Suspicious Altruism
Posted on 29 Oct 2021 @ 10:51pm by Commander Calliope Zahn & Admiral Zavareh Sepandiyar & Captain Corvus DeHavilland & Lieutenant Commander Ethan Walker, MD, Ph.D
Mission:
M2 - Sanctuary
Location: Obsidian seed vault reception hall
Timeline: MD 08 ~1830
2881 words - 5.8 OF Standard Post Measure
Leaning lightly into her cane, Calliope followed one of the groups of pipers and dancers. The youths were so happy in their little bands. They were extravagantly colorful in their outfits and seemed very well cared for. Having entered with Councilman Jiran, they were probably all from his extensive household. Even if some were servants and not relations, they seemed like they probably spent their days more in play than toil. She hazarded to stand too close to one of the musicians though, and he recoiled from her with disgust, lowering his bone-flute with it's many swinging tassels, so that she could witness the full curl of his lip, reminding her she was all of the wrong things. A green-skinned female outsider— a devil's child. Not wanting to inadvertently cause any scenes, Calliope back pedaled.
She recognized that there were some Star Fleet officers in Kalaran plain robes but sporting their insignia. While the wealthier Kalarans seemed to avoid them, there were a number of Obsidian attendees— the workers she had seen enter from the back stairwells— who were most familiar with them. While most of the Federation guests mingled with other off-worlders, and most of the Obsidinaites with their kind as well, this particular sub set of each seemed to have the lest division between them.
Calliope moved carefully through the room to get a closer look. A number of the working class mothers had formed a supportive knot around their littlest ones, ostensibly to keep them out of mischief. It took Calliope a moment to realize that a couple of the women were off-worlders, their head scarves obscuring their features from the sides. They had taken on traditional clothing to live among the locals. Calliope was in one fashion repulsed by the state of affairs. They were Science officers, living in voluntary repression. But she realized her gut reaction illuminated more— They were incredibly humble and brave in a way she knew she could never be (at least not for as long as they had) before snapping. And hardly with the ease they were displaying, laughing and talking with the other women, playing with the children as if they themselves were aunts of the little ones.
Older children seemed to circle more freely. Calliope noticed them forming in little gangs, shadowing some of the highest ranking officials in the room. She wondered what made them so interested. Was it a type of hero worship or curiosity that made them circle each of the council members, key Religious figures, and the Starfleet brass in the room?
Calliope was pushed aside by a familiar form who was making a bee-line for the buffet table. It was an aged bald Trill woman with a temper. Even though she was in dress whites and not that crazy cape-and-hat getup, she was instantly recognizable from their meeting over a month ago. Behind her a train of children shadowed, just as they did with the others similarly ranked. "Admiral Indri?"
"You again. Starfleet hasn't sent you packing?"
Calliope was taken back. Had Indri heard of her forced leave? "Not entirely yet, ma'am. Maybe next time."
Indri smirked at the sass, but gave no other comment as she dipped into a bowl of shredded meat and vegetables. As soon as the spoon touched her lips, the children trailing her dispersed to follow other leaders in the room.
Calliope watched with fascination, the wheels in her head turning before it dawned on her what was happening. "Oh—" she turned to share her insight with the retired admiral, but Indri was already walking away from her.
"...kind of personality issue," Sepandiyar's voice floated over partially in whispered conversation with Captain DeHavilland as they walked towards where Calliope stood alone, completely ignorant of her standing there. "We need their support in this. My Chief Science Officer, Doctor Rabinow is diverting what resources we can, but we'll need full Federation support."
"I'm not sure what help I can be, Admiral. But..." Corvus sighed, adjusting the cuff of her uniform surreptitiously. "I'm close with the Chief of Science on Infinity Station. I'll give him a call and see if maybe he has an idea how we can get through this."
"I know Admiral Isfahani well. If your contact needs higher support, I'm sure he'll have i-," he replied, pausing at the interruption of another voice from behind Captain DeHavilland.
Standing respectfully aside from their conversation, Calliope looked for an opportunity to speak. She fought a great deal with her own ego to even bother standing beside the both of them. Her eyes traced the movement of the children around them, eagerly bouncing, but contained in learned restraint from actually engaging the adults they trailed. "Admiral, I'm sorry to interrupt," she began. "There's just a point of protocol I thought you might be glad to know."
Both Corvus and Zavareh had turned at the new voice to their conversation, the latter's face turning to a cold facade while the former tried not to do the same, though she failed in that task miserably.
"Of course. What would that be?" the Admiral asked.
Calliope felt the chill and was tempted to let them figure it out themselves, but for the sake of the little ones. "As I understand it, the Kalaran tradition is for the honored guests to eat first. I believe the children are waiting for each of the flag officers, honored guests, and council members to sample the food before they can share the meal."
