Star Trek: Theurgy

Episode 04: Simulcast | Prologue "Homecoming"

(https://orig04.deviantart.net/499f/f/2015/245/9/8/starbase_84_by_auctor_lucan-d984ziy.png)

[ USS Resolve | Main Bridge | Deck 01 ] Attn: All

The distant lights of Starbase 84 were a flickering beacon of hope on the view-screens. Even seeing them like this, Captain Tristan Kendrick struggled to believe they were real. He was sure that until he was finally beamed aboard he would not believe it, and even then he would have doubts. Simply put, there had been too many horrible events over the past three years to just idly believe that something good was at last happening to him and his ill fated crew.

The terrestrial planet filled the screens, but Kendrick and his utterly silent crew only had eyes for the Starbase. Shaped like nothing so much as the toy his grandfather had given him to play with once on a visit, it was both awe-inspiring and terribly mundane. A wonder of the ages, but one of ordinary purpose. It would do though to receive them, the Ithaca to their Odysseus. He just hoped for a better reception than a house full of suitors.

"Low impulse Mr. Veradin. Take us in slow, I don't want us rattling apart on the doorstep. Wouldn't be seemly." A faint chuckle came from his crew. A sign of life at last from them. The past months had been torture, and the crew had become as ghosts it seemed, afraid to show emotion. Too many lost friends over the years. Showing a little emotion was a recipe for a breakdown. Better to be spectres. To say nothing of the condition of the experimental Luna-class starship, Resolve. The man made a mental note to send a 'thank you' note to the designers of the vessel. He doubted few ships could have made the perilous trek and survived the things they'd encountered.

Now though, they could begin to let go of the horrible burdens. The yawning mouth of the Starbase opened wide to take them in, blindingly taking in three years of anguish. He hoped it wouldn't get indigestion, a silly thought that at last brought a smile to his face. Rising from his chair he stood, arms crossed behind his back. The view-screens showed a long double row of shuttles and fighters lining their path to their docking station. An honour guard welcoming them home. It looked to be shuttles from every ship in the yard, a tip of the hat from the other captains for doing an impossible job. Kendrick felt his throat grow tight, and he knew there were likely many a damp eye amongst his crew. But to a man they kept their composure, returning with heads held high. They had done it.

Each shuttle and fighter flashed lights as they passed, and then fell into line behind them, a sort of orbital parade. Since Kendrick had seen wars end with less fanfare, it seemed their story had quickly made the rounds once they had re-entered Federation Space and restored contact. He felt embarrassed at the production, but was simultaneously glad for it. His crew needed this.

When they at last docked, they all began heading to beam aboard the station. Kendrick was the last to leave the bridge. The last to beam away after making sure every other crewman was safely away. He gave the Resolve's bridge one last look before beaming, and then a heartbeat later, he was engulfed in a wave of cheering and cries of joy. Captain Ian Hawthorne - the Base Commander - was there to personally receive them. The black man came forth, a wide smile turning into a welcoming laugh, and with all eyes upon them, Hawthorne was soon pumping Kendrick's hand firmly. Later, on the banquet, he would formally welcome the Resolve's Captain and his crew aboard. The bay was filled with over a thousand shouting crewmen from the station and other ships, each cheering the crew that refused to give up. Kendrick at last allowed himself to believe.

And it felt good.

[Lt. Komial Dotnihl | Main Cargo Bay | StarBase 84] (http://houseeros.com/roleplay-role-playing-forum/index.php?topic=25901.msg1467811#msg1467811)

It was all that Komial (https://orig02.deviantart.net/2783/f/2015/236/d/0/komial_by_auctor_lucan-d9703fm.png) could do not to pick at the stiff neck of her grey/teal on white dress uniform (http://wiki.tf-575.com/images/2/24/Dress_Uniforms.png). Yes, this was an important occasion. Yes, she was excited to be there - how could she not? A lost ship was coming home. She would be on hand not only to ensure that security was maintained - who knew what had happened to the crew of the USS Resolve (https://31.media.tumblr.com/64738afb2ea4df151167d191c46b427f/tumblr_mzfd6iXlxF1rzu2xzo2_r1_400.gif) - but she would get to welcome them back home, back to the Federation. Given all that the Federation currently suffered though, a moment like this was something that everyone - not just the crew of SB84 - needed. And the crew of the Resolve deserved nothing less than the best that she and her fellow officers could give.

But none of that made the standard Starfleet dress uniform any more comfortable. Sure, it fit closer to the skin than her daily duty outfit would have. Komial liked that well enough. She especially liked the variant that allowed her to wear a skirt. Some of the other female officer's she'd served with had looked down on anyone that wore the skirt option. Something about 'unprofessional.' Komial chalked it up to the fact that most of them had legs that simply kept them from pulling the look off. The reddish brown haired woman was certain that she did have the legs to pull it off - including the telltale spots that marked her for a Trill. Between the skirt and the high boots that went with it, well, she was noticeable as could be, while still being completely within regulations. Another skill she prided herself in, as much as her hand to hand combat, or keen eye for spotting trouble.

Another strike against the formal dress uniform - in her mind - was that the confining nature also made it difficult to hide any useful weapons. She didn't have her type two sidearm on. There wasn't a proper holster for it, and this was, officially, a welcome home moment. No one on the returning ship was - officially - considered a threat at this time. Unofficially, it paid to expect the unexpected, and the worst of people that should be given the most benefit of the doubt. Lessons that Lt. Dotnihl and the SB84 Security department had learned the hard way. That was what the type one cricket phaser in the holster positioned inside her right boot was for. Same with the set of stun-knuckles tucked discreetly into the hem of her skirt against the small of her back - the only place such a slight bump in the uniform would go unnoticed.

Better safe than sorry.

Her attention was drawn back to the windows ringing the large room, that looked out into the even larger primary docking bay for the Starbase. The bow of the Luna-class starship had entered through the wide open spacedock doors, and in windows all thorughout the starbase, crew and visitors pressed to the glass to look as the name Resolve came into view on the battle scarred hull. This was not a ship that had endured an easy journey home, by any stretch of the imagination. For a moment, she watched, wondering what it must have been like for the crew. She repressed a small shudder that threatened to run down her shapely back, as the starbase tractor beams pulled the returning ship into its assigned docking bay.

In a normal docking procedure, the ship would have been tethered to the Starbase and then the crew would have come across though one of the airlocks. This wasn't the case today. For one, the primary airlock on the USS Resolve, the one that would allow the maximum number of crew to disembark at a time, was damaged and inoperable. Secondly, every man woman and child on that ship had been through so much, that it was quickly decided to get the crew over as fast as possible. Working with the starbase ops team, Cpt. Hawthorne had arranged to beam over using the massive cargo transporters of the starbase. And so there they were, standing by the large cargo bay transporters, as one group after another beamed over into a hastily converted reception bay. Any injured personnel in need of immediate assistance had already been beamed aboard to the starbase hospital facilities.

The parade of crew seemed to take forever, but with the high capacity transporters the reality of it was that everyone from the Resolve transferred over in just under 15 minutes. And then it was time for the last man to beam over - the ships commanding officer. Ensuring that full honors and tradition would be followed, Lt. Dotnihl stepped forward, looking out across the bay and meeting the eyes of her commander. Her own gaze softened, almost imperceptive, before she schooled her expression at his answering nod. She snapped a quick command to the COps - manning the transporter for this historic occasion - and then turned to face the pad.

"USS Resolve Commanding Officer arriving. All hands, Atten-shun." She barked out the order as Cpt. Kendrick coalesced in a blue white swirl, a 'small' form on the over-sized pad. The boson's whistle -blown by one of her enlisted personnel - sounded afterward, as the security honor guard snapped to. There was a moment of silence, and the bay errupted into a roar of joyus noise. The crew of the Resolve, as well as a mix from the other docked vessels and the starbase itself lost almost all decorum. They wanted to make sure that this man knew, truly knew, he was home.

Komial watched, at attention, dark eyes darting about, as Cpt. Hawthorne mounted the small steps up to greet Cpt. Kendrick. Saw him grip the mans hand with his own artificial one, and give the most enthusiastic handshake she'd ever witnessed. Those full lips of hers curved upward in a smile. They'd earned their heroes welcome, and Komial was proud to be a part of it.

[ F'Rell of the 12th House | Main Cargo Bay | StarBase 84 ]

As the Resolve had drawn closer to the Federation Starbase F'Rell was perhaps the only entity on the ship whom was not excited. Perhaps it was the fact that as they grew closer to the starbase she knew that she was getting farther from her homeworld and her people. She had not told a soul on the ship the location of her homeworld or any information about her race. She had allowed them to run tests on her and the remains of her small shuttle, he majority of it's most critical and interesting components either destroyed in the crash or used to build the transmitter she had used to call for help, she had even gone so far as to delete all of the data from what remained of the shuttles computer with a localized electromagnetic pulse.

This secrecy was perhaps the cause of much of the distrust she still sensed from the crew. It did not help that she was perhaps the most alien sentient lifeforms most of them had ever seen. Her long slender body with it's many appendages dwarfed the much small humanoids that populated the ship. She had even been denied the ability to communicate for some time as the sounds she created with her tendril like whiskers did not at first come across as language to their more primitive universal translators.

She would have helped with this translation process, but the amount of time the crew had spent being attacked by hostile alien life forms had left them all far too shaken and distrusting of outsiders. In fact they had kept her in a holding cell barely large enough for her for almost two weeks after she was recovered from the barren planet. And after they had managed to get their toy translators to work her refusal to provide information about the shuttle systems and her race meant that the ships captain decided to keep her there until they could rendezvous with another ship and decide what to do.

They turning point had come when the ship struck cloaked tricobalt mine and the barrier shield of holding cell collapsed. based purely off of the sound of the ship F'Rell managed to find the main engineering section. She found the section flooding with warp plasma coolant, killing the crew who were knocked unconscious by the shaking or the ship and some panels blowing from the overload that followed.  The mine had destabilized the ships warp core intermix chamber and with the warp plasma filling the engineering section a core breach seemed inevitable. There was one chance. F'Rell was near certain that though the Carbon based humanoids were in great danger her slightly more resilient Nitrogen based biology. It was a risk, but one well worth it as she knew that no one on the ship including her would survive for long in the vacuum of space, to say nothing of the matter/antimatter explosion if the core breached. After pulling as many still intact humanoids as she could out of the engineering section as she could and sealing the doors she set to work preventing the breach.

It was lucky that the core was not nearly as complex as some of the prototypes F'Rell had worked on. After a number of tense minutes she managed to stabilize the reaction enough to power down the warp core and vent the plasma coolant. In the toxic environment she had only sustained some minor surface burns, her nitrogen based biochemistry had saved her from complete molecular degeneration.

It was after this she was allowed to aid the ship. Their survival was linked to her survival and there was no alternative. She promised to get them home, though she was not at all certain of how this would help her get home, it would however provide her with a degree of safety and allow her the ability to return home eventually. It was also thanks to her matter/antimatter intermix knowledge that the ship was able to restore to full power and achieve warp speed at one third of the amount of fuel it would otherwise take.

And so, with some help from her, they made it to Federation Starbase number 84.

It was not exactly home for many aboard the ship, but it was so close that there was no doubt that they would make it the rest of the way. F'Rell herself did not leave the ship until the second to last trip through the matter transporter and as she materialized in the cargo bay and lifted her body above the heads of the rest of the crew of the Resolve she knew that once more she was a stranger in a strange land. Though the crew of the ship had grown accustom to her appearance in the months she had been on the ship the crew of the station were obviously not prepared for her appearance. Her long body moving through the air with with ease, the glowing biolumencent points on her body glowing an otherworldly shade of blue. To them she looked more like a deep sea monster than a highly trained warp field theorist. She knew looking at their faces that another barrage of medical tests would soon transpire. Hopefully this time there would be no issues with her soft nitrous oxide filled body.

[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Main Cargo Bay | Starbase 84 ] Attn: F'Rell & Others

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While in her heart, she was jumping and screaming for joy, Ensign Krystal Tancredi maintained a calm, composed exterior. Her smile and posture was casual, slightly seductive-but-not-even-trying-to-be, as one had once called it. While she was friendly and seemingly open, and can be the life of the party, this was one very carefully guarded girl. The truth was, she was afraid, many times, and so full of pain and bitterness. But she hid it all away. Her reasoning being that no one needed to put up with her vulnerabilities, and that perhaps she deserved the suffering for unspoken sins. Her body was riddled with scars from the years of violence while lost in space with the crew of the Resolve. The doctor on board often described her body as resembling a war zone of horror. But it was nothing compared to scarring and fractures of her mind. It was a wonder that Captain Kendrick still even trusted her to "lead" the "fighters" in battle. But then, she never gave him any reason to doubt her ability to fight a battle. It was all she lived for, it seemed.

She wore her standard uniform, but she deliberately left it open at the top, and her rank insignia hung at an odd angle, as if put on as an afterthought. She hooked her thumbs into her belt, and stood in a swaggering posture as she beamed aboard Starbase 84. She squinted her eyes and peered at the surroundings of the place, almost completely ignoring the gathered individuals there to greet them.

"Quaint li'l place, ain't it?" she whispered to F'Rell, the alien they had picked up along the way in their journeys. She didn't particularly mind the being, as long as she didn't try to hurt Tancredi, or any of the Resolve's crew, she had nothing against her. "Ah reckon ya don' p'ticularly find an appeal to it, but we like ta call dis 'ome. Oh..."

She leaned closer towards the alien, her eyes now scanning the onlookers, "...don' worry too much if they ask o'er an' o'er what ya are. We got scans o' ya already, sure'n da cap an' Ah will make sure of it. Y'know, so ya don' get probed and prodded again an' all dat."

She stepped off the platform and glanced back at F'Rell, inviting her silently to follow along. If nothing else, Krystal would step between her and anyone that might do something untoward to the alien. Sure, this was a Starbase, full of the Federation's people. People who have long since shed their brutality. But three years fending for ones self and living with nightmares can do unpleasant things to a person's sense of trust. Even as she smiled and maintained the allure of a happy, pretty face, her eyes broiled with paranoia and a sense of unease, that was compounded by the fact that she was told to put away her conventional weapons when they came aboard. Kendrick might be fine with trusting these folk, but Tancredi felt the hair on the back of her neck rising, and her thumbs were still hooked into her belt as she walked because she always had her hands close to her weapons, concealed and revealed. The little knives in her belt, boots and several other places weren't much, but she at least didn't feel so naked and helpless.

She eyed each and every person there that wasn't part of the crew. There were humans and familiar aliens, but to her, everyone was a potential threat. She didn't know how the rest of the crew felt. She supposed they were glad, but not her. She wouldn't get any sleep in the Starbase, that was for sure. If she had her way, she'd be in her quarters on board the Resolve even as they conducted repairs. She'd sleep more comfortably with her hands on her custom-modified phaser pistols. The girl sighed and used one hand to push out strands of her long fiery hair from her eyes and brushed them to be held back by her ears. Maybe she should have a drink, or something. She only hoped they didn't ask her to talk to a counsellor or something. The only person she talked to in such a personal manner was Captain Kendrick, so she wasn't about to start opening up to some stranger just because of their profession.

[ F'Rell of the 12th House | Main Cargo Bay | StarBase 84 ] Attn: Krystal & Others

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Seeing little to no point in loitering in the cargo bay for any length of time, the ceremonies and Traditions of the Starfleet crew meaning nothing to her F'Rell decided to follow the human fighter pilot. Her bandages moving easily through the air slowly propelling her forward, she could move faster, but she saw no need. When she did at last speak the voice that come out of the small communicator she held in one of her many appendages was not her own, it lacked the majority of the lyrical finesse of her true voice, but it did however translate that voice into something most could understand.

=/\= It seems as if I am not the only member of the crew who is not comfortable with this gathering, =/\= F'Rell mused, her long whisker like tendrils giving off a deep rich array of sounds. The voice that spoke in Terran was soft and polite, though a little too mechanical for most. She had figured that when she had time she would perfect the voice modulator into something a little less primitive, but she had so little free time over the past few months. She paused for a moment and turned to the rest of the crew. Her inhuman eyes seeing more of the energy spectrum then most humanoids could easily see what so many were hiding under the thin layer of fabric they wore as uniforms. =/\= So many disobeying orders and sneaking weapons aboard. I see that the fear and paranoia is still fresh in so many of your minds. An incident waiting to happen, methinks. =/\=

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OOC: A little short, but I wanted to give people something to reply to. I figure F'Rell isn't far enough away that people won't be able to hear her, so really anyone can reply, even though she is directly speaking to Krystal.
Also I'm not using standard quotation marks for F'Rell because it isn't her talking it is the communicator translating, hence the =/\= (it looks like a communicator to me lol).

[LT Keval ch'Rayya| Main Cargo Bay| Starbase 84] ATTN: All

The Andorian was the next to beam over onto the starbase after his captain, Ensign Tancredi, and F'Rell but like every other location that he had beamed into over the past couple of years, he looked at everyone that he didn't know with a cautious look.

Inwardly he was glad to be back in Federation space, who on the ship wasn't, but that didn't change the facts of how he felt as he kept his light blue eyes alert scanning the room for any signs of trouble, it would be a hard habit to break in the long run but he couldn't help but to be safe then sorry.

"You must be giddy to soon see your family and friends again, Miss Tancredi." Keval said as he placed his hands at the small of his back lightly while looking at the shorter human in a respectable and kind tone. "I hope that they will be proud of how you were able to hold your people together in your department during this...voyage."

But when F'Rell made her comment, his antenna twitched slightly as he picked up the undercurrent of her meaning. "I agree with you on that one, Miss F'Rell. But you can't change the habits of a people who've been through what we have and expect the habits to die easily."

Keval's eyes kept scanning the room until he came up the sight of what appeared to be the station's chief of security and he arched one slender, ghost-white eyebrow at the Trill as he studied her body language but lowered the eyebrow then as well.

