Jarred Thoran

@Na'Lae Mandak getting herself into a bit of a situation, all because of a sneeze... (( Somewhere in Navatria, Arndall)) :: There had been an enormous hiccup in the plan thus far. What started as a simple medevac, had turned into far more than a cluster. There were many casualties now, including those of the Revan. Lae was among them. Matthew had been unconscious, Dairro injured as well. The doctor seemed to be one of the more better off folks. The others were worse for wear. Not to mention the actual casevacs they had been sent to retrieve in the first place. For now, they tended to their wounds, and made ready for what lay ahead for them, on the hostile planet. :: :: The crew had been tending to their wounds, and getting their wits about them, when a loud shriek had been heard from outside the downed shuttle. It wasn't terran... But is was organic. Ferentis had instinctively gone on the defensive, wanting to know what it was they were on about now. But he was injured, and worse than what he let on. :: G’Renn: Ferentis, what’s wrong with your arm? Ferentis: It’s nothing at all. I’m fine. Mandak: You should sit... How're are you gonna be any sort of tough guy if you're hurt? :: Lae stood near the man, trying to be supportive, but in reality, she wished he'd take a seat. :: Thoran: Ms Mandak....is right. G’Renn: If you think I’m about to let you go out there without least checking your injuries, you may want to think again. Mandak: Just let her look mate... Ferentis: [Tag] Thoran: Mr Ferentis, …. I insist…. you allow….the doctor….to check….you over. Ferentis: [Tag] :: For now, he seemed to give into the Commander and his physician. Probably a better move than he thought. :: G’Renn: Now, let’s take a look… ::That was when she saw the bone sticking out of his wrist.:: We’ll need to set that bone back in place. Hold still for a moment. :: Lae listened to the snap crackle and pop of the doctor working. It looked to be a bad break of the man's arm. She worked quickly though, setting things straight. Lae had readied her firearm by then, and began to work on getting the comms system in some sort of order, even just to send a distress signal. Letting the Blackwell know what had happened would more than likely be something the Commander wished to do. She wanted to be ready for the order. She quit fiddling with things when the Commander spoke again, amidst his own wounds. :: Thoran: Doctor, what is…. the status of…. the Valcarian patients? G’Renn: I will check on them right away. Thoran: Okay. Let me know…. once you’ve done…. that. Mr Ferentis…. being our resident engineer…. I want you to…. start working on restoring…. power. Ms Mandak... :: Just as she piped up, she could hear whatever it was outside had drawn closer, and had friends. She was awaiting the order... :: Thoran: Ms Mandak…. take Dairro and Matthew….have a quick scout outside..... Assess…. the situation. Keep comlines open. Mandak: Aye sir... :: She nodded to the two, who had armed themselves as well. :: Let's get out there... :: She moved with the small team to the main entry in the rear of the craft, which was slightly open, just enough for them to slip out. There was smoke about... dust. It was tough to see anything really. Lae took up a starting position on her knee in front of the door, while the other two fanned out, but stayed close. There was a well defined trench in which the runabout sat. She could see now the extent of the damage to the Revan. That's when she heard the shriek. She turned her head suddenly to her left, looking straight at... something... The others followed suit. Lae gave a signal to stay low. :: :: It was large... whatever it was... and there were two other smaller things with it. It bore armor... dull and gray... with some sort of headress. Or at least the big one had it. The other two seemed scraggly, seemed to follow the big one about. It was bipedal, and hulking, with large claws, or hands or something. She could see a weapon of some sort as well, but couldn't make it out that well. The dim light of evening was creeping in now, adding to the difficulty in seeing anything at all. :: Mandak: Mandak to Commander Thoran... :: in a low voice. :: Thoran: [tag] Mandak: A small group. One large one. Insectoid. Bipedal. Armed. Thoran: [Tag] Mandak: They're moving away from us for the moment... :: She could see out of the corner of her eye, Matthew was holding in a sneeze... oO No... No no no...Oo The sneeze exited his face... And so did his color. He immediately clamped down on his mouth. She looked to the thing, which had now turned about, and was looking right in their direction. She could see it in full view now. Large, with smaller arms in other places, and a definitely insectoid set of DNA. It was moving towards them quickly now, clearly having spotted them. It let out another shriek, getting the attention of the smaller broodlings that had accompanied it. The thing raised a rifle, and began to fire right at them. :: Mandak: Gotta go... we've got incoming... :: She hit the charging unit on the phase rifle. The comm closed. :: Thoran: [Tag] Mandak: FIRE! :: The phaser blasts flew from Dairro, not so much from Matthew, who sort of slunk down in the dirt. She raised up to a crouch from her knees, and sent phaser pulses down range at the smaller units first, striking one of them square in its toothy maw. It landed hard and slid a good six feet. The second one met a similar fate. The larger one... That was a different story. :: :: She sent pulses in its direction, with the energy striking it's armor, but leaving no real damage save for a singe mark here and there. She couldn't tell if it was shielded, or if it was just the armor plating it wore. Either way, they were going to have to come up with a plan. The thing took up a position near the runabout, and kept the aggression up. :: Mandak: Commander! :: Over her commbadge :: Thoran: [Tag] Mandak: One baddie left... He's shielded. Under fire. Need assistance! Thoran / Anyone: [Tag] TBC/TAG -- Ensign Na'Lae Mandak Helm Officer USS Blackwell Andaris Task Force

