Rahman and Rivi Vataix

September 3, 2016

Quote

T’Lea: This from a woman that doesn’t even date. I am mildly amused at your attempt to fix a relationship, when you cannot even start one yourself.

Moonsong: Yes, I am well aware that I have no personal life. My patients do not look at me as a potential friend. Do I like it? No. But dealing with people like you and helping them to be at least content with their personal life gives me something in return.

:: Bullseye. T’Lea had proudly struck gold for a second, until she realized just how kind of sad the confession really was. Damn, she didn’t actually expect to feel sorry for Raissa. She toughed up and thought about going for the throat, but took a different, more honest approach.::

T’Lea: That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. You are more afraid than I am.

:: Honest, not soft.::

Another Top Sim nomination...

August 31, 2016

((Jolara’s Quarters, USS Invicta))

:: Rune stepped out of the shower still feeling like she’d just been hit by a torpedo. The images Lt Reese had shown her kept flashing through her head. To say she was on an emotional roller coaster would have been putting it mildly. She was torn between being borderline glad he was dead and enraged someone had done it before she could get any real answers, not to mention they did it in a way that made it look like she had gone ballistic and done it. ::

:: The fact that Laro had stepped in and destroyed the investigation before it even really got started both shocked the hell out of her and worried her more than she could say. ::

:: She was only half dressed when the door chime sounded. Grabbing a loose fitting t-shirt, she pulled it on while moving toward the door half wondering if station security had changed their minds and decided to pursue the investigation without the body or physical evidence. ::

:: The face she saw when the door opened made her almost wish it had been security. ::

Jolara: T’Lea… not really who I was expecting..

T’Lea: Me either. May I come in?

:: Rune stepped aside, one hand waving T’Lea in and the other brushing her hair back. ::

Jolara: Sure. Come on in.

:: While stepping through the doorway, T’Lea surveyed the lay of the land, meaning she eyeballed Rune for any changes since her meeting with “the father” of her child, or any hints of what might have happened. She seemed disheveled, and sweaty, or had she just taken a shower?::

T’Lea: So, how was your day?

Jolara: ::raising an eyebrow:: Totally crappy. ::sarcastically:: I am touched you care.

:: T'Lea let herself fall to the sofa and stretched out on it like she owned the place.::

T'Lea: Pfft.. the only thing I care about is that my handler isn't getting thrown into some hellhole gulag. Let's be honest, your replacement Intel officer won't play as loosely with the rules, or tolerate me as well you do.

:: Rune sank into the chair beside the sofa. She really wasn’t in the mood for their usual back and forth prodding. She closed her eyes, rubbed her forehead, then looked at T’Lea. ::

Jolara: hmph… Now, why would I be getting thrown into some hellhole gulag when I have you here to torture me.

:: Her sense of humor was still alive and well, that was at least something, thought T’Lea as she relaxed an arm across the back of the sofa.::

T'Lea: I heard a dead body turned up on the station. ::she slanted a look:: I don't need to know the details, mostly because I don't want to become complicit, but you're here and not in the brig so something went right.

:: Rune let out a short, not so amused laugh. News certainly travels fast. Everyone on the ship would probably know before the end of the day. ::

Jolara: I doubt you would believe me even if I told you. No one else does.

T’Lea: Try me.

Jolara: I did not do it.

T’Lea: It’s a rather interesting coincidence then.

Jolara: Like I said, no one else believes me either.

:: T’Lea smile was sharp and mocking.::

T’Lea: Did I say that? No. Besides if you had killed him, you’d be acting different. See, you have a conscience; I’d like to think it would bother you. What happened then?

Jolara: ::shrugging as if it didn’t bother her:: Someone high up in the Al-Leyan Council decided to take the body and all the evidence.

T’Lea: That was nice of them. Any idea who would want to do that?

Jolara: My mentor, Laro Susell… why, I do not really know.

:: At that moment, the baby kicked hard and Rune flinched. ::

T’Lea: Stop it. I know that look and you are not having that baby in front of me.

:: Rune’s face scrunched as she shot T’Lea a look. She took a breath and released it, trying to relax and ease the pain she felt. ::

Jolara: Do not worry. It is too soon.

