JP Ensign Kimonzi Lahl & Ensign Morro Caras - The Lawyer

[Lhandon_Nilsen]

So. Wow. What an powerful JP from @Kimonzi Lahl and @Morro Caras. I normally make some kind of comment about my appreciation posts but today, I'd like to let this JP stand on it's own and encourage you to take the time to read it.
 

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((Zhian’tara Room 4, Trill Symbiosis Commission Compound, Mak'ala City, Trill)) 

 

This time, Kimonzi had warned Morro to be precisely on time to prevent Bezelbun from laying into the young Orion. She was grateful for that, because the last thing she needed was the Guardian needing any reason for yelling at Morro. 

 

Lahl: And then, the judge literally took out a disruptor and killed the actual killer in front of us!

 

Caras (as Audriy): They are really saving on paperwork. 

 

Lahl: Anyway, thank you again for those memories and skills. I don’t think Lhandon would’ve survived that one without them.

 

Caras (as Audriy): Glad they could be of use to you, even in this era.

 

Audriy adjusted in the larger body, trying to get comfortable in it and sit properly.

 

Lahl: I guess I do need to get to the point…do you remember why it was that you sought out joining?

 

Caras (as Audriy): Legacy.

 

Lahl: I see. 

 

Caras (as Audriy): In order to be remembered for being great, you usually have to be part of something greater than yourself. If you want to make a difference and be remembered. Being joined essentially makes you near immortal. Look at me… or him.. This body, talking to you right now, years after my death.

 

Audriy seemed to finally get comfortable in Caras’ body by standing up. Surprise showing on her face when she discovered the body she was in was more graceful and adroit than she would have thought.

 

Lahl: Getting comfy?

 

Audriy’s answered that question with a smirk. It came across as incongruous on Caras’s face. It was like he had never smirked in his life.

 

Caras (as Audriy): I never had any children. My career was my life and legacy. I fought for my clients because it wasn’t just their lives, it was mine too. If I didn’t have the record I had, what would I have been.There are still court rooms that use defenses that I pioneered over 100 years ago.

 

She seemed to enjoy looming over Kimonzi. Being taller than others apparently wasn’t something she was used to in life.

 

Lahl: Yeah, I actually had to use some of them back with Lhandon. Do those memories trickle down to you guys?

 

Caras (as Audriy): I’m not sure. I was never too into the science of memories unless it was something that could have benefited the defense. I’d get experts and understand what I needed to to know. I think I have a vague awareness that things have changed since the last Zhian’tara, but I have no real recollection. Those are your memories.

 

Lahl: I guess that makes sense. I forgot how tall Caras was.

 

Caras (as Audriy): ::laughing:: I always liked to try and intimidate prosecutors who used their physicality with my mental acumen and oratory prowess. I understand a little bit now that it’s all too easy to try and use it to intimidate people.

 

Lahl: Anyway, was it just legacy that led you to the commission? Because…you also have the legacy of four marriages to three separate women.

 

Kimonzi immediately clapped a hand over her mouth.

 

Lahl: I’m so sorry, it just came out.

 

Caras (as Audriy): ::laughing:: I’m over it. Look, each one of those women was a wild adventure, one of them so good I came back a second time. Some people think staying with the same person for their entire lives is the normal and sane thing to do. By the end of my second marriage, I felt the opposite. Why how many marriages have you had?

 

Audriy did not seem tilted by the comment. All of her secrets were an open book to Kimonzi, she had been through this with all the other hosts. Audriy wasn’t the best at sharing her feelings, as Kimonzi had brought up. Pretty much all of her relationships failed because of it. Most of the other hosts had managed to live perfectly good lives with partners, but she was different. She knew that even if Kimonzi had taken a cursory glance at what was going in Audriy’s personal life she’d see the turmoil. She hoped it wasn’t the same for Lahl’s new host.

 

Lahl: I have not had the fortune of being married. 

 

Of course she hadn’t. Joining was a major life event that only a few trill ever got to experience. If they did have any romantic relationships before, they were going to be shaken up by a large change in personality. The Zhian’tara was important to have very early on in the joining. Then again, Those chosen for joining didn’t necessarily need to be young, though they typically were.

 

Caras (as Audriy): I know you can’t remember them right now, since I'm out of your head. But each one of them taught me at least one life lesson. Especially. Leoda when she and I got back together for the second time. We learned how much people can change, and how interactions with our jobs, trauma, and other relationships shape us. I do hope you find someone that does that for you.

