Surefoot 87: Art of Being Broken

Haluk collected his own tea and sat down. "You did not downplay his actions, and offered a logical rationale towards providing him with the opportunity at redemption. Some of the most redoubtable officers in Starfleet have examples of, shall we say, chequered Academy records in their past."

Kami nodded, smiling. "And then there's the fact that since assuming the role of Superintendent here, you have yet to expel any of the cadets. Statistically, how does that compare to other Academy Annexes?"

He raised an eyebrow as he lifted up his cup. "It would be entirely self-serving and self-aggrandising of me to note that of the 118 Annexes within Federation borders, the one under my command is in the top 2% for cadet retention." He sipped his tea. "So I will not."

Kami laughed, seeing what her great-grandfather Rmolo S'Li saw in Haluk all those years ago, when both served onboard the USS Harken. "Of course not."

Then he looked at her. "Will you be mentioning the details of this to either the Commodore or the Lieutenant Commander?"

She lifted up a biscuit and dipped it quickly. "Absolutely not. It isn't necessary... and it's probably safer for all concerned. Especially Mr Boladede."

*

Deck R1, Operations - 1255 Hrs:

Kami had barely returned to her office for her next appointment before she had been recalled upstairs, this time back to Ops, at Esek's behest. She entered and caught the scent of his stress in the air from Zir, Sternhagen, Salvo and others, all focused on Esek in his office, his back to them through the transparent walls, facing office screen, his tail twitching with anxiety as he stood beside Turikana Benjo, the Tribeleader of the Paserak who had, against the practices of the rest of their people, made their residency on Salem One.

Kami understood exactly why she was called, entered immediately as he continued to speak to the Paserak Tribeleader on the other end of the transmission. "Tribeleader-"

The reptoid onscreen hissed to cut him off, baring needle-like teeth. "Twenty-five dead among Dirigente's tribe! Murdered! At your hands! You were seen!"

Hrelle raised his paws up to him. "Tribeleader Losco, I can assure you I have not left this station, and I have certainly not ordered any attacks on any of the Paserak in this sector! I have always respected the neutrality of your people!"

"The evidence is there, Starfleet! There are recordings, forensic evidence! You told him our people would have to swear allegiance to you and the Federation if we were to remain in this sector!"

"Tribeleader-"

Kami reached out and rested a paw on Esek's raised arm, her senses still fixed on what she saw and heard onscreen as she spoke to her husband in Old Caitian, not extricable by most Universal Translators. "He genuinely wants to believe you. He's desperate for something, anything to support that."

He glanced at her, instantly reassessing and softening his tone as he lowered his arms again. "Tribeleader Losco, you stated that after Dirigente's tribe was attacked on Ucarro Major, the attackers were apparently driven off by another force new to the sector. Who are they?"

The reptoid frowned. "A coalition of beings who believe in freedom, calling themselves the Bel-Zon."

Kami felt Esek bristle, and she purred subliminally to keep him steady. And it appeared to work. "Tribeleader, the Bel-Zon are a criminal organisation. I know you're old enough to remember the raid they carried out on my previous ship, the Furyk, and on this station, over a decade ago."

Losco nodded, but clarified, "I am told they are not the same people. The name has been used by many groups over the centuries in this sector, dating back to Triacus."

"They say they are not the same people. But we are receiving reports of them appearing at Telamon, Scesity, Axyllus... from our own colonies, from the Ferengi, and your own people. Some saying that we're leaving the sector, some claiming that I've become some sort of bloodthirsty dictator over Salem Sector."

The Paserak hissed. "But you yourself were seen! Not two days ago, you stood before Dirigente on Ucarro Major, and boasted of taking over!"

"Losco," Turikana finally spoke up since Kami's arrival. "Commodore Hrelle has been present here all along. Every day, I have met and worked with him, here-"

Kami saw the change in reaction on the other Paserak to Turikana's input. "You! You traitors who lie with Statist Uniforms have nothing to say here!"

The younger Paserak hissed, eyes clouding over as if a struggle could break out over the light years between them.

Now she stepped forward, employing a Paserak curse she had learned, one untranslatable and provoking shocked reactions from the reptoids and bemusement from her husband.

She stepped forward, staring up at the screen, as Losco stared back in astonishment. "That was... unforgivable! You are-"

"I AM," she interrupted loudly, harshly, crossing her arms and baring her teeth. "The Elder Female of this Tribe of ours; you show me the respect your race is known for throughout the Quadrant! Is that clear?"

That took the proverbial power out of his nacelles. "Yes, yes, of course, I did not mean-"

She pointed a finger up, claw bared. "I'm still speaking!" As he silenced, she continued, pointing now at Turikana. "And this Tribeleader is no traitor! He has done what you would have done, if your own vessel was damaged beyond repair and had nowhere else to go! He and his tribe have sworn no fealty to Starfleet or anyone or anything else! This is merely a temporary arrangement until your people finally call a halt to your idiotic Schism!"

The others reacted to her words, especially the last one. She knew it would be a risk: Esek had made her aware of the secret internal conflict among the Paserak. Esek had promised to broach the subject with them - diplomatically, and therefore slowly - but more recent events had overtaken them.

Losco hissed now at Turikana. "You- You told them! Outsiders-"

"He told us nothing," Kami corrected him. "We've known all along, everything: the location of your Birthworld; your stigma against living on it, or any other world, permanently; the need for your people to still return to conceive there; and of the recent stellar fluctuations that have altered your Birthworld's ecosphere and is threatening your people's future."

"You- B-But how-"

"We know, because we're Starfleet.

We've respected your privacy, because we're Starfleet.

And, if you ask for help, we will offer all the scientific and technical knowledge and resources at our disposal to help you solve your crisis, without price or condition. Because we're Starfleet.

But that's for another time. Now, this business with the Bel-Zon. They're obviously staging this to turn you and the rest of the sector against us."

"You can't be sure-"

She moved around like a prosecutor in an ancient court of law, indicating Esek. "What would be the point of my husband denying his actions now, in the face of all the alleged evidence against him? Of making such an open display of aggression?"

"The War- they said the War changed how the Federation operated- you conquer now-"

She waved that off. "We don't have to conquer, Losco! That's the point! We offer the open paw instead of the closed fist! That's why the Federation has thrived over the centuries, when Empires and Dominions and others have been stopped, time and again! All I ask, as an Elder Female, is that you give us a chance to prove our innocence in all this." She held her open paw out to the screen. "Well, Tribeleader? I can see the answer in your eyes already. Lay the egg so it can hatch."

Losco frowned... but then grunted grudgingly. "Let us see the evidence supporting your account, Commodore."

Kami nodded. "Good. Now, if you boys can be trusted to act maturely and not start an interstellar war, some of us have actual work to do." She walked around Esek, patenting him on the rear as she departed the office.

Before the door slid shut, she heard Losco comment, "You are fortunate to have such a mate, Commodore. Perhaps she should be in command?"

"Who says she isn't?"

*

Deck 1, Guest Quarters 47 - 1342 Hrs:

She smelled the food from outside the door, heard the noise inside, and chimed her appearance. Seconds later, the door slid open, and Mru Mori stood there, reacting pleasantly. "Counselor! I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you!"

She smiled back. "This was a surprise visit, and I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

"No, no, not at all... but Sasha's not here, she's joined Captain Weynik down at the Hangar Bay."

"Well, maybe I'm here to see you? A handsome young male should be used to the attention." She reached up and scratched under his chin, smirking at how his tail wagged in response, before he stepped back and waved her inside. Her stomach growled, reminding her of her missing lunch as she smelled the remains of the food on the table. "Do you mind if I indulge? I've been on the go for hours now."

Mru indicated the table. "Help yourself; I was about to recycle what was left... or you can call up something fresh."

"This will do, thank you." Kami sat down, picking what she wanted off the plates. "I'm surprised Sasha left behind anything; she has her father's thoroughness."

Mru chuckled. "I once put in a secret algorithm into a replicator order to include a pattern on the plate that was edible. When she licked the shuris sauce off the plate, the pattern came with it."

Kami burst out laughing, stopping to cough and drink some water to clear her throat. "How did you manage to keep your tail after she realised it was a prank?"

