Star Trek: Theurgy

INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Low Profile & New Blood

[ Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy | Deck 01 ] Attn: Edena Rez.

The quiescence was rare aboard, even though it was always marred by the hum of the ship.

"Captain's Log, Stardate 57505.9," said the male form of Jien Ives quietly as he slid a whetstone along the edge of his dai-katana, "One week has passed since the USS Relativity showed up in our most dire need. We have set course for the Nimbus system, where we hope to trade for spare parts and supplies that our replicators cannot handle. Our course is laid along asteroid belts leading to the remote Neutral Zone in the Federation-Klingon border. We travel with extreme caution and with extra power diverted to our sensor arrays. I have ordered an away team to head for Nimbus III and Paradise City, where the team might begin to trade for spare parts and supplies ahead of our arrival."

With slow movements, Jien changed the stone for an oil-cloth before continuing.

"Sickbay is in sore need of medical supplies after all the fighting we have been through. Luckily, it seems that Paradise City has a good stock according to reports in our off-line Database. Therefore, after he volunteered to do so, I have  decided to let our Chief Medical Officer lead the away mission to Nimbus III. This so he would be able to trade for our most needed medical supplies. To determine the possible availability of usable material and tools for the repair of our ship, Lieutenant Kae from Engineering will accompany him. I would have liked to send Mr. Neotin instead, yet the dry climate would not do well for him. Our Holographic Specialist has at least done some work on Thea before he leaves, and the XO and I have a new report to contemplate. For last, given that they will need a pilot as well as protection, a Tactical CONN officer has been picked as the third member. Ensign Skye Carver will be piloting the Runabout and make sure the team does not run into trouble in the quite... disreputable Paradise City."

Rising from his chair, Jien walked to his cabinet and placed his sword upon its stand. "Furthermore," he said and turned away, "it seems the crew if coming to terms with what happened at Niga. Only some of us will have to live with the consequences of our corrupted actions, and try to tell ourselves that what we did was not our own acts, but the depraved influences of an alien virus. A small comfort, for some of us, yet at least there is hope for our primary mission - that we will succeed in our ultimate endeavour."

Seating himself again, Jien picked up a PADD that had happened to stay upon his desk. He had picked it up again, and read the personnel file of Commander Nerina once more. She had been the anchor against his self-doubt, and now she rested in stasis - all because of his weakness.

[ Away Mission to Nimbus III | Upper Shuttle Bay | Deck 06 ] Attn: Ens. Skye Carver, Lt. Lin Kae + 1-2 more (first to post gets the spot!)

The Chief Medical Officer arrived to the shuttle bay with a makeshift pack casually thrown over his shoulder. Since the team was to enter Paradise City incognito, Lucan wore traditional Câroon attire which would fit well in the desert of Nimbus III - billowing white fabrics and his feet bare with his hair combed back with essential oils. It felt good to be out of the suffocating Starfleet uniform for once, and it was with high spirits that the doctor dropped his pack in front of the Runabout.

The beast inside was jubilant too, for they saw this as the perfect opportunity to escape the cruel fate of the USS Theurgy.

However, Lucan was not entirely convinced he should kill the officers that had been picked by the Captain in order to steal the Runabout. No, perhaps there was a better way; a way that would not cast suspicion upon him in the case his actions were revealed in future interrogations with crew from the captured USS Theurgy. He mulled over this problem as the others came to join him by the Runabout, and he looked up to greet them with a kind smile. Lieutenant Kae and Ensign Carver.

Inside, the beast bared its fangs - images flashing before his eyes where he fucked their severed heads.

"We will head out along the same course as the Theurgy towards the Neutral Zone, only travelling at Warp 5 in order to get there twenty-four hours in advance - giving us so much time to trade for all the supplies we might need. We will stock what we will find until the Theurgy arrives, and store it in a way so that it all quickly can be beamed into the cargo bays when the Theurgy enters orbit. After the Transports are made, we will rendezvous with the Theurgy with our shuttle by the fifth planet of the Daran system."

Shrugging a little with a smile as he looked between the two, Lucan folded his tattooed hands behind his back. "That is it. Those are our orders. Any questions before we move out?"

Before they left, however, there might have been others who had made a last-minute request to their superior officers to join the away mission...

[ Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: Khorin Douglas

An indicator flashing on Thea's medical view screen, she turned around to verify the alert to be true.

As it was indeed so, the hologram put her PADD down on a table and quickly made her way over to the Recovery Ward - wearing her teal chameleon bodysuit since she was assisting medical now that the CMO was heading out on an away-mission.

Wolf-06 was covered in his post-surgery medical blankets, hair washed and brushed by the Nurses after the recent chaos that had been Sickbay had turned more tranquil. Thea picked up a medical tricorder once she entered his vision, standing next to him as he was coming to. "Well hello there, 'Lieutenant," she said in greeting, her brown eyes darting from the display and to his eyes. She attempted a smile, Dr. Nicander having reminded her about proper bed-side manners. "How are you feeling, after your brush with quietus?"

They were alone, save for a few personnel in the back of Sickbay that were looking over the others that were awakening after surgery. Unsurprised at the lack of an immediate answer, Thea let her smile turn more warm. "Do not worry. The readings tell me that your body is already recovering, so just relax," he said and put the tricorder away, "You are a fighter, so you can count on making a full recovery if you just push yourself through rehab for a couple of days. I will be there every step of the way to help you on if so needed."

Then, the Ship's AI proceeded to tell him what had happened and what had been done to treat him - giving him the usual patient's review of what had been done in order to preserve his health and his life. She told him about the need to stabilise him during emergency surgery and then dealing with all his afflictions during a six hour second surgery. She also told him about the condition of the ship, and where the Theurgy was heading.

For last, she told him about the recent events on Niga.

[ Gymnasium | Deck 07 ] Attn: Anyone. However, there is complete freedom to pick some other place on the ship to write a scene.

That day, the Andorian had her heart set on the punching bag in the gym. In the locker room, she was sitting on a bench, wrapping her hands in tape, getting herself ready for the workout. Once both fists were prepared, she grabbed her black and white boxing gloves - matching her shorts and sports bra - and made her way into the gym.

When ThanIda entered, she did not look at anyone. She tossed the small towel she had with her beside herself, and some male Enlisted - technicians and others - whom did not know her role aboard had first jeered at her in their private conversations. They probably thought her pretentious in how she hoisted up the heaviest sack and and put on the gloves. They might have thought her the artist, seeing her draw people in a corner of Below Decks, and thought her no measure past the regular Starfleet Academy training.

Yet oh, the sand bag got a heavy pounding, despite the fact that she was a female. The reason, as it was plain to herself; that she was raised to be in the Imperial Guard on Andoria. Two jabs and a side-kick. A five-way combination followed while Ida hissed through her teeth at each impact, ending with a spin-kick that drew a ragged grunt from her throat. And thus, she wore on... spending herself completely to take her mind off the things she had done - infected or not.

It was the outlet for passion, in the shape of physical aggression instead of her paints and canvas.

The unarmed techniques she pounded the sack with sprung from her bone-marrow, soon making her perspiration soak into her garments. Her white hair tied behind her head, it whipped like a banner at every spinning motion she made - each kick, punch and elbow making the sack shudder with precision impacts. The sudden - unbidden - memory of her actions against the new XO spurred her, sending her into a flurry of consecutive combinations. Brought a ferocious mask of iron determination to her face. Made her cry out as she delivered her final volley. How could she have been so wrong? How could she have let herself go so far in pursuit of protecting the crew? How could she had let the chase from Terra make her so paranoid?

Done is done... What we do in life always leave an echo.

Afterwards, she leaned with her forearm against the swinging dead weight - panting with midnight eyes ablaze.

---

OOC: This thread is meant for free-form role-playing on board the USS Theurgy without the support of the major plot-line. Here, you may at will start scenes as you wish as long as you keep things within the same time-frame, or at least as close to it as possible. You may not let whole days or weeks pass by on a whim, but otherwise than that, you are to enjoy yourselves to the best of your abilities.

Also, as it is stated in the General Rules, you may start your own threads on the USS Theurgy board as well, as long as you title them according to this post.

Example: INTERREGNUM EP 01-02: Title. Please see below points from the General Rules.

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Please note that there are events remaining in the Epilogue that requires finishing before logically posting here, since you are as of yet unaware to the turnout for your characters. Post here thusly at your own risk for disrupting the space-time continuum and being force to rewrite stuff. ;)

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

Edena entered the Captain's ready room, a PADD of her own in hand.  Her new responsibilities on-board had filled her plate with much more to keep her busy.  Even if she was still plotting behind Ives' back, which she wasm't, the sheer workload didn't leave that possible any longer.  "Duty Rosters," she explained, submitting them for Jien's approval.  With the critical injuries and deaths on-board, the roster had to be shifted by quite a large degree, evening out the work force, and increasing the length of time during which the ship operated at late night on a skeleton crew.  Luckily, there were always young officers looking to get that extra bit of experience, or even an opportunity to sit in the Captain's chair when they were in command of the night shift.

"I worked the roster around the Chief counsellor's schedule, so that the crew can attend sessions with him when not on duty."  The crew was still shaken over the events of the infection, making the job even more difficult to keep focus on.  Even Edena herself was staring at a man who, under the influence of that horrid virus, had attempted to violate her, after beating her into submission . . . of course, she got a few good shots of her own in during that time, so she couldn't call herself a victim entirely.

"Sir, I took some time last night to confirm that the security logs are still present in the ship's computer.  Full audio and video from the outbreak exists, with enough data that the entire scenario could likely be reconstructed in a holodeck for through investigation."  It was a difficult thing to explain, but she knew what it's presence meant.  "The footage is a great violation of the crew's privacy, displaying things no one would ever want seen by anyone else, but Starfleet security protocol would tell us we must retain this data and turn it over as part of a full report."

Edena let it sink in, before presenting her own view on the matter, or at least a question about Jien's view.  "If I may speak freely, sir . . . exactly how do we intend to run this ship?  Are we to honor the rules and regulations of Starfleet to the letter, in whcih that security log would retain intact, or should we be treating our mission as high priority enough to bend some of the rules?  You were in Starfleet Intelligence, as was I, and we both know there wouldn't be many question sif a . . . computer malfunction deleted those logs."



[Lin Kae - Quarters to Shuttle Bay]

His new duties were a labor of love.  On the one hand, he worked for hours upon hours, sitting in front of his computer screen, working his way through Thea's code, in what could almost be a mind-numbing process at times.  On the other hand, it was exactly what he had set out to do, help Thea to become all she could be.  He just hadn't expected to get such strict guidelines on how fast it had to be done.  Even Lewis Zimmerman couldn't have met such lofty deadlines, yet he had to go on.  He had to be successful.

The programmers who developed Thea's software were a brilliant as they were mad.  Her subroutines were like an intricately woven web, in which a single adjustment let loose a ripple effect that changed several other lines of code.  So much of her personality, her quirks, were tied into the systems she managed, making her truly unable to separate herself from her job.  Even during what she would call her free time, she was opening doors, moving turbolifts, and even filtering air through the ship's systems.  She was conscious of every small thing the Theurgy did, even those that the crew might have taken for granted, like the temperature of their shower or the gravity that kept them from floating away.

The report he handed into Jien outlined his plan as simple as he could, speaking of developing a subconscious programming layer to Thea's positronic brain.  When a human placed it's hand on a ht surface, they didn't will themselves to take it away.  It was the same with breathing.  It was all natural reflex of the human body, powered by the subconscious, which operated on an autopilot which reduced the lag time of making a conscious effort.  His plan was to give Thea such a subconscious, which would automate several of the systems that didn't need her direct efforts.  Starships had used turbolifts and automatic doors long before holographic crew members, so it was just a matter of using that base programming.  In doing so, Thea would no longer have to concern herself with thousands of meaningless jobs, and instead focus her powerful consciousness towards other, more important things.

"Lt. Lin, you are due in the Shuttle Bay in fifteen minutes."

He knew he would lose track of time.  He had set an alarm for just that purpose.  With his superior unable to take the mission to Nimbus III, it fell to him to act as Engineering's representative, and collect what supplies would be of use to their varying projects.  A PADD on his desk held a list of requests made by the various project heads, which he grabbed on his rush out the door.  He had quite a bit of ground to cover between his quarters and the shuttle bay, and not much time to do so.



[Nathan Isley - Gymnasium]

He was spending too much time working on Valkyries to get out of the hanger bay and work out.  The frustration of being cooped up beneath a plasma manifold left him craving an outlet.  That was where the gym came in, an ideal location to vent.  Some weights, maybe some light boxing, and he could finish up with a run before he went back to his quarters for a sonic shower.  He kept his attire to a simple pair of white shorts and a sleeveless black top, wrists already taped up for weight lifting, and padded extra around the knuckles to allow them to pull double duty when he moved to boxing.  Dusting his hands with some chalk for traction, he seated himself on the weight bench, setting the gravitational sensors for two hundred pounds to start him off.  Before he was through, he hoped to up that to four hundred, his Vulcan strength supporting the weight, thanks to rigorous training in the past.

[Recovery Ward, Sickbay | Deck 07] Attn: Thea

There was pain.

A pain unlike any he'd ever experienced before--and he'd experienced a great many varieties of pain in his young life. Pain was nothing new to him, but this was different. This pain was overwhelming, all-consuming. It was all he was aware of, the only thing that existed to him, but somehow he knew there was more. He did not shy away from the pain. Instead he fought it head-on, determined to break through it and reach whatever was on the other side. It was difficult, and there were times where he thought he might give up. But then he remembered the last words his father ever said to him.

"No matter where you are, no matter what trials you face, always remember that you are Klingon. Remember that, embrace it, and use it. The Klingon heart is stronger than steel, wIj puq. No force in this world can break it, save for yourself. As long as your heart remains Klingon, you can accomplish anything."

Those words drove him to keep fighting, to push through the pain and the darkness, and though the pain grew worse with every step, he refused to quit. A true warrior knew how to master pain, knew how to turn it against itself, and that's exactly what he did. The pain now urged him forward, encouraging him to take that next agonizing step through the darkness. He could feel himself getting closer to his goal. He'd be damned if he was going to let himself give in now.

And then there was light.

A light brighter than any he'd ever seen before. It was blinding, a stark, empty white void. For a moment he thought he had reached Sto-vo-kor, and a sudden burst of joy surged through him at the thought that he would soon be drinking bloodwine at his father's side. But then the light dimmed. The white void separated into several smaller, less vivid sources of light, and in front of him he could see an endless expanse of dull, mechanical gray. A figure then appeared, dull, hazy, and covered in teal.

"--tenant. How are you feeling, after your brush with quietus?"

He blinked, and the figure in front of him sharpened into focus. It was a woman. But he didn't recognize her. Did he? The pain still drowned out most of his senses. He tried to open his mouth, but he wasn't entirely sure how to do so.

"Do not worry. The readings tell me that your body is already recovering, so just relax. You are a fighter, so you can count on making a full recovery if you just push yourself through rehab for a couple of days. I will be there every step of the way to help you on if so needed."

"R...rehab?" he finally managed to croak. His voice sounded almost alien to him, and it hurt to use it. How long had it been since he'd last spoken?

The woman above him continued to talk, giving him time to look around and try to determine his whereabouts. He realized he was not looking forward, and that the woman was standing above him. He realized he was lying down then, and the memories suddenly came flooding back. He remembered being in his cockpit, his heart pounding with the joy and the fear that came with battle, flying alongside his comrades as he tried to defend his ship. He remembered thinking that they were almost safe, and then his fighter got hit by something powerful. He remembered hearing various alarms blaring around him, his vision impaired by a thick haze of blood, and he remembered seeing the flight deck of the Theurgy. He felt his ship jolt sharply as it hit the deck, and then the darkness and the pain took him.

Sickbay, he realized. I'm in sickbay.

He remained quiet, then, listening as best as he could while the woman--Thea, the ship's AI--explained what had happened to him and caught him up on recent events. He didn't entirely understand what Thea was talking about. Sentient plants? A devastating virus that turned everyone into mindless automatons interested only in seeking pleasure and spreading their infection? What?!

Finally he couldn't stand it any longer, and suddenly his arm shot forward, his hand grasping Thea's forearm, fingers squeezing it in a vice-like, panic-induced grip. "Thea...how long was I out?"

[Gymnasium | Deck 07] Attn: Ida

Many people saw the gym as a necessary evil, a service they had to utilize in order to stay in shape. David Grayson saw it as an escape, a way to keep his mind off of the troubles of life. But it was also a necessity for him. While his enhanced physiology made him stronger than normal humans, and about as strong as Vulcans, he still had to maintain it. Fortunately, doing so was also much easier for him than it was for others. He was often the first one in the gym on any given day, and the same had held true on this day. He was just finishing his workout when others began to pour in, and he took a moment to observe them, wondering about their state of mind.

A week had passed since the...incident. David had tried to put it behind him, but he still couldn't get over the fact that he'd allowed himself to succumb to that virus. He remembered how it had happened, how he'd been forced to sacrifice himself because one of the weak ones had fallen behind. If Counselor Nelis had been just a little faster, perhaps David wouldn't have had to waste time rescuing him, and perhaps David wouldn't have had to seal the door behind Garen, Edena Rez, and T'Less so that they wouldn't be pursued. David did not like chaos, and strove to eliminate it from every possible facet of his life. That virus (not to mention the Theurgy being on the run from Starfleet) had introduced an inordinate amount of chaos into David's life, and he did not appreciate it.

He heard someone crying out as they delivered a powerful blow into a punching bag that echoed throughout the gymnasium--or perhaps David's enhanced hearing had simply picked up more than it would have otherwise. He glanced over and saw ThanIda zh'Wann leaning against a punching bag, panting. Speaking of chaos, he thought. He considered Ida an agent of chaos, an unpredictable element. As far as David was concerned, unpredictable elements were trouble. You never knew what they would do.

He'd mostly avoided Ida in the past week, outside of their regular interactions while on duty. He remembered some of her role as one of the virus's chief subordinates, and while he understood that her mind had been just as compromised as everyone else's, he wasn't surprised that she'd been one of the first to succumb to the infection. In a way, David blamed Ida for his own infection, though he knew that was absurd and would never openly admit it.

He grabbed his towel and started to leave the gym, but then he thought better of it and turned towards Ida. It was time to stop avoiding her, time to begin acting like a professional again. He reached out and leaned an arm against the punching bag, placing it between himself and Ida as he spoke. "You know, I'm no counselor, but you look upset," he told her. "Want to talk about it?"

[ Upper Shuttle Bay | Deck 06 ]

Lt. Miles smiled as he saw the incoming people.  He held a datapad and walked towards the medical officer. "I took the liberty to go ahead and do a full pre-flight check of your runabout. Everything's green across the board and its fully ready for takeoff.  Here's the full report if you would like to look over it." He said handing Lucan the datapad his tail slightly swishing as he moved before he wrapped it around his waist.   He was currently wearing his flight jacket which he wore only when off duty  which made it more than clear the Vulpinian had done this of his own volition during non-scheduled hours.  His tone of informality even further punctuated that he was very much Off-Duty at the moment.

He then turned his attention to the other two in the room. "Lin, Don't worry bout Thea, she'll do fine.  I'll make sure to keep an eye on her, and I'll personally belt any SOB that dares to not treat her with the respect she deserves.  Besides, she's in the sickbay, and I figured there needed to be at least one Wolf there with her when the Klingon member of her pack of attack dogs wakes up."

Finally, he looked to his fellow Wolf and smirked, "Take care of them," he said reaching a hand out to her, "She's all yours" he said unofficially handing the runabout over to her.  With that done he walked towards the door of the shuttle bay shouting back towards the group of three, "Alons-y!" before making a sort of two-finger salute/wave to them as he exited the shuttle bay.

[ Captain's Ready Room | Deck 01 ]

After putting away the PADD with Nerina's personnel file, Jien Ives raised his eyes and greeted his new First Officer with a solemn nod - accepting the new rosters with quiet gratitude. There were several things to address, yet Edena riased the first issue - one that had concerned them for a couple of days.

"The most important thing is the mission, given the extreme circumstances and what is at stake," said Jien quietly to Edena, putting down the duty rosters after having spotted nothing amiss with the deployment of their personnel based on their available work-force. He approved them with his fingertips as he spoke. "However, the regulations are what makes up Starfleet to be what it is, and added with the chain-of-command and the import of keeping the morale of this crew high and away from the very over-shadowing fear of their ultimate fate, it is our final defence against internal conflict and crippling attempts towards mutiny. I think I told one of our Cadets - Amikris Neotin in Medical - about this after she made a minor breach of protocol before the outbreak. I said to her that our regulations allow us to function as a crew, no matter the vastly differing view-points upon etiquette, social structure, morals, humility or respect that dwell in our ship's quarters. Protocol is the invisible seam that binds us together, and prevents us from turning on each other."

Stacking the PADDs for his Yeoman to insert them into the Ship's LCARS, Jien leaned back in his chair and addressed the issue at hand. "I ask myself if the worth of the security logs outweighs the damage they might portend in this particular instance. I cannot imagine any use they might have beyond a means for the entire crew to fill in the gaps in their memories if the data slipped out of our fingers. We would tear up what first stitches has been made to heal the scarred integrity and heart of out crew, so the choice in this matter is plain to me. We must safeguard ourselves from this knowledge, and because of our mission's delicate nature, we will therefore move to have the records... lost."

In one way, Jien had hoped that he might see himself commit the things he did towards Nerina and Nolak, not to mention the Trill sitting before him. All for the reason to remind himself of his own weakness, and to steel himself from repeating the mistakes that corrupted him so. His thoughtfulness might hint of this to his XO, yet he made no comment. "Make it so."

Jien paused, before he looked up into Edena's eyes. "Do you approve of this decision, and how I chose to conduct command of this ship during these dire times?"


[ Upper Shuttle Bay | Deck 06 ]

Accepting the datapad from the returning Wolf-13, Lucan smiled quietly and thanked him. Yet behind his good-natured features dwelt an analytical mind which dissected the importance of the returning fighter pilot and what it might mean for the Lone Wolves - a faction of the ship that he had yet to extend his network of influence to. As far as he had learned, the Vulpinian had been grounded to non-flight duties because of what he had done in the fray that ended him up in the transport buffer. Alas, Lucan knew no details beyond that this Lt. Miles Renard was putting his time and effort on repairs until he was in the good graces of their new XO and the Theurgy's Captain.

Yet as it were, the Vulpinian gave the two other members of the away team a few words for the road, and then walked off towards Sickbay. Indeed, Lucan had been chosen to lead the mission and that had left Thea - in the role of a temporary Head Nurse since Jovela had been put into stasis - to be present besides the EMH Mk. I and II to uphold the care for the crew. Given the diagnostics, it seemed Junior Lieutenant Khorin Douglas' recovery was imminent, and that his half-blood Klingon body would be ready to wake up any hour.

Once they were alone and the Vulpinian Wolf, as strange as the denomination might sound, had given his off-duty farewell, Lucan awaited the comments and reactions of the two that were to accompany him to Nimbus III. "Well, like I said, any questions before we move out?"


[ Recovery Ward, Sickbay | Deck 07 ]

The human reaction was ingrained into her programming, and when Khorin seized her forearm, Thea let out a sound of surprise and looked between the grip on her forearm to the patient's eyes. Oh, she knew tactile touch - advanced enough for it - yet her programming switched of the pain automatically when the hard grip endured on her finely shaped photons and forcefields. It was reduced to no significant bother at all, instead indicating how she should proceed with the patient.

"Easy now," she said and put away her PADD, laying her free hand on top of his. "You were hurt just about one and a half week ago, in the last skirmish we had with Starfleet before we slipped away. We are now en route from the Mahéwa System and heading for Nimbus III so that we can pick up some supplies and spare parts. We are not pursued as of now, and you can rest easy. Would you... please let go of me now, and tell me how you are feeling? Is there anything I can get you before I have the EMH take a look at you?"

Little did they know that the off-duty lost comrade of Khorin might appear eventually, but in the meantime, Thea did not mind the hold on her projected arm, yet she thought it prudent that the Junior Lieutenant would calm down before the Emergency Medical Hologram took a look at him.


[ Gymnasium | Deck 07 ]

Ida was not exactly startled when her superior officer showed up and spoke to her, but inwardly, she groaned a little - not feeling prepared for the conversation.

"I think it is as obvious that I am not.. as it is plain that others of the crew feel the same way as I do. I am not alone with the shame and the regrets. Will you hold it for me please, sir?" she asked, trying to change the conversation. It had only been partial omissions, since her thoughts had been on her erroneous ways prior to the outbreak. None of her superiors had mentioned anything about consequences for her actions towards Edena Rez, and it was wearing her down immensely - just waiting for them to come for her. Still, they had not come. They had not thrown her into the Brig. They had not demoted her. The wait for the inevitable blow was the hardest, and perhaps - she thought - it was a part of her punishment. As it were, she had no idea what to do other than soldier on.

Committing herself to a new series of attacks, Ida hammered the sand bag just as an excuse  not to talk to the Chef of Security - this vile man that had been promoted in her stead. She hissed between her teeth and she barraged the bag until the point where she had to stop to catch her breath. Leaning against the bag again, she spotted Nathaniel Isley in her peripheral vision, and hazy images of him and herself in a doomed Captain's Yacht surfaced, making her tear off her gloves and go right back at it - her brutal therapy continuing.

"How about you?" she said eventually, since it was too awkward not to say anything when the Pinkskin held the bag for her and just seemed to look and listen. It felt like being weighed on scales with all her misconduct and depraved acts weighted against her current self. "You do not seem so pleased either, sir, if I may be so bold and say so."

[ Upper Shuttle Bay | Deck 6 ]

Skye was inside the shuttle going over the preflight routine when she heard voices outside so poked her head out to see who all was there.  "Ah, Lt. Commander Nicander, I was just making sure everything was ready," she stated and then nodded to the other.  "Lt. Lin Kae, a pleasure to see you again," she said as she stepped out with a warm smile.  He and Thea had been instrumental in keeping her ship in one piece and that had earned them both even more of her loyalty.

After wearing only Starfleet issue for weeks on end and the last week being covered in grime from helping make repairs on all the Valkyries, Skye was more than glad to go with a little more freedom in clothing choices.  Her hair was down, flowing in soft golden waves about her shoulders rather than pulled back in a braid.  She wore form fitting grey pants and black ankle boots along with a snug black off-shoulder top with cutouts revealing some cleavage giving her a strong yet feminine look.

Then another stepped forward and her grin widened for a moment as she took his hand in a firm clasp.  "They're part of the pack so of course I'll take care of them and I should have known you'd do the full flight check before I could get here," she replied nonchalantly with a little shrug of one shoulder.  They both knew she was quite serious though.  When he gave the two-finger salute, she gave a low wolf howl and saluted him in return.  "Be prepared," she chuckled mostly to herself.

She wished he could go with them, giving them two good pilots and fighters for the mission but if things went according to plan that wouldn't be necessary.  One thing had been made more and more clear of late though ... when it came to the Theurgy and her crew, plans tended to change quite quickly.  "I don't have any questions and we're ready to move out at your command, Sir," she stated to Lt. Commander Nicander.

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

"I would agree that the records would be better lost.  I'll handle the matter personally.  The fewer hands that have to come in contact with it, the better."  She was one of the few who still retained knowledge of all that happened.  While she had been reinfected by biting Jien during their scuffle, it was at the end of the outbreak, leaving the Relativity's cure to not erase her memory like so many others.  She knew what was on that footage, and having lived through it, she knew it was better off deleted and forgotten as soon as possible.

"I would also agree with your choice of how to run this ship.  Working with Starfleet Intelligence, and knowing how their loose interpretation of rules go, I think I would need to sleep with a phaser under my pillow at night if we ran things their way.  This ship needs structure, but as a ship all alone, with no support from the Federation, there may be times we have to bend rules.  That would, of course, be your decision to make, Captain."  Whether it was negotiating with Federation enemies, or securing technology and resources from less then refutable sources, there were times they might have to get their hands dirty, for the sake of fighting the good fight.  In the end, it was Captain Ives who had to choose when and by how much they needed to play loose with the rulebook.

"On another subject," Edena handed over another PADD, submitting her official report of what occurred between herself and Ida before the outbreak.  The security override, the threatening with a phaser while she showered, everything was there.  She knew she had to hand it into the Captain, but did ask for a chance to resolve it on her own.  "Captain, as the victim of this incident, I wish to not press any formal charges on her.  I do not wish her record or her name sullied.  She was acting in defense of the crew at what she believed to be a danger to the Theurgy.  I would ask that I be allowed, as XO, to speak with her on the matter, to see if any issues between us can be settled off the record."



[Lin Kae - Upper Shuttle Bay]

When Kae finally arrived in the Shuttle Bay, he swiftly reported to the Chief Medical officer, who was in charge of the away mission.  Afterward, he turned his attention to Skye, giving her a friendly greeting in return for the one she had provided him.  He proceeded to busy himself with the PADD full of requested items he had to keep an eye out for, finding it much more extensive then we would have imagined.  All in all, it would probably have to be stored in the pattern buffer, as if looked like almost too much to simply keep in the rear of the shuttle.

Like Skye, he didn't have any questions for Lucan when prompted.  He was more concerned with finishing the mission, and getting himself back to work on Thea, not just to meet his deadline, but out of concern for her.  Every day that passed while he was working was another one in whcih she had to consciously worry about every aspect of the Theurgy's systems.  If he could complete the reprogramming he was working on, it would be a tremendous load off her positronic mind.

OOC: sorry for short post Post was intended for purposes of creating a dialogue rather than setting an extensive scene.

---

[ Deck 06 corridors in transit to Deck 7 Recovery Ward ] Attn Thea and Lt J.G. Douglas

Miles smiled to himself hearing the wolf howl and the words that Skye had said and he knew that the away mission was in good hands with her at the runabout's helm.  For now though he was concearned about the fellow wolf in recovery as he made a beeline to the turbolift.  He didn't encounter anyone as he made his way to the lift, and  upon entering the lift he spoke up, "Deck 7, Recovery Ward please."

As the turbolift began to move Miles tapped his combadge and spoke up, "Leutenant Renard to Thea, what is the status of Leutenant J.G. Douglas?  Have there been any significant changes to his vitals and how long does it appear until he is able to be awoken?"  he asked as the turbolift hummed away traveling through the ship to his destination.

[Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Deck 07]

Khorin blinked and looked at his hand grasping Thea's arm, staring dumbly at it for a moment, before he finally realized what she was talking about. He relaxed his grip and pulled his hand away, letting the AI's arm go. "Sorry about that," he muttered. "I imagine holograms don't bruise, but still...sorry." He cleared his harsh, dry throat, and nodded in response to Thea's question. "Could I have some water? I feel like I haven't had anything to drink in ages."

As Thea retrieved his water, Khorin relaxed as best as he could, thinking over what she'd told him. A week and a half of his life had been lost. While that troubled him, he was relieved to hear that the ship was no longer being pursued. Still, he hoped that after this mission to Nimbus III the Theurgy would be in a better condition to start investigating the conspiracy within Starfleet that led to their exile. Khorin hoped that one day he would meet the honorless petaQs so that he could repay their betrayal in person.

"I think I'm okay," he told Thea, responding to her second question. "I'm still a little groggy, and my head feels like the anvil Kahless used to forge the first bat'leth. But I'll not lie here like some mewling pup," he growled. "How much longer must I wait for the EMH to examine me? I'd like to see my squadmates." Khorin was particularly worried about his wingman. Thea had neglected to mention what had happened to them.

"Leutenant Renard to Thea, what is the status of Leutenant J.G. Douglas?  Have there been any significant changes to his vitals and how long does it appear until he is able to be awoken?

"Good timing," Khorin said, smirking as he leaned back on the biobed.

[Gymnasium | Deck 07]

David listened to more than just Ida's words as he held the bag for her. He listened to the rhythm of her breathing, the force of her punches. His enhanced hearing could even pick up the sound of her heart racing in her chest. It was clear that she was more distressed than usual, which for Ida meant quite a lot.

"I think it's safe to say that we're all a little rattled by what happened," David admitted. "I've been in Starfleet for nearly a decade and I've seen a lot of strange things in that time, but never anything like what we came across on Niga." He held the bag with one hand, his enhanced strength keeping the heavy bag from moving despite Ida's furious assault, while he glanced around it to look at his second-in-command. "Listen, I know it seems like I've been avoiding you these past few days, and I thought it might be time to do something about that. We didn't exactly start off on the right foot, and for the sake of the department I'd like us to figure out some way to coexist."

He neglected to mention the incident with Edena Rez just prior to the infection, not having received word from Captain Ives yet regarding how to proceed. Until he heard otherwise, David would avoid the subject. He knew how easy it was to draw Idea's ire, and he'd prefer to avoid doing so if possible.

[ Captain's Ready Room | Deck 01 ]

Watching Edena as she spoke before lowering his eyes to the PADD - containing the report of the incident with the Theurgy's Deputy - Jien Ives got the feeling that there was more to this unorthodox request to have the matter handled off the record. As to what it might be that made Edena chose to take the high road instead of making and example out of ThanIda zhWann, Jien could not guess, though he filed it away as an idle curiosity. At best, it was some kind of friendship gone wrong with the lifting of Edena's false charade, or at worst, they were accomplices in something. The latter did not make any sense, however, since it would have been more beneficial to their act if ThanIda indeed was punished.

"I think it might be for the best if you did, since if we were to make an official investigation and I would judge the outcome, it might be hard to settle on a verdict. The reports say that there was no security surveillance active for when the threats were made, since the Deputy had inactivated it in your quarters. It would be word against word, and you being the higher ranking officer, it might just fall into your favour. Then again, there might be co-workers of hers in the Security Department that would give her an alibi..." Jien pinched the bridge of his nose and put the PADD down. "Do as you wish. If you find merit in a more gentle approach to the matter by attempt of winning over the Andorian's thrust, then I will not stop you. Perhaps our stoic Deputy will cease thinking that her name has been completely sullied, just because I decided to forego promoting her to Chief of Security because of a mistake of hers. You must know which one I mean. It would not have been in her favour if she had been promoted, since she might not have had the trust of her Department. So, I chose David Grayson based on his merits and track-record without even comparing it to Lt. zh'Wann's. Something which a proud Andorian like her, raised a Guardsman and all, did not take too kindly to, and she has been rather... bitter since then."

Speaking of promotions, there was another matter that they had to decide upon.

"As First Officer of the Theurgy, you are the one that the SCO of the Lone Wolves reports directly to, and your role on the Bridge in Mission Ops - among other things - is to be in communication with our squadron of fighters. I trust you have set aside time to become familiar with the details pertaining to communication with the Lone Wolves when they are deployed and in combat. As it stands, we have no SCO, and we need to pick a new alpha for the pack. Something I have given some thought to."

Sliding forth a PADD with a personnel file, Jien continued. "They were sixteen to begin with, yet decimated as the Lone Wolves are, the new SCO will have to re-organise the squadron so that we have three fully manned Flights with four Valkyries in each, given that we have lost three of the prototypes in combat and the fourth is damaged beyond repair - Wolf-07 not having left Sickbay yet either. There is one pilot whom has extensive experience, yet not solely from Starfleet Aerospace Command or Tactical Conn. It is the very same pilot we reclaimed from the Transporter buffer, and whom we grounded on the Theurgy because of his actions. Still, I'd say he has shown a rather good attitude about it, assisting the Fighter Assault Bay as much as he has been able despite the fact that we clipped his wings."

Pausing to let Edena consider his suggestion for the new SCO, Jien only added the obvious. "I suggest you take it under evaluation, and that you speak with him when you have the time. If not on your own, we could summon him here right now. It depends on whether or not we have more to discuss."

[ Upper Shuttle Bay | Deck 06 ] Closing time, last call! 1-2 more if you feel so inclined and your character has been cleared for joining with his/her superior officer. Skye and Kae, please prepare for take-off in the meantime?

"Splendid, let's not tarry," said Dr. Nicander and picked up his bag, leading the way into the Runabout.

Inside, he dropped the bag in the rear compartments and seated himself in one of the chairs, the other one being the pilot's seat and reserved for the Wolf in their midst. He assisted her as best as he might to power up the shuttle and and make some visual checks on the internal sensors. It was all routine, and the talons of his mind was busy with more interesting things, like how he might best use this mission to his advantage. The draw-back was that he would lack a starship to use in his ambition for genocide, yet then again, he might easily become commissioned upon a new ship, if he just let his kin in Starfleet Command give him a new and unsullied identity.

The entry hatch remained open for a couple of seconds more.

[ Recovery Ward | Sickbay | Deck 07 ]

Smiling and even chuckling a little at the plainly detectable humour of the situation - both from the fascinating vocabulary of the Junior Lieutenant as well as the timely chirp and voice from the squadmate, Thea did as was expected. She activated the EMH Mk.I before answering Lt. Renard, doing so without having to use voice-command since she rarely had to talk to... herself, in essence.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," said the holographic doctor, and from one hologram to another, Thea instructed him to make a medical examination of Khorin Douglas. "Very well, it was not like I had anything else to do..."

Watching the EMH sigh before he began scanning the half-blood Klingon on the recovery bed, Thea answered Lt. renard without having to tap any combadge. "This is Thea," she said and stepped away a couple of steps, "As a matter of fact, Junior Lieutenant Douglas has just woken up and is being examined as we speak. He is still not completely recovered, despite his wishes to leave Sickbay and speak with you and the other Lone Wolves. My recommendation, for his sake, is that he rests here for a day or two more, but that depends on the examination."

"Do you feel any pain when I do this?" asked the EMH blandly behind her shoulder and prodded the patient with his force-field fingertips in various locations, having completed the scans. "When was the last time you visited Sickbay? Have you been doing your physical check-ups on a regular basis?"

The questions poured from the hologram's mouth while Thea tried to keep herself from laughing as she observed.

[ Gymnasium | Deck 07 ]

Ida was surprised to hear that her superior officer had been trying to avoid her, much because she had been doing very much the same thing when it came to him. It was a curiosity that stayed with her, and she chose to comment on it.

"I see," she said and finished another volley against the sack. Her top was soaked through with perspiration, and her blue skin glistened in the artificial lights from her exertions. She came to lean against the sack with one arm and looked towards 'Cmdr. Grayson. She could only see half of his face beyond the sack, much like he would only be able to see half of hers. Nathaniel Isley, on the other hand, was granted the quite formidable view of her bottom as she leaned that way, even though she did not consider that. Her focus was upon the mystery she had stumbled upon.

Let the Pinkskin interrogation begin.

"Why is it so that you would avoid me, when it was I whom was passed over for a promotion? Should it not be the other way around?" she raised an eyebrow at him, her antennae rising a little as well. "Furthermore, what would you reckon we'll have to do if we are supposed to learn to co-exist, beyond you not avoiding me for some reason? Is there a Starfleet or human solution for it? Please explain, sir."

[ Recovery Ward | Sickbay | Deck 07 ] (sorry for another short post I have trouble coming up with things to describe regarding walking down a corridor of a starship)

As Thea answered, Miles smiled inwardly hearing the prognosis. "That's great to hear Ma'am," he said politely as the turbolift came to a stop and the door opened with a soft hiss.  He approached the recovery ward his tail swaying behind him before he stopped for a second.  He glanced at the semblance of a reflection of his in the glare of a computer panel checking his hair slightly and took out a small shop towel out of his flight jacket.  He used it to quickly rub off a bit of sweat and a slight bit of low grade flight surface lubricant from his hands before continuing his way towards the recovery ward.  Not satisfied with the cleanliness or lack thereof of his hands, he took out a pair of gloves from his pockets and put them on knowing that filthy hands would not be likely to be welcome in the medical bay, and at the moment the clean gloves were the best he could do until he had a chance to wash up and change into his spare flight jacket set.  Nearing the Sickbay he responded to Thea again,  "Would you mind opening the door for me by the way. I'm almost there as we speak?"

[Deck 02 - Senior officers Quarters ] - open tag

Natalie stood outside the doors, hesitant to walk forward and trigger them. She knew the room was empty, the contents of the previous tenet stored away in stasis in one of the smaller cargo bays, until such time as the personal artifacts could be returned to the deceased family. The deceased. Your superior officer. Hendricks. You remember Hendricks, right? Fell into the -- The young woman stops herself with an angry shake of her head. He's dead, no point in being haunted by his ghost. She sighed softly, and tucked some of her loose hair back behind her ear, as she stared down the doors, noting with a frown that there were still scorch marks. Whether the damage to the door had come from the various fights as the ship had fled Federation space, or the events of a week ago, the newly minted Chief of Operations didn't know, and didn't care. She made a mental note to clean the doors.

With a deep breath, the young woman walked forward. The sensors registered her presence and slid apart with a hiss. The room was dark, and the lights didn't automatically rise when Natalie entered, though the doors did slide shut, bathing the room in the glow of the stars outside, flaring by as the ship cruised along at Warp Speed. It caused the whole room to take on a deep bluish tint. It took the young woman a few minutes for her eyes to adjust, as she drops the oversized duffle bag containing her entire worldly possessions to the floor with a light thump.

"Computer," she pauses, as if afraid to see what's left in the dimly lit room, "lights, half" The room slowly lights up, enough to see clearly, but not overload her eyes, the warm, but dim glow washing the remaining darkness from the curved outer hull walls, and sending the shadows into the corners. She could see the door to the bedroom, off on the left. The main room was organized so that there was a small dining section, off on the far right, with a bit of a living area dominating the main portion of the room. On the interior wall just to the left of the door was a work station set up, an angled 'L' desk that would let her watch the door if she chose. Already, Natalie was going through a list of tools she wanted to requisition for personal use, to put the much larger desk to use.

The bedroom was larger then her previous one, and the bed doubly so. She ran her fingers over the sheets, the upper blanket with the standard Starfleet delta and the inscription USS Theurgy across it. She smiled a bit, as this one was in far better condition then the one she left behind. Turning, she walks over to the bath unit...and feels her jaw drop. As much as she dreaded moving to the new quarters her new rank and position had earned her, the full bath tub went along way to making that dread vanish. he'd want me to enjoy it, after all. Wouldn't be living up to his memory if I didn't.

---

OOC: just some fluff :)

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

So she had a couple meetings to handle, both an interview for the position of SCO, as well as an off-the-record chat with Ida.  Filling a new position was always something that wasn't ventured into lightly, so she had to be certain that the man rescued from the transport buffer was the one cut out for the job.  Before she met with him, she would have to take a look at his personnel file, just to be sure she knew everything she needed to about the man.  Illya and Jona, with their psychological and operations knowledge, could also help in judging him as a man suited for the job.

"I will be sure to review his record and speak with him about the position, sir.  Unless you need anything more of me, I will handle that matter now."  A last chance for Jien to bring up any other matters before Edena showed herself to the door, and went to her own XO Ready Room to acquire the needed records on Lieutenant Miles Renard.



[Lin Kae - Upper Shuttle Bay]

The Engineering Officer stepped into the shuttlecraft and made himself comfortable at the tactical station, leaving the Pilot's chair to Skye, and the co-pilot position for the senior officer, Lt. Commander Lucan.  His role was simply to provide support if the need came, whether it was re-routing power to shields or thrusters or simply to scan the surface of the planet for a place where Carver could take them down.  Kae performed the standard diagnostics that his station required, and had almost done them for the rest of the ship, before remembering how personal a fighter pilot might take that.  This was their den, after all, and he'd do no good trying to perform their launch preparations.

[Sickbay - Recovery Ward | Deck 07]

Khorin hissed in a mix of pain and irritation as the EMH poked and prodded at him. "QI'yaH!" he cursed, snarling. "Be thankful that those fingers of yours aren't real, otherwise I'd rip them off and shove them down your throat!"

"When was the last time you visited Sickbay? Have you been doing your physical check-ups on a regular basis?"

