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  1. ((USS Darwin, Deck 1, Captain’s Ready Room)) ::The door chimed bringing in the second interviewee. Ne was lucky to have so many capable officers serving aboard the Darwin and after one candidate had taken a career break unexpectedly to deal with an emerging family problem, it had thrust Emery Rhyn into the spotlight. So where ne’d previously thought ne would only be interviewing one candidate face-to-face, now ne had the pleasure of interviewing two. Renos was lucky to have worked with both candidates personally and know more about their capabilities but ne also had to be mindful not to give them preferential treatment too. Like with Icavoc, ne didn’t know Emery Rhyn particularly well, though she was a somewhat newer addition to the crew culture and psychology ne felt Commander Rhyn had a lot to bring to a command role as a joined Trill officer. She had lifetimes of experience to draw upon. The only question was how useful some of it would be. If one of her past hosts was a famous sculptor then Emery’s quarters might well be a work of art but ne wasn’t sure how that would help her deal with building relations with species that felt Starfleet being the (relatively) new kids on the block, weren’t to be trusted. Ne let the officer in and they started off with all the usual rote questions such interviews necessitated.:: Renos: While you have excelled in every task we’ve asked of you to date, you’ve not had a lot of opportunities to lead from the front. How would you describe your command style and how do you think people would react to you as commanding officer? ::Emery hated this question. It had come up numerous times in interviews with supervising officers, Academy instructors, and other commanding officers she’d had that were trying to help her along the path to command. The short and easy answer was - she didn’t have one. Not one she was conscious of, anyway. She’d never really been in a position of command long enough to try out different approaches to see which she was comfortable with and which would work for her. Obviously, she couldn’t tell Renos this. She was in an interview for a command position. She couldn’t come out and say that she couldn’t command.:: ::She relaxed and thought about her symbiont’s previous hosts. Ellaan had been a politician, and was used to dealing with people. But her strengths lied more in the diplomatic arena - diffusing problems, negotiating and such, and not in the command area. Yaren had been the captain of a merchant vessel. But he mostly had a crew of one - himself. He did what he wanted and never had to worry about ordering others around. Kilanda had been a university professor and was in charge of a large body of individuals daily. But teaching and command were two different beasts. The other hosts had nothing to offer either. Emery was on her own here. What kind of a commanding presence was she?::Rhyn: One thing they’ve taught us in Tactical, ner, is to always assess your situation. Know what and who you can count on, and where your greatest assets and weaknesses are. My greatest assets as a CO would be my crew. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses, I would be able to pull from their knowledge base, and not place personnel in situations that would set them up for failure. ::Emery wasn’t sure this answered Renos’ question, but it was the best she had on the spur of the moment. She waited nervously for nir reply. The captain nodded just a little. Having been at this now for a few years ne had learned a lot through trial and error. There were a lot of things ne had little to no knowledge of. No one could be expected to know it all, or handle everything alone. It was imperative a commanding officer know their crew, trust in them and know how to get the best from them and that was about tasking them appropriately. This was a good start.:: Renos: Do you see yourself as being someone who prefers to maintain a more professional distance, or would you be more open and approachable to your crew? ::There was no right or wrong answer here. It was a matter of style and each person had their own preference. Ne had served under captains who were more distant and unapproachable. One in particular ne had only ever seen in passing. Ne hadn’t worked on the bridge and since ne hadn’t been their physician they’d had no reason to talk. That had been strange to nem at first. Ne on the other hand was happy to talk to the crew. There was no question that you couldn’t be completely chummy with the crew. If everyone was your best friend it was going to be hard to separate the personal from the professional at times. That could lead to trouble.::Rhyn: By definition, a CO needs to have a certain level of professionalism. But being approachable by your crew allows for a bond of loyalty and trust to be developed. There’s a fine line between them, but I think I’d like to lean a little more to the approachable side. ::Emery hadn’t needed to think about that question much. She was a people person. She liked to get to know who people were, to invest herself in their lives, their hopes and dreams. Her parents had thought that she would maybe become a psychologist, or even a social worker. Took them by surprise when she applied to the Tactical track at Starfleet Academy.:: Renos: Sounds like you have a similar philosophy to me then. How would you deal with a situation in which one of your crew is not responding to your orders? It might be that they think because you are friends they have greater authority to shape a situation than is the case. ::Emery thought of those crew she was closest to. She had started a friendship with Isabel, and by association Shayne. She liked Logan, and knew what kind of a soul he really was, even if he didn’t show it openly. And she liked Brell and his family...suddenly she realized that all four of those people had been assigned to the Atlantis with her. A situation like the captain’s question suddenly had a lot of merit. She could very well be surrounded by people she considered friends, and have to order them to do something they didn’t agree with. How would they react? How would she react to their reaction?:: ::Alternately, what if it was a sticky situation? Would she send another crew member she wasn’t as fond of into a potentially dangerous situation just because they weren’t as close? Would she protect her friends, and sacrifice others? Emery liked to think that she was a bit more professional than that. That her training as a Starfleet Officer would override any personal feelings in matters like that. But when it really came down to it, how would she respond?:: Rhyn: Anyone under my command would have had the same training I did. Starfleet personnel understand that anyone can be called upon at any time to do anything. If we’re not prepared to answer the call, then we shouldn’t be in this business. They may not like my orders, they may even disagree with my orders. And I’d never order anyone to do anything I wasn’t personally prepared to do myself. But I’d remind them of who they are, what this uniform stands for, and count on their professionalism to see that they get the job done. ::Again, Emery wasn’t sure that was the answer Renos was looking for. She was being as honest as she could...she just didn’t know if she was understanding the meaning behind the questions. Was she too vague? Should she be more specific? It was hard to know what Renos was after without being able to read nir mind. Sometimes she wished she was telepathic.:: Renos: You’re right that everyone will have had the same training but how would you react when people choose to abandon it, to betray that uniform and all it stands for?::This was not something that should ever come up but unfortunately ne had been betrayed not once, but twice. As much as Recruit Iy’s betrayal had hurt nem, Lieutenant Logan’s was arguably worse because he had Starfleet’s training and lifelong exposure to Federation culture and ideals. To Iy, ne was entering a whole new world vastly different to what he was used to, where betrayal was expected by a lot of people. The reason ne had asked however was completely unrelated to nir own misfortunes. It was all very well saying ‘I’ll remind the crew of their uniform and the ideals they swore to uphold’, but what if that is not enough? Renos had made tough decisions, even unpopular ones that made nem feel isolated from the crew, especially from the more openly disapproving ones. It took a very strong personality and complete confidence in one's decision making to stand strong in the face of criticism and in the face of betrayal.:: ::”Betray the uniform.” The question screamed of Renos’ personal history. Emery could say she empathized, but it would really just be words. She had no idea how the J’naii had emotionally dealt with those situations. How would she deal with a situation like that? She’d be hurt, certainly. Would she keep it in? Would she explode? Emery supposed it would depend on the situation and the person, or people, involved. Renos was probably remembering the incident with Logan. He was assigned to the Atlantis. Was ne worried that something like that might happen again with her command?:: ::Emery had spoken with Logan, both before and after his meeting with the captain and Varaan. She had given her support to Logan’s genuine concern for Renos’ well-being, but had made it clear that she had to side with command when it came to the plan’s execution. If only Kurt had said something before hand. She would have even gone with him to present the idea. She’d also talked to Kurt during shore leave on Trill. She felt that the two of them were in a good place. She was fairly certain that she didn’t need to worry about him going off and doing his own thing again.:: ::But the question remained. And it wasn’t Logan-specific. Anyone could be anti-Rhyn, either personally or professionally. How would she deal with it?:: Rhyn: I guess it would really come down to how far they’ve gone. Is it just words? Or have they taken some kind of action already? If it’s only words so far, I think we’d have to have a little chat, just one-on-one, and try to iron out the difficulties. ::That was Ellaan, trying to the political track:: However, if something had happened...if action was taken...then ::Logan’s face unfortunately flashed through her mind:: appropriate consequences in relation to the action would have to be taken. That could be something as simple as a reprimand on their record, or incarceration in the brig. We’re not military, per se, but there are rules and regulations in place, and for a reason. Rules need to be followed and enforced, or there’s chaos. ::Renos had absolutely no concerns about Rhyn’s respect for the rules and regs or her ability to manage a crew and ensure they also had the same respect for it. While Emery had less experience than the other candidates ne was considering, they couldn’t discount the experience and knowledge that she had as a joined Trill. Her professionalism spoke for itself. There were some follow up questions - there were always more questions to be asked but like with the previous interviews it was from nir point of view a success. The J’naii had learned what ne’d hoped to learn and it was increasingly clear to nem that this was going to be another of those agonising choices.:: Fleet Captain Renos - Commanding Officer, Andaris Task Force * Executive Council & Captain's Council Member * Academy Commandant A238805EB0 & Cmdr Emery Rhyn - Chief Tactical Officer - USS Darwin-A, NCC-99312-A V237810V10
  2. ((Bridge)) ::As the two women walked off the bridge, the captain called out to the engineer.:: Rahman: Commander Walker, you have the con. :: Time froze with the Captain's words. Luna forced herself to blink.. :: ((Luna's Mindscape/Bridge)) :: Luna paced across the back of the bridge. Her bright yellow hair somehow writhed with worry above her head. :: F. Walker: NO! We can't do that! Dad was in charge.. he died.. Ben was.. and now he's as good as dead. What if something goes wrong? We tried this before.. and we ran from the Atlantis.. and look what happened to Capt. Blueheart. He's now just a doctor.. They are all going to see we don't know.. :: The terrified rant was broken by the sudden impact of a large water balloon, followed immediately by a maniacal laugh. Sitting at the tactical station, a rainbow colored Luna shook her head and slowed her laughter to a chuckle:: T. Walker: Are you crazy? This is going to be a blast! Everyone will be dancing to our tune. :: Chuckling:: And at worst? We blame something else for anything that goes wrong. Stop planning for the worst and look to what we can do.. F. Walker: Oh sure.. great chances for the trickster. But who has to deal with the fallout from your "brilliant" plans? Me. Maybe we can just avoid the damage for once? T. Walker: Heh. Hey, didn't you used to be taller? You look like someone's not been feeding you so much lately. Besides, aren't you going to panic if we don't take charge too? :: A quiet clearing of the throat came from across the bridge. At the science station, an aqua hair colored Luna stood quietly at attention. :: L. Walker: While I disagree with Trickster's methods, logically and historically her assessment is correct. Fear of both action and inaction is within your bailiwick. Further, we have no control of the results if we are not engaged. Therefore, logically, our only reasonable action will be to acquiesce to the Captain's order. :: The rainbow haired Luna pumped a fist in the air in excitement. :: T. Walker: Way to go Logic! :: Turning to the yellow haired Luna :: In your FACE fear.. :: Pulling her hair out of a dismantled console, face smudged with dirt, pink hair similarly smeared, Luna spoke from the engineering console. :: E. Walker: Someone make a decision here ok? The ship can't take this for much longer. A decision must be made. Then I can finally get back to work. Counselor? :: All of the other Walker's turned to face the blonde haired child with the similarly sized dark haired doll. She started to say something before stopping and putting her ear to the doll's mouth. After a moment, she nodded with childlike wisdom:: C. Walker: Danni says we can do it. She thinks we're a lot stronger than Fear says we are. She also thinks that Trickster is right. But she's being very naughty suggesting we transport water balloons on all of the senior staff. :: She turned toward the doll and shook her head:: No Danni! Including the entire ship is not an improvement. :: She turned to the others and smiled sunnily:: Listen, we can do this. All we gotta do is keep things running for thirty minutes.. F. Walker: You shut up! You don't know what we could do... :: Her hand swung out, preparing to slap the child as she'd done many times in the past. Only to find a strong hand stopping her. :: You? You can't do that.. :: Luna, in her normal uniform and style, threw her arm back and stood between them. Her face was calm, through obviously upset. :: Luna Walker: No. You may beat us all up for things we do wrong... And maybe we need that. But you will not touch her again. You know she's our heart, the best part of why we do things. :: She took a breath before turning to face the others. :: Fear is right about part of this.. we screw up.. people may suffer. People may question us. :: She reached out to the yellow haired woman without looking and pulled her in, unable to stop from shuddering slightly as she did so. Her eyes were a bit wild, but she forced herself to continue:: Luna Walker: :: She inclined her head slightly to the blue haired variant and walked over toward her. :: Logic has the right of it for the response. If we are involved, Fear's concerns are lessened. :: This time when pulling the other woman into her, her posture straightened and her eyes took on a more controlled look. :: :: She turned to face both the Trickster and Engineer:: Luna Walker: If we are doing this, we need to know what can go wrong, and a plan to deal with it. You two handle the details. T. Walker: Team supreme! Let's do this.. with Style! E. Walker: :: Chuckling slightly:: Oh why not.. physical laws are more of a guideline anyway... :: As the two high fived, she pulled them into herself with a smile before turning to the remaining Walker: C. Walker: :: Leaning in toward the doll, before turning to face Luna:: Danni says she's very proud of you, you know? :: Luna fought the tear that threatened to leak out, but nodded mutely. Her childlike avatar reached out and patted her hand:: C. Walker: You can do this you know. Everyone out there? They wouldn't do this just to prove you wrong. Besides.. Raissa's there. She's cool and will watch your back. :: She [...]ed her head to the side. :: Hey, Fear's haircut.. writhing hair and stuff.. how do you think she avoids tangles? :: Luna snorted in laughter and hugged her close, feeling warmed as she pulled herself together again. :: ((Bridge)) Walker: Of course Captain. I have the conn. ::As the captain and first officer disappeared, Raissa looked at Luna and smiled. She then pointed at the center seat.:: Moonsong: I promise… it will not bite. :: She smiled tightly at Raissa. Hopefully she'd not picked up on her initial response to the order. :: Walker: That's what they say. :: She knew the list she'd come up with and started giving orders.. she'd make mistakes, but she'd make them her way.. and find a way to make them work out for the best. :: ~Fin Lieutenant Commander Luna Walker Chief Engineer, USS Veritas I238010BW
  3. (( The Pulse Light Racing Platform - Main Stage )) ::The platform had come alive with the hustle and bustle of a busy city square. The sounds of engines, crowds, and celebration echoing through the various makeshift buildings and vessels. At the center of it all, the primary administrative tower stood sentry over the large empty stage and its army of speakers that had stood silently so far. A large crowd had already gathered at its edges with the anticipation of what was soon to come. Their wish was granted. It started out as just a slow thumping beat, but the crowd went wild. Those farther out stopped in their tracks and turned toward the sound as the beat became louder and escalated in volume. In a sudden shift, the bass began to slam though the group of jumping, dancing, partying fans. The floor of the platform itself began to vibrate with the weight of the music as a platform began to rise from center stage. On it, MC Crescendo stood with his arms raised, a golden microphone in his hand. His crew of makeup artists and designer fashionistas had graced his form with a whirlwind of artful elegance that was certain to hold up to the expectation his reputation demanded. His custom silk tunic cut just low enough to showcase his perfectly manicured chest hair, his masculine display offset perfectly by the deep purple scarf draped loosely over his shoulders. The energy from the stage soon erupted over the entire platform, demanding the attention of everyone in attendance. Giant view screens were splayed in every direction for the convenience of all, each blasting the fast paced kind of beat that made you want to move, and certainly the kind that made you have to shout to talk. Soon the face of the popular MC Crescendo was visible to all, jumping to the front of the stage to the roar of the party animals before him as fireworks began to erupt in every direction. The party of the year had begun.:: Crescendo: Welcome party people to the 2394 Pulse Light Grand Prix! ::The crowd responded with a roar of cheering. The Denobulan took it all in with his arms raised as he paced the stage, absorbing the thrill and energy that he had grown so addicted to.:: Crescendo: Ladies! Gentlemen! Everything in between and beyond! Strap yourselves in for the biggest, hottest, wildest, sexiest race in the Universe! ::He pulled the mic closer, barely able to hear himself over the all too familiar noise level, absorbing the blinding heat of the lights illuminating every inch of the stage.:: I am MC Crescendo and I will be your host, narrator, announcer, DJ and not-so-secret crush for the duration of not only the race, but the biggest party you will never tell your grand-kids about! ::He looked to the large security guards at the edges of the stage. They were certainly deterrents, but Pulse Light justice was much more effective than any muscle. It was time to explain the rules.:: Crescendo: Until the fun begins all racers are grounded until they are called to the starting line. While were all here, lets try to get along shall we? No sabotage, no murder, and for the love of Bolian bikini parties, control your fluids! If you break the rules, we all know what happens! ::He held the mic out to the crowd before him for their echoing reply and shouted it out with them as a single spotlight focused on him, darkening the rest of the stage.:: Crescendo: Crowd Justiiiice!! ::He pulled the mic back:: That's right you savages, if you break the rules the man on high. ::He pointed up to the tower behind him.:: Will mark you for crowd justice. That means you had better be really fast or really tough, because your vessel, your possessions and yes even your lives are at the mercy of your peers. So if your going to break the rules, don't get caught! ::He had seen it at least once at every race since they had implemented it. It was always gruesome, but it was equally effective. The best part? It saved them a ton on security, and that made the man upstairs very happy. That was a win for everyone. With the main security force now able to focus on the stage and the tower exclusively, MC Crescendo and his crew felt nice and safe. The Denobulan looked to an assistant at the side of the stage for a nod of confirmation and satisfied, moved with the beat to the other side of the stage as forms scurried in the darkness behind him.:: Crescendo: Our racers have arrived and their vessels are primed for one hell of a show! We are gathering them in our media hub now and will be giving you all a first look at the faces behind the races. Were blasting on all frequencies so if your not on the ground, get to a terminal, because you don't want to miss this! In the meantime, get down with one of the foremost bands of their genre, the dirtiest punks in the galaxy, The Prime Resistance! :: The stage was re-illuminated in a flash just as the now present band slammed into their instruments. Crescendo made a swift and subtle exit as the young and energetic musicians screamed into their microphones, their drummer in a flurry of motion behind them. While it was not his preferred style of music, he could not deny that the group had spirit. With phase one complete, it was time for one of his favorite parts. Meeting the competitors.:: MC Crescendo Master of Ceremonies The Pulse Light Grand Prix C239205AF0 as simmed by... Lt. Cmdr. Antero Flynn Chief Helm Officer Starbase 118 Ops C239205AF0
  4. (( Bridge- USS Discovery )) :: The last fight Hannibal would ever want to engage in had begun. Two massive starships were trading weapons fire.Hannibal knew it was tearing Tyr's heart out to fire on the ship commanded by his wife, and commandeered by his son. While Riverview and Tyr were having their conversation, he noticed Tye was no longer on the bridge...and on his panel, he saw that Tyr had locked down the hangar bay. Hannibal bit his lip...he knew Tye was going to try to stop the bloodshed, hopefully make his brother listen to reason... Sanuye would try to kill him again, just as he wanted to kill him on the surface of Duronis. He was going to have to wait it out, until they could board and stop his brother...and save the Thunder and Admiral Turner:: Waltas: Savan, I want you to go with Riverwind and Oddas and take your boarding team. Once you fire off the probe we'll open fire, and then you can transport into Engineering and take it over. Savan: Aye, sir. Mitchell: New contact. Showing it to be the Thunder's yacht. Parker:oo What the hell...Oo Mitchell: Targets are going to slip stream... Waltas: Take us into the stream. We'll use theirs so we don't have to wait to power ours up. Stay on their tail, Anders. Mitchell, what's your opinion on the yacht? Mitchell: Stay with the Thunder. The yacht is a diversion, Tyr. Waltas: I'd tend to agree but why? Parker: A few seconds' indecision on our part gives them time to escape, and,,,, Mitchell: Cause even you and I aren't crazy enought to try and survive a full power launch from a ship running at full impulse. Only an unmanned craft on remote could pull that off. Waltas::Nodding:: Makes sense. All the same I want it disabled. Target its deflector and fire phasers. :: The Discovery fired her phasers, catching the yacht in yellow-white fire, its shields overwhelmed. The yacht tumbled as it dropped out of slipstream, her deflector shredded as the ship tumbled:: Waltas: Helm, stay with them. :: Both starships came out of slipstream, the Briar Patch just ahead:: Waltas::Tapping his communicator:: =/\= Bridge to shuttlebay-Oddas, Riverwind, Savan, are you ready? =/\= Oddas: =/\= Oddas here, we are ready to launch. =/\= Waltas: Launch and good hunting. Anders, full impulse. Take us in as close as we can get. Stay with the shuttle. :: The Thunder was dead ahead, but to Hannibals' surprise, her torpedo bay outer doors were not open, preparing to spit hellfire in their direction. They were still closing on her. He could see the shuttle was hovering right in front of the Discovery's primary hull, then flew neatly under the Thunder. A beep told him the shields were down, as was the grav plating on several decks, Now, it was all or nothing:: Waltas: Looks like the probe worked. Their shields are down. Mitchell! Fire! Now! :: There were few things more devastating than the fire from a Sovereign Class starship...Hannibal had seen it during the Dominion War, his first assignment on board the Challenger-A, and now, on board the Discovery. The hits were devastating, Phasers carved into the Thunders'hull, peeling first the armor, then penetrating into the double hull. Torpedoes then slammed into the nacelles and hull. Hannibal the Thunder was badly wounded as he saw the lights on the Thunder flicker, then go out....she was dead in space:: Mitchell: Target hit. Showing power out across multiple decks. looks like we got the feedback into the main capacitors. Waltas: That should keep them down for awhile. ::Turning:: Major. Get our teams moving. Get Irina back up here. :: Hannibal nodded, then spoke:: Parker: Will do, Captain:: tapping his comm badge:: =/\= Major Pavlova, report to the Bridge.=/\=..:: low, so only Tyr could hear him:: We'll handle this Tyr. We'll bring Toni and the rest back...and make sure Sanuye hurts no one else. Your place is here, my friend... Waltas::Quietly, only to him:: I know that. I also know that I'm going over there and nothing you or anyone else on this ship do or say will stop me. Besides.. ::sighing:: Tye is gone and his comm badge is shut off. You know what that means. He's going to confront Sanuye himself, or at least try to. We have to get there first. :: Hannibal knew he was right, and also knew he was wrong. But he also knew that if the shoe was on the other foot, no one could stop him either:: Parker: I know, Tyr...I know....::standing up:: Let's go get him... ::While Tyr and Hannibal were making their way to the Ready Room to put on the grav boots and collect their weaponry, Irina appeared, armed to the teeth. Hannibal had his share of armaments as well, with the exception of his plasma cannon...it was simply too much firepower to use on a starship, especially a friendly. Hannibal checked his pulse phaser rifle and Desert Eagle phaser, making sure bother were set to stun, before placing it back in his thigh holster. His Bowie knife was secure in his boot, with an additional blade tucked in the small of his back. His 1911 .45 was in its holster on his left thigh. With a nod that everyone was ready, Tyr spoke:: Waltas: Mitchell, you're in command until we return. If the Thunder moves or powers up you're to open fire, whether we're on board or not. Keep our foot on her throat. Understood? Mitchell: Aye sir. Full salvo on stand by. Waltas: T'Minh, I want you to get with Dr. Hendon and prepare to receive the Admiral. We'll be back with her shortly. Hopefully. T'Minh: Understood.:: Standing up and turning to towards Tyr:: Good luck. :: On the way to the transporter Room, Irina spoke:: Pavlova: I won't kill him. I promise. Waltas::Darkly:: We may have no choice, Irina. Either way, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Pavlova: You know me better than that. ::With that, the three teams beamed to their respective locations. The fight to retake the USS Thunder-A had begun:: (( Bridge-USS Thunder-A)) :: Arriving on the Bridge, they could see the carnage which had taken place just begore their arrival. Blood hung in the air, and they saw SAyune head toward the turbolift doors. Hannibal had drawn his weapon, and so had Tyr, their phasers lighting up the door as Sanuye fled inside:: Waltas::voice full of rage:: Parker! Irina! Go after him! Parker: We'll get him! Pavlova: Come on. :: The two raced into the turbolift, but not exactly sure where they were going to go. Hannibal had a good idea, but it was Irina who spoke first:: Pavlova: He’ll try to escape. Parker: Sanuye's plan is ruined, we're closing in, he's got only one choice for escape...the hangar deck.. Pavlova: response :: Just then, the ship rocked with another explosion:: Pavlova: Lets go. Parker: It was beneath us, but not sure where... Pavlova: Where was it? Parker: If he is blasting his way out, the Discovery will nail his [...]... (( Deck 6- Main Shuttle Bay- USS Discovery C )) :: the two Marines burst from the turbolift, weapons drawn as they ran down the corridor. They saw the long haired Sanuye look back at them:: Parker: SANUYE! IT'S OVER!! Pavlova: Hell with this. ::Irina put away both phase pistols and unslung the modern 24th century phaser rifle from her back.:: :: Still saddled with the grav boots, Irina and Hannibal made almost a dead run towards the doors of the shuttle bay, their superior strength had them gaining on the renegade before he dissappeared inside the hatch of the bay. Faced with a closed door and the possibility of ambush on the other side, Hannibal spoke:: Parker: I know, I know...you take point. I'll hit the emergency override... Pavlova: Ready when you are. :: Hannibal hit the panel, popping open the access to the controls:: Parker: We go one...two...three... :: Hannibal hit the override, and Irina stormed in, with Hannibal right behind her. From the other side of the bay, the other Discovery teams were also coming in, around the wreckage of a crashed yacht...and two men...the twins...grappling each other. It was impossible to tell them apart. AS the teams closed in, weapons drawn, Hannibal spoke:: Parker: Everyone! Hold your fire! That's an order! Don't fire until I give the order! :: Hannibal was banking on Tye to take his brother, but he was prepared to shoot them both if he had to:: TAG/TBC Major Hannibal Tiberious Parker First Officer USS Discovery-C
