Homeward Bound

Posted on Sun Dec 24, 2017 @ 4:36pm by Captain Maritza Soran & Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Civilian Hydel Turvan

2,001 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Victory Conditions
Location: Observation Lounge, Upper Promenade lvl 1
Timeline: MD01 1200

[ON]

In all the fuss over the new orders from Admiral T'Vel and the upcoming exercise, there was one hold over of business from a few weeks ago that Maritza was just as keen to see done and dusted with.

The Cardassian boy that Commander Ryan had brought to DS5 across a hundred light years and twenty odd years, had to go home.

Somehow.

So she had invited to Ambassador Turvan to a conversation on just that subject. She'd also invited Lieutenant Wells, since the new CSO would be the one who had to make that happen.

She stared at the door to the Promenade observation lounge she had had cleared. It was a close to neutral territory as she could find on a Starfleet facility. "He's going to be foul," Soran warned the scientist seated across from her. "He's pure Cardassian."

"Thanks for the warning," Alanna said. She'd dealt with foul people before, but it was nice to be prepared in advance.

Ambassador Hydel Turvan entered the designated observation lounge at the time that he had agreed to. However, he was unceremoniously quiet as he entered the room. Giving only a perfunctory nod of acknowledgment to the new Commanding Officer before taking his seat and directing his attention through her moreso than directly to her. He sat and waited for the woman to begin.

"Thank you for coming, Ambassador." Soran began, not wanting to drag this out. "I'd like you to meet Dr. Wells, my Chief Science Officer."

"Charmed..." he replied flatly. "I'm certain that you did not request my presence here just so I could meet the newest passenger on this merry-go-round you call a Senior Staff." He added.

Strangling him will start a war she reminded herself. "Indeed not. The Cardassian Boy brought back through the Fae portal needs to go home. And I don't mind just sending him back to Cardassia, I mean to sending him back to Cardassia in 2372. Let him have his life, and his family, with as little damage to the time stream as we can manage."

Turvan was unable to suppress his laughter. It was a laughter that obviously came from contempt and not humor.

"Ooohhhh, just when I believe that I've experienced the height of Federation arrogance, one of your kind finds a way to surprise me." He said as his grin straightened into a more serious expression.

"Your incompetence is the reason the boy was kidnapped in the first place." The Ambassador said, sitting up in his chair. "And now you want to just 'give it a try' again? Forgive me if I'm not falling over myself in agreement." He said.

"It is not fair to the boy to let him stay here," Alanna said quietly. "So, since we can send him home, our best option is to make sure he gets back where--and when--he needs to be."

"We will just have to agree to disagree on the subject of my officers competence," Soran said shortly. "What is done is done, and cannot be undone. So let's move to the next best thing, and see if we can't use the portals again to return him to his own time. Do you want to give that boy his life back or not?"

"That boy's life was forever and irrevocably devastated the moment your people decided to remove him from his home. If his fate was to die on Cardassian soil then so be it! You had no right to interfere!" He shot back forcefully. "The Federation just believes that they are free to impose their will on the lives of others and that those same individuals should be GRATEFUL for the opportunity!" He continued.

"No, the Federation is trying to right a wrong," Alanna interjected. But he wasn't going to see it that way. The poor child's life was already devastated. The least they could do would be to return him to his home and family.

Maritza said nothing for a few seconds, regarding the frothing ambassador calmly. Then she stood. "Very well Ambassador, I'll report to Starfleet that Cardassia has rejected our offer to try and return the boy to his own time. Thank you for your time." She stepped away from the table and nodded a dismissal to Alanna.

"I'll make sure to write in my report that you refused to even consider helping the boy," Alanna said, standing. "I actually thought the Cardassians cared about their people. I see I was mistaken." It was one thing for this ambassador to hate the Federation, but to willingly hurt a child was something she could not abide.

"You can note whatever you choose to whatever Administrator you answer to," He said, still remaining seated.

"Between your invasion. . .your kidnapping. . .and that farce you call a trial. . .you've reached the end of Cardassian patience." He said in a much more calmer tone.

"Until Cardassia can independently confirm that the Pangaea portals no longer represent a threat to our temporal and spatial sovereignty, no further expeditions into the portals shall be conducted." He ordered in a tone that he had not used much since his days as a Military Commander.

Alanna just raised an eyebrow. That was for Commander Soran to decide. She was the new kid on the block who simply wanted to get a kid back home where he belonged.

And how do you intend to stop us without starting a war? Maritza wondered. We are in possession of the key sites. We are willing and able to defend them, and your bullyboys floating of my immediate space have just got some unexpected company. She thought of the small fleet that had arrived an hour ago, and had to squash the urge to smile smugly. She imagined there had been a lot of upheaval amongst the Cardassians when those ships dropped out of warp.

