The Interrogation of Dr. Mila Tahain

There was no point in asking why they wanted it or war with whom. It was fairly obvious they were trying to pit Cardassia against Bajor with the Federation in the middle. And why, if Section 31 purported to always be serving the best interests of the Federation? Profit? A more secure foothold in this part of the galaxy? The death rattle of the Cardassian Empire? But after the Dominion War, the Federation could barely afford to man its ships and stations.

Questions flashed quick as lightning through T'Pren's busy mind, but her face remained impassive and business-like. She regarded the Cardassian, feeling a little less uneasy now that Rai had stopped. "Do you have the means to contact this man?"

She still held back on her personal questions. Starfleet first, T'Pren second. It was agonizing.

"I don't, he always contacted me. I can give you the sub space frequency, but that's all I have." Rai had relented, giving Tahain the time she needed to pull herself off the floor.

Since the Commander hadn't said anything in a while, T'Pren didn't bother to check in with him before driving things home. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, her back perfectly straight despite the angle.

"Would you like to live?" the lieutenant wondered of the Cardassian, and though the question had a threatening edge to it, it was, at its heart, sincere.

"There's nothing left for me to live for, at this point," said Tahain. "The government of Bajor will hold me accountable, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"That's not the question I asked," T'Pren corrected, her voice almost gentle once again. "Do you want to try to live? If you thought you could, would you want to live?"

"Yes," she spat. "I would like to live."

There was an almost serene clearing up of emotion in T'Pren at that, something that might feel a little like closure, or at least a certain amount of new-found peace.

"I will speak for you," she told the Cardassian doctor, her expression losing its edge so that it was almost entirely earnest. "I will be your advocate to the Federation and to the Bajorans. I will be an advocate for your men as well. I swear on my fathers that I will fight for leniency."

The young lieutenant sat back then, a little of that aloofness returning to her visage. "In exchange, I want the subspace frequency...but I also want whatever information you have on the Obsidian Order experiments on children. I want to know what was done to me and why. I want to know why the Order came after my fathers and me specifically. I want to know what happened to the other children. And I want the location of the base where we were kept. And for these things, I will fight for you."

Rai had let her speak up to this point, knowing that it would be, in it's own way, therapeutic for her. His head swiveled quickly in her direction.
"Lieutenant?"

T'Pren could feel her body heating up just from the thought of what the commander might have to say about her offer, and when he actually looked at her and questioned her, she couldn't keep a flush of very, very light green from invading her cheeks. But her expression was resolute when she turned her head to face him. She very, very clearly wanted and needed to continue with her conditional mercy, but there was just enough lift in her brows and begging in her eyes to let Rai know that he could command her not to do so at any time.

"I don't know that I can give you the satisfaction," said Dr. Tahain.

"It's a generous officer, Doctor," he said, continuing to peak his brows at the Lieutenant.

T'Pren didn't have time to look grateful for Rai's letting her play this out because her attention was turned abruptly back to the Cardassian in surprised suspicion. It could mean many things...and the half-Vulcan wasn't sure which one she preferred. Xenophobic bigotry? One last power play? Total lack of actual knowledge?

"What do you mean?" she asked guardedly.

Rai stood up from his chair.
"Lieutenant. I think we've heard enough for the time being. Let's give the good doctor some time to rest, and some time to consider your extremely generous offer. In fact, I believe we should all have some time to think this over. Thank you, Doctor."

It took nearly everything in T'Pren not to protest and Rai could probably feel every bit of that struggle. Instead, she swallowed it, and with an appraising last look at the caged Cardassian doctor, followed the commander's suit.

Her face returned to its impassive quality, but inside those captive emotions were finding ways through and bursting forth at high pressure. Her gaze stayed carefully on Rai. She would do what he wanted her to do, as she said she would.

Rai pulled T'Pren out of the room.
"Are you really going to defend her? Are you sure? I'll back you up, but I want you to be sure of what you're getting yourself into."

The second they're out of sight and hearing for the Cardassians, T'Pren's Vulcan demeanor fell apart, leaving her green-faced and taking in deep breaths. And despite her frustration and her feelings about whether or not her offer was even going to be accepted, she still maintained that strange newfound peace.

"I won't defend her innocence," she appealed with passionate sincerity, "because she is guilty. But I have no desire to see her executed and I will face anything the Federation or the Bajorans require to spare her life, if that's what she wants." Her features twisted slightly, a pleading tilt her her brows: "Sir, I need that information one way or the other, but this is the way I'd rather get it."

T'Pren glanced back toward the room and dropped her voice considerably, "Frankly, sir, I'd have fought to spare her life anyway."

"It's the right thing to do, and I'm glad you're doing it. I'll have your back," he said.
In the light Rai looked sallow and wan.
"I think I need to eat something. That really took it out of me."

There was a swell of gratitude both emotionally and visibly in T'Pren at Rai's support. Her lips tugged up slightly at the corners and then twitched between a soft smile for the present moment and the rush of withheld feelings from the interrogation room. Her expression clearly said thank you even though she didn't manage to make her lips do it. Instead, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she studied her CO, and if he let her, she reached up with the same sort of finesse of movement she used when touching his leg earlier. This time, though, her fingers parted to make that tell-tale Vulcan symbol and T'Pren placed her warm fingertips ever-so-gently against the Betazoid's temple and cheek.

Her focus was intense and her breathing dramatically slowed as she pulled as much of the burden into herself as her limited skills and her commander's willingness allowed.

He placed a flat palm over her hand.
"You're very kind," he said, and felt the screaming storm in his mind briefly swell, and then disburse.
"You shouldn't do that, though. It's dangerous. You take on enough already."

For once, T'Pren didn't react uncomfortably to being touched, and until the Commander decided to let go of her hand, she wasn't going to remove it. What she did take in of Rai's pain is carefully diluted in her mind, although she didn't escape without a slight headache and mildly paler skin. But mostly, she seemed okay. So okay, in fact, that she lifted one brow at Rai and gave him a tiny half-smile. "And you don't?"

"That's the life of a Commander," he said with a lopsided smile. "I'm going to go to the Two Moons tonight, and hopefully take a load off. You should rest too, Lieutenant. I know you won't want to, but give it a try."

"It isn't a matter so much of not wanting to rest..." T'Pren admitted wryly. She hesitated for a moment and then confided, "I underestimated how difficult it would be to return to Cardassian architecture."

"I tried to make my quarters look as much like home as I could. Pictures of the ocean, seashells. I brought some plants from the rainforest. If I have to live in it, I at least try to cover it up. Cardassian architecture certainly goes against everything Betazoids value, aesthetically. Have you tried the pleasure gardens? I go there when it gets to be too much."

"Counselor Akhil and I were discussing that option," T'Pren agreed. "But as you saw, I don't have much."

She shook her head as if clearing the discussion from the air. "I'll be fine," she promised. "You should eat and rest. I'll figure something out."

"I hope you do. Staff meeting tomorrow morning, 0600 hours. We have a new officer coming on, she's a Romulan. Brace yourself."