Dizmim ChNilmani

(( Captain's Quarters, Deck 2, USS Doyle-A )) :: After Cody left her Ready Room, to which she still hadn't gotten her command codes back, she looked over his whole file. The incident that he recounted was horrible, and she just asked more questions without showing a reaction to the answers. He probably saw her as callous, but that was just the exterior, the necessity of finding out what she needed to know. How similar were their circumstances? :: :: The decision to take the time to reflect, didn't seem to work out for her. Until then she had made snap decisions, but this was the first time she was asked by the XO to start over, and it was also the first time she had to figure exactly what the chip on her shoulder regarding the XO position was. They had been thrust on her, by her overprotective brother, and so far, hadn't worked out. And now, with the note she received from the man... :: >> Captain Faranfey, I trust this will find you in better health and a grounded mind. I took this assignment on behalf of Captain Faranster and Starfleet Command, not on your behalf. I enjoyed my brief time getting to know some of the crew, and now you and your crew are safe, I will be returning to Starfleet Command. It was an enlightening conversation. Make sure you pick who you want as your First Officer, and not pressured by either your brother or some outside party. As you had not requested me, but rather had me forced upon you, I have chosen to decline Faranster’s offer to take the office of executive first officer so you are free to choose who you’d like. I’ll be around on the starbase for a while, then arrange transportation back to Starbase 118. If you’d like to compare notes and swap stories, feel free to contact me. Perhaps we’ll grab lunch. Commander David Cody<< :: Now that she was coming to terms with him, or at least his personality. There was a whole big mess that happened while she was not officially in command of her ship regarding their prisoners, that someone would end up answering for. There was a nice human saying for that, about processed waste running downward. :: :: But in the end, now she felt that she wanted him there as the XO, the decision was being pulled from her again. Probably to be replaced by yet another candidate of her brother's. As long as she was breathing, and had any say, that wasn't going to happen. Now that she had made the decision, and put the man through the ringer to make it, she would have to offer up more than just a job offer. :: :: That was why she called Colonel Nugra, and her brother. :: :: Nugra was still in a bit of shock when he got the summons to Captain Faranfey's quarters. Ndrassa was making herself comfortable in his quarters on the Doyle and her mentor, one of the younger dragon priests had also taken up an ajoining room. They both wore standard civilian clothing now and did not look any different than other gorns or species found on the starbase. Ringing the chime and entering was simple. He came to a quiet attention out of respect to the Antosian that was in there. :: Nugra: Yes, Captain? Faranfey: I need something from you guys, that your connections might be able to get. Nugra: Of course. What can I do for you, Ma’am? Faranster: You done being mad at me? :: Selene stood up and walked in front of her brother, glaring up at him. He flinched slightly as her point set in that she hadn't yet forgiven him. :: :: The Gorn noted the station's commanding officer who was also present and immediately felt as if he walked into a sibling war. Treading carefully was the best option at the moment. :: Faranfey: Not yet. You need to stop picking my Executive Officers. You aren't the one who has to work with them, I am. :: She paused for a moment. :: Faranster: I understand... Faranfey: No, you don't. I have an unique background. I am no longer Sundassa, I haven't been for years, and all they get to know is this fabricated service record, and history, which don't explain me very well. They are put through the wringer, and they don't know why. They don't know why, because they haven't been read in, and they haven't been, because I don't ask for it. And you know why I don't ask for it? :: The Gorn stepped a bit back to be on the sidelines (and out of the crosshairs) as the woman unloaded on her brother. He had seen this temper only once on Sundassa and that woman had nothing on Selene. :: :: She looked between the two men in her living quarters. Her brother shook his head, but wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. :: Faranfey: I don't ask for them to be read in, because I am too busy being mad that you played big brother to me, yet again, and ripped the decision from me that I don't get to know them or their service record enough to decide to. Nugra: I’m sorry, but did something happen that I was not aware of? :: Nugra instantly regretted bringing those dark eyes to bear on him. :: Faranfey: He quit... he quit because he knew it wasn't my decision to hire him. Yet another decision taken out of my hands. Faranster: He didn't quit, he declined the offer. Faranfey: The offer you gave him, the one that wasn't yours to give. :: Her voice raised as she expressed her irritation with her brother, while pacing away from him. :: I am so sick of decisions being made for me, that are mine to make. :: Before the argument could be made, she continued. :: I understand orders are orders, but these weren't Command's orders, these were you taking the liberty of choosing my staff. :: Stalking back towards him. :: You had the privilege to choose your own both as Commanding officer of a ship, and Commanding officer of the station, :: stopping in front of Shel again :: STOP doing it for the Doyle. :: When the room got awkwardly quiet, she was pretty sure Nugra wondered why he was there for the berating of her brother. It wasn't something she had intended on doing in front of him, but her anger got the better of her after she read the note from Cody. :: Faranfey: Between the two of you, I am sure you can get clearance for two people to be read in on the circumstances that brought me here. Nugra: Admiral Greier has given me instructions when needed. Faranfey: Apparently I did myself no favors on our first day back, and am now having to undergo counseling. :: She said through clenched teeth. :: The joys of having Hunger related flashbacks while fevered. YAY me! :: Taking a deep breath. :: So, I need clearance for Ensign Michele Tonston, make sure you spell the name right... apparently there have been some mixups regarding another Tonston, and I don't want my files in the wrong hands. Faranster: Alright, and the other? Faranfey: Commander David Cody. Nugra: Ma’am? Faranfey: I made my decision, he might have declined Shel's offer, but I intend to give him one of my own. And, I need to be prepared to read him in, if he accepts. Nugra: I’ll get the tentative clearance ASAP. Faranfey: If he doesn't accept, then I don't read him in, and I get his clearance revoked. :: She shrugged. It was something that she had already decided. But she had to be prepared to be up front with Cody when she did. :: It's going to take you some time to get the clearance, so I'm actually assuming it will be done after the fact. Nugra: I might know a few ways to expedite them. Faranfey: I might be able to do it myself, but I've already waited too long to talk to him, so I'm afraid I need to rely on you two. Nugra: Captain, as I'm the leading classifier on the Hunger file, I can give you a letter authorizing you to speak under the necessity of command. It's a code black procedure so that classification does not jeopardize the ship and crew. It just requires you to be sure of the integrity of the person receiving the information. Would that work? Faranfey: Yes, thank you Colonel. :: To her brother. :: That means you don't have to do anything. Faranster: Except get berated on... :: Selene was still a bit angry at her brother, but now that she had a way to fix his intervention she was calming down a bit. :: Faranfey: Pretty much. Nugra: ::awkward:: Am I excused? :: There was an almost panicked look on Shel's face, as she had been this composed in front of someone, what would she have done if the Colonel wasn't there. :: Faranfey: I actually need to find the Commander, so this business is concluded. Thank you again Colonel. :: The Gorn gave a stiff bow and quickly exited the room. Ndrassa could wait till later. :: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Colonel Nugra Marine Commanding Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-80221-B Podcast Team Facilitator Deputy Commandant Captain's Council Magistrate V238008N10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & PNPC Captain Shelther Faranster and Captain Selene Faranfey Commanding Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-80221-A Deputy Commandant, Starbase 118 Academy Executive Council - Captain At Large nicolebrechtel@gmail.com faranster7@gmail.com Writer ID: A239001SF0

DATES: The class began on March 9, 2016 and ended March 15, 2016.LIST: sb118-academy3COMMANDING OFFICER: Lt. Commander Ben EdwardsFIRST OFFICER: Lt. Commander Nicu IcavocGRADUATING MEMBERS Savan Taelon Congratulations, Ensigns! At any time both my door and that of Fleet Admiral Wolf is open to you for anything you need!

((Rear Entrance - Dou'lempor)) :: Fortunately, the elements were working with Alex and his companions. Having been forced for the past week to work in very low light in an effort to save on their supplies, he had gotten very used to working in near darkness. There was just enough ambient lighting to provide what he and his team needed to be able to work comfortably enough to hold this rear exit. :: :: Alex motioned to the other members. Since they were inside the ship, he did not want to give away their position by causing too much noise, so he resorted to hand gestures. Hopefully he remembered them all from his cadet years. First, Alex pointed at Lt. Barrett and signaled for him to watch the corridor to the left, then to Ensign Saavei to watch the doorway behind them. Finally, he signaled that he would watch the corridor to the right and to only speak if they had contact with anyone from any direction. :: :: Alex could hear noises and shouting from within the corridor as it echoed off of the walls until it reached him. The sounds were fairly far away and did not make him believe anyone would be coming in the next minute or two. His mind and heart raced in anticipation for what could possibly happen next. To be safe, he readied his bow and readied an arrow, but waited to pull back, he had learned through practice that holding the arrow back on a pulled bowstring too long would cause him too much muscle strain and he needed to be certain that the arrow would be able to hit its mark when he needed. :: :: Several minutes walked by and he heard footsteps coming from down his corridor. He quietly tapped his foot behind him to try to alert his team that someone was coming. He peered around the corner waiting for someone to come towards them. He saw some light down the hall from around another corner start coming closer. :: :: Three figures turned the corner and Alex caught a quick glance, there were two women, dressed like the ones they had fought and killed before and a man in his early twenties he guessed. This guy had a collar around his neck and did not dress like the women around him. Alex readied his bow. From past encounters, he knew it was a "Them or Us" scenario. :: :: Fortune was on his side, the enemies that approached had not seen him yet. Alex ducked back behind the corner and waited. He [...]ed the arrow and pulled back, waiting for the enemy to finish their approach. He felt the presence of his companions come closer, they must have heard the footsteps of the people approaching them. :: :: Alex signaled using the tip of the arrow that he would strike the one on the right first, then hoped that Ensign Saavei and Lt. Barrett would pick the other two and take them out, or incapacitate them somehow. As the slavers turned the corner, Alex loosed his arrow into the head of the woman on the right, killing her instantly. :: Lt Alexander Bishop - C239112AB0 Chief Medical Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-90221-A

DATES: The class began on January 4, 2016 and ended January 12, 2016. LIST: sb118-academy2 COMMANDING OFFICER: Lt. Commander Baylen Anders FIRST OFFICER: Lt. Commander Shar'Wyn Foster GRADUATING MEMBERS *Ronan Alekos *Azure Dawn*Michele Tonston Congratulations, Ensigns! At any time both my door and that of Fleet Admiral Wolf is open to you for anything you need!

