A little calmness in a sea of trouble

Posted on 03 Dec 2016 @ 4:44pm by Lieutenant JG Braxton MacKenzie & Petty Officer 1st Class T'Lin

2,298 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 12 - Recluse
Location: Detention cell Alpha Klingon ship
Timeline: MD02 - Late

T'Lin helped were she could those that were she could. Overall she was in good health and uninjured which was much more then she could say of the others.

There had been little medical help and little she could offer but a word and a touch. She sort of mind melded when she needed to to draw or block pain.

She spotted her superior officer sitting in a corner looking absolutely miserable. She sat down next to him. "You look like you are in pain, are you hurt?"

Braxton opened his eyes. He was pale and tired and something felt off. He looked at T'Lin. "I'm...okay. The gash in my leg stopped bleeding." He looked at the plate of food the Klingons had given them, it more resembled slop. He pushed it aside feeling nauseous. "I'm just tired and restless. His hand shook as he pushed the plate farther. The smell was not helping.

T'Lin was not a medic but the gash looked like it was no longer quite a concern. "There is something more. If you do not mind, I can help with pain and fatique. It requires a mind meld though."

He gave a nod.

T'Lin touched her chiefs head on either side and said the standard, "My mind to your mind, we are one." Being Temple trained she could establish the connection quite easily. As she merged thoughts with him she realized what was going on. This was more then just the capture and destruction of the ship, it was the reason why he was restless and sleepless as he claimed.

"It is the time for you."

Honestly not even thinking of what time. He seemed confused a moment. "Time?"

"Pon farr, the time of mating, the urge. We must do something about it given the current situation."

Braxton sighed. He had hoped he'd been spared this. "It's fine. Right now I have no wishes to do anything about it. I'll be fine." His eyes traveled the crowded cell to rest on Jonas who was tending to a wounded crewman with a tricorder.

Braxton drew his knees up and closed his eyes as he leaned his had against the wall. He figured he had a broken rib or two but nothing could be done. He sighed again and opened his eyes looking at T'Lin. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

T'Lin shook her head. "No you will not be 'fine'. While I am sure the Klingons would be amazed at a full plak tow it is not what is needed. I believe I can suppress this for a bit of time. It will not last indefinitely though."

"If you don't...how long until I am in plak tow?" He asked.

"It is hard to judge exactly for you since you are not full Vulcan. A few days to maybe a week."

He sighed, "All...alright. This would not be the place to go through it. Anything you can do to help."

"There is a technique very similar to a Fullara. The consequences are if you have someone close you may forget that." T'Lin was very solemn now. "It is one reason for the plak tow and the reason that this technique works. It is not permanent but I can not tell you how long it will be before the memories and the situation surface again. Months to years."

Braxton looked horrified. His eyes traveled to Jonas. Could he risk it..."No. I will take my chances if you can help me with suppression of emotions....that would do."

"That would be something akin to the Kolinahr. I am not an adept at that ritual having only been present and partially followed the path. I can try but again must warn you that I cannot predict the consequences."

"Let's try it," Braxton said.

"Very well," T'Lin replied and then shifted even closer. "Close your eyes," she said reaching for his head to make the required meld. "Your mind to my mind, your breath is my breath, your heartbeat is my heartbeat, we are becoming one...."

Braxton felt the pull of T'Lin's mind. He felt the scene before him shift from the Klingon ship to dessert landscape. He recognized it immediately, it was Vulcan. He took a deep breath feeling the heavier air as if it was caressing his skin, off in the distance he saw a looming white structure. He smiled. It was a temple. Sighing and smiling he headed towards it.

==
She saw the figure crossing the landscape and waited, calm as the rocks that framed the Temple. As the man approached she raised a hand in greeting.
"Traveler, welcome to the Temple of P'jara. Though I perceive that you are not quite alone. I also perceive that you are troubled. Is that why you have come?"


"Ah, T'lin sent you. She was here many years ago and it is she you guides you on this journey. Well then Seeker," the priestess changed the title. "What you seek lies inside and I will help you but first..." she nodded her chin toward a bell hung high above the entrance way. "You must ring that to ask." The bell was too high to touch and the face of the wall steep and there was no clapper, no rod, no mechanism that was present.

T'Lin whispered in Brax's mind. "It is a test."

Braxton studied the ringer. "What do I do?" He asked T'Lin

"Oh it took me a few hours but I realized all I had to do was throw a rock at the thing."

He grabbed a rock and tossed it up hitting the button head on. "Piece of cake...when you have someone giving you the answers." He said to T'Lin in his mind with a chuckle. He felt his body calming just being here. Vulcan had always had that effect on him.

The priestess made a small nod of the head and then saluted, "Be welcome Traveler. I am T'Pria, come," she said turning and not watching to see if he followed or not. "Refresh yourself first for the dessert is harsh and hot." T'Pria moved as though she glided then walked and lead the way to a smaller chamber off the main Temple area. Various fruits were laid out but the container sitting on the low table held only water. T'Pria gestured briefly before taking a seat. She waited for the man to partake and speak.

Braxton took a drink and settled in. He was used to the harshness of Vulcan. He missed it. In fact he was very much thinking of returning to Vulcan. For the first time in years he was thinking of hanging up his Starfleet hat. He looked over at the priestess and waited.

