Star Trek: Theurgy

DAY 01:  An Empty Pack [2030 hrs.]

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Lone Wolves and whoever has time to go 'Below Decks' at this hour.

The ship's lounge of the Theurgy was known as 'Below Decks' so called because it was in the bowels of the ship - near the very centre of the vessel.  The large, window sized monitors that normally displayed the black empty space outside were nearly always inactive these days.  Between the major repairs the Theurgy was undergoing and the need to conserve power it was unlikely the monitors would be activated in the near future. 

When Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) and her fellow pilots entered Below Decks, she was relieved to see that the place looked almost normal.  There was no sign of a barricade, makeshift or otherwise, and better yet, no sign of blood.  Apparently the mutineers never got around to attacking the loyal crewmembers who took refuge here earlier, or maybe Wenn Cinn (https://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/3/0/wenn_cinn_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mut.png) had given everyone a task and left nobody idle.

Evelyn Rawley (https://orig10.deviantart.net/e1dd/f/2015/176/3/f/rawley_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d8yqgdd.png) had invited Tessa and Fasha (https://orig00.deviantart.net/557e/f/2015/145/a/c/fasha_manifest_by_auctor_lucan-d8uoov7.gif) to Below Decks to commiserate the fallen, but that was before Nate Isley (https://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/c/1/nathaniel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n3f.png) had informed her that her brother, Ensign Cale Winterbourne (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/4/3/winterbourne_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6muk.png) had been killed by Lieutenant Junior Grade Zaraq (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/3/e/zaraq_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mu3.png) at the orders of T'Rena (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/a/3/t_rena_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mvg.png), the first officer of the recently destroyed USS Harbinger.  Was Zaraq brainwashed just as Hannah (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/2/9/slaverton_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6myf.png) had been when she killed poor Soo (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/4/0/soo_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6my5.png)?  Or had he been on Vasser (https://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/b/a/vasser_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6muz.png)'s side the whole time?  Whose side was he on when he stuck his ridged member into Tessa five days before it all went to hell on Theta Eridani IV?  Was she with the real Zaraq or the murderous mutineer Zaraq?  With these recent memories assaulting her, Tessa was finding it hard to walk a straight line even though she hadn't even had a drink yet.

[ Edena Rez | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Lone Wolves, Tessa May Lance and anyone else

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Edena had settled herself into a comfortable seat in the lounge, where she took to just watching anything and everything. She was only a few hours into her resignation, and she was already beginning to feel about as useful as a shattered brick. It wasn't even the first day yet, and she was beginning to chafe? Oh, she really needed to find something to do soon or she'd start eating her own shoe, and that wouldn't be good for anyone, least of all herself. She was pretty sure her shoes tasted like crap.

She didn't have to wait too long, left alone with her personal ghosts, before other people began to show up in the lounge. One of the pilots seemed to be walking in an odd manner. Kiya rose from her seat next to Edena and watched the woman with concern, and Edena looked at her, "You okay?"

With so many people in need of medical attention, Edena believed her concern was very real and not unnecessary. She might be experiencing trouble.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ]  Attn: All Present in Below Decks

By this time, Rawley showed up as well. She was wearing her Lone Wolves hoodie with the squadron's sigil embroidered on hr sleeves. She wore the garment with the hood down and with her hands stuck into the pockets at the front. besides the hoodie, she had a white tank top, frayed denim trousers and the kind of boots deck hands used in the Flight Hangar. Compared to yesterday, she had recovered somewhat and regained some of her colour. She had not bothered to go to Sickbay, instead taking some painkillers earlier that day. They were wearing out, though, and she meant to substitute them with something more enjoyable from the bar counter. She did not only need it because of her body's condition, but because of her late brother... and Miles' betrayal.

Walking in, she tried not to dwell on the very things she meant to forget as she ran a hand over her shaved head. She looked around, spotting Goldie ahead of her and... No, she was not the Executive Officer any more, but it would take some time for Rawley to consider the Trill to be anything else than the infiltrator-turned-first-officer. By the time she had woke up a month ago, she had not only missed the Niga Incident, but how the hell the Starfleet Intelligence girl with the spots had claimed a spot next to Ives' side. Now, she was back to where she started after coming clean, only having changed location from the Brig to Below Decks. Details were fuzzy at best, but Rawley had picked up on the fact that Rez was right where she needed to be in order for the mission to be safeguarded. Seeing her, Rawley also had an errant thought about how it had to be crowded in that head of hers, if rumours about those Former Hosts were true.

The former Commander seemed concerned about Goldie, and only then did Rawley frown and pick on on how Tessa looked drunk ahead of time. She stepped closer and raised her eyebrows at her sister wolf. She glanced at the Trill too before speaking. "I'm not sure if you started the party ahead of time or if you simply need a stiff drink to settle down, but I'm heading to the bloody bar either way. Do you want something?" She glanced to Rez as well. "Can't say I know what you Trill like to drink, but name your poison and I'll get it. I'm Rawley by the way. Evelyn Rawley."

[ Edena Rez | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All Present in Below Decks

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(( "Oh, head's up." )) said Illya in Edena's head. She was sitting opposite from Kiya Rez at the table that Edena was physically the sole occupant of, but all three ghosts were sitting around her. Illya to her left, Kiya to her right, who was still standing and watching the stumbling female pilot, and Jona was directly across from Edena, elbows on the table, chin on his hands, and his eyes boring holes into the table, morose.

Illya's warning had been to alert Edena to the presence of others. A quick glance at the flame-haired ghost, who nodded her chin towards Rawley, who said something to the unsteady pilot, then headed for the bar. When she was addressed, Edena smiled at Rawley, "Pleasure, Rawley, I'm Edena Rez, and on occasion, Kiya, Illya or Jona..." she noticed the only male ghost in her mind's eye giving her a sharp look, though his head and body hadn't moved or shifted in the slightest. He was still paying attention to everything going on.

"...don't know what you've heard about me, but my joining was more than a little faulty, and left me with lots and lots of company. Not that it's always a bad thing."

Her lips quirked upwards a little when Illya rose fluidly from her seat at the chair, though she just passed right through it, what with her not even being physically there and all. All the other ghosts then rose as one when Edena got up and slowly moved over to the bar. She had been uncomfortable helping herself to a drink when she couldn't help but notice no one was manning the place. Where was the bartender?

"Well, I can take just about anything, as long as it's not too poisonous...sorry, lame Trill joke. You know, bug bites not being the best thing for us and all that."

She leaned on the bar counter, "I don't suppose there's any Romulan ale, is there?"

(( "Mmmm, someone's adventurous!" )) Illya needled Edena in the side, and though the young Trill woman wouldn't be able to feel it, she couldn't help almost flinching and moving away from the ghost's finger.

"How's repairs going?" Edena asked distractedly while she watched Jona walking around the bar to stand behind Evelyn Rawley, and he looked her up and down appraisingly.

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: All Present in Below Decks.

"I'm not sure if you started the party ahead of time or if you simply need a stiff drink to settle down, but I'm heading to the bloody bar either way. Do you want something?"  Rawley growled at Tessa like a grizzled old chief.

"Oh uh, gin and tonic," Tessa mumbled.  She might have said something else but couldn't concentrate.

Tessa came back to reality to discover that she and Rawley had plopped themselves at one of the square tables where that Trill lady who Ives had appointed first officer as a replacement for Commander Nerina was sitting.  She was out of uniform and apparently off duty, and that was a strange thing for the executive officer to be right now.   Wait a minute.  She recalled an announcement that Carrigan Trent had been made first officer.  Had Edena Rez been removed from duty?

"I'm Edena Rez," the Trill greeted, "and on occasion, Kiya, Illya or Jona..."

How many names did this woman have?  Did she work for Starfleet Intelligence or did she have a lot of ex-husbands?  Tessa May Lance was completely ignorant of the details of the Trill Symbiont Program and didn't seem to know that it existed. 

"...don't know what you've heard about me," Edina continued, "but my joining was more than a little faulty, and left me with lots and lots of company. Not that it's always a bad thing."

"Yeah I never did get the details on how you joined up with this ship Ma'am," Tessa nodded.  "Weren't you a counselor...?"  Her voice trailed away when she noticed that Edena's eyes weren't focused on either herself or Evelyn.  Was Edena distracted by someone else in the room or was she just tripping out?  At first Tessa had wondered if the Trill had been on the wrong side of the mutiny.  Now there was the possibility that Edena had finally broken under the strain and wasn't fit for duty.  Was Tessa looking at her own future?

"How's repairs going?" the titillating Trill asked them.

"Hm?  What?" Tessa jerked in her seat.  "Oh, uh, repairs to the fighters are going fine," the golden eyed woman assured her.  "Dor'GhItlh Squardon left a few extra Valkyries in the fighter bay before they left," she smiled grimly.  "It seems that not all of the goons Phantom brought onboard left," she smirked as she vindictively thought of the Harbinger officers who died while betraying the Theurgy.  "No we've got enough fighters.  It's pilots..." she coughed loudly as she clutched her throat and blinked away the tears.  It was a little too soon to discuss the Lone Wolves' losses so blithely. 

"You're not catching us at our best," Tessa whispered in a cracked voice as she smiled apologetically.

[ Fasha | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07 ]

It had taken some time for Fasha to finally muster the drive to leave her quarters and venture down to the bar located on Deck 07. It felt so strange walking around this ship now after it had served as her battlefield not long ago. But eventually she managed to push down the looming sense of caution ingrained into her mind through years of war and training long enough to dress herself in a hoodie similar to Evelyn's with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a pair of dark grey cargo pants along with a comfortable pair of shoes.

As she entered it didn't take long for her to spot her sister wolves. Evelyn seemed to be making a run to the bar while Tessa appeared to be more involved in a conversation with a trill seated beside her. Upon a brief observation she recognized the trill as Edena Rez the ship's XO. Or former XO if the rumors and announcement she'd heard were correct. She chose to ignore her budded sense of curiosity for the moment and chose instead to follow Evelyn to the bar mainly to see how her comrade was faring after receiving news of her relative's death.

As Fasha walked up to the bar she placed her order. Fasha seldom drank but after recent events it seemed like now was certainly an occasion to. After a quick study of the many bottles lining the shelves behind the bar she pointed out one bottle in particular. It appeared to be filled with some blood red substance that she foolishly took for something sweet or fruit flavored. The man tending the bar who she recognized as the very same man who'd climbed through the ship's jefferies tubes with her gave her a shocked look at her choice for reasons beyond her understanding. To him however he was no doubt staring it awe at the woman who'd willingly just volunteered to drink Klingon Bloodwine a drink carried specifically and only for the Klingon members of the crew considering no one else seemed willing to stomach it.