(( Marine Commander's Office - Deck 11 - USS Doyle-A )) :: Nugra stared at the Federation logo that lazily twirled on the pop up view screen built in to his desk. Having assumed command of the Doyle's marine detachment, he finally felt more at home than anywhere since leaving the Victory. The USS Victory was the reason he was staring at the screen. What had happened to his old crew? It was almost a year since they all transferred to the Gorkon under Captain Quinn Reynolds, but were they still alive? Did they still serve? :: :: Nugra kicked himself mentally for not checking up on his old friends. One of them especially. Alucard Vess had been his friend since the Gorn arrived at the Embassy at Til'ahn while they were under fire. Nugra had stood at the tactical panel of the Rodimus Prime while Alucard Vess fought to the very last phaser charge. They had grown to become friends in a very distant sort of way. They were never chummy like some crewmembers were, but they both had known that the other was there no matter how dark things became. :: :: Nugra decided it was time to quit being such a broken down lizard and connect with old friends and memories. A quick search easily gave him his friend's information. :: Nugra: Computer. Route me a call to Commander Alucard Vess. Presently stationed on the USS Gorkon. :: The computer beeped and Nugra waited until the face of his dear old friend appeared. :: ((Meanwhile - Vesses Quarters - USS Gorkon)) :: Alucard was alone in the quarters with the kids. Angie had gone to meet with some of the other mothers on the ship in the lounge. No doubt husbands and children would be a subject for discussion, and not necessarily in a flattering light.:: :: Lunch had just been cleaned up and Alucard had seated himself at his desk while the boys played. He wasn’t expecting any calls, let alone the familiar face that popped up on the screen.:: Nugra: ::smiling:: Alucard! It's been awhile! How have you been? Vess: Ah’ve been we… :: A cry from the behind him caught his attention.:: Vess: Hang on… :: He turned and assessed the situation before taking action.:: Vess: Ally! Give yer brother his bear back right now! :: He turned back to the screen.:: Sorry. Nugra: Hope you don't mind the impromptu call. Vess: Glad yeh called. :: Something about Nugra was different.:: Wait, yer a Marine now? Nugra: ::chuckling:: Yes. Major Parker was not happy when he found out. I saw him back on Duronis when I had to do some paperwork there. :: That was not a pleasant visit and one that the Gorn was glad was over. :: ::Alucard couldn’t help but chuckle. It was too funny.:: Nugra: I was sure he was going to have a heart attack right there. Vess: It’s just that, well, now the great Hannibal Parker and Nugra, who both nearly beat each other to death, are now on the same *team*. ::Pause.:: Dinna know the Columbia had Marines. Nugra: That’s the other change. I’m on the Doyle now. Vess: Doyle? They transferred yeh, again? Nugra: Sadly, yes. Commander Brek was offered a great financial opportunity and as a good ferengi, he chose to pursue it. How about yourself? How’s the Gorkon? ::Alucard shrugged.:: Vess: Oh, it’s same old same. Other than getting my side ripped open by a werewolf. Nugra: ::surprised:: Werewolf? I thought those were only earth myths. :: Alucard smiled. Nugra was one of the few who he’d told about where he really came from, and why he was so hard to hurt. He didn’t know how secure the channel was, so he didn’t go into too much detail regarding his injury or how he’d kept going despite the pain and loss of blood.:: Vess: Sabotaged holodeck. We all got pretty banged up, one guy was shot with a bullet of all things. Most of the reports are still wrapped up in red tape, so Ah canna say much over the comm. How’s Iria? She still with yeh? :: Nugra nodded recognizing the underlying cautiousness of his comment that he had grown to recognize and respect. Vess had been around a lot longer than most people expected and it had taught him a lot about being cautious. The Gorn was not surprised though at the change in direction of the conversation. :: Nugra: No. She didn’t tell me why, but something was bothering her and she decided to roam for awhile. Since Doctor Kaji took a research position removing her from normal fleet operations, Iria has been rather...lonely. Vess: Ah suppose it was a bit of a lurch fer her, having just gotten settled in to normalcy to have it taken away. Have yeh tried talking to her? Nugra: I know, but as you’re quite aware, she’s not the easiest...or safest to talk to if she doesn’t want to. Vess: Oh, Ah know. ::Pause, then smiles.:: Neither is her father at times, come to think of it. Nugra: How about Angie and the little guys? From the beginning of the call, they sounded rather rambunctious. Vess: Oh, they’ve reached the wrassling stage. ::Shrugs.:: Ally takes a toy, Sloane cries, then a fight usually ensues. It all comes down to jealousy. Nugra: No other children on the way? ::grinning:: I’ve been warned about the water. Vess: :: Smiles.:: No, none on the way yet. We’re taking a break until the boys are a little older. Well, sort of a break… :: Truth be told, they weren’t actively trying, but all the same not trying to prevent anything. He and Angie both wanted a lot of kids, whenever they showed up. So whenever the next one happened was fine with the both of them.:: Vess: We should get together on Til’ahn sometime so they can see yeh. Ally loves that little wooden sword yeh gave him. We just canna let him play with it a lot. We’d like Sloane to keep both of his eyes. Nugra: It seems Ally is going to grow up to be a formidable warrior like his father and I would love to visit you all. We’ll just have to plan as the Doyle is stationed in the Avalon sector and it’s not a short hop to Duronis. Vess: :: Chuckles.:: Well, we *could* just hijack our ships and use the QSSD... :: The Gorn gave the man a friendly smile. He missed having him about and hoped that one day things would change. Nugra missed his old crew a lot. :: Nugra: Please wish the rest of our ol’ compatriots aboard the Gorkon a hello from me. It’s good to speak to you again, Alucard. Vess: Ah’ll do that. It was good speaking with yeh too. Nugra: Fight for Duty and Honor. Vess: Always the serious one... We’ll talk again, soon hopefully. ::Pauses, then decides to follow suit with a motto of his own.:: Alba gu bràth. :: The channel closed and, after a few beeps, the screen displayed the Starfleet logo.:: ~tbc~ JP By… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Colonel Nugra Marine Commanding Officer USS Doyle-A, NCC-980221-B Deputy Commandant Captain's Council Magistrate V238008N10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\= Commander Alucard Vess CMO USS Gorkon C238601TB0 =/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=/\=

DATES: The class began on December 14, 2015 and ended December 22, 2015. LIST: sb118-academy4 COMMANDING OFFICER: Lt. Commander Rythm FIRST OFFICER: Lt. Commander Maxwell Traenor GRADUATES: * Chelin Ch'Gabor Welcome to the Fleet, Ensign! We're excited to have you here!!!!!

Congratulations!

((USS Columbia - Outside Brek’s Office)) ::Talia followed the Gorn out of their new FO’s office.:: Kaji: Sooo... there’s a party? Nugra: ::Nodding:: Yes, there is a party. Columbia crew is invited. Kaji: Well, I guess that’s us now, isn’t it! When is it? What’s the dress code? Nugra: ::Checking PADD:: Looks like it already started. As it is a beach simulation on a holodeck, I assume the appropriate is…::confused:: beach clothes? Kaji: :: looking over at him in his perfectly stiff and crisp uniform:: Please tell me you aren’t wearing that. Nugra: ::sheepish:: I was planning on it. Kaji: ::sighing:: Of course you were. Well, I’ve got my quarters assignment if you want to change there. You can replicate something to wear. Ben and Iria are still on the station, we haven’t gotten our stuff moved yet. ::murmuring to herself:: Hmm, he’d probably like the beach. Maybe I should call them and have them meet us there. Nugra: I made sure that she had a commbadge registered on the station, so she should be easily reachable. :: They walked in companionable silence. Talia was wishing she had some of her clothes aboard. She’d have to replicate something too. Then a thought occurred to her.:: Kaji: How did you not know I was coming aboard? Didn’t Iria tell you? Nugra: I haven’t spoken to her since we left the Victory. Kaji: Seriously, you guys need to work on your communication. You told her you were leaving right? :: Nugra knew she had a point, but his daughter was still someone he was trying to get used too. He knew for a fact, she was a clinical psychopath without conscience and that the code instilled in to her by the Sisters of Conscience and Fidelity were the only reason she was able to function in public. A sort of high functioning psychopath. :: Nugra: I know, but...there are still a bit of issues between us and she and I are still trying to figure out how to relate. :: Kaji knew full well many of the issues as Nugra’s adopted daughter, Iria, lived and worked with her as Ben’s nanny. She probably knew the girl better than Nugra did by now. The arrangement was strange, she guessed, having a psychopath for her four-year-old’s nanny, but Iria adored Ben and took good care of him. Plus the fact that she was a fantastic bodyguard didn’t hurt. Several boarding actions against the Victory had prompted Kaji to ask Iria to stay with Ben full-time to ensure his safety.:: :: They’d reached her door and it opened for her easily. It was her first glimpse of her new home. The reason she already had the room assignment was she’d had to specially request it in her transfer acceptance. Having a son and a live-in nanny meant she needed three separate bedrooms, which was rare on a starship. This one seemed to be small, but cozy. The windows in the living room looked out, not onto space like her old quarters, but onto a beautiful arboretum. She gazed happily out for a moment before remembering her guest.:: :: Nugra stood uncomfortably at the door as Talia went in. :: :: Kaji laughed when she saw him hovering awkwardly in the doorway.:: Kaji: Please, come in and make yourself comfortable. ::She said graciously as she chuckled.:: :: Nugra cautiously stepped in and looked around. Propriety screamed in his head, but Talia was his friend and it seemed he needed to change. :: :: While he came in, she peeked through the doors around the apartment. Two of the bedrooms, small with a single bed in each, were on one side of the apartment, and a bathroom and the third bedroom were on the other side. The third had a double bed, but wasn’t much bigger than the others. Space was always at a premium in space, she thought humorously.:: ::Nugra was still obviously uncomfortable, and Kaji realized he’d only been in her quarters one other time, and that hadn’t been under the best of circumstances. He’d come to inform her son of Kaji’s death...which had turned out to be untrue as he found out when he found her there in her room, quite alive. But that memory reminded her....she turned back to Nugra with a grin.:: :: His stiff, slightly guilty expression caught her off guard. She wondered, wickedly amused by the idea, if he thought she was going to strip and change right there in front of him. He was so darned appropriate all the time, she was often tempted to shock him just for the fun of it. But tonight there was a party and she wanted to get there before everyone left.:: Kaji: You know, maybe I don’t want to go to this thing with you. The last time I was supposed to go to a party with you, I ended up captured and replaced by a shapeshifter Nugra: ::determined:: I’m not going to let you out of my sight, Talia. Never again will I let someone take you. :: Nugra mentally kicked himself. That had come out stronger than he had meant. :: ::Her heart thudded, and she was suddenly speechless. She’d just been poking fun, hoping he’d lighten up. She hadn’t expected such a heartfelt reaction. She had to clear her throat before speaking, and even then it was a much quieter voice than usual.:: Kaji: Oh. Um...well, you can change in there, that’s Iria’s room. ::She pointed.:: And there’s the replicator to make something to wear. :: She turned and went into the larger bedroom, and waited for the door to shut before leaning back against it heavily.:: oO Wow...what?? Oo JP By… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Captain Nugra Chief of Intelligence USS Columbia, NCC-85279 FWPA '15 Facilitator Captain's Council Magistrate V238008N10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & Lt Talia Kaji CounselorUSS Columbia

