Oddas Aria

Great work! Welcome to the fleet!

Congratulations Ensign. Hope to see you soon!

((Embassy, Kainga Ranch)) T’Lea: So what exactly happened? Was the reassignment voluntary, or because of that. :: Her gesture at the cane conveyed a lot of meaning, and Della’s first answer was an ambivalent shrug – though she followed up with more right away.:: Vetri: I’m beached from command duties until I’m back up to spec physically. Because of that, I’d lost the Tiger at least for a while. Since that was the case, I threw a temper tantrum or two until they decided to give me my old job here back. I believe the reasoning was “since you’ve not managed to start any wars out there, we’ll send you back before you manage it *here* instead”. T’Lea: T’Lea: How’s rehab? You’re making good progress, right? How long do you think it will be before you get back out there? Vetri: Lilyali, nobody can guess how long, if ever, it’s going to take before I’m fixed. You may be able to think of a reason I’d stay away from here if I had the chance to come back, but I’ll bet a shower with the babysitter you can’t name a second. :: Though given the nature of the babysitter/bodyguard/malodorous piece of mobile scenery in question, she doubted T’Lea would be all that eager to take her up on the wager.:: T’Lea: ::chuckle:: Frak that. :: She paused, stopping walking for a moment.:: T’Lea: You have to be [...]ed leaving your ship behind like this. You worked hard to get that seat, Della. Vetri: ::shrugging:: Yeah, I enjoyed the work. But I enjoyed working here, too, and this way, I get to be with you. :: Which may not have been the most sappily romantic thing she could have said, but then she didn’t *need* to say it. The emotions the Romu-vulc would be able to feel over their bond did that for her.:: Vetri: Are “Qoots” meant to be able to dig under the walls of their enclosure? I’m just asking because one seems to be trying it to get at our daughter’s feet. T’Lea: Hey! Get back in there you little jerk! :: An outburst which, predictably enough, was ignored by the critter and sent T’Sara off into gales of laughter. The rest of the tour was a bit delayed until all that got sorted out, but that was fine with Della – she was hardly going to complain about getting *more* time with her family, after all...:: :: Even if her hip did ache really rather a lot by the time they returned to the cabin and unpacked the remainder of T’Sara’s assorted birthday loot.:: ((Fast Forward, Porch)) :: T’Sara had staked her claim to the couch by a very simple method – she’d flopped face-down on it and started snoring, the energy boost of the treats she’d gorged on departing in a rush that had left her basically dead to the world.:: :: For her parents, this was actually a good thing, since the girl had done her level best to run them totally ragged before conking out, and now Della and T’Lea were relaxing on the porch swing, the Romu-vulc with a blanket around her shoulders, the Trill laid out with her feet resting in her wife’s lap.:: :: All in all, not a bad evening at all, especially since T’Lea had made no effort – apart from claiming the right to deliver a foot-rub – to dispute the Trill’s territorial claim to the swing.:: T’Lea: This is going to sound selfish, but… I don’t care how or why you’re back. I’m just glad you are. Vetri: ::smiling softly:: You’re not the only one, lilyali. I’m pretty much right there with you. T’Lea: If it looks like your leg is getting well enough to sit in the Captain’s seat again, I’m of good mind to break your other one. :: Della opened her mouth to reply, then closed it, then shook her head with a wry chuckle.:: Vetri: A little excessive, don’t you think? T’Lea: What can I say, you married a evil [...]. Vetri: ::muttering:: Don’t I know it... :: The pair settled into companionable silence for a while, only the quiet creaking of the swing competing with Til’ahn’s evening soundtrack, and Della let herself simply wallow in the moment. She’d *missed* this, and had difficulty remembering why she’d thought it had been a good idea to leave it in the first place.:: :: The feel of a thumb running across the arch of her foot had one Trill eye opening and aiming itself T’Lea’s way. At which point it’s owner was in no way surprised to see the smirk on the other woman’s face.:: T’Lea: Did you hear? Toni’s pregnant. Again. Vetri: Oh? No, that one was news to me. ::falling silent for a moment:: Is Tyr on any sort of special vitamins or something? T’Lea: Frelling humans. They’re worse than tribbles. Although… I wouldn’t mind getting you pregnant at some point. :: That comment didn’t so much as come from left field as from an entirely different sport altogether, catching Della totally off-guard. Reduced to little more than confused blinking as she tried to process what she’d just heard, it took the Trill far too long to form a response that was even close to coherent.:: Vetri: Huh? T’Lea: Hey, I carried the last one. Your turn. Vetri: Yeah, I get that, but... huh? T’Lea: Seriously though, I’m ready when you are… :: She left it hanging, starting a slow massage of Della’s other foot, and the Trill got to work trying to wrap her head around the concept.:: :: She wasn’t *against* it, certainly. She’d just never really *thought* about it all that seriously. Especially since it would require some rather involved – and thoroughly unromantic – activity to make it happen. There was no Mr. One to take care of the logistics this time.:: :: Which reminded her, she still owed that creep a very thorough fonging...:: T’Lea: Oh, uh… probably not good a time to bring this up, however… Vetri: Please. :: She waved a hand for T’Lea to continue, glad for the distraction.:: T’Lea: T’Sara’s imaginary friend, Uncle Mo… she’s been using him as an excuse to dismantle and build things like gravity slingshots. We finally had a talk about Mo. :: Okay, this was *definitely* worth paying attention to, and Della sat up a bit as she listened.:: Vetri: Anything useful? T’Lea: Not much. He seems to show up mostly when I’m on mission. Funny thing though… she said I've met Mo before. Weird right? Vetri: ::frowning thoughtfully:: A bit, yeah. But it could simply be due to the fact that neither of us were here at that sort of time. T’Lea: Probably. At least it’s out in the open now and we can talk about it. Maybe since you’re back she won’t feel the need to fill the void. Vetri: ::nodding firmly:: That’s the plan, certainly. :: A creak from the door had them both looking that way, and they watched as T’Sara, resplendent in PJs and sparkly pink riding boots, emerged onto the porch, rubbing her eyes as she came.:: T’Sara: Oh. Phew. I thoughted you leaved me without saying g’bye. Vetri: I’m not leaving at all, nugglet. Though I am getting up. :: She shot a glance to T’Lea, followed by a nod of thanks as her feet were released, then carefully got herself to her feet and snagged her cane.:: Vetri: I have a confession to make, though. I forgot where your bedroom is. Mind showing me? :: The little girl thought it over for a moment, then shrugged.:: T’Sara: ‘Kay. Vetri: ::to T’Lea:: ~~ And if anyone interrupts me tucking my daughter in, they’d best be wearing body armour. ~~ ((Morning, Kitchen)) :: A luxurious lie-in, a long, sumptuous breakfast, some more time spent puttering about the ranch to get good and familiar with it, chasing Ceedel off from the garden before he killed it with his proximity... all had been ingredients to a great first morning back on Til’ahn.:: :: Okay, she could have lived without the last one, but overall the effect was the same.:: :: Now, though, she was back on the porch swing, sipping at some coffee and watching T’Sara attempt to build the present Gina had sent the plans and replicator patterns for, whilst T’Lea muttered to herself as she looked over whatever it was on the padd she was holding.:: Turner: =/\= I hated to bother you two during shore leave, but I'd like to meet with you both on the Thor in about an hour? We could have lunch in the Captain's Mess if you're up to it. =/\= :: With a mouth full of coffee, Della wasn’t exactly in the best position to respond to the call, which meant it was down to T’Lea to do it.:: T'Lea: =/\= No bother. I’m looking forward to it. =/\= Vetri: ::swallowing quickly:: =/\= We may as well get the “showing off her new toy” thing out of the way, I guess. Uh... is this invite *just* for T’Lea and myself? =/\= :: The implication being that she would prefer that it wasn’t.:: Turner: ::smiling:: =/\= Of course, T'Sara can come. Knowing her, she'll be more excited to see the ship than you are. =/\= :: Which was true enough. The general call that went out shortly afterward was noted as well, but was of less interest to Della than wondering where her cane had gone.:: T’Lea: You feeling up for another walk about? Vetri: Hey, if she wants to give us a tour, I’m not going to complain. Especially if there’s free food too. T’Lea: Then get your lazy [...] up, and let’s get ready. -------------------- Ambassador Della Vetri Diplomatic Officer Embassy of Duronis II https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php/Vetri,_Della Author ID: O238506DV0

