Double X
Posted on 04/27/2021 @ 12:29pm by Captain Brina Tracy-Hall
2,995 words; about a 15 minute read
Mission:
Mission 21: The Trouble with Technology
Location: OPS
Two birds with one stone? Brina thought to herself, as she cued the lift to go to Ops. Brina was wanting to find out where the major spent his time when not in Marine Country. and also, it was an official aspect as well, need to figure out where everything was at. As a marine, one needed to know the territory that they'd need to protect. And thirdly, she did want to see how it differed to where she had served before. And fourth, need to find out who were the ones in charge over all.
The lift door opened and Brina stepped out, she was dressed in her marine uniform as this was in some aspect something official.
She scanned the area and moved even more towards the center of things.
Alerted by the sound of opening doors, Seklar turned his head. His expression turned grim as a female in green stepped down towards OPS. While he'd gotten used to Patton being here now and then, other marines generally never stepped into the hub of activity that was OPS. "Who are you, and what are you doing here. Surely, you need to be in Marine County?"
The tall redhead turned her hazel gaze towards the glowering Vulcan, an eyebrow arching up. "My name is Captain Brina Tracy-Hall and I am here to survey different parts of the station. I find it best to get the lay of the land, before any emergencies should happen. This would be part of security protocol." she remarked, her eyebrow lowering and a slight smile appearing. "And you are, Sir?"
"As handled by security present in OPS," Seklar answered stiffly. "I am Commander Seklar, station XO. I do not believe station security is handled by anything other than station security, which, to my knowledge, are not the marines."
"Which in emergency situations, it is all hands on deck, security as well as marines, share the load. All working together for the safety of the station and its inhabitants where all is concerned, Sir." Brina, not giving a challenging look, but still a friendly one. "I've worked in the situations where both security and marines had to work together. Quite a few times in fact. My husband served as a Starfleet admiral out in the Gamma Quadrant."
"I do not know your husband," Seklar stated quietly, his eyes never leaving her, keeping a close eye on her. "And I do not know you. I have been in an opposite situation, where marines did not stop to think what damage they were doing." It was obvious that he had a beef to grind with whatever represented 'marine' though it wasn't directed at the individual before him. She couldn't help representing a body he'd spent half his life distrusting. He tolerated it, but that didn't mean he trusted it.
"Unfortunately, there are marines that are lunkheads and don't care. They are the mean green elephants that stomp all over everything." Brina giving a slight frown remembering a few, in her past. "It seems that you've had some experience in that aspect you just mentioned. What happened?"
The Vulcan gave her a stony look, though his eyes represented a hurt he'd never forget. "Marines happened," he answered, "tearing young people from the only home they had ever known, without asking them if they desired to leave. We did not have much, it was hell, but it was home."
Brina looked shocked at this news. "Okay, just what happened? Were you in danger? Were you in a colony? Did someone mess up on information?"
"I do not know. Yes it was a colony, but we rarely saw adults. Anyone coming of age disappeared, until they came. They forced us off the planet, but never told us why. I never saw any of the others again, I do not even know where the colony was. I tried to resist, even killed one of them, but they over powered me. I was sixteen standard years old, and I was taken to Vulcan."
"There was no negotiator, no one to communicate what was going to happen? Has there been an investigation on this? And no adults, were you being cultivated as slaves? That to me is sounding like children being grown for slavery. And you must have been skilled to kill one of the marines. It takes a lot to bring one down." Brina mused.
"I had to fend for myself for as long as I can remember. Defend what little I owned. Fight for water, for food, clothing. Children formed clans. I had to protect the little ones who could not fend for themselves." His expression hardened as he gestured towards the office, not really wanting anyone else to hear it. "For a long time, I had trouble sharing what I had. I had to learn to adjust, had to learn what it is to be Vulcan. But all the psychologist wanted, was to test my ability, learn how I killed that marine when all I did was use my mind. It is not a skill I am proud of, but it is one that has kept me alive."
Brina followed Seklar into his office, "That just... I really hate it when someone decides to try to find out how a person does what he or she can do. Its just so.. wrong, on so many levels. What right did they have to do that?" Brina was fuming at this point. She made an effort to calm herself down, she was within the vicinity of one who could be sensitive to emotions. Something she had learned with her friend, Cara.
