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@Sheila Bailey This is one of the best sims I have seen you write, I enjoyed learning more about Bailey. ((Shopping Promenade, Star Station Esperance)) ::In all the time Bailey spent working with Rosemary she almost missed Solok’s message. Afterwards she was glad to be leaving; maybe then she would get an idea of what had happened elsewhere. ‘Running’ or more so placing both her crutches in front of her and swinging her legs forward so that she could move faster down the corridor, the rest of the medical staff behind her she couldn’t help think of her older sister.:: ::Cathleen Bailey was the oldest of three sisters. Cathleen sat tall most of her life, but right now all Sheila could think of was the shuttle accident she had gotten into as a young pilot. Unlike Sheila Cathleen loved to touch the stars. She ran hard and fell the fastest. But on that day all those years ago Sheila remembered pushing her way through the crowded Elaysian hospital to come face to face with her older sister who could only laugh. Cathleen said that she wished she had gone faster instead of crashing. It never broke her spirit only Genevieve and Raymond Bailey’s heart. Cathleen was told that if she was to ever leave the planet she would have no choice but to be confined to a wheelchair. Never stopped her.:: ::Now standing, Bailey wasn’t sure how long later, on the shopping promenade of the Star Station Esperance she felt lost. She missed the things that helped her lessen the pain and not knowing if she would ever get them back was breaking her heart. What she missed most of all was Beelam. The two girls could communicate through looks alone. But she also missed the strong touch of Chen her best Vulcan friend. Yes, back in the academy the three of them had a relationship. Beelam understood emotions, Sheila knew how to mold those emotion so they didn’t get out of hand and Chen surprisingly for a Vulcan knew how to love. Standing there leaning all her weight on her crutches, the bright pink of them was suddenly screaming at her.:: ::Sheila could hear her mother’s voice, her mother only ever called her Jack, her mother’s voice that always seemed to scream trying to compensate for her hearing loss. What her mother would say now was: “You don’t need them.” or “What a shame for loving more than one. Only a Denobulan would do that.” Her father would want to study the creature, no Rosemary, that was still attached to her. Sheila knew Rosemary was not going to let go even though she wanted to. At this point Rosemary had flatted herself on Bailey’s back. It through of her center of gravity even more but at least Rosemary was healing.:: ::Sheila was just contemplating finding a place to finally write to Chen when she spotted the first officer.:: Rosek: Doctor Bailey! ::When the woman looked in her direction, Lael began moving toward her slowly, the foot of the crutch catching only once on the deck plating.:: Bailey: Please call me Sheila or do what my mother does and call me Jack. Please none of this doctor business when we’re off duty. How are you? Rosek: ::smiles:: Not bad all things considered. Doing a bit of shopping? ::Sheila did a double take. She was conflicted. Help a friend or follow her heart. Looking at Lael Sheila saw a mix of Beelam and herself. A women strong but a bit broken by the circumstances. Sheila almost wanted to go all doctor mode on her but that could be saved for a minute.:: Bailey: Why? A good looking girl like yourself surely doesn't need anything. Rosek: ::smiles sheepishly:: I lost my best clothes and German’s parents are coming for a visit soon. This might be my last chance to get something that doesn’t come from a replicator. ::Sheila not for the first time felt bad for flirting. It always came worse when she was around woman. She always told Beelam that she was strong. This time it felt wrong as by the way Lael talked about German’s parents it sounded like more than just First Officer duty.:: ::Sheila didn’t know what to say. She loved dressing up but she had to be careful of the exoskeleton. If she had to wear it on bare skin it left marks, pinched and on occasion made her itch.:: ::Bailey only nodded.:: Rosek: ::smirks:: No replicator can beat the hard work of a fine clothier. Bailey: Oh! I… I get that. You sure your doing okay? Rosek: ::worries her lip and nods before turning it into a smile:: I’m a bit nervous, yeah. But I’m sure it’ll be fine. Bailey: I’m sorry to be so forward but, that’s how I am, I know you probably got medical help but I can see how uncomfortable you are. Is there anything I can do? Rosek: Response ::Sheila wanted to hit herself this time. What a dumb thing to say more so to the XO. My god! Maybe Sheila needed someone like her around.:: ::As they walked the conversation drew awkward for a moment. They had to stop a few times and Sheila noted how badly she need pain relief. The two of them walked around the store, Sheila giving Lael advice when before long she blurted out the worst possible thing.:: Bailey: How do you go on? How do you go on knowing that the one might not be the one? Rosek: Response Bailey: I’m sorry! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean. You mentioned German. He’s Denobulan. I’m sorry. ::What was she doing. What was she saying. Why now? Her mind was playing tricks, she was in to much pain, couldn’t think. Maybe it was Rosemary. Maybe now that she was healing she was making her think all this horrid thoughts.:: Rosek: Response Bailey: I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m thinking. You don’t need any more problems in your life. ::Under her breath.:: I’m strong, tough. Rosek: Response ::The two of them looked around some more but suddenly Bailey couldn’t take it anymore.:: Bailey: I’m in a relationship. ::Stupid stupid. Sheila’s breathing started to pick up a bit but she did her best to keep things under control. She could not break down now. Not in front of Lael. Sheila could feel Rosemary tighten around her.:: oO Not helping. Oo Rosek: Response Bailey: How about this dress? ::Her breathing was short and sharp.:: ::Bailey pulled a gray dress down that had cut outs around the shoulders. It was a distraction, a way to try and change the subject. She was not going to panic or let the pain make her panic. She had to stay strong.:: Rosek: Response TBC/TAG Ensign Sheila Bailey Medical Officer USS Montreal NCC-64927 M239512BG0

What can I say about this JP? Except... D'awww. (( Awards Ceremony )) :: The crowd was getting thick, and with no other problems at hand, Aria's mind was free to obsess and worry about nothing about that crowd. She grimaced and took a sip of her drink. :: Turner: :: walking up, teasing her a little about her shyness:: Bracing yourself for giving out promotions? Oddas: To be honest, Toni, sometimes it's still a little ... foreign. I'm a little surprised this what I do. :: Aria shrugged and looked back out on the crowd. :: Turner: :: facing the crowd with her:: I've always looked at it as one of the CO's more pleasant missions. Oddas: Well, don't tell anyone, but sometimes I actually admit I like it quite a bit. :: Aria gave Toni a humorous smile, then changed to something more genuine, she knew she owed a lot to the other woman: not everyone would look at a shy Engineer and say 'there's Command potential'. :: Turner: I never asked you to do anything that I wouldn't do myself. Well, except the things I didn't know how to do, but you did. :: Toni had the monthly report forms in mind, not to mention engineering duties.:: The secret is to project your voice to the back of the assembly, and never let them see you sweat. :: Turning to glimpse the podium, she asked.:: Turner: Is the comm on the podium working? :: Aria looked at the podium toward the back of the room, as it was mostly holographic she had to assume it was working - otherwise, it would be a fairly bad trick and more realism than she cared to experience. :: Oddas: I would imagine so. Turner: Mind if I check it for you? Technical difficulties will only make you more nervous. :: Aria gestured toward the podium with her free hand and Toni took the podium smiling about what she was about to do. Projecting her soft voice with the aid of the comm, she called for attention.:: Turner: Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention, please. :: It took a few moments for the crowd to settle down to quiet whispers and the music to stop playing in the background, but when it did, she began.:: Turner: Tonight we have gathered here on the USS Eagle for the promotions of some of the brightest, most competent officers in the fleet. Officers who work within the crew seeing to the safety of their crewmates and making decisions for the betterment of the ship and Starfleet as a whole. Some will be from different species and different planets, but they all bring unique experiences from living life, and sharing them in a cooperative effort to bring peace and tranquility to the Galaxy. A few years ago, one such officer came to the Embassy on Duronis II. She was an unassuming, shy person, who sought no public attention or acclaim, but within her glowed a spark of potential that made her stand out from the rest. :: turning to Aria, smiling:: Yes, I'm talking about you. :: Aria fought back some embarrassment, forcing herself to remain standing still and not fidget, despite being the center of too much attention in the room. She let the Admiral continue. :: Turner: Everything you did to better the crew and the Embassy allowed you to hit every mark for promotion. And this time you have hit the final mark that makes your days as a Commander come to an end. :: taking a small silver box from her pocket and removing a lone pip.:: I am pleased and proud to be the one to promote you to Captain. :: Pinning the fourth pip on Aria's collar, and hugging her congratulations, Toni turned back to the crowd, beginning the applause. Aria let herself smile and holding back her own emotions. :: Turner: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Captain Aria Oddas! :: Stepping back and continuing her applaud with the others, tears of happiness began to well in Toni's eyes. Aria had met the potential and the next step up awaited her. Aria looked around the room, friends, crew, family, applauding for her, and she was touched. :: Oddas: Toni, everyone, thank you very much. I will spare you my normal long speech and just say, Thank You, I'm honored, and I will continue to strive to make you, and everyone proud of me. TBC Captain Oddas Aria Commanding Officer USS Eagle, NCC-74659 ASDB Co-Facilitator / Training Team / Captains Council E239305OA0 and Rear Admiral Toni Turner Commanding Officer Embassy Duronis II - USS Thor NCC-82607 Author ID number: E238209TT0

((OOC: I cackled at work. Confound your ability to make me laugh, Mr. @Quentin Collins III!)) ((Interior. DECK 2. SCI Lab 1. After SB281)) ::It had been and long and thankfully boring day of specimen inspection for Ensign Quentin Collins. As was Science Officer protocol after a ship engagement, all of their current experiments and stowed research materials had to be inspected and uncatalogued in case of damage or containment failure. So far they had only lost a rack of fungus for a study Mr. Terumak had been cultivating and Quentin wasn't going to be the one to tell him. But it was steady work and welcome to boot for Collins. Especially after the fiasco that was getting his books back on the 281.:: Collins: oO Not exactly our best moment...Oo ::He winced, closing up another cold storage and marking it "INTACT" on his PADD. God, what if it interfered with the upcoming awards ceremony. What if it just cost him rank?:: Collins: oO is my career over before it even starts? Oo ::The chirp of his comm jolted him from the edge of melancholy.:: Anders: =/\= Commander Anders to Ens. Collins. =/\= ::Just what he needed. He tapped his badge, setting the PADD down on a nearby work table.:: Collins: =/\= Collins here, Commander. What can I do for you?=/\= Anders: =/\= I was wondering if you had a few minutes to stop by Crypto, I am having an issue that I could use your help with. =/\= ::He felt himself brighten. Crypto was the flash new designation that lab up on the Bridge had now. He had done a quick duty shift in there, but he hadn't seen it since CMMD. Anders had moved in and put it to the actual purpose it was built for. If anything it would be worth just a look around.:: Collins: =/\= Absolutely, Commander. I'm on my way.=/\= ::The line cut and Collins turned toward the main doorway of the Lab. He started to step forward, but saw the unmistakable frame of Mr. Terumak. The spiky Tellarite was in the middle of resetting a workstation, damaged in the ship contact. Quentin sighed quickly and stepped in time. Might as well go ahead and rip this bandage off now. He slipped in next to the petty officer on his way to the doorway and cleared his throat. After his instinctual huff when realizing who was talking to him, he continued his work.:: Terumak: Yeesir? Collins: I need you to finish up the materials inventory, Commander Anders needs me upstairs. ::He said pushing the PADD into the crewman's hand. He took it and started to look it over, surely scrolling for his mushrooms.:: Also, your mushrooms are dead. ::He started to look up to Quentin but he had already started stepping toward the door. Quentin heard only a sad scoff as he stepped.:: Collins: ::Calling over his shoulder:: I'm so sorry! When you mourn we all mourn! ::The silence of the corridor was a tonic.:: ((Interior: DECK 1. CRYPTO)) ::All awkwardness from his last encounter was blasted away as soon as he stepped into the lab. It was like a whole other compartment. Somehow sharper and keener, as the equipment gleamed and warbled silently, gathering intel. He instantly spied Commander Anders hunched over one of center consoles. He approached and stood at a loose attention.:: Collins: Commander. How may I assist? ::Maybe a touch formal, but it was better safe than sloppy.:: Anders: I am trying to get the sensors from all the different science departments to link with the Cipher so that it can analyze all data in an extreme situation and for some reason it will not stay linked. It will start the sync and then bump off. ::Quentin furrowed his brow.:: Collins: Well, that's frustrating. ::He motioned toward the console:: May I? Anders: RESPONSE ::Collins nodded and stepped up. Keying in his access codes, he quickly acclimated himself to the new streamlined interface. the Commander really had done a number in here and it was a sight to behold. Even better to actually work with it. He pulled up the synchronization reports and confirmed the Commander's assessment. But even more curious...:: Collins: It looks like all the labs' data streams have linked properly, but something keeps weighing down the whole sync Anders: RESPONSE Collins: I know, stating the obvious, right? Let me try and isolate the specifically unpaired system and then we can work from there. ::He pulled up all the available data streams to CRYPTO. The sheer amount of information was staggering. Almost intoxicating. But even it seemed to miss something to Quentin...:: Collins: Wait... Anders: RESPONSE Collins: I think I have something, sir. ::He tried to access Astrometrics and the computer blerped a denial.:: There we go! It's Astrometrics. My guess is the main scope arrays haven't been updated since you set up shop Anders: RESPONSE Collins: We can try to reboot remotely, but I'm guessing to get you and Astrometrics fully paired we would have to restart the whole eyeglass. But that's not really my school of thought as it were. ::As if by magic, Mr. Hayley stepped into the space.:: Collins: Ah! Mr. Hayley. Perfect timing! Anders/Hayley: RESPONSE TBC ENSIGN QUENTIN COLLINS III SCIENCE OFFICER U. S. S. EAGLE NCC-74659 E239512QC0

((OOC: @Maddi Hyden and @Kayla Drex captured the mood perfectly! I loved every second of reading this one! The wedding is going to be one heck tonne of fun to sim with you guys! ❤️ )) ((Maddi And Esa’s Quarters, Deck 3, USS Atlantis)) :: Maddi had been getting ready for her shift, but she had realized she was way too early. She smiled as a thought crossed her mind. She replicated a glass chocolate milk and activated a subspace communication and waited to see if there was a reply. :: ((USS Eagle, Kayla’s Quarters)) :: Kayla had been painting again. This new piece was so far without form or intention. The dark swirl of deep blues, black, and greens had only recently been interrupted by a shock of a splatter of metallic gold paint she’d wanted to experiment with. The tiny metallic flecks in the paint swirled in the solvent in the brush cup now. Kayla smiled as she watched the tiny whirlpool. Looking at her canvas, she smiled still wider. Some shining spots in a wash of bleak darkness. The painting was done. It didn’t need anything else in her mind, so she rinsed her brushes again and hung them carefully to dry. :: No sooner had she washed her hands than she heard the terminal on her desk chirp, indicating an incoming subspace message. Curious, she plopped down into her chair and tapped to complete the connection. The smiling face that greeted her was one she’d seen so many times while at the Academy, but hadn’t seen in over six months.:: Drex: =/\= Maddi! Hi! How in the galaxy are you? =/\= :: Maddi hadn’t seen the face in a very long time, but it made her so happy to see such an old friend. Kayla had been there for her when Esa couldn’t and she had become rather fond of the conversations. :: Hyden: =/\= Kayla my old friend! I’m doing rather well I have some big news to tell you, but first I have to ask you. How have you been? =/\= Drex: =/\= I’ve … well, to be perfectly honest, I haven’t been great. =/\= :: Kayla then explained how her Momma had passed, the doubts she’d been feeling in the sudden absence, and the new resolve she had started to feel settling in her heart and mind.:: Drex: ::realizing she’d been talking uninterrupted for the last 10 minutes:: =/\= … but that’s about it. What’s this news? You getting another promotion or something? =/\= Hyden: =/\= Wait a minute. I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. For one she raised a strong young woman who made my time at the Academy that much easier. Don’t ever doubt yourself Kayla your worth more than you’ll ever know to me and so many others! They say your resolve makes you stronger and in your case I think you could be so much stronger out of all this. :: Maddi stopped for a minute looking at Kayla who looked like she was going to cry. :: Look K I’ve always been her for you though it’s been so long keep your head up if anyone can get through this it’s you. :: She paused again and decided it was time. :: However to answer your question. I proposed to Esa and she said yes and well I want you to be in the wedding if...that’s something you’d want? Drex: ::beat:: =/\= Wait … you WHAT!? =/\= ::The sound that Kayla then made might have only been audible to Mandy (Chloe’s dog, probably sleeping until that moment in the quarters across the hall). She alternated between clapping her hands, flailing in excitement, and covering her face to wipe away the happy tears that now streamed from her eyes.:: Drex: =/\= Maddi, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you both! Congratulations! And YES! OF COURSE! I’d love to be in your wedding! Have you two set a date yet? Can I help with anything? ohmygoshohmygoshohmyGOSH! This is so exciting! =/\= ::Kayla beamed at the small screen, Maddi’s face beamed back at her. As excited as Kayla was, it was obvious - and fitting - that Maddi was even more excited. Kayla had met Esa back at the Academy. She’d helped Esa bring a pretty dismal grade in Temporal Mechanics up to a respectable B-. There was one thing Kayla was certain of: Esa and Maddi were a perfect match.:: Hyden: =/\= Not exactly our plans are for our next shore leave, but we aren’t sure yet. Well I know one thing you can do. Get your maid of honor speech ready. :: She paused for effect. :: I think you know what that means. =/\= :: Maddi looked at Kayla and could tell she was beyond excited. She smiled it was a decision that she had not made lightly. Jo and Kayla were the only two she had even thought about for the honor, but Kayla had done so much for her and she knew what Maddi had been through. Maddi felt as though Kayla deserved the honor. :: :: Kayla stared at the screen, mouth agape, and blinked a couple times while this latest request set in. :: Drex: =/\= Maddi … =/\= :: Then the penny dropped. She would have to remember to apologize to Chloe later for torturing her poor dog. The squeals coming from Kayla’s quarters caught a passing crewman off-guard. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the closed door, wondering if he should call security. Kayla’s squeals turned into fits of delighted laughter though, so he shrugged and continued on his way. :: Drex: =/\= Maddi, I would. Absolutely. LOVE. to be your Maid of Honor. Thank you so much for asking me! I’m really honored and touched. =/\= :: Kayla took a breath, thinking immediately about how many ways she could make this special day even more celebratory. :: Drex: =/\= Bachelorette party. I’ve got some ideas for how to make that work. Don’t worry, it’s not going to be anything crazy or risque. I know that’s not really your scene. I want to help you with anything and everything you need. You just let me know, ok? I’m your girl. I got you. Need me to mess up a baker trying to overcharge for the cake? Just point me in the punk’s direction. ::another small scream of glee:: GAH! Maddi! This is gonna be so FUN!!!! =/\= Hyden: =/\= You better not go crazy. You know I don’t like crazy things in party’s you learned that at the Academy. Well I’ll make sure Esa and I keep you in the loop. :: She smiled. :: =/\= ::Kayla blushed. It had been the only time she tried going to a “wild Academy party,” and she’d dragged Maddi along. It … hadn’t gone well, and Kayla didn’t try another party after that. :: Drex: =/\= No worries. It’ll be totally … you. =/\= ::The girls talked a bit longer, Maddi telling Kayla about the proposal, Kayla gasping at all the right parts of the story. This was going to be a lot of fun.:: END

