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  1. PART I (Underground Location - Lokesh City) ::The courier from one of the camps had just given her a piece of news she had been waiting for a choice target. A blue woman, the one from the Federation that had just been on the news feeds had been spotted boarding a hover transport leaving the embassy grounds by the streets they were taking the likely destination the press complex in the cities center. She knew time would be short but this was the right moment the right time to strike first blood. The population was starting to calm down but could be railed back up at the slightest provocation. She was going to light the fire of conflict and violent opposition to the aliens and to the regime of their puppet Vail Daysa. After what she had endured being extradited from the federation prison on starbase 118 and given over to brutal Tal’shair who had experimented on her pushing her feilding to the limit for hours on end until the day the facility had been liberated in the uprisings that followed the destruction of Romulans when her people rightfully expelled the Aliens from their world. Only to invite the federation to replace them and instead of open oppression they were doomed to the slow underhanded manipulation of the Federation whose goal is to integrate all under their flag. Forming a plan she darted into the next room a small number of soldiers were always around her.:: Rena: Who here is the best runner? ::Several of her sworn protectors raised their hands. She looked to the three that did not raise theirs.:: Rena: You three which of them is the true fastest runner? ::There three men all pointed to Lorikson a lanky young man with light green coloration on his face. She waved the boy over to her.:: Rena: You have just been chosen to be a martyr my fine man. You are to be the first to strike a blow at the heart of our enemy the federation! Take these. ::She held up two glowing devices roughly the size of a guyver fruit.:: Lorikson: ::His eyes went wide at the grenades his leader had just placed in his hands.:: What am i to do with them? Rena: Throw them at the blue alien woman and at her vehicle then shout Til’ahn for Laudeans again and again until the police arrive then run. Run and never come back to this city go as far as you can and after a years time you can contact a cell to return to us. ::She knew the boy would likely to be gunned down by police or captured.:: If you are captured take this you know what it will do. ::She tucked a pill into a tiny pocket sewn into the inside collar of her soldiers uniforms. She took a handful of blits out of her side pouch and slipped them into his hand as well:: This is for your journey if you can escape. Go now, carry my spirit in your step and may your aim be true. ::The young man tucked the grenades into his vest and bolted out of the room into the catacombs of the lokesh underground. She turned to the others.:: Rena: Send word to my Lieutenants and have them come here we will wait for news of the attack and plan our next moves. I will be awaiting them in my chambers. ::The men in the room looked at her some with awe some with fear at what she had just set in motion other looked eager to start the fight.:: Rena: Today is a great day for the history of our people. The first day of what one day I hope they will call our second revolution! TBC/TAG (Rena’s Lieutenants) PNPC Rena Leader of Til’ahn For Laudeans Lokesh City Cell As Simmed By Brell HCO officer USS Thunder-A Embassy to Duronis II PART II ((Lokesh City Press Complex)) ::Lorikson stood and waited the white colored transport with the federation logo emblazoned on its side was visible ahead nearing the vehicle check point to access the roundabout roadway in front of the press complex building. Those on foot had no such checkpoint to worry about he crossed the street and headed towards one of the stone pillars arranged around the upper curve of the entry way. He cupped one of the grenades in each hand keeping them tucked in his pockets. He watched as the vehicle pulled into drive it came to a halt at the upper center and it’s side door slid open, he had already stood and moved in about twenty feet away at the base of a pillar he stopped and called out at the top of his lungs just as he saw a blue leg emerge.:: Lorikson: TIL’AHN FOR LAUDEANS! TIL’AHN FOR LAUDEANS! ::The sound of a screaming man drew Lyldra’s attention immediately as he got to her feet she could hear the driver’s door opening on the other side of the transport. The screaming man seem to throw something and she heard a thud the sound of something hitting the ground she saw it under the transport and jumped away from the vehicle. He looked back to the Man still shouting. Crewman McKele jumped back into the transport and closed his door. He hailed the embassy.:: Crewman McKele: =/\= This is McKele we could be under attack, returning as soon as i can get everyone back in the transport. =/\= Lorikson: TIL’AHN FOR LAUDEANS! TIL’AHN FOR LAUDEANS! :: He threw the second grenade right at the blue woman, it landed right in front of her, he had held it a moment after pulling the pin. With glee he shouted louder.:: TIL’AHN FOR LAUDEANS! TIL’AHN FOR LAUDEANS! ::Her eyes went wide at her feet was another rapidly flashing bomb that man had thrown it. Thrown it at her. Fear stricken he did the only thing that came to mind she quickly bent down and picked up the grenade and threw it back towards the shouting man, it hit him on his left shin and it bounced behind him right between the man and the stone pillar.:: Lorikson: TIL’AHN F.. ::His cheers interrupted by the unexpected impact.:: What the…… ::She stood there frozen in fear eyes wide and staring at the man who was looking down for the source of what had hit him. She had no clue where the Major was or the young crewman that had driven them here, It was as if the world around her had disappeared. A second later both of the devices exploded. The laudean man was at the center of the blast and so was the base of the twenty foot high pillar behind him, the base was fractured spraying stone debris in all direction and the rest of the pillar came crashing down toppling to one side. Glass in ground floor of the press building shattered to the floor in blast wave. Screams rang out from inside and from the surrounding area. At the same time the hover transport was thrown into the air and landed upside down a few feet away Lyldra was knocked to the ground hard from the blast coming from beneath it. It felt as if a force had just twisted her legs from under her and she landed hard on her head, her blue blood flowed out from a gash at the impact site and her vision went blurry. All she could see ahead was flames and rubble from the collapsed pillar. She struggled to stay awake, and slowly lifted her head and put her hand to the wound. She looked around and could not see Crewman McKele anywhere. She could see the fiery hulk of what was their transport but she could not make out any details it was beginning to hurt to keep hers eyes open.:: Lyldra: Crewman McKele! Major Pavlova! ::No answer came from the crewman. The sounds of sirens could be heard growing closer.:: Pavlova::Picking Lyldra up as though she weighed nothing:: : Time to go babe. ::With that, Irina started the car and completely ignoring her own injury or the crowd, she accelerated hard and made a fast line to the embassy.PNPC Lyldra FDC Attache Embassy to Duronis II & MPNPC Lorikson Til’ahn For Laudeans Lokesh City Cell As simmed by Ensign Brell HCO Officer Uss Thunder-A
  2. (( SB118 - The Night Garden )) Sinda: Looks like we're in the right place. :: Dotted around the park were various groups handling a variety of different instruments with a staggering amount of inexperience. They appeared to be musical workshops. Ess glanced to their right where a Vulcan tutor was having her calm emotions solely tested by a gaggle of Tellarites murdering Vulcan harps. :: Severina: Rather too many options if you ask me - I don't suppose just asking people will get an honest answer? Wilmer: response Sinda: I guess there's a clue around here somewhere? Severina: How about those Tellarites...? ::Pointing towards the greatest amount of noise Lydia added, :: They seem to not fit in and are clearly torturing the Vulcan - and my nerves incidentally. Wilmer: response Severina: For one thing I would have assumed they would prefer a percussion instrument, something that fits a Tellerite hand better. And for what it's worth I would be inclined to interrupt just to make the noise stop. :: Essen found herself grinning at that. :: Sinda: I hadn't thought about the shape of their hands to be honest. Seems you pick up on the little details, Ensign, I guess that's how you ended up in Security? Severina: I have found it to be a very useful skill. Sinda: Exactly. It's not all about just pointing your phaser at the bad guys. Severina: ::Amused, she answered.:: Well no, sometimes we need to use our brains rather than brawn. Wilmer: response :: Luckily for everyone's sanity, the Vulcan tutor called a halt to the harp lesson. The Tellarites looked surprisingly pleased with themselves as they stood up and starting a good-natured argument about who was in tune and who wasn't. Ess exchanged a glace with both of her colleauges - assigned to the Apollo for less than a day and here she was about to humiliate herself in front of her fellow crew. On the plus side, even with a broken hand, she wouldn't be as bad as the previous bunch. :: Severina: Hooray...that's finished. ::She said it softly so as not to offend, just loud enough that the others would hear.:: Wilmer: response Sinda: Here goes nothing... :: They stepped forward and the Vulcan motioned them to sit and narrowed her eyes at their appearance. :: Vulcan: You are the crew from the USS Apollo-A? Severina: Yes we are. Wilmer: response :: The Vulcan motioned to someone behind them. Ess turned to see another woman approaching. Her elegant dress and elaborate hair, complete with live flowers, suggested a Betazoid. :: Havnor: Welcome! ::she clapped her hands together enthusiastically:: Welcome, brave Starfleet, to the Night Garden. I am the owner, Lillian Havnor, and I believe I have a task for you. Severina: I can hardly wait. ::Now now, sarcasm was unbecoming and she needed to change her tone, so she forced a smile.:: Wilmer: response Havnor: Oh I guarantee it will be interesting! :: As she spoke, the Vulcan tutor stepped forward and provided a musical instrument to each of them. Ess accepted an interesting, long instrument made from a deep jade-green wood. A long neck protruded from a curved body and five taunt strings ran the entire length. :: Havnor: Ah! The Caitian viola. A most beautiful instrument. Caitians usually play it with their claws but other species have to make certain adaptations... ::she handed Ess a curious glove made from supple leather:: If you can master it you will truly be the envy of your friends! Not an easy one to play, however... Sinda: Well, great, I'd hate this to be too easy after all... :: Lillian turned to Ensign Wilmer. :: Havnor: And to you, Sir, a Risian lute. Have you ever played a Vulcan lute? Wilmer: response? Havnor: No? Oh well, I'm sure you'll pick it up all the same. They are very similar. Wilmer: response Havnor: And, of course, I have saved the best for last for you, my dear Severina: You have? ::Havnor held out - a - a - something that vaguely resembled an instrument or a work of art. Baffled, Lydia took it, turned it around, tried to work out and finally gave up and just asked, :: What is it? Havnor: I was hoping you would ask! Why it's a Klingon accordion of course. I'm sure you will be a master in no time! Severina: Oh. Oh, I see. Uh...thank you. ::Great, the accordian looked rather like a complicated piece of Terran origami combined with the results of a transporter accident.:: Havnor: Ah, the task, yes! You three are tasked with coming up with a unique piece of music, to celebrate diversity. Once done, I'll provide you each with a recording for you to take back to your ship. Sinda: Severina, I think you're the only one with any experience. Shall we follow your lead? Severina: ::Great, turning it around she managed to work out which part had the keys - :: Sure. I think. ::Try to sound confident -:: Essen/Wilmer: response Severina: Now have either of you ever played an instrument? Essen/Wilmer: response Severina: Or did you take any music classes....? Learn some songs in childhood? ::She ran a hand over the keys and the accordion let out a noise that sounded like a dying targ...oh fabulous, this was going to be just fabulous.:: OOC: Not sure if they have musical skills or not so leaving this open Ensign Lydia Severina Security Officer USS Apollo-A
  3. Guest

    Ens. Daro Conti: Dark Dreams

    ((Somewhere in the past)) ::Daro could feel the boat rocking beneath him. The smooth boards which made up the deck beneath him were worn beneath his fingertips. The salt smell, the canvas, the wax and polish…it was all so familiar by now that it felt more like home than home did. Zev’s boat…which meant Zev wasn’t far. He didn’t remember falling asleep up here, but he obviously had. He smiled and stretched as he came awake, knowing the other man was watching over him, watching over them both. Zev had grown up on one of the tropical islands in Earth’s largest sea. Hawai’i. That’s what Zev had said it was called. He was very precise about that because he said that people generally called the whole chain of islands that, but it was the actual name of his island, though many just called it “Big Island.” Anyway, the man had grown up in the oceans. When they’d met in university he’d already arranged for access to a boat in one of the small inland seas here on Anbus. Daro rolled over and looked aft. There was Zev now. He was coming up on deck from below.:: ZEV: Hello there, sleepyhead. I hope your nap made you hungry. I’ve got lunch set up below. Come on down, then we’ll figure out a more athletic way to spend the afternoon. ::The smile Zev gave Daro was wicked. He still wasn’t sure why Zev, the most outgoing person he knew, had ended up dating the most socially awkward guy on the planet, but he wasn’t about to start pointing that out to Zev now. If the man hadn’t already noticed, Daro would just keep hoping he never did. He smiled back at Zev…then noticed something odd. The man, a human he was sure, had Trill spots. It was fairly obvious considering he was only wearing the board shorts he’d been swimming in this morning. That couldn’t be right…could it? And when he turned to go below decks, Daro saw his ears came to a very distinguished looking point. Shaking his head, Daro stood up and followed the man he was falling in love with into the dark doorway leading below decks… And found himself seated at their favorite table in their favorite restaurant. Daro remembered this night clearly, too [...]ed clearly. Zev was wearing the sweater Daro had gotten him for his last birthday. He loved the way it made the man’s green eyes blaze like some kind of gem stone…only Zev’s eyes weren’t green; they were blue. Solid blue. The exact same shade as his cousin Nara’s friend Gimil. Daro had met him the second summer his parents had sent him back to their home world to spend some time with his grandparents. Gimil had been his first crush, the first boy he had ever kissed. He had loved Gimil with the fiery passion only a teenager experiencing a summer crush could. He hadn’t thought of Gimil in several years, but those were definitely his eyes. Daro could see this because Zev was staring at him across the table with a look of awkward discomfort and confusion. His antennae were twitching violently, too. Wait…since when did Zev have Andoran antennae…and snowy white hair? Daro tried to keep focussing on the contradictions around him, but couldn’t. In the way of dreams when you don’t realize they are dreams, he knew what was coming. He knew, and he desperately didn’t want to be here, to hear this, to live through it all again. He had just asked Zev what he thought they should do once they graduated, if he wanted to apply to the comparative linguistics academy the Daystrom Institute was running. He knew that was what he’d just asked because that was the exact look Zev had gotten on his face, in that exact outfit, at this exact table, just exactly as the waiter had brought them this exact dessert.:: ZEV: Daro, I…I’ve already taken a position back on Earth. I figured you’d want to head back to your real life, too. I mean, we’ve got to get serious about things from here on out. We can’t just keep goofing off and playing around. ::Daro couldn’t taste their dessert. He was surprised he had kept the meal down, in fact. He’d been an idiot, and he didn’t have anyone but himself to blame. He knew how horrible he was at reading other people, understanding their motivations and reasoning, but he’d just blindly assumed that Zev was feeling the things he had been feeling. Then his heart plummeted as he thought back to the surprise he had waiting in his apartment. He’d arranged for a basotile to be delivered to him from Basul Rodul. He’d been shaping it for several months now and had intended to give it to Zev tonight as what the other man would consider a proposal of marriage. Now he only hoped he could keep Zev from coming up with him, which after what the man had said probably wouldn’t be that hard, and that he could bring himself to destroy it. Even now, nauseated and light-headed, he thought it was beautiful. But The Artist knew that art based on falsehood was just a lovely fruit with rot at its core. Daro looked down at his plate, but it wasn’t the china they used, and he wasn’t wearing the clothes he’d been wearing that night. He was in a Starfleet uniform, the blue of science and medical, and eating off something which looked far more mass produced than the china he remembered. This…this was where he had to go, had to do. He had to get away from here. Had to get away from this place, this time. He had to get away!:: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ((Conti Quarters, USS Atlantis, present)) ::Daro sat bolt upright in bed shouting. He felt the dream fading, but he also felt the tingling after effect of a psychic discharge. He was usually extremely well controlled, but he knew he’d let some of what he was experiencing escape. He just hoped no one had been around to receive it. It wasn’t pleasant for those who touched a Rodulan mind. He was in his quarters. That much he knew. He could see the fragment he’d taken of his parents’ shattered basotile he’d taken as a memento across the room on a stand right next to the shard he’d kept from the one he’d just been dreaming about. There were noises all around him as well. Soft beeps and chirps as well as one more shrill alarm.:: CONTI: Computer, stop all these noises, please. ::Nothing changed.:: COMPUTER: Medical personnel have been alerted. Stand by. ::Daro groaned and fell back onto his bed. This was exactly what he didn’t need right now. He’d always had a slight irrational phobia about doctors; now they had apparently been alerted about him and were on their way…perfect. He didn’t even remember how he’d gotten here. If the [...]ed noises would just stop long enough for him to think for a moment, he knew he could reason this all out. He had a slight headache, sounds were too loud, lights were too bright, but he didn’t feel too bad. If only the doctors would hurry up, they could make all the racket stop allowing him to go back to sleep. Only he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk dreaming again any time soon. There was a noise from toward his living area, but he couldn’t summon the strength to investigate it.:: TYRIDEN: Mr Conti!! Are you all right?? ::Daro jumped at the sound of the other man’s voice. He blinked a couple of times to clear his vision.:: CONTI: Commander? ::Daro sat up again, propping himself on his elbows. That it took a moment for him to recognize the man wasn’t exactly a good sign in his own mind. Of course, the man looked to be in distress himself, so that might have had something to do with it.:: Are you alright? TYRIDEN: I am not. ::scanning the room swiftly as best as he could:: Are you alone? You experienced a.. psychic outburst. CONTI: ::Daro’s eyes closed and he sighed in embarrassment.:: I’m sorry, Commander. I think that was my fault. I’m not…I was having a dream, one that turned fairly unpleasant, and…I’m afraid I may have lashed out. TYRIDEN: ::approaching cautiously, hand with the phaser dropping to his side:: This happens to you often? CONTI: That doesn’t usually happen to me, sir. I’m generally very controlled, responsible. TYRIDEN: I see. CONTI: ::He looked around his room as all the foreign equipment.:: Something happened, didn’t it, sir? I remember going on an away mission…a ship…deserted, but not…we were fired on, then…then I was here. What happened, sir? Is everyone else alright? Ensign Daro Conti Science Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682
  4. ((Quarters - Torrin )) ::It was late afternoon, the Apollo was safely docked at Starbase 118, but Avaris had stayed put in his room, sorting through documents relating to his new position at the shipboard schools Headmaster. His day had been beyond weird, and he had eagerly awaited Artem's return for the few hours he had to relax before going back on duty. He wanted to tell him all about his conversations with D'Sena and Counselor Walker, to celebrate their probationary acceptance of the School Boards offer of employment. He even wanted to tell him about meeting Dr Renos, although he had planned to gloss over that part a bit... he was still very nervous about the call he needed to make later on. But Artem had arrived home, eyes bloodshot and temper raging. Avaris had greeted him with an excited smile, only to be met with a seething glower and a snarled accusation :: Dragumov: Explain to me why a civilian reported to security today, that she had overheard a bearded, long haired very tall Trill man discussing with a J'naii doctor his involvement in an arson case, while he was walking down a crowded hallway, in the middle of the day. ::Torrins face blanched, the smile evaporated from his face. :: Dragumov: The citizen said that this Trill was whispering, which is good I suppose, that he wasnt just yelling treasonous things like a crazy person. So she could only hear snippets of conversation, but that he seemed to be confessing to taking part in the burning of a library of some sort, back on Trill. Explain to me how that happened Avaris, because I am sure there is a reasonable explanation, and that the reasonable explanation that there is would not be that you, in fact, were talking openly about burning down a building on Trill. Perhaps there is another tall long haired bearded Trill ex-anarchist onboard the Apollo. Perhaps she misheard you. Tell me, for the love of god, that there is a reasonable explanation Avaris, why on my FIRST DAY of active security duty, I heard a report that seemed to be about you. ::Torrin sat down on the couch silently, unable to look his husband in the eye. :: Dragumov: When you are finished explaining to me why that happened, perhaps you can also explain to me why the ships first officer asked the security department to remotely search our quarters computer terminal, and determine how it was that you came into possession of an old intelligence report on yourself. :: Avaris stayed silent for another beat. Looking back up to his husbands furious expression, he smiled weakly :: Torrin: Are you still feeling rough from the party last night buddy? ::It was the wrong tact, and Artem roared furiously :: Torrin: I am sorry Artem... today has been a bit of a roller coaster... Dragumov: I don't care Avaris! Is this a game to you? This is our life, and we have been here for THREE DAYS! How are you already on their radar in three days Avaris? ::Torrin stood up, slowly approaching his enraged husband, speaking as soothingly as his shaking voice would allow :: Torrin: baby, you know I was on their radar before we even got here.... I am so sorry, I didn't mean to stress you out today.... ::Artem shoved him away, clearly not interested in being touched :: Dragumov: Its fine, you cant help yourself apparently. I knew that when I married you... so its my fault I guess. ::His words cut deeply, sounding dangerously close to regret that they had gotten married, that he had included Avaris in his new life as a Starfleet Officer. The computer interrupted the thick miasma of silence growing between the two men, cheerily informing Avaris that a message waited for him. He went to the terminal and sat down, opening the communication. He looked at it, his eyes widened... was this a joke?:: Dragumov : What now?! Torrin: There must be some mistake, commander D'Sena has asked me to meet herself and some of the crew for... a team building exercise tomorrow? Maybe its supposed to be for you? ::Artem glowered, but an expression of puzzlement was showing slightly through his scowl. Torrin got back up, and walked towards his husband, snatching the communicator from his chest, he activated it. :: Torrin =/\= Torrin to Commander D'Sena? =/\= D'Sena =/\= D'Sena here, what can I do for you, Mister Torrin? =/\= Torrin =/\= I apologies for bothering you... I just got a message from you about a team building exercise tomorrow, I am wondering if there has been some sort of mix-up and it was meant for my husband? =/\= D'Sena : =/\= I can assure you, Mister Torrin, that it was meant for you. =/\= ::Avaris looked anxiously to Artem, whose own look of horror could only be matched by the one Avaris himself must have been wearing :: Torrin: =/\= Well... thank you so much for thinking to include me Commander, but I'm afraid my preparations for duties in the school will be keeping be busy for most of the day tomorrow.... =/\= D'Sena : =/\= You will have enough time for that after we are done, Mister Torrin. From my reports, I see that you are now a member of our crew, and therefore will be participate in our exercise. =/\= ::Avaris sighed, defeated :: Torrin: =/\= well... of course I suppose you are right. Very well commander, I will see you tomorrow. Torrin out =/\= ::He handed the comm badge back to Artem, who angrily snatched it from him :: Dragumov: Great. This is just great. Now you are going to spend more time with the command staff, where you will no doubt continue to make an amazing impression for us both. I cant do this right now, I need to lie down. We will talk about this later Avaris. Torrin: I'm really sorry Artem... can I get you anything? Do you want some water? Dragumov: Just leave me alone right now. ::Artem stormed into the bedroom and threw himself on their bed without even taking off his uniform. Avaris went over and activated the door, to give his brooding husband some time to calm down. He was right, Avaris had been very sloppy today... he was finding adjusting to life on this ship far more difficult than he had imagined, and he had imagined some pretty serious difficulty. He went to the replicator and made himself a tumbler glass with some ice, opening the bottle of Saurian brandy he had done a number on the day before, pouring carefully at first, but abandoning pretense halfway through and filling the glass. He had felt like he had gained some ground, and that Artem might even be proud of his efforts, it had been no small thing getting himself hired on at the school. But without meaning to, he had set them back two steps for the step he thought he would gain, and they were fighting, again. He caught his mind wandering, wondering if this was the right thing, wondering if he had made a huge mistake, before snapping himself out of it. There was no use thinking like that right now, they had only just arrived, and they could make this work, he absolutely had to believe that. At least he had a project. The Doctors friend, on the J'naii homeworld. That was something he could do. The doctor still hadn't given him any details, but he figured sending out some preliminary feelers would be proactive and make him feel a little less worthless. The first step was going to be brutal, but now seemed like as good a time as any to do it, he didn't think his estranged old colleague, and once good friend Andressa Castyr could possibly make him feel any worse than he already did. He sat down at the rooms terminal again, and instructed the computer to place a subspace call back home to Trill, hoping that she wasn't home and that he could just leave a message. He realized he didn't even have any idea of what time it was in Vrans, he had so thoroughly acclimatized to the 26 hour Starfleet Standard time that he might be calling in the middle of the night. Luck was not with him, the call was answered. A pretty, slight middle aged Trill woman with long red hair and a prominent chest tattoo framing the symbol of the Unjoined Majority in its centre appeared on the screen. As soon as she registered who was calling her, she scowled and went to disconnect the call. :: Torrin: Wait! Andressa please.... Castyr: I have nothing to say to you Avaris. Torrin: Hear me out, please its important, I have an ask. ::The redheaded woman scoffed dramatically. :: Castyr: You dont get to ASK for ASKS anymore Avaris Torrin. Where is your husband? Is he monitoring this call? You gonna play bait in a sting? Nobody here would fall for it, just to save you some time... Torrin: Adressa, please, you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. ::She banged a fist on her desk, the screen wavered with the reverberations of the impact. :: Castyr: You have some nerve Avaris, calling me in the middle of the night out of nowhere, from a Starfleet ship no less. You fitting in nicely with those pigs then? They putting you up to this? oO so it is the middle of the night in Vrans then. Good timing as always Avaris Oo Torrin: ... I am sorry it has been so long Andressa... you were a sister to me for so long, I miss you so much. It has been hard here, trust me, it has been... so hard Castyr: Good. ::Avaris blinked back a tear. The worst part of it was, a part of him thought she was right to be so angry. :: Torrin: ... like I said, it is important. Our friend Jenny is out of lipstick again... ::The Trill woman glowered, her eyes narrowed and her lips were pursed so hard that they were white. But he had gotten her attention, Jenny was their less-than-imaginative code word for any J'naii "Deviant" who was in danger, in need of help from their network of support.. :: Castyr: ...Alright then. Where is Jenny now? Torrin: I dont know yet, she is also a friend of someone else onboard, I am just relying a message... would you be able to get some lipstick to her if I found out where she was?? ::She paused, still glowering. :: Castyr: I could look into it for sure. But to be clear, I'd be doing this for Jenny, not for you. Torrin: Thank you Andressa. Castyr: By the way, for future reference, don't you dare call me sister, you don't get to call me sister ever again Avaris. I cant even imagine what Jaheran would think of you if he could see you now. Just send the information when you get it, don't call me again. Give love from all of us back in your old life to Officer Dragumov. ::She disconnected the call abruptly, before Avaris could say any more. With the screen black again, he allowed a single tear to roll down his cheek, remembering his old life and his old friends, remembering Andressa, and remembering Jaheran. What would he have thought of Avaris now? It was best not to think about it. He wiped the tear away, and continued to pour over the School Board documents, mentally preparing his plans to prove himself capable of molding the minds of the next generation of Federation citizens. :: Avaris Edral Torrin Civilian School Headmaster USS Apollo - A
