Silver Merit Award Shattered

[Jylliene 0]

Silver Merit Award

 

[Events take place just before the upcoming (3/8/2013) sim]

 

Jylliene sat at her desk, waiting for the connection. Her mother's face appeared on the screen.

 

"Jylliene!" Lanyi exclaimed, smiling.

 

"It's so good to see you," Jylliene replied, her grin just as wide. "How are you and father?"

 

"We're doing well. Your father was just named head of his department. I've been offered a research position at Rensh'a'misrel."

 

"Congratulations! I knew they'd see eventually. The book on ancient Trillic?"

 

Her mother nodded. "They called it a breakthrough. Your father said they probably feared their board if they were to find out they let someone else get me and thereby their university’s name on subsequent research."

 

Jylliene grinned. "It's about time they saw that. I'd better get a copy transmitted out here."

 

Her mother laughed. "Of course, of course. But enough of that. How are you?"

 

"Doing well. I wanted you to know that I, well, met someone stationed here." She blushed slightly, and her mother laughed happily.

 

"So who is he? And when might we see him?"

 

"He's an engineer here. His name's Nijil tr'Korjata, and he has been a..."

 

Jylliene stopped. Her mother's expression had changed completely.

 

"That's a Romulan name..."

 

Jylliene nodded slowly.

 

Her mother leaned back. "You've left everything behind? Is this how we raised you? We tried to understand when you left the program, and then when you ran off to Starfleet, and now this?"

 

"You raised me to see the best in everything, to look beyond the surface. You pointed me to the tenderness in the language of even..."

 

"And how is this the best in anything? You've thrown away our joining, our world, and now even the people of your own Federation for...some Romulan engineer? Not even a Senator, at least?"

 

"What does it matter what his position is? Or that he’s a Romulan? He’s been loyal and such a good...”

 

"It doesn't. They're all traitorous!" She softened her voice and continued in a plea, "Jylliene, he'll toss you aside as soon as it's at all advantageous. And then what? And what if you have children? Think of them."

 

She had, actually. Having seen how Nijil immediately acted to protect Annisha during the flight in the Midway, and the picture she drew for him that he hung on his wall, she could hardly avoid seeing the possible children in her mind.

 

Jylliene replied, equally pleading with her. "They would be cherished. You should see him with children, mother, he's caring and protective. He would absolutely adore and..."

 

Lanyi's voice raised again. "I do not want grandchildren of mine in the care of one of those..."

 

Jylliene snapped back. "He's not like that! He's a man of as much honor as anyone from home!"

 

"Are you pregnant? Did you already marry him?"

 

"What? No! We've not been seeing each other nearly long enough for anything like that. How could you think...”

 

"Then end this now, while you can!..." her mother loudly demanded.

 

"No! Mother, I -"

 

"...I will not have my daughter being some treacherous Romulan's harl-"

 

"You will not have a daughter at all!" she shouted at the screen, then slammed her hand down on the console with a crack, closing the transmission. She barely noticed the pain radiating through her wrist as she grabbed the family picture and threw it against the wall, the frame shattering and showering the carpet in glass.

 

Shaking, Jylliene leaned back against the chair, staring at the blank console.

 

What have I done? What do I do *now*?

 

Her hand throbbed. She looked down at it and winced.

 

Sickbay, it would seem.