 

Caras looked at Lahl with a little bit of pity. Audriy knew it was merely the beginning for this one’s joining. She had hope for her, but only really because she was a part of Lahl as well. 

 

Lahl: I see, that makes sense.

 

Caras (as Audriy): Arguing with me was... Well I wouldn’t recommend it. Being who I was, each one of my wifes said arguing with me was like going to court. Just try to avoid trying to fix your relationships like you fix your machines and you’ll probably be fine. I would always use Vedrin’s memories to try and be a little more diplomatic but in the end it only got me so far.

 

Lahl: I’ve tried using the various memories for things, but I do have to ultimately be myself.

 

Caras’s head nodded. Audriy knew the position all too well. Kimonzi was a hybrid of the previous hosts and the symbiote now that they had been joined. But she was ultimately the host. She was the one in control and could really only use the memories to inform her choices. This did however trigger Audriy to come up with a query.

 

Caras (as Audriy): Actually, I have a question for you.

 

Audriy was used to asking the questions, so she’d figure she’d get this thing started.

 

Lahl: Oh?

 

Caras (as Audriy): What parts of you do you feel like you’re missing now that i’m out of your head? I remember my Zhian’tara. I avoided it forever. I was too involved in a… ::trailing off::well you know already, why am I telling you this? I just know when I was talking to Jadron and Vedrin. I felt like I was missing so much of myself. But when talking to them it was like I already knew them. I didn’t like the experience only because it let me know how much I relied on them both. With five of us building up your experiences, does it feel to me like your backbone is missing now that I'm out of your head?

 

Audriy’s expressions came across once again on Caras’s face. Far more intense than Caras ever was. Audriy seemed to really be invested in the answer to the question.

 

Lahl: Oh, well, huh…Huh, that’s a good question…

 

Kimonzi rubbed her face and scratched at her spots a bit. What was she missing? Now that she thought about it, She seemed less combative, as she would put it, than usual since the joining.

 

Lahl: I think I’m missing the assertiveness and aggressiveness that you would bring to the courtroom and life.

 

Caras (as Audriy): Aggressiveness and Assertiveness? You could just say you feel less like a bi…

 

Kimonzi jumped in, interrupting the lawyer.

 

Lahl: I was trying to be diplomatic. Vedrin is still in here.

 

Caras (as Audriy): ::laughing::  I suppose without me in there, that’s one of the better options you have.

 

That answer did seem to satisfy Audriy. She wanted to be important. Wanted her present to be felt. If Audriy’s personality wasn’t coming through in some of Kimonzi’s day to day, then that would have hurt her own perception of herself.

 

Lahl: Also…yeah, it does feel like a lot is missing each time one of you is out and about.

 

Caras (as Audriy): This is what i’m talking about. Legacy. I don’t think because there are more of us, it leaves less of a whole. I think each one of us adds to the greater whole that is Lahl. Trill that have aged and wise symbiotes shape our society, make our rules, and are the faces of where we stand in the federation. None of them are perfect beings, but the amount of perspective they have is what suits them for the role. If I’m a part of that, I’ll never be forgotten.

 

Audriy didn’t even need to mention that you essentially get to live on through the ages like this as well. She thought it though. It didn’t bother her as much as her second Zhian’tara. The first where she was not the living host. This was the third time she was playing the role of “ghost” and honestly it became more fun each time.

 

Lahl: That’s an interesting way to see it. That makes sense. Would probably love to be one of those some day.

 

Lahl thought about that for a bit. It would be good to be a leader. She would need to work on her leadership skills, there was only so much a symbiont’s memories could do for her. It was a partnership between the two of them.

 

Caras (as Audriy): Well and with me, rest assured you’ll be a Captain in no time in Starfleet. Sounds like my experience has already gotten you pretty far along. Saving someone's life in a case? That makes an ally for life. You can bet that officer will be looking out for you.

 

Audriy using Caras’s body, finally sat down across from Kimonzi. Seemingly done with the novelty of such a large athletic body. She could feel his presence back there. She figured Kimonzi picked this one for her so that there would be no arguments. This boy in here was a softie and a push over.

 

Lahl: Oh, yeah, Lhandon’s a great guy. He’s working on becoming a diplomat as well, and has already said that if I need anything he’ll help me.

