MSNPC Ambassador Vananth - Information Exchange

[Gogigobo Fairhug]

((Deck 14 – Secondary Sickbay– USS Narendra)) 

::How odd it felt for Ariwyn Vananth, to go from holding a person at arm’s length because she felt the green color of his uniform meant he would be a mindless soldier to speaking at length about trust and violence.  She didn’t usually misjudge people – but she also focused her considerable telepathic and empathic intentions on those she negotiated with. 

This incident made her realize how often she overlooked those who stood beside her, worked behind the scenes or played a side role in each diplomatic affair.  Even those she might have dismissed as insignificant she found had a vibrance, depth and intelligence she would not have initially assumed. 

And somehow she and Daniel Cain had come to an understanding – formed a mutual respect.  Each was vulnerable, each was complex and each was strong in different ways.  Ariwyn had learned something, and despite the pain she felt she had a calm sense about her, satisfied with her own thoughts.:: 

Glebben: Oh my, look at you both!  Let’s get you inside and patched up!  We have open beds for wounded. Come, come! 

Vananth: Looks like we have an open invitation. 

Cain: I didn't even know a Ferengi was on board. 

::The Ferengi nurse bustled around, generally treating everyone like she was their grandmother and they all needed band-aids, milk and cookies.  That was not especially unusual for female Ferengi, especially ones old enough to remember the cultural status quo before Grand Nagus Rom started social reforms.:: 

Vananth: Well,. I hadn’t expected a Cardassian onboard either.  You seem to have a very cosmopolitan crew.  ::pause:: She seems nice enough… ::Ariwyn was trying to keep an open mind.:: 

Cain: There's a Klingon over there. 

::That there was.  And yet no one was shooting at him.  Ariwyn took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.:: 

Vananth: I do not sense any murder in his mind or heart.  There is anger but not hostility. 

::Maybe it was one of the diplomatic crew?  Or maybe they had Klingon allies?  She didn’t know.:: 

Cain: I'm going to see what's going on.  Are you gonna be ok? 

Vananth: I’ll be OK.  Seems like a nice place, they have beds and meds. 

Cain: I'll be back soon. 

::Ariwyn nodded and leaned back, letting the nurse tend her wounds, lost in her own thoughts.  How long was she lost?  She honestly had no clue, but she must have fallen asleep because when she opened her eyes it was dim and quiet in the sickbay.  

She sat up gingerly, finding her shoulder was bandaged and there were regeneration patches stuck to the still healing flesh.  It burned, but the searing pain from before was gone. 

Slowly her eyes focused, and her telepathy reached out.  There was someone else in the vicinity.  For a moment she was startled.:: 

Taybrim: ~Careful, the new doctor will come and scold you if you get out of bed…~ 

::The thoughts were warm and calming, steady and resolute.  She found that surprising for a male.:: 

Vananth: ~Will you scold me, too?~ 

Taybrim: ~No.~  

::He moved gingerly inside and sat nearby.  He looked tired and she could see regeneration patches on the backs of his hands and the skin by his neck, likely to repair areas kissed by frostbite.:: 

Taybrim: ~I heard you wanted to see me?~ 

::She chuckled a bit in a dry, sarcastic tone:: 

Vananth: ~I’ve been trying to reach you for a week, Captain.  You’re a hard man to reach.~ 

Taybrim: ~Next time I’ll try not to crash-land before a diplomatic conference.~ 

::The two Betazoids locked gazes.  Sal had some humor in his eyes as if he was gently teasing her while Ariwyn manged to look admonishing despite the fuzz in her mind from the painkillers.:: 

Vananth: ~I had wanted to talk with you about the conference, but there is now something far more pressing.~ 

Taybrim: ~And what is that?~ 

::She paused, drawing in a long, slow breath before she reached out a hand towards him.:: 

Vananth: ~I should not have done it, but as I watched an innocent man fall, blood spilling on the floor, watched others in the line of fire and felt my own shoulder tear open I entered the kind of the cult leader – Klempeth his name was.~ 

::Her cheeks burned hot with embarrassment.:: 

Taybrim: ~Honestly you know I cannot judge you.  Your role as a daughter of the sixth house is far higher than my role as a Starfleet Captain when matters of telepathy are concerned.~  ::he paused and gently took her hand.:: ~But for what it is worth, I understand what you did.~ 

Vananth: ~Then will you allow me to share with you what I learned?~ 

Taybrim: ~What did you learn?~ 

::Another deep breath as she steadied herself.:: 

Vananth: ~I took everything from him.  Every thought, every plan, every detail I could grab… I know every infiltrator.~ 

::Sal’s gaze hardened.  What Ariwyn had done wasn’t considered ethical by Betazoid standards of telepathy.  He understood exactly why someone in duress would reach out and crush a mind like Ariwyn had done – her telepathy was far more powerful that Sal’s.  Actually it was far more powerful than most of his species, most would not have been able to do so much damage or sift so much from Klempeth’s mind. 

And now she tempted him with forbidden knowledge. 

Part of Sal Taybrim wanted to turn her down, to take the moral high ground and reject the ill-gotten information.  And yet in doing so he would condemn her after he had already admitted understanding. 

Part of him would do anything and everything to ensure the safety of his ship, and she was offering him a very tempting key to unlock a passage towards that safety. 

And he was curious.  Dangerously curious.:: 

Taybrim: ~And now what?~ 

Vananth: ~I offer to share it with you~ 

::And there it was, the devil’s bargain.  

Sal was not the sort of person to waver on a decision.  He picked a course and moved forward.:: 

Taybrim: ~I accept.~ 

::She nodded, understanding the risks, while drawing him closer.:: 

Vananth: ~prepare your mind for the flood.~ 

::Sal Taybrim very rarely dropped his telepathic defenses.  He kept his damaged telepathy in check, and even among others of his own species he rarely used telepathy and certainly never lowered his mental shields.  

But desperate times called for desperate measures.  If there was one thing that he would risk the sanctity of his own mind for, it would be a chance to protect his crew. 

As his mental guards dropped, images flooded in.  The thoughts and mind of Klempeth in his last moments poured into his consciousness.  Only Ariwyn’s control pulled the floor back to a manageable flow. 

Sal drew a breath in through his teeth as his mind struggled with the onrush of information and when it was done, both of them were gasping for breath.:: 

Taybrim: ::after a long pause:: ~I do not envy you, touching this mind firsthand.~ 

Vananth: ~The sheer hatred and murderous intentions were hard to pierce through.  I tried to filter it for you.~ 

Taybrim: ~for that I thank you.~ 

::The sat in silence for several long moments before she releashed his hand.:: 

Vananth: ~You are tired.  You should sleep.~ 

Taybrim: ~I have too much to process.~ 

Vananth: ~You should try.~ 

::He offered her a faint, hollow smile.:: 

Taybrim: ~So should you.~ 

Vananth: ~Then together we will try.  Goodnight Captain Sal.~ 

Taybrim: ~Goodnight Ambassador.~ 

~*~ 
tbc 
~*~ 

Fleet Captain Sal Taybrim 
Commanding Officer 
StarBase 118 Ops 

~and~ 

MSNPC Ambassador Ariwyn Vananth 
Head of Klingon Affairs, Trinity Sector 
First Daughter of the Sixth House of Betazed 



"Why do we fly? Because we have dreamt of it for so long that we must" 

~Julian Beck 
E239010ST0