Haukea-Willow

@Alora DeVeau You cruel fantastic mistress have a way with emotion. This was a beautiful read. ❤️ ((Starbase 118 Ops - Hospital - Private Room)) There was no outward sign in his change of status, though the word had come two days prior. For a Cardassian, the uniform never changed. Officially, however, his status had. No longer was he simply a Dalin. It was Ambassador Lukin Zorkal now. With that change had come orders,and Lukin wasted no time in fulfilling them. There had been three Cardassians pulled from the wreckage of the USS Nimitz. All three had been brought to the hospital. The third name had been a shock. It wasthe last one he visited. Stepping into the room, the lights had been dimmed, much like the rooms where he had visited the other two of his ‘rescued’ people. There was enough to see so the nurses and doctors could do what they felt they needed to do, but it was not quite so harsh on the eyes, particularly Cardassian eyes. Upon the bed, a figure lay prone, wires connected in various places, the soft hush of noise from the machinery inset in the wall behind the bed. For a moment, Lukin hovered just inside the door, hands clenching and unclenching, his jaw joining in the tense choreography. Finally, he stepped forward, slowly. One foot. Then another. And another. The trek from door to bed seemed like an eon to traverse, but he came to the side and gazed down upon the figure. She had changed. Though he had expected that, to be face to face with such stark alterations set his gut aflame, and once more his jaw clenched, teeth grinding against one another. Her hair, once long and luxurious, a vanity that she had cared for with painstaking attention was gone. Her skin, once a normal, warm grey had dulled into a sickly hue. An eye had been removed along with her left arm and her right leg. She was half gone, gutted inside and out. Zorkal: Teje. From his lips, her name passed half whispered, a bare tremor hardly noticeable, an undercurrent to his tone. The one eye that remained snapped open. Distant and dim, it stared upward at the ceiling, then shifted slowly to focus upon the man that hovered over her. There was a blink. One. Two. Three. Her mouth parted, the voice that pushed through a shadow of its former self. The pleasant, melodic resonance had been replaced with a crackling pulse that stuttered haltingly from her lips. Teje: Lu - kin. He clasped her hand within his much larger one, and felt her fingers curl around his own, weak, yet with a sense of desperation in her touch. As her sight cleared, it shimmered even in the low luminescence. Her chest rose and fell, and she gasped in an attempt to say more, but he shushed her gently, freeing her from any responsibility to converse. . His free hand reached up, drawing along the ridge of her remaining eye, then traced a trail over the smooth head that had once been enshrouded with ebony tresses, now devoid of its veil. Zorkal: It is good to see you. There was no lie in his words, no attempt to be coy or diplomatic. The simple statement was blunt, sincere. What he regretted was not that he could see her, but that she was in such a state. On Cardassia, she would have never been allowed to linger in that way, a husk of a person, tortured by her continued existence. Her mouth worked open and closed, and finally flitted into a semblance of a smile. Nodding slightly, she managed to crackle out more words,every one punctuated with a painful breath. Teje: I’ve...missed...you. Zorkal: And I, you. More than the woman could fathom. He had long ago let her go, long ago given up on ever seeing her again. With the appearance of the Nimitz, he had one last opportunity. He had a chance to say farewell. Zorkal: You have a choice. But Lukin knew what she would choose. Very few, if any, Cardassians would ever make a different one. Relief flooded over the scarred and maimed face and her grip on him tightened with a sudden strength, welling up from a semblance of hope that she now had in her grasp. Zorkal: I will leave it with you. To make your decision. Teje: You...know...my….choice. Despite the energy that had coursed through her briefly at his revelation, every syllable wracked with effort, puffed with feverish agony. What suffering she endured was not simply physical in nature, and here he offered relief from it. Eternal respite. Zorkal: Then I leave you to that choice. He’d lost her so long ago, and yet he found his grip unwavering. Suddenly, he didn’t want to release her, didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to lose her once again now that she had been found. Except Teje was no longer Teje. She was a ghost, a wraith, and a shell of what she once was. Her soul was trapped in a mortal coil that had faded into an abomination, one that she could not and would not withstand. She would release her essence from the cage in which it was trapped, whether it was now or later only determined by what opportunities were presented for her. To force her to linger when she simply wanted to be free of her prison was cruel. Lukin would not allow her or any of his people to suffer any longer. He had to let her go. His hand slipped from hers, and her fingers furled around the tiny object that he had passed on. For one last moment he lingered, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss upon the gnarled forehead, his breath one last caress before he finally and completely pulled away. With one last, long look, one last whisper of a smile, one last fond gaze, Lukin turned. As he strode to the door, the panels parted, leaving the woman behind with one last token, one last thing he could do for her. Five minutes after his departure, the alarm in Teje’s room sounded, alerting the medical personnel of her dire condition. Yet, despite their efforts, no matter how hard they attempted to hold on to her, those attempts were fruitless. They had failed. But Teje was free. -- Dalin Lukin Zorkal Cardassian Ambassador Starbase 118 Ops alora@blar.net M239008AD0

