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(( Brig; F.M.S. Krayvet ))Falcon: Worst case, yeah, they’ll know we’re up to something and come stop us. I’m banking on them wanting to keep at least one person in here alive. If they come into get her, that’s our opening. Trel’lis: With my prior Security and Tactical training, I can be useful on all fronts. Taelon: That’s good, at least… ::glances at the Diva and her manager:: Trel’lis: It’s not difficult to locate hidden panels, when you know *what* you’re looking for, tactile-wise.::Taelon started heading toward the forcefield, with Trel’lis looking on. Her science and security experts were working the problem, giving Kaitlyn a moment to think.::::That Orion woman. Kaitlyn knew her. It had not triggered immediately; due to the dark/bright contrast Kaitlyn could not see the details of her face. Now that she had a chance to let her mind work on it a bit, however, the connections were made.::::And if she really was who Kaitlyn though she was, then Theo was in a lot of trouble…::(( Flashback – Seven Years Ago; Abandoned Factory; Oliph VII ))::A sharp crack and flash of pain heralded Kaitlyn Falcon’s return to consciousness.::::The sequence of events which had brought her there came back to her in a flood. An old partner, one of the Braxton brothers, had shot James a message. He wanted to talk about a new opportunity to expand their operations into another sector. The Braxtons had generally been straight-up folks, so James was happy to continue working with them.::::The Braxtons were old friends. The message had not given any of their distress code phrases, and the meeting location was public. Safe enough. Kaitlyn had offered to go, freeing up James to cover other obligations.::::From the moment she arrived, something seemed… off… When Kaitlyn met Ulfric Braxton’s eyes, there was an underlying warning to them. It was pretty clear he was in some kind of trouble. Concern for their old friend drove her onward. Besides, if there was trouble, she had probably already been spotted. She still managed to tap her emergency beacon to summon help.::::That turned out to be a pretty good decision. The beacon, rather, not so much continuing onward, because within three meters of Braxton all hell broke loose.::::The doors burst in, individuals wearing heavy cloaks shoving their way inside. They opened fire immediately, blasting holes in the ceiling as patrons dropped to the floor in a panic. Unable to go back, Kaitlyn pushed forward. If she could reach Ulfric, then maybe the two of them could break through the other side.::::Only problem with that plan, not that she had known it at the time, was the additional cloaked figures pushing in the place’s back door.::::Kaitlyn had only just grabbed hold of Ulfric’s arm, when the butt of a rifle came swinging into her temple, dazing her and knocking her to a knee. Hands landed on her shoulders, holding her down.::::All she could do was struggle and watch as one of the attackers ran a knife across Ulfric’s neck… Another blow to her head, and the world went dark.::::Another loud crack and another sharp flash of pain brought Kaitlyn fully back into the moment. She was bound; her wrists wrapped with leather straps to poles on either side of her. Her feet, too, were tied down, preventing her from kicking out. She held upright in the center of the room which made up her ‘accommodations’. All around her was metal and rust; something old and industrial.::Orion Male: Wake up!::Ah, him again. The Orion who had ‘greeted’ her once she had first woken up. Never gave his name, but undoubtedly Syndicate. Whoever this guy was, he had been the one in charge of softening her up. Or bloodying her up. Kaitlyn was still trying to figure out their main goals. For the moment, keeping her awake seemed to be the main one.::::Their primary tool was that whip. Her arms and back screamed in protest long after he had finished each… session.::::Much as she preferred ignoring him, she knew she would need her arms at some point. She had no intention of remaining there forever.::::With as much anger as her eyes could project, Kaitlyn slowly pulled herself up from her unconscious slouched position. The poles on her sides were too big for her to break. The straps did not seem like much, but she had seen such things reinforced with external fields.::::The Orion stood menacingly, towering over her. Of course, that was all the brutes were really good for.::Orion Male: You’re lucky the bosses have something special in mind for you.Falcon: oO That’s right. Tell me what you’re up to. Oo ::Sarcastically.:: Oh, I’m sure the Braxtons will be plenty happy with you. Ulfric wasn’t the favored baby brother, or anything.Orion Male: ::Dark chuckle.:: Oh, the Braxtons will get theirs. ::Shakes head.:: No, you Nova-folks have been a thorn in our sides long enough. We’re gonna pull you out. ::Leans in.:: Permanently.::So. Good news; these guys did not know about the family. Nothing would reach back to the ‘Fleet folks. Bad news; they were gunning for James and Nichole, too. Explained why they let her hit her emergency beacon. They wanted all three of them.::::Still, this guy had presented himself as a perfect target. Why pass it up?::::Kaitlyn quickly pooled up a ball of saliva and spit it straight into the Orion’s ugly green nose. He recoiled, yelling angrily as he swung the whip around to bite into her arm again.::::Ow.::::Worth it.::Khante: ::She strode in, with a lean catlike grace, her voice was biting and sharp:: Did you even listen to what I said when I left? What were my orders about touching the prisoners after they woke?!::A woman shouted from the doorway, angry eyes focused on the male. He shrunk back a bit at the sound.::::Someone with enough force to make THIS guy back down? Interesting…::Orion Male: To… not to.Khante: ::Sweetly, cajoling:: But some poor moron forgot about that. ::She strode up to the male, taking his chin in her hand for a moment before harshly slapping him across the face. A pause and a moment later she pressed a finger into a pressure point behind the ear and pulled the lobe down in a gesture that had him whimpering in pain. Yillara smiled sweetly, drinking in the agony.:: Khante: ::Her voice turned harsh, barking orders to the now-cowering males.:: Out. Get the recording gear set up. ::Evil smile to Kaitlyn.:: We wouldn’t want her brother to miss out of the fun, would we?::So… THAT was the plan… Mess her up enough, send the footage to James, and make him attack them stupid. Kaitlyn hoped he would not be that dumb… but she now had her own objective.::::The male departed, door shutting behind him… but not quite fast enough to hide something VERY interesting.::::A device on his belt. Communicator, perhaps, but that was not the interesting part. What WAS interesting was the fact its lights were dark on the near side of the doorway, and lit up after he passed through.::::Energy dampening field… They had her in an energy dampening field…::::She could work with that.::::Of course, all those revelations were kept from her features.::::The woman looked over the injuries on Kaitlyn’s arms and back, seeming to admire the handiwork.::Khante: Say what you will about males, they follow SOME instructions well. ::Smirks, her voice turned coaxing, almost seductive.:: I’d say your arms have had enough attention. I can’t have as much fun as I’d like to… yet… What’s say we give that back of yours some more attention, hmm? Falcon: If it’s FUN you’re after, why not just cut me loose. ::She flexed her hands into fists.:: Or are you afraid you’d lose?Khante: ::With an offish flick of her hand as she stroked the whip on the table.:: Fear and pride are downfalls of males. ::Turning her dark eyes towards Kaitlyn:: I prefer not to tempt fate. I enjoy you right where you are. Falcon: Justify it however you want. Coward. ::Walking up, she let the barbed whip dance across Falcon's back, giving a little moan of pleasure as she watched the cuts well up with blood. As she walked around she dipped a finger in blood and dragged it across her prisoner's cheek in a mockery of seduction.:: Khante: I find fun in the patterns your blood makes as it runs down your back. I find artistry in the cuts I will make across your cheekbones and the way the flesh can be peeled back. ::Looking closely at Kaitlyn:: Too bad you're not prettier. I just love mutilating a pretty face. Falcon: Why?::Kaitlyn gave a smirk; the kind which suggested SHE was the one in control. She just needed some time alone to figure out the first part of the plan. Once she was out that door, out of the dampening field, she could do something. If she could frustrate this woman enough to make her leave…::Falcon: Is someone jealous? Khante: ::That riled her up, and she swore hotly in the Orion tongue, casting the whip across Kaitlyn's chest:: You and your Terran pride! Your hot-tongued lies! I will mutilate you, not because of your inherent beauty, but because it will make your brother weep! ::She hissed::::The strike did make Kaitlyn shift back, momentarily, but the remains of her jacket managed to take most of the blow. Either the woman was a half-step shy of full-blown crazy, or Kaitlyn’s words were having something of an effect.::::Or both…:: Falcon: Then you don’t know my brother. ::She leaned against her restraints, bringing whatever menace she could in her position.:: He’s got an itchy trigger finger, and your face is the perfect target to scratch it.(( End Flashback ))::A click from the far side of the room brought Kaitlyn’s attention back to the present.:: Taelon: Sirs - ::looks to Trel’lis and Falcon:: I might have something, but I can’t reach it to see. Can you tell what it is? ::wipes his bloodied hand on his uniform as he realized the issue:: I c-can lift you or one of you can lift me. Whatever works.::Kaitlyn pushed against the wall, and found that her legs were finally ready to carry her. She started moving across the bridge, giving her temple a test touch; not nearly as bad as before. Before she could reply to Taelon, Shadonna spoke up.:: Shadonna: ::eyes snap toward Taelon, stands quickly:: I'll do it. Trel’lis: That’s quite alright. We can – Shadonna: ::reddens slightly, clears her throat:: N-no, please, I want to help. ::takes a deep breath:: Please...I'd like to help. I wasn't injured when the shuttle was attacked and...besides ::holds up her hands, fans her twenty four fingers with a small smile:: I'm pretty dexterous... Taelon: Okay. Be careful - whatever it is, it’s sharp. It feels like a panel that’s rusted through.Hobbs: ::His shoulders loosened, and he admitted a small smile.:: I suppose so.. Shadonna: ::turns to Hobbs, she patted his shoulder in awkward affection:: I'll be extra careful. ::quietly:: I want to do this...if I can help...I should...right? Trel’lis: Thank you Lady Shadonna. This is much appreciated.::It was certainly unexpected. Not really the image Kaitlyn had about the woman on hearing her through the [...]pit door. If she wanted to help…::Falcon: If you’re sure… Shadonna: ::a deep breath, straightens, walks towards Taelon, nodding slightly:: I'm ready. Trel’lis: ::softly:: Something’s ‘changed her. And that a good thing.::Kaitlyn looked over to Trel’lis, giving a small nod. At least, Kaitlyn HOPED this was a good thing…::Trel’lis: ::to Falcon:: As soon as he’s successful, prepare for rather sudden *guests*, or should I say *thugs*?Falcon: ::Nods.:: Probably. I doubt they’ll WANT us to escape, after all. Trel’lis: If need be we use the element of surprise, appearing helpless then pouncing when the right time presents itself.::As hopeful a thought as that might be, Kaitlyn shook her head.::Falcon: I’m pretty sure that breaking ourselves out will kill any chances of us looking helpless. Hell, I’m surprised they haven’t come in here, already.::In fact… Why had they NOT come charging in? Was it possible they had no internal cameras to the brig?::::Wishful thinking… NOT something they should be relying on.:: Trel’lis: My security/tactical training has me prepared for close-quarters combat, with a bit of martial arts thrown in.::Fair enough, though there was something Trel’lis would lack in a fight, or rather something that would hold her back.::::Starfleet Officers were trained to fight, trained to defend themselves, but they were not trained to kill.::::In this situation, they would be given no mercy, no quarter. They had to do the same.::::Of everyone there… Kaitlyn was pretty sure SHE was the only one who had dealt with the kind of fighting they were likely to encounter. Not that she particularly WANTED to kill anyone, at that particular moment, but if the need arose…::Falcon: True. That’s why I want you to stay with Shadonna and Hobbs. You’re their last line of defense. Zinna, back her up however you can.Taelon: I don’t have any real hand-to-hand training. ::His tone was a bit sheepish.:: I’ll try to stay with the Lady and Mister Hobbs.::Kaitlyn looked to him, giving a nod.::Falcon: That should work for the moment. I might have more for you, thought.Hobbs: What if they walk in on us?Falcon: Then I’ll make sure they don’t get a chance to do anything about it.::It was said with a strong degree of harsh certainty.:: Hobbs: I guess you’re right. ::He looked back to Shadonna.:: Are you ok up there? ::Hobbs moved closer to Taelon..:: Hobbs: Do you think this will work? Taelon: Honestly, I don’t know. I hope so. ::A piece of metal fell away from the wall as the diva got the panel open. Taelon adjusted his grip and looked up. Kaitlyn watched, checking if he needed any extra hands nearby.:: Taelon: W-::Kaitlyn could hear the crackle of energy, passing through Shadonna and Taelon in an instant. She rushed over to Taelon as Hobbs checked on Shadonna, but Taelon was back up in an instant.:: Hobbs: Lady Shadonna! Talk to me!Taelon: ::Pressing his fingers to Shadonna’s neck.:: Sorry, sorry - please be alright - where did it hit you? What did you touch?Shadonna: ?Taelon: Thank the goddesses. I'm so sorry, I didn't realize how degraded the emitter might be –::Taelon looked over his shoulder, Kaitlyn following his gaze to see the door to the hallway open. There was no sound from the hallway… which concerned Kaitlyn greatly.::::Yep… They knew that their captives were up to. And rather than try to stop them, they were looking to play…::::They should have known better what happened when Kaitlyn got out to play.::Taelon: What do we do now, sir? ::He looked to Falcon.:: How do we get the Commander back?::Well, the door was open. She had her opening.::::Kaitlyn’s stance was stronger than it had been for a good while, her fires relit. Her objectives were clear; get the civilians clear, find Theo, escape. Her eyes immediately shot to the others. The Kaitlyn they saw was… unfamiliar. She was neither the diplomatic Kaitlyn who showed up when needed, nor was she the standard snarky pilot.::Falcon: Trel’lis, Zinna, you’re with the civilians. Keep them protected as best as you can. Taelon, stick near them, but if you spot a console see what you can pull from it. Escape routes, FO’s location, some way to disable this fleatrap, anything. Plan to get the Commander back will depend on what information we can get.Falcon: I’ll take point. Trel’lis; if I fall, you’re in charge. Don’t wait for me. Get yourselves out of here. That’s an order.::Her tone made it clear that there would be no questioning of that order. If both she and Theo were lost, priority HAD to be given to the civilians.::Falcon: Is everyone ready and able to move? ::Her eyes softened ever so slightly as she looked to Taelon and Shadonna.:: You two okay?::Kaitlyn nodded, looking between her fellow officers.::Falcon: Grab weapons of opportunity as you can find them. Watch doors and intersections. ::Looking to Trel’lis.:: Anything additional?::While Kaitlyn did have her own experience with this sort of thing, much of which she could not talk about, she was well accustomed to working with a team. Trel’lis was her strongest backup when it came to the coming fight.::Falcon: Then let’s move. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=Lt Commander Kaitlyn FalconChief Helm OfficerStarbase 118 / U.S.S. AlbionF237507RF0=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

((Restaurant, Starbase 11)) ::Loleh sat alone at a tiny table located in the corner of the restaurant. The whole place had a quaint feel to it. There was a mixture of different cultures, which made sense as the restaurant specialized in serving famous dishes from different Federation worlds. Surprisingly, she had found a traditional Al-Leyan dish on the menu. Despite her instinct telling her not to try it, she couldn't help but get a taste of home. She specifically requested that they make it for a native. Similar to the Thai dishes on Earth, she found that most places replicated Al-Leyan dishes at a much lower spice level for non-natives. ::Before her, she held a PADD with an old book called "Night". It was dark and sad, but she found herself intrigued in learning more about Earth's dark history. The fact was most species had their own dark histories. Her own still lived in the idea of conformity. Of course, there was always their history with the Klingons as well. She took a sip of water and read as she waited for her food to arrive.:: Waitress: Excuse me, miss. Your food is ready! ::Loleh had not even noticed the woman approaching. She couldn't even smell the food before her, but she smiled just the same. Clearing her area for the dish, Loleh nodded to the woman.:: Rejock: Thank you. Is this made for my tastes? Waitress: Yes, they assured me it was much stronger than usual. Rejock: Thank you so much! ::As she took the first taste, she was happy to have it be almost exactly how she remembered it. Of course, her mind wandered back to the time that Lan had tried her food. :: Rejock: oO Oh Lan.. Oo ::It was then that it struck her. It couldn't possibly be! Was it her season? Already?! She had no desire to procreate, but if it was her season, it would only get worse. The problem was mating outside her species was frowned upon. Loleh never gave it much thought because she didn't see the need in mating. There were many others out there having children, why should she? But maybe that was about to change...:: TBC ----------------------- PNPC Lieutenant junior grade Loleh Rejock Science Officer- Astrophysicist USS Constitution-B as played by: Lieutenant Commander T'Mar First Officer USS Constitution-B Community History Team Co-Facilitator/Training Officer

((Holodeck 1, USS Darwin-A)):: Valdivia had initially meant to come back to Camelot, check how the population was doing against the dragon. He knew the creature was programmed not to attack the city itself, so they were mostly safe, but the simulation could have interesting points for every character involved. The city would go on. But would Lancelot or Gawain? Would any of the knights decide to take on the dragon? He wanted to know, but he would also feel bad going in without at least telling Varaan, whether he decided to join or not. Also, although that would be easily solvable, there was the matter of his knee. He didn't want to strain it, and while it wouldn't be necessary for his role as Merlin, it was certainly a risk. :::: So he ended opening a normal program, just a random mountain setting, where he could don his modding gauntlet to enjoy the environment. He summoned a platform, stood on it, and used the developer commands of the program to make it fly, so he could move around the recreated environment freely to find nice spots. He flew around, thinking on all that had happened recently. The captain's situation, and specially Iy's betrayal, hit hard on everyone onboard, and yet they had to move on with little opportunity for healing. For wasn't it a bit selfish to demand time for healing for everyone else when the captain had to still make nir process, yet ne personally brought the Darwin back home? :::: But everyone had their own processes. Valdivia was not a sentimental one. He was not hiding and crying over what had happened, nor was he even wanting to and resisting the urge. But it affected him in more subtle ways. He had seen three people he had never met onboard the Darwin already, possibly engineers on repairs, and he had had to resist the urge to scan them and confirm they were their apparent races and not J'naii hunters in hiding. ::COMPUTER: You have a request for holodeck access.Valdivia: Uh? From whom?:: With a movement of his hand he stopped his movement and turned the platform towards where he came. Which was actually a rather foolish movement as the computer would place the holodeck archway in a closer position and possibly orientation, too. The fact was he ahd no idea where it was. ::COMPUTER: Martha Williams, civilian.Valdivia: WHAT??? Granted.:: Martha Williams? She was here? She was the engineer that took the Mainardi project after Valdivia had rejoined Starfleet. But she was much more than that. While they had worked together, they had had a very involved relationship. He loved her deeply. Not in a forming a family and growing old together kind of way, but more in a local, passionate and burning way. Like a comet, passing each others lives from time to time, and enjoying every moment of it, and then saying goodbye, or more precisely 'until next time'. They both knew they could not be together for too long. He wanted to travel and explore. She resented the fact he had joined the military to do that. And she preferred to stay put and build new things, while Valdivia had spend his years in a static office looking out at the stars and checking the fleet news.. :::: The archway appeared in a plain and the doors hissed open. Valdivia slowly descended the platform, with his mouth open in surprise, not knowing what to do or say. ::Williams: Hey! Glad to see you.Valdivia: Glad to... yes, yes. Welcome aboard the Darwin! What are you...?Williams: Doing here? Just passing by.:: She laughed. He loved when she laughed, she was beautiful. And, of course, there was the humor on the answer. Passing by? The Darwin was not even in the same quadrant, there was literally nowhere in federation space that she could be going that had her passing by Outpost Unity. And yet, there she was. ::Williams: Are you still there? :: Valdivia finally snapped out of his surprise. ::Valdivia: Yes! Yes. But I'm still surprised. You could have told me.Williams: And missed this moment? No way!:: She towards the forest for a bit, and summoned her own modding gauntlet. Although with different focuses, one of the hobbies that joined them at the start was holoprogramming. He smiled seeing her violet bright one. ::Williams: A race?:: One thing Valdivia enjoyed, and had showed Martha back on Regulus III, was real time modding. He had the program running, and used modding tools and admin privileges on the fly to modify it. Just run around a forest, and then use a programmed motion to extend a tree, or move a branch into reach, create steps in front of him, move a body of water... on Regulus III they used to run freely through holodecks using this. ::Valdivia: I met an engineer used to run, and we designed a game where jhe would run through the forest and I tried to catch her. But jhe left some time ago... Well, anyway, not this time. I got hurt on the last mission.Williams: What happened?:: Valdivia sighed, and started walking towards the forest slowly. ::Valdivia: A lot...:: Valdivia proceeded to explain the mission. At least the non-confidential parts. And having to withhold information from her was a bit uncomfortable for him. But other than that, he opened to her again, after more than a year of just talking through subspace channels, and occcasionaly at that. ::Valdivia: But bottom line is, no running for a few days.((Flashback - CSO's office))R'Ven: Thank you. However there is another matter. . . . :: They had been discussing the officer situation onboard the Darwin, since after the events related to the Machine, R'Ven was uncomfortably thinking his position might be in doubt. Valdivia assured him that was not the case, and the Rodulan seemed to accept that. But if there was another matter, maybe not so much. ::R’Ven: . . . You have injured your knee. Have you sought medical attention?:: The question disconcerted Valdivia for a moment. What had the knee to do with anything? It took him a couple of seconds to realize he was only showing his worry for a fellow officer. ::Valdivia: Yes, and yes. I dislocated it when we were hit. And I had Doctor Pond tend to it.:: When the Rodulan looked back into his eyes Valdivia realized he had been looking at the injured knee. Did his transformation (for lack of a better word) give him better senses? It was worth studying, at some point. But, excited as he was to study him, Valdivia wanted to make an effort to avoid having R'Ven feeling like a lab specimen. :: R’Ven: I would expect that you have been given the requisite pain relievers for your injuries?:: Valdivia: Yes, indeed. R’Ven: Excellent. Under Doctor Pond's ministrations I am sure that you will have a short recovery time. :: Valdivia offered a warm smile. Lately R'Ven had been a bit distant, one could say even hostile towards Lambert at first. Now he knew why, and R'Ven was even approaching again. Valdivia, as the Chief Science Officer, felt a weight being lifted off the department's shoulders. :: Valdivia: Yes. Relative rest during this Shore Leave and it should be good. Thanks for asking. :: That gave the conversation for closed, and R'Ven stood, ready to leave. :: R’Ven: Well sir, unless you have something else for me I will take my leave. Valdivia: Not, that will be all. And thanks for coming to me with this. Enjoy the shore leave. ((End Flashback)) Valdivia: So... maybe a quieter plan? Computer, set simulation to night time. Williams: I think I like where this is going... TBC Lieutenant John Valdivia - Chief Science Officer - USS Darwin NCC-99312-A PotW facilitator D238701JV0

