An Unexpected Call

Posted on Sat May 8th, 2021 @ 12:27pm by Telhas thu'S'Terion Sa-Shasol'kor t'Cheleb-Khor & Lieutenant Commander Aeryn Jameson

1,540 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 4 - Like a Thunderbolt
Location: Senatorial District, Rator III, Romulan Star Empire

Maec tr'Barel was playing with his grandchild. Raha was a lovely little child, and she had so good manners for a five-year-old. Maec really loved her. When she was around, he could play with her and forget the burden of power for a while. Raha was the first child of his youngest daughter, T'Eleijha. She visited him often, especially since she had become an officer in the Senate's administration. Her husband was his personal aide. One of the persons he trusted most. But they could not compare to Raha.

"Caught you, little lady!" Maec cried out when he got a hold of the giggling young girl. But then he became aware of one of his servants. "Hey, little lady, would you mind helping your mother with the garden work?" he asked softly. Raha nodded and ran out of the door to the garden. Maec turned to his servant, slowly rising to his full size again. "Yes?"

"There is a holo-call for you, sir."

"I see. And who is it? Can't they grant me just a single day of privacy?" Maec asked, thinking it was one of his fellow senators.

"You better see yourself, sir."

Maec sighed. "Very well." He walked into his office and looked at the screen, just to see an unknown face. "Who are you?"

“Who I am isn’t important” The male voice was disguised as was his face. “But who this is ...” He turned the view to an unconscious Aeryn. “Is very important to you. That’s if you even recognise your own daughter.”

Maec looked closely at the unconscious woman. He did not know her. "I have two daughters, but she's none of them." He leant forward to terminate the transmission, but hesitated. "Who is she?"

“I thought family was all important to Romulans? Yet you don’t recognise your own daughter Aeryn Jameson?” He shook his head. “There’ll be a delivery for you soon, it contains a blood sample for you. I suggest you test it.”

Maec thought for a moment. "Aeryn... Aeryn..." Finally he shook his head. "Never heard that name. But I'll be waiting for your sample. Yet, you could tell me a little about Miss Jameson. Who's her mother? Where does she work? It's a Starfleet uniform, isn't it?"

“Don’t you remember a certain Betazoid by the name of Delenn?” The man held up a picture. “Aeryn here is her daughter, and yours. She’s a Lieutenant Commander in Starfleet, the Executive Officer of Faltan Station.” He paused. “Now .. enough questions! I suggest you stop doubting who she is, if you do she’s of no use to us.”

Maec remembered Delenn. For a second he lost his composure. "I... am awaiting your sample. What... what do you want?"

“Ahh now he remembers!” A smile crept across the man’s face. “The sample will be with you within the hour, what I want is for you to make a public announcement of your infidelity. We all know that your political career will be finished when you do, it’s your career or your daughter.”

"For whom are you working?" Maec's voice was icy. "Who has so little honour?"

“Who I am doesn’t matter, when you’ve had time to check the blood sample call me back on this frequency, and we’ll talk about your announcement.”

Maec nodded and terminated the transmission. This was no way to deal with a senator! He needed to talk with his family. And least with one of them, whom he trusted most.

He walked out of his office and into his garden. "T'Eleijha!" he shouted.

T'Eleijha came rushing to her father’s side. “Father, what’s wrong?”

"Please, let us go to my office," Maec said and went back into his office. "Take a seat, T'Eleijha."

T’Eleijha looked at her father curiously as she took a seat. “What’s going on father?”

"How shall I start?" Maec was not sure if there was any way to tell her the truth without hurting her feelings. "You were raised as my youngest daughter. And I love you as much as a father can, believe me. But... you're not my youngest daughter. There's a younger one. One I've forgotten already. I thought she was dead. But she lives. And now..." He shook his head.

T'Eleijha looked at her father in shock and surprise. “I have a younger sister?! You never mentioned her before ...” she paused. “Wait ... whose her mother?” She frowned knowing very well this sister wasn’t born of her mother.

