A New Life (Part 1)

Posted on Wed Feb 22nd, 2023 @ 5:07pm by Kyle Cragen [Reece] & Ambassador Natsuko Akayama [ADMIN NPC]

Mission: Season 6 : Episode 1: Circinus
Location: Toyama, Japan, Earth
Timeline: MD 4 / 1006 Hours (local)
4456 words - 8.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Nearly a week after he had spoken with his wife, now ex-wife, a pair of Starfleet officers suddenly beamed into Cragen's cell, weapons drawn and pointed at him.

Cragen had been asleep before the sound of the incoming transporter beams caused him to stir. Seeing the weapons pointed at him, he made sure not to make any sudden moves. "Well, hello there."

“Kyle Cragen. Stand up, get what you need. You are being transferred.” One of the officers, a grey haired man with commander pips said.

Slowly, Cragen did as instructed. As he had nothing of value, save the holo that Quinn had given him, he grabbed it and then looked at the man who spoke. "I'm ready."

The man nodded and pressed his commbadge. "Three to beam out." The transporter caught them again and beamed them out.

When the beam cleared, they were standing in a garden looking up at a large Japanese style house.

The men flanked Kyle and motioned him to walk towards the house. As they approached, the door opened and a woman stood there, she was 5f5, had straight black hair and the almond shaped eyes of the Japanese. Yet there was something in those eyes that showed she was way older than she looked. She was dressed in comfortable-looking jeans and a dark grey blouse.

"Ah good. Thank you commanders," She said with a smiling nod to the two starfleet officers, who saluted and beamed away. Then the woman looked at Cragen.

"Mr Cragen. Welcome to Toyama, Japan. I am Ambassador Akayama." She said, "If you will follow me, I will show you to your room and you can change." She then turned and led him inside the house.

As soon as he saw the woman, and their eyes met, Cragen felt a familiar sensation rush through his body. He had only felt it a few times in his life but, when he did, it was unmistakable. "You're full blooded El Aurian," he said softly as he fell into step with her.

“Apparently.” Came the calm reply. “Though I was not aware of this until about 200 years ago.”

"Two hundred years?" He asked softly. "You're still quite young then. From the way you carried yourself, I would've thought that you were at least nearer to five or six hundred."

“I was born in 1569.” She replied with a small smile. “But I was unaware of my El-Aurian roots until about 200 years ago.” She restated as she led him through a very traditional looking house, though it was massive. She led him to a room on the 2nd floor and pushed open the rice paper doors, to reveal a large room with an equally large balcony. “Bathroom to the left, walk in robe off to the right of it.” She said with a smile. “Dinner is in 2 hours. I am sure you will find clothing to your taste in the wardrobe.”

Looking at the very comfortable room, he paused. "Please don't misunderstand my gratitude, however, I have to ask…why are you doing this? I was legally convicted of my crimes and sentenced to life in prison."

Natsuko Akayama merely nodded “I will answer your questions at dinner. Do not worry Mr Cragen, I do have answers for you. And you will see what we are offering as well.”

Cragen took a few beats, then finally nodded. "Then I'll just say, thank you, and get cleaned up." He bowed his head slightly to her.

She inclined her head and left, pulling the doors closed behind her as she did so.

Once he was alone, Cragen glanced around the room, looking for any cameras or microphones, but found none. There weren't even any locks on the exterior windows.

A few months ago, he probably would've ran, then and there. However, his life had changed considerably. He had connected, albeit briefly, with a long descended granddaughter, and the woman he had loved so very long ago had just given him a gift he never would have thought he deserved. The chance to know their daughter one day.

Both of those reasons, added to the fact that he had given his word to Josephine, even when she had been his prisoner, to get out of the type of life he had been living, kept him from fleeing. Perhaps, whatever he heard at dinner, would be the way to start that new life.

He quickly undressed and got in the shower, enjoying the scalding hot water for the first time since he had been imprisoned. He took the time to clean himself thoroughly, even shaving the scruff off of his face.

After he was done and dried off, he looked in the closet, finding a mixture of civilian clothes, a few nice suits, even a couple uniforms, one in command red, the other in Intelligence Grey. At one time, he had worn both colors. Tonight, however, he chose one of the suits. He felt that it was only appropriate to dress as well as he could, as a thank you for the Ambassador's generosity.