"Of course I have," Khorin growled impatiently. "Shouldn't the EMH have instant access to every crewmember's medical file? I'm fine! Just give me something for the pain, if you must, and let me go." While he was still in pain, Khorin would never admit that the real reason he was so anxious to leave sickbay was because he was embarrassed. He was a warrior, and a Klingon. Had he been serving on a KDF ship he'd have been back on duty as soon as he'd woken up. When Khorin left Qo'noS with his mother all those years ago, he promised his father he'd never let the Federation make him weak, and yet here he was, laid up like some invalid. He had to get out of there.

Khorin heard the voice of Lieutenant Renard over the comm again, and his gaze turned upon Thea. He would not ask for her help--nor would he ask it of anyone else, for that matter--but a small, shameful part of him hoped that she would intervene.

[Gymnasium | Deck 07]

"As I said, the two of us didn't really get off on the right foot," David replied. "I know you weren't happy with Captain Ives' decision to promote me over you, and ever since that day things have been rather...cool between us." The corner of his mouth ticked downward in a slight frown. "It seems that our department is divided between those who support me and those who feel you were unjustly punished. And maybe you were, but that's in the past now." He shrugged. "Look, I get the sense that you don't particularly like me, Ida, and I'd like to change that, so here's my proposal."

David let go of the punching bag and stepped around it so that he was facing Ida directly. "When humans want to get to know each other better, one thing they like to do is share a meal together and talk. About themselves, about the person they're with, their interests, whatever. If you're willing, I'd like you to join me for dinner tonight in my quarters. I'm familiar with Andorian cuisine, so I'd be more than happy to prepare something." He nodded to her. "I'm not saying we have to be friends, Ida, but I think it would help if we could at least come to some kind of understanding. What do you say?"

[ Captain's Ready Room | Deck 01 ]

Just as Edena was about to head for the door, prompt to act on the need to establish whom 'Commnader Jaru' successor would be, Jien did stall her with two last questions.

"I realise that I treated you unfairly, in how I basically left you no choice but to accept your current position," he said to her quietly where he sat behind his desk, for once not appearing to be like a fully drawn bow about to detonate in action, "At the same time, you must realise my reasons for choosing you instead of anyone else, trained for Command as you are and with the experience of your former hosts adding to that of Edena Lal."

Her unjoined Trill name, which he had indeed looked up. "What interest me now, as we have a moment of peace, is your opinion about my choice. Be it either your own, or the opinion of your former hosts." Remaining perfectly still where he sat, he added his second query. "I also wonder - because of what happened to you in the Brig - if you would rather I wore my other Chosen Form in your company. Something that I would not begrudge you the slightest... if it would matter any to you."

As an apologetic gesture in compensation for what had happened, it came up short... yet it was a gesture nonetheless.

[ Recovery Ward | Sickbay | Deck 07 ]

While Thea covered her mouth, the EMH rolled his eyes at the objections from the patient and continued his examination - pushing up an eyelid and shining light into the pupil to see if it reacted.

"You will be given anaesthetics when I am done, 'Lieutenant. How bad is the pain? Does it come and go or is it constant? Does it affect your feelings, your duties or both? If so, to what degree are those parameters affected?" The doctor evaluated the head and neck area by examining the head, scalp, mouth, salivary glands, thyroid gland and cervical nodes. Even organs such as the tonsils, tongue, gums, scalp, teeth and membranes was assessed with his hands. Furthermore, he examined and evaluated the arms, legs and neck joints to assess such things as joint mobility and spine alignment. "What parts of the body does the pain affect and does that change over time? Do you take any medication, supplements or herbal remedies? If so, what dose, how often and what is it meant to be treating?"

Oh, but it was good to laugh, even though she had to be quiet and hide it by checking various things on the control panels in the Recovery Ward. It was something quite... endearing about the poor pilot, and she just had to let the EMH conduct the exam. She was very interested to hear the verdict since the patient did not seem able to keep up with the questions since he was being tugged and pulled at simultaneously.

"Have you ever had an allergic or adverse reaction to any medication? Are you sexually active? Do you have more than one sexual partner? Are any of your sexual partners of the same sex? Do you use any method of protection? Have you ever had an STD?"

Eyes widening, Thea made a quick strangled noise in her throat lest she would have laughed out loud. Yet somehow, she found that she was - on a scale of 1 to 10 - 8,965 interested to hear the answers... Alas, the comm chirped and announced that Lt. Renard wanted to enter the Recovery Ward, and Thea had to let him in - making her miss out on Mr. Douglas' reaction. Perhaps she ought to stop the doctor if he had a visitor...?
 
"Thank you, doctor. That will be all for now," she said, making the other hologram look up at her with a frown.

"But... But I am not finished."

"Please doctor, you can continue later. I assure you that he will not go anywhere." And she deactivated him mid-sentence about taking stool-samples, again without having to use any verbal command. "It seems you have a visitor, 'Lieutenant Douglas. I will be looking after the other patients while you talk."

Smiling and inclining her head to Lt. Miles as she walked away, Thea made a quick-access route in her database to the recording of the event.

[ Gymnasium | Deck 07 ]

In the end, Ida came to realise that the outcome of this random meeting with her Chief of Security was wholly dependant on her willingness to keep holding a grudge. She might be trained to be a proud guardsman, and raised on Andoria to keep her grudges in accordance with her native culture - to hold it deep within and let it out when the offender least knew it. However, she was also an educated Starfleet Officer, whom had been taught and knew her own short-comings, and this was such a time when her reasons had been cast in perspective. It made the acid remark rolling inside her mouth become to bitter to hold, so she swallowed it and tossed a few strands of hair from her midnight blue eyes - buying seconds for further thought.

"Very well, Pinkskin," she said, since they were already discussing matters not duty-related, and she tried a small smile. She cocked a hip and set her hand on it while she considered her answer - sweat running down her temple. "I do not know how much you and I might talk besides duties and the department, yet I will accept the social conduct that you suggest. However, I have one condition... that if your notion of Andorian cuisine offends me, or we find no common ground in interests and conversation fails us, we will end the evening and formalise our work in the Security Office instead. There is no need for either of us to suffer through an evening that is bound to fall short of its mark to establish an understanding, and let us become further distanced than we are now."

Looking away briefly, Ida wondered if there was ought else she was expected to say. He had been the one to suggest the spectacle anyway. She looked back with a determined frown and decided to end the matter. She was supposed to spend the evening in the Chief's company anyway. "I will come by your quarters at 1900 hrs and I might bring my drawing book as well if you are not finished in time. Good day to you, 'Commander."

With that, she picked up her towel and dried her face whilst heading for the showers - not about to discomfited by more awkward social interactions with this particular Pinkskin.

Skye waited until the others boarded and then followed, pausing at the entrance to watch the two of them go to their stations and simply observe them for a few moments.  Lucan was doing a check of the systems and seemed satisfied, definitely at ease with things so far.  Lin Kae however was looking like he might explode and then gave her the impression he felt like he was trying to sneak cookies.  Going over to him, she rested her hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze.  "At ease," she said softly.  "We're all part of a team and covering each others' asses is a good thing.  I'd only bite you if this were Kestrel," she winked and made her way to the pilot's seat.

There was an unconscious sinewy grace as she sat in the chair and immediately began reaching to tap and check all systems one last time.  Her eyes were sharp and focused, completely in the zone of piloting and protecting those entrusted in her care.  "Everything is ready, Sir," she stated again and closed the shuttle's door.  "This is Wolf-03, the Runabout is ready to launch."  After a few moments, the launch pad doors opened and Skye brought the shuttle up off the floor and eased them out into space.  There was a light in her eyes, something seen in any pilot who loved their job.

Though she hadn't had questions before, a thought popped up and she figured now was as good a time as any to ask.  "Now that we're on our way, Sir," she said as she plugged in the coordinates for Nimbus III and the shuttle set off smooth and true, "will this be all business or will we have a chance to look around some too?"  With all the stress of repairs and their situation, it would be nice to be able to kick back for a real meal at a place she'd never seen before.  Maybe even something more than a meal but she wouldn't get her hopes up too much.

Miles noticed the AI hologram was waiting for him as walked past the threshold his tail slightly moving with his walk as he turned his eyes quickly to each all as he entered the room his vulcan like ears twitching slightly as he looked around picking up on the more minor sounds in the room as he entered. "Thanks, Thea."  he said politely as he glanced around the room looking over a few datapads regarding the Lt.'s condition.

he finally made his way to the biobed and looked towards the part Klingon and sat down on a chair near the bed, "I have some information for you that I am sure you will be glad to hear.  First of all regarding your rather chaotic landing, your Valkyrie was very easily repairable and is back to flying shape.  You did great in bringing her home.  Secondly, we are currently a short staffed in maintenance and will be needing all the help we can get." 

He paused and continued knowing the next part was a bit less what the warrior wanted to hear.  "Before any arguments are heard otherwise, I am having to make this clear to you.  My advice as a fellow Wolf is that you are to follow the good doctor's recommendations on being grounded until she gives the all clear."  he then breathed a sigh of relief before continuing.

"I do however, understand your sense of Klingon honor and your need to return to work, so I'll be making a recommendation.  As soon as you are you are cleared to stand and walk for extended times, your rehabilitation and recovery will be spent in a way that doesn't have you sitting around in sickbay being monitored.  I have a few light work load ideas that I will run by Thea.  As your doctor she will have the final say in approving them.  I am sure that a compromise can be reached between she and I though.  I am going to tell you up front that the work isn't as glorious, so to speak, as piloting but its work that needs to be done.   Besides, Thea's been doing a good job patching you up.  May as well join those helping patch her up as soon as you can be up and walking right?"  he said finishing as he looked the Klingon-born in the eyes making it clear that these weren't orders as he had no authority to give those. But, these were the honest recommendations of a fellow pilot.

[ En Route to Nimbus III ]

Taken out of his thoughts by the speaker - this pilot that seemed to enjoy the prospect of leaving the Theurgy behind - Lucan had the brief inclination to ram her head down into the control panel to silence her up. He didn't, however, but gave her a lop-sided smile instead. She was the plot, after all, and he could have some use of her for a while longer.

"Our business on Nimbus III has certain limits to it in terms of how much time we may spend on duty," he commented off-hand, raising his eyebrows as he counted them off by gesturing with a tattooed hand. "There is the the times when the markets are closed, when the traders in the taverns are too drunk or too shy to come forth, when the prices are too high and when we need to sleep in shifts to make sure we are not robbed during the night. Moreover, we must protect our assembled hoard so that the Theurgy can beam it up when it enters the planet's orbit... Nevertheless, we do have some time for more... frivolous activities."

His suave tone added with the casual gander along Skye Carver's finely accentuated profile might have been caught as a charmer's flavoured pass on the pilot, had he not made a joke about it all with his mock-serious expression. He did enjoy playing the jester when he had the time and opportunity for it. Still, in every joke there was just that ounce of truth, and Lucan would certainly not mind taking advantage of the Ensign befoe he killed her and the half-blood Bajoran youth. Speaking of which...

"Lt. Kae, have you ever been to Nimbus III?" he asked, trying to make conversation and draw attention from whatever the Engineer was thinking about. Thea, most likely...

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

She was almost gone when Jien spoke up again, a final two comments for her to consider.  The first was an easier question to answer, though she had a feeling she would have to work up much more strength to handle the second.  It was, after all, discussing a much more personal nature between the two of them, as a result of the outbreak.

"I think anyone who gets excited about being appointed to a position like Executive officer doesn't know what they are in for.  It's a prestigious position, but it carries a depth of responsibility that can't be fully described in words.  Despite that, I accept the position as my own, knowing I can serve this crew, whom I have come to respect deeply, to the fullest of my ability.  I suppose I am an untapped resource in that way.  The CMO has his duties, as does the Chief of Security, Engineering, and Tactical officers.  Serving as your first officer . . . that is how I can best serve the Theurgy, and I do so happily."

That settled one question, but as much as she wished she could keep talking about the first until Jien forgot his second question, she knew she couldn't put it off.  She had to call up those memories and speak on them.  "You were under the influence of an Alien infection, and were absolved of your crimes the same as anyone else.  I do not harbor any ill will towards you, or the form you are currently in, sir.  With time, those memories will become fainter, and I will be stronger for conquering them.  For the sake of assuring that strength comes sooner then later, I would ask not to be coddled.  Just continue on as though all is fine, sir."

Maybe the sight of Jien's male form would illicit some memories, but she couldn't just hide from them either.  "Is that all, sir?  Or do you require anything else of me?"



[Lin Kae - Shuttle]

Skye's response was filed away in the young lieutenant's mind.  Keep his hands of her personal Valkyrie or risk losing said hand.  It was easy advice to live by, and a message from what he might have described as a rose.  Sure, she was lovely looking, but her thorns could be deadly if he forgot himself.  It could be true for many women, but those trained for combat, be it on the ground or in space, were usually much more dangerous.

Lucan's question broke from from his computer screen, Kae pivoting the chair in the direction of the co-pilot's chair, to make his words carry more clearly.  "I've spent most of my life living on Starbases and ships, sir.  Can't say I have set foot on many planets."  Even when others were enjoying shore leave on Risa, Kae would have preferred to simply enjoy a Holographic recreation of such a destination, more comfortable surrounded by photons and forcefields then organic matter.  It always felt . . . easier in some strange way.

Skye made a purely internal sigh of frustration.  She was stuck with a handshy youngling who obviously didn't get that she'd been teasing him to help him lighten up a little.  Then there was the CMO who was trying to be smooth and somewhat charming yet she didn't miss the condescension in his ticking off of things that she already knew, though had hoped there might be a little time.

"Just a good meal or two of something different would be nice, Sir," she stated pleasantly and glanced his way.  He was handsome for sure but there was something about him that just didn't appeal to her.  He just didn't have enough humor and light heartedness though she had to admit sometimes someone more serious could be enjoyable company.  No, there was just something offputting about him.

She didn't really know either man she was piloting for but when Lucan asked the younger man if he'd been to Nimbus III, she turned to look at him as he answered.  His answer brought a hint of concern, a seeming reticence to actually go out and explore things hiding underneath the surface.  Suddenly she realized she just might have to play babysitter for him though he had held up well during the infection.

In spite of her reservations about the two, she at least took comfort in knowing she wasn't alone.  Over the weeks alone, she realized just how much of a Wolf she was and needed her pack.  She could tolerate being alone for a little while but given the chance, she craved company.  "Well you'll get to walk where Kirk and Spock did so there's something to look forward to," she tried to encourage the young man.

[Sickbay - Recovery Ward | Deck 07]

Khorin sighed with relief as the obnoxious EMH faded away. The holographic doctor's constant prodding and its incessant questions had nearly driven the young pilot into a rage. Before Khorin could answer one question, the EMH had spouted off another one, leaving Khorin flustered which, combined with his somewhat groggy state and the dull pain in his head, would have been a recipe for disaster. The EMH was lucky it was just a collection of photons.

When Thea sent the EMH away, he thanked her with a grateful nod, even though he could tell how much she'd been enjoying Khorin's predicament. His cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment, but he forced himself to put it aside when Lieutenant Renard entered the room. Khorin pushed himself up into a more upright position. He winced as pain flared through his skull, but he gritted his teeth and willed the pain to go away.

"It's good to see you again, Fox," Khorin said as he brought his right hand up into the Lone Wolves' informal two-finger salute. "It looks like I'm not the only Wolf to come back from the dead."

He listened as Miles filled him in. He was glad to hear that he'd managed to get his Valkyrie back in mostly one piece. To be honest, he really couldn't remember exactly how he'd done it. When the senior pilot recommended that he not return to active duty immediately, however, Khorin's eyes narrowed and he started to argue. But then Miles continued, suggesting that Khorin could take on some lighter work until he was back in fighting shape. Khorin sat back and pondered the idea for a moment. While he found the idea of being someone else's errand boy insulting, he realized that he'd be of little use in a cockpit until his head injury had fully healed. The work would be menial, he knew that, but at least he would be doing something, and not wasting away on a biobed.

"That sounds...agreeable," Khorin grumbled. "As long as I'm making myself useful." He glanced over at Thea. "That's assuming you sign off on the idea, of course."

[Gymnasium | Deck 07] Attn: Nathaniel Isley

David nodded in agreement to Ida's conditions, finding them fairly sensible. No sense in us wasting each other's time any more than we have to, he thought. "Nineteen hundred it is, then," he said, offering Ida a smile. "I'll look forward to it."

He watched the Andorian head off for the showers, wondering what had happened to her to make her so difficult to deal with. Shaking his head, he decided he'd find out more about Ida later that night and started to head for the showers as well. On his way he passed Nathaniel Isley, who was still lifting weights. David watched the pilot for a moment, nodding in approval at Isley's technique. A lot of people didn't know the first thing about weight lifting and ended up hurting themselves more often than not, but it was clear to David that Isley knew what he was doing.

"Pretty impressive," he noted when he saw how much weight Nathan was handling. "How high up can you get it before you have to stop?"

David didn't interact much with Nathan, nor with any of the Lone Wolves, really, but he was familiar with the man's profile. He was curious about him. Isley had a reputation for being a bit of a maverick with attitude to spare, but when it counted most he always seemed to come through, much like he did during the recent virus incident. David didn't particularly care much for the first aspect of Nathaniel's character, but he found the latter aspect interesting.

Miles immediately returned the wolves' salute as he saw it from the part Klingon.  He listened carefully hearing the resistance to the work which he presumed the klingon thought would be light work only. Work like like running paperwork across a maintenance bay. Miles smirked to himself as he added, "What I was wanting to suggest was far from errand-boy work.  When i said it was less glorious, by that I meant its grunt work, stuff usually relegated crewmen and petty officers.  You know, the kinda work they give to flyboys like me who have their wings clipped as punishment.  If you don't think you can take doing manual labor yet, I'll drop the idea completely.  I also understand if you feel a officer isn't supposed to have to do 'real work' unless they were being punished."  Miles said this after turning his back on the lieutenant.  He could not hide the mischievous grin he had at the idea of trying reverse psychology on a Klingon, or a part Klingon at least.

Miles walked over to where the ship's avatar was busy checking up on a few patients.  He was barely able to contain the grin he had at his recent actions as he spoke up. "When you finish with this patient could I talk to you in your office?"

[ Captain's Ready Room | Deck 01 ] Attn: Brutus

Jien shook his head, quietly saying that she was dismissed. Yet after she had left, when he was alone, he looked down into his calloused palms - upon the hands that had done such harm. Images of what he had seen through the mindless creature's eyes assailed him. The brutality. The hunger. The relentlessness.

"I did not mean to coddle you... Number One," he rasped slowly as he turned his hands over, and by his will, he made his knuckles seem bloodied and scarred. "My request to know... was my request to change... for I remember myself when I look upon you through these eyes."

Only silence answered him, and he clenched his fists - his knuckles whole again. I am stronger than this. I have to be. I have no choice but to be. I cannot admit fear or weakness, and therefore, I am beyond this bloody pain. Nothing will make me bend. Nothing shall make me break. The enemy will know fear. Not me. Not now. Not I. Not until I have taken them all home, and rectified their names. The truth be my guiding light, death shall visit our enemies... and the purging fires shall cleanse the Fleet until only the Federation of old may be reborn... in the ashes of war.

With a grimace, Jien got to his feet and walked out the door - emerging on the Bridge. "As you were," he said when the Second Officer made to call out that the Captain was on the Bridge, "inform me if we make contact with any vessels in this asteroid belt. Otherwise continue on course towards the Nimbus System."

Hearing the 'Aye, Captain,' Jien entered the Turbolift and made his way to the Senior Officer Quarters. He nodded and smiled to those whom greeted him as he passed them by, until he reached Commander Hendrick's old quarters. Jien remembered having spent many evenings there, discussing wartime memories and drinking twenty-five year old single malt whiskey from the Yamazaki distillery in his native part of Earth. Now, Hendricks would not be there, and Jien had no illusions about being able to share the same kind of comfort with the woman residing in those quarters now. No, not after what he had done to her in that transporter room.

Much for the same reasons that Jien had chosen to address the issue with Edena, he now chimed the door to the bathing Chief of Operations - Natalie Stark.

[ Recovery Ward | Sickbay | Deck 07 ]

Looking from the patient she had just spoken with, Thea was surprised at what Lt. Renard said. Moreover, what she had picked up saying just earlier.

"No you can't," said Thea, then gestured with a small smile to indicate the whole of he ship, "unless you mean my home and hull as a whole, yet I suppose that would have been a strange formulation for you to phrase it so. No, I do not possess any physical office here. Only the CMO and Chief Counsellor does. Nor am I  Junior Lieutenant Khorin Douglas' doctor either, as I heard you tell him, since that duty now befalls our two EMH since Dr. Nicander is on a brief away mission. I am merely here - in Sickbay - in the capacity of being a medical assistant, perhaps doing some nursing duties now that Jovela is in stasis. My knowledge in this Department no greater than that, but I am learning... Still, I nowhere near the kind expertise that the EMH possess."

Hardly surprising that she had been given too much credit by the fighter pilot, since many of the crew were mistaken about where and what kind of role she had beyond the interface in the comm system. After two years assisting all the departments and possessing just theoretical data to begin with, she was now of some help at least, but not yet to the degree she hoped she might be one day. Her projection's work on board was highly stimulating for her, and some days, she could actually come to look forward to jump in when the need was great. True, in this first quiet time in a great while for the crew of her physical self, she enjoyed it all the more.

There was no joy to serve Sickbay when it was in dire need for her. Rather terrifying, in fact. 76,454 % terrifying.

"If you want to tell me something," she said to the Lieutenant with a pleasant smile, "feel free to do so, but I would rather not use Dr. Nicander's office unless absolutely required." What was it that the Vulpinian wanted to tell her in private...? Was it...? No, this was decidedly not some kind of holonovel about love in white at some Terran hospital.

"Oh, is it about your suggestion to Hardtop, such as you might call him? I am afraid that is up to the EMH, but I am sure that he will be given leave to return to his quarters in a a day or two. Now that he is awake, he just needs to take it easy whilst reactivating himself."

[ En Route to Nimbus III ] <-- a jump in time, and now they are landing the ship covertly near the city.

When the chatter about heroes of old began, Lucan tuned out a bit - looking out at the stars that whisked by.

He thought of his kin, his likeminded back on Earth, and where they might need him best. To remain with this opposition of theirs and keep sabotaging things from within, or to expand upon their influence on some new vessel. There were great merits in both, yet he would much rather be aboard another ship that was not so... on edge all the time. Things would be so much easier. To use another ship as a vector for taking out the Câroon race, and the rest of the furthering causes of his ilk.

The hours wore on, and they would be arriving at Nimbus III during the late evening - local time. The last couple of hours, in order to compensate for the planet-side daylight hours, Lucan lay down upon his bunk to sleep for an hour or two when possible. He did not, however, restless as he was, and instead lay awake, thinking about the small abomination that he had taken from Cadet Amikris' uterus. He remembered the gratitude of the Ash'reem when he had assisted them, and he came to wonder if he was not growing a spot for them - this species both fragile and strong.

Eventually, he drifted off, only to be awakened by the expected declaration...

[Edena Rez - Personal Quarters]

With her meeting with Jien Ives at an end, Edena returned to her quarters.  The promotion to Executive Officer had seen yet another upgrade in her quarters, seeing her go from the simple bedroom of a Counsellor to her more impressive suite as an Intelligence Officer, to the second finest quarters available on the Theurgy.  The transporter chief had been kind enough to use a site-to-site transport to move everything in her old quarters to her new one, leaving only a need to get everything in it's proper place. 

"Computer," Edena said, causing the intercom in her room to chime in compliance.  "Send a message to both Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann and Lieutenant Miles Renard.  I wish to see them both at  the earliest time possible."  Another chime of complaince before all was silent again.  She had business with both, but not knowing what they might have been doing, she simply left it to them to get in contact or find her when they were prepared.  In the meantime, she could continue work on readying her new quarters.

((Kept Edena open to either Renard or Ida, whichever becomes available first.  No need to rush anything they are currently doing))

[ Recovery Ward | Sickbay | Deck 07 ]

Miles nodded understanding what she was saying, "Sorry I was under the assumption that you were placed as interim CMO rather than interim nurse to the EMH's as CMOs.  Well then,  as assistant to the current chief medical officer, I will leave you with this. " 

He then handed her a datapad with a few ideas as to light, moderate, and heavier workloads that the Lieutenant could potentially be approved for throughout different stages of his recovery.  "Please have either of the EMH's review it as soon as possible.  Also, if you wouldn't mind, I would like you to look over the suggestions using your engineering interface before handing it over to the doctors."

He finally added as he looked over the PADD with the information on it.  "Please feel free to change things as you see fit.. I just feel that a work based rehabilitation program would be more beneficial to both your physical body, the Theurgy, and to his Klingon pride and sense of honor."   He paused as he spoke. He was acting much more nervous than usual, especially more nervous than he usually was around members of the fairer sex.  His tail was drooped lower than usual, the muscles in his pointed ears made them less perky as if slightly flattened out, and his eyes were rarely looking directly into Thea's at the moment.  He began to nervously wonder what she would think of the suggestions he had compiled.  All in all Miles as acting much like a submissive pup afraid of disappointing it's master.

Miles had never felt this way around a female before.  Even the most beautiful of vixens of his home world never caused such shyness or fright.  It wasn't because of his races inborn AI fears.  He had gotten over those fears long ago, or so he thought.  No, it wasn't a phobia; it couldn't be that simple.  He knew it was something more subtle, something he couldn't sense.  That was it!  It was something he couldn't sense, literally.  Thea had no smell to her at all.  She was standing there but she existed as a literal void in smell. 

Smell for his species was as developed as sight was in humans.  Seeing her with sight and voice but not smell was hard to describe, but if he had to he would say, 'It would be like seeing everyone normally while she appeared in grayscale.' It caused a certain anxiety and shyness that was altogether alien to him.   The fact that he couldn't sense her in the way he could others made him even more curious about her, and, in a way, made her all the more attractive to him.

She'd tried to engage the guys, more so Lin Kae thinking he might be more chatty than their superior officer who had retreated to a bunk but he seemed to focus more on his console and innermost thoughts which shut her up and left her to her own thoughts.  Maybe they'd be able to do all this fast and get back to the Theurgy because if this was how it was going to be the entire time, well maybe some alone time wouldn't be so bad.

Somehow she managed to not sigh though occasionally she felt the intake of breath in preparation for them.  Normally she would be singing or something to pass the time but she had the distinct feeling anything noisy would bring out the ire or at the very least the odd looks at her choice of music.  Not many knew the really old stuff and she was trying to avoid anything about Smurfs as it brought back images of the naked blue woman, something she really wished she could delete from her memories.  "Oooooh Pappa Smurf," she muttered and then snerked before remembering she had company.

Soon enough they were approaching Nimbus III and the young man selected a good place to set down.  "Beginning atmospheric entry protocol," she stated and eased right along to the coordinates.  The deceleration brought Lucan to wakefulness and with practiced ease she set the Runabout down and started the process of shutting down in preparation to disembark.  Grabbing up a black leather jacket and fingerless gloves, she slipped them on and tucked away her phaser.  "Whenever you're ready, Sir," she nodded to Lucan.

[Lin Kae - Shuttle]

Kae began to feel a bit guilty.  Skye was clearly trying to engage him in conversation, and he was failing on so many levels.  If she were holographic, he wouldn't have had so much trouble, so why should her being composed of organic matter make it any more different?  Maybe it was just about being on a shuttle that made him nervous.  "Sorry, I'm not better company, Ensign Carver.  Like I said to the CMO, I don't venture down onto planets much.  I might be a bit paranoid about going into such a . . . biologically rich environment.  I spent the first 14 years of my life in isolation due to defective immunities."  It was over half his life by that point, Kae barely turning 22 a few months ago.



[Nathan Isley - Gymnasium]

Isley had managed to up the weight to three hundred by the time Grayson was speaking to him.  After a hundred reps, he would up the weight another fifty pounds, taking a short break beforehand.  He wasn't feeling too much strain where he was, a strong sign his body was still well conditioned, but he still wasn't about to rush things.  With the security officer speaking to him, it was a good chance to stop for such a break.  Lowering the bar onto it's support struts, Isley sat up, rolling his shoulders a bit to stretch them out. 

"I usually get it up to four hundred.  Vulcan strength and human determination make a good match for one another.  Most Vulcans are usually too busy on the whole logic thing, but if you work out and maintain a regimen, even Klingons aren't too tough."  It reminded him of his battle with Ida, in which the infection had given her an edge over him he wasn't quite prepared for.  The image of her nude form still taunted him, but he didn't allow it to hinder him.  Instead, he used his workout as a means to vent some of the frustration the image could cause.

Skye looked to Lin Kae, someone barely over a year younger than herself yet seemed so much younger, and gave him a lopsided grin.  "You're better company than you realize," she stated and clapped him lightly on the shoulder blade.  "And you picked a hell of a great place to set down.  As far as growing up, I'm afraid I would have driven your parents insane.  I spent my first 14 years jumping in every puddle, climbing every tree, and scrapping with every boy on the playground," she grinned.

"Honestly," she stated with more seriousness, "I haven't set foot on any planets besides earth myself.  Hit a few space stations but otherwise just Starfleet simulations of places.  Figure there's good and bad anywhere you go and if the shit hits the fan here, just stick with me.  We made a pretty good team before, right?"  With another grin, one quite adventurous and daring, she tilted her head toward the exit.  "So what do you say we go out there and hit some biologically rich environment together?"

[ Recovery Ward | Sickbay | Deck 07 ]

Accepting the PADD from the Lieutenant, Thea read it all in less than two seconds before putting it down on the corner of a diagnostics table.

"I will make sure the doctor gets this and gives it more than a passing glance, as for engineering I saw no flaws, but you must consult the present technicians about the actual need of these things in relation to the priorities of their scheduled tasks. I am sure Mr. Douglas, or his sense of honour, would appreciate this. Thank you, Lieutenant."

She turned to walk away and got a few steps... then she paused to turn her head slightly. "Lt. Renard, please report to Commander Rez in her Ready Room," she said, giving him a small smile before turning back to her patients - finishing with the last two before she would return to Junior Lieutenant Douglas. She had relayed the message through her projection isntead of the intercom because she chose to, and it was a pleasant feeling - to manage such small things when she wanted.

All thanks to Kae's efforts. Oh, she could not wait to have another session with him, answering his questions, helping him understand the intricate web of her programming and mapping out her brain for him. He was quite ingenious, and so respectful towards her. It was such a shame that he would have to leave on that away mission. When he got back, she hoped she would have the opportunity to tell him how grateful she was for all the work he put in to make her restrictions seem so seamless along the edges of her sentience and free will - even if it was his duty aboard nowadays.

After Lt. Renard had left, Thea picked up the PADD she had been given and returned to Khorin and came to stand next to him, tilting her head at him where he lay. "Are you ready to let the CMO finish his examination now? I will be here the whole time and tell him when some parts of the examination is not needed - you obviously being so strong and healthy already."

She tried to lighten him up a little, brushing his brawny arm with her gloved palm and smiling to him. She hoped it came off as good bed-side manners. "It will be over before you know it, promise." she said, the corners of her eyes creased in her smile.

[ ThanIda zh'Wann's Quarters | Deck 02 | Senior Officer Quarters ]

Shower. Not the sonic one in the gym, no, she had longed for the one in her own quarters.

The steaming water pelted against her skin, soothing away the aches and pains of the work-out. She sighed, pressing both palms against the cold, glass wall of the stall - feeling the sharp contrast to the hot spray coming from the shower-head. Eventually, she began to lather herself up, white foam spreading over her blue skin - bubbles running down her curves. Her mind wandered, finally coming to linger over the dreamy image of Nathaniel Isley on the Yacht. Naked, smelling of sweat, his dark hair plastered to his stunning face, his naked form behind her, their breathing in the crammed compartment of the Captain's yacht, his fingers in her mouth, his manhood between her thighs. Ida had never thought she would feel any kind of lust after what had befallen her and the ship. Alas, she found that she was wrong.

Her hand travelled downwards, running smoothly over her toned abdomen, leaving a trail of goosebumps pricking at her skin. Having seen him at the gym, the hazy memory grew more vivid in her mind; filling in the gaps and the moments lost after she passed out from the antidote. She imagined that she reached back and wrapped her fingers around his shaft, curled them around the base of him. She started to stroke when her lust-addled brain was overcome by the fantasy of the Wolf there with her; Nathaniel’s hand between her legs, Nathaniel’s lips pressed to the back of her neck, Nathaniel’s shaft soon buried deep inside her. She wasn’t sure whether it was the water heating her flesh, or the image of him ramming into her over and over again. She whimpered, deep in her throat, as she conjured the feeling in her mind - leaning her cheek and breasts against the glass wall.

“Oh...” she moaned, rubbing herself firmly and biting the knuckles of her other hand.

[Lt. zh'Wann, please report to Commander Rez in her Ready Room] The intercom overrode the shower easily.

"Oh, no..." she groaned, thoughts of the Wolf slipping away like sand - her trying in vain to retain the images in her highly imaginative mind. No, it was time. Reality had finally caught up with her, and her wet fingers fell from her crotch - her head dropping and antennae lowering in defeat. She pushed away from the wall and raised her face to the spray of water, crying out in defiance of what was to come. Another demotion, the loss of honour in the eyes of her peers, and the humiliation of confronting Edena Rez again.

In the end, when she stepped out of the shower, her icy façade had re-settled across her face - the passionate lover and artist having withdrawn for the Guardsman she had been raised to be.

She would go to Deck 01... and she would do so with her head held high.

[ Outside Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

"Whenever you’re ready, Sir."

"Splendid, Ensign." With his hair on end in a strangely becoming way, Lucan smiled as he hefted his bag and tapped his fingers on the controls, opening the door that would take them out into their hidden spot in the dessert. He produced his phaser and and held it by his hip as he looked outside. Meanwhile, his two companions were talking inside, and it sounded like the engineer was apologising for something. Lucan considered whether to shoot them down now, or to use their extra pairs of eyes to watch his back while in the city. He would not be able to take the Runabout since the Theurgy would know what to look for, and the Runabout was not fast enough to escape.

No, he had to arrange some other means of transportation. He needed them a while longer.

After taking in the dunes outside, watching for any movements on the ridges around them, he soon looked inside again. "If we set a brisk pace, we'll be on the streets of Paradise City before the sun sets." Raking down his bed head hair, he added the obvious with a smile and shrug just for the sake of preventing mistakes even though they knew they were to travel incognito, "Make sure you hide any Starfleet issue equipment and that our gold plate latinum is not spotted by anyone unless we are trading for something."

He led the way outside then, and the late afternoon sun made his white billowing clothes gleam in the wind. The sand swirled softly around the landing struts of the Runabout - stirred by the smallest promise of a breeze. "Ahhh... An hour or so walking the desert," he said with a grin, white teeth matching his garments, "though it is no mountain trail at a couple of thousand feet of altitude, where the winds are truly alive and you have to gasp for air once they course over you... I most definitely feel alive again! The winds know I have missed open air!"

And it only got better once he crested the circular dune formation that hid their shuttle - his legs and sandalled feet pumping sand to get there - and saw the scar upon the desert horizon. Paradise City; setting the rest of the vista in perfect comparison to what had been created and what was nature itself. A filthy city in a vista of beauty: a harsh beauty of a land scorched. That was why he liked it. Few things dared the open, parching daylight - the scolding heat of the sands in which he stood. Nature's face of death. For it was a beautiful and dead wasteland: the pure nothing of the planet.

In a way, it was a wide and gaping wound upon the land, and Lucan being a doctor, he saw the city as a formation of dry puss - the inhabitants tiny bacteria. As he waited for the others, he pocketed his phaser pistol and looked their way. "I would suggest we visit a tavern first for drinks after the hike, and to listen for gossip about the things we need. Ensign Skye, would you take point?"

It was not like the vista around them would look any less appealing with the Wolf's bottom wiggling in the foreground...

[Lin Kae - Shuttle]

Skye's response about her childhood didn't seem to surprise Kae.  To hear she had grown up from a tough girl to a tough woman wasn't much of a stretch, but along the way, she had certainly grown up pretty.  She was built strong, showing the physique of an athlete, but paired with the looks of a model.  Living in an age where disease and birth defects were all but erased from Federation member races, it wasn't a surprise that so many people grew up attractive, but Skye had managed to join that with a body that just screamed around "I'm not to be messed with."  When Lucan suggested she take point, it was hard not to take notice of a shapely rear end sauntering along, though Kae did his best not to stare.  He didn't want to be too rude about it.  There was admiring and then there was being lewd.

With the mention of hiding all Starfleet equipment, Kae quickly took out his PADD for one final check.  He had to memorize it all so he wouldn't need the device for reference any longer.  If he had it all up in his head, it would just be a matter of taking a look around to locate the needed items for the Engineering department.

[Deck 02 - Senior officers Quarters ] - Atten Lucan

She had caved, and caved fast. The longer she was in the new quarters, the sooner it became...inevitable. She couldn't speak for anyone else on the ship, but for her, especially....soaking in a bath tub was the closest thing to heaven the new chief of Operations could fathom, after the long days of work she'd been putting in. Her meager attempts at distributing her own personal effects, such as they were, into her new quarters had lasted a grand total of 20 minutes, if that. She had managed to rearrange some of the floor furniture (twice) and tested out the replicator, which to her delight, worked well enough to make a passable hot chocolate, before the young woman gave in to the urge that had washed over her the second she walked into Hendri--her bathroom.

Natalie doffed her uniform jacket, and shirt, near the large windows. Her shoes ended up in the chair she'd left in the middle of the room. Her shirt, strewn in the doorway of her room. The rest of her undergarments ended up on her bed, next to her opened duffle bag, through which she quickly rummaged, pulling out a PADD, before she padded across the rest of the room, naked, her hips swaying with each skip.The lights flicked on the second she walked into the bathroom, banishing the shadows that clung to the room, and bathing the nude officer in their warm glow. Bending over, she flicks her fingers over the controls for the tub, humming to herself. The spigot sputters, and then steaming hot water begins to quickly flow, splashing down into the tub.

The steam fills the room, quickly, sending a pleased little shiver down Natalie's spine. Soon enough, she's slinking in, the water rising over her hips, and chest, as the woman lets out a deep, satisfied moan. She can feel the tense muscles in her back start to relax, as she stretches out, amazed at how accommodating the tub is. Then again, Hendricks was taller then me. Makes sense the tub would be big she idly thinks, as her head rests against the back of the tub, hair gently floating about her shoulders. With a grin, she reaches over for the PADD she grabbed from her duffle bag, and thumbed it on, beginning to loose her self in the most recent trashy little romance novel she could find, the Klingon Epic Women Warriors at the River of Blood (http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Women_Warriors_at_the_River_of_Blood).

Time passed, and the young woman found herself getting more and more engrossed in the epic, when the chime to her door rang out, dragging a startled squawk from her lips as she bolts upright in the tub, sending water splashing over the side. Who in the name of... "Just a minute!!" she calls out, heart suddenly pounding in her chest. She slinked out of the tub and fumbled about, grabbing a toweling robe off the rack and hastily putting it on. Her wet feet pad across the carpeted quarters,  as she sweeps damp hair from her face, and tries to will her beating heart to slow. "What could be so important to..." she starts to mutter as she approaches the door, "M'Nea was bout to let Rorg..." she keeps going on about the book, under her breath, as she hits the door button "How may I -- OH!"

Her words cut off sharply, as she gulps, and looks up at her commanding officer. "Sir!I er, um" she fumbles, her heart rate ticking up a few notches. Thoughts of epic Klingon combat and...romance, are suddenly shifted aside, as murky memories off another fight surface: a fist lashing out, a head bouncing off a panel in the Transporter room, lips roughly searching for hers...Natalie pales, visibly, then blushes, realizing just how revealing and awkward her robe must look. Her chest rises and falls, as she tugs her robe tighter about her person, a small tremble in her hand. She comes to attention, again looking back at the Captain. "W-what can I do for you, sir?" She asks, hesitation clear in her voice as she stands just inside the door to her quarters.

Skye wasn't much for the desert but it wasn't loathsome for her either.  Lin Kae seemed to be relaxing a little around her which she thought was certainly a good thing.  They were all part of the crew, part of a large pack, and getting along was something she always stove for with her crewmates.  It wasn't always possible but he seemed much more sensible and respectful than a lot.

"I would suggest we visit a tavern first for drinks after the hike, and to listen for gossip about the things we need.  Ensign Skye, would you take point?"  There was no doubt Skye would want a drink after trekking through the sand and wondered if they'd visit the one where Kirk had fought.  "Yes, Sir," she nodded and stepped out in front, all business as they were technically on duty. 

In an effort to get along, she smiled back over her shoulder at Lucan.  "The mountains in Colorado are beautiful.  If you haven't had a chance to hike and climb there, I would highly recommend it, Sir.  My mother leads groups who wish to go adventuring and would take me up with her when I was a little older.  It always made me feel nearer to the sky and stars," she stated nostalgically.

Miles began to exit the recovery ward and nodded n response to the request to report and nodded, "I hope to see you in off-hours some time."  he said to Thea. "I promised Lieutenant Kaye that I would make sure you got the respect a lady of your stature deserved.  Since he isn't here I figured you might like someone to talk to occasionally."  he said before he left and walked towards the turbolift.

He tapped his com-badge and spoke up, "Renard to Commander Rez,  Would it be impolite to ask if we can post-pone meting for approximately 1 hour?  I just got finished with the final checklist on the away team's shuttle before seeing them off.  Add to that I just exited the recovery ward where Lieutenant Douglas recently woke up from his little nap.  I apologize if there is any inconvenience.  I would just prefer to be a bit more presentable is all. If needed I can be there in five though. Your call Ma'am, Renard out."

His voice very polite with a accent that was strangely Earth like but at the same time alien.  The best comparison was it was almost like a Northern British bordering on Scottish accent crossed with a Southwestern/Bible belt-ish  former United States accent.  It was as if his voice was that of a Scottish Brit speaking with the mannerisms of a rural Arkansas/Oklahoma farm-boy.

[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

Having finished the work in her quarters, Edena had taken the turbolift back to the bridge, and sequestered herself in her ready room, enabling her to meet with the two crewmen she had called upon.  Until then, she was able to continue sifting through the reports provided by various department heads on the progress of ship-wide repairs.  Much of their remaining work was hinging upon supplies from Nimbus III, though Edena was taking the time to come up with parts that could act as replacements that could be replicated.  It was at least covering their bases if they couldn't get everything wanted.

At the transmission from Renard, Edena tapped her own combadge, opening a channel between them.  "It's no trouble, Lieutenant.  I have another meeting that I can arrange for first, so you can take your time."  At least she knew who she would see first this way.  Ida would be the one, leaving Illya badgering in the back of Edena's mind.  The former host was still offended by the fact that the sex crazed infection that was within the Andorian hadn't tempted her enough to infect Edena's body herself, instead sending an agent of her will to do the job.  It was complaints like that which made Edena wonder if she would ever fully understand Illya.

[ Executive Officer's Ready Room | Deck 01 ]

Making her way to the designated office after dressing herself, wearing a uniform she replicated before the crisis and the flight from Terra but never had the chance to wear, ThanIda zh'Wann had given up on trying to dry her hair - instead choosing to be prompt in answering the summons. She had merely brushed it back from her face, letting the pristine waterfall hang down her back.

Convinced she was about to receive her verdict, be it the brig or demotion or worse, she had decided that if any of the other burly security guards would bother her about it all, they would learn that there was more than artistry in her repertoire.

The Andoran Imperial guard would have been her allotted place in life. Had she not cast off her ties to her home, her taan would have been proud of her. What she had failed to experience in the Imperial Guard after she abandoned Andoria, though, she had perfected during the years employed as a bouncer - working at different seedy establishments throughout Starbases all over the quadrant. She smirked, remembering the surprised faces of those she manhandled, since they did not expect a woman to give them broken noses and bones.