T’Lea: Sounds to me like your mentor got rid of a loose end. You got too close, and Laro sent you a bloody message. What are you going to do now?

:: Rune shook her head as she adjusted her position in the chair trying to get comfortable. ::

Jolara: She has done terrible things but… ::taking another breath as she felt another kick:: I do not know. I saw her earlier. She seemed… different… ::another pain:: somehow.

:: The hybrid frowned suspiciously at Rune.::

T’Lea: Are those contractions?

Jolara: ::frowning and shaking her head again:: It is nothing. Anyhow... she said it was not safe for me to return home and I should return to the ship.

T’Lea: Isn’t that a drastic change from trying to kidnap you and drag your [...] back home? Or am I missing something?

Jolara: ::nodding:: It is a complete 180 as humans say. I still do not trust her and never will, but I did get the sense that something has happened.

T’Lea: You never told me how the meeting went with the father of your child, whatshisname. Did he say anything useful?

:: Rune looked down with a shake of her head. Her mind was starting to spin and she was becoming increasingly physically uncomfortable which made it more difficult to focus on what they were talking about. ::

Jolara: Tra’li Ramni. Not really. He seemed surprised when I told him why I was there. Said it was not him, that it was impossible. ::making a face, her hand absently touched her stomach:: Something about having a solid alibi. Being in a hospital recovering.

T’Lea: You do know there are other ways to become pregnant. He didn’t have to be there in person. His alibi may be true. Did he say anything else?

Jolara: I do not know what to believe anymore. Before I could question him further, he told me to return to my ship immediately and stay here. Then he took off.

T’Lea: And then you killed him.

:: She said casually trying to catch Rune off guard. It didn’t work.::

Jolara: I chased after him, which was probably stupid now looking back and why I am not feeling very well right now.

T’Lea: Well, obviously he knew something. You should look into his alibi. Find out why he was in the hospital. Talk to his doctors. Talk to the people closest to him. That kind of thing.

:: She got up to stretch and make her way to the exit.::

T’Lea: Or let it go, have your baby, and get on with life.

Jolara: ::quietly:: I do not know if I can let it go.

T’Lea: Understandable, they impregnated you for a reason. I don’t know if it was to keep you in line, or if the child is “special”, but either way you’re going to have a fight on your hands eventually. ::frowning:: Are you sure you all right? You look pale.

:: Rune looked up at the Romu-Vulc and blinked. The room seemed to spin for a moment along with an intense pain in her lower back and abdomen, and down her legs. Holding her stomach, she leaned forward and sucked in a breath. ::

Jolara: ::slowly shaking her head:: Something is wrong.

:: An annoyed scowl crossed T’Lea’s Vulcan brow.::

T’Lea: Why am I not surprised. It’s the baby isn’t it? It’s coming.

Jolara: ::a little scared:: Can not be...

T’Lea: Yeah? Well, you don’t get to decide these things. Trust me. I know. Come on. You’re going to sickbay.

:: Rune started to stand but another wave sent her off balance. She reached out, grabbing the first thing she could find which was T’Lea’s arm. ::

Jolara: It is too soon. You have to make it stop!

T’Lea: Hush! Now you listen to me you annoying little AI-Leyan. I am *not* delivering a baby today, do you understand? I do not need to be involved with your body parts ever, EVER, *EVER* again. Got it! Now move your pregnant [...] to the turbolift.

Jolara: I can not!

:: She grabbed Rune and ushered her swiftly out of the door and toward the turbolift.::

T’Lea: ::com. tap:: =/\= T’Lea to Sickbay. I have a medical emergency in route to sickbay. It’s Commander Jolara and her baby.=/\=

Blueheart/Rosalee/Kaj: =/\= response

((Turbolift))

:: T’Lea hoisted the woman in and leaned her up against the wall. She glared at her over her shoulder.::

T’Lea: Don’t you dare drop it here.

:: Rune held onto the rail with one hand and her stomach with the other. She gripped the rail tighter as another wave of pain stabbed through her. ::

Jolara: I do not want to drop him at all!

Computer: Please state-

T’Lea: Deck six NOW!

