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Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #50 –
Skye looked rather dubiously at the blue drink, one side of her nose curling up in distaste.  Pity, she thought and hated the fact that she no longer held the color of a beautiful clear sky to be her favorite.  "Chech'tluth ... please," she stated boldly, knowing they would have that here since so many Klingons populated the city.  Once she had her other fresher drink, she stalked along behind Lucan and Kae.

Turning her chair so her front pressed against the back of the chair, she draped her left arm over the top rung and took a good swig of her drink.  Pretty much ignoring the dancer, knowing she was in a position for a lot of eavesdropping, she found herself focused on the dart throwers.  A slow smirk formed as she took another drink.  Either they were all shitfaced and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn or the darts had been tampered with but she wouldn't be finding out anytime soon.

"Not so bad a place," she said with a cheeky grin but then shuddered when the blue cream dropped from Lucan's mug and splotted on the table.  "Right," she said quietly when Kae asked about bartering.  "Prioritize and know our limits, that way we're all on the same wave length.  You're in charge though," she stated to Lucan, "and you're the extra brains," to Kae.  "I'm just along for the fun."

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #51 –
[Sarresh Morali - Lower Science lab 2, Deck 7]

Intense pain let up every single optic nerve in the mans larger then normal eyes. He shouted out in fury, his whole vision going a bright, aching white. One hand grips his console, the other scrambles, dragging his small goggles back over his eyes. They fit snuggly against his sockets, instantly dampening the intensity of the light. He shook his head from side to side, anger spiking, rolling off him in waves. His 'scent' such as it was, bashed right up against the odder of disapproval coming from the other Ash'reem, as he whirled around, his normally controlled features almost a snarl.

~~I was doing my job until you damn near blinded me!~~ he screeches right back, in the same hypersonic sing song language. His throat swells, just a bit, like he'd want nothing more then to spit his tongue out at them, but stops himself. He takes a sharp, fast breath through his nose, and glares ~~Lt. Sarresh Morali. The one whose supposed to retrofit this primitive hunk of junk into something capable of detecting temporal incursions so you can forfill your little crusade?"

[ Natalie Stark - Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

Natalie looked up, eyes slightly wide, at the Captain. There was a scowl on the other woman's face, and for one small, fearful moment, the Ops chief thought that she was the cause of the scowl, that something she had said had angered Jien. It was foolish, she knew, in the back of her mind. The captain had come to apologize to her, and Natalie knew that, if nothing else, her CO was a woman of honor, and was not likely to get angry with her while apologizing. But still, after the fight in the transporter room, what little of it she remembered, the reaction had been...instinctual.

She too, for an instant, at least, pictured what could have happened. Once again, she had found her arms wrapped around her midsection, hugging herself tightly. She sighed, and tried to straighten herself, to at least act like something other then a fragile, broken thing. Still, the captains words caught her off guard, and once more drew her attention back to the other woman. "I...I don't..." she gulps, looking at her CO, in her female form. It was true, that this version of Jien didn't scare her the way the male version did, despite her worry just then. The male version had nearly triggered panic; the female was simply...intimidating to the younger woman.

"I don't know," she murmured, the words pouring out, suddenly, breaking the silence left in the wake of the Captains plea. "In my mind, I know its not your fault. I've forgiven you. I said it, and I mean it. And yet...and yet. I know it'll be...so hard." She turned again, tilting her head back, her wet hair spilling down the back of her robe, bare legs shifting from side to side. Her words were a jumbled mess, yet she couldn't stop them. "I just...I'm not a great fighter but. I would have thought I'd put up a better fight then I did...from what I remember, at least. And the medical report of what got healed." her voice trailed off, unsure of how to answer her CO, or where her words were taking them.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #52 –
Both of the female ash'reem stared at him although they were both quite careful to control their features making it an inpassive prolonged glance at first appearance.  Their scent chagned slowly, one was more intrigued, the other, still quite annoyed at the intruder. Amatras was the first to speak however, ~~and who gave you the authority to do these upgrades Lieutenient?  Why wasn't I informed of them, if you are working in my areas, it should be under my supervision should it not?" She countered with a harsh but calm tone, like a mother talking to an infant. 

Amikris approached him glancing him over with interest as she did.  Her body moving in a subtle if sensual way.  She moved behind him and glanced at the terminal leaning slightly onto his back with interest as she tried to discern what he was doing.  Her small perky breasts pressed against the back of his head lightly as she read. "Don't be so harsh, we should see what he's doing first..." she said happily as she nuzzled her chin into scalp slightly, allowing the cartlidgious bone of her chin to give way slightly against his skull.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #53 –
[ Executive Officer's Ready Room | Deck 01 ]

Sound advice - Ida reckoned - to grow thick skin and abide one's time. Not very comforting for the meantime, since the looks would not go away. Nor the nightmares. Not to mention the vague glimpses of her experiences whilst being infected. Still, the Trill had tried to help her despite what had happened in Edena's quarters, and for that, Ida was thankful.

Then the First Officer spoke of that encounter as an embarrassment for her, which Ida had shake her head at. "Strictly speaking as an artist, I must emphasise how you certainly have nothing to cover up because of shame. Modesty, propriety, regulations, yes, but there is no reason to leave it in the past as something you might regret. Your body could be the motif of mesmerising art, should you chose to trust the artist to capture the feminine grace of your... state of bareness."

Smiling a little, friendly despite the incident between them and in spite of how the crew had come to view her, Ida sat with one leg folded over the other in the chair, and with her blue-skinned hands in her lap. Relaxed, calm, she spoke of art with great familiarity. "I would not mind painting you in accordance with Ilya's wishes from before the outbreak, but it must be on the same terms for all former hosts of the Rez symbiont if I would agree to do it. I made my living off my art and my fighting skills until I eventually joined Starfleet, and never once have I made a single croquis or life-drawing of someone not willing to be depicted in that fashion. Those who have chosen me to capture their bodies with brush or pencil have all been confident with my discretion - prior and post the modelling they did for me."

Ida smiled a little, her eyes wandering Edena's features as she spoke in a quiet yet unerring tone. "I would begin with the contour of your face. From your smooth temple, I would outline the shape of your ear. Then, I would continue on to shape your jaw. It would end on your left brow. Already, I'd have my frame." While she made her expertise clear with her words, she continued to meld imagination with artistry. "I would proceed with those hazel eyes of yours. They will not be too open, for I want to see them smiling at me. On top of each... are your fine, arched yet relaxed brows. I, then, try to shape your chiselled nose. Just below each eye, I try to outline your high cheekbones, which are just more adorable to notice when you smile."

As she spoke, Ida's fingers itched to actually draw Edena, yet she still continued - a trance having fallen over the Ready Room. "Speaking of your smile, I would attempt to draw your slightly red and loving lips, closed, yet promising to tell me so much more than a drawing might say. I would carefully draw every strand of your brown hair." Reaching up idly, she opened her undershirt collar a little while her gaze wandered down. Ida pursed her lips to finally complete her imaginative work. "I would now give you a body," she said softly, breathing deep. "As I pictured early on, you are slightly facing left, with your hands running behind your head. You support your weight with your right leg, while your left leg is bent, or rather, relaxed... Only then do I begin with your pattern of spots - starting from your feet and working my way back up to your neck, the back of your jaw, your temples...""

The moment was ruined by the sound from the door, a chip signalling a second visitor.

Blinking, Ida startled a little when the moment passed, and she glanced from the door to the XO. "Pardon," she said to the Pinkskin. "am I dismissed?"

