Much Ado About Anslo Tol

Posted on Wed 25th Feb, 2026 @ 6:27pm by Captain Gordon Francis & Commander Heriah Rex & Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Commander Geraldine "Geri" Severide & Commander Anslo Tol & Exo-Comp EXQT

2,737 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: [MAIN] From The Ashes
Location: Conference Room 1
Timeline: After Anslo's Escape

-Start-

{Conference room 3- Panel on Anslo Tol}

Anslo was almost dozing, the wait in this room had gone so long. The Translucence of the glass revealed an older Humanoid male and now a young Female waiting outside. Wisely he rallied, but the questions to come would certainly give him a rise in tempo. He had been brought here ahead of everyone by request to speak to Geri and Francis, the shadows fit the bill at least. So now he just waited, interminably.

He felt shame more than any other feeling. Realizing how much of his life was wasted running. His usual defensive reactions kicked in, " Starfleet had turned him into a surgical freak for their own selfish purposes," or, "It was a deception, they lied to him and he was stuck like this"... He wept at the revelations of how Starfleet had in the end saved him from the certainty of the knife. He had run for no good reason, had joined and enabled a madman to resurrect his piracy to create a moat of safety amidst a galaxy gone mad. If he had trusted them, then, they would have helped him, now he knew for sure. The only solace was Tol, who had finally agreed to their joining after Anslo had begun his flight. Tol had felt the odds of Anslo surviving plummet too. Their communion had finally achieved true symbiosis over the years, and Tol's voice was no longer separate from his own but now a welcome fountain of useful experience.

Whatever happened here, he had to accept the consequences of his actions. Anslo prepared for the worst, knowing he deserved it.

-Observation Window of Conference Room Three-

Captain Francis noted the person of interest was already in the conference room, but he decided to wait in the corridor for Commanders Rex, Graves, and Severide to arrive before going in. He felt somewhat bad about his end of the situation. He only knew of Anslo Tol in passing, and whoever had written the skivvy report he'd glanced at had provided more report and less "skivvy." He remembered there was a matter with a Trill ship, but figured the whole ordeal was already over. Maybe this will be a good opportunity for a nap, he thought. Then he cursed his old age for thinking of such a horrible thing. His younger self would have brought a book.

Geri walked up to him a moment later, she had set this preliminary meeting to bring Francis to speed.

"Captain, good; given this man's enormous value to Intelligence I presumed an interrogation before the briefing could serve us better. Before the senior staff and his appointed counsel arrive, what do we need from him?"

"Commander, is this going to take long? Because I need a Ding-Dong and some coffee," Francis said with quiet impatience. He continued, "Don't answer that. Who's in there and why am I supposed to care about this? Is he one of the injured Trill?"

Geri pursed her lips, knowing Captain Francis hadnt read her report. Any other CO would have gotten eye daggers and a cursory summary of what to know, but their working relationship allowed for flair.

"Captain, this man is the John Silver of our times. He is connected to the attack on the Comfort, the Ticonderoga, he's prepared to give us the working operational knowledge of the Second Sons and we may put them to bed because of it. You're here because I thought you might have a question or two. If not I can waste my time writing another report for you to glance at after I depose him?"

Francis smirked. "Then I'd have to read two reports; and we both know I'm a slow reader." He looked through the window at the man still sitting nervously. "There goes the Ding-Dong and coffee. I suppose in return he wants asylum?"

She lifted her eyebrows in faux disbelief, "He hasnt asked for much else. Those two Trill were fully prepared to remove the Tol symbiont if it came down to it. He knew he was caught, we saved his ass and he knows it. I think the phrase he is operating under is "mercy of the court."

Although the doctor had authorized Heriah to take extended time off to recover more fully, she knew she had to face the proverbial music when it came to recent events. Her plan had gone off without a hitch. She had a broken knee, fractured rib, a concussion, and a brain bleed on her medical file to show for. Damion was far more convincing than she had hoped for. At least the two elite Trill hunters were off station and away.

She stepped up to Gordon and Severide in the corridor outside the conference with a bit of care to her step. Rooms still spun easily albeit briefly. She was told to expect this for another day. Still, she powered forth. "Captain," she said upon setting eyes on Frank. "Commander," she likewise regarded Geri. "I am prepared to give a full verbal report. Written, in the morning."