  5. ((Sometime. Someplace.)) ::The glowing from the lab was painfully bright and all encompassing. The static energy around them had subtly shifted, and instead of repelling them from the epicenter, it was now subtly pulling them in. There was no going back now. He had wanted to push Tarch away, free her from this hell of sacrifice, but the time for that was long past. He should have freed her years ago, if not before this whole horrible episode began. It was too late for that now. All he could do was stand by her. Stand by her and hope that somehow time would make things right.:: TARCH: It's coming. Right now. Atlantis has detonated their device. DELAVIGNE: I can’t see it. How can you see it? You need to guide me! TARCH: We have to be everywhere, Frank. In every time. We have to take the anti-polaric energy back with us, to all the moments that came before, back to the very one where you set this disaster loose. We are the conduits. ::She took his hand, something solid in this great wash of light and chaos and he held on back, like a drowning man hold into a life buoy.:: DELAVIGNE: ::Whispering:: Be strong. You can do this. For her. ::Though it was not clear whether he was talking to himself of Tarch. Maybe it didn’t matter. Both of them had someone they cared about, something they hoped they could see again, if only in spirit.:: ::Pain ripped through him and the polaric energy tore through his body, suffusing every cell. Both of them were lifted off the ground, their very physical reality breaking apart as time split into a kaleidoscope of possibilities. Frank saw the lab scene replay, saw his every decision on the Pike, how he had inadvertently engineered destruction into that ship by his own self-centered actions. He saw his descent into madness, his longing for a child, he saw Tarch and Saltas, Arravan and Good, all of them trapped in the rifts of time.:: TARCH: We need more power! We have to be strong, Frank! DELAVIGNE: Strong… ::his word trailed off and he squinted, looking farther and farther away.:: ::He could see the USS Yorkshire, the ship that brought him to the Pike. He could see himself on the USS Hanlon, serving against the Romulans. And if he really looked he could see the New Dakota colony. He could see his little house, the vibrant blue lawn trimmed so neatly with its garish pink flowers along the walkway. He could see Angela waving at him, holding Elizabeth in her arms. His heart swelled. He knew where to find his strength. Power welled around them as he focused on the sight. Whether it was memory of a point in time that he couldn’t remember, but he could somehow see within the stream, it didn’t matter. Angela and Elizabeth were all that ever mattered to him, and they were what fueled him in these final moments.:: TARCH: Thank you, Frank! Thank you! DELAVIGNE: Thank you, Barbara! ::he called back, the words nearly lost in the din:: Thank you for reminding me who I was! ::Her hand slipped out of his and she disappeared, sucked by the eddies of time, away from him. Frank closed his eyes and fixated on that one memory, that one sight. Angela. Elizabeth. He had to see them one last time.:: ~*~ ((New Dakota Colony, 112 years prior)) ::Elizabeth Delavigne stood on her tippy toes, trying to place her father’s favorite Christmas ornament high enough up on the fuzzy fronds of the palm shrub that he could easily see it:: ELIZABETH: Mommy! Mommy! I need a boost! ANGELA: ::Her mother chuckled and walked over:: You know you can hang them on the bottom, I did the top ornaments. ELIZABETH: ::With the steadfast conviction that only a small child could have over a trivial matter, she looked up at her mother, big eyes welling with tears:: Daddy said this one was his favorite! He needs to see it! ANGELA: Well ok, then! ::She laughed and picked the little girl up, lifting her up to chest high and patiently waiting as she wiggled her chubby fingers around a frond, slipping the hanging wire into place.:: ELIZABETH: There! This will be the first one Daddy sees! ::Setting the girl down, both mother and daughter took a step back to admire their ingenuity. On a planet where evergreens simply didn’t exist, Angela Delavigne had to improvise a Christmas tree. She had promised Frank a tree, with presents under it and home baked cookies. They talked about it over subspace, late at nights when Elizabeth had gone to bed. He was due back in a week, and there was a palpable air of excitement in the small home.:: ELIZABETH: Daddy will see it soon, right?! ANGELA: Next week, sweetie. He’ll be coming home next week. ::She leaned down, petting her daughter’s hair:: ELIZABETH: Can’t he get home sooner? Won’t the ships fly faster? ANGELA: ::She chuckled:: I’m sure if he can make it home sooner, he will. ::Angela sat down, drawing Elizabeth with her onto the couch as the tree sprang into a brilliant swirl of color from the tiny lights nestled within glittering golden garland. The little girl gasped, looking up in unbridled wonder:: ELIZABETH: It’s beautiful! ::It was beautiful. It was a beautiful beacon that shone past time and space. It was the one thing Frank Delavigne was focused on as his hazy ghost-like form started to flicker into view. He felt tears stinging at the corners of his eyes, watching his little girl clapping with delight in the warm glow of the Christmas tree. It was everything he had ever dreamt of, everything he wanted to see. Frank took in a deep breath and reached out to her:: FRANK: Elizabeth. I love you… ELIZABETH: ::She turned slowly, as if she caught a whisper on the wind:: Daddy? FRANK: I’m here, Elizabeth. Daddy’s here for you. ANGELA: Daddy’s not home yet, Elizabeth. He’ll be home soon. ::She leaned forward to draw her daughter back to the couch:: FRANK: ::Looking towards his wife, he felt his breath catch in his throat.:: Angela… I’m here, Angela. ELIZABETH: I heard Daddy! I hear him! ANGELA: ::She looked around:: Not yet, honey. Soon, I promise! ELIZABETH: But I heard him! ::Angela Delavigne sighed, standing up to check the front door, just to make sure. Frank was usually so organized, but he was not above being a joker. Maybe he did get home early and was trying to surprise them? She grabbed a cardigan to fend of the chill in the winter air and started for the door to the hallway. But she never got there. A sickly green flash spread out over the colony, smashing the windows of the home, vaporizing the oxygen in the air and incinerating Angela and Elizabeth Delavigne in a second. There wasn’t even time to scream. Frank Delavigne gasped, unable to make a sound as he watched the most horrific moment in his entire life, play out in front of his eyes. As the flash intensified, he threw his arm up to shield his eyes, screwing them shut. And when he opened them, there she was.:: FRANK: ::Jaw hanging open:: Angela?! ANGELA: ::She stopped, confused:: Frank? Frank, is that you? ELIZABETH: ::Overjoyed, she ran to him:: Daddy! ::Frank Delavigne dropped to one knee and scooped her up in his arms. She was light as a feather, just like a ghost. That’s all any of them were anymore. Ghosts. Still, her hug was full of all the warmth and love that he had been longing for over the past 112 years. He dipped his head down and nestled into his little girl’s hair:: FRANK: Oh, Elizabeth, I missed you so much. I love you so much! ELIZABETH: I love you too, Daddy! ANGELA: ::Angela, meanwhile, had noticed the hazy world around her and figured out that something was terribly wrong.:: Frank… where are we, Frank? FRANK: ::Slowly he set Elizabeth down and looked to his wife:: We’re… ::he choked up:: We’re not there anymore, Baby. We’re gone. ANGELA: ::She gasped, tears welling in his eyes as she rushed over to him:: We’re… we’re dead? ::She whispered:: how can that be? Why are we all here? FRANK: I don’t know. I looked for you for so long… ::he murmured, his voice throaty with emotion:: I was lost for so long, and I finally found you. And now, now I can finally be at rest. ANGELA: ::She looked up at him, seeing the age in his face, the grey hair, the well worn lines, and she rushed to him, throwing herself into his arms:: Oh, Frank! Don’t go. We’re here now. No matter what, we’re together. FRANK: I know. ::he whispered:: It’s all I ever wanted. ANGELA: ::She felt tears forming in her eyes, but none came forth. She wasn’t even sure if she had a body anymore, but she could somehow feel that Frank and Elizabeth were still there.:: Where do we go now, Frank? Where do we go now? FRANK: Let’s go home, Baby. ::He leaned into her, smelling the scent of her lilac perfume one last time before he stooped down, gathered up his little girl and they all walked into the light.:: Let’s go home. ::And they faded away, together at last.:: ~*~~fin~~*~ MSNPC Lt. Commander Franklin DelavigneScience SpecialistUSS Christopher PikeSimmed by: Wyn Foster
  6. ((USS Darwin, Deck 6: VIP Quarters)) Hheinia: The sun beams like a warm oven, but we love it. We're a simple people Lieutenant and Talvath is a simple planet. We engage in our own business and the concerns of the empire or those around us are of no interest. Eickleberger: It seems like a lovely place that... ::Nessa continued to pace the VIP quarters, noting her plush and comfortable surroundings for the first time. It just added fuel to her animosity pyre, which was in no danger of extinguishing as it was. She couldn't be less interested in the weather on Talvath at this current moment. To his credit, she sensed, neither could the governor. She could very well die today - again. At the hands of a group of Romulan pseudo-terrorists - again. Today was not a good day to die. It was a very different story when she was a teenager, but over the last three or four years Nessa had resolved not to die. She hadn't worked out what to live for yet, so dying already was not an option. It was an ironic twist that one of the key people in her not having died already was also Romulan. She had to remember that. It was difficult at times.:: Nessa: ::Butting in abruptly with a question of her own.:: Ever met a Senator Vreeya, guv'nor? Hheinia: ::Continuing to look out the window.:: No I haven't. oO Didn't think so... Oo Nessa: Frankly, she's the reason we're both standin' here and neither of us is bleedin'. Never spoke to her, like, but she taught me that Romulans can be good people, jus' like anyone else. Hheinia: What a profound suggestion. ::In a distant corner of her mind, a small part of Nessa realised how petty and vaguely racist that was. But that corner of her mind was well out of communication range at the moment; between it and her seemed to stand the entire Romulan Star Empire.:: Nessa: Are you a good person, guv'nor? ::It was a simple question. An honest one, such as your six year-old child might ask after being taught about morality for the first time and not really grasping it properly. But Nessa did believe in good and evil. In between there was a whole lot of grey, she understood that. Sometimes, good people do bad things; Nessa herself was a shining example of that, and doing her best to prove it right now. But at the core of it, some people were good. Others were not. It was a valid question, in her eyes, though not one she expected an honest answer to. Under the circumstances, the governor was hardly likely to turn around and say "No, I'm pure evil!", but it *was* better than punching him in the face...:: Hheinia: I think you'll find my people would certainly consider it so. Nessa: ::Noddingly, slowly.:: Well, if you ain't, and I live to regret you not bein' in an 'olding cell right now... ::Softly:: Just want ya to know that I never got to see the face of the last Romulan that tried to kill me. As you can see, 'e failed. Me poor addled mind could easily be persuaded he looked a lot like you though. Play nice an' that honour could be Sindari's instead, sure as sure. Eickleberg: Ensign! I think it's enough from you. Hheinia:: It's fine Lieutenant. Nessa: ::Smiling sweetly:: Don't mind me, sir. Just conductin' a bit o' diplomacy o' me own. ::The sudden change of countenance of the Romulan governor was, Nessa had to admit, briefly concerning. It was almost as if he had resolved to hate her almost as much as she instinctively hated him.:: Hheinia: The Lieutenant might be able to help me with this, but is it standard diplomatic policy to threaten people? oO Seems to be, in the Star Empire... Or is that just in your Intelligence service? Oo Eickleberger: I'm very sure she didn't mean it as a personal threat sir. Hheinia: Oh I assure you Lieutenant, It was meant as exactly that. ::With a slight smirk on her face, Nessa nodded faintly.:: oO Yep. Sure as sure. Oo Hheinia: ::Looking at the young Ensign.:: I've seen it so many times. You grow up hearing all about Romulans and how bad they are and all the nasty things they've done. Yet you know nothing truly about us or what our values truly are. oO Hearing about them? Sure, yeah... hearing... Oo ((Flashback - 15 Years Ago, London Hotel Room)) ::From under the blanket, wet, terrified eyes looked out from behind a tangle of dirty brown curls. The horrible man was still there, chuckling to himself. The beads of sweat on his pallid flesh glinted in the lamplight, and even though he'd removed himself from her, the stink of Kali-fal hadn't diminished at all from the near-noxious odour she'd just been subjected to.:: S'Lhaerrh: You know, you weren't bad. ::He said, in a tone which disgusted her. The more she thought it might be genuine praise, the more disgusted she became.:: A little... inexperienced, but... I suppose that's to be expected. ::He chuckled to himself. Another thing Nessa hated about the vile man; it sounded like a metal rod stuck in a wood chipper.:: S'Lhaerrh: Perhaps I'll make use of you again, the next time my employer sends me to this... place. Nessa: ::Mumbling under her breath, through the folds of blanket.:: You... you ain't never seein' me again, sir. Not never. I ever see you come back 'ere, I'll be gone. One way or t'other. S'Lhaerrh: Little girl, you do not seem to understand. If I want your company, my employers will see to it. ::He smiled, a disgusting smile which revealed stained, yellowing teeth Nessa would rather never see again.:: The wheat rarely gets a say when it is time to make bread. ::With that he left, as quietly as he had entered. As soon as the door clicked closed, she sprang to her feet and ran, naked, to the window. It was locked, of course. Part of her knew it was going to be. And she had nothing to hand capable of breaking through reinforced glass that thick. To keep out the noise of the street, they claimed. Right now, it felt like it was designed specifically to trap her here until the woman, Osfrid, returned. Turning back to the bed, Nessa saw the smear of blood on the sheets, and her knees betrayed her. She collapsed to the floor, and started to cry. When she was in tact - before she'd bled - that was the most valuable to anyone she was ever going to be, Osfrid had said. So now what was she? Just a sheaf of wheat. Wheat had no say when it was time to make bread.:: ((End Flashback)) Nessa: ::Enraged:: Values? You wanna t- ::The governor began speaking again, which further incensed the pink-haired Ops officer. She decided to let him continue, closing her eyes and breathing in through her nose slowly, just like Brey had taught her. Secretly she was quite glad. He was beginning to have a point, and she didn't like that one bit. But "grow up hearing all about Romulans and how bad they are" had lost him that momentum, and the follow-up left jab, "you know nothing truly about us" had removed all sense of doubt. Nessa glared at the man now, with dead eyes and a stoney heart. She hoped Eickleberger was medically trained.:: Hheinia: I'm not finished Ensign! You got a free hit before but I'm not about to let you slander me OR my people without challenge. ::Pausing to direct this conversation.:: Don't presume to Judge me Ensign. I made a call about Sindari and his character for MY purposes. Nothing about his background said he might hijack a Starfleet Vessel nor could I have cared less if he did. Our current set of circumstances obviously changes things. Your vapid comments do nothing for our situation. oO Vapid? Vapid?! Oo ::As soon as she found out what "vapid" meant, she was probably going to be *so* cross about that comment.:: Eickleberger: Neither does having to engage such comments. Some things should be ignored. Even if they do need punishment later. ::Glaring at Eickleberger:: oO Punish me all you want. It can't be no worse than what he's doin'. Oo Hheinia: When all this is cleared up, and I assure you it WILL be, I"m sure you'd like my assessment of my treatment to be one of thanks. As it stands Ensign you are the physical manifestation of why the quadrant cringes at Starfleet, and when my report gets handed in as to whether I choose to enter Starfleet or not enter it. I'm sure your Career might develop a hiccup when I tell them that you singlehandedly jeopardised any hope of that. ((Flashback - Two Years Ago, USS Victory)) ::Nessa stared at the conn with abject despair. There was literally nothing she could do right now. Her life, and that of the crew, the Starbase, the Thracian Alliance, even the sector, was now in the hands of Colt Daniels, Harold Foster and his team of scientists. And Foster was in sickbay with radiation burns from the test-firing of the weapon, which hardly filled her with confidence. Nessa glanced towards tactical, where Daniels was currently working. Briefly he looked up, and their eyes met. That was when the faintly-glowing candlelight of hope was finally extinguished. Colt's eyes weren't smiling today. His eyes always smiled at her, even when his face didn't want to. But not today. Today his eyes said 'I think this is it for us, Nessa'. His eyes, much like the rest of Colt Daniels, could get away with calling her Nessa. Not many officers could say that. But it looked like this would soon be irrelevant. They were stricken, on emergency power. A metal husk, floating in space, with innumerable Romulan warheads heading their way, destined to wipe out the Starbase and most of the organised military presence in the sector. And Nessa James could do nothing. They were going to die, she was pretty sure of that now.:: ::The wheat doesn't get a say when it's time to make bread.:: ((End Flashback)) Nessa: ::Shaking her head ever so slightly.:: You're massively over estimatin' how much I care about your "assessment" of your treatment, or me career for that- Hheinia: You swarm into MY colony and members of my colony attempt to stage a takeover of your ship, and you stand here and preach and JUDGE my people. As if you can assess the entire race from the actions of a few. ::Pointing directly at the Ensign.::You are lucky that unlike you, I can see past short sighted assessments, like mine of you. Starfleet has much to offer me and my Colony, unlike your worthless racist assessments. ::Hheinia probably thought he'd got her on the ropes. Or maybe in his mind that was a knockout blow, or at least a knockdown. What Hheinia didn't realise was that he wasn't even in a boxing match. This was a verbal streetfight, lawless and unregulated, and Nessa *preferred* to be backed into a corner. That's where she was most dangerous. The ensign saw Eickleberger out of the corner of her eye, desperate to interject himself and retain some sense of decorum, to maybe salvage some kind of relationship with the governor. Nessa deliberately stepped forward, physically blocking him out. If Starfleet wanted decorum, they shouldn't have sent in Necessity James.:: Nessa: You wanna stand there and bang on at me about how I judge you, and your race? Tell you what, guv, I'll cut you a deal; The day I meet a Romulan, and no other Romulans try to kill me, mug me, violate me body, me mind or me ship or 'urt me friends, *then* I'll stop judgin' you. You say I'm prejudiced? I am, sure as sure! And I'll remain prejudiced until such a time as your people stop confirmin' every bloody prejudice I 'ave! ::She was vaguely aware of a burning sensation in her eyes, and a dampness on her cheeks, but ignored it.:: *My* people were *asked* to *your* colony by *you*! To *help* your people when your OWN FETHIN' EMPIRE wouldn't! ::She was dimly aware she was yelling at him, but by this point her mind was careening down a single track with no hope of return. She was far, far past caring about decorum.:: Eickleberger: ::Raising his voice and adding finality to his tone:: That is enough Ensign. Now. ::Turning his head to the Governor.:: Sir, you'll have to forgive the actions of some of the crew. They know not what they do. ::In one of the many moments from today that Nessa would come to later regret, she forcibly shoved the diplomatic officer out of her way.:: Nessa: NO, sir! It is NOT enough apparently because THEN, the very people YOU brought onto OUR ship try to *STEAL IT FROM UNDER OUR NOSES*! They're up there *right now*, possibly killin' *my* friends, *my* family! And *I'M* IN THE WRONG?! ::Nessa took a much-needed breath, but it didn't do much to calm her. She noticed her tears for the first time, and wiped them away with the back of her hand.:: Nessa: ::Slightly calmer, to begin with:: Listen, I ain't got no problem with the hundreds of thousands of Romulans down there ::she pointed, vaguely, at the window:: doin' nothin' wrong. What I *DO* 'ave a problem with is the ones stealin' me ship, SHOOTIN' AT ME FRIENDS AND FAMILY! ::At this point she was reduced to vitrolic screaming, as tears streamed down her face.:: THE ONES WHO VIOLATED ME, *KEEP* TRYIN' TO KILL ME, FIRED *WARHEADS* AT ME! IT'S ALWAYS ROMULANS! IT'S *ALWAYS* FETHIN' *ROMULANS*! And now you wanna join STARFLEET?! You wanna be part of *MY* family?! After all you've DONE?! After all you're doing *RIGHT NOW*? How many *MORE* Tal Shiar agents are down on that planet right now that you have ::she made finger-quotes in the air,:: "NO IDEA ABOUT"?! To hell with that! And to hell with *YOU*! ::As the rage incited by Hheinia's words began to ebb away, only then did Nessa began to realise what the last few moments must have looked like to poor Lieutenant Eickleberger, who had been marginalised and shouted over throughout. Who had watched his diplomatic escort completely implode in front of him and almost beyond doubt take any hope of reconciliation with the Romulan governor with it... What she had just committed was suicide. Career suicide, this time. But still suicide. An officer with her record, with her past... there was no coming back from this, surely?:: oO But it wasn't *fair!* How *dare* he stand there and say those things! Oo ::But perhaps the millions of Romulans who had not yet committed grievous acts in violation of her body, health or spaceship didn't deserve to be tarred with the same brush as 95% of the Romulans she had actually physically met. All chickens laid bad eggs sometimes, right?:: oO Am *I* a bad egg? Is that *why* all this keeps 'appening? Oo ::Suddenly, the realisation hit her that Eickleberger and the governor were both still standing in stunned silence, looking at her. She was still sobbing near-uncontrollably, her eyes red-raw. Breathing in ragged, tattered breaths with sweat glistening on her brow, she'd been standing there, staring into space, for at least five seconds... She looked a complete state, and even the security guards had re-entered to see what all the fuss was about. With a large sniff, Nessa drew herself up to her full five feet seven, and looked the governor in the eye.:: Nessa: ::Pathetically, with polite nod that was far too little too late.:: Good day, sir. ::Nessa turned on her heel and tried to calmly leave the room, but after three steps of near-serenity she quickly degenerated into a blubbering, sobbing half-sprint, and barged past the security officers. The younger one tried - too late - to block her path, but Oakley signaled that there was no point.:: ::Behind her, she faintly heard Eickleberger's plea.:: Eickleberger: I understand unfortunately sir that it can be hard to separate someone's views can color our outlook on an entire group. Just as you said. Hopefully you yourself are above such base judgements of the crew... ((Time Warp)) ::Several minutes later the adrenaline had worn off, and Nessa found herself in some Jefferies tube or other. She wasn't sure where, or overly sure that she cared. She had her knees hugged tightly to her chest and her face buried in between them, sobbing uncontrollably. As the incandescent rage disspitated in her little cucoon of calm, her mind drifted towards the apologies she was going to have to make... Lieutenant Eickelberger, Captain Reinard, Lieutenant Falcon... Hheinia, obviously. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became.:: ::Once again, she was wheat. And it was time to make more bread.::
