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Alex Blair

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    Ensign Derovan Saalik: Please hold for the President

    in 2015

    Posted

    (( USS Apollo-A, Deck 11, Ensign Saalik's quarters))

    :: Fortunately, the tree had survived the trip with very little damage, and Saalik was able to install it in an appropriately respectful location in his new room. With the tree attended to, Saalik had the opportunity to survey his new home. He walked to the other side of the room.

    He kept walking.

    It was a very long walk.::

    Saalik: ::muttered:: I think this was the size of my entire dorm floor at the academy.

    :: Saalik wandered over to his viewport, which looked out onto a streaked field of stars. ::

    Saalik: oO I won't get tired of this. Never. Oo

    ::The computer trilled suddenly, startling him out of his reverie. Saalik walked to the bare desk and accepted the personal hail. A middle-aged Valakian appeared on the screen. His hair was tastefully streaked with grey, and his expression was the practiced face of one whose every public appearance was scrutinized::

    Saalik: Prime Minister Rielo! This is a surprise! I'm honored.

    Rielo: No Derovan, you honor me and our people in your service. I thank you and the Valakian people thank you.

    :: Rielo's eyes twinkled, and then the politician's mask dropped a degree. ::

    Rielo: And so on and so forth. But really, Derovan, I wanted to see how you were settling in. The Apollo is an impressive ship, is she not?

    Saalik: Incredibly so. I think she's larger than the L-5 station. One warp pylon alone is as big as one of our planetary defense skiffs.

    Rielo: Of course, she's the best in the fleet. The best of Valakis with the best of Starfleet. Just like it should be.

    Saalik: You flatter me.

    Rielo: Old politician's habit. And here's another one. This isn't strictly a social call. Now that you're aboard the Apollo, you're mingling with the cream of the crop. Some of your fellow officers will be admirals one day. Some may even become something more. You need to make sure they remember you favorably. Valakis has invested a lot in you, and it's not just for reasons of pride. You may be representing the Federation out there, but don't let yourself forget that you're representing Valakis as well. And we're far more in need of your attention.

    :: Saalik sighed. ::

    Saalik: I can only do what I'm able to do, Minister.

    :: Saalik was brought to a halt with a short, sharp realization. ::

    Saalik: Minister, how did you know I was on the Apollo? The new duty posting won't be public until tomorrow.

    :: Rielo grinned conspiratorially. ::

    Rielo: We're not complete rubes on Valakis. I have connections inside Starfleet.

    Saalik: Oh no. Oh no, it was you that did this. I thought Captain Varak had pulled some strings for his own reasons, but it was you, wasn't it? This post was far too generous for an ensign of my experience and standing. But not if I had the leader of a species running interference behind the scenes! This was a [...]ed political appointment!

    Rielo: Calm down, boy. Everything is a political appointment. You can either make that work for you or spend the rest of your career on a glorified tugboat like the Achilles. Valakis can't afford that.

    Saalik: Oh for—you don't know what you've done, do you? Starfleet does not respond well to this kind of manipulation. You may have won me a plum assignment, but it's one I may not ever exceed. I have to earn my station. I have to earn my respect. Otherwise, they'll never let me be anything more than a junior comms officer. Since you seem to think so much of me, do you think Valakis can afford that?

    Rielo: Don't you dare throw this back at me. I did you a favor. This cost me a great deal.

    :: Saalik put his head in his hands, then pulled them back through his hair with a long exhalation.::

    Saalik: I—I appreciate your intent, but please, don't do me any more favors. Your political instincts won't serve you as well out here as they do in Parliament. You're not in the middle of the situation. You can't judge what will work and what won't.

    Rielo: If you say so. I have confidence in your ability to correct course on this.

    ::Prime Minister Rielo grimaced one last time, then resettled his face into the initial neutral expression.::

    Rielo: Your father says hello.

    Saalik: Thank you for telling me. Please tell him I'm well. And tell him that he's supposed to be keeping you reined in!

    ::Rielo grinned::

    Rielo: I'll tell him you're settling in.

    Saalik: Good day, Prime Minister. I have to go try and fix this. And please, no more of these schemes.

    Rielo: I make no promises. Rielo out.