[Ensign Six (https://orig07.deviantart.net/6171/f/2015/255/4/c/six_03_by_auctor_lucan-d999wen.png) | Security Level: Security Station | Starbase 84]

The computer chimed at Six for the millionth time today, letting her know that yet another report had been completed and filed in the appropriate spot. Normally saying it was the millionth time might have been an exaggeration, but for Six, it wasn't all that far off. Well. Not really. There were however thousands of reports that got filed every day. Most of which involved some kind of local, civilian dispute over who has the right to this and who has the right to that, or she did this to me, or he stole that from them. It was mundane and boring to say the least. But it was everyday work for her and for someone like Six, despite the monotony of it, it was usually finished with quickly. 

The fact that it was everyday was starting to take its toll on her though. It was menial and boring, and nowhere near putting her abilities and skills to use. She was a problem solver, a puzzler, and she would be better used to investigate and come up with truths based on evidence rather than sitting at a desk, inputting reports that she couldn't do anything about. It was mind numbing to say the least.

Sitting back she took a moment to herself, stretching out in her seat.

Her thoughts wandered like they usually did as to why she was given such chores over others. Even though she knew it was because she was still a rookie, she felt she had proven her skill-set enough to be given more than she was. She often wondered if the prejudice she endured at the academy had followed her here. It likely had. Not too many were welcoming of a Borg, even an ex one.

Her thoughts then wandered to the fact that a good portion of security on the Starbase was in the cargo bay turned reception hall, greeting the return of the USS Resolve. 'I should be down there...' she thought to herself, more than a little cross that she had not been issued a station there. Her optic implant alone was enough to make her more than qualified to be there as an observer. And she felt this new crew might need to be carefully observed, especially considering what they had all gone through.

There were high hopes among the rest of the starbase that the crew of the resolve would just be relieved to be closer to home and out of immediate conflict, but one never knew what might have happened to turn any one of these individuals away from protocol. Human minds, Six found, were easily damaged and coerced into doing things they ought not to. And Six could definitely come on hand to be able to see it coming.

The sudden swish of doors to the security office snapped Six quickly from her thoughts though, and she sat up straight and stiff like she normally did, the emotional expressions she had shown in her solitude quickly replaced with that of indifference to her crew mate and focus to her task at hand. As the crewman passed her, he took a moment to glower in her direction, something she pretended not to notice.

She pretended a lot. She pretended to not notice the stares at her leftover implants and the stares at her body suit that she preferred over her uniform and that she normally wore when she was off duty. She pretended that it didn't bother her, pretended that she had no emotion toward it one way or another, and sometimes, she pretended so well that even she believed it. But deep down it hurt. Deep down she missed the camaraderie that she had enjoyed while on Voyager and had lost as soon as making it back to Earth.

Right now though, she hid herself like she always did, showing the crewman nothing in return, her fingers flying at the module as she returned to working on the reports she had been tasked to organize and file away for the day.

[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Main Cargo Bay | Starbase 84 ] Attn: All

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Krystal's left eyebrow curved downwards at the ridge of her brow, while her right eyebrow went up, and her lips went lopsided as F'Rell fearlessly declared how more than one person had brought weapons with them. Well, on one hand, it told her that she was not alone in her guarded, self-sustaining nature. For their three years lost in space, the captain had found it prudent and more practical to ensure that every individual was armed, sometimes to the teeth at any given time. More than one occasion proved this to be a necessary precaution against boarding parties. No one would be defenceless. No one outside of the Resolve put in as much training time with ranged and melee weapons as the crew of the battered vessel. It was the only reason why they were still alive.

Taking a calming breath, the red-haired young lady slowly turned to look at the female alien, "F'Rell, Ah'd really be much obliged if ya wouldn't go declarin' such things at yer current volume. And ta be quite honest, years livin' on edge'll make anyone paranoid. Ah would have thought ye'd unnerstand dat by now."

Then she listened to the Andorian, ch'Rayya. Her expression darkened for a brief second, when thoughts of her biological family came up at the mention of it, but she forced the memories aside quickly, and gave ch'Rayya a gentle smile, "Ye're mah family, Lieutenant," she said quietly, "da crew of the Resolve are mah friends and family. Mah home is wherever you lot are."

And it was true to her. This was her family. The Resolve was her home. She wouldn't be comfortable anywhere else.

[ Captain Hawthorne | Docking Bay | Starbase 84 ] Attn: All

Before the eyes of thousands - the feed being broadcast across the entire starbase - Ian Hawthorne shook the hand of Captain Kendrick, and while the cheers were deafening in the docking bay, he spoke to the returning officer with a voice loud enough to let him hear.

"Welcome to Starbase 84, Captain," he said with the corners of his eyes creased by his smile, "and while it isn't Earth, I hope it is close enough to let you find some respite at long last. I am sure you have stories to tell, and I will send for you, but let me allow you and your crew to come aboard and away from the crows first." Ian eventually let go of Tristan's hand and gestured for the entire crew to step forth with a welcoming gesture with his arm. He would shake their hands, all of those that approached him, and he would welcome them in person. Even the... new additions to Kendrick's crew, species as of yet unseen in the Alpha Quadrant. The sight of the flying creature had brought gasps of awe from the crowd, and Ian had looked at it with an intrigued expression on his face.

Behind Ian, thirty people from his staff awaited them all to help the Resolve's crew. For while the parade was over, the entire crew had personal needs that needed to be seen to and arrangements to be made. The staff would help everyone find their accommodations aboard the starbase, new messages would be forwarded to loved ones, saying that they had made it. While some might need to visit the Infirmary, it had been reasoned that while a few of the Resolve's crew would prefer to sleep in their own quarters on the ship, the absolute majority would be ceasing the opportunity to sleep elsewhere and enjoy facilities that were a bit more extravagant. Therefore, the entire diplomatic wing of the starbase had been reserved to house the surviving crew, where the accommodations had running water, bath tubs and balconies with a view over the open-air community area.

Eventually, the last of the Resolve's crew trickled past Ian and into the welcoming arrangements set for them, which left Ian standing alone next to Lieutenant Dotnihl with his hands folded behind his back and the applause from the crows slowly beginning to abate. He turned his clean-shaven head towards the Trill and nodded to her with a small smile. "Your people handled this well, Komial. There were a few surprises," he said, referring to the creature that had appeared, "but they had their wits about them and did not let any fright overcome them. The crew looked weary, some of them armed, and any provocation might have resulted in a scandal. I am sure you are concerned about them after having seen the state they were in, but I think we should allow the past three years drain from them rather than subjecting them to closer surveillance. If you think it is necessary, then deploy more people to the surveillance centre rather than lining the corridors with security teams. If we show a little trust, then they will come to trust that they are - indeed - back in the Federation again."

And if their trust proves too hard to earn, he thought with quiet certitude as he watched the crew filter into his base, then there is no saying what kind of alliances they had to forge to cross Romulan space, and what kind of evidence might be planted on that wreck of a ship. After all, they would not be the first starship crew that betrayed the fleet and defected to the Romulan Empire...

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[ Two Hours Later | 1200 hrs. | Promenade | Circling the Executive Office Complex ] Attn: F'Rell, Six & Tancredi

Unlike the Promenade of DS9, Starbase 84 had its own street lined with lounges, tailors and shops on one side, where the Executive Office Complex soared towards the top of the great dome that was the Recreation Module. The outer side of the circular board-walk overlooked a vista of parks, rivers and even an amphitheatre. Therefore, it was only natural that the lounges had seating areas overlooking the sight of the green areas.

At 1200 hours, the new guests at Starbase 84 began to leave their luxurious state rooms, travelling up via the Travel Core from the residential levels to the dome. For a certain T'fanrell visitor, the dome would provide ample room to soar and enjoy the open air, especially after spending such a long time in the close quarters of a starship. The T'Fanrell was not alone, however, since given F'Rell's unique presence, the crew of the Resolve was keen to protect her from the impulses of those who bore witness to a T'Fanrell for the first time.

This was also the time when a certain Ensign Starfleet officer from the Security Department was allowed to leave her duties and experiment with her eating. While Six, being ex-Borg, still regenerated in order to sustain herself, she had come to find appetite in regular cuisine. It was also her only time of the day when she could leave her lab for an extended period of time.

Imagine her surprise, however, when she saw the T'Fanrell, since she had been absent when the Resolve docked with the starbase.

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[ Meanwhile | Executive Office Complex | Base Commander's Ready Room ] Attn: Kendrick & ch'Rayya

"Thank you both for being willing to meet with me so soon after your arrival," said Ian as he seated himself behind his desk. He had greeted them as they stepped through the sliding doors to his office, and he gestured towards the replicator. "Please, help yourselves while I give you an update about current affairs in the fleet."

The room was situated in top floor of the offices, which also overlooked the recreation area with its circular Promenade around the Executive Office Complex and the adjacent park areas. Ian's desk was facing away from the panoramic windows, and besides the regular sights of a Commanding Officer's ready room, Ian also owned a large glass display cabinet with hand-painted models of centuries-old spacecrafts of all manner of origins across the Galaxy. Those who knew Ian would not be surprised at the sight, for even those who had never met him might have heard about his hobby and his displays.

The two men present before him were Captain Kendrick and his Chief Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Keval ch'Rayya. The latter had been invited because of the matter that Ian would bring up. "I am curious, however, before we tend to the business at hand, if you have received news about current state-of-affairs in the Alpha Quadrant?"

Ian expected Komial to arrive shortly with the intel he had requested, but first, he wished to know what they had heard so far. That way, he would know exactly what to say, and how he would say it.

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OOC: Quick note about armament on a Starbase. It was established in DS9 that bladed and small weapons could be brought aboard, but that phasers were a violation of security protocols. So, knives are fine, but the phasers remain on the Resolve.

Starbase 84 Blueprints:

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[LT Keval ch'Rayya| Executive Office Complex| Base Commander's Ready Room| Starbase 84] ATTN: Kendrick & Hawkthorne

Krystal's expression darkened for a brief second and then slowly her face turned into a gentle smile, "Ye're mah family, Lieutenant," she said quietly, "da crew of the Resolve are mah friends and family. Mah home is wherever you lot are."

Those words had stuck with Keval for a long time after the various officers, crew and passengers of the Resolve stepped off of their tired ship and onto the nice, clean star-base and those words were still at the forefront of the Andorian's mind as he followed his captain to a meeting with the base's commander, his face pensive and thoughtful while his eyes were always scanning the area for hidden threats or lurking dangers.

But his thoughts kept going back to Krystal's words and he kept asking himself why didn't he have a good response to the young Texan's comment.

Did he have a real thought about returning to a sector of space where he had fought so long and hard to maintain the peace the he actually enjoyed being stuck on a Luna-class ship away from his own people..

Maybe.

Ever since they had returned, he had found his eyes wandering all over the place with questions like the strange woman who was referred to as "Six" who apparently was apart of security along with the rather interesting Trill but was different in a way that made his antenna twitch as he could pick up strange energy fluxes from her every time that she went past which had a couple of people do polite coughs at Keval because they assumed that he was looking at the woman's ass in the tight non-standard uniform.

However despite the best efforts of the base's staff, Keval was a creature of habit and that habit told him to make sure that the pair of QIS that an old shipmate from the Black Hawk had given him for a birthday present was strapped securely to him and ready at a moment's notice...not that he honestly thought that would be necessary..

When Hawkthorne offered them a drink, Keval quickly got a glass of water from the replicator before moving to stand to Kendrick's right side as he shifted his face to thoughtful. "To be honest, Captain. I was curious about that myself along with where does one find a proper game of Kotra around here?"
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OOC Note: A "QIS" is a small, Klingon weapon, specifically a knife with a curved or wave-shaped blade. It was introduced in the reference book "Klingon for the Galactic Traveler" and was pulled by B'Etor on Tolian Soran in "Star Trek: Generations" for reference.

[ Tristan Kendrick | Executive Office Complex | Base Commander's Ready Room | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Ian Hawthorne & Keval ch'Rayya

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Captain Tristan Kendrick was careful to maintain his composure and keep from expressing any signs of discomfort. Having come from a medicinal line, and having a mild interest in psychology, he knew that there was bound to be...discomfort and difficulty adjusting from a three-year long journey where there was no one to rely on but each other and those within the vessel of the Resolve. So when the commander of the Starbase, Captain Ian Hawthorne, greeted him, and the entire docking bay burst into a deafening cheer, the man was ramrod straight, stiff, and formal. Personally, he would have preferred to avoid all this. Noise of such volume only brought flashes of terrifying moments in countless battles. Explosions, death, screams of the dying, blood, the scent of burning flesh, the taste of blood. He blinked once, the only indication of something amiss. He could still hear, see, smell death around him. He needed silence, he needed...what did he need?

"It's more than anyone could ask for." Kendrick said to the captain of the Starbase. He allowed himself and the rest of his crew to be guided by the staff. He made sure the T'Fanrell wasn't harrassed or cornered without any of the Resolve's crew nearby, but he smiled when he saw that young Krystal Tancredi had taken it upon herself to personally safeguard T'Frell as she glided about. The young woman was quite horribly affected by their journey, both physically and a mentally, yet, she somehow held on to her sanity despite the numerous times she had been wounded, captured and tormented, broken, restored, and over and over again. She bore it all. It gave him a sense of hope that they could make it through all this.

One thing was for certain, Kendrick was not looking forward to the debriefing he would have to give. How was he going to put it gently to the people who would be sitting there, looking at him, and asking a battery of questions? The answer was simple: He couldn't. There was no way to state all that had been endured by the Resolve and her crew nicely. They were extremely lucky to have survived at all.

He almost wondered if they would have been better off just dying out there. Everything looked so foreign and different to him. Three years was all that was needed to make him lose his sense of identity.

So when he stood there in Hawthorne's Ready Room, hands clasped behind his back at parade rest, relaxed, thoughtful, Kendrick mulled over the last moments that led to them approaching the Starbase. ch'Rayya's presence was welcoming and reassuring. He didn't fancy being anywhere on this place without at least one familiar face. His lip quirked up on the right side. While Kendrick carried no conventional weapon, unlike many of his crew, who while keeping away their phasers and ranged weapons, still carried traditional, melee, or small concealable weapons, the captain was by no means defenseless. Lining his pockets and strapped on his person all along his arms, waist and thighs were all manner of equipment, mostly medical tech and some scientific gadgetry that he had innovated for use in his journey.

When they began to encounter continuous situations that required crew to be able to defend themselves physically or to switch to aiding one-another in battle, Kendrick saw fit to make certain changes to operational norms, including every one carrying weapons, ordinance and gear at all times. So that was why Kendrick had a small wrist-strapped medical tricorder, glowing with a faint blue holographic projection of a screen on his palm. Still not quite ready to relax, the ship captain declined the offer for refreshments. He noted the man's extenssive collection of ship models put on display, and observed this, making a mental note.

When Hawthorned asked what Kendrick and his people might know about the current state of affairs, he shook his head. Stepping forward, he turned his head slightly when ch'Rayya spoke first, and requested to know where to find a game of kotra. Kendrick smirked, then turned to look back at Hawthorne, "As the lieutenant says, we haven't been kept up to date. I'm hoping you wouldn't mind bringing us up to speed?"

[Ensign Six (https://img14.deviantart.net/51cf/i/2015/255/0/5/six_01_by_auctor_lucan-d91bx0h.png) | Quarters/Lift/Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell and others

At 1200 hours, Six had finally been relieved of duty. She had finished her reports long before that time, and had busied herself with other mundane tasks, such as checking the weapons station, checking in on individuals that might be in the brig, and other menial work that her superior had made her responsible for. All in all it was grunt work. She had better skills that could be put to use than just this, but even on a starbase as large as this, the need for a forensics officer was actually quite rare here. They had little in the way of severely violent disputes, and even less in the way of unusual reports that would lead to the need for her to solve any real puzzles.

It was entirely frustrating. Six had even gone as far as to contemplate a transfer to someplace that would hopefully use her skillset as intended. But she had only been here a short time. She was determined to wait it out if she could, to see if perhaps she might be able to earn the trust of her peers.

Six took the lift up a few decks to her quarters first, eager to change out of her uniform. She rather hated her uniform if she was ever at all honest about her feelings. They were stuffy and confining, which would sound funny when compared to her normal dress which was a full bodied bodysuit. Originally, like her friend and teacher Seven of Nine, she had to wear it to protect her skin and help it heal after having the majority of her implants removed. But after a while of having to wear it, it just became normal and functional, so wearing anything else seemed, unnecessary.

The difference between her uniform and the body suit was that she had more maneuverability in the suit than she did with her uniform. It was lighter weight as well, almost as if she were wearing nothing at all, which, in the privacy of her own quarters, she wasn't opposed to at all. But out and about, when she wasn't on duty at least, she wore her suit usually in neutral or cool colors, like black, grey, silver, and blue. When she changed, it hugged at her every curve, contoured and tight. It didn't take her long to change though, and soon enough she was back in the lift and heading up more decks to the promenade.

When the doors hissed open and she stepped out into the larger open area of the Starbase she was greeted by a significantly bigger crowd than normal. This was her first... event... as it were that she had been part of on the Starbase. Before this, the regular drum of humans and aliens had become a normalcy for her. She knew every regular face in that promenade, the shop keepers, the residents, the frequenting traders that often came and went. It was almost too easy for her to pick out the new faces in the crowds, many of which were likely from the Resolve.

Without thinking much of it, she took notice of all the new faces from an analytical perspective, much like she usually did, logging each face into her photographic memory along with any information she might overhear or any observations she might make about each individual. She took note of names, species she recognized, species she didn't, weapons and lack thereof ~including some of the less 'legal' ones~, mannerisms and movements, attentiveness and nature. She observed all of it, even some of the quizzical or offhanded looks that were directed her way.

As casually as a Borg could, even an ex one, she strode to her favorite vendor in the promenade. This was one person that was actually quite kind to her, a Betazoid by the name of Daanal Gei that made the most delicious food she had tried. And she had tried many. But the more she tried, the more she became partial to plants, fruits, and vegetables, not finding a taste for meat. Daanal made something called an Uttaberry Crepe with a cream that was sweet and palatable. As much as she liked to experiment with new food, Six had found a favorite here with Uttaberries.

