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Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Stardate: 57561.04
Thursday March 12 0800
USS Theurgy

[ Thomas Ravon | Outside Main Shuttlebay | Deck 11 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] @BZ

The shift had come to an end for Thomas Ravon as he was just out of exosuit and wearing a fresh uniform. He was supposed to head to his quarters next for some shut eye, yet he had an errand to run by the shuttle bay on Vector one. A favor he owed from one mechanic to another. It had been a small thing to do and he wanted to have it off his plate before he'd head to bed. Who knew that the cubs in the fighter bay had such close relations with the mechanics in the upper shuttle bay. After having delivered the item he made his way back out, cracking his neck as he saw crew preparing for shuttle departure.

What caught his eyes was the woman standing in the back of the gathered crew with a science kit that seemed to big for her to carry. Despite knowing that Zephyr was on this ship and having seen her, it still felt odd to see her. His body actually freezing up after the debacle two days ago in the Arboretum. It had stung rather annoyingly at him for hours before he managed to fall asleep and take the advice of his friend to mind. Ravon shook off the debilitating feeling and even though he wanted to just walk away, the advice of his good friend Izar Bila came to mind. The pilot shook his head as he played what Izar had told him in his head and changed direction towards Zephyr.

"Where is this scientist kit going?" he asked seriously as he doomed up behind Zephyr, hoping to catch her off guard, yet not knowing if she could hear him coming from a mile off with her new trait of hearing thoughts. He studied Zephyr's clothing, noticing the teal color as he cocked his head slightly "Sciency.." he whispered softly almost inaudible "What's on your work plate today?" he asked her before he chewed on his lip "And good morning to you, Zephyr." he smirked as he realized he probably should've started with that.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #1 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Off On Adventures | Solo Sample Extraction | Finding New Plant Life | Research for the Soul]
@Nolan



Zephyr Praise had always been addicted to natural plant life.  Even as a young girl, she was the sort that spent the hours of her day out in the forest and enjoying nature.  It was where her soul was settled, and where she knew that she needed to be.  It was the kind of place that just centered her in a way that little else could.  Once she had found out they were on a planet she had never been to before, much less heard about, she knew that she wanted to go down to the surface and get some samples.  There was not a whole lot of new natural growth after everything that had happened to the planet, but there was some.  She wasn't just after expanding her collection of hybridized plants, as well as the beauty of new things for her and Khorins Quarteres, but it was also getting soil samples and things like that to determine the factors that made up the planet fully.

Zeph had signed up for a shuttle that would be heading down to the surface.  She had gotten up early and given her sleepy eyed Klingon a kiss on the cheek as he rumbled something in Klingon in his half-sleep before rolling back over into her pillow and crushing it to his chest as though he could absorb it into himself.  She had only shaken her head and been glad that he didn't hug her with such force.  But he was sweet, and cute, and seeing his bare chest sticking out of the wrinkled sheets was something adorable.  His face, either cute and smiling, or fierce and ready for battle, at complete rest.  It endeared him to her further than other times.

She left him a note, because she still remembered the last time she had 'disappeared' after telling him where she went, and he had gone nuts looking for her because he hadn't remembered.  She had replicated him a healthy but large breakfast and put the note right on top of the plate of food so he couldn't possibly miss it.  She also put one on the mirror, on the inside of the door to their Quarters, and on the replicator control panel.  Because, she really needed to cover all her bases since the man could be oblivious.

Standing in line with her massive Science case, because she wanted to be well prepared for whatever she would find down there, she waited.  She knew that she would need to change from her uniform to the Aldean clothing, she had that draped over her arm to put over her uniform because she had been given it on the shuttle bay.  The line was long, but she was excited to go, and willing to wait her turn.  She was surprised though, to hear the familiar voice of Thomas Ravon come up to her side.  She looked up at him with those soft dark eyes of hers.