A wonderful reunion - truly a joy to read from @Sal Taybrim & @Theo Whittaker ((Ready Room - Deck One - USS Columbia)) ((Time Index: Two days after Columbia leaves the Spiral Nebula)) ::From the porthole in his ready room, Theo watched the Columbia slipping into orbit of Delta Vega I, slowly gently rolling into place until the orb of the red-brown planet appeared as a slim crescent across the bottom of the narrow window. He sipped his chamomile tea as he felt the tension of the past day evaporating from his body. Kaironn was in custody, the ancient Tkon relics were back in the hands of those who would not abuse them (although the question of where they would be studied- aboard Columbia or on Dehner Base) remained ‘up in the air’) and he had reached an understanding with Professor Sellards- albeit a tenuous one. Yet he had not been able to relax until that moment.:: ::He could, in short, rest easy again.:: Pran: =/\= Bridge to Captain Whittaker. We have entered orbit of Delta Vega I.=/\= ::came the voice of the Security Officer. =/\=And I also have Fleet Captain Taybrim on subspace.=/\= ::That brought a warm smile to Theo’s face and he turned from the porthole and set the tea cup down on his desk. Word had reached him courtesy of a subspace data burst from Starfleet Command that his former Captain, mentor and close friend had recieved a well deserved (and much overdue, in Theo’s eyes) promotion to Fleet Captain. Even after a year, Theo missed the Betazoid commanding officer of StarBase 118. Given Columbia’s distant assignment, the chances for the two of them to talk were limited. But this was one conversation that he would have moved heaven and earth to have.:: Whittaker: =/\= Thank you, Lieutenant. =/\= ::he replied, sinking in to the comfortable, high backed chair behind the desk. =/\= Transfer the Fleet Captain through to my ready room.=/\= Pran: =/\= Aye sir. =/\= :: she closed the channel at the same time that his desktop monitor activated, the symbol of Starfleet’s Communications Research Division displayed up on it.:: ::The symbol was very quickly replaced by the smiling visage, ginger hair and twinkling black eyes of a man that Theo respected as one of the fleet’s greatest captains and loved like a brother. His smile, already wide, transformed into a proud grin as his eyes fell on the thin gold bar below the four rank pips attached to the red collar of his uniform.:: Whittaker: Hello Sal! ::he said, his joy and pride drenching his every word.:: Congratulations! Taybrim: =/\= Hello Theo! =/\= ::Sal has that same open, warm smile that Theo remembered:: Whittaker: ::with a snicker, he could not help but add:: Does this mean Mirra can punch you in the face now? ::Two years before Mirra- never one to hold back with her opinion- had struck Commodore Allan Kinney, the corrupt Sector Commander who had been spreading disinformation against the crew of StarBase 118. He had been in the pocket of the resurgent Orion Syndicate who were attempting to gain a foothold in the Trinity Sector and once uncovered, Mirra had taken matters into her own hand. It had become something of a local legend in that part of space- not to mention a running joke between Taybrim, Theo and his Diplomatic Officer.:: Taybrim: ::Sal clicked his tongue at Whittaker:: =/\= I’m not a Commodore… yet =/\= ::Dark eyes sparkled, he was amused by that.:: =/\= But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit! =/\= Whittaker: If only I could, old friend. Columbia is exploring the very edge of the galaxy and we don’t have a transport ship due to visit Dehner Base for two weeks I’m afraid! We are even too far out to use real-time holo-communication technology. ::he said ruefully, remembering how Captain Brell of the Atlantis had utilised it to great effect for his own promotion party.:: So I’m afraid, good old fashioned subspace communications will have to suffice for now. ::Sal gave a soft smile. He understood the limitations - which was regrettable and yet realistic. Then again he had largely eschewed a party as well. He had attended many ostentatious parties and despite the fact that he was a social butterfly, Sal Taybrim was also not an attention-seeking personality. A small formal affair was enough.:: Taybrim: =/\= Subspace communication works fine. Though I still think you should come back and pay a visit. Not for an occasion, just for old times sake. =/\= ::He smiled gently, light sparkling in his dark eyes.:: Whittaker: I promise that the next time I take shore leave- forced or voluntarily- I will pay you visit on my way to wherever I end up. ::he chuckled.:: How is the station doing these days? Scuttlebutt around the fleet is that you got an invitation to go targ hunting? ::he had a hard time picturing Sal Taybrim hunting the small Klingon beasties.:: Was Admiral Hauke punishing you? ::he added with a smirk.:: Taybrim: =/\= Oh, no. We were targ hunting by invitation. =/\= ::he smiled mysteriously:: =/\= You know all that fancy diplomatic stuff including gagh and bloodwine and targs. It was invigorating!=/\= Whittaker: I’ve seen images of targ hunts in books before and… the smell alone…. ::he said with a mock shiver.:: Maybe I transferred elsewhere at the right time. ::his eyes twinkled with mirth.:: Taybrim: =/\= Well, yes it did take a few sonic showers to get the smell of wet targ out. But with enough bloodwine you start thinking that eau de targ is a good combination!=/\= ::he grinned merrily.:: Whittaker: You know that bloodwine and I do not get along! ::this time the shiver was authentic. StarBase 118 had a Klingon drinking establishment known as The Bat’leth and there had been one rather heavy night there…… he didn’t like to think about it.:: Taybrim: =/\= You know scuttlebutt around the fleet says you are dealing with more pirates…=/\= ::Not just pirates. More pirates.:: ::Theo sat back in his chair and nodded. It had only been a few days since the situation with Kaironn had come to its conclusion and while life aboard Columbia had all but returned to normal, the events of New Years Day were still fresh in everyone’s minds.:: Whittaker: Sometimes, Sal, I fear that my lot in life is to spend my days rounding up marauding criminals. ::beat.:: The scuttlebutt is correct, although there were nowhere near the level of Chennel, thank goodness. They stole some archeological samples from Dehner Base and ambushed us. Took out a fair few of our systems before we could respond. ::That got the ginger Betazoid’s brows perked. Archaeological samples? Who stole Archaeological samples? That was something he thought of as quite the mystery to be solved.:: Taybrim: =/\= What happened after you engaged? =/\= Whittaker: We managed to retrieve the samples after we chased them to a nearby Nebula and we’ve now got their Captain in our brig. ::it felt good to be able to say that.:: All is well that ends well, no? Taybrim: =/\= Hopefully! =/\= ::he said optimistically:: =/\= My curious question would be - why did they want archaeological samples? Whittaker: They were intending to sell them on the local black market, I imagine. ::He worded himself carefully, not entirely sure whether he should divulge the nature of Professor Jev’s relics. He knew that Sal would not go off shouting his mouth about the discovery of several artefacts from one of the galaxy’s most advanced races- but had still yet to hear from Starfleet Command about how they wanted to proceed with them. If they wanted to suppress their true nature (Theo could not blame them given how fearsome Tkon technology had been)- then he did not want to get on their bad side by detailing everything to Sal.:: Taybrim: =/\= Curious, indeed. =/\= ::he nodded, considering the information:: =/\= Maybe I’m paranoid because of that big imposing intel tower in my attic. =/\= ::he took the opportunity to laugh a little at himself. He wasn’t by nature a paranoid person, but he never did trust criminals - especially after Chennel.:: ::He smiled at that, thinking about how Aitas- 118’s current Chief of Intelligence had managed to integrate the Intelligence Tower into the daily life of the station, rather than remaining hidden in shadows. Of course, operational security was a necessity and those not cleared to enter the tower did not gain access but the Tower worked much closer with Ops than ever before.:: Whittaker: Aitas is not that bad. ::he chuckled.:: How is the station? Any big developments? Is Mrs. Anders still prowling about? ::he suppressed a shiver at the memory of the terrifying woman who had almost become his mother-in-law. Taybrim: =/\= Oh, not too much has changed =/\= ::he chuckled:: =/\= Taelon returned to us… after a sticky trip through time. El-Aurians… =/\= ::he shook his head:: ::Theo straightened in his chair at that little morsel of information. He and Taelon had been almost involved prior to his assignment to the Blackwell, although it had ended prematurely- not to mention poorly, as Theo had no idea how to broach the subject.:: Whittaker: Oh... Taybrim: ::Carefully, speaking gently:: =/\= He has a daughter now… =/\= Whittaker: ::he blinked several times before responding.:: Oh… ::he repeated.:: I did not see that coming. ::he shook his head.:: H-How is he….? ::he almost did not want to know.:: Taybrim: =/\=He is OK. Surprisingly good for living on a Klingon ship for a decade.=/\= ::Sal’s tone said there was more to that story, but it was more in the sense that it was likely better said face to face with strong drinks. Which was a luxury that wasn’t always available to Starfleet officers.:: ::A Klingon ship for over a decade. Theo knew there was more to the story that Sal was willing to let on, which made him wonder whether Taelon had been treated well by the Empire… he hoped that he had, but realised that it would not be as cut and dried as that.:: Whittaker: I see.. ::he said slowly.:: Send him my best when you get a moment, would you? I know that I did not treat him well after my departure from the station-, but I want nothing but the best for him and his daughter. ::he meant that- every word.:: ::Sal smiled gently at that:: Taybrim: =/\=I know, and I will tell him=/\= ::he paused and allowed the moment to linger before spekaing:: =/\= How have you been, Theo? How is the Columbia? =/\= Whittaker: There is plenty new with Columbia besides pirates.. ::he said, glad to be moving on from the topic of Taelon.:: Uprated sensors, new laboratories… she’s practically a whole new ship. She’s a testbed for the Nebula-class becoming long range exploration and reconnaissance vessels. ::beat:: No wonder they put me in the big chair, being an engineer. ::he chuckled.:: Taybrim: =/\=I’m so very glad that the Columbia is a leading ship in the fleet again=/\= ::he smiled fondly. They both had good memories of the Columbia, though the ship had always been Theo’s baby.:: Whittaker: As am I, Sal. As am I. I still have to pinch myself whenever I think that Starfleet gave her to me- but I’m sure that will pass. ::he smiled.:: Taybrim: =/\= But, more to the point, how are you, Theo? Personally how are things? How is Mirra treating you?=/\= Whittaker: I don’t think she likes the fact that she’s no longer cleared to tamper with my replicator now she is serving as a diplomat. ::he chortled at that.:: I’m doing well on the whole. I feel more comfortable in the centre seat than I ever have before- even if I could do without Professor Sellards from Dehner Base breathing fire every time we clash. ::that made his smile falter.:: But I am hopeful that we’ve reached some sort of understanding. Taybrim: =/\= Oh, really? =/\= ::he prodded gently for more information.:: ::He sat back in his chair and looked away from the screen for several seconds before he looked back at the ginger haired man on his desktop monitor.:: Whittaker: She doesn’t trust us and she kept some rather crucial information about the archeological samples hidden until one of her colleagues revealed their true nature. ::he hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should divulge the situation with Sellards- deciding he needed to vent to a neutral party, he pressed on.:: Her uncle was involved in the Pegasus disaster and lost his life. It essentially tore her family apart and she has spent a great deal of time resenting Starfleet. We’ve clashed a number of times over operational concerns, although I’m hopeful that our encounter with the pirates has made her see that Starfleet isn’t just a group of moustache-twirling villains who operate in the shadows. Taybrim: =/\= Starfleet is a very varied organization and you have the chance to show her the very best side of it =/\= ::he said with a smile of encouragement.:: Whittaker: If she will let us. ::despite their acrimonious beginning, Theo remained hopeful that he could prove to her that Starfleet was not the organisation she thought she was. Taybrim: =/\= Of course it will take time. But if she values honestly, and steadfast support she’ll find no better crew than you and yours.=/\= Whittaker: That’s most kind of you to say so, Sal. ::he was about to reply when a message flashed up in the corner of his screen. With a frown and a sigh he realised that he was needed elsewhere and that he would have to end the call with his dear friend.:: Looks like I have a staff meeting I need to oversee. I hate to cut this short, but you know what it’s like at the top. ::he smiled at the Betazoid.:: Next time I’m back in Federation space- I’ll be dropping by to see how the old girl is doing. Take care of yourself, Sal. ::Theo leaned forward and terminated the call. For a second, he thought fondly of the man who had helped to mould him into the Captain he was. How far he had come since Sal Taybrim had lured him to the darkened engine room of the Columbia and asked him to jump off the proverbial cliff! They had been through much together and out of it had blossomed a wonderful, much cherished friendship. Theo was proud for his dear friend. Fleet Captain… nobody deserved it more.:: ::And with that moment passed, Theo got to his feet and headed to his staff meeting, and wondered what misadventures the twinkling black eyes of Sal Taybrim would find themselves in next.:: -- Captain Theo M. Whittaker Commanding Officer USS Columbia NCC 85279 ID: C239203TW0 & Fleet Captain Sal Taybrim Commanding Officer StarBase 118 Operations

This was a very creative b-plot on the part of our Engineering and Medical team. Chief Engineer Harkrow really did an amazing job at developing the creature and its interactions with the teams and its environment. It was such a fun read. ((Sickbay, Deck 4, USS Montreal)) ::So far, Roraemey considered, this was shaping up to be a very bad orbit. Or, at least, an extremely confusing, unlikely, and frightening one. The entire period had been a string of new and strange experiences, each more bizarre than the last; she was almost certain that, should she actually manage to find the nahe nefile again and return alive, almost none in the fi would believe her tale.:: ((FLASHBACK: Space, In Orbit of Karakka)) ::She had been away from the nahe nefile, the nest-ship, for more than eight orbits, searching the asteroids for the materials her fi needed: lasif sevo, the frozen rock that they split into the gasses that fed the nahe and melted for moisture; lasif viamali, the red-black oxide that would smelt to make hull metal and would radiate roy nisifaor when exposed to the roy vunisifaor of a nearby star; rua vilayi, the heavy ore that seemed to produce its own roy nisifaor for a thousand orbits. This, at least, was perfectly natural. She was Roraemey Naf, after all, the far-flyer of her fi. But when she’d returned to the place in the asteroid field where the nahe nefile had been hidden, it was not there; instead, a massive blocky ship had hung in the space between the rocks, radiating roy nisifaor into the void. A rosivuh rur ship.:: ::Roraemey had heard stories of the rosivuh rur, the life-eaters, almost since the day she’d been shed from her mother’s hip. Massive beasts from the bottoms of the great gravity wells, they could not fly the void themselves, but rose to space in great ships that could cross the gulfs between the stars faster than any Suyuyan nahe nefile ever had. The rosivuh rur could not sustain themselves on roy, neither roy nisifaor, the light-that-is-food that sustained the Suyuy, nor roy vunisifaor, the light that aided sight but brought no sustenance. Instead, they consumed the flesh of the living, of plants and other beasts, and the stories said that their ships glowed with roy nisifaor in order to lure careless Suyuy into their waiting maws.:: ::She had fled from the ship, stretching her body wide to catch the pressure of the star’s roy and sail away from the pocket in the asteroid field, but just as she’d accelerated to a wider orbit another rosivuh rur ship had appeared as if from thin vacuum directly in her path, and she felt the star’s roy slacken almost to nothing as a shimmering barrier of roy vunisifaor appeared around the ship. For a moment, she’d panicked, nearly throwing herself into the barrier, but only for a moment. The life of any Roraemey Naf was bound to be one with dangers and challenges; she would simply have to enter the ship of the rosivuh rur, find the machine creating the barrier, and disable it.:: ::It had taken her only a little time to find a place in the hull of the ship where she could press her body between the hull plates and slide through. Once inside, though, she found herself disoriented. The rosivuh rur had brought their gravity well with them, somehow, and she felt the weight of it constantly pulling her to one side as she stuck to a surface. The atmosphere was warm and oppressively thick, as well, making every sound loud enough to sting her fronds, though there were at least enough of the right gasses in the air that she could allow her skin to respire. Moving as fast as she dared, avoiding the loud, lumbering beasts she could hear well beyond her ability to see, she explored the ship. Most of what she saw was mysterious to her: winding corridors connecting to other smaller corridors, a wide space that held nothing but a deep pool of liquid lasif sevo, a room with several soft-surfaced platforms and a wide variety of biological devices that somehow reminded her of the nest of Fulli Ie on the nahe nefile.:: ::Eventually, though, she found what she was looking for: a machine, pulsing with roy vunisifaor in time with the barrier that surrounded the ship. Carefully, she wrapped herself around it, probing to feel how it might be disabled, but then a blast of roy overwhelmed her senses, blinding and stunning her, her body wracked with pain and convulsing with the energy that pulsed through it.:: ::When she regained her senses, she found she was no longer alone. There, just beyond the end of the passageway, were two of the rosivuh rur. They were still, though they made soft noises at each other, and their massive bodies glowed with roy nisifaor. It was no wonder they could not take it in; they were already suffused with it. She stared at the pair, waiting for them to make a move either toward or away from her, and when a third crashed down between the other two with a deafening thud, she shouted a nusay at them and fled, blind and still in great pain, down the corridor away from them. In her flight, she briefly alighted on something warm and soft, and she found the sensation of it intensely comforting before she realized that she’d alighted on one of the beasts themselves and continued her panicked dash. Seeking something, anything familiar, she made for the medical room she’d seen before.:: ((END FLASHBACK)) ::But when she’d arrived, she’d only found herself deeper in the same trouble she’d hoped to escape, as a smaller roy barrier had sprung up around her, trapping her. Another pair of the rosivuh rur were there, outside the barrier, one drawn up to full height and another in a more relaxed position, close to the downward surface. As she watched them, more of the beasts entered, moving slowly. They seemed to be observing her in return, though their fronds seemed strange and lifeless, either hanging limp or bundled together or pressed flat against their strange upward appendages. Frustrated and scared, she made the loudest, most grating noises she could manage at them, hoping to frighten or at least startle them.:: ::It seemed to have little effect, though after a moment she began to hear sounds coming from the creatures. One of them, the one close to the ground, slowly reached an appendage toward her. The motion seemed… gentle. Perhaps even kind? Above, the other beasts roared at each other, but this one only reached out toward her. Then, the creature… spoke?:: Bailey: ::Whispers to the creature:: I understand you. I know how you feel. ::The words meant nothing she could understand, but the tone, the cadence… that was speech. Gingerly, she tried to reproduce the creature’s gesture toward her, extending a frond in the direction of the low rosivuh rur. The large one moved toward her, though, and directed a roar at her that made her flinch.:: Harkrow: My name is Lieutenant Jacob Harkrow, of the Federation Starship Montreal. Can you understand me? ::Although, now that she’d heard speech from the one creature, she could just recognize some of the same patterns in the roaring. What that also speech? Did the rosivuh rur roar at each other to communicate?:: Roraemey: Yufa nasero re? Vunsivuar viyufa namu re? (You can speak? You use spoken language?) ::Or, at least, that was what she’d intended to say, but she’d gotten her fronds so worked into knots that she’d mostly said gibberish. The second sentence had come out something closer to “place which is to this one a place similar what is”. Total nonsense, but the rosivuh rur responded to it. The low creature reached out toward her again.:: Sotak: ::reading from her attempt at understanding the language:: “Yufa identity?” “place of my being?” Apologies, I just tried a different pattern and I believe that the sound that reads as “yufa” could be translated to “person”, but the creature does not know that concept, so it could be the term to refer to the individual in a species. Bailey: I think the creature understands more than it can tell us. Harkrow: Oh, I think that’s an understatement. Sotak: Indeed, it is can be interpreted in more usual terms as “What is your identity?” or “Who are you?” as is more casual. As to the second question, it not-so-literally translates to “Where am I?” ::raising a considering eyebrow:: It is rather obviously confused. Bailey: It’s scared. It wonders why it was being caged. Harkrow: Only natural. Any thoughts on how to continue? Sotak: I suggest you continue trying to communicate. It is the only way I can create a complete language matrix. Bailey: It doesn’t want to communicate with words. Harkrow: ::Looking over at Bailey:: Do you have another suggestion, Ensign? ::The stream of nonsensical speech between the rosivuh rur paused after the large one addressed the low one. Then the low one extended a pair of appendages to grasp a pair of long assemblies of refined rua, and used them to push itself away from the surface. Or tried to, struggled to push upward against the unnatural gravity.:: ::The gravity. A flash of insight struck Roraemay; this creature, like her, did not live in a gravity well like the one the ship carried. The assemblies she grasped, and the ones attached to her other appendages, were intended to hold her up like the other rosivuh rur, but they weren’t doing what they were supposed to. If she could show the creature she understood it…:: Harkrow: Hold on, it’s doing something. Ensign, you might- Sotak: Response ::Roraemay slithered forward, wrapping herself around the lower appendages of the rosivuh rur. The sensation was unusual to say the very least, but also somehow comforting. Though, admittedly, the fact that the creature was feeding her a continuous source of roy nisifaor might have had something to do with that. She settled herself around the creature, feeling how the limbs might move, how they might function.:: Bailey: ::Face pressed to the ground:: Don’t come any closer. ::As if talking to the creature:: I’m going to try and stand back up now. Harkrow: Just… be careful. And if it hurts you, hollar. Sotak: Response ::The creature began pushing itself upright again, and Roraemay let it show her how it wanted to move, using the strength of her own body to enhance that of the creature, pushing up its core and out along the other limbs. The feeling was familiar, almost like piloting the nahe nefile, guiding him even as he told her how he wanted to go. Balancing the rosivuh rur against gravity just like she balanced the nahe on the curve of the roy funvi iroy. As they rose, she hummed to the creature, just as she hummed to the heart of the nahe to keep him calm when the space storms were at their strongest.:: Bailey: It think it’s used to a symbiotic relationship. Harkrow: Let’s hope so. Sotak: Response ::Roraemey felt the roy nisifaor from the creature’s body intensify slightly as it moved, in a way that suggested it was testing how it could move. It seemed to approve, for it set the assemblies it had picked up aside, relying on Roraemey to hold it up. Roraemey hummed her encouragement.:: ::It felt oddly freeing to have the creature as almost a second exoskeleton around her body. She didn’t feel off balance or stiff, able, for the first time since needing them, to put her crutches down and stand with the life forms assistance. Sheila had a wide smile on her face as she felt the creature humming as well as breathing against her back.:: Bailey: I have an idea for an attempt at communication but I suggest that one of you go grab Solok so he can be present and observe. Harkrow:...sure, I’ll do that, and Ensign Sotak can stay here and keep an eye on the translator. ::He looked at Sotak.:: And on Ensign Bailey. Sotak: Response ::Roraemey felt the creature draw in a breath, as though preparing to speak, but what came out was...:: Bailey: O mio babbino caro (O my dear papa) ::This… this was as big a shock as the speech had been. These creatures understood not just linguistics, but harmonics as well. They weren’t just beasts, not even smart beasts, they were… Suyuy. Non-Suyuy Suyuy, somehow. She matched her pitch and tone to the creature, and then, still not sure if they would understand, she introduced herself.:: Roraemey: Mivon say Siniun Nunviv say Fi Nahe say Roraemey Naf isi erili luh. (I am named Far-Flyer from the Ship Family from the Eighth Child from the Root.) ::And then, because her fear still wasn’t entirely gone, she added a petition.:: Roraemey: Rev felim ruvinir vusivuh lun luh. (I humbly ask you not to eat me.) Harkrow: ::glancing at Sotak:: You get any of that? Sotak/Solok/Bailey: Response TAG/TBC ---------- Mivon say Siniun Nunviv say Fi Nahe say Roraemey Naf (Far-Flyer from the Ship Family from the Eighth Child from the Root) ---------- As Simmed By: ---------- Lieutenant Jacob Harkrow Chief Engineer USS Montreal NCC-64927 ---------- M239510JH0

((Beta Quadrant, Par'tha Expanse, USS Atlantis, Deck 5, Sickbay)) :: The entire trip on the Illa'vareia had been brief from his reckoning, as the Al-Leyan had spent the vast majority of it unconscious. Even then, under sedation he had a listless slumber. Tossing and turning until restraint fields were put in place to keep him from falling out of the bed as nightmares consumed his sleep. Though the storm wrought on his mind by the device implanted harshly into the back of his neck had abated, the psychological trauma he'd faced at the hands of a cold and calculating RoLF had been extensive. :: ((TRS Torment - Nightmare)) :: Toryn awoke with a start and he was back on board the Torment. The sickeningly familiar crimson glow of the force field and the cold, red eyes of his torturer stared at him as he was restrained to the wall of the cell by those magnetically enforced bands around his limbs. The machine stared at him studying him. Beside the RoLF was a familiar, blue skinned figure. Brell stood beside him, looking just as weary as he felt himself. Like he had when Toryn rescued him off the bridge of the asteroid ship. The Bolian stared at him. :: Nightmare Brell: Commander. You acted recklessly and put yourself in danger. Your actions endangered the entire ship and crew. I'm disappointed in you. :: The interrogator RoLF made a gesture and the electrical field activated but this time it didn't strike him. Toryn watched as the electricity coursed through Brell, the screams of whom mixed with his own as he watched his Commanding officer turn to dust from the discharge. Then he felt the bite of the current touch him and he cried out. Only to black out. :: ((USS Atlantis, Sickbay)) :: Tossing a bit, he screamed out, voicing his agony in the nightmare induced by the trauma he'd endured and the sedatives keeping him asleep. Unaware of those around him, conscious or otherwise as he felt himself snap awake again. :: ((TRS Torment - Nightmare)) :: He jolted awake, still in that damned cell, still with that damned RoLF. This time Several other Atlanteans were arranged around the cell in front of him, all bound as he was and facing him. Logan. McKnight. Maeli. Knight. They all stared at him, a mix of contempt and fear in their expressions. :: Nightmare Knight: You had to know we'd try to come for you. ::His prosthetic eye glowed the same cold red as the RoLF's:: You doomed us all. Nightmare McKnight: You failed to save the Captain. You doomed us all. Nightmare Logan: You doomed us all. ::His cybernetic arm was a solid disruptor, like the other RoLF's had been:: Nightmare Maeli: You destroyed my mind. You doomed us all. All four in unison: You doomed us all. :: Again the torturer robot gestured and the cell's torture field activated. Shredding all four of them with the same intense, insane current of power. They all turned to ash in front of him and he screamed as the current hit him next. :: ((USS Atlantis, Sickbay, several hours later)) :: Toryn's screams once more echoed through the room before a gentle hand was placed over his mouth and a hiss of a hypospray against his neck sent him back into a deep slumber. He almost thought he heard a familiar voice sobbing. :: ((TRS Torment - Nightmare )) :: Toryn gasped sharply as he came to consciousness, being pulled from his dream of being back on board the Atlantis, under the care of the lavender haired Antosian nurse. And he instantly wished he hadn't. The RoLF was there again, but this time the person bound beside him made his breath catch in his throat. The scruffy beard, disheveled hair and perpetually grumpy expression was unmistakable. Dermont. Valin, his best friend. They'd served in the Academy together. They'd bonded over this last year and a half. Toryn had helped rescue the man's son from some less than savory sorts who tried to murder him. Not Valin. He couldn't do this. But his voice would come, like he had been robbed of speech. :: Nightmare Dermont: Ya damned fool. Ye've doomed us. I'll never get ta see me boy again! My Brie! Yer no friend!! :: Toryn shook his head violently, as much as the restraint on his neck would permit as the RoLF gestured and he watched in abject horror as Valin was subjected to millions of amps. Couldn't close his eyes no matter how much he wanted to. He watched his best friend turn to ash before him, the thermos at his side melting from the intense heat. As the blackness consumed him again he welcomed it, he couldn't stop screaming, or sobbing. :: ((USS Atlantis, Sickbay, several hours later)) :: Ragged of voice, he could barely scream and were it not for the restraint field he'd have flung himself out of the biobed, but there was the sensation of presences around him. At least two, they had always been there, but were different as if several individuals had taken turns keeping watch over him. :: ((TRS Torment - Nightmare)) :: A whine of defeat erupted from him when he awoke once more, once more with a start from the peace and calm of Atlantis' sickbay to his reality. This torturous hell he'd been enduring for months. As he looked up Toryn instantly wished he could gouge out his own eyes. The RoLF, Ceti stood in the center of the cell before him, on either side, bound by the same metal rings were the last two he'd ever hope to see in this place. To Ceti's right was the raven haired, slightly pointy eared and beautiful Romulan he'd served with for nearly two years. The first woman since leaving Leya-I he'd fallen for, an alien, someone he, by his own culture should be repulsed by having such inclinations but he wasn't a normal Al-Leyan. Toryn felt himself sobbing immediately, then drew his gaze to the RoLF's left and felt his throat clench at the sight of the an equally familiar blonde. Ears pointed slightly less so than his own, the familiar reflective sheen to her eyes would be unmistakable to anyone familiar with their species, he knew those blue eyes well. He'd stared into them long enough. Lael Rosek, the only other woman he loved and couldn't have was bound and staring at him. He felt as though he would crack in half even before either spoke up. :: Nightmare Serala: You told me you wouldn't let me fail to keep my promise, Toryn. You're a failure. ::Ceti handed a familiar dathe'anofv-sen to her and she took it:: I could never love you. You let me die. You doomed us all. :: Toryn fought desperately to say something, but as before no voice came forth and his gaze was drawn to Lael. :: Nightmare Rosek: Toryn, I'm glad I left you when I did. You ruin everything around you. And even those not. Our link. You've been making my life miserable while you've been here. I can feel it. I thought I'd be free once you're gone, but now you've doomed me too. I see now I could never love you. ::Her beautiful eyes turned red:: You doomed us all. :: The RoLF gestured and he watched in horror as Serala thrust the honor blade into her chest, a moment before the electrical current filled the room more vibrantly than before. The two women he loved evaporated into ash in what felt like hours, their screams filling his ears and when the void of blackness consumed him again he hoped he would'nt ever wake up again. :: ((Deck 5, Sickbay, USS Atlantis, an hour after Dermont's arrival)) :: Toryn jolted awake, screaming for Lael and Serala and felt a hard, invisible force keeping him to the biobed. It was a biobed, not a table. It was certainly softer. There was no red glow, only the bright white illumination of a Federation starship. A familiar one. The Al-Leyan stared up at the ceiling. The Mission Specialist was exhausted, despite having been asleep since his rescue little of it had been restful. He shuddered and felt discomfort on his cheeks, the dried remains of tears, he wanted to cry more but he had none left. A shadow loomed over him and Toryn turned his head to look up at the source and his eyes widened with a mix of surprise, confusion and elation at seeing his dear friend Dermont staring down at him in all of his scruffy glory. :: Raga: Va..::His voice was raspy and he had to cough and swallow a few times to speak:: Valin...Is that really you? Dermont: response Raga: Had...to ask...I've seen you die too many times...I don't know what's real...and what's a dream. Dermont: response :: Toryn definitely felt it, despite his body's dense structure the man had landed a square and hardy strike on him. He coughed and nodded. :: Raga: Ow. Dermont: response Raga: Please..tell me we didn't loose anyone. If anyone died trying to bring me back....::His voice trailed off, but the look in his cerulean eyes conveyed the Al-Leyan would consider that a poor trade:: Dermont: response ========================================================= Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga Mission Specialist USS Atlantis NCC-74682 PodCast Team Atlantis Staff Member Writer ID: A239410TR0 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga @Toryn Raga This was incredible it shows what torture can do to a person's mind! You did an excellent job at conveying the fear and pain. It may not be a joyous post, but it was very well written!

