Surefoot 26: Who We Are

"When was the decision made?" Hrelle asked suddenly.

Trenagen paused before replying. "Stardate 49460.8. Does it matter?"

"Yes. Because I think you planned it like this." When all attention returned to him, Hrelle elaborated. "49460.8 was ten days ago. You've known about this since then if not before. But you're only telling us this now, just before they arrive, so we wouldn't have had time to protest and possibly spoil things! Isn't that right, you bastard?"

"Captain..." Tattok warned.

Trenagen glared now with open contempt. "Others may find your rudeness refreshingly charming, Captain. I do not. You are a soldier, and your purpose is to follow orders... and nothing more. I will have your orders transmitted to the Surefoot. Any deviation from them will incur serious consequences, no matter how many allies you think you might have."

Trenagen vanished.

Goldstein harrumphed. "He remains as charming as a colonic. Captain Hrelle? Have T'Varik coordinate with my office, send us all the necessary evidence. I'll be in contact with the Commander-in-Chief and the Refugee Commission, and at the very least see about getting a temporary injunction to stop this mishegas."

"Yes, Ma'am."

She vanished too.

The two remaining holographic figures looked at each other. "That could have gone more smoothly, Captain. And without the attitude from you."

"With respect, Sir, I didn't start this-"

"'Start this'? Are we on the playground here? Trenagen isn't someone to be trifled with; he has more connections than you can know. And if the head of Starfleet Intelligence is involved in this, there'll be much more at stake than just ratifying some treaty with a minor foreign power."

Hrelle grunted. "If he had his way, he'd throw Kit to the Qarari without a second thought."

"And there are many in Starfleet Command who would do the same."

The Caitian frowned. "You can't be serious."

The Roylan breathed in. "The Dominion is proving to be powerful, insidious, dangerous, perhaps even more so than the Borg. Their Founders can appear like any of us, infiltrate anywhere, cause sabotage, unrest. And their Jem'Hadar troops are relentless. The destruction of the Odyssey, the Battle of the Omarian Nebula, the unrest stirred up among the Romulans, the Cardassians, the Tzenkethi...

If we end up going to war with them, we can't guarantee victory. Many are scared. I can't say I blame them." He paused, and then concluded, "I will see what can be done through Starfleet Command about your cadet. Give my best to your wife and children, Esek."

Then Tattok vanished.

*

In Kami's office, the Counselor was finishing up with Sasha when both their combadges chirped, and the Captain's voice echoed between them. "Counselor Hrelle, Ensign Hrelle, report to my Ready Room."

Kami smiled, tapping her badge to reply, "We're on our way, Sexytail. Shall we bring you some lunch or-"

"Just get here."

Kami noted the tone of his voice, matching it. "We're on our way. Counselor out." She looked to Sasha. "Wonder what's up?"

*

Ten minutes later, Sasha was pacing the room like a caged animal. "This is BULLSHIT!" She paused and glared at T'Varik. "And with all due respect, Commander, please don't remind me that 'bovine faeces is not present'."

The Vulcan was standing apart, reading the transmitted orders from Trenagen on a PADD. "I would not, Ensign -- as the correct phrase should be 'taurian faeces'."

Sasha growled, looking to her stepfather. "You can't let this happen! You have to do something!"

Hrelle was leaning against the front of his desk, arms folded across his chest. "I am. So are Admirals Tattok and Goldstein. But Sash, you have to be ready for the possibility that our efforts might not be enough, or in time to stop him from being taken away and..." He couldn't finish the rest.

Sasha paled, looking back at T'Varik. "Commander?"

The First Officer frowned, as much as any Vulcan could frown. "The evidence presented by the Qarari government to the Council is included with the orders: visual records and genetic ID confirmation from their Border Control security records, indicative of Kitirik visiting Qarar on four separate occasions in the last three years."

"Faked!" Sasha declared.

"Undoubtedly. We can provide corroborative evidence from the Surefoot and Academy logs about his presence elsewhere. As for the genetic ID evidence, I believe I might have identified a flaw further disproving their claims.

However, the terms of the extradition treaty currently in place are explicit; they have the right to apprehend him upon their arrival, and detain him unless and until our appeal is accepted, heard and agreed upon. And as the Coventry is technically Qarari territory because of its diplomatic status, once he is onboard, he will be... unreachable by us."

