Star Trek: Theurgy

Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

June 04, 2020, 08:21:15 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Corridor | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Early in the afternoon, the Romulan woman traipsing through the corridor looked exhausted but distinctly cheerful. Clad in simple exercise gear, a loose shirt and silk trousers with a sheathed sword slung around her back, Lillee had just spent a hard couple of hours training. Recent events had made it abundantly clear that she needed to train harder, and as such, Lillee had thrown herself into training with gusto. To be sure, Lillee had never been truly out of shape or weak in a fight, but there was no denying that six years of motherhood and comfortable work far away from danger had softened her, both as a combat pilot and as a soldier.

Temporarily, at least. By the time the Theurgy saw combat again, Lillee was determined to be better. She'd survived the insanity in the Azure Nebula more through luck than skill, and that couldn't happen again. There was a way to go before she got back into the fighting trim of the old days, certainly but Lillee smiled as she walked, recalling her own swift improvement over only the past week.

Not far from her quarters, Lillee saw an unfamiliar Orion officer standing in the corridor, and she walked past with only an automatic smile of greeting. Then her brain caught up to what she was doing, jerking Lillee out of her thoughts, and she glanced back at the officer, who looked for all the world as if she was completely lost.

"Hello, Lieutenant?" Lillee said politely. "May I help you?"

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #1 – June 04, 2020, 08:57:20 PM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Corridor | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le needed coffee.  And not the shit replicated stuff, either, the real kind that she couldn't get out here because the damn ship was in hiding in the ass end of the galaxy. 

That, or she needed to stop staying up to 0800 working on dossiers. 

Now where the heck is the mess hall?  She'd been to the crew lounge on vector 3, but not the actual mess hall yet.  New ship blues, she supposed.  That, and the fact that this ship was three times the size of her first posting. 

Anh-Le stumbled out of her room, her uniform rumpled, and rubbed her eyes with a yawn.  I'll just ask around.  Somebody ought to know where the mess hall is, right?  She saw someone approach out of the corner of her eye...and did a double-take.  A sword???  What the...  Then she caught the pointed ears peeking out from behind the gorgeous blonde's hair.  Oh, Vulcan or Romulan.  Probably a traditional combat junkie. 

The blonde--an enlisted woman, Anh-Le registered, and therefore inappropriate for thinking of as "gorgeous"--stopped when she saw the disheveled Orion, and asked if she could help. 

Help?  Yeah, I could do with some help.  Figuring out how the heck Command got infected with alien parasites without anyone noticing, I could do with some help with that.  "Uh, yeah, Petty Officer, could you show me where the mess hall is?  It's my fourth day on the ship and I've been pretty busy."  Anh-Le forced her mane of uncontained hair back in one fist and tried to tie it off, but missed several locks that flopped down by her ears. 

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #2 – June 05, 2020, 11:49:15 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Corridor | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Bemused by the rather frazzled Orion, Lillee raised an eyebrow at her question. "Of course," she said with a small smile. "I was about to eat as well, so would you care for some company? I was only going to eat alone in my quarters, anyway. I am Petty Officer Lillee t'Jellaieu, or simply Lillee, if you prefer." As she introduced herself, Lillee bowed her head formally for half a breath. It was something of a swerve away from Rihannsu custom to freely give permission to use her first name, but it was far preferable to hearing endless aliens mispronounce her family name.

With that, Lillee set off down the corridor, patiently keeping pace with her companion. Only a few doors later, however, she stopped at a door labelled 'NCO Quarters: 11-22-B', saying casually "A moment, please. Even on this crazed ship, I think that it's improper to enter the mess hall with a sword." She entered and was back out in seconds, this time without the honour-blade, and she continued on down the corridor.

"I am curious, Lieutenant," Lillee said mildly as they reached a turbolift and entered before Lillee ordered the turbolift to Deck 13. "How did you guess my rank when I am out of uniform? Are all intelligence officers so perceptive when they have just rolled out of bed?"

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Rihannsu: Romulan

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #3 – June 06, 2020, 12:33:25 AM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Corridor | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

"Jolan'tru," Anh-Le replied, dipping her head in the Romulan fashion.  "I'm Lieutenant Dantius, and I'd love a dining partner.  I'll try not to mangle your mhashe-name, I know people can sometimes have trouble with unusual names."  She chuckled at the thought.  "I mean, I've got an Orion family name and the rest of my name's Vietnamese, those don't exactly mesh.  Best mispronunciation I had was from this Klingon who mangled my personal name so badly he accidentally insulted me in Orion." 

"Of course."  Anh-Le hid a yawn behind her hand out of sheer habit as the Romulan ditched her sword.  Crap, I should've brought my meds with me.  Ah, well, I'll pick 'em up before I go to work.  Anh-Le had always been paranoid about taking her hormone suppressants, but after the incident with the Talarian terrorists where she'd had to use her pheromones to save crewmates, she'd been downright religious about it. 

