A proposal

Posted on Wed Jan 30th, 2019 @ 3:02am by

Mission: The Gavarian Frontier
Location: Deep Space 12 and Andoria

Captain Thalal zh’Simal set the disc to repeat. It was a message from Akina Jrez, aboard Deep Space 12. After some preliminaries – asking after her, news of what was happening on the star base, the usual sort of thing – he got down to business. The purpose of the message was to sound her out on a return to Starfleet. Thalal had spent the past...it must be almost a decade now...with the Andorian Imperial Guard. She had returned to Andoria to take her part in the shelthreth, where one of each of the four Andorian sexes come together to bond and procreate. In order to remain on Andoria and take part in the raising of the child, Othimia, she had resigned from Starfleet.

She tried to tell herself that she continued to stay on Andoria for Othimia’s sake but, in truth, the child was not dependent on her now. Others of the bonded quartet could cope without her. Then she told herself she stayed because she had a duty to the Imperial Guard. She knew that was a lie. The Guard held no real hold over her. It wasn’t as if she was leading troops in battle or anything like that. Ever since the formation of the Federation, the Guard had little more than a ceremonial role.

The truth was she was in a rut. She needed something more in her life. If she was being honest she had known it for a long time. Akina’s message might just be what she was looking for.

She read it again. Unfortunately, it was long on possibility but short on detail. Akina did not say so explicitly but even after ten years apart she could read his desire to rekindle their relationship. She did not need to be Betazoid to sense that. And it had been a lovely relationship. But she would take her time over that particular question. Anyway, she thought lasciviously, it might be fun to have him seduce me all over again.

Between the lines though, Thalal thought Akina was hinting that there was more here than merely rejoining Starfleet. She sensed that someone had something in particular in mind for her. And that was where the lack of detail became problematic. So she composed a carefully worded reply. She dispensed with the formalities in short order then she too came to the nub of the matter.

“Akina, I have been thinking about Starfleet for a while but I’m comfortable where I am. Duties with the Imperial Guard are not onerous but they keep me occupied. So I have no wish to rejoin Starfleet merely for the sake of a change of scenery. However, if you have a specific proposal to make, if there is a particular position that someone has in mind for me, I would be prepared to at least to consider it.”

Correspondence went backwards and forwards between the two of them but nothing was resolved. Finally, frustrated that he did not know what was going on and was therefore unable to tell Thalal what was being proposed for her, Akina Jrez approached his captain.

“Sir,” he said, standing stiffly to attention in front of Captain Harrison. “I have received another reply from Captain zh’Simal. She has once again requested some detail of what position might be envisaged for her.”

“Sit down, Chief. Please.”

“I prefer to stand, sir,” Jrez replied.

Harrison shook his head. “Very well. I do not have a lot to give you, Chief. I do know but I have been ordered to keep silent. What I can tell you, and what you probably know already, is that the Order of 12 has become active again of late.”

“I have heard rumours to that effect, sir. If the stories are to be believed, they’ve moved their base of operations from the Cardassian-Romulan border down to the demilitarised zone between us and Cardassia.”

“If the stories are to be believed….” Harrison repeated. “That is a good way of putting it, Chief. If the stories are to be believed…. Our intelligence is not good. We have the readings from the sensor net we laid out along the demilitarised zone. There is a lot of unusual traffic. Very unusual.”

“What sort of traffic, sir?”

“Even if I knew, I would not be authorised to tell you. As it is, I do not know. My suspicion is….” He paused, considering how much to tell. “My suspicion is that someone is running weapons through the zone.” There, it was out. There was no taking it back now.

Jrez stood thinking. “I see. You don’t know and you want someone to find out. Preferably someone not linked to Starfleet. Certainly not someone linked to this station. So...you want me to recruit Thalal. May I ask, sir, is this all your idea?”

“Yes and no, Chief. The request for information came from higher up. It was my idea to suggest Captain zh’Simal. I read her file some years ago as part of getting a grip on this station. She struck me as being a very capable young woman.” He watched Jrez smile at that observation. “I think she is wasted where she is. I understand her reasons for returning to Andoria. The drop in their population numbers is alarming though I understand it is improving.”

“It is, sir. Thankfully,” Jrez put in.

“Yes. Well, as I said, I think she is wasted where she is. Such talents as she showed should be utilised.”

“So can I tell her what is going on?”

“No,” Harrison replied forthrightly. “No, I do not trust sub-space relays. Not with this. We know our traffic is being monitor so better not to risk it. No, I suggest you invite her to visit. There is someone I think she should meet...someone who can fill in all the details for her.”

“Very well. I will adopt my most charming manner. Will that be all, sir.”

“You requested this meeting, Chief,” Harrison pointed out.

“That I did, sir. Then I’ll write again immediately. Hopefully I’ll have better luck this time.”

Hopefully you will. Harrison thought.