[May/June 2011 Writing Challenge]

I think we all need a cyber cookie...

But I only have two!

[May/June 2011 Writing Challenge]

(Also, a bonus cyber-cookie for Tallis - that was the connection, and well spotted:) )

Mazu's Flame by Captain Della Vetri

Reviwed by Lieutenant Alleran Tan

Tallis ate my cookie?

[Graduating Class of 238807.11]

Woo hoo! Welcome to the fleet, Ensign!

[[Round 14] JP - Lt. Commander Ethan Brice and Lt. Commander Karynn Bri]

JP - Lt. Commander Ethan Brice and Lt. Commander Karynn Brice - BACKSIM - The Risk of Being Reasonable

((Brice Quarters, the night before arriving at DS17))

::Matthew was asleep. His Haliian step-mother stood staring out the window, watching the stars speed by as they headed back toward Deep Space 17. Her arms were folded over her chest, as she pondered the situation at hand... and the discussion she needed to have with her husband. If there was anything she had learned during their past few missions it was that life aboard a starship was dangerous. And the fact that the little boy had some idea just how much danger he had been in didn't sit well with her either. In her mind, Children should be innocent, living carefree lives as they grow up, and not be burdened with adult problems.::

::A small sigh escaped the Haliian's lips. She wasn't looking forward to this.::

::Walking out of their bedroom, Ethan ruffled his wet hair and cast his glance over the living room. He had to look hard for his wife, finding her nearly out of sight in the shadow cast by the large window. Through the last mission, it had felt as though Karynn had been a million miles away from him. The moments they had to spend together were so few and far between now that she had taken up the First Officer's position again and he knew that the decisions she made weighed heavy on her. He wanted to tell her that it never got any easier, but who was he to know? He hadn't tried to get that far.::

::He crunched his bare feet into the carpet as he moved up to her back and settled his arms around her waist, breaking her moment of solitude by the starlit window and kissed the side of her head gently. Almost as quickly, he felt her tense slightly, but that might have just been his imagination. When he spoke, his concern showed in the slight wobble of his vocal chords.::

Ethan: Is everything all right?

::Karynn turned and nuzzled her husband's cheek with her nose before gently kissing it. It was nice to have his arms wrapped around her. She felt supported, safe. For once she could let go of the feeling that the entire weight of the Prometheus-class starship was on her shoulders. She slipped her arm around his waist, leaning her head on his shoulder.::

K. Brice: At the moment, I suppose. ::she paused:: Do you think it's right to have kids on the ship?

::The question threw him off balance for a second as he tried to work out what she meant. She could be cryptic at the best of times but the query was so blatantly thrown out, there was no room for mistaking her intent. He frowned slightly.::

E. Brice: "Right" is a loaded term in this day and age. It seems the meaning is different to everyone we encounter. I suppose I'd...

::He stopped. He pulled back from her embrace slightly, not stepping away, but enough to cradle her in his arms and look into her green eyes questioningly. Surely she didn't mean... ::

E. Brice: Kids in general or our kid being on this ship?

::Karynn met his gaze for a moment but couldn't hold it. Breaking eye contact she looked past him, barely able to say what was really on her mind, much less look at him while she did it. Every once in a while she regretted saying something, finding herself wishing she could just take it all back. This was one of those times. But now that it was out, best to push ahead.::

K. Brice: ::quietly:: Both I guess. ::she paused:: He knew there was danger, Ethan... four year olds shouldn't have to deal with that. He needs to be a kid.

:: Ethan nodded and chewed on his bottom lip for a moment looking past her, through the starlit window. Thoughts tumbled around in his head like socks in a dryer until finally he held onto one long enough to get it down to his vocal chords and through his mouth.::

E. Brice: You don't think he's better off this way? With his father? With you? With parents he can... he can... rely on to take care of him and protect him?

::She looked out the window and took a breath, trying to keep her emotional temperature calm and quiet. When she did speak her voice was soft, only a little above a whisper.::

K. Brice: You're not... We're not his only option for staying with parents, Ethan.

::He dropped his arms from around her and held his hand over his mouth for a moment, concerned of what might come out if let loose. Instead, he pointed out of the window to the pitch black of space and the twinkling stars.::

E. Brice: I'd rather him be on this ship with us then out there, on one of those planets, having to cope with Rebecca's next onslaught of a boyfriend. She'll have him calling every one of them "dad" while she puppets the doting little boy with the absent father. I won't have my son... our son... in that predicament. I wouldn't leave a dog with her permanently for fear of the tricks she'd teach it.

::The Haliian glanced in the other direction, at the child's room. Taking a step back she folded her arms across her chest, an almost defensive gesture. She knew that Matthew's parents didn't exactly have the most amicable relationship, and she didn't exactly think highly of the former Starfleet officer herself. But that didn't change the fact that she was Matthew's biological mother and being alive with her was better than...::

K. Brice: I know. But even that would be preferable to ending up dead because we kept him here with us.

::In the back of his mind, he knew she was right. Unequivocally. He was putting Matthew in danger by keeping him on the vessel, by wanting him to be nearer to them and have at least some semblance of a stable home to grow up in. The Engineer ran a hand up through his hair.::

E. Brice: You didn't have to deal with your father disappearing on a starship all the time, never seeing him from one month to the next. I don't want that for our children, it's not fair.

::Karynn sighed. Absentmindedly her thumb rubbed the inside of her other elbow.::

K. Brice: You know the mortality rate as well as I do Ethan. And space, the Vaadwaur, the Reaper things, the next big enemy we face, they don't distinguish between officers and civilians, or between adults and children. A Reaper attacked Sidney's daughter. It could have gone after him.

::His fuse was shortening a lot more than the young man would have liked to admit. The fact that he knew she was right was niggling at the back of his head. He had put off sending Matthew back to Earth, saying goodbye to him again and seeing that tearful look in his eyes when he gave the hugs out, maybe thinking it would be the last time he'd ever see his father and indeed, his step-mother, alive again. Over the top, perhaps, but his train of thought took over.::

E. Brice: I don't *care* about Sidney's daughter!

::The remark was quick and loud and he immediately regretted it. He didn't mean that, at all. A child was a child and needed protecting. He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes with his index finger and thumb.::

E. Brice: Sidney's daughter is not my son; she isn't our child. I want my son near me so I can protect him, he's safest here with me where I know where he is.

::Her voice rose slightly, although she did her best to keep it under control. She didn't want to wake Matthew.::

K. Brice: The fact is we're not always around to protect him. I'm on the bridge, you're in engineering. And when things are at their worst, the last thing either one of us can do is take a break from our station saying "Oh sorry, I can't be here, I've got to protect my son."

::His eyes narrowed and he was half way between scoffing and laughing. He turned around, looking up at the ceiling as though some mystical force would come down and prove her wrong.::

E. Brice: I... I can't believe how callous you're being about this... Its dangerous, hell it's space we don't even know about yet, but we're not a war vessel, Karynn! We are scientists, explorers and diplomats! If I can't keep my son on a diplomatic vessel out in the nether reaches of space, where can I put him? On Earth? A million light years from me? ::he mimicked her voice:: "Oh, sorry, my ex is having a bit of boyfriend trouble so I've just got to nip back to the home planet to pick the nipper up." Sounds so much better, doesn't it?

K. Brice: We serve on the flagship in a dangerous region, Ethan. It's hazardous out here and I just don't think this is the safest place for him to be. I'm not trying to be callous - I love that little boy. I'm just trying to be reasonable about the risks.

E. Brice: Reasonable be [...]ed! Tell me, First Officer. Tell me to send my son back to Earth to live with his mother then go in there ::he pointed to his bedroom door:: and tell that to him. Tell him its not that we don't want him, it's that he's not safe here so instead he can go and live with his mother on a planet he barely knows with family who hardly know him.

::She clenched her jaw, fighting back the bit of damp in her eyes. She didn't want to appear weak on this one. She knew on some level that she was right. She wasn't being callous - she was just trying to protect both of the men who were important to her. She kept her voice low, trying to keep the quiver out of it, and for the most part succeeding.::

K. Brice: I can't Ethan... I won't. I won't tell you what to do. The policy on the ship is what it is, and this decision is yours. But think of this... could you ever forgive me if I were in charge, if I gave an order and he died as a result? Because given what just happened on the last mission that seems like a bigger possibility every single day.

::That was it. The nail in the coffin. He tongued his cheek and turned around, zipping up the collar of his uniform and went for the doorway.::

E. Brice: Then I guess its true what they say. Command Officers shouldn't have kids.

:: And walked out into the corridor, letting the door shut behind him.::

::The dampness that had been building in her eye slid out and down her cheek as the door slid shut. Another hot tear followed closely behind. She turned and looked back out the window, watching the galaxy fly past. Brushing them away with her fingers she sighed. All she wanted to do was protect the two men she cared about most - and she had just ended up hurting one of them. But she was right. She knew she was right. Because as much as this hurt now... losing Matthew would hurt him even more.::

::Turning, she headed toward the bedroom. Chasing after him wasn't exactly a good option at the moment. Sleep was probably best...::

Lt. Cmdr. Ethan Brice

R&D Engineering Officer

USS Independence-A

and

Lt. Cmdr. Karynn Brice

First Officer

USS Independence-A

[Graduating Class of 238807.04]

Woo hoo- a bit late here, but welcome to the fleet!

