Overdue explanations

Posted on Sunday, 11 April 2021 - 5:57pm by Captain Barret Stillwater & Commander Soral & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie

Mission: Operation: Peace or P'Jem
Location: Conference room

{ON}

Having finally been released from Sickbay T’Lanna had requested to speak with Stillwater, Soral, and Alex. Making her way to the conference room she stood looking out of the window, she wanted to get to P’Jem if only to find the remains of her father’s ship. First of all she had apologies to make, and accept any punishment that Captain Stillwater would see fit.

Entering the conference room, Alex hesitated in mid stride, surprised to find the neither Stillwater or Soral had beaten her here. “Hey,” she offered as she sank into a nearby chair. “How are you feeling?”

T’Lanna almost leapt out of her skin as Alex spoke, she hadn’t even heard her enter. “Sorry” She offered a brief smile. “I’m ... getting there.” She walked across to the table and took a seat. “I understand that I hurt you, and others. I’m so sorry!!”

Alex waved the apology away, “it’s okay”

“No ... it isn’t!” T’Lanna hung her head. “I saw my father ...” she stopped talking. “I just ... exploded! I couldn’t hold it back.” She fingered the inhibitor on her neck. “Now I can’t feel anything, I won’t have my full abilities back until I’ve proven I can control myself again.”

"That," said Soral entering. "Will take time.'

T’Lanna looked towards Soral. “Commander, I’m sorry for my behaviour.”

"It is a hard thing to witness what you did. I grieve with thee." He said using the Vulcan term.

“Thank you Sir” T’Lanna nodded. “I have to get to P’Jem, if only to ...” she paused as she fought back tears. “To find what’s left of the ship.”

Soral said nothing. There would not be much left. The Andorians were quite...meticulous. He sat down beside Alex, almost as a shield.

“You don’t trust me” T’Lanna sighed. “I don’t blame you. In your place I’d feel the same.”

“I think we can all sympathise or empathise with your loss,” Alex brokered diplomatically. “And obviously having just given birth, hormones are out of whack...”

She didn’t want to be harsh, Stillwater would ultimately address the actions she took and any consequences. Trailing of she touched her fingertips against Soral’s hand under the table. He seemed tense, on alert.

Soral had just began to relax when the door hissed open. It wasn't Stillwater. One look at Mac told Soral something was wrong. He stood tense. "Mac?" He'd seen that look.

"What did you do!" Mac angrily stepped towards T'Lanna. "He was just healing!"

Soral stepped in front of Mac. "Lieutenant stand down."

“Mac?” Alex came up beside their friend, “Mac what happened?”

Maximus MacKenzie was positively frothing at the mouth. "It was his first day back on the job! That....woman," he said pointing at T'Lanna, "his mind was just healing and then that wave...or whatever the hell that was..."

Soral grasped Mac by the shoulders. "It was not intentional. It was a pain reaction."

"Oh you ain't seen pain!"

"Maximus!" Soral raised his voice. "Outside." He hurried his friend out of the room.

T’Lanna had stood and backed away, shocked at Mac’s reaction to her. She couldn’t blame him but what of Haru? She looked to Alex. “What happened to Haru? What did I do!?”

“I’m not certain, it was powerful. Agonising, really... look, as Soral said it was not intended. You didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Mac will realise that.”

There was a commotion outside the room and clear raised voices. The dialect of Romulan both men were using was one that the universal translator did not pick up and translate. There were more shouts Soral's calm raised voice, MacKenzie's filled with anger.

The doors parted and Mac walked back in Soral hot on his heels. He grabbed Mac's arm. "Go to sickbay. I will join you there after. Go!"

Mac glared at T'Lanna. He opened his mouth but Soral shook him violently. "Go! That is an order."

Mac turned and walked to the door. He stopped and let out a howl of rage, his fist connecting with the wall by the door and leaving a hole brought on by his Capellan strength.

Soral sighed as he watched his friend go. He turned to T'Lanna. "I apologize." He said to T'Lanna.

“What happened to Haru?” T’Lanna looked at Soral then at the hole in the wall left by Mac. “What have I done?”

He sighed. "I am uncertain what has happened just that Haru could not be woken, there is swelling in the brain but I am certain that all will be well. MacKenzie is overprotective." He said realizing his protectiveness of Alex was similar. "Do not concern yourself. I will assist MacKenzie. I will also deal with him and his tone. Again my apologies."

“STOP ..” T’Lanna bit her tongue. “Please stop apologising, I deserved it.” She took her seat again, resting her elbows on the table she rested her head in her hands. “I’ve destroyed the trust people had in me.”

“Kind of,” Alex agreed, “but the thing is, trust can be rebuilt. And anyone who has lost a loved one will understand your impulse to go to try and save your father. You can ask my mother about her having security dragging me out of a bar trying to get someone- anyone- to take me to Mars so I could go save my dad. Or all the reckless things I did for months after we lost him. What I’m trying to say is grief does crazy things to even the best of people. Get well first and then worry about what people think.”

Soral gave a nod. "Alexandra's advice is wise. Do not put blame on yourself. It is also your telepathic abilities. On Betazed trauma like this is understood and many would react the way you did. I cannot imagine the grief you are experiencing now but know that just as you acted instinctively without meaning harm so too is Mac's anger. It is born out of fear and grief he will calm, if there are others who are angry they will calm. It is the shock of it all. Sit, have a drink of water and try and calm yourself."

T’Lanna looked up with tears in her eyes. “Thank you” she wiped away a few tears and stood to get herself a drink from the replicator. “Water ... chilled.” She waited for the glass of water to materialise before returning to her seat. She sat back and sipped her water as they waited for Stillwater to arrive.