However all the same he poured her a shot glass of the liquid leaving the bottle beside it before moving away to observe. Fasha took a moment to observe the liquid in her glass before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "Si'ora T'eh." Fasha muttered under her breath in her native tongue before tipping the glasses' contents down her throat in one go. Her glass immediately hit the table as the liquid burned her throat every inch of the way down into her stomach. Her entire body was overcome with what felt like liquid warmth filling up her veins. And despite the stammered protests of the man who'd served her she poured another drink for herself before grabbing the bottle and her glass and moving to seat herself with Tessa and her companion.

[Ensign Chris Slayton| USS Theurgy| "Below Decks"| Deck 07]

Chris was taking some time to think about the various things that had been happening over the last several hours when he finally found himself once again on Deck Seven after changing out of his uniform and into something a little bit more comfortable in a pair of gray jeans with a simple white shirt and a black hoodie with a red and white stripe that ran down one arm.

He eventually wound up on Deck Seven, just walking and thinking to himself, when he found himself in front of a pair of doors and walked in to find himself in a bar of some sort which made him smile for exactly eight point three seconds..

..because at eight point six seconds he not only saw but heard Evelyn Rawley sitting in the bar as well and silently hoped that she didn't see him because the last thing he wanted to do was to have an altercation after the day that he had, but more importantly while he didn't want a fight to happen because of him that did not mean that he wouldn't stray from one either.

Having decided that he wanted a drink more then a fight, Chris walked up to the bar and quietly got the bartender's attention "Bartender, I think that I have a cold so I need something old and gold." he said with a hint of a smile on his face.

The bartender gave him a slight smirk, "Haven't heard that one in a while." she muttered before pouring him a scotch on the rocks which he accepted with a polite nod before heading off to one of the far tables to drink and watch what was going on in the rest of the room as even though he was now apart of the Theurgy's crew and the Lone Wolves, it would still be a bit before everything was acceptable all around and he was willing to wait.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ]  Attn: All present in Below Decks

Evelyn Rawley led the way to the bar counter, both Goldie and Rez following her there. While Tessa wanted a gin and tonic, the former First Officer wanted Romulan Ale. At first, the bartender wasn't there, and to anyone looking, it might have appeared like Rez was about to serve them instead since she was leaning against the short end of the bar. Soon enough, however, the holographic bartender appeared to take their orders. "One gin and tonic for Lance and one Romulan Ale for the Miss Rez here. I will have a scotch, and you can leave the bottle," she said, and usually, she might have joked once or twice with the barkeep, but after the death of her brother, she was feeling too crestfallen for it.

Instead, she just placed the order and waited, hearing Rez ask about the repairs and Tessa talked about the spare parts and the Mk II:s. Standing there and waiting, Rawley leaned over the counter on her folded arms and put her boot on the footrest. She had no second thought about how her behind might look when poised that way, especially with her denim trousers being so frayed and worn thin over the years. It was the same pair she had worn back in the Academy, and there were no fabric left across the knees. She turned her shaved head when Goldie spoke about the recent losses in the squadron, and she couldn't help but adding to it.

"The whole fucking crew has suffered losses, sure," she rasped quietly, running a hand over her head where she leaned over the counter, "ours are not worse, sure but, our losses are keenly fucking felt because we rely upon each other out there. Like Jaru Rel used to say before Lin Kae shot off his leg on the bridge and he was put into stasis during that virus spree I missed... 'For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack'. The losses we wolves feel are losses that reduce us as a whole squadron. To make it even worse, we cannot rely on the flight patterns of the base ship itself anymore. Winterbourne might have been my blood, but we all knew him by bloody heart."

At this point, Rawley noticed that Fasha had arrived and Evelyn turned her head to see the amusing spectacle of when Morrigan placed her order as according to her Catachan preferences - nearly making the bartender's eyes pop out when she downed the first shot of Bloodwine. It made a fleeting smile touch her lips before all four of them walked to a table and seated themselves with their respective drinks. She sat down with Morrigan to her left and Goldie to her right - Rawley herself facing Edena Rez across the square table. Then, after setting down the bottle of scotch and her glass, she continued to talk about her brother since Rez might have been there when Cale was killed.

"Hear-say is so fucking rampant that I don't know what to think," she said, and raised her eyes to Edena afrer pouring herself her first glass, "and you are not the brass anymore, I gather, so I would like to know the unofficial truth. Was my brother executed by Zaraq, that fucking Harbinger Klingon we have taken aboard? Did the Vulcan bitch T'Rena give the order, or was it Vasser? Either way, if you received word about how the latter two died before you resigned... I would like to know how it happened. I think all three of us want to know if justice for my brother's bloody death has been served."

It was, perhaps, pointed questions, but she was asking nicely for being her. They were not demands, even though the ire bubbled just behind her calm features. She had to know, but she had no intention to force the answers from the Trill, even if she'd wanted to. After her argument with Renard, she was almost feeling apathetic about it all. Having asked, she noticed another Harbinger bastard, but did not give the man more than a lingering stare. It was their newest wolf, and she knew they ought to be grateful for the new blood, but personally, she could not muster the incentive to ask him to come over. She had picked up his name since last - Slayton, apparently - and there was hear-say about him doing something valiant in the battle, but she had not bothered to look it up.

He sat down by his own table in the corner, and Rawley did not give him a second look - eyes returning to the Trill across from her.

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OOC: For sake of preserving continuity, I changed around the order of things a bit and moved all four women to their own table - leaving the bar counter. Please see the image in the OOC thread for a visual guide on the Below Decks layout. I figure the girls are at one of the square tables in the middle and Husker is seated in one of the far corners from the bar.

[ Fasha | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks

Fasha poured herself another drink and tipped the contents of her glass down her throat closing her eyes as the liquid burned as it slid down her throat. She placed her glass beside the bottle letting her shoulders relax a bit as she leaned back in her chair. As Evelyn brought up Cale Fasha's gaze lowered to her glass. Losing Cale was like losing another member of the pack Fasha's fingers traced the rim of her glass she kept quiet for the most part through most of the conversation. Fasha wanted vengeance but she for one was the type to carry out the act rather than be the person to pick out all the facts.

Fasha poured herself more of the Klingon alcohol she'd picked out watching the blood red liquid flow into her glass. She could slowly feel the strong liquor blurring her senses subtly. The pads of her fingertips slowly tapped the edge of the glass watching the liquid within be disturbed with each tap. As silence settled over them Fasha finally lifted her glass to her lips once more tipping back her drink again adding to the haze that was overtaking her mind allowing the stress and pain from their losses to ease away if only temporarily.

[ Edena Rez | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All Present in Below Decks

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Edena's eyebrows went up as Tessa May Lance showed how badly affected she was by recent events. Frankly she wasn't going to blame anybody. So much strain will eventually affect one's state of mind. She leaned backwards for a moment as she answered her, "Looong story, Goldeneyes. But yes, I was counselor, though secretly working for Starfleet Intelligence (deep cover, or else you'd know, obviously), revealed myself to Captain Ives, got put in the brig, and then promoted to First Officer, only to discover, thanks to a faulty joining with the Rez symbiont, I can see and directly interact with all the former hosts, who are Kiya, Illya and Jona. Only I can see and hear them. But they can take over my body on occasion and speak through me." She shrugged and took a sip of her drink. It was a lot stronger than she anticipated, and was thankful she didn't try taking more than a few droplets. She looked around her. If anyone dropped jaws at all that she had just glibly revealed, she wouldn't be too surprised. She had never been so casual about her faulty joining.

Illya was preening under the revelation, and grinning away like a maniac, while Kiya looked like she didn't know where to put her face. Jona was just Jona. Nothing fazed him. Well, he was bloody dead. Really not a lot that would bother him, honestly.

She glanced at Ensign Slayton, smiling at him, then turned her attentions back to the other women around her. Evelyn Rawley was the one that seemed the most level headed of the lot at the moment, but she was also capitalizing on the fact that Edena was no longer Starfleet, officially, by asking some hard questions. Now it was the Trill's turn to feel like she had no where to put her face. Fasha for her part, seemed inclinced to drink herself completely into a drunken stupor in a real hurry. So, after closing her eyes for a few seconds, her lips pursing, she reopened them and looked Rawley in the eyes, "Yes," she said, in answer to whether it was Zaraq that killed Winterbourne. "Zaraq pulled the trigger, but the order was given by T'Rena. From what I'd heard, Zaraq's in a bad state now, and he was apparently under that mind control of T'Rena's. As for the Vulcan, Commander Trent killed her personally. Justice was served."

She brushed her hair back and took another cautious sip of her ale. Emotions were so palpable right now, the Trill could feel them rolling off everyone present in the lounge, even from the holographic bartender. There was virtually no one in the ship who hadn't been affected by what had transpired just a day before. If anyone got out of this unscathed, that person was either lucky, or a robot.

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: All Present in Below Decks.

"Looong story, Goldeneyes. But yes, I was counselor, though secretly working for Starfleet Intelligence (deep cover, or else you'd know, obviously), revealed myself to Captain Ives, got put in the brig, and then promoted to First Officer, only to discover, thanks to a faulty joining with the Rez symbiont, I can see and directly interact with all the former hosts, who are Kiya, Illya and Jona. Only I can see and hear them. But they can take over my body on occasion and speak through me."  Edena explained. 

"Wow," Tessa blinked.  "All those people in your head must have been really handy when it came to breaking T'Rena's spell," she smiled stupidly.  "She couldn't take over all of you..." she stopped speaking abruptly and gulped when she realized her faux pas.  "I'm sorry, I don't even know if you were one of the people taken over by that pointy-eared witch," she apologized, "but scuttlebutt has it that..."

"Hear-say is so fucking rampant that I don't know what to think," Evelyn cut in, looking the Trill  in the eye, "and you are not the brass anymore, I gather, so I would like to know the unofficial truth. Was my brother executed by Zaraq, that fucking Harbinger Klingon we have taken aboard? Did the Vulcan bitch T'Rena give the order, or was it Vasser?  Either way, if you received word about how the latter two died before you resigned... I would like to know how it happened. I think all three of us want to know if justice for my brother's bloody death has been served."

"Yes," Edena admitted. "Zaraq pulled the trigger, but the order was given by T'Rena. From what I'd heard, Zaraq's in a bad state now, and he was apparently under that mind control of T'Rena's.  As for the Vulcan, Commander Trent killed her personally.  Justice was served."

"We were all served," Tessa muttered as she looked away from the others at the table.  The idea that the Klingon she had let get so close to her had executed Cale Winterbourne made her sick to her stomach.

She spied another member of the Wolf Pack and attempted a brave smile before she realized that she didn't know this man (https://orig02.deviantart.net/ab46/f/2015/167/7/e/cj_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d8xk8cx.png).  Whoever he was, he looked like a recruiting poster.  Two meters tall, athletic muscular build, broad shoulders, high cheekbones, and intelligent green eyes that conveyed a sense of alienation.  Only his manly stubble that was well its way to becoming a neatly trimmed beard indicated a sense of individuality. 