“Hey you.” she smiled up at him brightly.  Honestly, after the other night, she had felt so saddened when he left.  She had cried for a little while.  Mourning the fact that things would and could never be as they had been in the Academy.  They were both such different people now.  But, that didn't stop a Zephyr Original Bright Smile from crossing her lips and lighting up her face.  She put the science kit down with a soft thump on the deck plating below as she reached up and pulled him into a familiar and warm hug.  The hug probably lasted longer than was normal for most people before she pulled back, she and Thom weren't normal people.

“Uh I'm going to the surface, collecting samples, seeds, sapplings, whatever I can find.  I can't pass up the opportunity to go do something with a place I've never been before and I could use a little fresh air.  It's been.. a .. a really long time since I've had any.” her smile fell before she forced it back into place.  There was so much that she couldn't tell people.

“You're tired.” she said stating a fact.  More than even using her empathic abilities was the fact that his face told of how many hours he had been awake and working.  “have you been down there yet?” she asked, the line moved up one, as the first person got into the shuttle.  It would slowly move as each person was checked in, ID cards were given with their alias, and it was all set into place so they could go down to the surface.  Zeph picked up the large kit and stepped forward.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #2 –
[ Thomas Ravon | Outside Main Shuttlebay | Deck 11 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] @BZ

Zeph replied like only Zeph could, a smile that melted him on the spot and just that cheerful attitude that would make even the saddest of people happy. He smiled as she placed the science kit down and walked over to him to give him a hug. Thomas was frozen at first yet simply returned the hug like he'd normally do when they did so back in the Academy. What he got was more than he bargained for. He got a whiff of Zeph's scent, any perfume or anything she'd be wearing today as well as just her. It wasn't a bad thing or anything, though it had triggered some old memories from back in his younger days. The hug lasted perhaps longer than it should have, the pilot truly didn't care how long it lasted.

The eyes of the pilot studied the face of the Betazoid, full Betazoid now, he saw the smile fade for a moment before it returned in full. She told him what she was going to do down on the planet and he gave her a nod "Botanist stuff in other words." he smirked "And just a good dose of fresh air." He wondered what she'd be able to find down on the planet that could make any difference. He hadn't traveled to the surface just yet and wasn't sure he'd be going to unless he had something of importance down there. It was funny to think about it as if this scenario would've occurred a month ago, he'd not hesitate to head down and party. Though things had changed, drastically. For better or worse.

Zephyr had asked him questions and the line had moved up a spot, the pilot blinked a few times before he answered "I just finished up on a patrol run. Six hour shift plus some paperwork and what else." he waved it away "Do I really look that tired?" he asked her, surprised that she could tell that easily. After hearing her response he smiled faintly and replied the second question she had posed him "As for the planet, I've not been down there before." he admitted. Bila's words ringing only louder now in his head as he looked into Zeph's dark pools.

"You know... I could join you down there. I mean... Knowing you..." he paused as he looked at her science kit "You'll probably break an arm or a leg before you get planetside if you're dragging that around." he smirked almost triumphantly as he remembered the legendary clumsiness of Zephyr back in the Academy days "Just don't make me your dig crew or anything when we're down there." he joked as he wondered if she'd agree to his suggestion. Considering the oddness between them after the other day.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #3 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | On We Go | Like a Child | Napping on the Way | Are We There Yet?]
@Nolan



Zeph smiled up at him as he figured that she was going down for Botanist stuff.  He wasn't wrong, that was exactly what she was going down there for and found no reason not to.  It could be fun, she thought, to go down and see what was there.  The place was just starting to come back to life and as a Botanist she liked to study the effects of planets that were coming back to life.  Besides, every planet offered a new place for her to study.  New plants, new soil, new seeds.  Who knew what she could find, use, turn into other things, hybridize.  She knew that other people didn't get her, and that was okay, they didn't have to.  She wasn't doing her work for anyone but herself.  It was okay that no one understood her love for such things.  How a new flower, a soil sample, or a new seed could really make her day.  Besides, once they left Aldea there would be months, probably, before they were anywhere else she could collect samples.  This, at least, would be something she could work on to keep herself busy.

