Alleran Tan

Submitter's note: The mites refer to the crew of the USS Avandar, stranded on the planet with some restless natives. Additionally, this sim was written by Evanna Blackwood. ((Near the Mites expanding swarming grounds)) ::Idue was now heavily pregnant. She had suspected it before and had been unsure about whether to return to her people or not. She had been disgusted with them for showing such kindness to these evil mites. After they had killed some of their own with the red light and somehow put the others to sleep. It was some strange sorcery. The beast that had carried them here lay dead since the day it had arrived and completed it's bidding for Nonod, the goddess of death. :: ::Idue had known these mites were nothing but a plague, an infestation of their lands. They had failed in their great unifying hunt to kill the mites and cleanse their sacred burial grounds. The mites were too resilient but she had caught one. Her Circhev had helped her take down the mite whilst Tyrha had covered them. They should have taken the opportunity to study the beast and work out how to kill it. Instead they invited it into her home. The home her parents and Yathe's had spent much time and effort building for them as a gift so that they could complete their bond together and start their own family. :: ::Yathe had shown great disrespect to her and their parents by his actions. Treating a foul demon as a guest, healing it's wounds and trying to talk to it, even giving it their precious water. Idue missed Yathe a great deal but was not sure she could forgive him for his actions. He had favored it over her and spoken against her publicly several times. It was a great humiliation. So now here she was out in the open, roaming around the woods trying to support herself with no clan and no home. Without a clan she would have no support and would be completely vulnerable during childbirth. If she and her youngling survived that trial she would still struggle to feed and protect them both. :: :: She had observed the mites sending out hunting parties of their own. They were not nearly as quick or efficient in the hunt. It had taken a lot of time spent observing them but she had realised what it was that was odd. They seemed mainly to use their sense of sight when hunting, they did appear to react to audio cues but it wasn't that often. She had on occassion lost prey to them too. She would manage to take out a beast but before she could come down from her hunting perch to retrieve it they were too close. They would take her prize before she could claim it. Dirty, smelly, thieving mites.:: ::She had noticed recently an elder from another clan come down to the mites camp. The elder was always escorted and they always left some overlooking the camp. She had been close enough once that one of them had smelled her and called out to her. He could probably have smalled the change in her too, but she did not care. She retreated further into the jungle and left them to it but sometimes late at night when she was sitting high up in the branches or a tree resting she wondered if the hunter had said anything to one of her clan about it. More than was likely he'd have forgotten about it long before they even turned to go back to the camp but all the same Idue did find herself wondering about it on occassion. :: ::With the mites harvesting the local prey and the land so heavily it was slim pickings, they had no concept of living withing the balance of nature. They would have this entire region stripped in but a few seasons. Idue was hungry, she had seem some mites, one blue and the other with a fiery mane, stealing their food and putting it within the bounds of their swarming grounds. Several bushes and vegetable plants had been stolen. Idue decided she was going to go take them back. :: ::First she had to get passed the mites with the shells. She still remembered the way they took off a portion of their shells to eat, and how one of them had a dark colour. That was the one who had tortured the packmule. If she saw that one she would crack open it's shell with her poisoned dagger if she could. She had spend a few hungry days watching the mites activity. The shelled mites appeared to moving thing around a lot recently. She waiting until it was getting dark and sneaked in to the camp as best she could. :: ::She made her way directly to the place where they had hoarded their food supplies. There were a few mites going into some square hut and she waited in the shadows until they were gone. She checked her surroundings very carefully and then moved over to the bushes. She smalled the sweet flowers from their fruit bushes, it wasn't the season for them to bear fruit but the petals were good in a salve. They could help cuts, bruises, burns and a number of flesh wounds heal more quickly. :: :: She picked up the orange-brown root vegetable and brushed off the dirt. These were quite tough but if you sliced them and then heated the slices over the fire for a few minutes it softened it up and more them much easier to eat and digest. This wouldn't fill her belly just now. She sniffed around to see what they had, it was hard to tell as the smell of mite was overpowering, but she found something suitable. There was a bush at the back with a purple fruit. It was spherical and had a knobbly purple skin, but if you used your hunting knife to remove the skin the fruit inside was delicious. The skin could be dried, ground into a pulp and used for light pain relief. She peeled the fuit and put the skin in her pocket for later. :: ::As she raised the fruit to her mouth she looked up and saw a mite. It hadn't spotted her yet and she stayed very still, hoping not to draw it's attention.:: ((Opened the door if anyone wants to try chat with a native. If not I will have her leave again soon(ish). Remember natives don't understand federation standard. good luck. )) (msPNPC) Idue Native Hunter Simmer by Blackwood

Side note, this should be round 2. Thanks for the nomination!

Welcome to the fleet, guys!