A few moments before dinnertime, Cragen exited his room, sliding the door shut behind him, and followed his nose to where the food was.

His nose led him to a western style table set out on a large patio under what looked to be a massive and old cherry tree.

Natsuko was there, alone, staring out at the traditional garden. She heard his footsteps and turned to face him. “Mr Cragen.” she said, waving him to the table. Food was spread out on the board. “I hope you do not mind serving yourself, I believe this conversation is best without other ears.”

He bowed his head towards her again. "Madam Ambassador. Please allow me to thank you again for both the generosity and hospitality that you have shown me. It is far beyond what I deserve."

Natsuko nodded and waved for him to sit. “I am not sure how much you know about the recent political issues the Federation and Starfleet have faced, so If you are okay with it, I will give you some background before telling you why.”

He nodded again, moving towards the table, but waited to sit until the Ambassador did first. "I'm all ears."

As they served themselves food, Natsuko began to speak. “In 2366, a young ensign resigned from Starfleet. It was before the Dominion War, but Anti-Cardassian sentiment was growing and this Ensign was born and raised on a planet which now fell into the Badlands."

"Now, there is nothing unusual so far about this Ensign's story, other than, at the time she was 128 years old. An El-Aurian. Her name is Sha’nae Ba’au. And she returned to where she was born, only to find that her parents had moved on, leaving her the family business, which was a mechanic's shop. Shae is a rather talented engineer, you see."

"Now, not 18 months later, she was arrested for being a member of the Maquis by the Cardassians. A charge that stuck pretty well thanks to claims by an informant. She spent the next nearly 3 years in the Cardassian Union as a prisoner. And it was not a nice experience for her. Many things that she still refuses to speak of, happened to her there."

Now, as so often happens, prisoner exchanges were implemented and in 2371, Sha’nae was among 50 prisoners sent back to the Federation. She was returned to the Federation on the American holiday of Independence day, and irony abounded. No trial. No hearing. It was just put on file that she was given a guilty verdict, sentenced to 25 years and she was transported to New Zealand Stockade. No medical exams were done. No counselling. War was coming and a traitor was not considered important enough to waste resources on.” Natsuko paused to sip at her water.

Cragen had been listening intently to what was said, and then, something caught in his brain. "Wait, you said the Cardassians labelled her a traitor. What proof did Starfleet have to believe them and treat her so harshly?"

“Proof? No proof other than the word of the Cardassian Guls,” Natsuko said. “Then 1095 days into her 25 year sentence, 3 years to the day, since she had been delivered to the New Zealand Penal colony, Sha’nae was called into the prison's visiting room. In the 3 years she had been here, she had never once had a visitor other than her agent, her lawyer," Natsuko added as clarification. "So to be called into the visiting room, at a non specified time, was different for her. I have a holo to show what happened” She pressed a button on a PADD and the image appeared before them. Showing a young looking woman with brown hair and blue eyes, in a prison jumpsuit.

Cragen turned his attention to the holo as it activated.

==
Sha’nae entered and was directed to a table in the far corner where a man in captain’s pips sat. She knew him. And was not very happy to see him. She sat down in a bit of a huff. “Captain Miles Hohn. Well isn’t this a surprise.” Shae drawled as she studied the human male before her. “They actually advanced you to captain. Will wonders never cease.”

“And you ended up in jail. Seems that you got what you deserved.”

She rolled her eyes. And recited in her head - only 8,028 days to go- “Why are you here Miles?” She asked after allowing the silence to stretch.

“Starfleet needs engineers Shae.”

“And?” she asked bored.

“They are offering you and others a deal.”

She raised an eyebrow. “A deal? I have 8028 days to go until I am free. Why should I even consider some blasted deal from an organization who sold me and others out to the Cardassians?”

He studied her. “And what do you intend to do once free Shae?”

“I am going to the house in Colorado. I am going to relax, live, write and basically not have anything to do with Starfleet. I am not taking any deal, Miles.” She said coldly.

He shrugged. “It's called conscription Shae. They can force you into it.”