"NO! This is not happening! We're not letting them take him! We're not- Goddammit! Dad, you can't-"

Nearby, Kami drew closer, putting a hand on the younger girl's arm. "Sasha, we don't want this happening any more than you do. Let your father and T'Varik get on with the appeal; we have to focus on supporting Kit. Get the rest of Alpha Squad together and inform them of what's happening, while I bring Kit back here to tell him."

Sasha nodded, wiping her face but sparing Hrelle a final pleading glance. "Please... do something."

Hrelle said nothing as the girl departed, before he looked to T'Varik. "Coordinate your efforts with the Superintendent's office. Do I need to order you to do whatever is necessary to make this happen?"

"No, Sir." Then she followed Sasha out of the room.

Alone with his wife, Hrelle asked, "Can Kit survive going back to them? Even for a short time?"

The Counselor's tail kept twitching with anxiety. "He's stronger now than when I first met him two years ago. His self-confidence and maturity has grown. But Esek... he'll be one alone against a planet of people, out to beat everything that makes him who he is!

And even beyond the horror of being forced into gender modification, their medical technology can't be at the level of ours! They could end up mutilating him, if not killing him outright! That might be their intention all along, silencing him by any means necessary!"

"I know."

Her anger raced alongside her outrage. "You've listened to his story in your Suicide Survivor's Group! You know what he went through back there!"

"I know."

"He helped save our cub's life! My life!"

"I know."

"Is that all you have to say?" she barked.

"No." He breathed out. "I'll also say he's not going with them. That's not an empty boast. That's a fact."

That made her start. "What?"

He let his arms drop, his hands resting on the edge of his desk. "I will do everything in my power to legally stop this from happening. But if that fails... he's still not going. I'll defy Starfleet orders and keep him out of their hands until saner heads prevail.

But I won't let them take him. I promise you. I promise him. I promise myself."

She drew closer, wary. "Esek, are you sure about this?"

"Trenagen said I was just a soldier, and my purpose here was to follow orders, and nothing more. But that's not who I am. There are more important things to me than that. He might have the pull to kick me out of Starfleet when it's done, but right now... I don't want to be part of an organisation that would be willing to do something like this."

Kami frowned. "Then why didn't you reassure Sasha about that? Why make her think Kit might go?"

"Because under Starfleet General Order 26, if anyone knows I intend to defy orders, and they don't report it and it comes out in the inevitable investigation, then they become complicit in it. As my partner, you can know, as you can't be compelled to testify against me.

But Sasha, T'Varik, all the others here wouldn't have that protection. They can still have long, successful careers after this. Better if Trenagen focuses his wrath solely on me." He frowned. "I'm sorry, Kami. I've made this decision without consulting you first, and my actions will affect you and Misha-"

She rushed in and embraced him tightly, rubbing the side of her muzzle against his. "Shut up, you stupid kussik. I'm married to you, not this job. Your cub and I couldn't be more proud of you. And this is a big, big Galaxy, full of potential. For all of us." She made a sound. "We could go back to Cait, join the Militia. We could even end up serving on my mother's ship." She smiled against him. "You won't be Captain, of course, but I'm sure she'll find some place for you. Maybe you could work in the galley?"

"You trust me in the galley all day?" He hugged her back.

Then T'Varik's voice interrupted the moment. "Captain, please come to the Bridge."

He drew back. "Get Kit, bring him here."

He stepped out to see T'Varik and Lt Neheru flanking Lt C'Rash, seated at Tactical, her black-furred tail sticking through the hole in the back of the chair and twitching. T'Varik reported, "I have attempted to raise a Priority One channel to Starfleet Academy. But our security codes are not being recognised by the subspace relays."

"They were recognised before!" C'Rash growled. "Not an hour ago! Something's malfunctioned!"

"A diagnostic was run only yesterday," Neheru reminded the young Caitian. "Perhaps a local malfunction of one of the relays?"

"They are designed to automatically bypass any subspace signals to the nearest available relay in the event of malfunction," T'Varik pointed out. "Sector 001 is at the proverbial heart of the Federation, with many redundant relays. Too many to not expect a bypass."

"It's sabotage," Hrelle declared.

C'Rash looked up. "Sabotage? From whom? The Cardassians? The Bel-Zon?"

"Never mind. What about local communications?"

"There's no problem with sector-wide subspace traffic, Sir," Neheru confirmed. "We have real-time contact with the Shi Shen, the Hyperion, the Starsong-"

Hrelle held up a hand. "Hail the Starsong, Priority One, patch it through to my Ready Room."