:: The turbolift took off to its destination::

Jolara: ::suddenly calm and breathing through the pain:: T’Lea… He is... not going to... wait.

T’Lea: I am giving you a direct order, do NOT have that baby damnit!

Jolara: Am very serious.

T’Lea: So am I!

((Fast Forward))

:: When the lift doors opened, Rune was lying on the floor drenched in sweat and completely exhausted. She could hear a tiny cry and movement just out of her field of vision. ::

Jolara: Is he.. okay?

:: This had been the second child T’Lea had delivered in her life. The first had been Admiral Toni Turner’s, and that child too had been male. Apparently, T’Lea had a knack for delivering boys.::

:: The hybrid had taken off her jacket and the wriggly little newborn was swaddled therein. T’Lea, the hardcore [...], had him cradled close, checking him over like a mama lion.::

T’Lea: He’s gorgeous. ::at the baby:: Your mommy is a big stupid head, but you’ll be just fine.

:: She moved to hand the child over.::

T’Lea: All yours. You owe me. A *lot*.

:: Rune carefully cradled her new son against her. Tears filled her eyes as soon as she saw his little face. Her eyes flicked up to T’Lea and the back again. Seeing Rune like that made the hybrid uncomfortable, and she squirmed a little in her own skin.::

Jolara: ::her voice shaking:: Just two more things…

T’Lea: Ugh. Really? Haven’t I done enough already?

:: She couldn’t have sounded more put-off if she’d tried. Really, she was just covering up her own emotions, and the memories of holding her own newborn. T’Lea just stared at her waiting for whatever Rune wanted to be announced.::

Jolara: Do not let them take him from me.

:: Right. *That*, thought T’Lea. Something told the hybrid that once Rune settled into the mom role, she wouldn’t be need her help to protect the child. But the Romu-vulc shrugged a loose response that kind of indicated help was there if needed.::

T’Lea: You’re so damn needy. Anything else, your highness?

Jolara: ::managing a weak smile:: Do not ever touch me like that again.

:: Turning back as the medics swarmed the turbolift, T’Lea slanted a look at the AI-Leyan, and then just shook her head and rolled her eyes. Bad joke received.::

….end….

Lieutenant Commander T’Lea
History & Archaeology Specialist
USS Invicta
Author ID I238301T10

-and-

Lt. Cmdr. Rune Jolara
Intelligence Officer - USS Invicta
Writer ID: A238909RJ0

August 31, 2016

Quote

Moonsong: It is not an easy path you must travel. Finding the balance point is difficult. You must seek to understand the rules you must live by and the rules you can live with. ::pause.:: Kitling, you have it in you to find it. You would not have be appointed Chief of Engineering if you could not.

Walker: Either that, or you guys are in more dire straits than you admit. Putting a madwoman in charge of the engines and all.

August 30, 2016

Congratulations and welcome to the fleet!

August 29, 2016

Jolara: ::suddenly calm and breathing through the pain:: T’Lea… He is... not going to... wait.

T’Lea: I am giving you a direct order, do NOT have that baby damnit!

Jolara: Am very serious.

T’Lea: So am I!

It's probably a good thing T'Lea didn't go into medicine...

August 26, 2016

Who doesn't love a good ol' Starfleet v. Starfleet brawl?

August 24, 2016

Quote

King: So... you'd want me to be there to keep the children from touching anything?

Core: I'd owe you one if you could lend a hand?

::Ryan locked eyes with Rahman for a moment. He questioned whether deep inside somewhere, the woman was taking a certain pleasure in this moment.

Yes.

"Oh, did you have plans, ensign?"

Del, Haresh, Belasi, and Thomas send their condolences to Ryan.

August 17, 2016

3 hours ago, T'Lea said:

It's a shame we never got to sim something between Rahman and T'Lea, Rich. I think it would have been interesting to see how that developed over time.

Who says you're not going to get that chance soon? Rahman's just been asked to get a museum ship back up and running in a month, and T'Lea is a historian, isn't she?

August 11, 2016

6 hours ago, Robert Falcon said:

As for "redefining the style", I have a couple thoughts. First: We've already caught a glimpse of the ship, and she has a rougher overall look than the original Enterprise. (Darker metals with texture, as opposed to the smooth white plating.) That may be a common theme throughout the show.