[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

Hearing Natalie Stark speak of her experience and what she wished to have happened, it dawned upon Jien that she might have something to offer the Chief of Operations. Something in regard to preparation.

"If you are interested, I would offer my services in teaching you how to defend yourself - to give you the means to forestall something like this from happening again. At least, it would give you something to counter the physical violence you was subjected to in this case, even though the psychological aspects and the... promises of the viral scent would not have been negated. You have had training through Starfleet, but hand-to-hand combat is certainly not the most prioritised course in the curriculum."

There was a pause before Jien explained the shallowest depths of this art she knew since early years.

"Think of fighting someone in this way: The act of striking the opponent is - in the end - an expression. Just like your life is an expression of the choices you make. Be it that you wield your fist in anger against those who threaten your life or the ones you love, or that the strike itself is a means to an end in your duty on board. No matter how, when, or why you wield a weapon - a fist or phaser - it remains an expression. Just like when you open your mouth to speak."

Jien set her steps towards Natalie, explaining while she came over to her. "Naturally, your opponent will raise his voice to counter your arguments. Know that it is your mind that make the tongue and the fist alike move. In sharpening your mind, you will hone your skills - and consequently - adjust your body's strength and speed to match your intent."

Coming to a stop at arms length from Natalie, Jien folded her arms under her chest and shrugged while she made her offer. "It is the best debater that will stand victorious once the argument is over. I can give you the proper rhetoric and vocabulary to do so, should you be so willing, and you may even spar with my male form to help you get over the incidents at Niga."

[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ]

Seeing Skye in her right element in the crude establishment, Lucan was struck with the immediate need to have his way with her at some point during the away mission. Yet given Kae's question and damnable presence, this was not the right time to lay his charms upon the woman.

Pushing away his drink, Lucan leaned forward and spoke in a quiet tone to them both.

"What the Captain has given us to barter with, is gold plate latinum... and Federation deeds of confiscation that promises compensation for the recipients in their services to Starfleet," he said, glancing around once with a carefree smile - as if discussing the exotic dancer, "and the deeds are quite real too, only changed to belong to another starship than our own - another CO issuing them. With these deeds, we should be able to lay claim upon most things that we need for Medical as well as in relation to spare parts."

Looking back to their eyes, each in turn, he revealed the final piece of information that would be to the Theurgy's great merit if they verified it. Not that Lucan cared overly much, but he had to make it appear like he did. "Captain Ives also told me that after the Klingons destroyed the industrial base of several dozen Cardassian planets in 2372, the Detapa Council secretly contacted the Federation Council and made an urgent request for industrial replicators. The Federation Council approved the request," said Lucan and bared his teeth in a smile, "and gave the Cardassians... twelve... Class 4 industrial replicators so that the Cardassians could at start building new power plants and factories. Unfortunately, all twelve CFI replicators were hijacked by the Maquis. To this date, only eleven of these replicators were ever recovered, leaving one - suspected to be hidden here in Paradise City - that might give us all we could ever need to repair our ship as well as the worn Valkyries."

He let them mull over that for a second.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #54 –
[Edend Rez - XO Ready Room]

Ida had more then just an artist's hands, it appeared.  Indeed, she also had an artist's tongue, speaking words like a poet that had a way of drawing in Edena's full attention.  The careful way in which she described the details of drawing her face, her body, her spots.  It was hard not to feel flattered by the whole thing, but Edena was still very much an innocent.  She had only had a couple of sexual relationships in her life, and those took months to get her undressed with the lights still on, not out of fear that her body was inadequate, but simply due to an extreme shyness she never got completely over.  If it was Illya in charge, Edena's body would probably already be stripped down and asking Ida to get out the charcoal and start drawing.

"The hosts do not interfere with my personal decisions.  If I wanted to . . . pose, then it would be my choice and my choice only."  Illya would have been in favor, Kiya was comfortable with nudity from years as a Medical Practitioner, and Jona already knew to keep his eyes off her, out of respect.  When she showered or changed, she would always see him staring out a window into space, and never her way.  Of course, leaving the choice to Edena was a bit like handing her a loaded gun and telling her to play Russian Roulette.  It was Illya's constant begging to be the model that would make her relent, as long as there was one question answered properly. 

"Would anyone else . . . see it?"  She didn't want any other eyes on it.  It was her, and she didn't want to share that with just anyone.  Illya could act as a model for Ida, and have herself drawn however she pleased, just so long as the only two set of eyes to see it were the two people already in that room.  Just after getting an answer, the door would chime, signaling the next arrival.  It must have been Miles Renard, here for his own meeting with the Executive Officer.  "Um . . . dismissed, Lieutenant," Edena finally stammered out, permitting Ida's departure, and hoping she had enough time to rid herself of the flustering before her next appointment.



[Lin Kae - Paradise City, Nimbus III]

It was a surprisingly well worked out strategy.  The Latinum handled those merchants who wouldn't deal with deeds of confiscation, such as the Ferengi, while the deeds would handle most reputable traders.  "So all we need now are some solid leads to which traders would be best to seek out," Kae voiced the obvious, keeping the conversation going, and inadvertently continuing to interfere with Lucan's ideas for Skye.  The young Lieutenant was all about the job, wishing to have it over with sooner rather then later, with the wish to do nothing more then get back to the Theurgy, to the safe, sterile environment on-board, and continue his work on Thea.  He had already done a fair bit to help her along, but he knew there was so much more he could do to lighten the load placed upon her, as well as to further her freedom to become more then just some Hologram meant to serve as a ship's avatar.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #55 –
[ Executive Officer's Ready Room | Deck 01 ] Attn: Lt. Miles Renard

At the question, Ida's eyes had lingered on those moving lips, wondering how she might best give them the texture and fullness they deserved in the drawing. Nevertheless, she answered her XO - one whom she knew she ought to still be suspicious off, but had somehow convinced her along the line - with the help from Captain Ives - that the former spy was to be trusted with the crew and ship Ida was loyal to. True, if Edena would act strangely for some reason, things might change pretty quick, but as for now, the interest in the Trill was strictly artistic. Well, perhaps not just artistic, but it often started that way for Ida...

"The drawing would be yours unless you wish me to keep it for you, and you may even chose if I should make a holographic scan of it - framing it for you as well - to let you make it appear on your wall at your own leisure. Unless you have disabled the holo-emitters in your quarters, that is. Oh, and Commander? I am not forcing you in any way, for I am merely pointing out that it would be my complete privilege to capture you - as bare as you were born - upon my petty canvas."

At the interruption, Ida was indeed dismissed, without any request being made to her to actually schedule a time for making the drawing. So Ida stood and smiled, inclining her head before leaving. "Please give it some thought, Commander, and get back to me when you decide." Fingers itching to begin preliminary sketches of her, Ida turned on her heel and marched out of the Ready Room. Her spirits much lifted since the point when she had entered the room, she smiled faintly to the fighter pilot and inclined her head before vanishing in the direction of the turbolift.

Blast! She was supposed to eat dinner with her Chief of Security that evening. Hopefully, the dinner plans would not interfere with her pending commission. At least, she may be able to practice drawing this up-and-coming David Grayson while he attempted his hand at Andorian cuisine in his quarters. Briefly, she considered the fact that - from the glimpses caught of him in civilian wear - her Chief would make for an interesting object to make a living drawing of too. Clearing her throat, she decided that she had definitely ended things prematurely in her shower... Yes, that had to be it.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #56 –
Much of what Lucan was telling them was what she expected from senior officers of Starfleet and she had to admit she admired Captain Ives, probably because (s)he was rather in a sticky situation as Janeway had been.  There were things the ship and crew needed, things they couldn't get from the normal channels anymore, and here they were with a possible deeper clandestine mission than she'd thought.

