Star Trek: Terra Alpha

Presidential Compound -- Intelligence Office

Tali was sitting behind her desk, her feet propped up on the window sill as she watched some of the Secret Service agents training in the courtyard. Running her fingers along the sheer 'nylons' she wore, which were actually SKIN armor, she was still amazed at how advanced things had gotten. Her short skirt had another layer of armor and was flexible enough to fight in and still keep her ass covered. The blazer was softer than anything she ever wore, yet it was also just as strong. The light white blouse she wore was phaser resistant and even her underwear gave her a modicum of protection. It amused her at how protective her grandchilden were when they found out that their grandmother would be around.

"Ma'am... I mean... Tali... need anything before I take Mac out for lunch?" James inquired as he popped into her office. "Watching the agents train?"

"It's interesting... they're using lethal force yet they aren't killing each other. I don't really need anything at the moment.. wait... on second thought. Is Carly, the young one, around? I've been meaning to talk with her about some things." she tapped her forehead.

"She's around, I can let her know you want to talk. I think she'd appreciate it, ever since we lost Cece... she's been staying away." James frowned. "Although I kinda doubt that she's gone for ever."

"She'll be back, but the elder Cece isn't who I'm worried about." Tali said softly.

"I'll let her know." James tapped out a message on his comm and smirked. "She'll come. I told her 'your Gran'ma has a computer for you to play with."

"Devious... you'll be a spymaster yet James." Tali said with a laugh. "Thanks. Enjoy lunch."

Several minutes later Carly stood in the doorway of her grandmother's office. She suspected James' message to be a ploy to get her there. There were a number of other people they could have called to toy with a computer system. There was a moment she considered saying no but truthfully, she wanted to get away from Jon and Bella's for while and it was getting harder to sneak out of the compound. Selene had done to good of a job helping Eli train his men. Selene...she still missed her.

"James said you wanted to see me." Carly said.

"I did." Tali said with a smile as she walked over to her. "Grozit... you really look like what I looked like at your age." she chuckled. "Have a seat... it's nothing bad I assure you, I just wanted to ask you a couple things and no it's not about computers... well not entirely. You still have to show me how to really use these things, James helps but I need a telepath to sort of help me 'get' what he's talking about, I lived on a desert planet and spent decades in various forms of bondage and slavery." she sighed and sat on the edge of her desk. "Before your parents left for parts unknown, did they or Mac tell you anything about where our power came from?"

"No I didn't get to see them before they left." Carly replied. "Only Jason did. We told everyone that already."

"Well, then I'm glad at least you could get this from me and not second hand." Tali closed her eyes. "My mate, Kinsey's father, her real father. He wasn't Xenexian. He's some kind of... I guess you could call him an evolved race, not quite like a Q, but well, kinda. I dunno. I mean I thought he was long dead and then he appeared to me." she sighed heavily. "You, me, your mother... we're not 'just' powerful Xenexian psionics. No one our planet is even close to what we're capable of because of Korba. And you well... your father's part Siofran, another sort of evolved race. I've seen your older counterpart, Cece, she's blocked herself off from a lot of what she's capable of because she feared it. But... I don't want you to fear your power. I don't want you to feel like what you can do makes you a freak or... wrong. I spent too many years being held down, literally, because of what Korba gifted us. I lost watching my daughter grow up and you... of all your siblings, are probably as close to her as I'll get. Your parents were... monsters, but you are not and never ever let anyone make you feel otherwise."

"I know I'm not." Carly replied matter of fact. "Selene told me...she...made sure."

"You miss her... don't you?" Tali replied

Carly nodded her head.

"I completely understand that... I would have been lost a long time ago if it wasn't for the Selene that came over with me from the reality I was in." Tali said and pulled up part of her blouse. "One of Jackson's Scions had stabbed me when I didn't... do something he wanted me to do. Selene, took care of him and then fixed me up, protected me." she sighed and closed her eyes. "I never tried to save anyone from another reality that I jumped into, but she was different. In any case... I'll have to introduce you to her. But.. I wanted to know, when you use your powers, when you're really focused... do you ever feel like you're part of something... larger? It's hard to describe but there's this sense that there is far more you could do, but you keep it tamped down because it feels too big?"

She reached into her purse and pulled out a very worn, faded hide bound journal. "I want you to have this. It's my diary, what I've experienced, what I've seen, what I've felt. My story is far from over, but as you can see... kinda more than filled it up. Your sisters and brothers haven't seen this, but I feel like you may understand it more than they would." Tali opened one of the pages and a small piece of paper with a hand drawn picture of her fell out. " Oh... I almost forgot about this." she giggled lightly. "Your grandfather, Korba, he drew this of me, I used to wear my hair really short. Was a bit of a rebel in my own way. Thought I knew everything, was smarter than most of those around me. Sound a little familiar?"