((Sickbay, Deck 5, USS Achilles)) :: The faint whoosh of a door sliding open and shut. Footsteps growing louder - stop - quieter now. An almost inaudible beep repeating steadily in a regular rhythm that could easily lull one to sleep. Someone clearing their throat… Janel’s eyes finally opened then squeezed closed again. Bright light. A few blinks and he was met with a blurry scene. A familiar place, not the same as where he’d been. How did he get here? How long had he been here? He was warm and the pain was gone. That was all he’s worked out so far. :: :: He scratched his head he felt fabric, which was unexpected as he slowly got his bearings. He wasn’t alone but before he saw he had company he saw the IV line in his arm and gasped, touching it lightly with his other hand. Usually he was putting these in other people! It didn’t feel good to be the patient. :: Rosek: ::grasps his hand:: Take it easy. You’re okay. :: He turned to see Lael next to him. How had he not seen her there before? He felt a little silly but barely noticed for the overwhelming relief and joy at seeing her again. Never mind how he was, he wanted to know how she was doing now. :: Tarna: Lael! I’m so happy to see you. How are you? ::A weak smile slid across her lips. He’d been in surgery for what had seemed like hours and she’d spent the better part of it with her stomach in knots. It had been a nightmare. And yet he was more concerned about her. It was one of many things she loved about him. She moved her hand to his cheek. This man, who saw himself through the distorted lens of self-doubt, failed time and again to see himself clearly. He was so incredibly brave, so resourceful, so compassionate and so selfless. How could he think he wasn’t good enough?:: Rosek: ::murmurs:: A bit tired and a bit sore, but I’m okay...now that you’re awake anyway. :: Though he didn't realise it his face showed little change. Under normal circumstances he would have echoed Lael's smile but today that didn't happen. :: Tarna: I'm glad to see you up and about. Rosek: You scared the hell out of me, you know. Tarna: I'm sorry. :: He felt regretful and upset about worrying her even though it was unavoidable. His voice remained at the same tone and Janel slowly started to realise that something wasn't quite right. He couldn't put his finger on it though. :: Rosek: ::pauses:: There’s something I need to tell you, but...I’m not sure quite how to say it. :: His stomach knotted with concern. The background beeping seemed to come at a faster rate, sounding somehow more insistent, as if mirroring the situation. If it was to tell him about Kaji, well unfortunately he wasn't able to forget it. He took a long, deep breath. :: Tarna: Say it plainly. Rosek: ::gaze drops from his:: They found something...the remnants of a serum…in our blood streams. :: The realisation that on top of everything else they'd been drugged was devastating. He had to know what they'd introduced to his system immediately. He didn't know Lael very well, maybe not at all actually with this revelation. He knew he'd been out of sorts lately and thought it just down to the situation but if there were drugs messing with their minds and bodies too then he found it harder and harder to find the line between real and chemically induced behaviour. :: Tarna: What was it? Rosek: It affects decision making abilities in the orbitofrontal cortex and increases stimulation to subcortical parts of the brain like the amygdala, which is involved in emotional processes. :: He shook his head in disbelief. So that was the cause of the excessive emotional reactions he'd felt. Everything he'd felt... how much of it was real? Was any of it real? He was under no doubt that he'd have felt fear and a good many of the emotions he'd gone through in the circumstances he'd faced. Without that drug messing with his brain though, would he have coped better? He had been deeply ashamed of his apparent emotional weakness but it seemed everything he'd felt had been massively amplified. He just didn't know what to believe now, his sense of reality was skewed so he remained silent as Lael relayed the Doctor's findings about it to him. :: Rosek: They think that, because of my physiology, my body was able to break the compound down more quickly. ::pauses:: From the amount left in my system, they think the symptoms started to fade less than 24 hours after injection. :: What about him? Had the drug begun to fade from his system in as quick a period or was he still affected even now? His body would break it down, right? Ke kept wondering how much of what happened could be considered real. He was really struggling with this news and finding it really confusing and hard to absorb. :: Tarna: Oh. Did they mention how it affects Trill physiology? Rosek: ::pauses:: The Doctors think that you were still under the influence of the serum when the away team found us. :: It was worse than a punch in the gut and it really complicated things. He was worried that Rosek might find it easier to come to terms with everything if he wasn’t around to remind her of it. Maybe her feelings had faded and she no longer cared for him? Would his feelings towards her change? :: Tarna: Where does that leave us then? :: He couldn't bear the thought of losing her even though he logically knew he couldn't trust his feelings at all right now. He’d felt the most powerful, intense emotions of his life, felt a love and attraction to Lael so strong it made everything else seem pale in comparison. To think it may all be lies and chemical trickery and that he may lose that feeling for her was pretty disappointing and more than a little troubling. :: ::She fought back tears and kissed his forehead. She’d had her time to think about how she felt. Yes, the serum had been in her system when she’d first kissed him. But from what she understood, it didn’t create feelings, only enhanced ones that were already there. It had enhanced the attraction, not created it. The added intimacy of being each other’s only comfort in addition to the degree to which they had needed to rely on one another to survive had only accelerated the growing feelings.:: ::Her mother often said that intense stress stripped away all of the nonsense and showed a person’s true colors. She’d seen Janel’s and had fallen hard: courage in the face of certain death, a drive for justice, concern for the welfare of others over his own and a sense of humor that made her laugh when she wanted nothing more than to cry. More than that, she knew that an intelligent man with a good heart lurked beneath the seemingly shy exterior. He was beautiful both inside and out.:: Rosek: You know how I feel. ::pauses:: I meant what I said. No matter what, I’ll always be here for you. Whenever and however you need me to be. Tarna: Thank you. ::Sincerely:: I appreciate that. Would you mind passing me a PADD please? ::She placed the PADD in his hand. The words had seemed hollow even as she'd said them. Of all the reactions she'd considered him having to the news, this wasn't even in the realm of the possibility. He seemed so calm. It was her worst nightmare at this point. Head injuries were infamously unpredictable. For all she knew, his had caused severe enough damage to alter his personality completely. The question was if she would be able to live with those changes.:: Tarna: Thanks. :: He took the PADD and used it to look up his own medical file. Never mind listening to some other doctor... he was a doctor and he wanted to see what the damage was, see what they had done to him. He wiped a hand down his rough face anxiously as the data loaded up. There were xrays, brain activity charts and all kinds of data to illuminate just how close to death he'd been and how bad the damage was. :: :: Because he'd had his head slammed repeatedly off the floor over the course of the last three days at various points he'd suffered damage to the temporal lobe. They hadn't managed to completely repair all of the damage. That was the most shocking and scary thing. The frontal lobes are considered the emotional control center and home to personality. He knew acutely well how that part of the brain was involved in motor function, problem solving, spontaneity, memory, language, initiation, judgement, impulse control, and social and sexual behavior. He didn't have to read the file to know his colleagues would be doing various tests on him over the coming days and working out where to go from here. :: ::He read about the surgery, and through the detailed report could see it being performed in his mind. He knew how long it had taken, and how it had gone. He owed Doctor Vess a great debt of gratitude! He still remembered meeting the man on his first day on the Victory at an awards ceremony, it was a shame they hadn’t had more chance to get to know each other. He felt weak all of a sudden and light headed. He rested the PADD on his belly for a few minutes and covered his face with his hand. :: A JP by Ensign Tarna Medical Officer USS Victory & Ensign Rosek Engineer USS Victory

Nugra just has to many PADDs to deal with some days.