She announced herself with the panel beside the door. The chirp seemed louder than usual, yet she guessed it might just be her nerves playing with her. Speaking of her taan, he would scold her for her undignified skittish demeanour. She clenched her jaws while she waited for the command to enter.

Once inside, looking at the pinkskin with the spots, Ida found herself pausing there, unsure whether or not she might start defending her actions right away before the new XO got a word in between. No, that would not work in her favour. Nor would the images of the traitor-turned-superior officer Edena Rez in the sonic shower be of any use, and was certainly only surfacing because she had not been allowed to finish what she started in her own shower. Clenching her jaws again, she held her head high, eyes straight ahead. She stood in front of the First Officer's desk.

"Commander," she said clearly, model Andorian military to the bone, "Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann reporting as requested."

[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

Standing there, watching Stark open in her clearly off-duty state of appearance, Jien did - despite the evident distractions - notice the fright that was a tad more pronounced than was expected when finding your commanding officer coming to visit. He saw this, and realised his mistake... changing into her female form instead. In a way, Natalie had just answered one of the questions that she meant to ask her.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to cause any fright, much less interrupt you enjoying your time off duty in your new quarters," she said, clearing her throat. Her lips a thin line, mostly with ire for her own way starting this conversation in the worst way possible. How could she not have considered changing forms before she opened the door? Probably because she struggled with her own issues, and failed to realise the profound impact her corrupted actions might have made upon her victims. She being their commanding officer, made her atrocious acts all the worse.

"I would like to talk, if that is aright with you. I can come by later, if that would be more convenient."

[ Outside Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

The breeze stirred the sands all around them, and even though Lucan was not from the fiery desert region of Câroon, instead hailing from the mountain region, he felt oddly familiar with the elements around him. Whereas the winds and water was his native affinity, the fire and the earth beckoned to him as he walked the dunes of Nimbus III.

"I am familiar with the mountains of Colorado on Terra only through images shown to me in Starfleet Medical," he told the pilot with the fine derrière in front of him, making sure to meet her eyes when she looked back at him. He gazed out towards the side of their trail. "Where I come from, the clouds hang lower, and upon the great mountainside above the sea of clouds - much like these Colorado peaks - the great city of Envon spreads itself out. A tall metal city springing towards the sky, would have skewered the clouds if they were not already below you."

He could see it before himself, his home, the place he would ruin one day. "Upon Câroon, there is no more breathtaking vista than the rolling storms that makes the sea of clouds churn towards the horizons. When they blow, the soft artificial undercurrent of the windmills far above on the side of the city react, the hum reverberating through your bare feet. To this bass of electricity harnessed, the whining storms rake mountains that stretch far out on the either side of the stirring clouds until they vanished from sight - summoning swirling lines of grit and debris from the forests and the highlands just below."

While Lucan remembered it, he felt even more convinced in his ambitions. Such treacherous beauty...

"I would like to show Envon to you one day," he said with a smile, also including Kae with a glance over his shoulder at the holography wizard. He was thinking, Aye, one faithful day. I will take you there, carrying a virus that will cleanse the vermin people from the beautiful lands. Alas, you might not survive the crash when the Theurgy crash into the bedrock of my planet. Then again, perhaps you might glimpse it on the way down...

"We will just have to convince the entire Galaxy first... that we are right and they are wrong - that Starfleet is not to be trusted any more."

Indeed not... The beast inside chuckled at his private humour.

The breeze caused Skye's golden hair to whip around her face and she adjusted the sunglasses she wore after sweeping a lock out from under them.  She was tempted to pin back her hair and remove her jacket but stubbornly she liked her hair down and the thought of having to sweep sand out of her shirt was enough to beat out the desire to feel a bit of breeze.

Her hand was in her pocket, ready to pull the phase pistol out if necessary but otherwise she looked to just be enjoying the hike.  "Your home sounds fantastic," she called back.  "I always enjoyed settling down on one of the peaks and watching the thunderstorms roll around.  After living there I'd say the Rockies would just look more like hills to you though, not nearly as impressive as your mountains.  It's always a comparison when we see things similar to what we knew as a child and usually other things never quite measure up or we still think our own is the best."

Lucan was absolutely thriving so she wasn't too worried about him but remembering Lin Kae saying he'd never been down on many planets, she turned to look at him and make sure he was alright.  While he was trained for different temperatures and terrain, if this were a real first for him he might start to lag and she wouldn't let him get out of sight.  They couldn't see her eyes but her lips pursed slightly as she regarded the young engineer.  "You doin' okay, Sir?"

"It's no trouble, Lieutenant.  I have another meeting that I can arrange for first, so you can take your time."

Miles replied quickly, "Thank you ma'am. Renard out." That said he walked away from the turbolift and towards his quarters.

His quarters were actually on this very deck.  He had found it most convenient to have his quarters in the section located closest to either the shuttle bays or the hangar bays.  On this particular ship he found the best location being the junior officer quarters section within the secondary hull.  It gave him a direct turbolift route to the fighter bay, a quick walk to both the shuttle maintenance bay and lower shuttle bay, and was only 1 deck from the main shuttle bay.  These were all factors that made the request he had made for his assigned quarters both logical and easy to accommodate.  After all, most junior officers tended to request the quarters closet to the saucer section bridge.  As for off duty, this was the perfect deck.  It had Holodeck 3, Below-decks, and the gymnasium.  He, in a way, had the perfect quarters on this ship.

Upon entering his quarters he locked his door and stripped down.  He threw his messy clothes to the side for the moment and stood there enjoying the feel of the air on his naked body as he walked towards the shower in his living quarters, "Music, Miles' personal catalog, 8 melodies extended (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STu1DCTJacM) please."  He said the music beginning to play in his quarters.  The music being a track from a Terran video game of the early 21st century. 

Ever since he had first met humans he had been fascinated by their culture, especially their 20th and 21st centuries' entertainment.  He found the crude interactions of the hand held interfaces used in that time period's video games its the most fascinating aspect.  What surprised him the most were the musical gems he had found within those games.  The crude musical notes made through processed beeps and bloops at first seemed harsh and unrefined, but seeing the level of musical creativity the composers for these games shown with such limitations awed the Vulpinian. 

Miles had immediately been taken by this form of entertainment, and he had modified a civilian desktop viewer to have ports for various controllers, which he found the mechanisms easy to replicate.  The emulation of the games themselves was even easier as Earth civilians of the 20th century had done the same.  All he had to do was find a collection of the information and copy the data over so he had the games at his disposal.  Despite having not played them as much as he once did, he almost always kept his modified viewer, which he had dubbed the games console, in his personal quarters.

Minutes later he was relaxing in the shower, its combination of water and sonic pulses cleaning him. The grime quickly came off as he relaxed, and soon he allowed his body to slowly return to its natural state.  His fur slowly seemed to grow out of the humanoid skin as his face began to change. His flat human like face began to sharply protrude. His nose and mouth became a canine muzzle, and his ears repositioned from the sides of his head to the top of it.  He relaxed enjoying the time he could spend in his more natural form.  For his meeting he would need to return back to the more human like form.  His uniform always seemed to wear better on him in that form than like this.  For the mean time though, he was able to relax. 

[Edena Rez - XO's Ready Room]

Her door chimed, and she permitted entry with a simple "come in," knowing who she was expecting.  Babe the blue ox, as Illya had called her, and it was something a bit suitable for her.  The blue part was obvious, but the strength that she body hid below an attractive appearance was up there with such a powerfully built animal.  Face to face with her, Edena was brought back to memories of both her encounter with Ida when she barged into her bathroom and held a phaser to her, as well as the memory of Regal telling her why he had come to her quarters.  Both were frightening moments for Edena, but she kept er composure when faced with the woman.

"Sit down, Lieutenant," Edena said, pointing to the chair opposite her side of the desk.  Most commanding officers would have the person stand, leaving Ida to conclude that this meeting would not be something traditional to a Starfleet one.  The two of them sitting made it more of a casual conversation then a Commander disciplining a lower ranked officer for bad conduct.  Once she had been seated, Edena got right to business.

"I had to give a report of the incident in my quarters that occurred between the two of us.  As you know, such an incident carries great weight.  Improper use of security authorization would see you reassigned to a position where you did not have access to command or security codes, while the phaser incident would see you confined to the brig for threatening a fellow Starfleet Officer.  In this case . . . I am not pressing charges, and have asked the Captain to let me handle the matter internally.  This will mean your personnel record will not be affected by our run-in."

Edena let that sink in, for Ida to feel some sense of relief that her commission was not endangered by Edena.  "You reacted in the way you thought best protected the crew.  You saw a traitor work her way into the command structure, and felt you had to assert yourself to make sure I wouldn't plan anything behind the backs of the Crew.  I can respect that.  It's enough to tell me you are suited to your position, and that the security of this crew means a great deal to you.  I would just suggest that you . . . tone down such outbursts in the future.  If you asked, I would have let you into my quarters, and we could have spoken as two mature adults, and I would urge you take this route with any future cases against other officers, because I don't see things ending as well for you next time."

It wasn't a threat.  It was simply a truth.  Ida was fortunate that Edena had chosen to let her off with what would have been career suicide in any Federation court martial.

Edena's eyes closed, and the instant they opened again, one could tell she was no longer in the driver's seat.  Her face took a more daring, more wily look.  It was a face that Ida had seen before, when Edena had lost consciousness at the sight of a phaser to her.  Illya was speaking her mind now.  "The crew is absolved of what happened during the outbreak, but there's one thing I can't forgive," she spoke in that cultured tone that set her apart from Edena.  "All that flirting I did with you in the shower and you send someone else to infect me?  If a virus designed to make you crave the fulfilment of your lust can't make you show up at my door . . . I'm disappointed, Babe."



[Lin Kae - Nimbus III]

"I think the Holographic simulations can't really prepare you for the real thing," the Lieutenant responded, using an arm to cover the lower half of his face as he spoke.  It was just proof that the current standard for Holograms was still below par, not getting the fullest realism they could have.  Photonic lifeforms like Thea were the future, and by the time he was finished helping her, he hoped that the Federation could see her not only as what the standard should be, but as a person in her own right, which was still hotly contested.

"Ease off on the 'sir' stuff, too.  It feels weird."  He wasn't a fan of rank determining how people addressed him, especially someone who was actually older them him like Skye was.  Calling people sir felt better suited to either those who were further along in age, or at least those who exerted the feeling of command.  Jien was a sir, Lucan was a sir, but he was more of a kid.  "Just call me Kae," he settled upon, figuring his given name was just fine from the attractive blond.  She had the kind of voice he would have liked to hear it from.

Skye gave Kae a sympathetic glance.  "Maybe you'll be one of the engineers who help improve things to better prepare people for different situations," she suggested and seemed to have some faith in him.  She'd heard what he'd done for Thea and while she mostly approved, she knew many others did not and it had to put the poor guy in sort of a hot seat.  Still it proved Lin Kae was quite talented.

Being told not to call him sir brought a quick smirk and then a shrug of her shoulders.  "Well, you are technically a superior officer.  Besides," she replied with a definite wink, "I'm not that much older than you so it shouldn't be too weird."  Another glance back, there was a definite smile of friendship.  "At least while we're down here I'll call you Kae but back on board, you're stuck with the knighthood."

The idea struck her as amusing and she turned back once last time.  "Sir Kae ... think I've heard that name a time or two before, sort of connected to a king and all that," she chuckled.  "Sometimes known as a fiery yet noble man and sometimes a thorn in the side of Arthur's enemies."  She didn't mention he was sometimes known as a buffoon or a mean spirited man.  Turning back to focus her attention on her actual job, she hoped she'd put him more at ease.

[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

The recently promoted Lt. Cmdr pulls her robe tighter about her person, blinking up in surprise as she watches her captain shift form. She hadn't seen him...her, change in front of her like that, and the shorter woman's eyes go a bit wider. At the same time, a small sense of relief seems to settle in, judging by the way her shoulders droop slightly, and how her other hand stops fidgeting so much with the pocket of her robe. Like others, the Operations Department Head found that she envied the captains ability to shift her uniform. It seemed quite form fitting, which sadly, her own were not.

She worried, for a moment, that the hard expression on the Captains face had something to do with the way she was dressed, until the Captain apologized for interrupting her. "No, sir" she murmurs, "It's all right." Her blue eyes flick back up to meet Jiens,the back and to the side. It was easier to deal with the female version of the Captain. Looking at her in this form didn't bring on broken flashbacks of being struck across the face. There wasn't even a scar on her lips from where they split any more, a give from Dr. Nicander. Yet she could feel it still, if she ran her tongue along the inside of mouth. Scars just under the skin

"I..well, the place is in the middle of being rearranged but," she gulps, and straightens up "Please, come in," she says, stepping aside to allow her superior to enter. There were hints of her clothes near the bedroom door, and one arm of her jacket peeked out from the top of her desk. Still, it wasn't nearly as messy as one might think. She had pulled two of the chairs from the 'living room' section of the quarters, such as it was, to sit around a small table near the windows. It had been an impulsive change to the room, the previous tenant seemed to have preferred to not star gaze, instead having had all the chairs situated on the other side of the couch, facing the door. Tucking her hands behind her back, Natalie fidgeted from side to side as Captain Ives walked in, the doors to her quarters sliding shut behind the other woman, cutting out the sounds of passerby's out in the corridor, till only the soft, steady hum of a starship in warp flight pulsing through the bulkheads and deck.

[ Executive Officer's Ready Room | Deck 01 ]

Having been asked to sit, Ida had done so in forced quietude. She had not moved to speak at any point during the time that the First Officer had spoken - while she had laid out the terms for the Deputy's continuing service aboard the starship.

At first, Ida had been relieved to hear about the fact that the Trill would not press charges against her, yet the next second after she had felt relief she had been suspicious about being let off the hook. The tactician in her, even though she was not a politician or a social schemer in any way, thought it would have been better to make an example out of her so that the new XO could make her authority manifest... Yet then again, the opposite of that - to free her of any charges - might have been the better choice to gain the good graces of the crew. That, however, would only work if the benediction was public knowledge, which was something that did not add up with the current situation. No one besides the Captain and the new XO had implied to possess any knowledge of the incident. She could be wrong, but...

While Ida's thoughts coursed through her mind, the XO had finished off with alluding to the fact that she had been lucky... and that she might be less lucky with some other officer if she decided to take Security matters into her own hands. Ida pursed her full blue lips to say something, only the shift in the Trill's demeanour caught her off guard. It was the same woman that had possessed Aza- Edena... in the shower, and whom had wanted to be intimate.

Ida remembered that face, and those parting words. "You know where to find me if you change your mind.  Just ask for a private moment with Illya Rez.  I'm sure Edena would oblige."

It certainly seemed like Edena had - and more - given what words now spilled from those lips. Ida's own lips pressed together again and she swallowed, remembering the XO's wet and glistening body and the things she had refuted. The promises that she had turned a deaf ear to.

“I did my share of modeling . . . but that was two lifetimes ago." Ilya's words from before the Outbreak. "Edena's body is uncaptured by an artist's eye . . . she rarely has any fun whatsoever.  It can be rather boring and . . . frustrating, if you catch my drift.  Maybe you should let me pose for you?"

"I admit," said Ida in a strangled voice, shifting her seat a little, "that I do not remember much of my reasoning while I was infected... But I would surmise that I was still wroth with you and still thought you a traitor, and thus decided to send someone else. I do, however, not know exactly what manner of impulses drove me on. Mere glimpses and brief recollections haunt me, just like the rest of the crew. How..."

Truly, the Trill could not be serious in her inquiry, could she? Ida did not know what kind of question was being asked any more, or if she was supposed to defend her infected self in her actions, and if she was, what was she expected to say?

"If you still plan on killing me, you should at least let me leave something behind to be remembered by." More words from Ilya in the shower, stalling Ida's tongue.

At a loss, she tried to make amends for her inability to reply. She tried to know the grounds of this battle, to learn what was expected. "Are there conditions to the arrangement, that I am to live up to obligations in order for you to not press charges? Will you only drop the case if..."

I've seen a lot of Andorians in my time, but I never knew one who had such a flattering figure as you.  If you really are an artist . . . I do hope you had the decency to share that body of yours with the art community as well.  It would be a shame if you didn't.] The words from those lips kept coming from out of Ida's memory - emphasising the stare from the possessed woman before her.

She refused to show fear, or to confess her artistic interests. Her voice had become lower - more careful. Her face was utterly blank. The Pinkskin was using her position of power in a way Ida had not expected, and was thus caught off guard. "Will I only be redeemed if I make amends for actions that I could not control... along with those that I could? And, If I... agree... will you then leave me alone?"

This was highly inappropriate. Against regulations. Perhaps, in a way, worse than what Ida had done herself. To take advantage of the crimes Ida committed, just to further her own basic bodily lust, was that what the former SI Operative was after all along?

What was even more irregular was that Ida - her taan help her - was even considering it.


[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

Stepping inside, Jien remained in her female form - listening and nodding to the few words coming from Natalie. Once standing in the centre of the main living area, Jien folded her arms underneath her breasts and cocked a hip in thought. She was a bit unsure how she might proceed without causing too much discomfort, so she decided to try and be factual about it. She was supposed to be a former Starfleet Counsellor, but never in matters that involved herself - alien influence of not. A pragmatic approach. Yes, that is probably the best idea.

"I would like to apologise for my actions while being infected by the virus, as much as I might remember them," she said, her syllables clear and unashamed - stoic even. If she made an emotional mess out of it all, she was bond to drag Natalie into the mess as well. It could turn into a bitter argument, or Jien might make her relive those brutal moments of her life, perhaps even making suppressed or blurred memories surface into clarity. She might even remember what happened in the Garden of Eden - which Jien seemed to have sent her to according to the Transport logs.

"I do not expect you to forgive me, given what happened - be it if you do not blame me or if you do - but I still want to express my grief over the fact that you became a victim to my uninhibited and corrupted actions. A callous ambush..."

Truth was... Jien did not know what more she had done to Natalie, but she could only assume that she had not stopped at beating her bloody. She had no memories about sexually forcing herself upon Natalie, no glimpses of seeing her naked body beneath her own male form. The only thing was that... eerie feeling of knowing what her lips tasted like. Well, not just eerie, but still.

"...and whatever else I did to you. In my edict, I have forbidden consequences against the formerly infected for what they did, but that does not rule out my right to try and make amends out of my own free will."

She trailed off there, unsure what more there was to say. "I do not remember how much I have to apologise for, but nevertheless, I do."


[ Entering Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Eventually, they seemed to close the distance to their destination.

A weak attempt at a stone trail emerged in the bleak, dusty expanse of the desert, with a battered signpost wearily sticking out two decrepit fingers. The one, pointing straight and sure, led to the empty dunes; that glittering realm of endless sand and deception where devious winds called their sorrows to the unyielding glare of the sky. Their eyes were turned towards the other end.

Under a layer of grime deposited over a thousand sandstorms, the sign was hard to read, as if loath to share the knowledge it carried. Upon approach, however, it grudgingly yielded its poorly kept secret - the destination plain to the eye. Peering carefully at the simple font, Lucan made out the simple inscription 'Paradise Lost', with the second word holding a darker colour and thud revealing the fragments of the word 'City' underneath.

As they walked the last distance, disturbing that tranquil desert floor whilst the sun set, with the the fading citrus and amber rays scintillating off glass, metal or polished stone. The ancient arabesque structures were not crumbling, but rather had crumbled ages ago and were now uncrumbling - modern scaffolding and structures built on top of them.

Free from the harsh shackles and isolation of the desert, now walking firmly upon the grounds of civilisation - such as it might be - Lucan wiped his head from sweat.The last minutes, the temperature had dropped, but the walk and the heat had still made his billowing white garments cling to his body. The idea of a tavern was indeed not uncalled for.

"No need to be too careful which one we pick, since we are not to find lodging just yet. Can you see any good tavern that is not too crowded?"

---

OOC: Searcher, did you have a specific idea for the introduction of Eve Jenkins? :) PM me and kuro if you want something special set up.

[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

Illya looked off to the side, as if to face Edena, who was now in her place as nothing more then some ghostly figure in her mind.  Their silent conversation was conducted, before the woman turned herself back to Ida and answered her.  "Edena has some professional way of saying it, but I\'d rather put more of a personal touch to the words.  I'm not a fan of all that Starfleet regulation, mainly because it got in my way several times during my time as a grifter and thief."

After taking only a moment, Illya responded to what would be expected of her in return for her record not being affected by an unsightly scar.  "Edena's condition to you retaining your position is that you keep doing your job as you have always done.  She doesn't even care if you plan on keeping tabs on her still.  All she asks is that you go through the proper channels.  Do not take matters into your own hands, and report any issues you might have with her to Captain Ives if you believe she has done anything which places the ship in danger."

As for her comments about actions she could not control, Illya tilted her head, looking at Ida as if she didn't fully understand the way she worded it.  Then it hit her.  There was a miscommunication somewhere between them.  "Oh!  Did you think I was . . . wow.  I wasn't propositioning you, Ida.  I was simply airing my own frustrations, using this off-the-record conversation as a chance to talk with you properly.  I suppose you could say my ego was wounded to be . . . rejected as I was by your infected psyche.  Not to make myself sound like some kind of tramp, but I've never failed to seduce someone before.  You're a red mark on my record, but there is nothing I can do about that.  Certainly I would never use Edena's position to influence you.  I'd much rather hear you wanted me of your own accord."



[Lin Kae - Nimus III]

"Maybe you'll be one of the engineers who help improve things to better prepare people for different situations."  He liked Skye's Sentiment.  It felt like a good goal to work towards, and he couldn't help but feel that part of that could have been done through Holographics.  Holograms could be programmed to adapt to such weather conditions with ease, going places where others might not be able to so easily.  Even class Y planets, commonly known as demon-class, wouldn't be beyond their reach if they found ways to allow Holograms to exist outside of locations that didn't have mobile emitters.

Just like that, inspiration struck him, and a grin actually formed on his face.  "You know, you just gave me a good idea for my position as Holography Specialist.  Thanks."   It still had to be tweaked in his mind, but he had a starting point, and with some work, maybe he found a way for Thea to step off the Theurgy for the first time since being bonded to the Ship as it's primary AI.

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

She hugged herself, her hip gently rocking to lean against one of the chairs, once the captain finished her words. Natalie had remained quiet the entire time, her face a wash of emotion. Jien had been...calm, measured, and precise. Natalie, in turn, had become withdrawn, insecure. Images had flashed across her vision, of the transporter room. Again, she felt the impact of a console across her lower back. Again, the feeling of rough lips pressed to hers, the pain, and the intense desire all at once, like a shadow in the night, brushing over her mouth. Her lips were still a tad fuller then they had been, before it all began. It had been a few weeks, and that one side effect remained, and it brought her back to the fight...

"Sir," she said, softly, the toes of her bare feet curling into the carpet. "I...I don't know what happened...after..." she gulped, "its all a blur, sir. All i know..." again, she gulped, and tried to straighten up and emulate the way the Captain was being blunt, and to the point. "Someone, or something, did...more then just beat me, as you put it. I'll never know who, or what. And that's going to haunt me." Her voice trembled, just a bit, an edge of desperation and sick, twisted fear slipping along the words. "But as you've told the crew: no one was responsible for what they did. That...alien thing...raped our minds as much as our bodies. And we're all..." her voice hitched, and the word came out as a whisper "Victims."

It hung in the air, as the younger officer bit down on her lip, to the point that its painful. Her hand clutched the back of her chair, knuckles white, and for a moment, she felt completely lost, alone in a room that wasn't hers, not yet, with a person whom may very well have had their way with her. She forced her self to look, look at Captain Ives. The woman standing before her, apologizing for things she didn't remember, was not the monster from the transporter room. "It's...not hard to forgive what one cannot remember, sir." she managed, a tremble still there, in her voice. "I have no idea how long I'll be...like this, skittish-" Scared. Terrified. Ashamed, "-but I don't blame you." A hint of steel could be heard, "I blame whomever put that damn plant on that planet. And I'm glad we irradiated the whole damn rock." Like an old sailing ship on the water, her emotions shift, and ebb, away from sorrow and fear, quickly tumbling into anger, with no where to really vent it.


[ Lower Science Lab 02 | Deck 07 ] - Atten KittyKat

He stared down at the monitor and let out a high pitched curse, watching as the readings coalesced for a moment, then the screen blanked, and hisses tumbled out from the console below him, accompanied by a brief, blinding flash of a spark, before it all died. This was his third attempt in the past hour.

It was the middle of the ships night, and the man took advantage of this, seeking the solace of a science lab to sequester himself in. For a species with such a deep seated need for communal cohabitation and physical contact, Sarresh seemed bound and determined to hide himself away. So far, he'd done a decent job of it. He'd taken to avoiding the other members of his species for the past few days, as much as he could, once the Doctor had let him out of an overly long stay in the medical bay, with no visitors. As well as from that bastard captain. Under his calm exterior, the man boiled with anger. He felt abandoned, trapped in a world, in a time, where he no longer belonged, and shackled by gaps in his memory that threatened to drive him insane.

So...primitive. How did we manage to get out of this century? he thought, as a webbed fist lightly thumped against the dead console. A physical console. He'd gotten used to holographic interfaces with itner----intermix..."Damn" the word was gone, the ghost of an image, something small and round that had been attached to his left temple only weeks before, all he had, slipping like water through a broken glass. So many things he knew that he knew, except now he didn't.

So here he was, sitting in a darkened science lab, the console lights dimmed to their lowest setting (save, of course, the one that just blew out), lower the they specs said they could go. As far as he was concerned, it was still bordering on too bright in the lab, but not so bright that he needed his goggles, resting atop his close cut hair. He had sealed the door as well, an override that was amazingly simple for the agent to do. Not everything he had learned while cruising the time stream had been robbed from him; after all, his "mission" was to monitor for more temporal incursions. And to that end, he was setting up what passed for such a system on what, in this day and age, was state of the art technology. "Outdated, under powered..." he mutters, squeezing the slick brim of his nose. This is a poor mans attempt at temporal mechanics. It'll be a miracle if this thing works... he thought to himself, as he shifted his chair and started in again, on the next console.

[Lower Science lab 2, Deck 7]

Amatras and Amikris slowly made their way through the hallways toward Science lab 2.  The spike in energy use had intrigued the older Ash'reem considerably, and she was not yet ready to let her daughter out of her sight after the surgery.  Both were dressed in their Federation uniforms and had phasers at their hips incase they needed them.  Most of the crew was still busy with repairs, and Lab 2 had been for the most part shut down temperarily to conserve power during their emergency rationing of resources. 
As they approached the lab the two glanced at one another making sure each had their goggles on before walking through the doors and glancing around as the lights lit up in anticipation of their need.  Flooding the room with bright white light, and causing a searing pain to shoot through the ash'reem's optical nerve as it was overstimulated.  Both of the females stared at him in slight surprise, not used to seeing more of their kind on the Theurgy.  Amikris started to grin with anticipation but that grin was silenced as Amatras glared at her to behave.  The faint scent of disapproval filling the room, as subtle body language, and a low rumble deep in Amatras's throat demanded answers. ~~Who are you and what are you doing with our computer systems?~~ she asked with a hint of distrust in their native tongue. 

[ Executive Officer's Ready Room | Deck 01 ]

Eyes widening a bit from what Ilya was telling her, that she had misunderstood the intentions behind the statement, Ida swallowed a little - antennae rising.

She had been too caught up in the intentions of Ilya from before the outbreak on board, and with those memories - treasured ones since she lost so much during the time at Niga - she had drawn erroneous conclusions. As it turned out, she was exposed, caught out in the open with words she could not take back. That she had alluded to actually being compliant with the possessive spirit if she had set up terms of their unofficial accord; the betraying query about whether or not she would be left alone or not afterwards.

"I... I do not know what to say," she began, otherwise not a woman of many words if she could help it. Her paintings conveyed far more than her words might. What was hardest of all, she realised, was to speak off the record with a woman she had come to loath, yet whom now - and back then - had taken a fancy to her. "I think that, given the circumstances of your promotion to First Officer, I should not need to keep tabs on you. I would reckon the Captain already does that, and in a way far better than I possibly could."

Not sure how to compose herself, for once, given the topic of fancying the same face that she considered a traitor not too long ago, Ida gritted her teeth and steeled herself for her answer.

"I am an artist, so you got that right when you guessed it back then," she said quietly, still not finding it easy to look the Trill in the eye just yet, "you might have seen me draw people in the mess hall, or put up my canvas on Flight Deck. My point is that I place great value in what I see, and right now - as of yet - I have associations for your face that does not add up with the reality of present day. At the same time, I do place merit in your appearenc-"

Too formal. This was not working out the way it should. "I do not know you..." she said, trying anew. She tried to smile a little, even if her personality only showed though a little at the time after the trauma she had been in."...I only know what you look like without clothes, and that if I were left alone with you, I would probably let my own desires rule my actions. By Andoria, but you almost convinced me to stay back then, had it not been for me being so utterly convinced that you are out of the Brig for the wrong reasons."

Ida's smile lingered now, faint as it was, the atmosphere not quite lifted even though the first ray of sun was shining through.

---

OOC: I have a halfway done section for Natalie Stark and Jien Ives too, but I am falling asleep by the desk and I want to give it the justice it deserves tomorrow. Sorry for the wait, Brutus. I am off to bed now.

[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

As quickly as Illya had taken over, she was gone again, and the look of Edena had returned.  It was professional, yet vulnerable, in contrast to Jona's stern look, Illya's suggestive eyes, or Kiya's more maternal, serene gaze.  "Forgive Illya, I sometimes fear she is far too childish for a woman of her age.  In any event, Lieutenant, it is my wish that you be able to continue your work as a Security officer aboard the Theurgy.  We need all the crew we can muster, as my Duty Roster would indicate.  Your shifts will be a bit longer and cover more ground for a while, while the ship operates with a smaller staff then it was designed for.  I hope the extra work will not be too much trouble, and know that everyone on-board is going to be pulling a bit of extra weight for a while."

It felt easier to say it was only for a while, when she had no idea how long that could truly be.  They were an enemy of Starfleet now, of the Federation, and that meant it wasn't as simple as going to the nearest Starbase and acquiring more Duty Officers to fill in the gaps.  Their crew was what it was, save for perhaps some civilians that might join their cause, or maybe another Starfleet officer who knew the truth of the conspiracy, and could be safely brought aboard to join their efforts.

[ Executive Officer's Ready Room | Deck 01 ]

The sudden shift back to Edena caught Ida completely off guard, given the nature of the things which she had been speaking of with Ilya. For while Ida had just confessed to having been tempted by the former host of the Rez symbiont, the current host now apologised for the intrusion and spoke of longer duty shifts and extra leg-work. The Andorian was not used to these... complete switches in a person in front of her, and she struggled to keep up.

"Yes, Commander," she said, a bit too quickly, antennae straightening just as she sat up a bit more in her chair, "I mean, I have no objections to longer shifts. It is not like there is much else to do, nor are there any alternative solutions available. The time I have left after my service to the crew I spend equally divided between my training and my artistry. My gallery has not grown much since we left Terra, but this Andorian believes that what little time we have for ourselves, we come to treasure all the more."

Glancing towards the desk between them, Ida frowned and added something more - something she had not thought she would say only a couple of days ago. "I would like to... thank you, Commander. Personally." Ida looked up, and while she itched to fiddle with her hands or something, anything, she kept her body at ease - hands still. "If you had not made that Private Log of yours, I.... being one of the first infected... would have been indirectly to blame as the first vectors for the galaxy-wide epidemic. Of this I have little to no recollection, but if Junior Lieutenant Nathaniel Isley had not stopped me, I would have left with the Captain's Yacht to spread the virus, yet you... your log secured our help from the Relativity, and I..."

Looking away, Ida bared her teeth, the ire she held towards herself for her mistake quite plain. "The crew has honoured the Captain' edict, but I can see their thoughts in their eyes; how Ensign Cir'Cie and I were the first to have been violated and thus to blame. Commander, you must believe me..."

She looked back to her First Officer. "I could not have done anything more than I did to prevent this disaster. I was raped on Niga, defiled by a damnable plant, and with my mind cleansed of the memory until the virus took hold, I could not have alerted anyone. I refuse to be the villain in this! I suffer together with those that fell victim to my subsequent actions, not less!"

Looking down again, Ida pinched her nose, her fortifications having crumbled a bit, and the passionate artistic soul given voice. She knew this was something for the Counselling department, not a meeting with the XO. "Forgive me for my outburst, it is just... It is unfair that people think of me this way, even though the actions I reduced myself to when I put a phaser to your nakedness does not exactly... favour my standpoint. I am loyal to the crew, only... as you say... a bit too loyal and undiscriminating about what I do."


[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

Hearing the emotion in Natalie Stark's voice, Jien Ives let her vent her frustrations, her fears and her doubts. Her apology was accepted, and the blame fervidly cast upon the unknown enemy from the Temporal Cold War that had meant to use their ship as a means to conquer the galaxy.

To hear her speak of what had befallen her affected Jien deeply, now knowing that with such plain evidence to the fact, there was only one circumstance that had illuminated the crime from the mist of oblivion. The new Chief of Operations had been a virgin prior to Niga, and now, Jien might have been the one to take away that innocence.

Hearing Natalie say that the rape and the loss of virginity would haunt her made Jien feel like a dagger was twisted around in her cold heart. The hurt she had caused made anguish rise in her throat like bile, and she lowered her hands to her sides - making white-knuckled fists. Looking out towards the view of the shooting stars, her scowl was all that kept her more brittle emotions in check.

It was as if the events they spoke of played out between them, their corrupted memories patching together and re-enacting the scene in the Transporter room. Between them, in their minds, depicted in the shadows of the dim quarters... Jien's male form kissed Natalie, strangled her into submission, then - should they expect the worst to have happened - Jien tore off her clothes and rutted with her limp body like an animal.

Even though she was looking out towards the stars, Jien's imagination made the scene quite plain - unfolding irrevocably in her mind. "My edict says I am not to be punished, yet I still would like to offer something, anything, to try and help you... process this," she said, hating the word she had chosen, "Like for many others, the Niga incident will haunt you, but I ask you..."

Jien turned her hard eyes to the human. "Is there anything I can do to help you? How might I assist to make you overcome the loss and the fractured memories? How can I help you come to terms with this, to the extent that you would look into my male form's eyes again?"

Seeing Lin Kae light up a bit actually made Skye give a toothy smile and her eyes sparkled and crinkled at the corners revealing the genuine feeling behind the gesture.  "You're welcome," she replied simply yet sincerely to the engineer.  It wasn't often she sparked that kind of reaction but it always felt good when she was able to help someone.

Trudging along through the sand wishing this were a beach and not a desert, she would occasionally bring out a square of cloth from the pocket of her jacket to wipe along her brow and neck but otherwise didn't seem phased by the heat.  She did admire the view of the sun setting though, a half-smile forming for that as well as the lowering of the temperature.

Stepping past buildings with scaffolding, she wondered why it was taking so long to repair or even build new places.  Her mind didn't focus on that too much though as she peered around for something relatively close to what Lucan had ordered.  Hearing music took her to one building but one peek inside had her shutting the door fairly quickly.  "Too crowded," she stated.

Onward she pressed, more toward the center of the city which started to improve in looks, and she found a tavern with a bit of music and a dancing cat girl.  There were a few people there but some open tables making things seem a bit more comfortable for someone like Kae who probably hadn't been to a bar before.  "Think I found something, Sir," she reported to Lucan and held the door open for him.

[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ]

The tavern was tacky. No doubt about it. The bar room was dark, and the air was thick and hazy. The place was obviously constructed to suit all kinds of species, from eight feet tall Nausicaans to small decrepit organics about a meter or so in height. Intoxicated and uninterested eyes or antennae glanced up briefly before looking back at their drink or card game. Lucan raked back dark strands of hair from his eyes and smiled as he sauntered into the establishment of Ensign Carver's choice - heading for the counter.

The bartender was a middle-aged, heavy-set human with greasy hair and a moustache that ran down to his chest. His arms were bare, sticking out of his vest like sausages trying to escape. Eyes grey and clouded, he looked at Lucan blankly - almost through him. "What 'll it be?" he said in a raspy, half-dead tone.

"Ah, something cool and refreshing... I will take your recommendation, good sir. Oh, and my travelling companions here would like the same thing. Nothing too strong, mind, but plenty of ice, if you can spare it," said Lucan, perfectly comfortable in his act. He did act every day, so how would this be any different?

"I'll need to see yer money."

"Certainly, good sir," said Lucan and smilingly presented a slip of latinum from a pocket in his loose white clothes. "By the way, me and my crew just arrived to your lovely city and we are looking for good business. Perchance, you might hav-"

"Here, drink, spare m' ears.." Three tankards filled with blue goo of undefined origin - obviously having been filled up hours ago - landed on the counter and slopped over - making a small puddle of thick liquid spread towards Lucan's sleeve.

Anything that would quench your thirst in this part of the galaxy was worth drinking, no matter how awful it looked or tasted, yet even though he knew this, Lucan was not entirely satisfied with the recommendation. Considering his options, he glanced towards Skye and Kae and shrugged, "Perhaps we should take a table," he said, and made a grimace before putting his tankard to his lips. For better or worse, it was stale, but nonetheless it held a minty taste. Like sweet cough syrup mixed with cheap liqueur.

As he looked for seats, even though he expected the other to chose between the empty tables, Lucan took in the room and its occupants. They were hitting trading obscure cards and curses, not paying attention. The dart throwers were missing their marks. The dancing caitian did not put her back into her performance yet Lucan spared her a long glance regardless just to see how much she was eavesdropping. Quite a bit, by the looks of it, so he decided to indicate another part of the room for Skye and Kae - soon seating himself with them.

"Welcome to Paradise City," he said with an amused smile and raised his tankard - blue cream dripping on the table.

[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

"Believe me, when I made that log, I had no idea how far it's effects would reach.  I thought it was more like a last will and testament, so others might know what did us in, and perhaps help themselves from suffering the same fate.  I remember well what it felt like, to be infected, my Symbiote retaining the memories even with the treatments erasing it in so many others.  It was like dying of starvation constantly, and only sating it when joined with another, or performing or being performed on."

"Lieutenant, I do not find any blame in you for what happened.  To blame you would be to blame the transporter officer who sent you down to the planet, or the one who issued the order for you to survey the planet.  If you have felt any accusing eyes aboard the ship, then it is simply from people not yet able to know how to cope with what they experienced.  It will pass with time, so until that time has come, all you can do is stay strong, and develop a thick skin.  Trust me when I say I understand the accusing looks of others."  Edena had been someone viewed as a traitor, leaving her with as many distrustful glances as she could stand.  All she could do was prove she was still a valued member of the Theurgy's staff, and hope it was enough to prove herself in their eyes.  The same would work for Ida.

Then came the reminder of their meeting in the sonic shower.  While the flash of visuals left her a bit red with embarrassment, Illya was in her head, giving a satisfied sigh at the sight of Ida's uniform clinging to her from the moisture cast upon it.  "I'd rather just leave that in the past.  There aren't many people who have seen me in that state of . . . bareness."  Excluding physicians, who had to do their exams, Edena probably could have counted on one hand the number of people to see her that way, including Ida and Bill Regal while he was under the influence of the infection.  Don't remind me how boring you can be.  Eden, your garden could use some tending now and then. 

Illya!



[Lin Kae - Nimbus III]

The Engineer had been keeping his eye out.  One knew the traders when they saw them, be it a particular species commonly associated with commerce, or simply signs of a large amount of equipment on-hand.  If only it was as simple as spotting the lone Ferengi in the bar and going to him, wary that his goods were likely overpriced and much better stocked then he was willing to admit, as he sought to drive up demand by feigning limited supply.Taking the drink that been ordered for him, he sniffed it for some sign that it wouldn't kill him, finding the scent strangely sweet, as if made from mint leaves.  Still, he didn't rush for his first taste, setting it down on the table they eventually settled on.  "So, exactly how much goods do we have to barter with?"  He asked the commanding officer of the mission, looking to get some kind of baseline for their spending while on the planet.  Resources had to be limited, so they had to determined what was needed most.

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."

[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.

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.

[ 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.

[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.

[ 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.

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."

[ 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!

[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

-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.

[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.

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.

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.

[ 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.

[ 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.

[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.

[ 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...

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.

[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.

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.

[ 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.

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.

-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.

[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.

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.

[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ] Attn: Eve Jenkins (kuro might post too, if so desired)

In the end, Lucan managed to push the drunk woman named Rihen off himself - whom started to hum on a song as she sprawled out on her back. It was by this time that the chandelier hit the last standing Nausicaan.

Barely having gotten back on his feet, the room still spinning, the CMO heard the young Engineer call for a medic - the standard call that training in Starfleet taught them. Lucan was already on his way, picking up his bag on the way. People were highly interested in what they were doing, a small crowd gathering and the bar keeper finally coming around from his shock and starting to scream at them to get out of his tavern.

Ignoring the surroundings best as he might, Dr. Nicander examined Skye's wound after ripping her top enough to bare the immediate area around the injury. His head was still foggy, but he had enough wits about him to not pull out his Starfleet issue medical tricorder from the bag, instead resorting to basic ocular examination, measuring heart-rate and feeling her temperature with the back of his hand.

"Kae," said Lucan, trying to make himself heard over the din when speaking to the Engineer. He removed his own white tunic and started to wind it up into a tight rope. His voice was steady, sure, much because of the focus it demanded of him in his current state. There were no room for malign thoughts outside the effort to diagnose and treat the pilot. No glib remarks or comments on the events. "My med kit does not hold the required instruments to deal with this type of massive penetration trauma. I need to secure and keep control of her air-intake and even get intravenous access in a clinic, infirmary, trauma centre or medical bay. Considering the size of the knife, she might very well have serious inner organ damage and would then need immediate surgery. Until then, I have to prevent blood-loss... You... Make some kind of stretcher so that we can get out of here. Anything will do, just make it quickly."

Methodically, Lucan ran his arms around Skye's torso and tied his wound-up tunic around her - shifting her prone position just as much as he had to - preventing the spreading pool of blood around her from getting even larger. His bare upper body and his white loose breeches were bloodied in the process, but when he finally got the make-shift compress into its proper place - the sleeves tied up into a knot right on top of the stab wound - he tied it all hard around Skye's body. So hard that he used the strength of his legs and his whole upper to secure it tightly around the pilot - almost in danger of dealing hairline fractures to rib or two. If he had, it would still have been better than the alternative. A fractured rib-cage was not lethal.

In retrospect, Lucan would wonder at his own determination in this endeavour, given how he had meant to leave them behind anyway at first given opportunity.

Decorated in blood and with his balance having improved a bit, Lucan stood tall after securing the compression around the pilot. "How comes the stretcher?" he called, seeing that he had actually gotten help from the drunk woman named Rihen in his efforts - the Engineer getting another pair of hands to help him out. "You, can you direct us to the closest clinic?"

Rihen looked up with her heterochromatic eyes, seemingly having sobered a wee bit from seeing the blood she had indirectly caused. "Aye... its not far," she said, and even though her hazy eyes roamed over Lucan, she bit her tongue from commenting beyond a slurry, "...least I can do."

Enlisting help from Kae and Rihen to eventually move Skye to the stretcher, they soon set out into the cool twilight.


[ Deck 08 | Hallway | USS Theurgy ]

According to the latest briefing, the USS Theurgy was due to arrive at Nimbus III in two days.
  
Cadet Ester Hamburg descended the corridor whilst reading one of her PADDs and not looking up for much else than to keep her bearings. She was heading back to Main Engineering after paying a visit to the mess hall for some food, where discussions about the latest ordeal on Niga had become long winded and overtly analytical one. In the end, Ester felt that most of her friends on board had lost perspective, and she bid her leave before it was her turn to discuss her dreams and hazy memories.
  
Preoccupied with her thinking, picked up her pace to reach her destination... but did not look up in time.
   