I had planned for my character to have a distant family, and then through simming she gained a surrogate family. They were literally characters I mentioned in a sim and then they grew in popularity with myself and another character I regularly sim with. It was very unexpected but very fun.

Welcome to the fleet Ensign!

Welcome to the fleet Jon!

((Gypsy Ranger)) :: The entire ship was deathly quiet and a shade shy of totally dark. Aside from the sound of the engines running, and the occasional noise that the computer decided to make, the small transport vessel was the perfect example of a ghost ship wandering aimlessly through space. But this little ship had a purpose. Find the USS Tiger.:: :: Coordinates had been set and the Gypsy Ranger had been flying on auto-pilot since it had left Til’ahn. It was only a short three day journey to catch the Tiger, but that was six days ago. After altering course to avoiding a plasma storm, and then plotting a direction change to avoid a federation warning beacon about pirate activity in the area, the little ship had lost precious time in finding its target. Now it was hunting for the trail once again.:: :: An alarm sounded. The computer detected a vessel approaching. There was no identification broadcasted from the other ship. It was not the USS Tiger. It was *not* the mission.:: :: The Gypsy Ranger altered course to avoid the vessel, but it continued to follow. Warnings echoed through the vacant cabin that a target lock had been acquired, and then the transport vessel shook and stopped dead in its tracks. The unidentified vessel had the Gypsy Ranger trapped in a tractor beam and it wasn’t letting go.:: :: Final protocol dictated that there was only one thing to do in this situation. Wake the passenger.:: :: Down in the cargo hold, a cryo-pod charged up its systems to thaw-out the patient. Slowly the occupant’s vitals registered as emerging from sleep. Once normal life signs were achieved, the pod’s hatch hissed open in a fog of cold. There was movement beneath the chilly haze. Vital signs started to elevate, and then they suddenly spiked to abnormal levels. Through the veil of cold the female body stumbled out of the pod and directly to the floor.:: :: Waking from cryo-sleep sucked on a good day. But waking from cryo-sleep at the peak of Pon Far was a total [...].:: Computer: Patient critical. Please return to the cryo-pod. Patient critical. Please return to the cryo-pod. Patient critical. Please return to the cryo-pod. T’Lea: SHUT… UP! :: Her scream ricocheted like a bullet off the walls of the cargo bay, and the computer, out of fear, or the voice recognition software complied.:: :: Clawing at the deck, T’Lea tried to get her motor skills to cooperate. Between the utter blood rage coursing through her veins and the still frozen muscles, her body felt like it was at war with itself. Meanwhile, her irrational popsicle-fied brain really only wanted one of two things -- to kill or mate. Unfortunately, she was the only one around?:: :: Sitting up, T’Lea reached for a wall to try to stand. Her legs wobbled, but her back caught the flat surface behind her providing a nice place to lean for the moment. What her eyes saw confused and enraged her. She was still on the Gypsy Ranger. Alone.:: T’Lea: …mother… FRELLER!! Compu- :: Woops, one foot in front of the other, that’s how walking worked. She had to get to the [...]pit and figure out what was going on.:: T’Lea: Computer, report. Computer: Unidentified vessel achieved tractor beam lock at precisely 1400 hours. Thirty-nine requests to disengage sent. A distress signal is being broadcast on multiple frequencies. No response. Awaiting instructions. T’Lea: Fire all weapons! :: She made it past the galley with a little more coordination than in her previous moments, but the struggle to stay sane and upright was etched on her face.:: Computer: This vessel is unarmed. :: Of course it was. She knew that. Damn it.:: T’Lea: Exhaust the engines and open a damn channel! :: Clambering hands used the wall for stability as she moved. She was entering the bridge now, and when she looked out of the front window she saw a vessel of ferengi design slowly dragging her ship in.:: Computer: Caution – engaging maximum warp will compromise the hull integrity. Communications are available. T’Lea: Then start slow and work your damn way up! :: She felt the impulse engines begin to work against the tractor lock and gradually increase. The master controls in the [...]pit were at her fingertips now. The ship began to shake a little. She reached out and slammed a fist on the panel to open the communication with the other ship.:: T’Lea: =/\= I’ll kill you. I’ll frakking murder your entire family if you don’t disengage your lock. =/\= :: A smug Ferengi face appeared on the tiny vid screen.:: Ferengi: =/\= Cut your engines and we’ll talk. =/\= T’Lea: =/\= How about I cut your throat, and then we’ll talk.=/\= Ferengi: =/\= Ooo… you’re a nasty one for your kind. So, listen, we honestly didn’t know the ship was occupied. There were no life signs, see. How about you cut your engines and we’ll let you go. =/\= T’Lea: =/\= Computer, increase impulse by two. =/\= :: Now the little transport ship was in a steady shake, and the older Ferengi vessel was feeling it too. T’Lea could see it on the Captain’s toothy little face.:: Ferengi: =/\= Are you insane? You’ll only be killing yourself. =/\= T’Lea: =/\= Can you out run the explosion from the engines when I go to full warp, asshole?=/\= Ferengi: =/\= I have shields. ::he smiled:: And phasers. ::at crew:: Fire phasers. =/\= :: Three shots split from the Ferengi ship and slammed into the Gyspy Ranger. Tossing the Vulcanoid.:: Computer: Impulse engines failing. Ferengi: =/\= Just give up, okay? All I want is the ship. I swear on the Grand Nagus. We won’t harm you. =/\= :: Fingers clawed her way back in front of the screen.:: T’Lea: =/\= Computer initiate self-destruct. Shehkuk, teh, dah-leh. F.U. Begin ten second count down.=/\= Computer: Self-destruct code authorized. Ten. Ferengi: =/\= That’s it, I tried to play nice now you’re-=/\= :: He turned to give an order, but something else grabbed his attention. Something huge. T’Lea’s sensors chirped at the same time.:: Computer: Warp signature detected. Identification received. Prometheus class, Federation vessel. USS Tiger. Computer: Eight. Ferengi: =/\= … skritz. Skritz! Drop the tractor. Drop it now! Drop it! Go to warp! GO! GO! GO! =/\= :: T’Lea hunkered over the sensors. Her skin tone was flushed and she was panting heavily. She looked ill, and she felt ill, but there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. The Tiger was here! In one split second her brain shorted-out. She went from ecstatic, to furious. Or was it aroused. No, it was furious. Or maybe it was a furious arousal. Either way she was brimming with emotion that she could barely contain.:: ((USS Tiger, Bridge)) :: The Trill woman sat in the centre seat seemed rather relaxed, legs crossed casually as she idly swirled the coffee that half-filled the mug in her hand. The crew around her on the bridge knew her well enough by now, however, that they weren’t fooled. Especially not the Betazoid manning the Tiger’s tactical station.:: :: Della’s head turned, eyes meeting his, and for a couple of moments silence reigned as the pair communicated on a purely mental level. That silence was broken, however, when Della let out a cynical-sounding snort and turned her attention back to the main viewscreen.:: Vetri: Collins, please make a note that Dai’mon Snek has earned himself another... talking to. And hail the other ship, please. :: Calm, collected, and seemingly unconcerned. All of these were a mask that covered the fact that the Trill really, really, REALLY wanted to know what the frell her daughter’s ship was doing out here.:: Collins: Channel open. :: The Ops officer hardly needed to say it, though, as the last syllable was kind of drowned out by the sound of a very ticked-off female Romu-vulc. Oddly, her familiarity with the voice – and it’s tone – was something of a reassurance to Della.:: T’Lea: =/\= Are you frakking kidding me?! Six days! Six frelling days of chasing your [...] all across the galaxy and all it takes is a damn Ferengi scav ship to get your attention? What the hell is wrong with you?! =/\= :: Della opened her mouth to reply, then frowned at something she heard in the background.:: Vetri: =/\= How about disarming the self destruct first, lilyali. Then you can carry on ranting without the risk of annoying Gina by blowing up her ship. =/\= :: And herself, which was something that only surprise at seeing her wife out here kept from being a rather terrifying prospect.:: :: The Romu-vulc glanced off screen for a second.=/\= T’Lea: =/\= Computer, shut the frak up. =/\= :: Apparently that was the deactivation code because the countdown stopped and the warp core powered down. When T’Lea flashed her gaze back at the video, there was barely controlled anger glistening in her baby-blues.:: T’Lea: =/\= Were you ever going to comm. me back, or was I just supposed to die of insanity? Do you know how close I came to killing someone? Do you even care?! =/\= Vetri: =/\= Ah... how about we continue this in a more private setting? Would you like to come over and yell at me in my office? =/\= T’Lea: =/\= Would I like… No. I’ll just stay here in my cryo-jammies and watch holo-vids all day. Open your damn docking bay doors and tow me in, or I’ll vent my atmosphere and ram your frelling bridge. How about that for a mother-frellin’ reunion? =/\= Vetri: =/\= ::dryly:: I’m looking forward to it. =/\= :: She wasn’t sure whether she was surprised or not when the channel was abruptly severed, simply letting out a long sigh that mingled exasperation with a very large dose of relief that she wasn’t about to watch her wife blow herself to atoms in a fit of pique.:: :: Not trusting herself to be able to keep her hand as steady as it should be, she set her mug aside before rising to her feet and looking around the bridge – noting, as she did so, the very obvious attention to what they were doing (even if they had to make something up) being shown by the staff around her.:: :: With a wry smile, she shook her head and let out a soft laugh.:: Vetri: You think that was bad, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Collins, you have the conn. Zebriel, if you’d care to escort our visitor to my ready room, I’ll be sure to say something nice about you in your next performance review. :: Rolling his eyes, the Betazoid gave a weary, put-upon sigh, muttered something that sounded a lot like "That’d be a first", and took his leave to do as he’d been asked.:: :: Which left Della about as long as it took T’Lea to get to her ready room to try and work out just what she was supposed to do with the woman...:: Simmed by: Captain Della Vetri Commanding Officer USS Tiger Author ID: O238506DV0 & Lieutenant Commander T’Lea Chief Science Officer Embassy, Duronis II Author ID I238301T10

Great job and congratulations!