((Cooridor outside daycare)) ::Davies helped Gilaars and T’tala sort through the equipment the security guard had returned with. As they organized the tools, two men joined them. Davies looked up, hoping these were the reinforcements he’d asked for. With relief, he instantly observed how small the Trill man was:: ::The Trill was injured, however. Davies frowned at the blood-soaked makeshift bandage that was tied around the other man’s head:: Tan: Ensign, Lieutenant, Lieutenant. What do we have? Davies: We’ve got a small access into the daycare. Gilaars: ::nodding: None of us can fit in that hole, unfortunately. ::eyes Tan's small size:: Hmm... Burt: I hate to point out the obvious, but it looks like the doorway collapsed. ::shooting a look to Tan:: Not many people are going to fit in that hole. T'tala: It is small but it appears structurally sound. Lieutenant Gilaars has prepared a small inventory of supplies. :: Alleran nodded again, reaching down for the rope and beginning to thread it around his waist. T'tala gave him a curious glance. :: T'tala: Your leg... you are moving with much more- Tan: Drugs. I am high as a kite right now. Believe me, I'm going to be paying for this later, but you need someone short. I'm short. Ergo, I did what I needed to get mobile. Burt: ::smirking:: Remember what I said before? Petite. But you probably feel like a giant right now. :: Alleran gave Burt a grin. :: Tan: No kidding, huh? ::Davies did not like the look of Tan’s injuries one bit. He really shouldn’t allow him to go - but time was running out. He could offer a painkiller from his medikit, but as Tan had already indicated he’d likely already had far too many:: Davies: Tan, you really shouldn’t be doing this... :: Tan gave the man a grin. :: Tan: If I go into cardiac arrest in there, just pull me out. I'm sure Doctor O'Hanlon can get me going again... if anyone can find where he is. Davies: Well, don’t count me out. I may not get as much practice but, ::he pointed to his blue uniform:: still a qualified medical officer. I haven’t heard from O’Hanlon. Do you know if he made it out? :: Tan shook his head, tying off the last of the knot. :: Tan: I have no idea. There's a lot of bodies on the decks below us... I hope he made it out okay. ::Davies just nodded. The situation was getting more and more grim with each passing second:: Burt: Well, we’ll just have to make sure you don’t have a heart attack, how about that? :: Giving a nod, Tan gave T'tala and Gilaars the other end of the rope, hooking the laser cutter into his belt. He gave the four of them, including Davies and Burt, a grin. :: Tan: Okay, so. Scream once for pull me out. Scream twice for pull me out REALLY QUICK. Gilaars: Understood. ::Tightens grip on rope:: ::Beside them, the older Terran who Davies recognized from Ten Forward started to laugh. It elicited a chuckle from Chris as well. It seemed wholly inappropriate to be laughing when a whole daycare was buried beneath a broken ship, but humor had an odd way of popping up no matter what the circumstances:: :: Tan held up his hands. :: Tan: ... sorry. I have a severe concussion. But I also have two brains, so it's not affecting me as much as it otherwise would. Still. I should probably see a doctor before sundown or, you know... die. Until then, drugs! Davies: Just get in and get out safely and we’ll take good care of you. Gilaars: Okay, let's get going! ::And then, like some rabbit, the man wiggled through the hole and was gone. Davies tried to peer through after him, watching the beam from Tan’s flashlight until it was obscured by debris. His palms began to sweat. Soon, the time for hoping would be over and all they’d be left with was either relief or despair.:: ::Then there was more movement, a quick beam of light from Tan’s flashlight followed by the last thing Davies had ever expected to see...the furry face of a dog:: Tan: Look after him -- uuh, her -- Burt! Burt: Hey there, buddy - you look like you’re okay. ::Davies watched the dog walk around. Amazingly it appeared uninjured, if not a little agitated, as if it wanted back in to the daycare. Davies assumed it was trained as a search-and-rescue animal the way it continued sniffing at the pile of rubble blocking the door:: Tan: Got one down here! ::Davies heart froze. He watched as a small body came toward the hole and he felt his insides liquefy as he recognized the unmoving, blond head. Ashley. He reached into the hole and grabbed her shoulders, laying one hand under her neck for support. He swallowed. She wasn’t breathing...:: ::The older man was at his side, helping him tug on a piece of Ashley’s shirt that had gotten caught on a piece of rough metal. The fabric yielded with a rip and Ashley slid into his arms. He lowered her to the floor, and shouted back at Tan while he tore into his medikit:: Davies: Anyone else in there? :: He just shook his head. :: Tan: The baby pens appear to be intact. They're soundproofed so I don't know what I'll find in there. Aside from there... there's really nothing left of the whole room. I doubt there's anyone alive who's not in one of those rooms. Gilaars: Just do the best you can, Lieutenant. That all we ask. ::sighs:: ::Davies ran the tricorder over Ashley. Her skull was fractured and she was severely hemorrhaging. There were just too many injuries. She was so small and there been too many heavy things beating against her body:: Burt: She’s not doing too good... I need to get her out to the doctor. I don’t think she has time for us to wait for someone to show up. ::Davies thrust the tricorder at Burt angrily:: Davies: I am a doctor! ::Not that it was going to do Ashley any good. He bent over her and covered her nose and mouth with his own. It’d been a long time since his basic medical classes and his courses on infant CPR but he remembered what he needed to do. He had to control himself from working too quickly, or too roughly. Her little lungs couldn’t handle a full, adult breath of his own, so he kept his shallow:: ::After three rounds of respiration he pressed his ear to her chest, trying to find a heartbeat. He looked up at Burt:: Davies: What’s that tricorder say? Burt: ? ::He pressed his hand to her chest and felt for the bottom of her ribcage. Half of it was crushed but he measured with the lengths of his fingers to find the location of her heart:: Davies: I have to try. ::He worked and worked. He wasn’t sure how much time had gone by, he only knew far too much had passed without any reaction from the little girl. It wasn’t until a pair of hands gripped his shoulder and pulled him away that he stopped. He leaned back on his knees, rubbing the blood from his hands onto this pant legs, catching his breath. Beneath him Ashley did not move, nor would she move, ever again. He reached out, his hand oddly calm and steady, and brushed back the mat of blond hair on Ashley’s forehead. There was no need for the symbolic gesture of closing her eyelids - they were already closed. He hoped they’d been closed before the room’s collapse and she’d been spared those horrors. Whatever she’d endured though, she was safe from it now. Her pain was over.:: TBC/Tags Ensign Chris Davies Medical Officer USS Avandar

::whisper whisper to T'Vek ::

Woo hoo! Welcome to the fleet, guys!

Woo hoo! Welcome to the fleet guys.

