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Sedrin Belasi

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Everything posted by Sedrin Belasi

  1. Bakari: If someone had told me that Sian Douglas would one day be wearing a gold shirt, I would have told them to go %#$@ themselves. This made me chuckle!
  2. ((CMO’s Office, Main Sickbay, USS Garuda))::Working with his door open as was his habit, Saveron looked up as a figure eclipsed the view of Sickbay beyond. The face, though familiar, was one to which he would have attributed a very low probability of seeing in that particular location. It belonged to a crewmember with whom he’d had little to do beyond the necessary.::::The Vulcan doctor rose to his feet.::Saveron: Sochya Captain Reynolds.::He offered the ta’al, she replied with a nod.::Saveron: Since your next physical examination is not yet due one can only conclude that you have come seeking myself. How may I assist you?::He gestured to one of the two chairs that faced his desk in silent offer. If he was being overly officious it was perhaps because he was having difficulty anticipating what, exactly, might have brought Quinn to his office. There was also something in the principles behind Intelligence that he found disagreeable, but he'd had no cause to think the same about the person in that position.::::She didn't take a seat, preferring to remain standing. Instead, she stood behind it, hands resting lightly on the back of the chair. It took her a few moments to speak, a slight frown on her face as she picked through the words she wanted to say.::Reynolds: You were one of the last people to see Aron, before he left.::A blunt, matter-of-fact statement, but her tone was cautious.::Saveron: Affirmative.::The Vulcan allowed. He noted her unrelaxed body language, the faint frown. Clearly the issues surrounding Captain Kells were not ones which she found agreeable. He remained standing out of deference to her rank, clasping his hands behind his back in what was, for him, a relaxed posture.::Reynolds: What happened?::It was a broad, open-ended question, requiring interpretation in context.::Saveron: Captain Kells dismissed all but myself and Commander Rahman to immediate transport to the USS Garuda. He then informed us that he had resigned his commission. He had personal messages for both myself and Commander Rahman, and asked that we convey his apologies to yourself and Commander Ross for his recent behaviour. The five minutes that he had requested elapsed and Commander Rahman and myself were beamed out, leaving Aron Kells in the William Schirra.::He regarded Captain Reynolds soberly for a moment.::Saveron: I anticipate that answers your question without answering your questions.Reynolds: Indeed.Saveron: If you can elaborate, I may be able to provide more specific answers.Reynolds: When he got back from the hearing, we spoke — if you can call it that. We've been friends for years, we've known each other for longer than that, and I've never known him to be that... vicious.Saveron: He was particularly intolerant.::The Vulcan had even said as much to Aron’s face.::Reynolds: I don't know what he said to you in that shuttle, and I'm not asking you to betray his trust, but I just wondered… ::she shook her head.:: I don't understand what happened to him.Saveron: What he said to me has no bearing on your question, but other factors may.::How much of those he could reveal was an important question. There was the issue of patient confidentiality. Still, Captain Reynolds might already know more than most.::Saveron: You state that you yourself are a friend of Aron Kells. Are you then familiar with his ‘Ring’ temporal events?Reynolds: Both of them, yes.Saveron: Are you also familiar with the events following the death of Captain Spock aboard the USS Enterprise-A and the subsequent attempted committal of Doctor McCoy?::The question caught her off-guard and she didn't immediately answer, frowning as she watched him.::Reynolds: Go on.Saveron: Captain Spock transferred his katra to Doctor McCoy immediately prior to his death by radiation poisoning. Doctor McCoy subsequently displayed disturbed behaviour as a direct result.Reynolds: You're saying it's… similar? The same?Saveron: Even with Vulcan mental training, carrying another’s katra is a heavy burden and bearable only for a brief period. In addition to advancing his age by several decades — which in itself would be difficult to resolve — he took on the memories and personalities of his other selves; in Vulcan terms, their katras.Reynolds: He did say there were three of him in there.Saveron: It is my opinion that the only reason that Aron Kells maintained a successful mental equilibrium is that the katras he carried were his own.::That, perhaps, might be closer to the answer that she sought.::Reynolds: ::Quietly,:: I'm not entirely sure he was successful. ::Saveron wasn't either.::Saveron: I am not privy to Aron’s thoughts, however one might deduce that recent missions and the aborted hearing by Starfleet JAG may have initiated a change in perspective.::She raised her eyebrows, a tiny smile flickering across her lips — but only for a moment.::Reynolds: *May* have?::That earned her a quirk of one upswung brow.::Saveron: You consider that outcome probable. ::He deduced.:: I will defer to your knowledge of Terran psychology.::It was hardly his strong point. Sometimes members of other species thought the most illogical things.::Reynolds: Did he say why he was leaving?Saveron: Negative. You consider the reason important?Reynolds: I don't know. ::She paused, bouncing the heel of her hand off the back of the chair.:: A part of me's sore I didn't this coming. The rest of me's worried that… well. Whether he's going to be alright out there, alone.::That was a concern that they shared, however much the Vulcan might keep that to himself.::Saveron: I… do not know. ::He admitted quietly.:: However I anticipate that Aron would claim that he is never alone.Reynolds: True, but that's part of the problem.Saveron: Nevertheless, he does have three lifetimes of experience upon which to draw. And he knows where his friends are, should he have need of us.::She looked at him for a long time, then broke eye contact and nodded, breathing a resigned sigh.::Reynolds: You're right.::For a moment the doctor wore that thin-lipped look that was as close as he came to looking unhappy.::Saveron: It would be preferable, if we could do more.::But with Aron gone AWOL there wasn’t much they could do unless he contacted them.::Reynolds: It would. But for now, I'll leave you be. Thank you.::She'd already turned and taken a step toward the door when he spoke again.::Saveron: Captain Reynolds.::She turned back to him.::Reynolds: Doctor?Saveron: I believe there is a Terran expression; ‘A friend of my friend is a friend of mine’.::The Vulcan was not particularly good at relating to others, the cultural divide could be so very wide. Yet in Captain Reynolds he thought recognised someone who also stood distant. The question was whether that distance was deliberate?::::She breathed a wry huff of a laugh before she answered.::Reynolds: It's something along those lines. ::She nodded,:: I'd like that.Saveron: I also would find such agreeable.Reynolds: Then I'll catch you later, Saveron.Saveron: Dif-tor heh smusma, Quinn.-------------------------A JP byCaptain Quinn ReynoldsDirector of IntelligenceUSS GarudaandLieutenant Commander SaveronChief Medical OfficerUSS Garuda
  3. ((Holodeck 2, USS Garuda))) ::She had finally managed to untangle herself from the questions of the Counselor. While Alora understood it was his job, she just didn’t feel comfortable divulging her troubles to him. Maybe once she got to know him a little better she might feel differently, but for now, she was fine simply confiding in her friends. One of those friends just happened to be a certain Vulcan Chief medical Officer whom she knew waited on the holodeck along with his son. The ‘evaluation’ such as it was had taken more time than she expected, so she arrived a minute or so later than planned. While it wasn’t the end of the world, Alora hated to be late, even for something as informal as friends exploring with the holodeck. Well, she was there finally and she was just going to relax and enjoy spending time with good company.:: ::When the holodeck doors opened, the air from the corridor whistled past Alora and into the Holodeck, a symptom of the lower air pressure. What air was present was both baking and desiccating, the temperature being well above the comfort level of most species and the relative humidity almost non-existent.:: ::As the doors hissed shut Alora was faced with a balcony over a dizzying view; they were sixty-four stories up. Other sky-scraping buildings rose around them, and beyond those the vast, red, sandy plains dotted by only the occasional hardy shrub or thin grass. After a few miles even those petered out, leaving nothing but the burning sands all the way to the mountains. Two Vulcans stood by the railing, both wearing much lighter robes than previously and obviously at home in the heat. They both had a healthy green flush to their cheeks and two green spots were visible on the back of Saveron's neck in the instant before they both turned to look in her direction. Saveron had already disabled his universal translator.:: Saveron: Dif-tor heh smusma, and welcome to Vulcan. ::Or at least an acceptable simulation. Saavok made the ta'al in the same motion as his father.:: ::Alora repeated the greeting, then gingerly took a step forward. The view almost made her dizzy. Even though she was millions of miles high and away in space, for some reason, that particular situation set her on edge and made her uneasy. Perhaps it was far too obvious of a freefall drop down, and the knowledge of what would happen if she met the ground by launching from the ledge - purposefully or not. Saveron: If the atmospheric conditions become uncomfortable I can alter them. ::That would not, of course, give the authentic Vulcan experience.:: DeVeau: What? Oh, no. ::Alora retreated a step away from the ledge. She'd get used to the height, but it would be a few moments. That didn't mean she'd necessarily dare to actually go all the way to the edge.:: DeVeau: No, you should make it just like Vulcan. Speaking of which, where are we? Saveron: This is ShirKhar, considered the Capital of Vulcan. It is the cultural centre of the Golic peoples, located on the site of an ancient water source in the Shi'al region. To the north is the Womb of Fire and the Caves of Kohlinar, to the west is Mount Selaya. ::Which was quite famous as a centre of Vulcan mental discipline, the greatest temple to the religion that Vulcans didn't have.:: DeVeau: Womb of Fire? Is that a volcanic chain? ::Alora dared to retake the step she had given up and eyed the ledge with great caution. That step was as far as she advanced - at least, for the moment.:: Saveron: It is a rift in the planet’s crust where magma wells to the surface. The safeties are engaged. ::He commented mildly, observing Alora's trepidation. They couldn't fall from the balcony, and the view was a simulation in any case.:: DeVeau: Yeah. I know. ::Her head knew that. Logically, there was no way she could suffer injury. That didn't mean that her emotions were going to follow logic - something she knew the Vulcan probably wouldn't understand.:: Saveron: This was our apartment, before I left Vulcan. ::He said simply.:: DeVeau: Really? Wow. It's...high. ::Granted, Tokyo had its share of high buildings, but Alora didn't visit them that often, and when she did she kept away from the windows for the most part. The view consisted of far more development than Vulcan, and lights kept the city aglow at all hours of the day. It was never silent in Tokyo, there was a constant hush from various automobiles and foot traffic that, though it was lighter at certain points, never fully died down. She wondered how much this place was like that.:: DeVeau: Do you miss it? ::Alora missed Japan. And Atlanta. At the same time, she was far too fascinated with what lay beyond her own world to remain there.:: ::The doctor considered the question. To most people he would simply have stated that a sentimental attachment to a location would be illogical, but somewhere along the line he'd stopped feeling the need to uphold strict Vulcan propriety around Alora. Perhaps because she did not, perhaps because he considered her a friend. Aron Kells had earned that same honesty.:: Saveron: I do not regret leaving ShirKahr. ::He said after a moment.:: I found the culture here disagreeable. Prior to ShirKahr we lived in my ancestral home in Kal-an. I considered it preferable to remain there, however the facilities for studying Xenomedicine were lacking. T'Rel also wished to further her studies at the Temple. ::He nodded towards distant Mount Selaya.:: DeVeau: T'Rel? ::The name was not one she heard him speak before. She cast a sidelong glance at the Vulcan and he met her gaze, grey eyes to green, with the completely flat expression his people wore when they suppressed all emotion.:: Saveron: Saavok’s mother. ::He said quietly.:: My previous bond-mate. DeVeau: Oh. ::Alora wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t meant to bring up what must be a painful subject, even if Saveron didn’t want to admit it. Or had she? Alora had to admit she’d been wildly curious, but at the same time, she didn’t want to cause any pain to her friend.:: DeVeau: I’m sorry. ::The young woman reached out to place a gentle hand upon his arm. It was just a light touch, an attempt to sooth and comfort.:: ::Saveron looked down at Alora but did not shy away, despite the fact that most Vulcans preferred to avoid casual physical contact. He found that he did not find it disagreeable. It did cause him to realise that his economy of words might have led her to an incorrect conclusion.:: Saveron: She is not dead. ::He told her quietly.:: She chose another. I elected to have our bond severed rather than face kun-ut-kal-if-fee. I considered it more logical. ::The right of challenge was a hold-over from pre-Surak days, and a tenacious one. Sometimes there were situations where logic was not enough.:: ::That was worse. DeVeau knew enough about Vulcan culture to understand the significance of what had occurred. It was far more serious than divorce. Her death would have been easier to deal with, she was certain.:: DeVeau: I’m still sorry. She shouldn’t have let go of someone like you. ::He made no secret of the facts of the situation, but no one had responded quite like Alora had. It was an alien reaction, and for a moment he pondered how to acknowledge such. Briefly he laid his other hand on her arm, careful to touch fabric and not skin.:: Saveron: Thank you. ::Perhaps alien sentiments were best answered with alien words.:: ::Alora smiled, but it held a hint of sorrow to it, as if somehow she had managed to share in the pain that such an event had caused. But how could she know? She had never experienced anything akin to what he had, but she knew it couldn’t have been easy and it couldn’t have been without heartache, Vulcan or no. Her reaction to his touch on her sleeve was automatic. Like when she had taken Saavok’s hand, she didn’t really think. Her free hand rose, her fingers curled over his as skin touched skin:: ::The contact made Saveron shiver. Many other species made casual physical contact and Terrans were particularly fond of it. It was why many Vulcans in Starfleet, lacking voluminous sleeves into which to tuck their hands, opted for the hands-behind-back stance when working around them. It avoided those awkward scenarios where one was inadvertently confronted with another’s thoughts.:: ::As those cool fingers closed over his own he felt a sense of sorrow not his own, and curiosity, and the knowledge that one didn’t, couldn’t know. Perhaps Alora understood better than many. It had been months since he had touched any mind but his son’s, and though the contact was unexpected it was not unwelcome; for a brief moment he opened his mind to hers, answered her question.:: ::Two halves of a whole, suddenly separated. Rejection by a part of one’s self. Where there had been the sense of another for the majority of his life - her mind and yes, her emotions, hidden from others - there was only emptiness. Loss. Irreconcilable grief. But before all that a wall. Iron self-control that separated emotion from thought, feeling from action. And, over time, the wound had healed, though it had left a welt of scar tissue.:: ::A moment later he pulled away from her touch, tucked his hands back into his sleeves.:: ::Alora stepped back and inhaled deeply. The exchange had been intense and revealing. She’d ‘seen’ him in a way she was certain no one else had, not even T’Rel. For him to have done so was odd, but she was also honoured. He had allowed her touch, accepted it, and shared an intimate part of himself. And yet, he had also broken the contact. Alora would not initiate a second time. As it was, she had already overstepped her bounds and she made a mental note to be more careful and