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

@Anath G'Renn I especially loved the part where you put Jarred back together ((Navatria, Valcarian Capital, Arndall)) Thoran: I don’t much like the idea of heading to a Valcarian facility. Doctor, do you think he’ll survive long enough for a shuttle to arrive? G’Renn: He’s not going to drop dead right this second, but the longer we sit here debating what to do the closer we get to that point. Thoran: Okay, i’d like you to do what you can for the moment. Ensign Ferentis, see if you can raise Ensign Mandak for an emergency evacuation. Ferentis: Aye, sir. ::While Ferentis worked on arranging a shuttle for them, Anath and Thoran took on the far more challenging task of convincing a Valcarian to trust outsiders.:: Thoran: Your colleague, ::he pointed towards the Valcarian G’Renn had been treating:: our Doctor states he needs surgery to survive. We don’t have the capability here so we’re going to take him back to our ship. It’s a medical vessel. Valcarian Driver: I cannot allow that. I will need authorisation from command. G’Renn: oO Can we all just cut out the mistrust, paranoia, and delays for ten minutes so we can keep that man from bleeding out? Oo ::Nothing about the situation was helping her frustration. The attitude of the Valcarian was not helpful. The fact that by the letter of their orders they weren’t even supposed to be helping them because of their military uniforms went against Anath’s very nature. Everybody’s anger and mistrust were getting to her and she felt like the lives of two beings were not worth any amount of xenophobia and pride.:: Valcarian Driver: I cannot raise them. Something is interfering with the signal. My colleague is not going anywhere with you. ::One moment, everything seemed to be in the right place from her perspective. Then the ground of Arndall began to quake and Anath found herself viewing the entire world as if it were tilted on its side. She had been thrown off her feet, and it seemed as if her teammates and the Valcarians had been similarly thrown about by the tremors as she got back to her feet.:: Ferentis: What... G’Renn: Ensign, Commander? Are you two alright? Thoran: I’ll be fine. ::The ground began to shake again, startling her. The sounds of screams, weapons fire, and the very world being torn apart all rung through the area and assaulted her sensitive ears. For a moment she instinctively covered her ears and tried to block out the horrifying noises. However, she was needed more than ever. After a moment to regain her bearings she looked around for the source of the sounds.:: Ferentis: The Valcarians must be attacking in full. Thoran: Doctor, the third Valcarian may need some assistance ::he gestured towards the figure that lay on the floor.:: Mr Ferentis, any word on that shuttle? G’Renn: Right away! ::Anath approached the Valcarian with the burns, offering a hand to get them back to a sitting position before pulling them onto their feet. They were probably in a lot of pain, but could walk. The man who had been impaled in the vehicle would need a lot more help.:: G’Renn: Our patients should be ready for transport in the shuttle, ::shooting an angry sideways glance at the driver:: assuming we take them with us. Ferentis: ? Thoran: Good work. Both of you. Now we’ll have to sit tight and hope Ensign Mandak doesn’t take too long. ((Timeskip: Several minutes later)) ::In the grand scheme of things, the shuttle didn’t take too long to arrive. It was only a few minutes at most. Unfortunately, time was a relative thing. When she was curled up on one of the loungers in her living room reading a good book a few minutes wasn’t all that long. In the middle of an active warzone each second dragged on forever, heavy with the threat of sudden death from some stray fire from the battle or a miscalculated artillery strike. The familiar sound of a Federation shuttlecraft’s engines immediately drew her attention to the sky.:: Thoran: Cavalry’s here. Let’s move out. Mandak: =/\= Mandak to Ferentis, Ready when you are! =/\= Ferentis: ? ::Finally things were looking up. Looking up until they tried to gather their patients, that is. That’s when the Valcarian driver decided to step in their path and try to stop them.:: Valcarian Driver: I said my..people..stay.. ::he thrust a pointed finger towards the floor.:: here. Thoran: Your people are seriously injured and need medical attention. At the very least, allow us to take you and your colleagues to a Valcarian facility. ::What happened next happened so quickly Anath barely registered what all occurred. Commander Thoran tried to pass by the Valcarian, there was some movement from the driver, and then their security chief sent him to the ground. This was not going well.:: Thoran: You can come with us or you can stay here. Your colleagues will die if they don’t get medical attention very very soon. Valcarian Driver: I shall stay here. And I assure you, I shall be making a full report. ::With that, they collected the two injured Valcarians very carefully and carried them over to where the shuttle had landed a short distance away. Anath helped Ferentis carry the soldier from the backseat of the crash.:: Thoran: Doctor, hopefully you should have everything here to stabilise them long enough for us to reach the Blackwell. Mr Ferentis, see if you can get a lock on the supplies and transport them aboard. G’Renn: They should be able to make it. We definitely shouldn’t wait around any longer than we have to. Ferentis: ? ::Anath helped the two into the shuttle and tried to make them as comfortable as she could. The shuttles weren’t exactly as spacious as an ambulance runabout but there was more than enough room for two patients. Once they were secure she made her way to the front of the shuttle.:: Thoran: Good to see you Ensign. Mandak: To the Blackwell then? Do they know we're coming? Thoran: I’d like you to do a fly over of the city, see if there is a hospital or something. If not, then yes, the Blackwell. Mandak: Anyone else coming? ::Anath wanted to go back and talk, or yell, some sense into the driver. He was being stubborn and letting his pride get in the way of any common sense. Unfortunately that wasn’t the kind of problem that a few Klingon insults could fix. Besides, she had absolutely no authority when it came to “you’re being too stubborn.”:: Thoran: Just us i’m afraid. Mandak: ? ::She found a seat just as the shuttle took off and began to climb into the sky above the city. Anath closed her eyes and tried to banish all the aggressive and unhappy thoughts from her brain. Then all the noises of the shuttle stopped. When she opened her eyes and noticed that the power was off and the shuttle was dark. Even worse, it was beginning to enter a nosedive towards the surface. As she felt the change in acceleration she had only one thought.:: G’Renn: oO So many ways to die in the line of duty, please not like this… Oo Thoran: Report. G’Renn: I think something may have disrupted our power. oO Or someone’s been seriously neglecting this shuttle’s maintenance schedule OO Ferentis/Mandak: ? ::The impact was quick, and sent her flying out of her seat and into the wall of the shuttlecraft with considerable force. She felt metal dragging across her forehead and could immediately tell that it had broken the skin. She knew even before she could feel the green blood pouring down her forehead. Luckily it felt like a light cut. She wasted no time flipping open her medkit, removing a bandage, and adhering it over the site of impact. There would be time to deal with it later once she was sure her friends were unhurt.:: G’Renn: Is anyone seriously injured? Ferentis/Mandak: ? Thoran: ? ::Anath approached the [...]pit and looked down at Thoran’s chest. She couldn’t see very well, but it seemed that something had been lodged in his stomach, and the area immediately around the object was darker than the rest of his uniform.:: G’Renn: Commander, try not to move too much. I’ll do what I can for you, but I need some more light. Either of you have a lamp? Ferentis/Mandak: ? ::After switching on the emergency light source and setting it on the console above them, Anath opened Commander Thoran’s uniform outer jacket and looked closer at the wound. A piece of metal shrapnel was the culprit. She would need to act quickly to get it removed before it caused any more serious bleeding. Anath removed a set of gloves from her medkit as well as her field surgery kit. She broke the sterile seal on the kit and removed a few tools that she would need to remove the shrapnel, as well as loading a hypospray with a light painkiller.:: G’Renn: Deep breaths, Mr. Thoran. This is going to pinch just a bit. ::That was of course a bit of an understatement. Even with a painkiller now moving through his system he would probably still feel it. If she had her way she’d sedate him before removing the object. Unfortunately time was not on their side, and after your shuttle was just possibly shot down was not the time to sedate your security officer. She waited for a few moments after injecting the painkiller before swiftly removing the piece of console and setting it aside.:: Thoran: ? G’Renn: Okay, so maybe a little more than a bit. Just hold still while I close up the wound and the painkiller does its job. ::Charging up the dermal regenerator as she spoke:: Deep breathes, few words. ::For such a small piece of metal, the piece of debris had certainly done quite a bit of damage to the commander. Much like the similarly small and sharp arrowhead that had struck him in the knee during their holodeck exercise. Anath spent about a minute with an autosuture and a dermal regenerator sealing the wound before applying a bandage and backing up to give Thoran some room to breathe. Not a moment after she stood up, she heard what could only be described as an angry shriek from somewhere outside the shuttle. She couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t sound like a normal humanoid race. It sounded insectoid, and made her skin crawl.:: Mandak/Ferentis/Thoran: ? Lieutenant Anath G'Renn Chief Medical Officer, USS Blackwell - Andaris Task Force A239402AG0