[[Round 13] Lt (j.g.) Dr Eliaan Deron & PNPC Ensign Kaedyn Tann - N]

((Chief Medical Officer's Office))

::Eliaan Deron paced around the office that was temporarily his. How

could it be that both a Shapeshifter and a Q were onboard the Victory?

What confluence of events could have resulted in this?::

::Shapeshifters held a peculiar, dark place of fear in his heart.

Like all Betazoids, the Dominion Occupation had been an event that had

cleaved his life in two. There was the carefree, happy time Before and

then there was After.::

::Nothing had ever been the same again after the Occupation. Betazed

was a peaceful, open world in a way that few of her Federation

neighbours had been, which made its fate even more tragic.::

::Eliaan knew who was to blame for that. Not the Jem'Hadar foot

soldiers or the Vorta commanders; both of those races had been created

by the Founders to do their dirty work. The fault lay squarely with

the shapeshifters. Everything that had happened to his people during

the War was their doing.::

::And a Q. Not as immediately terrifying but infinitely more

dangerous. The God-like entities that had first introduced the

Federation to the Borg and had played with starship Captains

throughout the galaxy.::

::It was almost too much to process, let alone understand.::

::He stopped pacing as the doors to the office opened and Kaedyn Tann

entered. Without a word, Eliaan rushed to him and through his arms

around the Trill, squeezing tightly.::

Tann: Are you okay?

~~Flashback: CMO's office - USS Resolution~~

Tann: Are you ready?

::The young doctor shook his head.::

Deron: I am terrified. We’re in over our heads here…

::Kaedyn pulled his partner towards him and hugged him tightly.::

Tann: We’re going to get through this… don’t worry.

::Eliaan pulled back a little and stared into the nurse’s eyes.::

Deron: But I do worry, if this goes wrong… if I do the wrong thing, we

could all end up being assimilated. I could destroy the whole ship

and then what? An assimilated Resolution is a threat to every planet

in this sector!

Tann: Eliaan. You need to calm down. Listen to me, we don’t have a

choice. If Major West is in a stable condition then perhaps we can

wait and get an expert to deal with his Borg components at a Starbase

but if not we are going to need you to deal with this; just as you

dealt with Nicholotti and Llewlyn and the Zalinians.

::The Betazoid snapped out of his panic and calmed a little.::

~~End Flashback~~

Deron: ... Sorry, what?

::Kaedyn looked confused.::

Tann: I asked if you were okay...

::The Betazoid took a deep breath, maintaining his grip around the taller man.::

Deron: No... I'm not sure any of us are.

Tann: Why?

Deron: There is a shapeshifter onboard and a Q.

::There was a long silence.::

Deron: Did you hear me?

Tann: Yes, I heard.

::There was a calmness in his voice that Eliaan found frustrating

rather than comforting.::

Deron: Are you sure, because you sound remarkably calm about it

Tann: We have been through worse. I have faith in this crew and her

Captain and so do you. You told me as much before we arrived here.

Deron: Worse than a Q?

::With Eliaan still wrapped around him, Kaedyn shrugged a little.::

Tann: They cause trouble but usually get bored and leave...

Deron: And the shapeshifter?

::Kaedyn smiled.::

Tann: Its been a long time since a shapeshifter was the same threat as

they have been. Any Founder left here has been alone and defeated for

a long time. And Starfleet security have a lot of practice dealing

with them.

::As Kaedyn spoke, Eliaan could feel himself calm down a little. He

recognised that he had been close to a panic attack but that always

the presence of the man he loved was enough to stop that.::

::Passionate, like most of his race, the Betazoid benefited from the

calm, serene Trill's manner. This had also been an incredibly

stressful return for Eliaan and his adrenaline was running high even

before the arrival of their two guests.::

Tann: We're going to be okay, Eliaan.

::As if hearing his words, a voice filtered over the comm system.::

Jaxx: =/\= Attention crew....we have returned home. =/\=

::With a sigh, Eliaan relaxed as quickly as he had started to panic::

Tann: There you go. We survived our first adventure on the Victory.

Now, do you want to let me go?

::Eliaan maintained his grip.::

Deron: No... no, I don't.

END

Lieutenant (j.g.) Eliaan Deron

Acting Chief Medical Officer

USS Victory

And

Ensign Kaedyn Tann

Nursing Officer

USS Victory

Simmed by Eliaan Deron

[Graduating Class of 238806.28]

Welcome to the fleet!

[Graduating Class of 238806.19]

Woo hoo! You guys rock- welcome to the Fleet!

[Graduating Class of 238806.14]

Woo hoo, hey guys, welcome to the fleet!

[Graduating Class of 238805.30]

Woo hoo, welcome to the Fleet!

[[ROUND 11] Lt. Cmdr Townson - Life on Romulus]

((Bilire VI))

::Tracey ran. She ran as fast as she could. With each footfall to the muddy ground, Tracey counted the seconds. She knew she would not make it to the conference on time, and being late was never Tracey's way. But Tracey had a second chance, to right a wrong she did years earlier. Even if it meant a poor mark on her service record, Tracey was not about to do once again what she did years earlier.::

((Time-Warp - City of Solius - Romulus - Otherverse - Years Ago))

Tal'Aura: Beautiful evening, isn't it?

::Tracey had just finished work at the office and she was sitting at an outdoor terrasse at a Romulan version of a cafe. All day, Tracey had seen the sunlight beat in through her office window, and she knew that after her day of work, she wanted to relax. The Romulan Cafe was just on the ground level of the offices she worked at. Tracey was sitting, enjoying the setting sun of this alien planet as the Romulan soldiers patrolled the streets. This was a bustling, military city, where 90 percent of the soldiers were Romulan. The other 10 percent was made up of a mix of different alien species, with her being one of them. Humans who were assigned to Romulus were dispersed all over the planet. Since her arrival, Tracey only counted a handful of humans assigned to the city of Solius. And only about three times that amount who were members of starfleet.::

::Looking up from her PADD, Tracey squinted through the setting sun over the man's back. Placing her hand over her brow to protect her eyes, Tracey looked up and smiled.::

Townson: Why yes it is. ::gesturing towards a seat opposite from her:: Would you care to join me, Commander?

Tal'Aura: Why thank you Cadet. ::pulling out the chair and sitting down::

::Tal'Aura ordered a drink and when it arrived, he took a sip.::

Tal'Aura: Still working I see. ::gesturing towards Tracey's PADD::

Townson: Just studying, Commander.

::Tracey watched as the well-built Romulan sitting across from her took another sip. Tracey found him to be quite handsome, and if her situation would have been different, if Tracey was not with Jaxx, Tracey would have probably tried her luck. But She also knew it was completely inappropriate to think the way she did. But her loneliness of being away from her Betazoid boyfriend for so long, and the lack of any relationships in her environment, Tracey found herself to be flirting with her superior officer. To Tracey, it was as if there was an internal battle between her brain and her body. And up until today, her brain had won out. But all that was about to change.::

Tal'Aura: Very good, Cadet. I am very proud of your progress thus far.

Townson: Thank you, Commander.

Tal'Aura: Please, Cadet. In there, ::referring to the office building they both worked in:: my name is Commander Tal'Aura. Out here, my name is Hvaid. ::smiling::

Townson: ::placing her PADD on the table in front of her and looking at the Romulan with a mischievous smile:: Thats very unprofessional of you, Commander.

Tal'Aura: ::feigning a broken heart by holding his hands to his chest:: My, my. Are you going to report me, Cadet.

Townson: ::smiling:: Only to say that you are one of the best teachers I've ever had. And only if you stop calling me Cadet.

Tal'Aura: ::taking one last sip then putting his empty glass on the small round table.:: Then we have an agreement. We call each other by our first names.

::Tal'Aura looked around the landscape of the city before returning his gaze on Tracey.::

Tal'Aura: Have you had the chance to tour this city, yet, Tracey?

Townson: ::nodding:: I took the primary tour upon arrival and I have walked around the center core near my place. Why do you ask?

Tal'Aura: Well I know this city very well. My grandmother used to live here. I used to visit quite often as a child. I know places here the tour guides would never show you.

Townson: Is that so, Hvaid.

Tal'Aura: Would you like me to show you?

Townson: ::smiling:: Yes. Since I've come to Romulus I find it all to be quite enchanting. I would very much like to see the rest of the city.

::And with that, the two stood up and left the little table at the cafe and walked. The two walked for hours throughout the evening, as soldiers wound past them at every turn. They went into various shops and tried different local treats. Tracey practiced her Romulan with each shop they'd enter and look around in. The two laughed and spoke the whole evening through, despite the ever present backdrop of the familiar war-zone they both lived in. Several hours later, the two found themselves on top of a mountain on the edge of the city, looking down at the city lights, while sitting on a bench.::

Townson: Thats it! ::pointing to building in the distance::

Tal'Aura: No, no! Thats it! ::pointing to another building close to the one Tracey was pointing to:: I'll bet you dinner thats it.

Townson: No...Look at the markings on the roof. Thats our office building.

Tal'Aura: Oh...yeah. I guess you are right. ::smiling and looking at Tracey.:: It looks like I owe you dinner.

Townson: ::looking up at Tal'Aura and smiling:: Yes you do.