((Corridors just outside the Intel offices)) ::Outside the intel office sector, officers and crew members alike were roaming the corridors, weaving past each other as they tried to reach their destination. Akoni was surprised that she had yet to bump into anyone as officers zipped past her in speeds that could be considered reckless. As she rounded a corner, she found that most of the holodecks were unoccupied, as determined by the green light that hung above most of the sliding doors. The final door at the end of the hallway would do, since people would probably avoid accidentally entering her holodeck if there were plenty of rooms before it without people in it. Today, Akoni decided to visit a more nostalgic part of her mind.:: Soriano: Computer, take me to E’Nicia Baxu on Tandar Prime, Soriano cabin residence. Computer: Generating. ::Flatlands stretched for as far as the holodeck would stretch. The graphics had come a long way since the first release before Akoni joined the academy, but even then, the edge where the deck ended fizzed and swayed as it tried to create the illusion that the forest was infinite. Akoni casually strolled toward the house suspended in the trees. Luckily, there was hardly any wild Boka-grass near her cabin for the hot season, making walking off the path easy. She gracefully navigated around the few weeds and thorns that surrounded the base of the trees.:: ::A ramp ascended up into two strongly rooted trees, leading up to two suspended cones that represented her comfortable stay. She often surprised herself with how relaxed she was, especially with mild acrophobia as the ground became further away. The ramp eventually transformed into steps, forming a jagged and curved staircase. Akoni walked up the steps, hanging onto the rail to steady herself on the ascent. At the top of the walk, she could see the the steady sea of trees that stretched for miles. Without hills or mountains in her area, and with the way the trees swayed in the breeze, the green leafy tops could almost pass for rippling waves, like the algae seas of Terre.:: Esperon: Hello? Is someone there? ::Akoni turned away from the scenic view and down to the ground. An old woman wandered around on the path just in front of the cabin. Akoni smiled to herself, immediately recognizing the hand stitched tan poncho draped over her shoulders, the worn leather shoes, and even the thick wooden cane she used to navigate around the Boka-brush. She walked noiselessly down the ramp and extended a hand towards the old woman. THWACK!:: Esperon: Don’t you touch me, you damned heathen! Soriano: Takakarai, it’s me! ::she shouted, holding up her hands in surrender as the woman raised her cane to strike again.:: ::The short woman squinted her eyes at her, poking her in the side once more and chuckling.:: Esperon: Akoni, my child! ::Her smile suddenly dropped.:: How many times have I told you NOT to sneak up on a poor, nearly blind woman? ::Akoni ducked her head, rubbing at her arm and side. Surely she would have bruises later on. Her eyes widened momentarily as she realized, this was only a materialized projection.:: oO Hurt pretty bad for a hologram. The computer must be reading my mind pretty accurately to make such a perfect version of old Kaki. Oo Esperon: ...Well? ::She asked impatiently.:: oO Too perfect. Oo Soriano: Oh, sorry Kaki. It’s been a while. Esperon: ::nodding:: That it has. Walk with me. ::She turned away back down the path without waiting for Akoni to follow. ::Akoni took one last glance at her secondary home, wondering what this computer simulation had in mind. oO My mind. Oo ::She jogged a couple of steps to catch up with her old mentor and inspiration. As usual, Takakarai was the first to speak, never leaving room for silence, which she so very much hated.:: Esperon: You’ve gained some weight. Soriano: ::She rolled her eyes, unfazed by the criticism.:: I’ve been working desk jobs lately. Esperon: I can see that. ::Her eyes squinted back at her, even though the trees overhead blocked out most of the light. She was studying her again.:: You’re not happy. ::Akoni tilted her head and frowned. Unhappy? She had just moved to another position and made a new friend, though Ezirah would surely disagree.:: Soriano: No I’m not. My new position may be a little more boring that I expected, but I’ve only just started. This IS to be expected. Esperon: No, no, ::she shook her head, continuing to hobble along the trail,:: this isn’t about your job. This is about a person. I’ve seen this look in your face before, when you had that fight with the angry Vulcan. Soriano: ::sighing:: Selar doesn’t get angry, that’s just the way he looks all the time. And it wasn’t a fight. We had a serious disagreement. Esperon: So a fight. ::She held up her free hand as Akoni opened her mouth to protest.:: You were upset because for once, you had a, ugh, “disagreement” with someone who was more knowledgeable than you. Soriano: I wouldn’t say more knowle- ::THWACK!:: Soriano: OW! Esperon: ::Shaking her cane:: Don’t interrupt me! ::She continued on.:: You expected him to take your side on the argument, but he took the other side. You didn’t think that someone who had labeled themselves as your friend would become a foe in that moment. ::Akoni nodded, waiting for her to go on. She wanted to speak out and deny it, but doing so would earn her another smack from the cane.:: oO And the Gods know that I’m not fast enough to dodge her well aimed hits. Oo Esperon: There is another like the Vulcan. ::Akoni mulled over the statement. She knew who the old woman was talking about. Prendar, the main reason for her department change and increase in anxiety. A counselor was out of the picture since she knew that any mention of her involvement with the government official would involve more people knowing. There wasn’t anyone that she could confide in about the subject… except of course for the woman next to her.:: Soriano: His name is Thomas Prendar. ::Old Kaki hmm’d.:: He works with the United Federation government. We met each other over an interrogation after our mission back in time. Esperon: An official? During an interrogation? Hm. Soriano: Well, the interrogation was more like a meeting. ::She corrected.:: He made it clear that he was only there to stop a criminal. Esperon: I was not aware that the Federation housed criminals. Soriano: But, it’s Commander Sinda! Yes, she frightened me at first, but after that encounter, I saw that she wasn’t here to hurt the crew. Her job in security is to protect the crew of the Constitution, and she has proved as much time and time again. She committed some acts of violence in her past, but most people from security grew up in troubled conditions. Esperon: A redeemed criminal, then. Soriano:: ::nodding her head:: I suppose, yeah. Esperon: And? ::She prodded.:: Soriano:: ::pausing:: And what? Esperon: This story seems rather short to have you so distressed. Enough to make you change your career. ::Akoni turned her head to Takakarai, but the short woman would not meet her gaze.:: Soriano: We had a couple exchanges after that. I needed some information that he had, and in return, he wanted… assurance that I would do any favor he asked, when he so needed. Esperon: Sounds like a keeper ::she snorted.:: This man seems to enjoy the power he wields. Power and knowledge ::she jutted her chin towards Akoni,:: over you. ::She sighed, coming to a stop on the dirt path. She wobbled around to face Akoni, her eyes no longer squinting, but soft, portraying her worry.:: Esperon: I am old, but I’ve had plenty of time to do what I enjoy, and learn from what I didn’t. ::She raised a scraggly brow at her.:: I remember when you came to me, after that little stunt you pulled with the Vulcan. ::She began mumbling:: Trying to steal my lab supplies for your personal interest. Expensive materials too! ::She blinked, coming back to the present moment.:: You wanted to learn more about the world of discovery. I was still angry from before, but after showing you a thing or two with the telescope, I could see the excitement shine through you. I’ve seen you grow from being a child into the young woman you are now. I’ve seen your face light up upon finding new truths and discoveries, and I’ve seen the shadows fall across your mind when others had put you down and shamed your passions. ::She looked over Akoni’s shoulder into the trees and sneered.:: Esperon: Particularly your parents. Damned fools they are. ::She inhaled through her nose. Leaning her cane onto a tree, she hobbled back over to Akoni, clasping her pale hands within her own age-worn ones.:: Do not let your fear of being different or fear of others deter you from your path. Trust what is right and what you love. You will find times when running may seem easier than what lies ahead of you, ::she chuckled:: but I’ve never known a Soriano to be weak in the knees. ::She released her hands and grabbed her cane, pulling it around to her front to lean on with both hands.:: Esperon: Do what makes you happy. Do what is right. Pursue your own purpose, and you will never be lost on the path you choose. ::The branches rustled behind Akoni, startling her into watching a small woodland creature scurry back into the Boka-brush. When she returned her focus to her front, she found herself alone on the dirt path. She sighed, figuring that her mind would want the encounter to be as dramatic as possible. She looked up into the sky, seeing that the sun was still at high noon. Nighttime was still far away. She flexed her feet within her regulation shoes, and turned back to go to her cabin in the woods to mull over her subconscious Takakarai’s words.:: Ensign Akoni Soriano Intelligence Officer USS Constitution-B C239210AS0

Gestures, in love, are incomparably more attractive, effective and valuable than words.~ Francois Rabelais(( Trill - Laxyn Residence )) :: Time was one of the few things one never had enough of. One of the things that one needed more of, no matter what. But sometimes there was too much time and there was no way to fill a cosmic time account balance and use it for later. If so Jalana would have some extra hours on it now to use on something important. :::: The silence in the room was eerie. At some point her mind had turned off the receptors for the steady beep coming from the life-signs scanner monitoring her father in his sleep. Strong and in exact intervals, just like its owner. It had become a background noise and then it was gone. Not really, just not heard any more. She waited now for him to wake up, after having slept a couple of hours. Her own tiredness wasn't important in the light of her worry for the man who looked so tiny in the king sized canopy bed. :: :: A moan drew her attention to the source. He was waking up. Steps hurried closer and to nobody's surprise her mother entered the room, looking to the bed first and then to Jalana. She nodded to her mother, who then walked over to her husband sitting down at the edge, while Jalana stepped to the medical equipment on the other side of the bed, checking for all the details which were streaming in now that his body began to return to consciousness. :: Caline: Hey. :: Her mother's voice sounded soft and warm, as if she didn't want to overwhelm her husband with a sound too loud for him. Jalana smiled slightly, she had seen that almost every time when a loved one woke up in sick bay or a hospital. :: Vivan: Caline. ::There was a pause.:: Why am I home? Rajel: ::Turning towards the bed.:: Because I told mom to bring you here. :: His head jumped around so fast, she thought he'd become dizzy from the motion. His gray eyes stared at her as if he'd seen a ghost, then it whipped around again to look at his wife. :: Vivan: What is she doing here?:: A dagger sliced through her heart as he asked the question. Not even to her, but her mother. He did not even do that? :: Caline: She is our daughter, and she is the best doctor we know. Vivan: Pah! Caline: She dropped everything the moment I called her.Vivan: ::grumbling:: Should have stayed where she was. :: The older redhead looked up to Jalana, her eyes full of sadness and the attempt to apologize for his behaviour as she had done the rare times Jalana had been able to talk with her ever since her father had kicked her out. The younger Trill just nodded slightly. She knew her mom tried, but he was just pig headed. No doubt where Jalana had gotten that tendency from. :: Rajel: I'm here to make sure, that you'll get better. :: He did not say a word. :: I can do that without you talking with me, but it'll just lead to me having to stay longer than you want me to be here. So talking with me would be -Vivan: You still talk to much. Rajel: ::smirking:: See that wasn't hard. Now let's see how you are doing, shall we? (( Timeskip )) :: After that little intermezzo with her father -in which he had spoken more words to her than in the last 10 years combined- Jalana had taken the results with her and let him get some breakfast and talk with her mother. The results looked good and the doctors who had done the first response and first treatment had done well to make sure he was stable. Seeing this she would not have to come here, he had been in good hands. But she knew how scared her mother had been and still was. So she didn't regret coming at all. :: :: When she heard her mother leave his bedroom next door, she gave him a few more minutes and then decided to return to the lion's den to have the doctor talk with him. Quietly she entered and saw him sit in his big chair at the window. He was fully dressed in suit, as she had always seen him in. He was a proud man, who didn't want anyone to see him in his sleeping garb, not even his family. The silence was deafening. And Jalana had the intention of popping that bubble. :: Rajel: How are you feeling? :: For a while nothing happened and she believed he had decided to stop talking to her again, before he finally spoke, but not in the way she had expected. :: Vivan: Your mother said you are a Starfleet Captain now. :: She looked over to him and nodded, before realizing he couldn't see it. :: Rajel: Yes. Vivan: What about your... dream. Being a doctor. Rajel: I am. I was Chief Medical officer, earned my doctor degree and Starfleet thought I was the right person to command a starship. ::Silence, for another minute.:: Vivan: And you left your ship, because of me. :: There was no way to say it any differently. And one didn't lie in this house. Ever. :: Rajel: Yes. :: When he did not say any more, she walked over to him and pulled a chair from her mother's vanity, to sit down next to her father at the window. There she sat in silence with him, giving him time to mull things over in his head. :: Vivan: How is it? :: The question came so sudden that it felt like a gunshot. :: Rajel: How is what? :: He turned his head and looked at her, for the first time in many years, without the usual obvious disgust and disappointment. :: Vivan: To be joined. ::he paused:: Your mother told me. :: She couldn't hold back the smile. She was the first in her family to be joined, no matter how far back one would go in the Laxyn family tree, nobody had done that. It was something to be proud of, and she was. It felt good to see him show interest in something she did or had achieved. :: Rajel: Exciting, overwhelming, fascinating, fantastic, scary... everything at once. I have so many memories that I know are not mine, but they feel like they are. I still get that confused sometimes. :: He was quiet again, before he reached to the little table on his right and took a book from it. She recognized it immediately. It was one of hers, no Olen's. And it was not one of these dreaded fiction works that ruined his life, no. It was one of his early works. :: Vivan: When your mother told me your name, I remembered I had this. Is that the same Rajel? :: She took the book he held out to her and gingerly held it in her fingers, her fingertips brushing over the worn leather. It was old, so old. And it was in great shape, obviously taken care of. Her dad had such a big library that she had never seen all of his books. She had no idea that he even owned this. :: Rajel: Yes. He was the first host. ::She remembered how much these books had meant to Olen, how painful it had been to have to let go, to write something he never liked to earn a living and to then be awarded for that hated work. So much pain - She raised her eyes to look at her dad.:: The first of Six before me.Vivan: That is a lot of memories. ::As she handed the book back to him, he put a hand on the top of it and pushed it back.:: Keep it. It's yours, you should have a piece of your lives. :: Speechless about that gesture she looked at him, only seeing a blur through the veil that lowered over her eyes. Her throat closed up and she had to bite her lip to keep it from quivering. Jalana reached out and put her hand on his, covering it as she squeezed gently. No words in the galaxy would have expressed how much this small gesture meant to her, how it washed over the mine field of hurt and rejection that had built up between them in the last decade, soothing the soil which had been turned to ashes in the wildfire. :: :: Maybe not all was lost. :: :: Maybe. :: -----Captain Jalana RajelCommanding OfficerUSS Constitution BImage Team FacilitatorA238906JL0

((Deck 11, Security offices, USS Darwin – A, On route to Outpost Unity)) ::The mission was over.. well the ‘recover the Captain’ one was anyway, it was something that was always a little awkward for the Assistant Security Chief, trained as he had been to view everything he did as almost a mission in its self. His Boot Camp Sargent always maintained that there was only ever one mission, and that was ‘Yourself’. If you worked that mission to your full ability then wherever you were or whatever you were tasked to do made little difference, as ‘Your’ mission meant the rest would fall into place. So as it was they had returned from the ‘Rescue the Captain’, then had become involved in the de-booby trapping of the Darwin, all the explosives had been returned to the Armory and all of theirs and the borrowed ones from the Outpost had been accounted for. In addition the extra cargo netting and wires and buckets, along with the small bulkhead magnets were placed back into the cargo manifests… which brought a chuckle to him at the expense of Karami the Bactrican quartermaster:: Logan oO I wonder how she’s managing to record them, mono filament wire, cargo netting,…buckets…!!!! ….. ha ha ha. Good job we didn’t tell her it’s for dumping water on an enemy boarder Oo ::As traps went … it was a little primate more along the lines of a child’s prank, but when stopping or slowing an enemy soldier any advantage is a good one …. Especially if it also had soap in it wonderful for stinging the eyes:: Logan ::Picking up a PADD and making a note:: oO Must remember to get some more when on Unity, Fulp the Lurian merchant has some good ones that sting well Oo it brought another chuckle to him thinking of Karami logging them as …. Liquid soap ???? Oo ::The irony was that Kurt hated pranks, he had had his fair share directed his way before ……. An understanding was reached … to leave him out of it, he considered them somewhat unfunny and a complete waste of time, still he liked to hear of as many as he could to add to his collection in case such things could be adapted for a better use:: Logan ::Tapping his Comm badge:: oO Now that the ship is clear, I’d better inform the Engineering before I have Engineers battering Security for taking its time Oo =/\=Lieutenant Logan to Commander Varaan =/\= Varaan =/\= Go ahead, lieutenant. =/\= ::The background noise indicated the Darwin’s Chief Engineer was in main engineering right next to the warp core:: Logan =/\= Sir, just to inform you Security has swept the Darwin and it’s all clear, your Engineers can work unhindered =/\= ::In reality this Conversation wasn’t strictly necessary as the Vulcans Engineering teams had moved into the areas as the Security had cleared the section’s, but ‘The mission is Yourself’, he had said he would let the Commander Know so he would let him know plus if he didn’t then he would have him contacting Security instead:: Logan oO Much easier this way Oo Varaan =/\= Thank you, lieutenant. =/\= Logan =/\= Pleasure Commander, and the Security Officers are on standby by if you require extra maintenance personnel =/\= ::Kurt had made the offer while they were both in sickbay Commander Varaan had indicated that they probably not needed, but he offered again to indicate they were there if needed:: Varaan =/\= Again, thank you, Mr. Logan. However, that will not be necessary. =/\= Logan =/\= Understood Sir, Logan out =/\= ::Picking up one of the myriad PADD’s on his desk Kurt deleted the first line of the to do list, the list extended several pages:: Logan oO Wonderful, oh yes here’s your new rank and position, you’ll find rank has it’s privilege…. Yeah the privilege of knowing how to write a report that’s more than two paragraphs long … oh yes some privilege …. So what’s next on the list..Oo Logan: Talk to Ensign Watkins , and Petty Officer Cardin re Commander Icavoc … what ??? ::Checking the entry, as he didn’t remember putting that down at all, Kurt found that it was a request filed to him by the two named. The Commanders injury was no secret, the ins and outs of it were, but the fact he had no hand wasn’t difficult to find out as he had talked to each member of the Security and Tactical department before their confrontation with the J’naii ship, but what could they want. The Computer verified that they were both still at their desks within the reception area of the Security section. Picking up several PADD’s Kurt headed for the door:: Logan oO I have to head elsewhere anyway so I’ll talk to them outside Oo ::The reception area was empty other than Ensign Watkins who was the first port of call for anyone walking into the section who could then be directed to whoever they wished to see, the medium build five foot eight dark haired Ensign looked up as Kurt walked into his field of vision:: Watkins: Sir ::Like Kurt he had grown up on a colony world, unlike Kurt it had not been cut off from the rest of the federation due to oversight and lack of records but had remained a part of the ever expanding Federation canvas of space. The faintest hint of a dialect sounded through his words, not as pronounced as when Dr Cook got excited and his Scottish heritage made every words different while simultaneously gargling with nails:: Cardin: Sir ::The Petty Officers voice also acknowledged his presence, the Ops Seconded personal assistant come proof reader, alarm clock, diary and walking knowledge bank of protocols was sat at a desk in the corner, well in truth any place would have been in the corner given the shape of the area. The reception area had not been designed to accommodate two people for any length of time, so at least for now she would have to make do. Today she had her dark brown hair loose which being just longer than shoulder length framed her face as she looked up. It had been good to know that she hadn’t been injured in any of the confrontations they had had recently she was……:: Logan oO ….. To good an Officer to loose yes that was it too good to loose Oo Watkins: Can we help Sir? Logan: urm… Yes, yes this message that you sent regarding Commander Icavoc’s injury ? ::Officer Cardin stood from behind her desk and walked over to stand beside the Ensign:: Watkins: Well sir, we heard of the Commanders injury, and after looking up … well … that he… is … Cardin: Basically a tree ::It was a thing he liked about the Petty Officer, she was smart, singularly brilliant at what she did, good looking and straight forward with the ability to say things as they were without them sounding offensive:: Cardin: So the whole team put their heads together to get the Commander a present so to speak Watkins: Nodding he bent down and retrieved a small box from the desk draw and placed it on the desk top, lifting the lid off it revealed a pair of mid forearm type gloves:: Their fire resistant sir while still retaining full tactile use, consoles… PADD’s etc ::Kurt picked one of the gloves up feeling how lightweight it was:: Cardin: The team thought it would help bring him back sir Logan:: A broad smile crossed his face:: These are a brilliant idea, only one thing missing ::Looking at the two now puzzled faces looking at him :: Get everyone from both sections to put their names on a card the Commander deserves to know how everyone feels, once that’s done then we shall present it to him. ::Leaving the two Officers to arrange that Kurt headed out towards the Turbolift and his next item the Shuttlecraft Cristobal:: ((Deck 8, Main Shuttle Bay)) ::Despite the damage to the ship the Main Shuttle bay had remained pretty much undamaged, leading to the bay being also used as a small storage area for equipment to be used both inside the ship but also readied to be ferried outside once the ship dropped out of slipstream drive and arrived back at the Outpost. As an almost nod to Commander Icavoc’s injury several wall mounted screens had blown out which also made the undamaged bay feel a little surreal. Laying his hand a bulkhead just inside the door Kurt looked around the bay:: Logan: I bet you’d like to get back to what your built for wouldn’t you where the only danger comes from binary stars, and the only damage is me trying to punch hole in a bulkhead…. You and me both….. ::Giving the wall a small pat headed of towards one of the two type 11 Shuttle’s they had on board, the Cristobal other than being moved from where it had landed after returning with the Captain, and having the extra weapons and equipment removed, was untouched. Activating the door Kurt stepped inside and sat on the pilot’s seat placing his PADD’s onto the co-pilots seat in the unlit cockpit, the light from the Shuttlebay was sufficient to see by but Kurt wasn’t here to sit and admire the view, running his hands over the console in front of him he powered up the internal systems. Shuttles were a ubiquitous part of federation life and as such there were few people who couldn’t fly one as the basic controls were the same for starship runabouts, Shuttlecraft, civilian shuttle craft even starships themselves, however that’s where the similarities ended the basic controls maybe the same, idiot proof was how one instructor had mentioned, there was a big difference between being able to fly one from A to B to just get there and do a Shayne or Varaan with one. Kurt was the former, yes he had flown Marine drop ships, but after being told that although they had the name of drop ships didn’t mean that you flew them as such and dropped them to the ground from any height he had tried as a combat pilot for close in fight support….. and the less said about his Commanding Officers missing top floor of his house the better:: ::Operating the internal systems of the Shuttle had little chance of doing anything quite as drastic as that, as the consoles came to life and began to light up the internal lights flicked on. Knowing that they would be seen from the control booth and any power activation whether visible or not would show on the booth’s control panels Kurt reached over and activated the Comm circuit:: Logan =/\= Lieutenant Logan, Shuttle craft Cristobal to Shuttlebay control =/\= Control =/\= Control Here Lieutenant, you’re on the order list for a shuttle Sir =/\= ::Kurt could almost see the concentration as the control officer tried to find the words to tell a senior officer that he wasn’t due for that shuttle, not letting the duty officer wait Kurt signalled back:: Logan =/\=Correct control, I’m not taking the Shuttle out but downloading logs from the internal systems, will inform you when I’ve finished and powered down the shuttle =/\= Control =/\= Understood Lieutenant, Control out =/\= ::Pulling up the logs Kurt found the only activation was there’s which made things easier, the internal records only started from when they were already seated in the Shuttle and he had given Dr Pond the screamer for her to use. Copying everything from the internal computer storage Kurt moved to the back where the seating was a little more comfy and finalised his away team report adding the internal and external sensor data to it. Re reading it to verify he had left nothing out Kurt uploaded it to the Main Computer and sent it to Commander Icavoc for his operational reviews, he had no doubt that it would be returned needing alterations and amendments but at least for now that was another thing of his to do list, but as soon as he did that another thing went on it… personnel reviews as his Department Chief was still off duty the after action performance reviews would also need to be done by him. Between his to do list and the investigation of the death of Lieutenant Janel Tarna Kurt wasn’t sure how much shore leave would be have:: Lieutenant Jg Kurt Logan - Assistant Security Chief USS Darwin, NCC - 99312 - A E239203KLOHY