He told her that he had just gotten off of a six hour shift and done some things.  But he was surprised that she could tell.  The smile warmed her face again.  “Of course I can tell.” she admitted.  And, it wasn't just that she could use her empathy to tell, but she could also just tell because she knew Thom very well.  He was important to her and even though they had spent many years now away from each other that didn't change the fact that he meant a great deal to her.  Probably not as much as he wanted to, but enough that he she hoped he would always be in her life.  Had things shaken out differently she probably wouldn't have met Khorin first and it would have been Thom she shared her Quarters with, but, that hadn't happened.

“You look like you could use a nap.” she chuckled teasing him as she stepped back in line.  Zeph leaned down and picked up her kit as the line continued to move now that the shuttle was actually seating.  Rav asked if she would mind if he went along with her, and her brow rose.  “Really?  I mean, I'd like that actually.  The company and time with you.” she smiled brightly giving him that Zephyr light.

She laughed when he mentioned that she might break and arm, a leg, both.  Who knew.  “I'm not that bad anymore.. mostly.” she chuckled as she gave a shrug.  He knew that she could barely walk straight without bumping into unseen obstacles in the Academy.  He knew a lot about her, and he was familiar.  Like breathing, like.. home.  He was home, in a way that she wasn't sure anyone else could be.  That wasn't fair to Khorin, he was different.  Khorin was her new home, her new norm, that which her heart beat for, but Thom... Thom was like coming home.

“Hey you need to stay awake, you're totally on dig crew.  I have a collapsible shovel and everything.  I'm bringing the brain, you're bringing the brawn.” she winked over at him and fell into a sweet melodic little laugh before it was her turn at the shuttle.

“Name.”  said the officer with the PADD in hand.

“Lieutenant Zephyr Praise and Lieutenant Commander Thomas Ravon.”  Zeph said with a cheerful tone in her voice.

“I don't have the commander down.” he stated looking up at the both of them.

“Yes, I just asked for his help, this kit is heavy and we have a long way to walk.  He offered to help!  Isn't he the best?”

“Uh huh.” the officer looked down at the large kit in Zeph's hands just as Rav leaned over to take it from her with a bit of a grin.  It wasn't all that heavy for Zeph she was used to carrying it around but it was a good excuse.  “Fine, carry on.”

Zeph and Ravon collected their special badges that would allow them to understand Aldeans if necessary, their fake Ids, and Rav was given a set of robes to put over his uniform that would allow him to blend in much like she would.  Inside the shuttle, they stowed the kit in an overhead compartment and buckled in before the rest of the people shuffled in and the shuttle took off.

Zeph was looking out the window and hadn't really had much to say as the shuttle took off from the Ship yards and began to head towards the planet.  She could see the golden planet getting that much closer and was about to say something to Thom about it's beauty when she felt a weight on her shoulder.  Turning carefully, she noticed that Thom was asleep.  Breathing softly, but deeply, his head on her shoulder.  A soft warm smile crossed her lips as she settled back into her seat to let the man take his little nap.  As she got more comfortable, so did he, wrapping his arms around her slender one as though it was a teddy bear.  Zeph fought to keep the smile and laughter off her face, and managed to at least stay the laughter but the smile was too hard to control.

He's adorable.

“You're very cute, you and your boyfriend.” said a woman across the isle that Zeph hadn't met yet. 

There was no reason to correct the woman, so Zephyr just replied with.  “Thanks, he's kinda adorable isn't he?”

“He seems like a good one.”

“He is.” Zeph admitted resting her head against his, though not tired enough to sleep she kept her eyes on the window but just rested her head on his while the planet grew closer and they began to get towards the landing pad on the planets surface.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #4 –
[ Thomas Ravon | Outside Main Shuttlebay | Deck 11 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] @BZ

Zephyr Praise had always been a botanist first, before anything else. To Thomas however, Zephyr Praise had been something completely different. She had always been the one, but besides that, she was probably one of his closest friends. One of those people who could exactly tell what was going on in his head or how he was feeling. It shouldn't have been a surprise when she pointed out that he was tired, how right she really was about it.

