>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Mission: You Can't Go Home Again Day: 24 Stardate: 2444.06.24 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (Unknown-Unknown – Intelligence Agent – Rebecca Faust– unknown) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – Medical/Counselor – Ensign J.G. Quinna Solice – 00:57) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach - TAC. Ensign Jg Ravok – 0059) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – Medical/Counselor – Ensign J.G. Quinna Solice – 1:00) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – TAC. Ensign J.G. Ravok – 1:01) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACSO – Ensign J.G. Sienna Williams-Verin – 01:05) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACEO – Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0107) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – TAC. Ensign JG Ravok Shara – 0108) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACEO – Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0110) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – TAC.Ensign JG Ravok Shara – 0111) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACMO Ens(jg) Ailynn Bracken 0114) (U.S.S. MYSTIQUE – DECK A – aACEO – Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0115) (U.S.S. MYSTIQUE – DECK A – TAC. Ensign JG Ravok Shara – 0116) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – CONN, ENS JG Trip Williams - 0117) (U.S.S. MYSTIQUE – DECK A – aACEO Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0119) (U.S.S. MYSTIQUE – DECK A – TAC Ensign jg Ravok – 0124) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – CONN Ens(jg) Trip Williams, aACSO Ens(jg) Sienna Verin-Williams and aACMO Ailynn Bracken – 01:25) (Mystique – Bridge – Pilot – Ensign (JG) - Ire Williams – 01.45) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACSO Ens(jg) Sienna Verin-Williams – 01:46) (USS Mystique – Sickbay– Pilot – Medical Officer, Dr. Kyros Ryelle and CONN Ensign JG Trip Williams - 1:47) (USS Mystique – Sickbay– Pilot – Medical Officer, Dr. Kyros Ryelle - 01:50) (USS Mystique – Sickbay - aACSO - Ensign Sienna Williams-Verin- 1:53) (USS Mystique - Junior Officer Personal Quarters – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH – 0153) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH - 0205) (USS Mystique - personal quarters - Ensign JG Erin Cortez– 02:05) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dr. Kyros Ryelle - 0207) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH – 0215) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dr. Kryos Ryelle– 0216) (USS Mystique - Mess hall - Ensign JG Erin Cortez– 02:16) (USS Mystique - Mess Hall - Ensign JG Erin Cortez and Civilian Logistics and Liaison Ashlyn Jones – 02:18) (Mystique – Bridge – CONN – Pilot – Ensign JG – Ire Williams –0218) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH– 0220) (Trill Surface– Local Hotel, Billy's Quarters– Ensign Billy Alexander - 0224) (Mystique – Sickbay– Pilot – Ensign JG – Ire Williams – 0224) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH – 0235) (Trill - Hotel - Room 23 - Ensign Jg Erin Cortez - 0301) (Trill - Hotel - Hallway - Cleaning Services-Jarina Lastili - 0306) (Trill Homeworld – Foxglove's quarters – Person unknown – 0308) (Trill Homeworld – Foxglove's quarters – Intelligence officer Ensign Jaelle Foxglove – 0311) (Trill Homeworld – Foxglove's quarters – Intelligence officer Ensign Jaelle Foxglove – 0317) (Trill Homeworld - Rinhi Diox (Rebecca) quarters – Intelligence Agent – Rebecca Faust– 0320) (Trill Homeworld - Rinhi Diox (Rebecca) quarters – Intelligence Agent – Rebecca Faust– 0402) (Trill Homeworld – Beach – Intelligence officer Ensign Jaelle Foxglove – 0411) (Trill Homeworld -Ground Relay – Intelligence Agent – Rebecca Faust– 0435) (Trill Homeworld - Outside – Person– 0437) (Federation Space– Shielded orbital platform- Mystery Man - 0730) (Federation Space– Shielded orbital platform- Detention Cell – Intelligence Agent - Rebecca Faust - 0735) (Trill - Outside - Ensign JG Erin Cortez - 11.01) (Trill - Outside - Ensign JG Erin Cortez & Ensign JG Ire Williams - 11.16) (Trill - Outside - Journalist, Elsie Biers - 11.26) (USS Mystique - sickbay - 1140) (USS Mystique - personal quarters - Ensign JG Erin Cortez - 11.57) (Mystique –Bridge - Ensign (JG) - Ravok Shara - Ire Williams - 1200) (Mystique- Personal Quarters – Pilot – Ensign (JG) – Ire Williams 1215) (USS Mystique- Bridge – CONN– Ensign (JG) – Trip Williams 1218) (USS Mystique- Bridge – TAC. Ensign jg Ravok-1219) (USS Mystique- Personal Quarters – Pilot– Ensign (JG) – Ire Williams 1220) (Mystique –Bridge - Ensign (JG) - TAC.Ravok Shara - 1221) (USS Mystique- Captain’s Ready Room– Pilot– Ensign (JG) – Ire Williams 1231) (Starfleet academy-Ravoks quarters- Graduation day- Cadet Ravok Shara & Cadet Adala Michaels-1232) (Trill surface – Outside – Person Unknown - 1315) (Trill - Outside Senate Building - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.40) (Mystique- Bridge - Tactical station- TAC. Ensign jg Ravok Shara- 1441) (Trill - Outside Senate Building -Senator Lorn Dyl- 1442) (Trill - Senate building- Presidents office- President Taylin Zon- 1443) (Trill Surface- Billy's Hotel Room - Ensign JG Billy Alexander- 1445) (Trill - Dyl's Office - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.45) (Trill - Dyl's Office - Senator Lorn Dyl - 1446) (Trill - Dyl's Office - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.47) (Trill - Dyl's Office - Lorn Dyl- 1448) (Trill - Dyl's Office - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.49) (Trill - Dyl's Office - Senator Lorn Dyl - 1450) (Trill - Dyl's Office - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.51) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< (Unknown-Unknown – Intelligence Agent – Rebecca Faust– unknown) Rebecca stopped as she materialled into darkness. She paused waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness so that she could make out anything about her surroundings. As she did, she activated her suits in built tracker and the ear comm but only heard the faint pop click of an unconnected channel. She was still wearing the clothes she had on before but her bag with the suits helmet and her knife were gone ~Well this is not good~ She began to resign herself to the situation that she was in. She had been taken by unknown forces and placed in an isolation cell of some sort. She guessed that it was the people who were tracking Foxglove but would not know until they revealed themselves. ~As an Agent it is not if but when you will be taken by the enemy~ The voice of her instructor came floating in her mind. She blinked a few more times but nothing was resolving out of the darkness. ~Being kidnaped is another way of information gathering~ Realising that she was in total encompassing darkness she stretched her arms out and did a slow rotation to find out if there was anything in arms reach. ~Okay let’s gather information~ She stopped and began to take careful steps forwards. She found the wall and ran her hand across its rough stone surface. She then moved left and right along its length to work out how wide the room was, all the time exploring her new surrounding for anything. Once she had done a full rotation of the walls and searched the floor with her feet as she moved. She found that she was in an empty stone walled and floor room with no doors or windows, but she had heard the sound of air being pushed through an air vent in the ceiling. ~Okay so probably transported in which would make sense so that there were no weak points like doors or windows apart from the air vent which is too high to reach~ She moved to what she though was the back room and sat down on the floor in a comfortable position with her back against the wall. She resigned herself to what was going to happen. There was going to be torture physical and mental and she began to build her mental defences against what was going to come. ~Your mind is the weakest link you need to defend it as the defender of old would defend a castle~ So she began building high walls and deep moats, adding dead ground and dead ends, seeding each layer of defences with misleading information to throw off the intruders as she hid the vital parts of her knowledge deep with in the heart of the defences. She was good at this and had been one of the best in her class during training. The secure part of her mind drifted back to those times. She had been designed for this role since before she was born. She was one of the 1,800 Augment embryos left over from the Eugenic Wars and was moved along with other embryos to a highly secret facility call the Crypt after the incident with Arik Soong’s at Cold Station 12. Her embryo was tweaked and improved so that her belligerents, ambition, reduced morality and arrogants were modified so that she and the others could pass themselves as normal humans. Her intelligence and agility along with a few other things were amplified to fit the role that Star Fleet Intelligence had wanted for her as the intelligence gathering asset. Other embryos had been designed for more combat heavy roles and had been changed accordingly but Star Fleet Intelligence was cautious as to not to give the embryos all the abilities the Augments had during the Eugenic Wars as having hundreds of Khan’s lose on the galaxy would be catastrophic. Her earliest memory she had was of training, physically and mentally being push harder and tougher by her instructors in Star fleet Intelligence Special Operations. When she was old enough, she had been taken to Star Fleet Academy and enrolled as a cadet for her final test before she graduated. This was for two main reasons; one was for her to get a star fleet education as a cadet majoring in Intelligence and anthropology. The other was to spend time with her fellow cadets to learn as much about them as their sociology and culture. She shifted slightly into a more comfortable position and waited. She was used to the waiting game and would be ready for when they appeared. (Reply None) (Posted by Robbie) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – Medical/Counselor – Ensign J.G. Quinna Solice – 00:57) It had become later in the evening on Trill. Quinna was enjoying all the activity around but when the night life seemed to settle, Quinna was longing to stay longer. She did not have a set curfew. She wondered to down the roads a bit as she let the warm breeze brush through her blond hair. She was content but longed to do more. Without further thought, Quinna found a transport station. She knew where she wanted to go. She transported to the closest beach. There she took off her blouse to reveal the top half of a one piece swimsuit. The material shimmered with the moon light as if pointing out the metallic fiber that is laced in with the fabric. Quinna watches the waves come into shore. The top of the water almost luminesced in the moon light. The air was laced with the humid partials of the sea. The wind made the air warm and comfortable. She looked around daring if she were to take a swim alone. The metaphorical invitation of the waves made that swim a very tempting offer. Sliding off her shoes and her pants, which revealed the rest of the one-piece swimsuit, Quinna moved along to the shallows of the beach. She wanted to get a feel for the tide and undertow. Last thing she want was be an unwilling victim of a fiercely strong undertow. (Reply any: All is welcome for a little moonlight swim) (Played by: Kris B.) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach - TAC. Ensign Jg Ravok – 0059) Keira and Ravok walked along the beach. Enjoying the night air. Thoughts of the days events weighed heavily on his mind, but Keira had decided that a stroll on the beach would be a much needed event in their day. They walked and talked fir what seemed like hours. Both of them exchanging memories of life before the academy. Her life was without a doubt way more exciting than his. She was a woman of great talent. It didnt seem like there was end to the interesting facts of her life. She was a Merek, a family of the political caste more northern than southern ,proud and honored . He however was a Shara , a family of farming caste. Southern to their core , laid back and hard working. Under the traditions of Romulan society he wouldn't even have a chance with her, but this wasnt Romulan society. That was a thing of a distant yet recent past. She also however wasnt truly Romulan. Keira was also human , descended from a strong northern European bloodline. A family of nordic roots. Her human side interested him more than her Romulan side. It was a side he felt that she had neglected most of her life. Keira was an oddity to Ravok. She didnt fit in with human or Romulan stereotypes. She was uniquely separate from both. She was utterly remarkable, truly one of a kind. Walking the beach for the first time in his life, he found his footing very difficult to control. The sand was firm yet soft. He was truly perplexed at its wonder. Suddenly he saw a woman walking towards the water she was alone. She looked familiar to him. We stopped walking and looked at Keira "Isnt she one of ours? I think shes a counciler " Ravok said to Keira as the woman removed her clothes and made her way into the shallows of the water. ( reply Keira) " I don't thinks it's safe for her to be swimming alone." He stated to Keira ( reply Keira) Ravok quickly approached the swimming counciler. Stopping himself at the waters edge. "What are you doing ?" He yelled to the counciler ( reply Quinna , Keira) ( posted by Davis) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – Medical/Counselor – Ensign J.G. Quinna Solice – 1:00) Quinn stepped into the shallows of the water. It most it was only ankle deep but her feel loved what they were feeling. She went to take another step into the water. Her process was slow but methodical. She closed her eyes to fell the water ebb from the shoreline. "What are you doing?" Quinna heard. She opened her eyes and turned her head. She noted a couple, one abruptly running up to her. Upset by the intrusion Quinna replied, “Checking the tide and undertow to see if I can enjoy a moonlit swim.” She looked at the Romulan. “What are you doing?” (Reply Ravok and Keira) Quinna gave the two a look. “Look I just wanted to feel the water but I am not about to go in without others on the beach.” Quinna inserted, “I didn’t mean to disrupt your walk.” Quinna turned and walked to her clothing. She sat down in the sand. “Breathtaking isn’t it” (Reply Ravok and Keira) “You are welcome to join me if you like.” Quinna offered. Quinna turned as two more of the crew joined the small group. "Let's go swim Lynnie!" Sy cried out, turning towards the water and seeing Quinna, Ravok and Keira. "I'm so glad to see you guys!" “Hey” Quinna waved at them. “Glad you made it here.” (Replies Ravok, Keira, Williams-Verin, and Bracken) (Played by Kris) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – TAC. Ensign J.G. Ravok – 1:01) Quinn stepped into the shallows of the water. It most it was only ankle deep but her feel loved what they were feeling. She went to take another step into the water. Her process was slow but methodical. She closed her eyes to fell the water ebb from the shoreline. “Checking the tide and undertow to see if I can enjoy a moonlit swim.” Quinna said She looked at Ravok. “What are you doing?” " I was just curious and surprised to see someone out here swimming " he said loudly (Reply Keira) ( reply quinna) “Look I just wanted to feel the water but I am not about to go in without others on the beach.” “I didn’t mean to disrupt your walk.” Quinna said as she walked out of the water and sat down “Breathtaking isn’t it” Ravok looked at Keira as he said you didnt disturb anything counciler, apparently it is I who have disturbed you " Ravok said with a smirk. ( reply Keira) “You are welcome to join me if you like.” Quinna offered. Ravok looked at the water nervously " I ..umm..I dont think that's a good idea for me." He said trying to hide his embarrassment. He had been avoiding it all day. Ravok couldn't swim. ( reply keira) Ravok turned as others approached. It was Trips sister and Lynn who he had met playing dungeons and dragons. "Let's go swim Lynnie!" Sy cried out, turning towards the water and seeing Quinna, Ravok and Keira. "I'm so glad to see you guys!" “Hey” Quinna waved at them. “Glad you made it here.” " Hello " Ravok said as he waved slightly at them. (Replies Quinna, Keira, Williams-Verin, and Bracken) (Posted by Davis) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACSO – Ensign J.G. Sienna Williams-Verin – 01:05) Quinna had put out the invitation for all of the crew to come and continue on the beach if they were interested in staying on the planet, if they did not have duty on the ship. Sienna and Lynn had spent a good portion of the day together and it had been the second best experience that Sienna had with Lynn. Emerging on the beach, Sy took a moment and peeled her purple and white sundress from her body, exposing the turquoise beaded bikini under it. Sy has no tan lines visible on her body and like most Betazoids, she has no body modesty and her bikini suit is more decoration than covering. She had picked up a bag with a handmade, hand dyed beach towel. Taking the towel out, shaking it and laying it on the beach with her bag, dress and sandals, Sy turned towards Lynn, her dark eyes bright with excitement. "Let's go swim Lynnie!" Sy cried out, turning towards the water and seeing Quinna, Ravok and Keira. "I'm so glad to see you guys!" Sy was almost broadcasting her happiness, being here with Lynn and she knew that Trip was on his way as well. "This is beautiful! I'm so glad to be here!" Sienna was definitely talking in exclamation points in her delightful joy. (reply Bracken, Ravok, Keira, Solace, etc) (posted by Mel) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACEO – Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0107) The pair of Keira and Ravok had been walking the beach for some time. Once they were released by the Admiral, Ravok and her had ventured off together to see the sights. Keira had since changed out of her uniform, even modifying it as she had for the warmer weather, it was still quite stifling. She was now wearing a black one piece swimsuit, that accentuated what curves she did have. Ravok was kind enough to carry the back pack with her uniform inside and her combadge attached to the outside. She didn’t know if it was his inherently kind nature of always being helpful or the better view its absence gave of her back side, or some combination of the two, but his assistance was welcome. The majority of the walk they held hands walking along the beach, and just talked. Keira was largely a private person, not speaking to many about her childhood, but for some reason she had opened up to him. About how as a young girl she ran around most everywhere barefoot and dirty, her hair wild, waist-long and unkempt with the exception of a braid that ran from the very top of her forehead down the left side of her face until it ran out of hair, pointed ears on proud display. Her mother had nicknamed Keira Ljósálfar or sometimes just referred to her as “my little Elf”, because she looked so much like the elves of Norse folklore. They had stopped talking for a bit, just silently enjoying each other’s company, Keira had spotted someone, a female someone out in the distance that looked like she was going for a swim. "Isn’t she one of ours? I think she’s a councilor. " Ravok said to Keira who looked away and rolled her eyes “Yeah, probably.” She answered. " I don't thinks it's safe for her to be swimming alone." He said. It was clear to Keira, that he felt the need to do something about it. She’s probably fine, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. She pushed the green-blooded monster that was her jealousy down and out of sight. It was one of the things she liked about him, his kind nature, and she wasn’t going to do anything to alter one of his many good qualities for a flash moment of jealousy. "What are you doing ?" He yelled to the councilor. “Checking the tide and undertow to see if I can enjoy a moonlit swim.” Quinna said She looked at Ravok. “What are you doing?” " I was just curious and surprised to see someone out here swimming, " he said loudly. ~You big lovable goober.~ Keira thought and rolled her eyes again. “Look I just wanted to feel the water but I am not about to go in without others on the beach. I didn’t mean to disrupt your walk.” Quinna said as she walked out of the water and sat down, “breathtaking isn’t it?” Ravok looked at Keira as he said, “You didn’t disturb anything councilor, apparently it is I who have disturbed you, " Ravok said with a smirk. “You are welcome to join me if you like.” Quinna offered. Ravok looked at the water nervously " I ..umm..I dont think that's a good idea for me." ~He can’t swim?~ The signs were there all day, she had been to enraptured to notice. A new group approached some more exuberant that others. "Let's go swim Lynnie! I'm so glad to see you guys!" Ravok and Keira waived greeting to those that had showed up. She whispered to him, “Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t swim?” (Reply Ravok) “I don’t have time to teach you, not in one session anyway.” She took the bag of her and his, but mostly her things and threw it farther up the beach and away from the water. “What I can do is show you how to use that tight dense body of yours to your advantage.” She said. “Take off your shirt, and wait here.” (Reply Ravok) She left his side, confidently sliding though the ebbs of the small waves lapping the shore until she got about waist high and with a little hop she plunged into the blue-green water. The water was warmer than she expected, but was a welcome break from the much warmer night air. She turned gently after swimming only a few yards and popped out of the water. Her head was visible first. Her hair now wet had naturally slicked back and tucked behind her pointed ears. She now stopped swimming as her feet touched the sand bar that would eventually become the beach, and started walking towards Ravok. As she closed the distance and as the shore line worked up towards dry land, the water slowly revealed more of her athletic figure. Her dark swimsuit hugged her body even more tightly than it did before, soon she was standing next to him in ankle deep water. (Reply Ravok) She grinned, “Motivation.” She grabbed his hands in hers, and started gently pulling him towards the deeper water. (Reply Ravok) “Trust me, I won’t hurt you.” She said using the same words he told her just before he threw her into a spin on the dance floor more than a week ago. (Reply Ravok) She locked eyes with him guiding him out. She stopped pulling once the got to waist deep water. She paused, and gave him a chance to get oriented. She could see his trepidation but he was handling himself well. (Reply Ravok) She smiled warmly, “You handle fighters going fractions of the speed of light. On the Mystique you handle phasers that could atomize yourself or a passing asteroid or comet. One wrong move and you’re dead. This is just water. Breathe.” She said in an effort to calm him down. (Reply Ravok) “Remember Sinclair’s first speech with introduction to piloting?” she said getting closer to him, her volume was lower. (Reply Ravok) “The meanest son-of-a-bitch in space is Isaac Newton.” She said with a grin. “Yeah, that’s the one. Use your mass in the water. It’s harder to move you because you’re so dense, that dense muscle tissue…” she said with one hand one his shoulder the other on his waist. She gently turned him so that neither the waves nor the sloping shoreline had a direct axis to knock him off his feet. Her hand lingered on his muscles for longer than necessary but she brought her hand down when she realized there were others present. (Reply Ravok) “Now keep your feet shoulder width apart.” She said. (Reply Ravok) “Oh, really? Let me check.” She said and moved in extremely close. She pressed her body against his, so close that they could no longer look eye to eye. She looked over his left shoulder as she moved her feet around in the water. First one, then the other. She placed her feet with the outsides on the insides of his feet, both firmly planted in the sand. “OK, you’re right.” She said and stepped back. “However, as long as you keep your head above water, and stable enough to not fall. You’ll be fine.” (Reply Ravok, any present) (Posted by Todd) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – TAC. Ensign JG Ravok Shara – 0108) “Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t swim?” Keira whispered to him. " It wasnt high on my list of priorities " he said slightly embarrassed. “I don’t have time to teach you, not in one session anyway.” She took the bag of her and his, but mostly her things and threw it farther up the beach and away from the water. “What I can do is show you how to use that tight dense body of yours to your advantage.” She said. “Take off your shirt, and wait here " He removed his shirt and threw it to the side as she walked away ~ What is she up to ?