"What's going on, Sir?" C'Rash asked, perplexed.

Hrelle glanced at T'Varik. "Bring the senior officers up to speed, they may as well know, you'll need their help, but otherwise keep what's happening within our group." Then he departed.

Moments later, a familiar Roylan face appeared on his desktop display. "Well, well, it's Baron Munchables-" Then he frowned at Hrelle's expression. "What's going on, Esek? Is Kami and the kids okay, or-?"

Hrelle held up a hand. "The family's fine, Wey-ney, thanks... but one of my cadets is in serious trouble. He's being used as a pawn by people well above our pay grades, and his life is at stake-" He paused and breathed out. "I need to relay some urgent communication between us and Starfleet Command, the Academy, the Federation Council, Admiral Tattok-"

"My father?"

"The same; he knows what's going on. We'd do it directly, but someone's interfered with our security clearances for the subspace relays."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You've definitely pissed off someone high up. Hope this cadet of yours is worth it."

Hrelle's face went taut. "He helped save Kami and Misha from the Vlathi."

Weynik paused for only a second, before tapping his combadge. "Bridge! Full stop! Raise a Priority One channel to the Columbia and every other Starfleet vessel in this sector and tell them to stand by! We're running a Subspace Signal Bucket Brigade!" He focused on Hrelle again. "Okay, Wide Load, who's on first?"

"Listen, Short Round, I could end up out of a job after this. If you don't want to get involved now, I'll understand."

His fellow Captain smirked. "As I'm not covered in melted cheese and spicy shuris mince, you're obviously not giving me your full attention. I said Who's On First?"

Hrelle smiled.

*

Deck 3 Fore -- Cadets Mess Hall:

Neraxis Nemm leaned Misha back until the Caitian infant's head rested on her shoulder, and patted his back, cooing, "Come on, Furball, I know you got it in you. Come on-"

Misha was staring and smiling at some cadets at a neighbouring table, when he let loose a burp that was amazingly loud and deep and resonant for his size, and the Bolian girl set him down sitting on her lap, beaming. "That's it, Ickle Baby!" Then she reached for a spoon of her chilli kippers vindaloo. "Here you go, your reward..."

Beside her, Jonas Ostrow reached out and took the spoon away with a look of alarm on his face. "What are you doing, trying to feed something like that to him? He doesn't have your Bolian stomach lining!"

Neraxis grinned. "I know, Scrappy; I just wanted to see the look on your face. You're gonna make a lovely father someday." She leaned in and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek.

Misha blew a raspberry between them.

Across the table, Meow Rrori chuckled. "I quite agree, Cub. We have more important matters to discuss." Then he returned his attention to Kit, sitting at the head of the table with a bowl of grilled Hupryian beetles. "Continue, my friend. What were her nethers like? Furred or shorn?"

On his other side, Eydiir scowled and smacked the back of the white-furred Caitian's head. He growled and snapped at her. "What did you do that for?"

"Because Sasha wasn't here to do it herself. That was a rude question."

"It was a legitimate question! It was our friend Kit's first time! We must help him with understanding the Ins and Outs of sex." He looked back at the Qarari. "And what parts of her did you get in and out with-"

Eydiir smacked him again. "You're being disrespectful! To women and to Kit! He does not need to discuss his experiences with you or anyone else!"

"Please, Very Good Friends, do not pummel each other!" He pushed his half-finished bowl forward. "I am socially cognisant enough to maintain discretion about my activities with Intimate Friend Hafsa." He folded his hands on the table and smiled. "I will say that I regret the interruption from our Respected Squad Leader, and look forward to another opportunity."

"Next time, pick a better spot than where you were," Neraxis suggested, tickling behind one of Misha's pointed ears. "Our bedroom is only good for solo efforts -- as Meow will confirm-"

"Kit?"

All looked up to see Sasha standing there, Eydiir instantly standing on seeing the expression on her best friend's face. "What's wrong?"

Sasha ignored her as she focused on Kit, visibly struggling to keep her composure. "Kit, go find Kami. She and the Captain need to see you, right now."

He rose now, round eyes widening. "Is something amiss, Respected Squad Leader? Was it my activity with Intimate Friend Hafsa?"

"No! No, Kit, you've not done anything wrong." She drew closer. "In fact... it's been an honour having you as a Squad member... and as a friend." She embraced him tightly, but then pulled back, almost pleading him as she said, "Go!"