Thank you everyone who put in all the hard work, it is a huge task and it is very much appreciated. It was great to be able to recognize all of the people who put in great work making our community a fun place to be.

I am very pleased to see so many members of my crew win their respective awards. @Irina Pavlovais a great simmer, simming often and well, providing a great foil for the characters she is playing with. As a security officer she writes with bravery putting her crew ahead of herself. Taking on three Borg drones, as she recently did, to rescue a certain Chief Engineer, is just par for the course for her and everyone benefits from her dedication, from Captains to Admirals and Ensigns who find themselves in trouble. I feel I came to the Embassy around the same time as @Savan, so I always feel like we have a bit of kindred spirits, both as writers and characters. I am constantly impressed by how he can spin a story, and new characters complete with backgrounds and personality. This ability bleeds over into his portrayal as a Tactical officer, especially on the Embassy which is not an easy place to be in charge of tactical. During an invasion I watched him coordinate tactical resources with ease, bringing several very difficult to coordinate factions together. To say my character Aria and @Hannibal Parker are working on their relationship during and after the latest mission is probably accurate, but nominating him for the Semper Fidelis Award was a no brainer. In addition to what I wrote in the nomination, Hannibal takes great care to play what a Marine should be and when I write for a couple of NPC Marines I often find myself asking "would this fit in with Hannibal's squad?". From the moment I arrived at the Embassy (and he disarmed a bomb, saving my character's life) to last mission where he was leading mission to save members of the diplomatic core, Hannibal is consistently performing the duties of a Marine above and beyond. Good work everyone.

Congratulations Renos the amount of work you've done, and continue to do, is simply amazing. Thanks again for all the work you do, I am glad I've gotten to know you.

So when I started one of the players that impressed me most was Savan, the player who just won the B-Plot award for the Embassy. The reason being his writing was so detail oriented and able to delve deeply into his character's background and history and plot. Savan very recently took the members of the Embassy on a ride through his character's background, his childhood, to Vulcan and back and in doing so changed his character in a strong believable way. It as a pleasure to watch and an inspiration, he definitely deserved this award. Irina Pavlova, a security officer with a deviousness to her, very often comes up solutions to problems those around her do not see, but always result in her crew mates being safer and more secure. When you read the description of the Neelix Award, T'Mihn immediately comes to mind. She always has a kind word, a idea, or a solution, to whatever is happening around her. While I was writing her nomination for the award a player wrote in that he was having an issue getting his sim completed due to technical issue and in true T'Mihn fashion she responded with several suggestions to work around. She is always there to assist with whatever people need. Brayden was, and I guess still is, my mentor when I joined up and part of that is because of the way he sets the tone in his sims descriptively and action-wise. His material on '8 steps to a great sim' are resources I point players to as soon as they come from the academy to the Embassy and will be for a long time. This type of work goes hand in hand to the way he develops his character's Betazoid culture, and is something I have tried to emulate as I think about what it means for Aria to be Bajoran. Both of Jorey's awards reflect the thought he puts into what he writes and the dedication he shows. Recently Toni Turner was under the control of a great villain and Toni played it perfectly, including dealing with some rather nasty aftermath. It was not easy to play as it was happening, and not easy to get over especially considering the identity of the villain (her character's stepson). Superb writing all around. I often find myself thinking of Tyr Waltas and Hannibal Parker together, and the awards they won reflect that. Waltas came up with a great villain last year, and really has come up with more than one great villain seemingly on the fly that the Embassy has loved playing against and Parker has consistently come up with twist after devious twist to keep the players in what is essentially a diplomatic post on their toes. Each player contributes in great and unique ways and adds awesome things to the fabric of the Embassy and SB118 as a whole. All of the players did great. Everyone who won awards, congratulations all!

So Rich, Captain Roshanara Rahman, was my CO during training and his guidance started then, starting by helping with some of the finer points of my biography that helped me make Aria a better character. Later when I, on a whim, published a paper for the JSCE he encouraged me to do more and has constantly answered questions, offered advice and always had an encouraging word, even though I do not serve on his crew. It is no surprise to me that he has won this award for OOC work. From the moment I first started on the Training Team Renos has been encouraging and helpful, always available to offer advice and guidance. He has always been easy to talk to and made it apparent that I can ask questions and that he has had my back if I make a decision. Thanks for putting up with all of the questions. Toni has been my commanding officer, I was very pleased to see her nomination accepted and her ultimate award. I've seen her navigate choppy waters with players and always make decisions for the good of her ship, club, players, and ultimately the "fun" of the game. A more deserving player I cannot imagine.

Congrats, you're both going to do well!

We do at that.