    :: The comscreen went blank and Saalik's stomach churned ominously. It had gone from dream to disaster in just a few short moments. Thinking back, had the captain seemed a bit cold, somewhat overly formal? Had the interest in Valakis been polite or political? Had he misjudged the motives of everyone he had met to date? ::

    :: Saalik groaned ::

    Saalik: I'm going to have to talk to the captain.


    ---------------------------

    Ensign Derovan Saalik

    Com/Ops Officer
    USS Apollo-A
    NCC-71669-A
    Serial: A239209DS0

    Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti - Unremembered Familiarity

    in 2015

    Posted

    ((Garridon V))

    ::The flashes of the lightning broke the relative darkness spread by the storm. For a moment it blinded her, making her blink, but the collective gasps around her forced her to focus. In the sky, the shuttle that had just launched seemed to be falling. Everyone seemed to watch in horror as their friends and fellow crewmates fell to the ground, the shuttle crumpling on impact.::

    Blair: We have to help them. Do whatever you can! Doctor what’s the chance that they survived impact?

    ::She wanted to run to them, but she was cautious. With those creatures around, was it safe for the rest of them? She offered hope to the First Officer as she assessed the situation.::

    Nicholotti: It's more than possible that they've survived, if we can get to them.

    ::The answer she waited for came quickly as the others began to run for the crash, but the scene quickly faded in a flash of blue shimmers. She fought to come to a realization of the newly changed situation, which coalesced in her head as the scene in front of her did. The dim nature of the planet faded, along with the rain and ice, to be replaced by the familiarity of a starship flight deck. Immediately she found Jonesy nearly on top of her, on guard until he, too, figured out that they were safe.::

    ((Flight Deck - USS Daedalus))

    Cody: Ladies and gentlemen. First, let us apologize. We determined there wasn't enough time to inform you, and rather than establish communications, decided the best course of action was to descend and beam all of you directly onto the ship. You are aboard the USS Daedlaus, a Prometheus-Class Starfleet vessel. We are currently ascending off planet, which based on what little I saw, I'm sure we're all glad to get off. ::indicating Scythe:: This is Lt.Cmdr. Elizabeth Scythe, the first officer of this vessel. I am Commander David Cody, temporarily commanding this vessel, although it is not my permanent command.

    ::Somewhere in the middle of the crowd, shadowed by her 'security' detail, Kali found herself drawn to the voice. There was something familiar to it, something almost comforting. She searched her mind, looking for the name, seeking the reasons behind her instinctual reactions as she listened to the exchange between the familiar voice and her own First Officer.::

    ::Drawing many blanks, she wished she had been on the Gemini where she could look it up in her logs. Thankfully, the conversation at the front of the room turned towards that very eventuality and the raven-haired doctor stored the feelings and thoughts away until she was back in her quarters. In silence she waited, instinctively looking around her for injuries that needed treatment. For a moment, she allowed those in charge to do what they did best while she fell back on her own strengths.::

    ::But there wasn't much there. Weston had been right, they had missing, but not really many injuries. Once again she found her gaze drawn to the front of the room and those in charge. The sound of a padd dropping and cracking hit her and she found herself looking at the eyes of the man whose voice had sent tracers through her mind.::

    ::And all she could think of was how hard it was to look away from those eyes.::

    ::Finding herself unable to tear her gaze from his, Kali watched as he approached. The crowd seemed to part easily, leading him straight to where she stood, frozen in that moment. And then, as if the universe had conspired against death itself, she found herself staring at him as he stared back at her. For a long moment it felt as the entire galaxy was holding its breath. Even she felt like she stood on the edge of something so much greater than herself, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out just what it all was.::

    Cody: ::almost disbelieving:: Kali?

    ::The sound of her name spoken from those lips felt sweeter than anything she'd known or could remember. A wave washed over her, though she could not tell what drove it. Deep inside Kali wondered why something so simple, like the sound of another officer saying her name, touched her to the core. She blinked, questioningly, searching for answers that didn't readily surface.::

    Nicholotti: ::Barely audible.:: Yes?

