Thanks and Concerns

Posted on Mon Oct 28th, 2019 @ 11:38am by Captain Enalia Telvan & Jaeih Dox-t'Aan
Edited on on Thu Oct 31st, 2019 @ 10:58am

Mission: Family Detention
Location: The Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: 2396 - en Route to Earth

It had been an unusual evening for the elder Rihannsu woman, Jaeih Dox. The Independent Intelligence operative had, while relieved of duty pending an investigation into her month spent on a Warbird as a prisoner of the ‘Romulan’ Star Empire, had little to do while the Hera warped under escort back to the Sol system and those investigations and interrogations. So, she had spent the evening in the ships main lounge with her two VERY unlikely friends, Ensign’s Briaar Gavarus and Fiona O’Dell, getting very, very drunk.

Probably more drunk than the usually controlled woman had allowed herself to get in many, many years. But she had genuinely enjoyed herself and thankfully, with modern medicine, hangovers weren’t really a thing she worried about much anymore. At least not with the resources on the Hera.

So, she was alert, sharp and feeling no ill effects from her night of drinking. But her stomach was still in a tight knot as she rode the turbolift to the ship's bridge. She stood, alone in the lift, in her gray Starfleet intel tunic. On her chest, was the custom comm badge Commander Rita Paris had made especially for her, in the shape of the sigil of the Romulan empire she once served and once believed in. It was a badge that she had worn with pride until the kidnapping of her and her daughter. Now the wings of Al’Thindor hung heavy on her chest, a reminder of the fate she had escaped from now twice.

She had made arrangements the day earlier to meet with the ships captain, Enalia Telvan, and her appointment was in but a few minutes. There were things she needed to say to the Trill Captain that Jaeih had known since she was an unjoined, fifteen-year old named Enalia Artan, and she was ready to say them. But she also had concerns, as the Hera was on it’s way to Starfleet Intelligence. To the complex that she had been ‘housed’ in for sixteen years as a prisoner. A gilded cage of a prison, but not one she ever wanted to return to. And she was feeling just the faintest twinges of worry as they were set to go back there and she feared again for her freedom.

As the doors opened, she stepped forward towards the door opposite the lift to the Captain’s ready room. Containing her concern like the trained agent that she was, she pressed the door chime.

"Enter," came the call from the other side of the door as it opened. The Trill woman at the desk looked up from her desk terminal, bleary-eyed and clicked it off as Jaeih entered. "Is it that time already? I swear I'd rather fight a hundred Tal'Shiar than do another of these intel reports... May I offer you some tea? Lemonade? Something from the replicator?"

Stepping inside, her arms folded behind her back as they usually were, Jaeih nodded slightly. “Thank you, Captain. Tea would be fine, thank you.” Jaeih knew well of the woman’s affinity for tea and her collection of exotic tea sets and hoped that beverage request would set a positive tone and chose to be conversational. “I share your disdain for such things, though I find it unusual how much Mnh… Lieutenant Dox seems to find comfort in paperwork. It was not a trait she inherited from me.”

As Enalia opened her desk drawers and retrieved teacups and saucers and a thermos of tea, she nodded in understanding. "I would assume she got it from her father or picked it up in the academy then. It's something they drill into you. She'll make a fine Captain someday." She popped open the thermos and a fine mist escaped as she poured the chilled liquid into the two ornate silver-lined teacups. "Andorian ginger leaf tea. Maica was so busy with Moira this morning I tried my hand at one of the teas that I was fairly confident with so please be honest about it. The teacups are replicas of an Andorian set used by Thalisar the Last. The originals are sitting in my fortress vaults, of course."

Smiling slightly at the effort the young Captain was making for her, Jaeih relaxed ever so slightly as she took the cup, blew on it slightly and took a sip. Rolling it around on her tongue for a moment, the elder Rihannsu woman nodded. “It’s quite good, Thank you. And how is little Moira doing? Or, more accurately, how are you doing, if you don’t mind my impertinence.”

As the Trill woman sipped at her own tea and leaned back in her chair, she seemed to age a little as she did so. "I'm exhausted. My mother used maids and servants to raise my sister and I, so I swore Maica and I would do it ourselves like normal people... But I'm actually considering getting one of those nanny holos they're using in medical. Maica is picking things up fast of course, but she's only had programming and data to go on and we've had to rely on what little maternal instincts I have to guide us a lot of the time."

"But when she smiles up at you and waves one of her toys in the air like a sword..." Enalia couldn't help but grin and sigh. "There's just something that fills your heart..."

Nodding, Jaeih’s smile seemed to become slightly more melancholy as she listened to the Captain, still standing across from the desk. “It is… primarily… of such issues that I wished to speak to you, Captain. Of children and the future, if I may.”

"Well, have a seat and tell me what's on your mind. We've known each other for so long, there's no reason to stand on ceremony." Enalia had that lopsided grin of hers out, but it was softer now. More maternal, perhaps.

Sitting, Jaeih set her teacup on the desk and collected her thoughts. “When I first came aboard your ship… when we first spoke, I asked you to make a promise. A promise that you would protect my daughter from whatever might happen if the Tal’Shiar and her Grandmother learned of her existence. And… while my own opinions regarding Verelan have… softened a bit after my time with her, my daughter is here.”