This is a compilation of several sims by @Geoffrey Teller, showing his first time in the Big Chair. Some edits have been made to include responses from others. ((Bridge, USS Veritas)) Rahman: =/\= Bridge to Dr. del Vedova. =/\= del Vedova: =/\= ::terse:: Del, go ahead. =/\= Rahman: =/\= Del, we’ve just beamed aboard the survivors of the Solaris, including its captain, Commander Wynter. =/\= ::Teller was glad to know the Captain of the Solaris had made it. He had fought his ship well and probably prevented the destruction of the Vertias. Teller hoped he could buy the man a drink someday soon.:: del Vedova: =/\= We'll be ready =/\= Rahman: =/\= I’ll be down there shortly. Bridge out. =/\= ::She looked over at Delano, Kelrod, DeVeau, and Orrey.:: Rahman: You four with me. ::She turned to Teller.:: Mr. Teller, you have the conn. Focus on damage control and check in with Commander Moonsong and Lieutenant G’var on their progress with the computer core. Teller: ::Teller gulped hard.:: Aye ma'am. I'll keep your seat warm. ::Teller stood from the Engineering station as The Captain, XO, and rest of the senior staff filed into the turbolift. As the doors closed, Teller looked suspiciously at the Captain's chair, as if it were a dangerous animal that would bite him given the smallest provocation. Suddenly the bridge seemed enormous and Teller himself felt very small. His dreams of some day being in command had never included a damaged ship in dangerous space surrounded by unknown enemies while their one escort burned in space nearby. Hesitantly, Teller sat in the Big Chair for the very first time.:: Teller: oO Stop daydreaming, there's work to do. Oo Teller: Ops, drop our alert condition to Yellow and continue coordinating with the damage control teams - have them prioritize tactical systems until further notice, the Tholians that hit us were less than 5% of the force that suddenly went missing. You see anything else on sensors, bring us back to Red immediately. Helm, move us clear of the debris field, we don't need any more scratches on the hull. Once we're clear, give me a slow orbit of the area and keep an eye out for anything moving. ::With that done, Teller tried to formulate a list of all the things the ship and crew needed him to be on top of for the next few minutes. As his shoulders tightened, he realized this was the most uncomfortable chair he had ever sat in.:: ((Later)) //Ships Log, Supplemental, Chief Engineer Geoffrey Teller Reporting// It has been two hours since the Tholian attack and the destruction of the Solaris. Our damage control teams continue to mend the ship as the medical staff attend to the wounded from both crews. We haven't seen any sign of Tholian reinforcements yet but the ship remains at yellow alert. The wreckage of the Tholian ships that we've been able to analyze is baffling - many show signs of recent battle damage that we can't account for, and as far as we can tell, not a single one of them was crewed. We haven't been able to locate any Tholian remains in the debris field and the energy signature of the ships themselves doesn't conform to anything our computer recognizes. Further compounding issues is our hitchhiker, the alien probe that has embedded itself in the ship. We've been able to prevent it from further intruding into our systems but all efforts to dislodge it have been fruitless. Engineering and Science teams are setup around the computer core, attempting to analyze and formulate new strategies to excise it. Most of the senior staff is engaged in the effort, along with several officers from the Solaris. Main Engineering has been successfully decontaminated and repair crews are working feverishly to bring the ship back to full readiness before another Tholian attack. //End Log// ::Teller realized he was pacing again as he reviewed a PADD with damage reports. He desperately wanted to be back in Main Engineering, working on any of the hundred repairs the ship needed at the moment, but the Captain hadn't relieved him yet so he continued to do what he could from the bridge, coordinating repair teams with their young Operations Officer, Ronen Pragus, and periodically checking in on the team attempting to disentangle the alien probe from their hull. With a conscious effort, Teller forced himself to sit down in the Captains chair.:: Teller: oO I never appreciated how maddening it has to be for the Captain to be removed from the work like this. She has to sit and process reports and delegate tasks so she has enough time to process more information from more reports so she can delegate other tasks so she can sit and process more information. Being in this chair is like being half traffic cop and half processor array. My head hurts. Oo ((Later)) ::As Teller thumbed through another damage report, he realized his eyes had glazed over at some point on the last page and started again. He had generated more than enough of the reports in his role as an Engineer but never before appreciated just how many of them fell to the Captain for personal review, approval, notes, amendments and suggestions. More and more he was realizing just how much work went into the day to day role. Rubbing his eyes and trying to refocus his attention, he got two paragraphs in before the newly arrived Lt. Vistain, standing at the Engineering console Teller longed to be back at, interrupted his train of thought.:: Vistain: Lieutenant, engineering is reporting that it looks like warp drive is offline for at least several hours until they can repair the PTCs. Teller: ::Smirking:: Very well but you tell Loupaz that padding her repair estimates isn't going to work with me - she can get those fixed in an hour. Anything else? Vistain: Impulse power has been restored. Teller: Excellent. Keep me appraised of the repairs as systems come back online. Vistain: Aye. Macedon: Sir, I’m picking up a Tholian battleship approaching fast. ::Teller sprang to his feet, very much aware of how precarous their situation was. The last thing they needed right now was another brawl with a wing of these new Tholian droneships.:: Teller: oO It's all on me till the Captain gets back. I have to protect the ship and the crew, and we still need to figure out what the hell is going on here.:: Teller: Red Alert. Tactical - raise shields and arm all weapons. Helm, increase your speed to full impulse and bring us closer to the debris field, we may need to use it for cover. ::The bridge filled with flashing ocre lights and the deep klaxon of the alarms. Teller glanced around and saw people looking to him for leadership. He could feel sweat forming under his uniform.:: Macedon: Sensors are registering it as a previously identified vessel: the T'kath Tholis. We encountered them during the Artemis incident. ::At the mention of the Artemis, Teller's heart lurched in his chest and he had to fight a moments panic.:: Teller: oO Have a breakdown on your own time Oo Teller: On screen. Ops, try to hail them, lets see if this one feels like talking. ::On the viewscreen, weapons ports began to glow bright orange.:: Macedon: She’s charging weapons! Teller: Guess that's a no. Helm, evasive pattern theta 3. Tactical, target weapons and engines. ::The first shots from the Tholians blasted the Starfleet cruiser’s shields, rocking the bridge as sparks flew.:: Teller: Return fire! Vistain - what's our status? ::Teller sat back in the Captains chair and held on as the ship lurched. Apparently the inertial dampeners were still on the 'to-do' list.:: Vistain: Shields holding, but I’m reading power fluctuations across the ship! ::Teller could see their phaser fire connecting with the Tholian ship as more of the Tholian plasma torpedos headed towards them. The ship rocked as another made impact with their rapidly draining shields.:: Teller: Continue firing. Helm keep us moving, get some of the debris between us and our attacker, it should confuse their sensors. ::After another barrage of Tholian weapons fire, the captain’s voice chimed in over the intercom.:: Rahman: =/\= Rahman to Bridge! What’s going on out there? =/\= Teller: =/\= Captain, we've been engaged by a Tholian battleship. We're in a defensive posture and returning fire. What's your status? =/\= Rahman: =/\= Commander Delano and I are trapped in a turbolift. I’m not sure what deck we stopped on, and- =/\= ::The comline was abruptly cut, and Danielle looked back at her schematic of Veritas with a grimace.:: Teller: Captain? Commander? Vistain - what the hell happened? Vistain: Lieutenant, turbolift systems have lost contact with turbo car 7. ::Teller felt a profound cold crawling into his guts. Turbolift systems had dozens of redundancies and safety features but the ship had been battered twice now. He tried to imagine any scenario where losing contact with a lift car suddenly wasn't catastrophic for the people inside and couldn't think of one. The ship rocked again as another shot from the Tholians hit the shields. Teller turned slowly in the Captains chair.:: Teller: Vistain, dispatch a damage control team and an emergency medical team to the base of lift tube seven. If they don't find anything, they're to work their way up deck by deck until they find the Captain and Commander. ::Geoffrey Teller could feel eyes on him from the officers on the bridge. The situation had gone from grave to cataclysmic in the space of moments. These people needed leadership and somehow, he was it. Teller thoughts briefly turned to young Natalia, hopefully in her crib below decks, probably terrified by the banging and shaking. He could see her tiny eyes as if he was standing in the room with her, desperate and scared, and the cold in his gut turned to fury.:: Teller: oO This is our home you Tholian [...]s. You're not taking her from us. Oo Macedon: What are your orders, sir?! ::Teller briefly studied the tactical plot. The Tholians were pressing hard behind behind them in pursuit and we're pouring shot after shot into their faltering shields. They wouldn't be able to keep soaking damage like this for much longer.:: Teller: Helm, we're going to try a kickstop. When I give the order, I want you to reverse your thrust and bring us to full stop as quickly as you can. At the same time, I want Z axis minus 5000 meters. The Tholians will pass right over us before they know what's happening. Macedon, that's your window - you've got to disable their weapons and engines as they pass us, this'll only work once. ::As he laid out the plan, a science officer Teller didn't know spoke up:: Brosa: Sir! The ship is showing massive damage along the starboard side. Teller: Analysis? Brosa: ::hands searching over the panel:: If it was Starfleet ship I would say there are hull breaches on seven the equivalent to seven decks. Teller: Macedon - focus your fire there. Something already took a bite out of them, lets use it to our advantage. Prepare to execute on my order. Teller: oO If this doesn't work we're dead. This has to work. Oo Teller: =/\= Teller to all hands, brace for severe maneuvers. =/\= ::Teller watched on the viewscreen as the Tholian ship drew closer, weapons still spitting furious death at the fleeing Veritas. Teller wasn't sure what he was looking for, but some instinct urged him to draw the Tholians as close as possible, even as the shields began to collapse and shots struck the hull. When it seemed like the entire viewscreen was full of the Tholian ship, Teller felt the moment deep in his gut. When he spoke, his voice was oddly quiet and dispassionate.:: Teller: Helmsman....now. ::The ship stopped like it hit a brick wall in space and almost everyone on the bridge lurched forward as the inertial dampeners tried to compensate for the wild shift in momentum and direction. On the viewscreen, the Tholian vessel hurtled towards them and seemed to be within centimeters of collision as it passed overhead close enough for Teller to see seams in their hull. A moment later, the Tholian ship was sitting fully exposed to their forward weapon arc and Macedon didn't waste the opportunity. Phasers, pulse cannons and torpedoes ripple fired in perfect unison and tore into the Tholian vessels exposed, damage segments. Their shields almost immediately overloaded under the full point blank onslaught and explosions played over their hull. Within seconds, the Tholian ship was dead in space, trailing multiple streams of atmosphere and drive plasma, tumbling out of control.:: ::On the bridge, Teller let out a breath and slumped into the Captains chair.:: Teller: Hold your fire but keep an eye on them. They so much as twitch a crystal in a way you find offensive, put a full volley of torpedoes in their side. Macedon: ::checking the tactical console again:: …they’re, uh… they’re hailing us, sir. Teller: What, now they want to talk? On screen. ::The main viewscreen cut from its image of the crippled Tholian warship to the orange and amber of one of its crew members. Teller didn't know much about the internal layout of a Tholian ship, but he was fairly confident their bridge didn't usually feature that much smoke and fire.:: ::Teller stood from the Captains chair and examined the 'face' on the viewscreen. He hadn't seen many Tholians and, for a moment, was struck by their surprisingly beautiful coloring and facets. He had no reference for facial expressions, but his gut reaction was that the one addressing him was pained to be doing so.:: Vamuwene: =/\= Federation ship. You are victorious. Allow me to evacuate my crew and I will surrender myself to you. =/\= Teller: oO I...uh...have no idea how to accept a formal surrender. Oo Teller: =/\= This is Lieutenant Geoffrey Teller of the USS Veritas, to whom am I speaking? =/\= Vamuwene: =/\= I am Admiral Vamuwene of Battleship T’kath Tholis. =/\= Teller: =/\= Admiral, I don't know much about your people but if you wanted to talk to us, you should've tried that before firing your weapons. Since we arrived in this space two hours ago we suffered an unprovoked attack by your drone ships and then by you. I demand an explanation. =/\= Vamuwene: =/\= Our last encounter with your ship made it clear surprise was our only chance for survival. =/\= ::Teller's eyebrows shot up. He had read the after action report of the Artemis incident and didn't think anything about the ships behavior there would've caused the Tholians to think that a surprise attack was their only hope for survival. To the contrary, the Veritas had saved them from the destruction of the Artemis. Something else was going on, and Teller needed to learn what, quickly.:: Teller: =/\= Admiral, on my word as an officer, the Veritas has never engaged your vessel before now. We were sent here by Starfleet to investigate unusual energy readings, not to escalate the conflict between our peoples. =/\= ::Teller made a gesture to Vistain and the channel was temporarily muted:: Teller: I'm open to theories or suggestions. My gut says he's not trying to play us. Vistain: The question is what is his gut saying. Macedon: Do Tholians even have a gut? Vistain: ::ignores Macedon:: Maybe we should hear more about this “last encounter.” Teller: Good idea, but you keep an eye on those sensors. Could be reinforcements on the way. Macedon: Aye. ::With a nod, the channel was reopened.:: Teller: =/\= Admiral, could you describe the Starfleet vessel that attacked your ship? =/\= Vamuwene: =/\= A 4-nacelled Starfleet ship of the same design as yours attacked us shortly after we entered the system. =/\= ::Teller's head was spinning as he tapped at the library computer controls in the Captain's chair, and quickly drew up a list of the Veritas's sister ships. Only one, The USS Minerva, had ever been anywhere near the Menthar corridor, and it was listed as destroyed months ago during the fall of Astrofiori 1.:: Teller: =/\= Admiral, considering our tactical situation, we've got no reason to lie to one another. I'm telling you right now, we never fired on you, and that's a Good Job Guarantee. =/\= Vamuwene: =/\= Then it would appear that we have a common enemy, Lieutenant Teller. =/\= Teller: =/\= Admiral, have your people had any contact with a small, probe sized device? Possibly something that attempted to compromise your computer systems? I'm sending over some of our sensor readings on it now. =/\= Vamuwene: =/\= Not us, but other ships in the task force heard a strange song during the battle. =/\= Teller: =/\= Admiral, I'm starting to agree with you on that 'common enemy.' I propose we start working together on this problem. =/\= Vamuwene: =/\= It would seem harmony is our best hope for survival. =/\= Teller: =/\= Very well. Have your crew prepare for evacuation while we reconfigure one of our cargo bays to your atmospheric needs. We'll contact you again as soon as we're ready to begin transport. =/\= Vamuwene: =/\= We will make the arrangements. =/\= Teller: =/\= Admiral, Starfleet prides itself on finding peaceful solutions whenever possible but we will defend ourselves vigorously when provoked. I'd encourage you and your crew to bear that in mind. Teller out. =/\= ::Teller leaned back in the Captain's chair as the viewscreen returned to its view of the crippled Tholian battleship.:: Teller: What'd you guys think? Too much? Brosa: It was effective at the least, a strong hand is needed sometimes. Teller: Thanks...now we just have to make it work. Stand-down from red alert, but keep us at yellow for now. Start prepping one of the cargo bays for our house guests and inform security.... ::Teller didn't manage to finish the sentence before the comm came alive again, this time with the concerned voice of their security chief.:: Kelrod: =/\= Kelrod to bridge, what’s our status? =/\= Teller: =/\= Bit of a long story Commander, but the ship is secure and not in any immediate danger. What's your status? =/\= Kelrod: =/\= I was on my way to deck eight along DeVeau and Solak from the Solaris. Do you need me up there? =/\= ::Teller looked around at the men and women who had suddenly become the command crew and realized they shared one anothers complete confidence. Teller smiled for the first time in what seemed like hours.:: Teller: =/\= Negative Commander, we've got it under control up here for the moment. =/\= Kelrod: =/\= Do you have contact with Lieutenant G’Var or Moonsong? =/\= Teller: =/\= Not since before the battle. Proceed to deck eight and do what you can. Additionally, I need you to dispatch an armed security detail to Cargo Bay 2...we're about to have some guests. =/\= Kelrod: =/\= Understood. Kelrod out =/\= ::With preparations underway and the ship as secure as it could be, Teller tapped his comm badge.:: Teller: =/\= Teller to Del Vedova =/\= del Vedova: =/\= Del Vedova. Go ahead. =/\= Teller: =/\= Doctor, I need an update on the Captain and Commander Delano. =/\= del Vedova: =/\= All conscious, and all alright, for the moment. We're trying to pull them out of the fallen lift now. I'm sure we'll have them back to the bridge shortly. =/\= Teller: =/\= Thank you Doctor, that's a relief. I won't keep you from your work. Teller out. =/\= ::Teller felt the stress evaporating slightly. It was an enormous relief to know the Captain and Commander Delano were alright, even if they had been injured.:: Teller: oO Wonder what the Captain will think of how I handled the ship in her absence. I'm probably going to be busted back to midshipman. Oo ::Teller could feel a headache forming behind his eyes as he watched officers work their stations and prepare for the imminent arrival of their unexpected guests, the surviving crew of the Tholian ship T’kath Tholis. When the Captain had placed him in command a few hours ago, Teller never would've imagined that his brief time in the big chair could've involved so many complex and possibly critical decisions. The ship had been attacked, the Captain and XO were out of contact, they still had an alien device embedded in their computer core, and last but certainly not least, they were about to play host to a group of aliens that were trying to kill them very recently. Somehow, it had fallen to Teller to make the pieces fit together and he hoped that, in the absence of most of the senior crew, he could keep the ship afloat. As he scanned the status display, an alert cleared and the comm opened.:: Core: =/\= Core to the Bridge--the gravity short-circuit's been corrected. =/\= Teller: oO That must've been fun. We're going to be putting the ship back together for a month after this mission is over. Oo Teller: =/\= Good work Commander, glad you're in one piece. Please report to the computer core as quick as you can and assist the team trying to analyse the alien device. We need answers, quickly.=/\= Core: =/\= Alright. Give me a couple minutes--we've got minor injuries down here. =/\= Teller: =/\= Understood, how bad? Do you need us to dispatch a medical team? They're stretched a little thin right now. =/\= Core: =/\= Oh, you know. Minor spats with inverted gravity in triple story engineering work areas. The usual. ::He huffed, straightening a little when a muscle in his chest strained.:: It's been sorted. =/\= Teller: =/\= Glad to hear it. See what assistance you can offer Lt. Ukinix and his team and give me a report in an hour. I'll let them know you're on your way. Teller out. =/\= ::Teller closed the comm and glanced around, again feeling the need to pace. His hands were restless, desperate to be back downstairs doing something tangible. This calling and waiting for status reports was absolutely maddening.:: Ukinix: =/\= Ukinix to Bridge. The probe is transmitting on both random rotating subspace and non-subspace frequencies. We’re trying to disrupt it from down here, but anything you can do ship wide will be helpful. Ukinix out. =/\= Teller: =/\= Teller to Ukinix - I'm sending some additional help your way. Commander Kelrod and Lt. Cmdr. Core are en route now. How's our visitor? =/\= Ukinix: =/\= We’ve uh – Raissa’s um – well, Commander Moonsong’s using her head to fight it. I mean *literally* using her head. =/\= Teller: =/\= Raissa's doing what?! =/\= Ukinix: =/\= Using telepathy to shore up the firewall. =/\= Teller: =/\= Amazing. It seems to be working, we haven't had any other system intrusions since the engines went offline. =/\= Ukinix: =/\= We’re working now to keep it that way. =/\= Teller: =/\= Might help you to know our Tholian friends had a run-in with one of these things as well, and it sounds like it went even worse for them than it did for us. We need answers, badly. =/\= Ukinix: =/\= We’re on it, Chief. Might have to get back to you though. It’s a bit – a lot – nuts down here at the moment mate. =/\= Teller: =/\= Understood. Do what you can once Kelrod and Core get there and give me an update in an hour. Teller out. =/\= ::There were so many details to keep on top of from here it was easy to lose track of all the moving pieces aboard the ship, especially during a crisis. He had two more calls to make at least and a mountain of damage reports to cull through. He realized he hadn't had a chance to keep appraised of the many injuries the crew had sustained and felt the need to reach out to their medical staff.:: Teller: =/\= Teller to MacKenzie. =/\= MacKenzie: =/\= Go ahead, Lieutenant. =/\= Teller: =/\= I need a casualty report, Doctor =/\= MacKenzie: =/\= The last update I got was about 20 minutes ago. At that point, we had 12 dead and 56 wounded, 22 of whom are critical. That doesn't take into account any hands lost on the Solaris. =/\= Teller: oO A dozen dead in a few minutes. How many of those are my fault? How many of them are people I know? Did I let those people down? How does the Captain handle the doubt? The guilt? Oo Teller: =/\= Understood Doctor, thank you. Anything to add? =/\= MacKenzie: =/\= I'm on my way to the science lab to work with Commander DeVeau and Lieutenant Solak analyzing the Tholian wreckage. =/\= Teller: =/\= Good, keep on top of it Doctor. If you don't hear from Doctor Del Vedova within the hour, give me an updated status - we need to have as many able crewmen back at their stations as soon as possible. =/\= MacKenzie: =/\= We're patching them up and getting them to their posts as soon as we can. We'd appreciate it if you'd hold the ship still. I'd hate for anything unfortunate to happen while I'm holding an exoscalpel... =/\= Teller: =/\= Understood Doctor, I'll try to avoid any more sudden stops. Teller out. =/\= ::Ship and crew were both on the mend, but their situation was still perilous at best. They didn't understand what had happened here yet, or why, only that a third party of unknown but extremely advanced capabilities seemed hellbent on destroying any ships it came across. Just one more mystery to add to the pile, Teller thought ruefully.:: Teller: Vistain, how're the transporters? We about ready to bring the Tholian survivors over? Vistain: Still offline, sir, but I can have our shuttles ready to begin ferrying the Tholians in the meantime. Teller: Good, signal the Tholis to standby. Vistain: Aye. Teller: How's the 'guest suite' coming along? Cargo bay nice and toasty for them? Brosa: Everything is set to Tholian norms as we understand them sir. Teller: Good work everyone. I know this isn't what we expected when we came on duty today, but that's Starfleet. Macedon, make sure that security team is in place but remind them the Tholians are our guests right now. Fighting a battle on two fronts is the easiest way to lose it. Macedon: Yes, sir. ::Teller leaned back in the chair and looked at the hulk of the Tholis in the viewscreen. Since the fury of the battle had subsided, Teller felt slightly ill at the sight of a ship he had helped wreck so thoroughly. It was only by the narrowest of margins that the same thing hadn't happened to the Veritas herself. He sincerely hoped to make it though the rest of the day without being pressed to such critical choices again, but somehow he suspected he wouldn't get his way.:: Brosa: Sir I have adjusted the outgoing sensors to trace the transmissions that were reported from the computer core. While it doesn’t go far, due to the interference, if we start to follow it then I can continue to give us a path. Teller: Understood. Helm, coordinate with Mr. Brosa and plot a course - half impulse, I want as much warning as possible before we run into another surprise. Brosa: With the signal dipping in and out of subspace, if we are to follow it then it will have to be soon before the signal degrades to far. Teller: I appreciate that Mr. Brosa but we've got Tholians to rescue and I don't want to stumble into a fight we can't handle. Helm, once the Tholians are on board you're clear to execute. ::Teller squinted at the viewscreen, willing himself to see whatever strange danger lurked out there.:: Teller: oO Lets see, we've had spooky drone ships, a probe making improper overtures to our computer, and a shipful of vengeful Tholians. What's next, universe!? Oo Vistain: Lieutenant Teller, sickbay is calling. They have the captain and the others from the turbolift, and they are being treated. Teller: oO I shouldn't have asked. Oo Teller: Very well. Have the damage control teams start work on turboshaft 7 as soon as possible. Vistain: They also say that the captain wishes to speak with you — in person. Teller: Understood. Vistain, you've got the conn. Keep us at yellow alert and keep following Mr. Brosa's sensor readings. Anything changes, I'll be getting demoted down in sickbay. Vistain: Aye. ::Teller stood and gave the Captains chair an affectionate pat before heading to the turbolift.:: Teller: oO Thanks for keeping us safe. Oo (( Sickbay )) ::As Teller walked into sickbay, he couldn't help but notice that every biobed was full and other, only slightly less injured crew members, were propped on chairs and the floor as medical staff hurried back and forth. Between the drone attack, the destruction of the Solaris and the Tholian attack on the Veritas herself, they should've been able to consider themselves 'lucky.' As Teller's stomach churned uncomfortably, he didn't feel very lucky. He felt guilty and wondered how many of his friends were here or in the triage center, fighting for their lives. He hadn't had the time to look at the full casualty report yet but the numbers were already enough to make him queasy. Forcing the thought away for the moment, Teller squared his shoulders and found the Captain. Near the center of the room Teller saw Doctor Del Vedova checking the results of a scan on the Captain's arm, who looked aggravated enough to chew raw duratanium.:: Teller: How's the Captain, Doctor? Rahman: Mmm, that’s a good question. How am I, doctor? del Vedova: Ready to get back to your chair, as long as you don't fall down any more turboshafts. Rahman: Thanks. del Vedova: I mean that. Teller: Glad to hear it. When we lost contact with the turbolift car, we all feared the worst. ::The Captain moved her arm experimentally, testing her range of motion with a few grimaces.:: Rahman: More importantly, how is the ship? Teller: Overall, we're still in fighting shape but she's going to need another new coat of paint. Warp engines and transporters are offline. Ship's at yellow alert and once we recover the Tholian survivors, we'll be on course following some unusual subspace transmissions Mr. Brosa picked up from our hitchhiker. ::The Captain's brow furrowed as some of the details settled in.:: Rahman: I see… and the Tholians? Teller: Their ship is dead in space. They're bringing over their command staff as a formal token of surrender. Sensors show they've dispatched their shuttlecraft with their remaining crew on a course back towards Tholian territory. They should be aboard within the next few minutes. Cargo Bay 2 has been converted for their use as best as we could on short notice. ::The Captain seemed to let this sink in, then addressed the CMO:: Rahman: It looks like you and Dr. MacKenzie are going to have your hands full. You should go oversee the care of our new guests. del Vedova: ::soberly:: Yeah, I'd say so. ::The Captain looked at someone behind Teller, and as he turned he was relieved to see Commander Delano joining them.:: Rahman: Number One, Mr. Teller has just informed me we have Tholian survivors coming aboard as well. Delano: I take they aren’t going to be here as prisoners? Teller: That's correct sir, I've instructed the security team to treat them as our guests. Based on my conversations with them, I genuinely believe we've both been attacked by an unknown third party. One that's technologically advanced but that so far seems unwilling or unable to communicate with us. Rahman: Yes, it seems things are a bit more complicated than we first thought. What’s the status with the probe? Teller: Still embedded like a splinter, sir, but apparently Lt. Cmdr. Moonsong is...supplementing our computer defenses telepathically. It made the difference. Delano: Do we know exactly what it’s trying to do? Rahman: If this technology isn’t the Tholians, then we need to figure out *whose* it is — and how to defeat it. ::Her gaze darted back and forth between the other two men.:: Ideas, gentlemen? Teller: The signals we're picking up have to be part of this somehow. I know we just lost our escort and got our teeth kicked in, twice, but all of that....all of this ::gesturing to the injured in sickbay:: was for nothing if we don't find out what happened. I say we keep looking till we find out what did this. Delano: My first thought is that we should shut down the computer, but I have a feeling that won’t matter at this point. Teller: The probe has actively resisted all our efforts to excise it so far, and if we shut the computers down completely, we'll be defenseless out here. Commander Kelrod is pursuing a plan to retrieve wreckage from the Solaris that might aid in our investigation. I've also asked Lt. Cmdr. Core to offer what assistance he can with the computer. He should be with the team there soon. Rahman: If we can’t shut down the computer or remove the probe directly, perhaps we can make our systems a bit less palatable to its liking. I’m reminded of an old engineer’s trick: “souring the milk” when a ship encountered a spacebourne lifeforms. We might not be dealing with a “lifeforms” here in the traditional sense, but we could try a similar approach. Delano: Right. Then the way I see it, we can either taint whatever it’s after - either with misinformation or some kind of virus. Or, we try to overwhelm it in some way. A power surge, perhaps. Or phaser rifles. ::The Commander crossed his arms in frustration. They were in a bad spot and didn't have a lot of good options at this point.:: Delano: Whatever we try, it’s a risk. We simply don’t know how this thing will react. Or, for that matter, what will happen if we leave it alone. :: Beat :: You say Commander Moonsong was able to make some kind of telepathic connection? Teller: I wasn't able to get a lot of details from Lt. Ukinix, but it sounded like she was keeping it from pushing deeper into our systems. You should know - the Tholians ran into one of these things as well. And they lost a 200+ ship fleet to it. ::She held a long look at Teller.:: Rahman: Believe me, lieutenant, that fact is not leaving my mind anytime soon. Delano: I suppose we also have to consider the possibility that we're dealing with some kind of sentient artificial life form then. We might be able to communicate with it. del Vedova: Excuse me, but are you talking about the team with Alora and Raissa? Teller: Respectfully sirs, this thing has had ample opportunity to chat if it wanted to strike up a conversation. Call it engineers instinct, but I feel like we're dealing with a defense system of some kind. Very advanced technology, definitely, but very simple operating instructions - anything violates some established perimeter or threshold and bam - disable it, sequester it or destroy it. If the Tholians are to be believed, they were hit by a Starfleet ship that got the same drone-retrofit as the Tholian vessels that attacked us and the Solaris. Identical tactics, very nearly identical results. Rahman: A Starfleet vessel? ::She furrowed her brow and looked over at Delano.:: Rahman: We need to talk to these Tholians as soon as possible to learn more. del Vedova: I'm also prepping Cargo Bay 1 for any Tholian patients. How soon can we expect them? Teller: We've got Cargo Bay 2 retrofit to their environment standards and they should be coming aboard now. I didn't want you to have to deal with them around the rest of the casualties - aside from the environmental challenges, I was a little worried about putting the Tholians and our people in close proximity so soon after a fight. Someone could have strong feelings and we don't need that kind of trouble right now. You'll have more room to work and a security detail nearby just in case the Tholians aren't as gracious as they claim to be. ::She frowned at the hypothetical the chief engineer had just painted. Rahman: Are you concerned of bigotry aboard my ship, Lieutenant? Teller: Begging your pardon, ma'am. At the time, it seemed like the best course of action. I'm prepared to give you a full report on my actions during and after the fight, but you should know, the performance of the crew was exemplary. I think you would've been proud, Skipper. ::She remarked back with a straight face.:: Rahman: I’m always proud of my crew, Mr. Teller. Including a certain chief engineer with a predilection for shore leave mischief. Delano: I believe she’s trying to say you did a good job under difficult circumstances, Mr. Teller. del Vedova: She's not disappointed, anyway. :: There was a slight pause, and then the captain urged them back into action. :: Rahman: Right, let’s get to the matter at hand. Number One, Doctor, head over to Cargo Bay 2 to meet our Tholian guests. I’ll join you shortly. Delano: Understood. There should be EVA suits in the supply room near Cargo Bay 2, so I suggest meeting there first. Shall we go together, Doctor? del Vedova: Ready when you are. ::After the two left, she turned back to Teller, who spoke up eagerly.:: Teller: Just tell me what you need, Captain. ::She nodded before holding up a finger at him to pause as she tapped her com badge with her other hand.:: Rahman: =/\= Rahman to Tristam Core. =/\= Core: =/\= Core here, Captain. =/\= Rahman: =/\= Commander, I’m told you’re heading to the computer core? =/\= Core: =/\= It's on the list, yes. =/\= Rahman: =/\= I want Lieutenant Teller and engineering to work with science and security on developing some countermeasures into our computer systems, both for the current probe and in case we encounter any others that try to breach our systems. There must be a way we can make our system incompatible with however this technology is able to commandeer other ships. =/\= Teller: =/\= From what I'm told the team hasn't had much luck so far, so I think we need to cook up something radically different. =/\= ::Teller tried to think of an angle Wil, G'var and Raissa wouldn't have explored. That pretty much ruled out hacking it, hitting it and telepathically bonding with it, respectively.:: Core: =/\= I'll have to think on it. Anything else? =/\= Rahman: =/\= I’m going to speak with the Tholians, but they’ve apparently encountered another Starfleet vessel that’s already been compromised. We’ll have to assume all of our current safeguards are ineffective. =/\= Teller: =/\= Tholians said it was almost identical to us as well. Fleet records said one of our sister ships, the Minerva, was lost near Astrofiori One a few months ago. Only other ship of the same class anywhere for a thousand lightyears. Maybe we can use that - disguise ourselves somehow? =/\= Core: =/\= Worth a shot. =/\= Rahman: =/\= Good, give me a plan within two hours. That’s not too much to ask, is it? =/\= Teller: =/\= I'll meet you in the Engineering lab. =/\= Core: =/\= I'm on my way. =/\= ::Once she closed the comline, she hopped off the biobed, ready to go join Dr. del Vedova and Commander Delano. Still, she gave a nod of appreciation at Teller before she left.:: Rahman: You’ve got your work set out for you, Lieutenant. Teller: Wouldn't be the first time, ma'am. ::Teller felt an odd kind of relief to be back working on the problems he was used to facing - equally impossible, but almost purely technical. Still, there was a lingering desire to check in on the ship as a whole, to make sure all the pieces were in place and performing properly. At some point, the Big Chair had apparently made an impression on Teller.:: Rahman: ::smiles:: I told you that you should have taken full advantage of your shore leave when you had the chance. Teller: Maybe next time I'll go to Pacifica. I hear they mix a mean [...]tail there. ::She raised her eyebrow as she began to walk out.:: Rahman: Just make sure we still have a ship to fly back to base for the next shore leave. Teller: Yes ma'am, although I'd appreciate it if you were there to explain to the yardmaster why he's gotta rebuild this ship...again. ::She looked back over her shoulder at the chief engineer when the doors to sickbay parted.:: Rahman: Oh, and good work, Lieutenant. Not bad for your first time in the chair. Maybe next time it’ll be longer. ::Teller blinked at the unexpected compliment.:: Teller: Thank you ma'am. I never expected this, but...I'm starting to understand why you made the jump from engineering to command. I appreciate your confidence in me. ::She gave him a wink and then headed out towards the cargo bay.:: [End for Teller] =============================== Lieutenant JG Geoffrey Teller Chief Engineer USS Veritas - NCC 95035 Capt. R. Rahman, Commanding V239509GT0