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

((Holodeck, USS Blackwell, In the Caves)) ::It was all she could do to keep firing. Thankfully, she’d gotten quite a few lucky shots and the ones on the other side didn’t seem to get any. With the thought that she might actually end up hurt or dead in this exercise, she felt a kind of fury well up within. How dare anyone put the crew at risk, especially without telling them that.:: ::Her mind scattered as her body went into autopilot mode. Faster than she could keep track, she fired arrow after arrow making sure to stand between the counselor and the weapons pointed at her. Somewhere nearby, she knew the rogue was fighting just as hard. With hair flying and blood spattering around them, Cayden found herself lost in the moment. It threatened to drag her down to a place she wasn’t sure she wanted to visit. At least not then, and not in the middle of the chaos.:: ::Nevertheless, fury clouded the best intentions and soon she found herself fighting an entirely different fight. Though she was there in the holodeck, fighting the goblins and robed figures, her mind saw the Jem’Hadar. Around them blood was spilt and the warriors of the other side fell. In her mind she saw both sides falling. Friends, comrades, partners in so much more than just a class project.:: ::Cayden was there in the holodeck, but her mind was far away, in the body of Jazra, on the surface of Betazed. And Betazed was just about to fall.:: ((Flashback, Medara Betazed, 2374)) Jaxx: Saraa!!!! ::The blood curdling scream drew her attention regardless of how much she was trying to look at what she was doing. They had been given no warning, no time to prepare, and just like that, Jazra Adyr had absolutely no time to process what was happening.:: Adyr (Jazra): We need to get out of here! ::She grabbed his arm and pulled desperately, and yet he held on to the lifeless body of his betrothed. Looking back later, she knew she couldn’t have blamed him, but in that moment they needed to move. The hulking forms of whatever was bombing them were coming. She could see their shadows dancing in the courtyard below where they stood now.:: ::There were no words to be said. Jazra could see the blood and the gash on her best friend’s head. But there was no time.:: ((End Flashback)) ::Somewhere off to the side of the room, Cayden half expected to see Jaxx, along with the lifeless body of the woman he was to marry. Her own stint on Betazed had been to school there, which had been a high honor. She’d become as much a member of society and of her own little family as possible. Then they came and took it all from her, including her life.:: ((Flashback, Medara Betazed, Not Long After the Invasion)) ::Flickers of light lit the path of the resistance fighters as they moved through the shadows of the nearly abandoned outer neighborhoods. The roads stank of death and burnt flesh that had been left behind by the murderous troops that had been through there. Some of those who had once lived there were mercifully put to death, but others were now prisoners. It was those prisoners that she now lead the small team towards.:: ::The mission was considered to be suicide, but Jazra, who had joined the ranks of a small group of rebels who fought against the Jem’Hadar after the death of her best friend, knew that if they did succeed, they would potentially turn some things in their favor. Though the chances were extremely slim, it was that tiny percent that she held to be the truth. They would win this night; they had to.:: ::In her mind, the face of Jaxx flickered in the firelight of their hideout, the one place where they found respite from the war. It was a safehouse where the rebellion came together to plot and plan, and one that moved often, but it was one that held all of the few good memories that she had left. The days that had followed the initial invasion had been difficult, but even moreso for the man who now led the Medara resistance cell she was a part of. He had lost the girl he was to marry and she had lost her best friend. In the wake of such devastation, the two had clung together to remind themselves just why life was worth fighting for.:: ::The memories of his touch brought an inexplicable smile to her face as her small team moved into position. It was that touch that she longed to feel again, and that touch that would bring her home.:: ::As her eyes rose to meet the imposing building in front of them and the troops standing guard outside of it, she suddenly felt lightheaded. Half of her wanted to run back to that house now, and back to the relative safety of his arms, but her mind held her firmly where she was. A voice whispered in the darkness behind her, having seen the initial reaction.:: ((End Flashback)) ::Her fury only grew and she lashed out on the creatures – every single one of them – with everything that had been stowed away following Jazra’s death. She could feel herself moving faster and harder than she thought she could, and for the moment, she let go of any control and let her adversaries face the hatred of her past.:: ::Somewhere in the back of her mind she could see the creatures dropping until there weren’t many left. And then suddenly, perhaps it was an arrow or maybe the daggers the rogue wielded, all that was left was a puff of acrid smelling smoke where the so-called ringleader used to stand. When Cayden came to, all she could see was a pile of tattered robes and a strange looking claw on top of them.:: ::It took her a long moment to catch her breath, all the while she stood in place.:: Jolara/Mandak: ? ::Standing and putting her bow back on her back, she shrugged.:: Adyr: That was something I don’t necessarily want to do again. Hopefully that’s something important. Jolara/Mandak: ? ::As if they hadn’t already been through enough, the cavern suddenly shone bright like a star had just been born right there in front of them. Blinking and trying to regain her sight, Cayden could feel the energy of something now. Around them, the bodies of the fallen seemed to fade into the dirt itself as a strange wall of dark light, if that made any sense, descended from nowhere right to their feet.:: ::All she could do was look at it strangely.:: Adyr: Well, either somethings coming out of it, or we’re going in it. If I had half a thought I’d say let’s roll. ::Especially considering the re-emergence of thoughts she didn’t want anything to do with.:: Jolara/Mandak: ? TAG/TBC Lieutenant Commander Cayden Adyr Chief Intelligence Officer (Executive Officer) Andaris Task Force R238605KN0