not let her guard down so easily. She was forgetting herself around him and she had to remember proper etiquette around Vulcans, even ones she called friend.:: DeVeau: I’m sorry. ::But that time it was her own actions she was apologising for.:: ::Saveron only shook his head.:: Saveron: It is I who must apologise. ::He had reacted not from logic, but something far baser. He missed that mental contact, and wanted it. But he had to remember that for Terrans, such physical contact was casual; social niceties and no more. For Vulcans with their touch telepathy, it was intimate. He had sensed when she made that touch that it had been an idle gesture. He should not have taken advantage of it.:: DeVeau: No. You have nothing to apologise for. ::She smiled, not quite so bright, but sincere none the less.:: DeVeau: I’ll try to be better. ::That earned her another of those slightly thoughtful looks that usually indicated he was trying to puzzle out her meaning.:: Saveron: I did not object. ::He said at last.:: DeVeau: No. ::Her reply was soft.:: But I… ::She trailed off. Alora had a feeling she wasn’t going to win the argument and really, it was probably best to simply move on.:: ::Saveron was of the same mind as he voiced his next question. As he turned away he was aware that Saavok was watching them with that same blank expression that his father sometimes wore when he didn’t quite understand what was going on.:: Saveron: Do you harbour a preference for certain places on Terra? Saveron: Do you harbour a preference for certain places on Terra? ::He wouldn't do her the discourtesy of implying she was being emotional by asking whether she 'missed' a place. By the same token he had come to understand that Terrans meant no offence when they used such terms.:: DeVeau: Yeah. Atlanta and Japan. Japan more so, but...I love doing what I do - even if I haven't been doing it for long. The prospect of exploration and discovery, of learning, holds far too much appeal to keep me on Terra. ::That was a sentiment that Saveron understood well.:: ::Alora turned her gaze to the child who had been almost invisible thanks to his silence. She wouldn't forget him, however.:: DeVeau: You've been rather quiet. Do you hold memories of Vulcan? ::Saavok turned to regard Alora with that same quiet, thoughtful look his father often wore.:: Saavok: Affirmative. I lived on Vulcan until I was two and a third Vulcan cycles. ::Which equated to six Terran years.:: I grew up in ShirKahr. We lived in that building. ::He pointed to another tall, ochre-coloured building not far from the one they were in. It had a very similar type of construction, apparently made up of myriad apartments.:: DeVeau: Do you prefer traveling and exploring? Saavok: Affirmative. ::He seemed to consider his words carefully for a moment.:: I found life in ShirKahr restrictive. The galaxy is very interesting. DeVeau: I have to agree with you there. Saveron: His teachers labelled him disruptive. ::Yet the look he gave his son held no reproof.:: He has inherited his father’s restlessness. ::The doctor would own that fault.:: DeVeau: Hm. I’m not sure I would agree with the teachers’ assessment. Being on a starship has its advantages, though, and I imagine you learn a lot of things that you wouldn’t be able to on Vulcan. Saavok: That is why I prefer to be stationed with my father. ::The little Vulcan agreed with a certain finality.:: Saveron: Some individuals benefit from a far broader education. ::He agreed.:: ::His son was more at home in space than on Vulcan, the doctor acknowledged that. It was why, despite the dangers of the posting, he had requested that he be permitted to bring Saavok, and why he kept him with him. Others might not agree but Saveron was of the view that the benefits outweighed the risks. For a moment he rested a hand lightly on his son’s shoulder, as family might do. He also found having his son with him preferable.:: Saveron: Would you be interested to see Mount Selaya? ::It was one of the more famous locations on Vulcan.:: DeVeau: Of course! ::She wondered if she’d be able to compare it to any of the Terran mountains she’d seen. Fujiyama was, of course, the one most familiar to her, but she’d visited Mount Mckinley as well as Kilimanjaro and Everest, though she’d only viewed them from afar. :: DeVeau: Are there other places on Vulcan that you two prefer as well? Saavok: Ut-kashi tower? ::He suggested.:: Saveron: If such is considered agreeable. ::He replied, before looking over at Alora.:: Would you be interested in exploring part of T’ralor? That is where I grew up, in southern Han Shir. DeVeau: Absolutely. ::As he spoke he led them through the portal and into the apartment proper, which was neat, sparse in it’s low, Vulcan-style furnishings and restful in it’s neutrally coloured wall hangings.:: ::Through the entrance was a long hallway which they followed into the heart of the building. As they walked they were joined by members of the holographic population, robed in ochre, charcoal and sand, they were shorter and stockier than Saveron. Hair was almost universally black and predominantly worn in the same porridge-bowl cut that Saavok wore, eyes were mostly dark and skin was coppery. There was the occaisional glance, nod or flash of the ta’al, but mostly they walked quietly. Saveron stuck out like a sore thumb, obviously racially different, and Saavok’s hybrid nature was more obvious when seen next to his mother’s people.:: ::They entered a turbolift, formed in the same shades of copper and ochre as the rest of the building, and travelled down the length of the building. As they did so Saveron called for a control panel and inputted several commands.:: ::The doors of the turbolift opened not onto the foyer of the building, but onto a flat, sandy plain with an oddly short horizon. As they stepped out perspective changed and it became obvious that they stood upon a high plateau in the mountains. Behind them the door of the lift closed and disappeared.:: ::When they turned to look back they were faced with the Temple of Gol, carved into the red rock of the mountain itself. Pillars and spires of proportions that looked alien to Terran eyes; aesthetic to Vulcan ones adorned the entrance. Across the plateau was a narrow rock bridge that led to an arena and altar, balanced atop another rock spire. Above them the reddish, dust-filled sky seemed to loom closer and below there was nothing for a very long way, until the distant, rocky valley below.:: ::Here and there Vulcans in long, ornamented robes walked or stood in quiet contemplation.:: Saveron: This is the Temple of Gol, atop Mount Selaya. It is the seat of Golic culture and mental discipline. DeVeau: Oh...wow. ::It was nothing like anything she had ever seen. Her experiences with the mountains on Terra could not compare. They were beautiful, that, there was no doubt, but the alien majesty of the Vulcan mountain and the temple cradled within swept her breath away momentarily. The view was frightening and instinctively Alora inched closer to the two Vulcans, taking comfort in their presence. Despite that fear, it was amazing to behold and she couldn’t help but stare, her eyes wide as they soaked in the brilliant surroundings.:: DeVeau: You studied here? ::As Alora moved closer to them Saveron made a mental note to take into account that she appeared to dislike heights. Her reaction to the balcony view had been less than favourable.:: Saveron: Negative; T’Rel did. She is a disciple of the Temple and a student of their most advanced teachings. She is extremely adept at mental discipline. The Temple is central to Golic culture. ::But it was also an easily recognisable landmark, and something that aliens often seemed to know about and consider worth visiting.:: DeVeau: It’s beautiful. ::And it was. Beautiful, magnificent, and terrifying all at once. Alora took a deep breath and let it ease out slowly. As long as she stayed away from the edge. Well, it was just a hologram, but even that knowledge didn’t help dissuade her discomfort.:: Saveron: The teachings of my own people vary somewhat from Golic mental traditions, though the core values and systems are largely identical. My people are strong adherents of the IDIC principle. DeVeau: Do you have a badge? Saveron: Affirmative. I have one that I use as a communicator. DeVeau: How do the teachings differ? Saveron: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations was one of the prime teachings of Surak, along with the principle that we must control our emotions, lest they control us. My people put more emphasis on the former, Golic teachings on the latter. DeVeau: Interesting how much difference there is. Saveron: It is, I think, a function of differences in culture. Golic peoples traditionally dwell in these very arid areas, congregating in large numbers around water sources. As such conformity is important for social cohesion. My own people are agrarian and traditionally live in small family communities, each with it’s own traditions. DeVeau: So not only does the philosophy differ but so does the social aspect. ::He nodded slightly.:: Saveron: Such difference is IDIC also. You yourself have given me much insight into Terran cultural differences. DeVeau: I think it’s interesting to learn about different cultures. Vulcan culture, when studied on Terra and in the academy, is generally presented in a two dimensional fashion. There’s so much more richness though just from what I’ve learned from you. They don’t teach us this much when studying the language. I wish they would. It would certainly help Terrans keep from being so ignorant. ::The grin was rueful and a sigh accompanied it.:: DeVeau: So, where else shall we go from here? ::Preferably some place not quite so high. And narrow. And high.:: ::Judging that Alora might not find the idea of crossing the narrow stone bridge to the arena agreeable, he suggested a change of scenery.:: Saveron: The An’ahyaes Valley may present an interesting contrast. Kal-an is the main settlement of the region. ::Which was where he’d spent most of his life.:: DeVeau: Sure, that sounds good. ::A few verbal commands from Saveron and the scenery around them changed from the dramatic and barren mountains to a more open vista. They were still at a viewpoint but the hillside sloped away from them more gently, down to a vast, undulating valley floor. As far as the eye could see the valley had been sculpted into geometric fields planted with crops in the various red and brown hues characteristic of Vulcan vegetation. The soil itself was sandy and pale and the plants looked parched and spiky; it was an arid landscape by Terran standards, but clearly a lush, productive land by Vulcan ones.:: ::Small settlements were visible on the hills that ringed the great valley, clusters of buildings no more than a couple of storeys high, in much the same colour as the surrounding soil. Roads led down from the hillside dwellings to the valley floor below; clearly the locals knew better than to build on precious, fertile ground. There was an obvious roadway along the tops of the hillsides, connecting the farming communities, and in the distance what appeared to be a small city sprawled down the side of a particularly large hill.:: ::The air was cooler up here than it had been in ShirKahr, though it was still parchingly hot for a non-native. In the fields below people and machines moved in the shimmering heat. To the east the line of hills was broken and the land instead dropped away into a series of ravines that ran, in the distance, to a faint shimmer that might have been the narrow, shallow Voroth sea.:: Saveron: This is the An’ahyaes Valley; it’s farmland feeds half a continent. There is Kal-an. Saveron: This is the An’ahyaes Valley; it’s farmland feeds half a continent. There is Kal-an. ::He gestured to the city in the distance.:: Saveron: To the north-east, behind these hills, lies the T’ralorean Preserve, one of the last vestiges of Vulcan as it was before the gravitational shift. At the southern end of the valley lie the ruins of Ut-kashi tower, an ancient defensive holding of my people. These are my family’s dwellings. ::He gestured around them to the low, sand-coloured buildings that seemed to be dug into the hillside as much as they were built on them. Low walls marked out pocket gardens between them, filled with varieties of plants from across the planet.:: ::Alora soaked in the view and studied the buildings and the land that surrounded them. It was a stark contrast to the mountain. There one had been filled with a sense of awe and almost fear. But there with the squatter buildings and agrarian culture that was obvious by the tilled and readied land, it felt less intimidating and far more welcoming.:: DeVeau: What sort of crops do they grow? Saveron: We grow a variety of grains and legumes and rotational crops, and fruit from established plantings; you might describe them as ‘orchards’. ::Though the squat shrubs would look rather sad compared to a Terran fruit orchard.:: ::Alora’s gaze fell back to the fields as they stretched out in a wave of earth. Had they just finished plowing or had seeds already been planted in that simulation?:: DeVeau: It’s amazing how many you guys are able to feed. What are your parents like? Do they work the land too? Saveron; Affirmative. My father Vahnyahraeon is an agricultural engineer; my mother Saehleyrah is a Preserve warden. ::He said, pronouncing his parents’ correct Nel-Gathic names rather than simplifying them.:: My clan has worked this land for generations. Our ability to produce sufficient food for the population stems partly from careful management. It is also the reason that we do not eat animal products; it would take several times as much land to produce the same amount of nutrition if the land was used to raise livestock. ::That was the logic behind Vulcan veganism.:: DeVeau: So no animals are kept anywhere at all? Saveron: The nomadic desert tribes of the Go’an are traditionally hunters, and they still conduct rare ritual hunts according to their cultural traditions and sustainable practices. But no animals are farmed. DeVeau: Interesting. How do the plants get water in a place like this? Saveron: In the evening as the sun sets the temperature drops and the wind direction changes. Moist air from the Voroth Sea blows over this land and the moisture condenses out as mist. ::Of course, ‘moist’ was a relative term. The rate of condensation also had a lot to do with the low water-holding capacity of the thin atmosphere.:: DeVeau: I understand that Vulcans don’t eat meat on Vulcan because it’s not worth the effort, but what about when you’re not on Vulcan and such things are plentiful? I know you don’t, but do you just prefer to avoid meat and dairy? Or is there another reason you don’t partake? ::It was a reasonable question, and one he’d been asked before.:: Saveron: It is true that in the age of replicators there is no longer the need to eat only plant material to ensure sufficient supply. ::He admitted.:: However it is part of my culture, and a part that I choose to continue to practice. ::He acknowledged that there was no logical reason not to eat a replicated hamburger, but he still wasn’t going to be chowing down on one in the near future.:: Saveron: I understand that other species appreciate differences in flavour that are encountered in animal products, however most other species have a far more sensitive sense of taste and smell than Vulcans. I anticipate that the finer nuances of flavour would be lost on me. DeVeau: Because of the lack of taste? Saveron: The sense of smell requires moist receptor cells in the nasal passages; these are a potential site of water loss. We have only a few receptors and they are largely sensitive to the scents of predators. Females have greater sensitivity than males. ::It was interesting that there was a distinct cross-over to species from other planets, such as Terran canines. Dogs were particularly offensive.:: DeVeau: Ah, interesting. So an acute sense of smell, but receptive within a narrow scope. Saveron: I understand that the sense of taste developed in other species to allow individuals to determine which foods were safe to eat and which were poisonous or spoiled. Species on fertile worlds have the luxury of being selective. ::Alora nodded slowly. It was luxury all right, particularly compared with what she saw before her eyes.:: Saveron: On Vulcan we cannot afford to be so; rather we developed efficient livers which can process most native toxins, and active immune systems that can neutralise most effects of putrefaction. ::Vulcans could eat just about anything that grew on their world and regularly did. That didn’t mean that it was palatable or even safe for other species.:: DeVeau: Which means compared with humans, there’s not much that can harm you or poison you. So your livers actually allow your bodies to deal with more things and give you a hardier immune system. Saveron: Affirmative. Our adaptations give us an immunity to native toxins and simple poisons such as cyanide and ethanol. We have no particular resistance to complex toxins from other worlds. We are still affected by caffeine. ::He added by way of example.:: DeVeau: Well, most Terrans are too. I avoid caffeine for the most part. ::She got very little, chocolate being the only food she consumed that would contain the stimulant, and even then it was negligible compared to coffee and other caffeine laced drinks.:: DeVeau: Caffeine makes me shaky. ::The Vulcan had never seen the appeal in the substance himself.:: Saveron: You would have experienced many Terran cuisines, and others through Starfleet. Have you developed preferences? DeVeau: Oh I love food. All sorts of food. On Terra, in India and other asian countries, they have various types of curries. Spices. I love spices of all sorts, though I’m not very good when it comes to actually creating various dishes. I can follow a recipe okay, but tend to leave cooking to others. ::Like her mother and the youngest of her brothers. Who needed to cook when she had them? Of course, there was replicator food as well, which was not quite as good, but better than some people’s cooking she’d tasted.:: DeVeau: There are all sorts of vegan curry dishes. Maybe you can visit Terra sometime. Aime can cook for you. Saveron: I would not object to that. ::He [...]ed his head slightly in query.:: I am not familiar with ‘Aime’. DeVeau: He’s one of my brothers, an artist and gaining in notoriety. He cooks like nobody’s business. Saveron: ::Trying to think how to ask politely.:: Would that perhaps suggest that the experience might not be beneficial? DeVeau: I mean, he’s an excellent cook. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything he ever made and didn’t like it. Saveron: I see. ::Terran colloquialisms again.:: I would be honoured to meet your brother, and to taste his cooking. DeVeau: Do you have any brothers and sisters? ::Alora couldn’t imagine a life without her brothers. Of course, they had plenty of spats, but she’d never trade any of her family for anything in the universe.:: Saveron: My siblings have remained on Vulcan. If you were to visit I could introduce you. DeVeau: Really? That would be great! I’d love to meet more of your relations. How big is your family? Saveron: I have three siblings, ten nieces and nephews and seven great nieces and nephews. ::Not to mention his own spawn and grandspawn.:: DeVeau: Wow. I’ve a few nieces and nephews, but only half that many...and no greats, but I’m young yet. ::Vulcans lived longer than humans. How old was Saveron? Although he had mentioned grandchildren before, she hadn’t truly thought about how old he was til he listed a goodly portion of his relatives. He didn’t seem particularly old to her, though having a young child probably helped with that. She refrained from asking about his age. If she really wanted to know, it was in his public file and it would be rude to ask such a question.:: DeVeau: Do you go back to Vulcan often? Saveron: I have done so, although I do not anticipate returning as frequently now that none of my children are on Vulcan. I left Vulcan five months ago. DeVeau: Oh, so you’ve not been back for that long. Did you two enjoy yourselves? ::The Vulcan considered his response. He knew that it was an idle question, no implied insult was intended by the suggestion that they might have experienced an emotive response. Never mind that if they had, for him at least it would have been far different.:: Saveron: It was a complex period of time; there were several situations that warranted resolution. ::He admitted.:: We did take the opportunity to visit Kal’an and my family. ::Saavok was really only coming to know his Nel-Gathic side now.:: ::Alora nodded and allowed her gaze to wander.:: DeVeau: So would you mind giving me a more detailed tour? Then you can choose anywhere else you’d like to show me. Saveron: I would have no objection. Which part of Vulcan would you consider interesting? DeVeau: I’m interested in all of it. ::She grinned again then turned so she could follow behind her guide. If she was honest, her desire would be to visit the real world. That wasn’t possible at that time, however, and she was grateful for the holodeck. It was better than nothing.:: ::As the two wandered along the path, watching people and machines working in the field below, Saveron considered Alora’s request.:: Saveron: Vulcan is not a small planet. It will take some time. DeVeau: That’s okay. ::Alora assured him with a smile.:: I don’t mind spending more time with you. END A JP by Lieutenant Commander Saveron Chief Medical Officer USS Mercury and Lt. JG. Alora DeVeau Science Officer USS Mercury and PNPC Saavok Vulcan Child USS Mercury
  4. ((San Francisco, 239005.21)) ::The bar hadn't changed in six years...and neither had the woman sitting by herself, nursing what he knew would be a Calaman sherry.:: oO Velana. My Velana. Oo ::It might have been the four non-synthetic whiskies running through Cade's system, but suddenly it didn't feel as if all that time had passed. If he squinted his eyes just a little bit, he could almost convince himself that it was May of 2384 instead, and he was there to meet his girlfriend for a much-needed, post-finals drink.:: Cade: ::to the bartender:: Another whiskey. ::He paused.:: And a Calaman sherry. ::A minute later, with a drink in each hand, Cade released a long breath and started across the crowded floor.:: oO Fortune favors the brave. Just like Father always says. Oo ::But his drunken bravado almost gave out when Velana spotted him. Her ice blue eyes grew wide for a fraction of a second before narrowing considerably. Not the greatest welcome, yet Cade kept going.:: Cade: Hey, Vee. ::He held out the sherry.:: You look ready for a second round. ::He hadn't meant it to mean anything more than another round of drinks, but even to his own ears, the words came out with a bit of a leer, as if he was suggesting something far more intimate. So, it wasn't really a surprise when she rose to her feet.:: Cade: I'm sorry. Vee, I swear...please don't go. ::He set the drinks down and regretted it immediately, as he suddenly had no idea what to do with his hands.:: I just...I just wanted to talk to you. Velana: Why? ::She folded her arms over her chest.:: I've been under the impression for the last six years that everything that needs to be said between us has already been said. Cade: You're wrong. ::He swore softly.:: No, that's not what I meant. I mean, yeah, I don't agree, but you have every right to think that...you know...considering what happened... ::He plunged his fingers into his hair.:: This is not how I wanted this to go. Velana: Let me guess. You imagined that you coming over here with a Calaman sherry and a grin would immediately make me forget everything that you... ::When she suddenly stopped, Cade frowned. It might have been years, but he recognized when Velana was on the verge of losing control of her emotions.:: Cade: Vee? Are you all right? ::Her laugh was bitter.:: Velana: Only you, Cade, could have the audacity to stand there and honestly ask me that question. ::She glanced away for a long minute, and when she looked back, there were tears in her eyes.:: My mother is ill. ::He'd only met T'Lan once, during a painfully awkward dinner that Velana had arranged after weeks of pressure on his part, but he'd come away with the impression of a formidable Vulcan mother whose entire world revolved around her only living child. As for Velana, T'Lan was the only family member she had left, save for the sister-in-law she hadn't seen in years. No wonder she was on the verge of a breakdown.:: ::Human apologies would have been meaningless words to Velana. So, he pushed aside that instinct, a trick he'd learned during their time together.:: Cade: Will she recover? Velana: Her doctors aren't certain. I've looked over her tests myself and I want to say that she will, but... ::When she shook her head, her hair swung around her shoulders. Cade swallowed heavily. Did those dark locks still feel like silk?:: Cade: I think she will. Velana: ::with a sharp laugh:: Oh, you do? Cade: I do. Velana: And where did you get your medical degree? ::He took a step towards her, then another when she didn't move back. Up close, he could smell honeysuckle and orange blossoms. Even just a whiff of her scent was enough to bring him back to a time and place when he would have been able to take her in his arms and kiss her tears away.:: Cade: Just a feeling, Vee. ::Lost in the scent, lost in her eyes, he reached out and pulled her to his chest.:: Everything will be fine. ::Maybe she was lost in the past, too, because she didn't try to get away. He would have been no match for her if she had, so he was grateful when she relaxed against him.:: Velana: ::voice muffled against his collar:: I don't know why I came here. ::Her hair did still feel like silk he discovered as he stroked it softly. Why did she have to feel so good? Why did she have to fit so perfectly there in his arms?:: ::How had he convinced himself six years earlier that he didn't need this, didn't need her in his life?:: ::Everything had gone wrong since he'd left Velana in that hotel room after he'd said everything possible to break her heart. But now it was starting to seem like the pieces could be picked up and put back into place.:: Cade: Me neither. Just felt like I should. ::He lifted his shoulders.:: Fate? Velana: I don't believe in fate. Cade: ::smiling:: Right. Luck, then? ::She said nothing.:: Vee... Velana: ::cutting him off:: I haven't forgiven you. Cade: Didn't expect you had. Velana: But I also don't think about you all the time. ::She drew back to look up at him.:: I moved on. Understand? ::He nodded even as he tried to stamp down a wave of jealousy. It wasn't as if he had been celibate for six years. And Alaxa had already told him this several years earlier. That didn't mean it didn't sting, but the blow wasn't debilitating.:: Cade: I think about you all the time, Vee. ::She studied him for a second, the way only she could. Velana had always been able to see through his bravado and ego and lies...except for the one time he hadn't wanted her to: that last night after graduation.:: Velana: Why? Cade: Because. ::He wanted to tell her everything. How he had never stopped loving her, but he'd given in to family pressures and expectations and prejudices. No. Too much time had passed. Or not enough time. Regardless, he just couldn't do it.:: ::So, he kissed her.:: ::If he'd woken up the next morning with any scratches or bruises or bite marks, he might have thought she'd gone into pon farr, but he woke with a smile on his face. Turning over, he reached for Velana...only to find a cold pillow. The tangled sheets were the only proof that she had been there at all.:: Lt. Cade Whitman Ops USS Vigilant Simmed by LtCmdr Velana CMO: USS Vigilant
  5. ((Sickbay - Deep Space 6)) ::Eliaan Deron could hear the commotion from half way down the hall but even then, he was still surprised when he entered the main sickbay and saw several members of his staff standing around with equipment littering the floor. As he approached his aide Suvan, a tricorder flew out of a storage cupboard and landed at his feet.:: Deron: What is going on in here? ::The Vulcan gave the closest approximation of a sigh that Eliaan had ever seen from him.:: Suvan: Doctor, we're having some technical trouble with the EMH... Deron: What sort of trouble? ::More equipment was thrown from the cupboard onto the floor and the holodoctor was muttering away to himself in the cupboard.:: Suvan: His holomatrix appears to have been damaged with the recent computer system breaches. I have reported the malfunction to engineering and they have informed me that several systems were cross-linked to circumnavigate security lock outs. Evidently, the EMH program has been linked to the main hologrid... ::The EMH leapt out of the cupboard and stared at them wide-eyed. In his career, Eliaan had seen several different EMH models. The Powers That Be seemed to be fine with the hologram looking completely different each time and while they were all technically the same program, they all had slightly different personalities. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with the needless technical regeneration that Starfleet seemed obsessed with. Despite his familiarity with the other Doctors, the EMH currently looked nothing like the previous versions.:: ::In fact, he looked a little like Lt Commander Breeman, who Eliaan had served with on SB118!:: ::The EMH held a tricorder against his face and was talking into it as if it were a communication device.:: Doctor: Please nature the medical of your problem state! ::The Betazoid raised an eyebrow. It was clear that more than his physical appearance had been altered by the cross-link.:: Doctor: Good cupboard that... bigger on inside than it looks from out here Deron: Can we deactivate him? Suvan: No. His deactivation protocols appear to have been damaged ::Eliaan shook his head and sighed. Why did nothing run smoothly around here?:: Deron: Typical. ::turning to the EMH:: Hello, I am Doctor Deron. Do you know where you are? Doctor: Of course I do, I travel through all time and space! ::If, as seemed likely, holoprograms from the network were bleeding into his matrix then he wasn't technically wrong. Maybe he wasn't even the EMH any more but rather a character from the holodeck. If so, there was a good possibility that their EMH was gone and might not be retrievable and that was bad news for the station. The last time it had been offline it had taken ages to bring it back.:: Deron: Do you know who you are? Doctor: You can call me Doctor Deron: Doctor who? ::The hologram looked confused by the question.:: Doctor: Just The Doctor Deron: I see... ::Before he could say anything else, the Doctor flickered a little.:: Doctor: Oh... what was that? Deron: Your matrix is unstable. Try and hold tight until someone can come and fix it. ::The Doctor seemed to think about that for a moment before he dropped the tricorder onto the deck and leapt back into the cupboard. More chaos ensued as it sorted through the equipment, which meant throwing most of it onto the deck. When it burst back out of the cupboard, it did so with a shout.:: Doctor: AH - HA! ::Eliaan held the bridge of his nose. He was supposed to be off-duty, why did he think he could pop in and pick up some messages without being pulled into some kind of nonsense.:: Deron: Okay, everyone out. Suvan can you wait here with him a second? Suvan: Yes, Doctor. ::The other members of staff filed out of the room and the doors closed behind them. Eliaan issued orders for them to use the other rooms of sickbay and to leave this one empty for now. He then contacted the engineering teams, busy as they were fixing the other damaged systems, this crazed hologram could destroy sickbay. He was assured that they would get to sickbay as soon as they could and with that he re-entered the room. Suvan stood completely still as the EMH leapt around and shouted nonsense.:: Deron: Why is he waving that dermal regenerator around? Suvan: ::deadpan:: I have no idea but he claims it is sonic Deron: A sonic regenerator? He looks insane. Suvan: Indeed. ::At that moment, the Doctor stopped leaping around as he flickered again. He looked up at them both and looked scared at what was happening to him. It dropped the dermal regenerator onto the deck. The next moment, there was a flash of light and the hologram yelled as his matrix whirled and jolted. Even knowing that this was a technical problem, Eliaan was stricken by how it looked and sounded and the worry of what was coming next.:: Deron: By the four deities... ::As quickly as the light and the shouting had started it stopped and to everyone's surprise, the EMH looked completely different.:: Suvan: Fascinating! ::As it began to look at itself on a reflective computer console while tugging on the new hair and making faces at itself, Eliaan realised he had experienced enough insanity for one day.:: Deron: Look, Suvan, the engineering team said it would be here presently. Can you handle things here until they arrive? ::The Vulcan looked crestfallen but nodded.:: Suvan: Of course, Doctor Deron: Great, thanks! ::He headed quickly out of sickbay as the EMH leapt up onto a biobed.:: Doctor: GERONIMO!! ::The doors closed behind him and Eliaan was glad of the silence. He would make it up to Suvan later, somehow, but for now he was just glad to be out of there and back in calm, non-wacky universe of the Federation.:: END Lieutenant Eliaan DeronActing CMODeep Space 6 Simmed by Lt Cmdr Zehn