  7. (( Sickbay, USS Garuda )) :: Del could get used to the Galaxy-class, but he did wish he didn’t feel so [...] guilty admitting that to himself. After all, it wasn’t as though Aron was dead -- in fact, it wasn’t as though Aron and he had even really been good friends any longer. But after cleaning out his quarters with Alora DeVeau, Del found that he just didn’t have the heart to accept the latter as true, and so he was stuck feeling terrible, even as he stretched out in the large office off of the main sickbay. It was cushy, truly: He had an office, Saveron had an office, Kotir had an office, Hawkeye had an office -- hell, even his head nurse had an office. The Galaxy-class, he’d decided, must’ve been dense as hell, since it was honeycombed with nothing but offices. In fact, that was where he’d decided to spend much of his leave time. Like his old office, this one had a very nice window, and he’d spent a long time looking out of it at the station or down at Eta Corvi IV and not doing much else, even though he had a lot to do, not the least of which was unpack his office things. But, he had to admit that there was another reason that he was slightly nervous -- and unless he was much mistaken, it was currently waiting in the hall. :: DEL VEDOVA: You can come on in. I saw your shadow out there. RAHMAN: Oh, I... didn't want to interrupt you. DEL VEDOVA: You’re not. Don’t be silly. :: To prove it, he set down the box he hadn’t been unpacking and held his free hands up, palms facing her. :: DEL VEDOVA: Anyway, if you’ve decided that now would be a good time, I’m not going to disagree. You’re the one who has to undergo the procedure. (beat) If that is what you’re here for. RAHMAN: ::nods:: Yes, if now would be a good time? DEL VEDOVA: Absolutely. Come on. :: As it so happened, much of the nursing staff and nearly all of the techs and docs were over on DSX or otherwise occupied on the Garuda. Del didn’t need an assist, but he had to admit that he found the utterly empty Sickbay to be slightly disconcerting. Still, he had his work to do, and he was with a friend -- or at least he hoped she was. Maybe he was about to find out. Which, once he thought about it, really put too much weight upon the procedure; in this context, this complex and fiddly context, she had to be a patient only. Didn’t she? :: :: She followed him over to another corner of sickbay and sat down at a small table where various instruments had been set up. She waited as he left to retrieve a small box. When he returned, he set it on the table and opened the lid. :: DEL VEDOVA: You want to examine them first? See if they’re up to spec? :: She peered into the box to see two detached biosynthetic digits resting on a bed of smooth fabric that almost looked like silk. If someone had stepped in at that moment to witness the exchange, they might have thought Del was channeling his inner post-Impresionist by presenting the strangest belayed birthday gift yet to his friend. :: RAHMAN: They look... nice. :: She shrugged and gave him a goofy smile. :: RAHMAN: I'm sorry, I don't know what else I'm supposed to say about a couple of fingers in a box. :: Del snapped it closed again, realized he needed it open, reopened it, and set it down on the tray beside the bed. In truth, he didn’t know what he expected her to say, either: “Oh, good, it looks like I’ll have fun with those?” “Great job, Del, let’s be best friends?” He smiled shortly, though more at her expression than at his own desire, which he’d managed then to mask as a joke and preferred not to think about just then. :: DEL VEDOVA: That they’re the most beautiful phalanges you ever did see, obviously. (beat) It’s not easy to induce biocybernetics to pluripotency that quickly, I’ll have you know. It’s not like we can just replicate them. It’s a long process, and complicated! Not as simple as a couple of fingers in a box. RAHMAN: Well, as long as they work. :: He met her eye for just a moment, all too aware that at the end, he’d strayed from talking directly about the fingers themselves. :: DEL VEDOVA: They will. :: As Del prepared himself for the procedure, he ran quickly through a mental list of the instruments he’d need and then checked them against the table he’d prepped. Yes, it would be a meticulous procedure, but it shouldn’t end up being so long or so hard. Really, the difficulty would be in syncing the nervous system and ensuring that the new fingers were properly vascularized or she’d be throwing clots like crazy. Not that she needed to know that yet, he didn’t think, although…. :: DEL VEDOVA: You are aware of the risks of this procedure, aren’t you? I sent you the material, but I’m not going to stand over your shoulder while you read it. You’re an adult, you can make an informed decision. :: He sat down across from her and began arranging the tools to his liking. The meticulous attention to placing each instrument in the proper place was almost hypnotic that it took her a second to realize he had asked her to do something. She smiled sheepishly. :: RAHMAN: Oh, sorry... :: Well, she clearly hadn’t been listening at all. He sighed. :: :: She extended her left hand forward and was a bit surprised when he grabbed it rather suddenly and firmly. He twisted it a bit to place it in position for the procedure. :: RAHMAN: Agh, careful now. I'm not a doll. DEL VEDOVA: No, you’re not. Right now, you’re a living, breathing Kriosian who’s undergoing a delicate surgical procedure, so mind you follow instructions, hm? RAHMAN: Hmmph. :: She wanted to cross her arms and give him the usual eye roll, but with him holding one of her arms already, she had to settle for propping the other arm on the table and resting her chin in her palm as she looked at him with mild indignation. :: :: Well, if it was a life and death situation, he wouldn’t have considered that response informed consent, but he figured her presence in the place was consent enough to proceed. He flash-sterilized the hand up to the wrist and then did the same to his own, his instruments, and the new fingers before he administered the nerve block. :: DEL VEDOVA: You’re not going to feel anything below the wrist. That’s normal. :: He didn't give her much time to process the disclaimer. With the laser scalpel, he opened the first finger’s stump and swooped in at once with his magnifiers to begin tying the veins and nerves together. :: :: He kept a steady grip on her with one hand as he performed the delicate work with his other. She gazed around the larger Galaxy class sickbay. :: RAHMAN: So... how are you liking the new facilities? :: He barely glanced up. He was just then connecting the digitales palmares, and it required his close attention, even as the nanobots did their work at a level too small for him to see. :: DEL VEDOVA: ‘s nice. ‘s missing something, though. RAHMAN: Oh? :: Her eyes continued to dart around the room, noting the various pieces of equipment lying about, many of which she had only seen before at the medical starbase where she had stayed following the accident aboard the Tempest nearly eight years ago. :: RAHMAN: That seems difficult to believe considering how much excess I feel they've installed aboard. ::grins:: I know Cybernetics is certainly happy though with the upgrade they've gotten in terms of facilities... :: She looked back at him to see he was still focused intently on the medical procedure in front of him. Which is as it should be, of course. Yet, she nonetheless felt disappointment that their conversation seemed an afterthought to him so far, as unwarranted as that feeling might have been. :: :: She decided to prod a little further. :: RAHMAN: All right, then, doctor. Maybe I can put the requisition order in for you. You are talking to the ship's second officer, after all... what's missing? :: Wait, what had he said? The digitales palmares in that finger was complete, and the nanobots were now working furiously on the neural connections. These were much trickier, and he was monitoring closely, instructing the others manually to carry away a dead ‘bot whenever one was zapped by an errant charge. :: DEL VEDOVA: Aron. Also you. You never visit. And now he won’t. :: The answer genuinely caught her off guard. Not because it wasn't true, and not even because she hadn't realized it, but because it was said so plainly. He didn't even look up from his work nor expand upon the thought. It sounded more like a simple observation than a complaint. :: :: In the weeks and months following that night in sickbay when Del and Captain Kells had confronted her, she had made a conscious effort to avoid sickbay. Which was utterly foolish. Here, Captain Kells had given her an answer, or at least a direction towards an answer to her problems, and instead of capitalizing on it, she had instead chosen so far to try her best to ignore it. And part of that had meant ignoring Del, too. :: RAHMAN: ...I know. :: There! That was one finger completed. Now he had only to monitor the osteoblasts and then apply the dermal regenerator, and that was only the work of a few moments. :: DEL VEDOVA: Do you want to? :: His eyes remained locked onto her hand as she looked back at him with a bit of remorse. :: RAHMAN: Yes. (beat) Very much so. DEL VEDOVA: Well, then, you should. :: Then, the first finger finished, he sat back slowly, stretched his back, and looked her in the eye. His voice, his demeanor was completely changed. :: DEL VEDOVA: There! First finger, back to work! RAHMAN: Wait! I wanted to say... :: Her voice trailed off as she saw the new finger start wiggling slightly. Her eyes shifted between the finger and Del for a moment before she chuckled. :: RAHMAN: I'm not doing that. DEL VEDOVA: Well, you think you're not. It's going to take a little while for your perceptions and your somatic nervous system to sync up, but you'll be there in under an hour. RAHMAN: Okay, good. Otherwise, I'd be afraid of accidentally hitting the warp core eject button. :: Already Del had begun to work on the second finger, but he stopped just short of the full sterilization. :: DEL VEDOVA: Yeah, well, me, too! Or did you think I didn't have a stake in this, hm? Arrogant engineers.... :: He started to get back to work, but Roshanara called out again. :: RAHMAN: Wait, Del, you were talking about missing me... well, me and Aron -- Captain Kells. :: She didn't want to sound too immodest. :: DEL VEDOVA: Oh, I did? (beat) Did I? :: She returned a frustrated glare. She wasn't sure if he was being his usual difficult self now or if he had genuinely not realized what he'd said. :: RAHMAN: Yes, actually. :: Del shrugged. With the sterilization complete and the first cut underway, he was again bent closely over her, and the shrug wasn't exactly a motion she would've recognized. :: DEL VEDOVA: I said a lot of things. I think out loud when I'm working. Helps to keep my mind focused. RAHMAN: Well, anyway... :: She waved with her other hand at the tools. :: RAHMAN: Go ahead. Let's finish what we started. :: He didn't need to be asked twice. With the wound re-opened, he dove in and began the revascularization procedure again, knitting the materials together with his army of nanobots and fully focused upon the task at hand, save for the sliver of his mind that occupied itself with talking. :: DEL VEDOVA: I suppose I was talking about him. Come to that, I've been thinking a lot about him, especially since Alora DeVeau and I went through his quarters. Also, not just him, but friendships in general. Ours, specifically. :: As he set back to work, she watched him now instead of his surroundings. She had always enjoyed bruising the egos of overly confident physicians and teasing Del, especially when he was bumbling about in her domain of engineering. Truthfully, though, she did respect their work, and here, now, watching Del perform in his domain, she realized how much she respected him. :: RAHMAN: You know, he told me something... before he left. DEL VEDOVA: Who did? Aron did? What'd he say? :: Del couldn't have stopped at that point if he'd wanted to -- he was on to the neural connections -- but he found that, just after the split second in which he really wanted to see her face and her expression, came a much longer time period in which he wanted to avoid looking at her or even hearing the answer to the questions he'd asked. :: RAHMAN: He had sent everyone else but Doctor Saveron and myself back to the Garuda. And at the time, I was still processing the fact that he was leaving so suddenly that I didn't really think about what he said. :: Well, there: She hadn't said anything at all. A whole platoon of nanobots went dead, fried by a calcium overload, and Del made an angry noise deep in his throat before he asked. :: DEL VEDOVA: Well? RAHMAN: He said we shared a friendship in you. And that the friendship you and I had... the one that he remembered enduring over the next decades... was something worth saving. DEL VEDOVA: Did he now? :: But Del's voice, even from the depths of the surgery, was steady, calm. He wanted to know more, oh yes, but there were those final polarizations to attend to, and now he had to heal over the whole shebang... :: :: Her voice grew unsteady now. No! She wasn't going to cry now. She'd already broken down once in front of Del outside the holodeck. But she did need to tell him. She looked for a moment at her hand still in his grasp before continuing. :: RAHMAN: I want to believe that part of my future is true: that you'll be there with me. Even if I'm scared about the rest that's to come. :: Especially because she was scared about the rest that was to come. :: DEL VEDOVA: Well, you don't need to worry about a thing, because -- your second finger is finished! :: He sat back again, and for the first time since his last major emergency surgery, he felt his body sweat. :: DEL VEDOVA: Also because we are friends and will always be. Okay? :: She sat for a moment just looking at her two new fingers. The first had stopped wiggling, but the newest one was now starting to waver back and forth. She then looked back at Del, with an unrestrained smile. :: DEL VEDOVA: You didn't think so? :: She blinked, trying to hold back a tear, and sniffled. :: RAHMAN: I… I didn’t know what to think. I was afraid I had messed it up. DEL VEDOVA: Is that it, really? :: That made her finally lose it as she felt a tear break through her composure. She laughed as she wiped it away with her other hand. :: RAHMAN: Yes, that’s it really. God, you’re such a [...]! :: She held her left hand in her right, looking down at the set of fingers, now complete again, and smiled. Del had done a meticulous job. Her hand still showed the scars from her original accident, but unlike her previous two replacements, the new digits blended in with their colleagues perfectly. :: RAHMAN: But I’m glad you’re my doctor. (beat) And my friend. :: Del was already putting away his tools. He looked down for a moment, then back again, straight into her eyes. :: DEL VEDOVA: Neither of those has changed, or will ever. You know that -- even if I sometimes forget. :: Del finished his cleanup, tapped into the computer to mark the surgery’s end on Rosh’s chart, a chart that he would now go and file into her long and complicated history -- but he looked back at her before he went. :: DEL VEDOVA: You’ll want to check in with Dr. V’Las. She’s the new physical therapist, and she’ll want to work with you as you learn to use those new fingers. (beat) And how about lunch tomorrow? RAHMAN: ::nods:: I'd like that. DEL VEDOVA: Good. See you then. :: He’d kept his voice calm and even, and he waved the PADD with the chart he’d transferred over to it as he headed back to his office and S’Riss headed over to finish up with Rosh. He did look back once, though, and of course when he did he saw her looking, too. He winked. What was he thinking? He had never been a winker. But now, he thought, maybe that had changed. :: -------- JP By: Lt. Cmdr. Roshanara Rahman Chief Engineer and Second Officer, USS Garuda & Dr. Nic del Vedova Chief of Emergency Services, USS Garuda
  8. (( Corridors, USS Apollo )) :: Shel left with Sun after dinner and the tour, he didn't want her to realize he was planning on going back to have a talk with Jaxx by himself. Some things are just better left unsaid, and if she knew he wanted to have a private word, what was to stop her from chaperoning to prevent anything he had to say, from being said. He followed her down the corridor a moment, before she went for the turbolift, excusing himself for a brisk walk. After he was sure she was out of sight, he doubled back and headed back towards the quarters they dropped Jaxx off at. He buzzed the door. :: ::Sitting at his desk, the reports on the screen were plentiful. Keeping up with the ships in his sector was a fairly tough job. He was able to handle it fine most days, and today was one of them. The longer he sat there, the faster he blazed through the status reports of each ship in his sector. Glancing toward the door, there was a second and the chime sounded. Since it was not Sun, as she would have walked in, he was curious who it was.:: Jaxx: Who is it? Shelther: Shelther... Jaxx: Enter. (( Captain's Quarters, Deck 2, USS Apollo )) :: The doors opened before he could say more, and he stepped inside. He was glad that her Captain was willing to be hospitable, but he supposed that was because Shel hadn't said or done anything offensive, not that he really had a chance in the short time he had been there. :: ::As the man entered his quarters, Jaxx stood. It was the civil thing to do, and he figured that Shel had a reason to be there without his sister. Jaxx knew he could have expected to have a chat with the man when they had time. Now seemed to be that time. Moving over toward the sofa he watched as Shel spoke.:: Shelther: I was hoping to have a moment of your time, without Sun present... as I am sure she will become the subject of conversation. Jaxx: Of course, please...come in. ::pointing to the sofa:: Shelther: First, I suppose I should inquire about how long I would be considered welcome. :: If it was left up to Sun, he would be welcome until he embarrassed her, which could be any time he talked about their growing up, but he wanted her Captain's opinion. He could make arrangements to stay for a longer duration than originally anticipated, depending on whether he was welcome, and possibly needed. :: ::Taking a seat on the sofa, he considered what Shel was asking. There was no hurry for him to go anywhere, and he was not from an adversarial military so he really had no issues with the man being aboard the ship. Of course there were places he would not have clearance to be, but that would be anyone outside of Starfleet.:: Jaxx: As long as you can...I know she likes being able to see you. Shelther: I am not sure if you noticed, but my sister... She can be a handful. She's a bit willful and adventurous, and sometimes doesn't consider what she's doing until after she is in the middle of it. ::Jaxx simply nodded. It was nothing he did not already know about the woman. It did not make him love her any less, even though he had not spoken the words yet. She was who she was and that is who Jaxx fell for. Though he would choose his words carefully so he did not tip his hand too much.:: :: Shel looked at the man curiously, apparently his words didn't quite shock the man. :: Jaxx: ::smiling:: I have noticed. Shelther: I have been sort of charged with protecting her since she was really young, I made the mistake of trying to teach her how to swim by throwing her in the lake near our house when she was only 3. Since then, she hasn't stopped finding adventures to have. Jaxx: Well, you will be happy to know that her service in Starfleet has not stopped her from seeking them. She loves being able to experience new things, and has been able to do some of that while serving. :: Shel laughed and took a seat in one of the chairs, he didn't expect anything to change, although he had been worried after she left Antosia that she wasn't quite herself. But Jaxx's words reassured him that his sister found her way back to having fun. :: Shelther: She finds ways to do what she wants... Jaxx: But I am sure there is more on your mind, than just your sister’s personality quirks? ::There was always something behind small talk, and the initiation of a conversation. Every brother had the right to worry about their sister. It did not matter if they were older brothers, or younger ones...no matter what, they looked out for the women in the family. It was something that Jaxx had seen many times before, and even though he had no sisters, he imagined he would do the same.:: :: Thinking about the question, trying to organize his thoughts, he wanted to make sure that Jaxx felt the same way about Sun that she felt about the Captain. He knew how she felt, once she asked for her stuff, he knew. At the same time, he also knew that if Jaxx loved Sun, that he would have to relay the information about her wanting to get shot to get rid of the guilt that she seemed to feel for the situation that happened on Izar. Either way, he wanted to present his plan to stay longer than a few days in a way to benefit everyone. :: Shelther: Besides her quirks? Yes... Jaxx: So, what is on your mind? I am an open book. :: The invitation seemed like it was there to suggest asking any question. There were different approaches that could be used in asking what someone's intentions were with his sister. He could go blunt and make sure the guy wasn't playing games with her heart. He could go subtle and explain why her feelings were important. It was a difficult choice for him. He wanted to spare Sun any possible heartbreak, without making either of them upset with him, especially if all was well. :: Shelther: My sister knows me well enough to know that this isn't just a social visit, she might have even relayed as much to you. Jaxx: ::smirking:: Perhaps it came up. Shelther: :: He nodded, his sister would worry about that. :: Well that's good that it was expected. Her being out this far, I worry about her. Especially when it comes to her heart, she's adventurous and can be fearless when others aren't involved, but she's only given her heart away once. So when it was broke, since she wanted to be in space, I suggested her not join the Antosian Military, but join Starfleet, so she would be further away from the memories. :: Shel thought about Sun's graduation from Medical School, he wasn't supposed to be there, but he had news he had to deliver, and knew it would be easier for her to receive it from him. There were moments when dealing with her heartbreak seemed so long ago, and then moments when it seemed like yesterday, and he just wanted to prevent it from happening again. :: ::Pulling from his education, Jaxx thought it was an odd approach to encourage one to run from dealing with their emotions. Most times it did more harm than good. Of course he could not rely on everyone to give the best advice. Even Jaxx had made bad choices. He joined Starfleet after he lost Saraa. Though him joining was to honor her memory by following through with her plans. He never wanted to join Starfleet, that was her goal. Never did he look at it as if he was running from her memory. Either way, Jaxx chose his words carefully, not wanting to offend Shel.:: Jaxx: ::nodding:: That is one approach... Shelther: My sister says you two are exclusive now. I know how important you are to her, I am sure you know that too, by now. ::Jaxx felt Sun had not really prepared Shel for this sort of talk. Of course, Jaxx never came right out and told anyone he could read thoughts and emotions. Out of respect he avoided the thoughts unless they were also Betazoid. The empathic abilities were always there, something that could not be turned off. Of course Jaxx knew how she felt. Most times, he knew better than she did. It came with the territory of being the species he was.:: Jaxx: I do. Shelther: Where do you see things going with my sister? You do love her right? :: He was hoping the man in front of him wouldn't be interested in playing games with the heart his sister, but he didn't know the man yet, so he couldn't make any assumptions. :: ::Glancing down, Jaxx tried to find the right words to explain it to Shel. It was where he lacked the most. In the heat of a tense moment the words came. In a calm setting he had to think about them more than usual. He did not want to say the wrong thing, so he carefully plotted out his course.:: :: It was not an easy question for him to ask his sister's boyfriend, so Shel couldn't imagine it being an easy question to answer either. He had watched the man carefully and when he spoke, Shel made sure he was focused on the words spoken. :: Jaxx: I love her very much. When I look into the future, all I see is her. Shelther: And that isn't altered by your position, or the fact that you are from different worlds? Jaxx: We have challenges ahead of us, and I am prepared to face them. There is the stress of our positions as well as having to deal with our parents. Either way, nothing can scare me away. :: Shel nodded, seemed like their mom had come up in conversation, which was good. He knew it wasn't that their mom would hate Jaxx, she was just hung up on wanting Sun to have what she had. Shel wanted Sun to have a love like their parent's as well, but unlike his mom, he was willing to concede that was not Marseen. :: ::Jaxx was never one to back down from a challenge, and there would not be a challenge greater than the one he would face with her. It was also one he could not wait to face. She was amazing and she was the star in his solar system. Each day with her was brighter than the one before. They had a perfect balance of love and lust, even if he had not told her about the former. He would be sure to let Shel know that he had not told her that.:: Shelther: Good. Cause I'd hate to have to deal with her heart broken again. Jaxx: How about you? Where do you stand on her not returning home? ::It was something he was curious about. Jaxx never talked to his brother about him not being home. At the same time, his father spent a bit of time on Earth and even his mother went and visited often. Bjenta was the only one that gave Andrus a hard time about not returning home, but he never paid attention to the comments. He was curious where Shel stood on her position and duties in Starfleet now that she was there. Afterall, it was his idea.:: Shelther: Well, I am going to hear it from our mother. But, Sun's a big girl, and if she is doing well out here, I can't fault her for wanting to stay. She'll just need to visit to make the parents happy, and I am sure our younger brother wouldn't mind seeing her either. Jaxx: Well, I will urge her to visit when she can. ::Jaxx knew how important it was to return home, at least for most people. If she was running from anything, it would be harder than if she was not. Jaxx just wanted to avoid his mother and the lifestyle in which he was raised. It was not as if he used his career to run away, as he really did do great things in the galaxy.:: :: Shel wasn't going to make the same mistake he made with Marseen, and assume things before there was evidence to prove it. He needed to see his sister interact more with Jaxx. But right now they appeared happy, and that was enough for now. He thought about the conversation they had before dinner. He changed the subject, knowing that the man would want to know if he truly loved Sun. :: Shelther: I think you should know that Sun is planning another adventure. Jaxx: ::pausing, he looked at the man:: She is? Shelther: Apparently this one has been in the works since you guys left Izar, but she hasn't found anyone to help her carry it out. :: He knew his sister hadn't told Jaxx, but Shel wasn't beyond telling her secrets, especially the ones that needed to be told. If Shel was going to follow through with his offer to help, he was going to cover his bases. And, if Jaxx loved Sun, Shel couldn't see it coming out too favorable for him if he didn't give a heads up. :: ::Rolling his eyes, Jaxx could only imagine what it was. The fact that she had been trying to cook this up since Izar was a testament to the fact that it must be a bit out there to not have anyone helping her. Letting out a slight sigh, he wondered what she had in store for herself.:: Jaxx: This cannot be good... Shelther: She expressed how upset she was that you got shot, and her curiosity of what you went through. You should really be careful in what you tell her. Making it sound like it wasn't a big deal, now she's convinced either you lied to make her feel better, or that it really wasn't a big deal. Either way, she's determined to find out. :: If Shel was honest, he wasn't entirely sure if Sun would still be as set on her course, if Jaxx told her the truth. But she probably would have done more to make it up to the man, instead of planning this ridiculous experiment of hers. :: Jaxx: oO Just great! Oo You know, what is it with women? You try to protect them, either from physical harm or from their own emotions….and they do not let you. Shelther: She's pretty strong, why did you need to protect her? Jaxx: She was already having a bad day, the last thing I was going to tell her was that it hurts like hell, there is stiffness where you were hit, and for hours you have a headache that will not go away. ::Getting shot was not fun, but for Jaxx it was not a big deal. He had to endure much worse when the Dominion invaded Betazed during the war, and even more when the Challenger crew was attacked on Earth, or even the terrorists at the University of Shinraka. Getting stunned by one of his officers was a walk in the park when compared to those situations.:: Shelther: I could see that, but now she's got a plan she wants to execute, she seems to have it thought out. Jaxx: I guess talking her out of it is out of the question? :: Shel smiled, that would be the initial thought of anyone, talk the person out of it. But that didn't quite work as well with an Antosian. Their people performed medical experiments to find out how illness affected them, and weren't opposed to trying anything once. Sun hadn't ever been shot, and so when the question of how it felt came up, of course she wouldn't back off the idea, it was more a matter of when it would happen, than if it would. :: Shelther: Nope, you're talking about someone who had medical experiments performed on her during med school, just to see what the results would be. Jaxx: Well, if she is hell bent on going through with it, we will just have to make sure that she is protected as best we can. Got any ideas? ::Jaxx wanted to safeguard her and he knew that Shel wanted her protected as well. Perhaps he would be in a position to limit her exposure. One thing was certain, working with him to help protect Sun would be a bonding experience for the two of them. He had no plans of letting Sun go, so it was time he got at least one ally on his team from her family. Shel was going to be that ally.:: Shelther: Actually, her plan has her safeguarded, she wants to do it with medical back-up, I imagine she would want to be seated so she doesn't fall and hurt herself. And, with her plan, she will see it coming. I have other ideas. Jaxx: I am all ears... Shelther: But her argument for wanting this, was to see what you went through. And, did you see it coming? :: He thought about his sister's plans, it was one thing to feel the pain of the phaser wound, but it was another to not see it coming. There was more to getting shot, and with his plans they could still have all the other precautions ready for her, but it should be a surprise to her. :: ::Jaxx thought about the moment the detonator landed in his hand. In that moment, he felt as if the mission succeeded. The threat seemed to be neutralized and simultaneously his people stormed the room. There was a moment just before the shot where Jaxx realized it was going to happen. Something was read in the emotions Marcus displayed. Of course, he was not going to explain that to Shel.:: Jaxx: It was quite unexpected. Shelther: She isn't a very good shot with a phaser, she shoots alright, but could be better, and moving targets are a big problem for her. Since I found out she was First Officer, I want to run her through some target practice. Jaxx: It is standard and she would need to be signed off on them anyway, help from you could only push her in the right direction. :: Shel wondered if the man was even interested in having a hand in teaching his sister a lesson, but given the fact that he was disappointed he couldn't protect her from herself, he figured that Jaxx would jump on the opportunity. Whether the man wanted to be there when the whole thing went down, or have Sun carried up to her quarters afterwards and meet there, Shel didn't know. :: Shelther: I figure, phasers will be blasting, and I could easily catch her by surprise there. She won't see it coming. :: He thought his idea out about as well as Sun had her idea planned out. :: Now that you know, you have an opportunity to have a hand in the whole thing, whatever you think will impact her the most. Jaxx: You know, I think I will just watch it all unfold. ::The medical team would be on stand by, and Shel would take the shot. There was nothing really left to do besides catch her off guard. That was where Jaxx could come in. If he guessed right, she