"Breaking the Habit"

Kylar Curran, Chief Liaison Officer

Karyn Dallas, Chief Counselor/Second Officer

****

Liaison Offices
Deck 17

[Kylar, we can't stress how important it is you be present at the functions.] The image of Natasha Mol, the Ambassador-General of the Liaison Corps, was framed along one side of the terminal communications monitor. On her right, Admiral Janeen Taneel was in her own letterbox. She'd been silent throughout most of the conversation, and Kylar guessed it was her intent to showcase the combined efforts of the two sections within the Federation structure as well as the sheer importance.

"I understand, Ambassador-General." They'd been discussing the details of the arrangement for Senator Omar's body and the state funeral being processed for it. "There will be an issue I will need your assistance in overcoming." His eyes transferred their focus to the Admiral, who had not blinked at his shift of attention.

"The recommendation of reduced duties is still on my file, Ambassador. Perhaps the Admiral could see to it that I am reinstated at my full clearance levels once again? My performance would be impeded if I had anything else."

[We cannot help you with that, Vice-Legate.] Kylar's brows furrowed, wanting to point out - rather aggressively - the mission they're placing on him will be sabotaged before they could even begin if his records showed him to be mentally unstable. The Rihannsu would treat him as nothing less than the village idiot, to be laughed at, and not trusted.

Admiral Taneel had broken the silence, and continued before Curran could interject.

[The Counseling Branch within Starfleet isn't under our purview. If they feel the recommendation of its personnel in the field are valid, then, like the Commanding Officer of any assignment and his Chief Medical Officer, we are unable to over-ride it. Else, the check and balance system against the Admiralty wouldn't be in place. We were able to negotiate a limited access pass to the functions, but you are not within your rights to negotiate on the Federation's behalf should it come to be. You are simply a Liaison Officer, a... gopher,] for the first time, her lips curled minutely in a smirk of disgust at the idea. [I have the firmest belief it was the work of the Hawk coalition that put you in this position, Vice-Legate. There is nothing else we can do from this end.]

[But you do have one option available to you, Kylar.] Mol took the conversation back from Taneel. [You can obtain the recommendation of Counselor Dallas to be re-activated.]

This took Kylar aback. "She is hardly supportive of me, ma'am's. We have a... history."

[Intimate?] Mol's eyebrow raised at the notion presented by the Admiral. Kylar thanked the gods silently that he hadn't been drinking anything. IT would be coating his monitor right now.

"Hardly. The animosity between us is professional in nature only. I cannot speak for her, but you can be certain I feel nothing but disdain at her own professional discourse."

[Then you'll need to resolve your differences, Vice-Legate.] Taneel responded tersely. [This is far too important a presentation to allow personal feelings get in the way of your duties to the Federation.]

Curran bristled at the notion his responsibilities and devotion to the UFP were called into question. Starfleet could really be dense. He couldn't understand how they won the Dominion War with such simple thought processes and lack of methodical analyses.

"I'll discuss it with her." He bit the inside of his cheek to keep his emotions in check. Now was hardly the time to prove to them his mental stability may not be far from the truth. Even he believed the human side of his DNA was at odds with him just to drive home the point that the Terrans defeated them in the end, both during the Andromedan War, and when the advance team to the Alpha Quadrant was defeated. Kalinda - one of the Kelvans original sent here - had allowed her emotions to begin the descent into defeat. Her name was spoken with vile disdain in the presence of Kelvans.

[Good luck, Kylar. We'll be in touch soon.] Taneel's face blinked out first, followed by Natasha Mol's shortly thereafter. Curran was left alone in the dim light of his quarters, ch'Rihan hanging iridescent in the background.

It took him less than seven minutes to locate Karyn Dallas, and it hardly mattered where she was. Forcing down the bile and nausea that crept up his esophagus, he pushed onward.

****

Counseling Offices

He found her in her office, contemplating the planet they were orbiting, unable to shake the ghosts of missions past. It had been years since she, Lee Price, Elaithin Jii, and Kent Peterson had been relieved of their duties on the original USS Galaxy and ordered to go undercover on Romulus. But the spirit of Colonel Jarol of the Tal'Shiar, the identity of the deceased agent she assumed, still haunted her.

Colonel Jarol was unwavering in her cruelty, belittling officers at every turn, ordering officers killed or tortured as a matter of routine. She was such a forceful presence, so unlike Karyn herself in her malevolence, that to think about what she'd done made her shutter. She recalled feeling as though she was possessed by Jarol's ghost at times, doing things, thinking and saying things with such coldness, it chilled her. Back then, they had been fighting for the lives, fighting to play their roles flawlessly or they would be killed where they stood.

And then they were caught. Jii was tortured nearly to death, and somehow, it was over. They'd resumed their roles like nothing happened, not allowed to discuss their mission. Karyn shed Jarol uneasily, and months later, they were at lanjep, where things really went to hell.

So much had happened in the years she'd served in the fleet, and being here, on the Romulan homeworld was bringing it all back.

Her door chimed and interrupted her reverie. She jumped at the sound but at once was grateful for the distraction. "Come."

The doors parted, and the slender form of the Kelvan slipped into the rooms that had come to be thoughts of degradation to him. The very idea of allowing anyone into a person's thoughts and persona willingly was akin to being submissive. And that Starfleet had required it? Mind control techniques, and brainwashing their personnel into believing it was beneficial to one's mental health? It suspended belief.

Yet, he had been herded into this situation that he had no choice but to attend. His former counselor - Ammanlyn Lhywhyn, had left the ship abruptly, leaving his file with some minion that had insistently left multiple messages for him. He'd had more important matters to attend to, so he pointedly ignored them. He was able to take care of things on his own, hence his pilgrimage to Kelva II and the Caves of Reflection.

"Counselor," he stumbled on the words. He couldn't order her, as she wasn't in his jurisdiction. He also didn't want to alienate her, which was a thought resulting from his diplomatic training, but he could hardly plead with her either. That would give her the advantage and power placement in the conversation. Such a predicament. It didn't help that as a result of the internment at the Hydran research facility, his memories of her putting him to bed in his quarters came unbidden to the forefront of his current thoughts. That only caused his emotions to simmer in ire.

"I require my diplomat status reactivated." Short, clinical, and to the point. The fact that she did not respond immediately while staring out her port windows was not lost on him. She was playing the control game, right from the onset. He steeled himself for battle.

She turned around slowly, hoping that when she met her visitor, it would not be the person she heard. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Kylar Curran, the man who'd made no secret of his hatred for her, could not be seeking her voluntarily. Her eyes met his, and for a long minute, they stared at each other. Dallas had encountered him since he'd taunted her and left her beaten and bloody, happy to see that a drugged Victor Krieghoff had attacked her, and she had convinced herself she'd moved on. She'd had to. But he taunted her whenever he could...embarrassed her publicly, labeled her weak and worthless.

And all along, she had the power to bury him. The same pheromones that had induced Victor to attack her in animalistic lust and brutality had made Kylar Curran, the pompous bastard, the arrogant son of a bitch, her tormentor, a victim too. This time of an android sexual predator. She'd known all along, but not once did she think of using it against him...

Until now.

If she thought she could get away with it, she might have slugged him. As she stared at him as if for the first time since that horrible night, she realized she wanted to blacken his eye so it was almost swollen shut as hers had been the night he found her lying on the floor of Victor's quarters, Krieghoff's sedated body atop hers.

She was suddenly so filled with anger, revenge, thoughts of vindication, she almost couldn't speak. When she found her voice, she answered, practically shaking, "People in hell want ice water, Legate. I suggest you start there."

"I just crossed the threshold, Counselor. Are you offering me a beverage?" He refused to allow himself to sink to her level of a venomous dance of derogatory remarks. "In that case, I shall have a Altairian variation. Hold the toxins."

Karyn chuckled, low in her throat and tinged with anger. "I'm not offering you a damned thing. Whatever you've got planned to get rid of me, I'm not playing. Get the hell away from me or I'll have security throw you out."

"Did they teach this method of counseling during your tenure at the Academy, or is this something a recent published paper suggested you try on patients that will not bow to your whims willingly? It isn't like you to be intimidating. As refreshing as it is, I'm not here for counseling." Taking two more steps into the offices, the doors closed behind him, leaving the two alone to their admissions.

"Then we've got nothing to talk about," she snapped.

Taking a quick look around the offices for anything that could pose a security risk, and seeing nothing, Curran re-composed himself. This was not what he had expected.

"You are a therapist who does nothing but talk or listen. How is that won't do either right at this moment when we have quite a lot to discuss, our personal issues notwithstanding?" Just before she could respond immediately, he scanned and brought up the security roster on the PADD he always seemed to carry, before him. "If you call for Security, Krieghoff will be dispatched here. I removed him from any relevant duties pertaining to the Jem`Hadar, so he'll be the first one assigned here as you are senior staff, and he is the highest-ranking security officer not assigned to essential duties with our visitors."

He was trying to frighten her. He failed. "I've learned to forgive Victor. I've never forgiven you. And you've never let me forget, have you?"

"I don't understand, Counselor. Forget what? We haven't spoken since December, and that is one day I would rather not relive. Prior to that, we haven't spoken for months. It is you that won't let me forget. You brought this issue you currently have with me up first since I arrived. I have said nothing except stating the requirement from Starfleet Command and the Liaison Corps that my status be fully restored." The irony of the personalities being switched around wasn't lost on him. For once, he was trying to be rational, where she was putting up walls. It should be him erecting the defenses, not the one on the offensive. "Do you seek forgiveness from me?"

She was incredulous. "I haven't done anything wrong. But you, you laughed in my face the night you found me, the night you so coldly implied just now when you brought Victor up. Every chance you've gotten, you've called me weak, pathetic, useless, including in public. Every chance you encounter me, you look at me with disgust and barely contained contempt. And now you seek my help? *You* disgust me, Legate."

He clenched his jaws tight, tasting the copper of blood where he had bitten his tongue. She was pushing him to the brink. It was time to bring this charade to a close. There were more important matters to attend to. Without a word, he approached the divan, lowered himself into it, placed the PADD on the small table to the right, just beside something that he supposed was artistic, and clasped his hands together after leaning back.

"Get it out of your system, counselor, if it'll make you feel better. It won't change my opinion of you, but we need to get back to the matter at hand. Come, release your emotions. I won't interrupt. Let me play counselor, but I won't make any attempt to alter your impressions or individuality."

"She raped you," Karyn answered quietly. "She. raped. you. In your bed, in your shower. I found you. I helped you. I reached out to you. I watched you suffer, despise me, laugh over my bloodied body when you found me later that night. I never said a word to them. To you, when I could have humiliated you. When you continued to hurt me. Why did you do it?? Why do you hate me so? All I did was help you then. You laughed. You told me I was to blame for what Victor did? Why?"

"Fight or Flight" - Part 2

Branwen London XO,
Furies SFMC

Ella Grey
Asst. Chief Engineer

James Corgan
Chief Security Officer

Brian Elessidil
Asst. Chief Counselor

Cora Dobryin
Chief Intelligence Officer

Kylar Curran
Chief Liaison Officer

****

Deck 8
Intelligence Offices

The man in black at the end of the table in the darker vestiges of the room wanted to vomit. This was treading dangerously close to a group therapy session. Next thing they knew, the group would break out in campfire songs of a nature intended to uplift the psychological aspect. With Curran, the nutritional supplements he recently imbibed would be the only thing uplifting. This debriefing was a waste of his time, but... he decided to give it a few more minutes.

Ella wanted to sigh. She could start. She could tell them how she had been immobile, how she had felt them cutting into her extracting things. She could tell them how she had been scared, how it had hurt, how she had dealt with it all. Ella could make it easier on Branwen, who she could tell needed someone else to begin before she could deal with it.

But, frankly, Ella wasn't that nice. Let someone else start.

"I'm trying to make this as painless as possible yet I know it won't be painless," Cora replied gently, "We need this information to prevent it from happening again. Let us help you by getting what happened out in the open with those that experienced it." Hearing O'Shea's name bothered her but that would be dealt with in the other investigation her department had been tasked with.

"Why yes, every day this happens in Starfleet, doesn't it?" Kylar's face encroached upon the sliver of light that caressed his end of the table. His gaunt features and inset eyes betrayed the exhaustion he was sure his body should feel, but certain precautions prevented that for him. "Sitting around a table and talking about feelings and faded after-images is not going to resolve the fallacies of a shoddily run department. You had no clue about O'Shea, did you? And you are supposed to know these things first. Such faith you instill."

Pausing without giving the Kelvan a dignified response, Cora asked another question, "Did they say what they wanted from you? They had reasons for treating you the way they did. I want to know if they gave those away either by their indirect actions or by what they said directly to you or others."

Kylar's mind flashed images that had assailed him during the imprisonment, but he elected to not share these. His personal life had no bearing on the investigation of the shared events by all those in the room save the Betazoid counselor and the Intelligence Officer conducting the joke of a debriefing.

"I heard nothing, I saw nothing," Curran lied. "No one could be sure of any images they saw through the fluid we were embalmed in."

Elessidil knew immediately it was a lie, but decided not to press the issue at the moment.

"Bullshit!" Corgan snapped out, a hard steely glare at the Kelvan before snarling out, "I saw what I saw perfectly well! I won't have you say any different. Now grow some balls and say something, or I will."

He wanted out of this joke of a debriefing as quickly as could be attained, so the diplomat called on his skills to avoid giving in to the emotional rot that was humanity. Corgan had the intellect of a chimpanzee. Curran wouldn't be surprised if he up and peed on himself in the middle of the session. He wasn't about to give the Betazoid counselor ammunition against him, either. He kept his answers terse and to the point, everyone else be damned. "It was only when a Jem`Hadar raiding party launched an offensive on the station was I freed of the fluid, but still I am unable to offer any information for you. I was blinded for several minutes. I assume it was the nature of the fluid against our forced open eyes, but then again, I'm not a scientist or doctor. That is all I know. If you don't mind, I'll take my leave now. I've business to attend to."

Brian's first instinct was to let him go; he was very angry and it was obvious that he wasn't going to give them much of any use. But if they let Curran go simply because he didn't want to be here, then it would only be a matter of moments before the others followed along. The counselor gave Lieutenant Dobryin a look that clearly indicated he advised that Curran not be allowed to leave. This was her debriefing, and therefore it was ultimately her decision, but either way, Elessidil had already decided that he was going to meet with him one-on-one later, whether the Kelvan liked it or not.

"Tired"

Ensign Zev Raynor
Intelligence Officer

Why I never want to commit to doing anything...

Because I am never certain about the future. Because I am certain of the quality of the job I will do. Because I want the world to slow down... to be at ease instead of this mad rush everyone everywhere seems to be in for no reason. Because I don't want the pressure of having to try and keep it. Because it is painful to do. Because when I fail there will be only looks of disappointment in the eyes of those I made the promise to... Because I don't want to face harsh realities. Because I am weak of will. Because I am human. Because I lack the confidence in my own words. Because I rather be entertained. Because I don't want the responisblity. Because I'd rather just stop and smell the roses. Because I'd rather sleep, and perchance dream. Because I feel so wore... so tired. Because I'd rather live a carefree life. Because I don't want to be a liar, and make false promises that I don't keep. Because I just want to rest in the on the shores of paradise and not know the sins of man. Because I am burdened by conscience.

This is my trap... People force you to commit to things everyday... but when I refuse... when I hesistate... when I go against the flow and stand still in the stream you me wear down eventually. You start out as a rough jagged rock that breaks the water trying to flow past it, then time and pressure and flow take their toll. I become wore, smooth, tired... barely noticed by the river of time.

---

Raynor had read what he had written so long ago... so much had changed, and yet so much had remained the same... he never truly commited himself to Starfleet, but he had no commited himself against it either.

This part of him had been brought up when he was first applying for Battle school, as a child in the Coven. To become an officer on the field some felt, needed more firm commitment to any act... Despite his obvious brillance and pyshical prowless, the review board were worried about this part of his mentality. Eventually they decided to take a chance on him, though they kept a close eye on him. An officer without ambition, they felt was dangerous... but he had a survival instinct which seemed to produce the same effect in command.

Why did he feel so tired now? He looked out the window...

Romulus...

He had a strange feeling about the place... he had been there twice before... once as a child coming up on his teens... the other a few years ago... but each time he had been there it was as the Lieutenant Zev Raynor - Ronin First Class or as he was known more in the legends of the underworld... Pariah Ronin.

That name had weight for certain factions on Romulus, but he could never be sure that weight would bring.

The first it was a simple job back on his father's ship. In and out... no big deal. The second time he was here, that held significance... he was there develop as many reliable contacts as possible within a month's time... but in that time he got caught up in something important to the government at the time. In the end, he had single handedly caught a very... elusive spy. At the time it had won him many friends amoungst the Romulans, but on Romulus, gratitude and loyalities change at the drop of a hat.

Though the captured spy in question should prove valuable to any government. Thankfully it wasn't a Federation spy.

Ensign Zev Raynor of Starfleet on the other hand was no one to them. Or worse an enemy operative... or more accurately an allied enemy operative. Whatever... the black wasn't going to recieve the greatest welcome on a place like Romulus...

He had already read all the laws, but debated whether or not he should go down to the surface and see old friends... or not.

To Romulus, or not to Romulus... that is the question... Whether it be noblier to have be disintegrated put back togther on a foreign land, or to sit on one's ass and sleep, per chance to dream... about annoying probelms people are having around the ship.

But Romulus wasn't why he was tired... no... probably because he had been running from who he was... he wore a mask which was not himself and presented it to the world.

He collypsed onto the bed... and drifted towards a light sleep.

"Hunters In The Mind"

(Takes Place 4 Weeks after "Starfleet's Grim Reaper to the Rescue")

Principle Characters

2nd Lieutenant Branwen London - Furies Counselor
Lt (JG) Victor Krieghoff, Security Officer

****

USS Galaxy
Deck 10
Turbolift 2

Ever since they came back to the ship Branwen had been avoiding Victor. It had been bad enough that Kimberley had seen her like that. At least Kimberley was a woman. Not that she was interested in Victor as a man, romantically, but he was a friend. And he had seen her violated and dirty, probably he would never see how the same way ever again. She had stopped pestering him every week by she had done before. Stopped all the silly little conversations about them becoming friends. In fact when she saw him in the distance she turned the other way and ran.

Which, of course, made the situation of being trapped in a turbolift with him all the more stressful.

Victor had stepped into the lift at the last second, leaving no opportunity to escape again, or to flee around him before the doors closed. "Deck 34," he announced in his toneless way, and then glanced back to see who else was in the car.

Branwen paled. There was no way out none at all. She stared at him as if caught in headlights.

Victor looked back for a moment. The Lieutenant seemed to be experiencing some difficulty, either caused by his presence or something else. Perhaps she'd been kicking the wall again and had injured herself? He lifted his padd, keyed something in, and displayed it to her: DO YOU REQUIRE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, LIEUTENANT?

She bowed her head in shame. She was such a lowlife to him now that he would not even speak to her directly any more. She just shook her head no.

Victor studied her for a moment. There was definitely something wrong with her; even when she'd been angry and kicking the wall months before she'd at least responded to him when he used the padd to speak to her. Something was wrong. Perhaps she'd seen too much of his inner self during the rescue? YOU'RE CERTAIN? he typed. IF MY PRESENCE IS AN ISSUE FOR YOU, I CAN DEPART THE LIFT EARLY.

"You don't need to be kind." She whispered. "I know what you think."

Somehow, Victor doubted that. Still, he hadn't read the Lieutenant's file, perhaps she was one of the rare human telepaths. I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ANY TELEPATHIC CONTACT, LIEUTENANT. I SUGGEST, SINCE IT MAKES YOU THIS UNCOMFORTABLE - AND IS ILLEGAL - THAT YOU CEASE IT IMMEDIATELY. That, he thought, should settle that issue.

"Sorry?" She asked not understanding.

Victor looked at the padd. No, what he'd written seemed clear. He tried again, leaving nothing that occurred to him to chance misinterpretation. YOU SAID THAT YOU KNEW WHAT I WAS THINKING, LIEUTANANT. SINCE I HAVE NOT AGREED TO ANY TELEPATHIC CONTACT, AND SINCE IT IS BOTH ILLEGAL AND CLEARLY CAUSING YOU DISCOMFORT, I WANT YOU TO STOP IT AT ONCE BEFORE I AM FORCED TO DETAIN YOU FOR A VIOLATION OF THE REGULATIONS GOVERNING SUCH CONTACT.

Her head came up. "Don't be stupid, Victor. You know what I mean. I am human how could I do that? But I just have to look at your face to see how you think about me now." She quickly looked down again.

Victor studied her for a moment, typed a response, and held it low enough that she could see it without looking up. HUMAN TELEPATHIC ABILITY IS DOCUMENTED; SINCE I HAVEN'T READ YOUR FILE I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF YOU HAVETHAT ABILITY OR NOT. I DO KNOW THAT IF SEEING MY FACE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THE ABILITY, YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T USE IT WHILE LOOKING AT THE FLOOR.

Suddenly she leaned her head against his chest. "Christ Victor, you can be so dense. I am not mind reading you. I am trying to stay away from you so you will not embarrassed by my presence." But really she wanted to be close to him. He was like a big brother, safe and comforting.

Victor frowned. People who weren't family shouldn't touch other people like this. He looked at the padd, looked down at the Lieutenant, and decided that even if he could fit it between the two of them she wouldn't be able to read it. "Why am I supposed to be embarrassed by your presence, Lieutenant?" he asked tonelessly, hoping the question was straightforward enough that she would be able to answer it.

"You saw that." She blushed. "I haven't thanked you yet. It helped me that you were there. I felt safe. But I know I have been defiled and am dirty now."

Well, it was, Victor decided, an answer; not very clearly stated, but an answer. It had something to do with the Hydrans and her rescue, that much was obvious, but the part about being dirty...? He blinked once. Rissa; she was talking about the same thing that Rissa had felt, after the War, after the Cardassians. He didn't know that understanding that helped any since didn't think he'd ever said or done anything to Rissa that seemed to make things better, but at least he understood now. He'd failed her and the others, he hadn't stopped the Hydrans before they'd hurt the prisoners in ways that he didn't care to think of, not just the Lieutenant here, but Commander Corgan, Lieutenant Gray, and the others as well. They were still hurting the Lieutenant, like the Cardassians had been hurting Rissa years after the War. Maybe the Lieutenant could explain why she was letting it happen?

"Why?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" She looked confused.

"Why are you still letting them hurt you, Lieutenant? The ones that did those things are dead, they can't hurt you any more - but you're letting them do it, like they were still here. Why?"