ThanIda was still in a lighter mood after having left the XO's Ready Room. She contemplated asking David Grayson to postpone the dinner plans so that she might practice drawing the Trill from memory in her scarce off-duty time, but she supposed that drawing him would be challenge enough - should he agree to it. The challenge caused a smile to touch her face but she didn't look up until she saw the commotion down one of the intersections she passed. She stopped, seeing Adam Kingston part two people. Next she knew...
   
Someone slammed into her. Ida hit the ground in a quite unlady like fashion and swore under her breath. Pain fired up her spine, triggering her heart to race and her eyes to water slightly.  She frowned at the Pinkskin girl before her.
   
Meanwhile, Ester landed against a wall - ended up propped up against it with a smarting head swearing in the same manner that the Deputy did, only with less stark vocabulary. On top of it all, she had no idea where her PADD ended up. With a sigh, she did climb to her feet quite quickly, and rubbed her head with her hand before smoothing down her uniform over her bosom and belly. "Pardon me," she said and walked over to the one that she had collided with, without looking who it was. She gave the woman her hand. "I was not paying attention to where I was going..."
  
Then, she realised who the blue-skinned woman was, and her big brown eyes widened a bit. "Oh."
 
"I do not need your help, Cadet," said Ida and offered a tight smile - recognising that look. Once she was standing she picked the PADD that was lying at her feet and handed it to the blonde young human, "I wasn't paying much attention either. As you were."
 
Ester looked after the disappearing back of the Andorian, not sure what to make of her after what had happened. She hugged her PADD to her chest and looked down the side corridor, seeing....

"Oh..." The second surprise made her eyes even wider.

Having just pondered those dreams and memories she retained after the discussion in the mess hall, to see the Security Officer was more than a little eerie, to say the least. Even at a distance, she recognised him, saw him handle the situation where an argument had broken out. Daydreaming, she forgot that she was late to Main Engineering...

[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ] Attn: Lucan and Kuro

It was a quiet night with no one around in the clinic, leaving a very bored woman wondering what to do with herself.  Eve was so bored in fact that she had already recounted the inventory and made a list of things they needed or could use more of in case of emergencies and now was running a diagnostic on the surgical bed.  It was substandard but Toq didn't care since he did most of his stuff the old fashioned way anymore but they did at least use it for accelerating the healing process and more efficient closure.

The thought of the huge Klingon brought crinkle lines around her eyes.  He and Dhivael made a good team but she remembered once when Dhivael was away he had to deliver a baby.  He preferred his patients unconscious and definitely not small and slippery.  His expression alone was priceless but he handed the infant to her so quickly with a perfunctory "It's a boy," to the woman that even the new mother had started to laugh which made him all the more grumpy and amusing.

Both doctors had taken the night off since there had been entirely too many of these silent nights, Toq proclaiming he was going off with his wife for an intimate night.  "I just hope the place survives you two," Even had quipped and received a toothy grin.  Her mental wanderings were interrupted by the soft voice of Dhivael.

"If you're going to stay locked up in your mind like that it's a good thing I decided to see if you'd like some company," the Romulan woman actually giggled.

"I thought you were going to make dinner for that adoring fan of yours who deliberately gets hurt just to have an excuse to come in and see you," Eve retorted with a sweet smile.

"I don't think he'll be coming by much anymore," Dhivael stated with a bit of a sigh.  "Dinner went well but it was after things sort of fell apart and he left rather abruptly."

"Oh?" Eve said straightening up with a curious look.

"Either he is very inexperienced or it's been a while because he suffered a premature ejaculation ... a rather large one," she said with a raised eyebrow, trying to remain clinical though Eve could feel the laughter inside of her friend.

Both dissolved into a fit of giggles and covering her mouth, trying desperately to look contrite, Eve said "I'm so sorry ... but maybe next time will be better after some reassurances."

"Perhaps," Dhivael said with a slight shrug.  "I will certainly tell him he was quite ... impressive ... the next time I see him," she replied with more amusement bubbling beneath the surface.

Anything else either woman would say was cut off by a man rushing into the clinic.  "Fight at Lorn's an' some woman got stabbed," he rushed out breathlessly and without a thought Eve grabbed up the medical tricorder and gave a nod to Dhivael who she knew would get everything in order.  Stab wounds were fairly common around here and she rushed out the door, nearly running into the front stretcher carrier.

"Bring her over here," she started to say and then spotted a familiar face.  "Luc?"  What was he doing here?  Had her grandfather found out where she was and he was sent here to bring her back?  As good as it was to see him, she felt the urge to run.

A groan from the injured woman snapped her focus back and she placed her hand on the woman's forehead which seemed to soothe the extreme pain Skye was feeling.  "Kae ... Lucan ... safe?" she whispered hoarsely.

"I believe your friends are fine and will be checked out by Dr. Leithoedd.  You my dear have a nasty wound but don't you worry.  When you wake up, you'll be feeling a lot better," Eve promised.

Once Skye was transferred to the surgical bed and Dhivael administered a standard anesthetic via hypospray, Eve placed her hands in the sonic cleanser and discussed things quickly with the physician who wasn't that skilled with actual surgeries.  "You've done these with Toq a hundred times and you'll be fine," she assured Eve who simply nodded.  "Get her clothes off then start an IV and some blood," she ordered.

A curtain was pulled and though the woman on the table might not forgive her later, Dhivael cut away the top and then pulled off boots, pants, and underwear.  Eve cleaned the entry area and checked the data from her scan, grimacing but otherwise remaining quiet as she set to work with the scalpel.  "I can handle this right now if you'll check her friends over," Eve requested and actually sent the doctor out to check on probably lesser cases.

     Adam finally was able to let the woman go and did so taking a few steps back just in case.  He made sure to be just outside her reach as he said one final comment. "This is your last warning Kira, if this happens again we're going to have to take you into the brig and lock you up.  Keep that in mind. Next time you run into one of them okay?" He asks anxiously as he turns away from her and begins to make his way down the hallway.  It gets a full three feet before he spots Ester, his eyes doing a quick once over her form and then settling on her chest.  His mind ran over what he knew about her and he resisted the urge to smirk slightly. 
          He calmly approached her and raised his gaze to meet her chin, "ah, Cadet Hamburg.....how are you doing today?   Are you recovering from our...incident alright?" he asked with a hint of concern thrown into his voice.  He carefully formed his next sentence in his mind along with the offer it entitled. "I'd like to try to make what happened up to you, I know I can't take it away, but I can at least show that I'm sorry...Are you doing anything tonight Cadet?" he asks carefully.  His eyes drifting up to meet hers with interest. 

[Sickbay - Recovery Ward | Deck 07]
Attn: Shipboard Hologram Thea and Lt. J.G. Khorin Dpuglas


"Gaddam, cocksuckin, fuckass piece of bitchin, bullshit fuck!" the quickly, almost yelped trail, of obscenities was preceded by by what sounded like the thud of something to the floor followed by the crashing of older terran Iron-type gym equipment clanging against itself.  Every one of the sounds were coming from the direction of the recovery ward's physical therapy room. 

The source was, not to anyone who knew her's surprise, the other recovering member of the Lone Wolves, Evelyn Rawley.  She was standing there seeming to be nursing a foot and by the way she was slightly limping more than likely a toe in particular.  At this moment a few of the lighter dumbbell weights were off their placement racks and one was on the floor.  Also, another rack of the equipment seemed to be halfway empty with its weights scattered under it.

A quick examination of the ships recording devices would easily make things quite clear. As she sat the dumbbell down, it had rolled off and landed on her foot causing her to let loose the string of obscenities and throw the dumbbell off of her foot quickly.  The dumbbell crashed into the rack of small weights making a lot of them fall and caused a loud cacophony of crashing iron.

[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

"Your pledge is accepted, Lieutenant.  You can report for duty at 0800 tomorrow.  Make sure the Wolves in your care are properly prepared.  They will be your responsibility now, so whichever training exercises you wish to take them through can be carried out of your own accord.  I'll just have to sign off on it first.  Get me a report at least two hours beforehand if you plan to take the Valkyries out of the ship."  Two hours would be all the time she needed to clear all the proper channels, and make certain their launch was scheduled and expected by the crew.  An unexpected sortie of ships from the hanger could raise concerns, especially so soon after a ship-wide crisis.

"You're dismissed, Lieutenant.  the SCO quarters will be yours from now on, so you may move into them at your own convenience."  With new positions often came job perks, which included a larger, more luxurious room to call one's own.Even the alpha dog needed a den to call his own, after all.



[Lin Kae - Paradise City, Nimbus III]

With the need for a stretcher, Kae quickly improvised something up.  A small table with fold-in legs was just about the right size for Skye.  Sweeping an arm across to clear away the snacks that were piled on it, and removing the cloth covering it, he locked the table legs inside and dragged it over beside Skye.  With the help of Lucan, they moved her over like she was being lifted from a crash cart, resting her in the center of the table.  Rihen pitched in with carrying Skye and the makeshift stretcher, towards the hospital ward, where thankfully she received immediate assistance.

Kae had noticed the brief interaction between the Chief Medical officer and the doctor on staff.  They knew each other, but it wasn't Kae's place to ask questions.  Instead, he busied himself wish washing off his hands, which had been covered by a small portion of blood.  He was tense, but still brushed off medics who came to check on him, insisting he hadn't been harmed in any way, but pointing them in the direction of Lucan, and even Rihen, who had both taken a fall back in the bar.

He nodded then looked around a bit before seeming to loosen up slightly. His shoulders were no longer quite as stiff looking, and his eyes no longer held the same completely serious look in them as he spoke, "There's one thing I am curious about Miss.  From my information, to be the commander of any group, or be a true senior officer on board, not just the ranking officer of a group. I was informed the required rank was a Lieutenant Commander.   Don't take this as me trying to smooth talk my way to a promotion, but before I came to the Theurgy, in fact before I even attained the rank of Lieutenant, I happened to take the all of the tests for Lieutenant Commander and some of the Commander roles tests even finding a few of the sims for Captain's tests.  I took them to see how I would handle the stresses that those roles could have.  My record shows that took the Leutenant Commander tests on the record and passed all of them well above the required scores.  My curiosity is regarding the rank.  Why am I being given the command of a group without the proper field promotion in rank to exercise these duties?  Our captain seems the type that is a stickler for proper Federation protocol and was wondering what changed her mind on eschewing the usual rank requirements."

[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ]

Arms leaden and breath heavy, bloody hair in his eyes, Lucan came face to face with someone after having carried Skye together with Kae - someone whom knew him by name. Rihen had helped them find their way and lingered, so when Lucan stood there for a moment and looked into familiar eyes, the blue-and-gold-eyed woman rolled those irises towards the ceiling and went to seat herself in the adjoining room, muttering something about 'typic men' and 'should'a figured'.

"Eve," said Lucan incredulously in reply, recognising her almost right away. It had not been too many years, and the half-blood Deltan seemed having not aged at all. Last he had seen her was just before he graduated at the top of his batch from Starfleet Medical, them having said their farewells rather... thoroughly. As to why she was there, of all places in the Galaxy, and perhaps a liability for the Theurgy's mission, he had no idea, yet the needs of the fighter pilot on the stretcher took precedence.

Having recovered a bit from calling on the winds, carrying Skye had not let him recover enough, so when the pilot was placed on the surgical table, Lucan left to make room - heading to the adjoining ward where Rihen waited. Kae joined him as well just as he sat down against one of the walls - leaning his head back to rest. Or rather... to think. What was he doing? Why did he go to such lengths to save someone he just as readily would kill any second if it benefited him? Oh, how the beasts ridiculed him - terrible laughter filling his head.

The Romulan physician arrived, and while Kae declined any help, the woman - introducing herself as Dr. Dhivael Leithoedd quickly determined Rihen's need for hydration pills and water. She had a few bruises, but none too serious. None she could feel right then, at least, in her inebriated state. When the Romulan came to Lucan, he opened his pale grey eyes and stared into her soul - his smile as tired as it was charming. "My thanks, Dr. Being a doctor myself, I can assure you that the blow I have taken to the torso will bruise, yet nothing more. Otherwise, I am merely weary. Please, attend to our companion instead."

He needed to speak with Kae in private, so when the Romulan had insisted a few times and eventually gone for the pills to Rihen, Lucan nimbly got to his sandalled feet and stepped close to the Engineer - his bare torso and one cheek still decorated in smudges of dried blood. "Next to this room is someone from Starfleet," he said under his breath to the young man, ignoring how Rihen was asking what they were doing, "Her name is Eve Jenkins and she was at Starfleet Medical at the same time as I was. Her father... was Commander Liam Jenkins, and the same Commander that the transmissions revealed to be one of the impersonators."

In fact, Lucan had known long before that how Commander Jenkins had been replaced by one of his own kin. The beast chuckled in mirth. He also knew that Eve Jenkins ought to still be herself, since the last he heard - before he was hung out to dry on the Theurgy and each day risked to be killed at the orders issued by his own - she had vanished... and her 'father' had taken it upon himself to rectify the liability of her being on the loose. It was not like they could afford loose ends, after all. Yet to Kae, he simply said...

"Either she has followed in her father's footsteps... or she is a deserter just like us. For I... doubt that this clinic is a Starfleet cover-operation."

"Hey, lemme in on it, wassit somthan I said?" Rihen came to lean against his arm, seeming so tired that she might pass out.

"Unless she is a part of those still looking for the industrial replicator," he said, ignoring the woman.

"Oh, don'cha mention that..." said Rihen, "not tha cause fo' all my troubles..."

Frowning, Lucan glanced towards her. "What?"

"I rrreally should'na talk 'bout it.I need ta sleep, I donna wanna talk about my work..."

"Your work?"

"Repairin', all days... all nights... No latinum left... Yet soooo close to fortune..." Rihen stepped away and rubbed her temples, her long leather coat trailing in her wake. She groaned and took a deep breath. "How did'a end up with da piece of junk?"

Lucan looked back to Kae, and he could not help the small smile that touched his lips. "The winds blow in mysterious ways..."


[ Deck 07 | Recovery Ward in Sickbay | USS Theurgy ]

Thea looked up from Junior Lieutenant Khorin Douglas while he was examined by the EMH, hearing the crash and commotion from the physical therapy room. "I will be right back, 'Lieutenant. It sounds like your fellow wolf here has having difficulties."

Walking into the room, Thea held her hands folded behind her back, passively watching Wolf-07 in her ailment. She was dressed in a loose recovery gown, and she had not cared to tie it up properly - much to the great embarrassment or delight of some other patients that watched from the opposite doorway. While Thea made her way through the room, she raised a teal-gloved hand and waved them off with a kind smile. "Return to your beds, please. It was just an accident."

Turning her attention back to the Junior Lieutenant Evelyn Rawley - this lone-wolf whom Dr. Nicander and Cdt. Neotin had saved after the last skirmish with Starfleet - she took a deep breath, anticipating the mood of the human already. Chances were that to 9,753 5 of 10,000, the patient would be upset and unruly.

"Here, allow me to assist you," said the hologram and began to lift back the iron weights to their proper places without any great rush, doing so with a perfectly straight face. She glanced up to observe the state of the short woman with shaved head, gauging if there was ought she could say to take her mind of her frustrations. "You might be happy to know that Lieutenant Khorin Douglas just came to in the other room. He is examined by the EMH right now, but he should be able to speak with you, should you wish to do so. "

Frowning a little, she added, "And... your might wish to tie yourself up a bit. Yet most importantly, may I please examine your foot for injury? You are already here, so there is no reason to-"


[ Deck 08 | Hallway | USS Theurgy ]

While the Security Officer, this Adam Kingston, headed her way, Ester Hamburg had frozen on the spot - utterly unable to move. Fingers clenched around her PADD, she watched him like a small deer caught in the headlights of a 20th century auto-mobile.

"Ah, Cadet Hamburg... how are you doing today? Are you recovering from our... incident alright?"

Should she answer? Could she answer? Did she even want to answer? Perhaps she should just walk away, giving him the cold shoulder. He deserved it didn't he? She was facing her rapist, after all. Oh, she knew, she remembered glimpses of this older man, how he gradually made her do things to him. She remembered what he tasted like. What he felt like. How he filled her up. Lips trembling, she stammered something, anything, in reply. "I m-manage."

Right then, she could positively taste the lie on her pink tongue.

"I'd like to try to make what happened up to you, I know I can't take it away, but I can at least show that I'm sorry... Are you doing anything tonight Cadet?"

He better be sorry! He, that brute! He took away her most sacred... "I don't know. I really have a lot to do. My friends, and I, you know. No," she said, shaking her head a bit too many times, with too much emphasis, "No, no." Her discomfort was so plain it was like Warp Core warnings blared in the corridor. "G-Good bye, I need to be back to Main Engineeering."

She turned on her heel and set off, but tripped over her own feet in her haste.

With a loud cry, she went down, her PADD going down the corridor for the second time. She had tried to catch herself and ended up with a sore hand afterwards, and whilst trying to preserve her dignity, she attempted to get back on her feet like nothing had happened. "Oh, clumsy me, I don't know what happened. Perhaps the gravity sequencers are misaligned right here. Like I said, I must go, I..."

Part horror, part intrigue, part shame, with too many feelings at once, she could not do much else than try to flee.

[ Deck 07 | Recovery Ward in Sickbay | USS Theurgy ]

She looked back at the hologram as as she snapped back initially, "Put that gaddam tricorder away! All I did was drop an effin weight on my toe."  she said griping, tired of dealing with these photon doctors but mostly just aggravated at not being of any use at the moment.  "And tying up wouldn't be necessary if you damn medics would just design some clothes that make sense.  The hell! You design these things so you have to reach in ways arms weren't meant to go just to keep from showin' yer arse."  She said sitting down and grabbing the weight back and stared at it. then looked back at the Thea. "Seriously what ya starin' at Piss-off, yeh holobitch!  And you guys, I ain't no damn peep show.  You go fuck off to somewhere else too!"  She said looking in the eyes of a few of the lingerers that had not went back when Thea had told them too.

While the woman came off as wanting to be left alone inside she felt completely different.  She hated this, Hated being left behind, hated being in therapy and recovery.  She just wanted to get out and do what she was supposed to do and yet she couldn't.  She had to vent her frustrations somewhere, and at the moment this holographic ship's face was the easiest target.

[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

Throughout the captains speech, Natalie stood, starring up at the other woman. Or man. That point was driven home quite well, of the whole speech. She froze up when the captain shifted, between one form and another, just as easily as she did with her hand. It left her trembling, true, but at the same time, an inkling of understanding was starting to take nest, deep in her conscious. It would take her some time to accept the words as truth, and would certainly not be tonight, but perhaps, she'd be able to come to terms with her new found fears.

As for her own lack of confidence, again, the shifters words struck a cord. Natalie could tell that she had a long way to go before she could feel confident in herself, but at the same time, she could almost grasp how her own doubts weren't important, and didn't change her ability, perhaps only hinder her own drive. She nodded, once, just before the comm interrupted the two. She took the pause to try and collect herself, her wits, and wrap her mind around what had been said. It was an intimidating philosophy, but she felt she just might be able to commit herself to it. That, or she was dead tired and fooling herself.

"Aye, sir. I'll be back in the gym in the morning. And Captain?" Natalie looked up again, gulping, "Thank you, sir"

[Sarresh Morali - Lower Science lab 2, Deck 7]

It was starting to become more then Sarresh could bear, the feeling of Amikris pressed close to him, the scent of her filling his nose, threatening to drown out everything else. So it was quite the relief when she finally pulled away, putting physical distance between the two of them. The scent of embarrassment flooded the room, his own mingling with the younger Ash'reem's. He shook his head a bit, as if that would allow him to tune it all out, but stopped mid shake to gape at Amikris.  His eyebrows rose high on his head "You're quarters?" he said in standard, since she had as well, "I barely know any of you"

Before he could go farther down that train of thought, the girls mother spoke up, and drew Sarresh back to the matter at hand. With a labored sigh, the young Lt tugged on his uniform a bit, crossing his arms afterwards. ~~Not just Tachyon emissions. ANything can emit a tachyon, though they tend to be most prevalent in time distortions, you are correct. They are also a commonly used detection system against cloaking devices. Only a massive Tachyon burst would register.~~ He takes on the tone of someone giving a lecture as he continues, ~~This monitors, or will, on a level far beyond what this bucket of bolts should be able to handle, I might add, chroniton emissions. It also scans for sudden discrepancies. I've managed to integrate one small piece of technology left me by the Relativity~~ he raises a hand before they can say anything about the Temporal Prime Directive

~~Its sealed, Lt. I cant actually see what is inside of it, or how it works. I can't browse its contents. Its a snapshot of history, major events, a...timestamp of what is supposed to happen. I can't look at the contents, and the damn thing is impermeable to our scanners. We can't learn anything from it, except this: IT will raise all holy hell if something that shouldn't happen, happens. And it has to be a serious discrepancy, not "captain Jien rolled over on the left side of the bed to get out in the morning, instead of the right"~~ He points to a small, spherical device, sitting in a cylindrical interface, ~~Frankly, I can only begin to comprehend, on the most basic level, how it work. Once I get it set up properly, in any case, it should prove useful~~ The whole time Sarresh does his best to ignore both Amikris, and her question.

[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

He was right, of course.  Being the head of a department normally required the rank of Lieutenant Commander, and the SCO was no exception to that.  It was an important division of the Theurgy's crew, and needed proper representation, with a rank to match the authority.  "You are correct to bring up the need for a promotion, and your service record does reflect that you would be suited to it.  What it comes down to, though, is that I am not the one equipped to issue that promotion.  The Commanding officer on board does that.  I approved your position change, but it is Captain Ives who will handle your promotion.  That's why your first duty after leaving my Ready Room will be to report to the Captain."  With a nod of her head, Edena finally said, "dismissed," and sent Miles on his way to see Jien, to acquire the rank of Lieutenant Commander to go along with his new title of SCO.



[Lin Kae - Nimbus III]

Kae listened to the explanation of who Eve Jenkins was, and her relation to a person they were already able to confirm was compromised.  It did raise questions about her, especially when they had found her on a planet where no Federation outpost was present.  Why would a commissioned Starfleet Officer be on Nimbus III?  "If only we knew what we were looking for.  If we did, we could confirm whether she was compromised or not."  Lucan must have been thankful they couldn't detect it yet, as it saved him from a great deal of trouble.  "If we aren't sure if she is compromised, should we really leave Ensign Carver alone in there with her?"  What if it was a chance to finish what the knife started, and kill one of the few remaining Starfleet officers who knew about the conspiracy?

With Rihen speaking up, talking about the Industrial Replicator, Kae gave a quick look to Lucan.  This was what he was there for, to handle the repairs of the Replicator.  He could handle speaking with Rihen if Lucan wanted to watch over Skye, and assure she was safe with the unknown factor called Eve Jenkins.  "Repairing?  What kind of problems are you having?"  Kae had his suspicions.  The older designs were lacking a proper cooling system, which left frequent use of the replicator to overload primary circuits.  It was his leading suspicion behind any problems, and he was sure he could not only repair that problem, if he could find the needed parts, but he could likely get rid of the overheating issue altogether.

[ Deck 02 - 01 | Stark's Quarters to Captain's Ready Room ] Attn: Miles Renard

"You are quite welcome, 'Commander," said Jien before leaving through the sliding doors, feeling that the visit to Natalie Stark's quarters had gone fairly well, despite the awkward start. There was hope for the morrow, and chances be, the both of them would be able to come to live with themselves - not to mention serve together on board the Theurgy.

With unhurried steps, the Commanding Officer changed... to his male form and walked the corridor of his ship, alone, and burdened with the lives of everyone aboard. It was at times like that when the doubts thawed the hoarfrost around his soul, the undermining tunnels that he dug by himself creeping closer underneath his fortifications. Who was he to challenge the entire Federation, to kill entire crews of Starfleet brothers and sister in the name of truth and justice? How the hell was he supposed to live with himself after what he had done? How he was supposed to prevail in his endeavour was one thing... but how could he ever stand before the masses and validate himself and his actions to all the widows and widowers, or to all the children bereft of their mothers or fathers.

"Ignorant... Beguiled by their very chain of command, by the traditions and principles we aim to uphold." That was what he had said to his former XO in the aftermath of the last battle, "I gave the orders, I raised my hand and I pointed, and I called 'Fire'. Now, widows all over the galaxy will curse our names as they weep themselves to sleep. Fathers will die desolate, knowing that their bloodline is extinct. The Theurgy has carved its mark into the Federation, and while we did, thousands were crying out for want of our mercy."

Grimacing, Jien tried to hold Nerina's wise answer close to heart.

"I could quote you regulations saying that we were justified, Regulation 3, General Order 8... But while we have only served together briefly and under trying conditions, I won't bother trying to convince you that we're legally right. I will say this, however, Captain. I, along with every other crewmember on board, is here. Is still doing his, her, or their duty, to take care of this ship. Every single one of them believes in you Captain, believes in this ship, believes in the truth. No-one has attempted to retake the ship, no-one has demanded to leave. We did not order those other ships to attack us, the moral guilt lies on the imposters in Starfleet who gave the orders. But if you give up on the crew, if you give up on the ship, if you give up on this mission, Jien, then and only then are you truly murdering anyone!"

Taking a deep breath and stopping to lean against the wall with one hand, Jien let it out with a shudder, steeling himself against his doubt, and trying no to think about how he had - whilst infected - caused Nerina such injury that she had to be placed in stasis indefinitely. Perhaps those poor people in the coffins were not so unfortunate, hope being that they would wake up once everything was over, and not have to kill or live in fear... at least not up to the point where they faced the judges. All that he could promise them, was that he would take them home, and try and clear all their names. To set the record straight.

No one deserved a fate such as theirs.

"Computer, where is Lt. Renard?"

[Lt. Renards is in turbolift four, leaving Deck 01 and heading for Deck 05]

Apparently, the new SCO must have had his talk with Commander Rez already, and Jien knew that it was time to summon the man to his own Ready Room - to finish what Edena had begun. "Tell Lt. Renard to report to my Ready Room," he told the computer, and headed up to Deck 01 himself, dismissing his Yeoman and the reports brought to his desk. Before the chirp on the door sounded, heralding the arrival of the new Pack Leader, Jien had placed the black satin box upon his desk - opened to display the black-marked pip and facing the door. He had seated himself in his chair and leaned on the desk, folding his fingers underneath his penetrating stare - the dead black centres of his oaken eyes scrutinizing the fighter pilot after he had called... "Enter!"

Watching the Vulpinian approach and report, Jien made no motion for the man to sit or be at ease. He did not comment upon the box that was set between them. He did not say a word, only sat there, and looked upon the man chosen to be the last line of defence for the Theurgy. For when its shields were gone and they were bare to enemy fire, only the leadership and fortitude of the Lone-Wolf Squadron was all that kept the truth and their mission to become a bleak memory in a dark future.

After a couple of seconds, Jien rose to his feet slowly and walked around his desk, still not having said a word or let the man stand at ease. He approached, and came to stand next to Miles Renard - his stare now upon the profile of the new SCO. What Jien meant to convey, to make explicitly clear to the man, was something he hoped would linger in his mind when he set himself to his new duties. His words were not meant to frighten the man, no, not even to iron out the chain of command, or instil obedience. No, not even making a statement to be taken as a threat. What Jien Ives told the new SCO, was a dire promise. After seconds had passed, the Captain's voice was deadly quiet.

"After you pick up that box," he said, so unmoving where he stood that any moment heralded the sudden explosion of violence, "and you come to fail me and this crew, you will not only fail yourself, your wolves and me. You will fail the future of Starfleet, perchance the very survival of the Federation as a whole. When you don that pip, you have no room for mistakes any more, no leeway and no comforting thoughts to fall back upon. The responsibility of command is yours again, but this time... you serve aboard my ship, where there is no margin for error."

Stepping away from Renard, Jien continued while he returned towards his seat. "You cannot show weakness any more. You will have to save your tears for the day when the pain is all behind. You will take your place at the head of the pack and always be on your feet. You will either stand up to face your many trials ahead, or you will die trying - only knowing that those behind you might die as well. Perhaps also every one you are obligated to protect here, aboard your base ship."

Seating himself behind his desk again, Jien watched the man, to make sure that he knew the responsibility for what it was. Something no to be taken as a privilege. Rather, the very opposite. "At ease. Take it up, and know that I have confidence in you, as long as you have confidence in this mission of ours. Any less... and you will regret it direly, on many accounts. Do I make myself clear?"

Seated, waiting, Jien ended up enquiring about his time since he was pulled from the buffer. "Have you read the debriefing you got about the ordeals we have been through while you were gone, and do you have any questions?"


[ Deck 07 | Recovery Ward in Sickbay | USS Theurgy ]

As only a hologram could, Thea let the rasping insults and verbal abuse shower out of the human's mouth - passing right through her.

"No," she said calmly, clearly, when she in very rude terms was asked by the wolf to leave. Partially, because she now could deny that request from the 'Lieutenant. Also, she meant to say her own piece of mind about the lengthy suffering of the patients around the pilot. "I will not leave unless you can address me civilly, as something less like a irritating spectre and more like the benefactor that I am - trying in vain to help you."

Setting back the last weights, Thea came to stand next to the pilot - folding her arms underneath her breasts and considering what kind of social approach might glean the best results. "The odds of your complete recovery drops substantially if you refuse help and the presence of others, and as I would surmise that your greatest wish remains to leave this Ward, it would be rather counter-productive to worsen the odds, wouldn't it? Do you care to know the numbers?"

Unbidden, Thea moved behind Evelyn Rawley to help her tie up her gown again - her optic sensors taking in the organic's bared skin. Not out of sexual curiosity - despite how such things now lay closer at hand in her daily processing tasks - but simply observing the angry markings of scar tissue upon the pilot's skin. Scars that she had insisted on keeping. Thea did not understand that choice, or why Dr. Nicander had agreed, but made no comment.


[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ]

A silent accord was made, and Lucan nodded, seeing how it would be best to keep an eye on Skye Carver based on the smaller degree of knowledge that he could admit to. Moreover, Kae had the perfect opportunity to secure the objective or their mission, so the doctor went to the basin in order to clean himself up.

"Troubles? Nothn' but troubles I'd say," answered Rihen in a worn, tired voice, leaning against a wall with one of her gloved hands. Her head hanging a bit in defeat, she glanced up to the young man. "Damn thing didn' wanna start at first, patched and tinker'd with by those who was fool'd to buy it before me. Had to rip off junk that didn' serve any damn purpose - scarred it pretty bad. Overheats like a frigid bitch, ignition sparks crap out n' dies instantly in 'couple o' places, I even have this bastr'd molecular sequencer relay that has decided that it wants to take m' eyes out..."

Rihen trailed off there, watching when Lucan washed his bare upper body from blood. He as just about done, rinsing his fingernails best he could and wet all over. "If you'll excuse me," he said to them both, then smiled to Rihen, "if you are really really kind to this young man, he can take care of all your troubles. it all depends on how forthcoming you are, and if you will let him and I use the replicator once it works again."

"Wh- You can help me?" said the engineer - only a few years older than Kae - and she walked over to the Lieutenant to grab his incognito apparel for bodily support, "Plez, tell m', even bett'r, come with m', I will make it worth yer while. Plez."

Giving Kae a quick smile, Lucan headed out to the other Wards. "Go, I will be here. I can take care of myself," he told the young man, "Come back here as soon as you know a time estimate for the repairs."

With that, he stepped towards the place where Skye Carver was hidden, seeing shadows moving through the curtain - Eve Jenkins performing the surgery. The water on his skin was cool in the desert's chill night, the coolness penetrating the walls of the clinic. He came to lean against a wall just outside the curtain, folding his arms for warmth, and spoke to his old acquaintance from Starfleet Medical in an unhurried tone. He did not mean to distract her from what she was doing, and expected her to only answer once she could.

"By no means can I fathom what you are doing here," he said to Eve quietly, images of her and their night together flashing before his eyes, "yet all the same, it is good seeing you again."

Water dripped from his hair where he stood, studying his nails. His white loose breeches were wet and see-through over the thighs, but also heavily discoloured by Ensign Carver's blood. "I often wondered what became of you, but I had not expected you to leave Starfleet and set up shop in a city like this... You must have quite a story to tell."

[Deck 01 XO Ready Room and Bridge]

Miles nodded, "I was assuming the Captain would have to do such things,"  He said feeling rather accomplished at his correct knowledge of Starfleet procedure.  That said he saluted her and added, "Yes Ma'am, and thank you."  with that he turned around his tail swishing slightly as he walked having a bit of a spring in his step.  He exited the ready room towards turbolift and headed towards his quarters to gather a few things before his meeting with the Captain.

((Continued after Split))

---

[ Deck 07 | Recovery Ward in Sickbay | USS Theurgy ]

She growled to herself as she started to say somethign but the hologram spoke again saying something hit home.

"The odds of your complete recovery drops substantially if you refuse help and the presence of others, and as I would surmise that your greatest wish remains to leave this Ward, it would be rather counter-productive to worsen the odds, wouldn't it? Do you care to know the numbers?"

The statement hit her like a ton of bricks as she had a look of shock and in a way sadness which she bottled up inside refusing to show the tears she felt wanted to come out. "Dammit!  Why the hell do I have to be in this damn ward" she said to herself her voice rising slightly.  "Why can't my body just heal so I can be of some use.  At least the Klingon was in a coma.  The majority of his actual injuries are already healed, and knowing Klingons he will be out of here in a week now that he's woke up." she paused and sighed looking down, "But I still get stuck here. healing slowly like some weakling."

---

[Deck 01 Captain's Ready Room ]

Miles stood at attention as the captain spoke. He was looking forward the whole time, not even glancing down at the pip, just listening to the captain speak taking in every word.  He understood the importance of the position and he knew that it was no privilege but a whole mess of new responsibilities.  When the captain finished he simply saluted and spoke two words, "Yes sir."

Once the captain was seated he lowered the salute and took a seat himself.  He shifted the box towards him a little after sitting and looked at the pip starring at it for a second before the captain spoke again.

"Have you read the debriefing you got about the ordeals we have been through while you were gone, and do you have any questions?"

He nodded as he loosened up just a bit, "Not really questions but more concerns, and a few things I wished to go over with you, Sir."  He said simply as he brought out a PADD that he had been compiling information on recently. It served as a sort of notepad he was using to keep track of a few things he had wanted to ask the captain."

[Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room ]

Pleased that the new SCO seemed to take his obligations seriously, Jien folded his hands in his lap and leaned back a bit.

"If there are concerns that are relevant and pressing to tell me now, instead of minor concerns that the Department Heads respectively can discuss at the next Senior Staff meeting," said Jien quietly with a very faint smile, not being weary of the toll exactly, but rather having his crew in mind and what they had been through, "Then, of course, you should by all means discuss them with me or the Executive Officer."

Shifting his seat a little, Jien felt compelled to change... her form, to mark the shift of their conversation to something a bit more casual than the strictness that she had first maintained. "As for things you want to go over that pertain to the Lone Wolves, the Executive Officer will need to hear it to, and not just I."

She glanced to the PADD, the very faint smile remaining. It appeared the pilot had kept himself busy during the time he had his wings clipped.

"Please proceed."

"Actuially most of the things I had in mind would involve both yourself and the XO as they are advisements regarding the performance and actions of my pack.  To be exact, I have two officers I would like to recommend for promotion.  One of those two I would like to recommend some form of commendation being given to in recognition for his going above and beyond the call of duty.  Another officer, I am very unsure of based on her recent service record.  There is a fourth that I am unsure whether to recommend for promotion or not.  In addition,  I have a proposed rearrangement of the squadron into a 12 ship squadron that will rectify the issues regarding pilots currently flying without wing-men in squadron formations.  This arrangement also includes my recommendations for the two flight group leaders.  However, that can wait." he said shifting his weight slightly slightly examining her form.

"I have a more personal question. It's about the way people are acting regarding each other on the ship in the wake of the incidents at Niga."  He glanced down and back up having not seen the captain in this form as often as he would like glancing to her body for a second his eyes moving back up taking in the new form she took.  He couldn't lie that he did find her attractive but in the same note he knew she wasn't his type, not romantically at least.  Physically was a different story though, and he couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship of her chosen form.  After all he was like her. The face either of them often shown the world was an crafted piece of their species unique biology made to allow them to blend in.

[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ] Attn: Lucan

Dhivael had rounded up the cure for Rihen and gave it to her without interrupting her conversation with the young man.  She'd seen Rihen in the clinic a few times for the same symptoms so instructions weren't necessary.  When she was returning to help Eve, she gazed at Lucan standing there dripping wet with the eyes of a woman and not a physician though his obvious familiarity with Eve held her tongue.  Stepping behind the curtain, she gave Eve and inquisitive raise of an eyebrow and fanned herself but the nurse simply shook her head and continued the internal repairs by hand.

For her part, Eve was quite focused on the case in front of her but his words made her curious ... and cautious.  "Life has a way of making changes for us that we never foresee," she replied as she pulled up the synthetic thread that she was using to repair the large intestine.  "Perhaps we could catch up when I'm done here.  This young lady isn't going anywhere for the night and probably not tomorrow.  All depends on how strong she is."  There was silence as she looked over the body, noting all the features and finding her patient quite interesting.  "She looks strong." Too bad she's most likely not into women from the little I picked up holding back her pain.

*****

Days passed and, to a certain extent, life returned to normal.  At least, as much as it could when the entire ship was a huge fugitive being hunted by an unknown and predictably persistent race that was taking over their homes, their lives.  T'Less had sought no congratulations for what she'd done to Niga, and hadn't expected any, but still felt as though those around her both approved and disapproved at the same time.  It was a complicated matter, to be sure, an illegal but entirely necessary action, one condoned by the command structure of the ship.  Even still, it made her wonder whether there might not have been another solution, but she tried to ignore it, not to second guess herself.

Returning to her quarters, she paused at the reminder blinking on her desk.  It had been two-fold, one a reminder to eat, something she hadn't had much time for, and two, she had a meeting with Ida.  With a tap of her combadge, she sought out the Andorian, "Lieutenant Ida, will you join me in my quarters, please."

It was either combine the two activities, or not eat.  Logically, combining made sense, and it would be illogical to weaken one's self with lack of food.

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Listening to the pilot, Jien remained in her seat, moving only her eyes. "I think it prudent, then, that you ask about the aftermath of Niga first, and then, we'll see if Commander Rez is available to attend if you have recommendations for changes in the duty roster."

In a way, since Jien had grown up among humans and almost considered herself human, the appreciation that the pilot showed to her female form was lost on her at first. Yet after a couple of seconds, after that Jien had been prepared to comment acidly on the looks he made, she came to realise the intent - the admiration between shape-shifters. Thus, the comment was withdrawn before it formed.

Just as Jien had come to treasure the beauty of humanity and he finality of their permanent forms, she had soon also come to learn the other aspect - too see the craft of her own and that of others like her. It was a craft, if a very personal and anatomy-oriented one. Chameloids had it fairly easy, while other species of shifters needed more time and effort, and thus she found her own Chosen Forms easily made, only tuned to her own taste's perfection over the decades.

She did not make any comment - regardless of the 'Commanders own dedication to his Federation-adapted form and the time he must have put into it.

[ Deck 08 - 02 | Corridors to Lt. T'Less Quarters | USS Theurgy ]

After having literally bumped into Cadet Hamburg and left her behind, Ida got the message from the Chief Tactical Officer and tapped her own combadge.

"Yes, Lieutenant, I will be right there."

Ida had no idea what the Vulcan might want. At least, she could not remember something specific at the top of her head. It was in the middle of the afternoon, and she had yet a couple of hours of duty left before she would have to attend the dinner with David Grayson - something she had come to regret further and further the more she thought about it. It might be awkward, but at least she might get the chance to draw him - to practice for the pending commission from someone else.

Regardless, she reached the turbolift, taking it to Deck 02, where she soon announced her presence with a tap on the panel next to the door. "Lt. zh'Wann here."

[ Deck 07 | Recovery Ward in Sickbay | USS Theurgy ]

Analysing the behaviour of the pilot, it was plain to Thea that she needed reassurances. At the same time, past efforts to give her such had been fruitless, so Thea chose to do something else.

"Is there anything specific you would like to have arranged for you, something that would actually be advisable in this environment?" she asked the pilot with the rasping voice and the shaven head. She did not know how she might accommodate any wishes, but perhaps there was something worthwhile for Lt. Rawley to do while her body regained its strength.

At least it seemed that Thea's words had gotten through.

[ Paradise City | The Nimbus System ]

Alone on his side of the curtain, Lucan looked out a window towards the stars, commenting on what Eve was saying.

"She ought to be..." he said, weighing the possibility to tell her more with the delectable Romulan woman present as well behind that bloody curtain. Vaguely, he had come to notice how Eve had been alone in performing the surgery up until the point when the Romulan had arrived, which meant she had made progress in their common field of expertise. Which proved quite interesting, in several ways, but the most important thing was her reason for being there - something she had not readily revealed quite yet.

Frowning, Lucan wondered if it was wise to tell Eve about the Theurgy and what had happened to Starfleet while she was performing surgery. Perhaps he should wait until she was finished. Perhaps he should offer to assist them - if nothing else to gaze some more upon the woman whom had ended his Starfleet Medical days on a celebratory note. This woman... whom had no such advanced training in surgery of penetration wounds last he saw her. Perhaps, for appearances sake, to keep Kae - that bothersome liability that ceaselessly foiled his plans - and his ignorant belief that Eve might be an impersonator placated... he should be behind that curtain.

"Do you have any spare scrubs, or at least a mask? I would like to assist, or if nothing else, overview the progress," he asked politely, then directed himself to the Romulan, whom would probably have objections to interject any second. It would reveal that he was from Starfleet, but at this point, the Romulan would know soon enough anyway. "I am a doctor too, studied together with Eve on Terra. I am currently the Chief Medical Officer on the Starship I have been commissioned to, so I can assure you that I will not be in the way."

Figuring Eve might take offence at him imposing himself, he added another truth. "She was indirectly hurt because of me, hence me asking. She is a Tactical Conn Officer that was ordered to protect me - and the young Engineering Officer I arrived with - while we were down here. So I feel... that I have not lived up to my responsibilities, by not being able to do more for her."

The fact of Skye Carvers nudity was no issue, professionals as they all were. He saw a mask hanging on a peg and lifted it up in order to put it on, straps behind his ears, and would enter in his water-pearled state unless they insisted on finding scrubs for him too. He would enter and he would watch the progress, and wait for Eve to reveal more when breaking the silence that predominated critical surgery.

"Do you have any spare scrubs ..."  A half-smile formed as she asked Dhivael to suction away some debris and fluids.  "Cabinet behind you though they're usually for a Klingon ... might be a little big."  Without looking from her work, she said "He's one of the most brilliant doctors I've ever seen, Dhivael and I'm surprised he waited this long to ask ... and not actually demand ... that he be allowed to help."

As he told them about the woman on the table, Eve's stomach clenched.  He was definitely still Starfleet and she was probably healing the person who would put the shackles on her to take her back to who knew what.  It wasn't her fault or really Lucan's and her compassion guided her to continue the surgery.  She would only harm someone in self-defense and even then it would bother her greatly.  She still cared for the man she called Luc with such tenderness.

"Dhivael, why don't you go get some rest.  Luc can help me finish up the surgery and I'll handle my usual duties after," she requested.  The physician looked at her a bit shrewdly and knew the absolute calm Eve was showing was not exactly the case but it wasn't her place to ask questions, not really.  "I think that's a good idea and I have someone I should talk to very soon anyway," she chuckled lightly as she handed the suction device to the man.

Once she had left, Eve paused.  "The blade severed the large intestine but I've repaired that and it was an upward angle that nicked the kidney but it was really superficial.  She's a lucky girl the bastard just wanted to inflict pain and let her bleed out," she said with all seriousness.  "If you look though," she pointed a bit lower with actual sadness in her eyes, "the ovary has been completely severed.  There's no way to save it ..."