Daanal smiled at her like he usually did, quickly preparing her what he knew she had come for. They spoke briefly for a time, about nothing in particular, despite the fact that he was rather good at telling what sort of mood she was in even though she was very good at hiding it. As she ate and spoke softly with the man something caught the corner of her eye, something blue, and fluid, but the glimpse was so small she couldn't place what it was.

Moving from the vendor to look around where she had seen the blue being, her eyes searched the crowds, her calm, quiet voice asking, "What was that?"

[ Ian Hawthorne | Executive Office Complex | Base Commander's Ready Room ] Attn: Kendrick & ch'Rayya

When the Andorian officer asked about where he might play Kotra, Ian appreciated the humour and chuckled. "I am sure you'll be able to find it somewhere along the Promenade, Lieutenant," he said, and then turned more serious. "I suppose you better hear it from me, and you can chose how to best break the news for your crew."

With a deep breath, Ian moved to the transparent aluminium panels that overlooked the view of the Recreation Dome, and he spoke with his hands folded behind his back. "You arrived here through Romulan space, so I am sure you have witnessed their civil war first hand. Senator Tal'aura is the new Praetor with the support of Fleet Commander Tomalak, having eatablished the Imperial Romulan State. Commander Donatra, the CO of the Warbird 'Valdore' openly opposed Tal'aura's new reign, and she rebelled with the accumulated force of the Third and Fifth Fleets. Then you have the the Reman people, who have laid demand for a continent of their own on Romulus - finding it due compensation for hundreds of years of slavery. In answer, Praetor Tal'aura put a blockade on Remus, cutting of food and medical supplies. Three factions are now at each other's throats, and the outcome yet unsure."

Ian turned to face his two guests with a concerned frown, eyes lowered to the floor. "If it were only so well that the Romulan situation was confined to their side of the Neutral Zone... It isn't, unfortunately. Back in 2379, led by the USS Titan, five starships were dispatched to the Neutral Zone in order to begin diplomatic negotiations with the Romulans, trying to mediate an end to their Civil War before it gained any kind of traction. The USS Theurgy - a Theurgy-class ship just out of the fleet yards - was one of the ships. The Commanding Officer was a Chameloid by the name Jien Ives, and during this one and a half year of diplomatic talks, it is believed that the shape-shifter defected to the Romulans."

Pausing, Ian walked over to his ship models, and he looked at a Theurgy-class ship sitting there. "The diplomatic talks failed, and our ships returned to the Sol System. Whether or not this was Ives' fault or not, it is impossible to say, but an investigation on Captain Ives was already underway - Starfleet Intelligence providing Command with reports on their findings. The information is on a need-to-know basis because of the sensitive nature of one of our Commanding Officers defecting, and I was granted the same information as I am now providing you." Carefully, he opened the glass cabinet and picked up the Theurgy-model in his hands. "This past November, the Theurgy fled Earth at maximum warp. Captain Ives must have caught on to the investigation, and Starfleet Command immediately ordered pursuit. Yet when intercepted, the Theurgy opened fire against us. If there was any lingering doubt about the shape-shifter's innocence, it died when the starships that came in the Theurgy's was way not only disabled... but even destroyed."

There were hundreds of lives on a single starship, and Ian let the gravity of what he was saying settle in.

"As the extended pursuit failed, and the body count rose, the security clearance of any kind of information rose with it. The original ambition was obviously to circumvent media attention, but the Federation News Network got a hold of the story anyway. It's kind of hard to cover up the death of so many of our officers. The Theurgy-class was a testbed for the Federations most cutting-edge technology, and it has shown just how sharp it is when it was turned against our own. After two months of pursuit... The Theurgy got away, leaving behind thousands of mothers, fathers and children in grief, the FNN having Starfleet Command in a proverbial guillotine and the President demanding that we get our house in order. Captain Ives whereabouts is currently unknown."

As he had said this, Ian had walked back to his desk, and he set down the Theurgy-model on the desktop. He jabbed a finger towards it. "This is now the fleet's top priority. Evidently, Ives has been falsifying records for months and sending encrypted messages to the Romulans. Our hidden weapon silos have been compromised, with the Theurgy supplying the Romulan factions their coordinates. Military research labs in the Alpha Quadrant have increased their security tenfold, but still the Romulans have gained access to high-grade tech and weaponry. The media is conducting its own investigation at this point, and all sorts of rumours and reports are flying about in public. At this point, even I can't tell you how many ships have been destroyed by the Theurgy, but images of the dead and reports of the damage are detailed. Some of the damaged ships even made it here to Starbase 84, and I have seen the destruction... and the bodies... with my own two eyes."

Falling silent there - with the ship model on the table before them - Ian let the two returning officers digest what he had said... and ask their questions.

[ Tristan Kendrick | Executive Office Complex | Base Commander's Ready Room | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Ian Hawthorne & Keval ch'Rayya

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Kendrick's posture started to become more rigid and guarded again as he glanced at his tactical officer, then looked back at Captain Hawthorne. He suddenly realized that the situation was more precarious than he could believe. Maybe they weren't really home yet. After all, they had encountered all sorts of things in their journey, including things that could make people see and believe in illusions completely. But there were things said that he didn't know about, and those beings that made illusions could only use what was already in a person's head.

"Seems like we've jumped out of the fire into a volcano...I've heard about the Theurgy," said Kendrick, "that's beyond terrible. And if this Captain Ives has already exposed so much, have we got any kind of countermeasures in place?"

His mind began working over, and he watched Captain Hawthorne carefully, and the little model of the Theurgy-class ship which he'd set down on the desk, "We'd seen some signs of the Romulan problems, but you have to understand, with our ship practically limping along, we did our level best to stay out of sight, and out of detection by Romulans, so that meant we gained very little intel on them as well."

Kendrick had to mind his words carefully. He just realized that Hawthorne was talking about a captain who'd defected to the Romulans and had been causing so much grief for the Federation as a whole, and then the Resolve came limping out of the Romulan Neutral Zone? It wasn't lost on him how easy it would be for the man to point a finger at him and have him and his crew incarcerated. It didn't help that a lot of them were carrying weapons of one form or another. No, now he really had to thread carefully. He didn't want to sound like an easily-manipulated zealot, nor did he want to sound unconcerned.

"Captain, considering what you've just told me, I would like to request priority on the repairs for the Resolve. We're practically located at the border of Romulan space, and if Ives is transmitting information to the Romulans, there's a high chance the Theurgy would be coming here, or at least passing close by. I don't particularly like the idea of being caught with my pants down. My crew and I have developed some interesting tactics over the last three years. I'm sure the Resolve can surprise Ives and his ship if they show up here."

While he spoke, he was already formulating plans in his mind. It bothered him a little how quick and easy it was for his mind to shift into battle-readiness. Maybe he was too used to it. But he was also certain about his ideas. After all, he didn't know too many ships that could match Tribble Squadron, his personal band of fighter shuttles. No doubt anyone who heard the name of the squad over communications chatter would find its name laughable, but that was what they relied on, for people to underestimate them. He also planned to talk to ch'Rayya as soon as they had time alone. They weren't out of the woods yet.

[ Drauc T'Laus | Brig | Starbase 84 ]

Drauc paced his cell muttering to himself, his voice sounding like gravel being crushed.

The thoughts of those damn guards were so loud, he could have been asleep and still heard them. Drauc stopped pacing stood up straight as he watched the opening as a guard came into view.

'Ah jeez, he is staring again i hate it when he does that and i think he knows it.' thought the guard, but said, "What are you looking at, you Romulan trash? I think the captain should've just launched you out an air lock."

Drauc made no response, but he derived some kind of entertainment from the way the guards looked at him when he laid his eyes on them. Drauc twisted his face into a kind of grin as he began to slowly walk towards the guard and the force field. He reached his scarred right hand up and stopped it just inches away from the force field, just as he could feel the faint buzz and crackle of the energy on the palm of his hand.

[ F'Rell of the 12th House | 1200 hrs. | Promenade | Circling the Executive Office Complex ] Attn:Six & Tancredi

After several months of being cooped up in the Resolve it felt good to be able to stretch out a gain some real height as F'Rell flew around the center of the promenade. It also gave her the ideal view to look down at all of the people, the humanoids staring up at her as she moved through the air with ease. Though it was comforting to not need to be put through another barrage of tests, the looks of the people below reminded her of how alien she was to them. It made her want to fly higher, out of their grasp. It was her own degree of paranoia, left over from years of carefully observing these humanoids, she had seen the darkness these beings were capable of.

Then she spotted a being that she had not expected to see. A pang of fear shot through her and she almost fled, but instead controlled herself. Everyone seemed to be looking at her and not at the being that in her eyes was the truly dangerous one.

The Borg had never attacked the T'Fanrell home world, whether it was because of the extreme degree of biological differences between the T'Fanrell and the Borg's usual prey was unknown. However as the T'Fanrell had been able to observe the Borg for some time they knew how the cybernetic lifeforms operated, and rightly feared them. It was lucky that most T'Fanrell ships were so fast as it prevented any degree of contact with the Borg beyond simple observation on both sides.

In any event when F'Rell saw the Borg on the promenade she could not help but both be terrified and curious. She found herself drifting down toward it, moving in closer to get a better look. Her curiosity had obviously won over any fear or hesitation. Her long whisker like tendrils began to vibrate and less than a moment later words came from the small communicator she held. The voice from the communicator was articulate, but emotionless. =/\= Greetings Borg =/\=

[LT Keval ch'Rayya| Executive Office Complex| Base Commander's Ready Room| Starbase 84] ATTN: Kendrick & Hawkthorne

When Keval heard the news, his antenna flattened somewhat as his eyes narrowed in thought because this was dire news indeed and already the part of his mind that was always in a tactical mindset was already weighing in what he knew about the standard class of the Theurgy' ship and everything.

Keval simply downed the rest of his drink before returning it to the replicator and moving back to stand next to his captain, both of his hands at the small of his back as he continued to process the information. "Captain Hawkthorne, I must concur with my captain on his request. While the Calamity class is capable of a multi vector combat situation, the Luna class' sensor suite is rather more adapt at tracking multiple combat vectors than say an Intrepid or Galaxy class ship." the chan explained, weighing in with what he knew from memory.

At this point he turned to face his own captain, "If I am provided with the most current tactical information about the Theurgy and her crew before she went broken arrow, then I might be able to help formulate a much more..stronger situational plan." he said, his face turning into his usual Cheshire Cat smile when he was onto a thought process.

But the smile went away just as quick as the phrase he used really started to sink in.

Broken Arrow.

Once used by the military of the United States of America to describe the situation when they lost or had one of their nuclear weapons stolen which was then adapted by the United Earth Starfleet, the Coalition of Planets and then the United Federation of Planets as the situational code name for when one of the capital ships of Starfleet went renegade or was stolen.

The most famous case of this was in twenty three eighty eight when Admiral James T. Kirk with the assistance of some of his senior staff stole the USS Enterprise and while the original NCC One Seven Oh One was lost, Kirk's mission was a success...

This thought made Keval's eyes narrow somewhat and that was never good.

Keval's attention flicked back to his captain and nodded in quiet agreement. "I can only give possible tactical outcomes, nothing major at this time. Apologies, my captain."

[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Promenade | Starbase 84 ] Attn: F'Rell & Six

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Tancredi's head craned to follow the T'Fanrell's movements or flight pattern rather. She smirked at the alien's expression of joy. Well she assumed that F'Rell was a little happier, being able to go higher than a few meters as she was constricted to in the Resolve. Then the alien was suddenly drifting downwards. She had heard a voice questioning what the T'Fanrell was. But considering that she suspected it wouldn't be the last time she'd hear that question, she hadn't paid it too much mind, until her eyes settled one a Borg. Her eyes widened. Her thumbs instinctively hooked back into the front of her belt as she sauntered over to get closer. The Borg was clearly not an assimilated drone. She was talking, of her own free will, from what she could tell.

"Heh," she grinned at F'Rell, who greeted the Borg woman by identifying her race. "That, ma'am, is a T'Fanrell, doubt ya'd find another like 'er 'round these parts. Ye're a liberated Borg, eh? Nice ta meetcha. Name's Krystal Tancredi, Or Meony. Ah'm from the Resolve. That's mah friend, F'Rell."

She nodded her head at the T'Fanrell when she introduced the alien to the Borg. While F'Rell was no doubt more than capable of communicating on her own, Tancredi wanted to assert her sense of unity and closeness to anyone who was crew, and therefore, family. She didn't trust anything outside of the Resolve, and certainly not a Borg.

[Ensign Six (https://img14.deviantart.net/51cf/i/2015/255/0/5/six_01_by_auctor_lucan-d91bx0h.png) | Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell and Tancredi

As the blue creature came into sight once more and lowered herself toward her, Six immediately recognized the species, but even still her curiosity did not ebb. The borg had a designation for the species, but that was all they had on the species, a number, nothing else. As the being came closer, Six handed back her plate to Daanal, thanking him softly before turning her attention back to F'Rell and the other woman that was fast approaching her.
 
With hands firmly clasped behind her back she stood straighter, her head high with a blank look upon her face. The blue being spoke first, and shortly after the other woman spoke as well, Six's gaze following from one to the other as they each spoke in turn.

When the latter had finished Six responded coolly, "Yes, species 7176. I admit I know little about them, but that will soon be rectified." She glanced back over at the being a moment before speaking again. "I see you have no bone structure to speak of, and according to my readings you consist of mostly nitrogen." Cocking her head to the side a little she looked almost puzzled for a moment, as if she were trying to compare the T'Fanrell to something perhaps familiar to her. Her eyes glimmered a bit as she seemed to find something within her memory to do so with. "You remind me of an Earth species. Something called.. a jellyfish," she finally finished.

Without thinking, and not by any means to be threatening, she reached out with a hand toward F'Rell as if to touch her with a fingertip, her face etched in curiosity as she moved to answer a query in her mind. "I do wonder, do you have stingers like a jellyfish?"

[Lt Hi'Jak (https://orig03.deviantart.net/94e6/f/2015/265/a/e/hi_jack_02_by_auctor_lucan-d86nthi.png)| Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell, Tancredi and Six

"Actually F'Rell is a lot more like an eel than a Jellyfish Notice that F'Rell can direct flight and The lack of bone structure usually means a planet with a higher gravity, which would also explain the evolutionary traits of floating through the use of Nitrogen, darker or aquatic worlds often develop the luminescence." The voice came from the table beside Six's and belonged to a young half Klingon male who turned watching the conversation unfold. The assistant chief science officer for Starbase 84. He turned to join the table putting his plate down next to Ensign Six, and across from the member of the Resolve crew.

"Greetings, I'm the assistant chief science officer aboard Starbase 84, Call me Jack." He gave everyone a rather happy smile, as he looked between everyone at the table, and then his eyes linger on F'Rell he had been trying to figure out the mysteries behind her for about as long as he had been having his meal and watching her. It had purposed a great challenge though his years of studying alien wildlife and animal behavior across worlds had certainly helped him pin down some of the more genetic traits, the one he was struggling the hardest on was gender. Of course he could figure out that the race had genders, it was usually a mated pair one to lay the eggs, the other to inseminate. "I'm gonna make an educated guess that you are a girl F'Rell." Assuming this because he didn't see any way that she would inseminate an egg, so that meant she had to lay them...

He shook his head and turned to face the other two members of the conversation. A rather attractive human red head, and of course Ensign Six, the borg on the station. He knew her, mostly because she was the forensics officer aboard the Starbase and he had the keys to all of the labs, and kept tabs on the various teams that worked them. That and Six being a reformed Borg was a bit of a station celebrity. "How have you been today Six?"

"And nice to meet you as well Tancredi." He gave the red head a soft but what he thought counted as charming smile.

[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Promenade | Starbase 84 ] Attn: F'Rell & Others

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When the Borg moved, Tancredi's body very subtly tensed, and she stopped moving, but her hands were positioned, so she could withdraw her belt buckle knife in a flash if she needed, buying her time to reach for her much more dangerous dagger concealed behind her. Only her attempts at placating herself stopped her from actually withdrawing and exposing her armaments. After all, Borg or not, if she were truly a threat, then would not the people of Starbase 84 mentioned something about it? And furthermore, she had never seen a Borg that ate food. Watch the paranoia, watch the paranoia...repeat until physically ill. She thought to herself.

Her eyes narrowed into slits, but her gentle and warm smile remained, while she analyzed every action that the Borg took. She let out a soft snort when the Borg, she later learned was named Six, inquired if F'Rell had stingers like a jellyfish. She had been about to make a comment when she heard a voice, and whirled around quickly, this time her left hand clearly whipping out from her belt to reach behind her, only stopping herself just milliseconds from grasping the hilt of her dagger. Since she was still standing, she had unhindered reflexes. It was another man belonging to Starbase 84, and her smile, with warm and inviting eyes, remained. She did her best to pass her action of reaching for a concealed weapon as an attempt to scratch her back instead, while watching the two Starbase personnel like a hawk, all while looking like a friendly young woman. But she was on high alert now, and feeling a little outnumbered.

She listened to the man called Jack, who was the assistant chief science officer. So he had a scientific curiosity for F'Rell. Tancredi hoped the T'Fanrell was doing okay. Being non-humanoid, she had a hard time reading her friend's state of mind. But she was protective, maybe overly so, for the alien, and she eventually might give warning signs of high paranoia and post traumatic stress disorder if she flinched and reached for hidden weapons every time a voice surprised her, so she forced herself to take even, calming breaths. Not once did her smile and warmth lessen, deceptive though it may be, the young woman had years to practice smiling even when great pain was inflicted on her, or when she was frightened. Never would she show how she felt inside. Too often she had been betrayed, or her trust used against her. Save for the crew of the Resolve They were the only people she trusted. And Captain Kendrick. She wished he'd brought her along with him to wherever he was now. Most likely he was hobnobbing with the Starbase commander at this moment. In which case, bringing her would probably be a bad idea. That thought made her smile a little more genuine, as she thought with amusement how much she'd easily rile up the station commander.

"'owdy, Jack. Real nice to meet'cha," said Tancredi, "could'ja point a gal ta somethin' strong enough ta knock a bull over? Ah'd be much obliged."

