A Talk in Ten-Forward

Posted on Tue Apr 30th, 2019 @ 10:32am by Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Jaeih Dox-t'Aan

Mission: Detours
Location: Ten-Forward
Timeline: 2396

Stepping into Ten-Forward, half the eyes in the room turned to look at Jaeih Dox. The Romulan woman was dressed in her usual attire, the dark grey Starfleet Intelligence tunic she had been wearing for some time as a 'consultant' for that shadowy branch of the fleet.

In reality, her consultation was a plea deal she had made to ensure that Smuggling charges would never be placed on her then 16-year-old daughter when their ship was taken into Federation custody. That daughter was now Lieutenant Mnhei'sahe Dox, Chief Flight Control Officer of the U.S.S. Hera, the ship Jaeih was now serving her sentence upon.

As always, Jaeih was accompanied by two security officers. Tonight, it was Petty officers Grell and Wagner. Grell, the shorter of the two, was stocky and thickly built Bajoran with a close-cropped head of black hair, and stood guard at the door to the lounge. Wagner was a taller, but equally thickly built woman of human origin that accompanied the elder Romulan woman into Ten-Forward.

The room had taken to mumbling about the Hera's newest resident as Wagner gestured to an open table by the windows. "How's this, Ma'am?"

Commander Rita Paris was in charge of the security on the Hera, and Jaeih Dox was to be considered and treated as any VIP guest, and Wagner was warm and polite, not liking all the scuttlebutt she was picking up.

"This should be perfect. Thank you, Miss Wagner." the elder Dox took a seat and gestured to her escort to take the seat next to her. "No thank you, ma'am. Eating on duty is frowned upon. I’ll be with Petty Officer Grell at the entrance if needed."

The reply was professional but polite as the statuesque woman made her way to the door where she stood guard, stoically. Moments later, Lieutenant Mnhei’sahe Dox entered.

The red-headed Romulan woman flashed a small smile at the security officers and began to walk towards her seated Mother, turning to raise an eyebrow at a nearby table as she passed them, as they were clearly trying to talk about the mysterious Romulan woman that was a topic among much of the lower deck crew. Very quickly, the muttering stopped and conversations returned to normal. Mnhei'sahe Dox had a reputation among the crewmembers for being a harsh department head and her regular training sessions with the security crew were well known, in spite of her being a pilot.

"Jolan'Tru, Mother." She nodded as she greeted her mother in a traditional, Romulan fashion.

"Jolan'Tru, Daughter. I'm glad you could make the time to dine with me this evening." Jaeih said as Mnhei'sahe took her seat.

“Have you ordered anything yet?” Mnhei'sahe asked as she got settled it.

“Nothing yet. I only arrived a few moments prior to yourself.” Jaeih replied. In spite of their warming personal relationship, the pair still had very official mannerisms with each other which came off as a little cold. But, in truth, Jaeih had been almost more of a commanding officer to Mnhei'sahe growing up then a Mother and it showed.

“Well, the menu has a number of really good Romulan dishes I had them add, unless you're feeling adventurous tonight.” Mnhei'sahe added with a lighter tone.

“Adventurous would be in having something traditional. The meals at Starfleet Intelligence were sad attempts at Rihannsu cuisine was… lacking. I look forward to something you had programmed.” Jaeih replied with a slight smile, using the true name of their shared people rather than the standardized word of ‘Romulan’.

As the server came over, they asked the group for their orders, and in short order, Dox ordered a simple beef stew and Jaeih ordered a plate of Viinerine, a common dish among Romulan military, but one she hadn’t had in quite some time. Mnhei’sahe ordered a glass of a tart Romulan beverage called lehe'jhme juice while Jaeih ordered a glass of Kali-Fal.

“The Captain provided a lovely bottle of Preator’s Choice upon my onboarding that I have in my quarters. But I’ve been told that this lounge was well stocked with high quality, non-synthoholic varieties as well. Another delicacy I was… denied on Earth that I’ve enjoyed since my transfer.” Jaieh added as their drinks were delivered. “I’m surprised that you’re opting for lehe'jhme juice, Mnhei’sahe. You were better at telling a vintage at taste than I was.”

