Surefoot 87: Art of Being Broken

Station Salem One, Deck 1, Commodore's Family Quarters - 0612 Hrs:

Kami heard the alert chirp at the bedside, heard her husband rise up and leave the bedroom, careful not to disturb their cubs in the adjacent room. She lay there, knowing she wouldn't get back to sleep until she knew what the alert was about, and after a couple of minutes rose and followed Esek out into the living room, where he was getting dressed. He glanced in her direction, whispering, "Sorry."

She drew up, where he had dropped his uniform and boots, straightening them out and handing them to him as and when required. "What's happened?"

"Report from the Tangshan: they were fired upon by a Paserak tribeship near Ucarro."

"Casualties?"

"None, but they took damage." He made a sound, ensuring his tail slipped out through the back of his trousers before accepting his jacket.

"Why would the Paserak attack one of our ships?"

"Good question. They're still in the system... along with other Paserak tribes, and unidentified vessels."

Kami nodded, kneeling to help him into his boots. "Neheru's a good Captain."

"He's also the least combat-experienced among the Squadron. I may have to divert the Ulyanov or Prospero to assist... and we're already one short out there with the Katana here being repaired." He fidgeted with the Commodore's bars on his collar, his furry fingers struggling. "I probably won't make it to brunch with you and Sasha."

His wife stood up, taking over from him. "She'll understand; and after all she and Mru have been through, she might want to talk privately anyway. I'd tell you to remember to eat something, but-"

"-But we both know that's hardly necessary with me. Especially with Zir around feeding me pastries and coffee."

She rubbed the side of her muzzle against his. "You could tell her to bring you a salad or grapefruit instead."

"Yes. I could." His tone suggested - no, advertised - what he thought of that notion, however facetiously.

Then she drew back, looking into his eyes. "Bugger off now, I have another two hours of sleep awaiting me."

"Okay, Sugartail." Then he licked the tip of her snout and departed, barely avoiding a smack on his rear.

Kami stood there in the darkness of the living room, growling to herself as she brought up the lights and moved to the replicator for her breakfast, before activating the desktop terminal to review her schedule; there was no way in the Seven Hells that she was getting back to sleep now. Still, at least she had a busy day ahead of her.

*

0710 Hrs:

Sreen raised the spoon in the air like a sword, oblivious to the remains of porridge dropping down from it, as her song carried across the main room. "I eat, I eat, I eat, and I poop! I eat, I eat, I eat, and I poop! Poop, poop, poop!"

Sitting beside his little sister, Misha laughed and snorted until milk came out of his nose. He wiped it on his sleeve and pointed at her. "Yeah, you do, Baby Sreen! You're the Poop Queen!" Then he made raspberry sounds in punctuation, triggering laughter from Sreen as she threw her spoon away, picking up the bowl before her and licking clean the remains.

Kami walked in briskly, lifting up the spoon and taking the bowl from her daughter. "I think that's quite enough poop talk, thank you very much."

Sreen watched the departing bowl and spoon go to the replicator alcove for recycling. "Hey! That's mine!" She shook a stubby fist. "You Bad Mama! I tell Grandma on you! She fix you good!"

"I'm shaking in my space boots." Kami returned, wiping Sreen's muzzle and lifting her up out of her chair. "Misha, you're done, get your things in the recycler and then get your PADD, we'll get you to school early."

"I can't go."

She stopped and stared at him. "And why not?"

Misha didn't look up at his mother. "Abby and Thykras made me forget to do my History homework last night."

"Oh, your friends made you forget. How did they do that?"

He looked up at her and nodded enthusiastically, his eyes wide. "Thykras got a new game, Triskelion! You put your pieces on three different-"

He stopped as she raised a paw to him. "And when I asked you last night before you went to bed if you had done it all, you said Yes."

"I forgot!" His muzzle quivered, as if ready to cry, an expression to melt anyone's heart.

Anyone who wasn't a mother who had seen it all before, that is. "That's okay, Son of Mine. All you have to do is go to school and explain to Mr Talbok what happened... and I will send him a message confirming that I will support any punishment he deems fit for you."

Misha's jaw dropped. "B-But he'll only give me more to do!"

She nodded in agreement. "But you'll have plenty of time when I forbid you from seeing or contacting your friends outside of school for the next two days."

