Ensign Ghant Xerix - Facing Foes

[Ghant Xerix]

((Betazoid Government Council- Rixx, Betazed))

::Ghant and Standiford materialized just outside the main entrance to the Council building. Victoire’s case was first on the docket for this morning. Standiford had dressed him in a rich black and gold sherwani suit with a sash pinned in place by the Toyer medal. It was an award only given to the families of those who sacrificed themselves to oust the Dominion. Ghant heartily approved of the choice, as it would remind the old crones of who he was, and who he came from. His mother Celestria would have given all of them a proper set down for even making him appear.::

Standiford: Remember, all “Official” arguments must be verbal, but that doesn’t stop anyone from from catty telepathic jabs. Try to keep your mental blocks up, and your facial expressions as neutral as possible. Stick to the facts.

Xerix: Thank you, Standiford.

Standiford: Let’s see how hard they are willing to fight, Ghant.

::He felt nerves in the pit of his stomach as the walked through the main entrance, and then through security, and finally entered the Council chamber. It was an opulent, vast room in the center of which was open space. Towards the rear was where the Moderator sat, with her aid slightly lower down. On each side of the open space was a small desk area, for each of the parties relevant to the case. And surrounding all of that were individual boxes for the noble families and the elected citizens who currently sat on the council. It felt very much like the arenas of Earth, where people would gather to watch gruesome sport. Ghant felt like he was the morning’s main entertainment.::

::Mara and Olympé were already there. Mara, it seemed had found slightly more decent clothing, though her dress’s neckline did plunge rather far down. Ghant could feel plenty of eyes on him. Plenty of minds as well, finding his mental blocks and recoiling from them. The Moderator (an elected citizen, gratefully) took her seat. The others in the boxes and stands took their seats as well, but Ghant and The Seastri’s were to remain standing. There would be no need for oaths of truth, as everyone in the room could detect lies before they were emitted. The Proclaimer stepped forward.::

Proclaimer: Moderator Barue, first on the day’s docket is the custody of Victoire Marchionne Xerix, of the Third House. Claimants are Ghant Xerix, Son of the Third House, and Olympé Seastri, Daughter of the Fourth House.

::Making herself comfortable, Barue crossed one leg over the other and rested her arms on the sides of the chair. Dark eyes looked out from shallow sockets, flowing into a slender face beneath a cropped cut of gingery hair swept to one side, a thin nose, and even thinner lips curved into what could almost be considered a smile, if it didn’t fall so short of the mark. An erudite and charismatic air whirled around her, touched by a note of exuding irreverence for the charge, or the Houses, at hand. Her eyes danced through the milieu, seeking out Ghant with piercing precision, then down to the medal on his sash, the meaning clear. With a brief gesture of her hand — a flick of the wrist — she nodded.::

Barue: Proceed. State your name and relationship to the child.

Xerix: Ghant Xerix, Son of the Third House of Betazed. I am Victoire’s cousin

Barue: Quite. ::Turning her head, almost imperceptibly, she looked pointedly at Olympé.:: And yourself?

Seastri: Olympé Seastri, Daughter of the Fourth House and the child’s Grandmother

::Satisfied that neither party had misrepresented themselves in so simple a fashion, Barue turned her attention to the case presented in front of her. A PADD — no thicker or longer than the width and breadth of a pencil — displayed all the necessary information pertaining to the details. Without looking up, her voice carried through the room.::

Barue: I understand you will accept service and jurisdiction of the court, I have that in writing here. ::Placing the PADD down on the desk, she sat back and regarded both again.:: What type of custody arrangement are you seeking?

Xerix: Full custody, Moderator

Seastri: Full custody with a restraint on the Xerix family, Moderator

::Ghant bristled at that. Olympé was clearly interested in using Victoire to hurt him. He forced himself to remain calm and schooled his face to a more neutral expression. If the Moderator picked up on the thoughts waving through his mind, her outward appearance didn’t display it, and instead, she picked up the PADD again, gaunt features examining the data.::

Barue: I see no formal request for an order of restraint here. ::Dark eyes lifted to Olympé.:: The nature of the request?