Anh-Le flushed deep green.  "Uh, actually, your sword's strap has your rank and clan name on it.  You had that over your, um, chest.  As it happens."  Please don't ask why I was looking at your chest...please don't ask why I was looking at your chest...I have an excuse, I'm tired and overslept and need caffeine....  Being reported to the Captain for sexual harassment would be a fantastic way to start the new job...

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mhashe--High Rihan for "clan", in this case clan s'Jellaieu. 

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #4 – June 06, 2020, 03:08:57 AM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Lillee was completely unfamiliar with Orion skin tones, but did Dantius just...blush? Her skin seemed to grow a darker green, but...could Orions blush? It was such an oddity that it took a moment for Lillee to process how Dantius how discerned her rank from her sword strap, and the Romulan winced in embarrassment. "Oh. Yes. I forgot about that. It seems silly to forget that in retrospect. Perhaps that is the reason you are the intelligence officer, and I am just a pilot." The lieutenant's awareness of Romulan customs was a distinct surprise, although Lillee mused that it was perhaps to be expected. It was Dantius' job after all, right?

The turbolift doors opened and the pair continued on down a corridor. "How do you come to be so tired?" Lillee asked curiously as they walked. "Forgive me, Lieutenant, but you look as if you've been wrestling Gorn for three days straight. I haven't seen anyone so much in need of caffeine since before we fought the Borg, and we had just fought a half dozen different battles in the space of a week."

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #5 – June 06, 2020, 04:14:22 AM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall| Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le seized upon the out with the desperation of a drowning woman.  "Yes!  Yes, um, I just, uh, trained to pick up on little details, yeah.  That's exactly it.  Also it's been a wild couple of days.  So, yeah.  I'm sorry."  Brilliant, Dantius.  Brilliant.  Foot directly in mouth.  Genius.  Normally she would be more professional, but when she had a job to do, little things like sleep and good manners all too often fell by the wayside. 

Anh-Le snorted.  "I wish I was wrestling a Gorn.  I've been compiling dossiers on the movements of senior admiralty, the ones we think are infected.  So far, I've got no clue how they got infected, no clue of how to get to them, and I'm about eighty percent sure that the Vulcan Admiral Ross's been meeting is an agent of an ultranationalist domestic terror group that Admiral Anderson's been sniffing out since the Dominion War."  After a moment, she added, "I also give it a thirty-five percent chance that she's actually his mistress." 

"Anyway, where're you from?" Anh-Le asked the blonde rihanha.  "did you emigrate from the Shiar i'Saeihr Rihanor was it your family?"  She stifled another yawn.  I don't mind exhaustion, as long as I get something out of it...  But she would work through the frustration.  That was what she always did.  Push through, get the job done. 
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rihanha--Romulan, singular
Shiar i'Saeihr Rihan--Romulan Star Empire

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #6 – June 06, 2020, 01:37:54 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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At the quip about Ross' possible pointy-eared mistress, Lillee laughed, a short and sharp sound of amusement. However, her grin faded at Dantius' question, and she was quiet for a moment as they approached the mess hall. "I am a defector," she finally said quietly, looking anywhere but at Dantius. "Not that I had much choice at the time. I was a soldier of the Empire, and I was...seduced...by a Starfleet spy. He was trying to stop a calamity. I helped him after he explained his mission, but an accident happened on the warbird after we left in a scout ship. My fault. The Sunheart was destroyed, with all her crew. My name was thrice written and burned in the Senate, if you...if you understand what that means."

They reached the mess hall but Lillee stopped outside, smiling sadly. "I was nearly captured by a couple of Tal Shiar operatives, in fact, a couple of weeks ago. The Klingons killed them, but it is clear that the Empire has not forgotten my...um...betrayal. They  tend to remember little things like 'treason' and 'mass murder'."

Lillee pondered why she was being so open with the lieutenant, but shrugged it off. What did it matter? The woman could surely learn of it anyway if she so desired, being in Intelligence. And truly, Lillee rather found herself liking Dantius, who was endearingly friendly and certainly easy on the eye.

"I am sorry," Lillee said, bowing her head briefly in apology. "I am sure you don't want to talk of such deep things before you have even had breakfast."

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #7 – June 06, 2020, 04:58:29 PM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall| Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le winced.  Thrice written and thrice burned, a formal un-personing.  Petty Officer t'Jellaieu could never go back to ch'Rihan.  "Ah.  Yeah, um, sorry to hear that.  I hope that we're helping you feel at home, my family adjusted pretty well to the Federation but I know it can be a challenge sometimes." 

The Orion froze.  "Imperial state security?  Were they hunting you?"  If so, Anh-Le needed to report that to Commander Fisher immediately. 

