LT Tamio K'Wara - The Ultimatum

[LT Tamio K'Wara]

(( Ancient Chamber - Piece of Ellet, Boraxian Cityship ))

K’Wara: It looks older than the city up above. ::looks to Advocate Chevrainne:: Certainly older than the Spire.

Cole: That’s putting it mildly, if we were on a planet I’d say ancient.

She wasn’t wrong, and Tamio nodded in agreement with her assessment. The thing was, everything about their trek from the spire and down to this place had been so eerily similar to dungeon-delving on a planet, that Tamio couldn’t say with absolute certainty they weren’t.

Stranger: The Matriarchy built their seat of power above this place, because they know what it symbolizes. The only remaining piece of Ellet, brought aboard when our Ship left our homeworld so many millenia ago.

A ‘remaining piece of Ellet’.

Chavrainne: ::with disgust, to the stranger:: You dare stand in this place, let alone speak in it? You desecrate it with every breath you take.

So the stranger wasn’t full of hot air, if the Advocate was so full of bluster about the sacrosanct nature of this room. The Boraxians had actually taken a piece of their lost homeworld with them on their journey across the stars? Tamio was smitten with the romance of the notion, but there was one - nay, two - pretty important questions here.

The first, why would this piece of their hallowed homeworld - otherwise only spoken of in prayer and ceremony - be kept secret from the general populace, to such a degree that even the Advocate was unsure it existed?

And two-

K’Wara: Okay... Presume we believe that. Why bring us here?

Munro: :: annoyed :: I'm done with the history lesson. I want some straight forward answers. Who are you? What is this place and why are we here?

Ava’s bluntness made Tamio hide a smirk. They bet she was fun doing mystery holonovels with.

Stranger: You are here to establish whether the Yurum deserve autonomy? Freedom from the Matriarchy’s rules and traditions? ::spreads arms:: Then you need a broader viewpoint. The Advocate ::mock respectful bow:: in all her boundless wisdom ::looks to Starfleet:: is as much a part of the Matriarchy’s wheel as the Yurum are.

A valid point. Ideally Tamio would’ve wanted someone with far less stakes in the situation to provide that ‘broader viewpoint’, but thus far, they’d only had access to the Advocate and the Yurum faction.

Munro: If you want to be taken seriously, holding a gun to my head is not the best way to start. I prefer to start with ‘hello, my name is’. 

Stranger: :: smiles widely :: Hello, my name is Andoren :: looks to Chavrainne :: Of the Olessia Bloodline, 3rd cousin to the Danara Matriarchal House and formerly a member of the Patriarchal Supreme for Academics :: pleasant :: is that better, Captain? 

Chavrainne: Better? Only if your goal was to make a fool of yourself in less than three sentences. ::beat:: If that was your goal, congratulations… you’ve overachieved.

Tamio looked to the Advocate with a patient expression, evaluating her behaviour. Andoren and his fellows had no doubt touched a very carefully guarded nerve within the Advocate, having managed to rile her up in such a manner as Tamio would’ve thought impossible but five minutes ago. It was likely in part due to the hostage taking - they didn’t suspect the Advocate to be used to that kind of thing - but there was also something deeper at work here.

Munro: Academics? :: looks around :: Are you students?! 

Andoren: :: proudly :: Educators and students, trying to bring the truth to you. You want me to speak plainly, so I shall. Advocate Chavrainne and the ones she serves represent the past. I, and my Boraxian brothers and sisters, represent the future. :: passionate :: This Cityship is a prison, a carefully constructed cage that keeps us asleep. Our true nature has been denied. 

Chavrainne: ::glacial:: If this is your ‘true nature,’ it reeks of arrogance, delusion… and treason.

Natasha rubbed the bridge of her nose, and Tamio reached out to place a hand on her shoulder with an encouraging nod. Talking with politicians tended to have that effect, and whatever else Advocate Chevrainne and Andoren claimed to be, that was most definitely what they were: Politicians.

And on opposite sides of a very clearly defined line.

This mission just got a lot messier.

Munro: True nature? 

Andoren: I need to show you to answer that. 

At that point, Andoren turned towards Tamio, a smile and a wink aimed in their direction, and Tamio crossed their arms, amused at the show of coy conviviality. It wasn’t unwelcome by any means - anything was a vast improvement over being held at gunpoint - but it was surprising.