((Beach)) Ryland: Now we build walls so bad people can't get in... T’Sara: Gigantics walls wiff electrific spikey wires, n’a moat wiff dragons protektin us. :: She was grinning big and wide as she started to hack out the big lizard protector in the sand. Of course it would look nothing like what she imagined, but it would be perfect in her eyes.:: Garth: Dats gonna looks good, T'Sara. T’Sara: I needs more sands. Be back! :: She grabbed her pail and dashed to the freshly wet sand. Once her bucket was full she hauled it rather effortlessly considering her size and the weight. It was clear she’d inherited *some* Vulcan strength.:: ::While the others worked on the fort, Garth paid attention to Naloor and Mirana's conversation.:: Naloor: Wonder what those boats are doing? :: Garth and T’Sara paused to glance out at what they were talking about. The boats were doing what boats did. Floated.:: Mirana: I'm sure they are just sticking close by to the marina just north of here up the coast. Perhaps they are fishing or just decided to enjoy this beautiful day on the water. Naloor: Well, they are certainly not fishing...do you see any nets? Mirana: I do not :: T’Sara’s blue eyes flashed at Naloor and she could see that the woman’s aura had a disturbed flare of color to it. The little girl’s lips pursed, not liking it one little bit. This was their fun time.:: Naloor: If they were just passing by, you would think they would be making a bit more way that what they are...they look suspicious. Maybe I had better contact the Marines to keep an eye on them... Mirana: Are you feeling okay, Naloor? ::She brought her hand down from her face as she turned to the nanny.:: It's really quite common for Laudeans to set sail and enjoy each other's company in the solitude of the ocean. I'm sure it's okay. :: T’Sara poked Mirana’s leg and dropped her bucket.:: T’Sara: You say you okay, but you don’t look okay. I been to fieldy class n’ your colors is fuzzy like you need a time-out. Mirana: I'm fine T'Sara, I think Naloor might just have had too much sun. T’Sara: Den maybe you should take a nap. I have to tinkle. Mirana: I'm sure she just needs a little water. ::She handed the canteen to Naloor with a compassionate smile.:: Here. What is tinkle? T’Sara: It not nice to tinkle in the ocean. Fisheys live dare. Would it be nice if I tinkled in your house? :: The little girl glanced at Garth with a frowny face so he would know she was getting upset about something. It wasn’t about a potty-break. She was trained enough now to see the colors of a liar, and she was about to get really annoying to the woman for it.:: Mirana: I see… Yes I suppose that would be very rude. T’Sara: I’s a lady. I tinkle on a proper potty. Mirana: There is a restroom just there, T'Sara. T’Sara: I wants to go home and tinkle there. Public potties is icky. Mirana: We really should all stay together… T’Sara: I WANTS TO GO HOME!! I WANTS TO GO HOME!! YOU CAN’T MAKE ME STAY!! I WANTS TO GO HOME NOW!! I HAS TO PEE!! I WANTS DAH MARINES TO TAKE ME POTTY!!! ::With T'Sara's brat mode engaged, Garth felt it was time for him to step in. :: Garth: She needs to go potty, ifen you wonts let hers go lone, I kin go wif her. Mirana: With everything going on today it would be best for us all to stay together, no one should be off on their own… Garth: SHE GOTTA PEE. AND IT NOT NICE FOR HER TO GOES IN FRONTS OF BOYS! BUT I KIN TURN MY BACKS TO HER AND SHOW HER SOME RESPECTS. ::Taking a hold of T'Sara's hand, speaking gently:: Comes on, T'Sara. I goes wif ya. Mirana: Well, ::Turning to Naloor with an uncomfortable smile.:: I suppose that is that. They really shouldn't be traveling alone. Garth: ::pulling T'Sara with him, he began to run from her.:: YA A MEAN OLE WOMAN, MIRANA! I'M GONNA TELL ON YOU! PNPC Garth Turner-West Simmed by Rear Admiral Toni Turner Commanding Officer Embassy Duronis II - USS Thunder NCC - 70605-A Author ID number: E238209TT0

Congrats, welcome aboard!

((Unknown Location- Lokesh City)) :: Dualla was growing tired of the Starfleet captains' insolence. Killing him now would not be approved by Rena..however, the captain could suffer an accident which would cause his death, something he would rightly enjoy:: DUALLA: You know, Captain...it would make perfect sense for you to read the document my people have so meticulously prepared for you. Consider the alternative. WALTAS::Arching an eyebrow:: Being bored to death by your endless ranting? ::This caused the man to laugh.:: DUALLA: Your death means so little to you. However...::smiling:: there is the woman. Some of my men have never known the touch of an alien woman. ::smile growing even bigger, even more sinister:: Perhaps I will allow them to..become aquainted. :: Duallas' smile was more than just a threat...it was a promise. He would make it happen just outside the door, so her screams of protest could not help but be heard by the Starfleet captain....he would have no other choice other than to surrender to his wishes:: WALTAS: There's a third option. ::[...]ing his head, Dualla spoke, while his men snickered in concert:: DUALLA: And...just what that might be, Starfleet? WALTAS: Oh, you'll like it. It's called...senseless violence. :: Dualla looked into the eyes, and too late, he recognized what was about to happen. The Starfleet captain had somehow freed himself, and had moved quicker than anything he had seen, slashing the throat of the guard closest to him, then snapping the neck of the other one. Dualla was now enraged, going for the disruptor in his belt. The hell with what Rena wanted...he was going to kill this Starfleet dung. Enraged, he spoke:: Dualla: NOW YOU DIE!!!!! :: Dualla had drawn his weapon, and as he began to sight the captain, his left eye saw the glint of a piece of