::It was a skeleton crew shift that walked the corridors of the Avandar at the hour that the Man of No Limitation silently and inauspiciously made his way towards the secured computer core of the USS Avandar. Normally, there would be far more officers and workers about, but it had seemed that nothing so exciting could be expected to happen before the nicely new Luna Class made her maiden voyage, and perhaps security was not as up to par as quite it should be. After all, in the rather chaotic moments right toward the end of shore leave and the final sign off for departure...it was quite normal to not recognize new faces, or even old ones, or to really have much suspiscion as to their intentions. After all this was Utopia Planetia...just in Earth’s backyard. This was Federation Domain, certainly no threats lurked about at this late hour:: ::But what stalked the halls at this hour was indeed quite a threat. More so than any would ever expect from such a “lumpy” and unassuming individual as he. However he was much much more than his appearances gave away. At his core he was every bit the wolf in sheeps clothing that mothers had warned their children on earth about for generations. And yet to him, he was a man on a mission, an illuminating quest and indeed every act of sacrifical worship he made along the way was his first rites to a greater calling...that few new of but himself.:: ::But tonight’s work was not one of death or “liberation of the body through suffering,” but was instead one of atonement, and in a way, mercy. A mercy bent and extended, as was usually the case, to one whom he did not fully feel was deserving of it. Nonetheless it was his duty to bestow the service as it served both his boss, and his Higher Master, whom he would no sooner fail, than smite off his right arm because it itched.:: ::As The Man of No Limitation approached the computer core’s secured doors, he kept his head low and his hands fiddling with the data padd that he was pretending to be absentmindedly working on, as he “accidentally” bumped into the guardsman who was protecting the area.:: ::The security officer immediately gave out a sound that was half way between a halt there and a whine of pain as The Man of No Limitation had intentionally walked full into him as if he had not been looking where he had been going, but had giving him a taste of the locomotive power that was hidden deep underneath his plastic surgery altered physique.:: The Man Of No Limitation: Oh my word...sir..so sorry...I uhh didn’t see where I was going...I just got so into this new data module and well...I’m sorry....are you alright? ::The guard recovered quickly but with a little less wind in him due to a sore rub where an elbow had been thrown strategically and intentionally to make for a rather unpleasant stitch in his side and a rather out of breath feeling.:: Guard: Yeah you should...watch where...you're walking...[...] I think you just about killed me. Where do you ...think your going? You better have proper clearance....you can’t just walk in there..willy nilly.... ::The Man of No Limitation immediately “grew nervous” and tripped all over himself trying to explain in very technical terms, all the while waving his pad before the mans eyes which clearly stated the work order and routine maintenance check on the corp, and since he was an engineer he was not surprised that between the mans aching sides and ringing head, the most cursory glance at the credentials was more than enough for the guard to lower the field and beg him to just hurry and get out of his sight.:: ::Pleading amenities and his lowly existence, he quickly shuffled inside just as he caught the guard mumbling under his breath “little twerp...think he broke my rib. The Man of No Limitation smiled to himself as he knew in all actuality he probably had done just that, if not form a nice hair line crack which would addle the guard for quite some time until he wussed up and made his way to sick bay. By then hed be in so much pain he wouldn’t even recall his name, and would more than likely be given bed rest while he mended...meaning, he’d have a fresh guard in case he had to make a repeat visit to the computer core.:: ::But the Man Of No Limitation was going to ensure that he would not need to come back to the computer core again. For he was here to grant a grace and a mercy, to yet another undeserving of such, for a grievous error of judgement, but he was not about to let him continue on making mistakes. Ensign Gray had really bungled things, and drawn far to much attention to himself, and was so unaware at how badly he bungled things, that he simply thought it would all blow over.:: ::But as He worked swiftly calling up the data and video feeds of “Davies Accident,” and erasing the data and tapes so that they were now only as eternal as footprints in the sand, he knew that that incriminating evidence that could be used against him now could no longer be found. Any probes that would be made of course would turn up empty, but needless to say it would simply be attributed to a glitch or some unforeseen circumstances in the long run.:: ::Before he had deleted the files entirely however, he downloaded their full contents into an extra blank padd. This padd, later when Ensign Gray was no where near his room, he would use his skills to infiltrate the mans room and place the padd on his bed with a little message that summed up the totality of his life: “Grace has been given, repentance is required, Much is Expected, You are never Alone.” ::And that is exactly what he did, shortly before the USS Avandar headed off on its maiden voyage, totally unsuspecting that there was a devil in their midst.:: ----------------------------------------------------- (PNPC) The Man Of No Limitation as simmed by Ensign Zonhar Counselor USS Avandar