To the tune of this song:

@Nalni You gave me some good content to research. ❤️

Love ❤️ the description of the drinks. 🏝️

@Alora DeVeau @Nalni Love the character development and emotion of the piece. Lovely to see a more vulnerable side of German ❤️ ((Docking Station, Denobula)) German and Naylin were getting their personal items after the Denobulan scientist had spoken with the planet's ambassador to the Federation. Apparently he was expected because right when the shuttle landed, several security officers, a doctor, and the ambassador were waiting for them. It wasn't much of a surprise given his situation and that the information about him was considered a flight risk given his actions during the last mission. What was different about the security officers to those who he served with was that they weren't armed. They all were cautious, but German was welcomed with open arms and smiles. The last time he was on Denobula was when he was an infant, but from the stories over his species, he had learned that Denobulans were always a positive and helpful bunch of people. German figured that was the case because that had been him before his sister had been abducted by the Borg. And even then, he still remained optimistic. Once he and his son left the shuttle, they followed the other Denobulans towards a fairly low level security facility. He wanted to remember exactly how everything played out so he grabbed his personal PADD out of his duffel bag and before he could type out any notes, he noticed that he had a notification from his mother. Aza stayed behind on Ops so she would still work on his projects, but it looked like she was giving him updates on how the crew were doing. He read that they had just celebrated the crew's accomplishments at a Halloween themed awards ceremony. Galven: Would it be possible if I could make a call to StarBase 118, please? I just got some exciting news. Denobulan Ambassador: As long as we're all in the room with you, I don't see a problem with it. Naylin: What's going on? Galven: The crew just had their awards ceremony. Remember Alora? Naylin: ::nods:: Yeah, the nice lady who came to visit you before we left. Why? Galven: Well, she and another officer I've served with for a while had just been made department heads. ::grins:: I need to call them to wish them congratulations. Denobulan Ambassador: Only one call. We have a lot of work to do. We've made an itinerary for you, Dr. Galven. German nodded and turned away to decide if he wanted to make a video call or just a simple email. A video call would be better suited because he missed seeing their faces even though he had been gone for a few days now. As he pushed the command, he waited in anticipation and excitement while the call was being placed. Naylin walked over beside German and smirked, knowing how much enthusiasm was radiating off of his father. He didn't even have to channel his Betazoid hybridity to know that. DeVeau: =/\=Alora here.=/\= As soon as she saw the face, however, Alora’s own immediately brightened. DeVeau: =/\=German!=/\= Seeing Alora again after all that he had been though and not knowing what the crew were up to caused his own features to glow just as bright as Alora's. Galven: =/\= Hey. =/\= DeVeau: =/\=Hey! How are you? Oh man, I’ve missed you! It’s not the same without you here!=/\= Galven: =/\= I've missed you too, Alora. ::smiles softly:: Naylin and I just landed. =/\= Really? Had it taken that long to get to Denobula? Had German gone elsewhere first? Weeks had passed - what had he been doing? Well, Alora decided not to ask. If he wanted to tell her, he would. She’d just give him an open door to do so. DeVeau: =/\=Everything go all right getting there? =/\= Galven: =/\= The ride was pretty uneventful, but that's not why I wanted to call you. =/\= A single eyebrow arched upward and Alora laced her fingers together, then rested her chin upon her hands. DeVeau: =/\=Oh?=/\= Galven: =/\= I see that you got the vacant chief of science position. Congratulations, Alora. You certainly deserved it. ::dons his signature Denobulan wide smile:: =/\= DeVeau: =/\=Thanks German. =/\= Alora’s own smile was not quite so wide - it was tinted with some sadness. Oh yes, she’d gotten her dream position, but only because German was gone. If she could have made things turn out differently, she would have. DeVeau: =/\=I appreciate it.=/\= ::She paused a moment. =/\=You doing okay? I mean...really, are you doing okay?