Captain's Log, Stardate 23706.3, USS Sarek, Captain T'Faer
(EC Excelsior, Coreward)
USS Sarek is in pursuit of a group of Yrillian pirates that raided the mining colony at Bast VII and stealing several tonnes of refined duratainium as well as six laser drills in the process. All stolen from the unmanned surface storage warehouses while the colonists slept.
While Sarek is both a faster and more powerful vessel than the Yrillian Carryall that conducted the raid, I believe that a direct attack on the pirate vessel would only result in the destruction of the stolen hardware and an unnecessary loss of life.
Instead I intend to closely pursue the Yrillian vessel and cut off their access to likely ports of call. I believe that pursuing the Yrillian vessel in such a manner will lead them to forming a new consensus where they surrender to Sarek.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23707.1, USS Sarek, Captain T'Faer
(EC Excelsior, Coreward)
I have now placed Sarek between the Yrillian vessel and their most likely escape route towards what is believed to be Yrillian controlled space.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23708.4, USS Sarek, Captain T'Faer
(EC Excelsior, Coreward)
Sarek has now cut off the Yrillian attempt to make a run to the Syndicate deep space port at Caldyr V.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23709.2, USS Sarek, Captain T'Faer
(EC Excelsior, Coreward)
We have positioned ourselves on the Yrillians most likely reroute to Akola.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23711.5, USS Sarek, Captain T'Faer
(EC Excelsior, Coreward)
I have elected to close in on the fleeing Yrillian freighter in order to increase the psychological pressure being placed on their crew.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23713.1, USS Sarek, Captain T'Faer
(EC Excelsior, Coreward)
The freighter Tappity Tap Tap has cut warp power and signaled that after a contentious vote they have decided to return the materials and resources taken from Bast VII.
At my request they have also agreed to turn over the ringleaders of the attack in return for leniency for the rest of the crew. As the attack was not violent in nature I feel no pressure to push the point further than recovery of the stolen materials and a targeted deterrent.
[Materials recovered, gain +10 br]
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23714.1, USS Excalibur, Captain Gabriel Mendoza
(EC Excelsior, Trailing)
Excalibur is taking a short detour from our survey of Alva cluster to help carry out a little project dreamed up by the Vulcan Science Academy.
The VSA has requested that Starfleet deploy a probe on the edge of a black hole's event horizon, and after studying several such anomalies, they've settled on the one that we surveyed last year for their project.
The VSA and the science council have sent us a long list of modifications that they want us to make to a Class one probe which we have christened "ASTRID" for Advanced Singularity Research and Investigation Drone.
It will be a slight detour to the black hole and then we can get back to our survey mission.
-
Bridge Log, Stardate 23715.5, USS Excalibur
(EC Excelsior, Trailing)
[CMDR. Pavik] Probe away sir.
[CPT. Mendoza] Alright, how's that telemetry looking?
[CMDR. Pavik] All readings nominal Captain.
[LT. CMDR. Indros] Looks like those Vulcan modifications we made to ASTRID are holding up well Sir. We might get more than the proposed six months out of her, I'm going to guess at a full year.
[CPT. Mendoza] Kudos all around! Good work crew.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23715.6, USS Excalibur, Captain Gabriel Mendoza
(EC Excelsior, Trailing)
ASTRID is in place and transmitting. Though, due to her design and the cold logic of Einstein ASTRID's only going to be able to send a drip feed of information back to the VSA. When she's reached the end of her lifespan we're going to have to come back and pick her up near the end of our own mission.
[+5 rp for deploying ASTRID]
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23730.1, USS Enterprise-B, Captain John Harriman
(Excelsior, KBZ)
Enterprise has been ordered to the Klingon Border in response to mysterious sensor ghosts. It appears that someone is shadowing Polaris and Lexington as they make their patrols on our side of the Neutral Zone.
