Rahman and Esma

I must say I really enjoyed how Amanda fleshed out the scene in which Alora and Roshanara get captured. It starts out with some humor and light-heartedness after they just survived a fall into the cavern before it turns scary with the Orion. When Alora answered the RESPONSE tag with a bloodcurdling scream, I could hear it reverberating off of my walls, too. Nicely done! Rather than just quote a bit, read her whole sim again with the missing tags filled in for context in its Top Sims nomination thread!

((Nygel II aka the Gateway Planet)) DeVeau: Ow. ::Her eyes still refused to focus completely, but they eventually condescended to doing so enough that Alora was able to recognise Rahman.:: Rahman: Ow is right. DeVeau: Ow infinity. ::Those blasted lights kept wriggling and writhing, which almost made Rahman look as if she had a strange case of dancing Venuvian glow pox.:: DeVeau: Dare I ask where we are? Rahman: We're on the cavern floor. Commander Ross and Dr. Saveron are above us. I'm not sure about the others. DeVeau: I was afraid you'd say something like that. ::Her entire body screamed, assaulted in some places by fire, in others by knives. Slowly, Alora made an attempt to sit up and a cry escaped while tears stung her already clouded eyes.:: Rahman: Don't try to move just yet. You took a nasty hit to the head, and I don't have a medical tricorder--or even a regular tricorder--to guess how severe it is. DeVeau: Lovely. ::She nodded.:: Rahman: The point is, we're alive. ::A blurred hand moved and the chirp of the combadge followed. Her badge. She had a badge. That's right there was a badge. Her fingers fumbled for it and she managed to tap into the conversation.:: Rahman: =/\= Rahman to Commander Ross. Are you and Doctor Saveron all right, sir? =/\= Ross: =/\= We're alive, if not exactly in one piece. What's your status? =/\= Rahman: =/\= Lieutenant DeVeau and I are on the cavern floor. We've both sustained injuries--possibly severe. I don't know if we'll be able to reach your location. =/\= DeVeau: We fell down the hooooole. ::There was a sudden almost irresistible urge to giggle, but at the first attempt to do so, her body complained. Loudly.:: DeVeau: Ow. Ross: =/\= We'll come down to you. =/\= Rahman: =/\= Understood. Do you see Lieutenant Zeme or Doctor- =/\= ::Rahman didn't have a chance to finish. As a flash of light was accompanied with the distinct tone of a disrupter rifle, Rahman slumped to the ground. Alora's scream reverberated throughout the cavern walls.:: Pasht-Nos: Quiet! ::Alora's teeth chomped on her tongue and she drew blood, but it kept her from voicing another scream. She winced as he snatched her combadge and proceeded to make the appropriate threats.:: Pasht-Nos: =/\= Commander Ross, is it? =/\= Ross: =/\= ...that's right. =/\= Pasht-Nos: =/\= This is Captain Pasht-Nos of the Free Trade Union. I'm going to make this very simple for you today, commander. You're going to repair this Gateway and secure my passage off of this planet... =/\= ::Alora's eyes crossed as they stared down the blackness of the barrel.:: Pasht-Nos: =/\= ...or you're going to have two dead Starfleet officers to beam back up. =/\= Ross: =/\= That's impossible. Iconion technology is thousands of years in advance of- =/\= ::Impossible was not a word that Pasht-Nos wanted to hear. He stepped back and fired up and past the walkway, showering Ross and the others with hot rocks freed from the cavern walls.:: ::Somehow, Alora managed not to scream, but she couldn't help but cringe. The motion sent more fire through her body and she had to bite her tongue again - that time to keep from voicing her pain.:: Pasht-Nos: =/\= This is not a negotiation! The Gateway lies at the center of the network of tunnels. Meet us there, and perhaps you will see your women alive again. =/\= ::He flung the badges on the floor and shot them. They were destroyed and so went any hope of communicating with her colleagues on the ground or in space. That task completed, the man focused on her once more.:: Pasht-Nos: Can you walk? DeVeau: I don't know. I haven't tried. ::Although she still couldn't focus completely, there was no mistaking the snarling smirk on such a sinister seeming.:: Pasht-Nos: On your own feet or dragged by your hair: either way, we're going. Now! DeVeau: Okay. ::The best thing she could do was comply. Keep cool. Try not to panic. But panic was what she wanted to do. Her heart pounded furiously against her chest as she tried to order her limbs to comply with her desires.:: ::Her left arm refused to move. Dislocated or broken? She couldn't tell and the strange combination of tingling and numbness couldn't be interpreted. The cavern swam as she rose, her motion slow, careful. Her legs complained, particularly her right ankle. It was extremely painful, but she could hobble if she had to - and frankly, she had to. She inhaled deeply, took a step and almost fell. Almost.:: Pasht-Nos: Stop stalling! ::Alora winced and lifted her eyes. Whether she was praying or looking for her friends above wasn't certain and she didn't let her foggy gaze linger.:: Pasht-Nos: ::laughs:: He can't help you now. Let's move! ::She had to focus, had to move had to...nausea gripped her and it took almost everything she had to keep from heaving. Despite her attempt, bile rose to her mouth though she managed to choke it down as she began to hobble while escorted by her captor.:: Lt. JG. Alora DeVeau Science Officer and Captive USS Mercury

The answers you seek: http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php?/topic/6793-displaying-your-ribbons-and-awards/

Also, in regards to [show/Hide], those are often created with collapsible tables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Collapsing If you don't want the table border, you'd set the border to 0. More on table formating here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Table Finally, you asked about quote bars. I've imported the wikipedia template quote box to the 118 wiki: http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Quote_box which can create quote boxes such as seen here: http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Rahman,_Roshanara/Relationships The documentation on how to use it is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Quote_box

Don't forget! The 118Wiki follows pretty much the same markup language as wikipedia, so the extensive tutorials for that wiki as well as for other wikis available on the web often apply to our wiki. For instance, here's a good guide to images that answers your questions about how to place an image center, right, with an annotation, etc: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Images And yes, please feel free to copy what others do. It's the best way to learn how to edit on the wiki. That said, just two issues I see frequently: 1) Please use "class=toc" instead of "id=toc" in your sidebox templates. There's been a lot of copying and pasting of old character sidebox templates that still have the id instead of class parameter, and what that means is when someone clicks "hide" in your table of contents, it also hides your sidebox's contents. 2) If you have created a table and you are using the ! marker instead of just | for a row, you are actually creating a column header and do NOT need to put ''' to bold things or center alignment as those two formating options are done automatically for column headers. So for instance ! style="background:#0F4D92;" align="center" |'''Commanding Officers''' can instead just be ! style="background:#0F4D92;"|Commanding Officers