  5. ((Subspace Airwaves - between StarBase 118 Ops and the USS Constitution-B))::In his office, Captain Sal Taybrim gently flicked through the reports that had finally concluded in the wake of a full investigation into the actions of the so-called Jenatris Confederation (a clever cover name for the nefarious Orion Syndicate). He felt rather privileged - his place as the commanding officer of StarBase 118 Operations gave him a wide overview of the overall picture. The intel tower had generously given him a broad understanding of the puzzle pieces that had fallen into place, allowing them to focus in on some corrupted Starfleet officers and some Orion Syndicate fronts. And now it was his turn to give a call to a friend and offer her an expanded understanding.::Taybrim: Computer, please connect me to Captain Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution-B. Secured channel.Computer: Complying…::There was a flicker of the viewscreen as the interior of the USS Constitution-B came into view and focused in on the Trill he was seeking.::Taybrim: Captain Rajel? ::He offered a gentle, relaxed smile.:: Captain Taybrim from StarBase 118 Ops.:: Jalana had worked on some reports and requests after a few crewmembers had left the Constitution and was surprised to see that she received a call from Starbase 118. She had been there not that long ago and one of her crewmembers had been transferred to the station as well. There hadn’t been a problem already, right? The smile on the ginger’s face on the other side relaxed her though. Possibly not. :: Rajel: ::smiling:: Sal, such a nice pleasure to see you. Taybrim: It is good to see you, too! I hope things have been well with you? ::His dark eyes were smiling.::Rajel: They have been… ::It was that pregnant pause of a CO who had not found the right word to describe the chaos and insanity that was Starfleet life yet. :: … busy. How has it been for you?::Sal leaned back. Busy was...completely accurate. It seemed there was always more work on the plate of a Starfleet officer, a commanding officer even moreso.::Taybrim: Not bad. But things are moving - lots of change, for good and bad. It is sometimes exhausting to keep up with it all.Rajel: I believe I know what you mean. ::She paused briefly.:: Please tell me Rustyy hasn’t blown up the station yet. If he has arrived yet that is. :: She wasn’t sure if he had the luck to get there with a QSD equipped ship or not. :: Taybrim: ::That brought a smile to Sal’s face. Rustyy had, in fact, arrived and everyone on Ops was getting used to the unusual new chief engineer.:: He arrived safely and no, nothing has blown up. He’s currently shoring up a bunch of civilian racers for a very important intel operation. We are quite happy to have his help!Rajel: That is good to hear. I have no doubt he’ll be in good hands with you and your crew. ::She tried not to show how much she would miss that man and kept the smile on her lips. :: It is a surprise to receive your call. It is as if you knew that I’d want to call you as well. Taybrim: ::he offered a light chuckle:: I would blame telepathy, but in this case it’s just a canny coincidence. And a happy one at that. So, Captain, what is on your mind?Rajel: Please you first, what can I do for you, Sal? ::he offered her a reassuring smile, the sort of expression that said ‘I promise this is less painless than it could be.’::Taybrim: Ah, it is more a sharing of information. I hear you recently had a run in with the minions of a Nacien Rixx?:: Jalana raised her brows, and leaned back in her seat, possibly looking way more relaxed than she felt at the mention of the name she had only read in an after-report, received after delivering the detained members of the Orion Syndicate. ::Rajel: The head of the operation on Dagorin VI?::He leaned forward on his desk, nodding slowly.::Taybrim: Correct. Rixx is a high level power in the Orion Syndicate. He tends to operate out of the Trinity sector, but he has a far reach an sticky fingers for all manner of criminal enterprises.Rajel: ::A slight chortle came over her lips.:: Sticky fingers. Shouldn't have put them in those trees. ::Taking a shallow breath she got more curious.:: Did you by any chance have received any more intel about the tree sap they harvested on Dagorin?::The tree sap from Dagorin. As soon as the Constitution had reported to Starfleet samples of the sap were sent off to all manner of scientific and medical experts who swiftly returned interesting news on the stuff. In its raw form it was mild, but when refined through heat and the application of certain chemicals it was a terribly addictive and dangerous component of the street drug ‘All Time High.’::Taybrim: The refined sap is a key component in the street drug ‘All Time High.’ We’ve seen a marked increase in ATH use and abuse on the Federation border worlds and the independent colonies. It’s become a major problem in the last 18 months. The discovery and subsequent destruction of the Dagorin refinery had put a major damper on the ATH distribution in the Trinity and neighboring sectors. ::From everything he had heard the Dagorin mission had been hard on the Constitution, which meant Sal felt it was even more important to communicate what a big change they had made in the quadrant.:::: Jalana had heard about it being a component of the drug. She believed that Mark Two, their rather sentient EMH, and Alize Sorenson, the Forensic Doctor, had spoken about it briefly. Though the distribution and its extent had been unknown to her. If she was honest she had not heard about it before at all, which made her wonder if she just had missed it because of her change in position, or because it had not reached their ship. ::Rajel: These are marvellous news, Sal! I will have to let my crew know. It'll do them good to hear that their hardships have not been in vain.::Sal offered a gentle nod. He hated hearing that they had been caused hardships in the first place, but hopefully this was one problem that had been put to bed for a long time.::Taybrim: Certainly not in vain. There continues to be a decrease in the drug trade. Thousands, perhaps millions of innocents will be spared the spread of ATH.Rajel: What about Rixx? Any chance that he'll face ... how do human say? ... the music?Taybrim: Ah, that is the more curious outcome and the reason I really wanted to touch base with you. Starfleet intel tracked Rixx’s call to Dagorin - presumably in response to the Constitution arriving in orbit - back to the planet Raskor I. Raskor has a small Starfleet embassy and Rixx was allied with a corrupt Commodore named Allan Kinney. Kinney was the command officer over the majority of the Jenatris reach, including StarBase 118.:: The Trill blinked and stared at Sal blankly. A Starfleet Commodore was in cahoots with the Orion Syndicate? Why would anyone join a constitution like Starfleet and then turn around and work against them? For a terrorists organisation like that? Why not leave and then work with them? .oO Power Oo. She was pretty sure that several past lives in her just turned their back to Kinney and that behaviour. ::Rajel: That ... ::She let go of a trill curse word, before realizing something. She raised her head to look at Sal.:: Wait, you said was.::Sal drew in a long, slow breath. As with all stories involving villains, whether they were a criminal syndicate entrenched in a bunker or a Commodore behind a polished desk - all of them included hardships for upstanding crew.::Taybrim: Commodore Kinney ordered the USS Albion on a suicide mission to engage with a rogue Romulan warbird. Obviously we survived, but we were at a loss for evidence to incriminate Kinney until the information from your mission started coming in.:: Their information? Her heart beat a little faster. It was great to see a mission succeed, to know they had spent their time for a good goal. But to hear that it was part of something bigger, something that had an influence across the fleet, or even on one other person outside, was a thrilling feeling. She sat up straight her face lighting up. ::Rajel: It helped?::Sal leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief. Even thinking about that mission made him tense and he knew it had a happy ending.::Taybrim: Yes, with that evidence we were able to present our case to Admiral Hauke. And with the help of Fleet Captain - now Ambassador Kalianna Nicholotti - Commodore Kinney was forced into resignation.:: Kali. A smile washed over her face. She knew the woman, before and after her death and return. She hadn't had much to spend with her after but at least she'd met her on the Apollo, even though Kali didn't remember her. It was good to know that she had found a place to be. ::Rajel: I am glad to hear that. With the evidence and testimonies it may be possible to get Rixx where he belongs as well. Has he been caught yet?Taybrim: No, Starfleet Intel hasn’t caught Rixx… yet. But his main personal shield is now gone and he’s on the run.Rajel: ::Smiling she leaned forward.:: If there is one thing I've learned as a cop, it is that people on the run make mistakes. Sooner or later.Taybrim: That’s what intel said, too. ::he offered a slow nod of assent.:: I believe they will find him sooner rather than later.Rajel: I certainly hope so. Please if you hear anything about that, let me know?Taybrim: I certainly will. ::He promised with a gentle, but firm tone.::Rajel: ::leaning back in her chair rather casually.:: You know, if you always bring such good news, you should call more often. Actually... you can do that anyway ::chuckling::Taybrim: I will make a point of it! ::he smiled back in a wide, gregarious manner:: Now, you said you had information for me?Rajel: What? Oh yes, my call. I actually have a favour to ask of you. It's about Rustyy.::Sal’s eyes lit up. Rustyy Hael had quickly fallen in with the StarBase 118 Ops crew and had proved himself a valuable officer extremely quickly.::Taybrim: Ah yes, Commander Hael. ::Sal was a bit more formal - not knowing Rustyy quite as well. Yet. Give it time and a shore leave.:: What’s up with Rustyy?Rajel: Well, Starfleet has awarded my crew the Shadow of War Service Ribbon, but Rustyy left before I could give him his. I was wondering if you could give it to him for me.Taybrim: Of course I will. I will also happily pass on any messages.Rajel: ::Smiling broadly.:: Thank you, Sal. Please tell him we miss him, including his 'girlfriend' Conny. ::She made quotation marks with her fingers.::::Sal nodded and offered the Trill a reassuring smile.::Taybrim: Of course. And I promise, we’ll take good care of him. Rajel: I have no doubt you will. It's quite easy to grow fond of him and his uniqueness.Taybrim: All the more reason you should bring your entire crew to dock for a visit!::Starbase 118 wasn’t too much out of the way. Well, it was a bit out of the way; but they also had state of the art engineering resources and many ships stopped for upgrades, refits or just repairs.::Rajel: ::Exhaling:: Yes I really should do that. I can't wait to see the Ashalla District again as well. I don't know when, but I will return and bring a ship full of people with me. ::smiling::Taybrim: Anything else?Rajel: ::Leaning back with a relaxed smile.:: Not at the moment. ::Then she remembered.:: Oh, I have received your files for the Temple's Reflection pool configurations, but I haven't had the time yet to give it to our botanist. I should do that. ::Smiling::Taybrim: No worries. ::he chuckled a little.:: We had a ...small incident... involving a high profile pet getting loose and taking an unplanned bath in the pool, so the monks ended up draining it to do restorative prayers and cleaning. I’m sure they will greatly appreciate assistance when they fill it up again. ::He smiled, there was good humor behind his eyes. In the aftermath almost everyone could laugh at Duchess’ journey.::Rajel: I'll let you know how that goes. Now I shouldn't keep you from your work any longer.Taybrim: Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. ::He smiled gently towards her.::Rajel: Thank you again for updating me. It made my day.Taybrim: I’m always glad to make people’s days. Take care, Jalana - and may we see each other in good health again soon!:: She couldn't help it but that smile seemed to be on her face forever now. When the screen turned black again she leaned back and closed her eyes with a relieved exhale. This had to be the best outcome she could have wished for. ::-----JP byCaptain Sal TaybrimCommanding OfficerStarBase 118 OpsE239010ST0&Captain Jalana RajelCommanding OfficerUSS Constitution BImage Team FacilitatorA238906JL0
  6. ((Starbase 118 - Habitat Section - Deck 818 - Room 224B)) ::Mirra was a little disoriented. She was wondering what exactly was….off. She was far too warm, and looking down, her arm didn’t seem to want to respond to her brain’s commands. As the fogginess of sleep slowly receded, realization slammed into her like a cargoload of furless tribbles. oO That is NOT my arm….Oo Beginning to panic, she mentally retraced her steps from the night before. She knew she had been extremely exhausted, and after finishing up a few patient’s charts, she had left Sickbay to find the person in charge of quarters assignments. Once located, she went directly to her new living space to change, get a light dinner courtesy of the replicator, and a shower before completely passing out...alone. oO No one even knows where my quarters are, well, no one exce-Oo:: Ezo: ::jolting up:: Flynn! What in the name of the Four are you doing here?! ::Mirra was glaring at the disheveled Risian who moments ago, had totally been spooning her. She noticed he was fully clothed oO Thank the Four..Oo in the same garish Hawaiian shirt as the day before, although now inside out, and the collar reflecting three distinctly different shades of lipstick.:: ::From some far away part of his brain, he heard Mirra’s voice. Unable to register why, he put real effort into forcing open his eyelids. Flynn: ::slightly garbled:: Mirra...wha...what are you doing in my quarters…? ::He lifted his head slightly and looked in her direction, his vision still blurry with drowsiness.:: Does Tyler know you’re in my bed….? Ezo: ::continuing to glare:: No...these are my quarters. MY bed. And WHY are you in them?? How did you even get in here?? ::The Risian let out a big yawn and plopped his head back onto the pillow.:: Flynn: That’s fine, help yourself to the replicators. I’m going back to bed. ::Groaning in rudely woken up frustration, Mirra yanked the blanket out from under him angrily, and wrapped it around herself, never losing the constant glare directed at the misplaced Risian.:: ::Jostled from his comfortable place plastered to the bed, Antero sat up and looked at his friend with a confused expression.:: Flynn: What gives? ::As the gears slowly started to turn, he tried to understand what was going on.:: Am I late for an appointment or something? ::Letting out an exasperated sigh, the irritation was slowly receding as blatant curiosity took its place. Sitting up, Mirra placed her hands on each side of Flynn’s face, forcing him to look at her. She spoke calmly and evenly to try and sink in through whatever haze the Risian was in.:: Ezo: Flynn...listen to me closely. You are in my quarters, in my bed, where you were NOT when I went to sleep, so, now is when you start to tell me what in the Great Fire happened to you last night. ::He scratched his head with a dumbfounded expression and tried to remember the night before. He found his recollection of the evening more than a little hazy:: Flynn: Well we got off duty, and Bay and I decided to have a drink before we called it…::He smirked in reflection.:: I guess it’s possible we had more than a couple.. ::He shifted uncomfortably as he became aware of something hard underneath him and shifted to pick it up. Seeing it was his PADD, he handed it over with a groggy swing of his arm.:: Flynn: I was just going to the assignment listed on here. Ezo: ::holding up the PADD:: This message is FROM me. I sent it to you last night when I got my assignment. You were supposed to come and pick me up in- ::glancing at the bedside chronometer:: two hours so we could get breakfast and check out the station. Flynn: Ooohhhh that explains why the door wouldn’t open. ::He spread his arms in a casual stretch and yawned.:: I could totally go for some breakfast though, you should hurry and get ready. ::He grinned and gave her a wink.:: ::The glare and irritation had returned full force. Mirra looked up to the ceiling to pray to the Four for strength not to strangle her friend, right here, in her bed, with her bare hands over his nonchalant explanation for what was essentially breaking and entering. That….and non consensual spooning.:: Ezo: You…::shoving him fully out of her bed:: Out! Replicate yourself a new shirt while you’re out there or so help me I will gleefully beat you for breaking and entering. Flynn: ::Chuckling as he pulled himself to his feet.:: That sounds adorable. ::He shrugged.:: Anyway, it was only entering. ::He paused at a brief memory.:: Er...Unless you count what happened to that potted plant... Ezo: What did you...never mind. I don’t want to know. Now get out and let me get dressed before you become a swatted Flyboy ::tossing a pillow directly at his face:: might want to check for tattoos while you’re changing. ::smirking:: Flynn: ::His eyes went wide as he caught the pillow..::Oh crap! ::He tore off his shirt and spun in a circle.:: Anything? Ezo: ::rolling her eyes:: Just the same obnoxious one as before… ::Before he could finish undressing, as was his way with the complete lack of modesty, Mirra climbed out of bed and forcibly shoved him into the living area so she could get dressed in peace. Once alone, she changed from her pajamas into a simple cotton sundress. Doubting Flynn would stop pestering her long enough for a shower, she brushed and pinned up the mass of red away from her face. Stifling a yawn, she rejoined Flynn in the main sitting area. Grimacing in the direction of the potted plant by her door.:: Ezo: Do...you need to apologize to it now or can we just go…? Flynn: ::grimacing in the direction of the plant. I’ll, Uh...buy you a new one. ::He slid his hands into his pockets and tilted his head in curiosity at the odd texture he found inside. Pulling out the item, his eyes went wide with excitement.:: Flynn: Toast! ::He took a large enthusiastic bite.:: Ezo: ::eyes widening in horror:: Did you just…? ::stepping in front of him she quickly batted the buttered bread out of his hands:: Don’t eat pocket toast!! Flynn: ::Crestfallen:: My toast…::He looked her in the eye with a frown:: You ruined it. Ezo: It was already ruined!!! It was buttered toast...from who knows where or when...in your pocket! Flynn: Well maybe drunk Flynn cares more about me having a nice treat when I wake up. Ezo: ::staring dumbfound:: Are you trying to convince me “Drunk Flynn” knows best? Flynn: ::Shifting awkwardly at the question.:: Maybe we should just go to breakfast. Ezo: ::shaking her head in mild disbelief:: Yeah...good idea. ::Moving towards the door, Mirra stopped and looked at a shriveled, sad looking little plant by the door:: Ezo: You know you’re handling the disposal of that, right? ((Starbase 118 - Main Promenade)) ::Causally walking arm in arm, the two friends had finally made it to the main Promenade. With several establishments to choose from, they took their time as they strolled and made casual conversation. Enjoying each others company as they explored their new home.:: Flynn: Dude, my pocket is gross. Ezo: ::laughing, she squeezed his arm affectionately:: You’re an idiot. ::Antero just smiled, unable to dispute the accusation when a Terran man in civilian clothes approached from the opposite direction. The man seemed to brighten at the site of the pair. A big smile crossing his lips.:: Terran: ::Raising a hand for a high five.:: All Hail the Pineapple King!! ::After connecting firmly, Antero offered a graceful bow and the man continued on his way. Mirra looked between Antero and the man now behind them in confusion.:: Ezo: ::brows furrowed:: What was that all about…? Flynn: Hmm? ::He looked at Mirra and just shrugged.:: No idea. Ezo: This happens to you a lot...doesn’t it? Flynn: ::Smiling:: I like Pineapple King, has a nice ring to it. Ezo: Whatever you say, ::sarcastically:: My liege. ::Mirra gave an exaggerated curtsy and the two laughed as they made their way into a nearby restaurant, spending the rest of the morning attempting to piece together the events of the night before. Coming up with nothing more than a brief reign over tropical fruit and the dire foe of potted plants everywhere.:: -- Lt. JG Antero Flynn Helm/Ops Officer Starbase 118 C239205AF0 & Lieutenant JG Mirra Ezo, MD Medical Officer Starbase 118 Ops C239205ME0
  7. ((The backwater reaches of the badlands - planet Alcarin III - alleyways)) (Flashback - nearly 20 years ago) ::Rohan Marco had never liked doctors. Routine checkups on Bajor were a endurance tour of thinly veiled racist remarks whenever his hybrid physiology was concerned. Like a child could help how they were born and what genes carried their breath into this world. It instilled in him a wariness about doctors that was never shaken through all the physicals in Starfleet academy. Still, he was generally a healthy person. For all the frustrations and unpleasant situations his half Cardassian, half Bajoran countenance gave him, at least it had also ensure him a general vigor that bested both species. Still, that was a thin prize - like an assurance that a sturdy physiology would only ensure a longer lifetime of hatred and derision. Though it might not be a very long life if he didn't keep moving. His feet pounded a steady drumbeat of panic as he moved through the broken alleyway. The lights of the main city were few and far between in the slums, and the feeble tendrils of visibility only stretched along the main path. Deviate from the main path and one treaded into a slime of depredation, fear and death. And yet those darkened alleys held a tenuous thread of hope - they were the only places that the Narcene Guard feared to tread. The Guard were personal soldiers of the local Mayor - a self styled colonial lord that divided the population of Alcarin into the haves and the have nots. It was the sort of oppressive, fascist government that wouldn't fly in a more civilized location - but who cared about civilization on the back end of the badlands. All the shiny entities like Starfleet and the Federation could give a hang how many wicked colonial leaders carried out wholesale purges of populations they didn't like - native or otherwise - so long as nobody heard about it. He had to find Zexx. The Pakled engineer had the parts to fix the shuttle that was their only ticket off this planet. Unfortunately Zexx had been shot in the leg while running away from the supply warehouse where he had stolen said parts. Their local guide, a Nacene named Gren Thoval said there was a doctor in the Alsace slums that might help. The doctor was a shady looking Zibalian named Enjo, who promised to get Zexx fixed up in no time. He assured Rohan that he could head out and get the rest of the parts he needed. Zexx should be recuperated in two days. Which was all well and good, had anything gone right over those next two days. A rebel faction attacked the colonial capitol and the whole place was turned into a demilitarized zone. Zel had barely escaped with his life, let alone the missing parts, gained by a combination of canny bargaining and good old fashioned thievery. He had come too close to being shot a few too many times and the rebels were moving in to the position where their shuttle was hidden. It was clear Zexx and Rohan needed to leave Alcarin immediately. He made the turn down the crumbling brick walkway that smelled of fecal matter and rotting rodent corpses, willing himself not to look down and identify what any particular 'crunch' under his boots was. He slipped down the crumbling brick wall, and to the basement landing where Doctor Enjo did his work. When a knock on the door prompted nothing, Zel pulled a spanner from his pocket and tested the strength of the old fashioned lock. As the door clicked open, he was hit by the stench of sterilizing chemicals covering up the scent of blood and rotten flesh. It was more pungent than the last time, and Zel could only hope that was due to casualties coming in from the fighting. He blinked, eyes adjusting to the harsh yellow sodium light and realized he was standing in a pool of blood. He clenched his teeth, fighting the squeamish urge to scream and dropped down immediately behind the main table. The room was empty - at least of living people. There was a few pieces laying on the floor big enough to be recognizable as to where they went before the people that went with them expired. Fortunately none of them appeared to be Zexx - yet. Zel plastered himself up against the operating table, listening for signs of life. When he was rewarded by silence he snuck carefully forward, covering at each corner and looking down each hall in a paranoid fashion. The recovery rooms were filled with bodies. Mutiliated bodies. Bodies missing arms, eyes, big portions of their chest cavities scooped out and missing. It might have been written off as war, but a closer look told Zel that these weren't rebels or soldiers. They were the homeless in the slums, the drifters and the orphans. They weren't here because they came to die. They were gathered up for harvest. His heart rate spiked, frantically searching for Zexx, fearing he was dead. What he found was much worse. The Pakled was belted to a recovery bed, crudely stitched wounds showed where kidneys, spleen and other vital organs had been removed - but unlike the others Zexx was hooked up to a monitor, and there was a thin but thready pulse. Zel: Zexx... ::He called in a thin, raspy voice:: Zexx: Rohan... is that you? ::His eyelids fluttered open and his attention riveted on Zel showing off open, bloody sockets where his eyes used to be.:: Get out of here, Rohan! Enjo's not a doctor... he's a organ seller! Zel: ::Frantically scrambling to unbelt Zexx:: I'm getting you out of here! Zexx: You can't... ::he coughed:: I'm missing too much. The only reason I'm still alive is that he can distill antibodies from my blood... I'll never live off life support. ::Zel bit his lower lip. This wasn't death. It was worse than death. He closed his eyes and made a decision.:: Zel: I'm sorry, Zexx. I should have never brought you here. ::He moved to one side, grabbing a hypospray and filling it with enough sedative to put an Antarean whale to sleep.:: Zexx: Not your fault. ::he coughed lightly:: I would have died one way or the other. Zel: I'm so sorry... ::he repeated, pressing the hypospray into Zexx's arm:: ::The monitors screeched a thin alarm as Zexx's heart rate and breathing slowed to a bare minimum, and Zel grabbed his disruptor pistol, darting to one side to hide behind a mangy surgical curtain, listening for the inevitable beat of footfalls.:: Enjo: ::His voice was one of shock and dismay:: no, no no! I had everything properly calibrated! This wasn't supposed to happen! ::he dashed forward checking Zexx's body, and adjusting the life support system he was hooked to:: I need you alive! I have seventeen buyers for the blood you can provide! Zel: Seveteen buyers who can go to hell. ::His voice was thin and dark, disruptor at the ready hidden at his side.:: Enjo: ::His head snapped up and he immediately grabbed a scalpel as a weapon:: Oh, the hybrid. I was hoping you would come back. but I see you broke in rather than coming through reception. ::He narrowed his eyes:: I assume you did this? Zel: Seemed the only decent thing to do. Enjo: ::Advancing:: Well, I hope for you sake you're worth at least as much as he was - or I promise you that I will prolong your life only for the sheer pleasure of causing you pain. ::Zel had heard enough. Enjo launched himself at the