"What are you talking about? I am not letting them hurt me." She had no idea what he was saying to her.

"Yes, you are." It was obvious once you understood - why didn't she see it? "Listen to the words that you're saying, Lieutenant. They're not your words, they're ones put there by the people that did those things to you. They hurt you then, and they're still hurting you now because you're letting them do it."

"No.... You don't understand, it's not them, it is my religion. I have been defiled, that makes me dirty and unworthy." Tears blinked in her eyes. "Now I will never find a man."

Religion? Victor mulled that over for a second. What did religion have to do with what the Hydrans had done? And why would that prevent the Lieutenant from finding the One for her? There was only one word for that. "Stupid."

She didn't look at him, and didn't even see his expression.

Apparently the padd was the only way to be sure. He typed it and held it up. STUPID.

"Are you calling me stupid?" She asked. Maybe he was right.

Victor didn't understand why the idea was so complex. NO. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG - THINGS WERE DONE TO YOU AGAINST YOUR WILL. YOU COULD NO MORE STOP THEM THAN YOU COULD SAFELY HOLD ANTIMATTER IN YOUR HAND. WHEN YOU FIND THE ONE THAT IS FOR YOU, NOTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST WILL MATTER; THERE WILL BE ONLY THE FUTURE. IF THE VERSION OF GOD THAT YOU FOLLOW SAYS DIFFERENTLY, FIND ANOTHER ONE THAT UNDERSTANDS AND FOLLOW THEM INSTEAD.

Branwen shook her head. "Don't you see, this proves my father right? He said that if I would run away and defy him and our faith something terrible would happen to me. He said we would never be fit for any man. Look at my sister, she ran away as well, and her husband was killed when she was pregnant. And no man has ever wanted me, and now they never will because I am defiled." Her voice broke and she sobbed against his large chest. She didn't even think it strange that she told him much more than she even told Kimberly.

Not the answer he'd expected, but at least it was something he understood. The problem wasn't that he'd failed her and the others; it went further back than that. NOW YOU ARE STUPID, LIEUTENANT. HE LIED TO YOU. HE SAID THOSE THINGS BECAUSE HE WANTED POWER OVER YOU, NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE TRUE. IF YOU BELIEVE THEM, THEN HE'S STILL HURTING YOU TOO, JUST LIKE THE HYDRANS.

"Oh yes, he is.' She said holding on to him. "But what if he is right? It can't be coincidence can it? The more bad things happen, the more I think he has to be right and I am damned."

NO. BAD THINGS HAPPEN, NOTHING PREVENTS THAT. YOU AREN'T DAMNED - I WOULD KNOW. STOP CRYING. MAKE GOOD CHOICES. BE THE PERSON THAT THE ONE IS DESTINED TO FIND. IF YOU LET THE HYDRANS WIN, LET YOUR FATHER WIN, THEN YOU WILL NEVER BE FREE. YOU WILL NEVER FIND THE ONE.

She leaned against him. "Twice now I thought I had found a nice guy, twice they picked somebody else. And this was before... What chance do I stand now?"

This was rapidly moving out of any territory that Victor thought he should be talking to anyone about. YOU DIDN'T LISTEN, LIEUTENANT. WHEN YOU MEET THE ONE, NOTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST WILL MATTER TO THEM OR TO YOU. THERE WILL ONLY BE THE FUTURE. It was strange to be speaking of the One to someone else when he didn't really believe that there was a One for him any more. The Lieutenant wasn't like him though; there should be a One for her. He shifted uncomfortably. She shouldn't be leaning against him like this either, they weren't family. MAKE BETTER CHOICES. STOP LETTING THE DEAD HURT YOU.

"Please call me Branwen," she said softly. "Victor, I had not pictured you as someone who believes in true love." She sounded a bit bitter or avoiding the subject.

"YOU'RE NOT FAMILY, LIEUTENANT. YOU ONLY CALL FAMILY BY THEIR NAME LIKE THAT. He shifted position again. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS THE ONE FOR THEM, LIEUTENANT. BUT EVEN IF THEY DON'T FIND THE ONE, THEY CAN STILL FIND SOMEONE THAT CAN BE FAMILY - WHICH IS GOOD ENOUGH EVEN IF THEY AREN'T THE ONE. Everyone, he supposed, except himself. There wasn't anyone for him.

"Nicely put." She also shifted so they were standing closer again. "You will make somebody a good mate one-day. You are a good friend, Victor," She said softly.

NO, I'M NOT. Victor wasn't certain which statement he was responding to with that - perhaps both. He did wish the Lieutenant would stop leaning on him like that, though. It didn't feel like it should for them to be family, like it had with Lieutenant Gray, or did with.... He frowned. Had he really been about to think that? WE ARE NOT FAMILY, LIEUTENANT.

She sighed. "I'm not saying we are family, I'm saying we are friends. Why is that so hard for you? You saved me, Victor. I am grateful."

The Lieutenant hadn't understood him - and didn't understand that he'd failed her and the others. YOU SHOULDN'T BE. IF I'D DONE MY JOB CORRECTLY, THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED TO BE SAVED. He paused and typed another message. WHEN I SAID THAT WE WEREN'T FAMILY, I WAS TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT ONLY FAMILY TOUCHES EACH OTHER LIKE THIS LIEUTENANT.

"Friends do." She said simply but took a tiny step backwards. "Yet I understand, sir," she finished softly.

I'M NOT A GOOD FRIEND, LIEUTENANT. I'M NOT LIKE YOU, OR THE OTHERS ON THE SHIP - OR ANYONE ELSE. THINGS THAT ARE EASY FOR YOU I CAN'T DO. THINGS THAT EASY FOR OTHERS TO SAY, I CANNOT. I'M A TIGER. YOU ALL ARE NOT. SOME OF YOU ARE SHEEP, SOME ARE WOLVES - BUT NO ONE'S WHAT I AM. EXPECTING ME TO THINK OR ACT LIKE YOU DO, OR ANYONE ELSE WOULD IS POINTLESS. I CAN'T BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I AM.

"Victor, Victor, friends don't have to be all the same. Friends accept each other for what they are, in spite of the differences or the quirks. If you were like everybody else, you would be boring."

For a moment, Victor almost let himself wonder what it would be like to be boring, to be ordinary - but the thought never fully formed before it fell into the nothing inside him and was swept away. It would have been pointless anyway, he realized. He could never be like everyone else unless the rest of the universe was like him - and that was not a desirable outcome for the universe. ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE TO LET DEAD PEOPLE - OR HYDRANS - HURT YOU, LIEUTENANT?

"Probably," she said softly.

IS YOUR FATHER STILL ALIVE? WOULD IT HELP IF I KILLED HIM, OR WOULD YOU LET HIM CONTINUE TO HURT YOU AFTER HE WAS GONE, TOO?

"Oh Victor, that is so sweet of you." She said softly. "But I don't think it would help. And he is still my father."

NO ONE THAT DESERVED THE DESCRIPTOR OF "FATHER" WOULD HURT - OR WANT TO HURT - THEIR CHILDREN. Victor frowned at her. HAVE YOU TALKED TO A COUNSELOR?

"I'm going to have to. But I know how to handle her." Branwen said with conviction. "And my father thinks he's doing me a favour. He thinks he's saving my soul."

TELL THE COUNSELOR THE TRUTH. TELL THEM ALL OF IT. HIDING PAIN ONLY MAKES IT HARDER TO LET GO OF. Victor paused and shook his head. AND YOUR FATHER ISN'T INTERESTED IN SAVING ANYTHING BUT HIS CONTROL OVER YOU.

"When did you turn into a therapist, Victor?" she said surprised, not thinking he had it in him.

I DIDN'T - I'VE BEEN SENT TO A LOT OF THEM. He frowned at her. TELL THEM EVERYTHING, OR I WILL. STARFLEET GAVE YOU AND THE OTHERS TO ME; YOU ARE MY SHEEP NOW. NO ONE - LIVING OR DEAD - CAN HUNT YOU WITHOUT COMING THROUGH ME FIRST, EVEN IF IT'S JUST IN YOUR MIND. IF I CAN'T KILL THEM, THEN I WILL MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE ONES WHO CAN KILL THE ONES HUNTING YOU DO THEIR JOBS.

"I doubt that Kimberley would come to you for advice." Of course she didn't tell him that Kimberley was afraid of him. "I will manage, Victor. Its friends like you that pull me through."

I'D GO TO HER, Victor typed. AND I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND, LIEUTENANT - I'M JUST STOPPING SOMEONE FROM HUNTING IN MY TERRITORY. ONE WEEK, LIEUTENANT. IF SHE HASN'T CONTACTED ME TO TELL ME THAT YOU'VE TOLD HER EVERYTHING IN THAT TIME, THEN I TELL HER EVERYTHING.

"Awww, sure hon." Bran said. She was not going to lie but she was not going to tell Kim everything. She doubted Victor would check and Kimberly was too afraid to go to him.

Victor looked at her skeptically. ONE WEEK, LIEUTENANT - THEN I TELL THE DOCTOR EVERYTHING.

"Let's do something fun next week. I will even let you choose." Branwen was giggling again. Meeting Victor did her more good than a visit with a shrink.

WE'VE ALREADY THIS CONVERSATION, LIEUTENANT. DO WE REALLY NEED TO REPEAT IT?

"No. You have a whole week to decide what to do." The lift doors opened and Branwen walked out. "See you then!"

Victor watched the doors close behind her with a frown. She obviously didn't believe him, which was unfortunate, since his presence was particularly painful for Doctor Burton. He had, however, warned her, and if she didn't believe him, well... He paused and tried to consider what the end of the thought chain should be, only to have it fall into nothingness inside him. It would be what it would be; just like her incessant attempts to get him to do something 'fun' would come to nothing. Perhaps, he wondered, he should ask the Flight Officer to talk to her about that? She seemed to understand him well enough, perhaps she could make the Lieutenant understand? His frown deepened as the doors opened on his floor and he stepped out; why had that thought even occurred to him at all?

"They Say Time's A Healer - Part 1"

Michael McDowell
Civilian Engineering specialist

Private Alliya Yhwalyan Marine,
Second Lieutenant (APC, Written by Dru)

*** Eshe/McDowell's quarters ***

It seemed to be going so well the last few weeks. No head aches, no problems with work, no problems with nothing. Except for the usual everyday stuff, but that didn't really count. It all was going so well.

"Where'szzz that damned.zzstuff .."

An arm reached out towards the general direction of the table, which was covered with several glasses - some of them still half full - and uncorked bottles. It swayed from left to right.

"Zzson of a. Whrezz zthat zzshit!"

With a sudden move the arm went back again to the right side of the table. This action was immediately followed by the all too familiar noise of breaking glass. Next there was nothing but silence, until it finally dawned on Michael what just happened.

"Whatta waszzte."

After that one comment, Michael gave it another try and this time he succeeded to get hold of one of the bottles that was still standing on the table. He poured himself another drink, thereby ignoring the fact that he spilled more liquor then he actually got into his glass. Once finished he simply let the bottle drop onto the ground, raised his glass and said,

"To life, that zzstinking zcheating.baszztard!"

With the toast done, Michael went over to consuming to strong alcoholic drink. Not by taking little sips, but with gulps at a time. Surprising how far some Engineering skills and paying attention could get you. It was a fair trade mind you. Nothing illegal,.though he wasn't exactly sure about the alcohol. Never mind. It was done. There was no turning back now.

Unexpectedly, as always happens in these sorts of situations, the door chime rang.

Michael frowned. If his ears didn't fool him, then he just heard the door chime. He chose to ignore it. He didn't want company and certainly not with the mood he was in now.

There was a pause of about fifteen seconds before the chime rang again accompanied by a rapping. It was obvious that whoever was there wasn't going to take silence for an answer.

"There'szz no one here for freaking szzsake! So shoo..go do szzomethhing uszzsefull. Geezzz!" That should be clear enough. Michael reached to the floor trying to find the bottle he'd dropped just a minute ago.

Again there was a pause, obviously the visitors thinking time. And then there was a familiar sound of the door lock being overridden, followed by the gentle hiss as the door opened. A figure stood shadowed by the flood of light from the corridor behind, it was almost angelic.

"Mr, er...McDowell?" a detached voice asked from the heavens above.

Michael narrowed his eyes against the blinding light. It hurt like hell, like someone poking an ice pick into his eyes. But that experience was nothing compared to the religious one Michael had right now at the same moment. "Zzso, Angelszz do exciszt." he whispered.

"What's Behind Door #2?"

Nara and Bran and Keldan

*****Crew Quarters*****

A PADD sat on the desk and feet nervously tapped on the floor. Eyes turned to the chronometer (clock) as Nara waited for Branwen's shift to end. She hoped Bran was feeling better because Nara was ready to get either her and Saia their own place or a place with three rooms. She was ready before all this happened, but she waited seeing how Bran's condition was upon return.

Branwen came home five minutes later, she immediately saw that Nara seemed impatient. "I am not late, am I? Was I supposed to babysit tonight?" She asked.

"No, no. She's Jerik's. Don't mean to be impatient, but I was thinking we could talk." She picked up the PADD and put it back down, thinking to ask something first. "How are you?"

"I am fine." Bran said quickly, too quickly. "Is anything wrong... with you or Saia?" She asked worried.

"No." Nara looked at Bran a moment, knowing the whole saying your fine so quick it was rehearsed. She sighed and picked up the PADD, "There's a list of available quarters. I wasn't sure if you wanted to move with Saia and me or..." She held out the PADD, "But here are the three bedrooms if you're interested."

"I didn't know you were planning on moving." Bran said. "You're not... you're not thinking about moving in with Saul? I don't want to be in the way."

Nara shook her head, deciding to leave out the fact he already had a roommate, "No. We just need more room with Saia here."

"Yes you are right. She needs her own room. Would you mind if I stayed with you guys, I would rather not be alone or move in with somebody else right now." Bran asked.

Nara nodded, "Alright with me. We just have to pick a suite." Nara wondering how Iniara would think about her changing her mind like this.

"So how do we go about that?" Bran asked. "The last time I just got assigned here."

"We go see Operations."

** Operations **

Keldan walked swiftly back toward the Ops office. To say things were busy would be a gross understatement. He took a deep breath and quickened his pace. He hadn't received any update on a new task assignment while in the middle of his last one. Usually he'd get two or three request. It made him wonder if the comm system had broken down.

Being deep within Rihannsu territory did have a certain excitement. Of course, that novelty wore off pretty quickly in the face of dozens of conflicting requests for ship's resources and coordination of away teams, not to mention the regular doss from ship personnel over mundane, everyday requests. He was looking forward to his round on gamma shift. Of course, in twelve hours, he'd be looking forward for the opportunity to stretch his legs.

Coming around the corner to the Ops office, he saw two figures waiting within. He didn't immediately recognize either of them.

Bran and Nara stood in the waiting room in Operations. Nara hoped she wouldn't see Iniara. She looked stupid changing her mind just as they were ready to give her a room.

The office door swished open and the large Talarian strode through. "My apologies if you have been waiting long," Keldan said, as he hurried around the desk console to quickly log his return to the office and the successful completion of his previous task. "Seems a couple Jem'Hadar youths discovered the hard way not to try and light fires in the cargo bay." He smiled inwardly, recalling Lt. Tarin's morning briefing, comparing the next few weeks to something called a "circus". He hadn't yet had a chance to find out what that meant.

He punched up his identification subroutine on the computer. Being relatively new, he still couldn't put names to faces for everyone aboard ship, but he was getting better.

Realizing they were there together, he began, looking at Nara "What can I do for you, Lieutenant, and," turning to Bran, "for you, Lieutenant?"

Nara kept her tongue still about Jem'Hadar. She decided to take the lead until Bran decided to, "We are looking for an available three bedroom suite."

"I hope that will not be a problem." Bran said. As a junior officer she was not allowed very big quarters. Sometime she thought allotment of quarters should be awarded for the job you did, not your rank.

Keldan deftly punched up the crew assignment information. "You are currently cohabitating with one of the Trill refugees. I see you've already spoken with Lieutenant Tarin. I can just change this requisition order and we'll see what is currently available."

It took a few seconds to process the information through the computer. "There are several standard three bedrooms available." Noting that she had previously requested a two-bedroom with a kitchen, he looked to see if any of those were available in the three-bedroom layout. "I've got one three-bedroom with the expanded kitchen. But it looks like the master suite has an acquatic bath that's been scheduled for repair. If you want it, though, I can reschedule the maintenance crew to get in there later today. Once operations signs off on it it'll be set but you wouldn't be able to move in until tomorrow at the earliest."

Nara liked the idea of a water bath and kitchen, but looked at Bran to see what she wanted.

"It sounds perfect to me. What do you think?" She asked Nara.

Nara smiled as she nodded, "Sounds good to me."

"I guess I had better start packing then, if we move in a few days." Bran smiled. "Thank you for your help, sir."

"You're certainly welcome." With a few more quick strokes on the computer panel he had successfully completed the requisition form and rescheduled the maintenance crew. "You'll be on Deck 6, Section 10." He grabbed a PADD from underneath the counter. "I'll upload the requisition form for you to authorize. You can do that now, or take it with you if you think you might change your mind." He punched in his own authorization code. "After that it'll just need final approval from Lt. Tarin and then signed off by the Operations inspection team before you can move in."

Nara nodded inwardly amused at the universal, eternal red tape. "Thank you."

She looked at Bran again, "So we don't plan on changing our minds?" She then thought of Saia, "I'm pretty sure Saia wouldn't really like anything else better."

"Indeed you should ask Saia if she is OK with it. She's old enough to make decisions." Bran agreed.

Nara hadn't thought of that. She shrugged, "Alright counselor." She winked at Bran, then turned to Keldan, "Maybe we just better take it with us. We'll bring it back when it's ready."

"Sounds like a good plan. If you agree?" Branwen looked at the operations officer.

"Very good," the Talarian replied as he held out the PADD. "You can drop it off anytime."

OOC: Takes place before Ember departs for the little away mission, obviously :)

"Persistence Never Pays"

Lieutenant Miramon Terrik, Chief Navigation Officer
Ensign Ember Lansky, Flight Control Officer

-----------

He'd put it into the back of his mind while the covert ops team were on Vaden, completing their assignments, but since they'd returned to the Galaxy, Miramon had known that the personal issues were going to be the first to jump straight into the limelight, since there were some things you could never leave unresolved for long. The whole thing with Ember had bothered him from the moment he'd left the ship, and probably long before that, too. He'd not had chance to do anything about it, but now the opportunity had arisen again, he could either completely ignore Ember and thus, keep feeling like someone was kicking him in the stomach every hour or so, or he could do and risk Ember actually kicking him if things ended up getting heated.

Thinking back on it, she hadn't been far wrong in suggesting that there were way too many issues with relationships. The only difference is that he (usually) considered the issues to be worth it, in the long run.

Of course, he'd not been able to just drop everything the moment he stepped aboard ship. The CMO had done surgery to repair the 'damage' done to his nose by covering it up in the first place for the mission, so his appearance was back to normal, and then he'd had a mission debriefing, plus he'd had to jump headfirst into department work again to catch up with reports and the like for the period of his absence. And, of course, he'd had to liberate his cat (or perhaps liberate the person caring for her?) and move back into his quarters. A good thing the Doc had included his allergy prescription earlier.

Fortunately, he hadn't needed to go much out of his way to find out how Ember was doing - since she was one of the certified pilots aboard, he'd received all the pertinent data on her and the others thus qualified when Selena had handed him all the paperwork he had to read through or write (and, for a Vulcan, she looked surprisingly pleased to get rid of it). He'd not realised that her status was there until he'd actually sat down to read the reports, and then ended up reading none of the others after that, once he'd found out what had happened to her and the Galaxy in his absence.

And so, what all of that led up to was simple: Miramon standing outside Ember's quarters, hitting the door chime so that she might let him in. He wouldn't have been surprised if she'd just ignored him, given their last encounter, but he was hoping she might have cooled off a little with time. Hopefully that wasn't too much of a stretch.

The chime sounded just as Ember was stepping out of the shower. A playful smile immediately curved her lips as she threw on a short, silk robe that barely covered her modesty and lashed it at the waist. Barefoot, she padded across the room to the door, opening them with the fullest anticipation of giving her visitor a warm, unrestrained welcome. But the moment she saw it was Miramon and not Ayden, her face turned cold, and she folded her arms across her chest.

"It's you," She stated with steely impatience. "What're you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Ember." The sarcastic retort came before Miramon had thought about restraining it. As it happened, he had meant the words, just not the tone or the suddeness of the whole thing. That said, why was he worrying about it? It wasn't as though she'd exactly been anything beyond coldly civil to him since before he'd left with the covert ops team to go to Vaden. He looked at her expression, wondering (as he had been since the last time he'd seen her) why exactly she was acting like this. The simple look of contentedness she'd had on her face for a few split seconds before she'd seen who it was hadn't gone unnoticed, either.

"We need to talk." His tone grew quite serious with that, and the simple stern gaze of his deep blue eyes only reinforced externally exactly what he was feeling inside - well, aside from maybe that other feeling that something on the inside of his stomach was doing it's best to beat the living heck out of him. Not waiting for an invitation, he walked into her quarters, stepping past the gap that had existed between her and the door for a moment, knowing even as he did so how simply presumptuous it was, but not particularly caring a great deal as he did so. As far as he could see, it was the only way to force a discussion with her, since if he'd stayed outside she could have just closed the door.

And if she had, well, it would never do to have a senior officer express any particular negative feelings in a public setting.

The chilliness in her face deepened into a frown when he strolled past her. Matched by the glare she shot him, she seemed almost intimidating, but it was not so much anger she contained as it was exasperation and annoyance. Slowly, Ember spun around to face him, letting the doors slide close behind her. She didn't budge from where she stood, the physical distance between them appearing like a yawning chasm with no bridge in sight.

"We've said all that's needed to be said, Miramon. What else is there to talk about? Or didn't you understand what I told you the last time? It's. Over," She emphasized, enunciating each word loudly for his benefit.

"No, you've said all you wanted to say. I, on the other hand, have barely started." Miramon noted. His tone was calmer, and he was feeling a little less internally aggravated - probably because he remembered exactly who it was he was talking to. The idea had been for them to talk without reaching the point where she was throwing things at him, and where he was feeling inclined to throw something back. The look on her face, though, suggested he'd best duck at some point soon.

"As it is, it might have escaped your notice that I only just came back from my away mission. Since I'm told you were on an Away mission as well, I came to see if you were alright, among other things."

Ember heaved a sound of exasperation and threw out her arms, shoulders rigidly tensed. "You're seeing me. Anything else?"

The Bajoran walked over to the sofa that was to be found at the back of the room and sat down. Sure, he hadn't been invited to do so, but right now the only way they were going to have this particular fight was if he forced it. And if he was going to start walking into walls, he might as well be running right into them. He waited for a moment, simply staring at Ember, then gave a gentle shrug and started talking again (watching as he did so for any throwable objects that she might have had close by).

"Anyway, this time I don't have anywhere pressing to go, and though you can leave like you did the last time I tried to talk to you, I think it's quite possible you'd want to put some clothes on first." He noted with a half-smile. Although he wouldn't put it past her to just walk out as she was, that would be kind of unusual, given that they were, well, her quarters. And frankly, he hadn't chased anyone out of their own quarters before, and now probably wasn't a good time to get started.

She stared at him in stark disbelief. Now, instead of the distance working towards her advantage, it suddenly felt ineffective in delivering the full effect and magnitude of her distaste. Striding towards him so that she was standing before him, she looked down at Miramon, fully intending to declare loudly what she thought of his utter oafish rudeness. He had no right to barge in, no right to claim the space in her quarters and no right to be here.

But, when her eyes met his gaze, the calm and composure she witnessed within was starting to make it difficult for her to sustain the fuel that fired all her resentment. Really, what was she so upset over? Was it entirely Miramon?

The question that entered her mind stunned her momentarily, jolting her from the built-up hostility. But the brief moment was all that was needed to allow a tendril of clarity to seep through. She inhaled sharply, casting her eyes ceilingward. It was like in some ways, she was forcing herself to recognize that he *did* have a point. He may not have any right to be here, but he was not budging until he had said his piece. Abruptly, she turned and sank heavily into the armchair opposite him. It looked like she was relenting, for now.

"Okay. Now, seriously, what's bothering you?" the Bajoran asked. "You've seemed aggravated by me ever since the night we spent together. I'm fine to sleep with, but not to talk to?"

"No, we can talk. But I don't want you to have any illusions about 'picking up where we left off'," She said bluntly, saying that last phrase with barely suppressed skepticism. She didn't usually have that much trouble with this. She had her fair mix of men who wanted to pursue an ongoing relationship after the one night stand – an ongoing *physical* relationship, but even when the 'no strings attached' rule was made clear from the outset of the game, she still avoided anything that remotely crossed the line into 'long-term'. Permanence just didn't suit her. Once the men knew that, they usually dropped like flies. None of them hung around to be 'just friends'.

Ember figured Miramon would be like that. Once he knew that she wasn't interested in bedding him anymore, he would, too, go away. But then again, none of them had ever been more interested in talking than in sleeping together, like Miramon was.

He wasn't certain at that point what she was referring to. They'd left off in the middle of an argument, at last check – just before he went off on his mission, when they'd met in the Holodeck. Or maybe she meant…no, surely that wasn't what she was referring to, was it? Their relationship, so far, had admittedly been strictly sexual in nature, but that wasn't quite how things had started. Was she thinking that was the only thing he was looking for with regards to a relationship?

Amazing that anyone could confuse his intentions that way at his age. He wasn't old, but among Bajorans, he was off the age whereby he should have started looking for a lasting relationship that extended far beyond the simple pleasures of flesh. If Ember thought that was what he wanted, maybe this was a mistake – after all, he doubted that such a notion was limited to him. Perhaps that was the kind of relationship she wanted, and understood he wanted something more, and was pushing him away.

Why did the woman have to be so damn complicated to read?

He leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs, his wrists sitting just above his knees, so that his posture was less noticeable. Anyone that knew him well would have recognised that position as one that he often used when thinking, collecting his thoughts and ascertaining his options before coming to some kind of decision. In the end, though, he didn't reach any conclusion that brought him any peace of mind.

Giving a gentle sigh, he turned his head slightly so he could look at Ember, his expression solemn but still resembling the familiar calm demeanour that was his default. He stayed silent a moment longer, then gave a casual shrug.

"Perhaps I have illusions of my own, but they're not the ones you think I have. How about your own illusions? How can you be sure of my thoughts if you're not certain of your own? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that it's not possible that you're wrong in what's going through your mind right now?"

Ember shook her head. "It was nothing more than sex. Deal with it and get over it." It wasn't quite true. There *had* been something more. Miramon wasn't conventional; he was sharply intelligent, perceptive, gentle, and his presence alone had an uncanny sort of calming effect on her that few, if anyone, could lay claim to. His strong peaceful centre of being had once fascinated her, and it still continued to fascinate her. But it didn't matter, because she had gotten all she wanted from him, and to put it crudely, she was done with him.

"I'm also with Ayden O'Connor now," She told him with finality, as though that should suffice to push him away. "I don't think you should come looking for me anymore."

Miramon absorbed this in pure silence, not particularly sure as to how to react. On one hand he might have chosen to react surprised, but then again, he really wasn't. Then there was indignation, but it wasn't as though Ember had asked for anything more than a one-night-stand. As she suggested, he was maintaining his own illusions, they just weren't the ones that she thought he was holding. Was he supposed to be angry? He honestly wasn't sure, although that said, most people wouldn't have thought about a reaction before expressing one, but he was quite at a loss to respond. What did anyone say to that sort of thing?

He raised his eyebrows gently and dropped them again in something of a facial shrug, considering his options once again. He'd have to take a look at Mr O'Connor, see what was going on there. He'd only been gone from the ship on his away mission to Vaden for a sort amount of time, and from what he'd been told in the debriefing, the Galaxy had found more than enough to keep everyone occupied during that period. So it had to be something else, he thought privately. What had driven Ember to this, and for that matter, what had brought her to mention it to him now? Did she somehow think that he was just going to back off because she said her interests were elsewhere?

That seemed to him to be running from possibilities, and there really was no fun in that. Little risk, little reward, that way.

He gave a small smile, the edges of his mouth turning upward slightly. There was only amusement in that gesture, but not a great deal of warmth - the type of smile where a person was simply expressing an internal state of mind, rather than reacting to anything outside of themselves. It was his way of saying she'd missed something.

"And what makes you think that I would do something like that? Maybe you mistook me for someone more inclined to care about short-term fulfillment, or who doesn't care for anything beyond the superficial. Well, respectfully, Ember, the answer's no."

It probably wasn't the right tone to take with the human woman, since she was more than likely to be inclined to be irritated by what he said, but in all honesty, he wasn't sure he cared about that. What she did next would determine how he was going to act in regards to her. Although he'd meant every word he'd said, so he hoped she understood that he was serious. He could never abide not been taken at his word.

"No?" She echoed with disbelief, about to protest at his infuriating stubbornness when she decided that it was pointless. He might be able to stay calm amidst a storm, but it didn't mean that he was soft or weak. Quite to the contrary, she was aware of the implacable core of strength that it belied. He wouldn't cave, even if she pushed. "Okay, have it your way," She shrugged, but if he thought that it meant *she* was giving in, he was mistaken.

The very next moment, she stood up. "You can sit here if you wish, but when you're done, please do show yourself out." That was all she needed to say. Ember retreated into the bedroom, closing the doors behind her, and locking them.

Miramon sat there for a moment, not moving as he'd watched her retreat, the door of the seperate room close itself behind her, hiding her from view. After a few seconds, he gave a soft nod, one that wasn't really meant for anyone, a gesture of self confirmation, and stood up from the couch. Okay, it wasn't as though they'd gotten very far, but it was progress at least.

He'd just have to wait and see what happened next.

"Breaking the Ice"

Lieutenant Miramon Terrik, Chief Navigation Officer

Flight Officer Ember Lansky, Vanguard Pilot

----------------

~ So their last encounter hadn't exactly been a blast~, Miramon thought wryly as he headed back to his quarters after his duty shift. He'd been thinking about Ember for a little while, since it was pretty boring working at the CONN unless they happened to be doing a ship separation, in combat or navigating a particularly treacherous part of space. Sure, he also had Engineering to annoy, since he was the liason between Engineering and the Bridge when he was on duty (a job all helmsmen performed and shared with Operations). But anyway, he'd had time to let his thoughts drift a little, and since only the Ops officer could see his face when he was at CONN, it wasn't likely anyone would see him woolgathering.

He was feeling a little tired now, which wasn't at all helpful given that his relationships weren't exactly harmonious right now, either. He'd been a little distant from Saul since they'd returned from Vaden, since he wanted to take time to absorb everything that had happened there, and reassess his position. And then, of course, the whole thing with Ember had been bothering him since before he'd even left the ship. Their meeting the other day hadn't exactly been civil. Okay, he'd managed to get her to go from openly hostile to quietly annoyed with him, so he was at least making progress.

Still, a solution to the whole thing still evaded him. If he'd asked Saul or Nara , they'd probably have said it was too much effort for something that likely wasn't going to happen, but Miramon was always optimistic. Ember was just playing hard to get, to use the human expression. She'd said she was seeing someone else, but then again, given what had happened with him and Ember first time around, he wouldn't have been surprised if that was a similar fling she was using as an excuse to get him to back off. And he wasn't the type of leave anything unfinished if he thought more work needed doing.

What they really needed to do was just get the whole thing in the open without him allowing it to degenerate into a lecture on, well, what was wrong with him. The last two times they'd talked, she'd made it seemed like he was doing something wrong or unusual, as though his continued interest was some kind of insult. He smiled at that thought - his sister had sometimes said that might happen, since people didn't mind going to him, but when he was after them, that was a good reason to be running scared. What he had to do now was find some way for them to talk without letting that happen - otherwise he'd probably just snap of his own accord. How to arrange that, there was the question...

He entered his quarters presently, undoing his uniform jacket and tossing it on the bed as he walked into the room to the side. As tired as he was, he just wanted to take a hot shower and whip up something to eat. He had reports to write and things to do, but it wasn't anything that couldn't wait. A hot shower and a hot meal sounded great.

That thought stopped him. Food. That was usually a good icebreaker. He didn't use the replicator for anything other than ingredients, since he preferred to cook himself, so it wouldn't have been too much of a problem to make food for more than one - and actually taste like food, rather than resequenced proteins and the like. A lot of people couldn't tell the difference, but he'd grown up on home cooking on Bajor, so he didn't eat anything he couldn't cook himself, if he could help it. His mother had always been a good cook, and had taught him how to do so. And then the Academy had been even more useful, since he found himself being introduced to foods he'd never heard of, much less cooked.

He smiled gently at the idea, then headed over to his desk and, moving quickly around to the other side and dumping his weight onto the chair, hit the power button on the console and began composing his message. Hopefully she wouldn't have too much issue with it...

Ember got up from the carpeted floor after finishing the series of push-ups, breathing deeply to recover from the exertion. Wiping her brow with the towel she had casually slung around her neck, she walked over to the replicator for a glass of water. She had just wrapped up her duty shift not too long ago, and as she wondered how she was going to spend the evening later – whether chilling out at the lounge or the gym for a hard work-out, her thoughts drifted to Ayden.

She took a gulp of water, embracing the cool sensation that rushed down her throat. Staying in a relationship was tough. Whenever she was with him and he got too close, she had to fight the instincts she had, to run like hell away from him. Yet, when he can't be with her, like tonight, the honest-to-goodness truth was that she missed him. It was a mess of contradictions, and she felt as though she was balancing on eggshells, just waiting and waiting for his patience to run dry and leave, like everyone else before him had done. It was a matter of time.

The sudden blinking light on the console drew her attention and she crossed over, curious about the sender. "Computer, play message."

The console activated and the words scrolled across the screen quickly, as conveyed from the Bajoran's computer to Ember's:

Ember,

It occurs to me that, before, you wanted me to show you what the benefits of a long-term relationship were like, so I want to extend that offer a little. Maybe you'd like to join me for dinner? It'll be completely relaxed, and innocent, so I'm not going to make any moves on you. I just want you to see how things look from where I'm sitting.

Call me if you're interested.

Miramon.

She frowned. Miramon, again? Did the man never give up? In muted exasperation, she reached over, intending to turn off the console, but she hesitated as her gaze fell on the words of the message again. Pinpricks of guilt stole up her stomach as she absorbed the impact of his words. She couldn't deny that she had deliberately lied to him and slept with him to get her mind off Ayden. That had not sat well with her since it happened. Always, she had been brutally frank to the point of tactlessness. Deception was something she hated.

Even so, Miramon had been more than forgiving towards her. He had come back repeatedly, facing nothing but her harsh words and even harsher slaps of ill-appreciation. If all he wanted was to get her back into his bed, then he would have stopped trying long ago. Instead, he offered friendship, and -- despite herself, a small smile formed on her lips – and dinner.

It was her failing. She didn't like to owe anyone debts of kindness or gratitude. Maybe she should accept, just this once. On top of easing her guilt, maybe he would finally get tired of her when he received the opportunity to say *all* that he wanted to say.

She heaved a sigh, composing a short message back to him:

I'll be there.

An hour later, Ember stood outside Miramon's quarters, and rang the bell.

Miramon looked up from the pot he had sitting on the stove he'd had installed in his quarters. He'd originally intended to cook an Earth dish, but being Human, Ember probably ate such food all the time, which was hardly very interesting. Plus, he wasn't great with Earth foods - Italian, sure, and maybe some Mexican, but not a great deal else. And so, he'd gone with traditional Bajoran foods - Larish Pie, served with Katterpod Beans and Earth pasta (something called Penne), a side serving of fresh Moba bread which he'd baked earlier, to be followed by slices of Moba Fruit, washed down with a carafe of Spring Wine. Hopefully she wasn't allergic to any of it.

He took the small teatowel he'd been using to put some plates in the oven, so they'd be warm by the time dinner was served, and threw it over one arm, then turned back to the pasta and sprinkled just a few herbs onto it to add to the flavour. As he did so, he had a contented smile on his expression, broken only when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Come on in".

He didn't look at the door as it opened, instead paying more attention to the pie, since he was making sure that the crust had fully expanded and cooked - he didn't want to poison his guest. Such wasn't a thing conducive to good conversation or relationships, for that matter. Besides, everything had to be just right when serving food for others. He was meticulous in that regard - something his mother had passed on in addition to reams of advice on how best to cook the sheer number of meals that she had in her culinary arsenal.

Entering the quarters brought back uncomfortable memories of when she was last in this room. It wasn't that the experience was bad – quite to the contrary, but it was not easy to remember without remembering the reasons that led her to Miramon in the first place, or her dishonest role in the charade. Walking further into the room, the aroma of the food hit her first before she saw him in the kitchen behind the oven. He looked relaxed, clad in black trousers and a loose, blue tunic. Ember hadn't dressed up either, appearing in her worn, work out attire. It was as though she wanted to emphasize how low a priority this was, that it didn't justify any effort on her part to dress up. Or, maybe, it was a failsafe – if this dinner got too boring, she could always run off to Plan B in the gym, without him.

"When you said dinner, I didn't realise it meant you were going to cook," Ember commented as he busied himself, a brow arched in surprise at the lengths he was going to.

Miramon turned around and gave her an amused smile. He was well aware that most people preferred to rely on replicators for food and drink, but he'd never liked that particular idea. Sure, it wasn't exactly easy getting fresh fruits and vegetables when aboard a ship, but they did have several hydroponics bays, after all, so he didn't have to worry too much about procuring fresh produce.

"It wouldn't be dinner if I let the replicator do the work. I can only enjoy food if there's effort put into the preparation. Besides, it tastes better. You'll see." he said, removing the pan that had the pasta boiling in it, and quickly drained the pale food of the excess water it had, before putting it into a ceramic serving dish and covering it with the lid so that the heat wouldn't escape too quickly. All he had to do was make sure the Katterpods were done, and get everything else served before he took the pie out of the oven.

"Anyway, make yourself comfortable. Dinner won't be too long."

He'd already taken the Moba Bread out of the oven, once it was done, then sliced it and put it onto a plate in staggered layers on the table, so Ember could feel free to nibble on that while he finished up the rest of the cooking. The smell of fresh bread was always pleasant, and he could never understand how people could eat bread that had been baked a few days beforehand. That said, he hadn't tried it himself, so he wasn't sure whether it would taste any good. Guess he'd find out.

Watching him work was interesting, since she had never actually cooked before. On the other hand, that might not be entirely accurate. Years and years ago, when her aunt was still alive, she had sometimes pattered her way into the kitchen and poked her nose into whatever she was doing, trying to help even though making a mess of it all. The bittersweet memory added a touch of wistfulness to her smile as she momentarily seemed pensive, lost in thought. But it was only a second, and she forcibly drew herself from the past she did not want to remember.

"It'll only be better if you are any good at cooking, you know," Ember pointed out, the sassy remark yet another attempt to be rude without being so overtly.

The smell of fresh bread filled the kitchen, suddenly enticing a soft rumble from her stomach, reminding her that the last time she ate anything was too many hours ago, and even then, it had only been a quick snack to tide her through the busy work shift. She didn't resist and took a slice of the bread, before taking a bite out of it. Maybe it was because she was starving, but it was absolutely delicious.

"Well, it's not *too* bad," She said in a noted understatement in between mouthfuls.

"If it were, you'd not have continued eating it, so at least I know it's not that bad. Of course, the best way to test food is to get someone else to eat it first. That way if there is anything wrong with it, I'd just get to observe the reactions, rather than experience them firsthand." Miramon noted with a wry smile, one that said if Ember had known that beforehand, she wouldn't have tested the bread.

He drained off the Katterpods, using the pan lid to let the water flow past it into the sink, while keeping the delicate beans from slipping out of the pan. These he put into another serving dish, the colour contrasting nicely with the pasta. Just an add of some Earth herb he'd taken a liking to while at the Academy to add a little presentation to it, and he picked up each dish in one hand and headed over to the table to put them down. All that was left were the plates and the pie.

A lot of people tended to eat off of cold plates, even given that the replicators could produce them at any temperature they desired, but he'd always been taught that when you served hot food on cold plates, a lot of the heat disappeared as a result of convection, and he never could abide food that was supposed to be served hot being cold. Admittedly, some of the best culinary chefs he knew of used that particular variation to make the meal interesting, but he wasn't going for anything quite so...experimentational.

The pie wasn't long in following, once he'd tested it to make sure the pastry was properly cooked - sometimes it browned on the top but not underneath as it expanded, but he hadn't expected that to be the case. He grabbed a metal serving spoon and dished out an ample portion into both the plates that he'd removed from the oven, then headed over to the table and laid them out on the placemats. It was usually better to do the servings of the main part of the meal separately, so that there wasn't any awkwardness as to who took what. As for the side dishes, you could eat as liberally or as sparsely from those as you wanted - which was the beauty of it.

"Okay, dinner is served. Going to sit down, or do you prefer to stand?"

"I would stand, since it might in fact, aid in digestion," Ember said, unable to fully keep from lacing her words with a hint of sarcasm, "But I think sitting would increase the probability of both of us getting out of this encounter alive and unharmed." She smiled as she pulled the chair back and took a seat, admittedly impressed – even if grudgingly so – by the sumptuous spread presented before her. Every dish looked delicious, more so because she knew it wasn't replicated, but carefully prepared.

She looked across the table at him, not touching the cutlery yet. "I want to make it clear first that just because I'm here, it doesn't mean that my stand towards our relationship or my feelings towards you have changed in any way. They haven't. I'm here because -" And she paused, for a moment unsure of how to proceed. Because of guilt? Because she was surprised that his offer of friendship actually, astoundingly seemed genuine? "Because I think you deserve at least *this* much." Ember continued with seeming conviction, not finished yet. "I'm not going to make a habit of accepting your dinner invitations, if at all, so don't expect that. You understand?"

If she had intended to join him for dinner to assuage her guilt for the deception she pulled on him, it was laughable. Seeing the effort he had poured into this dinner ordinarily would only make it worse. But, as she reminded herself, how much work he put into this was no business of hers. It was his one-sided, voluntary choice to give. She wasn't responsible.

Miramon stayed silent for a moment as he served up some of the pasta onto his plate, since Ember had the Katterpod beans situation closest to her, so she could take her fill of those, and then they could swap the two side dishes. He wasn't particularly surprised that this was the tack she was taking with him, although clearly she'd forgotten exactly what he'd said in the message he'd sent inviting her here in the first place. And as it was, he wasn't going to let her grudging acceptance spoil his mood.

"Most people wait until after they've tried the food to determine whether or not they'll come back for another serving later on. If it looks so bad that you make a decision before you eat any of it, you might want to eat down to Sickbay and have them issue you with anti-indigestion meds."

The Bajoran's tone wasn't at all sarcastic, but was more laced with a double-meaning which he suspected Ember might pick up on, but he wasn't too worried either way. He'd not invited her here to discuss their 'relationship' (or lack thereof), but just to talk, to show her that he was perfectly inclined to drop the whole thing (for now) and for them just to be friends.

"Now, are you gonna let the food get cold, or try Bajoran cooking made by an actual Bajoran?"

She was once again, taken by surprise – that he would so gallantly decide not to focus on the negativity between them. She didn't see it as avoidance; she knew it wasn't. Instead, he was showing her, rather than telling her of the goodwill behind this dinner. That realization drew a soft smile to her lips, and a touch of amusement at herself for directing so much energies to something she should let go of, as he had done.

"I have to admit that it's a first time for me," Ember said, for once since entering this room, sounding gentler and less barbed, initiating a conversation that wasn't a literal minefield as compared to the situation minutes ago. *That* was progress.

Picking up the cutlery on the table, she scooped a spoonful of the Katterpod beans and transferred them onto her plate. Then, with less hesitation, she put one into her mouth, slowly chewing on it to experience the taste in full. It didn't disappoint.

Miramon cut into the pie that was on his plate, concentrating on it for just a moment before looking back up at Ember. "My mother taught me to cook when I was a kid, during the Occupation. We had plenty of time on our hands, although I suppose she didn't, since she had three children to take care of. It's pretty difficult to get anything fresh aboard a starship, but fortunately, not many people aboard seem to do their own cooking, so Hydroponics was happy to give me some space to grow some of it myself. I don't suppose you cook yourself?" he asked, his tone polite and inquiring, since it never hurt to ask.

Still, given her original reaction to seeing him cooking, he doubted it, but it was intended more as an icebreaker than because he was particularly interested in the answer. Honestly, he'd not had any idea what they'd talk about once she got here, but her presence was sufficient enough to indicate that they hadn't drifted *that* far apart. And if nothing else, at least they could drop the whole thing on amiable terms.

She chuckled wryly, shaking her head. It still felt strange, to laugh in his presence – without sarcasm and without being perpetually locked in the mode of gritty offense. But, it was something she could probably get used to. Probably.