Immediately, Mnhei’sahe’s body language stiffened slightly as she took a drink of her juice. “I’ve… I’ve stopped drinking. Since Mona and I began living together. When we began developing our bond. I…”

It was clear that the younger Romulan was slightly nervous now. “...there were some parts of myself I didn’t want to share with her. Me drunk was one of them.”

Setting her own drink down, Jaeih didn’t know quite how to react at first. “I… I see. Your father had… difficulties with such matters. He was a good man, but he could become… violent.”

“So can I.” Mnhei’sahe replied flatly before changing the subject slightly. “But I have… better outlets for that now. On Commander Paris’ request, I’ve been teaching the security team Llaekh-ae'rl fighting and defensive techniques. So far, just the milder stuff by and large. But we’ve got two Klingon officers that I spar with that I’ve been showing some of the harder moves. For their part, they’re teaching me Mok’bara, so it’s been a fair exchange that has given me a better outlet for my… issues.”

“I remember the Mok'bara well." Jaeih replied, rubbing her nose where Mnhei'sahe broke it a couple of days earlier in a sparring session.

’"That said, I am glad you have been able to find and outlet that is working better for you Mnhei’sahe. How did you end up teaching the Security team? It’s not exactly something I imagine falls under the aegis of the flight department.” Jaeih asked, taking another sip of her drink, keeping to herself her high satisfaction with its quality so as to not exasperate Mnhei’sahe’s temptations.

“Well… Asa… Doctor Dael. Our ship’s Chief Medical Officer and I are very close friends. And during Shore Leave, not too long after our talk on Earth, they had been kidnapped by mercenaries. The Hera was unable to respond in time to a distress signal they were able to send off.” Mnhei’sahe took a drink of her own drink, pausing for a moment.

“I have a… personal ship. And I took it and went after her. I had no weapons and when I found the mercenaries they had… beaten Asa badly. It was… I…” Mnhei’sahe took another long drink, eyeing Jaeih’s for the briefest of seconds. “I didn’t kill them. But when the Commander saw the report of their injuries, she became… interested.”

“Our… former Security chief and team were… well, I can’t go into details as it’s classified, but they were in serious need of replacement, and Commander Paris took over the position and asked for my assistance on occasion.” Dox continued as their food arrived.

“Well, judging from the quality of the women who have guarded me, I’d say she is an exceptional Security Chief and that your lessons have been well received. Each officer has been beyond exceptional AND remarkably well mannered.” Jaeih looked over at the two guards with a slight smile as she spoke.

“So, I realized that since I’ve come on board, we’ve talked about my past. Our issues. Your relationship with Mona…” In spite of herself, Jaeih paused ever so slightly and smiled as she mentioned the Miradonian woman that was, in essence, her Daughter-in-Law. “...But we’ve not talked much about you.”

“When we were separated by light years, you couldn’t even say the name of this ship over sub-space frequencies. I was… hoping to find out more about your life her on the Hera. What you’ve done.” Jaeih leaned in and took a bit of her meal while she waited, raising her eyebrows, pleased by the taste.

Taking a bit of her stew, Mnhei’sahe sat back slightly, thinking. “Well, the nature of this ship and her missions means much of the details are still classified, you understand. But… what do you want to know?”

Without a moment of hesitation, Jaeih leaned in to speak with a serious look on her face. “You said that a… psychic attack… lead to the revelation of the memories that enabled you to remember your real name. That… we had you surgically altered. But you could never say what happened.”

“It would be that…” Mnhei’sahe muttered. The subject was still a topic that gave her nightmares and while they have lessened, she disliked bringing the incident up. And even less so in mixed company. As such, when she next spoke, it was in her native tongue of Rihan.

“We were attacked. The ship was assaulted by beings of… deity-level abilities. One targeted me on the ship because of technology that had… inadvertently opened my mind to psychic detection and invasion. The… barriers in my mind had been stuck open. And it attracted a being that wanted that technology.” Mnhei’sahe hemmed and hawed around the specifics of the attack. She didn’t mention the experimental flight control helmet Mona designed that opened her mind artificially. And she never mentioned the God Anansi by name.

