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(( Corridor, USS Garuda )) :: Tan walked. The ship rocked. Red alert lights flashed. The pain trickled up his leg, fighting against the painkillers, effective as they were. The turbolift to the bridge seemed so far away. :: :: Chaos. Pain. War. The tink of metal-tipped walking stick on deckplate. :: :: He wasn't frightened. He'd been frightened before battles, and after battles, but never during. Never, ever during. :: :: The only thing that frightened him, these days, wasn't phasers. Wasn't death and misery. :: :: It was how happy he felt, right at this moment. :: :: He'd missed this. :: :: He missed war. :: :: The idea frustrated him. It fought against his sensibilities -- Trills were exceptionally peace-loving people. It was hardly their most defining feature, but it was part of his cultural make up. :: :: It wasn't so hard to rationalise. The computers of the Garuda's holodecks were full of various tactical simulations, some for training, others for entertainment. There were holographic recreations of great battles of all the Federation's cultures, great and small. Simple and bloody. Pronounced and neigh-forgotten. Fictional. Real. Embelished. Stories from legend. :: :: If it was easy for a civilian, 35 years old and having never fired a phaser in anger to desire to be in war, imagine how easy it was for him; he'd trained all his life for it. Been surrounded by it. It was all he knew. :: :: No. The thumping of the metal on the deck became more angry. That was not him. He had killed, yes, and fought when needed -- but always had he struggled to find the peaceful path. To help, not to destroy. :: :: He had hoped this mission would be one of those times. Those times where lives were saved and medals won without lives being paid on the other side. One of those times he wouldn't bleed, wouldn't have a wound in his heart requiring extensive counselling. :: :: Kira Venroe had helped him a great deal in the past. He wasn't sure if she knew that. She was beautiful, kind, intelligent... many things. :: :: And a universe away, now. He had meant to write to her for some time. :: :: Days became weeks became months. Time kept slipping by. There was always a drama. A trial. Some death to be avoided or dealt out in equal measure. :: :: Kill or be killed. Was that the civilised, peaceful times they lived in? :: :: It certainly seemed so. Tan stepped into a turbolift and watched as the doors hissed closed. :: Tan: Bridge. :: Obediently, the soft whine filled the room as the turbolift took him towards the crown of the ship. :: :: How polite the ship was. The same voice would be equally polite as it levelled an entire city, as the USS Constitution -- a Galaxy class starship just like this one -- had done to a city on Betazed. :: :: In a way, it was just like him. A polite killer. A softly spoken tool of war. :: :: The turbolift travelled onward, and Tan had no idea what to do with all of this. :: :: But Quinn had to be saved. :: :: He had to fight yet again. :: End ----- Lt. Commander Alleran TanChief of NavigationUSS Garuda

(( Deep in the heart of the Jenatris Cloud )) :: For an astrophysicist, that experience was most noteworthy. How else would it be possible? To experience a giant hot gas cloud, with plenty of anomalies, without the aid of a spacesuit, without a shuttle, and without some friggin’ long range sensor or probe. He felt at home, literally among stars, or more precisely, stellar dust. Here it was possible to test gravity playing with matter; collapsing matter, cycling matter, igniting matter, bringing light to the darkness, bringing darkness to the light. And inside all that euphony of feelings, images, a powerful thought came to him. :: oO I once had a revelation on Vulcan, that somehow my destiny was entwined with the Federation. That feeling was strong enough to motivate a lot of changes in my life. And now, here I am. Dead. Floating to some afterlife place and about to learn who killed me. Is this what I am destined for? After a lifetime’s work, to die like this? I can't believe it. I can't accept it. Oo :: He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't realize a distant object in the heart of the cloud. What seemed to be a faint and inoffensive black dot grew bigger in size. It soon obtained a shape. Obtained colors. Had motion. Had emotions. And finally it was close enough to receive a name. :: oO Wow. What graceful design! Clearly a Nova Class but with some augmentation. Wait a minute. What is a Federation starship doing inside this cloud? Oo :: As he approached the hull, he could read the name of the ship and registry clearly, although they were a little scratched. :: oO USS Kalypso. NCC-72511. What a strange name for a ship! Oo :: He came even closer until he crossed the dome on the external hull. From the top of the dome, he flowed into the command bridge. It was not an abandoned ship after all. It was full of life. The ship was on red alert and everybody was working at their stations with heightened activity. It was evident that the starship had come under the heavy fire of recent combat; there was much wreckage, blown up bits of panels, conduits dripping from the ceiling and electrical sparks raining all around. The medical team entered the bridge and headed for the command chair. It was at this time that he noticed the captain trying to revive his fallen first officer. :: oO What is going on here? Oo :: Tarsii was compelled to help the bridge crew. But the unfolding scene scared him more than he had expected it to. Lacerations streaked the face of the captain. He seemed to not feel any pain, or perhaps he was too worried about his first officer and his crew that he didn't pay any attention to himself. The captain was a tall, strong, and bald man, with four golden pips on his collar. He looked like an old man but his eyes were more alive than ever. His eyes expressed trust, strength, and leadership. A true Starfleet captain. But something was peculiar about his face. It was not the wound. His eyes were brighter than normal. At least brighter than Tarsii had remembered. :: oO Oh my! This is me. Oo (( USS Kalypso - Bridge )) HELMSMAN : :: Turning around quickly. :: Sir, we have a ship approaching dead ahead. ASMARA: :: Eyes wide opened. :: What? TACTICAL: Readings indicate that it is a Federation starship sir. :: The captain helped his fellow doctor to lift the first officer and make seat him comfortably in his chair. Then he took his own chair and glanced at the viewscreen. :: ASMARA: On screen ensign. :: The image of Jenatris cloud came alive on the view screen, with a massive starship seen maneuvering just ahead of it. The captain smiled with relief. He sat back down in his chair with a sense that he was about to meet an old friend. :: TACTICAL: Sir, it is an Odyssey Class Cruiser. ASMARA: Yes, lieutenant. I guess the cavalry just arrived. At the right time. Open a channel. HELMSMAN: Channel opened, sir. ((Bridge, USS Discovery-F)) MARKS: They’re hailing us, Sir. ::The man seated in the central chair grunted a response and shifted slightly in his chair. The main view screen snapped to life, revealing the bridge of the Kalypso, and the wounded face of her commanding officer.:: ASMARA: Hi old friend. BLUEHEART: Who are you calling old, pup? ::He burst out in lively laughter. That same old laughter.:: ASMARA: What are you doing in the sector Admiral? BLUEHEART: Saving your scrawny little a$$, that’s what. ASMARA: ::embarrassed:: I guess I will never get used to those slangs but I am very grateful. :: smiling painfully :: BLUEHEART: Yeah, yeah. Just don’t expect any medals from me. I don’t exactly have bottomless pockets, you know. oO Gods. When did I get so cranky? [...] I’m getting old way too fast! Oo ASMARA: They sent an Admiral out to save this a$$? BLUEHEART: ::snorting:: No way I’m flying a desk in my remaining years! oO Besides, this is YOU we’re talking about here, not just some green captain stranded in a cloud.. Oo ::pause, face turning serious:: What’s your status, Captain? ASMARA: :: Trying to convey optimism. :: So far so good Admiral. BLUEHEART: In other words I wasted my time coming all the way here when I could be sipping mint julep on Risa? ASMARA: No way Admiral. :: Changing his position on the chair. :: I could bet with you that those scavengers withdrew just to avoid a confrontation with the Discovery. :: relieved :: But we are good now. BLUEHEART: ::eyes roaming about the wrecked bridge of the Nova Class ship:: Doesn’t look good from where I’m standing. You sure you’re okay? ASMARA: We could have been destroyed. Therefore, from this point of view, we are good. :: Pauses to read the first reports. :: But we have wounded and some casualties, sir. BLUEHEART: Beam your sick and wounded to our Sickbay, followed by your civilian crew. You got power, Tarsii? ASMARA: Warp core is disabled. Thrusters only. Several systems are down and we have multiple hull breaches. :: He nodded to his chief medical officer who was watching over the first officer. :: You heard the admiral. BLUEHEART: Yeah, guessed as much. Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. ::He stood up, tugged on his uniform, then took several steps closer to the view screen.:: I’m beaming over a team of engineers to start repairs on that bucket of bolts you call a starship. Leave behind a skeleton crew to man the ship. The rest of y’all beam over. We’ll tractor that rustbucket and haul your a$$ out of this infernal cloud and back to civilization. You.. ::raising his voice and jabbing a finger in the air, directed at the Angosian captain:: beam directly to my ready room! ASMARA: I will not argue with that, Admiral. :: Smiling, trying to make a joke. :: But this rustbucket served me well until today. I will want her back. BLUEHEART: You know how much taxpayers’ money we spent coming here to find you? You better make it worth all that money and effort, Tarsii! ::The commlink was severed. The view screen went back to depicting the purple Jenatris Cloud. Raj made his way to his ready room, a cheeky smile playing on his face as he awaited his long-time friend from a long-ago time that still felt just like yesterday.:: ((A while later)) ((Ready Room, USS Discovery-F)) ::He heard the soft tinkling sound of the transporter beam before he saw the shimmering blue haze. Within seconds he was peering into the same bright and lively eyes he remembered from all those years ago.:: BLUEHEART: Hello, Captain. ::gesturing:: Please, sit. ASMARA: :: His face had been almost completely regenerated thanks to the Kalypso’s doctor. :: Thank you Admiral. :: Realizing he was being too formal again. :: I mean Raj. :: Smiling. :: BLUEHEART: Can I get you anything? ASMARA: Spiced tea please. BLUEHEART: ::moving to the replicator behind his oversized oaken desk:: I was going to offer you just cold water. You know, budget cuts and all. ::returning with two glasses of the hot beverage:: But I guess I can make an exception for a dear friend. ::He half winked.:: :: Tarsii placed a large carved metal box on the Admiral’s desk. :: BLUEHEART: ::smirking:: Aw, you shouldn’t have. ::scrutinizing the box with his keen, age-defying eyes:: A souvenir from your last travels? ASMARA: :: reaching for the teapot. :: Under heavy costs sir. BLUEHEART: I gather the plan went south? ASMARA: The plan worked fine... until we found it. :: Pausing to sip the tea. :: But the escape plan was a complete mess. BLUEHEART: [...]. ::Then he shrugged abruptly.:: Happens. Don’t get your knickers all in a bunch fretting over it. ASMARA: Sure Raj. :: pause :: Did you remember when I first came aboard Atlantis? :: smiling :: BLUEHEART: How can I forget?? You tried to steal my ship!! ::He burst out laughing again, his eyes lighting up with mirth and nostalgia.:: ASMARA: I really thought I would pass the rest of my life in a detention camp. :: His eyes got a little brighter while they both shared a jocular laughter. :: BLUEHEART: We ALL thought you would! ::laughter slowly dying down:: I thought you’d forgotten about it. ASMARA: Trust me, Raj. I will never forget that. BLUEHEART: You scared the crap out of me! ::another paroxysm of hearty laughter:: ASMARA: Yes I was not quite myself, but people wouldn’t have believed if you hadn't supported me. BLUEHEART: ::shrugging nonchalantly, but with a tinge of pride:: Meh. ASMARA: I never asked you, but… How did you know? BLUEHEART: Ocano. ::His eyes twinkled mischievously.:: ASMARA: Ocano? BLUEHEART: Yes. Ocano. You-- I mean, whoever it was that was controlling you, almost killed her! ASMARA: Oh yes! That [...] who was pulling the strings almost killed her in cold blood. BLUEHEART: Well.. she was the one who tipped me off. She found the device on you while you two were doing the horizontal tango. ASMARA: She never told me that. :: Embarrassed, he diverted the topic elsewhere. :: And the others? BLUEHEART: ::enjoying another bout of laughter:: Oh, the look on their faces back then! Priceless! ASMARA: :: Laughing out loud. :: Yes. Foster, Sylkar and especially Mitchell. They all demanded I be thrown into the Brig until we reached DS26. BLUEHEART: They sure did! ASMARA: Yes. Mitchell almost killed me. But I had a little bit of luck that day. BLUEHEART: ::smiling warmly and swirling the amber-colored liquid in his glass:: Sylkar. ::He nodded slowly, the memories seeping back into consciousness.:: ASMARA: Sylkar got so angry with me. :: smiling:: I miss her so much. :: He starts to get emotional. :: BLUEHEART: I miss her too. ::voice pregnant with emotions of his own:: I miss them all.. ASMARA: You know her. She would never admit to that, but I know for certain that our story began that day. BLUEHEART: It did. All our lives changed that day. ::His eyes grew moist from flashbacks of yesteryears.:: ASMARA: Ok, Admiral. :: rising for a toast :: ::Raj stood up too, and held out his glass.:: ASMARA: To the great and unforgettable crew of Atlantis! BLUEHEART: ::adding:: Best crew I ever served with! :: They clinked their glasses and took a sip out of them. Raj pushed his left hand into his trouser pocket and stared at his desk, as if seeing the entire history of the Atlantis under his command, play out on the surface like an old Terran motion picture. He smiled fondly, the memories threatening to overflow into his eyes and down his cheeks.:: (( Present )) oO I am not dead. I am not dead. Oo :: It became clear to Tarsii that he was being controlled by someone else. An unseen, unknown terror. It was also clear to him that he was all too willingly accepting death. His own death. He was simply accepting the fact that he was putting all his new and future friends in great danger. If he could only manage to find a way to send some sign to his own possessed body what a big mistake this would turn out to be, then at least Atlantis stood a chance at defeating this formidable enemy. :: oO But how do I return? I have been dragged to this cloud ever since I came aboard the Atlantis. Oo :: His superconsciousness hovered aimlessly and desperately inside the cloud. Then, just as abruptly as he had been transplanted into the future, he found himself back inside the terrifying darkness of the embattled Atlantis once more. :: oO Oh no! It is too late. The captain. Sickbay. Oo :: This first thought that appeared in his mind propelled him to seek out the captain. In the blinbk of an eye, he found himself amidst the chaos of Sickbay. He saw the captain lying motionless on the biobed receiving the Andorian’s care. But others were not so fortunate. It was then that he spotted Nurse Ocano leaving Sickbay. And she was not alone. Tarsii was with her, and enveloping the Angosian science officer, he saw a frightening and bizarre dark orange cloud. His gaze drifted back to the unconscious, younger version of his now and forever friend Raj. He made a solemn oath. :: oO You saved my a$$ several times. I will save yours now. This is me speaking. The true Tarsii. I will save you and the Atlantis! I swear this to you!! Oo ----------- A JP by: Ensign Tarsii Asmara Science Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682 and special guest appearance: Admiral Raj Blueheart USS Discovery-F

((Sickbay - USS Atlantis))::Sickbay was chaos. With new patients arriving at a regular pace, and none being discharged, as well as an ever dwindling medical staff who were healthy enough to work, it was a busy wash of noise, motion and borderline panic.One more scientist entering the fray didn’t cause anyone to bat an eye. In fact, most just moved out of Tarsii’s way until Vedra finally looked up and saw the man approaching.::ASMARA: :: He swept sickbay’s interior trying to find the target. He recognized several important officers around, including the Captain, who were receiving great care. With luck he would find his demise without his intervention. :: oO The blue inside EV suit. Target acquired. OoVEDRA: I’ll let you know when it’s complete. ::He nodded, then turned when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he recognized the officer just entering the place.:: Well, look who just walked into Sickbay with eyes all glazed like a zombie’s. FOSTER: Zombie? ::He snapped his head up:: Naw, he’s got too much flesh on his bones to be a zombie. ::His eyes narrowed, a bit clinically and a bit suspiciously:: Not quite sure what that’s all about. VEDRA: Hmm. He doesn’t look like himself but his appearance doesn’t correlate with the symptoms of the other patients.:: Tarsii was aware that sickbay would be crowded but he didn't expect to find the Andorian doctor wearing a EV suit. That would complicate things a little since he would be discovered the moment he attempted to kill the physician. He needed to remain stealthy until the last and deadly blow against Atlantis. He demanded an alternative plot to delay the medical efforts to disable the toxin. :: FOSTER: Wasn’t he the one who was so claustrophobic before? That might be it… ::He trailed off, contemplating the usual fear-reaction responses:: VEDRA: Well maybe we could just ask him. He seems to be headed this way. oO Looks kind of creepy.. Oo:: The remote controlled Angosian stood up motionless while devising a plan. The doctor was being helped by a green tall man who wear the science collar. They both were near a replication equipment which was processing some calculations and building some bio-chemical structure. He could see an animal from Uzoka 4 near by too. The most logical conclusion was they are trying to synthesize the antitoxin based on data the red hair biped extracted from the device before they had the chance to block it. So, the course of action was clear now, he must sabotage the equipment. :: FOSTER: Yeah, I called him here. I need his expertise on scrubbing the infected blood supply with the transporter. In hindsight I probably should not have called a claustrophobe into this chaos, but I’ll apologize later. ::he rose and headed over towards Tarsii:: I’ll talk to him, keep an eye on the dragons. ::nearing the scientist:: So, Captain tells me you know your way around transporter physics.SOMEONE: ~Another power outage is about to happen. Be prepared to act.~ ASMARA: ~Acknowledge.~:: It was pretty evident now that Tarsii was being fed with information from someone aboard the ship. Besides that, it was pretty evident that he got physical help too. And this unknown person will cause a power outage which would inflict more damage to the already weakened Atlantis. ::ASMARA: :: Expressionless and googly eyes. :: oO You must hamper his job. Oo Hi Doc. As I said before I have little experience on transport engineering. But I am very proud of my knowledge of physics.FOSTER: ::Eyes narrowing slightly:: oO He does not look well… Oo Well, a little will have to do. We have a major scrub duty if we want any hope of bringing these crew back from the brink. ::he gave a slight gesture around at the biobeds::ASMARA: oO I don't want any of them to walk out this place. Oo What do you mean by scrub?FOSTER: Scrub, as in forcibly separate the toxin from the blood cells using the transporter.ASMARA: oO How do this people come here with so primitive minds? Oo :: He moved aside preparing for action. :: This must prove difficult to achieve, especially with so little energy available. ::FOSTER: Yes… ::He paused for a second, watching Asmara with a growing note of suspicion. Something was off about the man, and Wyn Foster tended to trust his gut reactions. They had saved him plenty of times in growing up on a starship, as well as the back alley scraps of his teenage years.:: We’re running out of clean hemoglobin, and the power to replicate it. Therefore we need donations and the donated blood is infected. However now that the toxin is identified, the transporters can be programmed to scrub the toxin from the blood supply. ::He left off, not noting that it also might work with infected people as well. The risks were greater, and far more complicated. Besides, the man didn’t seem with it enough that Foster trusted him with the full scope of the information.::SOMEONE: ~ Prepare to act in 20 seconds. ~ASMARA: ~Acknowledge~ :: He tried to keep the doctor distracted. :: If you could provide me some samples for initial tests. :: He pauses to mental calculate his next moves. :: But I would like to work on science lab. I don't feel comfortable here on sickbay. In fact I just came here for a medical evaluation requested by Lt. Skykar. She---::There was little warning. Just a preemptive flicker and then as quickly as one would flip a switch all light died away, leaving a perfect silent blackness.::FOSTER: This is not supposed to happen…::And just like that the panic switch was hit. Sickbay went from a tense yet orderly chaos to a complete cacophony of hysteria. People started moving, screaming, running.::FOSTER: ::His voice was piercing. Raised among humans, he never had the traditional, soft, lisping tone that so many of his people had. And when need be, the little Andorian could project forcefully:: Everybody stop! Do not panic! Stay in your places, we will get the backups running.:: Immersed in an almost complete darkness, the angosian found quickly his way to the replicator. Guided by his memory and his ears he avoided all the obstacles. Near the replicator he crawled to avoid the green biped and tapped his device on it. A small but focused pulse of energy was released, frying the equipment and the nearby circuitry. Then he rolled back avoiding the science officer, who had already moved, and some orderlies. He quickly returned to his position and moved a little to the right to avoid suspicious. After that the emergency light came to live showing the complete chaos on the sickbay. ::ASMARA: What was that?FOSTER: Unknown power failure ::He was gritting his teeth, dashing to a panel to call up the information while keeping half an eye on his staff. He was worried - very worried - that if the lights had failed, so had the power to the systems keeping those in medical comas still alive. The answers he was getting back were not good. He was already running towards one of the biobeds before Tarsii could speak again.::ASMARA: Is the ship under attack?FOSTER: No clue. ::he gritted his teeth, staring at a medical tricorder and uttering a low curse under his breath. Whatever this was it had shorted the backup power. and vitals were falling.::ASMARA: Could you give me the samples? :: He pauses while receiving more information::FOSTER: Look, a bit busy here… ::Frustration was creeping into his voice, as he scanned another patient. Captain Blueheart was stable - thank the deities - but Crewman Kand was dangerously close to cardiac arrest.:: Nurse, administer 10ccs of Oxyhavaline and get me a cardiac stimulator. ::he paused long enough to afford the Angosian a glance:: Blood samples are on the table over there, Nurse Ocano can help you sort them out.ASMARA: Yes, I know Ms. Ocano.FOSTER: Good. I’ll check in with you as soon as I have this situation stabilized. ::Under his hands Kand started to shudder again, his breathing coming in pitiful little huffs. No matter how fast Wyn’s spindly fingers worked it didn’t seem fast enough. The power interruption had sent the young crewman into a downward spiral, and the internal bleeding came back with a vengeance. Through the hazy [...]tail of drugs the man was on, he fluttered his eyes and gasped for help::ASMARA: Good luck Foster. oO You will need a lot. Oo :: He gave a wry smile and headed to meet Ocano. ::FOSTER: Thanks… ::His gaze lift just in time to see Tarsii’s expression and Foster’s own formed into a very dark frown. Something was distinctly wrong with that man, and yet he didn’t have enough time or energy right now to put his finger on what. He turned back to his patient, feeling the sinking feeling of a ship sinking beneath his ministrations as Kand’s eyes rolled back into his head. he reached one hand up, leaving four bloody finger streaks across the faceplate of Foster’s Ev suit, even as he struggled to keep the man alive. With one final gasp, Kand’s heart beat it’s last and one more casualty was added to the ever growing list.:::: The device which had shown on Tarsii’s hand had just disappeared. There was no trace of it at his palm anymore. Wherever that technology come from, it was something very advanced. Ocano was finishing some reports and checking the medicine stock when Tarsii arrived to talked with her. ::ASMARA: You seem tired lady. :: He tried to express some compassion. ::OCANO: Hey you there science boy. :: She shown a weak smile. ::ASMARA: Foster asked you to give some blood samples.OCANO: He had told me that. :: He gave her the dishes previously separated. ::ASMARA: Thank you crewman.OCANO: Hey! Are you not forgetting something?ASMARA: :: He got scared. He feared to have been discovered. :: I think not, ma’am.OCANO: You told me that would like a second chance. Did you forget?ASMARA: oO Oh! The romance thing. You must acknowledge to avoid raise suspicious. Oo :: Trying to look ashmade. :: I´m a lucky man to have you to remember me. Can I accompany you to your quarters?OCANO: By all means science boy.:: As another nurse arrived to relieve Ocano and both headed away from the sickbay which was a complete mess. Ocano was not aware of the danger she was running into and Tarsii will not allow anyone to be between him and his mission. Not even the beautiful Ocano. Tarsii would have to find a way to disable Ocano without raising any suspicions. ::TBC--------A JP by:Ensign Tarcii AsmaraScience OfficerUSS AtlantisNCC-74682AndEnsign Shar’Wyn FosterMedical OfficerUSS Atlantis