She figured she'd need a drink at this point, and if anyone else was going to join the gawkers, Tancredi was going to have at least a good pint before she got hauled to the nearest brig...or airlock. She mentally shook her head. The paranoia was getting bad. She was assuming the worst of every situation, even here.

[LT Komial Dotnihl | Docking Bay| Starbase 84]

Komial felt, more than saw, Cpt. Hawthorne step up next to her, as they stood, watching the bay empty out. She had her hands clasped behind her back, oddly reflective of the way Ian stood, though not in the slightest bit intentional. She nodded her head, demure, accepting his praise in stride. She was proud of her peoples performance. And well aware of their public roles, she kept it at just that nod, and the smallest of smiles. The trill followed her Captains words, drinking in the sound of his voice while keep her expression steady. A wonderful tenor, always inspiring, something she'd felt from the moment she'd set foot on SB84. Ok, maaaaybe a little hero worship.

And now was not the time for that. Her smile slipped, returning to a professional neutral. "They're armed to the teeth, as much as they can get away with, Sir." She was less then pleased about that, but she understood it. Or at least she liked to think that she did. This was her starbase, her home, and not all that long ago, terrorists had snuck primitive gas propelled projectile firearms - guns, in short - onto her station. None of the Resolves crew had gone that route - the base sensors would have lit up like a Terran Christmas Tree - but it still set her on edge.

"Discretion, sir," she said softly. "We'll keep a discreet eye on them, I promise. Nothing overt, and nothing to make them feel like caged animals, just a few more eyes, like you said. They're heroes, they deserve better than that." Maybe put that rookie on it she thought, something to keep the wet behind the ears Borg out of her hair.  With that thought, the two stayed standing, watching as the cleaning crews came into the bay, before they both went their separate ways, one leaving a few minutes after the other.

[Two Hours Later | Executive Office Complex| Base Commander's Ready Room| Starbase 84 ]Atten: Hawthorne, Kendrick, ch'Rayya

Once more in her regular duty uniform - not that damn stiff necked dress tunic - Komial stood with her lips pursed as she tapped the PADD against her hip, riding the turbolift up from the Security section towards the Base commanders office. Captain Ian Hawthorne's office. An office she had been in many a time before, to be sure. A place that, at first, had always felt like going to the principles office. Now though. Confidence teased a smirk onto those lips, instead of the thoughtful pucker they'd had before.

The smile betrayed some of the thoughts running through her mind - single mind, no sharing here, thank you very much. A multitasking mind to be sure, but there was just Komial. No past lives or experiences trying to crowd out her thoughts.  But as she exited the turbolift and headed across to Cpt. Hawthorne's office, she pushed any of the more personal thoughts and reflections away, and focused her mind instead on the intel she'd been asked to bring. It was...not as complete as she'd like, but then, given the subject matter, there was only so much that they could put together.  Truth was, it had her on edge, the content of that PADD, and rightly so.

She walked into the office like she belonged there, all confidence and swaying hips. Her eyes glanced at the two new men, Captain Tristan Kendrick, tall, light of skin and dark of hair, and then to the Andorian Lt. ch'Rayya with the red collar next to him. "Reporting as ordered, Captain," she said to her superior, then, when his head nodded, she then addressed the guests. "Captain Kendrick, Lt. ch'Rayya, good to see you both again. Welcome aboard." Komial was a diligent officer, and had take her time to review the personnel files on hand for the crew of the wayward starship, from the moment it came into sensor range and made contact.  The former, was easily recognizable at this point. The latter had drawn her gaze two hours before, briefly, during the transfer to the starbase. Two warriors sizing each other up, neither found to be wanting, at least at first blush.

Short pleasantries were exchanged, and then, at a word from her CO, she approached his desk and handed over the PADD she'd brought up with her. "As requested, here's all the Intel we have on the...current state of affairs, sir." Discreet applied not only to her observation of the Resolve's crew, but to what she felt comfortable saying, even in Captain Hawthorne's presence. She didn't know what Cpt. Hawthorne had already told his two guests, but she knew the data she'd passed on just now was anything but good. The situation with the Theurgy had compounded, and add to that, certain raids...

"Shall I stay for the debrief, or...?"

"Thank you Lieutenant, that'll be all. We'll meet again later to go over this in detail ourselves," Captain Hawthorne said, dismissing her as he settled the PADD she'd delivered down on a corner of his desk.

"Aye aye sir," she replied, perfectly satisfied with the bald shaven officers response, "Gentlemen," a nod to the two officers from the Resolve, before turning on her heel and marching back out of the office, with a slight sashay of her hips. It was only once she was back in the turbolift heading for Security to check up on one of the Starbase's less heroic guests, that she let herself smile that secret little smile.

[Two Hours Later | Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84]Atten: Drauc

Komial came into the brig and frowned at the scene, her eyes darting from the man at the security station to the one standing closer to the force field than she liked. What was the name he gave...oh yeah, Drauc. The fact of the matter was, having that Romulan on her station had set the Trill on edge.  The recent raids on Federation stores, the defections - plural, all of it rattled around her mind, and despite how much she was looking forward to the debriefing later, the sight of the prisoner just irked her.

Bad enough the poor Resolve came limping back out of Romulan space, but with that traitor Ives and his stolen Theurgy having defected... Visibly shaking her head, Lt. Dotnhil marched across the room. "Don't antagonize the prisoner, Mackenzie," she told the guard, rapping him on the shoulder with the edge of a PADD, that she scooped off a table on the way across the room. Then, pointing the same grey data slate at the man currently under guard, she snapped off, "And you. Be careful, or I will arrange that second trip out an airlock, just you watch."

She crossed her arms under her breasts, boldly eyeballing the man. They sure botched the cosmetic surgery she thought to herself, eyes lingering now on the surgical scars on his forehead. When the man had first boarded the station, he'd come off as a Vulcan.  The timing of it all was just too much. Her grip tightened on the PADD now tucked under her arm. It wasn't just the Theurgy they had to worry about, not any more. Ian will not like the summary on that report She kept going in circles, playing it all over in her mind, Theurgy, Harbinger, missing stores.

"You'll be pleased to know, Mr. T'Laus, that your stay here in these wonderful accommodations offered by Starbase 84 has just been extended," her tone was pleasant, but her thoughts were anything but. "Unfortunately, you're ride has been delayed. Something about a blown plasma transformer. You and my officers here will just have to suffer on somehow."

---

OOC: every chance I have missed something here, or have Komial knowing more than she should. Please let me know if anything needs to be changed, much appreciated.

[ Drauc T'Laus | Brig | Starbase 84 ]

Drauc pulled his hand back from the field, and stared at the new advesary, giving the female a dead pan stare.

"I suppose you meant that as a joke, and you can stop pretending to be nice." As he spoke he started to file all the information he heard from her in his head stuff to look over later. He stared at the female on the other side of the field, not bothering to try and hide it. Was that her smell?

It reminded him about someone, though it was no Trill. An image flashed before his eyes.

T'Mei.

Drauc eyes widened. As the image started to fade, he jumped forward with all his strength, smashing himself up against the force field. He found himseld screaming in rage and started to beat his fist against the field.

Then... Drauc stopped. He turned suddenly and threw himself head first into the wall to stop the pain he knew was coming. Oblivion was preferable. The last thing he heard before he hit the wall was the surprised intake of breath from outside the force field.

---

OOC Note: Jack ass thinks he is so tough is the last thing he heard from the one that killed his brother he was caught off guard.Also it should be noted that he is just going to pretend to be unconscious.

[ F'Rell of the 12th House | 1200 hrs. | Promenade | Circling the Executive Office Complex ] Attn:Six, Tancredi, & Hi'Jak

F'Rell's silvery eyes studied the humanoids as they spoke. The translator in her appendage vibrated softly as they spoke, translating their words into her own language. She had picked up some humanoid words, but she was not so good as to be able to fully understand them without the small device. It was a crutch, but one she still required.

When she at last spoke again she decided to address the questions directed at her first. Her long tendrils vibrated and the voice came from the translator. "I am what you might consider female, though gender is different in my race than in yours. And no, I do not have any sort of self defense mechanism akin to a stinger. On my home world there are very few natural predators as the unique makeup of the planet does not allow for much diversity."

In an instant she reacted to something. Her eyes seemed to darken slightly and the lights on her sides flashed. A moment of panic, though it quickly faded. She had spoken of her home world and given away what could be valuable information. Around a Borg, even a liberated one and humanoids with minds bright enough that given time they could figure out a great deal about her home world. Though as she relaxed she realized there was not any information that could give an exact location.

Though as she looked around she worried that her panicked display might have caused more stress to those around her. So she lied. "Sorry, that was what you might call a sneeze." The voice showed no emotion and she was pretty sure that those around her would not be able to tell the difference in the vibration of her whiskers like tendrils for it to matter.

[ Ian Hawthorne | Executive Office Complex | Base Commander's Ready Room ] Attn: Kendrick & ch'Rayya

When Captain Kendrick had asked about what kind of countermeasures had been set in place, Ian Hawthorne raised a hand to casually indicate a round shape. "This station had been fitted with a tachyon defence grid, which will effectively alert us of anyone trying to come close to the station, and give us plenty of time to scramble our defences, not to mention alerting the entirety of Starfleet about the threat. This is a border station and we are fitted with the latest communication tech. We are the last line of defence against a Romulan invasion, so if we would call for help... rest assured that our call will be heard and that all available fleets will come to our aide. Yet as for the threat of Ives handing out classified information, you better ask Starfleet Intelligence what kind of counter-measures they are resorting to in order to preserve the integrity of Starfleet's research and weaponry."

Of course, Captain Kendrick and his Tactical officer both asked to have the Resolve repaired as swiftly as possible in order to lend a hand in the rare event that the Theurgy would opt to try and pass one of the fleet's Orunal-class starbases on his way into the Imperial Romulan State. Ian was already one step ahead of them both. "The Resolve needs sufficient repairs in order to return to Earth's space dock for a complete refit, so you needn't worry, your ship is a priority. Propulsion, shields and replenishing your photon and quantum magazines are measures already scheduled to commence today. I doubt, however, that Ives would try to take on a station of this size."

The Andorian asked about information on the Theurgy, and that was - of course - something Ian would provide. It was essential to the pursuit of the renegade Captain, and the whole fleet knew the technical specifications of the Theurgy by heart at that point. "Naturally, I will send you both the specs and the logs from all incidents where-"

Before he could finish, Ian heard the chime of the door and he gave the two gentlemen an apologetic smile before he bid Komial to enter. He had asked her to bring the latest intel report, and she was a welcome sight... in more than one way. After she had exchanged pleasantries with the returning Starfleet officers and given Ian the PADD, he dismissed her kindly with a perfectly veiled invitation - face straight and he even frowned after he picked up the datapad and began to peruse the data.

"I have just received verification on something that has been running rampant all over the news across the Federation," he said, and he sighed - going to his chair to sit down. He ran a hand over his face, and the obvious agitation he should be feeling easily showed. "Evidently, Captain Ives was has not been working alone. The classification barriers were raised swiftly after the first battles and sent the body count over the hundreds, but now, we know for certain. An Akira-class ship commanded by Captain Declan Vasser, the USS Harbinger, has also defected to one of the warring Romulan factions, working together with Ives to keep their traitorous enterprise running. It makes sense, I suppose, that Captain Ives has managed to slip out of our grasp. He had help, and Task Force Archeron just confirmed it."

Lowering his hand, Ian leaned back in his chair. He raised his brown eyes to look straight at them. "Admiral Sankolov and his Sovereign-class ship - the USS Archeron - has been the lead hunter pursuing the Theurgy, and he has been commanding a whole fleet solely dedicated to the apprehension or destruction of Ives and his crew. He has been hounding Ives since the beginning of December, fought him dozens of times, and he has managed to sustain heavy damage on the Theurgy before Ives managed to vanish in the Borderlands."

Gesturing towards the PADD in his hand, Ian continued to tell them what had happened not even two weeks past. "This says that Sankolov managed to intercept the Theurgy at Theta Eridani IV, and that the Harbinger was sighted right there by its side. It is official now. Captain Ives and Captain Vasser are in this together. Even worse, they managed to get away from the Archeron and Sankolov's entire fleet - almost completely undamaged. The fighting began, and then - without warning - the entire fleet was forcibly powered down - left adrift. All bays and hangars were de-pressurised, shedding personnel, fighters and shuttles to the solar winds. Life support systems were restored with auxiliary systems, but it was only today that they managed to re-establish communication with the rest of Starfleet - having spent over a week in the dark. Ives and Vasser's whereabouts are still unknown."

As if that was not ominous enough, Hawthorne wasn't even finished. He set his hands on his armrests, as if securing his balance before he continued. "Ives and Vasser are not just sending coordinates on to the Romulans. They must be raiding research labs themselves. Either that or the Romulan faction they are taking orders from are providing them with unknown technology. How else could they pull something like that off?" Gesturing towards the PADD on the desk, clearly upset, he continued. "Evidently, they used Task Force Archeron's sensor data exchange network to spread a virus through the entire fleet - disabling every starship and killing everyone in all those shuttle bays without firing a single torpedo. Yet as if to put insult to injury... both the Harbinger and the Theurgy had vanished before the virus took effect - raising state-of-the-art phasing cloaks to escape the single barrage that the Archeron managed to launch at them."

Ian let the implications sink in, letting them animate his face as they came to him. "They broke the Treaty of Algeron. The Romulans that Ives and Vasser aren't working for will know about it sooner or later. There is no question about it. The civil war beyond the Neutral Zone won't remain there. The Romulans are coming, and if the wrong side looses over there, they will come here claiming that Ives and Vasser weren't traitors at all, but working for the Federation all along - preserving our interests in the outcome of the strife in Romulan space. That two Federation starships broke the Treaty might just be the catalyst for the next Galactic War."

Ian covered his eyes with his hand, a slight tremble to his fingers. "My apologies, I-" he swallowed and put his hands down on the desktop, straightening himself in his seat. Eyes lined with worry, he looked at the two officers before his desk. "It is better I tell you than you hear it on the news. I am somewhat personally invested in this development. Both my daughters were on those ships, and I have no idea what has happened to them. I refuse to believe they are traitors, and the alternative is that they were killed. All I know is that Lisa was on the Theurgy, and Cameron was on the Harbinger. I have not heard from them since this whole nightmare started."

Keval's attention flicked back to his captain and nodded in quiet agreement. "I can only give possible tactical outcomes, nothing major at this time. Apologies, my captain."

[ Tristan Kendrick | Executive Office Complex | Base Commander's Ready Room | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Ian Hawthorne & Keval ch'Rayya

[Show/Hide]

"It's fine, Keval," said Kendrick, "I'm sure we'll get more tactical info in due time."

When the Trill officer entered, the Resolve's captain straightened up, standing at attention. He said nothing to her greeting to him and his Tactical Officer, merely nodding in acknowledgement, with a tight, polite smile. There seemed to be something going on between the Starbase commander and the Trill, from his discreet observation, and she certainly was easy on the eyes, but he had no appreciation for beauty at the moment, his mind only playing out mental simulations for an encounter with a Theurgy-class warship, bristling with the latest technology and weaponry. Then he had to take into consideration all that Hawthorne had to say on the matter.

He wasn't a particular fan of Starfleet Intelligence, so when the Starbase commander suggested he ask them what they were doing to safeguard their secrets, he couldn't help but wonder if he really felt any sympathy for their plight. But if those secrets reached Romulan, Klingon, Cardassian eyes and ears...well, that was a different matter entirely. Thankfully, Hawthorne was indeed placing priority for the repairs to the Resolve's shields, weapons and engines. ch'Rayya would be happy to be getting the specs on the Theurgy, so would he for that matter. The sooner they could identify the weaknesses of this ship...

His eyes briefly widened when he saw Hawthorne's expression. They had more bad news? An Akira-class escort cruiser was allied with Ives and the Theurgy? Well that was great. Was he building his own renegade fleet out of Federation officers? This was worse than he thought and he shot his Andorian officer an alarmed look, well recognizing the look he had. Narrowed eyes. Kendrick's expression was unreadable to all but his closest companions, including ch'Rayya. Say very little. Very, very little. The information was all well and good, but something was...off.

A whole task force, a fleet of starships were dedicated to hunting down the renegade vessel, now with an ally, and they broke the treaty of Algeron...the task force was incapacitated by a virus? Just how resourceful was Ives and Vasser? If a task force couldn't harm them, would they really find a Starbase and a mangled Luna-class starship a deterrent? But Hawthorne had a vested personal interest in both renegade ships. "I'm sorry to hear that, captain. I personally hope your daughters are well and alive."

He started slowly pacing, thinking as he walked, "This sounds very much like something Romulans would try. Their ever-scheming ways and subterfuge. But it seems rash, especially at this time, in light of what you've told me."

He glanced at Hawthorne, "The hull of the Resolve also needs reinforcing. Over the last three years, the bridge has suffered frequent attacks and damage. Right now, it's so loose, a stray asteroid can knock the whole bridge off from the rest of the ship." A slight exagerration, but it would imply how dire the ship's condition was.

"Thank you for letting us know about all this, Hawthorne. I can only hope that the task force is back on the path of those renegades," said Kendrick, "I know how the loss of even one life can affect a commander. The burden of responsibility upon us is heavy, sometimes unbearable."

He imagined those people and their last moments as they were sucked out into the vacuum of space, and then he remembered the losses he himself suffered, in the countless battles he had to lead the Resolve through. He had to forcefully blink and clear his mind, then he turned to look back at ch'Rayya, quietly gesturing with an expression that they needed to talk somewhere private. "There's a lot to process...and I would like some time to rest and recover. It would seem like we are far from done with our battles." He said to the Starbase commander, "Before we go, is there anything else you want to tell us?"

[LT Komial Dotnihl | Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84]Atten: Drauc, medical?

Komial listened to the man and did her level best to repress the little snarl that wanted to work its way across her lips. She just crossed her arms a bit tighter under her bust, and raised an eyebrow in an impeccable impression of a Vulcan.

