Lephi

Welcome to the fleet! Congratulations. Its nice to see hard work pay off. Can't wait to see where you all get posted and I look forward to writing with y'all in the future.

Beat me to it. This one is beautifully written ❤

I just have to put this stellar piece by @Toryn Raga up here for everyone to appreciate. The man really knows how to tell a story and bring life to a first contact species. Top notch writing. I'm sure this will go down as 118's least violent kidnapping. (( Ladonnik Nature Preserve, Eladar IV (Fari) )) The scouts had been thorough. In some cases it was easy finding information, when one was considered little more than a pet. Those who considered themselves masters often weren’t cautious about what they said around those that were practically invisible. There, but forgotten because it suits the one in charge until they either made themselves known through irritation, or were actually needed for something. When she had received word that not only had a small vessel of unknown design entered the atmosphere and was last seen in an area where several notable Feladoni elite had residences, but that a handpicked group of Feladoni security had been tasked to escort some dignitaries, she had put the two together. These visitors were exploring the preserve, under escort, though none of her people understood how they had gotten there. No further reports of vessels entering their planet had come in. Which concerned her. Still, this presented an opportunity that they couldn’t pass us. And that Katnar felt she had to personally handle. She’d gathered Qalipu’fari and a dozen of their best and headed into the preserve. It had taken little time to find them. The Feladoni were known and easy to spot. But seeing aliens for the first time was a shock itself. Three looked similar in many ways. Fair of skin. Feminine. Two had pointed ears. And one was male, probably. And he was Blue! Katnar forced the shock down and made some subharmonic chirps of calming encouragement to the Mekra’fari with her. Using the tones and changes in sound far below at least what the Feladoni could hear to direct her people to spread out and stalk towards the group of what could be scientists. At least they were unarmed. This was a dance they were used to. Sneaking up on Feladoni. Taking them down silently. A quick strike to the back of the neck here. Or grabbing the mouth and nose and pulling them into a choke hold until they passed out. Violence not done in defense. It was unheard of among her kind. They should only touch, or take an item, or leave one behind to show they got close but didn’t harm. But now, they had to act. Do the unheard of to help their kind break the yoke of inequality. Snow: Anyone else hear that? Rosek: ::softly:: Yes. I have the feeling our Feladoni escort is no longer with us. Levinson: ::In a lower volume and relatively neutral tone:: I concur. Something has happened. th’Koro: Response The Feladoni security on the perimeter went down quietly, quickly. Katnar moved up closer, and stepped out of the brush, weapon in hand and leveled at the group. The rustling in the bushes was one of the Feladoni security not being incapacitated quickly enough. She would have to speak to her people later. Katnar’fari: Do not move, please. ::She held her sonic disruptor rifle pointed at the group:: She had no idea if these aliens could even understand her, but she hoped that, having seen their escorts with weapons, that they would recognize that her and the dozen Mekra’fari that made themselves known surrounding them, all similarly armed, would get the hint. Rosek: I am Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek of the Federation starship Chin’toka. I respectfully request that you state your intentions. th’Koro: Response Qalipu’fari: Response Katnar’fari: I do not know how you speak like we do, but it is good. It will make this easier. Snow: It’s a universal translator. It helps us communicate with and understand other species as we explore the galaxy. We mean you no harm. Qalipu’fari: Response th’Koro: Response Katnar’fari: We do not wish to harm you, but we will if you leave us no choice. You will come with us. Qalipu’fari: Response th’Koro: Response Katnar’fari: ::She raised the rifle in her hands:: Then we will render you unconscious and you will come with us anyway. The choice is yours, but make it now. ::She said directly to the one who seemed to be their chief (Rosek):: Rosek: ::turns to her team:: Looks like we’re taking a slight detour. Tricorders out and keep your eyes on the terrain. Wouldn’t