Second, while TOS will always have my respect as the one that started it all, it was VERY 60's. I highly doubt we'd see our lead female in anything like the TOS miniskirt. Depending on how long the series runs, we may see a few breaks with continuity. (I am not forming an opinion on this unless I have to, just giving my thoughts on what we might see.)

I for one am glad they're willing to "redefine the style." Of course TOS will always have a place in our hearts as the original Star Trek, but we shouldn't be chained to 1960s production values. If the HD remastering project showed that fans (or at least most fans) can accept new visual effects for the starship exteriors and so forth, why shouldn't we be able to just suspend our disbelief and let them show us the "HD" version of what the interior of Starfleet ships and facilities looked like or likewise with the costuming, make up, and so forth.

If more money and production capability had been available back then, we know things like the Gorn or the Horta would have looked different. When we go to see a play or show on Broadway, we understand that the sets on stage don't look as "real" as they would in real life. When they make movie adaptations of plays and musicals, do they then say we can't film in real locations or with sets that look like actual rooms instead of just a back wall? Of course not. Ultimately, we understand as an audience that the set dressing is just in service to the story.

We know that "in real life" starships wouldn't be so easily seen and lit up as they are in the darkness of space (nor would they be so close as they are depicted in the battle scenes of DS9). This is why when fans argue about how big a ship is and try to use "onscreen evidence," it's pointless because even the VFX artists admit they scale up the hero ships to make them more prominent in scenes (even those of the same class such as Martok's bird-of-prey in relation to the other BOPs). The visuals are for the story. They're not meant to be taken literally.

So if they want to redefine what the 2250s and 2260s look like, that's fine to me, just as a modern sequel or prequel to a video game made twenty years ago doesn't need to be beholden to the original's resolution/graphics quality. If they show TOS-era ships that look more detailed than the ones we saw in TOS, that's just like how the original A Night to Remember (1958) and Titanic (1997) both were showing the same ship from 1912, just with the different production values and capabilities of their times.

(More pictures here)

August 8, 2016

On 8/3/2016 at 0:52 PM, Ryan King said:

I liked the imagery from our guest simmer:

::Sophisticated photonic projectors, intricate data baffles and a lattice of dielectric force fields, all wrapped around one of Starfleet's own probes. It was a construct that wouldn't hold up to prolonged scrutiny, but in the heat of battle and with the Syracuse's already damaged systems, the bluff worked like a charm. Titus gave a satisfied smile as he watched the little ship take evasive manoeuvres in order to avoid a collision with something that wasn't even there. Meanwhile the Serpens slipped past unnoticed, altering course to detour around the mines - which, Titus noted, was a nasty little trick worthy of any space pirate. ::

Well, Rahman might not be a space pirate, but she did play one before...

July 28, 2016

Probably just a mislabeled heading then in the announcement.

...unless you were always here to begin with, and you didn't realize it.

July 28, 2016

Welcome to the fleet!

July 25, 2016

1 hour ago, Amuro McKnight said:

Spoiler

It was also weird to me that they wanted to promote Kirk to Vice Admiral, 2 ranks above Captain if you exclude Commadore.

Spoiler

Well, considering the last time Kirk was promoted in the Kelvin Timeline, he jumped all five of the other line officer ranks to get to captain, jumping two would show the Office of the Admiralty had learned some restraint...

July 24, 2016

Saw it earlier today! Spoilers below, but I also enjoyed it, even with its flaws here and there.

Spoiler

Having seen over and over the Enterprise's destruction in the trailers, I was pleasantly surprised to see the ship's destruction actually takes a lot longer and that the crew were making efforts to still somehow get out of there with just the saucer's impulse drive. Between the beating both the Enterprise and the Franklin endure throughout the movie, it definitely portrays Starfleet starships as tough and powerful (Go Starfleet Corps of Engineers!).

I know some fans have complained that the JJ films have depicted the Enterprise as always getting beat up, but I honestly felt the Enterprise shown in Beyond seemed even more resilient than its depictions in the previous films. Yes, she dies, but it takes a hell of an effort to finally kill her. And though she goes down early in the movie, it felt like the Enterprise was still featured for a good chunk of the movie with Kirk and Chekov's visit to the crashed saucer.

