Surefoot 87: Art of Being Broken

But that wouldn't give me leave to intimidate people who are simply doing their job. Especially when they would be well within their rights to take any measures necessary to deal with potential threats, regardless of the reason behind their rage."

She opened her arms to them. "So, do you relinquish your weapons to the lawfully-equipped Security here, so I can escort you to my office and brief you on the current state of your son? Or do I walk away and let you bellow some more until you are beamed into custody, and delay getting to see Urad?"

They chose wisely.

*

The size of Urad's room meant that Kami waited outside in the corridor, wishing her Caitian senses could pierce the walls. It was quiet, with none of the bellowing, and once she had briefed Nanda about her son's condition, she could see the emotional fragility that belied the Hroch's size and usual brash fierceness, a fragility shared by the other Hroch present, Urad's sister Ghia and brother Turai.

Kami hadn't lied when she had confessed to Nanda those times when Kami had been notified of Misha, or Mirow or Sasha being hurt or wounded. She knew it was inevitable with cubs. She knew it would happen when Sreen grew up and made her way independently through life. She knew it was the price to pay for being a parent.

And she knew that it would not stop her stomach, or Nanda's stomach, from twisting into knots each and every time-

A familiar figure crossing in an adjacent hallway caught her eye, and she turned and strode up to follow, calling after her. "Zir?"

The green-skinned Orion stopped and turned, her scent and expression as strained as it was when they last met. "Counselor, excuse me please-"

Kami drew up, taking the girl's hand. "Zir, I'm worried about you, something's wrong."

"It's-" Her skin was turning a darker shade of olive. "It's just seeing Urad so.... So defeated and scared... he was always so strong and confident..."

"Yes," Kami agreed, her touch allowing her to pick up more sensory input from the girl: her pulse rate, skin conduction, neural spikes. "It must have been disturbing, to say the least. But you seemed disturbed already, before you visited Urad."

The young Lieutenant started, but then swallowed and pulled out of the Caitian's touch. "We have a growing crisis, I should be in Ops, but the Commodore said I was getting under his tail and I needed a break. But I don't want a break! I- I just want this all to be over! I want Urad back, and my- I want everyone to be safe, and- and-" She made a show of waving off any further explanation. "That's all, Counselor. I'm sorry to bother you."

Kami breathed in. The young woman was holding back, telling just enough of a truth to be plausible, a tactic Kami had seen many times in people she'd Counselled. On the other paw, it wasn't enough to make her want to take further action - and she had enough on her proverbial plate already. "You're never a bother, Zir. And I am available to you day or night if you want to talk.

And if you're really looking for something useful to do while temporarily banished from Ops, you can go make sure that the guest quarters for Urad's family have the gravimetric control adjustments in place. They're going to be here longer than they expected."

Zir frowned. "They are? I thought that they would be staying for at least a week, after coming all this way to visit him."

"Yes, but I expect that when they emerge, they will say something different-"

Just then, the door to Urad's room slid open, and Nanda strode up with her other children, declaring, "We are taking Urad home. Now."

*

Deck R1, Commodore Hrelle's Office - 1139 Hrs:

Esek sat behind his desk, his scent agitated even if his voice and demeanour hid his irritation at being interrupted in whatever was happening in the Sector. Kami stood to his right, and the three Hroch visitors stood before him, an intimidating wall of Obdurate Grey, glaring down at him.

Good luck with that, Nanda, Kami thought. My husband is not so readily daunted by such displays of size and strength.

"Battle Major Kaldron," he finally responded. "As a parent of a cub in service, I fully appreciate your desire to take your son away and protect him. But I must refuse your request."

Nanda's muzzle twisted into a scowl, and she raised a huge finger to him. "It was not a request, Commodore. It was a demand!"

He nodded in apparent agreement. "Of course, that changes everything. In that case, I must refuse your demand. Ensign Kaldron is a member of Starfleet, is on medical leave, and is currently in our care."

"CARE?" His brother, Turai, bellowed, fists raised. "Where was your 'care' when you let him almost be burned to death?"

