… Runabout Clarion confirms. Coordinated received. Beginning landing approach in Shuttlebay three.”

As the runabout came about the eerie violet nacelles, there was a sliver of illumination that seemed to cut through the shadow of the inky pearlescence tinged by ultraviolet colorations at subtle intensities that lent the starship the appearance of a sea creature from the deep depths, swimming instead an ocean of stars. As they drew close, the sliver of light was revealed to be a shuttle bay, and within as the runabout approached, uniformed figures could be seen awaiting the Clarion's arrival.

Peering out the runabout's forward canopy, Jaeih could see her daughter, and the Human commander beside her she knew all too well, alongside Klingons and a few brutes, all in Security gold. Even before the hatch had been unsealed, the message was loud and clear- she was moving from one custody to the next.

As the on board security guard released her seat restraints, Jaeih steeled herself and stood up. As the hatch hissed open, the stern faced Romulan was lead down the short ramp of the Runabout as the guard handed a PaDD with his transfer orders to Commander Paris. All the while, Jaeih simply looked forward, avoiding eye contact with anyone while the perfunctory protocol was carried out.

After a tense moment of silence, the Runabout security guard turned around to reboard the craft as Jaeih finally turned to face her Rita Paris. "I suppose this makes you my newest jailer?"

"Scan her and frisk her, folks. Standard prisoner transfer procedure," the curvaceous commander ordered, ignoring the Romulan woman's pointed barb and in fact ignoring her entirely. Tapping her commbadge, Paris called out, "Captain Telvan, Mrs. Dox is onboard. Would you like to see her now or shall I escort her to the brig first?"

The two security officers exchanged glances, hearing a request that would run contradictory to their previously set parameters, but they said nothing. Which was good, because despite her disdain for it, Paris knew how to play at a bit of theater as well.

Over the comms came the captain's voice. "Telvan here. Please escort her to her new accommodations. As soon as I'm finished with these briefings I'll go to meet with Mrs. Dox in person."

"Aye Captain," Paris replied. With a nod, the Lu took the lead, and the Wil'I'Ams sisters both flanked the Romulan woman, even as Paris and Dox fell in behind them as Jablonski took up the rear guard.

As the group moved to the nearest turbolift, Jaeih spoke out behind her as she walked. "Was this how you wanted our reunion to go, Mnhei'sahe?"

After a moment of silence, the young Romulan lieutenant replied flatly. "No, it wasn't. But it is what it is and it didn't have to be this way, did it?"

The pointed reference to how poorly their time together on Earth shut the awkwardly interaction down as they continued to walk in silence.

For her part, Commander Paris kept her own counsel. She was bringing the Romulan woman to the brig in order to set low expectations and a sense that she was not here as an honored guest, but as a prisoner, in worse straits than she had been in on Earth at Starfleet Intel. The Captainb could choose to do her bargaining through a forcefield or dress Paris down for insulting an honored guest as she whisked the Romulan woman off to creature comforts and a deal to be struck. This gave the Captain options.

Internally she had to admit she also wasn't personally inclined to offer the woman courtesies and accommodations. If she'd been honest with her daughter and brought the truth to light, there could have been more trust and closeness built. But she had lied and broken what trust her daughter had extended to her once more, and Jaeih Dox had rest their counter to no communication at all, at least as far as Paris knew. Yet here they were, because the Captain needed the woman's help, for her to exert her influence in the Captain's struggle for freedom from her family.

Which also bothered Rita Paris, because she felt the Romulan intelligence asset would take advantage of any opportunity for slef-interest, and had no intention of returning to Starfleet custody. If anything, she expected betrayal out of the woman, and she'd be keeping an eye on her, amongst all the rest of the chaos she'd have to navigate in the upcoming tribunal. Fortunately, she did her best navigating while lost,m so there were high hopes to get the Captain and crew through this mess.

But one eye would always be on the Romulan bird of prey she was marching into a cell.