 

Caras (as Audriy): Sounds promising. Make sure to use my skills and experiences as much as you can. Sounds like you’re in a position where there is going to be a lot of trouble. I’ve always liked it when things get a little messy. The opposition always starts to get panicked or lazy and grasps at straws. Only effort and laser focus will be the winning combination to find that answer you need that they missed.

 

Audriy was proud based on the success she had in life. Not all of her skills were universal. A lot of them wouldn’t be applicable to an engineer. But the social skills she had developed were perfect for navigating a bureaucracy like the Federation. Audriy thought Starfleet was a great way for Kimonzi to make a name for herself.

 

Lahl: And they seem to miss it a lot.

 

Caras (as Audriy): your words, not mine. And since we’re apart we know that’s a fact.

 

Lahl: ::laughing:: That is too true I guess.

 

Audriy leaned forward with the green Orion's body. Situating herself for another round of questioning. The questions Kimonzi would choose would tell Audriy quite a bit about Lahl’s current host.

 

Caras (as Audriy): You’re obviously a light more straightforward than Timorzin. What other questions do you have for me?

 

Lahl: Oh, was Timorzin dodgy during his Zhian’tara? 

 

She leaned in conspiratorially. She hadn’t delved too deep into everyone’s memories, and she hadn’t looked at their past Zhian’taras. This would be interesting to hear about one of her past hosts’ feelings and memories.

 

Caras (as Audriy): I mean considering what he was I figure he was trying to make sure he didn’t have a spy in his own head. I feel like he almost saw us all as possible weaknesses at first. But I feel that he really elevated the Lahl symbiote by leaning on us all as a resource.

 

Audriy enjoyed these. It really gave her a preview into the potential of the current host. It was afterall the only place she “came back” to consciousness. She did have a vague awareness of the passage of time and the overall well being of the current host, as well as a handful

 

Lahl: Oh, I can definitely see that. Anyway, what was the biggest regret you had in your career as a lawyer?

 

Caras (as Audriy): Had to go in with one that hurt didn’t you. ::chuckling:: I have no reason to find it and it’s such a sore spot that when we come back together it’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

 

Lahl: Sorry…didn’t mean to hurt you.

 

Caras (as Audriy): ::sighing:: It was the Laz exiling case. It was a real damned if I do, damned if I don’t situation. I’m not sure if you’ve read about it or are vaguely aware of it? It’s one of the cases that really put reassociation back into the Trill public consciousness.

 

Lahl: I’m somewhat familiar with it? At least the facts of the case, it’s one of the classics at the Commission for people to be told about it.

 

Caras (as Audriy): The evidence was stacked against Laz. He and his previous host's lover Vernard had allegedly been caught reassociating. I was trying to get him something, anything other than exilement. Laz was only on its second host! It couldn’t end like this for Laz, the symbiote had so much to live for.

 

Kimonzi sat back in her chair, crossing her legs at the ankle and adjusting her skirt to account for the change. It seemed that this was something that Audriy really wanted to get out of her system and she was going to let her.

 

Caras (as Audriy): It was just a bad position to be in, and I didn’t really see how ugly it was going to be in the public eye. I was fighting for love after all, but I also wanted to win. We even did a rite of emergence. Both hosts agreed. They were still in love with Vernard, and a life without them wasn’t a life worth living. 

 

Lahl: I see. That seems like it would be a hard road to go down.

 

Caras (as Audriy): To be clear here. I don’t regret taking the case. If anything, it won me some powerful allies. What I regret is not doing more for them. Not reaching out for help, not getting them protections, not fighting harder and making a move for lighter rules on reassociation. Maybe I could have even talked to Starfleet or another organization inside the federation. I could have made more of a change… and I could have protected them.

 

Lahl: What happened? 

 

Caras (as Audriy): They were both killed later that year. They were holding hands when their bodies were found. It was of course prejudice extremists.

 

Lahl: Oh my…I’m so sorry to hear. 

 

Caras (as Audriy):  It’s fine. Actually no it’s not. You were asking me about my regret. That’s it. I was too obsessed with winning the case, to even pivot it into a social win. And when I lost, I just seethed and licked my wounds instead of thinking about them. I never made a mistake like that again, but I never once got the opportunity to represent an exile case ever again either. Not in the rest of my career.

 

Lahl: I see. Thank you for sharing that with me. That’s…wow. Thank you.

 

[End Scene]