  6. ((First Officers Office)) ::Eerie buzzed the office and walked into the first officer’s office. He had completed his written narrative of the events that transpired on the bridge and was quite interested in hearing what the Commander had to say. Eerie had always wanted to see what he could do in command of a starship. He walked in and stood at attention, as usual, in front of the Commander..:: Eerie: Lt. Commander Eerie reporting as ordered, sir. ::In his usual formal tone.:: :: Eerie had done a lot of thinking about his actions on the bridge. For the most part he was pleased with his actions. There was always things that he could be improved upon and he noted them in his report. He wanted to do his very best, and was looking forward to any feedback the Commander had to offer. He was happy that the bridge crew had done so well considering that they didn’t normally work together and several of the officers had limited experience on duty posts. The boarding by the Zalkonians had been unfortunate, but he was under orders to get crew members over to the station. He had debated the risks and been surprised by the Zalkonians, dropping their shields with a fully active starbase phaser bank firing at them.:: ::Greir had been reading the mission reports from his department heads. Since stepping up to First Officer he hadn’t had a chance to touch base with everyone to talk about their performance and career aspirations. When his door chimed he figured his first appointment had arrived and upon opening the door Eerie had walked in and reported just as formally as expected. :: Reinard: ::Smiling:: Good day Commander, come on in. ::Greir would normally offer a seat to whoever he was seeing but he knew that the Brikar preferred to stand. He preferred to sit but was considering standing because having the tall Brikar towering over him didn’t make him feel as comfortable as he could be if they were more on each other’s level. :: Eerie: Yes, Sir. ::Eerie noticed that Grier was smiling and took that as a possible good sign.:: Reinard: I’ve read your mission report, it was very detailed and I appreciate that as it couldn’t give us a better record of events. Eerie: Honestly, Sir, I find writing reports somewhat boring but I wanted to document the actions during the event very well. A lot transpired and it was important to get it correct. I was proud of the actions of the crew and hope that is reflected. ::Greir had few questions about the report because it had been put together so well. He had a strong opinion on how he felt Eerie had acted as a commanding officer but first wanted to get a more in-depth and personal insight into how Eerie himself felt things had gone. :: Reinard: I don’t think there’s many people who enjoy writing the reports but they’re important and I do believe you got your viewpoint over well. I believe this was your first time commanding a starship in combat? ::Greir knew that Eerie was quite used to ship combat, but following orders and giving recommendations about how to deal with these kinds of threats was different to being the one who had the final say. It was much harder when the responsibility for the whole ship and crew’s well being fell on your own shoulders. :: Eerie: Yes Sir, It was quite an experience. Something that a simulation will never completely train oneself for. ::Eerie remembered each agonising decision, and he thought he had made the right ones. There was a few he would have changed, but for the most part he was pleased with his decisions. There was always something to learn from each situation as he tried to dissect the actions of that day.:: Reinard: I understand how you feel completely. What was the hardest things for you? Eerie: Probably my greatest weakness, managing people. Making sure that the right people were in the right positions. It was a makeshift bridge crew, I didn’t want to change personnel during the middle of a combat situation. I figured it was best to keep everyone at their posts. ::Eerie had pondered the question about the crew assignments, and while he still debated the decisions he couldn’t come up with better assignments.:: Reinard: Managing people is one of my strengths so let me give you a couple of tips that i’ve always found helpful. Putting people in the right place involves knowing what skills you need for any given situation. Taking the situation you just reported on as an example - you know you need tactical officers on the bridge offering firing solutions and managing the shields, a pilot flying evasive maneuvers, security guarding key locations like engineering and sickbay, and so on. That’s people management on it’s most basic level. If you know the individual better then you can take their strengths and weaknesses into account to truly make sure you have the right people in the right places. I would say to you that if part way through combat someone becomes available that’s better at a job than the person in that place then get them where they need to be. If you have someone manning a station with only a little bit of experience and then your 15 year veteran and department chief becomes available then get them to support that officer. ::Eerie nodded. He agreed with his comments, it was important to have the most experienced personnel in the key areas during a combat situation. The biggest problem and concern Eerie had was the interpersonal relationships he had with the rest of the crew. While it was very important for the crew to follow the orders of someone in charge, it was also important to have a relationship with that person. It was something that was still lacking.:: Eerie: Agreed Commander. Completely. I just feel that I still need to have a better relationship with the crew. I recognize that weakness is something that I need to work on improving but I hope my actions were acceptable. I would like any feedback you would have to improve on that as well. ::It had been an issue that Eerie had struggled with during his entire time off of the Brikar homeworld. :: ::Greir was quite a social, friendly person who managed to easily relate to other people. However there were plenty of people ranked Captain and higher who preferred and thought it more appropriate to maintain something of a distance with crew. Some of them thought that the idea of making friends with the crew could make command decisions more difficult at times for both parties. So although Greir was in the camp of having good relationships with his crew he also recognised two important things. He knew it was not the only approach to command and it certainly wasn’t required, which was just as well because Eerie’s personality wasn’t suited to it and to force himself into a particular mould could make him seem less genuine - that would hurt the thing that he thought really did matter. :: Reinard: I understand what you’re saying about having better relationships with the crew. However it can be really hard, especially on a station or large ship to get to know everyone. What I think matters the most is having respect. If you make good judgements for your crew, speak to them with respect and make sure your department heads are reporting and dealing with problems then you’ll get that respect. ::Eerie knew that he was correct, he had felt that he had the respect of the crew, but he needed to do more. It was something that he would continue to strive achieve, he would make a point to at least know everyone by name at least, and made a issue to engage in conversation on a more regular basis. He also knew that most people liked informal conversations as well. Another area to work on as well.:: Eerie: Yes, Grier. ::He dropped trying to slightly less of a formal tone. He had known Greir the longest other than deBarres and Gwinnett, who had transferred over with him from the Avandar. Eerie had watched the counselor be promoted to first officer and then the rank of Commander.:: Eerie: I know that I need to do better, in that regard. Reinard: Perhaps i’m not making myself clear. I think it’s really great that you want to get to know the crew a bit more. I’m saying that you shouldn’t worry too much because from the point of view of a command officer the thing you need most is respect. I believe you have that. The crew do respect you and it’s because you know your job inside and out and even if you’re stiff you treat them with respect, finally - you make the right calls. Eerie: Thank you. I tried my best, I know there is room for improvement. Always. I hope my actions during the actions met with your approval, I value your input. ::Lowering his tone a bit. :: ::Greir noticed that Eerie had mentioned his actions a few times now and seemed to be seeking approval. He was certainly on his way to delivering his verdict but he wasn’t quite done with the things he intended to talk about first. :: Reinard: Talking about your actions, what do you think went particularly well? Eerie: I was most pleased with the crew, they handled some responsibilities that they were not used to particularly well. There is of course room for improvement. I would like to see more cross training. Something I have thought about. ::Eerie kept talking about there being room for improvement so perhaps he wasn’t as confident about his actions as it first seemed. He also wasn’t quite answering the questions as he asked them or quite picking up on the points he was making. He wondered if he was not communicating as clearly as usual or if he needed to adjust his approach to get more solid answers. :: Reinard: I’m glad that you’re pleased with the crews actions. They followed their orders to the letter. I’m interested to know who you would recommend for cross training and why but for now I want to talk about your actions. What actions or commands did you make that you thought worked particularly well for the situation? Eerie: I knew that we could not stand and fight with the cruisers. The tactics while dangerous, I thought gave us the best chance for survival and to give the station time and us to get the drive operational. Frankly, I like stand up fights but I had to adapt as well. ::The hit and run tactics were something that he was not particularly used to, in fact, his upbring was totally against it, but he had to think what was best for the Vigilant and the crew.:: ::Greir had read about the tactics involved and wasn’t sure he would have chosen that particular course of action. That being said he knew that Eerie knew his stuff when it came to tactical matter considerably better than he did. The Brikar had taken a calculated risk and in this case it had paid off. :: Reinard: Right and it was great to see you weighing up the enemy’s capabilities and making a decision about what the Vigilant could do. The tactics were certainly dangerous and required particular skill from the bridge crew. One of my concerns with that was the proximity to the station. Fortunately the bridge crew did manage to handle the challenge and it worked out just fine. Let’s hope we never have to try it again. Eerie: Agreed. I wouldn’t of tried it with an green ensign on the helm, or me for that matter. Lieutenant Falcon and the shooting of Captain Pavlova, was a major asset. But I hope we don’t have to try that again. Reinard: Right. Is there anything that you feel didn’t go as well as you’d hoped that you’d do differently next time and if so what would you change? Eerie: It goes totally against my nature, but perhaps one more communication try with the cruisers. I don’t know if it would of made any difference. Perhaps it might of given us more time. I don’t know. ::Eerie had been thinking about it for a while, and perhaps another try might of been worth it. He never received any communication from the Zalkonians, it might of been better not to put the ship as such a risk.:: ::Greir could understand why Eerie might think that and part of the problem was how little they actually knew about the Zalkonians. His own gut had told him that they would be non-responsive. As the premier expert on Zalkonians he felt he was getting a feel for why this might be but he was still learning about them much the same as everyone else. :: Reinard: You’ll remember as well that the station were making communications attempts. They did not respond to any of our hails either. It’s quite easy to wonder if ‘one more’ would have helped and there’s always ‘one more’ but you have to draw the line somewhere. This is where understanding the species, their motivations and personalities can help. Of course the problem here is that no one in the Federation has much dealings with them. They are a very insular, xenophobic people but that in itself is telling. They probably feel we are too far beneath them to communicate with. They have no interest in getting along with or negotiating with us. You’ll remember when we encountered them at that station some time ago they communicated to us - but it was on their terms? Eerie: Yes, I remember. Command is very consuming, particularly in a combat situation, so many actions to be concerned with and about. I think a dedicated person to do comm traffic would of helped. Something I need to do a better job with hopefully next time. Each was important, but need to do better at it. Reinard: I’m glad that you learned a lot from it and importantly, I feel you made some responsible choices and got the ship and its crew through. Well done. Is command something you aspire to in the longer term? ::Eerie was relieved. It meant a lot to him to get the nod of approval and the feedback on his concerns.:: Eerie: Someday. I don’t think I am ready yet, still have things to learn, and one always needs to be learning. Something I always try to remember. ::Eerie knew that he was still not ready for any permanent command of a vessel, as much as it was one of his clear defined goals in his career.:: Eerie: oOSomeday, not today or this year. Someday.Oo Reinard: Then I have two pieces of advice for you. You’re already managing a department so you’re in a leadership role, you train your people and you make decisions and recommendations. Command is about doing all of those things but instead of just focussing on one department as aspect of managing a ship you’ve got the bigger picture to take care of. It’s going to be beneficial that you make yourself more aware of other departments work, concerns and how they fit into the bigger picture. The other thing is experience. We could arrange it such that you’ll have more opportunity to take control on the bridge. Maybe work a few gamma shifts and take the bridge when all the other senior officers are sleeping. It’d also give you a chance to interact more with some of the crew you don’t get to see as often. You’ll still have us there obviously in the event that anything pops up but it’s a step in the right direction. ::Eerie had always wanted to take the duty on the bridge for a shift, and while gamma shift was usually pretty quiet, he was privately thrilled at the opportunity. It would give him the opportunity to do and learn more.:: Eerie: Thank you sir. I would consider it an honor. I’m sure that it will be a good experience. ::Eerie voice didn’t change but his eyes got a lot wider.:: Reinard: Is there anything else you wanted to discuss regarding the last mission or anything else before we move on to discuss the rest of the security and tactical department? Eerie: No, It is good to see that you have gotten your hearing back.::Eerie had heard that a procedure had been successfully do to give almost complete hearing back to Reinard.:: ::With matters of the mission report for tactical and security sorted out and discussed as well as Eerie’s command aspirations it was time to move on to the next piece of official business needing their attention. :: Reinard: I had given up hope of it to be honest but thank you. I couldn’t be happier. It certainly gives you a deeper appreciation of things. Now, why not talk me through any disciplinary or performance problems you’ve come up against – or equally if someone is performing especially well. ::Eerie thought for a moment, and figured that is was a good time to broach the topic.:: Eerie: I would like to see some cross training on some of the officers. I knew that they did their best but emergencies never lend themselves to having the best personnel at some duty posts. On the plus side, I was impressed with Lt. Falcon. Her skills were impressive and did quite well. Reinard: Cross-training can be good but it’s not necessary for everyone to be cross trained. It’s better to have a tactical officer at the tactical station rather than someone who only works at it occasionally. Lt Falcon undoubtedly did well but I was asking about the officers in the tactical and security department. ::Eerie nodded his agreement.:: Eerie: Recruit Borr did well in engineering, and from the reports I have seen that Rascon did well on the station. I have checked with other reports from other personnel and they with that assessment. So I would recommend both of them. Reinard: Rascon did do very well. He has a very direct, no nonsense approach and he’s good at getting things done. He handled himself very well and i’ve been considering whether or not to recommend him for promotion. I’m also glad to hear that recruit Borr is doing well. ::Greir had to admit that he had been very impressed with Rscon and there was no doubt that he had done well and proven himself to be a real asset but had he done enough to earn a promotion to Lieutenant. He had been recently promoted to Lt JG and Greir didn’t believe in rushing people through the ranks. They needed time to gain experience as there was a lot more to being an officer than having a lot of text book knowledge. It was a hard call and one he was still debating. :: Eerie: What do you think about a promotion to full Lieutenant? His work habits and performance warrant it. He is handling the responsibilities of a Lieutenant and the reports make him a good candidate. . ::Eerie remembered his rise to Lieutenant, and decided that he could handle the responsibility. Also some officers grew well into higher rank, and his personality certainly didn’t lack for boldness.:: Reinard: He certainly does stand out from among other similar candidates but I wonder if perhaps he needs a bit more experience. I’ll give it some more thought and consider taking it to the captain for consideration. ::Eerie nodded. He always believed that officers needed strong positive feedback. He also liked to give recommendations for promotion. Giving credit for where credit was due.:: Eerie: Thanks. I don’t know if it will come a surprise to Rascon, he is certainly not very reserved.::Eerie said it extremely straight, wondering if Reinard would make any connection to the very reserved Eerie.:: Reinard: Well we’ll see, it’s not set in stone yet. The Captain may decide he needs more time to develop some of his weaker areas first. However, I think that about concludes things for this, unless there’s anything else? Eerie: No, I think that is about it. I was gratified to see that the slipstream drive worked properly. It presents a great number of possibilities. ::Eerie had already been working on the tactical possibilities and problems that the new drive proposed. However, its benefits certainly outweighed the negatives.:: ::Greir leaned back in his chair thinking about the possibilities. They could now reach places they’d never dreamt possible before.:: Reinard: If you could go anywhere with it, where would you go? ::Eerie paused for a moment, he really had never actually thought about it.:: Eerie: I don’t know. I have heard the badlands near the Cardassian border are spectacular, if not for being a a navigation nightmare. ::Greir knew people often said that about the sandbar around Duronis II as well. He wasn’t a pilot but he could field his way around it. The only unknown was whether he could get a ship or a pilot to follow what he needed to happen. :: Reinard: I’m sure it’s a piece of cake but it begs the question of what’s so spectacular? Eerie: The firestorms, at least that is one place to go and see. Of course a trip home would be nice. I would also like to show Lt. Calderan, my homeworld. Any place you would like to go? ::Eerie really couldn’t think of any other place. He had not been back home in almost 7 years since his acceptance into the academy. There were a few places he would like to avoid if at all possible. Eden for one, but he was pretty sure that Star Fleet had quarantined the entire region.:: Reinard: I’d like to visit the Betazoid home planet. I’d also like to find the largest area of unexplored space on the edge of the Federation and just head off to see what’s out there. I guess part of our role includes exploring the unknown, so i’m really lucky. ::The Brikar pondered that for a moment. He had always enjoyed first contact missions, but was usually content to go wherever the ship was going. Perhaps the Brikar weren’t the most adventurous of races. Perhaps that is why they had infrequently ventured past their own region of the Alpha quadrant.. Eerie: With the new drive it does offer a lot of opportunities. Reinard: ::Nodding in agreement:: It sure does. Shore leave offers a lot of opportunities too. I’m planning on doing a bit of training and upskilling between trying to relax. What about you? ::Eerie wasn’t sure if it was appropriate. He wasn’t even sure that if Greir knew about his relationship with Nia.::. Eerie: l have some work to do. Each one of our missions seems to produce more reports and new projects. I will be going over new procedures with the tactical staff about situations with the new drive system. ::He paused but added.::Spending some time with Nia, I mean, Lt. Calderan. :: Eerie had gone from formal mood, and slipped out of it for a instant when talking about Nia. He recovered quickly.:: Reinard: That’s great. It’s good to see you expanding your circle of friendships. Eerie: Yes we share a lot of interests together.::Eerie hesitated for a moment, but decided to broach the topic.:: I was thinking about seeing if it would be alright for her to move in formally in my quarters. I haven’t found anything in the regs about it. Are you aware of any restrictions? ::Eerie was trying to broach a personal concern, in a formal statement, he really didn’t know how to pose to question.:: ::Greir didn’t realise how close the two had become until he said that and as someone who was pursuing a serious relationship on the crew he could understand Eerie’s concerns. He was delighted for the both of them and hoped that it would work out well. Hopefully his own experience would help Eerie.:: Reinard: Yeah you wouldn’t find anything about it in the regs as relationships between crewmembers isn’t generally encouraged. Some captains take quite a firm stance on it too and i’ve known people to end up in a situation where they’ve had to choose between their career and their relationship. Fortunately Captain Herrera has a much more relaxed view on this. Eerie: Nia knows that my career is first, and she agrees that her career is first and foremost. But we do enjoy each others company, and we don’t get to see a lot of each other between our different shifts. ::Eerie was happy to hear that the Captain was relaxed on this topic, however, he would never go against the Captain on this topic or any topic for that matter. Eerie enjoyed following regulations and the traditions set by the fleet.:: Reinard: There isn’t going to be a problem with Calderan moving into your quarters if you’re both sure that’s what you want. Lt Chen has recently moved in with me. We’ve notified Ops that his room is now vacant and available for assignment should we receive any new crew. ::Eerie didn’t show any surprise, he was actually happy for Greir, he knew that Lt. Chen was a good officer. He wished only the best for both of them.:: Eerie::Nodding::Very good, I hope you will both be happy. Reinard: The thing to remember is that it might be easier moving in together than moving out. If things don’t work out and you want to reverse your decision there’s a chance there won’t be any free quarters any more. Ships don’t tend to fly around with an abundance of unused space so you have to be sure. How long have you been seeing each other? Eerie: Understood. Actually I think it will be good for me. It will get me out of the cabin a bit more socially. It is something we both really want, and we have been seeing each other for about 5 months now. But I want to make sure that the Major is fine with it. Professionally of course. ::Eerie wanted to make sure that there wasn’t any problems for Scania. Being a Marine officer had different responsibilities that being a line officer in the fleet.:: Reinard: If it makes you feel better then by all means talk to him about it. Is there anything else I can help you with today Commander? Eerie: No. that seems to be everything on for me, Commander. ::Eerie was very pleased the conversation. He would be working some shifts, and he how had formal approval for Nia to move in, making sure that he talked with the Major.:: Reinard: In that case I’ll let you carry on about your day. Goodbye for now Eerie. Eerie: Thank you Greir, It has been nice. ::Eerie stiffened a bit. He couldn’t do something formal, when leaving a superior officer. He bowed slightly.:: ::Greir nodded smartly to Eerie and let him get back to it. There were various other things he had planned for today and he was in the mood to crack on and make a big dent in the to-do list.:: A JP by: Cmdr Reinard First Officer USS Vigilant NCC - 75515 and Lt. Cmdr. Eerie Chief Tactical/Security officer USS Vigilant NCC - 75515
  7. ((Vulcan, 239007.03)) ::Perhaps, being a doctor, she was simply more in tune with her body than the average being, but Velana knew she was pregnant before she even performed the necessary diganostic tests. When the results came back and the truth lay before her, the reality wasn't so much of a shock.:: ::The consequences of her actions were now growing inside her. It was time to face a very different future.:: ::Her sister-in-law stood in the doorway of the guest room which Velana had been occupying since her arrival on the planet. It hadn't been in her plan to confide in T'Sar about the possibility of the pregnancy, but there were only so many times one could lose their balance or nearly lose their breakfast before suspicions became logical. When T'Sar had confronted her, Velana had been unable to lie.:: ::Many years earlier, on the day Velana had given T'Sar the news that she was expecting her own child, their entire world had exploded. Although she doubted Vulcan itself was going to perish in the next few minutes, Velana still felt jumpy and unsettled as T'Sar stared at her, waiting to hear the results.:: Velana: Positive. ::She paused.:: I'm pregnant. ::There were a lot of questions T'Sar could have asked right then, but she lowered her chin in silent acknowledgment. Velana looked down at her flat belly, only looking up in time to catch T'Sar looking as well.:: Velana: You can ask. It's all right. T'Sar: ::after a moment:: You seem surprised by this, and yet...not. As if it is something you wanted and did not want at the same time. I am puzzled. Velana: ::whispering:: So am I. ::She drew in a breath and released it.:: Before I learned that Mother was ill, before I left my last ship, I was...involved with a man. Intimately involved. ::She hesitated.:: I loved him. I wanted to believe he loved me, too. T'Sar: He was not a Vulcan. Velana: No. ::Again, she hesitated.:: I started...reconditioning my body to be more...receptive to his DNA. Gene therapy. ::She looked into her sister-in-law's eyes.:: I wanted him to know that there was at least the possibility that we could have a family together. T'Sar: Then surely he will be pleased to hear that it worked. ::A shadow crossed Velana's face, followed by a wave of shame. Dropping her head, she looked down at her hands.:: Velana: When news of Mother's illness reached my ship, I just left. Isaac didn't follow. ::She lifted her shoulder.:: I gave him no reason to, I suppose. T'Sar: Perhaps this news will help you reconcile with him. Velana: It might have. ::Her cheeks burned.:: If the child was his. ::Unable to look at her sister's face, Velana rushed on.:: It happened on Earth. While Mother was in the hospital, I needed to get away. I went to a bar that I frequented when I was at the Academy. ::She stared at the floor without really seeing it.:: I never imagined he would be there. T'Sar: Who? ::A moment passed.:: Velana. Who? Velana: ::blinking:: I hadn't seen him in six years. But it was like...no time had passed at all. I wasn't even really surprised when I saw him across the room because... ::She smiled sadly.:: It was Cade. It was always Cade. T'Sar: Cade is not Vulcan? ::Under different circumstances, T'Sar's hope that Velana might have found a nice Vulcan male to have nice Vulcan children with might have annoyed Velana, or at the very least amused her.:: Velana: No. Cade is Human. ::She touched her belly.:: My baby is half-Human. ::Finally, she dared to look at T'Sar.:: The gene therapy worked. Only by the time it did, I wasn't with the right man. ::Velana closed her eyes, remembering that night in San Francisco. The way their eyes had met across the crowded bar, the way he'd remembered exactly what she liked to drink, the way his hand had covered hers so entirely...and the way it had felt to kiss him, to touch him, to be with him again.:: Velana: Or maybe...I was. Lt. Commander Velana Chief Medical Officer USS Vigilant
  8. ((Counselors office)) ::Gwinnett had an appointment with the new counselor. She was hoping that she might ‘bluff’ her way out of this after a few sessions. The run in with the Zalkonians had put on hold then her meetings with the Captain. She wasn’t particularly thrilled that she had been scheduled with a new meeting with another counselor or any counselor. She buzzed the office and entered. She was dressed in her normal fatigue uniform and boots. She had left her equipment in the marine lockers.:: Gwinnett:Sergeant Brooks Gwinnett, reporting as ordered, Ensign.::Standing at a sheepish attention, as this was the ‘last’ place she wanted to be. She had seen the inside of the brig from time to time, but that was usually after one of her all night benders, and that would've been better...:: ::Jansen had stood as the door chimed and couldn't possibly understand why so many people stood at attention around him in this office. He was a counselor for Pete's sake...:: Orrey: At ease. Please take your pick of seating. ::He had shifted the room slightly to provide more options with a large section of one corner covered by comfortable pillows, a pair of chairs sitting beside a table elsewhere in the room and a large comfortable couch in another spot.:: ::She put her arms behind her, and then walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. She then put her hands in her lap. She had been flying the straight and narrow of late, and she was itching to let her hair down, but she knew that every move she was making would be under close scrutiny.:: ::Jansen moved to the seating she chose and settled in some.:: Gwinnett: I hope we aren’t going to look at any ink blots.::With a trace of sarcasm.:: Orrey: ::snapping his fingers he shakes his head with a quiet smile:: No not since you ruined the surprise. ::Gwinnett groaned. First she had to look at those pictures of Andorians and now she was going to look at ink stains.:: Gwinnett: If we must, but if anything is evil looking, I might stab at it.::Half seriously.:: Orrey: I'm Jansen Orrey by the way. ::he extended his hand slightly.:: and what brings you here? ::Gwinnett took his hand and gave it a firm handshake. She had learned the custom from earthers, and it seemed like an okay greeting. Someone once had told her it was to show that you didn’t have a weapon in one’s hand. But she had heard a lot of strange things.:: Gwinnett: I am told that I have a problem with Andorians, which I have never liked. Frankly you could ship the lot of them out, and yes I know what I did wrong. And I am sorry for that.::Her tone had changed to a bit more serious, that last part of the statement seems almost like an afterthought.:: :: Jansen immediately thought of his dinner the previous night of Andorian red bat and nodded slightly as he recalled his recent stint of time on the Andorian home world trying to fix his own problems.:: Orrey: Why is it that you've never liked Andorians? Gwinnett: Something about the way they look, it gives me the shivers.::Trying to mentally blot the image out her mind. She had tried and for the most part blocked the real reason, but she also suspected it went back to her time as young girl and crazy which had captured her, but she wasn’t ready to admit it to herself. She had never knew what had happened in the cave after she blacked out mentally and physically. Anyways, she was embarrassed by the incident, and always avoided her younger years as any topic of discussion.:: Orrey: Interesting. ::Jansen settled for a brief moment considering the next way to proceed.:: Orrey: And Just Andorians do it? Gwinnett: Just andorians? Of course crazies, but they are mutants, you only find them on the homeworld, Byzatium. Nasty place. Frakin... Omunics.. creating those nasty mutations. ::Her voice dripping with disgust.:: Orrey: Okay why is that? Gwinnett: I don’t know. ::Uncaring, like she was some counselor looking into her own soul.:: ::Jansen nods some an idle thought of what they were really doing to the marines around here crossing his mind.:: Orrey: I'd like to help you with this. But part of it is you wanting to get better you know. Gwinnett: Alright. her is the very short version. Life on Byzatium is hard, that is why the smart ones leave. Do you think I should of stayed?::Defensively:: Orrey: No I'm not saying that. But if you can become more comfortable with Andorians it will open up worlds of new things for you. Gwinnett: I guess. ::She could never see herself working with one, except under the most extreme circumstances. She would have to control herself to dispatch with one of the those hideous antenne.:: Orrey: Well what happens if you are forced to work with one? Gwinnett: I guess under duress.::Turning away and not wanting think about it.:: Orrey: Or if you are advanced in your career and put in charge of them. ::She laughed. She had never been put in charge of anything, and she would be frankly worried if she would be placed in charge of Andorians.:: Gwinnett: You gotta be kiddin, I am lucky that I have sergeant's stripes. Me in charge of a detachment? That is a laugh. ::She paused for a moment.:: Look, I will be amazed if I make to fifty, which is old age for a any dorfman. We live life to the fullest each day, as most of us don’t expect to see the next. ::Jansen shifted slightly he had easily found the