TRIBUBAL Part 14 - The Innocent

Posted on Wed Jun 19th, 2019 @ 8:28am by Commander Rita Paris & Captain Enalia Telvan & Lieutenant Commander Thex sh'Zoarhi & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Commander Sonak & Ensign Tathaa & Emergency Medical Hologram (Adam Power) Mk X & Kodria Mizu
Edited on on Fri Jun 21st, 2019 @ 9:09am

Mission: Fractured Fairy Tales
Location: USS Hera, Deck 13, Nursery/playschool facilities
Timeline: 2396, Post-Tribunal

Standing at the window of the newborn nursery, looking in at a small spotted baby with an unruly mop of dark hair, most of the command staff of the USS Hera stood, contemplating the fate of the innocent who had been thrust into conflict and used as a pawn, a bargaining chip. Now that the criminals had been captured and those who had created her solely to be a hostage were no longer in command of her destiny, a different question posed itself.

"So do we know if she really is a clone of you, Captain?" Rita Paris asked, still clad in the simple Sickbay pajamas that Doctor Dael had insisted upon. After all, they weren't that happy about the recovering Commander being up and about on the Hera in the first place, and they knew that if given her uniform and her freedom the ship's first officer would simply return to work. Thus Asa was holding Paris' anachronistic uniform hostage to ensure that the wounded warrior woman would return to her sickbed when this particular challenge was confronted.

The spotted Captain Enalia Telvan pressed her forehead to the window, and was lost in thought for a moment before replying. "No. She's a flawed clone of my mother. Asa says she has about a month to live at best." The soft sorrow in the Trill woman's voice was almost palpable, but she didn't let herself cry in front of the others. "I haven't told Maica yet. With how hard we've been trying to have a child between us..."

She then let out a shuddering sigh as she stared at the black haired baby in quarantine. "Asa and the EMH... Doctor Power... They're looking into a few things. They're even going so far as to ask Hera's advice, I think."

"Asa will figure it out, Captain." Lieutenant Mnhei'sahe Dox spoke softly, her hand on the glass as she couldn't take her eyes off of the baby. "They put my own DNA back together. If anyone in the universe can find a solution, they can. I know it."

"The greater question here is not if we can save her, I think," Rita opined, draping her arm across the Captain's shoulders to offer emotional support while it, in turn, helped Rita herself remain upright. "The real question in my mind is what next? Assuming we can save her, what happens to her then? It wasn't her fault how she was created, or with whom she shares genetics. In all of this, she's an innocent."

"She is innocent..." Enalia began, her face taking on a more determined look. "And she's family. Clone or not, she's still part of my family and that's all there is to it. However long she lives, she'll be my daughter from this day forward. My mother gave her a name, but I don't think it was very fitting. I think... If she can survive... Schwein once told me about her training buddy at the colony she grew up on with a name I think is fitting. It meant shared fate."

"Well, if she's a Telvan, then she's guaranteed to make it," Rita said softly, squeezing the captain's shoulder a bit. "I've never met a more determined bunch in my life. So what will you name her, Enalia?"

"Moira Artan," Enalia declared, standing up straight, determined to see this through.

Which was when a strange meowing chirrup came from one of the sickbay consoles. On it was a waiting message addressed to both Rita and Mnhei'sahe.

The EMH, Doctor Adam Power was the first to it. "It seems there's a message waiting for both Commander Paris and Lieutenant Dox on this console from... The computer?" Shaking his head, he moved off to continue studying the scans of the baby.

Cricking an eyebrow for an instant, Dox looked over to Rita as her eyes went slightly wide with the possibility of what this could be.

"Hmmm... I had thought that the further we went in changing the timeline, the fewer of these that Kodria recordings would pop up," Rita opined. "But changing the future doesn't change the past, so regardless of what we change moving into Kodria's possible future, I suppose her messages will still pop up from time to time. So, possible spoilers ahead for those of you who concern yourself with such things, and you may leave the room if you wish to not be potentially burdened with foreknowledge. Otherwise, Doctor, if you please?"

Doctor Power tapped the message and playback began. As they thought, it was Kodria in one of the Hera's guest rooms just like the others. As soon as it started, she smiled that innocent, child-like smile of hers and waved at the camera. "Hey! This message, if it's triggered, means that you changed your future and my past. It also means that of the one hundred eighty messages I recorded, you've likely skipped around half a dozen of them and at least three dozen more won't be delivered."