The motorcycle was all right, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been one of those hoverbikes that we saw the Iowa cop use in Star Trek 2009. It's not inconceivable for the Franklin to carry it aboard, but it still just seemed a bit odd.

I liked seeing the different pairings, though I felt Sulu and Uhura didn't get as much attention. I would have liked to have seen Sulu taking on the roll of "captain" for the imprisoned Enterprise survivors, and it almost feels like perhaps there's a deleted scene of Sulu, Uhura, and co. planning their escape/distress signal before we actually see their attempt. Also, those poor redshirts (and blueshirts and goldshirts! Given how big the Enterprise is in this timeline, I wonder if even half of the crew survived based on the relatively few we saw rescued).

Krall/Edison deserved a little more fleshing out. Getting to see the reveal of who he really is earlier in the film might have helped. I had originally thought they were going to go the angle of aliens viewing the Federation's exploration as imperialism and colonies and starbases like Yorktown as more of an invasion, especially with the line "This is where the frontier pushes back" and some of the interviews from the writers and director that stated the big question of the film was deconstructing and examining Star Trek and its idea of the Federation.

Instead the movie was about unity/integration versus divisiveness and the fall of a starship captain into madness after losing his crew and ship and feeling abandoned to die. To that end, I think it would have been more effective if Captain Edison had been mentioned earlier in the film, even without showing what he looked like. Or honestly, don't worry about ruining the twist and just show Edison and the Franklin disappearing into the unknown as a prologue (complete with a proper title card!), and then fast forwarding to Kirk's time.

The film ends with Commodore Paris mentioning how Edison had originally been remembered as a war hero, but we didn't hear about that at all until then, so the film feels like for the first two-thirds it was about the Federation versus the rest of the aliens out there who might not want to be part of such a thing and then suddenly one-third a movie about the struggle of a former soldier to find his place in a new age of peace.

I still loved how Enterprise the series ended up getting so much love from this movie. Mentions of MACOs, phase cannons, Xindi!

The movie is a feast for the eyes, especially the outer space visuals from the space combat to the presentation of Yorktown. Seeing the Franklin facing the swarm at the end was a moment of awe, and I loved the unconventional shots like the view of the Enterprise launching from Yorktown, the ship flying at warp, and the construction timelapse at the end. The fight scenes and action inside the ship, though, were a bit hard to follow.

I know some are bothered by the Franklin being mentioned by Scotty as the "first Earth ship to reach warp 4" given that it was a Federation vessel that got lost in the 2160s, a decade after Enterprise NX-01, which of course had a warp 5 engine. To me, that's easily explained by Scotty's choice to say specifically Earth's first warp 4 ship, not the first warp 4 ship or first Federation warp 4 ship. I could see the Franklin having been built before NX-01 and then getting a new registry number after the Federation was formed and the Earth Starfleet was turned into the Federation Starfleet.

For all the talk about the revelation of Sulu's sexuality, I thought it was actually quite brief. They don't even kiss! It would have been nice to show Sulu and his husband and daughter spending some time together on Yorktown.

That said, I was surprised when I left the theater to see the movie had run over two hours. It definitely doesn't feel like it, but I can understand they probably couldn't have extended it any further.

All in all, a fun film and a great 50th anniversary celebration.

July 24, 2016

Apparently based off of an old proposed redesign of the Enterprise in the 70s for what would have been the first TOS movie, Star Trek: Planet of the Titans. The similarities with some of the other concept art, especially the asteroid space dock can't be coincidental:

But they've also now said the design isn't "final." Hmm... well, regardless of how I personally feel about the design, it is exciting to be talking about a new Trek movie that just came out (with a sequel already announced) and a new TV series in development!

July 24, 2016

NCC-1031

And for those who've seen the new movie...

Spoiler

surely I'm not the only one who notices a certain resemblance to the Franklin's saucer.

So pre-TOS/early 23rd century?

July 24, 2016

The most important revelation:

July 21, 2016

Don't forget to still use the spoiler feature of the forum in your posts as needed.

