While Argent takes Nivran to meet Lt. Atek and Tony heads off to attend to his own affairs, Shione accompanies Nyle and Melissandra to the lounge for a light lunch. Nyle declines any food after the light brunch on the Runabout, but Melissandra says, "I noticed that one of your Bajoran crewmates has a replicator recipe for a very nice hasperat. Computer, two hasperat, please." The replicator's receiver plate glows and two hasperat appear. They are a wrap formed of a flatbread around a filling of highly spiced cream-style cheese and chopped peppers. She also orders three raktajino and passes one to Nyle as the three walk to their table.

"I notice that you and Nyle are at least on speaking terms. That's good. It will make this so much easier." She looks at Nyle. "See, it's just as I told you. Shione is a lovely woman and a competent officer." She suddenly looks slightly startled as she peers at Shione. "Is that a second full pip I see on your collar? You've been promoted? I thought you were resistant to promotions!" She looks bemused but pleased.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 1):

Shione observed the minimal contact between them subtly.
" Not any more Mom. I'm embracing a leadership role. And I'm being credited with facilitating a breakthrough here, so if I can get Cassy back to talking to me, my life and career will be great.

I think the two of you should meet her without me, but do NOT push her right now. Please remain low key, otherwise" and she turned to Nyle "You could lose your influence if she feels that I have "gotten to you".

Does that make sense?"

She reaches out and latches on to her mother's hand Are we gonna have some time together, you and I?"
Melissandra can see some deeply suppressed emotions in her daughter's eyes

Melissandra looks pleased. "I'm so pleased for you, dear, and I think it's admirable for you to try to help your half-sister through these difficulties. Don't you agree, Nyles?"

Nyles looks across at his wife. "Er, um... I suppose I should expect no less of a daughter of yours." He turns to Shione. "I'm gaining more respect for you with each passing development. Shall we start over from the beginning?" He holds out a hand. "Hello Shione. I'm your... er, uh, step-father, I guess is the term. I'm... pleased... to meet you," he says hesitatingly as he blushes deeply. <I wish I could have met your adoptive parents. Handicaps and social stigma aside, they did an excellent job raising a remarkable young lady.>

Shione's mother beams at both of them. It's apparent that they've been carrying on a private telepathic conversation parallel to the verbal one. Shione is intellectually aware that some Betazoid couples do this habitually, but having been raised by non-telepaths and living among other races for the other half of her life, it's the first time she's seen it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:35, Sat 25 Mar 2017.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 3):

Shione is startled st first but responds, taking his hand

<Thank you sir. I think you would like them. THey are well educated, motivated, and hard working people who just don't happen to be telepaths.
I'm flattered >

She blushed suddenly " You are not what I expected either sir. My feelings for you were far from flattering and it's nice to be able to put that... that well..hatred away for good."

<I blamed you for taking my mother from me and forcing us to sneak around, when all you were doing is treying to protect your own family, of which I wasn't a part>

In reply to Shione (msg # 4):

Nyle looks vaguely uncomfortable with the emotions of the moment and quickly changes the subject. "Well, now to work, as it were. How do we prevent cassiadora from self-destructing her career? She's always been a headstrong overachiever—fiercely proud and independent."

Melissandra chimes in, "I suspect, and Dr. Adonidas agrees, that she feels threatened by suddenly having an older sister and losing her position as an only child, or more precisely of being relegated to the second-favourite child. She's always needed to be the first and best in any endeavour—both her greatest strength and her greatest flaw. I'm afraid I must bear the greatest part of the blame for that."

Nyle looks at her, then says to Shione, "I'm afraid that honour may fall to me. I, too, felt threatened by things past and out of my control. But the time for self-recriminations is past, or at least may be postponed until we get this dealt with." His tone of voice betrays his profession as a hard-scrabble senior administrator.

Clearing away dishes and utensils, The three proceed to Cassy's quarters to confront her.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 5):

"Let's be clear, here.

Do you truly think it is the best idea for me to go with you right now, Sir?

I am concerned that seeing us together could be a negative with regards to solving this"

Nyle and Melissandra exchange a look. Melissandra replies, "Perhaps you're right, dear. We'll contact you by thought when we're—she's—ready." She and Nyle leave together, leaving Shione to her thoughts.

In reply to Relic GM (msg # 7):

Shione is going to look for Lt Atek. Having mind spoken with him in the past, Shione reaches out
<Lt Atek: This is Shione. Do you have time to meet with me Sir?>

Atek replies, <Yes, Shione, I can see you in five minutes in my Ready Room.>

When Shione arrives at Atek's Ready Room, he is just sitting down. He reaches over and taps the activation pad on his LCARS terminal. As it blinks to life, he says aloud, "So, Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

In reply to Lieutenant Teranin Atek (msg # 9):

"I just want  go over the upcoming visitation by the Enterprise with you.
Mom and Nyle Dul are meeting with Cassy now and I'm pleased to tell you that I seem to have won over her Father.
He was buying the Romulan story and now he realizes he was in error and will cooperate fully.

