What Next?

Posted on 09 Apr 2020 @ 9:50pm by Commander Rhyan

1,571 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Empty Creche
Location: Starfleet Medical Headquarters, Earth
Timeline: ED2 1200

Rhyan remained with Elesa Zal’s body right up to the moment that Lucy insisted she be moved to the morgue. His emotions were running as rampant as ever, as they always were when someone close to him died. Unfortunately, this time, the death involved had far-reaching consequences: not only for him, but for the core of the Federation itself. He personally did not know if the Federation Council could survive another high-level assassination inside of two years. Thankfully that was not his problem to solve as a middle-ranking Starfleet officer. His immediate problem would be disseminating the news of the President’s death; who would they need to notify first?

Elesa Zal had been a stabilising figure within the Federation Council. She had taken on the mantle of President when nobody else would; G’ath’s assassination, prior to her own, had resulted in a lack of willing volunteers for the role. Without her, Rhyan feared that no one else would step forward and lead the Federation during these troubling times. He could think of no Ambassador sitting in the council chamber right now who could replace Elesa, or what she represented.

“We are doomed,” Rhyan said to himself.

“What was that, Commander?” Aeryn asked from a nearby bio-bed.

Rhyan sighed. “Nothing of any consequence, lieutenant,” he said, stepping away from the President’s empty bed and moving closer to the Trill. As he got closer to her, Rhyan could begin to see an ashen appearance to Aeryn’s skin; the same pale, lifeless colour that Elesa had been prior to her demise. Nearby, Ensign Ulla fussed around a medical scanner. He continued to speak once he was beside the young woman. “How are you feeling now?”

“I have felt better,” she responded, honestly. Rhyan could see that she wanted to smile back at him but couldn’t.

“What have the doctors said about your condition?” Rhyan looked down at Aeryn and couldn’t help but be remembered of the day that Sarah had died on Romulus.

Aeryn shifted on the bio-bed. “Some good news, and some bad news. You know doctors.”

Rhyan said nothing.

“It seems,” she continued, “that I have been infected by the virus following my joining with Zal. My body is doing everything it can to fight the infection, but the joining has weakened my immune system, which is complicating things somewhat.”

“I’m sorry,” Rhyan said, not quite sure what he was apologising for.

Aeryn grinned back at him, momentarily. “I was the one who volunteered for this, commander. You have nothing to be feel sorry for.” She tried once more to smile but grimaced instead as something within her ached. Rhyan motioned towards her as though to help, but she held up her hand and allowed the sensation to pass. Before he could speak, Aeryn changed the subject of the conversation. “Have you spoken yet with Admiral Ashcart or Captain Barron?”

“Not yet,” he answered, realising that he had done little to further his plan to bring Shrell to justice. So far, he had only logged a communique with Starfleet Intelligence to notify them that he wished to speak with Ashcart, however the ball was now in their court. He doubted that the Admiral would ignore his request to speak; they had too much history between them for Rhyan to be cast aside as Ashcart settled into his new role at Starfleet Headquarters.

As for Captain Barron, Rhyan had sent a communique to the Redemption to inform them that he had reached Earth and would likely be planet-bound for some time. There was no real justification for speaking with his commanding officer, anyway, until such time that he could divulge the news of the President’s death to him. “Barron knows that we will be here for the foreseeable,” Rhyan added, letting Aeryn know they were in no rush to leave the confides of Starfleet Medical.

“Thanks,” she said, visibly relieved that she wouldn’t need to beam on board another starship any time soon.

A few minutes of silence descended upon the room as Aeryn rested and Rhyan gave thought to their next steps. A lot would depend on whether Admiral Ashcart would acquiesce to his request for a starship; not even the most brash of officers with the rank of commander would ask such a thing from the head of Starfleet Intelligence. But this request was different, and Rhyan knew that Ashcart would understand. The Admiral had as much detest of the Confederacy than he did. Perhaps, he thought, more so.

