Judgement – ......That is the Question.
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
OLD:
As the Captain, Tasha felt she should be doing something constructive, but no matter what happened in the thirty minutes or so, would remain with Chelsea for the rest of her life and Tasha did not want to be seen as the wicked witch who put logic before emotion. It was far easier to hold her hand and offer attention without saying a word, not yet.
"No, you don't understand..." Chelsea tried to say, looking desperately up at Rh'vaurek and then across at Isha, her eyes begging them to believe her.
NEW:
"I understand perfectly," Isha told her taking her hand. "Rh'vaurek, you may use the console in my suite. You'll find that your own office has been the object of a practical joke and somewhat difficult to use right now."
Rh'vaurek's brow wrinkled at that, but he nodded. "That one will do," he said, indicating a local one with a slight tilt of his head, "if someone would be so kind as to allow me access that is," he added.
"As you wish," Isha said as she turned back to Chelsea and sucked in a breath, "Now, come and sit down."
Separated from the reassurance of Rh'vaurek's arm, Chelsea accepted Isha's.
"He's in trouble Isha.... he must be." Chelsea murmured, allowing herself to be gently put onto a chair briefly before standing back up in agitation.
Isha took Chelsea's hands and sat her down again. She kept a hold and knelt in front of her friend. "We'll find out what has happened," she told her, "there is no-one who Rh'vaurek cannot locate. Stay here, and stay calm."
Tasha knew that he needed her access codes and she paused, briefly, her eyes darted from Chelsea, to Isha, before settling on Rh'Vaureks.
She did not want to, but better this was sorted now, rather than later but there were going to be safeguards in place, or rather, limited access.
Now Tasha felt the time was right to say something and she nodded at Isha and in reciprocation, slipped down onto bended knee, resting her hand over the Doctors in reassurance.
She looked up into the tear and fear filled eyes. Her face wrought with a mixture of fear and confusion.
"We'll sort this. We'll find him." Her hand patted at Chelseas as the Captain rose and dashed to the console, edging the Romulan aside and entered her access code to screen and then stood aside, allowing Rh'Vaurek access to the stations key systems. She glanced over her shoulder, to the distressed figure sat in the chair being comforted by Isha and further back, the gathering had started to talk and they had a sense that all was not well.
As he stepped forward, Tasha leant inwards. "I am trusting you to do the right thing," and with hardly a breath, she changed her command tone. "Computer, raise a level 2 audio shield around this console." She nodded at the marine who she had not yet had the chance to talk to, but knew he had significance and left the two males to sort out Dunhams mess as she moved back to rejoin Isha and the Bride
-----
The Marine in his dress blues joined Rh'vaurek at the closest computer terminal, he entered in his security clearance, though he suspected the Romulan already knew how to get onto the starfleet secure database. He read out the information coming up on the screen "says here all fighters are accounted for and......ahhhhhh" he said in comprehension "the chelsea requested docking clearance at 01.32 and left local space at 01.47..." His enthusiasm for discovering what had been occurring, waned as the consequence of what it could mean occurred to him.
As he folded his arms Rh'vaurek leaned his shoulder against the pillar, "Her side or his?" he asked the man. He had already made his conclusions about events and when he turned up it was Dunham who was going to be the first to hear about them, but Isha wanted him to go through the motions of finding out what had happened, so he would.
"I'm married to his sister." Grumbled the Marine as he continued to to press buttons on the touch screen interface. He looked in puzzlement then mumbled "she should be doing this now, always one for figuring things out my wife...." he trailed off as he read the information scrolling up the monitor "according to this, the Chelsea never returned to port...."
"So its a family trait, being absent when your presence would be useful," Rh'vaurek remarked sourly. "Why in the Element's name would the kriheis'ei take out a ship when what he's supposed to be doing is steadying his nerves with an ealry morning drink and and crawling his way into a suit."
"Because I wasn't here to keep an eye on him," grumbled the burly marine rather guiltily. "I'm best man it was my job..but we got called away...we all did." He waved his hand in the general direction of the Dunham family who sat in their allocated seats at the front of the aisle. "Duty and family.....sometimes its difficult to tell which holds prevalence with the other with that lot ." Said Paul looking the direction of his wife and the rest of the Dunhams and having an almost wistful look on his face.