((OOC: This is a two part sim, which I combined into one for the competition. It is written by the USS Mercury's PC Lt.Cmdr Roshanara Rahaman... part two is her PNPC Lt. Dre'lith Chaun.)) ((Shuttlecraft Valentina Tereshkova, deep within the volcano on 83 Leonis II)) ::The shuttle buckled around Roshanara Rahman as she lay against the [...]pit window. The alarms now had turned into background murmurs, and her vision was cloudy. An unsightly cranial contusion had formed from the impact her head had made against the overturned shuttle's hull minutes earlier.:: ::Sharp static cackled over the comm, but whether it was from the captain's away team or the Mercury, she couldn't tell. Part of her just wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep. However, she knew if she stayed here, she would die.:: ::With a groan, she propped herself up to sit back against the ceiling of the shuttle. Squinting her eyes, she could see the console controls still lit up. The navigational display continued to track the shuttle's movement as it drifted farther out from the center of the volcano and deeper into the surface. She grabbed the edge of the console and pulled herself towards the controls.:: ::From the navigational display, she saw that the shuttle was trapped within the tunnel of lava, and it looked as if the shuttle would only continue to sink below the rock. She tapped a few commands into the console to power the engines. The thrusters fired with a sputter before exhaling a final breath. She punched at the panel again, but the thrusters remained dormant.:: ::With one hand still grasping the edge of the console to keep her balance in the rocking shuttle, she held her head in the other hand, massaging her injury.:: RAHMAN: oO All right, what's still left... Oo ::She looked over the systems status display, turning her head sideways to read the tiny report.:: ::Engines: offline. Transporter systems: offline. Main power: failing. Shields: failing. Weapons systems: inactive. Communications: offline. Life support: fail-:: RAHMAN: oO Weapons systems! Oo ::She tried to hold her aim steady against the shaking console as she adjusted the energy levels, diverting the remaining power to the shuttle's phasers. It wouldn't be at full power, but it just might be enough.:: ::She tilted her head up and looked at the other chair and console of the copilot, now hanging above her. She bit her lip in frustration. The tactical controls were out of reach from where she sat. She strained as she pulled herself up using the other pilot chair. Despite the piercing pain that shot through her, she reached her arm out to activate the targeting sensors. Fortunately, they were defaulted to aim straight forward. That's all she needed.:: ::She set the duration of fire for a continuous beam. With one final press, she fired the shuttle's phasers and watched for a brief moment as they pierced through the rock ahead, causing some of the lava to follow through into the new passageway. The shuttle lurched back violently as it shifted direction with the lava, causing Roshanara to fall back down once again against the [...]pit window.:: ::This time, though, she was looking up at the portside window. She saw the dark rock of the volcano drifting by quickly. She tried to stay awake, but she felt so tired now. She just needed to rest, if only for a minute.:: ::As she closed her eyes and drifted away, she could have sworn it looked as if suddenly the rock had turned to sky.::((Bridge, USS Mercury)) ::The antennae on Lt. Dre'lith Chaun twitched. He didn't like this situation one bit, and if it were up to him, he'd have beamed up the stubborn chief engineer immediately once she reported damage to the shuttle, but then again, it wasn't up to him. That much was clear as she closed the channel, leaving him to sigh as he sat feeling rather ineffectual in the Mercury's captain's chair. Perhaps someone was enjoying the delicious irony of it all.:: ::A few minutes later, though, sensor alarms began ringing. Ensign Cardosa looked over the scans from the science station.:: CARDOSA: Sir, the volcano's eruption has intensified. It is proceeding to the next stage. ::Dre'lith's eyes went wide, but before the Andorian could reply, a dire call came in from the captain.:: KELLS: =/\= Kells to the bridge. =/\= CHAUN: =/\= Lt. Chaun here, sir. =/\= KELLS: =/\= Lieutenant, lock onto Commander Rahman's signal and beam her out immediately. CHAUN: =/\= Aye! =/\= ::He relayed the command to the transporter room, but Crewman Leana couldn't get a lock. He looked over at Ensign Tivall at the engineering station, but the Vulcan woman simply shook her head.:: TIVALL: Given the current dynamic location of the shuttle and the geological disturbance currently on the surface, we are unable to secure a proper lock on the commander. ::He looked back at her incredulously.:: CHAUN: That's it? You don't have any suggestions, ensign? TIVALL: It is an unfortunate set of circumstances. ::It was said with the usual Vulcan dryness that had annoyed Dre'lith during the time he had served on the USS T'Plana-Hath with its nearly all-Vulcan crew complement. The woman was talking about her department head's imminent death as casually as if she were describing a bit of rainfall during a game of springball.:: CHAUN: Not good enough, ensign. ::His antennae twitched again as he thought out loud.:: CHAUN: You say we can't lock onto the commander. Fine... but what about the shuttle itself? ::The engineer looked over the scans of the planet surface.:: TIVALL: The Tereshkova's positional readings are still inadequately faint, lieutenant. If it were free from the volcano- CHAUN: (annoyed) Then we wouldn't be having this conversation. ::That caused the Vulcan to twitch.:: TIVALL: Indeed, sir. ::Just then, the turbolift doors opened. Dre'lith turned to get a quick glance at the new arrivals but his focus soon returned to the viewscreen. He wasn't about to abandon the stubborn Trill--or rather, Kriosian, he had later learned--just yet.:: CAPRONNE: Trouble, Lieutenant? What's going on? CHAUN: The volcano has proceeded to the next stage of the eruption, sir... with our chief engineer still inside it. ::Dre'lith saw that the other new arrival, an Andorian commander, was sizing him up, but he didn't care. He'd deal with him another time.:: ::Just then, Tivall sounded called out to the three men gathered in the center. Her voice was unusually animated for a Vulcan, which is to say she sounded almost alive.:: TIVALL: Sir, we have a positive lock on the shuttle. ::The Andorian lieutenant wanted to throttle her. Why was she even waiting for an order?:: CHAUN: Then beam it up now! TIVALL: Already in progress, sir. (beat) It's done. The Tereshkova is aboard. ::Dre'lith let out a sigh of relief. Apparently, the ensign wasn't as dense as he had feared.:: CHAUN: Good work, ensign. Inform sickbay and beam the commander directly there. ::As Tivall nodded and set to work, Capronne turned to the other Andorian, seemingly pleased with what he had just witnessed.:: CAPRONNE: Well, there you go, Commander: If Lieutenant Commander Rahman is well enough after beamout, then she was just on the planet's surface and was with the captain, so she should have much more information about the situation down there. ::The unknown commander simply walked away, as Dre'lith expected, and after a conversation with the ambassador, the bridge was now occupied by the returning senior staff. The Andorian pilot excused himself and returned to the shuttlebay, taking the scenic route by way of sickbay.::Lt Cmdr RahmanCheif EngineerUSS Mercury & her PNPC Lt. Dre'lith ChaunHelmsman & PilotUSS Mercury

(( Counselor’s Office - USS Thunder-A )) :: Counselors. It was a word that not only made him irritated, but resigned to the fact that they were an integral part of Star Fleet. The human capacity to care for their people both mentally, physically, and emotionally was impressive; Nugra felt that it was sometimes too much. :: :: Now he stood in front of the counselor’s door for the dreaded annual appointment which he had to attend. The one back on Starbase 118 while applying to join Star Fleet a third time was as painful as a poisoned Vss’Kot blade. :: :: Ringing the bell on the side of the door, he awaited for entry. :: :: Inside the office, Ashley had prepped for his sessions of the day already, and was relaxing over his second cup of tea for the morning. Camomile, caffeine free. Except his cup was a coffee mug... a bit larger and heavier than a tea cup, and easier to handle. Far less unsteadiness as he set it atop his desk, sliding his hands behind his back in that formal way he tended to, a casual smile lightening the severity of the posture. :: Yael: It’s open. :: Stepping inside, Nugra nodded. :: Nugra: Lieutenant Commander Nugra here for the 0930 appointment. :: He handed the PADD to him. :: Nugra: If you could sign the clearance, I can get back to my duties. :: Taking the PADD offered to him... making certain to have several inches space between his hand and the one holding the PADD... he held it in hand for a moment, smiling with the slightest amusement at the very direct attempt to circumvent the session Nugra was here for, and set the PADD unsigned atop the desk. :: :: Nugra watched as the PADD got set down and his eyes narrowed. It continued to prove that counselors all counselors were annoying. :: :: Purple eyes lifted and settled on the silver-eyed Gorn, who stood a good deal taller than himself. In fact, Lieutenant Commander Nugra outweighed him drastically as well, and cut what normally would have been an intimidating figure. But being small of stature did not mean being a pushover, and Ashley kept his casual smile in place. :: Yael: Lieutenant Ashley Yael. ::pause:: Please, Commander. Make yourself comfortable. Nugra: oO Comfortable? I’m in a mind bender’s office Oo :: He sat down without a vocal word. :: Yael: ::sitting, remaining straight up, opening Nugra’s file on his computer:: I’ve been going over your records. Overall, you appear to be a straight-laced, dependable officer. :: He kept eyes on Nugra, watching for any response the Gorn might have. Species such as his were far harder to read directly, but it was not impossible when one knew what to look for. :: :: He listened carefully to the man’s words. Overall, was the operative one here. Was Yael suggesting something else? He hated these mind games. :: Nugra: I pride myself on that. Yael: You’re a fan of the martial arts, isn’t that right? Nugra: I do enjoy a bout or two. I am fluent in quite a few different forms from over the galaxy. :: That was a point of pride for him. Able to defend the ship from weapons to bare claws. :: Yael: And what do you do when you are *not* on duty, or otherwise training? :: What was the man up too? Nugra shifted ever so slightly in his chair. :: Nugra: I focus on logic training through chess, use my holodeck program to improve my reaction time, and sleep. :: Ashley was aware that the answers weren’t exactly deep introspection, but the Gorn appeared to be rather stern, or at the least unwilling to expand on the conversation. This in itself told the counselor a few things. But that wouldn’t cut it if Nugra wanted his signature on that data padd. So he dove into something a touch closer to home. :: Yael: And your family? How are you getting on with them? Or should I say, how are you doing aboard... especially as you are the only member of your species aboard. Nugra: They’re dead. Yael: ::eyebrows pushing upward:: Oh...? I’m sorry. ::beat:: If you don’t mind my asking? :: The question was clear. :: Nugra: My brother was killed in Star Fleet, my family has disowned me and so by Gorn law and tradition they are dead. ::It was difficult to keep the bitterness out of his voice. :: Yael: That is quite... unfortunate. There were problems, I take it, within the family? :: The Denobulan certainly wasn’t giving up at the sudden turn toward the mans tragedy. He could hear the bitterness behind the words... it was still raw territory. The fact that it had come out so easily and so early in their session meant it was at the least on the Gorn’s mind, and something simmering that hot had a tendency to impact behavior. :: Nugra: Difference in opinion with the Gorn Civil War. :: He was not going to volunteer anymore as it was his personal business. :: Yael: I take it your family was involved in the War. ::sensing an icy reaction to his further probing:: But there’s no need to worry, Commander. I don’t need you to tell me your life story. We’ll just start with your childhood and go from there. :: A slight smile, though he doubted he’d get one from the Gorn. :: Nugra: My culture considers our private lives just that. Private. May I ask what this has to do with the Annual? I had one in Star Fleet medical when I re-joined. They found me fit for duty though with a tendency to be to official. Yael: ::failing to be impressed, but still smiling casually:: Yes, the annual exams do tend to come around now and then. Just about once a year. ::pausing:: I do not require you to tell me anything you do not *want* to tell me, Nugra. But aside the formality, I’m just trying to get to know you a little better. It makes my job infinitely more pleasant, and may well lessen your burden in the matter as well. :: Lifting the mug of tea, Ashley took a slight drink, holding the mug in both hands carefully. He was having a good day, technically speaking... but it still shook ever so slightly. Almost imperceptibly, before he set it down again. :: Yael: Though, from the little information I have, it seems you’ve become quite isolated. From your family and your culture. How are you handling that? :: Nugra listened quietly as he spoke. Out of all the counselors that he had met, Yael was good at dancing around, making him sound like he had a choice, and then bringing the question right back around. Nugra: Fine. :: It was unhelpful and it came out before he thought about it. :: Nugra: oO Krr’Mkk. He’s getting to me. Oo :: The smile spread slightly as he took in the one word response. If Nugra was anything, he was direct. Perhaps not giving in his answers, but there was no indication of deception, from what Ashley could tell of the Gorns expressions. What few he had. This would be an interesting challenge, figuring out what made this man function. But there was time for that... this was a simple introduction. :: Yael: That’s good to hear. ::taking a moment:: Then I suppose it’s going to be chess. :: He nodded affirmatively, as if he’d made a decision just then. :: Nugra: Excuse me? Yael: I need a partner. Terribly difficult to find anyone of late who plays. Nugra: Then you’re decent at it? Yael: ::leaning forward slightly:: Oh... I’m decent. Three tiered or flat plain? Nugra: Either. I prefer flat plain as it’s easier to carry around. Three tiered is a newer variant of the ancient game. Yael: A very steady officer, focused, highly trained. I imagine you’d make a marvelous opponent. In a game of chess or in the field. And you have seen action, most recently the Klingon invasion. Why don’t you tell me about your experience then? Nugra: Why? Yael: Why not? Nugra: I don’t see how my actions in the Klingon Invasion have bearing on this line of questioning. Yael: I didn’t ask about your actions, Nugra. I asked about your experience. I assume you joined the fight? :: Nugra’s mind went back to his first arrival to Duronis II with the Klingon invasion in full swing and the dead ships in orbit. :: Nugra: Yes, I was part of a team that participated in liberating the embassy from the Klingons and Orions. :: Nugra thought about to that action and decided he might as well give the Counselor something. :: Nugra: I do sometimes get concerned on the... :: he didn’t know how to phrase it without sounding like a monster. :: ...ease and efficiency killing came to me. Yael: ::nodding:: Anyone involved in such a violent action is bound to wonder, concerning their actions, their behavior. Why they did what they did, how they did it. Would you say your actions there were perhaps... more extreme, than you might have normally taken? The situation was quite dire, I realize. Nugra: It wasn’t method, but the ease that concerns me. ::Sinking without hesitation into his next question. :: Yael: And how many did you kill? Nugra: Six. Yael: Yet, every one of them was done out of necessity. :: He kept keen purple eyes on the Gorn, watching for hints of distress or other reactions as he continued. :: Yael: And because of your actions, you saved the lives of others. Didn’t you? Nugra: Of course. Yael: So for all the downfalls of your battles, you could say they were... if still violent... but they were honorable pursuits, am I right? :: Something strange, coming from the mouth of a pacifist. :: Nugra: Killing isn’t honorable as more duty. The people needed protecting and that is what I have sworn to do. My concern is how it is becoming easy for me to kill. My report does mention the War of the Singularity. Yael: I’m not familiar with that conflict. :: This was said in a tone that was hopeful Nugra would explain more to him. That was about the first thing the Gorn had offered up without a verbal battle, so it was clearly important. … as if the impact of *any* war wasn’t important... :: Nugra: It was a battle in a temporal anomaly around the planet Dekthos on the edge of Gorn space in the unexplored regions. My fleet was trapped for 200 years with an enemy fleet. We fought to the last man with no quarter and no mercy. Yael: That... sounds absolutely dreadful. oO Even for a skilled fighter, who survives that sort of situation... intact? Oo Nugra: My estimate in how many I killed for Star Fleet’s report was...conservative...It wasn’t a dozen as I mentioned. :: The number was something he hated. He wished he could lose count. :: Nugra: I killed four hundred and fifty eight in single combat, many more in ship to ship combat. :: Four hundred, fifty eight, and then some. Plus six more. So the Klingon invasion was just a dash in the mix. :: Yael: It appears you are a Gorn with many secrets. ::pausing:: That’s okay, we’ve all got ours... but... these things are massive. You’ve been in several extremely serious, life threatening events. You don’t have to harbor them alone. :: Nugra wanted to let out a sardonic chuckle. Life threatening events. Yes, he had been through quite a few. Traveling to the mirror universe, being attacked by an alien probe when he first joined the Gorn Fleet, facing war of 200 years. They were becoming almost expected now. :: Nugra: It is my issue, my actions. I do not see the need to involve anyone else in it. Yael: I understand the instinct. To keep it to yourself, to not involve others. It’s cleaner that way. At least, for a while. But then you realize, maybe not all at once, that it’s impacting you still. A dream here. A flash of memory there. One thing leads to another, and suddenly you’re living each day with those events on the edge of your mind. Becoming a perpetual threat to your mind, now that it’s no longer a threat to your life. Nugra: I see...and what do you suggest is the remedy for so many nightmares? oO I bet it’s something pansy and human like. Oo :: It wasn’t exactly a full admission, but Nugra’s interest and reference to nightmares... whereas he had said dreams, the Gorn had advanced it to nightmares... led him to believe he was on the right track, so he dove into it. Though, he kept a keen eye on the Gorns responses, just in case he was pushing too far. :: Yael: To begin with, I would suggest a full round of memory-engram treatment, via sickbay. It is a series of hypos over a few weeks duration that can help aid with disconnecting the fear from the events in your memory. It’s hormonally based, I believe... it is not remedy in and of itself, but it can aid the process of breaking down the roots that have grown. It can help to curb the nightmares. Nugra: Interesting choice, though most engram therapy I am familiar with is designed for mammals. The Federation does not have that many reptilian species in their membership. Yael: The process works well for mammalian species. I don’t know that it’s been adapted for Gorn, but there’s no reason we can’t ask Doctor Derrida to try and adapt it to your physiology. Nugra: And after that? Yael: After the series... assuming you agree to them of course... we begin other methods, as you see fit. ::pausing:: The one thing we do *not* do, Nugra... is ignore it. Let it fester. Believe me, the sound of treatment may seem annoying and intrusive, but no more so than the breaking down of your ability to function in the future. Which, if you *are* suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, you may well be heading toward. Beyond that, there are several means we can try via psychotherapy, which would be my specialty. Nugra: You have some interesting suggestions. Yael: I suggest nothing more than taking it by the horns and wrestling it to the ground, as you would any other enemy. You would not ignore a man with a weapon standing behind you, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Do not ignore this. Nugra: I am listening to you, Counselor. Your plans are a good idea though we might have to skip the memory engram part of it. Yael: Oh? And why is that? :: There was no hostility to the question, just curiosity. :: Nugra: Well, one of my many “exciting” life moments was when I was a Senior Ensign in the Gorn Space Navy, I was attacked by an alien probe. It was trying to remove all my memories. Yael: ::an eyebrow rising:: And no doubt you are now more protective of such things. Nugra: Our doctor designed a substance based on a narcotic that would lock my memories in place. It worked and saved my mind from being drained, but it rendered all engram memory modifications impossible. I remember everything now. So, we’ll probably have to handle this the old fashion way. Yael: I see. More protective than I thought. ::smiling lightly:: Then the engram treatment will have to go to the wayside. But I’m glad to see you’re willing to explore the process. The old fashioned way takes more time, but can be just as effective, so long as you take it seriously. Nugra: No promises, but I’m willing to give it a shot. Yael: All that in mind, I’d have to call this a productive annual evaluation. ::his smile returned to him:: It will be my pleasure to help you however I can, Commander. If you do find yourself having trouble, I am “on call,” so to speak. Denobulans don’t need a lot of sleep, so consider it 26-7. Nugra: I will remember that, I usually only need four hours myself. :: Ashley set dual fingertips to the data PADD sitting before him on his desk, giving his approval and applying it to Nugra’s formal file. :: Yael: I’ve given you the go-ahead. Consider yourself approved for duty. :: The gorn nodded taking the PADD and he made his way to the door. :: :: Ashley stood as Nugra stood, and he set his hands behind his back, standing straight. There was one last thing to cover before they parted ways... something Nugra might not expect, but needed to be said. :: Yael: Before you go, one last thing, Commander... Nugra: Yes? Yael: When I take an officer off duty, I do so for very specific... and vital... reasons. I have that authority, as ships counselor. ::pausing just slightly:: When I do this, it is not done lightly or without serious consideration for all parties involved, and that includes the senior staffs need for all posts to remain filled and active during our endeavors. :: Nugra waited silently as the man continued. :: Yael: When you put Mc Ghee on light duty, you negated my authorization in the matter... and to my knowledge, without a full understanding of the situation concerning his removal from duty. ::pausing again, letting it sink in:: Though I understand you found his involvement necessary, if you negate my authority in such a manner a second time, I will find it necessary to file a formal complaint with the chain of command. :: The entirety of this last comment was said without an ounce of hostility or ire. It was simply what he would have to do. It was only that he hoped Nugra would take his comment on the matter to heart, and not repeat the maneuver a second time, saving them any formal strife. It was his way of asserting his authority in the matter without being aggressive. :: Nugra: Lieutenant, I understand your words, but you should realize that one, you were not stationed here when i relieved him of duty hence your authority was never challenged. Two, there are quite a number of capable people who have and did perform in his shoes while he was absent, and three, I’d rather have the ship without an engineer than commanded by a man who chose to abandon his post and his crewmates. :: Nugra turned to the door and then stopped. :: Nugra: oh, and my actions were approved by the captain when I presented the evidence and last I remembered, your authority stops when the captain makes her decision. Yael: Commander, the Captain left the ship before I could report to her concerning Mc Ghee’s status. Her being out of reach does not negate my authority. And if you’ll recall, I am one of the few people on this ship that has the authority to take even the *Captain* off duty. ::pausing:: But I’m not interested in debating the issue. I am simply informing you of the slight, and my actions should it occur again. My authority in the chain of command is not a matter of discussion, and I expect you to abide by that chain of command, as I expect of the entire senior staff. :: There was still an absolute lacking of any hostility. They clearly disagreed on the boundaries of their stations, but Ashley wouldn’t let that professional disagreement become a personal one. But the fact that Nugra had no idea the danger he’d put them... and the Romulans... in by ignoring the counselors authority couldn’t be an argument he used aloud. Not if he wanted to maintain Jaxon’s medical privacy. :: Yael: Aside that, feel free to disagree as you please. :: No doubt the crews time without a counselor had led them to believe his post was not necessary... or that it was necessary to respect it. That would be a flock of birds he recaged from free-flight, crewman by crewman if need be. :: :: War with every crewman wasn’t necessary and the Gorn decided to bow out of this fight until he knew more about the counselor's position. :: Nugra: I will heed you for now, Lieutenant. :: With that, he left. :: Lt Cmdr NugraDeck OfficerUSS Thunder-AEmbassy, Duronis II & Lt. Ashley Deneve YaelCounselorUSS Thunder-AEmbassy, Duronis II

(( Holodeck, Duronis II Embassy )) :: Hannibal stood with his wedding party, standing in the mouth of a cave, which was lit with torches going deep into its interior The six humans, and one massive Klingon prepared to make a quasi- perilous journey together, one undertaken by countless Klingons and a few humans. The journey would test them all, as it was designed to do, and test their endurance. Ha'Rouque stood before them, with a knowing glance between Hannibal and him. The journey was about to begin... :: :: After receiving the invitation to this very Klingon ritual and considering what had occurred during the invasion, Jaxon had been reserved about taking Joel along with him. Even so, as Hannibal had said, Joel was more a man than lad and so the Welshman had sought his son's opinion on joining them. He wasn't really surprised that Joel had been eager, almost proud that his uncle chose him worthy to join the other adults for this ceremony. Jaxon did however notice that upon entering the holodeck, some of this eagerness seemed to evaporate as Joel saw the large Klingon warrior standing with Hannibal. He wasn't sure if other noticed, all the same Jaxon casually maneuvered himself next to his son and gave his shoulder a fatherly squeeze. Two pairs of blue eyes caught for a moment, conveying more than words could have in twice the time. :: Ha'Rouque: Today is a new beginning. We travel a road in celebration of the union of a member of our house. It will be difficult, and will test your courage in ways you have not imagined. We share its difficulties together, and we celebrate in song. Each of you will find something unique on your journey, but once finished, it is an experience which you will keep with you the rest of your lives. Prepare yourselves for the journey...:: :: Hannibal looked at the ones he had chosen to make the journey with him, and they all looked back at him...:: Parker: Thank you all for coming. I know this will not be easy, which means much to me. I am in your debt... ::Rhul shook his head; whether or not this was easy or difficult, it was for Hannibal and he was prepared to go to whatever lengths were necessary to see them through to the end of the ceremony.:: Tallis: Not at all, Hannibal. No debt necessary. ::Diego wasn't entirely sure he shared the Bajoran ambassador's gung-ho approach, but he was certainly prepared to endure the road to kal' Hyah for a friend. Not only that, but his competitive side was telling him that failing to make the cut just wasn't an option.:: Herrera: ::Looking at Tallis:: Hey, you can write it off if you want, Ambassador, but I intend to collect a bottle or two of blood wine once this is all said and done. :: Jaxon looked to his son and still seeing the faint signs of tension only a parent could read, chose to answer for both of them. :: Mc Ghee: I think I can speak for us both :: indicating to Joel :: by saying it is an honor to walk this path with you. :: Joel looked to his adoptive uncle and nodded in silent consent. :: Vess: Of course Ah'd be here. :: The cave was hot, humid as they began their descent deeper into the cave. HaRouque and Hannibal began to sing as they travelled to their first challenge...:: :: Ha'Rouque and Hannibal sang the song twice, and as they started for the third time, everyone was getting into the act. Following the two giant men into the cave, Jaxon and Joel quickly picked up the words and joined in. Having Welsh roots meant both had an appreciation for songs for the occasion; many Welshmen could still sang the ancient national anthem from 1856. :: :: They came to their second challenge..their first, deprivation, they were currently undergoing. Most of them had had no food or water in at least a day...with the second challenge facing them, they stopped in what appeared to be an open area, essentially a room with bare rock walls. Ha' Rouque gathered them all in a circle, and spoke to them...:: Ha'Rouque: This is a trial of blood. We shed blood to defeat our enemies, and we shed blood to bind ourselves together in brotherhood. Who shall be first to shed their blood to bind themselves to the other? :: Hannibal was first to step forward:: Parker:: In a loud, proud voice:: I shall be first to bind ourselves together.... :: Drawing his dak' tar, Ha'Rouque took Hannibals' outstretched hand, and made a cut, just deep enough for the blood to flow over the knife..:: Ha'Rouque: Our blood flows together to become one, united against our enemies. :: Looking at the rest of the contingent:: Who shall be next to join us? :: Rhul was next. He stepped forward proudly and offered his hand to Ha'Rouque.:: Tallis: I shall be second! ::He wasn't entirely sure if that was the appropriate response or wasn't. Jaxon stepped up right alongside him, ready to be next in line. He didn't flinch when the knife cut him; he had endured pain worse than that.:: ::Jaxon watched the ambassador let his palm be ritually cut before also offering his own hand to the large Klingon Warrior. The stabbing bite of the blades passing through his flesh brought memories of past knife-fights, but strangely enough not of the night on Duronis; S'Caan had always been the better fighter of the two Mc Ghee's.:: ::Joel felt the uneasiness in him rise the very moment he saw Hannibal willingly hold out his hand for the Klingon to cut into. Then another man did the same and so did his dad and none showed signs of hesitance. When the huge Klingon man came to Joel, the teenager looked up at the warrior and he knew ritual, friendship and family presence still couldn't wipe away his anger and slight fear at standing unarmed opposite an armed Klingon.:: Jaxon watched his son and his hesitance, resisting the urge to place a hand on his shoulder, certain the display of support wouldn't be appreciated. Joel held out a hand, its slight trembling vanishing as the Klingon grasped it tightly. Jaxon noted that Ha'Rouque performed the ritual more swiftly than with him or the others and suspected the Klingon was responding to Joel's reluctance. :: ::Each of them took their turns in the bloodletting, with Joel being initially resistant... his near- death experience with the Klingons not too long ago was clearly bothering him... one of the reasons Hannibal wanted him to come was to lose his fear..and to accept that not all Klingons were intent on killing him... Hannnibals' hand stung from where the knife cut him, but that was part of the trial...:: ::Alucard's hand stung slightly, and he glanced down at the slight cut across his palm. There was almost no blood. Already it was starting to close up, as the advanced platelets afforded to him by his genetically engineered heritage rapidly fought the intrusion into his body.:: Vess: ::Glancing around.:: oO What will these crazy Klingons come up with next?Oo ::Diego had ended up being last in the queue, more by virtue of physical position than by specific choice. The Klingons' propensity for swapping blood through used knives didn't strike him as particularly hygienic, but he was confident his immune system would be able to handle it. He held out his palm to take part in the ritual, feeling the bite of the knife and the sensation of his blood running down the edge of his palm.:: :: As each trial was undertaken, Hannibal was more than resolved to finish it. Having been through it once before was still not enough preparation for a second trial...it was the same, yet different. Each trial he and his shipmates undertook let him know above all else, he had friends who were more than able to stand the rigors, and even Joel bore up well to the multitude of discomforts being thrown at team. He was proud of them all..they were sweaty, dirty, and exhausted..but their eyes spoke their true spirit...they would not be broken. and they were persevere. Once they reached the end of their journey, Ha'Rouque saluted them all...:: Ha'Rouque: Congratulations! We have arrived at kal'Hyah! You have all done well. Now...we prepare to eat, drink, and enjoy the evenings' entertainment:: Looking at Hannibal:: I hope you have the strength left to enjoy the delights I have brought to you.... :: Without missing a beat, Hannibal spoke up.....:: Parker: A little bloodwine and I will be just fine! Bring on the evenings' entertainment... I might even be better able to enjoy... and sustain... :: Hannibals' Starfleet shipmates gave him a dubious look:: Herrera: Maybe some water, first? We're all pretty dehydrated and even if you do tick the box of colossus on your medical forms, blood wine in your current state is quite likely to knock you out, rather than spur you on. ::Diego didn't want to be a killjoy; the idea of Hannibal passing out part way through his bachelor party was something he was sure wouldn't be particularly palatable to the big man.:: Tallis: I have to say that I'm with Captain Herrera on this one. It's my job to make sure you stay in one piece for the wedding, right? ::Rhul still wasn't entirely sure what he made of Diego Herrera. He seemed awfully laid back and casual to be worthy of wearing four pips, but in this case he couldn't deny that he had a point.:: Vess: Ah'll make that a third. Drink some water. Parker: It will be fun....and also, another test.... Jaxon: Another test? Joel: I hope it will not be as hard as these were.... :: As they all left the holosuite, they knew it would soon be converted into the banquet hall for the “other†bachelor party..:: Parker: We be back here in an hour, gentlemen...prepare to enjoy yourselves! ::Rhul nodded. An hour would be enough time for him to prepare for the evening and check in with Toni. Diego, meanwhile, figured that an hour would be just enough time to rehydrate and check up on the work he had been doing before he started out on the path to kal' Hyah. He wished he could give Hannibal's wedding celebrations his full attention but had been glad he could take part so far.:: Parker: Don't drink too much water! We will have much more to consume!!!! JP by: Fleet Captain Diego HerreraUSS VigilantAmbassador Tallis Rhul Duronis II Embassy Ensign Jaxon Mc GheeEngineer, USS Thunder-A/ Duronis II Embassy Joel Mc GheeTeenager Commander Alcuard VessFirst Officer, USS Thunder-A/ Duronis II EmbassyMajor Hannibal Tiberious Parker 2nd Officer/ Marine Commander/ Chief Of Strategic Operations USS Thunder-A/Duronis II Embassy Ha'Rouque Adjutant to Chancellor Martok Imperial Klingon Empire