What happened next was fascinating, and then some. She sucked in a sharp breath as she watched Drauc suddenly lash out at the force field. "What the..?" She asked, her words echo'd in the thoughts around her. Then he smacked his head into the wall and dropped like a rock and her mouth popped open for a moment. "Sunova - get me a medkit," she ordered out, tapping the badge on her chest with her right hand, her left pressed to the wall by the security field.

"Komial to Sector General, medical emergency in the brig." With those words, the Starbase medical hospital - so much more than a simple sickbay - would be notified and a medical officer would be scrambled, sent down to the brig with as much haste as could be mustered.

Procedure's needed to be followed after all. She spared a moment for a dark thought at the paperwork this prisoner was going to cause her.

"Was there anything, anything in his file that indicated he was prone to seizures?" She spat the question out at her security team, as Mackenzie tossed a medkit towards her. She caught it out of the air and snapped it open on the floor, fishing the tricorder out and popping it open. "Ah hell, field's interfering. " There was no heat in her tone, just a thin line of frustration as she frowned, watching her prisoner on the floor.

"Drop the field, Mack. You and you," she pointed to two of the nom-com guards that had come rushing in when she'd sounded an alert. "Phasers drawn, target the prisoner. Just in case." She wasn't going to take any chances as she waited for her orders to be filled. A chorus of "Yes Ma'am's," rang out and then the field was gone with a snap-hiss. Komial wasted no time, stepping over the threshold and dropping to one knee at Drauc's head, tricorder once more open, medical wand in her left hand as she ran it over his forehead, frowning at the readings coming up.

[ Ian Hawthorne | Executive Office Complex | Base Commander's Ready Room ] Attn: Kendrick & ch'Rayya

When asked if there was ought else that needed to be said, Ian took a deep breath and shook his head. "There are plenty of details to all that has happened during the past three years, besides the current threat of Ives and Vasser," he said in reply and got back on his feet behind his desk, their first meeting at and end on the returning Captain's request. "None of it, however, isn't something you can't look up yourselves through our station logs or from Starfleet Command. Then again, you can just download the latest news from the FNN if you want to see how things stand now in the Federation. At least you have my warning to prepare you for the brutal media coverage of our current affairs."

Walking around his large desk, Ian shook Kendrick's hand, followed by ch'Rayya's. "Again, welcome back, gentlemen. I am sorry that you didn't return to more pleasant times. We will speak again soon, but rest assured that your ship is in good hands, and that hull of hers will be in pristine condition for her voyage back to the Sol System."

Stepping back to his desk, Ian picked up the Theurgy-class model and seated himself - not watching them as the two officers from the Resolve left his office. The grieving father, he was turning the model over in his dark-skinned hands when the sliding doors closed behind them.

When they did, he raised his eyes - and only his eyes - to stare in their direction.

---

OOC: Vystori is about to post with Six on the Promenade. RedBaron is next to post with Drauc in the Brig. DocReno can begin the private conversation between Tristan and Keval as they walk the station.

[Ensign Six (https://img14.deviantart.net/51cf/i/2015/255/0/5/six_01_by_auctor_lucan-d91bx0h.png) | Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell, Jack, and Tancredi

Each movement, each subtle gesture, each reactive tension or lack thereof was not lost on Ensign Six. For the briefest moment a sort of sadness crossed her face when she noticed the tension in Tancredi's form, a reaction that she was all to use to, but still disheartened to see, even if it was rather well played off. Like the young woman, Six also played off her expression, quickly reverting back to the neutral look she often portrayed, hands tucking back again behind her as she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin.

Just as she stood back into her typical position a familiar voice chimed in from the table not far from them. Lieutenant Hi'Jak got up and walked to where they all stood, or hovered as the case may be, her eyes glancing over at the Lieutenant to give him a courteous nod in response. "I'm doing well Sir, thank you. I hope that you are doing the same?" she replied formally before F'Rell responded in kind.

Just as soon as she had though, a strange look came over her, her sides flashing like a species equipped with bioluminescence. Six tilted her head at the sudden change in coloration and was just about to ask when F'Rell excused herself for sneezing. It was quite intriguing to say the least, and the information that was given to her was permanently stored in her memory banks now, including the reaction to the 'sneeze'.

Eventually she turned her attentions back at Tancredi who now seemed to be interested in knocking over bulls. Six quirked a brow at the woman, seemingly interested in her desire to rough up the male bovines. "You wish to knock over cows? What is the significance of this? Do you derive pleasure from such things?" she asked Tancredi, quite curious as to the woman's interest in activities.

[ Drauc T'Laus | Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84] Atten: LT Komial Dotnihl, medical.

He had failed. In agony, Drauc waited for what felt like eternity - all his senses on high alert as the aftermath seized him. Over the years, it had never gotten any easier.
He heard the force field come down it sounded like a cannon going off. He felt rather then heard each step the Trill took to get closer to him. He felt her drop to a knee next to his head...

...and like a viper, his left fist struck her right shoulder with enough speed and force to spin her around. Years of training was kicking in. He flipped to his knees and slid over to Komial, wrapped his arms around her in such a way to where if they didn't know any better it would look like they where lovers, and she couldn't move her arms to get anything.
  
Drauc whispered in her ear, "You are shaking a bit. Is this the first time someone has got the drop on you?" Drauc let go. With a small shove and a push from his legs, he ended up about to the back wall of his cell - staring at the Trill. Now, they both knew he could have killed her, but he chose not to. Slowly, he lifted his right arm, indicating his left temple, bloodied from the impact with the wall. "Would you could be so kind as to have the medical team have a look at this? It does hurt."

[LT Komial Dotnihl | Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84]Atten: Drauc, medical?

The readings didn't give her quite enough warning, sadly, and the pointy eared bastard got the drop on her. The fist snapped out and she felt the impact against her shoulder like a rock. Trill were no more or less physically capable than a human - which was to say from a biological stand point, and a considerable disadvantage against more constitutionally stacked races like Klingons....or Romulans. Races such as Drauc's. The hammer blow staggered her back and the medical tricorder went flying. And the prisoner was fast. Komial barely had time to suck in a breath before his arms were around her.

Her fingers reached back, grasping, brushing feather light through his hair as his hold forced her chest out. She planted her feet and tried to twist to no avail. A Trill curse broke past her lips as her heart beat ticked up considerably. The angle he held her at placed her squarely between the phaser emitters of her crew and him in turn. The embarrassment was unfathomable for the chief, and sadly, brought back angry memories. This was not the first time someone had gotten the drop on her, and in an instant, she was back, deep in the bowels of the starbase, pursuing Cardassian dissidents. It wasn't a tricorder that had flown from her grasp, in her minds eye, but her phaser, kicked from her hand. She felt the heat of a plasma conduit pressing against her back as the muzzle of the gun came down to bare on her. It was a different heat in her minds eye, than the bodily warmth of Drauc, pressed in a firm line along her body. It wasn't his words that registered, but the cocky tones of a fanatic, "The True Way will once more cleanse the universe of your alien taint, Federation whore," the hand before her barely wavering, the finger squeezing the mechanical trigger -

Komial was pushed forward and the moment broke. She rolled, crouching as she came up facing the Romulan with a snarl of pure rage on her face. It was all she could do not to turn around and lash out. She wanted, oh she wanted, to spin, to kick the smug bastard square between the legs before bringing her knee up into his face. The way his nose burst into a crumpled mess, green blood splattering his face and her pants - it was almost real to her, that vision, but she clawed it back into her gut, held it in and smothered the fire. Slowly, she stood, and glared, his words finally running through her mind. It made no sense, he made no sense, and her snarl stayed in place.

Before she could speak again, the medic arrived, in a rush, looking around, confused. The young Tellarite's nostrils flared as he smelled the tension in the room, as much as saw it, and carefully approached, medkit in hand. "If you'll excuse me, Lieutenant?" He gestured towards the prisoner whose held the bruised wrist up. "I don't think that constitutes a medical emergency. Are you sure you people aren't wasting my time." Though his words could be insulting - from a Tellarite, insults were their native way of diffusing a situation. Not that it didn't irk the Trill, and the gaze that Lt. Dotnihl fixed on the poor medic would have made anyone quake.

"He faked a seizure. Fix him, but don't bother being gentle about it."

[Lt Hi'Jak (https://orig03.deviantart.net/94e6/f/2015/265/a/e/hi_jack_02_by_auctor_lucan-d86nthi.png)| Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell, Tancredi and Six

Tancridi's tensions were completely lost on Jack who took both of the women's words at face value. To him Tancridi's smile was complete and honest, she was a little attractive, and that was about it. He found F'rell's sneeze to be a little concerning wondering if something had aggravated her alien biology though considering that she used a device to breath he was doubtful, either way as far as he was concerned this was a pleasant conversation.

He gave a small chuckle as Six completely missed the words. He never understood that with the logical races, they were also messing up their wordplay and you think that for a woman who had an entire universe worth of encyclopedia's in her brain she would be accustomed to a little wordplay every now and than. Still he didn't judge her too hard for that.

"She means she wants a strong drink Six, it's an earth phrase." He looked between the girls finding it amusing that out of all of them it was him the half Klingon who got to explain that kind of thing. F'rell could be forgiven but between Six and himself he was pretty sure that Six was more human than he was.

"Anyway,  Tancridi you should really pull up a seat. If you want a good drink to try why not try Chech'tluth (http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Chech%27tluth) It's a little smoky but if you can pound it down it should knock you around a little. As my father would say best served before any battle." He gave a small grin, out of all the things he did from his old home the one thing he had enjoyed were the beverages. The food left something to be desired, Mo'ch was... well best not said about it was for the better, but the drinks had a sting to them that human food didn't. "The replicators know it... I made sure of that."

[Drauc | Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84]Atten: LT Komial Dotnihl

Drauc had no smile on his face as he looked at Lt. Dotnihl. He had absorbed her experience.

"My apologies, I did not know it would bring back bad memories." His voice seemed to strain as if he was in great pain. Drauc knew it was not from his arm that was but a pinprick in comparison. Drauc looked at her not with pity or sadness but with respect, "What happened after he pulled the trigger?"

While his eye focused only on her the Tellerite medic began to work on his temple, it was a minor cut, nothing that a quick run over of the autosuture couldn't fix. The medical officer was half tempted to leave the bruise behind, but after a quick pass of the autosuture it was gone.

"Now if you don't mind I've got more important problems to deal with." The Tellarite's tone was curt, but not impolite. And with that the alien disappeared back out of the cell.

The guards had looks of pure hatred on their faces and without even bothering to read the one's mind he was pretty sure the guard was considering shooting him anyway. The force field snapped back into place, separating them once more.

[Ensign A'vura | Main Engineering | U.S.S Resolve]

A'vura was still on board the Resolve as the crew disembarked to partake in the celebrations, as an Operations officer she simply couldn't leave her post... Nor let the Starbase's repair team ruin her repair filing system. She had prepared a detailed list of what needed to be completely replaced or fixed once back in Federation territory and she'd be all too happy to boss around eager repairmen if meant getting her ship back in order.

She was happy to direct some of the repair teams around to show them some of the more complicated problems that had been bugging the ship, well her, for the past few months, "Without the proper equipment it's been rather difficult to not having to reroute half of the ship's relays down into pretty much three decks... Data transfer has been so slow, it's a compl-" she was cut off by a couple of gasping crewmen in the back of the group she was directing, having confronted them she learnt about the situation with the Romulans, the Theurgy and also the Harbinger. She was rather confused by it all but allowed them to go back to work. She knew she had to inform the Captain Kendrick, not knowing he was already being debriefed she assumed he'd still be celebrating along with the others.

[An hour later | A'vura | Starbase 84]

A'vura was happy to be on board the space station, she was happy to simply wander around aimlessly without an objective to accomplish or knowing what was in every corridor. She had been able to memorise the entire layout of the Resolve over the three years she had served aboard and was eager to be lost, although the notion did seem strange to her. The celebrations were still on going when she arrived, many of SB84's crew were busy trying to ask her questions and all the new adventures she got to experience but she had a mission she had to complete. The very notion of a Starfleet officer willingly comply with an order to kill another of their own was enough to make her stomach churn, the Captain had to know.

She didn't exactly want to approach anyone and appear a fool for not knowing where she was going; the previous notion of being lost quickly lost its charm. She huffed and sighed as she went around corner after corner trying to find Captain Hawthorne's office but without luck she continued to wander around the deck. Following sign after sign she still appeared to have no luck finding her way around the ridiculously large starbase. She still couldn't quite believe what she had heard, of all the things she had experienced and with all the losses she had to suffer during the three years she was out there she could have never pictured one of her crewmen to turn on one another.

[ Top Deck of the Drydock Section | Traffic Control Offices ] Attn: Nyla

The slightly curved corridor ahead of the Orion had doors on the left hand side, and on the other, the windows showed her that she was high up in the drydock section of the starbase. If she would look out the windows, she would be looking down on top of all the starships and shuttles that were moving about inside the mushroom head of the base. The height would be unsettling for some, with a drop of more than a hundred decks until you reached the cold gravity nullifier plates at the bottom. That was, of course, unless you collided with one of those shuttles or workbees that milled about on the way down.

In her wandering, and because of the size of the base, the Orion had yet to find the travel core so that she might leave the drydock section, and had in her search for her Captain and the base commander's office - where he was supposed to be at - mistaken the traffic control areas for the executive offices in the recreational dome. Easy mistake if one hadn't been to an Orunal-class station before, and the offices behind the doors - while sometimes visible through transparent aluminium walls in some sections, were filled with people that she could not speak with - her access through the doors being denied by the starbase computer voice. All she could do, was to wander on in hope to get out of the corridor and to the travel core. With her combadge not yet synchronised with the base's computer, she could not ask for help either, much less communicate with someone.

Then, suddenly, she saw someone, the first person she had seen in the past five decks she had been circling - barred as she had been by the winding rows of closed doors. She saw him only from afar, but his trade was unmistakable. He had a yellow engineering jumpsuit, dirty as most were. Clearly a deck hand working with the maintenance of the bays far below, the grime and oil trademark for his duties. Yet what was he doing all the way up there? He didn't see her at first, moving carefully and looking through every glass wall that showed the busy offices before moving along. He wore a black knit cap low over his ears and eyes, and he was empty-handed save for the bulging pockets of his jumpsuit.

Then, he spotted her behind himself - pausing his step as he looked at her across the length of the winding corridor. With almost eighty feet separating them, it was impossible to make out any facial features, but he was clearing looking at her from underneath the edge of his cap.

Then, he began to run away from her.

---

OOC: Location is by the letter "L" - the Traffic Control Offices - in this map here:

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[ Ensign A'vura | Top Deck of the Drydock Section | Traffic Control Offices ]

A'vura had always hated heights, not for the height itself but for falling. One too many times on her little adventure away from home caused her to fall down ditch after ditch, ledge after ledge and as she walked across she felt her nails dig down into her skin to try and keep her composure. She had been looking for a single person for at least an hour now, she thought that the Captain would know by now and simply wanted to get to somewhere less transparent.

She had attempted several doors and each time she heard the same monotone voice reject her access, to which she simply muttered "You little bitch." under her breath. Having had enough of the computer, she wandered around the deck looking for anyone she could find. She was getting rather agitated with having wasted so much time and could only think about what mess the repair teams could be doing to her ship... The Captain's ship, she had to correct herself numerous times after trying not to get too possessive with it. The Resolve after all was simply beams and bulkheads, beams and bulkheads that she had poured hours of her free time into helping stick together and become more efficient; after a while she even began to have small conversations whenever the ship agreed or disagreed with command prompts.

She was getting off track, but eventually her mine snapped into focus when she found one of the ship workers. In truth she had never met one before and was unsure how to address him, instead she'd wait for him to turn around to offer him a large friendly and beaming smile that would let him know she needed him. She was quite surprised however when the man began to break into a sprint, perking a brow she began to jog after him to which she wasn't quite sure what she'd do if she caught up with him. While running, she tapped her combadge and called out, "Security to the-" she sighed out as the line was dead, remembering that her badge wasn't yet synchronised.

Deciding things may have to take the harder approach, she broke off into a sprint after him... Hands met corners as she launched herself into the next corridors, hair was tied up and she took a good look of what she could see just in case he got away.

[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Promenade | Starbase 84 ] Attn: F'Rell, Jack Hi'Jak and Six

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"Ye're a gem, sugah," said Tancredi, winking at the half-Klingon, then nodding at Six and F'Rell. She started making her way over to get the drink recommended by Hi'Jak. She had initially been about to answer Six, a look of genuine surprise and disbelief on her face, but Hi'Jak had saved her the need to do so, and she had given him a grateful warm smile that might have actually been real. That didn't mean she trusted him any more than the next Undine.

She went to the replicator and said, "Chech'tluth."

Hi'Jak wasn't joking when he said it was smoky. The drink looked strong enough to be used as fuel for a Valkyrie. Perfect, she thought with a wild grin. She took the drink and returned to join Hi'Jak and the Borg woman. Settling down with a smooth motion and swagger, the girl sat like a brute, suddenly losing most of her feminine charm, not that she cared for it, and raised the drink in toast to the two Starbase personnel and F'Rell, then downed it in one pull.

"GAH!" said Tancredi, her eyes widening and her throat constricting for a while, and she felt almost like retching, but she forced it down in a battle of will. Then she grinned at Hi'Jak, red-faced, "Well that put some 'air on mah chest, fer sure. Compliments to yer pop and you. Y'all know yer stuff."

She wheeled her head to look fixedly at Six, "Ah don' literally 'ave hair on me chest, ma'am. Just another sayin', is all."

[Lt Hi'Jak (https://orig03.deviantart.net/94e6/f/2015/265/a/e/hi_jack_02_by_auctor_lucan-d86nthi.png)| Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell, Tancredi and Six

Jack couldn't help but smile when Tancredi called him sugar, there was something to her smile that he kinda liked. As she pounded back Chech'tluth however that attraction was a little more so. There was something fine about a woman who could enjoy a good hardy klingon drink. "Damn I wish you would stick around I need a good drinking partner." He said with a soft chuckle.

Turning to F'Rell he was once again curious about her biology. "What about you? Do you do drink or eat anything? What about foods? Any good cuisine where you are from? I'm always curious when it comes to foreign worlds. The exotic menus are always so fun for the palette."

