SD 2420.01.28 Back into Hiding

Posted on 28 Jan 2020 @ 2:16pm by Lieutenant Quinle Rahl & Lieutenant Talrian Bran

1,539 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Tyr's Hand
Location: Counselor's Office

Talrian sighed as the doors to the turbolift opened. He didn't understand the vagaries to the universe that kept making it so that he would have to return here. It wasn't as if he even liked the counselor - not that he disliked her he just felt she needed to toughen up and stop spouting off so much crap about feelings, calmness, peace. He knew there were other ways to find a calm center and peace...usually utilizing breath control and good sight alignment. Plus, he knew that if he were to open up to her as she thought she wanted, she would find it her 'duty' to remove him from duty and have him confined.

He'd been there before, in another life, and the vow to never allow that to happen continued well into this life.

But.

He'd done as ordered and came back from Solaris Station. He discovered information that needed to be passed along to the rest of the senior staff. But some information was, well, a bit more private and didn't really concern the others.

His feelings about his time on the Station were mixed. On one hand he found it a very comfortable environment. People there knew about discipline and bearing. But there were things that bothered him as well. Overall he wouldn't mind spending more time there, getting to know it much better. See if the original shock of the stuff that bothered him would carry forth.

All of which, he realized, was just a way of stalling to keep from having this conversation.

"Lieutenant Rahl," he said at the open door. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

The counselor had been going over notes at hers all desk when she heard Talrain’s voice, taking a slow, deep breath and counting out in her head as she released it, her face settled into a smile. He always seemed more bothered by her tendency to stay calm and to not rise to his attempts to engage in conflict with him, but she found him interesting and did not label him as he thought the rest of the crew had.

Standing, she brushed out wrinkles that their uniforms kept non-existent, one of the habits she had yet to cure herself of. Her long hair was braided in an ornate pattern and then was twisted up making her look slightly more regal and taller. “Please come in Lieutenant Bran, my doors are always open to you.”

"Yes," he said as he entered. "Thank you. I have..." he sighed as he took another look around the room. "I've discovered some information that I feel you need to know. Trill is not a member of the Alliance. We're a protectorate in this timeline." He took another breath, this one longer. "I can't find any information in the Alliance databases regarding the symbionts. I think Trill has kept them secret much like the early days of the Federation."

Moving around to the front of her desk she leaned back against it slightly, looking up at Bran as he spoke, she looked utterly calm as she almost always did, within his news her eyebrow raised up slightly. “Well, this will be interesting, time for a bit of new subterfuge then it seems.” She leaned back on her hands slightly, “I wanted to see new places and meet new people when I took this job, I did not expect it to this extent, in many ways.” Offering him a warm smile, “I will be sure to guard the nature of our duality carefully. Thank you for letting me know.”

He took a deep breath because, well, he didn't quite believe what he said next. "They must have a good reason to keep the secret still. I think, until we know what that is, we should comply with their wishes. For all we know, the Alliance could be trying to exploit them in some ill conceived plot for 'immortality'. You'd know more about that, I'm only a second host."

“I am one in a long line of hosts, yes, but this situation is new to us all.” She shrugged slightly probably frustratingly unflappable as usual,”Until we meet other Trill and can talk to them it is hard to know their reasoning for keeping quiet. I look forward to seeing much more of this time, it is not often there is something new for Rahl to experience.” Her eyes twinkled slightly, ”Nice experiencing something my symbiont has not, makes me feel less like a student with an elderly teacher guiding my hand.”

Talrian shook his head and, was that an almost grin? "I've got the unwanted uncle that apparently has decided to never leave and never chips in but has an opinion on everything. But, I meant Rahl has been around longer and so you probably remember more when Trill kept us like the shameful family secret."

“Imagine a young woman, very serious in nature, all she knew of the world was through reading, suddenly having all this experience fed other by a very open and helpful voice that found her much too bottled up.” Her hand waved to the new painting on the wall, “The arts are a new love was awoken to. Rahl found amusement in all the things my sheltered little ass did not know.” Her lips curled in a wicked look as she cussed, “Now we are on more even footing. What I understand though is that there are many reasons the Trill did not expose their nature to the Federation and without meeting more of our kind here we can only speculate as to the reasons.” Leaning forward conspiratorially, “In other words, Rahl has no clue.”

"Then I have no real hope of understanding it. It must have made sense at the time." Talrian said. "I'm not sure how much information we'll get. I didn't see any other Trill on the station and many I spoke with took it at face value that my spots were tattoos. I just think we need to be cautious. This isn't our timeline and these aren't our people. Until we know more, we shouldn't jeopardize them."

Quinle nodded and sobered more, “I think, like much in this situation, we are in a wait and see pattern.” Straightening from her perch on her desk. “Thank you for letting me know and I will certainly follow your caution in this.”

"Thank you," Talrian said, ready to rush away from here. He still found the entire place...irksome. But he stopped and turned back, his gaze going to the window. His jaw clenched and his grip tightened on his PaDD. "Cindreth, is he..." he trailed off again, wishing he were the type of person who could justify his own hypocrisy. But...he wasn't. He knew asking her to violate her own rules and code of ethics for her position was wrong, just as wrong if someone asked him to do the same thing. But...

He let out another held breath. "You've spoken to Cindreth, about your proposal?" he asked, still staring out the window.

"Yes, he has agreed to try but feels like it is tattling on people in the crew. I asked him to think of it as part of his normal security job as watching over the crew is his place, I am not sure I convinced him that it is not something unethical I am asking of hi, but at least he said he would try." She looked to Talrian's profile, "As long as you felt it was something he should do as well."

"I'd thought that would be a relief but," he muttered, mostly to himself. Then, as he realized she was speaking directly to him. "Yes, yes, of course. Tattling is pretty much the basis of security anyway. If he can help us from any more senseless loss of life."

Quinle nodded, “That is my hope. I just want to ensure I am reaching out to those most in need and outwardly I can not always determine who that might be, especially with so many of us in a place of concern at the moment.”

"I'm sure you have your share of people complaining about me," he said, giving a forced smile. It was his way of trying to ascertain if the Engineer had, indeed, come to see her, without asking her directly. It was a roundabout way to let both of them not violate their principles. But, the hope that the woman had was there. "I'm sure you'll have more." He thought he might have driven at least one more to her...or to a point where talking to her would be suggested.

“We all need to work together in these times, support and use our strengths.” There was no real answer in what she gave, “It is my job to help others find balance so that they may work to the best of their ability.” Lacing her fingers in front of her, “when dissension begins it will find cracks in our armor as a crew and wedge them wide open.”

Talrian sighed. "I have plenty of brig space for dissenters, Counselor," he said as he turned to leave. "Have no fear of that."

 

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