Just so you understand. He is the problem. Nyle DUl is a typical High Caste Betazoid who feels that all the rest of us are beneath notice. I'm the half Betazoid, bastard daughter, raised by Gammazoids, whose career is simply that of a "hopped up rating" who doesn't know her place.

At least that was what he felt last night.

I gave him the unclassified details of the investigation into my background and along with me apologizing for my temper, he will now help us.


What do you see happening over the coming days. How will that affect the mission here and what can I do to minimize that impact?"

Atek frowns. "The old caste system is completely obsolete, a relic of the past. It's no more relevant that Earth's Samurai or Untouchables. Even the nobility of the Betazed Noble Houses is purely ceremonial these days. The only real remnant is the unfortunate prejudice against the telepathically handicapped, and even that is on the wane. If I may remind you, your Counsellor Deanna Troi of the Fifth House is only empathic with non-Betazoids. She's held in very high regard among all levels of society. In fact, Nyle Dul is not a member of the Noble Houses but has risen to Senior Administrator on his own merits. Prejudice cuts both ways, Lieutenant, and don't mistake insults given in the heat of anger for core principles. That would be falling into the same trap in which Lt. Cassy Dul finds herself. The Humans on Earth have a holy book which says 'first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.' Good advice, in my opinion. At any rate, from what you say he seems to be trying to get past all that. Maybe you all need a quick session with Counsellor Troi before she treats Cassiadora, just to clear the air."

He stands up and begins to pace. "At any rate, the Enterprise doesn't arrive for another 68 hours, give or take. Perhaps you'd better take some personal time until then. I'll log that you're off duty for the next 72 hours. Spend it wisely and please refrain from provoking Lt. Dul. Maybe you could try getting to know Administrator Dul better."

In reply to Lieutenant Teranin Atek (msg # 11):

She was set back by the Lieutenant's word, and stood at attention before speaking

 "I meant no disrespect for the Noble houses of Betazed, Lieutenant. But you have not lived my life, sir. And with respect, I have my emotions under control.

I was raised by Gammazoids, and love them dearly,but my prejudice is only for those who cling to those outdated beliefs, which you and I know still exist today in the hearts and minds of some."

Atek can see that she is both calm and in control as she speaks, and she is permitting him to hear her public thoughts to reinforce that.

"Sir. I do not need time off. Our mission was not that strenuous and we've just spent some days aboard the Kitch, waiting to get back here and back out there on duty.

Nyle Dul and I are getting along fine now, and I will still have time to spend with my mother.
But Sir, I am a Starfleet officer with 22 years service and this setback is not going to make me unfit for duty. Sir!" she added as an afterthought.

Atek sighs. "Very well Lieutenant. If you insist, you may remain on duty. In fact, I have some materials I'd like you to familiarise yourself with. As you may be aware, there is a population of Klingons in the Sphere, survivors of a battle with the Romulans over a century ago, and who crash-landed in the Sphere in the command boom of their Klolode class D7 Battlecruiser. This ship was the IKS BortaS, the legendary Battlecruiser Vengeance of the Klingon holodramas. They've built up a large mediæval walled city around the surviving command boom, named vengbortaS, or BortaS City after the IKS BortaS. Since these Klingons are a throwback to the so-called fusion Kingons, the modified genotype engineered by Doctor Phlox of the NX-01 to cure the fatal mutations caused by the Klingons' attempt to adapt the Augment treatments to the Klingon genetic code. Unfortunately, the cure to the mutations created by the Klingons in the late 2260's is ineffective, and the Klingon High Council is debating how or, indeed, if they even should recreate a cure to  the Augment virus." Atek hands Shione a PADD.. "Study this material while waiting for Captain Picard to arrive with Dr. Sormok."

In reply to Lieutenant Teranin Atek (msg # 13):

Shione is excited by the challenge "Does this mean that my team and I will be part of this operation Lt?

I do hope so. I am trained in Klingon weapons after all and while my Klingon is a bit rusty, but a night or two of sleep learning should do for that"

Atek seems pleased with Shione's enthusiasm. "We'll have to see what develops, Lieutenant, but yes it looks that way for now. So far, until the Klingons make up their minds, we're only observing. And your universal translator will take care of the language." He smiles at that last.

He stands up and shows Shione to the door. "Dismissed," he says.

Alone a few moments later, Shione discovers a concise history of the BortaS and its presence in the Sphere. It appears that the ship had been on a raid deep in Romulan territory and had been pursued by a Romulan fleet as it headed for the Empire after having captured a relic of the Romulan exodus from Vulcan. M'Rel and the original runabout Thames had infiltrated the command boom of the BortaS shortly after its discovery and had discovered and retrieved the Vulcan artefact which turned out to be a pre-Surak psionic weapon on immense power. This artefact had since been turned over to the Vulcan Science Council for study, a project headed up, according to a comment in the briefing notes, by a certain Dr. Sormok. The files include a map of the city and a briefing on the societal structure.

http://www.coldnorth.com/owen/...cy/bortas/bortas.htm