::On the bench next to theirs, a young Romulan couple were embrasing one another.::

Tal'Aura: Young love.

Townson: ::looking towards the shadowed couple then back to the city lights:: Yes.

Tal'Aura: How is Jaxx?

Townson: ::without averting her eyes from the lights below:: Far away.

Tal'Aura: You miss him.

::Tracey just nodded.::

Townson: I hate this war.

Tal'Aura: Don't we all. It makes us all very lonely, and we could all die tomorrow.

Townson: ::turning to look at Tal'Aura:: Is there someone special in your life, Hvaid?

Tal'Aura: ::shaking his head and looking down to the ground:: I have placed all my efforts into the military. I had no time for much else. I had to work hard to earn the rank of Commander at such a young age. Plus with the war...::trailing off::

Townson: I know.

::The couple at the opposite bench stood up and walked away hand in hand as Tracey and Tal'Aura watched them leave. Tal'Aura turned to look at Tracey and their eyes locked for a minute. Tal'Aura gently took Tracey's hands in hers and Tracey didn't pull back. She knew what would happen next, and for the first time in years, Tracey allowed her body to overrun what was going on in her head. Tracey took a deep breath, and the two embraced.::

((Later))

::A light misty rain was coming down over the city of Solius, as Tracey an Tal'Aura were walking down a laneway, hand in hand, leading to Tracey's temporary home. When they arrived, the two stopped.::

Townson: Thank you...for a wonderful evening Hvaid.

Tal'Aura: And thank you too, Tracey. ::pause:: Back to work tomorrow.

Townson: Yes. Back to work tomorrow.

::The two kissed one last time, and then Tal'Aura started walking away. Tracey watched as the man became a shadow under the lights and then a message came through her PADD that drew her attention. Tracey quickly scanned the message which said she was being recalled from Romulus in the morning. Tracey looked up at the retreating Tal'Aura in the distance and opened her mouth to shout something. But before she did, she closed it and watched the man disappear into the night of this alien city. Tracey never saw Commander Tal'Aura again.::

((Bilire VI - Present))

::Tal'Aura had been reading and the more he read, the more he was fascinated by this Starfleet Officer. The tales of battles and near death experiences were quite extraordinary. This one was not afraid of confrontation. Tal'Aura would look up from his reading once in awhile, hearing the moans of agony coming from the hospital, and he cringed each time and look towards the drawer wher the cure to the disease lay. And he would fight himself to not just take the hyposyringe and walk over to the hospital himself and cure all those suffering. But he knew Arrhae would kill him. Literally. He was under the watchful eye of the Tal'Shiar continuously. He was the chosen one to infiltrate Starfleet and introduce the "wrath". But so far, it was the Romulans who were dying. And Tal'Aura was torn man.::

::Tal'Aura was interrupted by a knock on the door. He quickly hid his reading material and went to the door fully expecting Arrhae to be on the other side. But to his surprise, it was not.::

::Huffing and puffing, Tracey found the dor to her former superior officer's abode. She quietly chided herself for being so out of shape, despite the fact that running through mud was quite physically demanding. Tracey quickly caught her breath and knocked on the door.::

::The door opened and Tal'Aura stood and looked down to the petite human standing in front of him. She was dirty and muddy and appeared to be catching her breath.::

Townson: Hvaid. I've been ordered back to the ship.

::Tal'Aura just nodded.::

Townson: I didn't want to just leave again without telling you.

Tal'Aura: Well thank you.

::Tal'Aura was curious as to why the human used his first name.::

Townson: I never told anyone. I...I tried to forget. It would have been impossible.

Tal'Aura: ::with no clue what the human female was talking about, but nodding nevertheless:: I know.

Townson: Then you are not angry?

Tal'Aura: If I was, I would have told you last night.

Townson: ::smiling:: Thank you, Commander.

Tal'Aura: Return to your duties, Commander. Dismissed.

Townson: Aye Commander.

::Just as Tracey was about to leave the doorway, she became very weak and her world began to fade. Tracey then passed out as blood trickled out of her mouth. But she was once again caught by the Romulan and kept from falling. Tal'Aura then brought her inside and lay her down on his small couch, and placed a small saucer under her mouth to collect the blood. He then stood and looked over her unconscious body and recalled all the adversity this human had gone through in her short life. Despite her tiny frame, there was an obvious strength to the human that he admired. Besides, from the short conversation at the doorway, there appeared to be more going on than what was written in the Medical logs. Tal'Aura was just a minor Centurion in this universe and he was finally given the chance to be someone by helping in this mission. He grabbed it at the time, just to get out of the doldrums of life. But from the readings of the human lying in front of him, Tal'Aura knew he could be more, without having to kill. Without having to watch people suffer. Without thinking, Tal'Aura went to the drawer where the hypospray with the antidote rested, opened it, removed it and headed to the couch where Tracey lay. He pushed asside her long, black hair and pressed the hypospray to her neck. The audible hiss sound emerged and Tal'Aura returned the device to the drawer and then washed the blood from the human's mouth and waited till she came back to consciousness.::

::Tracey sat up and looked up at Tal'Aura.::

Townson: I...what happened, Hvaid?

Tal'Aura: ::smiling:: I believe you may be overworked, Tracey. You should get some rest as soon as you get the chance.

Townson: That's never happened to me before.::sitting up:: How long was I out for?

Tal'Aura: There's always a first time. You were only out for about five minutes. I gave you some smelling salts to revive you. So are you going to follow my order or not?

Townson: Hvaid?

Tal'Aura: Your dismissed. ::smiling::

::Tracey stood, came to attention in front of the Romulan for a moment, then turned and headed to the door. But just before leaving, Tracey turned back to face the Romulan.::

Townson: Thank you once again, Commander. I will be back.

Tal'Aura: I am looking forward to it, Commander.

Townson: This colony is lucky to have someone like you here. They could learn alot from you. You have always been the best teacher.::smiling::

Tal'Aura: oO As have you, Lieutenant Commander Tracey Townson, and that is why I could not let you die. Oo You are wearing out your stay, Commander. ::smiling::

Townson: ::tappinhg her com-badge with her prosthetic hand:: Townson to Independence. One to beam up.

::Tracey took one last look at Tal'Aura then took a deep breath, closed her eyes and waited for the transporter beam to envelop her.::

::Tal'Aura stood in the doorway looking at the spot where Tracey was standing seconds earlier, with a smile, then a look of shock overcame his face as he felt the blade enter his back. Then nothingness.::

[[ROUND 10] Lt.Cmdr. Whale & PNPC Dr Shelley: Bleak Horizon]

----

Lt. Commander David Whale

First Officer

USS Constitution

http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Whale,_David

&

Doctor Fiona Shelley

Medical Department

USS Constitution

http://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Shelley,_Fiona

-----

(( Risa - Zuriah Beach ))

:: Now this was more like it. Whale would never be confused with a "beach person" -- lying out on a beach was never really his idea of a good holiday -- but being on a real beach, feeling real sand between his toes, listening to real waves rolling onto shore and smelling authentic salt air... this was a hell of a lot better than some holodeck approximation. ::

:: Inhaling deeply, Whale looked out across the ocean, past the few sailboats to the horizon. This particular beach was not one of the "œprettiest" on Risa (though on Risa, it seemed everything was pretty, so it was all relative), so it was not nearly as crowded as most of the others -- it was the primary reason Whale had decided to come here. The fewer people, the better. It was nice to be out of uniform; it was nice to not have someone or something demanding his attention every second... but most important, it was just nice to relax. To relax and just enjoy a nice view. ::

:: In more ways than one. ::

:: He couldn't help but watch as a young woman jogged down the beach wearing what was perhaps the smallest bikini that could be produced before it could no longer be sold as a bikini, but as thread. But somehow, the young woman was making it work. Not that it was a huge mystery as to how -- she was probably twenty five, in fantastic shape, a slight sheen of sweat on her tanned skin... Whale recognized her as a Constitution crew member, but couldn't recall her name or even in which department she served. ::

SHELLEY: Sightseeing?

:: Turning quickly away from the receding form of the jogging woman, Whale saw Fiona Shelley standing a few metres behind him, strawberry blond hair tied back in a loose ponytail, a lopsided smirk on her lips. ::

WHALE: Uh... well... you know, as first officer, the physical condition of our crew is very important to me.

SHELLEY: Uh-huh.

:: She glanced toward the jogger, who had stopped a little ways down the beach and was taking the opportunity to stretch. ::

SHELLEY: Were you planning to test her fitness levels?

WHALE: The thought had crossed my mind, but I didn't think it would be a good idea. After all, my heart was only recently repaired -- I'd hate to have Doctor Stone go through all that work for nothing.

SHELLEY: Your logic impresses me, David.

:: With the playful banter out of the way, an awkward silence followed. Neither really knew what to say next, despite the fact that they had a great deal to discuss. After several long moments in which the pair stared at the sand, the water, the boats, the horizon -- anything but each other -- Whale, sighing and running a hand through his hair, motioned for the Doctor to walk with him along the beach. ::

WHALE: Look. I'm... I'm sorry. I had no right to put that burden on you.

(( FLASHBACK - 5 months ago ))

(( Spacedock Earth - Temporary Crew Quarters ))

WHALE: I left the Independence because of you, but not because you did anything wrong.