"It's fine," Anh-Le replied, brushing off the Romulan's concerns.  "If the Tal'Shiar are in the sector and hunting you, the Captain and Commander Fisher need to know immediately.  Because if ch'Rihan knows where we are, then there's no reason why the enemy can't find out, and that means we aren't safe here."  She ran a hand through her hair, tugging at the hasty knot.  "Fuck.  And we still don't know how they infect people.  Now I know how people felt right before the Dominion War." 

At least the Romulan was being honest, as far as Anh-Le could tell.  I must have a trustworthy face.  Or maybe it's my accent.  The topic was pretty clearly uncomfortable for the blonde, and Anh-Le felt like a jerk for pressuring her, but if the ship was at risk, it was justified. 

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #8 – June 06, 2020, 06:31:48 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Now it was Lillee's turn to blush a faint green, this time from embarrassment. "Oh, it was all reported up the chain of command. There is nothing to worry about, truly. The Tal Shiar team was here for an unrelated reason, and their capture of us was coincidental. They had no idea that I was at Aldea, or that the Theurgy was here as well." Then, with a distinctly satisfied gleam in her eye, she said softly, "And they both were killed before they could send any messages to the Empire. Two less Tal Shiar filth is a good thing for the galaxy, to be sure. You probably weren't told because it mattered so little. The Klingons investigated and were certain that there aren't any more Tal Shiar nearby."

Now distinctly uncomfortable for having given the wrong impression, and for adding yet more stress to a clearly stressed Dantius' shoulders, Lillee shifted awkwardly on her feet before moving into the mess hall. Walking up the replicator, she only considered for a moment; after some hard training, she was downright famished.

"A large cheeseburger, well done, with typical Earth vegetables and...oh, a berry cider, Andorian blend. Chilled." The replicator promptly brought the meal to life in a fizzle of blue, and after patiently waiting for Dantius to make her own order, the two women sat down at an empty table. The mess hall itself was reasonably busy, the air full of chatter and the occasional tinkle of metal cutlery touching plates, while the expansive viewports offered an incredible view. The blue curve of the planet itself was striking, the sun just rising above the terminator to illuminate the planet surface, while Klingon and Aldean ships were a bustle of activity in orbit.

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #9 – June 06, 2020, 07:44:32 PM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le visibly relaxed.  "Good.  Pity you couldn't take them alive, we could've pumped 'em for intel and put them on ice until we could transfer them to a proper facility."  Tal'Shiar wouldn't give much under normal circumstances, but theoretically...nah.  Not worth dwelling on.  I don't like the needless death, but once you get Klingons involved...  Which was a little unfair to Klingons, but the KDF did preferentially take aggressive applicants, which led to certain discipline issues. 

"Cà phê sữa đá, coconut topping,"  Anh-Le ordered.  "And give me a pint bowl of beef pho, Hanoi-style, and a six-inch bánh mì trứng ốp-la, with pepper and fried tofu."  A bowl of noodle soup with shredded beef and a fried-egg sandwich materialized, and Anh-Le poked the egg.  "They never can get these right, the egg always feels too much like hard-boiled.  At least it usually tastes alright." 

Anh-Le took a minute to admire the view.  "I have to admit, the facilities here are nice," she remarked.  "How long have you been on-board?"  She took a bite of her sandwich--savory, hot, and just greasy enough to be satisfying.  Even if the egg was still the wrong texture. 
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OOC: edited prior posts tot fix details

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #10 – June 06, 2020, 08:33:00 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Lillee took hold for cheeseburger with both hands and took a deep, indulgent bite out of it, moaning softly in relish as she chewed. There was something distinctly incongruous about the typically elegant Romulan demolishing a cheeseburger, but Lillee didn't feel much like maintaining appearances. There was a time and a place for such things, after all, and this was most certainly not it.

Although eyeing Dantius eat her own meal with considerably more composure than her companion, Lillee at least felt shamed into not making more undignified noises as she ate. At Dantius' question, Lillee took the opportunity to come up for air. setting what was left of her burger back on her plate.

"Since Earth," Lillee answered, taking a sip of her lightly fizzing yellow cider, "but I was in stasis for most of it. I got hurt a couple of days after we left Sol during a battle with Starfleet, and they only woke me up for surgery in the Azure Nebula. With all the rape plants, sex gods, evil future dreadnoughts and psychopathic murder cults, I was quite happy to sleep through it all." She hesitated, frowning. "I did fight a few battles in the Azure Nebula, though. Asurians, Klingons...I flew through a Borg cube too, in a Valkyrie. That was...um...fun." Lillee paused, looking into Dantius' far-too-perceptive eyes, and laughed self-consciously. "Okay, it was the most terrifying experience of my life and I'm embarrased to admit that I was screaming the entire time, but it's fun to talk about afterwards, yes?"