Who the hell was he?  Was he one of the Harbinger's pilots?  She hadn't seen him at the Lohlunat festival they held on the holodeck the night before the mutiny started.  Tessa didn't think that any of Phantom's pilots had survived the battle with the Calamity, so who was he?.   She had heard rumors that ThanIda zh'Wann (http://img00.deviantart.net/6a1a/i/2015/211/7/7/thanida_zh_wann_portrait_by_auctor_lucan-d6ghiqn.png) had been rescued by a pilot aboard the Harbinger but she had assumed it was a helmsman.  The collar on a helmsman's collar is burgundy, AKA command red.  The stranger's collar was fighter pilot white.  He almost had to be a member of Dor'GhItlh Squardon, one of Phantom (https://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/8/7/phantom_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2p.png)'s goons who had stormed aboard to take over the Theurgy.  He had probably been captured and deprogrammed by Doctor Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/e/7/maya_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n3n.png) in sickbay after the mutiny was over.

Tessa turned back to Edena and Evelyn to discover that she had missed most of their conversation.  "Who's the new guy?" she interrupted.  "He's a fighter pilot," she added, letting the implications of that statement sink in.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ]  Attn: All present in Below Decks

After Tessa made her comment about justice being served, she looked away, but Rawley didn't.

She took in the facts of the matter, debating whether or not she'd pursue to know just how bad of a state the Klingon actually was in. But that was not the heart of the matter for her. No, it was fairly known Winterbourne had been shot and that Zaraq had done it on T'Rena's orders, albeit she had not known how the Vulcan met her end. However, what lay closest to her heart was another aspect entirely, and something that could only be explained by someone who had been there when it happened - like Rawley had understood that Edena Rez had been.

So Rawley leaned forward on her arms, Fasha drinking and Tessa looking at the Harbinger pilot. Rawley's brown eyes did not 'demand' the truth, but her words were clear on how she wanted to know the next bit, for it was something that utterly eluded her, and was not mentioned when she asked around.

"But why?" she asked, frowning as she looked the Trill in the eye, "Why Cale? Why the bloody hell was he the one that got killed? There were plenty others there too, and I don't fucking mean that they should have taken his place, but why him? Did the Vulcan bitch pick one at random to make an example of?"

At this point, Tessa had stopped staring at the man in the corner and turned back to ask who he was, but Rawley ignored it - not meaning to loose the opportunity to learn what had really happened on that Bridge. Her brown eyes were still locked on the Trill, not about to look away until she got her answers. At the moment, the new guy could burn for all she cared. They were talking about her brother's murder, so she would not be fawning over some stranger and the thick testosterone cloud that followed him.

[ Edena Rez | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Rawley, Morrigan, GoldenEyes & Husker

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"Because he was the only one that refused to compromise or bow down to the new chain of command." Edena couldn't bear to look at Rawley's fearsome, nearly manic eyes. She couldn't even begin to imagine how she felt for her brother's loss. Not even with the combined knowledge and experiences of Kiya, Illya or Jona, was there anything sufficient that would help explain the pain of loss of that level of depth. Edena watched Fasha and Lance for a moment, looking back and forth between the other two women. They all coped in their own ways. For Rawley, that was demanding answers from a former XO. "It wasn't random," she said, "it was...hnnnnh...!"

Edena's hands abruptly slapped on the table surface, her eyes wide, and her body hunching over, trembling a little, as if she were fighting internally with something, which she actually was. Jona was trying to take over for some reason, and Kiya and Illya had leapt into action, but they, along with Edena, were losing the fight. Her head sank down, almost touching the table, and her body went limp, for ten seconds, then her head lifted. When her eyes opened, it was...dark. The expression on her face was far different from what it was moments ago. There was no mirth, no warmth or friendliness from her anymore. Her lips curled downwards into an unpleasant scowl, there were nearly dark lines forming around the edges on her eyes, and her nose wrinkled like she was taking in an unpleasant smell. Now she was looking directly into Rawley's eyes, unafraid, and unaffected by the emotions around her.

"You want to know why Cale Winterbourne?" Asked a voice that was so different, it was almost like someone had taken over Edena's body, but other than her looks, everything else was different. The tone was deep, low, and hostile, almost male, "Why don't I play out the entire scenario for you, take you to that very moment when it happened? Perhaps that will give you the closure you so obviously desire."

She downed the remainder of her Romulan ale in one gulp and roughly pushed back from her chair with a strong kick of her legs against the floor. Even her posture and the way she moved had a distinct masculinity to it. She looked darkly at the holographic bartender, and at Slayton, then at Lance and Fasha, before finally settling on Rawley. A smile that was decidedly more unpleasant than the scowl creased her face. She placed her hands on her chest just above her breasts, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am known as Jona Rez. Remember that Edena said we can occasionally take over? Well..."

She picked up the chair that had fallen when she kicked off from it, and righted it, slipping it back into place at the table, and leaned heavily against the backrest, then she...no, he, straightened up and walked back a bit.

Inside, Edena fought to regain control, (( "Jona, stop this! What are you trying to do?!?" ))

(( "Helping you, you ungrateful child." )) Jona replied inwardly, (( "You lot beat around the bush, and this will take forever. These are Valkyrie pilots, they prefer to get straight to the point, just let me do this." ))

(( "How does this benefit you?" )) Edena demanded, (( "It just seems odd you'd want to do anything that remotely does not benefit you in any way." ))

Jona didn't deign to answer that query, and Edena, Kiya and Illya stood by, arms crossed, and watching him carefully. Running a hand over his...Edena's face, Jona took a stance, and then pointed  downwards, imagining the bridge, "He was right there, at his station. The dutiful young helmsman. Vasser had revealed his true intentions, T'Rena was standing over there, on the bridge, right there. Zaraq over there."

Jona moved to stand where he had pointed out to the women that Winterbourne stood, and shifted his expressions on Edena's face a little, taking on a conflicted look, "I watched him, the thoughts that probably raced through his mind." Jona looked to Rawley, "Maybe he thought about you."

He moved Edena's body in a mimicry of Winterbourne's actions on the bridge in his final moments, and spoke, "He jumped up, from his station, and pulled a phaser from the hip of one of the guards, and held it it towards his own head. He said, 'Listen to yourselves! I refuse to take orders from someone prepared to go over bodies to steal a ship! I take my orders from Captain Ives, and no one else!' Then he changed his weapon's settings to the highest, and he said, 'O'Connell may be a fucking turncloak but he is right! This ship won't fly on its own! You need me to align the Theurgy's warp trajectory with the Calamity's, otherwise, the gravametric mines won't hit her, and we are all done for! So lay down your weapons, restore our system access, and surrender yourselves to Captain Ives, right now!'."

Edena, mentally, chewed on her lower lip. Jona's memory was incredible. He seemed to be able to memorize everything word for word. Well, it was no wonder he was in Starfleet Intelligence.

Jona glanced at Rawley, and then resumed his replay of the scene, "Winterbourne didn't know at the time that O'Connell was just pretending to agree with T'Rena, so that he could make his escape and later help with those loyal to Ives. Your brother, Rawley, then looked right at Ives, while she was in her female form, and realized too little too late that his choice of making a stand had doomed him. T'Rena, standing over there, said, 'According to your personnel file, you have a three year track-record flying starships, Ensign. One year with the Excelsior-class and two years at the helm of the Theurgy. Because of the death of Lieutenant Lawrence O. Lance, and your limited experience, Captain Ives doesn't even have a Chief CONN Officer. Only you, and compared to Master Chief Petty Officer Aisha S'Ithi here - whose experience and talents have become renowned since she left the Marquis and served under Captain Vasser, and who could easily make the mines hit their mark - you...are expendable.'"

Jona shrugged, and walked around to stand where Edena had been standing on the bridge at the time, using the moment to let T'Rena's words sink into the three women, though mostly Rawley. This was all after all, for her benefit. So she could be right there with everyone else who had been on the bridge. He looked the fighter pilot in the eyes, "To your brother's credit, he never showed fear, or at least, he didn't let it consume him. His hand was shaking, but his resolve never allowed him to break, he accepted his fate, he said 'I suppose I am...but that does not make this right.'. Ives told him to stand down, that she needed a helmsman, but she was cut off by T'Rena, who said 'Kill him. He is a risk factor ad I do not need him at the helm of my ship. Let him be the example...'"

Lowering Edena's head, Jona planted her fists on her hips, for the first time showing any kind of remorse, or a sense of loss, Then gestured to where the imaginary Winterbourne stood, "With a loud 'No!', Cale Winterbourne's final act as a living being was to attempt shooting Zaraq, however, the Klingon was much faster, and right where he stood, your brother died."

His performance and narration finished, Jona turned and looked at the three women, "Edena is prone to sugar-coating, sad to say..."

(( "I am not!" ))

"...and you likely could have spent a week asking her for information about what happened to Winterbourne, and not gotten any closer to a sense of satisfaction, nor having the answers you so clearly need. So there you have it. You now know word-for-word, all that transpired on the bridge when the mutiny began. Do with it what you will."

He moved Edena to slowly settle back down into the chair, and looked at Rawley, leaning forward, to involve some level of intimacy and direct addressing, despite the presence of the other two, "Disregard it if you wish, but Cale's death is a great loss, not only to you, but to all of us. More than just a pilot, he was a friend, and a representation of the spirit that we all aspire to carry. So I am truly sorry."

Jona lowered Edena's head, and when it came back up, eyes opening and looking dazed, it was obvious that the young woman was back in control. Jona had said all he wanted to say to Rawley.

(( "I know why Jona wanted to take control so badly!" )) Illya announced in Edena's head, (( "He wants to get in Rawley's pants!" ))

Jona scoffed at the other ghost and just took his place, standing, arms folded and watching. "I...I'm sorry..." Edena's voice was much sweeter, gentler, and definitely higher pitched, "Jona, he..."

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: All Present in Below Decks.

Tessa's topaz yellow eyes stared at Edena in mute horror.  So this was why Rez was removed from command.  She had multiple personalities, and was clinically insane!   She must have cracked under the pressure and all that talk about symbionts was a cover.  Poor Edena probably believed her story about her fictitious Rez symbiont and that allowed her to keep on functioning.  Even if her story was true, Tessa wouldn't like taking orders from someone with multiple personalities.  As a matter of fact, that whole symbiont thing sounded an awful lot like the brain suckers who had taken over Starfleet.

At first Tessa had been concerned about the pilot from Dor'GhItlh Squardon.  Was he a murderer and a rapist like the rest of Phantom's goons?  Now he was nearly forgotten as Tessa stared at the terrifying Trill in front of her.  Goldeneye was frozen in her chair during Jona Rez's performance and only found her voice as the Trill's personality changed again.