All you have to do is type something, highlight it, and then click on the eye button next to the smiley face/emoticon button on the message toolbar.

Spoiler

Then it'll be hidden from the "unread messages" feed as well!

Hopefully more joys than groans! Early reviews and advanced screening word of mouth has been positive!

Here's somewhat of a spoiler, I suppose: a little snippet of the score from the composer himself:

@sandiegosymphony rehearsing for Star Trek Beyond Live to Picture Premiere at Comic Con! @startrekmovie

A video posted by Michael Giacchino (@m_giacchino) on Jul 19, 2016 at 10:21am PDT

July 20, 2016

93% fresh so far on Rotten Tomatoes!

Quote

Critics Consensus: Star Trek Beyond continues the franchise's post-reboot hot streak with an epic sci-fi adventure that honors the series' sci-fi roots without skimping on the blockbuster action.

Final (relatively spoiler-free) trailer:

Woohoo!

July 19, 2016

5 hours ago, Tatash said:

WHY DID YOU POST THAT?!

I CAN HEAR THE DAMNED SONG, IN MY HEAD, ARGHH

Hmmm, I think my character's cruel sense of humor is rubbing off on me...

July 19, 2016

I still can't believe "In the Pale Moonlight" and "The Visitor" came from the same show as this...

July 13, 2016

Quote

::  It was a funny feeling, here she was probably dying and yet she was at peace with it.  All her life she had fought, and struggled, and raged against the world to survive on her own terms, to live under her own rules, but now… Now it felt a little bit okay to let go, to just surrender to whatever her fate may be.  Maybe she needed to stop fighting for once, and stop trying to control every aspect of her life, even if staying alive was one of those things.::

:: She wasn’t suicidal.  She was just tired.::

:: Della had been right.  A starship was not a safe place to raise a child -- there had been far too many times T’Sara and Gina had been put in harm’s way.  And T’Lea had been wrong – she couldn’t protect any of them.  Hell, she couldn’t even protect herself.::

:: So, here she sat on a rather festive tile floor, on some far away planet, in some alien home, drowning slowly in her own blood, and for no other reason than being hated for being a telepath.  It almost made her laugh that she was going to die for something so pathetic and meaningless.  She’d done plenty of horrific things in her lifetime, things that warranted execution, or at least a long prison sentence – betrayal and murder topped the list.  But the crime of being a telepath?  Now that was funny.::

Beautiful. And nominated to the Top Sims Contest!

July 13, 2016

((Adova: Arc's Personal Residence))

:: It was a funny feeling, here she was probably dying and yet she was at peace with it. All her life she had fought, and struggled, and raged against the world to survive on her own terms, to live under her own rules, but now… Now it felt a little bit okay to let go, to just surrender to whatever her fate may be. Maybe she needed to stop fighting for once, and stop trying to control every aspect of her life, even if staying alive was one of those things.::

:: She wasn’t suicidal. She was just tired.::

:: Della had been right. A starship was not a safe place to raise a child -- there had been far too many times T’Sara and Gina had been put in harm’s way. And T’Lea had been wrong – she couldn’t protect any of them. Hell, she couldn’t even protect herself.::

:: So, here she sat on a rather festive tile floor, on some far away planet, in some alien home, drowning slowly in her own blood, and for no other reason than being hated for being a telepath. It almost made her laugh that she was going to die for something so pathetic and meaningless. She’d done plenty of horrific things in her lifetime, things that warranted execution, or at least a long prison sentence – betrayal and murder topped the list. But the crime of being a telepath? Now that was funny.::

Kells: Hold on, T'Lea. Hold on. ::to the others:: We need med tech. Is it all back on Compass?

King: I’m going to check the surrounding rooms for any provisions we might need. ::beat:: We’re all dangerously close to being dehydrated. ::beat:: The Compass has most of the provisions and equipment we need but it doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to get to it in the near term.