Lillee lapsed into silence, finishing her burger in a far more composed and restrained manner than earlier, considering her meal companion. "So. How did you react when you were told the truth about us? And when they told you that you were coming to join this insane ship?"

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #11 – June 06, 2020, 09:23:58 PM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le's right eyebrow was trying to escape her face.  "Rape plants?  Murder cults?  Clearly my briefing was lacking some rather significant details."  She shook her head in bemusement.  "Anyway, you seem to have survived intact, and hey, there's no such thing as courage without fear.  If you have no fear, you're not brave, just a fucking robot." 

Anh-Le licked her lips.  "I was delivering a crook into custody when I got the call from Admiral Anderson.  Nausicaan by the name of Lurtz who thought it was a good idea to smuggle a tube of red sand up his cloaca.  That was fun to deal with, let me tell you.  Anyway, Anderson calls me up, and he says that the ship that Command claims defected to the Shiar i'Saeihr Rihan for no apparent reason is actually trying to stop a group that's infiltrated Command.  I trust Anderson, and what he was saying made more sense than the holonovel villain rant that Command was claiming your Captain Ives sent across the Federation through the early-warning network.  So I hopped on the transport he set up and now I've officially 'gone rogue'."  She tore off a bite of sandwich, chewed, and swallowed.  "As far as the rest of it goes, well, I'm having a couple of second thoughts now that you mention rape plants and time-travelling future ships, but still...job's got to get done.  The Federation won't protect itself."  She took a drink of coffee, already starting to perk up.  "This almost tastes like the real thing, they've patched things up since I had the same order the other day." 

"So what about you?" Anh-Le asked.  "What do you do around here?  I'm, well, a spook."  She gestured to her uniform.  "Which mostly involves digging through the admiralty's dirty laundry at the moment." 

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #12 – June 08, 2020, 11:30:26 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Lillee was smiling as she (rather more tamely) began eating her vegetables, although her eyes considered Dantius with amusement. When the green-skinned woman remarked the last, Lillee couldn't help but laugh, needing a good few moments before she controlled her giggling.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I used to work at Starfleet Command, and I knew a few of those admirals," she got out inbetween giggles, "and I am just envisioning you actually rummaging through those rusty old admirals' underwear! They're such a stuffy lot that you have my deep sympathies." Lillee chuckled again before regaining control, taking a drink to calm herself. "Oh, I am just a shuttle pilot now. It's much less dramatic than flying a Valkyrie or the Theurgy herself, but I am content with it. Saving the galaxy and being big beautiful heroes is for people like you and the other officers."

Lillee leaned forward slightly, still grinning, her head tilted to the side. "So. You are an Intelligence agent. What dramatic adventures have you been on before this one? Are you one of those agents who is infiltrating terrorist networks one day, seducing enigmatic alien men the second day and wrestling Gorn on the third?" She paused for a moment, the grin fading slightly. "And joining rogue dreadnoughts on the fourth to wage war against extradimensional galaxy devouring Parasites on the fifth?"

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #13 – June 08, 2020, 11:58:15 PM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le chuckled along with the Romulan.  "Haha, oh, man, you wouldn't believe who some of 'em are in bed with.  Like I said, I'm fairly sure Ross is either fucking or working with a domestic terrorist--Anderson's had an entire unit trying to track these guys down, but last I heard there wasn't anything actionable."  She shook her head.  "Frankly, with how many assholes are trying to either destroy us or fuck up the entire point of the Federation from the inside, I'm surprised we've made it as long as we have." 

"And hey.  Don't sell yourself short!  Look at me, I'm an office drone who sometimes gets to prance around in costume eavesdropping on people.  Black ops are way overrated in the media.  At least you get to fly around in a metal can equipped with phasers that can burn through tritanium.  I'm lucky if I have to stick a holdout pistol in my boot."  After a moment, she added, "Not that I want there to be a need for me putting a phaser in my boot.  But, you know, the adrenaline rush of being at risk, it's seductive. 