"I...I'm sorry..." Edena stammered in a feminine tone, "Jona, he..."

"He's Gul Drakkis!" Tessa exclaimed as she compared Edena's other personality to the arch villain in the extremely popular Shepard's Gate series of holonovels. 

---

OOC:  Future pop culture reference!

[ Fasha "Morrigan" | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07 ]

Fasha had been content with drinking in silence. She'd never been one for comforting speeches or words. On Catachan grieving and mourning was brief a few words were said and the rest of them all moved on. In their warrior culture the fallen were honored by the actions taken by those who remained in the wake of the Fallen's sacrifice. The Theurgy had been retaken Cale's death had not been in vain. But then why did it seem so impossible to move past Cale's death. Fasha had lost comrades before close comrades people she'd served alongside far longer than she had with anyone she served with now.

Fasha moved to pour herself another drink at the moment her mind was still for the most part unhindered and with each drink she cursed her own genes for their unwillingness to let the alcohol take full effect on her. She jumped a bit in her seat as suddenly the Trill seated at the table with them slammed her palms down onto the table and hunched over her body trembling. Fasha's right hand strayed to the blade sheathed at her waist. With all the insanity and talk of brainwashing going about the ship Fasha wasn't going to take any chances that whatever was happening to Edena may result in hostilities.

As the Trill raised her head once more Fasha took note of the change in expression. It was as if the woman had become someone else entirely and the moment words began to spill from her mouth in a voice that wasn't her own Fasha was sure they were indeed talking to someone else. For now it didn't seem as if this "Person" had any intentions of harming them but it didn't make Fasha any less wary. She knew this type of person this was the kind of person that counted on subterfuge to achieve their preferred ends regardless of sacrifice or cost.

As Jona went through the steps of reenacting every moment leading up to Cale's death Fasha could feel the lingering pain left by Cale's death slowly being twisted in the pit of her stomach. But at the same time hearing the tale of his heroism made a sense of pride swell in her chest. Cale hadn't died a coward he'd died fighting he'd died standing facing their foes. As Jona finished his performance Fasha was silent staring at her still full glass that she'd neglected to touch since he'd begun. As Jona expressed his sympathy to Evelyn a small frown formed on her lips. His words felt empty and hollow to her.

They were the kind of words an officer used to tell next of kin that a loved one wouldn't be coming home. Words that promised sympathy but truly carried none. As it appeared control was turned back over to Edena. As Edena began to apoligize for Jona's actions Fasha pushed her glass away crossing her arms "Jona told us everything we needed to know..." Fasha said. She looked at Edena "As appreciative we are for the information you may want to keep that one on a shorter leash..." Fasha said shooting a pointed look at Edena.

[Ensign Chris "Husker" Slayton| USS Theurgy| Below Decks| Deck 07]

Chris blinked at the conversation that he was over hearing as a lot of the lives behind what happened on this ship while he, Ida, and Amelya where on the Harbinger and he was still impressed with how different the two ships evolved during the last several months.

The people of the Harbinger grew hard and cold while those of the Theurgy fought to keep themselves and their souls intact but things went even further into the darkness as the trill slowly went into the events on the bridge during the mutiny in the different aspects of her past lives which while this was his first time witnessing it, a former squadron mate once explained to him was not a good sign.

He finished his drink before getting up and looked at the bar's selection and then motioned towards one bottle in particular which he then brought over to the table and set it down in the middle of the table. "Scotch to remember, whiskey to forget, sake and wine to dine..but sinless malt to honor the passing of those you care about." Chris said respectfully.

At that point he calmly took a step back and waited.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks

While this Jona Rez - one of those former hosts of the Rez symbiont - acted out the final minute of her brother's life, Rawley sat there with her scotch  - face shifting between indignation, rage and misery while it all played out. It was certainly not a sugar-coated way to learn it, since she almost experienced it as if she was there. There had been so many questions festering inside her, doubt and anger rotting her thoughts, so when Rez answered all those questions, she was left without immediate words. Much less compulsion to act.

So she sat there while this Jona complimented Cale's valiant foolishness, unable to do more than stare at her amber scotch after he finished. Tessa blurted out a comparison to  Gul Drakkis, which Rawley understood but couldn't bring herself to comment. Not after  practically 'seeing' her brother die in front of her. Fasha, bless her, spoke in her own stead, thanking Jona for the candour but also telling Edena that he was a bit indiscreet. Rawley briefly glanced towards Morrigan after she spoke, but could not quite bring herself to thank her - at least not in front of the Trill. She did not know why she did not want to show weakness to Jona Rez, but perhaps it was just instincts telling her that the ghost had investd just a bit too much effort to please her. Then again, that was not essentially a bad thing...

She could not make up her mind about the messenger, but she did know that her brother had gambled his life to try and secure Captain Ives as the Commanding Officer and defy the mutiny. He'd had too much faith in that Vasser and T'Rena wouldn't resort to the things they did, and the faith in the Cardassian pilot had weighed too much on the scales that would decide the end of his life. Leaning on the table, she covered her eyes with her hand and curled her upper lip at the injustice of it all, and the memories of the pale brother she had lost threatened to break her composure - her other hand trembling before it secured a hard grip around her glass.

She came out of the dark spiral of her thoughts when she heard the new voice by the table, proffering a bottle to honour her brother. Slowly, she lowered the hand from her eyes and stared at the Harbinger pilot that had come over, and her stare was not a welcoming one. She knew she shouldn't judge the husky-voiced man by the company he came from, especially since there were words circling around about him having been locked up on the Harbinger and helping their Deputy to ram the Akira-class ship into the Calamity. Still, she would not arrange some bloody welcoming committee for him. Giving him Nightmare's Valkyrie did not make him any wolf. It just made him a fucking hyena, and Miles a bloody grave-robber. She knew the idea was hypocritical since she was going to be flying Oracle's bird, but he was still no Lone-Wolf.

"What the fuck do you care about our losses?" she said quietly to the tall man, brown eyes sharp. "You didn't know them, so you should drink to your own. Then again, you'd be drinking to a bunch of rapists, mutineers and murderers, so I can fucking understand why you come here and want to toast our fallen, for they were bloody saints compared to your ilk."

Feeling merciful, she downed her scotch before adding, in a less cutting tone, "I'm Rawley, this is Fasha and Tessa, and you have already heard the name of this faceted Trill here."

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: All Present in Below Decks.

"Jona told us everything we needed to know..." Fasha said. She looked at Edena "As appreciative we are for the information you may want to keep that one on a shorter leash..."

Evelyn nodded curtly before covering her eyes and leaning forward.  Tessa raised a hand but stopped herself from patting Rawley's shoulder in sympathy.  Previous experience had taught her that when Evelyn was this down, it didn't pay to touch her.

Suddenly the Harbinger pilot was standing right there, setting down a full bottle on the table as if it had been ordered. "Scotch to remember, whiskey to forget, sake and wine to dine..but sinless malt to honor the passing of those you care about," he recited in a husky voice.

All eyes turned to the newcomer.  He wasn't being flippant.  He had lost his entire squadron, belay that, he had lost his whole gorram ship.  The fact that he was out of the brig and wearing a uniform that had a white collar meant that Miles Renard (https://img14.deviantart.net/5fd1/i/2015/154/1/7/miles_renard_01_by_auctor_lucan-d6ghcwa.png) had recruited him to replace the casualties the Lone Wolf Squadron (https://orig15.deviantart.net/4119/f/2015/274/1/a/lone_wolves_new_mini_by_auctor_lucan-d9bl3c5.png) had taken.  Hopefully that meant that Doctor Maya had deprogrammed him.  The poor guy was probably even more messed up than Evelyn was if he remembered raping and pillaging while under T'Rena's spell.  It was time to push all the resentment away and try to make the newcomer feel welcome...

"What the fuck do you care about our losses?" Evelyn sneered. "You didn't know them, so you should drink to your own. Then again, you'd be drinking to a bunch of rapists, mutineers and murderers, so I can fucking understand why you come here and want to toast our fallen, for they were bloody saints compared to your ilk."

"Evelyn!" Tessa protested.  "Go easy on him!  The poor guy just lost his entire ship, and not only that but he has to remember all of the horrible stuff he did when T'Rena put the whammy on him!  The poor guy will be in counseling for months!"

Evelyn's only reply was to down her scotch in one gulp, but to her credit she did her best to be civil.  "I'm Rawley, this is Fasha and Tessa, and you have already heard the name of this faceted Trill here."

"Hi there!" Tessa smiled and waved with exaggerated cheerfulness.  "I'm Tessa May Lance, but you can call me Goldeneye!" she continued with a sunniness more appropriate for a children's program than a wake.  "What's your name?"

Chris arched an eyebrow at Tessa for a second as he digested what the other pilot had said before saying anything, was almost his entire ship that corrupt??

"I'm Husker or Chris Slayton if you want to be proper and the only whammy I got was by not properly correcting my alignment vectors when I rammed the Harbinger into the Calamity, Miss Lance." He explained calmly as he looked the pilot in question in the eyes. "Unlke the rest of my late squadron, I spent most of what was happening in the Harbinger's brig so I was never infected with the bitch's corruption but I made sure that I was scanned just in case and other then a rather interesting situation, I am clear on that front."

Chris then turned to face Ranger herself and looked her dead in the eyes. "You're pissed and rightfully so but I came down here to drink, maybe play a round or two of pool or what not but not to honor the lost lives of monsters but those in my squadron that were like you transferred off weeks before the Harbinger went rouge."

Chris then narrowed his eyes for a second, but the briefest of seconds. "You got a problem with me, then have one with me and bloody well deck me or something but don't glare at me like I'm some kind of hyena or lump me in with the real bastards from the Harbinger, Rawley. If you want to dance like I used to on the streets outside of bars, then we can do that."

Chris then motioned to the bottle, "But don't insult the bottle or the meaning behind it."

[ Edena Rez | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Rawley, Morrigan, GoldenEyes & Husker

[Show/Hide]

Edena blinked at Lance, "Sorry, who's what now???"

The young Trill shook her head, and placed a hand to her temple, "Ugh...I wish he hadn't drunk the ale down in one gulp like that!" said Edena.

Looking at the now empty cup, she decided that she didn't enjoy boozing at all. She smirked at Fasha, and made a noise, "Shorter leash, yeah, because I just love letting Jona take control of my body..." she sighed and leaned her head into her palm, her elbow propped on the table.

Her head shot up again when she heard Rawley's voice, which was full of bite and venom as she addressed the Harbinger pilot, Slayton, who was now part of the Wolves, by her guess. Lance tried to appease the situation, and Slayton stood his own ground, but was more polite about it whilst not showing any disrespect, nor weakness. It was admirable. But Edena decided this may be enough activity and excitement for one day. So she quietly rose to her feet, careful to maintain and unthreatening manner.