((Deck 7, Shayne's Quarters, USS Darwin-A)) ::The room would be considered chilly by most humans, downright frigid by Vulcans, and almost seasonal to Andorians. He liked it cold. It seemed that the temperature of his surroundings was directly proportional to his ever-temperamental stomach. The hotter he was, the more uncomfortable he felt.:: ::His quarters were spartan. Small things that no one else would recognize decorated the room here and there. A framed patch collection, cultivated over the years, hung on the wall. A small table stood near the chair in which he now reclined. Upon it, a pyramid shaped candle, and a stack of subtle incense burned. A velvet-lined case lay open upon it as well.:: ::The robes were bulky, but comfortable and dignified. As he sat, staring at the stars out the porthole, his fingers caressed his flute. The smooth wooden finish felt good in his hands. He'd had it specially modified so that it could play a wider range of notes. The melody was slow, and mystical, and sad, and wonderful. No sheet music sat before him, and he hadn't memorized anything. The music came from him. From the heart. He didn't know where he was going with it, and he had no interest in remembering it as he went along. There wasn't a present, or a past, or a future. He just was. The world was, at least temporarily, small, and static, and peaceful.:: ::He really wished they hadn't had to leave nem. It wasn't for Iy's sake. As far as Shayne was concerned, the mutinous, traitorous, feckless pile of targ gosa could rot in the lowest corner of the underworld. So then why did he feel so torn about leaving nem? It was obvious that he hated what his martial arts mentor had turned out to be, and was grateful that he hadn't exactly been friends with nem. But you'd think that with all the technological excellence at their disposal, they could complete a rescue mission, even under those difficult conditions.:: ::His musings were cut short by a sudden rush of adrenaline. It surged through him, soiling his calm mood. His body involuntarily clenched. He swallowed hard, as his heart dropped as if he was in a free-falling turbolift. His limbs tingled in a most unpleasant way, and his face was scrunched. Clumsily, he lowered himself to his knees, where he jerkily leaned forward, inhaling some of the potent incense like his life depended on it. A single gasping weep escaped his lips as the full brunt of the anxiety attack washed over him. He was completely overwhelmed. Every one of his senses was confusedly urging him to run, to hide, to fight, to scream. Everything looked threatening, everything was a monster prepared to relieve him of his life. The more he tried to suppress his overactive imagination, the more graphic the images became. In his mind's eye, the bulkhead directly beside him ripped open with an ear-rending shriek of metal, and he watched as his perspective became that of the story playing out inside his mind. He found himself lifted, quickly and mercilessly, out of his quarters and into the godless cold of space. He tumbled and spun, his arms and legs flailing madly as he instinctively sought some purchase on dry, stable ground. The stars zoomed pass sickeningly quickly. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe!:: ::He couldn't hold back any longer. With an almighty retching sound, he gagged. The minimal, fluidic contents of his stomach came up and redecorated a small part of his carpeted floor. His face was beet red. The pressure that had been placed on the back of his eyes during the long, painful upchuck had broken several of his ocular blood vessels. He now had the vague appearance of an inebriated raccoon. But that was the last thing on his mind. Perhaps, perhaps, he might finally get some sleep. Exhaustion and sleep deprivation was one of the most unpleasant things he'd ever been forced to endure, as it seemed that it was occurring with some frequency nowadays. Maybe though, now that he was physically drained and mentally... broken, was as apt a word as any, he could...drift...:: ::Before he lost total consciousness, he moved himself to the recliner, where he collapsed, eyes closed before he'd even hit the fluffy pillows. The last thought he had before drifting off was that he should compose something for Isabel as soon as he could. He'd never done anything like it, but he was at the point where possible and impossible didn't mean a thing. He loved her. He would do it.:: TBC... Lieutenant Randal Shayne Helmsman USS Darwin NCC 99312-A G239202RS0

(( The Wagon Wheel, Deck 95, D2285 )) :: Having taken some time to debate whether he actually needed all the extra things he usually lined his belt and pockets with while on duty just for a quick trip to explore the local color of the starbase the Doyle-A had been assigned to, and successfully achieving a compromise that was far less straining for the plain black cargo pants he had chosen to don that day, Akeen had quickly maneuvered toward a destination he hoped would remind him of home - the one that moved through space, to be precise. A few polite inquiries with the members of the enlisted personnel he had spent some time with after having gotten everything in order upon arrival revealed a location that was disreputable enough, per Starfleet standards, at least, to make him want to scout it out and see who else from the exploration cruiser would want to spend some time there, if nothing else. It was way too early for him to take any steps toward doing anything with his contacts, but he had told his family onboard the Thanatok about where he was posted, which meant that, if he knew anything about the freighter's crew, anyone who wanted to do any form of business with him would definitely know where to find him. :: oO Here's hoping that I don't get any more work that has me beaming up beetle snuff through low-level ionic storms, Oo :: he mused, cringing visibly at the memory as he leaned against the bar waiting for the proprietor to make some time for him. Going to the Wagon Wheel had one more purpose: since the thaan wanted to know more about the people he would serve with for some time, at the very least, and he had heard some things about what they had gone through just before he had joined them, he was also curious about how his shipmates would react to being there... or whether any of them would even be there to begin with, come to think of it. Undoing one more button on his faded brown shirt, which probably matched the theme of the place and that of his new crewmates' previous conundrum, in retrospect, given the handful of strange looks he'd gotten before disembarking, he still gave off a barely-audible sigh; the extra ventilation appeared to be more of a help than the woven-in temperature regulators, but it still felt a bit too warm in there for his liking. :: Horace: What can I get you? Akeen: What Andorian ales do you have here? :: The bartender ostensibly moved to inspect his stock, but resumed his default position a bit too quick for the engineer's liking; as far as he was concerned, that had probably been some attempt at politeness, which he could have done without. :: Horace: We're fresh out, sorry. Can I get you anything else? Akeen: That should speak for the quality of your products. What do you recommend? Horace: We've got something special here. It's not for the faint-of-heart... :: He went to retrieve a long, spiral-necked bottle from one of the top shelves, pouring a small amount of dark, oily fluid in a shot glass. :: oO Your attempt at impressing the young new visitor is noted, Oo :: the aforementioned thought, both his features and his antennae betraying no shift in his mood, as he took the glass and brought it to his nose first, then to the twin appendages on his forehead. :: Akeen: Your kanar might have gone bad... :: He took a tentative sip, swirled it around his mouth, swallowed, then emptied what was left the same way. :: It hasn't, but it's dangerously close. How long have you had this? Kanar spoils extremely easily when stored under improper conditions. The glass stopper doesn't help, but it's *tradition*, :: he stated, weighing down the last word with no small amount of derision, :: and it seems traditional for Cardassians to kill with their drinks, without even needing to poison them. How long have you had this? Horace: We don't get a lot of Cardassians in here. Akeen: You're right, this isn't one of their regions of interest... Normally, I would recommend putting it in storage, but this is really interesting - the density suggests several years after completion, but the coloration makes it look like it's fresh out of the factory. Do you trust your supplier? What you have here is an insufficiently-distilled product, which enabled it to develop dangerous amounts of toxins over time. As it is, this thing can, probably, kill a Human or a Tellarite - I've seen it happen with one of my old crewmates in the Merchant Marine. oO He may or may not have simply consumed too much after finding out his seventh wife had also started cheating on him, having locked himself up in a room for several days, but that's neither here not there. oO I'm stationed on the USS Doyle-A - do you want me to take a small sample for analysis? Horace: No, thanks. You say you can drink it? Without getting sick, I mean? :: The Andorian suddenly felt the proverbial gears turning in his head as he eyed the bartender with some amount of curiosity. :: Akeen: Yes, probably due to my Aenar heritage, oO which is to say that my zhavey is the heavyweight in the family Oo. Several other species should be fine too, but I can't drink the whole bottle - you'll need to find some more willing customers over... no more than a week, maybe two. :: It wasn't the best ploy he could have come up with, but it was something - and, judging by the appearance of the publican, it was working. :: Horace: Nope. It's your problem now, partner. :: He took the bottle and offered it to him. :: With my compliments. :: Accepting it with a curt nod and what he made to appear to be a resigned shrug, the young engineer began scanning the tavern for places where he could enjoy the fruit of his labour. One nearby table quickly caught his attention due to its sole occupant, a diminutive Security lieutenant serving on the same vessel as he did. Not recognizing anyone else upon first glance, his long strides quickly brought him to her location, the sound of his heavy-looking, but quite comfortable work boots all but muffled by the surrounding din. :: Akeen: Good afternoon, Lieutenant. Would you like to share a drink? Bam: Bam Bam love drinks Bam Bam has lots of drinks. Bam Bam invites you to sit with Bam Bam. oO Well, someone's not joking, Oo :: the Andorian decided when he looked at the beverage selection his higher-ranked peer had gotten for herself. Several of them he couldn't even name and their combined scent, from up close, was a mixture worthy of the heady [...]tail of bodies in various degrees of cleanliness, spilled drinks, personal fragrances, garment materials and miscellaneous ingredients that made up the unique signature of the Wagon Wheel. He didn't dislike the end result, even if it did feel a bit overpowering. Akeen: I should warn you that it might be harmful, oO which is to say you risk a hangover worthy of the nastiest curses Oo, :: he added, not wanting to give himself away in case anyone had paid attention to his exchange with Horace. :: You should try a small amount first. If it doesn't disagree with you immediately, you should be safe. Bam: Bam Bam no care. Bam Bam like drinks. :: One of the Lieutenant's shots rushed down the proverbial drain and she was quick to provide it company with some of what he had brought to the table. In spite of not having been truly worried for her safety, the thaan was relieved to see that she didn't mind the density of the drink either; while it wasn't as treacly as the really young stuff, it was still thicker than what many sentients considered palatable. His antennae revealed that he was quietly impressed by the overall display as he reached for a glass of his own... just as he remembered that he hadn't brought any. :: Akeen: No side-effects, Sir? Excellent. One moment, please. It looks like I went ice fishing without an ushaan-tor. :: With his joke launched into the ether, he returned to the bar, hoping that he hadn't made a far too hasty retreat with his definitely-not-ill-gotten gains. Once there, he quickly spotted a pair of similar shot glasses in the general area where Horace had previously served him; dropping a satisfied nod in his direction, he retrieved them and returned to his shipmate, taking a seat in front of her. Since everything was taken care of, he filled one of the containers he'd obtained with a modicum of care and downed it in one fel gulp. :: Bam: Bam Bam wonder, why you choose this drink? Akeen: I didn't choose it, Lieutenant; our friend at the bar gave it to me. Humans have thousands of examples of initiation through trauma in every culture I've heard about; this might have been the case here as well. He couldn't have known that I was already familiar with kanar... :: He filled his shot glass again, emptying it without any hesitation. :: You see, before the Academy, I've spent a few years on a Merchant Marine freighter. We rendered aid to a Cardassian freighter in the Deneb sector - took us a couple of standard days, because it had taken a beating from a Nausicaan ship - and it wasn't easy, I assure you; everyone we could spare took shifts down there, because the temperature controls were also frinxed and, wouldn't you know it, even when we did get them back up it was still too hot for Andorians to work full shifts in their engine rooms. :: He chuckled mirthlessly at the memory; several people, himself included, had told his thavan to put in requisition requests for EV suits if he wanted them to pull stunts like those again. :: To make a long story short, however, we got it operational, nobody was hurt and the Gul treated us to quite a bit of kanar from his personal collection, along with insights on his people's culture, booze included... and a good few bottles for us to drink to his health in the future. On long journeys with few stops and little to spend on leisure, even strange alcohol is good alcohol. :: The Andorian paused, deciding not to go in any more detail unless prompted; the log of the Thanatok would confirm his story, of course, but the entire trading history between them and Gul Perak, who had hardly been ambushed for the self-sealing stem bolts he had ostentatiously been hauling at that time, was a different thing altogether. While he trusted the sly old redbat to make sure that nothing incriminating could link him to anyone in his family, himself included, it was still wise to do the same on his end as well. :: Akeen: What about you? I'm seeing drinks from seven different cultures on your end, and those are just the ones I think I can recognize. TBC Ensign Akeen th'Idrani Engineering Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-80221-A D239306AT0

(( Upper Promenade - Deep Space 285 )) :: With the JAG meeting completed, John pretty much had nothing else to do, which was a good thing because he wanted to take a look at all the cool things the future seemed to have. It was a very strange feeling, knowing everything that was going on around him, but being surprised when he encountered them. The turbolifts, the replicators (especially the replicators) and the strangest aliens he had ever seen. What was really mind boggling was the fact that he was clear across the galaxy and the star that Earth orbited could not even be seen! :: :: Leaning on the third tier of the massive promenade that inhabited the middle layers of the starbase, John surveyed the hundreds of people going about their daily lives. It was quite fascinating to watch them. The lizard memories were bugging him to keep moving and the old cowboy had a feeling this Nugra was not one for being idle. :: oO Well, you're gonna get used to it bud. Oo :: Movement caught his eye down below and a smile came to his face as he recognized the cute figure of Talia Kaji. Discovering that she was really an alien did not disturb him as he thought it would, he was just memorized by those eyes. He hoped she never brain scanned him by accident. Having access to the starfleet database on Rodulans gave him a quick scare. The young, dark skinned woman arrived with her child to another man of Asian descent and a burning feeling of hatred seared through his brain. His mind knew who the man was, but for some reason he did not know there was so much hate. :: :: Before he could stop himself, John Nugra made his way to the turbolift and descended to the second tier promenade. By the time he re-found Kyo Maeda, Talia had gone. The urge was impossible to resist as a extremely powerful, irresistible drive pushed him forward. The male Rodulan who turned to see him coming stepped aside as John fastened his fists in to the Asian man's uniform. :: Maeda: Hey! What are you--- :: That was all he got before John tipped him over the railing and threw him off the third tier 20 feet below. There was a quick scream and a splash. Both the Rodulan and John looked over to see Maeda sputtering and trying to swim out of the large reflecting pool that also housed a few plants and fish. The 8 foot pool had broken his fall. :: Damir: ::amused:: Good aim. Nugra: ::muttering:: I didn't know the pool was there. ~tbc~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mister John Nugra Civilian USS Doyle-A, NCC-80221-B Podcast Team Facilitator Deputy Commandant Captain's Council Magistrate Provisional Fleet JAG Officer Publicity Facilitator (Interim) V238008N10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

