<USS Avalon> Talea Seeks Counsel

Talea Seeks Counsel
by
Dr. Alexis  Cazook
Ensign Talea Genot Erridim


Sickbay, psionically-shielded  room

------

As the Captain departed after the phaser-power alarm  sounded, Talea tried to 
relax for a bit, but realized her mind was  troubled.  Hoping the doctor 
could help and had time to do so, she tapped  the comunit on. "Erridim to 
Cazook.  
Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but I  could use some advice."  She then tapped 
the unit off, suspecting Alexis  would respond by coming to her, which was her 
intent and need. 

Hearing  the alarm had startled Alexis, and she wondered if there would be 
incoming  wounded. To this end, she had started to prepare sickbay when she was 
paged by  Talea. "I will be right with you, dear." Putting down her supplies, 
Alexis  walked across the main sickbay to the psionically-shielded room and 
knocked. She  didn't want to just walk in and intrude on Talea's privacy. Lord 
knows she was  just starting to trust her.



Talea chuckled softly, as she  expected the doctor was being cautious.  
"Enter, Doctor.  I am dressed  properly."  She used that rather than the "I'm 
decent!"  she had heard  from others in the past, only to discover they were 
not 
clothed after all.   She was not entirely certain she wasn't distracting the 
doctor from duty, in  fact, and felt a little guilty because of that 
uncertainty.

Pausing  momentarily, Alexis entered the room.  She found Talea sitting on 
the edge  of the bed.  Walking over to the nearest chair, she sat and tried to 
make  herself comfortable. "How are you doing, Talea?  Having any bad 
flashbacks  or anything of that nature?" 


Talea chuckled.  "Not  exactly.  The real problem is just that there are 
essential differences in  the regulations the Starfleet Marines and Starfleet 
follow.  The same is  true, although to a lesser extent, between the RSDF and 
RSMC."  Her face  showed her concern.  "How to properly explain this, 
especially 
if what I  fear has happened has truly happened, and one or more of those who 
assaulted me  are now dead?" She got off the bed and crossed back to the 
conversation area,  settling in the lesser of the two chairs.  "To make matters 
worse, I fear I  may have disrupted your duties by this call.  That is unjust 
on 
my part,  especially if you get in trouble because of me." 


"I have yet to be  called to the scene of any disturbance.  I will admit that 
the alarm going  off did startle me.  One doesn't expect phaser fire on their 
own  ship."  Taking off her bifocals and letting them hang by their chain,  
Alexis rubbed her eyes.  "Nothing you have done is wrong or unjust.   If, and 
that is a big if, someone was killed, I am sure someone has a good  reason, 
although I don't think the Captain is going to agree with it.  I  don't know 
anything about Marine regulations and such, but I do know that  Captain Skyler 
isn't going to tolerate anyone taking the law into their own  hands.  Just as 
she 
hasn't tolerated the way you have been treated."  


Talea nodded.  "There is the risk that certain actions legal to  Captain 
Phillips, should he have taken them, will be taken as his having acted  as a 
vigilante, when in fact, his actions probably are quite legal, if somewhat  
irregular, in both Starfleet's Marine Corps and the Regellian Space Marine  
Corps.  
For example, he could easily have considered the actions of the man  who 
actually engaged me in the Pit as dishonorable and even, perhaps,  treasonous.  
Under the regulations of both the SFMC and RSMC, he would be  within his rights 
as 
company commander to deal with the issue with High Justice,  if he believed 
it necessary, although the relevant regulations are flagged as  "wartime-only" 
in the RSMC.  One of the things I was briefed on before I  was permitted to 
come here was the regulations of Starfleet and the differences  between them 
and 
Regellian regulations dealing with the same issues."  She  shrugged.  
"Familiarity of that level doesn't make me a legal expert by any  stretch, of 
course." 


She sighed.  "This whole situation has me  so very frightened, since I don't 
know enough, yet I know too much.  I  don't know who fired the illegally-set 
phaser, nor at whom, only the likelihood  of someone having died!" 

Standing, Alexis moved over to the ensign  before her.  She put her arms 
around her and whispered, "It's alright to  cry.  There is nothing for you to 
be 
frightened of.  You have done  nothing wrong, nor are you the cause of whatever 
has happened.  I am sure  we will find out soon enough what happened.  Until 
then, there is no point  in getting all worked up about something you have no 
control over."  She  couldn't help but wonder herself what had happened and 
more to the point . . .  why? 

Talea sighed, then shook her head.  "In a way, I was the  reason whatever 
happened has.  Had the fight not occurred . . ."  She  was trying to regain her 
composure, and failing badly.


"Talea, my  dear.  Whatever happened was not caused by you.  Even if it was  
remotely related to what happened to you, doesn't mean you caused it.   
Whoever shot that phaser did it of their own volition.  As we humans say,  
'There is 
no point in crying over spilt milk'."

Talea wasn't quite buying  into that, not quite yet.  "Crying over events one 
has no control over,  aye, that is pointless.  The fact still remains that 
had I been more alert  and escaped before being thrown into that infernal ring, 
none of this would have  happened, but I wasn't as alert as I should have 
been.  That, Doctor, with  all due respect, was my fault."  She shrugged, 
feeling 
helpless now.   "I suppose it's just as well.  Who knows but that whatever 
happened has  saved Starfleet a great deal of effort, trouble and credits?  
Lords 
know  that the fighter was in the wrong, as were those who participated 
directly and  indirectly in the plot to harm me.  Still, if those directly 
involved 
are  punished, I can easily forgive those who got coerced or deceived into  
participating." 