"Duty didn't stop me from being here to perform my obligation to my family," Rh'vaurek told him, darkly. On this point his anger was with himself, not with the marine, Rh'vaurek had failed in his duty to Isha because he rated his duty to the Empire higher, and they were both going to have to live through the consequences of that. He shifted his focus to an area in which he had not failed, "I came from the other side of the Empire to be here for my sister. I can't say I want her to be part of a family who don't understand what either of those terms really mean."
The Marine's fists clenched, his knuckles going white, all he wanted to do was smack the Romulan down, and if they had been in lesser company he well may have given it a shot. Instead, knowing his daughter and wife were in the audience and that this was a very formal occasion, the first he had been to since getting out of the Breen detention camp, he instead said "are you going to help at all or are you just going to be cynical for the rest of the morning?"
"I'll be cynical for the rest of my life," Rh'vaurek said. He'd found the man's buttons with unexpected ease. "Call up the flight path and last known location, and extrapolate possible routes from the trajectory," he said, "oh, and section that screen, I want to access a different database in parallel."
The marine sergeant's training kicked in to the tone of authority and natural command in the Romulans voice. He called up the flight path of the Chelsea and its last known location, he then typed nimbly on the touch screen to extrapolate routes from said trajectory, he then finally sectioned of a part of the screen for the Romulan to use. "According to this The last known location of the Chelsea was 1 light year from Deep Space Five navigation buoy, at his last speed an heading, and taking into account local stellar phenomena and the fact that no patrols have bumped into him, he could be heading on these four known trajectories."
As he leaned in Rh'vaurek splayed one palm on the top of the console, with his left hand he input a code then waited, his gaze looking over the alternate paths the marine had calculated. A strange tone came from the panel, as if someone had amplified glass being shattered under water. Rh'vaurek turned his attention to his section of the screen whilst Isha, who had heard it too turned her head towards Rh'vaurek.
"You ever hear that noise again, walk away," he said to the marine without offering any elaboration.
For several very long minutes Rh'vaurek drummed his fingers against the screen, then the intermittent fuzz that had flickered across it began to solidify. "Feeds from certain of our listening posts along the neutral zone," he said as both parts of the screen began to act in parallel.
The marine tried not to look to closely at the information streaming in from the Romulan listening posts, he knew his own limits as well as when he was out of his league, and if there was one thing that he hated doing was getting involved in this sort of secrecy malarkey. But the data (at least what he looked at) did help to further narrow down the search. He pulled the new data up then a map of nearby star systems, "that puts him here or here" he said pointing at two places on the map." The marine then sent the information to the USS Hagnon.
"And just in time," Rh'vaurek said taking a step back. As the entire console began to fizzle he put a hand on the marine's shoulder and yanked him back and around as the fizzle intensified to a crackle which built to burst of bright white light that caused the lighting to flicker and left the console melted into itself.
"Well I didn't expect that to happen," Rh'vaurek said without a drip of sincerity, he wanted no hard traces of his assistance left behind.
"No kidding," said the marine crossing his arms, "You want tell her or should I?" said the marine, referring to Chelsea and more than happy to move the conversation on.
Rh'vaurek looked to where the ladies sat, Isha kneeling on the floor at Chelsea's feet holding both the Bajoran's hands in hers as she spoke words that he could not determine.
"I'll do it," he said as he turned back to the marine. "If you find Dunham, alive, I may just kill him," he said, the layers of mockery, sarcasm, and insincerity stripped, leaving nothing but grim intent.
The marine watched the congregation of Romulans, Humans and Bajorans for a moment, then turned on his heels and walk down the aisle to inform Captain Dunham and the rest of the Dunham family just what was occurring and that they had two possible locations for her wayward child.
The Adams family had sat still, all eyes on Peter, as he sat with his back rigid as a broom handle. Ellie stroked the fingers of his left hand that lay in her lap where it had been when all this had started. Summer stood up as soon as she saw Paul approaching the front of the seating. Peter held out his right hand to stop her from joining the Dunhams and growled through gritted teeth. "Get the Windsor ready to leave. Speak to the Romulans. Ellie and i will meet you at the ship." Summer nodded. For once she agreed with her father.
Ellie interrupted them both. "No. I will stay here. Chelsea will need her family. Whatever you two have to do to find that boy and rescue him, you get on it, but don't forget how the Dunhams helped us when Chelsea was kidnapped. Make no mistakes that can't be recovered from." she warned.