Been meaning to post this for a couple of days now. Ensign Arco, (PNPC written by Ferier Kian) a hybrid Bajoran/Cardassian, struggling with her believes and her upbringing, while, adjusting to the life on a Starship. @Ferier This last post got to me somehow. :-) Great writing. (( Cochtois Lagoon Beach - Deluvia IV )) ::After meeting Lachlan Crauw on the beach the pair decided to have a bite to eat. Arco tried to flee believing she wasn’t worthy of having friends or having survived the recent disaster on the USS Njörðr. Having tried to leave and being stopped by Lachlan the pair sat outside chatting.:: Crauw:: Why don't we sit down and you can talk to me, ok. Whatever is on your mind. A burden shared is a burden halved. I wouldn't be a good friend otherwise. Please Jatri, let me help you. ::He guided her towards the bench in the gentle, yet warm breeze.:: Arco: No one can help me Lachlan. I am a half breed who didn't deserve to survive the Njörðr. Forget the finger they should have taken all of me. People died, good people. I wish I could change places with them. Crauw: Lady Jatri, I hope I'm not offending you, but why, as a half breed, don't you deserve to live? What has, who you are, to do with it? Arco: So many people dead, why did I survive what have I done to deserve it. I haven’t done anything and I am sure I won't do anything to make me worthy of life when others got death. ::Jatri took place on the bench and Lachlan sat down next to her. He saw her shivering and, regretting even more now he hadn't brought a shirt along, he put his arm around her shoulders trying to comfort her.:: Crauw: That is the course of life, Lady Jatri. Maybe you survived because you are meant to do something greater in the future, your presence might be required elsewhere to safeguard people from a tragedy we don’t know anything about yet. And yes people died on the Njörðr. But we survived. Don't you think we owe it to those, that did die on the ship, to enjoy our lives at the fullest? Like turning a new page in the book called Life? You said it yourself earlier: you are free to be you. Maybe what happened on the Njörðr was needed for you to reach that new chapter in your life. Arco: Maybe I should resign Starfleet and open a bar here instead. At least that way I won’t see so many people die. ::Lachlan's brow raised a notch.:: Crauw: My dear Jatri, I’m sure the bartender on the Njörðr would disagree with you there. :: Lachlan winked at her but his words hit home. It seemed in the dangerous universe no job was safe Crauw: You know lady Jatri. A Klingon saved my life on the Njörðr. I wouldn't show much respect towards the man if I just gave up, would I now? Arco: I don’t want to give up, I don’t understand why anyone, least of all you, would bother with someone like me. Crauw: What I'm trying to say is: there are more half breeds out there and they manage. And I have every confidence that you can too. If people have some common sense, they would look beyond what race someone is and see that person for what they truly are. Arco: On Bajor, unless I am in the sect I see the looks they give me, the disgust. Cardassians have the same look. Crauw: Like what I see now: a beautiful young lady, who has a whole life ahead of her to do the things she wants to do. Things she didn't have the opportunity to do before in her life. A lovely lady, who likes a quiet afternoon on the beach, reading a book or have a swim amongst sea creatures. A lady who meets new people, who she can call friends. I'd say that's worth living for, isn't it? ::Still embracing her shoulders he saw her ponder for a moment.:: Arco: Help me Lachlan, I don’t know how to do those things, I don’t know how to fit in. Crauw: I'd say you are already doing a good job now, lady Jatri. You decided to come to the beach. Otherwise I'd be sitting here, talking to myself. Imagine the looks that would have given me? ::He winked again as he said the words.:: Arco: I want to live Lachlan not just exist. Not to be the oddball or a mongrel. Crauw: One step at the time, lady Jatri. Today the beach and see where it leads you tomorrow, and the day after and the day after that. Arco: How do we cope with so many deaths Lachlan? Crauw: I don't know, miss Jatri. Some people turn to the bottle to forget what they saw. Others tend to do good to those that survived, in memory of those that were lost. Others tend to live their life at the fullest every single day, cause they know tomorrow could or might be their last. It all depends on the situation someone is in. All I know is, that the feeling will diminish but it will take time. Some days will be easier than others. Arco: I hope it does Lachlan. ::He looked at her again.:: Crauw: What also helps, is to talk about it, lady Jatri. Bottling things up is never a good thing. :: That went against everything she was taught. Growing up in the sect you were encouraged to keep private thoughts private. They were between you and the prophets. How could she take nearly 20 years of teaching and shed them like a snake shed it’s skin.:: Arco: How? Crauw: ::He shrugged.:: Some prefer to talk to a stranger, that's why most people open up to the bartenders after a few drinks, knowing they open up to someone they most likely will never see again. Or maybe you'd prefer to talk to someone who has actually been there with you on the Njörðr? Seek those people out, they have seen what you did out there, they've seen what you've seen, it will give them and you something to relate to. And maybe it'll give you the opportunity to become friends with them? Arco: You make it sound so simple. ::She smiled a little.:: Crauw: Also milady,:: He smiled at her.:: you're no longer alone. If you need a chaperone or just someone to stand beside you, don't hesitate to find me. Arco: And when you aren’t pouring drinks where will you be Lachlan? Crauw: Response :: Buoyed up a little by Lachlan and his extremely kind words. He certainly seemed genuine. No one had ever shown an interest like this before. Used to being shunned by other crew members with what she now knew was a good reason it was time to start anew. It would be a sad way to repay those lost brothers and sisters on the USS Njörðr to revert to the old Arco she needed a rebirth. To be the person she wanted to be. It was time for Arco Jatri part two. Impulsively she reached up to her earring. This was one given to her by the sect before today one thing she valued above all else. Now it was the second most valuable thing Lachlan had replaced it an honest to goodness friend. She removed it and held it in her hand the metal was warm to touch and filled her with mixed feelings. Shyly she handed it to Lachlan.:: Arco: A gift for you Lachlan my friend. :: She savoured the word as she spoke it. It felt good to have a friend on the Gorkon. No matter where she went or what she did, no matter how many friends she had she would value Lachlans friendship above them all.:: Crauw: Response Arco: Please take it. Today is a new start and giving a gift to you will make me feel good as I hope it will make you happy. :: Arco smiled. She could replicate a standard Bajoran earring when she got back to the Gorkon. She would go for a plain design one not just for the prophets but for herself. New start new Arco new earring. It made sense to her.:: Crauw: Response Arco: You have given me something much more valuable. Crauw: Response :: Arco smiled again as Lachlan closed his hand around it almost as if he was scared to lose it. With her heart filling with joy. Who would have believed the simple act of giving was so rewarding.:: Arco: I think it’s getting late. I might go back to the hotel and sleep. Would you care to join me tomorrow so we can go swimming with the fishes together tomorrow? Crauw: Response Ensign Arco Jatri Mission Specialist simmed by -- Lieutenant (JG) Ferier Kian HCO Officer USS Gorkon G239501FL0

OOC: This brutalized my feels. IC: ((Kayla's Quarters, time signature: immediately after the mission concludes)) ::Kayla walked around her quarters, reflecting on how completely different her life had been than she expected since joining Starfleet. She wasn't complaining really - The Eagle was incredible, as was the crew. She was glad that this latest mission was over. She'd found the whole situation exceedingly unsettling. ::As she picked up the delicate teacup with steaming oolong from the replicator, her console beeped, alerting her of an incoming transmission. Kayla walked to the small desk, sat down and tapped to complete the connection. To her surprise, it was the face of Michael, one of her brothers, that filled the screen. His customary rakish grin was not in place however. Its absence told Kayla immediately that something was wrong. Very wrong.:: Michael: Hey, K. Drex: Hi, Mikey. What's wrong? Michael: Can you come home? It's Mom. She's ... she's not doing well, K. ::It was like a punch to her gut. Kayla felt the breath leave her lungs, and wasn't sure she had the strength to refill them. Forcing herself, the breath came in a shudder as her vision blurred with immediate tears. Michael was not one for exaggeration or drama.:: Drex: ::choked with emotion:: Michael, what do you mean? I just saw Mom last Christmas. She was fine. Michael: I know, K. She's not sick. There was ... an accident. The doctors stabilized her, but they ::he paused for a steadying breath:: ... they say she doesn't have long. Drex: What? Michael, no! Please tell me this is a VERY bad joke. Michael: I wish I could, sis. I so wish I could. ::now openly crying:: Can you come home? Now? Drex: ::also crying:: of course. I'll leave as soon as I can arrange a shuttle. Oh God, Mike.... Momma. Michael: I know ... send me a message when you know when you'll be arriving. I'll make arrangements for you on this end. Drex: mkay. Thanks for telling me, Michael. Love you. Michael: Love you too, sis. ::The connection was cut. Kayla felt as though the inertial dampeners had just failed catastrophically. The whole room spun. She clutched the edge of the desk for support. Her left hand caught the saucer of her teacup. piping hot oolong tea poured out onto her hand. Swearing loudly, she picked up the delicate china cup and hurled it across the room. As it shattered against the far wall of her quarters, the sound seemed to give voice to her heart breaking into seemingly too many pieces to ever be repaired. ::Kayla collapsed onto the floor by her desk and sobbed for what felt like an eternity. Eventually though, she was able to compose herself enough to tap her badge. She knew her voice would sound raw and muddy, but that didn't matter now. The only thing that mattered was getting to Earth ... before it was too late.:: Drex: =/\= Drex to Commander Oddas =/\= Oddas: =/\= Oddas here =/\= Drex: =/\= Sir, I've just received news from home. My ... my mother is dying. I need to get to Earth as quickly as possible. =/\= Oddas: =/\= My Condolences, Lieutenant. :: pause :: Take the time you need and keep me apprised. =/\= Drex: =/\= Thank you, Commander. =/\= ((timeskip: on the transport ship back to Earth)) ::She sat with her head against the wall of the long distance shuttle, drifting in and out of sleep. She hadn't slept properly in days. Not since the communication with Michael. Any time she closed her eyes, she saw her Momma's face. She was so pretty. Far too young to die. ::Kayla didn't even notice the tears sliding silently down her cheek now. It had become the new normal to be crying. As sleep took her briefly, she continued crying. The tears continued into her sleep - into her dream. ((dream)) ::Kayla was about 6 or 7 years old. It was dark - nearly 10 o'clock at night, and little Kayla sat at the end of the family dock, crying by herself. Leanna, her Momma, walked to the end of the pier, and without saying a word, sat down next to the sad child.:: Leanna: What's wrong, Sparks? Drex: Phillip and David were teasing me because I'm puny. ::The look on Leanna's face was like a lioness, turning on another animal that messed with her cub.:: Leanna: Do you know why they tease you, Kayla? Drex: No. They say it's because I'm a runt, and that I - Leanna: ::cutting Kayla's words in mid-sentence:: Stop. They tease you because you're bigger than they are. Drex: ::looking at her Momma through confused, tear-puffy eyes:: That's silly. I'm not bigger than them. Leanna: Not physically maybe, but look at me, Sparks. ::She lifted the little girl's chin gently so the child's watery eyes met her own, which to Kayla's surprise also had tears in them. Leanna: You are the biggest person I've ever known. You have a universe inside you - a universe of excitement, curiosity, possibility, hope, love, compassion, and beauty. That's what they see when they see you. Whether they know it or not, they see what you can become, and they can't figure out how all that can fit inside such a little person. Drex: Really? ::sniffing:: Leanna: Really. And it's what I see too, but I know better. I know you're going to do incredible things. Everywhere you go, every person you meet, everything you touch will be touched by your universe, and you know what? This universe will be better for it, baby girl. ::Kayla broke into new tears, but this time it was tears of love for her Momma. The one who showed her her universe.:: ((shuttle)) ::Kayla awoke to the gentle touch of the Betazoid co-pilot's hand on her shoulder. He had been very kind to her this trip, being able to feel her pain.:: Nolan: We're nearly to Earth. I thought you would want to collect your things so you can be off more quickly. Drex: ::wiping her tear-stained face:: Yes. Yes of course. Thank you, Mr. Nolan. You've been very sweet. ::Nolan inclined his head slightly, indicating the compassion he'd shown was the least he could do for her, and walked back to his chair at the front of the shuttle.:: ::Kayla took a deep breath and looked around the cabin. She hadn't even opened her bag during the flight. She walked to the small head in the back of the cabin and closed the door behind her. She let cool water run over her hands into the sink basin. That was life, she supposed. You can try to hold onto it, but the harder you cling, the more slips through your fingers. Maybe it was best to just try to enjoy every moment as best you could. There was never a way to know when it would stop flowing. ::She splashed her face clean with the refreshing water, patted her skin dry, and went back to her seat.:: ((Leanna Marsh-Drex's bedside (timeskip: 239604.29))) Drex: Momma? Dr. Antares: She's sleeping now. I'd like to wait to wake her until the rest of your family is here. Drex: Of course, Doctor. Michael: ::putting a comforting arm around his sister:: You alright, K? Drex: No, Mikey. I'm not. Michael: Yeah ... Me either. ::They sat in silence, hardly looking away from the peaceful face they'd known all their lives. Within the hour, The rest of the family had congregated around the bed. Gulliver sat by the head of the bed. He hadn't been able to speak more than a few words of welcome to his children. They all shared his pain.:: Dr. Antares: If you're all ready, I can wake her now. ::Dr. Gulliver Drex - the brilliant scientist - merely nodded and scooted slightly closer to the bed containing the object of his love for so many years.:: Leanna: ::her eyes slowly fluttered open and looked at each of their faces:: Well, darn. I guess this is it, huh? Drex: Momma ... I love you Leanna: Oh baby, I will always love you. I'm so proud of the woman you've become. Don't ever forget that. You are going to do so many great things. I just know it. ::One by one, Leanna said her final goodbye to her family. The tears flowed freely from all of them. Gulliver looked at his children, silently asking for a moment alone. They quietly got up and left the room. In the hall, the five children held each other, holding each other up. ::When they re-entered the room, Leanna had passed. Gulliver was sobbing, his face buried in her hair. Kayla and her brothers moved as one to his side, embracing him, and crying with him.:: NT __________________________________ Lieutenant Kayla Drex Chief Science Officer USS Eagle, NCC-74659 Image Collective Writer ID: E239510KD0 Science is life, art is soul, love is home Wiki: Kayla Drex