=/\= That was the ultimate question of the century. German already had a lot to think about on the ride to Denobula. That's what he liked about Alora however. She was always one to ask him how he was like a big sister would. Galven: =/\= I'm alive. ::chuckles:: Does that count? =/\= DeVeau: =/\= Partially. I mean, that’s definitely a /good/ thing. But are you more than alive? Are you well? =/\= Galven: =/\= I'm in safe hands and ::feels someone's hand on his arm, turning to see Naylin:: Someone else would like to say hello. =/\= DeVeau: =/\= Oh? =/\= Naylin: =/\= Hi Miss Alora ::waves:: =/\= Alora’s smile grew again at the sight of the young man. DeVeau: =/\= Hey Naylin! How are you hon? Doing okay? Keeping an eye on your dad? =/\= Naylin: =/\= Oh don't you worry, Miss Alora. I'll keep an eye on him for sure. ::smirks:: =/\= German noticed that the officials in the room were looking back at him as if their patience was wearing thin. He nodded and gave them an open palm, spreading his fingers out asking for at least a few more minutes. After a moment, they reluctantly agreed. Galven: =/\= You two are too much. ::laughs:: So I don't have much time, but I have something else to tell you. =/\= DeVeau: What’s that? Galven: =/\= Well, before I left, Lieutenant Munger came up to me and said there's somewhat of an issue with my brain patterns. Specifically the pituitary gland. =/\= An issue with his brain patterns? His pituitary gland? That didn’t sound good at all, and despite the lighthearted way German was opening that part of the conversation with, she expected the news he was about to deliver wasn’t good. The other Denobulans in the room walked over towards him to hear what he was about to say. Andrea only told him about the situation and didn't put it in her report. Which meant that they'd be hearing it for the first time as well. Galven: Apparently in the short time that I had been assimilated in the shuttle at the end of the mission affected the way my body ages. The theory is that until it's corrected, every day will be a year if that makes sense? DeVeau: Unfortunately, it does. Alora had her own issues with aging. Hers was caused by a different thing, and her aging wasn’t so restricted when she had an attack. In one spell, she could lose years. In fact, in only a few months, she’d lost several years. If left untreated, she’d be dead within a few days. For German, his condition was only slightly less intense - but with him, he didn’t have any treatment at all. DeVeau: They can put you in cryostasis. That would prevent aging until they find a way to stabilize you. Why hadn’t they done so already? It seemed like it would be such an obvious way to prevent the aging. Galven: ::grimaces:: =/\= I'd rather not partake in such primitive practices. I'm on a top level scientific research planetoid institution now. We'll be exploring every possible avenue. =/\= DeVeau: =/\= Such primitive practises? It could help preserve your life. =/\= German heard someone clear their throat behind him which made him realize that his call was past due. He needed to get started with his recovery. Galven: =/\= I know, but what may seem obvious to you doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best solution. Would you do a favor for me, please? =/\= DeVeau: =/\= Of course, if I can. =/\= Galven: =/\= Don't tell the crew about my condition. Give them my best and let them know I said congratulations and I miss them. =/\= Alora nodded. It wasn’t her place to tell, and if he didn’t want that information passed along, she certainly wouldn’t. That was private. When he was ready, he’d let them know. She had only let a select few know about her own DeVeau: =/\= I shan’t. Though...do you want me to tell the Captain? I know he’s worried about you. =/\= Galven: ::nods:: =/\= That's fine. He'd find out sooner or later. =/\= DeVeau: All right then. You have my word. Galven: =/\= Thanks Alora. ::smiles:: Listen, I have to go now, but I'll let you know of any progress. =/\= DeVeau: =/\= Please do. Please stay in touch. There are a lot of people over here who care about you, you know. =/\= Alora let her voice go a little softer. DeVeau: =/\= Romyana seemed particularly upset. Make sure you call her, okay? =/\= Romyana? He hadn't talked or even seen her since during the beginning of the mission. German started to remember how he was starting to grow fond of her so it was quite possible that she might've had a connection with him. Galven: =/\= I'll make a note of it. Thank you. =/\= DeVeau: =/\= Take care German. Call when you can. =/\= Galven: =/\= Of course, Alora. And congratulations again. =/\= With that, the screen went dark. Alora sighed softly. She really hoped they would be able to help him on Denobula, both mentally and physically. She didn’t envy him his condition, and knew full well the feeling that kind of news brought. Hopefully, his had an easier solution than her own. ---- Lieutenant German Galven Science Officer StarBase 118 - USS Narendra V239507GG0 & Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau Chief Science Officer Starbase 118 Ops M239008AD0