“And that's Illegal nowadays in the Federation.”

“There is a war on Shae. Or don’t you get the holonews in here?”

A smile flitted across her lips. “Ah yes. The Cardassians have joined with the Dominion. Such a coil the Federation finds herself in. Tell me, how many people are getting apologies for being criticised for telling people that this would happen? Or are we no longer allowed to say ‘I told you so’?”

“Are you done?” He asked cooly.

“No.” She said softly. “I spent 3 years, Miles. 3 years of my life in a Cardassian’s prison and you know what I got for it? Twenty-five years. No trial. No questions asked. Just jail because the Cardassians told the Federation I was a Maquis.”

“You were.”

She sighed. “No Miles. I am not and never have been. I lived at my family home and that was enough to convict. But I am not going to take any deal. Go away.” She stood. “I have no time for the Federation or Starfleet. I will serve my time for a crime I did not commit and then I will go and write the truth. And when it comes out, and it will, Starfleet will find its sheen looking as black as the Cardassian heart!”

“You can’t do that, Shae!” He stood to face her. “You cannot throw what happened into the Federation's face.”

“Yes I Can.” She replied forcefully. “My life. One I will live longer than you and those who put me here. I am happy here Miles. It's quiet, no one beats me, no one starves me, no one fills the room until I can barely breath with water and almost drowns me! I am here, alive, and when my sentence is done, I will go to my home in Colorado and I will live, love and write. No one can stop that.”

He calmly placed a PADD on the table between them waving off guards with a look. “The deal is, 3 years time served. You rejoin the fleet as an ensign and work for the fleet for 50 years, and for 60 after that you can not practice law. Once your 50 years are up, you are home free.”

She stared at him. “No.”

“You do not have a choice Shae. You have to take it.”

“Or what? They are going to extend my time here? Legally they can’t. And If I wanted to Miles I could fight the 25 I am currently serving.” She watched him. “I am not taking that deal. It's worse than I am currently doing!”

“It's the best you are going to get!”

“No, the best is staying here and doing the 25 years.”

“After which they will automatically increase it to 100.” He dropped the bombshell.

She stared at him. “So the Federation will illegally do this?”

“They are on a war footing, Shae. If the war does not end they will.” He sighed. “Look I know this sucks. But you have no choice. Do you want to be here for the next 122 years?”

She didn’t. It had to be a scare tactic. She watched him carefully. “And if I take the deal, I have it in writing that at the end of the 50 I am out right?”

He nodded.

“Leave the deal, I will look it over. I am not signing anything without reading it.”

He nodded again. “If you accept, I will be here to escort you to your new posting.”

She didn’t reply. She just picked up the PADD and left the room without a backwards glance.
===

The recording ended. Natsuko watched Cragen’s face.

Several different emotions crossed his features. Disbelief, anger, shock, and a growing rage. "What happened to our sister?" He asked quietly, as he tried to control his growing rage.

"A number of things but late last year she won a court case against the Federation and Starfleet to be fully cleared and reinstated. However she refuses to remain in starfleet." Natsuko was not going to go into the trauma and issues Sha’nae had faced, it was too personal for the other woman.

"Can't say as I blame her. Especially as the war is not only over, but the Federation won." He took a sip of his drink. "What happened next?"

"Her case, and the case of Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris brought a lot to the forefront and people are concerned about miscarriages of justice. Add to that the fake arrest and imprisonment of Captain Phoenix Lalor, now Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson, and a lot of cases are being reviewed. Including those where people have been found innocent. " Natsuko replied. "While as you have said, you were truly found guilty and are guilty of the crimes you have been charged with, Starfleet requires people who can see the truth from the lies to assist with the process."

A confused look shaded his eyes. "What exactly are you asking of me?"

"Starfleet Intelligence and the JAG Corps are looking to reinstate you to work to make sure such things do not happen again. That and to undertake Intelligence operations where required. No field work, but oversight and the like."