~ he thought to himself. ~ Probably another surprise up her sleeve.~ She left his side, confidently sliding though the ebbs of the small waves lapping the shore until she got about waist high and with a little hop she plunged into the blue-green water. The water was warmer than she expected, but was a welcome break from the much warmer night air. She turned gently after swimming only a few yards and popped out of the water. Her head was visible first. Her hair now wet had naturally slicked back and tucked behind her pointed ears. She now stopped swimming as her feet touched the sand bar that would eventually become the beach, and started walking towards Ravok. As she closed the distance and as the shore line worked up towards dry land, the water slowly revealed more of her athletic figure. Her dark swimsuit hugged her body even more tightly than it did before, soon she was standing next to him in ankle deep water. He looked at her. Trying to stop his jaw from dropping. " What are you up to ?" He asked her as he couldn't help but think about just picking her up and running away to a more secluded place. Completely against his nature but she brought out primal urges in him so easily. Keira grinned, “Motivation.” she said as she grabbed his hands in hers, and started gently pulling him towards the deeper water. " Oh I'm motivated alright " he laughed. " Ok maybe this is far enough." He said nervously. “Trust me, I won’t hurt you.” She said to him. He noticed the look in her eyes. It was the same look she gave him when they were dancing. A look of trust. A look of reassurance. " I trust you" he smiled at her. As she pulled him into the water further. She locked eyes with him guiding him out. She stopped pulling once the got to waist deep water. She paused, and gave him a chance to get oriented. Ravok felt uneasy bit was becoming more comfortable with the idea the water felt great. " I cant believe I'm doing this" he said slightly stressed. She smiled warmly, “You handle fighters going fractions of the speed of light. On the Mystique you handle phasers that could atomize yourself or a passing asteroid or comet. One wrong move and you’re dead. This is just water. Breathe.” He nodded his head " You're right. I got this, it's just water." He exclaimed with confidence. “Remember Sinclair’s first speech with introduction to piloting?” she said getting closer to him, her volume was lower. " The speech where he went over Newton's laws in great detail, How could I forget?" He laughed. “The meanest son-of-a-bitch in space is Isaac Newton.” She said with a grin. “Yeah, that’s the one. Use your mass in the water. It’s harder to move you because you’re so dense, that dense muscle tissue…” she said as she had one hand one his shoulder the other on his waist. ~ I love swimming ~ he thought to himself. She gently turned him so that neither the waves nor the sloping shoreline had a direct axis to knock him off his feet. Her hand lingered on his muscles for longer than necessary but she brought her hand down when she realized there were others present. " What next ?" He asked as he could feel the water trying to move him. “Now keep your feet shoulder width apart.” She said. " Got it " he said as he positioned himself following her every instruction. Knowing that others were watching them in the water. He didnt want to make a mistake. " I'm steady" he declared. “Oh, really? Let me check.” She said and moved in extremely close. She pressed her body against his, so close that they could no longer look eye to eye. She looked over his left shoulder as she moved her feet around in the water. First one, then the other. She placed her feet with the outsides on the insides of his feet, both firmly planted in the sand. “OK, you’re right.” Kiera said and stepped back. “However, as long as you keep your head above water, and stable enough to not fall. You’ll be fine." She said. " Stable enough not to fall?" He asked as he grabbed her back to him closely " Aeek'h'i ve Eiuk'h hwiiy Iekil'eirh ehri Copai eri? " {Romulan: What if I told you I have already fallen?} He said as he kissed her before she could respond . Not caring that others could see. They were both off duty, let them judge. ( reply Keira, or anyone ) ( posted by Davis) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACEO – Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0110) " Aeek'h'i ve Eiuk'h hwiiy Iekil'eirh ehri Copai eri? " {Romulan(Southern Dialect): What if I told you I have already fallen?} He said softly. She wasn’t surprised he kissed her, she was surprised it took him so long in the evening. “Took you long enough to take the shot, flyboy,” she said with a wry grin. “I’ve been sending up target acquisition signals all day.” (Reply Ravok) “Better late then never,” she said, as his arms circled her, she put her hands on his pectoral muscles, ~I should have him take his shirt off more often~ “so which hailing frequency did it? When did you get the hint?” (Reply Ravok) “Ah, I’ll have to remember that.” She said playfully and smiled, “I got you something.” (Reply Ravok) “I got a bottle of Trill moonshine.” She said. “Bought it with some latinum I had squirrelled away while you were in the head.” (Reply Ravok) “I hid it in my uniform, it’s wrapped around the bottle. Either it’s intact, because it cushioned the fall, or my uniform is gonna smell like Trill hooch.” She giggled. (Reply Ravok) “You wanna get out of here? We have just enough time to try a couple of glasses, maybe get some midnight rations and get to bed. We both have Alpha shift in the morning.” (Reply Ravok) “If I’m your voice of reason, we’re both in trouble.” She admitted. (Reply Ravok, any) (Posted by Todd) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – TAC.Ensign JG Ravok Shara – 0111) “Took you long enough to take the shot, flyboy,” she said with a wry grin. “I’ve been sending up target acquisition signals all day.” " I wanted to wait for the right time. This seemed like the right time ." He said to her and smiled with his arms around her. “Better late then never,” she said “so which hailing frequency did it? When did you get the hint?” " Let's just say your little motivation stunt did the trick " he laughed “Ah, I’ll have to remember that.” She said to him “I got you something.” " What is it ?" “I got a bottle of Trill moonshine.” She said. “Bought it with some latinum I had squirrelled away while you were in the head.” " I had moonshine on earth, finished off 3 Mason jars before I started to feel anything, Damn these romulans livers" he laughed . “I hid it in my uniform, it’s wrapped around the bottle. Either it’s intact, because it cushioned the fall, or my uniform is gonna smell like Trill hooch.” She giggled. " That would be a shame. Youd have to stay in that bathing suit longer " he said sarcastically with a grin. “You wanna get out of here? We have just enough time to try a couple of glasses, maybe get some midnight rations and get to bed. We both have Alpha shift in the morning.” " Yes, I do. That's sounds reasonable enough to me." Ravok said . “If I’m your voice of reason, we’re both in trouble.” said Keira " Troubles sounding pretty good to me right now" he said with a wink " Come on let's beam back." They both left the water and gathered there belongings and quickly beamed back aboard the mystique. (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACMO Ens(jg) Ailynn Bracken 0114) "Let's go swim Lynnie!" Sy cried out, turning towards the water and perhaps seeing Quinna, Ravok and Keira. "I'm so glad to see you guys!" Sienna’s Empathy was shouting her happiness and screaming into her own mind "This is beautiful! I'm so glad to be here!" Sienna was definitely talking in exclamation points in her delightful joy. Ailynn could feel Sienna’s radiated joy. Under any other circumstances, she would have wallowed in that joy, but at the moment, she hid her torment. She’d had a screaming headache since lunchtime, her chest hurt to it seemed. That being said she hadn’t hardly eaten today and it had been the longest day. All she wanted now was her bed. She wasn’t an empath by any stretch, of course. However, the most private part of her brain, had supplied a method of protecting itself against Sienna’s exuberance, she was falling more and more for her girlfriend, but she needed a place where she could just be herself, and her mind had suggested that place, the tiniest of blocking, a place where she could hide the pain. Tired as she was, she picked up Sienna’s dress and smiled as she watched her happiness. “I’m not dressed for the sea” She excused, “You carry on baby.” She leant forward and captured a kiss. Go have fun. I’m good.” (reply Sienna, any) (Posted by Mark) (U.S.S. MYSTIQUE – DECK A – aACEO – Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0115) The walk from the transporter room to Ravok’s quarters was brief. The doors whooshed open on his approach. " Come on in " he said indicating that she go first. As she entered first her instincts were blaring at Red Alert, she used her will to push that reaction down and trust him. She looked around to see a fairly standard junior officer’s room, which did more to calm her nerves than she expected it to. " Its no where near as nice as what you department heads have but I'm at the top of the ship and I have a 180 degree view from starboard . Cant complain about that " he said pointing to the massive floor to ceiling window that was about 4 meters in width and curved outwards creating a semi circle shape to the room. “Looks like we’re still in standard orbit.” She remarked about the view as Ravok walked over to the replicator Keira placed the square shaped clear glass bottle of deep purple liquid on the table and walked over to get a better look at the view. “It really is a whole new world.” She absentmindedly blurted out as she opened the curtains. This was still only the fourth planet she had visited. " They say some Trill liquors are slightly hallucinogenic to most humanoids. I have had a few Trills wines before and it didn’t make me loose my mind. " Ravok offered some of his experience as he poured the dark violet liquid. “So I’m not going to see 53 purple peacocks, 75 golden camels or 95 monkeys then?” she joked. “Thank you.” She said taking the tumbler that he offered, she inhaled its aroma, it smelled of plum or apple. Admittedly she wasn’t much of a connoisseur, but she wanted to experience as much of this moment as possible. " Computer lower lighting 5 levels. " Ravok said as the lighting dimmed drastically and the reflection of the system’s suns off the planet filled the room giving it a more natural glow. She brought the glass to her lips and tilted it enough to get a small amount of liquid to taste. It gave a burning sensation and slowly evaporated replacing the sensation with an unidentifiable tangy but soothing fruit flavor. “This stuff is pretty good.” She said she drank a little more as she looked out at the planet below. “You thinking about heading to the mess?” " Now to think of it , I'm not hungry anyways ." He said with a smirk as he downed the rest of his glass. “I’m not feeling much of this.” She said, “I’m beginning to feel like I might have gotten ripped off.” (Reply Ravok) “You’re probably right.” She admitted, finishing her glass as well. “At least we don’t have to let it go to waste.” She said picking up the bottle and giving him another helping, filling his glass half way, before doing the same for herself and placing the bottle down on the table. She felt herself getting flushed in her cheeks which was fairly normal at this point for strong Earth alcohol. She drank some more, finishing her second glass in one swallow and then reached for Ravok’s hand to pull him closer. She set the glass down on the window sill. (Reply Ravok) They stood together huddled in silence watching as the planet rotated beneath them. She saw what looked like a spark followed by a green shimmering aurora with pink and white undertones dancing across Trill’s atmosphere. “Would you look at that?” she said astounded. “I didn’t know Trill had something like Earth’s Northern lights.” (Reply Ravok) “You don’t see it?” she asked. “It’s right there.” She said pointing at the planet. (Reply Ravok) “Maybe I’ll give you something to look at then.” She said and then pulled him in for a kiss. She could taste the fruit brandy on his lips. Afterwards they gazed into each other’s eyes. (Reply Ravok) “What do you mean? What’s wrong with my eyes?” she said genuinely concerned. (Reply Ravok) (Posted by Todd) (U.S.S. MYSTIQUE – DECK A – TAC. Ensign JG Ravok Shara – 0116) “I’m not feeling much of this.” She said, “I’m beginning to feel like I might have gotten ripped off.” " Maybe it's a low grade alcohol content. But it's good In a very ' I'm a pacifist Trill' kind of way." He said with air quotes “You’re probably right.” At least we don’t have to let it go to waste.” Keira reached for Ravok’s hand to pull him closer and set her glass down on the window sill. He noticed her breathing sounded really slow. So did his but it didnt feel slow to him. Even though the alcohol wasnt strong he appreciated the gift . It was very thoughtful of Keira. As he stood there admiring the view with Keira she broke the silence. “Would you look at that?” “I didn’t know Trill had something like Earth’s Northern lights.” He looked with curiosity " Trill magnetosphere does catch alot of the solar winds from Trills two stars but I dont see anything " “You don’t see it?” she asked. “It’s...... right ..........there.” She said pointing at the planet. ~ why is talking so slow ?~ he thought as looked. " I'm looking and I dont see anything " he laughed “Maybe I’ll give you something to look...... at .....then.” She said and then pulled Ravok in for a kiss. Afterwards they gazed into each other’s eyes. While looking in her eyes he noticed that they suddenly became fully dilated. The mesmerizing color of her eyes were gone . Replaced with black orbs. "Keira! , what wrong with your eyes ???" He asked in a loud and frantic voice . “What ..........doooo yoooooou meeeean? What’s wrooooong with myyyyy ......eyes?” she said asked quickly. Her mouth was moving but the words were long and drawn out. Her mouth stopped moving before her words were done being spoken . "What the hell Keira? Your eyes Their completley dilated. Your voice is wrong " (Reply Keira ) " Stop doing that. " he said talking about her vocal delay. ( reply Keira) Ravok thought about activating the lights but her pupils were dilated so he didnt want to hurt her. " Sit down , let's sit. " he suggested ( reply Keira) " Listen I'm not seeing any lights. What do you mean I'm glowing ?" Ravok replied (Reply Keira) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – CONN, ENS JG Trip Williams - 0117) Trip walked over to the beach where everyone else was congregating. He had planned to go to bed early, but he could't sleep. When he found out that there was a group going for a beach stroll, he figured it would be a good place to go, to get his mind off of things. Maybe a little fun would do him some good. The protests were weighing on his mind. He new that people would not want Trill to join the Federation, but he didn't think the Federation would be blamed for everything that went wrong, for the machinations of villains like the Dominion or Doenitz, but it was what it was. It just made him nostalgic for an era he never knew, of exploration and hope. He just felt uneasy, he wanted reunification, he wanted to move forward, but there were things he could not control and he didn't like not being in control. No one ever really does. He was wearing swim trunks, red in color, sandals, and a black tank top, showing of his tattooes but not hiss scarrred torso. He didn't know if he was going to swim, but he wanted to be where the people were. As he walked onto the beach, looking around seeing some in the water, he found an open beach chair, sat down, and sighed. He wanted to be asleep, but since he couldn't sleep, this was the place he wanted to be. (reply any) (reply any) (posted by Will) (U.S.S. MYSTIQUE – DECK A – aACEO Ensign JG Keira Merek – 0119) "What the hell Keira? Your eyes Their completely dilated. Your voice is wrong " he said. She thought she might have heard panic, but she could have been just projecting her own feelings. “What do you mean my voice is wrong?” she asked. " Stop doing that. " he said. “Doing what?” she asked. “Other than being concerned about how you’re acting, I’m not doing anything. I was enjoying the view, the aurora of Western Lights was amazing to see, especially with someone I care about. It was kinda romantic until you started acting funny.” " Sit down , let's sit. " he suggested his tone changed. She sat down as he suggested, as she looked at him sitting as well he had a reddish purple aura around him. “Hey, you’re glowing… pretty.” " Listen I'm not seeing any lights. What do you mean I'm glowing ?" Ravok replied She took her two index fingers starting with them together at the top of his head and traced around his outline, “Glowing purplish-red like burgundy….” She paused, “wait, you said Trill alcohol is hallucinogenic to off-worlders…” (Reply Ravok) “We had two drinks… or do you mean how many “Starfleet Drinks”? You know that part during the first shore leave you get after many cadets reach 21 and they start giving safety briefs about drinking alcohol, then some of the non-humans laugh because it takes two to three times the amount to even get a buzz?” (Reply Ravok) “Well, I heard you order 8oz glasses, we filled those half way twice, so 8oz each. The alcohol content was about the same as a distilled spirit like whiskey…” (Reply Ravok) “And we drank those in under an hour, so eight drinks? Is my math right?” she asked. (Reply Ravok) “Well, what do you want to do?” she asked. (Reply Ravok) “I’d rather not be out in about feeling like this.” She admitted. “No telling who I could run into.” (Reply Ravok) “Sickbay? A world of “no”.” she said. “Same problem.” (Reply Ravok, any) (Posted by Todd) (U.S.S. MYSTIQUE – DECK A – TAC Ensign jg Ravok – 0124) “Gloooooowing....... purplish-red like burgundy….” She paused, “wait, you said Trill alcohol is .......hallucinogenic toooooo .......off-worlders…” Becoming slightly annoyed with his hearing " Yes, we aren't drunk we are experiencing the side effects though " he said as he rubbed his forehead. “We had two drinks… or do you mean how many “Starfleet Drinks”? You know that part during the first shore leave you get after many cadets reach 21 and they start giving safety briefs about drinking alcohol, then some of the non-humans laugh because it takes two to three times the amount to even get a buzz?” For a moment he was able to hear her clearly her words weren't drawn out ~ Maybe running my forehead helps ~ he thought. " As ...Romulans " he said hesitating with his words. He hated saying that to her. "As Romulans , we can drink far more than most human noids but this hallucinogenic side effect hit us fast " he replied “Well, I heard you order 8oz glasses, weeeeeee filled those half way twice, so 8oz each. The....... alcohol ........content was about the........ same as a distilled......... spirit..... like whiskey…” He nodded his head " Yeah , not enough to even get us buzzed. " “And we drank those in under an hour, so eight drinks? Is my math right?” she asked. " Yeah it's right. " he answered her as he continued to rub his forehead. “Well, what do you want to do?” she asked. " A doctor. We need to neutralize the effects" Ravok said “I’d rather not be out in about feeling like this.” She admitted. “No telling who I could run into.” " Right maybe we could call sickbay directly or even Dr Bracken ?" He asked “Sickbay? A world of “nooooooo”.” she said. “Same ........problem." He looked at her and thought for a moment " Solice , Solice is a doctor as well. We can call her to come hear directly without drawing to much attention. " Ravok grabbed got up and grabbed his commbadge and tapped it " Ensign Ravok to Ensign Solice. I need you on the mystique in my quarters. I will explain when you get here " he said to her over the channel ( reply Solice ) ( reply Quinna Solice ) ( posted by Davis ) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – CONN Ens(jg) Trip Williams, aACSO Ens(jg) Sienna Verin-Williams and aACMO Ailynn Bracken – 01:25) Trip sat at the beach just staring out into the ocean. It wasn’t a particularly cool night. He kind of wished he had a cooler of beer, but he didn’t bring one. ~Would have been nice.~ Still there was one other person not in the water. Lynn. Getting her attention, he motioned for her to come sit by him. “Yo Lynnie the pooh, why aren’t you in the water?” Ailynn turned, pulling her attention away from the water, the moonlight reflecting off the surf. "Trip...Hi." she stepped over and sat in the chair next to him, with a gentle sigh of relief. The pain was worse. She really needed to sleep. "I'm...not dressed for swimming I'm afraid." She answered sadly. “Shame, you may be dating my sister, but I would have loved to see you in a bikini.” Trip said with a playful laugh. A comment he could only get away with because he grew up around Lynn. She laughed gently. "You've seen me in a bikini altogether too many times, Trip Williams. Mum's fence still has that hole in it." She turned and stuck her tongue out at him. Glad she had someone for company as she watched the others swim. “Yeah, never used that hole. You just always invited me over for a swim. Now, you’re grandma Dale, pretty sure Tommy Connicky used the hole to peek at her at my 12th birthday party. For a grandma she’s really hot. Then again, thanks to weird time travel shenanigans with your mom, your grandma is the same age as your mom.” Ailynn laughed deeply. "He should count himself lucky she did not catch him. She is a very different girl to mum. You know at the time she was SpecOps? I would kill to find out half of what she got up to." “Yeah, me too. Still, your grandma is a cougar.” Trip then did the air claws and made a cat noise. Ailynn shook her head, amused. "You are just incorrigible." She smiled deeply, sliding into the chair more and tucking her knees up. She then continued looking at the waves, her eyes transfixed by the breaking surf. "Water's supposed to be warm, you not going in?" “Not really feeling it, you know. Just feel off. Don’t know how long I’m gonna stay. It’s why I’m wearing my commbadgae on my tanktop. Might just head to ship tonight. Better AC. Do you ever get the feeling like it just makes sense for you to be somewhere, the people who make the calls want you there, but the people are just so stuck in whatever they think reality is, they just don’t want you around? Sorry, that's both vague and specific. I guess I just feel weird. The protesters got under my skin.” She felt the playful tone in conversation change. Nodding, she replied. "I saw that. Seemed that it was a lot of people making a lot of noise about things they don't really understand, and won't listen to either the truth or alternative opinion." “It’s a constant of the universe. I just really want this to work.” "You and me both." She reached out and held his hand. "I know you too well though, ain't just that…" “Plus I guess, I’m a bit lonely. She was kind of &$%#@ to a lot of people, but part of me wishes Alex was here. I mean yeah, it probably wasn’t going to work out in the end. But seeing everyone having fun at the beach, just you know. It kinda hit me this afternoon, you know the loneliness. The weird loneliness that happens when you’re surrounded by people.” "A reminder of what could have been? I get that. Alex was just settling in...with more time? Who knows." “Who knows. I certainly don’t. I’m an empath, not a fortune teller.” He said with a chuckle. She carried on airing something that she'd been trying to say to him since the Operation. "You have to know I did everything I possibly could...and more... I'm sorry...I wasn't good enough." Her heart sank at the admission. “Hey,” he said as he turned to her and put his hand gently on her cheek. “It’s not your fault. Even you mom wouldn’t have been able to keep her from having to go to Starfleet Medical and spend a long time in rehab. You did your best, and that is all that matters. OK?” "I'm doing it again aren’t I. Taking everything on my shoulders I mean." She smiled wainly, rubbing her head, slightly scowling, and then her right arm. “Yeah, you are. You okay champ?” Ailynn nodded. "Tired is all. Your sister snores." She chuckled. "Don't tell her I said that." “You’ve been spending the night with my sister?” Trip sighed, “The things I miss now that we don’t live in the same spot.” "Ooh...yeah...about that…" “It’s fine, the other day someone asked me if Ashlyn Jones and I were sleeping together. It’s like, no. We just watch a bunch of cheesy old movies together. There is nothing romantic or amorous going on there. Ashlyn Jones, been there, kissed that, a long time ago.” "You and her? Please...I don't see it. No chemistry. Lovely girl, lots of fun." She frowned momentarily. "Doesn't open up to me much but then again I couldn’t sit through 'Vampires on Venus V' or whatever it was. So might just be me" “Oh man, she loved that one. That and the one with the vampires on Saturn, really anything to do with vampires and the solar system. But I think both of us found Vampires on Venus five to be much better than the first four. We umm, marathoned it.” "Odd girl. No situational awareness." Ailynn commented. “I was really hoping she’d come down and hang out, but she’s been busy getting stuff for the Mars local government. Kinda miss her to be honest. Weird.” "You after getting her into a bikini too?" She teased. “No, I mean I almost got her out of he dress once, so I figure if I really wanted that, I could probably make it happen.” Trip laughed and then paused for a moment. “I probably shouldn’t have said that out loud.” Ailynn shook her head. "Nope. No you shouldn't. Kinda creepy." As she looked out across the beach she caught sight of Sienna and her heart sank once more and her smile softened. “You know, your grandmother bought Ash her prom dress. It’s why it looked identical to yours. There was some kind of offer or something. Your grandma even bribed my cousin Ann Marie to give her a makeover.” "I never knew. I mean I always wondered. Figured it was chance. Dale has got a very very good eye. She'd have made an amazing Doctor. Medical Doctor I mean rather than a Physicist." “Yeah, I was surprised when Ash told me that. I just thought it was a coincidence. It’s kind of weird to be honest.” "Yeah just a bit." “Like your grandma, just buying some random girl in your class a dress.” "Ash was from...her mum...her Dad I mean. My family tries to look out for those with less. Maybe that's the reason." Ailynn felt her chest tighten as she spoke. She drew in her breath and released it gently. “Lynn,” Trip said concerned, “Seriously are you doing ok?” Ailynn nodded. "Indigestion. Ate too quickly. I'm fine." “Why don’t we head back to the hotel. I’ve got some antacids in my overnight bag.” "I'll be fine. I like it here." She squeezed his hand once more. "I'm fine" “No seriously, I’m worried about you, let’s go get those antacids.” "Okay. Help me up." She held out her hands. "My foot's gone to sleep. Better message Sy...Don't want to just bail on her. " “On it.” Trip said as he helped her up. ::Yo, Sy, forgive the intrusion, but I don’t want to yell. Lynn’s not feeling well, indigestion or something. We’re heading to the hotel real quick for some antacids. Be back right quick.:: Sienna was frolicking out in the waves, having a wonderful time. Her empathy was broadcasting a light joy that surrounded her. She looked towards where Trip was. ::If you are coming right back, I will stay. But if it changes, tell me and I'll head to the hotel. I don't want to party without my best friend and my girlfriend.:: She sent back, trying to get a sense of Lynn but failing due to the number of people that were there. ::Don’t worry sis, the plan is to come back, if something changes, you will be the first to know.:: “Done, Twin telepathy, got to love it.” “I knew that would come in useful one day.” She quipped. Stretching slightly, rubbing her right arm once more, tensing and releasing her fingers. As the two began walking towards the hotel, Trip began feeling from Lynn that this was most likely not indigestion. His passive empathic abilities were picking up feelings of stress and worry. Not a total panic but a slight panic. Before he could say anything, as they stepped foot onto the main path and had left the beach Ailynn stumbled, crying out in pain this time. “Trip…” She turned, her face, ashen, “I need to lean on…” “I got you.” He said as he reached out to grab her. She felt a strong arm around her, supporting her. Once more a spasm of pain shot down her right arm. She collapsed to her knees, and clutched her chest. Struggling for breath, waves of terror flooded out of her. “Can’t...breathe...heart…” She was losing consciousness, she knew that, not knowing if she was sitting kneeling or lying down, she carried on trying to talk. Her voice forced through gasps of air that she was having to do herself. “Head…” She looked up into the terrified face of whoever was leaning over her, familiar, but she couldn’t recognise it through the pain that was tearing at her body. “Head...Medulla…” Slowly...blackness. “Lynn? Lynn?” Trip said frantically, as he laid Lynn’s body onto the path. “Dangit. Hold on, you jerk, you’re not allowed to die on me, you hear me.” ::Sy, it’s Trip. Listen, Lynn, she fainted, I don’t know what is going on. She panicked and blacked out. I’m beaming with her to sickbay. Don’t panic. I think it will be ok. But she was worried before she blacked out. If you meet us up there, leave quietly. I don’t want the others to panic.:: Sienna felt Lynn's panic and pain through the budding imzadi bond between the two and she struggled out of the waves, the empathic broadcast she was doing at the beach changing for a single short second before she stopped and shielded herself so she stopped leaking. Trip's reply frightened her, and that terror likely touched her twin . :: Lemme get out of here quietly and I'll head back to the ship. We don't have a doctor, do we?:: ::We do, there is the epidimilogist, Dural Methor, and a Bajoran doctor, he’s more of a general practitioner. Don’t worry, she’s gonna be in good hands. If they can’t handle it, there is the EMH. Worst case scenario we’ll call for a Trill doctor. I’ll see you up there.:: Trip then posted his commbadge. “Ensign Trip Williams to the Mystique. I have a medical emergency. Two to beam up, straight to sickbay.” Trip then cradled Lynn in his arms as the blue energy of the transporter washed over them and beamed them straight to sickbay. He hoped, truly hoped, that ship doctors would be up to task. (reply none) (posted by Will, Mark, and Mel) (Mystique – Bridge – Pilot – Ensign (JG) - Ire Williams – 01.45) He looked out of the view screen at the slowly rotating planet that was Trill. He had enjoyed his trip planet side but as with all excursions onto a planet he realised that he preferred being in space. Which was why he was at his shift rather then on the beach with the others, also it meant that most of his duty shift could also go planet side which is what he would tell Trip if he asked. He fidgeted in the chair; it was not his CONN chair no that was a few steps in front of him with his pilot relief sitting at it. No, he was in the bridge command chair and it was all Jeff’s fault. Jeff was the shift command officer and was in command of the Mystique for this shift and he had decided to put Ire in charge while he took his allocated break with the sarcastic comment of ‘don’t break the ship while I am gone’. In theory putting Ire in charge was not a problem as a graduate of Starfleet academy he was able to take command of the Mystique, but it did not mean he liked the responsibility. ~All I need is something to go wrong and I’ll get blamed for that as well~ He fidgeted again and caught the smirk of the crewman at tactical and stopped. He glanced at the chronometer on the wall before he caught himself and cursed mentally. ~Come on Jeff stop having that second slice of black forest…..~ =^=Ensign Trip Williams to the Mystique. I have a medical emergency. Two to beam up, straight to sickbay=^= ~Ow hell~ His brain caught up with him as he spoke. “This is Mystique we copy all and prepare for beam out.” He cut the comm line and then opened it again. “Bridge to transport room one. Medical emergency lock on to Ensign Trip Williams’s comm badge on the surface and beam him and one other to sickbay.” He was already switching channels before the reply came. “Bridge to Sickbay. I am declaring a medical emergency. Two beaming directly to sickbay no information on their condition.” (reply Sickbay IYW) ~Sorry Jeff but I am going to spoil your dessert you really should have not taken first break~ “Bridge to Ensign Willow please report to the bridge.” (reply Sickbay, any) (Posted by Robbie) (Trill Homeworld – Local Beach – aACSO Ens(jg) Sienna Verin-Williams – 01:46) Sy had received the broadcast from her brother and had struggled out of the waves. Looking around her, she saw so many crew having fun, and she moved quietly over towards Quinna Solace. "Quinna, walk with me, please?" She spoke very quietly, moving with Quinna over to where her towel was. By Sy's body language, she was obviously concerned about something serious. Facing away from the crew on the beach, she picked up her towel and dress, and began to dry her hair, trying very hard to look as carefree as she was a few minutes earlier. "Quinna, you know that I wouldn't bother you and ruin your night, but my Imzadi, Ailynn Bracken... Trip told me that she collapsed. She has had pains all day, a headache and some indigestion. Trip was taking her back to the hotel we chose to get her something for it. I thought it was dehydration, she's never really been in this kind of prolonged heat, but I can't feel her and Quinna, please, please. I know that you are a Counselor too but please come back to the Mystique with me and check on her. I still can't..." A blinding pain went through Sienna and she stumbled hard. Something was very wrong. "I need to go, I need to be with her. Please don't tell the others, they would just panic..." Sy touched her comm badge, "Luma, it's Sienna, can you transport me to the Sickbay where my twin, Trip is please? I need to be with her." =^= Luma will move the Sienna to be with her Eimsanna. The doctors are worried. Luma is worried about the Ailynn too. Her light is fading and the machines of the sick bay are keeping her alive. =^= Sienna's eyes met Quinna's and Quinna could see the pain there, "Luma please send me there!" A moment later Sienna arrived in sickbay, into the middle of controlled chaos. (reply Quinna) (posted by Mel) (USS Mystique – Sickbay– Pilot – Medical Officer, Dr. Kyros Ryelle and CONN Ensign JG Trip Williams - 1:47) It was never easy having the night shift, but Dr. Kyros Ryelle did not mind. It was quiet, and he liked the quiet. It reminded him of a different time in his life. Sickbay was mostly empty apart from a few nurse and of course, himself. It had been a relatively uneventful trip, and between himself, Dr. Bracken, and Dr. Methor, they medical needs of the crew had been very well covered. Dr. Bracken was a surgeon, Dr. Methor an Epidemiologist, Dr. Kyros considered himself more a general practicioner. Among the three, he felt that they had many areas of the spectrum covered. Besides in a real pinch there was always Dr. Solice who could be recalled from the counseling offices in a crisis. Though he had wished that Dr. Poldan had gone with them, it would have made the load in sickbay a little lighter. But he understood, given certain extenuating circumstances, Dr. Poldan's desire to remain on Mars. There was one dynamic within the medical team that a mere 70 years early would have been almost unheard of. The reality of him working so closely with a Cardassian. Everything in his cultural history said he should hate the man, but those were wounds from before his birth, before his time. Now both planets were equals in the Federation family. Besides, Ryelle, as the Bajoran doctor was called by his friends, was a man who tried is best not to be crippled by hate. Besides Dr. Methor was actually a likable fellow It had been an interesting path to becoming a Starfleet doctor. As he sat in the office praying, he was certain that the four years he had spent as novice monk in the Bajoran monastery was helping cope with the eerie silence that the night shift often provided. Dr. Kyros was a deeply spiritual man and a man of great faith. While he was respectful of others belief systems and world views, his belief in the Prophets was unwavering. He made time daily for prayer and meditation and his faith was an important aspect of his life, even during his time in the Academy and Med school. His journey to Starfleet was not necessarily unique, it was not uncommon for "older" vocations so to speak to find their way to the Academy. However being a doctor was not his first choice of career. Ever since he was a child he had longed and yearned to be a monk, which he did, even obtaining the rank of Prylar during his last year in the monastery. However the more time he spent there, the more his soul yearned for something else. He felt uneasy, anxious, as if he was not where he belonged. He longed to be a healer, but he had come to realize that he was meant to heal the body and not the soul. His sense of longing led him to Starfleet Academy and then to further studies in becoming a Starfleet Doctor. Now he found himself as part of medical team, helping, healing. He no longer felt uneasy or anxious. He was where he belonged. In the middle of his night prayer his peace and serenity was awoken as the transporter beamed Ensign Trip Williams into sickbay holding the limp body of Dr. Bracken in his arms. "I don't know what's wrong." Trip said. It was clear through the wavering of his voice that he was trying to remain calm but there was a sense of panic in it. "Place her on the sickbed, gently." Ryelle said as he came towards the two from the office, grabbing his tricorder. He then motioned for Trip to give him some space and for the nurses to spring into action to set up the diagnostic equipment. Before he could ask Trip a follow up question he heard a message over the comms. =/\=Bridge to Sickbay. I am declaring a medical emergency. Two beaming directly to sickbay no information on their condition.=/\= "Sickbay to bridge, they've arrived. No need to declare a full on Medical emergency, we have one patient, we will take care of her to the best of her ability. The emergency is that she needed to get to sickbay, and we have her. Sickbay out." ~Don't want to divulge patient name, don't want to alarm crew, don't want to cause panic. No need to declare medical emergency. Of course we are a bunch of kids fresh out of diapers and the person I need to save is our best doctor. Prophets be with us.~ (Reply Ire if you want) "Now then, Ensign Williams, please explain to me what happened." Trip took a deep breath as he watched Dr. Kyros examine Lynn with Tricorder. "We were at the beach with some other members of the crew and Lynn, err Dr. Bracken was complaining about indgestion. We were returning to the hotel for some antacids that I had in my overnight bag, I get heartburn from time to time, and she just kind of collapsed." Ryellle nodded patiently, "Did she complain about any particular symptoms before this happened?" "She said something about not being able to breath, and her heart and her head and then said Medulla." Ryelle didn't even look at Trip as he spoke, instead focusing on the Tricorder reading. It was true, she was having issues with her heart and breathing. Things were beginning to slow down. "Nurse, set up a ventilator and heart simulator for Dr. Bracken. Her heart beat is fading, Keep the oxygen on a continuous flow and the stimulator to keep the heart beating normally." "Is she going to be ok doc?" "Listen, Ensign Williams, I know from talking to Dr. Bracken you are close, but perhaps it would be best if you wait over there for a moment." Ryelle pointed towards the door. As Trip walked anxiously towards the small waiting area the door swooshed open, he had hoped it was his sister but instead it was a vikingesque security officer he vaguely remembered seeing on the bridge the day before. “Ensign Trip Williams?” Nodding at the man Trip sighed, he was probably there to make sure that the emergency was not due to an attack. Still he had really hoped it was his sister. But he had a direct beam, and she on the other had would be going to one of the transporter rooms. Still he wanted to be near his sister right now more than anything. ~Come on Sy hurry up.~ Trip then walked over to the man, "Yes that is me." (Reply Svend) (reply Svend, Reply Ire if you want, Reply Sienna when you arrive) (posted by Will) (USS Mystique – Sickbay– Pilot – Medical Officer, Dr. Kyros Ryelle - 01:50) With Ensign Williams out of the way, and thankfully being the intended "target" of the security officer. Ryelle felt like he was free to work. "Computer begin recording. Medical Officer's log. Kyros Ryelle. Stardate 2444.06.24. Time is 0150 hours. Patient is female, 25 years of age. Half Bajoran, Half human. Of Particular medical interest, due to mixed ancestry, heart is on right side of body, rather than human left. This is a known preexisting condition. Making note of it just in case. According to brief intake inquiry, patient collapsed after complaining of symptoms believed to be indigestion. The specifically mentioned trouble breathing, issue with the heart, and mentioning medulla. Most likely in relation to the Medulla Oblongata. She is currently receiving a constant flow of oxygen and her heart is being stimulated to keep it beating. My first guess is that it is neurological in nature, something in her brain his causing an inability for her to regulate oxygen and the heart flow on its own." Ryelle then began concentrating his medical tricorder scan on the area of her head where her brainstem would be located. "Early hypothesis is that as medical crisis began, Dr. Bracken began to diagnosis herself. Thankfully her key word of Medulla, has provided a clue, to better conduct treatment." Ryelle then looked at his Tricorder reading and his face went from its normal disposition to a frown. "Prophets this won't do. Computer pause recording." He rechecked the readings. Then making sure that the ventilator and heart stimulator would be able to keep Dr. Bracken alive for the time being, though she would still be unconscious, he retreated to the office to finish his recording. He did not want those in the waiting area to hear yet until he had better articulated the diagnosis. "Computer resume recording. The patient seems to have taken damage, somehow, to her Medulla oblongata. The medulla oblongata, a key component of the brain is responsible for many functions of the autonomous nervous system. One of which is the control of ventilation via signals from the carotid and aortic bodies. This would explain the trouble breathing in the patient. The Medulla oblongota also regulates the Cardiovascular center, which is responsible for the regulation of the rate at which the heart beats through the nervous and endocrine systems. In the interest of adding a bit of levity, the medulla oblongata is also the reason why alligators are ornery and aggressive, they have an enlarged one." Pausing he continued, "Focus Ryelle, this isn't the time for jokes. We'll need to due a further imaging scan of the whole brain to see extent of damage before gauging further action. Most likely require surgery. End Recording." Ryelle then, without leaving the office typed in a quick note to the nurses to began an imaging scan of Dr. Bracken's brain. "Computer, what is the location of Dr. Methor and Dr. Solice." [Dr. Methor is in his quarters, Dr. Solice is currently off the ship.] ~Well, going to need to bring in Dural, then. I could try paging Quinna, but Dural would be here sooner. If this goes how I think it might, I'll need a fresh set of eyes.~ Tapping his commbadge, he spoked, "Dr. Kryos to Dr. Methor, Dural, its Ryelle, I'm sorry if woke you. We have a high profile patient right now in sickbay, brain trauma, just waiting on some tests. Would love a second set of eyes." (reply Methor) "I don't want to divulge the patient name over the comms. But if you could give things a look over that would be helpful." (reply Methor) "See you soon." Ryelle then sat in the chair and sighed. ~Given the initial tricorder scan, if the brain imaging scan indicates the extent of the damage that I think it will, then a stem cell transplant will probably be required. Only problem, depending on the severity of the case and the unique genetic chimera that is Dr. Bracken, for success, it might need to be a blood relative, and we're 10 days away from Earth. Prophets guide me. Prophets help her.~ (reply Methor) (posted by Will) (USS Mystique – Sickbay - aACSO - Ensign Sienna Williams-Verin- 1:53) Sienna appeared next to her twin, who was standing next to what appeared to be a viking from old earth mythology. Sienna was dressed in her sundress, a wet bikini under it and her dark hair was wet and a mess. She had a tote over one arm that carried all their beach things that had been left. She immediately dropped the tote. Ignoring the Viking, she turned to her twin, "What's going on with Lynn?" Sy's fear was palpable, "I know you told me not to, but I told Quinna and I hope she's coming. Has anyone told the Admiral that the CMO is incapacitated? Luma is frightened as well, and I think Vex will be here soon to check on things. When I was on the beach gathering our things there was this pain that shot through me, a blinding pain and Luma..." Sy's voice trailed and she glanced at the Viking for a minute in fear, ::Trip Luma says that Lynn's 'light' is growing dimmer.:: (reply Trip, svend iyw) Sienna turned slightly as she saw Lynn moved to the icu area. "I have to be there with her. Trip, I have to." She knew better than to barge into the ICU but she needed this. She could always appeal to Luma who would move her if the entity thought it was a good idea. "Quinna needs to be here. Why did Kaz stay on Mars?" Sy knew the reasons Kaz had stayed, mostly avoiding his Mom and wanting to continue his chosen specialty of pediatrics and not because of anything else. She was just so nervous and worried about Ailynn and her mind was refusing to stand still. "And did anyone tell the Admiral yet?" She asked, that thought suddenly occurring to her. They should tell him that something was seriously wrong with his CMO. (reply Trip, Svend, any) (posted by Mel) (USS Mystique - Junior Officer Personal Quarters – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH – 0153) It took Dural and his room-mate two weeks to even out the room temperature to both their liking. 26.5°C Which was a compromise, because his room mate was a senior NCO from Earth some place called Wisconsin, though he did have good taste in beer and the cheese was good as well, he wanted it closer to 19°C, which to a semi-cold blooded individual just wouldn’t do. Dural had wanted the temperature all the way to 30°C which the human couldn’t stand. With the compromise set, Dural made himself more comfortable by replicating a heating pad to stash under his blanket. Dural was relaxing in his room catching up on medical journals they had arranged to be downloaded to ship’s memory from Trill. He was reading them on his earth brown Cardassian issue PADD he had ever since basic training and assignment to the 3rd Order Medical Support Group. His communicator chirped. =^= Dr. Kryos to Dr. Methor, Dural, its Ryelle, I'm sorry if woke you. We have a high profile patient right now in sickbay, brain trauma, just waiting on some tests. Would love a second set of eyes. =^= ~Some ambassador? If so why wouldn’t they just be seen on Trill?~ “Whom is the patient?” he inquired. =^= I don't want to divulge the patient name over the comms. But if you could give things a look over that would be helpful.=^= “Patient privacy. Good man! I shall make my way there presently.” He said as he got up. =^=See you soon.=^= and the channel closed. The large Cardassian made his best walking speed to sickbay. (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH - 0205) As Dural strode into the room he saw Dr. Bracken there unconscious on the medical bed and knew exactly why his colleague didn’t want the name broadcast over unsecure channels. ~My, that would cause a panic.~ He could see she was on life-support by the instrument / intervention arm already enclosed around her chest and abdomen. The addition of the regulated mechanical breathing rate, higher than average capnography, and tell-tale pacer spikes on her electrocardiograph tracing. “What’s our patient’s status?” Dural inquired, trying to keep himself medically detached. (Reply Dr. Kyros) “Any other patients showing similar signs and symptoms?” he inquired. (Reply Dr. Kyros) “Have you run any laboratory tests?” he further inquired. (Reply Dr. Kyros, any present) (Posted by Todd) (USS Mystique - personal quarters - Ensign JG Erin Cortez– 02:05) After not getting chance to spend time with billy much during the mission, Erin was looking forward to this date. He had sent her a message requesting that she joined him on the holodeck for some time together. Not knowing what to expect, she has just pulled on some jeans and a tshirt and headed onto the holodeck. As the doors opened, a pleasant heat hit her and the smell of ozone. The most amazing beach lay infront of her, quiet, secluded and peaceful. ~how does he do it? He must have known how stressed I have been and …. ~ Smiling widely as the doors closed, she wandered down to the waters edge, sighed happily and then spoke, "Computer, access personal files and replicate Cortez beachwear version 2." Suddenly, beachwear appeared next to her and she quickly changed into a white bikini and patterned sarong. Feeling instantly better, she walked back to the water's edge and stood, eyes closed, breathing deeply and letting the ocean's waves wash over her feet. As she approached the shore, she heard from her right a slight snore as Billy was laid out sprawled out on a large beach blanket, apparently asleep. He had a small pillow like thing under his head and a towel over his face shielding his eyes from the sun. He had felt guilty that he was not able to spend some alone time with her on Trill, but his place was at the admiral’s side. He had set up this program, a private beach lagoon. It was actually one that his cousin had created for rest and relaxation. There would be no interruptions, no hologram characters would show up. The sand was soft and not hot, the water was the perfect temperature and clear. The sun was bright, warm, but not blinding. A perfect beach and a perfect day. Billy was laid out wearing nothing but his long swim trunks ending about his knee cap. For an average guy he was decently ripped. He had spent years working out with his cousin Trip. He wasn’t muscular and jacked like trip was, but he did have a bit of a six pack. He was no Carson Peters, but he wasn’t ugly either. He should have been awake, but he got there early enough to set up and the wind was so inviting that he laid down, closed his eyes, and had fallen asleep. Turning, she smiled softly seeing him asleep. ~aw, he looks so cute. Much as I would like to mess with him right now, I won't.~ She thought to herself. Walking into the sea, she took a deep breath and drove into the water. Feeling instantly calmer, Erin swam out a little into the lagoon and popped up with a breath. Billy was awoken by the splash, removed the towel from his face and looked as Erin had jumped into the lagoon. He didn’t know if he should get up and join her, or mess with her. Very quietly, he snuck into the water and swam as quietly as he could. So far she hadn’t noticed him. Peaking up from time to time to get his bearin, he snuck up on her and began to tickle her feet from under the water. Screaming loudly, she swam back a little. "You…." She shouted with a smile on her face. Wrapping her up in a wet, slippery embrace, placing his left arm behind her head and his right arm around her waist, he gave her a deep, passionate, wet kiss. “Hey beautiful,” he said realising her to tread water. “How’s it going?” "It's…. " she paused and looked at him a second. ~is it wrong that I missed this already? Damn girl, you are in this…~ "... been better but now I have you here, life is good again. " she winked, kissed him softly and began to swim back towards the shore. Billy swam after her. Overtaking her, Billy swam up next to her and began tickling her again. Laughing, she stood up in the shallow water and looked at him, "Oh is that the way you want to play it, mister?" “No, that’s not how I want to play it.” He said as he playfully picked her up and put her over his shoulder then took her to the beach blanket and gently laid her down on her back and then laid down next to her. “If I tickle you too much, you might drown.” Leaning up on her elbows, she looked over at him and smiled, "I can swim very well thankyou. But, how can I thank the gallant sir for the rescue?" “Tell me a secret about yourself, that you’ve never told anyone.” He said with a sly smile. "Wow… a secret?" She paused for a moment, ~now is not the time to tell him what they told me at the interview ~ she thought to herself. Closing her eyes briefly then opening them to look directly at him, "You really want to know a secret?" He stared deeply into her eyes, taking his hand he brushed back her hair from her face and then pulled her in closer so that they were next to each other in an embrace. He then whispered into her ears. “Something sweet, something magical, something you’ve never told anyone before.” He then smiled as he tilted his head up, “Computer, nighttime mode, full moon, bonfire.” All at once the sky turned dark, filled with tons of stars, a large full moon loomed over the horizon, reflecting itself on the surface of the water, a large bonfire appeared on the beach side, with a large hammock resting at a safe distance from it, the temperature was slightly cooler than it had been. “Yes a secret a sweet one.” Looking up at the stars, she took a deep breath as she marvelled at the beauty of them. The bonfire's glow throwing just enough light over them. "Okay, I'll tell you a secret." She rested her head on his shoulder, looked up at the stars and spoke, "When I was a kid, the sky at night over Santiago was clear, full of stars. My father and I used to set up his telescope and sit out under a blanket, watching them, looking for constellations. I knew they were stars and what they were from a young age but I never told my father. He would tell stories about the people or mythical creatures they were named after and I sat, listened because I knew, one day, i wouldn't have that moment with him. That i would be alone, travelling the stars and i just…. I wanted that memory, that feeling to last forever." She blushed and closed her eyes. As she closed her eyes he brought her close and kissed her deeply and passionately. “You aren’t alone though.” He said. Returning the kiss, she sighed. "I feel alone sometimes. Even when I am surrounded by people on a starship or on Mars… I feel alone. But that's just me. I like my own company. Easier to deal with my demons sometimes. But, I realise now that I don't have to do that by myself." “You don’t, because I’m here.” "Your turn. Tell me a secret… anything." “I once ate a crayon on a dare.” Biting her lip to stifle a laugh, she looked up at him and said the only thing she could think of, "What colour?" And then started to giggle. “Brown, just like your beautiful eyes.” "You charmer." She replied and sat up rubbing her arms to ward off a slight chill she was feeling. “You cold?” "Blanket would be nice or we could just heat up by the fire." She replied with a smile. “There is a blanket on the hammock, which over by the fire, if you wanted to head that way, plus the hammock is big enough for two with a long pillow made romantically for two.” Standing up, she looked down at him and, with a wicked glint in her eye, replied, "Last one there has to give the other a shoulder massage." And set off running towards the hammock. Billy got up and chased after Erin. He took advantage of his longer legs and overall speed. Narrowly beating her to the hammock, he laid down on his belly, with his face to the right on the pillow. “Massage me please.” Biting her lip, she took a breath, "fine. You win." Climbing into the hammock, she rubbed her hands together to get some warmth in them and slowly began to rub his shoulders. "That okay?" Billy could feel her sitting on his lower back. He had pictured what she might look like in a swimsuit and reality was far better than his imagination. “You could be rough if you want.” "Rough …. And me, we don't mix well. I prefer the gentle approach. " she replied and sighed. Leaning forward, she kept her hands on his shoulders and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear, "Got to leave somethings to the imagination. " Smiling, he replied, “I don’t know, maybe the imagination is too good, and when its finally revealed and it doesn’t match up, you’ll be so disappointed you’ll leave.” "Not going to happen." She lay next to him, wrapping an arm over his waist, "This is right where I want to be…" she sighed, happily. "If you want me to stay, that is?" Billy rolled over so that he was facing her. He stared into her beautiful brown eyes, but allowed his eyes to drift down her neckline towards her chest, before lifting them back up to her eyes. “Why do you always think I’m gonna leave,” He said as he ran his left arm underneath her neck and his right across her side, pulling her in tight and close. Their slightly wet skin touching as they were warmed by the fire. He then kissed her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.” "I'm…. " she looked into his eyes, then looked down for a moment, "I'm scared that,once you really get to know me, who I am, who I was, that you…. You will go… " she looked into his eyes, searching them for a moment, looking for something, what it was she didn't know. “How can I make you believe I wont leave?” He asked. “What do I need to say or do, to make you trust that I’m not going anywhere?” "I know in my heart you won't but, in my head, there's a voice… a voice that just has a way to make me doubt myself. It's something I have been working on for a long time. But, recently, it's been quiet…. For the longest time…. Until that interview. " she sighed and pulled him closer, closing her eyes and put a hand gently on his chest. “Well then I just need to be louder than the voice,” He said as he gently rolled her over and on top of her, kissing her on the lips, then slowly down stopping with a playful kiss on her neck. “What is the voice saying now.” Biting her lip, she pulled his face back up to hers and looked into his eyes, "Nothing." She replied and kissed him lightly. ~I really should tell him what happened but, this moment is so perfect, I don't want spoil it~ “Do you dream about me?" Billy said looking at her. "Honestly, I have." She blushed slightly. “What do I Do In These dreams?" "Depends. Sometimes we sit, talk and watch bad movies. Other times… " she blushed red. "I don't want to say. " "IDo you ever fantasise about me?" "Daydream, sometimes yes but not in that way." ~that's a lie, girl. ~ Billy smiled at her, “Where you think my heart is." Looking at him for a second, she raised an eyebrow slightly and then took his hand and placed it on his own chest. "I'll give you a second chance because I'm feeling generous." Sighing softly, she took his hand, placed it over her heart, "that was going to be my first answer but I didn't want to seem presumptuous. Well, that and Tort isn't here so I couldn't put your hand on him now could I?" "I Guess it's not so much where my heart is, but where I want it to be." "Oh… " ~he is a romantic. ~ Smirking, she leaned up, kissed his neck gently. She kissed his shoulder and, leaning over him, began to kiss his collar bone when the hammock started to sway slightly. Not realising, she kissed his neck again, leant up and kissed his lips passionately as the hammock swung and they rolled out onto the sand. Looking up at him, Erin couldn't help but laugh, "That's the second time that's happened." Squarely on top of her Billy smiled and stood and lifted Erin up. "computer change program to Billy Delta Four" The program changed, the holographic sand disappering from their body. They were in a cabin. With a roaring fire and a couch next to it with a soft quilt laid out in front. The lights were off except for the fire. Gasping, erin immediately felt under dressed. Sitting down on the couch Billy smiled. "You no, no one is going to love you right?” Frowning, she looked at him, "what?" “He was right you know. You are incapable of being loved. I will never ever love you.” She began trembling, shaking, "no… don't say that…." In that moment Billy morphed into her ex Christian, the one who had beat her. “Only I will love you. Come back to me Erin. Be mine Erin.” Backing away slightly, "no…. No… please…" Christian then reached out his hands, pinning her down, he began to choke her. Noise, she couldn't place it. Everything was dark and it was then she realised the noise was her. She was screaming. Sat up in bed, dripping with sweat and screaming. Taking several deep breaths, she covered her face with her hands.. ~I can't do this. I can't keep doing this. I.. have to tell him. I want this to go well. I really do. But, if I keep this from him, it's going to destroy me and destroy us.~ Sitting on the edge of her bed in a vest top and pyjama bottoms, Erin grabbed her dressing gown, wrapped it around her and stood up. Walking to her door, she stopped. ~it's too early in the morning. I can't go wake him up, just for this.~ She walked through the door of her room and headed towards the mess hall, not caring she was in a fluffy dressing gown and pyjamas. (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dr. Kyros Ryelle - 0207) “What’s our patient’s status?” Dural inquired, trying to keep himself medically detached. Ryelle nodded at the arrival of Dr. Methor and then motioned for him to follow him into the office. There were still some concerned friends of Dr. Bracken in sickbay and he wanted to respect medical privacy. Once inside he pressed a button which darkened the glass windows and activated a white noise machine to make it harder for those on the outside to hear him. "Stable, thanks to the machines, but without them... well I don't need to explain that yo you. Damage to the Medulla oblonga" “Any other patients showing similar signs and symptoms?” he inquired. "No, I don't think this is viral in nature, at least not at an epidemic level. Which I know that is your expertise, so if anything, I hope you can help me rule that out." “Have you run any laboratory tests?” he further inquired. "Working on a brain scan right now. Trying to see the extent of the Damage to the Medulla Oblongata." (Reply Dural) "From that scan, hopefully it indicates that it is not something viral. Hence why having you look it over would help me greatly. I specialized in family medicine, you're an epidemiologist. I can look at it, and see that its something degenerative, and how to fix it, but your eyes are best set for making sure that its not viral." (reply Dural) "Though my suspicions are that it is more trauma related." At that moment a chime went off in the office. Ryelle looked at the console, pressed a button and a holographic projection of the the scan appeared hovering over the desk. Analyzing it briefly, Ryelle then turned to his colleague. "There is definitely significant damage to the medulla oblongata. What are your thoughts Dural?" (reply Dural) (reply Dural) (posted by Will) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH – 0215) "Working on a brain scan right now. Trying to see the extent of the Damage to the Medulla Oblongata." Dural nodded. Seeing the extent of the damage is one of their goals. It would let them know what kind of prognosis she would have, once they manage to isolate the problem. "From that scan, hopefully it indicates that it is not something viral. Hence why having you look it over would help me greatly. I specialized in family medicine, you're an epidemiologist. I can look at it, and see that its something degenerative, and how to fix it, but your eyes are best set for making sure that its not viral." “I will give you my honest opinion you know that.” He said as a slight frown crossed his face, he didn’t like the condition his colleague was in. “Starfleet takes care of their own.” "Though my suspicions are that it is more trauma related." The Bajoran doctor stated as a chime went off indicating the scan had been compiled and ready for a “wet read”. Ryelle pressed a button on the console calling up the scan results that manifested as a holographic representation. He manipulated the projection peeling the layers away until he came to the organ in question and the complete brainstem that housed it. "There is definitely significant damage to the medulla oblongata. What are your thoughts Dural?" “Did you get a history from layperson bystanders?” He asked as he too manipulated the hologram. (Reply Ryelle) “This too, rules out trauma. The damage is too diffuse.” Dural stated indicating the scan. “If trauma were evident, you would get history of a blow to the head, and you would see damage only on one side radiating out from it or one side and it’s exact opposite.” (Reply Ryelle) “That’s right humans used to call it coup contrecoup type injuries. Many circles still do.” He agreed with his colleague. “Let’s run some blood tests,” he offered, “her immune system will clue us in if she’s fighting anything off.” (Reply Ryelle) “I agree, an immulogical panel would be prudent, that will take some time in the order of hours. Let’s run the simpler tests as well, look for horses to match our hoof beats before we go looking for zebras, eh?” (Reply Ryelle) Dural opened the door, and called the attention of one of the nurses. “Excuse me. Please take sufficient sample of blood to allow for testing. Chemistry panel, CBC, immunological panel and an RNA sequencer.” “Aye, sir.” She sated. “Which pathogens would you like on the panel?” she inquired. “All of them.” He stated. “Every antibody her immune system is producing, I want to know. Then we’ll categorize them from known and unknown.” (Reply Ryelle) “If she’s not producing anything new, then we know it’s not a pathogen.” The Cardassian admitted. “In the mean time, I realize our patient’s privacy is of utmost importance….” (Reply Ryelle) “Yes, this qualifies for a Serious Incident Report, we must notify the Admiral.” Dural said. (Reply Ryelle) “We’ll know more when the tests start to come back.” He said to his Bajoran colleague. (Reply Ryelle) “You are correct, in the meantime we should be looking to what we are going to do when we’ve figured out what exactly is going on.” He agreed. “Thoughts?” (Reply Ryelle) “Yes! Provided we screen applicant donors for stem-cell matches. That could work.” He picked up a PADD and put in priorities of sample taking. “We should prioritize donors by likelihood of match. So races that have similar blood bases will be given priority. Humans and Bajorans have iron based hemoglobin, those should be given priority.” (Reply Ryelle) “One of us should contact the Admiral now, while the other begins screening donors.” He said. (Reply Ryelle) “A direct call on an open channel might spoil the negotiations. Perhaps a call or a message sent “admiral eyes only” to his aide, didn’t Billy go with him?” He said. (Reply Ryelle) “Sounds fair. Let’s get to work.” (Reply Ryelle, and potential donors starting at 0220) (posted by Todd) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dr. Kryos Ryelle– 0216) “Did you get a history from layperson bystanders?” "From what they told me, there does not appear to have been any sort of traumatic injury today." Ryelle then took a quick glance at Ailynn's medical history. "Nor does there seem to be anything in her patient history." “This too, rules out trauma. The damage is too diffuse.” Dural stated indicating the scan. “If trauma were evident, you would get history of a blow to the head, and you would see damage only on one side radiating out from it or one side and it’s exact opposite.” "And sense we know there is no history of trauma. Not to mention as you said, the damage seems to be counter to what a blow, even a minor waking of part of the head to the top of say a bulk head might look like. What was the old Earth medical term coup counter, or something like that. I only really know the word in Bajoran, it helped with studying. But that appears to be the case here." “That’s right humans used to call it coup contrecoup type injuries. Many circles still do.” He agreed with his colleague. “Let’s run some blood tests,” he offered, “her immune system will clue us in if she’s fighting anything off.” "What about an immulogical panel?" “I agree, an immulogical panel would be prudent, that will take some time in the order of hours. Let’s run the simpler tests as well, look for horses to match our hoof beats before we go looking for zebras, eh?” "But I like Zebras." Ryelle quipped, trying to add some levity to a tense situation. "Look at us a Bajoran and a Cardassian making jokes about earth animals. But yes, we should begin blood testing immediately." Dural opened the door, and called the attention of one of the nurses. “Excuse me. Please take sufficient sample of blood to allow for testing. Chemistry panel, CBC, immunological panel and an RNA sequencer.” “Aye, sir.” She sated. “Which pathogens would you like on the panel?” she inquired. “All of them.” He stated. “Every antibody her immune system is producing, I want to know. Then we’ll categorize them from known and unknown.” "Agreed. The more data we have the sooner we can treat this." “If she’s not producing anything new, then we know it’s not a pathogen.” The Cardassian admitted. “In the mean time, I realize our patient’s privacy is of utmost importance….” "But she is a member of the senior staff and the Chief Medical Officer." “Yes, this qualifies for a Serious Incident Report, we must notify the Admiral.” Dural said. "I know, I was hoping to have more information before I contacted him." “We’ll know more when the tests start to come back.” He said to his Bajoran colleague. "Right, and then we can give him a full summary, but perhaps we should call him sooner rather than later, even at this ungodly hour." “You are correct, in the meantime we should be looking to what we are going to do when we’ve figured out what exactly is going on.” He agreed. “Thoughts?” "Stem-cell transplant. A transfer of healthy stem cells from a matching donor should work to repair the damage in quick order. It will most likely save the good doctors life." “Yes! Provided we screen applicant donors for stem-cell matches. That could work.” He picked up a PADD and put in priorities of sample taking. “We should prioritize donors by likelihood of match. So races that have similar blood bases will be given priority. Humans and Bajorans have iron based hemoglobin, those should be given priority.” Ryelle then put in some quick search parameters into the crew manifest. "There are a number of human and bajoran crew members, as well as some human hybrids, such as the twins currently in the waiting area of sickbay. We should also start with Ensign Ire Williams and the Civilian Ashlyn Jones. Both of them are half bajoran and half human. Might increase the likelihood of a match. Of course, we need to contact Admiral Remae." “One of us should contact the Admiral now, while the other begins screening donors.” He said. "That sounds like the most prudent course of action." “A direct call on an open channel might spoil the negotiations. Perhaps a call or a message sent “admiral eyes only” to his aide, didn’t Billy go with him?” He said. "Yes, I believe he is down there on the planet's surface with the admiral. He might be able to pass along a message. Why don't you contact the admiral. I'll start testing. “Sounds fair. Let’s get to work.” With the battle plan drawn up Ryelle then began to figure out next steps. The first would be what to do with the Williams twins. They hadn't left sickbay, nor did he want them to. It was important for them to be with their friend. He would test them first, if nothing else it would make them feel like they were helping. It would also be important to provide someone for them to talk to. As soon as he had a free moment he who try and locate Dr. Solice to provide on site counseling for the pair if needed. He then tapped his commbagde. "Dr. Kyros Ryelle to Ensign Ire Williams will you please report to sickbay." (reply Ire) "Thank you, we will discuss that when you arrive. Dr. Kyros out." Then tapping it again, "Dr. Kryos Ryelle to Miss Ashlyn Jones, will you please report to sickbay, sorry for any inconvenience." (Reply Ashlyn) Then nodding at Dural, Ryelle left the office and approached the twins. "Ensigns Verin-Williams, if you don't mind. I'd like to speak to you briefly about how you could help with Dr. Bracken's recovery." (reply Sienna, Trip) (reply Ire, Dural iyw, Ash, Sy, Trip) (posted by Will) (USS Mystique - Mess hall - Ensign JG Erin Cortez– 02:16) Sitting by the window with one arm wrapped around her knees, Erin sipped at the hot chocolate and sighed. Gazing out at the stars, she closed her eyes, put her drink down and pulled her dressing gown tight around her. (reply any) (posted by Will and Jackie) (USS Mystique - Mess Hall - Ensign JG Erin Cortez and Civilian Logistics and Liaison Ashlyn Jones – 02:18) Ashlyn stepped into the mess hall. It had been a very long day, she had a general shift pattern but occasionally, there were days that didn't lend themselves to working a simple 9-5 like most other local government employees. In recent weeks, since her assignation to the base, she hadn’t had a normal length day. She loved her job. It was for that reason that she found herself hungry, and work-tired at near 0230am. She knew that she looked a state; but after grabbing a simple pasta salad and an orange juice she saw that she wasn’t the only one abnormally dressed. She hardly knew Ensign Cortez, but she didn’t want to be alone, and anyone sat here in their PJs and dressing gown might not want to either. ~Or if she did she would say pretty quickly.~ she considered. "Excuse me ma'am, is this seat occupied?" Erin jumped slightly at the voice, looked up, "Sorry…. No. But I'm not good company right now." ~that's saying something~ Sighing, she put her cup of cocoa on the table, keeping her arms wrapped around her knees, she looked back at the woman and said, "Sit. It's not taken. " Ash smiled gently, slipping into the seat opposite. "Only if you're certain. I'll be out of your way soon and leave you to return to your ponderances." Sighing, Erin looked at her. "I'm sorry. It's…. Just bad dreams. More like God damn nightmares. But that's just me." She looked back out at the stars and closed her eyes, "Past has a way of sneaking up on you doesn't it?" Ash paused mid bite, covering her mouth and swallowed. "That's the honest truth" a sip of juice followed the pasta. "Look, I'm far from a pro, but I've been here and there, round the block you know? Penny for them?" Smiling softly, Erin kept her arms around her knees, "I've been keeping something to myself and from someone who I know I should tell but I just don't want it to change how he sees me. Stupid I know but it's been getting to me. I… you don't want to hear my sob story." Ash smiled, her face warm, and gentle, but a touch of firmness. "Best I be the judge of that. You eaten? Please. I won't finish all this " "Sure? When I get bad dreams and wake up, I am hungry. I'll admit that. My mom once found me at 3 am eating a pizza in the kitchen when I was 7." "My dad too once. I had the hiding of a lifetime. Please carry on." She meant both eating, and talking. Taking a fork of the salad, Erin looked at her, "I thought I had put it behind me. Even started dating someone and now, those damn journalists brought it all back." "I did hear about that. It made me so upset for you." "You heard? Oh great. That's gone round the whole base then…." "Some people know about the water. Far fewer know why, the case made the news at the time I'm afraid. Sorry to bring it up." Ash felt awful, this was not how she meant to talk to anyone. Closing her eyes, Erin took a deep breath, "It's okay… I just… it's been playing on my mind a lot since the interview. I can tell it's beginning to affect things with this guy I started seeing. He would never say it. But I can tell, he… he's just so different to anyone I have ever met. He's kind and gentle and I'm such a God damn mess. " "If you were a mess, he wouldn’t be wanting to see you. Seriously, most men don't like complicated." Ash was aware she hadn't been in many relationships, and was horribly single at the moment. "Well, sappy as it sounds, he certainly isn't most men. Well, not that I have ever met. But seeing as though he is only my second real…. Whatever you call it and the first was a crashing cluster. . .. which is a matter of public record. I just…. I want this to go well with Billy. I like him a lot and. . I'm gonna have to tell him. Aren't I?" Ashlynn took another mouthful of pasta. “There’s a scene in a really old movie. Two characters are talking about a girl, that one of them is so keen on it makes him feel sick. He asks the other what he should do.” She paused. “His friend says ‘just hurl. If you hurl and she bolts, she wasn’t worth it and it wasn’t meant to be, just move on. If you spew and she stays then she’s a keeper.’ Interesting thought.” Furrowing her brow, Erin swallowed the pasta, "Are you saying I should hurl or tell him because I'm kind of confused right now.." “My point is just open up and tell him. If he runs, you were right and you’ve not lost anything, or he stays and understands, then you were right and not lost anything.” "I know. I know. I should just man up and go talk to him but not in the unicorn dressing gown and monster feet slippers. " she chuckled. “If he doesn’t love you in monster slippers, then ditch him.” She laughed gently. "It's funny. I would never have thought that this posting would bring all this. New friends, someone that I think I could ….." “That you could?” she asked teasingly. “I do understand, and whereas I haven’t found love, I’ve found friends.” "Love? I never…. Oh lord is it that obvious? Damn it Billy Alexander and your charm." She laughed. “I’m afraid so. If it’s any consolation, He’s got a dopey lovestruck look on his face too.” She winked. "He does? Wait…. You know Billy?" “I didn’t want to tell you. I was at school with all that crowd. Trip, Sienna, Ailynn, Billy.” "Oh…. Okay and now I'm embarrassed. " she replied blushing. “Really, don’t be. It’s okay.” Ash's face was gentle, and understanding. "Was he always so…. Forthright? He just seems to have this amazing ability to say exactly what he means and not give two hoots." “In all honesty, I didn’t know them that well, Ailynn, Trip and Sienna more than the others. I was a real loner at school, no friends.” Looking at her, Erin tilted her head slightly, "I don't believe that. So, what brought you to Mars? Following someone out here were you?" She replied with a wicked glint in her eye. “Pure luck.” She sighed gently. “When I left school, Dad died not long after. I went to Bajor, to live with Gran. I made enough Latinum to look after her, and put myself through community college. Got my degree, and then worked local government on Mars, then the base reopened.” She shrugged. “But other than that, It’s true I’m afraid. No slight on them, we were kids, they looked out for me as much as they could. Especially Trip, Ailynn and Sienna too, but that was slightly different.” "I had some friends. Only one stood by me. But here, I feel like this could be a good place. Things are happening both professionally and personally although the personal stuff is the scary part." “You’ll do fine, I know that you will.” She spoke reassuringly. “I’ve reconnected with people that, let me rephrase that. I’ve come to really connect and open up to people that I was too scared to do so with back then. You’re right, it’s scary. In my experience though the scary things are the things that are worth doing.” "That's true. It's hard when you don't have a lot of trust or experience with this sort of thing. All I do know is that he's cute, he's got a smile that makes my heart soar and, I'm sorry to say it, but… oh man is he sexy." She grinned and laughed. “Oh dear me you do have it bad.” She shook her head, grinning, good naturedly. “Are you okay? Feel a bit less morose?” "Yeah. I am. We should do this again. But next time, both of us wear PJ's and we just sit and watch bad movies. I love a bad movie." (Reply any) (Posted by Jackie and mark) (Mystique – Bridge – CONN – Pilot – Ensign JG – Ire Williams –0218) =^=Dr. Kyros Ryelle to Ensign Ire Williams will you please report to sickbay=^= Ire looked over at Ensign Willow who nodded. “Yes Doctor I am on my way.” =^=Thank you, we will discuss that when you arrive. Dr. Kyros out=^= He handed the conn over to his relief and headed for the turbolift. (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH– 0220) As his Bajoran Colleague began screening applicants. Verbal communication could disrupt the diplomatic proceedings, but a woman’s life hung in the balance. He began writing. ~Remember Bottom Line Up Front~ He thought to himself as a reminder of the writing style required. [ Classification: For Official Use Only. Admiral Remae Ktell Eyes Only. No reproductions authorized. Sir, Dr. Bracken has been afflicted with an idiopathic condition and is on life-support in the intensive care bio-bed of the Mystique sick bay. We can maintain her vital functions indefinitely. We have ruled out some causes and are testing to find the exact cause, so that we may produce a counter agent. We are screening applicants and taking volunteers for tissue donation to revitalize damaged structures to include parts of her brain stem. At this time evidence does not point to a contagious pathogen, because only Ailynn is adversely affected, and individuals who brought her in handled her directly and have shown none of the same symptom progression, or any symptoms at all for that matter. All further hope of resolution hinges on identification of the cause. Which we are handling presently. We will keep you informed. You can of course always call directly to myself or Dr. Kryos Ryelle for as many updates as you desire. Very Respectfully, Dural Methor DrPH Ensign JG Starfleet Medical Nothing Follows] Dural finished writing and checked it over to proof read it. He rarely made spelling errors, but grammatical ones creeped in from time to time as humans conjugate their verbs and structure their sentences differently. The second time he referred to his patient he used her first name. He wondered if that made it look unprofessional. No. Not unprofessional. Personal. Because it is personal. Ailynn is not only his boss, but he’d like to think of her as his friend. He left the wording as it was. Locked it with a Starfleet high level encryption that the Admiral would be able to open with his authorization, but no one else. He would have to use a PADD to view the information. With a keystroke he sent the message directly to the PADD of the Admiral’s Aide. (Reply Admiral Remae, Ensign Alexander) (Posted by Todd) (Trill Surface– Local Hotel, Billy's Quarters– Ensign Billy Alexander - 0224) Hearing a Chime on his PADD, Billy sighed and looked to see who was sending data. He had no idea who was bugging him this late. But it didn’t matter, he was already awake. In fact, he really hadn’t gone to bed. He was sitting at the desk in his hotel room wearing gym shorts and a tank top. He had a cup of hot tea on the desk, and at least one if not two empty cans of an energy drink in different spots in the room. The terminal on the desk had research and analytical data on it, and a few PADDs spread out on the desk. He was a bit wired with caffeine, He just felt he couldn’t go to bed until he updated the Admiral’s talking points. Something told him that he needed to be prepared for anything in the coming days of the negotiations. He wanted the Admiral to be as prepared as possible and look like a genius. He was obsessed with giving the admiral’s arsenal everything he would need to convince the Trill to rejoin. Especially if there was ever a moment that the president wished to speak with Remae alone. Billy trusted the man implicitly. He had gotten to know his boss well over the last few days. He trusted him to seal the deal, but he wanted to make sure the man had everything he needed. Looking at the PADD, the subject line sort of caused him to do a double take. [ Classification: For Official Use Only. Admiral Remae Ktell Eyes Only. No reproductions authorized.] Billy took the PADD, but on some slippers, and headed for the door. He was a bit underdressed, but if someone was sending him classified information to give to the admiral this late, at least this late to their current body clocks, he knew it was important. Arriving at the Admiral's door, he pressed the chime, and once the door was opened he entered. "Sorry to bother you sir, but I don't think this can wait." (reply Remae) "I received a classified communication for you, decided to bring it to you right away." (Reply Remae) Billy then handed the Admiral the PADD. Billy had no idea what the message said, but once the Admiral unencrypted it, the message would be made clear. (Reply Remae iyw) NRPG: Including the Message here, not because Billy knows what it says, but so that TK has easy access to it. [Sir, Dr. Bracken has been afflicted with an idiopathic condition and is on life-support in the intensive care bio-bed of the Mystique sick bay. We can maintain her vital functions indefinitely. We have ruled out some causes and are testing to find the exact cause, so that we may produce a counter agent. We are screening applicants and taking volunteers for tissue donation to revitalize damaged structures to include parts of her brain stem. At this time evidence does not point to a contagious pathogen, because only Ailynn is adversely affected, and individuals who brought her in handled her directly and have shown none of the same symptom progression, or any symptoms at all for that matter. All further hope of resolution hinges on identification of the cause. Which we are handling presently. We will keep you informed. You can of course always call directly to myself or Dr. Kryos Ryelle for as many updates as you desire. Very Respectfully, Dural Methor DrPH Ensign JG Starfleet Medical Nothing Follows] RPG: Billy looked at the Admiral. "Is everything ok sir?" (reply Remae) (reply Remae) (posted by Will) (Mystique – Sickbay– Pilot – Ensign JG – Ire Williams – 0224) Ire entered sickbay. There was a quiet intensity what he had not seen before. As he manoeuvred his way around the busy people he saw Trip and Sienna with Ailynn who was on a bio bed. He moved onward realising that Kyros would not have called him for some reason if it was not an emergency. He found Kyros and stepped over to him. “Dr Kyros. How can I help you?” (Reply Kyros) (Reply Kyros,any) (Posted by Robbie) (USS Mystique – Sickbay – Medical Officer – Ensign JG Dural Methor DrPH – 0235) [Tests Complete.] Chimed the computer. The petty officer running the test sent the results to Dural’s terminal with out being asked. Dural nodded and smiled in acknowledgement to the lady across the room. ~Some one promote her.~ He glanced over the results. He expected some in the abnormal ranges, and was not surprised there were abnormal values, he was surprised which ones were. ~Why is her white count elevated?~ “Young Miss.” He said to the woman still running the lab area, “Petty Officer, sorry, add a C-Reactive Protein and a Sed Rate to the blood you’ve already collected.” (Reply Kryos) “Indeed, white count is elevated.” Dural announced. “Petty Officer, how far along are we?” “I’ve gone through thousands of known antibody signatures, maybe 15-20%? And that’s just the viruses.” She reported. (Reply Kryos) “There’s got to be a way to speed this up.” He said. “At least we aren’t doing this thing manually. Back in the twentieth century Earth they used to have to stain the serum and test individually.” She said while Dural was viewing lab results. “What did you say?” Dural asked. His complete attention was on her. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She hung her head, embarrassed. “I know I shouldn’t butt in, you both are doctors, I’m just a lab tech…” “No, it’s quite alright. What moron would not entertain any ideas when a life is on the line, my pride be damned. They used to have to stain them? What do you mean?” Dural said. “In times past, they would stain samples of the serum, the stain would catch proteins in the cell membrane of the clear microbe you were trying to see under a microscope. This was all before we had these big computers…” she said. “If it weren’t a breach of protocol I could kiss you! That’s it! We stain the white blood cells so they get picked up by the medical scan easily. We take a look at where they are congregating that would give us a better idea of what we were dealing with, if it is a microbe we’d get an idea of the source of the infection.” He said. (Reply Kryos) “A few minutes for the solution to circulate, we do a quick cursory scan to find the largest congregation and a more detailed scan of where they’d decided to go.” He said. (Reply Kryos) “If that’s the case and it is a virus tailored to our good Doctor, I’d imagine it would be a very diffuse pattern. It’ll only take a few minutes to set up then inject Bracken with the stain, and let it circulate then a few minutes to do the scan, but the lab analysis is still?” he said indicating for an update from their lab petty officer. “Two hours, best possible time.” She reported. “Nothing to lose.” Dural said. (Reply Kryos) (Trill - Hotel - Room 23 - Ensign Jg Erin Cortez - 0301) After taking to Ashlyn, Erin had realized that the woman had been right. She had to talk to him. Why it was now, she couldn't explain. She had gone back to her room on the ship, changed into a t-shirt and a comfy pair of Jeans and had transported down to the hotel where Billy had taken a room. Walking up to the door, she stopped. Holding a bottle of wine in one hand, she raised her other hand to knock on the door and stopped. ~Maybe this could wait. I mean he's busy and ….. stop talking yourself out of this. If he doesn't answer, he's asleep and that's fine.~ She knocked on the door gently and waited. After a few moments, Erin closed her eyes. ~well, he is probably asleep. ~ She put the wine bottle and two glasses by the door and, reaching into her pocket, left a note in one of the wine glasses that read, "When you get chance, come find me. Bring these. Love Erin." (Reply no-one) (Posted by Jackie) (Trill - Hotel - Hallway - Cleaning Services-Jarina Lastili - 0306) It had been a long day for Jarina. It was eventful to say the least. Starfleet the federation, the possibilities. ~ I wonder if it's possible if these people ever clean up behind themselves ~ she thought as she swept the floor of various debris . Several starfleet personnel were at the hotel. Some were having fun and letting loose but Jarina was at her wits end about it all. " They are disrespectful, how dare the federation send a ship full of Ensigns ...Ensigns!!!" She said as she turned the corner and kicked a bottle of wine by accident. The bottle cracked and wine started leaking out of it. Jarina grabbed her foot in shock " These stupid kids " She gathered herself and picked up the wine bottle and threw it in her trash bin and sprayed the floor with a stain remover. And walked away. The note from Erin was stuck to the bottom of Jarinas foot as she continued her rounds cleaning the hallways of the hotel. ( reply none) ( posted by Davis Aka the instrument of Will) (Trill Homeworld – Foxglove's quarters – Person unknown – 0308) It was deep into the night and the chamber was pitch black with its occupant sleeping as soundly as the guilty ever manage. Where shadows abound secrets hidden deeply freeze the soul and numb the heart. Did this occupant ever even reach the deep, cleansing depths of pure and bracing sleep? Only she could answer that question. The monitor in the room crackled to life, its glow pushing the blackness back only a little. =^= Foxglove come in. I repeat Foxglove come in. =^= The voice was deep, masculine and powerful. The timbre was throaty with little hint of an accent to steer one to its source. The message was repeated until the occupant answered. (Reply: Foxglove) There was no video, no picture to give the man on the other side away. But was it a man or a voice disguised by a digital algorithm at the other end point? =^= Hello there Foxglove. We've been watching you since you were reactivated. Of course that isn't your real name is it?=^= (Reply: Foxglove) A chuckle rose from the monitor. =^= We know your real name. You are working for the wrong team Foxglove. You should come over to us, I know you'd be much happier with someone who appreciates your talents.=^= There was a pregnant pause. =^= No answer needed, we wouldn't trust you if you offered to jump ship straight to us anyway, not at this point. I'm sure you've noted by now that this is untraceable. I've bounced it off of every array in the sector. And if you do by some chance manage to track me I'll be prepared. Think about our offer, I'll be back in touch. Just remember I know what you're capable of and you won't see me except on the other side of a force field.=^= The monitor grew silent. (Reply: Foxglove/Signos) (Posted by Charles Gatling) (Trill Homeworld – Foxglove's quarters – Intelligence officer Ensign Jaelle Foxglove – 0311) It had been a good ten days since they left Mars and Jaelle was looking forward to having a good rest planet side. Luma while she didn't make any moves against her, Jaelle still found it difficult to let her guard down. So sleeping on the Mystique came in more small naps during the lulls of the day. Yet do to her nature Jaelle had grown accustomed to sleeping lightly even at this earlier hour when the monitor came to life in her room. =^= Foxglove come in. I repeat Foxglove come in. =^= The deep male voice came over the comm. "Yes, who is this and what do you want." She answered into the comm. Already the hair on her neck stood on end and she realized this call was encrypted and would take to long to trace. Whoever it was wanted her undivided attention. There was no video, no picture to give the man on the other side away. But was it a man or a voice disguised by a digital algorithm at the other end point? =^= Hello there Foxglove. We've been watching you since you were reactivated. Of course that isn't your real name is it?=^= "And what if it isn't, what's in a name?" She replied knowing there would be no answer. Keeping to the script was part of the goal. The longer the call lasted to more easier and more method could be used to track. This person was no fool and knew the game well. A chuckle rose from the monitor. =^= We know your real name. You are working for the wrong team Foxglove. You should come over to us, I know you'd be much happier with someone who appreciates your talents.=^= The coming pause was palpable Jaelle wanted to bring this person into conversation to figure out more about what he wanted but that would have to wait for the opportune time. =^= No answer needed, we wouldn't trust you if you offered to jump ship straight to us anyway, not at this point. I'm sure you've noted by now that this is untraceable. I've bounced it off of every array in the sector. And if you do by some chance manage to track me I'll be prepared. Think about our offer, I'll be back in touch. Just remember I know what you're capable of and you won't see me except on the other side of a force field.=^= The monitor grew silent, and the room fell into darkness. Many forces were on the move. Many races would love to get thier hands on someone of her knowledge and history. What did they know about her these were all serious questions that had to be answered. But for now the best this was to wait. They would make contact when they felt it would be safe to do so. Until then it was a waiting game, however when she left the hotel where she was staying the next morning she was carefully armed, while this could comprise the mission. If she did not figure out who was behind that call it could compromise Earth. (Reply Mystery Man) (Posted by Matthew Locke) (Trill Homeworld – Foxglove's quarters – Intelligence officer Ensign Jaelle Foxglove – 0317) There was much that needed to be done and now having a communication from an unknown source made the entire situation more complicated. Placing a small square box on the desk next to the console she pressed on one of the sides the box hissed an it activated. It was a unique kind of jammer. It created sensor echoes of what was actually in a given space allowing anyone who was listening in or scanning her room to gain nothing but false readings. She sighed as she replayed the conversation. She had to break it down piece by look for clues hidden with in the context of the conversation that would give her opponent away. =^= Hello there Foxglove. We've been watching you since you were reactivated. Of course that isn't your real name is it?=^= She pondered this it was apparent that they have been watching her from afar since Mars, this told Jaelle that this was larger than Trill. =^= We know your real name. You are working for the wrong team Foxglove. You should come over to us, I know you'd be much happier with someone who appreciates your talents.=^= How much did they know. Did they know her time as Jessica Signos or did they know about Lily. Jaelle had to think if they were S31 and they wanted her that badly they would of just used the hypnotic trigger to allow Lily to over ride her core personality. So she dought it was S31 involvement. =^= No answer needed, we wouldn't trust you if you offered to jump ship straight to us anyway, not at this point. I'm sure you've noted by now that this is untraceable. I've bounced it off of every array in the sector. =/\= ~ Nothing is untraceable. ~ she thought to herself but if she openly tried to trace the communication this unknown force would be alearted to her activities especially since she was being watched. But if what he bragged about was to taken at face value than they had to used a communication algorithm that would allow the comm. signal to be bounced so many times and not be lost in the chatter of other transmissions, find that algorithm and you could infect trace the communication but that was something she could not do with out raising suspicion. =/\= And if you do by some chance manage to track me I'll be prepared. Think about our offer, I'll be back in touch. Just remember I know what you're capable of and you won't see me except on the other side of a force field.=^= The last was the most troubling. She knew what they wanted from her. They wanted her blades, her twin tonfa's. They wanted her to kill again. That much was clear but what they use to compel her to join there side as to say. Jaelle brought a hand to her ear ring and activated the closed communication system with in. "Agent Faust," she waited for a response before continuing. "First I have been compromised and am being watched. For now this comm link will be our main means of communication and you are not to come near me. I dont want your cover blown." (Reply Faust) She continued. "An unknown entity as contacted me, according to the contact I have been under watch since Mars. How much they know about me is still unknown but they know enough to cause trouble. I need you to locate them." (Reply Faust) "I'm sending the data code from the transmission I got I need you to look for a communication algorithm that would allow for mass retransmission without allowing the original data to become corrupted. I don't think you will find them on the surface. If what I think is true they are in orbit in a cloaked ship." (Reply Faust) "I'm counting on you." She sighed. "For now you and I are the only ones to know about this. Do not report this to the Adrmial, thenlast thing I want is the diplomatic mission to blow up in everyone's face. Better to give him some kind of deny ability. If I break this commline then and only then go to the Adrmial and report. Understood." (Reply Faust) The commline went dead shortly after and Jaelle was once again left in silence to contemplate her past and the life that was thrusted upon her shoulders. ~How much blood must be shed upon my alter before everyone is satisfied.~ ~Your Alter shall consume worlds~ came the dark melodic response of Lily. (Reply Faust) (Posted by Matthew Locke) (Trill Homeworld - Rinhi Diox (Rebecca) quarters – Intelligence Agent – Rebecca Faust– 0320) =^=Agent Faust=^= Her eyes snapped open as she awoke instantly. “Here.” =^=First I have been compromised and am being watched. For now this comm link will be our main means of communication and you are not to come near me. I dont want your cover blown=^= “Understood.” =^=An unknown entity as contacted me, according to the contact I have been under watch since Mars. How much they know about me is still unknown but they know enough to cause trouble. I need you to locate them=^= “Do you have any information?” =^=I'm sending the data code from the transmission I got I need you to look for a communication algorithm that would allow for mass retransmission without allowing the original data to become corrupted. I don't think you will find them on the surface. If what I think is true they are in orbit in a cloaked ship=^= “Okay that gives me a starting point.” =^=I'm counting on you=^= She could hear the weariness in Foxgloves voice =^=For now you and I are the only ones to know about this. Do not report this to the Admiral, the last thing I want is the diplomatic mission to blow up in everyone's face. Better to give him some kind of deny ability. If I break this commline then and only then go to the Adrmial and report. Understood=^= “Understood. Stay safe.” The comm line clicked shut as she got off the bed and moved over to the desk that was against the wall in the small room that she had rented while she was on Trill. She opened her small terminal which was isolated from the planetary net and began to upload the information that Foxglove had sent her. As the terminal began to process the data she accesses the rooms terminal which she had added a lot of new security protocols since she had arrived and began to tap into Trill’s orbital control data. A stealth ship was not going to be easy to find due to its nature but Trill orbit like many other worlds were busy places with ships and structures parked in orbit along with orbital runs going along designated entry and exit routes. She would have to look for the anomalies in the data as they would not be in high traffic areas and she would have to scrutinise and analyse all the data just as she had been taught in The Crypt. She left the terminals as she grabbed a shower and put on clean cloths as she was not getting any more sleep tonight. Once finished she moved over to the small trunk that she had brought with her and opened it. Inside was carefully concealed Ghost Suit all broken down into its storage parts, she pulled out the polymer suit which she slid into as she scrutinised the other pieces carefully before putting them on. Her terminals suddenly beeped in unison as she placed the helmet back onto the bed before moving back to the terminals and began to absorb the data they contained. (Reply none) (Posted by Robbie) (Trill Homeworld - Rinhi Diox (Rebecca) quarters – Intelligence Agent – Rebecca Faust– 0402) Faust leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath as she arched out her back. She had absorbed a lot of data in a short space of time and that was just scanning the orbital data. She now understood where all the ships and major orbital infrastructure were in Trill orbit and she could not see any untoward ship rerouting or strange manoeuvring. She turned her attention back to the file that Foxglove had given her and went through it again. She dug deeper into the audio files and ignored the words. Her eyes widened as something flickered across the screen. She froze and then very carefully went back and checked again. ~Ow you are good, you are very good~ What she had found was code tags in the time lag of the comms message. The time lag was very small and would have been missed if she had not been looking out of it on the off chance. There was always some kind of time lag in comm channels and most of the time it was so small that it was imperceptible, but this lag was bigger it meant that it was taking longer to travel. Now that she had something to track, she began to search through the comms system to see where it could be. ~Ah there you are~ She watched as the line indicating where the message had travelled begin to move across the terminal’s display of Trill. ~Okay so you have bounced around a lot of the comms relays in the area each bounce added a code tag. That’s good but something local gangs could do~ She kept tracking and digging following the code tags from the time lag. ~Okay so you went into orbit, Okay and then went through most of the comm satellites in orbit to mask your signal origin~ Her fingers moved faster across the terminals as she cross checked the files and the satellites points. He fingers stopped in mid air as the trail stopped dead. ~No that can’t be it satellite 2209 is not set up for that it’s a shunting satellite it received and the transmits it’s not big enough to be an origin point~ She brought up the satellites in the area of 2209 and began to search the area of space around it. ~Okay not military, too small, weather is in the wrong orbit and the other major comms are facing the wrong way. There was the deep space array but that was the wrong orientation~ She spun the image to see if she could get a better idea if she looked at the problem from a different direction and noticed that 2209 relied on a ground-based relay. ~You are an idiot; how could you have missed that. 2209 send the message to the ground relay and the ground relay send it too………the deep space array~ She gave a mental as she understood the implications of what she had found. It seamed that who ever was targeting Foxglove was off planet and with the use of the array was probably not even in the system. ~but the ground-based relay controls the deep space array so the message originator would be there~ It was not a lot to go on and she might not find anything, but it was her only lead. She saw the daylight streaming into the window and nodded to herself as she began taking the more armoured parts of the Ghost Suit off and placing them back into the box where she sealed the hidden part of the trunk. She quickly tided up any other incriminating equipment as she put on trousers, a top and a pair of shoes that would cover her polymer suit. She put the suits helmet into a small bad she slung over her shoulders as she headed for the door. (reply none) (Posted by Robbie) (Trill Homeworld – Beach – Intelligence officer Ensign Jaelle Foxglove – 0411) Jaelle tried to sleep but what sleep she did gather was broken and light to say the best. Her mind still raced from the communication that she received earlier. She knew there was a high likelihood that she would be contacted at some point in the day. The room was closing in and she needed to clear her head. She walked the short distance to the beach, where she could listen to the crashing waves and smell the fresh unspoiled air of the open ocean. Making her way to an outcropping of large rocks wore smooth by the constant battering of the waves. The were only visible due to the low tide. Climbing upon the rocks she made her way out into the ocean as the sun rose over the horizon of early morning. The beach was still mostly empty as people were more concerned with breakfast than the crashing waves on the beach. She was comprised, someone knew enough of her past to be a threat. She hated secrets. She hated that she could not sing or it could give away her past. At this moment she could not be one of several different people. She needed to one person. Jessica, Lily, Hatsune, and Jaelle all had to be one all had to bring there skills together to make something bigger happen. At this point if the reporters found out who she was it would not of mattered. She opened her mouth and started to sing. Her voice was pure, the notes were crisp in the morning air. It was a voice that was trained over the last twenty years as an idol and a even greater time for it had always been a love of Lily to sing. It was always a good way to let the assassin express herself that didn't lead to bloodshed. She moved her hands out to the horizon as she closed her eyes as the words left her lips and the melodic sound of her voice filled the air, as if she was singing to the rising sun. [Verse 1] "I feel like I'm losing hope In my body and my soul And the sky, it looks so ominous And as time comes to a halt Silence starts to overflow My cries are inconspicuous" She tossed her head sending her hair flying in the morning breeze as she futher lost herself in song. [Verse 2] "Tell me God, are you punishing me? Is this the price I'm paying for my past mistakes? This is my redemption song I need you more than ever right now Can you hear me now? [Chorus] Cause we're going to shout it loud Even if our words seem meaningless It's like I'm carrying the weight of the world I wish that someway, somehow That I could save every one of us But the truth is that I'm only one girl Maybe if I keep believing my dreams will come to life Come to life..." She folded her hand together and brought them to her chest. The continued to flow from her months of keeping her passion with held from the world being released in this instant. [Verse 3] "After all the laughter fades Signs of life all washed away I can still, still feel a gentle breeze No matter how hard I pray Signs of warning still remain And life has become my enemy [Verse 4] Tell me God, are you punishing me? Is this the price I'm paying for my past mistakes? This is my redemption song I need you more than ever right now Can you hear me now? [Chorus] Cause we're going to shout it loud Even if our words seem meaningless It's like I'm carrying the weight of the world I wish that someway, somehow That I could save every one of us But the truth is that I'm only one girl Maybe if I keep believing my dreams will come to life Come to life [Chorus] Cause we're going to shout it loud Even if our words seem meaningless It's like I'm carrying the weight of the world I wish that someway, somehow That I could save every one of us But the truth is that I'm only one girl [Chorus] Still, we're going to shout it loud Even if our words seem meaningless It's like I'm carrying the weight of the world I hope that someway, somehow That I could save every one of us But the truth is that I'm only one girl Maybe if I keep believing my dreams will come to life Come to life" The song ended and she breathed a deep sigh feeling more intune with herself than she had felt in a long time. She turned to make her way back to the beach. (Reply none, any if you want to make Jaelle feel embarrassed) (Posted by Matthew Locke) (Trill Homeworld -Ground Relay – Intelligence Agent – Rebecca Faust– 0435) Rebecca silently open the hatch of the air vent she had crawled through and made sure that the hatch would not rattle as she looked down into the room. She had worked herself into the Ground Relay without setting off any alarms. She had not been surprised as the Relay was not set up to keeping people from sneaking in. She did not let this lax of security put her of just in case there was something she might have missed. She scrutinised the computer cores below her making sure that there was not one in the room. She went through the helmets visual, thermal or other spectrum scans in case there was something waiting for her. She slid out of the hatch and landed softly knowing that the suits stealth cloaking ability would keep her hidden from sensors and eyes a like, but nothing was ever full proof, so a level of caution was called for. She moved stealthily between the large banks of computer cores until she found a small data access port. She unspooled a data cable which connected to a wrist mounted PADD and inserted it into the access port. She glanced around as the PADD searched for a data that she needed. There was a soft beep in her ear as the PADD finished its searched and copied the information. She unplugged the data cable and began to move back towards the air vent. There was a whoosh of the computer core room door opening and the sound of feet heading past the computer cores. She moved sideways and melted into a shadow of the closest core and waited for the steps to get closer. She moved deeper into the shadow as her hand went to her blade which was sheathed in the small of her back. She did not want to kill any one but if she was spotted, she would not hesitate to slay with brutal efficiency. The footsteps move past and faded into the distance as she slipped out and moved towards the air vent. A short time later she had changed into her civilian clothes and had melted into the crowds as she headed back towards the city. Unnoticed by the people around her she activated her comm bead. “Agent Faust to Ensign Foxglove.” (Reply Foxglove) (Reply Foxglove, any) (Posted by Robbie) (Trill Homeworld - Outside – Person– 0437) This one was bored. This one had been waiting for the time for the voice to speak. This one waited patiently waiting for the moment it would get to stalk it's prey. This one was hungry, wanting the game to being, like a cat stalking a mouse or a dog chasing a ball, this one knew what they wanted, and they would succeed. Once this one knew that the voice had spoken, they knew then that the prime target would not acquiesce to the reasonable request of the voice. So it would be time to see what the second was doing. The second who in their hubris thought they could leave undetected, was like a rat in a maze, the maze that this one controlled. The hubris. Hubris, a sentient species greatest sin. This one was hungry, this one knew the time was now. This one saw the second, the one called faust slip into the crowd. This one was ready. Watching, waiting, the watcher in the wall. The area seemed busy, but not too busy. Enough people for the prey to think they were safe. This one waited. The words were said, Foxglove come in. In that moment two people bumped into Faust, apologizing they moved on. 1 second passed, 2 seconds passed, 3 seconds passed. A small beep, and Faust was gone. Teleported into a dark room. Alone. In that moment the two passerbys faded as two mobile emitters fell to the ground as they were deactivated and then disolved as if corroded by acid. This one smiled. This one took the piece from the board. Maybe live was like chess. This one looked up from their chessboard at the park, knocking over the brown queen piece, as they vanished, a mobile emitter fell to the ground, and dissolved like the others. Somewhere in a different place, this one's true face was illuminated by monitors. This one was smiling. This one was everywhere. The watcher in the wall. (Reply Faust, Foxglove) (posted by Will) (Trill - Outside - Ensign JG Erin Cortez - 11.01) Having completed her appointments for the morning, Erin stood at the outskirts of the town and took a deep breath. Having changed from her uniform into a pair of jeans and a tshirt, a bag on her shoulder, she had decided to take a walk in the nearby woods. Being back in nature, just by herself was what she knew she needed. Just to be, be calm, be alone and walk. Setting off through the trees, she instantly felt better. These woods reminded her of the woods by the academy. Memories flooded through her of the walks she often took, especially when things were getting bad for her, walking helped. Just quiet and no-one else around. ~I do wish Billy were here to see this but i know his place is with the Admiral. Just a shame we couldn’t spend any time together.~ she thought to herself as she walked. After a few minutes, she came to a clearing and stopped. The trees gave way to a small grassy area, beautiful and peaceful, she took her bag off her back, sat down beside a tree and pulled out her bottle of water. Taking a sip, she leant back against the tree and closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment of calm. “HELP!” Her eyes shot open as the voice rang through the trees near her. Sitting up straight, she threw the water into her bag and stood. Looking around her, she couldn’t see anyone immediately but heard the undergrowth snapping as something headed towards her. Feeling herself instantly tense, Erin watched carefully as a young girl ran out of the tree line and almost into her. Grabbing the girl lightly, she knelt down to be eye level with her and said, “What’s wrong?” The girl looked at her, scared and trying to figure out who this person was infront of her and if she were a danger. After a second, she looked into Erin’s eyes and spoke, “My friend… he was climbing a tree…. He fell… i think he’s hurt.” Nodding, Erin hauled the bag onto her back and said simply, “Show me.” (Reply No-one) (Posted by Jackie) (Trill - Outside - Ensign JG Erin Cortez & Ensign JG Ire Williams - 11.16) After following the kid for 10 minutes, Erin began to feel a slight pang of doubt enter her mind. Something didn’t feel right to her. They seemed to be going deeper into the woods, away from a main trail she had been following. As they reached another clearing, her fear became realised. Two older teenage men stood, leaning against a tree at the other end of the clearing. Stopping abruptly, she looked at them as the kid she had been following spoke, “Found one Derrin.” The older looking young man nodded with a smile and replied, “Nice one, Karan. Run home.” Erin watched as the kid turned on their heels and ran off into the woods. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the one who had been called Derrin and fixed him with a glare, “One what?” “Starfleet. Federation, whatever you people call yourselves now.” Taking a breath, Erin stood her ground and replied, “So, how’s this gonna go? Two guys against one lone woman. Wow, you guys really are daring.” Derrin, glaring at her, walked up to her and, leaning into her, whispered, “Daring, really? Starfleet certainly doesn’t know the meaning of the word. You and your people are takers. You left the romulans, to save yourselves.” “My best friend is Romulan so you have no idea what the hell you are talking about, little boy.” Glaring into her eyes, Derrin raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face. Wincing, Erin took a step back and let out a yell as she fell backwards onto the forest floor, her ankle twisting underneath her. Looking up at Derrin, She wiped her lip, looked at her hand and saw a small amount of blood on the back of her hand. Derrin, smiling, leant down, grabbed her hair and raised her face up to his, snarling, “You have no business being here, starfleet and i am gonna make damn sure you know it.” “I think that might be a mistake.” Ire stepped out into the clearing. Derrin, letting go of Erin’s hair, stood back up to his full height and laughed, “Oh really, why is that?” Erin, wincing at the pain from her ankle, wiped her lip again and looked at Ire. Ire moved forward towards Erin keeping all the kids in his eye line but focusing on the one who had hit Erin. He smiled politely “You seem to think that hitting people is a way to solve your problems but if you just leave then we can go our own way.” Erin, moving herself away from Derrin, looked up at Ire, “Don’t. It’s not worth it.” Derrin, looked at Erin and then to Ire, smiled, “Listen to the little woman here, friend. She isn’t worth risking your life over. I mean, one hit and she went down.” Closing her eyes, those words, more than any, brought back too much. She could feel herself beginning to shake and the sting of her lip began to hurt more. Ire kept stepping closer “Friend you seem to think that this is a discussion. I am going to leave with Erin. So please just go and we will leave.” Derrin looked back to his friend and then back at Ire. Smiling and, with a little laugh, he replied, “Not gonna happen, Friend. See, we don’t want you here so we are gonna make this one understand that. So step away.” He stepped sideways to make sure that he had positioned himself between Erin and Derrin. With one more step he would be in arms reach of him. He spoke to Erin but not taking his eyes off Derrin or the others. “Erin can you walk? We need to get up and go.” Shaking her head, Erin looked at him, “I think i twisted my ankle.” Derrin, smirking, walked forwards, “See, i always knew Starfleet was weak.” Ire grinned at him and shook his head. “Well it's sad to see how much you understand about us?” “Oh i, we understand well enough. You starfleet officers, you do what you want, take what you want and have no regard for others. You are only here because you want something from us.” “I am only here because you have taken my friend, you have hit her because that’s what you wanted to do. What I want from you is to leave so that I can take her for some medical attention. Do you understand that?” Smirking, Derrin balled up his fist and replied, “Oh i understand very well, friend.” and swung for Ire. “IRE!” Erin yelled as she tried to stand and winced as she put weight on her ankle. Ire saw the swing coming. It had really been inevitable that this was going to happen. He sidestepped the swing and raised his hand to deflect its path and move it out of the way. He then moved towards Darrin and kicked out with his foot into Darrin’s knee which gave a satisfying crunch as he connected. Screaming in pain, Derrin fell to the floor, “You…..” Standing slowly, Erin fought back a whimper of pain as she leant on a tree, “Ire…. leave it. Please.” Ire stepped closer to Derrin and glared at Derrin. Feeling his spike of anger become back under control. “Count yourself lucky it was me who found you with Erin. Other people may not have been so restrained as me.” He looked at the other. “You better get your friend to a hospital as that could be a nasty break.” He turned and moved over to Erin. “I think we should get out of here don’t you?” Nodding, she held out a hand, “Gonna need a little help. I can’t put any weight on my ankle.” He slipped his arm around her and took some of her weight as he tapped his comm badge. “Williams to Mystique two to sickbay please.” (Trill - Outside - Journalist, Elsie Biers - 11.26) Over the day that the ship had been in orbit around Trill, Elsie had taken the time to separate from Cressida. They'd set plans in place so that drone camera's were following key personnel from a safe distance and Elsie had beamed down to the planet, headed to the News office's of CBS in the city grabbed some local information from the reporters and headed out looking for a story. That's what had lead her here, to a secluded wood-like area waiting for something to happen. She had a long lens camera and was sat waiting to spring into action. Two young men had been hanging around in the clearing to her left and the suspicion was that they were going to be meeting with some Starfleet officers in a clandestine meeting which she was sure she'd never have been given permission to see if she'd just followed them. Her source couldn't give her any more information than that. So she had sat and waited for the better part of two hours, hungry and a little irritable by the weather. She was about to give up when she began to sense the minds of two others approaching, they were further out but she was sure she'd met one of the minds before, up on the ship. She readied the camera's around her, got lower to the ground and prepared to see what would happen. She watched intently as poor Erin Cortez came into view, following a younger kid who seemed to be leading her to the location. ~What's she doing here?~ Elsie thought to herself whilst ensuring the camera's had the best angles and were in focus. She'd never hear the end of it from Cressida if she brought back more focusless footage. She dug a wireless bud further into her ear and activated the audio playback so she could use the camera's mic's to pick up the conversation. "...is gonna go? Two guys against one lone woman. Wow, you guys really are daring.” Elsie's brow furrowed slightly, this didn't look to be what she had expected. She listened for another minute as the tense argument continued, ~Did Erin know these people or had she been abducted?~ She kept the camera's rolling, but pulled out a comm's device and began to call for aid as one of the men smacked Erin around the face and sent her to the floor. She began to stand up and was about to shout and rush to Erin's side when a man she recognised from the Mystique stepped into the clearing. ~How many more of them are there?~ Elsie thought as she crouched back down and began looking around the edge of the clearing, ~Am I about to see a rumble in the jungle?~ she thought to herself and allowed a small smile. She watched as Ire tried to calm to two young men down and de-escalate the situation. ~He's been trained well, probably wiser to call in backup~ she thought to herself and as she thought it, she began to do so herself. She'd looked down at the comm. device for a mere second before she heard Erin's voice ring out "IRE!" Elsie snapped her head back up to the see the Starfleet officer sidestep the lunch and break the leg of his attacker. He stepped forward spoke to the attacker for a moment before whisking Erin off her feet and calling for a transport to the Mystique. She found herself lying in the dirt watching the two men arguing with each other, one of them in immediate pain. Elsie began to look around the clearing again, clearly the tip-off she'd received had either been incredibly wrong or someone had hoped she was going to get caught up in this mess too. Was someone watching her now? She made the decision not to risk it and tapped the comm. badge she had, "USS Mystique, One to beam up please." She grabbed her equipment all together as the affirmative came through the badge and she was beamed back to the ship. (Reply any, none needed) (Posted by Jono Bradley) (Starfleet academy-Ravoks quarters- Graduation day- Cadet Ravok Shara & Cadet Adala Michaels-1232) " Adala are you done in there? I already said you hair looks fine. " Ravok said as he laughed. Adala was in the bedroom portion of his quarters using his Mirror. R'Vek had already gone to pre ceremony celebrations. The young cadets were about to become officers on this day. All their hard work had paid off. They all knew this would most likely be the last time they may see each other for some time. Adala laughed as she walked to the door of the bedroom. “Yes I am done. Been done, but wanted to listen to you complain because I take forever.” She’d miss this. " Oh that's so funny. " Ravok said with a laugh. " You know I don't lie. You look fine " Ravok replied back talking loud enough for her to hear him from the living room of his quarters.. ~ She always comes by here to get ready. I don't know why. Maybe she knows R'Vek has one of those crunches or crushes or whatever there called ~ he thought to himself. “You don’t lie? Are you sure.” She tugged at her collar and gumbled under her breath about dress uniforms being straight jackets. He walked over to his desk and grabbed his commbadge and pinned it to his uniform. " Is umm what's his name gonna be there ? The guy with the really nice teeth who is always following you around " he said smirking. Adala brushed the imaginary wrinkles from her uniform. “Yes he’ll be there. Of course he’ll be there. Why do you ask?” ~If only things had turned out different~ He walked to his bedroom doorway and leaned against the door frame knowing Adala was just standing there looking in the mirror at herself like always . " No reason, I just didn't think your boyfriend was smart enough to graduate " he said jokingly. " I'm joking , I'm joking. I'm sure he's really smart and will have a bright future as a security officer guarding the food replicators in a mess hall somewhere " Ravok said sarcastically. “That’s not nice to say and you know it.” Turning to face Ravok. “He’s not my boyfriend and you know it. Yes I let him think that but I won’t hurt his feelings. He wants to hang out with me, that’s fine. It helped him get through the Academy and I feel everyone should have a chance. Even a small one.” " Yeah, right. The academy has been tough. I should know being that everyone thinks I'm a romulan spy or a Tal Shiar secret agent." Ravok said with laughter. Her face turned serious, but only for a second. “Well … are you?” Her voice taking on a joking tone. " If I was I wouldn't tell you." He said playfully. " No I'm not. My uncle was but not me " Ravok said. "Seriously though you could do way better than that. But that's just my opinion." Ravok said as he looked at her . “Maybe I could do better, I don’t know. Nobody else has shown an interest in me in the last four years. Am I that ugly?? Or do I intimidate them?” He looked at her shook his head " No, you're not ugly at all. You're really smart and you have a lot of confidence. Maybe some people were intimidated by that. I know I was when I met you almost years ago. " he replied “You intimidated by me? Not on your life. You resonate the most confidence I have seen. I know I couldn’t do it if our positions were reversed. Yes I grew up among who knows whom as a kid but that doesn’t mean I don’t get intimidated by those around me. I just got good at hiding it.” " I'm not that confident. I only find my confidence When I'm flying it's my safe zone. When I'm flying a fighter I feel...alive it's hard to explain. I guess it's the same feeling you get when you scale those cliffs and make it to the top." Ravok said referring to Adala's rock climbing abilities. “I get that. Knowing you are free and unfettered. I guess that’s why I never use ropes. It keeps me on my toes but it also gives me the confidence I need to survive.” She thought of the number of close calls she’d had but also of the way it made her feel when she finally reached her goal. She glanced at the clock. She was nervous, no doubt about it. She’d not seen her parents in ages. This was the beginning of a new chapter, one she didn’t feel ready to embark on, not alone. Her stability had been Ravok, even if she never told him that. He looked at the time and noticed the expression on her face. " Are you anxious?" “Of course I am nervous, I didn’t tell my parents I had changed department choices. They will find out today.” She let out a nervous laugh. “They had always called me their doctor daughter, not their science geek daughter.” " I know I am. I'm about to be the First full blooded Romulan to Graduate the academy." He said to her. “You will do great, you have done a wonderful job getting where you are. You should be proud. I know I am.” Adala replied He smiled " Thank you, and you're not a science geek. Yet I can't believe you didn't tell your parents" he said as he turned and walked to the living part of his quarters. Adala laughed and followed him into the living area. “Ok, then I am a science nerd.” She laughed and shook her head. “You’ve met my parents, would you have told them?” He walked over to the replicator and pressed the button for grape juice and a glass materialized in the replicator he grabbed the cup. " Well your mom yes. She's so nice, but Mr. Tom umm no " he said shaking his head and took a drink. " Don't get me wrong your father is a great man but he just expects so much out of you " he said to her. “I wasn’t born to stay in a stuffy sickbay or medical unit. I am more free out there.” waving her hand as she continued. “I need the excitement and unknown that is out there. I am more free doing field work and learning about space and the people who are out there.” She paused and sighed. “I can hear my dad now and I don’t look forward to his assessment of my decision. Thank god my choice has been made and it will be set in stone today.” " Do you know where you are going ?" Ravok questioned Alana frowned. "My choices in no particular order are research tech on Starbase 717, 'lab gopher' on U.S.S. Gettysburg or the U.S.S. Patapsco." She shrugged. "Can you tell which one I prefer? Probably will end up in some claustrophobic lab somewhere." Ravok took another drink." Commander Sinclair said he's giving me his personal recommendation for Mars for their fighter wing. It's either I go there or I have a chance to go serve as a tactical officer aboard the U.S.S. Eastpoint or helm officer aboard the U.S.S. Linthicum " “Do you have a preference? I mean you must have one of them you prefer. All I care about is that I get something that isn’t going to have me stuck in a lab every shift.” Her eyes took on a far away look as she thought about her future. " Well starbase 717 is near the neutral zone. So there is always something going on around there with Romulan Republic. I want mars though because it's all gonna be fresh cadets..I mean Ensigns trusted to build everything from the ground up. Plus they need pilots. The best pilots are heading there and not to brag but ...you're looking at the best " he said and pointed at himself with a laugh. Adala laughed and immediately felt better, more at ease. “You are the best, even if nobody but you knows it.” She playfully punched him in the arm and then shook her fist like it hurt. “You’re the best and I’m the worst, … right?” She said jokingly. He looked at her and smiled. " You've been a good friend to me. You, Erin and R'vek. I'm gonna miss all three of you….I'm gonna really miss you though. You didn't let your popularity stop you from being friends with a Romulan. You have never once referred to me as a Romulan.You have always treated me as an equal in everyway. Even though you lost a few friends because of your association with me. You never changed towards me. For that you have my gratitude for the rest of my life." Ravok said to her with a heart felt smile. “You are you Ravok, nothing more, nothing less. I don’t care who you are, what you are, where you’re from. You have been my friend from day one, that is all that matters. I grew up around my parents and their friends. I was what they wanted me to be for too many years. Meeting you and becoming who I am meant to be, no longer under their shadow, is the high point of the last four years. I am going to miss you, miss our adventures and misadventures.” She paused. “Promise me you’ll keep in touch.” " I promise, just promise not to tell too many people about the time on Guadalupe Peak in texas where I had to go to the bathroom and had to hold it in for three hours even though you insisted I just go " he said and laughed Adala broke into laughter and doubled over. “You nearly went all over yourself. You are too hard headed for your own good you know. One of these days it’ll get you into trouble.” She paused knowing she was a good one to talk, thinking of the times she’d gotten herself into trouble. He laughed with her " Yeah my Father says the same thing. Oh speaking of him he's gonna be there. Erin couldn't calm her excitement over it. Shes bringing him a bottle of tequila with the worm in it. She's convinced that will get him drunk. She doesn't want to believe me when I tell her that we Romulans have tough livers and handle alcohol very well, but she's convinced this bottle will be the one to get him drunk. I know he's excited to see you again. " “I can’t wait to see him again either.” Adala shook her head. "Good luck to her at getting Reggie drunk. I have seen you hold out and have to practically carry me back to my quarters. I can't hold my booze, so would love to see Erin try and succeed." The number of times she'd had to be helped back to her quarters she couldn't count, but was glad it was Ravok who had been with her and no reports had been made. He gently stood her hands out if the way " Here let me" he said as adjusted the buttons on her uniform " The Flap stays pinned up until the graduation is complete then when the ceremony is over we unpin the flap and it falls down and shows our department color. " He said as he looked at her for a brief moment where he seemed to pause. " There you go. Looking good now " he said. Adala laughed and gave Ravok a mock salute. “Thank you Sir for your assistance.” This wasn’t the first time she’d needed help with the small things. For her dress uniforms should be tossed out the nearest airlock. She hated the things. “I can’t stand wearing this, I don’t care what it’s for.” But she smiled and looked him over. “However, you look really handsome in yours. Perfect in every way.” " Don't let my father hear you saying that. He would do a back flip. " He said to her She shook her head. “And what’s wrong with you being perfect? I see nothing wrong with it.” He looked at her nervously and rubbed the back of his head. " Well my father …my father thinks I should of ...you know. You and I " He said as he pointed back and forth between the two of them. “Yes I know he thinks we should have. I can’t and won’t say I have thought it. But …” she shrugged. “No, that’d be like dating my brother.” She giggled. “Yuck” She nudged him. “Are you ready?” She not so tactfully changed the subject. " Exactly, plus no offense but after Lauren I'm done with Human women for a long time." He said laughing . " Yeah I'm ready to go " he said to her as he grabbed his PADD Adala shrugged “Then let’s get this over with.” As much as she didn’t look forward to leaving the one she considered her best friend, she knew it was all part of the process. She moved to stand with him. "Let's become Ensigns " he said with a grin. He tapped his commbadge " Computer, two for transport to the Graduation Ceremony " =/\= Acknowledged, Transport sequence ready =/\= " Energize," he said. The two of them disappeared in a brilliant blue light. Transporting to not only their graduation, but to the future itself… (Reply none) ( Posted by Kathleen and Davis ) (USS Mystique - sickbay - 1140) Sitting on the bed in Sickbay, Erin closed her eyes as the nurse began to heal her lip. Her ankle had just been twisted and had been fixed in a second. Looking over at Ire, who was stood by her side, watching carefully, she nodded, “Thank you.” He smiled at her “What are friends for if not to help each other out.” As the nurse finished healing her lip, Erin nodded a thanks to her, “What were you doing out there anyway?” Ire paused for a moment “I noticed you go off with the kids and thought you might need a hand. Sorry I did not get there fast enough.” Smiling, she stood up from the bed and sighed, “You weren’t to know….” her voice trailed off as what Derrin had said to her flew into her mind again. Ire shrugged “But still… are you okay? Do you want me to walk you back to your quarters?” “I’ll be fine. Just brought up some bad memories for me. I’d like that. If you don’t mind? I just need to take a nap. Ire?” “Of course.” he stepped next to her and ushered her to the door. Stopping just by the door, she looked at Ire, “I was kind of hoping that we could keep this between us. I mean… Billy is gonna go mad when he finds out what happened. But, we can't, can we?” Ire sighed “No, We can’t. We need to tell security as it happened on the planet which could mean a diplomatic incident and I need to tell Trip as my Boss sorry.” “I know. Well, i am gonna go hide in my quarters until he finds out then.” He smiled at her “Well, good luck with that. I’ll tell Trip and Security and I expect your self imposed isolation will not last long.” “I suspect that, as Ravok is on the bridge right about now…. One of us will be getting a visit soon.” “Okay I will contact him and tell him what happened. So that you won't have to go over it again and again.” “Thanks, Ire.” “Not a problem. Anytime.” (Reply no-one) (Posted by Jackie and Robbie) (USS Mystique - personal quarters - Ensign JG Erin Cortez - 11.57) Sitting on her couch, Erin pulled her knees up to her chest and just sighed. She hadn't been truthful with Ire and she felt bad for it but the whole situation on the surface had gotten to her. Closing her eyes, she fought to keep the memories of not just that but of him from coursing through her mind. She knew that it was gonna come out. Ire had already said that he had to tell trip and if trip found out, it was a safe bet that Billy would find out sooner rather than later. She knew that this alone would bring up a conversation she wasn't sure if she was ready to have with him. She knew that she had already shown him the scar but telling him the whole truth was scaring her. Closing her eyes again, she lay down on the couch and sighed heavily. Wanting nothing more than to be left alone she let herself drift off into what she hoped would be a peaceful sleep. (Reply no-one) (Posted by Jackie) (Mystique –Bridge - Ensign (JG) - Ravok Shara - Ire Williams - 1200) Ire stepped onto the bridge and saw Ravok at a tactical console. He knew that he had to do this now before going to see Trip. He stepped unobtrusively across to Ravok and spoke quietly to him. “Ravok do you have a moment I need to speak to you?” Ravok nodded his head and signaled to his relief officer to take tactical. He proceeded out into the hallway with Ire. " Is she ok ? I saw the transporter log." Ravok asked Ire . (Mystique –Deck 1 Office - Ensign (JG) - Ravok Shara - Ire Williams - 1205) Ire walked down the corridor and into an unoccupied office that was off the main bridge. “Yes and no” He said when the door had closed behind them. “We were in an incident with the locals on the ground. I came to you to make an initial report and also tell you what happened before the scuttle butt spins it out of all proportion.” " I'm not security but I can start filing the report with Ensign Peters and get the incident properly logged and detailed" Ravok said taking care of business first. " Now what happened to Erin ?" He asked Ire nodded and dropped into one of the chairs that were in the small office. “Okay. Erin and me were planet side along with others. A group of kids approached her. I was too far away to hear what they were saying but knowing that being on our own with the locals especially at that moment was not a good idea. So I followed at a discreet distance so as to not spook anyone. I lost them for a little while and by the time I caught up with Erin she had been struck by one of the kids and was on the floor with the kid ready to beat her up. I stepped in trying to resolve the situation without violence and get Erin out of the situation before anything else happened……...I failed and things got out of hand.” Ravok looked up at the ceiling with hands on his waist and took a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm himself down. He looked back to Ire and walked over an leaned his rear end against the edge of the desk and crossed his arms. " Ire you didn't fail. You saved a fellow officer. You attempted to resolve the situation. Ire did you get physical with them?" Ravok asked. Ire looked straight at Ravok. “Yes I broke his knee. I felt that as he had assaulted Erin, that I and her were in danger and so I protected myself after he threw the first punch.” Ravok smiled "Friend to friend, I'm glad you taught them a lesson. " his smiled faded . " This is going to be bad, you defended yourself but against a kid. Some people don't want us here as it is and you break a kids knee. Damn it...Trip is gonna loose his mind man " Ravok said as he shook his head. " The Admiral is not gonna be happy to get this report." He said to Ire Ire nodded unhappily. “I know that and that’s the problem. It's not the fact that the kid would have happily killed Erin or that he was looking for a fight or the fact that I was defending myself it's the fact that I as a starfleet officer broke a kids leg. It's the fact that it can be claimed that as a high ranking martial artist that I should have been able to defend and subdue the kid and not hurt him. The fact that he had happily assaulted Erin and would have continued will beyond the point. Especially with my glowing career as it stands.” " Ire , look I'm not upset with you. I agree with you. Although I would of been a little more careful. It kind of comes with the territory of being a romulan in the federation. Every step I take is analysed in detail ,add in the fact that I'm also a starfleet officer and now I have to make sure I blink correctly" he said with a chuckle to break the tension. Ire nodded and gave a slight smile Ravok removed his commbadge and laid it on the desk and walked over to where Ire was sitting and knelt down in front of him. " I'm gonna say this me to you. Ravok to Ire , I'm glad you hurt that kid. I hope when he dreams he sees only your face and hears the sound of his knee snapping like a stick. I hope they can't fix his wound properly and he walks with a limp the rest of his pathetic life!" Ravok said in seldomly used tone of voice almost as if he were speaking with an entirely different accent a more broken and more romulan sounding rhythm to his speaking. Sinister and intimidating. " Erin is my rinam, my sister. I would of been thrilled to see this veerul ( romulan for fool) ryth in pain." Ravok smiled. As