"That replicator would go a long way in helping us," she mused quietly as she rolled the cup between her palms.  "I would think they would be using it to build up this place more quickly ... though I guess it would be too suspicious if things moved too fast.  Hmmmmm ..."   Her eyes darted around the place as she took another sip.   "The barkeep didn't seem interested in talking but perhaps we could appeal to some of the groups here though it could be risky."

"Kae should be quick on figuring probabilities so might be able to talk with those playing cards while I can try my luck with the dart game.  I've done pretty well with holo novels with darts and pool and might get a chance to find out about some of the local merchants."  Turning to look at Lucan, she couldn't keep the merriment from her eyes and the right corner of her mouth kept quirking up.  "You've already been eying the dancer who looks awfully lonely with no one really paying that much attention to her.  Of course, she's likely the most dangerous of all to question since anyone could pay her enough to talk later."

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #57 –
[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ]

Listening to the two with half an ear, Lucan had spotted a figure seated on the far side of the bar, and he spoke while he still continued to look in that direction.

"First, regarding the apparent lack of development in Paradise City... despite the many indications that the twelfth industrial replicator ought to be here," he said to Skye and distracted by her he sipped his drink before he thought better of it, pushing the tankard away with disgust. "There are equally many indications that it is actually broken. That assumption is the same reason for why Starfleet is not scavenging the sewers or hidden storehouses here to this very day and hour in hopes to find it. Old Marquis interrogations seem to indicate that the twelfth one was abandoned because of malfunction, but the truth to that claim was never established by cross-reference to other statements."

Looking away from Skye, Lucan laid his pale grey eyes upon the younger man by the table - his tattooed hands folded on the tabletop. "Therefore," he said and smiled to Lt. Kae, "we are fortunate to have you with us, so that you might repair it. To repair it might even be the deal we make with the current 'owner' of the replicator... for allowing us to use it."

Now that he had finally relayed pretty much all that the gender-bender Captain of theirs had told him before the mission, Lucan leaned back a little in his chair and glanced at the dancer - taking up the very astute observations and suggestions from the fighter pilot. "A sound plan, m'dear," he said and grinned, "I do think, however, that I would upset people if I removed the fine catian dancer from the stage. If nothing else, the barkeep might not like if I took away the entertainment of the evening, since he would hardly be able to substitute her with his... dubious charms. No, I think I will try to glean clues about the replicator and the right channels of trade from someone else..."

He did not know why his eyes had fallen on the figure at the end of the bar counter again, but something about the figure in all its stillness bespoke familiarity with the place and the city. "No reason to tarry... You two try your luck with those playing cards and throwing darts respectively, while I try to make discrete enquiries by the bar. We rendezvous by the exit in an hour? May the winds guide us then..."

Standing, Lucan offered a hand and pulled out Skye's chair before leaving, giving her a warm smile in passing before walking off. At the bar, the person was dressed in a light leather coat, bending over a half-full glass. The figure moved not at all, but just stared at its drink. "Pardon me, good sir?"

As quick as a flash, the adressed man turned around... and turned out to be a woman. A very strange looking woman. Her short, pale blond hair stood unkempt in all directions. Surrounded by dark circles of intoxication, the eyes of the still pretty young woman had two different colors. The right one was ice blue like a crystal lake, while the left eye gleamed golden. They moved uniformly but Lucan almost believed that the golden eye moved more hecticly. The woman grimaced angrily and gnashed her teeth. "Ya blind'a what?" she stammered, demonstrating clearly that she had drunk quite a couple of glasses yet. "Me na man. Don' ya see I'm a woman?" She pulled her belly in, making her impressing breasts clearly appearing. "Ever seen'a man with ti'ss like'at? Ma boo's'are bigge'enough, aren'they?"

"My mistake, of course," said Lucan soberly, not quite sure what he might have found, "I am sorry, can I get you anything as compensation? "

The barkeep spoke up from the other end of the bar. "You'll git nothing mo', Rihen. Git home now."

"Hadda damn ba'day", the woman replied and glared at the barkeep, and reached for her glass. "I's no forbidden da've a glass, is'it?"

When she drunk from the bright green liquid, Lucan noticed that three fingers of her gloves were made of metal segments, instead of leather as the thumb and index finger. The fingertips tapped clicking on the glass. Rihen, since that seemed to be her name, turned fully away from Lucan and sent the empty cup across the polished surface of the counter to the barkeep and told him to refill it. "Y' know I am good for it, but this g'tleman in a white dress here pays tis' round, ya hear?"

Reluctantly the man did as told and said, "This 'yet last ald-whiskey for tonight. Sun not set yet and and yer already full like a bucket."

"Oh, dunno talk nons'nse", murmured the woman named Rihen. "If you ha'such'a fucking ba'day li'me, you'll wanna get plas'sered, too."

Lucan calmly sat down next to her at the counter and ordered one of the same. "Why has your day been so bad, m'dear?"

"Non'a ya buisness", Rihen muttered irritably.

"Must have been a really bad day," said Lucan thoughtfully and sipped at his glass, which was decidedly great improvement from the slop he had been served first. "Business is hard these times."

The drunken turned her head around to him and fixed him again with the golden eye, soon discerning the handsome features of the man next to her. "Wanna cha'me up'a what?"

Lucan could not help the lop-sided smile that touched his predatory countenance. "I can assure you that my intentions are strictly innocent, and that I merely wish to discuss commerce - newly arrived here in the City as I am."

"Tha's whatddey all say. Now geddaway. Leave m'alone an' hump some whore!" Still she kept looking at him, though, her behaviour at odds with her words. With clumsy fingers, she touched her ear - a tell-tale sign of a untruth. Unless he was mistaken, Lucan even saw goosebumps in her cleavage. He merely had to look into her eyes without further comment to make her speak again. "Business be bad, aye, 'specially with men.. now having 'em show up wearing dresses too. Yer an improvement from da usual clien... clientèle, tho."

"Who," came the loud call from the other end of the room, a rasping baritone unmistakable for its species, "you talking to woman? You belong to me!"

Turning his head slowly, Lucan saw one of the Nausicaans pushing people out of the way - heading towards the bar. Two other Nausicaans rose from their tables - clearly associates to the first - and closed in behind him as well. A ripple-effect coursed across the room, with people shambling for the exit or getting out of the way. Watching things unfold, Lucan heard the beast inside chuckling in anticipation of murder. The Chief Medical Officer, however, merely sipped his drink and turned his eye to Rihen, whom looked like she had been through this before - clearly irritated.

"Let me guess," said Lucan and smiled to her in spite of the pending violence, "this would be the usual clientèle?"

OOC: The Nausicaans are free to be NPC:ed however much needed for your posts!

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #58 –
[Sarresh Morali - Lower Science lab 2, Deck 7]

He was feeling assaulted on two fronts, all the sudden. On the one webbed hand, the older woman was right: she was his superior, and he should have told her. On the other hand, his eyes were killing him, thanks to her. He was trapped in a primitive time (never mind that it was roughly the same time that he was born, give or take, it was his home time), and he felt less the inclined to work with any of them. Add on top of that his orders, from both the captains of the Relativity and the Theurgy, to get monitoring as soon as possible.