want any sprained ankles for Doctor Snow to need to fix. Snow: Thank you. ::quietly:: Noa took a deep breath before even considering opening her mouth for a reply. Levinson: ::Nodding:: Understood, Commander. th’Koro: Response Rosek: Your lead, … ::pauses:: How can I refer to you? ::grins:: I don’t want to assume and, in my culture, “Hey, you” isn’t the most polite thing to say to someone. It was good that these aliens were cooperative. Already they were branches ahead of most Feladoni, who would have certainly fought back and lost. Qalipu’fari: Response Katnar’fari: Good. ::She said sternly:: You may call me Katnar’fari. And before we leave, you must relinquish all of your technology to us. ::She raised a hand quickly:: We do not wish to keep it or study it. Only to ensure we are safe. These are unknown to us. Rosek: ::inclines her head:: As you wish. Qalipu’fari: Response She nodded to the pointy eared alien and made several sub harmonic tones to instruct her people to take their devices away from them. And to flank the group, keeping an eye out for Feladoni as well as watching their captives. Katnar’fari: My people will make sure you do not cross anything dangerous. She offered up after several minutes of travelling to assuage any fears they might have of their surroundings. th’Koro: Response Qalipu’fari: Response Eventually, they came out of the woods and approached the mouth of a dimly lit cave. Snow: If it's not too much to ask. May I inquire what you want from us? With a nod, the other pointy eared one added their own question. It was odd, Mekra’fari ears were quite large, meant to pick up all manner of sounds. Theirs were much smaller, but she knew better than to assume that they could hear as poorly as the Feladoni. Levinson: And for how long do you intend on keeping us with you? Rosek / th’Koro / Qalipu’fari: Responses Katnar’fari: You are an opportunity. One my people and I have been hoping for for a long time. As for how long we keep you with us. ::She looked to the one who asked with a soft, but unwavering gaze:: As long as is necessary. Levinson: I see. Snow / Rosek / th’Koro / Qalipu’fari: Responses Eventually their journey led them to a cave in the hillside that gradually descended downwards. Katnar’fari kept her eyes on the aliens the entire time, while their scouts guided them down, down, down. Over the next two hours they walked through one twisting tunnel after another, often seemingly backtracking and turning in just about every direction. Every Mekra’fari among them knew precisely where they were going. Their echolocation gave them the precise layout and memory of their well used tunnels. But the intentional trip through the caves was meant to disorient their prisoners in the hopes that should they escape, they would have a difficult time finding their way back. Or so she hoped. Katnar’fari: We are here. She announced as the group emerged within the larger cavern that they had been using as their headquarters. Having passed by their outer sentires who were well concealed in the tunnels, some hanging from the ceiling to remain out of sight. The chamber was filled with tables, computers and various crates full of food, necessary equipment and materials and even weapons. Many with the telltale markings of Feladoni security upon them. As they entered the previous sounds of conversations suddenly halted as the dozens upon dozens of freedom fighters she’d gathered got their first glimpse of beings not from their world. Hushed voices and many wide eyes were met with a droning sub harmonic chorus of tones that mingled with the curious voices taking in the sight of aliens. Snow / Rosek / th’Koro / Levinson / Qalipu’fari: Responses Katnar’fari: Take a look. Our world will never be the same from this day forward. See to it they are secured properly. They are our guests and our prisoners. No harm shall come to them, unless they bring it upon themselves by trying to escape or call for help. She stated clearly and so the group they’ve abducted could understand she meant every word. Unlike the Feladoni, her kind provided proper care for their captives. Snow / Rosek / th’Koro / Levinson / Qalipu’fari: Responses ======================== Lofali’jit Katnar’fari Formal Tribal Leader Leader of the Mekra’fari Equality Movement As simmed humbly by Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga Second Officer/SOR Team Leader/Acting FO USS Chin'toka NCC-97187 PodCast Team Member Training Team Member Chin'toka Staff Member Writer ID: A239410TR0 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga

Congratulations, Ensigns! Looking forward to seeing you in the fleet.

Welcome to the fleet! I can't wait to read what adventures you get up to when you're posted

Welcome! I know you'll have a great time, and I hope to write with you both in the future!

Congratulations! Glad Jo didn't eat you, and I hope to write with you both in the future 😊

Welcome, @Dekas! Can't wait to see you around the fleet, and I hope to write with you at some point

Congratulations on graduating! Welcome, and welcome back. Hope to write with you both in the future, and we're all glad you're here!

Welcome to the fleet! Hope to write with you in the future!

That one took some thinking. I'm sure that if I were to come back to this later, my answer would have been different. Excellent scenario.

Just sharing this fantastic furtherance of utter chaos. I had to pass on @Amuro McKnight's quick thinking for everyone to enjoy. The twists and turns in this are one of the many reasons I love collaborative writing here. (( Corridor, Tibro IV Headquarters )) As the group advanced to Lephi's position, Amuro can see the damage was extensive over here as well. He continued to scan as they walked. Mei’konda: What’ve you got, Lieutenant? With everyone scanning the room, they all see the strange readings. Raga: Can’t say I’ve ever seen the tricorder act up like this. Lephi: Captain, you have perfect timing ::rubs the back of her head:: There is a strange box underneath this bunk and it is emanating very strange signals. The Caitian captain let out a wry chuckle. Mei’konda: My apologies, Lieutenant. A maanufactured object of some type? Almost everyone was checking their tricorders now, corroborating the situation. Amuro crouched down to look under the bunk for the box and shined a line from his bracer. Strin: McKnight: Well strange is a pretty vague thing to say...but oddly accurate. What is it? Lephi: It definitely was manufactured, and although I haven't determined its purpose yet, I saw a cloaked figure escaping in the shadows as I approached so it seems safe to say it isn't a pleasant gift. When he heard cloaked person, Amuro immediate tried to change up his scanning. There's only a few ways to detect an invisible person. His dad taught him some from the War. If this cloak is similar to the Dominion, cloaking someone doesn't mean he's not a ghost, he still would interact with the environment around him, just invisible. So Amuro tried to emit things from his bracer so it would bounce off objects in the room. Thankfully, it didn't come back to him with an extra echo. Strin: McKnight: The invisible man is the last thing we need right now. Amuro got back up and made sure the room was cleared. If there indeed was a cloaked person in the room, he's gone now but do the locals have this sort of technology. Raga: A cloaked figure? ::He looked back to Strin and Dels’an:: It seems you might have more disloyal personnel than we thought. Or there’s a third party inciting things. Lephi: I didn't see much of him, regrettably. Well of course...he was invisible, thought Amuro with a grin on his face. Mei’konda: Untiil we can perform a more thorough analysis of this device or fiind the person who planted it, anything else is pure speculation. Catching the Captain’s intent he nodded and kept watch over the others, casting his gaze out to the corridor outside on occasion. Strin: McKnight: We should get a team down here and carefully - He was interrupted as the engineer was already jumping ahead to grab the box. Lephi: Captain, I've found the source