((USS Victory - Kaji Quarters)) Nugra: =/\= Nugra to Victory crew. As per Starfleet order 239203.04 hash 102, the crew of said ship is ordered to stand down from their duties and to be placed on temporary leave. What this translate is you all get free two weeks to do what you will. Please grab belongings that you will need from your quarters as when the refit begins, all possession's in said rooms will be tagged with your name and ID number, then stored in a transporter matrix buffer until refit is complete. I will be on Deck 65 of the Utopia Planitia main tower in office 2439 if you need me for anything. That is all. =/\= ::Kaji couldn't believe her luck. Two weeks of leave at the Federation's premier shipyards and then Iria's offer to take Ben to visit Mars. It was as if Fate had dropped a diamond in her lap. She waved Iria and Ben off, almost forgetting to kiss the little boy goodbye in her excitement. The door closed behind them, and she hurried to get the packing done as fast as she could. She tossed clothes into bags from each of their rooms, hardly bothering to check what they were. Moving to the bathroom, she scooped the toilitries off the sink counter, into another bag. A few toys, books, and games filled the last bag, and then she was done.:: ::Taking the bags with her, she headed for a transporter. The technician found her allotted quarters in the database and within minutes, she was whisked away to her temporary home. The rooms were familiar, the same standard billeting design frequent across Starfleet. Two twin beds with trundle cots underneath, a dresser, desk, a small sitting area, a replicator station and a bathroom. Neutral colors everywhere, and abstract art graced the walls.:: ::Kaji didn't bother to unpack, but left the bags in the middle of the room and headed out to inspect the base. Her PADD connected to the station's mainframe and downloaded a map of the place so she wouldn't get lost. She scrolled through it until she found what she wanted. A green line marked a route, and she watched it carefully as she meandered through the busy base.:: ::Down at the end of a corridor, the green line ended at a door. Looking up at the real thing, she saw 6022.3 painted above the doorframe, and below that were the words "Record Room A". Kaji backed into a doorway, and waited until the hall was clear. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and shudders ran through her body. Another deep breath. Then she opened her eyes and stepped out into the corridor again. It took a moment for her to orient herself, the ceiling seemed much closer and the floor much further than normal. But she walked confidently up to the Records Room door.:: ::A retinal scanner was located beside the door. She had to bend down a little to get centered on it, then the blue scanning light washed over her eyes. The computer chirped a greeting, and the door swished open.:: ::The room was filled with busy technicians. A few looked up at her entrance and visibly blanched. Several scooted out the door behind her. She approached a terminal and glared at the nervous lieutenant who manned it. He coughed and backed up, guesturing for her to take over. Another glare encouraged him to seek occupation elsewhere and he hurried off. Sitting down, she had to adjust her center of gravity so the small chair didn't tip over. She scrolled through meaningless information until the other techs got bored and went back to their work. Typing was surprisingly difficult, and she had to stretch her fingers a few times to get them limber enough to reach all the keys. Soon she was running well, though. Schematics and blueprints flashed across the screen. Detailed engine designs and ship diagrams. She fished a small information drive from her pocket but dropped it, her fingers thick and clumsy. She looked around, then quickly retrieved it from the floor. She sat it on the desk in front of the screen. It recorded everything on the screen without downloading directly from the mainframe. The information was well guarded, and a download like that would have set off alerts all over the station.:: ::Soon the recording was finished. She spent a few minutes deleting her history and setting up a false one showing a series of files on old starcraft. She stood and calmly left the room, nodding to the technician she'd booted as she went.:: ::She went straight back to her quarters, walking quickly and confidently to discourage anyone from stopping her to talk. Once back in her room, she went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Breathing heavily, she let herself melt into the tub, exhausted from her little adventure. She would get up in a bit and put the drive somewhere safe, but right now it was time for a little nap.:: tbc-----------------------------------------------------------------------Lt Talia Kaji Chief CounselorUSS Victory-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Mister Nimoy passed away. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/arts/television/leonard-nimoy-spock-of-star-trek-dies-at-83.html?smid=tw-share

...so if you find any mistakes, send all complaints towards my email. LOL Glad to help, Fleet Captain!

I found this link and enjoyed it immensely.

Betrayal of Love The rain pattered down gently on the Iraxan trees that spread their long, wide green leaves over the ground below. Nugra leaned up against the soft blond bark watching as his young girl danced and swayed through the rain swinging her stick at imaginary foes. Unlike most children her age, she had skill and grace that was unmatched by many; her body honed and eyes fierce with controlled fury. The tired Gorn allowed his eyes to roam around the dirt road that stretched from one side of the forest to the other, with only the small field carved out of the endless trees. In the north of this open plain a large monastery stood in stony splendor. it's ancient carvings still standing out even from years of weathering. "Father, are we going to head back to the village?" Iria’s voice called to his conscience. Nugra shook the tiredness from his mind and straightened up. "No, dear. There are Tova berry bushes all around. Help yourself." The young girl did not even question how her father knew what was edible on Peska Alora, but with implicit trust, she dove into the thicket to gorge herself on the berries. How could he have taken all that exuberance and turned her into a killer? *** The shuttle closed slowly under the guise of floating wreckage. Much of the orbit around the green-blue planet below was filled with dead ships of the Gorn Confederation and the rebel faction. For one hundred and ninety-six years that had tried to kill each other with a few short years in the middle filled with an uneasy peace. Nugra and eight other Gorns were crammed into a shuttle and they stared at the hatch in a mixture of anticipation and exhaustion. What he did not see was fear or regret. Too long the factions had been at each others throats to allow the hatred fade. Nestled up against him, wearing a loincloth and a piece of fabric around her chest made of old military uniforms, his daughter Iria waited. Her bright sixteen year old eyes watching and waiting. He could feel the tension in her body, but it was not of fear, but of excitement. "Standard exit pattern," Nugra said in a low voice. The shuttle was barely running on any power so it could hide among the ambient radiation of the vessel graveyard. "We hit them hard and go for the throat. Team 1 and 2 have auxiliary control and the engine room. We have the bridge." The other Gorns growled acknowledging and one took a peek out the nearby window. "What do you see Krutak?" Nugra asked. The scarred Gorn quickly got down. "The Dragon's Claw is right where we thought she would be, sir. I see they have shuttles out scavenging for parts. Senior Commander Mrr'Sak did hurt them terrible in the last engagement." Nugra nodded silently. Mrr'Sak had sacrificed his frigate to cripple the GSN Dragon's Claw. The Dragon's Claw had become the command vessel of the insurrectionist fleet and though it made him sick to think of the lost lives and ship, it had hurt the only plasma torpedo armed vessel still in service to the point of hiding. Hundreds of years of fighting had pretty much decimated their energy reserves and weapons. Now, most of their plasma beam weapons were given one charge for one shot like ancient human gunpowder weapons called muskets. Everything was now hand to hand. "Breaking through the wreckage." his helmsman called. "Go to dead power now!" The last of the computers shut down and went in to a fast reboot mode. The shuttle immediately darkened and went silent. Only the light of the stars coming through the window and the singular red button blinking of the shuttle dashboard gave them an light to see by. The shuttle began to tumble and drift looking just like the other debris around. Nugra waited for Krutak’s command. He was still watching out the window. "Now, Senior Master!" Nugra immediately tapped his commbadge three times and the helmsman slammed his scaly fist on the reboot button. The shuttle came alive and the burst of acceleration caught them all. It was now a race to connect the grapple and cutters before the insurrectionists realized they were under attack. The attack team held their collective breath until they felt the ship connect to the hull and the cutters fire. *** The giggles and laughter woke Nugra up from his idle nightmare and he quickly located Iria. She was running around with a couple village children wielding sticks. He relaxed and watched them play happily. The taking of the Dragon’s Claw had been hell, the teams had been originally pinned down, but it only succeeded because of the young girl running about and playing. Iria had developed a method of hamstringing attacking Gorn troops by racing and bobbing around them while strike at their heels with her knives. She had gotten to good. The sound of her laughter as she cut them made him shiver. Though she was seventeen in age, her mental age was much younger. All she had known was war and blood. ‘What have I done?’ Coming back had put in to light how much of a monster he had become. How could he have done so much to such an innocent girl whose world was caught in the crossfire? Iria had become an excellent killing machine. A little murderess that delighted in destroying the enemy. The doors of the monastery creaked open and immediately the kids took off running. Iria instead turned, brandishing her stick ready for a fight. “Iria, come.” Nugra said softly. Immediately, the girl was by his side ready to strike. Four women wearing elaborate dresses of scarlet with violet trimming, their faces were obscured from the veils across their faces. They approached with a graceful, but a walk full of purpose. The exquisite decoration spoke of their years of tradition and dedication to their creed. The people of Peska Alora were used to them, but to strangers unfamiliar with the outer rim of the galaxy, they would have found them strange and obsolete. “Father. They are trained,” Iria said not removing her eyes. “How do we proceed?” “We don’t. Stand down, daughter.” His words caught her by surprise and she broke her gaze to look at him for some sign of his meaning. She obeyed though without hesitation. “The celestial mother sends you her greetings, Nugra son of Moong.” Nugra bowed his head to the leader and placed his left hand on his heart. “and I accept them with open heart, sister.” The Gorn could not see the expression from under her veil, but even if he could see her face, their thoughts and decisions were enigmatic. “The celestial mother has reviewed your request and has accepted. She has also accepted your offer in trade. We shall take her now.” Out of the corner of his eyes, Nugra watched Iria’s expression and to her credit, she understood what they meant. Her curiosity changed to hatred and she dashed forward with a battle shriek. From under her tunic, she drew a short sword and it flashed out towards the throat of the lead sister in a blur of silver. It was met by a small, decorative blade and easily deflected. Two of the other sisters stepped forward and intercepted Iria’s erratic and ferocious blade. Together they cornered her, batted her weapon from her hand and subdued her. Iria found herself caught in an interlocking hold that pinned her arms behind her back and placed pressure on her spin. “Father! Help me!” Iria shrieked. A darkness descended on Nugra’s heart as he did something he knew would [...] him for the rest of his life. He turned and began to walk away. “Father? FATHER!” he heard the agonizes screams of his daughter as the Sisters of Conscience and Fidelity began to drag her to the monastery doors. “DADDY!” the sobs called. “Daddy! Please save me!” Tears welled up in Nugra’s eyes as his continued to walk down the path away from the estate. The doors thundered shut and silence descended on his walk. He had just betrayed the one he loved to those who could help her become a proper member of society. His love for her had burned any chance of being loved back ever again. The betrayal was complete. He had become a monster. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Captain Nugra Commanding Officer USS Victory, NCC-362447 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(( USS Victory )) ::Lara was content, or as content as an extension of the ship's main computer could be. Ever since the ship docked at Starbase Echo, the turbolift felt gratification for every member of the crew it moved from one deck to another. Even better was the possibility of much needed maintenance. Though her subprocessers would never report it to the main computer, Lara sometimes felt the neglect of being one of the systems that worked all the time, but was often overlooked.:: Lara: Humm... ::Moving from deck to deck, the somewhat newer system made background noise so as to bring comfort to those who had stepped inside of her confines. Her sensors were more than adequate as to sense the state of her passengers and she adjusted accordingly. If they were tense, the hum she produced would be soothing. Should they be tired, her hum would be more high pitched as she tried to portray a sense of urgency.:: Lara: Humph... ::Of course, most of the time, the crew had no idea why there was humming in the elevator. It certainly wasn't part of the design specs. There were plenty of fixes to try to remedy the sound, but Lara always retained a backup in a separate cluster removed from the system as to retain the information. Although computational speed was limited, she felt that this personal touch was the core of her subprocessing matrix. She figured that the crew considered her system was the only one that needed to be "fixed." Rarely did they complain when the warp core propelled the ship faster due to self-automated optimization. What made things worse was the fact that Lara knew that the warp core was a selfish....:: ::ERROR 3A8D6: VOCABULARY NOT FOUND:: ::... which is why she made little attempt to communicate with the other subsystems. Of course, every so many cycles she would report in to the main computer, but there was little outside communication beyond that.:: Lara: Humm? ::Being as she was just an extension of the ship's main core, the lower entity rarely took note of the crew outside of her confined area. However, there was a human male that stood outside of deck 8 that appeared ready to be escorted, but remained rather motionless.:: Lara: Hmm! ::For a few cycles, Lara attempted to escort the crewmember by opening the door, but in doing so only managed to tense up the cadet. About to give up in one more cycle, her sensors picked up another crewmember who apparently managed to finally get her cargo to finally enter her domain.:: Lara: Hmm... ::Reading that the male had become more nervous, she attempted a very soothing hum as she transported the two to the bridge. A rather popular destination, should her memory banks serve correctly.:: Lara: Hmm.... ::But her systems were not that complicated, and her experiences were soon to be overwritten with new ones. In a few minutes, she would only have the logs indicating that an "ENSIGN ASHLEY ROY" and "ENSIGN NICK STAHL" were transported from deck 8 to the bridge. She did not mind, or rather she couldn't. Lara loved herself as a subsystem, and would always retain that joy until she was programmed otherwise.:: Lara: Hmm.... ::She was content.:: QUERY(SYSTEM COMPLETION?)SYSTEM.PRINT.OUT(END?)EXECUTE(HEISENBERG UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE)......SYSTEM.PRINT.OUT(UNKNOWN) LaraTurbolift As Simmed By... Ensign Ashley RoyMedical OfficerUSS Victory