The second assault, however, before he could even respond to his superior, came in the form of sudden physical contact, from the younger two. It had been...a long time since Sarresh had been so close to a female, (physically speaking, since he had no idea of whom she was a person) of his own species. He had not been, idle, to say the least, whilst cruising the time stream, but there was something to be said about ones own kind, the way the pheromone mixed in the air and the way the skin felt---

He shook his head from side to side, bumping against Amikris' chin in the process, His body pressing back against her's, before he twisted to the side. ~~Stop that~~ he whispered, before facing her mother, scowling as best he could. ~~I'm operating under orders above your pay grade, frankly. If you have issues with my using this lab, and conducing my business, ask your bloody captain. He's the one that told me to set up shop and get the ball rolling~~ Tho he hand' technically told him not to tell Amatras.

The younger man would have reported to her, eventually. He just didn't want anything to do with the crew in general, or the Neotins in particular, since he knew the more time he spent around them, the more likely he would be to become...interested. And he wanted to wallow in resentment at the moment, not gain any...attachment. He wasn't ready for anything but anger, not that he would admit it to himself, let alone anyone else. That said, it was certainly hard to ignore the way the younger woman kept touching him.

OOC: was trying to do two in one, but couldnt focus, so heres the first part. Lucan, owe you one tomorrow

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #59 –
-Lab 2- Attention Lucan/Brutus

Amatras watched the scene before her and couldn't help but smile alittle, despite how much she wanted to yell at Amikris.  Amatras brought her hand up and lightly tapped her communicator. "Captain Jien, did you authorize a new crew member to perform system modifications in Scilab 2?" She asked in common never removing her eyes from the newcomer.  Her eyes watching the way his body moved, from his hair, to the webbing between his fingers.  Looking for any signs of clear deceit or alterior motive in his actions.  Her nostrils flared trying to inhale the pheromones he likely secreted, although knowing very few would be airborne with the apparatus they wore around their waists. 

Amikris on the other hand nuzzled again slightly burying her nose in his hair enjoying the wet moisture that soaked into her skin as she did.  ~~Do I have to? Your Comphy~~ she replied her own hair falling on either side of his head slowly allowing its captured moisture to soak back into his skin.  Her tongue slipped out slightly and lightly touched the tip of his noise playfully tapping it as she watched his reaction with interest.  Her mind wasn't entirely sure why she was doing this, although, it felt nice to do it.  An instrinctive drive to be close to him, to touch him.  She felt a surge of endorphines rush through her brain, resulting in a noticable blush.  The surge making her muscles relax as she slowly slipped down to her knees, arms sliding down across his chest to rest at his hip level as she nuzzled the side of his neck affectionately.

Amatras sighed at the two of them. ~~Please forgive her behavior...she isn't exactly used to boys...I'm sure you remember your first rush...so you can imagine~~ Amatras said in a detached tone, as if trying to seperate herself from the feelings she had.  He was cute enough, but at the same token she'd prefer her daughter remain quarenteened from intercourse until she had everything verified that it was safe for intercourse.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #60 –
[Lin Kae - Paradise City, Nimbus III]

"If the replicator can be repaired, it's more likely to help us more then purchasing the parts and supplies we need.  The only things we would need to buy would be the parts needed to fix the device, which I won't know until I examine it."  With his engineering background, and him not being assigned to any teams for repairs, he was understanding now why it was him who was sent on the away mission.  Thea could spare him more easily then an engineer working on critical systems on-board the Theurgy.

Kae took a quick look at the dartboards, noticing how many people were missing the bullseye by a mile.  It spoke volumes of tampering.  Before Skye went to try her hand, he gave her a bit of advice.  "I'd be willing to bet the issue with the dart players is one of two things.  Either they are weighted, throwing off the balance, or they are using some kind of localized gravity generator to pull them down towards the ground.  If it's weighted, you'll tell from holding them, but if it's the gravity, all you need to do is aim upward as if the bullseye is one foot higher on the wall then it is."

After providing advice to Skye, Kae joined in on the card game, which proved to be the human game of poker, the Texas Hold'em version.  He was familiar enough with the game to use his skills for statistics to his advantage.  Every card displayed, be it thrown out, on the table, or part of his hand, helped to create percentages as to what cards remained.  He wasn't as familiar with tells, so he let the cards do the talking for him.  Within ten hands, he was the chip leader.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #61 –
As The Andorian left the almost Vulcan looking--no not quite Vulcan, more something else more fantastic in nature like what a human would have imagined a wood elf from all those fantasy stories to look like--Lieutenant stood at the door. He let her pass and side stepped out of her way noticing she looked like she was in quite a better mood than he had noticed on the previous days.  He knew about what many thought of her.  Some saw her as a plague carrier, an alpha vector of the near death of the ship.

He had read the reports, and as far as he could tell she was a victim of a violent and cruel pathogenic parasitic plant who had raped her and made her into a tool to spread its seed in a literal sense.  He detested the leers she had received knowing that her actions were those of a creature that had no morals or concern for any animal life forms, for that matter no concerns for any life other than its self.  Waiting until after the Andorian whom he couldn't help but find very beautiful entered the turbolift, Miles spoke up. "May I enter Comander?"

The Vulpinian was in his closest to human form and had said this in a very professional way.  In addition he was standing at attention at her door and saluting.  It as rare for him to be called to speak with someone of this high rank on any Starfleet ship.  Often anything anyone higher needed passed along to him was relayed through the SCO or delivered via intercom.  Since that was not the case he knew that whatever he was being called in for was of at least some degree of importance.  As such he wanted to make the best impression he could no matter the reason for the summons.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #62 –
A broken device certainly explained the lack of progress better than simply trying to dole out things slowly to avoid suspicion.  Accepting Lucan's hand up though it was unnecessary, a smirk formed only to be replaced by an innocent expression.  "Well I could take her place for a little while up there but I'd rather not lose my current job or make her lose hers."  Sometimes the pilot swagger couldn't be suppressed.

Skye listened to Kae's advice and clapped him on the shoulder.  "Thanks ... either way seems I should aim high," she deduced and then ambled over toward the men.  Her thoughts were on Kae, how he seemed disconnected to people and realized she had altered her normal response to his observations.  She had already known what he said and could easily have been flippant but she couldn't squash him.  He was doing his best to help the team and more than deserved respect though the protective streak she was suddenly feeling caught her off guard.

"Hey fellas ... mind if I join in?" she asked and ignored a few derisive snorts of laughter.  She also knew there was the possibility they were missing so horribly to sucker in a new player and then show their real skills.  So many variables and yet the only one that mattered was she get their attention and maybe find out some dealers that would be able to get them what they needed.  One of them handed her a dart and she rolled it between her fingers, testing its weight and not feeling anything shifting inside the shaft.  Probably the gravity generator then, she mused.

Facing the board, she set her feet shoulder-width though her left foot rested slightly more forward than the right.  Aiming a bit higher than she normally would and not using as much focused strength, she watched the dart hit the board about midway down from the bullseye.  Not a great shot at all but it seemed to get their attention.  Most of them hadn't even hit the board, except for the one who had actually handed her the dart.  She figured he was the one altering things to his benefit and a bit of a smirk crept up as she took the next.

It was like dealing with faulty ammo, adjusting trajectory and aim to hit the target and the next dart was a blur as her wrist snapped it forward to land in the space just under the bullseye.  It was obvious she wasn't as drunk and also more adaptable.  She was also keeping an eye out on Kae when it wasn't her turn.  The guy was starting to pile up the chips and she felt a surge of pride in him.  He was doing quite well in this organic environment.  A few more throws and she earned a couple of bars plus a fresh drink.

