Guardians

Posted on Sun Aug 12th, 2012 @ 11:14pm by Lieutenant Norval Tigan & Lieutenant Eric Edwards

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Tigan's Quarters / Piper Medical

=^= Lieutenant Tigan’s Quarters =^=

Norval had heard from Doctor Harding not even an hour ago he realized as he glanced at the chronometer. Less than an hour and he was already pacing back and forth in his quarters, just about ready to scream at the person whose image was displayed on the monitor.

“The fact remains that the Symbiosis Commission has already reviewed Ian Leyva for joining and found him to be an unsuitable candidate.”

“Because no Trill has ever been rejected and then turned out to be a remarkable host,” Norval replied sarcastically, about the only way he could hold in the anger at having to even explain the logic… aw crap, there Sakkath was, rubbing off him again… of the preparations they needed to make. “Oh wait,” he added with mock surprise, “that actually has happened!”

Doctor Vidic on the other end of the communication scowled, knowing full well that Jadzia Dax had shattered that particular barrier more than two decades prior.

Norval exhaled when Vidic didn’t bother to reply, resting his hands on the desk in front of the terminal and looking exasperated. “Look, there are only three other Trill on this station. Lieutenant Aliso and I are both already joined, leaving Ensign Leyva as our only option. For the sake of the symbiont, we need to prepare him for joining.”

Vidic turned away for a moment. “You can’t know how long Doctor Bren has to live. It may be days.”

“It may also be hours,” Norval countered. Uncertainty cut both ways. “I’ve kept up on the Commission’s policy changes since a Tigan last served as field docent.” He didn’t see any need to admit that it was more than a century’s worth of changes since Laylun hosted the Tigan symbiont. Vidic was likely well aware of that already. “I’m going to use what time we have to prepare Ian as best I can.”

“Fine,” the board’s representative relented. “In the interest of the Bren symbiont, you may prepare Ian Leyva for joining.” Norval began to smile, glad Vidic was seeing reason. “In the worst case scenario, that is,” he added, and the smile vanished, turning into something more resembling neutral confusion. “We will still be dispatching a ship with an approved host that the Symbiosis Commission considers more suitable, should Doctor Bren cling to life long enough to avoid that worst case. A Guardian will similarly be dispatched, as the zhian’tara must be performed in either event.”

Norval wanted to fault that thinking, but he knew he couldn’t. The Symbiosis Commission controlled every aspect of the joining in Trill society, and if their candidate arrived in time there would be no point in preparing Ian… But not preparing him would be worse, because the Bren symbiont was not going to die while Norval had anything to say about it.

It was Norval’s turn to relent. “All right,” he said. “You’ll send me the ship’s registry information once the Guardian and prospective host have departed?”

“Certainly. And you will document Ensign Leyva’s assessment and preparation.” It was not a question.

“I recall the operating procedures,” Norval nodded, just wanting this conversation to be over. “If that’s all?” Vidic gave a nod of assent. “Tigan out.”

He tapped the console and closed the channel, heaving a deep sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, shaking the blond looks into an even more tousled state than usual. For just a moment, he caught a reflection in the darkened monitor. Not his own but that of a woman, one whose high and pronounced cheekbones stood out against otherwise soft features of her face, framed with auburn hair falling casually over one shoulder as it began to curl. She, Laylun Tigan, smiled gently in that momentary flash.

Norval let loose one breath of laughter, shaking his head. “Thanks, Tigan,” was all he said as he left his quarters and headed for the nearest turbolift. He was going to need all of Laylun’s patience and experience to get through this.


=^= Piper Medical Center =^=

Lieutenant (j.g.) Edwards was beginning to think that he should have gone into medicine, what with all the time he had spent in Sickbays on this station. There had been the Henry Gray Medical Station during the hangar bay explosion, then guarding Commander Sakkath at Norval’s insistence, and now here he was back in Piper Medical standing watch over Natalia Bren who, despite being a Doctor herself, was slowly dying.