MSPNPC Arbitrator Parven Try'vel - Welcoming committee of one ((Beta Quadrant, Par'tha Expanse, Illara Prime, Diplomatic Landing Pad Delta)) :: Parven had received word that the Federation shuttle had been detected by the system patrol ships and was descending towards the city-planet with the haste one would expect from a group posting such serious claims against one of the more well known and respected businesses within the Expanse. That they had arrived several hours early had been unexpected however and had been of a slight inconvenience as he had been enjoying quite the relaxing time in the fashion district when word came of their imminent arrival an hour or so later and Parven just had to have enough time to make himself look presentable. :: :: Ever prompt Parven had arrived on the landing pad several minutes prior to the El Dorado's descent into the atmosphere and the Caraadian stared up at it as the sleek vessel alighted on the pad with ease, its landing struts absorbing the weight of the shuttle itself as it settled on the pad. Parven casually strode around to the rear of the shuttle, the aft he believed it was referred to as the rear ramp lowered into place. A moment later the crew within emerged and Parven was delighted to see a familiar face, even though he knew she was among the delegation. Seeing Lyldra the Caraadian smiled the over extravagant smile one used to pomp and circumstance preferred. With her he noted another, somewhat portly Bolian in Starfleet uniform of crimson highlights. From his knowledge, the male matched description of the renowned commander of the Federation's lone starship in the Expanse. Behind the Bolians Parven noted a pair of Terrans, one in gold and one in teal. Though he wasn't overly certain of the significance of their colors. The arbitrator did notice the sidearms both the male Bolian and the female in gold carried openly on their hips. Such was the right of dignitaries and he found it amusing in a way. None here would question the weapons, though many might find it entertaining to see such meager weapons being displayed as if marks of honor. :: :: As for the Caraadian himself, to say he was flashy was more than an understatement. He wasn't overly tall, standing somewhere between five and six feet in height was the least remarkable thing about him. Shoulder length blonde hair rested about his shoulders, billowing in the breeze from the winds roiling about on the landing pad. At least, there was enough blonde noticeable that one could tell that was possibly his natural hair color. At first blush it might not be so easy a thing to peg as vibrant streaks of silver, teal, and bright blue seemed dyed into the man's hair like a resplendent rainbow of eye-catching hues. Still, that was only one of the notable things about the male. His garb, if one could describe it in words looked like a tailor had taken the scraps of a half dozen different discarded outfits, or the scraps that had not gone into the final product and stitched them together in a rather odd, but well manufactured canvas of at least three different fabrics. Some of the suit he wore was at strange angles and might have gotten in the way had they not been made of soft material. The suit had as many colors as his hair, purple, deep green and orange highlights. The emblem of Arbitrator was sewn into the left breast of his clothing. And then there were the frills. So many frills. He looked like a walking pillowcase. And even it had a stylistic edge to insignia itself. Every hand had a ring, some gem encrusted, some not but all of them excessively ostentatious. Yet as he stepped up to greet Lyldra when she exited the craft his eyes would be the last thing of note. The unnatural heterochromatic tint of his eyes, contacts of course though they were hard to spot. The right eye a pupil-less silver, while the left was a vivid forest green. Parven outstretched his arms to his sides and in the air slightly in an overly dramatic flourish as he greeted them all. :: Try'vel: ::His voice a soft baritone:: Ah! Lyldra! It's such a delight to finally get to meet you! ::He gestured to them all with his hands beckoning them all to come closer:: Welcome to Illara Prime! Lyldra: Good to meet you in person. ::Looking to the others.:: This is Try’Vel is the arbiter who will be hearing our argument against the Consortium. :: Parven saw the looks he received from the gather Starfleet officers and let out a raucous roil of laughter then clasped his hands together so all of the rings clinked together and were quite visible. :: Brell: Ah, Nice to meet you sir. I look forward to your judgment in this matter. Try'vel: Oh, my dear Captain it's a pleasure! I had no idea the person speaking at this arbitration would be the Ambassador's own husband. I must say, the Federation knows how to keep their people well fed! ::He laughed and waved a hand dismissively:: Parven Try'vel, House Lanaxa. Well, formerly. ::He cackled and expressively waved his hands about in an exaggerated manner:: Hyden: :smiled: Pleasure to meet you. Anyone: Response Try'vel: Oh, the pleasure is all mine. ::He said with a bit of a lascivious curl to his lips as he scooted closer to Hyden:: I dare say I haven't seen such a lovely woman so well armed since we had a Klingon contingent through here a few years back. ::He clasped his hands together and eyed Hyden's uniform:: I say, it's not very flattering. I know a wonderful tailor that could put some wonderful touches to your uniforms. They're so drab..and....functional. Lyldra: response Try'vel: Oh yes. My apologies, ambassador! You'll forgive me I could talk about fashion all day! ::He made a giggling sound and gestured with a flourish that had his hair and the trails of his suit billowing about behind him:: Please, follow me and I'll see you someplace confortable to await the hearing. :: The Caraadian lead the Federation group from the landing pad through the nearby structure that, like many all over the planet towered in the sky. Several hundred floors at least and in this particular case all housing various diplomatic personnel and facilities. One such locale, a rather luxurious lounge that had a view overlooking a central square of sorts. The communal square was still several thousand feet in the air, but below the view offered by the windows and had the faint, ant-like shadows of people milling about among the shops and establishments on offer. Across the way was a view of the landing pad where the El Dorado was parked and several other spectacular views. Parven stopped centrally in the room and spun about as if he were on a fashion runway, palms open and gesturing around the well furnished room. Several couches, chairs, tables and even a bar with a wide assortment of libations sat at the back. A communication console sat on the wall opposite the floor to ceiling windows. :: Try'vel: Your accommodations! Splendid isn't it? I mean, I'm sure it must be horribly drab and cramped on those starships of yours yes? ::He said in genuine ignorance:: Well, the proceedings are to take place within the hour. I've already contacted the Consortium's representative and notified him of your arrival. As soon as the Phoenix arrives and it's commander lands we can begin. Anyone: response ========================================================= MSPNPC Parven Try'vel of House Lanaxa (Formerly) Freeworlds Council - Arbitrator as simmed by Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga Mission Specialist USS Atlantis NCC-74682 PodCast Team Atlantis Staff Member Writer ID: A239410TR0 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga @Toryn Raga This was one of the most humorous introductions of MSPNPC ever!

I loved this post by Solok from our last mission. It showcases his creativity and knowledge when dealing with a challenging situation. It was very well written and really added another layer to the story while also developing our fleet history in a unique way. I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did! ((Quarantine Ward-A, Shuttlebay 1, USS Montreal)) ::Solok sat rigidly at the desk that constituted almost all by itself the "command center" in the quarantine ward he had designed. He was looking forward, at the screen on the computer console, but his thoughts were momentarily elsewhere. Or elsewhen.:: ::After he had resigned his commission in the Vulcan Diplomatic Corps, many years ago when he was a much younger man, Solokhad chosen to pursue a career in Starfleet, and specifically, to hone his skills as a physician and xenovirologist in the multi-species environment that only Starfleet could provide. Having received extensive medical and scientific training on Vulcan, at both the Vulcan Science Academy and the Vulcan Medical Institute, he had nevertheless been required to continue his education as a part of his cadet studies. While most of the other medical cadets were conducting their studies in medical schools scattered throughout the quadrant, Solok's case had been a special one. Instead of medical school, which he had already attended, Solok had been assigned as a junior researcher at the Federation Institute for Advanced Immunology in San Francisco, on Earth. The FIAI was one of the most sophisticated facilities for immunological and virological research in the Federation, and after a brief period as an immunology resident and junior researcher, he had been promoted to Director of Research -- in which position he had learned and witnessed a great deal.:: ((Flashback -- Stardate 237702.15)) ((Office of the Director of Research, Federation Institute for Advanced Immunology, San Francisco, Terra)) ::Solok had been interrupted in his work -- the filing of one of numerous reports required of him in his position as Director -- by the sound of the door chime. Ordinarily, he would have instructed whoever it was to return at a more auspicious time, but the sheer number of the reports before him had led Solok to welcome almost any intellectual distraction. So long, of course, as it was relevant to his and the Institute's work.:: Solok: Enter. ::The door slid open, and in stepped one of the least Vulcan colleagues Solok had ever known. The Bolian physician wore a labcoat that, owing to his rather diminutive size, near brushed the floor as he walked. The sleeves of the labcoat were rolled up to expose his aggressively blue hands, and in one of them, the he was carrying a sealed vial of some sort.:: Solok: Doctor Zand. ::The Bolian repressed a chuckle.:: Zand: Doctor Solok. ::A brief silence.:: Solok: What can I do for you, Doctor Zand? ::Zand smiled.:: Zand: Do you know what this is? ::He held the vial up to eye height, which was of course, relative to the short cyan man, not very high.:: ::Solok looked from Zand to the vial, and then back to Zand. His impassive expression did not change.:: Solok: I do not. ::Zand laughed. Out loud. Solok chose not to address the breach of protocol.:: Zand: This ::he shook the vial, gently:: is something even you have never seen before. This is a plague cure. ::Solok paused, as if he did not understand.:: Solok: I am familiar with 398 distinct cures for diseases known popularly or in the scientific literature as "plagues," Doctor Zand. Zand: You're not familiar with this one, Solok. This one is new. ::Solok raised a single eyebrow.:: Solok: I was unaware FIAI resources were being used in pursuit of the cure of an epidemic virus on any station or planet. Zand: They -- we -- are not. This was made in the field, by that Enterprise doctor -- Crusher? -- and the researchers on Cor Caroli V. The specifications for the cure were just transmitted to us, and this is the first dose replicated by anyone but Crusher and the Carolians. Solok: Why have I not been informed before now? Zand: Ah, yes. Well, you will not be officially informed, and I recommend you forget everything I'm telling you now. Starfleet Medical has decided to classify the Cor Caroli virus -- they're calling it the "Phyrox plague" -- as secret. There won't be any record of it, anywhere, if Starfleet has its way. ::Solok was silent a moment.:: Solok: I see. ::He paused.:: It must be an especially dangerous pathogen, for Starfleet to authorize such an unusual classification. Zand: Oh, it is. ::The Bolian's near-constant smile faded.:: The virus attacks the lung tissue of its host, destroying nearly everything in its path. People bleed to death internally. Their lungs fill with blood. Can you imagine if this got into the wrong hands? It's like nature's perfect bioweapon. ::The Vulcan nodded.:: Solok: So why are you telling me, now? ::Zand smiled.:: Zand: I don't know, Solok. I trust no Vulcan could ever logic themselves into becoming a bio-terrorist, for one. And I guess I was just too excited to keep it to myself. A new cure! Doesn't even just the idea of it -- salvation from certain death for a whole planet! -- thrill even your cold, Vulcan heart? Solok: The Vulcan heart is not cold, Doctor Zand. The average Vulcan body temperature is approximately 32.7882 degrees Celsius. Relatively speaking, that is quite warm, indeed. ::Zand nodded, smiling to himself.:: Zand: Yes, of course, Solok. Of course. ((End Flashback)) ((Quarantine Ward-A, Shuttlebay 1, USS Montreal)) ::Solok activated the computer console before him.:: Solok: Computer, display public health history of Cor Caroli V. Stardate range 237501.02 to 237905.20. ::The computer bleeped, indicating it was working. Within a second, a great deal of text was displayed on Solok's screen. He adjusted the scroll rate to four times the Terran standard, the words flying by. But he read it all.:: ::No mention of any plague.:: Solok: Computer, access popular media archives, news services, Cor Caroli V, Stardate range 237701.01 to 237712.31. ::Again, the computer bleeped. And then, again, it displayed a great deal of information on the screen -- although this was not just text, but was text interspersed with images and videos. He worked through the material until, about halfway through, he found what he had been looking for -- despite the fact that he had not known what he would find.:: ::There, on the screen before him, was a news article announcing a medical breakthrough on Cor Caroli V. The image at the head of the story showed a group of Carolian scientists with broad smiles on their faces. They were celebrating their discovery, which apparently meant a great deal to them, since they looked both exhausted and exuberant. They had worked hard to achieve whatever it was they had achieved.:: ::What fascinated Solok, however, was not the group of scientists in the foreground. It was the figure, half out of frame and somewhat blurred, as if she was caught in the attempt to avoid having her image captured, but unmistakably Starfleet, her uniform clearly medical teal, her hair a remarkable shade of orange. He knew her at a glance, despite the fact that they had never met. She was famous, of course, and well on her way to commanding her own Mercy vessel.:: ::Doctor Beverly Crusher. Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise-D. Solok checked, but according to the official logs, the Enterprise had not been anywhere near Cor Caroli V during this period.:: ::Zand had been right. The Enterprise had helped the Carolians with some biomedical discovery that led to public rejoicing. They had cured a plague.:: ::The Phyrox plague.:: Solok: Computer, access the Library of the Starfleet Medical Academy. Computer: Accessing. Solok: Display all information related to pandemic diseases of the twenty-fourth century on Cor Caroli V. ::It was silent a moment.:: Computer: There is no data to display. Solok: Display all data related to the work of Doctor Beverly Crusher on Cor Caroli V. ::Silence.:: Computer: There is no data to display. Solok: Access genetic profile of the pathogen referred to as "the Phyrox plague." ::More silence. Then the old familiar bleep, and the connection to the Starfleet Medical Academy library was lost. Before he could even raise an eyebrow or utter the words "curious" or "fascinating," however, the computer made another sound. The textual display on Solok's monitor made very clear what was happening.:: ::INCOMING COMMUNICATION FROM STARFLEET MEDICAL. URGENT.:: TBC === Lieutenant Commander Solok Medical Officer USS Montreal Writer ID: R237908S10