Summer touched her mother's arm. "I'll take care of dad, don't worry. I know better than to let him leap to rash conclusions but right now he needs to be *doing* something." she said, hurrying after her father as he marched out of the gardens with his jaw set, heading towards the docking ring.
"You coming?" Summer shot an invitation to Anata who had been sitting silently alongside them until now.
"Yes" was all the Bajoran had to say as she too stood up.
"Okay keep up with Grandad then, I'll be right there." Summer instructed and Annie scurried off.
Ellie disappeared in the direction of the partitioned off area where the bride was, pushing her way with many polite 'excuse me' through all the bewildered, milling, would-be guests who were all speculating wildly and standing or sitting about in groups trying to work out what had just happened. She approached Captain Tahir quietly and words that were mentioned quietly included "prevarocation, delay and Windsor" Ellie felt a little disloyal doing this but she knew it was in everyone's best interest.
Summer dropped back and leaned over towards Erica. "What's the word? Is he okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned. Summer liked Rick, they all did. She was trying to keep an open mind but it was hard when this was her daughter in the centre of things.
Erica undid a couple of buttons on her restricting dress uniform, aware that this was a sort of inevitable giving-in that the ceremony was not going ahead. “The word is, there is no word” spoke the intelligence officer seriously “we don’t know if he is ok or not, Captain Dunham is about to head over to the Hagnon to look for him, do you want to come?”
"Yes, I would like to. Very much." Summer admitted truthfully. "But I have to keep my dad from doing something emotional and probably misdirected." She knew Erica would understand what she was alluding to. "Good luck, mind if I keep in touch?"
Erica nodded, "I'll make sure Captain Dunham keeps an open comlink with you and your ship." Erica put a sympathetic hand on her former boss's shoulder. "Nothing is more important to my brother than Chelsea. There is no way he has run off, something else must've happened, I know him too well, he has too much sense of honour and a noble spirit to do something like that."
"Thanks" Captain Adams smiled, patted her colleague on the shoulder in parting and slipped quietly away in search of her father before he tried to leave without her.
Tasha was torn between duty and friendship and today should be more of the latter and despite several attempts to get back to Chelsea, who was merely metres away, somebody always stepped in and denied her access.
"Excuse me." Tasha smiled as one of the more senior of the Adams family stood in her path and she started to avert the woman, who despite her years, deftly moved to block her.
"Captain, do you know what has happened to the groom? No-one seems to know what's going on." Ellie had spotted the Station CO and wanted some answers, she assumed that Tasha would be the one to know, if anyone did.
Tasha's eyes did not waiver or avert the womans question.
"Mrs Adams, I will not pretend to offer up an excuse or confound you. All I can say, is that we are not able to locate Commander Dunham." She shrugged her shoulders. "We have just started a series of close range scans to ascertain his whereabouts."
"You know that he isn't on the station then?" Ellie hadn't heard the Best Man say that earlier, in fact few people had. There was a lot of speculation and people were just guessing wildly and making things up if they couldn't find out. That was a dangerous situation and Ellie was old enough and wise enough to realise that the wild speculation of a crowd usually spun out of control if not checked and made rational. "I believe an announcement needs to be made before this becomes more of an issue of 'chinese whispers' than it already is." she said matter of factly.
Tasha understood her anger and knew it was not really meant for her, but she was not about to be the cause of the scene and despite the older woman's obvious hints, Tasha was not about to allow the Grandmother to speak to the assembly and inform them. That was her task.
"Mrs Adams," Tasha hands rose to either side of the ladies arms, as if restraining her, "your granddaughter is in shock and we are all upset at this turn of events and we are doing everything we possibly can." Tasha eyes glanced past the woman to Chelsea, "I am trying to talk to your grand-daughter, to firstly, make sure she is okay, then to make a general announcement. If you will take your seat for just a few minutes, then we can move things along... Please." She beseeched by gently rubbing her own hands up and down the matrons upper arms.
Tasha watched the woman ruminate as her lips pursed and relaxed and finally relented by stepping aside, allowing Tasha access to her granddaughter.
"Thank you." The captain responded at her brave gesture and made for Chelsea, determined nobody else would stop her.
Chelsea looked up and noticed her grandmother speaking in hushed tones to Tasha.
"What are they going to do?" she asked Isha so quietly that even amongst all the whispering and tactful hushed voices, her tone carried a sadness and heartbreak that seemed to sound defeated.