Kami felt Esek react to that; she knew his deep protective nature to his crew made such accusations even more bitter, however unjustified. But to his credit, he kept his composure. "What happened to Urad was terrible, terrible beyond measure. And I would give anything to have not let that happen to him, or to trade places with him... and I know all of you would do the same. But none of us have that power.

You and I, all of us here, took oaths of service and loyalty. We are made aware of the risks involved in that service. Risks of injury. Risks of death. We are made aware of it, and we accept it. We don't have to like it, but we have to accept it."

"Easy for you to say!" Nanda advised. "Have you had to receive word about your cub being hurt, almost dying?"

"Yes," he replied simply, but painfully. "I have. Many times. My daughter has had her lungs ruptured from being exposed to space, her skin burned from fighting Klingons, she's been scalped from battling Ferasans, and more. I've watched helplessly as she piloted ships into suicide runs against Dominion battleships, barely surviving. And I've seen her struggle just as mightily afterwards with the psychological effects of her accumulated traumas.

And I've had to struggle with the anguish of her pain, and the guilt, however unjustified, that I let it happen, by not taking her away from this life and forcing her to do something safer.

But though she will always be My Little Girl, she is still an adult, who chooses to remain in this life."

"Urad has chosen!" his sister Gaia declared defiantly. "He has chosen to come back with us!"

"Liar," Kami responded, before Esek could.

All three Hroch, and Esek, looked to her, Nanda bellowing, "You dare accuse my daughter of lying?"

Kami remained unintimated. "Nothing to dare. You may have tried to convince him to return with you, but Urad hasn't chosen."

Nanda stepped closer to her. "Scoundrel! I'll contact your superiors at Starfleet Command! Protest to the Federation Council!"

"Or we'll just go and take him now and be done with you!" Turai threatened.

Esek rose to his feet, his paws pressing down on his desk as he leaned forward, teeth bared. "No, Bubulah, you won't."

Kami offered her husband a calming purr, unheard but felt by him, as she approached Nanda, providing a tranquil complement to her intensity. "You can protest, of course, but the diplomatic connections your government has with the Federation is limited. Urad is a commissioned officer in Starfleet, and because he is under medical care at the moment, we cannot accept any resignation he might provide.

But, even if you disregard all that and take him by force back to your homeworld, you will not be doing him any favours. Taking that action will only solidify and legitimise his fear, deepen his guilt. In fact, he'll feel worse for it, and his body will respond accordingly. And that one incident in his past becomes a lifetime of disability in his future."

She drew even closer now, confidently looking up at Nanda. "You and your family are welcome to stay here for as long as you like, visit him as many times as he agrees to, while I continue to work with him, and advise you accordingly. If, at a later date, I consider him recovered enough to make his own decisions about his future, and he chooses to resign and return with you, then I won't contest it. Agreed?"

The Hroch Battle Major stared down at her, before looking to Esek, who shrugged. "Don't look at me, I'm not in charge around here."

*

Deck 5, Broadway - 1215 Hrs:

Kami had escorted the Kaldron Family to their guest quarters - and was pleased to see that Zir had indeed ensured the gravimetric alterations were in place for their comfort and health - and had hoped to pop back to the Starjammers for a quick lunch before her hastily-arranged appointment with Cadet Boladede, when the new business establishment caught her eye.

As did the new establishment's apparent owner and operator, a dark-skinned, goateed human male with luxuriant, old-fashioned black and red clothes that matched the Gothic decor of the doorway behind him. He sat behind a small round wooden table, drink at his side, and shuffled a deck of cards, making them move and undulate and dance with expert, fluid ease. He looked up, smiling charmingly as he rose to his feet, bowing slightly. "Bonjour, Madame."

She nodded her head. "Bonjour Monsieur. Bienvenue à la Gare de Salem One."

His eyes lit up, looking impressed. "You speak French?"

She nodded. "I did my post-graduate work at the Starfleet Academy Annex at Marseille. Come to think of it, I met my future first husband Rmorra there, too."

"Ahh, Marseille; my mother's family was from there, though I was born in New Orleans." He bowed again. "Simon Latrelle, at your service. Owner and proprietor of Tarot, my humble establishment," He indicated the doorway behind him. "Which I sincerely hope will be graced by your presence when we officially open our doors tonight."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll see me around, Mr Latrelle. I'm Kami Hrelle, the-"

She halted as he raised a hand. "A moment, please, Madame. Let's see if my gift still works, even out here on the frontier." He indicated the free chair opposite him.