metal...then intense pain as the piece of cot leg caught him in his left eye, instantly blinding it. Dualla screamed at the intense pain, dropping his disruptor. The man quickly retrieved it, and Dualla heard the weapon go off. Looking back at the now free captain, who added further insult to injury by kneeing him in the crotch, the additional pain forcing him to the ground. Lying on his back, he felt the hard smack of the PADD on which the carefully dictated message for the captain to read was now slammed across his face:: WALTAS: Why don't you write about that..with your one good eye. :: Dualla opened his mouth to protest, but he felt something being jammed inside it, and down his throat, his muffled screams heard by no one. Even in pain, he thought his people would hear the commotion, then come running. When they didn't, he wondered where in hell they were. The Starfleet captain was gone, no doubt to free the woman. Standing up, blind in one eye, and shorn of a weapon, Dualla headed out into the hallway, bent on killing them both:: (( Meanwhile, down the hall )) :: Kerana Morti was a member of long standing with the TFM, and he enjoyed his role as a designated killer. In it, he had killed fellow Laudeans who supported that fool Daysa, and would happily kill more. He would enjoy taking his time killing the Starfleet captain...he wondered exactly how much pain he could take before he got bored and finally killed him. The woman...now, that was another matter. She was already terrified, so the first battle in his mind was already won, a feeling further reinforced when he heard her piteously screaming:: Keris: Help! Get me out of here! :: Kerana and the other two guards with him laughed. It will be fun to kill her, to hear her scream. Perhaps, he would kill her first, with knives:: Keris: Let me out… I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Just let me out. :: They laughed again...but perhaps, she did have something noteworthy to say before she died:: Kerana: Allright...come join us.... ::Kerana had no plans to interrogate her. He had heard what Dualla planned for her, but he was moving up the timetable:: Keris: Please I don’t want to do die. Please let me go. Please. :: A thought crossed Keranas' mind...perhaps it was a good idea to let her go...she was a non combatant, a wee woman...what harm could she do to them? Motioning to the guards, they removed her from her cell, and placed her in the office. Just in case, they all surrounded her and closed the door as the woman pleaded her case:: Kerana: You promised to talk.... Keris: What do you want to know? I’ll tell you. ::Kerana looked at his two compatriots. None seemed suddenly all that willing to further terrorize the woman. It was strange....he was compelled to free her, but he didn't know why:: Kerana: We're not sure you could tell us anything...after all, you are not Starfleet... ::The guards nodded:: Keris: Please, I beg you. Free me, I’ll tell you everything. :: The feeling was as strong as ever...the feeling to free this woman. He didn't know why. He looked at his men, and they seemed to be in agreement. He tried to field her, find some untruth in her statements, but he got nothing...no anything, which was unusual. The more he thought about freeing her, the more euphoric he felt, as though he were on some sort of narcotic, and his men were the same. Perhaps it was just as well. Motioning the guards to open the door, Kerana spoke:: Kerana: You have nothing to offer us. Go, and go quickly.... :: With a nod, the woman left, and closed the door behind her:: (( Meanwhile )) :: Dualla writhed in pain as he stood up. Where were his guards? What was happening? Stumbling out into the hallway, there was no one. He cursed the heaven above as he first ripped off a piece of his tunic to bandage his eye. Once that was done, he walked down the hall, to where the woman was kept...and found her cell empty:: :: Racing down the hallway to the office, Dualla ripped the door open, and to his horror he found the three men whose sole job was to keep the woman in her cell and prepare for the broadcast. Grabbing Kerana by the collar, he yelled:: Dualla: WHERE IS SHE!!!!???? :: Kerana answered:: Kerana: We let her go...what happened to your ey.. ::Dualla punched him in the face before he spoke again:: Dualla: DAMN YOU! THEY HAVE ESCAPED! :: Quickly fielding all three men, Dualla knew something had happened to them, but he knew the woman had something to do with it. Somehow, she had compromised three seasoned fighters without firing a shot. Surmising that it might have been something she carried ( they had searched her for weapons physically, but had not scanned her), he shook Kerala again:: Dualla: Get out of the building! All of you! NOW! :: Hustling them all outside into an empty street, Dualla spoke:: Dualla: The woman has done something to you. Alert the fighters the prisoners have escaped. Make sure the roadblocks have the information...and have this building aired out! :: Keranas' head was beginning to clear, and so were the guards. They remember everything that had happened, and were determined to make up for their mistake:: Kerana: It will be done, Dualla! Dualla: NOW GO! :: As his men scurried to fulfill his orders, Dualla opened his communicator, set to broadcast to all TFM units:: Dualla:=/\= Attention all units! The Starfleet captain and Federation prisoner have escaped! Kill them both on sight!=/\= :: With that done, Dualla, fueled with rage and pain, headed over to the TFM medical facility to have his eye properly looked at...then, he would join the search for the Starfleet escapees:: MSPNPC Dualla Mikari Resistance Leader TFM As simmed by: Lt. Commander Hannibal Tiberious Parker Marine CO USS Thunder-A/ Duronis II Embassy