((Folds' Quarters, Starbase 118 Habitat Ring)) ::He had only seen his new home on a map of the station's layout, and a generic picture of an empty, apartment-style quarters he had pulled up, quickly, in one of his few free moments between receiving his assignment and checking in. When the doors opened, they revealed a stark, empty, grey room -- not entirely unlike what any other small, one-person apartment might look like in between residents.:: ::Folds stepped inside and poked his head around. His duffel bag and trunk had already been delivered here, and sat next to a small table in the middle of the living area. Turning to his right, he found a doorway and a small bedroom. He slung the duffel over his shoulder, took three steps, and dropped it at the foot of the bed. The mattress was even a little softer than he had expected (or that he was used to from the Academy). But the pillows... He felt one, then lined the two provided up and punched them lightly. He would need to find better pillows.:: Folds: ::with a sigh that turns into a yawn:: Home sweet home... ::He sat on the bed and, keeping both feet on the floor, leaned back and closed his eyes. He didn't want to take a nap, or go to sleep, not just yet. He only wanted a moment or two of rest...:: ::The medical rounds had been fairly uneventful; MacLaren had been right that many of the patients would probably be ready to be discharged in the morning. Still... he should review what had happened before coming in. And Captain Dubeau's files, if he had access to them. Would he have access to the records of patients he wasn't assigned to? This must have been covered in the Academy, but he was too tired right now to remember.:: Folds: ::eyes still closed:: In the morning, Folds. You can take a little time off, get acclimated. :: 'You can take a little time off.' He remembered his sister telling him that, many years before. It wasn't long after she had left the Academy -- so he couldn't have been more than twelve.:: ((Flashback -- Folds Household, Savannah, Georgia -- 2374)) ::Anscom was sitting in his bedroom -- it had been his since Fiona had moved out to go to the Academy and Cyril had been allowed to take over her old room -- poring over work at his desk, the only piece of furniture other than a twin bed and a dresser. Fiona, eight years older than he, had come in to check on him. And offer to take him on a walk, to get ice cream, a soda, anything.:: Folds (age 12): ::excitedly and hurriedly:: Well, you see, I've got to finish my homework, and then finish these extra assignments Mum and Dad have me doing, and then Mum wants me to help review some of the data that she's brought in -- it'll be really exciting, she's finally letting me help her! -- and *then* once I'm done with all that, I get some time to myself to read, or maybe to get ahead on tomorrow's work. Mum and Dad say it's best to stay a day or two ahead of your teachers, if you can. Fiona: ::smiling lightly:: You know, Ani, you can take a little time off sometimes. Folds: Don't call me that. Fiona: Sorry. ::She left him to his work then, lowering a hand to rumple his hair in apology for the nickname before leaving.:: ::Later that evening, the entire family was together around the dinner table for the first time in over a year: Anscom, Fiona, the middle sibling, Cyril, and their parents, Rolan and Stella. In the background, however, voices from the news station Fiona had left on were filtering into their table talk. Dominion forces on Betazed ... Planetary defenses failing ... Casualty reports ... Ships missing or destroyed ... Federation and Starfleet insist on the security of Earth and Sector 001...:: Rolan: Will you turn that off? Fiona: No. They ought to know what's going on. And I *need* to know. You should want to, also. ::Some earlier tension Anscom hadn't noticed boiled over the moment Fiona turned to their father and addressed him directly.:: Rolan: You care so much but you can't bother not to flunk out in near-record time! Fiona: Record time isn't three semesters. It's the guys who pee their pants when the upperclassmen come around to "welcome" with Academy "traditions." ::pauses, looking at her food and then at both of her parents:: And it's not for lack of trying. I tried. You'd know that if you listened to anything other than your own failed aspirations. Stella: Fiona! Rolan: You'll not talk like that at this table. Fiona: I just believe in letting Cyr and Ani ::she winked at Anscom here, he thought:: know the truth: I just wasn't good enough. Like you just weren't good enough. And there's nothing shameful in that. It's not like I was doing anything worthwhile, sitting around in a classroom by the Bay with a stack of textbooks and simulations while Betazed's in flames and the NOOSE -- KEEPS -- TIGHTENING! ::Her face had turned, quite suddenly, red as her voice rose and she banged the table with a fist to punctuate each of the last three words. The rest of the table was silent and looked at her; she had risen halfway out of her seat and no one knew whether she was going to return to it or leave it. Even Fiona, taking a deep breath and pushing hair out of her face, seemed surprised to find she was no longer sitting down.:: Fiona: I'm going to actually go do something now. ::looking at her father:: And if actually cared about making a difference, like you say in all your speeches, you'd get up and go do something, too. Rolan: ::gruffly:: If they didn't want my help twenty-five years ago they wouldn't want me now. ::But Fiona was already on her way out of the dining room. As she passed by Anscom's chair, she reached over and pinched his back. He flinched, instinctively, then turned to look after her, but she was almost gone. They didn't hear from her for almost six months -- had no idea where she was or what she had done. A message came in one day letting them know that she was serving aboard a freighter, that they were in between runs and far enough from combat zones that she was allowed to send subspace messages home again.::

((Woodland Outside of New Seattle, Walking Distance, Planet Izar)) :: The two of them had walked for what seemed to be a short while towards the woodland. After the events that had unfolded earlier in the day, there was a sort of time-dilation taking place in his mind. There was no shortage of adventure that had gone down, but throughout it all, there seemed to be this lingering train of thought on his mind, one that could possibly change the way he participated in Starfleet. it was one thing that was important to him on many levels, and he could think of no better person to go over this with than the one he loved. But for now, he was enjoying the walk. :: :: They had made their way up to a marked trail that was clearly meant for tourists as they journeyed up to the cliffside to scope out the views of Izar. Before they could step onto the paved pathway, he stopped for a moment and took Jal’s hand. :: Lanius: Care to take the road less travelled? Laxyn: ::looking around she knitted her brows.:: I only see one road. ::raising her eyes to Vik she looked at him quizzically.:: What do you mean? Lanius: An old earth expression I suppose. Read it in a book somewhere. :: Chuckling. :: Just wondered if you’d like to stray from this path a bit... Explore. We’ve got time. Laxyn: ::Time sounded nice. Especially after that time in the hotel where at times it seemed as if they would not have much of it left.:: Sounds good, I’ll follow you anywhere. Lanius: I thought you might :: touching his forehead to hers for a moment. :: ::She closed her eyes for just a short moment as their foreheads touched and squeezed his hand slightly before straightening up again, starting to follow him to the side of the pathway, with no hurry.:: Laxyn: How do you know about this place? Lanius: I read about it just before coming down for dinner. There was a flyer on the wall in our suite. It was talking about the beautiful Argon pleasures of Izar’s night sky. Figured we’d have a look. Laxyn: ::smiling:: I cannot remember that flyer.. might have to do with the distracting company I had in there. :: They took their first steps off the pathway through some initially thick brush. He had a decent sense of direction, and could get from point A to point B without the help of a tricorder or PADD. It was something that he learned as a boy, growing up in woodland and farmed areas. Getting lost was often the best way to find yourself in the right spot. :: :: They made it past the brambles and tough sawgrass in the area, finally coming into an area of tall oaks, or what he could equate to oaks, with high tree tops and few branches. He immediately thought of some of the great halls in ancient Rome; pillars of marble and obsidian running in lines; rows upon rows of greatness. There was something magnificent about the woods. Something that made him feel at home once more, and he loved it. It was things like these that he enjoyed showing Jalana the most. :: :: Her green eyes slowly wandered over the surroundings, knowing that his hand would lead her, make sure that she would not fall. The way the nightlight played in the crowns of these majestic trees was quite magical to her. Here and there the wind bent the twigs, making room for a distant star to peek through the gap onto the couple, watching them for just a moment, before the leaves decided that they had seen enough.:: :: It felt so different than the city. Even though the trees stood close it felt more spacey as if they had all the room they ever wanted to have. As she stretched out her free hand her fingertips brushed the rough bark of the tree next to her. Something jumped around in the crowns but it was too dark to see what it was. But that just added to the mystery of the forest.:: Laxyn: ::whispering:: This is beautiful. Lanius: If there’s one place, on any planet, in any system for me... its the woodlands. Laxyn: ::keeping her eyes gen the sky, trying to see anything up there in those trees.:: Don’t you feel just small with those giants around? They must be so old.. do you think that the settlers brought them here or have they seen the time before? :: It was a brilliant question, one that made him want to ask the trees themselves. Oh what sights they must’ve seen, how many countless sunrises and retirements they’d laid eyes on. One thing was for certain was that this forest was old. He could feel it; smell it. He knew that there was more history here than the city of New Seattle, and he suddenly wished that he’d more time to stay and explore. Then again, he would need a lifetime to learn its secrets. :: Lanius: I have a feeling that these wonders have seen countless wanderers. Many people who’ve probably asked the same thing. These just may have been here before either of us knew what trees were. :: There was a cracking sound behind them somewhere and Jalana winced, swirling around. That movement also wrapped her in Viktor’s arm as she scanned the space behind them. Her heart rate jumped up and chills ran over her back. Followed by a wave of relief, as a small animal came out of the bush, looked at them for a short moment and ran away into the other direction. Jal raised his hand to kiss it gently. She really did not want to feel jumpy like that, it seemed that despite her attempts to ignore it the whole thing was still a bit in her bones. :: Laxyn: :: muttering:: Just an animal.. Lanius: Seems the toils of others bent on revenge is lingering with you? Laxyn: No... yes... I .. ::sighing she looked up to him.:: I have not ever before looked into a rifle for wanting to do my work... or in general really. :: It was times like this that he had his black ops background to thank. In terms of the lady and gentleman in the Vittian, all he could really do was sit back, enjoy his drink, and watch as they carried out their deeds. He thought it child’s play compared to the sights and horrors he’d seen. If there was ever a time he thought to change careers, it would be to that of a writer, and the first thrilling novel he’d publish would’ve been titled, “Trials, Tribulations... and Massacre of an Innocent Mind.” Of course, he had always grappled with the fact that he himself volunteered for the at-the-time experimental mental conditioning program... but he never expected the horrors that he was exposed to then... no one could really. :: Lanius: Revenge is often one of the hardest things to reconcile with. There were a few individuals in that room that would stop at nothing to slaughter a few innocent Starfleet officer and Federation citizens. It’s their nature. The only thing they didn’t have in their corner was complete and utter revenge. :: Jalana looked at him, listened to his words and let them distract her from what was on her mind. She was not sure why it pulled her thoughts away but she did not care, everything was better than thinking about how close she’d been. :: Laxyn: What do you think went wrong for them? Lanius: It was Bratunk’s own heart that was his undoing. His empathy that lead to the failure of his mission. Laxyn: ::Thinking about that she continued to walk slowly next to him:: Really? Lanius: Their actions affect everyone. Your empathic heart threatened them greatly. Think about that for a moment. Your greatest weapon... :: chuckling :: A big heart. Laxyn: ::grinning:: Well looks like I have a really big weapon then. Let’s hope that whoever comes in our way next does as well. :: She pushed the returning pictures away, she wanted to enjoy the time with him now, though they were really nasty little buggers nudging at the back of her head every now and then, demanding attention she did not want to give them.:: :: They continued to walk for a moment longer, and he took notice of the surroundings once again. He could just feel the anxiety from Jalana, and for a moment, he thought that the woods themselves didn’t seem to help any. It could, at times, be your darkest fear, or your lightest embrace. :: Lanius: You know... I grew up in places like this. It was often times my only friend, and sometimes my greatest enemy. There’s a balance out here... one that you can’t find anywhere else. At times, there is a quiet so vast:: raising his voice a bit, cancelling out most of the noise as the bugs seemed to take the que :: that even pin drops quiver in anticipation; and then again, :: lowering his voice to almost a whisper softly into her ear, as the bugs began their song and dance once more :: a chorus of life that could bring down empires. ::Moving forward once more :: Lanius: All beings have struggles... but in the end a balance is struck. And I think this place is the best example, the greatest anecdote I could ever share to illustrate that. It’s trials that make us who were are. Much like this walk. Taking the path of uncertainty, running into critters you’ve not seen before, but trusting enough that things will turn out ok... that builds you up. :: She thought about that, wondering how things would be if she would not think that things turned out to be okay. She would not take risks, she would not fight for things, she would not be able to do her work or even basic living because what was it worth doing it all for when things did not have a chance to turn out well? Then she could give up right away. But this way they grew thought experiences, but why could that growing stuff not happen right away? :: Laxyn: I think you are right. ::smiling slightly up to him:: It might just take a bit for my mind to really understand and get through this. Lanius: One of the greatest minds I’ve ever known. Don’t ever doubt that about yourself... not for a second. :: He knew that their walk was coming to an end, as he saw a break in the treeline up ahead. The twilight hours were beginning to dwindle now, and he knew that the sun would be rising soon. he could smell salty water now, and knew that the coast would share its vastness with them soon enough. A few more paces... :: Lanius: There! :: He made a break for the gap in the trees, where the nicely paved trail made its re-entry to the woodline. The cliffs were vast, sprawling even. They seemed to take up most of the coastline. And to think he almost left the planet without even seeing them. :: Laxyn: ::gasping slightly, as she spots the scenery in front of her.:: Oh my. I had no idea that there are places like this here. :: He stood there with her in his arms, looking out onto the horizon. It was still plainly dark out there, but the stars were amazing, each one brighter than the next. The water crashed gently against the cliff side, spraying a salty smell and light breeze up their way. Her hair was waving across his shoulder as she lay her head against him. He could start to see it happening. The purple and gold brilliance was beginning, even before the sun made an appearance. :: :: Strands of white pearls at the horizon rolled on the surface of the uneven mirror before slowly sinking through tiny cracks beneath the surface, as if finding new places to hide for divers seeking treasures. It was almost as if they wanted to find their way down to the ground, before the guest of honour would arrive, though knowing that they would not be fast enough and had to greet her if they were in the mood or not.:: :: Despite their race, the peace covering the scene like a blanket was all too apparent. Just for a few heartbeats time stood still, nothing would be able to disturb this quietude. Gentle breaths of the couple mingling with the gentle salty breeze floating over them from the waterside, twirling around their bodies, before taking refuge in the forest behind. :: :: Then a first subtle change, the celestial canopy shifted from dark purple to violet shades, interrupted, though not violently, a bright orange aura peeked over the edge of the world as they saw it this very moment. Gradients of pantones arranged in circular manner slowly showed more of themselves. As the first beams broke free from their restrains finding their way over the rippling surface of the ocean, gradually turning the dark blue into a sea of light.:: Lanius: And with all things... in darkness... comes the greatest light you’ve ever seen... :: holding her tight now :: :: Right on time, the sun began to poke up over the horizon, still a vibrant hue of bronze, not quite bright yet. It was unlike anything he’d seen before. Here in the hall of the wilderness, with his greatest love, he was seeing the dawn of something new. If there was any time more perfect than now... he’d not seen it. He began to slowly reach into his pocket now, reaching for something he’d held onto for the longest time. It was something near and dear to him, that he’d had since he was young. He could feel the smooth metal patterns on the outside, and even the engraving on the inside. He held it tight for a moment, thinking once more about what he was about to say. :: Lanius: :: Standing beside her, he turned to meet her eyes, looking down slightly. His hand caressed her cheek gently, as he eyed her, looking for signs of intuition. :: What would you say if I said to you that sometimes when you feel what you feel, and you know what you know, and you know that something is just... right... would you agree? :: She watched the stunning display of natural beauty in front of them before she felt his hand taking hers and she turned her head to look up at him, at his lips as she listened to his words. For a moment she had a hard time following them, but her mind started to sift through them, sorting them and repeat them a bit slower. Just then she nodded slowly.:: Laxyn: Of course, why do you ask? Lanius: Well we’ve learned that life is vast and unpredictable... much like this coastline. It’s sprawling with possibility, and can be lifeless, or full of adventure. The skies here are a gleaming metaphor for the web we spin. Vibrant and brilliant, ever-changing :: now looking out to the sky once more as the sun crept a bit higher :: You see, the thing is, we’ll see this today, and then by tonight, we’ll be gone. Just like that. Whisked away to some other place. :: Her gaze followed his, the bright sphere of warmth and life had started to engulf the world with its might that would last until the moon would demand its time. His words were kind of sad, how fast things went by, how they changed from one to the other moment. The Trill turned her head again to look up to him, her mind in wonder what he was trying to say. :: Lanius: Things change in an instant. And we can lose track of some of the smallest things. Some of the most beautiful things. I don’t want that. I want this sunrise... these woods... I want you and I. For as long as we can. :: He had in that time, pulled his hand from his pocket, placing a small ring in the palm of her hand. It was his mother’s claddagh ring; her wedding ring. He watched her carefully as she opened her hand, now realizing that there was something in it. He was excited, but serious in his next set of words. :: Lanius: Jalana, this is something my mother wore. She wore it because it reminded her of some of the best times in her life. She received it from her mother before her, and never left it alone. It was her sunrise... And I want it to be yours... ours... If you could be my sunrise for the rest of my time here... That would make me the most humble person in quite possibly the universe... :: The moment his arm moved it pulled her attention away from his face and she looked down upon his hand that slowly opened. In the beginning light of the day she saw a short glimpse of the reflection of light on metal. Though the next moment she realized that he held a ring on his palm and her heart skipped a beat. He wouldn't... would he? She did not move, not an inch and just when her lungs screamed for air she realized that she had held her breath and gasped.:: :: Her green eyes raised in wonder, wide open and looked at him. His words singing the most beautiful melodies in her ears with a direct connection to her heart. This was unlike anything she had ever expected to find here on Izar, here after this day, that was washed away even if only for a moment by his speech.:: Laxyn: ::Fighting with her ability to speak she looked at him for a long time, finally pushing the sound of a word over her lips.:: I... ::She gulped and then laughed slightly, with no idea where it came from. Which also went for what she heard herself say.:: With our time here... I hope you do not mean until the shore leave ends. Lanius. :: For just a second, his stomach sank even lower than where it normally resided. He was a bit confused at her response, but suddenly realized she was at a loss. :: No! No not at all :: laughing a bit :: Laxyn: ::Raising her hand to her lips, it finally sank in what it meant, what happened here. She had known but now her whole body finally caught up and her voice was merely a whisper, her head nodding in support just to make clear what she was saying.:: Yes... I - I would love that. Lanius: You would?! :: he could do nothing more than to place both hands on her head and pull her in for a kiss, closely thereafter hugging her, picking her up off the ground.Holding her there for a moment, not hurting of course :: Then this is ours, from here on. Our sunrise... :: As he picked her up she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her head dropping forward to be next to his, her laughter bubbling through her lips. She couldn't believe that this really happened, but now she could not imagine anything better filling the moment. She still remembered the first time she had seen him, the way he had peaked her interest in a field of music, without him even knowing it. It was breathtaking how far they had come, how deep she had felt for him in a short time. And now they had done this new step, a huge step.:: :: He had taken one of the biggest steps in his life with Jalana, and she was apparently ready to take that step with him. He thought back for a moment to what he had told her earlier. People had a way of just knowing when something good came along, and he knew that that something, or rather someone, was Jalana, since the day his eyes met the beautiful greens of hers. This was absolutely right in every way, and with a few close calls in recent times, he knew this was something he had to act on before it was too late. Quatal brought that into perspective for him. :: Laxyn: ::Still without ground beneath her feet she held his shoulders and looked down to him, for the first time she seemed to be a bit taller than him, that it was only because he held her up didn’t matter.:: Will it change anything? Lanius: Well if you mean in terms of the Apollo... I don’t think it’ll change a thing... It shouldn’t. Laxyn: I do hope that Jaxx won't object, I'm not sure about any regulations... Lanius: That doesn’t matter to me. All that matters right here, right now, and from this point forward, is you and I. :: he slid the ring over her left ring finger, and without really having a way to know ahead of time, he was glad it seemed to fit fine. The silver ring was brilliant before, but he thought it even more brilliant now on her finger.:: :: Watching him slip the ring on her finger, the light sparkling on it as she moved her hand slightly, was a moment she would never forget. It was perfect, anything she could have ever wished for. The words he had spoken before came back into her mind, this ring had history. Quite a bit actually. It had been passed on through generations and now it made her part of the story. :: Laxyn: ::choking at the words:: It is beautiful. Lanius: It’s yours now, :: resting his forehead once again to hers :: And I want it to bring you the same luck it brought my mother. I want it to be perfect for you. Laxyn: ::Laughing slightly, she placed her hand on his cheek, gazing up into his beautiful eyes:: Yes. ::She whispered:: Everything is perfect. :: Perfect was something that simply didn’t do the situation any justice. For once, in the weird and wonderful imbalance of the world, the two of them seemed to blossom into their own field of existence, and in it, their two worlds combined to make one. And with the sun in its place, the Agron auroras slowly subsiding leaving a wake of pearl like particles to float along with the wind, it seemed almost a snow had fallen on the two of them. With the trees in their places, they’d once again seen a couple of wanderers making their way through their dense underbrush, brambles and endless limbs. They had walked through to find their own coastline, their own sunrise... Their own balance. ::

Voting closes Sunday, October 14th, 2012 at 23:59 PM. This round of voting only qualifies one sim to move on to the next round of judging. REMEMBER: This is NOT a popularity contest. Vote based on MERIT, not the fact that someone is your crewmate. Any crews found “stuffing the ballots” or ratings, will be disqualified PERMANENTLY. Yes, that means the whole crew!