While she was in the groove and enjoying herself immensely with her newfound play buddies, she wasn't unaware of her surroundings.   The woman Lucan was speaking to smacked of trouble and when the Nausicaan and his buddies rose, she tensed.  People were starting to scatter and her eyes first went to Kae, giving him a nod to tuck away his chips and get to safety.  "Thanks for the game boys," she said as they drifted away and then calmly walked to the board to start collecting the sharp darts.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #63 –
[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

Natalie should have seen the offer coming. It was the logical extrapolation from her own vented frustration. She felt inadequate, under skilled, and just plain weak in a confrontation. She wasn't, after all, a confrontational person. She was an Operations Officer. She worked with systems, not people. The most "Hand to Hand" combat action Natalie saw was the 'combat' she usually did with faulty neuro-gel packs, or ODN access tubes. The young woman had never followed up on the post graduate training regiment that most Starfleet officers subscribe to when it came to physical combat.

The brunette pulled her robe tighter again, as she listened to her CO outline, in the broadest terms, her view on combat. It was...different, so very different, from Natalie's view point. Hit, hit hard, and run, was what she thought of combat. She was good at running, she was ashamed to admit, when she could get the jump on the gun. Obviously, the hitting hard, not so much. Needless to say, it was no where near as in depth as Jien's philosophy, and frankly, Natalie was mesmerized by the way the captain described combat.

She had never viewed it as a conversation. An expression of her self. Right now, she worried that the expression would be very...lacking. Very lacking. But at the same time, the way it was phrased, making it sound like so much more then some brute contest of strength, but...a debate; an expression of skill as much as of strength, of the mind - which despite her timid nature, her mind was her sharpest tool - as of the body.

"Please," she says softly, looking up at the Captain. "I don't know...when, I'd be able to face your male form but...please. Teach me" her voice is shallow, and part of her knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was getting into far more then she bargained for. That was always the case, with this kind of thing. But still, as she once again tried to straighten up and at least look like a Starfleet officer, the young woman was serious, and committed.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #64 –
[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

The pause was not as long this time before Captain Ives spoke again. Natalie Stark might have expressed fear for facing Jien's male form, yet it was something expected given what they had both been through.

Yet reality was not kind, and even less so the path ahead. This was no fairy tale. The woman was going to live through worse, tempered in the fires of the battles ahead, and she would kill before long in order to protect the future of the Galaxy, if not herself.

"Very good, 'Commander. Hold on to your ambition, and do not loose sight of it," she said, unsmiling in the dim light, "You may already be doubting yourself. You may be thinking that you cannot do what will be required, yet doubt of self is superficial. It is not real."

Very slowly, Jien raised her open hand before herself. The blade of the hand and the knuckles caught the artificial light. "Whether or not I would choose to kill you right here and now... is a physical act that has nothing to do with my subjective capacity to do so," she said as she looked at her Chief of Operations. She turned the hand around before Natalie's eyes. "Do you understand? Whether I would want to kill you or not, I am still capable of doing it. This is no different from your capacity to learn and become proficient in this art. All that differs... is the time required to complete the act."

The reason why Jien chose to portray her lesson in such a shocking demeanour was that she wanted the lesson to stick with her. Natalie would remember it more clearly that way. "You may doubt yourself all you want, but no one can take away your capacity for the act. Your aspiration is all that matters; your diligence, your ambition and your unyielding determination." Jien closed the hand into a fist - the movement slow yet firm, the motion practised. "This instrument of violence is a fact, while the doubt inside you is immaterial. If you do not need the emotion, you keep the facts in mind - and stay assured that you have the capacity. Doubt yourself, and you will never learn how far you can come."

Just as effortlessly as she had formed that fist, Jien unclenched her hand and lowered it to her side. Her brown eyes were unblinking as they looked into Natalie's. "Now, you are living in doubt of your own capacity. Doubt begets fear, and fear begets death at your adversary's hand. Your mind need to be centred. Yet the concept of 'centre' in the martial arts is broader than the concept of 'centre of gravity' in physics might be. In addition to your physical centre of gravity, the 'centre' of your mind is part of the equation as well. If fear causes you to flinch or flee, then fear has raised your centre. And that's not necessarily bad, if your intent is to be light on your feet and run as fast as you can, yet only as long as it is done in control of your actions... can you have a greater chance of survival."

Jien then changed... to his male form, standing perfectly still. His ambition with this was not to scare her, but to again make his point clear. "True courage and certitude, however, is fear when it has said its prayers," he said calmly, then changed back... before finishing her sentence, "and its only then you can truly achieve a mind quiet of all irrelevant."

It was plain that Jien's form was irrelevant, and it was the only way to make that point.

"Instead of merely telling you to not doubt yourself - to try and convince you," she said, face unreadable after what she had subjected Natalie to, "I will show you how it can be done. I will show you a way to subtract the emotions that may stand in your way... be it during your training or when facing a difficult situation later on in life. Yet not now. Not this day. You need to prepare, and train your body for one week... to make you remember your Starfleet Training."

The silence might have lingered, had not Jien's combadge chirped and announced Lt. Amatras voice. [Captain Ives, did you authorize a new crew member to perform system modifications in Scilab 2?]

"Negative, Lieutenant," said Jien after a moment, her crystal voice clear, "not specifically. I left a written command to Junior Lieutenant Morali to begin preparing this ship for the danger of further temporal incursions. I would, however, expect him to clear his activities and progress with his closest superior officer." It was one of those standard verifications of his orders, so Jien thought no more about what Sarresh Morali might have done - only an idle thought touching upon the fact that he'd had to wrest the Ash'reem from the Relativity for the sake of the mission and the future. Not to mention to enforce the temporal directive in the instance that Captain Ducane had failed to do so - Morali not belonging on the timeship to begin with.

After closing the comm link, Jien smiled faintly to Natalie Stark. "I will leave now, to let you think about I've said. Inform me when you are prepared to begin your training. Good evening, 'Commander."

After that, he would leave his Chief of Operations to her contemplations.

OOC: Lucan post coming up in an hour or so.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #65 –
[Sarresh Morali - Lower Science lab 2, Deck 7]

The Ash'reem's face contorted slightly, his eyes flicking from the mother to the daughter, and back again, and inwardly, he groans. How he manages not to aloud is anyone's guess. He was radiating discomfort, from his head, to his webbed toes, out into the air, not that it seemed to be picked up by Amikris. Whether it was because of the fact that the younger woman was wrapping herself around his body and dragging her hands up and down his chest, or because he had interpreted the Captains orders far broader then he should have, was up for debate.

His head jerks to the side, at the nip, nuzzling, inadvertently providing the younger Ash'reem with more room to work. His eye narrow behind the goggle he wears, and he mutters a soft plea under his breath. To the girls mother, he says ~~I don't' recall clinging to a total stranger right off the bat~~ though in all honesty at least part of him was flattered by it, in some small way, till he reminded himself that he was pretty much the first unattached male the girl had seen in some time.

~~Yes, yes, you're..comfy too~~ he mutters to Amikris, his hands moving to her shoulders as he tries to detach himself from her, even as his own body reacts to the closeness. As he feared, being in such...intimate contact was having an effect on him. His uniform suddenly felt tight, too tight, and not nearly dry enough. Sarresh felt his grip tighten on her arms, as if willing the garments between them out of existence, so that his moisture could mingle with hers. It was so different then the coupling he'd experienced with other species, enough to make him bit the inside of his cheek, drawing on the pain to drown down his own hormones.