Love how advancing one characters personal plot can in turn assist another player with a character of their own. <3.

@Ashley Yael I thoroughly enjoyed writing this scene with you and can't wait to continue the character development. The ending of this sim was perfect giving the two characters room for further development and exploration. _ _ _ ((Starbase 118 Ops - Medical Bay)) There was a haze. People speaking, but just beyond his hearing. It was difficult to make sense of it, though his sleeping mind tried. It felt as if only a few moments passed, but some time actually had. A couple hours for the surgery he slept through. Then, a short while in recovery. He thought he heard voices, familiar but impossible ones. One deep and stern voice threatened to drown out the more pleasant ones. A Denobulan voice much like his own, but without the good humor or veneer of civility. It took him some time to come out of the medicated fog, but he was glad when he did, as he realized the voices were far away and a product of his subconscious, or of stress. He felt so heavy. Had to take a few deep breaths with purpose to help him realize he was genuinely awake. Eyes opened, but just barely. Doctor Bailey. The last he recalled seeing her was only a short while ago, though it felt a long way away. Her golden blond hair had been spilling over her shoulders as his vision narrowed, and she’d seemed quite angelic in that moment when she’d come to save him. Bailey: Hey, welcome back sleepy head. ::now she was starting to talk like she did to her two sisters as a way to comfort them:: Everything was good. Successful. You’re on some pain medication but I suspect you might not need them for much longer. Yael: ::heavily:: … Bailey… can I... ::he paused, trying to collect his senses:: I can breathe... I can talk? Sudden concern he might undo her good work, but she put him at ease with her words and glowing bedside manner. Bailey: Yes you may talk, just be careful. We are keeping you here under observation for at least 24 hours. Yael: ::coming through the fog somewhat:: Everything’s ok then? Bailey: ::air whizzed out of her lungs:: You need to be careful. Had me scared to death. I was in pain too. I couldn’t stop imagining walking away…. ::Sharp intake of breath:: Walking away? He wasn’t sure how to process that. Was it because she couldn’t stay due to the gravity? Had she put herself at risk to help perform his surgery? He tried to look at her more closely but he was just not clear headed enough. He tried to smile, though it was small. Yael: I’m glad you stayed. Where would I be without you? He hoped it would come out encouraging, but he didn’t have much energy to put behind it. Bailey: I’m sorry. I should leave you to rest. Yael: I’ll try not to scare you again. In fact, this is the last I want of my bones going array. Far too bothersome... He was going to say how tired and heavy he felt, but he ended up thinking it instead as he let out a heavy breath. He let his eyes slip shut and his breathing to steady. Recuperative sleep sounded so very nice right about now. But he knew even as he slipped into blissful rest that he would need to seek Bailey out again, if for no other reason than to thank her for descending out of the air and saving him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ensign Ashley Yael Counselor Starbase 118 Ops C238211TZ0

@Alora DeVeau and @Nalni Thank you so much for the kind words. ❤️

You're too kind @Alora DeVeau ❤️🤗

"When your head says one thing and your whole life says another, your head always loses."