"Rh'vaurek will tell us," Isha replied, she was so close to telling Chelsea that Dunham was a despicable oik and not worth her friend's time that she barely dared to broach the topic, instead she stayed with the 'bride' and nodded at Chelsea's assertions that something beyond his control had happened to him.
"Can I speak to Tasha? Would you speak to Rh'vaurek please?" Chelsea looked around, Raedheol's stiff back and stern expression frightened her for Rick's sake.
"He said I should be more afraid of the Tal Shiar ..... right now I don't know which to fear most.... my *ira'v'Dianvum* or whatever twist of fate has happened. Neither bode well for my Rick, do they?" For the first time, a look of sorrow escaped Chelsea's *doctor's mask* as she struggled with the thought of Rick out there somewhere without his friends to help or support him like she had.
"Rh'vaurek has a very personal moral code, Richard Dunham has made a promise and failed to keep it," Isha said. To Rh'vaurek a betrayal was a betrayal, and he did not forgive, she knew that very well.
Chelsea stood up, strengthened by the resolve to defend Rick. "You *have* to listen to me..... I know what you're all thinking and I can cope with your pity. I've been dumped before and I could have dealt with that but I'm telling you all, something has happened to Rick and he's going to need his friends. ALL of us!"
She kept her voice quiet still, restricting what she had to say to the half dozen closest loved ones and friends who were here with her, making sure that the melee of gathered guests outside wouldn't overhear. Inside their flimsy haven, they could all hear the gossip and clamour outside their partition and Chelsea wanted this to be kept to those within.
"Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart for all your love and support. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends to care for me. I just wish, wherever Rick is and whatever's happened to him, that he had his friends with him too. PLEASE concentrate on whatever you can do to find Rick. I'm fine, I just want to know he's safe." she drew in a breath.
On that note the Captain of the USS Hagnon gave Chelsea a soft daughterly embrace and said "He represents some of the best characteristics in all of us Chelsea, we will find him and bring him back to you, I promise"
Chelsea's eyes filled with tears now but she blinked them back. "Thank you, Ma'am" she said, clinging to the formality to keep herself strong.
Captain Dunham gave Chelsea an approving look. “Good girl” the statement was in no way meant to be detrimental or condescending, instead. it was spoken with pride. As the Captain again nodded her approval at Chelsea’s handling of the situation, the look changed from approval to one of acceptance. As if the captain had finally made up her mind that Chelsea was the right girl for her boy, she then spoke louder to the room in general “crew of the Hagnon, lets go find our wayward man” She pointed to the door, and as quickly as they had arrived they were gone.
Tasha's jaw dropped. What was to be her task, had been taken away without compromise and she was glad of it. As uniforms, dresses and gowns pushed past her, Tasha stood like an island in a river of souls and her eyes still remained transfixed on the other two women and she felt an odd sort of pride at Isha, a surprised sort of pride to see her help the doctor in her time of need.
She rescinded any foothold on the decking of the holodeck and allowed herself to be moved with the flow to the bulkhead near the archway and allowed the room to clear, except for those who had nowhere to go, or those who did not want to go.
------------
Now that she was away from the main focus of attention Isha came close to Rh'vaurek, "I told you that that they had some things in common with us," she said.
"With your Houses, yes - blind devotion to insane causes," he replied. "Tell me, does your Tahir really believe that I couldn't get access to her database?"
"Yes, and even if she believed you could, she wished to give you cover. Oddly not everyone finds your manner entertaining" Isha said as she leaned her head against his chest and gazed over the almost empty room. "I think that was rather admirable of her, actually."
Isha tilted her head up, "I need to speak with you," she told him, "but not here."
Rh'vaurek nodded, there was not much that Isha could hide from him whatever her state of identity, and now was no exception. "let's go," he agreed and together they walked away.
Off:
The Dunham family
as played by
Lt Cdr Rick Dunham
&
Commander Chelsea Adams
2CO and CMO - DS5
and
The Adams Family NPC's
&
Captain Tasha Tahir
Minister of the Ceremony
&
Iehei hru'Hfirh Ambassador Isha e-Khellian i'Ramnau t'Illialhlae
erie'Khrein Rh'vaurek Raedheol
By Louise
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
| Title | ......That is the Question. | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | Commander Chelsea Dunham & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Isha t'Vaurek | |
| Posted | Wed Jun 01, 2011 @ 6:26am | |
| Location | Bajoran Gardens - Deck 144 | |
| Timeline | SD38 - 11.00 |
As the Captain, Tasha felt she should be doing something constructive, but no matter what happened in the thirty minutes or so, would remain with Chelsea for the rest of her life and Tasha did not want to be seen as the wicked witch who put logic before emotion. It was far easier to hold her hand and offer attention without saying a word, not yet.