    ::The feelings felt like they were undermining her ability to control the situation, and that scared her. He looked as if he were going to speak again, but then he reached out and took her hands. Another wave washed over her as the universe seemed to fade into nothing. With nothing to link the strange familiar feelings to, she felt detached and unsure.::

    Cody: It's me. It's David.

    ::David. The name rolled around in her mind as if it belonged there. She clasped his hands a bit tighter, as if she held on to something, though she was far from sure of what that something was. It was the lack of connection to a memory that forced her to look away. Finding a place on the floor to stare at, she searched once more among her thoughts to figure out what and who and where...and then with a profound sadness she looked back at him, her crystalline blue eyes shining with tears she didn't allow to fall.::

    Nicholotti: ::Shaking her head slightly.:: I'm sorry. ::Her voice wavered. She wanted to, but she couldn't remember. And it felt like she was missing a large part of herself in the process.:: I don't remember.

    ::Again, he stared at her, a searching look in his eyes. Her lack of memories didn't seem to bother him then as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek before drawing her into a tight hug. She didn't fight it, but found herself, for a brief moment, caught in an embrace that felt more real and natural than most of her experiences since her return. His voice whispered directly to her as she relaxed slightly in his arms.::

    Cody: ::whispering, just to Kali:: It's okay. I'll remember for both of us.

    Nicholotti: I'm sorry.

    ::Hidden from the others, the raven-haired Fleet Captain allowed a tear to fall for the past that she didn't remember, but found herself desperately seeking...Soon she would return to the Gemini, but in this moment right now, she felt safe and complete. What that meant she wasn't sure of yet, but like so much since her return, it would take time to figure it out.::

    Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti

    Chief Medical Officer
    USS Gemini

    Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti - Who She Left Behind

    in 2015

    Posted

    ((Runabout Lancelot, Enroute to the USS Gemini))

    ::With eyes closed now, and time drawing short, Kali had to struggle to hear any talking from the others. They had grown quiet, leaving behind a silence that deafened her. That was when she turned to the logs, which was her only link to her former life. Knowing that she was about to be thrown into so much of that former life that she didn't remember, she figured it was time to see who it was that she would be reporting to shortly.::

    ::Frost, Liam, Commander. Commanding officer of the USS Gemini, where she was now to serve. After a silent break she listened with a kind of renewed focus as the voices returned. Across the [...]pit speakers she could hear the hushed tones of a sorrowful gathering. She'd played all of the logs involving her new commanding officer, and had now stumbled upon the recording of her own funeral.::

    Recorded Livingston: We gather here to pay final respects to the woman who gave all she had in the line of duty. She was the best of us, inspiring each of us by her own actions and strengths. She shared the selfless courage of her Tactical officer and the heart of her Security team. She had the ingenuity of her engineers and the curiosity of her science officers. She had the critical eye of her Intelligence team, but she always had the tact of her Chief Diplomat. She pushed the envelope in a way that would make her Marines proud, but when the job was done, the medical officer inside of her made sure everyone was healed.

    ::Then there was a pause. Kali opened her eyes and stared out into the stars.::

    Recorded Livingston: Her sacrifice protected us. Out that window, I do not see the remains of a break in subspace. I see Kali’s scar, and when I see it, I shall not mourn; I shall have hope. Fleet Captain Nicholotti gave us strength in life, and the courage to use that strength. Let us honor her by our actions and our deeds.

    :: A longer pause now. Kali imagined the face of the man she couldn't remember, but knew from her logs. He'd gone on to become a Captain of his own, and one she was proud of regardless of her memories.::

    Recorded Livingston: If anyone else has words to share, speak now.

    :: The shuffling sounds on the recording led her to believe that people were moving. Soon enough, the sound of another voice returned.::

    Recorded Frost: Commander Livingston is right. Kali was all of those things. But she was more than that. She was a person who gave all of herself to everything she did. She was the most dedicated people that I have ever met. And the fact of the matter is that I would not have made it as far as I have if it wasn't for her leadership and guidance. I owe her a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. I was fortunate enough to have the honour of calling her friend. And the fact is that every one of us is better for having known her.

    ::More shuffling.::

    Recorded Skyfire: Fleet Captain Nicholotti was not the type to choose her crew lightly. She chose us because she saw the potential for each of us to become something more than ensigns. She wanted to help us reach our potential. As the commanders have stated, we are all honored to have known her.