He paused for a moment asking all of these questions about other worlds had got him thinking, not just about F'Rell's unique biology but also about other things. Chech'tluth best served before a battle, he chuckled for a moment and shook his head. "I'll hand you the receipy so that you can program the replicators on the Resolve from what I've been hearing it... you might need it sooner rather than later."

Hi'Jak paused for a moment tapping his hand across the table. Clearly he was entrenched in thought, as far as he knew he was sitting with two ensigns, and a civilian alien. How much of this information was he actually allowed to talk about? "I have a few friends on the repair crews, was supposed to meet two of them here for lunch today, but the priority repairs have everyone in a panic. I don't know all the details but it seems like they want your ship to get back up and running ASAP, and they are running engineers ragged to do it, but that's not all that's weird going on about it... Rumor has it we caught a Romulan. He's down in the Brig I got genetic samples from him on my desk this morning."

There was a clear smile across his face that he had problems suppressing. He had grown up on stories of the star empire, and working out here in the neutral zone... Well it was always something to think about. He shook his head. They might as well know everything and it wasn't like he was good at holding back information or even knew all the critical stuff to begin with. "In all honesty, the Resolve showed up at the worst time. This whole system is going mad and it's mostly because of the star empire. I don't know everything but they are in the midst of a civil war. Now for the Romulans that's nothing new, the star empire changes hands about as often as the Federation hands out promotions. This time however the Remans are getting involved. Warbirds that would normally be patrolling their side of the neutral zone aren't even showing up, of course they could just be cloaked we don't actually know, and from what I've been hearing there is an entire blockade around their own planet. Whats more there's this traitor ship." He struggled for a moment to remember the name and then simply shook his head.

"It is a Theurgy-class vessel all decked out with shiny new experimental toys that they don't let people talk about, and it's Captain went rouge right in the middle of it's mission. All in all I think we might be looking at the next Federation War or at least a fairly good fight."

[ Top Deck of the Drydock Section > Subspace Acquisition Grid ] Attn: Nyla

Eventually, the chase led to one of the intersections between the outer corridors, where one might dash into the interior corridors of the offices, and with the head start the man had on A'vura, chances were he'd be able to vanish in any direction he wished after that. And true enough, when she got there, he was gone. She would have to pick up the pace if she was ever going to catch sight of him.

Unless... of course, he had gone into the Jefferies tubes behind that grate in the corner of the intersection. A grate which looked suspiciously loose. Upon closer inspection, it was actually not fully closed, and that closer inspection - her approaching it - immediately caused a distinct reaction behind the bulkhead. Shuffle of feet. Tapping noises. As if someone climbed a ladder as quickly as he could.

The choice boiled down to the Orion's sense of duty, perhaps, since if this suspicious person was up to something, and she did not try to pursue him, he would get away, and station security would likely never be able to find him. She had been too far away to describe him, and with the unrest beyond the Neutral Zone, and the rogue Theurgy-class ship that she'd hear about, this might just be a piece of a puzzle that Starfleet could not afford to loose.

A pity she couldn't have brought her phaser aboard the base, but if not apprehending the figure she'd seen... perhaps she could learn what he was up to?

If she climbed the ladder behind the grate, she would likely reach the bowels of the base's primary reactors and the lowest levels of the unmanned subspace communications towers - the soaring structures on top of the base that made it able to communicate with the rest of the Alpha Quadrant and warn the Federation if the Romulans invaded.

The ladder led to another grate, which had been opened and left ajar in a hurry. The Jefferies tubes continued upwards into complete darkness, but there were no sounds of anyone climbing above her. Nor were the crawl-spaces to her left and right touched, with a film of dust still there - undisturbed. In all likelihood, the mysterious figure had gone out through the grate.

Outside, the Orion would see the high ceiling first, the slanted panels on top of the base's structure that acted as the acquisition grid for all subspace communication. The sensitive receivers that were able to pick up any kind of external signal and interpret it into the data-feeds that permeated the entire station. Below the slanted ceiling, the area was clearly not meant to receive any diplomatic officials. Machinery and tubing laced the deck plating in all directions, yet wide apart, just so that one might tread through it all. The size of the dimly lit area below the reactors and the communication towers might have felt like you were a tribble, and you had just climbed into a maintenance access point below the Resolve's warp core. The Orion was completely surrounded by the circuitry and the data storage banks, not to mention the antimatter tanks and tubing for the reactors up top. The electric hum that could be heard on starships was five times as loud below the colossal acquisition grid panels.

In this vibrating air, hearing anything was a challenge, and the light was poor. Hiding places were numerous, but the figure had made mistakes before, provided she kept her eyes open. But what if he attacked her? Could she defend herself? The chase had now definitely become a game of Kal-Toh...

---

OOC: Location can be found below "A" in Sheet 1, and underneath the panels at "D" in Sheet 7 (left half being the top view of the base):

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[LT Komial Dotnihl | Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84]Atten: Drauc, medical?

At first, his words didn't register with Komial as she coldly observed the Telleriate medic administer treatment to the prisoner. But confusion slowly crawled across the Trill's angry countenance.  She glanced at the guards, trying to sort out what Drauc meant just then. Bad memories and pulling the trigger? Neither of her men had been about to shoot the Lieutenant just then, though clearly all were thinking about simply stunning the Romulan - once the doctor finished - to shut him up and keep him out of their hair for the foreseeable future.

He was talking about the images that had flashed across her mind when he'd held her as a shield. How!? She swallowed, face paling considerably as comprehension dawned on her features. Sudden worry about what might have been revealed, what errant thoughts could have slipped past her mind and into his - not just her personal ghosts, but classified thoughts, the security report she'd handed off to the captain just before heading down here. That was enough to make her sick on the spot.

"Mack," she quietly called to one of the guards, whom still had his hand on the grip of his type-II hand phaser, the mans dark fingers caressing the underside as he resisted the urge to just zap, falling back on the rigorous Starfleet Security training and discipline instilled in him. She didn't dare take her brown eyes off the prisoner's, thought she wondered now if the captive man knew - knew - what she was about to order.

"Yes, boss?"

"Contact someone from the counseling department - a telepath, please. It seems Mr. T'Laus is something of a mind reader." That little revelation hit like a bomb, and everyone else in the room straightened up. A wide variety of thoughts along the same general theme of "oh shit" flashed through the assembled minds, and Lt. Dotnihl wondered how Drauc would react to that.

Drawing a slow breath through her nose, she then answered the question that the Romulan had first posed to her. "I didn't," she answered softly, "or well, it wasn't anything I did that resolved the situation. No cunning or bravery on my part." She wrapped her arms around her stomach for a moment, recalling that moment in crystal clarity, the boot that caught the hand of the Cardassian and in turn sent the firearm skittering off - even as the bullet tore into a conduit near her head, sending sparks and derbies into her hair -  the alien's aim thrown away at the last minute.

"Captain Hawthorne stopped the terrorist." She said simply.

[ F'Rell of the 12th House | 1200 hrs. | Promenade | Circling the Executive Office Complex ] Attn:Six, Tancredi, & Hi'Jak

So many questions, it almost annoyed F'Rell, but she knew it was to be expected of a scientist. There was always more to be known. She knew the feeling well, she would have asked just as many tiresome questions if she had not learned much of humanoid behavior whilst on the Resolve. However she did not at that moment feel like speaking about her own biology.

"My dietary requirements are in my personnel file. I can request you be sent the information on my biology if you so wish," came the emotionless voice of the translator as her long whisker like tendrils vibrated.

With that out of the way F'Rell instead decided to address the other topic he brought up. "The Romulan Star Empire is in a state of disrepair. It had been in a state of near stagnation, but now that, as you might say, the pot has been stirred new factions and ideas are arising. Given the amount of instability I highly doubt they should be viewed as much of a threat," came the translation. She gave her analysis as if she were speaking to her own people, giving a standard threat assessment. "Though it is always possible that rogue elements may amass a great deal of strength. Further observation is required."

[ Ensign A'vura | Top Deck of the Drydock Section | Subspace Acquisition Grid ]


A'vura was getting rather agitated with the chase, she had expected cake not a rather anti-climactic slow action chase through a starbase she had no idea how to navigate. She had been looking around the interior offices for a while now, well the ones that allowed her access. Attempting to enter the third office with no luck she growled out in anger and decided to turn suit.

Tugging on her uniform she broke off into a speed walk, eyeing every possible exit point finding a rather loose Jefferies tube, hearing the man scatter along the metal she immediately raced after him and pulled open the door with a little more strength than needed; crawling after him she climbed down the ladder to the communication hub.

She was certainly out of her depth; she was an academic not a fighter. She had been in many phaser fights and a few hand to hand spars when on away missions but searching for someone in a dark room without any sort of indication where he was did not quite meet her skillset. She had tread slowly through the various machinery and looked around every noticeable place that could house someone - she was nervous and rather eager to complete her search so that she could leave again.

[ Below the Subspace Acquisition Grid ] Attn: Nyla

The hum that permeated the entire area quickly became deafening, and the ability to pick out anything else diminished by the second. Yet for the man she had pursued, it didn't matter. He didn't need to hear her... because his dark eyes were staring straight at her.

From underneath the edge of his cap, he was glaring into the back of her head, and he was closing the short distance with a mordant stride - bearing down on her from behind. She had no means to hear him before he reached her. He wouldn't give her any chance to defend herself. Darkened eyes glinting, he struck without mercy. A brutal kick straight into the back of her knee unbalanced her completely, and he wrapped his arm around her delicate neck in an unyielding choke-hold.

"Nei'rrh!" he barked into her ear, and there was no universal translator installed into this area of the base. He did not care the least. He straightened, and as he stood tall, he was suspending her in the air with his hold around her neck. He let her trash all she wanted. It would not matter. Nothing mattered any more. She had compromised him, and she would pay dearly for it. The entire operation had depended on him not being spotted as he made his way up the communication towers. The Orion surely had crew and superior officers that would miss her, so he needed extraction.

His thoughts were racing just as quickly as the female's heart was, and he ground his teeth while he let the fight drain out of her. Her struggle against the inevitable raised dust, made it dance around them. As he waited for her to die, he observed that she was lithe... and quite limber. With the certainty that he was to leave the station, an idea came to him. An impulse born from the countless hours of his cruel and demanding assignment. It was his time to reap some benefit from the ill fortune of his orders.

He choked her until she was right on the edge of passing out, making her disoriented and docile to handle. Then, he whirled her about with a ferocious snarl, and he threw her up against the cold surface of an antimatter tank. He stepped after her without pause, and with precise movements, he pinched both her wrists into his hard grip, and he slammed the fist he had made around her wrists into the tank high above her head - leaving her suspended from his callous grip.

"Au'e..." he rasped in approval as he eyed her figure in the dim light, and he bared his teeth in a grin. He tilted his head as he took stock in her appearance, and decided that he could indeed spoil himself before he left the station. It was rarely he would get an opportunity to sample an Orion woman, much less one of such a delightful figure. "Neth nei'rrh ... nah'lai saavik..."

His face was beaded with sweat after the chase, so for sake of comfort, he raised his free hand to remove his knit cap. As it slipped from his head, he felt the air against his unkempt black hair, and his pointed ears were released from confinement. His sharply ridged forehead was also beaded with sweat, and his unkind stare was made all the more demonic by his thick, up-swept eyebrows. While bitter, it was his cold conviction that he could do whatever he wanted to her. He was Romulan, and would reap the rewards he could.

"Sthea'hwill... qiuu," he said after the cap fell from his fingers, and his hand traced down her front... slowly going for the apex of her legs.

---

OOC: Here is the translated transcript:

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[Ensign Six (https://img14.deviantart.net/51cf/i/2015/255/0/5/six_01_by_auctor_lucan-d91bx0h.png) | Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell, Jack, and Tancredi

Six listened intently to the conversation and how it seemed to switch so easily from one topic to the next. She was about to open her mouth and inquire about Tancredi's latest turn of phrase, but she quickly seemed to realize that Six might find confusion in it and answered her before she even had a chance to ask.

Then the topic switched to something that she was more privy to aside from idle rumors and chitchat, being that she was security personnel. "Yes, we did in fact capture a raiding vessel and one of the raiders is in custody."

She mulled over her words carefully, filtering through the information that she knew to be classified and that of which was public knowledge. "As for the USS Theurgy, it was one of five ships that entered the Neutral Zone in order to start negotiations with the Romulans. It did not go over well. Captain Ives of the Theurgy defected to the Romulans, or at least that was what was suspected when investigations into him began. After returning to Earth, Ives apparently found out about the investigation into him, and fled, with his crew, and the Theurgy vessel. Starfleet obviously pursued Ives and his crew, but those ships sent after him were all but destroyed. His actions only seemed to solidify the notion that he had in fact defected and had betrayed Starfleet."

Six paused after a time and glanced up at the others around her, her face still rather expressionless despite what she had just relayed to them. There was more to it than that, that she was sure, but this was about all she knew of the situation as far as facts were concerned and not just media propaganda. "I haven't been given much more information than what I just said. The only other thing I do know is that it is imperative that Captain Ives and his crew are stopped and that the Theurgy is once again in the hands of Starfleet." She did know some other bits of information, though it was knowledge she was not willing to share aloud. Ives was compromising cutting edge technology and weapon silos to the Romulans, it would be devastating public knowledge if the FNN learned about it.

Regretfully though she thought it time to excuse herself, "Thank you all for your time today, it's been a pleasure," she said with a hint of a smile that might look forced as she was not used to doing so, though for once she really did mean what she said, "however, I regret that I must use some of my free time to regenerate. If you'll excuse me, Lieutenant," she finished, nodding politely to those present, formally dismissing herself to head back to her quarters where her regeneration station had been installed.

[ Ensign A'vura | Top Deck of the Drydock Section | Subspace Acquisition Grid ]

A'vura was quickly gaining a headache as she went deeper, squinting as she couldn't rely on her ears for help and the majority of the room was pitch black bar from the glow from small lights on doorways and the anti-matter tanks themselves. She raised her arms in a rather defensive position, happy enough she decided to take those Shaolin lessons from Lieutenant ch'Rayya after all.

Confident in her abilities, she had no expected an attack from behind and was quickly overwhelmed by her attacker. She yelped out in both fear and pain as she felt the harshness of the man's boot collide with the back of her knee. She whimpered out as she hit the floor, a certain type of numbness going through her leg that made it impossible to run away.

She was completely at the man's mercy now, even more so as her wind pipe was slowly becoming crushed by his grip from his arm. She was trying to cry out, but she could feel the blood collecting in her head and it felt as though she was ready to explode. Her hands scrambled and scratched at the man, anywhere, she needed to be free. When it looked as though it was all over she finally felt release as she gasped for air, coughing out from how harshly he had pressed against her.

Her whole body felt heavy, and she was too weak to even pick up her arm never mind throw a punch. Having the petite frame she did, she was rather easy to throw around and quickly found herself facing him directly. While her arms went over her head she shook in her head in what little defiance she could offer, her eyes watering somewhat as she almost had an instinct of what was going to happen next.

She tried to focus on what he was saying, those harsh cruel words barely sounding out over the loud hum that still rung in her ear. She had no idea what he was saying, but she could probably tell they weren't that friendly either.

A'vura looked down to try and regain some sense to her mind, looking back up her eyes were wide with surprise at what the man revealed to her. With the recent rumours of the Romulans and now having met one running from her, she had a rather good idea of how this was going to play out... Or did she? She gasped as his hand came forward, recoiling a little as she wondered at first what he was thinking, but it soon became very obvious. As his hand lowered she pleaded, whimpering out while shaking her head. What a day to wear a skirt, she thought before cursing herself for making jokes in a moment like this. Her knee rose, hoping to come into contact the man's own privates as she tried as hard as she could to shake her body to free her hands from his grip.

She gritted her teeth and even spat at him as his hand continued to drift lower, crying out for help but she knew there was little chance anyone would come.

[ Below the Subspace Acquisition Grid ] Attn: Nyla

In futility, the Orion struggled to free herself, but with his grip, he had her wrists in a vice. She was merely hurting herself with her efforts, while he was free to slip his hand up the edge of her skirt and feel her womanly gate through the fabric of her underwear - kneading the sensitive area. No more had he gotten that far than she tried to drive her knee into his groin, a feeble effort he twisted away from, but it got his hand to leave her.

"Rha?" he said in mockery to her attempt, and used the same hand to open up the front of her dress uniform, parting the pristine layers of cloth with deft and brutal movements. She spat at him, but it only caused him to chuckle. Her spit was not going to discourage him. Not when her exotic green skin was laid bare, along with the cloth that covered her chest. The vision of her body stirred him, and he curled his upper lip in appreciation.  He tilted his head, the dim light outlining his a pointed ear. He hooked her bra with his thumb, pushing it up until it caught underneath her arms. Her globated breasts spilled free in the movement, and he sucked a breath through his teeth at the sight.

He was just about to shove his calloused hand up her skirt again when a distinct vibration began in his jawbone. Irritably, he wanted to ignore it, and lay his mouth to one of those dark and puckered areola - to use his mouth for else than talking. He snarled quietly, but in the end, he put two fingers against the side of his neck, and when finding the implant, he pushed it once, opening the channel.

[Jolan tru, Auroto.] It was the computerised voice again, translating what was being said on the other end into his native language. [Aihr Aidoann.] The voice was heard through vibrations in his inner ear. Hearing who it was, he wanted nothing rather than to tap twice and close the channel, then he'd continue what he wanted to do to the Orion girl... but the voice in the communication was adamant. [Hfai. Hwiiy?]

Ripping his eyes away from the woman's body, and since she was at his mercy, he made it clear how she had to be silent by pressing a finger against his own lips... then he pressed the side of his neck again while he spoke. "Yhfi-ss'ue.... N'ventnar. Auethn."

There was a long pause at first. Then, the translated voice was sharp. [llhusra veruul!] He was not surprised at all with the reaction. Yet instead of answering, he slowly leaned in against the Orion, and he was just about to take one of those dark nipples that pointed at him into his mouth. But the voice spoke again. [H'ta-fvau, bruchon!]