It's Admiral Rogers' fear that the Klingons might be going back to their old tricks and he's hoping that Enterprise's reputation will help to keep the situation settled while we figure out what's going on.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23738.3, USS Enterprise-B, Captain John Harriman
(Excelsior, KBZ)
For the past week, what we have definitely identified as Klingon, vessels have shifted to following Enterprise's movements as we patrol along the Neutral Zone. Though they spend much of their time in cloak, Lieutenant Commander Ajam believes that our new shadows are a pair of older D7s and a quartet of Birds of Prey.
San Francisco is telling me that the fragmentary reports they're getting from Kronos, in the chaotic midst of the relocation, say that this fleet doesn't answer to Azetbur, but to one of the Klingon Houses that have begun to assert their independence since Praxis disaster and the Khitomer Treaty.
Rogers is worried that this House might go rogue and try to start another war. Enterprise will see to it that that doesn't happen.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23744.5, USS Enterprise-B, Captain John Harriman
(Excelsior, KBZ)
I don't think this Klingon activity is the prelude to an attack.
We are being tracked, but the ships we're detecting would have no chance against the border fleet, especially with Enterprise on the scene.
I think someone is keeping an eye on us, on our precise movements. Which means that our movements need to be tracked.
I suspect that the Klingons are looking for gaps in our patrol routes. And with the drawdown of our forces along the KBZ and decommissioning of listening posts after Khitomer, our own eyes are admittedly duller than they used to be.
I'm going to see if I can pull some strings with command.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23750.6, USS Enterprise-B, Captain John Harriman
(Excelsior, KBZ)
My hunch proved correct. San Francisco cut loose Centaur to lie in low emissions mode in one of the systems, that Enterprise and the border patrols were not actively patrolling, and we have a hit, a stealthed, unidentified vessel made a break for the border after Enterprise left the area.
I have ordered Enterprise to double back at high warp so that we can make the intercept.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23753.3, USS Enterprise-B, Captain John Harriman
(Excelsior, KBZ)
We have intercepted our mystery contact and she's an Orion Syndicate vessel.
Someone in the Klingon border fleet across from us is corrupt. It appears that General Duras is doing deals with the Syndicate, trading high end cyberware and slaves for Klingon military technology "lost" in the chaos after Praxis.
The slaves have been freed, the Orions arrested, their smuggled goods confiscated, and Starfleet Intelligence alerted.
This has been a good day.
[Seize Syndicate smuggler ship, Gain 10 SR and Gain 5 Political Will]
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23761.2, USS Lion, Captain T'rek
(Miranda, Vulcan Sector)
Lion has detected an unusual energy pattern emanating from the Primary of the Tycho-130 system.
I have informed Starfleet Command of my desire to investigate this phenomenon.
-
Acting Captain's Log, Stardate 23763.2, USS Lion, Commander Nash ka'Sharren
(Miranda, Vulcan Sector)
I'm in command now.
Immediately after we came out of warp in the Tycho-130 system our starboard nacelle just up and exploded. No fatalities, thankfully, but sickbay and two adjoining medical are full of wounded -including Captain T'rek- who suffered a nasty blow to the head when our gravity plating briefly fluctuated wildly.
While our initial suspicions fell on the exotic radiation present in the system, I'm not ruling out any avenue of investigation as we try to get Lion back underway, and our communications systems back online.
-
Acting Captain's Log, Stardate 23764.3, USS Lion, Commander Nash ka'Sharren
(Miranda, Vulcan Sector)
So things certainly could have been worse, but we've been working around the clock and engineering's got main impulse and the main navigational deflectors are back online. Sam -Lieutenant Mrr'Shan has found a shield frequency that is blocking out the radiation from Tycho-130a. Which, yeah, it was the exotic radiation that blew up our ship.
It appears that the radiation bypassed our navigational deflectors and reacted badly with the charged plasma intermix in our nacelles. Cosmically speaking, the radiation decays rapidly, showing little threat unless it is present in large concentrations. Concentrations found, say, within four AUs of the star emitting it.
Captain T'rek is still out of commission, so I will be staying in Lion's big chair as we tenderly bring Lion back into spacedock.