was not going to tell him about her experiment. It was fine, but now he wanted to watch it happen when she least expected it.:: Shelther: I could always carry her up to her quarters afterwards, if you don't think she was going to tell you. Jaxx: I have a pretty good idea that she was not going to tell me about this little plan of hers, so I want to be there. Shelther: You sure? :: Shel was starting to wonder who was more tricky to deal with, his sister, or her boyfriend. His idea was to possibly bring Sun back to her Captain, and deal with whatever came there. But, the man standing there, watching the one he said he loved, getting shot. Even though Shel hoped the man would let him go through with his plans, he didn't expect that. :: Jaxx: She will not expect it if I am standing right there, and you will be able to really catch her off guard. ::Jaxx had to look over her file to see what she exactly needed. Usually a senior officer and the security chief would handle the weapon certifications, but Shel would do as a witness. Sun felt the need to know what it was like to get stunned, so he would not stand in the way of her dreams.:: Shelther: That would definitely throw her off. But how would that work? Jaxx: We can put it together that I am there to certify her on the the phaser rifle as well as any hand phasers she is lacking on. ::Not every officer was schooled in advanced weapons. Many of them did not get certified on the rifles until they were well into their career, unless they were in the security or tactical department. Tech had come a long way, so they were not as standard as they used to be. While the operation settings were similar, the overall makeup of the rifle was quite different.:: :: Now that the plan was changing, Shel was warming to the new idea. It would have her trying new weapons, but he was still concerned on how to introduce the idea to his sister without her being suspicious. :: Shelther: Do you have to go through certain channels to do target practice? Jaxx: Just prior notice to the Security Chief. Once it is scheduled, the bridge can check to see if there are any target practice exercises. Live fire exercises are rare, but not unheard of. ::Most training was done in the holodeck. There, it was easy to simulate any weapons system or how to use them. It even provided a setting that would simulate combat and pressure under fire. But from time to time, the use of actual weapons was needed. As long as the order came from Sun or Jaxx, T’Mar would not have an issue with it.:: Shelther: Should Sun know that? Jaxx: If she has been reading up on starship protocol, she does. I cannot say for sure, as there is a ton of information she has to catch up on. :: Shel nodded, if Sun wasn't too busy with her days, she was probably spending a lot of time reading. How much of the information she absorbed while reading was usually amazing. He remembered her reading over his shoulder some of the biology reading he had to do while he was studying, and she frequently had questions that rivaled the tests that his professors gave him. She was very curious about things. :: Shelther: And she's probably been busy on top of all that. Jaxx: As you can imagine, it is quite a leap from Sickbay to Executive Officer. There is a learning curve, and while I have no doubt she can handle it, I am not sure what she knows and does not know yet. ::The countless codes and regulations that one needed to learn was daunting. There were still times that Jaxx had to research the regulations on certain instances. It was near impossible to know them all. Since Sun took over as XO, she had not had much time to brush up on learning all of the intricacies of the position, though Jaxx had no way of knowing what she did and did not know.:: Shelther: Well, she does like to read, and absorbs quite a bit of it. She might already know, but it's possible we'll catch her off guard. Jaxx: ::narrowing his eyebrows:: How soon do we want to do this? ::Jaxx was curious what the time frame was. Part of him felt devious for planning such an event with her own brother, yet at the same time it was almost like a bonding experience. One thing was for sure, if Shel was willing to go through all of this to really teach his sister a lesson...he and Jaxx were going to get along just fine.:: :: Since Shel said he would assist Sun with her plan, he didn't want her getting too far through the scheduling portion of her plan. And he didn't want to spend too much time planning his idea out or she might get suspicious. It would be best to blind side her. :: Shelther: Well, if we want to catch her before she has another biter, or before she decides to set a date for her plan... we'll want to do it within the next couple days, the sooner, the better. Jaxx: We could do it sooner. Shelther: I was wondering if tomorrow would be too soon? Since there are parts that need scheduling, I hope it can be pulled off. Jaxx: Pft, I am the captain...I can do anything on a short notice. We will do it first thing in the morning, then I can give her the rest of the day off. Shelther: Well, now that we have that arranged, thank you for seeing me. :: Shelther stood up, there was more he wanted to talk about, but he knew the man was busy. He was glad that enough time for a small conversation was spared. :: Jaxx: ::standing:: No problem. We will have to have time to chat again before you head back to your ship. Thank you for stopping by. ::Moving toward the door, Jaxx watched as Shel left. He stood there for a moment, wondering how the man became so devious to pull off something like this. He had almost forgotten how he used to prank his little brother, and as the thoughts came back to him, he smirked. It had been quite some time since he had pulled off a prank that was worthy of mentioning. Perhaps it was his duty that kept him from doing it, or maybe just his position. Then the question popped up in his mind...would anyone suspect the captain? It was a theory he decided to test out.:: TBC Fleet Captain Andrus Jaxx Commanding Officer USS Apollo, NCC-71669 & PNPC LtCmdr Shelther Faranster As simmed by: Lieutenant Commander Sundassa "Bright Hair" Faranster First Officer USS Apollo, NCC-71669
  9. ((Deck 500, Medical Bay)) ::Sakorra pushed with her mind. She tried to break through the hard encasement. But her mind wasn’t working like that anymore. She held no power. She felt concern. She felt an approaching sense of love, but she couldn’t open her eyes to see the one she knew was nearby. She’d been able to open her eyes for a short time before, but she’d still been operating with the psionic abilities that were now lost to her. And now that loss kept her trapped in her own mind.:: Sinda: Reed? Can you hear me? ::Sinda! I thought Cinder killed her.:: Rogers: Cmdr Reed is injured ? ::She was just so tired, like her bones were marinating in fatigue. Why did they always have to fight so much? Why couldn’t there be less violence, more good will? What she would give for a peaceful mission! :: Solok: Commander Reed's injuries appear to be healing. She has been ... impaled. Significant blood loss, although Nurse Brolin was able to cease the bloodflow near the scene of the injury. She will live. Her unconsciousness has yet to be explained, however. ::Love. Help me!:: ::She knew before even trying that he wouldn’t hear. Her mind had no more power within it to converse telepathically. She could hear the continuing conversation, but Sumo wrestlers appeared to be having a contest on her eyelids of who could sit the longest. And they kept getting heavier, the pressure intensifying until her skull felt like it might fracture from the weight. They started sitting on her stomach, too, covering her entire torso actually, and she found it harder to breathe. She just couldn’t get enough air. Electrical impulses zigged through her muscles, her nerves, burning them raw. The flames spread, engulfing her neck, her back. She felt like she’d been prepped for surgery and the doctor kept using the scalpel to peel away pieces of her muscle. Then he stabbed a Bat’leth into the back of her neck, lodging it all the way down to the bone, but it wasn’t enough for him. He kept digging. She assumed it was a man, because a female doctor would have been gentler. Why then, after all that, did he start slicing at her thighs and hips? And why then add the pins soaked in fire to her fingers and palms, her side, and her arms? She felt each intensely but it was on her so suddenly that she lay still and silent one moment and the next began near convulsing on the bed and screaming, screaming so loud a banshee would have covered her ear. She tried to form words, but she couldn’t get them to work at first. And finally, she was able to form two words.:: Reed: Kill me! ::Please kill me. Please, please, please. Just let me die. God, just let me die. Her eyes shot open, searching, pleading, seeing nothing and everything. People rushing to her bed. As her head shot around wildly, she saw Sinda nearby, laid up next to her. She saw the captain and a very large cat and a purple child. And she saw Solok. Each face became fragments blending together so that Captain Rogers had Solok’s ears and eyebrows and boring haircut and Solok had purple fur. Sinda became blonde and bald and the cat had a spoon on its head. She was too tired to fight the pain. Too tired to continue moving, expending energy her body could no longer produce. Her body shorted out, unable to comply with her brain’s commands. And she gave up, sinking down into the pain, letting it cover her, and she became still, still as death, and the only indication she still lived was the machines, the tiny, frantic breaths, and the tears that soaked her skin with no effort.:: LCMD Reed StratOps SB118-Ops
  10. ((Starbase 118, Deck 1321)) :: Subspace storms, manifestations of elemental power, ages-old conflicts, and people being possessed were all well and good, but now that the immediate threat of the station being torn apart was over Pandora could turn her attention to what she considered more important things - like making sure the damage the starbase had sustained was made good.:: :: From the reports flooding into her, that was going to be a job that would take concerted, coordinated effort... and a lot of it. So much so, in fact, that she'd simply given up trying to handle it all by more traditional methods. Instead, she'd jacked herself into the station's LCARS network and was distributing orders, monitoring the situation, and generally staying on top of things by acting more as a data processing hub than a hands-on engineer.:: :: The fact that she had issued instructions that only truly critical messages be routed directly to her, with a strong implication that if they were *not* suitably critical the sender would find themselves being used as reactor shielding, had helped enormously.:: ((Deck 1511, Near Fusion Core 2)) Koris: This is insane. :: The Bolian's voice was virtually dripping with annoyance as he pulled a chuck of what looked like deep-fried circuitry out of one of the reactor's control relays. Neither of his colleagues disagreed with him, having already spent longer than they wanted to think about making sure the fusion plant wasn't going to incinerate half the station. Now they'd gotten in properly locked down, the job was to make it safe to start *up* again...:: Koris: Bah! To think I traded for *next* weekend off... ((Deck 464, Fighter Ordnance Storage)) :: As the last of the arming chips was locked back in a brand new storage case, the technicians around the area let out a collective sigh of relief. Sure, the things had to be actually attached to the warheads to be any real danger, but since there was a few hundred megatons of explosive armageddon packaged neatly around them none of the techs felt like taking any chances whatsoever.:: Tinkerbell: Right. Okay. Now... does anyone have any idea just *how* those detonators got scattered across half the [...]ed deck? :: The unfortunately-named team leader - all 1.9 meters of her, with a build like the dedicated body-builder she was - glared around at her crew for any sign of an answer. It was probably not for the best that none of them actually *had* one...:: ((Deck 944, Jeffries Tube)) Venk: Catch! :: The tool arced gracefully through the air, cartwheeling end over end down the weightless tube toward the other technician working on getting gravity back for the section. Barely even looking, the other Tellarite snagged it out of the air, only to gaze at it for a few moments before twisting himself around to look at his compatriot.:: Skee: Does this look like a 7-A? I asked for a 7-A, and if you don't want the Chief to get creative with you, you'll take this back and *give* me a 7-A. Venk: Sheesh. It'll fit, won't it? Just use the thing and be done with it. :: Quite calmly and deliberately, Skee launched the tool straight at Venk's head before turning back to his work. It was *good* to be working with one of his own kind for a change. Humans were just so... serious all the time.:: ((Deck 327, Exterior Hull)) :: Someone, somewhere, might have said that a pair of furry dice hanging from the top of a Workbee's [...]pit canopy was against regs, but nobody on this particular detail gave a dingo's kidneys - a phrase Sr'ell had loved the moment one of his class-mates had said it, and that the Caitian had promptly claimed as his own.:: :: Flexing his suited fingers around the control yokes, he took a deep breath and urged the tiny pod into position. A few twitches of the controls later, and the two manipulator arms clamped onto the half torn, half melted piece of hull plating the EVA-geared workers outside had cut free. A few more careful nudges, and he - and the 30 square meter lump of what had once been the station's outer shell, began backing away to make room.:: Sr'ell: =/\= Okay, Thomas, it's all yours. =/\= Thomas: =/\= Roger that, kitty-man. Fresh plate, coming in. =/\= ((Deck 1045, Promenade)) :: With a thoughtful swig from the bottle of hooch she'd "salvaged" from one of the bars damaged during the recent festivities, Kinzie watched the uniformed drones of the station's Starfleet crew rushing about trying to make sense of the chaos wreaked on the place. From her vantage point on a park railing, she had a pretty good view of one bunch who were trying to get a tree out of a hole - a hole that she distinctly recalled not being there before everything had kicked off.:: oO Good luck with that, boys. Oo :: In all honesty, she was killing time. She had a message to deliver, but the person it was meant for was probably taking his sweet time emerging from the shelters. He didn't hold his place in the station's underworld fraternity by taking stupid chances, after all...:: :: Well, actually she had *two* messages to deliver, but the one to security would have to wait until a) they weren't insanely busy and she wasn't going to get caught delivering it.:: :: The little paycheck she got from the local law was nice, but not worth getting her kneecaps busted for.:: :: Her musing was interrupted by a yell from the working fleeters, something about needing a medic. With a frown, she straightened up a bit, peering at the group to try and see what was going on... and finally spotting someone being hauled out from under the tree and looking like he'd lost a fight with a meteor strike.:: Kinzie: Sookin syn... :: The bottle went airborne, lobbed vaguely in the direction of a nearby trash can as she hopped off of the railing and scooped up the *other* thing she'd picked up during the chaos. She'd planned to get a bit of latinum for selling it off, but if anyone could use a Starfleet-issue emergency medical kit right now, it was Starfleet personnel trying to save some guy's life.:: ((Deck 1321)) :: All was proceeding in a satisfactory manner, and Pandora felt pleased that there was nothing insurmountable that her staff her encountered yet. In fact, she had been pleasantly surprised on at least three occasions - she had expected a call from the crews working the problems, but all she had received in the end was a report that the job was done.:: :: *Most* satisfactory.:: TAG -------------------- Lt. Pandora Chief Engineer Starbase 118 Operations
  11. (( Secluded beach, Risa )) :: Kamela had picked a beach house, with its back to the mountains and its front door to the ocean, providing them both with a measure of protection and seclusion. The house was small, with only a small den, kitchen, and bedroom..not that they needed much room. Just off the shores of the crystal blue water, out about one hundred yards, a small island jutted out from the surf, dotted with trees. Lying in bed with the asleep Hannibal, she tried in vain to find the scars made when T'Anas' bullets slammed into him...his dark skin and his healing abilities made the task impossible. She knew moving too much would awaken him, and she wanted to watch him sleep...something she had not really done since they had been together. Lying on his massive chest and listening to him breathe, and feeling his heart slowly beating in his chest, she was content...more than content...she was happy...and in love...:: :: Hannibal slept the sleep of babies...or children. Beings who had never known the sting of battle, the smell of death, the ballet of chaos, mayhem and destruction which had been part and parcel for most of his adult life. For the first time in years, he truly slept easily, but he still slept light as a feather as Kamela stirred on his chest. He lay with his eyes closed, feeling her weight on his chest, imagining her rise and fall with each breath. He opened his eyes, looking into hers...:: Parker:: smiling:: Morning..... Allison:: also smiling:: More like almost afternoon.. :: Hannibal did a quick calculation in his head..they got the the beach house yesterday, the day after the night in the casino and hanging out in the club till the wee hours of the morning...Hannibal had slept for almost twelve hours straight...a feat almost unheard of for him. Rolling over so that Kamela was now lying beside him, he spoke:: Parker: And...just how long did you sleep? :: Kamela couldn't lie to him. She had slept almost from the time they both hit the pillow until just a few minutes before he woke up. She felt refreshed, alive...rested....and she didn't want to leave the paradise they had found together. She knew, however, that Hannibal would never call such an idyllic place home, and she had to grudgingly accept that neither one of them could sit on the sidelines long. In short, this honeymoon was just what they needed to recharge their batteries. Playfully, she pulled the covers off of Hannibal, wrapping herself up in them, playing a game of keep away as he finally held her snug next to him...but she still had the covers...:: Allison: Remind me to thank Captain Turner for ordering you to take your wife on her honeymoon.... :: She knew Hannibal would never take much time off, especially with everything they had going on since the Klingon Invasion, and Hannibal nodded in agreement:: Parker: She was right on this one..but I worry about her.... Allison: We all do, Hannibal. We all do... Parker: Do you think she would get mad if we.... Allison: Don't say it...... :: Hannibal knew better than to keep going down that road. In truth, he knew if he returned back to Duronis before their leave time was up, he would have three women giving him hell for quite awhile...::: Parker: I won't.... Allison: Good...what do you want to do today? :: The roar of the ocean just a few yards away had an intoxicating effect. Risa was a planet of many delights, both complex and simple...right now, the simple roar of the ocean and his woman next to him was all he needed. Looking at her, and listening to the ocean outside, he had a ready answer...:: Parker: Not a [...] thing.... Allison: That's the best thing I've heard all morning.. Parker: We better enjoy it while we can...I think we are going to have more than enough to do when we get back.... :: Kamela knew he was right...when they returned to their world, they needed to be at their best...they both knew something bad was coming, and they needed to be ready for it, no matter what it was...::: Allison: True....for now, we enjoy.... Parker: Indeed we will... PNPC Lt. Commander Kamela Allison (Parker) Operative-Starfleet Intelligence/Helm Officer USS Thunder-A/ Duronis II Embassy And Major Hannibal Tiberious Parker 2nd Officer/Marine Commander/Chief Of Strategic Operations USS Thunder-A/ Duronis II Embassy
  12. ((Sickbay, USS Vigilant)) ::Everyone always said that doctors made the worst patients. Velana knew it to be true of other physicians, but she had always assumed that she was the exception, perhaps because of her innate sense of logic. It would have illogical to do any of the things that doctors usually did when they were on the other side of the tricorder such as self-diagnosing, downplaying symptoms to either get back to work or to appear tougher, or questioning their attending physician’s ability to do their job.:: ::But apparently logic went out the proverbial window when it came to her child. As Velana lay on the bio bed, waiting for Dr. Aribelle Tagren to begin a visual scan of her baby, it was all she could do to keep still.:: Velana: Can you check to see if the baby seems small? My last exam put it well within the normal range for this stage, but I’d like a second opinion. ::Aribelle turned to face her and offered a warm, reassuring smile as she, and a tech, prepared the equipment. Even if she hadn’t experienced pregnancy herself, Ari felt that she could understand what the other woman was feeling, at least on some level. Every woman wanted healthy and happy offspring, if they were to have any. And that was the most important thing of all, above any gender preference. In Velana’s case, her child was going to bring the best of two separate backgrounds. Aribelle understood that plenty well as she was a hybrid herself.:: Tagren: Of course. If it helps at all, you are measuring where you should at this point of your pregnancy. Fetal heart rate is excellent. ::The physical exam did not reveal anything concerning, either. For a hybrid pregnancy, Velana was carrying the child and herself well.:: Velana: ::releasing a pent-up breath:: That is very good to hear. Thank you. Tagren: Has your child has been plenty active? Have you been keeping track of fetal kicks? ::Velana nodded. She was entirely aware of the kicking now, but what about all the time she’d spent in alien stasis? She felt as if that precious time had been ripped away from her. Even if being unconscious had kept her emotions in balance, she had still lost out on a good chunk of her pregnancy and there was no way to get those months back.:: Velana: I have. ::She smiled.:: It usually happens when I’m trying to sleep. But then when it’s not kicking, I get nervous, so I’m already learning to live with less sleep. ::Aribelle nodded with a smile.:: Tagren: Your baby seems to be in a good position, from what I can tell, so I think you’re going to be happy with the images. Velana: I just want to see its face. I know it’s not logical, but I want to be surprised. ::She touched her belly.:: The mother of the first child I ever delivered waited until the delivery to find out the sex. The look on her face...there was something so special and wonderful about that moment. I’d like to experience that, too. Tagren: I want you to experience that as well. The birth of your first child is very special and I am here for you, every step of the way. ::Raising the head of the bed give Velana a good vantage point, Aribelle smiled again.:: Tagren: You ready? Velana: Yes. I think so. Tagren: I will keep away from images indicating the sex of the baby. I’ve also asked the computer to not reveal that information as well. Would you like a copy of these images? Velana: Um...just the face. ::Her expression softened.:: I want to see its face. ::With a warm smile, Ari nodded to her.:: Tagren: Let’s find this baby. ::Ari grinned as she moved the bed’s scanner over Velana’s abdomen. Velana tried to relax while Tagren was working, but it was hard. She was far too used to being the one carrying out the examination. But there was a tranquility about Aribelle Tagren’s bedside manner that made her want to be as good of a patient as possible.:: Velana: I read about a study on hybrid children that said they are 14% more likely to develop cosmetic abnormalities during development. Can you see anything like that? Tagren: Not at all. Your baby looks great. Velana: ::after a moment:: What about… Tagren: Doctor… Velana. ::Ari stopped the scanner for a moment and smiled warmly over to her CMO. Her patient. When she spoke, her voice was gentle.:: Tagren: You’ve been an excellent patient, following all your prenatal care. Hybrid or not, prenatal care is extremely important. You even prepared your body for this pregnancy. You’ve done everything you can possibly do. The scans performed earlier in your pregnancy don’t suggest any kind of abnormalities or anything that would be concerning. With your child being hybrid, it is considered high risk but there isn’t anything that concerns me based off the information we have. ::She paused a moment and smiled once again.:: Tagren: I am confident in that, Commander. ::She was right and Velana knew it. Taking another deep breath, she rolled her shoulders and offered the other doctor an apologetic smile.:: Velana: I’m sorry. My anxiety is getting the better of me. I should probably meditate after this. ::It was completely normal for the mother-to-be to be anxious. If it were her child, Aribelle would have read all the medical literature and educated herself to the point where she was focusing only on the extreme cases of things that could go wrong. It didn’t help when you were medical and you knew what could actually go wrong.:: ::Ari smiled warmly to Velana and nodded in front of her.:: Tagren: I think you’re going to feel much better after you see this adorable face. ::The bio bed’s sensor bar projected the image a moment later. As soon as Velana saw the three dimensional image of her baby’s head...the entire world changed.:: ::It was one thing to know the baby was there and to feel it moving, but it was another thing entirely to see its face.:: ::Two eyes, although they were tightly closed. A perfectly curved nose. Two ears, slightly less pointed than her own, but definitely not round. Sweet little lips. Cheeks that promised to be positively chubby one day.:: Velana: Oh… ::She couldn’t have kept her emotions in check even if she had wanted to. As she stared at the picture, tears welled up and spilled over.:: Tagren: Say hello to your little one. ::Ari grinned over to the dark-haired woman as she watched her bright blue eyes take in the image of her child. It was moments like these, did Aribelle truly enjoyed her job. Her ability to help. She felt honored to experience this moment with her.:: Velana: ::whispered:: I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life. Tagren: I can print this for you. Hold on a second, and I’ll capture the image... Velana: Thank you. ::She wiped away her tears, but more welled up.:: Thank you very much. For everything. Tagren: You are very welcome. That’s what I’m here for. Velana: I’m supposed to be monitoring a Parrises Squares match in an hour. ::She laughed though her tears.:: I really should get myself under control before then. ::Ari smiled, eyes sparkling with pure joy for the woman, and tucked strands of red behind her ears.:: Tagren: You take your time and enjoy this moment. They can wait. ::Easing herself off the bio-bed, Velana paused to rub her belly. In less than two months, she would get to meet this little person. She was already a mother, but at that time, motherhood would become her full-time job and being a doctor would become a part-time occupation, no matter how many hours she logged in.:: A JP by: Lt. Commander Velana Chief Medical Officer USS Vigilant & Lieutenant Aribelle Tagren Medical Officer USS Vigilant