His ire quickening, his fingers returned to his neck and he spoke instead of tasting the Orion. "Au'e, prod! Hwiiy hrrau hwaveyiir!"

There was a pause, and when the voice spoke anew, the intonation was changed. Dangerously low. [Vaed'rae. Neth lleiset... Nah'lai ma'l arik. Ssuej-d'ifv?]

The poorly veiled threat made him snarl. "Ssuaf-ha? Rha?"

[Rh'e.] A single word from inside his head. Hearing it, he was starting to understand the reality of the situation, and the Orion was nigh forgotten. His heart was beating in his ears, and it was not because of the running or the Orion woman.

"Daisemi'in," he said, swallowing, "regghai, sthea'hwill h'ta-fvau galae. Vaed-" He was not given the chance to finish his request, because the voice spoke again, in a tone so cold it made the hair at the back of his neck rise.

[Ta krenn. Hwiiy, rh'e... auroto.]

That was when he felt it, the implant in his neck heating up - searing pain cutting through his spine. He let go of the Orion, staggering back from her a couple of steps. His breath driven out of his lungs by the crippling sensation, he tried to scream, but only some kind of animal mewl came out. He clawed at the side of his neck to try and get it out, knowing in horror what was about to come, but it was too late. In just a couple of seconds, the charge was armed, and the detonation came as a kind of relief.

The last thing he saw was how everything was spinning, and with a wet impact, he ended up on the floor. He was looking up at his headless body, swaying there in smoke and rusty green blood... before it also toppled over.

Then he saw no more.

---

OOC: Here is the translated transcript, which will come into play for when A'vura meets Drauc T'Laus - him being a mind-reader and able to understand what was said. The white sections is where the Romulan spoke, and what A'vura could hear. It would be hard for A'vura to retell the pronunciation well enough for an accurate translation, but Drauc, on the other hand, can catch everything through her vivid memory of what she has just witnessed. Without further a due, here is the translation of the conversation, with the Romulan's voiced words in white:

[Show/Hide]

[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Promenade | Starbase 84 ] Attn: F'Rell, Hi'Jak and Six

[Show/Hide]

When Jack complimented Tancredi's ability to down Chech'tluth, the redhead figured she impressed the Klingon side of the man. Smiling evenly, she raised her empty cup to him, and leaned back, taking a moment to recover from the effects of the drink. She felt her tensions starting to ease a little, thanks to the drink burning through her system now, but nevertheless, her jaw tightened slightly when Jack began bombarding F'Rell with questions. She gripped her cup firmly, but still smiled pleasantly, and her eyes, which appeared focused on Jack, were in fact, watching the surroundings. However, a look of genuine bewilderment came over her face when Jack shifted to the subject of a rogue Theurgy-class vessel. Such things were a little beyond her. Oh, Tancredi wasn't dumb, or a simpleton. She would absorb what had been revealed, and save it for processing later. She just preferred to leave things like this to the higher-ups. There was a reason why Tancredi refused promotions like it was the plague...

Jack seemed inclined to reveal more, except the information was seemingly elusive to he himself. Fortunately, the Borg, Six, was more forthcoming. To Tancredi's interest, the woman was maintaining a measure of impartiality to the situation. Possibly the one person she thought would not be judgmental of people. The redhead's opinion of the liberated Borg was warming a little. And then, she got up to leave. Tancredi raised her cup to the woman, "'ave a good regen!" said Tancredi, then she turned back to Jack, "Romulans, subterfuge, politics. Hah!"

She made the sound of spitting in disgust, then leaned forward, "Ah say, gimme a fight straight up, and Ah'll show 'em all what victory and a sound defeat tastes like! Ya know what Ah mean?"

She always preferred to just get straight to the point. Always resolved things faster, and that wasn't a pun, considering what ship she was stationed in. Whether or not her opinions would impress, please or make Jack worried, Tancredi wasn't too concerned. What she wanted to do, was keep Jack's attention off F'Rell. If she knew the T'Fanrell well enough, then she might have detected a hint of weariness in the alien, in relation to all the questioning. Of course, Jack, being a scientist, would naturally be curious. But she felt it was a little too soon to be querying anyone. Most of the crew just wanted to brood in silence. So would Tancredi, really, but she was so used to maintaining her jovial facade, that she just responded to conversation like she was getting absorbed into it when she would like nothing more than to lie down, and turn her back to the universe for a good few hours of much-needed rest. Still, for as long as F'Rell was going to be flying around the Starbase, Tancredi wasn't going to be far away.

"So ya get much excitement out 'ere 'sides a coupla Rommie raiders?"

---

[ Tristan Kendrick | Promenade | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Keval ch'Rayya

[Show/Hide]

As Captain Kendrick marched briskly out of the Starbase commander's office, he maintained a stiff silence for close to ten minutes, and began to slow down his walk after that, travelling aimlessly for a moment, with his Tactical Officer following him. He let his face crease with concern as he began to process the information given to him by Captain Hawthorne. Now he began to initiate a special form of communication that he had developed with the crew of the Resolve, from the lowest to the highest, all humanoid members were taught how to communicate via body language, subtle hand, head, eye movements. So they could speak about one thing with their lips, and another thing entirely with their secret language. Kendrick's senses were on high alert after the revelation. He didn't want to chance being monitored, and being so close to the Romulan border, he had no doubts that Starbase 84 had some of the most powerful and sophisticated observation technology.

He was suspicious that surreptitious reconnaissance may be conducted on the Resolve while they performed repairs. Maybe he was becoming as paranoid as Krystal Tancredi, but he believed it might be plausible. He would be thinking it if he saw a Federation starship limping out of the Romulan Neutral Zone, and there was a report of Starfleet captains and their crew defecting to the Romulans. "Horrible business," said Kendrick aloud, as he made eye-contact with ch'Rayya while they walked, and he reached a hand to seemingly run it through his hair, but his fingers made subtle, firm movements and gestures, to say something else, namely: Set individual crew members in areas of the Resolve.

"Starfleet officers defecting to Romulans," Kendrick continued, "Romulans and all their in-fighting, they don't even know what's out there. All the things we've faced. We should be uniting, not turning on one another."

He bent his elbow and looked over at ch'Rayya while his fingers subtly gestured along with a movement of his brows, and he sneaked in another message: They'll probably be watching us for signs of treachery, but I am more worried they'll inject false evidence if they can't find any to incriminate us anyway. Tensions are high. We need to make sure repairs are repairs and not sabotage.

[Lt Hi'Jak (https://orig03.deviantart.net/94e6/f/2015/265/a/e/hi_jack_02_by_auctor_lucan-d86nthi.png)| Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell, Tancredi and Six

"I would love a copy if you could arrange that F'Rell." Hi'Jak said with a bright smile it would certainly settle any science based curiosities though in truth he had more wanted to know what she considered a delicacy not just the protiens that she could eat. He was just starting to get the idea that his questions were starting to get on the nerves of this alien creature which was a shame because from Jack's perspective he was just trying to be nice and learn something about a rare and beautiful alien creature.

When Six turned to leave he gave the ensign a smile and wave. "Have a good rest." The thought about any such rouge as Ive's being as close to them as this was more than a little unsettling. He could agree with Tancredi about wanting a strait fight, but even that was a little too violent for his tastes.

"I sure hope not."He said laughing as she asked if there was any more action to be had. "I took this assignment to get away from the action, and focus on my own work. Out here on the fringe is where the best puzzles are, I'm a xenobiologist by trade, and every day out here new alien life is discovered." He gave a quick smile towards F'Rell.

"A war out here would just destroy environments that can't be replicated. The neutral zone like any demilitarized zone has life that we can't even properly study, but every day my team makes strides. And of course I help with other things around the station, but I picked this starbase because it was quiet... I may be part Klingon, and I can appreciate a fight same as anyone but I'm in blue not gold. The only action I want to see is in a boxing ring."

[ F'Rell of the 12th House | 1200 hrs. | Promenade | Circling the Executive Office Complex ] Attn: Tancredi, & Hi'Jak

F'Rell did not say anything when the former Borg left. Instead her attention was almost completely taken up by the part Klingon man. She could almost feel the hackles raise on the back of Krystal's neck as he had bombarded her with questions, but none had really bothered her, she had answered such questions many a time. Still she had been glad when the topic of conversation had changed, though the current geopolitical climate was hardly any better. The little information about some rogue ship didn't even phase her, why would it? She had nothing at stake in the matter.

"In my experience it is more important to protect that which you can than fight enemies," came the soft voice from the communicator as her long whisker like tendrils vibrated. She was aware of the Federation's policy regarding war, how they would avoid it at all costs, even dooming their own people if it mean peace. It was foolish, but well meant. Perhaps that is what counted. "The galaxy is filled with things that would be crushed by the sheer weight of any war. Whole races that would die out. It has happened before and it just might happen again." She glanced to the part Klingon man once more.

"For the record I normally ingest a special type of algae and phytoplankton, both are native to my world and are not found elsewhere. I sustain myself now by eating replicated material of similar composition."

[Drauc | Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84]Atten: LT Komial Dotnihl

Drauc saw it happen just as she thought about it, and combned with her words, he had learned what the Captain looked like.

"You do not know who I am?" he asked, changing topic. "Then you can verify my identiy by searching for the file TC-378-4564 ERF. It should tell you all you need to know. I can wait. Furthermore, you shuldn't bother with the telepath. I wouldn't want to trouble anyone. What I will do is tell you that I am a telepath and now that you have my serial number I would like to talk to this Captain Hawhtorne. Read the reports on me first, and take your time. I am, obviously, not going anywhere."

[Keval ch'Rayya| Promenade | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Tristan Kendrick

Keval kept quiet as he listened to his captain talk, nodding at the comments that he was making as his antenna moved just slightly to let know that he understood fully what else the pinkskin was saying. "I understand completely, it's still mind boggling that two ships was able to take out such a large task force." The andorian stated firmly.

As he walked with his captain, Keval's mind was already going through various tactical situations - both standard and otherwise - when a strange thought entered into his mind that drew him up short and he looked over at Tristan. "Tristan, a thought just crossed my mind and I'm unsure of how accurate it could be." he said out loud.

He moved to in front of his captain and held out his right hand, palm up between them. "What if we use the ship's sensors like an active sonar, ping outwards from a geostationary pattern near the starbase?"

As he spoke to his commanding officer, he moved the fingers of his left hand across the palm of his right hand in certain patterns as he was describing his thought process but he was saying more as he calmly saying 《All is understood but my gut is telling me that something in the data is wrong, that is missing something..an element that I can't put my finger on it quite yet.》

[LT Komial Dotnihl | Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84]  Attn: Drauc

She was less than keen on doing just whatever the man said, but her curiosity at the Romulan's words was getting the best of her. She knew the record number was in fact a Starfleet service number, and that raised all kinds of questions that she wanted answered more than she wanted to be prudent and wait. And if the man had a code that would overide sercurity or wipe the starbase computer out, he would have used it already, so she dismissed the notion that what she was about to do would trigger some kind of deeply embedded virus.

"If its all the same to you," she finally said after taking another steadying breath, meeting his alien gaze, "I'll still have the councelor come over and take a look at you. Protocol." It was a stiff answer as she moved to the nearby security station and pulled up the StarFleet records database. She punched in  the number give and waited for the file to come up. It was a secure file and she had to enter an addtional clearance code. She had enhanced security access due to her position on a starbase that monitored a whole sector of Romulan space, but it was only barely enough to grant her access. It was a very encrypted file. On any other posting, this would have been far above her pay grade. Cpt. Hawthorne however had seen fit to ensure his CSec could do what needed doing.

"You're right about one thing, Drauc," she muttered as her dark eyes began to read the report, a frown appearing on her spotted forehead. "You've got plenty of time to wait. You really aren't going anywhere at all..."

[Ensign A'vura | Top Deck of the Drydock Section | Subspace Acquisition Grid ]

A'vura cried out in a mixture of distress and anger as his hand, ever so briefly, touched her womanhood. She was disgusted at how helpless she felt and completely at the man's mercy. When she felt her skin exposed to the rather cold air she attempted to push him away again with her knees or with twisting her body away so he couldn't get an exact feel of her.

As she was left to be continuously manhandled, she could feel herself beginning to whimper in pity for herself. She tried but to not event he was certainly not going to let her go, as he leant down to suck at one of her breasts she tensed up - that feeling of revulsion prominent again. The hand gliding up her thigh caused her to bite her lip, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of the sounds of defeat.

Her head had already turned to the side as he was so close to touching her most intimate areas, as the man seemed to be distracted with someone she quickly looked around for some sort of weapon she could use to defend herself with. As he shot a glance back at her to tell her to remain quiet she simply stared at him, believing it was too dangerous now that she had his attention again.

As he came closer again she snarled, raising her head and closing her eyes as she felt his vile breath caress her rather cold breasts. He stopped again however and she could only squint in confusion at what must have been said between him and... Whoever was on the other end.

As she was his panic she herself began to panic, blinking in utter confusion as she could see a piece of his flesh began to sizzle... That certainly wasn't normal, she thought. She jumped as the charge separated his head from his body, letting out a rather girlish yelp as she didn't know what she was seeing.
 
As his body fell forward she stood there frozen in shock with her eyes wide and set on where he used to stand. She allowed herself one long deep exhale before coming back to her senses, one hand moving to grip the ripped fabric of her shirt to cover her now exposed breasts as she stumbled lightly towards the exit.

Travelling down the various corridors she kept her head low and looked for nothing in particular other than another person she could ask for help while keeping her shame to herself as much as possible.

[ Security Level: Brig | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Brutus & RedBaron

Just as Lieutenant Komial began to read the report Drauc T'Laus had asked her to do, an emergency klaxon resounded in the security office.

[Yellow Alert. Yellow Alert,] the starbase computer said on the intercom while the noise lasted. [Explosion detected in the Subspace Acquisition Grid area. Sector 5. Yellow Alert. Yellow Alert.]

"All right, people!" called Mackenzie, and as the security department scrambled in unison, not only Mackenzie was helping out to organise the response to the possible threat. It was like someone had kicked an anthill. Internal sensors would not go off like that unless the nature of the explosion's readings couldn't be explained with a blown plasma relay or something of that sort, but rather being of unknown nature or with a known premeditated composition. Phaser rifles were distributed between the response teams. "You know the protocol! This is no drill. Stand by to move out. All clear?"

The regular brig officers were exempt, about to remain with the prisoners, but it did not take many seconds until one of the team leaders approached Komial. "Teams Alpha and Beta are awaiting your orders, Lieutenant. Little is knows besides internal sensors picking up on the explosion. No damage report as of yet. The patrolling officers in the Drydock Section will be the first ones on site. Travel Core has been vacated for our use until further notice."

Forgotten, the record on Drauc T'Laus history with Starfleet remained on the monitor where it had been accessed... until the LCARS access timed out and the monitor when black again.

---

[ Promenade | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Kaligos, Sirus, DocReno & Triage

Hearing Keval speak, but more so seeing what he told him, Tristan could but incline his head as they descended the corridor. His verbal answer fit both their conversations. "I had something similar in mind."

Just as Captain Kendrick and Lieutenant ch'Rayya emerged on the Promenade from the Executive Offices, two security guards turned on their heel a few meters away and began to run towards the access-way to the Travel Core. Whatever they had been ordered to do, it looked serious. Tristan frowned as they ran past him and Keval, but as he followed them with his gaze, he could spot F'Rell and Ensign Tancredi, who were talking to a man with Klingon ridges on his forehead. Being that it was not someone from the Resolve - and he was in uniform - it was evident that it was someone commissioned to Starbase 84. Tristan walked with Keval towards them, but his eyes remained on the spot where the security guards vanished. No more had Keval and him reached their T'Fanrell crewmember, Tancredi and the young man than there was a loud signal heard across the recreational dome.

[Attention, please,] said the disembodied female voice of the starbase's computer, the PA system in the dome making the voice echo across the open terrain and the Promenade. [Emergency announcement. A bomb has detonated below the Subspace Acquisition Grid. Use of the Travel Core has been restricted to Starfleet Security until further notice. Attention, please. The Travel Core has been made unavailable for all current residents on the base until further notice. Avoid the vicinity of the Subspace Acquisition Grid. Attention, please. All but specifically exempt Starfleet personnel, calmly vacate public areas and return to your current residence using available stairway exits. Listen for instructions from Starfleet Security and officials. Attention, please. A bomb has detonated below the Subspace Acquisition Grid. Use of the Travel Core has been restricted to...]

Oddly, the information about the explosion did not cause Tristan to feel any fear. At least not directly. No, the past three years had done something to him, and perhaps to all of his crew. The announcement made him feel... at home. As if strife and being beset by the unknown threats all around them made more sense to him than rest and recreation. What happened was that he tapped his combadge, and he realised he was already talking - addressing his closest crew."Captain Kendrick to all department heads, rendezvous with me on the Resolve. I repeat, do not go to your accommodations on the base, but to the conference lounge on the ship. Order your departments to keep their combadges so that we can reach them all on short notice. Kendrick out."

He gestured for F'Rell and Tancredi to follow him and Keval as well. "You should come too," he said to the two of them, and then he looked towards the Klingon hybrid that were in their company, giving the young man a quick smile. "Pardon me if I steal your company. Next time, I am buying, promise."

That being said in parting, Tristan led the way across the grass underneath the dome - heading towards the stairs in the outer hull. With Keval on his right side and Tancredi on his left - F'Rell swimming through the air above him - they were going to return to their home for the past three years. Right then, it did not feel like their long voyage had ended, but that this was just another alien outpost that they had come upon, and that they would have to depart before anyone was killed.

"Did you learn something useful?" he asked F'Rell, looking up towards the creature - imagining that the T'Fanrell enjoyed the open air as a change from the ship interior. Krystal shook her head, perhaps not wishing to speak just yet. Tristan turned to Keval again as well. "Pull ten of your most trusted officers and ask them to join us as well."

Tristan needn't explain why. Nor shouldn't he, in case they were being monitored...

---

[ Top Deck of the Drydock Section | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Nyla

No more had she emerged from the Jefferies tubes again before the announcement was heard on the intercom.                            