"No, you don't understand..." Chelsea tried to say, looking desperately up at Rh'vaurek and then across at Isha, her eyes begging them to believe her.
NEW:
"I understand perfectly," Isha told her taking her hand. "Rh'vaurek, you may use the console in my suite. You'll find that your own office has been the object of a practical joke and somewhat difficult to use right now."
Rh'vaurek's brow wrinkled at that, but he nodded. "That one will do," he said, indicating a local one with a slight tilt of his head, "if someone would be so kind as to allow me access that is," he added.
"As you wish," Isha said as she turned back to Chelsea and sucked in a breath, "Now, come and sit down."
Separated from the reassurance of Rh'vaurek's arm, Chelsea accepted Isha's.
"He's in trouble Isha.... he must be." Chelsea murmured, allowing herself to be gently put onto a chair briefly before standing back up in agitation.
Isha took Chelsea's hands and sat her down again. She kept a hold and knelt in front of her friend. "We'll find out what has happened," she told her, "there is no-one who Rh'vaurek cannot locate. Stay here, and stay calm."
Tasha knew that he needed her access codes and she paused, briefly, her eyes darted from Chelsea, to Isha, before settling on Rh'Vaureks.
She did not want to, but better this was sorted now, rather than later but there were going to be safeguards in place, or rather, limited access.
Now Tasha felt the time was right to say something and she nodded at Isha and in reciprocation, slipped down onto bended knee, resting her hand over the Doctors in reassurance.
She looked up into the tear and fear filled eyes. Her face wrought with a mixture of fear and confusion.
"We'll sort this. We'll find him." Her hand patted at Chelseas as the Captain rose and dashed to the console, edging the Romulan aside and entered her access code to screen and then stood aside, allowing Rh'Vaurek access to the stations key systems. She glanced over her shoulder, to the distressed figure sat in the chair being comforted by Isha and further back, the gathering had started to talk and they had a sense that all was not well.
As he stepped forward, Tasha leant inwards. "I am trusting you to do the right thing," and with hardly a breath, she changed her command tone. "Computer, raise a level 2 audio shield around this console." She nodded at the marine who she had not yet had the chance to talk to, but knew he had significance and left the two males to sort out Dunhams mess as she moved back to rejoin Isha and the Bride
-----
The Marine in his dress blues joined Rh'vaurek at the closest computer terminal, he entered in his security clearance, though he suspected the Romulan already knew how to get onto the starfleet secure database. He read out the information coming up on the screen "says here all fighters are accounted for and......ahhhhhh" he said in comprehension "the chelsea requested docking clearance at 01.32 and left local space at 01.47..." His enthusiasm for discovering what had been occurring, waned as the consequence of what it could mean occurred to him.
As he folded his arms Rh'vaurek leaned his shoulder against the pillar, "Her side or his?" he asked the man. He had already made his conclusions about events and when he turned up it was Dunham who was going to be the first to hear about them, but Isha wanted him to go through the motions of finding out what had happened, so he would.
"I'm married to his sister." Grumbled the Marine as he continued to to press buttons on the touch screen interface. He looked in puzzlement then mumbled "she should be doing this now, always one for figuring things out my wife...." he trailed off as he read the information scrolling up the monitor "according to this, the Chelsea never returned to port...."
"So its a family trait, being absent when your presence would be useful," Rh'vaurek remarked sourly. "Why in the Element's name would the kriheis'ei take out a ship when what he's supposed to be doing is steadying his nerves with an ealry morning drink and and crawling his way into a suit."
"Because I wasn't here to keep an eye on him," grumbled the burly marine rather guiltily. "I'm best man it was my job..but we got called away...we all did." He waved his hand in the general direction of the Dunham family who sat in their allocated seats at the front of the aisle. "Duty and family.....sometimes its difficult to tell which holds prevalence with the other with that lot ." Said Paul looking the direction of his wife and the rest of the Dunhams and having an almost wistful look on his face.