"Not your mom," Maec said and sighed. How could he explain? "A betazoid. Her name was Delenn. I have to admit... you know, my marriage was political. I like your mother, I respect her, but love? No, I am sorry, no." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry."

T'Eleijha sighed, she wasn’t happy but at the same time she didn’t like seeing her father unhappy either. “Why are you telling me this now? Has something happened?”

"She... somebody..." Although Maec tried to hide it, his eyes betrayed him and showed his sadness and fear. "She has been kidnapped. And now they want me to either publicly anounce my infidelity, or they kill her."

“What!?” She looked dismayed even if she’d never met this new sister. “What can I do?”

"You're still working in the Senate's administration, aren't you?" Of course Maec knew that, but he wanted to be assured. "Your younger sister's name is Aeryn Jameson. She is a Starfleet officer on Faltan Station. Do we have a diplomat there? Maybe an ambassador? Someone we can ask to investigate? I know that I can forget about my political career and the honour of our House, but maybe we can also bring that bastard down who initiated all this! And whoever represents us at Faltan could find something that helps us. And since you keep contact to diplomats, you can perhaps help me with a name."

T'Eleijha nodded, “I can do that. I should be able to get access to the diplomatic records, just give me a few minutes.” She stood and quickly headed into the office they had set up at home. It was a secure set up so she could work from home when needed.

~ A few minutes later ~

T'Eleijha reappeared from the office, a sheet of paper in her hand. “Here ...” she handed the paper to her father. “This is the Ambassador assigned to Faltan Station, Hopefully he’ll be able to help us.”

Maec read the paper. "Telhas thu'S'Terion? Senator Telhas thu'S'Terion?" He did not look too enthusiastic. "Elements, what did I do to enrage thy?"

“Do you know him?” She looked at her father curiously.

"Senator Telhas thu'S'Terion is using an ancient Vulcan name, as you may have already noticed," Maec explained, "and he does it on puprpose. His birthname is Valkis tr'Tellus. He's the lord of the ancient and most noble House of Tellus. Although he renamed it to House S'Terion, which seems to be the name of his House before our ancestors had left Vulcan. And this... this impertinant man had held a speech in the Senate and insulted us all. He called us cowards and traitors of the true heritage of our ancestors!" He snorted. "Then he had changed his name into Vulcan! Not enough of this, he, a Patrician, had married a cousin of General T'Daran, the Tal Shiar's chair, and made the T'Daran Patricians that way. Can you believe this?! We are still nobility, and we work hard to become so renowned that we will be considered Patricians one day, and this guy simply raises a House into the highest ranks just because he likes a girl!"

‘Father, please!” T'Eleijha looked at her father, “Dies it really matter? It’s my sister that’s important isn’t it?”

"I'm sorry, I just don't like Lord Telhas!" Maec snorted again. "But it seems he is our best chance for help."

“What happens after you save her? Will you meet her? Will I get to meet my sister?” T'Eleijha looked at her father curiously.

"Oh yes, you will definitely meet her!" A smile crossed his face. "If she's even a little like her mother, you'll like her."

T'Eleijha smiled. “I have to admit, I’m curious.”

"Can you do me a favour and talk with Lord Telhas? It's not only that I don't like him... It's rather... I guess I'm one of the last senators who continues to criticize him."

“Dealing with Ambassadors is one of my duties” she smiled warmly. “I’ll contact his residence and see if I can talk to him.”

Maec smiled. "You're the best daughter one can get."

T’Eleijha smiled. “Thank you father, I learned from the best there is!” She leant over and gave him a hug.

"T'Eleijha, probably you should better call him 'Duke Telhas'. He is proud of these ancient Vulcan titles. And I've heard rumors that he hates lies. Be honest, even if he may dislike what you say." Maec hoped that she could get Telhas' help.

She nodded. “I’ll do that, probably best if I call him in private too. Cross your fingers, and let’s hope he’ll help.”

 

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