Beginnings

Series by Lt. Torial Alexander

Torial Alexander stared up at the dull, grey ceiling that was his prison cell.  Creature comforts werenÂ’t in the vocabulary when it came to the designs of Starfleet brigs.  Sighing he laid back on the prison cot, wearing the dull grey prisoner suit, his hands clasped behind his head, as the dull humming of the force field that kept him confined inside pulsated through out the brig.  The security officer, looked up at Torial every few minutes, but for the most part left him alone.  Torial on the other hand, just laid there, wondering what would happen to him.

It had been nearly a month since his arrest by Starfleet.  He was captured by the USS Rutledge while escaping a Cardassian/Dominion ambush in the Badlands.  Torial was the only one of his squadron to make it across to the Federation boarder. At first the Rutledge captain had agreed to provide aid and repair his fighter, but after a few days of slow progress, Torial tried to steal one of the RutledgeÂ’s runabouts but only to be thwarted when he couldnÂ’t override the shuttle bay doors.  It was after that, that his true identity had been confirmed by the ships security chief.  Two days later Torial was being held at Starbase 115.

He was told he was being held on charges of desertion, dereliction of duty, sabotage, theft of Starfleet property, damage to Starfleet property, and attempted theft of Starfleet property.  During his time at Starbase 115, he had been in contact with his mother, and she was worried about him, though he could see right through her and knew she was happy that he was alive but angry as hell with him for what he had done, and the anguish he had caused her for leaving for the resistance.  Also, he had been in contact with his advocate, who was his former ethics professor Commander Tovak, a Vulcan. Torial thought that choice was ironic considering Tovak and Torial got into some heated debates during class.  Even though Torial received high marks, he and Tovak rarely saw eye to eye.

Sighing again, Torial rolled off his cot and fell to the floor.  There were only five things one could do in prison when you didnÂ’t have visitors, eat, sleep, read, write, and exercise.  Placing his hands flat on the ground, feet extended all the way out behind him, Torial started doing push ups.  Torial didnÂ’t count how many push ups he had been doing, though a good puddle of sweat was forming on the floor, he didnÂ’t notice the pair of polished boots standing in front of him.

He looked up, slowly from the pair of boots, to crisp, pressed black slacks, forming over a pair of womanly hips. The black and teal tunic uniform of a science officer covered the torso.  Black curls of hair sat on the shoulders of the female officer, her olive toned complexion shined in the light of the brig, her dark black eyes sparkled like hewn onyx stones.  Her sharp nose contrasted with her full lips as she smiled at him warmly, he felt strangely at ease around her for some reason.  Three gold rank pips adorned her tunic collar.

“You remind me a bit of my husband when he was in the brig once on the Enterprise,” her soft voice was smooth and sincere as she spoke to Torial.  She looked at the security officer and nodded looking at Torial as the force field was brought down and she stepped in.

Torial looked at her long and hard as he stood up, grabbing a towel of the rack at the foot of his bed and sat down, drying himself off.  It took him a while to recognize who she was, “Commander Riker, what brings you all the way from the USS Titan to Starbase 115?”

Commander Deanna Riker, ships counselor, first for the Enterprise then moved when she married her husband, Captain William T. Riker, of the USS Titan. Last he heard the Titan was still hanging around still in Romulan Territory.  Like all Betazeds, Commander Riker was striking, beautiful, and very sensual looking, but Torial was long past being taken in by womanly charms.  Nearly a half year of fighting and killing Cardassians and Dominion troops, Torial had little need for female companionship.

“I was asked by Commander Tovak and Starfleet academy at the behest of your mother,” again as she spoke Torial felt at ease.  It was a bit unnerving to have his guard relaxed so easily.  He knew a bit about her, but that was about it, “Apparently, there seems to be some agreement with in the AcademyÂ’s ruling body that you should be let back into Starfleet and continue your studies.”

This wasnÂ’t exactly the response Torial had thought he would get.  He knew that Commander Tovak was a good debater and could come up with countless arguments to get him a lesser sentence, but to be let back into the Academy, that was something Torial thought was beyond the VulcanÂ’s abilities.