[Lion damaged. -5 br, -5 sr, 1 qtr to repair]
-
"Should it hover?" Says Xansad Lalen, tilting his head downwards in thought at the electronics scattered across the soft comforter covering his bed, his shoulder length hair spilling forwards.
"Should it hover?" says Toressa Lalen in amazement, "Yes!" she says, shaking her head emphatically, her long pony tail whipping back and forth as she does so, "It's a drone sib, of course it should fly!"
"No, no, no, let me talk this out 'Ressa." he lifts up another component, and gestures to the fabricator that the two had set up to one side to print out the drone's casing, "What if… visual masking instead?"
"The power drain means tha-"
"I know, we can do one or the other, but isn't blending in and going unnoticed more impressive than flying around like every other drone is going to be doing?"
"If we pull that off…" Toressa's voice trails off as she contemplates the new design, "Much higher marks." she drops her component back onto the bed, "You know, we could use this to show off when we hand it in next week. Really wow the class."
Xansad grins, and Toressa grins back, "We'll show them all!"
Suddenly another voice cuts into the room, a much older voice, one refined by decades of the darwinian selection of cutthroat business dealings, "I have heard the most interesting thing today Tatyana."
Xansad whips around, eyes wide.
It's her.
Toressa and Xansad both stand up, drone components spilling off the bed.
"No, you don't need to stand up, you can both sit back down." says Toressa and Xansad's mother, Tatyana Lalen, Molhane Energy and Savings' Chief Operations Officer and a woman of no small importance in the Orion legal and illegal business communities.
Two sit down on the edge of the bed, Xansad landing heavily, but Toressa lowering herself awkwardly, a questioning look on her face.
"I do want to talk to your sister Toressa, but there's no need for leave, Toressa?" Tatyana Lalen smiles sweetly at Xansad's sister, "I'll be out of your hair soon enough."
Toressa looks between her mother and her brother and there is nothing she can do. She also sits down heavily, a sorry stillborn on her lips.
"Tatyana. Tatyana. You would not believe the story that I've heard about your from your school." The elder Lalen crosses her arms, "Can you guess what that was?"
Xansad looks down at his hands, which are tucked into his lap, "I was, uhm, I got into trouble for going off site during the lunch break?"
"Running around like a common street child yes. Leaping from building to building." Tatyana sighed, "You have those augmentations to overpower assassins, not act like one. Lalens don't need to 'Parkour', they have others do that for them." She tsks loudly and looks at Toressa, "You don't see your sister running around like a lunatic and jumping around."
Torressa doesn't return her mother's look, also looking down at her her own hands, and awkwardly playing with a loose piece of cabling.
"In fact I'm disappointed in her for not stopping you from making a fool of yourself. I raised her to be better, she knows that she has to look after you."
"I'm sorry. I should have been a better older sister," says Toressa, all of five seconds older than her brother.
"But that report was a little vague, so I Molhane security look into it. And they had someone talk to someone, and then someone else, and I ended up hearing a very interesting story."
Xansad studiously keeps his head down, and Toressa looks upwards in shock.
"And it took me a little while, but I did get a very interesting story for that effort. A story about a boy named 'Xansad'."
Toressa looks up and quickly raises her hand, "Oh, ah! Yes, that was my fault!"
Tatyana raises an eyebrow, "I don't see how, but go ahead."
"Well, uhm, I thought that h-uh, Tatyana might embarrass you if she were seen in the streets, so I thought she should pretend to be a boy." Toressa drops the cabling and gestures with her hands, "So that, that, that behavior wouldn't be linked back to you and embarrass anyone."
"Very clever Toressa!" says her Mother, "But, well, this was so worrying that I decided to talk with your counselor." Tatyana Lalen looks back to Xansad, "Now, she's a professional woman, the best there is, but she does know that ultimately I do need to know about my children." she tsks again, "And however well meaning your story was, It appears that Tatyana developed a fixation on playacting as this boy Xansad."
Xansad mumbles something.
The elder Lalen cocks her head to one side slightly, "I'm sorry. I think I heard you say something you would never say to me Tatyana."
