As Commander Saru walked through the prison base, his threat ganglia were on high alert. He was acutely aware of the immense number of violent and deadly criminals surrounding him and was fighting every evolutionary instinct to get as far from this horrid place as possible. When he was told of this new mission five days ago, he was immediately sceptical, as were Commanders Burnham and Stamets (both of whom were accompanying him); however, their new Captain, Pike did not share their understandable hesitation and misgivings, leading to the uncomfortable position all three found themselves in. He looked to his right at his fellow officers and wondered if they felt the same as he had the past few days.
Michael Burnham and Paul Stamets had indeed been feeling a similar strain, none of them had felt comfortable lying to a fellow crew member and friend, but it had been stressed to all three of them by Pike that Ensign Sylvia Tilly's ignorance was paramount to the mission's initial success. As her roommate and direct superior respectively, Michael and Paul had had to watch themselves even more that Saru; as they spent a considerably greater amount of time with the young junior officer.
Five Days Earlier
Computer: First Officer Saru, Science Officer Burnham and Lieutenant Stamets, please report to captain's ready room, thank you.
Michael and Tilly were in the cafeteria after a shift when they heard the computer.
"Go, I'll bring something back to the room for you," Tilly told her friend, smiling. Michael thanked her and proceeded to the direction of the bridge. Saru and Stamets were already there when she arrived, waiting with Captain Pike.
"Ah, Burnham. Well, we're all here, so let's get started. Please all of you, take a seat." Michael sat at one of the seats at the captain's table, looking at her colleagues, and relieved to see that they were equally perplexed at the summoning.
"What is this about, Captain?" Michael asked.
"I received communication from command today, requesting us to take a on a prisoner as a member of our crew, after evidence recently came to light regarding their case, which effected their sentencing. We're to collect them from Earth in five days and I'd like the three of you to go."
"Of course, sir," Michael answered. Stamets echoed her, whilst Saru looked uncomfortable, but nodded anyway.
"Good. This mission is considered classified though and as such, the rest of the crew will be told that Command has requested an in-person meeting with me on Earth and you are all accompanying me. I will brief you further in three days. Do not speak of your assignment to anyone else until I say otherwise." All three of them nodded. "Excellent. That's all." Saru, Michael and Paul all exited, wondering what kind of prisoner would be able to join their crew, but doing so would be classified.
Michael's sense of uneasiness slowly increased as they walked, making her concentrate on her breathing to calm herself. Although they had been advised to keep their emotive responses to a minimum, there was still a nervous expectancy; something she sensed Stamets shared and judging by Saru's ganglia, he was more uncomfortable than the others.
Upon arrival in Earth's orbit Pike, Michael, Stamets and Saru had beamed down to the Starfleet command centre and the latter three had made their way to a prison facility an hour away. When they reached their true destination, they had to surrender their phasers be given trackers before entering the facility proper. This is when Saru's threat ganglia appeared, something which both Paul and Michael understood completely.
Two Days Earlier
Saru, Burnham and Stamets had all been summoned to the ready room again, as they had expected, ready to be briefed fully on their impending mission. Pike pulled up a prisoner file, which made all three officers take a breath in, looking to their captain in surprise.
Paul Stamets was the first to speak. "Is this right Captain?" He looked at his superior incredulously.
"I'm afraid it is Lieutenant. You're looking at the file for our newest crew member," Captain Pike replied, sadly.
"This is a murder charge, sir. How is she able to serve on Starfleet?" Saru's threat ganglia peeked out slightly as he asked this.
"Five years ago, she pled guilty to murder and subsequently received a ten-year sentence without parole. Six months ago, a woman came forward after hearing about the case and provided evidence against the victim regarding his past, claiming she suffered severe violence at his hand. Upon a further review of the case, our convict was questioned again, this time regarding her motives and after being told of the other woman's testimony, revealed it was in self-defence. Since she was in fact guilty of killing the man, the federation couldn't overturn her sentence; however, all agreed that she shouldn't be incarcerated for the full ten years taking into consideration this new information. It was eventually decided that she serve the remainder of her sentence in Starfleet, where she can be monitored closely, yet still have some semblance of freedom and normality. She shall be serving as an Engineering Specialist."
"Why this ship, sir? Surely there are more appropriate places for her to serve," Michael enquired of her Captain, already foreseeing the inevitable problems and conflict to come.
"I am aware of your concerns Burnham, and why you have them, but rest assured, I would not have agreed to this if I didn't believe it safe for all involved." The three officers seemed unconvinced, but voiced their compliance anyway, trusting their captain's judgement anyway. "I expect you all to continue to respect and abide by the classified and sensitive nature of this mission still." Pike looked at each of his officers. "Our new addition is also a high-level empath and low-level telepath, so I would advise you all to watch your emotional reactions."
The three commanders came to a stop outside a room in the prison.
"Wait here," a guard informed them. He went into the room and left them with the two other guards who had been escorting the officers. None of them spoke and they all knew the others felt the same trepidation. The door opened once again, and they were escorted inside.
They were faced with a woman in her late twenties, short, with long dark hair pulled back into a bun and piercing green eyes. She was dressed in an inmate jumpsuit, something which Michael was all too familiar with and cuffed at both wrists and feet. When she saw them, she closed her eyes momentarily, almost in discomfort, then opened them again, a wry smile playing across her face.
"Why so scared, I don't bite. Well, I haven't recently," her voice was both cold and warm, and Stamets found the sardonic humour marred with genuine sadness. Saru's threat ganglia were fully exposed and atop that he looked fully alarmed; as though it was taking physical effort for him to not flee. Michael didn't know how to react to the woman and used her Vulcan upbringing to remain as neutral as possible. Her feet were uncuffed and her custody was handed over to Saru, much to his obvious displeasure.
Beyond her initial statement, Discovery's new specialist said nothing on the journey to Starfleet, but Michael noticed the pleasure and relief on her new colleague's face as they exited the prison facility. Despite still being handcuffed and in her prison uniform, both Stamets and Burnham noticed the slight, but clear change in her body language, making it clear to both officers that the woman hadn't been outside in years, and they exchanged a look that they both understood.
Upon arriving at the Starfleet Earth Command Centre, the new Engineering Specialist stiffened again, just as Saru's threat ganglia retreated, a sign that he felt safer and less afraid. All four of them entered, where they were joined by two guards. They entered a small room where the woman was uncuffed, and a monitoring bracelet placed on her left wrist, covering a small tattoo. She was handed a Starfleet uniform and insignia, and before any of the officers could leave the room to provide privacy, she started to change her clothing, clearly not expecting any privacy to begin with. Both Saru and Stamets averted their eyes, but Michael saw as the woman removed her inmate jumpsuit and revealed not only several more tattoos, varying in colour and size; but also scars and bruises in various states of healing, mostly on her torso. She caught Michael's eye and Michael looked away quickly, but not before glimpsing that same, wry smile.
Once fully dressed, all six people, the three officers, their new Engineering Specialist and the two guards made their way to the transporter bay, where they were met by Captain Pike. He shook the woman's hand and smiled in a polite, yet welcoming manner.
"Discovery, five to transport," Captain Pike said, and they were all beamed aboard. The three senior officers made their way out of the transporter room aboard the Discovery, all feeling somewhat jarred by the whole experience.
Captain Pike turned to his new specialist. "Welcome to Discovery, Specialist Tilly."