((Bridge, Deck 1 - USS Darwin-A)) ::Maxwell Traenor sat in the center chair of the bridge, thumbing across a PADD with idle attention. His mind wandered at times to his past, where he would have one of these data devices seemingly attached to his hand. A long career as a journeyman stellar cartographer had meant that he was used to perusing reams of scanned data and would carry one (or several) of these wherever he was - work, meals, the Promenade of whatever starbase he was stationed on, even to bed. As an older cadet at the Academy, he had carried one constantly, what with studying coming much more difficult for him than it did the youthful cadets with their still-plastic minds. Once he earned his commission and was assigned to first the Apollo, then the Darwin, his work in the Science department meant that he was able to carry on the well-honed tradition of having a PADD with him nearly everywhere he went.:: ::So now why did it feel so odd to him to be holding one now? As an executive officer, it meant that he never carried one on duty anymore. When he inhabited his office, doing any one of a myriad of administrative tasks, he used them, but they stayed on his desk when he left. Was that it? Did less than a year of change overcome a career, half a lifetime, of comfortable habit?:: ::Maxwell didn't think so. It was probably the subject matter on the PADD that involuntarily repelled him so. It was the umpteenth draft of a report for Renos when ne was returned to duty. How to tell nir superior officer, mentor, and friend of all he had done wrong by nem in the past several weeks? How does one write out in a dry report how he had nearly destroyed nir ship not once but twice? How to phrase how he had risked the lives of nir crew with death by combat, death by radiation poisoning, death by gravitic forces that could have rent the Darwin into atoms? How to express in a technical report that he had done so willingly, would do it all over again, would sacrifice his own life and all others if it meant saving nem?:: ::And that was the crux of the problem right there. Traenor had compromised his professionalism and good judgement time and again over the intervening weeks since Renos disappeared. He had made rash, drastic, poor choices, ignoring common sense and the advice of sounder minds. He had unnecessarily risked the Darwin and its crew over and again. He had lost his temper numerous times, subjected officers under his care to persecution. Basically, he had been a terrible commanding officer. "But there was success in the end. Does not the end justify the means?", a vestigial, contrarian remnant of his willful temper, kept alive by lack of sleep and emotional and physical breakdown, insisted on saying. The goal was to retrieve Renos, and Renos was retrieved. All was forgiven.:: ::Except that it wasn't. The Darwin was in rough shape. The crew was in worse shape. Renos was barely in any shape. The perpetrator who precipitated this whole ordeal, the deviant J'naii who had wormed nir way into their home and preyed on their goodwill until nir nefarious plan had come to fruition, Iy? Iy, who should have been brought before a Federation tribunal to face judgement for nir crimes? Ne was in absolutely no shape at all, unless you count accreting subatomic particles entering a nascent black hole a "shape". The return of Renos was barely a success, all contingent on how or if ne would recover. The rest? Abject failures, all due to his failure to lead effectively.:: ::Why? This was the question that Traenor kept asking himself. Why had it all gone wrong? Why had years of Starfleet training, Command training, vacated him so easily? He feared and hated the conclusion that his mind kept drifting back to. Renos. Not Renos his commanding officer, not even Renos his friend. No, the Renos he coveted intimately and not-so-secretively. Had his desire for Renos, his deep-seated fear of the loss of an intimacy that barely existed driven him half-mad and made him command in a fashion that he wouldn't have if that desire didn't exist? That was uncomfortably close to the truth, and Maxwell winced each time his thoughts drifted towards that chain of thinking, almost like a tongue probing gingerly at an abscessed tooth.:: ::There were plenty of reasons why he had avoided seeing Renos in Sickbay since ne first was retrieved. Hours-long conversations with Starfleet Command once they were in relay range took up a good chunk of time. Filling out reports and coordinating with the senior staff for departmental priorities was another. But, Maxwell would be lying if he said his conflicted feelings weren't a small part of it as well. He was ashamed that he had compromised his values and training so readily, and that if pressed he would admit to doing so again. Without the zig-zag pursuit of small slipstream jumps that had taken them weeks to follow, the return journey was so much more direct and shorter. That allowed Maxwell the justification of saying, "I'll visit nem once we get to Unity." He had even justified to nemself that the always private and composed Renos would not appreciate having visitors see nem in nir weakened and compromised state, and that it would be a disservice to visit nem and make nem uncomfortable in that fashion. It really was an amazing feat of the Human mind, how it was able to perform such mental gymnastics in order to twist the facts to fit a desired narrative.:: ::It was with all these thoughts in mind that when Traenor looked up at the whoosh of the turbolift doors to see who was reporting to the bridge, the only thing that hit the deckplates faster than his dropped PADD was his dropped jaw.:: Traenor: oO Renos?! What are you doing out of sickbay! Oo ::Not only out of sickbay, but fully bedecked in nir uniform. As if ne was returning to duty or some nonsense. Maxwell almost shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs of disbelief from his mind. He never in a million years expected to see Renos up and about this soon, let alone showing up on the bridge. Traenor jumped out of the center chair, feeling like a bandit who had been caught coveting that which was not his. He watched like a hawk as Renos gingerly crossed the bridge, and sat down in concert with Renos as ne took to the center chair for the first time in over a month. The entire time, Maxwell stared at Renos with an incredulous, questioning glare.:: Renos: So what have I missed? Traenor: ::in a quiet tone:: My first impression is to say, "The turn down the corridor that leads to your quarters for a well-deserved rest". ::with genuine concern:: No offense, Renos, but why are you here on the bridge? Renos: Well I am here… ::pause:: I am here to take us home! ::Traenor had already read the Away team's preliminary report. The report that had stated how delusional and disoriented Renos had been when they found nem, not to mention his emaciated state. He tried not to stare to overtly at Renos's physical changes, though the loss of nir luxurious long hair was a shock that Maxwell could barely comprehend. Sickened and angered anew at what Iy had subjected Renos to, he had to wonder if Renos was completely cured yet of those delusions and confusions ne had been afflicted with. Nir statement wasn't cause enough to doubt nem, but ne still seemed... off. Maxwell couldn't shake the fear that the Renos they had once knew had been compromised or changed by nir experiences.:: Renos: ::Sheepishly:: Where are we headed anyway? Traenor: We're on the final stretch of our slipstream jump back to Outpost Unity. We should be back within the hour. Renos: Excellent. Carry on then. Tell me about what you’re going to do with your shore leave when we get there. Traenor: I too have a desire to catch up with loved ones. If this experience has taught us anything, it's that life is too precious to let opportunities to speak with those close to you pass. ::Maxwell had caught Renos's glance at him when he spoke the phrase 'loved ones', the gleam in nir eye, and was shocked by the guilt and hesitation that it brought him. He had meant his family, his sister and his niece, though he could understand why Renos would think that it was a veiled reference to their complicated more-than-friendship. The look that Renos gave him had served to ratchet up a swirling confusion that was newly present in his mind, and he felt he couldn't match nir gaze easily for the rest of the short voyage back to Unity. It was almost a relief for the guilt-ridden first officer when their final approach took the attention of the bridge crew and directed it back to operational needs, and finally they were parked back in a stationary position above their home base.:: Renos: =/\= Shipwide announcement: The Darwin is now docked at Outpost Unity. We will be operating on skeleton crews for the next couple of weeks as shore leave has been granted. Go. Enjoy yourselves. You’re a wonderful, hard working crew and you’ve earned it. =/\= ::As soon as the ship was powered down and the stations locked, the rest of the bridge crew left to start their well-earned shore leave. Traenor rose at the same time as Renos, and fell in stride beside nem as they exited the bridge.:: Traenor: ::subconsciously avoiding direct eye contact:: You need your rest. A mission report and ship's progress can wait until after you've caught up on some sleep. Renos: I quite agree. There’s only one place I want to be right now and that is tucked up cozy in bed. Traenor: ::an uncertain pause, then blurting out:: We need to talk about so much. There's so much to say. I'm sure you have questions, and I do too, but now's not the time. But I need to know. Are you... you? Did they manage to... change you? ::Saying the word 'deviant' was impossible for Maxwell to do at this moment. He never really liked the word, thought it had a derogatory connotation, and considering what Renos had just gone through, thought doubly so now. The torture that Renos had gone through, simply because other J'naii wouldn't accept nem in nir natural state? It disgusted him to his core to think how narrow-minded and backwards the J'naii were.:: Renos: Gosh well… I don’t know honestly. I’ve barely had five minutes to gather my wits. Traenor: ::coughing in embarrassment at his earlier forward question:: Of course. I'm sorry. It was a thoughtless question. I've just been so worried for you. But with the tender ministrations of Drs Pond and Cook, as well as Mr Scudder, you'll be right as rain in no time. ::The cheerfulness that Maxwell affected was a little forced, but he wanted to be sure to impress upon Renos his full support and understanding, however or whatever form ne would need to recover from the devastating experience ne had been through. Their turbolift ride was short, and was nearing its stop.:: Renos: Sure. I’m just glad to be home. LtCmdr Maxwell Traenor - First Officer, USS Darwin NCC-99312-A =/\= Top Sims Contest Facilitator =/\= A239111MT0

((Bridge, Uss - Darwin)) Brell: =/\= I only have one other thing to say. This has destroyed your legacy and how we will all look at you in our minds. I can only think to ask one other thing, was there a point ever you thought of turning on your orders and begging the captain to shelter you instead? =/\= Iy: ::the J'naii looked contrite:: =/\= There is no point in lying. No, I was always steadfast in my ideals, in my mission to treat Renos. However, I never wanted nem to suffer through the process. Though ne has, it was against my wishes, and whatever regret I have is that I did not do more, sooner, to ease the pains Renos had to endure at the hands of my associate. I did learn to value the colleagues I had on the Darwin, and never wished any of you any harm either. If Renos had only been a true J'naii, there would have been no issue with the way nir career in Starfleet has progressed. Had ne willingly agreed to treatment, I might have even treated nem and released nem back to you in order to fulfill nir destiny in Starfleet as a reformed J'naii. I only hope that the essence of Renos hasn't been lost in this whole unfortunate ordeal. =/\= ::He stood there looking at the screen, again glad he could not aim a torpedo at nir ship even knowing ne was going to be ripped apart by the sheer gravimetric forces of that could either go quick or slow according to some theories.:: ::Things suddenly seemed different not right though he could not put his finger on, when he looked down and saw something his fingers did lay on. He looked about he wasn't at the ops console looking at Iy on the main viewscreen. He was sitting at the rear of the bridge looking at the smug traitor to them in a small subspace comm window on his screen. Ne had just said all that and was now laughing at him for thinking there was more to nim than J’naii brainwashing. That laughing seemed to ring all about him as if their were a dozen Iys all around him. First feeling overwhelmed by them suddenly he felt grim resolute and smirked as if he had just said something he thought was terribly funny. He tapped on those tempting buttons in front of him and launched all of the Darwin’s arsenal of torpedoes at the J’naii.:: Brell: How about now Iy? ::Laughing just as the J’naii had moments before.:: ::Just as suddenly he was now Iy on the that ship caught between two stars, the smells of charged high energy particle discharges meeting flesh hung in the air. Explosions echoed through the small ship. Remembering ne had just or Brell had just shot torpedoes at nim, ne looked down at the console. But there were none this time time just Traenor’s face saying.:: Traenor: =/\= Goodbye, Iy. =/\= ::And the rest of their faces ne had spent so much time with staring at nim, all heartbroken and betrayed until it came nothing but a blank screen. Then ne was alone. Didn’t they understand ne only was trying to help Renos be who ne was really supposed to be. That was clear as was all the justifications for doing so in nir mind.:: ::Suddenly he was himself again sitting at the ops console watching the sensor data of the the J’naii ship succumbing to it’s fate. He looked up towards the center of the bridge just as he remembered only instead of the command center stood Iy in nir recruits uniform, neither smiling or scowling as always. Suddenly Nir feet were sucked up toward the ceiling stretched as if made of seaweed noodles elongating more and more. Ne screamed and Brell could not move as if he were frozen. Ne grabbed at the ground shrieking as nir body was stretched into a stand sucked through an invisible tiny hole bit by bit.:: ((Brell’s Family Quarters, Deck 6, Uss Darwin-A)) ::He awoke in cold sweat and breathing heavily. The husky Bolain sat up and tossed off his dampened blanket, his mind racing with the dark images of the dream he just had. The events of that day were weighing on him more than he expected. As much as he was glad they were not aboard he wished he could check in on the twins right now. Their little blue faces made this whole crazy galaxy they lived in seem worth all the good that never seems to outweigh the bad.:: Brell: Computer. time? Computer: The time is 01:23 hours. ::He groaned then swung his legs over the edge of the bed and decided to just stay awake for awhile. Standing with a tired grunt he wished he had not tried to sleep at all. He walked into the twin’s empty room, looking down at the crib and toys the family kept here versus their apartment on unity. Without the two infants in it the room seemed large and empty.:: Brell: oO Will be there with them soon. Oo :: He went into the sitting room the light from the seaweed tank in the small kitchen filled the room eerie greenish blue light. Normally this reminded him of home but right now it only reminded him of how empty his quarters were. The Bolian though a long serving member of Starfleet did not like to be alone. It had been easier for him in his younger days before he had family of his own. No this simply would not do, he knew he needed to seek out some company even if it was a longshot anyone he would know was awake at this hour. After a sonic shower and change into fresh clothing he set off for Natural Selections.:: =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\= Lt. Brell, Systems Specialist, Uss Darwin, NCC-99312-A PotW Co-Facilitator - Training Team - Graphics Team E239109B10 =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=

(( Flynn's Beach House - Little Risa - Starbase 118 Commercial Sector )) Larson: How's the water? Trel'lis: Very refreshing and cool! Larson: :: Smiling. :: Sounds like I need to start being in the water then. Larson: Do we know what kind of break it is here? Trel'lis: I think Mister Fynn would know that better than any of us, to be honest. ::shrugs:: Whittaker: :: to the group :: Ahoy there! Trel'lis: Ahoy there too, Commander! :: Looking up at the sound the voice she noticed the XO standing up to his ankles in the water. :: Larson: Commander. Whittaker: :: genially :: How goes the surfing? Larson: :: Grinning. :: I think I'll take that as an order to go find out sir. :: It sounded like this was beach break out here, hopefully that meant it would be producing some nice clean faced waves to ride. She could hear some conversation continuing behind her as she started to paddle out. Based on where the waves appeared to breaking it looked like it would be only a minute or so paddling to get to the line up. It was nice to get back into the familiar rhythm of paddling out, on her holodeck program she had set up similar to how the events she had competed in were set up where surfer would get a tow out to the line up rather than having to paddle out. While the tow out was nice and did allow for more time spent riding waves paddling always gave her a chance to let the adrenaline rush from the previous wave fade a little bit or in this case enjoy the anticipation of the first wave of the day. When she was about half way out some waves started to roll through threatening to push her back to the beach and undo all her paddling. Grabbing hold of the sides of her board just in front of her she pushed the nose of the board underwater, straightening her arms she leaned forward helping push more of her board underwater. Keeping her right knee on the back of the board to help push it down farther. Taking a deep breath she ducked under the surface as the wall of white water approached, leaving only a small patch of bubbles where she had been. Time always seemed to slow down under a wave and today was no exception. All she could see was was some light filtering through the water interspersed with clouds of bubbles, and her ears were filled with the muted crashing roar of a wave breaking directly over her. As the wave rolled through she pushed down on the back of her board to go from nose down to nose up. As soon as the nose was pointed up it offered no resistance as it eagerly overcame it forced submersion. As her head broke the surface on the other side of the wave she released her grip on the board and resumed the steady rhythm of paddling. As another wave approached she went through the same motions, it was the same way every time exactly like her parents had taught her, all those years ago, as the thought went through her head. She could even hear her Dad's voice from back when he had initially taught her to duck dive. Nose down. Take a breath. Hold it, don't forget to hold it. You are now under the water. You are still holding it right? Keep the board steady. Wait for the wave to pass. Kick through bring the nose up. After a short while of paddling she made it out to the line up, the point just past where the swells would break into surf-able waves. As she floated up and down in the swells she slicked her wet hair back out of her face. Looking towards the shore she could see some of the others paddling out as well, and could hear some of the sounds coming from those still on the beach. The first few swells that passed by were all close outs, they broke all at once into un-rideable white water, luckily it looked there was a bigger set on the way. It also seemed as though an offshore breeze was picking up which would hopefully help the waves form cleaner faces and possibly even lead to some barreling. :: Larson: Looks like we've got some good waves coming. Greyson/Anyone else who paddled out: ? :: Letting the first wave of the set pass underneath her she began paddling hard towards the shore attempting to get up to the same speed in time for the second wave to break. It looked like it was going to develop into a big bomb. Reaching the apex of the wave she gathered her legs beneath her and went from lying on the board to standing in one fluid motion. For one brief period of time she felt weightless as her board dropped into the same plane as the face of the wave. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins as time slowed to a crawl. Looking up she could see the rest of the beach goers moving about on the beach or in the water, then suddenly all of that stopped existing as time started to catch up to her. It always seemed to speed up a little between first dropping in on a wave to getting to the pocket of the wave, the point between the clean surface of the wave and the white water. With the roar of the wave filling her ears and the wind in her face she began picking up speed leaving the pocket. Leaning into the wave once she she reached down with her left hand and grabbed the outside rail (side) of her board. Quickly she she pushed her right foot down on the back of the board and brought the nose around with her left foot. Now quickly climbing up the face of the wave she had to tell herself not to turn to soon. Wait for it. Wait for it. NOW! Quickly bringing the nose of the board left with her feet she twisted her torso with her arms outstretched to help quickly snap the board around. Her long blonde hair whipping around in protest at the sudden direction change. She had hit the top of the wave almost perfectly just under the lip sending a large spray of water up and over the back of the wave. The fins of her surfboard left the water letting her board slip sideways on the top of the wave for just a moment before they re-entered and grabbed straightening her back out. Gaining speed down the wave face she turned right, straight back into the pocket. The section of wave in front of her was starting to collapse, turning she climbed back up the face of the wave. Rather than making a big carving turn and throwing water everywhere she just climbed and floated up and over the collapsing section on the peak of the wave, she dropped about three feet in the air back into the new pocket as the section fully closed out underneath her. Making another carving turn to the right and coming up just under the peak of the wave she snapped her board around again with the help if out stretched arms but generating much less spray with out a lip to the wave this time. She made a few whimsical turns on the face of the wave before bringing it back to the pocket. It seemed as though the offshore breeze had picked up as the lip was starting to curl around more and more. pumping the front of her board up and down with her left foot she picked up speed as the wall of water began to curl around her. It was as if someone had flipped a switch she was suddenly surrounded by water on all sides. Turning to be more parallel with the wave face she raced towards the opening at the far end. The crescendo of the water feeling as though it was coming from within rather, or maybe that was her un-suppressible shriek of joy. This, this was what she lived for, the ultimate in adrenaline rushes. Racing down a tube of water on a small board, whoever had first thought doing this was a good idea must have been thought insane, but they were the good kind of insane the same sort of insane Alana herself was. All around her was a wonderful blue turquoise color wonderfully patterned by the rays of light from the stations artificial sun replacement. Sticking out her arm she let her fingers drag through the surface of the wave. She could feel a light spray coming off of the wave all around her, but it was the sensation of speed the captivated her. The speed of the water moving around her, the speed at which the wave was moving her towards the beach, and the speed at which she was flying down the barrel of the wave. Not that she was thinking of that at the moment, no she would think about all the velocities of everything when she was back in the science offices or labs, for now it was about experiencing it. The wave was beginning to spit spray from behind her down the tube as it started to close out on her. As she came out the end of the tube the rest of the wave collapsed behind her, she had been hoping that the face would open up again and she could squeeze in another turn before she hit the beach. As it was the beach was significantly closet than it had been the last time she saw it, close enough that there wouldn’t have been time for another turn. She had to kick out now or risk running aground in an area she didn’t know if it was just sandy it wasn’t usually a problem but if there was a reef or rocks under the water it could easily damage her or her board. Of the two she was more worried about her board, and her medical record showed it, she had helped build it back home in Hawaii, and it never seemed to quite the same after any repair to it. As the white water consumed the rest of the face it was looking like she wouldn’t be able to just kick out over the back of the wave as she normally preferred, instead she would have step, or jump, off her board. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy exiting a wave this way but it was a lot quicker trip back to the lineup going over the top, and the whole more chance of hurting her self or damaging her board. Taking a quick breath she stepped off her board to the left and quickly felt the familiar feeling of the water arresting her momentum followed by a short sharp tug on her right ankle as the leash prevented the board from floating in to anyone. Apparently back when leashes had first been introduced a lot of people had been resistant to them Alana had never quite fully understood why the skegs (fins) acted a lot like a set of knives sticking out from the bottom of the board. Even with leashes there was still the potential to get run over by a stray board, even your own board could get you in a wipe out she had seen it all too many times. It had never stopped any of her friends from surfing nor had the possibility of it ever made her hesitate at the chance to get out in the water and rip up a wave. As soon as she had stepped off the board her world became chaos filled with bubbles and the disturbed sand from the bottom. It was shallower than she had thought it would be and quickly bounced off the bottom, a little harder than she would have liked. Reaching out with her hands she found the cord connecting her to her surfboard and followed it back up to the surface. Her pull on the cord causing the back end to dip into the water and stand the board up on a forty five degree angle. Taking a breath as she surfaced she saw that she wasn't from the group where she had started out she paddled over. Drifting to a stop as she came up to the group she sat back on her board. The only thing that could have made that ride better was the iconic music for the opening heat of the day at Bells Beach blaring out over the water. A big smile started to form on her face. :: Larson: :: The smile had reached her eyes by now. She looked towards the XO. :: I'd say the surfing is excellent sir. Are you planning on getting your feet wet out there? :: Looking at him up to his ankles in water already. :: Or rather the rest of you? Whittaker: ? Larson: How about the rest of you? Trel'lis/Halzar/Flynn/Greyson/Falcon: ? :: It looked as though the others who had paddled out with her had caught waves as well. It wasn't long before the ended up around about where she had surfaced not long ago. She waved towards them. :: Larson: Sounds good, I'm going to head back out enjoy. :: With that she turned and began the long paddle back out. It was about a two minute paddle out for what had been about a sixteen second ride. Well it had lasted for only sixteen seconds according to a clock but as with every good wave she had rode, time slowed to a fraction of it's normal self while riding it. :: Larson: :: Meeting up with Greyson on the paddle out. The smile was still plastered to her face, it had been a really good ride, even if it hadn't been surfing had almost always brought a hard to get rid of smile to her face. :: Nice wave man, you really shredded it out there. Ensign Alana Larson Science Officer StarBase 118 Ops C238805DG0

((Medical Offices - Starbase 118)) ::Damien Bagwell the third, or "Big D" as he liked to call himself, was busy preparing for his next shift in Sickbay. A rather sweet gig, he thought personally. Lots of attractive females in distress, totally needing a tanned, toned dose of comforting in their time of need. And he, was often on hand to offer such a service. The only downside, was the unfairly attractive new CMO, she was a sweet looking redhead with a fiery temper to match. She just didn't "get" him. Something about "integrity of the position" or some medical babble like that. To be fair, the last time she called him into her office, he had been starring a little lower than her eyes while she talked. That Betazoid could get heated, and animated when angry. If it wasn't at his expense, he'd be able to enjoy it to the fullest. ::Getting back to his meticulous prep work for his look, he slapped another glob of maximum hold gel as he crafted his hair in the oh so perfect "What? Oh no, I totally woke up like this..." style. Finally finished with his 'do, he reached for his most cherished of all his grooming products: Axe Men's Daily Fragrance. He had it on good authority that this vintage, highly sought after product had been "the" thing of 21st century Earth males. He guarded his private stash closely. This stuff didn't come cheap, and he paid a fortune for it. At least, he had a fortune. Or, his father did. In order to get the old man off his back, and keep himself in the will, he became an Enlisted Crewman 3rd class, assigned to Sickbay. Finally ready, he gave himself a once over in his bathroom mirror before donning a completely unnecessary pair of mirror shades and headed out to report for his shift.:: ((Main Sickbay - Starbase 118)) ::"Big D" had just arrived, giving a few fingers guns towards a group of his favorite nurses, when suddenly, there was an ear piercing alarm blaring. Freezing in place, Damien swore they were amidst an attack from hostile forces as a swarm of mechanical drones buzzed around him, red warning lights swirling. He barely had time to throw his hands up in front of his face before he was sprayed down with a thick orange, foamy antiseptic smelling liquid, covering him head to toe like a radioactive melted marshmallow. Within moments, the swarming mass of drones abated, the sirens silenced and the warning lights dulled. Stunned, he stood shivering in a daze, looking around, there was a collection of doctors with expressions of smug approval. Suddenly, he locked eyes with one particular doctor, her face a mask of pure fury. He always though she was hot, but the look she was giving him was more thermonuclear. Her arms were crossed and her stance was rigid. But how could she honestly blame this on him? He just walked in the door. Not HIS fault. She had to see that...didn't she...?:: Ezo: ::narrowed eyes:: Private Bagwell...::tossing him a towel:: Clean yourself up and report immediately to my office. ::pointing sternly:: Immediately. ::With a final glare, Mirra Ezo made her away from the main entrance of Sickbay, and Private Bagwell, who was completely coated in anti-contaminant foam. She made it into her office and wagered she had a solid five minutes while Damien scrubbed the last of the foam off himself, and getting a new uniform before she would have to speak with him. While attending the Shore Leave beach party, there had been a rather unfortunate incident as was reported her by Dr. Jos first thing that morning. Thankfully, Orderly Lassinam'lal would make a full recovery, but, this was the fourth infraction of one Enlisted Crewman Third Class Damien Bagwell. She'd had more than enough. It was time for some serious payback. With the help of a very enthusiastic mechanical specialist in the Environmental Containment unit, her plan had formed. The look on Damien's face was enough to make her want to order the biggest "Thank You" cookie basket she could replicate for the entire department. Her musings were cut short by a timid knock on her door.:: Ezo: Enter, Private. ::Walking into her office, Damien appeared like a poor, muscly, drowned rat. Apparently his "maximum hold" gel couldn't stand up to a decon shower. oO What a waste of a good hair day...Oo D.Bagwell: You...uh...::clearing his throat:: Wanted to see me..? Ma'am? Ezo: ::nodding slowly:: Please, have a seat. ::He quickly slunk into the offered seat, a pink fluffy bath towel wrapped around his shoulder like a security blanket:: D.Bagwell: ::stammering:: I had nothing to do with those drone things, I swear doc, you gotta believe me, I just walked in...and...woosh! ::His hasty explanation was suddenly silence as he focused on her icy glare. For once, his vision was glued to her face and zero intention of straying...:: Ezo: That, is where you are very much mistaken. The "drones", were mobile contaminant containment units. You see, despite myfrequent instruction, you have repeatedly reported to your shift doused in...whatever it is...and this time it had caused Orderly Lassinam'lal to have a violent allergic reaction. Therefore, from this moment forward, the contents of that...odor, have officially been classified as a "class three" respiratory irritant. On top of this most recent incident, you have shown a lack of respect of the post of which you have been tasked. Using my Sickbay as your own personal dating service. This is unacceptable, to say the least. ::Squirming in his seat, Damien was pretty sure this was the worst "talk" he'd ever had. Even worse than the one he received from his father when he crashed his hover-boat to impress some sunbathing co-eds.:: Ezo: ::leaning back in her seat:: Now, what I think, is you just don't understand the significance of what we do here. So, as of today, your intake privileges have been revoked. For the next three shifts, you are going to be assigned to hazardous waste removal. Once completed, you will be spending time in our pediatric burn unit, reading to the patients, tea parties, dress up, whatever their little hearts desire. I will, of course, be speaking directly to your shift supervisors, and until I am satisfied that you have garnered an appreciation to what this facility stands for, you can consider yourself on strict probation pending termination. ::leaning forward, her voice lowering:: And this goes without saying...but if you walk into my Sickbay wearing that offensive odor ever again...what happened today will be considered a "light shower"...am I clear? D.Bagwell: ::audibly gulping:: Ye-yes ma'am. Very clear. ::nodding furiously:: Loud and clear. Ezo: ::leaning back, crossing her arms over her chest:: I am pleased to hear that. You're dismissed Private. ::Damien quickly scrambled out of the chair, he turned stiffly, bowing repeatedly in an awkward show of respect, but instead nearly tripping over every piece of office furniture between her desk and the door. Once out of her office, and the door firmly shut, Mirra burst into hysterical laughter.:: ------------------------------------------- Lieutenant Mirra Ezo, MDChief Medical Officer Starbase 118 OpsC239205ME0