  13. ((Lt Richards’ Quarters; Starbase118 Ops)) :: The more Alexander dwelled on things the more he realized he had been very slow to make friends on the Starbase. Sure he had colleagues who he could consider acquaintances but no one he could really call friend. Disappointing as this was to him, he had no one to blame but himself for this turn of events and resolved to rectify the situation over the coming months. After all a strongly bound crew made for a strong team. And a strong team made over coming the stresses of Starfleet life that much easier. :: :: The young man’s mind changed to thoughts of friends he had had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of during his time in the fleet. First and foremost in his mind was Eyas Wulfantine, the loveable, tall, Pythron male whom he had once broken the nose of. The last he had seen of the affectionate lug was following the classified mission to Pythro by the crew of the Mercury. Had Alexander been so wrapped in his own world that he hadn’t spoken to the big guy in nearly a year now? :: Richards: oO Impossible! Oo :: He thought to himself, trying to set his mind at ease over not having spoken to the man who had risked his life for him once, and taken the proverbial bullet when a ‘simple’ rescue mission became all fouled up after Alexander fired upon a group of klingons without orders to do so. :: Richards: oO No more excuses Alexander. it’s about time you caught up with Eyas. The man has been through far more than you could ever imagine. Oo :: With his wife currently working her shift in the expansive science department on the Starbase and John at preschool Alex reasoned he had plenty of time to make the call from the family apartment. Rolling himself away from his desk and into the living room, he moved towards the domicile’s communication device and made the request to operations to be put through to Pythro. :: ((Wulfantine Family Home; Pythro V)) ::Eyas lay motionless on his bed. The tubes and wires that punctured his skin, and fed into his open mouth made it all but impossible to move even if he was able. The pain was not as bad now as it had been when he’d first arrived home. The massive wound in his flank caused by the disruptor being fired at almost point blank range had more or less healed, thanks almost entirely due to the Borg nanites that filled his bloodstream, but such resurrection came at a cost. A [...]tail of drugs was needed to sustain his vital organs. Thankfully, since the counter coup on Pythro V, that Eyas and the crew of the Mercury had been a part of the year before, he was able to receive the best medical attention his homeworld could offer. Had he’d been injured during the previous administration, All Eyas could have expected was a bullet through the head.:: ::In the corner of the room, Eyas’ mother sat patiently, reading a book. She had barely left his side since his broken body was flown back to Pythro. She looked over at him and smiled. Eyas could do little except wince back.:: Solara Wulfantine: Do you want anything dear? ::Eyas swallowed, painfully, to clear his mouth of the buildup of phlegm caused by the tubes.:: Eyas Wulfantine: A little.. water.. mother. ::Solara attended to her son’s needs. As she did so, the vid-screen in the corner of the room, normally used for showing Eyas a variety of classic Pythron cinema to keep him from dying of boredom, pinged with an incoming call. Solara gently disconnected the mouth tube, as the Doctor had shown how to do properly, and then gently tipped the cup onto Eyas’ lips, a few drops at a time, to allow him to drink. Only once she’d done that did she go over to the console and answer the call. A face appeared she didn’t recognise, but Eyas’ eyes flashed with recognition.:: Richards: My apologies for not calling ahead. My name is Lieutenant Alexander Richards of Starfleet. I’m trying to get in touch with an old friend, Eyas Wulfantine. I was told that you were the point of contact. ::Solara looked over her shoulder to her son, and saw his face lift a little.:: Solara Wulfantine: Yes, Eyas is with me. I am his mother, Solara Wulfantine. As you may know, my son was badly injured on his last mission. Richards: I am very sorry to hear that. How has he been coping? ::Solara gave Eyas another quick glance. He was being so brave, but the prognosis was not good. She daren’t tell him though.:: Solara Wulfantine: He is being wonderful. As strong as his father during the wars, but he has to stay here and rest for now. :: This concerned Alexander. Eyas despite being the lovable lug of the group, was always full of courage and honor. He was the first man into battle and the last man off the field. Alexander had always admired the way Eyas dealt with his former medical condition that caused him to revert into a monstrous lizard during times of extreme stress or when exposed to various environmental conditions. To hear he was incapacitated was upsetting. :: Richards: Before I speak to your son, what can you tell me about the situation on Pythro now? Have things changed for the better or are the problems still ongoing? ::Solara sighed and looked down at the ground. The situation had been turbulent to say the least. Her own imprisonment under the terror of Inquisitor General LeNoir had been bad enough, and it was only thanks to the efforts of Eyas and his friends that she was free.:: Solara Wulfantine: It is common knowledge I believe that the Inquisitor fell from favour here on Pythro and President J’Eyga called the bulk of the army back from Byzatium. Things are more peaceful now, and my family is no longer under censure. However, the Inquisitor never truly left the scene and is now Viceroy in the Occupied Territories. The war goes on. So much needless suffering on both sides. :: Alexander could understand the woman’s fear and hesitation to speak about such things. From the parts of the mission he had been able to read about and previous conversations with Eyas, Solara had been through a lot over the past several years and there was still a threat that things could get worse before they got better. Finally, Eyas was ready to take the call. Alexander decided he would thank the man’s mother for her time before conversing with his old friend. :: Richards: Thank you for your time Mrs Wulfantine. :: Nothing could prepare Alexander for the sight he was about to witness. It certainly put his own disability into perspective and showed just how much the young Pythron had sacrificed for his world and his mother. It took all of his inner strength not to cry at what he was seeing. He opened his mouth to speak, the shaking and low volume of his voice betraying his current feelings. :: Richards: Eyas my old friend. I knew you had been injured but nobody ever told me how bad it really was. :: Alexander took a long pause trying to regain his composure. :: The sacrifices you have made for your mother and your people. :: Another pause as he began to choke up with tears, finally letting go. :: It should serve as an inspiration to all of us who know you. ::Eyas’ once full and healthy features were now very emaciated. His long lustrous hair, was lank and matted, or at least the bits that hadn’t already fallen out. His injury may only have been to his torso, but the recovery process from what would have killed a man not swimming with nanite blood was not much better than death itself. Eyas’ hoarse croaked voice almost gurgled out of his throat.:: Eyas Wulfantine: Alex… my friend. ::Eyas tried to raise his head, but had neither the strength, nor the freedom of movement to do much.:: Richards: :: Wiping the stream of tears from his eyes with his left sleeve. :: I’m sorry my old friend. I am truly sorry. :: He took a deep breath and cleared his eyes again. :: You never deserved any of this. You were only doing the right thing. I would argue until the cows come home, as we humans say, with anyone who said this was a result of your own selfish pride or arrogance. :: Pausing again, this time to think very carefully of his next words. :: You did what had to be done, what any man or woman in your situation would have done. We :: Another choke. : That is to say your friends only travelled with you because we believed in the whole of your cause. You know as I said then that but for my disability I would have been right there with you. :: Alexander took a much longer pause this time as he welled up again and began to wail. :: Richards: If only I hadn’t had that accident, maybe I could have prevented what happened whilst you were serving on the vigilant. Maybe I could have saved you from this fate. :: Again the young man paused fighting back tears trying to calm himself. :: I feel terrible for having ever felt sorry for my current situation old friend. Hell, I still feel sorry for doubting myself when I look at what you and others have achieved. :: He stopped himself :: But telling you this isn’t going to brighten your mood and all things considered is rather selfish of me. :: Richards finally managed to regain control of his emotions enough to stop crying. Though he was still visibly distressed. :: ::Eyas saw his friend’s sadness. Eyas didn’t want nor deserve anyone’s sorrow. He had pushed Major Handley-Page out of the way of the phaser blast by choice. He was just doing his duty.:: Eyas Wulfantine: Don’t… cry…. Alex. ::Solara wiped a cold damp cloth over her son’s forehead. It was really the only thing she could do for him right now.:: Richards: It’s hard old friend. Call it a human weakness if you will but we tend to find it very difficult to see our friends in difficult, heart breaking situations. However I can rest easy knowing that despite your condition, you have your mother to look after you and it is quite obvious her love for you is as deep as yours for her. ::Eyas managed a slight smile, his cracked lips bending as best they might.:: Eyas Wulfantine: ::coughing:: You.. all… right? Richards: I can’t complain about my situation old friend. Especially not in front of you. Currently serving as the assistant chief science officer of Starbase 118. Of course I’m defacto department head at the moment as the base still hasn’t had a new chief assigned. Has anybody else been in contact with you from the fleet? I would hate to think I was the only person to have contacted you since your current situation arose. ::Eyas blinked, slowly. There had been a few calls, but not as many as he’d hoped. It was a big galaxy, and people were busy, he guessed.:: Eyas Wulfantine: No… but good to….. see. you, old … friend. ::Eyas had to pause as another coughing fit struck him. Solara moved over to mop up the phlegm.:: Eyas Wulfantine: Ops? Depart..ment head? Good. Maybe.. you visit... me? Richards: As far as I have come as a person old friend, I still yearn for the glory days of old. The tales we could tell of adventures we had in the short time we served with each other. I will have to come and see you at some point this year. I know the entire region of space around Pythro is still unstable but, some things are worth taking risks for. Though I doubt Starfleet would be too impressed if my presence on Pythro caused any unnecessary trouble. :: Alex shuffled in his chair to prevent his lower back from going numb. He still found it difficult to look at his old friend but the more he talked, the easier it was becoming to come to terms with the gravity of his situation. :: ::Eyas noticed, even in his slightly blurred vision, that Alex was looking slightly fidgety. Eyas remembered Alex had been injured during the battle of Deep Space Ten. The two men had lost contact to a more or less greater degree since their respective transfers, but Eyas was concerned for his friend. Was he still in a wheelchair, almost a year later?.:: Eyas Wulfantine: Alex… your legs? You… not better? :: The question Alex had hoped his old friend wouldn’t ask finally came up. It would have been one thing to tell a proud Eyas Wulfantine at the peak of health that he was still disabled, but in his current condition. Alexander knew the Pythron male would find it upsetting. :: Richards: oO Of all the questions. it had to be that one. Oo :: Alexander took a long pause as he composed himself to answer the question. He wasn’t quite sure how to voice his current situation without causing Eyas unnecessary stress and anguish. :: Richards: Despite a good prognosis after the initial incident on Deep Space 10 my old friend, relatively little has changed. I am due for another meeting regarding my current condition with Starbase 118’s resident CMO, Lieutenant Commander Solok but in all honesty I don’t hold out much hope. :: Another long pause. This time to dwell on the reality of the situation. It wasn’t as if Starfleet medical had been dragging their heels over the situation. Medical scientists on Earth, Starbase 118 and other notable institutions had been researching his ailment. :: Richards: But whatever happens I know my family and colleagues will always be supportive of me. ::Eyas was saddened. It looked like the two of them had more in common than just a uniform and a shared adventure.:: Eyas Wulfantine: I am.. sorry.. for you, Alex. ::He coughed again, a little blood being brought up.:: Eyas Wulfantine: Any hope… for cure? :: A very difficult question to answer. Alexander had to keep hoping for a cure but the longer he was waiting, the smaller the chances became. :: Richards: I have to keep hoping my old friend. The best Starfleet has to offer is working on my case. If there is a cure, they will find it. How about you Eyas. Is there ever a chance of you recovering? :: Alex was almost 99% sure he knew the answer already but had to ask. Eyas’ eyes narrowed at the word *chance*. In truth, he had been told relatively little from his Doctors.:: Eyas Wulfantine: I don’t… know. I just take… it.. hour by hour. :: And there was the confirmation of his worst fears. Alexander couldn’t shake the feeling that the universe had done his friend a great injustice but at the same time he knew Eyas wouldn’t have it any other way. His actions had saved a fellow officer from what would almost certainly have been a fatal disruptor blast. Brave and courageous as always. Before Alexander could ask another question Solara once again appeared in front of the main view screen. :: Solara Wulfantine: I am sorry Mr Richards, but Eyas must rest. It was great of you to call. :: As much as Alexander wished to spend more time speaking with his friend he understood Solara’s position. He was grateful for the time she had been able to give him. :: Richards: I understand Mrs Wulfantine. Thankyou for allowing me this time with your son. Solara Wulfantine: It is no problem. Please do call again. ::Eyas blinked and smiled.:: Eyas Wulfantine: Good bye… Alex. :: And with that, the line of communication was closed. Alex shed another tear, resolving that next time he wouldn’t leave it so long between communications. He also put it into his mind that he would get to Pythro before the year was out to pay his friend a visit. Of course he was well aware that might be easier said than done given the current political climate there. :: ::Solara mopped Eyas’ brow once again, hoping the effort of talking hadn’t hurt him too much. Reluctantly, she replaced the tube into his mouth and throat, and kissed him on his forehead.:: ::: Finally, after having spent several minutes in front of the blank monitor Alexander began to roll himself away towards the kitchen. Before the elementals had attacked the station, Marissa had managed to source some amazing coffee beans from one of the stations many arboretums. He didn’t bother to ask exactly what there genus was. He probably wouldn’t have cared about it anyways. All he knew was that they made a far better coffee than anything the replicator was able to produce. :: :: The surfaces in the Richards apartment were specially adapted so that Alexander (and by extension, his son, John) could use them. He took his freshly brewed drink and placed it in a cup holder on his lap before turning to face the door and gently rolling himself towards his study. January meant crew evaluations were due and he had a rather large department to oversee. Of course this meant putting in extra hours beyond his normal shift pattern but, it didn’t bother him. He would rather be working than spending his free time alone and bored. :: :: As he picked up the next PADD his mind wandered back to his old friend Eyas and his current state. Seeing him like that had reminded Alex just how short and precious life was and just how important friendships are. As he browsed Ensign Ireya Ilwary’s file with a smile he resolved to contact both Lieutenant Commander Roshanara Rahman and Lieutenant Commander Velana to catch up with them. It really had been too long since his accident and subsequent departure from the USS Mercury since he last talked with either of them. :: To Be Continued… JP: By Lt. Alexander Richards Asst. Chief Science Officer: SB118 Ops & LtCmdr Eyas Wulfantine (PNPC) Former Chief Tactical Officer; USS Mercury http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Wulfantine,_Eyas Simmed by: LtCmdr Leo Handley-Page Tactical/Security Chief: USS Garuda SB118 Podcast Team Facilitator
  14. ((CMO’s Office, Main Sickbay, USS Garuda))::Working with his door open as was his habit, Saveron looked up as a figure eclipsed the view of Sickbay beyond. The face, though familiar, was one to which he would have attributed a very low probability of seeing in that particular location. It belonged to a crewmember with whom he’d had little to do beyond the necessary.::::The Vulcan doctor rose to his feet.::Saveron: Sochya Captain Reynolds.::He offered the ta’al, she replied with a nod.::Saveron: Since your next physical examination is not yet due one can only conclude that you have come seeking myself. How may I assist you?::He gestured to one of the two chairs that faced his desk in silent offer. If he was being overly officious it was perhaps because he was having difficulty anticipating what, exactly, might have brought Quinn to his office. There was also something in the principles behind Intelligence that he found disagreeable, but he'd had no cause to think the same about the person in that position.::::She didn't take a seat, preferring to remain standing. Instead, she stood behind it, hands resting lightly on the back of the chair. It took her a few moments to speak, a slight frown on her face as she picked through the words she wanted to say.::Reynolds: You were one of the last people to see Aron, before he left.::A blunt, matter-of-fact statement, but her tone was cautious.::Saveron: Affirmative.::The Vulcan allowed. He noted her unrelaxed body language, the faint frown. Clearly the issues surrounding Captain Kells were not ones which she found agreeable. He remained standing out of deference to her rank, clasping his hands behind his back in what was, for him, a relaxed posture.::Reynolds: What happened?::It was a broad, open-ended question, requiring interpretation in context.::Saveron: Captain Kells dismissed all but myself and Commander Rahman to immediate transport to the USS Garuda. He then informed us that he had resigned his commission. He had personal messages for both myself and Commander Rahman, and asked that we convey his apologies to yourself and Commander Ross for his recent behaviour. The five minutes that he had requested elapsed and Commander Rahman and myself were beamed out, leaving Aron Kells in the William Schirra.::He regarded Captain Reynolds soberly for a moment.::Saveron: I anticipate that answers your question without answering your questions.Reynolds: Indeed.Saveron: If you can elaborate, I may be able to provide more specific answers.Reynolds: When he got back from the hearing, we spoke — if you can call it that. We've been friends for years, we've known each other for longer than that, and I've never known him to be that... vicious.Saveron: He was particularly intolerant.::The Vulcan had even said as much to Aron’s face.::Reynolds: I don't know what he said to you in that shuttle, and I'm not asking you to betray his trust, but I just wondered… ::she shook her head.:: I don't understand what happened to him.Saveron: What he said to me has no bearing on your question, but other factors may.::How much of those he could reveal was an important question. There was the issue of patient confidentiality. Still, Captain Reynolds might already know more than most.::Saveron: You state that you yourself are a friend of Aron Kells. Are you then familiar with his ‘Ring’ temporal events?Reynolds: Both of them, yes.Saveron: Are you also familiar with the events following the death of Captain Spock aboard the USS Enterprise-A and the subsequent attempted committal of Doctor McCoy?::The question caught her off-guard and she didn't immediately answer, frowning as she watched him.::Reynolds: Go on.Saveron: Captain Spock transferred his katra to Doctor McCoy immediately prior to his death by radiation poisoning. Doctor McCoy subsequently displayed disturbed behaviour as a direct result.Reynolds: You're saying it's… similar? The same?Saveron: Even with Vulcan mental training, carrying another’s katra is a heavy burden and bearable only for a brief period. In addition to advancing his age by several decades — which in itself would be difficult to resolve — he took on the memories and personalities of his other selves; in Vulcan terms, their katras.Reynolds: He did say there were three of him in there.Saveron: It is my opinion that the only reason that Aron Kells maintained a successful mental equilibrium is that the katras he carried were his own.::That, perhaps, might be closer to the answer that she sought.::Reynolds: ::Quietly,:: I'm not entirely sure he was successful. ::Saveron wasn't either.::Saveron: I am not privy to Aron’s thoughts, however one might deduce that recent missions and the aborted hearing by Starfleet JAG may have initiated a change in perspective.::She raised her eyebrows, a tiny smile flickering across her lips — but only for a moment.::Reynolds: *May* have?::That earned her a quirk of one upswung brow.::Saveron: You consider that outcome probable. ::He deduced.:: I will defer to your knowledge of Terran psychology.::It was hardly his strong point. Sometimes members of other species thought the most illogical things.::Reynolds: Did he say why he was leaving?Saveron: Negative. You consider the reason important?Reynolds: I don't know. ::She paused, bouncing the heel of her hand off the back of the chair.:: A part of me's sore I didn't this coming. The rest of me's worried that… well. Whether he's going to be alright out there, alone.::That was a concern that they shared, however much the Vulcan might keep that to himself.::Saveron: I… do not know. ::He admitted quietly.:: However I anticipate that Aron would claim that he is never alone.Reynolds: True, but that's part of the problem.Saveron: Nevertheless, he does have three lifetimes of experience upon which to draw. And he knows where his friends are, should he have need of us.::She looked at him for a long time, then broke eye contact and nodded, breathing a resigned sigh.::Reynolds: You're right.::For a moment the doctor wore that thin-lipped look that was as close as he came to looking unhappy.::Saveron: It would be preferable, if we could do more.::But with Aron gone AWOL there wasn’t much they could do unless he contacted them.::Reynolds: It would. But for now, I'll leave you be. Thank you.::She'd already turned and taken a step toward the door when he spoke again.::Saveron: Captain Reynolds.::She turned back to him.::Reynolds: Doctor?Saveron: I believe there is a Terran expression; ‘A friend of my friend is a friend of mine’.::The Vulcan was not particularly good at relating to others, the cultural divide could be so very wide. Yet in Captain Reynolds he thought recognised someone who also stood distant. The question was whether that distance was deliberate?::::She breathed a wry huff of a laugh before she answered.::Reynolds: It's something along those lines. ::She nodded,:: I'd like that.Saveron: I also would find such agreeable.Reynolds: Then I'll catch you later, Saveron.Saveron: Dif-tor heh smusma, Quinn.-------------------------A JP byCaptain Quinn ReynoldsDirector of IntelligenceUSS GarudaandLieutenant Commander SaveronChief Medical OfficerUSS Garuda
  15. (( First Officer's Quarters, USS Garuda )) ::Discharged from sickbay, sleep was now taking up a great deal of his leave time. It wasn't an unpleasant circumstance, and he was aware that he needed the time to rest and recuperate. Tomorrow, he would be back in uniform for a ribbon presentation, but for now, he was living in pyjamas, stealing naps whenever it suited him, and pottering about his new quarters on the Garuda. ::That had come as something of a shock. He'd believed Quinn, of course, when she'd told him of the damage to the Mercury. But *seeing* it… that was something else. He'd known right then, that the Mercury wouldn't be exploring the stars again any time soon, but to find out he was being transferred directly over to the Garuda… yes. A shock. ::When the chime on his door rang, he was sleeping again, laid out on a sofa, drooling like a champion on one of the cushions. A PADD lay on his chest, rising and falling with every breath, an aborted attempt to catch up with his reading. ::It took another buzz from the door to wake him, the PADD bouncing off the floor as he sat up in a dazed startle. He grimaced as he swung his long legs to the floor and stood, wiping the back of his hand across his cheek and jaw. Lovely. ::What a sight he must be. The crazed hair and bleary eyes of the recently woken, a few days of too-sore-can't-be-bothered-to-shave stubble, barefoot and dressed only in a creased t-shirt and pyjama pants. A far cry from the usual crisp and perfectly pressed Harrison Ross. ::It was only natural, then, that when the doors parted, it was the object of his affections stood outside.:: REYNOLDS: I promised you a conversation. ::He laboured for an answer, thrown by her presence. After their conversation in sickbay, she had been the last person he had expected to drop by.:: ROSS: You did. ::He stepped back, fully aware that he was doing a poor job of hiding his surprise.:: Come in. ::He set off toward the replicator once she'd stepped inside, flipping the drool-marked cushion over as he passed the sofa.:: ROSS: I need a coffee. Would you like something? REYNOLDS: No, no. I'm fine. ::He threw her a look on his way to the replicator, raising his eyebrows. From what he could see, he suspected that she'd barely slept since he'd last seen her and was in dire need of caffeine. ::Or a bed, but that took his mind to places it ought best not go.:: REYNOLDS: Look, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out. ::He braced himself, taking his black coffee from the replicator and playing it casual by sipping from the mug, watching her over the rim.:: REYNOLDS: It's not that I don't— There was someone. He was— ::She frowned, avoiding his gaze.:: He died. And I don't know that— I don't know if I... ::She fumbled over her words, avoiding his eyes, actually wringing her hands together, anything but the cool and collected Starfleet officer he was used to.:: ROSS: ::Softly,:: You loved him. REYNOLDS: Yes. ROSS: For a long time? ::She hesitated, and then— :: REYNOLDS: ...yes. ::He had all the questions in the world. Who was this man? Had he been a father to her son? How had he died? When had he died? ::But he thought better than to voice any of them, walking over to the sofa and perching on the arm rest.:: ROSS: Look, if you're not ready to move on, I'm not going to be that guy who tries to push the issue. ::She nodded quickly, uncertain relief on her face.:: But... there's a difference between not being ready, and holding on to the past. ::She sat down, then immediately sprang up again, too full of nervous energy to stay in the one spot. Instead, she paced behind him, her gaze on the stars outside. He let her walk, taking another sip of his coffee as he formulated his next question.:: ROSS: Let me ask you this. All complications and baggage aside — do you want me? ::He didn't look back, but he heard her footsteps pause. He waited, still supping from his mug, working hard at looking considerably more casual than he felt.:: REYNOLDS: ::Quietly,:: I do. ::Now he turned, and found her looking over her shoulder at him.:: ROSS: Then let's just go for it. REYNOLDS: But I'm not good at... this. At the best of times, I'm not good at this, and it's a long way from the best of times. ::He couldn't help but smile, though her worried expression didn't shift.:: ROSS: Quinn, I'm twice divorced — I'm proven lousy. We'll figure it out, or we won't. I'd rather try and fail, than never try at all. REYNOLDS: With apologies to Tennyson? ::Two could play that game. He grinned at her and placed a hand over his heart, speaking in low, sonorous tone.:: ROSS: I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost; Than never to have loved at all. ::Her face was a picture: surprise, annoyance and a hint of amusement, all rolled into one.:: REYNOLDS: You can be really obnoxious, you know that? ROSS: I most certainly do. Tell me you don't find it charming. REYNOLDS: I don't find it charming. ROSS: Liar. ::A smile dawned on her face, even as she shook her head in mild despair. He smiled back, then stood, depositing his coffee mug on the table, and walked around the sofa to stand with her. She was anxious, or nervous, or some other variation on that theme; he saw her swallow as he approached, her breath coming more rapidly than before. ::He reached for her, tentatively brushing a stray wisp of soft, fine hair from her brow. As his fingers trailed down the side of her face, he noticed there was an old, neat scar on her left temple, and he wondered what had left it. This near to her, he could see the detail in her hazel eyes; an inner, golden-brown ring that crowned a dark green iris. ::Just so. Outside as well as in, there was so much more to Quinn Reynolds when she let you in close. ::It was only when her hand alighted on his chest that he realised how hard his heart was pounding. ::He wasn't sure who moved first; whether he had pulled her to him, she had stepped in to him, or some melding of the two. That same sense of delighted confusion didn't pass as their lips met, his fingers tangling in her hair as he held her close. Sensations and needs that didn't belong to him began to bleed into his mind, until he couldn't tell where his thoughts ended and hers began, and they were both lost to the naked desire of the moment. ::His hand was already at the fastening of her uniform tunic when he broke the kiss, murmuring a question he already knew the answer to.:: ROSS: Stay with me tonight? ::The inevitable yes wasn't spoken; it came in the form of a shy, cheeky grin that vanished behind the material of his t-shirt as she pulled it up and over his head. Before it hit the carpet, she was back in his arms, and it was in each other's arms that they passed the rest of the night.:: --Commander Harrison RossFirst OfficerUSS Garuda simmed by Captain Quinn ReynoldsDirector of IntelligenceUSS Garuda