((Main Holodeck-USS Avandar)) ::Alexander walks into the holodeck to create the setting for the evaluation of Lt. Cmd. T’Lea. The last time that he had to be in the this situation he had to kidnap her with the transporter for her phaser evaluation. Alexander was a little bruised and battered after that encounter, but he survived. The question is will T’Lea ever forgive him for that act? Only time will tell.:: ::Alexander walked over to the computer thinking that this time he will set the scene in a different aspect. Taking off his comm badge, and rank Alexander is placing himself as an civilian instructor. Programing the computer in a setting of a beach on the island of Guam. The air from the ocean has the smell of salt. The early morning sun is just cresting over the horizon. The wind rips through the palm trees, and small patches of grass. Alexander stands and looks towards the entrance of the holodeck for T’Lea to enter.:: :: A matter of seconds away from ending her shift on the bridge, T’Lea had been looking forward to picking up T’Sara and slipping back into the role of “mom” when a vague message to meet Mr. Matthews in the holodeck popped up on her data padd. Assuming that the request had something to do with running a simulation of the incident in the science lab, she left the bridge behind, and all hope of finishing up a few reports in her office with T’Sara.:: :: Eyes firmly set on her data padd, the Romu-vulc crossed the threshold to the holodeck, sensing but not completely processing the atmospheric change surrounding her.:: T’Lea: Mr. Matthews, what do you have for me? :: As her boot sunk into the soft sand it finally registered in her brain that something was amiss in her original understanding of this meeting. She lifted an unamused, but curious eyebrow as a follow up to her question.:: Matthews: ::Looking directly in to the eyes of T’Lea.:: Well, ma’am I am currently running the investigation of the accident, but I think this duty should be taken care of as soon as possible. T’Lea: Then this is business, not pleasure. Very good. For a moment I thought that perhaps you were trying to seduce me with… ::gesturing around:: … sand. ::a small joke:: I am still curious, why are you not wearing pips and communicator? :: Curious, annoyed, it was hard to tell them apart in T’Lea’s spectrum of emotions at this point.:: Matthews: oO If I was going to seduce you, trust me it would be much more romantic, candles ,a nice dinner.Besides I sure as hell don’t have a death wish. Trust me I am in no way going to mess around with the Captain’s lady.Oo For what I have in mind ma’am it is best that I am not an officer, or for that matter a gentlemen. T’Lea: Forgive me, Lieutenant, but what “duty” did you call me here for? Matthews: Your hand to hand evaluation test ma’am. :: Letting the hand that was holding the data padd fall to her side, the hybrid looked at him with a slanted brow. Her expression was teetering between boredom and temptation. The thought of pummeling a security officer was a delicious one, but to be quite honest with herself, she simply wasn’t in the mood. Oddly, time with T’Sara sounded better than getting into more trouble with the law.:: :: Assaulting a security officer, even if it was for evaluation purposes, wasn’t on her list of things to do today.:: T’Lea: ::Vulcany:: I appreciate the offer, Mr. Matthews, and I understand the need to complete this evaluation, but it would better suit us both if we rescheduled this appointment for a later date. I have more important matters to attend to and do not wish to engage in such activities presently. :: She was being polite, which meant he was going to let her leave, right? She turned and headed for the exit, fully expecting said politeness to be reciprocated.:: Matthews: ::Walking over to the weapons rack, taking two swords. Throwing one to Lt. Cmd. T’Lea.:: I was nice and polite in that last evaluation. I am a private citizen right now. You defiled my honor and my respect for you. So do you have the frakin stones to face me in combat? Or are you the self serving cry baby that you let everyone think you are? :: Eye-brow arch.:: :: Self-serving? Most definitely. Add sadistic to that and he was spot on. Cry-baby, though? He had made his intent clear with that one. He was attempting to incite anger in T’Lea. Amusing. Slightly.:: :: With a slow self-controlled turn back to the man, T’Lea [...]ed her head down at the sword laying in the sand. By the Vulcany reaction she gave Mr. Matthews, he may as well have tossed her a loaf of bread.:: T’Lea: ::lifting the sword simply to hand it back to him:: I do not think it is wise for me to engage a security officer in any type of simulated combat. ::Alexander takes a defensive stance, but standing his ground. He holds the sword in a offensive posture. Watching T’Lea’s movements, standing ready for the attack to come.:: :: Certain to hold the weapon limply in her hand to show that she was not participating, the little tap of his blade against hers was a goading one – one designed to grant his wish, one that resembled an obsessed puppy demanding attention until he was mauled to death.:: Matthews: Your move, cry baby. oO I think, I have lost my mind, but she will be done.Oo ::Holding the sword in both hands over his head.:: By the way, your mama was a Klingon!!!!! :: Using the data padd in her hand, and not the sword, which dangled loosely at her side, she deflected and redirected his two handed attack away while stepping out of his path. The data padd, unfortunately was obliterated on impact, but the graceful maneuver looked effortless, and also opened up a direct strike to the man’s kidney, which she resisted punching.:: :: It would have been so easy to land a crippling blow to the officer, and it would have given her morbid pleasure to know he’d be urinating blood for a few hours, but T’Lea was really, truly, and honestly trying hard not to fall into what she believed was a trap specifically designed to land her in the brig again.:: :: Watching his kidney pass by unprotected, she lifted her eyes back to the security officer as he spun himself and his kidney around in preparation for an attack that just wasn’t there.:: T’Lea: I will be leaving now, Mr. Matthews. :: Best to walk away before she did something stupid like stab his wittle neck.:: Matthews: Chicken? :: And walk away she did, about six steps until his blade grazed the back of her hand. A frown deepened across her smooth brow as she looked down and saw a thin layer of green blood emerge from a shallow one inch cut..:: :: Tilting her head back up at Matthews, her grip tightened around the hilt of her sword, and she curiously blinked at him.:: T’Lea: Did you remove the safeties from this program? Matthews: Hell yes!!! :: She heard the sharp clang and felt the vibration travel up the blade of her sword and into her hand as he batted at her weapon – a weapon that was more resistant than it had been.:: T’Lea: ::stepping back:: Mr. Matthews, I do not wish to harm you, but if you persist- :: “I will be forced to defend myself because you have foolishly placed us in a dangerous situation,” is what she was going to say, but the onslaught of his pointy sword being thrust in her direction forced her to shut up rather quickly.:: :: Defense is how it had all started, and there wasn’t much anger behind T’Lea’s guard as she deflected the in-coming metal. Matthews had very good technique and it was easy to see that he had trained in some form of sword fighting before. His skill with the sword was a higher level than T’Lea’s, but she knew enough to hopefully force a window of opportunity that would put him at a severe disadvantage.:: ::Alexander counters her strike with a counter block of her sword, then kicks out her feet from under her with a fast leg sweep. Diving to the left and rolling back to his feet facing her again.:: Matthews: Your better than that, bring it on [...] you!!! :: Flat on her back is how she’d ended up after playing nice with the delicate Terran. Nice, and defensive was the only thing keeping him from getting injured. That was about to change.:: :: Slowly climbing to her feet and appearing as though she still wanted no part in this exercise, the nasty truth of her intentions suddenly revealed itself in a fist full of sand, which was flung directly into the security officer’s face.:: :: A dirty tactic, sure, but she didn’t care. “Dirty” won fights. Rules and boundaries were for losers. Besides, he was the one that turned off the safeties. A little sand in his eyes wasn’t going to kill him, she mused before rampaging against him with a series of slash cuts.:: :: All she wanted to do was get him out of her way so that she could leave, but eventually it turned into something a little more personal.:: ::With sand in his eyes,Alexander avoids the next blow, but takes an elbow to the ribs catching him off guard. Ignoring the pain he becomes cold to fend off the wrath of T’Lea’s anger. Blocking her strike to his face, but not her kick to his left leg. Falling down to the sand on his back he takes his sword with both hands to block the over head slash coming towards him.:: :: Reigning in the part of herself that wanted nothing more than to disembowel the security officer, she leaned over his fallen body, his blade trembling to resist against hers, and she hissed coldly in his face.:: T’Lea: Give up, havam. I won’t tell anyone you quit. Matthews: I love you too, you mean monster. ::Moving his head around the blades to kiss her on the cheek.:: oO I might have opened a big can of whoop [...].Oo ::Pushing back the sword from his face, knocking her off balance.:: :: It looked like Mr. Matthews had a few dirty tactics of his own. The kiss was enough to make T’Lea recoil and allow the security officer enough momentum to disengage her dominant position over him. Not only had he surprised the Romu-vulc but he’d finally and successfully [...]ed her off. And he was going to pay for it. Slowly.:: ::Alexander rolls to the right, getting on his feet. Moving in a circle watching each and every move T’Lea makes. He knows that she could end this with just a nerve pinch, but he does not want to make it that easy for her. Deep inside Alexander has respect for T’Lea, she is his superior, but right now she is the enemy and for her to pass he has to give her his best.:: Matthews: Let it all out now, Cmd. I don’t have all frakin night. oO That’s for sure. [...] she’s fast.Oo ::Slowly moving to his left in a circle. :: Stripping off her jacket, she held on to the collar with one hand, using the material as a distraction by flicking it in his face whenever the opportunity presented itself. Once he got wise to that irritation she spun the fabric around her arm as protection to block a rather rude thrust of his blade. With a bit of luck she would be able to grab and maneuver his blade away, forcing his body into an open stance, if she got the chance.:: :: After a moment more of lunge and dodge he seemed to hesitate, or perhaps he was adjusting his plan of attack.:: T’Lea: Second thoughts? Last requests? Plea bargains? ::Alexander looked to her feet, then deep into her eyes. He does not want to over estimate her at this point, she could pick him up and throw him across the room. He could see that she is ready to explode with an attack. He takes a deep breath, then attacks with a side slash to the left and to the right.:: Matthews: Well played Cmd. What else have you got? ::Watching her eyes for the slightest movement.:: :: What happened next was a violent whirlwind of limbs connecting to exposed body parts, and the sound of metal challenging metal. Blissfully brutal best described T’Lea’s mode, and mood. Little did Matthews know just how much T’Lea was restraining herself from actually overpowering him and killing him. Instead, she chose to wear him down the hard way.:: :: Beating him into unconsciousness wasn’t as fun as ending him with a climactic last breath and watching his eyes glaze-over into nothingness, but it would have to do.:: ::Alexander defended himself with all of the skill and training that he has ever been taught. After about thirty more minutes his body could take no more. His side hurting from a cracked rib, his face cut from T’Lea’s blade. He ended the program.:: Matthews: ::Holding his side with one hand and the sword in the other, he bowed to T’Lea. Putting back on his comm badge and his pips.:: Ma’am, you have passed you hand to hand and the bladed weapons test. It has been my pleasure to be with you this evening. ::Breathing heavily.:: Computer end program. Computer: Program complete, you may exit when ready. Have a good evening. Matthews: ::Looked to the computer terminal.:: FRAK YOU!!!!! Computer: Unable to comply ::Alexander walked out the holodeck to the turbolift taking to the deck where sickbay is located.:: :: Out of breath herself, T’Lea stood there in the grid of the holodeck looking around the empty room, feeling like she had been wined, dined, and brought back to his place for the grand finale, only to be left very *not* satisfied.:: :: [...] didn’t even pass out, she thought….:: :: Either he was tougher than he looked, or he chickened out at the very last second.:: T’Lea: Frak. ::glancing around:: Now what…? :: Back to her office? Back to work? How was she supposed to dispose of all that emotional baggage he’d dredged up from her graveyard?:: T’Lea: Computer, run program T’Lea – Heghba’. :: The tiny smile on T’Lea’s lips welcomed the holograms of nine Klingons as they appeared in full battle armor along with six snarling and snapping targs.:: :: Heghba’ meant ritual suicide, and this would be theirs.:: Lt. Cmd. T’Lea Chief Science Officer USS Avandar and -- Lt.jg Alexander J. Matthews Tactical/Security Officer USS Avandar ((OOC He is a little mood music to go along with this scene.)) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsF45oe6d5o