((WestPoint, Betazed)) ::Kalos stepped on to the pad and seconds later he materialized at the WestPoint. A large complex build by and for the wealthy of the nation. There were a few skyscrapers with state of the art apartments and for those with even more money there were large villa’s located at edge of the river. At least one of those belonged to his parents. He made his way to the river, crossed a small bridge and then found himself in front of a large steel gate. The gate was closed and a security guard wearing a company uniform stood guard. :: Guard: Evening sir. How may I help you? Kalos: Is this still the Fiorr residence? Guard: Yes… but unless I haven’t been informed Mr. and Mrs Fiorr don’t have an appointment with anyone tonight. So…. Kalos: They aren’t expecting me… but could you tell them their son would like to see them… Guard: Their son? ::The man sighed, Kalos feared if that was because he had instructions to tell him they didn’t want to see him but it turned out to be something different:: Guard: Why don’t you do me a favor and take those stories elsewhere… You know how many people come by here every week telling me they are family and want money? Kalos: Really? People on Betazed do that? Guard: You have no idea Mr… Kalos: Fiorr… Kalos Fiorr… He looked the man in the eye and grabbed his ID from his jacket, and handed it over:: oO Great start… didn’t even think I’d need this… Oo Guard: Hmm… well looks like you put a lot of hours into this, this one is the best looking ID I have seen so far… ::the man took another look at the card, then looked at Fiorr again and finally turned his attention back to the card. :: Guard: I hate to admit it, but you do look like the old man… Kalos: I do? ::Kalos never compared himself to his father, and although he had a few pictures of him he never saw any similarities, especially not in his jaw-line:: oO I guess I should check that out with Georgio when I get back… Oo Guard: Wait here… ::The Guard took a few steps back, walked to a small column next to the gate and Kalos could tell he was talking to someone but it wasn’t loud enough to listen in. :: (( 5 minute time skip)) :: The longer the talk endured the more worried Kalos became. If the guard was talking to his father he should have come out by now or told him to leave. Kalos was pacing left to right and back while waiting for the outcome when he suddenly heard a woman:: Jovala: Oh my… it really IS you isn’t it…. ::The voice came from the fence, and as he looked through the metal bars he spotted a woman he hadn’t seen for a long time. It took him a moment to realize he was looking at his “little” sister that wasn’t so little anymore. She was a full grown woman. The colorful summer dresses Kalos remembered had been replaced with a pantsuit and the long ponytail was now transformed into long dark curling hair:: Kalos: Joval… is that you? ::She nodded at the guard who opened the gate and then she walked towards him:: Joval: Ofcourse it is, what did you expect? Kalos: I had so many scenarios running through my mind I wasn’t sure WHAT do think… Joval: I can image that… When Jona called in we thought you were another lost son looking for money, but when he mentioned your first time I was intrigued. Father told me I would be disappointed but… here you are. Kalos: Yes… Here I am… 25 years late… ::Kalos wasn’t sure what do to. Take an extra step forward and hug his sister or keep some distance. He still didn’t know they really wanted to see him even though the mentioning of being disappointed if he wasn’t family seemed to be in his favor:: Joval: … But nog less welcome, you might have been out of sight but we still talk about you at least once a week. Wondering what you were doing but none of us had the guts to check in. Afraid you might have gone rogue and ended in drug syndicate or worse… oO Well looks like they had high hopes for me after I left… Oo ::Feeling sorry for himself was Kalos strong suit but he decided to ignore those feelings. He couldn’t blame them for assuming something bad happened, he was the one that broke contact after all. :: Kalos: I did climb up in the ranks of an organization… ::He took off his jacket and proudly showed his sister the uniform he’d grown so fond off. She stared at it for at least half a minute before she replied:: Joval: Starfleet?! You! ::she started to laugh out loud, slapping her knee:: You actually made it into Starfleet! I had no idea you took fathers advise! And frankly I don’t think anyone did, well father wanted to believe you could turn around but … well never mind. ::she tried to stop laughing:: You did what none of of us thought was possible and you seem to be doing it well ::she pointed at the pins on his uniform:: So, you are a chief engineer now? Kalos: Nope… Joval: No? But that color says you are… at least.. I doubt you made it to security or tactical. You couldn’t beat me in a fight when we were young so you taking out Klingons or Jem Hadar seems unlikely. ::While Kalos shook his head Joval paused the inquiry for a moment:: that is YOUR uniform right?! Kalos: Ops… Joval: What? Kalos: Ops… I am the Chief of Operation on a Federation Starship. Joval: Ops? What’s that? Being the boss of nothing? Kalos: I am a sort of liaison between science and engineering on the bridge and serve a second officer… Joval: You’re joking? Kalos: You of all people should know I don’t have a sense of humor… that never changed. Joval: Well then… Mr. second officer. Let’s show mom and dad its really you. They will be surprised to see you… Kalos: you sure they won’t mind? Joval: Mind!? You are family Kalos! ::She grabbed his hand and then give him a hug. He tried to hug her back but then she was already letting go dragging him towards the mansion behind the new opened gatehouse:: oO This is it… Oo TBC =============================== With great pleasure written as: Lt.Cmdr. Kalos Fiorr OPS officer / second officer USS Constitution-B http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php/Kalos_Fiorr As simmed by: Lt. Cmdr. Alexander Williams Chief Tactical Officer USS Constitution-B News Team member Writer ID:A239006AW0 http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php/Alexander_Williams

((Sickbay, Deck 10, USS Darwin-A)) ::An unexpected visit from Lieutenant Logan querying a serum to be used on the Captain in an aid to help move nem as it would seem a boarding party could arise in an attempt to recover the Captain from nir captives. After what could have been a heated debate between Kurt and Isabel about evacuating a patient safely, both doctors were on par about their decision to say no to the drug. Doctors Cook and Pond now stood over the body of the late Janel Tarna. The interruption had for a second clouded the thoughts of the pair.:: Pond: So, where were we? Cook: You had just asked how was we going to proceed with this autopsy. Pond: Ah yes. Well, if you want to do it manually, you are the boss. ::An Autopsy is a lengthy procedure especially if it’s due to an untimely death. Graeme could opt out and use everything the computers but everything he had learned and the bodies he dissected during his spell of time on Turisian. During his time at medical school every surgical procedure he had partaken in was with a real live body requiring a specific type of surgery. His Chief Head Professor always said ‘You can use the holodeck but it cheats! One nick in the wrong place and you can pause the programme and carry on. However if you nick an artery then you have the pressure of fixing it as that life is in your hands’. Ok so this body was no longer alive, however as this was an investigation every attempt will be used to learn the reason Janel passed away.:: Cook: I have my reasons for doing it manually I feel Janel would want it this way as I’d prefer the same. When I go I want my body to be dissected for science! ::Laughing:: I suggest we take a few hours break as this is going to be a lengthy procedure. ::When called to the conference room for a briefing Graeme had just finished his shift and was just settling to have a rest. He was able to proceed with the autopsy, however ‘a rested body is a rested mind’. He wanted to be One hundred percent before the jump in.:: Pond: Alright. But we should at least get somebody to bring the body to a cooled room. Then the theater would also be empty again for emergencies. Cook: We can just leave the body here and set the temperature to keep it fresh… ::Graeme didn’t like the way he compared Janel to a piece of meat that had to be kept fresh.:: Cook: I will lock this door as if an emergency arises then we have other operating suites this takes priority and i'm not having him moved from pillar to post. I’m sure the staff can cope with all the minor injuries. ::Graeme set the wall control panel to three degrees this was an ample temperature to keep the body chilled for the next few hours. He opened the door and held it open for Isabel to go through first. Turning back to the control panel. He had set it so only himself or Miss Pond Could access the room. As they both began the walk to the turbolift.:: Pond: I heard you have payed my patient a visit? How did it go? ::This was a discussion Graeme had been looking forward to. He noticed she asked in a nice way about his visit, It wasn’t his intention to encroach on another doctor's ‘turf’ you could say. Isabel had done so much whilst Graeme was on Unity, his visit was to offer more his expertise to Nicu Icavoc rather than make sure she had done the procedures right or wrong. Graeme had a huge amount of faith in her abilities and was rather impressed with her surgery skills.:: Cook: How did it go? Well... it went well. ::He wanted to explain how he had walked into Icavoc’s quarters, tripped over something on the floor due to being dazzled by the bright light’s then to top off his sheer luck Nicu stood there in his birthday suit where Graeme was definitely blinded. Should he mention how he tripped up on his own answers. He made a mental note to himself - Dokkaran species are hard work.:: Cook: I had a good chat with him, As he is your patient I didn’t want to encroach. Do you have any plans? Pond: I am already planning the rehabilitation once the threat here is over. I am thinking of some sort of carbon dioxide therapy, that should increase the growth of new plant tissue. What do you think? Cook: Re-routing our carbon dioxide to his room could give him more of a boost to help the growth issue… well thought. I Thought about cell splicing and attempting to grow an arm and doing a transplant but it all depends on his growth recovery time as it seems it will take a long time! Pond: Well, I am surely calling him in after the mission, to see what we can do. Okay, see you later. Cook: Rest easy we have a lot of work ahead. ((Timeskip to Attack phase Logan)) ((Sickbay, Deck 10, USS Darwin-A)) Cook: Ok gather round people… In minutes we will be intercepting the Ship that has the abducted Captain on board. So no doubt the Darwin will be engaged in a firefight... regardless of our personal thoughts and fears we are medical staff and professionals. You all know your positions and jobs! I expect you to work to the best of your abilities regardless and remember to triage the patient first... if a plaster and a kick up the backside works do it! If it requires major surgery Myself or Miss Pond here are on hand. However we have something to do in Surgery room One So with so If you require us we will be there. Now let’s keep this crew fit and able to do their duties. Lets get to work people! Everything should be ready make your final preparations and stand by your posts... ::Just as he finished his speech the room shuddered where the ship had taken a collision from something maybe a weapon or she had rammed another ship. This was enough for an adrenaline rush… they waited for unknown. Until word was passed they were in the dark except from the mission briefing they will only find out what is going on from the crews injuries.:: Valdivia: =/\= Valdivia to sickbay. We are receiving heavy gamma radiation and our shields are down. Please set radiation poisoning protocols. =/\= ::The Radioactive Protocol was a red alert even though the ship was in a red alert state this added to the intensity. Once activated all crews were warned of possible radiation leaks to all decks. The Sickbay staff prepared hyposprays with hyronalin which combated radiation poisoning.:: Cook: Computer activate Radioactive Protocols - Delta - Alpha - 1 - 3…. Computer: Activating Radioactive Protocol - Delta - Alpha - 1 - 3… Standing by Pond: =/\= Understood. Sickbay is setting radiation protocols. =/\= ::Another part of the protocol was something that Doctor Tarna had created, when a deck or area of the ship had been affected by gamma radiation the computer would pump a mixture of hyronalin and lectrazine through the ship’s ventilation It wouldn’t stop the radiation however it would help protect the crew enough to seek medical support. He looked at Pond as his thoughts were her thoughts. Instantly she replied ready and waiting.:: Valdivia: =/\= And... send someone here. I think I dislocated the knee. =/\= ::This was hard for Graeme he wanted to aid John but as the CMO he would have to stay in sickbay. He nodded with a smile to Isabel to go and aid the Chief Science Officer.:: Pond: =/\= Don’t move the limb, I will be there as fast as possible =/\= Cook: Isabel… ::He watched her grab a medkit and a few other things as his voice caught up with her she had already reached the door. Graeme knew with the shields down they were vulnerable and where Mr Valdivia was situated anything could happen.:: Cook: Please be careful! ::The first wave of cuts and head injuries entered the sickbay. He quickly helped by deterring if his staff could manage. They could. He had a catch up with a late friend. This was priority unless a major incident required his attention. He moved over to the door of surgical sweet one and entered his details. The door opened. Graeme walked in and the cold dry air sapped at his lungs, as he breathed out the a warm vapor turned into a mist then disappeared. He had set the temperature to Three degrees as a humanoid body decays at warmer temperatures but to keep it fresh as to say it’s recommended to be between Two and Four degrees. If you want to keep the body on ice then it would be stored in temperatures below zero.:: ::This was the first time he had been alone with Janel since he was alive, It was a strange feeling knowing who was lying there. Luckily Graeme wasn’t a teenager and this wasn’t his grandfather. This was a family member of a different kind. He rubbed his hands together and blew into the with his warm breath and rubbed the heat around his hands, as he lifted the cold metallic zip. He took a deep breath as he unzipped the body bag.:: ::There lay the young Doctor Janel Tarna, his arms were on top of one another across the top part of his stomach it made him look like a sleeping vampire, lifeless motionless and pale. Graeme began to put a pair of disposable gloves on. He didn’t want to cross contaminate anything from his hands to anything that could indicate his death. He opened the body bag fully to reveal Janel’s full body. He was wrapped in some strange bandages almost like an Egyptian mummy.:: Cook: Hello Janel… We meet again… Pity it’s this way... One… Two arms… One… Two legs Ok so far so good ::He glimpsed at the bandages across Janels Chest they were three faint crimson stained circles. Graeme let out a sigh as his breath misted out in front of him. He began to have a bad feeling about Janels death. He wanted to check every inch of the body and decided to check the feet up those three crimson stains on his chest might not be the only marks.:: Cook: Computer… ::Computer chirps.:: Start to record my autopsy report. Computer: Recording… Cook: Autopsy report on Lieutenant Janel Tarna by Chief Medical Officer Lieutenant Graeme Cook… On visual inspection of the body no limbs were missing, two arms, two legs… Strangely the body has been wrapped up in what seems to be linen bandages as if he was part of an old Egyptian burial... ::Moving to Janal’s feet.:: I count… Two Four Five Eight Ten… Ten toes and no marks on his feet apart from bad corns and athlete's foot. ::Laughing to himself.:: I could have gave you something for that as well… ::Graeme picked up a pair of surgical scissors and began to remove the dressings from his legs. As he did so a slight smell caught his attention.:: Cook: I am now cutting the bandages from his legs to check for any bruising or any marks.On my visual i see no bruising that shows no restraints were used against him… What's that smell… reminds me of cinnamon… ::Picking up a piece of linen and sniffing it.:: It is definitely cinnamon… but there is something else what’s that smell? ::Looking at Janal.:: Come on buddy what aren't you telling me? ::Next Graeme removed the the bandages from his abdomen and began to check for any damage and also any sexually transmitted infections. He had taken swabs and scanned them into the computer. As he awaited the results he began to count the fingers.:: Cook: The left hand is placed on top of his right… attempting to remove the hands… ::Rigor Mortis had set in but Graeme, with a struggle managed to remove the first hand and lay it by Janels side. ::He inspected the left hand it was covered in dry blood but there was no cuts present and his fingernails were clean. As he swabbed the dry blood Graeme then placed it into the biobed scanner and began to test the blood. Within seconds it came back with a match of Janel’s blood type. Graeme’s fear came to reality as it would seem he had died of his wounds Looking above the right hand at the three blood stains.:: Cook: Aye aye?? What do we have here… ::Janel’s right hand was holding something. Graeme managed to fish it out without opening his hand, which shows he wasn’t holding it as he died, rather it was placed in his hands after. What was it. With a set of forceps he fished out the dark item and picked it up with them and held it to the light it would seem to be a burgundy gem.:: Cook: In my hand I looking at a dusty looking burgundy gem it seems to be covered in prints, I am placing it into a kidney bowl this will be analysed later for DNA and fingerprints. Both hands seem to show no struggle no flesh under the fingernails, there is no bruising of an attempt to claw or dig or even to fight back… ::With the abdomen and head left to check. This is where he will need to operate opening up the chest and stomach testing how he had died, Now usually Graeme would open up the skull and remove the brain and dissect it for any trauma damage but he will use the biobed scanner for that. Moving to Janel’s head he picked up an auto refractor he opened the eyelids and shined a light to see a reaction from the pupils. Nothing. Closing the eyelid he noticed the faint scar that the dermal regenerator didn't completely heal, this was from his brain surgery he had when he had received injuries when he was taken prisoner around the date 239207.21. Graeme began to scan the top of the head for brain patterns also for a picture of any internal damage. He inspected behind his ears for bruising and dirt there was lots of dust an almost rustic kind of colour. Was this soil he had lay on? Had he been on a planet? Taking a swab and placing it in a vial this was probably one for the science department to scan and check on. Forcing the jaw open he looked inside the tongue was in it’s place nothing had blocked his throat so he didn’t choke to death. No bruising around the neck made Graeme glad as he wasn’t strangled to death. The Bed beeped as the scans reported no trauma to the head the only damage was to the frontal lobe as previously damaged during his capture. Last brain wave activity show he was alive as he received the wounds but did nothing to retaliate. It beeped again as it came back with negative results showing no STI’s.:: Cook: So far so good there was no Sexual Transmited Infections on his genaltalia or rectum. His head and brain scans show no trauma or any internal bleeds to the brain, the only damage was the frontal lobe during surgery from previous operations. He never swallowed his tongue nor was he choking on anything. Also there is no marks around his neck. I have taken a swab of a earthy substance from behind his ears maybe it’s from a planet where he had lay? Now I am away to inspect the chest. ::Graeme Cut the bandages down the center and slowly peeled them back. His fears had worsened three stab wounds were staring straight at him the thing that caught his eye was the three bruises above the stab wounds. They were in the shape of a fist, clear as day against the paleness of his body the shape of the black bruises were in the shape of fists. Graeme clenched his right hand and placed it over the bruises his hand was clearly bigger.:: Cook: I have removed the linen that covered Janel’s chest on doing so there are three stab marks but above them is dark bruises in the clear shape of a fist. In size comparison the marks are smaller than my clenched fist. Was this a type of weapon or someone with small fists and a weapon? ::Graeme picked up a scalpel there are two ways he could open the chest cavity make an incision in the shape of a U or the Y shape where the stab marks were situated he decided to with the U shape. As he cut from the left collar bone down to his hip bone and followed the curve to just above his pubic bone he then followed the curve back to the other hip bone and straight up to the right collar bone he began to peel the layer of flesh to check the vital organs. Before he would be able to check the lungs an heart he would have to cut open the rib cage, he did so with medical saw. No damage to any of Janel’s intestines. His bladder was full which surprised Graeme as the situation happened he would almost have relieved himself. Feeling his stomach it still had remains of the last meal partially undigested there was no discolouring to the kidneys or the liver in fact they were pretty healthy. Scanning them showed no trace of any toxins or any foreign substances in his system. So poisoning can be ruled out. The Trill anatomy was almost identical to a human except a gap in the mid pancreas where a symbiont would sit. Unfortunately Janel was unjoined. His lungs were healthy except as lifted them they began to leak blood he saw the stab wounds on in each and they pierced right through the lungs the blood had collected at the bottom of the lungs. Looking puzzled as there was three stab wounds he inspected the lungs closer he could only find two neatly cut incisions. The last piece he had to check was the heart and there it was the last stab wound. This would have probably been the fatal blow.:: Cook: ::With a lump in his throat.:: I have checked the intestines, liver, kidneys and stomach each one perfectly healthy including a full bladder tests show no toxins of foreign substances in his system. However on inspection on both lungs there is a stab wound on each. The third wound has pierced his heart I feel this was the cause of his death. ::Graeme replaced the ribcage and closed the U shaped flesh back so it sat normal. His emotions were gone he was shocked on how his fellow doctor had received his untimely death. What was next he would compel his notes and pass them onto Doctor Pond and get a second opinion on anything he might have missed. He will send a less graphic copy to acting Captain Traenor and update him with any new discoveries.Then once everything is finalised they will prepare the body for a proper send off. Graeme removed his disposable gloves and washed his sweaty hands, he placed a hand on Janels cheek and leaned in and kissed his forehead.:: Cook: Rest easy brother.... Lieutenant Cook - Chief Medical Officer - USS Darwin NCC-99312-A =/\= The (Image) Collective =/\= D239206GC0

