Snap Back to Reality

"Cerina... I give you my word... I know nothing."  Her mother's words echoed through her head as the survivors of the Tokyo, as well as the security detail headed by Sub-Braize Fiet Varitic, headed towards the transporter room.  Maybe it was true.  Maybe her mother knew nothing.  Maybe Cerina was just being paranoid.  But she remembered something her father once told her, long ago.  "Even paranoid people have enemies."

One thing was for certain.  The Bartokian Fleet Command was going to find this very interesting.  Something was amiss.  Cerina couldn't put a finger on what.  But she knew something was off.

Before they took the crew members of the Tokyo, Cerina and Fiet bounced a few questions off them.  Attempting to see what they could learn.  They didn't get much from Jones, but in all honesty, Cerina wasn't expecting much.  Jones was only an XO; Carruthers had been the captain of the Tokyo.  It didn't stand to reason that Jones would have much to contribute.

Cerina did find two things unusual.  The first was that Jones refused to let his crew members be questioned.  Cerina hadn't even really considered it, until he adamantly refused to let them be questioned.  Why?  What were they hiding?  Did they know something that he didn't?  Perhaps one of them would tell a different story.  Secondly, Jones seemed to be in a hurry to leave.  True, Terrans and Bartokians were not the close allies that they once were.  But still, the Bartokians had not threatened the Tokyo survivors in any way.  They had given them medical attention.  While they had not been given free reign of the ship, they hadn't been confined to a specific place, either.  Yet, Jones almost seemed... panicky?  As if he couldn't get off this ship fast enough.  Again... why?  All of Jones' answers reminded Cerina of her mother's.  Not lies... but not necessarily the truth.  More ignorance than deception.

Cerina would have preferred to question the crew in more detail.  But, that would have been akin to admitting that they were prisoners.  And that was an issue that she wanted to avoid.  So, with a true reluctance, that led them to where they were now, entering the main transporter room, preparing to beam the Tokyo crew to the DeSoto.  The transporter was being manned by Cerina's own ops chief, Janni Ghinta.  Ghinta glanced over to her commanding officer.  "We have coordinates from the DeSoto."

Cerina nodded.  But, just before she could give the command to energize, one of the Tokyo crew spoke.  Directly to her.

He was a lieutenant, by his ranking pips.  The one who had refused medical treatment, according to CMO Trishel Volari.  His sudden words surprised his own crew members.  And it certainly had Cerina's undivided attention.  When he dropped the bombshell about Starfleet's involvement in the battle, Cerina's blood ran cold.

I was right, she thought.  It was a set-up.  She had been about to add something when the lieutenant dropped another bombshell.  He requested asylum.

This was touchy, indeed.  How would Starfleet react to one of its crew members defecting to the Bartokians?  What would the two Starfleet vessels do?  Still... Cerina needed more answers.  And this lieutenant seemed to have a few.  She took a step forward.  "Very well, Lieutenant.  On behalf of the Bartokian fleet, we grant you asylum aboard the Dinaqa."  She turned to Varitic, who looked as stunned as anyone else.  "Sub-Braize Varitic, would you please escort the lieutenant to quarters.  Braize Ghinta, beam the remaining crew members to the DeSoto."  Before any of the other Tokyo crew members could react, they vanished in a cascade of blue light.

Cerina tapped her communications badge.  "Korishma Blail."

"Raise shields.  Set a course for the Bartok system, maximum warp.  And get a secure channel to Fleet Command."