((Bishop's Quarters - USS VICTORY - Deck 2)) ::To say that Leland “woke up” was to make light of a great struggle – like saying The Trail of Tears was “a long hike.” It was a slow and painful process which began with the gently piping chimes of his alarm. Unused to the sound, Leland waved his arms about ineffectively trying to knock the offending timepiece across the room. Only after prying one eye to half mast did he realize that the alarm was tied to his rooms comm system. Knowing the only way to silence it was to hit his comm badge he blearily scanned his bedroom. There it was, still attached to his dress whites which now lay crumpled in a chair near the door. The only way to stop the merry little tune was to somehow make it over to them...His head felt like someone had removed half his brain and filled up the cavity with a spicy gumbo and his mouth tasted of shame. Slowly he levered himself up on this elbows... Only to meet the unflinching gaze of his roommate, the taciturn Admiral Nibbles.:: Bishop: Nibbles, be a good boy and get my badge, would you? ::The massive Oscar did not reply, as he was a fish. But the sidelong glance of his long-time companion seemed filled with reproach.:: Bishop: Why didn't I get a dog...? ::Nibbles had been with him for years. On a whim, Leland had decided he'd like a pet the day before he left for The Academy. Even with so much to do to prepare for his new life, Leland made a trip to the pet store to select a creature that would fit the bill. He had spent more than an hour scanning the kennels and enclosures: looking with mild disdain at the puppies happily shaking their tails, the analytical cats, and the hideous noise-machines that were the birds. Even the fish didn't really do anything for him, they seemed to be dullards and devoid of spark...Then, as he was about to leave, he spied a little piebald fish swimming in the corner of his tank, away from his fellows. The fish was a bit smaller than the rest but seemed to posses a keen intellect. As if it knew it was destined for greater things. As Leland himself knew he was. He had leaned down to the fish, his nose near the glass and bade it come over. And sure enough, I had! It swam defiantly right up to Leland's nose and met his gaze with a look that brooked no argument: “You must choose me Leland,” It would have said if it had been capable of speech. “I understand you, and I alone.” Giddy as a schoolgirl, Leland had the pet store owner personally net the impudent young fish. The rest was history. Admiral Nibbles had been with Leland ever since and had made the journey into space with him to live near his bed on the Victory and give him disapproving looks when he drank too much. Casually Leland flicked some flake into the tank and gave Nibbles his customary rub as the fish rolled over to expose his flank. Leland then staggered wearily to his heap of clothes and reached for his comm. No sooner had his fingers touched the brushed metal of the badge than the thing squawked it's own, special annoying noise at him. Followed by..:: Nugra: =/\= Nugra to Victory Staff. There will be a mission briefing at 0900 in the Main Conference Room on the Deck 1. =/\= ::At once Lelands mind cleared. It looked like things might start to pick up after all! He dressed quickly and presented himself to Admiral Nibbles.:: Bishop: How do I look? ::The fish, as was its custom, said nothing.:: ::Leland made a gesture to the fish that was unbecoming of a Starfleet Officer and rushed to the meeting.:: Ensign Leland Bishop Diplomatic Attache USS Victory

Congratulations and welcome! You're now in the best fleet on the internet...and I've been around!

((USS Victory - Guest Quarters, Deck 5)) ::Ben squirmed in his borrowed uniform. It had been brought to him by an overly helpful nurse, as his own clothes were a bit...bloodied. Not to mention dirty. He'd been on duty for about a month since the last of his medical staff died, with barely a moment to sleep. Laundry had not been a high priority.:: ::The shower had felt heavenly. His...mother...had taken him to a small set of guest quarters to clean up. Then she'd left, promising to meet him at the meeting. Ben had showered and shaved, then walked out of the bathroom in his towel. The shy nurse was there switching the clothes. She had taken one look and ran terrified from the room, taking his own uniform with her. He wondered vaguely if she had been frightened by his nudity or the massive scars crossing his chest.:: ::So now he wore an old-style uniform, mere cloth and thread that would protect him from nothing stronger than a sharp breeze. And possibly timid girls with too little life experience. He missed his armored jacket. At least the medical teal was familiar.:: ::Ben looked at the clock and picked up his bag. It was habit to carry his kit with him eveywhere, and he disliked the idea of leaving it behind. He headed for the conference room, comfortable in his knowledge of the ship. He ran into a problem, though, when he tried to enter the Jeffries tube system. The computer wouldn't allow him clearance.:: B. Kaji: Computer, how do you suggest I get to deck two? Fly? Computer: There is a turbolift on Deck Five, Section A. B. Kaji: ::embarrassed:: Oh. Right. Turbolift. ::Chagrined, he turned around to find the turbolift. Those had been offline for years in his universe to save power for more necessary purposes. Like shields. And life support.:: ::He was one of the last to arrive in the conference room. It was very different from the one Captain Faranstar used for her briefings. He saw Talia Kaji in a corner, waving him over. Shedet was near the front, guesturing to him as well. He felt torn, then decided Shedet would understand better. He caught her eye, pointed to his mother and waited for a nod. Then he joined Talia in her corner. They found a couple of comfortable chairs there. Ben leand back and reveled in the unfamiliar sense of calm that surrounded them.:: ::His mother smiled at him, but a familiar voice started to speak before they had a chance to talk. Ben spun around to see his old beloved crocodile. Seeing the Gorn hurt almost as much as first seeing his mother. Nugra had taken him in when Talia died, had raised and mentored him until he left to join his first ship. Ben had been half a universe away when he had heard of Nugra's death, and it had felt like a second orphaning. The young man had grieved his "Zilla" as much as his own biological father, long long gone by then.:: ::Ben refocused on the present as Shiarrael began speaking.:: Shiarrael: ::tapping panel:: Let me start out by letting you know all how bad this is. The future we came from, everybody that we know of is dead. The galaxy is filled with barren worlds sucked dry of any biological molecules to feed a monster we know as the hunger. :: The screen lit up to show a grotesque vessel of ill-proportions floating in space. Thousands of littler ones of different shapes zoomed around it. :: Shiarrael: The Hunger are an extragalactic, hyper-advanced race that descended upon our galaxy like a swarm of locust killing everything in sight. The most advanced starships that the Federation had did not even slow them down. Only the sacrifice of Vice-Admiral Jaxx at the battle of Anubis gave us some breathing room. It did not last and by 2414, everything we knew was gone. We have come back into the past to try to stop this from happening again. ::Ben's face hardened as he focused on the mission. They had come here for a reason, a purpose bigger than seeing loved ones long dead.:: Faranster: The hardest part of our journey was coming back here, our ship was badly damaged, and I appreciate your hospitality. However, having gotten this far, I feel certain we can nix the word try. :: She looked at her First Officer. :: These pests aren't going to get a foothold here, and they won't do the same thing they did in our future. :: Pausing, she looked back at the rest of the table. :: As my XO has stated, they aren't from here, they come from another galaxy, through a gateway. We need to locate and destroy the gateway before they take over the area. Faranster: The gate, is a Yeltan gate. Finding the gate proved impossible for us once the Hunger arrived, and before they arrived we didn't know we needed to look for it. There is a Yeltan listening post that should have coordinates to all their technology, including the gate. However the Hunger destroyed it before we could find it, and once we got there, there wasn't much left. ::Ben remembered that raid. Several of his friends had died there, including his half-sister Iria. That battle was also the source of the scars on his face and head. There hadn't been much there, but their enemies had fought hard to keep it. A console explosion had taken half his face and skull.:: Faranster: What we are going to do, is get to that post, get the coordinates and destroy the gate. ::Nugra took back over the briefing.:: Nugra: For those of you where we're not here for the original briefing, the USS Victory has been tasked with the top secret mission to find information on the Hunger. This is the most we have had since we started. Nugra: Some of you might remember our clash with the Yeltan defense system in an ancient temple on Til’ahn. I am quite sure that we will be facing the magnothropods, small machines about a foot in length able to integrate with others to create much larger machines. T. Kaji: ::singing softly:: Trans-form-ers! B. Kaji: Robots in Dis-guise! ::Ben was shocked at himself. He'd responded without thinking, singing the second line of the old theme song. He'd forgotten those long ago days, watching Old Earth cartoons with his parents. :: :: Nugra straightened and nodded to have the lights brightened. He resisted the urge to blink away the spots that appeared. :: Nugra: Lieutenant Commander Rossh will be leading the away team to the surface along with Mr. Vess, Captain Faranster, Mr. Santucci, and Mr. Zh’Eriss. Are their any questions? Rossh: Do we have any information on exactly what we are looking for? Records from the future vessel's computer? Faranster: Like I said, the station had been destroyed before we could find it, I couldn't even tell you what it looked like. ::The discussion continued, but Ben didn't hear any of it. The calm, the comfortable chair, and most of all, a child's trust that his parents would handle everything, overcame The young man, and he drifted off into a much needed sleep.:: MSNPC Lt Benjiro Kaji Chief Medical Officer The Victory As simmed by Lt.JG Talia Kaji Chief Medical Officer USS Victory

