JL | Empress Xue'Daio Nox tr'Verelan, Cmdr Valeese - "Candy Shells"

Posted on Mon Jun 29th, 2020 @ 3:11am by Commander Valeese Stacker & Xue'Daio Nox Tr'Verelan

Mission: When The Circus Comes To Town

Being called away from the quietude of home-life and thrust back onto the front lines of medical duty was - sadly - an expectation. From the moment Valeese had heard that the stoic, snowy Empress had departed from Aliene, she'd been on guard and waiting. Now - face to face with the ashen Monarch - the Vorta bit her lip to avoid sighing. They'd been left alone to conduct business as necessary - or as alone as they could be with several large Makta guards standing just outside of her office door and the station's strange Commanding Officer lurking in the shadows not far off. Valeese could have sworn she'd seen him pacing a corridor as she'd hustled to her post.

"Covering your face and impeding the flow of oxygen wasn't the wisest choice you've made lately," The Vorta's sigh finally escaped and her head shook ever so gently. Few could take on such a candid tone with the powerful woman across from her, but their relationship - already controversial at best - allowed for such liberties to be taken. Spy and confidant had now been handed - rather roughly - the role of midwife to a pregnancy that was ridiculously unorthadox to begin with.

The child the Empress carried was, quite simply, a truly one of a kind hybrid of two species little was known about... One an entire mystery to the lone specimen representing it himself.

"Precautions needed to be taken and married with tradition," Xue'Daio tersely replied, folding the delicate - and apparently offensive - bit of silver silk in her hands, "You and I both know that the Stenellis peoples are well adept at regulating blood oxygen levels." It sounded haughty even in her head, but the follow through felt absolutely necessary. The veil sighed as it met the doctor's desk top, resting in a far from perfect square-shaped heap in-spite of the Empress's best efforts to keep it neatly folded. All the same, it was quickly ignored. Dwelling over it would have served no purpose, "I won't be staying in sick bay or birthing he---"

"I've arranged for your suite to be equipped with a small pool." Valeese interjected, looking up from where she'd already begun taking notes, "Diluted saline for the sake of warding off any infectious pathogens and kept warm, not chilled." The typing stopped, "You forget that I brought the Shran child into the universe."

This time Xue offered a rare, fleeting smile by way of apology, "Yes, I suppose I did forget that." Though forgetting the birth of such a child was remarkably difficult - it had signaled the forging of a true union between the Ascendancy and the Federation more than any simple marriage ever could. Life, bold and beautiful, was completely irrefutable evidence that the two societies could successfully blend and mesh... In more ways than one.

Subconsciously, one of Xue's hands made its way to rest over the swell of her heavily gravid belly. The boy-child within her womb was another quintessential piece of evidence and tribute to that alliance - perhaps even more so - but still so very taboo for both cultures to acknowledge. A tryst between the Commanding Officer of a Starfleet run station within Federation territory and the Empress of a civilization that now encompassed blood and treaties from several of their enemies was never likely to be met with anything but scorn and concern by at least one side of the equation. Alliances may be given, certainly, but the Federation would always be known for it's less altruistic views when certain things were concerned.

"My apologies, Valeese." She nodded, dismissing her thoughts, "I know that you are more than capable in your role. I wouldn't be here if you weren't."

"You wouldn't be here unless you knew I'd keep my mouth shut about your son's paternity." The Vorta shot back, raising both brows at the other woman is if to challenge her to deny such allegations.

"Have you, though?" Xue queried with a slight cant of her head to one side, the bright rose of her eyes bore down into the elegant purple of the Vorta's.

"Commander Stacker isn't an idiot, Highness, but he also isn't a gossip nor does he care what goes on so long as it isn't a threat towards the Federation or this station." Valeese responded in kind, gesturing towards the Empress herself, "None of this situation is particularly threatening. I do pause to question the future, but..." Her head shook, "I also know that you, like Stacker, aren't an idiot. I wouldn't serve you - either of you - if you were."