"It's not a fixation. Mother."
"Good. Good. Then that means that you'll drop this whole thing. Stop embarrassing me and your sister?"
Xansad's hands tighten into fists, "No. No, I am Xansad. I am a boy." He says, rising to his feet and looking his mother directly in her eyes, his own eyes roiling with anger.
Tatyana huffs and turns to look at Toressa, "She lies a lot. You don't Toressa. Why is she doing this? What does think she can get out of me for acting the freak?"
Toressa looks from her brother's pleading eyes, now looking towards her, and her mother's hard face, "His name is Xansad." she says, "That's all there is to it."
Tatyana raises a hand to her forehead, "Allright. I can't deal with this right now. But we will talk to Doctor Meloz. And I will get to the bottom of this misbehavior"
Xansad's fatal courage leaves him as his mother leaves the room, the door hissing shut behind her.
He slumps down onto his bed, tears in his eyes, and Toressa leans over to him, pulling him into a tight hug.
"She can't, can't do anything. The law's on our side Xansad. Everything will be fine."
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23773.2, USS Courageous, Captain Nyota Uhura
(EC Excelsior, Orion Union)
Starfleet Command has received an invitation to visit the Orion Union's capital at Alukk. The FDS believes that with the recent victory of the Truth and Prosperity party in recent elections the Orion Union is tentatively reaching out to the Federation to strengthen relations without angering the hypercorp's Executive Council or the Orion Syndicate until they have an agreement in place.
Courageous has received the nod from Starfleet Command to make the trip to Alukk and put out feelers.
I understand that the Council is eager to take every opportunity we can to leverage the Orion people out from under the Syndicate and they hope that signing new trade agreements with help with the goal of building peace across our spinward frontier. I will not let them down.
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23774.2, USS Courageous, Captain Nyota Uhura
(EC Excelsior, Orion Union)
Courageous has found herself the host to several important Orion dignitaries making "inspection tours" and "informal visits". I have spent the entirety of our second day in Alukk orbit acting the gracious hostess to three Government ministers, six members of the Orion Congress, and twelve Hypercorp executives, along with their families, aides, and bodyguards.
I believe that we have made some good progress in making inroads with the Orion upper crust, if only via novelty and the lingering effects of the Orion cultural Terraphilia of last generation.
After hosting several of those Orion worthy's at a dinner party we have received dinner party invitations of our own from several members of the Union's new cabinet. And we have also made arrangements for children from some of the more prestigious Orion schools to tour Courageous this coming week.
Personal Log, Nyota Uhura
(Human, Female)
Dinner was a delightful affair that I'd rate in tense awkwardness as second only to the dinner with Gorkon in '93 the night before Chang assassinated him.
As a Starfleet Captain on a mission, a representative of the Federation, I need to be diplomatic and to know when to hold my tongue.
As a Starfleet officer I have a wide experience of different cultures, and I have been in space for decades and dealt with many alien species. And yet...
And yet, though I have lost count of the number of languages that I can speak fluently, I still have trouble speaking the language of corporate power and wealth. It is a tongue alien in its arrogance and callousness.
The Molhanes, Lalens, and Garitas of the world exude the same brutal sophistication that General Chang oozed. Educated, sophisticated, with a deep knowledge of economics and history. Yet they own slaves, they exploit workers, and order deaths without a second thought.
Women like the Molhane exec that ordered strikers slaughtered the night she left my ship after waxing poetically about liberty and lecturing my first officer about the basic sophont right to own people like property with elegant rhetoric.
And with their greater knowledge of Human history it's much harder to compare them to 20th century monsters without their knowledge.
-
Two gangly forms sit across from each other on an oversized bed, a scattering of components, tools, and computer data slates lying haphazardly between them.
Toressa Lalen leans forward, a look of intense concentration on her face as she slides a thumbnail sized data card into a waiting receptor on a small lump of metal and plastic no bigger than her fist.
Toressa snatches the curved glass that is the drone's remote control from Xansad, "No, listen sib, I made the program, I should fly it!"