"A handsome male like me has charm enough to soften the hardest heart." He sat down at the desk, idly tapping at the panel to the computer screen facing him, shutting down a communications program. "Also, I agreed to do a Furburn-" He stopped, his fur bristling with embarrassment. "That, ah, that's a-"

She laughed again. "Yes, I can guess what that is; back in my day we called that a Reverse Growler. Oh, to be young and far more flexible..." Her thoughts returned to her aborted meal earlier with the human woman, and her intentions with her lover. "How was she when she returned from our meal?"

He breathed out. "Stressed; she barely touched her food, as you saw. She's been like that since the battle, and having to rescue me. I hated that she had to do that, and that she's been taking on so much responsibility off the rest of us, as well as keeping her addictions at bay. She's strong, but..."

"But doesn't always know when to ask for help. She gets that from her Papa, but at least he's learned." Kami resumed eating, even as she focused her other senses on him."And how are you doing?"

"Me? Sash and I are doing fine, eager to get back out there-"

She turned in her seat to face him directly. "No, I asked about you. You're more than just part of a couple, and you've been through a lot in your young life."

Mru seemed to consider her words, but then shrugged, perhaps a little too deliberately, without facing her back. "Others have been through a lot worse. Look at Ensign Kaldron, for instance, or the Caitians who suffered under the Occupation."

"It's not a competition, Cub," she counselled him, keeping her tone light but firm, catching the change in his scent now. "I read Counselor Vestri's initial evaluation of you after you were blown out into space. She referred to you as 'shaken, but not stirred', which sounds like some obscure cultural reference but I couldn't be bothered to look into it."

He nodded at that. "Well, the important thing is she cleared me for active duty after my rest."

"No, the important thing is if you clear yourself." She indicated the computer. "Unfinished business?"

Mru sighed and nodded. "A long overdue message to my mothers. I've started this twenty times now, but I'm debating telling them about what happened in the Katana. What's the point in worrying them needlessly?"

"They'll be worrying anyway," she pointed out, wiping flakes of pastry from her fingers. "This way you get to control the narrative, show that you're candid with him so they'll trust what you write... and later if it's necessary you can more successfully hide something you believe is too traumatic for them to handle."

He glanced at her again in mild surprise. "Would you do something like that to your parents?"

"I have. More than once. Of course, it only worked on my fathers; my mother, being the head of the Caitian Secret Service, was less easy to deceive." She rose, drew her chair closer to him, close enough to touch him, and sat down again. "So... if you did write to them, what would you tell them about how you feel now?"

The Caitian male leaned back, frowning in thought. She scented his hesitation to respond truthfully, and she added, "There's no wrong answer, and nothing goes beyond us - not to Sasha, or your own Counselor or Captain."

"I think I'm alright about it," he admitted, hesitantly, extending his claws nervously and tapping on the tabletop. "I've accepted the incident, how it affected my body and mind, accepted that it wasn't my fault, or anyone else's fault except those who attacked us..." His voice trailed off.

Leaving Kami to prompt, "But?"

Now he looked at her, eyes welling. "Every time I think about going back onboard the Katana, back onboard the Bridge, looking up at the ceiling and knowing how thin the hull is, knowing how quickly, how easily it can rip open- blow me out again- kill me, kill Sasha-" His head was shaking, and the tears of anguish and anxiety flowed freely, building up to a torrent. "What in the Seven Hells are we doing out here, flying around in a void protected only by paper-thin hulls? WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS? WHAT-"

The rest of his words were lost in sobs, as Kami drew up to take him into her arms, driven by her own maternal instincts as her Counseling training.

*

Deck 5, Recovery Room 1 - 1415 Hrs:

Kami expected the announcement from Urad, who stood before her. "Comrade Counselor, I am formally tendering my resignation from Starfleet. It has been an honour to serve Commodore Hrelle, Captain Sternhagen, Lieutenant Commander Salvo, and everyone else I have had the honour to know. And I must especially thank you for all your wise counsel and support."

Beside him, his mother Nanda held out a PADD. "Here is his completed resignation, Comrade Counselor... and a copy of an apology from myself and my family for our initial disruptive actions on boarding your station. We have already submitted both to Commodore Hrelle, but we believe you deserved to receive it personally."

