Trouble with Trills
Posted on Sun Apr 26, 2020 @ 4:12am by Lieutenant Si'Lar Trellis & Captain Maritza Soran & Commander Caleb Ryan
1,809 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: Main Security
Timeline: MD 04 0930
Tags: Trill, symbiont commission, Trellis
[ON]
"Front desk to Lieutenant Trellis," the duty officer on the main security reception came over the comm. "There's a woman here to see you. She says she's a colleague of Xelan Castille? Shall I send her to a meeting room?"
The shock of hearing that name nearly caused him to drop his glass before it could touch his lips. "Erghmm...uh... What did you just say?" he asked, moreso for his brain to process what he had just heard rather than due to any difficulty in hearing.
"Shall I put her in a meeting room?" the duty officer replied "Two is free?"
"Uh...ye-yes, go ahead and put her in the room," he said, off-balance. The Trill Security Investigator got up and grabbed his uniform blouse and tossed it around his shoulders as he made his way from his office and down the corridor towards the reception room. When he got to the room he saw that the woman had already been seated with a drink accompanying her. He studied her for several moments as he went to take his seat, his eyes remaining leveled with her.
"Who are you, and how do you know that name?" he asked intently.
The Trill woman got up, holding out a hand, where dark spots came down to her fingers, "I'm Phyrsia Korr. I work with Xelan as an investigator for the Symbiosis Committee. You come highly recommended, Lieutenant Trellis."
Lt. Trellis was reluctant to accept the woman's hand. He stared at her for several moments before responding. If Xelan had told this particular person that she knew him, then she wanted him to know that her department had taken an interest in the station.
He gritted his teeth unconsciously as the anger flowed through him. His sister, Xelan, was always wanting to play mind games instead of coming right out and making her point. Throughout their years growing up together, the older sibling always took pleasure in being just one step ahead of Si'Lar in important matters. It seemed that now was no different.
"The Symbiosis Committee doesn't typically send out investigators unless something serious either has or is about to happen," the security officer replied in a guarded tone. Si'Lar held a negative view of the entire Committee since he had been rejected from the program several decades before. It had been a life goal for him as a child and young man to become a Joined Trill. However, as he discovered, the Universe did not care what his particular dreams and goals were. Since then he had done a fairly decent job in avoiding the Commission whenever possible.
But yet. . .here they were again.
"Why didn't Xelan come here herself?" he asked pointedly.
"Xelan is not one for direct publicity. She's part of the task force here, but I'm the assigned liaison. And to answer your first comment, something serious is about to happen. I'm sure you've been briefed. We'd like you to make introductions."
"This isn't necessary for you all to be here. Our department is fully capable of finding and apprehending Hex," he said. "Specifically, my section of Special Investigations would be able to infiltrate whatever illegal organization he's a part of and apprehend him. Assuming the Committee actually cooperated with the outside universe for once in its existence," he said ruefully. The Symbiosis Committee had a solid reputation throughout the Federation and Starfleet of not cooperating with the appropriate authorities in matters involving Trills and Symbionts.
"Or does the Commission not trust me to do the job correctly?" he asked defensively. Being the son of a senior member of Trill Homeworld Defense should have bought Si'Lar the support and accolades of the Committee; however, his decision to leave home and join Starfleet had done the exact opposite. He was seen as a pariah by some members of the Trill government for choosing to leave instead of serving his home planet like so many before him.
"We've chosen a course of action," Korr replied. "One specifically designed after the intelligence provided by yourself and Castille. Given that Hex is known to change hosts often, as well as there likely being several more unaccounted for symbionts present, we've decided that a direct approach here is necessary. As well as allowing us maximum flexibility, you won't be called on to choose your loyalties. We would much rather have a sympathetic investigator in place for later than see you forced out now. I'm sure you understand such things."
"Wai...wait, wait!" Lt. Trellis said quickly. "There are other symbionts!" Hhe said, his voice much higher and forceful than he thought. "You mean there are other symbionts that you don't know where they are?" he asked directly.
"Based on your assistance last time, we suspect that a symbiont previously reported dead is in fact alive and well and dwelling in the body of Commander Ryan's daughter. We will kill two birds with one stone. Reclaim Naquiis from its unfortunate situation, and get Hex back under control."
"Aah...damnit!" Trellis said as he paced back and forth. Commander Ryan's daughter was still carrying the Naquiis symbiont, and now the Commission had sent a team to retrieve it. And he was to blame for them getting the inside help they needed.