((Malcolm farm, Iowa, Earth)) ::Nighttime settled on the farm. Children were tucked into bed; dinner guests returned to their homes, dishes were washed and put away. The house was quiet, but instead of the satisfied quiet of a calm evening, the air was tense with an unspoken unease that had settled on the house during dinner and had yet to dissipate:: ::Justin Malcolm stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing apples and plunking them down on a towel to dry. As the screen door closed, his shoulders, broad and muscular from years of outdoor labor, tensed, but he did not turn to see who had entered. The light steps could only belong to his sister.:: ::Her footsteps did not continue through the room and without glancing back he knew she was leaning against the table and staring at him. It had always been her favorite position for arguing with him.:: Justin: Jen. I’m not in the mood to fight with you. ::Behind him he heard her sigh.:: Jen: I don’t want to fight either. ::Justin turned off the water and dried an apple with a fresh towel from an adjacent drawer. He turned and faced her. He could see she was still angry, as was he, but it appeared she was trying to keep her temper:: Justin: Want an apple? It’s from our trees. Jen: Sure. ::He tossed her the one he held and she caught it expertly with one hand. He leaned back against the counter and watched her twirl the apple stem to remove it. :: ::Seeing that he wasn’t going to speak, she huffed and set the apple aside:: Jen: Look, Justin. We need to get something straight. ::He crossed his arms across his chest:: Justin: Ok. ::Jen frowned. Of all her brothers, she and Justin fought the most. It seemed her whole life he’d been bossing her around. She supposed it was because he was the oldest, but really, the time for that had passed:: Jen: Justin, I didn’t ask for your advice. I’m a 32-year old woman, and I can make decisions own my own. You’ve been trying to tell me what to do ever since we’ve been children. I have a father, I don’t need two. ::She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down:: She’s my daughter, Justin. I get to make the decisions for her. She’s coming with me. ::Justin shifted his weight to his left foot, remaining silent:: Jen: Well? Justin: Well, what? ::Jen’s hand gripped the back of the chair that stood beside her:: Jen: Do you agree? ::Justin unfolded his arms and pushed his hands into his pockets:: Justin: Jen, you know I disagree. And I said I didn’t want to fight. So, I’m going to listen to you and then I’m going to bed. ::Jen’s grip tightened on the chair and she closed her eyes:: Jen: Justin, how can you be like that? Justin: Like what? ::She was trying her very best to keep from shouting:: Jen: So holier-than-thou. ::opening her eyes:: You basically just told me that what I say to you doesn’t matter. Justin: In this case it doesn’t. ::She slammed the chair against the floor:: Jen: Where do you get off having that attitude toward me? ::Justin pushed himself off of the counter and walked across the kitchen.:: Justin: I’m done with this Jen. You’ve made your decision. ::She watched him walk out of the room. She stood unmoving for several minutes , breathing deeply and staring at the door. Ten years ago she would’ve gone running to her father for mediation, but knew now, his gentle words would help calm her but do nothing to change Justin’s opinion. She released the chair, picked up her apple and threw it in the garbage. Her father might not be able to change her brother’s mind, but he could help. She walked out to the porch where she found him rocking gently on the porch swing. There was no pretending he hadn’t heard their argument; there was no way not to hear it from where he sat:: ::She sank down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head:: Victor: Oh, Jenny. He means well. ::Jen sighed and closed her eyes:: Jen: I know. ::They rocked together in silence, Jen simply appreciating the sounds and smells of the farm and the embrace of her father. She would miss them when she was back aboard the ship, but was content in knowing they would always be there for her when she came home:: -TBC- Dr. Jen Malcolm CMO USS Avandar

Welcome to the fleet, guys! Hope you had fun at the academy!

