[Round 3] Barely Controlled Chaos

[Guest]

((Karynn's Quarters, *USS Independence* ))

::Karynn sat in quiet. It felt like the first time in a while that she had

just sat and thought about things and listened to music. The Haliian music,

a small taste of home, washed over her in waves. She didn't often get

homesick, but today, she missed Halii, and her family, terribly. Perhaps it

had something to do with seeing that poor woman, with helping her.::

::The Haliian had beamed back directly to sickbay with Ms. Ellens. And,

after passing on what she knew about the woman's condition, Karynn had

simply sat by her side for hours. Ethan was, as usual, busy keeping the

ship running. And something told the counselor that she'd need a friend

when she woke up.::

::The doctors in sickbay had done a marvelous job. Despite the loss of

Doctor Calhan, the physicians assigned to the *Independence* were stellar.

It had taken days of dermal regeneration treatment, but the

radiation-scorched skin was beginning to look almost normal again. And at

least now there wasn't any half-eaten, half-burned skin hanging off the

woman's frame. From a psychological perspective, she was beginning to get

some footing in the real world again, after numerous appointments with

Karynn. All in all, the Haliian counselor was pleased with the progress

that had been made.::

::Her mind moved to another counseling appointment she'd had, one with Lt.

Cmdr. Rogers. He had also been making significant progress.::

*((flashback, Conference Room, Inn on the Moor, Whitby England))

Wilde: I'll give you one last chance...join me.

::Karynn pleaded with him silently.::

Ehlanii: oO Don't do it, Ethan.Oo

Brice: Never.

::Her relief that he wouldn't turn on them was quickly replaced by horror as

there was a struggle and a phaser discharged taking down pieces of the

ceiling. Her eyes grew wide and she watched in horror, rooted into place,

as people moved and the large antique chandelier in the conference room came

down, pinning Ethan. Her scream came at the same time that "Danny's" did.::

Wilde&Ehlanii: Ethan!

Maria: Lieutenant!

::The rest of the room faded into a blur. All she could see was Ethan,

pinned under a chandelier. Was he ok? Slowly her "paralysis" lifted and

she lept up, trying to think of the fastest way to get to him. In her haze,

she could hear Maria's orders as she climbed across the table to him.

Maria: Adair! Ehlanii! Wulfram! Sarion! Get the lieutenant out of there and

get all of you out of here! Thelev, Illium, Valis, stop them going that way

or harming the others! Rogers and Kolk with me!

::She couldn't think clearly. All she wanted was to get him out from under

the chandelier and make sure that he would be ok. She muttered over and

over to herself.::

Ehlanii: Ethan. Please be ok. Please be ok. Please be ok.

::As she got to his body she could hear Wilde relate his evil plan to Lt.

Cmdr. Maria. Hopefully she would be able to sort through it. But she **had

** to get to Ethan. She began tugging on the chandelier, silently pleading

for it to come off and for Ethan to be alive. ::

Wilde:... I assure you the results are... not pleasant.

Ehlanii: Someone help me, *please*.

((flashback, Bridge, *USS Ronin*))**

::The CTO took his own phaser and joined the Andorian Lt. Commander. As

they moved toward the turbolift, a small explosion near the turbolift lit up

the bridge, sending the two security personnel guarding it sprawling

backward. The Chief of Ops knelt next the unconscious female.::**

Thelev: =/\= Computer, emergency medical transport! Crewman Carr. =/\=**

::Blue light surrounded the enlisted woman as she disappeared from the

bridge.::**

Rogers: Here they come !**

::The Andorian fired at one of the short dogmen, but at the same time,

Karynn saw a disruptor beam flash out from the turbolift. Lt. Commander

Thelev stumbled backwards.::

**Thelev: Wha..?**

::As Karynn watched, the CTO went into a frenzy, firing shots, and

ultimately throwing in a grenade. The explosion that resulted rang in her

ears long after the light disappeared. She smelled the sickening scent of

burnt flesh. It was all she could do to keep from vomiting. She sank into

her chair, face white as a ghost, stunned.::*

((present time, Karynn's Quarters, *USS Independence- A*))

::The man had apologized for both incidents. And she had told him that she

accepted. On the surface she had. He hadn't intended to cause her the pain

and grief that he did, and he had been working to change. He said he was

sorry, he was a colleague, and he was dating her friend. For all of those

reasons, she could not wish him ill. But she still wasn't sure she trusted

the man. There was a violent streak in him, one that she wasn't convinced

was under control. Could a streak like that ever be fully under control?