nerve he was looking for. Now what if we poke it slightly.:: Orrey: So you would find yourself adversed to working with Chen? ::Gwinnett wasn’t sure of the newbie counselor had heard, that she didn’t like Andorians.:: Gwinnett: He wouldn’t be my first choice, Probably the last choice, even missy deBarres would be better. She does have any rotating appendages out of her head, last I checked. ::Gwinnett was now firing from the hip, and really didn’t care. But she had just given away a clue, even if she didn’t know it.:: Orrey: Tell me more about life on your home world. Gwinnett: The less say about it the better. Father was a doctor. Killed. Never remembered my mother. My brother is still a para regular in a milita. Stupid. I expect him to be dead one of these days. I was lucky, I wised up, and got frakin out of the pile. ::Jansen was purposefully skewing his questions to multiple fronts in hopes of finding another opening in further beyond the shield that all the marines seem to have up.:: Orrey: Interesting. oO rotating appendages huh? Oo So how do you feel about Vulcans? Gwinnett: What about them? Other than that cool logic, and acting superior to everyone. I don’t have a problem with them. ::Shugging her shoulders.:: Orrey: I thought you might have a more favorable opinion of them considering the former hostilities between Vulcans and Andorians. Gwinnett: Not really, just don’t like Andorians. Orrey: Do you like mountain climbing? ::Brooks thought it an odd question, but it was easy and run of the mill type.:: Gwinnett: Never tried it for recreation. Not that I haven’t scaled some hills, not a good combat environment particularly if you are going up. Anyways, I tend to find ‘liquid refreshment’ for my recreation. Among other things. Orrey: Ever done combat training in the snow? Or desert? Gwinnett: The corp does almost every type of environment. Of course, being a medic I usually have one of the heavier packs.::Showing just a bit of pride.:: Orrey: What about Zero G? Gwinnett: Yea, I always get nausea. At least I don’t barf in the helmet. Orrey: ::with a small chuckle given:: Always a plus in one of those suits...::Jansen snapped the focus back to her problem.::...so what is it about the Andorians antennae that bother you? ::Gwinnett wasn't paying much attention and before she could clam up it came out.:: Gwinnett: Darn antenna. Would be so bad if they were stationary.::There was resentment in her voice, but also a bit of nervousness.:: :: Gwinnett decided that she wasn’t going to go there, into that deepest of corner of her mind. It was just too painful. She fidgeted a bit in her chair. Then settling back in the seat..:: Gwinnett: Well, I just don’t like Andorians. We just need to figure out how I can work with them, right? :: Trying to move the goal to something that she might be able be more palpable.:: Orrey: Absolutely. That is our primary goal. My over arching goal would be to make it where you can judge them as individuals rather than on a racial level. Gwinnett: Good. ::Still a bit off of her game plan. She decided that this counselor wasn’t as green as he looked.:: Orrey: If you'd like I have a thought we could try on one of the holodecks on station. It would give us more time and an easier way to unwind after words without time restrictions like we have here on ship Gwinnett: Alright. What do you have in mind? ::Hoping it wasn’t life sized ink blots.:: Orrey: ::Jansen templed his fingers in front of his face for a moment. After a second he nodded sitting up.:: I have a few thoughts, can you meet me on station tomorrow afternoon and we can go from there? Gwinnett: I guess. ::Gwinnett knew that powers that be, would be keeping an eye on her compliance with counseling, and during shore leave she didn’t have any excuses. :: Orrey: Alright thank you. ::Jansen did have some wonderful ideas, but he had to speak to someone else first....:: ((Outside Holodeck 9 - Deep Space Six)) ::Jansen stood outside of Holodeck number 9 and waited patiently the day before brought about many meetings and changes. The most pressing on his mind was the one he was continuing right now. He had spent quite a bit of time researching and preparing the program he was about to run and hopefully gain a bit more ground with Brooks. Her problems were deep and home related but he chose to start with something distinctly human. A new day and a new approach as they say.:: ::Gwinnett was surprised that the counselor wanted to meet off the ship that she didn’t mind too much. She really didn’t want to be seen with him anyways and this was going to work out. It was just probably giant ink spots that she had to tell him about, so she really didn’t care. She arrived on time to make sure she got out of their on time. She saw the counselor. :: Gwinnett: Morning Sir. Orrey: Good Morning, Sergeant. Gwinnett: Are we ready to get this get over with? ::Looking at the door, and then back at the counselor.:: ::Jansen nodded some and opened the door and they stepped into a jungle scene.:: Orrey: Earth has a very diverse history did you know that? Gwinnett:: I read that somewhere. Glad they got their act together.::Looking around at the wild environment. Orrey: Oh yes. A long history with much to offer the concentrated learner. My mother was from earth before she became a teacher on Starbases. Gwinnett: Interesting.:oOI guess.Oo ::Jansen led them to a small campsite with some logs around a fire as well as a few knives and things scattered around what would be on any planet a hunting camp.:: Orrey: I learned many things from her. ::Brooks decided that the counselor was trying to make a point. Gwinnett decided that she would find out where he was leading them to if anywhere. Gwinnett:: Never knew my mother. My father said she left about the age of 2. He never wanted to talk about her, but family relations on the homeworld were usually those you had around you. Transient in a lot of cases, you never got too close to people.::Which was true for the most part. She had been lucky to know her father and brother for a good part of her life. She had stuck around for a few years after the death of her father, but finally decided to leave, and never look back.:: Orrey: ::Jansen nodded as the rolling mass of a large anaconda slide down the tree behind the marine and started for her. The test was getting interesting.the snake wasn't going to hurt her just pass by at a few feet.:: I understand that about your home now yes. Gwinnett: If this is a combat test, I don’t have a problem with that.:: Watching the snake slitter by her.::Gwinnett could conjure up any number of things as she watched the snake. Not liking them much.:: Orrey: ::He shook his head.:: Combat isn't going to help you learn how to suppress violence is it? ::Gwinnett had grown up in a violence society, if one called what her upbring a society. Shielded from it for the first few years of her life, she became almost numb to the constant death and violence, that surrounded her.:: Gwinnett: It is what I learned from an early age. I was lucky in a lot of respects, I got out of there. Best thing I have or will have ever done.::Watching the snake retreat.:: :: Jansen counted off tempo in his head. He had the program planned to a beat all his own.:: oO One two three....one two three. Oo ::The snake stopped and began to focus more on the local area flicking it's tongue before changing direction and crawling toward the councilors log first, crawling across his feet before looping around the fire and starting for the marine.:: Gwinnett: Nasty things.:: She moved slightly, then realized that it was only a holograhic image.:: Orrey: From what I've learned lately you were very lucky yes. ::Jansen watched her mind reassertion itself. It was only a hologram, but he wondered how long that would hold out against his programming. He had a line to approach and push, he had to be extremely careful not to go over it.:: ::Gwinnett watched as the snake started back at her and she moved her leg back, wondering if this was a test. Either way she didn’t like it as the snake appeared that it wanted to climb up her leg.:: ::The snake writhed and slithered to Gwinnett and regarded her leg for a moment before starting an attempt to slither across her feet as well, doubling back again before starting up her leg, or attempting to, as if she were a tree. ::A flash of panic spread on her face, and then she grabbed it just below the head and pulled it off and tossed the snake away. Her breathing had increased and a she could feel a cold sweat on the back of her neck.:: Gwinnett:: Don’t you bother little girls.::She had forgotten completely about counselor, and then she realized he was standing there.:: Orrey:: ::Jansen for his part did nothing but observed. After she tossed the snake he nodded slightly and, with his internal count clicking away the scene changed to a verdant green plain with them standing at the mouth of a cave.:: This time you may want to arm yourself. Ancient Greece was a dangerous place, especially with the safeties off. ::Truthfully the safeties were still intact but this would make part two interesting given what she had just revealed.:: Gwinnett:Computer, Give me Klingon Bat’leth, make it 5 percent smaller than standard size.::Gwinnett had handled them from time to time, and while she could handle the standard size, she preferred one just a bit smaller.::The computer instantly made one as it materiziled on the ground. She picked it up.:: ::Jansen lifted a spear from its place beside the cave and handed it to her as he himself took up a short sword. When she chose a more modern weapon he shrugged softly and laid the spear back in place.:: Orrey: After you.. ::Gwinnett didn’t like caves, the reminded her way too much of the experience on the homeworld with the crazy. She was starting to think that the counselor had done his homework. In fact, he had done it way too well. She steeled herself, she wasn’t going to have some freakin counselor get the best of her.::oO&^% counselor. Probably a tribble in there.Oo::She snorted.::oOThe great tribble hunt!Oo Gwinnett: Alright. Anything you can dish out. I can handle.::Trying to be boastful.:: ::She started in the cave, there wasn’t a lot of room, so she had to duck a bit. There seemed to be some light up ahead as the exterior lighting faded quickly. She was now moving slowly trying to feel around. The cave started to angle down a bit, and the ambient temperature seemed to cool a few degrees. She started to use the edge of the weapon to find the top of the ceiling, hoping there wasn’t anything to hit her in the top of the head. The light was growing stronger as the seemed to come into a large part of the cave. There was a torch burning, but it wasn’t regular. Some breeze in the cave forced the lighting brighten than dim, only to grow strong one again.:: ::Jansen nose twitched his own medical condition flaring as his muscles tensed and his own mind fogged for a moment before he could clear it.:: Gwinnett: How far do you want me to go, I am guessing there is a reason for all stuff? ::She was trying to be strong, but internally she was a bit nervous.:: Orrey: oO Easy Jansen. Deal here. Stay now. Oo There is a reason for everything, yes. is? ::She stopped in the center of the large room not too far from the torch that was sticking in the wall.::the large chamber they entered was covered in statuary. All manner of being Human, Vulcan, Andorian, even Tellerites and Klingons were frozen in positions of fear, faces twisted in a rictus of terror and silent screams. In some places there were shattered stones and bone piles. The far end of the room had an opening smaller then the one they came out of.:: ::Gwinnett turned around to see the frightful statues of various humanoids. Cold sweat started to pour down her back as she saw the Andorian as the light flickered almost giving it a real life quality to it. The she saw something start to move in a darker shadow that was moving directly towards her. She raised her weapon in the ready position. She had a death grip on the weapon.:: ::The first thing she saw was some tentacles that appeared out of the darkness. Or at least that is what she saw. Her mental state had be shifted back to her as a preteen. She attempted one wild swing, but the grip on her weapon failed as she was transformed into that scared child. The bat’leth fell to the floor clanging on the stone.:: ::She turned to run, but except for the darkness she was totally disoriented.:: Gwinnett: Father. ::It was plea.:: ::Jansen dropped his sword and wrapped Gwinnett in a light but protective hug standing silently and holding her safely against the darkness waiting to see if she had completely slipped or if she would say more.:: Gwinnett::Make it stop!, keep those things away from me.::She could feel the appendages started to probe her body, a least mentally.:: Orrey:::Jansen nodded some and kept her close.:: Computer end program. ::Jansen kept his arms around her and held on a moment more.:: Its alright. They’re gone. ::Gwinnett hovered for a moment, she had shut her eyes, it took her a moment to realize that warm arms were holding her and she looked up to see the counselor. She looked around to see the normal pattern of the holodeck. She now tried to shake off his embrace. Recovering quickly :: ::Jansen let go of her simply prepared for her defense.:: Gwinnett: I’m fine...frakin crazies.::Breaking free and backing away from the counselor.:: She paused for a moment , looking away. Then she turned back around to see him. Gwinnett: So you know my dirty little secret. ::Shamefully and with a bit of spite.:: Orrey: It is a secret that is safe with me. I’d still like the chance to help you with it. ::Jansen smiled lightly as he continued.:: We all have secrets. Not everyone has free and willing help to deal with them so they aren’t secrets anymore. Gwinnett: I guess you want to know the rest of it. :;Her tone was cold, but in a low tone of voice.:: Orrey: If you want to talk about it right now. Then yes. If you would rather come back to talk to me another time. I’ll gladly wait until you are ready. ::Jansen matched her coldness with his own warmth and understanding.:: Gwinnett::Computer, beach scene, some ocean ...rolling waves. ::The holodeck was transformed into a beach with a gentle rolling waves coming up from the surf. She moved out to the edge, watching the waves.:: Gwinnett: I was about 12 years old, I was mad at my father so I ran away, into no mans land. I must of tripped on something and passed out. Next thing I know it was dark and I was in a porrly lit cave. There was this thing....::Shuttering a bit.:: A crazy with this wild tentacles out of its head, reaching for me. I must of passed out. I remember something going over my body. ::She turned towards him.::That is all I remember. I must of passed out or blacked out, or I don’t know.::She let the sounds of the waves wash over her.:: ::Jansen nodded some as he listened. He could only imagine from his talk with the Major about life for the young on the homeworld he and Brooks shared. He moved up beside her and spoke softly enough that the waves nearly drowned him out.:: Orrey: As a Marine I assume you’ve been called a lot of things, yes? Gwinnett::Laughing dryly at herself. Gwinnett had been called every name in the book. Some of them justified, other not so much.::Yep. Some of them true. I am not a very nice person sometimes. I have been known to take and use. But I am a good soldier and a better medic. Who was it in earth history? Some dude, named Patton. Break glass only in time of war. Orrey: ::Jansen smiled some.:: Im going to call you something then and even if I’m not wearing this collar its true. ::He turned to face her.:: A friend. I’ll help you with this as much as you want. ::Even if she had not been turned inside out, she was still shocked. Gwinnett had lot of buddies in the marines, but she didn’t have any real friends among the fleeters.:: Gwinnett: Ensign, I understand the gesture, but I have a tendency using people, sometimes I make a horrible friend. Just get some drinks in me, you probably will not like what you see. ::Gwinnett had a basic rule for her life, train hard, and party harder. It barely kept her in the uniform.:: Orrey:: ::With a Shrug he turned away from the water.:: I’ve said it and I’ll keep to it. It’s up to you. Gwinnett.: You better.::She paused for a moment and then turned to Orrey.::You know I really don’t personally dislike Lieutenant Chen. ::Starting to realize for a instant that it was her upbring and her torturer that was causing some of these feelings.:: Orrey: I told you. We will work through it together and fix the feelings and problems you have so things will improve. It won’t be easy and it won’t be short but it will happen. Gwinnett: I will try. Can’t promise anything. ::Getting some of her bravado back.::What should be the first thing? An apology? ::Shugging her shoulders just a bit.:: Orrey: ::With a short nod.:: It would be the best place to start. JP Ensign Jansen Orrey Counselor USS Vigilant & (PNPC) Sgt. Brooks Gwinnett Combat Medic Marine USS Vigilant simmed by Eerie