"Ladies, gentleman," said Edena, and she nodded at Slayton, "I think I've had quite enough to drink today. It's been a pleasure getting to know you, and I'll be seeing you around. Good night."

Still feeling a slight rush from the alcohol, and Jona's forceful takeover of her body, the Trill stumbled slightly, then slowly walked towards the exit, where she made her way to her new quarters, intending to settle down and get some extra rest, and figure out what she was going to do with herself from here on out.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks

"Take care, Miss Rez, and thank you," said Rawley quietly when the former Commander got to her feet and excused herself, but Evelyn's eyes never left the new Lone-Wolf standing on the other side of the table. Taken at face value, his words vindicated him, but she was not just going to fucking swallow that they  were supposed to have Phantom's flat-cheeked butt-boy as their new wingmate. He had to earn flying Nightmare's bird. Crashing the Harbinger the way he did may have gotten him out of the Brig, but to fly with the Lone Wolves?

"According to Medical, I am supposed to be in recovery after the last three battles I fought, and in this latest one, I was pulled out of an avalanche and got back in the cockpit to fight the Reavers. Internal bleeding, one of my ribs got a hairline fracture, and I was stabbed in the back by one of our own. Almost raped by another," she said and pulled her upper lip back to down her scotch. She was talking about Renard and Ravon respectively, but she was not about to go into detail there. There was no need mentioning her brother either. They all knew about that. So when she slammed her glass down, she got on her feet and picked up the proffered bottle by its neck. "Doesn't mean I can't take you on, though, pup."

She rounded the table slowly, walking behind Fasha's back where she was seated, and stepped up in Husker's face - craning her neck to look down her nose at him. The difference in their height didn't bother her the least. Never did. She looked at him the same way, not about to be told what to do. Not by a pup. "You better fucking earn that Valkyrie," she rasped at him, the bottle hanging in her fingers, "and I suppose that even if I ram your pretty-boy head up your arse, it doesn't mean you can't fly it. I'll let you walk away this time, giving you the benefit of the bloody doubt, but don't you fucking think you are already one of us."

Having said her piece, she held out the bottle to her side, arm straight, and she began to pour the contents on the floor. All the while she did it, she did not look away from Husker.

"Here is to Oracle, to Nightmare and to Quake. Here is to Hardtop and to Iceman, and to my brother Winterbourne. All wolves in their own right, and never to be forgotten." She poured one for them all, and then she dropped the bottle from her fingers. It didn't break, but the noise of it clattering on the floor filled the whole, almost empty lounge. She still looked Husker in the eye. If he chose to think her stare meant she blamed him for some of those names, she didn't care. "You got some fur to grow, pup, and you better fucking live up to their memory. 'Appreciate the gesture. Goes a long way."

Saying that, she did not give him the ease of a smile when she walked away. Her words would have to suffice. She came to stand behind Fasha, and she lay her hands on her shoulders - thumbs massaging her as if she was in the corner of a boxing ring. "What do you say, Morrigan, you want to fight him? Might be interesting."

Damn, the Catachan was strong. Rawley could feel the hardness of that body through the hoodie.

[ Fasha | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks

Fasha's eyes shifted away from Edena as she mentioned her dislike of her alter egos taking control. She leaned forward crossing her arms on the table top. She kept quiet she didn't know much about trill and how their whole shared mind arrangement was supposed to work. But she was quite sure it wasn't supposed to be like that. "It's your body...Your mind...Don't let weakness be your excuse..." Fasha said as the Edena began to leave. She said nothing more as the trill left the table it wasn't meant to be an insult not intentionally at least. If anything it was her small attempt to help as minuscule as it might appear to those seated around her.

As Rawley confronted the new arrival Fasha turned her eyes to take in who had decided to approach Rawley during a less than opportune moment. She personally didn't have an issue with the new arrival if there was anything her upbringing had taught her it was that you didn't turn away help. The way Rawley spoke it was clear she wasn't pleased with the man's induction into the Lone Wolves. And part of her couldn't blame her innocent or not the knowledge that he was even associated with the people who had stirred up so much shit and gotten so many of their family killed left a sour taste in her mouth.

Fasha slung an arm over the back of her chair turning fully in her chair as Rawley moved to stand face to face with Slayton. Last thing they needed was for Rawley to get into a bar brawl not in her current condition. So she continued to watch her body tensed to spring in-between the two pilots in case either of them decided that talking was no longer what either wanted to do anymore. As Rawley finally finished talking she watched as she held the bottle and overturned it letting it's contents spill out across the floor her eyes not leaving Slayton's for a second.

Fasha's gaze fell to the puddle slowly forming on the floor as Rawley began to name the ones they'd lost a slight melancholy falling over her as each name was listed. As the bottle clattered and rolled across the floor she sighed turning back to face Tessa massaging the bridge of her nose as she poured herself another drink wasting no time before knocking it back. She felt Rawley's hands land upon her shoulders prompting her to glance back over her shoulder her eyes tilted up to look toward Evelyn. "I'm sure it would be..." She said in response to Evelyn's comment of fighting Slayton. Her fingers drummed against the table beside her shot glass as she turned her gaze back to what was infront of her. "Up for it Slayton?" Fasha asked not turning to look at him. "They say one of the best ways to get to know someone is by fighting them." She said.

[Husker| Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks

Chris right eyebrow twitched as Rawley poured out the drink and while he understood and respected the gesture..it was still a painful sight to watch such a good drink get wasted like that.

But he took the other pilot's words at face value but when his new element lead take up the challenge on Rawley's behalf, it made him smile just a little. "It could be fun to see what you are capable of doing, if you're  ready and up for a Dance?" The man from Asgard asked.

He the turned to look over at Rawley and gave her a once over, taking in how the other pilot was sitting and everything for a couple of seconds before saying "out of respect however, if you want to go a few rounds with me at a future date, I'm game if you are, Ranger." he offered up.

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: All Present in Below Decks.

Tessa was feeling left out, and it wasn't long before she realized why.  Husker and Fasha, and Rawley were sizing each other up, establishing dominance before letting the new guy into the pack, the whole assertive warrior thing.  After everything they had been through, Tessa no longer felt like a warrior, she felt like a damsel in distress.  She was faking it well enough, but it wouldn't be long before Husker found out what the others were too protective to admit; Goldeneye just didn't cut it anymore. 

What had happened to her?  Why wasn't she strong like the others were?   How had she lost her warrior's edge?  It was as if she was going to have to go back to boot camp to learn how to be an officer again...

Wait a second.  That was the answer.  Go back to boot camp.  After all of the mind control and craziness going on here Tessa couldn't be the only one who had become undisciplined could she?  There was all those people who had been mesmerized by T'Rena and those civilian refugees right?  She'd be surprised if it didn't take some remedial boot camp to restore some unit integrity.  The first chance she got, she'd go to Commander Renard and request permission to see if Commander Cinn had a grizzled chief that could knock some sense into her and turn her into an officer again.  That was it, the first chance she got... or whenever she worked up the nerve to admit her inadequacies, whichever came first.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks + Maverick

Having seated herself after squeezing Fasha's shoulders, Rawley followed the exchange between her and Husker while downing another glass of scotch. When the new pup started to eye her, however, she tilted her head back and regarded him in turn, wondering where his mind was at. He was giving her a once-over, and idly, she wondered if his scrutiny came from interest in her fanny, or in her fighting prowess. Given his comment, where he wanted to go a few rounds with her later on, she gave him the benefit of the doubt in that regard.

"Sure. 'Loved to." She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and set her glass down with a smirk. She put her hands behind her shaved head and leaned back in her chair. "Up to you if you want to be coughing teeth for a week. Then again, you might even be toothless to begin with, so I'll just shove your nuts down your throat instead. Given how you'd dare go up against me, I reckon you do have balls, at least."

Her statements were all the more bold because of her diminutive size, and while not believable at first glance, she often found her opponents underestimating her. It had let her win countless brawls in the bar districts of London before she joined the fleet, and more than a dozen times since then. Fuck them all for thinking her weak just because she was a short woman, her scarrs proved them wrong. While not a martial artist, crude in her skills, the instincts she had in the cockpit remained with her in the ring. She was kind of hoping Nicander and his people would give her a clean bill of health soon, just so that she could have ago at the Harbinger pilot.

That was when another figure appeared in Below Decks. It was Maverick. Nathaniel Isley, the half-blood Vulcan that had joined the Wolves right before they fled Earth. Rawley acknowledged the man with a cursory wave, thinking briefly about how she sympathised for him after the battle. It couldn't have been easy for him, thrust into command and then forced to leave someone behind for sake of the greater good. She was, in fact, surprised to see that he wanted to join them in Below Decks, but not because she blamed him. He was likely blaming himself enough already. Given what had been going on between him and Nightmare, he had every right to quench his grief with a drink or two.

"Isley," she acknowledged, pouring another one for herself, "have you met the new pup? He is about your size. Think you could take him in a fight?"

As good as an introduction as any. Fact was, between the two men, Rawley had no idea who'd win. What little difference there was between them in that regard, chance would decide the winner. Briefly, she glanced towards Tessa, wondering where her mind was at. Perhaps she was mourning in her own way, in silence.

[Nathaniel "Maverick" Isley | Below Decks ] Attn: Below Decks team
[Show/Hide]
Nathan had been going solo for a while, aside from his report to Miles earlier in the day he had been going through various exersizes, anything and everything he could do to keep his mind off of the events of the preceeding days. Nightmare's death, and having to leave another wolf behind still haunted at him nagging at him with the idea that he could have done better. So much for his first command. He knew that had She been alive Nightmare would have dragged him out of his isolated manners, but as it was even after doing laps around several clear decks he was still very much lost for thought and words.

So he had decided to pull himself out of the funk. It was difficult, he had no desire to join people below decks, but there was a new wolf joining the team, and at the end of the day... they were still some form of a team.

He wasn't sure how much damage he had done to the wolves, part of him was still kicking himself in the head, but as it was he would go out of his way to at least try and meet everyone, at least he could try to make a difference for a little while and not be so isolated... who knew maybe he could even sweat talk his way into someone else's bed for a night!

Walking down below decks he was greeted by Rawley and gave a small smile and nod. "Not here for a fight... at least not today I just spent a few hours running laps, I think I need something to drink." He said setting himself down and gesturing for Rawley to poor him a glass of what ever she was drinking.