Welcome to, and welcome back to, the fleet!

Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure?

Cold... so, so cold...

((Engineering, the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance ship Gav'ot toH'va)) ::The heat of engineering on a Klingon attack cruiser was uncomfortable to say the least. The radiation from the added Cardassian high-powered plasma coils was just an additional hazard of working in the bowels of the ship. Fortunately, the Klingons and Cardassians had slaves like the Terrans to do most of the dirty work. Ayelet and Charlie were two such useful Terrans. Both had been recently acquired from a market at the ship's last port stop. Charlie had always known life as a subject of the Alliance. Ayelet, however, had enjoyed a bit more independence until late. Born into the Alliance as well, she grew up to be a rather attractive young woman, which was quite unfortunate as that meant she was destined to serve as another comfort woman to the Cardassians. Yet, strange, freak accidents seemed to befall her Cardassian suitors one by one. The next Cardassian who acquired her was often too blinded by infatuation to care about such morbid and mundane details. This process seemed to repeat itself for several years until finally one of the Cardassian men's wives grew suspicious of the "odd Terran comfort woman." Shortly afterward, though, this wife died as well in a mysterious accident herself. As inventory was taken of the estate for auction, it was discovered that Ayelet had disappeared. She was eventually recaptured a few years later, this time by the Klingons. What she had been doing since her escape was neither known nor did the Klingons particularly care. Unlike their allies, they found Terran women to be repulsive, and the woman was just another set of hands that could be used to scrub the grime off the radioactive plasma coils. However, after carefully studying the Klingons' routines since she was brought aboard, the ever attentive Ayelet had begun planning her escape. Finally, the stars had aligned in the universe, and everything was perfect. Today was the day Ayelet would get to enjoy her independence again.:: m-Sampi: Just think of it. One day, when the resistance wins the last battle of this struggle against the Alliance, our people will be free beings... able to live as they wish! ::Ayelet rolled her eyes with a sigh. Her fellow Terran was going on again with one of his daydreams... he really was quite the bore. If she weren't chained to him, she'd gladly find another place to work. ...if only so she wouldn't have to smell the wretched stench coming from him.:: m-Ayelet: ::sarcastically:: ...quite the vision you have their, Charlie. ::The man turned his head and smiled, seemingly unaware of his companion's complete lack of interest in the subject.:: m-Sampi: We weren't born to be slaves, Ayelet. Humans... centuries ago, we ventured out into the stars ourselves to seek out new worlds. m-Ayelet: Yes, to conquer them. ::She returned a playful smile, which caused him to frown.:: m-Sampi: ::waves off the comment with his hand:: That's not the point. The point is we had ambition. Dreams. ::A Klingon engineer came and grabbed the chain connecting the collars around the necks of Ayelet and Charlie.:: Klingon engineer: Enough talking! Get back to work! ::The Klingon threw the chain back.:: m-Ayelet: Thanks for the words of encouragement, boss. ::The Klingon raised his rifle and struck Ayelet hard across the side of her face, knocking her to the deck. She groaned at the impact, brushing her hair off her bloody cheek. The Klingon then knocked Charlie down as well with his weapon.:: m-Sampi: Agh! What was that for? ::The Klingon struck Charlie again.:: Klingon engineer: Silence, petaQ! ::Charlie just nodded as the Klingon walked away. Ayelet winced as she rubbed the side of her face.:: m-Ayelet: oO Well, at least the Klingons found one way to shut him up. Oo ::As Ayelet went back to work, she looked around to see the key to her escape. The ship's massive plasma manifold glowed brightly as it channeled energy from the warp core to the rest of the ship. The heat and radiation coming from the device caused the two Terrans to sweat even more. As the two stepped closer to it, Ayelet took a breath and positioned herself in such a way that Charlie stood between her and a section of the manifold.:: m-Ayelet: Hey, Charlie? m-Sampi: ::whispers:: ...what? m-Ayelet: I'm sorry. ::There was a pause.:: m-Sampi: About the Klingon? m-Ayelet: No, about this. ::Ayelet quickly pushed back against the man, shoving him face first onto the hot machinery. She felt the heat on the back of her neck as he screamed in agony. He was quickly silenced again as his body melted against the component, and along with it, the chain connecting him to Ayelet. The disruption in the energy distribution caused alarms to go off as the overhead lights flickered, and the Klingon shouted from afar.:: Klingon Engineer: What have you done, you Terran Sli-Vak! ::However, before he could charge after her, the ship was suddenly rocked by weapons fire. Orders were yelled over the comline from the bridge in Klingon as engineers worked frantically to deliver adequate power to the ship. Smoke started to rise as the computer warned of a containment failure in progress. The ship was now a fragile egg just waiting to be crushed by a lucky torpedo. Ayelet ran past the other slaves, not bothering to free any of them. They weren't part of the plan. As she ran towards the corridor, she shoved a few of the other chained Terrans behind her to stall the Klingon guards chasing her. They ran fast, but she ran faster. Quickly, she made her way to the escape pod she had noted from a few days ago. She pried the access hatch open and rolled in before slamming it back down just in time to see the face of a Klingon on the other side of the port hole. She gave a playful wave, which the Klingon answered with a shot from his disrupter, but it was too late. She had already begun the launch of the escape pod. As the pod was moving out of the ship, however, it suddenly rocked violently, and Ayelet could see through the port hole a massive fireball racing down the corridor, incinerating the Klingon guard before bursting through the hatch and erupting into space. A few moments later, the escape pod cleared the ship right before the entire vessel was engulfed in flames. The shockwave sent the pod tumbling into a nearby nebula. When she finally regained control of the damaged pod, she realized she only had enough life support for a few hours. She was tempted to send out a distress call, but additional Klingons could be nearby investigating what happened to their ship. She hadn't planned on its destruction after all, no matter how highly she thought of herself. Fortunately, it seemed the stars of the universe were truly aligned today. Suddenly in front of her pod was an unknown ship that looked vaguely Terran. And as if that weren't a sign, she smiled at the name painted across its hull: Independence. Independence: RESPONSE TAG! TBC... Ayelet Odd & Mischievous Terran Mirror Universe