He scowled now. "That's not fair! You can't do that!"

She remained composed. "Now it's three days. And I'll add more days to it the more you try to keep telling me what I can and can't do. I'll also have your PADDs monitored to alert me when you have outstanding homework or study." She pointed a finger at him. "And if you dare to try and contact your Papa and complain, you'll have double the punishment. He's far too busy protecting this sector and everyone under his command to have to listen to you whine like a cub about something you know you did wrong, is that clear?" Now she pointed to his PADD, on a nearby table. "Now get going, without another word."

Misha's scowl somehow augmented, and he made a show of loudly extracting himself from his chair, pushing it forward under the table, and stomping to his PADD.

Still nestled in Kami's arms, Sreen shook her own finger at her big brother, imitating her mother. "You mind your ways, Little Man!"

Kami made her daughter face her. "Thank you, Daughter of Mine, but I don't need your input, especially in my own voice. And I don't need you to throw your spoon around, either, is that clear?"

The toddler regarded her mother's orders.

Then replied, in her father's voice, "Okay, Sugartail," before licking Kami's snout.

*

Deck 6, Gymnasium 1 - 0732 Hrs

Kami expected it to be busy at this time of morning, with off-duty personnel and cadets utilising the three gymnasiums and holodecks for various exercises. Still, she came, took a moment to adjust to the heady stew of sweat scents from the various races that lived here, and was prepared to give up and return to her quarters to wake up her cubs.

Then she saw Sasha Hrelle and Mru Mori in one corner, dressed in loose-fitting sweatclothes and standing on exercise mats, facing each other and engaging in K'Gressir training. Kami stood and watched, not as interested in their fighting skills - she knew that Mru would be proficient in their people's martial arts as Kami was, while Sasha would be better than both of them, a psychological compensation for long-standing doubts the human had about her adoption of Caitian culture - but in their general emotional states.

It had been days since the arrival of the Katana for repairs following an intense battle, which resulted in Mori being blown out into space through a breach, and Sasha having to leap out without an exosuit to rescue him. Physically, of course, both had been healed and cleared by the medical staff on the Katana and in Salem One.

But Kami knew that was more to recovery than the physical, and though she wasn't their personal Counselor, she was close to them both - and in the case of Sasha, she was like a second mother to that brave, generous, complicated young woman.

And that brave, generous, complicated young woman was currently holding back, pulling her punches, obviously still worried about her lover's condition. The Caitian male, on the other paw, was holding back himself, for whatever reasons: maybe he was worried about himself, or her, or both.

Young love... "I can think of better ways to exercise without even leaving your bed."

Sasha and Mru stopped and drew back, facing Kami, Sasha smiling at her surrogate mother. "Yeah, I don't think we can take on the Kzinti using those skills."

"Bet I could," Mru quipped.

Sasha slapped him playfully, before wrapping an arm around his waist. "Hey, that piece of yours belongs to me! I've got my name on it!" To Kami she joked, "Literally, when he was asleep. Wanna have a look?"

"Thank you, I'll pass." She looked between them. "Seriously, though, you two should be getting rest after all you've been through."

"It's a big bad Galaxy out there, Mama," Sasha replied, shrugging. "We gotta stay sharp, like a blade."

"Blades break when you work them too much. If you really want a challenge, manage two cubs."

"I thought T'Varik's nephew was playing Big Brother to them," Sasha noted.

"Srithik's currently on the Surefoot with her - which reminds me, I have to call T'Varik about extending some of her crew's time here, to help Urad's recovery." Kami waved the couple off. "No exercise for me, my day will be busy enough, I think."

*

Deck R1 - Conference Room 6 - 0813 Hrs:

The conference rooms on this section of the station were in a row, with connecting walls that were clear by default but could be darkened or shielded for privacy and security when required. These weren't this morning, however, and Kami could see through the layers of transparent aluminium to the room where Esek was briefing Captains Sternhagen and Weynik, and Lt Cmdr Salvo on the ongoing security situation.

He looked agitated, ready to snap off heads, and Weynik looked just as ready to snap back. Stay calm, Husband of Mine. They need you to be their rock-

"Counselor?"