Seklar tilted his head in a mix of surprise and confusion. He'd never had a marine get mad before over what his or her -possibly now former - colleagues had done. Not that he spoke about this dark chapter in his life much, only a handful ever really knew the full story. "I was told they had orders, and we were minors who had no say in the matter. You do not need to control yourself in my presence, I am capable of blocking out your emotions if I need to. Either way, I will never know the truth about it."
Brina nodded, "That is just horrid. I would have done things so differently. You can't go scaring kids, and just manhandle them. What morons! Though did it seem like there was some sort of emergency? I do know that at times in a high level stressed situations we can be a bit.. heavy handed, and I am sorry that had happened."
Her anger felt genuine, and Seklar simply stared for several seconds. "How would you have handled the situation? A colony with only children of various ages and species, all savage and none speaking Federation standard? No known adults?"
"Since I really don't know what the situation was. I still would have found whom the leader was, make some sort of communication as I am certain you all had your own form of communication like a sign language of some kind to make yourself understood. Even would have drawn pictures to hopefully get some understanding established. Just definitely take time to communicate. It sounds like you were just being grabbed. And hauled away. Did anyone stay with you or were you just placed in a holding area."
"I do not know if there was a leader, as we extremely rarely saw any adults. The older I got, the fewer I saw." Seklar nodded. "I remember being surrounded, weapons drawn at me. A language that I did not recognize being spoken. We had our own language, it was a mix of several languages."
He paused, searching his memory. "I was isolated during the trip to Vulcan, after which I was handed over to a Vulcan psychologist. I spent some time of that trip unconscious as I was stunned, and I assume sedated."
"It sounds like they were considering you a threat." Brina frowning. "And what you mentioned, they would have done what you just said. Still, probably wouldn't have needed that, if they had taken the time to get a better perception. That being said, I am hoping that a report had been made in order for things to maybe get better in handling situations. I could send out feelers to find out what happened or, it may be sealed and only available for those who have the right security clearance. "
Brina sat back in her seat, arms folded across her chest. "I do also wonder what happened to those who had been taken away when they came of age. And how long had this been happening?" she shook her head. Looking at Seklar. "Once again I am truly sorry for that happening to you. And the kids... as a mom, that is a heartbreaking situation you were in. And you don't know if your parents are alive?"
"Since I killed one, obviously I was a threat. I probably would have killed them all if they had not stunned me. It was my home, the only home I had until then. Of course I fought them." He gave her a sympathetic look. "I doubt putting out feelers will do much. I never got anywhere and I have given up. Parents... my father is alive and for a while he lived with me and my children but we... grew apart. My mother is dead, from what father told me she died not long after receiving a report of my death. She had been told I was still-born. I do not know the details, I do not know how I ended up in a prison camp, and my parents did not. My father never spoke about it, and never will which is his right. I have an older sister I have never met, she wants nothing to do with me."
He shrugged. "I cannot be concerned with their issues, I have my own to be concerned with. I have a wife and three young children."
Brina nodded, "That is a shame about your family." Then she smiled at the mention of him having children. "Three children? I've got three myself. All boys. What are the ages of yours? My triplets are 9 years old."
"My twins, Ishara and Salai, are almost eight. My daughter Ariel is only a few days old. I was a single father for most of my twins lives. I lost my first wife shortly after their birth. Three years ago, my second wife decided to pursue her career a a priestess and fulfil her role as a princess and had our bond broken.. She did so without informing me, which was a very traumatic experience. My current wife is the chief medical officer." He studied her for a moment. "Is your mate with you? Your children?"
"My mate and my boys are back on Earth in Ireland with the rest of my clan. I was... how can I put it? Convinced, that I needed to come here, my mate decided to enquire to see if I could come here. For a long while, I had a feeling I needed to go somewhere but didn't know where, and couldn't answer the call. This time, I answered the call, and it led me here, to this station." Brina said.
"Do you not miss your children?" Seklar asked curiously, the first hint of a different emotion besides the pain of his past and his initial irritation upon meeting her. He couldn't imagine being without his children, they would go where he went and there was no discussing that. They were his life, the reason he stayed alive.
