Human. Deformed.”
The students laughed.
The Commander turned to the guards. “You are dismissed tonight. Be with your families.”
They saluted and left.
“You may leave as well,” she said to her students “Take turns being with your families but be ready. Thank you.”
They departed as well.
“Alright, Kari. I... Wait. Your boots.” She looked towards the door as if to call them back. “Never mind, I will do it.”
She helped Kari sit. Kneeling, she started putting the boots on. “Your name is Thort. You have been injured that is why you cannot talk. You are male and old. Do you understand?”
Kari wiggled her right foot in Syll’s hands.
“Good. Stop wiggling.” Kari kept moving her foot around. “Human, stop fidgeting. There. Now the other. Stop wiggling! Yes, now, can you stand?”
Kari tried to bounce up but still needed Syll’s assistance.
“Very well. Let us proceed with this madness.”
Their progress was slow. Kari shuffled along with Syll’s help. Eventually, they approached a door with guards. Syll blanked the Human’s vision and hearing. She took Kari’s elbow through the robe and nodded towards the guards. The doors opened and she led Kari out onto the patio. She looked around to make sure that anyone who should be veiled was. Even she wore a veil here. Then she allowed Kari to see and hear.
Romulans filled the courtyard. A small group of musicians provided a gentle soundscape. Children scampered after each other. Smells of food wafted around them. Only the members of the Tal Shiar were veiled. The families relaxed together, some laughing, some listening to the music, some eating. The courtyard was alive with people.
She felt Kari startle then attempt to sidle next to her.
“It is alright, Thort,” she whispered. “We are all friends here. Friends and their families.”
Kari tried to step backwards.
It seemed to Syll that only she saw the danger in this exercise. The danger to Kari. Just in case, she had her pad in her pocket. She hoped she would not need it. Myryath hovered nearby. Donle gravitated slowly towards them as he filled a plate with food.
“Come, Thort. We are so glad you have recuperated from your injuries enough to join us today.”
She tried to pull Kari along. But the Human refused to move, shivering violently. A few people looked in their direction. They couldn’t afford to make a scene.
“Look, over there, Welan and Jhynif. They have found a quiet corner for us by the fountain. We will be very well taken care of there.”
Syll positioned herself in front of Kari then realized that the Human could not see her face. The situation was deteriorating very badly very quickly. Kari’s knees began to buckle.
Myryath started to glide towards them. Donle wandered a little closer as he ate from the plate. Welan and Jhynif beckoned. Then slowly, Kari took a step towards them. Syll thanked the Stars of Wisdom and gradually led her to where they were.
“Welcome, Thort,” Welan said.
“Yes, welcome,” Jhynif repeated. “You are most welcome.”
Kari sank down onto the small bench facing the fountain.
“We can enjoy the calmness of the pool and the flowers here,” Jhynif said. “So very beautiful. Please, Thort, I hope you will enjoy.”
Syll felt the shivering abate. Kari’s breathing quieted. Syll felt most of her own tension slip away, relieved her fears had not been realized. They both enjoyed the tranquility here. The music floated from behind them. Most of those present stayed away. If anyone came too close, Syll would attenuate the Human’s hearing and vision. The students would bring small drinks to let Kari taste through a straw. Syll wondered when last Kari had experienced the outdoors for any length of time. As far as she could tell, the Beloved Nephew always kept her within his palace. She didn’t think Kari would try to escape even without their elaborate precautions. However, the Human had begun exhibiting erratic behavior. And as the Tal Shiar saying went: Hope should be the last step in preparation, not the first.
The afternoon eased into evening. A time that Syll loved. Tonight, the warm transition from light to dark seemed especially beautiful. The stars started to appear one by one. For a moment, as they sat together, everything seemed far away.
Someone approached and she turned off Kari’s vision and hearing. The Seigneur and his wife drawing near surprised her. Though the Romulan Commander rose, they didn’t greet her. When they took no notice of her nor the figure next to her, she sat again.
“It is an exceptional night to see and hear the wonderful things on Romulus,” the Seigneur said to his wife.