She teased him that he could use a nap and he shrugged as he smirked at her "Maybe I will on the shuttle... Forty minutes flight down to the planet anyway." he told her as the line kept moving. She didn't shoot down the plan for him to join her and he nodded at her with a smug smile on his face. Zephyr offered Thomas that she wasn't that clumsy anymore like she was in her academy days. She got a look from Thomas that pretty much screamed 'Yeah right' at her as he grinned and shook his head.

They came to the security officer who checked them in and the prior comment about him being the brawn and designated dig crew made him laugh and think of Bila. It was just such a thing for the Bajcardie to say as well, thinking of him like just spare muscle to use in whatever experiment he had concocted. The attention of Thomas was brought back to the security officer as he stated he wasn't on the list. Zephyr did the talking and Ravon smiled at the security officer as he sized the man up. Praise gave a good explanation to the whole thing and Thomas was impressed by her people skill when thy could go through.

Thomas put the science kit in the overhead compartment and flopped down next to Zephyr who was seated by the window. Ravon inspected the clothes he was given to wear and tried to figure out how exactly he was supposed to get into the robes. Deciding he'd slip them on when they'd break through the atmosphere, he adjusted in his seat as the shuttle took off. He rested his head against the head support of his seat and he closed his eyes. If he had to go digging he could use every bit of energy he could get.

Thomas stirred little in his sleep, yet eventually seemed to find a better support against Zephyr's shoulder. He slept through the conversation Zeph had with one of the fellow travelers with them and as the shuttle broke through the atmosphere the rumbling and shaking of the shuttle woke Thomas up. It took a few seconds to get his bearings before he noticed how his hands and arms had entangled with Zephyr's and how he was resting against her "Oh, I must've dozed off..." he offered her as he looked around.

Once they were out of the atmosphere, Thomas got up after giving Zeph's hand a squeeze. He moved to the back of the shuttle. Standing in plain sight really, though with a bit of discretion he began to open up his uniform jacket and took it off. He knew that their presence on Aldea as Starfleet had to be kept secret at all costs. Thus he discarded everything that could lead back to it. This meant that he stripped down to his bare chest before slipping on the chlamys. With the traditional clothing on he adjusted it slightly before removing his uniform pants as well.

Once ready he walked back to Zephyr and sat down besides her [colorgrey]"How does it look?"[/color] he asked her unsure if the color scheme was a good match or if it looked silly entirely. The shuttle docked on the landing pad and disembarkation began shortly after. The science kit was camouflaged as well and the warm air of Aldea hit the both of them as they got out of the shuttle.

"Where to master scientist?" he teased Zephyr as he held onto the science kit and looked back at the Betazoid.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #5 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Heading Into Unknown | Mistaken Identities | Why is He so Adorable?]
@Nolan



He was so cute, resting on her shoulder.  The way that his lungs inflated and deflated.  The way that he just slept as though she was his favorite teddy bear or something.  He was so cute, she could not imagine how he could go from gruff badass to someone that could be so cute asleep.  She wondered if this was how parents felt when their children were sleeping. The way that all the tension left their faces and they were completely peaceful for such a time.  One hundred percent relaxed and the way that they subconsciously snuggled into them.  The rush of breath that tickled across her loose hair and moved it just slightly.  The way that in his sleep he would occasionally scratch a spot on his body, his arm, his face, and then go limp again.  It was such a precious thing to watch someone sleep.  Even Khorin was adorable when he slept for similar but different reasons.

The shaking of the shuttle seemed to disturb his sleep.  She felt the tension flood back into his body all at once, she smiled softly but let it all before his eyes actually open.  Her eyes shifted over to him, and she watched his eyes open and the grogginess of his nap slowly leave as his brain caught up with his body.  Righting himself up he rubbed a hand over his face and she chuckled softly as he told her he must have dozed off.

“I have proven myself correct when I told you, you were tired.” she winked over at him as he shot her a little look.

“Master mind in the works.” she tapped her temple with a bit of a smile.  Thom got up and changed in the back of the shuttle into the Aldean robes.  When he returned she smiled softly up at him.  “I dont think you could make anything look particularly bad Thom.” she laughed softly as he took his seat beside her again.  The woman across the isle from earlier was giving her that 'knowing' smile as Thom took Zeph's hand and gave it a bit of a squeeze.