"No, I don't cook… I think I would likely cause a fire hazard in the kitchen if I ever tried," She smiled, continuing, "When I was younger though, I did sort of enjoy spending time in the kitchen when my aunt was cooking. Although I think it was more to make a mess of things than out of any genuine interest in the art." She said with a grin.

Now, what had made her go to admit that?

A gentle laugh was all she got in reply, for the moment. Miramon was busy working his way around the meal, breaking up the pie into manageable chunks with the use of both knife and fork. Once he was done, he looked back up and over the table at Ember.

"You should consider learning. It's really quite relaxing to do, and of course, the meal always tastes better at the end of it, simply because it's both fresh, and because you've taken time to prepare it. Although, I'm biased, so I would say that, right?"

It was completely incongruous, but the thought of her with an apron round her waist and muddling about in the kitchen, was hilarious to say the least. "I don't think I'll have the patience for it," Ember said with an amused laugh. It took too much time, and there was always the likelihood that she'd get bored before she was over and done with the cooking. Swallowing the entirely delicious bite of food she had taken though, there was something in that tasty satisfaction that made her stop for a second and think perhaps her conclusion had been a tad too harsh, that she might have been too quick to leap to it.

"But… maybe… one of these days, I may pick up a tip or two from you, who knows?" She added uncharacteristically. A shrug punctuated her statement, as usual, lessening its import.

It was nevertheless a start, and the evening continued into the night without any casualties, without any breaking items or shouting, and without expressions of outrage -- just the tentative companionable conversation of two people just getting to know each other.

"Collide" Part 1

1st Lt. 1st Lt. Jebidiah Baile
Lt. Cmdr. Brianna O'Shea
Julie (wrote by Stuart)
Szekely & Jannic (Wrote by Trey)

Szekely was sitting in the isolation cell reading some of the grafti on the walls when the alarms sounded. Then the complex was bathed in darkness and the sound of the cells opening echoed throughout the area. Standing up he wondered outside area where he saw prisoners rioting against the guards that had came here to keep the peace. Through the battle of it all, he saw with ease the man who he had talked with earlier scale the fence and soon was gone within the rough volcanic rock of the area around the complex.

Escaping the prison had been easy once the riot had started. It had been a simple case of opening cell doors and locking down the guards barracks. All of the controls easily accessible thanks to a lunatic Chief of Security. He had thanked Raschek properly by nailing his body to the wall and written 'I'll be right back you fat fuck!' for the Warden to find.

Tracking Anna had been another story all together. He had rested for nearly a day to let the wound heal up somewhat and tried to figure out what someone with Anna's limited training would have done. She wouldn't move too far out, at least not far by Baile's standard. Maybe three or four days out. After that there wasn't much to hide in. Three days out there was plenty of caves to hide in but also get trapped in.

Satisfied with the way his body was healing he had started moving. He had soon discovered one of the drawbacks with his new abilities. When the body healed it burned energy, energy he had to replace by stuffing himself with the rations he had stolen from the prison. He still had plenty left, but it annoyed him none the less. Two days out he had found the tracks he was looking for and after that it had been fairly simple hike to the area where he had figured Anna to head for. That had been the easy part.

Along the way Baile came across another set of prints. These prints where bigger, larger from a man. From the looks of it he was on Anna's trail as well. If anyone could tell he was military, it was Baile. He walked solid and sure of himself. He print was heavy, possibility carry a weapon or two. Right now as he walked said nothing, for he was a clone and this man had a mission to kill her and bring her body back for cloning. That's what this man, known only as Jannic was going to do.

Touching the edges of the print Baile weighed his options against one another. It looked like he wasn't the only one looking for Anna but that was something he had expected. Anything else would have been foolish. The tracks was maybe two days old and whoever it was wasn't overly concerned with stealth, not just yet anyway. Shifting the weight from the backpack and adjusting the straps he made his decision. He checked the wind one last time and started running, making sure his scent wouldn't be picked up too easily.

It had taken Jannic a couple hours, but now he was sure that the woman had paired up with young girl. There was another set of prints. Smile, like a child, slender is how he saw it was probably a girl's print. Kneeling down he looked at the prints and then looked over and saw in the crack in the rock a body. Moving over he saw it was a rotting form of a clone, looked very much like himself. Pulling his weapon he began to make his foot steps on the rock, as he began to follow closer to were the woman and girl where heading.

The wind had picked up, but luckily in the right direction. He was running straight up against the wind, his scent safe from whatever and whoever was in front of him. As the evening settled in and darkness covered the landscape Baile took a short break to refill the energy the body needed and continued running. He was not far behind now as the darkness didn't provide an obstacle for him.

Jannic knelt down and looked around. Breaking into his energy bars he took one out and took a bite and ate it slowly, before taking a drink from his water packet. Moving closer now to the caves he checked out the first one and found nothing, then he began to check out the others. Slowly making his way toward the one where Anna was with Julie.

awn peered up over the mountains when he felt the scent the first time. He stopped and crouched low, trying to determine just what he was up against. A male. Yes. Armed? Yes. Careful? No, not really. Hunting? Definitely. But so far he had seen little of no tracks of Anna. Yet it wasn't hard to tell he was in the right place. A rotting body told many stories. The way it had died told the most important one. Twenty minutes. No more. But he was getting tired. Very tired. He had been moving for almost two days straight now and unless he got some sleep within the next few hours he would start losing his edge, start to imagine things due to fatigue. Altered or not - he recognized the signs of fatigue.

Crouching down there outside the cave, little way from where Anna and the child was. He was the latest in fighting clones, stronger, quicker and more cunning then anything they had sent out before against her. Moving now he approached the cave, slowly, making his way toward the opening he remained in the blind spot as he approached.

Baile was running. Fast. He had been scouting the area when he had seen the figure. Goddammit! There was no way in hell he had gone to this armpit of a planet just to see Anna get killed in front of his eyes. He needed to know if she had revealed the code to anyone or if she had just gone for blind luck. The first would get her killed. He was still deciding on the latter.

Anna had hushed Julie was crawling over into the blind spot of the Cave. Jannic was so close she could hear his foot steps on the rock. Gripping her make shift knife she held it tightly in her hand. When Jannic came into sight, she leapt out of the cave almost like a lioness attacking her prey. They fell to the ground fighting back and forth, until Jannic grabbed her arm and twisted it as her hand with the knife found a opening in the clone's armor and tore into his flesh.

The hunter stopped on a ridge some fifteen feet up. He crouched down watching the scene play out. Instincts he didn't understand took over. Measuring. Weighing. He was stronger than Anna. Faster. She was lucky. Luck never lasted. He sat still, one hand resting on the very edge of the cliff, ready to drop down.

The clone brought his leg up and flung Anna off him against the rock. Standing Jannic approached her and came around with a round house kick, sheer force of it twisting Anna in the air as she came down hard against the rock. She had been running for months, she was wounded her health was seriously in trouble. It had to be hard for Baile to even think this was her, her hair almost black with dried blood and dirt, skin which was once beautiful and soft was now dirty and rough. Just about the only thing that made her Brianna was the fact she got back up and shoved a palm into Jannic's face, but the force of it was lost as he picked her up and body slammed her on the rock, forcing Anna to realize this was it for her life...

The man wasn't a bad fighter. He showed initiative, imagination and a feel for combat. Anna... was still an Engineer. Still she had survived in the middle of nowhere. The marine pulled the knife out of the sheath and looked at the blade for a second. It was a lot sharper now than when he found it. A beautiful tool of the trade. Watching the man slam Anna on the rock Baile launched himself into the air and fell down.

Jannic was about to finish the woman off when he looked up and saw man or something fall down on him. Tossing him off he kicked the man in the side and double punch to the face before he could do anything the man retaliated.

"Collide" Part 2

1st Lt. 1st Lt. Jebidiah Baile
Lt. Cmdr. Brianna O'Shea
Julie (wrote by Stuart)
Jannic (Wrote by Trey)

Easy. Too easy. Baile felt disappointed. The man was strong, but not as strong as Baile had hoped. The kick to the side managed to hit the pink scar where Raschek had stabbed him. But just as suddenly as the pain flared up it died down when the body shut it down. He bobbed away from a fourth punch and released one of his own at full strenght. The sheer force of the impact sent the man flying backwards.

Groaning he rolled and got back up and charged Baile. Tackling Baile, Jannic got off a series of punches. But before he could do much more, Anna had found Jannic's gun and fired a single shot hitting Jannic in the side and throwing him off Baile. Once he was down, she turned the gun toward Baile. After all, it had been nearly a year and Baile no longer looked as she remembered him. Taking him for a bush warrior as she had come to call those after her.

It wasn't the sound of the gun that set him off. It was the limp body. His enemy. HIS kill! She, a weak human, stole his kill! Without him she would have died! Baile didn't know he could move as quickly as he did. It was as if the instincts took over. A feral look crossed his face as he charged her. One hand grabbed the gun and tore it from Anna, sending it ten feet behind him with a twist of the wrist. His other hand grabbed her by the throat and lifted her from the ground Fury burned inside of him, a fury he didn't understand.

Anna couldn't say anything, her body was battered and broken. After everything that has happened, she welcomed death from this stranger and her closed calling for him to give her what she was now longing for, to just be put to death.

The fury inside of him didn't fade. Instead he managed to redirect it at himself. Slowly he lowered her to the ground until she was laying down. She had lost a lot of weight, gained scars and a few other fairly bad smelling things as well. He crouched down beside her and removed the water bottle from his backpack. "Anna..."

The voice was familiar, like a distant dream. Forcing her eyes to open she looked at the man's face. Bringing her hand up she touched his face thinking it was just another hallucination or another voice inside her head. "Rooster?" She whispered, her voice was hard and rigged from being dehydrated.

Julie just stood there as the man had attacked her new friend. She was so frightened. It had reminded her of what one of the prisoners had done to her mother shortly before she had disappeared. She had been scared then and she was scared now. And then the second man had appeared, leaping from the rock towards the two of them.

But after the first man had been killed and the second had jumped the woman, she was jolted into action. She scrambled over the rocks and found the weapon lying at the base of a rock. Reaching down, she grabbed the weapon and clutched it in her shaking hands. Having never seen one up close before, she didn't really have any idea what to do, or how to use it. But she had to try.

"You leave her alone mister.... or else!" She said, fearfully.

When the man turned around and growled slightly, she took several steps back, and didn't relax her grip on the weapon until the woman assured her that he was a friend. She lowered the gun and passed it to the man when he reached out for it. She looked up at the strange new arrival. "Hi, how are you? Are you new here? I haven't seen you around here before, so you must be new. I've lost my mommy, have you seen her?"

The little girl had no idea how close she had come to dying when she had aimed the gun at Baile. His first instinct had been to throw the knife he had straight in her chest. The adrenaline had flowed freely inside him, but he had stopped. Not on account of the girl, but for Anna's sake. There had been a brief glimpse of.. panic.. in Anna's eyes when she had seen the gun being aimed at him. A worry. A worry for the girl, not for him.

He looked at the girl from behind his dark goggles for a few seconds before getting back up on his feet. "No." was all he said as he turned and walked over to the injured man he had been fighting earlier. He straddled the bleeding man and grabbed a fistful of hair from behind. With a single fluid motion he pulled his knife, bent the head backwards and slit the man's throat from ear to ear. Leave no one behind.

Kneeling down on the ground, Anna was so tried. Looking at Baile she knew what he was doing. She'd done that so many times before. No survives told anything of value. Anna was ready to lay down and let death take her, but as she looked at Baile something inside her ignited hope. "Marines.... where are the marines?" Anna asked, thinking he came with a full on assault team to level this damn place.

The marine wiped the blade clean on the assailants pants while the crimson red blood flowed freely from the wound, coloring the ground dark. "No one knows you're here, Newbie.. "

Lifting her head she looked at him not understanding. "What... do you mean... think I'm dead?" She asked, then she looked at the body and it clicked. ~Oh god...~ She then began to get angry. Had she been that easy to be replaced that no one, none of her friend or anyone had known!?

Baile watched her anger practically ooze out of her. Running a hand across his face he couldn't help but to smirk at her. "You're going to wish it was that easy, Newbie.."

"Since they didn't know... you shouldn't have came then. Just let me die here if I'm already dead to them!" Anna snapped.

Julie watched the unfolding events with interest. The new arrival kinda looked funny, but in a really scary way. She didn't trust him but it seemed her new friend did, so she was willing to give him a chance. She stood up from her seat on a rock and dusted her behind, leaving a cloud of dust to blow gently away from her. She started walking towards the woman, this 'Newbie' as the man had called her. She tugged the hem of the outfit that Anna was wearing. "Is he here to take you away Newbie?" She asked, not realizing that the term 'Newbie' wasn't her name.

Looking to the girl, Anna shook her head. "My name isn't... newbie..." Anna said then looked back to Baile. "My name is... Anna." She said, even now her Irish accent seemed to still show under the mess.

"Oh, sorry. He, " She pointed towards the newcomer, "called you 'Newbie' twice so I thought that was your name."

"Collide" Part 3

1st Lt. 1st Lt. Jebidiah Baile
Lt. Cmdr. Brianna O'Shea
Julie (wrote by Stuart)

Anna dismissed the girl for a second as pain rattled her body.

"My mommy has been gone for ages an' I don't think she's coming back. I got no one else. Can I come with you?" She asked, though it was more bordering on pleading.

"I'm not sure if we are getting off this planet..." Anna said then sat down before she fell down.

He removed the goggles from his head and turned a pair of almost mercury-colored eyes towards the girl. The child, despite being weaker than both Anna and Baile, had one advantage over the female human. She saw the world with new eyes and a mind not dulled by years of living.

The marine saw the child twitch ever so slightly when their eyes met. She, a mere child, understood better than any adult what Baile really was. Even better than Baile did himself.

"Newbie.." Baile said to Anna but kept his eyes on the girl. There was something... odd.. about her. "No one knows I'm here.. "

"I... see.." Anna said looking at him.

He brushed some dirt from his pants. "Someone sent a POW message using an old Crow-code. You're the only one that knew that particular code-phrase." Slowly he looked at her with the new eyes he had been given. He could see the pulse throb on her neck, hear her heartbeats.

"They," Anna said meaning the Crows. "Worried I'd... give.. up what.. secrets I know.. about you all?" Anna said, almost finding that funny.

He didn't move. He just sat there, crouched low, ready to move in the blink of an eye. There was no need to say what he was there for.

Had she explained the code to anyone else? He would know if she was lying. The tired female human in front of him knew that.

"You.. came prematurely then. I don't.. give up secrets. Besides... think... I'm stupid enough... to think... you still use that... code actively?" She asked then shook her head. "I needed... someone to see and send someone.... I knew you'd come... even if it was to kill me... you'd come." Anna said as she sat there.

"You wouldn't... come... without... a way off this rock." She said then.

The marine didn't confirm that he had, but nor did he deny it. He was still deciding on whether to kill her or not. Taking her along would only decrease his own chances of survival, but he was certain she was telling the truth about not having told anyone about the code. "You're not strong enough for the trip back.."

"Bullshit... let me rest just a second and I can move. I will not die on this rock." Anna said as she looked a the girl and then back to Baile. "I don't know.. what has happened to you... Rooster, somewhere... inside you... know it's me." Anna said.

"I know nothing, Newbie.. You smell like you and you talk like you.. but so do your clone.. "

"Least I look better then you..." Anna said then looked around for the transmitter. "Kid.... bring me my bag." Anna said as she gestured toward the cave.

Julie nodded to Anna and scurried into the cave to get her bag. It didn't look that heavy but weighed a little more than she expected. She made it back to the duo and handed the bag to her.

Once Julie brought it over she handed it to Baile. "You once told me I was a damn good engineer cause I fix the mount on your rifle.... look at that.... tell me... you don't think I'm a damn good engineer."

The marine chuckled. "I never said you weren't.. You're a good engineer.. "she looked at him. "alright.. a damn good engineer.. But a lousy soldier.. " he said and held up his hand before she could interrupt him. "I don't think you fully appreciate the conundrum caused by your clone."

"Collide" Part 4

1st Lt. 1st Lt. Jebidiah Baile
Lt. Cmdr. Brianna O'Shea
Julie (wrote by Stuart)

Anna looked at him as if she was looking through him. ~A Clone...~ She thought in her mind, no he didn't say that. Couldn't been that easy for them... could it?

He could see how the words 'your clone' sunk into her mind. "No one have missed you because you never left. You have been on the Galaxy the whole time.. Now that clone, wearing your face, speaking with your voice, has left the Galaxy with what I assume must be a fair number of surprises behind her.. "

"Then... I need to get back... find them." Anna said, looking at him. "Who better to find something she did, then the original herself?" Anna said, her chest was hurting.

"I can take you back... but life as you knew it onboard will have changed for you... and not just because you have been here.. " he stopped and put the goggles back on. "If you go back everyone onboard will see you - the traitor. Inside their minds they will know you're not the clone - but there will always be some doubt.. The Hydrans have become damn good at cloning humans now.. Their eyes will see the woman that betrayed their precious Federation, the woman that put a dent in their priceless garbage hauler.. "

Watching him she looked at the girl then back to Baile. "I've been here..." she trailed off, she wasn't even sure anymore how long she'd been here. "Long enough to learn that.... what people think of me.. no longer matters." Anna said watching him. "I understand now what you meant long ago... when all else is lost, all you have is yourself... I met myself here, past, present... now I've got to find the future."

"Anna," Julie said, looking up at the woman, "we should leave. They will come looking for that one." She indicated the now dead corpse of the clone lying nearby. "And I think they will come after him." She pointed towards the marine. She couldn't for the life of her explain why she felt that they would come after the man, but she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her believe that they would.

Nodding she began to get up. Clawing herself to the rock face until she was standing up. "She's right, we need to get moving." Anna said. "Clones are getting faster.."

Baile stood up from his crouching position. The fatigue had already begun to leave his body. What the hell was going on? He hadn't rested yet and now he was starting to feel refreshed again. He didn't like it. That meant, somehow, the body used energies he didn't know anything about. In the middle of nowhere that was never a good idea.

"Is there anyway you can use the transmitter to get us off this world?" Anna asked Baile as they began to move along the alcroping of rock.

He shook his head and touched his head with his hand. Damn hair had started growing. Sadly enough the knife wasn't sharp enough to shave without some grease to soften it up. "Don't worry, Newbie.. our ride will be there.. I promise.. "

"Promises me very little.. right now." Anna replied softly as she walked along behind Baile and Julie beside her.

He carried the bag with the transmitter. Anna and the girl would have to follow him the best they could. It was clear he didn't intend to stop or rest unless it was absolutely necessary. Hell, he would drag the Irish woman by the hair if he had to.

Julie was happy that they might take her away from this rock. Her mommy had told her stories of the outside world and she was eager to see for herself. Even if it meant leaving her search for her mommy. She still held out hope that she would find her, but was starting to realize that she was gone and wasn't coming back.

Sometimes in the middle of the night, when she realized that she wasn't coming back, she would start crying. Those episodes seemed to last for a few hours before she finally managed to fall asleep. She skipped along as the burly man kept them heading away from the cave at a brisk pace.

Ens. Artim - Chief Babysitter
Ens. Zev Raynor - Jem'hadar Parenting "expert"

with

"Elijah" - Jem'hadar orphan (written by Ray)

"Babysitting the Enemy"

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

The Galaxy's preteen counselor had pulled a stunt. After months of being on his best Academy good behavior, something had been bound to give and being in orbit of a planet whose women were as good as the succulent daughters of Surak was far, far too much to pass up. He'd pulled Jemmie kids out of the line of fire. Now he needed to light a few fires of his own.

The instructions to that ward that had taken to him had been quite simple. Once Kiel was out of sight (and halfway to the transporter), the Jem'Hadar boy would ring the announcer for the quarters that the El Aurian had pointed out as belonging to the Brownie Boy. Kiel had said that the short human-looking alien might have something sweet to eat and would watch him while the counselor was taking care of errands. There was a hand-written note pinned to the front of the Jemmie's shirt in a language that the boy couldn't read, but he guessed that maybe this Artim person would since it was for him. With that, and brownies, in mind the boy did as he was instructed and rang the chime on the Miran's quarters.

"What now", Artim said to himself as he pulled himself away from pruning one of his bonsais. This was supposed to be a quiet evening at home with no interruptions. At least that's what his plan was. There'd been enough stress after having to teach that adolescent Jemmie a lesson via the deck plate. How could today get any worse? He went to the door and found out.

"What are you doing here!" Artim exclaimed, recognizing the kid as the one Kiel had adopted, "Where's Kiel?"

"Runnin' ewands," the little Jem'Hadar said softly in reply, his fingers playing with the paper that was afixed to the front of his short, the child's large coal-black eyes staring up at the Miran.

Artim grabbed the note on the Jem'hadar's shirt and read it. Artim sighed and then said "Computer, Locate Ensign Kiel"

"Ensign Kiel is no longer aboard the ship", the computer replied.

"I'm going to strangle that El-Aurian, come in kid" Artim already knew what 'errands" Kiel was running and it probably involved a Romulan's...you know what.

Sauntering in on his short legs, the dark haired child's head turned to either side as the boy seemed to be curious about every inch of the new space in which he now found himself. "Brownies?" the young Jem inquired quietly.

"Um...yeah...I think I have some around here somewhere, I'll be right back." Artim quickly ducked into an area where the boy couldn't see him, grabbing his combadge off a table and tapped it.

"Artim to Raynor"

A very high chipmunk/squirrel like voice responded... "Yes?" There was some sort of gas leaking sound in the background... Raynor was in the middle of debating whether or not to start spreading heluim around the ship...

"You free, I got a little problem that I think you could help me with." Artim replied

Raynor thought for a moment... then asked "What kind of probelm?"

"A 3 foot high one with a black ponytail and grey skin. I recall you mentioning you had expertise in this area.", Artim replied

Exploring the living room area by the door, the small Jemmie became curious about a framed portrait situated by a nightstand, the end result of which was a short fall, loud crash, and broken glass. And one frightened little boy.

"Help me please, my quarters.." Artim said as he rushed back into the mainroom to see the broken glass and the terrified jem'hadar

Raynor sighed with his squeaky voice... "Be there in 5..." he said getting up out of his sofa. He arrived a few minutes later his vioce having returned to normal. And pressed the chime.

"Please, come in" , by this point Artim was attempting to get the kid sat down on the couch.