@Alora DeVeau This bit of description was a great way to describe emotions. I completely connected to this metaphor. 🌈

Glad you liked it @Alora DeVeau

@Alora DeVeau I know I've already said it but your too kind. Your appreciation means a lot ❤️

@Romyana Casparian Congratulations on your award. I am truly inspired by your enthusiasm each and every day. You make a great engineer who is not only focused on fixing a ship but in all sorts of other fun projects that could be had. Congratulations once again. ❤️

@Sal Taybrim I can't thank you enough for the wonderfully warm welcome you gave me during my transition onto Ops. It was a difficult situation but you not only handled it like the wonderful Captain you are but like a friend. I have felt so much at home on Ops and I feel part of that is down to you. Your not intimidating to talk to like a Captain might if they only focused on being a diplomat. You strike a beautifully perfect balance between all the role you have to preform. Congratulations!

I didn't think I would get anything beyond my 1 year award today. Thank you to every who has worked hard to support others. Every little action has a ripple effect. Congratulations!

"Celebrate good times come on!" Congratulations everyone!

@Sal Taybrim Even though I'm in this scene as well I really want to commended Sal for the way in which they wrote the atmosphere and emotions of this scene from their characters point of view. I could more than 100% feel how sweet and caring Sal was being towards Sheila. In the end the sim gave me fuzzy warm feels. I also love how they changed there signature to best fit the context of this scene. ((CO’s Office – The Hub – StarBase 118)) Now, back at StarBase 118, Sal felt he could relax more. Reconnect with friends and crewmates, and, unfortunately, get some paperwork done. That was, perhaps, his only dislike of command was the endless stream of official reports. Even with staff to help him with the mundane part of the reports, there were always the classified bits and the things he needed to sign off on. Which meant that Sal was always happy to have a distraction while he was working on after-mission reports. Fortunately he had a scheduled meeting so he tucked the paperwork away in his desk and leaned back to enjoy a moment of quiet contemplation. It was calm in the CO’s office this late morning. Behind Sal was a large bank of windows affording a wonderful view of the traffic coming in and out of StarBase 118. He had the lights set to a soft golden glow, giving a warm feeling to the room. Moby was nestled all warm and snug in his terrarium, cooing softly that his master was back home. The air smelled of Rigellian orange cider, overlaid with the slightly spicy, floral scent of long pepper. He looked up as the chime rang, feeling the emotional presence of Doctor Bailey before he called out. Taybrim: Please come in. Bailey: ::entering the office:: I’m sorry to be so forward. I want to thank you for meeting with me. Mind if I sit? He smiled gently at her, in a welcoming manner, moving out from behind his desk to join her in a sitting area with a variety of comfortable chairs, some higher, some lower, some with arms and some without arms, gesturing for her to choose the one she liked. Taybrim: Please do Once she was seated he took a seat that was close by, but not directly next to her, pulling it forward to be able to converse comfortably. Taybrim: Please, tell me what is on your mind, Doctor? His voice was warm, open, calm. Not pushing. He watched her gently. Empathy told him that she had heavy thoughts in her heart. No, he couldn’t safely read her thoughts and wouldn’t do so even if he could. But with the damage to his telepathy he navigated the loss of that sense with the compensation of his Empathy. It was his guiding star in almost every interaction he had with anyone. Bailey: I wanted to let you know of some personal details that could affect my work. So far it hasn’t but in this most recent mission I felt like it could have. Sal nodded gently. He did not judge crew who had such trauma in their past, and he was honestly very proud of her for addressing it before it became an issue. That showed self-awareness and maturity, two things he valued in up and coming crew. Not to mention that almost every person had some sort of ghosts they were dealing with. Including himself. Having such ghosts was never a problem, but how one dealt with them spoke volumes about the person as well as how they would progress from those ghosts. Taybrim: I know ghosts of the past are a difficult subject to discuss, but my ears are open for you. Bailey: I would like to mention this to my friend not my CO if that’s okay? He nodded to her in assent. He could separate himself from Sal the commanding officer and Sal the person. He was, in both roles, Sal the counselor. But that had always benefitted him – not the idea that he was trying to shrink heads, but the idea that he had learned how to listen to people. To ask good questions that prompted them to talk more. A good counselor was never in the pilot’s seat. Always the co-pilot. The person speaking was the driver and the only one who could make true, lasting changes within themselves. Taybrim: I promise you that this is friend to friend. ::he