The shuttle itself landed on the platform and they rose up with the rest of the people.  She had put on her robes while he had slept before he had taken over her shoulder.  So she was already dressed properly.  Grabbing her large science kit she joined the line with Ravon and waited until it was their turn to step off into the warmth of the planet and the golden light.  Zeph's eyes were wide and looking at everything.  The way that the sunlight shifted through the buildings, the way that everything was golden.  Because of the color scheme, she wanted samples of everything that she could get her hands on.  That was what she was here for, and she was so excited at something that only other Scientists understood.  Because, it wasn't easy for everyone to understand the sheer excitement of breaching completely new and undiscovered life.  At least to her and the Federation for the time being.

He tugged on her robes and it was only then that she realized that he had been speaking to her and she hadn't heard any of it.  She blushed a bit embarrassed even though she hadn't meant to ignore him, this was just how Zeph was when it came to the fact that she was confronted with new and beautiful worlds. Still, she gave him a smile and a small thought as she looked around at where she wanted to go to.  Where she wanted to start, as far a she could tell through looking at the city, there would be little to do there.  Zeph had heard all the rumors to stay close to the city and not go to any of the ghost cities which was kind of where she wanted to go.  But, she knew that she could at least get some stuff.

“I just want to go to the outskirts.” she said pointing at the other side of the city.  “That's where I'm going to get the best samples.” she admitted to him. 

They found a small stall over to the side of a hover scooter rental.  They rented two with the money they had been given and worked their way across the beautiful city. It was lovely, but it was the brush and plant life that was coming back on the other side of the city walls.  It took a little time to cross the whole city but finally they made it and left their hover scooters not too far from the border before they both set foot across the city boundaries and into the outskirts.  Already she could feel the difference, it was more growth and less buildings here.  Which was absolutely perfect.  They walked a little bit away because she didn't want to be too close to the city. 

She was quiet while they walked together for a little bit but it was certainly nice to have Thom with her.  Eventually, she was beginning to see the seedlings, sprouts, and dirt that was what she wanted.  Kneeling down she opened her kit and began to get out the collection bottles and tools and began to take cuttings, soil samples, and extracting seeds from the buds of different plants in their area.

“You must be busy these days, with all the fighters and pilots and stuff?” Zeph said as she tried to make conversation while she worked.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #6 –
[ Thomas Ravon | Aldea Prime | Aldean Outskirts | How many times do I have to say Aldea? ] @BZ

Zephyr had already changed and as always she looked good in the chlamys she wore. After changing his own attire and returning to Zeph, the woman across from them was smiling rather oddly at the two of them. Ravon didn't know her nor recognize her from which department she'd be working on aboard the Theurgy. Whilst he had neglected to reply to Zephyr's 'Told you so' as he had fallen asleep he now replied "Well, if I'm appointed as dig crew I sure as hell want to be rested before I start shoveling." he smirked at Zeph, looking into her eyes, perhaps a moment too long before he squeezed her hand which they seemed to be holding naturally.

The landing procedures went smoothly otherwise and once they were out and about on Aldean soil, Thomas waited for Zephyr to reply. She was dreaming, probably already with her head in the ground to look for adequate samples. It made Thomas grin. Always so productive and at times so oblivious to the things around her. She sure seemed in awe by the planet and everything around her as Thomas walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder as she warped out of her dreamy state. She pointed and told him that she wanted to head to the outskirts and Thomas gave a nod. He had been warned about the periphery of Aldea Prime yet reckoned he could stand his ground there if need be.

Once they ordered their hover bikes they darted off towards the edges of Aldea Prime. The ride over was delightful, especially for Thomas as nothing felt as good as air chasing against your face while speeding through the rather calm streets of Aldea. It got more easierto speed up and test the full capacity of the hover scooters in the less populated areas and Thomas couldn't help but show off some tricks he had done back on Terra. Just some innocent fun for a speed devil really.