    ::That was all he seemed to have to say. More subtle noises indicated that someone else was stepping up to speak.::

    Recorded Orman: Hi everybody. ::she waved:: We've heard some very stirring, lovely things about Kali, and I'd wager we're going to hear quite a bit more before this is done. ::she swallowed:: But I've known her longer than... well, than just about anybody here, I guess, and from knowing her I can say that she wouldn't want to be remembered just like that. So I'm going to be arrogant and kind of rebellious--because that's kind of my specialty--and talk about her flaws.

    ::Kali raised her eyebrow at that. She didn't remember the woman called Orman, though she'd been in plenty of her logs before this. It would seem that they were friends.::

    Recorded Orman: Kali was a sentient person, a human being, just like most of us here, and with all the failings that implies. I've seen her be impatient, self loathing, completely overwhelmed. She made mistakes, made bad decisions, sometimes for bad reasons. She committed genocide...she made bad calls that sometimes harmed her crew. Her friends.

    ::Blinking, Kali wondered now about that friendship, at least until the woman continued.::

    Recorded Orman: She was terribly unlucky in love. It might have been circumstance, it might have been the job, it might have just been her. I really don't know. I do know that she *believed* it was her, and that every loss, every failure, broke her heart in ways she never quite repaired. ::she turned towards the flag-draped torpedo casing:: By the end, I think she felt as empty as this crukking thing. To be honest with you all, I half believe that she got in that fighter because she was looking for an end... ::she shrugged:: but I hope I'm wrong.

    ::It was now that a tear started to streak down her face. These words were powerful and a fitting end to thoughts of her. Kali, despite not remembering the woman, was proud that she had been her friend.::

    Recorded Orman: But she was my friend. She took me in when I needed it, always supported me, gave me the trust and respect that allowed me to become better than I was. I will never forget her. I love her all the more for remembering her in whole, and so I hope you will all forgive me for my harshness. Know that it is done out of love. Kali, you're in my heart for good. ::her voice broke a little:: If you were here, I would kick you right in the [...] and yell at you for at least twenty minutes straight, but I will *miss* you!

    ::The shock and awe seemed to hit the crowd as murmurs moved through it as the shuffling returned. No one else spoke and a long pause ensued. Finally, the man who had started it all spoke again.::

    Recorded Livingston: Lieutenant Kesaan, if you will.

    Recorded Kesaan: ::Standing:: Sir.

    ::The tears were falling faster now, blurring the vision of the stars from her crystalline blues.::

    Recorded Kesaan: Present, arms!

    ::She heard the unifying shift as the seven members of the team brought their weapons to a salute.::

    Recorded Kesaan: Stand ready!

    ::A pause followed full of complete silence. And then...::

    Recorded Kesaan: Fire!

    ::Crack.::

    ::Kali knew it was coming, but she jumped anyways. A shiver ran down her spine as the recording continued.::

    Recorded Kesaan: Ready. Fire!

    ::Crack::

    ::The second shot pierced the silence, echoing through the [...]pit. Again, involuntarily she jumped.::

    Recorded Kesaan: Ready. Fire!

    ::Crack::

    Recorded Kesaan: Order, arms!

    ::A quietude dense enough to suffocate anyone descended and all Kali could hear now was the sound of the empty torpedo casing moving along the track and firing away from the Excalibur. The sound of a whistle pierced the silence finally; the Chief of the Boat blew his whistle, signaling that the Captain was leaving the ship one last time. And then that was it. The recording ended.::

    ::Awash in tears and unable to see clearly out of the window, Kali pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them burying her face and finally just crying. It had been a long time coming, and now she'd finally broken. The past was never totally in the past or totally gone. It was here, and now, even if it was in the form of an old friend and a ship she'd never set foot on.::

    ::Hopefully by the time she arrived, she'd be composed, but for now she simply allowed the tears to fall. For all the pain she'd listened to in her own logs, it was high time that the tears were allowed to flow free.::

    ::And flow free is what they did.::

    TBC

    Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti

    Medical Officer
    USS Gemini

    • Like 2

    2015 Featured Bio Announcements

    in Featured Bio Contest

    Posted · Edited by Alex Blair

    WINNER-WIDE.jpg

    Congratulations to Anen Sonbef of the USS Excalibur-A who has been selected as the Featured Bio for April 2015!