Andoren: They get it :: flamboyantly raises his arms :: Follow me!

oO Oh, do I? Oo

That was news to Tamio.

Andoren led them down the hall and into an adjacent corridor, at which point the metallic shell surrounding them started to encroach into the earthly remains of the world long gone, with piping running through the rock, transferring liquids of some kind through this piece of the Boraxians ancient home.

Munro: :: whispered to K'Wara and Cole :: What do you both think?

K’Wara: ::whispered:: Difficulty to say. I think he’s genuine in his beliefs, but that doesn’t tell us much about the moral defensibility of those.

Chavrainne: ::flatly:: If you ever wondered, Captain, why ours is a matriarchal society…

The Advocate gestured ahead at Andoren’s back.

Chavrainne: …may I present exhibit ‘A’.

Tamio bet that claimed superiority was part of what had led Andoren and his fellows down whatever path they were on. Whatever else could be said about the Yurum’s opinions of their people, Tamio knew one thing for certain now: the Boraxians were a far less united people than Vahljeahn and Luirétt had been led to believe.

Cole: I think our current surroundings illustrate the predicament we are in.

K'Wara: I’m willing to bet the Artemis’ entire xenology department are going to be nauseous with envy.

Munro: Let's not spend any more time than necessary down here :: nods towards Andoren :: I don't care what he wants to show us. Our priority should be to contact the ship or Jovenan's team.

Ava looked over her shoulder towards the guards behind them, who seemed far less nervous now that they had rejoined Andoren and the others.

Munro: They aren't trained :: to Cole :: Be ready.

As Andoren and his fellows led them further and further into the basement of the city through weaving hallways, but never leaving the rocky confines of the Piece of Ellet, Advocate Chevrainne vocalized her warnings.

Chavrainne: ::quietly:: Captain Munro, Lieutenant K’Wara, Ensign Cole… I do not tell you not to listen to this man. ::pursing her lips:: However, I do caution you – as someone who has spent a lifetime decoding performance – to remember the difference between apparent transparency and objective truth.

K’Wara: Ah, but there’s the thing, Advocate: there’s no such thing as an ‘objective truth’, Advocate. That being said, he’s definitely got a goal of some kind that he wants us to help with.

The look in Tamio’s dark felinoid eyes clearly translated that that was a very troubling notion to them.

Cole: ::to Munro:: Captain I am going to be honest. I do not like this. We have been cut off from the rest of our team, during some kind of an assault or attack.

Munro: I think all of this is a carefully constructed showpiece, Ensign. We're nothing but set dressing to any of them :: pointed towards Chavrainne :: These are your people, Chavrainne. They felt the only option was to storm your spire and take us hostage - The Yurum had to flee, even though it meant they could die. Don't you take any responsibility for any of that? Don't you even care what they might show us?

It was hardly ideal, of course. Tamio had met precious few Starfleet officers who didn’t nurse a good heart of spite, and there was something uniquely distasteful about willingly listening to someone who opted for abduction to get to say their piece, but unfortunately, Starfleet officers also had to learn the very unwelcome lesson of dulling their desire for spite.

Chavrainne: There is an art to offering the appearance of revelation while still guarding the heart of the matter. The Matriarchy does not forget that ‘truth’ can be weaponized – just as silence can be sacred. I urge you all to weigh that with care.

Cole: ::to Chaveinne:: Advocate, I understand what you mean. I’ve lived parts of my life where silence felt safer than truth. But I also learned that silence can protect the powerful more than the vulnerable. If we’re to weigh truth and silence, then maybe part of our duty is deciding who’s being shielded by which.

K'Wara: In my experience, silence defends the status quo, whatever that is. But our duty right now is as mediators between the Yurum and the Matriarchy. ::looks at Andoren’s back:: This? I suspect this is another issue entirely. ::looks to Ava:: And not one within our periphery.

That being said, Ava didn’t seem much inclined to help Andoren with whatever his big plan was anyway. Tamio was slightly interested in seeing how that negotiation might turn out.

Cole: Let me know when I have permission to… unpack, Captain?