The bikes were parked and a trip on foot ensued, Thomas had taken the liberty to carry the science kit with him as Zephyr went to look for a suitable site to collect her things. Thomas kept an eye out in the meantime, run down buildings and slight overgrowth claiming this part of the city. When Zephyr knelt down, Thomas placed the science kit besides her as she opened it up and got to work. His eyes moving over her as she engaged in small talk.

"More responsibilities, more paperwork, equal or less time in a fighter than I'd prefer." he answered her as he walked in a circle around Zephyr. Making sure not to disrupt the soil she was working on, nor to damage any flora that she might find interesting "What about you? I thought you were a doctor too... Why choose for science in the end?" he asked her curiously as he came to a stop by a wall and leaned against it. His hands tucked into the belt of his clothing. Thomas let his guard down slightly around Zephyr, even if he'd be fully guarded... He'd never notice the couple of eyes spying on them from two streets down.

A group of brigands had used their truck to venture out of one of the nearby ghost towns towards Aldea Prime. They looted and salvaged what they could from the outskirts, knowing that venturing deeper into the populated areas would cause them trouble. Occasionally they'd snatch strays from the city, using them to sell them for a hefty price to slavers or worse. Today, it seemed like their luck shone upon them. Two stragglers far out of the city center, it was almost too good to be true. They began to move discretely, encircling the duo without drawing any attention.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #7 –
[Zephyr Praise | Playing in the Dirt | Enemies Unknown | Playing Dumb | Biding Their Time]
@Nolan



The city, or what was left of the city it once was,  carried it's own beauty.  The kind that only dilapidated things could.  The way that nature would take back over a place once it was destroyed.  Even though the site hadn't had a long time yet to really breed the kind of new over growth that was necessary to truly make it magnificent Zephyr found herself rather in love with the semi-romantic notion of life taking back over the whole thing.  Knowing that it was just going to seep over.  The vines would crawl up the walls and small trees would sprout.  Without the trampling of people and the trimming of the hedges, they would climb up towards the sunlight and begin to take over.  The roots would destroy the old roads, the trunk would tear down the stone, and slowly but surely they would take over what had once been a thriving metropolis and take it back to the basics.  Before long, people would hardly remember it had once been a place of civilization.

Even now, the way that it stood there in some kind of limbo.  Broken glass hanging preciously from the windows.  Doors hanging ajar and just slightly off.  The small weeds that were growing in the cracks of the brick and stone without anyone to care for the buildings.  She could see dirt slowly being blown into the homes on the wind and small plants there.  Little foot prints and small slithering signs of things that had moved across it and she could hear the small titters of the wildlife that were using the old buildings for shelter where they could.  It was so amazing to her that life never truly stopped, it morphed into a new life without ever truly ceasing.

It was one of her favorite things.

Walking through the debris was hard enough for the kind of people that had a normal sense of balance.  Zeph herself, was just a walking clutz for the most part, and a couple of times she nearly found her ankle out of use but for the steady hand of Thom who had come to her rescue with his ninja like reflexes and another sigh.  She couldn't help herself, she could walk straight now, and without falling too.  But, when she was surrounded, as she was right now, by the beauty of life she couldn't give her walking and coordination the kind of attention it deserved.  Finally, they made it to a shaded patch, where a small field was beginning to grow.  Already she could see things that she wanted to take samples of.  The bronze grass, and the small golden colored flowers that actually shimmered slightly in the sunlight as though they reflected it somehow.  It was something she needed to know more about.  She motioned for Thom to put her kit down and without even thinking about her clothing or anything of the sort she sunk down to her knees and began her work.

Carefully, she ran her fingers over the stalk of the golden flower.  The stalk has a slight fuzz, or fur about it, likely to absorb more moisture during the small rainstorms and it likely stores it and uses it during the dry spells.  The leaves are rather large, and pointed, not to poke though, they aren't sharp. she thought as she brushed her fingers down the leaves and looked at the structure.  The petals are in a tertiary formation, it makes me wonder if they bloom in different waves or if it is just created this way, that would require more research. she pondered as she used some tweezers and pulled the petal from the lower circle, the middle, and the top, labeling and putting them into glass preservation containers.  She did the same with a leaf, and a piece of the stalk, as well as some roots.  Thom was talking and she was listening as she searched the plant and found a few small seed pods in the central most petal collection.  She took some of those and put them in a container as well so that she could grow some back on the ship.