So in fine Embassy tradition, it's time to look at the red carpet and see what everyone is wearing to the upcoming awards ceremony. Aria has decided on a white dress, hoping not to embarrass herself too much. Feel free to jump in, what are you wearing to the Ceremonies?

Good Work! Welcome to the fleet!

((Embassy on Duronis II, East Beaches, Cyndriel Villas)) ::The estate was a panicked chaos of activity. The news that the family's matriarch, Calodia Jorey, would be arriving in the next few days had the staff on edge. The new Cyndriel Villas had just finished being rebuilt after the Zalkonian bombardment of the Embassy grounds and was still in need of a post-build deep cleaning. While the majority of the staff was focused on the interior, Asher was far more concerned with the estates exterior. In particular, the many, currently barren, gardens.:: Asher: Is the landscaping team from the city on its way? ::There was clearly frustration in his voice as he shouted out the question to anyone who might have an answer. His question was answered with silence. The attack in the city and protest at the Embassy gates was making it difficult for outside contractors to get into the Embassy grounds. He spotted Alana rushing by.:: Asher: Alana, try and get them on the comm. If they can't get through the front see if they will come up along the beach. We can get them through the security check there. ::Alana nodded as she continued on to whatever task she was currently trying to accomplish. With everything going on it was a difficult time to receive visitors on Til'ahn. Asher's comm device chimed notifying that he was receiving a message from his charge.:: Jorey: =/\= Little One to Old Man. =/\= ::Asher knew that the unusual greeting was a signal that communications could be compromised and that the rest of the conversation would be coded. All Asher needed to know was if the conversation was of a business or personal nature. Asher: =/\= Business or Pleasure, Sir? =/\= Jorey: =/\= It's business this time. Please prepare my black suitcase and let the new tutor know I'll be heading toward Thalzed and be unavailable. =/\= ::Asher knew that 'black suitcase' was code for an intelligence covert mission. The new tutor implied someone that was in a position of authority - the new Chief of Intelligence Savan. Finally, Thalzed was the northernmost point on Betazed, so Brayden must be traveling north - like the north part of Lokesh City.:: Asher: =/\= I will take care of it. =/\= ::Asher waited for the link to close before putting the device back in his pocket as he made his way over to a console in Brayden's office. He sat down at the desk and logged into the console.:: Asher: Computer, open a secure, encrypted communications channel. ::The console chimed when ready.:: =/\= Asher to Lieutenant Commander Savan. =/\= Savan: =/\= Mr. Asher, this is a surprise. How may I assist you? =/\= Asher: =/\= Brayden has asked me to inform you that he is headed north, likely into North Lokesh City, on a covert mission. =/\= Savan: =/\= That is news to me. Anything else you can share? =/\= Asher: =/\= Unfortunately, I have no other details for you, Commander. Savan: =/\= I see. =/\= Asher: =/\= If I hear from him I'll be sure to contact you right away. =/\= ::Asher closed the channel and logged out of the console. He looked around the room and grimaced as he noticed that the control panel for the office's lights, temperature, and window shades was missing. His grimace turned into disdain as he noticed the crown holding had not been installed in the room. He pulled the comm device from out of his pocket.:: Asher: Asher to Dolna… where is the contractor and where in Yimone's great light are the room's finishings? PNPC Asher, Attendant to Brayden Jorey As simmed by Commander Brayden Jorey - Special Operations, Embassy of Duronis II / USS Thunder NCC-99312-A Featured Bio Contest Facilitator | Department of Veteran Affairs | Training Team Writer ID: T239002BJ0