  9. Welcome to the Fleet everyone, you did GREAT to get here!!!!!!
  10. ((Captain’s Ready Room)) ::Gwinnett was dressed in her standard uniform, but she didn’t have any of her equipment, that she would normally have worn on duty. She wasn’t actually quite sure what one did wear for a counseling meeting with the Captain, who was now a Fleet Captain. She was sure that he had done his homework on her and, not to be completely in the dark, she had looked up as much as she rated on her clearances on his service record. She had learned that he had been a counselor at one time in his career, which didn’t lighten her mood.:: ::She buzzed the office and then entered. She walked in and come to attention directly in front of him.:: Gwinnett: Sergeant Gwinnett, as ordered, Sir. ::Standing rigidly at attention, looking slightly down as she was to be inspected.:: ::Diego was already on his second cup of raktajino; he had barely slept the night before thanks to burning the candle at both ends and as many sides as he could get a flame to in searching for a solution to Greir’s hearing problems. He’d seen on his schedule that Sergeant Gwinnett had been referred for counselling as well as the reasons why. He had been less than impressed but now was not the time for a reprimand. If she had a problem then they needed to work together to fix it.:: Herrera: Grab a seat, Sergeant. ::He gestured to the one on the other side of his desk.:: Gwinnett: Yes, Sir. ::Formally. ::She was taking pains to keep any sarcasm out of her response as she found the seat next to the desk and sat down, but didn’t relax. Brooks was now in high officers country and she was the focus of attention, something that she didn’t particularly like. She much preferred to stir the pot and then sit back and watch things explode. Now she was front and center of her own personal storm, of her own making.:: Herrera: So… interesting situation we find ourselves in, huh? Anything you want to say before we get started? ::He wasn’t prepared to tolerate discrimination on his ship but he understood that there was something bigger at play that needed looking at. He wondered if she might bring it up without prompting, or if she was going to be an elusive customer.:: Gwinnett:: My service record is pretty complete, Captain. I admit, it is a bit checkered. I do a good job on duty, I do tend to blow off a bit too much steam off duty. ::Thinking to herself, of some of the stuff she hadn’t gotten caught at. Now her troubles were coming back to haunt her.:: Herrera: Alright, but recently there was an incident that flagged up the fact that we needed to talk about something. Can you tell me more about it? ::Of course, he knew what had happened, but he wanted to set a precedent here. It was Gwinnett who needed to be talking, not him.:: ::Gwinnett squirmed just a little bit in the chair, trying to get a bit more at ease, which was elusive.:: Gwinnett: Sir. ::She knew that the question would come up, but it didn’t make it any easier.:: I .. I was wrong...I... ::Thinking of Chen, a cold shiver came over her.:: Gwinnett: … have always had this thing about Andorians.::She moved her eyes away from the Captain, trying to focus on something else, anything else in the room.:: ::She opened her mouth, but nothing came out and she closed it again.:: ::She’d taken the first step herself before hitting a wall, which was good. It looked like Gwinnett wasn’t going to deny the fact that she had a problem, so now it was a case of working with her to figure out how they were going to deal with it. Cliff notes had been provided for Diego and he had enough information to know that this wasn’t going to be easy.:: Herrera: Alright, thank you for bringing that up, because it would have been easier for you to let me say it. I think that’s probably the first of a few gut checks that we’ll be looking at, but we’re gonna work together and see if we can get past them all. Gwinnett:oO Great...I could use a stiff drink right now.Oo : I guess, Sir. ::It certainly didn’t feel good. She would've paid to be anywhere other than here:: ::Leaning back in his chair and assuming his ‘professional’ posture, otherwise known as feet up on the desk, Diego settled in. The batting was now officially open.:: Herrera: OK, so the next step is for us to talk about why you have an issue Andorians. What is it about them that you… don’t like? Or that you find unnerving? And how do you react when you see them? We can take this at your own speed. ::Gwinnett didn’t want to take this at any speed. She squirmed a bit.:: Gwinnett: Sir, I am a pretty straightforward soldier. I have been close to the front lines for most of my life. They just remind me of my homeworld. ::Her shoulders, jerked up slightly in revulsion.:: Some unnerving about them. ::Looking at the way Gwinnett was reacting to the question, Diego felt like he could read a little more into the word ‘unnerving’. There was something that was freaking her out about them. Fear was a powerful emotion and, while it was one that counsellors had long been trained to counteract or conquer, it was important to find the root of that fear first.:: Herrera: Alright, so I guess my next question has to be whether or not there were any Andorians on your homeworld? Gwinnett: No… but those… things. ::Her mind flashed back to the cave and the crazy. She fought the thought, and came back to present.::Her shoulder twitched again, as a cold sweat started to form on the back of her neck. She moved her hand under her hair to wipe it away, as to try to wipe the entire episode away. :: ::Diego had the answer he wanted. Objective one was going to be to try to divorce the Andorian species from whatever it was that Gwinnett was really afraid of.:: Herrera: Alright, so what you’re telling me is that there’s something about Andorians that reminds you of something else from your homeworld. Whatever it is that’s bothering you is actually not Andorian at all, right? ::Gwinnett disliked talking about her homeworld, she had finally gotten the strength to leave it forever. She never ever wanted to go back. Even to see her brother.:: Gwinnett: Yes. ::She answered defensively. She didn’t know what time this was to be over, but right about now and a direct march to the lounge would have been perfect .:: Herrera: OK, in that case, let’s try looking at this from a different angle. Can you tell me some things that Andorians don’t have in common with whatever it is that’s bugging you? ::She fought the memory of the tentacles, but like the memory they reached out to her and she started to visibly shake. She was transformed into the scared child that had been captured by the crazy waking up in the dimly lit cave, with the tentacles coming out of its head attempting to probe her. She wanted to flee, both from the cave and the office.:: Gwinnett: Keep them away from me...::Her voice became low and distant, like she was already defeated.:: ::Diego could see her starting to get caught up in her thoughts, which was hardly about to do either of them any good. He needed to bring her attention back to where it needed to be, so he called her name, raising his voice enough to give her a small shock.:: Herrera: Gwinnett! ::The voice was like to voice of the rescue party that found her hours later. She was found passed out in the cave alone. She awoke from her nightmare, to find herself in front of the Captain. It took her a few seconds for her mind to refocus on where and what she was doing.:: Gwinnett: Sir? ::Confused.:: Herrera: I want you to tell me some things about Andorians that don’t remind you of what you saw on your homeworld. ::His voice had returned to its usual volume and the statement was delivered calmly but insistently.:: ::Gwinnett tried to push those independently moving antenne out of her head. She tried to focus more on some of the more palpable features. There was the color of the Andorians. The crazy was more flesh color, than the blue skin.:: Gwinnett: Color...I think...::She was still trying to put the horrible tentacles that came out of its head out of her thoughts. It was difficult to think of the differences, as bringing up the image of the crazy had always been something she had avoided at any cost. She twitched a bit, and didn’t know what to do with her hands that were in her lap.:: Herrera: Alright, that’s a start. Can you think of anything else? ::Frankly Gwinnett wanted to end the session right now. Her world had been rocked, right back to her childhood, and that awful experience.:: Gwinnett: ::Bucking up.:: I don’t know fully what happened in that cave, and I would rather never know. ::Diego drew in a long breath and dragged his feet down off the table, leaning forward and steepling his hands. Maybe this was going to be more difficult than he thought.:: Herrera: I can understand that and if you don’t know what happened then I can’t tell you, so you’re in no danger of finding out. If it’s more that you don’t remember then you already know, and there’s a chance that, sooner or later, something will remind you. We’ll worry about that another time, but the first order of business is dealing with your issue with Andorians. If we can’t get past that then it’s gonna be tough for you to find somewhere to work with Starfleet because they’re one of our founding members. Herrera: If you can’t think of anything else other than the colour then we’ll just have to use that as best we can for the time being. If you do think of any other differences then you can try to use them as well. I’ll tell you what I mean in just a second… ::He picked up a PADD from his desk and set it to display a generic picture of an Andorian but didn’t turn it around just yet.:: ::Gwinnett had several mental images now rolling around in her mind and not of them were good. She just wanted to get out of there and she would've given up her stripes to do it.:: Gwinnett: Sir, I really don’t want to relive that experience in the cave again. It is something that I have tried to put behind me, I will apologize to both of them. I just… can’t face them again... ::Currently filling the role of a counsellor and not a torturer, Diego had no intention of forcing her to relive the trauma of her past without proper preparation. There were several treatment methods he could think of, including hypnotherapy, where he might be able to help her without forcing her to relive anything directly or through her own eyes. In the meantime, though, his job was to make sure she could function as part of the crew.:: Herrera: I’m not asking you to relive anything. We need to work together to make sure that you’re not going to be disturbed when you see Andorians any more. Can you work with me to do that? ::Gwinnett was skeptical, she wasn’t big into hand holding and psycho babble. But she did remember the last training with the Major and the problems she had were she actually retreated during a combat training. That had bothered her.:: ::Her face fell a bit. She had been trained to be a rough, tough and no holds barred soldier. To be in counseling was a disgrace. She weighed that against the last training mission, which bothered her also.:: Gwinnett: I don’t know… ::Which was the truth, a lot of the bravado had eked away from the usual bluster that was Brooks Gwinnett.:: ::Diego wasn’t expecting her to find this easy. Explaining what they were going to do in steps would hopefully give her something to latch on to, because she would be able to see which steps she would need to take and better understand what they involved.:: Herrera: OK, we’re going to start by consciously thinking about the difference you identified to give you something that can reassure you whenever you see an Andorian. That then gives you a safety mechanism, something for you to hold onto to show you that the people you’re looking at are nothing to do with your homeworld. Almost like a mental anchor, if you like. How does that sound for starters? ::Brooks was still skeptical, but she wasn’t a quitter. She would give it a try. At least for a little while. She mustered her bluster, trying to get her resources back in order.:: Gwinnett: Not quite sure what you are talking about, but I guess.::Trying to build back a bit of confidence.::Sir. Herrera: Good. ::The real question wasn’t what she found different between Andorians and the source of her fear, but what she found disturbing. Finding that out would come later.:: Herrera: I’ve got a picture of an Andorian zhen on this PADD. ::He held it up with its back pointing to Gwinnett.:: I’m gonna turn it around and I want you to take a look. There are a few things that I’m hoping you’ll be able to associate with a normal Federation citizen. If you feel yourself starting to worry, concentrate on the colour of her skin and the fact that this is just a picture. You ready? ::She nodded.:: ::He waited for her to acknowledge the question and then turned the PADD around to show a picture of a zhen in civilian clothing, holding a baby. The infant was wrapped up enough that you could only just see a flash of blue, but it was one of the most non-threatening pictures Diego had managed to locate in advance of the session.:: ::Gwinnett looked at the picture of the Andorian. It wasn’t too bad, she just didn’t like them. The worst feature was of course the antenna, but they weren’t moving and not towards here.:: Gwinnett: Yeah...I see it, just a picture. No problems. ::There wasn’t any emotion in her voice. She knew a picture couldn’t hurt her or the baby..:: Herrera: Right. It’s just a mother with her kid. How would you feel if there was a hologram of her? I mean, that picture can’t move and a hologram can, but… on the plus side, a hologram can’t hurt you. ::He slid forward a convex, disc shaped object that was designed to project a miniature hologram.:: Herrera: This one’s also only designed to project a hand-sized picture. Could you switch it on for me? ::Gwinnett took the disc and activated it. It projected a small 3-D image of the andorian. She studied if for a moment. An then placed in on the desk. It didn’t bother her anymore that the image of the Andorians:: Gwinnett: ::Shrugging her shoulders.:: No problems. ::She didn’t know where this was going. But she figured there was a point to it.:: ::Diego saw the nonchalant response and found it interesting. She didn’t seem to be at all bothered, which was good, although her somewhat indifferent response wasn’t quite what he had expected.:: Herrera: If you could tap the button again? There are a couple more holos stored in the projector, so let’s take a look at the next one. You’re doing well so far. ::The holoimage changed to a projection of an Andorian thaan in a yellow-collared Starfleet uniform, holding a phaser, ready to fire. This projection incorporated an element of threat, although the idea of seeing her colleagues holding phasers would not be new to Gwinnett. The size of the holo-projection had not changed. Diego looked at the marine medic for her reaction.:: ::To Gwinnett, she moved a bit unnerved by the Andorian, she moved her eyes away from it. She got an odd sensation from the holoimage. It wasn’t much but her movement was involuntary. She straightened up and regained her posture almost immediately.:: Gwinnett: Hmm… no problem. ::She only took a look back at the holoimage, then looked away.:: ::The sergeant might have claimed that there wasn’t a problem, but her body language was saying otherwise.:: Herrera: You seem bothered by that one. Is it because he’s a thaan rather than azhen, or is it because he’s holding a gun? Gwinnett: Just don’t like Andorians, and this one had a gun. ::Diego had given her an out, there. It was feasible that the fact he actually could represent a threat if he was actual size would be cause for concern. However, had he not mentioned the gun, it would have been interesting to see what she might have said. The only thing for it was to move on to the next image.:: Herrera: OK, if you could hit the button on the projector again? Gwinnett: Alright. ::Gwinnett could see that the holo projections were getting progressively more ominous. ::This time, the display changed to a hand-sized holoimage of Lieutenant Chen in his Starfleet uniform. However, rather than being stationary, this projection was animated. Every now and again, he would look from side to side, shuffle his feet, or his antennae would move slightly. It was also easy to see that he was breathing.:: ::Gwinnett could easily see that it was Chen, and that wasn’t any real cause for alarm. She didn’t like the twitching antenne, but it wasn’t too bad. She watched it for a few seconds and looked away. :: Gwinnett: Chen. ::Matter of factly. She knew that he would rear his head here at some point. This entire process was based about her attitude to the Andorian. She knew she had to get through this initial process somehow..:: ::Her comment was flat; Diego wasn’t expecting her to leap for joy at the sight of Chen, especially not being as he was involved in the circumstances that had led to her being in counselling in the first place. Even though it wasn’t Chen’s fault, it was possible that the negative emotions she associated with him had changed to resentment, and that she blamed him for being here. That remained to be seen, though.:: Herrera: You still seem pretty calm. That’s three different Andorians and one that you have a good chance of seeing from day to day. How do you think you’d react if the real Chen walked through the door right now? ::Brooks fought the urge to be flippant. A few quick barbs came to mind, but she paused to let them pass and then carefully weighed in.:: Gwinnett: I guess I would be alright. I have been in the past. I don’t like Andorians, but I don’t go mono cause either.:: ::Diego nodded, and terminated the projection on his desk. In some ways, Gwinnett had just had to face up to her Andorian issue and separate it from her trauma or phobia. That still needed to be tackled in future sessions, but for now, he was confident that they could start to wrap things up.:: Herrera: Alright, so one of the things that I’m hoping you’re beginning to realise is that your issue isn’t with Andorians. You just saw three images and projections and the only thing you admitted to finding threatening was the gun that one of them was holding. The only Andorian currently on the crew is Lieutenant Chen and there have never been any incident reports to indicate that he would try to hurt you. Do you think it’s fair to say that we’re in a position where there’s no need for any more antagonistic behaviour? Or anything that could lead to him, or any future Andorian officers who are assigned here, feeling like they have no option other than to transfer away? ::Gwinnett took a minute to decipher the statement. She wasn’t sure if she was threatened by the Andorian with the phaser, but it did give her the willies. In her heart of heart, she knew that Chen wasn’t going to threaten her, but there was something about him or more specifically about the species, she didn’t like and being asked two questions at the same time. She really felt like she was in the hot seat now, it had been a mentally exhausting session, her head was starting to pound, and hearing all those big words wasn’t helping.:: Gwinnett: There is no reason to fear Lieutenant Chen. ::That pretty much wrapped up his business as counsellor, but there was one important piece of business that he needed to tack on as captain.:: Herrera: I really hope so. I want to help you get over this… fully get over this, but you need to know that if anything like this happens again, it won’t be the Andorians that will be transferring, if you catch my drift. ::Gwinnett understood the last sentence loud and clear.:: Gwinnett:: Yes, Sir.:Her tone was firm and strong.::: oO Give Reinard and Chen, and trouble a wide berth.Oo ::Diego nodded from behind his desk, satisfied that they’d at least laid a couple of foundations for future sessions.:: Herrera: Alright. You also need to know that if you find yourself experiencing any anxiety or other symptoms related to this phobia, you can contact me any time and I’ll do what I can to help you. For now, though, I think that’s a wrap. Gwinnett: Yes, Captain. Herrera: Stay out of trouble Sergeant, I’ll catch up with you later. ::She rose to her feet, nodded to the Captain and tried not to walk too fast the the door. She needed a drink and fast. Then something better came to mind, a long run and then a few drinks that would affect her more.:: ::He waited until the door was closed before slumping back in his chair and rubbing one of his temples. He wasn’t entirely confident he was getting through to Gwinnett but he’d find a way. Somehow.:: TBC A JP by Fleet Captain Diego Herrera Commanding Officer USS Vigilant NCC-75515 Deputy Commandant: UFOP: SB118 Academy & Marine Sergeant Brooks Gwinnett Marine Medic USS Vigilant SIMmed by: Eerie