Taking a deep breath, the young android continued. "That being said, congratulations on fully winning the Tribunal. If this triggers properly, you should have a baby clone of great-grandma Arenara aboard with about four weeks left to live, and Enalia has just declared her new name. One of the stories about my mother that always bothered me was that Enalia just knew exactly where to find the right donor for the right DNA after the Tribunal, and it just made no sense to me. I'm going to entrust that story with you and let you sort it out, in case something changed, and that information is needed to make sure I'm born."

Looking down at her hands for a moment, Kodria collected her thoughts before continuing. "About a week after her mother's death, Enalia sent out a team to The Drelax Club on Inris four. There's an Orion woman working there that's supposedly the model for Maica. Supposedly they talked her into making a donation of blood, but I never could confirm that. What I do know is that my mother has both Trill and Orion DNA."

"This probably breaks several articles of the Temporal Prime Directive, but... Well, if I wake up and still exist, they can charge me for breaking it." Kodria smiled that innocent smile of hers again before reaching out and ending the message.

"So the messages are keyed to specific events in the timeline," Dox all but muttered to herself, thinking aloud as she processed everything that was said. It was a message for the Captain, but addressed to herself and Rita. And as the red-headed Romulan was learning, that was usually for a reason. Whatever the outcome, Rita and herself would likely be required to execute it. "In preparation for the tribunal, I studied the region extensively. Inris Four... That's under Syndicate control. We aren't exactly welcome there as Starfleet OR Artans."

"Then I guess we'll have to go as private citizens," Rita declared. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have been suspicious, but Kodria genuinely had the Captain's well being first and foremost in her mind. As evidenced by how she had prepared these illegal little time capsules like breadcrumbs, telling them only vagaries and key points. As she was trying to improve the lot of those she cared about rather than profiting herself, the young android's altruism was easy to believe. In short, Rita trusted the kid from the future who was going to be sleeping it off for the better part of the next century. So when she named who would be able to supply the other half of her creator's DNA, Paris believed her.

Not that she herself was in any shape to go on a covert mission to Syndicate space, after having been stabbed and nearly bleeding out after. She'd have to wait until at least tomorrow. Which recalling that she'd accidentally murdered the queen regent of the Artan fleet immediately gave her pangs of guilt. Which she determined she would help assuage by saving this innocent, who had been created almost as an afterthought by the monster Rita had disintegrated. It made her feel no better about what she'd done, but it might at least help balance the scales a bit.

"My mother would have sent people that would be expected," Enalia began, her brows furrowed. She'd been searching for the woman mentioned for years and neither she nor Maica could find her. Now she knew why. "We won't be able to send anyone from the command staff, will we? Plus we'll need to know a few bits of information that my mother knew. Do you think we might be able to get it out of Mudd?"

"I guarantee it, ma'am. You just tell me what you want to know from him. And I believe I know a few private citizens who might be willing to volunteer," Paris offered with resolve. "Well get this done. No innocent should ever have to suffer if it's preventable."

"I agree... least of all this one. She hasn't had a chance to even figure out who she is yet, and I'd like to see her given that chance." Enalia nodded and turned to look at the assembled crew before her, hands on her hips and a determined look in her eye. "Okay then. We have the start of a plan, and we know where to look. Now we just have to make things happen."

Sonak was listening and thinking in utter silence, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. It was at this moment that he finally spoke.

''For all intent and purposes, DNA is like a language; a sequence of components with a defined order to produce a defined result and transmit that sequence in a definite manner. Here it is proteins that are used as building blocks to whatever organism is concerned. And it so happens that the entire genome sequence of all known sentient corporeal entities in the Federation is on record, as well as that of many individuals; most notably, unusual hybrids and anyone who ever used a transporter at least once.''

He looked at his commanding officer.

''If we use the transporter biometric analyzer to record the child's specific genetic makeup and then of the most compatible genetic donor, we could use the ship's computer to map out a corrected genome. We then could use this as a blueprint to eliminate the genetic defects and ensure the child's viability for the long term.''

"Excellent idea, Mr. Sonak. While you work on that, I'll contact the away team and brief them, see what resources they might need and get them on standby to get underway, just to cover all of the bases," Rita confirmed, turning to look at the newborn struggling for life on the other side of the window. "Time isn't on our side for little Moira, so we'll need to give her every chance we can."

At that, Rita leaned on Sonak's steady broad shoulder, her injuries and limited energy catching up with her. "Or maybe you should brief them, Captain..."

As Rita spoke, Dox listened and realized that one of the civilians that she was talking about was very likely her mother, who was now working as a free intelligence operative for the Hera. And as she thought of that, her thoughts went to another of Kodria's messages. A message that hinted that she might have only a short time left with her mother.