:: Well, that sucked, thought T’Lea as she sat there and did her best to concentrate on her breathing. All that meditation was paying off. She was keeping calm and had slowed her heart rate. If necessary she would put herself in a Vulcan healing trance, but for now she was complacent with other thoughts.::

:: Looking back on things, she couldn’t blame Della for leaving, and she couldn’t hate her for it either. It was never hate that she felt. Anger perhaps, but never hate. The truth was that she would always love that stupid Trill, even if Della didn’t feel the same way. There was simply too much history between them to let their separation, no matter how permanent, ruin what T’Lea still felt, and would always feel for Della.::

:: After all Della had been there when T’Lea had needed her the most, when death was eminent and she needed someone to keep her Katra safe. Della did that for her, and thinking about it now, that was the moment T’Lea had fallen in love with the Trill. The moment she had died.::

((Flashback))

((USS CONSTITUTION - T’Lea’s QUARTERS))

:: The pain had quelled, but now there were moments of inconsistent consciousness. A feeling of drifting in and out of life. It was nauseating and confusing. The Vulcan hybrid was dealing with it the best she could -- with logic.::

Vetri: =/\= Vetri to sickbay - medical emergency in Lt. T'Lea's quarters. =/\=

::The call for help made, Della darted to the hybrid's side, dropping to the ground to haul her up into a vaguely sitting position. The Romu-vulc’s body was fairly limp at this point. The only thing keeping her sitting upright was a combination of the wall and the Trill. T’Lea couldn’t distinguish between the two, but her right hand tightly fisted a bunch of fabric from one or the other.

T’Lea: Who…?

Vetri: ::whispering:: Your cute as hell angel, come to save the day...

::They had an agreement, Vetri would come first when T’Lea called, but medical would be on the way. That left little time. Little time would hopefully be enough so that they could have their private moment together.::

::Gently, Della brushed the hybrids hair aside, and laid her lips gently against her brow, not bothering to try and hold back the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.::

::The sudden warmth against her skin rallied T’Lea’s focus. Her vision sharpened in, then out, then in again. She was seeing spots before her eyes.::

T’Lea: ::weak, but surprised:: … Spots, you came…?

Vetri: Of course, silly. We had a deal, remember?

::Deal. Her heart looked inward. What deal? At first she didn’t remember, but eventually after some searching, yes, she remembered. T’Lea remembered what they had been working on all this time, all those long nights together training for this moment. A lobotomy would be the only way she could forget those moments with Della, actually she wasn’t far from one. But right now, in a moment of perfect lucidity she was stacking her thoughts in proper order. And with fluid thought came a curiosity. Did Della mean that she was willing to go through with the Katra transfer?::

T’Lea: Are you certain…?

Vetri: I'm certain. You're not getting away from me that easily.

::The Romu-vulc’s grateful pale blue eyes slid down the Trill’s delicate face, following a particularly intriguing line of small dark spots. Her mindless gaze ended in a sliver of strength. With her body tensing in Della’s hands, T’Lea moved to sit more upright just as they had practiced during their nightly visits. This had to happen fast, right now or not at all.::

Vetri: ::trying to summon up some humor to keep herself together:: Don't want to rush you or anything, but...

::The hybrid’s right hand flattened against the fabric she’d been clutching all this time. Oddly enough she had no idea where that hand was, or if it was even still attached. The left hand seemed to be easier to find and operate. T’Lea moved closer still, barely holding on to the stoic, regal Vulcan poise as she did so. Another odd moment of brief wonderment over what the Trill was wearing and why her locks of hair were wet, flashed through T’Lea’s dysfunctional head. It was strange how these unimportant thoughts rambled to the forefront of her mind so clearly. The remnant of a Vulcan brow twitched under the stress.::

Vetri: Stay with me, T'Lea. I can't do this on my own.

::Face to face with Vetri, T’Lea tried to stay steady, tried to control her breathing, tried to summon the inner Vulcan to finish this. For the Romulan in T’Lea was nowhere to be found. Like a coward she had stepped away from the situation, unable to confront the emotional humiliation of it all.::

::Shaking slightly from the frayed nerves, T’Lea reached up with her left hand, failing at first to place it in proper position for a mind-meld. Instead, that hand came to a soft rest on Della’s cheek. The next precious few seconds were spent trying to form her fingers and find the correct points of contact. It was quite possibly the most difficult and most exhausting thing she’d ever done. Finally, it paid off.::