:: Still not looking at Shelley -- trying desperately NOT to look at her -- Whale never the less felt the doctor step up beside him. ::

WHALE: Quite the opposite, actually. Everything you did -- everything you do -- is right. Right for ME, I mean. What really surprised me is how long it took for me to realise it and I even get the impression T'tala may have figured it out first.

SHELLEY: David...

WHALE: Shh, I'm kind of on a roll here.

:: Unseen by Whale, the doctor began, ever so slightly, to smile. ::

WHALE: I don't know why I didn't see it coming, but there it was. I'd started... :: pause :: I had feelings for you that went beyond our friendship. So I left. I didn't want what I was feeling to make your life difficult. I mean, you're married-

SHELLEY: I'm aware of my marital status.

:: Fear was still tying his internal organs in knots, but it seemed to be loosening its grip bit by bit. Whale had expected the doctor to put some space between them the closer her got to the truth, but she'd actually moved closer and now she... she was holding his hand. Making him turn to face her. ::

SHELLEY: And I still would have liked a goodbye.

WHALE: I wanted to, but I honestly wasn't sure what I'd say.

:: He smiled sadly. ::

WHALE: I may have asked you to run away with me.

SHELLEY: I may have said yes.

WHALE: What?

:: Had she really said...? ::

SHELLEY: Nothing. Forget I said it.

(( PRESENT ))

(( Risa - Zuriah Beach ))

:: Of course, he still hadn't been able to forget what she'd said. ::

WHALE: Honestly, if I'd known you were transferring to the Constitution, I wouldn't have said anything.

SHELLEY: David...

WHALE: No, I mean it. I'm truly sorry. I know it can't have been easy for you, especially with me being the XO now-

SHELLEY: David, stop. You have no reason to apologize. This... this thing we have -- whatever you want to call it -- it's complicated.

:: She chuckled a little. ::

SHELLEY: So very, very complicated. :: pause :: But there's something there and we both know it. Until you told me, I didn't know for sure how you felt, but I knew...

:: Pausing, Shelley swallowed heavily. She could feel a blush creeping into her cheeks. ::

SHELLEY: I knew how I felt.

WHALE: How you...?

SHELLEY: Of course! Why do you think I was so mad that you left the Independence without saying goodbye? Why do you think I requested a transfer to the Constitution?

:: Of course, she wasn't sure at the time that it had been the right decision. ::

(( FLASHBACK - 6 Months ago ))

(( Earth - Shelley family home in White Rock BC ))

REGINA: And... this guy you mentioned...

:: Shelley quickly turned back to the ocean view, avoiding her sister's gaze. ::

SHELLEY: David.

REGINA: Yeah, David. He sounds like a good guy.

:: Shelley kept silent. ::

REGINA: And he serves on the Constitution now, you said?

:: [...] it. She should have know Regina would make the connections. Whatever differences Fiona and Regina had had over the years, Fiona had always known and been willing to admit that her sister was extremely bright. And at the moment, Shelley kind of wished she wasn't. ::

SHELLEY: Yes. He transferred there a little while ago.

REGINA: Just before you did.

:: Closing her eyes, Shelley took another long sip of coffee, feeling the liquid warm her insides and hoping the caffeine jolt would hit soon. She hadn't been sleeping very well. ::

SHELLEY: What's your point, Reggie?

:: Taking a sip from her own mug, Regina sidled up beside her sister to share the view. She shrugged. ::

REGINA: I don't have a point, just making conversation.

:: There was a long, long pause... ::

REGINA: Does he make you happy?

:: Shelley snapped her head around to stare at her sister. ::

SHELLEY: What?!

REGINA: Does he make you happy. This David guy -- are you happy when you're around him?

SHELLEY: I don't... I just... Reggie, I...

REGINA: Fiona, I'm not judging. :: beat :: The other night, when we were talking, when you were telling me about the things you've done in Starfleet, the things that involved David... you were happy. You were smiling -- the kind of smile I remember seeing on the OLD Fiona. I haven't seen you smile like that -- I haven't seen you HAPPY -- since Anna died.

:: Reaching up, Regina smiled sadly as she brushed a windblown strand of hair from her sister's face. ::

REGINA: Fi, that means I haven't seen my sister happy in eight years. :: beat :: When you joined Starfleet, I thought you were an idiot, giving up a great job here on Earth to live in one of those space-faring tin cans. But now? I think it was the best decision you could have made.

:: Shelley swallowed heavily. She knew there were tears welling up in her eyes. ::

SHELLEY: I'm just scared, Reg. I just... I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know which way is up, I don't know which way to turn...

REGINA: That's how I spent my twenties. Dont' worry, Fi, you'll figure it out. You always do -- that's why you're such a great big sister.

:: Shelley closed her eyes for a moment, then downed the rest of her coffee. ::

SHELLEY: I hope so.

(( PRESENT ))

(( Risa - Zuriah Beach ))

:: But the fact was, Shelley still had no idea what she was doing. She hadn't figured it out -- she was flying by the seat of her pants and every time she spoke with Whale she felt the butterflies of near-panic doing their aerial acrobatics in her stomach. ::

SHELLEY: I followed you.

:: The pair stopped walking and faced each other for the first time. The fact was,Whale had never even really considered what Shelley's reasons had been for transferring to the Constitution. In fact, he wasn't even sure he'd ever considered that the transfer was at her own request. That... that changed everything. She had followed him. ::

SHELLEY: I followed you because I wasn't ready to give up on what we have.

:: Quickly stepping forward, Whale leaned down and caught the doctor in a kiss, his hands resting on her hips. He felt her hands pressed against his chest, slowly forming into fists grasping the front of his shirt as all hesitancy flew away on the ocean breeze. It was several long moments before Shelley pulled away. She released her grip on Whale's shirt, but her trembling hands remained against his chest. There were tears in her eyes. ::

SHELLEY: And what we have...

:: She choked momentarily as a tear rolled down her cheek. ::

SHELLEY: ...is a very, very good friendship.

:: His face going slack, Whale felt like he'd been kicked in the chest by a horse. Friendship...? But... but she had followed him... ::

SHELLEY: I'm sorry.

:: Her voice was little more than a whisper and tears were flowing freely as he took her hands from Whale's chest and stuffed them into her pockets -- almost as if she didn't trust them anymore. ::

WHALE: I don't... Fiona, please.

SHELLEY: This is hard enough already, David. If...

:: No. Don't leave that door open. ::

SHELLEY: I'm sorry. We're friends, David. That's what we are. Okay? Can... can you please try to be okay with that? I don't want to lose you as a friend, I just can't give you what you want. Can you understand that?

:: No, he couldn't. All he could understand was that of all the things he'd earned or been given in this, his second chance at life, there was only one thing he'd ever truly wanted. And now she was just going to walk away and he was expected to be fine with it. ::

WHALE: Is it Richard? Did he find out?

:: Richard Souray. Her husband of nearly fourteen years and current first officer of the USS Hormigonera. Shelley shook her head. ::

SHELLEY: No, Richard has nothing to do with this.

WHALE: Okay. I guess there's nothing else to say, then.

:: He turned away to watch the surf, mostly so Shelley wouldn't see the tears in his eyes. ::

SHELLEY: I'll write up my transfer request in the morning. I haven't looked at the fleet openings yet, but I'm sure I can get a new placement before shore leave is over.

WHALE: No, don't.

SHELLEY: What?

WHALE: Don't transfer. As hard as it will be seeing you on a regular basis, knowing that we can't... As hard as that will be, it would be harder to never see you again.

:: As she stared at Whale's back, Shelley wiped away fresh tears. It felt like there was gaping hole in her chest. She'd said the exact same thing to Doctor Zhou when she'd told him of her intention to follow Whale to the Constitution. ::

WHALE: And speaking as the XO, you're an asset to the medical department.

SHELLEY: All right. I'll... we'll see how it goes. :: pause :: Are you okay?

:: Whale chuckled, but there was no humour in it. He shrugged. ::

WHALE: I'll survive. That's what I do.

:: For moment, Whale and Shelley stood side by side, watching the waves breaking on the shore, knowing that the waves weren't the only things breaking. ::

SHELLEY: I should get back.

:: Whale nodded, but didn't say anything. Glancing down the beach, Shelley saw the jogging girl was heading back their way. ::

SHELLEY: She's coming back. I think you should give her a fitness test.

:: It almost made her sick to think of him... and that girl... but it's not like she had any claim on him. Shelley had made that clear and now she was going to have to live with that decision. Whale forced a smile. ::

WHALE: I'll give it some thought.

:: Forcing a smile of her own, Shelley headed back up the beach, leaving Whale alone with the surf and his thoughts, neither of which were giving him any comfort. As the jogging girl passed by, she gave Whale a smile. It was the kind of smile he knew well -- the kind that promised all kind of interesting and possibly naked adventure if he followed her. ::

:: So he sat down on the beach to watch the sun set and think about how much he hated the frelling universe. ::

====================

[Graduating Class of 238805.24]

Woo hoo, welcome to the fleet guys!

[2011 Writing Challenge Discussion]

Good turnout so far, including a few new people. Keep 'em coming!

[[Round 10] Peress Dolsan: Night Owls]

((Doctor Peress Dolsan's Lab, Bilire VI))

::The night sky, filled with countless stars twinkling above, made Bilire VI seem more tranquil than it really was. If it weren't for the incessant chirping and buzzing of insects, it could almost have been mistaken for a vacation planet. Perhaps the Federation surveyors had been so tricked by the planet's facade before they had handed it over to the Romulan refugees.

