Two Wrongs Make it Right

Posted on Wed Mar 22nd, 2023 @ 9:45pm by Lieutenant Commander Rhiana t'Aegis & Captain Malcom Llwyedd
Edited on on Tue Mar 28th, 2023 @ 11:33pm

3,569 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Prelude to Rebirth
Location: Earth Orbit
Timeline: 1 September , 2395

[ON]

Starfleet Command had decided that it needed to talk with Commander t'Aegis and her ward, Xavi, as soon as possible. Which made it unfortunate that when the wounded Firebird docked at Deep Space Nine for emergency repairs en route to Earth, there were no other Starfleet vessels in the area. Apparently there was an emergency dust-up on the other side of the wormhole that required the fleet's presence.

As a result, Starfleet had resorted to using a commercial passenger ship, the SS White Tiger. Luckily for Rhiana and Xavi, the ship was half empty, which allowed them privacy and it also was luxurious compared to the Firebird with multiple holodeck, a zero g sporting complex and other activities suitable to young people. Xavi, still not speaking much, found himself drawn in by a quartet of people his age to play a game he didn't entirely understand, leaving Rhiana alone.

While she was wary of Xavi getting too far away from her, Rhiana did appreciate that he was being distracted by these other youths. He had gone through hell and he needed something akin to normalcy in his life. At least for now. She did not know how their lives would look like after the meeting with SFI, but she was fearing the worst. Not execution - this was still Starfleet, after all - but a dishonourable discharge was more than likely. And they might take Xavi away from her and lock him up in some Federation orphanage.

She did not know which was worse.

She had a few more days of sleepless nights to ponder this until they arrived at their destination.

In the meantime, she needed to find a distraction for herself. Not in the mood for social interaction, she went to the foyer of the holodeck suites and studied the available programmes.

He had been watching her for some time, making sure that there wasn't a SFI tail on her. He thought it was ludicrous to the point of ineptitude that there wasn't one but he took advantage nonetheless. He'd carefully stayed outside of her peripheral vision, and as far away from Xavi as possible and now made his approach. He'd spent a lot of resources to change his appearance, and while the human face he now wore was vaguely like his own, Bokot knew that the facial recognition programs wouldn't pick him up. He was counting on it.

"Perhaps something reflective of old times and faraway places?" Bokot said, making sure to stay out of attack range in case her training overrode her logic center.

It almost did.

As Rhiana whirled around, hands coming up ready for attack, her eyes saw the Human-appearing, apparently unarmed civilian, and her brain reacted just in time to stop her from adding assault or possibly manslaughter to her file.

"I am not interested in recommendations," she said after a second or two of silence while she forced herself to reassess the situation. It helped her, grounded her somewhat, that she was in uniform. Since the civilian was still not drawing a weapon, she slowly lowered her hands and examined him. His voice had sounded familiar and yet, his face was not. There was something about him... but no. That was, if not impossible, very, very, very unlikely.

Bokot held up his very human hands and shook his head. "No, you probably aren't. I wouldn't expect anything less of you. However," he said, glancing around. "I think that speaking in the holodeck would be a more prudent place for the conversation I'd like to have with you. Assuming you are receptive to that?" Bokot said and smiled. He knew that his eyes were no longer brown, but blue and that thought flashed through his head, wiping the smile away.

Rhiana kept looking at the Human(oid). She still could not place him, but she was certain that there were some familiar traits about it. And that voice... He could be SFI. Though she could not think of a reason why they would want to meet like this when she was already on her way to meet them in an official manner. "Who are you?"

Bokot sighed, took a step towards her and, in a low voice, spoke in Romulan. "Please tell me you haven't lost your wits, t'Aegis. I think that would be the final blow to my already delicate state. Gather yourself and let us go into the holodeck." He gestured towards the holodeck gates and raised an eyebrow.

Wits. Wits?? She did not have any brain capacity for wits anymore. She was constantly worrying about Xavi and having let him go off with those youths had not been easy. Even now, she was tempted to go back and just watch from a not-too-far distance to make certain that he was alright. She would feel better had she been able to convince herself to implant him with a tracking device.