She chided herself as she returned to her reason for being in that room: the weekly meeting for the station and Squadron Counselors on her staff. "Sorry." She reached out to the table control and darkened the walls. "We've had a 20% increase in requests for non-mandatory Counseling sessions, which is hardly a surprise given the recent security incidents. A majority have been from cadets or inexperienced Starfleet or civilian personnel, which again is hardly a surprise.

Most will require only short-term trauma recovery assistance, but it will tax all of us, so I've asked for some temporary staff, but in the meantime I've asked for some help closer at hand." She indicated Counselor Bas Vestri, from the Katana, at the end of the table. "Dr Vestri has generously given up the rest of her leave while her ship is being repaired to help out. Thank you again, Bas."

The Denobulan female nodded. "My pleasure, Kami; I was getting bored beating everyone at Poker anyway."

Kami smiled back, but looked back at her staff. "I know it will be pushing us, but our help is at least as vital as the medical staff managing the physical well-being of those in our care - but keep an eye on the cadets, they're more vulnerable. Does anyone have any other business?"

Nearest her, Counselor Peter Boone raised a hand. The handsome blonde-haired young man had proven to be one of the most promising members of her staff, especially when dealing with the cadets stationed on Salem One; he possessed an enviable combination of youth and maturity, the latter chiefly due to being a young father to Abby, one of Misha's friends. "I have a referral regarding one of the cadets... one I don't think should wait to go through the normal protocols."

Kami nodded, sensing the earnestness behind his request, looking to the rest. "I've sent the additional requests to your respective mailboxes, I need to see them fitted into your schedules before the day's out. Dismissed." Once they were alone, she focused on Peter. "So, who are we talking about?"

He lifted up his PADD. "Security Cadet Ange Boladede, Macbeth Squad. His squadmates raised concerns about an alleged infatuation with a senior officer. Now, I know that sort of thing happens - I remember having a rather embarrassing crush on Doc Masterson when I first boarded the Surefoot - but this has manifested in acts of denial and aggression, which prompted me to access his personal logs. They were heavily encrypted, beyond the standard, but Security assisted in retrieving and opening them." He held out the PADD to her.

She frowned at his words as she accepted it; she normally avoided invading personal privacy, except in extreme cases. "Which senior officer are we talking about-"

The images she found answered her question. She skimmed through them quickly, identifying the genuine ones, public news images along with covertly-recorded ones from around the station, as opposed to the far more explicit, computer-generated offerings.

"There's more," Peter added. "In addition to the images and text about Lt Cmdr Hrelle, there are some disturbing hostile references to Lt Mori, Mr Boladede's self-appointed 'rival' for her attention."

She kept examining the data, never looking up. "You completed the proper SAR-4 Security Retrieval Requests for these? No problems there? Security knows not to disclose the contents of the logs?"

"No problems, Counselor; Lt Cmdr Salvo herself authorised and managed it, and promised non-disclosure as per Regulations." He paused. "I- I haven't overreacted, have I, Counselor?"

She shut down the PADD and set it on the table, suppressing her revulsion at some of the artificial images. "No, Peter, your instincts were correct, and as far as I can see, you followed procedure correctly; leave this with me, and of course, say nothing about what you've seen." Now she smiled. "And how are you and Abby doing? And Bill?"

Peter flushed a little. "Bill and I are taking it slow; he's still in recovery following his experiences in the War. And I had to scold Abby because of some new game she was playing last night."

"Yes, Misha mentioned he played it with Abby and Thykras, something called 'Triskelion'. It apparently made him 'forget' to do his History homework. You have similar problems with Abby?"

"With homework, no, it was the game itself, once I looked into it. Triskelion is based on an actual planet, where they used to kidnap people and force them to fight to the death like gladiators. The board game recreates that with holographic pieces... and very explicit holographic kills."

Kami's expression tightened with alarm. "Misha's not playing something like that again. Thank you for letting me know."

"Will you be talking with Thykras' parents about his playing the game?"

"I would have to be careful about that; his parents may be in Starfleet, but I have no authority over their choices of recreation for their child, unless they were putting him in danger. But I can at least tell them why Misha will be forbidden from playing it again." She breathed in. "We need to talk about Urad..."