((Conference Room 2, Deck 2 - USS Darwin-A)) ::Watching the Senior Staff head out of the Conference room, Kurt rose slowly to his feet he needed to speak with several department heads to request some equipment from them just in case…:: Logan oO Any action on an enemy controlled site has so many ‘ifs’ and conditions that can cause things to turn against you so quickly there’s no way to think of them all let alone be equipped for them. We just have to try and find the most adaptable equipment that covers the majority of problems and then …….. work hard and hope Oo ::Moving round the table Kurt’s overwhelming impression of their First Officer was one of tiredness, their life was filled with the general running of the ship. Meeting after meeting, report after report everything that happened on board ship first went to them, the Captain only saw the reports after they had been signed off and any problems solved. Only if they were to large or were ‘above the paygrade’ did the Captain get involved, which for the Darwin meant that ever since the Numiri attack and the Captain went missing her First Officer, also now her Acting Captain, had to deal with both sides of the table:: Logan oO Send the reports to me now …. get that sorted and send it back to me…. Excellent you’ve fixed that now I’ll sign it off and send it to me so I can verify it Oo ::If the situation wasn’t so dire it would be worth laughing over it with a nice drink, and good company, but the situation was a major problem, they had no Captain …. Not yet but they would do again soon….. he hoped. Approaching Commander Traenor Kurt ran his hand through his hair:: Logan: Excuse me Sir, do you have a moment Traenor: Yes, of course, Lieutenant. Logan: There’s a few things I want to run by you, some things that…… ::Staring out the windows that comprised the back wall of the Conference room, which at the speed they were traveling didn’t show the darkness of space and pinpoint lights of stars but the streaking lines of starlight as the Starship shot through space at faster than light speeds, then back to the Commander:: I don’t know if I’ve looked at this too long and am making things fit or their actual formed ideas that …… ::His sentence trailed of as Kurt couldn’t find the words to finish it:: Traenor: I'm all ears, Mr Logan. What's on your mind? Logan: I’ve looked at all the information every day, trying ……. trying to fathom any facts that lead anywhere, anything to give an insight….. Traenor: ::ruefully:: You and me both... Logan: I don’t know if there facts or suppositions or outright fantasy …. Traenor: ::with a smile, leaning back:: Spit it out, Kurt. ::kindly:: I do want to hear what you think. ::Seeing The Commander nod, sit back down in the chair and lean back cupping his hands together in his lap Kurt had no choice but to finish what he had just started, the Commanders posture immediately brought back their last meeting when he failed to convince the First Officer of the saboteur, as they now knew, on the Outpost. Who was right or wrong was of no consequence Kurt’s arguments, and most importantly proof, were too weak to convince anyone else to support his hunch’s:: Logan oO Am I as far out as last time, or so far out I’ve dropped of the universe Oo Logan:: Nodding Kurt took a deep breath and a sip of the iced water before calling up the sensor information gathered from Unity Outpost:: Firstly the ship…. Unknown configuration … but why ?, answer no one’s seen it before. But then why here ? in the delta quadrant any ship is unknown …. So the answer is .. unknown to us. But then why do we matter ? so we don’t know who to blame, keep everyone guessing, buys time, and delays the federations response.. until it’s too late Traenor: ::following Logan's logic:: I concur. Using a mystery ship is a good way to keep us off our game. Logan: The ship is designed as a covert warship all its sensor reflections, warp baffles, QSD and armour what else could it be …. At first I thought Raikenoff. But it doesn’t match him after the Captains beaten him twice, he’d want to show how he’s better both his ship and him as captain, something like this no not his style. There’s the J’naii to consider as the ships path is heading that way, most people put bits of tech on different ships before putting them on one vessel, the federation has done is with the warp baffles and armour etc… the J’naii there’s no vessel in the computer that matches anything about this ship … so did they build it or … there’s another possibility, according to Headquarters the only people building completely different shaped vessels each time is the Consortium. And then the QSD, few races have developed one independently… but then one of ours was stolen by Raikenhoff who worked for the Consortium before going rouge according to them, now a ‘new’ ship has a QSD who’s biggest jump so far is smaller than our maximum, which would match with the belief that they have copied the drive from the one they stole, before we got it back. It would be interesting to compare the warp signature to Raikenhoff vessel …. Traenor: To be honest, my thoughts had veered towards Raikenoff initially too. But this just isn't his style. Nor that of the Consortium. If Renos was a threat to either of them, which ne really hasn't personally been, then they would have been either way more overt or way more subtle. This just all seems so... random. Logan oOSupposedly Raikenhoff has stolen his ship and the consortium are chasing him to get it back, kidnapped the captain as bait to bring him to them …. That’s rubbish Logan and you know it, if his ship is stolen there’s no way he would just walk up to get Renos from them, his tactics may not be brilliant but he’s not that crazy…. Hatred and a madness towards us possibly but not stupid Oo ::So far the Commander hadn’t waved off his thoughts or theories, even if he thought he was rambling, everyone was feeling the strain. He’d tried to keep his sleep pattern but he was lacking as well, he wasn’t an Engineer so he had no idea what they must be feeling including Commander Varaan who may be a Vulcan but even they aren’t unbreakable. Some of his team had been seconded to maintenance or indeed had become more Engineer than Security for these past weeks, but eating well even if most times it was a workout in and of itself just to keep eating had kept Kurt going, with a nod from the Commander Kurt continued:: Logan: When the ship was docked at the outpost they made no use of the internal comm system …. At all, neither did anyone exit or have any supplies brought on board, why not ?. they were fully supplied for the trip they were going to make, that’s nothing unusual.. but why did no crew leave, did they not want anyone to see the crew, but why we wouldn’t recognise any of them so why the secrecy… and why no comm traffic, you arrive at an outpost land but say nothing else … to anyone ….. their own communication system or prearranged meeting…. But again why the secrecy ? Traenor: Outpost Ops scoured the sensor and comm logs in the days leading up to Renos's departure. If they communicated with somebody on the outpost prior to or during their docking, then it wasn't through normal means. So that's a scratch as well. Logan: Then there’s this ::Showing the sensor feed of the Captain, Ly, and an unknown entering the ship:: that unknown man arrived on the outpost the day before the ship did on a merchant transport. So why did they board an unknown ship.. why would you ?. threats ? the Captain can handle himself enough that threats wouldn’t work, like wise is physical assault… no one’s limping or looks like there carrying any injury. In fear ? …. If the Captain was in fear why didn’t he contact anyone else ..you ?, security ?.... outpost ops …. No you enter somewhere unknown because your told your safe… but told by who ?.... the unknown man well he had to be known to either Renos or Ly otherwise why would you believe its safe, as well why pick Ly who’s combat scores are average on testing….. but is good enough for the captain to help teach a Kaigut class that the captain is proud of ……. ::It was a leap Kurt knew but the facts of the group didn’t fit well with each other:: Traenor: I'm no expert, but nothing about that party looks like they didn't want to be there. Logan: So two J’naii deviants ::Kurt caught the wince from the Commander as the word ‘Deviant’ was used, Kurt himself didn’t think of the Captain in such a way but the word and its meaning were relevant to the matter being discussed:: and a Rodulan, who by the by doesn’t walk right or tilt his head right and his posture is …. Just … off oO How do you say that everything every one has written or commented on the Rodulans of their Physiology and Psychology doesn’t match this one, an odd one out? Oo They enter an unknown ship, that ship leaves after the captain files a flight plan, thus giving them a head start. But it’s destination has been fairly easy to work out the J’naii homeworld, two deviants returning home ?.... not going to be a good welcome, even with the captains knowledge and codes. They’ve decided to become normal J’naii ?, while the captain had very nice dresses made up and treatment for longer hair. If they had headed straight there they would already be there with us trailing far behind, so why take your time ? Traenor: No, it just wouldn't happen that way. Renos would never run like this of nir own volition. Ne and Iy must have been taken. But why do you think they are taking their time? Logan: You take time for two reasons… you’re doing something that needs to be completed before you arrive somewhere… or you want to finish something to prove you can do it before you arrive somewhere Traenor: I think it's their QSD device, actually. It seems... inferior. Our scans show that their recharge time is taking longer and longer between jumps, and they likely can't travel as far per jump as we can. The time they are taking might just be coincidental. Logan:: Shaking his head at the Commanders answer:: No … trying to hide from us ? … no there’s better ways of doing it than what they’re doing, much better, an Engineering Ensign could give you a better plan than there employing, and as for a Security Officer….:: Looking directly at the Commander:: You’d never find me …. ::Turning back to a display of the course they had been taking with time and dates of the Darwin’s arrivals and the approximate time of the unknown vessels leaving of identified points:: Then how are they staying steps ahead of us, jumping out just before we get there … what do they know ?… how do they know it ?…who’s telling them ?? Traenor: ::sighing:: That is the question that keeps hounding us, yes. Logan::Kurt was slightly hesitant to carry on knowing what his statements would mean both to the memory of the Captain and to the outcome of any confrontation:: That gives two worse case scenarios the first is the Captain and or Ly are in command positions on that ship which means that they will have the captain command codes, our prefix codes, and this ships systems …. Including Comms, Personally fairly unlikely, the Captain has much better tactics than what’s being displayed so far. Or the Captain and or Ly are prisoners on that ship which leads to a chain of thought regarding their status and their home world Traenor: ::chin set resolutely:: Never. Even under fear of death, Renos would never surrender nir information. Logan: I have to believe my captain is innocent which means working on the second option Traenor: Yes, I agree. That is - unfortunately our most likely scenario right now. Logan: To counter any Command or prefix codes we could lock the computer from any outside input. oO This is the question that I don’t want to bring up in fact make me naked in front of the Borg….Oo ::Pinching the bridge of his nose Kurt turned to Darwins Command Officer:: Do we know the Captain is aboard that ship ? Traenor: Command codes were transferred to me once Renos was officially recognized as missing. Besides, ne would never divulge that information. Iy never had any clearances that would jeopardize us in this manner. And as for your question... ::diverted eyes:: ...no, we don't know. Logan::The fear of being wrong flickered through the eyes of the Commander:: oO We could have wasted weeks on a fool’s errand finding nothing at the end of it…… No Logan there’s never nothing even if he’s not there they will know something… and they will tell everything they know Oo Therefore I would suggest as soon as we’ve caught them we try and ping the Captains Comm badge, they might have been slack enough and not completely dismantled it or modulated their shields to block any transmissions, those modulations we’ll be able to detect. Traenor: Okay, agreed. I'll leave it up to you to try and make that happen when we catch up to them. Logan: In addition I would suggest hitting their shields in such a way to alert the Captain, if he is held prisoner then he’ll be deep inside, this way will vibrate the ship in such a way to let nir know were here. Traenor: Formulate a plan and send it on to me, I'll look it over. Logan: Security is ready for both boarding their ship, there’s still a couple of things to finalise with Engineering and Sickbay but there all set, were also ready to be boarded we’re setting the ship up as it was against the Borg Traenor: I suppose it's best to be cautious, for sure. Logan oO Be delicate here Logan Oo We also need to make them second guess even slightly, so ….. if you’ll pardon me sir, wear some make up so you don’t look as tired, that’s what they’ll expect, also vary the lighting each time you talk to them even to the point of send a low frequency hum along with the transmission, to keep them thinking. Traenor: Well, ::smirking:: I don't know about putting on facepaint, but I understand what you're saying about the lighting. We might just get them to underestimate us if they think we're not 100 percent. Logan oO Phew that was taken well Oo Use the lighting on the ship as well only have one area lit have the rest dark, again anything to make them think even for a second ::The Commander just sat there in silence staring between the display on the wall mounted screen and the stars streaking by the Darwin :: Logan oO I’ve done it again haven’t I, I’ve lost him…. Oo ::He could feel his heart start to sink, the Commander would want to try anything to find and rescue the Captain but had he just buried any of the chances he found under nonsence and waffle ….. again Oo Traenor: response ::Yes….. this time Kurt had managed to convey his thoughts to someone else, it would be hard but they had a good chance:: Traenor: Yes, that's all good. We'll pass along those suggestion to Ops, they can make it happen. ::Taking a stride closer to the Commander Kurt could see the weight of their mission on his shoulders, the chair he was sat in looked to be the only thing keeping him upright, there was something more between Commander Traenor and Captain Renos than their positions on the Darwin, while not common knowledge it could be spotted when they were around each other, Kurt hoped that it wasn’t going to be lost at the end of this or that it would lead the Commander to act to hastily when the confrontation arose. Commander Stennes was acutely missed at this point as was Rune Jolara, the only other Counselor Kurt had met who he was comfortable around, he himself was no Counsellor by any definition of the word, in Security Counselling really just means shouting louder:: Logan:: Gazing out of the window, rubbing his needing to be shaved stubble:: We will get the Captain back Traenor: ::hoping his tone didn't betray his despondency:: Yes, we will. oO But will it be the same Renos that left, or some psychotectically lobotomized facsimile? Oo Logan: Did you know the Marine Corp has almost as many strikes against it as it has commendations. Traenor: response Logan: Before I wore this uniform I trained and passed out as a Marine, and were taught why, if you injure a marine the rest will always hunt you no matter what. Sergeant Hopkins led a unit against an occupied colony, they recaptured the colony but lost men doing it, it took three years but they tracked down every last 'pirate' that had escaped. In doing so Star Fleet stripped him of his commission...... 30 fellow Marine’s handed there's back in protest. The look they had on that day is a look I will never forget, it's a look that would crumble the pillars of hell .... and I saw it mirrored around this table. And although the Darwin's not a battleship ..... She's a hell of a lot tougher ...... so is her Captain. Traenor: ::realizing the pep talk for what it was:: Aye, I'll drink to that. Logan: I once told a friend the one thing the Marines have that they never break ..... They don't run .... When faced with an enemy, a Marine stands .... always :: a smile tugged at his lips. Looking back out into the space outside the conference rooms windows:: But faced with that same enemy, a friend ::His smile faded as his gaze hardened, turning back to Commander Traenor:: rips it's head off ::nodding and heading for the door:: Commander when I said I saw the same look around the table, I meant not withstanding the pale faces and the tiredness and the bags under the eyes and the uniforms.. and the people being different, but other than that exactly the same ::Nodding to the Commander, Kurt headed for the doors and the meetings and drills that would occupy the next day of his time: Logan: Commander when I said I saw the same look around the table, I meant not withstanding the pale faces and the tiredness and the bags under the eyes and the uniforms.. and the people being different, but other than that exactly the same ::smiling Kurt gave the Commander a wink before disappearing around the corner and of to his next stop to get the pieces ready for the rescue of their Captain:: Paul Lieutenant Jg Kurt Logan - Assistant Security Chief USSDarwin, NCC - 99312 - A E239203KLOHY

OOC: Set during the intruder alert and search for Lynn Mayr. ((Brig, USS Gorkon)) ::Quinn's heart was thumping in her chest when she arrived at the maroon doors that served as the entrance to the brig, and not just because of the speed at which she had hurried there. ::She paused, taking a breath and steeling herself to step inside -- then almost jumped out of her skin when the doors parted of their own accord. Brunsig stomped out, his brow knotted and lips thin, and very nearly collided with her. She squeaked in soft surprise, darting backward, and he scowled at her.:: Brunsig (Alt): What the hell are you doing out here? Reynolds (Alt): I thought you might need-- ::She shook her head and changed tack halfway through her sentence.:: What happened? Brunsig (Alt): What do you think happened, Cupcake? Cillian was stupid, Lynn escaped, and now he's been thrown in the brig while she's hunted down. ::Her heart sank. It wasn't a surprise. It had been quite obvious that was the likely course of events, but still, it was disheartening to hear it confirmed. She'd never been close to Cillian, and similar to Walter, he was often a hard man to like -- but he was one of their family, and she hated to see him in trouble.:: Reynolds (Alt): Are-- are they going to leave him there? Brunsig (Alt): I don't know. I don't know that I can argue that they shouldn't. We're not exactly proving ourselves to be the most trustworthy of individuals. Erik blew up our ship, and now Cillian sheltered a spy. ::For years, they'd all had plenty to be afraid of. The Dominion, pirates, the many dangers that space itself presented. But she'd never felt afraid of the people around her. She'd trusted them, all of them, with absolute certainty. They were all in it together. ::Now… now she wasn't sure. Hidden agendas and deep secrets were bubbling to the surface as though a fire had been lit underneath them all, and that certainty was turning to dust. It seemed the more she tried to cling onto it, the quicker it was crumbling through her fingers.:: Reynolds (Alt): I guess now would be a bad time to confess that I'm actually the Queen of the Changelings, huh? ::He shot her a scathing look, and she proffered a lop-sided, apologetic smile. It had been a bad joke with very bad timing, after all.:: Reynolds (Alt): Sorry. ::There was the mildest flicker in the lights, and she frowned on reflex, looking up as though she would find the answer in the pale glow of the ceiling panels. When she dropped her gaze again, Walter was staring at her, his sharp blue gaze intense.:: Brunsig (Alt): Tell me that has absolutely nothing to do with the Dominion spy running loose on this ship. ::Her expression must have been worth a thousand words, because his head slumped and he ran his hand through his greying blond hair, looking suddenly weary.:: Brunsig (Alt): I'm too old for this. ::She was sure wouldn't take kindly to comfort, he never did. But it was hard to see a friend in need, especially when they so rarely let it show -- vulnerable was not a word *anyone* associated with Walter Brunsig. She reached over, brushing the back of her fingers against the back of his hand. The smallest of gestures, and one that wouldn't violate the uncompromising sense of personal space they both possessed. :: Reynolds (Alt): We'll figure a way through it. We always do. ::He gave her a long look, and to her surprise there wasn't a scowl or sneer, but a simple nod of acknowledgement.:: Brunsig (Alt): Thanks, Cupcake. ::Passing crew were giving them odd glances, and why not? They were lingering outside the brig like a bad smell, and they were both interlopers from the Triumphant -- all while the search for an intruder was conducted. It did swing toward the suspicious end of the scale. ::She took a step away, and beckoned for him to follow.:: Reynolds (Alt): Come on. Let's find somewhere to wait it out. I'm sure they'll be on the comms as soon as they've found her. Brunsig (Alt): Let's hope they *do* find her. ::She shot him a small grin as he fell into step alongside her, and even gave her the rare courtesy of slowing his pace so that she wasn't trotting alongside him like a show pony.:: Reynolds (Alt): Have you seen that security chief? She's quite literally between a rock and a hard place. They'll find her. ::He rolled his eyes, but she thought maybe, just maybe, that there was the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth.:: Brunsig (Alt): We really need to talk about your sense of humour. Reynolds (Alt): You'd miss it if it was gone. ::They easily fell into the banter that was a feature of their odd friendship, the verbal prods and pokes a welcome distraction from the situation they now found themselves in. It was a familiar way to pass the time, and pass it they did, until reality came calling once again.:: -- Lieutenant Quinn Reynolds (Alt) Passenger USS Gorkon & Captain Walter Brunsig (Alt) Passenger USS Gorkon simmed by Captain Quinn Reynolds Commanding Officer USS Gorkon T238401QR0