Well, I think we all know who Alora's Halloween avatar is going to be next year:

Yay! Mission accomplished! Also, I have to say in regards to this... Rahman actually takes her name from a friend of mine, who, yes, when he makes ramen noodles for himself, enjoys telling us how he's having a cup of his famous "Rahman noodles"... ::Groan/pained smile.::

I enjoyed this non sequitur:

(( Courtroom, Deep Space 10 )) ::And here it came. Harry looked across at Telaan, mentally bracing himself. For all Damos had known he didn't want to be here and didn't want to cooperate with her prosecution, she had still provided him with a few sage words of wisdom. ::"Keep your answers short. Don't elaborate. Don't lose your temper," she had said. Advice to live by, perhaps.:: ::Gaareth took a deep, relaxing breath before standing. He needed to keep his temper under control. He needed to fight this fight like a Vulcan, not a Tellarite. His friend's career depended on it. Starfleet regulations supported Kells completely in this matter, but Damos had turned it into a witch hunt. She was considering Commander Ross an expert witness and, as such, attempting to use his opinion to destroy Aron's career. Well, two could play that game. Sparing one quick glance toward Aron, he turned his attention to Commander Ross as he approached the witness stand.:: TELAAN: Would you state your name and rank again for the record, please? ::Harry gave the lawyer an odd look, but complied readily.:: ROSS: Commander Harrison Ross. TELAAN: Commander, would you consider yourself a career officer? ROSS: Yes. TELAAN: ::looking down at the PADD in his hands:: Looking at your file, I see a list of commendations as long as my arm for courage above and beyond the call of duty. Citations of your cool head under pressure, and a near flawless understanding of Starfleet regulations. It's quite impressive. ::raising his eyes to Ross again:: You hope to have a ship of your own some day? ROSS: I do. TELAAN: Is it true, Commander, that one of the primary functions of a ship's Executive Officer is the preparation and issue of duty rosters? ROSS: It is. TELAAN: Could you explain to me, then, how it's possible that you might have been completely unaware of Dr. Saveron's disposition toward his required duties during the mission to 83 Leonis-II? Did you not read his file along with the rest of the crew upon your assignment to the Mercury? Starfleet personnel files do still include personality profiles, do they not? ROSS: I was aware of his disposition, he was quite vocal in the briefing. But he also accompanied me on an away team, and though he didn't like it, he did appear to accept the decision not to interfere. TELAAN: I see. Were you aware of Saveron's clearance levels aboard the Mercury? ROSS: I was aware of his major security clearances. But there are more than five hundred people on the Mercury, Starfleet and civilian; I don't remember the replicator privileges for them all. ::He almost said, "that's for Operations to manage", but he had no intention of throwing someone else under a bus. Truth be told, he'd simply assumed that Saveron would only have basic replicator rights, rather that his Starfleet privileges carrying over to his civilian posting.:: TELAAN: Interesting. ::glancing back down to the PADD:: You have been married twice, is that correct, Sir? And divorced as many times? DAMOS: Objection! Relevance? ::Damos was on her feet, fingertips resting lightly on the desk. She was quite placid, despite the force in her voice, there was something in her eyes that Harry didn't care for. ::Smug. She looked smug.:: TELAAN: Your Honour .. if I may be allowed to continue, I am merely attempting to ascertain the Commander's moral fortitude and credibility; something I believe to be quite relevant if he is being asked to condemn the actions of another officer in regards to the moral implications of the Prime Directive. SHYN: Objection overruled. You may continue, counsellor. ::Damos left it at that and sat back down, still occasionally taking notes on her PADD.:: TELAAN: So Commander… married and divorced twice. Is that correct? ::Harry flicked a look at Kells, taking a breath and struggling to keep his face neutral. He'd expected a few things, but not that he would be dragged over the coals regarding his personal life. He wondered if Kells' lawyer had gone so far as to contact Sveta and Mary about the divorces — as far as he knew, the official paperwork simply cited 'irreconcilable differences'. ::He hoped not. Mary had never quite forgiven him. He'd never quite forgiven himself, either.:: ROSS: Yes. TELAAN: How did your first marriage end, Commander? ::Damos was staring at him, and he could hear her voice in his head: "Don't elaborate. Don't lose your temper." He released a slow breath, and answered the question.:: ROSS: I issued divorce proceedings. TELAAN: And the second? ROSS: She issued divorce proceedings. TELAAN: Can you elaborate on the reasons for the court, Sir? ROSS: We had irreconcilable differences. TELAAN: Commander, you have been subpoenaed and ordered to cooperate with these proceedings. If you will not answer, I'm afraid that I will have to insist that your ex-wives be subpoenaed as well. ::A look of disgust crossed Harry's face as he looked at the lawyer. Telaan and Damos were every bit as bad as each other.:: ROSS: ::Flatly,:: I had an affair. TELAAN: ::raising his brows and nodding in clear disapproval:: I see. What is your current role aboard the USS Mercury, Commander? ROSS: Acting Captain. TELAAN: It's funny how things work out like that isn't it? So let me see if I've got this straight. You expect this court to believe that even though you knew what Doctor Saveron might think about letting the population of 83 Leonis-II perish, and you knew that he very likely had high level clearances aboard the Mercury, you failed to provide any oversight to the team that he had been assigned to on this mission. Such a lapse in judgement would be very uncharacteristic of an officer with your service record, would it not? ::Harry had to unclench his jaw to answer, else he would have spoken through gritted teeth.:: ROSS: When you put it like that, yes. TELAAN: ::shaking his head as he turned to Shyn:: Your Honor, I move that the entire testimony of Commander Harrison Ross be stricken from record and not given any further consideration during these proceedings. SHYN: On what grounds, counsellor? TELAAN: The Commander may have served with distinction in Starfleet to this point, but he has also shown questionable moral fortitude in his own personal history. He has admitted his desire to advance through the ranks, and with Captain Kells removed from command he has received an instant promotion. His records show an impressive history of following regulations and besting his peers at every turn, yet somehow he managed to turn a blind eye in regards to a prominent figure among the Mercury's crew. Commander Ross is either incompetent or corrupt, and I'm not sure which one would be worse. In my opinion, the Commander should be removed from duty until a formal investigation can be launched into his own actions at 83 Leonis-II. He had both motive and opportunity, Your Honor. All I'm asking today, however, is that his opinions not be taken into account, and this case be settled based solely on facts and regulations. ::As Damos rose to her chair to answer, Harry stared at the back of the courtroom, unable to trust himself to look at either Telaan or Kells. He was being portrayed as a man delighted to testify against his captain, desperate for a chance to sell him down the river and take his command. It was a trade, a barter — his career to save Kells'.:: DAMOS: Your honour. There was nothing in that testimony that warrants it being struck from the record. As my colleague so kindly pointed out — repeatedly — the Commander is a Starfleet officer of particular merit, honour and distinction, as well as being present during the events in question, easily fulfilling the requirements of relevance and reliability. His appearance as a witness in these proceedings is entirely appropriate. ::She paused, apparently considering something more, then left it at that. Shyn dipped her head in thought for a few moments, before nodding.:: SHYN: The motion is denied. ::Harry grimaced. He had thought, for a moment, he had been presented with a get out of jail free card; had his testimony been dismissed, his entire appearance would have never had happened. No insinuations about his conduct in his married life, no tearing down his decisions and performance on the Leonis mission. Free to go with a clean slate. ::No such luck.:: SHYN: ::She gestured toward Telaan.:: Do you have anything further? ::Gaareth tugged on his uniform as he turned to Commander Ross with a look of grim determination on his face. He had tried to get Ross's entire testimony dismissed. Doing so would have saved Aron's career, while also sparing Ross's. Unfortunately, it seemed that Damos was out for blood and Shyn could hold a grudge. Now he was going to have to do this the hard way.:: TELAAN: .oO Sorry, Commander. Oo. I do, Your Honour. ::Harry grimaced, bracing himself. His bad day was about to get much, much worse.:: --A Joint Post by Captain Quinn Reynolds (as Kora Damos)Lieutenant Commander Isaac Bale (as Gaareth Telaan)