He arched an eyebrow. "But I'm no lawyer. How could I possibly help them? The intelligence side, sure, I was in Intel back when I served in Starfleet. Also, with my crimes being what they were, how can the Admiralty and the politicians possibly think that this, releasing me on a work rotation, will be seen by the civilian population, or even those in the fleet that know me? Commodore Lalor and her crew, for one? I doubt very highly that, should they find out about this, they won't raise all kinds of hell. Afterall, I kidnapped, tortured, raped and conditioned two of their crewmates to be willing sex slaves!" His temper was rising again, but not for any slight against him. He was feeling upset for how this action could further damage the society that he would be working for.

“Yes, all of that is true.” She replied. “Which is why you will be staying here for the time being. And you will be watched. We do however have affidavits from several people stating that you would be more than willing to work towards your release under your own recognisance.”

He sat back and thought about what this chance could mean for him. Certainly he would be watched for a very long time to come. His crimes were too many and too heinous to just allow him to go free after a few bits of work. Then, he looked around the dining area, and back at the very beautiful woman sitting across from him.

"Well, this certainly is much more comfortable accommodations than I would have been using for the next three or four hundred years. And you are certainly a much more attractive warden." He gave her an honest, yet charming grin.

“I had heard you have a charming side” Natsuko replied. “But that aside, I know it's not perfect. Toyama is far from the centre of things”

"Thank you," he replied quietly. "I'm glad good things are said about me still. And as for the locale, I am perfectly happy to not be in the center of things. That part of my life needed to end. I'm ready for quiet."

“Good. There is plenty of quiet here.” She said. “And you will have a while to get used to it. They are not going to throw you in the deep end just yet.” She paused briefly before ask8ng, “What languages do you speak?”

He grinned slightly. "Well that's good. I'd hate to mess things up just because I was given too full of a wagon to pull." He considered her question a beat before replying. "Are you referring to Human languages specifically, or those not of this world?"

“In general” Natsuko asked. “For example, I speak, Japanese, Chinese, Latin, German, Irish, Scottish, English, French, Italian, Indian, Spanish, Bajoran, Romulan, Bolian, Betazoid, Vulcan, Klingon and Cardassian”

"Impressive," he said with a smile. "Well now, let's see…English, Irish, Scottish, Welch, German, Italian, I'm a bit rusty on my Latin. Russian, French, some Spanish, High and low Klingon, Ferengi, Breen, Naussican, I can read some Borg, and, of course, our mother tongue."

“How long were you on Earth?” She asked curiously. “To learn those Earth languages... a long time..”

"I was born in 1491. My parents were a team of researchers stationed up in England at the time." He features turned darker, with pain, as the memories of his parents came to the forefront of his mind.

“You are lucky to have known your true parents then.” She said noting the look. “The 1400’s were a dark time though.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes locked on the past. "Yes," he said softly, his eyes starting to mist over. "My parents were murdered by the local farmers. They thought they were witches. I had been out of the compound…I..um..I had seen a woman, in the woods. I went to get a better look and…." He shook his head.

"By the time I was returning home, I heard my mother screaming in anguish. I ran closer, climbed the closest tree I could see the compound from. My father…was already dead. The farmers had…pinned his hands to either side of the doorway…and fired arrows into his heart..and his head."

"My mother…" his voice hitched a bit. "They had tied her to a stake that they had run into the ground. The woman I had been with earlier was also tied up. My mother started to scream to me…in our native tongue…telling me….to run..hide! They slit her throat, thinking she was casting a curse on them! Then they lit her body on fire, lit my father on fire! They burned my home to the ground!" He stood up suddenly, unable to sit still as the pain, anguish and rage started to boil over.

She watched him. “And they never found you. Which is what they would have wanted.” She said softly. “I lost my parents at the age of 18. But after years, I figured out that while I look like I am Japanese, they could not have been my birth parents.”

"No," he said coldly. "They didn't find me. But I found them. It took a few years to get my body properly honed into a weapon of vengeance. I killed each one, slowly, quietly, leaving no witnesses. The other farmers in the area started to avoid where my home had been, claiming a curse had befallen those that took part in the murder of the two witches and the whore. They never stopped looking for me, until all who knew the story, were also dead. Then, I disappeared into the world."

He then looked over at her. "I am sorry that you lost your family before you ever knew who they were."