Zavareh turned back to look at the tables and the children about and gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Similar to Earth military traditions. Following the ranking officer's example," he mused. "Very well. What is that one's name?"
"Jiran," Corvus supplied.
"Jiran. Very well," he said, smoothing the front of his uniform. Without another word, he marched over towards Jiran, out of earshot of the two of them, and gestured to the table before walking towards it with him.
Corvus let out a slow breath, "I hate these events," she whispered conspiratorially.
Calliope rocked her cane a little back and forth, contemplating pretending not to have heard the comment, but for some reason she couldn't let it pass un-remarked on. "Since when?" They'd attended enough official functions over the years together , and Calliope didn't remember Corvus hating them categorically. "Since you ranked up and they became your problem?"
DeHavilland gave a shallow nod, looking to the ground rather than to person next to her for a moment, then turned and walked away. As she did she spotted Commander Zayne looking wildly uncomfortable with a glass strangely purple wine in his hand and waved to him in greeting, leaving Calliope behind.
Seeing the opportunity, Doctor Walker stepped casually into the place Corvus had been occupying, offering a glass of purple wine with a smile. "Have a drink. Doctor's orders," he quipped playfully. Unlike the rest of the Starfleet personnel, Ethan had opted for the Chaplain's variety of the Starfleet uniform - solid black with a white tab collar showing his rank on one side and a cross on the other. He might not have been a part of the religious delegation invited to this event, but he felt he had to be here. If for nothing than to show his respect for the Kai, whom he'd worked with directly in the past during his time on Bajor.
"Thanks." Calliope took a sniff and a hearty swallow from the glass. She reviewed for a moment her own comment— played it back in her head. She hadn't purposed to put Corvus off. She just genuinely didn't remember Corvus hating parties. What she did remember now was how much Corvus didn't like being called out, and it seemed that's how she'd taken the comment, albeit not in the spirit Calliope had intended. She looked back up from the wine at Walker. "This is lovely. Kind of floral. You know some of the delegates?" she asked, pointing in the general direction of some of the religious folk she'd observed him milling around with while she'd been being ignored by Lance.
"I do. Maybe more than I'd really like to," Walker agreed. He'd hardly touched his wine, but took a polite sip just so he didn't look awkward standing there with it. "It's not bad," he added as an afterthought. "I haven't seen you recently. How are you doing?" he asked, "Recent... interactions aside," he said, glancing over to DeHavilland and Zayne talking quietly to one another.
Calliope frowned. "I started working with a yoga practitioner. It's slow going, but I guess I like feeling like I'm doing something. Better than sitting around in the basement ward. I've been making progress on some analysis work. It's not the same as being in the mix though. It's all the more frustrating because no one will read it unless I practically set myself on fire and scream. My reputation makes everything I'm working on get kicked aside, discounted, and I feel like I'm doing the station a disservice by trying. I'm not wanted here. If Lance wasn't installed here now, I'd ask for a transfer." She looked into her glass again. "And I'm sure Corvus would put it through."
Walker let the smallest of smiles curl the side of his lips, "Well. You're doing better than most. Trying to keep yourself busy is worth its weight in gold," he replied. "The worst thing you could be doing right now is sitting home, alone, wallowing in self-pity. Being on the go is important to your mental health," he clarified, taking another unimpressed sip of wine. "And I'm sure Lance enjoys having you around in person, not just on subspace. After so long together on separate duty assignments, I imagine it's a refreshing change of pace," he tried to smile.
"Yeah." Calliope looked back over her shoulder at the lanky shadow on the far wall. She'd barely seen him for a week. And these rare moments they were together, it seemed they might as well have been in distant star systems. Unable to read through his silence, she was scared everyday that they were slipping apart completely. "It's different."
Across the way from them, the Kai broke away the group she was speaking with and walked by DeHavilland only to recognize her and turn back around and engage her. "Given all that you might ask why you haven't already been transferred," he managed tightly as no sooner than the Kai turned around to speak to DeHavilland, she spotted Ethan and stared for a moment of disbelief before waving emphatically and drawing DeHavilland to join her as she came to say hello.
"Father Walker! How wonderful to see you again!!" Kai Toren declared brightly, greeting him like an old friend. "I believe you know Captain DeHavilland," Toren offered to the woman next to her.
"Of, yes, but I'm afraid we haven't met. Commander Walker, of the Ardeshir," he nodded.
"I know of you as well," Corvus replied.
"This is my friend, Commander Zahn," Ethan added, gesturing to Calliope.
Calliope felt relieved that Walker introduced her as a friend and not a patient. "It's very much an honor to meet you, Kai Toren." She said, genuinely. It wasn't everyday someone had the opportunity to be introduced to the Bajoran Faith leader.
