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Topic: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.] (Read 7149 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #25 –
[ Illya Rez | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn:Ives


Illya turned her attention back to Jien as Kiya faded from view. "Interesting... So technically a night out with you could go all ways?" she said teasingly with a wink before three hosts at least tried to comment and stop Illya from doing more. Her time as controlling host would soon have to come to an end or at least be reduced. Illya however rolled her eyes and sighed followed by a soft groan "Urgh, fine I'll refrain myself." she muttered softly to herself.

Her eyes batted back to Jien as she chuckled a little "Care for a refill captain?" she continued to muse. The internal conflict seemed to battle on inside of her as Illya seemed to chuckle a bit more now and again. "But I can see what you mean... Procreation might indeed be the last thing on your mind." her face turned a bit more serious as she looked at him. A question burning on her tongue to ask, but given their location and the nature of the question she refrained from it and just waited on him to see if he wanted another drink or not.

Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #26 –
[ Captain Ives | By the Bar | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: Rez

After the bold remark that the former grifter made, Jien did not quite know what to say, but he was saved by the fact that the others hosts - or at least one of them - were objecting and making Illya stand down. Jien caught her words and could but smile faintly and shake his head. "Quite so, and yes, please."

She had asked him if he cared for a refill, which he accepted - sliding his glass forth to the Trill. She seemed... conflicted somehow, perhaps wishing to raise another issue but not keen on doing so by the bar.

"Unless you wish to ask me anything else, I will be speaking to some of the gathered crew," he said, and leaned forward a little while she poured for him. "In any regard, I am pleased to see that you and the others have found somewhere to contribute to the ship. With all the drills and planning for the mission to Starbase 84, it is essential that the crew has somewhere that they can go to find some respite. If you could help out here in that regard, I would be grateful. I am sure zh'Wann already asked you to do it earlier when she spoke to you, and you can rest assured that I will gladly grant this establishment to your care, should you find the inclination to run it for the benefit of the crew."

Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #27 –
[Ensign Chris Slayton | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy] Attention: Ida

At Ida's comment and how she held herself, Chris nodded. "The events that lead me to becoming a part of the clan Kythera isn't the best which isn't why I like talking about it in the open." he said simply before nodding. "But I want you first to understand that it was not my intent to make you uncomfortable."

Chris took a breath before starting to speak. "My father had my entire life planned out for my siblings and myself and we couldn't argue with the "great" admiral. But once I completed my primary schooling, I was a very angry young man and signed on with a freighter to try and find my own place out there."

He downed a little bit of his ale, it had been a long time since he'd talked about this with anyone which made him curious as to why he was telling her this. "It wasn't easy but it was honest and it made my father furious. But I was still lost, it was here that Paran th'Kythera. He took me under his wing and he didn't make things easy for me, he was a tough and harsh taskmaster but I kept at it." Chris explained, "One day, nine months later, he told me why he was on the Aurgia. He had been in the imperial guard until a scandal basically drove him away."

"I spent two years on that ship with him at which point I realized that what I was doing wasn't a fad, Ida, like people training like a Klingon or Vulcan without trying to understand the nature. My home world was founded with a sizable Andorian influence on Asgard when it was founded, so it was already there..that connection."

Chris' voice grew a little bit harder when he spoke next, "The Aurgia was making a run through Vortel system on the cardassian side of the border when the Klingon invasion of cardassia started..our ship was captured and we wound up in a pow camp for two years, Paran didn't make it but I returned him to the ice when I was released."
Chris shook his head as the memories came back. The running fight on the Aurgia and those two years of hell in that prison camp, the camp's commander showing him respect by having him healed after he threw Chris into a targ pit and surviving..

"I went to Andor, to his Zhavey and presented his blood to her so that it could be returned to the ice and that surprised them that a pinkskin would follow a tradition like that, let alone know about it and they like you wanted answers which I gave them." He explained before finishing off his glass and a dark, bitter laugh escaped him. "I found out from his bond mates that Paran left Andor because of a lie that a rival told as clan Kythera was at odds with clan Ideema..I can't say that I was never as angry in my life and  wanted to avenge Paran's honor."

Chris actually stopped and chuckled for a second before continuing, but there was no smile on his face. "The thaan responsible for Paran's dishonor thought it was a pun as no one could challenge Zarath th'Ideema, especially not some lowly *pinkskin*.."

He stopped at that point to pull away the collar on the right side of his uniform to reveal a mass of scar tissue there at the point where his collar bone merged into his neck. "He caught me there, buried the blade right to the bone, he laughed and actually asked me if it was worth challenging my better."

Chris let his hand move away from the scar, his face slowly became just a little bit pinched. "He wanted to brag and showoff, but he didn't get a chance to gloat much longer as I bisected his throat. For what I did, I was made apart of the clan and I lived on Andor until the death of my father changed everything almost two years later."