"I put it together." Xansad says, reaching out to snatch the remote control back.
Xansad's fingers are just wrapping themselves around the screen, but Toressa rolls backwards off the bed, pulling the clear device free from Xansad's grasp, an assortment of blankets and loose components following her off onto the floor with an audible 'whump' as the remote lands a meter away from Toressa..
As Toressa flails around, trying to extract herself from her self inflicted cocoon of the softest Tholian silks, Xansad reaches down and casually snaps up the now discarded remote.
"Me first." he says, deliberately ignoring Toressa pulling herself up onto the bed, and booting up the program. He watches the test lights flash across the small drone's chassi as Toressa grumpily settles in beside him, her flowing bright red hair mussed up, brushing something off of her shirt.
"And now. Here. We. Go!" he whispers, flipping a bright blue switch on the remote.
The drone vanishes instantly, and Toressa clap her hands together silently, smiling proudly.
Toressa watches the space where the drone disappeared carefully as Xansad manipulates the remote.
"Oh!" she says after a few seconds, "I think I can kinda see some blurring when it moves." she moves forwards slightly to prod the invisible drone with a single, extended, finger, "I bet it's the cameras, I told you that we needed to give them another auxiliary processor!"
"I'm still certain that that would put us over the materials and size budget" says Xansad putting his ear up to the remote where he can hear both his, and his sister's, voices loud and clear.
"We can strip a few things out, I think we can still come in a couple milligrams under the mass restriction, and about thirty thousand credits under the budget."
Xansad drives the little drone out the door, "We can work on that later. Let's just take him out for a test drive for now okay?"
"Alright." says Toressa stepping back up onto the bed and settling in next to Xansad, resting her head against his as they both watch the camera feed from the little drone.
"It works!" Toressa marvels aloud as the little drone heads out into the darkened hallway of the third floor of the Lalen's astronomically expensive four floor city center apartment.
Suddenly the two hear the rumble of a conversation come over the remote's speakers as they pass by a light spilling out from their mother's office.
"We can't." Whispers Toressa.
"We totally can!" returns Xansad, slightly louder.
"Ok. We can." whispers Toressa as she gestures for her brother to lower
Xansad grins at his sister as he nudges the little drone into their mother's office, Toressa returning a very similar grin as he does so.
"-octor. You were out of contact until this late because you lied to me. Systematically and repeatedly."
"Mrs. Lalen. There is nothing wrong with your heirs. Nothing as defined by the law."
"You know damn well that those official statues were written in a fit of... collectivist inspired Political Correctness." says their mother, spitting the words through clenched teeth, "I asked for perfect daughters Doctor Meloz, and one of them seems to think that she's my son. Would you care to explain that?"
Doctor Meloz regards the hypercorp exec with clinical coolness, "There were twenty four biologically augmented embryos from your batch Mrs. Lalen, twelve that reached the proper stage of fetal development for the general use of nanotechnological biosculpting enhancement, and six, Mrs. Lalen, a mere six, that were ultimately viable. And in the end only two of the fetuses were up to your exacting standards. The children are healthy, fully augmented, growing according to the standards that we set, and reaching all the developmental and educational milestones that we set before their births. With the standards you set, we were incredibly lucky to get not just one viable heir from your initial batch, but two."
"I paid for that! And you sold me a defective-"
Huddled atop their blankets, Xansad stiffens and Toressa hugs her brother closer to her.
"-child. That was your angle, you sold me a defective child at the full price of a proper daughter." Their mother had that glint in her eye, the one that they could never look at directly, "Doctor Meloz. You will fix my daughter. And you will fix her for no cost. Or you will never work again. I will see to it."
"Mrs. Lalen, thanks to a number of recently implemented laws, this is not something that can be done legally. I'm sure you are aware of those laws on the matter as you have already referenced them."
Tatyana Lalen leans forward slightly, smiling thinly, head tilted slightly to the side, "The job cannot be done through normal channels, as you say, nor could you recieve your… proper payment through normal channels, but I'm certain that we could both find ways around the usual channels should we so desire."