reached up to his collar and removed his pips, setting them on the table, before he looked back at her.:: Off the record. Bailey: Thank you. My Uncle, Marc Clarence, was not a nice guy. Not nice to me. He spent his life physically and mentally abusing me and my sisters. During this mission I was reminded of those instances while fighting Klingons and treating Commander Galven. Reminded me of how I had failed. Sal nodded gently, leaning forward to rest his chin on his hand, full attention afforded to the Elaysian. Taybrim: Why do you feel that you failed in the past? The question was open, not accusatory. But gently pushing her to consider how she saw herself. And that was the one thing Sal immediately picked up on. The feelings of shame and blame. He could understand why someone would feel that they failed in an instance like this, but part of his role as a counselor and as a friend was to help people adjust how they saw their role in such things. To reassign blame to those who deserved it and forgive themselves for past actions, eventually erasing that mark of failure from their mind. Bailey: ? Taybrim: Did anyone speak negatively of you beyond your uncle? He wanted to know if she was told by someone else that she had failed, or if this was something implanted by Marc Clarence’s actions. Bailey: ? He shook his head slowly, reassuringly. Taybrim: No, I do not need details of what happened, unless you would find it cathartic to speak of them. I believe you when you state that he was abusive and I understanding how manipulative a relationship like that can be, and it’s entirely valid to feel like a failure after that. ::He paused and caught her gaze:: However feeling like a failure does not make you a failure. Bailey: ? Taybrim: ::Gently:: And why would you say that? Bailey: ? ~*~ tags/tbc ~*~ Sal Taybrim Sometimes just your friend and counselor StarBase 118 Ops

Sheila Bailey coming down the red carpet with her crutches. She want's to compliment everyone on how they look.

OOC- Maybe not my best work but I wrote this a week or two ago and felt it was time to post it without much looking over, mostly before I forgot, lol. Enjoy. Sheila Bailey had come back to a place of rest after a stressful day treating patients. It hadn’t been her worst day ever but not her best either. She was running on empty by the end of it, her muscles aching. The best cure would have been to rest in the optional low gravity her living quarters provided, however she didn’t seem to have the energy once flopped onto the couch. Instead she had ended up scrolling through the files on her personal data PADD. The scrolling was lazy, without meaning until a small piece of information from her medical file came into view. Sheila had kept copies of her medical file for personal reasons but hardly ever looked at them. This time however it brought her back. The memory as a whole was fragmented. The tropical palms, pink flowers on Elaysia wet with rain. The outside temperature was warm despite the rain. It was a time of year when most of the general population stayed inside due to the heavy rains and humid temperature. However her two sisters had run out of the house. Sheila didn’t remember much else of the event. Maybe that was a good thing. However she remembered the smashed plates and bowls in the family home, done by her uncle. Her sisters had run off in order to get away. In the end so had she. Being out in the rain was not an enjoyable experience. On Elaysia she had been able to run. Each step carrying her several feet. It was freeing yet her vision was and subsequently her memory clouded in red and grey. After running off the only thing she remembered was sitting in the back of some vehicle, a harsh itchy wool blanket wrapped around her. The older woman shook her head, clearing it of the memory. She had broken free of her Uncle’s grasp. No use dwelling in the past. Or was there? Bailey spoke, or at least she thought it was her own voice, into the empty room to no one but herself. “I forgive you.” The statement held no emotion, not at first anyway. After a few minutes she realized it was her voice but it sounded older, wiser. Beep. A chime alerts her to her PADD. A voice recording, however it’s dated from several years in the future. She wasn’t sure how such things could be possible but shrugged it off pressing play anyway. A voice starts speaking. It’s a middle toned voice, with what sounds like years of life as well as wisdom coming from it’s user. “Hello Bird. It might seem strange that this recording is from the future but I’m glad you are listening to it. Yes you, the same you speaking is the same one listening, just from different points in time but hear me out. I know how much you’ve struggled with your past. How much you will continue to struggle. Yes you. I will forgive him one day. Forgive yourself. Forgive myself. Don’t ever give up. Never. It’s as simple as that really. The greatest lesson I ever learned was that he didn’t define me. That I could think for myself. You Bird are smart, kind, a healer, friend, and family to many. The best advice I was ever given was actually given to me by me. No woman should suffer at the hands of men. Ta-er al-Safar Bird.” With that the recording ended leaving Bailey to sit in silence.