"Can't say I have." Maverick turned to look over the wolves. admittingly they were a tight group but these weren't the members he was closest too, He knew their names, and their faces, but hadn't gone out of his way to spend time with most of them. Watching the group size each other up, Maverick almost laughed at how childish it seemed to have a group about to fight with the new kid. He didn't really want to get pulled into a conflict it wasn't why he was here. "I'll let them punch it out first." He gave a causal smile, however his eyes were drifting towards Tessa.

[ Fasha "Morrigan | Below Decks ]

Fasha could feel the strong Klingon alcohol finally taking hold over her senses hazing her mind and releasing her inhibitions. She poured herself another serving of Klingon drink and quickly wasted no time tipping the beverage down her throat the burn becoming an afterthought in comparison to the rapidly growing haze that was settling on her mind. She could already hear the voice of her Tal'Vashoth scolding her about letting such poison cloud her focus. She shut her eyes pushing away from the table her chair making an audible scrape as she did so. "I think I'll be calling it a night." Fasha said. She got to her feet and was immediately overcome with a sense of dizziness. She brought one hand to her forehead closing her eyes as she regained her bearings.

She stepped away from the table casting a short wave over her shoulder to bid farewell to her comrades before retiring to her quarters.

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Husker, All Present in Below Decks.

Tessa would have left with Fasha, but it was obvious that Morrigan wasn't going to be awake long enough to be good company.  This was all so damned awkward.  The last thing she wanted right now was to meet someone new.  She just wasn't ready to meet the public right now, but it seemed unfair to abandon Slayton after he rammed his ship into the Calamity and said goodbye to everyone he knew.  If his story was true, he had been transferred to Dor'GhItlh Squardon by a clerical error, and was never one of Phantom's bullies in the first place.  Or had the Harbinger's pilots been the pride of Starfleet before T'Rena brainwashed them and let loose the dark part of their psyches?  

In any case Christopher Slayton was completely alone.  There was no way she could leave him that way.  He'd either spiral down into a self-destructive orgy of self-pity or he'd get fed up and find a way to betray them just like all of his shipmates did.  If there was any way to nip this in the bud, Tessa would have to take it.

"So... Slayton," Tessa piped up, trying to assist Nathan in deescalating things between Husker and Rawley.  Maybe they were flirting, but with the way things had been going so far Tessa wasn't going to hope for the best.  "Any relation to Marcus Slayton?"

[Husker| Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks

Chris had observed everything that was said around him and what not, feeling than slightly annoyed at the fact that the stigma of being the sole survivor of the Harbinger's squadron and the only one not involved in the heinous deeds was following him no matter what he did.

Chris went back over to the bar and was getting himself a bottle of Andorian Ale when from behind him he heard a female voice ask a simple question:

"So...Slayton. Any relation to Marcus Slayton?"

Chris almost lost his grip on the bottle as he quickly turned around to look at the speaker in one Tessa May Lance and gave her a questioning look. "Yeah, he's my oldest brother..why?" He asked with a hint of suspension in his tone at the sheer randomness of what was asked.

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Husker, All Present in Below Decks.

"He was my first officer aboard the James Kirk," Tessa replied.  "I thought you looked like him.  Small universe huh?" she smiled before realizing that bringing up family members who thought one an outlaw was probably not the best way to break the ice.  Come to think of it, it was likely that a family member serving in the fleet would be a target for the Big Scary Conspiracy that had taken over Starfleet, meaning that it was just a matter of time before Marcus Slayton suffered an 'accident' or 'disappeared' once the BSC found out that Husker was serving aboard this ship.  She probably shouldn't have brought him up in the first place.

Her conversational smile faltered as her distress reached her eyes.  "S-sorry, just making conversation," she stammered.  "Ahem," she coughed into her fist.  "So... what made you join Starfleet?  The Dominion War, am I right?" she continued with a nervous smile.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ]

Finding how Fasha excused herself for the night Rawley looked at her leaving, regretting that she wouldn't be able to speak more with Morrigan. At the same time, Tessa began to speak with Husker, making Evelyn unable to continue her banter with the new pup. That left her with Isley, whom she had yet to speak with in regard to Razor... but that was not really any conversation she looked forward to. She also knew, deep down, that Maverick had done the right call - all things considered - and it had been a tough call for everyone involved. Razor had been a part of the pack, and Isley had been forced to choose between the life of a brother and the crisis of mutiny and the Calamity combined. He had decided to lend aid where aid was due, and that was simply something that the whole pack would have to learn to live with.

And in considering Isley's decision, Rawley had to think about what Renard did - how he had risked her life in order to destroy a few Reavers. It seemed to her a pale imitation of the tactical scenario, where Miles had seen an opportunity and made her collateral damage, whereas Isley had been forced into a hopeless situation where either of his priorities would have suffered. It was as if Isley's plight undermined her confidence in the relatively new SCO, making her miss Jaru Rel and regret even more how he had been put into stasis because of his injuries. She had trusted Iceman, at least, and trust was implicit to the survival of the Lone Wolves in the battles to come.

She didn't trust Husker, she thought as she glanced at the tall pup. She certainly didn't trust Renard. But as she looked at Isley, she did realise that despite what he had done, and as much as she wanted to shoot him for leaving Razor behind... she still trusted the half-breed. Just as much as she trusted Lance, Carver and Fasha to do what they had to do in the cockpit - not to mentioned the rest of their pack - she reckoned that Maverick would not fail her either.

Deciding that Isley deserved to hear her out, Rawley got to her feet and left Tessa to speak with Husker, and she nodded for Isley to join her as she left towards the corner of the lounge - coming to stand by the monitors farthest away from the bar. Once he joined her, Rawley tilted her head back to look at the bearded wolf. "So," she said jaws clenched, "thanks for pulling me out of that avalanche. I suppose I should be glad you didn't make the same decision about my life as you did with Razor's. I suppose it was not exactly the same thing either, since the Calamity or the Reavers hadn't been sighted yet, but thanks."

It was as good a way to start a conversation as any.

[Husker| Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks, especially Tessa May Lance

Chris had to smile just a little about that, "Yeah he was there for a while before he was moved over to the Chimera before giving him command of his ship which was some kind of experimental prototype from what he told me before...before everything happened."

The smile disappeared from Chris' face as he actually thought about his oldest brother and an even darker thought:

The odds that he might actually have to fight Marcus and his command and that thought troubled him
tremendously because of what Marcus was in his family - he was everything their father demanded and he was good at it.

But when Tessa brought up the "why" he joined the fleet, Chris ' right hand clenched tightly. "I was living on Andor, trying to decide what to do next when the Breen assault on Earth occurred...my father was one of the victims." He explained in a slightly bitter tone.

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Husker, All Present in Below Decks.

"Oh yeah, it was awful," Tessa shuddered.  "I was at the Academy Flight Range (http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Academy_Flight_Range) on Titan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(moon)).  We were doing training maneuvers when the Breen attacked and were ordered to the emergency evac station (http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Emergency_evacuation_center) on Mimas (http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Mimas).  My parents were so worried!" she gushed as she recalled the incident.  "They must have been trying to contact me for like... hours!  I can only imagine what they're going through right now..."

She stopped, suddenly self-conscious.  She wasn't going to cheer him up by dragging up the outside world, and yet, it was the friends and loved ones back home that they were fighting for.  They couldn't forget their families and all the people they knew on the outside or they'd end up like Vasser's crew, following an agenda that ignored everyone but themselves.  That wasn't who they were and that wasn't why they had joined Starfleet.  "God I wish I could say something to them right now," she sighed.

What was the point of wishing that?  If she somehow managed to contact them, the Big Scary Conspiracy would have her family assassinated to silence them.  If she ever got a chance to send her parents a message she'd have to pass it up.
 

[Nathaniel "Maverick" Isley (https://img05.deviantart.net/d370/i/2015/303/8/7/nathaniel___maverick___isley_by_auctor_lucan-d9evi5n.png) | Below Decks ] Attn: Below Decks team

Nathan glanced at Evelyn for a moment struck stupid by the callous way that she had decided to bring up the death of Razor, and his decisions during the away mission. It wasn't like he had forgotten his actions and considering he had just been through the logistics conversation before this he would have thought he would have an answer rehearsed by now. Instead however he found his grip tightening on the drink he was currently holding, and a flash of anger burning through him.

"Really so we are going to do this today?" Their was some amount of venom in his voice as he spoke towards Evelyn. Not out of hate for her but rather dislike of the subject. He hated that he had to make those calls. Even if they had helped to save the Theaurgy in the end their had been a lot of losses along the way and Razor was certainly one of them perhaps the strongest considering it was his order to not go back for him.

"It was chaos out there. If we had gone back for Razor and his ship it would have taken yet more wolves away form Theaurgy's defense. I made a call, the needs of the many over the need of the one. It was my first command, and Evelyn you can hate me for it, you can spend the rest of your life questioning it, but i'm fucking grateful you went with it." He took a deep sigh as he said the words.

"If you had turned back then I would have lost two wolves that day and I'm having trouble living after loosing just one." he mumbled the last part into his drink making it more difficult for Evelyn to hear.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: Kaligos

Nathan reacted in half like Rawley had expected when she broached the subject, and yet she was surprised with how vehement his defence of his actions was. She bided her time to let him vent his words, hardly holding his reasons against him to begin with, and when he was finished, she cocked her shaved head at him.

"I bloody well understand all of that, Mav. I don't question your judgement. You saw the bigger picture, and fine, you had no choice," she said, taking a step closer to him and having to crane her neck more to look him in the eye. "That doesn't mean I like any of it. It is not like I am going to just forget about it, just as little as you will, for indeed... I obeyed your order to jump to warp instead of going back there for him. I am at fault for his death too, even if I hope he is still alive out there - chances slimmer by the bloody hour. What fucks me up the most is I don't know what was wrong with him, if he did try to rape me the way I told you on that ice planet, or if there was some mind-meld at play. If it was the latter, then he could be put straight in the head again, just like the Harbinger people we now have aboard."

More of them would be brought back when the Allegiant returned, no doubt, and she hoped that Lieutenant Commander Stark and those who went with her would find Razor as well during the SAR-mission. Surely Razor would recognise the yacht's warp signature if he came across it...

"I might hate you for what you ordered, but that was all you heard," she said and curled her lip at him, "I said 'thanks' as well. I thought I died when I went under in that avalanche, and next bloody thing I know, you are carrying me up to the Valkyries again. I should say I am bloody sorry too, for making trouble and putting my rifle towards Razor like that. Could have made us spot the Calamity sooner. Could have gotten away in time. All of us."

---

OOC: Remember how Thomas Ravon suggested leaving Rawley in that thread? Could be food for thought.