Peress wasn't able to enjoy the serene vista in her lab. Here, the night sky was obstructed by a heavy roof made of duranium alloy salvaged from one of the colony ships. She had to hurry now that Starfleet was here. It would only be a matter of time before the truth came out and with it, deadlier ramifications.

Peress had always enjoyed working at night. Night meant that most people were asleep, and when most people were asleep, they were unable to bother her.

Still, Peress was not the only night owl in the colony.::

Ketas: My dear child, still up at this hour?

::Peress looked up, startled a bit, but then relieved to see it was just the old man, Ivorsk Ketas. She could have sworn she had locked the doors to her lab. She returned her focus to the specimen in front of her.::

Dolsan: You know how restless we youth are, Mr. Ketas.

::The old man chuckled as he scratched his beard.::

Ketas: Yes, yes. Risanna was just like you, keeping me up until ungodly hours of the night working on her science projects.

Dolsan: A testament to her grandfather's guidance, I'm sure.

::Ivorsk pulled up a chair and sat next to Peress as she continued studying the sample.:

Ketas: More her mother, really, which I guess I did play a part in as well.

::He chuckled again, but Peress seemed to have her focus elsewhere.::

Ketas: Still trying to figure out the secrets behind the Wrath?

::Peress scoffed.::

Dolsan: A rather crude name for such a sophisticated disease as this. I don't know why everyone insists on using it.

Ketas: Oh, you don't approve?

Dolsan: My approval does not matter. I simply don't see how that term applies to this disease. It does not even drive its victims mad, for instance.

Ketas: I suppose the others have been calling it the Wrath as short hand for Hobus's Wrath. A way to kill the rest of us who weren't taken out with the first blow.

Dolsan: I suppose it is a rather insidious way to accomplish that task.

Ketas: So you think there is a motive behind it?

::Peress looked up from the sample at that moment and gave an uneasy glance at the old man.::

Dolsan: Motive? It's a disease. It has no motivation besides its own existence.

Ketas: I'm not much of a scientist myself, so I trust your judgement, Doctor Peress. I just thought I heard something this afternoon...

Dolsan: Oh? What exactly did you hear?

::Peress slowly stood up, taking the sample. The old man had revealed he knew more than she was comfortable with. She moved towards a cabinet to ostensibly store the specimen. Truthfully, she was looking for a weapon.

Ivorsk remained at his seat. He didn't seem to be on to her yet.::

Ketas: When you left the hospital this afternoon after our guests arrived, I thought I heard young Saj run after you and ask about the disease...

Dolsan: The boy is a foolish child. He has constantly been getting into trouble as boys are wont to do, especially after his father's passing.

Ketas: Yes, such sorrow, losing both parents, at such a young age.

::Ketas stroked his beard thoughtfully as Peress remained silent. She turned away and opened a drawer. Her eyes were drawn to a long, straight-edged blade. She usually used it for plant specimens, but it would cut through flesh just as well.::

Ketas: I've raised my own share of sons, so I know how they can be. But I could have sworn he said something about Dr. Miram suspecting that the disease was unnatural.

::Peress wrapped her fingers around the knife's handle. She turned her head back towards the old man.::

Dolsan: Mr. Ketas, I assure you, if Doctor Miram or I had found such evidence, I would have let the other colonists know.

Ketas: Oh, really now?

::The old man stood up and slowly walked towards Peress. Her grip on the knife tightened as it remained in the drawer.::

Ketas: As you said, it is rather insidious. And we are hardly in the company of the Empire's finest. Criminals, deviants, reunifications...pacifists.

::The man hissed as he said the name of that last group.::

Ketas: I know you certainly are no fan of any of them. You, the proud daughter of an admiral in the Imperial Navy.

Dolsan: Yes...

::Ivorsk smiled.::

Ketas: Yet, you are not so pure yourself, my dear. After all, it was on your father's watch that the madman Shinzon was able to assassinate the Senate with the military's blessing nearly a decade ago.

::The mention of her father caught Peress off guard. Her father had been one of the high-ranking officers on duty during the coup, but he was a scapegoat, never faltering from his allegiance to the Senate and to the Romulan people. He was a true patriot of the Empire.

After Shinzon was defeated, his supposed supporters were executed or imprisoned without trial, including Peress's father. When Hobus destroyed Romulus, her father died in a filthy prison cell.::

Ketas: You know, the last time I saw him...

::Saw him? Peress palmed the knife and turned around. She held her hands behind her with the knife hidden.::

Ketas: ...he told me how much he missed you. He wanted me to tell you how much he loved you and was proud of you.

::Peress's eyes narrowed in doubt and then anger.::

Dolsan: What are you talking about? You've never met my father.

Ketas: Oh, but I did, shortly before his death.

::The old man gave an apologetic look and shrugged.::

Ketas: Granted, his death at my hands.

Dolsan: What? He died from Hobus like every other-

Ketas: I wouldn't have minded you believing that for the rest of your life, but there are others above me who feel differently. After all, the only thing more dangerous than a traitor is the daughter of a traitor who believes her father was wrongfully imprisoned and then left to die.

::The old man used a finger to gently brush away some of Peress's hair from the side of her face.::

Ketas: Take heart, child, that when they drafted this mission, I insisted I partake in it. I felt it only honorable that I who had killed a man be the one to also kill his daughter.

::Peress's stern gaze wavered as tears began to form from the memories of her father. She gripped the knife firmly and swung at the old man. However, he had been anticipating her attack, grabbing her thin arm and snapping it against the cabinet edge. Peress yelled out in pain as the knife fell. Ivorsk kept his hold onto her broken arm, twisting it as he brought her close to him. He pulled a hypospray from his pocket and placed it to Peress's neck as she continued to fight him weakly with her other arm.::

Ketas: Shhh, my child. It will all be over soon. Just relax and think of happier times...

::With a hiss of the hypospray, Peress's eyes, still wet with tears, slowly fell shut as the poison paralyzed and shut down her organs even more efficiently than the Wrath.

Ivorsk looked around the quiet lab as he continued to hold the doctor's body against his. Such a shame, he thought, as he glanced back at the young woman in his arms, but at least he had been able to let her know her father's last thoughts of her, something she wouldn't have gotten from another assassin.

Now he needed to find somewhere to hide her body. He had just the perfect place.::

TBC...

Peress Dolsan & Ivorsk Ketas

Bilire VI

[Graduating Class of 238805.16]

Welcome to the fleet, guys!

[Graduating Class of 238805.09]

Welcome, Evanna! Glad to have you aboard!

Welcome to the Fleet, Ensign Blackwood! Your academy performance was awesome!

[fire of the heart]

If you treat the story as complete, it's shockingly existential. The man is introduced and is shown doing normal things- dating, daydreaming, strolling in a world of his own and then... abruptly ends. He and his story are finished. Cut short. Is that... death? The sudden succession of consciousness, with nothing remaining after but a blank page? No resolution. No final, last words. Just... an end.

Are our lives so short and meaningless that, when viewed from an outside perspective, they don't even take up a single line on a page?

...

Okay, okay. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it too. You've made a good start.

[March/April 2011 Writing Challenge]

Congratulations, mate!

Thank you! I hope people like the subject I've picked.

[What if Gene Roddenberry was still alive?]

I know one thing would be different; Gene wouldn't have let the Dominion War take place. I understand it was a good plot device and a lot of great episodes of Deep Space Nine came from it, but war wasn't in his vision of the Star Trek universe.

I'm probably going to draw flames for this, but...

... I don't really like Gene's idea for the future when it comes to telling a good story. Sure, I'd love to live in his 24th century, but telling stories there the way he envisioned it is difficult.

I know the writers for ST:TNG were quoted as saying something similar to, "So Gene said, you have this perfect world where everyone gets along, all the world's problems are solved, technology can do almost anything and medicine can fix almost any problem, there's no violence or hate or hunger or sadness or loss or money or greed or envy... now go write drama."

This was why in a lot of the episodes which aired while he was alive were generally of the genre "Something mustache-twirlingly evil from outside the ship attacks the ship or its crew". By and large, the crew (along with the Federation civilians) were all one big happy super loving family.

Which makes it difficult to write drama.

There are many things about DS9 that would never have been allowed to happen if Gene were still alive. The religious aspects for one, the big story arc about changelings and the Marquis (see 'no traitors' above), the Dominion War (arguably one of the most awesome story arcs in Trek history, your mileage may vary)...

When Ronald D. Moore was given Battlestar Galactica, he took many swings at this style of writing and it shows in the way that series was run. From the word "go", anyone could be a Cylon. People, by and large, hated, feared, and distrusted the military and for justified reasons. The characters were often deeply flawed ethically and morally, technology was flaky, unreliable, limited and used sparingly... and there was plenty of greed, violence, hate, hunger, sadness, (not so much money, but...) to go around. Again, your mileage may vary, but it certainly made writing drama a lot easier.

All my two cents.

[March/April 2011 Writing Challenge]

Well, the judges have deliberated, cogitated and digested, and the votes have been counted. As there were three entries this round, we'll be announcing a winner but no runner-up, and that winner is...

Wait for it...