The doctor on the screen leans back slightly, her clinical expression fixed, "Y-yes, of course, Mrs. Lalen. I'm sure. I'm sure. On an unrelated note, I see that your heirs' next developmental check-up is coming up next month, though due to a sudden, and very unfortunate, situation I am afraid that we will have to reschedule. Perhaps to something much sooner?"
Tatyana's mouth settles into a satisfied smile and she settles back in her seat again, "Yes, that would be best if we could reschedule to something sooner. Perhaps the day after tomorrow, once their class' tour of that Federation starship is completed."
"I think that would work Mrs. Lalen, I will make the preparations and a member of my staff will contact you with the appropriate time tomorrow morning."
"Excellent."
As Tatyana leans forward to sever the connection, Xansad and Toressa sever the connection to their own little drone, the bright screen winking out.
"That's too soon! There's no way we can -it's -I thought we could just wait her out." says Xansad, sitting up, running his hands through his short hair, "I -I shouldn't have said anything." he grabs a pillow tight enough to strangle it, "How could she even… Why?"
Toressa is staring off into the distance, thinking back on her mother's words. Then she turns to her brother with her bright eyes and face lit by the dull turquoise light of their dataslate, "Xansad. I think we need to look into Federation asylum law."
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23775.8, USS Courageous, Captain Nyota Uhura
(EC Excelsior, Orion Union)
Today's events seem to have gone well. It was not often that we get to see school children walk Courageous's decks. Despite the rudeness of their chaperones, the children themselves were a delight, full of questions and mostly well behaved.
Now with that out of the way, we can…
Sorry?
Could you please repeat that commander?
-
"-ould work Mrs. Lalen, I will make the preparations and a member of my staff will contact you with the appropriate time tomorrow morning." says the image projected onto the the air above Doctor Singh's desk before it winks out.
"And that was from last night Captain, Doctor, and we decided that we couldn't wait any longer we had to leave her house." says Xansad Lalen, his hands crossed across his chest, "And we couldn't stay in Orion space."
"So you waited until the rest of your class had transported off and then requested asylum from Transporter Chief bur Grabng" Says Captain Nyota Uhura, shaking her head with a slight smile at the Orion childrens' audacity.
"Yes Captain. We've read up on the Federation. We think your people are honest, when they talk about stuff, like, letting people be themselves, and stuff." Toressa Lalen fiddles with their little drone, "Mother… is a very controlling person. She designed us to be her perfect heirs. She raised us-"
"-she had us raised-" says Xansad with a derisive snort.
"-yes, she had us raised by the finest tutors that money could buy. And always has us compete against each other. She's-" Toressa takes a breath and just can't continue.
Xansad reaches out to his sister and pulls her close, "She's not a good person."
"You don't have to keep talking," says Doctor Singh, "You can go with Nurse Ka'Tenna, I can talk to the captain. I already have your story."
The two move to leave, but Xansad stops in front of Uhura on his way out of the Starfleet Doctor's officer, "Please, Captain, we don't want to go back."
"I'll see what I can do," says Uhura gravely, then she kneels down to the children's level, smiling, and sets a hand on Xansad's shoulder, "You're brave children. I will fight for you."
Singh watches the captain stand up and the two Orion children go, the Andorian Nurse giving him a thumbs up as the doors to his office hiss closed. He turns to his captain, "That was just the most imminent threat. I wanted you to see that and to meet them. I'm a ship's doctor, not child psychologist. But they have stood up remarkably under what is textbook psychological abuse from their mother."
"And their mother is Tatyana Lalen? Molhane Energy and Savings Chief Operations Officer Tatyana Lalen?" Uhura sighs at Dr. Singh's nod, "I've met the woman. I'm shocked, but not surprised."
"I've talked with them. Only heard some of what they have to say because I just can't push them. But it's quite shocking to my ears."
"You know this is going to be a major diplomatic incident right?"
