Daggers and Cloaks

[Nijil tr'Korjata 0]

Daggers and Cloaks

A Chirakis and Nijil Joint Production

 

 

“Nijil?” She waited.

 

“Hey, Nijil,” she exclaimed.

 

“Brother!” Jantela shouted.

 

Nijil jumped. “What? I’m here! I’m here...” He sprung to life. So many life altering events on the order of only a few months. The stress of a long flight in small ship. His heart couldn’t take a gram more of stress. Seeing his dead sister alive qualified.

 

“Brother...Nijil,” she started in earnest. “How are you feeling?”

 

He smiled weakly, “Tired and stressed. Did I fall asleep again?”

 

She nodded, “It’s what the doctor gave you. A sedative for your nerves.” She let Nijil get his bearings. “I’ve not called anyone yet.” His sis smiled. “They think you are really busy, but I will get with them soon.” Seeing her without a swollen belly took a bit of time. He smiled in relief.

 

“So,” she said, breaking the silence. “What’s happened since you arrived at this station?”

 

“Well, I manage the repairs to the small craft: shuttles and work bees mostly. Fully small craft systems engineer. Matter/Anti-matter or singularity, you name it. I’ve met someone...”

 

Jentela’s eyes lit up like a nova. “Well it’s about time brother, the last woman you courted.”

 

“I know...I know. She was bad blood. It’s also another story.”

 

“So?”

 

“So, oh, her name’s Jylliene Kital. The primary operations officer here.”

 

She corrected him. “You mean Jylliene t’Kital.”

 

He gave her a quizzical look. “No, she’s not Rihan. Trill.”

 

“Mother’s going to flip,” his sister quipped. “She better be cute.”

 

Nijil laughed. “Yes yes she is, as is my adoptive daughter Annisha.”

 

Eyes nearly popping out of her sockets, “Your what!?” She leaned back in disbelief. “Are you taking on a charity case?”

 

“No no, nothing like that. Met her by chance after she pulled a knife out of my lower back.”

 

“I’m not even going to ask, I..” The t’Liss on Nijil’s uniform, now laying folded on a small table, chirped. Jantela walked over and tapped on the front. “Hello, this is Nijil’s sister, Who is this?”

 

A male's voice spoke. “This is a message from Aegis Operations to Centurion ​tr'Korjata. He is to meet with Captain Chirakis in thirty minutes. Tell him to be prompt.”

 

“I will pass the message on.” She tapped the t’Liss again and closed the channel. “What’s that all about brother?”

 

He looked down before speaking. “I made an error approach placing the entire station on alert. If their reaction had been faster I may have had more than a minor heart condition.”

 

“Nijil,” placing her hand over his. “I’d still love you like I always have. Let’s get you presentable.”

 

 

* * * * *

 

 

With yesterday’s docking of USS Toronto came a decided increase of activity and a greater mix of personnel in the control tower. Starfleet’s third Akira class heavy cruiser to join the elite Border Patrol had created quite a stir since she wasn’t due to launch for several more months. As Nijil stepped out of the lift and turned toward the captain’s office, the imposing figure of a Romulan officer bearing the insignia of the RSE High Command strode by and entered the command lift. He gave him plenty of room to pass by, missing an opportunity to even acknowledge. “Jolan tru” far too informal. High-ranking officials caused Nijil to shut down. Just not his kind of people. With the Captain, shutting down would not be permitted.

 

Captain Chirakis was busy working at her desk when Nijil entered. For all intents and purposes it was a normal business day, but Nijil fully expected the worse. He knew he made a mistake just at the very end of a needed getaway. Can’t have good fortune without bad. Nijil spent several minutes standing in front of her desk before she looked up, pushed her work aside, and regarded him with weary but intense steel-gray eyes.

 

“Centurion,” she said, then paused as if considering her words, “what exactly you were trying to accomplish by entering Aegis space under cloak?” She seemed be more relaxed than he expected and Nijil wondered if one of her daggers got a recent workout. Nothing in her office looked out of place. No blood on the floor, yet.

 

“The cloak was engaged before we even left orbit of Trill. Reports had not indicated any elevation in pirate ship activity, but I could not take any chances. The flight was nearly uneventful. I inadvertently dropped us of warp close to an emission nebula.” Nijil smiled. “It made Annisha so happy to see it. However, we were all getting on each other’s nerves. We were very concerned. One night she kept having night terrors about the pirates getting her.” He had not answered the question. “I had a lapse in judgement regarding protocol by not alerting Aegis sooner to our approach. Our flight plan took longer than stated, so we were off the timetable. It was my error alone and I violated your trust.”

 

The captain shifted in her chair and leaned forward as she laced her fingers together, one hand gripping the other tightly. “It was more than a violation of my trust, Centurion, it was a violation of the basic code of an officer. Not only did you make a grave error in judgement but you endangered your life and the lives of another officer and a Rihan orphan child who comes directly under my protection.

 

“You are well aware of the capabilities of the defense grid,” she continued calmly, “and that it engages when unidentified vessels enter the system under cloak. Had it been set to automatic it would have obliterated the shuttle, leaving no trace.”

 

The Captain paused in a sigh, her expression worn.

 

“At face value your error falls under the articles of Starfleet’s Code of Justice as child endangerment, reckless endangerment, and improper hazarding of a vessel. Any one of these could be construed in a court martial to warrant the death penalty, and it has already been strongly suggested by a member of the RSE High Command that you face the ultimate penalty.”

 

She studied him a long moment, her expression devoid of anger. “However, as commanding officer of this facility and because of your record and extenuating circumstances - namely, your encounter with the Ebony Blade cartel - I have chosen to convene a review board. They will examine the evidence and recommend appropriate punishment.

 

“Tell me, Centurion. If you were in my position, what punishment would you consider appropriate as an alternative to court martial?”

 

He needed no time to think of this answer. “Strip my commission and rank. Send me home with a dishonorable discharge.”

 

The captain’s weary gaze continued for several minutes before she relaxed. “Unfortunately, stripping you of your commission and sending you home would leave me without an engineer who has the skills needed for the smooth functioning of this station. In short, you would be difficult to replace.

 

“Therefore,” she tapped a PADD next to her, “until I receive the recommendation of the review board you will be reduced in rank to SubCenturion and resume your duties in engineering. And… there is another reason I have chosen this alternative.”

 

She pushed the PADD toward Nijil. “You have been approved to adopt the Rihan child, Annisha. After speaking with Counselor Davis and consulting with several workers who have observed your interaction with the child, I have granted that request provided you successfully complete an assignment outside of engineering.

 

“It has been suggested that you may need extensive instruction in parenting. Therefore, in addition to your duties as an engineer, you will assist Dr. Pavilion in the care and nurturing of those under our protection in the Children’s Home. You will remain there until Dr. Pavilion decides you have sufficient skill to properly care for and raise a child. During that time you are to keep a full record your experience to be added to our database for future reference.

 

“Is your assignment clear, Centurion?”

 

“Yes,” he answered. His voice echoed the turbulence brewing in his gut.

 

“Have you any questions?”

 

“No. Only a comment. The adoption will make one particular Rihan girl quite happy.”

Edited October 11, 2013 by Nijil tr'Korjata