“It wanted the technology. I refused it. So it invaded my mind to try and dig out the information. To force me to give it up. It did so by… pulling up things I had forgotten, presented to me as nightmares. However, it had another consequence that caused a series of strokes as my brain began to bleed. If not for Asa, I would have died as a result.” Mnhei’sahe continued.

Across the table, Jaeih looked stunned. She had only been aware of the broadest strokes of the story. And even in this truncated version, it was still horrible enough for a Mother to hear. “By Al’hindor… I can’t… I’m sorry that I couldn’t have been here for you during all of this. And I’m sorry that it had… such secrets to use against you.”

The younger Dox could see the guild begin to spread as she interjected. “My recovery… it brought me to where I am now, Mother. Commander Paris and Asa carried me back to who I didn’t even know I was. They saved my life in more ways than I can say. It is why they are both my chosen family. My siblings.” As she spoke, she smiled warmly.

“Then they both have my eternal gratitude, Mnhei’sahe. Truly.” Jaeih was trying to maintain her composure, though she was becoming more emotional as they spoke. But as she spoke, her mind began to process the information. “You said… this technology opened your mind to psychic attack?”

Stopping Jaeih before she went much further, Dox replied with an attempt at a reassuring smile. “That door has been… closed. At least for now. But it was… a challenge to get there.”

Taking another bite of her meal, Jaeih lifted an eyebrow sarcastically. “Really, Mnhei’sahe? You can’t say that and be cryptic about it.”

“Scrunching her face, the red-headed Romulan fidgeted in her seat slightly. “It opened what I was told was the...Ninth gate of my mind. It opened my psychic perceptions but also turned my mind into a virtual glowing invitation to psychic forces. To give you an idea, I had to begin training my mind with Lieutenant Sonak. He’s a Vulcan Kohlinar master, and when he mind-melded with me, the pull was so great he had to physically break contact with me at first. His mind was simply drawn into mine. But he’s also an… exceptional teacher. He’s been teaching me to discipline my mind and mental defenses since that first attack and he taught me how to push him out of my mind. But in that time it was open…”

“What happened, Mnhei’sahe?” Jaeih asked with genuine concern in her voice.

“A lot. There was… an entity trapped on the ship. A being of… immeasurable power… at least a piece of one. And because of that open door, it could communicate with me. But to save it… get it home… it needed a host to leave the ship. And… And I volunteered. It could have only been me.” Mnhei’sahe tried to smile at the memory that was equal parts impossible wonder and terrifying fear. “But we did it. It...merged with me for a little while and we… uh… got it home.”

“What does that mean?” Jaeih spoke up, insistent. She knew when her daughter was keeping out information and she wasn’t having it. “The part that isn’t classified that you’re still not telling me! What happened?”

Taking another, longer look at her Mother’s drink, Mnhei’sahe licked her lips slightly and looked down at the table. “I was beamed off of the ship… Into... space.”

”WHAT!?! They BEAMED you into SPACE?!” Jaeih shouted in Rihan, causing every head in the room to turn towards them. Without missing a beat, the elder Romulan turned towards the room and scoffed in basic. “Oh, mind your business. Drink your drinks.”

Embarrassed, most did as she returned to Rihan and a much lower tone of voice. “They beamed you into space, Mnhei’sahe? This is what Enalia means by ‘keeping you safe’?”

“Mother, it’s not like that.” the younger woman protested. “It was my choice. But it had to be done. I promised it we would get it home. And I’m still here, Rei and He…” Dox stopped herself before mentioning that both Death herself and the Goddess Hera intervened to save her as their existence was classified, as was their status as Jaeih’s neighbors on Deck 8.

“Everyone came together to save me. Even classified people. And here I am.” Dox added with a smirk. “I merged with a cosmic being and lived to talk about it.”

“And you almost died… again! I think I need to have a long talk with your Captain about…” Jaeih was in full-on overprotective Mother mode before Mnhei’sahe cut her off.

“You will do no such thing, Mother. Risk is part of this uniform. You know that. And I’ll risk myself again when it is needed. But we always do everything we can to make sure we all come home. I trust the Captain with my life, Mother. And she trusts me.” Mnhei’sahe’s tone was serious and firm, but reassuring.