"Your Excellency, I appreciate your concerns. Likewise we are are deeply committed to ensuring minimal damage to the timeline that further incursions would have, given the potential for passing intelligence back to the past. Are there any measures we can take to ensure you that our intentions are purely for the benefit of a little boy who just wants to go home?" Maritza had no intention of just giving him everything on a plate, she had to work within the Temporal Prime Directive above all. But negotiations had to start somewhere.

"The boy is no longer your concern, Commander Soran." He said, maintaining the same authoritative tone.

"As such, you have no further need nor justification to recklessly activate those portals, especially now that you have been put on notice that they cause uncontrollable temporal incursions in our sovereign territory." He continued. "Even if the portals did not leave to Cardassia, the fact remains that your people do not understand the full extent of power this potential weapon possess. Do not allow your arrogance to lead you into an unfortunate situation." He suggested.

"Any further activations will be considered an act of aggression and hostile intent, and Cardassian is prepared to respond as necessary, up to and including Tactical considerations." He said as he arose from his seat.

Did he not see that he was being arrogant? Alanna wondered. "What you see as a weapon we see as an opportunity to learn and explore. Our Prime Directive does include altering temporal timelines as well as pre-warp civilizations. You should already be aware of that. All we want is to send him home. And as the head of science on DS5, my goal is to do so without affecting the timeline or causing any ripples for either the Federation or Cardassian alike. We are here to talk about how we can make this work. That includes the possibility of working with one of your scientists to make sure the boy gets home without either of us taking advantage of the timeline differential."

The Cardassian paused for several moments, contemplating what the Science Officer had just proposed. "If proper safeguards were put into place. . .and Cardassian Scientists were in charge of the Expedition." He said in a measured tone.

Soran thought about that. She didn't want her own scientist's authority undermined. "Will they work within Federation Protocols, including the temporal prime directive?" She doubted he'd agree to that, but at least she wasn't dismissing it out of hand.

"The Cardassian government is familiar with Temporal consequences, we do not need to be lectured by your Scientists on how to not disturb the timeline. You are the foreign visitors in this situation, not us. It would benefit you to pass that message on to your subordinates." He said while casting a glance towards the Science Officer.

"I wasn't here before," Alanna thought, but she wasn't going to say that out loud and cause more trouble.

Maritza mentally counted to ten in three different languages. "I'm sure you can appreciate our own concern, Ambassador. It does represent a singular opportunity to pass intelligence, and change the outcome of the dominion war." She hesitated. It was also a chance to save 800 million lives. 800 million and one, if you factored Bretav in. She was tempted. Whatever the Cardassians did as species during that war, and all their wars before, 800 million people hadn't deserved to die.

"If the Cardassian Empire wanted to go back in time and alter the timeline to reverse our fortunes, then the 127th Tactical Wing would have destroyed this station and traversed through the portals a long time ago instead of wasting precious resources entertaining that farce of a Tribunal." He countered.

Despite the insecure blustering, he had a point. It was progress of a sort, even if it wasn't an outright promise. Still, baby steps. "I'm inclined to agree to your request for Cardassian Scientists to lead, but I expect my head of science to accompany them, as observer and specialist. I also want to send a security officer, as an escort. With suitable cosmetic adjustments to look Cardassian, of course."

Alanna nodded. She was definitely going along, and she agreed that someone from security or intel should go, too.

This actually caused him to laugh.

"You want to surgically alter a non-Cardassian in order to go back in time just to babysit. Did you learn nothing from the last time you sent a trigger-happy Cowboy through that portal." He mused.

"No, if I recall you have a Cardassian within your Engineering staff, considering this is a non-tactical situation you won't need to worry about any further acts of hostility. Send him. If he's capture or killed, then your government won't have to explain to War-time Cardassia why a Human or Andorian or even worst, a Bajoran, was found within Cardassian territory with advanced technology." He said.

That was an option. "Ensign Kivan can be assigned to this. But I insist that Dr. Wells also accompanies your scientists."

"Very well, she may accompany us on our expedition. I shall in be in contact with the 127th and they will dispatch an away team within the next 24 hours." He said.

"If there is nothing further, then I will leave you to whatever it is your people do when you aren't meddling in the affairs of other governments." he said ruefully as he began to walk away from the conference table and towards the doors.

"I still think there should be a security officer," Alanna said. "Give them a chance to make amends by not getting in trouble."

Maritza looked at Turvan's back. arrogant bastard walking off before things were settled. Two could play at that game. "Agreed." she said, just to get a reaction. "A security officer will accompany them. Thank you for your time, Ambassador, please let me know, we expect to hear from your scientists shortly."

[OFF]

_________

Hydel Turvan
Ambassador
Cardassian Empire

Lieutenant JG Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space Five


Commander Maritza Soran
Commanding Officer
Deep Space Five

 

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