Deciding that hiding was the better part of valor, as soon as the Miran had turned his back, the boy was gone from off the sofa to seek shelter in some crook or cranny

It didn't take long for Artim to realize what the kid had done. Artim did have alot more experience being a kid then the Jem'hadar, but not as a parent. As he searched the main room for the kid he looked to Zev and said, "How the heck did you do it?"

"Well we can start with the standard... Do you want a cookie?" Raynor asked the Jem'Hadar. "Ice cream, Donut, Pie?"

"Brownies" a voice declared from underneath the sofa

"Like the drug or the desert?" Raynor asked.

"I dunno," the same muffled voice answered.

"The desert. Give me a moment" Artim walked over to the replicator and said "A plate of brownies, recipe Artim Alpha 3, and two glasses of cold milk please" After the usual whir, the replicator produced the desired request on the tray and walked it over to the coffee table by the sofa. "Here you go"

"cheese"

by Turan Trelar, juvenile Quentite ambassador and engineering trainee

(OOC: emergency audit post - sorry for the nonsense)

Turan looked at the test-tube full of a yellow brown mass which formerly was known as 'killer corn straight from the cob'. Previous tests and analysises didn't give any usable results. There wasn't any ingredient known to the medical database to have the seen effects on Trills nor was there any lactose derivate which could make a Quentite become drunk.

From a self test, Turan conducted with the result of a mild hangover he knew the corn was definitely the stew ingredient to be blamed so he came to the conclusion that whatever caused the effect was came to existence during digestion.

"So let's see what school knowledge is useful for ... First step: mouth. We've already chewed it so let's add some spittle." murmured Turan, spat into the test-tube, stirred and compared it to the sample he had held back. There was no visual change. The smell remained the same, too.
Spectrum analysis and even neutron spin feedback didn't show any changes except what was known to be part of Quentites' spittle.

"Nothing" commented Turan. "so let's go over to the second step: pre-stomach.".

The enlisted Vulcan scientist working at table close to the giant Quentite's one turned around and stared at him. There definitely was something bothering her. Suddenly, Turan understood and laughed. "Don't panic ma'am" he tried to comfort her. "That short after breakfast using my own stomach liquid would lead to wrong results. I will use replicated liquid instead." Without saying a word, the female Vulcan turned back to her instruments and continued her work.

Turan added a few drops of replicated stomach acid. Immediately, a reaction started. The homogeneous mass inside the test-tube changed into a more solid lump. There was a noticeable smell of sour milk in the air. The tricorder didn't hesitate to confirm the visual and smellable
results: cheese.

"Surfacing Details: Part 1" -

Roswell & Dallas

Nara walked down the corridor to Dallas' office. It wasn't a pre-scheduled time, so Nara wondered what it was about. The counselor said she would help in getting Marks to trial, but could she have news now?

Karyn looked up upon hearing the doorchime and felt her heart race. She wasn't sure if what she had to report was good news or not for Nara. Dallas was about to find out. "Come in," Karyn called.

Nara walked in and looked at the counselor a moment before saying, "Is this about what I think it's about?"

Karyn nodded. "I've just got off the comm with the administration and legal staff at Starfleet Academy. They've reluctantly agreed to grant you a hearing with the Academy's disciplinary committee. I'd spoken with a few people at JAG, and they're reluctant to do anything because of the time between the rape and your report. They reccommended I go to SFA and see if they'd be willing to let you go through their disciplinary procedures since that's what you would have done back then."

Nara thought a moment and asked, "Does this mean I have to go to Earth?"

Dallas sighed. "In all likelihood, yes. I'm not sure they are at all inclined to meet us on our terms. Despite the seriousness of the claim, they're skeptical because to them, it's been a long time ago."

Nara nodded, "I figured as much. When do I need to go?"

Dallas replied, "They'd like you there next month, but if that's not possible, they relented to a live comm conference. They know the law as well as I do. The clock on the statute of limitations for recovered memories doesn't start running until after people have rediscovered them. I've requested that a Vulcan from Starfleet Medical come and verify your memory, but we may have to look into asking one of the Vulcan members of the crew." She knew of at least one Vulcan medical officer aboard.

"Where will the Galaxy be next month?"

Dallas smiled. "I wish I could predict that with accuracy, Nara, but I can't be certain. I never know what we're getting into and everything has a way of surprising us. But this is a priority for me, Nara. We will arrange something, even if you and I have to take leave to do it."

Nara sighed and nodded and then she thought about someone. "However we do it, I have to be sure Saia doesn't know about it."

"Why?" Karyn asked gently. "You're a good role model for her, Nara. You're teaching her how to stand up for herself."

She shook her head, "She doesn't need to know what happened. She's seen enough horror in the last year."

"Is this about you wanting to protect her or about you being afraid to tell her what happened to you?" Karyn asked gently.

Nara crossed her arms and almost whispered, "Both."

"I understand you want to protect her, Nara, but are you sure you want to keep this from her? She has been through a lot, but won't she find out anyway?"

"Starfleet is all about secrets, isn't it? Heck, I'm surprised it's not taught at the Academy. Secrets 101. But we eventually learn. There are secrets. Some we know of, some we don't. If we're careful, she won't find out. I'll let her know later. But right now, I just don't think..." She sighed, "I don't want her to see me as weak. As someone who couldn't defend herself."

"Couldn't defend herself then," Karyn corrected firmly, "But you're doing it now. You were young then, Nara. Professor Marks is at fault for this, not you. Were you supposed to know he would do this? He broke your trust."

"I was in the Sakarian military school before attending the Academy. I was trained to be ready for anything. I should had been able to defend myself."

"Nara," Karyn replied, "your guard was also down. And why shouldn't it have been? Who expects that a trusted professor is going to call you into his office and rape you? You were in shock, you weren't thinking clearly. You were terrified and in pain."

Nara had been look of her mouth came a firm, cold, "Stop."

Karyn refused to remove her gaze. "I don't mean to bring it all up again, Nara, but talking about it now will help you prepare for the hearing and it will help you emotionally. We haven't discussed the memory at all."

Nara sighed and sat down in a nearby chair, "What do you want to know?"

"What do you feel comfortable telling me?"

"Nothing."

"Surfacing Details: Part 2"

Roswell & Dallas

"Ok, I appreciate your honesty," Karyn answered. "What's making you uncomfortable? Are you just afraid to go through it or are you afraid to tell me specifically?"

"I'm afraid to go through it, of course. I know it's something I have to do though. And you, personally, I am more comfortable with telling. Though it still scares me to death. But I need to tell you because if I can't talk about it here, then..." She sighed, "Stepping stones."

"That's right, stepping stones," Dallas nodded. "Take your time. It's as important for us to talk about raw emotions as it is for us to talk about raw facts."

"Facts are easier." Nara brought her knees up.

"I know. But raw facts don't help what's going on inside you emotionally."

"I really don't think anything can. I let myself feel those things, but it doesn't seem to help so I push it all back."

Karyn shrugged. "It's not instantaneous, but even if you never forget, at least you've dealt with this on your terms."

"Well, apparantly my terms were to forget about it. My lineage and those stupid mines shot my mind open to it. And now there's no turning back. I go from wanting to shrink into a corner to wanting to go castrate the man."

"It's very frustrating for you, but it's also quite normal, Nara. If you want to avoid the hearing, that's possible, but it's not going to go away on its own."

"No. I won't avoid the hearing. I just want it to happen and get it over with. He threatened my career and I want to show him how ironic this can get." She grinned evily.

Karyn smiled. "Anger will serve you well, but sooner or later, it gives way to other things."

"Like turning into Baile?"

Dallas laughed. "We all cope the best way we can, but as I've told you before, pain has a way of getting the best of people."

"It's sad what's happening to him." She knew Dallas wouldn't let her change the subject, so she sighed, "I want to hurt him. Marks that is. That's how I feel."

Karyn nodded. "And that bothers you?"

"Not really. I've hurt and killed people before in the Sakarian Civil War. It's how it is in wars. This is the first time I wanted to hurt someone from pure revenge. This is kind of a war. Except I can't win by killing anyone this time."

"It must be scary to carry all that rage and not know what to do with it," Karyn surmised. "Maybe that's all the more reason to try telling your story one moment at a time."

"What do you mean one moment at a time?"

"I mean tell your story a little at a time. Get the words and feelings out."

"Like chronologically? You want me to do that now?"

"Just speak from your heart, Nara," Karyn suggested.

"I don't know where to begin. I don't even remember what we were studying that day."

"Killing Demons"

(Takes Place 48 Hours After "Hunters In The Mind")

Primary Characters:

Lt. JG Victor Krieghoff
Lt. Ella Grey

****

USS Galaxy
Deck 11
Holosuite 2

It was roughly two in the morning and she was sobbing for all that she was worth.

It had been about a quarter to two by the time that Ella and the others had fixed the pesky problem of everyone melting into large puddles of goo should the ship have to go into warp. She had been bone tired and yet had known that her mind was too awake to try and go to sleep.

She had thought about Rex and then 8-ball but had decided that she'd rather have the night to herself, finally settling on a visit to the Holodeck to try and get her mind to play catch-up with her body.

Ella had chosen to the fighting program, if only because it was a familiar method of exhaustion. She had set it for level one, figuring that her body just wasn't up for the more exciting aspects that later levels had to offer, and then had walked in, not imagining that roughly five minutes later she'd be on the floor of the dingy bar sobbing her eyes out.

She had been doing okay, well even for a girl who couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten or even slept, when she had suddenly been grabbed from behind.

It hadn't been a Hydran. It hadn't been Flitt's thug from Copernicus. It had only been one of the bar's patrons, programmed to grab if she had invaded his space. She'd dogged him a million times over in the past but had somehow just forgotten him tonight.

He wasn't a Hydran or a thug but anger and humiliation had flooded her all the same and she had called out for the computer to freeze before prying herself out of his grip and huddling on the floor.

****

USS Galaxy
Deck 7
Victor Krieghoff's Quarters

The ceiling was still the same color.

Victor had no idea why he'd thought it might change color, or even *if* he'd thought it might change color. He'd just been staring at it so long that it seemed like it ought to. He normally didn't have this problem, normally didn't lie in bed and not just fall asleep. Tonight there was no sleep.

He'd failed them. Simple words, but what they covered was anything but simple. He'd failed the people he'd been given, failed Starfleet, and failed himself. Lieutenant London was still being hunted by the Hydrans in her mind, and given what he knew, it seemed reasonable that all of the others were too. Commander Corgan. Lieutenant Grey. Vice-Legate Curran. All of them. He'd failed them all, and now he didn't know how to kill the Hydrans in their minds, the ones that were torturing them again and again and again.

He'd told Lieutenant London that she should talk to her counselor and tell them everything; perhaps he should do that too. Perhaps not. He'd never had much luck talking to counselors, they always seemed to expect him to think and react like a human instead of a tiger. Counselor Dallas had finally understood, but she wouldn't see him any more, not after she'd had what he kept locked inside himself unleashed on her, and the girl he was supposed to talk to now didn't seem to understand any more than all the others. Maybe he should talk to someone else, instead, that might help.

Or not. He'd need someone to talk to first, and there wasn't anyone here. There hadn't been anyone here for a long time, not since Lieutenant Grey had decided that she didn't need someone to scare away the night demons any more. Maybe he should talk to someone about that too.

He sat up abruptly. Thinking wasn't changing anything, it never did. He simply needed to be tired, that's all. He hadn't used one of his training programs in a while, not since he'd failed to stop the Hydrans. That was what he needed. At least one of the holosuites would be free now given the time.

A few minutes to dress, and a few more to take the turbolift to Deck 11, and he was checking the indicators on the holosuite doors. Only one was in use... and it was running one of his programs.

Victor frowned. There shouldn't be copies of his programs loose in the ship's computers - that's why he always loaded them from isolinear chips. He started to key in an override code but stopped when he saw that the program run wasn't locked; he could just walk in without a code. Keying the door open he stepped inside.

****

Ella knew that there were two types of people in the world, those who pretended that everything was okay when it wasn't and those who didn't. It was *how* they pretended (or didn't) that complicated things and made them either better or worse.

As there was no point in denying that she had been crying, Ella wiped back the tears with the back of her hand and got up from the floor. "I didn't mean to run over my time limit, Victor."

She hadn't, of course, but lies came as easy as breath some days.

"You didn't, Lieutenant," Victor replied tonelessly. It was as he'd thought after speaking to Lieutenant London; the Hydrans were still hunting their victims in their minds. Nothing else would cause Lieutenant Grey to react so. "You failed to lock the program, so I came in to see who was using one of my simulations."

"It was my weekend to see them." Ella replied without smiling, knowing that Victor wouldn't get the joke.

"It's Tuesday, Lieutenant; why would it be a weekend, or your weekend to see anything?"

"Just an expression," she said with a shrug.

She was hiding behind words again; that hadn't changed since she'd stopped talking with her hands and programmed her dead voice to speak for her. "The Hydrans are still hunting you," he asked quietly, "aren't they?"

"It's late." Ella said with a dull expression that was either a result of fatigue or his question. "And my statement about the Hydrans is on record. Goodnight, Victor."

Victor nodded wordlessly and watched her leave. She wouldn't listen to him and do what she needed to do, and because of that her dreams would never be free of the Hydrans. He'd failed to protect her and the others when he should have, and now there was only one thing he could do for the Lieutenant, one way that he could set her free from the hunters in her mind.

******

USS Galaxy
Deck 10
Ella Grey's Quarters

The Lieutenant should have changed her door code; it wouldn't have kept Victor out, but it might have slowed down a more casual intruder. Not, he supposed that it mattered now.

Victor moved through the darkened room like a ghost, soundless and traceless, weaving around furniture and the items the Lieutenant had dropped to the floor and left there without disturbing anything. She'd left the door to her bedroom open, which made things easier, and he paused there to make certain that she was alone and asleep.

Her breathing was soft and measured; the rhythm the one he recalled from the nights he'd held her to keep her old dream demons away. She shifted as she had then, and made one of the sounds that he associated with women as they slept. Rissa had made them, as had the Attendant, and the Lieutenant had been the same. She was sleeping, which meant he could do what he'd come for before his presence drew her back to wakefulness. He slipped forward again, and leaned down over her, hands poised above her throat and mouth.

"If you cannot escape them," he whispered softly into her ear. "If the night demons - old and new - are too strong, then... let go and move on to a place they cannot follow. I give you permission to die."

He straightened up and looked at her for a moment, wondered what would happen, what she would choose - and then slipped out as silently as he had entered.

He was halfway to the door before a deep breath followed by a lengthy exhalation, and underneath a strange humming sound, carried across the room. "I don't want to die, Victor," she said softly.

Victor stopped. "Everything dies, Lieutenant," he corrected her tonelessly.

Ella called for the lights, regretting it only for a moment when she remembered that she was wearing her pink flannels and her hair in pigtails. But really, would he have cared if she were wearing lingerie and slightly tousled hair? "I realize that in a philosophical sense we're all going to die, Tiger. What I meant was that my outing with the Hydrans hasn't stopped my will to live."

"They hunt you in your mind," he pointed out. "I can't kill them there, like I couldn't kill the other, older demons that hunt you there. This is all I can do." All he'd been able to do, in the end, was hold them at bay until she found the strength to do it on her own. Perhaps that was enough.

"I appreciate the gesture." The engineer replied. "But it's not your job to kill my demons, otherwise they wouldn't be *my* demons." She shook her head as he started to speak. "It didn't survive Flitt and a hundred other incidents since only to be taken down by a little experimentation with my ovaries, Victor. I'll be fine."

She still didn't understand. Maybe she never had. "Of course it's my job, Lieutenant; no one, nothing, hunts in my territory without coming through me first. I can't kill these hunters, though, and you can't escape them. That's why I gave you permission; I can't do anything else for you."

Ella knew it wouldn't do any good but she had to say it. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked tonelessly, his voice in its own way as dead as the mechanical one she used.

For what, she wanted to laugh. For having to be one of his sheep. For being her. For all the things she'd ever done, perhaps. For all the things that she would do. For hurting him. For loving him so much that she wanted to hurt him. For being happy with Corran but not being happy enough. For wanting to puke every time she heard rumors about him and Angelienia. For not being smart enough to figure out a way to ask for forgiveness.

None of it would matter. Words were just sounds and sound could be ignored. Vows were spoken and made to be broken and how could words explain how she felt?

"Goodnight, Victor." She said instead.

"Good night, Lieutenant." He turned and moved to the door, pausing there before exiting. "You still have permission, Lieutenant - if you need it."

Vows were spoken and made to be broken but still... Ella vowed then and there that he'd call her 'Grey' again before she took him up on his offer.

She signed 'thank you' before calling for the lights to dim.

Victor turned to leave but paused one last time at the door, feeling like he ought to say... something. He frowned, trying to decide what it was, what he'd forgotten to say. "Lieutenant?" he said quietly, knowing that she was listening and could still hear him. "You need to change the code to your door locks; this one is so simple that anyone could walk in."

That was what he'd wanted to say, wasn't it? Nothing escaped the void inside him, so Victor quietly turned and stepped into the hall as the door 'shushed' closed behind him.

(OOC – This is from the tail end of last mission, I know its really late but RL bit me in the butt, and I had to rope in a hand to get this finished, which is why its kinda expanded from a three parter to a six…. But I have to say it’s a real good giggle, and I hope you all enjoy, btw I sweated blood to get this finished ;-)

“Gamma, Delta, Alpha” Part Three

Featuring;

Lieutenant Hwii,
Engineering officer (NPC)

Lieutenant Jiiles,
Engineering officer (NPC)

Ensign Todd Hunter
Engineering Officer (NPC)

And Various Alpha Shift Officers,

(NPC’s written by Dru and Robert Snow)

***

Morning had broken on the Galaxy and the daily hubbub had begun. The corridors were littered with many officers of different species, all on a mission to get to their stations and begin a new day.

Inside Engineering however was a different story. The night had taken on several strange twists and turns. None of which was normal for a typical grave yard shift, all of which however was comical, depending of course on what you found to be entertaining or at least amusing.

Lieutenant Jackson was luckily nowhere to be seen, he was busy down on the planet trying to locate the Chief and the rest of Galaxy’s engineering crew.

For those inside engineering the outside world didn’t exist. It was almost as if all contact had been severed, if the ship had been under attack they wouldn’t have noticed. It wasn’t so much that contact had been severed, it was more the case that no one inside Engineering had bothered to check for messages or communications and thus hadn’t a clue as to what was going on.

Although that wasn’t a completely correct representation of the officers on duty, to say that they hadn’t bothered to check would imply that they were all extremely lazy, which was incorrect. For they all had been busy, it was just that they had been busy in ways other than work related. If any of them had realised what was happening, they would have already thought ahead to the onslaught of bitching that would soon follow from the officers of Alpha shift when they all realised rather quickly that nothing at all had been done in the last two shifts.

But at this moment in time none of the officers inside Engineering had the brain power to think, let alone anticipate what was to come...

*****

“Jiiles?” Ensign Todd Hunter shouted as he spotted the Bolian, “Hey Jiiles….” He broke into a jog to catch up to his friend. “Gee I am so out of shape it’s not funny.” he said as he came up along side of Jiiles, panting slightly and rubbing his abs.

Jiiles smiled, “How’s the misses?” he asked casually as he continued, though at a slightly slower pace.

Todd grinned, “Fitter than me.” he replied.

“You’re not wrong.” Jiiles replied with a smirk. “What can I do for you?” he said taking the opportunity away for Todd to get a come back in.

Todd straightened himself up and took it on the chin, as he always did. He hadn’t been a popular person during his younger years; in fact he had been quite shy and backwards with women. That was until he met Suder and Jiiles. Since his cadet years he had broken out of his shell and was now happily married. He had more to say about his life than Suder or Jiiles. Inside part of him wanted to boast, that he; a younger and less wiser man, had everything that he wanted. Though firstly he wasn’t one to boast, and secondly he knew how quickly everything could be taken away from him, so thus he refrained.

“I was working on that project you sent me; I have found a few kinks, probably things that you overlooked. None of them would cause a major problem, but I have a more efficient way of gaining the power you need for it without the added stress on the integrity.” He paused for a moment, “Are you on duty this morning, cause I can go over it with you if you like, or I can swing by later…?”

Jiiles shook his head, “Nah, I’m not on duty. I was actually looking for Dhani. I thought her shift finished hours ago but the computer says that she is still in Engineering, I guess she is pulling over time.”

Todd took in a sharp breath he wasn’t too sure how the Lieutenant’s pursuit of the elusive Eshe was going, “Are you two... erm, back together?” he asked tentatively.

Jiiles shook his head and continued walking.

Todd nodded, understanding that it was a sensitive subject. He clasped Jiiles’ shoulder as a mark of support and left it at that. They were men, actions spoke louder than words.

Rounding the corner Jiiles pace slowed as he stared at the crowd outside engineering. Todd almost tripped up on Jiiles heals. The two exchanged looks of uncertainty and puzzlement before continuing.

“What’s going on?” Jiiles asked as he joined the hushed crowd.

“Shussssshhh!” was the reply in chorus.

Jiiles’ eyes widened at the reply, partly offended and also curious as to what was going on. As he spied Lt Hwii in the mix his body relaxed. It was one thing to tell someone to shut up it was another to tell a ranking officer to shut up. But it was Hwii’s shift and seeing as he was part of the chorus then it was okay, for now.

Coming up along side Hwii, Jiiles asked again, “What’s going on?”

Hwii looked as if he was staring into space, though he was in fact concentrating, though on what Jiiles couldn’t tell.

“There is something not quite right.” The dolphin replied through his mechanical voice.

For any new comer to see a dolphin in an EVA suite with remote extremities talking in federation standard was a strange sight to behold, but this was nothing new to the Galaxy. Hwii had been around for such a log time he was almost part of the furniture and since he had a fantastic sense of hearing it was near impossible to poke fun at him.

The EVA suite he wore was an engineering masterpiece, which Hwii had designed himself. He was able to use his echo location through the suite without the high pitched squealing being audible and deafening to whoever was near by. He had sensors attached to his frontal lobe that enabled him to use the arm attachments as any human would. He was a fully integrated part of the core engineering team, and yet he lived in a huge fish tank! The marvels of modern technology!

“What is it?” Todd asked.

“I am uncertain.” Hwii replied, “But there is cause for concern.”

“Is that an extra sense you have there Hwii?” Jiiles joked, “Want us to call security?”

Hwii turned slightly to face Jiiles, “Yes.” He replied simply.

Jiiles frowned not sure if Hwii was pulling his leg or being serious.

“Are we gonna stand out here all day or are we going to go in and do some work. I know most of you lot would rather take the former, but I want to get on and do some something, I have lots to do today.” Todd stated knowing full well that he would receive some kind of jipe cause he *wanted* to work.

After another few minutes of silence Todd got fed up and took the lead. Pushing his way through the crowd he made his way to the door, and breezed through, falling ass over tit!

Not expecting to trip, he hit the deck quite hard, unable to throw an arm out to break his fall. Laying groggily on the floor, his head thumping hard from where it had bounced off the deck, he was surprised that no one came to his aide. He knew they were all standing behind him, probably laughing at his eagerness to get inside and get on with his job. Probably all snickering to themselves and waiting for the right time to tell him that this is the result of rushing to work, he should take it easy like the rest of them, blah blah blah.

It wasn’t until the ringing in his ears stopped that he realised that no one was laughing. Slowly and begrudging he propped himself up onto his elbows so that he could see what was going on.

If one had particularly sensitive hearing one could hear the sound of jaws dropping, eyes widening and eyebrows raising!

The scene inside of engineering was, to put it mildly, like the aftermath of a drunken brawl... There were piles, or pieces of fruit scattered about engineering, and the 'pool table'. The main console was so covered that it was slowly dripping onto an ever increasing pile of slush on the floor under it. There were splatters of the fruit up the walls, on control panels, inside opened maintenance hatches and even up the warp core.

Add to that a variety of discarded clothes, mugs, cups, bottles and glasses strewn about the place and it looked like the morning after of a massive frat party. It was not however the site a group of engineers expected to see on entering the main engineering department of one of the most notable ships of the fleet. And certainly not one where a Klingon XO was likely to walk in unannounced to give you a bad day just because he felt like it.

Along with the mess around the room, there was a thick smog of tobacco smoke that hung in the stale air, like a big black cloud it lingered coating everything with its offensive scent. A lazy half hearted movement here and there caused the smog to curl and spiral almost as it was tangible and bouncing off an arm or a leg that was sprawled out across the floor.

"What the...!" a random voice muttered from outside the door, sounding shocked and bewildered at the same time, "What'n the seven hells happened here?"

"Jeezzz, that stuffs all over the dilithium articulation frame, that's gonna be a 'bitch' to clean!"

More muted comments followed as the assorted engineers surveyed the fruity carnage before them, with no ventilation in the room, the miasma of smoke and pulped rotting fruit was beginning to merge into a stench that was already thoroughly permeating the atmosphere. As one tech walked in, the squelch of his boots was a not so mute testament to the fruit juice soaked state of the floor. The occasional spark or crackle of a malfunctioning EPS was also evidence of the carnage that had been wrought in the apparent free for all.

"Should I call Security?" someone asked, "Or the XO?"

Jiiles turned sharply, “Don’t call the XO.” He looked at Hwii with a pleading expression, “I think Dhani was on duty last night.” He said hoping that would be all he needed to say for Hwii to understand that if the love of his life was on duty whilst this happened, and the XO found out, her career would be in tatters, and she would probably end up in ribbons herself!

Hwii nodded silently as he surveyed the room, deep in contemplation.

Jiiles watched him for a moment, was he always this calm, this chilled, this…… blue? Or did he ever get riled up and scream? Shrugging to himself he turned round and helped peel Todd off the floor.

“What the hell is this stuff?” Todd asked trying to flick the sticky substance off his hand.

“I have no idea.” Jiiles replied a growing look of disgust on his face as he watched Todd try repeatedly to remove a piece of something really, *really*, gross from his hand. Third flick… fifth flick… and wam bamb, it was stuck to his tunic! Jiiles shuddered and tried not to gag.

Turning around Hwii addressed the officers that were still standing in the door way, “You two check the transmissions and logs, I want a full report of what happened here. Check the sensors too. If there was a fight in here I want to know who started it. Jiiles, find out who was on shift last night and where they are, I …”

“Sir…?” a timid voice interrupted.

“Yes Ensign?”

“According to this,” the ensign replied tapping the consol with the very tip of his index finger, “no one has left engineering, or entered from the start of Delta shift.” He winced as he heard the consol start to hiss.

“You managed to get information outa that, with the amount of crap on it? He should be promoted!” another commented.

Hwii skipped over the jokes and continued with business, “Well if no one left where are they all?”

A few puzzled looks were exchanged followed by a Mexican wave of tricorders.

“I have life signs.” Someone shouted.

“Me too.”

Jiiles turned and looked at them both, “You have life signs over there, and you have some over there? How many people are we looking for?”

“There were seven people on duty in here last night.” The ensign informed Jiiles before the consol he was at gave out a last resigned hiss followed by a loud crack and several sparks. The ensign jumped back as a thick black cloud of smoke erupted from the burnt out console. Coughing slightly he covered his mouth with the back of his hand and pulled out his tricorder, joining in the search.

Like blood hounds, noses to the ground, they fanned out each following a blip…

“Gamma, Delta, Alpha” Part Four.

Principle Characters;

Lieutenant Hwii, Engineering officer (NPC)

Lieutenant Jiiles, Engineering officer (NPC)

Ensign Todd Hunter Engineering Officer (NPC)

Returning characters (NPC’s);

Pinkie
Drool Boy
Splash
Dash
Rocker Boy

And various Alpha Shift Officers

(NPC’s written by Dru and Robert Snow)

**** Main Engineering ****

Previously…

***~***

Hwii skipped over the jokes and continued with business, “Well if no one left where are they all?”

A few puzzled looks were exchanged followed by a Mexican wave of tricorders.

“I have life signs.” Someone shouted.

“Me too.”

Jiiles turned and looked at them both, “You have life signs over there, and you have some over there? How many people are we looking for?”

“There were seven people on duty in here last night.” The ensign informed Jiiles before the consol he was at gave out a last resigned hiss followed by a loud crack and several sparks. The ensign jumped back as a thick black cloud of smoke erupted from the burnt out console. Coughing slightly he covered his mouth with the back of his hand and pulled out his tricorder, joining in the search.

***~***

*Presently*

Todd rubbed his head vigorously to get the blood flow through, “That stings like a …” he trailed off not wanting to curse.

“A bitch.” Jiiles said filling in the gap, “Want me to call Medical?” he asked, half mocking his friends’ pain tolerance and also part in seriousness, after all he could well have a concussion.

“Nah,” Todd replied, “I’ll be alright.” He continued forward through the smog. It was beginning to clear, though the smell had already contaminated his clothing. He would have to shower for a week just to feel clean, and his clothes, well they would be going to the incinerator!

“What is this stuff?” Todd asked running his finger along a console. He brought his finger to his nose and sniffed, “Smells… sweet…” Sticking his tongue out he went to taste it.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” a voice called out.

“Why not?”

The woman pointed, took a few steps forward to what appeared to be a discarded pile of clothes next to the Master Systems Display Consol. Lifting a jacket she revealed the entwined, and unclothed legs that lay beneath, giving them a gentle kick she frowned, “These two are out for the count and I bet ya it’s got something to do with that stuff!”

Walking over to the two Todd looked down, then, almost in supplication to the gods looked up in despair as he surveyed the scene before him. “Do you guys want to get him down?” he said after a moment, pointing to a form draped over the railings above, “Before he inadvertently joins us?”

In the panic to remove Drool Boy from the railings above no one heard the door opening. It was another few minutes before anyone noticed the officer repeatedly clearing his throat in an attempt to gain attention, standing as far in Engineering as he would let his polished boots go.

The gentleman had a firm grip on the collar of a young woman, who appeared from what they could see of her uniform, to be an engineer.

She smiled brightly, proudly brandishing a bright luminous pink bean bag.

“I think this is one of yours?” the gentleman stated with a sour expression.

***Meanwhile in the decks below…***

Cautiously walking around the lower lever of engineering, a pair of techs had been drafted to assist in the search for the erstwhile engineers who were supposed to have been on duty last night, and for the eventual clean up that would inevitably have to follow. Tricorders out the two were cautiously stepping around, over, and only if absolutely necessary, in the piles of crud that seemed to pervade almost the entire lower section of engineering as they tracked down a life sign in the dim recesses of the storage bays.

“I thought that they said no one left engineering.” Parker griped as he carefully stepped over a pile of mush that was bigger than Elephant droppings.

“Yeah,” Jones replied clipped, trying to read the tricorder results, flash her torch so that she could see where she was going and navigate herself through the slush, “but that just means that they didn’t go out the front door.”

“You are joking me right?” Parker said flashing his torch in her face to see if she was in fact pulling his leg.

“Nope.” she replied squinting as the light danced about her features.

“Then you mean….” Parker said with utter dismay turning to face one of the maintenance hatches. With a mixture of anger, curiosity and uncertainty he opened the hatch.

“Ah man you *have* to be kidding me!” he exclaimed as a big glob landed on his shoe. “That’s just %$^&* brilliant.” Shaking his head his flashed the light down the tube and just as he had predicted it was also covered with bits of mashed up fruit. It dripped from the ceiling of the tube on to exposed circuits. “When I get my hands on whoever did this I’m going to rip…” he paused as his flash light skimmed over a rather large mass about four meters down the tube.

“What the smeg is that?” he asked, now fully alert.

“I don’t know.” Jones replied taking a step closer to the open hatch. Straining her eyes she leaned in further and stared at large object, “That’s weird.” she mumbled looking down at her tricorder.

“What’s weird?” he asked slightly edgy.

“Well it’s registering as a life sign.” she replied bemused.

“You don’t suppose that things broken?” Parker asked nodding towards the tricorder, “Whatever that is it’s too big to be a person. I work with this lot and no one in engineering is that …” his nose scrunched up as he squinted, “blue and shiny…”

“Blue and shiny?” Jones repeated. She came up along side him, “Budge up let me take a look.”

Parker nodded but continued to stare down the hatch, “I swear that thing moved.” He said reaching for his phaser.

From inside a deflated blue blow up arm chair Rocker Boy stirred. The chair let out a squelch, partly mixed fruit juice and partly escaping air, as he tried to stretch out in his sleep, but he soon found that he was constricted by the plastic chair that had welded itself to his fruit juice covered body. Opening an eye he examined the thing that was surrounding him, almost consuming him. His eye closed. Then they both shot open, as did his mouth followed by hysterical screams. They erupted from him increasing in decibel as he scrambled about trying to free himself.

“IT’S TRYING TO EAT ME!” he screamed in total panic.

“GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF.”

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!”

**Back in Main Engineering…**

Hwii stepped forward, though he did not particularly want to. He didn’t want to take responsibility for any of this mess, nor the officers that created it. He wished at this moment to be with his pod, swimming around with Nara playing games, anything but being here. Not even a jet wash would get this place clean in time for Lt Grey and O’Shea’s return.

“She appears to be one of ours, as you put it.” Hwii said trying to sound as if he was in control of the situation. “Where did you find her?”

The gentleman could not help but stare at the state of Main Engineering. Silently he was compiling a list in his mind of the officers that were here and the damage that he could see. It wasn’t that he had a vendetta towards the engineers but this was more than enough to get out with the old and in with the new.

He smiled smugly to himself. Finally the Galaxy could be rid of the troublesome department. There wasn’t one other that had more fuck wits than engineering. The Chief was apparently marrying one of her sunbonnets, the assistant was mute with lots of psychological problems, there were rumours of a voodoo worshiping suicidal engineer who would punch your lights out as soon as look at you, then there was the warrior princess that faked her death breaking so many regulations that should have, in his opinion, been held up for a court martial, in fact so should the voodoo worshiper….. well, all of them in fact. Again he smiled knowing that once his report reached the XO there would be hell.

“In the garbage chute.” he replied realising that he had been fantasising for quite some time, and almost drooling at the thought… he wiped his mouth quickly.

Jiiles pulled the woman to one side, “What the hell were you doing in the trash shoot, you could have been killed!!”

“I was following the fairies” Pinkie said as if it was the normal thing to do. “Don’t you see them?” she asked.

The officer had released his grip upon the engineer, and now free, she began to wonder round, head up in the clouds reaching out to thin air. Suddenly she turned sharply and swatted Hwii straight on the head. Though seeing as he was wearing his EVA suit it was in fact smack on the top if his visor.

Hwii instinctively grabbed pinkies wrist, “And what was that? A fairy?” he asked with as much anger as his mechanical voice could recreate.

Pinkie laughed, “No don’t be silly. No one kills Fairies. That was a sprite.” She informed him in a serious tone, “Sprites are not nice. They eat Fairies. Very nasty.” Smiling again she sighed and moved on, leaving Hwii with a rather large smear across his visor.

Tapping his commbadge Hwii considered who to call first, "Engineering to sickbay, you might want to get a team down to here, and get ready for a few arrivals, we've got a... Situation down here in engineering.”

“Jiiles, where is that security team?”

“I’m on it.” Jiiles replied taking Pinkie by the arm he lead her to the others and sat her down, praying that she would stay put.

“Sir?” Todd said, “It could just be me, but I have a feeling that that guy wasn’t too impressed.” He said indicating towards the door where the officer had made a rather quick exit. “I have an uncanny feeling that we will seeing the XO sooner than we would like.”

Hwii nodded, “Take care of it ensign.”

Todd nodded and then double took, “Er, what do you mean take care of it Sir?”

“I mean take care of it Ensign.” Hwii repeated, “Whatever you need to do short of shooting him.” Without pausing Hwii turned to Jiiles, “I want a maintenance crew in here now for a clean up. I want as much information on what happened and I want it now. And find everyone. NOW! Understood?”

Finally a Hwii that Jiiles could understand, “Aye Sir!”

“Todd, what are you still doing here?” Hwii asked irritated.

"A Brand New Day"

J. Andrus Suder (apc)
Lieutenant Saul Bental
Commander Chen Lin

* * * Deep Space 5 * * *

The line stretching outside the small office door marked 'Liaison to community' was a perfect example for the UFP's wide variety of species. Haggard Tellarites, wrinkled-face Ferengi with sneaky eyes like beads, Humans in business suits and Vulcans with a blank gaze that could be interpreted as either stoic or extremely bored, all sat or stood patiently, waiting for their turn to make the life of Lieutenant Commander Chen Lin miserable.

Inside, the delicate-featured liaison was desperate. In the weeks - or was it months already - that had passed since he celebrated his promotion and new position with his friends from the Galaxy, he had learned to loath the extra pip and the extra tedious work that came with it.

Oh, that young, dynamic Tactical officer Bental had all the fun, serving on a glorious ship, hopping from planet to planet without having to face an entire Starbase's civilian community and pay attention to all of their needs.

The needs of the many, it seems, were never as many as here. A Xenexian shopkeeper just entered the crowded office when the message came in. Lin politely asked him to wait outside (and earned a less polite response), and then ordered the computer to play the message. It was classified, and set to medium priority.

"Located possible contact regarding the McCauley investigation. He might know of the subject's recent whereabouts. Will update if necessary. No need to alert anyone just yet. Saul Bental."

Lin shook his head. He was pretty sure that Proctor's men already gave up on the investigation, after McCauley left DS5 prior to the attack of the Dithparu. If Saul Bental could get back on the traitor of Trill's tracks, then he was truly a miracle worker.

* * *ch'Rihan orbit* * *

Saul Bental, being an atheist, didn't believe in miracles.

He knew that only a miracle would prevent the Tal Shiar, the Galaxy's Intelligence department, and the ch'Rihan from finding out his whereabouts on the Romulan capitol once his beamed down. With the anti-Federation protests increasing, it was probably unusual to spot a Federation member in the streets of Ki Baratan, let alone one which was known to the local authorities as a Starfleet officer. Still, he needed to meet that Andrus fellow in person if he wanted his interests on the planet to be kept. It was a risky move, which compared to the time when he and Miramon took advantage of their visit to Bajor in order to lead the Bajoran authorities to Rosenthal and his fake priest. The recent visit to Vaden also came in mind. Only that this time, the planning was in Saul's hands, not the responsibility of some unknown (and apparently, quite unsuccessful) SFI officer. Therefore, the first thing Saul did was to throw a bait for all the sharks.

Needless to say, the Andrus fellow probably knew nothing of McCauley. But if the message Saul sent Lin would be read by either Federation elements or Romulans, it would give a good explanation for Saul's upcoming meeting. He assumed that Dobryin or Corgan,the two likely potential interceptors of the message, would be mildly interested -but not enough to have a fellow senior officer followed, or even confront him on the matter. Saul even approached Corgan himself about catching McCauley before they reached Deep Space 5 and found it deserted.

On the other side of the barricade, he was pretty sure that both the Tal Shiar and the RNI would intercept the message and break the decryption codes, which admittedly weren't the toughest Saul could use (More complex codes would raise Dobryin's suspicion and give the Romulans a priceless sample of the encryption, for their code breakers to feast upon). But, once the Romulans realized that this meeting has no influence whatsoever on their affairs, they probably would tail him just as they would had he gone sightseeing like your everyday tourist. Feeling confident that his little false message will grant him just enough privacy to succeed, Saul strode toward the Transporter room. He was wearing a simple brown tunic. The pamphlet on basic Rihannsu law rested safely in his pocket, but only because the orders demanded it. Its presence was quite ironic given the circumstances.

"See you when I get back, Chief.", He waved at the transporter operator as he climbed onto the platform, and soon vanished from sight in the Transporter glow.

* * * Ki baratan * * *

He wished that he had brought a phaser.

Logically, Andrus knew that knives were easier to conceal and that he already had one knife too many should the authorities decide to randomly search him but the downside to knives was that you had to get close to the other person to use them. Unless you were good at knife throwing which Andy wasn't.

He wanted to relax. The Galaxy had arrived with Omar's body, the message had been sent to M'Kantu, and all of his cargo were debating about what to pack but Andy wasn't about to let his guard down. He couldn't see what t'Noir would get out of screwing him over since he had just as much invested in this as Andy but that didn't mean the Romulan wasn't capable of changing his mind. Again.

Andy wished that he had brought a phaser. He was handy with a phaser.

The sun was high in the sky when someone finally stopped by his bench, and took it. He was Human in appearance, with a thick brown hair, equally brown eyes, and a chin decorated with day-old bristles. He was not wearing a Starfleet uniform.

Saul Bental opened his mouth and let the fresh air in. It was the freshest air one could get in several miles' radius, as the So'techia promenade was located on a ridge overseeing the central part of Ki Baratan, high enough and far enough from the city's pollution. The cityscape was quite unique, adequate for the capitol of a major interstellar power.

He didn't speak immediately, letting the other man wonder of his choice of bench was a mere coincidence or not, and hopefully throw him off-balance. Eventually, he nodded at Andrus.

"Hello. I'm a friend of Joord. He has a partner here which must've told you about me."

Unknown to Andrus, it was the first time Saul ever publicly exposed a link between himself and one of his fake identities. Once he got back to the Galaxy safely, he intended to 'burn' Joord and make of the related records vanish into oblivion. It wasn't a big loss, since if his meeting was a success, he would no longer need any contacts in the Romulan empire to advance his agenda.

Andrus shrugged to hide his irritation with the little Romulan shit t'Noir. "Actually, it was implied that I would be meeting with Joord himself but I'm not picky. Is Joord still willing to do business?"

Saul grimaced. Did t'Noir make the mistake on purpose? He told him specifically (as Joord, of course) that an acquaintance of Joord will be the one to make contact with the third party. "Of course he is. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here. His mutual friend and he probably had a misunderstanding."

Saul extended his hand cordially. Once Andrus shook it, he felt that there was something in the other man's palm, a thin object that fell into his own hand... paper?

Indeed, it was a slip of paper. It read 'possible eavesdrop. The goods-->"Evidence" '.

"So tell me about the evidence.", Saul spoke up, while Andrus was looking at the piece of paper with an indifferent expression. "From what I was told, that mutual friend of you and Joord's is responsible to put both my evidence and yours in a cargo container and get it off planet, but I'm still in the dark as for how we get it done."

"That's easy enough." Andy said with a small smile. "It gets loaded onto the ship."

"The ship? Which ship? My ship?", Saul played the game. t'Noir told him that the only safe way to get his and Andrus' commodities will be by transporting them to the Galaxy. Saul always tried to separate his job as a Starfleet officer and his private business, but this time the stakes were high enough to mix the two.

t'Noir himself was responsibly merely for finding a legitimate way to get it off ch'Rihan. Getting things out of ch'Rihan undetected was indeed the elder Romulan's expertise. The only spot he left out (and Saul preferred it that way) was HOW the goods will be transported.

Andy quirked a playful eyebrow.

"This obviously will require approval... from the ship.", Saul chose his words carefully, trying not to get any unwanted attention in case a third set of ears was listening to their conversation.

"Let's just say that it would be in someone's best interest to approve its contents without inspection." Andy said in a low voice. "We wouldn't want to contaminate the evidence."

"I don't suppose you're talking about me?" Saul inquired. "The business with the evidence and the McCauley investigation is sort of a side job for me, I don't have any authority as for who and what is beamed to the ship."

"Of course not." The Betazoid said in a good natured tone. "Life is never that simple. But it will be cleared; the investigation is too important for any delay. I will be accompanying the evidence to make sure of that."

This caught Saul off guard."I was DEFINITELY not told anything about that. "Perhaps he'll extend his stay on the planet for a little while longer, so that he could murder that idiot t'Noir with his own bare hands. Never sign on a detail without seeing all the details, he was once told by his grandfather. The old man was always right, in the most irritating manner.

"How will that be arranged?", Saul continued, "And when? I don't need to tell you that getting you on board is a lot more complex than... a piece of evidence."

Andy could sense the man's frustration and it made him feel a bit better. It looked, for once, like he wasn't the only one t'Noir dropped the ball on.   "Again, simple. Your captain will approve my transport and I'll get onboard."

This time, Saul succeeded in hiding his surprise. "Captain Henderson is definitely a high enough authority. If he authorizes it, you won't even need me as mediator. Nevertheless, Joord did ask me to inspect the... evidence... and make sure its satisfactory. But that could wait until the evidence is brought on board, along with yourself. When will that take place?"   "It's probably better that you don't know the details, friend." Andrus replied, his blue eyes hardening somewhat. "You seem like you have enough on your mind as it is."

"That's how Starfleet officers are. I got about fifty high-priority crisis situations to deal with once I get back to the ship. Routine." He watched Andrus' eyes closely, intensely. There was something unusual about them, and it took him a while to realize what it was.

"Contact lenses are out of fashion nowadays, you know.", He commented.

Andy shrugged. "The ins and outs of fashion have never concerned me all that much. The evidence and myself will board the day the ship is due to depart. But I will have to insist that it not be touched by anyone other than myself. Does... Joord have a problem with that?"

There was something odd in the way the other man asked the question, Saul thought. But he didn't intend to dwell on it.   "I'm afraid I must insist. When Joord asked me to do this favour, he told me that this point was not to be compromised upon. Plus, as a Starfleet officer, you'll excuse me if I want to make sure that anything which comes on board my ship is safe, even something negligible as a piece of evidence. If it won't be me, it would be some operations officer who might inspect it less gently."

As his evidence was going to be an eighteen year old romulan shoved into a crate and sucking on an oxygen mask for several hours, Andy didn't think the kid would take too kindly to being held less gently.

Besides, Andy was sick of being patient. This close to the end, he knew he should be patient but no matter how you tried, you couldn't hide who you really were, no matter what disguise you wore. And Andy was an impatient bastard.

"If you can stop using your alter ego as an excuse for what you want," Andy said in a low tone. "Then I'm more than willing to negotiate on who gets to inspect what."

"Sorry?", Saul asked cordially, "Ego? This has nothing to do with ego. I just need to make sure that the evidence is truly what we expect it to be. It's a reasonable demand."

"And I'm a reasonable man." Andrus retorted. "But you're starting to piss me off, Joord."

Saul scowled. Now he realized what the lenses were for. He was fooled. He would bet his new full pip that the other man's true eye color was dark as night. The typical eye color of a Betazoid.   And now, the link between him and the false identity was exposed, before being burnt. This was bad, with Vadenish magnitude.   Being a trained Intel operative, Saul instinctively vacated his mind of stray thoughts. He'd contemplate on the situation later, and would probably act only once the other man was on board the Galaxy, where Saul could have his way with him. Now was definitely not the time nor place for to react to his identity's exposure.   It was time for damage control.   "The pissing is mutual." Saul shot back. "But inspection of the evidence is not negotiable. I'm afraid that if we cannot agree on this point, then we're wasting our time."

Andy didn't really have any other choice and he knew it. "All right then. Let's discuss what this inspection entails."

"Surfacing Details: Part 3"

Roswell & Dallas

"What's the first thing you do remember?"

"Of that day?" Nara almost smiled, "Walking past the garden and smelling the roses as the wind blew." She frowned, "I remember how I wanted to just stay out there and skip class. But we had a test and even if I skipped class on any occasion, I wouldn't had that day. I finished early, but he always made us stay anyway." Nara furrowed her brow. Something she doesn't think she realized before. "I remember the five minutes I sat there, watching the clock, he was staring at me."

Karyn nodded. "Did it make you uncomfortable?"

Nara just nodded. "If I would had realized why he was staring...I don't know. I think I knew what that look meant."

"How did you know?"

"I think every woman instinctively knows that look. But I blew it off. I told myself I was imagining things."

"And then what do you remember?"

"After class was over, he asked me to stay. Before the test, we had a discussion and I kind of got fired up about something and ended up yelling, so I thought it was about that. But he locked the room down and he's saying some very inappropriate things to me. Next thing I know, I'm on the floor..."

"What sort of things did he say to you? How did you feel?" She was trying to keep Nara in the moment instead of retreating.

Nara started to tremble as she remembered. "Something about how it turned him on. How I'd..." She took a deep breath. "He said he could ruin my career if I told anyone or fought back too much."

"Nara, you're doing just fine. Keep going," Dallas encouraged.

"I fought back all I could, but he was too heavy. I never felt so weak in all my life." Her voice was breaking and she was hugging her knees to her so tight, she could cut off circulation.

"Nara, take a deep breath and keep talking to me," Karyn instructed. "Did he say anything else to you after he pulled you to the floor?"

She did as she was told and nodded.

"He called me names, which seem ironic. I had just told him I had never been to bed with anyone, so I wasn't sure how I could be a slut or whore. But I think I know why it bothers me so much when O'shea says certain things to me. Like how I'm not a warrior at all. He said something about me being a Sakarian warrior meant nothing and it was my own dilusion. They way he held me down proved his point. And when..." She had to close her eyes a moment, to hold back the tears. She finally said, with her eyes still tightly closed, "When he finally got in, he said he's had better with pigs." She was trembling now, trying not to cry as she remembered how miserable she felt.

"That was his way of making you feel responsible, Nara," Karyn explained. She swallowed hard. This was bringing a lot of her own abuse up. "He needed to make you feel responsible so he could feel better about himself."

"By making me feel like trash." She didn't know what else to say. She wanted it to have never happened.

"Exactly," Karyn responded. "What happened then? Do you remember?"

Nara sighed and forced herself to remember it, "Pain. My thighs were bruised because he had pressed his knees into them earlier. I screamed, but he slapped me, so I bit my lips so hard, I think that's the one injury he didn't cause." Nara was surprised she wasn't crying at this point. There were tears in her eyes, and she was shaking, but she wasn't weeping.

"Keep going, Nara. You can do this." Dallas encouraged.

"When he finally got up, I started getting dressed. I remember him coming back over to me with a device and I was still so scared and I felt so drained I knew I couldn't fight back. I tried to back away, and he just grabbed my arm. It turned out to just be something he used to run over the bruises and a cut or two from his ring so I didn't look like I was beaten. He warned me again not to tell anyone or he would ruin me. I went home and the next morning, I just remembered feeling incredibly sore but I couldn't remember what I did the night before."

Karyn nodded. "It's rare to block something out like that at your age, but it happens. Did you get any sort of medical attention for it the next day?"

"No. I didn't think it was a big deal. I transferred out of that class though."

Karyn frowned. "Do you recall why?"

“Gamma, Delta, Alpha” Part Five.

Principle Characters;

Lieutenant (Jg) Dhanishta Eshe, engineering officer

Civilian Engineering Specialist Michael McDowell

Lieutenant Hwii, Engineering officer (NPC)

Lieutenant Jiiles, Engineering officer (NPC)

Returning characters (NPC’s);
Pinkie
Drool Boy
Rocker
Splash
Dash
The Dude

And various Alpha Shift Officers

(NPC’s written by Dru and Robert Snow)

***Somewhere in the depths of Engineering***

Entering bay two, Tanith brought up his tricorder and waved Elise to follow, even here the detritus of the apparent food fight seemed to have managed to work its way onto the floor and shelves. “Signal seems to be coming from the back,” he said simply, only half his attention focussed on his tricorders readout, the other half on the ceiling, “Aww man!” he griped aloud as he looked up. The ceiling as well had gobbets of fruit adhering to it, some of which were slowly dripping onto the floor, mute testament to the stickiness of the fruit juice. Unable to dodge in time, Tanith felt the sticky wetness dribble from the ceiling onto his forehead and slowly run down the crease that was typical of the Bolian physiology, “This is disgusting.” he announced as he wiped his face.

“You'll get no argument from me.” Elise agreed, stepping around a corner she checked her tricorder again and indicated a mass in the corner of the room, “Human life signs over there.” Peering into the gloom she looked up, “computer, raise lights to standard illumination.” she ordered, waiting for a moment she frowned and checked her tricorder again, then grimaced. “That's why the fruits on the ceiling, to block the lights.” she realised.

“Grab a hand lamp.” Tanith suggested as he walked forward, getting half way to the life form he gagged slightly as the stench of the fruit became more intense, ~ This is awful! ~ he decided, ~ I say we dump the secondary hull ~ only partly joking, wondering if the smell would ever come out. Just as he reached the side of the shape whomever, or whatever, was there shifted, and was accompanied by the now familiar squelch of pre pulped fruit, and also by a new noise, a gasping, hissing sound, almost but not quite like the warning hiss a demebian slime devil emitted when someone tried to trespass on its territory.

“Food...”

“Mmmm...”

“Food Good...!”

“Mmmm...”

This had been going on for a while now, though bizarrely it was a completely one sided conversation. The 'Dude' was head first in a still partly full crate of the fruit that had been the centre of last nights 'festivities'.

Protectively cradling a few remaining intact fruit, he slowly eased out of the crate and sat back, relishing the intact and (hopefully) ripe fruit in his hand. Looking up as a young tech approached he literally growled at her, "Back off!" he warned, grabbing a random piece of mushy fruit from the floor and hurling it at her, “Mine, mine, mine,” he said in a small but intent voice, “all mine, not yours,” reaching for another fragment from last night he sent it after the first piece, “mine, mine, mine!”

Stepping back with no small amount of concern, Tanith raised his tricorder again and rechecked the readings to ensure that this was a human before him, keeping his eyes on the ranting weirdo he side stepped until he was against the wall, “Elise,” he called out softly, “while you’re at the storage compartment, grab a phaser please!” he asked, suddenly deciding that he'd rather be somewhere, anywhere but here.

*** Back in Main Engineering ***

It had been about two hours since Hwii and his team had entered Main Engineering on a typical morning, to find an untypical sight. Things were slowly working their way back to being normal. Well that just meat that everyone was fixing something!

Hwii had called in a few more crew to help out; basically they were the temporary face of engineering, none of them had been allowed to come into engineering. Their tool kits had been placed outside with data pads full of jobs to do around the ship, giving the pretence that everything was working normally.

The clean up crew had started and medical had been called as had security. Jiiles had the job of babysitting the officers that had been found so far. Unfortunately all of them had woken up, including the two that had been unconscious on the floor.

Jiiles rubbed his head and sighed as the woman, tightly clutching a pink bean bag, began yet another rendition of ‘killing me softly’. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that she was terribly out of key and kept trying to harmonise with one of the blokes that was so whacked out of his face he couldn’t sit up properly.

The doors to Engineering parted once more into the chaos, revealing a very sheepish Rocker boy. He shuffled forward still encased in the blue blow up arm chair. It was welded to him good and proper. He scanned the room, seeing the carnage that he was part of he bowed his head and shuffled forward, hopped twice and fell over!

The Turbo lift was slow. Yes, that was it. He wasn't impatient, the thing was just too slow. Michael was practically walking circles in the lift, if it wasn't for the few other people also occupying the small space. Finally the lift stopped at Deck 36 and Michael stepped out. With a firm pace he walked towards Engineering. Only a few minutes later he stepped into, what he recalled being, Main Engineering. The only thing that he did was look around the spacious room and gape. “What the heck happened? Did someone throw some sort of party that got out of hand?”

“You could say that.” someone muttered.

“If you think it looks bad now you should have been here this morning!” another huffed as he walked by.

Hwii emerged from the Chiefs office, “Well that’s five of them.” He said, “Six then.” He corrected himself noticing Rocker boy on the floor rolling round helplessly. He frowned, well as only a Dolphin could, “Is anyone going to help him up?” he asked.

Engineering fell very silent as everyone including the techs that had been drafted in to help turned and very loudly shouted “NO!”

Hwii shrugged and nodded, “Fair enough.” He stepped over Rocker boy ignoring his pleading looks and continued towards the Master Systems Display consol.

“Hwii?” Jiiles called out, “We only have five people here.” he informed him.

“I know.” Hwii replied, “I got a call a few minutes ago. They had trouble with one of them, had to take him straight to sick bay.”

Jiiles frowned, “How come?” he asked.

“They knocked him out.” Hwii replied simply as he began to reassemble the MSDC.

Jiiles stared at Hwii for a moment, he had such a character, Jiiles had never really spoken with him before. The guy had a warped sense of humour. Jiiles liked it, and he decided then and there that he might just learn how to swim!

“So who are we missing?” Hwii asked.

Jiiles sighed, “Dhani.” He replied solemnly, “We traced her signal. But only found her comm. badge. Without doing a full scan for her vitals, which we cant do cause the scanners are off line, I have no idea how to find her.”

Michael turned towards Jiiles. Though he still ignored the guy and avoided him at all costs, Michael thought he should make an exception this time. “Wait, there's no need to start a ship wide search and rescue mission...”

Jiiles looked over at Michael for a second and scoffed. “Look mate,” he started, his contempt evident, “You have no idea what’s going on here, so I suggest that you either get on with something or get out. You are a civilian after all!”

“Hey, sticks and stones may break my bones...” Michael replied simply and went to ignore-mode again as he addressed Hwii, “Dhani is in the wall, right behind you. Seems you guys lack the detective gene.”

“In the wall?” Hwii repeated. He turned around and looked behind him, frowning he turned back. “Are you feeling alright?” he asked confused.

“Yeah, why?” At that moment Michael knew why they were all giving him strange looks. Though he could sense Dhani the others obviously could not. There were moments he forgot that, like this one. It almost became second nature to him. In fact, he was so used to it now that he wouldn't know how to live without Dhani's emotions and voice in his head. “Oh yes,....Well, it's just a hunch, that's all.”

Both Jiiles and Hwii stared at Michael for a few seconds completely bemused.

Jiiles turned round and picked up a tool kit. “Here.” he said handing Michael the kit, “Test out your theory.” Turning back to Hwii Jiiles made a cork screw motion with his finger at his temple and pointed towards Michael, ‘NUTS’ he mouthed to Hwii, ‘TOTALLY NUTS!’

Michael let out a half suppressed sigh. ~Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth and just got her out right away.~ He took the tool kit and slowly walked towards the wall.

Over the next few minutes he removed everything that held the front piece of the wall attached to the frame. Finally he carefully removed the panel. And voila, there she was. It was not the Dhani he knew mind you…

Squatting inside the narrow space, covered from head to foot in fresh fruit pulp Dhani sat explaining the inner workings of the electrical pathways to a partly deflated multi-coloured beach ball!

“….And this green and yellow one connects to the….” Dhani paused as a sudden, unexpected, and rather rude intrusion of light temporarily blinded her. “Harumph” she exclaimed turning her face to the light she pouted and stuck her tongue out.

Michael looked at Jiiles and Hwii. Somehow he felt he owed them an apology for the state she was in, “She’s ...not herself.”

Hwii and Jiiles nodded slowly, completely lost for words.

“What’s that?” Dhani questioned leaning in so that her ear was next to the ball, “You think we should get out of the wall?”

The beach ball nodded, its green see-through plastic hat rocking with the motion.

“But I like it in the wall it’s all dark and compact….”

The ball interrupted…

“Ah yes I do see your point there,” Dhani replied, “well in fact I don’t cause I can’t see right now, except for these blasted sun spots… oh I’m sorry I forgot that you don’t like me cursing…”

Uncurling herself Dhani stood up, hitching the beach ball on to her hip as any mother would a toddler, she stepped out from the wall.

There were more than a few minutes of silence as all eyes turned towards the engineer talking to an inflatable beach ball!!!

“JIILES!” Dhani shouted excitedly as her vision returned. “Wow Bill, you have to meet Jiiles…. He’s just the coolest!” Dhani said skipping over to the engineer arms stretched out.

Jiiles’ eyes widened as he saw the state she was in. Her hair was all tangled and matted, looked like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards. He didn’t have time to dodge the slimy, gooey, squishy hug. Cringing as he heard the inevitable squelch he dared himself to look down as she pulled away, watching in utter dismay as a trail of sticky residue appeared from his tunic.

Turning Dhani saw Hwii and grabbed him before he had the chance to run. “Hwii!” she shrieked, plastering his visor with a multitude of sloppy kisses, “I love you guys!” she declared.

Smiling brightly she blinked, “Michael!” she hollered, “Oh wow Bill, look everyone is here…Group hug!” she announced and pulled Michael towards her.

“Oh no, no no no...” Michael yelped as he saw a yellow goo covered Dhani coming towards him, but it was too late already. His whole tunic got smeared as she hugged him. “Ah no,...Dhani! Look what you've done. You're making a mess...”

At the announcement of a group hug, the other four doped up engineers stood up and rushed over… “BUNDLE” Drool boy shouted.

The sound of 'Bundle' also seemed to be the start of a chain of events, bodies, tools and remaining fruit all seemed to head for that one spot atop poor Michael. As this pile grew the doors to main engineering opened to reveal the startled faces of the EMT team dispatched earlier by sickbay. Stood in the door, Nurse Arrietty froze in abject shock at the scene before her, in over a hundred years the El-Aurian couldn't recall seeing a site more confusing than the once before her.

Letting her eyes scan the room they came to a rest on the group that were entwined and writhing on the floor. Coughing in a less than subtle manner she raised her voice, “Gentlemen, Ladies, and other androgynous being, please, there's a time and a place for that sort of thing!” she announced, hoping beyond reason, that someone would perhaps listen.

Hearing a sudden squeal and a squelching sound, her eyes widened slightly as what appeared to be a large inflatable ball was ejected casually from the pile of bodies, bounced down the side of the group and rolled gently to her feet.

“Catch!” a random voice announced.

“Gamma, Delta, Alpha” Part Six.

Principle Characters;

Lieutenant Kimberly Burton, Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant (Jg) Dhanishta Eshe, engineering officer

Lieutenant Hwii, Engineering officer (NPC)

Lieutenant Jiiles, Engineering officer (NPC)

Returning characters (NPC’s);
Pinkie
Drool Boy
Rocker
Splash
Dash
The Dude

And various Alpha Shift Officers

(NPC’s written by Dru and Robert Snow)

***Main Engineering***

Watching for another brief moment, Arrietty shook her head and eventually waved the EMT squad to the unruly pile on the floor, “Let’s get them up,” she decided, “see who’s normal, if they are anything like the one that got transported up to sickbay just now, we’ll have to get them up there for the Chief to have a look at.” she decided. Letting the EMT’s do the dirty work she flipped open a tricorder and activated the small holo-imager on it, somehow, she didn’t think words would be enough to adequately describe this to the CMO, there were some things you just had to see.

“Alright!” Arrietty shouted suddenly, startling several nearby crew, “you can walk to sickbay, or be sedated and carried, your choice!” she threatened, pointing to two innocent looking engineers who were liberally covered in the gunk that was coating sickbay she frowned, “don’t try that innocent look on me, move it, now,” pointing to the door, “All of you, come on, move it!” hoping that volume would help she waited as the EMT’s got the somewhat abnormal techs off the floor and tried to corral them out the door.

“Some help here please?” the nurse called out somewhat desperately to the thin air as a slime encrusted tech headed her way.

* * Meanwhile – In Sickbay * * *

Sat looking at the ‘Dude’ who was sat on a biobed hugging his knees and swaying slightly Kimberly frowned at her tricorder, getting him to lay down had been next to impossible since he’d woken up from the light stun the engineering techs had inflicted upon him, all he seemed content to do was sit there, mumbling something about ‘it’ being ‘his’, and ‘mine’ over and over again.

Gagging slightly at the smell as well she stepped back and grabbed a tech, “Issue nose filters to all staff,” she ordered, “and get a sample of, whatever this is to the lab immediately, the bed is picking up some interesting compounds and I want a full analysis ASAP!”

Accepting the filters gratefully Kimberly stepped back to the bio bed, reminding herself to breath through her nose for a while, the smell was overpowering. "Somebody get me an intact sample of this thing!" she called out, looking at one lab tech pointedly and holding up a piece of fruit, "this is part of a larger plant, head down to engineering and find me a whole one."

Running her tricorder over the Dudes head she bit her lip in frustration and called up his files, ~ Something is most definitely 'not right here! ~ she decided.

***Back in Main Engineering***

Arrietty had managed to get the six engineers into an orderly line, well as orderly as possible seeing as most of them were swaying about.

Drool Boy took the lead of the group with dash behind him, continuously muttering over and over again how he wanted to be a marine biologist. Behind him, Splash and Pinkie exchanged tips on how to catch fairies and behind them Dhani continued to chat to her new found friend ‘Bill the beach ball’. At the back of the group was Rocker boy, still encased in the blue blow up arm chair.

It was going to be a long walk!

At the start of the line, Drool boy started to waver slightly, swaying from one side, behind him Dash grabbed his waist and steered him down the corridor, starting to sway in rhythm with him. Joining in, Splash also joined the line, and started to sing, badly off key, as they walked.

“Here we come,”

“Oh god's, please, no!” Arrietty pleaded from the rear.

“Walkin' down the street”

Even though Splash seemed to be the only one who knew the words, all the others were joining in with gusto, typically though after they'd heard the words from Splash, resulting in a caterwauling that reverberated from the walls, soon all six were wavering down the corridor like some demented conga line, singing in six different, and incorrect, keys as they went,

“We get the funniest looks from,”

“Everyone we meet,”

“Please, Please, let this end, soon!” Arrietty prayed as they all bundled on a turbolift.

* * * Sickbay * * *

Hearing a noise from outside, Kimberly turned just in time to see six engineers sway into sickbay in absolutely no semblance of order, all bellowing at the top of their lungs suddenly,

“Hey, Hey we're the Monkeys!”

At the aft of the group Dhanishta spied Burton, “Hey!” she shouted waving at the doctor, “Told you I’d be back…”

The conga line took a brief tour of Sick bay weaving in and out of bio beds, knocking into several and bouncing straight back off again. At the back on the line Rocker Boy panted hard, hopping madly in an attempt to keep up with them.

“Quiet!” Kimberly shouted, sounding uncharacteristically authoritative as she stepped in front of them, “No more singing!” she announced over the remnants of the song.

“Boo!” someone from the group of engineers muttered, barely loud enough to be heard.

“Which one of you was that!” She asked, looking at the group, “C’mon, tell me, or you ‘all’ get an prolonged session in the decontamination suite with George the smelly engineer,” she threatened. Desperately trying to keep a straight face at the downcast looks she received in response to her ultimatum, five heads turned to look at Eshe, still hugging her beach ball protectively.

Dhani pouted and her bottom lip began to waver, “It wasn’t me!” she protested tear struck at the sudden traitorous acts of her colleagues.

~ Oh this is one for the books! ~ “Separate beds for each one, let’s get them cleaned up, I was a full tox screen as well as neurological scans on everyone, ASAP,” she ordered, looking to Arrietty, call the lab, I want to know what I’m dealing with here!”

Returning her gaze to the dishevelled group before her she bit her lip to keep from laughing, it wasn't that funny really, it was quite serious, it was just the downcast looks as well as the messy appearance just didn't lend itself to a serious atmosphere.

Stepping forward she gently took Eshe's arm, “Well, since you came back as promised, we can finish what we started earlier, but right after we clean you up.” steering her toward a nearby biobed she heard something from behind her, and turned just in time to see Pinkie and Rocker Boy unsteadily supporting each other as they made an impressive mess on the floor, leaning on each other they appeared to be trying to void the contents of their stomachs all over sickbay.

"Ewww." Splash got out, before she too turned a funny shade and leant over a biobed to join in.

~ Goddess! ~ Kimberly berated herself, “Don't just stand there,” she called to her staff, “get them on the biobeds.” Turning back to Eshe she found herself nearly face to face with the now green looking engineer.

“Icky!” Eshe stated simply, right before she leant on Kimberly's shoulder and vomited all down her lab coat.