Kami accepted it, letting him sit back down and gather up his cards. Closer now, she saw that it wasn't a traditional playing deck. It took a moment for her to identify it, making the connection with the name of the club. "Tarot Cards?"

"Oui. You're familiar with the art?"

"I'm familiar that humans used to believe they were tools of divination, though more modern applications assisted in various forms of therapy." She smirked. "I hope you're not going to try and convince me of the former? This is the 24th Century, after all."

Latrelle smiled, shuffling the cards. "So it is, Madame, so it is. So let's see what I can convince you of... we'll start with a basic spread, to identify your role here on Salem One."

He began turned over cards, setting one down, and then two more on either side, pausing and identifying each. "This is your spirit card: the Empress, symbolising motherhood, fertility, authority. These other two, the Six of Cups and the Seven of Wands, support you, symbolising healing, perseverance, compassion and patience." He set a fourth card down under the first. "The High Priestess, symbolising intuition, the subconscious, the inner voice..." He looked up at her in realisation, snapping his fingers. "You're a Counselor! Probably the Chief Counselor here, based on the authority provided by the Empress."

Kami leaned back in the chair, making a gasping sound and offering a slow clap. "Amazing, Mr Latrelle! Simply amazing! How could you possibly have divined that about me... I mean, apart from reading the briefing made available to everyone who comes here?"

He swept up the cards and shuffled them again, chuckling. "I know, Counselor, that was probably a little too obvious of me. And no, I would never insult your intelligence by trying to convince you of supernatural powers. But I will quote my father, a man who performed illusions without the aid of holograms or transporters or other technology, strictly through prestidigitation and legerdemain: 'We're entertainers, not recruiters'.

And though I may have named my club Tarot, I will be keeping it a place where people can come have drinks, listen to live as well as holographic bands, dance and have a good time, because that's what makes life worth living." He offered a wicked wink as he picked up his cards. "But on occasion I may offer a select few a glimpse into... their futures!"

He chuckled and threw down the top card from the deck, one of a tower being struck by lightning and crumbling into pieces.

His expression sobered.

Kami remained unmoved, checking the nearby chronometer, realising she would not get the chance to eat before her next urgent appointment. "Unless that means a protesting stomach is in my immediate future, I'll remain impressed only by your charm and your sleight of hand..."

*

Deck R1, Commander Haluk's Office - 1229 Hrs:

The scent of outrage and tension from the young cadet standing ramrod straight opposite her was so thick she thought she might choke on it. He was young, hairless, with a fit frame as taut as a wire, an academic and performance record as spotless as his uniform, and his expression giving away nothing... or so he thought.

She sat in a chair beside Haluk's desk, keeping the PADD facing her, pretending to peruse its contents, though she had little taste to do so again, as Haluk led the meeting. "Cadet Ange Boladede, can you surmise the reason for this meeting?"

The young Nigerian man breathed through his blunt, broad nose, eyes flaring, his accent sharp. "This is no doubt because of Counselor Hrelle's underling and his overreaction to a confidential matter... Sir."

"My 'underling'," Kami replied crisply, "Is a commissioned officer who outranks cadets - even the most gifted ones; I would be very careful about that attitude if I were you right now, Mister."

"Counselor Hrelle is quite correct," Haluk agreed, the older Vulcan's greying beard and uniform equalling Boladede's for crispness. "And given what was found on your personal device, the reaction was justified."

Boladede stepped forward, hands balled into fists. "That is an invasion of my right to privacy! You have no right to do that! I will-"

Kami's hackles rose, but she kept her composure as Haluk glared at him and ordered, "You will unclench those fists and resume a position at attention, Cadet, immediately. That's what you'll do. Anything else will end your career in Starfleet before it's begun."

He trembled, almost looked ready to defy them... until he complied.

"A wise choice," Haluk noted. "More than one Academy instructor has complimented you on your strength and discipline; it would be in your best interests to call upon those qualities now, and from this moment onward."