~~Apparently I have overstepped my orders by not telling you first, Lt.~~ He says to Amatras, tough his tone, and scent, don't exactly sound apologetic. ~~I read the orders as 'get to work on it, now' and so I did what I thought was prudent, as I would have at the university, or on the Relativity. I did not realize I needed to keep you appraised~~ he was trying very hard to sound professional, if slightly dismissive. It was quite the trick to accomplish as his hands seemed to roam over Amikris's back of their own accord, and his nostrils flared with her scent, causing his vision to become slightly dizzying.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #66 –
[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ]

Still seated by the bar, Lucan might have heard the loud protests of this Rihen that he had happened upon; how she tired to cajole the Nausicaans from the counter in her slurred voice. Regardless what she said, it obviously did not matter since the three did not pause on their way over. The Chief Medical Officer turned his pale grey eyes to the three aggressors, a cultured smile on his predatory features. He turned his frame to face them, leaning with one elbow against the bar. He sipped his green whiskey again with his free hand, gauging their individual reactions.

"You have smooth tongue!" barked he middle one whom had spoken first, his mandibles spreading, "You try take my wo-man! You swallow your smooth tongue! You choke and die!"

"I am gratified for your compliment," said Lucan with his smile and eye-contact quite intact when looking towards the speaker. Taking his glass with him, he set his sandalled feet down and walked up to them. "Though you are quite entitled to your own opinion and may glean any observation you like, I am curious... When you mention some kind of pre-existing attachment between this lovely lady and yourself, by which right do you claim her?"

"She is my wo-man!" The Nausicaan roared.

"Ah, but of course, I see." Lucan nodded exaggeratedly with mock-serious eyes. He hid his smile as he sipped his glass.

"Naw hol' on, Gareghaa," said Rihen and waved the brute off drunkenly from where she sat, "never was an' never will-"

"Silence wo-man! Gareghaa speak now!" The Nausicaan produced a long blade from his hip. "You, puny little hu-man, you want to perish? You stand no chance!"

"You would be surprised what I can compete with," said Lucan calmly to the aggressor, his eyes unblinking and his small smile unphased, "and you may test that to your best convenience." It was true, Lucan had not the physical training to deal with the three, but he did have other means. The beast inside roared to let the blood spill, yet Lucan tried one last time to let the aggressors walk away. "I am no human. I am Câroon, and I have not laid a finger upon your woman, and if I would, it would not be your business, as the dear Ms. Rihen has pointed out already."

"Câ-roon, Hu-man, still my wo-man!" One of the two compatriots to the speaker suddenly stepped forward and drove his fist into Lucan's gut - making Rihen curse and shout for them to stop. Eyes wide, Lucan had felt the synapses going to his knees blacken, and he fell down upon them. His mind roused, he quickly called for the elements - the very Air around him. He wanted to speak, but found he could not utter his words: You just invited death!

The Nausicaans retreated a step, since the air in the bar began to whirl violently around Lucan - making hair and clothing flap like standards upon an ancient battlefield. Napkins were flying everywhere through the indoor tempest, yet Lucan's eyes were fixed upon the shaken Nausicaans. With the three of them being together, Lucan knew he had slim chance of killing them in a pitched battle, yet he was not ready to commit murder in the open. He had too much at stake, and would not throw it all away for the sake of three nondescript lives. The beast inside cried for him to take the shot, yet nevertheless he needed to maintain good form and not lash out. To kill local patrons in the tavern was not advisable during the away mission.

Problem was, he might have to, since he was no fighter and his abilities was all he had... when the speaking Nausicaan tried to yank Rihen away from the bar and away from all the eyes.  Her leather coat flared in the breeze, and she struggled to come free - her bosom just about to escape her garments. Snarling, Lucan tried to get back on his feet, only one of the Nausicaans came for him with a raised fist...

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #67 –
From her vantage behind the three Nausicaans, Skye knew the diplomatic approach wasn't going to work but when the blade was drawn she blew out a quick breath as she lined up three darts in each hand.  She held herself in check, however, trying to give Lucan a chance since no actual attack had occurred yet.  When the first punch hit Lucan in the gut, she pulled both hands up but then the air began to swirl she realized it was her commanding officer creating the whirlwind which made her pause again.

Silently cursing herself for pausing again, granting the goons more time to act, she gritted her teeth as the one grabbed the woman and another raised his fist to hit Lucan again.  The latter received all six darts, burying them into as much flesh as possible from neck to ass, but she didn't remain still.  Grabbing the nearest chair as she took three running steps and launched herself, she sent a kick to the low back of the other cohort to shove him into the bar and swung upward with the chair to entangle the blade of Gareghaa, turning it quickly so hopefully the rungs would disarm him.

She knew she was only one and didn't have near their strength but the wolf in her wouldn't relent, would never tuck her tail and run.  She was one of the protectors who put their lives on the line every day when they got in the cockpit and though she wasn't flying a ship right now, she was flying her body.  Blonde hair whipped around as she twist-dipped and slammed her foot into a knee hoping to knock that one down and with a loud snarl brought her fist up between another's legs hoping to crack some nuts.  If she could at least give Lucan time to retreat to safety, then she accomplished her job.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #68 –
[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

The time between Ida's departure and Miles' entrance was time for her to collect her thoughts, and prepare for her next meeting.  Renard was the Captain's choice for the new SCO of the Tactical CONN position, but she didn't plan on placing that on the table right away.  She would much rather speak with him before she gave him a chip on his shoulder, to see the kind of man the Lieutenant was.  Once he took his seat, Edena wasted little time getting down to business in her polite and professional tone.  "You've had some time to settle back into regular duties on the Theurgy, Lt. Renard.  It's not your usual duties,. but it's a step in the right direction.  My first question for you would be to ask if you are feeling fully acclimated into the crew once more.  Things have changed a great deal during your absence from the staff."

While Miles answered, Edena busied her hands with pulling up Renard's service record, her console turned away so that he couldn't see what she was viewing.  He held an upstanding record, his recent reprimand being the only dark spot on an otherwise shining record.  "During the battle which saw you trapped in the pattern buffer, you had broken formation and flown of your own accord.  Is this something you have done in the past, Lieutenant?  If not, has there been times when you wanted to?"  She was getting a sense of whether he was leadership material, but it must have sounded more like she was questioning if he was insubordinate.  How he responded would be interesting.  Would he play safe and not admit to wanting to circumvent his superiors?  Or would he be forthcoming and explain his reasons?



[Lin Kae - Paradise City]

Small stakes games like the one he was in didn't matter much to the Theurgy.  He wasn't going to make enough to buy more then a few supplies off these gamblers.  It was far from the wagers he had heard about in holonovels, entire starships on the line in a single hand.  All it did was annoy the other players how easily he stole their money away, and how he folded every hand where the percentages weren't in his favor.  When the confrontation with Lucan and the Nausicaans  began, he cashed out, leaving a large portion of chips still on the table, which seemed to ease the suffering of the other players.  He edged himself to a neutral location, where he felt he shouldn't get involved.  How he wanted to pull out his phaser, but they were under orders not to display Federation technology.  He would do no good in a fight, the outbreak had proven that well enough, but what was he to do?  Leave Lucan to handle it alone?  If Skye got involved, could he live with himself that he did nothing when she fought, even if she was bound to be tougher than three of him?