"Duty didn't stop me from being here to perform my obligation to my family," Rh'vaurek told him, darkly. On this point his anger was with himself, not with the marine, Rh'vaurek had failed in his duty to Isha because he rated his duty to the Empire higher, and they were both going to have to live through the consequences of that. He shifted his focus to an area in which he had not failed, "I came from the other side of the Empire to be here for my sister. I can't say I want her to be part of a family who don't understand what either of those terms really mean."
The Marine's fists clenched, his knuckles going white, all he wanted to do was smack the Romulan down, and if they had been in lesser company he well may have given it a shot. Instead, knowing his daughter and wife were in the audience and that this was a very formal occasion, the first he had been to since getting out of the Breen detention camp, he instead said "are you going to help at all or are you just going to be cynical for the rest of the morning?"
"I'll be cynical for the rest of my life," Rh'vaurek said. He'd found the man's buttons with unexpected ease. "Call up the flight path and last known location, and extrapolate possible routes from the trajectory," he said, "oh, and section that screen, I want to access a different database in parallel."
The marine sergeant's training kicked in to the tone of authority and natural command in the Romulans voice. He called up the flight path of the Chelsea and its last known location, he then typed nimbly on the touch screen to extrapolate routes from said trajectory, he then finally sectioned of a part of the screen for the Romulan to use. "According to this The last known location of the Chelsea was 1 light year from Deep Space Five navigation buoy, at his last speed an heading, and taking into account local stellar phenomena and the fact that no patrols have bumped into him, he could be heading on these four known trajectories."
As he leaned in Rh'vaurek splayed one palm on the top of the console, with his left hand he input a code then waited, his gaze looking over the alternate paths the marine had calculated. A strange tone came from the panel, as if someone had amplified glass being shattered under water. Rh'vaurek turned his attention to his section of the screen whilst Isha, who had heard it too turned her head towards Rh'vaurek.
"You ever hear that noise again, walk away," he said to the marine without offering any elaboration.
For several very long minutes Rh'vaurek drummed his fingers against the screen, then the intermittent fuzz that had flickered across it began to solidify. "Feeds from certain of our listening posts along the neutral zone," he said as both parts of the screen began to act in parallel.
The marine tried not to look to closely at the information streaming in from the Romulan listening posts, he knew his own limits as well as when he was out of his league, and if there was one thing that he hated doing was getting involved in this sort of secrecy malarkey. But the data (at least what he looked at) did help to further narrow down the search. He pulled the new data up then a map of nearby star systems, "that puts him here or here" he said pointing at two places on the map." The marine then sent the information to the USS Hagnon.
"And just in time," Rh'vaurek said taking a step back. As the entire console began to fizzle he put a hand on the marine's shoulder and yanked him back and around as the fizzle intensified to a crackle which built to burst of bright white light that caused the lighting to flicker and left the console melted into itself.
"Well I didn't expect that to happen," Rh'vaurek said without a drip of sincerity, he wanted no hard traces of his assistance left behind.
"No kidding," said the marine crossing his arms, "You want tell her or should I?" said the marine, referring to Chelsea and more than happy to move the conversation on.
Rh'vaurek looked to where the ladies sat, Isha kneeling on the floor at Chelsea's feet holding both the Bajoran's hands in hers as she spoke words that he could not determine.
"I'll do it," he said as he turned back to the marine. "If you find Dunham, alive, I may just kill him," he said, the layers of mockery, sarcasm, and insincerity stripped, leaving nothing but grim intent.
The marine watched the congregation of Romulans, Humans and Bajorans for a moment, then turned on his heels and walk down the aisle to inform Captain Dunham and the rest of the Dunham family just what was occurring and that they had two possible locations for her wayward child.
The Adams family had sat still, all eyes on Peter, as he sat with his back rigid as a broom handle. Ellie stroked the fingers of his left hand that lay in her lap where it had been when all this had started. Summer stood up as soon as she saw Paul approaching the front of the seating. Peter held out his right hand to stop her from joining the Dunhams and growled through gritted teeth. "Get the Windsor ready to leave. Speak to the Romulans. Ellie and i will meet you at the ship." Summer nodded. For once she agreed with her father.
Ellie interrupted them both. "No. I will stay here. Chelsea will need her family. Whatever you two have to do to find that boy and rescue him, you get on it, but don't forget how the Dunhams helped us when Chelsea was kidnapped. Make no mistakes that can't be recovered from." she warned.