"Uh... Commander. Captain. I know this might not be the best time, but... Uh... before you ask them to go, there was something I wanted to ask."

Enalia sensed it was something important so adopted a more concerned look, hoping it wasn't something bad. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, not something bad, per say." Dox replied anxiously, "It's just... I didn't want to rush this but I'd like to do this before... well, assuming my Mother is going to be asked to go on this mission... I'd like her to be here for..."

The nervous lieutenant had hoped to wait until a better time to ask her Captain, but she dreaded the idea of the idea that her mother might not be there. "I... Mona and I... we wanted to hold our bonding ceremony while we were here. We've been talking about it for a while, and... well... before she leaves... I would like my mother to be there."

"And I know it's asking a lot, all things considered..." Dox straightened herself up to attention, "...but there's nobody else I would want to perform the ceremony."

"I would be honored to perform the ceremony," Enalia grinned from ear to ear. She was overjoyed at the extra good news. She'd heard rumors that they were planning something, but didn't know if anything had been set in stone yet. "Do you have plans already laid out or... Do you need a party planner?"

As the captain offered the services of her wife as a party planner, it was understood that would make Maica happy to be able to throw another wedding, this time a lavish one. When Rita had wed Sonak she had robbed the Captain's holographic bride of her grandiose plans with her desire for a simple chapel wedding. While she was sad to have hurt the woman's feelings, Rita and Sonak had exchanged their vows in their own way, in their own little chapel. This time Maica would be allowed to indulge her creativity, which would certainly perk her up.

As for Lieutenant Dox's anxiety, the first officer understood. Kodria had perhaps forecast, as had Death, that her time with her mother could be limited. Now every mission she undertook might be her last, which was something that would have to be addressed- assuming said predictions did not come true. But for now, she wanted her wedding to be held in short order, before sending the Romulan and Vulcan agents back into the field.

It was a selfish request, and Dox knew it, which was why she was so hesitant to ask. But were they to send Jaieh off, never to return, and she were to miss the wedding... it would cast a pall across their entire marriage. Sonak had a plan that might circumvent the necessity for the manhunt for the Orion woman, so that possibility was quite distinct. And little Moira Artan was an innocent in all of this, but she had the best care Starfleet could muster, and she would have every chance to stay the hand of Death.

"Can we do it in a week?" Rita asked. "If the infiltration team are to have enough time to go, find the sample and return in time, little Moira's on a bit of a time clock. But your point is well made, and frankly, Lieutenant, you've never asked for anything for yourself in your entire service on this vessel. I'm inclined to grant it, if we can work quickly. Captain?"

Enalia thought it over a moment and nodded. "I think we can have it done that quickly. We have the resources of a fortress and the ship, after all. Then we can send the away team out after that in our fastest runabout. If that's ok with you and Mona?"

Dox nodded. "Absolutely, Captain. Mona has everything planned and we can get it done in no time. And In the meantime, I'll make sure every Runabout we have is prepped and ready."

"Civilian craft, not a runabout," Paris corrected, then wobbled a bit on her feet. Grasping Sonak's shoulder with a bit more urgency, locking her hands together as his hand slid about her waist to keep the injured officer on her feet. "Okay, that's the sign for me to get back to Sickbay before Doc Dael chews me out. Wedding bells ahoy..."

"Right, you need to get some rest." Enalia waited for Sonak to carry his wife off before turning back to Dox. "And she's right - the away team will have to take a civilian craft. We have a large number of them to choose from, but they're all registered to the family. The only one we have to choose is the Kalia... Something... Please tell me you've put it back together?"

"The Khallianen. Yes. Well, Commander Paris had it reassembled just prior to the tribunal just in case she'd be needed. But she's fully operational, Captain." Dox replied.

"Excellent. Guess who just volunteered to be the point of contact for the mission?" The spotted woman grinned like a cat that just ate a canary.

"Aye, Captain." The perpetually anxious Lieutenant replied, snapping slightly to attention as she did, beginning to grasp the gravity of Captain Telvan's words. "I'll make sure they're ready."

"They'll have to be," she said, her gaze straying back to the innocent caught up in this interstellar game of thrones. A game that Enalia Telvan had been literally born and created for- a game of lies, betrayal, and murder that was meant to end only one way. But thanks to the unlikely family aboard the impossible starship that the Trill Captain called her home, she had found a way to change that game.

The delta of Starfleet led her like a compass to a new destination, and a new hope. Enalia Telvan and her new family had found that new horizon, and she was now free to take both of her families, Starfleet and the Artans, into an unknown future as she locked eyes with the innocent baby that represented that future.

"We'll all have to be ready... for her sake."