Then the wind started, and he didn't know what to think.  He was a man of science, and that wind didn't adhere to scientific principles.  What it conjured up by a telekinetic force?  At least that was reasonable, telekinesis having been proven possible by a number of races.  Other then that, only beings beyond mortal understanding, like the Q, were capable of inexplicable things like this.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #69 –
He answered the first question nearly immediately, "If you mean have I been less withdrawn than my record suggests? Then yes, the lack of power to the holodecks has dealt me with more time to have to get to know my squadmates better.  In the past I often used most of my free time in holonovel adaptations and star-fighter simulations practice.  Also, I had been more often than not acting on the graveyard shift at Main-bridge Conn to get in some time in bridge officer experience.  Having my workload more forcibly changed up has forced my schedule to be rearranged, and, if nothing else, has forced me to become much more familiar with my squadmates and the maintenance crews of both the shuttle bays and the fighter bays.  In short, I would say I feel much closer to the crew than I was before."  He said stepping in, taking his seat, and answering with the kind of logical dissections of his own actions that the pointy-eared appearance would suggest.

In early interactions with Starfleet his humanoid chosen appearance often lead people to assume he may have been very Vulcan like.  As a result over time he had found acting in the same logical mentality could be a benefit as, if nothing else, it was what his appearance suggested.  Add to that, he had always been a rather logical member of his race  "Regarding my actions, that is a subject that is a bit more personal to get into depths on and involves a bit of understanding of Vulpinian psychology.  As a person who at the very least posed as my previous counselor I assume you are familiar with the Vulpinian concept of command instincts.  To put it in the shortest terms my command instincts surfaced causing a lapse in judgement and instead a instinctual reaction to a moment of crisis. The result was a immediate Instinctual creation of a strategy of gaining military victory with the least damage to the squadron and an instinct to relay that information and act on it.  My instincts at the moment made me think at the time that I was the commanding officer thus causing the lapse in proper protocol."

"In regards to my statements in the debriefing, I chose not to clarify what I had said and allowed Captain Ives to misinterpret my assessment of my actions as personal arrogance.  A, because I felt that any statement I made would appear to be making excuses.  And B, I wished to provide no further fuel to cause my fellow wolves to wish to question the captain's actions.  If I had clarified I would have explained my actions and statement more clearly and would have made it very clear I had no lack of confidence in my SCO's ability to lead.  Instead,  the situation was merely a side effect of my species unique psychology and brain chemistry evolution, and my past Vuplinian military training.  I never have had a desire to circumvent orders, break formation, or act as a rogue pilot in any sense of the term."  He said all of this in a somber way as if revealing a embarrassing secret.

He finially continued, "I can make no promises that I would be fully able to keep my instincts from surfacing. As a result, I would understand if I was kept grounded for safety and squadron protocol reasons.  However, I also understand the circumstances on the ship.  I have more combat hours on this ship than any other fighter pilot, possibly more logged combat hours than nearly anyone in the Federation.  I was a member of the testers of the valk-threes causing me to have more logged flight hours in that particular ship than anyone on this ship.  Also, I currently am tied as highest active ranking officer in the squadron with the rank of Lieutenant.  I can see the obvious quandary: The wolves can not afford to have the wings of an extremely experienced pilot clipped, but also they can't afford to have some idiot fox ruining a carefully crafted attack plan.  Furthering this is the fact that the wolves are without an alpha.  No doubt as the officer directly in the oversight role of the Tac-Conn department you are tasked with finding an interim SCO.  The reason the quandary with me is especially bad is, aside for this one mark, I would probably be a logical candidate for the position.  Would I be correct in this assessment?" 

His voice had remained logical and professional throughout the entire spiel.  His tone was analytical, more like he was talking about some mundane algebra solution rather than about the fate of himself on this ship.  More than that, he had no air of arrogance or even bragging but simply a calm stating of facts and logical questions that he guessed were probably going on in her own mind.  At least these questions would be what he would be considering if he were in her position.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #70 –
[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System]

Lurching to his feet, the doctor let go of his powers, and the twister died out momentarily - the white light in Lucan's eyes fading.

The fighter pilot had thrown herself upon the three Nausicaans like the Terran hell hath no fury like hers. The one that had a couple of darts sticking out of his back was shoved down to the floor by a heel to the knee, and while Gareghaa tore off the chair from his knife-hand and scattered the remaining debris across the tavern, the third one grunted and toppled over from the savage strike he got between his legs. Skye had given Lucan just enough breathing room to collect himself... and to focus.

The doctor's eyes turned shining white again, and as he spoke, the same pristine glow shone from his lips. "Enough!"

As a Câroon child, you first needed to understand each element individually before even considering how to control them. Lucan had learned this at his many orphanages, knew that the elements were linked to his emotions and intent. For his people, there were only two directions that energy could travel, outwards or inwards. The four kinds of energy all came from the same psionic source, the control of this psionic energy flow allowing control of the direction in which the went. As a child, he had needed a meditative state to create the feeling of heat - his first recollection of Fire - then the same with the other elements of earth, air and water. In the end, Lucan - like his peers in the orphanages - could direct these energies inwards rather than outwards... and he'd thus learned to master his Câroon physiology.

Seven energy centres were located within the bodies of his people - running parallel to the spine from the root zi'naaq at the base through to the crown zi'naaq on the top of the head. They formed part of a subtle energy body, along with the energy channels extending from them all. To be precise, two side channels crossed the centre channel at the location of the zi'naaqs - possessing a number of spokes. The activity of each zi'naaq was to receive and transmit the four energies within their body's subtle energy system. Zi'naaq was a Câroon word meaning a turning wheel or disk, and the affect of balanced zi'naaqs resulted in one's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual centres working together in a balanced and harmonious manner. If one or more zi'naaq was under-active or over-active - too open or too closed - then they were out of balance and this reflecting upon one or more areas of their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual centres. When admitting energy into himself and releasing it, Lucan became heavily unbalanced, and too much energy would make him fall unconscious or even die.

He felt that happen - the energy in the air around the room answering to his will and picking up pace again. The air currents moved around the white-eyed Lucan as the two Nausicaans on the floor rose to their feet - Skye keeping the armed Gareghaa occupied a short distance away. Tattooed hands spread to the sides - the ink depicting the wind energies - the Câroon doctor stepped towards them whilst he murmured the seven zi'naaqs for focus - naming them from the base of his spine to his head. "Alata, alativ, alatus, alatatat, alatasar, lataham, alatap..." Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Sound, Light, Thought.

He lit up the faces of his assailants as he spoke, and then the current of air twisted to life in the tavern and tore towards the approaching Nausicaans - sending them off their feet and crashing into the furniture. Eating utensils, plates and glasses were hurled away from Lucan as well - the concussion slamming the iron door to the street wide open. Rihen rolled out from behind a turned-over table, still too drunk to keep her footing so she fell over again. Lucan released the elements and, unbalanced, he toppled sideways - catching himself on the bar counter before he fell over. Blinking hard to keep himself blacking out, the CMO climbed up to the bar counter again while Skye still fought the last Nausicaan with the knife.

Federation scientist had debated that the zi'naaq system - akin to the chakras of Earth's ancient tantric traditions among humans - also had no proven relationship with the anatomy or physiology of the Câroon body. Nothing resembling the energy of the zi'naaqs nor the chakras had ever been detected, despite the exquisite sensitivity of modern instruments. Then again, nor could they explain regular psionic energy that was associated with telepathy, so the elemental psionic powers of Câroon fell into the same category. It did, however, offer long-winded speculation in regards to how Câroon minds also were impenetrable...

Brushing off his white attire and willing off vertigo, Lucan turned to the barkeep. "Pardon me," he told the wide-eyed fat man as he tested his own footing. "I just thought it was a bit stuffy in here." With numb fingers, he hurriedly paid the man handsomely for the damage and left towards Skye in attempt to assist her somehow, only to have Rihen show up right in his face.

"Oh, thank ye..." she drawled to her 'hero' and then kissed Lucan hard, making them both fall over - the floor boards knocking the air out of him.

"Get off me!" he growled hoarsely and tried to free himself with fumbling limbs far too weak for the task.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #71 –
This would be so much easier if I could use my phaser, Skye thought as she squared off against Gareghaa.  Her mind barely registered the wind strike, sending the other two Nausicaans at least into lala land if not dead and right now she almost preferred dead.  The blade whirred close and she just managed to duck out of the way, an open handed thrust knocking the knife arm out but not disarming him.

He was huge and powerful but she was agile and tried to use that to her advantage, attacking and tumbling out of the way then bouncing up on her toes over and over again but keeping his attention away from Lucan and Kae.  Having just jumped up to a table and then over to another, she noticed the woman latching on to Lucan who almost seemed drunk and it was enough distraction to be her very painful downfall.

Gareghaa used that long reach just as she started to jump again, catching her by the throat and slamming her against wall hard enough to darken her vision.  Instinctively she lashed out with feet and hands but then there was the sickening wet and meaty sound of a knife sinking into flesh and her body jerked.  White hot pain seared through her lower abdomen and then began to spread through her extremities, making the sweat suddenly pop out all over.

The only sound she made was a huge gasp and then hiss of pain though her eyes blazed with fury and defiance as he looked at her with what could only be a smile of satisfaction and pulled the knife free.  Gathering the tiny bit of strength she had left and using that moment of too much confidence, she kicked out and sent the blade skittering across the floor toward Lucan.  "Fucking bastard ... you're next" she snarled.

Being pulled away from the wall brought more pain from her gut and then he slammed her against the wall again before letting her go.  As the strength left her, she felt herself sliding down and her vision started to fade though she knew Gareghaa was heading for the CMO.  "Lucan!" she managed to warn and then the darkness swallowed her.  It's a good day to die.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #72 –
-Lab 2-
Amikris smiled and slowly withdrew as she realized she was embarrassing herself. "Will you be moving in with us?  In the senior staff quarters?" She asks hopefully as she glanced over the terminal at what he was doing.  Amatras also approached to glance over it giving her daughter a disapproving shake of her head.  Amikris blushed at the gesture and took a few steps back leaning against the wall and merely observing.  Amatras looked over his work, ~~Now that we've established what was suppose to happen, what exactly are you doing?  Upgrading our software to track Tachyon emissions?~~ She asked

-Deck 8 hallway-
Adam sighed as he reluctantly pushed the two crew members apart from one another. "The Captain gave specific orders, no one is to be held accountable for their actions well infected.....now cease and desist....I understand your rage but...orders are orders, he may have infected you but you have to let it go."  He tried to place himself between them, but the young female Science officer took a swing at the man behind him and Adam grabbed her wrist twisting it slightly and trying to bring her to her knees and subdue her.  This was going to be a lot of paperwork, and unfortunately it looked like he was drawing a crowd.  Glancing over his shoulder he sighed "get out of here" he said telling the Engineer who had started the incident to move along, he may not have made a comment, but it didn't deserve this level of rage.  He waited well the young human under him caught her breath "are you going to take another swing?" he asked calmly still holding her arm behind her back.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #73 –
[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

She could remember her time spent as a counsellor on the Theurgy.  One thing that could be said about Trill was that they had a strong memory.  It was necessary to keep the memories of several lifetimes in order.  She was fortunate that the Rez symbiont was considered to be a young one by their standards, having only four hosts, including herself.  Others could have easily doubled that or more, making their current host quite easily lost amidst a sea of other memories, other personality quirks.  As a result of her failed joining, Edena had never adopted anything from her past hosts but their advice, keeping herself from integrating with them all completely.  Part of her often wondered what she would be like if that didn't happen.  Would she have Illya's confidence?  Jona's discipline? Kiya's wisdom?

"The assumptions you have made are correct, Lieutenant.  Your flight hours, coupled with previous experience make a strong case for your abilities, while such a strong command instinct would strongly imply you would make a far better leader then a follower.  Captain Ives has already voiced that you are the best suited, and that you should be promoted to the position of SCO.  This meeting between the two of us was more formality then anything else."  Edena stood from her desk, giving a visual cue to Miles that he should do the same.  The next part of their meeting was more formal, requiring them both to be stood up and standing ready.

"Lieutenant Miles Renard, do you believe yourself capable of serving the position of SCO with honor and dignity, to guide and command all those under your purview in a manner befitting that of a Starfleet Officer?"


[Lin Kae - Paradise City, Nimbus III]

Lucan was down, having been rendered unable to continue thanks to the drunk woman pinning him down on the floor.  Skye had fought valiantly, only to be stabbed by the Nausicaans for her efforts.  If the two of them couldn't finish the job, what chance did he have?  He was small, weak, and about a skittish as a field mouse most of the time.  Yet, there was no time for fear, as instinct forced him to lurch out towards the knife, grasping it in hand and brandishing it towards Gareghaa, gaining his amused attention.

"Hand it over and walk away," the imposing figure commanded, as Kae simply continued to back away, carefully sizing up his surroundings for something to provide him some kind of edge.  With a quick glance upward, he had it, and began to edge sideways as well as back, while his pursuer moved slowly after him, completely unthreatened by the Bajoran Engineer.

"I'm not afraid," he said, though he hardly sounded convincing.  He sounded more like he would pass out once his adrenaline rush had worn off.  "I . . . have a secret weapon."

"Yeah?  What would that be?"  Gareghaa asked, almost laughing at the 22 year old boy who would be lucky to leave the bar in one piece.

"Newtonian Physics and the pulley," he said, just as Gareghaa positioned himself underneath a chandelier.  Kae brought the knife down on the rope he had edged himself next to, severing the pulley system which held the metal lighting system in place.  From there, gravity did the rest of the job, dropping the heavy structure upon the head of the aggressor, knocking him out and trapping him beneath the chandelier.  It was only then that Lin Kae allowed himself a sigh of relief, before rushing to check on Skye's wound.  "Medic!"  Kae called out for someone to either get a doctor or help him bring the wounded ensign to find medical aid.

Re: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

Reply #74 –
he got up and allowed himself to smile.  He had deduced correctly the reason for this meeting.  Internally he had been wondering if the harsh actions of the captain had been some form of test, or if it was strictly a punishment only.  Inside he was pleased to hear that they would consider him worthy of commanding the squadron. "Yes ma'am" he said simply saluting her.  "I promise to use my instincts to protect not only my pack but my den as well.   In doing so I promise to act in a way befitting the real Starfleet not this doppleganger in its midst.  To make our actions speak that we only disobey because this is a time when those who respect the proper authority are outlaws is our goal.  I swear to you and my den that as long as this fox draws breath that he will make it his mission as their alpha to protect his den and his fellow wolves." 

He swore a rather poetic, on the spot oath of loyalty, and stood as tall as his frame allowed, which was still rather short by human male standards.  He continued to salute, the salute transforming from the Federation salute to the unique two fingered salute that the surviving wolves had seemed to adopt since his return.
 
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