"Faith" by Lieutenant Alleran Tan!

A huge congratulations to Lieutenant Tan, and a big thankyou to everyone for entering the competition! Watch this space for the launch of the May/June round!

Thank you! Also, thanks to Mister Saveron for providing such an interesting topic- it really got me fired up to write the story, although it took a LONG time for me to get it exactly the way I wanted to in my mind. After that, writing it was easy.

And... thank you to the judges- I find judging to be absolutely nerve-wracking, so a big thanks to you guys. I've got my topic all prepared and I'm sure you'll all love it. Look forward to seeing you all in the next round of competition!

[Top Sims Contest Open Discussion]

I'll confess to a certain degree of confusion. Looking at the dates posted in the rules thread I think we should be in Round 9 by now. Am I reading it wrong?

Round 8, I thought. 7 was April, 6 was March...

[*WINNER* Faith]

"Faith"

“Faith isn't faith until it's all you're holding on to."

- Bajoran Proverb

Musilla Provence

Bajor

Twenty four years ago

"I know my mother's dead."

Simple words spoken by a simple child. Tami looked up to the priest, the rags that the Cardassians charitably labelled 'clothing' dangling off her limply. Her toes were blue and black, the result of too many winter nights with too few blankets and shoes.

The Vedek, concern flooding his face, placed an emaciated hand on the girl's earlobe and rubbed gently.

"You're only nine," Vedek Antani Silari childed. "You don't have an understanding of these things. Children don't know what happens when people go to the Prophets... as a matter of fact, most adults don't either. It's something that takes a lifetime of wisdom to understand... and a completely picture is only obtained when you, yourself, pass."

The girl tilted her head. She, unlike most children, didn't mind it when people rubbed her ear- it was a comforting feeling, something to remind her of her family and her life before she was bought to this camp. There wasn't much to remember- a few flashes of memory, a handful of words and phrases spoken by people she barely remembered. Words of courage as the plasma mortars fell around them, words of comfort for loved ones as endless Bajoran women and men went out to fight the Cardassians and never returned, words of strength when the dark times seemed entirely endless.

"I know what happens when you go to the prophets," Tami replied, her tone sincere and flat- as though she were reciting some fact in her school's textbook. "The Cardassians take you and throw you in the incinerator they have in the middle of the camp." Another pause. "Is the incinerator some kind of portal to the prophets?"

Antani looked shocked for a moment, his hand falling away from the child's ear.

"Who told you that?"

Tami blinked a few times, her face screwed up in confusion. "Nobody told me," she answered truthfully, "I saw the two guards- Zumarl and Izkadi- throw mother's body in there this afternoon. So I know what happens when you go. It's nothing like the stories you tell."

Antani shook his head.

"The journey to the prophets is... just a metaphor, child. The body is just a shell," he said, "Just a container for the soul. When a Bajoran dies, if they have been honest and true throughout their lives, their soul departs the body and it flies up towards the Celestial Temple. There, it's reunited with the prophets, to live forever with our creators."

"Oh."

It was a simple answer, but simply and precisely articulated Tami's feelings on this matter.

Antani reached up and rubbed the child's ears again. "Look to the heavens, child. See all the stars?"

Tami nodded. From somewhere else in the camp there was a shout, then a shriek, followed by the high pitched whine of a phaser. Then silence. Searchlights illuminated the far corner of the camp- it was another escape attempt. The Cardassian who had discovered the tunneler picked up the woman's body and began dragging it towards the central incinerator. The priest and the girl carried on as though nothing had happened.

When the Vedek spoke, his voice was soft. "Those stars are the balconies of the Celestial Temple. From there, our ancestors- and our friends who knew us in life- can look down on Bajor and see all that we do. That's how they know if we've been just in our life, so that when we pass, we too may go to the Prophets and join them."

Tami canted her head, looking upwards.

"So my mother's up there watching me? Watching me right now?"

The priest smiled, nodding his head. "I suspect that she is," he said, "At least... if the balconies are not too crowded this evening."

The girl nodded thoughtfully. "Do you think they have a lot of food up there? Fresh water? Big, thick, fuzzy blankets?"

Both she and he had become accustomed to the hunger, the thirst, the cold... but they both had memories of better times. Imagining the biggest, warmest blanket she could, the girl drew comfort from the thought- it didn't stop her little body from trembling, though, but she had become used to it. Every night was cold, some more than most, but you either survived or you died. Talking help keep you warm.

"I'd imagine that they have everything their hearts desire," Antani replied, rubbing the little Bajoran's ear again. "Food, water, warmth and shelter..."

There was another pause.

"Are there Cardassians in the Celestial Temple?"

The Vedek hesitated before answering. "The Temple allows access only to those who are good of heart," he explained, "So... it's not impossible for there to be a goodly Cardassian or two up there. But... I'd imagine there aren't many. And I'd imagine that there are fewer still drawn from those who... 'share'... our world."

"Are there camp guards up there?"

This the Vedek was certain of. "No, child."

Tami nodded her head, seeming pleased. "That's good. I hope none of the other Cardassians up there turn into guards. I want my mother to get her food from the crops, or from a store, or a market... not from guards she has sex with."

The Vedek's surprise was total now. "Tami, where did you hear that? Did your mother tell you what she was doing...?"

Tami smiled, shaking her head. "Oh, no, I figured it out on my own. I'm not stupid. Children don't get separate rations, they're supposed to share their parents, but I'm nine now. I eat a lot." Her voice became sad. "I tried to eat as little as I could, but I get really hungry... and I know she had to find food somehow, since we somehow got extra whenever we needed it and there's not many ways you can get it around here. Mister Belaran told me that's how he got the extra rations for his sister, so I figured mum was doing the same thing." She sighed, shaking her head. "Besides, she would often come back to our cell late, with bruises- in places where people usually don't get bruises- and she'd cry a lot. It's a good thing dad's dead, or he might be sad."

The little child smiled again, as though expecting the Vedek to be proud of her cleverness. "So, yeah. I figured it out on my own." She shuffled closer to the Vedek, trying to draw some warmth from his body. "I think mum did it so they would leave me alone..."

The Vedek rubbed her ear again, gentle since he knew his fingers were bony and gaunt. The child was nine, yet knew so much about the dark place in which they had found themselves... far too much for a child of her age.

"I can say this, Tami... nobody has any harm come to them in the Celestial Temple."

"It sounds nice," said Tami, wistfully.

The Vedek nodded. "It is. It's a paradise. Your mother has everything she ever wanted up there."

"Not everything." Tami's voice was quiet, mournful even. "My mother doesn't have me. I know that she would want me over any food in the galaxy, any amount of water to drink or warm blankets to cover her... mum would want me over the biggest, most softest blanket that the northerners could make. She told me so herself."

"I know she would. And, in time, you'll see her again."

Tami nodded thoughtfully.

*****

The pounding on the metal grew louder. Tami could hear it from where she was- a solid metal container, nearly four meters cubed, the floor covered in ash.

"Blast it open! Hurry, curse you!" came a voice. Tami recognized it as the Vedek Antani. The girl smiled and pressed her face against the soot-covered transparent aluminum, looking at the mix of Bajoran and Cardassian faces that stared back at her.

One of the Cardassian guards raised his voice in reply. "No. That's Cardassian property... it you damage it, it will be out of action for weeks- Gul Marev will have all of our heads."

The original voice again, thumping on the metal with his weak, starved hands. "Tami! Tami, open the door this instant!"

It WAS Antani. She could see the man was trying to open up the furnace door with his fingers, which were now missing their nails, broken and bleeding. "I want you to open this door right now!"

The energy inside the furnace began to build and build, just as Tami knew that it would. She'd seen what the Cardassians had done to her mother after all. "It's okay," she said, smiling at them all. They looked so very frightened, angry, alarmed... but she felt perfectly at peace with the cosmos. "I'm going to see my mother."

Antani pressed his face against the glass. "It's not your time, Tami. You're just a child!"

Tami shook her head, giggling at the adults foolishness. "No, it's okay. Mother misses me- I'm going to see her. Don't worry. It's like you said- the body is just a container. Up there, there's food- there's water... there's blankets and warmth and everything I could ever want. And she's there, she wants me to come..."

The timer she had set ticked down. Already she could feel the growing heat beneath her feet. She wiggled her partially frostbitten toes- it was the first time she'd been really warm in years.

"You're going to die! Turn off the timer!"

Tami smiled, closing her eyes. "I won't die, I'll go to the Prophets. That's what they told me- that's what YOU told me- and I believe it."

A pause, now, as the energy buildup reached a crescendo.

"I have faith."

*****

She opened her eyes. It was surprisingly cool and white and air rushed past her- rushed through her. She felt herself fly through the atmosphere of Bajor, floating gracefully up into the night sky. She could see the bright pinpoint of light- the ignited furnace- far below her, but such mortal trivialities were behind her now.

She left the planet's upper atmosphere and gasped in wonder at all the things around her, things she hadn't seen before- things nobody alive had seen. The pale white trails of souls heading away from Bajor and towards the welcoming gates of the Celestial Temple. The dark black streaks of the Pah-Wraiths, floating around in space, catching and punishing those unworthy of entering the Celestial Temple.

None came close to her, however.

Tami saw the faces of the dead, watching, smiling, from the stars... which ever so much resembled the balconies of a house. They called her name, crying happily, beckoning her towards the light.