    His bio is linked for this month on the main page as well as on the contest page and the recent changes page!

    NOMINEE-WIDE.jpg

    Our featured nominee for April is Maxwell Traenor of the USS Darwin-A.

    Check out these great bios and more at the Featured Bio Contest page! And if you think someone should be recognized, submit your nomination for the next round today!

    MSNPC Captain Jeremy Clarkson - Death of a Dream

    in 2015

    Posted

    ((Bridge - USS Spartan))

    :: Under different circumstances, Jeremy might have actually been impressed by the audacity and the bravado that frost was showing. But these were not those circumstances. Right now he was filled with nothing but righteous indignation at the fact that this whelp that looked liked he should barely be out of the Academy was standing on the bridge of a ship that he had no business being in charge of and dared to lecture him about what was right and wrong. He had no idea what it was like to be out here, and he very much doubted that he ha dbeen through the kind of loss that Jeremy had, or had to make the kind of decisions he had had to make. Frost talked a good game, but he doubted he had the stones to actually fire on another Federation ship.::

    Hammond: Captain….Jeremy….he's right. We have to stop. This is just wrong.

    :: He turned slowly towards the man at the tactical station. There was a tone in Richard's voice that he was not sure that he had ever heard him use before. There was anger. There was disappointment. And more disturbing than anything, there was defiance. He had never heard Richard speak to him with an attitude of defiance before. As mush as he and the hamster tended to give each other the business, he had always been loyal to him. And now he was standing at his station, openly refusing to suppot him in the most important thing he had ever done. To say that he was incredulous was to severely understate the situation.::

    Clarkson: I want you to consider your next words very, very carefully.

    Hammond: There are other ways to bring some meaning to her death.

    Clarkson: Who. The bloody hell. Do you think you are?

    :: Jeremy stood slowly as we walked towards Hammond, his eyes locked on the man. There was a look in his eyes that was hard to describe. It was a mix of more feelings that Jeremy had the wherewithal to identify; fear, anger, sadness, conviction, all of it. Whatever he was doing, he believed it was right. But then again, traitors always believed that what they were doing was right.::

    Hammond: You don't see what you…we've done do you?

    Clarkson: We've avenged seventy-six cold blooded murders and exacted the justice that Starfleet Command refuses to demand. But I suppose you have some other idea about what we've done.

    Hammond: Jeremy, we've broken the peace! We've essentially started a war!

    Clarkson: No! We didn't start this war! They started this war the moment they let Koval invade our space, capture the Hermes and murder her crew in cold blood! I will not stand by and let this stand like a coward. I will not allow the murder of someone that I loved to be brushed under the rug in the name of protecting an alliance with savages who would tear out our hearts if they thought they could get away with it. The line must be drawn here, no further. I will not...

    :: His righteous indignation was interrupted by the violent shaking of his bridge. His ship was small, and any impact was felt much more intensely than it would be on a larger ship. For a moment, he was very nearly thrown off balance, but he was able to steady himself on a console before he was sent to the floor. He managed to write himself and regain what composure he had not already spewed onto Hammond. He had no idea which ship had fired first, and he didn't care. all he knew was that his ship was under attack and he was going to defend it to the last.::

    Clarkson: Mr. Hammond, return fire.

    Hammond: I will not. I've been blindly following orders for too long. We need to stop this!

    :: Jeremy had neither time not the patience to deal with Richard's insolence. He could deal with that later once he was no longer being shot at.::

    Clarkson: Mr. Stig, assume tactical control and return fire.

    :: Without a word, the helmsman reconfigured his control panel to act as both the conn and the tactical console. It would make their response a bit slower than he would have hoped for, But he had no time to lament his situation. And if there was anyone that could do it, it was Stig. HE held onto the side of his chair as the ship pitched sharply.::

    Hammond: Captain don't make me do this. We've served together for too long.

    Clarkson: You haven't got the stones.