((Security Office-Deck Thirteen-USS Mercury)) ::Alexander, Jade and Prianna are in the security office when Lt. Bale walked in behind them and announced that he had a plan to deal with the people that were behind the poisoning of Velana and the possible attempt on Councilor Prianna.:: Bale: I have a plan in motion to neutralize the threat to Councilor Prianna. I'll let you know when it's finished. For now I would recommend keeping her here, and putting a few guards at the door. ::Alexander watched as Bale was about to leave. He felt the urge himself, for revenge, his friend was hurt. Then he thought to himself would Jade condone such and action ? If it were her lying there he would not even say a word, there would be no stopping him, as an officer Alexander had to say something.:: A.Matthews: Lt. Bale, now is not the time for personal vendettas. ::Alexander watched as Bale turned towards him with the coldness that he has felt when he is ready to do battle. He knew in his mind and soul what Bale was ready to do. He reached inside himself and found that he would be willing to do the same if Jade were lying in sickbay.:: Bale: With all due respect, Commander, I'm not taking orders on this one. ::Alexander watched him leave, knowing that if he was in the same position he would do the same.:: ((OOC: Music for the mood of Alexander. ))((Holodeck One-Deck Four-USS Mercury)) ::Alexander kissed Jade on the on the cheek, nodded to Prianna and left the security office knowing that his duty was completed there and there was no need for him to be there. Since he was going down on the planet with the marines as the first part of the deployment, he thought it best to get in some practice in a combat situation. The last time he was in holodeck combat was with Eyas and his friend Eerie from the Avandar the night before his wedding, he smiled at the ending of the combat session. This time the simulation was to keep his skills sharpened and get him ready for battle. He walked into the black and yellow room with only one thing on his mind, combat tactics.:: ::He walked over to the computer console on the bulkhead on the left of the door, there he started to program the planet where his military career began, Camis IV. He felt anxious and nervous about going back there, even if it is a hologram, it still held memories for him. He tapped the console for the landscape and sky of the planet where he lost his friends and command as a marine officer. He looked back as the room changed to the sand dunes, with patches of grass with a warm breeze blowing from the east. The sky above was the familiar red with clouds of gray above. Off in the distance with the small gusts of wind that came towards him, he could smell smoke and burnt flesh from the outpost. His mind drifted back as he closed his eyes to remind himself that this is the holodeck and not the real thing. In his mind he heard the voices of his lost friends. The screams and sounds of battle could be heard from where he stood. He opened his eyes checked his belt for his equipment, taking the type three phaser rifle from his shoulder and walked towards the east and the dangers that faced him.:: ((Federation Outpost-Camis IV)) ::Alexander crouched down to the prone position on the sand dune on the outskirts of the town and watched as the smoke filled the air and the fire engulfed the buildings. He remembered the orders and commands he gave that day during the battle and the search for the survivors. He crawled down to the next sand dune and waited, there were sounds of a Nausicann raider patrol. He felt himself become overwhelmed by the feelings of rage and anger, he closed his eyes to shutdown the emotions, this was not the time to be clouded with anger and the old feelings of hate that swelled within him not so long ago. This was a time to use his skills of stealth and surprise to his advantage. The raiders were larger and stronger than he, but with the art of combat tactics that he was taught, he could overcome the odds, if he kept his wits about him. He waited as the last of the the raiders walked past, he left the rifle in the sand and silently pulled his dagger from its sheath. Crouching down as he approached the raider from behind, with swift motions he jumped on the back of the raider that lagged behind the others, covering the mouth of the raider he stabbed him in the back and then in the neck killing the raider instantly. The raider fell to the sand with silence, the Alexander dragged the body behind the dune. He knew that the others would soon know that one of them is missing, Alexander looked over and grabbed his rifle and tightened the sling so there would be no sound as he moved from place to place.:: ::He climbed on to the sand dune as he heard the voices of the other raiders noticed one of them was missing. He watched and waited for the to appear from around the dune as he looked through the site of the rifle, he moved the setting from stun to kill. Here in this place and time there would be no prisoners, this was combat and there was no emotion, no feeling, just to complete the objective and win. He aimed the weapon at the first raider that came into sight, the clear headshot was there, but the wind kicked up and sand went into his eyes for only a second, but that was enough for him to miss the shot. He cleared the sand from his eyes and heard the footsteps coming towards him, but from behind. Alexander rolled on to his back and fired the rifle into the chest of the raider with a full nadion burst. The raider vaporized in front of him.:: ::Alexander knew that his position was compromised and it was not safe to stay here, he looked and scrambled to his feet looking to the left and right for a new place to attack. Moving from dune to dune as the raiders fired upon him. He remembered the intense feelings of anger, rage and fear during the battle, he was younger and on his first command assignment. He continued to run duck and hide from the raiders firing the rifle as he moved. He killed two but there were three more hunting him. He looked and thought to himself that there would be more cover in the ruins of the outpost. Ducking from the weapons fire of the raiders he swiftly made his way towards the burning and smoldering buildings for cover.:: ::Alexander made his way in to the outpost and hide among the building ruins where there was a fire to masks his thermal signature, to give him a chance to rest and think for at least a few seconds. He thought about the day of the battle again, running his actions around in his head, thinking that was there something that he could done differently to change the outcome of that day, but then his thoughts were interrupted by the voices and sounds of the raiders coming towards his position. Crouching down to take advantage of the cover he found he made sure that he could not be found so easily. He watched as one of them passed by just close enough for him to make the silent blitz attack with the dagger, but as he placed the rifle down to move there was a sound behind him, he tried to move but it was to late and one of the raiders grabbed him, and lifted him off his feet. Alexander struggled as he was thrown across the room. He fell upon the floor and debris feeling a sharp pain in his back as the raider drew closer towards him.:: ::Alexander pushed himself up to his feet as the raider tried to grab him again, but this time there was a blade in the hand of the raider, Alexander pulled the dagger from the sheath into his hand he watched the movement of the enemy, scanning the body language for the attack. They both circled and made gestures of movement towards each other, but then the raider made the move, Alexander sidestepped as the raider slammed into the wall and fell back on to the a metal post that impaled him. Alexander walked over to cover the mouth of the enemy and snapped the neck to silence it quickly. Still feeling the pain in his back Alexander reached behind him to find a shard of metal there. He closed his eyes to focus and pulled it out swiftly. He grunted as the pain eventually faded, but there were still two raiders left and he needed to find them first.:: ::Alexander took off his tunic and placed his comm badge on his belt, then tied the tunic around his wound. There was a trickle of his blood flowing, but it was a steady flow and he had to end this simulation fast. He bent down to pick up the rifle, scanned the outside of the building in search of the raiders. He looked around the area with caution as he stepped out to make a dash for the next building, but there was the discharge of a weapon the just missed him as he hid behind the wall again. The shot came so fast the he did not see the direction. He cursed himself for not being able to see if faster. He stood up slowly to take a look around the area again, then he saw a flash from the building on his left flank. He pulled the rifle up to his shoulder,taking aim in the direction of the flash.:: ::He could only guess where the the raiders were hiding, the best way is to fire with a full burst into the wall and try to draw them into the open. He closed his eyes and thought about one weapons evaluation that he conducted on the Aurora, his own. He was able to overcome the last enemy, by overloading his rifle and using it as a type of grenade. This time he thought of something different. He aimed carefully at the wall supports the held what was left of the building. He waited for the flash again to confirm that there was a raider still inside. His eyes widened as the flash appeared, he fired with the full nadion bursts as the walls and roof came tumbling down above the one raider the was in the building. Just then the other screamed as he looked up from behind the other building firing his weapon at Alexander, then he looked and opened fire and vaporized him.:: ::Alexander stood up breathing heavily after the rush of conflict started to leave his body, he walked out placed his rifle on his shoulder and walked towards the the exit, he still wondered how he was wounded, and the blood still flowed from his back. He called for the computer to end the simulation and checked the safeties to find that the level of the simulation was higher then usual. He felt a bit more relived, but then moved on out of the holodeck to sickbay and get his wound checked. He looked back as he felt a bit better about his engagement on the planet of Camis IV and the outcome, but still the healing is an on going process.:: TBC -- Lt.Cmdr. Alexander J. Matthews Chief Of Operations USS Mercury NCC-99812

((USS Tiger-A - Bridge)) Delores: lloann iumnahna? I believe I heard that word before... ::Tracey turned towards the Tactical officer who had just spoken. There was a pause before the Vulcan Science Officer spoke also in Romulan.:: T'Mihn: ::Looking over at Tracy, ::In a very surprised tone. :: rhanne ssuaj khla, riov. ( I understand you commander) Idh iumnahna. (- (they are Very desparate.) Delores: Captain, maybe we should contact some other ships in the Federation, because it seems that we are in a desperate situation. ::Tracey nodded. She agreed with the idea of the tactical officer. Further information would be key.:: <Responses> ::After a long moment Sidney looked up from where she sat thinking. Her bright green eyes were fixated on the viewscreen.:: Riley: Agreed Lieutenant Delores. I will be... ::The look of surprise on those she was facing forced Tracey to revert her attention forward. Looking up at the main viewscreen, the Klingon vessel had disappeared, to be replaced by just a star field.:: Wilde: Cloak and Run? ::scoffing:: Not very Klingon! Riley: We're going to need to track it... Clack: That might be hard to do... Wilde: I'm sure we can extrapolate their heading? Riley: I have a feeling I know where they are going... Townson: ::turning back towards the Captain with a quizical look. Tracey knew that the Captain was not telepathic.:: Where to, Captain? Anyone: <Response> Riley: Well, there is only one Romulan Colony in the Ithassa Region...::She looked over at Townson and then Clack...after a very long pause.::....Bilire IV..... Clack: Bilire.... ::he paused:: Somehow I knew we would be going back there. Clark: That makes sense. ::Tracey slowly turned back in her seat as her thoughts once again went to the past. But this time more recent events, and events in this universe. The idea of returning to Bilire was not one Tracey was looking forward to as she let out a sigh of memories incurred from that mission.:: ((Bilire IV - Year ago)) ::Tracey ran. She ran as fast as she could. With each footfall to the muddy ground, Tracey counted the seconds. She knew she would not make it to the conference on time, and being late was never Tracey's way. But Tracey had a second chance, to right a wrong she did years earlier. Even if it meant a poor mark on her service record, Tracey was not about to do once again what she did years earlier.:: ((Time-Warp - City of Solius - Romulus - Otherverse - Years Ago)) Tal'Aura: Beautiful evening, isn't it? ::Tracey had just finished work at the office and she was sitting at an outdoor terrasse at a Romulan version of a cafe. All day, Tracey had seen the sunlight beat in through her office window, and she knew that after her day of work, she wanted to relax. The Romulan Cafe was just on the ground level of the offices she worked at. Tracey was sitting, enjoying the setting sun of this alien planet as the Romulan soldiers patrolled the streets. This was a bustling, military city, where 90 percent of the soldiers were Romulan. The other 10 percent was made up of a mix of different alien species, with her being one of them. Humans who were assigned to Romulus were dispersed all over the planet. Since her arrival, Tracey only counted a handful of humans assigned to the city of Solius. And only about three times that amount who were members of starfleet.:: ::Looking up from her PADD, Tracey squinted through the setting sun over the man's back. Placing her hand over her brow to protect her eyes, Tracey looked up and smiled.:: Townson: Why yes it is. ::gesturing towards a seat opposite from her:: Would you care to join me, Commander? Tal'Aura: Why thank you Cadet. ::pulling out the chair and sitting down:: ::Tal'Aura ordered a drink and when it arrived, he took a sip.:: Tal'Aura: Still working I see. ::gesturing towards Tracey's PADD:: Townson: Just studying, Commander. ::Tracey watched as the well-built Romulan sitting across from her took another sip. Tracey found him to be quite handsome, and if her situation would have been different, if Tracey was not with Jaxx, Tracey would have probably tried her luck. But She also knew it was completely inappropriate to think the way she did. But her loneliness of being away from her Betazoid boyfriend for so long, and the lack of any relationships in her environment, Tracey found herself to be flirting with her superior officer. To Tracey, it was as if there was an internal battle between her brain and her body. And up until today, her brain had won out. But all that was about to change.:: Tal'Aura: Very good, Cadet. I am very proud of your progress thus far. Townson: Thank you, Commander. Tal'Aura: Please, Cadet. In there, ::referring to the office building they both worked in:: my name is Commander Tal'Aura. Out here, my name is Hvaid. ::smiling:: Townson: ::placing her PADD on the table in front of her and looking at the Romulan with a mischievous smile:: Thats very unprofessional of you, Commander. Tal'Aura: ::feigning a broken heart by holding his hands to his chest:: My, my. Are you going to report me, Cadet? Townson: ::smiling:: Only to say that you are one of the best teachers I've ever had. And only if you stop calling me Cadet. Tal'Aura: ::taking one last sip then putting his empty glass on the small round table.:: Then we have an agreement. We call each other by our first names. ::Tal'Aura looked around the landscape of the city before returning his gaze on Tracey.:: Tal'Aura: Have you had the chance to tour this city, yet, Tracey? Townson: ::nodding:: I took the primary tour upon arrival and I have walked around the center core near my place. Why do you ask? Tal'Aura: Well I know this city very well. My grandmother used to live here. I used to visit quite often as a child. I know places here the tour guides would never show you. Townson: Is that so, Hvaid. Tal'Aura: Would you like me to show you? Townson: ::smiling:: Yes. Since I've come to Romulus I find it all to be quite enchanting. I would very much like to see the rest of the city. ::And with that, the two stood up and left the little table at the cafe and walked. The two walked for hours throughout the evening, as soldiers wound past them at every turn. They went into various shops and tried different local treats. Tracey practiced her Romulan with each shop they'd enter and look around in. The two laughed and spoke the whole evening through, despite the ever present backdrop of the familiar war-zone they both lived in. Several hours later, the two found themselves on top of a mountain on the edge of the city, looking down at the city lights, while sitting on a bench.:: Townson: Thats it! ::pointing to building in the distance:: Tal'Aura: No, no! Thats it! ::pointing to another building close to the one Tracey was pointing to:: I'll bet you dinner thats it. Townson: No...Look at the markings on the roof. Thats our office building. Tal'Aura: Oh...yeah. I guess you are right. ::smiling and looking at Tracey.:: It looks like I owe you dinner. Townson: ::looking up at Tal'Aura and smiling:: Yes you do. ::On the bench next to theirs, a young Romulan couple were embrasing one another.:: Tal'Aura: Young love. Townson: ::looking towards the shadowed couple then back to the city lights:: Yes. Tal'Aura: How is Jaxx? Townson: ::without averting her eyes from the lights below:: Far away. Tal'Aura: You miss him. ::Tracey just nodded.:: Townson: I hate this war. Tal'Aura: Don't we all. It makes us all very lonely, and we could all die tomorrow. Townson: ::turning to look at Tal'Aura:: Is there someone special in your life, Hvaid? Tal'Aura: ::shaking his head and looking down to the ground:: I have placed all my efforts into the military. I had no time for much else. I had to work hard to earn the rank of Commander at such a young age. Plus with the war...::trailing off:: Townson: I know. ::The couple at the opposite bench stood up and walked away hand in hand as Tracey and Tal'Aura watched them leave. Tal'Aura turned to look at Tracey and their eyes locked for a minute. Tal'Aura gently took Tracey's hands in hers and Tracey didn't pull back. She knew what would happen next, and for the first time in years, Tracey allowed her body to overrun what was going on in her head. Tracey took a deep breath, and the two embraced.:: ((Later)) ::A light misty rain was coming down over the city of Solius, as Tracey an Tal'Aura were walking down a laneway, hand in hand, leading to Tracey's temporary home. When they arrived, the two stopped.:: Townson: Thank you...for a wonderful evening Hvaid. Tal'Aura: And thank you too, Tracey. ::pause:: Back to work tomorrow. Townson: Yes. Back to work tomorrow. ::The two kissed one last time, and then Tal'Aura started walking away. Tracey watched as the man became a shadow under the lights and then a message came through her PADD that drew her attention. Tracey quickly scanned the message which said she was being recalled from Romulus in the morning. Tracey looked up at the retreating Tal'Aura in the distance and opened her mouth to shout something. But before she did, she closed it and watched the man disappear into the night of this alien city. Tracey never saw Commander Tal'Aura again.:: ((Bilire VI - Present)) ::Tal'Aura had been reading and the more he read, the more he was fascinated by this Starfleet Officer. The tales of battles and near death experiences were quite extraordinary. This one was not afraid of confrontation. Tal'Aura would look up from his reading once in awhile, hearing the moans of agony coming from the hospital, and he cringed each time and look towards the drawer wher the cure to the disease lay. And he would fight himself to not just take the hyposyringe and walk over to the hospital himself and cure all those suffering. But he knew Arrhae would kill him. Literally. He was under the watchful eye of the Tal'Shiar continuously. He was the chosen one to infiltrate Starfleet and introduce the "wrath". But so far, it was the Romulans who were dying. And Tal'Aura was torn man.:: ::Tal'Aura was interrupted by a knock on the door. He quickly hid his reading material and went to the door fully expecting Arrhae to be on the other side. But to his surprise, it was not.:: ::Huffing and puffing, Tracey found the door to her former superior officer's abode. She quietly chided herself for being so out of shape, despite the fact that running through mud was quite physically demanding. Tracey quickly caught her breath and knocked on the door.:: ::The door opened and Tal'Aura stood and looked down to the petite human standing in front of him. She was dirty and muddy and appeared to be catching her breath.:: Townson: Hvaid. I've been ordered back to the ship. ::Tal'Aura just nodded.:: Townson: I didn't want to just leave again without telling you. Tal'Aura: Well thank you. ::Tal'Aura was curious as to why the human used his first name.:: Townson: I never told anyone. I...I tried to forget. It would have been impossible. Tal'Aura: ::with no clue what the human female was talking about, but nodding nevertheless:: I know. Townson: Then you are not angry? Tal'Aura: If I was, I would have told you last night. Townson: ::smiling:: Thank you, Commander. Tal'Aura: Return to your duties, Commander. Dismissed. Townson: Aye Commander. ::Just as Tracey was about to leave the doorway, she became very weak and her world began to fade. Tracey then passed out as blood trickled out of her mouth. But she was once again caught by the Romulan and kept from falling. Tal'Aura then brought her inside and lay her down on his small couch, and placed a small saucer under her mouth to collect the blood. He then stood and looked over her unconscious body and recalled all the adversity this human had gone through in her short life. Despite her tiny frame, there was an obvious strength to the human that he admired. Besides, from the short conversation at the doorway, there appeared to be more going on than what was written in the Medical logs. Tal'Aura was just a minor Centurion in this universe and he was finally given the chance to be someone by helping in this mission. He grabbed it at the time, just to get out of the doldrums of life. But from the readings of the human lying in front of him, Tal'Aura knew he could be more, without having to kill. Without having to watch people suffer. Without thinking, Tal'Aura went to the drawer where the hypospray with the antidote rested, opened it, removed it and headed to the couch where Tracey lay. He pushed asside her long, black hair and pressed the hypospray to her neck. The audible hiss sound emerged and Tal'Aura returned the device to the drawer and then washed the blood from the human's mouth and waited till she came back to consciousness.:: ::Tracey sat up and looked up at Tal'Aura.:: Townson: I...what happened, Hvaid? Tal'Aura: ::smiling:: I believe you may be overworked, Tracey. You should get some rest as soon as you get the chance. Townson: That's never happened to me before.::sitting up:: How long was I out for? Tal'Aura: There's always a first time. You were only out for about five minutes. I gave you some smelling salts to revive you. So are you going to follow my order or not? Townson: Hvaid? Tal'Aura: Your dismissed. ::smiling:: ::Tracey stood, came to attention in front of the Romulan for a moment, then turned and headed to the door. But just before leaving, Tracey turned back to face the Romulan.:: Townson: Thank you once again, Commander. I will be back. Tal'Aura: I am looking forward to it, Commander. Townson: This colony is lucky to have someone like you here. They could learn alot from you. You have always been the best teacher.::smiling:: Tal'Aura: oO As have you, Lieutenant Commander Tracey Townson, and that is why I could not let you die. Oo You are wearing out your stay, Commander. ::smiling:: Townson: ::tappinhg her com-badge with her prosthetic hand:: Townson to Independence. One to beam up. ::Tracey took one last look at Tal'Aura then took a deep breath, closed her eyes and waited for the transporter beam to envelop her.:: ::Tal'Aura stood in the doorway looking at the spot where Tracey was standing seconds earlier, with a smile, then a look of shock overcame his face as he felt the blade enter his back. Then nothingness.:: ((Present - USS Tiger-A - Bridge)) ::But that decision to return to say goodbye to the man Tracey was led to believe was the same as that from her universe of origin, turned out to be a ruse. A plant. But for what purposes, Tracey would never know. One thing was certain, however. Going back to say goodbye that day certainly came with a cost. For she was late to a conference. And that tardiness, to Tracey's surprise, led to her demotion a few days later.:: ((Lt. Commander Karynn Brice's Office - USS Independence-A - year ago)) ::The Haliian First Officer was expecting her at any moment. She had asked the human Chief of Operations to come to her office to discuss an unresolved issue: the woman’s tardiness to Karynn’s meeting. Karynn had been able to give the whole situation some thought since their discussion after the briefing and had come to a few decisions.:: ::Tracey hobbled to the door of the First Officer’s office. She had no idea what to expect from the Halian, but she figured that it had something to do with her tardiness to the conference.:: ::Tracey figured she would probably just get a slap on the wrist. She figured that conferences in this universe were free for alls in any case, what with the drinking and the smoking, that what could be so bad about showing up a few minutes late?:: ::So Tracey walked up to the First Officer’s door and pressed the chime.:: ::Karynn looked up.:: K. Brice: Come. ::The doors opened to reveal a medium sized room, and Tracey stepped in. It was decorated in a spartan fashion, and Tracey was curious as to why. The Haliian seemed to Tracey to be a lot more of the type who might collect objects as treasures. Emotional keepsakes, if you will. She was after all a former Counselor. And how many people actually had the opportunity to visit the worlds that the First Officer of a Starship could? But asking questions along this line was not the reason Tracey was here. She knew why she was here, but decided to ask in any case. She wanted to be sure of her gut feelings.:: Townson: ::standing at the doorway and at attention once the doors opened:: You asked to see me, Commander? ::The Haliian rose, her bright green eyes studying the human woman in front of her. She nodded slowly, indicating a chair across the desk from her own.:: K. Brice: Yes. Please come in, Lieutenant Commander Townson. Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? ::Tracey shook her head and gave a slight smile, as she entered the room.:: Townson: No thank you, Commander. But thank you. ::She approached the chair offered and winced a little as she sat. She maintained her posture while in the seat and looked across the desk at the First Officer.:: Townson: How may I...be of assistance? ::The Haliian sat after the other woman did, settling back in her seat. She clasped her hands in front of her and smiled ever so slightly.:: K. Brice: I wanted to discuss what happened at and after the meeting. ::Tracey held back a smile. She knew this moment would come, and she had the feeling it would be now. What Tracey was curious about, was what her punishment would be. Tracey knew that if it was her on the other side of that desk, she would not have treated herself anywhere nearly as polite as the Halian was doing this moment. It would have been over and done with in a matter of seconds, and not precious minutes that could be used for better purposes.:: Townson: I understand Commander. And I am prepared to deal with the consequences of my actions. ::The green-eyed first officer nodded slowly.:: K. Brice: Good. ::pausing:: As you know, I found your actions to be disrespectful of both the crew and the chain of command, particularly for the reasons given. A personal matter, simply stated as that, is no reason to ignore a commanding officer’s orders. Townson: I fully understand, Commander. And if I were in your position, I too would be...disappointed. I don’t expect to be treated differently than any other crew member who would do such a thing as I did. Not only did I disrespect you and my fellow crew members, I showed a poor example to the junior officers. K. Brice: ::Nodding:: Only a few hours later, our counselor was traipsing about the ship blatantly ignoring my orders. I can’t help but feel the incident was related. Townson: ::Looking down in front of her at the top of the desk for a second, then looking back up at the First Officer:: I’m aware of the situation. However, if I had to do it again, I probably would. The benefit to myself, and to my well-being...I had to right a wrong, Commander. Something I did in my youth. I never thought I’d have this opportunity again, especially with my coming to this...peaceful universe. I...I don’t expect you to understand. ::The Haliian tightened her lips slightly, in thought. She’d had a few wrongs she would have liked to right in her life... but that didn’t change the severity of the situation. And the fact that the woman would do it all over again. That itself was serious. She took a deep breath in.:: K. Brice: On one level I can understand, but I can’t allow this action to go unpunished. I’m disappointed that you would repeat it given another opportunity. ::she cleared her throat:: As such, I’ll be placing an official reprimand in your file. ::Tracey stared at the woman in front of her and showed no emotion. A Vulcan would have been proud.:: Townson: I fully understand Commander. It was a matter of poor timing. I was in a no win situation and I chose to salvage one that was of personal benefit to me. It was selfish of me, and I fully understand your responsibility. I chose to place my personal feelings above those of my crew and responsibility, something I was drilled for years to never do. But my heart pulled me away from that, and for a fleeting moment, I figured if I could just steal myself away from everything, and do what I knew in my heart was the right thing to do, then perhaps the universe, at least mine, would be just a little more comfortable to live in, despite the price I knew I’d pay. ::The Haliian almost felt sad about what she was going to do next. But she didn’t really feel as though she had much choice in the matter either. In all logic she did - it was her choice. But it was a necessary action she had to take. The effects had been too serious.:: K. Brice: I’m not without sympathy. I can understand your motivations. But there’s more. Because others followed your example, and you’ve expressed the intention to do it again if given the opportunity... I hereby demote you to the rank of Lieutenant. ::she paused, letting out a sad sigh before rising and holding out her hand.:: Please hand me your half pip. ::Tracey’s mouth opened a little and she showed a little surprise. But she quickly closed it and returned to her previous form. Tracey had no idea that this would happen. It was one thing having a mark on her permanent record, but it was quite another losing a rank. For goodness sake, she thought, she was only fifteen minutes late. Would she be drummed out of Starfleet if she was on hour or an hour and a half late? Whatever it was, Tracey considered this to be overkill, but she was not in charge and she reached for her pip with her prosthetic hand, felt for the one at the top of her collar and removed it as it fell into her palm. She then, for a fleeting moment, considered crushing it in her palm, but chose otherwise, letting it fall onto the desk in front of her.:: Townson: ::looking at the pip in front of her, then back up at the Halian First Officer with a slight smile on her face:: I knew this day would come. I’m not cut out for command in this universe. I never was, and probably never will be. If I had to do what you just did, I would have just asked for the pip to begin with. No questions asked. Or send a notice to said officer of his or her demotion and to remove a stripe. I am actually happy in a way. Thank you Commander. ::Tracey was lying through her teeth, but she did not want the First Officer to know how she truly felt. Tracey figured she didn’t deserve that knowledge.:: Townson: ::standing:: If that is all, Commander ::coming to attention:: K. Brice: ::hesitating:: Lieutenant... I believe that you have much potential for command, even in this universe. I have no doubt that you will return from this setback soon, and more prepared for command. Townson: Perhaps, Commander. ::Tracey couldn’t help but see a genuine look of, was it regret? on the Commander’s face. It appeared that she too was learning the ropes of the hardships of Command. The decisions that had to be taken no matter ones personal feelings. Decisions for the greater good. Tracey was beginning to understand this Halian better and she was beginning to see that her role was hard for her as well. In a different way, mind you. But difficult nonetheless.:: Townson: Permission to speak freely, Commander. K. Brice: Permission granted, Lieutenant. Townson: ::relaxing her posture just a bit:: As a former Counselor, I am hoping you would understand that I find it very difficult in this place. Doctor Huff once told me that I may never really come to terms with where I am, but I must live in it. For my own sanity and for my own peace of mind. I just wanted to tell you the same, Commander. I am sure that you have not had many people counsel you in your career. I just wanted to let you know that I admire and respect you. I may not agree with you at all times however. ::smiling:: ::The Haliian rose, standing in a relaxed position. Her stern, slightly sad expression relaxed, a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.:: K. Brice: Thank you. ::pause:: I think its rare for any officer to always agree with everything their superior officers do. Townson: ::standing back at full attention, despite the sudden bout of pain from her recent surgery:: I wouldn’t know. I’ve not been here long enough. But I plan to learn, Commander. I plan to endeavor to be the best I could be. Starfleet keeps me alive and sane. My work allows me to forget all I lost. And this extra time may be whats best for me. At least, I hope so. ::pause:: Permission to be dismissed, Commander. K. Brice: ::nodding:: Permission granted, Lieutenant. ::smiling slightly:: Heal soon... ::Tracey nodded and with that, turned and left the room. Once she exited the room and watched the doors close behind her she noticed the crew looking at her as they walked by. She reached, with her good hand to her collar and felt her two remaining pips. She forced a stern, military look onto her face as she took off quickly back to her quarters where she knew she would cry for hours. But there was no way she’d allow anyone to notice her weakness. She was a soldier and an officer. She wouldn’t allow her emotions to affect anyone else again. She lived and would die for Starfleet, and it was her emotions that caused her to almost lose it all. She’d never allow that to happen again.:: ((USS Tiger-A - Bridge - Present)) Townson: Never again. ::mumbling the words as the Captain stood.:: Riley: Mister Clark, set course for Bilire IV, Warp 5. Clark: Ummmmmm............. The warp core is offline, Captain. It was shutdown by the engineering crew. Riley: Commander Clack, I need an estimated repair time from engineering and a casualty report from sickbay. Clack: Very well. ::Sidney then addressed the entire bridge.:: Riley: I will be in my ready room reviewing files and finding out more information. ::She looked back at her FO.:: Commander Clack, you have the bridge, oh and....there will be a field promotion ceremony in the conference room in an hour. Clark: Understood, sir! ::The bridge fell quiet for a little while as the crew busied themselves. Commander Wilde's voice broke the silence.:: Wilde: There's one thing I don't get. ::He said to no one in particular.:: Townson: What would that be, Commander? <Responses> Wilde: Why not simply invade when Romulus was lost? The Romulans were never in a weaker position than then, yet the Klingons did nothing. The Federation gave them aid, helped them resettle some people. Now, once the Romulan Government is stronger and they are picking up the pieces, the Klingons attack. Townson: ::shaking her head:: Red tape? Anyone: <Response> Wilde: Well the trouble with Klingons is their stubborn belief in honour. ::He turned to Clack.:: Wilde: No offense. Clack: <Response> Wilde: Even they don't succeed in conquering the Romulan Empire, many great songs will be sung of the fallen warriors who tried. In that respect, who cares who wins and who loses? Townson: No one, Commander, wins in war. ::turning back towards her console and work as she recalled her encounter with the reaper in sickbay days before her demotion.:: In war, Commander, even angels lose their souls. ((Sickbay - USS Independence-A - year ago)) Townson: Do it Lieutenant! Shoot! That's an order! ::At that moment, an Ensign in gold uniform entered the Sick Bay who also drew his phaser and aimed it in the direction of the threatening Reaper.:: Shryker: With me, after three, fire at the one with the yellow eyes, full stun! Reaper W’tine: No, don’t do it *Lieutenant*. Do as I tell you! Kill him! ::pointing at the real W’tine.:: Real W’tine: Don’t listen to him Shryker, stun him now. ::Tracey looked up quickly towards the second W'tine, then back to the one with the glowing, yellow eyes. There was no doubt which W'tine was real and which was not, and Tracey was curious how those in sickbay could have missed it.:: Finnegan : On your word, sir. Shryker: Three! ::They fired full stun at the creature, now looking less and less Star Fleet and more and more the stuff of nightmares. It fell to the ground.:: ::Tracey watched the creature slump and looked more like she remembered it from the bridge. Tracey turned towards Shryker and pointed behind her towards where the creature was.:: Townson: I want it confined. I don't care where. I just want it out of my sight and somewhere where it could cause no damage. Shryker: Don’t worry Sir, I’ve got it covered. Finnegan: I think his “brother” is in a cage in the cargo bay. I'm sure they could throw together a second one. ::Tracey spun on her bare feet and began to head back to the room from where she came, while she ignored what the creature had to say. Tracey was happy that a creature as strong as it was, apparently had the level of intelligence of a flea.:: Reaper W’tine: You foolish girl. Couldn’t you see, he is the REAL danger to this ship, not me! Z'Leah: ::Weakly.:: No! ::Tracey continued walking while snickering. But her smile quickly faded when she heard a sound of something dropping to the floor. Tracey spun quickly and watched in horror, for a second, as the creature grabbed Lieutenant Shryker by the leg, as her phaser was lying precariously close to the creature.:: Reaper: YYEEEESSS!! You are MINE!!! Shryker: No, I _ am _NOT YOURS! Get away _ from me. ::break:: Some help here? ::Tracey took off towards the creature in a run as she noticed others doing the same in her now sharpened peripheral vision, due to her sudden rush of adrenaline.:: Real W’tine: Jade, I’m coming! ::Eyas tried to move to help her but he just stumbled forward down onto all fours.:: ::Tracey could feel her newly knitted bones and flesh coming undone at the seams as she dove and quickly snatched up the weapon off the floor with her good hand and grabbed onto the extremity of the creature which was gripping Shryker by the leg, with her prosthetic hand.:: Reaper: Muwahahaha!!! ::Tracey increased the phaser level to the highest kill setting as she lay there with reopened suture wounds, and blood stains on the floor and on her hospital gown. Tracey then placed the phaser at the creature's head as she gripped the creature so hard, she could hear the crunching of bones and a brownish fluid began seeping out from between her prosthetic hand's fingers.:: ::With anger in her voice and staring at the Reaper closely at its yellow eyes with her own tiger-like yellow eyes, and with an evil smile on her face.:: Townson: You make a poor changeling. You have no idea who you're dealing with. ::as she strengthened her grip:: Reaper: I may make a poor changeling, but you my dear would make an excellent Reaper. You are wasted here amongst these rodents. We would be good together! Townson: I don't care. Let go of the female, and I may let you live. Without your magic toys, you're nothing. Reaper W'tine: And what would you be without your robot hand and gun, eh? I could kill you all if I wished. But if you kill me, your pythron officer's soul will die too. Townson: Your threats are meaningless now. The Starfleet Officer, Lieutenant W'tine, would make such a sacrifice if it meant saving his ship and crew, and he would understand if I killed you now. But I am giving you a choice. ::as blood started flowing down the side of her mouth as she maintained her wicked smile:: You let go of the female and return whatever you have the belongs to Lieutenant W'tine, and I let you live to see another day, or I turn your whole body into goo like I'm doing to your limb. You have ten seconds to decide. ::spitting out blood:: ((USS Tiger-A - Bridge - Present)) ::Recalling that painful day with vivid clarity, Tracey recalled her feelings at the moment that Reaper died on the sickbay floor. Tracey felt sadness. But not due to its death, but because she could no longer torture it. That feeling on that day haunted Tracey to this day, whether that feeling was placed into her consciousness by the reaper, or by her own internal demons, was something Tracey will probably never know. But something that scared Tracey nevertheless.:: Wilde/Anyone: RESPONSE -TBC- Lt. Commander Tracey Townson Chief of Operations USS Tiger-A