"I do miss them very much already, but, the young men decided that their mum needed to go back out and kick butt. That was their words and not mine. She laughed albeit there was some tears shimmering in her eyes. "Sometime they will be visiting, but for now, they will be concentrating on schoolwork, and spending time with their dad and talking to me via viewscreen. " wiping away the tear that escaped. "I do love them all very much."
He saw the tears but respectfully didn't mention them. "I do not envy you," he finally said, "for what you did is something I could never do. I would never be able to leave my family behind to pursue my own career, it is not who I am. Please do not misunderstand, I am not trying to make you feel guilty about it. It is just my personal conclusion, that I could not do it. Call it a failure on my part if you wish. Though I have a mate, my children are everything to me, even more important than my career."
There was a flash of ire at first, it clearing her tears away, but Brina held her peace listening to Seklar. When he was finished, she answered. "It was difficult to leave, still is difficult to be here and not there with them but, it was what my boys wanted me to do. They wanted me to be here, to help protect others, to help others. And it isn't a failure on your part to not leave your family behind. You are not making me feel guilty either, I feel guilty enough as it is. but I firmly believe I am doing the right thing too."
Her ire already gone, Brina relaxed slightly. "Everyone has the path they are on, it may not seem a good decision for some, what others do, but the decision is the right one for the person who is on that particular path. I am not here for glory, nor fame. Its just my being here, where I am supposed to be on my life's journey. Maybe eventually my husband and sons will join me. Which would be lovely, as I think they would enjoy this place."
"I do not believe in fate, but I do believe in life taking you where you need to be. I did not intend to try and make you feel guilty, I was trying to compliment you on something that I would not be able to do. Not even if duty demanded it. My first duty is to my family, as I know what it is like to have none."
Brina nodded, " I will take it as a compliment then , and you didn't make me feel guilty its just as I had said, I give myself enough guilt too. I can't do that though. And you, you are very strong and I admire you for your strength. You are a good father, and also very conscientious about putting your family first." giving a smile.
"They are all I have, outside of duty," Seklar explained, offering a simple shrug, "this is the only home I have. If not for my family, I would have ceased to exist a long time ago, I would not have a reason to live or remain alive."
"Family, adopted family, friends, all help to keep a person alive and existing."Brina replied. "That is what has kept me going through tough times." A thoughtful expression appeared as she looked at Seklar. "I wouldn't mind adding another person on my list of friends. In time though, I do hope it will be you."
"Perhaps," Seklar acknowledged, "making friends is not my area of expertise." It was a half truth though. He did have friends but yes it did take a while for him to acknowledge them as such. And from what he'd been told years ago, Vulcans didn't have friends. At best, they had acquaintances... he had always considered that to be a very odd expression.
"I am patient, and it is always a person's choice to be a friend or acquaintance or even a close acquaintance. Whichever is the most comfortable." taking a look at the time, Brina realized that she'd been occupying Seklar's time. "Speaking of family, I've got three boys and a husband who are probably wanting news of how I am doing. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me."
"No... thank you," Seklar answered, still amazed at having had such an in depth conversation with a marine of all people. And he was still amazed at the ease with which the conversation had flown, once they had moved somewhere private. "Go, see to your family."
Brina rose from her seat, smiled at Seklar, "It has been a pleasure, I am glad we got to talk and glad you didn't bounce me out of here on my ear." a teasing twinkle in her eyes. Then a more serious expression took its place though. "Also call on me when you need to, I am just a comm badge beep away. I can even babysit if you'd like to have a date night with your lady."
"That will not be until Ariel is ready to come out of the water, until then Sara will remain with her," Seklar answered, though he gave a grateful nod, visibly appreciating the offer. "My wife is of an aquatic species, infants remain submerged for the first month or two. Ariel is only a few days old."
"Ahh okay, I hope to meet your family sometime as well. And congratulations as well. Sounds like you definitely have a wonderful family. Until next time, and I will make an appointment if you prefer that I do." a gleam of laughter in her eyes.
"I do," Seklar confirmed, though he didn't specify as to what part of her statement he was responding. He gave a slight inclination of his head, becoming more 'businesslike' as their private conversation was to an end. "I have to get back out there," he added, hinting that they should now leave the office.
Brina nodded, and said. "Thank you for your time, Commander Seklar." making it an official end to the meeting.
Commander Seklar
Station XO
Marine Captain Brina Tracy-Hall
Marine XO
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