((Mirror USS Tiger - Jeffries Tube)) ::She was not from this place. She came here not of her own accord around two years previous. Her long, flowing black hair was matted from not maintaining proper hygiene over the last two years. She was held by the Alliance for most of her time, for her luck was horrible.:: ((Flashback - A Little Over Two Years Previous - Earth Presidential Complex)) ::Tracey was late. Her meeting that she was to attend where she and her fellow delegates were to plan the next series of steps to inform the President of their plans, were to be held at the main complex in less than twenty minutes. Governor Townson, the leader of the western hemisphere of Europe, was set to deliver a speech to the rest of the world leaders concerning the new threat to the planet. The discovery of alien life through the use of long range telescopes.:: ::Tracey was briefed by her scientists that it was inconceivable for anything to travel faster than the speed of light, and thus, since these aliens were many light years away, there was absolutely no threat to the planet. Nevertheless, Tracey knew that some of the Governors and the President needed to be reassured. She also felt it necessary to reassure the population of the planet that there was little to fear, not only due to scientific theory, but also that they would keep a close eye on their new neighbors in the sky, whatever they looked like.:: ::Tracey looked at herself in the mirror in front of her, straightened out her jacket and then turned towards her assistant.:: Assistant: Are you ready my lord. ::Tracey gave a curt nod.:: Assistant: Due to time constraints, perhaps it would be best if you were to utilize the new transporter device. ::Tracey smiled at the old woman and nodded slowly.:: Townson: Excellent advise as always. Someone of my stature using such a device without any problems, may just alleviate some of the fear people have of it. Assistant: Very well then, my lord. There is one in the science chamber. Townson: ::picking up her case with her notes and speech:: Lead the way. ::And with that, the two headed for the science chamber. Once there, Tracey was briefed on its use, what she expected to feel and how quickly it would take. Without hesitation, Tracey stepped up onto the platform and nodded to begin the transporter process. Tracey stood up straight and watched and waited in anticipation and she was a little anxious, for this was the first time she had used this new device. She watched as the controller flipped a few switches and then her world forever changed.:: ::The usual transporter shimmer enveloped Tracey, and for a fraction of a second Tracey felt different. She felt split into thousands... no millions, uncountable numbers of...herself. Tracey was mixed up and thrown around. Something was very wrong and there was no control. Then all was gone.:: ::Tracey stood there looking at the face of a monster with a beard. The humanoid had ridges on his forehead and he quickly withdrew a weapon.:: Klingon: IS THIS A JOKE!? ::Tracey started shaking.:: Klingon: We send you back to your people and they quickly return you to us. ::smiling:: Its a bad day for you. ::The Klingon clapped his hands and two others who looked even meaner than the one who spoke, grabbed Tracey by her arms.:: Klingon: Take her back to her purgatory. ::Without waiting, Tracey was being dragged along the deck in this dark and smelly place. She could see she was no longer in her normal clothing. In fact, she had almost no clothing on her. Just a loose gown over her weakened body.:: Klingon: If they say anything, tell the Rebels we lost her in transport. ::Tracey was then thrown into a confined room, where she was beaten and tortured for around two years, until she finally escaped her torment. During that time, the Alliance had her right hand chopped off, she was sure, however, she couldn't recall the incident. She was eventually sold as a slave to the Orion Syndicate for when her torture was no longer entertaining to the Alliance crew and shortly after that, she escaped on a Rebel ship that had passed a few weeks later.:: ((Present - Mirror Tiger)) ::Tracey scurried into a dark corner of the Jeffries tube and pulled a small piece of paper from the pocket of her gown with her good hand. Her right hand didn't exist. There was just a stump at the end of her wrist. With the skill of someone who has done this many times before, Tracey unwrapped the paper and took little nibbles of something before wrapping it up quickly and placing the paper in her pocket again.:: ::Through Tracey's light gown, it was easy to see she was very malnourished. Her cheeks were sunken and her ribcage protruded when the front of her gown rested against her chest. He backbone was also protruding out.:: ::Tracey sniffed and quickly scurried away looking for more crumbs. She had no idea what ship this was. Her only concept was survival, which meant he must avoid capture. She wouldn't survive any longer being a prisoner. But her greatest wish was to just go home. Home to the universe she came from. -TBC- ((OOC: Anyone see patterns here? )) Mirror Tracey Townson Castaway USS Tiger

Woo hoo, welcome to the fleet!

Woo hoo! Congratulations on graduating and welcome to the fleet!

It's fine.

Woo hoo! Grats, and welcome to the fleet!

It's "Lightning". That's how it was written and that's how it was nominated. Can we fix that?