of the confusion ::pause:: sort of… There was a brief pause and the engineer ducked back under the bunk. Lephi: The device seems to have been electrochemically coated with something that our sensors can't detect. Strin, could you provide some insight here? Strin: Response Mei’konda: Looks to me that we miight’ve discovered the source of the traansporter interference, as well. It’s emitting non-ionizing radiaation on a wavelength that could interfere with beaming. Lieutenant Snow, Mr. McKnight, could you please verify that this thing is saafe to handle? Amuro wanted to roll his eyes. They didn't know what this thing is and Lephi just picked it up brazenly without any thought of caution. He tried to scan the box directly but it wasn't working. Snow: We can try, Sir. ::standing up:: McKnight: Whatever this thing is made up, I can't penetrate it with my scanner. We need to open it. Captain Delano nodded. Mei’konda: Continue your initial analysis, then. I’ll be just outsiide. The Captain walked passed her and out into the hallway and tapped his combadge so Toryn stood in the middle of the room. Mei’konda: =/\= Mei’konda to Chin’toka. =/\= Snow joined Amuro and Lephi in examining the box. Amuro was trying to be cautious and rather they aren't so close to a box of unknown purpose. Then his bracer picked up something. Raga: Does anyone else hear that? McKnight: I hear it, Raga. Lephi, the box! He backed away from Lephi, who was still holding the box. Lephi/Strin/Mei’konda: Responses Snow: Perhaps you should put it down.. ::Concerned:: Raga: Everyone, back away from the box. Now! Lephi/Strin/Mei’konda: Responses Amuro was about to run away as Snow grabbed his arm. He managed to at least put himself in between her and whatever was coming before a shockwave blasted them all back. Because they were so close, both him and Snow were sent flying. Thankfully, they did not go far as Raga managed to grab them both as he regain his footing and grounded himself but it wasn't enough and they all fell over together in a pile and then began to slide back from the force. Toryn cried out briefly in pain before the wind was knocked out of him and slumped to the ground. By the door, gripping Amuro and Snow tightly, though his grip on Lephi had slipped when his arm dislocated. Raga: Ahh! ::His breathing hyperventilated as he sought to find his breath that had been stolen from him:: Amuro, using all his strength, managed to steady everyone together. Lephi/Strin/Mei’konda/Snow/Dels’an: Responses With the shockwave stopped, Amruo got up slowly as he managed looked to see his bracer's emergency beacon had activated when it detected the danger and that he was unconscious for a few seconds, hence why it turned on and alerted the Chin'toka. McKnight: Toryn...you broken? Raga: Forget..ah..my arm, is everyone okay? Amuro shook his head to clear the dizziness from the shockwave. He was only thinking about getting up and making sure the area is secured. Whatever this thing is, they need to get away from it or get rid of it. Lephi//Strin/Mei’konda/Snow/Dels’an: Responses Raga: Whatever you’re going to do...Ungh! ::He grunted and his breath shuddered a moment:: Do it fast..that box is humming now. Lephi/Strin/Mei’konda/Snow/Dels’an: Responses Amuro crawled towards the box and managed to get to it. The moment he did, he took his commbadge and slapped it onto the box. McKnight: =/\= Chin'toka, McKnight. Lock onto my commbadge and beam it somewhere far away from us. We've encountered a device. It might be another bomb. =/\= Chin'toka:

All of his characters are amazing and iconic. This was the hardest decision I've had to make all week, but I ended up going with Brunt simply for the "Brunt.. FCA" intro that was always so masterfully done. Also because I'm a bit biased to the Ferengi.

Easy to be awesome when I'm writing with other awesome people who lift the quality of my writing up ❤

Welcome to the fleet! Congratulations on graduating!

"You gonna put ALL that money down there?" [...] Tracy

I'm excited to see how this scene shapes up, but this opener from Ganarvuss is beautiful. I think it's a great example of how two characters can feel very differently about a situation. ((Chief of Security’s Office-Deck 4-USS Atlantis)) ((Time Index: Day 15? of Shoreleave)) ((OOC: All thoughts and opinions strictly IC.)) There had been an incident on the surface and Ilana was not happy about it. She was even less happy with how little information she had received from the Starfleet officers involved. In fact, almost everything she knew had come from the government down on Illara Prime. There had evidently been some kind of altercation between three Starfleet officers, one of whom wasn’t even assigned to Atlantis, and an Illaran citizen had died. Ilana had called for Ensign Lephi to report to her in her office. She wanted to talk to her and Ensign Snow independently. She had no idea what to do about the marine lieutenant. Granted, he wasn’t part of the Atlantis’ crew, so it should be a Federation, not Starfleet, Security problem. Captain Thoran was going to be present at the debriefing as well and Ilana knew the pressure was on her in her new position as Acting Chief of Security. Thoran arrived first and when he entered the office she stood, holding herself rigidly. Ganarvuss: Captain. About the incident on the surface. I’m… sorry. I should’ve anticipated that something like this might happen. I’ll do better from now on. It wasn’t adequate, she knew it but she wasn’t going to shirk responsibility. The safety of the crew was her primary duty and it was hers before it was anyone else’s. Thoran: ? Ganarvuss: Understood sir. In light of recent events, I recommend that no one be allowed on the surface unless accompanied by security or marine personnel. Preferably armed. The door chime sounded, after Ilana stopped speaking and she looked at Thoran. Thoran: ? Ganarvuss: Yes sir. :: to the door :: Enter! The door slid open and Ensign walked in, smiling. Ilana felt the blood rush to her face. What in the world did she have to smile about? She took a breath and crossed her arms, trying to calm herself. She didn’t have a full picture of the incident. Getting angry at Lephi wasn’t going to help that. Lephi: ::offering a salute:: Sir. I was ordered to report here for a debriefing? Thoran: ? Ganarvuss: The Illaran government told us some of what happened on the surface, Ensign. You're lucky you weren't arrested. Lephi made her way over to the desk and sat in one of the chairs. Normally, Ilana wouldn’t mind that, but between the severity of the situation and the smile on Lephi’s face, the Ensign’s readiness to relax nearly overpowered Ilana. She settled for clenching her fists. Lephi: I hope you don't mind if I sit down, I'm not sure I could stand for this thing. I came directly from sickbay, I haven't had time to write up a report yet, I'm sorry. Ganarvuss: oO You’d better be! Oo Ilana bit the inside of her cheek to keep from speaking. While the situation on the surface had likely been challenging emotionally, it was no excuse to inform one’s superiors of yet another incident that could paint Starfleet in a bad light for the Expanse. Thoran: ? Lephi: It all happened so fast, I'm not sure how much help I'll be right now, but I'm happy to try. Thoran: ? Ganarvuss: Just tell us what happened. Lephi: ? Thoran: ? Ganarvuss: Kidnapped? oO You’ve got to be kidding me. Oo Ilana did her best not to roll her eyes. Three Starfleet officers, one of them a marine no less, kidnapped in broad daylight. If Ilana didn’t have a great deal of respect for the uniform Lephi was wearing, she wouldn’t believe her for a second. Being Chief of Security was going to be a lot more difficult than she’d anticipated, if people couldn’t even take of themselves during shoreleave. Lephi/Thoran: ? TAG/TBC -- Lieutenant J.G. Ilana Ganarvuss Acting Chief of Security USS Atlantis A239504HM0

Congratulations, and welcome to the fleet! It's a wonderful community and I hope you enjoy your time here with us.