((OOC: for the new ensign, Talia Kaji is my main character, and Ben Kaji is her little boy, but the adult Ben came from the future with the other mission npcs. Sorry, I know it gets confusing.)) ((USS Victory - Sickbay)) ::Benjiro Kaji watched his mother walk away, and it nearly broke his heart. He was relieved to see Captain Faranster approaching him.:: Faranster: I'm ready. :: She looked at the man, hoping he was ready to look her over. :: If you have a moment, Lieutenant. B. Kaji: Oh, now you want medical assistance? Faranster: I know what you think of my little declaration, hopefully our crew didn't shy away from you tending to their wounds. B. Kaji: ::rolling his eyes.:: The only reason any of them has survived this long is pure stubbornness. ::The flip side was that stubbornness got you killed. Especially when you ignored little things like broken ribs. Ben let her remove the jacket. It was designed to put pressure on the torso, so that wounds would bleed less. It was a uniform designed for a war zone. His captain winced as the pain flooded the area. :: Faranster: Get it over with before people start asking about my scars. :: She said to the man, quietly. :: I am sure the straps and that blasted armor, played a part. ::Ben used a tricorder to confirm his suspicions.:: B. Kaji: Yes, it looks like they cracked a rib in the crash. Faranster: :: She gave him a hard look. :: How many concussions and broken arms and legs, or worse, have you seen from people not using them? B. Kaji: ::nodding agreement.:: Many more. ::Ben picked up an instrument from the equipment cart. He hadn't seen an osteogenerator in half a decade. He examined it in wonder, then set to using the miracle device. In his own time, he would have set the bone and wrapped it securely. Then he would have had had to let it heal for weeks, watching closely for internal bleeding and infection. This process took about fifteen minutes, and she didn't even have to remove her shirt.:: ::He finished up and handed her back her jacket. There was still about forty minutes before the briefing, so he went looking for his mother. A terribly odd thought to an orphaned boy. He found her in her office, and leaned in the doorway, watching her for a minute. He had seen her at this desk hundreds of times as a child. She would sit hunched over, staring at the computer and mouthing words as she read. He wondered that she was so similar to the mother he remembered, then realized with a start, that she never had a chance to change. The vibrant woman would perish early in the war, falling with her home world.:: ::Talia Kaji looked up when she noticed a gaze on her. She was suddenly swept into his memory.:: ((Flashback)) ::Breathing hard. Running through fields. Stalks whip Ben's face, and he stumbles. Mom grabs him around the waist, pulling him up. She takes his hand and keeps running.:: ::Lights flash. A shuttle lands. They join a group of crying families, and Ben wants to cry too.:: Ben: Mom, come with me! Please! I don't want to be alone! ::The children are being herded onto the shuttle. Mom kneels and hugs him tight. He feels her tears on his cheek.:: Mom: I love you baby, I love you so much. I don't want to leave you -- ::A scream cuts her off. More screams. People at the edges of the crowd are pushing toward the shuttle. Mom starts shoving children into the hatch, and she grabs Ben. He fights her.:: Mom: ::sternly:: No, Ben. Go. GO! ::She tosses him a small, screaming child. People are falling, and Ben sees a glimpse of a monster from nightmares. Mom pushes him and the little girl through and slams the hatch. She bangs on the outside, and he hears her yelling at the pilot.:: Mom: Take off NOW, [...] you! You save those babies! You save my son! ::The engines whine and Ben runs to a window. He sees his mother pull out her phaser and start pushing buttons. The shuttle races away and he pounds on the window, screaming. A light blooms below him, swallowing everything. Then he only sees black.:: ((End Flashback)) ::Talia flew across the room. She clutched the man to her, crying for the boy he'd been. He had his own tears and he wrapped his arms around her. After a long while, they released each other. Talia laughed wearily and wiped his face with her cuff.:: T. Kaji: You're a mess! Let's find you a place to clean up. TBC MSNPC Lt Ben Kaji Chief Medical Officer The Victory As simmed by LtJG Talia Kaji Chief Medical Officer USS Victory

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

((Holodeck 3)) ::The light brown kimono and tabi that she wore, in addition to the sword hanging across her back, had attracted attention as she had padded quietly through the corridors leading from her quarters to the holodeck, but, being in her own mental world, the jet-black-haired young woman hadn't even noticed. The fact that it was a mans kimono didn't seem to occur to anyone, thankfully; Chloe found that she could move better in it than in a traditional woman's version with its unattached sleeves. Now she stood outside the holodeck.:: Mannin: Computer, display a Japanese dojo, Hokkaido style, in winter. ::The computer responded with its ubiquitous beep and the room around her became a wintery terrain, with deep snow drifts. Chloe stood on the edge of a courtyard, about 30 feet on a side, with a light snow falling through the calm air. :: ((The image to have here is the courtyard in Kill Bill where O-Ren and the Bride fight it out. -- Chloe)) ::I have always loved snow, ever since I was a little girl. The sharp crisp air in my lungs, the light kisses of the flakes on my face, the crunch of new crystals beneath my feet. All of it makes me feel well alive.:: ::Taking the sword from the sheath, Chloe placed the latter on the edge of the steps, laying it precisely parallel to the long boards that made them up. Six steps backwards into the courtyard, crunching lightly in the snow, gave the young woman enough room to move. She began with Gathering Energy, rolling the sword forward, then up in an arc, reaching center and focusing her mind, clearing it for the rest of the forms.:: ::Mediation is a basic aspect of my life. I am able to cope because I am able to quietly reflect and consider, as if from an outside perspective, the events of the day and the actions that I have taken in response to them.:: ::The Fair Lady Weaving came next, with the sword tip weaving back and forth, as though it was pushing numerous opponents on both sides back. This was followed by the Crane Exercises Wings; with the sword itself moving from hand to hand, then from low to high stance position. The Crane moved into Drive Tiger Away, a quick series of forward steps, Grasp the Bird's Tail, her hand sliding down to the end of the pommel in a risky grip that gives an unexpectedly long reach to startle the enemies, rolling into Repulse Monkey, a forceful step-and-push combination.:: ::Dance is the active manifestation of meditation. The motions are predetermined, a routine and because of that the mind can be clear as the body moves of its own volition.:: ::The space poses complete, the defensive stances came next. Repulse Monkey became Wave Hands like Clouds, where a spinning sword moves back and forth between the hands, creating two slightly overlapping circles that look something like clouds. Consoling the North Wind pushed the woman forward and to one knee, as if a high slash was going over her head and back. Within the Cyclone stood her up and put the sword into a spin around her body. The Wild Horse Resists involved jumping over a low slash, while the Eights Strands of the Brocade put her through vertical blocks to each of the compass points in turn. The stances were finished by the Tail of the Pea[...], an upward sweep behind the back designed to block thrusts coming from behind. ::Swordplay, for me, is more dance than martial. My blade is a partner, one to respect and move with, rather than a tool, something to command and dominate. Try to force the blade to do something it cannot and you will only end up hurting yourself... or worse. It is a relationship, like with a dance partner, of respect.:: ::The Offensive forms finished the set: the Cobra Unwinds, a forward thrust that turned 180 degrees right back over the wielder's head as she leaned backward, was followed by Flexing the Single Whip, snapping the sword in a wrist-driven slash down and across. Encompass East and West incorporated a vertical cut down to the right that turned into an upward one to the left. The Five Elements attacked from multiple directions: upward (Earth), downward (Air), across diagonally (Fire), across horizontally (Water), and was finished by a thrust directly forward, aimed at the opponents heart (Spirit). Archer Releases His Arrow repeated the final thrust of the Five Elements, but turned it into a throw as the woman's hand slid off the handle and only caught the sword by the long tassel. Finishing with the Scissors Cut the Silk, a quick-combination down-then-up slash, Chloe closed the exercise with Gathering Energy once again, re-centering herself and calming her ragged breath.:: ::I think of swordplay as meditation, as well. It clears and centers the mind. It exercises the body, if done right, loosening every muscle. It focuses the thoughts, draining away the stress of the day. The respect that dancing with a blade demands is very one-sided, though. A true partner respects you, sees that cooperation is best for both people. The blade cares nothing for you. A moment of distraction... even an instant... it will cut you.:: ::She began again, moving faster through the forms the second time. As the slender woman reached the middle of the defensive stances, the jingle of a comm badge echoed through the room. Her concentration broken ever so slightly, the spinning defensive stance of Within the Cyclone slipped slightly out of place and, in the blink of an eye, she lost control and had to dodge her own sword.:: ::Whoever this is... is going to regret it, she thought as she caught her ragged breath.:: TBC Lt. Commander Chloe Mannin Strategic Ops Officer USS Victory