little Cardassian, but Zel's itchy trigger finger was faster. The blast caught the Zibalian in the chest, pushing him against the back wall. He crumpled and twitched. Zel shot him a second time for good measure. He rushed back to Zexx's side, murmuring a heartfelt apology. It shouldn't have ended like this. Zexx and Zel were running Romulan Ale, trying to make enough money to buy Zexx's sister out of indentured servitude from an Orion slavelord. It had been a series of misfortunes that had scaled far out of proportion for the sin of carrying some blue beer.:: Zel: I'm so sorry, Zexx. I promise, if I finish this job, I'll buy Mila her freedom. ::He thumbed his disruptor to the highest setting - the fastest, cleanest kill, aimed at Zexx and vaporized his partner from the pain:: ::Stuffing his pockets full of shuttle parts, he ran. He regretted never looking for other survivors - or if Enjo had accomplices. He just ran, like a stupid coward, into the night. When he stopped by the edge of the woods he vomited up what little he had eaten over the last two days, before heading to their hidden shuttle to struggle through the repairs himself. Seven months later when Mila joyously returned home, Zel couldn't look the teenage girl in the face. How could he tell her that her brother hadn't heroically died saving her from the Orion Syndicate? That he had shot him while he was strapped to a bed in a room of medical horrors? Mila has hugged him and called him a hero. Zel had struggled with his own mind, trying to figure out whether he was a hero who made tough choices - or a monster? What he did know, was that it started off a long and paranoid terror of doctors...:: ((SB 118, Main Sickbay )) ::Zel Rohan stood at the threshold of sickbay staring at it as if it was the maw of hell itself. He was a rather short, somewhat mangy thing. Even with two months of nutritious food and decent sleep, he still had a too-lean appearance with dark circles under his half-Cardassian eyesockets. His faintly greying hair was carefully brushed back, but refused to stay fully put in one place, and his duty uniform was stiff, a little too new and a little too starched. But the stories were in the details. The scar that ran down his left eyeridge, the crimp in the bony ridge that ran down his right shoulder. The way he stood on the balls of his heels, tense and ready to sprint at any given second, and the wary look about him. When one of the nurses queried, he relented and walked in with a curiously cautious gait. He never turned his back to anyone for too long, and clearly scoped out the entire layout memorizing exits, exhaust vents and anything else where someone could attack from, or escape to. Mazha, the medical secretary on duty gently queried his name and reason for coming. Zel: Zel Rohan, new officer. ::Pause:: Here to see Dr. Liani. ::He gritted his teeth:: Might be under Rohan Marco. ::His "real" name. The one he hated. It was a little too pastoral, a little too Bajoran and and a lot not him.:: Mazha: I'll get her, please have a seat. Zel: I'd rather not. ::Instead he stood, warily in a defensible location as if sickbay was a war zone, watching the ebb and flow of medical officers through the area. Meanwhile Mazha approached the Andorian doctor, and offered out a PADD:: Mazha: Doctor Liani? There's a new ensign here, with orders to be medically approved for duty. Liani: That’s pretty standard fare isn’t it? :: Liani looked up from her terminal at Mazha- as she powered down her console screen. Charlie looked up from his clear box, a half eaten terran cricket hanging haphazardly from his mouth, like a wriggling black cigar. :: Mazha: Well... ::She paused for a moment. :: I gather he is a unique case... Liani: Why would you say that? :: Liani stood up and accepted the PADD and ran through its contents. :: Mazha: Well... it's on the PADD... ::The records on the PADD spanned decades, starting with an Academy entrance physical (nothing unusual about that), and hopping to routine academy check ups, and a release physical to the USS Yourke. That's where things got strange. The next time his medical records showed up it was a Federation penal colony exam, noting a variety of injuries. Then a report from Gateway Station 2, with a laundry list of issues after treating an unconscious Zel who helped them uncover a slaving operation. He refused treatment of most of it. There were a smattering of other records, spotty at best, and the most recent one: treated for dehydration, malnutrition, plasma burns, broken ribs, concussion and disruptor shots to non vital areas after smuggling himself onto SB118 in a silk crate. It also, incidentally listed a whole host of interesting factoids, such as a smashed neck ridge indicative of Bajoran torture techniques, a mishealed broken leg making his left leg 1.2 cm shorter than his right one, several masses of scar tissue, a steel slug that was never removed, a missing earlobe, and a few more random untended injuries.:: :: Liani read through the PADD at first giving everything a cursory glance, and then re-read it to make sure she had read it right the first time- finally a third pass through had confirmed that the first two tries through the errata proved that she was reading something along the lines of ‘Confessions of a Survivor’- it had an almost surreal quality to it- like someone who fancied holovids and old time noire had given some poor character life and slipped them into a Starfleet uniform to see what would happen. All that was missing were low lights and the hint of soft jazz in the background. She looked up from the PADD and glanced at Mazha, her antena bending down in a quizzical sort of way. :: Liani: Where is this, :: a pause ::, Zel Rohan? Mazha: Over there. ::She pointed out the wary little hybrid, who looked like he was debating just making a run for it.:: :: Liani nodded and gave Charlie the simple signal that had him scurrying up her arm and resting on her shoulder- the cricket still sitting disjointed from his mouth. Liani fancied Charlie as quite the partner in crime in most ways- but wished that’d he’d not be so keen on playing with his food. :: Liani: Thank you Mazha- I’ll take care of it. :: With PADD in hand Liani made her way to her to the funny little man- so keen on running but stuck with her. She decided to play it carefully as she approached. :: Zel: You must be Dr. Liani. Liani: And you must be Ensign Zel? :: She gave the man a polite nod, her antenna following suit. :: Zel: Yeah, I'm Zel. ::He waited. Her move.:: Liani: It’s not too late to run you know- though that does mean I’d have to shoot you with a tranquilizer and drag you into the back rooms. Or you can follow me now and save us both the headache- which would you prefer? Charlie :Chr. :: Charlie gave Zel a sage nod of his head while swallowing the rest of his cricket in one go. One stray leg hanging from his teeth like an obscene toothpick. ::Zel flinched, the sort of choppy movement one makes when they’re ready to pull a weapon and stop just before doing so. Not because there was a lack of a weapon around - Zel could and would find a way to make anything he got his hands on into a weapon for self defense - but because he forced himself not to. Eyes narrowing at the doctor, he sized her and her demonic creature up.:: Zel: I doubt you have better aim than an Alcarian assassin. ::Jaw set, as if to say ‘your joke was not funny’ without actually being a spoilsport about it.:: Where are you… we… going? ::Because escape routes were important.:: Liani: Not very far actually- one room over. :: She gestured with her head for him to follow and lead the way through and open corridor to Sickbay 1a, gesturing to the biobed closest to the exit and the best view of the room and outer area of the main sickbay- good clean views all around:: Take a seat if you like and we’ll get started. ::He followed in his calculated walk, gazing at the doctors, the nurses, the other patients. It was bright in here. Bright and sterile and Starfleet. That should have made him feel better. But they didn’t call irrational fears irrational for no reason. Especially when they were rooted in very rational and valid reasons.:: Zel: I’d rather stand. ::But he followed. That was a near miracle prompted by two months of food, sleep and not being shot at. A decided improvement from the screaming, hitting people with med tray antics of his last visit with a doctor in a Starfleet uniform:: What’s next? Liani: Well, I’d ask if you need a drink- and then we can get down to the business at hand in getting you cleared for duty. :: A pause:: So, do you need a drink? :: She asked in her soft Andorian voice. :: Zel: I don’t drink before doing anything stupid, dangerous or debilitating. I prefer to save that for afterwards. Liani: Well then, after we handle this potentially stupid, dangerous and debilitating affair, you’ll join me for a drink? Zel: ::He eyed her. Did a doctor just ask him for a drink?:: Are you serious? Liani: Always- but I’ll let you think about it. :: She studied the PADD again and set it down on a tray. :: I’m going to need to run a series of scans using a medical tricorder, nothing invasive- may I? :: She asked one hand resting on the tricorder but not picking it up. :: ::He gave a wary pause, considering:: Zel: No sedatives, no tranquilizers, no… well, things that probably aren’t legal in Starfleet. ::Pause, he realized he hadn’t answered the question:: Yes, tricorders are ok. :: Liani nodded and picked up the medical tricorder in a smooth, practiced motion. She considered the readout screen for a moment, before making adjustments to the sensor’s frequency- adjusting the device to allow for a bit more distance than was standard practice. It would have been easier to leave it as it was- but she felt if distance and clear motion were the better choice in this situation. With the scanner ready she began the readings- keeping herself and the reader roughly three feet from the new ensign. :: Liani: Are any of your old injuries causing you physical discomfort? :: She asked in a casual voice as she ran the scans. :: ::That was a very good question, one that prompted Zel to lift his gaze up slightly. He had an admittedly high pain threshold, tuned by years of ignoring discomfort to focus on what was actually going to kill him. But the truth was many things bothered him - in the way that he had started to notice them once the basic needs of life were answered.:: Zel: Maybe. ::It was hard to tell if he was being evasive or honest:: Liani: Could you clarify, please? :: She asked eyes only barely looking up from the tricorder’s readout. :: Zel: :: He was, in fact, the sort that if continually - and gently - pressed would volunteer some information it seemed:: Ok, I admit, I’d like it if my shoulder didn’t hurt. Liani: Could you describe the pain your shoulder gives you? Maybe when and how do you feel it most? :: She moved the scanners direction from roughly his head to the chest area- the narrow beam forced by the distance made for slower scanning- but it was still effective for her purpose. :: Zel: Hm. ::He said as if thinking it through, even though he wasn’t:: Sharp radiating pain from where the ridge is cracked. Usually when reaching or carrying something heavier than a Moban watersack. Liani: When you were first admitted into this facility did the doctor or doctors who saw you offer you any treatment alternatives? :: She let the scanner point towards the cracked ridge and follow along the course of his shoulder. :: Zel: The demon? No. I sort of insinuated I might dropkick him and he ran away… ::cough:: besides, I was sort of in jail. Liani: I see… :: a small pause:: Well, it can be repaired- along with several other issues- such as the metal slug you’ve gotten blessed with. :: another small pause:: nothing that I’ve seen would require anything like invasive surgery- your organs are all fit, if that was a concern- :: a mildly distracted moment as she considers the screen, and then she looks up:: Would you like details, or would you prefer the devil you know to the one you don’t? Zel:I like to know all the stipulations of my contract before I sign it. ::something he had learned along a long and winding road.:: Liani: Understandable, and smart. :: She closed the tricorder after transmitting the data collected to the PADD. :: Well let’s take small steps then. :: She leaned against the biobed and gestures towards the old injury. :: The crack is actually showing signs of growing worse judging from the readings taken two months ago to the information I have now. It will, in time impact your ability to use that arm at all- along with potentially aggravating damage sustained by your neck bones rendering you unable to have full motion of your neck and head.. :: A small pause to let the information sink in and then Liani continues. :: The surgery to repair the damage is not complicated- and the description and mental image is worse than the actuality of it. If you chose to go forward with the surgery, I could use neural blockers which would allow you to remain fully awake and aware during the procedure- yet would be sufficient to keep you from feeling the pain that would accompany my rebreaking the ridge- after which I would use a standard regenerator to bring your shoulder and neck into full health- almost as if you never bore the scars of that event :: Liani talks quickly, but smoothly- her hands gesturing in quick but smooth motions as she explains each step of the procedure to Zel. :: Zel: ::He took a step back, considering it. That was his right arm, his phase pistol arm, the one that let him fly a suicide run at top speed and shoot a charging Vanna beast between the eyes mid-lope. He hated doctors, but he needed that arm to function properly, and a bunch of maquis reborn had tried their best to take it from him. He tightened his lower jaw:: I need to be able to move. ::truth. One didn’t survive as long as Zel had without being able to move. He had adapted to most every injury -adapted or healed. But this simply hadn’t gone away.:: Liani: Very true- but I can’t, nor would I, force you to undergo the surgery needed to repair it. That decision firmly rests on you. :: Liani said the words clearly, her voice had a soft, almost kind edge to it as she spoke- and her face remained true to it’s Andorian roots- and was a neutral mask. :: Zel: ::Zel frowned. She had offered a solution that fit his idiosyncrasies. And he needed it done. He didn’t like it - maybe he didn’t have to like it.:: I don’t like it… but it needs to be done. Liani: :: Nodding her head. :: Okay then, I wasn’t lying when I said it would be a simple procedure- but I’ll need you lying down on that biobed. :: A small pause :: I’ll walk you through each of the steps before I perform them, and then it’ll be done and we can sign you off as ready, well mostly ready- to go to your duty post. Zel: Yippee ::Said in the least overjoyed voice possible. It wasn’t sarcastic, more the tone of someone who was walking on an electrified tightrope and wasn’t very happy about it. Then again he kept reminding himself that Starfleet had creature comforts and the freedom of the open skies afforded very little of that. He leapt up to the biobed height in a startlingly fast movement:: Do it now before I change my mind. Liani: Understood- Charlie- go back to your nest. :: Charlie let out a small chr sound and scampered from Liani’s shoulder to her desk in the other room. Liani meanwhile set about setting up the tools she’d need for this procedure- when the tray was complete she moved it towards Zel’s biobed and showed the man the small metal disk she held in her hand.:: I am going to attach this to the left side of your neck, just below your ear- it will in simple terms, render you numb to any discomfort while providing readings to the computer. May I place it now? Zel: ::Tension flooded his limbs:: Yeah Liani::: Nodding, she placed the device and powered it on- slow currents ran through Zel’s body- at that point she could have cut off one of his fingers and he’d never have known unless he looked down, or wondered at the maniacal laughter coming from her lips- but that didn’t happen- instead Liani moved to the biobeds computer terminal and said in her same soft voice. :: Next, I’m going to need to render a limited forcefield over your right shoulder and arm- I have to do this to keep them perfectly still for the procedure- may I do this please. :: She asked in her calm voice. :: Zel: ::His heart rate spiked for a few seconds, indicating a strong awareness of everything that could go wrong with something like this in the wrong hands:: … ::swallow:: … ::pause:: … ::stall:: … yes. Liani:Thank you, Zel. :: A few taps on the screen and a force field formed around Zel’s upper shoulder and right arm, effectively pinning him to the table. Liani took a moment to monitor the screen’s information output before picking up the small black box on the stand, she held it clearly in Zel’s view for him to see. :: This is the tool that will reopen the break in your bone- and allow me to knit it back together properly- restoring full use. It emits a limited tractor beam- it will sound horrible- and for that I appologize- may I go forward with the procedure? ::The little hybrid’s eyes widened. It already sounded horrible. What the crimelords of Miranda VII could do with that thing he didn’t even want to contemplate.:: Zel: ::he closed his lips and made a vaguely strangled sound accompanied by a nod that was the clearest form of yes he could manage. Twenty years of paranoid fought against the simple fact that Starfleet didn’t torture its own people in the broad light of day surrounded by a whole bunch of other Starfleet:: Mmhmm--- ::He wanted to screw his eyes closed. It would have been the sane thing to do. But a drifter didn’t live for as long as he had by not watching what was going on around him. He had trained himself to look, forced himself to look in some cases, until it was programmed into him.:: Liani: Thank you, Zel- this will be over very quickly. :: Setting the box in position, Liani carefully put the controlled beams to use- the sound of the bone breaking was clearly audible in the sickbay- Liani leaned over the prone Zel, her eyes making contact with his for a moment- :: That’s done- it all gets a lot easier on you now. :: She looked into his eyes to make sure he was still with her and not somewhere else:: ::And this was why stabilizer fields were made. His heart rate spiked to the top of the charts when the first break was made, muscles twitch and pulling at the restrained. The rational part of his brain said this was a good thing because it was preventing further damage from an already damaged area. The lizard part of his brain was going through a series of PTSD flashbacks. Sickbay? Or the cells on Moserin IV? Or the back alleys of Lavenza where the gangs played ‘break ball’ a game where civilians were the targets and smashing them to bits was the goal. The rational part of his brain kindly reminded him that this was exactly why he had accepted his unusual commission. To get out of places like that.:: Zel: ::Green eyes slowly focused on the Doctor. He never once closed them longer than a blink, but at times they were clouded. He was vaguely impressed that she waited until he was in recognition that yes, they were still in Starfleet before finishing the bone breaking procedure. If he had been feeling pain he would have felt that was unusually cruel. But the whole thing was curiously pain free, meaning it was a psychological run around. When the crushing came to a stop, he asked in the most cautious of voices:: Is that over? Liani: Right now I’m using a regenerator on the bone- we’re almost there Zel- almost- :: She looked at the screen as she worked :: And done- I’m going to lower the forcefield now, and remove the device from your neck. Please don’t rip it off Zel- it needs to be done correctly- or there could be complications. :: That part had not been true per se, but she was hoping his survival instincts would keep him from doing anything rash now that he was no longer pinned down. She carefully removed the disk from his neck and showed it to him and set it down on the tray.:: I’d be very appreciative if you could just stay lying down for a moment while I run a quick scan- plus if you stood up now you’d just fall over, so why risk it? :: That was mostly true- Zel’s legs probably felt like so much mud. :: ::It was a good point to make, since Zel’s usual reaction to freedom was to bolt as far away from whatever restrained him as possible. Instead he gripped the edges of the biobed and forced himself to stay still. It was like a test of courage, one of those things that Starfleet makes you go through to ensure you can toe the line - or at least do things the way they want you to do them. The irony of ‘this was a good thing’ was not lost on him. He was trying very hard to get used to good things rather than being wholly paranoid every time the replicator materialized a meal for him.:: Zel: I see. ::He could come up with a whole bunch of colorful answers to ‘why risk it?’ but that would be better talked about over drinks.:: :: Liani ran the scans, looking over the freshly regenerated bones and tendons connecting the hybrid’s neck. She gave a firm nod. :: Liani: Well whatever [...] did that to you- his work’s been undone. Can I help you sit up, Zel? :: She offered the Ensign her arm to brace himself on. :: Zel: ::He eyed her cautiously. Help was one of those curious concepts that was not foreign to him, but also wasn’t frequent. Then again she did offer to go out for drinks and that was street speak for ‘I’m not going to kill you (or at least not yet).’:: Sure ::It might have been the wariest sure possible, but it was an offer nonetheless.:: :: Liani picked up the original PADD and updated Zel’s notes, putting down her signature approving him for active duty. :: Liani: You’re approved for active duty, Ensign Zel. Thank you for allowing me to help you. Zel: ::He [...]ed his head a little bit, watching her every movement keenly:: I thought the thanks were supposed to go the other way around. ::Pause. He admitted she wasn’t the first decent doctor he had met - just one of a tiny handful in comparison to bad experiences.:: Anyways… ::It was like ‘thanks’ but muted.:: Liani: You’ve experienced several injuries, and while none are currently as debilitating as your shoulder was- they could, if left untreated, lead to complications further down the line. :: She held up a hand as if to calm any protests. :: None of them need immediate attention- but I would like you to consider the option of receiving proper medical attention. I won’t force you to- but I would be appreciative if you allowed me to help you- always at your discretion. Zel: ::He shrugged:: Some of those I’ve had for decades. ::Were they longtime friends or neverending enemies? Or just reminders of a life gone by?:: I’ll… think on it. ::pause:: Is there more? Liani: No, that was it Ensign Zel- you have about a half hour to think about my original offer though. Zel: Half an hour? ::he perked the unscarred brow ridge:: What blows up then? Liani- That’s when I’m off duty, Ensign Zel- I’ll be at the Garden, a little Terran bar, if you care to join me there. Otherwise, good luck in your duties on this Starbase. ::Zel nodded slowly. He knew it. Then again, with the decreased restrictions of movement he had made an effort to explore and memorize every square inch of the station. Old habits died hard, and that was one habit that he found useful no matter what the situation or the job was.:: :: Liani gave the older man a small smile and tilt of her antenna and made her way back to her desk to work on the problem of weaponized tribbles- someone had meant to cause more than a bit of mischief with them and she hoped to find their signature in the tangled weave of their genetic coding. :: --- PNPC Probationary Ensign Zel Rohan Yet to be assigned StarBase 118 Ops Simmed by: Sal Taybrim & Dr. Liani h'Rhendria lyr'Theel'zhiin Medical Offer Starbase 118-OPS A239201L1
  8. (( Counseling Office, Starbase 118 ))(( Time Index: SD 239301.20 )) :: Cadfael was dressed in his typical Starfleet-issue gold, hair combed back and not covered in grease or fur. With a deep breath, he pressed the button and waited for Zinna to answer. :: :: The curly haired El-Aurian was sitting at her desk enjoying a nice cup of coffee. She had recently dropped off her son, Taxo, at the schoolhouse on Starbase 118, and decided to check in at the counseling office that she had yet to see since her transition to counseling from medical. Hearing the chime she raised an eyebrow. :: Zinna: Come in. :: Cadfael did so and had a seat in the chair opposite the desk. As the door closed behind him, he smiled and released the breath he’d been holding. :: Peters: Told you I’d find you. Zinna: ::smiling back:: Yes, you did. For a second there I thought you were just pulling my leg. It’s nice to see you Cadfael. How are you doing? Peters: :: sighed heavily before continuing :: Richard Fracking Matthews hadn’t spoken to me since he got back, and then left again just as suddenly. And before that, my efforts to find love just didn’t work. :: Zinna nodded. She understood. :: Zinna: You know, love is a tricky thing. It’s one of those things that you can’t just solve with an equation. It doesn’t have an instruction manual. ::She crossed her legs:: What do you mean “and before that?” Was there someone before Richard? :: Cadfael nodded faintly and leaned back in the chair, doing his best not to sound exasperated. :: Peters: You could say that. I went bar crawling with my first counselor here, Vance Sheridan. The two of us hit it off nicely, I made a pass at him while intoxicated, and we moved past it. We even went to the Risian Rave and I picked up one of the horga’hns. Met a hot looking Bajoran who I saw maybe twice, then nothing. Then Vance left. After that, there was Anders, who chickened out on me after asking me out...and a putz named Meyers who invited me for breakfast, then a date. Sadly, it wasn’t anything to write home about. :: He sat up and met her gaze. :: Peters: Your predecessor, the annoying Denobulan named Ashley Yael, was just downright annoying. Said I needed more social interaction.Zinna: ::chuckling:: Do you agree with him? Peters: Nope. Every attempt at social interaction thus far has sucked worse than a vacuum cleaner. :: Zinna pulled out her PADD. :: Zinna: Okay, let me ask you something, Cadfael. Why do you think you’re social interactions aren’t successful? You can’t measure your sociability on a few failed romance encounters, now can you? Peters: I’m an engineer. Used to working with parts. Not people. Maybe I’m just not designed for interacting with people in general. Only one who doesn’t seem to mind my ineptitude at people is the skipper, and for a while I thought Theo too...though Theo is now the FO and my department is once again lacking a chief. Zinna: ::she raised an eyebrow:: You’re a Human first, and an engineer second. Humans were designed to interact with people. It’s in their nature. It’s in many species’ nature to interact. You shouldn’t use your career as an excuse because you don’t think you’re successful in social interactions. Now to this department situation. I’m assuming you’d like to be Chief Engineer? Peters: Not necessarily, but having a department chief who doesn’t either leave without a word or move laterally within the hierarchy would be nice. First Kellan just up and disappeared while I was up to my elbows in boom-sludge, then Theo, who moved from being my boss to Taybrim’s right hand. Just because I served briefly as the Victory’s CE doesn’t mean I was prepared for it. Transferred to the Darwin and was once again your run of the mill engineer. :: In regard to his species reference, he just let it drop. He didn’t know what to add there, if anything. It seemed a moot point anyway. The word darwin just left a bitter taste in his mouth, because that was not his best posting. :: Zinna: And do you know the duties of a Chief Engineer, lieutenant? Peters: From my experience, paperwork, morale officer, and keeping the ship running. Granted, it was brief. Zinna: You do realize that there is a social portion of being a department head? :: That struck a nerve. He winced and nodded faintly. :: Peters: Yeah. I think that falls under the “morale officer” portion of it. :: There was certainly more to it than just “morale officer”, but she decided to let it go. :: Zinna: Yes...so then tell me, Cadfael, why are you here? What are you hoping to gain from seeing me today? Peters: A new friend, at the very least. Counselor or not. You know...just someone to talk to about things. :: He paused briefly, as though composing an additional sentence. :: ...Get a sense of whether you have that annoying personality that I run from or the kind I seek out voluntarily. Zinna: As a friend, I will certainly listen. I’m a good listener. But as a counselor, it’s not enough for me to just listen you know. I think you might be confusing the previous counselor’s “annoying personality” with a counseling style that likes to get things done. Someone who you’ll hate in the beginning, but once you start to make progress and accomplish a goal, you’ll appreciate their harshness in the end. :: As unfortunate as it was for him to admit she had a point, he merely nodded and kept quiet as he put words together. He didn’t know how to refute or counter it, so brought up another point. :: Peters: Then I probably should tell you, Yael thought I had a