I had to share this absolute gem written by @Dassa Alexander-Dalton today. The way she paints the picture of Representative Brex is masterful and I had tears of laughter at one point. ======================================= ((Security Director’s Office, Mephinii Spaceport, Illara Prime, Par’Tha Expanse)) The woman left and he returned his attention to the matter at hand. They now had two tasks that required attention: the re-analysis of the crime scene and interviewing suspects. Forensics wasn’t his area of specialty and he felt all he’d end up doing here was standing and twiddling his thumbs. Ganarvuss: Captain Logan, I’d like to take Ensign Yalu or Lephi with me to talk to the suspects. Logan: Response Lephi: All due respect to Ensign Yalu, I truly feel I would be better suited to come along. I've been thinking about it and although my hand to hand combat is rusty, my diplomacy is a strong point. Ganarvuss: Is that so? Lephi: I might be an engineer in Starfleet, but I've brokered many deals in my short life, and you can't do that unless you're good with your words and reading people. He smiled and nodded. For one so young, the Ferengi certainly was bold. Perhaps it was a species trait. Given that this was the first Ferengi he’d ever met, he couldn’t be sure. However, he could say that he found it refreshing. Despite her earlier nervousness, he imagined she’d make a good business partner. Logan: Response Yalu: I’m happy to go wherever I am needed, Ensign Ganarvuss. If you’d like someone to stay behind and work with Dr. Nidhar’s team, I can do that. But if you think I could be of use elsewhere, I mean, not that staying here wouldn’t be useful, I just... Brex: ::inclines his head and turns to Ganarvuss:: With all respect, Ensign, I agree with your Ensign Lephi. His shrewdness might be beneficial. ::pauses:: Also, as I stated to your other officer, I feel I would be of more use with the interview process. Dr. Nidhar has the situation well in hand here and your doctor could be beneficial to her investigation here since he’s the one who discovered the thoron radiation. Lephi: ::speaking through thinly veiled irritation:: Thank you for that ringing endorsement, Representative. Ganarvuss: Alright, then. You’re hired, Lephi. Dr. Yalu, I agree with Brex on this. Your insights could be most helpful to the forensics team. Lephi: ::not taking her eyes off of Brex:: Thank you, Ensign, an interrogation is just an intense negotiation, after all. On Ferenginar we just call that an average Tuesday afternoon. You'll get your answers. ::turns to Ganarvuss:: Thank you, Ensign Ganarvuss. I hope we make a good team. I look forward to working alongside your very capable self. Yalu: Understood. Logan: Response He nodded. There were multiple angles to consider with this and he presumed that Ensign Ganarvuss knew the strengths and talents of her people better than he did. He was commenting from a limited time in the room with these people. Brex: ::nods:: Of course. ::smiles:: It is your decision. I will help however I’m needed. Ganarvuss: You made a good point earlier, Representative. I think it would go a long way to have you with us when we interview the suspects. Lephi: ::deadpan:: It'll be great to have you along Representative. He gazed at the Ferengi woman curiously. Though he wasn’t overly familiar with her species, he could have almost sworn he detected a note of irritation. Given her upbeat attitude not a moment or two earlier, he had to surmise that something was bothering her. He’d noted her reaction to Ensign Ganarvuss’s words and had thought that was it, but her attention was focused on him now and he had the strangest feeling that he was somehow the source. Logan: Response Nidhar: ::pauses:: I wouldn’t mind the extra hand. Shaking his concern about the Ferengi officer from his mind for a moment, he turned to Eisla with a small smile, pleased that she’d warmed up to the idea of help from the Starfleet officers. Ganarvuss: You got it, Doctor. Representative, Lephi: Let’s go. Logan/Nidhar: Response Lephi: I'm on your six. With one last glance and smile at Eisla, he nodded and followed the two Starfleet officers from the room. As he did, his gaze flickered to Ensign Lephi, his expression contemplative. Ensign Ganarvuss’s voice drew him from his thoughts. Ganarvuss: I imagine the place to start looking would be the main conference center. Lephi: Seems like the best starting point, I agree. I know it's not my place, but if I may, perhaps we should split up to try and cover more ground? It is time sensitive after all. His concern regarding the sudden change in Ensign Lephi’s demeanor grew. Splitting up didn’t sound like such a marvelous idea given that they had a spy on the loose. Any of them could be the next target. No. In his mind, it made more sense that they stick together. Brex: ::pauses:: Given that we have a spy on the loose who doesn’t seem adverse to any means to achieve his end, I believe dividing ourselves further could pose an unnecessary risk. ::pauses:: It is, of course, your decision. Ganarvuss: That makes sense. Lephi: Alright, I have my orders, I will accomplish them. Ganarvuss: Response As they resumed walking, Drezon took the opportunity to meet Lephi’s gaze, deliberately allowing Ensign Ganarvuss to get a bit ahead of them. Brex: ::pauses:: Though I’m a negotiator and a businessman by trade, I prefer when necessary to get to the point. There’s no sense in wasting one another’s precious time. Lephi: Response Brex: ::inclines his head:: I’m concerned with the sudden change in your demeanor. Lephi: Response Brex: ::smiles:: I’m no man’s fool, Ensign Lephi. Four decades of brokering deals and negotiating with buyers leaves a man with an almost sixth sense for these things. Lephi: Response ((OOC: Happy to continue this as you see fit. I didn’t want to box you into a corner.)) Ganarvuss: Response --- MSNPC Representative Drezon Brex Tradesman, Naylar Representative Kala'din IV As written by Lieutenant Ishkabela Journs I238110RH0 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "UFOP: StarBase 118: USS Atlantis" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sb118-atlantis+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sb118-atlantis/CABVKAYRhmVZraU7CvQEXZJ3KEMu-JoZ481LcnqLCL1b%2BwcmXgA%40mail.gmail.com.

There's just something so beautiful about the Akira class.

Lephi would absolutely run for the presidency. While the position in and of itself wouldn't be very profitable salary-wise, the connections and deals she would be able to make would more than make up for it. Also, she'd finally be able to show her dad that she could still be wildly successful as a woman.

The Defiant almost got my vote simply for being in my favorite Trek, but I have to go with the Nova class. There's just something so sleek, beautiful, and noble about it.