There was a long pause, as Jaeih looked across at her daughter. Both women taking awkward bites of their meals before either woman spoke.

Breaking the silence, Mnhei’sahe interjected. “That door’s been closed, but when it was open, it enabled me to bond with Mona. And that bond was powerful. We could see into each other's minds. Share our thoughts and feelings. Even our dreams. Without that risk, I would never have experienced that. And even now, with that door closed, what I learned in that time has enabled us to maintain that link. It’s not as strong, but it’s getting stronger every day.”

Jaeih allowed a slight smile to creep across her stern face as Mnhei’sahe continued. “With time and more training, Sonak thinks I may get back to where I was naturally. Without the danger of that door being open. I could conceivably get to Vulcan levels of mental control. That wouldn’t have even been a thought in my mind before.”

“Well, if any Romulan could achieve that, I’ve no doubt it will be you.” Jaeih added with no small amount of pride before her tone returned to inquisitive. "But... how did this door get closed?"

"Uh... Extremely classified..." Mnhei'sahe pondered for a second trying to sum up the experience with as little detail as possible. "The entity that I merged with was a shard of a larger entity and we used that link to ask it to... leave... which it did. But it shut the door on it's way out."

"Well, that's both vague and horrifying." Jaeih rised an eyebrow as she finished her meal. "Please tell me that's the worst of it. You've not been here a full year yet, after all."

Taking a last spoonful of her stew, Mnhei'sahe rolled her eyes A bit. "Maybe we should just say it is and skip the rest."

"I cannot believe that I almost wish you were less competent so you would have continued to be stationed someplace safer." Jaeih shook her head and sighed as she took a sip of her Kali-Fal. "But I believe you're correct, daughter. Ignorance, in this case, may in fact be bliss."

Looking across the table at her mother, Mnhei'sahe smiled lightly. She seemed almost like a different woman since coming on board. And the young Romulan office was glad for it. She felt as if she was meeting her mother for the first time.

"So... have has your work been since your transfer, Mother?" Mnhei'sahe asked with the slightest smile.

"Much more satisfying then what I was assigned to at Starfleet Intelligence." Jaeih replied, nursing her mostly empty glass as she looked around the room. "The research and development team is... an unusual grouping to work with. But all are highly skilled. And I am grateful for my time working on the this new Scorpion replica with Mona. It's given us a bit of time to get to know each other without it being centered around you."

"I met her on the job, first. She's beyond brilliant and the best pilot I've ever seen." Dox finished off her own drink and gestured to the bartender for refills. "She beats my numbers every time. If she wanted it, she'd probably be a Commander by now."

"We're talking about Mona's career now, Mnhei'sahe. Not yours." Jaeih mentioned, leaning on her arm with a cocked eyebrow.

"What's to talk about? I haven't been busted back to an Ensign so far, so I guess I'm holding my own." Mnhei'sahe deflected slightly as their fresh drinks arrived. Taking a sip, she looked across the table at her mother who was simply watching.

"You're expecting that, for some reason?" Jaeih replied, taking a drink. "Is that what you want, Daughter? To fail?"

"What? No, Mother." Mnhei'sahe replied with a hint of indignation. "Of course not, I just..."

The anxious aviatrix sat back and thought for a second. "With the Captain's tribunal and my... conflicting responsibilities as both an Officer of this ship and one of her Baronesses... there's a more than decent chance of me being forced to do something that ruins my career here."

"You know that world well, Mother..." Mnhei'sahe continued while Jaeih listened intently. "I have no illusions of what I may need to do if the situation requires it. No romantic ideal that's clouding my judgement here. But everything about being a Baroness in the Artan Family is at odds with my Starfleet duties. Commander Paris is... extremely opposed to my having taken the Baroness appointment."

"She cares about you, Mnhei'sahe. That much is evident. But her adherence to the principles of what Starfleet is supposed to be are extreme. She is uncompromising and this affair is nothing but compromise." Jaeih added. "That puts her in a difficult position. She is torn as well."

"I know. But we have to succeed. We need to..." Mnhei'sahe cut herself off. There was simply no euphemism or way to talk around the highly classified facts around what she and Commander Paris knew.