bit of a temper. :: That was fine. Zinna had dealt with several different people in her career of counseling. She had yet to meet a patient as difficult to deal with as her former and most renowned patient known as Lathu. She was sure she could handle Peter’s temper. :: Zinna: Just like an engineer or first officer or scientist, we all have different ways of going about our jobs, and so do I. Yael and I are both counselors, but we certainly are in no way the same and our styles will certainly be different as you’ll come to notice. As for your temper...I’m sure I can handle it. ::She chuckled:: I went to prison for murder...I’ve grown some thick skin, lieutenant. Peters: One major difference between you and that smug little gundark, I didn’t want to punch you within ten minutes of meeting you. Him...I wanted to wipe that [...]ed grin off his face within five minutes. Zinna: Would you mind explaining why he was so annoying to you, Cadfael? Peters: What is there to explain? He walked into main engineering on the Albion as I was piecing it back together, demanded I walk away and “humor” him with a counseling session, asked lots of questions about Vance, and something about his tone just cheesed me off. I wanted to use a hydrospanner to ratchet his mouth shut, to give you a sense of how much he bugged me. And also threatened me with bi-weekly sessions. Zinna: Sounds to me like he was doing his job...just a little more assertive than most counselors, but sometimes some people need assertiveness. How are bi-weekly sessions threatening exactly? Peters: Seeing his smug little grin and annoying tone twice a week, and my wanting to break his face in the same moment? You tell me. :: She smiled. :: Zinna: Wow, you certainly do have a temper Mr. Peters, but we’ll work on that. I do think you do need regular sessions for anger management, but not bi-weekly. I won’t order you to see me frequently, but I will invite you if you want. I’ll try my hardest to tone that anger down and to also help you feel more comfortable in social situations. :: Another distinguishing mark that differentiated her from the Denobulan, she didn’t phrase her offer to help as an order. He wasn’t defeated, but the way she phrased it made him more willing to agree. :: Peters: Okay. When is my first anger management thingie? Zinna: The first one? ::She pondered for a second:: How about whenever you feel angry and not in control of your emotions? And we’ll go from there. Also, since we are on a short shore leave, I highly recommend you go out and do something “social” with a crewmember. :: The logic of her plan started to dawn on him. Since counselors were very much on call, he would call her up whenever he felt a surge of anger and she would make herself available to deal with it. Then, the second part; something social. That sounded like a trap. :: Peters: I’ll see what I can do. Zinna: Good. ::she smiled:: If you don’t, I’ll order you to go on a date or declare you unfit for duty. :: She paused for a moment and then laughed to show that she was joking. :: Peters: Given my options, I’ll take the blind date. :: The threat of being marked unfit for duty made him a little angry, one hand clenching into a fist as a coping method. :: :: The El-Aurian counselor noticed Cadfael’s first clenching. She marked that in her PADD in her psychological notes. :: Zinna: If I weren’t going to violate the counselor patient protocol and if you weren’t gay I’d take you on a date. :: She stood up from her desk and patted him on the shoulder. :: Let’s take baby steps first...let’s make some friends and then we’ll work on dating, okay? :: He blushed a bit at the mention of the counselor taking him on a date, though the fact he was gay didn’t help. :: Peters: Right. Zinna: Well, is there anything you’d like to discuss before I send you on your way? Peters: Nothing that comes to mind. Zinna: Then, I’ll see you around, lieutenant. ::she smiled:: And remember, if you ever need me I’m just a commbadge tap away. :: He nodded and stood up, making his way toward the door. :: Peters: I’ll keep it in mind. :: Zinna nodded with a smile. As Lt. Peters left, she sat back at her desk and looked at her PADD and began updating her first psychological evaluation on Starbase 118 Ops. She would start formulating a plan to help him with his anger and social situations. It would be a difficult task, but she was sure that if she stayed as far away to being similar to Yael, she would make a breakthrough. :: TBC... Lieutenant Zinna Counselor Starbase 118 Ops I238808Z10 & Lieutenant JG Cadfael Peters Engineer Starbase 118 Ops O239002CS0 http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php/Cadfael_Peters
  9. ::She was aware she was conscious when she realized she could hear the soft beeping around her. Her memory was chunky and hazy, but somehow she recognized that the beeps were most likely coming from something mechanical. What exactly, she wasn't sure...yet. Speaking of memory, she decided to give it another try to see what exactly she could remember. Her name? Check. Where she was? Hmmm...no. Frankly, she was having a hard time remembering her last memories. But she did puzzle out that the reason all she saw was blackness was because her eyes were still closed. Why? Could be that the effort to open them meant she had to physically move a part of her body, even as small as her eyelids, and that concept made her feel exhausted. But, she felt that it was something important enough that she should at least try.:: ::So, she opened her eyes. The light hurt, even though she could tell that it wasn't very bright in here. Must have been because her eyes were used to being closed for so long. How long had it been? No way to tell unless her memory decided to work again. But what was she looking at? A pattern of white squares? Nothing else in her field of vision. She'd have to move her head. Great...more physical exertion! But it had to be done. Information was the most important asset you can have.:: ::Where did that thought come from? She have to puzzle that out later. But, she agreed with it. So, right now she needed to turn her head. it hurt, much more than opening her eyes, and the fatigue nearly overwhelmed her. But somehow, recognizing what she saw meant that her memory was still functional, if a little disjointed, and it gave her a sense of hope, which counted the pain and fatigue a little. Lots of neutral colours, and cool grey metal. And windows.:: ::The light was from natural daylight entering through the windows of the room, for now she could see that she was in a room. Outside the windows she could see green trees and grass, blue sky. A beautiful day. Something inside her longed to be out there, rather than cooped up inside. Inside. Inside where? Her longing for the natural world outside her windows made it difficult to look away, but she forced herself to, and a single tear managed to escape from the corner of her eye and trickle down her face. She lacked the strength to wipe it away, so she left it alone.:: ::What she was looking at reminded her of something...her memory was trying to work again. Funny how she could easily remember things like trees and sky, but had trouble recognizing other things. Wait. The room, it had an odd smell to it as well. It smelled...sterile, clean. But not fresh like outside. Then another sound drew her attention. Her eyes darted to the other side of the room from the windows. A woman wearing some type of clothing that tugged at her memory was entering through a door. The woman stopped when she saw the open eyes, smiled, and spoke softly.:: Woman: Good. You're awake. I'll go inform the doctor. ::She left through the doorway again, but she had left a very important clue. Doctor! The recognition came to her. She was in a medical facility! That woman was a nurse in a nurse's uniform. The neutral colours, beeping machines and sterile smell...she was in a hospital room!:: ::But why?:: ::Medicine was for the sick and injured. Was she sick, or injured? Now she realized that she was lying on a hospital bed, and had been staring at the ceiling when she first opened her eyes. But that gave her no clue. Both the sick and injured would be on hospital beds while they were patients. Her great fatigue could be the result of either an illness, or an injury, so that piece of information was irrelevant as well. The door opened and the nurse returned with another woman, most likely the doctor that the nurse had mentioned. They both were smiling the "rest easy, I'm here to help you, not hurt you" smile that medical practitioners spent years trying to perfect. They moved to her bed and began running scans, checking equipment, speaking medical-babble...all of which was too much for her sluggish brain to take in at once.:: ::Then the door opened again. This time two men entered, and they weren't wearing medical uniforms, but uniforms of some other type. The second man had no expression on his face at all, but the first man was also smiling. However, his smile was different from the doctor's. This man's smile had more...guile? hidden in it. And for some reason, she liked that smile more than the doctor's.:: Man: ::to her:: How are you feeling? Doctor: She's probably still too weak to speak, though I'm sure she can hear you fine. Man: ::still to her:: Do you remember anything about what happened? ::She just stared up at the man. Did she know him? Should she? Something about him was familiar...but was it his face or his uniform? And in answer to his question...remember what happened about what? And she couldn't move her mouth to answer...she was just too tired. So she did what she could - she stared blankly at the man.:: Man: ::looking to the doctor:: What is the prognosis? Doctor: Well, the fact that she's conscious already is a good sign. It means her body is healing at a normal rate. With injuries like she had sustained, some patients bodies take far longer to heal than they should. ::smiling down to her:: If she keeps resting and healing like this, I'd say she should make a full recovery in a month...maybe less. Man: Fine, fine. ::looking back down to her as well:: Because they have returned. And due to your familiarity with the situation and the location, we have decided to place you in charge this time. ::The man leaned down a little closer and smiled again. This time, his voice was just above a whisper, but filled with excitement.:: Man: How would you feel about a promotion...CAPTAIN Yenard? ::The memories suddenly came flooding back. This time, she had the strength to smile in response.:: -TBC (at some point) ------------- MSNPC Yenard, Captain Commanding Officer Numiri Imperial Worldsphere Recovery Fleet
  10. ((Rosek's Quarters, USS Gorkon)) ::This was the conversation Lael had least been looking forward to. So much so that she'd put it off until the last possible minute. With the majority of the holidays over with, she felt safe that even her mother's worst tantrum couldn't ruin one of her happiest Christmases in recent memory. Yes, she missed her friends and younger brother dearly and wished she could be with them. But Christmas with Jansen--she grinned. It was the happiest she'd been since the divorce. She was head over heels in love and, for once, wasn't fighting it. No doubt her mother would know something was up. She sighed. It was probably just better to endure the Inquisition to come and get it over with.:: L. ROSEK: Computer, open a communique to Adelynn Rosek. COMPUTER: ::chirps in acknowledgement:: Connecting... ::another chirp:: Call in progress. ::Within moments, her mother's familiar face appeared on the screen. She tried to smile, but she was certain her expression showed her nervousness. She'd never been able to hide anything from her mother. All the more reason she was certain the truth about her new relationship with Jansen would come out today whether she liked it or not.:: L. ROSEK: Hey, Mom. A. ROSEK: ::arches an eyebrow:: Lael. What a pleasant surprise. I thought for certain you'd forget. ::Lael exhaled heavily, fighting to keep her temper under control. The jab was intentional, of course. It spoke volumes of their relationship. It had always been rocky, but several serious events over the years had deteriorated it further. It was a shame, really. She'd hoped as she got older, things would get better between them.:: L. ROSEK: No, I didn't forget. ::pauses:: How are you? A. ROSEK: ::snorts:: I just found out recently that my last hope for grandchildren has decided to follow in his sister's footsteps. How do you think I am, Lael? L. ROSEK ::stiffens:: Mom-- A. ROSEK: ::waves her off:: No. No. I'm sorry. ::exhales heavily:: That wasn't necessary. ::pauses:: I'm fine, dear. How are you doing? I heard from your brother that you broke it off with that Doctor, Jasel-- L. ROSEK: ::sighs:: Janel, Mom. o0Great. What else did big mouth tell her?0o A. ROSEK: ::waves a hand dismissively:: Janel. Whatever. ::points a finger chastisingly:: I told you he wasn't good enough for you. ::rolls her eyes:: Of course, you're so stubborn. You never listen to me and always end up wishing you had. L. ROSEK: ::murmurs:: Not always. ::sighs:: What else did he tell you? A. ROSEK: Nothing else. :: narrows her eyes:: Why? What else is going on? L. ROSEK: ::sighs::o0Might as well get it over with.0o ::smiles nervously:: I met someone. ​A. ROSEK: ::arches an eyebrow:: Oh? Tell me about this someone. L. ROSEK: ::exhales shakily:: Well, he's a doctor. But he just recently switched roles to Ship's Counselor. A. ROSEK: A shrink? L. ROSEK: ::grimaces:: Not quite. He's...different. A. ROSEK: Oh? He must be a smooth operator if he has you so enraptured when I know for a fact that you detest counselors. L. ROSEK:​ ::blushes:: He was a doctor when we first met. A. ROSEK: Which was when exactly? L. ROSEK: ::murmurs:: A few months ago, when I first transferred to the Gorkon. A. ROSEK: You've known about this that long and you're just now telling me?! L. ROSEK: ::shakes her head:: There was nothing to tell. We were just friends...until recently. A. ROSEK: You realize I'm going to want to meet him. L. ROSEK: ::rolls her eyes:: I expected nothing less. But he'll call you when he's ready. Don't go pestering him. At least let me give him the head's up. A. ROSEK: For you, my darling daughter, I'll wait. L. ROSEK: ::snorts:: Only because it'll benefit you. A. ROSEK: ::feigns offense:: Why, Lael. Is that what you'll think of me? L. ROSEK: ::laughs:: Well, I'm on shift soon. I should get ready. A. ROSEK: All right, dear. Promise you'll have your Jansen call me. L. ROSEK: ::arches an eyebrow:: I never told you his name. A. ROSEK: ::smirks:: Didn't you? ::The screen went blank and Lael stared at the screen, not sure what to think. She rose and began to get ready for her shift.:: -- LT JG Lael Rosek HCO Officer USS Gorkon I238110RH0
  11. ((Holodeck 1 - USS Gorkon)) ::Jansen stood silently in the familiar grid covered room. His sanctuary, the center of his piece of mind. He had spent nearly a half hour here just staring at the grid imagining all the shapes, people and places of his life. There had been so many good moments lately. His studies coming to a happy conclusion, his moving back into the position of counselor, the promotion, Lael…yes there was Lael. Jansen couldn’t help but smile thinking about her. He would certainly celebrate his promotion with her. First though he had to celebrate it with his family....:: oO Another day of torment and self torture. Oo ::Jansen knew it wasn't torture. In some odd fashion it was peace for him. It was a life he couldn't see anymore and friends long gone that gave him rest and relaxation. He also knew well and good he wouldn't get out of the blasted room without running the program so with a sigh of only the tiniest resignation he called on the familiar voice of the computer.:: Orrey: Computer run program Orrey sigma omega three. Computer: Program locked Vocal authorization required. Orrey: Vocal authorization Orrey theta epsilon. ::Jansen shifted slightly as the Constellation class bridge came into existence around him. Moving around slightly looking at the frozen forms of "uncles and aunts" he had grown up with he nods some moving and sitting down in the center chair of the small bridge.:: oO Home again home again....Oo Orrey: Computer Advance program to Stardate 237706.20 time index 0700 hours and begin. ::With the time and date shifted the people changed position and shifted to fit their places and then jumped to life. The bridge hummed to life as an Andorian yeoman approached with a PADD. Jansen took it from her and read it over.:: Orrey: Thank you, go ahead with the changes in engineering and allow science to have the array for their scans. Rabt: Yes sir. ::Rabt nodded slightly before moving to leave the bridge and find the Operations chief to let him know the Captain had signed off on the requests.:: oO Ten minutes left. Then the world will change, the distress signal comes in........now.Oo Togra: Sir a distress call from the Termex inside the neutral zone. Orrey: That's Merkal isn't it? What's wrong? oO Of course it was Merkal. It was always Merkal.Oo Togra: The message says they are having containment problems sir. Orrey: Very well. Move us up to the neutral zone. ::Jansen thought he portrayed his father very well. He had spent 18 years watching his father captain this ship...Jansen was nearly certain he could run a marathon along the girls old halls with his eyes shut and still hit the right turns. The Caitian moved them to that invisible border and they paused there as a Romulan woman's face filled the screen.:: ORREY: Computer freeze program. ::Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and Jansen took a moment to look closely at the panicked face on the screen in front of him. It wasn’t the woman he grew up knowing. She was scared. Romulan or not, Jansen knew her as well as he knew himself. She was his second mother and he knew she was scared.:: ::Frankly Jansen knew what was coming, even though he had survived it once, and relived it countless times on this very program, he was scared too. That wasn’t the way the counselor wanted to feel today. While it was a sobering dose of reality he had a much better way he wanted to accomplish today come into his mind.:: ORREY: Computer, ::The acknowledgement beep.:: Reset to time index to Stardate 237503.24, 1300 hours. Remove user interaction. ::The people on the bridge shifted and changed positions. With his older doppleganger retaking the center chair Jansen turned and closely examined this man, the man he aspired to be more like. That he strived to be like. The man he was slowly looking more like thanks to the white hair giving him a step closer to the salt and pepper of his father before him.:: ORREY: Start program. ::Jansen watched as his father stood and made his way to the ready room her the same Romulan woman from before was waiting with a much younger, and chestnut haired, version of himself waiting with cups of coffee in front of them. He gave his father time to get set down before speaking again.:: Freeze program. Computer Load character file number 001 from program MS-Education Program Alpha Four at my location. ::He sidestepped at the acknowledgement beep and watched his mother appear standing beside his father.:: ::Jansen sat down at the table beside his younger self who was prepared to discuss what he would be applying to Starfleet Academy as. So Jansen relaxed here at this happy moment with the program paused and poured himself a cup of coffee as he got ready to tell his family all the good things that were happening for him.:: /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Lieutenant Junior Grade Jansen Orrey M.D.CounselorUSS Gorkon O238506JO0
  12. (( Airlock, USS Garuda, Starbase 118 Drydock, 239210.03 )) :: A decommissioned Galaxy-class starship at rest. :: :: This wasn't as she remembered it. The last time Safine had seen the Garuda, it had been a living beast; a floating city, soaring through the Menthar Corridor, a beacon of peace, scientific inquiry, and justice. Warm. Alive. Full of life. :: :: Now it was dead and cold. The lighting was minimal; the air cold and stale. The body of a friend, lying in state, its fate uncertain. :: :: Retrofit and redeployed? The Galaxy-class were getting on. Maybe it would be retired to the rear, or even turned into a semi-stationary city. Maybe a training vessel. Maybe something else. :: :: Or reclaimed for energy. Recycled like garbage. :: :: With her wrist-mounted torch lighting the way, Safine crept through the ship's empty corridors. Sneaking like an intruder, quiet footsteps impossibly loud in too much space. :: :: She walked with the ghosts of her past selves. They manifested as surges of emotions, flashes of memory, and telepathic urges. :: Marlee: ~~ You shouldn't be here. ~~ Alleran: ~~ Oh, let it up. I need this. ~~ :: I need this. Selfish [...]. What did he think he was trying to do, bringing her back to this place? The Garuda was nothing to her; just a ship she had briefly visited and nothing more. :: :: And yet, to that part of her that was Alleran Tan, the ship was something else entirely. :: :: Safine walked through corridor after corridor. Past the holodeck -- empty and covered in dust -- and past various rooms. A school. Someone's quarters. Always further in, until she reached the main turbolift. :: :: She hesitated. This was the goal of being here; a simple elevator like so many others. :: :: No sense waiting. It was time to see. Safine set her feet and hooked her fingers into the turbolift door. Under power there was no way she could ever open it -- but unpowered, the metal groaning faintly in protest as she pried it open. :: :: An empty turbolift shaft. Such was expected. Tan unhooked a thin steel cable from her belt, attached the magnetic grapple to the floor, and swung into the void. :: :: Gravity was a strong breeze buffeting her around as she descended. The force pulled her toward the walls, toward each deck as she drew close, and every time she repelled away; bouncing off the wall, down, down, down, toward the lift itself, nestled snug in the shaft. :: :: She landed on top of the lift carriage. Tan removed a device from her belt--a low powered laser cutter--and began slicing into the metal, carving out a portal. A rough disk of metal clanged to the floor, almost impossibly loud, the noise reverberating around the ship, the moaning of the dead. :: :: Carefully, Safine lowered herself down, and then she stood in the main turbolift. Her boots kicked up puffs of dust. :: :: The place where she'd died. :: :: Safine expected a surge of emotion. Wave after wave of feelings, assaulting her in an impossible wave. She had been Alleran, at Marlee's funeral. He had cried uncontrollably. :: :: But Safine, surrounded by a turbolift that felt like the walls of a coffin, felt nothing. This was just a room. A place. No sign remained of Alleran's demise; not a whisper of his presence. If that place had been a turbolift repair training hologram, Safine would never have known the difference. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust. :: Alleran: ~~ Look deeper. ~~ :: She slid down to her knees, crouching over the metal deck. The faint grooves that gave feet grip. Metal scuffed by thousands of feet applied over the years, scraped and worn and old. It smelt of chemicals and metal; of rubber and dust. :: Alleran: ~~ Deeper. ~~ :: Safine took her laser cutter to the floor, the turbolift lighting up red with the light. Sparks flew as she sliced out the floor, hooking her fingers under the inside and lifting it up with a groan, exposing the skeleton below, the criss-cross metal framework of the elevator. :: :: There. A rust-coloured spot on one of the beams. No larger than a centimetre, oval, joined by two smaller ones to one side. :: :: The metal was a stainless alloy. This wasn't rust. She stared at the exact spot. :: :: Blood. A tiny drop of Alleran Tan's blood. :: :: He'd bled from his pouch, staining the cracks in the floor like a road map. Since, someone had cleaned this place. Scrubbed the death away. Erased it. :: :: But they had not gone deep enough. The blood had soaked through to the bones of the ship. Alleran was a part of it now. :: :: And then, only then, presented with a flood of memories, did Safine truly realise what had happened. :: :: Alleran Tan was dead and he was not coming back. :: Tan: What the hell am I doing here? :: She spoke to the room, not the blood, but of course nobody answered her. Her voice echoed up the turbolift shaft and disappeared. :: :: An unexplained fear rose in her. Fear of something unseen and distant, but at the same time, inexplicably close. She jammed the metal plate back where it belonged and scrambled up the cable like a spider. :: :: Her belt whined as it wound up the cable, pulling her up the turbolift shaft, back up to the open door, a rectangle of dim light. Safine scrambled up the top, unclipping the cable when it was safe, and then burst into a run, out of the ship and back to Starbase 118, the computer chirping as she left, acknowledging that her safety inspection was complete. :: :: Back into the light, and life. Safine stopped, getting her breath back, fighting to keep her composure in the hope nobody could see how much she was sweating. :: :: As fast and as far as she ran, the memory of the blood stain remained. :: ----- Ens. Safine TanUnassignedStarbase 118
  13. (OOC: These posts follow the death of Captain Blueheart's long-time partner, Lt Emerson Ravenscroft, KIA. 'The Letter' is the note that Blueheart places into Emerson's breast pocket when he visits the morgue. 'The Postcard' is an alternate tale, that somewhere in the myriad alternate timelines, Raj and Emerson are together and, forever.) THE LETTER :: .. .. withdrawing a small, folded piece of paper from the breast pocket of his uniform jacket, he stared at it for several seconds, rubbing his thumb across the surface in circles, before gingerly inserting it into a pocket on Emerson’s uniform. Just over his still heart.. .. :: My dearest Emerson, How I wish I could hold your hand one more time. Place it upon my heart to still the raging storms within, to hold together the shattered pieces of our immaculate kingdom. How I wish I could glance upon the brilliant sun that is your smile, one more time, one last time. How I wish I could hold you, tight, and never let you go. Alas, I did let you go. I stumbled and fell and let go of your hand, and the jealous shadows of fate swept you away from me. Now I am lost, lost without you and soulless without you and lifeless without you. There is now but a hole in my heart where you once ruled. Where are you, Emerson? Are you amongst the stars eternal? Are you in the colors of my dreams? Are you the wind that kisses me on the cheek? Where are you, Emerson? I wish to be beside you wherever you may be. I am nothing without you here. Why did you leave me behind? Why did I let go of your hand? How am I to face daybreak without your strength and spirit flowing through my veins? How am I to survive this never-ending night? How odd to write these words down on this piece of paper. Words I could not say when you were standing in front of me. Words I had neglected to honor you by. Words taken for granted, never spoken, never heard. How will you hear them now? How will you treasure them within your heart? How can I turn back the clock and say I love you one more time, one last time? We are surrounded by miracles and science and timelines that defy the very nature of the universe, and yet I cannot see you again. I cannot rewind the clock. I cannot love you again. How cruel the fates of our stars, how twisted the humor of the gods that you should depart this life before me, defying the divine prophecy. Oh, how cruel the fates of our stars! I shall always miss you, Emerson, like the tides miss the moon. I shall always love you, but you belong to the long night now, as do I. For there shall be no more sun in my life, no more north star to guide me back home, no more heart to love again. But there is some solace knowing you are the heaven that watches over me. You are amongst the gods now. You are eternal. You are my immortal beloved. Rest now my brother, my friend, my lover. Embrace the long night, and, if the gods will it, I shall glance upon your face once more when my own time dawns. I shall crawl into your arms once more. I shall kiss your tender lips once more and taste an undying love bigger than the universe. And then we can dance across the vaults of heaven for all eternity! I love you always and forever, Emerson, with all my heart and soul. Raj THE POSTCARD ((In another time and place.. )) ((Il Diavolo Blu)) :: .. .. It was an exquisite snapshot in time. It was but a photograph of a single frozen moment in time, a photograph out of time, and there on the wall of this timeless consciousness of the multiverse, it hung, framed, yet with characters fluid and in perpetual motion.. .. :: EMERSON: May I have this dance? RAJ: ::accepting the man’s hand:: Of course, Sir. The night is young and the night is ours! ::They swayed to the rhythm of the lazy jazz number hanging like a fog of smothering heat after a summer rainstorm, mingling with the heavy blue smoke snaking out of gentlemen’s pipes. The shadows of the other dancers and patrons morphed into a single gray veil that dimmed the lights and comforted aching and lost souls. Raj laid his head upon Emerson’s chest, dancing to a different beat. A rhythm of his own, inspired by the heartsongs of the man he loved more than life itself.:: EMERSON: The night belongs to both no one and to everyone. RAJ: ::chuckling:: The night is also all too brief, so no more words, please, just dance with me. EMERSON: Indeed, ::drawing Raj closer to him:: let there be no more words between us until dawn. RAJ: ::squeezing his arms around Emerson’s waist:: Oh I wish dawn never comes! EMERSON: It will not. ::He smiled cheekily, his emerald green eyes twinkling under the chandeliers.:: RAJ: ::smirking:: Even the gods cannot stop that from happening! EMERSON: Ah, but we are bigger than the gods! RAJ: You are drunk, Emerson Ravenscroft! EMERSON: Perhaps, ::He shrugged.:: but if you close your eyes, you will not see dawn. RAJ: I should have known you would be toying with words. EMERSON: We shall make tonight last forever! Now close your eyes, Raj, and dance with me till the end of time! ::They both closed their eyes yet still saw all the colors and all the magic around them. They danced to the music flowing through the hall. They danced to the rhythm of each other’s heartbeat. They danced with the shadows and light. They danced all night. For the night was young and the night was theirs.:: END ================================ Raj & Emerson simmed by Captain Raj Blueheart Commanding Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682
  14. (( OOC: The Apollo has been shaken through by the Ion Storm hitting SB 118, where the ship was docked. While everyone went back to work, the children were brought to the School rooms, from which two children 'escaped'. This is an adventure of these children, through their eyes: The 5 year old Kapoor twins, also known by their hero names Captain Warpcore and Frontier Man. )) (( Hallways - otherwise known as the transwarp streets of the Galaxy )) :: Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Apollo, manned by the two bravest heroes of the world: Captain Warpcore and Frontier Man. Their mission: to scan the Galaxy, to seek out those in need, and to destroy those that threatened peace. To boldly go where no man has gone before. :: :: The stars flew by them, looking like long white threads of yarn, as the super-pilot Frontier Man navigated himself and his loyal companion Captain Warpcore through the galaxy in search for the Shake-o-tron. They had felt the shaking several times, quaking the whole galaxy. :: :: The heroes had agreed that the Shake-o-tron must be a huge monster, holding the galaxy in giant claws, shaking it like a rattle, to hear its sounds, the screams of the inhabitants. But Captain Warpcore and Frontier Man would put this to an end. They had a plan, but for that they had to find their enemy! :: :: As they rapidly made their way through the transwarp streets of the galaxy, Frontier man heard a noise ahead and fell quickly out of warp and turned to his loyal companion, placing his finger on puckered lips, before he peeked his head around the next big asteroid. :: :: Two astronauts with gold around their necks floated in space, and Frontier Man immediately noticed their belts, stocked with weapons. One of the astronauts laughed and said something to the other, that he could not hear, and then made a gesture with his hand. Just in that moment the ship shook slightly again. There was no doubt. These Astronauts worked with Shake-o-tron! :: :: Frontier-Man gasped and the Astronauts apparently had super hearing, because they turned and potted him. Quickly he ducked behind the asteroid again and looked to Captain Warpcore. :: Frontier Man: We have been spotted by servants of Shake-o-tron! :: The other's face change to determination and out of his gear belt he pulled a Hyperspanner, holding it in his hand like a sword. :: Captain Warpcore: We need to fight them! Frontier Man: ::Nodding determined:: To save the Galaxy! :: Turning around again, the Astronauts suddenly came around the asteroid, looking down to the heroes. Frontier Man pushed his hands into his hips, straightening his back, his cape flowing in the vacuum of space. :: Frontier Man: Surrender Servants of Shake-o-tron! LaFleur: Ah, we meet at last. And what are you two ::she sneered in disgust as she said the word:: HEROES doing in this corridor instead of in class? :: Captain Warpcore eyed the astronaut suspiciously, this corridor of space was easy to access, they had no problem getting into it just like everyone else using it for their transwarp travel. He just did not know what she meant with class... maybe the ship class? :: Captain Warpcore: You can't have the galaxy! It is defended! Dragumov: .. uh and .... and .... by WHO exactly is this galaxy defended? :: The other Astronaut was a little slow to speak, but after the first Astronaut nudged him, he finally had spoken and Frontier Man pulled back his shoulders and puffed his chest. :: Frontier Man: By Frontier Man and his loyal companion Captain Warpcore! Captain Warpcore: ::He stretched out his hand with the spanner in it, pushing the activation button, so whirring sounds announced the deadly rays.:: Take this, evil servants! LeFleur: You fools! Do you really think your feeble weapons are a match for the minions of Shakeytron? um... I mean... Shake-O-Tron? :: As the Astronaut used the wrong name, their little dark eyes squinted slightly in suspicion, but she used the correct one quickly and all was good again. Apart from the weapon not having an effect on her. :: Frontier Man: ::gasping:: It don't work! Do something, quick! Dragumov: We should get them back to the school, they will be missed. LeFleur: Are you kidding? I don't know if they were sent back to their parents yet or if they are still gathered in the classrooms, and I'm not missing my afternoon coffee to find out. Lets take them to the office. Whether it was the school or their parents who lost them, they can come pick them up. :: Once more the Captain squinted his eyes. They were speaking of things that did not fit into the universe and their important task to save the galaxy. Maybe it was a Shake-O-Tron secret language! :: Captain Warpcore: I don't know this place... what is a school? We are here to save the galaxy! LeFleur: But of course you don't, you good-for-nothing heroes just fly around trying to ruin all our evil plans! But it will not work this time, we will finally capture these enemies of our lord Shake-O-Tron! He will be so pleased we might even get promoted to ARCH-MINIONS! Frontier Man: Never! Captain Warpcore: We will never suc...sur... bow down! LeFleur: Ensign Crankypants! Seize the armed one! The other is clearly a master of martial arts just as I, Ensign Wing Chun am ! :: Frontier Man put one foot forward and put his arms in a chop chop position, squinting his eyes at the Astronaut. :: Frontier Man: I have the darkest belt! You don't have a chance evil Servant! :: Moving his arm, Captain Warpcore now held his weapon in direction of the male Astronaut and made little steps backwards. :: Captain Warpcore: You will never take us! Dragumov: ... Ensign Crankypants? Really? LeFleur: Make haste you fool! Before they escape our capture! Dragumov: ::defeatedly:: Alright Frontier Man, lets see what you are made of. Captain Warpcore: Hahaa you wish you had Frontier Man in front of you! Dragumov: ::sighing:: my mistake. Captain Warpcore than. :: Captain Warpcore kept holding out his hyperspanner weapon and tried his best evasive maneuvers as the big hand tried to grab him, but the Astronaut was too big, and without too much effort had grabbed the hero and slung him over his shoulder. With wiggling and drumming on the back of the bigger Astronaut he tried to free himself. :: Captain Warpcore: Frontier Man! Fight for the good of the galaxy! :: The other Astronaut and Frontier Man floated around themselves in the vaccum of space, that of course did not harm the heroes, because they were heroes and the galaxy was thankful for their deeds. But the servant of Shake-o-tron had special powers and while Frontier Man gave all he could, he was soon captured as well. Both looked at eath other, while they were carried by the servants and then smiled. They had just turned this turn of events into their own advantage. They would not give up! :: (( Security Department - Evil Shake-o-tron's headquarters )) :: The Astronauts had somehow managed to overwhelm the heroes, but they did not give up. They still tried to use their hyperspanner and flight powers to free themselves from their grips, but then had decided to take this chance. As the astronauts were servants of Shake-o-tron, they would bring them to their evil overlord and that would mean, that they could rescue the ship and the galaxy one and for all. :: :: A black haired woman looked up from her - undoubtedly - evil controls as they entered the headquarters and looked down to the heroes who where dragged in by the Astronauts. :: Severina: Right. What is all this about and who exactly are you? :: Inside the Headquarters, a space station that allowed them to now stand on the ground, well the Astronauts, since the heroes were still on their shoulders. There were more servants, as one would expect in the headquarters and they watched. Captain Warpcore had no doubt, that they were shaking in fear now that their enemies were here. :: Amelie: Ensign Wing Chun your evilness. Dragumov: Hello, I'm Ensign Dragumov. Welcome to the Apollo .... :: Again the big man started to talk about things that did not belong into their little superhero world, so the hero twins raised their little voices so they could not be overheard. :: Frontier Man: We are superheroes! Captain Warpcore: We save the galaxy from evil! Dragumov: ... and this is Ensign Amelie LeFleur.... Severina: Oh really? You look more like two children to me. Dragumov: A common mistake I think, when encountering superheros. LeFleur: AND they have discovered our secret plan to... shake things... your evilness! :: Captain Warpcore once again held out his deadly weapon, the hyperspanner, this time towards the black haired woman and pressed the button. The weapon made whirring sounds and its lights flashed, sending out its death rays towards her. :: Captain Warpcore: You will surrender! Severina: I will do nothing of the sort. LeFleur: Dont worry Shake-O-Tron, we will protect you. :: The Twin Heroes looked at each other with big eyes, the black haired woman was Shake-O-Tron itself! The Astronaut had just said it. Now they only need a way to use their hero powers against her and the Galaxy would be safe. Since they could not move away, they began to look around the Headquarters from their spots, they had to find something they could turn into their tool of freedom. :: Severina: So where did you find....them? And did you manage to get names - I mean their real names, not whatever it is they seem to think they are? Dragumov: We found them wandering in deck 41, I think they are supposed to be in the classrooms still but we weren't sure... Frontier Man: Heroes only need hero names! Severina: Refusing to give your real names? Hmmm, perhaps time in the brig will get some answers. Dragumov: As you command your shaky-ness. LeFleur : I think I can whip up a truth serum in the Break Room of Doom that will get to the bottom of all this! You will talk heroes! Captain Warpcore: You will never find out! (( Secret interrogation chamber, Shake-O-Tron Headquarters )) :: The heroes that did not seem to be very heroic right now, though of course that was all show and they would seize the moment when it presented itself, were being dragged into the interrogation chamber, and the heroes did not have a doubt on their mind that the servants of Shake-O-Tron would do everything to bring the heroes to spit out their information. Not that they would get it, but they would try. :: :: They were brought and sat down on a leather couch, as only the villains could have them and the female servant of Shake-O-tron put a large long bowl on the table in front of them. The heroes looked at it with big eyes, almost eating it with their looks. Banana-Split, the most dangerous tool of the villains! :: LeFleur: Alright heroes! You will consume this truth serum and then tell me everything you know about our evil plan. Captain Warpcore: We will never eat it! Frontier Man: No matter how good it looks! Captain Warpcore: Yes, we don't care, not at all, that it is our favourite ice-cream... Frontier Man: Exactly! You will not find out anything! :: The woman left and the heroes now sat alone in the interrogation chamber, alone with their worst enemy... the banana-split truth serum. They looked at each other, with doubtful looks. :: Frontier Man: ::quietly:: Maybe just a little, they will not find out much if we eat only a little, right? Captain Warpcore: ::nibbling his lower lip he thought:: Maybe if we get something from the bottom, there won't be truth serum yet! :: Frontier man slipped his finger into the bowl, along the inside wall and swooped some of the ice-cream on his finger before pulling it out again and with a short glance to the other Hero - and receiving a short nod - he slipped his finger into his mouth and licked the ice cream of it. It was so tasty, but of course they had to test if it had worked. :: Fontier Man: Ask me something. Captain Warpcore: Did you break mum's vase? Frontier Man: ::shaking his head:: No! :: The both grinned, it was safe! So they began to eat a little nibble her and there, avoiding the truth serum that obviously was in the dark syrup like stuff draped over the banana-split. They each got a few bits, when they heard the door open again, knowing the Astronauts would be back, and quickly pulled back their hands, sat on them and looked like innocence itself, just with a slightly tilted banana-split in front of them. :: Severina: I have your names now. Young Mister Kapoor and Mister Kapoor, you seem to have caused quite a bit of trouble. :: The heroes' eyes grew wide, as the evil Shake-O-tron came closer. How did she know their names? Now they had to make sure, that nobody would find out. The heroes always had an every day life name, and a hero name, and they needed to be secret. :: Frontier Man: We do not know who you mean. I am Frontier Man. Captain Warpcore: And I am ... Severina: Oh don't tell me....you are anything but a Kapoor... hmm? Perhaps a Ferengi merchant or an Orion trader...yes, I can see it. Frontier Man: See? No, Kapoors here, only us. Captain Warpcore: You try to dis... distruct ... Frontier Man: ::whispering:: distract Captain: ... distract us! We will save the galaxy from the evil Shake-o-tron and her servants! Severina: Or save the galaxy from an excess of banana and syrup perhaps...? :: The door opened again and in came another astronaut, and he carried someone on his arm, but not in a way the servants had carried the heroes, more like a friend carried his smaller friend. The smaller carried one, they recognized from their non hero life as Henry, raised his arm and said something, that was not easy to understand, but the heroes knew, they had been found by another hero! And now that they realized that, they could also see his green cape. :: Henry: Then WOOOOAH ::whispers and pointing:: … magic fish is on … the… GROUND! Torrin: ::urgently:: Quick Captain Warpcore, Frontier Man, we don't have much time, we have come to break you out of here. :: Frontier Man and Captain Warpcore both jumped off the couch, the leather creaked slightly, hearing the name of their fellow hero and his loyal sidekick, brought new energy into them. This was their secret weapon, so secret that not even they had known about it.:: Captain Warpcore & Frontier Man: ::unison:: Commander Quantum! Frontier Man: Right on time old friend! Commander Quantum (Formerly Henry): CAPTURE CANT HORN! Torrin: We must be quick, Captain Quantum's cloaking powers won't last long, and the evil minions will be able to see us again soon. LeFleur: ::with dramatic flair:: Where did our prisoners go!? You, Ensign Crankypants! Help me search the lair! Dragumov: I swear… they were right here a moment ago... Severina: They - what - Oh yes, that's right, I mean.... oh no they have escaped! We must find them! :: Captain Warpcore looked to Commander Quantum, who was known for speaking in an alien language to not give away any secrets to the villains. The problem was that most other heroes did not speak it either. But Commander Quantum had thought of that, and brought a translator, who did not only understand the alien language, but knew how to tell them what has been said, without spilling the space beans. :: Torrin: Whats our next move commander Quantum? :: The twin heroes kept their eyes on the Commander, wide open and attentive. Again he spoke in his alien language, which to the untrained eye sounded like unrelated words put in a random order and mixed with some brabble and nursery rhymes. But they knew it was the super secret language of the Commander, that only his sidekick could translate. :: Torrin: Well you heard the Commander, did you bring your weapon Captain? Well activate its self destruct, and we can blow this evil lair up on our way out. Commander Quantum: And then I was gone boom with it. Torrin: Thats right. We will have to escape quickly, or we all 'was gone boom with it'. :: Captain Warpcore's hand wandered to his belt, that once again housed the hyperspanner, or as he also liked to call it the sword of heroic virtue - though he did not know what virtue meant, he had heard the name of the sword in passing - or in their every day life called holo adventure - and he had kept it. Quantum's sidekick had relayed a great idea and Captain Warpcore gave him and Frontier Man a nod, then pulled out the weapon. While he pressed a few buttons he heard whispers between the Astronauts, but did not pay much attention to it, while he fiddled with the sword. :: Captain Warpcore: ::whispering to Frontier Man:: I am done. :: He crouched down and put the weapon under the table. :: Torrin: Is it done ? LeFleur: NOT SO FAST! THERE THEY ARE! Severina: Grab them! Torrin: ALRIGHT SOLDIERS LETS MOVE! :: With dramatic movements and a lot of sounds effects, all four of our heroes fought their way past the Minions that of course protected the evil Shake-O-Tron. But that would not matter, because the sword would soon blow up the Headquarters. Captain Warpcore pulled one of his super tools out of his belt that he had saved until now, a small ball, that he threw into the room. :: Captain Warpcore: They cannot see us through the smoke! Torrin: Good thinking captain! Commander Quantum: and they are with the smoke in their hair because they are… they are… Frontier Man: Here, I found the exit. Captain Warpcore: Hurry! (( Hallways - otherwise known as the transwarp streets of the Galaxy )) :: Just a moment later they had exited the Headquarters, floating in space again, but this time not alone as hero twins, but with their friends. Using their arms as ores, they floated through space and brought distance between them and the headquarters. :: Torrin: Good work everybody, now quick... :: The heroes cheered and clapped, when everything shook again, since the only explanation could be that that was the headquarters being destroyed and with that the evil Shake-O-Tron as well. :: Captain Warpcore & Frontier Man: ::unison:: We did it! Frontier Man: Thanks to Commander Quantum and his loyal sidekick! Torrin: Alright heroes, lets get back to the base. Captain Warpcore: Yes, Spotty, back home. :: In a great mood and pleased that their mission had been successful, Captain Warpcore and Frontier man, now left this part of the galaxy together with their hero friend Commander Quantum and his loyal sidekick, that the heroes had fondly named Spotty because of the spots around his face. They had been victorious and everyone was safe from the former evil Shake-O-tron. So they now flew through the transwarp streets towards their own home. :: :: Until the Galaxy would need them again... :: --------- Nishikanta Delran Chandni Kapoor (Frontier Man) & Vijanyendra Delran Chandni Kapoor (Captain Warpcore) Children USS Apollo simmed by LtCmdr Akeelah D'Sena First Officer USS Apollo-A Plus guest appearances of: Avaris Edral Torrin Civilian School Headmaster USS Apollo - A and his following: PNPC Artem Dragumov - (Ensign Crankypants) NPC Amelia LaFleur - (Ensign Wing Chun) NPC Henry - (Commander Quantum) and as special Guest Star Ensign Lydia Severina aka Shake-O-Tron Security Officer USS Apollo-A
  15. ((Quarters - Torrin and Dragumov )) ::Avaris had been hard at work for nearly three hours after leaving Sickbay with the recording Dr Renos had given him, with no success. He had used a personal portable computer terminal, having learned his lesson about using the ships system for less-than-authorized means after the first officer had instructed Security to search their rooms terminal to discover how he had accessed the intelligence report on himself . It was an empty meaningless trick, he still needed to use the Apollos network and no amount of wizardry could truly stop Security or Intelligence from knowing what he was up to if they were determined to find out, their skill with the machines surely being much greater than his own. But he was at least determined to make them work for it if they decided to monitor his activities. :: ::It was late and he knew it was poor planning if he wanted a good nights sleep, but he was drinking his second coffee since returning to his and his husbands shared quarters. This was usually the point in the evening when Avaris indulged in a drink or five of a stronger calibre, but he did not want his senses dulled as he poured through the various Federation records (and few Imperial Klingon records) he knew how to access, attempting to match the J'naii deviant from the recording to any record of business from outside nir planetary bureaucracy. :: ::He was coming up infuriatingly short. Whoever this person was, they were not someone with a high profile outside of the J'naii system that he could find. He had placed several calls to colleagues that he knew were able to get into systems he could not, sending them still images of the deviants face rather than the whole recording as a matter of safety, but had been flatly refused assistance by some of his more emotional former friends, and had not heard back from any of the ones who didn't just hang up on him or decline his call outright. Nyxa had been willing to help, and she had the greatest skill when it came to hacking into records, being the groups de-facto information broker back in the day. She claimed her library of stolen intelligence rivaled even the Tal Shiar in its heyday, but in Avaris' experience, if it took her longer than an hour to find anything, she probably didn't have it. :: ::It was looking more and more like the only person he knew who would be able to find this person was the one person he had tried first, and who had reacted so angrily to his call that he had hoped to avoid asking her for anything ever again. Andressa Castyr, someone who had at one time been not only his best friend, but also someone he thought of as a sister, and who had never forgiven him for running off with a human soldier. :: ::Most of the friends he had reached out to (and who agreed to speak to him at all) had uniformly had the same initial suggestion, "have you talked to Andressa? She is still a really close friend of Jennys", the others had all moved onto other projects or had never been involved in the J'naii deviant underground in the first place, and so they kept telling him over and over again the same unwanted advice - talk to Andressa. :: ::He did not want to talk to Andressa. He did not want to ask for her help, the price of which was being told again in no uncertain terms that he was a sniveling turncoat invertebrate with no right to occupy space in the galaxy, let alone in circles of radical action. He knew her reaction was more a reflection of her emotions, and less so legitimate criticism. She had loved Jeheran as much as he did, and had never forgiven Avaris for moving past her brothers death when she herself could not. but his own insecurity in the choices he had made over the last 15 years made it difficult to hear nevertheless. The very fact that he was sitting in quarters on a Starfleet vessel, awaiting his security officer husbands return from duty, and planning his Civics class for the grade 7 and 8s (where he would be expected to, with a straight face, explain to children why Federation democracy was the pinnacle of galactic civilization) made her pointed disapproval ring less hollow than he would like it to. :: :: But it was important to him to do this, he needed to be a part of something again, to fight for something, to rage against something. He felt like a plant starved for solar radiation, withering without the nourishment of fire and passion. If getting back in the game cost him some dignity and meant facing the wrath of a Castyr sibling, it was a price he would simply have to pay. :: ::He began writing her a message, unable to face a conversation, and having been told not to call her again anyways. He thought about attaching the whole recording, but fearing its interception, attached only still images. He carefully couched his words in innocuous-sounding language to avoid it attracting attention, and to avoid needing to encrypt the message (which in and of itself would attract attention). :: ::As he was nearly ready to send the message off, the door chimed its acknowledgement of Artems fingerprints and whooshed open. Avaris clandestinely pulled up his lesson plan, feeling a little guilty for keeping his new project a secret from Artem, but also feeling that the tenuous peace they had arrived at would be needlessly jeopardized if he were to see him snooping around in Federation records. :: Torrin: And how did you survive the destruction of your lair, minion of Shake-o-Tron? ::Artem chuckled:: Dragumov: Do you know I met someone else today who has never heard of that program? a new colleague of mine Ensign Severina, or as you were introduced to her, the evil Lord Shake-O-Tron. She is from that parallel Earth that is still run by the Roman Empire, and she hasn't heard of it either. Torrin: Oh thats really interesting, I thought Magna Romans usually served in marine corps together... they don't usually like trying to mesh well with alien crews. Dragumov: Well this one is trying, and she doesn't know about your weird Federation superhero holoprograms either. ::Avaris laughed and stood up, approaching his smaller husband and putting his hands on the mans waist :: Torrin: Well congratulations. Your lack pop culture knowledge comes second to a woman whose entire civilization is basically unchanged ancient human history... Ill put in the request to throw you a parade about it. Do you like the sound of 'Ensign Dragumov is Not the Most Out of Touch" day? ::Artem smirked:: Dragumov: I do... with one small adjustment. ::Avaris raised an eyebrow and [...]ed his head inquisitively:: Dragumov: Its Lt. Dragumov now. Torrin: Oh really? Dragumov: Yeah, Admiral Jaxx promoted me, said it was because of the bridge service when I first arrived. Torrin: Oh well, that's good right? ::Artem scoffed:: Dragumov: Good? Thats amazing Avaris! I have only been here for less than a week, its almost unheard of! Torrin: Oh well... congratulations buddy. ::Artem's face betrayed some disappointment. Avaris was not doing a good enough job at being enthusiastic about the news. He tried to seem a little more excited :: Torrin: You know I don't know how these things work buddy, that sounds really great though! I'm happy things are going so well for you already. Dragumov: You don't have to pretend to care Avaris, I know the whole Starfleet thing isn't your thing.... Torrin: ... don't be like that mister, I am happy for you because I know how important it is to you. I'm sorry I didn't realize how big a deal it was. ::Artem was looking away from him, and Avaris gently took his face in his hands and turned it back towards his own.:: Torrin: I am sorry I didn't know it was such a big deal. I'm very happy for you. ::Artem smiled weakly, but seemed to accept that Avaris was being genuine. Avaris was not being genuine. His head was still full of the work he wanted to be doing to help Dr. Renos. But he needed to recover from seeming ambivalent about the news, their emotional ceasefire was hanging in the balance. :: Dragumov :: changing the subject, and looking at Avaris portable computer terminal:: So what are you up to right now? ::Avaris lied flawlessly, too easily, guilt bubbling up like bile:: Torrin: Just a lesson plan for tomorrow. Federation Democracy and Systems of Warp Civilization Governance. I am thinking about taking the kids to the holodeck to go through the educational Paris program, seeing all the capitals landmarks and government buildings to start it off. Dragumov: Well are you almost done? I want to call papa and tell him my news... ::The sentence ended with a clear but unspoken "... he will understand how big a deal this is and react appropriately". Avaris smiled a bit sadly, he really had not meant to be so insensitive, but putting on a game face replied :: Torrin: You can use the terminal now buddy, I can keep working on my computer in the bedroom. Don't be long though... ::He kissed his husband, trying his best not to feel guilty about lying, about not caring about Starfleet promotions, about secrets, about not wanting to kiss his husband but doing it anyways to distract him from getting angry and throwing a tantrum :: Torrin: .. we have a lot to celebrate Lieutenant. ::He winked at Artem, and gathered his computer and a few PADDs and went off to the adjacent bedroom. As he opened up the portable computer again he heard Artem speaking with his father in the other room. It was funny how he was vaguely aware that they were speaking Russian, even though the universal translator allowed him to understand it, there was a certain quality to the language that, even though it came through as Standard to his ears, was clearly being filtered from a rawer, more brutal, honest and robust tongue. He heard the old man asking about him, "And how is the Maquis?", just as he brought up his message to Andressa again. He smiled at the pet name his father-in-law had given him, finding himself missing the wine-soaked political debates that they used to have back when they saw more of each-other, in their years on Earth during Artem's Academy training. Ivan Dragumov laughed heartily and clapped his hands when Artem told him his news, the correct reaction to something so extraordinary and exalting. :: ::Sometimes Avaris truly wished he cared as much as almost everyone else about the things most people cared about. But tonight he didn't even bother longing for a happier, more normal outlook on the universe. He had his own things to care about. He cared about Jenny. :: ::Putting the finishing touches on his message to Andressa, he sent it off. A moment later, the computer informed him it had been received. With Artem on a call at the terminal, she would have to leave a message if she wanted to call him to tell him how low he was, which was perfect, he didn't feel like listening to it tonight. He was fragile enough he might end up believing it, and that would not help his marriage or Dr Renos' comrade. :: ::He then pulled up his empty lesson plan, realizing that he actually did need to do it, and that having not yet started, he was going to need to scramble if he had any hope of sleeping tonight. :: oO An Ode to the Gloriousness of Federation Democracy - Ironically Prepared by Professor Avaris Edral Torrin Oo Avaris Edral TorrinCivilian School HeadmasterUSS Apollo A
