I have something to tell you

Posted on Friday, 18 December 2020 - 3:19pm by Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali

Mission: Operation: Ouroboros
Location: Various
Timeline: MD4

{ON}

T’Lanna yawned and stretched, she’d been sitting at her desk for what felt like forever but at least now she had some of the information that Alex had suggested she find. She tapped her comm badge. “Vali to Kingsley, I’ve got some information for you.”

There was a long pause. “I’ll be right there... where are you?”

“I’m currently in my office” T’Lanna sighed. “I’ve been here forever.”

Ending the call with a promise to be there in five minutes, she spent at least ten in the shower and another five fighting to braid her hair and least another ten replicating enough makeup to look human again. Adrianna’s hangover cure had worked a treat but it had turned into a long night. Despite the aftermath, it had been needed.

“Sorry,” she apologised as she arrived. “You found something?”

T’Lanna smiled. “You look how I feel” She picked up a PADD. “I have information on the Admiral’s visitors during his incarceration, he was visited by Erika Benteen, she visited a considerable amount of times. He was also visited by Johnny Madden, he was a cadet at the time and was the leader of red squadron at the time of the Admiral's attempted coup, he only started off visiting a few times, but his visits became more frequently towards the end of the Admiral's sentence."

Stupid replicated makeup... Considering the news the woman had inparted, she gestured to the replicator, "do you mind?"

At T'Lanna's nod she replicated another coffee, her second of the day and the day was still young. This, she mused, would be her life for next day. For now, though, there were bigger problems. "He sounds worthy of more attention," she noted. "Especially if he began to visit him more often. Clearly there was a relationship there."

“As for Erika Benteen” T’Lanna handed Alex a PADD. “This is what I’ve got on her so far.”

The information read:
- 2372 CO of the USS Lakota, faced a court-martial for attacking the USS Defiant and supporting the Admiral's coup
- She was cleared of the most serious of charges (Barrett Stillwater - Witness for the prosecution)
- She was removed from the Lakota, and demoted to Commander
- 2373 promoted to Captain again and given the command of the USS Apalachia
- 2375 reassigned
- she left Starfleet shortly thereafter

Sipping her coffee, Alex read the contents of the padd twice. "She was given another command?" she noted incredulously. "That is insane... So if she left the fleet in 2375, did she just drop off the radar? We could ask Petty Officer Baciami to try and dig up some more details?"

T’Lanna nodded. “That might be a good idea. I can only go so far on my credentials. At the moment that’s about all I’ve got.” She stifled a yawn. “It feels like I’ve been at this forever! Add to that Braxton Hicks, false labour pains and I would love to just go hibernate for a while!” She grinned.

Alex regarded here for a moment, “sounds like you should be in Sickbay. Or at least at home resting.”

“Agreed where rest is concerned, I’ll be heading back to my quarters to put my feet up soon. It’s pretty strange being seven months pregnant when I was only four months not to long ago.” T’Lanna smiled. “I just need some time to get used to it.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Alex admitted. “But make sure you do rest. Commander Stillwater wouldn’t want you overdoing things.”

“I know he wouldn’t, I don’t plan to let him down by overdoing it.” T’Lanna offered a warmer smile. “I wish Raith was out of his coma, I don’t sleep as well without him as I did when I used to sleep in his arms. I miss him so much!”

“Be patient, he’s going to be back fussing over you before you know it. He just needs time to heal.”

“I know” T’Lanna nodded. “I visit as often as I can, to let him know I’m there through our bond. I can feel him but it’s like he’s on another plain of sorts ... a different level to me.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Alex give Soral a chance, trust me you’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t. He loves you and maybe he kept things from you for a reason, I don’t blame you for being angry. Just don’t throw away the love you both share.”

The fact she was seven months pregnant definitely worked in T’Lanna’s favour in that moment. “Subtle,” she quipped, recycling her coffee.

“You’re both my friends, I don’t have time to be subtle so I’m going for a sledgehammer!” T’Lanna grinned. “He’ll if I wasn’t seeing Raith and you weren’t seeing Soral I might have considered him myself. Not that I think of him in that way at all. He’s a friend and my mentor. I have the upmost respect for him.”

“So I see,” she retorted, her tone almost icy. What was she supposed to make of that? That is Soral and she were single she would have ... Nope. She was not going there.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to cause offence, I just meant ...” T’Lanna sighed and massaged her temples. “I seem to be good at offending people of late!” She pushed out her chair and slowly stood up. “If you’ll excuse me I’ll head to my quarters now
before I say anything else wrong.”

“Make sure you stop by Sickbay,” Alex told her. She fought down any inkling of guilt. And the urge to point out she was blindly defending Soral. And would keep defending him. How ironic that it had been the woman she clashed with most often that had been the one to see her side of it.

T’Lanna nodded. Right now she wanted to go home, bury her head in her pillow and cry.

OFF