The Offer
Posted on Saturday, 17 June 2023 - 3:56pm by Commander Soral & Ensign Oriana Skye Sety
Mission:
Operation: Lobes & Liberties
Location: XO's Office | USS Standing Bear A
Timeline: 2396
ON:
Soral sat in his office staring out the small port window at the sea of stars. He had been doing that a lot as of late. His conversation with the old CO of the Bear had put a lot into perspective for him. She had been right on so many things. Soral tapped the coms app on his table. “Soral to Sety.”
“Yes sir, Ensign Sety here.”
“Join me in my office please,” He paused scratching his chin. “The matter has some urgency.”
The silence was long enough that he thought the coms had shut off and then, “Yes sir. I am on my way.”
It didn’t take long for her to arrive and when she did, she had both and alarmed and determined look about her. Soral was familiar with it by now. “Ensign Sety, please sit,” He stood unfolding himself from the chair and heading to the replicator. “Coffee?”
“Tea please. Mint.”
He inclined his head and ordered two mint teas. He set one down in front of her and then walked around taking his seat again. “I shall, as humans say, cut to the chase.”
He watched her watching him could see her mind creating scenarios. It was something he’d always admired about her she seemed several steps ahead and brimming with possibilities. She was a woman who thought on her feet.
“I am…contemplating a change of career. Nothing is for certain yet and I do not wish this to wind up on the gossip roster.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll honestly be sorry to see you go, if that’s what you decide.”
He studied her again and there, in her eyes, he saw confirmation that she would indeed be sad to see him go. “You are one of the people I trust with my life on this ship, one of few and I would like to make you an offer.”
She stayed silent but the tilt of her head and the rounding of her sapphire eyes told him she was listening.
“Your family has always been a fear for you. You started your life here to get away from the past and yet they found you, tried to influence the CO of the ship.”
She lowered her eyes but before that he’d caught the storm within them.
“I want to give you the opportunity to make a clear break. I am contemplating resigning my position with Starfleet.”
She looked up and for the first time spoke, “To return to Vulcan?”
“No. They are…too tied to the Federation and it will be their undoing. That vote on the planet was close but not close enough and shows me that Vulcan is not ready for a change. I have recently found out that there may be a place for me on New Romulus.”
Her eyes widened. “New…I…”
“I would be going there to help the Empire rebuild and to shape it. Since my joining with my Mirror verse self, I have been more divided then ever and thus I have begun rebuilding myself using what was once Soral of this verse and some of what was in that verse. I find ambition and power is what I lacked here. He had it, tasted it and with his…ambition and knowledge and leadership and my drive and loyalty and genuine care for the Romulan people I thought I could help.”
She gave a nod. “Makes sense but what of me?”
“I want a right hand I can trust. Someone that I know will help me and help Romulus. I need more then an assistant. I need a partner, a manager of staff, I intend to run for office on New Romulus and I need someone who will help me work for the people.”
Her eyes widened. “I….”
“On New Romulus you would truly leave your life behind and start over. You would grow with me and have my protection with the only ask being absolutely loyalty to me and rebuilding Romulus helping reunite the scattered and…helping Vulcan see that Starfleet and the Federation are not for them. My goal is to unite the Romulans and Vulcans and Vulcanoids of all kinds. In the Mirror Verse it was doable and so it is here.”
“But wouldn’t Vulcan leaving be a blow to the Federation?”
Soral smiled. “Perhaps but it would be more a wake up call a change for them to start a new chapter and not lean on Vulcan to balance them. Humanity and its victories and sins would be tested. Romulus would rise and be strong and Vulcan would follow.”
She studied him, he watched her study him. “I…I don’t know.”
“Ensign, I want a peace and prosperity for the galaxy and the only way to do that is to reform the very core of it. Starfleet turned its back on Romulus when our sun went nova.”
He saw as her head shot up at his use of our and gave a nod. “That is correct I am half Romulan and half Vulcan but in this I am Romulan. There are good people in the Federation but they made a coward’s choice and are ignoring it to this day. Just as there are bad people on Romulus who had a hand in Utopia Planitia and must account for and own up to that.”
He waited and let the silence stretch. He knew that silence was not an enemy and that she processed things in a silent manner.
“If you were to leave,” she said after a long long silence. “If you were to try this what would your goal be?”
“As I said, restoration of balance and peace. I am one man and I cannot do this on my own but I can try to help Romulus, Starfleet, Vulcan, at least start a conversation.”
She studied him. “And what of Hamura and your wife?”
“Hamura’s place is here, they know this, I know it. As for my wife she will have to choose her path as well, I will not influence it in any way. If she chooses our marriage then she can choose to stay here or come with me but it will be her choice. If she chooses divorce it will, again, be her choice. I have made too many choices for her in the past and she is a strong and capable woman who, in my mind, can be captain one day of the finest science ship if she wishes.”
Oriana sighed. “I could start over, a new chapter, a new start where my past is in the past and I can build my future.”
“Indeed.”
“So, I would be what, your aid?”
“As I said, aid, advisor, chief of staff. I need someone I can trust that is organized and kind and has a sharp mind. I need someone who can manage my schedule and deal with housing and rebuilding my life and ensuring my children are educated as well as organizing pretty much everything. It would be what your duties are here but also ensuring I meet writing deadlines, as I still plan to write, and that all paperwork is done.”
She studied him.
Soral let the silence stretch. “Think on it and…”
“I accept.” She stood and held out her hand. “I accept and hereby resign my post when you resign yours.”
Soral stood and enveloped her hand. “To new alliances and new starts. I look forward to working with you.”
She gave a nod. “Well I guess I have a resignation to write.”
Soral’s lip twitched. “I took the liberty.” He reached into his desk and handed her a PaDD.
She narrowed her eyes. “Who’s the assistant here?” She read over it quickly and signed it. “There you go.”
Soral smiled. “A new beginning to us both. I shall send this in when I send mine in.”
Oriana gave a nod. There was a sense of rightness about this. She wanted a new start and while once Hamura would have held her here she had decided that Hamura was no longer part of her path. She had a new path. New Romulus would hold much for her and if she could help them rebuild and help Soral maybe she could have a good life and finally be happy.
OFF:
