[Round 13] Lt (j.g.) Dr Eliaan Deron & PNPC Ensign Kaedyn Tann - N

[Alleran Tan]

((Chief Medical Officer's Office))

::Eliaan Deron paced around the office that was temporarily his. How

could it be that both a Shapeshifter and a Q were onboard the Victory?

What confluence of events could have resulted in this?::

::Shapeshifters held a peculiar, dark place of fear in his heart.

Like all Betazoids, the Dominion Occupation had been an event that had

cleaved his life in two. There was the carefree, happy time Before and

then there was After.::

::Nothing had ever been the same again after the Occupation. Betazed

was a peaceful, open world in a way that few of her Federation

neighbours had been, which made its fate even more tragic.::

::Eliaan knew who was to blame for that. Not the Jem'Hadar foot

soldiers or the Vorta commanders; both of those races had been created

by the Founders to do their dirty work. The fault lay squarely with

the shapeshifters. Everything that had happened to his people during

the War was their doing.::

::And a Q. Not as immediately terrifying but infinitely more

dangerous. The God-like entities that had first introduced the

Federation to the Borg and had played with starship Captains

throughout the galaxy.::

::It was almost too much to process, let alone understand.::

::He stopped pacing as the doors to the office opened and Kaedyn Tann

entered. Without a word, Eliaan rushed to him and through his arms

around the Trill, squeezing tightly.::

Tann: Are you okay?

~~Flashback: CMO's office - USS Resolution~~

Tann: Are you ready?

::The young doctor shook his head.::

Deron: I am terrified. We’re in over our heads here…

::Kaedyn pulled his partner towards him and hugged him tightly.::

Tann: We’re going to get through this… don’t worry.

::Eliaan pulled back a little and stared into the nurse’s eyes.::

Deron: But I do worry, if this goes wrong… if I do the wrong thing, we

could all end up being assimilated. I could destroy the whole ship

and then what? An assimilated Resolution is a threat to every planet

in this sector!

Tann: Eliaan. You need to calm down. Listen to me, we don’t have a

choice. If Major West is in a stable condition then perhaps we can

wait and get an expert to deal with his Borg components at a Starbase

but if not we are going to need you to deal with this; just as you

dealt with Nicholotti and Llewlyn and the Zalinians.

::The Betazoid snapped out of his panic and calmed a little.::

~~End Flashback~~

Deron: ... Sorry, what?

::Kaedyn looked confused.::

Tann: I asked if you were okay...

::The Betazoid took a deep breath, maintaining his grip around the taller man.::

Deron: No... I'm not sure any of us are.

Tann: Why?

Deron: There is a shapeshifter onboard and a Q.

::There was a long silence.::

Deron: Did you hear me?

Tann: Yes, I heard.

::There was a calmness in his voice that Eliaan found frustrating

rather than comforting.::

Deron: Are you sure, because you sound remarkably calm about it

Tann: We have been through worse. I have faith in this crew and her

Captain and so do you. You told me as much before we arrived here.

Deron: Worse than a Q?

::With Eliaan still wrapped around him, Kaedyn shrugged a little.::

Tann: They cause trouble but usually get bored and leave...

Deron: And the shapeshifter?

::Kaedyn smiled.::

Tann: Its been a long time since a shapeshifter was the same threat as

they have been. Any Founder left here has been alone and defeated for

a long time. And Starfleet security have a lot of practice dealing

with them.

::As Kaedyn spoke, Eliaan could feel himself calm down a little. He

recognised that he had been close to a panic attack but that always

the presence of the man he loved was enough to stop that.::

::Passionate, like most of his race, the Betazoid benefited from the

calm, serene Trill's manner. This had also been an incredibly

stressful return for Eliaan and his adrenaline was running high even

before the arrival of their two guests.::

Tann: We're going to be okay, Eliaan.

::As if hearing his words, a voice filtered over the comm system.::

Jaxx: =/\= Attention crew....we have returned home. =/\=

::With a sigh, Eliaan relaxed as quickly as he had started to panic::

Tann: There you go. We survived our first adventure on the Victory.

Now, do you want to let me go?

::Eliaan maintained his grip.::

Deron: No... no, I don't.

END

Lieutenant (j.g.) Eliaan Deron

Acting Chief Medical Officer

USS Victory

And

Ensign Kaedyn Tann

Nursing Officer

USS Victory

Simmed by Eliaan Deron