[Nathaniel "Maverick" Isley (https://img05.deviantart.net/d370/i/2015/303/8/7/nathaniel___maverick___isley_by_auctor_lucan-d9evi5n.png) | Below Decks ] Attn: Auctor Lucan

Honestly Nathan had been expecting a much bigger fight with this, he was expecting her to be much more angry, or even to still flat out hate him for his choice, but it seemed that they could all agree that it had been the correct one, even if it was painful. When she brought up the avalanche and the fact that they hadn't left her behind he opened his mouth to retort that the situation was different there. He also had to listen for the part where she had thanked him. He sighed, clearly he was not going to get the kind of relaxing atmosphere he had been hoping for by coming down here.

but there was something else that was bugging him about that exchange. "Before we get into that... I want to know what actually happened." Nathan said mulling it over and taking a sip of his drink. "The three of us were out of our ships, and suddenly you start pointing a phaser at him claiming he's a rapist. Moments later the avalanch happens, and your knocked cold, and he's telling me to just leave you since it would slow us all down. I carry you off back to our ships, and by the time your back up on your feet were loading our asses back into the valkieries."

He sipped his drink a little more, and looked at Evelyn. "Now I didn't let my feelings influence the choices i made that day, surprising I know, but how do you get from threatening to kill him, to being angry at me? If anything I would have expected you to be..." He didn't finish it out of respect for their missing wolf, but if anything he would have thought that Evelyn would have been relieved that the man was gone.

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: Kaligos

When Nathaniel said that Thomas Ravon had suggested that she'd be left behind, it was as if something clicked in her mind - leaving her standing there with eyes still upon Isley. He spoke of more things, but that Razor had wanted to leave her behind suggested that all those times he had saved her ass in the cockpit had been for show - to make her less hostile towards him and to appear innocent.

"I... did not know he suggested to leave me behind," she grated, feeling like she had been violated again. "He... the bloody bastard saved my ass when we took off from the hangar, when we launched from the Theurgy. He stunned Nightmare. Shot her in the back, just before she was about to kill me. Next, back on the ice planet, I did not know what to think. First, he tried to rape me in my damn bathroom while I was cleaning up after the Festival, and next, he saves my ass from Nightmare, so I confronted him with my rifle - demanding to know what the fuck was going on. At every turn, he has said he didn't remember doing what he did, as if he had some blackout, and then he saves me - the accuser and witness to his disgusting deed. Now, you tell me he wanted to ditch me in the avalanche, and yet after that, he saves me again from the Reavers before we jumped to warp!"

Downing her drink and slamming it down on a table, she was fuming. "What the hell is he about anyway? I cannot make heads or tails out of this shit," she swore and kicked the table that she had put her drink on, making it topple over. She was breathing deeply, eyes casting about for something to vent her anger on, but she kept herself from lashing out against Isley. He seemed as confused as she was, with every right. "I never knew he wanted to leave me behind, so I thought he had saved me twice over - starting to trust him again. That was why I didn't want him to be left behind to die. I wanted to believe him, that the T'Rena bitch had made him go mental, and he could be made fine again. He was wolven brother to me, just like you, and the trust between us must be implicit. If we have no trust amongst ourselves, we will start dying, one by one."

Then again, just as she said it, she realised that was exactly what they had been doing since they left Earth, so perhaps trust was too much to hope for? With the words already out of her mouth, she looked to the table she had kicked over, hoping she wasn't right. "I am not thankful..." she said slowly. "It seems I just have too much faith in people..."

[Husker| Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks, especially Tessa May Lance

Chris honestly did not know what Tessa was trying to do, was she trying to help ease him into the "pack" so to speak or did she simply need someone to talk to- he honestly didn't know.

The man from Asgard took a deep breath before saying "In my family, the one that I was apart of that is, we have a history of service ranging all the way back to before there was a Federation and we have prided ourselves on a sense of conviction and honor, but furthermore we do it in the company of some of the brightest and the best but not to mention the toughest bastards in the 'verse."

Chris gestured at the bulkheads surrounding them, "My brother Marcus always liked to refer to a ship that he was serving on as a living being because he had faith that it would always bring him home and he viewed his fellow crew the same way..the same way that I do because I know that my family is safe, as yours is."

He reached out and placed a friendly hand on Tessa's closest shoulder reassuringly. "We are doing the right thing, Tessa, and once this damned shadow has been ripped away from the Federation, you'll see them again."

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Husker, All Present in Below Decks.

"Oh wow, that is, like, so amazing after what you...hurk!" she snorted as she abruptly drew a breath.  She thought she had cried herself out in the shower, but apparently she wasn't numb yet.  Chris' inspiring words seemed super heroic for someone who had just lost his starship.  It was encouraging to meet someone whose spirit wasn't broken, who still believed in the fight, who kept his sense of optimism enough to actually have a chance of succeeding, let alone surviving. 

The problem was the Tessa felt like a human being again, and was just human enough to feel emotions again, not just what was on the surface.  Or maybe it was the fact that only other ship that knew who the good guys were had sacrificed itself after betraying them and killing off half the people Tessa cared about who she could still talk to.   In any case, the emotion spilled out as tears.   Awkward.  So much for impressing him with her warrior spirit. 

"That's f-f-fantastic that you can s-s-still f-feel that way," she stammered as she wiped the tears out of her face.  "Especially after..." she closed her eyes and jerked her head down as a whine escaped her lips.  "Especially after what h-happened," she valiantly continued after rubbing her eyes and rubbing the tears off her face once more.  "Don't worry, I do this all the time," she groaned hoarsely.

[Husker| Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: All present in Below Decks, especially Tessa May Lance


Chris couldn't help but to blink a couple of times at his fellow pilot having a mini-break down there in the lounge and did the only thing that he could think to do which was something that he did for his sisters when they had one of these as he simply drew Tessa into a short but reassuring hug as he gently stroked her back. "Don't worry Tessa, it shows that everything is still right in the world if you can still feel and the moment that you decide to wall off your emotions, cut off your ability to feel how heavy your heart feels is the time for you to worry alright?" he whispered reassuringly into her right ear before he broke the hug.

Chris then thought back to what she had mentioned about the loss of the Harbinger. "Right now I am going to put a rumor that I've been hearing to sleep, Tessa. I was the one who piloted the Harbinger at the Calamity, I'm not bragging about it or anything of the like. If you look at the very name of that ship, Harbinger, it usually means that something dark and or sinister is on the horizon and with the exception of those of us who joined the Theurgy's crew against the asshats that ran it and did so much damage, it fell into the darkness a long time ago."

He then took a cleansing breath before continuing, "The only thing that I could be missing from that ship is now a doctor on the Theurgy and our new crew chief, so I have no regrets about crashing that plague ship into our enemy." he explained before getting a much more serious expression on his face. "What I did, I did without hesitation, in the name of killing that name ship."

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Husker, All Present in Below Decks.

Tessa returned his hug as the newcomer assured her that her emotions were not only normal they were healthy.  It meant that after everything that happened she was still herself and not a mindless and numb automaton or a coldblooded killer like so many of Slayton's shipmates had become. 

"Don't worry Tessa," Slayton whispered in her ear, "it shows that everything is still right in the world if you can still feel and the moment that you decide to wall off your emotions, cut off your ability to feel how heavy your heart feels is the time for you to worry alright?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded as she clung to him desperate for some kind of human contact, something real and normal.  When he broke the hug she realized that she was being too clingy.  That was trouble.  The new guy needed a squad mate he could depend on, not a needy child.  "But th-they were your shipmates," she argued, playing devil's advocate just to make sure she could have something to say and act like an adult right now.  "You must feel some kind of..."

The newcomer stopped her before she got any further.  "Right now I am going to put a rumor that I've been hearing to sleep, Tessa. I was the one who piloted the Harbinger at the Calamity, I'm not bragging about it or anything of the like. If you look at the very name of that ship, Harbinger, it usually means that something dark and or sinister is on the horizon and with the exception of those of us who joined the Theurgy's crew against the asshats that ran it and did so much damage, it fell into the darkness a long time ago."

"Yikes, harsh," Tessa commented as she started becoming her old self again.  "It was your home base.  Surely there's got to be something you miss about it."

"The only thing that I could be missing from that ship is now a doctor on the Theurgy and our new crew chief, so I have no regrets about crashing that plague ship into our enemy." he assured her. "What I did, I did without hesitation, in the name of killing that time ship," he said as his face darkened at the memory.

"Wow," Tessa paled before chuckling bitterly to relieve the tension.  "Well if we ever get out of this with our hides and careers intact you'll be on the fast track for promotion.  Not everyone could do what you did when the time came.  I'm glad you were there to make the tough calls," she said before she realized how revealing her comment was.  "I'm sorry," she winced.  "I'm just not myself anymore.  I'm going to talk to Renard about a remedial boot camp to get myself back in shape.  And it's not just me:  We've picked up a bunch of civilians who need to learn the Starfleet way of doing things or they'll just get in the way.  A one week boot camp might be just what we need right now."

[Nathaniel "Maverick" Isley (https://img05.deviantart.net/d370/i/2015/303/8/7/nathaniel___maverick___isley_by_auctor_lucan-d9evi5n.png) | Below Decks ] Attn: Auctor Lucan

Nathan blinked when Evelyn started talking, taking every note that she had given him to shut up and listen as he tried to piece his own mental picture of that day together. It had all been so confusing and now they really only had one side of the story to begin with. Obviously with Razor gone they would only ever have one half of the story, and at this point he wasn't sure if he could take Razor at his word.

Sexual assault against a fellow wolf? and all the things being said down on the ice world, of course he had no idea what had been going on through the mans head. Perhaps he thought just leaving Evelyn would have solved the problem that he could sweep his actions intentional or not under the rug when she was gone, and that was why he had suggested it. It certainly felt that way with all things considered, but the fact was he didn't have any notes to really work with, and it was really just a tragedy at this point.

"I'm sorry it was a poor way for me to speak out." He said lightly in regard to his former comment about her being greatful no one should be happy that they were down a wolf. Even if it had been a liar, it meant that bigger picture would be harder to protect. However there was the other side that made him a little easier on the subject. It was better that he was gone while all of this was coming to light better that all their baggage be known so one of the wolves didn't shoot another in the back... an action like that during a mission would be a tragedy.

"I wish I knew what he had been thinking, but the truth is any answer to those questions would be back on that ice world, and none of us have the time to go back... Not that I haven't thought about it a number of times." He gave a soft shrug. "Truth is that will probably be my first and last command of a mission." Their had been no time to see if command had even suited him. He was a maverick the guy who broke the rules not the one who enforced them... though there was an amusing thought to that as well.

"In the end trust is all we have at the moment. If we second guess ourselves too many times we will all end up alone or worse off."

[ Evelyn Rawley | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: Kaligos

The point Nathan made rung true. All they had left in means of survival was trust. It mimicked her own thoughts, even though she had been less optimistic about it. She thought that trust was not enough, since they had lost far too many. With no trust, however, it might just be that they had all died well before they even reached the Mahéwa System. "Perhaps so..."

