Ensign Tho’Bi - Harsh Realities

[Tobi]

((Ready Room - Deck 1 - USS Artemis-A)) 

The Andorian had made his case.

Munro: How dare you. 

Correction; the Andorian had failed to make his case, but in all things, he was an engineer; malfunctions needed fixing, errors needed correcting; regardless of the common sense, or lack thereof, of it.

Tho'Bi: I did not dare …I requested permission to speak freely. 

Munro: That wasn't a question. You've had your chance to speak and with some hubris I might add. Now I want you to listen and if you need to take notes.

oO Hubris? Oo

The young Andorian knew the word, but like a good many human words, having seldom heard its use in context, he was unsure of its exact import. Later, he would read, ‘hubris’ in its origin, referred to pride or arrogance in defiance of the Gods.

PADD, flat grey; grabbed and thrusted at him. 

Munro: Please do because this is the last time you'll hear this. This is your last chance, Tho'Bi, I'm making that perfectly clear to you right now. You better listen carefully. You may not have used Starfleet technology. Let me ask you a question before I start: Did you not spend 4 years being trained at Starfleet Academy?

In truth, he had already been a capable Engineer at the time of joining the Academy; but it was clear, the conversation part of the dressing down had ended, if indeed it ever started in the first place; and so, the young Ensign duly rendered his responses as prescribed; as he was frog-marched towards the culmination of the dressing down.  

Tho'Bi: I did.

Munro: While you were there you were taught by the brightest minds available to the United Federation of Planets, and by extension the galaxy. The sole purpose of that education was to shape and mould you. You could say - and note this down, it's important - that they crafted you into a Starfleet officer. Part of a larger whole :: serious :: When you put on that uniform you represent every single one of us, from Andoria to Tellar to the remote outposts of the Alpha Isles. When you step on this ship, you are just as a part of it as the bulk heads and the decking you walk on.  

To emphasise her point she stood straight up and directly in front of Tho'Bi and stomped her right foot against the decking. She remained locked in front of him. 

The young Ensign's gaze fell to the place of impact… only for a moment …and then returned, straight ahead; of course, the bulkhead had not been dented, but the Engineer in him had felt compelled to check.

The Acting-Captain had stopped talking, as though expecting a response; the young Ensign scrambled through his recollection of the latest installment of diatribe; a mad dash in search of a clue as to what he was required to say next…

oO brightest minds… extension the galaxy… shape and mold… larger whole… every single… remote outposts… you walk on… Oo 

…defeated, he uttered a best guess shot in the dark.

Tho'Bi: …yes.

The young Ensign held his breath. Particles shifted; regimented by environmental controls. …it worked; response delivered as prescribed, the dressing down moved into a new, more embittered phase. 

Munro: The Boraxians were going to take care of their own, that was something I was very clear on. They are a wonderfully resilient, deeply cultured species and they had the tools to make it. They had agreed to provide the New Hope with the tools they required for survival and passage into Federation space, and accomodation, was granted while the asylum process was being considered - no one was leaving anyone to die, which was your implication. They were going to work together Tho'Bi for lasting peace. You put that in jeopardy on some misguided hero complex. The insinuation that myself and the rest of this crew failed our moral duty…

Tho'Bi's mother had spoilt her son, of that he had no doubt; months of separation due to his hospitalisation and enforced isolation, had prohibited so much of the early years of bonding; and so, his mother over compensated; of that, she made no secret or apology; and, notwithstanding his all too often absent father, it was left to teacher and instructor to instill a sense of discipline in the young Andorian boy.

For the most part his mother would leave them to it, perhaps recognising her own shortcomings in this regard; but on the occasions when his mother felt they had gone too far, her interventions arrived swiftly and with furious clarity; for while she recognised her own shortcomings, she would not be complicit to the railroading or misrepresentating of her son's actions and, more importantly, motivations; she would not have her son's sense of self tainted by those who, in her eyes, lacked the fortitude to deliver discipline dispassionately.

And so the young Ensign had grown up with a clear sense of self; he knew his motivations, for they were his own; his intention had only been to help, clumsy in execution as relates to chain of command, but nevertheless, to help, to fix things.

Acting-Captain Munro shook her head and let slip an incredulous chuckle; she broke focus, only to step closer. 

Munro: That's just disappointing more than anything else. I had a weapon pointed at my head, Tho'Bi. I could feel the metal on my skin. Your crew mates ran into a blaze, they didn't know what they were going into or what was going to happen but they still did it. For you to question our morals, especially when it's so far off base it may as well be on Vulcan, is only a showcase of your lack of judgment. 

Even the autocue responses of the divine diatribe were no longer required, as the dressing down reached its final stage; the young Ensign was left bemused as to what any of this had to do with anything he had done, but the Acting-Captain was clearly intent on sticking the acting-boot in; and so he went through the silenced motions of compliance, as junior officers must, as the tirade of abuse rained down upon him; for it was not only his judgement that was put into question, but his sense of honor, loyalty, respect, and fundamental decency. 