"As for dramatic adventures...well, I once caught a guy who was smuggling ex-Borg as slaves with this Ferengi creep.  Other than that, my coolest story is being born on the transporter pad at a museum, that one wins me a lot of drinks.  As for seduction..."  She grimaced.  Just thinking about that made her uncomfortable.  "I take my meds, I get my 'nads off by playing Vulcan Love Slave like anyone else, but I'm not comfortable with seduction.  Or very good at that.  And we actually try to avoid that anyway, the whole, 'you just bedded a gorgeous babe but she's really a Colonel in the Obsidian order' thing, it doesn't work as well as Kirk's record advertises, and it's loaded with ethical issues, since you're basically asking your agents to go and fuck a bunch of horrible people out of patriotism.  It's not cool, or sexy, it's like being a Bajoran comfort woman except with a little bit more consent to entry.  There was a pilot program back in the 23rd century but it got shitcanned after internal review, recruitment problems, and a series of mandatory mental health leaves.  The dipshit who thought it was a good idea was shitcanned too."  Anh-Le shook her head, then took another sip of her coffee.  And then there was the personal part of it, which was also an uncomfortable topic.  "I've only actually seduced people on the job once.  And even then it was half an accident, I was off my meds 'cause of an active terrorist attack and hostage situation on the ship I was posted to, I whammied all the goons on the Bridge, and the entire assault party I was with, with my pheromones.  Never doing that again.  I was apologizing to people for weeks, and you know, they said it was OK, but they were a whole lot more wary around me after that.

"So.  Yeah.  I don't do seduction.  Sorry to, uh, burst your bubble.  But it's just...not a thing I'm willing to do." 

She turned back to her sandwich, sure that t'Jellaieu was about to bolt.  Nobody wanted to be around the sexy mind-melting green babe.  Unless they had a kink for that or wanted to gawk, of course. 

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #14 – June 09, 2020, 02:32:26 AM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Lillee listened as Dantius talked, occasionally poking at her vegetables or sipping her cider, but as Dantius explained, Lillee's stomach churned. Of course. How could she have been so crude and ignorant?

Pheromones. Fvadt. I should know better. No wonder I am so relaxed...but she is so friendly. I'm not attracted to this woman...am I? Lillee's eyes traced the Orion's eyes, her mouth, her jaw, and only earnest effort kept her eyes from dipping lower. Oh fvadt, yes I am, but how much of that is from just...her...and from pheromones? She is surely attractive enough. Has she taken her medicine today? She seemed like she'd just woken up...but how would I know?

Lillee's memories drifted to years long past, to an utterly ancient Rihannsu doctor droning on about the dangers of aliens. It had been a dreary lecture, to be sure, in the stuffy hall on ch'Rihan, full of trainees who were eager to learn more exciting things, but who duly paid attention anyway. Humans were dangerous in their innovation and idealism, but easily manipulated and physically weak. Andorians were formidable warriors, but pride-bound and narrow-minded. Deltans were particularly concerning and should be avoided like the plague except when holding a disruptor. Orion women had pheromones which could induce biochemical slavery, and should only be dealt with by those not attracted to such women or those with protection against their effects.

It took a solid minute or so before Lillee even registered that Dantius had stopped talking, and she frantically rewound her memory. The realisation was like a cold splash upon her, ending all thought of attraction or the complexities thereof, leaving only another faint green blush in Lillee's cheeks.

"I respect this," Lillee said quietly, looking down at her nearly empty plate, the chatter and bustle of the mess hall around them continuing unabated as an odd and annoying contrast. With effort, she looked back up, meeting Dantius' eyes. "I made an awful insinuation upon your honour, and I beg your forgiveness for it. It is a stereotype about spies and...about Orions, it is true, especially among my people. After all these years in the Federation, a sharp Romulan should know better than to judge by stereotypes."

Lillee hesitated, leaning back in her seat, plainly uncomfortable herself as she worked out something in her head. Absent-mindedly she reached up, nervously tucking some blonde hair back behind a pointed ear, before smiling weakly at Dantius. "I did not know it was not standard...procedure? Policy? For Starfleet Intelligence? I assumed it was. My husband was a Starfleet infiltrator, and he bedded me to gain access to my biometrics. It led to my defection, to the Sunheart's destruction, to everyone dying. I know it was important to his mission, to saving many more lives, but I was absolutely furious with him afterwards. He was the first alien I ever bedded, and I didn't even know he was human at the time. It was a betrayal of the heart, of mnhei'sahe. Everything that came after was in spite of that. I cane very close to not marrying him."

Lillee sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "So...I have been on the other end of this. I understand, and respect."

---

Rihannsu: Romulan
ch'Rihan: Romulus
Fvadt: Damn
Mnhei'sahe: a deeply complex word without direct translation, unique to Romulan culture, related to Romulan concepts of honour

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #15 – June 09, 2020, 03:12:00 AM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

The Romulan was quiet for over a minute.  Anh-Le's right foot began to twitch as she focused on the sandwich, which suddenly seemed a lot less tasty.  And they say comfort food's good for anxiety...  She really was opening mouth, inserting foot today.  Over and over. 

Then the Romulan replied, and Anh-Le felt even lower.  "Hey, no, it's fine, we were joking around, people sometimes make crude jokes.  There's no need to bring honor into it; I won't hold it against you."  And sure, it was a hurtful stereotype, but Anh-Le hadn't exactly been scrupulously polite what with probing into the blonde's past. 