@German Galven This sim was really well done. It was sad but also really sweet. It shows the domestic side of star fleet life so well. I also want to congratulate you for implying at a challenging topic and giving it a bit more awareness. ((OOC- Wanted to do a small follow up after the JP with Sevo)) ((Science Department Holodeck Facility #1, Deck 547, Starbase 118)) German had stayed in the holodeck long after Ayiana left. He was ecstatic about hanging out and just talking with someone he’d known right from the beginning of his Starfleet career. Although that wasn’t why he was still in the simulated conference room. Even the assistant hologram looked on at him curiously. He smiled at the hologram which German figured since it was a barista to name him EBH or rather Venti Au Lait. Au Lait: Is this the best name you could think of for me? Galven: ::shrugs:: At least you have a name. Would you rather be called ‘The Barista’ or ‘Emergency Barista’? The five foot eight inch fair haired hologram looked like he was ready to facepalm. Instead, Venti walked back over to the coffee bar and started to clean up. When news broke from Lael that she was pregnant, German had gone to the rest of the ultrasound appointments with her. The doctor had recreated a hologram of what the baby would look like by the early signs of genetic sequences. Once he found out that they had lost their daughter due to complications of stress and the different genealogical hybrid species she would have, German didn’t want to accept it as he kept working to prevent his mind from breaking him apart. A few minutes had gone by as he was projecting what Galilea would’ve looked like if she was nine. The same age his sister was before she was kidnapped. After the creation was successful, German had tapped the monitor on the side of the holodeck which caused the little girl to form. First, her head was created as the long flowing strawberry blonde hair and light green eyes had formed. Soon, her ridges on the sides of her forehead appeared, but there weren't any ridges on her chin, but there were slightly noticeable ear ridges which also had the pointed features that Al-Leyans had. The rest of her body took shape as she stood around five foot wearing a child's costume of standard science officer attire. German admired the girl as she was frozen in place which made Venti approach German from behind and rest his hand on the Denobulan’s shoulder. Au Lait: I take it that this is someone you know? Galven: ::clears his throat, his view still on Galilea:: She’s my daughter if she was nine years old. Her date of birth would’ve been two months ago in March. Au Lait: ::pats his shoulder:: I’ll leave you two alone. Let me know if you need me. Venti walked back behind the bar as German tried to have the courage and strength to activate the holographic image of what was supposed to be his growing family. He had tried to contact Lael a few times after the transfer, but it was fruitless. She more than likely was too distraught and overworking herself as well which German understood and never held it against her. So when he started to also make a hologram of Lael, he decided against it because German knew how much she valued her privacy and it wasn't morally appropriate to do that without her consent. Instead, he turned on the video feed to send Lael a message afterward which she'd be able to watch if she wanted to. Galven: Computer. Activate video recording and the Galilea Program. Computer: Acknowledged. Video recording set and activating Galilea Program. The little girl's head started to move slightly and then blinked several times to adjust her eyesight. To say that German was nervous would be an understatement as Galilea glanced up at the Denobulan. He was at a loss for words at first, but when she smiled curiously at him, he felt more at ease. Galven: Hi Galilea. Do you know who I am? Galilea: ::wry grin:: You're my daddy, silly! ::giggles:: Where is mommy? German struggled to get out the words as his bottom lip quivered, but mentally shook away anything