"Cell 7, open forcefield, general population," Paris called out as she made her way into the brig, passing through the forcefields and blast doors at their approach because she was expected. The two security officers at the front desk tapped in the commands and called back with an "Aye, Commander."

After having passed through the six checkpoints to access the main brig, a large circular chamber in the lower saucer section wherein a segment of the cells faced one another. There was one malingerer sleeping it off and the rest of the dozen cells were empty. The prisoner escort stepped to the cell numbered on the wall with a large '7' and the forcefield dropped, As Paris addressed one of the Klingon security officers.

"Ms. V'Nus, the cuffs shouldn't be necessary, she's a low flight risk. In you go, Mrs. Dox," Paris addressed the subject of stepping into her cell much the same as she would to invite Miss Dox to board a shuttle- polite, but directing.

"Quaint." The elder Romulan said as she stepped in to her accommodations. "I'm feeling more helpful already. Starfleet courtesy remains boundless, as ever."

Turning, she looked past her daughter to Rita Paris. "Sixteen years of indentured servitude for smuggling Kali-Fal and refugees. But the pirate princess is given a Starship and made its master. Do you ever wonder what crimes your benevolent Starfleet ignored for the favor of her family?"

Cracking a rueful smile, Paris replied evenly. "Like everything to me, it's history. What matters is the here and now, where we're writing history. How's your chapter coming along?" Paris paused to narrow her eyes a bit. "Forcefield on."

With that, the Security chief did a sharp military column left then marched out, the escort detail pivoting to departing behind her, leaving only Lieutenant Mnhei'sahe Dox behind on the other side of the forcefield.

After a moment of extended silence, Jaeih turned and sat down on the bed against the back wall letting out a sigh. As she spoke again, it was in the native Rihan that was the first language of the two women. "You're chosen... Sister... certainly enjoys flexing her authority. That must be a joy to be around."

Replying evenly in Rihan, Mnhei'sahe spoke. "You've done your best to make yourself unwelcome here, Mother. You lied to me about almost everything I've asked since we began speaking again. When I was at my most desperate, begging you for the truth, you lied about everything. But I know better now than to bother asking for anything from you."

"Well, your Captain certainly plans to ask things of me. Thought this is hardly setting things off to a good start." Jaeih gestured to her surroundings.

"You'll do what you'll do regardless of this or you wouldn't have come. Whatever you have lied to me about, I believe you think it needed to be done to protect me. I believe that you did at least once believe in why we saved Rihannsu from tyranny. I believe that you sincerely worked for reunification. I believe that you will stand against the Orion Syndicate with Captain Telvan against her mother." Mnhei'sahe said as she stepped closer to the force field.

"For someone with no trust in me, you seem to have an inordinate amount of belief." Jaeih stood back up and stepped closer to her side of the force field.

"I trust you, mother. I trust you to be who you are. You believe you've been protecting me for my whole life, and if you're still willing to lie to me, I guess that means you still care."

"I have always loved you, Mnhei'sahe. I will always love you. And I will always act in what I believe to be your best interests." Jaeih replied with a pleading in her voice.

"I know, mother. I wanted to believe that you didn't. It was easier to try and hate you, but I don't want to hate you. I don't want to have regrets anymore." Mnhei'sahe paused and stepped slight back from the force field. "I love you, Mother. And I want to like you. But I won't ask you to be something you aren't for me, not anymore"

Moving slightly closer, the forcefield flared slightly against Jaeih's breath as she wanted to reach forward. "What... do you mean, Mnhei'sahe?"

Turning towards the security exit, Mnhei'sahe looked back over her shoulder towards her mother. "It means I won't ask you for the truth again, Mother. That way, you won't ever have to lie to me. I know who I am now. I know who I want to be, and that will be enough."

In the cell, Jaeih had no words in response as she stepped back from the forcefield.

After a long moment, Mnhei'sahe left the room, leaving Jaeih Dox feeling more alone than when she was on the other side of the Galaxy.