A second PADD arrived.

Munro: You are to report to Lt. K'Wara for a series of retrains. They will be acting both on behalf of Artemis operations and in their authority as a Starfleet Academy instructor :: sighs in disappointment :: Ensign Tho'Bi, I wish you could see the potential I see in you. It's there but you just need to step out of your own way. Life doesn't need to be this hard, it doesn't. We are not your enemy. You're dismissed. 

And with that, a hand was waved, and he was dismissed, like a house servant of old; his value served up to him upon PADD platter, and found to be most wanting, by a self-described benevolent God, with only his best interests residing within their immortal heart.

With deadened eyes, and weary head, the Ensign trudged out of the ready room; his mind already many lightyears away and stardates ago… 

((Cramped Adapted Ensign Quarters - Deep Space Three : Stardate 238908.12))

Blue fingers struggled with the tiny coupling; little running lights spasmed on and off. Hunched over a construction of warp nacelle, saucer section, and hull; dressed in grey overalls, the boy was huddled up in a walk-in storage unit, set like a child's bedroom. His antennae flexed as the front door of the main room clunked open and clunked close again; footsteps, moving at that ever-self-assured-pace, approached; the black and gold of Operations sat down next to the boy, and nudged against him.

El'Ley: Is she ready to leave Spacedock?

The little boy remained focused on connecting the tiny coupling and did not look up.

El'Ley: Your father has left. I think he was disappointed you were not there to say goodbye.

His mother's voice was matter-of-fact, but kindly in tone. The coupling connected and the running lights of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 REFIT snapped into life.

El'Ley: N’fel thalen’lex, ka velshan flaren’hlasar. ::nudges the boy:: 

Fingers stopped their tinkering.

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: Erm… You can not see ice… erm… when it's summer.

His fingers’ attempt to begin tinkering again were derailed by a playful series of nudges from the gold of his mother's shoulder.

El'Ley: Can you hear that, Tho’Bi? It's the sound of every Andorian poet in history cutting their own throat. Try again.

The USS Enterprise NCC-1701 REFIT came to a sudden clattering landing upon the deck.

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: ::deep breath:: You can not see …the winter ice when …you're …standing in the summer sunlight.

With each correct word, his mother nodded in approval. 

El'Ley: ::quietly:: It is important that you honour your father's wishes ::beat:: that you no longer see Zee. But…

Dark blue eyes looked up at his mother. Her own eyes, dark blue like his, but sharper, more exacting. 

El'Ley: N’fel thalen’lex, ka velshan flaren’hlasar. 

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: But…. ::eyes light up:: only when father is here. 

El'Ley: ::waves her finger:: I didn't say that.

The boy leapt to his feet and was already moving toward the door.

El'Ley: Tho'Bi…

The boy stopped and turned on his heel.

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: Oh! ::returns to hug his mother:: 

Taking her son by the shoulder, to steady and focus him.

El'Ley: Tho'Bi… there are two paths laid out for you in your life. The first is service, discipline, and Starfleet. The second is life on your own terms, out there ::nods towards the small porthole and beyond Federation Space:: with Zee.

The boy's wide smile turned to a perplexed frown.

El'Ley: ::gently:: I know… I know you imagine one day you and Zee will go to the Academy 

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: ::small voice:: We might…

El'Ley: Tho'Bi… Zee is not going to go to the Academy ::beat:: It is not what he wants ::beat:: it is not who he is.  

The boy shifted without purpose. 

El'Ley: Zee is already exactly where he wants to be. He has made his choice. And you will have to make yours.

The boy became quietly certain. 

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: I want to fix things.

El'Ley: There are a lot of places you can do that ...you can choose Starfleet like your father ::beat:: or you can choose your own terms, ::nods towards porthole:: like Zee.

The boy stood up with purpose.

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: I want to see Zee.

El'Ley: I spoil you ::shakes head:: it will not always be good for you.

The boy said nothing, only stood and looked confused.

El'Ley: Go! Lex n’thas hlashren!

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: The ice …is not …hot. 

El'Ley: The poets are all dead ::beat:: The ice will not get any warmer. …now, go!

And he was on his way, but stopped and turned in the doorway.

Ten Year Old Tho'Bi: Lara… which one did you choose?

The boy's mother smiled.

El'Ley: I chose you, my boy. I chose you.

It wasn't until the door clunked shut that the smile faded from his mother's face.

El'Ley: ::to herself:: N’fel thalen’lex, ka velshan flaren’hlasar. …You can not see the winter ice, when you're standing in the summer sunlight. …because hope blinds you to the harsh realities of your own decisions. 

She picked up the scale model of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 REFIT, turning it over in the work-worn blue of her hands, allowing herself a moment of pride in her son's diligent work.

El'Ley: Oh my boy… what a world we brought you into.

TAG/End of Scene for Tho’Bi (and his mother)

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11