Francis' eyes went wide on seeing Rex up and running so soon... way too soon, he thought. "Commander, Dr. Delling gave me a report on your injuries and subsequent surgery and I can't in good conscience ask you to be here. This is not a good time to listen to your symbiont's stubborn need to prove himself. As your commanding officer, I won't order you to go back to quarters. But Rex, this is Frank talking. Get more rest."

'You're face is stubborn.'

"Aye sir," said Heriah. She started to turn to leave but, "If I may, sir, really quickly...it was not a method to prove anything. Anslo requested asylum. As the senior Trill officer aboard 109, I am the spokesperson for the requestee. I granted his requested, tentatively and only after I saw to it that his captors were off station. A plan that...worked." She wanted to add 'splendidly' to that as a modifier but was unsure if Frank would see it that way. "And..." she blinked a few times to stop the room from morphing about, "...do listen to what he has to say."

Daeren Iril, the Trill Consul, approached, briefcase in hand, as Heriah was making her farewells to Captain Francis. Iril waited until Heriah had turned to leave before greeting her. "Commander Rex--It's good to see you again. I hope you are both well? I heard you were in Sickbay for a bit."

"Yes," she said as Daeren passed her by. "I can detail more later."

"Commander," Francis called out before Rex was out of earshot. He sighed and removed his glasses, a gesture Francis rarely used, but meant to convey his utmost respect and honesty. "If you would want to sit in, as an advocate for your fellow Trill, I don't mind." He hesitated, then said, "It might make it easier for him to say what he has to say... might also help me listen." It wasn't easy for Francis to say, but he was telling the truth. A friend of Francis advocating someone asking for asylum might make the request easier to digest. And his injured XO wouldn't have come if it wasn't important to her.

'Did you see that gesture? He was practically begging you to stay. Make him beg more.'

Paul entered the hallway, PADD in hand, and approached the small cluster of officers. He glanced through the conference room window at Anslo and then back at the others. "Is anyone else coming?"

"Nope," Francis said. "We're all here. Let's get this shindig underway."

With everyone now present, they went into the conference room.

"Thank you, Captain," she said as she stopped and slowly turned back. A few steps back toward her captain. "I would like that. And, in keeping with doctor's orders, I will remain seated; resting as best I can." She regarded Anslo with a nod.

Anslo straightened in his chair, acknowledging Heriah with gratitude. He also looked at each of the gathered in turn as if memorizing their faces before saying only, "Thank you all for giving me this chance. I've spent seventeen years on the run from people like Rizhkyn and Rautha, you've saved me. I owe Starfleet my life and my apology for my dereliction of duty."

"Seventeen years is a long time for a dereliction of duty, as you put it," Francis observed. He spoke with a tone that was more conversational than confrontational. "Being in this kind of situation now, it seems more than convenient to finally get caught. I understand you have information on these Second Sons scallywags that would be vital to stopping them. I love a good dangled carrot as much as the next idiot, but your information is ours regardless." He leaned forward. "As you said, you owe us your life. Right now we don't owe you a blessed thing. What other reason do we have to protect you? I can't help you otherwise, so your reason needs to be a doozy." He nodded to Rex. "My first officer has advocated for you, and I tend to trust her judgment. So I'm open to anything you have to say. All I ask is, make it good."

Anslo took the words in stride, feeling he had already made the case so it was just doubling down on it that was left. The probe for consistent answers was a long one. He was only running on the energy of the moment, so rather than tamp it down he found himself feeling like his old self, brash and confident. Like a Poker player who knew he held the cards.

"I have felt, for a long time, that I was betrayed, but time has told me I ran before the die was cast. In my eyes, I fulfilled my oath, and sacrificed my life to the symbiont Tol, only to be treated as the disposable half of the equation, an incubator for Tol to recover in and then find a more suitable host. Even my symbiote came to see as I saw, as I feared, that Starfleet was willing to let Trill do this. When I ran it was to save my life, I tried to change my identity but that wasn't enough, I was forced to the fringes of known space by those murderous agents you now know. Ruthless collectors, soulless mercenaries. I have information, and yes, it is yours. I have decided, no matter how the consequences fall, to renew my oath to Starfleet. What I know is yours to know. Heriah Rex has shown me the honor and trust I lacked back then. So I trust in her now. I am prepared to answer every question. I will do anything to return the favor of your mercy. Shall I start with the Second Sons, or how about the Empire of the Fallen in the Delta Quadrant aka "HeghwI' wo", After I've bent your ear there we can discuss the Tal Shiar on this station."