::Relieved, T’Lea dipped her forehead against Della’s, not for technique but out of her tiresome struggle. Next she tried to set her breathing to match Della’s rise and fall. Della made the change for her, finding T’Lea’s rhythm instead, just as they’d practiced.::

T’Lea: …assist…

::She didn’t even need to say it, it was already done. Della was holding her left hand steady in the proper position, keeping it from slipping. T’Lea blinked her eyes, trying to clear out the fog, but her thoughts strayed again as she felt Della’s invading warmth. It distracted, then enveloped, then penetrated, and then reinforced. It seemed to wash out the pain. The hybrid was starting to see through the haze in her eyes. Logic started to jell into a solid thought. Was Della sending her empathic support? If so it was precise and well controlled. But it was also speeding up her death. T’Lea didn’t know for sure…. She wasn’t sure of anything right now except the meld.::

::Drawing on the training she'd received on Betazed, as well as the lessons the hybrid in her arms had given her, Della forced all the fear and worry in her mind aside. It wasn't easy to accomplish, but she managed it, leaving her thoughts clear and calm, ready for what was to come.::

Vetri: ::firmly:: Do it.

::Her melding-hand rested confidently at the correct points of contact against Della’s face. Her voice, though labored, was as true as a Vulcan’s should be.::

T’Lea: My mind… to your mind…

::A pause as her eyes settled deeply into Della’s.::

T’Lea: My thoughts… to your thoughts…

::A bright, white hot pain started to slash its way through the incredible blanket of... what was that feeling? It was beautiful…::

T’Lea: Our minds… are one…

::Nothing. A realistic fear registered in T’Lea’s eyes and reflected back in Della’s. What if the malfunctioning chip in her brain had damaged her abilities?::

::Repositioning her hand with more determination, T’Lea firmed herself against Vetri’s body and started again this time with a heavier conviction. This time the Romulan joined in out of desperation. She took one lungful of air and spoke without taking a pause, or another breath. The words were the same, but the tone was completely different -- intense and rippling with pain.::

::Wrapping T'Lea even tighter in her arms, Della held her close, desperation clawing at her awareness. Wildly, her thoughts flashed through everything that could have gone wrong, all the possibilities that could have prevented the link from forming.::

Vetri: Again! Try again!

::Physically the two could not have been any closer. Mentally… A terrible feeling started to bore a hole in the back of T’Lea’s skull. It took all her strength to hold on to Vetri, to stop herself from shaking loose. She was sure she was bruising the woman.::

Vetri: Come on you crazy [...]. I've never seen you back down from anything yet, so make this frakking work!

::One last time. One last act of desperation. One last intense effort to establish the mind-meld. T’Lea needed just one more shot at it. One more. But before the next word could be uttered, it was over.::

::The Vulcan hybrid never finished.::

::T’Lea wasn’t holding her breath anymore. She simply wasn’t breathing.::

::Her head fell on Della’s shoulder.::

Vetri: T'Lea? T'Lea!

::Frantically, she searched for a pulse, a flicker, anything that would deny the evidence of her eyes. Breath coming in ragged gasps, blinded by tears, she tore at the hybrid's uniform, trying desperately to get her body to respond to the instructions her mind was firing out. Somewhere in her skull, a rational bit of consciousness was driving her start CPR, to try and get her patient breathing again.::

Vetri: Nonononono... Don't leave me like this! Breathe! BREATHE!

((End Flashback))

((Arc’s Personal Residence))

:: A deep, shocking gasp of air filled T’Lea’s lungs. For a moment she’d stopped breathing and had passed out, but she was back. Nobody had seemed to notice her brief disappearance. They were all heavy in conversation about something. She tried to focus and tried to listen.::

TBC

Lieutenant Commander T’Lea
History & Archaeology Specialist

USS Invicta

Author ID I238301T10

July 8, 2016

Quote

Rahman: I tried to warn you that it wasn't going to be like the recruitment posters… but you never listen to me anyway.

Del Vedova: But apparently I listen to posters.

:: And that wasn't even true, but never mind. He would stand behind her, and he would be the best at standing behind her. Yep, that's just what he would do, stand behind her. Standing. Behind. Her.

I can just see Del's face as he stands there...

July 2, 2016

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