JP - Ens. Rune Jolara & LtCmdr T'Lea: Total Backfire

[Rune Jolara]

((Outside Ready Room))

:: Getting booted out of the Captain’s ready room was always fun, especially now that she had an H&A HQ to set up. Topics had been discussed, and Della had been brought up-to-date on what had transpired in the Poseidon caves. Now there was just a matter of getting dressed for duty, something that should have been easy, but wasn’t. There was an ambush waiting for T’Lea outside…::

Jolara: Cmdr T'Lea may I have a moment? ::before she could say no:: Actually it's just one question.

:: The hybrid kept walking. She was headed to her quarters, which were located right off the bridge.::

T'Lea: Ask.

Jolara: ::moving in front of her and blurting out her question:: Were you ever hurt by a Counselor?

:: Stopped dead in her tracks by an AI-Leyan roadblock, T’Lea raised an amused Vulcan eyebrow. Gutsy move. Stupid question.::

T'Lea: Are you off your meds?

Jolara: No, sir. I'm serious. ::and she was very serious.::

T'Lea: I see. Then you’re just crazy. ::wagging her head:: Is there a point to this, Ensign?

Jolara: Because then I can understand.

T'Lea: You want to understand…

:: With a sigh she looked around the bridge. Their location was within listening range of almost everybody, and that simply was not acceptable. For a moment she caught Vetri’s eyes, and the Trill seemed to be saying, “behave”. Rolling her own eyes back to the Counselor, T’Lea gestured toward a door.::

T’Lea: Fine. Let us see if I can help you understand.

o0(Jolara) I think I already understand. 0o

Jolara: ::but she said:: Okay.

((CO’s Quarters))

:: Upon entering they were immediately greeted by T’Sara’s giant stuffed Sehlat, and Della’s general untidy nature.::

T’Lea: Make yourself comfortable, and try not injure yourself. oO Or *do* Oo. I need to get changed. I’ll be out in a minute.

Jolara: Thank you.

:: T’Lea disappeared into the bedroom and began prying her uniform out of their over-stuffed closet.::

:: Looking around, Rune wondered if the mess was another result of caring for a child or if T'Lea and the Captain were just this disorganized. She thought about sitting down but then decided it was probably safer if she simply stood. ::

T’Lea: So what exactly is it that you wish to understand, Counselor?

:: Pants, jacket, socks, and shoes were all meticulously laid out on the bed. The only thing missing was the science blue shirt. Where did Della hide those? She went on a hunt.::

:: This may have been a mistake but it was something Rune felt she needed to do. The thought had been bothering her and she needed to at least attempt to address it. ::

Jolara: ::drawing in a breath:: Have you experienced attitude readjustment therapy? ::The question was direct but there was no other way to ask.::

T'Lea: Excuse me?

Jolara: I am not suggesting you need it. I am asking if you have gone through it.

:: Leaving her search behind, T’Lea occupied the doorway, and narrowed her eyes at the Counselor. She studied the woman for a moment, trying to figure out what her game was. She concluded that, so far, both AI-Leyans she’d met were pretty straight forward creatures and a lot naïve about the rest of the galaxy’s social etiquettes.::

T'Lea: First of all, I have no frelling idea what you are talking about so you will have to elaborate. Secondly, have *you* been readjusted?

:: That was kind of childish, throwing the insult back in Jolara’s face like that, but it beat getting thrown out face first. Content with her own rudeness, T’Lea ducked back into the bedroom and decided that replicating a blue shirt would be much more efficient.::

:: Even though the question was not unexpected, it caused a momentary tightness inside Rune's chest. But it was a fair question. ::

Jolara: ::unconsciously placing her hand to the side of her neck:: Yes. When I was younger.

:: There was a pause, and the only sound heard was the whirring of the replicator producing the item requested. During that silence, T’Lea found herself frowning at Jolara’s answer, and thinking.::

:: A few moments later T’Lea was standing in the doorway again holding a blue shirt.::

T'Lea: What?

o0(Jolara) Is there something wrong with her hearing?0o

Jolara: I said, yes. ::dropping her hand:: I was when I was younger.

T’Lea: ::wagging her head to stop her:: No, I heard you clearly, I am simply trying to figure out if you’re making an attempt at humor.

Jolara: ::frowning:: There is nothing humorous about it, Commander.

:: Suddenly uncertain about the mental state of the person she was talking to, T’Lea took a cautious step forward into the living area.::

T’Lea: I see. May I ask, what a “readjustment” consists of?

Jolara: ::her jaw clenched:: I was in the Attitude Readjustment Centre for 4 months. It was to help me correct my dysfunctional thinking and emotions in order to get back in line with The Fallen Branch.

:: Attitude Readjustment Center. That did *not* sound good. Add the fact that Jolara was there for *four* months because of dysfunctional emotions and thoughts, and it sounded quite serious.::

T’Lea: Are you stable now, because… it would be counter-productive to have a psychotic in the mental health profession. Funny, but counter-productive. Does Starfleet know about this?

Jolara: It is not funny. I was not and am not psychotic. I had feelings that went against The Fallen Branch and that is not acceptable. ::The words came out harsher than she intended. She took a breath to calm down.:: At first I did not want to do it but my family and my mentor convinced me it was for the best. As far as Starfleet knowing, my mentor submitted all the official documentation and application.