With a little sigh as she reached up and used her forearm to wipe her brow, she shrugged one shoulder.  "She'll still have the other so it won't be impossible and if she really wants to bear children you know there are ways to enhance ovulation."  She looked up into his eyes, felt and heard nothing from within him, and that old sensation arose.  "Luc ... if you're here to take me back I beg you to say you never saw me, let me live and do something productive with what's left of my life."

Miles sighed as he  began placing his hands on his lap for a moment, before taking a breath. "It's the way the crew behave around each other. Everyone is looking at reach other with the occasional fearful or accusatory glance.  At the same time.  It is of my opinion that the crew is in desperate need for some form of return to normalcy sexually speaking.  Most of the most recent encounter that at least 95 percent of the crew can retain in memory would be the event of the rape they experienced to become infected.  It is my analysis that this has probably left much of the crew very fearful of not only each other but of sexuality itself.  The least thing they need right now is the fear that even in finding a consensual partner in a fellow officer will end up with them in trouble for fear of regulations prohibiting officers from sexual encounters. 

He paused for a moment in stating his piece.  "II just wanted to let you know, as one of maybe no more than 10 people not affected by this tragic event, my opinion on the issue.  The crew needs to just get whatever lusts and fears out of their systems before they can fully begin recovery from this encounter.  I don't know how to best go about this delicate situation, but I know that if I were among the previously infected I would not like to have my most recent memory of any sexual encounter be associated with that damnable infection.   As it currently stands regulations exist that give every officer on board a choice.  Keep going another day with the last intimate memory being from the infection, or screw around behind everyone's back and hope they don't get caught out of fear of protocol.  Frankly, I think consensual sexual intercourse may be a healing agent for many members of our recently tormented crew.

[Lin Kae - Nimbus III]

"I actually have a great deal of knowledge about those particular devices.  I've been repairing them for some time."  It was easy enough to pass himself off as an independent tradesman, and not necessarily a Starfleet Engineering officer.  It allowed their cover to remain intact while he was shown the device.  Part of him almost wanted to cry out in pain on behalf of the poor, butchered device, having been given patchwork several times rather then fixing the outlying problem altogether.  Still, he knew he could fix it, and with parts that weren't Starfleet issue either, to further his cover of being unaffiliated with the Federation.

"It's a mess, but I think I can handle it.  If I list off the parts I need, can you tell me if you have them, or at least know where to find them?"  Kae got in close, and started looking through the pieces that needed replacement.  "These replicators are very out of date.  Newer designs have managed to undo a lot of the issues with overheating by swapping out some of the materials with more heat resistant versions.  Even so, I've also found ways to improve their efficiency and to make it cheaper then whatever the Federation is making them out of these days.  First thing is to replace the plating that covers the Replicator.  It needs a higher grade, closer to what is used on a starship hull to allow atmospheric re-entry.  It's currently got a thickness of 1/8 of an inch, so we want to bring that up to a 1/4 inch.  We'll also need three induction coils, smallest size.  The kind used in any starship warp core would do the trick.  We'll also need heat dispersing cables half an inch in diameter.  This quarter inch stuff isn't going to do the trick."

His assessment would have run up a fair tab if all the parts were being bought new, but in their case, they could save a great deal by salvaging parts from old ships, so long as the pieces were in proper shape.  If anyone knew it was that easy to fix an Industrial Replicator, they would likely be much more careful with all those old parts.

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Sitting in her chair, Captain Ives listen to the concerns of the new SCO and remained leaned back in her chair, hands casually in her lap.

The topic was one highly unusual to be brought before her, something there was no text-book answer for given the circumstances. She kept her face completely straight when the infection was mentioned - despite how she had been one of those affected by it. It was no easy situation they had after what had happened to them all, but at the same time, there were ways to make things worse than before, and also there were measures that could remove the focus from their mission. As it were, crew morale was important, but there were limits to what Jien would dictate in her command of a Starfleet crew.

"All of the crew are not in the need to vent sexual frustrations. Some need other solutions tin order to process and recover form the Niga incident. You admit to not knowing a definite solution, and that is well noted, but all of the previously infected are not as concerned as you reckon you would be in regards to their own sexuality - much because they do not fully remember everything. Even if they do remember enough to be very concerned, ashamed, and distraught, it is something for the Morale Officers working for Counsellor Nelis to handle with the assistance of the other departments."

Standing up, Jien folded her hands into loose fists by her sides and walked over to the view of the shooting starts - travelling at Warp 3 as they were. "Even if the most recent sexual experiences the crew have are dimly remembered madness, I firmly believe that the crew has memories far more intact that pre-dates the incident at Niga. Clear memories of committing themselves to love and companionship that will overrule the foggy horror of what the biochemical weapon on that planet did to us."

Remembering how she had sparred with Junior Lieutenant Isley and suddenly been having sex with him instead, Jien still did not know if that had been a result of the pollen that had begun to spread through their broken environ systems during the night before she headed to the gymnasium, or if it was her own free will dictating her actions to one-hundred percent. Still, she considered the choice she made a very good one - something that she had needed. She had been so alone. The memory of that morning had anchored her, and she refused to credit the virus for it.

"As it currently stands, regulations exist and they will not cease to exist. They will not be altered either. We are Starfleet Officers, and we are not to change our protocols simply because of discomfiting and partial memories," Jien rounded on the SCO now, her stare just as hard as the male version of her - only another face framing it, "The moment we begin to shift our rules so that they fit us, we are inevitably inviting the crew to think that the regulations and protocols they adhere to are immaterial and can be circumvented. During our escape from the Sol System and the Niga-incident, enough breaches of protocol has been forgiven as it is, and if your suggestion, 'Commander Renard, is to encourage sexual relations on my ship which would violate our standards further, then the answer is 'no'. I will not sanction more hedonism. We have had enough of that already."

Her shoulders squared, she worked her jaw. "Consensual sexuality is exactly what it says it is: consensual. It is the free choice of people aboard to use as a 'healing agent' as long as they do it without forgetting that we still are Starfleet, and we have a bloody mission to do. Sanctioning anything else would do as much harm to some individuals as it might heal others, and I have not even begun to address the problem differing cultures, or of people using such a decree as an excuse to make sexual advances upon unwilling personnel."

The Captain's word was final, and as much could be seen in her eye. "Anything else but our steadfast belief in our counsellors and ourselves... is to invoke anarchy." With the matter settled as far as she was concerned, Jien tapped her combadge. "Commander Rez, would you mind coming to my Ready Room when you are available. Our new SCO would like to discuss organisation and routine changes."

Looking at Miles, Jien smiled faintly. "I do not hold suggestions offered against the people who come with them, but while Vulpinians have a more... liberated view on the matter, there are other species aboard that would not think this matter so easily dealt with. I hope you will come to understand my ruling in this matter."

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Lucan had opened the cabinet and pulled a set of scrubs out, problem was that the Klingon neckline and the sleeves were too wide, which would have done little to serve in the capacity that they were meant to be worn for. Instead, he had picked up the transparent disinfectant gel and rubbed his hands, arms, chest, neck, shoulders and abdomen with it - merely putting on the mask before entering through the opening in the curtain.

Smiling with his pale grey eyes to the Romulan, he accepted the suction apparatus before she left him and Eve alone. His gel-covered body and his sodden white breeches were cast in stark surgical lighting - skin glistening when he moved and his lower body revealed through the sodden fabric. The edge of the diagnostics table barely preserved his modesty, hiding the most of his thighs and his private parts - the girth of his base and half his length hinted through the clingy Câroon garment. Though he was not completley unaware of this, he coldly did not mind or comment on it - listening to Eve's operation diagnosis.

"Based on your account and what I can see," he said quietly in his deep voice before she looked up, "I anticipate a full recovery besides the need to enhance ovulation at the time she wish to bear children. Should she want to, I might attempt to artificially restore the ovary by cloning her other one at some point, but I will leave it to Ensign Carver if she wants to go through with such a lengthy process when were are on our mission and I cannot guarantee her recovery or the success of the operation unless she is on administrative duties for a couple of weeks afterwards."

Lucan had applied suction as required, and not only did he watch Eve's performance, but her in general. He could not see much more than her eyes, and they met his when she revealed her fears to him. The beasts inside chuckled in the dark void of his soul, but even if he might make a qualified guess as to why she had left - knowing her half-blood nature and the fact of her father's fate - he could not be so presumptuous in his act of being a regulation-abiding and impeccable Starfleet Officer.

"Let you live?" he asked, raising his eye-brows. Of that, he could not make any promises... "Take you back? I am sure you are mistaking me for someone else. I would assume, then, that you are not here on Starfleet commissioning, and that you are a deserter... but how could you ever think I would betray you like that? I, personally, do not care how you left the fleet. besides this fact... now that you bring it up, none of those aboard my ship would hold it against you."

Lifting the suction momentarily since the intestine was sewn shut with the synthetic thread - the ends joined together and fixated - Lucan gave Eve the out-dated yet adequate autosuture instrument that would fuse the ends together seamlessly. He spread his hands and raised his brows, saying, "As a matter of fact... my crew and I are all deserters too."

During his pause, to let her take this in, Lucan prepared the dermal regenerator instrument for later use. He needed a moment to decipher the non-Starfleet issue version, scaling the range so that Eve might close the wound without leaving a mark. Some of the wolves - like Evelyn Rawley - wanted their scars to remain, but he was not going to suggest waking Ensign Carver up to ask just because of pilot barbarism. Besides, he did like the blonde human's flawless abdomen, still not prepared to give up the idea to spend his semen on it on day. Then again, with her recent injury, he might not have to pull out when he came just because of the danger of inseminating her womb.

"Judging from what you tell me, this fear you now hold for the fleet, I would imagine we are all deserters for the same reason," he added, not looking more than any doctor would upon the woman below their hands - instead remembering times together with the half-blood Deltan. Sex with her had been something quite else, for obvious reasons. "Also, my ship left Terra in great hurry after picking up certain transmissions... where your father was revealed to be one of them."

Having said this, his eyes did not turn threatening, yet his tone was now more firm - more official.

"So, as my Engineering Officer suggested... it is I whom should be questioning you, and not the other way around." There was no charming doctor from the academy standing before her now, but a Starfleet Officer on his mission, "Were you sent here by your father, or were you not? What do you know about what happened to him, and how did you come to know that he was not the same man you grew up with? What are the signs, if there are any, and how can we make use of your findings in order to save the whole bloody Federation from being corrupted? Eve, I need you to tell me this, right now. It is, obviously, very important."

Well... he was a Starfleet Officer, only so much more, and about to learn the flaws of his kin. The beasts laughed hysterically in his ears, content with his ploy.


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

The work-shop was dusty, but one could hardly tell from all the sand that had gotten in there. It held boxes and boxes, piled up to the ceiling, and blocking every wall. Each containing dusty memories, good or bad, of the purchases she'd done to make the replicator work.

Rihen Neyah had seated herself by the window on a dirty stool, watching the lights of moving land-vehicles filter past the translucent glass. She was drinking water, had taken the pills that she got at the clinic. She felt much better now, though very tired, and her speech did not slur any more. When the engineer was make his final assessment, she looked up and smiled - so glad to have found hope in her enterprise. She got off the stool and went to her benefactor, answering on her way there. Rihen had tossed her lather coat over the stool and was wearing her black working overall underneath - the zipper pulled down as far as it had before in the bar.

"I am not certain... but I think I can scrape together enough plating with the right thickness. I had thought about overheating and therefore bought the plates, but I was thrown off the scent of the solution by the adjustments the previous owners had made. Heat-resistant machine parts are standard around here, for obvious reasons - the cables no real issue. I a few short length ones we can fuse, but we might need more. I have two induction coils, but I have no credits for a third one. I have a third one that was broken, in case we can make that one work... "

Reaching the young Engineer, Rihen's smile was warm. Very warm. "So... for all your trouble," she said, fingering the zipper of her overall, "have you come up with any way I can thank you? Not only have you given me hope, but the means to become a very rich woman here in Paradise City. And if there is anything we Risans do know... it is how to celebrate."

Indeed, she now revealed where she hailed from before she ended up in her desert hell-hole work-shop, hiding her true identity and posing as a human. She was one of the few Risans banished from her planet, and how she sought to have the lead role in her own rags-to-riches story. And this young man before her was her key, so it was all in good order she thanked him as only her species might.

The Risan Engineer smiled and stepped closer, let him see some more skin. "So... can you come to think of anything..?"

She wanted to share her happiness in the way only Risans might... the preferences of the young man be damned.

Dhivael wondered how Eve could not respond to the sight that entered the surgical area but remembered Toq had trained her and when it came to treating a patient, nothing interfered.  Not even his mate coming in and biting his ass.  It seemed Eve had mastered the mind over matter mentality of her mentor.  Either that or the nurse's self-imposed celibacy had completely shut down her sex drive.  There was someone she could train though and a ship passing in the night was better left to Eve if she wished to claim that passage.

"For some reason I would say administrative duties wouldn't suit this one.  Tough girl yet her concern was for you and the other with you so perhaps there's some maternal instinct in there she's just not ready to let out yet."  She'd certainly felt a surge of protectiveness when she said the name, Kae.  "I've no doubt you'll be able to help her with whatever route she chooses," she stated as she gingerly removed the ovary and cauterized the area.  "All of this could already be done if they had proper equipment here," she grumbled.

Her eyes widened when he called her a deserter and then he could see the pain in them when he asked how she could think he would betray her.  "It's hard not to think anyone would betray me when the man who raised me ...," she said quietly but stopped to focus on her patient.  "Time to close this up," she said and worked with him on doing just that.  Even with the dermal regenerator, she let the surgical bed take over to speed up the healing process.  "She will still be sore for a couple of days," she added absently.

As the bed hummed along, she put all the instruments in a pail of solvent and then threw away the biodegradable gloves and surgical cover.  Joining him at the sink to wash up, she finally took note of the man though his previous tone of questioning left no room for old flames to rise.  "The man looks like my grandfather somehow he's changed.  I don't know what happened or anything about these transmissions you're talking about but I do know he tried to send me away and when I felt something off with him when talking with my grandmother, I was suddenly ordered back to San Francisco."

She held Lucan's gaze and he knew she was honest, always had been with him before.  "An escort was sent to accompany me home.  Luckily I overheard their thoughts.  They were going to have a little fun with me before they presented me for execution.  As you can see, I wasn't thrilled with their plans and I managed to sneak away on a freighter."  There was a pause and she shook her head in bewilderment.  "I've heard there's something gong on with Starfleet but I don't have any answers for you.  If I did, you know I would tell you, Luc."

The beasts were disappointed in how the half-blood Deltan could not be more specific about the way she could determine their nature, yet Lucan - whom knew Eve Jenkins from before - was indeed able to tell that she was being honest with him. It motivated a slight change of plans, in how he would have to remain with her and see if she could pinpoint other of his own nature besides her father. At that point, it was also too late to find some new form of transportation and leave the Theurgy behind. Eve would never trust him if he simply decided to leave the ship and crew he had talked about. Eve had also met Kae and Carver already, so he could not leave them behind now. No, he had to make Eve Jekins feel safe.

"I know you would, and I believe you. I am sorry for my tone, it is just that we have been chased by the orders issued by these... impersonators all over the Alpha Quadrant, with standing warrants to all of the Fleet to shoot us down." Lucan had put the mask away from washing before he'd joined Eve by the water basin. He was not too messy after the surgery since he had done little beyond nurse-duties, but he rinsed himself again out of routine. "We have barely made it through, and now we are here to find the spare parts and medical supplies we need."

He reached out to touch her, his tattooed hand brushing against her shoulder and upper arm, "I am sorry to hear how you ended up here, betrayed and everything," he said with the voice of compassion that she knew, and he hugged her close, a gesture more friendly than anything else, even if it did serve to let him feel her against his bare chest once more. "If I had not come, you would not have known how bad things are in terms of scale, and you could have continued in ignorance. You still can, of course. Yet in a way, I realise I have now I come to ruin the new life you have built, even if this is not where you are had meant to be before you fled."

Planting a seed with his words, he moved on to speak of else before he brought up the topic of her future.

Parting, standing before her with his hands on her hips, there were many things to discuss. Lucan resorted to the thing that was most plain to his eyes. "Look at you. Never had I thought to see you again," he said, smiling a little as his pale eyes roamed her and her now damp clothes, this flower of nostalgia he'd found blossoming in a rare location, "and I have nothing to offer you but a ship on a suicide mission not even here yet - bound for Nimbus III as soon as we have collected the medical supplies and spare parts we can find. It leaves us just two days, at most, before I must leave again."

[Edena Rez - XO Ready Room]

"Commander Rez, would you mind coming to my Ready Room when you are available. Our new SCO would like to discuss organisation and routine changes."

Miles Renard certainly did prove to be an ambitious man.  It was only a short time ago that the two of them parted ways so that the Lieutenant could go see Captain Ives and be presented the position of Lieutenant Commander.  Now, he was already looking to mess with the duty rosters that she had spent hours working on.  It was his right, as SCO, to schedule such training sessions, but she still had some say in whether that could go ahead.  Responding to the request with a simple "on my way," she picked up her copy of the roster, contained in a PADD on her desk, and ventured out of her own ready room and to the one of the ship's Commanding Officer.

A brief chime of the door could no one but her, so when the doors opened, there should have been little doubt who was coming in.  Edena positioned herself at an equal distance between Captain and Lieutenant Commander, the three of them creating a triangle of sorts with their bodies.  "Reporting as requested," she said in that usual professional tone of hers, bored into her head by Jona.  She had been far too timid before he came along, never cut out for command.  Now, she could carry herself to appear like she belonged there, deserved her position and it's responsibilities.



[Lin Kae - Rihen Neyah's Hide-away]

Kae was in a focus, his eyes locked to the device as he attempted to strip away the parts that were needing to be replaced.  The parts were charred black with electrical burns, cast to the floor beside him as he made certain everything else was in proper order.  "This has got to go too," he pointed to a device that was extremely recognizable.  It was the power source.  If one of those was fried, it was generally accepted that the Replicator was nothing but a pile of scrap. 

"The power source is completely shot.  There's no fixing that.  Fortunately, I know a workaround.  I can create a wireless energy transfer device, similar to that used on a starship.  Basically, you can power it by creating an energy stream to the device."  What he described was the golden goose.  The limitations of power in a replicator kept it from being completely viable, but the power output of a ship was exponential by comparison.  In the back of his mind, he knew the balance of power and how easily it could shift with such a device present.  He was working out how to handle that issue too.

It was Rihen's shift in position that finally brought her revealing attire to attention.  As quickly as he saw it, he was looking away, like he was accidentally catching her getting out of the shower.  Organic women were such a new thing to him.  His physical contact was limited to photonic lifeforms, and even if the bodies were essentially the same thing with skilled enough programming, there was always something that held him back.  She spoke of repaying him, in ways he wasn't stupid enough to confuse.  Just the mention that she was Risan was like putting a big sign on her nearly exposed chest that said "fuck me."

"I . . . just need to use the replicator for myself.  If you can allow that, it would be more then enough to repay.  I have a lot of ship repairs and supply orders to fill up.  Would be a fortune normally, but with this Replicator, you'd really be helping me out more then you know."  Not exactly what she would have wanted to hear, but that alone would be enough to thank him.  The redness in his cheeks should have been enough to tell her he understood what she had been offering, yet he couldn't bring himself to accept.

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Eve's trust in Lucan from their days at the Medical Academy had warred with the mistrust she had developed as a result of her 'father' but trust ultimately won because she had to believe there was still some part of her life that was good and honest.  "You don't have to apologize," she said as he pulled her into a hug.

"We've both been through a lot since leaving the Academy, especially recently.  This is never where I wished to end up but seemed the best route at the time."  Though it had been several years, his scent was the same and it felt good to have him pressed up against her.  "If you came along, then I'm sure others will too and they wouldn't be so gracious."

Shaking her head, she hugged him a little tighter for a moment.  "You haven't ruined anything, just made me wonder if this is where I'm really supposed to be now."  When he pulled back, her own white gauzy blouse was stuck to her and revealed her per nipples and served as a reminder to him that she didn't typically wear underwear though like him, she wasn't embarrassed.

Reaching up, she touched the back of her hand to his right cheek and lightly grazed along his jaw until the middle of his chin where her fingertips began to touch along the other jaw line and upward until her palm rested on the left cheek.  "You never need to offer me anything but yourself, Luc," she said in a soft whisper.  "Whether it's for a day or two ... or longer."

The hum of the surgical table stopped and there was a soft groan from Skye, pulling Eve away from Lucan as she went to check on the patient.  Taking one of the warm blankets, she covered Sky's body as she slowly regained consciousness.   "AH!  What ... the hell?"  Then her eyes popped open and she gritted her teeth as she tried to sit up.  "Where's Kae and ..."

"Easy now or you'll mess up everything I just worked on and I'd really rather not have to go back in tonight if you don't mind," Eve said and placing her hand on Skye seemed to ease the pain again.  "Are you always this feisty?" she asked the pilot and then looked at Lucan.

"Yeah, pretty much," Skye replied and followed Eve's gaze to Lucan and his blood stained pants and tried not to look too much at the glistening chest.  "Are you okay, Sir?  What about Kae?" she asked and then bit her lip for calling him Sir in front of someone.

"Oh he's more than fine, just a little winded," Eve stated with a merry chuckle at her own quip regarding his ability to manipulate the air.  "And your other friend seemed to be completely unharmed ... Ensign Carver," she stated which made her whip her head around and groan from the fast movement.  "Yes, I know a little as I've been chatting with your higher up here.  I'm afraid you get to stay here for the night but look at the bright side, it's free and not a flea infested hovel."  Her gaze returned to Lucan and she raised an eyebrow.  "Have you found a place to stay yet?"

Miles Nodded when the Captain made her decision, "No offense taken on the denial of the request.   All I could ask is that the suggestion be listened to nothing more nothing less.  I thank you fully for allowing me to voice the my thoughts openly."  He said very graciously with a soft smile on his face. He was not at all disappointed by the Captain's reaction. He was just happy that the Captain had listened to it rather than just brushed him off for even considering such ideas.

When the Commander entered he saluted her quickly and spoke up.  "By the way I looked over that duty roster you suggested. Thank you very much!  The amount of preparation you put into this will probably cut my time spent doing The backlog of S. C. O. paperwork in half.  I have only two minor modifications.  I wish to be removed from flight duty for the next few days in order to fully catch up on the paperwork that is waiting for me.  Secondly I have not been medically cleared for flight as of yet.  This brings me to the second modification.  I would like to schedule all of the Wolves for a full medical evaluation, the once every 6 months detailed physical type.  In light of the recent recovery from the viralant outbreak I feel it would be better to be safe regarding my department.  I would prefer to schedule my flight clearance screening during this same time period as well.  However these scheduling issues can be easily be figured out over a just a few desktop panel to ready room display file transfers when I start my new duty hours."

He then looked around for a moment.  He had seemingly switched on his more professional demeanor again.  Gone was the looseness he was showing for the moment.  His back strait again, his posture and expression that of a consummate professional.  "As for the real reason I needed to speak with the two of you both...  I wanted to present you with a recommended rearrangement of the squadron itself and a few recommendations for field promotions and/or awards and one case of a potential disciplinary issue."

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

After having offered Commander Rez to sit, Jien seated herself in her own chair, listening impassively to what the SCO had in mind. As for medical exams, she had no objections, but she would let Edena decide how to best manage that since she was more familiar with the details in the daily deployment of the remaining Tactical Conn Officers. As for the SCO's own duties, Jien made no comment either, since Miles Renard reported to Edena Rez first. Yet since Jien did not offer any objections, Edena would surely understand that she had none and would allow either 'yea' or 'nay'.

When it came to squadron organisation, promotions and disciplinary actions, however, Jien folded her hands on her desk and leaned forward, raising her brows a little. "Let's hear it."


[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

The innuendo did not go Lucan amiss before Ensign Carver woke up on the surgical bed; the promise that Eve felt safe around him. That she wanted to be with him for as much time as she might have the chance to. That what they had together in their Academy years remained just as they remained the same people that they were. Which is quite ironic... since he wasn't. He smiled darkly to her retreating back during the hubbub, when she rushed to her patient with the blanket and with her reassurances. The darkness inside him bared its fangs, and images flashed before his eyes were he picked up the exoscalpel on the tray and slit both their throats. He would fuck their orifices while they were still warm - their blood his lubricant.

Shaking his head minutely, ridding himself from the tendencies and thoughts of the symbiont, Lucan followed Eve a few steps. Despite the smile, he felt a bit ill. Which was odd, since the dark daydreams he suffered normally did not cause him such discomfort. Why was his stomach churning now, at the thought of butchering these particular women? They were the same mindless cattle as the rest of them, weren't they? Only means to an end. The end of all.

Still the nausea, like some stark disinclination, lingered even though he did not let it on... and the thing crawling within had grown eerily silent.

"Listen to your physician, Ensign," he said with an easy smile, yet it did not linger because of what he had to tell her next, "you have had major abdominal surgery, and one of your ovaries could not be saved. There are means to preserve your means to bear children in the future, so there is no greater cause for concern, though you should consider yourself fortunate that you live, and that there were such competent people here in the City that could tend to you after such significant blood-loss."

Turning his pale grey eyes to Eve, his smile returned as he folded his tattooed hands behind his back. "We have not found lodging yet, so if you are prepared to show me and Lt. Kae hospitality too - besides your patient - we would be much obliged. I have to wait here for him to return, regardless. He went outside for a little while together with that woman from the Tavern." He did not specify where or why just yet, just to keep the pilot from jumping down from where she lay and run into the night to find the Engineer. It had saved Lucan from the awkwardness of having to speak with Eve and keep the blonde woman from making advances and sabotaging what has reoccurring between them.

Idly, Lucan hoped the youth had not taken on too much by accompanying the woman they had found in the tavern to her hide-away...


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Normally, women would take affront by being denied in their attempts to seduction, but not Rihen Neyah. No, she found that it only heightened her own desires to play cat and mouse - far too secure of her own capacities when it came to temptation. To entice and snare the awkward and make them experience things they'd never dreamed of. The youth reeked of innocence.

"Oh, but when you say it like that," she said, and pulled the zipper further down, advancing upon him still, "I think I might have to set some conditions for you to replicate things. The way I see it, fixing it merits us both, but for you to use it afterwards... Oh, I think the price of that has just gone up."

The mischievous wink in her mismatched eyes - framed by a face more than pretty enough to be Risan - did not say whether or not she was being serious about her standpoint. What was seriously blatant was her skin now - her overalls opened all the way down to her lower abdomen. As she walked, a neat little triangle of blonde hair could be hinted where her long legs joined, and her seductive gait almost made the nipples of her high, firm breasts show. Her spiky blonde hair might once have been long and luxurious, yet the new haircut complimented her high cheek-bones and pink lips. "Play with me... and you get to play with my parts... If you get me going... You can get the replicator going too..."

So, with no underwear to get in their way, Rihen reached for the young man with the Bajoran nose - meaning to let him have a long and deep kiss. Little did she know it might become his first 'real' one. Little did she know when she'd reach for his groin that this was altogether new for him.

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

Edena took the seat that was offered, and heard out Miles Renard and his requests from her.  "Removal from Flight Duty will require a bit of adjustment with the duty roster, as well as any training you wish to request.  It's unfortunate, but the squadron of sixteen has been reduced to only thirteen.  Wolf-01 is in stasis, Wolf-05 and his Valkyrie were KIA, and Wolf-15 and his Valkryies are MIA, while your original Valkryie was also destroyed, Lieutenant Commander.  Add to that the damaged condition of Wolf-07's own fighter, and your squad is understaffed.  Any changes you require to the schedule will have to be made while keeping in mind that we want at least two of your squadron on-standby at any given time in case immediate launching is necessary."

It was a standard policy; have a couple wolves ready to attack while the others were called in to duty to assist if necessary.  With that system it meant that what used to be a three hour time period of being on stand-by in addition to their duties on-board the ship had become a four hour period.  Not just them but all departments were seeing longer shifts with less crew at a time, in order to spread their staff resources well enough to maintain the ship.

"So long as your wolves will agree to work around the current duty roster for any extra training time, I can sign off on it when you have a revised roster.  If that's all for that topic, I'm ready to hear about your recommendations for the squadron arrangements, as well as the promotions and disciplinary actions you spoke of."



[Lin Kae - Rihen's hideaway]

Was she serious about that extra payment?  It was hard to tell when it came to a Risan.  They were a bunch who had a sense of humor, but they also enjoyed sexual contact enough that they would make such an arrangement to get it.  With her zipper lower, there wasn't much left to the imagination, from the barely contained breasts to the small triangular tuft of blond curls on her pubic zone.  When she stole a kiss from him, his first thought was that it wasn't all that different from a hologram.  They were designed with great realism in mind, from the texture of their skin to the warmth provided.  As he felt her warm saliva enter his mouth through the deepening of the kiss, he was suddenly reminded of another reason photonic women were preferable to organic.  They were sterile, no worries of infections or germs for the guy who spent fourteen years of his life without an immune system to speak of.  No risk of disease, not of pregnancy.  Both of those were things to consider with Rihen, but how did he express those concerns without being rude?

"Are you . . . safe?"  The question would have meant if there was risk of pregnancy from their act, or if she took contraceptive measures.  It also left it open to discuss any potential sexually transmitted diseases.  Not to be racially discriminate, but Risans did enjoy free love, which left them open to a great deal of trouble if they didn't take precautions.

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Having a superior officer tell you to listen to the doc was definitely an effective means of quieting someone but when his smile left and he told her of the surgery and the 'loss', Skye truly went quiet.  She was still in her wild stage and hadn't considered having children yet but this certainly halted her in her tracks.  Sure one day she wanted one or two but now it seemed she might have to try a little harder, maybe even start a little sooner than she had planned.

"I ... it'll be fine, Sir," she stated after the momentary confusion then indecision then understanding and acceptance ran the gamut in her expressions.  "Might need to rethink a few things but it'll be alright."  Her head swam a little but it was the blood loss, she told herself.  Gut wounds were nasty business but she smiled at Eve to acknowledge what she'd done for her while Lucan brought up lodging and then made the mistake of saying Kae had gone somewhere.

It took a moment in the fogginess she was still suffering to get the words out but she'd gone rigid again.  "What do you mean Kae left with that woman?" she said with wild eyes.  "He shouldn't be going anywhere alone ... he's like a lamb trotting out among the wolves," she sputtered and tried to stand which totally made her head spin and she grabbed Lucan's shoulders to stay upright.

"You're determined to make me sedate you aren't you?" Eve stated calmly and gathered the blanket at Skye's back so she kept her modesty then gently tugged back so her butt was back on the table.  For her part, Skye winced and tucked in her left arm as if guarding that side.  "He's Starfleet trained and can handle himself," she tried to reassure the pilot.

"He's different from other guys ... innocent," Skye protested but Eve's firm hand on her shoulder was encouraging her to lay back down.  "Sir, you have to find him and make sure he's okay.  I would if I could ... dammit," she grumbled the last word.  Of all the times to get stabbed in the gut and while she knew they had been trained in self-defense, she was their guardian and it felt like she failed.

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Miles sat as well when prompted by the other two opting to observe the Earth custom of ladies first, not just because they were female but more importantly, because they were superior officers and he would let them sit before he even considered the less formal position.  HE nodded hearing their request to hear his ideas,  "First off, At any point that I am requesting to be removed from flight I will remain on alert to imediately get to my fighter so you can count on me as on standby at any point before I begin regular Patrols again.  If I was previously scheduled to be out there, the Alert to scramble takes precedence over paperwork of course. As I was planning on doing most of my paperwork in conjunction with my bridge duties at the Mission ops desk.  As such you can count on me to be ready to immediately take the turbolift to the hangar bay or even initiate a site to site teleport, if time is critical and the should the need arise. 

As for the Squadron arrangement,  The way I would suggest handeling the 12 fighters 13 pilots situation is taking our least experienced Wolfs and assigning them to slots, 11, 12, and 13, and keeping them on a rotating schedule until it can be determined which one makes the most suitable element leader and who works best with them as wing.   The 13th slot will be placed as still on Patrol rotations but in full squadron combat will not be engaged in combatand will act as ground control from the mission ops desk on the bridge. They will also function as a reserve in the case that one of the main 12 is placed on sick-leave or grounded for any other reason.

My organizational setup will be myself as SCO with the rank of Lieutenant Commander as the flight leader Designation Wolf 01 or Wolf Leader.

I am recommending Ensign Skye Carver as my personal choice for Wingman as Wolf 02.  I would also like to note that I would like to put her in for promotion to Junior Grade Lieutenant based on her actions to get back to the us and her actions in the Niga crisis which earned her the Star Cross. 

In slots 3 and 7 I would prefer to see no lower than one of the J.G.'s in that position with their wing being from the pool of Ensign and Warrant officer pilots.

My recommendation for Wolf 05 and Lead of Flight Group 2 is Khorin Douglas.  My review on the circumstances of his injury's show that his craft was damaged when maintaining flight in formation. He also is shown to have maintained formation despite being under heavy fire where many pilots would balk.  Secondly instead of simply ejecting he got his ship into the hangar quite safely leaving it able to be repaired.  A brave pilot would have emergency ejected and would be though of no less, but he showed a level of courage exemplary to any division of Starfleet. As such, I am recommending him for the Starfleet Decoration of Gallantry based on his showing of extreme bravery in the line of duty.  In addition, I am requesting him to be given the field promotion to full Lieutenant, and as mentioned be given the group lead position.   As of currently he of course will be out of flight circulation per his recovery which brings me to his wing.

In the 6th slot I would like to place Ensign Rawley, though I am tempted to submit her for further disciplinary action and near permanent grounding based on her history of alcoholism and her previous cracking under pressure.  However, since she is undergoing recovery with Douglas, I think he could be an ideal role model for her.  Once they are both recovered they could make a very effective flight element.  Still, she worries me more than any other member of the squadron.  I can see she does have talent, if she could just stop looking for courage in the bottle and look for it in herself instead.

As for 09 I think it best to keep Isley where he is.  I see promise in him, but he needs a bit of polish.  Currently he seems to not understand the importance of rules and regulations. So I am proposing we let him lead that flight group.  Based on his ability and performance record, I can't deny his being eligible to be promoted to Lieutenant as well.  I think in seeing the difficulties group command can cause, he may start seeing for himself the consequences that he has been causing his flight group lead, SCO, and other officers.  He has talent and he has a natural affinity for the stick.  Maybe leadership will polish his understanding of rules.  Further, I was thinking about making him squadron disciplinary officer in order to further his understanding of the need for said protocol.  After all, as disciplinary officer, if a member of the squadron should slip up he is the first to feel the consequences of it.  I can see within him is a great officer.  I just think he needs to have a more practical understanding of how the rules aren't shackles but more like a safety harness for repelling.  Sure it may inhibit you a little, but when you slip and start to fall you are glad it's there.

The wingmate and wolf 10 I think would work best with him is Ensign Hannah Slaverton.  She seems to be a lot like Isley.  Bit insubordinate, Kinda fiery. You know, likely to plague Isley with the same problems he has given others.  I have noticed her record however is exemplary.  I think the two could benefit greatly from working together.  Also, If she continues to serve as she has been doing, I will soon be recommending her for promotion to Lieutenant J.G. as well, but I will have to see how she preforms as Isley's wing first.

As for the chain of command of the squadron, I have selected that should any Flight group lead, or any ship in the 4 ship group go down their wing will join the other two to form a three ship element.  In the cases of Group 1 Carver will take Group lead in the case that I am shot down.  While Douglas will become SCO for the remainder of the sortie.  Should Douglas be shot down, the Group lead will be The Lieutenant JG selected for Position 7.  In the case that Isley is shot down Slaverton will become Group 3 lead.  The reason for this is so just in case the worst happens the squadron has a plan for what to do and as such there is less confusion in those worst case scenarios.

As such the chain of command  within the squadron will be myself, Followed by Douglass whom Will act as a sort of Lieutenant Squadron Commanding Officer. Next will be Isley as Disciplinary Officer.  After them the Reserve Flight group leaders and any others ranked Lt. J.G.  Below them it goes strictly by rank.  Based on my current Roster idea and should those I recommend be promoted this would be a chain of 01, 05, and 09, then 02, 07, 03, and 10, Then 06, 04, 08, 11, 12, 13. In that order.   Do either of the two of you have any thoughts on my recommendations or further questions?"  The explanation and set of recommendations was long and drawn out  and finishing the monologue of sorts he breathed a sigh of relief having finally spoken it.  As such he had prepared his PADD with the details he has spoken of and handed it over to the XO.  The information was divided into a series of tables showing the roster, then recommendations for commendation, then recommendations on promotions, and finally detailed reasoning for each and every one of his suggestions.  

The PADD was very organized and had been thought out since he had returned. Many of the saved previous drafts suggested he would have been turning it in as a suggestion as the ranking officer in the squadron had the XO chosen to forgo designating a replacement SCO and would have been made merely as a higher ranking officer speaking very highly of the other members of his squadron.  Still, for him to have prepared this in such advance made it clear that since the day he had been grounded he had been aware that there was the possibility that he could be being considered for the position.  The act was one that some could see as over reaching or even arrogant.  In his case it was not arrogance but simple preparation for a possible scenario that guided his hand.  Besides, There wasn't much else he could do when not on maintenance duty during that time.

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

While not reviewing the PADD given to the XO, and to allow her some time to browse it and make her call, Captain Ives spoke up in regards to the disciplinary actions against Evelyn Rawley and the recommendation for the Decoration of Gallantry - where she could immediately make a ruling.

"If we were to punish our Starfleet Officers further - as in, consecutively - for their past history of addictions, then we are not just, and we punish ourselves in the long run instead. This is also true for our NCO ranks, and we cannot afford tendencies towards such... 'tyranny', in lack of a better word, at the highly probable risk of mutiny. I need not remind you that there are just so many Officers, and that many more crew members. No, this ship will have a firm command structure, but I will not allow undue punishment of such severity as the permanent grounding of a - as you said - highly talented fighter pilot. Junior Lieutenant Rawley has what it takes when it counts, more than making up for her personal shortcomings, yet I do not see her in a position as a Flight Element Leader. If she makes new transgressions whilst on duty, I hope that you will not hesitate to discipline her, but you should never do so for past transgressions without consulting either of us first. Which in this case, you have, and I will not allow it unless presented with new information."

Shifting her seat, crossing her legs behind her chair, Jien frowned as she thought about the suggestion of decorating the half-blood Klingon pilot.

"The Starfleet Decoration of Gallantry is an medal with long traditions... and I would not sully the memory of those whom have earned it in combat situations. For in my opinion, it is not a gallant enough act to endanger your own life for the sake of a piece of machinery - prototype or not. An admirable one, yet only so long as it is successful. If he would have failed - crashed and died upon the deck of the Fighter Assault Bay - we would needlessly have lost a fine officer along with prototype machinery. The Valkyries can be tractored if unmanned, and the Emergency Transport of of Khorin from his cock-pit would have simply reduced the gallantry to a simple mid-flight salvage of the spacecraft. In comparison to the 'extreme bravery in the line of duty' that others have earned it for, 'needless endangerment of one's life for the sake of a single spacefighter' is not even close."

Still frowning and looking down upon the surface of her desk, she continued after another second of thought.

"I can see the merits in promoting both Douglas and Isley to Lieutenants for the sake of the new squadron arrangement you are suggesting, yet is that all that it takes to become full Lieutenants nowadays? I feel that with the loss of all our personnel up to this point, we are throwing pips around us like they are confetti. In the end, there is inflation, and loss of respect towards the meaning of the rank. Nothing personal in relation to you two, of course, but I hope you understand the surviving problem of these kind of field-promotions. I have always firmly believed... that if it takes another pip in your collar to make people listen and do as you tell them to in the line of duty, then you are not quite ready to be given that promotion. The same holds true in regard to Ensign Carver, whom you wish to recommend for Lt.JG rank. In the case of all three of them, I will not be promoting them now. Not until they have proven themselves in the positions they have gotten in the new squadron organisation. Their appointed positions should be enough, and if it takes more effort for them to get their will across, then it is their shortcomings as leaders that hold them back, your shortcomings notwithstanding; to make your squadron adhere to the squadron arrangements you've personally made."

Still frowning, Jien looked up into 'Commander Miles eyes - unblinking as she spoke. "An SDO," she said quietly, "so you would delegate the responsibility of your squadron's discipline - naming a Squadron Disciplinary Officer - instead of doing it yourself? You would even place faith in one of your pilots that don't understand the importance of rules and regulations to do so? Would that not be to invite the risk that the rest of the squadron might conduct themselves in Isley's manner? He might come around, yes, being an unpolished gem, but can we afford taking the chance of the squadron not unquestioningly jumping to it when they are given orders? In our current state, can we afford such risks? Let me put it to you this way, 'Commander... You are the Wolf Leader, and you will lead your pack because you are the alpha male now, and by nature, you alone have the responsibility to do so. The obligation as Starfleet Officers to uphold discipline befalls everyone, but you are the utmost responsible to make sure they do."

Glancing towards Edena Rez briefly to see if she had finished reading the PADD, Jien took a deep breath and brushed back some hair behind her air. "I am not an unreasonable woman, so while I have stated what I think, I am willing to hear you both out. I have yet to say my final word on this, so - for instance - are you of another opinion in these matters, Number One?"


[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

When Skye Carver rose to implore him, to beseech him to find the errant young Engineer, Lucan merely helped Eve ease the patient back upon the table - hands not going anywhere inappropriate. Oh, he had not minded filling his tattooed hands with the human's bosom, but it would certainly not be seemly in the situation - or the company, for that matter. With a concerned frown, he let his hand linger on the pilot's shoulder once she lay down again.

"Ensign, your concerns are unfounded, and I will not go looking for Lieutenant Kae unless I deem he is unseemly late in carrying out our mission. He did not go outside to take a stroll in the moonlight with the woman from the Tavern, if it is his... innocence that you are concerned with. Lieutenant Kae has located the industrial replicator we are looking for and is making a damage estimate and calculation at how much spare parts and time he needs for the repairs."

Looking to to Eve, his addendum was still directed to the pilot lying before the low waistline of his breeches, "Since you cannot be trusted with lying still and preventing that you bleed to death from inside or suffer infection from your recently cut intestines, I would suggest that Eve here does sedate you. You have had major surgery, after all, and you are of no use to either me or Lt. Kae if you kill yourself needlessly," he said firmly, even though his smile was not far away, "Please, accept the sedative so that you might rest and not trouble yourself with things you cannot do anything about any more. Let me worry about the mission and Lt. Kae while you accept the treatment from... Lieutenant... Jenkins here."

The rank was stated in a half-query, since he was merely guessing as to what rank Eve had ended up at since last they met. It would serve to make the pilot adhere to Eve's word as well. Once certain that the Ensign was not about to rise, he removed his hand from her bare shoulder. He stepped around the surgical bed and gave Eve his full attention again. "Once our mission down here is complete, and since you both know what's at stake and why something needs to be done, I do have a vacancy in Sickbay that might suit you. It depends on if you are willing to take orders from me, and feel that you are prepared for personnel responsibilities... as the Head Nurse of Medical aboard. Junior Lieutenant Jovela has been put in stasis after suffering grievous injuries, in case you are familiar with her, and my team of seven NCO nurses now serve me directly instead - which is more than I have time for to manage properly."

Pausing, Lucan shrugged his wide shoulders. "I realise I may be offering you a disservice by recruiting you, as we might all be in danger of dying the minute we are found and overpowered by Starfleet, yet should you feel that you are prepared to fight for the truth and to learn what happened to your father... I will vouch for you. At least think about it, that's all I can ask. In the meantime, can you show me where I can sleep for the night?"