She shook her head in disgust at the story.  "Yeah, that's a big part of why we don't run seduction ops, as a rule.  Nothing in the universe more dangerous than an angry ex.  Leads to unpredictable reactions, revenge plots, all sort of things.  I'm so sorry that happened to you."  And I can't even IMAGINE what your husband must've done to apologize enough for you to marry him...

Anh-Le licked her lips, feeling a faint itch at the hard-to-reach spot on her back that she resisted the urge to scratch.  She was really bad at small talk when she was frazzled.  "Hey, let's talk about something lighter, yeah?  We've got a hard mission ahead, best not to depress ourselves early.  So, um...you like training with a Romulan honor blade?  I'm a bit of an archery buff myself, did it a lot at the Academy in my spare time." 

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #16 – June 09, 2020, 02:47:03 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Lillee seized upon the lifeline with the eagerness of a drowning woman. "Another archer?" she said in amused exapseration, an angular eyebrow shooting up. "What is it about bows and arrows that is so attractive? You are the second person I have met this week with a love of that weapon. Lieutenant Petterson and I sparred with her bow and my blade just recently. She is skilled, but a sword just feels...natural? It can become a part of yourself, an extension of the body. Romulan swordswomen are trained to move their blade with their subconscious, which is rewarding, yes, but sometimes hilarious. I once decapitated a garden gnome in my back garden without even meaning to, and I didn't realise until it was gone just how much I hated the evil little thing. The children were giggling non-stop for ten minutes."

Lillee became silent for a moment, looking wistful, before shaking it off. She reflected with relief that she had been able to think of something other than the beautiful alien woman across with her, suggesting that the pheromones weren't affecting her, or at least not much. Logical, but nevertheless, a relief.

"Is the bow traditional or common where you're from, like an honour-blade is in the Empire?" Lillee asked casually, her meal and drink now quite finished, leaving the blonde Romulan to do nothing but chat. "Or is it just a pastime you enjoy?"

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #17 – June 09, 2020, 05:03:21 PM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Oh, nice!  Something she could talk about with this beautiful woman without feeling incredibly awkward!  Anh-Le grinned as she took a sip of pho.  "Nah, I got into it when I was younger.  Did some competitive sports involving the bow when I was at the Academy, too!  It's the focus that draws me in, just zeroing in on bow, drawstring, arrow, target,  et cetera." 

On hearing t'Jellaieu's next comment, Anh-Le shook her head.  "It's not a tradition, no, it's just fun.  Good exercise, forces you to learn how to calm yourself, great for practicing focus, and the ladies love the muscles you get from extended practice."  Not that she'd ever really taken advantage of that personally (her own anxiety surrounding her hormones and being on the same team as a six-foot-two Capellan muscle goddess with natural blonde hair down to below her ass had together left Anh-Le dateless at the Academy), but she flexed her right arm for emphasis anyway. 

"You have kids, by the way?  Adopted or biological?  I always wanted a little brother or sister myself, growing up; but after having me on the transporter pad at Angkor Wat, I can understand why Mom said 'that's it, never again'."  She finished off her sandwich, savoring the crunch of the baguette.  It was a little weird, imagining the woman in front of her with children old enough to be left to their own devices while their mother flew around saving the galaxy, but such were Vulcanoid lifespans.  I wonder how old she really is..probably no more than ninety...

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #18 – June 09, 2020, 05:49:03 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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"Biological," Lillee answered with a proud smile. There was a tinge of sadness to it, but nevertheless, the smile was there. "Ahnlai and Monoui. They are twins, the most beautiful children you can imagine...and such crafty devils when they have the inclination. You wouldn't believe the antics they get up to. They team up as well! Truly, there are times when I wonder if those two are telepathic, somehow, as if they've accidentally rediscovered telepathy for Romulans! One of them will distract me in the kitchen, completely without planning to, while the other enacts some scheme in the living room. I'll walk in and one of them is taking apart a padd, or they've painted on a window, or they're eating some stolen cookies...."

Lillee giggled, unable to help herself before settling down again. "They are only five, and I do worry about them. Leaving Earth was not my choice, and by the time I had the choice to leave this ship, it was far too late. The twins have their human grandparents to take care of them, and I feel so sorry for them. Ahnlai and Monoui are surely terrorising them at this very moment."

With that, Lillee changed tack, realising that she was rambling a little and smiling in apology. "Excuse me, I do love to gush about my devils. I do understand why your mother may have made such a decision; bearing even a single child is all-consuming. So, how does an Orion girl come to live in the Federation and serve in Starfleet? Is Angkor Wat a planet, or some place on Earth? I have lived on that strange world for years, and I still do not know many places there."