((Play Room)) Garth: ::looking out the window:: I's board. Wish wees cood goes outs and pay in da trees. :: The tiny Tr-omu-vulc, sighed her frustration as well and dropped her armful of toys on the floor.:: T'Sara: Me too. If we was at dah ranch we could play wiff my ponycorn, Sir Twinkles The Brave. Garth: ::turning around to look at her:: Watts a ponycorn? :: She picked up a couple of building blocks and stacked them in a horse shaped animal.:: T'Sara: Oh, deys neat! Dey for riding, and petting. Dey like big dogs with a horn wite in dah middle of their pony-head. :: She stuck a block up to her head to demonstrate.:: Garth: Wow! Wish I's cood sees um. ::thinking:: Where's ya ranch at? Maybe we cood go dare. :: That was an exciting thought, until she saw the Nanny pass by.:: T'Sara: I don’t finks we can. ::whispering:: Deys always lookin at us. It kinda creepy. Garth: ::excitedly:: All wees gotta dos is get pass da Nanny an da guards outside, din wees is home free. T'Sara: OOoo… like a mishun? Like our mommies go on Garth: Yup! Ands no body knows where we goes until wees gets back. T’Sara: I kin bees dah enginesneer lady, like Lootienant Oddie. What do you wanna be? Garth: I's bees a capin likes capin Wallers. T’Sara: Like your daddy. Garth: ::beaming a smile:: Yeah, likes my daddy. T’Sara: I gots my tool kit! I kin make a d’strakshun, an’den we kin got to dah beach, an’den we kin get to dah ranch from dere. But you gots to get us past dah nanny and dah s’curity poopies. :: She pulled her bag of goodies up to her chest. It was the kit LtCmdr Oddas gave her. She never left home without it.:: Garth: Yup, wees need d'strakshun to get passes dim. T’Sara: Otay! Let’s doo’ed it. :: She tucked her tool kit close, and they sneaked across the hall into the bathroom.:: T’Sara: You keep watch. I’ll make a ‘straction. Den we goes. Garth: I'll watch real goods here at da door. I fink da Nanny went downstairs. :: T’Sara headed right over to the sonic shower and started dismantling the control panel. Having learned a lot from her friend Mo, the little girl began to screw with the harmonic frequencies, and then reroute it into all of the basins and cleaning stations throughout the house.:: T’Sara: Weady? Garth: Weady! T’Sara: Cover your ears. It gonna be weally loud. Garth: ::sticking his fingers into his ears:: Okee dokee! Done. :: With that done she set off every shower, stall, and basin in the house with a deafening screech of sonic sounds. There was no way anybody could hear the two little jailbirds running to their freedom.:: :: She giggled and came up behind Garth tapping him on the shoulder and waving for him to lead the way out of the house and past the grown-ups.:: Garth: Com'on, Dat was welly louds. But da Nanny is louders. Hers screamin'! ::When the Nanny came running up the stairs to check the bathrooms, Garth lead T'Sara downs to the kitchen to the back door, grabbing a plate of cookies on the way.:: Garth: Hear, puts these ins your bag cause wees mites get hungry, then watch and learn. :: Waiting until she had the cookies in the bag, he opened the door, yelling:: HELP! HELP! SOMPIN TRYIN' TA GETS US! ::The guards came running and wanting to know what was wrong, but the noise in the house told them all they needed to know, and went running inside. As soon has they passed by the children, Garth grabbed T'Sara's hand.:: Garth: Wees gotta makes a run fer it! This way, T'Sara. Wees needs to get to da bushes so day won't sees us! :: T’Sara gladly followed along, taking refuge in the bushes. This was exciting! This was just like all the stories her mommies told her about.:: T'Sara: I fink deys gone. Should we go? Garth: Da beach it dis way. Its ain't far. T’Sara: We bettah hurry. Dey gonna be mad. :: She giggled. She couldn’t help it. She was having so much fun! Off they went, running for the beach. T’Sara was a little lost already, so she was happy to let Garth take the lead. As they stopped at the sandy shores, T’Sara looked in her tool kit and frowned.:: T’Sara: Deh cookies is broked. Garth: Oh nooo! Watt we gonna eat ifen wees gets hungry? :: She pulled out a little bandana that she liked to use to “pretend” to wipe down her dirty tools. Laying the cloth on the sand, she dumped the contents of the bag out.:: T’Sara: We’s better eat dees now, or dey gets all in my tools. I has snacks at home. Garth: ::brightly:: Otay wet's do dat. Captins need lots of food to gets strong to do dare jobs.. :: The two picked at the broken cookies and crumbs. T’Sara grinned at her little boyfriend.:: T’Sara: Did your new daddy teach you how ta trick growed-ups like dat? Garth: No, mommy did. She say if I gets into trouble, and someone trys ta takes me, I should yell as loud as I cood. Where did ya learns to make noise wif da water pipes? T’Sara: ::she shook her head:: I learnded to play wiff the shower from Uncle Mo. He teaches me neat stuff about Kwantum Mechnix and far away places dat live next to us, but we can’t sees them. Garth: Dat wuz a good tricks. T’Sara: He’s weally smart. He says dere’s lots of Garths and Aunt Tonie’s out there, but they’s all different. Garth: Welly? I didn't knows dat. T’Sara: Like dere might be one of you that is still wiff your other daddy. But he says I’s only one in the verse. Ain’t no others of me out dere. He says I has a special porpose, and I need to learns stuff. Garth: I's haves porpose too. I's welly be a Capin someday. T’Sara: Mo helped make me, cos my two mommies couldn’t. I’s his protojay. I dunno what dat means, but it important. I think. Don’t tells nobody about him though. He’s a secret. Promise? Garth: Promise! T’Sara: Pinky swears? :: She held out her pinky.:: Garth: ::hooking her pinky with his:: Pinky swears, but we welly need ta goes now. T’Sara: Yeah. Deys gonna be lookin’ fer us. My ranch is dat way through the forest. Den we kin plays with my ponycorn, and show you dah Qoots, n’ Wesos. We get milk and eggs from dems. Garth: Wow, I's can't waits to sees your ranch. :: She collected her things, and noticed they were leaving tracks in the sand.:: T’Sara: What do we do ‘bout dose feetprints? Garth: ::breaking to branches from one of the bushes they had just come from:: Wees drags dees behines us and day brushes da feetprints away. ::showing her:: See? Alls gone! T’Sara: Looks, I’s a ponycorn and dis is my tail! :: She held the branch behind her and swished it around as they headed off toward the forest.:: Garth simmed by: Rear Admiral Toni Turner Commanding Officer Embassy Duronis II - USS Thunder NCC - 70605-A Author ID number: E238209TT0 T'Sara simmed by: Lieutenant Commander T’Lea Chief Science Officer Embassy, Duronis II Author ID I238301T10