Chris finished off his glass and then looked at the Zhen before him, his green eyes on her blue. "I don't know your keth, Ida. As for the bad blood between you and your people, I was taught that you show a warrior respect and with my attraction to you aside, you most certainly have my respect because during the fight on the Harbinger, you earned it."

"But this is simply me, no hidden agendas or anything. The only thing that I keep hidden is what happened to me during that time I was a..guest of the Klingon Empire." Chris added, his tone was honest and straight.

Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #28 –
[ ThanIda zh'Wann | By the Tables | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: DocReno

In the beginning of the pinkskin's story, he had said that his future had been dictated by his father, and in that regard, she sympathised with him. It had been the reason why she defected from the Imperial Guard and left in exile, much like he had sought employment on a freighter ship. She said nothing, however, looking at him where she sat with her arms crossed underneath her chest.

It seemed that while she had sought a place in the Alpha Quadrant on her own, working as an artist and a bouncer wherever she might during her hedonistic youth, Husker had been on that freighter ship and later imprisoned by the Klingon. - fighting in targ pits until his escape. Then, finally, he revealed how he had travelled to Lor'Vela - avenging the honour of his caretaker and granted the respect to remain there with the clan after the ushaan. He had spent almost two years on Andor before the demise of his real father had returned him to the pinkskins - years where she had likely spent in Starfleet Academy. In any case, he said he did not know her Keth, much less her own father, and for that she was grateful.

What he said about earning respect in the battlefield spoke to her, and especially as an explanation as to why he found her attractive. She much rather wanted to be noticed as a capable security officer than for her cobalt blood, and it undermined the idea of hers that the pinkskin just happened to have a taste for Andorian women because of his two years in Lor'Vela, or possibly his upbringing on Asgard. If he could see her beyond her skin and her antennae... she felt less compelled to simply dismiss the Ensign. She even found his direct demeanour compelling.

She much prefered men and women who showed strength and certitude, as long as they did so without disrespect. Husker was a fine operative, his marksmanship with a phaser more than adequate, and a more than capable fighter, but she was not quite over the fact that he had kissed a superior officer without her consent - disrespecting her person and her rank in a quite sexist way. Aside from that fact, she was inclined to like the pinkskin for all the positive attributes to his character. Then again... despite her principles, she had to admit that she was flattered by the notion that he had to kiss her in case he'd die there in the corridors of the Harbinger.

"It is gratifying to hear that you weren't on Andor for more than two years, and that you do not know my Keth," she said and adjusted her seat a bit, crossing her legs under the table and putting her hands in her lap. "Your caretaker trained you well, and it explains how you fight like a Guardsman. It must have made it easier for you when you entered the Academy, just like it was for me, and more difficult too since the training and the philosophy of the Imperial Guard and Starfleet are both quite different."

Idle talk, skirting the issue at hand. She raised her head, not expecting for him to comment on that observation. She attacked the core issue between them head on.

"You will never kiss me again without consent, Ensign, no matter the reason," she said, unsmiling, then she softened a little bit, sighing before she continued in an almost apologetic tone. "Admittedly, I am flattered by your interest in me, and it is not like I find you unattractive either, but... you are like a shadow from my past in the way you behave. I realise that you don't like me simply because of my skin, and I respect you as a solider in the same way you say you respect me. It is just that I am fully dedicated to the mission and the protection of this crew, so there is no room in my heart to accept someone into it. I cannot be in any relationship since it would distract me. If you seek a mate, you should look elsewhere, for I am not able to honour that kind of commitment."

He deserved her honesty up-front, even if she did not know the extent of his attraction to her. Better to lower his expectations right away than letting him entertain ideas about something that would not happen as long as the mission lasted.

Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #29 –
[Ensign Chris Slayton | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy] Attention: Ida

Chris showed her the same respect as she showed him, letting her speak without him doing anything to interrupt her and when she was done speaking, he was on one level happy that she wasn't under the assumption that he was something that he wasn't..of course he was still curious as to why she brought up her keth like that but he was willing to table that until, when and most importantly *IF* she would share with him that one, he respected her too much to pry into her past like that.

When she brought up the comment about mating and relationships, his brow furrowed just a little bit in confusion as a stray thought came across his head from a conversation that he had previously with Amelya and his thoughts on what she had said *then* as compared to what Ida was saying *now*. "I won't kiss you without your permission again, Ida. I did that in the heat of the moment and it wasn't my intention to offend you if I did. "

He then took a deep breath and thought about his next words before he spoke them. "I understand what you're saying Ida and I apologize about the shadow aspect, I will try and not cause you grief on that front. But I also partially agree on one thing which is that this is not the time to be settling down because after my time on the Harbinger up to meeting the Theurgy and those events, I am still just as dedicated to the mission of this ship as you are as well I know that either one of us could be dead tomorrow and for that I'd rather have you know about my attraction to the woman that I've fought with on a burning warship then to let it die in the cold vastness of the black." he explained with a faint smile appearing on his face. "I won't lie to you, Ida, you have my word on that as a man, a warrior and a fellow officer of the united starship Theurgy."

Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #30 –
[ ThanIda zh'Wann | By the Tables | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: DocReno

A faint smile came to Ida then, when Husker reassured her that he was not pursuing a relationship with her. She was glad that she had not hurt the pinkskin's feelings, for he surely deserved better.

"It is only fair that you know why I am in exile too," she said, not too keen on speaking of her past since no matter the years, the rejection of her Keth still caused her regret - loss of family not so easily forgotten. "As the first zhen born to Wann in six generations, I was not privileged with choice. My father did not let me make decisions of my own, denying me to live as I saw fit. It might seem silly, a little girl not getting to do what she wanted, but I assure you, the bad blood ran thickly between my father and I, with no aid from the rest of the Keth."

It felt strangely liberating talking about it, even if the bitterness was still there - never to go away. "I decided to fight for my freedom when he decided to choose my bond for me, challenging him to the Ushaan. Yet sly as he was, he let a senior Guardsman in my regiment fight me in his stead. He knew I liked the chan, and had a long and bitter argument with his father in the Imperial Guard... so he chose his champion to make me stand down and accept the bond to someone else. If I would still fight, and kill the chan, he would have struck a blow against a political rival and forced me to kill an unfit competitor to the chan he had chosen for me. Of course he did not want me to bind Wann to his rival's Keth. Should I be killed during the Ushaan instead... it seemed it was a loss my father could live with given how far things had gone between us. Yet in retrospect, I realise he might have instructed his champion to spare his daughters life, but I would never know.... for I killed him." She said it in a flat voice, without inflection of emotion - the years numerous between the deed and the present day. "The chan never learned what I thought of him, that I considered him a potential bondmate, before I had to cut his throat... and earn my fredom through exile from the my Keth, the Imperial Guard, Lor'Vela and Andor. After what my father did, I could not stay, and had to prevail in the Ushaan."

It was as if she could still feel the gushing blood against her face, despite the years.

"I still hate him for the cost of the chan's life - a cost he forced upon me - and exile remains my choice to this day."

Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #31 –
[ Illya Rez | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn:Ives

She refilled the glass of the captain before smiling and nodding, not mentioning anything anymore about what she had brought up earlier. "I have no more questions Jien... Or ell none that I can pose at this time." she added before looking him in the eyes. Ida had indeed given her the option to work in this lounge during her stay and perhaps she should consider it.

"I'll do my best for the sake of the crew, but taking this whole establishment under my care is something that I need to think over. I was considering to come and help out here, but helping out or running the place are two different things altogether." she smiled as she closed the bottle once more before placing it back on its designated spot. "But I'll make sure to bring it to your attention if I decide anything." she smiled and looked over at some people that came over on the other end of the bar "Now, excuse me please, I have some more clients it seems." she smiled and with that she lingered off to serve the new customers.

Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #32 –
[Ensign Chris Slayton | Below Decks | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy] Attention: Ida

Chris sat there and calmly listened to Ida's story, he picked up her glass and refilled it before placing it back in front of her. "And I thought my father was a bastard." he said simply as he refilled his own glass.

He made a strange little clicking sound with his tongue as his brow furrowed slightly. "Isn't strange how our father's tried to choose our directions in life, Ida? Your's because you where the first Zhen in a generation of your family and mine because he felt that duty to the Federation was more important than his family." he said honestly, his voice slightly serious yet casual-almost like he was teaching a class about ethics to an academy course on security than two officers sitting in a starship's bar and lounge.

"I will try and tone it down around you, Ida, when it comes to like I have been even though certain aspects are like a second nature to me but at least you know that I'm not apart of some secret conspiracy to make you buy grub soda from the Ferengi or something like that, true?" he offered up with a salute of his glass in hopes that she would at least smile at the attempt at a joke.

Re: DAY 02: Critical Vacancy [1230 hrs.]

Reply #33 –
[ ThanIda zh'Wann | By the Tables | Below Decks | Deck 07 ] Attn: DocReno

Ida chuckled when the pinkskin made his joke. "That's quite true," she said and raised her own glass in kind. "And likewise, I will try to not mind the reminders you bring. I think we have an accord."

Toasting the fighter pilot, Ida downed her glass. After that, the conversation was brief before Ida had to withdraw to her duties, but as she did, she had a feeling that she would be seeing more of Husker. And seeing him was hardly a sacrifice, given how he - for a pinkskin - was quite easy on the eye. He certainly appealed to her artistic eye, at the very least, but she could not quite decide what she thought about him as a woman. On one hand, he had the kind of physique she preferred, yet on the other... he did remind her an awful lot about home.

Home, ironically, since she never thought of Andor that way any more.

- FIN

OOC: Sorry for the delay. I am behind with posting in general due to many reaosns Theurgy-related and not. Since I cannot come up with anything more to add to the scene, and answers have been far in-between, not to mention how we might be able to have them meet up later on, I think we should close the scene on this note.
 
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