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

@Randal Shayne yet another incredible Ferentis post. Such an enjoyable read ------------------------------------- ((Deck 10, Near Holodeck 1, USS Blackwell)) ::For the first time in many years, Ferentis was distracted on the job.:: ::He was a dinosaur with a keen, active mind. Despite his somewhat deliberate, lethargic appearance, beneath the massive dome of leathery skin and scaly hide that roosted upon his broad shoulders, a powerful intellect snapped and explored. Multitasking was often a breeze, with his attention rationed equally on his often delicate engineering tasks and the music he so frequently tuned into, or conversation (something that happened with far less frequency), or on the great mysteries of the universe.:: ::But now, he was kept from focusing on his labors by the nagging task ahead of him.:: ::He squinted and shook his head slightly, the bulbous cranium whipping back and forth. Now it was time for systems diagnostics. Now was not the time for dwelling on what awaited him in his quarters.:: ::A grumbling sigh emerged from his lips as he reexamined the task before him. The holographic systems were suddenly clamoring for more maintenance than usual. In particular, Holodeck 1 had not seen a rest for hours. This wasn’t unusual- holodeck time was a highly prized, highly valuable commodity, especially during a journey of this length. Indeed, oftentimes they received no downtime for days at a stretch. Generally, there was no trouble, but this time around, the strain on the machine was more visible, as was the toll it took on the circuits and relays. Ferentis had been at a loss until he was informed that what seemed like the entire senior staff was in that single holodeck, playing games. “Team building”, the crewman had called it. Team building. Why did they have to use a holodeck to build a team? For that matter, why did they all have to share the same one? One or two or three or four or twenty people in a single simulation could usually be handled without difficulty, so long as they all stayed in one another’s general proximity, and didn’t push the limits of the holodeck’s capabilities. But if the entire senior staff had gone inside, and if the program was detailed enough, and if they’d split up, that might very well stretch the capabilities of the computer. Once he’d heard that information, it made sense. A millisecond after, he realized what it would take to keep the whole confounded thing going perpetually.:: ::Though he was mildly displeased, the real irritation came in the realization that he’d likely have to wait many hours before he could open the letter.:: ::He’d been putting it off for days, letting the icon on the monitor blink its mournful announcement without cessation. He didn’t want to see who it was from, nor read it. In fact, he was utterly convinced that things would have been better were he to have not received it. Much thought had gone into deleting it, and foregoing its examination entirely. But something stopped him. He was caught in limbo.:: ::The icon blinked on…:: ::He was sleeping, his great thick tail wrapped around his body like a cat’s, when the dream came. There was too much to follow- it wasn’t sensible. Ferentis tried to keep up, and had some limited success. If someone had asked him to recount it, he would have been utterly unable to. All he knew is that when he finally awoke to the alarm overhead, he had an overpowering desire to read the letter. It was the kind of gnashing, hungering desire that one was only blessed with on the rarest of occasions, the type that stuck with you until you performed whatever deed the urge demanded. He got to his feet- a remarkable process, to be sure- and was nearly to the console when he realized just how astonishingly late for his duty shift he was. Normally, he’d leap to action, and bolt out the door as soon as he slipped on his regulation duty smock- well, normally, he wouldn’t be late at all; Ferentis just wasn’t that sort of Pakhwa-thanh. And yet, now he stopped, glancing toward his closet and the console that housed the letter. Closet. Console. Closet. Growling low and dangerous-like, he stomped toward his clothes and draped a uniform over his green, semi-awake carcass.:: Ferentis: Later. ::With that he’d left, moving quickly, and preparing the words he’d use to plead his case to the commander of his watch. But the letter never quite left his mind for the whole day.:: ((Timeskip, several agonizing, button-filled hours later, in his quarters)) ::And now he crouched in front of the console that had been haunting his dreams.:: ::Blink.:: ::Blink.:: ::Blink.:: ::In one fluid motion, he pressed the control that would open the letter.:: ::When he soaked in enough courage to open his eyes, he took in as much information as he could.:: ::Dots.:: ::The screen was filled with dots.:: ::Hundreds- no, thousands- no, tens of thousands, littered the screen, in no pattern whatsoever. Ferentis scrolled up and down the document, looking for something further. Nothing.:: ::Was it a code? A symbol? Had the transmission been corrupted? With haste, he checked the address.:: ::”To Thordic Sende Ulthex Ferentis”. Yup, that was him. “From”...:: ::He squinted.:: ::”From the Eyeless”.:: Ferentis: Well, that’s just maddeningly unhelpful. ::On the one hand, his desire to read the message had been relieved. Further, he was glad that it didn’t contain news from old acquaintances- or any news, for that matter, especially any that came from Dupwa-thuv, his homeworld. But the fact that it contained nothing...at all, really, deeply disappointed him. For the next three hours, he ran every sort of analysis he could think of on the array of screen pimples. It was three hours wasted. In frustration, he finally gave a groan, and then a sorry little whimper, and resolved to turn in early. As his tail wrapped around him again, he couldn’t help but notice the symmetry. He’d gone to bed dreaming of the letter. Now he’d go to sleep dreaming of how to read the letter. His heavy eyelids shut, and he was again cast into the ether of unconsciousness… TBC… PNPC Ensign Ferentis Engineer USS Blackwell NCC 58999 =======As simmed by======= Lieutenant Commander Randal Shayne Helmsman/Ops Officer/Second Officer USS Blackwell NCC 58999 G239202RS0

