Setting the Record Straight

Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2020 @ 3:30am by Lieutenant Kalin Brennan-Griffin PhD & Captain Nycolas Temple
Edited on on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 6:02am

Mission: New Moon Rising
Location: Ready Room

Shae had been aboard a couple of days now and had settled in nicely, but something had been weighing on her mind; she didn't much like the idea of telling the Captain about her past, but on the other hand she didn't much like keeping secrets either. Still, the Captain had a right to know what was going on with her, why she had requested this transfer, and preferably sooner rather than later. So it was that the Chameloid woman found herself on the bridge, ringing the chime to the Captain's office; she just hoped he would understand...

Nyx had finished up his morning exercise session in the holodeck, having revisited the old beach in Copenhagen he loved to run on. The physical activity always helped to clear his mind and help him focus, so now he was back in his office soaring through his paperwork and forms with impressive speed. He hadn't changed out of his gym gear and was faintly aware that he needed a sonic shower, but he was too energised.

"Come in!" He practically yelled at the sound of the door chime, tapping away at a PADD and flipping it over to his 'done' pile.

The door swept open and Shae stepped in. Even without looking at Nyx, she could tell he had been to the gym; Shae had an interesting take on what smelled good or bad, most people thinking sweat would be offensive to her sensitive nose, but it simply smelled like 'more' of him, and since his nature odor was not offensive then his post workout sweat didn't bother her at all.

"Captain," she greeted with slight nod.

"Ah Lieutenant Brennan, good to see you." Nyx replied, not stopping his work.

"I hope I'm not catching you at bad time, but I was hoping to discuss something of personal importance, that is if you have the time," Shae said softly, still standing near the door, mostly out of anxiety as she still felt too much nervous energy to sit down at the moment.

"Never a bad time to see my favorite scientist." Nyx replied, finally perching himself on the side of his desk to give Brennan his full attention. "'Science Leads!' My grandfather used to say. 'Science leads when words and weapons fail us.' A very wise man."

"He sounds like a man after my own heart," Shae said with a weak smile; of course she preferred science and diplomacy over violence anytime.

Nyx clapped his hands together, "Right, well don't stand in the doorway, come on in and relieve your mind."

"Okay," Shae said nervously, finally stepping forward to take a seat, wringing her hands in her lap as she chose her words carefully. "I know you must have questions about me; I've got so many blanks in my personnel file, more redacted and classified information than most Intel Officers, not to mention the unusual circumstances of my transfer here... There's a lot I can't answer, but I want to try to give you some information; you have a right to know what kind of Officer is on your ship, and you have the right to tell me to get lost if you decide I'm too much of a risk to your crew," she said softly.

Nyx looked at the anxious young woman and frowned. He wanted to know, of course, but could see how this was making her distressed. "Okay, well I appreciate you coming to me. Please, take your time."

Shae again paused to consider her words, the weight of what she had to tell him affecting her greatly. "I'm a shapeshifter," she started seriously. "I'm not like the Founders, I'm a 'solid' and I was raised by a human family, so there was no question of where my allegiances lie. But during the Dominion War, I was co-opted into the service of Section 31 against my will. At first I was simply experimented on, but eventually I was trained and put into service, and I did terrible things for them... Eventually, I returned to the service of Starfleet as one of their agents, and during my tour on the Tornado I was called to do something, something I do not wish to disclose at this time, but it's something that by all rights I should do time for as a traitor. I didn't want to do any of the things they called me to do, but my handler had my daughter, had been holding her in cryo-stasis for years, using her as leverage to keep me compliant to their will, that's why she's so young even though she's fourteen. Captain Takato found out about her, had her rescued, and she was protecting me from the fallout of what I did on her ship. I was debriefed by Starfleet Intelligence, and with their attention on me I doubt Section 31 would make another move on me, but then Captain Takato surrendered to the Klingons, and with a new Commanding Officer aboard, without Takato's protection I feared for my safety. You have to understand, Captain, I'm a scientist, a good one, and all I want to be is a scientist, I want nothing to do with Section 31, but I was afraid they might try to find a way to influence me again, so I requested a transfer; I was hoping that being out in the middle of nowhere I would be beyond their influences. Ensign Griffin knows some about my past, and he knows what I did on the Tornado, and in the interest of full disclosure we are seeing each other romantically." Then she grew silent, allowing him a moment to digest the bombshell she had just dropped on him; she was taking a big leap of faith that this man could be trusted, but she still felt she was doing the right thing telling him this much.