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

In answer to the youth's question, Rihen kissed him again - firmly pushing his back up against the industrial replicator.

She let her tongue twirl around his, and her gloved hands insistently brush all over his torso and arms. Him trapped against the cool metal, she undid his belt eventually and tugged his smooth cock free from its confines - stroking it in her fist expertly. Doing so, she pressed her chest up against his and looked into his eyes. She was grinning, biting his lower lip lightly before addressing his unease. "Hush, hush boy... All you need to worry about... is to give me a good time... and let me celebrate in our trade of services."

Right then, she was servicing him in enticing rhythm - long strokes from the base and to the tip - before she descended upon him. She rubbed the exposed skin of her front against his chest and abdomen while she crouched down - eyes still locked upon his. Once on her knees, she made a delighted purring sound when coming face-to-face with his one-eyed snake.

"To me, this is your horga'hn," she said and squeezed his hardness with a mischievous smile, "and I will now let you participate in jamaharon - the sexual rite of my people." Her words were uttered quietly and with eye-contact - brushing her nose against the swelling length. Without using any hands, she kissed the side of it - nibbled the swaying length - before closing her full lips around the head. She groaned loudly at the salty taste of him, and she reached down to finger herself in the darkness inside her opened overalls. The other hand stroked his abdomen and chest underneath his civilian apparel - nails and fingertips curling against his flawless skin. Her mismatched eyes -  blue and yellow - opened to look into his while she twirled her tongue around his head, the bulbous gland still inside her warm mouth.

She sucked hard upon it and made a wet, popping sound when she pulled away her lips, talking to him again. "Do you like it?" she asked coyly, and finally let her overalls slide back along her arms - her jutting breasts finally bared to the engineer. She rose up on her knees and squeezed her breasts around his erection, gloved hands framing her twin mammaries while rubbing him. "Do you like your jamaharon?"

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Skye didn't like feeling helpless one damn bit but she knew she had to listen to Lucan and this doctor who'd just yanked out a piece of her.  That little fact still had her a bit unsettled but as she lay back she set her jaw in determination.  Everything Lucan was saying was perfectly reasonable though it still rankled and felt like he was patronizing her.

"I'm not worried about his innocence in that regard because I doubt he is," she did retort.  "It's his ... aura ... he's sweet and screams pushover and there are people who will take advantage of that and if he doesn't have what they want, they'll beat him to death."

Eve placed a hand on Skye's other shoulder.  "You feel responsible for him, like an older sister willing to take on the bullies of the playground for her weaker little brother," she said in a gentle tone.  "Quite admirable and sweet yourself," she added which brought a bit of a scowl to Skye's features.

"Protecting is what Wolves do," Skye said with obvious pride in her part of the pack.  She stopped then as Lucan spoke again, not quite demanding she accept a sedative but then he had to pull rank on her with the woman.  Lieutenant ... superior officer ... fuck me!, Skye screamed in her mind.  Again she gritted her teeth a moment and looked to Eve who felt the distaste and even fear of being sedated, of not having control of herself, and yet she nodded.  "Fine.  It's the only way I'll stay down for a bit," she agreed.

Eve moved to the cabinet and picked up the hypospray, setting it to the proper dosage and returned to the table.  "Rest is the best thing for you and I know Lucan will keep an eye out for your friend.  In the morning, I'll make sure you have something good to eat and you'll feel a lot better," she promised and pressed the canister to Skye's neck before she could say anything else, the brown eyes fighting for a few seconds before finally closing.

"Fiesty that one," she chuckled and looked up to regard Lucan.  The more he said, the more she felt pulled and not just because of the man for whom she had feelings.  There was a need on his ship, a position she had always strove for yet was always denied, and most of all a chance to find out what was going on with the man who raised her and others in Starfleet.  Her fingertips grazed along the instrument in her hand as she considered things, an unconsciously graceful and sensual gesture.

"There are three rooms, one for each of us who have been working the clinic so we can take naps.  Toq is away for a day or two," she stated with a little smile.  No doubt a little one will be made if he has his way, she thought.  "Dhivael will be in her home or that of her current recipient of her affections.  So ... Ensign Carver will remain here in the medical section and you and your other crewman can stay in one of the rooms if that's acceptable to you."

As she spoke, she found herself gazing into those gorgeous eyes and her mind drifted to that one night they'd shared.  Yes she wanted to accept his offer because it was the right thing to do but also because she couldn't help wanting as many of those nights as he was willing.  "I wouldn't have any issues taking orders from you because I know you're an excellent physician," she stated mostly professionally.  "You know I will never give less than my best as well.  If your captain will have me, I accept your offer."

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

"I am inclined to agree with the Captain on the matter of promotions.  I have always found the will of Wolves to be strong, as well as the tight knitted nature of the group.  I don't believe Ranks as as prudent among your squadron, that you actions speak louder then titles.  As department heads, both you and I have received promotions to ranks according to our positions, but your flight crew do not need such promotions in order to do their jobs properly.  I would also agree on the commendation.  Khorin Douglas did show bravery in his flight, but his efforts put his life at risk unnecessarily.  To award him a commendation for it would imply that what he did was the right thing, and we would never want people to think that they should be placing themselves in danger over a piece of equipment.  Machines can be rebuilt, but a life is irreplaceable."

"The reasoning for your choice of leaders and wingmen are acceptable to me, though I would worry about Isley and Rawley as a pair.  As you suggest, perhaps Isley would learn from that, but it's also just as likely that they could be a bad influence on one another.  Given that the two of them have some difficulty with rules, I would surmise that there needs to be some kind of stabilizing force to keep them both in check, so if you plan on keeping them paired, I would suggest you keep on them.  Their similar personalities might make an incredible flight team possibly, but you will need to reign them in if they start acting outside protocol."

Edena took a moment, to think if there was anything further she could suggest to him, and only one thing came to mind.  It was more a concern, a warning to Miles of something he needed to be prepared for.  "I would suggest that you and your Squadron train to combat other Valkyries.  If the enemy comes in pursuit of us, I have no doubt it will have fighters ready to combat our own.  They'll likely be coming up with counter-strategies to the ones you all have trained in, so I would suggest you start considering how you can alter your Squad's flight formations to keep the enemy off balance.  Train to expose weaknesses in the enemy Valkyries and if possible to disable without destroying them.  They're still Starfleet officers.  If you find flaws to take advantage of, work out ways to cover them for your squad, either by strategy or engineering."



[Lin Kae - Rihen's Hide-Away]

Leave it to the Risians.  They hadn't found a sexual technique they didn't like.  They cared so much about pleasure that they would have done anything, and with almost anyone.  Sure, it was easy to say that, but some races weren't as pretty as others, like Rihen's Naussican friends from back at the bar.  The Species Native to Risa looked very much human, save for the small mark on their foreheads.  Kae looked very much human too, except for the ridges on his nose.  Others didn't look quite so human, yet the Risians tolerated such differences, celebrated them even, with techniques undoubtedly collected from every race they ever had relations with.

Rihen had taken to using Terran fellatio, a wonderful experience Kae had felt before.  The first time was with an Orion girl who had been his first girlfriend.  The fact that she was holographic meant nothing to him.  If one wanted to get technical though, Rihen was the first women he had been with to be an organic.  As a woman with a rich sexual history, she had far more talent then any hologram he had encountered, her motions focused and performing without wasted effort.  By the time she was wrapping her ample bosom around him, he was already breathing deeply.  "It . ..  it's feels good," he said, nearly breathless from her expert working of his manhood by the many skilled body parts of the woman from Risa.

"Actuially I have already been coming up with anti Valkyrie standoff tactics as well as tactics in facing a fellow MVAM ship with a Flight of Valks, a Soverign class with Valks, or a Defiant class flight group with an escort of Valks.  Most importantly I have also been considering the potential weaknesses in our own vessels and how we may strategically overcome them in our ships and how to take advantage of them in enemy ships, specifically how to effectively disable a valk without injury to the pilot."  He paused for a second, "as for the idea of teaming up Isley with Slaverton. I had plans to keep a close eye on the both of them.  Regarding training, one thing will be very advantageous to execute the appropriate training of the squadron.  We will need some form of access to holo-sims.  The easiest means would be if we could get at least one of the holodecks back to running for training and testing purposes rather than for recreational use as that would be the most effective means of conducting squadron training in new tactics."  he said responding to their advice. He wasn't going to respond to the other things that were discussed. Based on their statements, those issues were closed and not open for further discussion, and with each of them spoken he had nodded in response to their recommendations taking note of them and going with the senior officers more experienced wisdom.  He had been a commander before in this sense. But, it was in a completely different military with different rules.  The promotion to this rank was a whole new experience for him and he knew he had a lot to learn.  Still, he was eager to embrace the challenges and knew that he had many great officers to learn from on this ship and two of them were standing in front of him. 

[ Deck 02 | CTO Quarters | USS Theurgy ]

Approaching the door, T'Less draped her jacket over the back of her desk chair.  Wearing her pants and an undershirt, she tapped on the control to open the door, allowing Ida entrance as she turned and approached the small table near the couch.  Lighting a candle, she glanced at the lieutenant, "It is agreeable to see you, lieutenant.  I apologize for the change in schedule, but, as we all have been, matters have over taken me.  We were to have a meeting to discuss Tactical and Security, given the way so many of our duties intertwine, if you will recall."

She walked to the small dining table of her quarters, where she'd arranged two place settings, "I had planned to eat alone, but, as I mentioned, time would not permit.  I arranged a plate for you, a Vulcan salad.  Will you join me?"

Taking a seat, she worked on removing her boots as she waited for Ida to join or decline.  While designed for long term comfort, the boots were not entirely comfortable and she relished the feeling of having her dainty feet free of their confines.  Though she didn't sigh or show any sign of pleasure, she flexed her toes, wriggling them back and forth.  All in all, she'd done everything she could to relax in the environment of her quarters, the gravity higher than Earth norm and the temperature several degrees above the rest of the ship.  Though, thankfully, there was very little humidity on Vulcan, which meant very little reminder of the swampy origins of Niga.

Entering and listening, Ida chided herself for not remembering the appointment. True, it had been scheduled before the Niga incident, but she still had a mind to not neglect things like that. She was glad the Chief Tactical Officer had remembered and nodded in understanding. A sound reason, to mix work and food, Vulcan's being logical if not the most dynamically efficient of people. Ida followed to the sitting area and opened the collar of her undershirt down to the middle of her chest - usually preferring colder temperatures in her own quarters. She decided to drop the jacket too in short order and hiked up her sleeves.

"My thanks, Lieutenant, time-constraints or not, I most definitely would," Ida  said and seated herself by her plate with a smile, trying to remember the lessons from her keth on how to behave courteously with a Vulcan. They were both Starfleet Officers, so she hoped she'd be forgiven as long as she followed protocol. They might be of the same rank, but T'Less had the more distinguished position as CTO for her Department. "My gratitude for the food, and the salad is perfectly satisfactory."

She was to eat dinner in a few hours with David Grayson, so she had a replicator ration with her to get the needed canvas and charcoal to practice her art. If this meeting lasted too long, she would have to ask T'Less to use her replicator before she headed to the CSec. She looked around the Vulcan's rooms to locate it where it usually was in the Senior Staff quarters.

"So, what items on the agenda should we deal with first?" said Ida and smiled a little, leaning forward to take her first bite of the meal.

Hours later, T'Less put down the final pad and sat back in her chair.  On any other ship, their combined duties would have probably been assigned to a single person, but with the Theurgy's unique capabilities, the redundancy became necessary, especially should the ship ever regain its ability to split in trine.  The CTO would command Tactical aboard the primary, while the CSO and the assistant CSO or CTO would command Tactical aboard the other two.  It meant there would likely always be the possibility of a backup should any of the others be disabled in some way, such as being unable to get to the designated post.

T'Less took a sip of her water and felt a moderate amount of relief.  Their last topic, discussion of security concerns while the crew recovered from the effects of the virus, had been stressful, a reminder of what had happened and how close she'd come to losing what she'd spent one hundred years fighting to get back.  At several points in the conversation, she'd paled and hesitated for a moment or two, the Vulcan equivalent of falling silent.  Still, it was over and done, with T'Less having a list of items to monitor for the next week or two.

Her eyes fell on the Andorian and recalled the history of their people, how they'd fought wars back and forth, but become allies, united by the intervention of the humans.  And, now, decades later, they sat side by side, helping each other, no suspicion or rancor on either's part.  It was a testament to the strength of peace, that whatever animosity had existed in the past was no more.  Rising to refill their water glasses, T'Less probed gently, knowing it likely invited inquisitiveness in return, "And, you, personally?  How are you managing the fallout of the virus?"

The meeting had fared well in the Andorian's regard as well, and while she was feeling slight discomfort with the moderately heated confines of the room, it had not been too bad either. Yet when the question came about how she was managing in the aftermath of the Niga incident, it made the Andorian's antennae drop a little, her mouth becoming a thin line.

"Well," she said while the Vulcan brought new water for them, "as you can imagine, people seem to remember me as someone else than I am now, and little times goes by each day without me being reminded about what I did after I was... violated down on the planet."

It felt too odd admitting to that word - raped - when speaking with the CTO. It was as if it was too private, even though she was the victim. Aye, indeed, she was a victim of brutal alien abuse, yet her Imperial Guard standpoint would not admit such bitter and humiliated defeat so freely. It had nothing to do with that the CTO was Vulcan and she was Andorian, but nevertheless it was a word she did not chose to use in the same way she had when she met the XO earlier that day.

"I do manage... yet I admit that this Andorian feels... left out, alienated, feared... as if I still carried the virus. The Captain's edict protects me, but the looks are still there, always judging whatever I do. It is growing quite bothersome, I admit."

More than 'quite', yet she would not pour out her grief to the Vulcan - to bore her logical mind with sentimentalities. She accepted her glass of water with a thankful nod. "Our new XO told me that it will just require time for everything to settle down, but at this point, I am not so sure."

T'Less watched Ida for a moment, listening to her words and understanding more than the security officer might guess.  She retook her seat and remained silent for a moment longer, before commenting, "Were you aware most Vulcans aboard Starfleet vessels are treated similarly?  Our lack of emotions, the fact that most human, or other species, humor is lost upon us.  These things set us apart, make us different.  There is always a period of adjustment before humans trust us enough to call us friends.  They do not trust that which they don't understand and, often, seek to punish, to find blame where none should be placed.  It is logical to understand that you were not in control of your own actions, but humans are not ruled by logic, as Vulcans are."

It felt odd, to be the one dispensing advice.  Ordinarily, it would be Garen telling her these sort of things.  Instead, she reached out and touched Ida's shoulder, "I do not blame you, nor should anyone else.  If you had not been the first, then it would have been someone else.  We were without evidence that Niga was dangerous.  If anyone should bear some blame, it should be the science officers, myself included.  And, yet, even I was not suspicious of a lush, green uninhabited planet.  Ultimately, the blame goes where it should, to those who planted the seeds the bloomed such vicious monstrosities, our as yet unnamed adversary from the future.  My hope is you will remember this when you feel abandoned by the crew.  Seek to remind yourself, and them, that there is an enemy who made monsters of us all.  Remember that you are of a race of warriors and your enemy is still out there.  Prove yourself worthy of your ancestors."

"Thank you for gracing my ancestors and my abilities as warrior. I am capable when it counts, pariah or not. I'm just so damnable unfortunate - suffering the ugly side of chance all the time," she said quietly, still too proud to acknowledge the Vulcan's touch but appreciating it nonetheless - not moving away. "All my endeavours to be the person I want rebounds right into my face, and I am left shamefaced and without honor. I am supposed to be a dignified officer - an Andorian warrior preserving the goals of the Federation. Instead, I am deemed unfit by the Captain to be the Chief of Security, the honour instead falling upon 'Commander Grayson."

Looking down, folding her arms beneath her chest, she found that once she had begun speaking, there was no way to stop - despite how the Vulcan was not the one she would normally confide in. "Oft, I find I am unable to express myself properly, and I lose control over my emotions - eliciting the weakness you are just now witnessing."

Reassured by Ida's acceptance of her touch, T'Less moved to stand behind the woman, her hands smoothing along the Andorian's shoulders, massaging the tense and stubborn muscles.  As she listened to the outpouring from Ida, she began understanding how much stress the woman was under, not just from the crew around her, but from her own inner struggles.  T'Less continued her ministrations, "It is often difficult to become what one strives for most.  I assume, as most senior officers should, that you are aware of my own past, the incident aboard the Exeter that ended with me back on Vulcan for the past one hundred years.  Imagine, if you will, being the only Vulcan on Vulcan who, with the exception of the very young and the very old, has no grasp on their emotions.  There were many times where I felt so entirely isolated, not just by what I perceived to be disgust and derision from my fellow Vulcans, but by my own hatred, if you'll pardon my use of an emotional context, of my weakness and mental impairment.  Certainly there were times when ending it seemed like an almost logical choice, the only clear solution to the problems I faced."

Oh, Ida could sympathize with that, and while she had nothing to say in regards to being different from her own people, she understood the concept of the need to adjust oneself. When the Vulcan began to rub her shoulders, she smiled over her shoulder in thanks, before the topic in question stole the smile away.

"I," said Ida, hesitant. "I was r-raised to be someone - an Imperial Guard - and that person has become a part of me, but I am in conflict with the person I know I am, and yet again with the one I wish to be. The passion I have for life and freedom is restricted by the honour that I deem I should uphold, making me substitute my emotions through the channels of velour in combat and duty, and through the craftsmanship of my artwork. Should I not be able to express my passions, I do not know what to do with myself."

For years now, Ida had tried to accommodate all sides of herself, yet only managed for brief periods of time. She knew when those times where, and the reason thereof. "At times," she confessed, looking away in shame, yet with fists clenched in her lap, "I have indeed found that harmony. At those times, I had not been... alone."

Oh, by Lor'Vela, what are you saying? Save it for the Counsellor. Swallowing, Ida braved to continue, gaze nailed into the deck plates. T'Less' nimble fingers urged her on to speak. "My artistry and my duties demands passion, yet my... heart requires company in order to be at peace. Whenever I am not alone, I do not need to draw, or to use strife and the assertion of protocol and doctrine to let myself feel alive. As it stands, after the Niga incident... I am very much alone."

She felt a connection to the Andorian, something she had not felt in a long while.  Here was a woman who, like herself, struggled to find an identity that satisfied both her inner wants and desires and those of everyone around her.  On Vulcan, she had been an oddity, something to be hidden away and observed from afar, a curiosity but never anything more.  She had been constantly reminded that she was Vulcan, that logic and a clear head were the solutions Vulcans used to solve any problem, which did nothing but tear at her when she'd been unable to do so.  Aboard the Theurgy, at least, she was amongst those who lived with their emotions daily, but even then, it was a struggle to be herself, to be the Vulcan she had once been and, with all her heart, wanted to be again.  Out of most aboard, Ida was, she considered, one of the few who might understand.

Frowning, Ida glanced towards the replicator again. "Speaking of drawing, I need to practice for a commissioning. Would you mind if I used your replicator? It would be more expedient to get it now instead of later since I am not heading back to my quarters yet."

Pulling away, she nodded, "Of course, Lieutenant.  It is powered down at the moment, but it should take only a minute or two for it to be ready for use."

"Thank you," said Ida and rose to her feet. She smiled faintly to the Chief Tactical Officer whom had allowed her to vent her pain and share her own stories with her. Looking at her across the couch, the Andorian tilted her head a little - her antennae lifting. "Computer, what is the time?"

[The time is 1645 hours] said Thea's voice in the intercom, and Ida moved to power up the replicator. Her artistic eye came to rest upon T'Less again, and she made a decision.

"The commissioning I may get involves me painting a woman aboard," she told the Vulcan brushed her blue fingers along her lips in thought - her mind already picking out the shades and fine angles in that face and neck, "and given how I am now a pariah, I have had little opportunity to practice live drawings. Unless you have previous engagements, would you mind modelling for me? It won't take too much of your time and you get to keep the drawing afterwards. I merely need to get back into it after... all that has happened." Indeed, to paint a woman would be far better than practising on painting David Grayson preparing dinner or something like that. No, if T'Less would agree, she would be far better prepared.

"The only thing is," she said and chuckled, realizing that she had forgotten something, "...it would have to be a croquis of you without clothing, but like I said, it will be yours afterwards so no one have to see it."

T'Less's eyes widened slightly and she watched Ida for a moment, surprised at the request.  Modesty, the absence of conceit or vanity, was a belief held by Vulcans, a lacking of emotion, of pride, and yet, T'Less still found some pride in her body that someone, anyone, should want to paint it, nude or otherwise.  As the replicator beeped its readiness behind Ida, T'Less pondered whether it was a truly Vulcan thing to do, to have ones portrait drawn in such a manner.  There were very few art pieces on Vulcan in which a person was painted or drawn, not through a lack of artistic talent, but because of the publicly held logic that to do so betrayed the emotion of pride or of lust, or some other such emotion.

And, yet, as she watched the woman, she couldn't help but recall the connection she'd felt before, which combined with a desire to see herself on paper, led her to nod.  She eyed the room around her, then turned back to Ida, "Where and how would you prefer me?  Entirely nude?  Would you prefer the lights up brighter?  You are the artist, consider me your model."

With slow and deliberate movements, she began undressing, sitting in her chair for a moment to remove one sock, then the other.  Standing once more, she undid her pants and slid them down her long, slender legs before stepping out of them.  She picked them up and folded them neatly, turning and laying them over the back of her chair.  Turning back to Ida, she hesitated, waiting for the Andorian to decide her own desires in art.

[To be continued...]

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Nodding, Jien could see the sense in re-routing enough power to keep one holo-deck running in schedule with the practice of the Lone-Wolf squadron. Now hat they were in the clear, for the time being, such moderate luxury as flight simulations would be beneficial to let the newly re-arranged squadron practice combat situation. Especially in the manner that Edena had suggested and Miles had already thought of.

"Granted, take it up with Ops with my blessing. They will make sure power is re-routed for the times when you practice flight and combat situations. They know where to pull the energy from."

Standing up, Jien considered the meeting adjourned. "THe rearrangement of the squadron is approved, with the condition that you pay close attention to the development of Isley and Slaverton. Dismissed, and best of luck. It might be one of the hardest things to do, career-wise in this fleet, to become the Commander of your former comrades. Make sure they realise the difference, else they will not respect your judgement above their own."


[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Gratified that Eve had decided right away what she wanted to do, Lucan held out his tattooed hand to shake hers. "Agreed then. Hopefully, since the Captain seems to trust my judgement, you will have no trouble coming aboard."

Holding her hand, Lucan gently pulled her forward a step - pale grey eyes locked on hers.

"So... this only leaves one question unanswered," he said, eyes roaming her face while he smiled. He looked at her lips, yet made no motion to kiss her. He played with her, to see if she'd make the first move. "The question of which room you will be sleeping in."


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Pressing her breasts together around the young man, Rihen smiled and bit her lower lip playfully as she rubbed him - hearing on his breathing how much he was enjoying himself.

"I can tell it does... but this is just the beginning, can you imagine?" she said and chuckled, moaning herself at the feeling of his rigid length and what it was due to feel like squirmed into her love channel. She ceased after a while so that she might pinch her fingers around the base of him, milking him with her hand and her warm mouth once more. She licked along the ventral side, then used both her hands upon him, a tongue darting out to lick the head from time to time.

When she was satisfied that she had urged him far enough without making him cum in her face, Rihen let go of him and stood up. The motion made the overalls slide to the floor - her hips and lower body bare save for the fallen cloth and the boots that trapped her in place. "Well, do you like what you see? You can touch me if you want..."

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

"Sir, if I may suggest, I think i know one way we can re-route some power."  Edena had been considering the idea, but now seemed a good time to bring it up.  "Our holo-grid uses up more power then usual due to the holo-emitters stations throughout the entire ship, as a means of allowing the EMH and Thea to move freely about.  As a result, the power needed to sustain that function leaves a significant drain that has been optimized for efficiency, yet there is still something we can do to further it, with the help of our new Holographic Specialist.  I would recommend he reconfigure the Holo-emitters to shut off when there are no assets, that is to say holograms, currently using them.  As such, they would turn on and off when not in use, and save additional power in the holo-grid to help run Holodeck one."

If they were still a friendly vessel to the Federation, it wouldn't have been such an issue.  Stop at a space station to resupply and repair, but now they didn't have that advantage.  They had to find better way to manage their resources, improve efficiency, and make what they had last as long as possible.  Eliminating frivolous usage of power on-board would go a long way towards accomplishing that goal.

[Lin Kae - Rihen's Hide-Away]

It was impossible to say that Rihen wasn't an attractive woman from head to toe, a marvel of Risian physiology.  They were always so attractive, which of course played well into their home world being a place for shore-leave, and their kind among the most sexual beings in the known Galaxy.  At her suggestion, his hand came forward, touching first along her outer thigh, letting his hand drift upward along her skin, to her hip, then her side, before sweeping in to smooth along her breast and down her stomach.  Each contact was fleeting, never concentrating on any specific part of her over another.  That stopped when his hand smoothed over her love passage, felt the heat emanating from her mound, and his eyes finally met hers, feeling a small portion of his shyness finally begin to recede.  His heart pounding, his hand slipped inward with more purpose, fingers curling inward to press into Rihen's sex, to try and provide her some measure of repayment for the wonderful feelings she had given him.

Miles listened intently to the two's suggestions and smiled hearing the approval of the main holodeck for training.  "I have another question. It involves Miss Thea.  From my understanding she is to be considered a member of the crew who has training in all four divisions and as such has a very flexible range of duties she can preform as a member of the crew.  If it is an acceptable proposition, is within her schedule,  and if she does not mind, then I would like to request her to be available to assist in some the training regiments of the squadron.  I see her as the ideal person on this ship to aide me in the Wolves' new training.  Her mind is quite possibly unmatched in the Federation and, as such, I could use a mind as sharp as hers in devising tactics and scenarios, but I will leave you to decide that at a later time"

Miles smiled slightly then saluted her the two. "God-sped to all of us." he said throwing a quick salute up and giving them both a quick nod before turning on his heels and exiting the room.

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

There really wasn't much of a choice in the matter of Eve leaving with them to join the search for truth.  Eventually someone else would come along and find her and it could prove harmful to Dhivael and Toq as well as any other innocents who might be around.  It was better to be with people who knew the risks.  Again, the major justification for her departing Nimbus III covering the more personal, lustful reason.

"I look forward to meeting your captain though I'm certain there will be many questions.  I will be completely honest, you know, even about our past."  And present, she thought as he pulled her a bit closer.  He was always confident but as she gazed into those grey eyes she noticed something different.  The pain she always saw was there as was the anger but there was something a little more ... dangerous.

Perhaps it was just the current situation with his ship and crew, the fact that one of his crew lay there on a table healing from an injury that could have ended her life in a slow and very painful way.  "I will of course be resting in my cubby," she replied continuing the little dance.  Instant gratification was something she would have indulged in years ago but now she appreciated prolonging sexual tension.

Leaning forward enough so her nipples lightly touched his bare chest, her lips were only a centimeter or two away and her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him with every bit of promise.  "I wouldn't want to distract you from your crewman out there somewhere, after all ... not to mention that Ensign Carver may require assistance and there's sadly no one else to care for her at the moment."

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

The suggestion to recalibrate the entire holo-emitter network aboard surely constituted a lot of extra work for their Holographic Specialist, and the concern was that Thea would gain less time from Lt. Kae to develop in other regards.

Captain Jien Ives nodded to Edena's suggestion, and when Miles asked if Thea might assist in the training exercises before he parted, Jien gave him the short reply. "I will not forbid it, but our Ship AI's projection has a mind of her own now, so you might have to ask her if she would be interested in joining you."

Once they were alone, Jien crossed her arms underneath her breasts and took a deep breath. She started to tell her XO what Miles Renard had suggested in regard to dealing with the post-infection morale of the crew. She said it all in relatively free words, not expecting to upset Edena in any way. All she wanted by narrating the suggestion, was a second opinion than her own ruling. Even if it was too late to make that decision, given the firmly spoken words to the new SCO, she could not help but wonder...

"Did I make the right call?" she asked, fairly sure she had, but still much welcoming towards the wisdom of the committee that consulted her every day. "I would reckon the crew has had enough sex at this point to last them a while...." She snorted at that. She would have to arrange another staff meeting before arriving to Nimbus III, but the First Officer hid several people behind those beautiful eyes of hers that Jien suspected knew a lot of things that Edena Lal - as she once had been named - could only guess at.


[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Standing so close, his hand still around Eve'ss and her nipples hardening through her damp clothes - scraping lightly against his skin - Lucan just barely desisted from closing those couple of inches it would take to taste her once more. Her lips beckoned for him, and her intimate closeness made him harden - slowly stretching his wet and loose breeches. Deltan or not, the suggestive way in which she denied him was unparalleled by any sudden acquiescence. And of course, she knew this. She would not have to look down to know the effect she had on him. Even now, after the years that had come between them. Not to mention his metamorphosis...

"Then again... You said it yourself. Lieutenant Kae can take care of himself, Starfleet trained and all, and it was his suggestion to leave for the sake of the mission. And Ensign Carver? Unless you did not calibrate that hypospray for the right dosage, she won't be bothering us for some time." His free hand came to span around the side of her waist, and held her behind her lower back towards his own body. Not hard or forcefully, but like a lover might. He tilted his head a little, but that was all he did - still keeping himself from giving her that elusive kiss - their warm breaths mingling in their faces. His pale grey eyes smiled to her, and his lips were pursed. "If we need to keep an eye on her condition, I would think there is plenty of space for us to use in order to get... reacquainted."

Oh, he realised the merits with sexual tension building until a point of long anticipated release, but he asked himself if he had the tolerance and patience to endure such a game. Yet more important was the question if she did, and if there was a prospect of winning their little unvoiced challenge. Both his hands came to rub her back slowly; to cup her posterior in his grip and then hold her to his own hardness - something that was no use in trying to deny at this point.

Lucan had great expectations of Eve, so the question was of she, or him, would surrender so prematurely. He let his lips hover but a finger's breath from hers....


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Then, the engineer she had stumbled upon curled his fingers just so into her dewy folds - spreading them and entering her so boldly. Rihen gasped and set her gloved hands on either side of his head - leaning forward against the industrial replicator.

"Oh, m-my..." she said and shuddered, her tongue wetting her lips and her eyes fluttering closed, "is that where you want to go? Is there where you want to fill me with your compensation? Hmm? With your big boy here..." She reached down and wrapped her gloved hand around his throbbing phallus again - this time with a milking grip descending down upon the length from above. With the pleasure he was giving her, she would not only retaliate with the massage of his rigid arousal. No, she leaned close and kissed 'Kae', her tongue slipping out to battle his. She wrapped her free hand behind his neck - holding his mouth to her own and still doing so with her eyes closed.

"I want you inside m-me," she said against his lips with another shudder, appreciating his touch thoroughly. She stroked that cock hard, and had he not appeared more innocent, she would have reached around him and pressed a finger into his sphincter. "Bend your knees.. Sit down... Let me just dance in your lap for a little while... "

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

Edena sort of phased out for a while, her eyes fluttering about in a way that described how deep in thought she was.  No doubt she was discussing everything between herself and her former hosts, each bringing their own experience to the table.  Kiya, as a doctor, cited the factors of stress on the body's ability to perform and how brain chemistry could play a factor in the Crew's performance.  Illya, with her talent for psychology, spoke on a number of mental issues that could develop from suppressed feelings like the ones the crew were going through.  Jona, ever the stickler for protocol, cited Starfleet Regulation, acting as the anchor to their issues.

"The crew doesn't need to hear this from us.  Bringing it up is only going to make them think longer and harder on the events they can't remember, and if those mental barriers break down, we don't know if they will be able to handle it.  Maybe the Lieutenant Commander is correct that some people need it from a therapeutic standpoint, not to mention the relief of tension that they are currently being denied.  Holodecks are down, and everyone is working longer shifts to make up for the lack of crew.  Stress is going to get them them, and giving them the option of relieving that could be valuable to them, yet we can't just up and say it's fine."

Then there was protocol to take into account.  "There is also an issue of rank playing a part.  For example, as the commanding officer on this ship, it might be seen as an abuse of power if you were involved with a crewman, sir.  It's one thing for people to do this in secret.  Don't ask, don't tell could certainly play a part in that.  But to get on the Comm channels and all but declare free love over the ship's systems?  I can't say it would be a good idea.  I would simply suggest . . . we overlook it if the crew decide to get involved.  No formal inquiry means they can act as they wish, unless one of them personally reports it as a breach of protocol."  An impartial stance.  It might have been the best one to take.



[Lin Kae - Rihen's Hide-away]

How funny it was that the Captain and Commander were discussing the issue of crewmen having sex, right at the same time that Kae was about to engage a woman from Nimbus III, a Risian native.  She was the kind of woman who couldn't truly be ignored, not with that strong will and a need to satisfy others.  He knew as soon as she started coming onto him that she wasn't the type to take no for an answer.  The glove hand gripping him added an extra something that the silken touch of female skin didn't have.  It was rougher, untamed in a sense, though he did find himself missing the more comforting touches he had known in the past.  How he wondered what Thea's touch might have been like if it was her doing this.  An inappropriate thought, both out of respect for the hologram herself, as well as for his current partner, so eager to pleasure him.

At her request, lowered himself, sitting down so that she might dance in his lap, as she called it.  From his lower point of view, her breasts appeared larger, her sex all the more wet and inviting.  It was enough to get his heart beating heavily, wondering just what she had planned.  Well, it was rather obvious what she was going to do, but the mechanics of how would be what was interesting.  There were so many ways to enjoy each other, and she was likely well versed in many of them.

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Though raised by her human family, Eve had never been able to deny the part of her that was Deltan.  She relished indulging in things that were pleasurable yet also was adept at denying gratification long enough to appreciate the fulfillment even more.  With most people, she had to curb herself especially in intimate encounters because sometimes it could be overwhelming when their minds would meld in the heat of passion.  If she were full Deltan she wouldn't be able to indulge at all.

Lucan was different though, her abilities unable to penetrate his psyche.  With him it had been like what she saw other people had in relationships, the ability to just let go without worry.  He continued to tease back, building more heat between them and bringing a sultry smile to her lips which parted ever so slightly as he took a cheek in each hand and drew her against him.  Her breath rushed along his face a little stronger, a sign of her own growing arousal as he held himself mostly in check.  All he said was true so it was down to just their little game.

"I definitely gave her enough to keep her down for hours," she replied emphasizing the time denominator as her hips and shoulders shifted from side to side in a serpentine manner, lightly rubbing her pubic region against the hardness pressed between them and her nipples entangled with his own.  "The only thing really would be his barging in and seeing us ... not that that concerns me."  Reaching up she brushed his hair back from his forehead and then ran her finger along his jaw, her own head tilting in welcome.  "Which means there's no reason we can't get ... reacquainted," she purred.

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Nodding slowly, Jien made a small movement with her hand, as if pushing the issue aside. "Agreed. It is not too far from how these things are handled normally. Formal inquiries are usually not made unless there is a report on some occurrence, difference being now that it might be in our interest to down-prioritise third-party reports on said occurrences." That was, if someone not involved in the fraternisation made a report - and there was no evident abuse or harassment involved - they could had plenty of other crisis aboard the ship that naturally would take precedence.

Pausing, Jien smiled faintly to her First Officer. "My gratitude. Few Commanding Officers has the luxury to have a group of councillors at their side. One thing, though, and its a pretty silly thing given my abilities," she said and folded her hands on her desk, shrugging a little to indicate her current appearance, "When I'm in this form, please try to address me as 'ma'am' instead of 'sir'. I will not in any way take offence if you forget, but given my dual nature, I would encourage if for my own ease of mind. Sometimes, I might actually forget which form I am currently in."

Walking over to her replicator, Jien tugged her uniform straight checked a wall panel for a chronometer. Alpha shift was due to end in a couple of minutes, so she glanced over her shoulder to Edena and stretched her shoulders - the movement adjoined with her... changing to his male form. "Can I offer you anything to take the edge of the day?" he asked her in his deep voice, before turning to the replicator. "Whiskey, Aldebaran."

Taking his glass of green liquid back to the desk along with whatever Edena might order, Jien would pause to hand it to her before seating himself again. He nursed the small glass in his calloused hands. "So I would presume you spoke with the Deputy?" he asked her quietly, taking up a topic he found unresolved. Not out of mistrust, but of genuine curiosity. "How did she take the news about her being let off the hook?"


[ Deck 05 | Corridors | USS Theurgy ]

Intercepting the new SCO on his way through the ship, Thea materialised in front of him - standing with her hands folded behind her back and wearing her white chameleon body suit.

"'Commander Renard," she said and smiled faintly, inclining her head, "I happened to pick up on a verbal request that indirectly bespoke me. To what use would you find my presence during holographic combat practice in Holo deck 01?"

Thea had been in her own quarters on Deck 02 when she happened to pick up on the conversation. She had been wearing garments from her small wardrobe of genuinely replicated clothes, relaxing - in a sense - on top of a divan in her sitting area. Before that, she had not worn any garments, and enjoyed a bath in her Senior Officer styled bathroom. Stored memories of her time being puppeteered by the infected kept resurfacing, and she had found herself indulging herself in masturbation - something she might have done before but never with any memories like that attached to the act. Afterwards, she had been trying her patience with using her optic sensors to read PADDs from various departments. She did have infinite patience if the infected had not deleted the sub-routines that let her switch off her emotional ship - something on Lt. Kae's long list of repairs he was about to make - but she ha been so.. bored that she actually jumped on the opportunity to investigate what Tactical Conn might need of her.

Vanishing from the divan, the PADD had landed on top of her empty garments. Now, she stood before the Vulpinian, a smile on her face and eyebrows raised in query.


[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Chuckling deep down in his throat as she teased him, they both would feel his hardness respond to her insistent pressure - throbbing almost in rhythm with his heartbeat. His hands left her impeccable derrière to lay on her hips instead, encouraging her minute movements against him - his own hips rolling slightly to push his tumescence against the apex of her legs.

"He is older than he might appear," he commented quietly against her mouth - the heat that her oral cavity radiating and making his own lips tingle with need, "so I would think he might survive seeing... whatever he might see... if he just walked in like he owned the place. Hopefully, he will have the manners to knock or announce his arrival. Yet I suppose neither of us were a stickler to modesty and propriety. At least... not back then."

Memories, quite warm and making the darkness recoil in disgust, surfaced in Lucan's mind. His upper lip drew a feathery touch against her bottom one, and his arousal pressed through their garments and against her nether lips - parting them with its firmness despite the restrictions that kept them apart. "Do you remember before that night," he asked her, feeling strangely... nostalgic, "in the medicinal archives? This... reminds me of the same kind of predicament we now suffer..."

He longed to raise his hands and lay them over her breasts, to cup her in his palms and to knead her lightly to bliss.


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Nibbling her lower lip in anticipation, Rihen used the small amount of time provided with Kae seating himself to free her feet from her boots and her overalls. Whereas a human would have made an ungainly and awkward spectacle out of the affair, Kae so close and looking up against her, Rihen actually managed to do it as if she was performing for an audience. Still supporting herself with one hand against the industrial replicator, she pushed her last garments away with her foot - eyes still upon his. "Oh, I can't wait to feel your big horga'hn inside me..."

Looking down at him, she smiled as she lowered herself more against him than down into his lap. She brushed her entire frame against his front where he sat - her full breasts running down his cheeks and his chest. Her hard nipples scratching at his skin as she settled herself - his arousal resting against his lower abdomen and pushed firmly there by the heat of her sex. Chuckling at feeling him trapped between their bodies, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her nose against his - the fact of her undulating hips made plain by the hoarse breaths she made against his mouth.

"Your jamaharon will last for as long as you ngh... want," she said, the fact of his bulbous hard head almost entering her making her stammer, "You can enjoy release, and still be able to continue... for I will not leave. Not tonight... not for you, whom is my benefactor. I will never forget what you will do for me.... No amount of riches will ever make me... ahhh!"

Then... Kae was inside her, and she felt her wet inner walls squeeze him mercilessly as she descended along his length a couple of inches. She clutched him so hard she had to raise her hips again and drive herself down harder the second time - the warmth and the wetness around him just barely accommodating him. Not until she undulated her hips forward did he slide home all the way, and she shuddered in delight. "I will never forget you, my saviour," she said at long last, and grinned - her hips beginning to dance against his in earnest. Slow, deliberate, forceful movements that sheathed him fully, and tugged at him when she pulled away for a new push.

"How d-do you... nnnghh... like my parts?" she asked him breathlessly, offering her breasts to his mouth, fingers nestling into his hair. The other one tugged at the clothing on his upper body, "You think you... can service them like you can service.... my replicator?"

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

His chuckle vibrated throughout his body and the pulsing heat of his phallus beginning to quest thrilled her, warming her expression even more as his hands shifted to almost guide her motions.  "I have a feeling he is quite a mannerly young man," she replied barely above a whisper.  "Modesty I've never had and propriety only when necessary.  Who knows," she smiled with a wicked glint in her eyes.  "Maybe if he did barge in he would join us."

Her head shifted slightly, just enough for her bottom lip to graze his upper in the ghost of a touch that promised more in time though her head fell back slightly and her lips parted further as she felt the thick head separate her other lips and brush against her pleasure node.  The flowing skirt that hung past her knees drew downward almost slipping off her hips as she rose on the balls of her feet to press her hips forward then back, starting to stroke his length with her sex through their clothing.

"I could never forget that night," she murmured as her lips came perilously close to sealing with his but continued the light dancing caress.  "We both tried to deny it for too long, knowing our paths would part but still I wanted you."  He could feel the dampness through the material as she continued to tease his length and see the desire burning in her eyes as she placed her hands lightly on his shoulders for a bit of balance.  "We didn't suffer nearly as long that night as we are this though," she chuckled richly.

"Books went every direction," she continued in that mesmerizingly slow and seductive tone.  "I'd be willing to bet my panties are still on top of that shelf and oooohhh the power you displayed ripping them off of me," she growled and then nipped his bottom lip.  "Then you pressed me to the wall and had your way with me.  Of course later I had my way with you as was only fair," she said with a light shrug that teased his chest with her nipples again.  "The main difference now, besides us being a bit older, is I'm not wearing panties."

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

"My apologies.  I suppose that's the Starfleet training, commanding officers are referred to as sir, whether they are male or female.  Admiral Janeway wasn't much for air, either, but she also said that ma'am only worked in a pinch.  She prefered to just stick with the title of Captain," Rez excused herself.  She had met with the woman a few times in her still young career as a Starfleet officer, but she counted her as one of the more exceptional people she had ever met, especially when factoring in the trials of the Voyager crew.

With the drinks being replicated, there was an excited voice in Edena's head.  "Oooh, let's have a Saurian Brandy!" Illya piped in, unable to remember the last time they really enjoyed a good drink.  It might have been back when Edena graduated from the Academy, and was celebrating with her fellow officers.  She inbibed a bit too much and Illya ended up taking the steering wheel of her body into the quarters of one of her fellow graduates.  Edena woke up the next morning to a man her body had slept with but she didn't remember.

"Need I remind you that you're still on duty?"  Jona, ever the protocol man, rauised a valid point, but one that was quickly squashed by Illya's iron clad logic.

"Need I remind you that you don't turn down a drink from your commanding officer?"  In the end, Edena agreed to have some of the same drink as Jien, knowing just how far back the Saurian Brandy would knock her on her ass.

"I did speak with the Deputy, as did Illya.  It created a bit of . . . confusion for a moment."  Edena told the story of what had went on.  She explained Illya's interest in the Andorian woman, and how it led Ida to think for a moment that Edena was suggesting that she sleep with the Executive officer in order to make her problem go away, a matter she quickly cleaned up before it caused any trouble.  She didn't know why she was so forthcoming, but she even told Jien about Ida's offer to draw her.  Maybe that was too personal, but in her experiencing the CO and XO often were close, as a result of the time they spent working together.  Maybe that made her more honest with the shape-shifting Captain.