“War in Japan was brutal and it is when I first found out that ... Well death did not want me.” She shrugged. “I lost 4 siblings in that war, And my parents. Stabbed, raped, throats slit, you know how it goes.” she picked up her water glass. “Life has changed us both, Mr Cragen.”

He nodded slowly. Then, "Please, call me Kyle. And…as we are from the same mother world…I will tell you my real family name." He turned to face her and stood proudly, as he said, "My name, in its proper pronunciation, is K'yle Ka'Ragon."

Natsuko bowed her head at him. “Could tell you mine if I knew it. I use my Adoptive name.”

"May I know your first name?" He asked softly. "Or should I forever call you Madam Ambassador?"

“My name is Natsuko Sereniti Akayama.” She smiled “Most people call me Nat or Suki.”

"Natsuko.. " he said the name slowly. "It feels very nice to say. May I ask, were you picked to watch me, or was this your choice?"

“A mix of both.” She replied. “They asked for volunteers from a select group of officers.”

He nodded again, then returned to the table, sitting back down across from her. "Well, thank you, for allowing me into your home. I give you my word as both an El Aurian, and a Knight of King Charles II's court, I will never do anything to abuse your trust in me."

Natsuko smiled at that. “Yes I had heard you knew Charles the 2nd. And other monarchs of the British isles.”

He nodded. "A few. Most were ignorant fools, only focused on their own gluttony. However, I was able to do some good for the whole. Got a knighthood and a very large estate out of it." He shrugged slightly. "Of course, I have given all my worldly possessions to my, now ex-wife, to keep and give to our unborn daughter." He tilted his head to the side. "All I have now, is my name, my knighthood, and the clothes on my back." He kept the supposed bolt holes that Quinn may or may not have actually given him secret, for now at least. He'd believe them if, and when, he saw them.

“Well we will be able to fix that. And we believe your ex-wife is keeping it for your child, she is not changing anything there. She did, however, put stuff aside for you in a trust.” Natsuko picked up a PADD and slid it across to him. “Said something about you needing your own belongings.”

Kyle picked up the PADD and looked over its contents. It seems that Josephine had set aside most of his modern clothing, A substantial amount of cash and one of the apartments in Brisbane. "Wow! She did not have to do this," he remarked softly, his heart warming again, at the mere thought of Josephine Carlyle. "She is a better person than I am."

“Her explanation is that you will live longer than she will, and one day they will release you.”

He sighed softly, suddenly realizing that, one day, Josephine would be gone from his universe. This time for good. He shook his head slowly. "Humans are so finite in their lifespans. We were like that once, eons ago." He looked up into Natsuko's dark, beautiful eyes, feeling that tingle run up his spine again. "May I ask you a personal question?"

“You may” She replied calmly.

"Are you married?" As he asked the question, a part of him hoped her answer would be no. Not that he expected a woman of her class and refinement would ever be interested in a brawler like himself but, there was always a possibility.

“No. I am not. Was engaged when I was 17 but he and his family were slain in the war that took my family.” Natsuko replied.

He nodded. "So, you never tried again, in the centuries since?"

“No. For many centuries I faced .... ignorance and fear. And once we reached the technology level to leave the planet, I found it wiser to hide my true nature.”

Without thinking about it, Kyle reached across the table and gently placed his right hand atop Natsuko's left. In a voice that was genuinely soft and caring, he said, "No one should ever be totally alone. I mean, look what happened to me." His hand lingered on hers, as a silence started to fill the room.

“Sometimes alone is best.” She replied and after a moment she removed her hand. She didn’t know if it was because he made her uncomfortable or other reasons. “I have arranged for you to be able to access the Starfleet database, and you will have free roam of the house.”

As if a spell had been broken, he sat back, clearing his throat, feeling as if he had done something wrong. "I..ahem…I'm..I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Please accept my apologies. I give you my word, I will never be that familiar with you again, unless you wish it."

Suddenly feeling that he had ruined the evening, he got back up from the table. "If..if you'll excuse me. I should probably start working." He bowed to her, more formally this time. "Thank you, again, for your generous hospitality." He then turned and left, before he made an even bigger fool of himself.

Natsuko watched him leave and then sat back in her chair to think. This was going to be interesting for sure. Quinn owed her big time.

~TBC~