There was a slow, long whistle from the Captain as he exhaled the deep breath he'd been holding. He stood up from the desk, sat back down, then stood up again.
He began to talk, thought better of it, and closed his mouth.

But his mind kept coming back to a persistent thought that he just couldn't shake, so he sat down on the couch next to the Lieutenant and looked at her with earnest, "You say the handler had your child?"

Shae nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for springing this on you like I did, but you had a right to know and I didn't want this blindside you later if it became a problem. But I promise, I want nothing to do with them, I just want to serve Starfleet, a-and be a good mother," Shae implored.

"Then I understand. Well, not fully, that's probably going to take me a while to process, but I can begin to understand" Nyx replied, "I hope you were able to bring your handler to justice for what he did?"

"His whereabouts are unconfirmed at this time," Shae replied sadly. "Right now, I don't care about justice; justice might invite more backlash from the organization, and I just want to be free to live my life, so it's my hope that so long as I leave them alone then they'll leave me alone."

Nyx could see the sincerity in the scientist's eyes, his training with Intel and Security meant he generally knew when a person was lying. But she was genuinely afraid and earnest, and her speaking truthfully of her intentions to move on.

He smiled, "I believe you, Lieutenant, I do. I wish that uncomplicated matters but if it helps, I am on your side."

The Captain looked down at his own hands now, finding them clasped together. He had his own truths to reveal, and debated whether it would help or frighten Shae. He looked back and took a breath.

"In my career with Starfleet Intel and Federation security, I have had interactions with S31." He began, "Even ran a few ops under them. I've always known there was a side to them that was ruthless, that took advantage of the lack of oversight over their organisation. I am aware of the use of sleeper agents, it's not even a new practice I'm afraid. But the treatment you've recieved, the horrible blackmail your handler used, should be illegal. I can only apologise for what you've been through, not as a member of either organisation, but simply as one person to another. You should not have gone through that."

Fear sparked anew in her eyes when he mentioned his own interactions with S31, but his genuine apology helped put her at ease, and finally Shae felt unburdened knowing that he understood her plight. "Thank you, sir, I appreciate you understanding in this matter. I know it makes me a liability, a potential danger to your crew, but I will do everything in my power to be forthright with you whenever I can to minimize that risk. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me."

He nodded, "I can tell you this, with complete honesty, that neither S31, Intel, or Security, have come to me about you. Not a single word. I can only assume... or hope, this means your deprograming was complete. They've burned your cell and your handler and moved onto God knows what." He paused, but decided to keep going, "I can make inquiries, as I have some contacts. It does risk stirring up the hornet's nest, but we'd know for sure."

"I was not 'programmed', at least not in the way you are suggesting, otherwise why would they have needed Aoife to keep me in line," Shae countered softly. "But after the cell was dismantled, I was extensively debreifed by SI; I recalled the operations I took part in so they know what if any sensitive information I was privy to, and I'm duty bound to resolve any issue that may arise as a result of any of those operations, and of course I was sworn to secrecy lest I risk prosecution for any of my actions during that time. Technically, telling you what little I've told you violates that agreement with them, but you deserved to know; just if you make any inquiries, keep it quiet, I've dealt with enough of the proverbial hornets to last several lifetimes."

Nyx frowned, "I'm sorry, I guess I assumed that part. As horrible as it is to say, I think Section 31 would be less inclined to chase an operative without programming. Especially not all the way into the Expanse. So we have that going for us." He gave a sarcastic thumbs up to try and lighten the mood.

"Still, you know things. And they know that people talk, as you have done. I won't make any inquiries as that would potentially reveal that I, now, know things." He continued, thinking out loud, "But Section 31 has no jurisdiction on this ship, or the Expanse. Should they attempt to contact you, renew your operations, or silence you, they will be met with our complete resistance."

"There is a fine line between telling the truth and the 'truth'; I gave SI what they wanted to hear without telling them anything of great importance, just as you now know only vague details, nothing that can really get you into trouble. I know S31 is everywhere, they would find out what I said, or rather didn't say, and hopefully that will buy me some leniency from their wrath," Shae replied. "But it is good to know that should they make a move on me, that I have your support; honestly, I hadn't expected that, I half expected you to tell me to get off your ship," she admitted.