She double checked to ensure the gravimetric enhancers were switched off before approaching further, accepting the PADD but barely looking at it. "Well, I truly appreciate that show of consideration, from both of you."

She tossed the PADD to the bed. "Resignation Refused."

The young Hroch male started, glancing at his mother before replying, "B-But, Comrade Counselor, you cannot refuse-"

"I can, and I am."

"We have already submitted it to your Commanding Officer!" Nanda bellowed angrily. "What will you say when he orders you to release my son, rather than risk censure from his superiors when we protest your actions?"

Kami remained mildly amused by the threat. "Nothing... because it won't get that far. My husband trusts my judgement implicitly, and is not easily intimidated by his superiors... actually, he's not intimidated at all. And you'll find my medical authority holds a lot of weight."

Nanda slammed her fist into her open palm in frustration, making Urad start. "You are determined to keep my son here just to prove you know best? Can you be more stubborn?"

Kami nodded. "I don't know, I find the current levels more than sufficient to get what I want." Now she focused on Urad, moving closer to him, her voice softening. "Ensign, I have a duty of care to my patients, to ensure they have healed enough before releasing them, either back to active duty, or through discharge from active service. And that healing applies not just to their psychological and emotional health, but their physical."

She reached out and took his massive hand, unable to enclose it even with both her paws. "You continue to have problems with your dexterity... at least, that is what you have told us, contrary to the many neurological scans taken.

So, I need you to undergo some specialist therapy in the Hospital Holosuite, enough to restore your manual skills to usable levels. Once your proficiency has improved to a satisfactory degree, then, if you still want to resign, I won't stand in your way..."

*

Deck 4, Classroom - 1445 Hrs:

The tiny warriors on the gameboard grappled, blows clanging against their armour plates, moving from space to space, while numbers hung in the air, increasing or decreasing with the progress of the fight.

Then the fight quickly, dramatically came to a conclusion, as one warrior picked up his opponent and brought him down onto his knee, breaking his opponent's back-

Kami switched off the rest, noting the sounds of disappointment from the class that was viewing it... including, to her mild dismay, Misha. "You're all too young to see the rest of that, so if you're too young to see it, you're certainly too young to play it."

She looked to their teacher Talbok, a Klingon who looked like a human, and who had seen a demonstration of the game she had learned about that morning. He continued the lecture. "Counselor Hrelle is correct. This so-called game is not honourable; the real Triskelion was a place where the Masters would abduct people and enslave them, forcing them to fight to the death against their will, while their Masters bet on the victor. Not even Klingons would consider this worthy of play."

"This game glorifies abduction," Kami finished soberly. "Abduction, slavery, bloody violence and death. My husband, Commodore Hrelle, was the victim of evil people like the Masters of Triskelion." She fixed her gaze on her son, who looked shocked... and ashamed. "He suffered terribly. Playing a game like this makes light of that. It insults him. Insults all of the victims of slavery and enforced violence.

I can forbid my son from playing this game, though I hope I wouldn't have to, that he is smart enough now to see how wrong it is. I cannot forbid the rest of you. But I will be sending messages to all of your parents, expressing my opinions regarding it."

"And Counselor Hrelle's words will have my support as well," Talbok added, crossing his arms. "There are a thousand other games you can play... just don't play when you should be listening to me- I'm referring to you back there, Mr Naxx!"

*

Kami noted Misha's silence after they left his class together and collected Sreen from the adjacent Creche. When he remained subdued despite his little sister's exuberance at seeing him, Kami asked, "You know I'm not mad at you for playing that game, Son of Mine, yes? You just didn't realise why it was wrong."

He grunted.

"Meesh!" Sreen beckoned. "You smile! Like me!" The toddler demonstrated, making Kami laugh.

Misha looked away. "Don't wanna, Baby Sreen."

Now Kami glanced down Broadway towards the Starjammers. "That's too bad. I was going to stop for ice cream."

"Ice Cream!" Sreen sang, arms out wide for passing pedestrians. "Ice Cream for the Poop Queen!"

But Misha remained stubborn. "Don't want ice cream."