Disclaimer: Star Trek and all associated characters and situations are the property of CBS studios. Star Trek Online is the creation of Cryptic and Perfect World. All are here used by myself for entertainment purposes only, without permission or intent to profit.

Author's Note: Admiral Jorel Quinn is the NPC quest giver for the early stages of Star Trek Online. In this chapter and the previous one I altered his character and made up a background to suit the story. No offence to the original character (who is quite nice) is intended.

The Rear Admiral's Office

Cadet Carlin Agran's Personal Log, Supplemental:
Things didn't exactly go as I'd planned. I graduated, of course, crossed the stage to shake Jorel Quinn's hand and rub it in his face—that I, the daughter he hadn't even seen fit to acknowledge, had not only graduated from Starfleet Academy, but had actually done better than he had in his own Academy days. But his reaction was totally unexpected. He actually seemed…pleased. He invited me to join him in his office later, right there in front of everyone. I have no idea what's going on or what he really wants, but an invitation from a Rear Admiral simply cannot be ignored…

A few hours later, Carlin found herself standing outside the office of Rear Admiral Jorel Quinn at the Starfleet Command building in San Francisco. She hesitated, wondering again what she was doing here, but again the answer was obvious. She was an Ensign now, and junior officers simply didn't ignore an invitation made by a flag officer, especially invitations that had been made publicly in the presence of other flag officers and dignitaries. The invitation might have sounded voluntary, but coming from someone that far up the chain of command, it couldn't truly be—and any attempt to refuse at this point was liable to have some rather unfortunate effects on her career later on. That was certainly something she didn't want. She had no intention of handing Jorel an easy way to punish her for avenging his past sins.

She took a deep breath, and entered. Jorel was standing by the window, looking out over the bay, and he turned as she entered. He smiled and waved for her to come join him at the window. Carlin did so hesitantly, making sure to keep at least a foot between herself and him. Nevertheless, he managed to put an arm around her shoulder as he pointed his other hand out at the window.

"Beautiful isn't it?" he said, smiling. "Reminds me of Aldar Bay back on Trill."

"If you say so, sir," she answered stiffly, still trying to figure out where this was headed.

Jorel frowned at turned to look at her, removing his hand. "Why so stiff and formal, Carlin?" he asked. "I'm not going to hold to formalities here, not on a special day like today."

Carlin took a step back. "It's hardly proper for a Rear Admiral to address an Ensign he doesn't know by her first name," she said.

Jorel laughed. "Is that what we're playing at, then? An Ensign I don't know?" He shook his head. "Come on, Carlin, we both know that you and I hardly have the simple relationship between our ranks. We're flesh and blood! I'm your father, remember?"

Carlin wasn't aware of actually making the decision to strike him. The next thing she knew, though, he was bent over, clutching a cheek where a bright-red impression of her hand was beginning to form and gasping for breath from an elbow to the gut. Carlin herself fell into a self-defense stance from basic training.

"My father is dead!" The words came out through gritted teeth and she could feel a tear trying to inch its way down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

Meanwhile, Jorel recovered himself, still rubbing his face. "Quite a combo you have there," he said. He grunted as he straightened, but he still managed to smile. "I suppose that's what your mother told you though. I can't blame her, really. It's probably not a story she'd want you to know." He shook himself. "No, I am your father, and very much alive so long as you don't demonstrate your combat skills on me again."

Carlin remembered suddenly that striking a superior officer was still one of the highest offenses in Starfleet. She stepped back and lowered her hands to her side. "My apologies, sir…I…I don't know what came over me," she said. It was mostly true.

Jorel shook his head. "No, don't worry about it at all," he said. "I won't be pressing charges, if that's what you're afraid of. I suppose I had it coming anyway, springing this news on you, though I thought you already knew when I your admittance files somehow got redirected to my office." He looked at her questioningly.

Carlin cleared her throat. She couldn't let him go on with that misconception. This was her chance, to rescue her plan. "As a matter of fact, I did…intentionally misdirect those files," she said.

"And may I ask to what purpose?" Jorel said, lowering his hand.

Carlin looked up and met his eyes, her gaze hard and unflinching. "Because I know about you and my mother."

Jorel cleared his throat. "I suppose she did tell you, then," he said.

She nodded.

"So you know why it was imperative that no one know about our relationship?"

"I know why you think it was," she said.

"Good," he said, making his way around the desk. "Now that the unpleasant bit is out of the way-"

"But I don't agree," she interrupted.

Jorel stopped halfway to his chair. "What's that?"

"I said, I don't agree with your reasons," she said, her voice cold. "You were wrong to lie, and wrong to abandon us."

Jarel Quinn cleared his throat and sat down. "Well, young lady, I certainly can't expect you do understand completely, but surely you realize by now the kind of sacrifices we must make in life. You're an applicant to the Symbiosis Program yourself now. I've been an applicant sixteen times in various hosts. I know the ins and outs, the pressures. You can't have everything in life, and joining is no exception. Some things have to be set by the wayside as you decide what truly matters."

"So that's it, huh? Me and my mom, we don't truly matter do we?" Carlin retorted icily.

Quinn shook his head. "That wasn't what I meant." Then he waved his hand as if to dismiss the subject. "In any case, the past is the past. Your mother has found a home for herself and you, well, you're here in the wake of your first major victory in life: graduation with honors from Starfleet Academy. You're also practically on the eve of your second victory: acceptance by the Trill Symbiosis Commission and joining with a symbiont." He folded his hands across the top of his desk. "You know, I could help you along with that. In sixteen lifetimes, I've accumulated quite the influence in the Symbiosis Commission. I also have a good eye for all the best initiate-field docent matches, and I could steer you away from the bad eggs, the ones who are as likely to recommend your rejection as look at you—like Dax for instance. Did you have anyone in mind?"

Carlin glared at him. So he thinks that just because me and Mom turned out alright he's off the hook for abandoning us like so much dead weight? She decided to take the next step in her plotted revenge. "Actually, I do," she told him. "I've decided to request Drel as my field docent."

Jorel Quinn laughed. "You must be joking, right? Surely you are." She said nothing. He sat back and sighed. "I guess you don't know, then. I keep forgetting how limited the resources of an unjoined Trill are. Well, for your information, Drel is probably the youngest symbiont in Starfleet right now. This is only his second host. He's hardly qualified as a field docent."

"I was under the impression that the qualifications of field docents were for the Symbiosis Commission to decide," Carlin said.

Quinn looked down. "True, but-"

"I was also under the impression that you weren't currently on the Symbiosis Commission."

"Also true," Quinn grumbled. He looked up at her and sighed. "If you must know, Carlin, there's…well, there's something of disagreement between Drel and me, always has been, especially since he ran off to join Starfleet in his first host. Drel is impetuous, impulsive, and too young for all the responsibilities and experiences he's trying to take on." He looked down. "I suppose that's just an old man's personal opinion, but there you go. I don't like Drel, and I can't recommend him."

Carlin allowed herself to smile for the first time since entering the office. She had done her research well, at least as far as the relationships between Quinn and the other joined symbionts was concerned. "I know you don't like Drel," she said. "Why do you think I chose him?" With that, she turned and walked from his office, leaving him in stunned silence.