I wanted to give a shoutout to @Lael Rosek and @German Galven for a wonderful scene they wrote together. I particularly liked how this scene shows the growth of Rosek's character, who as she notes when talking to Galven, was once in his position of being told that a line had been crossed (you can read *that* scene "Tempestuous Trio" here: Parts One , Two , and Three). It's great to see this kind of character development in our fleet. Furthermore, this scene was constructed through the regular tag system back-and-forth rather than a joint post and is a great demonstration of how substantial and intimate scenes like this can be constructed in the typical tagging system and not just left for JPs. Well-done, both of you! (OOC: The completed scene below is constructed from several sims.) ((Bridge, USS Montreal)) {{Time Index: A half hour after landing}} Rosek: Can we disable them without destroying them, Commander? ::She prayed the answer was yes. She really didn’t want the blood of 200 otherwise innocent people on her hands. She was already barely able to live with the blood that seemed to permanently stain her hands from the lives she’d been forced to take during her career just to survive.:: Tel-ar: I can disable both warp drives on your command. Estimated 3.47 minutes before they reach long range Rosek: ::pauses:: Can we do it without destroying the vessels? Tel-ar: There is always a chance, :: Tal did some quick calculations and simulations on the computer before he finished speaking. :: There is a 38.362% chance that the freighter might suffer more damage than expected and 13.275% chance of the smaller vessel suffering more damage than expected. ::A quiet sigh of relief passed her lips. There was a chance, no matter how small, that despite their best intentions, they’d end up doing more harm than they intended. If she managed to get to the end of this day without having to take a single life, it would be a good day. She had no desire for it to become a habit nor did she want it to become a running theme. She’d signed up to save lives, not take them.:: Ch'Dargon: Those percentages are high, these ships were not designed very well. The freighters in my home system could take much more. :: He bragged a bit unintentionally.:: Tel-ar: A number of the freighters more vulnerable systems such as life support and the impulse engines are in very close proximity to their warp engines. There is only a small margin for error. Hamasaki: We can have the shuttles perform a rescue if necessary, although, with quarantine protocols in effect, it'd just be beaming them to a hospital directly from the freighter or our makeshift sickbay. Dante: We can take that action in no time Commander. Hamasaki: We should have our patrol in range to cover most of the possible launch vectors within 4 minutes. ::beat:: They'll be just too slow to directly engage with the current ships attempting to break the quarantine. ::Lael took only a moment to take in all of the information being presented to her before turning to Tel-ar with a curt nod. It wasn’t an easy decision by any means and was one of the most difficult ones she’d had to make since becoming first officer. With Mei on the surface talking with the Klingon delegation, this choice was on her.:: Rosek: Do everything you can to minimize the damage, Commander, but if it comes to it-- ::turns back to face the viewscreen:: To quote the Vulcans, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”. Rosek: Damage to the ships? Hamasaki: I'm reading some damage to their communications and life-support systems. Rosek: ::to Hamasaki:: Get our shuttles out there to recover the ships’ occupants. All of our personnel must maintain quarantine. Advise them they’ll need EVA suits. Hamasaki: Aye. They're already nearing the freighter. Rosek: ::presses her thumb to the button on the armchair:: =/\=Rosek to Skyfire.=/\= Skyfire: =/\=Go ahead, commander. =/\= Rosek: =/\=I know you have your hands full down there, but we have two vessels full of passengers that tried to breach quarantine and they might need medical assistance. Prep a couple of your medics with the necessary supplies to treat the passengers.=/\= Skyfire: =/\=On it. I’ll pull a personnel hat trick and find the people.=/\= Rosek: =/\=Understood. Rosek out.=/\= ::She sat in silence for a long moment, contemplating what had just happened and the call that she’d just made. A grimace twisted her features and she had to remind herself that she was here because Mei trusted her judgement and had faith that she could handle situations like this. She’d never felt the burden of command so heavily as she did in that moment. Her choice could just as easily have resulted in 200 deaths. It wasn’t something she’d chosen lightly, but that didn’t change the risk she’d taken.:: ::Meanwhile, Dr. German Galven had stopped by Sickbay to see how everything was going and overheard some of the conversation between Lael and Chythar over the CMO’s commbadge. He wasn’t too sure that what they had done was the right thing. And of all people, Lael made that decision to stop the ships, but at what cost? He quickly got the bridge and arrived as the conversation between the officers was dwindling down.:: Tel-ar: Thrusters off line… :: short pause. :: last passengers beamed off. It will crash about 5 miles away from the city. Rosek: :: leans back in the chair :: They were the first...but I doubt they’ll be the last. Stay on your toes. Hamasaki: Ma'am, the shuttles are already in orbit and moving to intercept. They'll need to standby for beam out. There's only one left if we need to scramble it for another emergency. Galven: I’m confused. Why are we shooting at ships? ::He was indeed confused and was oblivious to how Lael wasn’t too happy about his sudden appearance on the Bridge. He did, however, notice that everyone was looking at him with curiosity as to why he was there asking that. He then walked around to where Lael was and saw that her eyes were closed, but for a moment.:: ::German’s sudden appearance had her fighting not to jump. It was a perfectly reasonable question, but something about the way he asked it made her tense. Her hands wrapped around the arms of the chair she currently occupied and she had to force herself to be conscious of how tight her grip was so she didn’t damage Mei’s chair. She could easily have left indents from the tips of her fingers, possibly even mangled the arms. Closing her eyes for a long moment, she drew in and then released a steadying breath. She owed him no explanation and didn’t offer one beyond a simple statement of fact.:: Rosek: Vessels containing 200 potentially infected people tried to break quarantine. Galven: My apologies, but isn’t there a better way to handle that kind of situation? ::Lael rose from the chair, turning to face German as she drew herself up to her full height, her bright blue eyes piercing his. Logically, she knew German hadn’t intended to challenge her...only her decision. But the poorly-chosen moment for his frankness had placed her in a difficult position. To maintain her authority with the rest of the crew, she’d need to call him on it.:: ::When Lael rose from her seat, her gaze met his. The way she was looking at him should have caused him to stop talking, but then the Andorian spoke which threw him off and he turned his head to look over at tactical station.:: Tel-ar: They were given a direct order to land and more than enough time to comply with that order, Chief. Galven: We could try communicating with them? If they don’t comply, then trap them in a stasis field? Hamasaki: Projecting a stasis field over kilometers through atmospheric attenuation is .. rather risky. In addition, they knew that under Federation Code 335 § 89.922 once a planetary quarantine is declared, all merchants are to stay in orbit until cleared by planetary authorities. That said… ::Wisely, the young ensign allowed her sentence to trail off without finishing it. The last thing Lael needed was two officers openly questioning her judgement. It set a bad precedent. Regardless of whether she was right or not, protocol demanded that she be awarded the respect of dissenters voicing their thoughts to her privately so they didn’t stir up a mutiny. Though she doubted one incident would lead to that, allowing it to happen again and again very well could.: Rosek: ::without breaking German’s gaze:: Thank you, Ensign Hamasaki. Keep an eye out for any other ships that are looking to break quarantine. ::It was then that German realized he made a mistake in questioning Lael and everyone esle on the bridge when the ensign helmswoman stopped talking and how Lael had never took her eyes off of his gaze. He had seen her like this before, but it was during the time when they were on the decaying planet and they were fighting the pirates. This time, he was on the receiving end of her daggers. He shifted nervously.:: Tel-ar: The city has dispatched a security detail to deal with the exploratory vessel and its occupants. They have informed me that they will keep us informed, in case there are any further problems. Hamasaki: The shuttles are reporting that approximately 50 people need attention from the freighter, and they've got a complaint from the freighter captain, but are returning it to orbit for orbital facilities to handle the rest. They're standing by to beam up medical personnel and begin SAR. Rosek: ::nods:: Noted. ::turns to Tel-ar:: Commander Tel-ar, you have the bridge. Comm me immediately if more ships try to break quarantine. ::to German:: May I see you in the ready room? ::It wasn't a request and she hoped German would pick up on that. As much as she was dreading this conversation, they needed to have it. He had to understand the magnitude of what he’d almost done.:: Tel-ar: As you wish. ::The Denobulan hesitated before he spoke. He knew now he had broken a rule. Now being alone in a room with a woman scorned wasn’t what he had planned on doing, but he complied.:: Galven: Yes, ma’am. ::Without looking to see if he followed, she crossed the bridge in a few long strides, the irritation clear in her posture, her hands tucked behind her back as she entered the ready room for what she was convinced would be one of the most awkward conversations of her career.:: : :He followed her close behind and noticed by the way she was walking that the Al-Leyan wasn’t too happy about what German just said. His posture was a little sunk in as he approached the door, then glanced back at everyone on the bridge, then turned.:: ((Ready Room, USS Montreal)) ::The moment the doors closed behind them, she turned to him, her lips a thin line. Despite her best attempts, she was certain her features couldn’t appropriately convey the hardness she was trying for because this was German. She couldn’t look at him with the severity she knew the situation warranted. She didn’t need a mirror to know that her eyes were giving her away with the softness in them.:: : :Once his inside, German stood still with his posture straightened and his hands clasped together behind him. He knew he was about to be dressed down for his behavior just a few seconds ago by the way Lael’s lips formed a straight line. He looked straight on past her once she began to speak.:: Rosek: Remind me, Lieutenant. What’s the proper protocol to follow if you disagree with a choice your commanding officer has made in a given situation? Galven: Not say anything until a moment presents itself to talk with them privately. Rosek: ::arches an eyebrow:: So you’re aware of the protocol, but you chose to ignore it despite the potential consequences. : :He was aware of it, but at the time he was so bewildered that he forgot about the protocol. He had broken that trust between ranking officials. He was straining himself to glance at her, but wanted to remain as professional as ever for her.:: Galven: ::voice quivering:: I’m sorry, but::beat::I was confused and-- Rosek: ::scowls:: You arrived on the bridge after the fact with no knowledge of the details and decided I’d made the wrong call. ::She was right. He didn't know what to say after she told him that. What German did was incredibly stupid and he knew it.:: ::She took a couple of steps forward, a dangerous glint in her eye as she stopped an arm’s length away from him.:: ::As she stepped closer to him, his gaze met hers and saw how upset she was with him.:: ::If looks could kill.:: Rosek: If you’re going to serve under my command, I need to know that you’ll follow the orders I give you regardless of whether you agree with them. What you did out there demonstrated an astonishing lack of trust in my ability to make decisions that are in the best interests of all parties involved. Galven: ::lips quivering:: Commander, I have never not trusted your ability to lead and I have a feeling that was a difficult decision to make, but at the time I was confused as to what was happening. I was stupid. ::It took everything she had not to drop her mask as she saw how upset he was. His reaction was flaring her temper and she had to get it under control. The way he was acting felt manipulative even if logically she knew that wasn’t his intention. She knew from past experience that German was his own worst critic and was probably more upset with himself than she was with him.:: ::In truth, she wasn’t upset. Just disappointed. She had to force herself to remember a time when she’d stood in front of Rahman feeling the exact same way German did right now. She’d prayed at the time for the deck to open up and swallow her whole, so ashamed of her outburst that she’d seriously had to fight tears. Against her will, her expression softened slightly.:: ::Lael didn’t say anything which made the situation a little more awkward and made German wonder what she was thinking. He wanted to know more about her reasoning behind her motives back on the bridge. Granted, she didn’t have to tell him, but the Denobulan’s curiosity got the better of him.:: Galven: Permission to speak freely, Commander? Rosek: ::murmurs:: Go ahead, Lieutenant. Galven: We are going to have enough on our hands treating to sick, but now there's going to injured people on board. How will they trust us knowing we were the ones that hurt them? ::She had to clench her fists to keep her temper in check at the reminder of the similar statement he’d made on the bridge moments before. He was right. She should have at least tried to give the ships a warning. Everything had happened so quickly and her primary focus had been on ensuring whatever illness those people were potentially infected with didn’t leave the planet.:: ::She’d shut off her emotions and, clearly with them, her empathy. She was thankful it hadn’t ended in disaster. It was a burden she’d carry for a long time...until she could forgive herself. If she ever did.:: ::The way the Al-Leyan responded by clenching her fists made German move back a little. He wanted to brace himself for a storm.:: Rosek: Be that as it may, Lieutenant...the bridge is not the proper forum to express your concerns when you come strolling in after the fact having not been present for what led up to the course of action. ::She didn’t exactly answer the question, but German reminded himself that it wasn’t his place to question her. He didn’t want another incident like the both of them had down in the mines during the Havley’s Hope mission.:: Galven: I understand that. I'm incredibly sorry for breaking your trust and that's the God's honest truth. I'll accept any punishment you have for me. ::pauses:: And I hope you can forgive me. Rosek: ::rolls her eyes:: Enough with the groveling. ::huffs:: If you truly believe what you’re saying, stand by it. ::The statement had come out more than a tad harsher than she’d intended it to, but it irritated her to no end when people asked forgiveness even if they’d made a mistake. To her, it had always been a sign of weakness...though she knew that wasn’t true of everyone. She rarely, if ever, apologized when receiving criticism or advice from her superiors. She simply acknowledged that it had been given to her and confirmed her understanding with a simple “yes, sir” or “yes, ma’am”.:: ::It was how she’d survived the Academy with them constantly drilling down on the cadets those first few months to make the weak ones quit. But she’d been damned and determined not to be one of the ones who was weeded out.:: Galven: ::straightens his posture:: Yes, ma’am. Rosek: ::meets his gaze:: I once stood where you are, Lieutenant. I made a mistake and questioned my direct superior, Luna Walker, in front of the entire senior staff AND the Antor II governor. When Captain Rahman called me and Commander Walker into her ready room, I silently prayed that a gaping hole would form in the deck and that I’d fall through. But I stood my ground. The only apology I offered was where and in front of whom I had made the remarks. I didn’t ask for forgiveness because I knew my commitment to never make that mistake again was enough. ::She was trying to give him advice...to toughen him up for the climb up the ladder. Apologies didn’t fix the mistake, action did. No matter how sincere his apology, if he couldn’t back it up with action, it wouldn’t matter. It was something she’d learned the hard way at the Academy and in certain situations out here. :: ::He felt somewhat better that she had been in his shoes before, but he knew not to do it ever again. The situation was more of a one time experience. And he fully was capable of putting it locked away in his memory bank. If Captain Rahman was there, she’d be very disappointed in him. Also the Caitian commander. Which made him wonder how they were doing and if there was any progress.:: Galven: I’m not going to make the mistake again as well. Rosek: ::expression softens slightly:: Have you ever heard of Anne Frank, Lieutenant? : :Thinking back to his Academy days, he had never heard of the woman’s name. He tried to remember if there was any mention of her in his history classes.:: Galven: ::shakes his head:: The name doesn’t ring a bell, no. ::She didn’t figure he would have. The young woman’s story was an inspiration to Terrans even today. She’d first read The Diary of Anne Frank in high school. English had been her least favorite subject, but something about the story had touched her heart and had stayed with her ever since.:: Rosek: ::gaze drops from his for a moment before returning to it:: She was a young Jewish girl who became a victim of a fascist group who believed that Aryans were the master race and anyone who didn’t fit that mold was rounded up and slaughtered. Galven: That’s horrible… Rosek: She died at 16. But before she did, she said this: “What is done cannot be undone, but at least one can keep it from happening again.” ::lays a hand on his shoulder and squeezes:: We all make mistakes, Lieutenant. What makes us stronger is doing everything in our power not to repeat those mistakes. : :That was lesson to be learned and also keep very well in his mind. Lael was giving him his confidence back by telling him about the girl and her situation. The disgusting depravity of people and how they were ignorant of other races. Historical mistakes of people surely needed to be remembered and not have it repeated. He shook his head and frowned at such a life for a teenager. Most likely scared and wondering what was to be next. Then dying in the hands of the disgusting level of what a group would do to gain power.:: Galven: Lesson learned, ma’am. You can count on me to do better. ::She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the chirp of her commbadge. She’d been so wrapped up in the situation with German that she’d almost forgotten she was expecting an update on the set-up of the quarantine zone. She tapped her commbadge, Solok’s voice coming through.:: Solok: =/\= Solok to Doctor Skyfire and Commander Rosek. =/\= Skyfire: =/\= Skyfire here, doctor. =/\= Rosek: ::murmurs:: I should get back to the bridge and you're needed down below. Galven: Yes ma’am. ::turns to the door, then glances back at Lael:: Thank you. ::Lael opened her mouth to speak, but as the doors closed she was hit with the most disorienting sensation followed by a flash of an image so brief that she couldn’t make it out. She gasped, gripping the edge of Mei’s desk to remain standing. Her footing was still shaky at best as she rose to her full height, straightening her uniform.:: Rosek: =/\=Rosek here. Go ahead, Doctors.=/\= --- Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek Executive Officer USS Montreal I238110RH0 & Lieutenant German Galven Chief Science Officer USS Montreal V239507GG0

Crazy feels in this for an officer trying to deal with the fallout from a secondment to the KDF. Amazing writing as always from @Sera zh' Aella and @Quinn Reynolds. --- ((Spa - Cochtois Lagoon)) :: Wearing a dark blue shirt and smart black pants, Sera strode purposely through the spa lobby. The attire wasn't weather appropriate, the heat and sunshine would normally have made her uncomfortable in such a dark outfit but right now she wasn't concerned with comfort. She wasn't quite marching like a cadet on the parade ground, but if anyone had paid attention to her they would have seen many similar features. The stern-faced determination and the measured posture with her shoulders back and head held high. Only now she was using the drilled movements as façade to hide her inner emotional turmoil, a crutch to lean on as she tried to perform an act which her heart rebelled against but that her brain knew was absolutely necessary. :: :: Sera's career hadn't exactly been the stuff of legends but she did have a few achievements that she was incredibly proud of. Leading an away team on the Romulan Republic colony of Sikuna and the resulting action on the bridge of the IRW D'delnor was probably her finest achievement. But there were other less dramatic things which she held close to her heart, most importantly she still considered it an honoured to wear the uniform each day. It was an honour she doubted that she deserved, so perhaps it was fitting that she was having this meeting in civilian wear. Maybe the absence of her uniform would make the unpalatable task a little easier.:: :: When Sera approached the Admiral's table she felt a lump in her throat and the urge to turn and run. For a moment she paused in her tracks and considered indulging the thought, but only for the briefest of moments. squashing those feelings deep down inside her, she continued up to the table with renewed determination. When the flag officer noticed her, Sera came to attention despite officially being on shore leave and civilian clothing. Formality would be the only way to get through this.:: zh'Aella: Admiral Reynolds, Sir. Reynolds: Hello Lieutenant. Would you like to take a seat? ::Sera remained standing but took the offer as permission to relax her stance. In contrast to her sombre clothing, the Admiral was wearing a light, draped shirt and capri pants, sandals on her feet. Wherever her combadge was, it had been stowed safely out of sight.:: zh'Aella: Thank you for agreeing to see me, Sir. I won't take up much of your time. Reynolds: It's fine. ::She offered a quick smile.:: What can I do for you? :: From her pants pocket Sera withdrew a PADD and her combadge. She gazed at the iconic symbol for several seconds before putting it and the padd down on the table. She found herself wringing her hands again and placed them both behind her back.:: zh'Aella: Admiral Reynolds, I'm officially offering my resignation. :: It wasn't too often that someone caught the Admiral off-guard, but Sera had achieved it. Her eyebrows shot up, lips parting wordlessly before she caught herself and sat up in her chair.:: Reynolds: I beg your pardon? ::The look on the admiral's face made it harder and Sera felt herself waver slightly.:: zh'Aella: Yes sir, the uniform is too important to me to be disgraced my actions or worse, my potential actions. Reynolds: You're going to have to explain. ::Sera shuffled uneasily, had the Admiral not heard about the incident in the ‘Cargo’ hold? Hadn't the civilian mental health nurse advised her of his preliminary diagnosis?:: zh'Aella: Sir, there probably a report waiting in your queue. I started having… relieving memories when we were receiving our medical assessments on the Yarahla. ::Her hands were back in front of her, trembling at the memory.:: I was so confused that I threw an Orion Security officer to the ground under the belief that I was still serving with the Klingons. Reynolds: Yes, I saw it happen. ::She paused.:: What triggered it? :: Sera’s antennae shuddered in embarrassment at the thought of her Commanding Officer watching her break with reality but she forced herself to continue, an explanation was owed for the outburst.:: zh'Aella: The Gre'Thor found a detention area on an Orion pirate base. It was ugly… I tried to kill the pirate leader and was restrained by two enlisted crewmembers. ::She knew that the admission would be the end of her career, but that was precisely why she'd sought out this meeting. She wasn’t going to stain the end of her career further by lying to someone she respected. But to Sera’s surprise, the Admiral kept her response guarded.:: Reynolds: I see. ::With that unexpected response, Sera felt compelled to continue as she stood under the gaze of her CO.:: zh'Aella: I've been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I don't want another incident to tarnish the Gorkon and I don't want my friends to get hurt because of my failure. Reynolds: Nothing's tarnished, Lieutenant. You've been hurt. It's a wound, not a failing. ::Was the Admiral serious about that? Sera didn't think the flag officer would sugarcoat anything to spare a junior officer's feelings but her words were difficult to accept. By any means of measurement, Sera considered her actions contemptible.:: zh'Aella: Maybe, Sir. But wouldn't the Gorkon be better off with someone else as the Chief of Security? Someone you could trust? ::The warm breeze picked up for a few moments, and it carried with it the scent of barbeque and sweet fruits. Reynolds absently smoothed down the strands of hair that it caught, and in one smooth movement it became a gesture toward the other chair at her table.:: Reynolds: Are you sure you won't sit down? ::She offered the Andorian a small smile.:: If nothing else, you're doing to give me a crick in my neck. ::Sera relented and sat in the chair opposite her commanding officer. Once seated, Quinn gestured for her to continue.:: zh'Aella: I'm afraid that I'll have another episode and do something which cant be undone with an apology. Reynolds: You've been diagnosed, Sera. Have you started any treatment yet? Counselling, medications..? ::Her face heated at the questions and her antennae shuddered as she realised that she wouldn't be able to give a satisfactory answer.:: zh'Aella: I have a treatment plan which includes medication and therapy. The medication I got on the Yarahla helped alittle. But… :: She stuttered for a moment.:: But, I haven't started therapy yet. Reynolds: ::Gently,:: Are you planning to? :: Pride clashed with the knowledge that she needed to seek help, the conflicting feelings causing her head to spin.:: zh'Aella: I was in the process of booking a session, but I'm not sure how talking about my feelings will help. Resigning seemed like the better option. ::Reynolds didn't answer immediately, and Sera's antennae dropped flat to her head.:: Maybe I choose the easier way out. ::Marching up an Admiral and offering her resignation sure didn't feel easy at the time. But perhaps it was easier than discussing, and attempting to manage, her mental state with people she had to see daily.:: Reynolds: There's nothing easy about any of it. ::She paused, considering her response.:: Take it from someone who's stridently private, and spent half her career fleeing in the opposite direction whenever she saw the ship's counsellor... it helps. It's not just talking. It's learning about yourself, understanding yourself and what you've been through. It's about figuring out the techniques that will help you. :: Sera let out a deep breath and placed her trembling hands on the table. She cupped them in an effort to keep them from trembling, and immediately her right heel began bouncing off the floor causing her leg to shake. It was almost enough to send her into a nervous giggling fit, but only almost.:: zh'Aella: I looked at the symptoms of this... of my, disorder when I got back to my quarters. I haven't experienced many of them yet, but I might in the future. Relieving the flashbacks was bad enough but other symptoms might strike when I'm not expecting them. I don't want to resign, but I honestly don't know if I can do my job while dealing with this. Reynolds: We have a while before the conference ends and we're back on duty. Take that time to think about it. You have to do what's best for you, and if that really *is* resigning your commission, then that's what it is. ::She paused, woodland eyes intent on Sera.:: But give yourself a little time, and take a little help. If the counsellor clears you for duty, that's good enough for me. Talk with her and start your healing, before making any final decisions. :: She sat there with her leg vibrating under the table and hands clenched together so fiercely that Sera's mind began to have thoughts of hanging onto a ladder as she was flipped her head over heels. Fortunately the memories were not so vivid that she forgot where she was, but the increased level of anxiety was undeniable. It felt like people at the other tables were watching her, judging her. Sera closed her eyes, recognising the negative feeling and began breathing slowly and deeply. After a minute she felt slightly calmer.:: zh'Aella: Yes sir. I'll start working on it, on healing and get back to you. :: She collected the PADD and combadge from the table.:: I'll hang on to those for a little while longer. I'm sorry for laying this on you, Admiral. Reynolds: I'm glad that you did. ::She offered a small, kind smile.:: You're not alone in this, Sera. zh'Aella: Thank you sir. Reynolds: Alright. ::She paused, about to say something else, and then changed her mind.:: Try and enjoy your shore leave, in the meantime. And if you *do* need anything, just ask. End -- Lieutenant Sera zh'Aella Chief of Security and Tactical USS Gorkon V239107TZ0 & Rear Admiral Quinn Reynolds Commanding Officer USS Gorkon T238401QR0

((Beta Quadrant, Partha Expanse, Romulan Republic Warbird Illa’variea, Corridor near Main Shuttle Bay)) ::Being on a Romulan ship was new to most of the Atlantis's crew, despite the Empire having fallen and the Republic being a softer friendlier?? face of the Romulan people. It was still rare to be allowed on one of their ships, even if as with the Illa’variea Fleet and especially Intelligence knew the ins and outs of these ships:: Logan oO As I'm sure they know about the Atlantis, they may not be the Old Empire at face value but I'm sure these new apples haven't fallen far from the tree Oo ::Kurt was here having a conversation with his fellow Marine 2nd Lieutenant Osiris, the over sized kitty and enemy scaring machine. Know as 'RUN...RUN...RUN AWAY!!!!!!' or a Worene to those not being hunted by one:: ::It always made Kurt feel a little hollow when he saw the Marines on board, true he had seen action and been involved in situations that pushed those beyond any training, his arm could testify to that. Even before he had passed out of training, but he over ranked one that he shouldn't. The Worene Osiris, his expertise and experience made Kurt's look like he was still in diapers:: ::There was that difference among the Corp as had been showed when they had been joined by by fellow Marine Solana and battered back and forth that rank could be a fluid thing if respect was there. There wasn't many that the team respected more than the battle hardened hunter, Kurt just wished his rank reflected that:: Logan: Sorry bit vague my bad. When we came on board I noticed one of the Romulans had a small physical issue. I thought nothing of it people get injured goes with the territory, since then however I've seen three others with the same problems. Osiris: What sort of injury? Logan: Heavier breathing, one foot with a slightly heavier toe slap and a knee tightness, I thought one was sweating more but I didn't think me sticking my face in his or holding a Tricorder to him would go down all that well::Shrugging:: Not sure why ::Shaking his head in confusion:: Anyway I need your senses to see if you can find something, traces of increased sweating anything. I'm going to go to Captain McKnight and tell him what I've seen but I need a check, see if I'm miss reading something or there's more I'm not seeing. :: The Worene was silent one ear stayed focused on him the other twitched back and forth as sounds reached him. His whiskers canting from side to side as his tail continued it's back and forth lazy motion, his eyes showed the intellect that hid behind, very well hid however, the incredibly sharp teeth and razor sharp claws:: Osiris: You're concerned there might be an affliction among the Romulan crew? Or are you worried some of them might be like the ones that tried to kill Hyden andKiliak? Logan: Yes, no and a dozen other ideas ::Rubbing the left side of his temples he willed the ache away:: Logan: It's Unlikely to be the ones Hyden and Kiliak ..... met :: He had heard some of the details through scuttlebutt not all of it but enough to know a couple of things:: Logan: To start she didn't hit four of them unless there's more to it than I've heard. And if she did to not them all in the same way to cause those symptoms...... Not likely I'd say. This ship is undermanned and under resourced but again four crew injuried in exactly the same way by an accident .....That is entirely to coincidental. Osiris: I can do as you ask, but I am no tricorder. I can tell you if they're different from the others on board, but not if that difference is anything of medical import. Unless I've sensed an illness before, then I can tell the difference in a person. Logan: Thank you Osiris, I hope I'm wrong but damage to the foot is nerves if it's what I see. And if that's the case.... ::Kurt had no reason to continue his sentence the outline of his thoughts were easy to follow:: Osiris: Response Logan: There's something up that we know nothing about, what were heading for is undoubtedly a trap. One that's been... I don't know how long in the making. And it's a trap that makes no sense, as soon as we had Captain Brell back their subdefuge was no longer needed, we were at their mercy. Shields bypassed, destroyed Nacelle and out Computer core not in our control. Osiris: Response Logan: There's no sense in what their doing, putting this much resource in to this ?... why??. We haven't really hurt them regardless of what we've done, and if they put 2% of the energy from this into other things we wouldn't be anywhere near them for decades. We've no military clout in the Expanse, we've limited ships only one base, no real Diplomatic ability as much as Commander Lyldra tries. And what ever good we can do gets undone at the next battle. They have spies everywhere, have infiltrated a lot of the houses and free worlds league id say as they havent been fazed by any of the pressure that has been put there way. As there get out of trouble lies have been lame to say the least. So why put all this effort in. So anything you can guess at, piece together, beg, borrow or steal big guy anything and everything that hunters mind can dream up Marine Captain Kurt Logan Ast Chief Marine Officer USS Atlantis, NCC-74682 E239203KLO

((Stationside – The Brewhaus Gastopub)) ::Why were relationships hard? Why was talking hard when one felt stupid about something? He was Wyn Foster. He had this façade that nothing was hard unless it was heroic. Laboring over how best to explain his feelings for a longtime friend was not heroic. It was just… awkward.:: Foster: So yeah, half of me is elated by this new possibility because you’re cool and I like you and half of me is feeling that I’m a complete moron. ::he paused an added with a mutter.:: And I hate feeling stupid. Blackwell:::At first a tinge of pink appeared when he called her cool…she felt giddy and light from the beer combined with the emotions, but as he dropped his voice, she furrowed her brow at that and moved to sit closer to him in the booth:: Oh Wyn….First off, you are not -stupid-. you are not the only person…human or not, to miss cues some think are obvious. Even I miss cues that I should have seen…hindsight is 20/20 and besides, I shouldn’t have asked it like that. I tend to think I’m just…I don’t know, obvious. See it this way, Saveron..only knew my mind once I told him…so…:: She shrugged:: I guess sometimes I’m better than I know at pushing down things. ::Well if Saveron missed it, maybe it was excusable? Wyn leaned forward letting his antennae rock back and forth, absorbing all this information. It was still a lot to take in.:: Foster: I guess you are. ::He admitted in something of a compliment. Not the best compliment mind you, but he was pretty impressed. It meant she had another layer of subtlety that was previously unrecognized.:: Still begs the question why? ::Yep and still no pulling punches. He wanted – perhaps needed – more information and he wasn’t above being sassy to get it.:: Blackwell: As I’ve said: fear. I convince myself that…confessing those sort of things to people will just go badly, and there have been times I’ve irritated you ::She eyed him for a moment with a crooked grin:: Anyways…I just got …somewhere along the way, good at compartmentalizing at times…even if there are points where my mental boxes are occasionally a troublesome Pandora’s box for the opening. Either way…don’t feel stupid. ::She put her hand on his arm:: What counts is that we are here now… ::She could feel two things – first, her heart beating just a bit faster despite sitting, and she couldn’t tell if it was her body working to burn off the alcohol, or simple the fact she was so close to him now that she could see the way the light caught his eyes and hair. She slowly slid her hand down his arm and took his hand in hers. Her green eyes met his and then she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it gently:: Let’s not dwell on what could have been or what should have been…and accept that..maybe things just sometimes fall into place a little later than anyone would like…and that might make it all the sweeter. ::Wyn had been about to sass back that everyone irritated him at one point or another, up to and including himself. Irritation was a fact of life even – or especially – in ones you loved. But then she touched him. There were a few things that Wyn hated to admit because, being raised by Terran – subsect: American – cultural standards they communicated weakness. But they were things that his Andorian biology craved. Touch was one of the biggest ones. Andorian homes were small to conserve heat, and families included quads and multi-generations. Many people sharing heat meant a lot of close contact was simply natural. Take that away and you ended up with a man who wanted something without realizing it or even understanding why until it happened. His expression warmed gently:: Foster: You know… I like sweetness… ::Real smooth, Wyn. Still, could have been far worse.:: Foster: You sure about this? ::Equally smooth. But honest, checking temperature.:: Blackwell::She leans in, and her voice dropped to whisper warmly to him:: Oh…the beer is making me a little poetic but it isn’t the beer that has me currently intoxicated ::And she leaned in for a gentle kiss on his lips, pulling back only because the waiter came back with their food. She cleared her throat, free hand going to her neck sheepishly and she loosened her grip to release his hand:: ::Saved by the waiter? Or delayed by the waiter? Oh this was going to be one heck of an interesting night. Wyn Foster tended to not regret things and he was steeling himself to not be tentative and not regret anything. So, drink your beer, Wyn and let’s see where this went.:: Foster: Well that was an quite the timing. But hey, with beer goes food. Blackwell:: Oh..I should eat. Lunch was a quick protein bar ::before admitting:: and really it was more ‘brunch’ ::And she started to pick at one of the appetizers before he could protest too much:: ::He started to click his tongue at her and then smiled.:: Foster: Should I chastise you for that? I mean I can… Blackwell:Well, maybe you’ll just need to be around more to make sure I have breakfast ::she said teasingly:: ::Oh, that was innocent, and naughty all at the same time. He had the good graces to tinge faintly navy.:: Foster: Well, then… you know we could plan on that. I’m thinking food, more beer and didn’t I owe you a dance? Then you know, we make sure you get breakfast in the morning. Blackwell: That is what I was hoping you would say… ::He beamed. Glasses clinked. No regrets.:: ~*~ ~fin~ ~*~ Lt. Commander Shar’Wyn Foster Chief Medical Officer USS Eagle "Why do we fly? Because we have dreamt of it for so long that we must" ~Julian Beck E239010ST0