((Saloon, Reverie Rock)) ::Kaji and Nugra had talked along the way, and she thought they had an idea what was going on. They were sure it was some sort of dream because they could remember waking for brief moments. Kaji had no idea where to start looking for Ben, but she was sure if they got to the bottom of this dream, they'd be able to make sure he was safe. She kept glancing at the Gorn walking alongside her, his stride covering two of hers so she had to jog to keep up. He was furious. She could feel it radiating off him without her empathic skills. He didn't mention the confession she'd made or the one she was sure he regretted making. He turned to look at her as they reached the saloon doors.:: Nugra: Be careful, Commander. I...I do not want anything to happen to you. Kaji: You too. ::she hated his formality but appreciated that he cared enough to warn her.:: ::They walked in. Lucky was sitting at the bar, and Captain Faranfey, MacRae and Shiarrael were gathered around him. Kaji squealed and ran over to hug Shiarrael. She hadn't seen her in the dream, and had wondered where her friend had gotten to.:: Lucky: Welcome to the council. ::He raised his bottle in salute.:: Nugra: I have no interest in your council. What have you done to us? Shiarrael: ::grousing:: Oh, please let's not go over all this again. ::Kaji lifted her head from where she'd rested it on Shiarrael's shoulder. She held onto the other woman for moral support more than from a physical need.:: Kaji: We figured out that it's a dream. Lucky, are you in charge of this? ::She had vague memories of him being a friend. She wondered why he'd latched onto her, or if she'd latched onto him. But she cared about him in a strange way.:: Lucky: ::softly:: Yeah, Missy, I'm running this circus. Though your captain, I think, has other plans. The short story is I'm being killed by parasites and I made a telepathic sedation field, which you all got caught in. I tried to make it a beautiful place for you. ::Looking at Kaji:: Didn't I give you what you hadn't dared to dream? ::Kaji glared at the man and clung to her friend. Did he know her feelings? If he was telepathic, he probably did. Was he responsible for giving her that moment of hope and then snatching it away? Or was it her own selfish desires that led to the pain in her chest?:: Nugra: So...Now what? Faranfey: I sacrifice myself for the crew. Lucky needs the parasites off him. We just need to figure out how to utilize it. Nugra: No, you will not, Ma'am. ::Kaji looked back and forth between them as they stared each other down. What the hell was going through their minds? Why did anyone have to sacrifice themselves?:: Faranfey: It's my responsibility to protect the crew, and I think I'll be able to hold them long enough to be effective... MacRae: Erm...not quite! My plan, Captain, is to try and bridge the world between the corporeal and the non-corporal. Lure the creatures somewhere they will be vulnerable. Nugra: What is the point of that? Kaji: Will that even work? ::She was up for anything that saved the Captain and the Gorn. She wasn't ready to lose any friends today.:: MacRae: Questions later please we don't have much time. Lucky will slowly release his grip on his captives - letting the crew go one at a time. As the parasite's world shrinks they will focus more and more on the Captain to feed on...because she'll be the only dish on the menu. Once the last of our people are out and Lucky has dropped his sedation field I'll transport the Captain and store her whole pattern in the computer core...linking it to the holodeck. Kaji: So the captain will be in the buffer? MacRae: Essentially, yes - the Captain will be the program and the parasites will be part of that program. Nugra: This is extremely unsafe. MacRae: I don't see what other choice we have given the circumstances. It's been done before, short-term storage of transporter patterns in their entirety and with some system alterations the Doyle should cope with that - for one person. Please, Colonel, if your experience of non-corporeal memory parasites more extensive than mine then let me know because I am open to suggestions. Nugra: There is an easier way. I have four life times worth of memories and that is enough to cause the parasite to face me. From what it sounds like, Lucky only needs to be able to get away and the parasites will be unable to lock on to him. There is a good chance that they won't be able to latch on to me and die in the process. They are just energy and they won't survive long without something to feed on. Faranfey: Nugra, do you think you can hold out? I know you have a lot of strength, but you are just as valuable as me. Nugra: Of course. ::He was lying. She knew it. She shook Shiarrael's shoulder and gave her a pleading look. Surely the Romulan could think them a way out of this!:: MacRae: Captain, I need to know who will be going into the system so I can plan accordingly. I appreciate the noble gestures on all sides but if we don't act soon then these things, if Lucky is correct, have the potential to unmake history on a galactic scale. Without that past there won't be much of a future for any of us for very long. ::The saloon door opened and an unfamiliar Klingon and the large Andorian she'd met briefly came in. Apparently a lot of people were remembering themselves. The room certainly had enough aliens in it. Including herself.:: Tavanah: Well, this is something interesting to walk into. Faranfey: If you think I can protect our people in a more effective way, that gets us all out of here, I am willing to hear it. Nugra: We'll have to go with my plan. ::Pointing to the form walking up.:: The parasite is already here. ::The parasite’s avatar, Scorpion walked into the saloon with a face of sheer triumph. Kaji shivered in fear and held onto Shiarrael's arm. What plan exactly? She hadn't heard any good plans so far. She felt like the situation was running away from her and felt powerless to do anything.:: Scorpion: After all these eons, I have finally found you. Hiding as a simple drunk. How ingenious. Lucky: We all knew this day was coming. ::Nugra looked between them and Kaji followed his gaze. She pleaded with Lucky with her eyes. Surely he could do something.:: Nugra: If I take him out, we can go home, yes? Lucky: Yes. ::Kaji saw Nugra move forward and she started across the room after him, terrified of the figure in the doorway, but more afraid of what Nugra might be planning.:: Scorpion: And what do you think you're doing? Nugra: Removing you. ::Nugra looked back at the captain and then he looked at Kaji. Tears flooded her eyes at the kindness in his eyes.:: Kaji: Nugra... Nugra: ::smiling:: Go find Ben. I'll be fine. ::He was lying again.:: Nugra: Alright you [...]. Time for you to die. Kaji: No! Please, somebody do something! ::She looked around the room:: Scorpion: I can't die you fool. ::She followed as Nugra charged the bandit, caught him, carried him through the door and onto the ground in front of the saloon. Scorpion swung and connected to the lizard's face. Kaji ran after him as the Gorn flew across the street. She'd never felt so helpless, even in captivity.:: Scorpion: There is no way you can defeat me. Nugra: I don't need to defeat you. I just need to distract you. ::Talia caught up and grabbed onto Nugra's arm, but she didn't think he even noticed she was there. She could feel the concentration in his tensed muscles. She looked between him and Scorpion. What was he doing?:: Scorpion: Fine! If you're going to waste your life, then so be it. Your memories are going to be mine! ::As she held on to the Gorn, she could see two worlds. One one level she could see Reverie Rock, the dust blowing on the street. But on top of it, she could see a nightmare. Scorpion became a horrifying monster, and Nugra through her arms as if she weren't even there. The two clashed together and Kaji screamed as she watched Scorpion sink his teeth into her friend. Kaji felt her world shatter as the monster exploded.:: ::Time seemed to slow as she watched Nugra fall to his knees and look up. She saw the Pale Goddess he'd told her so much about come to him, surrounded by fallen friends, some she recognized, and some she didn't. Talia watched him take the Goddess's hand and suddenly she really understood that he was gone. This was no dream.:: ((USS Doyle, Science Lab)) ::Kaji opened her eyes. For a moment she just lay there, pain and heaviness filling every cell. She noticed with a strange part of her brain that someone had cleaned up the glass. Her hands were bandaged, too.:: ::Slowly, she dragged herself to her feet. She leaned heavily on the wall.:: Kaji: Computer, locate Ben Kaji and Colonel Nugra. Computer: Ben Kaji is in Corridor 298, Senior Officer's Quarters. Colonel Nugra is in the Marine CO's office. ((OOC: I know earlier sims put him on the bridge, but I'm going to go with MacRae's latest and have him in his office so things don't get confusing.)) ::Kaji nodded silently in response. Ben was closer. She needed to see that he was alright. Then she'd go find Nugra, though she already knew what she would find.:: ::She stumbled down the corridors. Everything seemed surreal as if this was the dream. This couldn't really be happening. She spotted Ben from down the hall and her legs started to work right. Talia ran to her son, picking him up and clinging to him. The tears came easily now. She looked at the two women he was with. One was his nanny, Mrs. Fluffy, and the other was their Reverend...er, counselor.:: Kaji: Can you two take care of him? There's something I have to do. Tonston: Sure. ::Mrs. Fluffy nodded, and Kaji turned and ran for the turbolift, tears blurring everything. It only took her a few minutes to make her way to the Marine section. There were already several people gathered in the CO's office. She could see past them, though, to the still figure still sitting in his chair, looking like he'd gone to sleep. She leaned against the wall and then slid to the floor, out of the way of the emergency workers. Sobs wracked her frame. It was over.:: --------------------- LtCmdr Talia Kaji First Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-80221-A E239008TK0 ---------------------

((Nicu Icavoc’s Quarters, Deck 7 - USS Darwin-A)) ::Maybe it was because Nicu Icavoc was already in an uncharacteristically bad mood that he decided to put the doctor on the spot. Maybe he wanted to understand what sort of knowledge the medical team were working with and how much support he could realistically expect from him. He watched Graeme closely looking for any signs of nervousness as he answered his question.:: Icavoc: Tell me Doctor, what exactly do you know about Dokkaran medicine? Cook: I know enough to know that most our drugs have no effect on your kind that's why we have a small amount of special analgesic in a hypo spray as I already said nothing is effective. I know your bones are called bone-wood and is a lot stronger than my bones. I could go on about your flesh being leaves that give the effect of flesh, I think the best medicine for the Dokkaran is ummm ::Pausing:: Ceata's soil... I hope I said it right? I also have learned that you are very similar to plants except you don't require sunlight but operate on a modified version of the Calvin Cycle or the Calvin-Benson cycle, where carbon dioxide is captured in a cycle of reactions, if I'm correct there are three stages, stage 1, the enzyme Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase or RuBisCO for short incorporates carbon dioxide into an organic molecule, 3-Phosphoglyceric acid or 3-PGA. ::Taking a large breath and smiling at Nicu:: Then in stage 2, the organic molecule is reduced using electrons supplied by Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphat or again NADPH for short. Lastly I n stage 3, Ribulose Biphosphate or RuBP, the molecule that starts the cycle, is regenerated so that the cycle can then continue. ::As a scientist and one who put a lot of value in knowledge Nicu Icavoc was impressed. Graeme had indulge his question and provided a smattering of facts the illustrated the range and depth of his knowledge. It did much to restore his confidence and reassure him of the quality care he could expect. In his long years with Starfleet few had ever been allowed to study Dokkaran physiology because of The Council of Elders had determined it in the species best interests not to allow those who didn’t sufficiently understand themselves to study his race in detail. Though Ceata was aligned with the Federation, the species was young and they were not fully fledged members. Years of diplomatic interactions had strengthened the Dokkaran understanding other the greater galactic universe and in turn they learned of his kind. There was a certain harmony about it that he appreciated.:: Icavoc: Very good. You may proceed. ::In a more friendly manner:: ::Nicu watched as the doctor unwrapped the bandages and inspected his wound. Even a few weeks on he was struggling with the reality of it. Sometimes he would wake up and forget his hand was no longer there. He would reach out to pick something up only to see not a hand but a useless stump. Much of the leafy flesh on his arm was discolored brown. His attention was drawn to the doctor as he spontaneously laughed. Nicu Icavoc could see no obvious reason for it and wondered what he was thinking about.:: Icavoc: ::With curiosity:: What’s amusing? Cook: I'm just going over things in my head and I laughed because I secretly complimented Isabel Pond on her work. I want to run some tests on your arm as in the amputated one I want to find and extract cells and run tests on them to help in aid you growing and replacing your arm. But I won't lie it's not going to be easy I will need to discuss this with Miss Pond and if she agrees I will speak to the capt… Or Maxwell Traenor... What do you think? Icavoc: I think we should take things one step at a time but I appreciate the support. I haven’t seen any new growth yet, however I am afraid the best case scenario for regrowing the limb naturally will take years. ::Their species was extremely long lived and were strong of body and mind. When they were injured they more often than not could repair the damage but it took a significant time. His soil was as close to Ceata as could be but it was still not home soil. The lights in his room simulated natural light as closely as they could and though he had them burning quite brightly for the time being to support his recovery, they could never quite be as good as natural light. His recovered was hampered by his circumstances right from the start.:: Cook: I have one more thing I would like to ask you... I feel a visit from Mr Scudder to help you I read that he was by your side more or less through the whole ordeal I shall request that he pays a visit? ::Paul Scudder was a newcomer to the Darwin but already he had been of great support to him. He had found he could confide in the counselor, he had helped him deal with overwhelming emotions that had gripped him and nearly prevented him from accepting life saving surgery. He felt a follow up discussion with the man might be incredibly beneficial in helping him come to terms with his new reality and move on with his life in a productive manner.:: Icavoc: Please. I would like that. ::Doctor Cook examined his stump and changed the dressing. They discussed the situation a little further with Nicu Icavoc’s manner being more calm and relaxed now that his confidence was restored. The Scot genuinely seemed to think there was potential to come up with a long term solution but what he would need to talk about was his immediate future. Were it not for the fact Graeme Cook was needed elsewhere very soon they could probably have got into it more.:: Cook: Well Nicu Icavoc my work is done here for now with your decisions I will strive to make them work. It was finally good to meet you. My door is always open even if it's for a chat and a drink! Icavoc: Thank you Graeme Cook. It is a pleasure to meet you. Take care. PNPC LtCmdr Icavoc - Acting Chief of Security and Tactical Fleet Captain Renos - Commanding Officer, USS Darwin NCC-99312-A * Executive Council & Captain's Council Member * Academy Commandant A238805EB0

(( Doctor's Office, Reverie Rock )) :: Bam Bam had left and Alex sat in his office trying to see what he could and could not control. He also went over the details he could remember of the last 3 days. Time didn't move quite right and his realization that he was in a dream intrigued him. He had tried to wake up, but for some reason, he couldn't. :: Faranfey: Alex, darling. :: She said as she entered the office, putting the rifle carefully on the table. :: :: Alex turned to see Selene, her clothing changed and the signs of pregnancy gone. His heart sank, but he kept the appearance of everything being alright with his emotions. He smiled at her. He needed to keep up the ruse. It was only a matter of time before they all figured it out. It was getting dangerous. :: Bishop: Hello sweetie, I trust all is well. Faranfey: We're in a dream world, this is all fantasy. You are my Chief Medical Officer on a Federation starship. Bishop: Of course I am. :: As Selene drew close to him, Alex also wrapped his arms around her and returned her kiss. :: Faranfey: You are also my fiance, having proposed to me at a big celebration. Please say you remember that? Bishop: It's all coming back to me. :: Alex lied. :: Faranfey: I need to remind the rest of the crew of who they are, so we can work on a way to get home and plan our wedding... that way we can remember all the fun details. Bishop: oO These were the fun details. Oo You go and be yourself. Just don't leave me in here when it's time to finally leave. :: Alex waited for Selene to leave before he cried. He knew that it wasn't possible for him to get her pregnant, but he would spend eternity here if it meant having that life with her. But he knew he could never let anyone know. :: ~ Dr Alexander Bishop Town Doctor Reverie Rock As written by: Lt Commander Alexander Bishop - C239112AB0 Chief Medical Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-90221-A

(( Saloon - Reverie Rock )) :: The parasite’s avatar, Scorpion walked into the saloon with a face of sheer triumph. Nugra knew the thing realized he found the source of the dreamworld and the moment of truth had arrived. Scorpion: After all these eons, I have finally found you. Hiding as a simple drunk. How ingenious. Lucky: We all knew this day was coming. :: Nugra glared from the dirty drunk to the bandit who stood in the doorway of the saloon. The energy in the room had intensified and an imaginary heat could be felt basking on his face. It was clear now that Scorpion was the embodiment of the parasite while this entity that the parasites were attacking had Lucky as the host whose immune system was fighting them. :: Nugra: If I take him out, we can go home, yes? Lucky: Yes. :: Was it instinct? Was it irritation? Was it even heroic and selfless? All Nugra knew was that Lucky had told him that Scorpion was the man standing in the way of Talia and her son. There was only one thing he could do. Nugra turned and began to walk determined towards Scorpion. The man raised an eyebrow in surprise. :: Scorpion: And what do you think you're doing? Nugra: Removing you. :: Nugra looked at his captain. The woman he had known for so many years as Sundassa Faranster, who had become the haunted Selene Faranfey. They had been through a lot together and the understanding that what had to be done would protect her and the crew she loved so much. There was also Kaji who stared at him with her large, beautiful eyes. :: Nugra: ::smiling:: Go find Ben. I'll be fine. :: It was a lie. He knew that and Talia would know that. It didn't matter as her life was now more important than anything. :: Nugra: Alright you [...]. Time for you to die. :: Scorpion laughed as Nugra picked up his pace striding across the floor. :: Scorpion: I can't die you fool. :: From a walk to a charge, Nugra caught Scorpion by surprise in the chest and carried him through the door and on to the ground in front of saloon. Scorpion swung and connected to the lizard's face. To the Gorn's surprise, it took him off the man and across the street. Scorpion hopped up with irritated sigh and brushed himself off. :: Scorpion: There is no way you can defeat me. :: He was right. The parasite was an energy creature that was feeding off of another. The only reason the lizard could even see him was because they were trapped in the REM world created by the Dream Master. They were feeding off his memories. :: oO Memories. Oo :: That was it. The parasites were focusing their energy on consuming the Dream Master and it was what was keeping the entity from shaking off and getting away. Nugra knew what he had to do. :: Nugra: I don't need to defeat you. I just need to distract you. :: Focusing the will of his entire species on the thought of Scorpion, he summoned the memories of those who inhabited him. He thought deep of the alternate Nugra whose memories were imprinted on him when the USS Thunder broke through a singularity, he focused on the nightmares of Krr'Sakk the Admiral of Skulls, a horrible split personality he developed while trapped in the singularity. He touched the memories of the being that lived inside of him since 2381. The Gorn took it all and mentally threw it at Scorpion. :: :: At first, the Gorn did not know if anything was happening, but then he saw the shock and stumble of the parasite's avatar. The memories had hit hard. :: oO Come on. Take a nibble! O Scorpion: Fine! If you're going to waste your life, then so be it. Your memories are going to be mine! :: The world around Nugra changed as Scorpion changed into a nightmarish creature of phantom shadows and teeth. The Gorn felt the terror of the entity as it lunged at him and he felt the cold, icy, fangs sink into his mind. It was done. Now it was time to allow the rest of his body to do its job. What Scorpion did not know was that when Nugra first joined the Gorn Space Navy in 2369, he had been attacked by a mind sucking probe and the doctor figure a way to freeze his engrams in place. Scorpion realized this as Nugra felt the being impact on unmovable memories. Nugra felt the creature shatter into a million pieces while his own thoughts and consciousness broke along with it. It was like two pieces of crystal being collided together. :: :: Falling to his knees and looking up towards the sky, the Gorn saw a figure beckoning him forward. He recognized her from the writings of his religion, the Pale Goddess that defended the gates of oblivion from being opened. Nugra knew that death had finally found him and that she saw him worthy to join the ranks of those who fought by her side. Peace filling his mind, he saw his friends of old Korvek, Merida, Tallis Rhul, and even his young brother Morg waiting for him along the alabaster roads. For a second, he thought about the beautiful woman he left behind, but he was happy she was now safe. He had achieved what he wanted. To keep her safe and now he was home. :: :: For the first time in 364 years, Nugra was at peace. :: ~The End~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Colonel Nugra Marine Commanding Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-80221-B Podcast Team Facilitator Deputy Commandant Captain's Council Magistrate Provisional Fleet JAG Officer V238008N10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & MSNPC Lucky Dream Master Reverie Rock as simmed by --------------------- LtCmdr Talia Kaji First Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-80221-A E239008TK0 ---------------------