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

(( Prior to Briefing, Just after Check In, USS Blackwell, Deck 12)) ((OOC- Started working on this a while ago, thought I'd finish it up and shine a light on Lae a bit. )) :: It had only been a short while since Lae had checked in aboard her newest assignment. She had spoken with the commandant of the task force to start, getting some pretty simple orders for the time being. Most everyone else were all trying to check in with medical, or psych, or whomever they needed in order to get their particular show on the road. Lae had decided to take a small tour instead. She'd be doing things a bit backwards, wanting to get to her quarters and get her things moved in from the cargo area. She moved off of the deck 12 turbolift right near the Shuttle Flight Control room. She smirked a bit remembering her first commission... The commandeering of the shuttle that took her from academy to Starbase 11, and the pilot who almost soiled himself...:: (( Flashback three years prior, Shuttle Tyderion, Perimeter of Starbase 11)) :: She'd been enroute to her first posting for some time, but finally the shuttle pilot looked over to her. :: Pilot: We'll be arriving shortly ma'am. Mandak: Perfect... It's been a while since we left... Is that... :: She smiled as she leaned forward through the [...]pit area. She found herself instinctively sitting down in the second seat next to the pilot, watching in awe as the Starbase came into view. It wasn't the base that caught her attention though... It was the Constitution, and her massive glory. All 42 decks were calling her name. She felt a rush of energy all at once, knowing that she needed to be on that ship; that her life was about to begin. :: Mandak: We going to the Constitution I hope? Pilot: Well I'd orders to set down on the Starbase ma'am... :: She pulled up the comm stack before letting him talk further. :: Mandak: USS Constitution, this is Shuttle Tyderion, requesting to land... :: she mouthed the words sorry to the shuttle pilot...:: Conny: Tyderion, cleared to bay Two High. Slow approach pattern advised. Mandak: May I? :: looking to the pilot, who was still figuring what to do...:: Pilot: I mean, you basically already are so... :: He sort of put his hands up in desperation, signaling his transfer of control to her. :: :: She Rubbed her hands together, and got her bearings about the control panel. oO You could just be appropriate, just this once... NAH...Oo. Lae wasn't a hotshot by any means, but there was the random occasion where she'd run outside the lines a bit. This was one of those occasions. She took control, and moved the speed indicator up a bit. :: Pilot: I'm pretty sure they advised low speed approach ma'am... Mandak: They did? Hmm... :: They were making their way pretty quickly to the suggested bay, and noted that the door was opening. She moved the speed up even higher, moving quicker and quicker towards the bay. her eyes widened a bit as she waited for the right moment. The proximity alarm began to go off, sending the pilot into a panic. :: Pilot: Ma'am, give ME CONTROL! NOW! Mandak: Live a little will you? :: She punched in a 180 maneuver, turning the shuttle about face as they continued to move backwards at a ridiculous speed for landing. The rear of the shuttle breached the force field, and she threw on the rear maneuvering thrusters, just long enough to stop the shuttle, having her land ever so gingerly on the deck. She looked at the console with a satisfied look, then having forgot about him for a second, over to the pilot, who showed a face made for radio... :: Pilot: Get out... Mandak: Alright, alright... Sorry... :: The rear hatch opened, and she began to step out. :: Pilot: You forgot something... :: he launched her bag out the rear door onto the floor at her feet. :: Mandak: I said Sorry! :: The door closed as the words came out. This was why she typically chose the more reserved moments in life. :: ((End Flashback 1, Back to Deck 12, USS Blackwell, Quarters Mandak)) :: Before she knew it, she'd managed to wander to where the senior officer's quarters began in that section of the deck. She knew the layout of this deck in particular, as she wanted to be able to offload her gear in good time to make for the first briefing. She found the sliding doors to her room, and punched in her access code. That familiar woosh rang out, and she took a few steps into her new abode. For now, things seemed pretty basic. She wasn't much of an accessorizer, so the chances of it remaining basic were pretty good. Just after she'd arrived, the chime rang on the door. Certainly it would be logistics with her things. :: Mandak: Come :: The door opened once again, and in stepped a rather tall yellow clad logistics officer, with a hovercart of belongings. :: Logs Officer: Ma'am... I have in total three bags, and a personal computer. Mandak: Sounds about right. What about the safe... Logs: Safe ma'am? Mandak: You know... the one with all my credits and latinum in it... :: She shot him a serious look now, with her hands on her hips. :: :: The man seemed to squirm for a moment, clearly not seeing the ruse and thinking he'd messed up. :: Mandak: Sorry, just messing with you. Do I need to sign something? :: The man stayed quiet, and handed her the PADD she was holding. She punched in her signature in receipt of her gear, and gave it back to High Tower. He gave her a low smirk, and went to turn. :: Logs: Anything else ma'am? Mandak: That's all for now... Let me know if you find it... :: With that, he turned and left, chuckling to himself. She moved now to her things, plopping the computer on the bed. She'd a lot on her mind as of late, some of which she'd be able to explore on that computer. With Johan's disappearance some time ago, she'd been combing through local news and other personal sources for any leads on his whereabouts. He had always been the reason to keep on pushing. Always was the reason to keep on fighting, through whatever life had to throw at her. But with him gone now, it made things seem so... heavy. She opened the computer, and pulled up the HUD, punching in her command code. She opened her skimmer app, which could be programmed to scan news sources, much like a ticker, built to custom parameters. Nothing popped out at her... She sighed and laid back on the bed, undoing her top, and letting her hair fall. There wasn't much time till briefing, but she was beginning to doze a bit. ((Dreaming, SS Diligent, Area of Rekar III Trade Space, Some time ago )) Johan: Alright my dear... Take your place. It's nearly time. :: The smell of smoke was thick on the deck of the bridge. The operational room was full of cigar smoke. She never understood the terran man in that sense. Of all the things Na'lae knew of the human race, and in particular this human, she never understood the purpose of a cigar. Johan insisted it was to christen the new ship. Lae didn't necessarily think that her vessel needed to be filled with smoke as a send off. Nonetheless, she thought it was quirky. oO That's dad...Oo. She moved about the cabin, touching all the surfaces and controls as Johan moved around as well, smoking his awful treat. :: Mandak: These things are just as I drew them... Johan: I made it a point to use your drawings in the design plans. Had to make sure this ship was special. Mandak: Well you didn't have to. :: She smiled lightly.:: :: Lae had drawn starships for as long she could remember, using them in stories that would take her imagination to the Sol system and back. She never thougth she would be walking in and touching an embodiment of her mind. :: Johan: You know things are different now. No more being told what to do, when to do it. You've grown. I think it's time you were afforded the opportunity to move forward on your journey. Mandak: You know, for once I think I might be able to do that. :: She moved towards the helm, getting ready for pre-departure procedures, when another man came and motioned to the seat she was about to take. :: Excuse me... Johan: Lae... Your chair is here. :: he pointed to the center chair that was hoisted from the ceiling on a control arm, a bucket type seat with systems panels at the sides, almost like a small pod of sorts. The Captain's seat... oO Why's he pointing at that... Oo. Mandak: I don't get it... Johan: Don't you? I didn't just want to build a ship that was inspired by you. I wanted to build a ship that was commanded by you Lae... It's time. Na'Lae Mandak... Take the seat of your first command. And for gods' sake, let that man take his station... :: Lae was... in shock. Not quite sure what to say, she turned to see the helmsman smiling at her, as were a few of the other crew members. She stumbled to the side awkwardly, letting the man take his post. She moved towards Johan, and touched the arm of the chair. She sat inside the control station, and the control panels came to life. Systems subschecks were being performed, and she could see the progress reports being filed by the deck bosses one at a time through the holographic heads up display. She moved her hands in the air in front of the screens, watching them arrange to her liking. She rotated the control arm on the chair, moving her about the radii of the center of the room. She could see all stations, all angles. Centering back now towards the main helm, the computer prompted her on the screen "ma'am... where shall I plot a course?" :: Johan: This ship knows you, Lae. Knows your make up. It is you... Biometrics that are tuned to you, and can learn from the routines you perform. This is quite your ship now. :: Her thoughts were racing, not knowing how or why, or what next. :: (( End flashback )) :: She stood now, snapping back to reality, with the looming feeling of running late. There had been the trailing of a commbadge notification, no doubt the Captain wanting his seniors to assemble. She got herself together, putting her long hair back up, and redressing. She needed to find Johan... Some way... Some how. She just had to. :: TBC -- Ensign Na'Lae Mandak Helm Officer USS Blackwell Andaris Task Force O238901VL0

