MSNPC Luirétt - For Freedom, Liberty and Independence, No Sacrifice is Too Great

[LT Tamio K'Wara]

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

Luirétt did not know what they had anticipated, coming to meet Captain Munro in person. It wasn’t that they’d harbored any genuine expectations of being able to keep the reality of the situation hidden for long, but the conversation had progressed a far deal further than what they had anticipated.

They wished they’d had time to confer with Vahljeahn before making a decision such as this, but the safety of New Hope had to come first.

Luirétt: ::considers:: Yes... On behalf of the Boraxians aboard New Hope, I ask the Federation for asylum.

Munro: I have to clarify if you are in immediate danger, and are your people still pursuing you? 

Luirétt nodded, certainty in their heart. They had spent many years as a religious figurehead talking to Matriarchs and Patriarchs alike, and that experience - one of the few that they were allowed in the traditional system - informed them of one thing beyond all.

Luirétt: There is no doubt in my mind, Captain, that our people are still pursuing us. They wish us no harm, I am sure of it, but it is not within the Boraxian belief system to allow Yurum to come to harm. ::looks to Ensign Meris:: And, as your crew has pointed out, we are putting ourselves in harm’s way rather consistently.

Meris: ::pursed lips:: Sir, should your people detain you, what do you believe would happen? 

Luirétt didn’t answer for a brief moment, until Captain Munro spoke up.

Munro: Ensign. Relax a little. Let Luirétt speak. 

Then, Luirétt realized that Ensign Meris had addressed them by ‘Sir’, and found that uniquely perplexing.

Luirétt: The only danger I believe us to be in at the hands of our people is being robbed of this fledgling freedom we have managed to carve out for ourselves.

Meris: ::to Munro:: The loss of liberty does fall within the allowed criteria for an asylum claim.

Storm: And chains are not the only sign of slavery.

Luirétt startled slightly, as whatever technology was permitting the group to converse stuttered and staticked. The final word that Lieutenant Storm had vocalized had no equal in the Boraxian language, and as such, it wasn’t translated to Luirétt. Luirétt would have thought it was the technology having a momentary glip, if not for Captain Munro repeating the word soon after.

Munro: :: looks to Storm :: No one has mentioned slavery, Lieutenant. Yet. :: to Luirétt :: Will you allow me an indulgence? Ensign Meris is one of our newest officers and as you've seen is keen to show that they are familiar with the asylum process. Will you permit them to ask of you some questions?

Luirétt wondered if they should ask for a clarification, alert the group that they hadn’t heard what Lieutenant Storm was talking about, but realized that the conversation had moved ahead before they had the chance.

Luirétt: ... Of course, Captain.

Meris: Luirétt, do you believe that if your people intercept New Hope, you and your crew would be compelled to return against your will?

Storm: I think the weapons fire on their hull nearly answers that question. Unless they call that a welcome-home salute.

It was a tough question to answer, not because it was difficult, but because answering the question made it all the more real to Luirétt. It wasn’t until that moment that Luirétt realized that they - however faintly - had harbored some naive hope that the Boraxians would just let them go. That eventually, they’d have gone too far and the Matriarchy would just give up. Answering this question, however, made it very tangible to Luirétt how foolish of a hope that had been.

Luirétt: ... Yes, I do. They won’t purposefully cause us harm, but neither will they let us go.

Munro: Go on ensign. 

Meris: Can you confirm that every Yurum aboard New Hope has chosen freely to accompany you, and that no individual is being compelled against their will?

At this junction, Luirétt was grateful for the aliens’ habits to discuss amongst themselves, as it covered for Luirétt’s hesitancy in answering that question. It was the truth that all Yurum aboard New Hope had joined them of their free will, but not all had done so because they believed in the Sectarian Faction’s choice. Some of them wanted to return back to their society - they knew this - and yet had chosen to stay with their fellow Yurum to lend credibility to the Sectarians’ position.

It was a debt Luirétt would never be able to repay.

Storm: That would make them no better than the rest of Boraxian society. They already feel their complusion keenly, don’t you? Oppression doesn’t always use guards. Sometimes, it just overuses a habit.

Luirétt: No Boraxian aboard the Colony Ship was brought along against their will.

Meris: ::to Munro:: As you know, Captain, the Federation has six criteria by which they judge asylum claims. The Yurum appear to satisfy at least four of the five external criteria: the immediacy of the threat, the voluntary nature of the claim, the humanitarian grounds of the claim, and the capacity of the persecuted people for self-sustainability. They only fail on the risk-of-harm clause, as Luirétt has indicated the Boraxians would never allow the Yurum to come to physical harm. The final criterion is for you alone to judge.

Storm: We have two options before us. One seems to speak to the spirit of the Federation codes, one might appeal to the law of those same codes.