Taking a breath, it was clear that the usually reserved and controlled woman was having a bit of difficulty saying what she needed to. “She is here and alive with her wife and the children on the way who will now have both of their mothers in their lives. And that is because you upheld your promise at great risk to yourself and the crew and…” The elder Rihannsu woman was as stoic as she could be, but her voice had cracked ever so slightly as she spoke, “...and I am forever in your debt for that, Enalia.”

"Then I expect you'll say yes to being Moira's godmother. Honestly, I can't think of anyone better suited to it." Enalia also set her teacup aside and became more serious. "But I would have done the same, promise or not, simply because I consider both of you to be part of my own family. You've seen how far I'll go for family."

Listening, Jaeih's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide as Enalia's words struck her and, like her Daughter often did, she slipped momentarily into her native Rihan. "Fvah? theirr’anov? Me? You want me to be… her godmother?!"

Picking up her cup and taking a large sip, Jaeih's eyebrows knitted as she thought. "Why does everyone think I’m suited for… Enalia. That Mnhei'sahe is as adjusted as she is is a miracle, considering how I raised her! You cannot be serious."

"And I heard that you're amazing with children. Particularly our resident minotaur babe. Also, if something were to happen to the Queen of the Artans' daughter, I'll know she'll be safe." Enalia had no grin and looked as serious as she could be. "So yes, I am serious. As for well adjusted, look at my mother and myself. I'd like to be considered within tolerances of normal. Schwein was raised on a colony without parents as a supersoldier believing she was created to fight a war that may never happen. Again... Well within the realm of what is considered normal. Our kids will turn out just fine with or without us."

Straightening back up, Jaeih regained her composure and nodded. "Well then, on my honor… on my mnhei'sahe…" she paused slightly on the Rihan word for the Ruling Passion. The code of honor she had named her own child after, before continuing, "I swear to you that Moira will have a godmother who will care for her and serve her until she can no longer draw breath "

"And on my honor, I swear to you that I will be the family that you and yours deserve until the last Artan flag is turned to dust and the last Artan sword is turned to rust." With that oath, Enalia bowed her head for a moment.

Bowing her head in response, Jaeih was silent for a moment as well, but only a moment. As she raised her head, she had a light smile. "Well, oaths aside, I suppose I have a goddaughter to get to know and yet another reason to make it back from our upcoming interrogations at one of my very favorite places."

Now having moved to a slightly lighter topic, Enalia picked up her teacup and saucer and sipped at her tea. "On that subject, I've requested that as a civilian you remain on the Hera for your debriefing. There's no guarantee they'll go along with it, but considering your past reports Admiral Meowlith agrees that it's not outside of the realm of possibility. You'll have access to Jupiter Station's promenades while we're docked, though the facilities there are sparse at best."

"I… appreciate that, Enalia." Jaeih let out a breath as she picked her own tea back up. "I am sure Jupiter is lovely. But just so long as it's not that complex, I will be fine. That said, will you? Commander Paris? The others?"

Taking a sip, Jaeih put her cup back down, leaned forward and crossed her hands with a concerned expression. "These… debriefings. How much trouble will you all be in for rescuing us?"

Enalia nodded before finishing off her own tea and setting her teacup aside. "Yeah, we'll likely be spending at least a few days there. Mnhei'sahe will be facing a particularly lengthy gauntlet of admirals. I also expect DTI to somehow find a reason to show up and interrogate Commander Paris. I'll have to justify the whole mission... But I heard that Farenia was promoted before getting word that we were successful, which means they either expected us to not come back, hoping to finally be rid of us... Or they expected us to come back with complete success, having resolved the situation to the satisfaction of both governments."

"The Rihannsu government won't acknowledge anything. Especially not if that susse-thrai, Rendal, still wants Mnhei'sahe and this ships secrets." Jaeih said, a twinge of anger in her voice as she continues. "Mnhei'sahe… She has spent her career in Starfleet trying to prove she wasn't what this galaxy thinks of our people. And now, she will be judged again for that heritage. This… gauntlet. Do you believe she can get through it with her career intact?"

"I do. She has a lot of support on her side, not just on this ship but in the admiralty as well. Of course, some of those admirals will likely want to use her to their own ends or maneuver into her good graces, so there's no telling what they'll do or say, especially the diplomats..." Enalia thought over the list of people waiting in line just wanting to meet her now. "But I'm confident that she'll still have her career safely intact in some form or another. Though she might need to run through additional command training at warp nine..."

Nodding, Jaeih smirked lightly. "You know better than most how well she can maneuver at warp speeds, even in a ship this big. But again, I know she will not be alone with you and the commander behind her, and for that I am beyond grateful. For everything."

"And we'll be doing everything in our power to ensure she makes it back to the Hera with us," Enalia replied reassuringly.

"Of that I have no doubt, Enalia." Jaeih said with a raised eyebrow. "Now… I've said what I needed to and then some. Unless you have any objections, I would like a formal introduction to my new goddaughter."