((Sickbay early morning)) ::Dr. MacLaren had been surprised and relieved when Commander Walker had come to her for help. She had suspected that he was still haunted by the Shadow experience but had not anticipated that it was quite this bad. His recall of emotion was crippled and he'd admitted to having hallucinations of a taunting Shadow. He was experiencing it even as they spoke. She had suggested that there could be actual brain damage or that he might be having a defensive reaction to painful memories themselves. He had accepted those possibilities with an openness that spoke of his desire to be well although she felt that he'd seemed more frightened of the last.:: Walker: How would you prove out either hypothesis doctor? MacLaren: Eh can do a neural scan for actual tissue damage to eliminate the second possibility. We'll be able to see if there is damage to your brain. If there is none, then we are faced with a fear response to memories themselves which ye may have repressed. Eh can help you with that. If the memories are simply deeply buried, we could likely find them together. Walker: Seems reasonable, how quickly could we arrange it? MacLaren: Eh can do the neural scan right now. It would only take a view moments. Eh have a tri-corder here. Walker: And the results? If it turns out to not be a physical element? MacLaren: If it is negative, and you agreed, Eh could help you find the memories ye fear. :: Walker gave a small involuntary shudder as she said that. His nearly hidden reaction was also an indicator to her that his fear of the memories was the more likely answer. She had seen the kind of dreadful memories that had been twisted like a cruel torture by the Shadow attacking Dr. Deron. What had the commander's Shadow dredged up?:: Walker: And how would you do that? MacLaren: Eh'm a telepath, Commander. Eh dinna enter people's minds without their permission, but with it, Eh can find something you may have suppressed simply because Eh dinna have the same fear of them that a patient might. Walker: There is, logically, a third potential that we should consider. Shadow Walker: Beyond the obvious that you are simply a loony? Walker: Or perhaps four potentials. One is, regrettably that I am actually losing it. However, since that was something brought to me by the shadow... I don't believe it to be true. MacLaren:nodding:: Aye, Eh tend to agree with you. Yet, you are giving some credence to what this hallucination is telling you. ::She did not want to call it the Shadow since giving it that name would reinforce its reality in his mind.:: Walker: The concern for me Doctor, what if it is a remnant. A piece of the Shadow creatures that we drove off, somehow locked into my mind. Shadow Walker: Ooo good one Benny. Hey, if you are right.. I might make a new friend! I bet the doc would love to share your problems! Well not literally, I bet she's got a ton of her own. And with a telepath... hey I could spread everywhere! Yeah.. let's DO this thing! MacLaren: Try not to listen to whatever the hallucination is saying. Think of it as either a manifestation of either tissue damage or as a projected fear. Dinna give it authority in your mind. :: Not realizing that he'd reacted visibly, he nodded soberly. :: Walker: Doctor, in fairness, under that hypothesis that it was a remnant, your exploration of my mind could spread the infection. But first, let's see if there is any physical damage. MacLaren::shaking her head more to shake away the irrational fear his words had produced than to correct him.:: Nae, that willna happen. Let's do the scan and then Eh will tell you our options. :: She found her next words the very same she had said so often during the Shadow crisis.:: They will be our options, ye are nae alone in this now. Together we'll find the answer. ::She set the tricorder for a neural brain scan, then she carefully and slowly used it to circle Walker's head. She suspected that the Shadow hallucination was speaking to him and warning him off. She had gently placed her hand on his shoulder as she completed the scan finding his muscles as taut as a bow string.:: MacLaren: There is some small scar tissue, but it is not in a place that would cause hallucinations. It could cause some memory impairment, but Eh dinna think such significant impairment as ye are experiencing. It can be removed surgically if necessary. Hallucinations result from damage in other parts of the brain, ye see. Walker: So the mental attack formed physical issues. That's unexpected, but the hallucinations wouldn't be part of that..and so aren't physical. So what is our next step then? Other than the surgery? MacLaren: Eh dinna ken if ye knew this, but Eh trained for many years on Vulcan. Eh learned the mind meld technique. Telepaths of various species can do so. In that, both our minds would be equally open to each other. Since ye fear that the Shadow could spread this affect on your mind, Eh suggest this. First, Eh can enter your mind in a regular Betazoid way which would allow me to see into your thoughts and memories. If Eh find the memories or the cause of their blockage, Eh would break off the contact. Then Eh could tell you what Eh'd found. That would tell ye what was there and what ye may fear. It wouldna be the same as really having them and the blockage would remain. Then if ye wish to face the fear, Eh could then use the mind meld technique. Since the memories would be in my mind, Eh'd be returning them to you. Walker: So, you'd be scanning my memories, downloading a copy hopefully without the virus, then reloading my mind from a saved file? That seems as reasonable as any other path forward I suppose. Though I'm honeslty more concerned with the Shadow "infecting" you with the same virus. Shadow Walker: And you should be... as soon as she get's in... she's going to be in for more than she bargained for I'll tell ya. ::MacLaren knew that if Walker's memories were still there and not destroyed by the Shadows, they would be terrifying; she would experience them not as sharply as he did, but it would not be easy for her. She was a doctor and her duty was not to her own comfort but to help her patient. It had taken a good deal for this officer to come to her; she could not let him down.:: MacLaren: Just relax as much as ye can. Ye are nae going to feel anything We'll just be sitting here together. You can close your eyes if it is easier. :: Even the idea of being relaxed, open, vulnerable, tightened his chest. This wasn't what he did. He fought. He was the person that watched out for others, not that needed to be watched over. Only the concern that doing nothing would make things worse forced him to stay. So instead, he grappled with his own urges, trying to bring down the barriers he'd always put up. To allow the Doctor unharmed through the battlefield of his mind. :: Walker: Alright, but... be careful. I've been trained to resist... so not sure how that's going to affect things. ::MacLaren gave him a reassuring smile and then lowered opened herself to his mind. The room faded and darkened into a barren plain that looked as if it had sustained a brutal bombing. What appeared to be the smoldering remains of piles of rags were corpses from which she stepped back in horror. A gleeful laugh made her spin around to see a undulating dark from. A vicious smile like a smirking Cheshire Cat split the darkness of its face. She wanted to run, to escape, but she recognized it as a defensive feature of Walker's mind. She turned from the figure and continued to try to find his memories in this minefield of his mental barriers. The terrain suddenly shifted and she found herself climbing a steep precipice until it shook and hurtled her down. An increasing sense of dread dragged at her like heavy shackles. Shadowy figures flew around her squawking like ravening vultures. Oo They are not real; they canna hurt me; they are not real, ignore them Oo:: ::The shrieking of the vultures increased until she dropped to her knees and put her hands over her ears. She batted it away and it dove at her until raising her fist, she struck it and it flew away revealing a door. Entering, she was in the sickbay and the shadow assumed the shape of a vulture feeding on the the body of Commander Walker. She walked to it carefully and saw it feeding. The Trauma Ward faded and the walls seemed like the giant screens of old Earth's cinemas showing scenes from the commander's life. Some were scenes of his childhood, his youth and what appeared to be his courtship with his wife, the birth of his child, the terrors of battles fought.:: ::They played out like a movie reel in his mind, but instead of full images, the pictures were blurred, lacking color. In some cases, they flickered and jumped as if frames of the film had been cut and spliced back together.:: :: The vulture looked up at her as she gazed at the man's life. Shifting to a more human looking body, still somewhat covered in shadow, he gestured to the images before them. :: Shadow Walker: Welcome to the mind of Ben Walker. Not much to see, but hey, you get what you pay for... am I right? :: As he spoke the last, he slurped up a bit of entrails that had been in the vulture's mouth. :: MacLaren: Ye are a defense mechanism, nothing more. :: The darkened figure wagged his finger at the woman as if she was a naughty child. :: Shadow Walker: Ah ah ah... no insulting the help. After all, I'm just a poor fragment of this man's consciousness. Similar to the little girl behind you. :: He pointed to an obviously distraught young girl, who strongly resembled the doctor. :: ::The child startled Johanna, less because it was there, but more because it would be unlike Walker to be cruel to another person. Realizing that, she knew that it was a defense mechanism, but it would not hurt her. It was mostly bravado.: Shadow Walker: You said it yourself Doc, you open yourself to understand Benny, and it's a two way street. Besides, :: his outfit changed to the blue of a Starfleet medical officer, and his demeanor became that of a mocking doctor:: I'm only here to help. ::MacLaren realized how deeply afraid Walker must be of facing his emotions to have such strongly imbedded defenses. Still, she felt from their first meeting that he was a good man who cared for other people despite a cool facade. She would not be put off by this “shadow.:: MacLaren: Good then. We're both here for the same reason. Eh'm not scared of you. :: The voice came out far weaker than he wanted, laced with the pain of the wound, but gained strength as he spoke:: Walker: Get... away... from her. Shadow Walker: Hey Benny, you look pretty bad. Maybe you should lie back down... MacLaren: Nae, Commander, dinna lie down, fight him. He'll hurt me if ye don't. Eh need you to help me. ::She had not entered through a mind meld. There was little that Walker knew beyond what was in her service record files. She had long come to terms with that. She had been fighting her own willingness to withdraw since reporting to this base. Now, experiencing Walker's memories, seeing images of his troubled childhood, she understood why he was so guarded, why he would flee from the pain of emotions. Having his mind, his most intimate mental privacy violated by the shadows was a brutal assault, he'd not want to face. He was a private man whose most tender emotions had been used as feeding material by creatures who cared nothing for the pain they caused. The humiliation of that would be a searing wound in itself.:: :: The shadow creature laughed harshly. :: Shadow Walker: Why would I do that doc? You are no more a threat to me, than you are a help to Benny. Ya know why? Because you don't understand! :: Tired beyond the ability to explain, and in agony over the wounds inflicted to him by the shadow, he still forced himself onto his elbows. His words came out between exhales of pain:: Walker: I won't... let him... Just... just go. :: Exhausted from even that effort, he slid from his elbows back onto his back. Before his head could hit the hard metal, the Shadow creature tripped, putting his hand between as a cushion, even as it then pulled it free. :: MacLaren looked at the memories, some torn and ragged, others intact. There was a lot of pain here, a lot of humiliation in his childhood. Oo So like my time on Vulcan. We were both treated like freaks. His records must read a bit like mine: Excellent student, but emotionally guarded, does not socialize well with others, may have difficulty forming camaraderie with a crew. Eh came here determined to be different. Can he break out of this too?oO:: MacLaren: Commander, your memories are here, a few have some damage, but not many. The memory of your promotion is here and untouched. You can have the emotions back, but ye'll have to fight for them. If you think your reply, Eh'll hear you. :: The creature started laughing at her words, in inverse proportion to the seriousness of her statement. :: Shadow Walker: Wha.. wait. You... :: laugh:: you want Benny.. to.. :: At this point he doubled over the table, pulling a moan of pain from Ben:: to fight for himself?!? MacLaren: If ye dinna fight this, you will end up losing more than the emotional memories. Ye could shut down all your emotions. They'll follow like dominoes falling. It could ruin your marriage, your love for your bairn. :: The shadow looked over at her with shock on his face, his laughter stolen from him :: Shadow Walker: Wait, you are serious? :: He shook his head:: You really have no clue do you... :: Weakly Ben pushed the shadow away :: Walker: Go.. go away. Just leave... :: The shadow looked at the man, then at the doctor, then back. The humor he'd always shown robbed from his face and replaced with fury:: Shadow Walker: Really? That's your answer Benjamin? :: He turned back to the doctor before continuing:: You want him to recover his memories? Let's do that shall we? ::MacLaren was torn. The hostility and defensiveness of the Shadow was daunting, but it was Walker's defense mechanism. He was trying to protect himself, but somewhere deeper, Walker must know that he could not continue to exist as he was. He'd reached out for help, something that must have been terribly difficult. She understood that he'd done it to stay on duty, which was clearly his primary motivator. She was not a counselor, but she did know that emotions could not be shut down selectively like defective systems in a computer. Suppression of one lead to suppression of them all in a cascading affect. The lost emotions of his memory, would soon be a total loss of Walker's emotions. An automaton could not be a first officer, and she wondered if he could live at all if he became incapable of doing his duty. She weighed the danger of talking to this Shadow or simply retreating and talking to a conscious Walker. This was dangerous, but she was certain that Walker would not seek further help if they stopped now.:: MacLaren:: to the Shadow:: Eh ken how agonizing this will be, but he is experiencing a gradual pain now that will eventually destroy him. Ye are angry and see me as an enemy, but he understands that he canna go on as he is. ::Reaching into itself, the shadow pulled a glittering jewel, covered in filth::Without waiting for a response, it shoved the jewel into the man's open chest. As soon as it touched him, Ben screamed. A scream that turned quickly to uncontrolled sobbing:: MacLaren: rushed over to the prostrate Walker and knelt by him, taking his hand:: What was that? Shadow Walker: That? That was the memory he had AFTER the shadow attacked. When he realized that it wasn't the sound of his family that brought him back, but his duty to Starfleet. HE CAME BACK BECAUSE HE WAS ORDERED TO! Not love, not friends. Duty. So what does that make him when he's not on duty? :: Snarling, the creature continued, pulling another tarnished gem from it's body:: Oh this is fun, let's do more. How about this one Benjamin. Here's where you realized that you failed your crew when you left her. Where's the Ronin now Benjamin? Where's Cara? Where's the family you SWORE to protect? MacLaren: Stop it! He canna face them all at once! He is feeling guilt, but he's wrong to do so. He's seeing all these decisions in a prism of self-condemnation. He did the right things, made the right choices, the only choices he could. :: Black tears were streaming down the creatures face as it rounded on her:: Shadow Walker: Then why is he here?!? If he did right to leave then, for his wife and child. Then what right did he have to leave?!? :: On the table, Ben was curled into a fetal ball. The Shadow looked from him back to the doctor with disgust.:: Shadow Walker: Ben Walker is a fraud and a coward. He hides behind words like duty and responsibility. But at the end, he fails everyone. Just like he knew he would. But the kllhe (Romulan: worm), doesn't fail until it hurts someone else to do so. End of the day "Doc" I'm not the problem here. He is. And that's why he won't fight back. That's why he will let each domino fall. Because that's what he deserves, and at the end of the day.. he knows it. ::MacLaren stared into the eyes of the Shadow, of Ben's real image of himself seeing the contempt and self-loathing along with a bitter anger. She did something she would do with a hysterical patient; she slapped him hard, stunning him.:: MacLaren: He...You...will NOT let the dominoes fall. Ye an officer but one who is also a fine man. You have not let everyone down. Ye are feeling guilty that ye answered your captain, but not your wife. What d'ye think gave ye the strength to answer Captain Nicholotti? D'ye think it was the first time ye were told not to die. Ye were deid! Clinically deid! Ye were not almost deid; ye were gone...until your wife's voice spoke to you over and over. She didna order you, or call your name because ye were hearing letters that she hadna known would ever be used as they were. Ye were likely too weak to respond but you did respond after hours of hearing your wife. Ye answered your duty, but because ye'd drawn on something that ye find hard to believe ye are truly capable of: loving someone and being loved by them. Aye, ye did your duty; that is no crime. D'ye think your wife didna ken she was marrying a Starfleet officer? D'ye think that ye'd have been able to reply without her voice? You came back because of her no matter that ye replied to the captain. You literally came back from the deid because of your wife's voice, not the captain's. That is a club ye are using to beat yourself for no reason. MacLaren: Ye think ye were wrong to leave her behind? Would she be safer here? Now? Ye denied yourself for their safety. It is an agonizing decision, but one that men have had to make since time immemorial when they were willing to do their duty so that millions could live in peace. No man deserves so much pain for that. MacLaren: D'ye ken how many Starfleet children learn of their parent's death from some teacher, or officer who barely knows them because they're out in a combat area instead of someplace safe, surrounded by family members to ease their pain? Some officers have no choice about it; some are too selfish or too weak to do without their wives and children to duty their duty without the comfort of them, but you did make that choice, and you made the right one. <Revised> MacLaren: There is one more lie that ye are telling yourself, Commander. Ye said that ye didna come back for friends either. There is one thing the military has known for centuries: people dinna die for their country, their ideals or their just cause; they are willing to die for their buddies, their friends, and there is no greater love than that. There is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends. When you came back to duty, to face the Shadows again, ye were doing it to save your friends, because that is what duty really is! ::The slap had caught the Shadow Walker by complete surprise. The words more so. Why was she fighting for him? Benny hadn't done anything for this woman and she was putting herself at risk. Though he had to admit to himself he didn't know how much of a risk it was for a telepath.:: Shadow Walker: Why? Why are you doing this? What makes him worth the effort, the risk? ::The question was meant to come out dripping with contempt. Instead, in this place, literally in his own mind, it came out with the momentary innocence of a child. What made him worth fighting for? :: MacLaren: Because in all of eternity there never was and never will be another Ben Walker. Ye are a unique creation of God and your soul is priceless....because ye are a good and honorable man who has done your duty no matter how painful it was to you...because Eh want ye to be able to grow old with your wife and see your bairns grow up, and because Eh am a doctor and life is sacred to me. :: The words shook his world, knocking the doctor off her feet momentarily. The Shadow, unaffected, looking at her suspiciously. :: Shadow Walker: I don't believe you. :: He laughed harshly:: I CAN'T believe you. MacLaren:: gently:: And that is your problem; ye canna accept that ye are worth caring for, worth being loved, but ye are a marrit man and a father, a respected officer, so more people than I disagree with you. :: The shadow made a sweeping bow, his outfit having shifted to a medieval courtier's, the mockery in his voice matching the look in his eyes. :: Shadow Walker: Ah, but that's the point M'lady Doctor. :: He pointed to Ben on the table:: He does. Not fully, or even without suspicion that you are simply doing your job as a doctor in saying so. :: His smile showed razor teeth:: And we know what a .. ahem.. Female Dog.. duty can be. But, for now, I'll cede the battlefield to you. MacLaren: Duty is not an obscenity; it is a opportunity to be our best selves. Don't forget, we choose our duties. Eh have chosen to preserve life, you have chosen to defend peace and freedom, which is never free. It comes at a cost, but it is not something to be ashamed of. You have a right to enjoy the life you and officers like you safeguard for the rest of us. Shadow Walker: Ah ah ah... you and I both know that I can kill him. And I'm not sure that wouldn't be kinder. Besides Herr Doktor. While you are obviously certain you know who and what I am... :: He pointed to the child behind her:: Ben hasn't read your file to know what you looked like as a child. :: With that last statement, the Shadow slipped away, leaving the doctor alone with her patient:: ::MacLaren narrowed her eyes and started to shout at the Shadow wherever it was, but then realizing her error, she looked down at Walker.:: MacLaren: Nice try, Commander, but my records wouldna have pictures of me as a bairn anyway. It's not hard to figure what Eh looked like at that age. That child is a skinnier, flatter chested version of what Eh look like now. I'm not going to be scared away. We've learned a lot, but it's not going to be a quick fix. We've seen the enemy...and it is you. Still, that's an important thing to learn because being a stubborn, duty oriented son of a gun can work both ways. Giving up isna really in your nature, and it is not in mine. Oo outcasts who've made it this far, dinna give up. Oo Are ye feeling any better? Walker: It hurts. But not like I'm bleeding out as much. :: He gave a small smile:: Hopefully we are done for now? Because I would kill for a big breakfast... MacLaren: smiling despite sudden fatigue:: That's always a good sign. Eh can get you one. (Fin) Commander Ben Walker FO & Lt. jg Johanna MacLaren CMO SB118/USS Victory