Seastri: The Xerix family and ours were always close, until Ghant recently broke off his betrothal to my daughter, Mara. Now he seeks to take my grandchild from me. He obviously harbors animosity towards the Fourth House and therefore would poison the child against us.

::Ghant went to speak but Standiford clutched his arm, silencing him with a look. That, however, was picked up on by the woman, who dropped her gaze to the well-dressed Betazoid.::

Barue: You have something to add to this, Mister Xerix?

Xerix: No, Moderator. I will stick to fact rather than idle speculation.

Barue: Hmm.

::The sound was little more than that, and if she agreed or not, it remained uncertain. Sitting back in the chair once more, she tapped a long fingertip on the arm of it, as though internally debating whether to contribute her opinion to the matter at hand. Finally, she clasped her fingers together in her lap and briefly nodded to her face aid.::

Barue: The court will hear the appeal from both sides. I may intervene to ask questions. You will answer these directly. If I require more information, I will ask for it. ::The words were said with such frankness that it would be hard to disagree with.:: Do you understand?

::Ghant and Olympé both indicated their agreement::

Barue: Very well, then. Let’s move on, shall we? ::She looked to the older woman first, as though peering over a set of glasses perched on the edge of her nose.:: You have the floor.

Olympé: As I indicated Moderator, I am the girl’s Grandmother. My daughter Mara is her aunt. We are now the closest blood relations the girl has. We live here, on Betazed, unlike Xerix, who is an Ensign in Starfleet, and has just been transferred at his own request to the USS Veritas, which is charged with patrolling an extremely dangerous part of space called the Shoals.

::Without looking over from her gaze at the grandmother, Barue leaned slightly in the chair. Perhaps the older Moderator had some experience with Starfleet, yet perhaps, conversely, she believed a child’s place was not on board a Federation vessel, when it could be helped. However, if she had an opinion, she didn’t give voice to it, and simply interjected with a question.::

Barue: Children are permitted on board the Veritas, I presume?

Xerix: They are, Moderator.

Barue: Proceed.

Olympé: Be that as it may, the safest environment for the child I think you’ll agree is here on Betazed with her closest relatives

Barue: I reserve my judgement until I have heard all, Lady Olympé. ::Whether the comment from the woman had landed awkwardly on the older or not, it wasn’t clear.:: If you have nothing else to add to your appeal, we will move to Mister Xerix.

Xerix: Moderator, Victoire has never seen either Olympé or Mara Seastri. Victoire’s father, who is now listed as missing, had flatly refused communication with Olympé and the rest of the Fourth House for years. My late cousin Choupette Marchionne remained on earth, avoiding the Seastri family as well.

::Ghant began pacing as he spoke, his hands clasped behind his back to keep from fidgeting. The Moderator watched him with the barest hint of concern.::

Xerix: The only reason Olympé even knew of Victoire’s existence was because of idle gossip among the houses.Following those thoughts, one could infer that neither the child’s mother or father would want to see Victoire being raised by people they patently avoided. I have a relationship with her. I visited her mother frequently while I was at the academy. I was present for Victoire’s birth. At the celebrations of her “birth-day” in the Terran custom. Furthermore, as a daughter of the Third House, Choupette’s rank and title should be part of her daughter’s inheritance. We are a Matriarchal society, so Victoire is a Xerix.

::Concluding his appeal, the Moderator remained silent for a few moments as she tapped her upper lip with the side of an index finger. She glanced at her Aide, and both seemed to communicate without the use of words, as the Aide nodded in response, standing up.::

Barue: We will adjourn for a brief recess to consider the matter privately. ::As the Moderator stood, as did everyone else in the courtroom, as tradition dictated. Pausing, Barue glanced back to Ghant.:: Mister Xerix, I’ll see you in my chambers.



Tbc


(( A heartfelt thank you to Jo, you are a wonderful writer and a very kind person))


Ensign Ghant Xerix
Helm/Navigation Officer
USS Veritas
V239505GX0

“A writer is a world trapped in a person” Victor Hugo

~And~

Moderator Barue
As simmed by
Lt. Commander Jo Marshall
First Officer
USS Gorkon
G239304JM0