Anyway. This apparent Human(oid) was speaking Romulan. And now, she finally recognised the tone of voice that spoke the melodic language and her features lit up briefly. "Very well," she replied in the same tongue and stepped up to and through the opening doors of the nearby holodeck.

He followed her in and waited until the doors had closed to speak again. "Computer, run program Tobok three seven alpha.

The walls of the holodeck rippled as the black squares were replaced with a dramatic vista. The two stood upon an outcropping surrounded by vegetation. Below them, far below, just visible through a break in the foliage was a beautiful circular-shaped city on the edge of a vast expanse of water.

"Are you well, friend? I admit that I have been worried about you since we last met," he said.

Rhiana looked at the oh-so-familiar sight and fought down a sudden surge of tears. How often had she seen Ra'tleihfi from this particular angle when she took a shuttle from the Aidoann down to the surface? She had even taken her younger sister on a trip with the House flitter so she could admire the view of their Empire's capital. There, in the centre, was the Praetor's palace. Next to it, the High Senate. Over there, Galae Headquarters. And there, next to Dhelam tr'Llhaerr park, was her House's townhouse. Compared to the palace, the senate, or Galae Headquarters, it was tiny and she could not actually see it from where they were standing, but she knew its location.

Swallowing hard and blinking away tears, she slowly turned to face Bokot. "I would be better if you were not trying to make me homesick," she replied and cleared her embarrassingly thick voice. She hated losing her composure, even with him who had seen her cry before. "It is good to see you again, even if you look hideous," she added with a hint of a smile, despite her moist eyes.

"Homesick?" Bokot said with a trace of a smile, ignoring her tears. "No, I'm reminding you of where you come from so that you remember the kind of people your life is intertwined with forever. You and Xavi. I've spent the last few months altering myself." He gestured and his face. "Physically but also virtually. Sela is not going to simply let you and Xavi go and you don't have the freedom that I do to just make yourself hideous. Has Starfleet Intelligence met with you yet?

"You knew that we were on this vessel. You know the answer to that question," Rhiana stated matter-of-factly. His words made her tears dry quickly. "I know that Xavi and I are not safe and probably never will be again," she continued. "But I will make certain that we are as safe as we can be. After all the debriefings and mandatory training are completed, we will return to the Firebird. The crew risked their lives for us. Knowing them, given the same situation, they would do it again. Sela also knows now what they are capable of and she will think twice about trying to take Xavi away from me again." She cocked her head slightly and looked at Bokot. "What else do you know?"

"Let's walk a bit. It might be holographic but it is better than the inside of a ship for weeks on end," he said and turned away from the view to stroll down a wide path, lined with more lush vegetation on the sides. "Your plan to remain on board the Firebird is a good one. I agree with your analysis that the crew has both of your best interests at heart." He paused, ducking under a low-hanging branch covered in spiky nettles.

"As for what else I know, the most pertinent item is that Sela's position has deteriorated. Xavi's existence is now well known, which damages her in multiple ways. But she also was forced to back down from the Federation, which hurt her worse. Make no mistake, she was on the path to open war and that plan has effectively been foiled. For now. I'll do my best to keep you informed on what is happening in the empire but I've lost some contacts recently. I've had to resort to some third parties for information." Bokot's face took on a sour look.

Rhiana followed Bokot along the path, ducking under the same branch he had moments earlier while she listend to the information he was sharing. "I am sorry about that," she said, meaning it. "Sela will need time to regroup and to stabilise her position again. She will not try to touch Xavi while she is down and anyone else who may get ahold of Xavi now knows that we will not stop at anything to get him back. This allows us to gather our strength and to make plans for Xavi's future. I cannot be with him forever. He deserves to have a life of his own." Saying out loud what she had been thinking for months made her... not quite start to panic, but she could feel her heart rate increase and adrenaline course through her veins, and not in a good way. "What about you? Will you settle down somewhere eventually? Or will you remain elusive?"