((Athens, Greece - 2000 B.C. [Main Engineering])) ::Ah, Athens! Greek's people lucky enough to not be stuck in the middle of nowhere or stranded on an island or in a labyrinth were, for the most part, gathered here in Athena's neck of the woods. Hermes didn't necessarily like Athena, but he didn't hate her either. Though she was technically his sister by patronage, he didn't call on her often. Then again, almost every God in Olympus was related, in some fashion or another. Today he had reason, however. So along the clouds he dashed, gracefully riding the mist of the morning toward the place named for Athena. He grunted irritably as he thought of her. No one ever named a city after him. But he shook his annoyance with Greece off of him like the feather of a bird, and found himself atop Athens’ temple to the namesake Goddess. Unseen by the people milling below, he wandered around the roof, watching the masses.:: Athena: Why are you here? ::A sky grin came across Hermes’ face as the voice sounded from behind him. He knew it wouldn't take long for her to show up.:: Hermes: ‘Thena, how's tricks? Athena: I did not invite you into my city. State your business or I will skin your insides. Hermes: You'd have to catch me first. ::He yawned lazily, and then turned to face her with a half grin hitched on his lips.:: We have a problem. ::Athena was elegant as always in a snow white gown that flowed to the ground, not showing much skin at all, which by Hermes’ standards was blasphemy. He himself wore a subligaria he'd ripped off from the Romans that covered his family jewels, and not much else. Giving Hermes a scowl of loathing, Athena didn't say anything. Instead, she waited for Hermes to explain. He sighed, wishing she'd at least play along, but gave in.:: Hermes: Things have been happening in Olympus. Indeed, all around Greece. I'm sure you've noticed by now. Athena: I've noted odd happenings. I assumed it was you, or Aries, causing mayhem for the amusement. Hermes: I wish I could say that was true, ‘Thena. But ::he sighed:: they are not of Olympian origin. ::Athena studied him with pursed lips and a doubtful gaze.:: Athena: If not from a God, then from where are these machinations appearing? I recently witnessed no less than twelve dragons fighting in my skies. What else but a God has the power to create such things? Hermes: Only one thing Zeus can think of. Athena: ::Her eyes widened, and then her scowl returned with ferocity.:: No. Its secure. Cronus himself knows not its location. Hermes: Well, it's been moved, for our own safety. With so many strange sightings, Zeus has determined that we are under attack by beings from another realm. None can have access to...it. Athena: If it is secure, why do you come here? ::Hermes gave another sly grin.:: Hermes: Well, I need a favor. I have been appointed as the master of defense in this trying time, and I need some...minions...to assist me. Athena: I do not keep monsters in my city. Go find them elsewhere. Hermes: Come on ‘Thena, I know you don't have anything here….but you do know where I can find what I seek. ::Athena gave Hermes a gaze of scrutiny, thinking on his words.:: Athena: Fine. I'll give you the information you seek. ::Hermes grinned broadly. Together, they vanished, in order to prepare the defenses of Olympus.:: ((Timeskip - A Few Hours Later)) ::Everything was in place. Well, at least he thought so. Hermes had finally convinced his new beastie friend to play along, and now it was in place, he needed to search for the source of the intruders. Greece was a large place, and so knowing just where to look was quite difficult. He started in Athens, and then, leaving the city scoured the countryside of Attika, and found nothing. Through Kephallonia and Thermopylai he searched, and found nothing. It wasn't until he decided to search a bit closer to home, and maybe bring Artemis’ lazy ass into the hunt, that something strange finally happened. Three people talking in hushed words caught his eye. This wasn't anything so odd, three people talking was as common as Zeus’ extra-marital escapades. What was really odd was their appearance. One was normal enough. The second was mostly normal, except for a few subtle spots on her head and neck. The last one was monstrous. His skin was ugly and gray, he had weird ridges on his face and the odd look of someone who just fell out of bed.:: Maxwell/Poq/Rohan: ? ::He listened from his hiding spot, not understanding at all what they were talking about. This was annoying. As a God of Olympus, he felt insulted that he couldn't decipher the strange words they used. It wasn't a language barrier, it was their vocabulary. They talked about...holo-somethings, and main enginwhoosits. Gah! Annoying! Deciding it was time to do something, Hermes revealed himself. His barely clothed form sparkled in the marvelous sun, his skin carved from marbles his hair the color of a sea of wheat. His excellence would surely astound these newcomers.:: Hermes: Welcome, friends from afar! Maxwell/Poq/Rohan: ? Hermes: I am Hermes, Messenger of the Gods, God of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, border crossings, and guide to the Underworld! Who might you be? Maxwell/Poq/Rohan: ? Hermes: Smartass, I see. Well I don't know what you seek. But perhaps I can help you find it. ::He kept his voice benevolent, as if he only wanted to help them. Of course, he'd soon enough get what information he needed, and lead them to his beastie friend...:: Maxwell/Poq/Rohan: ? ~*~ Hermes Messenger of the Gods & Athena Goddess of Wisdom As simmed by ~*~ Ensign Evelyn Rós Science Officer StarBase 118 Ops O239512ER0

((The Look Outt - Deck 10 - USS Columbia)) :: Rune sat in her usual seat in the Look Outt, close to the window facing the door so she could see who came and went. Krystyan sat in a booster seat beside her shoveling cereal into his mouth by the handful. She wasn’t sure where Na’Toth had gotten off to and she really didn’t care. The Verillian was good with her son but still managed to get on her nerves rather quickly and she wasn’t in the mood for him. :: :: She took a sip of her Masala Chai tea and continued to read the reports on her PADD. She had been flabbergasted when she got the notification that T’Lea was being transferred to Columbia. She had mixed emotions about serving with the crazy Romu-Vulc again. According to the reports, much had changed since the last time they had spoken. :: :: Rune leaned forward with one hand cradling her forehead. She took a deep breath and released it. T’Lea’s mother had been murdered. Her throat tightened slightly as she read the details. Ravius wasn’t what she would consider a good person but she wasn’t entirely bad either. She had helped Rune find out information of a personal nature and for that, she had agreed to do certain things in return, mainly not kill T’Lea… as if she would. :: :: There was also mention that T’Sara was gone, though she couldn’t find any information about where she had gone or the circumstances. :: Krystyan: Toth! Toth! :: The sudden outburst caused Rune to drop the PADD and sit up straighter. She rolled her eyes the moment she saw the Verillian ‘waddling’ toward their table. Krystyan was kicking his feet, one of which was kicking Rune in the shin. After the third time, she grabbed his foot beneath the table and held it in place. :: :: N’Toth scruffed Krystyan’s curly blond hair as he sat down. At the same time, he pushed a PADD toward Rune. She glanced down at the PADD and then back up at the blue faced annoyance. :: Jolara: What is that? N’Toth: ::grinning around the horns protruding from his face:: It’s what’s called a PADD. You know, Personal Access Display Device. Jolara: ::sucking in a breath:: I know that. What is it you want me to look at? N’Toth: It’s your itinerary for shore leave planetside. I took the liberty of planning your R&R since you were obviously not going to do it. :: She pushed the PADD back across the table without looking at the contents. :: Jolara: Not interested. N’Toth: You have to. All work and no play is making you… ::waving his hand:: meh. :: Rune [...]ed her head to the side as her brows grew together. :: Jolara: Meh? What is meh? N’Toth: Dull, grumpy… among other things… Worse than usual. ::He picked up the PADD and activated it. Turning it around so she could see the screen, he scrolled through photos and local information.:: There’s skiing… or rather the Losarian form of skiing, ice skating, sledding. ::He grinned and looked at Krystyan who was leaning as far over as possible to see the pictures.:: He would love sledding I bet. Krystyan: YA! Wan go swedding. Jolara: No. It is too cold. Krystyan: Wan go swedding! Wan go swedding! N’Toth: Come on. It’ll be fun and good for both of you to get some fresh air. ::Pointing at the PADD.:: Or you could go hiking. I know you like hiking. Jolara: I like hiking… ::leaning over:: when it is WARM. I do not like cold. It hurts. :: Her jaw clenched. She had been looking forward to going planetside for some sun and fresh air. But that was before she knew the entire planet was freezing. Not all Al-Leyans were adverse to cooler temperatures but the majority were and for once Rune was among the majority. :: Krystyan: ::louder and slapping his hands down on the table:: Wan go swedding! :: Rune grabbed Krystyan’s hands. :: Jolara: By the branch! Do not do that! :: The moment the words were out and her son’s expression changed from happy to crying, she regretted it. She took a breath and let it out, releasing his hands at the same time. :: Jolara: ::softer, wiping away his tears:: I am sorry. Do not cry. Please. ::to N’Toth:: This is your fault. :: N’Toth shook his thick blue skull. :: N’Toth: You did this all on your own. Further proof you need to go down there. Maybe freezing your a… ::Rune raised an eyebrow.:: butt off will do you some good. Krystyan: ::his little lower lip quivering, tears flooding his deep blue eyes:: Pwease mommy? :: Rune sucked in a breath. She still couldn’t handle when Krystyan cried. Even less so when she had caused it. :: Jolara: Fine. We will go sledding. oOBesides, it will give me an excuse not to see T’Lea just yet.Oo :: Krystyan’s expression immediately brightened, all thoughts of crying forgotten. He let out a squeal. She gave N’Toth a look that said she would kill him if she froze to death. ::

Well whatever they're playing, it looks rather familiar somehow, somewhere @Jo Marshall. ((Cargo Bay, Deck Six, USS Gorkon)) ::Vorin sat in his regular chair - the spot he always took up when it came to gaming night - however, that night was unlike any other. For the first time, the group would not be playing. Chris was away, and as the regularly scheduled Dungeon Master, the plot would surely take a downward spiral if anyone else were to step into his shoes. Not that Vorin wasn't tempted. He had long, concocted plans of how *he* would run a game one evening if he was given the opportunity to do so, but for some incomprehensible reason, there had been some reluctance to run through the "dungeon" of the Vulcan Science Academy initiation program. ::He looked up as the door opened. His colleague Jimothy - Human, no last name, apparently like a twentieth-century entertainer - strode inside, accompanied by Sen Baidan and Robert Peek, bringing with them a host of replicated food in trays that would have sustained their appetites for the evening. Vorin huffed with an exhale from his nose. Clearly, his informational message had not been received.:: Vorin: Chris is not--- Jimothy: We know. We figured we'd do something else, ja? ::His shoulders shrugged up and slipped into the chair usually reserved for the Petty Officer, chewing noisily on a slice of something crusted, dropping crumbs onto the makeshift container table. Vorin squinted his eyes at him for a long moment, trying to work out if the known-Casanova was about to elaborate on the comment. Evidently not. He turned to Baidan.:: Baidan: We have a new game. Peek: It's a good one! I've been playing for days. ::He smiled, chewing on something just as crusty, talking around the noise.:: There's no board though. Vorin: I fail to see the--- Baidan: It is about the Nyberrite Alliance. ::Vorin's ears [...]ed up and the corners of Sen's lips turned upwards.:: I thought that may be agreeable to you. Vorin: Elaborate. ::The tone was an inquisitive one, not demanding, and as Sen sat himself down at their table, he slid his PADD across the top. On it was a series of messages, no one unlike the other, with a flow of text styles and formatting that seemed to make little sense. Vorin picked it up, and with a frown, began to read through it.:: Jimothy: Ja, there's like... ::Another crunch. Vorin felt he would need to kill him.:: ...characters, right. You make a character and then you write their story, and others reply. Vorin: "Others reply?" ::The air quotes were as evident in his gentle Vulcan tonal range. His eyes darted to the PADD again as several more messages started to filter in, each one of them seemed to further the plot of whatever had captured the fancy of this group of players. Pilots, engineers, tacticians; someone had written for a pirate, a captain, and someone else had written a scientist. Vorin frowned, wondering what the Nyberrite Alliance had use of a scientist for.:: Vorin: Who are the other players? Jimothy: Ja, everyone! ::He flung his arms out, slapping the crusty food nodule into Peek's head, though it was like throwing rocks at a mountain.:: Lower decks mainly, but we think that... ::He scratched his face.:: Rob, what's the guy called? ::Peek, who had been scratching at an invisible itch somewhere in the air around his bicep, seemed to brighten at being asked for his contribution to the conversation.:: Peek: Lieutenant Kian? Jimothy: Ja, that's him. We think he is writing for Streak - the pulsar pilot and interplanetary war veteran. There is a shirt ripped almost every campaign. Baidan: I do have a character free if you would like to take it over. He does only speak in haikus, however. ::The frown hadn't yet slid from Vorin's face as he flicked through the reams of messages coming through in the PADD. It was anonymous - no one entered their actual name to their messages but signed off as their character. Passing the PADD back over to Sen, he tapped momentarily on the top of it and inquired.:: Vorin: Why the Nyberrite Alliance? ::Sen brightened again, ears wiggling, which was as usual unnerving, though Vorin would not be able to articulate why and refused to give much thought to it.:: Baidan: It is a Space Adventure! Vorin: You live, and work, in space. Peek: Yeah but this is fun! I mean, this is pretty dull, isn't it? Going to a conference. It's not like the ship is being molested by an energy tentacle, or being attacked by pirates, or hitting space icebergs, or... Vorin: There is no such thing as a space iceberg. Peek: ...battling barbarian aliens from the outer rim, or crawling over shipwrecks, or ghost towns, or plague-infested towns, or attacks on Station Aspodèle, or everything is on fire, or... ::Vorin angled an eyebrow. Perhaps it would be interesting. At least until Chris returned from his supposedly tedious excursion to New Horizon.:: ---- NPCs The Role Players Crewman Jimothy, Scientist Ensign Sen Baidan, Comms Specialist PO Third-Class Robert Peek, Engineering Yeoman Lieutenant JG Vorin, Biologist simmed by Lt. Commander Jo Marshall First Officer USS Gorkon G239304JM0

((The Queen’s Studio, The Imperial Palace - Irvaytho Proper, Losaria)) ((Time Index: Thirty minutes before the crew’s arrival in Royal Court)) ::Normally, Enora found the snowfall that floated through the air just beyond her balcony a delightful sight and a welcome distraction from the work of a head of state. Instead the vast cityscape accumulating a light coating of snow went unnoticed. Her eyes were fixed on the Editorial Page of The New Glacell Gazette. Specifically the full-page opinion piece titled “A Child on the Throne”. Nearly six months into her reign, and they still questioned whether or not she could rule. All that the press had wished to discuss was the fact that she still had three years of courses left at the Royal Academy or to speculate which senior official in her court was the real head of state. The successful new infrastructure initiative or the increased trade with the Kavolians didn’t seem to mean anything. An opinion piece published by a famed professor of political studies was just the newest insult to her rule.:: ::She angrily pitched the paper over the railing and watched it fall. The newspaper stopped once it reached the invisible security screen projected around the balcony and slowly disintegrated as energy flowed through the fragile paper. Enora took one last look around the historic heart of Irvaytho where her palace sat before turning around and returning to her studio where her assistant Ailre was waiting with a data pad and an ornate metal box.:: Ailre: ::Reading the frustrated expression she was wearing:: The article in the Gazette? ::Ailre had previously been a senior advisor to Enora’s mother before she became ill and died. For as long as she had been present for meetings of the Royal Court at her mother’s side, Ailre had always been there to give advice and make complex issues seem simple with his explanations of mundane topics like education funding reform or the electrical delivery system for Losaria. Sometimes the former admiral was a bit too good at reading her emotions.:: Glynndor: Yes, the article in the Gazette! Does it matter that I spent years observing court functions during my mother’s reign? Do they report about all of the extra courses I have taken in law and economics? No they do not. Ailre: Most monarchs have had much more time to prepare for their role. Your mother took the crown when she was almost thirty-four. Someone a third of that age and still in school ruling an interstellar commonwealth does not instill much confidence in the public. It is not fair, but it is the way things are. ::Enora sighed and looked at the data pad that Ailre had brought her.:: Glynndor: Did you bring me the intelligence report about the crew of this alien starship, the Columbia? Ailre: Yes ma’am. Glynndor: Thank you, Ailre. ::She scrolled through the report and looked over what the crew of the Illrith had said. The United Federation of Planets and their ship the Columbia sounded interesting. Nothing like the governments she was used to, but interesting. And the pictures that were sent along didn’t resemble at all the ships of the Royal Navy that she had toured as a child.:: Glynndor: This meeting will be interesting, to say the least. I want the Diplomatic Corps to put together a list of candidates for ambassador to this United Federation of Planets. Depending on how diplomatic first contact goes, we may wish to establish a permanent connection between this government and our own. Ailre: I will see to it at once. Glynndor: I assume that the Royal Court has already assembled in the throne room? Ailre: Yes. ::Nodding:: I see that you are already wearing most of the traditional apparel. ::If nothing else, the traditional robes of the Queen of the Losarian People were comfortable. They were a royal red and lined with fur to help keep warm in the cold climate of Losaria. Over the years there were various sashes, medals, and other adornments added to commemorate events in Losarian history. She had donned the elaborate ensemble that a meeting with delegates from a previously unknown species demanded. There was only one thing missing, and it was in the box that Ailre carried.:: Glynndor: The crown please. ::Ailre set the box down on the desk in front of her. Enora reached out and lifted the engraved metal lid of the box. Inside was the Imperial Crown, made for her great-grandmother by a team of artisans to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Imperial Losarian Commonwealth’s establishment. It still looked pristine after all those years. She gently picked them up with her gloved hands and set the crown on her head.:: ::She turned to look in the mirror. The crown, while it looked beautiful in its special storage box, looked a bit too large for her, as had the robes before they were tailored for her. While her deep blue skin, golden eyes, and long black hair she bore a great resemblance to her mother. Yet Enora was yet to master the look of a monarch comfortable in the ceremonial attire that seem to come naturally to her mother and the kings and queens immortalized in portraits on both walls of the Grand Stairway that all visitors to the palace walked through on their way to the throne room. Enora couldn’t deny that she looked more like a child wearing a royal costume rather than a true head of state. It would take quite a while for her to become comfortable with the royal traditions.:: Glynndor: We will need to throw banquets and ceremonies more frequently if I am to get used to wearing this. ::Enora reached down and pushed the intercom button on her desk:: Lieutenant Cithro, I will be joining the Royal Court in the throne room shortly. Please ensure our guests are properly searched by security for weapons and escort them to a reception room to wait until we are ready for them. ::Enora sank into her chair behind her desk and let out a sigh. Ailre closed the lid of the box and looked at her closely.:: Ailre: I wouldn’t let the article get you in poor spirits. There were similar critics and detractors during the first year of your mother’s reign. Glynndor: You may go now, Ailre. Inform everyone that I will be down shortly. ::Ailre walked down the spiral staircase leading to the rest of the palace to organize the members of the Royal Court. Enora looked up at the two portraits that were hanging on the wall to her left. The first was her mother, Queen Falel Glynndor. She looked as confident in her portrait as she always did when dealing with running the Losarian government. If nothing else, most everyone could agree that Enora had one of the best possible teachers in the art of ruling.:: ::The other portrait was of her namesake, Ambassador Enora Abochiri. She wondered if the ambassador had felt this nervous every time she met a new species. Enora had already made one diplomatic mistake during a state dinner a few weeks earlier. One of the advisors from the Diplomatic Corps and an expert in xenocultural etiquette had spent two hours giving her advice for this initial first contact with representatives from the United Federation of Planets.:: Gynndor: oO I’ll live up to your examples… some day. Oo ::After looking at the portraits for another minute or two, Enora stood up and made her way down the staircase. It was time to make sure all of the preparations were in place for the meeting.:: Queen Enora Glynndor Her Imperial Majesty The Queen of the Losarian People, Empress of the Commonwealth, and Honorable Sovereign of Irvaytho Imperial Losarian Commonwealth ===as simmed by=== Lieutenant Commander Anath G'Renn Chief Medical Officer/Second Officer, USS Columbia A239402AG0

((Bridge, Deck A, Dilithium Freighter Verlaxi of the Andorian Merchant Marine)) ((Time Index: 5.5 years ago, Stardate 239008.14)) ::The palest blue color flashed on the viewscreen. It was a thing of beauty. The sensor overlay alarm indicated they had found their quarry.:: th'Ryken: Bring us about nice and slow, crewman. ch'Ranni: Aye, Captain. ::Jona tapped the thrusters that would align the freighter with the asteroid.:: ch'Ranni: Adjusting pitch positive two degrees, yaw negative five degrees. ::beat:: Ready, sir. ::Captain Tov th'Ryken flashed a smile at the new helmsman, impressed with his abilities. Jona prided himself on how quickly he had familiarized himself with the ship's controls.:: th'Ryken: Good. Bring us within 100 meters of the surface. We'll use the cutting lasers to carve out the section on grid pattern G-4. ::Once Jona had the vessel at the right distance, the young woman, Jhetu sh'Qaarah, sitting to his right activated the cutting laser as bits of dust and ice spewed away from the hole created by the super-heated ionizing beam. Within seconds a quarter ton chunk of rock floated free from the main asteroid and the ship's tractor beam caught it and lifted it away.:: sh'Qaarah: Analyzing. ::pause:: Confirmed, sir. Dilithium ore is present. ch'Ranni: Yes! ::composing himself:: Sorry, sir. We could send crews down immediately to set up extraction charges. th'Ryken: All in good time, crewman. Just take in the sights for a moment. There's nothing quite like it, is there? Look at that asteroid belt out there. :: The immediate field of vision was obscured by the crowding of the closely-spaced bits of rock. Jona knew that if the ship was at a higher plane he would see they really stretched outward for a few thousand kilometers. That made for millions of asteroids and a few of them contained prizes like this one. He smiled back at his captain.:: ch'Ranni: Aye, sir. Quite amazing. th'Ryken: You don't know the half of it, boy. I've been mining dilithium for forty-two years now. Each discovery still brings chills to the back of my neck. These resources will be used to power the greatest ships the Federation can produce. And its our job to mine them and get them home safely. Keep your eyes peeled, you know the Nausicaan pirates have been on the rise in this area. ch'Ranni: Aye, aye, Captain! ::Jona definitely felt excitement when he signed on to the crew. His charan, Vorka, had been ecstatic when they young Andorian expressed interest in getting some experience piloting a freighter. No doubt his father had visions of Jona one day piloting an Andorian Guard cruiser just like him. Jona had conveniently left out the secret hope which he maintained - that this experience could be a stepping stone to his entry to Starfleet.:: th'Ryken: Watch the drift, Jona. ch'Ranni: Yes, sir. Compensating. ::He mentally chided himself for his wandering thoughts. He needed to pay closer attention. "Be in the moment", as his thaven, Spel, always berated him. He loved both his fathers but they could be a little demanding in both their expectations and criticisms.:: sh'Qaarah: ::whispering with a small smile:: Yes, crewman. Watch your drift. ::Jona chuckled lightly and shot back a retort at the Operations Specialist.:: ch'Ranni: I'll watch the drift, if you watch the stabilizers on the tractor beam. Your waveform is out of sync by five kiloveds, Jhetu. sh'Qaarah: Yeah, and you're sitting there with your hand on the targeting lock. Its more efficient to let the lock float unless you're actively targeting something. ::Her antennae writhed in agitation at the young man.:: ch'Ranni: Well, you obviously ... th'Ryken: Children ... ::the Captain slowly drew the word out in an almost sing-song voice so as to stop the quarrel but also take the bite out of the chastisement. He paused for several seconds until both crew members turned to look at him.:: That's better. Now, shall we go collect some galactic jewels? ch'Ranni: Yes, sir. ::For the moment, Jona was happy to comply. He valued his life aboard the Verlaxi and was grateful for the experience it gave him in piloting.:: ::But his heart belonged farther out among the countless pin[...]s of light scattered across the blackness of space.::