The major issue for Rhyan’s plan was that he didn’t have a plan exactly. He knew that Shrell was in the vicinity of the Sol system; their recent encounter was proof enough of that. And Rhyan doubted that the Confederacy operative had gone very far after the Nova came to their rescue. Her desire to see Rhyan dead was almost as strong as Rhyan’s wish to see Elesa’s murderer brought to justice. Perhaps that could be used to Rhyan’s advantage.

No matter the plan Rhyan intended for Aeryn to be by his side. As Aeryn Tigan, the lieutenant had proven herself a valuable asset to the Vulcan. Not only had she shown herself to be an excellent scientist by creating the anti-virus that would likely save her life, but she had shown that she was a Starfleet officer willing to take whatever steps necessary to complete their mission. And yet, the lieutenant was now more than just Aeryn Tigan; she was Aeryn Zal. Zal had all of Elesa’s knowledge, including her time spent on Andor as the Federation Ambassador.

If Rhyan was to succeed against Shrell, he would need Aeryn with him when he approached Admiral Ashcart.

“Lieutenant, are you in any way aware of Zal yet?” Rhyan’s question was abrupt and broke the silence in the room.

Aeryn looked at him with her brow furrowed. “I don’t know. I think so. Maybe.”

The Vulcan pulled a nearby chair close to Aeryn’s bio-bed and sat down beside her. Aware of how abrupt his previous question had been, Rhyan tried to phrase the next one more sensitively. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“When all of this is over, commander,” she said with her brow still furrowed, “I am going to have to sit down with Counselor Scott and do a lot of talking.” She was obviously referring not just to her joining with Zal, but their encounter and escape from the Confederacy in the Wolf system. Rhyan had some sympathy with her on that one.

Aeryn chuckled briefly through gritted teeth and then allowed the briefest of silence before returning to answer Rhyan’s question with all seriousness. “I am struggling to explain what is happening to me, sir.”

“You do not have to answer me if you are unable to.” Rhyan looked at the young woman and felt for her and the predicament she was in. She was facing death for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, and something about her words made him believe that Aeryn was growing increasingly unsure of who she was any more.

“I’m going to try to,” she said assertively. Aeryn lifted her arm and brushed a finger across the olive skin on his cheek. “When I look at you, commander, I feel like we have known each other for a lifetime, not simply a matter of weeks. I trust you, implicitly. Not that I didn’t trust you before, but something has changed. It’s all very unsettling.”

Unsure what to make of what Aeryn had just said, Rhyan attempted to change the subject of their conversation. “It does not matter, lieutenant. I imagine that joining is a very surreal experience at the best of times.”

“You are dodging the implications of what I have just said, Rhyan,” Aeryn said, dropping all formality with him. It was something that the President – Elesa – had frequently insisted upon with him. Her words implied a familiarity between them that had not been there before. Maybe Zal was beginning to exert some influence of Aeryn after all.

“I do not do well with these sorts of conversations,” he answered, truthfully. He may not fully suppress his emotions, but he did not discuss them easily either.

“Neither do I,” Aeryn said, laughing again but with a confused look on her face. “But I meant what I said.”

“I can very well believe it. The President always did,” said Rhyan, smirking.

“Are you ever going to give in and call her Elesa,” Aeryn said, a broad grin on her face and colour in her cheeks for the first time in hours.

Rhyan said nothing more. He understood the implications of what Aeryn was saying to him and was thankful. If they had been given more time, he wondered what other traits from the Zal symbiont he might have been able to draw out in Aeryn, but Ensign Ulla had other ideas. The doctor swopped in and ordered Rhyan to leave them and suggested that he take the time to shower and rest.

It was an order that, for the first time in two days, he was happy to obey.

OFF: Just moving things along with Rhyan and Aeryn so that I can catch you all up on ED4. I have a few JPs on the go too.

 

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