    Hammond: So you've left me no choice. Captain Jeremy Clarkson, by the order of Starfleet regulation 619, I am declaring you emotionally compromised and unfit to command this vessel. You are relieved sir.

    :: A long moment passed as the two men stared at each other. He wondered which of them would be the first to flinch, or whether their contest would be nterupted by the complete annihilation of the bridge that they both occupied. There was some other form of trickery afoot, but it wasn't what he expected. Before he could express the full measure of his fury and indignity, Hammond was surrounded by the blue glow of a transporter. He turned around to see the rest of the bridge crew dissolve the same way, leaving him alone on the bridge of his ship.::

    :: He was alone now. The dull hum of electronic equipment and the sound of his own thoughts. And it was in that moment, that he was left to contemplate,. How far he had come, how much he had done. And for what? What had he really done? He had ventured into Klingon space, destroyed two ships that caused the deaths of a few hundred faceless Klingons. And what had he accomplished. He was just as alone now as he had been before he set out, as alone as the moment when Admiral Raymond had told him that Emma was gone. There was another terrifying possibility that he had to contend with.::

    :: The possibility that Hammond was right.::

    ::No. He would not accept this. He could not accept this. He was going to make someone listen to him if he had to shout from the pulpit of every church, or from the prisoner's dock of a court martial. He would not be silenced by anyone, no matter how righteous they thought they were. He could feel the rage spilling over, and now there was no one left to keep him in check, no one to restrain himself for. A bellow emerged from a place deep inside of him that he had not allowed himself to show since he had been told what had happened to his daughter. He raised a fist above his head, bringing it crashing down on the conn, cracking the plastic covering in several places, and doing some damage to his hand, the severity of which he could not care less about.::

    :: HE had yet to figure out why he had not yet been transported as well. Perhaps he was going to be left here to die on his own. It would be fitting, considering how Starfleet had abandoned Emma. They had swpet her death under the rug, pretending like it was just one of those things that happened in Starfleet. And now that they had the rest of his crew in custody, they could leave him here to the Klingons, brushing him off as nothing more than an embarrassment or an inconvenience. And if they simply let him die on some godforsaken Klingon penal rock, then they could pretend he had never existed. Just as they had done with the rest of the crew of the Hermes.::

    :: A strange manner of thing began to happen as he contemplated his fate. He was surrounded by the blue glow of the transporter, as the rest of his crew had as well. He could feel the telltale tingle of being transported to another ship. He counted down the seconds until he would be somewhere on another ship, likely surrounded by several men carrying guns pointed at him. But it was taking too long. And as he looked out, there appeared to be another glow, this one a deep crimson. He began to feel a remarkably unpleasant sensation, though he had no idea how to adequately describe it. It persisted for an unfathomably long time, as he wondered if he was going to make it to his destination with all of his atoms intact, or if that this was some sort of elaborate torture method designed to make it so that they could say he was lost in some sort of tragic accident, absolving that petulant worm Frost of any guilt over his fate.::

    :: After what seemed like quite some time, a room began to form around him. It was, mercifully, the look of a Starfleet ship's transporter room, this one noticeably larger than the one on the Spartan. He had a sneaking suspicion of where he was, particularly when he spotted the man in the green marine uniform pointing a rather nasty looking rifle at him. He had expected as much of a reception, though he was at least mildly surprised that he was not immediately shot by the man in the uniform.::

    Wallace: Captain Jeremy Clarkson I presume?

    Clarkson: Clarkson, Jeremy Charles Robert. Captain. USS Spartan. Serial number Foxtrot-Kilo-Two-Five-One-Nine-Eight-Two. Should I presume that I am where I think I am?

    Wallace: You are aboard the USS Gemini. By order of our commanding officer you will remain in this room until further instructions come through.

    Clarkson: Of course I am. And will your esteemed captain be gracing us with his presence?

    :: As if on cue, there was a hissing from the side of the room indicated the opening of a door, and in walked a man that Jeremy had not expected to see in person.::

    Frost: Captain Clarkson...

    TBC

    Captain Jeremy Clarkson
    Commanding Officer
    USS Spartan

    as simmed by

    Captain Liam Frost
    Commanding Officer
    USS Gemini

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