"And Merlin?" Xue countered sharply.

"Merlin is strange, but again... Not an idiot." Valeese answered, reaching for a tri-corder, "It's highly doubtful that he'd ever use this situation to try and cause a war or gain some sort of favor. He respects you too much and knows the Federation would chew him up and spit him out if he did anything to compromise the peace," She continued as she scanned the Stenellis from head to toe. A quick series of beeps completed the scan and the info quickly transferred to a holographic interface that had simmered to life near the Empress's left shoulder. The Vorta reached to move it to the side and motioned for the woman to lay down on a nearby bio-bed.

Begrudgingly, Xue obliged and watched the Vorta work, "You still don't sugar coat things, do you?"

"Never will."

"You could have a better bedside manner." The Stenellis huffed.

Valeese paused briefly, "My bedside manner is just fine when it comes to medical matters, Highness. This still falls under subterfuge... Can't say that sugar coating intel ever ends well." She shrugged, carefully palpating the albino's expanded abdomen, much to the noted ire of the unborn child beneath her hands.

His sudden explosion of activity left his mother momentarily breathless and Valeese more than a little amused.

"I'm surprised he still has room to move like that." Xue managed to breathe as the physical exam finally came to a halt - ending the tantrum along with it.

Adding information to the chart, Valeese nodded, "You'd be surprised by what they can do in cramped quarters. Generally they quiet down just before birth, though." She mused, pulling up another chart and comparing information, "He's longer and heavier than your daughter was at this time of gestation, not that I'm surprised. Males are often larger than females in your species and first pregnancies often yield the smallest offspring at birth..." She continued, peeking over her shoulder at the Empress.

"I figured as much..." Xue responded, nodding. There had been little doubt that the boy was larger than S'anra. Nothing about the pregnancy felt similar, not even the way she was carrying the extra bulk the child had created. Her hands quietly soothed over the once again dormant aetheling, "When?"

Valeese knew exactly what the Empress was asking and she turned from the charts to look at and consider her patient, "You're in the early stages of labor already..." She began, watching as the pale creature before her nodded in agreement with her statement of the obvious. If anything, it compelled the little Vorta to offer more - and better - information. "I imagine your water will break sometime in the next twelve or so hours. The amniotic membrane is very very thin and your son is definitely in position," She added, reaching to help the Empress up, "Walk. Swim... Some human women swear by sitting and bouncing on medicine balls." She shrugged, unable to picture the elegant young regent engaging in that activity, "I'd strongly recommend the swimming part given your physiology - but..." Valeese trailed off, making sure to catch the Empress's bright rose-gold eyes, "If at any time either of one of you are in distress, I will make whatever call necessary to preserve both of you. There's no shame in having to resort to a C-Section. They save lives."

Finding her feet and smoothing out her robes, Xue remained oddly silent for a moment - absorbing the information and accepting her new reality. "That would be chief among the reasons I've come to you, Valeese. There are those who would rather this child never take his first breath."

The Vorta flinched, "I understand." What more could be said? Rune hadn't exactly been born into an understanding or forgiving society - Vorta, after all, were still perceived as a threat and Rune had spent the majority of her gestation being hidden from all eyes... Including her own father's.

"I know you do, perhaps more and better than anyone." The Albino reached to rest a hand on the Vorta's shoulder, standing in a quiet moment of solidarity with her, "Are you needing anything else, or am I free to go?"

"No... You're free to go." Valeese practically whispered, "Please have me notified once your water breaks. I swear to you that we'll keep this under wraps until you choose to announce his birth."

Xue nodded, releasing the raven haired woman and fastened her veil back into place, "I have faith. Be well."

----

Commander Valeese
Chief Medical Officer
COLD STATION THETA

&

Xue'Daio Nox Tr'Verelan
Empress of the Stenellian Ascendancy
Queen Regnant of Apsha
Queen of Aliene