Separated no longer

Posted on Tue Nov 16th, 2021 @ 5:15am by Lieutenant Marina Tanger & Lieutenant Kasey Tanger
Edited on on Wed Nov 17th, 2021 @ 1:35am

Mission: The Riixian Insurection
Location: Brig
Timeline: After arrival aboard the Leto

{ON}

Marina sat in the brig feeling pretty alone, with her abilities inhibited she couldn’t feel, or sense anything at all, which for a Betazoid was torture in itself. She almost leapt out of her skin as someone appeared outside the cell, she was used to feeling people approaching. “Something I can do for you?”

"You need to know that I am here because I am the Diplomatic Officer and thus need to make sure you are treated with all the rights of a Prisoner of War." Tanger stated. "I am to make sure you are not starved to death, nor die from dehydration. Also to make sure you are treated for any medical issues you have outside of the inhibition of your natural Betazoid abilities."

Tanger scanned Monroe with a tricorder to determine what her medical status was. He saw the inhibitor working in her system but he noticed a trace of something in her DNA that made him think. Betazoids don't normally have twins and when they do have twins there is a DNA link that only the other twin will have and normal Betazoids don't have that. This small trace was found in his DNA but he was never told he had a twin sibling. This small bit of DNA allowed twins to be on constant communication just from being near one another.

"Do you have co-conspirators that will be coming for you?" Tanger asked. "Just where do your loyalites lie?" Tanger knew she had been to Starfleet Academy and that she was commissioned as a Ensign and assigned to active duty but she left Starfleet on her choosing.

“Where do my loyalties lie?” Marina looked at the man in front of her. “My loyalties lie with my people! Speaking of which what happened to those on the other ship’s? My adoptive parents are amongst them, I need to know that they’re alright...please.” She sighed. “You’re a Betazoid, you know what it’s like wearing one of these things!” She ran her fingers over the inhibitor. “It’s torture! Surely it could be adjusted to just give me some input?”

"No, I don't know what it is like to where an inhibitor, I do know what it is like to have my mind flooded with so many thoughts that it makes me pass out and wake up not wanting to think, thanks to your people's actions." Tanger replied. "I will not have it adjusted. I am here merely to see you are getting the rights of a prisoner of war. I am a Betazoid and I lost my parents. I also have a strange feeling about you. I have studied your records and you were once in Starfleet. What made you leave?"

Marina sighed. “I didn’t leave, I’m on suspension, as they put it, until such time as my outspoken views are curbed. Starfleet don’t like having people who are willing to stick up for what they believe in!” She paused and gazed at Tanger. “For what it’s worth I was one of those who minds affected your ship, but I don’t go for killing people, I can disable but I refuse to do permanent harm. As for you, I sensed someone onboard who seemed to...stand out to me, without my senses I can’t be sure but...” She gave him a curious look. “There’s something about you, I wish I knew what.”

"You are outspoken but Starfleet does allow you to stand up for your personal beliefs but they don't have to support your point of view." Tanger replied. "As for your display of power, you hurt a lot of people and some of them are still in recovery. I was one of the last to succumb to the weapon you used, but you have something of an odd reading in your bioscan. Do you have any siblings?" Tanger asked due to the DNA trace.

Marina shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, I’m adopted. According to my parents they found me in an orphanage, they fostered me to start before finally deciding to adopt me.” She gave Tanger a curious look. “You must be pretty strong to have lasted all that time against us, I sensed someone standing out amongst the crowd, could it have been you I picked up on? If it was, then why?”

Kasey was getting tense, but he was not sure why. "I was always very strong with my telepathic abilities. I was reading others minds when I was very young. I know that Betazoid twins, while very rare, do have heightened telepathic abilities due to sharing the womb with their sibling. Also, even more rare for Betazoid twins would be to have fraternal twins and then even more rare would be a opposite sexed twins. However, all Betazoid twins give off a marker that would be unique for that pair." Kasey was starting to realize something. He had a marker that would say he was a twin but yet he was an only child that he was aware of. And to complicate things, the marker that showed up on the scans of Marina, seemed to point to the same issue. "I need to be excused for a moment and I will return as I know you won't be going anywhere."

Tanger exited the brig.

Marina watched Kasey go, as the door closed behind him she hung her head. There was something about him she knew that but with her abilities blocked she couldn’t rely on her senses to tell her what she wanted to know. She started pacing going over the various what if’s, turning to face the door again as it reopened.

After about thirty minutes, Tanger returned, "I think you and I have more in common than you and I want to admit."

Marina studied Tanger for a moment, there was something she couldn’t explain. “I don’t have my abilities with this...blasted inhibitor on! But...” she moved closer to the forcefield and looked into his eyes. “Are you...my brother?”

"What makes you say that?" Tanger asked in response.

Marina shrugged her shoulders. “I felt a connection here before I even stepped onboard, then you were talking about twins...I just...” She shook her head unable to explain.

"I never really thought of it until I got a medical work up for this ship when I was told I had an odd marker in my DNA. I looked up the marker and it is that of Betazoid Twins. I never gave a second thought as I was sure it was an error, until now." Tanger stated. "Apparently my parents wanted to keep the fact they had twins under wraps as we were born off Betazed and your kidnapping was an attempt to gain leverage in a diplomatic situation. The kidnappers never returned you and so mom and dad factored you were likely already either sold into slavery or killed as they could never get any leads on your location."