"Do you understand what you are saying? You are talking about the forcible extraction of a symbiont from a teenage girl, not just any girl, but the daughter of the Executive Officer of this station!" Lt. Trellis said, his exacerbation becoming more and more evident.
"Yes," Korr agreed. "We are aware. Which is why we are testing all Trill. Not only is it necessary to find Hex, it offers a convenient fiction for uncovering Ryan's deception."
Lt. Trellis stopped pacing and turned to face the Investigator. "You're on this station and you haven't even told him that his daughter is the target of an active investigation?" He asked. "I can only imagine the fireworks that will erupt when he comes back onboard from the planet surface." He said.
"He's off station?" Korr said, concerned.
"He put in a requisition request for a shuttle. the time wasn't disclosed, but whenever Command Staff departs the station Security is always notified of their departure in case of an emergency, it indicated that he was departing with two other civilians; however, their names weren't given." Trellis said as an aside, not showing too much concern over the Executive Officer departing the station.
"Hmmm." Korr pursed her lips. "Unexpected. I shall bare that in mind. Do you have a list of Trill citizens resident here?"
Trellis stopped and looked down at his desk for several moments. "Yes. . .I do" He said coldly as he slowly turned around and faced the fellow Trill. "You want me to turn over the names of dozens of individuals who have done nothing wrong other than living on this station. You will be violating their fundamental rights all in the name of some. . .crazed symbiont that should've been drowned in the Caves of Mak'ala a long time ago." Trellis said, his anger rising.
"That's what this is all about, the Symbiont Commission sat on their pedestal and passed judgment on who was and wasn't worthy to carry one of their damned symbionts and now it has come back to bite them in their collective asses!" He said, his voice rising with is own sense of conviction. "Now they are dispatching their goon-squad to clean up the mess, no matter whose rights are violated!" He nearly shouted.
Phrysia Korr got to her feet. "You were perfectly happy to help us not so long ago. You didn't have any issues with our judgement then. Maritza Soran must be rubbing off on you. Such vascilation in conviction? Which one of us is really the hypocrite. I'll let Xelan know her faith that you would act to protect Trills is misplaced."
Si'Lar could feel his blood boiling at the implication. "I am nothing like Soran! Don't you dare compare me to her!" He nearly shouted. "That woman has nothing but contempt for our entire culture and everything we stand for!" He said, leaning over the table.
"I have done everything in my power to serve our people! What did Commander Aldrex do when I told him that one of our most precious lives was being housed inside of a half-breed?" Si'Lar asked rhetorically.
"NOTHING! HE DID NOTHING!"* He continued equally passionate. "And what do I have to show for my loyalty to my own kind? Equally nothing! My father is the head of Trill Homeworld Guard and yet here I am. . .stuck playing third fiddle to some time-traveler all while watching Commander Ryan giddily trot upwards to his own future command." He said, slamming his fist into the table between the two of them.
He stared at her for several moments, his chest rising and falling with anger.
The continual hum of the deck power conduit was the only thing that could be heard in the room for several more moments.
"Don't you dare come here and question my conviction. . ." He said as he picked up a padd, pressed several buttons and tossed it unceremoniously across the table towards the woman. "There's your damn list. . ."
Korr took the list with a smirk. "Thank you. I'll let Xelan know. That you're just as easy to manipulate as she said. Good day, Si'Lar." And with a smarmy smile, she left the meeting room.
As he watched the door closed, Si'Lar's grit his teeth as his fist remained clenched. The entire visit was just a rouse by The Commission and his sister to get information that they wanted. A strong part of him felt like a fool for even taking the time to meet with the woman. However, another part of him was even more enraged at the idea of Commander Ryan allowing a half-breed to carry a symbiont. Not just the act of carrying it, but then lying to everyone about the monstrosity.
He was going to take care of the situation and show them that he wasn't just some pawn in other's games. He was going to locate and apprehend Hex and he was also going to apprehend Aleczandria as well. When he did, he was going to personally escort Korr, Xelan, and any other pawn of the Commission off his station.
He was going to show them all.
=/= "Lt. Trellis to Front Desk, I'll be unavailable for the next several hours." He said without providing more information. He took off his comm unit and placed it on the conference room table as he walked out the door.
He needed to get his weapon.
[OFF]
Phrysian Korr
Senior Investigator
Trill Symbiosis Committee
Lieutenant Silar Trellis
Undercover Operations Co-ordinator
DS5
*(https://ds5.sim-metry.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/395)
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