Captain Munro’s brief silence made it clear to Luirétt that the granting of asylum wasn’t an easy decision for a Starfleet Captain, and Luirétt felt a hard knot form in their stomach. What if - even after all of this - Captain Munro chose to not grant it? What if, after coming this far and trying so hard, all Luirétt had managed to accomplish was deliver their people into the hands of another person who didn’t consider the freedom of the Yurum a valid future?

The notion was almost too hard to bear.

Munro: :: sighs :: Luirétt. We have laws and codes that we live by. Similar to your own people… your reputation as mediators is well known. Your refusal to enter into conflicts is also admirable. 

Captain Munro wasn’t saying no yet, and yet there was something in her voice that spurred a sense of desperation within the old Yurum.

Luirétt: Thank you, Captain... You say that we satisfy four out of six of your requirements, but only fail to satisfy one. What is the sixth criteria?

Meris: As Captain, the final criterion that you must consider is whether granting asylum to the Yurum will escalate hostilities with the Boraxian government and place an undue impact upon Federation security.

It was as though that announcement made Luirétt’s mouth run dry, their hands go clammy. Would the Matriarchy go to war with the Federation because of them? In all of Luirétt’s wildest imagination, they had never even considered that a remote plausibility, and that fact made them wildly uncomfortable. Their hands started wringing, one by one, as they felt their touch with reality grow thin.

Would wars be started? Because of them? Was freedom, liberty and independence - true independence - truly worth that?

Storm: And we shouldn’t lose sight of an oppressed people that we could serve.

Munro: :: nods :: It is a lot for us to consider. 

Captain Munro walked around the desks towards Luirétt, who stood as well, not willing to be the impolite visitor.

Storm: We never did conclusively clear up - that it was Boraxian’s who fired on your ship. That might weigh in here as well.

oO If it was, does that mean war? If it wasn’t, does that mean war? Vahljeahn, have we put us on a trajectory that may mean death to our people? Oo

Munro: Luirétt, I will consider your request for asylum but will you allow me and my officers to gather more information? 

oO We were naive, Vahljeahn. We assumed that the Matriarchy would never hurt us, but we never stopped to consider whether others would them. Oo

Luirétt remembered all the kind Boraxians living on the city ship, the numerous acquaintances they’d made over the course of their service as the Yurum of the Spire. They recalled every Boraxian child they’d named, every Boraxian couple they’d officiated, every Boraxian that they’d healed and helped through a loss and tragedy...

Were they prepared to sacrifice their lives for a shot at freedom?

oO Vahljeahn: Please don’t forget why we did this… Oo

Luirétt steeled themself. They couldn’t falter now.

Luirétt: ... Yes. At this junction, there is no further need of duplicity or shielding the truth. You have my permission, and my request: please, lend my people your aid. I can’t have my legacy be giving them a brief taste of freedom, only to have it taken away from them so soon.

Storm/Meris: Response.

Captain Munro nodded and went to the side, tapping the peculiar icon on her chest.

Munro: =/\= Munro to Away Teams =/\=

(( OOC: Please refer to Lt.Cdr. Munro’s SIM for the tags for Silveira and Jovenan. Luirétt won’t be listening in. ))

Luirétt realized that Captain Munro was engaging in communications with her crewmembers, and realized with a flash of shame, that they should be doing the same. Vahljeahn, Guive, Dariell - they needed to know about the request for asylum, and what that meant.

They looked to Lieutenant Storm and Ensign Meris.

Luirétt: I... Is it possible for me to be put through to some of the deputies aboard New Hope? I’d like to assure them that cooperating with your investigation is in our best interest.

Storm/Meris: Response

Luirétt: I see... My Second - Vahljeahn - is currently being treated for injuries suffered after the Boraxians shot our vessel, but Guive, the Chief of Internal Communications, would be able to send my message through to the others.

Storm/Meris: Response

Captain Munro rejoined the conversation, seemingly with her orders given.

Storm/Meris: Response.

Munro: Luirétt, I have one more question for you? How long have you been the leader of the Yurum Sectarian Faction? 

Luirétt: Not long... The Yurum haven’t been what you’d consider ‘organized’ for more than a year, and there was no need for an actual leadership position until we decided to leave.

Storm/Munro/Meris: Response

Luirétt: Oh, no. There was no official choice made. I am just one of the oldest of the Yurum, and I - for what it was worth - had the ears of the Matriarchs. ::repenting sigh:: Not that I was able to use that in any way useful, other than to ensure we had a brief moment of confusion to make our escape.

Storm/Munro/Meris: Response

Tags/TBC

Luirétt

Sectarian Faction Leader

As simmed by

LT Tamio K’Wara

Operations Officer

USS Artemis-A
A240006GS1