*

Deck 8, Astrometrics Lab - 0842 Hrs:

Kami slowed her pace as she left the turbolift and approached the small party of engineers waiting at the door outside, offering the necessary professional mein, even as she reacted to the clamour within. "Mr Quan?"

Engineering Crewman Quan Hui straightened up formally, though the young Asian man still glanced inside the lab on and off. "Counselor, I'm sorry about calling you- perhaps I should have called the Chief first, but I didn't want to get her in trouble-"

She waved off his doubts. "You did the right thing. Go now, all of you, report to the Chief, and tell him I'll speak with him afterwards."

Quan looked inside tentatively once more, whispering, "Are you sure-"

"Yes. Go, please, it'll be harder for her with spectators." She shooed him and the others away, and stood in the doorway, assessing the scene.

Astrometrics had been at least partially wrecked, with broken screens and workstations, and claw marks on walls and panels and chairs overturned. And the source of the damage, the Paserak technician, Fraqueza, in the far corner, arms wrapped around herself, tail dipped and still, eyes milked white in her reptoid race's instinctive reaction to fear and trauma.

Kami stepped inside. Fraqueza hissed at her, sharp rows of teeth bared.

"Impressive," Kami stopped and noted. "And had I been here when you lost control and did all this, I might have actually heeded that warning just now and stayed back. But we both know that moment's passed, and now you just want to be left alone because you're embarrassed and ashamed of your outburst."

She continued forward, slowly, ignoring the subsequent hiss. "You have no need to be either. You had a good friend in Brad Wyatt, and because of the Dragon, he was murdered in a terrible way almost in front of you. You mourn him, and you realise how easily you could have been the Dragon's victim instead, or as well. So there's also the guilt of a survivor."

When she was close enough, she dropped to one knee, meeting her height on the floor, holding out her paw invitingly. "You've done very well so far with me since then. But no one ever recovers or moves on from such trauma so easily. No one should."

She watched, watched the reptoid's mottled ruby hide shift colour patterns, watched the milky grey over the eyes fade as she regained her balance, and she retracted her teeth, finally taking Kami's paw and letting her help the Paserak back to her feet. "I'm- I'm sorry-"

"I know you are, even if you have nothing to apologise for."

Fraqueza glanced around the Lab, making a mournful sound. "Oh no... look at what I've done! The Chief will eat me alive!"

"David Sakai's a vegetarian. And he understands full well what you have gone through, and how it has affected you. Now come with me."

The technician started to resist. "N-No! I have to clean all this up-"

"No, you have to come with me. There are plenty of cadets on the station requiring Punishment Duty who will be more than happy to take care of all this."

She wrapped an arm around the shorter female and led her out.

*

Deck 5, Hospital Post-Operative Recovery - 0935 Hrs:

Kami walked up to the rest of Alpha Squad: Peter, Tori Emoto, Zir Dassene, Stalac, and Astrid Michel. She had a flashback to when all of them had last been assembled, on the Surefoot, after the traumatic events of the Battle of Khavak. And now, here they were again, in the wake of another trauma regarding one of their own. This was not how friends should be reuniting. "Thank you for waiting for me. I know Peter, Stalac and Zir have visited Urad before today, but that was when he was still unconscious and receiving treatment for his wounds, but now that he is awake, I wanted to prepare all of you what to expect.

Physically, he has recovered, though his time off has reduced his stamina considerably. It's his psychological state that still needs healing. He will be unresponsive, withdrawn, reluctant to look you in the eye. Afraid of facing the future, after what he's undergone. Don't take it personally, don't push him, don't force him to engage. Keep it friendly, keep it light, talk about what's going on in your lives now. Let him be reminded that he has had happier times... and can do it again."

"Will he be okay?" Tori asked, the young woman still recovering herself from the shock of her friend's injuries.

Kami expected it, knowing of the bond Tori held with Urad, who had saved her from a Cardassian assault onboard the Surefoot during Khavak. "Urad - all of you - have experienced severe trauma of one kind or another. You know there are steps towards healing, not all taken at the same duration, or in sequence, or on schedule."

She noticed Zir, who was definitely not herself, staying in the background, distracted and withdrawn and not leading her former squad in the interaction; the young Orion was probably feeling guilty again at being here instead of assisting the Commodore with the current crisis. "We can offer all the support and love we can, but ultimately, he will have to take the next steps-"