Sometimes, it's the simple things in life...

We're on a roll this mission with the one-liners: It probably doesn't help that I'm hungry...

Well, of course originally, many of the alien species in Trek, especially those used for only one episode, were defined by a certain characteristic because they were created for allegorical purposes, since Trek at its heart is about exploring questions about humanity, and one way to examine particular human traits is to push them to their extremes through these fictional species (so a species focused purely on profit and material wealth and another based purely on duty and honor). However, of course while this might be all right for a morality play of an episode or two, if we revisit a species frequently, then it does come off one-note and have unintended and unfortunate logical consequences. Still, I would note that later Trek episodes have since reexamined old and familiar species and have shown that diversity does exist within them as well, whether it be the Ferengi boy who decides to join Starfleet, the Vulcan who applies logic to tactics and security while not contradicting his pacifist culture, or the Klingon who gains a sense of duty and honor by fighting in the court of law rather than on the battlefield. If there's anything to be taken from this for simming purposes, it's to remember that characters need not be defined solely by their species-specific tropes.

The ever imperturbable Dr. Hawkeye:

Not the best first impression so far, I gather.

I found the mental image of the 24th century equivalent of the coin behind the ear trick--sorry, illusion--rather humorous, although I wonder if it'd be more horrifying in practice if it was liquid latinum that came out during such a performance.

This made me laugh much more than it should have: http://youtu.be/q5c8qTVq9ZI

More fun lines... Odd leave indeed.

I wanted to recognize this great line of dialogue earlier this month from Dr. Hawkeye:

This month, the Featured Bio Contest Team would like to shed a little more light on the process and the people behind the contest. As such, we'd like to introduce Deliera, aka Sky Blake of the USS Avandar, who sat down to answer some questions about both herself, the team, and the contest. Before we get to talking about the Featured Bio Contest itself, can you first tell us a little about yourself? My name's Deliera. I am Chief of Security on the USS Avandar, and I have been with StarBase 118 for almost two years, and for all of that time, I have never left the Security duty post. I am an Australian, and I am actually a music teacher IRL. How did you first get started editing the StarBase 118 Wiki? I started working with the wiki as soon as my wiki profile was created by the Challenger-A’s Science officer at the time, Yanell Delwyn. My first edit to my page was really just to fill in the parts that needed to be filled in. I did not know anything about the wiki, and I was lucky to keep it my character’s page neat... Were you familiar with using wikis or did you have to learn from scratch? I learned how to use the wiki the hard way: I was actually just cutting and pasting everything, and there is definitely no shame in doing that. Eventually, my experience with the wiki grew as I experimented with what looked good and how the links and templates worked and what other people did with their profiles. When the Challenger-A was decommissioned, and I was assigned to the USS Ronin, Commander Tallis–our commanding officer–worked with me to create what we called a "uniform profile", which was basically a template for a crew member of the ship and a sidebar template to use. We completed both, and when new officers arrived, I created their profiles and put in the templates. All they had to do was fill in their characters' information. Eventually, we managed to "convert" as many people's profiles as possible to that template. Besides initially setting up profiles for new ensigns, what else do you often edit on the wiki? I updated the crew roster, PNPC roster and crew history whilst on a few postings and even helped create some of the Mercury’s rosters. I have a little collection of my own character pages (around 20 PNPC pages, I think. Probably more...) that I try to keep up-to-date as much as I can, but Sky's immediate family (Sky herself, Sabor, and Faith) are the profiles that must be kept up-to-date. If they aren't current, there's usually a specific reason, whether that's because I don’t have the time, or something's a secret, or a plotline is still developing–there could be various different reasons. Why did you join the Featured Bio Contest team? One of the things that I really like about StarBase 118 is that there is always something to do, something to help out with, and there’s never usually someone saying "no you can’t do that" unless there’s a certain reason for it. The problem was, there was no team focused on character wiki pages – there are teams focused on species development, the wiki development, but I couldn't find a team that I was somewhat of an "expert" in–and I'm still not an expert in many areas of the wiki at the moment, but I do try my best to help. Unfortunately, I missed the very start of the Featured Bio Contest, as I was on a tour of the USA, but I received an email from the FBC’s facilitator saying that he’d like to use my character’s profile as an example profile. I said yes, and that I wanted to help out as much as I could, so helping out I am! What do you hope to achieve through the contest? I think the Featured Bio Contest is an absolute fantastic idea for those “wiki-geeks”, and I really do hope it inspires people to experiment with their character’s wikipages and to update them and add their own personality to them. There’s nothing better than a character profile that’s up-to-date, but more importantly, differs from other profiles in some way. All right, let's get to the big question on everyone's minds: what makes a good featured bio? Different people judge the profiles in their own way; thus, they’ll have their own different feedback for each profile. For me, a good featured bio is neat, updated, and has little to no missing information (i.e; no spaces with “describe this” still there), so really it’s about the presentation for me. Even a simple bio page that is just filled in with the basics but has a little “life” ticks the boxes for me, so long as they have a sidebar with a little color. You might come across a profile with plenty of information, heaps of images, and everything else meets the criteria, but it still may not become the Featured Winner because it’s not presented very well. You want to be able to absorb the person reading the profile, but not overload them with all this information in one area or a heap of images cluttering the page. So what's the process like? How do you pick them? What are you looking for? Team members have a look and read all the profiles that are nominated in the contest's forum. Usually, we look for everything stated in the selection criteria to tick all the boxes. If the minimum selection criteria isn’t met for some reason (e.g., missing categories, omitting the links to the list of awards and service ribbons pages), then the team notifies those who were nominated and tells them what criteria they didn’t meet so that they can add the missing information. Just by being nominated and approved by the team, a profile is a “winner”. A Featured Nominee automatically becomes an example of a good wiki profile and is listed in the table of Featured Articles. A Featured Winner (i.e., that month's "Featured Bio of SB118") is an additional step above a Nominee. To work out the Winner, all team members vote between all the articles. I, myself, don’t look for things in the selection criteria as all nominees have already ticked that box. Instead, I look for personal touches–how has the user presented their character images, how neat is their profile, how much detail do they put into each of their sections, things like that. For me, it’s the presentation and detail of the profile–it’s a really complicated balance, too. Too many and “uncoordinated” images make a profile look cluttered. Too much information in one section does the same thing. It’s what looks good, how they built up the profile, and what details they use, that tick the boxes for me. Are there any details you like or notice in particular? A good use of images to show off the character is a real soft spot for me. So is the personality and physical description of the character. These are things that “show” me what the character is like and give me an idea as to how they’d react to a situation, whether it’d be personal or professional. These are things that define our characters. Another thing that I really love is the very top of a character’s wikipage. The “opening sentence” of a wikipage and the sidebar of a wikipage. There are so many different ways these are presented around the fleet, and it shows a lot of different personality for me. A short description of the character’s name, rank, species, duty post and ship into one sentence, followed by a good image of the character and little bits of good information well-presented starts a wikipage off fantastically. Are there things you think people commonly miss or neglect? One of the minimum criteria to be nominated is to include the List of Awards and Service Ribbons links. Many profiles we’ve seen nominated don’t have these links, which is rather frustrating. You have an absolutely fantastic profile nominated, only for the profile to not meet one of the minimum criteria; the reasons we have these links is to show what the award is usually for, and it’s a shame to see it ignored. [Ed. Note: The Featured Bio Contest Team has created a template you can add to your wiki pages under the appropriate awards section that will add these links for you. Just add {{awardlinks}} and you're set. If you have any questions, just ask!] How do you approach your own bios that you write? Since creating the personnel page template and sidebar, I just use that. They’re mostly retired now, as its “popular demand” subsided on my previous postings, but I still use it for my own PNPCs and NPCs. So really, I cheated–now all I have to do is just stick two templates onto a page and fill out the info. But even with the template, it’s a *must* to have a good description of the character’s physical appearance, personality and family. Without that key information, the profile is nowhere near complete. In closing, do you have any advice to those entering the contest? There is no such thing as a bad bio. The whole point of the wiki is to add data–the point of character profiles is to add the character’s details. Writers can do this however they want, and everything that happens to a profile is completely up to the writer. The Featured Bio Contest Team gives advice and suggestions, and we show what profiles are good examples, but it is up to the writers, and it is their choice on what looks best. We'd like to thank Deliera for taking the time to speak with us. As always, you can find out more about the Featured Bio Contest at its wiki page or in its forum. Be sure to drop by and submit your own nominations for the next round!

Haha, the closed captioning includes both English translation and Klingon options. It's not Star Trek-related but you should check out their BAMF Girls Club video series as well for some good laughs.

Yeah, I liked that little detail they put in the episode: Although it was only an alternate future that ultimately didn't happen, as we are now getting closer to 2390, I've decided to begin adopting the new combadge with my character pictures that I create using the STO character creator. I just wish they would let you correctly position the combadges... Hehe, well apparently one of the real reason (besides of course the show's actual production budget limitations) was that the producers wanted Voyager to have a visually distinct look from whenever they later would show Earth scenes with Admiral Paris, Barclay, and the rest. I suppose a Trek way of explaining it was that Voyager wanted to save on the replicator energy, probably using it instead to replicate replacements for all the shuttles they lost over the years.