"I tried settling down on Empok Nor. That didn't work out well. But I hear rumors that a new opportunity is going to open up soon and I plan to be part of it. Until then, I am taking a similar path to you. I'll remain on the move until I feel that the threat has subsided some. But don't worry, I'll be nearby if you need me," Bokot said. "I'm booked on this transport for the next few months as it makes a grand tour of the galaxy. Not exactly exciting but perhaps a little boredom is what I need for now. My name is Kiernan Tell, if you need to get in touch with me. After the tour is finished, I'll let you know where I am next."

"Kiernan Tell," Rhiana repeated with a nod to memorise the name. "I will not exactly be moving around much in the next few months. Once Starfleet Intelligence is done with me and if they do not send me off to some backwater planet for guard duty, that is. We are going to stay on Earth at least until the six months of being put ashore are over. I have started the remedial training we are all forced to take, but it also requires in-person classes. After that, I have been accepted to a special course at Starfleet Medical. Xavi will attend a secondary school in San Francisco during that time."

The path opened up onto a small clearing, where a pool of deep blue water rippled in the soft breeze. Bokot stopped to look at the water, listening to Rhiana.

"Medical school. How interesting that you would choose to return to medicine. Are you planning to change careers or strike out for some distant colony as a doctor?" He asked with a smile. "I am sure that even Sela won't be insane enough to try to harm you while you are at the center of Starfleet. Perhaps you might even enjoy a period of your life where there's no chance of strife and violence. Perhaps."

For some reason, these words made Rhiana grin. "It will be a change, that is for certain. But my time at Starfleet Academy was not that long ago. It was decidedly more peaceful than my assignment aboard the Firebird. In any case, it will do Xavi good to be among youths of his own age, even if they are not Rihannsu. It will be good for his academics as well." She paused for a heartbeat and looked at the deep blue ripples. "I have no plans to change careers again. I think that I am a rather good chief of security and tactical. But I always felt a little bit of regret for not having stayed in the medical path for longer. After all, I spent all of my formative years and more studying medicine." She inhaled deeply and exhaled almost in a sigh. "More importantly, however, is that I want to be more useful to the crew of the Firebird upon my return. I owe it to them."

"Debts must be paid or else they grow. In this instance, I think it is a good debt to have incurred and I'm glad to see you opening up to people who have been loyal to you. I've worried about you in the past. You were much grimmer than you are now," Bokot said. "As much as I would like to stay and talk for the rest of the day, we should not linger too long. I've been all over this ship and I am nearly certain we are the only two real threats onboard. But even I can be wrong from time to time and I don't need any more injuries."

"I would have preferred not to incur this particular debt and instead to know that Xavi is safe for the rest of his life," Rhiana replied dryly. "I may be less grim, but I am more... careful now." The right word was paranoid, but Bokot probably understood that. "I do agree with you, however, that you do not need more injuries. It was good seeing you again." She looked him up and down with a slight smile on her face, taking in his Human features. "Do you still bleed green?"

"Of course. Though they apparently were willing to change my internal organs and then I would have had red blood. But I declined. I am a Romulan and will only sacrifice so much for safety. If I'm to die at the hands of some assassin, at least I'll bleed the right color," Bokot said. "Not that I expect that to happen anytime soon. Instead, I'll rest and continue to heal on this... entertaining trip. How are things with you and Xavi?"

Rhiana nodded at Bokot's attitude about his blood. She very much shared it, probably like every other Romulan of sound mind. But his question about Xavi made her frown and shrug. "We live next to each other and successfully avoid talking about what happened. I make certain that he is carrying a combadge at all times and he has a strict curfew. Both of which he understandably rebels against. I have not insisted too much on his training nor his academics aboard this vessel, but I do not know whether he appreciates this or not."

"You'll find out. In about twenty years," Bokot said. "But more immediately, have you considered legal protections for you and Xavi? We both know that it is entirely possible that the Federation could declare him an endangered refugee and take him somewhere safe, for his own protection, of course. You need to find a way to use their own mechanisms against themselves."