"I'm not qualified to speak to that Captain," says Singh, shifting uncomfortably in his chair, "I barely even feel up to speaking to the psychological factors." he grimaces, "I said textbook earlier, but that's because I'm literally comparing what I'm hearing to textbooks. I'm not the kind of person with the credentials to diagnose this sort of thing." he tugs at his neatly trimmed salt and pepper beard, "If I had a family practice in Sol, there are a lot of things I could do, contact the social services council, talk to family and get-" he lets out a long breath, "There are a lot of things we just can't do here. Still, I'm going to give you my considered opinion as a Doctor and not worry about any of the other stuff. I would give them asylum. I can't speak to what would happen if they were returned to their mother. And with her wealth and power, no one in Orion space could vouch for their health and safety."
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23775.9, USS Courageous, Captain Nyota Uhura
(EC Excelsior, Orion Union)
I have personally received an asylum request from the children of Molhane Energy and Savings Chief Operations Officer Tatyana Lalen.
Xansad Lalen believes that he will be subject to invasive medical procedures without his consent and his sister believes that she will face punishment for assisting her brother in his escape. Quite frankly, they also alleged psychological abuse at the hands of their mother and they do not believe that they will be safe from her in Orion space.
And they seem correct. Tatyana Lalen is perhaps one of the top ten most powerful executives in Orion space with contacts throughout the Executive Council, the Union's government, and a commanding position in the Molhane hypercorp. She also has rumoured ties the Orion Syndicate itself. We have already been contacted by both the Executive Council and the office of the Orion President on her behalf, requesting the "return of her lost children".
I cannot take an asylum request lightly, but our mission here is to make friends. This is going to be a narrow path to walk.
-
"Captain, it is good to see you again!" Tatyana Lalen enters Captain Nyhota Uhura's ready room all grace and congeniality, "I trust that you've been well, and that my wayward children stowing away on your vessel haven't caused you too much trouble."
"I am well Mrs. Lalen." Uhura sizes up Lalen through her smile, "As are your children, who are currently being looked after by my Chief Medical Officer."
"Good. Good."
"Please, take a seat Mrs. Lalen." Uhura gestures across her desk without rising to meet the Orion executive."
"I think you know that I am here to claim my children. For some reason the Foreign Secretary seems to think that you can't turn my children over to any of my representatives."
"Yes Mrs. Lalen, your children have requested asylum with my crew."
Lalen laughs, genuinely laughs, "How silly. No."
"They seem quite insistent Mrs. Lalen."
"Well, you know how children can be Captain. Nyota, we're speaking face to face, can I call you Nyota?"
"I would prefer to keep things professional Mrs. Lalen"
Tatyana Lalen's polished smile flickers almost imperceptibly, "Ah, of course Captain Uhura. Starfleet is a professional organization and you are on duty. I understand perfectly. I'm here as a worried mother, but if I wasn't I would be more professional myself." she waves an emerald hand placatingly, "So, as I was saying Captain, Toressa and little Tatyana ar-"
"Xansad"
Tatyana raises a finger insistently, "See, there's the issue, Captain. As her mother and legal guardian under Orion - and I understand, Federation - law, I am the one that is responsible for my children's physical and emotional well being. And these things should be determined by professionals. I have an appointment scheduled with our family doctor, who has been with us since before they were born, and we can make permanent determinations then."
"Your children seem to believe that you are preparing to make non-consensual medical interventions."
"I don't know why they would tell you that, Captain. I didn't raise them to misbehave and lie like this." Lalen shakes her head, "I don't know what I did to deserve this shabby treatment from those two. I do my best and according to you they're throwing it back in my face."
"Mrs. Lalen. They have very credible evidence about your intentions with regards to Xansad."
"As I said, I don't know what lies you've been told. But you're telling me that they're trying to hurt me for some slight I can't even imagine." Lalen looks genuinely pained, "But I can get past this, I am their mother, they really do love me even if it's hidden for some reason." she raises a hand and taps it on the Captain's desk, "I would like to see them." she taps the desk again, harder, "Don't make me demand to see them Captain Uhura."