  16. ((USS Avandar, Daycare)) :: It had fallen over again.:: :: No matter how many times she tried, she couldn't get more than many bricks to stand on each other without the whole thing collapsing. Some, she could do. More... usually stayed up. It was when she got to many that it went badly.:: :: Thinking about it, she decided that giving Izzard to Gee had been were it went wrong. When Izzard was there, she could sometimes get many *many* bricks to stay up...:: :: She'd have to get him back when she next saw her.:: :: With a sigh, she grabbed a brick and started again, only to get distracted when Noisy started yelling. Given the tone, she realised it must be getting time for food, and she looked around for any sign she was right... and there it was.:: :: Whilst tall Not-Mummy went to settle Noisy down, blue Not-Mummy was fiddling with the magic hole in the wall, pulling nommy-bottles out and putting them on the tray in her hand.:: :: Okay, so it wasn't as nice as when Glowy-Mummy or Funny-Mummy fed her, but food was food, and she wasn't going to pass it up just because she was here in the toy place.:: :: Dumping the brick she was holding, she lifted her hands and giggled when tall Not-Mummy picked her up and carried her over to one of the little tables. She gave her a pat of thanks as she was settled into her chair, then grinned up at the blue Not-Mummy as a nommy-bottle was held out to her.:: :: Her smile dropped away, though, when her hand touched blue Not- Mummy's. Ever since she'd arrived today, the person hadn't had the happy sparkle she normally did, and the touch let her see that there was quite the opposite lurking under that blue surface.:: :: She thought about that, absently plugging the bottle into her mouth, and decided that this simply was not going to be acceptable. When her real mummys were sad, they usually made each other happy again - and the sure sign of that was when she went to stay with Gee for sleepy-time - but blue Not-Mummy didn't have the feel of someone who had that.:: :: The other smalls seemed content with their noms, even Pointy - who, whilst his ears looked like Funny-Mummy's, acted very different. A couple of smalls on the other table got into a fight over who got to hold the cuddly during food time, but that got sorted quickly enough - which was good, because she had thinking to do, and she didn't need the distraction.:: :: Unfortunately, no ideas came to her.:: :: By the time her bottle was empty, and she'd shoved a couple of crunchy orange things into her mouth from her plate, she was starting to get annoyed. People were meant to be happy in the toy room - the occasional tantrum from a small aside - and having one of the Not- Mummy's break that rule just was allowed.:: :: The sound of the moving wall reached her ears as she groped around for another tasty off of the plate, and she looked over to see if anyone she knew was coming in. It wasn't, and she went back to her noms... only to stop as she felt blue Not-Mummy get even less happy.:: :: Tall Not-Mummy said something to the newcomer, but he didn't seem interested in what she was saying. Instead, he tried to speak to blue, and that seemed to be making her even *less* happy.:: :: With a frown, she looked him over. He was dressed like most other people - though his suit had yellow on it, unlike hers, which had red - and he was blue and bald like the Not-Mummy who wasn't happy to see him. He felt unhappy too, which was good, but not unhappy enough... and as he moved closer, she decided that there was *one* thing she could do...:: :: Taking hold of her bottle again, she shuffled around in her chair and lobbed it straight at him. It didn't go all that fast, admittedly, and got nowhere near his head, but it *did* reach him and bounced off of his arm.:: :: For a moment, nothing at all happened, except that everyone was looking at her - which was nice - and it was obvious he wasn't taking the hint. Making a rude noise at him, she waved her hand at the moving wall, letting everyone around feel that she wanted him to go away. A few more words from both Not-Mummys, and leave he did... looking even less happy than when he'd come in. This was good, especially as blue Not-Mummy felt happier now. Not all the way, but better...:: :: With a satisfied little burble, she looked at her plate and picked up one of the green bits that was on it. She *liked* the green bits. And if she was lucky, she'd get to draw them later - the crayons were always fun to play with.:: :: She still needed to get Izzard back, though. Sending him off with Gee had definitely not been a good idea.:: END -------------------- (PNPC) T'Sara Maren First Toddler USS Avandar simmed by Captain Della Vetri
  17. ((Deep Space 17: Tallis and Toni's quarters, 0400 hours)) ::No sooner than Toni laid down, wrapped in Rhul's strong arms, a sense of safety washed over her. And for the first time in quite a while she felt protected from the harshness of reality. With this knowledge, she soon was lulled into restful sleep by his assuring whispers.:: ((0600 Hours)) ::Awakened by the computer alarm, she sat up and stretched her arms, then slid her feet to the floor. Taking off her clothes from the night before as she moved to the bathroom, she threw them into the refresher, then entered the sonic shower. :: ::Later, in a comfortable embroidered Laudean dress, she entered the Twilight's Edge.:: ((Deep Space 17: Twilight's Edge, 0700)) ::He should have been seeing the now quiet promenade through the haze of sleep-bereft eyes. The smell of freshly-brewed coffee that rose from the table in front of him should have been all that was keeping him awake. In truth, however, he had been up for a couple of hours already and running on adrenaline. Unable to sleep, he had done his best to settle down for long enough to let Toni drift off before taking a sonic shower, dressing for breakfast and hitting the promenade. On the way, he had removed a package from his travel bag that he had surreptitiously had sent to him while the Thunder-A crew had been on Earth; finding himself in a position where he had no family heirlooms for what he had planned, he had been in contact with the Anderssons. As the family that he had grown up with after leaving his homeworld, he owed them an update and they had been keen to grant his favour. It was with his best friend Steffen's blessing that he now had his grandmother's diamond engagement ring stowed away safely in the pocket of his dark green tunic.:: ::By the time Toni arrived, looking like a gift from the Prophets, he was ready to greet her with breakfast already laid out on the table and her first cup of coffee ready to pour.:: Tallis: Good morning, beautiful. I thought I'd get everything ordered up ready for when you arrived. Turner: ::her eyes moving from him to the lavishly laden table; smiling:: It looks like you did a good job of it too. ::Moving around the table, he pulled out her chair. It was his usual, chivalrous gesture.:: Tallis: ::Putting on his best waiter act.:: So, what can I serve you this morning, Ma'am? ::Spreading his hands wide, he indicated the selection of breakfast foods that were arranged before them. The usual cooked Terran fare, such as sausage, bacon and eggs were laid out on a platter, accompanied by a bowl of fruits from various worlds. A toast rack with a selection of jams, jellies and marmalades in small sampling bowls topped off the display, alongside a large vase of long stemmed pink roses with Baby's Breath... behind which a large dish of grits were waiting to make an appearance.:: Turner: ::putting the napkin in her lap:: It all looks good, but bacon and eggs, toast and orange marmalade, and coffee would do as starters. ::Noticing the roses for the first time, she smiled as she admired them, then looked to Rhul.:: Turner: You remembered. They're beautiful. Tallis: ::Beaming:: Hey, you know me... I wasn't going to do half a job! Turner: ::spotting the bowl of grits; laughing slightly:: Looks like they're not the only things you remembered. I'll take some of those too. Tallis: I was counting on that too. Seems like I'm one of the few people who didn't know what they were. ::The waiter who had dealt with his sizeable order had been human, although his accent had been different to Toni's.:: ::The fact that he had included them on the menu brought the realization that she and Sidney had converted him, at least partially, to the southern dark side. She chuckled internally with that thought.:: Turner: Shall we eat? ::Rhul served Toni's breakfast for her and then helped himself to a couple of pieces of toast and some butter. As much as he was hiding it on the outside, he had butterflies in his stomach. He knew there was no good reason for that; given everything that had led them to this point he was sure that Toni would not turn down his proposition. As he buttered his toast, he continued the conversation, trying to remain as casual as possible.:: Tallis: I've been thinking a lot about what things will be like when we move back to Til'ahn. Living with you and the children has been a wonderful experience so far but once we have our own house I have a feeling it will be even better. ::He was right. It had been a wonderful experience. He had brought with him the gift of laughter that had nearly faded from their lives.:: Turner: ::nodding:: I agree. Having a place to call home will be great for the children, especially a home where they know they are loved. ::Images began to form in his mind's eye; he had bonded well with both of the children and fate had presented him with not just a chance to be happy himself, but to offer happiness and stability to three other people that were dear to him in the process.:: Tallis: We could plant a garden... I can see the children running around in there now. I could teach Garth to play springball. We could sit outside on the warmer evenings and watch the suns go down. It all seems like a dream come true. ::And in honesty it was; they had been able to do some of those things before he had first left the Embassy and transferred to the Mercury, but everything now came with the added bonus that they wouldn't ever have to go their separate ways at the end of the day. Of course, there would be times when they would both need to travel to complete their duties but knowing that the other would be waiting for them when they returned, that they would be living under the same roof, seemed to make everything sweeter.:: ::She smiled warmly, thinking of the time they had walked home from the Market Place in the rain; Garth's laughter as Rhul chased him around the house, pretending not to be able to catch him; Vee trying so hard to play the flute for him, wanting him to be proud of her, and him showing that he was.:: Turner: ::noticing he was not eating much:: Are you alright? ::He realised he had paused half way through buttering his toast. Smiling in acceptance that he couldn't wait any longer, he answered by placing his knife and half-buttered toast back down on his plate.:: Tallis: I'm fine... more than fine in fact... ::And then he rose from his seat, only for long enough to lower himself onto one knee, following the human customs that he had read up on before leaving Earth. Reaching into his pocket, he removed the heirloom ring, and held it towards Toni, looking deep into her blue eyes and drinking in every detail to remember in future years.:: Tallis: Toni, we've been through dangerous missions, stood by each other's side through the hardest of times and even after being separated we have always found each other again. The Prophets did not create words for me to describe just how much and how deeply I love you and will always love you. Will you marry me? ::She paused, taken off guard by his actions and question. Sitting back in her chair, she took in a long breath, reaching to caress the side of his face.:: Turner: Marry you? ::tears of happiness forming in the corner of her eyes:: Nothing in this Universe would make me happier than to become your wife, because, I love you deeply too, and will always love you. ::Flinging her arms around his neck to kiss him, they lost their balance, tumbling from his kneeling position to an awkward sprawl across the floor, but still holding the kiss, until the waiter disapprovingly cleared his throat.:: Turner: ::laughing, glancing up to the waiter:: Don't mind us. He just asked me to marry him, and I was showing him how head-over-heels in love with him I am. Waiter: ::helping them up and back to their seats:: Oh, I see. Congratulations. Tallis: ::Laughing and dusting himself down:: Thankyou. ::He had expected to be the one to sweep Toni off her feet, rather than the other way around. The waiter, having dealt with what he could possibly have considered to be a potential incident, cleared his throat once again before returning to his duties.:: Turner: ::after the waiter had left:: To answer your question... Yes, I'll marry you. Tallis: I was hoping you'd say that. ::Moving closer to her, he slipped the ring onto the fourth finger of her outstretched left hand. It looked right at home; he felt as though he should have done this a long time ago.:: Turner: ::watching him place the ring on her finger:: It's beautiful. ::He could not have been more pleased. He had taken steps to make sure it would be the perfect fit and did not want to give her just any ring.:: Tallis: Technically it's a family heirloom. It belonged to Steffen's grandmother and his family were happy to pass it down. I wanted it to mean something, and to have a little history behind it. Turner: That they would do that for you, makes it even more special. Tallis: ::He smiled:: Not just for me, for us. They think of me as their son, so that will technically make them your in-laws... ::And they were certainly better than the recently-deceased alternatives, but now was not the time for such negative thoughts.:: Turner: Now all we have to do is decide where and when. Any thoughts about that? Tallis: Here, or on the Tiger. Before we go back to the Embassy. I don't see any need to wait. I asked Sidney and she said that she would perform the ceremony, unless you'd prefer to have it somewhere else? ::He was keen to tie the knot as soon as possible but not to the exclusion of Toni's feelings and wishes. He did not know whether or not she had any plans for how and where she wanted to get married. Hopefully a holodeck or a part of DS17 or the Tiger could accommodate whatever she wanted to do. If not, he would wait.:: :: It certainly wasn't the wedding she had dreamed about, but if that is what he wanted, then she'd gladly relinquish that ceremony, after all, she was in love with him, and he seemed to want to do it as soon as possible.:: Turner: Then we'll elope, if Sidney has the time. Tallis: We can speak to her to finalise a time and a place, and we already have a maid of honour and a page boy. ::Picturing Vee in her favorite, a sparkly dress, and Garth in a suit, carrying their rings, she smiled.:: Turner: That we do! ::He wondered how the children might feel about that. He hoped it would not prove to be difficult for them.:: Turner: Okay, with that settled, we'll need to buy wedding bands, and have Sidney arrange for a witness - perhaps her First Officer would do it... The children have new clothes I bought them on Earth, and I have a dress suitable to wear. Am I forgetting anything? ::He racked his brains, trying to think if there was anything about human weddings that he had forgotten.:: Tallis: What about a bouquet? Turner: ::glancing at the roses he had gotten her:: No, I can carry these pink roses as my bouquet. ::It seemed a little bit like they were running on a shoestring but that all added to the sense of excitement.:: Tallis: If you're sure? Turner: Let's go tell Vee and Garth, and get started. With any luck at all we can be married by tomorrow morning. ::It certainly looked like she was on board and if she wanted to do things a different way then she was hiding it very well indeed. He hoped that she wouldn't regret eloping but it came with the advantage of their knowing that their future was secured. As for breakfast, he was far too hyped up now to eat even a morsel.:: Tallis: Let's do that! As soon as you're finished eating. ::Too excited to eat anymore, but not wanting him to think his efforts with breakfast would be going unappreciated, she made an egg sandwich with the toast.:: Turner: ::wolfing down a spoonful of grits:: I'll finish eating on the way. You ready to go? Tallis: I'm ready to go whenever you are. ::Both having served with the fleet, Tallis and Toni were no strangers to adventure; they were about to embark upon the most exciting one of all.:: TBC JP by. . . Ambassador Tallis Rhul Embassy Duronis II USS Thunder NCC 070605-A andFleet Captain Toni Turner Commanding Officer Embassy Duronis II USS Thunder NCC - 70605-A
  18. ((Matthews’ Quarters-Deck Four-USS Mercury)) ::Alexander moved on the new cane that was waiting for him out of the bathroom of his quarters into the bedroom where he could see the love of his life, Jade Elizabeth Matthews looking out of the viewport at the space station Deep Space Ten. He looked at her, the passion in his eyes that could only come for the overwhelming love he has for her in the heart that belongs to her. With each passing day he looked at her, falling in love with her each time he looked into her eyes, her flowing brown hair that smelled of jasmine. The perfume that she changes every so often, burns in his memory to remind him of her constantly. He had put on his jeans, black wool sweater and boots. He moved behind her, placed his arms around her and held her tight. He touched her stomach and felt a kick on his hand, he smiled then kissed her on the cheek.:: Alexander: That felt very odd. Seems feisty like his mother. ::Smiling.:: I guess Doctor MacLaren was right, about us having a son. Jade: ::giggling:: Girls can kick too. ::Jade rested her on the side, nestling against Alex’s.:: Alexander: ::Turning her around to face him.:: There is something that I did not have a chance to tell you today. ::Touching her face gently.:: Jade: What’s that? ::she looked concerned.:: Alexander: ::Looking deeply into her beautiful green eyes.:: I do love you with all my heart Jade. I have never been happier. ::He moved down to kiss her softly on her lips.:: Jade: I love you too. ::she kissed him:: ::He had to be careful holding her close, but he could not help it. She and the baby were the lifeline back to the ship, his duty, his home away from home. He could only think about while being captured was her, the baby, his mother and father and his duty.:: Alexander: I have a surprise for you. Every year, no matter where I am. I will always do my best to have dinner with my family. Since this is our first year together, I Alexander James Matthews would be very honored to escort you to dinner. May I have the pleasure Mrs. Matthews ? Jade: aw, I would be honored too! ::She kissed him again.:: ::He moved on the cane along beside her towards the door of their quarters and out into the corridor, to the holodeck for dinner.:: ((Matthews’ Family Home-The Valley-Earth)) ::Frances and Jefferson had heard that Alexander made it through the surgery and that his new leg, grown by Doctor Johanna MacLaren and the medical staff on Starbase 118. The trips into town for renting the holodeck and connecting to the Mercury would have been a bit too much for the other members of the family that Jade has not met yet. So during the past year after the private cabin for Jade and Alexander was completed, Jefferson, his brother George Patton Matthews and his sister Patricia Miranda McCain thought since there were family members serving in Starfleet or on merchant vessels, it would be best to have a holodeck at the main house for such occasions. George and Patricia could not make it to the wedding of Jade and Alexander, but it was agreed that Valentines Day dinner would be held in the ancestral home. Frances and Patricia were in the kitchen almost finished with dinner, while Jefferson and George were in the holodeck working on the connection to the Mercury.:: Jefferson: ::Looking to his brother.:: I’m glad you could make it this time George....This is a special Valentines Day. The wedding, Jade expecting, Alexander being captured and the loss of his leg. ::Looking down.:: We thought that they both were lost during war.... George: ::Placing his hand on Jefferson’s shoulder.:: Jeff, the main thing right now is that they are safe, you are going to have a grandchild, you have a new daughter-in-law , Alex has a new leg and is able to continue on with his life. Jefferson: You know, I was telling Frances just about the same thing while Alexander was in the hospital. ::Tapping the console connecting to the subspace relays.:: It looks like everything is working so far. ::Walking over to the table.:: I do hope everything is going to workout well, Jade and Alex have been through alot in the past few months. George: Yes they have, but you know, it has made them both stronger. ::Jefferson turned and looked to George with a smile, walked over to him and gave his brother a hug, then left the holodeck to see what was going on with Frances and his sister Patricia.:: ::Inside the kitchen of the main house, Frances and Patricia were preparing the dinner that they have both been working on all morning and later into the day. They both were a bit nervous, they both were a bit worried about seeing Alexander, then Patricia had never met Jade and was excited to meet her, since she did not able to attend the wedding. They both stood at the butcher board in the middle of the kitchen cutting the vegetables.:: Frances: I’m so excited to see my son. ::Using the knife on the carrots, then looking to Patricia.:: Pat you are just going to love Jade, she is the most wonderful girl. I was so happy when she and Alex were married. I wish you could have been at the wedding, it was just... ::Smiling at the thought.:: Patricia: ::Slicing the mushrooms.:: I can only imagine how beautiful it was, even though it was on the holodeck. I can’t wait to meet her. ::Looking at Frances.:: How far along is she ? Frances: ::Looking at her.:: Four almost five months. When she talked to us right before Alex had the surgery...::She started cutting the carrots again.:: I could see there was something in her face when we talked that day. ::Laughing.:: She told me that Alexander did the same thing that Jeff did when I told him. Patricia: ::Smiling.:: Oh, I can just imagine. You know that if i could have been here for you when Alex told you about his leg, I would have... ::Frances stopped cutting the carrots, then looked up from them. She could only think of how her only son felt. She remembered the crash and the scream of anger from Alexander that day while he was on the starbase. She knew that he was frustrated, feeling helpless and scared. She wanted to comfort him, but her new and only daughter, Jade was there to be with him.:: Frances: I know Pat, thank you. ::Looking up to see Jefferson and George enter the kitchen.:: Is everything ready Jeff? ::Kissing him on the cheek as he came over to her.:: Jefferson: ::Smiling.:: Thank you and yes to connections are complete to the ship. ((Holodeck Two-Deck Four-USS Mercury-Connection to Matthews’ Family Home)) ::Jade and Alexander stood in front of the doors of the holodeck two, just aft of their quarters. He tapped the controls to complete the connections to their home on Earth. He looked to her and smiled. This was the first chance that he and Jade have been able to relax since they returned to the Mercury and after the mission. He spent the night holding her close in his arms, then dreaming of life with the baby. He held her hand in his as the doors opened. He looked inside to see the dinner table in the main dining room. The vaulted ceilings with the cedar beams, the stone floor and walls made of the same wood. He and Jade were home, even though it was the holodeck. He inhaled the smell of the house, closed his eyes as he entered with Jade by his side. He held his arm out to her as he walked with a limp, but with the cane for support, he felt good to be able to stand on his two feet. The room was decorated with red,white, and pink streamers. Hearts all around the room, the table had the centerpiece with flowers and hearts all around the vase. :: Alex: ::Looking to Jade.:: Welcome home. I know that we did not get to spend Christmas with the family, but think we can roll them all into one. Happy Valentines Day Jade. Jade: Thanx my darling! ::kissing him:: ::He brought her close to him and kissed her cheek. He could smell the perfume as it always made him think of the first time he met her on the holodeck. The more he remembered that first meeting, the more he smiled. He looked up as Jefferson, Frances, George and Patricia entered the dining room. He smiled to see his father, mother, aunt and uncle. Jade has never met George or Patricia before.:: Jefferson: Welcome home son. ::Looking to Jade.:: Jade, welcome home. ::Looking at them both.:: You both look well. Frances: ::Smiling as she walked towards them. She looked to see her son with a cane, It made her feel much better.:: There you both are. ::She took Jade into her arms, with tears in her eyes as she stepped back to look at her son.:: My baby boy and daughter are home. George: There is he is. Good to See you Alex. ::Shaking his hand, then looking to Jade.:: Then you must be Jade. Welcome to the family, I’m George Patton Matthews. Jefferson’s brother. ::taking her in his arms.:: Patrica: ::She cried a little looking at Alexander, but it could have been much worse. She looked to Jade and smiled.:: Alex, it so good to see you. Welcome to the Matthews family Jade. Jade: ::tearful:: You are the best family I could wish for. ::Alexander greeted everyone, as he looked and smiled to his family a tear formed in his eye. He held Frances in his arms, then placed his arm around Jade. Even though they were holodeck images, he felt them and shared them with Jade.:: Alex: I would like to present Lt. Jade Elizabeth Matthews. ::Looking to George and Patricia.:: My aunt Pat and Uncle George. Jade: ::polite:: Hi there. ::Jade went to shake hands but they hugged her.:: Jefferson: ::Walking over and patting Alex on the shoulder with tear.:: It’s so good to see you son. I’m glad to see you. How are you feeling ? Alex: ::He looked around, then back to his father.:: Glad to be alive dad. Glad to be alive. ::He and Jefferson walked over to the table, where he joined Jade and the others. He pulled out the chair for Jade to sit and the others followed suit. He toasted them all sat down to eat the holiday dinner that he and Jade did not get the chance to have over Christmas, but at least the family was together on this one day of sweethearts. He took out from his pocket the colors for the nursery on the ship. The pastel colors of blue and green, for Jaden Alexander Matthews.:: TBC Lt. Jade Elizabeth Matthews Chief Of Security USS Mercury NCC 99812 & Lt. Cmdr. Alexander J. Matthews Second Officer/Chief Of OperationsUSS Mercury NCC-99812
  19. ((10-Forward)) Valaine: From my fun...? :: His confusion remained for another moment, but realization hit him. The span of days where he’d been... physically incapacitated... around the time of Xena’s birth. He hadn’t mentioned that to anyone, though he figured his reputation had taken a hit from the gossip from his attempted failures. This... was something else altogether. :: :: It was a long moment he stared into his drink... before he began to lightly laugh. A hand came up to cover his eyes as it grew into a full laugh. :: Valaine: *She* did that? Talya dosed me with... an anti-Chase hypo? You wouldn’t say it if you weren’t serious... I know you are, but... frack me, that’s messed up... *we’re* messed up... :: Despite the words, he went on lightly laughing until he stifled it with a third large-scale intake of his liquor, which very nearly did the entire glass in for. Still chuckling, he tapped a fingernail on the glass to get the barkeeps attention for a second. :: Blake: I suppose so . . . Valaine: I assume you “heard” it from her. She wouldn’t *tell* you that. Blake: I had her confess to it in a turbolift a day or two later. Honestly, I heard it from *you*. *You* told me what was going on. Valaine: *I* told you...? Ahh... ::realizing::... I was confused... probably thinking waaaay too loudly for you to miss it. Blake: Oh yeah. Your thoughts were ridiculous when I went to talk to you. You were so *bruised*. Valaine: I do so like to torment you with my thoughts, but those I’d planned to keep to myself. So I could deny the rumors later. Blake: Oh, sure. That’s what they *all* say. :: Taking the last of his first glass down, Chase made a concentrated attempt *not* to quickly down the first drink of his second glass. Which failed, as he downed nearly a third of the glass, to the silent-but-clear displeasure of the bartender. :: Valaine: ::eyebrows crunching together with annoyance:: Your face’ll freeze that way. :: The bartender scoffed lightly at the remark, turning away to deal with other bar business. But it wasn’t smart to take on the barkeep, not in any establishment. :: Blake: So, Mr. Drunk- Valaine: ::correcting her:: I’m not drunk yet. I’m annoyed. Two more of these and you can call me drunk. I get that much for being drugged and put out of action. You have *no* idea who I disappointed in those three days. Very disappointed females all over the place. :: Granted, as he took another long drink of his second tall glass, he would admit he was already feeling warm. Quite warm, with a stomach full of liquor and a body trying to quickly process it all down to simpler sugars. Not an easy feat when dealing with straight up hard alcohol. It was already making him ramble and exaggerate, though it was honest to say he was not one that held to the monogamy required of his wedding vows. :: :: Reaching up to tap his neural node and activate his implanted computer system, his blue eyes flashed with light as the monitors in his cornea came to life. He keyed to his personal vital systems, bringing up the levels of intoxication. The number read from parts per million in his bloodstream was steadily ticking upwards. :: Valaine: Frack, I love this thing. ::meaning his neural node:: I may as well have a mechanical heart implanted. Would match my profession, having a metal heart. :: He didn’t mean for that to sound so introspective, but a cold heart made of metal was what he wanted. He’d never been able to achieve it, despite how nasty he got or what trouble he got into. But in his heart he was an engineer. :: Blake: Oh? Valaine: Engineering, it’s what I am. It’s all I’ve got, really. When a system comes up faulty, you disassemble, repair, redesign, and rebuild. My heart is faulty. I need a new one. One less likely to fail or fall apart... or give a frack about frack. A steady, mechanical organ that does it’s job efficiently and without regard for external stimuli. Blake: Only to be knocked out should someone release an EMP. :: The second glass came up empty as she spoke, and he tapped for a third. The barkeep gave him a look that translated roughly into “getting in a bit deep, aren’t we?” But the man made the third glass, delivering it to the annoyed engineer. :: :: As he took it in hand, he realized something... then reached up beneath his other ear, pulling off the monitoring device located beneath his other lobe. The CMO’s heart monitor, giving sickbay a live feed. It would probably rat him out for drinking, too. :: :: With a rather pointed motion, he held the device aloft above his drink for a moment, giving it a steady, angry glare... it was the device of the enemy... and he let it drop into the blue fizz. A drop splashed out onto the bar as it sank to the bottom of the tall glass. :: Blake: Things have gotten pretty hard, haven’t they. Valaine: Rock solid. And not in the good way. Blake: Yeah. ::There was silence for a few seconds.:: Valaine: I never said I was good at this... but I’ve *tried.* You can’t say I didn’t try... Everyone wants to be this perfect person, but it just doesn’t work that way. Life happens. Sometimes things suck. Sometimes people aren’t good at things some people would consider normal, or natural. Blake: You’re telling *me*. :: Chase sent another heavy drink into his system, then his blue eyes keyed on her. This woman was an oddball herself, he’d learned enough about her to know that full well. Not to mention her abilities. :: Valaine: I know you get it. You of all people should. Blake: I have to put up with at least half a ship of thoughts. People tell me that if I complain about it, why don’t I just *stop*. The problem with being me is that there’s no “off” switch to my telepathy - if I want to stop hearing everyone, I have to get an inhibitor. But because of the way I am, I’m expected to be absolutely fantastic at my job, as if I’m meant to be able to predict when something’s going to happen. When I slip up at something like that, it feels like all fingers are pointed at me. ::She sighed.:: Sorry to rain on your parade, but everyone has their own problems. Valaine: Yeah... ::eyes falling as deep into his drink as the medical monitor had::... so I’m whining at the choir, is what you’re saying. So then, why don’t you get your own drink. We can be miserable together. Blake: See, unlike yourself, my days of getting smashed are over. ::She frowned a little.:: Especially since I have a Vulcan partner who would find it ‘illogical’ and give me a lecture on the dangers of alcohol. ::That wasn’t necessarily the only reason. She didn’t mention that half of the reason was because of Faith. It was illegal for Brekkian mothers to be above a certain alcohol limit when their child was a young age. Now that Sky was a mother, she could see why that was the case.:: Valaine: ::a fraction of an iota of humor returning to him:: Maybe I can still do you a favor. Flood out other peoples thoughts if I concentrate hard enough... :: Setting his hands to his temples, he shut his eyes in concentration. He didn’t “yell” the thoughts, but he began to send rapid fire thoughts her way... not so innocent ones either. He was actually quite *good* at transmitting for a non-telepath. An organized brain could do that. However, the thoughts were as nearly-drunken as *he* was getting. :: Blake: You can try . . . ::She could merely shake her head at the Terran’s attempt. He tried, but unless Sky willingly jumped into his head, his attempt was more or less worthless and pointless. She didn’t dare mention that, though. Besides, there were a couple of Trills in one area that were unintentionally making a racket.:: Blake: But the loudest people around would be on the Bridge. :: Scoffing verbally, he finished yet another glass of the bright bubbly blue liquors, the bottom of the heavy mug clunking loudly as he set it down with less care than he had before. :: Valaine: Bridgelings... *pfft*... figures they’d monopolize your brain. ::he eyed the bartender, who was facing the other way:: But then, I’d figure you’d key into Sabor. You know I’ve never met him, right? There’s something wrong with that. ::pause:: Not that Vulcans tend to appreciate my company. :: Somewhat more powerfully than he should have, he lifted and clunked the heavy glass on the tabletop, causing the bartender to spin around with a touch of annoyance. Chase just gave him an equally annoyed look, pointing at the empty glass with a “What the heck is THIS about?” expression on his face. :: Blake: Trust me, some people would think that not meeting Sabor is a blessing. ::She paused.:: You sure you want to get- Valaine: Smashed. Smashed takes more. ::pausing:: What’s wrong with him anyway? He’s not ugly, is he? Blake: Quite the opposite, actually. No, people just don’t like his problems. Valaine: Problems... A Vulcan with “problems.” I think I like him already. Blake: You might, if you appreciate cleanliness. He has a case of germophobia from a . . . traumatic experience in childhood, and OCD that built onto it. You should have seen him when I first met him. He was probably the only Vulcan who was brave enough to be a smart-[...] to me. :: A new glass of blue bubbles was set before him, and he grasped it as he turned in his seat to look at Sky straight on. :: Valaine: A smart-[...] Vulcan? Ohhh, this I gotta see. Or... meet. :: The mischief in his expression was not subtle. Neither was the glaze in his eyes. The drink in hand, he was out of his seat and heading for the door without another word. :: Valaine: Computer, where is Sabor, Mr. Smart-[...] Vulcan? ::Sky shut her mouth to avoid protesting and causing an argument that Chase would probaby just laugh off anyway. After those drinks, it’d be a miracle that he could stand. Besides, Sabor wasn’t really aggressive . . .:: Computer: Lieutenant Sabor is currently in his quarters. Blake: Do you *really* want to do that? :: There was a slight stumble, and a small glob of blue liquid plopped to the floor of the corridor. To solve the problem of spillage, Chase brought the glass to his lips and drank healthily... or unhealthily, as it was... to bring the level in the glass down to a less spillable level. But he didn’t stop, making a steadily worsening pace to the doorway he’d been directed to. :: :: At the doorway, Chase didn’t bother hitting the cue. Instead, he wrapped his fist against the door in a solid, persistent knock. :: Valaine: ::lacking volume control:: OPEN UP! This is security!!! ::Sky rolled her eyes, pulling out the battery from her phaser as she usually did out of habit.:: Blake: You know you only have to let me to the keypad, right? Valaine: Do it, Chief of Security! :: Stepping back to let her do her job, he wondered why she wasn’t more interesting in pursuing this dangerous smart-[...] Vulcan. She just didn’t know how to play along! :: ::Keying her code into the keypad, the door popped open.:: Blake: You know, you really need to learn to not be an idiot whilst drunk . . . or is that just a Brekkian trick? Valaine: Why w’d I wanna? ::his obnoxious smile finally returning to him:: Now open up! I need to meet the man that’s wooing my Sky Blake! :: Overly dramatic much? :: Blake: oO This is not going to end well. Oo Right, well. Ladies first? ::She gestured for him to enter with a slight smile on her face.:: Valaine: Why thank you, you’re so kind. ::he bowed slightly, taking the lead into the door:: ::Sabor had walked out of the hallway into the lounge as soon as Sky dumped her holster, drying his hands on a tea-towel, his eyebrow raised at the sight of Chase Valaine - especially in their quarters. He nodded once in acknowledgement towards the two.:: Sabor: Faith is asleep. I think we would both appreciate it if a “racket” was avoided. Blake: It’s fine. Chase only came by to say hello. Valaine: *PFFFT* “Hello...” ::he grinned at Sky, then spoke to Sabor:: Sabor! My Vulcan man! I’ve been told the most polite, clean facts about you. Nice to make your acquaintance! :: He reached out, but remembered halfway into the motion that he was holding a mug of blue bubbly. So he held up a free finger with a suddenly serious expression. :: Valaine: Wait. No germs, right? I can fix this. :: And he proceeded to drink the entire remaining glass. :: :: And throw the mug into the corridor, where it *THUNKED* several times before coming to a rest on the carpet. :: Valaine: There. Germ free! Now, Sabor... ::he moved near the Vulcan and wrapped an arm possessively around his shoulders:: … we gotta talk. You and me. ::he jabbed a thumb toward Sky:: And her. ::Sky was suddenly glad that Sabor was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, otherwise he probably would have freaked out at Chase touching him. As it was, the Vulcan looked rather uncomfortable with the situation, especially after the display Chase had just made.:: Sabor: Perhaps I should- Blake: I’ve got it. ::Sky smiled again.:: I haven’t seen Faith all day. I’m sure you’ll be fine until I get back? Valaine: ::immune to Sabors discomfort:: Of course he’ll be fine! Sabor:::Pulling himself out of Chase’s grip.:: Only for you, Skyleena. ::Sky let out a breath for a short second before retreating to her room to check on Faith - and to pick up the glass on her way. Yeah, this was probably not going to end very well.:: Valaine: Now, Sabor... can I call you Sabor? Great. Now, Sky and I, we’ve been chatting and she mentioned you impressed her with your smart-assery. I figure it takes a special kinda Vulcan to be a smart-[...], right? So you and me, we’ve gotta... I dunno. Hang. Or mind meld. Or something. Do you drink? Probably water, the germs, right? Right... :: He made his way to the replicator after that rapid fire conversation. :: Sabor: I do not require a beverage at this time, Mr. Valaine, and I am beginning to think that you do not require one, either. Valaine: “Mr. Valaine?” Mr. Valaine was my *father,* Sabor. ::he paused suddenly:: Actually, he was Mr. Fairweather, and he was an abusive [...]. You wouldn’t have liked him. Anyway, “Chase.” Say it with me. “Chase.” ::to the replicator:: Where’d my glass go? Frack it... computer, an Adios. :: The blue bubbly liquid manifested on the replicator pad, and Chase was quickly taking a drink of it. :: Sabor: I do not believe that is a “good idea”. ::The Vulcan was starting to feel very isolated. This “conversation” was very one-sided. And what did the Terran want in the first place?:: Valaine: Who said it was suppose to be? ::giving the Vulcan a smile:: But enough about me. I want to hear about *you.* ::he plopped down onto the couch, set his feet up on the coffee table, and set an arm along the back, making himself at home:: Tell me about yourself, Sabor. Show me this smart-assery Sky bragged about! Sabor: I am unsure what you mean. Are you referring to my attitude when I first met Sky? In my defence, she asked a question. I merely answered it. ::Well, it wasn’t technically a question. Sky had stated clearly that Sabor shouldn’t enter her office (at the time) unless he had some sort of Brekkian chocolate. He told her that unless she wanted him to ask the Captain to change course to the Delos system (Brekka’s system), there was no *real* Brekkian chocolate onboard. But as the conversation moved on, there were a few times where he had told Sky that her Armory was ‘dusty’.:: :: A pleasantly entertained grin on his face, he held it for a moment as he thought the Vulcan over in all his inebriated glory. :: Valaine: Mmm hmm... ::the hard, glazed eyes stayed on the Vulcan, then eased up:: Isn’t that nice. Boring, but nice. We really need to get some alcohol into you. You’re more repressed than *other* Vulcans, and that’s saying something. :: Chase was deliberately attempting to make the man a bit uncomfortable now, taking some drunken pleasure in making the germophobe nervous. Not that he was being cruel, he was genuinely curious and fueled by alcohol in his fervor. :: Sabor: I only use alcohol for cleaning, *Chase*. ::He said curtly.:: I do not consume alcohol willingly. It is illogical. Valaine: Willingly. Unwillingly. There’s little difference. Except for the force. Minor distinction. ::he kept right on drinking despite the Vulcan’s protest:: Have you ever *tried* it? Maybe Sky would appreciate if you let loose a bit, am I right? :: The words were nothing much, but the tone was clearly suggestive in that entirely-lacking-in-subtlety manner that Chase had, and he wasn’t done yet. :: Valaine: She’s just about the *only* female onboard who hasn’t enjoyed my company. You found yourself a genuine article, other mens wives aren’t so... dedicated. You should return the favor. Sabor: Skyleena Blake is her own mind. Once it is made up, there is little to no chance of changing it. Her . . . “unwillingness” towards you may be because of her previous relationship with people like yourself. ::He turned around and washed his hands again.:: Besides, I am not required to be different around her. If I *was*, the relationship between us would not be as successful with all of the “problems” we have encountered. Valaine: Ahhh, yes. The problems. She mentioned those. ::nodding seriously, then smiled again:: But wow, that was a zinger! “Because of her previous relationship with people like yourself.” I’m *almost* offended... but we’re on such a roll, I choose not to be. ::waving it off:: Especially since that’s the smart-assery I came to see. :: Chase stood somewhat unsteadily, but caught his balance and moved toward the Vulcan again, but this time he didn’t envelope him in a close grip as he had before. :: Valaine: Where did she get off to anyway? Who knows what trouble we could cause if she isn’t here to supervise. ::pausing:: So let’s do that! What do you do for fun? Do you do holodecks? Or does the idea of what other people do in those rooms in private keep you holodeck-free? :: Yet again utterly lacking in subtlety. :: Sabor: In a way. I prefer to avoid the holodecks onboard unless absolutely necessary. Valaine: Then where do you spend your time? Sabor: Mr. Val- *Chase*, my Armory is more sterile than any of the holodecks onboard.It is one of the few places where I am not disturbed. My expertise is with weapons. Valaine: ::eyes lighting up:: The *Armory!* That’s perfect! We should totally do this. :: A grip of fabric in one hand and Chase was tugging the Vulcan toward the door, clearly on a mission to get into trouble and invite Sabor along for the ride. The fact he was more than a little drunk didn’t deter him from his next motivation. The randomness of his desires were a clear distraction from his earlier troubles. :: Valaine: You can shoot, right? Teach me everything you know. My aim *sucks!* Sabor: Sky is a better shot than myself, I would suggest taking up lessons with her. I am the Armory officer because of my knowledge of the weapons. The best description of my job is similar to weapons development. :: The grip on Sabors sleeve relaxed, and Chase almost seemed disappointed for a moment. :: Valaine: I might have to break the news to Sky. She’s got no idea she’s dating a totally normal Vulcan. I figured you *had* to be *some* fun to keep her around. :: It wasn’t an insult, but it did result in Chase doing his best to finish the drink in his hand before he jammed the glass back into the replicator pad nearby. :: Sabor: What are you suggesting? That I am causing Skyleena to become the Terran equivalent to “bored”? Valaine: Suggesting? Come on, Sabor. I am *totally* funned out here. ::the indication being the opposite, translated through his monotone reply and expression... which again morphed into something happier, the alcohol keeping his black mood at bay:: Coooome ooooon, you’ve *gotta* have something you’ve wanted to do, but you’re too chicken to do it without a drunken Terran to lead the way! And I’m your Terran! Sabor: I do not believe that this is a ‘sane’ idea. Valaine: Do it for Sky! I will do literally anything you want. Name it. No reservations, no restrictions, no boring Vulcan “sanity!” This is your opportunity! Sabor: I do not have anything I wish to do currently. The only pressing matter to attend to currently is Veusa. Valaine: Gesundheit. Sabor: Veusa is the name of my younger sister. She is close to graduating the Academy. I believe *you* would find her likable due to her unusual amount of time spent among Terrans. Valaine: ::instantly interested for another reason altogether:: Is she cute? I bet she has your cheekbones. Sabor: She is my sister. ::Sabor repeated.:: There are few differences between us. The most major difference is her attitude and personality . . . ::Sabor frowned a little. Veusa did not have a short range of emotions, in fact, she was ridiculously like a Terran.:: :: Chase was undeterred by the sibling banter. In fact, he kept that smile as he came nearer Sabor, until they were rather close, well into the Vulcan’s personal bubble of comfort. Close enough to smell the alcohol rampaging through the Terran’s system. :: Valaine: Forget your sister. What would you say if I was more interested in *you?* :: Those fingers came out again to grasp the fabric of Sabor’s sleeve, giving it a light tug. :: Valaine: Sky wouldn’t mind, would she? Maybe I could teach you a few things. Sabor: It depends on what you wish to “teach” me. Valaine: ::smiling slyly:: Oh... a few things... :: Chase gave a harder tug, pulling them closer together, his intentions anything but veiled. It was the alcohol at this point, enhancing his brutishly frank personality flaws. Normally he’d know full well a Vulcan was beyond his reach. Not in *this* moment... in this moment he was impressing himself on Sabor quite openly, pushing closer to the Vulcan. :: Valaine: There’s this one Andorian technique I happen to love, where you-- Blake: Am I interrupting something? :: Chase turned his head to look at Sky as she returned to the room, slightly annoyed and clearly unsteady, save for the tight grip he had on Sabor’s sleeves. :: Valaine: Only if you don’t plan to join in. Otherwise, yes. Blake: Chase, you’re not going anywhere, not after the reading the computer gave me of your alcohol level. Sabor: I agree. Actually, I would prefer it if you let go of me, now. :: Either intentionally or not so intentionally, he completely ignored their pleas for sanity. Instead he pushed a mite bit closer to Sabor, his smile in place. :: Valaine: Wha’cha gunna do? Nerve pinch me? Then use and abuse whilst your hostage is unconscious, eh? I *knew* you had a saucy side, Sabor! Sabor: Skyleena, I am uncertain of what he means, but I am very uncomfortable right now. It is bad enough that my senses are heightened, let alone him pushing it. Blake: Just take a deep breath. It’s not as if he’s going to do something to you. ::But Sabor did have a point. He was already over the edge as it was with Chase just touching him. If Chase pushed himself any closer to the Vulcan, he’d probably freak.:: Valaine: ::to Sabor:: Oh, I am *absolutely* going to do something to you. Blake: Chase, sit down before electrocute you. :: The glazed, altered blue eyes shot toward Sky, his expression suddenly gone pensive and a bit grim, as well as slightly annoyed, eyes half lidded and lips pursed for a moment. A hard moment later he dropped his tight hold of Sabor’s sleeves. :: Valaine: Geez, *you* guys’re a *ton* of fun. Really. ::sounding rather like a flat fib:: But I’ve really gotta go find someone in’trested in my talents. ::he stepped back from Sabor, smile returning as he bowed, arms out with a dramatic and unsteady flourish:: If you’ll excuse me. :: And he clearly meant not to be returning to his *wife* for those attentions, either. Not after the fight they’d just had. He turned for the door, hand landing on the nearby wall to keep himself on his feet as he made to leave. :: Blake: Come on, Chase, do you really think you can make it out the door let alone catch someone else? :: Chase only laughed at that, openly before he responded to Sky without turning away from his doorway-centric path. :: Valaine: ::through the slur:: You act like I hafta *chase* them! I’ll h’ve you no, they come to *me!* ::Sky sighed, and Sabor merely shook his head.:: Sabor: ~~ May I drop him *now*? ~~ Blake: ~~ I don’t see another option. ~~ ::And without any hesitation, the Vulcan stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and the Terran, who was insanely drunk by anyone’s standards.:: Valaine: ::stopping at his approach:: I tho’t you weren’t in’trested? Sabor: I am merely making sure that you have a pleasant sleep. Valaine: ::not catching on, nose turning up:: Sleep...? Not f’... ::It was then that the Vulcan applied the aforementioned nerve pinch.:: :: The hand that had come up to swat away the annoying Vulcan fell with the rest of the Terran, gravity taking hold where his consciousness had left him. :: Blake: Right. He’s probably not going to be very happy tomorrow morning. Sabor: Skyleena, I do not care at this point. ::He hauled up the Terran onto the couch.:: So long that he is a lot lower than his current level. ::Calling Talya to come here and pick him up or dropping him off was out of the question - especially since Sky had ordered her to relax with Xena. Freaking out about Chase was certainly not under the category of relaxation. So Chase would have to involuntarily spend the night here.:: ::Getting a light blanket from the cupboard, Sky neatly threw it over the Terran and more or less tucked him in. She was suddenly glad that one of her mentors as a teenager was just as drunk as Chase was every Saturday night, so she had a good experience of dealing with situations like this - especially since Sabor tried to avoid any attempt to help her. Instead, he set down a glass of water and unwillingly removed the Terrans shoes. Fresh clothing was also there for the morning.:: ::So, with the Terran on their couch, Sabor and Sky retreated to their room, but not before Sabor put restrictions on the replicator.:: JP by~ LtCmdr Sky Blake Chief of Security/Second Officer USS Avandar & CWO Chase Valaine Engineer USS Avandar
  20. (( Banquet Halls, Twilight's Edge, DS17 )) :: Sitting at a table with fellow ensigns such as Jorey and Malik, Zerxes was ready for this event to be over. Dinner had come and gone and he'd avoided conversation as much as possible. There were few on this ship that he yet knew, and even fewer that he trusted. So far, his time on the Tiger had been mostly negative. :: :: By nature, Al-Leyans were a suspicious people. It bordered on paranoia at times. They were fiercely loyal once it was earned, but there was little in between the two extremes. In the weeks since Bilire IV Zerxes had not been asked once about the incident with Mannin. He knew that she'd met with the commanders, but that was as far as it had gone. He hadn't been asked a single question by Riley, Clack, even Atimen. His best guess was that they were trying to sweep the incident under the rug, hoping the fresh-faced ensign wouldn't know enough or be willing to pursue the matter. Stewing on these thoughts for a few weeks had left Zerxes fairly jaded. :: Riley: Attention everyone... :: The projected voice of the captain pulled Zerxes from his thoughts. He looked in her direction with feigned interest, for appearances sake only. As she began the usual jargon about their accomplishments, and introduced some guests, Zerxes' mind quickly drifted to his plans for finally flying the Dagger again on the holodeck. He started thinking about what mission to set up for the first simulation. Getting lost in thought to pass the time was an old talent. He'd done it throughout his childhood while his father had tried to teach him how to run the company. :: Riley: Our first award recipient is a member of the Security Department. Her expertise and feats are well known amongst the crew. Chloe Mannin, please come forward. :: That snapped Zerxes back into focus! :: oO The award for Best Friendly Fire goes to... Oo :: He listened as Riley commended Mannin for her recent performance on Bilire IV. Zerxes had actually come to forgive Mannin in some ways after their talk in his quarters, but his resentment toward the commanding officers was splling over. He felt like the victim of a small conspiracy, while Mannin appeared the beneficiary. :: Riley: Congratulations Mannin, well done. At this time I am also promoting you to full Lieutenant with all the privileges and duties thereof. :: If he could have gotten away with it Zerxes would have walked out of the room. He started to slump into his chair, feeling completely wronged. However, he quickly considered how many were aware of the incident and were likely looking for his reaction. He straightened up and joined in the applause with a token clap. :: Riley: At this time would Lieutenant JG T'Mihn Ah'myghan please come forward. :: As she called various other up and bestowed their new titles and accolades, Zerxes' attention was long gone. He looked over at Ari, barely seeing her over the back of Alex Blair's shoulder. He was glad to see she was smiling, hoping it meant she was doing better in her recovery from the Reaper abduction. Since they'd talked a few days back, he'd fought the urge to find her and make a dinner invitation. He wanted to give her time to figure things out and seek his companionship when it felt right to her. :: :: Expecting to be alone, he started thinking about how he would spend leave. He planned to spend plenty of time in Black Jendorvak, hoping it would present some opportunities to burn off some steam. While Starfleet was not allowed there, he figured casual clothes and enough credits would get him through the door. He'd already heard of some of the card games. :: Riley: Ensign A'ern Zerxes and Ensign Bradon Jorey please come forward. :: At first, Zerxes hadn't even heard her. He noticed Jorey standing up from their table and started to nod to the man. Then, some behind him gave him a congratulatory slap on the back. He looked around and noticed plenty of eyes on him, then shot out of his chair. He swallowed, wondering if anyone had noticed his lack of attentiveness, as he followed Jorey onto the stage. :: oO Raise shields... Oo Riley: Gentlemen, your performance this last mission was one of great dedication and duty. For your efforts to help the Romulan Colony and protect those in Starfleet I am pleased to promote you both to Lieutenant JG with all the privileges, benefits and duties thereof. :: She motioned at Clack, and the First Officer approached Zerxes with the new insignia. Their eyes met as he attached it to new Lieutenant's collar, and Zerxes nodded his acceptance. There was no interaction between them before Riley moved in and took his place. She held her hand out to Zerxes, wearing what he perceived was a genuine smile. He tried his best to return it. :: Riley: Congratulations Lieutenant, well done. I look forward to seeing your progress as you continue. Zerxes: Thank you, sir. I am... surprised. :: As she moved on to continue the ceremony, Zerxes walked off stage. Various people extended hands or raised glasses as he passed, and he returned their gestures while still wearing a blank look of shock. Before he could get back to his seat, the captain called up the next recipient. :: Riley: Ensign Aribelle Tagren please come forward. :: Still standing, Zerxes looked over at Tagren and watched as she left her chair and joined Riley on stage. He go back to his own seat and remained invested, hoping for an uplifting moment for his only real friend among the crew. :: Tagren: Fleet Captain. Riley: Doctor... yYou are a shining example of what a medical officer should be. Your efforts on the colony to save the Romulan Colonists, your work with infectious disease...your gallant efforts to protect those on the crew. I am honored to have you as a member of the crew. It is my honor at this time to promote you to Lieutenant JG with all the privileges, benefits and duties thereof. :: Zerxes smiled for her, not surprised she was being promoted if he and Jorey had been worthy. Her work in the last mission was far more impressive than his. :: Riley: I am also honored at this time to promote you to Chief Medical Officer, with all the privileges and duties thereof. Congratulations Lieutenant Aribelle Tagren, I know you will make the crew proud in this position. :: For the first time all night, Zerxes felt truly happy for someone. He never got to know Firestarter and perhaps he was a great CMO, but he knew that Ari was fantastic for the job. His mood lightened, he remained attentive for a while. Riley began to hand out the Service Ribbons, which Zerxes found somewhat trivial. He knew he'd receive a couple only for having been there, not for any exemplary performance. :: Riley: For the injuries sustained on Bilire IV, the following officers are recipients of the Purple Heart: LtCmdr. Tracey Townson, LtCmdr. Lance Firestarter, Lieutenant Chloe Mannin, Lieutenant JG Aribelle Tagren. For the injuries sustained in defense of the ship, Lieutenant JG A'ern Zerxes oO What?! Oo :: He looked around, as if the eyes of the entire crew were going to be on him. :: oO A Purple Heart? For being shot by a crewmate? Oo :: His good mood didn't get to last long. The promotion had caught him by surprise, but he found it slightly defensible based on his close proximity to the captain for much of the mission. But now this just seemed excessive. Was this part of their plan, smothering him with a promotion and awards to try and avoid the issue? :: :: He felt hot, and his throat tightened like that new Lieutenant's pip was squeezing him at the throat. He would've paid plenty to be out of that room and back on Bilire fighting an army of Klingons. That was where he belonged. It was simple. It was everything else was more complicated than he'd ever imagined. :: Riley: This bring the awards portion of our celebration to a close. Congratulations to all those who received award for 2389! Great work Tiger crew! Firestarter: Cheers to everyone! Wilde: Three cheers for the Tiger! Hip hip! Blair: Hurray! :: As most of the assembly joined in the cheer, Zerxes remained silent. He started to look for the fast way out of the crowd and to freedom. It wouldn't be easy, standing several inches taller than nearly the entire crew. He located Ari and thought about engaging her, using their conversation to get close to the exit. :: Atimen: Congratulations, Lieutenant. :: Suddenly, he heard Atimen's voice come from the side. He turned and met his department head's smiling face, trying not to look as panicked as he felt. :: Zerxes: I... thank you, Commander. Atimen: Your work last mission was excellent, I'm glad to have you in Security. :: He wasn't able to force a smile. He tried to look serious, hoping it would mask the swell of emotions. :: Zerxes: I just wish I could have done more. :: Fortunately, Atimen seemed to be overwhelmed by his enjoyment of a piece of cake to really take notice of Zerxes' mood. :: Atimen: Is this your first time at DS17? :: He was worried that if this kept up he wasn't going to be able to keep the charade going. He needed to get somewhere else, and fast. :: Zerxes: Yes, it is. Any recommendations? Atimen: Sure, but that would ruin half the fun. I'd recommend wandering around the Promenade, especially the less frequented areas. Excellent food down there. :: He tried to make eye contact with Ari, but she was engaged with T'mihn. He looked back at Atimen and waited for him to finish. Before he did, an idea popped into mind. :: Zerxes: Sir, can I have a word with you in private? Atimen: Oh? Zerxes: I would rather not wait, if you do not mind stepping outside for a moment. Lieutenant JG A'ern Zerxes Security Officer USS Tiger-A