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #19 – June 09, 2020, 06:30:37 PM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le sighed wistfully.  "Oh, they sound adorable!   I'm so sorry that you've had to leave them--no mother should have to do that."  She forced a smile, thinking of her own parents back home on Earth.  "Hey, at least they'll be safe until you get back, right?" 

In response to t'Jellaieu's question, Anh-Le shook her head.  "As for my family history--we came over from the Orion Syndicate well before I was born.  My mom still has a fully Orion name, but Dad's fully integrated, doesn't even speak much Orion.  Dantius Thi Due, he's a baker with a bánh mì shop attached."  She took a bite of noodles from her pho bowl, chewed, and swallowed.  "Angkor Wat's an archaeological site in Cambodia, the province next to Vietnam, where I grew up.  It's this ancient giant temple complex that used to be part of the biggest city on Earth.  Mom was on this 'fetal osmotic learning' kick because she watched too much Doctor Mok on the holovision, so she's wandering around ready to pop, trying to pre-educate me in cultural stuff.  Her water broke in the refreshment line, I was delivered on the transporter pad by a Horta medic and a Xindi-Insectoid intern, neither of whom were super confident in their ability to safely deliver a placental."  She took a drink of her coffee, and added, "I still have a picture of the aftermath in my quarters.  Dad looks like somebody repeatedly punched him between the eyes.  Mom was passed out cold, she basically named me and was out like a light, and Dad was holding her so the Xindi was carrying me 'cause Horta don't have arms." 

Anh-Le cleared her throat as she finished the story.  "So, yeah, that's me.  Mom always said I was a go-getter from birth.  Uh...I could show you the picture in my quarters, if you want a laugh."  She mentally kicked herself immediately.  Fuck, Dantius, that sounds totally desperate.  Where's your discipline?

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #20 – June 09, 2020, 09:57:55 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Having listened to Dantius' story with amusement, Lillee's reply was almost automatic. "I would enjoy that," she said, the words leaving her mouth before she'd even properly processed them, the implication only striking her afterwards. Still, Lillee reflected, she didn't care. Dantius was sweet, razor sharp and made Lillee smile more than...well, anyone, since she'd been awoken from stasis. It didn't matter, really, that the woman was undeniably beautiful, even if the issue of pheromones sparked an unpleasant suspicion under Lillee's brow, and even if her skin was quite disconcertingly the colour of blood.

Curse it all, Lillee had found someone she liked, who seemed to like her in return, someone with whom it felt natural to just eat and chat with. Sure, Lillee had found the occasional friend in the squadron, had even played around with other women. Actually forming a serious connection with someone though, regardless of whether it led to friendship, more bedroom games or something else, was a sufficiently rare experience that Lillee felt the urge to grasp it with both hands.

Steady, Rihanna. You only just met this woman, and she is a complete stranger. Go easy. Never get close to an Orion woman, even if you don't mean to bed her. It's a good rule. Don't break it.

Having been alone and mostly friendless for the past five weeks, Lillee didn't care a whit.

---

Rihanna: a female Romulan

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #21 – June 09, 2020, 10:22:50 PM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le flushed in sudden embarrassment.  "Um, thank you, uh, I'll show you when I finish this?"  She went back to her pho, feeling like an idiot.  Damn it, you're hitting on a petty officer, and a widow, and you can't even do it well enough for her to pick up on it.  Brilliant work.  This was a new record on the 'Anh-Le is a disaster lesbian' list of embarrassments. 

She went back to her pho, shoveling noodles into her mouth to prevent some other stupid comment from falling out.  Well, how much worse could it get? her cynical side pointed out.  I already threw my professionalism in the shitter, I won't have much of a reputation left by the end of the day at this rate...

"Do you have pictures of your kids, at least?" the Orion asked as she swallowed the noodles.  "That ought to make it a bit easier to be away from them, at least."  Kids were safe.  The universal wet blanket, making people stop and catch their breath before they did something stupid. 

She really ought to come clean, though.  Just admit her screwup and hope for the best.  Anh-Le licked her lips, trying to formulate an appropriate 'sorry I hit on you even though it's clearly against regulations' that wouldn't see her reported for sexual harassment.  Three days.  I didn't even make it three days before screwing it up!  That, too, had to be a record. 

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #22 – June 09, 2020, 11:43:52 PM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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Again, the blush, and there was no denying this time that it had to be a blush, Dantius' green cheeks visibly darkening. Lillee titled her head to the side slightly, smiling again; she was almost criminally cute and endearing, the way she dived into her food for refuge. At Dantius' offer to visit her quarters, Lillee nodded in assent, still smiling. She wasn't certain if Dantius might have meant the other thing. Certainly, it seemed as if there might be attraction, but how could she know? Lillee ruefully admitted to herself that, for all her own skills in the cockpit and elsewhere, she never had been good at reading people. The fiasco in the spa with Thomas Ravon had been evidence enough of that.