[Lin Kae - Rihen's Hide-away]

Rihen had proven herself a woman who took what she wanted.  It wasn't long after he was seated that she was on top of him, her breasts rubbing against his face, down onto his chest, as she brought him inside of her.  Such a simple process, like a shuttlecraft entering a hangar bay, yet it communicated so much.  The feeling of her slick inner walls wrapping around him was a feeling hard to top.  The warmth, the wetness, even the scent.  The scent was the big difference, with most of the holograms he knew not possessing any sort of scent, especially one related to sex.  As such, it was foreign to him, even if the act they performed wasn't.

"I think . ..  serving your parts will be easier.  No extra tools necessary," he replied, meaning to be serious.  The replicator had parts they needed to acquire, while they had everything they needed.  He almost seemed to fail the realization that his words implied a double entendre of using sex toys, and how that he was showing confidence that they weren't needed to get the job done on Rihen.  With the room he had, he rose his hips upward to meet her, not content to let her do all the work.  If he was servicing her, that meant he couldn't just sit back and do nothing while she was the one grinding against him.  He had to do his share of the leg work.

[ Deck 05 | Corridors | USS Theurgy ]

Miles couldn't help but smile seeing the hologram appear in front of him. "Yes I did make that request Of course the final decision is yours."  He said gently understanding that the hologram was not just some tool but she was a young lady. She was a person with needs, emotions, wants, and desires.  Perhaps she didn't share those same enthusiasms as himself, or perhaps she wanted to aid however she could.  Either way he knew it was her choice, but he was extremely happy to see she had taken an interest in the request. "You are skilled in all four divisions of Starfleet.  Your calculations per second and memory are phenomenal due to you being and having access to all the Capibility's of the Theurgy's computer core. Paired with that you are human in terms of emotion and self realization.  You have the quirks and for good or bad the flaws of any other organic being on this ship.  Holographic combat simulations have always been lacking.  They are limited by computer like thought they lack the instinct and decision making a living person has. They lack the ability to bypass the logic and technique and do something unpredictable.  For simulations we will need an enemy that is like ourselves.  Unpredictable, intelligent, wily, smart, and who knows every trick in the Starfleet manual and capable of coming up with a few of her own.  I would like you to help me in designing a few scenarios for one.  These scenarios need to include us facing off against anything we may come against including Valk 3s. Launched from Any class of Federation ship up to and including Promethius classes with MVAM, and Soverign class ships.  Secondly Given the scenarios I need to construct preferably with your aide. I will need someone to command the enemy ships.  Those flaws and quirks are what make a real captain in combat far more formidable than any simulation.  In essence I need you to command the enemies we will be facing.   THirdly I have a few scenarios of Wargames 6 on 6 engagements of half the squad verses the other half I have 13 pilots so the left out pilot will act as "Tower control" for team Alpha and I would prefer you to act in these wargames as "tower" for team Bravo coordinating actions relaying positions etc."  He paused for a moment after having explained his request. "You are quite possibly the most qualified person on this ship to assist me. That is why I would request You."

[ Deck 07 | Armoury | USS Theurgy ]

For the past 22 hours, Marija hadn't slept. What little sleep she had managed to catch here and there had come in small bouts of two to four hours, leaving the woman quite literally restless. Insomnia, one of the many after effects she had dealt with after the trauma she had endured for the umpteenth time. And of course with the one instance of rape the others came flooding back in an instant, that slow, steady stream of memories she had carefully contained now flooding to the foreground with every passing second. Upon waking she had spent only ten minutes pacing in her quarters before she decided to do something about it.

The woman dressed in one of her only off duty outfits, a top that was little more than an ebony sports bra and some tight shorts to fit the ensemble. Ready for the gym, she had even taken a small jog down to the area before the doors whisked open to reveal something she wasn't too pleased to see. She spent only ten seconds in the gym before promptly turning around and walking back out. Crowds. Oh, how she hated them. Apparently she wasn't the only one who had thought to physically work out the stress.

She wandered randomly down the corridors for a few minutes, trying to decide what else she might manage to do to wile away the sleepless hours. Her room was more like a sterile med bay than anything else. She didn't decorate, didn't bother with re-arranging furniture. Other than clothing and some novels on a few PADDs strewn about her room, she had nothing of interest there.

Instead she decided on somewhere far more comforting to her tastes; the Armoury. She had logged far too many hours there as of late. The woman was luckily, just barely, slipping under the radar with her prolonged hours. Since they were needed at this crucial time, barely anyone paid attention to someone staying an extra hour or two at their post. But Marija was staying an extra three or four, then showing up an extra two or three hours early. At 0200 she had a better chance of slipping in unnoticed.

But she hadn't bothered to go back to change. Or, rather, she found herself incapable of doing so. Going back to that sterile room where her mind could flood with unwanted images, even for as short a time as changing clothes, was just too much for her to handle. So onward she went to the Armoury, ignoring any that might stop her before reaching the weapons lockers.

For yet another time she pulled out an assortment of phasers and rifles, laying them out strategically on the table and grabbing the nearest PADD that had all of the specs she needed. Then she was on to re-calibrating them once more. Since the time she had done it not eight hours ago there was no real change, but tweaking each one helped calm her nerves until her mind wandered once more to those terrible moments. Then those calm, methodic movements came with a little more force. By the end of it she was slamming each weapon down as she finished. With hair mussed, body sweating and nerves fraying, she looked none the better for wear throughout her own little exercised attempts at 'peace'.

[Deck 7 | Armoury | USS Theurgy]
Adam Kingston made his way along the hallways of deck seven.  This whole post infection matter was really starting to wear down on him, normally he could expect one or two incidents of minor arguments or violence a month on the theurgy.  The past three days had seen more outright fights and confrontations then he'd seen in his entire career with the Federation.  He knew it was something he'd have to expect for a while part of the healing process even.  Confronting your fears and attackers, but most of them were going about it in the wrong way.  It made matters worse when coworkers who had previously been friends, enjoying shifts together were not distanced by the events following Nija.

He was deep in thought on the matter, so much so that he almost overlooked the armoury on his route.  His thoughts however were cleared as he heard several loud bangs from inside the armory of weapons being slammed down.   "great...whats going on now" he mumbled to himself as he turned and made his way inside reaching down to grab his phaser in case someone was actually raiding the armoury for whatever reason.  As he entered however he found himself facing Marija who was vigorously making adjustments to the rifles and phasers in the weapons lockers.  A faint blush, a slight spike in his heart rate, and a slight stiffness in his pants were his first reaction.  He vaguely remembered some encounters during his infected state with Marija but like so much it was vague and distorted. "Ensign, would you care to tell me why you have half our weapons lined up as if expecting a full blown assault, why your out of uniform yet at a station, and lastly, why you look like you haven't slept in a week?" he asks calmly but firmly.

Marija closed her eyes the moment she heard the door slipping open. It took everything in her power to gather up her anger and keep it from boiling over the brim, but by the time she opened her eyes and looked to the visitor, her face was the very essence of the phrase 'deadpan'. At least at first until the recognition began to sink in. Her nostrils flared, her jaw clenched and she found herself forcibly removing her hand from the rifle she had been working on. She had willingly given herself to this one, she knew that much to be true. Yet still the hazy memory of his rock hard body rolling against her own had caused a tornado of unbidden and mixed emotions. Arousal came first, her body stiffening everywhere as a familiar tingle began between her legs, but it was quickly followed by anger, guilt, remorse; the usual that she had been coping with.

Which made it all the easier for her to push it all aside, despite the fact that her eyes visibly lingered on the hardening flesh in his pants. But soon enough her eyes were on his own, tilting her chin upward almost defiantly as she answered in a cold tone, "Not lined up for an assault, for a re-calibration, which I am currently in the middle of doing. I tried to go to the gym, but it was crowded. To get my mind off of things I decided to continue some work in my spare time. There was.." She stopped, clearing her throat. That last sentence was the most she had managed to say in the past week. Plus she still didn't have a good explanation for being out of uniform, so it gave her the few seconds she needed to conjure it up, "It seemed pointless to go all the way back to my quarters to change since I was already here, especially since I am technically off duty. As for my appearance, am I required to look 'well rested' in my off time, sir?" Despite her cool tone, there was still an obvious bite in her words. And despite acting as if she didn't care for her appearance, her hands were already at her hair, trying to streak it down to make it at least a little more presentable.

Adam slowly made his way around the room glancing over the weapons as he passed them and glancing at her.  The look initially in her eyes was of interest, then hatred.  He picked up one of the uncalibrated weapons and glanced at the calibration settings it currently had and then continued down the line as he listened. "These weapons are all well within battlefield standards Ensign, if anything I'd say their almost to well calibrated, I rarely have seen a phaser calibrated to within .0003% of recommended maximum yield efficiency.  Based off the number of these that seemed to be within that range...I'm guessing someone has been in here within the last six hours doing maintenance on them already..." he stated calmly as if doing an investigation, he glances at her form again trying to avoid letting his eyes linger or allowing himself to get much more worked up. "If a Starfleet officer feels that a member of their department is unfit for duty what is their obligation Ensign?" he asks politely as he walked to stand next to her now looking down at the rifle she was working on. 

"More importantly, when was the last time you got a full nights sleep, and do you have any idea what that will do to your ability to judge situations well your on duty?"  The last bit was said with genuine concern, as he tried to meet her gaze despite being taller then her.  He reached down to try to gently lift her chin to look into her eyes closer and then with a frown. "Marija when was the last time you had a full night's sleep and have you talked to med-bay about this?"

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Sipping his whiskey, Jien listened to his XO with interest, coming to understand the underlying reasons for the choice regarding the Deputy's fate. It seemed one of Edena's former hosts had taken a liking to the Andorian, and judging from what the Deputy had offered to do for Edena, it seemed the feelings that were taking for could be mutual. As for the misunderstanding, Jien supposed it was hard to tell who's fault that had been, and it did not matter either. The Andorian's assumption that the XO was taking advantage of her had been rectified, and so it seemed there was only one thing left to address.

The notion of Edena being drawn to the idea of being depicted in nothing but her skin made for an awkward topic between the Commander and Captain, yet since Edena seemed comfortable with sharing her personal thoughts on the matter, Jien would - of course - respectfully adjust to it. The explanation had taken them beyond the Alpha shift's hours, so they were now officially off duty. Not about to let the idle thoughts about Edena without her uniform take control of his mind, as it certainly would quite easily given how attractive the First Officer was, Captain Ives posed the obvious question.

"So have you decided if you will let her draw you?" he asked, sipping his whiskey, "I'm thinking it might, given how she is a professional and has a few commissioned paintings of Admirals hanging in Starfleet Academy, be a good way for her to come to terms with her mistake - to socialise with you - speak with you and learn that your intentions are honest. The painting would not require you to remove your clothes, for that matter, but the time spent with the Deputy will be fortunate in the long run, given the circumstances."

After his comment, Jien did come to consider said drawing, and he found it regrettable that Edena would probably never show it to anyone.


[ Deck 05 | Corridors | USS Theurgy ]

Thea listened intently to the SCO's suggestion, and she came to fold her arms underneath her breasts as she did so, cocking a hip in 'thought' - or the resemblance thereof. The flatter did not pass her by, and she smiled and nodded in response to it, even though she processed his statement like repetition of facts. She knew he was being kind from his choice of words, and she had come to know that it was the intentions behind the words that mattered in the socialising with organics. Alas, there was the trouble of discerning what those intention were that proved more difficult, since no organic was the other alike.

"Agreed," she said after the socially acceptable delay, actually only having needed 3,294 milliseconds in order to make the decision. "I am off duty, actually, for the moment, but if you just specify the number of different scenarios you need, I will provide you with an array of possible combat situations in line with what you have described. They will be awaiting in your computer console before your shift starts on the morrow."

Shifting her stance to lean on her other leg, Thea brushed a hand along her jaw in thought - a part of her developed and mimicked mannerisms. "I will of course provide for the enemy fire and ships on the Holo-deck, and I do not see any problems with assisting in the War Games either. All of these things would not directly require my projection to be present - my AI having the capacity to control the opposition without this body and these eyes having to be there... and quite possibly be in the way for you Wolves. It is to early to tell, though, since I have not processed the requirements of yours and filed the combat scenarios in the Holo-deck's memory just yet."

Straightening, Thea smiled and let her hands hang by her sides. "Was there anything else you needed from me?"


[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Oh, how Eve's actions tugged at his feeble restraint, and how she made him just want to cease their little game and find out if there was any truth to her claim regarding her underwear. Knowing Eve from before, he could not see why she might make such a lie, and in fact, he felt her dampness through their layers of clothing - a sign that he was not the only one enjoying this game immensely.

"Oh, how you tempt me..." he said and grinned, releasing a shuddering breath as she stroked herself against his arousal. His own movements added to hers, making their hips surge like the tide in their stillful yet heated challenge. She was already nibbling at his lips, so technically, she had been the first to breach that barrier to the past. For that was what this was: the reminiscing and the breaking of the time between then and now. Her tone, the way she said things, it was in her Deltan blood to drive him mad. The beasts were dumbfounded in desire as well, not so much as a sound from them about hurting Eve now that she was appealing to his desires so strongly. How odd to not hear them chanting for violence and bloodlust in such a situation...

Hi tattooed hands were upon her hips already so he felt her skirt riding low when she adjusted herself just so - trapping him against her wet and warm sex. Almost innocently, his fingers skimmed underneath the hem of the skirt - pushing them down further. He cupped her bottom without any cloth in the way for his palms, and he leaned down to lay his warm mouth against her neck - burrowing his tongue into her flesh. His hips never ceased moving, and at that point, his arousal was the only thing keeping her skirt from falling down her legs. He raised his mouth eventually to speak with his heated words against her ear. "Either us us have to pull away in order to go forward, else we will be in this impasse forever - or at least until the morning when your colleagues here intrude upon us."

Then he placed her earlobe inside his mouth - tongue touching it before his teeth lightly scraped against the sensitive skin. "How else might I properly welcome you back into Starfleet, than to let you remember something good from those bygone days?"

One of his hands reached further down her skirt - spanning the curve of her buttocks - and not only did he feel his own clothed and damp head surging against her... but his fingertips reached so far that her moist heat encompassed two of his fingertips.


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Rihen chuckled deep down in her throat, a husky sound so breathless for the feeling of the man-meat inside her that it could barely be called a chuckle. "You bold young m-man," she said, gasping when he slid all the way home once more, and she remained seated so that she could feel all of him at once, "so confident, so sure... so... b-big, so eager to prove yourself... No need, just enjoy y-yourself, and I will d-do.. nnng... the same."

Seated, with him inside her, she bit her lip lightly and raked her hands all over him - through his hair and over his neck. Her hands came lower and tugged at the hem of his upper clothes - working to get it off him so that she might slide her hands all over his bare chest and shoulders. Yet this was only secondary, yes, for she had begun to thrust her hips forwards and backwards as she sat in his lap - undulating her hips to milk his manhood with her tight love channel - the slippery and rough friction making her groan hard and long at the feeling of him.

"Off with your clothes, let me lick and kiss your skin. I want to taste you when jamaharon coems to an end... as it does multiple times. With you... so very many times... judging by your virile and... nnghhh... so very hard horga'hn."

Right then, Rihen's eyes widened, lips pursed and voice hoarse. "My first ending draws near a-already..." she cried, and she leaned back on her hands in order to thrust her hips up and down - her breasts jiggling from the impacts they made as the came together. Leaning back, she created even more friction - making Kae's cock squirm its way up into her at an angle and making her go mad. "Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahh!"

The Risian climaxed upon the young engineer's cock so hard she feared she might fracture him in the process.

[ Deck 07 | Armoury | USS Theurgy ]

Marija's eyes quickly glued to the table as he came closer, body tensing again despite how her back straightened and hands primly folded on the table before her. She seemed to be expecting the eventual inspection, barely able to hold back the sigh that tried to escape as he went about examining the weapons that she had worked on. She barely watched his actions form the corner of her eye, feeling very much like the child with her hand caught in the cookie jar. The mental use of such an idiom made her feel the need to try and justify her actions, "I know these re-calibrations aren't required since I was the one that just performed them last and yes, it was just recently. But if it doesn't hurt anyone and it helps me relax, I don't see what the problem is sir." The very mention of being unfit for duty made her lips form a thin line. She couldn't be unfit for duty. She wouldn't be able to handle so much time to herself..Yet she was dutiful enough to answer, "If a member is found unfit, they should be relieved of duty."

She still didn't meet his eyes, in fact she had no intention of doing so until the startling act he took. She was too surprised to stop the mildly intimate contact as his finger came to her chin, tilting her face to force her eyes to meet his own. She swallowed, trying to keep her heart from racing with both anticipation and excitement at even such small motions that showed true concern. It eased her enough to let her voice actually leak a little emotion into it, attempting to let him hear the confidence in the statement, "It's just a small case of insomnia. I've dealt with it before and I am certain I don't need the medical bay to know about it. Please sir, there's no need for concern. I'll be fine."

Adam watched her reaction calmly for a few moments and then smiled as she was honest with him. "Ensign, I want you to put these phasers and rifles away...and then you will follow me down to med bay and we will set you up with an appointment with Lieutenent Garen Nelis, if you disobey these polite and off the record instructions, then I'll have no choice but to report you to Lt. Commander Grayson, on the suspicion of being unfit for duty, on account for sleep deprivation and possible PTSD symptoms.  This may seem harsh Marija but lets say your wrong, your insomnia keeps up and your sleep trouble gets worse.  We both know you've been through a lot lately, so this goes untreated.  A few weeks down the line, one of your assaulters is one of the people who you have to break up a fight with, and you freeze up.  He dies because you couldn't stop his attacker who by all accounts would have a legit reason to be pissed off at him. From striking out in fury.  Now you'd have a dead Starfleet officer on your hands, a victim who will likely be facing court marshal for assault and murder of a Starfleet officer, and your fitness for duty is brought into question, as well as your motive for why you didn't stop the attack.  I think we can both see, that you checking yourself in for an evaluation is the better option here don't you think? Just talk to him, and let him make the decision okay?  Thats all I ask as a friend and coworker." Adam did his best to make his advise sound sincere and from the heart.  The fact that he might later get rewarded for this and the fact that it looked good for him were more motivation for him then making sure she was actually okay though. 

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Eve was enjoying things immensely, watching the lust burning in his eyes as they teased each other through cloth and she didn't mind being the first to breach the barrier.  She wasn't normally a competitive person, not like Lucan anyway, and it was her intent to keep it somewhat a game yet a definite and steady progression to something that would satisfy both of them.

"Then I haven't lost my touch," she replied in response that she was tempting him and her hands at his shoulders began to touch him.  Feather light her fingernails glided along the well-formed shoulders and neck where she turned the direction to follow along his jaw to his chin.  Their breathing filled the quiet section of the clinic, deeper yet still not rushing though a soft sigh made the rhythm of her own pause as he reached under the material and kneaded her backside and his lips and tongue felt her pulse quicken.

When his lips reached her ear, her head tilted slightly to accept the breath and she shivered as her fingers coursed through his hair.  "Feeling you even this way makes it difficult to pull back," she admitted with a husky voice as he teased her earlobe and then a sultry chuckle slowly bubbled forth followed by a moan as his hands started to delve lower.  "I do believe Starfleet is getting much better at welcoming people."

Her head eased back, baring her throat to him as her breasts pressed against him and that pert ass tilted further out allowing his fingers to delve inside of her just a little further.  "Just when I was about to break the impass ... you bring me to somewhat of a halt," came her whispered words as she squeezed her thighs a little harder to apply more pressure all around his cock, continuing to glide back and forth feeling the rigidity against her clitoris and the teasing of two fingers brushing along her slickened walls.

Pulling his face to hers, she finally devoured his lips and sucked on his tongue as she reluctantly yet strongly pulled her lower body back from him.  The skirt floated to the floor and her hands untied the wrap around blouse, peeling it back off her shoulders and letting it join its mate.  Stepping back, breaking the kiss, she crooked her finger for him to follow and with a sinuous grace turned to walk to her room glancing back once to see him drinking in her nude form.

[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

The teasing came to an end in a searing kiss that Dr. Nicander partook in fully whilst two fingers were rubbing in and out of Eve - cock aching and chafing to split the damnable cloth that lay in its way.

The taste of her was to re-experience the past, from a time when he was merely Câroon and not so much more. She stated like before, and he was just as insistent as her - matching her fervour step by step. Whilst they kissed, he sawed his fingertips into her from behind, and he panted hoarsely when their mouths came apart. When she stepped way, the beasts finally shrieked in protest and to punish her, yet he was too startled to have any inclinations of any kind. No, his tattooed hands fell to his sides, and his smile slowly awakened when he saw her shed her garments and beckon for him to follow.

Oh, that body. Outer-worldly in allure and flawless in the dim and caressing light. The sway of her hips tugged him into motion, and he followed her - unlacing his damp and blood-stained breeches as he stalked her towards her humble abode. There was no room for questions in such a simple gesture that she'd given him, and there was no answers but to follow her - his confident stride given an emphasis  by the way he shamelessly unlaced himself for her.

Once they were in her room, he left the door open so that they might hear Skye Carver's running diagnostics program if it warned for sudden internal bleeding. At that point, he did not care one whit about her or her fate, so blinded by the need to have this woman of the past once more. He left the door open because he had to, for the sake of his act and the façade he kept up. True, he might want to claim the fighter pilot one day, but it all depended on too many factors that he did not have the presence of mind to list right then. He could, but now his mind was devoted to a single priority. His two fingers were still damp from her nectar, so he knew she was more than ready for him. She knew hos much she had teased him, and they both knew what came next. It was the rehearsal of things not forgotten - of actions that they had shared in before. It was the repetition of the medicinal library.

He took her wrist and turned her around, pushed her playfully into the bare wall and ceased her with arms and hands. He smothered her breasts against the hard planes of his chest as he lifted her up. He split her mouth open with his own and pried his tongue past her teeth. His arousal was as hard as only she might make it, and he barely gave her any time to catch her breath before he lowered her down unto him. A harsh grunt signalled the completion felt, and he looked into her eyes as he began to move - his thrusts forceful and uncompromising. His kisses did not allow for debate either, arms arching her back so that he might scrape his teeth and burrow his tongue into her breasts. His lips sucked at her teats hard, and he licked her from the nape of her neck to her ear - a savageness born from memory as well as new promises.

"Welcome aboard..." he said with bared teeth, his cock grinding all the way to its hilt inside her, "the USS Theurgy..."

Promises of time together - of duty mixed with pleasure. Of obligations in perfect blend with freedom for exploits.

[ Deck 02 | CTO Quarters | USS Theurgy ] by Taguiera & Acutor Lucan

"Where and how would you prefer me?  Entirely nude?  Would you prefer the lights up brighter?  You are the artist, consider me your model."

With slow and deliberate movements, she began undressing, sitting in her chair for a moment to remove one sock, then the other.  Standing once more, she undid her pants and slid them down her long, slender legs before stepping out of them.  She picked them up and folded them neatly, turning and laying them over the back of her chair.  Turning back to Ida, she hesitated, waiting for the Andorian to decide her own desires in art.

Having replicated canvas and easel, brushes and paint, Ida was setting things up properly - laying the things not in her hands on a table. A consummate professional, she made no unnecessary movements in the preparations, only deftly sorting the brushes the oil paint the way she always kept them. By the time the Vulcan had spoken, Ida was ready and simply hiked up the sleeves of her golden undershirt - the collar still opened to the middle of her chest because of the warmth in the CTO's quarters. Smiling as her midnight blue eyes wandered her model for the afternoon, Ida pulled out a black hair ribbon that she used to tie back her pristine white hair. Her antennae moved as she considered what she needed to practice.

"Computer, dim the lights to sixty percent," she said, and dropped her hands to her sides, tilting her head in thought, "If you are comfortable with it, my technique would merit from drawing you without clothes. If I give too much instructions about your pose, it won't be natural, so just sit or lie down in the couch, or stand, leaning against it, as long as you are relaxed and... you feel confident about the way you bare yourself. Consider that... the one seeing the drawing, the person standing in my place behind the canvas, is a lover or someone you would not feel awkward exposing yourself to in such a manner. Once you get that far, I can help with the minor adjustments."

Already, Ida had begun to mix the oil-based paints on a palette, rapid strokes blending the hues the way she liked them. She kept stealing glances towards the Vulcan's preparations though, smiling quietly in the comfort of being about to exercise her long surviving talents in artistry. This opposed to the violence and duties she always had to resort herself to in order to exorcise her demons.

It had not been her intention to think of Ida as the woman suggested, a lover.  She had had very few opportunities over the years to have a lover, but never had actually taken one.  Her pon farr had come and gone many times, but always without her able to do anything about them.  The damage to her mind had eased the level of need a pon farr brought, which was something to be thankful for, she'd always thought, since, as her emotional state had been difficult enough to control, the hungers of the pon farr would probably have been enough to leave her in a feral state from which she might never have recovered.  It was a challenging enough time in a Vulcans life, but added to the troubles she already had, it might have been enough to break her completely.  It was one of the reasons she'd feared the Nigan virus, the lack of control reminding her so much of the normal 7-year Vulcan cycle.

Now, though, if she thought of Ida as one she was willing to share her body with, it would be only be her own choice, not due to any sort of bodily imbalance, be it the pon farr or the infection.  And, think of it she did, her eyes taking in the beautiful Andorian, at the way she seemed more at ease with herself now that she had the paints in her hands, her antennae twitching in anticipation of her work ahead.  As she did, she couldn't help but think, were she to partake of sex with Ida, it would be pleasant.  Pulling her shirt over her head, revealing her firm, full breasts, which even at near the end of her early adulthood still showed no sign of sag, she raised an eyebrow, "Will you be joining me in a state of undress?  It would be logical if, as you suggest, I should think of you as a lover."

Blinking at that logic, Ida opened her mouth to protest.

However, the thought - somehow - intrigued her, and it actually was logical to help T'Less with the immersion. Andorians were not prone to dedicate themselves completely to logic, but it made sense in a strange way. Ida had just not expected the request from the Vulcan.

"Well, if it helps you modelling," she said after a second, chuckling a little at the embarrassment - either for the hesitation or the fact of what she was about to do. "It is not like I have not painted in complete bareness before, though I am usually alone when I do so." And it was not like she had the company of a Vulcan so aesthetically pleasing as T'Less before. Her focus had been on her, and not herself anywhere in the equation. Opening the undershirt the rest of the way, she tossed it next to the easel, Feeling light embarrassment, even though she took pride in her body and considered it nothing to feel shame for, she opened her uniform trousers too and slid them down. Smiling, she removed her white underwear too, panties and bra, tossing the undergarments on top of the small pile.

"There," she said and chuckled again, "I suppose it will help with your immersion into the role you play in the drawing. So, consider me the lover, and make yourself comfortable." She picked up the palette again, watching the Vulcan with attentive interest.

Try as she might, T'Less couldn't help but take in Ida's naked form, of her blue skin and pale hair, still doing as Ida suggested.  Imagining a lover did not come difficultly for her, especially with such rich material to work with as the lovely Andorian before her.  She let her mind wander as she looked around her quarters, thinking how best to position herself, while equally wondering how Ida's skin would feel beneath her lips.  While not unfamiliar with homosexual tendencies, Vulcans were unaccustomed to anything even approaching desire, it being illogical to do anything simply because one desired to do so.  While there was an entire lack of logic for a woman to have intimate relations with another woman, the purpose of any such liaison being purely pleasure and not bearing any fruit of womb, very few Vulcans, and none that T'Less was even aware of, had experienced such a situation.  Now, however, T'Less had only a flimsy constraint against attempting it, the lack of the naturally logical parts of her brain leaving her with her desires versus her will.

As the thoughts ran through her head, she took up a short, wooden stool, a gift from someone whose life she'd saved aboard the Exeter, and moved it to under a now-dimmed light.  Straddling the stool, she propped her feet up on the lowest run, her legs spread wide and positioned her hands between them on the top of the stool, effectively hiding her denuded sex, while her upper arms framed and seemed to offer up her firm breasts to her lover, to Ida in particular.  Remaining impassive, she wondered if she should attempt a smile, knowing it would be an unfamiliar gesture on her face, and, indeed, on any Vulcans.  She would leave it to Ida, who, if observant, might notice a softening in T'Less's eyes as she gazed on the Andorian.

"Oh, that is very, very god, now keep still... Just like that.." said Ida, practically throwing herself at the new project. Only... she found herself looking more than drawing, yet she told herself that it was because of how she had to take the lighting in - the way the dim setting caressed T'Less shoulders and face, and the way it cast her nipples in stark contrast to her breasts with the overhead direction across them. She made the outline, the general sketch, with a pen, and then picked up the palette.

As Ida's brush feathered out T'Less body on the canvas, and paid minuscule attention to the Vulcan's offered chest and full lips - which so delicately hinted at ruefulness that it took her a few tries to get the eyes and the mouth right - the Andorian noticed that the heat in the room made her perspire a bit. Only... It couldn't be just that. She found herself more and more embarrassed about her nakedness in front of the Vulcan's gaze - that look in the CTO's eye very convincing in terms of what the ambition was for her to relay.

"You must certainly have modelled before," she said idly, smears of paint having come to decorate her blue skin - haphazard lines of lighter colors crossing the swell of her breasts and her forearms. She swallowed, and rubbed her thighs together where she stood, and her eyes again contemplated more than activated the hand that held the brush.

T'Less almost did smile at Ida's compliment and took notice of the woman's attentions.  She found she wanted more of the Andorian's heated gazes and felt her own eyes returning them.  As sweat began to make path down along Ida's skin, T'Less's regard trailed each bead with desirous want.  Her passion grew, but was tempered by curiosity, so she held still and watched.  Unlike Ida's, her own skin remained dry, Vulcans having evolved without sweat glands.  Instead, as evidence of Ida's own effect upon her, her skin gained a greenish tint as her blood flowed quicker within her, her veins near the surface of her skin expanding to expel the increased heat Ida's presence was inducing.  Yet, still she remained unmoved.

Attempting to turn her thoughts from their strange and unaccustomed path, she pondered the contradiction that was Ida.  A woman torn between the desires of her people, to be a warrior, a fighter without parallel, and an artist, whose touch is gentle yet steady, as evidenced by her brush strokes.  She studied the economy with which the woman moved, each muscle to sure and creative purpose, her blue, firm breasts quivering as she shifted and dealt her strokes upon the canvas.  Ida's dark blue nipples captivated her and she wished to taste them, to feel Ida's hard points beneath her tongue.  Further down, she could only barely glimpse a hairless sex, shadowed as it was between the cleft of Ida's thighs, something else her desires told her would be worth tasting and enjoying.

Said sex was a concern for Ida, because the more she immersed herself into the painting of T'Less, the more the subject of her drawing's gaze and body beckoned for Ida's base emotions. It did not help at all that she had not been able to satisfy herself in the shower at her quarters before heading to the XO's quarters followed by the duties that led her to the Vulcan's rooms.

She tried, in vain, to keep her thighs together, but she fidgeted as she worked on her painting, she tried to lean out from the canvas, tried to come up with some kind of topic for conversation, yet she kept returning to taking those awkward steps to and fro while studying T'Less, choosing a brush, choosing a paint on the palette, and adding the details to each section of the drawing. Again, and again, her thighs rubbing together, her breasts taught and nipples so hard they ached and hurt for want of touch. The greatest difficulty was the heat, and how it made sweat pearl on her blue skin and glisten in need to be rubbed by her fingers. They tickled as they ran down her skin, and she brushed herself with a paint-covered hand - leaving small smears from her fingers in different nuances.

Those small smears tallied up, and with each smudge came the risk of idly touching herself in an unseemly way. So focused on the drawing, it was hard to maintain propriety in the absurd situation. Why had she agreed to be naked as well? The CTO had to think her deranged, most certainly by Vulcan standards, to be so aroused from what she did. Yet it had always been a part of Ida's artistry: the release of the passions that stormed inside her. When making a piece of art like the one she worked on right then had always stirred her desires.

Something that was quite plain after a while, when her breathing was so heavy and her eyes so slitted, when her legs spread for another step and her nectar made strings between her thighs - something evidently not perspiration - and she happened to brush her palm against a bead of sweat that tickled her aching nipple. The small sound in her throat could not be denied, but she barged on with her project nonetheless - fully dedicated to what she did despite how hard it had become to deny the same passions that drove her to capture T'Less on the canvas.

The room, though neither of them spoke, was hardly silent.  T'Less could hear a wide array of sounds, the air as it flowed through the vent to keep the temperature, the hum of the various electronics in the room, the stool as it creaked occasionally as she subtly moved a muscle to maintain balance.  Adding to it was the more personal audio, Ida's breathing, more rapid now and as such louder, the gentle swish of leg against leg as the artist moved back and forth, the soft, liquid scratch of the brush as it slid across the canvas.  Closing her eyes for a moment, she could almost hear Ida's heart beating, which, if her breathing was any indication, was faster than it had been when she started her task.  All of them, however, were dim in comparison to her own heartbeat, her own deep breaths.  While in control of herself and her body, for the moment, she hoped Ida would finish soon, as certain portions of her body were making themselves known, along with needs she'd never dealt with before.

She had no idea how long she'd been sitting on the stool, holding herself still while waiting on her... she'd almost thought lover, recovering herself at the last moment, reminding herself this was all for the sake of Ida's painting.  Her eyes shot to Ida, however, as she heard the moan, concern making her rise and approach.  Reaching out, she placed her hand on Ida's hip, meaning to offer comfort, despite the sensuality of her touch, "Are you all right, Lieutenant?"

[To be continued...]

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

It would have been a lie to say she hadn't been giving it a great deal of serious thought.  The way that Ida had so painstakingly described how she would have completed the drawing made Rez sure that the woman was quite serious about her work.  She wasn't going to perform halfheartedly, nor would she allow anything but a perfect piece of be considered done.  There was something gratifying about having that kind of attention paid to one's body, but for Edena, she was never the type to enjoy that kinds of attention.  That was a trait she might have inherited from Illya if not for the imperfect joining of herself and the Rez symbiont. 

"I am . . . open to the idea, but I don't know if I could really do it personally.  Illya keeps saying that if I let her take control of the body, she would do it on my behalf, and I can honestly say . . . I'm considering that offer.  I don't mind the idea of the drawing, so long as it remains private, but it's the modelling that worries me.  I'm sure even if I did try, I would end up  calling out Illya to take my place."  Maybe it would be best to leave it to her more daring host, the one who would have walked around the whole ship without a strip of clothing on if it wasn't for strict regulations and three other personas holding her back from it.

"Have you ever considered it?"  Maybe she was starting to feel a little vulnerable, having the conversation about her naked body being captured on canvas.  Maybe it would feel better to place Jien in a similar hot seat.  "I mean, you have two forms you call your own, both of which are . . . I suppose from your perspective, works of art of their own.  Maybe you'd like to see another's take on it."  Jien had shaped the physical form of both male and female, creating two unique appearances that could be shifted back and forth between.  It was an interesting gift, given that there was no restrictions.  Born with an eye color one didn't like, not an issue for Jien.  Putting on a few pounds,. Captain Ives could maintain the ideal figure.with a bit of concentration.



[Lin Kae - Rihen's Hide-away]

Maybe he had gotten in over his head by accepting Rihen's offer.  She was a purely sexual being, to the point that he often wondered how Risians got anything else done at all!  They were so easily moved by others, and surrounded by a planet full of beautiful people and exotic vacationing species.  With sex drives as large as theirs, it could have been a breeze to fuck away an entire day.

As requested of him, he stripped away what clothes he had left covering his body, revealing what resulted in a very plain looking figure.  He didn't have the strong muscles or the washboard stomach of many of Theurgy's officers.  The most he had was some minor definition on an otherwise skinny frame.  He never lifted anything heavier then fifty pounds while on duty, and nothing less then ten when he was off.  With males like those in the Tactical CONN or Security, he wasn't going to be winning any contests for the best body among the female crew members.   For Rihen, it seemed to be more then enough.  She was accepting of his appearance, not seeing any need to compare it to any past lovers she might have had.

She found a new angle she liked, and he found his breath catching a little as the intensity rose.  She climaxed not long after it's discovery,  the new angle and the clenching of her love channel edging him onto an orgasm of his own.  His chest rose and fell swiftly as he looked at her, knowing she had much more planned for him, though he was left to question if he could even survive what it took to fully satisfy this woman!

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Sipping his drink, Jien considered the question - in a way also relieved that the topic had shifted from the subject of Edena's nakedness and the depiction thereof. Hazed memories of her bareness from the Brig had surfaced behind his eyes, and even though it he would not admit or show it - shamed by the circumstances under which he had been granted those glimpses - he had difficulty shaking them off. His male human anatomy had a precarious way of reacting to arousal, so the Captain was relieved that he remained seated behind his desk. Still, it was no longer comfortable to be sitting leaned back in his chair, so he pushed his chair forward to rest his elbows on the desktop.

"It is true that I have taken a great deal of time to achieve the level of dual humanity that I currently possess," he said, clearing his throat, "painstakingly making the resemblance be functional down to almost a cellular level. However, biological changes like those I undergo when shifting between my two Chosen Forms comes natural to a fully grown Chameloid like myself. In case you didn't know, one of my own species made a rare occurrence in Starfleet Records decades ago when Captain Kirk - I think you might have come across that name - was sent to a penal asteroid of Rura Penthe. This Chameloid, Martia, could accurately mimic the Captain's appearance after only so much time spent together with him - fooling even the Captain's crew and the present Klingons that the Chameloid was him. Consider, on those grounds, how I have spent forty-six years amongst humans, and the accuracy of my enduring toils to become one of them."

Looking away, Jien continued. "So why two forms, you might be thinking. Consider what you would choose if you had my ability, and grew up in a society like ours; undergoing extensive social studies and realising that both genders makes one whole species." He looked back to Edena and shrugged with one shoulder. "Would you not try to be complete as well?"

A small smile entered his features, and he addressed the question posed. "So would I care to see another person's view on my forms? Well, yes, but given the details with which I work and my brush is my mind - my body the piece of art in the sense of biology instead of paints - I might find the rendering a bit... two-dimensional. Lacking in the priorities that I make for what is functional underneath my - by comparison - rather easy rendering for the benefit of the eye. The surface you see is naught more than for the benefit of others, while the biology underneath the surface if my own way of identifying myself with the human race."

Pausing, Jien chuckled and sipped his drink again. "I am more keen on the idea to have my two forms captured in medical holographic scans - for the sense of depth - than to let have a two-dimensional drawing made of my two forms of nakedness - both of which I am proud of... but share only in intimacy. Well, you have too, but that was not the kind of intimacy I was referring to."

The events in the Brig - whatever happened in the details he couldn't remember - was a gross misconception of intimacy. Febrile madness. No thought. Just primal need. Animal desire. Bestial brutality. As soon as he made a reference to what had happened between them, he regretted it, feeling that he had instantly ruined whatever progress they had made away from those minutes in the crisis. Looking down into his green whiskey, he frowned and gritted his teeth, angered with himself. "Pardon, I... I should not have said that."


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Her climax having torn cries of pleasure from her throat, Rihen continued to bob her hips up and down in Kae's lap - her wet and tight grotto effectively, greedily, milking his seed out of him. Ragged gasps followed, during which she siphoned the last of his cum out of his Human-Bajoran genitals. She was equally satisfied to have had her own orgasm as she was to have given Kae his first one - generous as her species were - and made sure to continue moving against him to make the most of his aftermath quivers.

Her grinding movements made sure to make him experience every last millisecond of his physical pleasure. Mentally, she affected him by showing herself off; performing in her undulating movements for his eyes content. Her body moved in junction with the sensations he felt - an intimate dance. Perhaps the oldest form of dance know to all species in the Galaxy.

Only when she had made sure to draw the last droplet of cum from him did she lean forward to kiss the young man - to rake her fingers and nails across his skin and to let him taste her tongue. She let him remain inside her all the while - the minute movements of their kissing still holding her vagina clutched about his phallus. "Mmmhh.... I think I will let you replicate two items of your choosing," she said mischievously, not letting the man know if she was serious or not, "one item for each time your desires eclipse, and one item for every time you make me feel the same. If you have a lot of things you need... then we have only gotten started."

Caressing his cheeks as she looked into his eyes - rubbing her hips forward and backward to tease his semi-hardness - she grinned to him. "I suppose... there is the matter of fixing it first, though, so perhaps my saviour is content for now? Perhaps only two items will suffice? It all depends on you..."

She chuckled and licked his neck then, toying with his priorities - his pragmatic material needs opposed to what his body craved. She had no idea she toyed with an innocent mind that might not appreciate the game she played. "So what do you want, my saviour? Is the price, not to mention the tools, worth your time?"

Eve knew her body was pleasing even if it wasn't overly abundant in some areas and the look in his eyes as she stepped back and beckoned was exhilarating.  One thing she did appreciate was that he didn't run after her, instead she could hear his confident stride and hear the tugging of fabric so she wasn't surprised when they reached the room that was not much more than a closet that he was completely nude.  Her own expression flared with passion as she saw just how much she had affected him.

She didn't question the door being left open, something she never did anyway but she did question if she had teased him too much given his reaction.  It started playful but turned almost violent though she couldn't deny she was glad they didn't draw things out more.  Her breath drew in and held as he lifted her then exploded out in a lustful grunt as suddenly he filled her aching and needful channel.  A mirthful chuckle erupted as she wrapped her legs around his waist and one arm over his shoulder while she pushed her hair out of her face.

Her skin rapidly flushed and her kisses were just as uncompromising but when he moved to her breasts, she moaned deeply.  By now she would be connected to the mind of her lover but there was only the blissful silence, his mind not melding with hers and she clamped down on his cock with her muscles in joy.  Her eyes took on that hazy look, her lusty sounds echoing as she buried her hands in his hair and clenched a bit roughly.  "It is truly ... a pleasure," she growled acceptance of the welcome.

For now his pace was frenetic and savage, both of them fulfilling the primal lust that dwelled within them.  Once this round was over, however, she was quite looking forward to revisting his body in the more sensual ways.  Her body rippled as he slammed into her, absorbing the shocks of both his thrusts and the resulting banging against the wall but she curled down to bring his lips to hers again for another taste.  "Like a fine wine, you only get better," she almost whimpered and let her head fall back as she felt herself quaking around him, clamping down and milking him as her own climax began.

[Edena Rez - Captain's Quarters]

The conversation had been going well.  Edena felt as though she were coming to understand the shape-shifting Captain a little better, to understand what his life had been like, what his people were like.  Kiya was deeply interested in hearing more about his physiology, having never had the opportunity to diagnose a being capable of altering it's appearance like Jien.  In her time, the Changelings hadn't yet been discovered.  She was the first host of the Rez Symbiont, living in a time before even the legendary Captain Kirk had made the first acquaintance of a Chameloid.  She had so many questions about him that even Edena wasn't sure about all the complex medical terminology that was being listed off meant.  If she had her way, Kiya would have convinced Jien to submit to a full medical examination, if for nothing more then her own personal sense of discovery.

Kiya grew quiet, as did all the hosts, when the talk shifted to the mention of their encounter in the brig.  They knew better then to speak up when Edena was flashing through memories of that incident.  At the time, she had been fighting for her life, and hadn't had the time to think of the shame of being stripped, of being manhandled by the powerful male form that was now in front of her.  Since then, those thoughts were far too vivid for her own personal taste.  She didn't blame himn, but the reminder was a bit difficult for her, yet she also understood from his side.

"You don't remember it all as clearly as I do.  That entire fight was engraved upon my brain.  Like the others who retain the memory of all that happened during the outbreak, I don't know who is worse off.  Those who remember or those haunted by the possibilities of what occurred while their memory was lost.  Which do you prefer, Captain?  Would you rather know for sure, or would you wish to remain in the dark, asking questions of yourself?"  Depending on the answer, maybe she would tell him everything, settle those unanswered questions for him.  What had happened, how she felt during the incident, whatever he wanted to know.