Temple laughed a little, "I might have had an obligation to take you into custody, to be honest. That's what protocol would tell me to do, had I found out some other way. But you've explained the circumstances and the necessary details enough to assuage any such notion. You also have clearance from Intel and the Admiral. Should anyone else have ideas on dredging all of this mess back up again, we will protect you."

He gave a raised eyebrow, "Certainly Mr. Griffin wouldn't allow it either."

Shae blushed at the mention of 'Mr. Griffin', a reaction which seemed to becoming more and more common for her as of late. "No, I don't suppose he would..." she replied hesitantly. Still, his response was more than she could have ever hoped for and she was grateful for Nyx's understanding.

Nyx smiled, "I offer no further comment on personal relationships, merely a standard Starfleet warning that it shall not effect your duties and code of conduct."

"I understand, sir, it will not affect our duties," Shae assured him. "To be perfectly blunt, I don't know that I would have had the courage to make this transfer or tell you about my reasons for being here, not without him encouraging me to move forward. It's been extremely difficult adapting to all the changes in my life as of late; I spent so much time being afraid and he's made a lot of it more bearable. I suppose I could say that about any of the friends I have made recently as well, something I wouldn't have dared to do before my secret came out; I've been so alone, so having so much support all of sudden is a bit jarring," she confessed.

Temple gave a knowing nod, "Those people are the best kind of people to have in your life. It makes me proud to see our growing community here has given you so much support."

"Thank you, sir," Shae said with a smile, albeit a small one but at least it was genuine. "But now I hope you can understand why I appreciate so much that you let me bring Aoife along even though this ship wasn't originally designed to accommodate families; we were separated almost immediately after she was born and now that I have her back I can hardly bear to be away from her even to attend to my duties, and there's so few people that I trust to protect her, being with me is the only way I can be assured that she is well and truly safe. Even so, I know bringing her along has its risks and I accept those risks, and even if Section 31 should find a way to use her against me again, I do not think I could go back to the way things were before; I have tasted freedom and I will fight to keep it, especially now that I have the support of friends to help me."

There was a bittersweet smile from the Captain after Shae's words. No parent should be separated from their child, and even the small amount of time he'd been away from his own family was weighing heavily upon him. He couldn't imagine the hell that Lieutenant Brennan had experienced, and the strength it had taken to get back to some kind of normalcy.

"The very least we can offer is your complete freedom," He replied, "For you and for Aoife. Section 31 be damned."

"I can't begin to thank you enough for that, Captain, but thank you," Shae said in reply. The relief that she felt knowing she had his support was more than she could ever put into words, and she would never stop trying to find ways to show him how much she appreciated that.

Nyx nodded, as he started to stand up, "Thank you for your honesty and bravery, Lieutenant. If you ever need to talk, my door is always open to you."

"I am not brave, not really," she said humbly, offering a meek smile as she too rose. "But I appreciate the offer, and I will of course let you know right away if anything in regards to my past resurfaces. And if there's anything I can ever do to repay you, if you ever need someone to talk to, well, I am half El Aurian, I am a good Listener."

Temple gave a subtle laugh, "Be careful I don't take you up on that offer. Between you and Counselor Oakley, we might just be able to sort out my own issues."

"Well that would be something, wouldn't it!" Shae replied with a hint of a chuckle, amused with the easy-going nature of the man; he had such an interesting character, and Shae rather liked him!

The Captain didn't really want to end the conversation just yet, as he believed he was bonding solidly with the Lieutenant, but the big chair was no place for someone who liked to chat all day. They were not far from entering the Inconnu Expanse and his duties were calling. Yelling loudly, in fact.

"I'm just about to send a communication to all senior staff regarding the briefing this afternoon," Temple said as he walked Brennan towards the door. "We'll finally be able to focus on that mission of ours."

"Sounds good, sir, I'm excited to get out there," Shae said with a nod. "Thank you for your time, Captain," she said in conclusion at the door.

Temple bid Brennan goodbye and turned back to his office. He looked at all the random piles of PADDs and data files, wondering if he would be able to figure out just where he'd left off. He took a deep breath and caught a whiff again of his sweaty fragrance.

"Oh lort!" He cried, heading to his quarters to shower.
OFF