(Katherine's Quarters, USS TIGER-A) Sharkey: I WILL NOT! ::Cocheta slapped the PADD hard into Katherine's stomach. The Indian laughed slightly as she observed the expression on her face.:: Sharkey: You had something to do with this. ::annoyed:: I know you did. Lightfoot: ::laughing:: I assure you, I didn't have anything to do with it. ::still laughing:: It apparently came from higher up. Sharkey: Higher up? ::break:: Lieutenant Walker? ::thinking harder:: Darius. Lightfoot: You guessed it. Sharkey: What am I suppose to say? ::sarcastically:: What if I can't answer their questions? Lightfoot: I don't know. They are capable of asking a lot of very strange questions, according to my understandings. ::Mona leaped onto Katherine's back and began to pat the woman on the head with her little hand.:: Lightfoot: Mona thinks it is a good idea. (Later) (Dorsal Module) (School Room, Deck 5) ::Katherine entered the school room dressed nicely for her presentation. She approached a woman who apparently was one of the ship's school teachers.:: Sharkey: Excuse me. I am Lieutenant Katherine Sharkey. ::taking a deep breath:: I was sent to talk to your class today about life in the Engineering Department? ::The Bajoran woman smiled brightly at the engineer. She moved with grace and motioned to students seated in the room.:: Laeni: Welcome to our class Lieutenant...I am Laeni and this is these are the second graders on the ship. We're so happy you could join us today to tell us about your work in engineering. Class, let's welcome Lieutenant Sharkey. ::She began to clap and the students followed suit.:: Sharkey: ::smiling weakly:: Thank you. Laeni: Please, come in...come in... like I said, we're really happy you're here. The students are just finishing up an art project, but we'll be ready for you in two minutes. ::She let a somewhat sterner gaze fall over her class.:: Sharkey: Art project? ::Katherine observed the obvious disarray among the students. They looked like an army of pygmy soliders.:: Laeni: Don't be shy, no need to worry. Just here in the front of the room... ::She gave the woman an encouraging, sugary sweet smile.:: Sharkey: What ever. ::smiling nervously:: ::The teacher moved to the front of the room and then clapped twice.:: Laeni: Okay...it's time to put up all of your art supplies. Quickly.... we don't want to keep the Lieutenant waiting. ::A murmur ran through the rows of seats as the students began to clean up their area and then focus their attention on the engineer named Katherine Sharkey. Two of the boys, a Klingon hybrid and a Terran, whispered something to each other and then pointed at the woman.:: Sharkey: oO Watch that finger there, ridges. Maybe I should extract it for my collection.Oo ::When the desks were clear, Laeni moved to the center of the room.:: Laeni: Everyone, this is Lieutenant Katherine Sharkey, she works in engineering and is here to talk to us about what it is like to be an engineer. Lieutenant... ::She motioned for the Terran woman to take center stage.:: Sharkey: ::trying to smile.:: Hello. Laeni: Tell us what is it like, the day in the life of an engineer? Sharkey: Well to begin, it varies from day to day. You never know what to expect when you serve on a starship. ::The teacher tilted her head slightly as she watched a couple of students talking near the back of the room, her eyes focused on the them while she spoke.:: Laeni: And what area of engineering do you work on every day? Sharkey: I am skilled in many areas, mainly I assist in whatever area is needed on a daily basis. I didn't choose a particular area such as R&D, I like to keep my options open. ::break:: One day I could be working on shield modifications, another assisting in shuttlecraft repairs. Laeni: I see...I'm sure the children have some questions they'd like to ask. Sharkey: ::nervous:: Okay. ::big smile started to emerge on her face:: Go ahead. ::Several hands shot up around the room, a young Terran girl was the first one the teacher called on.:: Girl 1: Do you like being an engineer? Is it fun? Laeni: That's a good question Sara.. ::She looked over at Sharkey.:: Sharkey: It is like any other job. It has it days, good and bad. ::A young boy was next.:: Boy 1: Can you take us to see the warp core? Sharkey: Sorry, I am afraid that would require permission of the Command Staff. Girl 2: Have you ever had to fix the waste reclamation system? ::A funny look came over Katherine's face.:: Sharkey: oOWhat kind of a question is that?Oo Yes I have, on the Wheeler Colony during my time on the Ursa Major. On a starship? No. ::Laeni nodded, so far the questions were going very well. The class seemed genuinely interested in the engineer. She was happy to see her students so engaged in the process.:: Boy 2: Are you married? ::Katherine appeared shocked by the question.:: Sharkey: Am I what? Boy 2: Are you married? Sharkey: ::in a low tone toward Laeni:: Interesting group of students you have here. ::sarcastic tone:: Laeni: Oh, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it Lieutenant. Students are naturally curious... ::She gave a warning look to the class...:: Sharkey: Are YOU MARRIED? ::directing her attention toward the student:: That is a very personal question. Boy 2: My mother says that if a woman isn't married by 30, she is either damaged goods or has personality issues. Sharkey: Well, ::break:: your mother is a regular philosopher. Boy 2: No, she is a family counselor. ::Laeni looked at the young boy horrified, it took her a minute to recover her own composure.:: Laeni: Now Eric, I'm sure that isn't true... ::She gave a soft concerned look to the engineer as she tried to recover.::... did you all know the Captain is over 30? ::The class looked stunned and several kids gasped and laughed.:: Sharkey: ::under her breath:: Well that is another conversation. ::The teacher smiled brightly and looked over at a smart looking boy on the third row.:: Laeni: Rin, do you have a question for Lieutenant Sharkey? ::The boy looked up with a sly smile.:: Rin: Do you know the Captain Lieutenant? ::Katherine paused as she chose her words carefully.:: Sharkey: Hmmmm. ::trying to smile:: Yes, yes I do. Next question. ::quickly changing the subject.:: ::As the Lieutenant finished speaking another girl raised her hand and began yelling from the back of the room.:: Girl 3: Oooo! OOOooooo! Choose me! Choose me! Sharkey: Okay. ::pointing to the girl:: Girl 3: How old are you? ::She gave Sharkey a scrutinizing look.:: Are you over 30 and damaged goods? Rin: Stupid! Don't you know you're not supposed to ask a woman her age? Sharkey: Next question. oO Little brat!Oo ::Laeni raised her hand and covered her face, her cheeks turning a bright pink color as the conversation got worse by the minute.:: Boy 3: Do you have kids? Sharkey: No. Boy 3: Why not? Girl 3: Don't you like kids? ::Her eyes narrowed with scrutiny.:: Boy 3: Yeah, don't you like kids? ::There was a chorus of nods around the room.:: ::Katherine turned to give Laeni a very unpleasing look.:: Sharkey: Nice little.... kids you have here. ::The teacher looked at the woman with sympathy. She was very embarrassed, her face was bright red and she was sweating.:: Laeni: They're usually very nice... Sharkey: I'll bet. They are as deadly as a nest of Ceti Alpha Eels. Laeni: I'm so sorry Lieutenant...I don't... ::Just then another kid raised his hand.:: Sharkey: Yes? Roy: My name is Roy. Why is the word engineering spelled so funny? Sharkey:: ::nodding her head in a sarcastic motion:: You know kid, I've wondered that myself many times. ::finally giving in:: Roy: Are you of Chagga descent? ::Katherine looked at Laeni.:: Sharkey: ::looking back at Roy:: You are a funny looking little boy aren't you? Roy: Not as funny looking as you are. ::Class erupts in laughter.:: Sharkey: ::sarcastic laughter:: You have a good head on your shoulders there, Roy. ::stern look on her face:: Care to see it in the floor? Laeni: Oh dear... Please, everyone quiet down... ::Her voice was soft, but commanding. She gave the children a stern look which seemed to quiet some of them. She then turned to Sharkey.:: Laeni: Lieutenant, it was very nice of you to visit.... ::Before she could finish her sentence the room suddenly plunged into darkness. Screams erupted from where the children were seated, Laeni gasped.:: Sharkey: DO THESE LITTLE THINGS DO THAT ALL THE TIME! ::voicing loudly to Laeni:: ::The screaming continued, fluctuated, grew louder, softer and then became exaggerated. It seemed like the lights were off forever...and then there was movement, from near Laeni headed for Sharkey.:: Laeni: Who? What is that? Sharkey: WATCH THOSE HANDS, LITTLE ONE! ::staring in the darkness at the small figure in front her:: I should have known, ROY! ::The little boy laughed as he let go of Katherine's leg.:: Sharkey: Don't do that again. We are not that intimate. ::When the lights came back on, a desk had been moved in front of Katherine Sharkey and the children were on the floor, hiding under their desks, some still screaming enthusiastically.:: Sharkey: CAN YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT.....! ::motioning to Laeni:: THEIR SCREAMS ARE EXTREMELY PAINFUL! Laeni: Now class! ::She raised her voice to be heard over the loud talking as the kids began to get back up into their seats.:: Get back in your seats! You know we don't do that! I'm sure everything is fine... ::She looked over at the engineer.:: Sharkey: ::adjusting her uniform after it had been stretched out of shape in areas thanks to Roy:: I would raise more than my voice if I were in your place. ::The ship quite suddenly went to yellow alert.:: Rin: We're all going to die! Laeni: Rin! Sharkey: ::annoyed:: I am terribly sorry but I need to report to engineering immediately. oO Thank God for yellow alerts.Oo ::Laeni gave the woman a sympathetic look.:: Laeni: Thank you for coming Lieutenant, it was interesting. We're so glad you could join us. Sharkey: My pleasure. ::forced smile:: Until next time, ::motioning a wave toward the class:: I must be tending to my ship. Au revoir. ::Katherine departed the classroom without looking back. Never in her life had she been more happier to have seen a yellow alert.:: tbc PNPCs Lt jg Katherine Sharkey Engineering USS Tiger-A PO 3rd Class Shoodi Cocheta Lightfoot Engineer USS Tiger-A Laeni 2nd Grade Teacher USS Tiger-A Submitted by Lt Cmdr Darius Clack FO USS Tiger-A and Fleet Captain Sidney Riley Commanding Officer USS Tiger-A