((Sickbay, USS Mercury)) Del Vedova: Right, Commander, walk this way. ::Roshanara followed the doctor over to the empty area of the medical bay Velana had gestured to earlier. The engineer had been focusing on the man's strange gait, and she was caught off guard by his next statement once she had propped herself onto the biobed.:: Del Vedova: All right, Lieutenant Commander. Spill. Rahman: Excuse me, doctor? Del Vedova: I'm not going to waste your time with a lengthy work-up. My 'corder says you're fine, and if they didn't find anything major at MS253, I'm not going to find it here. ::This was certainly not what she was expecting. Most doctors she had known couldn't help themselves to their curiosity. The look of surprise must have been plainly evident as the man continued.:: Del Vedova: Breathe in. Okay, now breathe out. Great. You're fine. Now, tell me how, exactly, this happened. ::He gestured toward her left arm, still covered by the sleeve of her uniform jacket. She looked down at it herself, turning her hand slightly and extending her fingers. Two mechanical ones had replaced her fourth and fifth digits. Cosmetically, they were an exact match to her skin tone and even had such fine details as the tiny wrinkles that ran across the knuckles and the warm, blended colors of the nail beds. Yet, with their lack of scarring that covered the rest of her hand, the "perfect match" was anything but.:: Rahman: Sounds like you already know what happened. ::The man wasn't going to let her get away with that.:: Del Vedova: That it happened, yes, I know this -- but your records are mysteriously nonspecific as to why it happened. Tell me. ::Why it happened? Because working in Starfleet was a dangerous profession? Because it was insane to put hundreds of people in a tin can going faster than light and not expect something could go wrong at any moment? Because a commander's first duty is to the ship?:: ::Because she had made a choice.:: Rahman: It was an accident. What else is there to know? Del Vedova: It's the holistic approach, Lieutenant Commander: I can't do anything about your arm, of course, but in knowing what part you played in the accident that led to its trauma, I'll know more about you. If you were the daredevil who caused it, for example. ::She chuckled at the suggestion.:: Rahman: No, it wasn't anything like that... ::It had been about desperation, not recklessness.:: Del Vedova: But of course. It's yours to speak about if you wish. But should you wish to tell me, I'll be glad to hear the full story. ::She looked at him skeptically.:: Del Vedova: The highlights, then. ::She sighed as the sound of alarm klaxons came back to her.:: Rahman: We were working on some refinements to the Tempest's intermix chamber. It was supposed to be a simple test run... ((FLASHBACK: Six Years Earlier)) ::The Tempest shook violently as the engineering crew scurried about main engineering. Standing near a diagnostic monitor near the ship's massive warp core, Lieutenant JG Rahman called out to her department chief from the monitoring platform.:: Rahman: Core temperature is continuing to rise, commander! Plasma coolant pressure exceeding 240% of optimal. ::Lieutenant Commander Montanez shouted back from his console behind the window of the chief engineer's office, partially obstructed by the smoke.:: Montanez: Just keep feeding the angry [...]! ::He turned to two other engineers and barked additional orders when a call from Captain Coracin came through.:: Coracin: Mr. Montanez, we're reading up here that the core is in danger of overheating... Montanez: Aye, captain. I'm working on it... ::The captain did not sound convinced.:: Coracin: Prepare to eject the core. If you can't get a hold of the situation within the next few minutes, dump it. ::As the chief engineer tried to reassure the captain, Roshanara continued redirecting more coolant to the system. She had to manually override the computer by dropping the containment forcefield around the core. Next, she went around to the individual plasma coolant tanks and locked their injectors into a full-flow, unrestricted feed.:: ::It was a losing game; however, as each additional increase in coolant was quickly outpaced by another rise in core temperature. Eventually, all of the plasma coolant tanks were actively feeding the core, and there was still no sign of temperatures leveling off.:: ::She turned to Petty Officer Reez standing on the other side of the core.:: Rahman: We have to eject the core! It's too late! ::The Denobulan shook his head, still trying to establish a stable intermix ratio from his own console.:: Reez: We can't eject now, ma'am. With the injectors locked into place and actively feeding the core, you'd rip apart the entire coolant system. This whole area would be flooded. Rahman: There's nothing else we can do! We have to go! ::It seemed Commander Montanez had come to a similar conclusion as she heard a new alarm klaxon sound. She looked over her shoulder to see the heavy isolation door coming down. By now, Montanez was barely visible in his office as smoke filled the room. Over the noise and computer's countdown to a warp core breach, his voice piped through Roshanara's combadge.:: Montanez: =/\= Rahman, Reez, it's a lost cause. Get out of there before the whole compartment gets flooded with coolant! =/\= ::The two engineers exchanged a resigned look of understanding and headed towards the ladder to get off the warp core platform. Reez gestured for Roshanara to go first, and she quickly started climbing down. However, as the petty officer stood above waiting his turn, one of the plasma tanks cracked from the pressure, spraying a fine mist of coolant across the man's face, blinding him. He cried out in agony as he fell to the platform grating.:: Rahman: Reez! ::She climbed back up to get to his aid. The man moaned as she tore some of her left sleeve to bandage his wounds. She heard the distinct sound of the isolation door slamming shut and then Montanez's voice.:: Montanez: =/\= Lieutenant, what are you doing?! =/\= Rahman: =/\= It's Reez, sir. He's been hurt. We have to transport him to sickbay. =/\= Montanez: =/\= You know full well with the radiation levels around the core, there's no way they're going to get a transporter lock on him. =/\= ::Roshanara frowned as she continued to watch Reez groan in pain as his eyes bled. She did know. And yet, she couldn't have just left him there to die.:: Montanez: =/\= ...or you. =/\= ::She looked up and towards the commander through the window.:: Rahman: =/\= Sir? =/\= Montanez: =/\= ...I'm sorry, lieutenant. There's no more time. =/\= ::With a solemn look, she saw the chief engineer activate the core ejection sequence. Roshanara heard the sound of the explosive bolts detonating around the EPS conduits. She gasped as she realized what was about to happen: she was going to die as well.:: ::The sound of Reez wincing as he called out brought her attention back down to him. She held his hand in hers.:: Reez: I'm so sorry... you should have just left... ::He coughed, and some blood trickled down the side of his mouth.:: ...when you had the chance. ::She hushed him quickly.:: Rahman: Now's not the time for sorries. Reez: You should try to find cover. Rahman: If I wasn't going to leave you a minute ago, I'm not going to leave you now. ::She squeezed his hand to comfort him. He was right though. If only they had something to shield themselves.:: ::And then, an idea hit her. It was crazy, but at that moment, crazy seemed infinitely better than dead.:: Rahman: Come on, get up! ::She hoisted the man to his feet, with his arm around her shoulder.:: Reez: ...where are we going? Rahman: Down. ::Before the man could ask, the external hatch for the warp core opened several decks below and the warp core began its rapid descent out of the ship. The plasma coolant injectors snapped off, and the distinct hiss of coolant leaking into the air pierced their ears. Once the warp core cleared past their faces, Roshanara grabbed Reez tightly.:: Rahman: Jump! Reez: Jump? Rahman: Yes! ::She didn't wait for him to respond as she took the both of them and dived after the core. She could see the core ahead of them falling out into space. For a brief second it looked like they were going to follow it into the void, but instead, they landed hard on the forcefield over the open hatch. From the sound of crunching bones, Roshanara was sure they had both sustained their share of fractures.:: ::Rolling over, she saw the decks above filling with the sickly green cloud of plasma coolant that was now descending towards them.:: Rahman: Computer, reactivate core containment field! ::Around the two engineers, the transparent cylindrical shield reformed before the green cloud could engulf them. However, some of the plasma coolant had been trapped as well inside the forcefield and continued to expand down towards them. She raised her left arm to protect herself and rolled back over Reez, trying to cover him. As the plasma coolant reached her and began liquefying the flesh on her arm and hand, she cried out briefly in pain before blacking out.:: ((END FLASHBACK)) ::She kept the details to a minimum as the doctor took his notes. In the aftermath, both Reez and Roshanara required lengthy rehabilitation at Medical Starbase 253. The Denobulan's eyes had been destroyed, but he was eventually outfitted with ocular implants. Meanwhile, Roshanara's Kriosian physiology proved not as responsive to standard dermal regeneration treatment, leaving her with a souvenir set of scars on the left side of her face that run across her cheekbone, but it was her left arm that fared the worse.:: ::It had been so badly damaged from exposure to the plasma coolant that the medical team initially feared they would need to replace it with a prosthetic. They were ultimately able to salvage the limb and restore function through the use of myoelectric implants to supplement destroyed nerve and muscle tissue. Her fourth and fifth fingers on her left hand were amputated and replaced with mechanical substitutes.:: ::She didn't mention how Commander Montanez was later given a commendation for saving the lives of over 300 people aboard the Tempest, how he had apparently visited Reez and her every day while they were unconscious but recovering in sickbay, and how he didn't say much to her when she was finally awake.:: ::She wasn't under any gag order, but the full report had been quietly filed away in a records office somewhere. It was fortunate no one had gotten killed, or else it would have been another nightmare for Starfleet with the press after the recent incident aboard the Auckland.:: ::Still, she preferred to keep the most vivid parts to herself, and the entry of new visitors to sickbay that would bear witness to her impending physical exam caused her consternation.:: Rahman: Excuse me, doctor, I don't believe I caught your name earlier. Del Vedova: Nic del Vedova. Del, if you want. Rahman: ::nods:: Well, Andorian pilots or not, I would be more comfortable continuing the rest of this examination somewhere with a bit more privacy. Del Vedova: That won't be necessary. ::She suddenly felt betrayed for having trusted him. She should have known better than to let her guard down around someone wearing medical blue. Her voice was firm.:: Rahman: Doctor Del Vedova, I must insist- ::He quickly interjected.:: Del Vedova: Because you're done. Unless your fingers fall off, Lieutenant Commander, in which case you should come back and see me. But I'm relatively willing to bet that they won't. ::Yet again, he had managed to surprise her, and though she usually thought herself good at reading people, she was decidedly unsure of what to make of this doctor. Was he amused? Sympathetic? Bored?:: ::She looked at him warily, as if to decipher his true intentions, but then grabbed onto his hand as he helped her off the biobed. He gestured towards the door silently, and she turned to leave likewise without saying anything. However, she then heard him call out to her.:: Del Vedova: Good to meet you. Let me know if you have any more troubles with what's-his-name. Rahman: Thank you, doctor. I'll keep that in mind. ::She made her way to her new quarters aboard the Mercury, deep within the lower decks of the ship that put her close to main engineering. Her things had been dropped off earlier by the ever thoughtful Lieutenant Chaun--which meant also that he knew where she lived now, she supposed. Ah well. Another challenge for another day.:: ::She took off her uniform jacket and tunic, hanging them in the closet. She slid the door shut, revealing her reflection in the mirror. With her upper limbs now exposed, she glanced down at what was left of her arm. The flesh was scarred from her finger tips to her shoulder, and the arm was noticeably thinner than her right, looking as if it had been gnawed away. She took a moment to look over herself, as she had done so on StarBase 118. Had it really only been a day? She was exhausted.:: ::As she went back to unpacking her things, she thought of one other thing she didn't mention to Dr. Del Vedova: the last time she had talked to Commander Montanez.:: ((FLASHBACK: Medical Starbase 253, one month after the accident, 2383)) ::Roshanara heard her name being called and slowly opened her eyes. It was her former chief engineer, holding an assortment of flowers, and Doctor Mol.:: Mol: I'll just be outside if you need me. Montanez: Thank you, doctor. ::After the elderly Zakdorn left, Montanez put the flowers down on a nearby desk.:: Montanez: They're from the department. Rahman: If you could relay my appreciation... Montanez: Of course. ::There was a moment of silence before the commander spoke up again.:: Montanez: So the doctor tells me you're making good progress. Rahman: He's cautiously optimistic. Montanez: There's no rush. If and when you're ready, we could use you back at your post. ::He smiled. She didn't.:: Rahman: I've been told rehabilitation might take several years or more. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do. Montanez: Well like I said, no rush... ::There was another moment of silence before the man finally sighed.:: Montanez: Look, I don't expect you to understand. Not now anyway, and maybe not ever. And if you want to hate me for it, that's fine. ::She quickly replied.:: Rahman: I don't hate you, sir. Montanez: ::nods:: I just hope you never have to make *that* call yourself one day. ::He glanced towards the window for a second and then back at her.:: Montanez: All right, I'll let you get some rest. We're all rooting for you. ::He turned around and headed towards the door. She called out to him.:: Rahman: Commander. ::The man paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder.:: Rahman: I did make *a* call that day, sir. ::He stood still for a moment before turning back towards the door.:: Montanez: Good night, lieutenant. ::He walked off as Roshanara looked over at the flowers once more before closing her eyes again.:: --- Lt.Cmdr. Roshanara Rahman Chief Engineer USS Mercury