“You're right.  I am.  But, it seemed that they wanted me to keep pursuing my Botanical research, that or the arboretum was just in sore need of my excellent care.” she chuckled and gave a shrug looking at him over her shoulder with those eyes of hers before turning back to take some pictures and measurements of a flower that she hadn't picked over for parts.  “But, I talked to Martin, and she said that I could help in Medical if I wasn't needed in Science all the time which is nice.  So, I guess I kind of get the best of both worlds again, and at least this time on a ship where I'm able to make friends, date, you know.. have a life.” she laughed softly.

Zeph should have felt the men, she should have, but she wasn't really open at the moment.  Because, she was currently about to tell Thom what was going on in her life.  She finished her pictures and put the PADD back into her pocket as she looked over at Thom.

“Hey.. you know the other day in the Arboretum, and .. the whole .. bug thing happened and you mentioned like.. well you know.. anyway um, I … have a confession to make.” she admitted as she twisted to find a small sappling that was growing close to a building.  Leaning down she began the whole collection process again.  “Thom, I wanted you to know that I have always l-”

“Get down!  Put your hands up!  Don't fucking move!”

Zephyr's eyes went wide as the men stepped out around them, everywhere.  She counted eight of them all together, they had completely surrounded the two officers, and Zeph's wide eyes shifted over to Thom.  “If you want to keep that pretty head on your pretty fucking shoulders you WILL GET DOWN!”

Zeph didn't have to be told a third time.  She dove for the dirt, which for her, wasn't very far since she had been collecting anyway.  She hadn't been traumatized on the Versant like many of the others, she had been painfully corrected, but other than that she hadn't suffered in the same way as the others.  But, she had been kidnapped before, she had been tortured before, and she would really like not to repeat the process what so ever.  She was trembling slightly as she nodded for Thom to get down.  “We can't do anything right now.. but if we wait for the right opportunity...” she whispered to him looking into his eyes.

“What the fuck are you doing out here?” one of the men, likely the leader of the rag-tag gang came over and nudged her shoulder. 

“Ju.. just collecting samples sir.  I work for the government.  We are testing regrowth formulae and the mutation of the after effects in the abandoned cities.  He is my partner.  My boss.” she said giving him a nod.  “He's just here to make sure I'm doing my job!  I'm kinda new!  And now I'm probably going to get fired and .. I guess that doesn't matter if I'm dead and I just .. I don't want to die!”

Oh, acting class should have been her  minor.  It was a beautiful thing, she even had the tears in the eyes as she let her lower lip quiver.  It was handy that she was actually a little afraid because a little truth went a long way.  “Get up.  You too, boss man.  You're coming with us, the government might pay a pretty penny to get you back.”

“What?!  No!  Now I'm really going to get fired.  Don't fire me, Boss, please!  I .. this isn't my fault!”  They hoisted her up and Zeph gasped.  “Wait!  My samples!  I have to have them!  Please!  It's literally my job, I'll carry it and everything!”

One of the others sighed and checked over the kit and made sure there was no weapons before he closed it and tossed it at her.  Zeph barely caught it, and stepped three steps back with the weight of it crashing into her chest but she managed to stay up right.  The two of them were in the center of the men as they began to march them deeper into enemy territory.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #8 –
[ Thomas Ravon | Aldea Prime | Aldean Outskirts ] @BZ

Watching Zephyr work had always been a guilty pleasure so to speak for Thomas. The care and meticulous way she treated her plants just showed how much she had been into botany. It wasn't just a vocation for her, it was life. It was exactly what made Zephyr Praise tick and it was just wonderful to behold. You could see her come to life in a very different yet unique way that you'd otherwise never see. Here she was truly at peace with herself, truly at ease. Ravon was just glad he could see her like this, memories making him drift back to their academy days. To better times.