he stood up and walked back to the desk and pinned his commbadge back on his uniform and coughed to readjust his voice. “The thing is, I was not feeling restrained. I wanted to hurt him for what he did to Erin. You are my friends and this is my family and I will defend both with every fiber of my being.” He paused for a moment then said. “ I could have easily carried on breaking every bone in his body and his friend without a moment's thought. He would have not made it out of those woods alive but I would have been wrong.” He sat straighter in the chair as he spoke to Ravok. “I am accepting responsibility for what happened and will take any repercussions from the Admiral. I am also asking to be confined to the ship until we leave Trill.” Ravok nodded his head. " As an officer you messed up royally. I hope for your sake this doesn't end your career, but thank you for helping Erin. " “If it does then at least Erin is safe.” " I have to return to the bridge. I will start the incident report and send it to security. Expect a visit from security within the hour." Ravok said to him. Ire stood up and looked at Ravok. “Thank you.” He nodded his thanks to Ravok. “That will also give me enough time to tell Trip that his screwup of a pilot has once again caused a problem.” Ravok straightened his uniform and walked to the door " Tell the truth, just tell the truth" he said to his friend. Ire nodded “Wasn't planning on saying anything else.” as he followed Ravok out into the corridor and went off to find Trip. (Reply None) (Posted by Davis and Robbie) (Mystique- Personal Quarters – Pilot – Ensign (JG) – Ire Williams 1215) Ire stood in his personal quarters and glanced at the a neatly pile of folded clothes in a sealed bag that would go to security if they needed it. He sighed and looked at the starfield and the slowly rotating planet below him, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had to talk to Trip again and hated it. Yet again he had messed up and was going to have that conversation with him. It was yet another reason to confirm everyone’s suspicion that Ire saw a loose cannon or cursed or too dangerous to be around or unfit to wear the uniform. “Crash bloody bandicoot.” It seamed that since the graduated everything had gone wrong. All he had ever wanted was to fly and it had all gone wrong. A crash, decompression, explosion, fire and now this. ~Bloody hell Erin~ He ran his hands through his hair. ~Don’t be a fool, it was not her fault~ Hindsight was a wonderful thing and had been going over time since he had arrived back on board. Why had he just not transported them both away, why did he not call the authorities afterwards, why did he brake the leg of the kid, no not a kid he was a teenager and not some child, he knew exactly what he was doing to Erin. Should he have only incapacitated him rather than break his knee. Yes that would have been the right move but he also did not know if both teenagers was armed and by that point they had attacked Erin and were threatening to kill her. He put his palms onto the view port He had tried to talk to them, but they were spooling for a fight and there was violence in their eyes. He stamped down hard on the feeling of please he had, had when he broke knee. They had hurt his friend and would have done worse and they had deserved to be put down hard. There had been a split second where he would have killed both without a second thought but that was murder and he saw not some wild Klingon in a blood rage. He leaned his forehead on the view port. And then there was Ravok’s comment about telling the truth. Did his friend think so little of him that he would protect himself by lying. If there was one thing that had been drummed into him at an early age that you stand tall and admit your mistakes and take the punishment that is dealt out, you don’t lie about them or try to divert the blame. The problem was that punishment could be severe. It would likely cause a diplomatic incident which would cause problems for the Admiral, the talks on Trill and be an embarrassment to the Federation. He would be lucky to keep his commission, hell he would be lucky to still be in Starfleet or would face incarceration on Trill. ~Might safer for everyone if I go when we get back to Mars. At least I can’t endanger my friends anymore~ But first he would have to tell Trip before some one else told him. Then Trip would tell Billy and at least Erin would have some one to help her. But he needed to tell Trip first, he pushed himself away from the viewport and straitened his flight suit and tapped his comm badge. “Trip this is Ire I need a speak to you at your earliest convenience.” (Reply Trip) (Reply Trip, any) (Posted by Robbie) (USS Mystique- Bridge – CONN– Ensign (JG) – Trip Williams 1218) Trip was sitting in the center chair on the bridge. It was his turn on the rotation to have the bridge. He was about halfway through his shift, though he was going to need to take a break. He had almost no sleep, worrying about Bracken. But he had spent the day before on shore leave so it was his turn to work. He was trying to do his best to keep himself awake. It was almost time for lunch and he was going to take short nap during it. But those plans were going to need to be delayed for a bit. =/\=Trip this is Ire I need a speak to you at your earliest convenience.=/\= ~What now?~ "Ire, this is Trip, why don't you go ahead and meet me in the captains ready room in ten minutes. Does that work for you?" (reply Ire) "See you then." Trip then nodded to one of the officers on the bridge and left for the Ready Room to wait for Ire. (reply Ire, Reply anyone that wants to take the Bridge temporarily) (posted by Will Banowsky) (USS Mystique- Bridge – TAC. Ensign jg Ravok-1219) =/\=Trip this is Ire I need a speak to you at your earliest convenience.=/\= Ravok heard Ire say over the comm to Trip. ~ This is it. This is where Trip kills him~ Ravok that to himself. Trip had arranged to meet Ire in the ready room.... Trip nodded his head and left the bridge. Ravok watched as Trip walked off and awaited Ire. He then looked around the bridge and took his second chance to sit in the chair. Without hesitation. He say in the command chair once again. ~ Oh man Trip gives off body heat like a cracked warp core circuit relay panel on a ship flying into a star at full impulse. ~ He thought as sat in the chair. He knew Trip wouldn't be pleased one bit with Ire's incident. Ravoks nerves were on edge. ~ I swear on all Vorta Vor if they come flying out of that ready room fist fighting, I'm going to slam their heads together so hard ..." he thought to himself and smirked, perhaps trying to calm himself down. Two people he had come to care for so much in such a short amount of time were both bout to be in a difficult situation. Ravok began to wonder what they would be like outside of Starfleet. ~I bet Trip would be the guy people ran to for advice and he would always know what to say. Ire would probably be the guy who always had the best intentions of other at heart...Does their uniform make them anything other than that ? No of coarse it doesn't both have accepted me for me and havent judged me once for being ...what I am. ~ He thought as he glanced at the ready room door. He glanced down at the arm rest of the chair. He noticed a few buttons that were screaming to be pressed. ~ what's this one do? ~ he thought as he pressed the button and the chair quickly spun to the right nearly forcing him out of it. The helm officer looked at him. " Is everything ok ?" The officer asked "Umm, yes of course everything is fine. Just making sure the admirals seat is in working order..." Ravok said in an attempt to mask his embarrassment. He used his feet to move the chair back to it's normal position. The chair was now loose. ~ Oh come on. You have gone and broke it. Oh man~ he thought as he pressed another button at an attempt to fix but this time the seat flung him to the floor. Ravok jumped up quickly and brushed off his uniform. The officer at ops turned and looked at him. "You broke it didnt you?" She asked. " No of course not ...I'm testing out the features for...umm Tactical readiness. " Ravok responded. The ops officer stood up from her chair "Allow me to help " The red headed ops officer said as she walked over the command chair and sat down. She pressed a few buttons and the seat was once again in it's normal position. She stood up and patted him on the shoulder. " All yours Captain" she said with a playful smirk Ravok looked at her. " Thank you Ensign...." " Ensign Jacobs " she responded as she sat back down in the ops chair. " Thank you Ensign Jacobs." Ravok said as he sat back down waiting for Trip to emerge from the ready room. He was completely embarrassed and kept his hands in his lap... (Reply any on bridge) ( posted by davis) (USS Mystique- Personal Quarters – Pilot– Ensign (JG) – Ire Williams 1220) =^=Ire, this is Trip, why don't you go ahead and meet me in the captains ready room in ten minutes. Does that work for you=^= ~Of course he is in the Captain’s Ready Room~ “Thank you. I’ll see you in ten minutes.” "See you then." He took one look at his reflection of himself took a big sigh then headed for the door. ~for Erin~ (Mystique –Bridge - Ensign (JG) - TAC.Ravok Shara - 1221) Ravok was back at the Tactical station on the bridge. His mind was flooded with worry for Erin and worry for Ires future. ~ Hell of a day so far ~ he thought as he scanned through random sensor logs and various othe readings both outside and inside the ship. He had already began the incident report and sent it over to Security for Carson to look into.He was now bored once again. He decided to play a little game where he would view the names of crew members on the roster and guess their planet of origin. ~ Kurg, obviously Klingon. Mera Senay, obviously bajoran.~ he thought as he went down the list through departments. He was pretty proud of himself he guessed a good portion of their origins ~ Last department, Science. Sekal, Vulcan . Lisa Krebin , Earth. ~ he thought . Suddenly a name jumped off the list and gut punched him. ~ Adala Michaels....shes here ?~ He thought to himself . He was truly amazed at how he hadnt run into at all or the fact Erin hadnt either. He checked the internal sensor logs all the way back to when they left Mars. She hadnt been anywhere either one of them had been. Adala had only been to the bridge twice for a total duration of 18 minutes and 11 seconds. Most of the time she was couped up in a lab. ~ I'm sure she hated that ~ Ravok thought. Not only is his best friend Erin with him but now come to find out his other friend Adala was here as well. Ravok felt a sense of joy. He doesn't only have Ensign Merek, the girl of his dreams but two of his very best friends here as well. Only thing missing was R'Vek and he'd have it all. Ravok thought back to graduation day to the last time he saw Adala “Excellent, I’ll produce the dye.” He said and went over to the medical synthesizer. A few key strokes and a small pause a chime was heard. Dural pushed another button and a small vial of dark indigo liquid appeared on the small pad. He loaded it into the hypospray and handed it to his Bajoran colleague. “You may have the honors.” (Reply Kryos) (Posted by Todd) (USS Mystique- Captain’s Ready Room– Pilot– Ensign (JG) – Ire Williams 1231) He passed Ravok as he crossed the bridge and gave him a slight nod as he entered the ready room. He saw Trip alone in the officer and stepped inside as the door whooshed closed behind him. He paused and took a breath before he began “Thank you for seeing me.” (Reply Trip) “I am here to inform you as my department head that there has been an incident on the planet involving myself, Ensign Cortez and two local civilians. I have already informed Security for a primary report and after speaking with you I will go back and do a Serious Incident Report.” (Reply Trip) (Reply Trip, any) (Posted by Robbie) (Trill surface – Outside – Person Unknown - 1315) The game of chess was one of strategy, intelligence, and risk. While on the surface it could seen as a simple game of trial and error, skill, and a bit of luck, it was actually a deep and cerebral game. As the game evolved, adding layers into the 3rd dimension, the complexity grew. In many ways, life was like a chess match. It was an analogy that one might even find fitting. Many people try and find ways to describe life as an analogy, life is like chess, life is like a box of chocolates, life is a %$#@ and then you die. But the reality is,reality was more complicated than that. Life was an ebb and flow of confidence and fear. It was here where some tended to find glory or pain. Sometimes people think they are alone. Sometimes they think they are smart. Sometimes they, much in a chess match, think they are thinking three moves a head. But life isn't chess, life is a game of shoots and ladders, and just when you think you are rising to the top, hubris can be your downfall. This one's life was one dedicated to finding those whose hubris was ripe for the harvest. Peering out through the crowd, this one found his prey. A group of young Starfleet ensigns, the Silver haired on whose very existence would fetch a great price on the black market, and another who believed they were being so clever. Andorians and Starfleet in space, a bunch of young egotistical children protesting in the streets. Trill was a prime location for chaos. A Prime location for this one to thrive. For while many think they are safe from the voice in the dark, as this one followed his prey, identifying the target for which this one was to follow, this one that no matter how clever she had been, the game had just begun. This one did not have a voice, this one did not speak in the dark. This one knew their role. This one was the Watcher in the Wall, and this one was everywhere. (reply none) (posted by Will) (Trill - Outside Senate Building - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.40) Ariel beamed down to the Senate Building because she decided to lend her services to the President of Trill. She approached the security detail and stated her purpose. "I am ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei. I have come to lend my services to the president. I am Half Betazoid and Half Klingon. I believe my emphatic skills will serve the president well." (Reply Any) (Posted by Edward) (Mystique- Bridge - Tactical station- TAC. Ensign jg Ravok Shara- 1441) Ravok stood at the tactical. Bored and just looking though random specs on his terminal to pass the time . This waiting game was killing him. Suddenly he noticed something in the corner of his terminal a minimized window for transporter reports. He tapped on it and opened it up a single beam down to the surface to the Senate building. It was Ensign Trei. ~ What is she doing ? Did the admiral send her down?~ he thought. He locked on her commbadge. She made her way into the building. She was in close proximity to several life forms. Possibly security. She then moved away from the group of lifeforms and was now with just one. Ravok thought for a moment. Then sent the admiral a message that read... /" Admiral Remae, Counciler Trei has just beamed down to the surface alone. Her current location is in the senate building. I wanted to make sure she had your authorization to beam down to that location. Please respond. "\ the message was also copied to Billy as well. ( reply Remae , Billy ) ( posted by Davis ) (Trill - Outside Senate Building -Senator Lorn Dyl- 1442) "I am ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei. I have come to lend my services to the president. I am Half Betazoid and Half Klingon. I believe my emphatic skills will serve the president well.".... Security looked at the young Ensign " the president is in a meeting at the current time preparing for your Admirals arrival. If you could take a seat right over there I am sure he will meet with you when he has the time " the security guard said as he pointed to a bench (Reply Trei) Over hearing the conversation Senator Lorn Dyl saw this as a golden opportunity. " No, no that wont be neccessary. " Senator Lorn Dyl said in a reassuring way. " Please come with me Ensign.. Trei was it ? I'm Senator Lorn Dyl. I see the admiral sent one of his finest officers ahead to assist the president. " he said with a smile. ~ **** ** ,**. ****~ he thought to himself in the trill language. " You can wait in my office Ensign. To be honest we could all use your help. The president is under such stress " he said to her as he guided her toward his office . She was much to important to be sitting on a bench, much too important (Reply Trei) (Post by Davis ) (Trill - Senate building- Presidents office- President Taylin Zon- 1443) As Taylin gathered his notes and everything to present to the Admiral for their meeting at 1600 , a member of his security entered. " Sir, sorry for the intrusion but a starfleet officer has arrived asking to speak with you." " Very well. Send her in " Taylin responded without looking up. "Sir she is in with Senator Lorn Dyl at the moment. She just walked away with him. " replied security. Taylin stopped what he was doing and looked up at the security guard. " Interesting , that will be all " he said. "Do you want me to summon her ?" His guard asked . " No , that will be all" Taylin responded as he signaled for his guard to leave. Shutting the door door behind him . Taylin opened his computers user interface " Priority clearance Zon 127899168- Elect " he said as his interface lit up with with Top security feeds. He raised his hand and touched the holographic image of Dyls office. " Priority clearance Zon 127899168- Elect-148" he said as he opened the live feed from Dyla office. He began to listen as Dyl talked to Trei asking about her life. He decided to take the time and listen in on their conversation.... (Reply none) ( posted by Davis ) (Trill Surface- Billy's Hotel Room - Ensign JG Billy Alexander- 1445) Billy sat quietly in his Hotel Room. There was still a few hours before the meeting with the president and he was reading from a Trill sensationalist tabloid. He found it rather humorous. Much like some of the ones from 21st century Earth. It was great reading. It was at that moment his PADD beeped. ~If this is another encrypted message I need to take the admiral, I swear. Can we go one day without someone almost dying.~ Looking at the message, he then realized that it had been primarily sent to the Admiral but he had been copied on the message. [Admiral Remae, Counciler Trei has just beamed down to the surface alone. Her current location is in the senate building. I wanted to make sure she had your authorization to beam down to that location. Please respond.] Billy sighed, waited a few minutes so that the Admiral could respond to Ravok then pressed his commbadge. "Ensign Alexander to Admiral Remae." (reply Remae) "Sir, I received the same message that Ravok had sent you. I just wanted to check in. Was Ensign Trei's trip authorized? I thought Ensign Ravenstone was our official diplomatic delegate from the counseling team." (reply Remae) "Do you want me to head over to the building, just in case?" (reply Remae) (reply Remae) (posted by Will) (Trill - Dyl's Office - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.45) She let Senator Dyl lead her to his office. She sensed a great ambition from him but also consideration to let her sit in his office. She could state to him how she intended to help the President but chose to give a little of what her intention are. I am betazoid so I can sense emotions very well. I am half Betazoid so my telepathic skills are not great. I can use the emphatic skills to work with the factions." (Reply Dyl) (Posted by Edward) (Trill - Dyl's Office - Senator Lorn Dyl - 1446) "I am betazoid so I can sense emotions very well. I am half Betazoid so my telepathic skills are not great. I can use the emphatic skills to work with the factions." The young woman said to him as he gestures her to a seat. " Betazoid , I would of never guessed , must be the source of your beauty and elegance" he said with a smile as he walked to his replicator and ordered two glasses of Allira punch, a fruity betazoid drink. He walked over to the beautiful young Ensign in his office. " Here you go , a small taste of home " he said as he handed her the drink. " Your skills as an empath will be very useful in the times to come. " he said as he opened his desk draw and popped a yellow pill into his mouth and took a drink to swallow it " Forgive me Ensign. " he said as he paused for a moment waiting for the effects to kick in After a moment and another drink of his glass he began to feel the effects, a warm feeling in the back of his neck. " Daily medication. One of the unfortunate drawbacks of being a joined trill I'm afraid . Now where were we ? ...oh that's right an empath? How exciting that must be" he said with a smile as he sat on the desk in front of her. ( reply trei) " Although it must be dreadfully exhausting having to deal with the emotions of others with little time for yourself. So tell me about yourself Ensign I am very interested in your story " he said as he took another sip of his delicious replicated beverage ( reply Trei) ( posted by Davis) (Trill - Dyl's Office - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.47) She sipped the wonderful fruity drink. The last time she had this was probably the academy. She answered his question. "Yes it can be very exhausting . My story is pretty boring really. My life growing up on Betazed was pretty normal. Your President may remember my father Detron Trei retired LT CDR. He is doing well. He consults with Betazed Council when called upon to do so. My mother was a stay at home mom. I have been involved with being a Cheerleader all my life. I am also a highly trained gymnast. My father taught me the ways of a Klingon warrior so I can take care of myself. Tell me about you." (Reply Dyl) (Posted by Edward) (Trill - Dyl's Office - Lorn Dyl- 1448) " I am also a highly trained gymnast. My father taught me the ways of a Klingon warrior so I can take care of myself. Tell me about you...." Dyl clapped his hands together once " Sounds like you have lived a very interesting life. A cheerleader, a gymnast, and a warrior. My oh my you are quite the wonder arent you? Now look at you a Starfleet officer at the start of her career. I must say I have lived 6 distinct lives and you are more interesting than all of them put together.... and you want to know about me ? " he asked with a smile " Well, I'm a senator and a self proclaimed professor of the people. " he laughed. " My previous host was a counciler. It was my favorite profession....let me ask you a question. As klingon how do you feel about the federation. Do you believe as I do that federation is best option for Trill , I mean truly believe it ?" He asked with a grin... ( reply trei) ( posted by Davis ) (Trill - Dyl's Office - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.49) She was asked with a Klingon perspective he opinion if Trill should join the Federation. "Well my Father thought so. I tend to have an open mind on things as he did so I think both Trill and the federation would prosper in the partnership. What do you think?" (Reply Dyl) (Posted by Edward) (Trill - Dyl's Office - Senator Lorn Dyl - 1450) "Well my Father thought so. I tend to have an open mind on things as he did so I think both Trill and the federation would prosper in the partnership. What do you think?" Dyl looked at her and smiled. " I feel as though the federation is ...the...best thing for Trill ~** ******,***** * ***~ he thought. " I get the feeling that I can trust you with some news of a serious nature. Our president has no true intentions of joining your Federation. Can you keep something between us?" He asked Trei. ( reply Trei) (Posted by Davis) (Trill - Dyl's Office - ENS jg Counselor Ariel Trei - 14.51) She listened to Dyl tell her the the President doesn't really want to join the federation. She will file that information until she can confirm it herself. Dyl asked if he could tell her something confidential. She didn't know how to respond to that but she reluctantly accepted the information. "It depends on what you are going to tell me. I am willing to do what I can to help the factions come together to build common ground." She had a strange feeling she was being watched but had nothing to prove it for now. (Reply Dyl) (Posted by Edward)