(( Quarters Laxyn )) :: After a long day not only on Sick Bay but also in the Cargo bay and not to forget the Holodeck and the class of Drill Sergeant Barnes, even if it only was a theoretical one for now, Jalana did not want anything more than a nice relaxed evening. And she was hoping that she would get exactly that. After leaving work and bringing herself into her quarters she dragged her body into the shower and simply leaned against the wall when the water ran down her skin and hair. This was so refreshing and another time she was thankful that she did not have to share these quarters, the second bedroom was still empty. Now that she was CMO she could possibly get single person quarters but she did neither have the time to take care of that nor the need, since she lived alone anyway. :: :: Closing her eyes she enjoyed the shower, turned the water cool and then warm and back, giving her circulation a little pick me up and her muscles a slight massage. She was kind of happy that they did not have any practical training today, but she thought that she might need that if she would want to be able to defend herself and others. She dreaded that she might have to remember all this at some point she knew it was needed. Especially with the Captain unconscious and not able to defend himself in her sick bay. But now she wanted to push away all of this and after finishing her shower she went into the bedroom and checked on her wardrobe, not quite sure yet what to choose. :: Laxyn: Computer, play a random selection of Tchaikovsky, 5% volume. :: A smile wandered over her face as the music played she had heard for the first time after Viktor had mentioned that name at their first meeting. Every now and then she listened to it to relax and feeling how she got a little nervous, relaxing was what she needed. She had not expected that he would ask her, but she did not mind that he did. Not at all. But it had been a while. :: Laxyn: You calm down now, take a few deep breaths. You will have a nice evening getting to know Vik. :: She whispered to herself while going through some of her outfits and while she still was a bit nervous it was better now. It took her maybe a dozen or more attempts of holding on dresses, outfits, pants, shirt, sweaters and whatever she could find. Even a traditional robe from Trill was tested until she finally found something she liked. After choosing a dress she placed it on the bed before drying her hair, now that she had more time than in the morning and then got ready. :: :: After just a few minutes she looked at herself in the mirror, her green eyes slowly gliding down over her spots to the knee long dark green subtle patterned sleeveless dress paired with black flats. She had wondered what kind of shoes to wear but since she did not know what he wanted to do, she rather went with practical but pretty instead of heels. Her fingers loosened up her curly hair so it fell nicely over her shoulders and she gave herself a smile, just the moment the chime of the door went off :: Laxyn: ::She took a deep breath and mumbled to herself:: There we go, have some fun. :: She winked at the mirror Trill and took the black scarf made of a semi transparent fabric to fit the shoes and wrapped it around her shoulders when she headed to the door, pressing the mechanism to open it :: ((Same Time, Vik’s Quarters)) :: He had just arrived back to his quarters after quite the day of covert affairs. Many questions had arisen after his chat with Rovor, but at least now he had a strong idea of where to start looking, and they just might have had their first real piece of evidence since the beginning. But finding out where and whom they had received the chemicals to make such a poison would be the biggest portion of the battle. It could have possibly led to something much more. He decided to let it all run away for the time being, as he was about to have a night out with the Doc. :: Lanius: Computer, Play music, Lanius Alpha one. :: The sweet sound of chamber music filled the air, and oddly enough, he seemed content with the melancholic tones of gregorian chant. It just seemed fitting for his mind set. He figured the mood would melt away after a shower. He stripped away his uniform and recycled it. Stepping into the shower he could feel the tense sensations of the day wash away, and a new feeling of rejuvenation took over. He was never used to long showers, stepping out onto the marbled floor. He made sure to shave; he actually hadn’t in a few days and was starting to show quite the five o’clock shadow. He shaved away the hair and brushed the hair on his head. :: :: Deciding what to wear was going to be the biggest challenge of the day. He was never really good at wearing anything other than black. It was just in his nature, and his job. He decided to ditch the priest routine and go with something a bit more... light. :: Lanius: Computer, replicate outfit, brown wingtip shoes, trousers, khaki, light blue long sleeve dress shirt. :: The computer chirped and completed the request. He dressed quickly and took a look at himself in the mirror. He had the top button buttoned, and he looked ridiculous without a tie. There was no way he was going to an informal date with a tie, so he unbuttoned the top two buttons. oO That’s a bit better... I hate blue. Oo Even though it wasn’t much at all, the overabundance of color was killing him. Nonetheless, he was satisfied with his decision and proceeded to the door. All in all he was confident that this evening would turn out well. :: ((Timeskip, Laxyn’s Quarters, USS Apollo)) :: He stood outside the door and reached up to the back of his neck rubbing it. He drew in a breath, paused, and then rang the bell. :: :: When the doors slid to the side he looked into the smiling face of Jalana, her green eyes meeting his right away. She could estimate the height of his eyes by now, at least when they were both standing up right. :: Laxyn: ::stepping aside:: Good evening Vik. Please come in, unless you want to leave right away. Lanius: I think we have some time :: He smiled to her and stepped inside to hear the more than familiar sound floating through the quarters :: Is that? Tchaikovsky? :: Jalana had almost forgotten, that the music was running and her cheeks took this slightly pink hue when he spoke :: Laxyn: Oh yes it is.. After you mentioned him that one day I’ve got curious. It is quite pleasant music I listen to every now and then. oO More like almost every day Oo ::Her quarters were not very personal yet. Most of the time she was in Sick Bay anyway but it was also that she did not have much personal stuff. On the couch was a warm cuddly blanket that had similarities to a quilt made of many different colored and patterned pieces of fabric. A few pictures she had stood around, from colleagues on Trill or her roommate in the academy. One Picture showed two older Trills and a younger boy with a much younger looking Jalana. Her red hair shone like fire in the sunlight of the environment and her smile was wide and toothy, same as the one of the older woman, she looked a lot like her apart from the red hair, that he found in the short hair of the older man. :: Lanius: Family, Jalana? :: He had picked up a picture of a couple. It sat on the credenza on its own :: Laxyn: Mhm? :: Turning to face Vik:: Oh, yes. Those are my parents, Caline and Vivan, and my little brother Prax. He studies architecture and spends his time with flying around in the galaxy finding the most interesting buildings for inspiration. ::She smiled and brushed her fingertips over the cheek of the boy :: Lanius: I always wanted a sibling... An only child I was. :: he smirked :: Was your father joined? Laxyn: ::shaking her head:: No, my father always wished because a symbiont would help him with the diplomacy, all the experience and such you know. But he never got through the tests. And my mother is happy with what she has. Prax wants to travel too much and says he has no time for that :: She laughed slightly:: Lanius: Perhaps you should have administered the tests... being a Doctor and all :: he nudged her elbow with his gently :: Laxyn: I did, and I passed, but have not heard from them for a while. I am still in the program but you know bureaucracy. One day maybe, if I can get through to the end. They are quite picky. Lanius: Soon enough I would think. You’ve managed to run the medical wing just fine by yourself. Perhaps you should give yourself more credit, yeah? :: He turned towards her :: No time for work though. Shall we head out? Laxyn: Good idea, I am ready. Computer end music. :: She smiled, relieved to be able to get out of this slightly embarrassing moment with some dignity. Silence fell over her quarters and she stepped outside, her eyes wandering along Viktor, taking in the unusual attire, at least from what he usually wore when she saw him. :: Laxyn: You are looking quite dashing today. :: She noticed that she had said that aloud and not just thought it and again there it was the pink on her cheeks :: :: He sort of gave her a look of surprise. It wasn’t that he didn’t welcome the comment, he just didn’t expect it. :: Lanius: I couldn’t help but notice the same about you. Laxyn: ::The blush on her cheeks just darkened at his words and brushed a little over her dress:: That old thing.. Lanius: Oh don’t be brash. I must say, I’ve thought that since I first met you. Call me crazy, but those eyes... :: he chuckled :: Listen to me... :: There was something about her that made talking with her extremely easy. There really wasn’t any work involved, which he found comforting. The moved down the hall towards the nearest turbolift :: :: Surprised by that confession she looked over to him for another moment, she certainly had not expected that. She had never thought that her eyes were anything special but had also noticed every now and then now people looked at her, as if they had looked for something in them.. Deciding that it would be a good idea to look forward again before she might run into a wall she turned her head:: Laxyn: Now that we are on the way, will you share with me where we go, or is that classified? Lanius: Not at all. Intelligence is at liberty to share information from time to time. I set us up with some dinner first in the Complex. As for the rest of the evening, that secret lies with me... :: The doors to the turbolift opened and they stepped inside. :: Lanius: Deck twelve... :: There was a short silence :: Laxyn: What makes you think that I won’t run away screaming at your secret activity? Lanius: Well I’d like to think not madame. I’m not typically in the business of disappointing. :: He stood next to her in the turbolift and he could feel a sort of electricity. It had been quite some time since he’d d been on a date of any kind. Of course the last time he did, it didn’t quite go as expected. This time, he made sure that he took time to plan ahead, and plan something that was “user friendly”. In fact, there would be no guns, no stealth, no action of that kind. Just a night out.:: ::She looked up to him, watching his profile for a moment, his strong jaw and she noticed finally that he had shaved, which made her smile. She went on to the eyes and she still could not decide which color they were up to the cleft in the middle of his forehead displaying his heritage. He was a quite good looking man, a bit ragged but in a good way. And she wondered how often she did this before that he seemed to feel so sure of everything. Of course she could not look into his head but he seemed to be so calm. It swirled in her head for a few moments before she heard herself ask it out loud. :: Laxyn: Have you been on many dates before, Vik? Lanius: :: He found himself unprepared for the question, but it was innocent enough. :: No. No I haven’t. Relationships have always been more a challenge to me than anything. I think most everyone has better luck in that respect than I. What about you? Laxyn: ::The Trill gave him a smile, glad that he did not take offence in her question but rather managed that she did not feel just as nervous as before knowing they both were at the same level. She then shook her head.:: Maybe three or .. four times in the last uhm.. I think since I started my medical training. There have been too much work and studies to focus on to even think much of dating. At least the exams stopped that frees up some time. ::She chuckled:: Lanius: I think that puts us in the same boat then. Victims of our careers... :: he laughed at the sentiment :: ((Complex 39, USS Apollo)) :: The turbolift came to a halt and the doors opened. They stepped out and began to walk towards the Complex. Vik had made arrangements with the new hostess earlier in the evening for a nice relaxed dinner. The menu would be a surprise to the both of them. They entered the Complex and were greeted by the Napean Hostess. :: Verak: Ah! Lieutenants!. :: She held out a hand to the both of them :: I have your table ready over by the window. Will that be suitable? Lanius: :: Looking to Jalana :: I think so, yes? Laxyn: :: She had been watching the hostess for a moment, the interesting and extraordinary eyes and her forehead, her mind automatically sorting her into the category of her species - she really needed to turn that off at least for tonight - and now looked over to the window table and smiled with a nod.:: A lovely choice. Lanius: Wonderful. Shall we? :: He cruxed his arm in her direction :: ::Giving Vik another smile she stepped over to her chair to sit down, a bit surprised when he did not sit down on his but instead followed her to pull the chair for her and pushed it slowly back in direction of the table when she sat. Her surprise was surely on her face when she followed him with his eyes walking to his place. :: Laxyn: Thank you. That is certainly a part of upbringing that not many seem to be used to anymore. Lanius: Not a fan? :: He took his seat across from the young woman :: I hope it doesn’t bother you. Laxyn: ::chuckling slightly:: Not at all, complaints sound different. I .. enjoy it, thanks. ::Looking around and back to Vik she leaned a bit closer:: Will you tell me what we will be eating? I noticed that she did not ask. So i assume you ordered already. Lanius: Actually, I told Tao to surprise us. Laxyn: ::smirking:: It is good to know. That you still can be surprised, I mean. :: He had sensed at that moment that there was much for them to discover about one another. All they really had to go off of was work experience, and to her, nothing got by him. :: Lanius: I rather like surprises. At least in this setting. Gathering intel on well... everything... makes for a rather mundane existence don’t you think? ::She crossed her legs under the table, placing her elbows on the edge of the table she crossed her fingers placing them under her chin to lean it on them, while she watched the man on the other side with a smile.:: Laxyn: Indeed.I know we are not working but there is one question that was bugging me since the meeting this morning. Lanius: And what might that be? :: he leaned forward a bit, his hands on the table in front of him :: Laxyn: The Dark Room... what is that? Lanius: Let’s just say it’s my office. With classified information comes heavy security. The room allows me to do that. bio-signature detection, voice activated security consoles, the Primary User adjunct system. The walls open to reveal whatever information I could possibly need at anytime, activated by one of six consoles throughout the room. All designed to keep secrets, well, secret. I’ll have to show you sometime. :: Jalana listened attentively, not having heard anything about Intel Offices before, since she did not have anything to do with that part of Starfleet. It was interesting to hear that there was a fully equipped room that Vik had been able to adjust to whatever his needs were and where nobody else could disturb him, unless he allowed it. A strand of her hair decided to misbehave and fell over her shoulder into her face, so she gently tucked it behind her ear again. :: Laxyn: Quite impressive and I would like that. Too bad that the CMO always has to be available while being in the office or I would ask for such security in my room as well. ::she smirked:: Lanius: You mean I’m not the only one who wishes to enjoy your company? :: Jalana laughed slightly and spotted the host approaching with - what she assumed - their meals. Curiously she craned her neck trying to see what was on the plates, as if she would not see that anyway in a moment and leaned back to take her elbows off the table and her hands into her lap, smiling gently at the Napean woman :: Tao: Here we are then. An Earth delicacy... Lobster with a butter cream sauce, a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and leeks, and a portion of lamb shank. :: Vik couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such foods. The lobster alone was one of his favorites. How the woman knew was beyond him, but the wonderment quickly vanished when the aroma hit his nostrils. :: Lanius: How did you... Tao: Know what you two enjoyed? I have my secrets too Lieutenant... :: With a sly grin, the mysterious hostess walked away. :: Laxyn: ::Looking after the woman she raised her brows slightly before looking back to Vik:: One could think that she has her own little espionage business, knowing that. Lanius: Your guess is as good as mine. Are you okay with this? The food i mean? Laxyn: ::Chuckling slightly she nodded:: Yes I am. I always had enjoyed lobster and lamb at the banquets my father attended to. :: She leaned a bit closer adding with a low voice :: You should worry less, I will let you know if I don’t like something, Vik. :: She was sure it was easier said than done, at least if she was any reference to that, because she would worry too, wanting to make sure that it all went well. She was not quite sure if the same would go for Vik but he could not be that different, she thought. :: Lanius: Fair enough. Geesh... where to begin? :: The Trill smiled across the table and lowered her eyes down to the lobster and the tools they had gotten with it. The composition of color was beautiful and she hesitated a moment before she had to take it apart. But then she took the Lobster into one hand and with twisting movements she detached the claws from it, placing them aside before she twisted and bent the lobster where the body was connected to the tail and broke it into two pieces pulling them apart. Removing the shell from the body she laid it on the plate that had been added for discarded pieces and smiled to herself, glad she had not forgotten how to do this or it might have been a disaster. When she removed the legs by twisting them off the body she raised them to her mouth one by one and sucked at the little ends to get the juice and meat out of them. She looked over to Vik and smiled :: Laxyn: I always loved this part, already as a child. Don’t ask me why, maybe it’s the funny noises. Lanius: :: Cleaning some of the juice from his shirt. :: This is why I wear dark clothing! You know, peeling lobster is an art that not many have mastered... :: Jalana chuckled and added the empty leg shells on the discard table and went on to take the parts of the lobster apart, adding the meat of them, if not sucking them out, on the plate in front of her, to be ready for her to savour it. Cleaning her fingers in the added water bowl she raised her green hues up to Vik again :: Laxyn: Tell me something about yourself, Vik. Lanius: Well what would you like to know? Laxyn: ::Smiling she took her fork and some of the salad :: Whatever you care to share with me, something I cannot find in the file maybe. ::With that she began to eat slowly, closing her eyes for a moment, when her taste buds welcomed the taste and freshness of the definitely self cooked meal. No replicator was able to imitate it this way, she was sure, even though it could do wonders, something gave her the impression it was not replicated. :: :: Vik thought carefully before he made his next move. he was never ever good at games like this; the Q and A session. For some reason, perhaps it was his training, they always seemed to turn into an interrogation; No feeling behind his answers. He would just spit them out. He decided to change things up a bit. :: Lanius: Sometimes the best parts of someone simply aren’t describable. With words anyway. Laxyn: Mhm... :: she eyed him after this answer and tilted her head slightly, lowering the fork again. Of course she would have liked to hear a bit more but she did not poke him to spit it out :: Do you mean that I won’t get anything out of you by asking? :: He could understand her initial disappointment, and normally he would have backtracked making himself sound foolish. He stuck to his convictions. :: Lanius: No no no, that’s not what I meant at all. I mean, I can sit here and tell you that I like the color purple, that I hate water that isn’t clear, and that I prefer my whiskey with a cube of ice, but... wouldn’t the conversation stop there? Laxyn: ::She watched him another moment before the corner of her mouth twitched into a smile.:: Purple, hm? I guess you are right, I never was a fan of the ‘Tell me something’ game either, no idea why I asked. ::She gave him an apologetic smile:: Lanius: :: Laughing :: Well then perhaps we should move onto space weather, aye? :: he took a bite of his lamb :: Laxyn: Ah yes, always a safe subject ::She chuckled:: Don’t you think it is astonishing that we did not have one day of rainfall this months? Lanius: Thank god you have a sense of humor Jalana. I’ve learned from the past that perhaps with all the vast technology we have these days, I could stand to not place my foot in my mouth for once. Laxyn: ::smiling:: Sounds ideal, the one time I had to pull it out of my mouth was for my file picture, I can hardly remember how it was. Best chance to repeat it now. Lanius: Well, then I guess you’ll just have to savor your dinner :: he softened his voice :: and wait for the next portion of our evening... trust me. :: He smiled warmly :: Laxyn: ::She raised her brows with an amused smile:: Famous last words... If I get missing.. ::she raised her fork to point at him:: ... there are witnesses who have seen me with you. :: The two of them continued into the dinner talking mostly about her. He was more than curious about her, and for the first time in a long time he cared to invest more than a few fleeting moments into getting to know someone; he was doing it not because he had to, but because he wanted to. It wasn’t long before the two of them, some laughs and serious faces later, had finished their meals. :: Lanius: Now... for my promise. If you’re still up for it? Laxyn: Am I? How could I not, you made me very curious. Lanius: Perfect! :: He helped her from her seat, and after giving Tao a waive goodbye, they made their way from C39. The pace to the holodeck was a brisk one, and Vik couldn’t remember the last time he was as excited as he was at that moment in time. In a few moments, he would be sharing with her some of the things that he held dearest. They arrived at the holodeck soon enough :: ((Holodeck, USS Apollo)) Lanius: Now, what I’m about to show you, could quite possibly be the innermost workings of myself. I thought about this all day, about what I would tell you. I figured I’d just show you instead. :: Standing next to Viktor she looked up to him in suspense, she tried hard to contain herself not to grab his hand and pull him inside. But instead she was surprised that he would show her something this profound and nodded slowly :: Lanius: :: He smiled :: Computer, run program ‘Lanius home’. :: the computer terminal chirped in acknowledgement, and after a few short moments, the doors to the room opened revealing a bright sunlight. As their eyes adjusted, a field of wheat could be seen, blowing in the breeze, brown and wispy just before harvest time. As the distorted light from the sun faded a bit more, a small home could be seen in the background, a dog running about the property. The air was crisp and cool, and there were few clouds above. The door vanished behind them as they stepped forward. Beyond the house, with the sunlight now fading to its intended light, a sunset, water could be seen just under the cliff side in which the house sat. :: :: To Jalana this looked like an illustration in one of the books she had browsed through as child, showing the most beautiful places on Trill in postcard format, whatever postcards were. Her eyes wandered slowly over the wheat, the landscape, wandering over to the sunshine brushing the house in the back. It took her a long moment to find her speech again, even if only whispering. :: Laxyn: This is... stunning. Lanius: My home... welcome to the Kildare coastline. :: He stood for a moment looking about the sky with an immense smile across his face :: Laxyn: ::Averting her eyes from the scene in front of her up to Viktor she was drawn in by the wide smile and it was very contagious, so she could not hold back one of her own:: You .. live here? ::Even with the smile the surprise was rather obvious in her voice :: Lanius: Oh yes... Lived here my whole life. Learned a lot here. :: He turned to her suddenly extending his hand to hers :: Come on! :: Jalana looked down onto his hand for a moment, just a small gesture and most likely not meaning anything deeply but it still gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling. The smile on her face did not get a break when she slipped her hand into his and grinned up to him, hoping that he had the same thought than her, remembering how she as a kid, would run right through this and right now she felt just like that. :: :: The two of them hand in hand began to run towards the house. He couldn’t help but think back to the days of running through those same fields after working them most of the day. The same feeling came back to him just then, the urgency of getting into the warmth of that house, to the embrace of his mother. The arrived through the wheat to the porch, and while helping her up to the door, helped her inside. :: :: The two of them began to wander about the house. The place was simple, all hand-carved wood with furniture to boot. The place smelled like fresh oak and bread, just the way he remembered it. In the living room, over the mantle, pictures of his family could be seen in force. As he moved passed them, he spotted the massive bay window that overlooked the ocean outside. :: :: She still caught some of her breath after they entered the house, but she tried to do it not too loud. It was not very pleasant to listen to a steam machine just because her training had been a while. Shame on the doctor for not listening to her own sermons. She strolled through the room, taking a look at the furniture, the ambiance in the room and imagined Viktor here as a child, though she could hardly imagine him not being an adult. Of course she saw the big window and stopped in her steps for a moment, speechless at the sight that presented itself. Stepping over she let her eyes roam outside over the waves :: Laxyn: Oh my... what a view. Lanius: :: turning to meet her :: Indeed. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve stood here. Stood here thinking about, well, everything. Thinking about where i’ve been, where I’ll go. About who I’ve become and who I once was. But in the end it all comes back to this place. Most everything does. Laxyn: ::Looking up to him she watched his profile as he spoke:: It does? How so? Lanius: I’ve made some of my most pivotal realizations in life here. I read my acceptance to Starfleet here. I experienced turmoil here. My mother used to sit right over there :: he pointed to the chair in the corner by the massive grandfather clock standing straight to the ceiling :: and tell me how I needed to listen to God and keep my morals clean. My father spent most of his time in the study writing up business plans that would never make it past the door. He taught me tenacity of mind. To have your mind be revered by others. Laxyn: :: Her gaze followed his to the chair and the clock, a smile slowly wandering onto her lips as she could almost imagine how it must have been, even though she had never seen his mother. Before she even thought about it she heard herself asking.:: If parents know what deep impact they have on their children? Lanius: That’s a good question. Even now, when i need some guidance, I come here. :: He thought about the questions that may or may not come next and how he would answer them. Whatever the course would be, he knew what his mother would say. “That’s the golden rule boy-o, be true to thyself.” he knew how he felt about this situation, how he had felt the day he was first presented with it. He had a wondrous and perpetual interest in the woman that stood next to him, and once again found himself seeking his mother’s advice. :: :: Jalana stood in silence for the moment, looking up to his profile. She did not have to be a telepath to know that his mind was occupied, be it memories or other thoughts she did not want to interrupt. There was a connection to this place she could understand and feel without having been here for long. The silence did not feel uncomfortable, not like these times when one felt the need to say something. But then he broke the silence and she followed him with her eyes. :: Lanius: :: he sat on the window sill near her. :: Jalana, since the day I met you, I’ve felt that I would be a foolish man to not know you. I went on out on a limb inviting you out this evening, but I also felt that you might just accept my invitation. Laxyn: ::A gentle smile showed on her face. :: And you were right. ::Her voice was rather quiet, so she would not disturb his train of thought too much. :: Lanius: I thought it fitting that once again, I’ve made another realization in this house Ms. Laxyn, my point is that I... oO Oh, just get it out! Oo ...feel a real connection with you. :: He cleared his throat :: I like you... :: He felt like a schoolboy at that very moment. The embarrassment couldn’t be hidden by even the most talented of Operators. But what would the harm be? He could deny himself the opportunity to speak his mind, or he could speak it and be denied or accepted. he just kept repeating his mother’s advice in his head over and over again. There seemed to be a silence that lasted forever in his mind, but was soon broken by the sound of Jalana’s voice :: :: The Trill looked at him astonished, blinking once then another time. Did she just really hear what she thought she heard? No games, no hiding, no 'guess what', that surprised her even more than the actual revelation. Plain straightforward honesty, how.. refreshing. Then it settled in what he had said, slowly sinking into her consciousness. He liked her. She did not even try to hide that these words made her feel very good, the surprise slowly changing into a smile.:: Laxyn: Really? ::She mentally facepalmed herself for such a stupid question and laughed in slight embarrassment:: I mean... I like you too Viktor. :: The words seemed to fly right passed him. he was doing what he thought was best, but he had honestly been prepared to hear a rejection theory. Things were inherently different this time around. He’d played the cards differently from the beginning, and for the first time had something smooth and easy going for him. He let her reply come to fruition in his brain. All at once, there were almost fireworks. :: Lanius: :: he sat forward suddenly :: You’re kidding?! I mean, you’re not though right? It’s okay if you are... :: She gave him a frantic look :: Laxyn: ::laughing she shook her head and stepped a bit closer :: What have I told you earlier about the worry? Lanius: Right right, the worrying thing from earlier... This is fantastic! :: he took her hand in his :: I thought for sure you’d be looking for the exit... Laxyn: ::She welcomed his hand, already out in the field she had thought it felt good to hold it, now it felt even better and she squeezed it.:: I have agreed to a date and so far, as much I can say, it went really good. There is no reason to think I'd run. Lanius: :: It was a legitimate statement. He really had no basis to conclude right off the bat that she would say the contrary to what she did. :: I don’t know... I’ve just never really been any good at this sort of thing I suppose. Laxyn: ::She looked at him, tilting her head slightly:: I think you are doing rather well. Lanius: Oh really.. Laxyn: ::chuckling:: I mean it. What I knew from dates was.. hiding what was going on in people's minds, trying to impress each other by being someone they were not and even if it all went well, they had those stupid rules about waiting for three days before getting back into contact and if the woman did it first it meant she was clingy, if the man did it first it meant.. I don't know what. Those, I cannot call them differently, games can be rather tiresome and you managed to throw them all aboard making yourself and what you think known and I have the pleasure to just be myself. ::she smirked at him:: I wouldn't call that 'not any good', Vik. Lanius: Well now, when you put it that way... I have to say :: he ran two fingers along her jawline :: I couldn’t agree with you more. :: He counted his blessings thus far, and felt that he had done right thus far. He began to lean in closer to her, the whole time his eyes focused on her beautiful green ones. :: :: Sitting on the sill he was about the same height as her, maybe a little higher, which made it easy to look into his eyes, trying to figure out the colors she could see in them. She always had seen the black, which was pretty obvious but also sprinkles of something else. Now that she had a good excuse to not take her eyes from his she noticed that it was blue. Not too obvious, but it made those eyes fascinating. Still feeling his fingers at her jaw, she noticed that those eyes became bigger, no.. actually they came closer.:: :: Jalana's eyes dropped downwards to his lips before snapping back up to look at him, without even realizing that she did it. But her heart seemed to notice just as well and began to beat a bit faster. :: Laxyn: I hope you don't insist on waiting until the third date. ::She whispered merely, not waiting for his answer before she bent a little closer, crossing the gap between them to gently brush her lips over his. :: :: He could feel his lips moving near hers, the heat of her breathing warming them moving his hand to the side of her face. All the feelings he’d had had culminated at this very moment into something he’d never expected, but hoped would happen. With all the emotions that he felt at that very moment in time, he realized that another chapter in the life of Vik Lanius was coming to a close. The time of the lone wanderer who kept mostly to himself would no longer continue to take up pages in his book. He was free to be himself once more. It was this ship, these people, and more recently the vivacious woman that stood before him that allowed him to wander back to the place inside himself he cherished the most... Home. :: Lanius: :: He pulled away from her lips slowly and looked back to her eyes. He spoke softly. :: You must be crazy to think I’d waste your time... :: She still felt the tingle on her lips when he pulled away and enjoyed the feeling for another moment before opening her eyes again to smile :: Laxyn: If that is wasting my time I hope you'll do that more often. Lanius: If that’s an invitation, I surely intend to... :: He smiled and pulled her close once again for a kiss :: :: She smiled widely and met his lips with hers once more, her hand slipped into his unoccupied one and locked their fingers, weaving them together. She closed her eyes enjoying the feeling of the little fireworks inside, [...]ling on her skin, before their lips parted again :: Laxyn: ::whispering:: It sure is, Mister Lanius. It sure is. :: The two of them moved out onto the porch of that little home and took a seat on the bench that sat outside. She moved in close and rested her head against his shoulder in the crook of his arm. he took her hand with his and twiddled her fingers within his. Nothing but a giant smile crossed his face. The Sun was beginning to set now, and Vik couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, with anyone else:: :: Jalana sighed contently, but inaudible, the peace and quiet of the sunset and company was calming and she felt... content. For the first time in a long time she was happy to just sit and enjoy. The warmth of Vik's body and arm made her aware that she had not felt like this with anyone before, making it easy to know that this evening had been perfect, just as the surprising but welcome outcome. With a smile on her lips she kept her eyes on the declining sun, forgetting everything else, even that this was only a holoprogram. There were only Viktor and her, the here and now.:: :: The morning would surely bring business, but until then, they were quite content where they were. :: TBC Lieutenant Viktor Lanius Acting First Officer USS Apollo, NCC-71669 & Lieutenant JG Jalana Laxyn Chief Medical Officer USS Apollo

((Colt's delerious mind)) ::As the darkness took Colt again and Kali's face faded from his vision, he was completely disoriented. He felt as though he was floating in open space, without any point of reference. He was so very tired and it would be so easy to just close his eyes and sleep but something inside told him he couldn't do that, he had to stay awake. Suddenly he was propelled back into the sickbay as if by vacuum pressure.:: ((Sickbay - USS Victory)) ::Colt's eyes shot open, blinking rapidly, trying to focus against the bright, sterile lighting of the sickbay. His body felt like it might explode from the pain. He couldn't keep this up. If something didn't change soon, his eyes would close and he wouldn't be able to open them again. It was already taking every ounce of strength and willpower to keep himself in the fight and he HAD to fight. He couldn't leaver her like this. Not again.:: ::A familiar calm Scottish lilt fell over him that he knew to be Dr.MacLaren's. That told him two things, one that his life was in the best possible hands, and two that he must be in pretty rough shape for them to have brought the CMO at such a late hour. Her words had the reassuring quality that good doctors seemed to develop.:: MacLaren: Mr. Daniels. It's Dr. MacLaren; Eh ken ye are in a good deal of pain and ye must be frightened about now. Ye are nae to worry. Ye are going to be just fine. So relax, close your eyes and we'll have ye asleep in a moment. When ye wake up, and ye will, ye're going to be out of pain and on the way to recovery. :: He coughed as he tried to speak for the first time in... he wasn't sure how much time had passed.:: Daniels: Thanks Doc, I'll remain cautiously ::He inhaled sharply at a wave of pain that threatened to make his lights go out again.:: optimistic. ::Whatever method of anesthesia the Doc had used kicked in quickly at that point, this time his lack of consciousness manifested itself in a completely different way.:: ((Colt's delerious mind)) ::Colt was standing in a forest at night with no obvious land marks. Before him a path lead off into the night, it had been recently traveled by a single pair of boots. He walked aimlessly down the path, all the while looking for some sign of where he was or why he was there. After covering a considerable distance he saw the flickering light of a camp fire at the end of the trail. As he got closer he saw a lone figure sitting near the fire, smoking a cigar. Even at this distance, he recognized Ryan Daniels immediately. This could have been any number of camping trips they'd taken together, they had all eventually ended up here, with the two men sitting near the fire, as the oldest shared the wisdom and advice that would lay the framework for the man that he'd become. Colt took his place at the fire without saying a word.:: R.Daniels: Hell of a mess you've got your self in. ::The older Daniels took a puff of the cigar and shook the flask in his hand, getting a feel for how much liquid remained before offering it to his son. Colt knew that it almost certainly contained some kind of whiskey and reluctantly accepted the flask. As he had grown up his relationship with his father had changed, it was more like a friendship than a father-son dynamic now, though he still solicited the advice of the older man when he needed it.:: C.Daniels: Dad, you aren't even dead yet. ::He took a swig from the flask, confirming his suspicions.:: Why are you appearing in my deathbed visions? ::The elder Daniels laughed at this, taking the cigar out his mouth momentarily.:: R.Daniels: Who were you expecting? Grandma? She'd have a heart attack and die a second time if she knew the kind of trouble you're in. :: Colt just smiled and nodded as his father continued.:: R.Daniels: So, this woman that you're so keen on dyin' for, Is she worth the price you're payin'? ::It wasn't a criticism, but a genuine question, delivered in the matter-of-fact way that Ryan James Daniels did everything. Colt didn't even have to think about the response, whatever pain he'd felt, whatever pain he would feel, wouldn't come close to the damage that would've been done by her death. To him and the thousands of people on the Starbase.:: C.Daniels: She's more than worth it. 180,000 people depend on her to keep them safe. ::He danced around the subject of his own feelings. Not wanting to expose that bit of unfinished business, but it was no use. His father knew him better than that.:: R.Daniels: That's not what I mean and you know it. ::He reached out for the flask and Colt passed it back, sitting in silence as he took another swig.:: Does she know that you love her? ::Colt stared into the campfire as his father's words sunk in.:: C.Daniels: I don't know, Dad. ::The older man's glare forced the truth out him, as it had so many times before.:: I mean no, I've never actually told her that. ::Ryan Daniels stood, tossing his cigar to the ground and stomping it out into the dirt, and slipping the flask into his pocket.:: R.Daniels: Well, you'd better go make [...] sure she knows it. ::As he turned to walk away, the woods seemed to dissolve around him and the entire world faded to black once again.:: NO TAGS -- ======//////======> Lt.JG Colt Daniels Tactical Officer SB118/USS Victory