  16. ((Holodeck 2, USS Atlantis)) :: In the heat of the moment Gwen found herself in a long, beautiful, and passionate kiss with Wyn. She wasn't sure which one of them kissed first but she didn't care. She closed her eyes and enjoyed it. The pair danced and kissed and didn’t notice Lt. JG Janeway coming up behind them. :: JANEWAY: GET AWAY FROM HER! SHE’S MY MATE! :: Breaking from the kiss :: GARDENER: What are you yelling about? JANEWAY: ::Getting increasingly frustrated:: YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! GET AWAY FROM THAT ANDORIAN PUSS HOG!!! ::Wyn paused and looked around. So far, with the din of the music and the distraction of the fellow crewmembers, Janeway’s outburst was slow to register to everyone - including Dr. Foster. He knitted his snowy brows, starting that the Vulcan incredulously:: FOSTER: Your mate? What in the everloving hells of Qon'os are you talking about?! ::Both antennae perked up in a curiously aggressive stance:: Did you just call me a puss hog? :: Gwen stood there in shock not really sure what to do. Silently she looked at Wyn with confusion in her eyes as she backed away slowly. :: JANEWAY: ::Angrily tossing the chair aside, breaking the barrier between Lt. Foster and himself.:: GIVE HER TO ME! FOSTER: ::He leapt protectively in front of Gwen, his adrenaline spiking so fast that his body was taught like a bowstring:: That escalated quickly. ::clinically, oddly out of place considering the rampaging Vulcan coming towards him, he put his hands up and tried to talk it over:: Look... I think you're being a little illogical right now... :: Gwen froze. She had no clue what Janeway was thinking or talking about but she didn’t like it. This whole situation was scaring her half to death. It didn’t help that they found themselves cornered to the far side of the holiday party area. with a sea of tables, chairs and deceased penguin confetti separating them from the nearest person who could help. And by now everyone in the room had noticed...:: ::Again, he grabbed a chair and tossed it out of the way. His mind was locked into primitive thoughts, and his only desire was to grab Gwen and execute his plan.:: GARDENER: Lieutenant Junior Grade control yourself! :: Gwen yelled hoping that would do the trick, but somehow she knew that everything was about to go south. Noting anyone was saying seemed to register.:: JANEWAY: ::Leaping towards Lt. Foster.:: I AM SUPERIOR! YOU SHALL NOT KEEP MY LOVE FROM ME! FOSTER: You are frikken crazy is what you are… ::he intoned:: If this is Pon Farr... :: oO Love?! What on Terra is he talking about! Oo Gwen had only ever had one love in her whole life and it was Wyn, not Thomas. Gwen stood there unable to move as her fear consumed her. All she could do was stand there and pray everything would be okay. :: JANEWAY: ::He grasped Lt. Foster’s uniform and shoved with all of the force that he could, sending the lieutenant barreling backwards. For a moment, Kody looked confused, and apologetic - almost as if his logic was returning.:: ::Wyn looked around, noticing that the entire room was not staring at them. Well, good. There were a lot more of them than there was of Janeway. As he stumbled backwards he decided that the best course of action would simply be to delay the engineer for as long as possible until someone else could sedate him. Or he would get tossed around like a ragdoll. The world turned into a blur of motion that came to a jarring stop as soon as the concept of floor was introduced to the equation.:: FOSTER: ::Hitting the ground and rolling over one shoulder to his knees where he put up one hand in a non-threatening manner:: Look, let’s talk this out like rational people… ::He flickered his gaze upwards, trying to catch sight of Tama, or Ren, or anyone who might be able to take Janeway down…:: ::No such luck. As the Vulcan advanced the holodeck compliantly raised a forcefield directly behind him, crudely but effectively cutting off access from the other partygoers who remained.:: :: Gwen ran over to Wyn stooping down beside him and glancing back towards Janeway. Gwen didn’t see a logical Starfleet Officer, she saw an emotional, raging, Vulcan attacking the only person she ever truly loved. :: FOSTER: ::he looked upwards as pen shimmered into place:: You’ve got to be kidding me. ::he muttered:: Of course, he helped program this thing… ::He stayed stubbornly low to the ground, grasping Gwen’s shoulder in a reassuring manner, as if to say ‘It’s fine, I can handle this’:: JANEWAY: ::Within a moment of Lt. Gardener running to help Wyn up, the fire in his eyes re-kindled, and he was again ablaze with fury. He reached to his side, and grabbed his Starfleet Issue phaser. Pointing it at Lt. Foster, he began to yell.:: I DECLARE KOON-UT-KAL-IF-FEE! :: Gwen panicked, She knew little of Vulcan traditions, but she was pretty sure that meant that the two men were about to fight over the right to be her boyfriend. Honestly, she should have felt flattered that both men wanted the honors. The truth however, was her heart belonged to Wyn and she didn’t want him to get hurt because of her. :: FOSTER: ::Flat:: Oh [...], this IS Pon Farr. ::He blinked and protested in a louder tone:: I’m not even Vulcan you gold-suited ninny! GARDENER: Janeway! What will it take to stop this nonsense?! :: Gwen looked Janeway in the eye not wanting this to get worse. :: JANEWAY: ::Looking deeply into the eyes of Gwen, he began to panic. He had never gone this far before. The logic within him was sporadic, but what he knew for certain was that Gwen had to be his. It was ordained. Surak would understand. oO It must be true! She must be mine! Why else would I feel so strongly towards her??? Oo FOSTER: He’s hormonally unbalanced. Literally. He won’t stop unless we get him to sickbay… or he mates. Welcome to Vulcan Hell, population: us. GARDENER: oO Why is this happening?! Why me?!Oo JANEWAY: ::Keeping the phaser pointed at Lt. Foster:: Get up now! Do it, or I’ll shoot!!! ::Sweat poured down Kody’s face. The doctor must have known by now that there was something definitely wrong. Kody looked towards him as he slowly stood up.:: GARDENER: Don’t shoot...we can talk this out... :: Gwen followed suit rising to her feet, horrified of what Janeway might do. She already watched her father die in front of her, she wasn’t about to let her boyfriend get killed by a fellow officer if she could help it. :: FOSTER: Fine. Don’t shoot. I’m sure everyone is enjoying the show. ::he rose to his feet, turning to stare Janeway directly in the eyes. He pinned his antennae flat to his head and internally cursed himself for not having a medkit on his person. During the course of most any duty Wyn kept a variety of medical instruments including hyposprays tucked away in various easy to reach places. But when he had changed out of his duty uniform and into formal wear he had foolishly left everything in his quarters. It was a mistake he wouldn’t repeat. If he lived through this. Instead the diminutive doctor sized up his far larger opponent and started mentally mapping the Vulcan’s physiology. He didn’t know how much a Vulcan in the middle of Pon Farr felt pain, but he was guessing the answer was ‘not much.’ So joint locks and nerve strikes were out. But he had an idea… if he could get close enough…:: FOSTER: So what now? JANEWAY: YOU MUST OBEY KOON-UT-KAL-IF-FEE! FIGHT, ANDORIAN! ::Dr. Foster had a childhood filled with playground fights and beating back bullies. It gave him a certain poise and awareness that allowed him to react. However Janeway was far faster and stronger than any schoolyard bully. The first strike came quick and hard, enough to make Wyn’s vision flash over in white. He could hear the forcefield behind them, crackle - someone was trying to break it.:: FOSTER: ::With a strained voice:: I thought there was supposed to be a ritual to this, not just wanton destruction… ::he dodged the next blow by darting behind the table and the next by tossing a chair into Janeway’s path. But he was rapidly running out of furniture, and the forcefield still hadn’t fallen. It was time for Plan B.:: JANEWAY: AGHHH! GET AWAY FROM MY MATE!!! ::He threw his fists forwards, attempting to crush the Andorian. Unfortunately, he was too quick.:: ::Another strike, all too close to crushing bone, but this time the little Andorian dodged forward instead of backwards, ramming his shoulder into Janeway’s chest. The slight stun gave him just enough time to snake one arm upwards and grab onto the half-Vulcan’s neck where he dug one thumb into the throbbing carotid artery, cutting off the blood supply.:: FOSTER: oO It should only be a matter of seconds… if I can hold on… Oo ::he gritted his teeth, and glued himself to Janeway, trying to become the little tick you just couldn’t remove as it drained - or in this case stopped - your blood:: JANEWAY: NO! ::Feeling the blood supply cease, he began to become numb. Then he remembered...oO I was trained to use this method of attack! Oo. In a flash, his hand reached over the the Andorian’s and attempted to pry him from his neck. It was no use, his hand was holding fast. Yet, he remembered a special pressure point in Andorian anatomy that might help him. Clamping his fingers near the Andorian’s thumb, he began to feel release. Slowly the blood began rushing into the artery again. Yet without provocation, Lt. Foster was able to stabilize his grip, and again tightened his hold.:: oO What is happening?! Oo ::Kody began to feel his eyelids falling over his bloodshot eyes, and his mind began to fade into a deep abyss.:: GARDENER: oO Gwen don’t just stand there do something! Anything! Oo :: For some reason she didn’t understand she felt paralyzed...it was fear, like watching her father die all over again. She couldn’t think everything was fuzzy, this was to fast and too insane for her to comprehend. Why a Starfleet officer would go psycho in a room full of people was beyond her, even if it was a chemical imbalance. Either way, it felt like there was nothing she could say or do to stop it. :: FOSTER: ::Through gritted teeth:: Never fight a doctor with a specialty in xenobiology. ::Yes, he was still an arrogant little fool, even when getting his rear end kicked.:: Say goodnight, Lieutenant... JANEWAY: NOOO! ::His muscles tightened, and he stabilized his stance. With one quick move he reached his arm over his head, and grabbed the Andorian’s neck, pulling Lt. Foster in closer. Kody quickly whispers in his ear.:: She’s mine. ::Grabbing onto Lt. Foster’s antennae, he twisted with all of his might, uprooting the limp blue organ from the lieutenant’s body.:: ::The effect was immediate, as he released Janeway with a shocked grasp, one hand clamping to where a thick spurt of blue blood poured out. A guttural yelp escaped his throat. He wavered backwards like a drunkard on a balance beam,his attitude going from sassy to shocked in less than a second, his expression clearly couldn’t believe the turn of events. That was, until the pain registered and his eyes clouded over in a grotesque mask of agony:: :: Gwen’s hands covered her mouth as she watched in fear. She lunged forward tackling Janeway to the ground :: GARDENER: That was uncalled for you ingrate! ::Kody began to laugh. For some reason, even though he had just been through a fight, he had a sense of humor:: JANEWAY: I knew I’d get you on top of me, one way or another. GARDENER: This is insane! Get your rear into sickbay before this gets worse! ::Grabbing Gwen, he shoved his mouth against hers. She struggled, and looked to Wyn for help.:: FOSTER: ::With all the strength of a cooked noodle in a gale:: Shhh--top… ::He felt the bitter cobalt tang of blood in his mouth as his sense of balance completely failed on him and he collapsed on the floor in a ragged blue heap. Irony of ironies, he could hear the rest of the remaining partygoers finally piercing the forcefield just as his legs failed to support his body in anything other than a graceless pile.:: oO Great timing, guys… Oo ::It was happening to fast. The weakling Andorian was down, but so was the forcefield. He would inevitably be caught. He had to move to his second plan.:: JANEWAY: ::Looking to Gwen:: We’re going for a trip! ::Gwen struggled against Janeway’s grip but he was stronger than her. Despite her best efforts she was powerless to stop him from holding her hostage. :: ::People began to enter the confines of what used to be the forcefield, and ran towards Gwen, attempting to take her from Kody:: JANEWAY: Computer! Initiate transporter sequence seventy-one alpha bravo! ::Fluorescent light began to shine around them, and almost immediately their molecules were dematerialized and downloaded into the computer’s mainframe. They were re-materialized in Kody’s personal quarters.:: A Joint post By: Lt.JG. Thomas Janeway Engineer USS Atlantis NCC-74682 & Lt. Guinevere Gardener, AKA: Gwen Chief Engineer USS Atlantis NCC-74682 & Lt. Shar’Wyn Foster Chief Medical Officer USS Atlantis NCC-74682
  17. ((USS Atlantis – Main Sickbay)) As the crisis resolved and the doctors around him finished their tasks, Wyn Foster lay back in a heady haze of painkillers, feeling consciousness drain away from him like a deflating water balloon. He didn’t fight it, closing his eyes and looking oddly peaceful, a bizarre juxtaposition from the messy carnage of his clothing and patchwork hair. He had ‘The Dream’ again. The one he used to have all the time as a child. The one that wasn’t really a nightmare, but it kept recurring and it always woke him up without fail. The one he hadn’t dreamt for over a decade, the one he thought he had outgrown. Upon waking he admitted to himself that he was disappointed that he hadn’t left the ghosts of the past behind. He thought he had forgotten them, but instead he found he had just buried them very, very deeply. It started with snow. Thick snow, falling slowly, in big fat fluffy flakes. The kind of snow that looks peaceful, even as the temperatures drop and transform the flakes to tiny razors of ice. Not sharp enough to actually cut skin, but between the bitter cold and the [...] of ice, they felt like thousands of tiny needles assaulting any piece of skin that was lay bare to them. As the wind started to pick up the scene materialized. It was exactly the same as he remember from childhood, though certain details seemed to be hyper-focused, while others seemed blurry. The snow swirled around the skeletons of structures. Permanent timbers were set into the snow and earth to serve as the backbone of the ice block-and-skin dwellings used by the nomadic clans of Thar’Shan. The ice-blocks were still in place, and there was a lingering smell of cooked meat. This place had not been long vacated. He could hear the crisp crunch of newly fallen snow under his boots as he walked forward, looking around. In the background there was a wash of voices, an impression of talking without hearing actual speech. When he was a kid, he though the voices in his dream were foreign, now he wondered if they were simply blurry, like a record that had insufficient memory to play correctly. The path he walked was always the same. Start by the timber marking the biggest tent. If he really concentrated he could see the whole structure erected, with shadowy figured standing by the entrance, all bundled up in furs. Walk past the circular enclave of skeletal foundations cut into the ice and towards the center. Stop. There was a curious lump in the snow, as if something was left behind and buried. Another burst of garbled voices, the crunch of footfalls headed towards the lump. The wind picked up, sending a mournful howl across the land that send a shiver down his spine as he reached a black-gloved hand out to brush the snow away. Something solid was underneath, something frozen. He blinked his eyes and— The harsh glare of sickbay lights assaulted his senses. Clenching his teeth together, he hissed at the indicators above the biobed and jerked his head to one side. Bad move. Screwing his eyes shut, he bit his bottom lip as a wave of pain and nausea passed through him. There were voices. Familiar voices. Angry voices. Voices coming nearer. BLUEHEART: ::clearing his throat as he approached:: Report. FOSTER: ::He didn’t want to open his eyes. The lights were too bright, and everything felt like a searing jolt of pain piercing through him. Yes that was Blueheart’s voice, ordering him to report. Was the man serious? Was he dreaming?:: … What? LIANI: He’s recovering. ::Liani was there. She was talking to him. This couldn’t be a dream. Wyn slowly cracked his eyes open, shocked to see a figure that looked like someone beat Captain Blueheart with boxing gloves filled with teenage angst until his capillaries burst, oozing contemptuous anger all over his expression before dusting it with a thin sheen of entitlement:: BLUEHEART: Dr Foster, how are you? FOSTER: ::he blinked, his head still feeling like it was six feet underwater:: I could use a drink. ::he offered in a weak version of his usual humor:: BLUEHEART: Oh, just suck it in! You’ll be fine. FOSTER: ::He jerked his head towards Blueheart, keeping his eyes open as the world spun through the force of sheer stubbornness. His next words were careful, deliberate and colder than the plains of Rura Penthe:: Of course. I will remember that, Captain. BLUEHEART: ::turning to Liani:: A word? ::They moved off, leaving him alone with his thoughts. What in the bloody hells of the pits of Karkazen was going on? Was he supposed to be on duty? Was this some insane alternative universe cause by the temporal anomalies, or maybe he had been injured far worse than he thought and he was dreaming or in some of insane asylum. Slowly he tested the limits of his mobility. Every single move made him nauseous. His hands felt like they were disconnected from his body, especially when he looked at them. If he closed his eyes thing seemed almost normal, but opening them made the world swim around him. His remaining antennae twitched vainly, trying to compensate. He felt like he was drunk and under water, which was a combination he never wanted to experience. Still, he had to figure out what in the blue blazes was going on. Once he mastered lifting his head without vomiting, he went to pull himself to a sitting position. The world swam giddily and his head throbbed as if it was being pounded by a sledgehammer wielded by an insane Vulcan. He clenched his teeth, willing himself not to groan, though a minor protest slipped out, and his hands scrabbled for purchased. Bad idea. He hit something, sending a tray of medical equipment scattering across the floor, and his vain attempt to catch it only resulted in a bigger, more impressive crash. Someone noticed.:: MARK TWO: Doctor! You shouldn’t be up! FOSTER: ::Gritting his teeth:: I’m fine, Mark. ::Ok, that was clearly a lie, but unlike Mark, Foster said it with convincing conviction.:: MARK TWO: But the treatment has only started. You should lie down! FOSTER: ::repeating:: I’m fine, Mark. MARK TWO: ::The hologram knit his brows, fretting. He understood that this was an emotional reaction, prompted by something he couldn’t quite understand. Maybe the conversation that guy in the hoodie was having with Dr. Liani?:: Please lie down… please? ::Wyn Foster fell silent, closing his eyes, and stubbornly refusing to move – either to stand up or lie down. None of this made sense. He wanted it to make sense. Needed it to make sense. But all he had was confusion and pain.:: FOSTER: ::Harsh, and yet desperate:: Somebody, please, tell me what is going on here? Lieutenant Shar’Wyn Foster Chief Medical Officer USS Atlantis
  18. ((Erscyne Station, Eridani Erscyne System, Afehirr Sector)) ::It had been some time since an outsider had stepped foot on Erscyne Station. Back then, her people had been in a world of trouble. Now that was not the case, yet they still invited this one in. In return for saving them, the least they could offer the one who had returned was a way to get home.:: ::Isdae had no idea what home was for the raven haired command officer who had spontaneously appeared in the shadow of her own scar not long ago, nor did she know if the woman really was as different as she seemed to be now, but she felt it was her duty to make sure she was helped in any way the Erscyne Trade Alliance could help.:: ::And so, with a quick glance out the window, as if to verify that the scar had returned to a calm state, Isdae stepped through her office’s exit and shot a look to the woman nearby.:: Zaypakellista: They are here for you. It is time to go. ::In return, she only got a nod from the figure who seemed to cast herself in the shadows. With a cloak-like covering and a hood that hid the brilliance of her new, crystalline blue eyes, the woman looked like the captain Isdae had met, but something felt off.:: ((Docking Bay, Erscyne Station)) ::Standing tall, with her slender arms draped to her sides like the flowing robe that she wore, Isdae watched as the small craft docked and was cleared for station entrance. Watching as the officer in the familiar uniform disembarked, she held her nod until she was certain he could see it.:: Zaypakellista: Greetings, Commander. ::How Lieutenant Commander Colt Daniels had found himself here, standing on the deck of Erscyne station was a long and complicated story. When the reports had come through, he’d immediately volunteered for the mission to retrieve the precious cargo, his reasons were his own. Now, as he stood opposite of the slender form of this Prime Captain Zaypakellista who matched every bit of his nearly two-meter height, he waited with cautious optimism to see if she had truly found what he was looking for.:: Daniels: Prime Captain, ::He bowed his head respectfully.:: I am Lieutenant Commander Colt Daniels with Starfleet Intelligence. On behalf of Starfleet, I’d like to extend our gratitude to you for all that you’ve done here. ::Moving just a step sideways, Isdae revealed the woman who had come with her. The woman, however, gave no indication of knowing the man in the uniform.:: ::Colt’s neutral expression grew into a smile at as the Erscyne Officer stepped aside to reveal Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti. A million thoughts ran through his head at once, and it took all of the restraint and professionalism he had not to wrap his old friend in a bear-like hug. Instead, he remained in place, standing rigid as a board with his hands behind his back like this was just any other day. In this business, one had to learn to keep up appearances.:: Nicholotti: Commander. ::Almost as Isdae had, the woman nodded in greetings before turning towards her.:: Nicholotti: Prime Captain, I thank you for your hospitality. I hope that one day I will come to know the details of your tales, but for now I will thank you anyways. ::Isdae allowed herself a bit of a smile as she nodded towards the woman in return.:: Zaypakellista: Of course, Fleet Captain. If you should remember, also remember that you are always welcome here. ::Colt watched as the woman that he and the rest of Starfleet had presumed to be dead for the last 6 months exchanged pleasantries with the their host. If she was happy to see him she wasn’t making it obvious. She for the most part seemed exactly how he’d remembered her, except for the eyes. The grey eyes that he’d seen in his dreams, the ones that he pictured when he tried to remember her face were gone and impossibly blue ones had taken their place.:: Daniels: We can leave as soon as you are ready, Fleet Captain. ::He searched her face for any hints at what she was thinking and found none.:: We’re going to be rendezvousing with the Apollo by way of Starbase 118. ::The raven haired woman nodded slightly before moving towards the small craft. In doing so, she walked right past the officer who seemed to look somewhat confused. Isdae knew he would find that this was not the same woman who had flown into the anomaly outside, but that was not her place to divulge. With one last glance, she moved from the docking bay and signaled the command center that they be cleared to leave.:: ((Runabout, Leaving Erscyne Station)) ::Kali found her way to the pilot’s seat and began the powering sequence that would take them away from the station. It was only when she felt the presence of the tall officer right behind her that she stopped. Slowly, she turned her chair to face him. Taking a long look at him for the first time, she suddenly felt as if something were missing. Her eyes narrowed slightly.:: ::But the feeling didn’t last and soon it was gone.:: ::Colt had dismissed Kali’s actions in the Docking bay as her trying to represent Starfleet in the most professional manner possible, but now in the privacy of the Runabout, nothing had changed. She had simply boarded without him as he made the final preparations without so much as a word. As he came to a stop behind her position in the pilot’s seat, he tried to find the words to express all of the things he wanted to say, but she spoke first.:: Nicholotti: Is there a problem? ::Colt Daniels and Kalianna Nicholotti shared a considerable history, a brief but intense romance followed by years of friendship and mutual respect had all coalesced in his being here to bring her back from what was supposed to have been the grave, and these words were the first thing of substance she had chosen to say to him. His mouth fell open slightly despite his best efforts.:: Daniels: I...uh...No. ::He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong here.:: It’s just I never thought I’d see you again, Kali. ::He took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.:: ::The sensation of his hand on her shoulder felt far more familiar than she thought it should have. Now the idea that she was missing something tugged at the corner of her mind a little bit harder, but she was unable to make the connection. The fact that he had called her by her nickname meant that he knew her, somehow, but she couldn’t place him.:: ::While she could tell from the pips his rank, and from the uniform that he was starfleet, she found herself unable to place him in her past at all. But there were indications that this was just wrong.:: Nicholotti: Well, I’m not that easy to kill I guess. ::She smiled a bit awkwardly and returned her attention to the console in front of her. Something about this whole thing made her somewhat uncomfortable, though she wasn’t about to let on she was feeling that way.:: ::Colt felt a very subtle smile trying to form on his face at the undeniable truth in her words, but it was tempered by the uncomfortable feeling he was getting from her. All the sadness he had felt at her passing, all the regret when he’d thought she was dead had left him wishing for just one more chance, one last conversation with the woman who had been such an integral part of making him who he was today. The chance was here and it just felt...off.:: Daniels: No one will argue that claim. That makes three times you’ve died. ::He climbed into the seat next to her to assist in the pre-flight routine:: And those are just the times I know about. ::He shot her a sideways glance, hoping that he’d see a smile, a laugh, some hint that things might be alright. Colt didn’t see any of that as she worked the console effortlessly with no hints of emotion playing on her face. He could only guess at the traumatic events she’d experienced and he supposed she would just need time.:: ::Running through the last of the checklist for launch - something she did remember quite well - Kali awaited clearance before guiding the ship out and away from the alien station. She almost didn’t remember it either, save for the scans she somehow recalled. The names of those on board, and any history she’d had with them however, well, the Prime Captain had told her the tale of the Excalibur and her crew. Kali just didn’t remember much.:: ::A voice echoed in her thoughts about things forgotten and changed. She wasn’t the Kali who had fallen into the bright scar that lit up space in front of them. No, that Kali had died, effectively, and her consciousness had been put into a reconstructed body. At least that’s how she was made to understand it.:: ::But the more she focused on her time away, the more it faded. Perhaps that was on purpose, as an attempt by the beings on the other side to limit what she brought back to her more primitive universe.:: ::Colt had settled into the navigator’s seat without argument and had set course for Starbase 118. It wasn’t long before they had left the station behind and were streaking towards their destination. Several minutes passed in silence as he tried to come up with something to say, but in some way that he couldn’t explain, something between them had changed.:: Nicholotti: ::Turning slowly to the other officer.:: I get the feeling that maybe you were expecting something a bit different here. ::He was lost in his own thoughts, so when she finally broke the silence, it caught him a little off guard. He swiveled in his chair to face her fully, catching sight of the eyes that seemed so foreign on the very familiar face.:: Daniels: No, it’s fine. You’ve been through a lot. ::He softened his tone a little.:: I’m right here if you want to talk about it. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us and after all the times you’ve been there for me, listening is the least I can do. ::Nodding slowly, Kali tried to place it all, but there were huge blank spaces in her memories. She could spout off the technical specs or medical procedures like a textbook without trouble, but when it came to people and the connections she had with them, well, that was beginning to seem like the thing she lost.:: ::And of course she didn’t know quite how to deal with that realization.:: Nicholotti: ::Shaking her head.:: I’m sorry Commander, I don’t remember you. ::He started to smile at what had to be a joke but her serious expression cut it short. Colt leaned back in his chair with a dumbfounded expression playing clearly across his face. His eyes never leaving hers, desperately searching for something, anything that would explain what was happening.:: ::Kali made it a point to make eye contact and not break it. She got the impression that this was sensitive ground and she didn’t want to give off the wrong expression. What was it she was missing? The blank spaces in her mind were just that, blank. There was just nothing there, and no indication that anything she could do would change that.:: Daniels: What do you mean you don’t remember me? ::Her expression remained unchanged as the unfiltered thoughts began to pour out of him.:: Colt Daniels? You’ve known me since I was a fresh green Ensign… I was with you when you were given your first command. Of course you remember me. ::He stared at her expectantly for a few moments, willing some sort of epiphany to occur in the woman opposite him in the small craft.:: ::She knew he was expecting something, but there simply was nothing there. Intuition told her that she must have been close to this person before she had been lost, and that realization deeply concerned her. Searching deeper, she looked for more and then came to realize that she didn’t remember anyone. Sure, there were some names in her head, mostly associated with historical figures she’d learned about in school, but she couldn’t remember her family, friends, or anyone else.:: ::What did that mean?:: Nicholotti: Commander… I don’t know what to say. ::Slowly she shook her head.:: I just don’t remember you. ::He was overcome by the terrible sinking feeling of loss all over again. Here she was, his friend, his mentor, the only person he’d ever truly loved, right in front of him but hopelessly distant. He’d dropped everything and pulled every string he could to be the person to pick her up from Erscyne Station, jumping at the chance to make up for all the times he hadn’t been there for her. He had been so happy to see her, but now he didn’t know what to think.:: Daniels: I don’t understand… ::He sighed and shook his head in disbelief.:: Daniels: So you remember this...::He gestured at the flight controls, a hint of frustration in his words.:: You obviously remember Starfleet ::He tugged at the collar that displayed his rank::....but you don’t remember me, specifically? ::Kali looked at the console and immediately connected knowledge with everything there. It all made perfect sense to her, but he did not. Aside from the vague shadow of something missing, she’d not even recognized him. But she’d not recognized the Prime Captain on the station either.:: Nicholotti: I’m afraid I don’t recall anyone, actually. ::She frowned slightly.:: This though, it’s all as if it’s playing from a recording. It all makes sense and connects just fine, even if it feels as if I’m seeing it for the first time. ::With crystalline blue eyes, she turned back to the man sitting next to her and shrugged somewhat apologetically. What could she do? This worried her greatly, but the problem dictated a course of events. First she needed to get home, to Starbase 118. Then, perhaps the medical department could assist her.:: ::Finally he realized what she was trying to say. No one had any explanation yet as to how she had come back, it was something that he was certain would be studied for a long time to come, but whatever happened, had changed her. Colt Daniels did not pretend to understand the complexity of the psychological trauma she had experienced. All of the frustration that had been building inside him left his voice, replaced by just a touch of sadness.: Daniels: I see. ::He did his best to sound sincere.:: After all that happened to you, I guess there were bound to be some complications. I’m sure it will all come back in time. It has to. ::He just nodded reassuringly, and tried to force a smile that he didn’t really feel. Colt had been so focused on himself that he hadn’t considered how terrible this must be for her, to realize that she couldn’t remember anyone from her past. A lifetime of connections and carefully cultivated friendships just...gone.::: ::It was strange, how things seemed to be working out. Somewhere in the background she could almost remember the other side. Though the memories about her time before she opened her eyes to see the stars were fading fast, the memory of existing in ways she didn’t quite understand flitted around encased by a reasoning that she had given all to save lives had settled in a mental place she could access.:: ::And with that as her sole solid recollection of the past six months pushed her forwards.:: Nicholotti: Commander…::She paused a moment and her expression softened.:: Colt. ::Smiling.:: I don’t quite remember what happened, but I feel that I would do it again to save what was saved. Let’s get back to 118 and see if we can work on putting all this together again. ::She continued to smile as she tapped the side of her head. It may not have been something she had complete faith in Starfleet Medical’s ability to do, but she was still the same old Kali after all. The pain on this man’s face struck a chord within her and she wanted to ease that if she could.:: Daniels: What you did saved the lives of your ship and that station at least, possibly this entire sector. ::He thought of something that she might remember.:: Do you remember what that old plaque on the wall in your office on Starbase 118 said? ::He watched her, hoping that she did. It wasn’t much but in some small way, he thought it might help.:: ::She thought for a long moment before the image popped in her head. Even then, it was as if she recalled it from a picture, or a history book, or something of the sort. Saying it out loud, however, seemed to bring some kind of simple peace to the man near her, and that made it worth it, even if it didn’t quite come from the place he had expected.:: ::Or maybe it did.:: Nicholotti: The important thing is this, to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. ::She read it off word for word as if she were reading it from the picture she held in her head.:: ::He smiled as he recalled his time on the Starbase. Things had been so very different then.:: Daniels: Right. That was supposed to be an inspirational quote, not an instruction manual. ::He shot her a smile now, even with holes in important parts of her memory, she was still the same person that he’d grown so close to. The framework, the personality that made her Kalianna was still there, and in the end, he supposed that would have to be enough. For him, for Jaxx and all the other people who would be eagerly waiting for her when they got to the base. :: ::Raising an eyebrow she watched him. The joking aspect of it finally hit her though and she smiled in return.:: Nicholotti: I suppose I just took it a bit literally then. ::She paused a moment and looked away.:: I just wonder what it was I sacrificed. ::It seemed like it was a lot. She could remember so much, like where she was born and where she went to school, but she couldn’t remember the names of her closest friends. What did that say for the future? Would the lack of those connections hurt her? Without them would they even let her return to Starfleet? And who was ‘they’ anyways?:: Daniels: Well, we were old friends before. ::He extended his hand for her to shake in a symbolic gesture that felt more than a little ridiculous to him.:: We can be new friends now. LtCmdr Colt Ryan Daniels, it’s nice to meet you. Again. ::With a kind of hesitation, Kali looked at the offered hand before breaking out in a smile. Hopefully all of those who were once a part of her life would be this forgiving. It had to hurt to lose someone close to you, though she didn’t quite understand that hurt just now. Regardless, taking the hand, she felt as if the future wasn’t quite as cold as it could have been.:: Nicholotti: Kalianna Arashi Nicholotti, though I think you already knew that. ::There was another kind of long pause as Kali tapped some keys on the console. It wouldn’t be long before they arrived at 118. Before they did, though, she wanted to make sure the man next to her knew that she appreciated his patience. It was the very first memory of friendship that she’d tucked away in her mind. That made it quite groundbreaking.:: Nicholotti: Thank you. ::The look she gave him said the rest. She was different, but the same. Hopefully he could read that in her crystalline eyes.:: TBC JP by: Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti USS Apollo A and ======//////======> LtCmdr. Colt Daniels Intelligence Officer Special Activities Division
  19. ((Holodeck 2, USS Atlantis)) LIANI: One dance then- and you’re free to go. :: Liani fervently hoped that the Captain would just laugh this off and the two would part amicably- instead his eyes seemed to take a feral glint as he replied. :: BLUEHEART: Okay, but only on one condition. :: Liani stilled her antenna- they were all but one hair away from drooping- and now was not a drooping time. She forced them by sheer will into a stance of upbeat cheerfulness, rabid upbeat cheerfulness. :: oO How bad could his one condition be. Oo LIANI: And that would be…? BLUEHEART: Kill the penguin when we’re done. LIANI: As you wish. ::Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. She took a moment to mentally prepare herself for dancing and not panicking as the captain hand over his ginger tribble to a crewman:: BLUEHEART: ::gesturing to the dance floor:: After you. LIANI: As you wish. ::They reached the dance floor and Raj hesitated a moment before leading the lady into the dance.:: BLUEHEART: Sorry, been a while. LIANI: For both of us. :: She hadn’t had to dance since the Andorian Academy- and those dances had all been traditional Andorian pieces. Thankfully this was a simple two step and Blueheart was a capable dancer- an incredibly tense, rigid dancer- but this made reading his movements easier at least. BLUEHEART: You are? LIANI: Ensign Liani h'Rhendria lyr'Theel'zhiin BLUEHEART: ::arching an eyebrow:: Well, I believe this is the first time an ensign is reporting to me in a dance. LIANI: One of your new doctors. BLUEHEART: I wasn’t aware of any placement. I was.. preoccupied. :: The music was pleasant at least- it made an interesting counterpoint to their dance. It might have looked like normal dancing from the outside- a stiff, formal sort of two step- neither partner really wanting to be there but both too polite to just be done with it. :: LIANI: I probably should have followed standard protocol. oO My mouth should have followed standard protocol! Oo :: She offered the captain a polite smile:: BLUEHEART: Doesn’t matter. Welcome aboard, Ensign. oO That vein on the side of your neck is saying otherwise. Oo ::She kept her mouth shut though, and that was progress. :: LIANI: Thank you. :: Polite head bob, one step two- turn. :: BLUEHEART: So you’re a doctor, eh? Interesting. LIANI: That’s what the shiny papers say. BLUEHEART: You know, we doctors are supposed to be able to fix everything. What a joke. Not everything can be fixed, doctor. ::His voice turned into a low growl again.:: Remember that. :: Liani kept with the dance while keeping her mouth from exploding. Clearly this man had issues, deep issues that just sat under that porcelain skin of his- like a cancer. Well, Liani knew she couldn’t fix that- but darn it all- Doctors could fix anything! Maybe not on the first try, or the fiftieth, or hundredth- but eventually- given enough patients you could solve a problem. :: oO That would have made a good pun, wasted. Oo :: She had messed up in demanding a dance from her Captain, well her mouth had- and she would be prepared to accept the consequences of that- but she wouldn’t abide bad advice. :: LIANI: Captain- when we’re done here- you should go to your quarters, eat some chocolate, listen to some blues, and cry into your tribble- consider those doctors orders. :: She shifted her body weight and was able to take the lead, turning until they could see the abomination of a penguin bartender. :: Computer- generate a type 2 phaser in my left hand-. ::she straightened out her left arm, fingers wrapped around both her hands and the captains and fired the phaser at the penguin- it exploded in a flash of holiday confetti..:: oO Well played Engineers, well played. Oo ::Pushing the pistol into the Captains left hand, she broke away from him. :: Bring your tribble to sickbay tomorrow after you're done, so we Doctors can make sure it’s fixed. BLUEHEART: You didn't!! LIANI: You’re the one holding a smoking gun sir. :: She offered the Captain a slight bow and made towards the exit with dignified Andorian haste, exiting the holodeck before she emptied her stomach's contents in front of everyone. :: LIANI: Never puke on your Captain’s shoes. :: She took only a few moments to collect herself before heading towards her quarters and her menagerie. :: ((Deck 3: Liani’s Quarters)) :: Liani entered her room and was greeted by Charlie’s chittering call, she searched the cases until she found the crickets and started her prep by making sure all her lovelies were fed and happy- Charlie being the first on call. :: LIANI: I messed up Charlie. CHARLIE: Chk chk cht chhk’crk? :: Liani slid the feeding case into Charlies cage so that he could help himself. :: LIANI: I know it’s only the first day on a new ship- but you just don’t commandeer the Captain of a vessel and expect to live it down. CHARLIE: Chk :: munch, munch :: Ch- LIANI: Not with your mouth full, you know it’s rude. CHARLIE: :: Charlie looked at Liani with adoring eyes and swallowed slowly- so slowly one could have felt the sarcasm four decks away. :: Chk. LIANI: Truth. :: Nodding his head in furry approval he continued to nom on his crickets. :: LIANI: We have a lab to work in by the way- the whole thing is ours apparently. I’ll set up everyone down there, and your extra room so you have someplace to sit and look adorable when we have visitors. CHARLIE: Chk- chk? LIANI: No, you have to have one- they won’t let you have free run of the ship- besides someone might think you’re food and try to eat you. CHARLIE: CHRRRRKK!! LIANI: It’s what you risk on a multi-cultural diversified species ship- something will always think you’re lunch. CHARLIE: Chk. ::Charlie nodded his head in resignation and nommed thoughtfully on a cricket. :: Chrk, chk? LIANI: Oh, I suspect not much will happen- Dr. Foster might chew me out, the captain might chew me out ,the person who designed that [...]ed holodeck program might chew me out or might not- as they’re clearly insane and work outside the rules of what most consider normality. CHARLIE: Chk cht. LIANI: Says the one talking to an Altarian Lemur, eh? CHARLIE: Chk. LIANI: Well, I’ll get everyone fed and then we can get about to moving them. CHARLIE :Cht. :: Liani took some time to make sure everyone got fed and unstressed before starting the long haul of moving them from her quarters to the lab. :: TBC/TAG @~'~~~ Ensign Liani h'Rhendria lyr'Theel'zhiin Medical Officer USS Atlantis
  20. ((Lieutenant Eriss' personal quarters - USS Victory)) ::Despite his intention to visit the Lieutenant directly after finishing up in Damage Control Central, Michael had ended up going back his own quarters and sleeping for the best part of ten hours. He did eventually visit the Lieutenant once he had showered and put on a fresh uniform and was invited to sit across from the Andorian in the living area of her small quarters as she finished off breakfast.:: Eriss: Congratulations on the promotion Petty Officer. Jellico: Thanks ::Michael was still surprised at the increase in his rating. After being demoted and spending such a long time as a PO3, he'd come to accept that promotions wouldn't be in his future.:: Lieutenant Shedet must have been really desperate. ::Talisa considered telling the Petty Officer not to talk about another Lieutenant in such a casual fashion, but as it was just the two of them in the room, she decided to let the comment slide.:: Eriss: I've gone through your report. Did you want to discuss it in greater detail? ::She reached for the PADD.:: Jellico: That’s not why I'm here Lieutenant. ::He paused for only a brief moment.:: I'd like your permission to transfer department. ::Talisa’s antenna twitched and she fought an urge to roll her eyes.:: Eriss: o0 Are we really doing this dance again? 0o Do I need to apologize for something again Mr. Jellico? ::Michael actually chuckled at that.:: Jellico: No Lieutenant. You asked me to come join your department for a mission because you were short staffed and I did, but I'm not a good tactical officer. I'm Engineer. Eriss: And your arm? ::Talisa said it cautiously. During their first encounter Talisa had inadvertently insulted the Petty Officer, three times, when trying to explain that an amputation was not the end of a career.:: Jellico: My arm’s getting there. ::He flexed the fingers of the biosynthetic arm to demonstrate.:: I still don’t have complete motor function but with therapy… ::He shrugged his shoulders. He hated his physiotherapy, it seemed to him that he sweated for two hours each day for minimal result but he didn’t want to elaborate.:: ::Talisa thought about it for a moment before nodding.:: Eriss: Okay Mr. Jellico. If you want to go to back to Enginnering I’ll give it my approval and send it upstairs to the XO. Jellico: Thank you Ma’am. ::Michael said giving the Andorian the courtesy he usually reserved for higher ranking officers.:: Eriss: No problem. ::Talisa said as the Petty Officer stood in preparation to leave.:: Eriss: o0 I was planning on visiting Ensign Peters anyway. 0o =/\= Lieutenant Junior Grade Talisa zh’Eriss Chief Tactical Officer USS Victory & (PNCP) Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Jellico Gunner’s Mate USS Victory
  21. ((StarBase 118, Habitat Area, Temporary Quarters, 1 hour ago)) ::Ry’van Alstred admired himself in the mirror while he fastened a silvery skintight vest to his torso. The cosmetic surgeon who had altered his appearance had done quite a fantastic job. He looked every inch the perfect specimen of an Arkarian merchant, even down to the pinkish flush in his cheeks. Once the vest was in place, he picked up a tricorder, scanning the flexible circuitry embedded into the garment, making sure that everything was in good working order. It was a simple device, really. Simple enough to evade all but the most focused and invasive of scans. Just a signal enhancer, one that was strong enough to ensure a transporter beam could reach out and pluck him off the StarBase even through the storm. Because unlike the majority of the cattle grazing about on the civilian sections of StarBase 118, Ry’van was acutely aware of what was about to hit the station, and what the Cerberas was carrying. Should that bomb go off, he was going to make sure that he was far away from this station as possible.:: Message Screen: ::Green text, harsh and glaring:: Are you coming? Alstred: ::he narrowed his eyes at the message and spat into the darkness:: I’m on time, you slave driver. ::If his contact wasn’t working for the same noble goal as he was, he would have tried to eliminate him years ago.:: ::He tugged his brown tunic over the specialized undergarment and pulled on a thick blue coat, checking all of his supplies before finally slipping on his boots. Checking the chronometer, he grabbed his merchant’s satchel and headed out the door with a deliberate quickness to his pace. He pushed through the milling crowds headed for the commercial sector, all of them blindly oblivious to what was about to come knocking on their doorstep. Oblivious was the best way Ry’van could describe the average Federation citizen. It was like they all had blinders on, and all they could see was what was directly in front of them. His own people had believed this about the Federation in general and Terrans in particular for generations. But it took a disaster to prove that the Federation only offered aid for what it thought was important, rather than listening for actual need. And with Ry’van’s beloved homeland spiraling towards oblivion, the Federation was all too eager to step forward and expand their own borders at the expense of the Romulan people. And so Ry’van Alstred decided to join the cause of bringing oblivion to the oblivious. He swallowed back the bitter taste of bile as he slipped past a group of tourists talking about holosuite adventures and a set of Starfleet officers whining about their leave being cut back a day. Such terrible troubles that the Federation was burdened with. Such sorrows. Well, today they would get a little taste of sorrow, though not nearly enough to rival what he had already gone though. Even if their plans worked perfectly and the Cerberas ended up taking out a major section of this massive edifice that stood as a symbol of Starfleet superiority, it wouldn’t begin to match the suffering Ry’van had seen and endured. His contact was leaning against a post outside a jumja shop, a place where plenty of people, civilian and Starfleet alike were milling about either buying the sweet treats or waiting for others to buy them. He kept his head down, gesturing for Ry’van to follow:: Contact: Are you ready? Alstred: Would I be here if I wasn’t ready? Contact: Meet me in the Engineering section, Deck 1313, subsection 6. ::He pressed a PADD into Ry’van’s hand:: If you need clearances they’re on there. But I suspect most of the checkpoints will be distracted. Alstred: Yes, I expect. Unless we’re lucky. Contact: Never bet on luck. Alstred. I admit, watching this space station blow from a nearby vantage point would be incredibly satisfying. But I am betting that Starfleet will mobilize and figure out some way to save everyone just in the nick of time. This seems to be their overall modus operandi. Contact: I know. Frustrating, isn’t it. ::he offered a light smile, which was jarring for his Vulcanoid features and tidy Starfleet uniform.:: Alstred: Yes. ::he nodded, moving away from his contact. As much as he disliked the man, he also admired him. For a Romulan undercover agent to so cleanly insert himself into Starfleet and work under scrutiny was not so odd twenty years ago. But now with resources so thin and most of their people so scattered, it was quite the accomplishment:: Ehlu'eri Merht Ehtea'akhe ::he whispered the Romulan words of the call sign Contact: Diamn hiullhull. ::’sacrifice always. The Romulan response.:: ::Both men gave a nod of respect to one another and parted, just two strangers in the crowd. Ry’van Alstred headed to a secure location, quietly bracing himself for impact and savoring the cries of fear and confusion as the Cerberas smashed into the nerve center of Starbase 118:: Alstred: oO Serves you right, Federation scum. You can wallow in your sloth for only so long. The Resiliency is waiting for you. Oo ::Still, there was no time to waste. The Romulan undercover agent made his way through the habitat and mercantile levels, dodging guards and well intentioned officers trying to herd civilians to safety. Despite his bold words, he was glad for the codes his contact had provided. They allowed him to access areas that were off limits to civilians, and to slip into an un-patrolled route down to the computer core deep in the Engineering section:: ((StarBase 118, deck 1313, subsection 6)) ::His contact was already there, glaring down from his polished black hair and dark devilish countenance:: Contact: You brought the data rods? Alstred: I did. ::He looked up at the multiple alarms wailing:: How distracted are they? Contact: Enough. ::he folded his arms across his chest:: We got lucky. A piece of the Cerberas embedded into the Starbase’s special ops tower, including an un-detonated torpedo. They’re trying to tow the freighter away, but now they have a second explosive to deal with. ::There was a smug river of humor flowing through the Vulcan-sounding voice.:: You should have all the time you need. ::He offered a box over:: Alstred: ::opening the box carefully, checking the wealth of isolinear rods, access chips and other Starfleet goodies inside:: I suspect you’re leaving me to my work? Contact: Of course. I have a duty to perform. Starfleet might get suspicious if I do not report within the next few minutes. Alstred: Have fun milling with the cattle. ::His contact turned and offered only a nod in response as Ry’van Alstred cracked open an access panel and started to get to work. With the StarBase falling into chaos around him, he had one job to focus on – getting as deep into Starbase 118’s computer and siphoning as much information out of it as he could before someone was alerted. He was good at his work, and if this was an independent space station he was sure he could crack civilian security, gut the computer core and walk out with all the information he pleased. But this was Starfleet, with multiple layers of security protocols, back ups and encryptions. The question wasn’t if he would get caught, but when. And his job was to get as much as he could before the station either found out or blew up. He cracked his knuckles and began.:: ~*~ ((Starbase 118 – Control Room)) ::It was some time later, deep into the crisis, when emotions were already high, stakes were raised, and the situation had become painfully complex. The alert was just one more flash on a panel that was flashing in so many places that it looked like a rock concert run by a lighting designer on speed, whose favorite color was ‘red alert red’ But the warning was clear nonetheless: Security alert in the computer core, deck 1313…:: ~*~ tags/tbc ~*~ MSNPC Ry’van Alstred Arkarian Merchant (Romulan terrorist) And NPC “Unknown Contact” Not a Starfleet officer, Not a Vulcan Not StarBase 118 Simmed by: Lt. Commander Sal Taybrim