Would he ever be truly "safe"? Perhaps it was as he said. A weapon that

had killed was never the same. She hoped for Sarion's sake that his passion

and fire could be put to good uses and kept away from the bad.::

::Her thoughts drifted to the crew she served with. It still wasn't the

same, but it was getting better. Commander Cody had made her feel more at

ease. Rogers, Sarion, Ethan, Commander Maria, and Captain Mar were all

familiar faces. Commander Moranta had seemed to respect her opinion more

during the last mission. Even the new ensign seemed nice, if a little odd.

It was too bad Commander Calhan had left...::

::She missed the old ship, and she especially missed Ben and Ro. She had

checked her messages. They still hadn't gotten back to her. She even

missed Danny...::

Ehlanii: oO I bet *she* misses Danny too. I can only imagine what that

would feel like...Oo Computer, where is Captain Idril Mar?

Computer: Captain Mar is on the Promenade of DS17.

Ehlanii: Thanks.

::Karynn pulled on a light blue long-sleeved soft shirt and comfortable dark

blue pants and headed off to the station.::

((Promenade, DS17))

::Karynn could see Captain Mar through the opening to Twilight's Edge. As

she approached, she noticed that the woman was talking to someone else

already. Karynn's face fell. It seemed as though every time she even

thought about talking with the Trill she was busy. As she contemplated

going in and getting a nearby table to wait until she was done, Karynn

noticed the Captain talking on the Comm system to someone. Soon after, the

Red-headed Trill was on her way out the door. Again, Karynn considered

following her, but figured that would look a little too much like she was

stalking the other woman. Instead, Karynn figured she'd do some shopping

and perhaps find something nice for Ethan.::

::And yet, having made just that decision, Karynn found herself unable to

decide which shop to enter. She stood staring at the myriad of shops

available and couldn't begin to think of what she might want to get Ethan.

oOMight as well just browseOo. The closest shop to her was an antique shop:

The Old Curiosity Shop. oOIt's as good a place as any. And Ethan does like

old things.Oo She headed inside.::

::She hadn't been wandering through its aisles for long when the station

lights flickered, the deck beneath her shuddered, and the atmospheric

pressure suddenly dropped, accompanied by an almost deafening noise. She

could hear screams from the promenade. Reaching for her communicator, she

was almost surprised when it activated.::

Cody: =/\= This is LtCmdr Cody to all Independence and DS17 Personnnel!

Stand by for emergency beam out. =/\=

::Almost immediately she felt herself engulfed in a haze of shimmery blue.

As it disappated, she heard a voice asking everyone to step down. She

looked around as she stepped forward, soon realizing that she was standing

on a transporter pad. She rushed off with one thought firmly in her mind.::

Ehlanii: oOWhat the heck is going on?Oo

::A uniform would have to wait. People were arriving and rushing off the

transporter pad. Karynn hurried into the hall, and was glad to see that she

was on the Independence. She bolted for the closest turbolift and called

it. She wasn't sure where Ethan was but she hoped he was ok. When it came,

she stepped inside with a few others.::

Ehlanii: Bridge.

::The lift hummed to life and, after a few stops, it opened onto the

Bridge. Karynn stepped out and looked around at the moderately-controll ed

chaos.::

Ehlanii: Lt. Ehlanii reporting in. How can I help?

[Guest]

I thought this was a particularly clever / insightful bit of writing.

It revealed to me how a counsellor would reflect on their profession.

It also reflected back to me a part of my main character's personality ( Lt Cmdr Rogers) that I had been trying to convey without putting into words.

Namely that he has a potentially destructive core of violence at his centre that could go either way.