Not mention being lied to and seduced by a Starfleet spy, then having sex with a human for months without even realising he wasn't Romulan...urgh. No, Lillee wasn't going to live down that willful stupidity for as long as she lived. At least the stupidity with Thomas Ravon had resulted in a savage but educational beating.

At Dantius' question, Lillee lapsed into silence, plainly mulling something over, before reaching into a pocket in her pants. She pulled out a thin rod, barely the length of a finger. "I keep this with me everywhere I go," Lillee said quietly, looking up from the rod to meet Dantius' brown eyes. "I originally wasn't assigned to this ship, but to Starfleet Command. Well, mostly to an engineering annex in Somalia, but Command. I was only meant to be on the Theurgy for an afternoon, to inspect the new Valkyries. I only had my honour-blade because I was meeting a Vulcan friend at the office afterwards, and he wished to see the sword."

Lillee fingered the rod gently, rolling it through her fingers. "I didn't have anything with me when the Theurgy fled Earth, and there were no pictures of my children on the Theurgy's computer. We didn't have access to the Federation data nets, either. I only got this picture because...well, truly, I don't know precisely, but it required some effort from Admiral Anderson's people. I only got this a couple of weeks after we arrived at Aldea."

For the first time, Lillee seemed oddly nervous, her smile slightly tense. "I do not show this picture to anyone, now. I do not trust others easily with them. You are Intelligence, though, and you are used to handling classified materials, yes?" Lillee's smile turned conspiratorial, glancing around them at the increasingly crowded mess hall. "Not here, though. Sharing a picture for a picture is a good trade, I think."

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #23 – June 10, 2020, 12:28:52 AM

Lt. JG Dantius Thi Anh-Le | Mess hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy | Attn: @Griff

Anh-Le chuckled in spite of herself.  t'Jellaieu was easy to get along with, and...hopefully wouldn't be too pissed.  "That's a fair trade.  They sound like cute little munchkins."  Anderson had slipped personal items along to the Theurgy somehow?  Right, she'd need to ask someone to do a little extra double-checking to make sure that operational security was still being maintained. 

But she had to apologize, first.  Anh-Le finished her soup and cleared her throat nervously.  "Um.  OK, this is going to sound terrible.  But I'm sorry for hitting on you.  I'm not trying to seduce you, and I wouldn't act on it even if you were the hottest woman in the galaxy, not that you aren't attractive, I mean, but, uh, I was just trying to be friendly..."  No, stop, that sounds like you're trying to handwave being a creep!  "That is to say, I think you're attractive and sweet but I normally wouldn't even flirt across the officer/enlisted line or break regulations like that at all, and I would never try to abuse my rank...or do anything against regulations for that matter, and I totally understand if you're upset, I just hope that it's alright if I apologize to you now instead of this having to go up the chain of command, and...I'm just going to shut up now."  And that wasn't the most humiliating such ramble Anh-Le had ever spewed.  (see: Attractive and muscular six-foot-two Capellan teammate on the Academy ladies' decathlon team)

Anh-Le buried her face in her hands, part of her noting an oddly scratch sensation of her uniform on her skin.  Probably a psychosomatic sensation rooted in wanting to crawl out of her skin and die.  She just knew that anyone who'd overheard was staring at her now.  Three days.  I didn't even make it three fucking days before humiliating myself.

Re: Day 33 [1400 hrs.] Spooks Should Be Spooky, Damn It

Reply #24 – June 10, 2020, 01:02:02 AM

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Mess Hall | Deck 13 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @GroundPetrel

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It was a day for blushing and embarrassment, apparently. Lillee's cheeks burned as she watched Dantius expose herself so thoroughly and with such plain humiliation. In public, no less! Of course there had been attraction, it was so stupendously obvious in retrospect, but the poor woman obviously had some issues expressing it. It was a harsh contrast to the sharp, endearing and beautiful woman that Lillee perceived and had just been talking to, but clearly Dantius had her own demons.

Lillee glanced at the nearby tables, glaring at a couple of people who were watching in concern. Pondering what to say, she leaned forward slightly, setting her empty plate aside and folding her hands on the table.

"I am not upset at all, and I do not feel there is anything to apologise for, but I accept your apology in the spirit that it is given," Lillee said softly. "To be true, if an officer were to use their rank to try and coerce me into something improper, I would break their spine there and then. You are not that, not at all." She paused, leaning forward a little more, but pointedly staying far outside Dantius' personal space. "But this is not the proper setting for such a talk, yes? Are you comfortable going to your quarters? I would like to share our memories in those photos, as I do so rarely, but...only if you are comfortable doing so. And only to talk. As new friends. I have so few of those now that I...I cherish the ones I have, and the ones I meet. I would not risk losing the chance of knowing one such as you."