Summer touched her mother's arm. "I'll take care of dad, don't worry. I know better than to let him leap to rash conclusions but right now he needs to be *doing* something." she said, hurrying after her father as he marched out of the gardens with his jaw set, heading towards the docking ring.
"You coming?" Summer shot an invitation to Anata who had been sitting silently alongside them until now.
"Yes" was all the Bajoran had to say as she too stood up.
"Okay keep up with Grandad then, I'll be right there." Summer instructed and Annie scurried off.
Ellie disappeared in the direction of the partitioned off area where the bride was, pushing her way with many polite 'excuse me' through all the bewildered, milling, would-be guests who were all speculating wildly and standing or sitting about in groups trying to work out what had just happened. She approached Captain Tahir quietly and words that were mentioned quietly included "prevarocation, delay and Windsor" Ellie felt a little disloyal doing this but she knew it was in everyone's best interest.
Summer dropped back and leaned over towards Erica. "What's the word? Is he okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned. Summer liked Rick, they all did. She was trying to keep an open mind but it was hard when this was her daughter in the centre of things.
Erica undid a couple of buttons on her restricting dress uniform, aware that this was a sort of inevitable giving-in that the ceremony was not going ahead. “The word is, there is no word” spoke the intelligence officer seriously “we don’t know if he is ok or not, Captain Dunham is about to head over to the Hagnon to look for him, do you want to come?”
"Yes, I would like to. Very much." Summer admitted truthfully. "But I have to keep my dad from doing something emotional and probably misdirected." She knew Erica would understand what she was alluding to. "Good luck, mind if I keep in touch?"
Erica nodded, "I'll make sure Captain Dunham keeps an open comlink with you and your ship." Erica put a sympathetic hand on her former boss's shoulder. "Nothing is more important to my brother than Chelsea. There is no way he has run off, something else must've happened, I know him too well, he has too much sense of honour and a noble spirit to do something like that."
"Thanks" Captain Adams smiled, patted her colleague on the shoulder in parting and slipped quietly away in search of her father before he tried to leave without her.
Tasha was torn between duty and friendship and today should be more of the latter and despite several attempts to get back to Chelsea, who was merely metres away, somebody always stepped in and denied her access.
"Excuse me." Tasha smiled as one of the more senior of the Adams family stood in her path and she started to avert the woman, who despite her years, deftly moved to block her.
"Captain, do you know what has happened to the groom? No-one seems to know what's going on." Ellie had spotted the Station CO and wanted some answers, she assumed that Tasha would be the one to know, if anyone did.
Tasha's eyes did not waiver or avert the womans question.
"Mrs Adams, I will not pretend to offer up an excuse or confound you. All I can say, is that we are not able to locate Commander Dunham." She shrugged her shoulders. "We have just started a series of close range scans to ascertain his whereabouts."
"You know that he isn't on the station then?" Ellie hadn't heard the Best Man say that earlier, in fact few people had. There was a lot of speculation and people were just guessing wildly and making things up if they couldn't find out. That was a dangerous situation and Ellie was old enough and wise enough to realise that the wild speculation of a crowd usually spun out of control if not checked and made rational. "I believe an announcement needs to be made before this becomes more of an issue of 'chinese whispers' than it already is." she said matter of factly.
Tasha understood her anger and knew it was not really meant for her, but she was not about to be the cause of the scene and despite the older woman's obvious hints, Tasha was not about to allow the Grandmother to speak to the assembly and inform them. That was her task.
"Mrs Adams," Tasha hands rose to either side of the ladies arms, as if restraining her, "your granddaughter is in shock and we are all upset at this turn of events and we are doing everything we possibly can." Tasha eyes glanced past the woman to Chelsea, "I am trying to talk to your grand-daughter, to firstly, make sure she is okay, then to make a general announcement. If you will take your seat for just a few minutes, then we can move things along... Please." She beseeched by gently rubbing her own hands up and down the matrons upper arms.
Tasha watched the woman ruminate as her lips pursed and relaxed and finally relented by stepping aside, allowing Tasha access to her granddaughter.
"Thank you." The captain responded at her brave gesture and made for Chelsea, determined nobody else would stop her.
Chelsea looked up and noticed her grandmother speaking in hushed tones to Tasha.
