Ehths: Sides
James
(( Sickbay, Deck 9, Butler ))
Ehths was in sickbay and having weighed things heavily in his mind he had taken a calculated risk. The battered vessel in which he’d been found had a tracker on it. His master knew where the Butler was. Ehths did not know how long he had been unconscious and whether he was supposed to have completed the task entrusted to him.
Ehths: I would give you what I know - names, numbers, the shapes of the ships that follow him. But give me a reason. A pledge. Else I am nothing more than carrion dressed in words, waiting for you to pick the bones.
And yet, something in the cadence of his words lingered oddly, like a prayer spoken too many times, worn smooth with repetition. It might have been nothing more than the echo of long suffering, the ritual plea of a Zet who had bartered for his life too often. Or it might have been something else entirely, lost beneath the weight of exhaustion.
Forsyth: (a glance at Lia) We always tried to show empathy, even to our enemies.
Fergus: What about the possibility of political asylum?
Rouiancet: Yes, that's true, and Lieutenant Forsyth is correct, even if you aren't our enemy, Ehths. We can, as Doctor Fergus suggests, grant you asylum. You would be protected here, including from reprisals from your own people, and you would be able to choose if you wanted to return to them. But you would not be a prisoner here, and could go freely whenever you chose.
Yes, this was what he wanted. If Toal’Dius had his way he would be attacking the Butler with the forces he had gathered. It would not mattered who died in the process. Ehths had given everything to Toal’Dius and for what? He did not feel like dying. He did not trust Starfleet but at least he could say that they had not harmed him. In fact, rather than torturing him, they had saved him. He was still bruised underneath his carapass and feeling tender and rough, but he felt a whole lot better than before. That was why he had taken a small leap of faith.
Forsyth: He would have to be kept at DS14. I don’t think it would be wise to keep him on the Butler.
Rouiancet: That might well be preferable.
If he was to be kept at DS14, well that would make him a prisoner. Were they revealing their real truth now? Prisoner on DS14, or free to go where he wanted?
Ehths: State your intentions clearly.
Fergus: In that case, might I suggest we defer any further questions while our patient recuperates? We can check in on him later. (to Ehths) If you’re amicable to us doing so.
Forsyth: May I suggest keeping some security here to watch him, just as a precaution?
It seemed they had yet to decide his fate. Were the roles reversed and Toal’Dius stood where the captain now stood, there would have been no deliberations. No recuperations. It would be straight to the interrogation room to extract as much intel as possible. If the prisoner still survived the questioning they were either put to death on the spot, put into gladiatorial pit fights for entertainment, or used as slaves. That was a new development though and he was uncomfortable with it. He suspected he wasn’t the only Zet who felt that way but since anyone who voiced their concerns met the same fate, inevitably no one spoke up.
Rouiancet: The security is for your protection as well, Ehths, whether or not you choose to seek asylum.
Ehths: More information is needed. ::He expected they would want something valuable from him:: I have more information to trade.
The group left it at that for now. He slowly lay himself back down and tried to find a comfortable position. He had a lot to think about. These Starfleeters were different to what he’d been told they were. What to make of them? What should he do? Should he stay true to Toal’Dius? Was that even possible with the admission he’d just made? He wondered what these ‘quarters’ might be like. Was this a term for a prison cell?
Ehths
Lt.JG Vala Morton
USS Octavia E Butler NCC-82850
O240205VM3