"Mrs. Lalen, you don't seem to understand the position that I am in, this isn't just a matter of misplaced children, I have a credible asylum request from individuals who have proven themselves fully capable of making their own decisions."
Lalaen leans back in her chair and chuckles, shaking her head slowly as she does so, "I have every right to see my children Captain. What I say is good for them, is what is good for them, Captain. And I don't care about what you or your Federation thinks, I have the power, and I have the money here, and you are not going to stand between me and my blood."
Uhura remains unmoved across the desk from Lalen, "Mrs. Lalen, you do not have the right to treat your children like possessions. Not on my ship."
"I HAVE EVERY RIGHT! Those girls are my heirs." Lalen is suddenly forward, with augmented swiftness, out of her chair, leaning over Uhura's desk, holding the Starfleet officer in a cold gaze, a sudden and viscerally terrifying change in tactic, "I have that right, I have that right under Orion law, this is Orion space, Orion law." She says stabbing a finger into the desk insistently as she raises her voice.
"You will find that you are quite mistaken Mrs. Lalen." Captain Uhura says calmly as she unclips the Starfleet insignia from her uniform and places it on the desk between the two women, "This ship is under Federation law."
"This is Orion space. This is not Federation soil. Foreign military vessels must abide by Orion law."
Uhura holds the hypercorp exec's gaze, not moving a millimeter, "Not entirely Mrs. Lalen. If Courageous were a Rigellian or Klingon ship, certainly. Interestingly, thanks to a number of recent treaties, under Orion law, Courageous is considered a branch of a publicly owned private security company chartered in Sol. With extraterritorial privileges matching that of any Union-chartered hypercorporation. After all, Starfleet's annual operating budget is at least equal to that of your own institution." the Starfleet Captain smiles thinly, "I looked over the paperwork when we entered Orion Space. It's how we handle things if one of our own is arrested in Orion Space; and is how we handle budgeting Orionside for replenishment from Union sources. Much like how your own people are judged in corporate arbitration under Orion Union laws, my people are judged by Federation 'corporate arbitration.' And Courageous has leave to operate under 'Starfleet corporate law.' "
"I actually don't care how you justify yourself Captain. Whatever loopholes you think your JAG officer has found or how you twist up the laws that we - that I helped write." Lalen maintains her glare, "You will return my daughters to me. I can make things very difficult for the Federation. And make no mistake. I will ensure that your government blames you for this mission's failure. Or I can smooth your way. Mutual cooperation. Whatever resources the Federation, or you, need. All you need do is to name your own price; within reason. What's that great phrase your people have… ah yes 'No greater friend, no worse enemy.' "
-
Captain's Log, Stardate 23776.2, USS Courageous, Captain Nyota Uhura
(EC Excelsior, Orion Union)
Tatyana Lalen came about Courageous in an attempt to bribe, and then intimidate, me into handing Xansad and Toressa over to her custody.
I have elected to reject her appeals.
Subsequently to that decision, Courageous' invitation to visit Orion space has been rescinded by the Union's government, and we will be returning to Earth for debriefing.
Personal Log, Nyota Uhura
(Human, Female)
The mission is failed but I have done the right thing. And I think, in the long term, the correct thing.
There is a message sent here. That a Starfleet Captain -more than that: a Federation Citizen- can look a Hypercorp Exec in the face and say "No. Forever No" and get away with it. It's a powerful message both in and out of the Union. The Union government itself may not raise many complaints about the incident, as it risks major embarrassment to the Molhane company and their allies as a whole, but the rumours will spread.
For their parts Xansad and Toressa have already made contact with the Orion abolitionist community in Sol and have already made plans to seek out a prospective home when Courageous returns to Earth. They are intelligent, precocious, children and have already informed me that they will also be Starfleet Captains as well some day.
I wish them all the luck in the galaxy. And maybe I'll keep an eye on them too, just in case.
[Diplomatic Mission to Alukk failed, angered Hypercorp Executive Tatyana Lalen. Lose 25 relations with the Orion Union]