"What are they going to do?" she asked Isha so quietly that even amongst all the whispering and tactful hushed voices, her tone carried a sadness and heartbreak that seemed to sound defeated.
"Rh'vaurek will tell us," Isha replied, she was so close to telling Chelsea that Dunham was a despicable oik and not worth her friend's time that she barely dared to broach the topic, instead she stayed with the 'bride' and nodded at Chelsea's assertions that something beyond his control had happened to him.
"Can I speak to Tasha? Would you speak to Rh'vaurek please?" Chelsea looked around, Raedheol's stiff back and stern expression frightened her for Rick's sake.
"He said I should be more afraid of the Tal Shiar ..... right now I don't know which to fear most.... my *ira'v'Dianvum* or whatever twist of fate has happened. Neither bode well for my Rick, do they?" For the first time, a look of sorrow escaped Chelsea's *doctor's mask* as she struggled with the thought of Rick out there somewhere without his friends to help or support him like she had.
"Rh'vaurek has a very personal moral code, Richard Dunham has made a promise and failed to keep it," Isha said. To Rh'vaurek a betrayal was a betrayal, and he did not forgive, she knew that very well.
Chelsea stood up, strengthened by the resolve to defend Rick. "You *have* to listen to me..... I know what you're all thinking and I can cope with your pity. I've been dumped before and I could have dealt with that but I'm telling you all, something has happened to Rick and he's going to need his friends. ALL of us!"
She kept her voice quiet still, restricting what she had to say to the half dozen closest loved ones and friends who were here with her, making sure that the melee of gathered guests outside wouldn't overhear. Inside their flimsy haven, they could all hear the gossip and clamour outside their partition and Chelsea wanted this to be kept to those within.
"Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart for all your love and support. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends to care for me. I just wish, wherever Rick is and whatever's happened to him, that he had his friends with him too. PLEASE concentrate on whatever you can do to find Rick. I'm fine, I just want to know he's safe." she drew in a breath.
On that note the Captain of the USS Hagnon gave Chelsea a soft daughterly embrace and said "He represents some of the best characteristics in all of us Chelsea, we will find him and bring him back to you, I promise"
Chelsea's eyes filled with tears now but she blinked them back. "Thank you, Ma'am" she said, clinging to the formality to keep herself strong.
Captain Dunham gave Chelsea an approving look. “Good girl” the statement was in no way meant to be detrimental or condescending, instead. it was spoken with pride. As the Captain again nodded her approval at Chelsea’s handling of the situation, the look changed from approval to one of acceptance. As if the captain had finally made up her mind that Chelsea was the right girl for her boy, she then spoke louder to the room in general “crew of the Hagnon, lets go find our wayward man” She pointed to the door, and as quickly as they had arrived they were gone.
Tasha's jaw dropped. What was to be her task, had been taken away without compromise and she was glad of it. As uniforms, dresses and gowns pushed past her, Tasha stood like an island in a river of souls and her eyes still remained transfixed on the other two women and she felt an odd sort of pride at Isha, a surprised sort of pride to see her help the doctor in her time of need.
She rescinded any foothold on the decking of the holodeck and allowed herself to be moved with the flow to the bulkhead near the archway and allowed the room to clear, except for those who had nowhere to go, or those who did not want to go.
------------
Now that she was away from the main focus of attention Isha came close to Rh'vaurek, "I told you that that they had some things in common with us," she said.
"With your Houses, yes - blind devotion to insane causes," he replied. "Tell me, does your Tahir really believe that I couldn't get access to her database?"
"Yes, and even if she believed you could, she wished to give you cover. Oddly not everyone finds your manner entertaining" Isha said as she leaned her head against his chest and gazed over the almost empty room. "I think that was rather admirable of her, actually."
Isha tilted her head up, "I need to speak with you," she told him, "but not here."
Rh'vaurek nodded, there was not much that Isha could hide from him whatever her state of identity, and now was no exception. "let's go," he agreed and together they walked away.
Off:
The Dunham family
as played by
Lt Cdr Rick Dunham
&
Commander Chelsea Adams
2CO and CMO - DS5
and
The Adams Family NPC's
&
Captain Tasha Tahir
Minister of the Ceremony
&
Iehei hru'Hfirh Ambassador Isha e-Khellian i'Ramnau t'Illialhlae
erie'Khrein Rh'vaurek Raedheol
By Louise