Then the doors of the Celestial Temple opened, and Tami saw the outline of her mother, arms outstretched, waiting for her.

"I have faith," she repeated, throwing herself into her beaming mother's welcoming arms.

[[Round 9] Commander Nicholotti as Major Donald K 'Deke' Slayt]

((Earth, July 1969))

::It wasn't' until 10 splashed down that everyone's attention turned to 11 as the first possible manned lunar landing, but NASA had been working with that understanding since the beginning of the year. The astronauts that were in the rotation for the mission, Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins, had been spending quite a bit of time in the lunar simulators. This, as it turned out, made for quite the traffic jam since 9 and 10 had the priority. Still, they got it done.::

::With the growing attention, starting way back in the winter of 1968, the training cycle became anything but smooth. First off, when 11 started to look like the first actual lunar landing, people began asking the question of who would walk on the moon. Up until November of that year, no one really considered the idea that both occupants of the lunar lander would actually get out together.::

::Way back in 1965, in preparation for the moon landings, scientists began working on a package that was known as ALSEP, which was designed to be set up on the moon and left there. Most of the higher ups at NASA were pushing for the deployment of one of these on the first moon landing, so some of the astronauts started to train with it. They quickly discovered that it wasn't possible to set it up alone.::

::This meant that two guys would need to do the EVA on the moons surface.::

::All of the sudden, the question was no longer who got to walk on the moon, but who would be going first. On previous Gemini missions, the pilot had always been the one to execute the EVAs, and the early paperwork for 11 showed the same thing. The big problem with that, however, was the fact that while Gemini capsules had two, equally working hatches where the astronauts could egress, the lunar module only had one.::

::By the beginning of 1969, the paperwork changed and the plan was to have the commander of the mission depart the lander first. That meant that Neil Armstrong would be the first man to step foot on the moon.::

::It was at this point that Buzz's father, Gene senior, got involved. He was one of those aviation pioneers; he knew Orville Wright and Charles Linburgh, and he just couldn't leave well enough alone. While he had been there since Buzz had joined NASA trying to pull strings and get him the best missions, he stepped up his game now and demanded to know why a civilian was going to be the first man on the moon.::

::Only one outburst occurred between Neil and Buzz over the situation, and Buzz ended up taking it all the way up the chain of command. Eventually, the question was bounced back to the astronaut office, where I told Buzz that it was going to be Neil based on seniority. Armstrong had joined NASA a year before Aldrin, which gave him first choice. Of course, had Grissom been around, I know that it would have been him that would have taken that first step.::

::Of course, the situation didn't only come down to the question of seniority. There was a technical reason behind it as well. The lunar lander, as mentioned before, only had a single egress hatch, and the way it opened made it easier for the guy on the left, the commander, to get out first. Otherwise, you'd have two guys in bulky pressure suits doing some kind of god[...] dance inside the lunar module.::

::So, as if we didn't have enough to worry about, a few hours got expended on that issue. It was resolved, however, before 10 flew.::

::I can't say I saw too many other outbursts between Buzz and Neil. Given the incredible stress they were under, they held up pretty well. In a lot of ways, Mike Collins had it tougher; his training pretty much required him to be alone. If something went wrong, he didn't have anyone else to blame or complain to.::

::Then of course there was the lunar germ problem. Some scientists worried that the astronauts would be infected with some kind of space virus. Suppose it got loose? Naturally, the scientists had to come up with some kind of isolation for the crew once they returned to Earth. They wanted the astronauts to remain in the command module, but there was a problem with that plan. The module made a great space craft, but it was a lousy boat. It usually tipped over on landing due to its higher center of gravity. This was guaranteed to make the astronauts sick, if they weren't already having issues bobbing around on the ocean after being in space for a week or more.::

::So, a new plan was devised. Douse the hatch in disinfectant, toss the crew three biological isolation suits, and then get them out. Of course, this left scientists wondering if opening the hatch would release the virus into the atmosphere, so the plan was then to make the pressure inside the craft lower than normal air pressure. Thus, bugs, and air, would flow in rather than out.::

::Finally, it came time to name the crafts that would take these three men on the journey to the moon and back. The chief PR guy, Julian Scheer, made it known that the names should be 'dignified'. Though some of the astronauts had been playful in naming their ships, Buzz, Neil, and Mike knew that this mission was going to be quite historic. After some work, and a suggestion from Scheer, the command module became known as Columbia as a symbol of the United States as well as a tip of the hat to Jules Verne, who had written in 1860 about a spacecraft named Columbiad which was blasted to the moon from Florida. The name seemed to fit.::

::The lunar module was going to be the Eagle. Jim Lovell had suggested it, and it was such a good idea that it became the figure on their crew patch as well.::

::On June 12th, we were scheduled for a flight readiness review for 11. It was basically a conference call between all the major components of the system; Houston flight control, Marshall space flight center, and the Cape. It was here that a proposed launch date, dictated by our requirements to have the proper lighting at the landing sight, was set for June 16th, 1969.::

::There were concerns that the crew wouldn't be ready in time, but Neil declined more time stating that they would be ready by mid-July. I was prepared to take him at his word, so the launch was set. We would execute the mission at 9:32 AM EST on July 16th using the sixth Saturn V and command service module 107; Eagle, lunar module number five, would land on July 20th in the Sea of Tranquility. A few hours later, two men from Earth would walk on the moon.::

::Now that the date and time was set, and people began to realize that we were actually going to do this, lots of other things came up. For one, no matter how isolated we tried to keep the astronauts, they were still getting calls from long lost relatives. Everyone and their brother wanted to be at the launch; from senators and dignitaries, to family members and self proclaimed 'space nuts'. The President even wanted to eat dinner with the astronauts the night before the launch, but concerns of infectious illnesses ended this proposal right away.::

::The final medical checks were done on Friday, July 11th. Each of the astronauts were cleared, and a final press conference was scheduled for the following Monday. Sunday, however, we woke up to a surprise.::

::It seemed that the Russians weren't content with just sitting by. That morning, we all woke up to find out that they had launched a craft towards the moon. It was called Luna 15, and it was scheduled to go into orbit on the 16th. Naturally, we were concerned that it might get in the way and run into 11 as it too orbited the moon.::

::I think it was pretty desperate for the Russians to try something like this during this particular week. I didn't know then just how desperate they were for some kind of space spectacle. Their manned lunar orbit program was on hold, and it was due to be cancelled at the end of the year if nothing new occurred. They were making one last attempt at claiming their title of 'winner' in the space race.::

::On July 4th, they had tried for the second time to launch their big N-1 booster. This one had failed worse than the first one, blowing up a few feet off the pad and effectively destroying not only itself, but the entire launch complex as well. Even before the accident, the Russian program didn't really have a chance of beating us.::

::Unless, of course, something happened to Apollo 11.::

::As it turned out, Frank Borman had just returned from Russia that weekend. He had been invited by the Soviets as an ambassador from the United States. Because of this experience, Chris Kraft, the lead flight director at Houston, got a hold of him and asked him to look into the Luna 15 problem. After some back and forth with the Russian space agency, Borman was able to confirm that the craft would not come anywhere close to 11.::

::What was significant about all this is the fact that it was one of the fastest exchanges between the two space programs. I think it was the first real step towards the Apollo-Soyuz project that was to come.::

::The morning of the launch was like any other launch morning. I knocked on the doors and woke the astronauts up. We ate breakfast and they all got suited up. Nobody ever talks about the work during this time, but it was easy to see that they were all anxious to get moving.::

::There was something like a quarter of a million people scattered on the beaches, not to mention a few thousand at the press site. The VIPs included LBJ and George Mueller outside, and the likes of Wernher von Braun inside. I mostly plugged in and tried to keep out of the way.::

::More than any other flight before, things seemed to go smoothly, as if everybody had been pointed at this one moment. Right on time, at 9:32 in the morning, the big Saturn lit up. Like always, it seemed to take forever to get off the ground. But then it just rumbled off into the sky leaving behind silence and anticipation, the likes of which had not been known on such a large scale before. The entire world was holding its breath waiting to see if we would succeed.::

Donald K 'Deke' Slayton

Astronaut

United States of America

as simmed by Lt. Commander Kalianna Nicholotti

[[Round 9] Tressa & Cmdr Andrus Jaxx - Pivitol Moments]

(( Submitter's note: Part II ))

(( Captain's Quarters, USS Victory ))

:: Tressa moved back to the desk and loaded the small file. Soon the familiar sound was echoing around them. The young Gideon closed her eyes as the same feelings arose from earlier. The need to nurture, to protect... hearing their hearts was so much more real to her. She opened and turned her eyes to Jaxx, wondering the effect the tiny hearts would have on the Betazoid man. ::

::The sound through the room was a joyous one. He could feel his eyes misting up once more. The thought of having children was so far out of his mind a few hours ago. Now, as he stood in the room looking at Tressa and listening to the hearts of his unborn children, he felt proud. He was so in love with Tressa, and if he could have children with anyone, he was glad it was her. He couldn't wait to share the news but with who? Jaxx knew his parents would not take the news very well. His father would be alright with it, but his mother would be furious. She did not like the Human, and she would surely not like the Gideon.::

Jaxx: I love you, and I am happy for us. ::placing his hand on her stomach he smiled:: My legacy...