  21. OOC: This is in tribute to Abbey. When my cat Tas passed away, I decided that, since I had simmed him in the UFOP world, that Tyr would take him to Ba'ku when he became too old to travel with him, so that he could live forever at least in a fantasy world. Abbey deserves nothing less. ((Ba'ku Homeworld)) ::She'd never liked him. Never really considered him a friend or even a companion. At best, they had tolerated each other, with the occasional attack that had sent her yowling to her protector's feet and him skulking away with his tail between his legs. Now, she spotted those same eyes gazing at her as he put her down. Her legs were unsteady and she swayed on them momentarily as the dizziness and nausea that had been so prevalent lately assaulted her again. Her skin, yellowed from a failing liver and medication, burned momentarily under the warm sun. With a black coat and her white belly, Abbey used to love the sun, taking special pleasure in rolling from side to side in conented comfort in the sunbeam that came through the window.:: ::That is, when HE wasn't around.:: ::After a gentle pat (and what appeared to be a tear from her protector's face), he turned and left, and for a moment she feared that she would be at his mercy again. With no one around, he would surely tackle her, and in her weakened state she couldn't defend herself. Content to bask in the sunlight that seemed to heal her with every breath, she lay down in the field and took in what the sun gave her. Then HE came forward.:: ::She bristled. Even managed a hiss from the mouth that seemed to no longer crave food or her kitty treats.:: ::He gently touched her nose with his, then nudged her gently with his chin. Suspicious, she eyed him, no longer hissing but not issuing any welcoming purrs or displays of affection. Too long had she tormented him. Too many times she had let her guard down only to be attacked a few minutes later. But this time, something was different.:: ::He seemed to understand. He knew her pain. Knew that she was feeling it right now. He seemed to know, with nothing but a touch of the nose, that she'd come here because she had to, because she could no longer be with the protector-just the same as he had two years ago. And, perhaps, because she was a friend, even if he didn't act like it. A constant shadow at his side, a companion that he looked to when the protector was away. They'd shared toys, treats, and a food and water bowl for almost 11 years. That bond, just like the ailing black and white body, was slowly being restored.:: ::Another nudge, and a purr. Abbey looked up and stood, feeling strength returning to her legs. The patches of fur that had been shaved for IVs (much to her annoyance) had grown back and she was her full self again, jet-black fur with an undercoat of brown, with bright green eyes and a pink nose shining in the sunlight. Likewise, Tas was as she remembered him before he'd gotten sick. Orange and white fur, golden eyes, and the most expressive face she had ever seen. They were together again, after seemingly so much time apart, and sitting side-by-side they watched the protector leave. They knew he couldn't stay where they were, just as surely as they knew they would see him again. One day he would return, and there would be no more errands to run or workplaces to attend to. One day, they could pile on him like they had those wonderful, memorable days of the past, purring in contentment and each receiving scratches behind the ears and backrubs. Yes, they would see him again, but until then, each had the other. No longer alone, no longer sick, and no longer in sadness or pain. And the two friends that had never been friends renewed their unspoken bond, forged by love of their protector and his love of them. Together, they trotted into the forest, to explore, and enjoy eternity together.:: =========================== Abbey -and- Tas as simmed by Captain Tyr Waltas Commanding Officer USS DISCOVERY-C
  22. ((Breen Homeworld)) ((Stardate 257607.28)) CAMERON: =/\= Hey Holmes! Check this out! =/\= ::The man in the matte grey EVA suit lumbered up to his similarly-dressed colleague and peered over his shoulder, the lights around his visor illuminating the console Cameron was working on. The rest of the derelict ship was submerged in cold, unforgiving darkness.:: HOLMES: =/\= What? More ice-slugs? =/\= CAMERON: =/\= Ship logs. A non-encrypted cache of them. Back in the day, they used a rudimentary system to store information. A system that didn't require too much power to access. I hooked up my Q-scanner to the console and with whatever minimal power I can afford to waste from it, I barely managed to extract some of the logs. This one was right at thetop of the pile. =/\= HOLMES: ::leaning in closer to peer at the Q-scanner screen:: =/\= Good. Maybe we'll finally learn what happened to the ship and crew. =/\= CAMERON: =/\= I wouldn't get my hopes up too high, Holmes. It appears to be a personal log…. of the First Officer…. Just some random entry. Might not tell us much…. Let me get it cleaned up.. there.. almost done. =/\= ::He disconnected the scanner and waited for it to display the salvaged remnant of the log.:: HOLMES: ::sighing:: =/\= She was a mighty fine ship back then. They don't make `em like they used to. I still can't believe we found her. We finally found her, after all those years looking in every quadrant and peeking into every wormhole. Who would've guessed we'd find her right in our backyard? =/\= CAMERON: =/\= What the hell happened, Holmes? How did she end up here, in this God-forsaken hellhole? =/\= HOLMES: ::shrugging and shaking his head sadly:: =/\= We keep digging until we find theanswers, Cam. We don't ever stop until we find those answers! All of them! =/\= CAMERON: =/\= Okay. Done. =/\= ::The scanner screen flickered and pulsed. Both men anxiously awaited with bated breath asthe personal log entry of the Starfleet officer rolled up the screen. It began as such: :: Personal Log of Lieutenant Commander Raj Blueheart First Officer of the USS Discovery, NCC-31929-C Stardate 239001.31 The last night of shore leave had been a memorable one, and especially poignant. Emerson and I had the time of our lives on the beach. The food and wine were exquisite, the music lovely and the company of friends and family priceless. I can't begin to decide exactly what wasthe main event I was celebrating: the end of shore leave with a large part of the crew and Eskyys' and Jenyys' generous hospitality, or, the anniversary of my fourth year with Starfleet, which also happens to be how long I've served on board the Discovery. I don't think anyone realizes this little trivia, not even Emerson, and I wouldn't have expected them to. What's a paltry four years compared to the decades of Waltas, Mitchell and Eskyys? Ah, but without realizing it, they HAVE given me a wonderful present to commemorate this milestone in my career. The farewell supper Eskyys and Jenyys had organized for the crew on the beach overlooking the sunset-kissed Caribbean on the last day of shore leave was the best gift anyone has ever given me. I've never been a part of a more loving and beautiful family. We had cast away whatever lingering animosity and bilious enmity that may have arisen between us following the mutiny, into the ocean that night. The close circle we had built aroundthe campfire, Emerson's solo woeful highland tune on the violin and the flowing wine, laughter and tears had been a sort of ritual, a closure, to that dark and unspeakable period in theotherwise immaculately glorious tapestry that is the hallowed history of the Discovery. New bonds had been forged, old ones reinforced. We had bid our adieus just before the stroke of midnight, with a promise to return. I had resolved to hate Earth for all eternity until those precious moments on the Oasis Resort in theBahamas. The bitter old memories of Earth have been diluted by sweeter, newer, more potent ones. The birthplace of the human civilization has been once again sanctified. End of personal log. +++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++ Personal Log of Lieutenant Commander Raj Blueheart First Officer of the USS Discovery, NCC-31929-C Stardate 239002.01 – Supplemental Off the starboard bow, Emerson and I had watched with sorrowful hearts the modified probe cradling the inanimate, cryostatic body of Lady Julia Reyna Amada Raj, make its steady way into the roiling core of the Sun. We had prayed over her and had sung hymns, in full accordance to neo-Grecian rites, witnessed by the revered pantheon. I had placed her favorite purple mouse next to her, inside her burgundy velvet-lined polished steel casket. Several moments later, with a brief, barely discernible flash of intense white light, she had pierced theheart of the Sun. Atoms scattered across the universe, she will now live forever. Farewell, my immortal beloved. End of personal log (supplemental) HOLMES: =/\= That's it? Doesn't tell us much. =/\= CAMERON: =/\= No, it doesn't. But it's just one of several thousands of logs cached up in here. Eventually we'll find the right ones that'd tell us what happened to the Discovery. =/\= HOLMES: ::looking around the eerie decrepit chamber:: =/\= I hope so. There's a lot riding on this salvage mission. =/\= CAMERON: ::grinning wryly behind his visor:: =/\= You don't say. You ready to believe it's a conspiracy? =/\= HOLMES: ::looking around again, chills running down his spine:: =/\= The flagship of theAvalon sector, mysteriously disappeared without a trace over a century ago, finally found, just as mysteriously, buried miles beneath the frozen salt dunes of the Breen homeworld…. I'm ready to believe anything! =/\= ::And the men continued their work on the derelict starship.:: END ================================ Dr Evan Holmes & MSgt Isaiah Cameron (Ret.) AstroDynamics Archeology & Salvage Unit Alpha Alliance Federation as simmed by LtCmdr Raj Blueheart First Officer USS DISCOVERY-C
  23. ((Cargo Bay 4 - USS Columbia)) ::Johanna MacLaren's fury at the dragon turned to terror as her back erupted in fire. Her cry of anger turned into a scream of agony. Then she had no more breath for the scream. She was drowning in her own blood as her chest seemed buried under an enormous weight. She was going to die; Breeman was going to die because she'd cared more for his hand than their safety. More fire ran down her back and then the pull of the transporter gave a momentary surcease to the pain. Fighting to breathe, struggling not to cry out, she tried to lift herself from Kevin's inert form. She looked down to see him covered in her blood, but she could not move. The strength had left her; her arm would not obey her and each breath was now a fight. The clinical portion of her brain cataloged her injuries. Massive blood loss, likely lung collapse, respiratory failure, likely muscular laceration. She'd sent her staff to the center of the ship. No doctor would arrive before she bled out. Twenty-six year old, Human/Betazoid female: death from massive trauma and blood loss. Tears of pain and fear streaked down her face. She would never see Joseph again. She was dying, and he might already be dead in the Jeffries tubes. Then hands were lifting her and red fire of pain gave way to the blackness of blissful oblivion. ::David Banks stepped through the doorway, his right index finger idly twitching by his side. Ever since the war he'd never been able to kick that habit. Over the years since as he'd trained to work as an excavation specialist at the Federation archaeological digs all over the galaxy people had never failed to notice the twitching finger as he'd walked. It happened most often as he thought about what to do next, how to handle this or that situation.:: ::It had been the transporter alert and then the faint sounds of the frantic nursing staff trying to move a body that had triggered him. He'd not heard anything like that since the war. Entering the cargo bay he saw someone he recognized. A female medical officer. She was lying face down, two huge claws protruding from her back.:: Banks: Christ.... ::He looked around himself and saw a nurse looking about at the equipment.:: Banks: You. Yeah, kid with the hair. Mengler: Me? Oo Jeez, I'm trying to find a doctor for Doc MacLaren! Who does this guy think he is?Oo Banks: You're with me. Mengler: Who are you? I'm need a doctor for Doc MacLaren... Banks: Listen to me, I know some officer has given you an order to stand here and watch stuff. My name's David Banks. Give that officer my name if you get in trouble. Until then you're coming with me. ::He picked up a medical tricorder from a table nearby and then walked over to the patient and said,:: Banks: ::Whispering:: Perforated lung tissue. Tearing of the... rhomboids, back muscles, spinal muscles. Tearing of the right... ribs... ::The boy stood beside him waiting until Banks turned and grumbled,:: Banks: Laser scalpel, suction, forceps. ::Dutifully the boy went and grabbed the required items.:: Banks: What's your name kid? Mengler: Steve, I was trying to get a doctor for Doc MacLaren. Why didn't you say you were a doctor... Banks: Steve? Alright Steve, we're going to do a foreign object removal and reconstructive lung surgery here, sound good? Mengler:Oo Here! God, it's not like there's a choice.Oo Yeah, I'm a medic; I'll help anyway I can. ::The red tide returned and Johanna found herself on her side, cold, shivering, her arm numb and each breath a monumental effort. She prayed to pass out again to end this agony and then there was an unfamiliar face and a gruff voice close to her face.:: ::David spoke softly to the woman,:: Banks: Hi... I'm a doctor... There's nothing to worry about okay? MacLaren::she looked at him, shivering and her eyes luminous with the tears she was trying to supress. Gasping:: Yes...there...is...lung collapsed...blood loss...lots of...::She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. ::Definitely a doctor. He got down on his hands and knees and said,:: Banks: Medical kit. Osteoregenerator. Mengler:: still rattled by MacLaren's condition and the idea of turning her over to a stranger.:: Say again? Banks: See that uh... ::He indicated over toward the piping coming out from the air filtration pump nearby.:: Pump? Mengler: Aye, sir. We have one. Banks: Pull it out and bring it here, will ya? Mengler: You're going to do major surgery right here this minute? It's not sterile! Are you serious? Banks: [...] right I'm serious. MacLaren:Ye're... a doctor...? Eh dinna ….want to...die...like this... ::David nodded and breathed quietly to himself, contemplating what he'd say.:: Banks: You won't die. ::As Mengler handed him the pump he pulled at the back of the casing until it came loose. Retrieving a pocket knife from his breast pocket he adjusted the power and then turned on the pump. It gently ran at just the right rate.:: ::Setting the machine down beside him he said,:: Banks: It sounds like you're a highlander. That about right? MacLaren:: gasping:: Eh'm a Lowlander...on my...dad's side...Scots are... all...fighters though. ::Grinning, he spoke, trying to muster his best cheerful sounding voice and said,:: Banks: Aayyyeee thought so. ::Turning to Steve he said,:: Banks: Now Steve, I want you to hold this machine right here okay? If you do what I tell you everything will be fine, okay? Mengler:: Looking at MacLaren's deadly pallor, he wasn't so sure:: Sure, of course. You're going to be fine, Doc. ::As the boy held up the machine David sterilized the end of the nozzle with the medkit sterilizer. Setting the nozzle down he looked through the medical kit for an anaesthetic. Finding a local he attached it to the hypospray and pressed it gently into MacLaren's back.:: MacLaren:Is it...as bad...as...it feels? Laird God, it hurts. Banks: You're doing great. ::As he fired the hypospray he asked,:: What's your name? MacLaren::still struggling to breathe:: Johanna...MacLaren...Eh'm the...CMO. Eh dinna ken...who..you..are Banks: Yeah? ::Turning to Steve:: Turn it on please. Mengler: Done ::He slowly ran the nozzle over the open wound as he gently pulled at the claw.:: Banks: I'm David. David Banks. MacLaren:: her hands suddenly clenching:: Oh God, what is that? ::He knew it would be stupid to try and distill it down. She was a doctor and he owed it to her to tell her exactly what he was doing.:: Banks: Suction. MacLaren:: shivering and beginning to ramble:: So cold.. is it snowing?...Joseph can ice skate...Where is Joseph? ::Christ, she was going into shock. And yet the bleeding had stabilized, and the lung was about ready to be repaired. He knew it was now or never and so he decided now.:: Banks: Everybody's fine, Johanna. MacLaren: Hope, is Hope...safe? Kevin! Must help him.. ::He didn't know who either of those two were. So he did his best to improvise. There were some things he knew he could be honest with her about. This wasn't one of them. She had to know that she could lose consciousness without owing the world around her anything, and that he'd take care of her while she was out.:: Banks. Listen. It's time to start now okay. You're going to be just fine. Don't worry about those two. I will take care of them, okay? ::He set the general anesthetic hypospray cartridge and placed it against the woman's neck, his right hand now beginning to apply the haemosponge to the open wound.:: Banks: That's it... We're both going to get through this. ::He set to work. Now he carried both people by himself.:: ((Dreamscape)) ::The pain was gone; the fear had fled. Snowflakes danced around Johanna and looking down at herself, she was delighted to see iceskates on her feet and Joseph laughing a few feet away, his cheeks ruddy from the cold. He glided over and took her hand so they could skate together on the frozen loch just in front of her childhood home in Aberfoyle. Their breath made little puffs in the frigid air but hey were warm from the exertion of skating. For once there was no misunderstanding between them, no misinterpretations. They were simply a young couple in love, spinning and laughing. They moved into a spin and then his lips were warm on hers, still tasting faintly of the hot chocolate they'd shared a few moments before. She did another little spin, but when she turned back, he was far away on the ice looking at her with a face stricken with grief; Hope stood forlornly beside him. An older man she did not know stood with them. She tried to skate back, but the faster she skated, the further away they seemed until finally she was alone on the ice. Lt.JG Johanna MacLaren CMO SB118/USS Victory and Columbia and David Banks, simmed by Lt. Commander Kevin Breeman CEO SB 118/USS Victory/Columbia
  24. Only a few hours to go before submissions close for Round 5 and voting begins. Entries are still being accepted -- why not take a moment to get your entry in now. Roo
  25. ((Jefferies Tube - Somewhere Between Decks 502 and 503)) ::It was odd, Janick found. Almost every time he'd been assigned a boring, monotonous task such as this previously in his career, he'd considered it a punishment for some wrong-doing he couldn't remember perpetrating. It seemed to him that he'd paid what dues were owed to Starfleet many times over, and in this - the thirty-eighth year of his existence - he deserved better. After the chaos and pandemonium of the last few days, however, it was the menial tasks he craved. Especially the ones stuck down Jefferies tubes, away from supposedly sentient life-forms, panic, destruction and fire. Most definitely fire. All of that was no doubt still occurring, somewhere on the station, but down here in his tube it seemed a thousand miles away.:: ::Out with the old sensor, in with the new one. Connect it up, test it. Rinse, repeat. Clearly an engineering job under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances and it was a fairly simple task. Besides, to be fair to the Lieutenant who'd accosted him, he was wearing the right colour uniform for it and not entirely doing a great deal else. If he wasn't doing this, no doubt fairy-hair would find him something worse, probably with more people. Gertz hadn't heard from 'her' in a while, he realised. He wasn't overly bothered by that.:: ::As he crawled along the tube to the next sensor array, Janick heard a noise up ahead. His first reaction was that of defensive jealousy. This was *his* tube. Whichever engineer thought otherwise could bloody well shove off to another one. His second thought was that of concerned curiosity. What if it was someone, or something, else? Cautiously he approached the bend in the tube, and peered around it. Immediately he retracted his head, and considered what he'd seen. A ferengi, in frankly disgustingly soiled attire, clutching a fabric bag. The back was wriggling. The ferengi, too, was wriggling. Gertz decided to stay where he was, for the time.:: Ferengi: Come to Lenk, me pretties. Come on, all o' ya. You's gonna make Lenk a rich ferengi, yes you is! If Lenk still had a family that could bear to be seen in public with 'im, yous could help Lenk provide fer 'em at last! ::There was a loud clanging, and a shrieking sound.:: Lenk: Oi! No biting Lenk! You's not so valuable that Lenk can't kill one or two of ya ta make a point! ::Janick crept around the corner, trying to steel himself against the smell of the... man? Just as Lenk reached forward for his prey, Gertz decided to announce his presence. The startled vermin (this could feasibly apply to both creatures I suppose but in this instance it applies solely to the ferengi's prey) shrieked and scurried away, causing Lenk to curse, and slam his gloved fist against the wall in annoyance. The ferengi rounded on him, and tried to assume as aggressive a pose as possible considering he was, by necessity, on his hands and knees.:: Lenk: Now look what you done! He was this close! ::The ferengi indicated an exaggeratedly small distance with his thumb and forefinger.:: I almost 'ad 'im, he'd have been me sixth today! Gertz: Your sixth what, exactly? ::Lenk grinned widely, revealing rotting teeth that even Lieutenant Brek would probably have found revolting, and proudly displayed the contents of his cloth bag - carefully - to the petty officer.:: Lenk: Fyra! They went and 'scaped from the labs when the power went. Valuable, they is, if you knows who wants 'em. ::Suddenly, Gertz knew what he'd happened upon. This was a chance, he realised. Unlike the comb-in-the-trashed-hotel-room incident while on shore leave (which due to what he now knew to be careless handling of the evidence had accidentally resulted in implicating nobody but himself), here was a real, actual criminal. He'd be a hero. Starfleet security would be clamouring to transfer him to their ranks. They might even commission him, if he was lucky.:: ::There was just one small problem. While there was no end of evidence of the act being committed, Gertz wasn't entirely sure it was a crime. His instinct (which was probably based more on class - not to mention racial - prejudice than actual experience) told him that it probably was, so in the heat of the moment that would suffice.:: Gertz: Mister, erm- Lenk, is it? ::The ferengi nodded, eagerly.:: Mister Lenk, you leave me no choice but to arrest you for the crime of... er... ::incoherent mumbling::. You are to be remanded in my custody, to be transferred into the welcoming embrace of a Starfleet Security holding cell at *my* convenience, whereby you will be prosecuted to the full extent of Federation Law. What have you have to say for yourself? ::Gertz grinned smugly. He'd never bothered to find out what you were supposed to say upon arresting a criminal, but assumed it would probably be something like that. Upon hearing it, said criminal would then be overcome with regret, remorse, fear or guilt - possibly all four at once - and submit themselves to his will. Lenk showed signs of being overcome with precisely none of those things.:: Lenk: ::Blankly:: ...what? Gertz: ::Gesturing, to help ease the apparent language barrier.:: I'm. Arresting. You. Lenk: ...why? Gertz: ::Mumbling:: Smuggling, theft, vagrancy, or something similar. ::More clearly:: Does it matter? I mean, look at you... ::He would have sniffed in disgust, if he didn't think the sudden odourous onslaught would kill him.:: Lenk: More's the point, look at *you*. No security officer wouldn't be crawlin' around with a bag of tech-stuff. What's that tick thing mean? ::After a moment of confusion, Janick realised the vagrant was referring to his rank insignia.:: Gertz: It means that I am Petty Officer Third Class Janick Gertz, of Starfleet. And you, as I believe I have mentioned, are in my custody. ::The ferengi smirked at him, and much to Gertz' annoyance, remained defiant.:: Lenk: It means you're a volunteer who they don't trust with no real jobs, who 'as to crawl 'round vents all day. And Lenk don't like custard. Gertz: ::Incensed.:: Listen here, I may have been unjustly held back in my career... Maybe I *do* have to crawl around vents all day - not actually true, incidentally. However, at least I'm permitted - nay, required - to do so! You, Mister Lenk, are neither. You are under arrest, whether you like it or not! I demand that you cease your oO possibly Oo illegal activities forthwith, and follow me to a detention cell! ::Gertz' smug grin returned, confident his weighty flourish of authority would have the desired affect. Still the vagabond refused to flinch. Gertz gritted his teeth.:: Lenk: If you wants to arrest me for doing nuffin' wrong, yous gonna have to go get a proper security man. Lenk knows 'ow the chain of command works, see. ::Pointing with a filthy fingerless-gloved hand:: *You* can't do nuffin' to Lenk. ::Gertz's eyes opened wide, and for a while he was uncharacteristically lost for words and knelt in the tube with his mouth agape. He stared at the man incredulously.:: Gertz: Chain... chain of command?! You, of all people?! If you don't bloody well get off your [...] right this second and follow me, I'll go and get the chain of command alright, sunshine. I'll get the bloody thing and beat you to within an inch of your loathesome, Lilliputian, little life, you putrid, pox-ridden, plebeian [...]ant! How dare you question the authority of a Starfleet officer?! Lenk: Non-commissioned Starfleet officer... Gertz: ::His face reddening with wrath:: I'll have you know, there are THREE crewmen below me, who report DIRECTLY TO ME. They're bloody useless, I can't find them half the time, and I don't even know one of their forenames, but they report to ME oO sometimes Oo! Which makes me significantly more important than the likes of you, you bloody filth-encrusted, foul-smelling, f-f-f-f- Lenk: Now, now, that sort o' language isn't really becomin' of such an important Starfleet officer, is it? ::What happened next was not Janick Gertz' finest hour. If there were a collection of Gertz' proudest moments in Starfleet, this would not even make the director's cut (and let's face it, we'd be struggling for content as it was). It also wasn't entirely Janick's doing. For several moments, as his fist began the lightning-quick journey towards the ferengi's foetid face Janick could not account for it's whereabouts. All he knew was, after impact, his hand hurt. But not half as much as the Ferengi's cheek. Were he a more violent man, or even were he still in his youth, he might have reflected upon this moment with an air of triumph and victory and remark that it was "a hell of a left hook". However, Janick Gertz was not a more violent man, and certainly was not still in his youth. So upon seeing the Ferengi's head bounce off the wall of the Jefferies tube, he collected his bag of sensors - both old and new mixed together in his haste - and crawled away from the scene. Very swiftly.:: oO He's not dead. Just sleeping. Just sleeping. He headbutted my fist, there was nothing I could do to stop it. Nothing at all. And even if there was, I wouldn't have. Shouldn't have been... doing that... crime thing. He was definitely doing crime, of some sort... Oo TBC! -------------------------- PO3 Janick Gertz Operations Lackey/Crime-fighting Superhero Starbase 118PO3 Janick Gertz - Hammer Of Justice Simmed by Necessity James
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