Kami indicated the PADD in her paw again. "You've built up quite an extensive library of images and videos of Lt Cmdr Hrelle and yourself, plenty of masturbation fuel there. It might even be a source of amusement, if not for the circumstances behind it, and the fact that it involves a member of my family."

His walnut-coloured skin darkened further. "They are not real!"

"Don't insult my intelligence; I know that as well, though you secretly collected genuine records of her, without her knowledge or permission, which certainly helped with employing a high degree of authenticity for the fakes. So what is your point?"

"The genuine records were collected from public records! And the... fictional ones... are for myself alone! No one will ever see them!"

"Three other people have," Haluk pointed out. "Counselor Hrelle, Counselor Boone and myself, so your argument is flawed."

"And even if we hadn't," Kami added, letting her anger show through her words. "You generated images of Lt Cmdr Hrelle without her knowledge or permission, which is as much a violation as if you had secretly recorded her, and demonstrating a profound contempt for the integrity of your victim... and make no mistake, the object of your obsession here is your victim, not yourself. That's why we have laws against such actions.

Then there are your writings towards Lt Mori, another commissioned officer who outranks you, writings confirming your perception of him as a 'rival' for Lt Cmdr Hrelle's affections. " She dropped the PADD deliberately loudly onto Haluk's desk, making the cadet start. "And let me be as explicit as your pornography: there is no rivalry, because Lt Cmdr Hrelle will never look upon you as anything more than, at best, a colleague.

Assuming you're still in Starfleet, that is."

Boladede's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Cadet," Haluk resumed, "Under normal circumstances, your actions would have triggered your immediate expulsion from Starfleet Academy. However, Counselor Hrelle has appealed on your behalf."

The young human reacted, looking at her. "You have?"

"Surprised? You should be; I consider Lt Cmdr Hrelle as much a cub of mine as the ones I birthed.

As it happens, however, I am willing to put aside my personal feelings and take into account your exemplary academic and performance record to this point... in particular your supportive actions when you joined Lt Cmdr Hrelle's Away Team to rescue Commodore Hrelle and myself."

"To that end," Haluk concluded. "On Counselor Hrelle's recommendation, I am placing a formal reprimand on your record, and cancelling your academic credits for the last six months."

Boladede bristled, but otherwise kept control.

"This amount reflects the severity of your actions," Kami added, "But still affords you the opportunity to recoup the loss and graduate with your class next year; it's at your own discretion whether or not you wish to reveal this disciplinary measure to your friends.

I will also be personally conducting additional individual Counseling sessions with you, to see how well you are applying what you have learned today... assuming you have learned anything. All of your collected files on Lt Cmdr Hrelle will be deleted by Commander Haluk, and while you are still free to keep a personal device, Commander Haluk and myself will be permitted access to it at all times. If we discover any attempts on your part to keep any records of Lt Cmdr Hrelle again, or indeed to hide anything at all from us, all deals are off."

The cadet's jaw visibly tightened. "Am I to be allowed no privacy at all?"

"Only when we are convinced that it will not prove harmful, to yourself or others," Haluk clarified, folding his hands behind him. "Of course, you can always refuse to accept this measure, in which I will accept your resignation and arrange for your return to Earth."

Boladede looked between the two of them, before replying, "No, Commander. I will accept this very generous offer." To Kami he added, more humbly, "I apologise for the actions I have taken against Lt Cmdr Hrelle, Counselor, and I promise you that I will justify the faith you have put in me with your mercy."

"Dismissed, Cadet," Haluk ordered. As Boladede departed, the Vulcan turned to her, indicating a seat by his desk. "Would you care for tea? Your usual blend?"

"Yes, to both, please."

As she sat down and adjusted her tail, and he moved to his personal replicator, he admitted, "I must confess to a continued level of surprise at your level of mercy towards him, given your personal connection."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, ignoring the rumblings in her belly. "I've probably surprised myself; seeing those faked images of Sasha turned my stomach, and my stomach is usually made of sterner stuff." She accepted the tea and saucer, relishing the scent of the Vulcan mint... and appreciating the shortbread biscuits he also provided without asking. "Maybe I've been too lenient? Pushed too hard in my desire to be objective?"