~ One of 'those' days! ~

"Room to Grow"

Captain Cassius Henderson
Commanding Officer

Lt. Cmdr. Brian Elessidil
Assistant Chief Counselor

***

Captain's Ready Room,
Deck 1, USS Galaxy

If there was one thing Brian Elessidil knew he excelled at, it was personal reflection. Never did a day go by when if he wasn't engaged in some form of meditation, he didn't give at least some thought to who he was, what he wanted to be, how he'd gotten to where he was now, and other such musing. And his most recent experiences in the line of duty had provided ample material to fuel the fire of introspection that ceaselessly burned within.

But while living through and moving beyond experiences like being possessed by a malevolent non-corporeal entity and being captured by an almost equally malevolent being while on an away mission exacted a not insignificant toll, they also forged something new within, some new aspect of character or spirit or such that wasn't always readily identifiable. Unlike after the Dithparu incident, however, this time he spent some time reviewing what had happened on Vaden and in true counselor-like fashion, how it made him feel. Some of what he revisited wasn't pleasant, but the experience had stirred something inside that had been set aside for many months now.

And so it was that encouraged -- or perhaps emboldened was the better term -- and "in touch" with this aspect of who he was, he now found himself seated across from Cassius' desk. Despite the friendship that had started to take root between them however, it was *Captain* Henderson whom Brian had come to see.

Cassius wordlessly offered his replicated to the returned counselor. Seeing Elessidil for the first time in months, he felt very guilty for sending him into harms way. Any other person would have thought the Betazoid in perfect health, but Cassius had a gift for reading people. Elessidil was thinner, and the way he walked had changed. Though never one for undue regret, this time he couldn't help but wonder if his decision to send the team to Vaden would have lasting effects beyond the valuable intelligence they gathered.

The counselor thought for another moment, then began putting his thoughts into words. "Sir, let me begin by saying I'd be lying if I said I thought my performance on the Vaden mission was particularly exemplary," he started before pausing again for another moment as he continued to gather his thoughts. "I imagine it will be a long time before Starfleet Intelligence asks me to go on any missions for them again," he said with an ironic half-smile. "But I've come away from the experience with . . . I don't know, I guess I'd have to call it a 'yearning' of sorts." He looked they other man in the eye, looking for some sign that what little he'd said so far had made any sense.

"Really?" Cassius asked, eager to be away from the uncomfortable subject of Vaden. If Elessidil wanted to discuss it now, he wouldn't shirk from the conversation. The debriefing would take place a little later in the morning, and he'd already read their reports. There would be plenty of time to talk about Vaden then. "What sort of yearning?"

"For growth, is probably the best way to put it," Brian answered, giving it little more thought. "Personally and professionally, I've been thinking about my 'untapped potential', if you will. Maybe it was the experience on Vaden, maybe it's just a mid-life thing, or maybe it's just an inherent part of my personality, I'm not really sure, but I feel like there's more I can do," he said honestly. "Don't get me wrong, I love being a counselor and I have no wish to leave the field, but I really believe that getting 'in touch' with others and helping them through their own psychological self-discovery requires doing the same for myself; otherwise I think I run the danger of becoming not only out of touch with the process but... stagnant, I guess."

"That seems reasonable. Without change, nothing becomes any more than it currently is," Cassius agreed. "But we're the only ones who can decide how we grow, so I'm wagering you have a specific idea in mind. I'll do what I can to help, but first I have to know what you'd like to do."

"Well, Sir, I think I'd like to be put on the rotation for bridge watch. I've been bridge certified since I was aboard the Miranda and as you know, I spent about a year and a half as second officer on the Pendragon. Having that opportunity to develop some command skills was very fulfilling and I'd like to try to continue that if possible." Brian smirked. "It's not my goal to be a captain, but just developing the skills for command I believe is invaluable to any officer. I want to keep moving forward in my growth, not just stay put for the rest of my career."

"That sounds reasonable. Honestly, I'm not sure why you're still here. You're more than qualified for command or department positions at any number of postings," Cassius replied, pulling up the bridge rotation roster. Mentally redrawing the rotation, he modified it to add Elessidil. "There. You'll be rotating through Gamma and Delta Shifts with the senior staff."

Although he had expected Henderson to approve his request, Brian was rather surprised at just how easy it was. He smiled awkwardly in surprise. "Thank you, Captain," he said with a slight nod. "And thank you for your favorable assessment of my qualifications. I'm pretty content with what I do here, and being able to get in a bridge watch now and then will only add to that. But who knows what may come down the road some day? I think in your own career in Starfleet you've come to know a thing or two about that, wouldn't you say?"

For a moment, a frown flickered across Cassius' brow, breaking the surface of his carefully schooled features. He hoped that the counselor hadn't noticed, but as a fellow student of human behavior he found that unlikely. "A thing or two," Cass nodded his agreement. "We never know exactly where we're going to wind up, do we?" He avoided the impulse to glance around the Ready Room.

Brian grinned at the implications of the question. In his own life he'd made many turns along the way, turns that took him places he hadn't expected. But there were smaller turns too, experiences and opportunities that weren't necessarily life-changing but had their own impact nonetheless. Vaden had been one of those. Sometimes unexpected turns, even small ones, led to bumpy roads. "No, no we don't," he agreed. "How have you been settling into your responsibilities?" he asked, shifting a little toward counselor mode after observing Cass for a moment. "We haven't talked about that in awhile."

"No, we haven't. Brian, I'm not a very religious man. The last time I went to Confession was just after Dominion War, when I left Starfleet Intelligence," Cassius said, avoiding the counselor's eyes to look out the window that dominated one wall of the Ready Room. ch'Rihan hung below them, a deceptively simple orb of green and grey and brown and blue. "From the day I arrived here, I more or less avoided the Counseling department, until recently. I have a confession to make, if you'll hear it."

"I'm not any kind of priest, but you know I'll be glad to listen to anything you have to say," Elessidil replied, thinking it ironic than a self-professed non-religious man seemed to so easily appropriate some very religious imagery.

"About a week ago, I stopped wanting Captain M'Kantu to come back," Cassius admitted, rubbing his tired eyes. "At first, I was as eager as anyone else for him to return. And then the whispers started - the crew wanted their captain back. To a degree, I became the focus for their frustrations. And in the end, I realized that their fears were justified. I adjusted to being Captain, and this ship got her claws into me."

"You know better than anyone that begin a commanding officer -- even a temporary one -- is not a simply a job that you can remain detached from," the counselor gently commented. "If you're going to be effective on any level, it requires your total engagement. Does what you've been thinking regarding relinquishing the position really surprise you?"

"No," Cass sighed, resignedly. "I suppose not. I certainly don't want Captain M'Kantu to be found negligent. We all know that Admiral Proctor was the problem at Mirusa, and again at Deep Space Five. But I'm honestly not prepared to go back to being executive officer."

"Have you or anyone else proposed other options?"

"Not yet. I've been putting it off," he admitted, cocking his head in the direction of the planet beneath them. "I've been busy preparing for our visit to ch'Rihan, as well as taking care of my other responsibilities."

Brian followed Cass' gesture to the planet below. "You definitely have your work cut out for you," he confirmed. "Trying to maintain a grip on what you have to do now and looking at the road ahead is no easy thing. It may not even be advisable. Or possible. I guess the question I'd ask though, is whether putting off that attention to what comes next is simply a result of the demands of the moment or an intentional -- subconscious or otherwise -- way to avoid acknowledging that this is only temporary."

"I like to think that I'm reasonable enough to know that it's equal parts both," he replied. "It's been a full two years since I was promoted to Executive Officer by Captain Stuart, likely rescuing my career from going exactly nowhere. I doubt that the Bureau of Personnel really feels that I'm ready for my own command. Which is, of course, predicated on the idea that I'm prepared to leave the Galaxy."

"Heh . . . does anyone know the mind of the Bureau of Personnel?" Elessidil grunted, thinking for a fleeting moment of his own career. "But I can't imagine that if they had any serious doubts about you they'd have promoted you or let you assume command of the Galaxy, even temporarily. So who's the one who really isn't sure you're ready for your own command?" he asked with a friendly yet still slightly accusatory look.

"Nobody gets promoted to Captain after only two years as an Executive Officer, even on a ship like this... except for Elaithin Jii, who did the job for under a year before becoming a CO," Cassius shrugged. "I'll probably have my pick of XO assignments, including here."

The counselor raised an eyebrow. "That fourth pip on your collar would seem to indicate otherwise."

"If you want, you can have it," Cassius laughed. "The understanding is that I'm trusted, but that it's not necessarily permanent. I might be able to get a job as a staff officer. Or I could concentrate on Hydran Sector Strategic Operations. I'm stretched pretty thin as it is."

"Well that takes us back to the Bureau of Personnel, doesn't it? Like I said, none of us can pretend to know their plans and schemes so there are no guarantees, but trust is a valuable commodity in Starfleet. And while for your own peace of mind I think concentrating on one area of specialization is good idea, I wouldn't rule anything out yet. We never know exactly where we're going to wind up, do we?" he said, good-naturedly throwing the captain's own words back at him.

"This is very true."

"Just don't be too hard on yourself -- your responsibilities will take care of that for you," Brian added with a grin. He gestured toward the bridge. "Keep giving this all you've got while you're still sitting in that chair out there. I think if you haven't already, you're about to fully grow into that position. And if I can notice that, I'm sure Starfleet can as well."

"I'm sure," Cassius repeated, although he was far from being sure. it would have to do for now. Endless introspection would only cost him time that he didn't have. Better to make educated decisions and carry them out, leaving regret and worry for a time when he could afford to sit on his hands. "Thank you, Brian. I just needed to get that out in the open. I'll put in a recommendation to BuPers for you to be promoted. It's past time that happened."

The counselor sat up a bit straighter at the unexpected statement. "Um, Captain, I'm thrilled by the suggestion, but you do know I'm not listening and talking to you to advance my career in Starfleet," he said. Henderson's recommendation for promotion followed a little too closely to his thanks for Brian's ear. Still, if he were honest with himself, he couldn't deny wondering at times if he'd ever see a promotion to full Commander.

"If you're worried about favoritism, then you're looking in the wrong place. My word doesn't carry very much weight at BuPers..." Cassius laughed. "Until recently, my recommending anyone for promotion would have delayed them for a couple years. You're just doing your job, Counselor. I'll do mine."

"Meeting a Marvel: Part 1"

Ens Eve, Tech Op, Intelligence

Lt.(jg) Nara Roswell, Engineering

*****Ten Forward*****

Nara sat at the bar sipping a drink. Not that she sat at the bar often and she was often casting dirty impatient glances over at a corner table where a bunch of Jem'Hadar had taken up residence. She justified her attitude as she would react the same way had it been a member of the crew. It was HER table. With the Jem'Hadar, the ship was more populated and made the availablity of HER table less HERs afterall.

Eve stepped into the lounge and looked around. It was crowded, with narry a table unocupied, and most of them completly filled. There were only a few spots along the bar that were unavailable, and so she headed in that direction. Taking up a seat next to a visibly purturbed female, Eve inquired of the barkeep for a "pangalactic gargle-blaster."

Nara looked over at the woman who just sat down and looked in curiosity at just what kind of drink that would be.

The drink was placed before her on a napkin and Eve regarded it silently for a moment. Grasping the glass, she lifted it to her lips, tilted her head back, and downed it in a single swallow, being careful to set the glass down BEFORE the rush hit.

And hit it did, slamming into her brain like a gold brick wrapped in a lemon.

Nara raised an eyebrow looking at her and blurted out, "Rough day?"

Eve shook her head in the negative manner. "No," she rasped, her throat a bit raw from the drink. "I just enjoy the kick," she continued after a moment, her voice cleaner sounding. "Besides, some of my implants actually function better from this particular mix of chemicals."

Nara raised her eyebrows, "Implants?"

She'd not quite forgotten that most people didn't know about her cybernetics, but it had slipped her mind for a moment. She turned to look at the other woman, her violet eyes clearly visible. "I've a number of cybernetic devices. It's all in my medical files so there's no real secret to them." She raised her hands up between them, turning both around and wiggling her fingers. "Guess which one is real and which one is artificial," she said. "You can even touch if it'll help you make a determination."

Nara laughed, "How about a tricorder?"

Eve grinned mischeviously. "That would be to easy. Besides unless they are properly tuned, your generic issue tricorder won't be able to tell the difference. Medical, Science, and Engineering units have more of a chance, but an unskilled operator would still have some trouble."

Nara smirked, "Good thing I'm an Engineer."

Again Eve shook her head. "Try out your engineering wits then with a hands on attempt. I'll tell you if you'r right after you guess."

Still smirking, Nara reached out, taking a hand at a time. Her expression grew serious as she concentrated.

Eve merely smiled pleasently, as if this was a common occurence. "My name is Eve, by the way," she said, striking up at least some form of casual conversation while the "exam" continued.

Nara was the type of person that once she got her mind on a task, she put all her efforts, thoughts and energy into it. At first she "Hmm"ed, but realizing this could be rude, added with a mutter, "Nara." At first she just looked at the hands, then she ran her fingers over them firmly. Now she had almost forgotten they were attached to someone and was so determined to find these implants she was bending fingers and pressing so firmly it left white marks on Eve's hand momentarily.

After at least a good 5 minutes of turning, twisting, poking, prodding, and other such physical abuses, in the name of progress and discovery, Eve finally pulled her hands away. "Can't tell, can you?"

Frustrated, Nara looked at Eve's hands with much disgust, "No. Whoever did it is good. Still wanna see if a tricorder can pick them up. I got one in my quarters if you don't want to go to Engineering."

Eve grinned. "They are both cybernetic replacements. Completly artificial from the shoulders down."

Nara jumped up and put a hand on Eve's shoulder, "Really? Fascinating. My father has cybernetic parts. Always amazed me." She then grabbed Eve's elbow, moving it.

Eve signaled to the barkeep for another pan-galactic, then turned back to Nara. "Well, his were human crafted. Mine are far more advanced than anything the Federation's capable of, and believe me, they've been trying to duplicate some of the simpler things. The arm's aren't the only devices I've got."

Nara regarded her a bit, "How do you know?" She then smiled, "What other parts?"

"Well, there's the entire arm assemblies, my skeletal structure is laced with various ferrious alloys to increase load bearing and torsional strength and capacity, especially around my spine and the shoulders. Legs from the knees down are artificial, eyes as well, hearing has augments, but most of my biological hearing is still in place ... various neuron replacements or enhancements to create a suitable biilogical/wetware interface. A few other niceties, nothing complex." She spoke as if such things were the most common things in the world.

"Lev'ui." Nara muttered looking at Eve in awe. The same way an Engineer would gawk and drool at any new, juiced up piece of machinery. The word could roughly be translated as 'Great Googly Woogly, that's awesome' in Sakarian. She added letting her eyes run over Eve again, unknowing and uncaring it looks like two woman getting their flirt on, "I think you'd need an Engineer more than a doctor." She then started looking closer at the eyes, pulling up a brow. Suddenly realizing herself, she sat down and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

Eve giggled at the comment. "Actually, I probably would, but they actually manage themselves. One thing I forgot to mention were nanites. Their aparent sole function is to maintain and repair my artificial components, nothing else. And it's alright, you're an engineer. I can understand the curiosity that's got to be killing you right now."

Nara nodded, "You say the information is in your file? Anything not in the file?"

She shook her head. "Everything there. Well, everything that the Federation and the SF Corp of Engineers and Science Division could determine anyways." The second Pan-Galactic arrived and she slammed it down, pausing for the few moments it took for the drink to hit her. "There's things in my arms and lower legs they haven't figured out yet."

Nara's eyes went wide in excitement. She waited for the woman to calm down from the drink before asking, "I would love a chance to scan and see if I can figure out anything."

Eve's eyes twinkled. "What would you say if I told you even Intelligence can't figure some of the things out?"

Nara smirked, "I would say it would make the victory even sweeter. Something to rub in Saul's face."

"Well," she said as she stood, her balance perfect and pristine as if she hadn't just downed a pair of alcoholic beverages. "I'm a Tech Op, if that means anything to you. Which way to your quarters?"

Nara smiled, "Well, then we'll figure it out together." She walked toward the door, "Follow me."

"Surfacing Details: Part 4"

Roswell & Dallas

"I just remember sitting in the class and getting so nervous I almost had panic attacks. Or so I think. I've never really had one. I just knew I didn't like being in that classroom."

Karyn nodded. "It's not physical evidence, but it does support your version of events. Can anyone corroborate seeing you that nervous after the rape?"

"My classmates I suppose. I didn't really talk to them much after that." Nara tilted her head, "At the time I just thought I was beginning to worry more about my grades, so I studied more. I guess I just didn't want to be around anyone."

"We might want to see if we can reach them," Karyn suggested. "All of that makes perfect sense."

"Wha..." Her eyes shot open as she looked at Dallas. Then she looked down defeated, "If it'll help."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Nara. We'll get through this together."

"Stop talking like that counselor." Nara sighed.

Dallas frowned. "Like what, Nara?"

"That little script you counselors use." She scowled.

"You don't believe I want to help you?" Karyn asked.

"No, I believe you do, but stop useing that rote on me."

Karyn shook her head. "I'm not reading from a script, Nara. I'm speaking from the heart. We're not bad people, we counselors," she added with a smile. "I'm not going to write you up in some journal or some report and have you shipped off, you know."

Nara sighed. "I know." She shook her head, remembering something, "Another thing I think you may want to check is my medical records at the Academy. I had an argument over my virginity. I now know he was right." She frowned remembering the doctor finally giving in, but still making a note on his PADD.

"What happened exactly?" Karyn asked. "I can get your records but this argument, are you just recalling it now?"

Nara shrugged, "I think once I started to remember, I realized things. I hadn't thought about it again though. It was just a typical examination and apparantly he thought it his duty to inform me of birth control. I told him I had no reason for that. He even went into this explanation of how they could tell. I think I did everything short of throw the PADD across the room."

"Do you remember his name?" She plucked a PADD off her desk where she was keeping notes on Nara. "And do you remember if he said anything about what he put in your records?"

Nara shrugged, "He was just an intern I think. The administrator gave me that option to help him get some credits and I said ok. Afterward I figured he didn't know how to do his job. I dont remember his name though. Might be on the records."

Karyn nodded. "I'll look into it.. Did this doctor mention seeing any other injuries? Chances are, the evidence was long gone, but if you received a physical not long afterward, there might have been some residual scarring or neurological impairment if you were drugged somehow."

Nara nodded, "He said there were other things, but if I refused to believe that one thing, he would just be wasting his breath. He said he would record the information in my record anyway. I never really look at my medical records."

Looking at what was in Nara's medical records would be as simple as pulling them up on the computer since one's Academy records followed one throughout his or her career. Whether anything was actually documented in the permanent record, however, was another story. "With your permission, I can pull them up here. There's no guarantee the exam is included in the records we have, but if it isn'there, I can contact the Academy and have them check their old records."

Nara nodded and shrugged nonchalantly. If anything, she felt a bit foolish for arguing with the doctor. Even if she was wrong, she figured he handled things wrong.

Karyn moved around her desk and pulled up the medical department's interface. As Chief Counselor and a member of the nursing staff, she received copies of the daily medical reports documenting the current happenings aboard in case any situation needed her attention. To access records, however, she needed to enter her specific password. She did so, and within moments, she was scrolling through Roswell's file.

"Surfacing Details: Part 5"

Roswell & Dallas

After opening several medical reports on trial and error, Karyn finally found the one she was looking for. The find had been easy considering up until then, Nara's injuries were very minor and few and far between. But this particular report revealed far more. "Ok," Karyn began, "According to this report, the doctor noted in routine scans that you had several bruises to your thighs, arms, neck, and face." Karyn turned to Nara to explain. "Normally, people get the scrapes and bruises treated so that there's no hint of underlying tissue damage, but the doctor picked up on these because the scanner picked up on the injuries despite the fact the bruises themselves had faded considerably so as not to be noticed."

Nara nodded thoughtfully, "I was quite sore the morning after, but I saw no bruises." She shrugged, "I saw no reason to bother anyone with it."

Dallas nodded and turned back to the computer. "If Marks tried to heal your injuries, he did a very poor job of it. It reads here that when you couldn't explain them, the doctor decided to do a more detailed exam. He didn't tell you what he suspected?"

"I wasn't the best patient. I pretty much ticked him off and I think he wanted me gone as soon as possible. I really don't blame him. I didn't want to stay. Marks ran something over me, but he did it so quickly."

Dallas frowned. If this doctor had any kind of skill at all, he'd of acted on his suspicions and reported the rape. At the very least, he could have told Nara what he suspected and offered compassion when she'd refused to believe the facts. "He fouled up, Nara, not you. He noted bruises on your breasts, and lots of internal bruising and scarring consistent with rape. He was correct, you were no longer a virgin when he examined you."

Nara mumbled, "I see that now. As I said he was just an intern and I was in a foul mood about the whole going to the doctor thing anyway."

"Anyone would be as confused and angry as you were," Karyn replied. "I'm only sorry you didn't receive the kind of care you deserved. He was negligent in not treating you with antibiotics and for not explaining why he had every reason to think you had been assaulted and needed to be on emergency birth control. According to this, he allowed you to leave and didn't say a word?"

Nara shrugged, "I didn't mention it. Didn't even occur to me. It was weeks later. He had no reason to think it was anything other than a spar or fight. Which the way I acted, even I would had assumed."

Dallas nodded. "Don't misunderstand, I'm not blaming you for his oversight. It's just incredible to me he could blame this kind of intimate injury on a fight. It just doesn't add up when you consider all your other injuries and your confusion and fear. As medical officers, we're taught to pick up on it, or at the very least, a supervisor should have." Karyn was clearly passionate about it, and irked by the incompetence. "I'm so sorry, Nara. I'm not sure how we're going to prove all of this, but we have at least some evidence this doctor dropped the ball. I'll do whatever I can to help."

Nara shook her head, "I wasn't acting scared. Confused yes, but not scared."

"You mentioned being fearful and panicked in class," Karyn clarified. "Someone should have noted that. A counselor could have been notified based solely on the medical report." It's what she would have done, Karyn thought.

Nara shrugged, "I hope I hid it well enough. If anyone noticed, they likely didn't bother to care. Everyone gets panicky in school sometimes. I really don't think I acted in any way to make anyone concerned."

Dallas understood. "In any case, you're facing it now, and that's what counts."

Nara simply nodded, "I think I've taken enough of your time."

"It's no bother, Nara. Really. You can come to me at any time."

Nara just nodded and stood to leave. She was done with this for now. She needed to forget again, at least for awhile.

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