[Lin Kae - Rihen's Hide-away]

Two items.

He went over his own personal checklist of items, knowing that the Engineering department alone had requested well over twenty items themselves.  Lieutenant Commander Nicander no doubt had an extensive list for medical as well, as well as possibly having a list from the Captain of what Command and Tactical CONN required.  At Rihen's price of an orgasm per item, Kae was fairly certain he would be dead of exhaustion and fluid loss before he even got halfway done on such a shopping list.  He swallowed hard, as Rihen would easily see he wasn't getting her joke, that he actually thought she was serious.

"I've got a lot of items that need replicating.  My ship is crippled with a lot of damage.  We're surviving, but those repairs are extremely important to the continuation of our work."  He couldn't give the details.  He couldn't tell her they were a Federation vessel, that their mission was to save Starfleet from an aggressive alien life form taking over the command structure of their most highest authorities.  All he could do was make it sound like his livlihood, maybe even his life, hung in the balance of the Replicator's use.  He didn't have the strength, nor the time, to earn every piece of equipment he needed to replicate.

[ Deck 05 | Corridors | USS Theurgy ]

Miles looked to the hologram very hapially. He was glad to hear she was more than willing to help him out.  He held out his hand offering it in a shake as he looked to her. "Than you very much and nothing official.  I was about to head to my old quarters to prepare myself something to eat before beginning on the move to the new room.  If you are as unoccupied as you seem to be I would love to get to know you a little better.  I have never had a chance to actually get to know a ummm..."  He paused searching for the right words to use before settling on continuing with, "a photonic being such as yourself."

OOC: This being the last post I write before I'm less available for two weeks (though still able to write some when given opportunity) I will leave openings for things to progress at the pace you want them to when I'm gone. I will also not 'trap' characters in scenes needlessly. You all have creative licenses to make things progress in a plausible way.

---

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Hearing the words of the XO, Captain Ives thought for some time upon whether or not clear his doubts or live in blissful ignorance of that part of his time as an infected during the Niga incident. In the end, he decided that if he was to work in transparency and confidence with Edena Rez in completing their ultimate mission, then he would have to know. He told her as much.

"I do not wish to think, at all times, that I have done more than I actually did. And if I did, I would still need to know, lest I would not know what lay between us. Our duties, as commanding officers of this ship and given the import of what we have to accomplish together, we cannot afford the luxury of choosing blissful ignorance over the truth."

Finishing his whiskey, Jien set the glass down on his desk. "Furthermore," he said, "I have enough resolve to carry on with this mission, and bridging the truth of my deranged actions in order to work with you. Damage done can heal, if not through the passing of time, through the focus on thwarting our unknown enemy."

Having said this, Jien would respect Edena's decision to keep the truth to herself and excuse herself. "Regardless of my wishes, and given that you were the victim, I'd say it is your choice... should you feel like sharing the truth with me."


[ Deck 05 | Corridors | USS Theurgy ]

When being proposed a social evening by the SCO, Thea smiled in genuine delight of being considered in such a way by the Vulpinian pilot. Up to that point, she had thought the man uncomfortable with her nature, this feeling strengthened by what she had access to in regards to 'Cmdr. Renards species in her Federation database.

"Thank you for the proposal, 'Commander," she said and courtesied to him, as in accordance with some holo-novels she had been studying for these kind of social scenarios. "While I am very flattered, I have a previous engagement for later this evening. I have agreed to assist Engineering during the end of Beta-shift since Lt. Kae is on the away-mission to Nimbus III. Up until then, I have an hour to myself where I will practice coping with my freedom and my personal life. Something which I aim to do in my quarters in accordance with Lt. Nelis recommendations."

The Chief Counsellor had been adamant in his preference that she processed her new situation under strict boundaries. While an evening of company with a high-ranking officer on board was not forbidden, it was preferable that she worked out her situation along the check-list provided by the Betazoid.

"I would love to take you up on you offer some other evening, though." Thea smiled to the man and inclined her head. "Thank you, 'Commander."

Then, she vanished... returning to her quarters in order to resume her studies.


[ Clinic | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

The culmination of that first surge of their passions came hard - it breakers washing over their heated flesh.

Lucan came as soon as Eve clutched down on their joining, his seed roping her insides while they moved together. His tattooed hands held on to her, his lips gasped for hers.

"Likewise," he said eventually, when he got his breath back, and on weakened legs he carried her to her bed - to reap the rest of what exploits the night held for them.

Bare and celebratory, they continued tough the night - lovemaking interchangeable with reminiscing their past.

On the morrow, their work would begin.


[ Rihen Neyah's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

Chuckling throatily in her embrace with the young man, Rihen smoothed his hair back with her hands and lay her lips to his flesh.

"Silly man, I jest," she confessed at long last, and she rose to her feet smoothly - his manhood coming free long, glistening and swaying where it stood in his lap.

"Do you want to start working," she asked with a smile as she turned on her heel and headed towards her bed, "or do you want to join me for a while longer?"

The grin she gave him over her shoulder broke no nonsense in how she expected him to pleasure her a great deal more, even if the exchange ratio for the replications he would be allowed was not numbered with hers and his orgasms. "We have plenty of time, my saviour..."

---

OOC: Sorta rushed towards the end, I hope you guys can forgive that. I am off to the airport. Please make the Nimbus III mission progress as far as you can without my characters slowing you down. They will be around and help all they can, and I leave it open to NPC Rihen and Lucan as much as you guys need. I might even pounce in with a post now and then during the coming two weeks too.

Best of luck everyone!

Deck 5 Corridors
He smiled softly hearing her statements and nodded, "You're welcome Miss Thea."

5 minutes later Deck 7 Miles Renard Personal quarters

With that he walked to his quarters and sat down in his chair. With a sigh of relief, he looked around the room for a moment before deciding he may as well prep his items for transport to the new quarters.   He sighed thinking about the prospect.  The one thing he disliked about the prospect of the advance in rank was moving.  He always hated moving there was just something about it that aggravated him and just put him at a general level of unease.  Still he knew there was a job to be done and he set to work doing it.

Approx 1.25 hrs later [Deck 02: Senior officers quarters: SCO personal quarters]

Miles Smiled softly to himself as looked over his new quarters.  there were a few things he had yet to move from the cargo bay to here, but that could wait for a later day.  For now he was content as he laid back in his new bed. Tomorrow he would begin his new duties.  For now though he could finally rest.

[Edena Rez | Captain's Ready Room]

Edena's hands were rested on her lap.  As she thought back to her memories of the outbreak, they tensed, balling into fists that grabbed at the material covering her thighs.  "I was there.  I was at the console that would have given me control over the ship.  I was seconds away when a site-to-site transports pulled me away.  It was like the last candle in the darkness had gone out, and I was left with no hope."  That cruel moment had served to crush her spirit, to leave her in agony well before she ever saw Jien show up.

"After I had finished recording the log and encrypting it . . . you showed up.  You were naked, and you had a look I had already seen before.  Bill Regal had it when he was in my quarters.  I knew what you wanted, and that my opinion didn't matter.  All I knew was . . . I didn't want to feel that vulnerable, that defeated again.  I fought with everything.  Jona and Illya gave me everything they had too, to keep me from being a victim again.  We fought and fought, and you kept stripping me.  I could feel eyes crawling over my body with every piece that came off.  That's as far as it went though . . . you didn't violate me, Captain.  It was affected much more psychologically then physically.  I'll endure those feelings, and remind myself every day that the man who attacked me in the brig is not the honorable CO of the one vessel I admire most in the entire Quadrant.  You should feel the same, sir, that it wasn't the real you."


[Lin Kae | Rihen's Hide-away]

"I think . . . business before pleasure."  That was the decision he had to stand by.

After getting dressed again, Kae got to work on the replicator, first by stripping away all the parts he deemed obsolete.  Damaged parts, necessary components, and the entirely of the energy storage and production system was removed.  From there, he rewired what he could before new parts were added, starting with what was available on hand while Rihen secured the rest while he was toiling away on his project.  It was during her absence that he had to install a fail-safe in the system.  The Prime Directive beckoned he not alter the balance of power by giving her a replicator far too powerful.  With the power transfer system he was putting in place, she could produce anything as long as she had a ship with power to transfer energy from.  That was far too dangerous to leave in anyone's hands.  Instead, he designed a sub-system to limit the input to a standard industrial replicator after they were gone.  It would still be enough for Rihen to consider their partnership a good one.

It took him a couple days to get everything finished, which gave Skye the time she needed to recover from her injury.  The replicator fully repaired, Kae used the device to acquire everything they had needed, in addition to a few other components he decided to add to the list.  They were limited parts which could have proved invaluable while they were on their extended mission.  It was all gathered in a neat pile in the corner of Rihen's shop, the space being provided to him as a private storage area for his rewards.  "Lieutenant Lin to Lieutenant Commander Nicander," he would speak after tapping his hidden combadge.  "I've got everything we need.  It's far too much to carry back by hand to the shuttle, but I think I know a way we can transport it.  I'll need you and Ensign Carver to come here though, and bring your combadges with you."



((Sorry it took so long for me to post.  Since Lucan probably isn't back yet, Searcher can be the one to move forward this plot.  Just have Skye come over to meet Kae and NPC Lucan along with her.  Your lovely Nurse can also come along as well XD))

[ Natalie Stark's Quarters | Deck 02 ]

She watched the doors close behind the captain, and let herself wander over to the replicator. There was a lot to think about, and frankly, Natalie was of the firm belief that any form of strenuous thinking required a hot drink. Tonight, it was apple cider. She punched in the commands on the replicator, not really trusting her own voice at the moment. The lights shimmered, forming a larges much full of the steaming liquid. Floating on the top was a dollop of whipped cream and caramel drizzle.

Taking the warm mug firmly in hand, she waddles over to one of the chairs and sinks into it, starring out at the stars floating by. THe haze of warp drive was always a calming sensation for the troubled chief of Operations. She let her mind drift for a while, tugging at the hem of her robe, which had hitched up her legs slightly. She fiddled and pondered, running over the conversation, trying to stay detached as she wondered just exactly what she got herself into.

Natalie didn't know when it happened, but, one moment, she was sitting in the chair, sipping her cider. The next, her morning alarm was going off, and she had curled up into the chair, the mug on the end table, half consumed, cold as stone. She glanced at the clock. It was an hour earlier then she remembered setting the alarm. Had she made a change last night, to reflect her promise to go to the gym? Had someone else?

Regardless, she pulled her stiff body from the chair, and padded off into her bedroom. Grumbling, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, and trying to stretch out cramps, the young woman pulled on a set of off duty regulation gym clothes. She was more then a little self conscious in them, since they fit rather snuggly now. With a gulp, she headed to the gym, for a regiment she hoped would get her into better shape by the time they reached the Nimbus system

---

OOC: good god that's a small post for such a long delay. Wasn't really sure what to do with the character, and well, got caught up IRL. Fun, fun, fun.

Skye's eyes fluttered open, blinking hard a few times until she realized it was truly dark outside.  Soft moans drifted from another area only to become louder and accompanied by the bumping of something against the wall.  Though she tried to focus on the voices, the sedative effects took over again and she drifted back to sleep.  Later she went through the same process and this time could hear sweet murmurings, definitely Lucan and she believed the nurse.

"Huh," she muttered and hissed as she eased into a sitting position.  That was still a bit tender.  "Of course I have to get gutted on a planet with substandard equipment ... still better than being left to bleed out.  Computer ambient lighting," she said and then just sat there trying to ignore the sounds from the other room.  Her mind drifted to Scosche and she wondered how he was doing, if he was okay and making more friends.  A giggle and gasp from the other room made her groan.  "Awww hell, are they ever going to go to sleep?" she whispered.

When morning finally dawned, Eve went out to check on the patient and found Skye laying on her side rolled up in the blanket.  "Good morning," she said with that light British accent as she scanned the medical tricorder over Skye's body.

"What's so good about it?" Skye grumbled and blinked bleary eyes.  "Still tender if you're wondering but I'd like to get a bath and get dressed."  When she saw Lucan come out, she asked about Kae immediately and when he told her the engineer hadn't returned she looked like she was ready to kill something.  "I guess we just have to wait for him to call in then?"

Eve could sense Skye's unease and palpable worry about the young man who had come with them.  "He's trained by Starfleet," she reminded the pilot.  "Just relax and I'll get us all some breakfast.  If you'd like, a bit later we can go shopping.  I bet you'd look really good in colors other than black.  I'm afraid the shirt is pretty much a rag now."

Skye's eyes narrowed at that last comment.  "It was my favorite top too."

As that day passed, she did acquire a couple of outfits with Eve's advice though she didn't know when the hell she'd wear them.  Her quarters were hardly luxurious for the flowing garments.  She wouldn't admit it but she actually liked the way they made her feel sexy and feminine, the latter not something she was used to as she was typically just one of the guys.

It had taken her mind off of Kae for a little bit at least but by nightfall she was starting to pace like a caged tiger.  "Why haven't we heard from him yet?  Who knows what that woman's done to him ..." she fretted.  Again it was Eve who calmed her by threatening another sedative.  When it was time to sleep, she almost found a hypospray and put herself out of her misery as Lucan and Eve made several repeat performances that had her crossing her legs and covering her head with the pillow.

Finally Lin Kae contacted them the next day and she breathed a sigh of relief.  "It's about time!  Hope you got stuff to fix the holodecks," she groaned.  The quiet of her bunk on ship was a bit appealing now and she was determined to find a place to sleep that night where she wouldn't have to listen to Lucan's throaty sounds that were making her silently fly solo just to keep herself from getting too pent up and distracted.  Gathering her things, including her combadge, she nodded to Lucan she was ready to go.  Eve was ready as well and waved Lucan to lead the way.

((Real life's been crazy but soccer practice and games taking up three days of the week will be over in two more days!))

[Lin Kae | Nimbus III]

When Skye, Lucan and Eve arrived, Kae had a pile of supplies almost as tall as he was, and much wider then that.  He had everything on their list, as well as a few extra procurements he thought would be worthwhile while they had access to the Industrial Replicator.  Golden opportunities like that didn't come around often, so he had to make good use of it.  Through the use of transportation tools around the planet, he had managed to get their supplies to a secluded area where they could safely transport it, but he was still in need of two key components.

"I need your comm badges," he asked, holding a hand out towards both Skye and Lucan.  They all wore one, though had been them hidden from plain sight.  Once he had both of them in hand, he went about explaining his actions as he performed it.  "There's too much interference in the atmosphere to get a proper lock on all these crates, and there is no way he can fit it all in the shuttle.  What I'm going to do is use the comm badges to triangulate a signal for the Theurgy to work by."  The badges were placed in the shape of a triangle, making certain that the invisible lines drawn between them didn't leave any of the crates outside.  He was use them like pattern enhancers in a way, but it was more just to locate rather then strengthen the signal.

Pressing down on one of the badges, he spoke to the ship above.  "Theurgy, this is Lieutenant Lin down on the planet.  I need you to transport all solid objects found in the space between the com signals of myself, Ensign Carver and Lieutenant Commander Nicander."  Just as simple as that, the supplies were beamed aboard, leaving them with nothing to do but get in the shuttle and return to the ship. 

Picking up the badges, he handed them back to their rightful owners before finally taking notice of Eve Jenkins.  "You're the nurse from the hospital, right?" he asked, before looking in Akye's direction to note her good health.  "Thank you for taking care of Ensign Carver.  We're in your debt."

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Hearing the words of his First Officer, Captain Ives sat silent for the duration of the short tale. When she was finished, he could not help but feel that he just had been let off easy, as if there was more to what transpired but Edena had chosen to omit for the sake of their working relationship.

For her tale helped him remember as well, and the reason why he felt that way was that, through the fog of the virus-induced mind he'd had, Jien now remembered being on top of Edena, and that - while she had been biting his arm - he had managed to tear off her panties. The vividness of the imminent penetration, perhaps even the very vague feeling of the head of his penis sinking into the apex of her legs before... Well, before he was stopped by the Temporal Agents of the Relativity. Did he penetrate her before it happened? If so, how long was he inside her, how many times did he thrust himself inside her? Did he even ejaculate in her sheath? Oh, and he did remember touching her, if not specifically, or how long, besides the way his eyes had lingered upon her body. She admitted to the fact hat they had fought, and that he had looked, but Jien was certain that there was more to it than that. Through the mire of his bygone insanity, the feeling of her had dispersed the fog - if ever so briefly a time recollected - because of that crucial moment.

So the question was, should he pursue the truth, or should he be gentle, and let the truth be... for both their sakes?

Oh, and the memories, for all the terrible implications of his actions, did cause him to harden further beneath the desk - something he was shamed to admit to himself. Then again, the beauty of the Trill on the other side of the desk was hard to deny, and the memories of her that now surfaced even harder to repress.

Shifting uncomfortably, despite his ability for self-control, Jien folded his hands upon the desktop. "Thank you for your kind words, Number One," he said first in reply to her reference to him and their ship. he attempted a strangled smile. "There are degrees in which one might violate another, but as much as you tell me, it seems you came off lightly in comparison to what might have happened. Am I to understand that... between us, there is an innocence in regards to sexual actions that could have been forced upon you?"


[ Clinic to Rihen's Hide-away | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

The two days at the clinic flew by in a haze of sex and the reminiscing with Eve, and for once, Lucan's mind was not fully upon genocide and manipulation.

No, he actually indulged himself in bygone times as well as the carnal compatibility between him and the half-blood Deltan. He caught himself being more at ease with himself, the beasts inside falling more silent, and with the removal of the Theurgy underneath his bare feet and the replacement of sand and wood, the man he had been before - well, before he became his new self - gradually resurfaced. Eve proved to be a balm for his itching need for blood and defilement of everything humanly considered pure. The need for more of Eve even surpassed the boiling irritation that Ensign Carver was there to impede his progress with his old acquaintance from Starfleet Medical.

Progress, he came to think as he writhed and tumbled in her sheets, as he came upon her and inside her, as he got the full range of her expertise and she received as much in return, Progress... towards what?

Of Lt. Kae's adventures with Rihen Neya, little was known at first, but they were eventually called upon when his work had been completed. Lucan had not intended for him to do it all by himself, but it seemed the Lieutenant had managed quite nicely when they arrived to the Risian reject's hide-away. Lucan lead the way inside followed by Ensign Carver and Eve. Of the female engineer, there was no sign, probably sent away by Lin Kae for the sake of the meeting.

So well timed, too, because it was the very window of time which the Theurgy would pass above Paradise City and be prepared to beam out the supplies. Lucan admitted, to the extent that his Starfleet persona/facade allowed, that he had been worried that Lin Kae would fail, but he was pleased - as far as he actually cared - that the Lieutenant had proved why he had been promoted at such early age. Also, his actions would prove to make up for his shortcomings in setting the Ship AI free. As much Lucan could foresee.

"It would seem as you struck quite and agreement with the woman in the bar," said Lucan with a smile to the young man and clapped him on the shoulder in camraderie (a gesture well practised if altogether false). For the first time in a few hours, and image surfaced... of him bashing the whelp's face in with his inked fist. It seemed that with the return to the Theurgy imminent, the balm of Eve's attentions had soaked in and dispersed in his mind. A loss, and perhaps an incentive for more... since the past two days had felt so blissful.

The Engineer proceeded to beam the supplies up to their base ship and after that, it was time to introduce their new female company.

"Indeed, yet this is actually Lieutenant Jenkins of Starfleet Medical, stranded here because of personal reasons that she may provide you with at a later time," said Lucan with a smile and folded his tattooed hands behind his back. "She will returning to the Theurgy in our shuttle, and if Captain Ives clears her for duty aboard, she will be a valuable asset in Sickbay. Since Head Nurse Jovela is in stasis, and I desperately need help with running Medical, I can but thank the winds that we happened upon each other in this forsaken part of the Quadrant."

After he had finished speaking, the door opened and Rihen Neyah entered the large room, barely wearing her overalls closed as she walked towards Lin Kae. Yet when she saw that her saviour had company, her heterochromatic eyes went wide and she closed the zipper rather quickly - if not as fully shut as a human might under the same circumstances.

"Oh," she said, taking in the present company and the implications of the supplies being gone, "I would assume you will be leaving then?"

Lucan answered the civilian engineer. "Indeed," he said and smiled briefly, "thank you for helping out our companion, and I am sure you will find merit and fortune now that the replicator is repaired. Hopefully, you might sell your services to the proper authorities here on Nimbus III, and assist in the reconstruction of the city. Also, you have the sense and good heart to set your prices at a decent level, hmm?"

"Oh, I just might," she said with a cheeky grin to Lucan and walked up to Lin Kae, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the lips in front of everyone. She pressed herself against him during the kiss and made the gesture count as a thorough farewell.

"Thank you for everything these past days, my saviour," she said eventually and looked into his eyes with her own - both equal in honesty and delight as she felt him against herself. "Let me know if you are in town. You might want more things replicated at some point... I promise that I will let the current prices remain just as they are for you..."

Chuckling a little good-naturedly, Lucan set his step towards the exit. "Let's go, and good-bye Rihen Neyah. May the winds guide your path."

Once outside, they made their way towards the clinc so that Eve could pick up her belongings. Eventually, they walked the desert towards their hidden shuttle outside of the city, and as they walked, Lucan glanced furtively towards Eve a few times, yet then asked them all, "I would think we could call the mission a success on many accounts, wouldn't you say? We got a bit more than we bargained for, yet despite the proverb, I'd say it was in a good way, didn't we?"

Lucan's winning smile remained for quite some smile... even if the abhorrent stain inside him made it false.

[Edena Rez - Captain's Ready Room]

"It was more violence then sex, sir.  I'm sure if not for the years of training and experience my former hosts provided, and the ease at which they have gotten used to controlling my body seamlessly, I would have been overpowered by your own skill and power.  I am quite thankful for all that Jona and Illya have given me, as it saved me from that feeling again, from the infection taking hold like it had in my quarters.  The most I suffered was when I had to bite you, your blood carrying the infection into me again.  Thankfully, the crew of the Relativity intervened on our behalf and inoculated me before any symptoms could begin to take hold.  I fear what effects might have taken place in a twice-infected organism."  Edena cross her arms to hide the swell of her bosom, questioning if they would have become even more engorged by a second infection.  They ached enough already, straining to get out of her brassiere.  How she wished she could have just gone without it, but alas it was considered part of the uniform, and she couldn't be wasting replicator rations on making a larger size she would never use again after the effects wore off.  She would just have to grin and bear it.

"There were far worse acts committed on board this ship then the ones you performed on me, and all of those have been absolved.  This crew needs to forget them as much as possible, needs to stop dwelling on them or the bonds of trust will never fully recover.  If we had enough skilled telepaths on board, I would almost recommend trying to erase the memories, but that would be both a violation of people's minds as well as a potential photon torpedo waiting to implode if a sudden rush of memories brings it all back at once.  Better everyone slowly deal with it, try to recover memories only as fast as they can.  I know the counseling staff has their hands full, so I will volunteer to work with some of the others using the training I have.  My alias might have been discovered, but the knowledge I have of psychology and therapy is real, and could help lift some burdens off our medical staff."



[Lin Kae - Nimbus III]

With their supplies beamed aboard, all that remained was to head back to their shuttle and return to the Theurgy.  Kae said his goodbyes to Rihen, displaying nothing more then a professionalism expected of him.  It wasn't like he wanted to advertise to his companions just what he and Rihen had been up to over the past couple days.  For one, it was a private matter and secondly it didn't sound like a terribly good idea to speak of sexual exploits with a pair of lovely ladies around.  That was just plain rude.

On the return trip to the shuttle, Kae noted a case of good news and bad news to Lucan, as the superior officer.  It would go into his report later, but he felt the need to bring it up.  "Sir, there may have been a  . . . slight bending of the Prime Directive."  That was a serious matter to speak of, but Kae explained himself fully.  "To get the replicator powered, I altered it to accept energy from a ship's engine.  It allows for a far greater level of energy production then a standard Industrial Replicator can accomplish.  It's the sort of thing that can alter the balance of power here on Nimbus III, or even the whole sector of space.  What I did do was place a kill switch, however.  Once we leave orbit, the Replicator will not be capable of sustaining any greater power then a standard model.  The alteration would have been a violation of the prime Directive, but I made sure to undo the damage once we were done with it."

[Nimbus III]

To say that Eve had enjoyed these past couple of days would be quite an understatement.  Every chance she had found her hands touching Lucan in some sensual way and her gaze was always warm and welcoming to him.  She knew they were creating discomfort for Skye but she couldn't help herself.  With Lucan she could let herself go completely and she did so without keeping count.

She'd observed Lucan relaxing more and more in her presence, understanding their previous plight had taken a toll on his psyche.  Still she noticed a hint of falseness when he clapped Lin Kae's shoulder and worried that going back to the ship was going to dredge up those memories and tensions.  Hopefully the captain would allow her to stay and perhaps she would be able to help him readjust.

Skye had tapped Lin Kae's shoulder with her fist, a congratulatory gesture along with a smile full of sisterly pride.  "Never doubted him for a minute," she stated in support of him.  Eve started to smile, a soft expression of affection forming as she shook the engineer's hand.  "It's a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to working with you, if I'm accepted," she greeted the young man warmly.

The door opened to reveal, in more ways than one, Rihen Neyah and the other two women had drastically different ways of greeting her.  Eve of course knew her somewhat from treating her more than a few times and simply smiled in welcome then stepped out of the way when Rihen boldly gave her goodbye to the young engineer.  "Perhaps you could help the clinic with some better working items, help them treat you better when you go in next," she suggested with humor.

Skye on the other hand looked ready to vaporize the Risan reject, with her eyes alone if possible.  Those eyes had narrowed and she watched the woman suspiciously.  Lin Kae was an adult but he seemed young and naïve which brought out that protective streak in her.  She didn't say anything but Rihen would likely understand the intent behind the glare ... 'stay away from my little brother'.

Eve didn't have much, having escaped with bare essentials and most of what she had collected she left behind for her friends.  Just a pack with her more favorite clothes and a couple of things to remind her of her time on Nimbus would be going with her along with a few medical supplies.  "I definitely think your trip here was beneficial," she stated.  "You gained what you needed for the ship and then some it seems.  Hopefully you all found some rest and are recharged."

Skye had taken point and glanced back, lips pursed into a bit of a frown.  "Oh sure, the clinic was really quiet and comfortable," she replied sarcastically.  "And one of my charges stayed close and in frequent contact where I could do my job as security," she added with a soft rebuke to Lin Kae though there was no real anger toward him.  Just my luck, everyone has a great time but me.  Couldn't even do my job properly.  Maybe Scosche will be glad to see me, she thought grumpily.

On the shuttle, Skye seemed a little better.  Getting in the cockpit and flying almost always put her at ease.  Lin Kae's confession brought her head around for a moment, a look showing she was clearly impressed with what he'd done and how he was covering his tracks so to speak.  Eve also looked approvingly at the engineer though her attention turned to Lucan.  She didn't say anything but he could see the support and care in her expression, that she was there for him.

::Valkyrie Mk. II; Designation: Wolf 01  In patrol around U.S.S. Theurgy.  Current flight element of 2; on wing: Wolf 03::

---

Miles relaxed in the cockpit of his fighter as he watched the scanners for any new contacts as he continued about his patrol route.  Before he had fully entered in the next way-point on the ships autonav he noticed a new blip on the radar showing friendly designation and by its transponder codes it appeared to be the shuttle that carried his crewmates.  "Tower, this is Wolf lead, I have eyes on our shuttle.  Please launch O'four to join O'three in  patrol.  Get the main shuttle bay cleared for their return,  And I'm gonna go bring our buddies home, Over."

The person on Radio duty on the Thergy answered back confirming the information and radioed Miles back. "Roger that Fox, Launching Wolf Four. Go ahead and make contact with the Shuttle and lead her in."

Miles nodded to himself as he disengaged from the formation allowing Wolf 4 to slide alongside 3 onto their wing.  Miles switched from his standard com with Theurgy to his hailing frequency and opened a channel to the shuttle.  "Theurgy shuttle this is Wolf lead. I've got your wing.  Just follow me in and you'll be home in no time." 

[ Deck 01 | Captain's Ready Room | USS Theurgy ]

Whilst listening to Edena, Jien ended up nodding somewhat in agreement.

"Perhaps that might be good, as long as you have the time to provide for such duties. You have to consider yourself and your own well-being, now that so many rely upon you. Especially since you were hardly unaffected by the ordeal." Just barely did Jien prevent his eyes from dropping to Edena's chest as he said it - keeping his kind-hearted statement to be ruined by more... base feelings.

"In due time, I am sure that we can make this crew wholesome again. Perhaps, another way to deal with it all is to focus on our mission at hand. For personally," said the Captain and leaned back a little, "I find the thought of what lies ahead to be the most sobering factor to count on - the need placed upon us in order to preserve the Galaxy."

In the lingering silence after that statement, sobriety did settle, and Jien raised his chin with a faint smile.

"Dismissed, Number One. Thank you for your insight."


[ Shuttle | Paradise City | Nimbus III ]

While they all boarded the shuttle, Lucan addressed the concerns of Lin Kae's precautions - such as they were. The young man seemed to have thought of everything.

"Given the pressing needs related to our mission, I think the... bending of the Prime Directive is of little concern," said Lucan with his easy smile and settled in the chair next to the one designated for the pilot, "Since you thought of correcting the long-term impact of our actions on Nimbus III, I deem it a prerequisite for a mission accomplished."

Lucan glanced to the younger man and spread his hands in a comforting gesture. "Should it be that Captain Ives frowns upon it, make sure to note in your report that I condone of your choices made these past few days." He turned back to the controls and helped lighting up the systems. "Your expertise enabled the outcome without leaving the planet in a worse shape than before. True, one functioning ordinary replicator more than earlier, yet with a society in sore need for the assistance. An accomplished reparation that someone - if not Rihen Neyah had succeeded eventually - would make in due time."

As they took off, Lucan considered this unforeseen outcome of the away-mission. When he had left the Theurgy together with Lt. Kae and Ens. Carver, he had planned to kill them and be gone - off to rejoin his kin. He would have killed them in the best way possible, leaving them in the lawless back-streets of Paradise City and vanished in the shadows. He might even have had a bit of fun with them first, one at the time, ordering Skye away and singling Kae out. Then he would have ambushed the Tactical Conn officer once she returned. It would have had to be a facility with a shower, just because he knew how messy things would have become.

Turning his pale grey eyes to Eve while they left the atmosphere of Nimbus III, he smiled and looked upon the ultimate reason why he had changed his mind.

One side of him hoped, rather strangely, that she might make the noises and screams in his soul quieten. The other, however, saw her as a key to reach her father - to find an escape in a far more rewarding manner. A way to redeem his standing among his kin, idle as he had been forced to be on board the Theurgy. The charade ha its benefits, but it was just what it was... a charade.

And they all danced in his play.

[Theurgy shuttle this is Wolf lead. I've got your wing.  Just follow me in and you'll be home in no time.]

The helmeted face of the pilot appeared on the view-screen after a quick tap on the control panel, and Lucan greeted Miles Renard with an inclination of his head, "Understood, Wolf lead. Thank you for the escort."

[ Deck 02 | CTO Quarters | USS Theurgy ]

She had no idea how long she'd been sitting on the stool, holding herself still while waiting on her... she'd almost thought lover, recovering herself at the last moment, reminding herself this was all for the sake of Ida's painting.  Her eyes shot to Ida, however, as she heard the moan, concern making her rise and approach.  Reaching out, she placed her hand on Ida's hip, meaning to offer comfort, despite the sensuality of her touch, "Are you all right, Lieutenant?"

All manner of protests and explanations made Ida's mouth work silently when the Vulcan rose from her stool and approached her by the easel. She tried to prompt the woman to remain where she was since the shading was not perfected yet, but the sight of T'Less hidden sex made her just stare and gape. Only when the Vulcan spoke did her eyes rise to hers and she swallowed - the touch making the artist startle but also break out of focus on her project.

Left in her mind, when the priority of the drawing vanished, was the desires unmet.

"More than well," she replied after a second, her own nudity and the intimate presence of the Vulcan's firm breasts so close to her own making her breathing remain ragged - the brush in her hand and the palette in the other forgotten. "Not only have you let me practice... but you have been a very good model too... The intention of the work of art and the meant effect upon the viewer has not been lost to me... for imagined you as my lover I have."

Her antennae shifting as she said this, Ida's eyes were slitted in need - blue skin beaded with sweat across her toned body. "I have been so lonely since Niga... So pent up with emotions. I may not have romantic feelings, but the feelings I have now are nonetheless real - repressed and contained." She put her brush behind one of the fingers of her other hand, and she could then lay a freed hand upon T'Less'. She took a step closer, lips pursed, antennae lifting a little. "Would it be illogical to address these emotions?"

"Logic has little to do with emotions," T'Less answered, her skin taking on a deeper greenish hue as Ida moved closer.  A tilt of her head and she was intimately aware of just how close the Andorian's body was to her own, the heated, buried, green hunger of a Vulcan and a cool, passionate, blue of a race that had once been their sworn enemies, making her want to close the gap, much as their wildly different planets had grown together.  At least, that was the weak logic she applied to cover her desires.  In reality, she simply found the Andorian attractive and, never having had a lover and having spent the last while thinking of Ida as such, wanted to explore the unfed portion of her psyche and body.  Lifting her eyes back to Ida's, she did her best to maintain her dispassionate Vulcan gaze, though there was, if one was looking for it, a definite need.  Her Vulcan mind wouldn't allow her to simply throw her composure to the wind, to give in to her wants, but want she did nonetheless.

Continuing her thought, she spoke quietly, "Unlike Vulcans, however, most species would benefit little from repression and containment of emotions.  Your art, for instance, is an extension of your mind, and you fill it with your imagination, your wants and needs, your desires.  It is one aspect of life Vulcan art fails to grasp, I believe and, perhaps, a reason most Vulcan art is of landscapes.  It is beautiful, certainly, but logically so.  It is rationally perfect, but emotionally empty."

"And yet you possess the capacity to look upon art..." ...or my body, Ida thought as she paused, and she tilted her own head in reflection of the Vulcan's movement, her blue lips drifting closer to her model's, "...in a way not altogether void of emotion. You do not lack the capacity to appreciate what you see, but contain yourself - restrain your needs the way I have been forced to do."

Ida realized her lips were pursed, and yet she smiled as he midnight blue eyes wandered T'Less' face. "I wonder... if I vent my passions upon a canvas when I am in need, does a Vulcan vent her passions when given the opportunity, despite how she might repress her own needs?"

Their lips did not touch first, but their bodies did, the small step making their flesh brush together with a feathery touch. What am I doing? I don't care.[/ If she did not want this, Ida would be shamefaced but still leave with her head high, for logically, as T'Less might say, Ida had gotten her training, and the Chief Tactical Officer would be given the painting.

"Most Vulcans do not," T'Less replied, her voice nearly inaudible, a sign of the stress Ida's warm body against her own caused.  While she wanted nothing more than to complete their contact, to feel the Andorian's lips on her own, she still resisted, holding back with the strongest will she could.  Much more and she would give in, for the first time in all her relatively long life that she would bed a lover.  That it was Ida was not a thought that bothered her, though that didn't mean there wasn't something causing her worry.  Far from it.  As a Vulcan, she knew she should leave, should refuse the Andorian's obvious passion and keep her own buried, hidden and unspoken, but she couldn't bring herself to do so.  Neither, though, could she seem to bring herself to bridge the gap between them, to fully embrace her emotions and let them free, even for a short time.

She could hardly bare the heat of Ida's gaze and her body trembled with the barest touch of flesh against flesh.  With a sigh, she closed her eyes languidly.  Her hand, still on Ida's waist, squeezed gently, aware of the Andorian's silken naked skin, even though she had blocked off her sight.  Another sigh, followed by a deeper breath, causing her hardened nipples to shift across Ida's skin, pleasure pushing into her thoughts as she tried to maintain control.  Indecision was not her usual response to anything, and seemed excruciating now.  "Vulcans only vent what stirs below with their pon farr partners, those they have chosen to mate with.  It is the way of Vulcan culture for thousands of years, since the times of Surak."

Despite the words, Ida, felt the evidence that contradicted the Vulcan doctrine. Heard and felt the proof of T'Less hidden needs. Felt her fingers and breasts against her own blue skin.

"I see," she whispered huskily, the debate throaty and suggestive now, "rules set to be kept. Means to ward against your own nature. The former I understand, the latter I do not. Lor'Vela taught my people to exert everything, as long as it is done correctly... like the ushaan... the ritualistic duel that was reformed from its early practices in order to bring an end to the clan wars upon Andoria. We do not deny our nature, but we exert ourselves in a... civilized manner."

Ida arched her back a little, and her nipples scraped against T'Less' - the electrifying feeling making her breath catch before she could continue. "You do not need pon farr, since I am a woman you cannot mate with me. Only keep me company like Surak never knew how... and get as much satisfaction from me as you feel satisfactory. You might even consider it an experiment, since I doubt our species has been intimate too often."

Ida stepped back then, the brush falling from her fingers. She set her hands against the edge of the table and leaned back a little - her body cast into light. "A unique experience..." she said, her heart beating fast even though her eyes were steady upon the Vulcan's, "unless you only want the painting from me? Some other Pinkskin on board might take pity upon my loneliness, and you may uphold the standards of your kin."

The painting stood upon the easel, and Ida stood by the table. Which would it be? Ida hoped for more than she dared with a Vulcan, and steeled herself to become disappointed. It seemed unlikely even to her, who felt so frustrated and needed so much in the wake of it all. Her legs were a bit parted where she stood, and the invitation plain. Question was what the Vulcan wanted, or what she denied herself. "Does your logic dictate that there is reason to deny yourself your own needs, when they are already so plainly visible?"

Ida smiled as she waited, her white hair brilliant in the light - antennae moving in time with her deep breaths.

"A mate is not always about producing offspring," T'Less murmured, then blinked her eyes open as she felt Ida pull back.  Her eyes, ordinarily impassive, calm, collected, hungrily drank in what Ida offered, but still she held back, though her body swayed as though wanting to follow, to regain the intimate touches.  Slowly, sinuously, she knelt and retrieved the fallen brush, using it as a way to distract herself from Ida's erotic pose for a moment, allowing the growing arousal to clear somewhat.  Instead of pushing forward, however, she picked up a paint, something light in color, nearly as white as her hair.  Only then did she move back into contact with Ida, sliding her left thigh between Ida's leg, stopping just short of pushing against the Andorian's blue, hairless nether lips.  She had not, as of yet, given in, at least, not in her own mind, but to anyone else, her next actions would show her lusts.  Face still as unemotional as she could make it, she dipped the brush in the paint and drew a line at an angle down Ida's chest, from just below the cleft of her breasts to her left hip, whispering as she did, "Infinite diversity."

Dipping the brush again, she painted a second line to match the first, with the same starting point but to her right hip this time.  The brush moved slowly, like a lover's fingers over Ida's blue skin and T'Less's gaze followed its movements intently.  With the second line drawn, she murmured, "in infinite combinations."

She added a third line from the ends of the first two, the paint moving directly over Ida's denuded mound.  As she did, she quivered, her breasts trembling as she finished the line.  In a way, it felt as though she were marking Ida, claiming the Andorian as she might a mated pon farr, except it was her decision and not something entirely, uncontrollably biological.  Lifting her eyes to Ida's, she breathed out, "A mate is not always about what is similar, but about what is diverse.  IDIC is bound to our logic, as we are to it, and shouldn't our mates be the same?"

It didn't quite occur to her that her logic would indicate multiple partners in multiple combinations.  For the moment, she only meant it to apply to Ida and herself, a means of allowing her logic to fall in line with her desires.

"Indeed," whispered Ida, her blue skin tingling with the touch of T'Less brush, eyes slitted and breath heavy with the implications of both her words and presence. When the cool brush passed above her burning sex, it made her shiver and draw a hissing breath through her teeth. "Infinite possibilities... for diverse needs... I want you, Vulcan."

I there was some kind of last admission, Ida silenced it with a kiss. So slight was the distance that she merely had to push away from the table and run her fingers into T'Less' hair. Her painted abdomen, tight with ardent need, grazed against the CTO's in the brief struggle of balance. A primal sound, quivering and slight, escaped Ida as she sought breath. The intimate commotion of their lips finally joining had forced her hands to move - to roam over Vulcan flesh in needy exploration.

[Lieutenant zh'Wann,] said Thea over the intercom, [Lieutenant Commander Grayson requests your presence in his quarters]

Eyes widening, Ida's hands - which had sought to cup T'Less breasts and knead against the hardened peaks - froze in her hot and heavy movements. "Wh-What?" she gasped, head reeling from the implications - both in relation to the interruption and what T'Less might make of the intercom's statement. Unhelpfully, Thea merely repeated the announcement in her deadpan voice.

[Lieutenant Commander Grayson requests your presence in his quarters,] she said, without humour.

"I heard!" she said angrily in hasted movements and lost balance, almost falling before she could right herself - flustered and dark of skin, "what time is it?"

[1900 hrs.]

"By Lor'Vela!" she cursed and gritted her teeth, moving to dress and gather her drawing utensils at the same time, rendering somewhat lacking results, "I agreed to meet with my superior and discuss... how we might work better together, considering his promotion and that I now report to him instead of the other way around. I am sorry, I... I need to go. I lost track of time whilst painting you. I... I... I want to stay, yet... I..."

She shoved her legs down her uniform trousers and turned to face T'Less - paint smeared over her skin. Her undershirt and jacket was still to be found. "I want to see you again," she said, attempting a quick smile, "to address the topic of needs and diversity anew... If you would so let me."

T'Less bit back a cry of frustration, pushing the emotion as deep down as she could manage before answering.  It had been the most pleasurable of sensations, having Ida's hands roam freely, to give in to the passions she'd held in check.  Her entire body burned as she'd returned the favor, fingers deftly exploring Ida's back and sides, brushing her upper body back and forth as their lips met and tongues dueled, causing her hard nipples to pulse against Ida's blue skin and breasts.  Then, the intercom went off and she jerked back to herself, all of her shields dropping back in place.  Taking a step back, she couldn't suppress her eyes as they roamed Ida's womanly form, from her firm breasts down her flat stomach and to her paint-smudged sex and arousal-coated inner thighs.  Duty called again from the intercom and she took another step, breathing deeply to further calm her roiling emotions, not the least of which was anger at the interruptions.

Watching Ida dress was no less sensual than had been watching her remove her clothing and T'Less turned away, moving her stool back to its previous position in the room.  She said nothing as Ida spoke, instead focusing on the mundane task of clearing their dishes from the table.  When Ida added wanting to see T'Less again, T'Less paused, then turned to face her.  As empty of emotion as she could manage, she said, "Perhaps after your meeting.  You will need to return for your paints and easel, after all."

"Yes, I suppose I will," said Ida, eyebrows raised in realisation that the Vulcan was right, and she added a mirthful sound, "unless the meeting becomes an extensive one, I will make sure to come back tonight. If not tonight, I hope I am welcome at the first best opportunity."

The Andorian pulled on her undershirt and walked up to T'Less, whom was still in her bare skin. She ran her arm behind her waist and cupped her chin with her other hand. The searing an passionate kiss she gave her unexpected model-candidate was altogether in conflict with Vulcan nature - an expressive affirmation of what Ida felt about the afternoon they'd spent together. "Until we can finish what we started..." she said after catching her breath, the grin as white as her eyes in the dim light, "and thank you for letting this Andorian feel less lonely."

Then Ida picked up her uniform jacket and ambled for the door, about to meet with the Chief of Security.

A meeting that, as far as she was concerned, would be far less interesting as the one she just had.