(( Physical Sciences Lab, Deck 29 -- USS Mercury )) :: One of the major advantages of the Cave -- the 3D projector sensor apparatus in the Mercury’s physics lab -- was its ability to directly connect to a user’s body, eliminating the few nanoseconds the computers took to relay information from system to system and then route it to the particular console and alarm. Therefore, when the unknown ship entered the sphere in which the Mercury’s short-range sensors were actively pinging, Aron was the first, by several thousandths of a second, to see it. In that time, his brain was well on its way to processing the known profile of the ship in question: Defiant-class, though he couldn’t make out the name or the registry until he zoomed in on it. NCC-75692, USS Triumphant. Hmm. Well, it didn’t mean anything to him, but the Mercury definitely meant something to the owner of the Triumphant, as it was making right for them. Perhaps it had been assigned as an additional escort, now that Jaxx was incapacitated? He shook his head; there was no way to know, outside of asking. He sent a quick message up to the bridge, instructing his officers not to busy themselves with it; he’d taken a break, so he would handle this strange circumstance. Still plugged into the Cave, he ordered the computer to open a channel, and the viewspace appeared directly in front of him, holoprojected by the Cave. In it was someone he had not expected to see. :: Kells: Captain Reynolds. What the hell are you doing here? ::Time had carved a few more lines into her freckled face, and her hazel eyes had hardened, but there had been few other changes. Still painfully thin, she stared at him with a piercing gaze, eyebrows raised, her head tilted forward as if to ask “did you really just talk to me like that?”. If that *was* what she was thinking, it wasn’t vocalised.:: Reynolds: Surely you can guess. Half of Starfleet has been sucked into the recent Klingon shenanigans. ::Even after all her years in space, her voice still carried the tell-tale lilt of someone born in the Martian colonies.:: Kells: As are we. But we’re on our way to a Romulan colony on the other side of the sector. Where are you heading? ::She smiled, the expression holding little real humour, and made no attempt to reply.:: Kells: Fair enough. Intelligence business? Reynolds: It does seem to be what I’m best at. Kells: I’ve been learning to embrace it. My intel officer -- maybe you know him, Isaac Bale? -- has become something of another appendage for me. I don’t know how I’d deal without him. Reynolds: I’ve read his file. ::She shook her head.:: Commander, as pleasant as this is, I don’t really have the time to spend on idle small talk. Kells: No, that’s not why you’re here. (beat) Why are you here? Reynolds: I need to pay a visit to your ship. Kells: Of course. Just you, or a team--? Reynolds: Just me. Kells: Directly here? All right. I assume you’re going to tell me why when you arrive? Reynolds: That’s the plan. I’ll see you shortly. :: The channel snapped off, and his holo-view returned to that of the sphere of space around the Mercury, now not only occupied by the larger Apollo but by the smaller Triumphant as well. It was the work of a thought and a moment to engage the transporter beam and sync in with the Triumphant, but in the second before he could, he received an urgent bleep from the bridge. He opened the message at once, before he transported Reynolds, and was glad for it. :: Kells: (muttering) What’s going on? :: A shuttlecraft was on its way from Starbase 118, and its registered occupant was a single human female: Captain Kalianna Nicholotti. The day of the former COs, Aron thought: But why was Kali coming in via shuttle when he’d just spoken with her? Unless her destination wasn’t the Mercury? She might be going to see Jaxx aboard the Apollo-- But, no. The flight plan specifically stated that her destination was the Mercury, and that she would be arriving within the next thirty seconds. Speaking of “next,” the Triumphant was signaling him again: Why hadn’t he beamed Captain Reynolds over? He put the confusion from his mind for a moment, and engaged the transporter. The room was a full-sized laboratory, unoccupied except for Aron in the Cave; he stepped away from it as the transport cycle completed, as he was less than thrilled to greet his first CO while strapped into the ghoulish-looking device. A moment later, there she stood: Captain Quinn Reynolds, no longer in command burgundy but in intelligence black, still as short and intimidating as ever. :: Kells: Captain. ::She didn’t say anything for a moment, her face impassive as her eyes travelled over the connections between man and machine. Her eyes lingered far longer on the technology than the person plugged into it. When she finally deigned to speak, her voice was as dry as the Vulcan desert.:: Reynolds: Very fetching. Kells: I assume you know about my, uhm, accident? ::Her eyebrows twitched upward and a worn, fleeting smile pulled at her lips.:: Reynolds: I’m not sure ‘accident’ is the right word. Kells: Well, I guess I got used to calling it what other people did. And it was certainly accidental. One day, maybe I’ll figure it out-- But that’s not why you’re here. (beat) Is it? Reynolds: No. Extract yourself from that device, would you? :: Before he could reply, there was a chime at the door, and, too late, he realized that he had locked it when he’d entered the Cave. He realized, too, that Kali’s shuttle would have arrived and she wouldn’t have found him waiting -- not that, apparently, she had taken it upon herself to wait. :: Kells: Computer, unlock door. (calling) Come in. :: To see the two of them together was to engage a Venn diagram made tangible. He respected the hell out of both of them, but where Quinn Reynolds entertained a neutral look that verged on the dour (if you were unkind), Kali Nicholotti was beaming at him. :: Kells: Captains, I have to admit, I’m a little confused. Why are we meeting in the Mercury’s physics lab? (beat) I’m sorry I wasn’t there to meet you, Kali. ::Kali waved her hand to dismiss the concern, still smiling.:: Nicholotti: Don’t worry about it. I’m not. ::She moved closer and leaned on a nearby console, somewhat of a knowing smirk on her face. Reynolds shifted her position to stand opposite her, on the other side of him, as though Nicholotti’s cheerfulness was somehow an anathema.:: Nicholotti: Besides, this is completely off topic anyways. With everything that’s going on out there... ::A momentary look of seriousness passed like a ghost across her face before the smile returned.:: We thought it important enough to do this now, rather than later. Kells: Well, then … if it’s not the current crisis … then, what? ::It would have been nicer to have had something bigger. While she wholly agreed with Jaxx on allowing promotions to be close knit and one on one, there was something about the milestone that Aron had attained that simply called for more. But what she knew about the situation out there was that things were dire. The ship and her friends were heading into more danger than she could stand to think about, and if he was walking into that, he deserved to do it knowing he’d reached that level and met that goal.:: Nicholotti: I know I would have loved to have had more time with you, but when they called for you to go, to command the Mercury...::She sighed and recalled the orders.:: I knew they were getting the best man for the job. Kells: You’re kind, Kali. In this case.... :: It was unfortunate that they had both boarded while he was trying to hide -- no, gather his thoughts. Yes, gather his thoughts for the difficult times ahead. Their appearance had, then, and against odds, helped him achieve that goal: Because he was suddenly in the midst of his -- peers? As strange as that sounded, yes. :: Nicholotti: Now you’re walking into one of the most volatile situations possible. And you’re doing it because they need you to. ::She gestured as if to mean ‘they’, as in ‘out there’, somewhere. Finally, she shook her head, sending her raven black hair flying before leveling her gaze at him and holding it there.:: Nicholotti: No one in the fleet is more deserving of this Aron. You’ve met, and exceeded the expectations that anyone could have set forth for you, and you’ve shown everyone that you were made to lead. This crew couldn’t ask for a better captain. Starfleet couldn’t ask for a better captain. ::Her voice trailed off as she thought once more about the hornet’s nest he was about to walk into, and she decided, ultimately, that now may be the only time she had to say everything she wanted to say.:: Nicholotti: I couldn’t ask for a better friend. ::Perhaps the outward pouring of emotion had reached some kind of breaking point for the aloof intelligence officer, or perhaps she really was short on time. Either way, Reynolds stepped forward, her hand dipping into her pocket.:: Reynolds: I’m sure you’ve realised by now that this isn’t a social call. ::She held out her palm in front of him, a solitary gold pip shining against her pale skin. She let that sink in for a moment, before continuing.:: Reynolds: I should recite the attention to orders, but that belongs in a full ceremony. So I’ll just say this: It’s my pleasure to appoint you a captain in Starfleet, to rank as such from this day forward. ::A smile tugged the corners of her mouth upward, and for the first time, the expression reached her eyes. Even the dryness in her tone couldn’t quite disguise her pride in him and his achievements.:: Reynolds: And may whatever gods you believe in have mercy on your soul. Congratulations, Aron. ::She passed the pip in her hand to Nicholotti, for the other captain to conduct the actual pinning, and then moved aside. Nicholotti, for her part, couldn’t help but smile as she reached out and attached the fourth pip of his new set. Before she stepped back, she hugged him, then moved back a few feet.:: Kells: You guys are crazy. The brass, too. Starfleet in its entirety. I don’t understand-- :: His voice broke, if slightly, and he cut himself off. Several deep breaths. He nodded. :: Kells: But thank you. Nicholotti: Our time is short. ::Her voice got quieter.:: But I wanted you to have that. Just... ::Looking away, she hid the fear, the concern, and the worry until she was able to compose herself once more. Then, she continued.:: Nicholotti: Just come back, Aron. Kells: Me? Not come back? :: He smiled the confident smile with which he’d first beamed onto her bridge. Architect knew where it had come from, as he hadn’t felt it a moment before. :: Kells: I really am indestructible. Reynolds: Before I go. ::She reached into her pocket and offered him a cobalt-blue isolinear chip.:: You may find this useful. Your destination has more than a few skeletons in its closet. :: Aron met her eye, then glanced over at Kali. He wasn’t afraid of the knowledge that the chip contained, just as he hadn’t been afraid of Brokar’s; he was only hesitant about the intervening moments in which he would have the information but not know it yet. :: Kells: It’s encrypted, hm? Any clues as to what’s on it? Reynolds: Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies. Lieutenant Bale should be able to decrypt it for you. Kells: Yes, he does have a talent for that. ::She hesitated for a moment, lips parting as though to say something more. Then she shook her head, changing her mind.:: Reynolds: Watch your back out there, Captain. :: He hesitated, then, but only for a moment: he recognized the end of the thought when it came. There was more that he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure what it would sound like, and so he, too, said nothing. :: Kells: And you. We’ll see each other again. Soon. :: He stepped back; there would be no embrace there, not as with Kali. A moment later, she had vanished in the transporter sparkle, and Aron was left alone with Kali. He couldn’t quite meet her eye. :: ::And just like that, it was all over. A strange bout of silence descended over the room as she looked at him, a new Captain, ever aware that he didn’t seem to be able to quite return the gesture. It had to be overwhelming though, just as her own ceremony had been not all that long ago. Finally, in the dimly lit silence, he spoke.:: Kells: You came over here? Just for this? Nicholotti: ::Nodding.:: Yes. ::Sometimes, more words weren’t always needed.:: Kells: You have your own concerns. This was trivial. I mean.... ::Both eyebrows shot up at that, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. Their minds were all on the crisis. Which was why a simple reminder of why they were fighting, and why they were out here doing what they did was so vitally important.:: Nicholotti: This was far from trivial. On the contrary, it was more important now, in the middle of this mess, than ever. Kells: (quietly) Do you know what I was doing here? Why I wasn’t on the bridge? ::Remembering so many days where she wanted, and attempted, to fade into the background, she could wager an educated guess. Her thoughts drifted to a voice that echoed from earlier in the day and she repeated Cody’s words in an almost incorporeal manner.:: Nicholotti: The masks of command...::Having looked away for a moment, she returned her gaze to him.:: From my experience, there’s always at least one shadow in the closet. ::Her eyes said the rest, offering him a moment to just put it out on the table and say what needed to be said. With the slightest bit of questioning in her look, she let him collect his thoughts and say it.:: Kells: I was hiding. I’ve tried to hide from that truth, too, but (beat) I was. Hiding. I know what you’re going to say: A career of pluses isn’t negated by one moment of minus. I agree. It’s of no statistical significance. But (beat) … another but. I wish I felt more confident. That’s all. ::A bit of a nostalgic smile washed over her then. It felt like she had just had this conversation not long ago, though she had been in his shoes. Perhaps the universe was working towards the ever elusive goal of balance once more and bringing them all full circle.:: Nicholotti: Just be who you are, Aron Kells. When the dust settles, that’s what will matter. Your officers respect you, and I know they have a great leader. Just try to avoid getting into too much trouble out there. Kells: I know. And I will. Like I told Reynolds, I will see her again. And you. (beat) Do you want me to walk you back to the ‘bay? ::Holding up and waving her hand dismissively again, she shook her head.:: Nicholotti: I can find my way. Besides, you have somewhere more important to be. ::Her gaze leveled at him now and she tried to impart the confidence he would need to jump start the process of creating his own with one simple look. Perhaps it wouldn’t work, but knowing that someone had no doubts in your abilities, well, that had always helped her. And for a brief moment, she wished that Jaxx could have been there, but it was fleeting and her attention was quickly back on Aron.:: Kells: No, I suppose you’re right. To the bridge I’ll go, then. ::sigh:: They’ll probably want to have a party. ::To that, she grinned.:: Nicholotti: What are you talking about? *I* want a party. ::Then she got quiet and nodded.:: It’s as much for them as it is for you. You are the epitome of what they will strive to be, a face to their collectiveness. You and I, we are the manifestation of what they do every day, of dreams, and hopes, and so much more. Yes. They’ll want a party. ::Turning the tide back towards something less serious, she smiled again.:: Kells: Well, I’m not going to be dancing with any Pahkwa-thanh, anyway. Nicholotti: ::Shaking her head.:: No, though I have to admit, that looked rather humorous. At least you didn’t get in the way of the tail, yes? Kells: Not for lack of trying, anyway. ::With one final look over him, she extended her hand to shake his, now as a fellow Captain.:: Nicholotti: Welcome to the future. Just remember, I’m always a subspace call away. Kells: I know. (beat) I do know. And I’ll use that. Believe me. ::Winking at him, she gestured towards the door.:: Nicholotti: I’ll see you, Aron. I know you’ll make it back. And in the meantime, I’ll be plotting for that party. ::And with that, she disappeared on the other side of the doors. Pointing herself towards the shuttlebay, she forced her feet to move, though she kept her mind, for the moment, back in that room with her friend. For all the confidence she showed, there were still some very deep set fears that plagued her thoughts. But that too was just another one of the masks of command.:: Captain Quinn Reynolds CLASSIFIED & Captain Kalianna Nicholotti Commanding Officer Starbase 118 Operations & Captain Aron Kells Commanding Officer USS Mercury __._,_.___

((Thunder, Deck 9 Main Engineering)) :: By the time Jaxon had climbed back up to Deck nine, he was beginning to feel the last 30+ hours for sure. If anything because the damages to the ship were also forcing the teams, himself included, to take detours along the Jeffries tubes get to their destinations. The Welshman was thankful that his unwelcome guest had vanished back to whatever part of his mind that S’caan housed in. While his presence was undesirable, Jaxon knew it was only a temporary situation and if things got bad… well S’Caan wasn’t completely useless. The thing he needed now was a good four hours sleep and another three invested in some deep meditation. :: Mc Ghee: ::to himself :: Shame it’s not possible. :: The Chief arrived at the bottom of the ladder and crawled out of the hatch to the doors leading to main engineering. Here teams were still busy coordinating the repairs and Jaxon saw that some more of the lighting had been restored, the warpcore was still dull not that he had invested too much initial hope. Moving over to a group of technicians that were obviously preparing for another repair march, the Chief nodded to the team leader and accepted the offered Padd. Giving his consent the, the two teams of three took up the assortment of cases and headed to the warpcore. One of the larger access panels, usually sealed for security reasons, had already been removed and the team members entered the Jefferies access system. :: ((Thunder, Deck 11, Jefferies Tubes)) :: The team climbed up two decks and began a long crawl through the main connection tube that ran the length of the deck. Jaxon became aware that they were approaching the Red Zone after the doors that split the maintenance tubes into separate sections refused to open. After an unsuccessful attempt of forcing them open, he stretched a hand out behind himself wordlessly and was handed a door manipulator from one of the team members. Still bracing himself against the metal hatch, the heavy man pushed and as the twin doors parted with a hiss, his ears picked up the crackled of a force field as it powered up. :: Surel: The section is still considered a hazard by the ships computer. Mc Ghee: Of course the environmentals on that side are down to 10%. Kill the field and I'll then go and power one of the atmosphere subprocessor at the end of the corridor. Surel: Affirmative. :: While the Vulcan Ensign got to work disabling the forcefield, Jaxon turned awkwardly in the narrow Jefferies Tube; while being shorter than most, this advantage was quickly quieted by his heavy build and broad shoulders. The blue skinned Joe offered Jaxon a face mask that would filter the most harmful elements out of the air and few tools that would be necessary, yet were not standard issue in his personal case. The field separating the two sections fell and immediately the burnt and dead air of the passage up ahead flowed through the open doors. :: Mc Ghee: I’ll need a few minutes, I’ll drop my Tricorder as a signal enhancer and send a confirmation when I’m done. :: The others waiting behind them murmured their agreement and the Chief moved forward into the metal-clad tube, hardly covering a few meters before the field behind him was raised again. Hearing his own breaths rasping on the filter covering his mouth, without which he would already be in trouble, he could understand why the team were so quick to restore the field; the air processors on their side had drawn the stagnant air into the Jefferies tube. By the time he had reached the end of the corridor thick swirls of smoke were gathering. Forcing his entry into the Red Zone corridor, Jaxon straightened up gratefully, raising one arm to light his surroundings. The beam of light illuminated the detritus covered hallway, ceiling supports had come down and many of the computer panels lining the walls were blown out; a sure sign of an EPS conduit rupture. :: Mc Ghee: :: tapping his combadge :: =/\= Some serious damage here… moving on to the environmental controls… the entire ODN relay for this section might have been lost... the power conduits to decks ten and twelve appear to be intact… =/\= :: The chief made his way down the corridor, stepping over the fallen struts, the crunch of the charred glass from the panels accompanying him. The air must have been bad as the first smells of burnt materials began to penetrate his breathing mask. The searching cone of his flashlight caught the entrance he was heading to and Jaxon moved carefully over to the double doors, applying the manipulator and heaving them apart. He stepped through the egress and ran the beam of light over the simply designed control room; it was more a large closet with vital environmental equipment installed. It seemed that the system had suffered total failure as the polluted air was much thicker here, the beam from his torch hardly cutting through the wafting shrouds of smoke. Jaxon took another step into the grey gloom, ignoring the bitter taste of the biting fumes in his mouth. The Welshman frowned as his boot registered something beneath it. Directing the flashlight downwards, Jaxon saw a micro calibrator and other tools glinting in the smoke-dulled light; it seemed that someone had been working here during the battle. With the two doors open, the thick wafts of murky air began to thin out into the corridor and Jaxon could see a multicolored hue up ahead; the control console appeared to still be online at least. Reaching the interface, the chief set down his tool case and peered at the screen, realizing that the system was almost recalibrated to begin and atmosphere purge. Response crews must have already begun battle repairs here when the deck was hit bad and had to be evacuated. The chief began to complete the order routine, not surprised that the commands sequence were slightly out of order; an understandable mistake during a combat situation. :: Willie: =/\= Chief Mc Ghee, is it now safe for me to take my teams into the red zones? Do we need the EVI suits? =/\= :: Jaxon had wondered when Tindall would call in, he had been meaning to call himself, but had been busy, then again Willie and Dave were in their element in SAR. :: Mc Ghee: :: still typing :: =/\= No, we’re not entering any decompressed red zones yet. We’re concentrating on the easier areas where our help might still be needed. =/\= Willie: =/\=Do you have an update on what’s going on? =/\= Mc Ghee: =/\= The red zone spanning deck ten, eleven and twelve has been opened and we’re securing the enviro’s as we speak; the decks should be marked yellow plus within 20 minutes. The red zone on decks four and five are still taboo until we can set up a portable generator strong enough. =/\= :: starts command routine :: =/\= Commander Vess is leading the taskforce into battle soon, so time is running short. =/\= :: The computer chirped as the program began its routine, the hissing of air being sucked into the ventilation systems increasing quickly. Jaxon began to repack his tools, thankful that the stinging air would soon be gone and he could remove the mask. :: Willie: =/\= Oh crap, do you have orders for me, sir? And I suppose I’m wasting my breath telling you to take a break? I just asked Commander Hendon to take one as team leader. The dogs and I will be okay for a couple of hours. :: break :: I could always ask Patrick to help out the engineers. Well he'll be able to help with the menial tasks.=/\= :: Jaxon wondered briefly whether Willie should lay off the coffee; so many questions and assorted pieces of half information at once! Anyhow, a break indeed! Due to its size and being so close to the environmental systems, the small room began to lighten even as Willie spoke. Replacing the last of his tools Jaxon remembered the tools he had left on the floor and turned to pick up the strewn tools; every little bit helped in a situation like this. The air cleared further and Jaxon got up and turned back to the console, now seeing that he indeed wasn’t the only person that had been working at it. :: McGhee: :: emotionlessly :: =/\= You can report to deck eleven for further SAR. :: break :: don’t worry about the air by the time you get here it’ll be all right for you and Dave. =/\= Willie: =/\=Alright, sir; I was only joking. Alright, sir I'll meet you at the first red zone, Tindall out.=/\= :: The com now closed, Jaxon moved silently to the gold shouldered figure that was slumped, face down beside the control console. Hardly 30cm had been separating him from the man lying on the floor and the computer screen where he had worked; in the gloom that had hung in the air, the chief hadn’t noticed anything. The short man hunkered down and placed his hand on a shoulder, as his fingers registered the unnatural chill emanating from it, his arm paused, before then slowly pulling the man over onto his back. Mc Ghee recognized the familiar face straight away, his memory relentlessly providing his mind with a multifold of unhelpful and misplaced information; Lieutenant JG John Richards, 29, from Mars, his second long time deep space assignment. Jaxon remember that he had been considering a promotion evaluation for the Lt. come the end of his time here at the Embassy. Jaxon’s eyes looked back to Richards’ hand which still held a tool in it. The Chief reached out for the combadge and detached it, turned it between his fingers and saw it was still functioning. Jaxon had been serving on starships long enough to know that Richards’ must have heard either the call to abandon the deck, or at least the emergency signal that was sent in such a case. Even with the vicissitudes of battle accommodating a multitude of unknown factors, it didn’t take much to add the numbers together and still be sure to have hit the right result. The almost programmed console and the tools lying around; Richards had been trying to finish his work and had been [...] close at that. The chief lent back against the console and swore quietly under his breath while he tried to get the picture out of his head. He had refused to leave his post in times of danger in the past, relying on his skills to get the job done and restore power to the systems or whatever had been necessary. Jaxon swore again for no reason he could think of, other than a tiny valve trying release the pressure within a warpcore. Again Jaxon didn’t need to see him; he simply knew. :: Mc Ghee: :: quietly:: oO Not now S’Caan. Leave me alone. Oo Vulcan Mc Ghee: (speaking) Are you sure you want to keep the gates locked Jaxon? Mc Ghee: ::growling, voicing shaking with anger :: Get out of my head! Vulcan Mc Ghee: :: teasing :: You need a phaser to get me out of your head, Jaxon. :: softly, needling voice :: I am a part of you. Mc Ghee: :: getting up :: Maybe a Phaser is a good idea! Vulcan Mc Ghee: :: teasing :: Don’t threaten me! I’m growing stronger Jaxon. Sooner or later the gates... the walls ... they won’t hold me. :: Jaxon glowered silently at the other himself leaning against the wall without a care in the world. He knew S’Caan was right, eventually he would get through, but Jaxon comforted himself in the sole knowledge that it wasn't that easy. :: Vulcan Mc Ghee: :: [...]ing his head, unemotionally:: Richards… :: break, amused :: …well he came [...]close to being hero didn’t … :: Jaxon let out a deep throated roar of anger as he jumped in S’Caan’s direction, his clenched fist already scything in a blur through the air, aiming directly for the entertained face of the Vulcan hybrid. Jaxon fell a step fore as the blow continued right through his own manifestation’s smirking visage, his fist moving onwards, thus disrupting the engineer's balance. The chief’s bunched fist slammed into the wall, the unleashed force depressing an entire section of wall cladding, as the massive crash reverberated off the walls of the small room. While the tremendous thud still echoed in Jaxon’s ears, so did the bemused voice of the once again vanished S’Caan. :: Vulcan Mc Ghee: :: amused :: That’s right, my old friend make it easy for me. :: laughter :: :: Jaxon stood his shoulders still rising and falling as he breathed hard. Then Mc Ghee slowly removed his fist that was still resting on the destroyed wall panel, he then flexed his hand forcefully, Jaxon turned as he heard other voices; no doubt his team was arriving now the air was clearing. Jaxon gave Gamma Joe a weak smile as he looked into the room, saw the dead Lieutenant, nodded to the chief and silently stepped inside to cover Richards body with his jacket. Jaxon eyed the wall cladding that had fallen victim to his outbreak of anger and felt the pain still coursing through his hand and up his arm. It felt good. TBC Lt. Cmdr. Jaxon Mc Ghee Chief Engineer Duronis II USS Thunder, NCC 70605

((Officer's quarters, USS Mercury)) ::When her shift in Sickbay was through, Gypsy went back to the quarters she shared with Rick. She wasn't surprised that he wasn't there, just like she wasn't surprised that he hadn't put yesterday's uniform in the cleaning processor. She smiled, rolled her eyes and did it herself, making a mental note to remind him that as she got bigger, it was going to get harder to bend down and pick up his discarded clothes. A little guilt would go a long way.:: ::Before she was through tidying up the room, her stomach growled.:: Hawker: ::to her belly:: Are you hungry, too, little one? ::She gently rubbed her abdomen, which seemed to her to grow firmer and rounder every day, as she made her way over to the replicator.:: Hawker: What do you think Daddy wants for dinner, hmm? Pot roast and mashed potatoes? Spaghetti and meatballs? Chocolate-covered pickle chips? oO Wait. That might just be me. Oo ::Gypsy was trying to decide between pork chops smothered in stewed onions and tomatoes or macaroni and cheese with ham when she heard her fiancee's voice through the comm.:: Rawden: =/\= Rick to Gypsy.=/\= Hawker: =/\= Gypsy here! You've got good timing, honey. I was just trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Are you in the mood for anything special? =/\= Rawden: =/\= Sorry angel, I’ve got to go on an away team.=/\= ::Her throat closed up. Those were words no spouse or soon-to-be spouse ever wanted to hear from their partner. The last time she'd gone on an away mission, she'd come back infected with alien DNA that had nearly killed her and the baby growing inside her. What might happen to Rick? She couldn't imagine. Didn't want to imagine.:: ::But that was life in Starfleet, wasn't it? Nothing was ever certain, and all you could do was to make certain that the people you loved knew, without a doubt, that they were loved. Because tomorrow was not a guarantee.:: Hawker: =/\= Oh. Well...I guess I can have chocolate-covered pickle chips, then. =/\= Rawden: =/\= RESPONSE =/\= Hawker: =/\= Nothing. I was kidding. Mostly. =/\= ::Hand on her belly, she drew in a deep breath and released it slowly.:: =/\= Be safe and we'll see you when you get back. =/\= Rawden: =/\= Take Care of Junior=/\= Hawker: =/\= I will. =/\= ::Her lower lip trembled; she caught it between her teeth to steady it.:: =/\= I love you, Rick. Rawden: =/\= RESPONSE =/\= Hawker: ::whispering:: =/\= Bye. =/\= ::Although she'd lost her appetite, Gypsy replicated a bowl of split pea soup, her favorite comfort food, and managed to get down most of it, for the sake of the baby. After she finished, she retreated into the bedroom, curled up with Rick's pillow and surrounded herself with his soap and sandlewood scent. It must have been the pregnancy that made her eyes slowly close, because otherwise she would have been wide awake until he returned.:: ::Gypsy's last thought before she fell into a dreamless sleep was that she would gladly pick up Rick's uniforms for the rest of her life as long as he was there to leave them on the floor.:: Crewman Gypsy Hawker Medical Crewman, First Class USS Mercury Simmed by LtCmdr Velana CMO: USS Mercury