I enjoy it as well. Perhaps we should form a Starbase118 group in the game as well? Maybe recreate some memorable SIMs or events from the archives as playable missions using the Foundry? I haven't really played much recently because I've been busy in RL, but I'm looking forward to the changes coming for the Free to Play launch. The game has changed a lot since it was released back in early 2010, both visually and gameplay-wise. I think they focused a bit too much on just combat at the beginning, so it's nice to see things like the duty officer system to differentiate STO from other MMOs out there.

((Bridge, USS Victory)) :: A way. They had a way home. Radi had stumbled on it by accident, but it was a way. Not ideal... not ideal at all... but certainly, it was a way. :: Rais: ... hell- only a few years after this, fifteen years or so I believe, JAMES T. FRACKING KIRK HIMSELF comes back to this time in a great big honking Klingon Bird of Prey! Why don't we at LEAST say "Hi!" and find out how THEY get home, which he most certainly ended up doing... there'd be minimal timeline involvement, we'd just have to follow them... or at least monitor them from a distance. Nicholotti: ::Quietly.:: We know how they got home, and trust me, we will look over the same technique for our own use. :: Vindication? :: Nicholotti: You know we can’t do any of that. :: Radi's fists balled in anger. He knew nothing of the sort. His black eyes narrowed at the former Marine. :: (( FLASHBACK:Zama Beach, Praxi VI, 2383 )) Zeet: You know what happens when you DO leave? You get your brain back. (( Flashback ends... )) :: Seemed that wasn't a universal rule. :: Nicholotti: Tressa, let me know the minute that you have something. Tressa: :: Swallowing slightly. :: I'm, I'm trying... Nicholotti: I know you’ll find it. Tressa: I won't let you down, Commander. :: Kali nodded and turned back to look as the Operations chief spoke again. This time, he didn't hold back. :: Rais: Go to hell. ::That was one thing she could honestly say that she wasn’t expecting.:: Nicholotti: Excuse me? Rais: Sorry, "ma'am", but are you out of your fracking mind...? "We can't do any of that"- You know what that is? That's rationalizing your way out of avoiding xenocide! (( Radi's imagination, Ohmallera )) :: A bright light, warm and yellow, flooded in through the window. Dawn? Already? It was not yet midnight... :: :: PANIC. SHOCK. FEAR. :: ~~ What's that light...? ~~ ~~ GODDESSES, HELP US! ~~ :: PAIN! Ten thousand voices screamed directly into their minds. Jhaan and Lita clapped their hands over their ears, trying in vain to shut out the cataclysmic din. :: ~~ The southern district is on fire! ~~ ~~ We're under attack! We're- ~~ ~~ Help! Help! She won't move! ~~ (( Bridge )) :: Radi's voice dripped with venom. :: Rais: Do you know why we have the Prime Directive? Do you know why? Because without it, our interference causes more harm than good, in the overall scheme of things- but you know what? There are times when you just have to say, to HELL with the Prime Directive, when the alternative is extinction! How does non-involvement help THEM, huh? When we get back- IF we get back- are you going to waltz right over to the Romulan ambassador's office on Starbase 118, look him in the eye and say, "We did what we had to do- one hundred fifty-odd Federation Citizens were worth more than the BILLIONS you lost- tough break! Have a [...] cookie! Hell, you lost your whole civilization and homeworld in one fell swoop- take the whole jar!" ::Kali looked to the man. He literally seemed to drip with emotions, mostly rage. She understood; they had the chance to save billions of lives just with the knowledge that they now had. Looking to the screen, and the blue ball floating in space in front of her, she sighed. They could save millions on her own planet alone, but that was not their job. It was not their place to fix history and possibly make things worse in ways they couldn’t even imagine. And he certainly wasn’t going to speak to any higher ranking officer like that on the bridge.:: Nicholotti: My office. Now. ::Her voice was firm, but soft and controlled. The crew didn’t know she would be taking over as first officer, and the ‘office’ that was hers was really MacKenna’s at that moment. But MacKenna was out of it, and for now, she was in the role acting or not.:: Nicholotti: Lieutenant Tressa, you have the conn. Tressa: Ma'am.. ::It wasn’t an expected break, but it was something that had to be handled right then. Kali would not have such outbursts on her bridge. Practically shaking with rage, Radi rolled his eyes and followed her into her office.:: (( Radi's Imagination, Deep Space 17 )) :: Rais lifted the emitter, placing it directly on the transparent aluminum of the suit, pinning her head against the wall. :: :: A dark, pleased smile came over his features. :: Rais: Long live the Vaadwaur Imperium. :: There was a bright white flash and Brockton's body slumped down against the deck, the faceplate melted in. :: :: With his work done, Radi shouldered his weapon and resumed the hunt without a second thought for what was left behind. :: ((Deck One, First Officer’s Office)) ::Kali walked into the office with the livid operations officer on her heels. Taking a moment, she made her way behind the desk and sat, steepling her hands and looking up at the still standing, and rather animated man in front of her.:: :: Wasting no time, Radi jabbed a finger at the Second Officer, barely able to control himself, his voice gaining volume and urgency. :: Rais: Don't give me that lump of steaming ss'raal, all that "It happens for a reason" garbage- you're PATHETIC. You sit there on your lofty perch, pontificating about non-interference, when you- YOU haven't lost a [...] thing in your entire, Federation-Fracking-Standard-Issue life, 'cept for that tiny, black, shriveled husk you called a heart. You know what I have to say to that? It's a [...] pity that Hirogen didn't kill you. I'm ashamed to serve with you and if you're an example of what it is to be a model officer then I am so *unbelievably* glad that I'm not like you at all. :: Images of that fateful day flitted through her mind. For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to share the pain with him, but a few moments later she was able to compose herself. The nightmares were over; and while the comments hurt, she was able to avoid responding in kind.:: Nicholotti: Is that so? :: She raised an eyebrow at him.:: Nicholotti: Cause I’m sure that you