((Invicta – T’Lea’s Quarters)) :: T’Lea was sitting on her couch in silence, not really meditating, but thinking about her conversation with Ms. Moonsong when the door chimes rang.:: :: A moment more passed as if she hadn’t heard the announcement, and then she rose to her feet.:: T’Lea: Enter. :: Her voice was calm, and so was her response when Rune walked in.:: Jolara: ::jaw set:: We need to talk. :: It didn’t take eyes to see that Jolara was in a hostile mindset, one that T’Lea didn’t want to deal with.:: T’Lea: Now is not a good time. Jolara: Then I will talk and you will listen. :: With a sigh, T’Lea moved over to the replicator with unwavering patience.:: T’Lea: Very well. ::to the replicator:: Vulcan spice tea. Hot. :: When she turned back with the cup in her hands she took a sip and lifted an eyebrow for the woman to do as she said – talk.:: :: Rune watched T’Lea for a second. If there was any doubt before, there was none now. She almost let out a sigh of her own. She hadn’t really come to fight but she would have to do whatever it took to make the irritating Romu-Vulc normal again.:: Jolara: ::releasing a quiet chortle and shaking her head:: I liked you better when you were not so bland. ::waving her hand:: This…. Vulcany act does not really suit you. But I get it. It is how you choose to deal with things. :: The truth was, after talking with Moonsong, she was feeling depressed, and right now she didn’t give a flying frell about anything.:: T’Lea: ::a sip of tea:: I have had my fill of counseling for one day, if that is why you are here. Jolara: No. Actually that is not why I came. But it would make things easier if you were yourself again. :: T’Lea gave a dull little shrug. It was stunning how people wanted her to change, how everybody wanted her to be something different, and when she finally did it, they wanted her to change again. Of course, this metamorphosis hadn’t been for them, but the reactions were still ridiculous.:: T’Lea: Why would it be easier? Or perhaps the more accurate question would be *who* would it be easier for? :: Rune ignored her comment and moved to plop down on the sofa. She looked around, taking note of the sparse decor. It was a reflection of what she knew T’Lea was feeling. For that she was truly sorry but she wasn’t about to show any sympathy. After all, that would only alienate the woman even more and right now that was the last thing she needed to do.:: Jolara: Because something is happening inside ::tapping her head:: here and you are the only one I can trust. :: The Romu-vulc sipped her tea and then gave a small shake of her head.:: T’Lea: There are better people to confide in. Have you sought counsel? Jolara: ::shaking her head:: I do not need counseling… not for this. T’Lea: Then elaborate because you are failing to convey your thoughts in a comprehensive manner. :: That sounded very much like a Vulcan insult, and it probably would have been if T’Lea had cared enough to manufacture it into one. But honestly she had no idea what Rune was talking about.:: Jolara: ::sighing and leaning forward with her arms on her knees:: I am talking about… ::her brow creased:: If Kieran had not left maybe she could have helped but she is not he… ::Stopped abruptly and looked up at the Romu-Vulc, though she didn’t have to look at her though to know the thought that ran through her mind. She pointed a finger at T’Lea.:: That is not what I am talking about. And I never wanted you to change or be anything different but that does not matter right now. ::She shook her head and touched the back of her neck as her thoughts instantly shifted.:: I think I am beginning to figure out what my mentor really did to me. But actually, none of that is why I am really here. I was not going to tell anyone and maybe I should even tell you but of all the people in the universe, you are the one person who has a right to know. ::waving her hand:: Yeah, I know I am still not conveying my thoughts in a comprehensive manner. ::She sucked in a breath. She was rambling and she knew it. But it was the way her thoughts were coming.:: I have secured the portable repository. No one else will ever be hurt by them. :: It was almost too much information for T’Lea to process. For a moment she stood there staring blankly at the Al-Leyan as her mind raced to sort through landslide of words she’d been caught in. And then… and then it started to sink in.:: :: T’Lea set the delicate little tea cup on the table top and gave Rune a faintly curious look.:: T’Lea: Does the Captain know? Jolara: ::shaking her head:: No. No one does. T’Lea: You have chosen to disclose this information to me and not him because…? Jolara: I do not really know… maybe because you are the only one I *know* I can really trust. :: Just because they enjoyed annoying each other didn’t mean they didn’t trust each other. T’Lea took the declaration at face value.:: T’Lea: And what do you plan to do with the lesser repository? Jolara: Keep it hidden… destroy it? :: T’Lea closed her eyes, and tilted her face toward the ceiling to inhale a clean breath of soothing calm.:: T’Lea: ...why do you people continue to test me…? :: She said exhaling a long sigh. First it was Ms. Moonsong battering her defenses, and now this… this temptation of revenge staring her down.:: :: The look she gave Rune hinted of her thoughts. She wondered what Rune was capable of on her own. She wondered about her loyalty to Starfleet Intel. She wondered if the woman would crack under pressure. She wondered what she *herself* would do next.:: T’Lea: You realize they will be looking for it. You know they will come for it – they will come for *you*, and when they do what will you tell them? :: Rune knew all of that and she knew T’Lea doubted her. It was no secret the Romu-Vulc thought Rune was weak. It was something that had once bothered Rune, but now… well the woman simply did not know what Rune was really capable of. She hadn’t even known until Kya unlocked the memories Laro had tried to erase.:: :: Her jaw clenched and then she shrugged.:: Jolara: They can come for me but they will not get it. No good can come from it and the danger of it falling into the wrong hands is simply too great. T’Lea: You would sacrifice your career and possibly your freedom for this? :: She looked at Rune with unwavering eyes. She looked for weakness. She looked for hesitation.:: Jolara: There was a reason the Council of 12 sought to destroy the Iconians and their technology. I understand that now. :: T’Lea gave a firm nod. Rune was different now. Something had changed in her. But so had T’Lea. Vengeance, bloodlust, rage… it was still there inside of her, but she had control. Besides, there was a bigger picture, a bigger target she wanted. Dal Selta. Her archenemy, and really all of SFI’s nemesis.:: :: Now she was thinking as she should have been all along. Her purpose renewed.:: T’Lea: The Twelve Deities of Destruction may, or may not still exist. They may be long dead, or they may be lying in wait for another resurgence of Iconian technology. The Cardassian Bureau of Intel is SFI’s biggest competition right now. If either side facilitates a revival of Ico-tech there could be grave repercussions throughout the galaxy. Now you see why I’ve “mismanaged” details and discoveries. But Nygel is different. The information is out there. :: Rune could almost feel the change in T’Lea, which was good. She nodded thoughtfully.:: Jolara: I know. T’Lea: The Cardassians will come for it. They will stop at nothing to acquire it. What we uncovered on Nygel has the potential to be devastating. Imagine infiltrating the upper echelon of Starfleet Command by simply overwriting an Admiral’s consciousness. ::pause:: I believe the Captain has underestimated the destructive nature of such technology. And I, like you, do not know who to trust. SFI has its own agenda, but I think… I hope I have placed my trust well with you. :: She took a step literally and figuratively toward Rune. They’d been through a lot together, and it seemed they had a mutual respect for confidentiality. Maybe this was a big mistake. Maybe Rune was playing her like a fiddle. One way or another she’d find out.:: Jolara: All I have is my word that you have… whatever that is worth to you. ::She bit her lip. That hadn’t come out the way she intended.:: What do you think we should do about it? T’Lea: My initial instinct is to destroy the repository. Both of them. However… Jolara: Destroying it will not stop the Cardassians or anyone else from looking for it. T’Lea: No. At least we can influence where they look though. What good is a trap without the bait. Since I cannot control the information flow on Nygel, let us use it to identify friend and foe. If it lures out the Cardassian threat then we will have succeeded. :: All that was said in the terrifyingly, calculative calm of a manipulative Romulan. Dal Selta would come. She was sure of it.:: :: Rune smiled but it quickly faded as she stood. She thought for a moment, rubbing the back of her neck as the pins and needles started again.:: Jolara: We should start with the Captain. Somehow we have to convince him just how dangerous the technology really is and that we can not allow anyone else to get their hands on it. Perhaps even convince him to allow me to keep it secured. T’Lea: That would be the best scenario. :: She paused and considered what Rune had said previously.:: T’Lea: You have your doubts about Captain Washington? Jolara: ::shrugging:: If we can not trust him, we should not even be here. There is a gathering this evening. We can speak to him when it’s over. T’Lea: If we cannot trust him, we should be *exactly* here. After the gathering then. -end- Lieutenant Commander T’Lea History & Archaeology Specialist USS Invicta Author ID I238301T10 & Lt. Cmdr. Rune Jolara Intelligence Officer - USS Invicta Writer ID: A238909RJ0

(( Toran Sevo’s Quarters - U.S.S. Gorkon )) :: What a wild day. It started as a nice, refreshing time out with some of the Gorkon’s crew on the Helase. He had intended to let his alternate/future self, Ayiana, “out on the town.” They spent several hours on the Helase, with Toran steering her into the casino and some much-needed life experience. He left her to her friends and crewmates, and wandered off on his own. It didn’t last, however, as the face that had haunted Toran the past month had suddenly popped up on every screen in the ship. Erik Jansen. The man responsible for the destruction of the Triumphant. The man who attacked Quinn. The man who declared their lives were not worth living; “it was better to side with the Dominion.” Which he did. Now he was here, hunting down his former crewmates. Before he knew it, Toran was back on the Gorkon, in his posh quarters, barreling away from the Helase as fast as they could. :: T. Sevo (Alt): oO Its not fair. Just. Not. Fair. Oo :: Toran took another swig of the vile brown liquid from the bottle, feeling it burn his throat on the way down. He hadn’t drunk much over the years. Alcohol was hard to come by post-War. Now, with functioning replicators and a fully-stocked bar, he had taken to having a few drinks from time-to-time. At first, it was just the experience; to feel his inhibitions melt, the chemicals fog his brain and his troubles. So he started drinking some more. And a little more. Sure, he could have the syntheholic crap, but it didn’t have the same “kick.” It didn’t befuddle one’s mind; which was something Toran sorely needed. :: T. Sevo (Alt): oO How the hell did I get here? Oo :: He had met the young Ayiana after the Battle. At first, Toran was simply glad to see another Trill besides Kael Seren. She was more shocked than he was to discover him alive. It turned out she was the next host of the Sevo symbiont in her universe. A universe where he had died. That wasn’t much of a shock. Being a career soldier, Toran was trained and fully prepared to die in combat if necessary. :: :: What he hadn’t expected, however, was to die not at once, but little-by-little, over the years after their successful war with the Dominion. Ayiana explained that Toran lost himself to depression, drinking, and despair. “Posttraumatic stress disorder” was the clinical term; he thought of it as Hell itself. The psychological trauma slowly caused his isoboramine levels to drop to catastrophic levels. Ayiana told him he was near-suicide and probably would have gone through with it if Sevo hadn’t been removed. :: :: In some cruel way, Toran considered his survival in this universe to be a blessing in disguise. Constantly being on the run, the occasional fight, and generally helping out on the ships he lived on had seemingly kept him distracted from thinking too much of his life and the war. The war they had lost. It was better than Ayiana’s paradise world. There, Toran had returned to an untouched Trill. The Powers-That-Be thought he, along with the millions of other veterans and survivors, could simply return to their lives. A little wiser, more experienced, some trauma, but mostly unscarred; despite the history of PTSD on countless worlds demonstrating otherwise. :: T. Sevo (Alt): oO We all pay our dues in the end, it seems. Oo :: It seemed his other life had caught up with him. With all his free time roaming the massive and immaculate Gorkon with nothing to do, his mind had finally had time to process everything that happened over the past fifteen years. It came in dreams at first, vivid, terrifying dreams. Or memories? They turned into nightmares. Then, Toran could barely sleep at all. That was one reason he took Ayiana to the Helase; to get *his* mind off things as much as her’s. :: T. Sevo (Alt): oO Yet again, Erik, you are ruining my life. Oo :: Suddenly, the klaxons blared in his alcoholically-sensitive ears. Red alert lighting (true red lights!) flashed on his computer’s screen, and emitted from other light sources in his quarters. :: Computer: Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert. :: The computer’s high-pitched female-esque voice screamed in his ears like a Siren. Toran dropped the bottle. It didn’t have to go far, as he was already sitting - well, leaning - on the floor in front of his couch. Sitting up, he covered his ears with his hands. The sound was too much! Memories of Jem’Hadar and Cardassians running through the halls came shattering to the front of his mind. He didn’t want to fight them anymore. No; he wanted to hide. :: T. Sevo (Alt): C-computer! Seal the door! Turn off the lights! :: The room darkened, only to be lit by panel glows and the red alert lights. As he heard the snap of a forcefield cover his quarter’s doors, themselves strengthening their magnetic seal, Toran fumbled for his d'k tahg on the coffee table in front (and above) him. He leaned back against the couch, still sitting on the floor, clutching his d'k tahg tightly, as if protecting a baby. He simply sat there quietly, shivering and sweating in the dark, hoping to the Gods whatever was going on outside those doors wouldn’t come for him next. :: ----------------------------First Lieutenant Toran SevoRefugee---------------------------- simmed by ----------------------------Lt. Commander Ayiana SevoChief Science OfficerU.S.S. GorkonV239109AS0---------------------------

"To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart." ~ Phyllis Theroux (( Trill - Laxyn Residence )) :: While being in space it was easy to forget about time. Boardtime did not replace the sight of dawn and sunsets, the biological clock used to find its rhythm. On a starship that clock took a while to adjust and slowly began to use shifts instead. The problem with that was, that once the body was used to that, it was difficult to pull out again. So it could happen easily that once one sat foot on their home planet after a long time gone, the body did not agree with day and night cycles any more. :: :: This was what happened to Jalana. After years away from Trill, she had arrived in her own felt midday which had been actually early night on Trill. So she had eaten late and talked for a little while with her mother who needed someone to keep her company. Afterwards she had retreated into her father's study. As soon as she entered it felt like she was sixteen again. Nothing had changed in the dark overpowering room, filled with dark wooden bookshelves, packed with knowledge of several lifetimes. Her father had never been joined so he had convinced himself he had to learn as much as possible to have a shot against the combined knowledge of a host. The same dark wood went through the whole furnishing, combined with black leather on the seating arrangements and dark green leather on top of the overloaded desk of a hard worker. :: :: It had taken a while in the big threatening chair behind the desk until Jalana had stopped thinking about that it was her father's and she had no room in here, while she went through his medical file. It had been a gut-wrenching experience. It was a miracle that his doctors had not force checked him into a hospital or a spa. The red headed Trill had gone through everything and filled half an old-fashioned notebook with notes and thoughts when she finally closed it and turned her head to the blinds in front of the window, rays of light shining through them. :: :: She rubbed over her face and along her neck to the back of it to massage it slightly. It reminded her of the time when she'd been a practising Medic. Long nights, little sleep, forgetting to eat and stubborn patients. What a time that had been. She missed it sometimes. :: :: She now leaned back and brushed her hand through her hair. What a long night it had been. Sometimes when everything became to quiet she had gone into the master bedroom to check on her father, but he had slept well through the night. She had just been so focused on her work, that the constant beeping of the vitals had become background noise which at some point she had not heard any more. It happened easily, but it hadn't made her less nervous to not hear the mechanical heart beat indications any more. :: :: She herself should get some sleep, but she was not sure if she could actually find the rest she needed for that. Maybe she should check how the supply run on the Constitution was going, but then thought T'Mar would possibly think Jalana didn't believe her to be able to do that simple task. So she scratched that thought. Her mind wandered to Jerry. They had a really nice time together when she had been called away and just now she realized, how she regretted that. Biting her bottom lip she looked to her father's computer and reached out to establish a connection with Jerry's personal terminal. :: :: She was not really surprised to be notified that nobody picked up. He most likely was working or enjoying himself in a holodeck. So she decided to just send a message, not realizing that the dark shadows around her eyes and a slightly paler complexion than she already head would make her look exhausted. With the press of a button, she started the recording. :: Rajel: Hi Jerry. ::A tired smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.:: I finally have a few moments to think of anything other than my father and I want to apologize to drop you like this. ::She raised her hand slightly as if to interrupt him, even though they did not talk in real time.:: I know you understand and you would want me to focus on this. But I have enjoyed spending time with you and hope we can continue that once I'm back. My father is at home and he has slept ever since I arrived. I went through his file and want to slap the doctors for not making him retire, but then I realize that he would never follow a doctor's order anyway. :: Once more Jalana's hand ran through her hair, getting stuck halfway in a nest of knots and she sighed, pulling her hand back and tried to hide that strand behind her ear. :: Rajel: And of course I called you looking like a mess. Well, guess you owe me a messy look of yours now. I hope the supply run doesn't cause any problems and make sure T'Mar is taking breaks she has a habit of getting lost in work and believe she doesn't need rest. ::Raising a hand to her mouth she hid a yawn and wondered if the same went for her.:: Sorry about that. It's been a long night. The sun is coming up now and I have not slept, because my body is on Conny time. I should catch up on that a little, before my father wakes up. I have yet to speak with him, so ... ::She had not told him about the tension between her and her father, and not the moment to do that now. :: ... that'll be something. I'll talk to you soon I hope. :: She tiredly smiled into the camera one more time and pressed the key to end recording. She quickly put in the destination of her message and sent it off. She felt too exhausted to go to her bedroom, so she leaned back in the big chair and closed her eyes. Just a few minutes. Or a few more... :: -----Captain Jalana RajelCommanding OfficerUSS Constitution BImage Team FacilitatorA238906JL0

((Flynn’s Beach House - Little Risa)) ::Mirra Ezo laid on the ground, with her hair spread out in a fan around her head like a fiery halo. The last few days had been difficult, to say the least, and her empathic senses felt battered and bruised. With her eyes closed, she focused on her breathing in an attempt to recharge. While normally she would wander through the lush green of Central Park in the New York district, she currently found herself lounging on a beach towel, her bare toes digging into the warm sand as the artificial tide ebbed and flowed just below her.. She had come to track down a specific Risian...who for the last few days had made an art of avoiding her. Mirra had respected his need for space...to a point. Now it was just clear avoidance. It was time for action. She knew Flynn had just moved into a beach house in little Risa, and with a little bit of investigation, and a small amount of flirtation with the quartermaster, she found out his new address. So, while waiting for him to come home, she found herself enjoying the local scenery:: ::The jubilance of finally living on a beach again mixed with the busy excitement of planning a party was just enough to keep Antero’s mind off of recent events. He had to admit that after a couple days of avoiding his friends (whom he knew would try to give him a ‘healthy’ talk about accepting reality), he was missing their company more than a little, and ready to cut loose. Seeing that telltale red hair on a nearby beach towel, a small smile creased onto the corner of his mouth and he walked toward his friend, still carrying the large crate of Rum he had been carrying to the mini bar on the deck. He set it down behind her head and used it as a seat, peering straight down at her with a smile.:: Flynn: You know this is a nude beach, right? Ezo: ::eyes opening with a glare:: Not anymore, I took down your sign. ::flicking him in the knee:: YOU have been avoiding me. Flynn: ::Adopting a look of mock confusion.:: Who me? That doesn’t sound right. Anyway, better get back to work, nice seeing you! ::Jumping up, Mirra stood before him, forcibly pushing down on his shoulders, causing him to flop back down on his makeshift seat.:: Ezo: Uh-uh beach boy, you aren’t getting away from me that easily. ::face softening in concern:: I’ve been really worried. You’ve stood me and Theo up twice now. Time to spill. Flynn: I am sorry about that…::Smiling weakly:: I guess I’m not getting away so easy this time. ::Confident he would avoid a renewed attempt at escape, Mirra scooted next to him on the crate, laying her head on his shoulder. With a gentle shove, she looked up at him with a small smile.:: Ezo: It’s ok...you’re forgiven. ::sighing softly:: What’s going on with you? Flynn: ::Pointing his thumb back toward the mini bar.:: Do you want a drink? We should get you a drink. How long have you been lying in the heat? Ezo: ::snapping:: FLYNN! ::Antero had been doing his best to shove aside his feelings since he had heard the news. The accumulation of events made the best solution copious amounts of dangerously potent mixed drinks. It didn’t take long to realize that was no way to come to terms with anything. He knew he had close friends he could lean on, and figured it might be time to let someone in.:: Flynn: ::Sighing heavily:: You know... ::She did, in fact know. As she suspected, the reported disappearance of the Gorkon had brought up some rather unpleasant memories for her friend. Closing her eyes, nodded against his shoulder. Words weren’t necessary, he knew she understood.:: Flynn: I guess I just needed a couple days...oO and a couple drinks Oo. It’s not even just thinking about my brother, but those people we found down in the dungeon. ::He paused in a moment of reflection.:: I can still see them when I close my eyes. They state they were in…::he shook his head.:: Ezo: ::shuddering slightly:: I can only imagine. Well, I can vividly imagine, as I treated them in Sickbay directly after. ::pausing:: But your actions saved them Flynn. What you, Ensign Taelon and Commander Falcon discovered saved the lives of several men and women who otherwise...well..they have a much brighter future now thanks to you. Flynn: ::Somberly:: We shouldn’t have had to. ::He admitted a small smile and looked to her.:: But thanks, it does feel good to have been able to help. Most of the credit goes to Falcon and Taelon though. They are both really something. Ezo: ::smiling:: Oh I don’t doubt that, but I am sure they would say something similar about you. ::After a few moments of enjoying the peaceful scenery, both friends close, but one distant in his own thoughts, Mirra cleared her throat softly, in an attempt to help him find his way back home.:: Ezo: ::speaking softly:: When I was little, my mother once told me and my brother that when we’re born, we only have a piece of our souls. And while we only had a piece, we had a small collection of other pieces. And throughout our lives, the people we meet, well sometimes they might have a piece of us, and we might have a piece of them. It's what draws us together, and by knowing them, we become whole. ::smiling weakly, her voice getting thick:: And...when we lose them, we...lose a bit of ourselves as well. That loss...well it isn't something you ever truly get over. You...just learn to live with it as best you can…. ::Touched, Antero let his gaze drift slowly to his friend. He could see in her eyes and by the strain in her voice that this was advice she had received at a time when she must have truly needed it. Feeling a tear edging to the corner of his eye, he wiped it away quickly.:: Flynn: That’s really beautiful…::He looked out at gently rolling water.:: I don’t think I’ll ever forget that. ::Slowly sitting up, Mirra unclasped the locket she was very rarely without, gently opening the well-worn latch, she held out the opened locket to him, smiling sadly. Inside was a picture of two little girls, locked in an embrace while laughing. One with red hair, the other a dark brown.:: Ezo: Her name was Melora. She was my best friend, ::taking a breath:: she died when I was ten. I know she’s gone, but I hold her close to my heart every day. I know it’s not the same as your brother...but… ::With that the Risian slowly began to realize how selfish he had been the past few days. Absorbed with his own pain, and being blind to what his friends, and his fellow crew might be going through after their mutual trials. It had always been his nature to comfort, and to be a source of support whenever it was needed. It was time to get back to that.:: Flynn: ::Interrupting:: No, of course it is. ::He took her hand and gave her a weak smile.:: Thank you for telling me about her, I know it must have been hard. I...I’m sorry I have been so self absorbed... ::Mirra stood, clasping her necklace, and absently re-centering it around her neck. She moved to the back of him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging close, with her head resuming its position on his shoulder.:: Ezo: You haven’t been. You needed some time, and you took it...just...maybe a little too long. ::sighing:: Don’t keep him buried and locked away Flynn. That’s the only way he’s ever truly gone. ::Antero nodded solemnly, looping patterns into the sand with his finger for several long seconds before responding.:: Flynn: Yeah, I guess it’s something I have to work on… ::Nodding, Mirra leaned up and kissed the top of his head. It was then that the “chair” caught her eye.:: Ezo: Uuh...Flynn? What exactly are you sitting on…? Flynn: Hmm? ::Glancing absent mindedly down.:: Oh, it's just a crate of rum for the party. Ezo: ::eyes widening:: A crate of rum?? I thought this was a “casual party”...? Flynn: What? ::Absently.:: This is the last one, the other three are already set out. Ezo: ::sputtering:: Three?? You have three additional crates?? Flynn: ::With a shrug:: Of rum.. ::Watching her attempt to absorb the information, he was struck with the realization that he had not told Mirra the good news.:: Flynn: ::Brightening:: I didn’t tell you the good news! Gadget girl is here for a visit! ::Still stuck in the momentary shock of the sheer amount of pre-prepared alcohol, it took a few beats for Flynn’s words to cut through the haze.:: Ezo: ::brightening:: Your sister Zaina is here?? Flynn: Yeah! Can you believe it? She wanted to surprise me. ::Gesturing toward the house:: She is asleep inside right now. She practically begged to work the bar for the party, but is she around when it's time to stock it? Ezo: ::laughing softly:: I’ll help, let her sleep. I am sure she needs it ::stopping suddenly, eyes narrowing:: You better not have put toast in her pocket… Flynn: ::He looked her in the eye with a playful smirk.:: Hey, at Casa De La Flynn, we don't judge! ::He paused with a grimace.:: I’m never going to live that down, am I? Ezo: ::grinning and linking her arm through his:: Nope. Never. Lieutenant Mirra Ezo, MD Chief Medical Officer Starbase 118 Ops C239205ME0 & Lieutenant Antero Flynn CAG Officer Starbase 118 Ops C239205AF0