Congratulations!

((Admiral's Office)) Ashana: Well, I’ll attempt to keep it brief, I will tell you what I was told. The Federation needs a strong, stable alliance with the Laudean government. With the maneuvers of the Orions and then the Romulans over the past year, there are concerns that the outer perimeter of the Federation is threatened. A firm alliance with the Laudeans would make for a strong sign to other non-members worlds we have opened talks within neighboring sectors. If they see positive benefits from the Federation, they would less willing to collaborate with those hostile to our values and interests. Turner: I can't disagree with that at all. Although Prime Minister Daysa has been more than cooperative with us, there are factions within the Laudean population, criminal elements, and infiltrators from neighboring species with an embedded hatred of Starfleet. Ashana: And yes, right when I arrive there just happens to be a terrorist attack that shows the weakness and ineffectiveness of the government at ensuring its citizens’ safety… :: Ashana's statement was more telling to Toni than the Ambassador may have thought. Did she think there was a conspiracy to discredit her as a diplomat or perhaps, even to get rid of her?:: Turner: Let me assure you that this uprising has been brewing for quite some time. It all goes back to the Romulan occupation when the Laudeans were treated like trash on their own planet. Ashana: I’ve read the briefs on Prime Minister and his administration, but it sounds like you have a working relationship with him. What should I know about him and his staff? Turner: Vail Daysa is an honorable man, who rose to power through his military service, and was instrumental in ousting the Romulans from the planet. Awhile back he did have some staff who were clearly infiltrated by Orion propaganda trying to disturb his influence with the population, but he stood up to them and peace was restored. Ashana: And that peace is unfortunately deteriorating once again… Turner: :: leaning back in her chair:: You have to understand that Daysa is a strong leader, but during the Romulan occupation their Lomales were taken hostage, causing zero growth in the population, and over the years every time the population showed growth, the planet was hit by Bluegill invasions ::remembering her second husband's death::, battles such as the one at Bondi that took a devastating toll, and other invasions, most recently, by the Orions. So you see, no matter how strong the leader, if he has no people to lead, he is pretty much ineffective. ::It appeared the Admiral had connection to the prime minister, which was understandable.:: Ashana: But it also sounds like the FTM has been garnering support away from Daysa and his government, enough to grow their movement to the point that the Laudean forces could not repel them, as you mentioned during the briefing. Do we know where the FTM has been drawing their new supporters from? Turner: ::sighing heavily:: No, not at this point. I'm hoping that Daysa will supply that information when we meet with him. Ashana: ::speaking more slowly, with Ashana's acquired British accent becoming more clear.:: While every planet and species is different, there are certain commonalities, Admiral. People join and support radical, violent movements when they are desperate and afraid. While I can’t rule out the FTM may have off planet support given the history here that could support its growth, the FTM must be striking a chord somewhere for them to have gotten so strong, so fast. They must be promising something to the population that the government has not provided. Ashana: In my opinion, Daysa will need to appeal to those segments who may agree with the FTM’s ideas. No large-scale movement can survive without its base… ::referring to her padd:: your Commander Jorey mentioned that the support for the FTM was mainly rural, but only 60 percent of the urban population was in favor of his government and Starfeet. While that is a majority somewhat, that still leaves 40 percent that may be considering the FTM’s stances… or even supporting them. Those kinds of margins may be the first signs of greater unrest. But if we can sway public opinion against the FTM…. Turner: People, in general, tend to hate what they don't understand. The rural population has not seen how the Federation has worked in their communities to safeguard the planet from further occupation from those who would try to take over the planet. Ashana: We need to find out what the dissatisfied part of the population wants and is not receiving from the government. Obviously, there is the issue of safety… but there has to be something else at hand. Turner: I agree, and unless Daysa knows, and will tell . . . :: thinking about his silence so far:: us, we'll have to start from scratch to find out. Ashana: As for us, we need to be in the supporting role. The face of hope and resistance must be Laudean… I know how propaganda works. If we are too active and visible, the FTM will turn that to their advantage, portraying him as a puppet or even a weak leader who can’t handle a domestic issue without the help of off-worlders. Daysa must represent the change, he must represent a better future for all Laudeans. Turner: I believe he can deliver on that, and our support would come from the fact that we had casualties, during the bombing of their government offices. I think we should hammer the fact that the FTM has made war on innocents, and that we are supporting Daysa, because, after 10 years of living here, this is our home, and have children at stake too. I believe that any mother worth their salt would see a common link between us. :: checking the time:: We should be leaving soon, and I need to go home and change clothes and arrange for guards to accompany us to the Prime Minister's Mansion. Will your entourage be going with us? Rear Admiral Toni Turner Commanding Officer Embassy Duronis II - USS Thunder NCC - 70605-A Author ID number: E238209TT0

Congrats! Hope to see you around!