know all about who I am and what kind of officer I am. How long have you been in Starfleet? Do you even know what it means to be an officer here? ::Far too many Marines that she had met along the way didn’t.:: (( Radi's memories, School District, Northern Continent, Betazed, twelve years and three months ago )) :: The teacher shook his head. The child had a bruised face, cut lip... :: Teacher: Radi... another fight? Rais: It wasn't my fault! They said I was a psycho! :: The teacher raised an eyebrow, his hands on his hips. :: Teacher: So they said you were a "psycho"... and to prove them wrong, you bit them? ((Deck One, First Officer’s Office)) :: Enraged beyond reason, Radi bit down on his lip so hard it bled. :: Rais: How long have... I...? I've been in Starfleet since the Gorn invasion, I've been through the three wars- I've cut my way through so much blood and darkness I'm drowning in it- all so people can live normal lives. Everyone I know is dead, in a psyche ward or missing, all because I gave up everything to serve. I may not be an officer, but if you think you're going to lecture me on what it means to sacrifice for others, you don't want to tread down that path. :: He jabbed a finger at the side of his head. :: Rais: You want to peer into this little head of mine? You think you know what it's like to watch your entire life turn to ash as you gleefully cheer it on? Worse, you think you're able to pass judgement on *billions* of lives, billions of souls- those Romulans had families, hopes, dreams, ambitions- you synthetic hearted val'chak desanni mel ot al'charrem! If nothing else- ( FLASHBACK: After the Azure Nebula )) (( Radi Rais's shared quarters, USS Victory )) :: Radi's room-mate wasn't present. It was late, so he wondered where she or he was. Dropping his possessions at the foot of his bunk he had one more thing to do before he slept... :: :: His PADD found its way back to his hands. He looked up the crew compliment of a standard Romulan ship, like the one they had damaged. How many would be likely to be in the nose section... along with a brief "eyeball" on how many would have been killed. :: :: Radi asked the computer to disable the fire suppression in the quarters then lit eight small candles, kneeling on a single knee and praying. :: Rais: I have done a terrible thing this day. :: A pause. :: Rais: I took the lives of eight of the Children of Eisn. :: Another pause. :: Rais: I ask you all to consider this a righteous act... the women and men who wished to kill were, themselves, in turn slain. My soul is heavy with their passing, but I light these small candles to honour their sacrifice- much as I wish to be honoured if I, myself, am slain. :: He extinguished each of the candles in turn, pausing with reverence as he did each one. As each flame died he whispered,:: Rais: Forgive me. :: When it was all done, he picked up the candles and rested them on his desk. He let the wax dry before packing them away, stripping out of his uniform and crawling into bed. :: (( Flashback ends )) :: His voice rose to a shout. :: Rais: -OUR DUTY IS TO STAY HERE AND PREVENT THE EXTINCTION OF THE ROMULAN PEOPLE! If nothing else, we OWE it to them! They're PEOPLE, [...] it, we can't do anything less! Trying to get home is POINTLESS, SELFISH, and quite frankly you can go *straight* to hell if you think for one moment I'm going to be a part of this insanity! This selfishness! This MADNESS! Nicholotti: Very well. You are relieved of duty. Feel free to be [...]ed at the universe in your quarters. Rais: FINE! Their blood is on YOUR hands! ::Kali stood now. He had been given time to speak his part, and much of it she was willing to let go. Personal attacks, no matter how deep they cut, were often the result of hurt, confusion, and regret. He had discovered a way to save the lives that had been taken, but it was not something they could follow up on. He could blame her, she could live with that. She couldn’t live with the chance, however, that they would change things and billions of others would find themselves where they weren’t supposed to be.:: ::He tried to speak again, but she cut him off.:: Nicholotti: Shut up. :: Radi's voice dropped down, the blood trickling down his lip. :: Rais: Or what? Go on- tell me. Or what? Or wha- ::Walking from around the desk, she leaned back and crossed her arms. Even at her full height he towered over her, but it was nothing new to her. She used to command Marines that were twice her size.:: Nicholotti: I said shut the frak up. Now it’s my turn. :: She narrowed her eyes at the man again as if to drive her point home.:: Nicholotti: So we save the Romulans. But at what cost? What if doing that creates death in other places? What if we prevent the original formation of the Federation? What happens then? How many people die then? Are you willing to risk changing history and putting every living being in the galaxy at risk? :: Radi could scream at her. What could be worse than what had happened? Billions and billions dead... it was the absolute worst case scenario they had outlined in their briefing only a couple of months ago. And it had happened. Now she was saying, "Oh, but it could have been so much worse?" :: Rais: YES. ::Kali shook her head.:: Nicholotti: Well, I’m not. Time flows in all directions, not just the one you see. If preventing change to our own timeline is heartless and cruel, then so be it. ::Kali’s voice was calm and collected, despite the aggression she could see in the man. He was passionate about this, and it was that passion that was blinding him from seeing what needed to be seen. Still, the aggressive nature and his attitude was unacceptable.:: Rais: It's more than heartless, it's insane! If it were up to me I'd fix this- some things, some brutal horrible things we can let go, but not this! We have a chance to save so, so, soooo many lives...! Nicholotti: Which is why it is not your decision. Our duty is to preserve the timeline. History must repeat itself. :: Radi stabbed a finger at her again. :: Rais: Do you know what happened at Zama beach? I was there, Princess- a thousand Starfleet Marines died on her sands trying to stop the Gorn, died in the rain and endless night. Somehow, I managed to survive. But do you wanna know the truth? :: He leaned closer to her now, a hair away from losing control again. :: Rais: It wasn't the Gorn disruptors that killed us, in the end- it was the officers who thought they knew best. Officers who clung to their principles no matter what. Officers