“IÂ’m not sure IÂ’m following what you are talking about Counselor.  With everything that I have done, the list of the charges against me, I had assumed I would be spending a good ten to fifteen years in a penal colony in New Zealand,” a sheepish grin crept across his face.

She nodded and crossed her right leg over her left knee and placed her hands neatly across the knee as she rocked back a bit on the cot, “That very may well have been your destination cadet, but the reports submitted by the Rutledge’s captain, security officer, and ships counselor suggested that your actions where clouded by the deaths of your twin sisters.”

“Murder, they were murdered counselor.  They just didnÂ’t die, they were killed in cold blood by a Cardassian that was still living in the glory days of what he thought was the Occupation,” TorialÂ’s eyes flashed with anger as he looked at her, but it wasnÂ’t directed at her.  Slowly his eyes softened but not much as he looked away and stared straight ahead, “Sorry counselor, but youÂ’re right, that is a very sore spot for me right now.  It is still a raw subject for me.  Did you have any brothers and sisters counselor?”

Commander Riker looked at him, carefully studying him before responding, and shaking her head, “No, I was an only child, though, my mother told me while I was still on the Enterprise that I did have an older sister that had died before I was born.  I may not have known what it is you are going through Cadet Torial, but I do remember the anguish and guilt that she felt when she had her breakdown.”

Shaking his head and chuckling at bit, “Counselor, I have no doubt my mother felt the same way your mother did at the lost of her own children.  I on the other hand, I wanted revenge.  I wasnÂ’t there to protect them like I had always been when we went off world with our father to other worlds.  I watched out for them, when they were picked on by other girls or bullies at schools I was there to comfort them, to lift their spirits.  I was their shield and sword commander.  They and I knew the risks when I signed up to join Starfleet.  But we never counted on this war with Cardassia and the Dominion to claim the lives of their innocence.  That Vorta, Weyoun told me that the Cardassian that murdered my sisters was already arrested and executed.  That did little to sooth my emotions.  So I took my own revenge, I killed his family, every last one of them, only I let his children and his grandparents live.  I donÂ’t even know why Starfleet didnÂ’t add the charges of premeditated murder to the docket.”

The counselor just looked at him, any sense of shock or trepidation was clearly masked by her professional demeanor.  Nodding she reached out and placed a hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze, prompting him to react and pull back a bit but didnÂ’t try to remove her hand, “What youÂ’re feeling is natural. That is why I am here Cadet.  IÂ’m here to asses you and see if you are mentally stable to return to active duty.  Though with what IÂ’m seen already you have some issues to work out,” she heard him snort at the comment, “However, if you work with me and the counselors at the Academy and Starfleet Medical, I see no reason why we canÂ’t have you back at the Academy. Though from what Tovak said, you would have to repeat your second year, and Tovak is looking forward to that.  Something about philosophical and ethical debates about murder and revenge,” that last comment made her smile as Torial rolled his eyes. 

Standing up Commander Riker looked at him and smiled warmly, “I know this will be most difficult for you Cadet. Reintegrating, missing graduation with your friends, explaining to them and everyone else what happened in your absence though that last part is up to you to disclose.  I suspect you are looking to get out of your confinement and into your uniform?” She asked as she stepped to the side, her hand pointing outside of his cell, the security officer nodding to Torial.

Slowly, Torial stood up, grabbing his prisoner tunic and took a step out of the cell and onto the deck of the brig, walking side by side with Commander Riker as she and another security officer escorted him to his quarters, “Still not fully trusted huh?” jerking a thumb to his shadow following them.

“I wouldnÂ’t say that, but you are to remain with a security escort at all times, youÂ’ll have limited access to the star base. A shuttle will be sent to pick you, Commander Tovak, and me up by the end of the week. From here weÂ’ll head back to earth for your Court Martial hearing.  DonÂ’t worry, itÂ’s more for show, and youÂ’ll have a chance to address the admiralty about your actions.”

“Well I guess that is something, a least IÂ’ll have a better bed to sleep on. Thank you counselor, for everything youÂ’ve done.  Though IÂ’m sure I have a long road to recovery but IÂ’ll make it work some how,” he smiled and shook her hand before entering his quarters, the security officer taking a post off to the side of the door post.