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

((Holodeck 1, Oakenfort Program, USS Blackwell)) Thoran: Excellent idea. Perhaps you would like to volunteer making a copy of the map for the Whitehammers. Avarin: ::Nodding:: I will. ::She found the individual holding the map and took a long moment to study its contents. The task was not a difficult one and once she had the information, she walked about the square, finally settling on an elderly gentleman dressed in long flowing robes noting as she did so, the ink-stained, gnarled fingers just visible at the end of his voluminous sleeves.:: Avarin: o0The attire is illogical given what I surmise to be his profession but then again, I suspect that this simulation was not intended to be historically accurate.0o ::She approached, her footfalls whisper-quiet though that was more due to years of training rather than any abilities assigned by presentation of a card, and came to stand beside the gentleman. His blue eyes were faded, his nose showing signs of badly set break, and his beard hung to the middle of his thin chest. She could see, now that she was closer, crumbs clinging to its knotted, greying length.:: Avarin: Excuse me, Sir. I am in need of paper and writing implements. Scribe: ::Squinting up at her:: Eh? I've only one length of vellum left and not likely to be giving it to you, I have to say. Avarin: ::[...]ing her head slightly to one side:: o0Vellum. Animal skin and as such, unacceptable were this an actual away mission. This is the holodeck and no lifeform would be harmed to assuage any concerns the team might have about my ability to recall accurately.0o Perhaps you might have a few scraps available? I would not need much to complete my task. Scribe: ::Stroking his beard causing crumbs to spinkle down across his sandaled feet:: I might ... thought I'll not be just giving it away. Avarin: It can be reused. When our task is finished, I will return the scrap to you. Scribe: And why should I trust ::looking her up and down:: the likes of you? Avarin: ::Arching one eyebrow:: Why wouldn't you? We are here at the request of your mayor for the benefit of your town. Surely one scrap of vellum of little worth to you as it is, is a small price to pay. Scribe: ::Nodding sourly:: Aye, I agree. One scrap ::wagging one finger, ink-stained with dirt crusted under a long nail:: but no more! Avarin: Ink and a quill will also be needed. :: Scowling, the Scribe walked away, muttering under his breath, and motioned for her to follow. Together, they entered his home where the Scribe lifted scrolls and boxes, finally finding a scrap of vellum of suitable size. Avarin sat at his desk, an act which caused the man to start muttering again, and drew the map from memory. It was a task suited to her training though not within the skill set outlined on the card she had been given. The Scribe hovered over her shoulder, watching her work, and nodding in mute appreciation.:: Avarin: o0I can be only who I am.0o ::Rising:: Thank you, Sir. I will return this scrap when our task is complete. Scribe: ::Waving her off:: That were good work. No need to return it. Avarin: ::[...]ing her head to one side:: o0Illogical. It will disappear when the simulation ends. :: With that done, she returned to the group and wordlessly handed the map over to the Commander.:: ~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~ Ensign Avarin Engineering Officer I Whitehammers USS Blackwell My Writer ID: A239411ZC0

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

I'm going to quickly pop my head over the parapet, throw some words out, before beating a hasty retreat. I enjoyed the show, especially some of the more darker aspects. I will admit that i've not seen a whole lot of Star Trek (half a dozen ToS episodes and a few of the movies, everything TNG, parts of Voyager and all of DS9). Did it feel like Star Trek to me, in places no. But most TV shows take a little time to find their footing, I mean we've still got another six episodes left of the season so who knows where they will take it.

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

@Randal Shayne I do love a Ferentis sim! Especially one as well crafted as this! ---------------------- ((Corridor on Deck 6, USS Blackwell)) ::The shimmering colors played against his eyes. Robust bronze, golden ochre, electric blues and every shade in between rebounded within the cramped confines of his working area. His eyesight was not quite up to par with most of the other members of the ship, but in such a feast for the cones as this, his visual inadequacy was hardly relevant. It was merely the reflective nature of the metals and their interaction with the light emitted by the transparent plasma conduit above him, but the rustic beauty it provided was undeniable. The tight EPS access, already a squeeze for most humanoids, proved positively stifling to his considerable bulk. Yet he toiled away regardless.:: ::He loved Gamma Shift.:: ::Ferentis knew how the majority of his fellow Gamma Shifters saw their assignment; as punishment. To any sane, social creature, what else could being relegated to the graveyard shift represent? For many, there was a certain, restrained resentment. Ferentis did not join them in this respect.:: ::Where his comrades complained of their isolation, he reveled in it. Being able to move without running aground on some poor ensign’s face was a tremendous relief. Even he, a Pahkwa’thanh- a race famed for their stringent and ubiquitous codes of etiquette- had begun to grow tired of the word “sorry”. You would too if you had to repeat it forty times a day for crashing into people. He fancied himself as graceful, and blamed these collisions on his natural physical bulk. Maybe he needed to consider the option that he was a genuine clutz.:: ::But not now. Now, he would bask in the lack of interaction, and fix things. In this case, an EPS manifold cut-off.:: ::As his massive talons nimbly provided the dexterity required for such a fragile job, his eyes drifted to a particularly vibrant blue hue out of the corner of his eye. Flecks of green appeared as he focused on it, and his mind immediately took him to the one place he was denied.:: ::Home.:: ::Flashes of forested swaths of contenant passed before his eyes. Great azure oceans and standing swamps pooling around tree trunks the size of warp nacelles. He missed the hot sun spilling