For the briefest of moments, Tamio imagined what an exploding phaser might do to this priceless piece of xenology history that they were walking through, and knew that - for their science department’s continued occupational satisfaction - they’d better not let Natasha test that.

Munro: “Silence is sacred”. Usually spoken by those who have the worst to hide. I have no doubt you believe you are the most intelligent woman on this Cityship, even Luirétt said so. You speak in words that barely mean anything, all ceremony and ritual and tradition. I think you're the biggest fool I've ever met. This silence you adore so much, has put myself, my crew, you and the Yurum in danger.

Cole/Chavrainne: Responses

Tamio tried their hardest to hide the shocked chuckle that fought through their chest at Ava’s cutting words, instead focusing ahead. It wasn’t difficult as the corridor around them was shifting, no longer the roughly hewn rock of the old planetoid piece, but instead old metal, so old that Tamio was certain these walls were the first constructed when the Boraxians decided that galactic wanderers were the only viable course for their species.

(( The Undercity - Basement Levels, Boraxian Cityship ))

Along their route, several hatches were opened by Andoren and his fellows as they arrived at an underground plaza. They weren’t out in the City - there were no glittering, golden towers here, no fountains of light or walls of gold - only Boraxians in simple clothing walking between metal doors. And yet, Tamio noted, they too were different from the brethren Tamio had seen thus far. Even when injured in the cargo bay, the Yurum had had a sort of elegance to them, an innocence and belief that the universe was good and just.

These Boraxians, however, carried themselves with fear and resignation. For them, the universe was cruel and cold.

Munro: Is this what you wanted to show us, Andoren?

Andoren: In part. This is what becomes of those without a place :: points upwards :: up above.

Usually, exile from society meant someone had committed a crime so grave that they couldn’t be trusted to be part of that society anymore. Yet no Boraxian Tamio could see fit what they’d consider the ‘criminal’ mold.

K’Wara: Social exile... ::shakes head::

oO Barbaric Oo

Cole/Chavrainne: Responses

Munro: Let my officers contact my ship. I promise once we are safe we'll make sure everyone has a seat at the table.

Andoren’s face, jovial and eager, took on a decidedly cool edge now.

Andoren: Oh … that's cute. You think I want a seat at the table. I don't want to sit down, Captain. I'm only getting started, my people are working right now :: sing song :: Up above, over there and everywhere.

K’Wara: So if you don’t want our help as mediators, why show us this at all?

Andoren: You’re here to establish whether the Yurum ‘deserve’ asylum. But you have no clue what they do, do you? ::points at Chevrainne:: They’re tools. Soothing our pain and worries away into nothingness, so we wouldn’t know to fight back. No more. Our anger and protests aren’t illnesses for you to cure away using your precious ‘holy vessels’. They’re ours, and we’ll use them to take your spire apart, plate by plate if we must.

Tamio recalled the Yurum in the Cargo Bay. Yes, they had been hurt, scared and dejected, but never had any of them shown anger. Never had any of them blamed the Boraxians for their situation. Luirétt and Vahljeahn had shown the greater emotional range of any of the Yurum, and even they had never vocalized true anger, despite claiming to have been mistreated.

Munro/Cole/Chavrainne: Responses

The Yurum were sheltered and protected, because they were intended to function as the conscience for an entire species. And the only way to ensure the Yurum could do that, was to ensure the Yurum didn’t have cause to rebel.

And when the Yurum did so anyway, the Boraxians panicked. For if the Yurum weren’t here, how long until the peace enforced by them would break?

K’Wara: You realize what that means, Andoren? You’re removing inhibitors from people who haven’t been allowed to feel anger and rage for generations. It’ll tear them apart!

Andoren looked down for a moment, his face burdened. He knew, that much was clear. But when he looked up again, whatever guilt or second thoughts he might have within had been pushed aside. Nothing remained but purpose.

Andoren: I have no interest in having Starfleet interfere with this, Captain Munro. And I don’t want you and your crew to come to harm. Vow to take the Yurum away from here, all of them, and we’ll return you to the surface. ::flippant smile:: Or stay down here until we’re done.

Munro/Cole/Chavrainne: Responses

TAG/TBC

LT Tamio K’Wara

Operations Officer

USS Artemis-A
A240006GS1