who were so out of touch with reality all they had were their text books and their vaunted education, they had no idea what the reality of the situation was, and if they did, they just ignored it. Officers who didn't even know their subordinates names, but were happy to order them to their death. You and your kind- you think you have all the answers, but reality is a place you're so very far from. Nicholotti: And you, I suppose, are an expert on ‘my kind’. ::It didn’t matter what she said. Like so many others, he had to speak his mind. She knew that he wouldn’t be able to be calm, cool, or collected until he did. It would take even more time for him to really process things. She held her ground, but didn’t allow the emotion that he showed to affect her.:: Rais: More than you could ever know. So, okay, things might go "bad" if we fix things. They might even be worse... don't rightly know. All I know is, they're probably going to be a [...] sight better. So you... you look me in the eye right now, and you tell me that we're going to sentence eleven billion people to death... I'll just say it again, so the number sinks in... eleven... BILLION... people... to death, because of your fear that things "could" be worse. Nicholotti: Got it. Eleven billion. I was there, remember? But think about this. If we prevent the federation, and perhaps even allow the Romulans a real foothold in the galaxy, how will things turn out there? How does this end? No. We can’t change things, especially things that big. :: Kali understood. She really did. Death was something she had come face to face with and it was horrific. She could only thank whatever gods were out there that the Romulans had gotten a death much faster than so many others.:: :: Out of all that had happened in his life, this was the most crushing thing that had ever happened. He couldn't convince her to abandon her course, no matter what he said, no matter how mad he got. :: Rais: Then I guess we're just as guilty as Nero is. We have a chance to end the genocide and we are choosing to allow it to happen. :: Radi stepped back. He felt numb to it all now, casually throwing up his hands. His tone became defeated. :: Rais: Fine. But I meant what I said. I want you to explain this- personally- to the Romulan ambassador. Tell him we had a chance to stop Hobus, a slim chance granted, but we didn't on your authority... because we were too afraid that things "could turn out bad for us". I'm *sure* he'll understand... Nicholotti: No one is getting any ambassadors involved. :: She paused.:: If you want to blame me for this, then you go right on ahead. You can do so from your quarters. :: Nothing mattered anymore. He couldn't win. :: Rais: Fine. ::Kali pressed a few keys on her console notifying security that they were required in the First Officer’s office. It took only moments for them to arrive. The chime on the door sounded and she turned back to Rais, this time standing tall and conveying the impression that she was done taking any verbal insults that he had to throw.:: Nicholotti: We have more than just Romulus to worry about. This could affect the entire galaxy and the many more billions, more than eleven, that are out there. You will go cool off. Then, you will talk to the counselor and learn how to control yourself before returning to duty. Rais: This is all your fault. You're making us into murderers. Nicholotti: I don’t care. This was your chance. Your one and only. Talk to me like that on the bridge of my ship again, and I will kick your sorry [...] all the way back to the twenty fourth century and a court martial. Dismissed! ::The security officers were there now, and they had stepped inside her door and looked up at her questioningly. :: Nicholotti: He is to remain in his quarters. He is not to go anywhere unless ordered by me or the Captain, and no one is to visit him until the counselor arrives. ::Kali watched as the security officers led him out of the room. Radi couldn't even stand to look at her. :: ::They would be down an officer now, which worried her. The crew was going to need all the help that they could get in getting home, but instead, she had officers incapacitated by hallucinogenic drugs, lead bullets, and now rage. Would it have helped to tell him that she agreed with the sorrow over the loss of Romulus? Probably not. If he hated her for this, so be it. Command was not always a bed of roses and there were bound to be officers that would dislike her from time to time.:: ::Making the hard decisions would do that to a person. It was something she would have to get used to, especially if she ever wanted to command her own ship.:: (( Radi's quarters, USS Victory )) :: How did it feel to be complicit in the murder of eleven billion people? Rais hurled his combadge into a corner of his quarters. Security watched the door, and by now he assumed his transporter and access codes would have been revoked. He didn't even bother trying anything. :: :: Oh, sure, in that way that frustrated, desperate people do he entertained thoughts of somehow sabotaging the ship. Of forcing Nicholotti and her smug little face to remain in the past... so they could fix what was coming. Hobus was hundreds of years in the future, but if they told the Vulcan High Command now, they might be able to stop it in time. Or, at the very least, have an ordered, safe, complete evacuation of the planet. Billions and billions of people would be saved. :: :: He thought about overpowering one of the security guards, taking their phaser and blowing out the warp coolant tanks, forcing a warp core ejection. The warp signature would be detected by the Vulcans, eventually, forcing them to action... :: :: Of course, it would never work. There were three security personnel there and, even though Radi was a former Marine, they were tough. He doubted he could beat even one. And, of course, the moment he was detected outside of his quarters (possibly by automatic process) they would have forcefields up and he would be transported to the brig. If he was lucky. :: :: Still didn't stop his imagination from going wild with fanciful ideas. He wanted to do something. Anything. Maybe he could pry off a conduit cover and force an overload in the... :: :: But, just like his younger self in the trenches of Praxi IV, there was nothing he could do. He was powerless to prevent it all from happening again. :: ----- Lt. Commander Kalianna Nicholotti First Officer Starbase 118/USS Victory And, SCPO Radi Rais Chief of Operations USS Victory