that'd prevented him from using the time wisely he had with Galilea for the first time. He stepped forward with his arms outstretched which made Galilea run up and give him a hug. Galven: Mommy is out on assignment right now. ::which wasn't too far from the truth since that was the last time he heard from Lael:: She's at Starfleet Headquarters, remember? ::releases from the hug, kneeling down to talk with her at eye level:: Galilea: Oh yeah! Teaching kids my age about engineering stuff, right? Galven: ::smiles and nods:: You're a lot smarter than you look, kiddo. ::winks and chuckles a bit:: Galilea: ::arches an eyebrow, smirking with her hands on both her sides:: Well, I got it from mom's side of the family. Oh, the girl was already being sassy enough that German wondered if the computer also determined her personality from both of her parents. He didn't mind though because that's how he sort of expected her to be. Practically about to bust a guy laughing, he stood back up and held her hand. Galven: That you did. Would you like to have to meet Venti and have something to drink? Galilea: ::shakes her head, glancing over at the bartender:: Not really. ::to German:: I wanna play with Arlil. Where is she? Galven: ::momentarily thrown:: How do you know about her? As soon as he finished his question, Arlil materialized in the room which he realized that Galilea was talking about his past sister before she was abducted and not the current Arlil which was a relief for him. With his hand still holding Galilea's, they both walked over to his little sister. Arlil: German, you should've paid more attention to which program you were using. ::huffs:: You almost deleted me, big brother! Galven: ::sheepishly chuckles in embarrassment: Well, it's a good thing that I didn't. Galilea: ::clearly confused:: Daddy, what's she talking about? Galven: ::starts sweating a little:: A program about... ::beat:: a game I used to play with her. Would you like to play with Arlil? German noticed that Arlil folded her arms across her chest, giving him narrowed eyes trying to figure out why he lied to Galilea. He gave her a quick wink with a look that told her to go along with it. She acknowledged back with a silent and quick nod to acknowledge him. She walked over and took Galilea's hand. Galilea: Oh! A game? What are we gonna play? Arlil: Since you're in science blues, wanna play in the dirt and look for any signs of old Terran dinosaur bones? Galilea: Sounds fun! Daddy, is that okay?! Can I, can I?! A chuckle turned into full on laughter which German agreed to. Of course, he would agree to something like that and soon enough, the holodeck transformed into an archaeological dig. Both girls ran for one of the sites and grabbed the equipment to start the adventure. German looked on with a teary eyed smile because he knew at some point, he'd have to end the program to get back to work. With a heavy heart, he knew that it wasn't healthy and for him to see his late daughter this way, he wanted to make it a right step for him to start the grieving process. Eventually, he started to help Galilea because during his time with her, she was about to unearth a few remnants of a large lizard which Arlil started to get excited about as well. Work would just have to wait for him to return. Galilea: I love you, daddy. Galven: ::worries his lip:: I love you too, baby girl.

Your too amazing and kind. It was a pleasure to work with you on this set of sims @Romyana Casparian.

Thought of a fun discussion question: Do any of you have a character in Star Trek (any of the shows) that you think makes a good role model or that you look up too? Why? I think Kira is a good role model in some aspects. She is strong and stands up for what she thinks is right.

Thanks @German Galven and @Wallace Williams for the kind words. It amazes me how good I am at describing emotions when my own are a dead end. Oh well. Thanks again.

Congratulations to the winners and runners up as well as everyone else for being so creative and doing a great job I had fun judging everything.