Francis' eyes widened. "Son, you're not doing yourself any favors telling us you have intel on Tal Shiar activity on this station. That's information we'll get for free too. Do you think the juicy knowledge you have on certain people and places is what's going to save your ass? With each name you drop, this hole you've dug for yourself is only getting deeper. And so far that renewed Starfleet oath doesn't mean diddly-squat. We know you have knowledge. What actions can you take that would be of value to us? Off the top of my head, we could toss you back to the Second Sons for more information gathering, but there are seventeen years worth of reasons why I think doing that is a waste of time. I'm still waiting on that doozy. Give us something you can do--not tell, do--that's going to help you and us?"

Anslo grit his teeth, these kinds of officers were the ones responsible for getting him joined. Brash overconfident chin waggers who loved the sound of their own voice was something he was familiar with. H'tek was a true madman, service to him had tempered Anslo into a Prince Ruperts drop. Gordon Francis would not be the one to release his pent up energy.

"I am still awaiting a question Captain. I warned you of danger, I outlined what I know so you can ask anything you like, so where shall I start, do you wish a recitation of everything I know in alphabetical order? Are you the type to be angry at the waiter for presenting a menu? I have all but roasted myself and stuck an apple in my mouth-"

Geri stopped the train with a sharp breath and began talking, "Anslo, we know you're cooperating, let's move into the intel. You took combat medic courses right? Sort by triage, most urgent, most lives saved, valuable intel in brief. No more pushback, we are listening, so make it good ok?"

Amazed at the Trill's response, a gutsy one at that, Francis allowed the man to talk as he quietly picked up his PADD.

Anslo stopped and collected himself. After a beat he began speaking, "As I warned you already Commander," His eyes focused on Heriah, with pleading in them, moreso than defiance. "There is likely a saboteur planting a device on this station, or the device has already been implanted. It is designed to use high energy systems to slowly build a charge, and then when ready converts the particles inside of it into what is conventionally called Strange Matter. The conversion only occurs moments prior to detonation, and the device is very small, impossible to find until it begins conversion. You would detect it once active. This is the information I failed to communicate, and when H'tek presented the plan to me to carry out, I refused, tried to escape, and was caught by that P'taq. My guess is that its in your fusion core or highest volume EPS trunks. It will destroy this station, star system, all its planetoids and force Starfleet to barricade everything within under quarantine until the strangelets lose their charge in a few million or so years."

Francis acted immediately, hitting his comm badge and calling for a security detail. "Security, get this man to an interrogation room immediately. I will be there momentarily. Commander Severide, I want you in there too. You will conduct the interrogation. Rex, begin emergency evacuation procedures, I want all civilians and non-essential personnel off this station in thirty minutes." He turned to Mindo, who had arrived with the security officers who were now taking Anslo away from the room. "Mr. Mindo, begin a search for this thing, use every last ounce of your Engineering knowledge." He looked around the room and yelled, "Hop to it, people!"

Heriah was supposed to be resting. Now, and suddenly, there was an evac order. Thankfully, that did not require a lot of heavy lifting, just orders. She nodded to her captain and stood.

Captain Francis cursed quietly to himself. This could be a false alarm, in which the station would be very prone to an attack. But Francis knew he couldn't take that risk. The largest question he had was why in god's name this man took so long to alert them? Insubordination, arrogance, and now withholding information... and he wanted asylum? The man had failed to answer the Captain's simple question: What can you do? A confession was not good enough.

If Anslo were to tell them exactly where the device was, took them there, showed them, and then disarmed it, that would be a start; possibly a reduced sentence. But with nothing but a description, he didn't appear to be of much further use. At most, Starfleet would give Anslo special prison incentives for further intel while he carried out his sentence, if that intel was still useful. But asylum, Francis felt, was out of the question.

And yet...

Francis decided not to submit the form denying Anslo's request for asylum for the moment. Anslo still had the opportunity to prove himself useful beyond just words. Francis knew the man clearly wanted redemption from this. The Captain was willing to give it another shot.

...if everyone survived the next few hours... minutes... seconds?

-TBC-

 

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