By that time, she had been recovering from surgery, and hadn't been up and about until after that Ishtar Entity had screwed them over. She saw battle again when they fought the Calamity for the first time, and it had been an unauthorised take-off that let her see action again - only to see her wingmate Douglas 'Hardtop' Kohrin die in the rain of phaser fire. The memory made her flex her fingers and clench her jaw. "In the end, I think what this squadron of ours suffer is the bloody toll of what we have been through together. The cost of our brothers and sisters, and the fucking betrayals we've faced, it has undermined our damn spirit. Each wound we suffer hurt all the more, for the pain is starting to get to us."

She glanced at Tessa where she spoke with the new pup, and perhaps Goldeneyes exemplified what she said the most right then. Yet Rawley was certain that anyone of them could crack, and she did not hold it against her sister.

Though she was not too keen to bring it up in public, she had broken down too - reduced to snivelling mess when oracle disappeared the first time. When Thea had spoken with her in rehabilitation. When her brother had died. Aye, Tessa might think herself weak, but they were all of the same mettle. At least Goldeneyes was best equipped to face her fears and regrets head on and deal with them, whereas she refused to give an inch to the pain she felt. In the long run, Rawley was convinced Tessa would come out of this far better than she were... if she even lived to see that day.

"Sorry man," she said to Nathan and bent down to put the table back upright. She placed her empty glass on it. "Hearing about Razor and what he said made me loose my thirst. I will be retreating for the night, hoping that some fucking sleep will make the ceremony tomorrow easier. G'night, Maverick, and remember... You had no choice."

On her way out, she tousled Tessa's hair playfully, giving her quiet sister a smile. "Cheer up, Goldie, you look like someone died," she jested in passing, then gave Husker a lopsided grin. The size-difference between him and her was ludicrous, so she chose her words well. "Count yourself lucky I did not have your balls handed to you, pup."

As she left, she thought that she ought to make sure Morrigan made it home all right...

[Nathaniel "Maverick" Isley (https://img05.deviantart.net/d370/i/2015/303/8/7/nathaniel___maverick___isley_by_auctor_lucan-d9evi5n.png) | Below Decks ] Attn: Auctor Lucan

Nathan sighed as he Watched Evelyn go, he honestly didn't feel like socializing anymore. It hurt to watch the other wolves for some reason. With nightmare gone, there was a sadness to these social events that he didn't care for, and after the emotional roller coaster he had with Evelyn he was ready to turn in for the night.

The service was due tomorrow, and he would go to it. If only so he could pay respects to the one who was actually gone. Some part of him hoped that Razor found a way home. He had a lot of explaining to do, to both evelyn and now him. Nathan yawned. "Yeah I agree." he said passing the other two. "I'm done for the night."

He gave his goodbyes. It was a shame to go in a way, but it was clear that tonight wasn't going to be what he had originally thought it would be. He passed the new guy and gave him a quick pat on his shoulder and a wish good luck. Then moved on and out of the below deck turning in for the night. It was going to be a long day tomorrow he could feel it in his body.

[Ensign Chris Slayton | Below Decks ] Attn: Tessa

Chris couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow at the "boot camp" suggestion made by Tessa. "That could be a good idea if we had the time, Tessa." he pointed out with a slight nod of his head. "With everything that is going on we could be trying to do your boot camp suggestion and get caught with our collective pants down when the ship runs into a squadron of Valdore series warbirds on cloaked exercises or something even more wonkier if you will knowing our collective luck true?"

The man from Asgard took a deep breath and looked at the younger woman in the eyes and face for a moment before nodding slowly. "However I will accept the point that we might need a boot camp more then anything. It might help with reaction time and getting everybody who's positions have changed during the recent...insanity..time to get used to their new spots, so either way you might actually have a valid point there, my concerns not withstanding but as a separate issue of concern."

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Husker, All Present in Below Decks.

Emboldened as the Asgardian looked at her proposal from different angles, Tessa argued in favor of her position.  "We've got the crews of two ships and a handful of civilians to integrate into one cohesive unit," she pointed out.  "If we don't get ourselves shipshape, we'll be caught with our pants down when we launch our raid on Starbase 84.  Since we've launched we've had our minds taken over twice.  No wait, three times.  I forgot about the Ishtar incident.  After that discipline broke down pretty fast and we've been jumping into each other's beds so much that you'd think we were on holiday on Risa."

She stopped, blushing when she realized that she had made another embarrassing admission.  It was one thing to argue her point, but it was another thing to make herself and everybody else aboard the Theurgy look like a bunch of screw-ups.  She coughed into her fist.  "Well that's what I think anyway," she finished lamely.

[Ensign Chris Slayton | Below Decks ] Attn: Tessa

"You might have a valid point but random situations like that help possibly with the dynamic, Tessa." Chris pointed out to her respectfully as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But by that same admission the officers and crew of this ship are a lot healthier then we where on the Harbinger, Tessa. We were more focused on the fight and Vasser's orders then anything remotely healthy.

Chris uncrowded his arms and turned away from the younger pilot as an angry expression crossed his bearded face. "Maybe if we'd been smarter and actually capable of stepping back to look at our own seriously officers then maybe that fucking event might not have happened and more good people would be alive.."

Chris clenched his fists tightly but fought to get his frustration and anger under control and won as he turned back to look at Tessa with an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, I'm still angry at the level of stupidity at what happened. Ives plan is not only do able but also the base'salary systems are designed just for that reason and for two people to let their egos and libidoes take charge like that.." he explained was the tension bled out of him.

He then went over and placed a hand on Tessa'so shoulder and said "We got this, Tessa. In the history of the fleet has other ships managed to do the impossible with such a crew element?"

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Husker, All Present in Below Decks.

"...the officers and crew of this ship are a lot healthier then we were on the Harbinger, Tessa. We were more focused on the fight and Vasser's orders then anything remotely healthy."

"Heh-heh," she laughed self-consciously.  "I guess that's one way to put it."

"Maybe if we'd been smarter and actually capable of stepping back to look at our own seriously officers then maybe that fucking event might not have happened and more good people would be alive," Slayton growled.  Tessa must have had an alarmed look on her face because when he looked at her he softened as he tried to reign his frustration in.  "Sorry, I'm still angry at the level of stupidity at what happened. Ives plan is not only doable but also the base's alarm systems are designed just for that reason and for two people to let their egos and libidos take charge like that..."

Husker was right.  Wow.  Had two stupid people really done all that damage?  Had two people really squandered so many lives and resources that the Starbase 84 mission, and by extension Starfleet and the Federation, was doomed?  Two ships had a lot better of a chance than one did and thanks to Vasser and T'Rena it was hard to tell if the Theurgy even counted as one anymore.

The despair must have shown in Tessa's eyes because Slayton put his hand on her shoulder.  "We got this, Tessa. In the history of the fleet has other ships managed to do the impossible with such a crew element?"

"Uh, um... no..." she stammered.  In the history of Starfleet other ships had managed to overcome impossible odds but they usually had a crew element a lot more intact than what was currently aboard the Theurgy.  For the life of her she couldn't think of a single... "No wait!" she snapped her fingers as she rose from her chair.   "There was a ship that got lost in the Delta Quadrant for seven years... the Voyager I think it was!  If the rumors are true by the time they got back half of their crew was Marquis!  They had a crew element like ours and if the stories are true they managed to defeat the Borg!"

---

OOC:  I'm assuming that details of the Voyager odyssey are still classified but officers in the know have still heard plenty.

[Ensign Chris Slayton | Below Decks ] Attn: Tessa

"See, if they can make that kind of trip with the resources that *THEY* had at hand then we can do the same thing." Chris said with a smile on his face to the other pilot. "Sure there is going to be bumps but in the long run those bumps show that we're still living, breathing people and not machines like the Borg."

Marcus then took a step back and stretched his arms out to encompass the whole ship via the one room in question. "Yes there was mistakes made and yes, we have a crew that is as mismatched as the ship that they are serving on but in the end everything will be fine because we've got the toughest little ship in the fleet backing us on this wild and crazy ride." he said before gesturing around at the various bottles of liquir that lined the shelves behind him on the otherside of the counter.

"Take each and every one of those spirtis, Tessa, and equate them to one of your fellow officers and crew aboard this ship. Every drink of a fluid ounce is the some total of what they bring to this fight and while you shouldn't mixed whiskey and bourbin, you can make one hell of a gin and tonic if you do your portions right." The Asgardian pilot said with a smile on his face before draping a friendly arm over Tessa's slim shoulders and giving her a squeeze.

[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | USS Theurgy | Below Decks | Deck 07  ]  Attn: Husker, All Present in Below Decks.

"Yeah," she sighed in relief as he put his arm around her.  "You're right."

It was hard to trust anyone after the betrayal of Captain Vasser, but Tessa found Chris' affectionate gesture comforting instead of invasive.  She was surprised at her own reaction.  After seeing one of her fellow squadmates shoot down another in cold blood, Tessa didn't think she'd ever let anyone get that close again.  That she could let a former member of Dor'GhItlh Squardon get close enough to touch her was something she didn't expect.  She honestly thought she'd be uncomfortable, bus she wasn't, and she found that realization even more encouraging than Chris' kind gesture.  It meant her spirit wasn't broken, that she could still trust people, and that she hadn't been reduced to a sniveling Chihuahua.  There was hope for her yet.  Maybe she wasn't broken beyond all repair, maybe it was time to stand up again.  Yes!  It was time for a new beginning.  Time to get moving.  Tessa couldn't remain seated anymore but she wasn't ready to see the familiar faces of her teammates just yet. 

"Come on," she chirped as she rose to her feet.  "The Theurgy is a big ship.  Let me give you the ten credit tour."  She finished her drink in one big gulp and then crossed her eyes and blinked rapidly as she coughed and tottered forwards and backwards in order to keep her balance.  Apparently that gin and tonic she ordered wasn't synthahol like she expected.  Oops.  With a flushed face, she coughed some more before straightening her uniform and adjusting her hair.  "Smooth," she gasped weakly.

[Ensign Chris Slayton | Below Decks ] Attn: Tessa

Chris quickly moved to keep Tessa from falling backwards or anything. "If that was smooth then I'd hate to see jagged or even worse, slippery." he said in a jovial tone as he moved to stand next to her.

"So, the ten credit tour then eh?" he said, his tone was still in an honestly jovial state. "So, what kinds of sights does that include..Cardassian Vole juggling, Shaved tribble wrestling, or maybe a race with a Horta and a Vorta around main engineering?!"

Chris then smiled softly at his fellow pilot, "The important thing to remember is never loose your sense of humor, Tessa. I am a completely different animal then my brother as you've seen. Did you have a chance to catch him or my brother Danny together in a holodeck progam..now that's scary!"

- FIN