Captain Barret Stillwater stepped into the conference room having missed the commotion. He had been delayed dealing with an Admiral. "Ladies, gentleman," he said taking a seat at the head if the table. "Lieutenant, you requested this meeting?"

T'Lanna nodded. “I err ... Yes, Sir.” She took a deep breath. “I owe all of you an explanation for my actions.” She sat back in her seat. “After the staff meeting I called my father to check he was safe. Everything seemed alright until his ship started taking fire!” She paused visibly shaken just by talking about it. “The last thing ... he tried to say to me, was that he ...” She wiped away tears. “Loved me, he never got chance!” She paused to get some control over herself. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. My emotions overrode my control.”

Soral's head was pounding. He tried to keep a low profile here. With everything that was happening. He had been more affected then he'd let on. He'd let the captain or Alex take things from here while he tired to bring the pain under control.

Alex replicated a fresh glass of water and some tissues, setting them down in front of T’Lanna before returning to Soral’s side.

T’Lanna offered an appreciative nod, picking up a tissue she dried her eyes before taking a sip of her water. “I didn’t know where he was at first ... then I remembered him telling me when we spoke before he’d be going to P’Jem.” She looked towards Barret. “I have to go there! I have to see for myself.”

"Did he tell you what was happening?" Soral asked.

T’Lanna paused to think. “He said his ship was surrounded by Andorian war ships. That Vulcan was sending rescue craft, but his ship’s shields were failing.”

Soral looked at Stillwater, the Andorians again. "Perhaps we should investigate."

T’Lanna looked at Stillwater, “I won’t be of much help to you where my senses are concerned, for the time being I’ve asked Ryan to keep them completely blocked. I’m not able to control them sufficiently at the moment, and if we encounter Andorians ...” She shook her head. “I’m not sure I could control my anger towards them.”

Alex offered the woman a sympathetic smile. At least she was being honest and she remembered how raw her own emotions had been when her father died. It was not something she would wish on anyone. Although she was slightly grateful to know the agony of this morning wouldn't be happening again any time soon. The ultimate decision on taking the ship to P'Jem, however, was their captain's.

T’Lanna looked towards Alex. “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I would never intentionally hurt you, or anyone else.”

"You apologised already," the science officer reminded her before adding, more for Soral and Stillwater's benefit, "and I'm perfectly fine, no harm done."

T’Lanna nodded, and offered a brief smile before looking at Barret. “Please Captain, I know my father is gone that much I can feel. I just ... need to finish what he started. He must have been there to protect P’Jem, it’s my place to be there to help. At the very least, to try!”

"Lieutenant," Stillwater said sternly. "I have my orders. I cannot simply break formation and take us away from our designated patrol route, not now, not with Vulcan potentially at stake" Captain Stillwater said. He did not personally feel as though Vulcan were a target, but what he thought and what his orders were, were not mutually exclusive.

He shot a look at Soral "Before you open your mouth in protest, the Standing Bear is staying where it is, for the time being, Commander," Stillwater added sharply. "That does not apply to our auxiliary craft, however," noted Stillwater. "Commander, take the shuttleraft Morpheus and Lieutenant Vali. Proceed to the last known coordinates and see what you can find. If you run into any trouble along the way, the Standing Bear will be a stone's throw away to provide assistance."

Soral's eyes widened. He was about to protest then suppressed a sigh. "Very well sir. It will take a day to get it ready I request Lieutenant Mackenzie to come with me."

"A day to prep a shuttle? When the hell did this command turn into a Pakeled scavenger?"

A sudden flaring of anger washed through Soral. Gods Damn you! Must he break everything down? Was it not bad enough he was sending Soral by shuttle with Vali who … could have hurt Alex and had hurt a friend and brother? Was it not enough that a Vulcan in his condition needed rest? He pushed all that away aware that his wife's hand was on his under the table, a comforting gesture. He spoke calmly thought, "If the Andorians are out there we would logically need to ensure all protections are in place sir. I believe that Lieutenant Vali, myself, and Lieutenant Mackenzie need time to prepare."

T’Lanna looked at Stillwater in surprise, she hadn’t expected to be assigned off ship. Looking at Soral she could have sworn for a moment, that she saw a glimmer of anger in his eyes but without her senses she dismissed it. “Thank you Captain.” She looked at Soral, she dreaded of think about being coupled up in a shuttle with Mac though.

"So be it," replied Stillwater. "You, Vali, and Mackenzie," added Captain Stillwater who too thought he had caught something in his First Officer's eyes that was abnormal, but they all were under a lot of stress. Even a Vulcan had to know what the stakes were. "Take the time you need to prepare." Though Stillwater agreed to it, he could not help but think a shuttle even as prepared as Soral would want it would not stand much of a chance if they encountered any serious problems. It helped that the Standing Bear would be close enough to get to them quickly if necessary.

Soral shot to his feet. "I have to go and prepare." He clenched his hands into fists. "If you will allow me, captain?" His voice was calm and reasonable but his actions somewhat jumpy. He wanted to get the shuttle prepped, Mac prepped and then he wanted to hit the hand-to-hand simulator to burn off the restlessness he was feeling.

"Of course, dismissed...everyone," said Stillwater. "Lieutenant," he said to Vali. "I am sorry about your father. I would have liked to have met him, and I hope you find whatever answers you need out there."

T’Lanna nodded. “Thank you Captain.”

Soral left quickly. Once outside he called. "Soral to Mackenzie meet me in the tact office. Bring a phaser"

"What did you do?"

"Volunteered you to join me and Vali on a shuttle."

"Son of a...." The rest of the statement was cut off by Mac's severing of the coms.

Captain Stillwater had had enough if the overdue yet unnecessary apologies and explanations. He was satisfied, and hopefully his crew would find answers, and his Ship's Psychologist would find closure.

{OFF}