[Attention, please. Emergency announcement. A bomb has detonated below the Subspace Acquisition Grid. Use of the Travel Core has been restricted to Starfleet Security until further notice. Attention, please. The Travel Core has been made unavailable for all current residents on the base until further notice. Avoid the vicinity of the Subspace Acquisition Grid. Attention, please. All but...]

Along the corridor that A'vura walked after her ordeal - behind the glass walls on her right hand side - the personnel working in the traffic control offices were on high alert, wide eyes looking about since their work place was on the deck below the mentioned area. Perhaps they had even heard the detonation. Some of them spotted the Orion woman through the glass at the back of their office area, pointing and alerting their colleagues - unsure what to make of the sight of her. Clothes dishevelled and covered in green blood. Soon, several of them were talking into their combadges, alerting security about having spotted A'vura - detailing her description and state of appearance. Not necessarily to incriminate her for the explosion, but not exactly depicting her as a possible victim either. That would be for security to decide.

And speak of the devil... The closest patrol had just located her.

"Starfleet Security! Stop or I will fire!" The shout came from a high-strung, shaved human with the intent to use his phaser at first possible convenience. He had a colleague with him, human as well - tall and darker of skin. The shaved one was closing more quickly. "Fail to comply to our instructions, and I will stun you where you stand! Am I making myself clear? Answer me, or I bloody promise you will be held for resisting arrest!"

The tall guard was approaching with his open hand raised, gesturing for her to stop as well. He was calm, eyes focused on her, hand phaser pointed to the deck plating. "Raise your hands, keep them in sight. Are you injured?"

She had no time to answer, for the shaved man cut her off. "She is most likely Orion Syndicate, bloody terrorist bitch. You were involved in the explosion weren't you? Stole a dress uniform didn't you?" He was approaching cautiously, sharp eyes along the sights of his phaser as he glared at her. "Hands bloody raised and turn the fuck around! Unless I see your ass in two seconds, you will hit the damn floor, do you hear me?"

"Calm down, Bradford. She migh-" The tall man was not getting a word in edgewise. Officer Bradford was high on adrenaline.

"Do you have any concealed weapons? If you do I swear..." He was eight feet away from her, breathing through his teeth.

"Damn you Crewman Bradford, listen to me. She could be a witness -"

It was clear that if she would make a strange move, make any provocation, the guard would open fire in an instant.

[ F'Rell of the 12th House | Promenade | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Auctor Lucan, Kaligos, DocReno & Triage

The elegant creature turned and followed after the captain. She knew him sell enough and with the station going to high alert she was at least almost pleased to be returning to a place that she knew. She did not know how much of the crew of the station would respond to stress, she had seen how the crew of the Resolve respond to high stress situations. And though the ship was not in the best condition she knew she would at the very least be of more help there then on the station as she had come to know many of the ships systems during her time on board it. She had enjoyed her time being able to fly freer, but it seemed like that time was about to end.

"It seems to me that your Starfleet is no longer as in order as much of the crew hoped it would be," came the responce from the small communicator F'Rell held in on of her appendages. She knew the question was not directed at her, but she was inclined to respond to it all the same. "There is much talk of lone Starfleet ship that has gone rogue and of growing trouble with the Romulans. Though it is kept under control I sense a great deal of tension from the crew of this station. I am not sure how trustworthy they are." F'Rell was always hesitant to trust anyone and she had heard the crew of the Resolve speak at great length about the fleet they were a part of and how much they wanted to return to it. When they had reached the station she had not found the people quite the way she had expected them to be. Something was wrong with the fleet, or rather the people in it. Something wrong enough to cause a ship to go rogue.

[Lt Hi'Jak (https://orig03.deviantart.net/94e6/f/2015/265/a/e/hi_jack_02_by_auctor_lucan-d86nthi.png)| Promenade | Starbase 84] Attn: F'Rell, Tancredi

As the warning of a bomb being detonated went off Jack glanced around feeling somewhat nervous, he had picked this place because it was the last place anything exciting was supposed to happen. If there was something going down here it meant bad news for basically everyone so he thought that meant it was 'safe'. Suppose he should have known better.

As he watched the two women he had been drinking and talking with get up to leave he gave them a bow. "Till next time then." He said lifting his glass before finding himself alone. He glanced around the promenade unsure of what his orders would be. He wasn't part of the security team, and most people wouldn't consider him vital to anything, but if something was going down his curiosity was peeked and he had no interest in simply returning to his quarters and wait for further instructions.

He sat silently in the promenade for a few more minutes before deciding that if there was one place he was going to be needed so that others could find him it was his lab. Getting up finally he made for the staircase and immediately disliked his situation. With the travel core restricted all the turbo lifts were shut down, and his lab was more than a few decks away, it was going to be a long walk to his workplace that was for sure. He let out a sigh and started walking, if someone wanted to check in with him, at least they had the coms or knew where they would likely find him.

[Ensign Six (https://img14.deviantart.net/51cf/i/2015/255/0/5/six_01_by_auctor_lucan-d91bx0h.png) | Crew Quarters | Starbase 84]

It didn't take long for Six to make it from the Promenade to her quarters. On a starship, she'd likely had to have shared living quarters with at least one other occupant given her status and rank, but thankfully the Starbase was large enough that much of the crew managed to get their own living space, albeit a sometimes small space. She didn't mind though the confines of it. In fact she rather preferred it at times to the leers and jeers of some of her comrades. As much as she yearned for acceptance and interaction, she also still found time to enjoy her solitude.
 
Six carefully stripped from her bodysuit and folded it neatly at the end of her bed once the door had swished shut behind her. Her body was a curious thing to her. She had never before given it much thought, but after being reformed back into her humanoid form, and after regaining more of her humanity that she had previously lost as a borg, she began to grow... inquisitive... with her figure and how it looked and worked. Oftentimes she'd find herself staring in a long mirror at herself, sometimes touching different areas to see how her skin and other extremities might react. She hadn't gone as far as full on pleasure yet, perhaps because she didn't quite know how to, but she knew there were parts of her that... felt good... to touch.

For now though, she didn't much bother with it considering she had little time left to do so. Instead she stepped into her sonic shower to pulse away the dirt and grime of the afternoon and to offer some relief to the tension she often felt in her back and shoulders. It was the closest to relaxed she had ever managed to get, and she quite regularly took longer than she ought to in there. When she finally finished though she had barely just enough time to regenerate a bit on her station, before finally having to get dressed in her uniform once more and head back to her station.

[Ensign A'vura | Top Deck of the Drydock Section | Starbase 84 ]

A'vura was still shaking as she met the security officers, raising her head slowly with parted lips and such lost eyes she must have looked quite the mess. She swallowed to try and regain some sense of reality from what had just happened, and now... Now her own people were ready to fire at her because of her defense to the Federation. As she caught sight of the rather overeager man with the phaser pointed at her the only thing she could was raise her arm to scratch at her head.

Swallowing again, she allowed her lips to part to let out a rather long needed sigh of relief that she was finally away from the harsh, cruel and vile scent of the Romulan's breath so close to her skin. She nodded to the taller man, offering him a rather genuine smile but her eyes began to water as the realisation of what could have happened washed over her. Through a cough she let out a raspy, "I'm... Fine." before furrowing her brows towards the still armed officer that seemed determined to take her down, "I don't really appreciate racism there... I'm a Federation officer thank you very much." she scoffed with a rather sassy perk of a brow as she gave him a once over. Cute, but naive and somewhat stupid.

[ Top Deck of the Drydock Section | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Nyla

Crewman Bradford was locked in his reasoning, already thinking that the woman was Orion Syndicate, and when she failed to raise her hands and heed his instructions to the point, he took aim - jaws clenched and focusing on his shot before the woman could beguile him or his colleague to think she was ought else. Bradford had bad experiences with Orions, and knew never to trust them - even less so when there was a threat to the station and one of them were clearly involved.

No more had she lied about being a Federation Officer than he pushed the button of his phaser - discharging the heavy stun beam right into her abdomen.

Even as he did, his colleague was shouting from behind him, cursing about his lack of restraint, but Bradford knew better. Having shot her, he did not pause his advancing steps, catching her over his arm before she fell to the deck plating. She hung limply across his arm while he holstered his weapon by his hip. Then he tapped his combadge.

"Lietuenant Komial, this is Crewman Bradford, I have apprehended an Orion woman leaving the area where the explosion was. She has green blood all over herself, likely Romulan or Vulcan, but I would vaguer the former. Likely some kind of meeting between the Syndicate and one of the Romulan factions gone awry, but either way, I am bringing the woman in for interrogation. Bradford out."

His companion was shaking his head at him, hands on his hips. "I guess I will wait for the other teams and then go secure the area."

"You do that," said Bradford with a winning grin and walked away with the Orion across his shoulder - heading for the Travel Core. As he walked there, there came a chirp from the Orion's combadge.

[Captain Kendrick to all department heads, rendezvous with me on the Resolve. I repeat, do not go to your accommodations on the base, but to the conference lounge on the ship. Order your departments to keep their combadges so that we can reach them all on short notice. Kendrick out.]

"Shit," cursed Bradford, stopping in his tracks, "Fuck." He realised that the bitch might not have lied, and yet he was alone to hear this Kendrick's call. Thoughts racing, trying to find a way to cover up his mistake, he reached down the green-skinned woman's breasts and felt around for her combadge. As he found it, he plucked it from her sullied dress uniform and disposed of it on the way down to the Security Office. He was not prepared to take the fall for this.

He would stick to the report he would write, that she had failed to comply to his instructions and resisted arrest.

[ Starbase 84 | Base Commander's Office ] Attn: All

Thirty minutes after the mysterious detonation, a ship docked at Starbase 84.

One of many. Starbases were always busy, but this visiting ship had a special meaning to Ian, and he had asked to be alerted once it arrived. Perhaps not so much a special meaning, perhaps. Rather a special person, and that special person was his ex-wife. She had long left Starfleet to become an author, but she had come because of their lost daughters. Going through this trauma, and the impossible battle of trying to clear his daughters' names, it had been such a drain on him until he accepted the implications along with his new priorities. He could only imagine what Trish Rhodes was going through, and her wanting to come to his base made it evident she was not able to handle this alone.

"Please send Yeoman Bale to bring her to my quarters," he requested after he had been alerted, and headed there from his office.

Trish was a smart, studious, and beautiful woman. She had met Ian when he saved her from a pirate attack aboard the USS Principle. They had one daughter, Lisa Hawthorne, together and adopted a second in Cameron Henshaw when her father David - a friend of Ian's - was killed in the line of duty. Trish had divorced Ian quite some time ago, after one of his darker episodes had led to a deep depression that tore them apart, although the adoption brought them back together in a way for the sake of maintaining a family unit. The passion, however, was long gone, and now that their daughters were gone too, there was nothing left between them but to salvage whatever they could.

Ian's quarters were quite fancy, not that you would expect the contrary given his station. A Spartan and elegant living space, the room for luxurious displays and material boasts of all sorts, but the fact that in their absence was a simple and clean layout of calculated necessities made it far more striking. The only thing extra, was the half completed kal-toh which Ian stood by. He removed his uniform jacket and threw it across one of the chairs, waiting for her with his thoughts on business at hand rather than the reunion. He was thinking about his meeting with Captain Kendrick and Lieutenant ch'Rayya, and how he had tried to reach his Romulan contact after they left his office. While he had reached the man, he had been found a liability, and Ian had to kill him for two reasons - to shut him up and to strategically place the blame where it had to be.

When she arrived, he turned to greet his visitor. "Trish." He said in an unmoving tone, familiar, but in a distant manner. It was hard to make himself appear like he cared, but he tried as best as he might. "I wasn't expecting to see you again."

"I had to see you," she said hesitantly, confidence fading when he acted so guarded. Awkwardly, she went to seat herself on a couch. "After all that's happened, I could not stay. They are both on those renegade ships, and we don't know what has happened to them. I know you tried to find information, and you passed whatever you could on to me, but now... I have not heard anything. I don't know what to think. I just... can't believe it."

Ian averted his gaze and walked towards a viewscreen. It was large, taking up an entire wall and currently it displayed a scene he had grown rather fond of over the years, that of waves gently lapping against a wooden jetty. Whenever he needed peace, or to calm himself, that scene was what he chose. Seeing Trish brought conflicting emotions, and idle thoughts of Lisa and Cameron.

When he said nothing, Trish continued. "There's no way it could be true. It's like there's no cosmic justice, that both ships, both our girls would be..."

"There is nothing more we can do right now, no words to say that will make a difference. I tried everything, but to no avail. Our daughters are incriminated by the affiliation to their ships, and the Federation is judging us for it." he said plainly, as a man who clearly has accepted life's cruel fate. His thoughts, however, were on the Romulan that he had killed and what benefits he could draw from the fallout... Somehow, he made his tone sad in her presence. "But we're still here, and we will learn the truth about what has happened to them, and what they have done."

He had not realized Trish had risen from the couch until he felt her hands reach from behind to take him in a tight embrace. Her hands pressed against his chest as she squeezed, and he could feel her cheek press against his back. Automatically, as if from muscle memory, he found himself reaching up, covered her hands with his.

"It's okay to cry, you don't have to hide it," she murmured into his back. Her voice was hoarse, altered by her own grief. Ian could feel the damp of tears on her cheek begin to soak into his red undershirt, so he turned slowly.

"I know," he said. Her head came up to just below his chin, so pulling her close, he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head as she buried her face into his chest. Tilting his head down he kissed the top of her head. It was something he had done often when they were married, but not since. It had been almost reflexive, and it was over before he even realized he had done it.

Trish looked up at him, her pale brown eyes meeting his. They looked at him questioningly, but he knew he had no answers, at least none that she needed. She opened her mouth to speak, but he just shook his head. They had said all that needed to be said, and he had no more to offer her.

Suddenly... she rose up on her toes and kissed him. He was so startled that for a second he just stood there in shock, feeling her lips against his for the first time in many years. A moment later, he returned her kiss, and they began passionately making out.

The feeling, the two bodies, so far apart for so long are able to once again feel the urges that once joined them. The intimacy that had become clogged with the debris of strife and personal differences had perhaps been washed away but for the solvent of shared anguish. Or could just have been natures most basic of self-comforting mechanisms, as long as there have been humans, there has always been one persistent desire, especially in times of hardship. Her hands were all over him, finding their way to his crotch, where he felt himself hardening. Trish had not been a priority, but she quickened something lost inside him.

They began to fumble with each others clothes, tearing them off. At some point, his erect member was pressing against the dark skin of her stomach as he pulled her in close. His hands cupped her firm buttocks as his mouth began working his way down the nape of her neck to her hardened peaks. Next, he was taking her in his arms, picked her up. Slipping back into patterns that were once so familiar to them, she threw her legs around his waist. He could feel his hard cock teasing her. Reaching down, she guided him into her as he moved them over to the wall.

They moaned as one when he slid into her. They paused there a moment as they both basked in the heady glow of the the feeling of his member filling her. Before long, she ground her pelvis against him, and soon they had a steadily faster growing rhythm as he thrust into her. Her nails raked against his back, and hers was scraped by the wall.

"Floor," she gasped to him, so he lowered them both to the carpet, never leaving her. She eased off of him, rolling onto her stomach. He remembered that was her favourite, for him to take her from behind as she lay there, her legs together, making herself extra tight on his shaft. He was more than happy to oblige as he entered her once more. She felt amazing like that, and soon, he was pounding into her with renewed vigour. She was writhing beneath him, and he could feel her tighten with euphoria. She groaned through gritted teeth, her hands pawing at the carpet, looking for something to grip onto it. As she did, Ian felt himself on the verge as well. Crying out, he came inside her, and it was over before he had realised what had driven him - a shadow of bygone feelings betraying him.

They lay like that a few minutes, before they parted, rolling onto their backs. She curled up next to him, resting her head on his chest, watching him breathe. It was Trish that broke the silence of the aftermath. "That was amazing," she murmured. "I needed to feel that again."

A moan of affirmation came from Ian. "The pleasure was truly all mine."

"But," Trish said softly in a tone twinged with concern, "you don't seem to be the same person anymore."

Ian said nothing at first, staring into the ceiling. "What makes you say that?"

"It was strange... it was all our best 'moves' but it was like you were someone else. Different rhythms, different details." She looked up at him. "It was strange, but I liked it. I guess you have changed more than I thought. It's like I'm with a stranger."

In a disembodied motion, he smiled down at her, but he knew in that moment she would have to die. Once that thought of his behaviour had hit her, he knew how her mind worked. She would worry it like a terrier on a rat until something clicked. "Alpha Pattern Six," he muttered almost silently, the code that would turn off all sensors and such in his room. It paid to be the base commander.

"What was that?" she asked, lifting her head.

"I am the same man I always have been, always will be," he replied, and he sat up.

"I-I just don't know," Trish began, shifting back from him on the carpet. "You're fine, but just not the same person."

"I'm the same," he said in a distant tone. "It's everything else that's changed. Everything else that's wrong. While I am more, you... have become less. There are no values left, only ruin... Until nothing remains."

"Ian?" Trish asked with equal measures concern and fear. "I'm sorry. I d-don't understand."

Not saying anything, Ian reached over and slowly moved his prosthetic right hand around her neck. It was too late for her to pull away. He began to squeeze her throat. She tried to gasp, and weakly raised her arms to push him away. But there was no hope of stopping his grip, the little amount of air she had left wasn't able to escape well enough to form words. His dark gaze stared directly into her eyes, and his grip only tightened as he saw her sweat-glistening body shudder and twitch in asphyxiation. The parasite inside him lent him the strength to remain seated where he was despite her struggles, but his prosthetic hand was more than enough to kill her with its vice-like grip. Her vertebrae were cracking from the pressure and her thrashing. Her eyes went hazy, not seeing him any more. It merely took a few seconds, before her neck gave in. Her last, desperate gasps left her body and then... the whole of her went limp - hanging from his grip.

He stared at the death mask of her face, tilting his head as he committed her grimace to memory. He smiled. Despite their history together, she was still no more than a skin-puppet. He dropped her lifeless body from his fingers, and he shook his head. "There is no such thing as 'cosmic justice'."

- FIN