  22. ((U.S.S. Odyssey, bridge)) :: So, it was over. Slowly systems were getting online again, power returning. Flying was no longer needed, for the Odyssey had come to a complete stop. Now crew were standing down from battle stations and returning to their emergency duties. An evacuation would take place in stages, if it took place, ensuring the amount of available crew per ship was maximized. :: DICKENS: Ok people, you heard it. Ensign Price, I'll need you to coordinate the three ships, the rest of you try to assemble your people for transport and see if there's anyone in an area potentially difficult for transport and report any missing crew. AP RHYS: Yes, sir. :: It was only moments before she could indicate the first of the crew to start moving out. The Discovery had taken a position relative to the ships so she could support both. The OPS Officer on board the Discovery made short work of the groups as they transported over. She moved the patients and medical staff first, allowing the Discovery to arrange site-to-site transport of any injured. She then moved out those who would be least missed and last the Engineers that would not remain. There was order now, simple organisation of movement. This was what she had trained for all those years. The touch of buttons and the power of her voice making sure that all went according to plan. :: :: While the crew was slowly beaming on board the Discovery and she kept track of progress, she also took the time to consider the situation. This finally felt real, but with more and more internal sensor coming online she started to get the sense that everything had been a close call. There was a gaping hole in the U.S.S. Odyssey, an engineer reported damage to the slipstream drive and there were multiple bodies in the mortuary. Indeed, the Vayreg was still floating around as well, heavily damage and in pieces. Unceremoniously thrown at the Consitution as a piece of scrap metal, rather than a Captain’s love and care. :: :: The thought Captain Waltas made her heart sink. She had absolutely blown it with both her commanders. Of course, she had the right to speak her mind, but she could have considered WHEN to do it. But she hadn’t. Instead, she had rambled on and on. There was going to be hell to pay and she had herself to thank for it. With luck, she could remain in Starfleet for a while yet, but she would not be surprised if she would spend many hours regretting ever opening her mouth. It was better just to shut up, tell any superior officer ‘Yes sir’ and leave it at that. :: ((OOC: Next part is very much Kaerae’s thoughts J, not mine )) :: Then again, the man had been a fool. Rather than sending a highly-trained multi-man attack team to arrest who-ever this Nekkar guy was, he had gone over personally and almost managed to get himself killed. Under most circumstances she was all for a personal touch, but going in alone was dumb. She wasn’t going to argue about it, but she wondered how many of the crew shared her thoughts.:: :: So the score was settled: three Starfleet vessels had been heavily damaged over the course of hours, a number of people had died, even more had been injured and would suffer from PTSS for the coming weeks (if not years) and some kind of deadly virus had been contained. For what? Petty revenge? A [...]ing contest between a few men about something that happened a long time ago? She was, of course, no experienced member of Starfleet yet, but she felt that some of the superiors of this region would be less than pleased. :: :: She checked her console. The evacuation was going according to plan and she would need to transfer to the next ship in order to complete the process. Rising from her chair, she noticed dust falling from her lap. The whole place surrounding her was covered in debris and even specks of blood. It was an incredible mess. Saying goodbye to her console, she walked out of the bridge to head to the next ship of her career – the U.S.S. Discovery.:: ((OFF)) Ensign Kaerae ap Rhys Operations Officer U.S.S. Discovery-C
  23. ((USS Excalibur-A, Main Engineering)) :: Murphy was not her friend. Neither was irony. Apparently, this was manifesting as a lot of things going wrong, all of which was definitely forcing engineering to work like mad. It made it worse that she had to keep in the corner of her mind whether one of the engineers was causing any of the problems. The only blessing so far was she'd not found anyone responsible. Oh, and that the ship was still semi-functioning and in one piece.. there was that too. While she waited for a response from the bridge, hoping that Livingston or someone up there still remembered some base level diagnostic coding, she tried to trace back the blocks on internal sensors and communications. It was like the computer was auto-acknowledging everything. So messages were being sent, but prior to receipt the acknowledge code would go out. So, as far as the computer was concerned, things were working normally. The ship rocked from a hit, leaving her if anything more frustrated. :: L.Walker: Phillips! Get more power to the forward shields! Not sure what's hitting us, but it's doing it often enough. Phillips: On it... Chief! :: She rolled her eyes briefly at the response. She was still being "hazed" by the other engineers about being put in charge. Something that she was sure every engineer went through at some point. Looking back at the panel, she saw that someone up there still liked her... well as long as "up there" counted as the bridge. :: >> MAIN ENGINEERING I: DIAGONOSTIC ERROR. MESSAGE UNDERSTOOD. SHUT DOWN ALL HOLODECKS AND TRACE ACCESS REQUESTS. :: She nodded to herself, bringing up the power flows to verify that her command had been completed... only to see that there was a secondary flow to the holodeck that had kicked on when she'd shutoff primary power. :: L.Walker: :: softly to herself:: Why you little... :: In response to her remarks, her opponent decided to blow stuff up. Which included the power to her station and from yells around her, to others as well. She cursed again, mostly to herself before raising her voice. :: L.Walker: Ok, people... Get to damage control or the engineering labs. Move! :: Thankfully engineering had a number of separately powered areas, specifically designed that if there were power failures they could continue repairing. She moved to the engineering holodeck as a slow smile crept onto her face. Likely the person had given engineering commands, changed the settings on something... then erased the commands. Which meant her logging program would capture it as differences to the logs. Unless, of course, that person had read all of her commands and countered it. :: ((USS Excalibur - A, Engineering holosuite)) :: Luna hadn't used this yet, but with her other options out... she brought up the suite, tying it to what information she could pull from engineering systems. She brought up several screens, one of which compared the commands given to the log that she'd pulled separately. Around her she brought up the ship as a three dimensional map. Immediately she could see blacked out areas between decks 13 and 14, as well as between 15 and 16. Whoever had done it had taken out both the primary and auxillary power to engineering and the Intel area. But she could already see that whoever it was had already left the holodeck. The door lock had been removed. The problem was, she couldn't send messages to the bridge anymore. Her consoles were dead, and the interface used higher functions that wouldn't allow the diagnostic messages. Not without shutting it down.. What she needed was a computer system that wasn't directly tied to the main computer. Which of course there were a ton just lying around. Suddenly she started chuckling... then laughing out loud. Just a couple decks above her.. there were in fact tons of computers just lying around. She just needed to get to the hangar. She heard a chime behind her and turned to look through the results. Her face fell, her jaw dropping as she read the logs. That whoever had done it was an expert was obvious, and had Luna not already been logging any changes to compare... she wasn't sure that she'd be any farther for finding out what she had. Her expected moment of triumph turned to ashes in her mouth. If she was right, she needed to tell Commander Livingston. And everything fit, so she was fairly sure. But... she wasn't sure that announcing it was going to help anything either. If Katy had actually done this... then there was no way to know how security would react. Would they support Katy, who would likely claim that Luna was the traitor? And worse, what if she WAS wrong? Accusing Katy would only make matters worse. Though doing nothing would leave her able to wreck (literally) more havoc. This of course presumed she'd have a way to send that message, without revealing more than she should. Somehow Katy appeared to be able to access the computer at the root level. Higher than the Captain technically, and worse she obviously had the skills and knowledge to work around any obvious roadblocks Luna knew how to put up. She forced herself to stop and take a breath. Moaning about what she couldn't do wouldn't help. She just had to think like a thief. If Katy controlled the place, she couldn't be overt, but she could work around her. She created a platform and tried sending a signal to one of the shuttles, and was gratified by a response. Then she setup a firewall around the shuttle, no one else could access it but her for now, any other signal would receive that the system was offline. She then reconfigured the communication protocols to send to specific locations on the ship using the transmitters and receivers there for those without badges. Since she was using the base locations, it would act as an old time switchboard. She could connect people together or at least locations. :: L.Walker: =/\= Lt. Walker to Bridge. Over.=/\= :: The sound and quality was terrible, but something that could at least be understood :: Silveira: =^= Sil here, we are listening, what happened? =^= L.Walker: =/\= Our friend took out power to the engineering stations as well as Intelligence suite. We are using the damage control stations, but more limited. On the plus side, I'm using a computer not attached to the ship to partially restore communications. =/\= :: The obscure reference wouldn't take too long for anyone to determine, though at least she would avoid immediately announcing her method to any potential plotters. :: Livingston: =/\= The sooner we get a system back, the better. Do you have any news on who was behind the sabotage? =/\= :: She swallowed, not wanting to share the news she'd discovered. :: L.Walker: =/\= Whoever it is, they appear to have the same access as the Captain, possilbly more. And they are very skilled, they were able to reroute my power commands on the fly, delaying them long enough to shoot back. =/\= Livingston: =/\= Whoever it is, have you locked them out? =/\= :: She shook inside, the thought reminding her far too much of what she'd been through before being rescued. Especially if it was Katy, one of the few people on the ship she still knew. Game or no, it was a shock. :: L.Walker: =/\= Hard to say. I have a name that's called out, but it could easily be another false lead. Especially with the access they have. =/\= :: She couldn't make herself believe she was wrong. Too much made sense for it not to be her. :: =/\= The logs I generated show that the updates were made by Commander Orman. System traces were immediately erased and electronically muddied. =/\= Livingston: =/\= We’ll deal with her. Thank you, Mister Walker. Please continue repairs. =/\=
  24. ((Monitor Launching Berth, USS Odyssey)) ::He walked with the practiced ease of someone who had been in combat many times. His feet barely made a sound, even in the boots of the Federation uniform he was wearing. He was conscious, barely, of the four pips on his collar-what they represented, and what he was undertaking. He knew, as a Captain, that he should be on the bridge taking care of his ship in a time of crisis such as this. He also knew that Nekkar, as a Captain himself, would expect this. He trusted his Security personnel completely, but Nekkar was a scheming coward, and he refused to let him victimize anyone else. He had crippled the Odyssey, revealed himself as a traitor to his own Captain, and above all, endangered the lives of the people under Tyr’s command. Walking the length of the docking berth, the Ba’ku discarded all doubt, leaving it in his wake. The berth was quiet, in spite of the chaos of a ship that had just suffered an attack. He was armed only with his hand phaser, and if Nekkar was still the same man he once knew, he wouldn’t need that, either.:: ::Then, he was there. Hunched over the launching panel, attempting to override the security protocols and launch the damaged Monitor to get away. Beside him was a small duffel bag with a large medkit sticking out of it.:: o O The virus. O o ::Tyr purposefully shuffled his feet, and the Talarian’s movements stopped. His hand slid to his phaser.:: WALTAS: Nekkar. You’re under arrest. ::The Talarian turned, slowly, his hands in view and revealing a clutched phaser in his left one.:: NEKKAR: So you’ve come to stop me, Ba’ku? Where are the rest of your forces? WALTAS: They’re attempting to clean up the swath of destruction you and Hebron have carved through the Federation. And I don’t need anyone else to stop you. NEKKAR::Wicked smile:: Is that so? Hebron is an old fool, but he was useful to get what I needed. Once I kill you and escape I’ll take this to my real target and make the statement the Brikar was unwilling to make. ::Tyr stepped forward, training his phaser on the Talarian, which drew an amused chuckle from his former mentor.:: NEKKAR: So it appears with your youth you also left your courage in the past. You’re going to just blast me into oblivion? You’re not going to face me like a man? ::It was the Ba’ku’s turn to chuckle.:: WALTAS: No, Nekkar, I’m not going to shoot you. That would be too easy. ::He brought the phaser to bear, not on Nekkar but on the bag at his feet. Sensing his intentions Nekkar aimed and fired, striking him with a glancing shot in his shoulder. With his right arm numb his aim failed and the blast missed the bag. Clutching his wounded shoulder Tyr dragged himself behind a console, gritting his teeth in pain.:: NEKKAR::Teasingly:: Oh, Tyr I’m disappointed. Years ago you would have hit that shot and still had time to shoot me as well. You ARE getting old, Ba’ku. WALTAS::Cursing under his breath:: You’re tough with a phaser in your hand Nekkar. If age has taken away my aim it’s taken away your skill as well? NEKKAR: Stand up and find out, Ba’ku! WALTAS: Drop the phaser and I will. ::There was a long pause, then the sound of a phaser skidding across the deck was clearly heard. Tyr cautiously stood, seeing Nekkar disarmed, and he tossed the phaser aside as well.:: WALTAS::Closing on his former mentor:: You just made a fatal mistake. ::He saw Nekkar snap into a fighting stance. The Ba’ku just kept walking forward. Now in the light at close range, Tyr could see that age had gotten the better of his former CO. Fortunately, ego had also gotten the better of him.:: NEKKAR::Moving quickly to a frontal kick:: DIE Ba’ku! ::The Talarian’s foot was caught in mid air. Tyr twisted the ankle, hearing a distinct snap and a cry of pain from Nekkar. He swept the remaining leg out from under him, sending him crashing to the deck. With a feral snarl that called upon his Talarian strength through the pain, Nekkar launched himself from the deck directly into Tyr’s midsection, sending him crashing to the deck as well and slammed the Ba’ku’s head into the deckplates. Tyr vision filled with haze as the Talarian moved to repeat the attack, but his training took over. Catching the Talarian’s hands in a triangle chokehold. Squeezing as hard as he could he could hear the air escaping Nekkar’s lungs and the strength leaving him. All the rage, the hate and the frustration poured into the hold, the monster inside him growing, craving to hear the Talarian breathe his last. He squeezed harder, driving his knee into Nekkar’s throat, staring into his quickly-fading eyes with all the rage that came from a father defending his child and a Captain defending his crew. He hated this man. He wanted him to die. For all that he had betrayed. For all that he had done. For all the death that he had dealt. And ultimately, for the betrayal of the Ba’ku himself. Nekkar had been a personal hero of his, and watching him turn into the monster that he was now strangling to death was enough to make him listen for the last gasp.:: ::Feebly, Nekkar reached up and touched the Ba’ku’s cheek, almost in a fatherly, affectionate way. Looking into his eyes again the Ba’ku didn’t see the monster-he saw the reflection of one.:: ::He released the hold, dropping Nekkar gasping to the deck. Rising to his feet, clutching his ribcage, the Ba’ku walked unsteadily over to one of the dropped phasers. Picking it up, he aimed at the bag once again and fired, disintegrating the bag and the virus within.:: NEKKAR::Hoarsely:: NO! ::The Ba’ku turned just in time to see that Nekkar had not only recovered, but picked up a stray piece of duranium piping that had broken loose from the hull. The pipe slammed into the Ba’ku’s ribs, and the Captain could not resist crying out in pain. He dropped to his knees and looked up just in time to see the pipe slam into the side of his head, sending him to the deck. The loud clang of a metal pipe dropping to the deck was all he could hear other than the ringing in his ears.:: NEKKAR: You [...]. You self-righteous [...]. You honestly think this is about you and me? You still don’t realize who is really at work here, ::slamming a foot into his ribcage:: DO YOU?! ::All he could do was crawl, attempt to regain his breath, which came in ragged gasps. Blood flowed from his mouth, mingled with the air his body fought to bring in. He knew he was hurt badly, and all he could do was crawl. Another kick sent him rolling onto his back, his vision clearing from the burst of pain that ripped through him. Nekkar had walked away to pick up the phaser. He knew he had to rise…one more time…for those whom he swore to protect. For his crew and his family.:: ::The Ba’ku got to his feet.:: ::The computer signaled Nekkar’s efforts had been successful, and the bay doors leading to the Monitor opened. He bent down to pick up the phaser to finish his protégé off, only to have it kicked away from him.:: ::Saying nothing, the Ba’ku launched a furious serious of attacks, drawn from the pain and betrayal he felt. Palm strikes hit the damaged throat. Kicks slammed into the ribs. Punches slammed into the jaw. A back kick sent him sprawling over the console, giving the Ba’ku time to pick up the piece of pipe that had so damaged him. He raised the pipe, ready to finish things. Once and for all, he would finish them. Death loomed over the two, teacher and student, Captain and Captain, betrayer and betrayed. His grip tightened as he aimed to bring the pipe crashing down on the Talarian’s skull.:: NEKKAR::Weakly:: Do it. End it. ::He raised the pipe, summoning the last of his strength. As he looked down on the broken body of his mentor, his former friend, the words of his crewmates came to his mind. About fighting the darkness without becoming it. About seeking peace instead of war. About how vengeance darkens every soul.:: ::The pipe dropped to the ground.:: NEKKAR: Frakking coward. You never were able to make the big..ULP! ::The Ba’ku’s hand was around his throat.:: WALTAS: I’m a Starfleet officer. A father, a Captain and a man. And you’re under arrest you son of a [...]. ::A final punch landed squarely on Nekkar’s jaw, sending his eyes rolling into the back of his head and the body slumping to the ground. The Ba’ku soon followed, dropping to his knees. He coughed, splaying blood across the front of his uniform. He weakly reached up and tapped his comm badge.:: WALTAS::Wheezing:: =/\= Waltas….t…sickbay..cas..casual….ties.. =/\= ::Everything went black.:: Captain Tyr Waltas Commanding Officer USS Odyssey
  25. ((Arboretum; USS Garuda)) ::The Garuda was much larger than the Avandar had been and even though Rune had already memorized the ship's layout, it took her longer than she expected to reach the Arboretum. She actually had a dual purpose in seeking out the ship's garden park. One was personal, the other business though she wasn't going to push the business end too hard just yet.:: ::As soon as she entered, she was greeted by a breeze of fresh air and the sound of water trickling somewhere from deeper within. She stepped forward, allowing the doors to close behind her. Taking a deep breath of the cooler air, she almost regretted it. Her side was still sore from the recently broken ribs and punctured lung.:: ::She smiled with an odd sense of bitter-sweetness as she slowly made her way along the path that had been made to look like a well worn dirt walking path. Aside from her quarters and her office, it was the quietest place on the ship and it was the only place that reminded her of a homeworld she was certain she would never see again. She found a bench away from the entrance and sat down. :: ::Stretching out her legs in front of her, she leaned forward with her hands on the edge of the bench. Hanging her head, she closed her eyes and took a much slower deep breath. She sighed softly at the sound of footsteps and almost wished whoever it was would just keep walking. That was, unless it was the person she had hoped to run into here.:: ::The Mercury had an Arboretum as well, but Alora hadn’t visited the Garuda’s version yet. It was lovely, of course, as lovely as the Mercury’s, and larger. Green was no dominant, nor was red, yellow, or purple, or any other colour. Rather the entire room was sprinkled with various shades of various hues, some that humans didn’t even have a name for. Flora from the furthest reaches of the known parts of the galaxy presented themselves in various locations for the benefit of those who wished to study or simply admire them. In truth, the Arboretum wasn’t simply one room. Too support the amount of various flora and to sustain ideal conditions, various plantlife with similar atmospheric and soil requirements, smaller rooms were laid out in a pattern within the larger. The main room boasted the largest assortment and sustained a temperature around eighty degrees. For humans, it was warm but not too hot. Humidity was tempered by a constant but gentle flow of air which made it more pleasant - for humans and other races that enjoyed similar conditions. While plants did not speak, silence could never be completely formed even in the Arboretum, especially with that breeze. There was always a hush of leaves, the whisper of twigs as they twittered slightly at the air’s touch. Visitors also added to the song of the Arboretum, though there were few that day. Only one that she could see, as a matter of fact, so when Alora drew nigh, she spoke.:: DeVEAU: Oh, hello! :: Rune looked up and immediately smiled. She recognized the human face from the personnel files she had sorted through. :: JOLARA: Hello. I was just enjoying the silence, such as it is. ::motioning to the empty space beside her:: Care to join me? I'm Rune Jolara. DeVEAU: Sure. Why not? ::Another day, another new face. Alora wondered if there would ever come a time when she recognised everyone she saw on the Garuda. With turnover being what it was, that wasn’t necessarily going to happen for some time. Still, getting to know other members of the crew was useful. They had to work together, it was a positive goal. The young woman offered her hand.:: DeVEAU: I’m Alora. :: Rune smiled and gladly accepted the handshake. :: JOLARA: I must confess, I already knew who you were. I’m the new ship’s Counselor. DeVEAU: Welcome to the Garuda! You came here to counsel plants? ::Alora gave a half grin.:: DeVEAU: Or did you just need a change of scenery? ::Rune shook her head and looked around. :: JOLARA: Perhaps partially. But mostly I enjoy the peace I can only find here. It reminds me of my homeworld. DeVEAU: Your home world? Where are you from? JOLARA: Leya-I. ::She smiled but there was a sadness behind her eyes. For that one moment, she missed the home she would never see again.:: It’s always warm. I think that’s one of the things I miss most. ::Alora couldn’t miss the expression within what many earth poets had deemeed windows to the soul. It could be believed as emotions played themselves out so easily in the eyes.:: DeVEAU: Oh? So it’s like this? Lush and green with lots of foliage? Parts of Earth are like that too. JOLARA: ::nodding:: It is. I believe you would call it tropic or sub-tropic. DeVEAU: Very nice. JOLARA: What about you? Where are you from? DeVEAU: I’m from Earth. Terra. Whatever you wanna call it. ::And yes, she missed it, but Alora couldn’t deny the advantages of traveling and serving in Starfleet.:: DeVEAU: Do you miss Leya-I? JOLARA: ::nodding:: I do. More than I thought I would. ::Alora tilted her head as if she were trying to get a better, or perhaps deeper, view of the counselor.:: DeVEAU: Why so down? JOLARA: I don’t believe I will ever be able to go back. ::Alora straightened a little. Had something happened to the planet? The destruction of something like that wasn’t trivial. Surely she would have heard had something occurred - wouldn’t she? DeVEAU: It’s...gone? JOLARA: No, my homeworld is still there. As humans say, long story short, I am at odds with my people. DeVEAU: Oh. I’m sorry. ::Odds with her people? All her people? Wow, that had to be hard. It was difficult enough being at odds with a single member of one’s family much less one’s entire race.:: DeVEAU: Do you mind if I ask in what way? :: Rune thought for a moment how best to explain without making the Lieutenant uncomfortable. :: JOLARA: I can not conform to what they consider acceptable thinking and behavior. They want to change who I am and who I am becoming. DeVEAU: What are they trying to change? ::Alora had to admit there were certain traits that should be changed. For instance, of someone had a habit of being physically abusive, that was an aspect of that person that should be worked on and modified - for their good and the good of others. She doubted that was the case with the Counselor, however.:: JOLARA: oOShe’s human. She should understand the way Nikki put it.Oo They wish to change my sexuality. They tried once before but failed. I refuse to go through the process again. ::The way Rune said it, was very matter of fact. Of course it was much more complicated than that and only 3 other people knew the entire story. Make that 2 since LtCmdr T’Lea had lost all memory of any time aboard the Avandar, including even knowing Rune. That very thought dredged up even more unwanted thoughts and emotions which Rune tried to quickly brush aside.:: DeVEAU: Oh. ::Seriously? Try to change her sexuality? And exactly how did that work? Alora wasn’t sure she really wanted to know.:: DeVEAU: That sounds rough. I’m sorry...I hope the process wasn’t painful. ::Rune tried not to react to that. What had been done to her was not the attitude readjustment therapy she had been trained to administer to patients. She wasn't really sure what it was but it was very painful. But that wasn't something she really needed to share with Alora. After all, they had just met and, now, thinking about it, she had probably shared too much already.:: ::Alora leaned forward and rest her arms on her knees, crossing them over each other. As she pondered, her lips pursed and she shook her head.:: DeVEAU: Sometimes we need to change - when we’re doing something that’s obviously wrong, like losing our temper all the time, or constantly stealing things. But when people want to change who we are when who we are isn’t necessarily anything wrong, well, those people are probably too short sighted to see how wonderful you are and too focused on how they think you should be. ::Alora turned her gaze and let it rest upon the counselor once more.:: DeVEAU: I say forget them and find people who appreciate you for who you are. ::She offered a rueful smile.:: DeVEAU: I know, easier said than done, right? ::Rune couldn't help but smile.:: JOLARA: That it is. But I'm sorry. I didn't really mean to ::What was the human term?:: unload on you. DeVEAU: Nah, it’s okay. I mean, we all need to unload sometime, right? ::Alora had friends Did Jolara? What was it like being a counselor on a ship? It seemed a lot had trouble connecting with counselors. She didn’t midn them, knew they were necessary and good, though she had to admit she wasn’t going to go to them first. If she couldn’t get past her issues after talking with her friends then yes, definitely. Did counselors have trouble making friends? Her thoughts drifted to Calavera briefly. He’d tried so hard…:: JOLARA: ::turning the conversation around:: Do you miss earth? DeVEAU: Yeah, I do, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, but I love being out here and seeing new things and having the chance to discover new things. I can at least visit earth now and again. ::But what would it be like if she couldn’t go back? If she were in a similar situation to Jolara? That would suck.:: DeVEAU: What’s Leya-I like? I know you said it had a lot of flora. Is it rich in fauna as well? JOLARA: Yes, we have a wide variety of fauna. DeVEAU: I’d be interested in learning more about it. I’ve done some virtual exploration of Vulcan. Would you be willing to show me your planet? ::Rune actually liked that idea.:: JOLARA: I do have a holo-program I was given. I would be very happy to show it to you. DeVEAU: Awesome. We have a couple more days of shore leave if you want to do it. I think there’s a special presentation tomorrow, but maybe after that? ::One of the reasons Alora had joined Starfleet was to explore. While using the holodeck wasn’t exactly the same, it was still nice, especially with someone who was familiar with the world and could educate her while they visited the sights.:: JOLARA: That would be perfect. ::smiling:: It really was nice to meet you. DeVEAU: And it was nice meeting you. ::Rune moved to stand up. Apparently she had been sitting too long and her back protested, though she didn't show any outward discomfort.:: JOLARA: Oh, before I forget, would you mind coming by my office later? I'm doing a simple follow-up with those who transferred from Mercury. It shouldn't take very long. DeVEAU: You are sneaky, you know that? ::Alora’s mouth quirked upward. At least she seemed a little more friendly than Calavera. Not that he hadn’t been nice, but he’d been...very stiff.:: DeVEAU: I guess I’ll see you sooner rather than later then. JOLARA: ::grinning:: So I have been told. ::bowing her head slightly:: I will see you then. Fair day, Alora. ----- Lt. JG. Alora DeVeau Science Officer USS Mercury & Lt. Rune Jolara Counselor USS Garuda
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