:: Narrowing her eyes on Jolara again, T’Lea wagged her head at the woman, and pointed a finger off the shirt she was clutching in her hand.::

T’Lea: You were brainwashed.

:: A plain, ordinary sounding statement, spoken in a plain, ordinary tone, but it was very blunt and to the point. T’Lea turned and went back into the bedroom to get dressed.::

Jolara: ::almost too quickly:: I was not.

:: Stripping her shirt and pants off, the hybrid stood in front of the clothes laid out on her bed and smirked.::

T'Lea: Your Fallen Branch sounds like a cult following. I know a brainwashing when I hear one and you, dear Counselor, are a victim. Attitude and beliefs were “readjusted correct”? That’s the very definition of the word. Believe me, I know.

:: And she did. First hand.::

Jolara: Yes, but it was... ::She started to say it was necessary but her thought shifted rapidly.:: Just how do you know?

:: Tugging on her pants, T’Lea glanced back at the doorway, and grabbed her shirt.::

T’Lea: Dysfunctional emotions and thoughts that go against the norm are all too familiar to me. I was raised by a Vulcan and force-fed that kind of targdren all my life. My Uncle Zadok went to great lengths to “fix” me, to make me more acceptable in Vulcan society. ::slipping her shirt on:: So when people start throwing words around like “attitude readjustment”, or “enlightenment”, it raises a red flag in my mind. If your people changed you to fit their ideals, then that’s… I don’t know, maybe you’re okay with that, and that’s fine, but it sounds like they have very little tolerance for anyone that may deviate from their collective mind.

:: She worded it that way on purpose to make Jolara’s people sound like the Borg. She wanted to see if she could anger Jolara either for, or against her people. She wanted to see how deep that brainwashing went.::

:: Rune could feel heat rising up the back of her neck. Her jaw clenched and she crossed her arms. Once again, things were not going the way she had intended. T'Lea had turned things around and she was beginning to get frustrated and angry. She was used to being frustrated by these people but she was not used to getting angry. ::

Jolara: It is not a collective! We have free will.

:: Except she knew that in certain cases that was not entirely true and the change in the tone of her voice showed it. They had free will as long as it fell in line with the Fallen Branch. When it didn't then... but didn't every society function that way? There were rules to follow and if one didn't follow them something was done to bring them back in line. ::

::  By now T’Lea was pulling up her boots and smiling at the Counselor’s outburst.  She’d hit a nerve, and the dark part of T’Lea’s psyche was enjoying listening to the other woman lose control of herself.::

::  While it was always fun to get annoying people riled up, the fact that Jolara was on the defensive also told T’Lea that the AI-Leyan believed in the “readjustment” process, and her people’s use of it. It was apparent to the hybrid that there was nothing she could say to change the Counselor’s belief, and because of that T’Lea didn’t exactly feel like sharing her experience in brainwashing with her.::

:: All T’Lea could do now was keep pushing Jolara’s buttons and win round two with the Counselor.::

T'Lea:  Free will. Then tell me… what would have happened if you had refused the readjustment?

::  Grabbing her jacket she appeared in the doorway again to see if the Counselor dared to answer that question.::

:: Before Rune could answer T'Lea's comm badge sounded. Clenching her jaw, she wasn't sure if she was even more annoyed or relieved. ::

tr’Khellian: =/\= tr’Khellian to Lt Cmdr T’Lea…err ..Dickens=/\=

:: Unfolding her jacket she found the comm. badge and activated it.::

T’Lea: =/\=  T’Lea here. =/\=

Dickens? =/\=

tr’Khellian: =/\= We have a hit. A transmission just hit the ship similar to that which we ascribed to Hanson. We have the location and Blake is sending a team in to secure the area.=/\=

:: T’Lea shook her head at the comm. badge, wondering why he was contacting *her* about this.  I mean, sure she was curious, but… she wasn’t the FO anymore. Maybe he was paying her a professional courtesy.::

Dickens? =/\=

tr’Khellian: =/\= I also would like to put together a forensic team made up of the doctor and science to help with advanced scans. May I proceed?=/\=

:: Oh.  That’s why he was calling her, for science stuff.  But he still made a mistake.::

T’Lea: =/\= You’ll need Ensign Ben’thal’s permission for that, S’Lone. He’s the Chief, not me.  T’Lea out. =/\=

:: She quirked an eyebrow at the Counselor and then dawned her jacket, but didn’t bother to zip it up.::

T’Lea:  I have work to do.

:: She didn’t bother to ask if the conversation was finished, instead she simply gestured toward the exit.::

Jolara: Of course. For what it's worth, I am sorry for whatever happened to you. ::she started toward the door, stopping for only a moment:: I don't think it fully worked for me.

:: Rune knew she would probably regret saying that just as she was already regretting this entire meeting. She didn't give T'Lea a chance to say anything. She didn't want her to say anything. ::

...

Ensign Rune Jolara
Counselor
USS Avandar

&

Lt. Cmdr. T’Lea
H&A Specialist
USS Avandar