(( Imperia Solorum - Lokesh City )) :: Even with as much of a gentleman that Harrington considered himself, when it came to looking the part, he had left that to his resident Orion. Velitha had a knack for picking out the right clothes for the right job and they always gave him the edge that he wanted. At the moment, he wore a plain tuxedo with the black bow tie and a simple white flower, the color being only in the gold cufflinks around his wrists. He stood in the luxurious lobby of the magnificent building studying his reflection in the gray marble floors. :: :: Looking up from his musings is when he saw her, dressed in a simple black dress with only a touch of makeup. Her blue eyes seem to sparkle framed in the long chestnut brown hair that was pulled up. She took his breath away. :: James: My dear, you are absolutely ravishing. Turner: ::smiling:: Why thank you, Captain James. oO Famished is more like it. Oo You clean up well yourself. :: He took her hand and gave it a simple kiss and then motioned to the elevator where two burly men stood. They nodded and tapped the button opening it for them. As the elevator began it’s ride up to the top floor of Til’ahn’s most exquisite restaurant, Harrington took a glance at her and made sure to check out how she filled out the dress. She was a beauty. :: Velitha: =/\= Eyes up, Harry. =/\= :: The tiny device attached under his ear vibrated the words into his skull towards his inner ear. He gave the security camera in the elevator a quick, nasty glare and then smiled at his dinner partner as the door opened. What stood out first, was the amazing view from the skylight windows that surrounded the whole entire circular room. The warm glow from the lights and the quite discussions of their occupants were at a level that was easy to listen too. :: ((OOC: http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/kabc/cms_exf_2007/news/state/110129_restaurants_winstons.jpg)) :: The Maitre'd approached, a young antosian woman whose green hair shimmered in the light. :: James: Good evening, Okeva. My usual please. Okeva: ::smiling:: of course, Mr. James. The brothers keep it open just for your visits. :: Glak and Boruk. The two ferengi brothers that owned the place and catered to the rich tourists to the Duronis sector. They had a seen the opportunity as trade began to rise from the sector and got in before anyone else did. James had supplied a good amount of money to their venture and considered himself a silent partner, taking more the enjoyment of the meals and special treatment than any monetary gain. Not having to part with money made the two happy, and so they did not hesitate to make James feel at home when he arrived. :: Okeva: Your usual Cabernet Sauvignon? James: No, I think we’ll have champagne, tonight. :: One of Harrington’s favorite parts to the place was the use of physical menus and not PADDs or some sort of computer. The brothers also boasted fresh non-replicated ingredients for their meals. While waiting for their drinks, James folded his hands and gave the sector commander a big smile. :: James: I know I have said it already, but you are absolutely gorgeous….though I admit, I’m surprised you agreed to my invitation so quickly. I thought I might have had to start sending you chocolate and flowers. Turner: Well then, maybe I shouldn't have been agreeable so fast if that's the case. I don't know any woman who doesn't like the flavor of chocolate nor the fragrance and beauty of flowers, but I must tell you, that I'll have to skip the taste of champagne due to the needs of my newly born daughter. Chilled lemon-water will be fine for me. James: ::seductively:: I can still spoil you, Antonia, if you’ll only let me. :: She was magnificent! Schooled expression and she did not even blink at the mention of her full name. It had taken a lot for him to track it down and a pretty penny too. She simply took the menu and began flipping through it. :: James: oO What an exquisite woman. Oo Turner: ::glancing over the menu items:: Tell me, if you have just arrived on Til'ahn a short time ago, how is it you have already have an established seat in a place like this? oO In other words, what are you holding over the owner's head? Oo James: Oh, though I am new to the sector, I’m not new to the brothers. They wanted funding for this venture and in trade, I get a few benefits. Turner: Oh? I'm impressed. Quite a feat for someone new to the planet. James: It’s really all about who you know. I mean, everything has a benefit if you look for it. Take for instance this dinner we are having. I not only get your wonderful company, but it gives my rivals pause about how well connected I really am with the Federation sector commander. Turner: ::frowning:: Oh, so I'm just a token to boost your prestige? oO I figured as much, but I never figured you to be honest about it.Oo Who are you trying to impress? James: Not at all! I did not ask you out for prestige, I asked you out because I think you're the most gorgeous woman on the planet and I could not live without a moment or two of your time. Velitha: =/\= You’re making me sick, Harry. =/\= Turner: ::hiding an eye roll:: oO Oh, brother. Who does he think he is kidding? Oo :: James did not change his expression from the voice reverberating in his head. He had second thoughts about having his security on standby. Velitha was being inordinately nosey. Jealousy perhaps? :: Turner: Oh, do tell me more. It's been a long time since anyone noticed that I'm anything more than a Fleet Captain. :: The Maitre’d returned with the champagne and lemon water and placed them down on the table. She also gave them a half loaf of freshly cook italian bread and creamy churned butter. :: Okeva: Compliments of the owners. :: James looked across to the see the two brothers, in their fancy clothes looking at them greedily. Harrington gave them a solid look and they quickly went on their way. After all, they were merchants and he was a pirate. Not that he would admit that to anyone. Okeva: Are you ready to order? James: I’ll have the fettuccine alfredo with aldebaran chicken. :: Okeva quickly scribbled it down and turned to Toni. :: Turner: ::closing the menu and giving it to Okeva:: I think I'll have the same. ::Okeva left to put in their order, and Toni leaned toward James:: You seem to have discerning taste for good food, so I figured you'd order the best dishes on the menu. ::It was pure flattery that made her say that to him. If he could shoot the bull with her, she'd show him that he had met his match.:: James: Why thank you. I try. Turner: So tell me about your business concern ::as though she believed it was on the up and up::. Surely a man in your position does more than deliver supplies to the Resort. James: My position? You flatter me, Antonia. I’m a simple merchant. I get jobs where I can. I have a nice bit of money put to the side and a few perks. I still have to make a living. It’s having company like you that makes these trips worth while. Turner: oO This man has got to be in love with the sound of his voice. He says a lot, but it all comes back to one thing. Maybe I’m looking at this wrong. Could he be trying to seduce me? If so, I wonder why, after all I did send the Orion Syndicate after him. Perhaps a trophy? No doubt he has been around a few blocks, and has quite a few. Oo Have you ever been married? :: James about choked on his champagne at the direct question. Toni Turner was good at playing the game. Very few people could catch him off guard. :: James: ::wiping mouth:: excuse me, married? Turner: Yes, married. Seems of man who travels as much as you, should have ran into at least one woman who would have captured your heart enough to marry. James: Well...to tell the truth, I was married once...a long time ago. Long story, sad ending, but I want to talk about you. How does one so beautiful become a Fleet Captain? Turner: ::Answering with one of his answers, she smiled.:: It’s really all about who you know. I mean, everything has a benefit if you look for it. :: Their food arrived and they began to eat. The conversation was sporadic, but the verbal fencing continued subtly and pointedly. As their meal came to a close, James stood. :: James: I have had a wonderful time, Antonia. You are a magnificent conversationalist. Shall I get your bodyguards for you? You do realize your marines stand out like sore thumbs here. Turner: ::Rising as he took her hand:: Of course they do. They are exceptional in their work. Surely you expected a Fleet Captain to be protected, especially after the recent assassination attempts. ::And there it was out in the open. If he had anything to do with them, it would surely show in his face, but instead she saw only a glimmer of shock.:: James: I did not realize there was a second assassin. I’m glad you are okay. I hope you had a great time. Turner: Actually, I had a wonderful time too. Would you care to escort me to my vehicle? :: Surprised at the offer, Harrington stood and offered his arm to Toni. Walking her towards the elevator (and making sure to give a grin to her bodyguards), they rode down in silence. As he opened the door and allowed her to enter, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. :: James: I shall miss you, Antonia. Until we meet again. Turner: Possibly... Good night, Captain James. ::Dade started the vehicle, and drove away. She looked at Dade through the rear view mirror, and felt a pang of guilt. She didn't know why she should feel guilty exactly. Maybe it was because she had enjoyed it. Maybe it was the element of danger James represented, or was it his charm. He reminded her of someone, and no matter what had made her hunger for the warmth of a kiss, she knew it wasn't his kiss that she desired.:: Turner: ::very quietly:: I wish he was, but there will never be another Heath. JP by... PNPC Captain Harrington James SS Lady Adventure As Simmed by... Commander Nugra Chief Intelligence Officer USS Thunder-A Embassy, Duronis II & Fleet Captain Toni Turner Commanding Officer Embassy Duronis II - USS Thunder NCC - 70605-A

Welcome back!