“All I know is that I was left at an orphanage” Marina sighed. “My parents couldn’t have children of their own so they adopted me. When I was old enough to understand they told me I was adopted, I just figured my parents either died, or they gave me up. If I’d have known about you...”

"Well, I am not sure about how to process this." Tanger replied. My parents never mentioned I had a sister or that I had a twin sister on top of that. I did not want believe the rumors I heard from the staff growing up. Apparently the diplomats that were my parents, sorry our parents, were assigned to a hostile sector where they were in the middle of intense diplomatic sessions to bring peace to a long dispute. They conceived us while on their mission and were still there when we were born. I know that on my birthday, there was a raid and the nursery where I was had been attacked. The nanny grabbed me and pretended I was her baby and not who I was. I guess another nanny grabbed you but they did not believe her and took you. I know from reports that there were two nannies and two nurses that were on my parents, I mean our parents. staff and I know one of the nannies died in the raid. So that must be because I had a sibling and thus the nanny who grabbed you was killed as they figured you were the baby of the diplomats and that the other nanny just brought her baby to work with her hence you were taken and I was not. I am getting a headache thinking about this."

“Imagine how I feel” Marina was looking pretty shellshocked by the whole thing. “Are our parents...alive? If they are I’d like to see them. That’s if I’m not incarcerated in a Starfleet high security prison first!”

"I am sorry to say that all of my family outside of a few cousins and one aunt are all deceased." Kasey replied. "I have never met my cousins and my aunt is running my estate on Betazed. I was left an estate Betazed but have only ever been there a handful of times. My parents were not fond of being on Betazed as they loved the traveling and I guess that is what made me want to join Starfleet. I took courses in engineering and psychology but diplomacy was my deepest desire and that is why I became who I am. I am sure once you get adapted to life outside of your confinement, you and I can sit down and do more mental recall."

Marina nodded and offered a brief smile. “I’d like that, I guess it all depends on what will happen to me, I know one thing I owe you an apology.” She paused to massage her temples she had a headache that didn’t seem to want to shift. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, no...actually at the time, I did, but not to permanently harm you or anyone else. I maybe many things but I’m no murderer.” She stood up and started pacing, she was feeling restless, thanks to the effects of withdrawal from the drugs that the Caliphate had pumped into its trainees over the years.

"I realize you have been used by the Caliphate and I can sense you never meant to be a murderer. We will work to get you back on your feet and get you reestablished in Starfleet or get you in a position you can thrive in without the Caliphate using you again." Tanger replied. "You will get the best care that Starfleet Medical Science has and then we work on getting your life back in order."

Marina stopped pacing long enough to offer a smile. “I’m sorry, I’m just feeling somewhat like a caged animal right now. Though given what I did I guess I can expect nothing less.”

"I do understand where you are coming from." Tanger replied. "I do know that the inhibitor used on you was only a temporary dose and that you will be able to use your abilities again in time. But know that there is a version of this inhibitor that was created to fully strip telepathy from someone who was born with it. I hope that if you can realize we will help you, that you can trust us and work with us to get your life back and see what a future you can with the Federation once again."

Marina frowned, “They’d really do that? Strip the Caliphate members of their abilities?” She looked horrified. “I couldn’t imagine my life without my abilities, they’re part of me and I need them. To live life without them would drive me crazy!”

"I know it sounds barbaric but yes, they would somehow permanently strip the Caliphate members of their abilities to use telepathy or any such abilities as a way to control them. I also imagine they would lock them all up in prisons as well to keep the cause under control." Tanger replied. "However, you were only given a temporary drug to render you non-telepathic for a short period to see if we can have you help us."

Tanger then offered Monroe a small cup of water through the portal in the forcefield as he could sense she was getting dehydrated.

Marina took the cup, offering a brief smile. “Thank you. What makes you so sure you can trust me? I’m sure there are plenty of people onboard who don’t.”

"I can trust you as I can see your thoughts and that tells me you will not betray your newly found long lost brother." Tanger stated with a firm smile on his face. "And one thing I do know from being a Betazoid is that twins regardless of gender can't truly hide their real thoughts from one another no matter how much conditioning they under go."

Marina smiled a little. “I guess that’s true.” She frowned she had a pounding headache. “Sorry I’ve got a headache, not surprising as I was hit in the head with the butt of a rifle.”

"Yes, I know of your ordeal and that you confronted a member of our boarding party with a weapon and they took you out." Tanger replied. "I do know that you will have a headache for a day or so as not only a result of the confrontation but also the dampening drug administered to you to limit your telepathy for the short term. I am allowed to offer you a means to get a pardon from your crimes committed while under control of the Caliphate if you are willing to work with us and commit to return to Starfleet and serve the needs of the Federation. If you can not agree to that, then Starfleet will likely issue you the permanent version of the drug and you will no longer be telepathic."

Kasey could sense the tension in his sister's mind and knew she did not want to go without her abilities any longer. He felt that being as honest with her as possible would help both her and the overall issue with the Caliphate.

Marina looked up her eyes meeting Kasey’s. “I promise that I will commit to the needs of the Federation. I will do whatever I can to help bring the Caliphate to justice.”

"I then promise to assist you the best I can, to adjust to your new life and your new additions to your family." Tanger stated as he gave his sister a confident smile.

{OFF}

Lieutenant jg Marina Monroe
Caliphate prisoner
USS Leto

&

Lieutenant Kasey Tanger
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Leto