((Sickbay, USS Independence-A)) ::Velana had always loved the smell of a medical bay. It didn't matter if it was the Fleet Hospital or a one-room unit on a cargo ship, sickbays always had the same, basic, medicinally clean scent. It was the first smell she could remember from her childhood and it never failed to remind her of her father.:: ::Sometimes, when she was alone on duty, she could close her eyes and see Kvoss amongst the bio-beds, showing her the proper way to scan a patient or telling her what questions to ask when trying to diagnose an illness.:: ::Before she went any further inside Sickbay, Velana inhaled and exhaled slowly, bringing herself back down, lest the memory overwhelm her.:: ::In the middle of the day, she expected the Independence's medical bay to be bustling with activity, but the only person she saw was a petite woman whose long, dark hair was highlighted with a bright blue streak.:: :: Zinna was in Sickbay organizing some files she had with mental reports of what she had observed from the crew. :: Velana: Excuse me, I'm looking for Lieutenant Commander Sampi. Zinna: ::sounding very tired:: Hello. Velana: I'm Ensign Velana, the new medical officer. I just arrived about an hour ago. Zinna: I'm Ensign Zinna, the chief counselor. ::Counselor. Immediately, Velana could feel herself tensing up.:: Velana: Is Dr. Sampi on duty right now? Zinna: No, I think Dr. Sampi is...off for a while, and Dr. St. James seems to have her hands full with...the captain. Would you like to go ahead and get your psyche evaluation out of the way. oO So much for putting it off... Oo ::Still, every instinct she posessed screamed at her to stall.:: Velana: Shouldn't I stay here and... ::Once again, Velana had to take a breath and let it go.:: All right, Ensign. We can talk. Zinna: If you don't want to then we don't have to, Velana. oO She'll probably never want to talk to me again. Oo But I think it would be smart to get the evaluation out of the way. Velana: Logical, too. Zinna: Yes, well, I'll tell you about myself and then you can tell me about yourself. Velana: I'd imagine my Starfleet personnel file speaks for itself. Zinna: I am aware of the personal file, but I'd like for you to tell me. ::Velana glanced around, realizing how out in the open they were.:: Velana: Is there somewhere else we could go? ((Counselor's office)) ::Five minutes later, they were safely behind closed doors, yet Velana found herself counting down the seconds until it was all over.:: Zinna: My name is Zinna, I'm an El-Aurian from El-Auria. I don't have any parents anymore, because they were killed in the destruction of my home world. I don't have anymore siblings. I watch them get assimilated. I'm 199. I'm a professional singer, and I've written four songs and I have twenty children. Let's see...:: placing her hands on her hips. :: I use a different style of counseling than most counselors. You'll see what I mean if you ever need me. Velana: ::wary:: All right. Zinna: Now tell me about yourself. ::A minute passed in silence before Velana started speaking,:: Velana: You would think I'd know how to start these sessions by now, I've been evaluated so many times. I was almost denied entrance to the Academy because one of my counselors was...how did he put it?..."concerned about my misguided belief in my own emotions." ::She paused.:: He wasn't even Vulcan. Zinna: ::She nodded.:: Interesting... Velana: I was raised to believe that logic wasn't ever meant to replace emotions; it was intended to compliment them. That's what my parents, my grandparents, even my great-grandparents believed. ::She paused.:: But except for my mother and my brother's wife and her child...they're all gone now. Zinna: What happened to them? Velana: Our ship...there was a...a warp core breach. I don't exactly know how it happened; there wasn't a lot of time. We just had to run...make it to the escape pod. ::She stared at a place beyond the counselor's shoulder.:: There was this one, tiny hatch in the pod. I looked back...and I watched the ship...our home... oO I can't do this again. Not right now... Oo Zinna: oO She's getting fidgety...she doesn't want to do this... Oo ::Velana stood up and walked to the opposite end of the room. After a moment, she straightened her shoulders and turned back.:: Velana: My brother's wife was carrying a child, my nephew. Savel. I've never met him. T'Sar went to Vulcan. She...well...she loved my brother. I understand now why she wanted to purge her emotions. But my mother and I couldn't. Wouldn't. So, we settled on Earth. She started teaching Vulcan in San Francisco and I applied to the Academy. ::She sat back down.:: Anything else? Zinna: Velana, I know these emotions can be stressful... Velana: I can deal with them. ::Her eyebrow arched.:: I choose to deal with them. Zinna: I know we've only met, but you can trust me to tell me anything. Is there anything disturbing you? Velana: I'm... ::She searched for the right words.:: I'm worried that you might agree with that Academy counselor. He didn't think an emotional Vulcan had any place in Starfleet. Zinna: Velana, I do think you belong here, regardless of emotions. Do you think you do? Velana: I do. I've worked hard to be here. Could I lose control of my emotions? Yes. But that's true of everyone on board. Zinna: Yes, the same happens to me. When my emotions are lost, I usually sing. What do you do to keep yourself in check? Velana: I meditate twice a day, sometimes three times. I take tai chi class at least twice a week. When I have Holodeck privileges, I go for a long swim or a walk on the beach. I do the best that I can, Ensign. Zinna: That's all I ask for. ::Velana inclined her chin in acknowledgement.:: Zinna: I assure you Velana, and you can call me Zinna, that I don't believe what that counselor said was right. Would you mind telling me about him? Velana: Most Humans that I've met are almost fascinated by a Vulcan who smiles and laughs and drinks. I think he was just the exception to the rule. Lucky for me, his opinion wasn't the deciding factor in my acceptance. ::Zinna nodded showing she agreed.:: Velana: Vulcans ignore me, once they figure out that they can't talk me into kohlinar. Zinna: And how does this make you feel? oO Such a cliche question. Oo ::Velana lifted her chin in defiance.:: Velana: As far as I'm concerned, they're the ones who have misinterpreted Surak. And that's entirely their perogative, but it doesn't change my beliefs. Zinna: Yes. oO She's very strong...stronger than I thought she would be. Oo Velana: My father and my brother and everyone else on the Vahklas died because Vulcan society can't accept that pure logic isn't the only path. They made us outcasts, not the other way around. I don't believe I'm betraying my heritage because it's not my heritage. I've never even been to Vulcan. It's not my home. ::She paused.:: My path might not be easy, but I wouldn't give up my emotions just for a false sense of peace. And that's exactly what logic by itself would be for me. Zinna: Velana... ::The El-Aurian counselor stood from behind her desk. :: I'm glad we've had this discussion, because I agree with you. I love the fact that you wouldn't give up your emotions and that you know where you come from. You're a very strong woman, and I like that. Velana: ::puzzled:: Thank you. ::A few seconds passed.:: Is that all? Zinna: You're welcome, and yes, this is the end of OUR evaluation. oO That was surprisingly short, but I'm not about to complain. Oo Velana: All right. ::She stood up.:: Zinna: If you need anything; a person to chat with; let some anger or sadness out, I'm here for you. I'm very glad to meet you and glad you're here. I hope to see you around soon. Velana: Thank you. I appreciate that. :: Zinna watch the Vulcan walk out of her office. She sat back in her chair and took out a PADD and began filling out some observations. She then took her out her personal PADD and made reservations for the Holodeck. Zinna looked at her office before departing. :: Zinna: Computer, replicate a tray of gourmet chocolates. Computer: Replicators are offline. Zinna: DAMMIT! :: Zinna looked at her PADD and saw Lt. Tan would be the cook. Replicators were offline for some reason and they'd gotten the Helmsman to COOK? Zinna laughed thinking this could only turn out to be a hilarious site. She'd never thought Alleran could cook. He had never seemed like the type to cook food to her. Maybe she would stop by with Scarlet for lunch. :: ::Velana's hands were shaking as she walked back to Sickbay. It looked as if she might need an extra meditation session. Or a drink.:: ::Possibly both.:: **** Ensign Velana Medical Officer USS Independence-A and Ensign Zinna Chief Counselor USS Independence-A

A'right! Grats on graduating and welcome to the fleet, all our new Ensigns!