"You have excellent taste in friends, young lady," Toren grinned, looking back to Walker. "I see you've done well for yourself since leaving Bajor. A Commander now. Congratulations. What is it you do now?"
"Chief Counselor aboard the Ardeshir."
"How wonderful!" she exclaimed, stepping up to engage Ethan a little closer in not much more than a whisper. Whether it was a secret conversation or not, Corvus couldn't tell but felt obliged to stand there and wait to be acknowledged like some sort of child waiting at her parents heels, feeling the awkwardness between her and Calliope like a third person in the space between them.
Calliope was coming to the bottom of her wine glass faster than she'd intended. She spoke low in Corvus' direction without turning to look at her. "I didn't know the Kai traveled this far out from Bajor, at least not very often. She must have found the cause pretty compelling."
"I'm not sure how altruistic her intent is," Corvus answered quietly, giving a friendly wave to a passing officer. Not that she mistrusted religious types in any sense; she just got the impression that there was something else at play here beyond the explanation she'd been given. Maybe she was being too cynical, but that's how she felt about it.
Her curiosity piqued, Calliope moved aside as if naturally breaking away a little with Corvus, their faces turned aside from Walker and the Kai. Pressing in she further dropped her voice beneath the murmur of the room. "What makes you say that? What kind of political points can be scored for her on Obsidian? Just making herself seem taller by standing next to the aftermath of a Federation tragedy?" Calliope's wheels were turning but she wasn't entirely convinced by her own reasoning.
"I'm not entirely sure what her motives are. What their motives are. But them being here doesn't make sense. It looks like posturing. Just for what end..." she trailed off pensively. Why else would three disparate religious leaders steam to the far side of Federation space in such a hurry for a backwater planet that had long been a Federation protectorate and never once seen either of them or their predecessors. "If I could find out who contacted them... and what they said..." she added.
Calliope attempted to fill in the missing parts of the story, having not been part of staff briefings or had any access to the command center. "They didn't arrange their visit with you?"
Corvus gave a friendly wave to Commander Magnolia as she walked by and waved, shoulder to shoulder with a gray-haired Commander that looked like he was enjoying himself far too much for an event like this. A red-haired woman clung to his arm eagerly as they walked as if this was her first time ever in a formal setting.
"They didn't arrange with anyone. Just called in a few favors and showed up," she whispered, glancing casually back to see the Kai laughing bright with Walker, her back to them now. "Not suspicious at all."
Calliope looked back out of the corner of her eye, tracking the Kai as well. "But you've spoken with them since they arrived? What motives did they claim?"
Corvus didn't reply immediately, just sipped her drink before finally speaking. "They claim they're here to stop the potential genocide of a sect of Kalaran's. But there's nothing in our intelligence that suggests this is true."
Calliope resisted her knee jerk reaction. A claim of genocide was more than a big deal. But the planetary ionization and mineral deposits in the geology prevented reliable scanning. Kalara's council shared some information but hardly was transparent with the Federation, or could even give an account of all the tribes even if it wanted to. Her second thought told her such things were not impossible. She'd been witness to some very horrible treatment of peoples along the border in her career and the experience sobered her gut reaction. She looked at the last of her wine with a soured expression. "We'll have to do our own verification. I assume Zayne is already putting together an investigation."
"It was taken over by the Diplomatic Corps," she shook her head quietly.
There was an eruption of joyous little voices, and Calliope traced a group of kids who rushed to the banquet table and formed a more or less orderly line where the older ones began dishing victuals to the younger. She smiled. They must have finally silently pressured the most disagreeable Council member to finally bite a crust of bread. Persistence. "I hear dry air is good for a lot of ailments. Maybe I want to spend a little time exploring the world."
"Mmm," Corvus replied impassively. She looked down into her nearly empty glass and swirled the remnants. "I hear the Marines are settled at Cerastes," she said conversationally now, gesturing to the other side of the space where the now Major Finn was sniffing a glass of the purple wine experimentally. Colonel Rutland politely declined one offered to him, watching for Finn's reaction.
"Are they." She commented, then bit her lip in thought. It might lend to her investigations if she could get a couple of marines for escort and arrange some of their armored transport as needed. "I see someone has a new rank on his collar."
"He's been assigned as Marine CO for the station," Corvus replied with a touch of frustration. She had hoped to put some distance between them - things weren't exactly... easy between them after Calliope's little episode in her office. "I suppose we should congratulate him," she added with resignation, glancing to Calliope and then walking that way.
Calliope put on her most neutral face. For a moment they'd seemed to set aside everything uncomfortable to actually communicate almost as if none of it had ever happened. Of course it couldn't last. She trailed after the Captain.
