[Round 3] Listen...

[JVannini]

((Bridge, Son'a Warship))

::The deckplate felt good, cool and comforting against his cheek.

His lungs and stomach burned with what he knew now as poison running

through his veins. He opened his eyes and saw only a blur, closed

them again in a fit of nausea.::

::The Ba'ku was old. Older than most humanoids ever dreamed of

being. He'd seen over 230 years-and in that time he had learned a

great deal. It wasn't his Starfleet training he called upon, or his

martial arts skills, or his well-trained body. None of those would

serve him here. He harkened back to a simpler time.::

((224 years ago, Ba'ku Homeworld))

::The grove was quiet-too quiet for the rambunctious, long-haired

boy that tore through the undergrowth, heedless of the tiny

scratches the branches left on his skin. The wind tugged at his

hair, drawing it back from his bare shoulders as he increased his

speed, his grin wider by the second. His brilliant blue eyes saw

everything, far ahead of where he ran. His sensitive hearing picked

up birdsong and the rustle some of the forest denizens made as they

embarked on their daily search for food.::

GYRULD: Tyr? TYR!

::His father's voice cut through the sound of wind whistling past

his ears and he slowed his run to a gentle jog, allowing the much

older Ba'ku to catch up with him. His father was...timeless. He'd

been there since the beginning-since his people settled on this

planet and realized the near-immortality its rings offered. He could

tell by the tone of his father's voice he'd upset him..yet again.::

GYRULD::Panting as he caught up to his son:: What do you think

you're doing, Tyr?

::The young Ba'ku turned his blue eyes to his father, pleading what

he already knew to be a lost cause. He'd taken off from church again-

this time he'd been caught red-handed by one of the clerics.

Disappearing into the woods, like he always did. To the same grove

he always ran. And his father had caught him.::

TYR: I..

GYRULD: You disobeyed me..AGAIN. ::Sighing, he sat down on a nearby

stone:: Tyr, why do you insist on disobedience? You know that the

gathering is important to us.

TYR: But it's not important to ME, father. I have my own beliefs and

I know what they are. I don't need some stuffy guy in a robe telling

me what to believe or to read a book written by a man, telling me

how to worship my God. I know how...

::The words were blasphemy, but the elder Ba'ku had come to expect

them from his wayward son. Tyr had always been fiercely independent-

defiant, perhaps was a better word. He looked away for a moment.::

GYRULD: I wish I had taken you sooner. Then you'd understand.

TYR::Sitting on the ground opposite his father:: Dad, I'm glad you

didn't. It let me think for myself-form my own opinions instead of

having them programmed into me before I knew any better.

GYRULD::Smiling: : You think you have all the answers, don't you?

TYR::Looking away:: No..I didn't mean it that way.

GYRULD: Tyr..you have to understand-the universe isn't always

capable of being bent to your will. Some things are meant to be and

there are paths we're supposed to walk, even if you don't understand

why you're walking them.

TYR: I don't WANT to walk those paths, father. I want to make my

own. ::His eyes went to the setting sun, which seemed to light the

sky on fire. Stars began to appear in the twilight:: I want to see

what's out there...

::The elder Ba'ku shook his head, realizing his son's mind was

already as far away from church as it could be.::

GYRULD: You're dreaming of starships and new worlds... Alright,

Tyr..no more church. ::Holding up his hand at his son's sudden rush

of excitement:: HOWEVER..I have a lesson for you.

TYR: What NOW?

GYRULD: Close your eyes. Center yourself. Take a few deep breaths

and clear your mind.

::Tyr closed his eyes, drawing in the cooling evening air and

letting it cleanse him, then exhaled slowly through his mouth.

Another breath, and he was relaxed. As with all things, though, the

young Ba'ku grew impatient.::

TYR: What do I..?

GYRULD: Shhh. Just...listen.

::The youngster quieted himself, his body purging itself of the

fatigue and fear that had plagued him when he had escaped church. He

let the sounds of the grove fill him..restore him. Time seemed to

grind to a halt.::

GYRULD::Smiling: : Now..open your eyes.

::Tyr opened his eyes and gasped inwardly. All around him, time

stood still. A leaf, falling slowly from the tree nearby, hovered in

mid flight. A bird sat crouched with her wings spread, ready to take

flight, and sat still. It seemed even the sun had stopped its egress

into twilight.::

TYR::Awestruck: : How...?

GYRULD: Live in the moment, Tyr. ::Pausing, gazing around him with

satisfaction: : I'll see you at home.

::Tyr simply nodded, letting the moment fill him, consuming and

restoring him all at the same time. Filled with wonder, it was long,

long into the night before the Ba'ku boy returned home...and all he

had done, was listen.::

((Bridge, Son'a Warship))

o O Listen. O o

::Time slowed around him as he took deep, cleansing breaths,

focusing on the relative silence of the bridge. He focused himself,

channeling all of his energy on cleansing his body of whatever

poison his captors had instilled in him. And above all, he

listened.::

PER'NAH: According to our sensors they're abandoning ship. They seem

to be gathering in the science pod. We're also showing two fighters

patrolling the exterior of the ship. ::Tapping a few buttons::

They're no threat to us directly.

VERIZ: Good. And with the Discovery under Tyr's control, neither is

she. Keep us out of weapons range just in case one of their

engineers gets creative.

PER'NAH::Tapping a few keys:: Aye sir. What do we do with our

wayward son, here?

VERIZ::Chuckling: : Let him sleep awhile longer. The poison should

have just about finished him. When the crew abandons the ship we'll

beam over and de-activate the auto-destruct. Then the Discovery will

be ours.

PER'NAH: And the crew?

VERIZ::Pause: : Their mission was to explore that derelict off our

port bow. Let them. Let them rot in space.

TBC/TAG

============ ========= ===

Captain Tyr Waltas

Commanding Officer

USS Discovery

[JVannini]

I think this SIM shows a very important part of the Character's life as a child.

The struggle of a young man with his father's beliefs and his heritage is very realistic.

Me, being a RL dad, know this is quite true.

[Guest]

Wow. That was seriously good. Excellent piece of story-telling that fitted into the current plot perfectly and didn't feel superfluous. And very well-written, to boot.