"I agree. He is not safe, neither from the Romulans nor from the Federation," Rhiana stated. "There is something I have been thinking about for a while, even before the recent incident. I have just not found the courage to ask Xavi." She took a deep breath. She had not told anyone about this and even talking about it withj Bokot was difficult. But she needed to tell him at one point. Knowing him, he probably knew already anyway. "I want to adopt him. While the Federation can end a guardianship relatively easily, it cannot lightly separate children from their parents. And there is something else I have been considering..." She took another breath and looked away from her friend. This was even more difficult. "While I was granted asylum by the Federation and am a legal resident, they could revoke this status at any time and escort me back to the Empire." It probably was not quite that easy, but that thought had been in Rhiana's mind ever since they got Xavi back. The cost for that had been too high. She had been half-wondering why SFI had not arrested her and sent her away on the first transport in direction of Romulan space. "I am... considering applying for Federation citizenship."

Bokot frowned. It was a sensible course of action, of course. But the idea of her becoming a citizen of an organization that had been their enemy for so long was disturbing. He was fully aware that the response was absurd considering that she'd served in their military for some time.

"Yes. Of course," he said. "Those actions would provide the most protection for you and for Xavi, should he accept your offer. They will require a more thorough review of your background, even more than you've already endured for your security clearances. Past reports would lead me to believe that they will utilize a Vulcan mind meld. It is, after all, the most reliable form to ensure that the subject is telling the truth about... everything. Are you willing to endure such an intrusion? It would likely reveal my own existence, which may or may not be problematic for you."

Rhiana paled and swallowed hard. She had not worked for years on her mental blocks and walls only to now willingly submit to being mentally violated. "Do not think that this is a decision I am taking lightly. If I could, I would take Xavi and disappear. But I lack the necessary skills and funds to be able to sustain such a life. Nor is it a life I want to force the boy into." She glared at Bokot. "Tell me, what choice do I have? I am a traitor to our people. There is no going back home for me. There never will be. No," she interrupted herself, thinking. "That is not true. I could have tried to return home before Xavi was kidnapped, claiming that I only did what was necessary to get the boy and bring him to the Empire." She interrupted herself again and chuckled humourlessly. "I probably would not survive that interrogation, no matter whether at the hands of the Tal Shiar or Sela. No. I really cannot see a way back home for me. So I have to do whatever else I can to assure Xavi's safety here. If that requires undergoing the most invasive and violating procedure the Federation can use..." She tried to sound confident, but the mere thought of a mind meld terrified her.

"Let's not get overly dramatic, t'Aegis," Bokot said. "If you must put yourself under Vulcan observation, there are still things we can do to reduce their access. There is a process that my... colleagues developed a few years ago. It's called memory segment replacement. We will, temporarily, lift the memories you don't want to be seen with reconstructed memories that will take their place. It's a bit of an art form and the process fades as your natural neural pathways reassert themselves. It does have other possible side affects but I think I could arrange for it if you are interested?" Bokot said.

"No. Absolutely not." Rhiana's answer was immediate and categorical. "Noone will modify my brain. Your late brother suggested something similar years ago. It did not happen then and it will not happen now."

Bokot held up his hands. “Peace, my friend. I was only trying to find a solution to your dilemma. I should have remembered your past. Now,” he said with a smile. “As much as I enjoy our conversations, I should probably depart. We’ve been in here some time already. But please stay and enjoy the setting. I come here quite often myself.”

Rhiana took a deep breath and forced herself to open her fists she had no memory of clenching in the first place. "You are right." She smiled, albeit still a little forced. It was never easy for her to shake off thoughts of potential violations of her mind, even mere suggestions. "It was good seeing you again, my friend. Do take the time to heal." She offered him a polite bow. "Be safe."

[OFF]

Bokot (NPC by Llywedd)
Romulan Merchant

Lieutenant Commander Rhiana t'Aegis
Second Officer/Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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