T'Pria folded her legs and took a seat but it was so graceful and controlled it seemed as if she floated down rather than sat. She waited until he had a chance to taste and drink and then looked deep into his eyes.

"You wish to avoid the Pon farr at this time. Wherever your body is, it is not possible then am I correct?"

Braxton smiled. "Yes. T'Lin thought this might be a good way to do it."

"Ah, so T'Lin suggested this. She is me and I am her. She is reaching deep into her own past then and what she is suggesting is a suppression of emotion of the time. It is possible, after all those of us that have chosen this life would not be of service if we were subject to that drive. Still, while it is possible you are not ready for the way of Kolinar. Thus, I must warn you that if we take you down that path for a bit, there is a price in that when the emotions return they will be triply intense. You understand this?"

Braxton gave a nod. "I just need time." He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. "How do we do that?"

T'Pria made the briefest of nods and then as gracefully stood and moved a heavy curtain out of the way. It revealed the desert landscape of the Forge and she made a motion for Braxton to come join her.

"Here, contemplate the desert, the nuances of the heat waves, the swirl of sand, see if you will the subtle changes in a landscape that seemingly never changes." She moved behind him and touched her hands to head. "See the ripples in the sand, loose yourself and forget all else but what you see."

Having been big on meditating he loved this part of it. He closed his eyes and took some steadying calming breaths. "Alright. I can do this." He focused his sighed on what was before him and allowed his breathing to become deep. His eyes were drawn to the tiniest grain of sand and even though he could not see it physically he saw it in his mind and that calmed him. The little grain carried by the wind. All else melted away. His hands, which only shook a while ago, now steadied.

T'Pria's voice lingered like a whisp of thought in the back. "Let go, let go of everything become one with the wind, the sand, the movement of the great long cycle of time, let all feeling drain away and flow away, drift away on wind and sand and feel nothing but calmness."

Braxton felt his control coming back. This was what he needed. It wasn't a permanent solution but it would do.

Slowly T'Pria removed her hands and then her face seem to melt to be replaced by T'Lin's face and she nodded. "It is done."

Braxton blinked a few times as T'Lin disconnected the link. He looked at her. "What's done?"

There was almost, almost a play of a smile. "Tell me do you feel restless, do you feel that sort of itch that pulls at your thoughts?"

Braxton raised his eyebrow at her. "Pull to what?"

Again that almost a smile. "Your emotions are suppressed and with it the Pon farr. For how long I do not know, I am not that skilled. Hopefully long enough but again remember when they return it will be stronger."

"I see, well then I shall make the most of it." The little sojourn into his mind had, had more of an effect then they both knew. "And you are...my mate?" He asked. "Yes...I remember now. You are my mate. I remember the pretty white hair."

T'Lin shook her head. "No, I am not. I was only your guide on your journey."

Braxton looked at her. "Um...okay..." He stood up feeling a bit confused. "Where are we again?" He asked looking around.

"We are in a rogue Klingon brig currently after the destruction of the Galileo," T'Lin replied. She was concerned that perhaps the suppression had become more a Fullara. A whipping away of memories.

"Oh." He shrugged. "Well then I guess we can meditate until things settle. The logical thing to do is wait and see how things play out."

T'Lin was a bit puzzled still. This was not how things were supposed to happen. "I would suggest that logic dictates that meditation is not the appropriate way right now." She could hear the sounds of conflict arising around her. "I would suggest that logic dictates that we use what training we have to help our fellow comrades."

"Ahhh but there is always a calmness that must be brought to conflict. We are Vulcans. We are above petty teeth breaking." Braxton looked up at T'Lin. "Come, fellow Vulcan. Sit and meditate with me..." Just then a Klingon stumbled from the fight and knocked into Braxton.

Braxton stood and with one punch knocked the Klingon out. "Now as I was saying..."

T'Lin shook her head. "The way of peace is usually the most logical path, but sometimes we must march under the banner of the raptor," T'Lin cited the ancient Vulcan saying. "I would say in this case, logic dictates that the raptor is most appropriate here. "I suppose there is not time like the present to teach you some Suus Mahna." T'Lin also knew Tal-shaya but that was something left to the most desperate of times.

Braxton gave a nod. "I will follow your lead." He stood.

One guard was engaged with one of the crew and T'Lin stepped forward and with clinical precision found the nerve cluster. She squeezed but not quite enough to drop the Klingon, but it was enough to freeze him up. She then described what to look for, and what to do. She released her grip and said, "Now you try,"

Braxton picked a Klingon at random who seemed to be throttling a crew member. He followed her instructions to the letter and the Klingon went down. He observed what was going on around him. Sighing he looked at T'Lin. Stepping close he spoke to her. "I somehow think we are fighting a loosing battle."

"Logic would dictate that, they have the numbers and the weapons, but still logic would indicate we do what we can to ensure that others are not hurt."

He sighed. Before he could say something he saw one of the Klingons swing at T'Lin and he pulled her behind him taking the blow in the shoulder. He recovered and knocked the Klingon on his butt. He turned to T'Lin. "Are you alright?"

"Other than dignity as some humans would say, I am otherwise fine." T'Lin got up and then nodded, "Let us enter the fray and help our comrades."

Braxton gave a nod.

---
PO2 T'Lin
Biochemistry Science Officer
(NPC Allyndra illm Warraquim)
USS Galileo

&

Lt. JG Braxton MacKenzie
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

RSS Feed