:: Tressa smiled, genuinely for the first time in a while. He was happy, and the more he smiled and gushed over her condition the better she felt. When he touched her tummy it brought her more happiness than she thought possible. The better she felt, the more clear her thoughts became, and with them came new realisations. ::

:: Yes, she loved Jaxx. That she knew. They were living together, and she wanted to take their relationship as far as it would go. Children would be a step that she would want eventually, it had just come sooner than she could have anticipated; and if this was something she wanted with Jaxx it might be their only chance. ::

Tressa: :: Smiling :: I love you too. :: She placed a hand over his where it sat on her tummy. :: We'll be okay. :: There was only a slight amount of uncertainty in her voice. ::

Jaxx: You have had a rough day...let me draw you a hot bath?

Tressa: You don't have to...

Jaxx: It is the least I can do. I will replicate some fruit if you like, I could move a chair in and sit with you to keep you company if you want?

Tressa: :: Nodding :: I want to be with you now.

:: She followed him and every so often held him while he worked. When the bath was done she undressed and slipped into the warm waters while Jaxx went to the replicator. She soaked in the relaxing waters, every so often looking upon her flat abdomen. The warm waters helped her relax further, and by the time Jaxx returned, she was feeling much calmer. ::

Tressa: :: Turning to him :: I have to tell my family...

Jaxx: ::nodding as he sat:: I would suppose so.

Tressa: Tradition. New life is the greatest wonder for my people. It's a time of celebration, and joy. First the partner is told, then the families, then the village.

::It sounded so simple, yet it was far from it. Jaxx knew that they had a road full of obsticals ahead. It did not worry him, because in the end he loved Tressa and he would love their children. If he had nothing else in his life, he could be happy with just them.::

Jaxx: Yippie...the whole village.

Tressa: ::Laughing :: Upon the birth of a child, the village will often celebrate for days. Longest I've attended lasted 5 days.

Jaxx: ::quizzically:: Days? That is a little too joyous. ::laughs::

Tressa: :: Smirking :: my people are never too joyous when a new life is involved... besides, my family may not be laughing with joy...

Jaxx: I can imagine.

::Jaxx watched Tressa 's smile slightly fade as she looked at him. It was clear that something serious was on her mind, and he pulled his chair closer.::

Tressa: :: Grimacing :: My aunt may try to kill you.

Jaxx: I can alert security? ::smirking::

Tressa: I said 'may'.

Jaxx: ::smiling:: I know.

:: She giggled; but regardless of her condition she was not ready for her family to meet Jaxx. Especially her incredibly overprotective aunt. ::

Tressa: I know my parents will never leave Gideon... so you don't need to worry about them at least... I'm sure they'll only hate you, at least until they're born. :: She traced a finger over her stomach. ::

Jaxx: Well, then our first trip to Gideon together can be after their birth.

::Jaxx began to think even more. As if it was not already enough that he was promoted and informed he would be a father of twins on the same day, but now he had the anxiety of not just his own family, but hers as well. He wondered how best to prepare Tressa for his family. He was willing to do whatever it took to keep Tressa, but his family could be unbearable. His father was not as bad, but his mother was rude and did not care to filter her words before uttering them. It would definitely not be a fun meeting.::

Jaxx: Perhaps we will take leave and travel to both Gideon and Betazed. Although knowing my mother and father...they will find an excuse to check in on me before I am ready to go home.

Tressa: :: Smiling :: Oh? They like to keep an eye on you do they?

Jaxx: ::smirking:: My father in on the Federation Council...there is no place a StarFleet Officer can hide from an Ambassador. Besides, I am not worried about him. It may take my mother some time to warm up to you. I will apologize for her behavior now, the problem is not that you are Gideon, the problem is you are not a Betazoid.

Tressa: :: Nodding :: I understand. My parents are the same... ::She fell quiet for a moment. ::

::Jaxx pondered their situation for a moment. At the end of the day, they were each in the same boat. The only difference was going to be the weight that Tressa gained. Neither family would be very accepting of their child's mate.

Jaxx was in it for the long haul, and would not be scared away. Besides, they could only hate him while he was there, and as a StarFleet Officer, he was never away long enough for it to matter to him.::

Jaxx: We will get through it, no worries.

:: Tressa looked up with a small smile on her features. She was sure they would. A few moments ago she would have been a mess, but now; Jaxx's strength was her strength his happiness was her happiness. ::

Tressa: Hey, with you by my side I could take on the Borg :: she giggled ::

Jaxx: ::smirking:: I would not recommend that.

:: Tressa smiled at him. Her family would be another hurdle in their relationship, and it was one she would have to deal with sooner than she would like; but for now she was happy to relax in Jaxx's presence. He was the man she

loved and the father of her children. The thought, once so frightening and distressing for the young woman was easier for her to contemplate now. Jaxx was here, he would remain here. They were going to be okay. ::

Tressa: Andrus?

Jaxx: Hmm?

Tressa: I'm somewhat excited. :: Her smile was a bit bigger. ::

::Now that the shock had begun to wear off, he too was feeling a bit more excited. For him, it was the unknowns. Would they take after Tressa? Would they be able to use telepathy? How fast would they grow? He had no clue what was in store for them, all he knew was that he could not wait for it to happen.::

Jaxx: Me too.

Tressa: Well, I was just thinking. Your life is so short, if this something we wanted to do, it would have to be sooner rather than later...

::She was right. Compared to her, Jaxx would live a much much shorter life. The life span for a Betazoid was only 100-115, and with over a quarter of it gone, he realized he still had some living to do.::

Jaxx: I agree. ::smiling::

:: She leaned over the edge of the tub and pulled the Betazoid towards her, kissing him when he was close enough. ::

Tressa: :: Quietly :: We're going to have a baby... two... :: She felt a jumble of excitement mixed with nervousness. ::

Jaxx: Yes we are....proud parents. ::smiling::

:: She gave him another kiss over the edge of the tub, and rested her head against his. For the moment she was happy to remain there with him. She soaked up the warm water, the silence, his presence... she enjoyed the serenity of the moment, if only for the moment. ::

::The mood in the room was more relaxed. Tressa had become the woman that Jaxx fell in love with, instead of the comatose wreck that was sitting at the desk when he arrived. The initial shock was gone, and in the end it was not a bad idea. Preserving life was his job, why not create it?::

:: It wasn't long before she decided to remove herself from the bath, she wouldn't have minded if Jaxx joined her in the calming water, but she doubted the two of them could be comfortable in the small tub. She wrapped a towel around herself and stepped over to Jaxx, once again wrapping her arms around him, holding him tight and close ::

Tressa: I'll call my family tomorrow...

Jaxx: I will notify mine when I have time.

::Jaxx had every intention of doing it sooner, rather than later. If he kept this from his mother for too long she would kill him. It would already be rough on his mother when she found out. The period to term was much different between Betazoids and Gideons. If Tressa carried for her term, which was his assumption, it would be four months shorter than his mother was used to. So he did not have much time before he had to break the news. Jaxx knew his father was too laid back to care. He would be happy for grandchildren, and probably Jaxx's only ally on the home front.::

Tressa: Do it when you're ready. tradition says I should notify my family soon; but you are not bound by Gideon customs. :: She smiled ::

Jaxx: Yeah, well...::placing his hand on her belly:: I do not have much time. ::winks::

Tressa: :: Nodding :: I'm going to visit Sickbay often, keep an eye on their growth rate... :: Yawing :: .. Try and figure out what we have here. :: She gently patted her tummy, and turned her tired eyes briefly to it. ::

Jaxx: Ready for bed?

:: Tressa smiled. He didn't need to be telepathic to figure out she was exhausted. The day had been long and she was mentally and physically tired. Tomorrow she would be dropping by Sickbay to see Kali again and try to figure out a plan for where she was heading... then she had to meet the new cadet in her department... it was going to be another long day for her. ::

Tressa: :: Smiling :: Definitely.

::Jaxx moved back to their bedroom and took off the rest of his uniform. When he was down to only his boxers, he jumped into bed. Once he was settled, he pulled Tressa in close to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. The day had been an emotional roller coaster, attaining his career goal and finding out he was to be a father...it was a rough ride. Jaxx continued to hold Tressa as he thought of the changes for their future. He had to call in a few favors, to get transferred to a starbase. Then there was his crew...Sidney had just said how great they were. Perhaps he could call in a few more favors and get his officers transferred with him. His thoughts raced and quickly exhausted what mental capacity he had left. Slowly he drifted to sleep, clinging to him the three things that mattered most.::

:: Tressa was relieved about Jaxx, though anxious about the children. She was unsure of what her childrens futures were.. would they have her ability to regenerate? Her long life span? Jaxx's Telepathic abilities? Or his empathic ones? She din't know what to expect.. but Jaxx's support made the situation easier for her to handle. With him and Kali with her she was sure they could get through whatever surprises parenthood and the unusual children could throw at them. Huddling into the warmth of Jaxx's arms Tressa soaked up the moment and allowed her eyes to drift close. Thoughts of the day she would have tomorrow and the many that would come after it were enough to drain the rest of her energy and soon she rifted into a restful sleep. ::

TBC

Lieutenant (JG) Tressa

Chief Science Officer

USS Victory

&

Captain Andrus Jaxx

Commanding Officer

USS Victory