He had heard only sketchy details about what transpired on the planet below, but one facet that everyone seemed to include in their recount was that Cassidy Wilde had physically reached inside of Natalia and accosted the Bren symbiote directly.

He visibly shivered, and then nervously started to scratch his close-cropped goatee as he noticed Ensign Levkova give him a strange look from the opposite side of the door they sentinelled. He had always been careful to avoid Norval’s abdominal pouch during their… activities, and especially didn’t like the idea of someone being able to reach in there – not only because it was probably all kinds of gross, Eric having seen quite a few exposed organs in dead bodies during his time with Security, but also because it meant someone could put Norval in a biobed pretty easily.

In light of that less than pleasant thought, Eric found it very difficult to put an effortless smile on his face as Norval rounded the corner. The result was somewhat more awkward and just noticeably morose.

The Trill Lieutenant stopped next to his favorite Security officer, looking through the transparent aluminum window into Natalia Bren’s intensive care unit. His cold hands brushed up against Eric’s significantly warmer digits, Norval managing a smirk. “Don’t look so excited to see me,” he joked in a whisper.

Opening his mouth to answer, Edwards was interrupted as Aleksandra suddenly took a step forward. “I’m going to find a replicator and grab a coffee, if you can handle things here, E. Want anything?”

“The same, black,” he replied with a grateful smile. “Thanks, Aleks.” As she vanished down the opposite end of the corridor and gave them some fleeting privacy, Eric returned his attention to Norval. “I am happy to see you, you know. It’s just… I was thinking,” he admitted, turning to face into Natalia’s room with him, “about what I’d be doing if you were in sickbay like that.”

“Packing me into a shuttle and making for Trill, I hope,” Norval said, surprisingly seriously. This whole situation, compounded with his recollections of Connor saving the Jora symbiont, had left him contemplating his own mortality of late. “There are four Trill on this station. Three are already joined, one of whom is dying, and the fourth is Bren’s only hope for continuity.” His eyes drifted back towards his partner and away from the source of all this drama. “I can’t tell you how lucky we are to have Ian as an option. Even putting the symbiote in stasis, it’s a long way to the homeworld from here. So much can go wrong.”

Eric said nothing, instead simply wrapping his hand around Norval’s waist. The Trill settled into the embrace for a moment before patting his left hand on Eric’s shoulder. “I’m going in for a bit. I doubt I’ll get anything from her, but I need to spend a few minutes with the symbiont I’m supposed to be preparing Ian for.”

“Okay,” the Security officer said simply. “I’ll be right out here if you need anything.”

Norval smiled in response, and vanished behind the doors that separated Natalia Bren from the rest of Sickbay. Outside, Eric resumed his usual posture, waiting for Aleks to come back with their coffees while also representing Tac/Sec as best he could. In fact, he was so focused for the moment that he almost jumped when his communicator chimed.

“Lieutenant Edwards, this is CPO Ganesh.”

Eric tapped his badge in response. “Edwards,” he said simply.

”Commander Zeferino has assigned you to a protection detail on Ensign Leyva. He’s due to become the new host of the Bren symbiont.”

That’s considerate of her, Eric thought initially, smiling. It meant he could spend his on-duty hours with Norval while the joined Trill trained the new host. “Understood,” he replied, “can I expect relief at Doctor Bren’s bedside?”

“Crewman Pechota is already on his way. Ganesh out.”

Eric folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the bulkhead. Hopefully, by the time Norval was done with Natalia his relief and his coffee would be here, and then they could retreat to Norval’s quarters… if he didn’t need to see this Ian right away. Having not earned enough seniority to secure his own private quarters, Eric had gotten very comfortable in Norval’s. But those few moments before they spent every waking one with Ian Leyva, soon to be Ian Bren, would be oh so very worth it.

Grinning easily for the first time in a while, he was content to wait.

_________________________
Lieutenant Norval Tigan
Assistant Chief of Operations

&

Lieutenant (j.g.) Eric Edwards
Security Officer