against his thick hide, missed the hunt, longed for the stench of decaying plant life and fresh soil. He shut his eyes. Not only was that paradise hundreds of lightyears away, but inaccessible to him as a person. It had been months since the word had come in. Somehow, his family- for it could only have been his family- had maneuvered the Ministry to declare him persona non grata. His name, whatever title he may have inadvertently earned, any chance of returning...gone in single claw print.:: ::And why? Ferentis knew his family loathed him. They were a tiny minority on Pahkwa’thanh had always maintained an isolated viewpoint, and when he had first left their planet to explore, and to learn, he knew he was about as good as dead to virtually all of his immediate family, and probably beyond as well. He hadn’t always expected the relationship to be so...finalized. And now, the perpetual misfit- not welcome at home, not built for a starship, not young enough to start again- wondered what to look forward to.:: ::Even for him, a reserved, dignified individual, found that particular question too painful to dwell on. And so he dived back into his work. But after a few minutes of his brain refusing to clear itself of the loneliness, he realized he would need some additional help.:: Ferentis: Computer, recognize voice print. ::the computer bleeped its acknowledgement.:: Give me something good. ::The codeword was accepted, and he was instantly rewarded. A hard piano entry, accompanied by a bass and a resounding brass chorus gently echoed in his ears. Without meaning to, he began to hum along to the words.:: Computer: =/\= Father wears his Sunday best Mother’s tired, she needs a rest The kids are playing up downstairs Sister’s sighing in her sleep Brother’s got a date to keep, he can’t hang around… =/\= ::It was a harmless little program he’d designed to feed his ever-growing addiction to Earth music. His planet had little interest, and even less invention, when it came to music. Ferentis, ever an outsider, couldn’t imagine life without his tunes close at hand. At his command, the computer would lock onto his combadge and have the nearest ceiling speaker play something random from Earth’s past. Any sort of other communication, such as a ship wide message, would overrule the program- he wasn’t there to create problems. But, as the humans said, if he had it, flaunt it. He had the tech know-how to create what he wanted without massive ramifications. What was stopping him?:: ::The unusual nature of his hearing also helped him, allowing him to receive the full musical experience without cranking up the volume. Should anyone human stride up to him as he labored away at his little impromptu worksite, they’d find a dinosaur with his torso in a hole in the wall, jamming to a whisper.:: ::Suddenly he stopped as thoughts pooled into his mind, unbidden. His body froze, leathery skin and taught scales motionless. Images of the last shore leave, and his raktajino-fueled explosion of bad dancing assaulted him. In the moment he’d enjoyed it. In hindsight, the fact that an entire restaurant had seen him flailing about to music made him seriously consider the airlock. Though he was somewhat confident that no Starfleet personnel besides Anath G’Renn had seen him, even that was enough to make him blush hard. His control had been disrupted- a violation that would be difficult to forget.:: ::Now was not the best time for distractions, as was proven by the startling pain in his claw a moment later. A careless movement had left his now tender hand exposed to a breaker of some sort. He gave a quick, brutal roar, and sucked on the stinging, smoking digit hard.:: Crewman: =/\= Harper to Ensign Ferentis. =/\= ::Ferentis rolled his eyes, trying to keep himself under the most rigid control.:: Ferentis: =/\= Ferentis here. =/\= Crewman: =/\=Sir, I have a message here for you, marked personal. =/\= ::That stopped him. Slowly, he extracted his claw from his mouth. Who would send him a personal message? Certainly no one on Pahkwa’thanh. Nor was it likely to originate from someone he knew during his days on the rim. So who could possibly…:: ::Suddenly he realized the crewman was waiting on him.:: Ferentis: =/\= Thank you, Mr. Harper. Please send it to the terminal in my quarters. Ferentis out. =/\= ::The channel closed, and he found himself more preoccupied than ever. As the whirling thoughts and possibilities fought for ground inside his mind, he forced them down. The message could wait, as much as he craved to see who it was. Too often lately he had let his emotions guide him. He was disciplined individual. He would not yield to the cravings of curiosity when there was work to be done.:: ::And speaking of work, it looked like his little accident had disrupted power on Deck 7. He sighed, the music now a parody of his former decent mood. It would take some time to repair the faults.:: ((Some time later, another junction on Deck 7.)) ::His face was placid, but his mood was quickly dissolving. No one would ever know it, though. Years of control came in handy occasionally. He’d been working for hours, and finally, everything was beginning to approach tip-top shape. He flexed his thick neck, trying to relieve the kink that had found its way there as a result of odd angle he’d been holding it in. Once again, he was reminded of why so few of his people ever left their homeworld.:: Thoran: response. ::The voice startled him slightly, but even that minimal movement caused him to smash his head on the edge of the opening he now worked inside. A low groan escaped his lips before he moved to extricate himself.:: Ferentis: Yes, sir. I apologize for the difficulties- I’ve been working to correct them. I hope there have been no other problems? ::He was afraid that something like this would happen. His error was far from deadly- a minor blunder, at best. But he knew of this individual’s reputation for scrutiny, and excellence in his duties. He should have figured the security chief would have noticed.:: Thoran: response ::He caught the sight of his reflection in a shiny piece of bulkhead. His eyes were a little more red than usual. How long had he been going at this?:: Tag/TBC… PNPC Ensign Ferentis Engineer USS Blackwell NCC 58999 =======as simmed by======= Lieutenant Commander Randal Shayne Helmsman/Ops Officer/Second Officer USS Blackwell NCC 58999 G239202RS0