Kit, looking thoroughly mystified, nodded and acknowledged the rest of the squad as he left the Mess Hall. Then she almost cracked, prompting Misha to mewl for her and the others to rise and surround her, Eydiir repeating, "What's wrong?"

As Sasha retrieved her little brother, other cadets rose and approached, having watched the scene, Beta Squad's Giles Arrington asking, "Yeah, Sash, what was that all about? Is Kit okay?"

She clutched the cub tightly, shaking her head. "No. No, he's not."

And she told everyone everything she knew.

Afterwards, Jonas was pale, shaking his head, stunned. "They- They can't just take him like that! He- He saved my life- when I tried to kill myself-"

"He's saved a lot of us," Neraxis added through gritted teeth. "We can't just let them get away with it!"

"We will not," Eydiir declared defiantly.

"Captain Hrelle and Commander T'Varik are making their appeals," Gamma Squad Leader Falok noted. "They are most thorough and tenacious, and have the appropriate connections."

"Don't hold your breath on a quick response," Squad Leader Naavos groused, the Bajoran looking saturnine. "It took weeks for my family to get refugee status from the Council, and it's not like the Galaxy didn't know what had happened to my people."

Giles folded his arms across his chest, his expression creased in thought. "You know... it'd be a shame if they showed up, and he wasn't here."

Sasha and the others looked to him, Sasha asking, "What are you thinking?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he's gone off in a shuttle to a nearby planet to work on a science paper?"

"They would just recall him," Nancy Yeager grumbled.

"Not if his shuttle's communications malfunctioned," Jonas opined. "Somehow."

"And if it was piloted by someone who was brilliant with evasive and stealth tactics," Sasha added, looking to Rrori.

The Caitian regarded the surrounding attention on him and admitted, "I am brilliant." Then he looked to Isabelle Zhou, Delta Squad Leader and his current girlfriend. "Sorry."

But she just smiled with amusement. "As it's a good cause, for once I'll let you stroke your ego."

"And maybe we can adjust the shuttle's shield harmonics to mask the energy signatures to further keep it untrackable?" Jonas considered.

"Not that I mind, but you all realise that we're definitely breaking regulations by doing this?" Neraxis indicated.

"No, we're not," Sasha corrected. "I am. I'm the only one that officially knows what's going on."

"If I might point out," Falok interjected. "That a shuttle departure will need to be cleared from the Bridge, requiring a flight plan and security clearance to be logged with the Duty Officer." He paused and added, "Gamma Squad is about to assume Bridge duty. I can file the necessary documents and inform the Duty Officer... later."

Eydiir looked to her Vulcan boyfriend with surprise... and admiration. "You are surprisingly devious."

He raised an arched eyebrow. "It is probably the company I have been keeping of late."

But Sasha just shook her head. "No. I can't let you all get into trouble doing this."

"It is too late," Eydiir informed her, with a slight knowing smile. "Besides, you can't get any of this done without our help."

Sasha breathed out, nuzzling against Misha. "I know. But this is the sort of thing that can get us kicked out of the Academy, and end our careers before they begin."

Giles grinned. "True. But on the plus side, we won't have to worry about taking the finals."

*

Hrelle watched Kit as he stood at attention there, listening, reacting, shaking a little, his leathery skin paling, his long, slender webbed fingers flexing at his sides.

But then, when Hrelle was done, the young man seemed to relax and compose himself. "I understand, Most Respected Captain. I will pack my belongings and make my farewells within an acceptable timeframe."

Kami stood near him, but now drew closer, putting a hand on his forearm. "Kit, it might not come down to that. You have people on your side, working behind the scenes to get this stopped."

He nodded politely to her. "And I thank them all for their efforts, Most Respected Counselor. But I must be prepared if they are not successful, or not successful in time-"

"I'm not turning you over to them, Kit," Hrelle promised.

The cadet looked back at him, his expression thoughtful. "With respect, Sir, your tone suggests you are intending to employ illegal action. I cannot allow this."

"Maybe you should leave that decision to me, Cadet?"

"And maybe you should leave my decision to me, Sir?"

Kami squeezed his arm. "Kit, it's okay, my husband and I talked it over about what might happen if he defies Starfleet orders. We both agree that it would be worth it, to save you."

Now he looked at her again. "And I must respectfully disagree. Both of you have achieved inestimable good in your respective roles. Your absences would be most keenly felt, by yourselves, by my fellow cadets. By Starfleet."