  11. JP: Fleet Captain Diego Herrera & Lt Kael Thomas - Time To Say goodbye((USS Vigilant, Deck 1: Captain’s Ready Room)) ::It took Kael a little while to work up the courage to ask the captain what he planned to do. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do it, he just didn’t want to have the discussion about doing it. T’Rella didn’t have anyone on board to look after her things, so Kael had hoped the Captain would allow him to do that for her.:: ::Diego looked up from his PADD as he heard the chime at the door. He hadn’t been short of visitors lately, which was to be expected after such a gruelling mission, and he wondered who he’d be meeting with this time.:: Herrera: Come in! ::Kael entered and found the Captain behind his desk. He was surrounded by PADDs, of which would likely be mission reports and briefings. The Captain looked as though he’d had a lot less sleep than he should have. :: Thomas: Captain. Herrera: Kael. What can I do for you? ::His chief engineer had been through the mill, that was for sure. His team had ended up almost literally up to their eyeballs in bluegill parasites and it was a miracle that most of them had made it back.:: Thomas: Sir...I know Ensign T’Rella, didn’t have any family close by. ::Kael hadn’t really talked about how he felt about all of the deaths he’d seen while on the mission. He witnessed Solor and Varis’s death, and arrived back to hear about T’Rella’s. Kael knew death was a natural thing. He was even taught, and somewhat conditioned, to expect it during the course of his starfleet career. But it was entirely different in person. It was entirely different to watch one of your own get infested by a parasite, to then tear the life from another. Kael’s dreams were of bluegills.:: ::Diego immediately put the PADD down because he could tell that Kael really needed some friendly support. He’d been with Solor and Varis’s team when they’d been killed and T’Rella had effectively been his assistant.:: Herrera: That’s right. What is it, Kael? Thomas: Well, I’d like to be the one to pack up her belongings...to...err send back home. ::Diego thought carefully about the idea. Being as he wasn’t related to T’Rella, there could, in theory, be a complaint if word got out that he’d packed up her things. However, Diego just couldn’t see a situation where he wouldn’t be willing to field that complaint, because he didn’t think that her family, who were Vulcan, no less, would speak out in anger about the fact her department head wanted to take some time to adjust to the fact she was gone.:: ::The Captain seemed to look at Kael for a while. Kael thought the Captain was about to deny his request.:: Herrera: I’ll do you a deal. You’re good to do it if I come with you. ::That seemed like the best solution. That way, any objections would have to be levelled at Diego, and he could keep the chief company at the same time.:: Thomas: Of course sir….Thank you. ::Kael hadn’t anticipated the Captain wanting to help or come along. It was easy to imagine the Captain didn’t personally know, or want to know everyone onboard. Being detached was a way to keep yourself protected, to shield yourself from the death, and the loss of those who serve under you. Kael wondered if the Captain was different, or was this simply a way for him to move on also.:: ::The pair reached the Ensign’s room, with very little conversation. Both appeared lost in their own thoughts and intentions.:: Thomas: It will be locked sir. You’ll need to override it. ::Diego raised an eyebrow and bit his tongue as he looked at the door. He wasn’t even sure if he was ready to walk into the room and he hadn’t known T’Rella even a fraction as well as Kael had.:: Herrera: Computer, override locking mechanism. Authorisation: Herrera phi three seven seven echo. ::As the doors opened, a scent hit Kael. It was the same scent that the Ensign had clinging to her clothes each day in Engineering. Her meditation candle. In the small confines of the room, it apparently permeated the cabin and all its occupants.:: ::The room was immaculately kept. Everything has it’s particular place, and everything was folded and left perfectly clean. He wasn’t surprised by that at all. She was a precise, almost fastidious person. It was not shock, that her room reflected her work ethic.:: ::Kael had arranged some containers for her items before asking the captain. Picking up one, he moved to the first cabinet. There was a picture of her and her family in the frame. A traditionalist, it looked as though the photo was a printed one, and not in a digital frame. The image of T’Rella instantly brought back memories, and brought back that he wasn’t going to see her again. That she was gone. Tears welled in his eyes, and streaked down his face.:: ::Wiping his face, and sniffling, Kael realised that hiding the fact that he had teared up was no good.:: ::It was a painful moment for Kael and Diego had the utmost of sympathy for him. It was always difficult to see people lose those who were close to them, even if that had largely been in a professional capacity.:: Herrera: You alright, Kael? You don’t have to do this now if you need some time. Thomas: I’m ok. Just hit me a bit when I saw her picture. ::That was understandable; he hadn’t seen her since before the bluegill mission after all and seeing her image on a picture would likely be enough to remind him that he wouldn’t be seeing her again any time soon, either. Diego felt the same way to some extent, although he was protected to a degree by the fact they hadn’t crossed paths all that often.:: Herrera: Yeah, that’s understandable. Take your time. ::Placing the picture in the container, he turned to face the Captain.:: Thomas: It’s not meant to be like this all the time is it? I don’t think I’m overly fond of people I work with… ::He trailed off, finishing that sentence wasn’t necessary.:: ::That really did strike a chord with Diego. Two of the people he had considered friends had become casualties during the last mission. One hadn’t made it. While he hadn’t been as close with the other two members of his crew, he felt like he was responsible for them and really did care about the fact that they were now dead.:: Herrera: ::Nodding slowly:: They tell you when you go through command training that you should keep a distance between yourself and those under your command. I don’t think I agree. I think maybe it should be like this all the time, because then it reminds you that your crew are the resource that you have to be the most careful with. On some level, losing three people wasn’t too high a price when the number of Laudean lives that had been saved were considered. That attitude is one that only people who didn’t know the people we lost can take, though, because I would pretty much do anything to not have had to write letters to the families of Varis, T’Rella and Solor. Thomas: Yeah, I know. I suppose you’ve got a harder time of it than most. ::Being the captain, and responsible for far more people than Kael, was a huge burden. One of those burdens was times like this and the need to place calls into the families of those who have lost their lives under your command.:: ::Diego waved off the comment almost as soon as Kael had made it, screwing up his face.:: Herrera: Agh… I don’t believe that. Sure, I’m the guy who has to make the awkward call home, but we all feel losses like these. I didn’t know T’Rella that well, but I know I’m gonna miss Solor because I’d known him for a few years. It’ll take time for us all to adjust. ::Swallowing that comment for few seconds, Kael acknowledged that he really had no idea what the Captain was going through. What he could acknowledge was his appreciation.:: Thomas: Thanks for coming with me also. It’s a little harder than I expected. ::This was a bit of a last goodbye, that he didn’t get to say to T’Rella. A sense of closure and a boot long for Kael to accept the loss.:: Herrera: No worries. I think this is gonna be good for me, too. ::He started helping Kael load up the first container that he’d brought into the room.:: Thomas: ::Taking a deep breath.:: This helps me, say a kind of Goodbye that I didn’t get to. ::The pair very sensitively packed up the contents of the room, ready for the handover to her parents. Kael was glad for the Captain’s company during a difficult time. He’d not spent much time with him over the past few months, and he’d certainly grown a lot of respect for him since then.:: ::Diego wordlessly helped Kael to square away T’Rella’s belongings, aware of how important a step it would be in the chief engineer’s grieving process. He and the lieutenant had been serving together for a good while now and Diego felt that he needed to make more of an effort to get to know him. He’d not found his way down to engineering that often since launch and that was something he needed to put right as soon as possible.:: ::The unlikely duo, finished packing up the late Ensigns room with minimal fuss, and great respect and compassion. With the contents packed and ready to be transported to her family, Kael paused to take a look at how her entire life was now packed into a few boxes. Kael pondered just what his box contents might look like when his time came around. :: ::Exchanging a nod of completion, and thanks, the pair parted their separate ways. :: TBC A JP by Lt Kael Thomas Chief Engineering Officer USS Vigilant & Fleet Captain Diego Herrera Commanding Officer USS Vigilant NCC-75515 Deputy Commandant: UFOP: SB118 Academy
  12. ((The Runabout Bar, Deep Space 6)) ::He had nothing in his hands except some mismatched cards, but without hesitating for even so much as a second, Cade Whitman pushed all of his chips towards the center of the table and leaned back in his chair like a man who had already won the pot.:: Cade: ::smugly:: All in, gentlemen. ::There was a ripple of surprise around the table, but Cade was only looking at the Ferengi sitting across from him. The expression on his grotesque face, so confident a moment earlier, had morphed into one of worried panic. He looked back down at his cards, then at the chips between them, then up at Cade.:: ::Years of playing Texas Hold 'Em had taught Cade that now was the perfect moment to grin. His legendary smile, which had gotten him out of as much trouble as it had gotten him into, was enough to make the Ferengi throw down his cards.:: Rek: I fold, Human. ::The uproar that Cade caused when he revealed his hand was just as much of a reward for him as collecting the large pot of money. Poker was never about luck. For Cade, it was all about subterfuge. A good thing, considering how little luck he'd had lately.:: ::There had only been that one bit of good fortune a few months back.:: ::After ensuring that his winnings were transferred to his credit line, Cade briefly considered a celebratory trip to one of the bar's holosuites, but ultimately decided against it. He had never had to resort to holographic sex, a fact in which he took great pride, and he refused to sink that low just because he couldn't get one particular woman out of his head.:: ::Not even the gorgeous half-Orion barmaid who had served him all night long had managed to drive that one woman out of his thoughts. Taking the waitress up on her unspoken offer would have been so easy, but Cade had just shaken his head and stopped ordering drinks. He had spent years settling for replicated meat product, but having tasted corn-fed beef once again, he didn't know if he'd ever be able to go back.:: ::Not that women were cattle. Far from it. Cade didn't figure there was a man in Starfleet with a greater appreciation of women than him, but he had known enough of them biblically to know the difference between someone who would be fun for one night and someone who would keep him interested.:: ::So far, he'd only met one of the latter.:: ::DS6 was light years away from rural Texas, both literally and figuratively. Cade strolled the promenade, hands in the pockets of his dark parks, taking in the sights, sounds and smells. Everyone back home, at least those who had never been off-planet, always asked him to describe everything, but how did you explain the overwhelming odor of a Klingon or the painful sweetness of a jumja stick to someone who had never experienced them? It was as difficult as describing a Texas summer to an Andorian.:: ::Cade had only been on the station for a few days, but he was already eager for his next assignment to begin. The USS Vigilant might have been a step down from the Washington, but it wasn't as if he'd been reassigned to a relay station. And he couldn't say that a fresh start wasn't exactly what he needed. Even with a permanent black mark on his records, he could build a new reputation on the Vigilant, a reputation that would take him all the way to his ultimate goal.:: ::He really should have expected to find the Ferengi Rek waiting for him outside his temporary quarters, but the problem with fake confidence was that in tricking others, it often tricked him, too. What was the first lesson he'd learned at the Academy? "A Ferengi and his profit are not easily parted.":: ::And this Ferengi had friends.:: Rek: ::snarling:: You tricked me, Human. ::Cade folded his arms as casually as possible.:: Cade: I can't deny that any more than you can deny that you let yourself be tricked. ::Rek and his posse bristled at this. Frankly, Cade was surprised his logic hadn't merely sailed over their bald heads.:: Rek: I demand a rematch!! Cade: ::shaking his head:: So sorry, gentlemen, but the game is over. If you'll excuse me... ::Of course they wouldn't. That he had expected, so when the first punch was thrown, he was prepared. One Ferengi opponent would have made for a boring win. Four, however, was a real fight.:: ::There were several moments, usually when a fist connected with his flesh, that Cade considered tapping his comm badge and calling for security, but he had never been one to wuss out of a conflict, physical or otherwise. Rek needed to learn that Starfleet officers weren't pushover peacekeepers and apparently it had fallen to Cade to school him.:: ::Rek's friends eventually fled when it became clear that they had messed with the wrong Human, but Rek was dumber and it was his profit in question. He held out until Cade had him up against the wall by the collar of his shirt.:: ::Nearly breathless, but pumped full of adrenaline, Cade pressed his other arm against the little alien's throat.:: Cade: You lost. ::He increased the pressure enough to make Rek gasp for air.:: Walk away. ::It was only when Rek nodded that he let go. The Ferengi scrambled to get away, leaving Cade battered, but triumphant in the corridor.:: ::In his room, Cade cataloged his injuries. Nothing serious he figured, although his ribs ached as if one of them was fractured. His knuckles were bloody and he was pretty sure one of his toes had been broken when Rek's friend had tried to kick his feet out from underneath him. They would heal on their own in time. No sense in bothering a medic.:: ::Besides, there was only one doctor he wanted to see...and that desire had nothing to do with her medical skills.:: ::Easing himself onto his bed with a bucket of ice for his hand, Cade cursed under his breath. There had to be a way to get Velana out of his head. He just hadn't figured it out yet.:: ::Until then, he would just have to enjoy his memories.:: Lt. Cade Whitman Ops Officer USS Vigilant as played by Lt. Commander Velana Medical Officer USS Vigilant
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