((Ilsam’s Quarters, USS Blackwell)) ::Looking around his quarters, he smiled softly. With his duties having calmed, he had at last been able to unpack. On a tall bookshelf near the sofa sat hard copies of his favorite collected literature works, a bin containing various PADDs, as well as a few unique artifacts he’d collected over the years. Most were reproductions, of course, with their original counterparts sitting in museums across the quadrant. But even the facsimiles offered a measure of connection to the histories behind them. His passion for art covered the walls of his quarters, a reproduction of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and many other classics, as well as a couple of his own paintings.:: ::On the desk in the far opposite corner with his monitor sat various images of his parents and his sister as well as one particularly good image of himself, Usatt, and Ilara. It had been taken on their first trip together. Until meeting his partners, he’d never been outside his home province. They’d travelled the world together, mostly for Usatt’s business conferences. Tai had often kept Ilara entertained with various museum visits, both sharing a passion for art and culture.:: ::A nostalgic smile touched his lips as he lifted the image and framed Ilara’s face gently with the edge of his thumb. She’d been so beautiful...so full of life. Even now, he could hear her laughter ringing out like bells as they danced under the clear, starry skies. The three had been seriously discussing conceiving a child when Usatt and Ilara had been killed. Tai had imagined a thousand times over the wife of his heart cradling the child in her arms after its birth, singing a soft melody in that perfect, lyrical voice of hers. His smile faded, replaced by an implacable longing to hold her in his arms again one last time, if only to tell her how much he loved her and how much she meant to him. How much she’d changed his life.:: ::Setting the image aside, he slid into the chair in front of his monitor, his gaze flickering to the image of himself and his sister, Prielle. His work had kept him rather busy, preventing him from contacting his sister for their daily communique. Given that he was on assignment, those calls were, unfortunately, likely to become fewer. He was uncertain how he’d cope with this drastic change in his life. Prielle had been a source of strength for him since he’d made the difficult choice to leave Bactrica and had kept him going when he’d wanted nothing more than to return home. He entered a series of commands into the panel, calling up the screen he was looking for.::

Welcome to the fleet and congratulations for passing! Looking forward to seeing you around

@KriJBa @Randal Shayne you guys, made me have feels