There was no way to explain to her mother anything about Kodria, the Android from nearly a century into their future who visited the ship. Who revealed herself to be the granddaughter of Captain Enalia Telvan and told Paris of just what this tribunal was going to do to the Captain and her soul.

Instead, she scrunched her face and took a drink. "We need to help the Captain to not become what her mother wants her to be. At all costs."

"You realize that she may have no choice, Mnhei'sahe?" Jaeih took a drink. "Her mother has poisoned what the Artan family once was. That poison runs deep, and removing Arenara from the head of the family will not undo the systemic damage. She may need to take her place is she truly wishes to right it's course."

There was a thick silence between the two for a moment. Mnhei'sahe nursed her juice as she thought before finally breaking that silence.

"I... Like what I'm building here, Mother. I'm... I'm proud of that. I did a lot to get away from the life of being a smuggler. Of living on the edges of that life for so long. But when the Captain offered me a way back into it, I didn't even consider saying no. She was a pirate Princess AND a Starfleet Captain, after all. She reminded me that my life before wasn't all bad. And there were parts of it I missed. So, I thought that it was something I could dip my feet into, but on some level I knew better "

"I knew that I was sabotaging this life here. I know I'm still doing it. Maybe because it would just be... easier." The conflicted officer took another glance at her mother's Kali-Fal.

"And then what, Mnhei'sahe? You throw away your career her to be, what? An Artan Baroness? Is that what you want? You're deluding yourself if you think that path is somehow easier. Less formal. Less pressure to be proper. But no less responsibility. You would still be responsible for lives. And still be responsible for the lives you'll take."

Shooting a glare across the table, Mnhei'sahe's smile evaporated. "Don't think I don't know that, Mother. We both know full well what that life means. And we both have blood on our hands because of it. I'm under no delusions."

"And what about Mona? Is she going to be your pirate bride? That brilliant mind put to service doing what? Repairing strike ships out on the edge of the Neutral Zone? Raising the next generation of Artan pirates to throw their lives away chasing a freedom they know is a lie?" Jaeih snapped back. "No. I won't have it. I won't let you throw your life away for that."

"I have a responsibility now, Mother. And I can't walk away from that because it might end badly for me. If I did, I wouldn't deserve to wear this. And I wouldn't deserve her." Mnhei'sahe said plainly. "I have no intentions of destroying this life. And no desire to do so, either."

"Are you sure about that, Mnhei'sahe? Are you sure you aren't still trying to punish yourself, because that is exactly what it looks like from here. I know all about punishing ones self, so I'm very well qualified in this arena." Jaeih's tone softened as she reached across to put her hand on her daughter's.

"You deserve THIS life, Mnhei'sahe. Here, with this family you have found. The family I could never provide. You deserve your successes. You deserve happiness. You deserve Mona and you owe it to her to FINALLY BELIEVE that." Jaeih continued with a warmth to her voice that almost seemed alien to her daughter who was stifling a tear.

"This life you've chosen is difficult. Doing the right thing always is, daughter." The elder Romulan leaned in. "By Al'hindor, I think it actually MIGHT be easier living at the end of a pirates sword then trying to survive the nightmares you've described that happen on this ship. But the rewards are far, far greater. That life would destroy you as much as it would Enalia. This life can rebuild you, Mnhei'sahe."

"But it's your choice. Give up everything NOW because you're scared of losing it later. Give up because its easier than trying and failing. But if you do, you're giving up on more than yourself." Jaeih had an insistent tone.

"But know that you, yourself, are worthy of these rewards you are now enjoying. You do not need to punish yourself for wanting them, Mnhei'sahe."

Across the table, Mnhei'sahe Dox had no words. Nothing to say. She knew her mother was right. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew it all the same. Instead, she smiled slightly and nodded, a plaintiff look on her troubled face.

She wanted to keep what she had. And she selfishly wanted more. She wanted the happiness she had spent years sabotaging. She wanted this life, as she looked down NOT At her mother's drink, but instead at the Starfleet Delta on her chest.

She wanted this life, and she was going to keep it no matter what.