"Nature vs. Nurture"
Previous Post: "Death and Destruction" by Tallulah
-=/\=-
Stardate: 60325.0153
Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
The USS ANUBIS' Intelligence Liaison Officer stood pacing in her office, the windows into the surrounding IGC having been converted into video screens for the time being. She did not like this one bit… the Cardassians were predictable to the letter, yet here they were, wasting valuable resources on encryption codes better suited to the more paranoid Tal Shair. What this told her was that for some reason the USS MERCURY was of extreme value to them, and that meant the Federation vessel was clearly more than it appeared to be.
She wanted to know, it was her job to know, but regardless of the databank she accessed, the MERCURY seemed to be nothing more than your run-of-the-mill Military ship. There was something going on here, something beyond her… and when it came to Federation clearance there was nothing beyond her. There was only one conclusion to make, either alone or in concert with other vessels, the USS MERCURY was acting independently of the Federation, she only needed now to find out what they were doing and what made them of such interest to the Cardassian Empire.
"Nan'ha?" a young child interrupted, calling for the attention of her mother.
Enaii turned to look at the child and her small furry companion. "You should be in bed."
Talia looked up at her mother with sad eyes. "Capi scared, Nan'ha an Bina no sleep an big crash make her scare."
The Intelligence Operative sighed, she severely doubted that the monkey was the problem. "Talia, the fight is over and the ship is safe. Go back to bed."
The girl whimpered, "But Capi fraid…"
"Capi is too old to be afraid of being alone," the mother snapped, "You should teach her better."
The child looked pitiful, any other person may have picked up the child, but Enaii's own upbringing and parenting methods prevented her from doing so at this point. "Capi no fraid of be alone, Capi fraid of big ship crash… ANUBIS is on fire. People scream and go to sickbay, people die… it burn them live…"
"Talia," Enaii reassured her child, "You and Capi are completely safe. Sabrina and I would never let anything happen to you. No matter what you see in the corridors near Sickbay, we would never let it happen to you. Now go back to bed so that I can get back to work."
The child's head fell, "Capi no fraid Talia get hurt…" she whispered as she turned to leave the room, almost too low for her mother to hear, "Capi fraid Nan'ha an Bina burn…"
Enaii's shoulders fell, what could she say to that? "Talia," she called out to the departing child, "Come back here."
Kneeling down as the sulking child returned, the mother hugged her little girl tightly and ran her hand through the child's silky hair. "Sabrina and I have dangerous jobs Rehei Oaii," she said using the Romulan term of endearment she reserved for only very special occasions, "Sabrina and I might have to die to save many lives, it is our job… but we will not die quietly and we will find another way if there is any other way. Sometimes one life is less valuable than many lives," she finished, not willing to lie to her child or sugar coat the harsh realities of life from her.
"Talia's Life?" the girl questioned, looking innocently into her mother's eyes.
Enaii smiled warmly and a slight tear formed in the corner of her eye before being reabsorbed into her flesh as though it had never existed. "Not Talia's life," she whispered as she pulled her child close again, causing the monkey to climb down the girl's back and onto the floor, "Talia's life is the most important life in the Universe, a thousand lives would be sacrificed before I ever let anything happen to you."
The girl tightly squeezed her mother in return, "I jol 'au Nan'ha," the child whispered.
"I jol 'au Ta-ha'lia," Enaii replied, "Hwiiy rhe oaii… Oaii."
The child smiled and pushed away from her mother. "I go bed now, Capi no fraid anymore."
Enaii stood and paused for a moment. "How about you stay here tonight?"
-=/\=-
Lisa Mac Isaac {lisa_mac_isaac@hotmail.com}
Writing the hopes, dreams and future of:
Lieutenant Commander Enaii - Intelligence Liaison Officer 2005 post #325
USS ANUBIS
And if you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured that the fault is in yourself.
~~Chief Tecumseh 1813