"You need to quit punishing yourself for something you  had no control over. 
Did you send the message to yourself and forge Walker's  code? Did you go to 
the Pit, knowing what was going to happen? I rather think  not. Therefore you 
cannot be held responsible for the actions of a few, and I do  mean a few, 
men." Alexis didn't know how she was going to convince Talea none of  what 
happened was her fault. Either previously or recently.

Talea  sighed.  "The PADD only showed his first name.  There was no proof,  
such as the audio code you heard earlier.  Nor was there visual evidence  the 
message was authentic.  That's why I feel I was at fault.  I  trusted an 
unauthenticated message was legitimate.  I believe you can now  understand my 
distress over this whole matter."



Sighing, Alexis  just sat there.  "I can see how you might consider yourself 
to be at  fault.  However, you did not send the message.  You just accepted 
that  it was from Walker, as would anyone else in that situation.  I do  
understand your distress.  However again, whatever has happened is not your  
fault.  
You are not back amongst your clan where whatever you thought or  did was 
wrong and you were punished for it.  You need to try and get that  thinking out 
of 
your mindset."


Talea started laughing as a very  Terran saying came to mind.  Waving a hand 
in an effort to put off Alexis'  possible affront, she then explained,  "You 
mean, 'When in Rome, act as the  Romans do.'?"  Of course, she suspected this 
was the wrong saying, but it  was, perversely, the one that had come to mind. 

Sighing, Alexis shook  her head. "No, that is not what I mean. I mean you 
need to forget about what  would or could have happened in your clan and 
realize 
that you are no longer in  that situation. You are not amongst a group of 
Neanderthals, other than those in  the brig." She didn't know how or if she 
would 
be able to get through to  Talea.

Talea was very much aware now what the doctor had been getting at,  so 
frowned slightly before responding.  "I see I slightly misunderstood,  Doctor.  
Of 
course I am not amongst those of my Clan here, a fact for which  I thank the 
Creator.  I am indeed attempting to get past the problems my  Clan has caused 
me, but it will take time.  After all, (to pose a situation  that you are 
doubtless familiar with) weight-gain can happen gradually, over the  course of 
years, and the battle to return to one's proper weight can take years  as well. 
 So 
too seems to be my struggle to return to normal after the  emotional and 
mental trauma of my childhood, save the fact that I am not totally  certain 
what 
normalcy is, in this case."  She smiled slightly  wistfully.  "That is one 
reason I must depend on others to help me get past  this.  Others who, at least 
in 
theory, know what normal should be for  someone like me."


Nodding, Alexis agreed.  "That is very  true.  To be back at a younger weight 
would make me quite happy.   Alas, I don't think it is going to happen.  
However, that is not the  problem we are discussing.  The Captain and I are 
more 
than willing to help  you overcome this problem.  It won't be easy for any of 
us, but it can be  done.  You also have to remember that what may be normal for 
one person,  even in that clan of yours, may not be your normal.  Everyone is 
different  in their own way.  That is what makes us unique and  interesting."

Taking a deep breath Alexis dared to broach a tender  subject.  "What we 
really need to do now is to get you somewhat comfortable  with a male figure 
who 
is in charge.  As I understand it, the Admiral will  be returning to the ship 
very soon.  I don't think he would approve of  having an Ops officer who 
couldn't stand to be near him.  To that end, I  may have a solution of sorts.  
If 
you are up to it, that  is."


Talea wanted to cheer and look extremely puzzled at one and the  same time, 
so did neither.  Rather, she asked a very pertinent set of  related questions 
of the doctor.  "What sort of solution, Doctor?  I  am very much aware of my 
difficulty with men in general.  However, I wish  to remind you that those whom 
I already trust can vouch for someone I've not  interacted with before and 
generally, I believe their word."  She smiled  slightly sadly.  "Of course I am 
somewhat apprehensive about this, but  without trust in anyone, what is the 
point in me continuing aboard this vessel,  or indeed, of me living?  Life 
without trust or hope is rather pointless,  isn't it?"

"First of all, let's get that thinking out of your head.   You need to start 
thinking more positively.  As for what I had in mind, it  is really quite 
simple.  A holodeck program.  A program that will  allow you to get to know the 
Admiral or any other man you wish without the  threat of anything actually 
happening.  It would be a safe and controlled  environment that you would 
control.  
If you wish, I could be there with  you."


Talea nodded.  "I shall consider this, Doctor.  I  have the unsettling 
feeling we will be quite busy soon.  I cannot explain  the reasoning, for I do 
not 
fully understand it myself."  She then smiled  slightly.  "In the meantime, if 
I am not being overly bold, I expect you've  duties and obligations to see to. 
 I am but one person, and not your only  responsibility."

Looking at Talea, Alexis shrugged.  "Actually,  right now I am not busy, and 
yes, you are my only responsibility at the  moment.  However, I get the 
feeling you would like to end this  conversation, so I will leave you to do 
your 
thinking.  Just remember I am  but a page away."  With that said, Alexis turned 
and left the shielded room  full of questions with few answers.  




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