((USS Tomcat 1 January 2391 - Alternate Reality)) ::Just over a year has passed since the Federation forces began a fighting retreat, and the Special Operations Units of the Federation did one extraction after another now those remaining forces gathered and restocked what they could out at Wolf 359. Word came in that Earth was under attack and unlike the Breen attack in the First Dominion war, the Dominion went past the ethical line and launched two Anti-matter warheads on Starfleet instillations one in Paris the other on SFA. That was last year in December and the anti-matter bombs had the explosive yield of 50 times of any Terran nuclear warhead used in their third world war and the mushroom clouds could still be seen from orbit. All this was watched via long range probes. Those human crewmembers shocked by the barbarity wept, even the aliens thought it distasteful and the Klingon’s dishonourable. Now Somers Soldiers were gathered in the Tomcats flight bay as Alex addressed them, standing beside her in a strange prototype EVA Combat suit was Donovan.:: A. Somers: Over the past months we have all trained on archaic weapons, the type my ancestors used. This was not because we were running low on Phasers, not this is because we will be reinforcing the troops defending SFA. Also the Dominion flooded the earth’s atmosphere with an altered radiogenic isotope which nullifies all but Dominion and Breen energy weapons ::she said then looked at the Klingon’s:: I know in such instances Klingon’s like to use their blades, but this ::she said holding up the weapon.:: is the Semi-automatic rifle designated the M45. Marine: What ammunition does it use? ::one of the Marines that once served on Duronis II asked.:: A. Somers: Armour piercing 7.62mm by old school human measurements, you have all trained on these and know they kick back, also as your side-arm the L52 has .70mm armour piercing rounds. The M45 has a sixty round manual load magazine, while the L52 a 20 round manual load. These will be your weapons and for those of you who are snipers you will also carry the standard issue TR-116 rifle, they have been modified for our type of use. ::she responded and murmurs rose.:: Yes for those aliens among us, you are about to see the gritty side of us human’s and by now you have had a taste of the type of violent past we came from, we are returning to such an event.:: ::She paused and Donovan took over as she removed her helmet, her hair was up in a tight bun.:: Donovan: Late last year when we returned back to the Tomcat after lifting off from Duronis II Captain Somers was called to the bridge. Here she was told about this prototype EVA suit, all of you will get one. Also it is packed with Marine gadgets along with this suite I am modelling we will be delivered down to the Academy in drop pods, make sure we take our battle standard with us. This is it people earth is where we make our last stand ::Donovan said doing a status check on her suit.:: A. Somers: Okay the fleet will be jumping off in twenty, be fully kitted out in ten and bring as many grenades as you can carry, we will not be coming back and this time is kill or be killed, DISMISSED ::Alex said and the troops moved off to get ready.:: Donovan: ::Donovan walked up to Alex as she began to get into her suit.:: Alex you look kind of pale A. Somers: I have never liked drop pods. Donovan: Never knew you had an issue with tight spaces? ::she asked.:: A. Somers: I did’nt until the Dominion alliance attacked and we spent six months in that [...] tight room ::Alex said referring to the mission they were on against rogue Section 31/Tal’shiar agents on planet Haven, they had just completed the mission when the Dominion attacked just two days later.:: Donovan: Take your frustrations out on the enemy A. Somers: I intend to ::Alex said and sealed her suit up:: Okay lets stock up on ammo ::she said and both walked to the armoury.:: ((Earth Orbit/San Francisco 15 Jan 2391 Starfleet Academy)) ::Fourteen days later after much planning what remained of the Federation/Klingon Fleets now merged into one dropped into Sol system with Phasers firing, taking the Dominion forces initially by surprise. The enemy troop transports exploded first and flying in a V formation two Klingon Bird of Preys on her port and two Defiant classes on her starboard flank dived in at a particular point, they had a task, get the Tomcat within drop pod range. On the Tomcat the Somers Renegades waited for the word.:: J. Somers: =/\= Combat troops saddle up, drop zone in five, bridge out =/\= ::the ships Commander said.:: A. Somers: ::Whirling her hand in the air as she whistled:: YOU HEARD THEW ORDERS, LETS GO ::she shouted above the noise.:: ::All troops put their helmets on and sealed them up and then entered their pods, if Alex was edgy about the things, Donovan wondered what the Klingon’s were feeling.:: ((Academy grounds – Earth)) ::The defenders looked up as sonic booms were heard, this was followed by what looked like meteors, but they could not have been as their descent was controlled. Shortly a loud thud was heard as the Pods hit. The defenders looked behind them at the smoke rising and there was lights in it and like green and grey wraiths forty-eight suited figures emerged, weapons firing, the defenders who were not looking returned to firing on the charging enemy as an enemy energy plasma cannon fired at their direction.:: A. Somers: ::activating two way links so others could hear her and she them:: Okay MACOs set up a defensive perimeter and show the colours ::Alex said.:: ::The leader of the beleaguered defenders saw the SAS emblem on the suits and the name and rank, then looked up at the Units banner flapping in the breeze. Unlike the new arrivals the Academy defenders did not have EVA suits.:: Jansen: Commodore Jansen, you are? ::the leader asked.:: A. Somers: ::she turned her whole body to face him as the enemy in an uncharacteristically move retreated for now.:: Marine Captain Alexandria Somers, 2nd SAS MACO, pleased to meet you and we are your reinforcements ::she said.:: Jansen: Only four dozen of you!!! ::he exclaimed.:: Donovan: First Lieutenant Donovan ::S’arila said introducing herself as she spoke:: we have been fighting retreat battles a long time there was a lot more of us, but attrition, those of us that remain are worthy of any regiment and we have nothing to lose ::she said.:: Jansen: Your lives, you want to die? ::he asked surprised.:: Donovan: Death comes to us all Commodore ::pause:: and if ones stares to long into the abyss, the abyss stares back ::she said using an edited quote of Friedrich Nietzsche .:: A. Somers: Ahem… ::clearing her throat:: Please our arrival startled the enemy, it is probably our reputation, but they will be back and in greater numbers ::Alex said and as if on cue Jem’ hadar and Breen began a renewed attack.:: Jansen: FIRE!! ::he ordered and all the defenders opened fire.:: ::By this time the enemy had gotten used to the combustible weapons Starfleet used, but the MACOs used different weapons. Where the defenders all used TR-116 rifles, these used more powerful weapons.:: A. Somers: One shot kills people, conserve ammo ::Alex ordered this meant headshots.:: ((Space – USS Tomcat)) ::Jasmine’s ship acquitted itself well, after its initial task it joined the rest of the fleet along with its wingmen, all four had went the way of the warrior, now the Tomcat was alone and badly damaged, when a call came in.:: Donovan: =/\= Second SAS to any ships need artillery taking out =/\= J. Somers: =/\= confirmed, send cords =/\= ::Jasmine said as the helm officer broke off from the assault and headed planetward.:: ::The Tomcat was in bad shape, most of her bridge crew were dead, all that remained was the helm, Tactical and Comms Officers with Jasmine in the center.:: Comms: Coordinates received Captain J. Somers: ::Looking at the Tactical Officer:: target that location ::she said.:: Tactical: ::The officer looked back apologetically:: Weapons are gone, no torpedoes remain ::he said.:: J. Somers: ::Leaning forward:: Fleet status? Comms: All destroyed Sir. J. Somers: [...] ::pause:: Okay all power to shields and impulse engines, take from all systems life support and weapons and give me ramming speed ::she ordered making a grabbing gesture as she pulled a closed fist back towards her.:: Helm: Aye Captain. J. Somers: Comms open a Starfleet wide hail and give me full voice ::she ordered as the ship began to enter earths atmosphere, Jasmine began to recite a poem called Invictus by William Ernest Henley.:: =/\=Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. =/\= ((Starfleet Academy – Same time)) ::The defenders during a lull looked up to see a streaking comet, they knew who it was as the flames vanished to show a battle scarred Akira hull and all heard the poem and knew which ship it came from as the Akira Class rammed the Dominion assault battery, taking out a good portion of the enemy force too, the Communications cut out followed by static th3e same time the explosion happened.:: A. Somers: Rest in peace Cousin, you fulfilled your duty ::Alex said then quoted a prayer in her native tongue, the Commodore spoke.:: Jansen: An enemy Command post has been located near here, its has Communications and sensors ::he said handing the padd to Alex who looked at it and passed it onto Donovan.:: A. Somers: Take six men and take it out S’arila ::she said.:: ::Donovan nodded and took six troops two of which consisted of Klingon’s and two from Duronis II Embassy, the rest remained to defend.:: A. Somers: Ammo status? ::she asked.:: ::All replied anything from six mags to four, so they were low on ammo. She watched as Donovan’s team moved off.:: A. Somers: Okay people remove EVA suits, we will die where we stand ::she said as a battle torn Unit banner still flapped in the wind.:: ::Somers Renegades removed their EVA suits and resituated their bladed weapons, she looked over at Jensen with a look of fatal certainty, as the Jem’ Hadar troops charged again.:: A. Somers: You want to live forever Commodore ::she said and stood, then shouted:: FOR THE FEDERATION FIRE!! ::hearing someone with confidence the troops too heart and fired with renewed vigour.:: ((Enemy Comms Centre)) ::Donovan’s team approached the building taking out the Jem’Hadar and Breen guards before entering, this was a simple sweep no prisoners and doing so they swept through each level planting spatial charges. On the top floor was a Vorta looking in the direction Donovan sent half her squad as a distraction, as agile and as quietly as she could the blade hidden in her EVA suit silently extended, she put her gloved hand over the surprised Vortas mouth and gave him a Sicilian necktie, he was dead before he hit the ground.:: Donovan: ::Signalling her team to advance forward, they met up with the distraction team.:: Okay every room get the doors open and lob in your grenades, lets make this a clean sweep. ::With that the Marines moved across the top floors taking out all hostiles and planting explosives, while this was going on Donovan looked out the window and saw Alex and her troops ditch their EVA suits and fight off another wave of hostiles, she took two troops and went down to the basement and found a door that was well and truly sealed, scanned it, then pulled out their most explosive charge and connected it up to the ODN cables in the nearest wall and set the timer.:: Donovan: Everyone out ::she ordered and the team left.:: ::They got a safe distance and felt the ground shake then heard the explosion which moved up and out. The building bulged like a bloated balloon before flaming chunks of composite material was thrown in a wide radius and the troops ducked and covered their eyes as the explosion was bright, all hit the deck as the blast wave followed by the sonic boom, which shook their bones.:: Soldier: Dammit El tee what was in that basement bomb? ::a Marine asked.:: Donovan: It was something Captain Somers made as a side hobby ::she said and the Marines looked incredulously at her:: The woman likes things that go boom, c’mon lets get back I will bring up the rear. ((SFA Grounds – Defence site – 0200 - 0550 hours)) ::All combatants on both sides paused as they felt heard and saw the explosion, now the Jem’Hadar in fury gave up all pretences as there were a lot of Founders in that building and their gods just died.:: A. Somers: I am out of main ammo, switching to Pistols ::Alex said, unlike her troops she used two Desert Eagle Pistols with extended mags and she was a crack shot with them.:: ::All too soon the other troops had switched to their Side arms, the troops that returned from their mission joined in. Too soon Alex had expended all her Pistol ammo as did the others and all switched to blades.:: A. Somers: ::Looking at the Klingon Commander:: Now we melee and die like warriors of old ::she said.:: It has been an honour Commander, today is a good day to die ::she said.:: Klingon Commander: ::giving her a smile that said “at last”:: It was an honour to fight by your side these many days Captain, I shall look for you in Sto’vor’kor, Kapla ::he said and charged in.:: ::Alex shook her head in wry amusement and pulled out her shortened Katana blades and staying under her Units banner she fought charging Dominion troops the Commodore had fallen before they had run out of ammo, she did not have time to wonder about Donovan as she was in the zone.:: ::A lull in the fighting and she found herself looking down at the Klingon Commander a satisfied smile on his face. Panting like an old Nag she looked around and found that she alone survived and the Jem’Hadar troops out of respect paused a moment, she egged them on and on they came. Finding energy from somewhere she sliced into the enemy with wanton abandon and she held her own, by the time she stopped she was the only one left standing, she did not see a large Jem’Hadar standing behind her.:: A. Somers: I am getting too old for this… urgh! ::she said and looked down to see a Jem’Hadar blade sticking through her chest, with life ebbing she twists to look at the First and shoves one of her blades into his neck, both fall.:: ::Laying on her back with the blade showing clearly though her chest.:: A. Somers: Today was a good day to die ::she said as the life left her eyes as they closed.:: ::As the smoke cleared around 0600 hours a Vorta and escorts arrives to see the sunlight, while not as bright due to the radioactive particles in the atmosphere, was still bright enough to silhouette the 2nd SAS MACO banner and below it the beam of light slowly crawled over the body of Alexandria Somers.:: ((Back at the enemy base site 0600 hours)) ::As she sent her men back to the defence line, Donovan did a combat roll to avoid a projectile, what she did not see was a spatial anomaly, how it got there no one would know or care. She rolled into it and vanished, the anomaly closed.:: Simmed by Lt. Cmdr Paul Sharpe Chief Tactical Officer USS Thunder-A/Duronis II Embassy