Syll raised her eyebrows but did as instructed and flipped the vision and hearing on again for Kari. The Human gave no indication that anything had changed. A thin veil covered the Seigneur’s face but no covering veiled the wife.
“Are we safe here, husband?” she asked. She was not Tal Shiar.
“Having all the families here to shelter for a small time while a storm passes is most pleasing.”
“By the Stars of Wisdom, speak plainly, old man. Sometimes I feel as if I’m conversing with a jigsaw puzzle! Are we safe from that madman?”
The Seigneur just laughed. “Yes. It is unfortunate that the families shall miss and continue to miss the company of the Beloved Nephew safely within the compound here.”
“Well, I wish I knew which of your agents found out. Our children, and those children, and the families there, you know he saved us. That madman has been rounding up other families all over Romulus. He is truly insane. You promised me that I could thank your agent personally. I suppose with all your games and whatnot you would not even tell me he was here. You must give him a medal when this is all over. A good one.”
“The agent has graced us with a warning that has saved many of us. We owe a debt of gratitude. Perhaps you would like to pin the medal upon the agent yourself?” He clasped her arm gently. “The Beloved Nephew’s plans are unfortunately for him running into difficulties.”
“I do not find any pity. He is sounding more and more like he wants to go to war with the Federation. Again. Did we just not defeat the Dominion? Are we to suffer such loss of life once more? Can we not have a generation where we are not warring with someone? And now of all times. Why do people follow him? I do not understand. It is madness.” She picked up a stone and hurled it into the fountain.
“War would be catastrophic for both sides,” he agreed wiping some of the water from his clothes. “Not just for us. The Federation would endure terrible casualties as well. Billions would die on both sides. Should the plans of the Beloved Nephew be thwarted somehow, countless souls would be saved, Romulan, Federation, and many, many more, everywhere. The people working to avoid such a cataclysm have the thanks not only of us but should also have the gratitude of the Federation as well.”
“Yes, yes. But who cares about the Federation? They can all die. I hope they do die. I do not care about them. I just do not want our children to grow up in war. The Federation can all die. Especially those Humans. Peculiar creatures. I would exterminate...” The Seigneur guided his wife out of earshot.
If anyone else approached, Syll explained Thort’s injuries and his need to sit quietly. Now that the Seigneur had seen her, she waited for Kari to indicate that she wanted to go back to the cell. It wasn’t long.
The students joined them hours later. The odor of Romulan Ale accompanied them but they didn’t stagger too much.
“Commander Syll,” said Welan. “We should have allowed you to return to the festivities. We are sorry.”
“Do not concern yourselves. I tire easily of that kind of activity.”
“How are you, Kari?” Jhynif asked. “Did you enjoy this evening?”
Kari lay on the bed next to the seated Commander. She had wrapped her arms around Syll’s waist, her face buried against the Romulan’s body. Syll slowly combed Kari’s hair with her fingers.
The Romulan Commander
composed herself. “I know this is a very happy time for you all. You have done very well. Each one of you has excelled in ways that bring honor to yourselves, to me, to Romulus, and to the Tal Shiar. But there are still lessons to be learned.”
She carefully turned Kari so they could see her. Weeping had ravaged the Human’s face. Her eyes were puffed and red, swollen from her tears.
“Kari, what...” Myryath stopped, confused.
Syll allowed Kari to turn her face away from them.
“We have broken every rule the Tal Shiar have ever made, written or unwritten. I am too long your mentor. I have grown oh so proud of you. You have spent too much time together. You have bonded. And we have stayed with a single prisoner for far, far too long. A leash is attached on both ends. These rules have been honed for many years and for good reasons. Tell me what we, and I stress we, since I could have stopped it, what have we done tonight?”
“With the Seigneur’s blessing, we allowed Kari some time outside,” said Donle. “Was that not a good thing? To strengthen her? Renew her?”
Syll remained silent. Then they spoke.
“We showed her freedom.”
“We showed her family and children and friends.”
“All the things we took from her and will keep her from forever.”
“To be replaced with these four walls and the care of the Beloved Nephew.”
The students were silent. Syll stroked Kari’s long hair.
“Kari,” Myryath whispered. “I once said I would hurt you only if it was necessary. I have hurt you when it was