This is the first part of their JP and I love the romance in it. They've built up the tension nicely. I could really feel @Lael Rosek 's pain, fear, and anger but most of all their growing love for each other. I adore how @German Galven remains the calm, gentleman he is! Well done ❤️ ((Tribble B Lounge, Deck 2, USS Montreal)) ::German was still feeling out of sorts through his ordeal with being under the virus and haven’t had much to contribute to the mission other than his department pulling through. He was extremely grateful for Stennin as well as Munger who made herself acting chief which showed a level of commitment. However, the dream. Had it been a dream or was he actually in the Unimatrix? It all felt too real and even Arlil felt real, but after the nano tech was removed by Lael, any effort in trying to get back was null.:: ::He did, however, feel relieved that his sister was still out there. Wherever or whenever she was. Once he was out of thoughts to think of, he noticed he had wandered into the lounge. He guessed that his mind was telling him to get a good stiff drink. As he approached the bar, he ordered his usual which was a Cardassian Sunrise, then sat down.:: ::She was only here because she didn’t want to delve into her good bourbon. It would be a waste given that she wouldn’t taste anything after her second glass. She sat at a table in the far corner facing the wall with a couple of glasses turned on their rims, empty, nursing a third glass. In her hands was a PADD connected to a wireless pair of earpieces. It was currently blasting Muse as loud as she could tolerate, though the tech kept the loud, ear-splitting music from disturbing those around her. Taking another large drink from her glass of bourbon, she allowed herself to get lost in the lyrics. It was her escape when life became too much and after that last mission, she was needing it.:: ::Once he had taken a few generous swigs, he sighed and then turned his head to glance around the room. He didn’t see anyone until his vision spotted someone lurking in the corner with their back to the corner. He leaned in and squinted his eyes hoping to get a better look at who it was. He determined who it was by the blonde hair. Lael. After he awoke he hadn’t seen her since she left and they hadn’t really talked afterward. He turned, then grabbed his drink. When he got up from his chair, he approached her knowing she could probably hear him due to her powerful hearing.:: Galven: Lael? ::Apparently, she didn’t hear him when he saw that she was wearing earpieces. Now this was a mission in itself hoping not to scare the woman. He then thought about the next best thing. He walked around the table and sat down facing her. He took a drink and sat it down in her view.:: ::When she caught sight of him, she tensed, smashing her thumb hard into the command that would stop the music before removing the earpieces. Her gaze dropped to her glass for a moment before her gaze lifted to meet his. She opened her mouth to speak, but was lost for words. Shaking her head, she took down the rest of her drink before slamming the glass back down on the table hard enough that a small piece chipped off the rim. Without waiting for his response, she grabbed the PADD and stormed for the door, pressing her thumb to the PADD the bartender on shift shoved in her direction before making a quick exit into the corridor.:: ::Her actions confused the Denobulan. Watching her react in such a way made him realize that something was bothering her. Most likely the dress down she gave him in the ready room before he collapsed. He scratched his head as he got up to go after her. The bartender looked like he knew what that was all about as he folded his arms and looked at him with an arched eyebrow. German shrugged as we ran by and looked both ways out the door and noticed Lael was heading for the turbolift. He caught up to her just in time as the door closed. He bent over catching his breath and put a hand up on the wall to catch himself.:: Galven: ::breathes:: Lael::beat::We need::beat::to talk. Is this about::beat::when I questioned you on the bridge? ((Corridors)) ::She tensed, but kept walking until she reached a hidden alcove. She reached out, grabbing him by the arm, then tugged him in roughly after her. Once she had him there, she did two things in quick succession: she slapped him hard across the face and then pulled him to her, gripping the sides of his face tightly as she slammed her mouth into his, softening her assault only slightly before pulling back panting heavily.:: ::It wasn’t until she reached a hand up to wipe the blood from the corner of her lip where she’d bitten it that she realized tears were streaming down her cheeks against her will. She grimaced, her gaze dropping from his as she turned, presenting him with her back, trying to get the tempest of emotions back under control.:: ::With such a force of the slap and then the assaulted kiss, he didn’t know what to do. He brought up his hand to his cheek and felt a it had already bruised. He winced as he rubbed it. He guessed that he deserved that, but the kiss. All the while it was nice, but the way she kissed him after she slapped him made him in a complete daze. He then figured out what was wrong. He had been out of it under the spell of a deadly virus.:: ::He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, but there was resistance. With his foot more forward than the other, he centered himself and grabbed her shoulder harder which pulled her around and he planted a kiss of his own on her lips. After a few moments, he pulled back and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, then gazed into her eyes. She looked so distraught and there was just a hint of something else.:: Galven: ::murmurs:: Speak to me. ::She sighed, giving in to him, and leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes. The relief was instant. He was alive. She could hear his voice. She slid a hand up his arm. She could feel him. The familiar scent of his vanilla cologne combined with his natural male musk assaulted her nostrils. By nature of her Al-Leyan heritage, her sense of smell was almost nonexistent; but for some reason she couldn’t quite explain, she was acutely aware of his scent. There were times when she could tell he’d entered the room by that scent alone.:: Rosek: ::bites back a sob and breathes:: I thought you were dead. ::The tears began anew and she tilted her head up again to seek out his lips, her kiss more tender this time. Once, twice, thrice she brushed her lips against his before shifting to bury her face in his neck, her arms wrapping around his upper torso, her hands then resting on his shoulder blades, hugging him tightly to her.:: ::Now it was coming into full circle. He couldn’t imagine thinking the worst if Lael had been in his shoes. With her body so tightly around him, he brought his arms up and hugged her tight. Not wanting to let go. His chin resting atop her head and then rubbed her back. She cared for him, but he hadn’t realized how much until that moment. His eyes started to well up with tears and he took a breath, then cleared his throat.:: Galven: I’m sorry Lael. I didn’t know what happened until after I woke up. I can’t imagine what it was like for you. Rosek: ::murmurs:: I--All those people in the medical center potentially dead and the only thing I could think of was you. I wanted to run to you, but...I was afraid of what I’d find if I did. Besides, the crew needed me to keep a level head. I-- Galven: From what I read in the reports, you did a tremendous job, Lael. You’re a lot stronger than you think and I’m not upset that you didn’t run to me. Rosek: ::pauses:: I--I don’t want to be alone right now. I-- ::moistens her lips and tightens her grip on his hand, then murmurs in a low voice:: I need you, German. ::From the way she was responding and her body language, he had a feeling where this was going. Months of leading up to this with sexual tension, but now...It didn’t feel right. Especially with them hiding in a alcove. He wanted it to be somewhere special. He brought up his free hand to rub her cheek.:: Galven: ::brushes his lips against hers:: I need you too. God, do I ever. ::pauses:: But you wanted to wait. ::She sighed. He was right. The only reason she was so desperate for it right now was because of the emotional upheaval of the last few days. She’d been subjected to unnecessary grief. Hearing those painful words from that vile woman’s mouth had turned her world upside down in a nanosecond. But because she’d been on the bridge, she hadn’t been able to fully take in what she was feeling. Instead, she’d shut it off like a good little robot and had focused instead on bringing Lenik and the Klingon woman to justice.:: Rosek: ::murmurs:: You’re right. ::pauses:: We don’t have to--but...can you sleep with me? I mean actually sleep. I won’t try anything. I just--I feel like if you’re there with me, I won’t have the nightmares. Galven: ::smiles softly:: I knew what you meant and I won’t try anything as well. Does this mean we’re ready to take the next step in our relationship and make it official? Rosek: ::laughs softly:: It’s a step. ::smiles sheepishly:: It’ll certainly be different. I’ve never slept in a bed with a man without--Well, except Chythar when he was really lonely and missing Alex. ---- Lieutenant German Galven Chief Science Officer 6reatDane@gmail.com USS Montreal NC64927 V239507GG0 & Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek Executive Officer USS Montreal NC64927 I238110RH0

((Intergalactic Comm Link Show)) ((OOC- Thanks to @Chloe Waters for humoring me with this! ((Chloe’s Quarters, Deck 3 – USS Eagle)) ::The young ensign didn’t know why she agreed to this. She was told it was… an honor to be featured on this… Intergalactic Comm Link Show. Perhaps it was. But Chloe still felt… uneasy about it. The woman slowly paced around the room, waiting. Then the hologram appeared in the middle of her quarters. Chloe watched on quietly, though she could hear Mandy starting to stir in the other room. Any time now.:: Mitchell: Welcome to another stellar episode of the Intergalactic Comm Link show! As always, I’m your host the amazing, incredible and stupendously modest Dresdon P. Mitchell! We incredibly fortunate tonight to have another very special young officer speaking to us from the USS Eagle! Please give an Intergalactic welcome to Ensign Chloe Waters! Mitchell: Welcome to the show, Ensign! Since the good folks at home don’t know you as well as I do, why don’t you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do out there on the Eagle? ::Chloe heard Mandy barking quietly in the other room. The doors hissed quietly open and Mandy padded out of the bedroom, looking to Chloe and the hologram with her. The dog walked up to them, and gave the hologram a confused sniff.:: Waters: ::in an obviously artificial voice as her mouth remains motionless:: I am Chloe Waters. I have been assigned to the USS Eagle as her helmsman. ::she reached down and stroked the golden retriever’s smooth coat of fur as she continued, the dog looking curiously up at her with big brown eyes as she continued to address her invisible audience.:: More or less, I pilot the ship and make certain that we do not crash into anything. Mitchell: ::chuckles:: I’m sure your crewmates appreciate your diligence avoiding all those rocks and blackholes out there. Now I’m sure my viewers are wondering about that remarkable voice of yours...mind telling us about it? ::Chloe looked down briefly, Mitchell seemingly forgotten as she stroked her dog’s fur. After a few moments she slowly lifted her head,, seemingly caught off guard by the question that was now posed to her.:: Waters: ::huffing softly:: I cannot speak. This device is extremely experimental. It converts my thoughts to speech. ::A brief look of disbelief crossed Chloe’s face as she delivered this news, as though disbelieving she just told lord knows how many people about the device she uses.:: Without it, I am mute. ::Chloe blinked once.:: Waters: oO Wait a minute. He is not really here. No one is here. He is just a hologram. Not real. He is not real and will disappear soon. You can do this… Oo Mitchell: ::nods:: Isn’t that incredible folks? Why, I couldn’t get through a shower in the morning without talking to myself - I’m my biggest fan! Lets give her a real big hand foks! The Academy must’ve been some mountain for you to climb. I see that Commander Jocelyn Marshall was your training officer. Is she as tough as they say? ::The golden retriever continued to bump Chloe with her head. The human looked down at her and smirked before looking up again.:: Waters: She was… I could not envision my training going any differently. ::She paused.:: I could not have asked for a better pair of senior officers to lead our exercises. Mitchell: ::smiles:: Always fantastic to hear that the folks on the ground are every bit the heros that you folks out in space are. What can you tell us about your class? Any exciting stories? Waters: ::seemingly more at ease as her dog’s phead nuzzles Chloe’s leg:: I fell, mostly. My short height poses some challenges which I was… unequipped to deal with in our training scenario. In which we had to intercept a runaway starship and ensure we could stop its deceleration before we boarded it, in our attempt to discover what was causing significant control malfunctions. Mitchell: Yet another complaint about the chairs in Starfleet::chuckles:: We’ll be sure to pass that along to our friends in Starfleet Engineering. ::glances at the dog:: Chloe, are you cheating on poor old Dresdon? Who’s your cute furry friend there? ::Chloe looked down at the playful, curious creature as it stared at where Mitchell stood, looking at that space with confusion. Chloe scratched her ears and the dog looked back at her, consumed by her owner’s attentions.:: Waters: This is Mandy. She is about two years old. Full golden retriever. I have had her for about six months. ::She smiled down at the creature.:: She helps me destress and deal with most social situations off duty. Mitchell: What a dynamite team! Starfleet got a fantastic two for one deal with you, that’s for sure! My producer tells me that you just completed your first mission. What can you tell us about that that won’t cause an Admiral to yell at me? ::chuckles:: Oh, it wouldn’t be the first time, folks. ::Chloe took several long moments to consider. She didn’t know what she could, or couldn’t, say at this point. Still, she had to say something… right?:: ::Chloe looked down at Mandy, who nuzzled her hand affectionately.:: Waters: We were sent to recover an artifact and ran into some… difficulties. The crew of the Eagle… minus myself, Lieutenant Drex and otherswere thrown back in time, and we had to bring them home. Mitchell: As they always say, There’s no time like the present! ::laughs:: Or whenever you are! It’s been a real pleasure speaking with you and your golden buddy, Chloe. Usually I’m the only dog on this show.::laughs:: That’s our show for tonight folks, make sure to tune in next time as I continue my insightful interview series with the most incredible young officers the Fleet has near a comm terminal. Don’t miss me too much! ::laughs::

(( J. Marshall Personal Quarters, USS Gorkon )) ::After a gruelling morning spent with Cory, trying to drag him out of the funk he'd slipped himself into, Jo picked up a mug of coffee from the replicator and sat with a huff down onto the sofa. Running her hands up into her hair, she blew out a sigh and thought of everything she needed to do. Her eyes drifted to the Academy image on her desk; to the decathlon team, to the face peeking out from underneath layered mud and bright smiles. ::Action in mind, Jo leant forward and tapped into her PADD until the spinning logo of Starfleet exchanged for the outgoing subspace communication image, searching for one recipient in particular.:: (( Hydens Personal Quarters, USS Atlantis )) :: After an extra long night the sleep Maddi needed had finally come, though she had slept longer then she wanted. She had slowly made her way to the replicator and picked up the large glass of chocolate milk. She smirked most would not drink that in her shape, but she knew how to work it off. She had sit down and heard the chirp of her PADD. :: oO I wonder who that could be. Oo :: She activated the PADD and waited for it to load, upon it loading she couldn’t help but smile at the face that showed up. :: Hyden: =/\= Hi Jo! Long time no talk! I didn’t expect to hear from you. How have you been? What’s up? =/\= :: Maddi was excited to hear from Jo it had been awhile. Luckily Jo knew how Maddi was when she was excited. On the other end of the line, Jo chuckled, voice coming through the connected line.:: Marshall: =/\= I’m good, Mads. How’re you doing? You’re looking well. =/\= Hyden: =/\= I’m glad to have some rest. After the last mission and being slammed against a wall from an explosion I’ve needed to rest my body. Finally feeling somewhat like myself again. So I guess the rest has restored my amazing looks. :: she laughed. :: I got promoted so that happened. So why exactly did you message me? I don’t hear from you often? =/\= Marshall: =/\= I got your message through and it’s been too long. =/\= ::Hadn’t it just? Three years or so since she’d come out of the Academy, and life had passed at a click.:: =/\= Congratulations on the promotion! They’re doing good shifting you up the ladder. How’re you finding your ship? =/\= Hyden: =/\= It has been awhile. Honestly can't believe I haven’t seen you in Three years. Thanks! Well someone must think the same as you. The ships great I couldn’t ask for a better crew. ::She sighed:: How’s things for you? =/\= Marshall: =/\= Good. ::She smiled and it was twinged with happiness.:: Really good. Life’s changed quite a bit since the last time we spoke. =/\= Hyden: =/\= I saw you made Executive Officer! Congratulations! You’ve done some amazing things and I’m proud of you. ::She smiled.::=/\= :: She considered Jo one of her closest friends only slightly lower then Esa. :: Marshall: =/\= I got a package from you when we stopped off at Starbase 123. ::On the other end of the screen, Jo held up the casing.:: I’ve not opened it yet. I wanted to check you hadn’t sent me something like a live canary. =/\= Hyden: =/\= No :: Maddi laughed. :: Why would I send you a canary? The package is not something you’ll expect. Just open it. :: She squealed trying to hide her excitement. :: =/\= ::The audible click of the casing snapped open and on the other end of the line, Jo was silent for a moment. When she looked back up at the screen, it was with a look of surprise crossing her face, eyes wider than usual.:: Marshall: =/\= Good grief, Maddi, where did you get this from? =/\= Hyden: =/\= I had it made by a Master Sword Maker the same one who made mine. Is there something wrong with it? =/\= Marshall: =/\= No, no… It’s incredible… =/\= ::There was some rustling on the other end as she took out the sword by the handle, the inscription on the blade in characters she couldn’t understand. Ornate and beautiful, with a forest green hilt, diamonds forming in the centre. It looked sharp - she didn’t need to chance running her thumb up the edge to find that out.:: Marshall: =/\= I’m speechless. Thank you. I really don’t know what to say. =/\= Hyden: =/\= Well you’re one of my closest friends and to commemorate that I wanted you to have something not only as a memory, but that could also keep you safe. The inscription reads (People Like You Are Rare) I have trained in the ways of the Samurai since the Academy hiding it. I was promoted to a Master around the time we went on our training cruise. =/\= :: Maddi paused and disappeared from the screen momentarily to return with a blade equal to that of Jo’s. It had a crimson red hilt with gold embedded in the hilt as well. The blade also reading an inscription. One Maddi didn’t make but her teacher had put on the sword. :: Hyden: =/\= I’ve continued in my training to learn more and more, however, this is my blade. The inscription put on by my master. It says The blade that’s joined the old warrior with the new. You’re truly one of my closest friends and though I barely get to see you. I wanted you to have something to always remember me. =/\= :: Maddi smiled and expertly sheathed the sword setting it down out of view. She knew it had shocked Jo, but she was glad she had the ability to give her something that would make a lasting impression. :: ::And it had! With a reverence of something so precious, Jo held the sword in her hands and watched the reflections of the lights above her head bounce off the perfectly honed steel. Incredibly beautiful, Jo momentarily flitted her eyes are her quarters, trying to think of the perfect place to put it. When her attention came back to the screen, she beamed.:: Marshall: =/\= It’s hard to forget the Cadet I had to drop kick out of bed twice a week. =/\= Hyden: =/\= I don’t know what you are even talking about. :: She winked. :: =/\= Marshall: =/\= Oh no you don’t. All the discipline in the known universe couldn’t get you out of your pit on time. ::The memory an all too clear one and Jo smiled a little wistfully at how strange that it felt so long ago.:: How’s Esa doing? Is she settling in alright? =/\= Hyden: =/\= I don’t recall that… but if I was as you say it would make sense. :: The thought made her laugh. Jo always knew how to make her laugh. :: Esa is doing ok at least from what I can tell. She hasn’t told me any different. I do think I know one thing that bothers her though. She’s been trying to get the Symbiont Commission to recruit her for joining and from what I hear it hasn’t been going well. I hope it changes for her soon. =/\= :: Maddi knew this was something Esa had always wanted and she hoped that it could happen soon. :: Marshall: =/\= Good. Tell her to stick at it. It’s a hard process and she might be disappointed, but, hey, she got into Starfleet, right? Shoot for the moon and live amongst the stars? =/\= ::The Symbiont Commission was nothing but fastidious - they had their pick from the available Trill that could host a symbiont, to begin with, and the selection was confined to the best. Those who displayed the characteristics and psychological patterns that would sync the symbiont and host up perfectly. When Kian had undergone his joining, Jo had picked Erin’s brains on the subject and done as much reading as she could. ::She still knew next to nothing. Trills were a secretive bunch.:: Hyden: =/\= Esa is tough and this is something she has worked towards since she was young. I have no doubt she’ll be chosen. =/\= :: Maddi was cut short by what sounded like a communication on Jo’s end. The soft chirp of a comm. badge incoming request for her attention. Jo was silent for a few moments before popping back up on the screen.:: Marshall: =/\= No doubt. ::She smiled, with a nod.:: Give her my best and wish her luck. She’s going to need it. I’ve got to run, but it was good to catch up with you, Madds. You’re doing great. =/\= Simmed by Lieutenant JG Maddi Hyden Security/Tactical Officer USS Atlantis - NCC 74682 A239511MH0 There is no real security except for whatever you build inside yourself. and Lt. Commander Jo Marshall First Officer USS Gorkon - NCC-82293 G239304JM0

As more and more people on the USS Columbia grow facial hair, ensign @Jona ch'Ranni ponders over the trend. Jona, this was a humorous read and I loved how you managed to express Jona's thoughts so well! ❤️ *** ((Jona ch'Ranni's Quarters, Deck 20, USS Columbia)) :: Jona entered his quarters and collapsed on the bunk. It had been a long day and he could no longer fight off the sleep that his body so desperately wanted. The room was a mess. Tri-dimensional chess pieces still littered the floor from the shaking of the attacks the Columbia had sustained earlier in the day. Several PADDs had joined the pawns and bishops ignominiously lying there on the carpet but Jona couldn't muster the energy to care at the moment. Perhaps in a few hours.:: Computer: 0600 hours. :: Jona's ice blue eyes popped open and he sat upright, almost slamming his forehead into the base of the bunk above him.:: ch'Ranni: Did I really just sleep for 8 hours? It doesn't feel like it. Computer: Internal sensors indicate that sleep period lasted 7 hours 47 minutes 10 sec... ch'Ranni: ::dryly:: Thank you, Computer. Most helpful. :: He rose from the bed and stretched his back and neck muscles. Padding over to the washroom, he stepped on a queen chess piece and cursed softly to himself. He entered the small compartment and blinked his eyes at the bright light in the room. He grabbed up the electronic shaver automatically and looked at himself in the mirror. Fine white stubble had formed at the jawline and around his mouth just as it did every morning. He paused for a moment with the razor inches from his face.:: ch'Ranni: oO Funny. I've never really thought about it. Facial hair isn't all that common of a grooming choice for most Andorians. The captain and first officer both started growing full beards and it completely changes their looks. Very distinguished. Oo :: Jona thought to himself that it wouldn't be unlikely that others aboard might follow suit. There might even be a whole ship-wide trend toward the look. He hesitated and began to lower the razor.:: ch'Ranni: oO Maybe it will become the standard of the fleet and I'll be seen as the weird one. The one ensign who refused to grow his mustache and beard like a good officer. Ensign Naked-Face. Passed over for promotions, relegated to piloting supply shuttles and workbees for the repair crews. Slowly and utterly forgotten. Oo :: Jona stood staring at himself in the mirror. Was he really even of an value to his crewmates and the fleet as a whole if he did not conform to expected standards? It would be seen as a distraction. Didn't he owe his very best to Whittaker and Thoran and all the rest to be his very best? And what of the newer crew that arrived from time to time? They needed role models to pattern themselves after. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and Jona knew that he didn't want to be labeled as that weakest link. If that meant forgoing small preferences in grooming choices he was prepared to make those adjustments. For the good of the ship, for the good of the fleet. He stood determinedly before his reflection with a look of seriousness that belied his relative youth.:: :: Slowly a smile crossed his face. :: ch'Ranni: Nope. :: He clicked the razor on and began his morning routine.:: -- Ensign Jona ch'Ranni Helm Officer USS Columbia (NCC-85279) C239510JC0