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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Mission: An Ending and A Beginning</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Day: 1</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Stardate: 2446.03.16</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">(USS Illuminar- Deck 1- Main Conference Room- SFI - Lt. Michael Weston - 0804)</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">When Mias entered the room there seemed to be a calming effect.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400"><span class="Apple-tab-span">
</span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400"> Having been
</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic">intimately</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400"> involved with
a telepath he recognized the slight tingling sensation in the back of his mind. He was manipulating their moods. It was very clandestine and barely noticeable. He was a cagey old bugger. However, he let the Betazoid into his mind as it was bringing him
back into balance with his emotions.</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">He went around the room and acknowledged everyone there. An old psychological trick
to get people to be at ease with him. Between his light and mirthful manner, and his minor level of empathic influence the near brawl that was about to unfold calmed down. Emotions were still raw, but more… controlled.</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">Verin went through her explanation of her involvement with the Trill and how it affects
their current circumstances with Leeza. Her explanation was a bit confusing to him. At one point she seemed willing to turn Leeza over to the Trill, while on the other had talked about the “interests of keeping a child living.”</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">Michael watched Riven listen. He was focused and patient as he waded through all of
the information he was hearing. Then he said what he needed to say. What Michael expected to happen when he started this whole thing. He knew that the Trill would have to be told, by the right person. Leeza needed more than a family. She needed a village.
Gregory probably doesn’t see it yet. How could he? He’s been awake less than an hour and he’s already caused more problems than a tribble on a grain farm.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">Then Mias laid it on the line.
</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">"Whatever recommendation you make concerning her care had best be ironclad, airtight and demonstrably effective or the Symbiosis Commission
will do everything in their power to have her returned to Trill, even to the point of threatening to leave the Federation or military action. This goes far beyond diplomacy into fanaticism. The symbionts are of more value to them than their own lives.... obviously.
So if keeping Leeza Pel here is the desired outcome then you have your work cut out for you."</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">He assured them that he would do everything in his power to do what could
be done. But there was one harsh reality. “If Leeza cannot physically survive carrying a symbiont holding onto her will be an ultimately doomed gesture and you need to be prepared for that."</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">It was, indeed, a sobering thought. But it was also not an option that
Michael was willing to consider. He stood up and began to pace. He is mind was moving quickly as he weighed his options, but he was calm and collected.</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">“Well here is the reality as I see it,” he began, “as long as Leeza is
with us, with me, she will be protected from others. I am not convinced that simply being a host will kill her. I’m not saying it won’t have its difficulties. I’m not stupid. But I know this, if we turn her over to the Trill they
</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic">will</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400"> kill
her.”</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">He circled the table, talking as he walked, “Look, I know this puts the
Illuminar, and the Federation in a… pickle. So here’s what I propose. Let’s find out what we can about helping her physically survive. Then Leeza and I can “steal” a shuttle and disappear.” </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">He looked at Gregory who looked like he was going to explode, “The rest
of you have careers and lives to consider. Plus the whole destroying the new alliance with the Trill thing. I’m already an outcast in most of the universe. Adding the Federation to that long list of people who want me dead won’t be that big of a stretch.
Sorry, Dieter, I know what you’re going to say, but I won’t let you throw away everything that you’ve built away.”</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">(reply any)</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">(posted by Al Muir)</span></p>
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