She spoke up informing him she had a talk with her department head, that Martin had agreed to have her pitch in medical should the need rise for her to do so. It was a fair call from the woman and Thomas nodded and had to chuckle as she brought up making friends, dating and just having a life. There was a comment that burned on the tip of his tongue, though he swallowed it as Zeph began to talk about the disaster that happened between the two of them in the Arboretum. Thomas froze in his steps as she admitted to make a confession to him. His eyes narrowing slightly as his eyebrows rose slightly.

The moment however was violently interrupted at the shout of an unknown male voice ordering them to get down. Ravon's flight or fight instincts switched in and he reached to his side for his phaser, which obviously wasn't there as all he felt was the fabric of the tunic he wore. His eyes shifted quickly, making out two of their assailants carrying rifle like weaponry as Zeph was pretty vulnerable in the position she was. Maybe he could throw off one guard, obtain his weapon in the struggle and have a bargaining chip. The risk however was that they'd hurt Zephyr and that wasn't an option. Defeat had to be admitted...

Unlike Zephyr though, Thomas didn't exactly get down or stopped moving. His body turning around to have a look at every single one of them as he could hear the thud of Zephyr hitting the dirt. Ravon raised his hands as there was shouting, threatening, intimidation. Typical combat situation really, yet he was outnumbered and most definitely outgunned. Everything seemed to be going slower. His mind trying to find a good strategy to get out of this, though a primary thought swelled up to catch his attention. The earlier conversation he had shared with Bila, about the universe being a dick. How his scaled friend had helped him change his mind. Was this the end result of that? His eyes finally made contact with Zephyr as she whispered to him to get down, to bide their time. Thomas got down on his knees as he placed his hands on the back of his head.

To one of the thugs, Thomas didn't seem to be close enough to the ground yet as he was stomped with a foot between the shoulders. The pilot crashing into the dirt and feeling the air deflate from his lungs as he bit back the reflex to retaliate. The assumed leader spoke up and Zephyr replied, much to the surprise of Thomas it looked like Zephyr played an excellent part of drama. It was credible and he listened carefully as he just stayed down on the ground and soaked up as much info he could get from her.

They were ordered to get up and Thomas couldn't help but grin on the inside as sh claimed that he was the boss. It would either put a bigger price on his head or make him more susceptible to any beatings. The tugs quickly saw the profit capability of abducting two government officials and Thomas let Zephyr do the talking for now as he was grabbed by the back of his robes and pulled up back on his knees. Thomas had a faint moment of worry for Zeph as she tried to save her samples that she had collected. Their lives were in the balance, yet her love for plants would probably get them killed at some point.

"Zeph." he called out to her, shaking his head slightly to emphasize to not risk her life for her work. His eyes went to the leader "If you take the samples, I'm sure the government will pay you extra. It's rather high on their research list and well they've funded quite a lot of money in it." he answered to sweeten the deal for them to drag the plant samples along. "Fine, whatever, give it to her!" the leader said as one of his men obliged to the order.

The two of them got hoisted up on their feet and escorted through the outskirts. Thomas checked on Zephyr as they walked further to the edges of the city, he bumped carefully against her shoulder asking softly "Are you okay?" one of the bandits quickly poked his gun against Thomas' back "No talking!" Ravon shot the man a look which was rewarded by a smack by the but end of the rifle against his face "Eyes forward!" Thomas was bleeding slightly from under his left eye socket as a small gash was made. The anger starting to burn up in him and his need to fight back boiling up even more.

The group ended up at a large hover truck, though it looked rather run down. Slightly damaged by the harsh conditions of the land and here and there damage from any run ins with the authorities. The back loading door opened up and it looked like the truck served as an old troop transport truck. The duo was forced in the back, a confined space for cargo. They could store the science kit in one of the racks yet there was ample room for them to sit or stand. The doors behind them were shut and locked, leaving them in almost complete darkness. An overhead lighting system only providing a good ten percent of it's original brightness, making the cargo space look rather eerie. Things were hard to made out yet if the two of them would stand close enough to one another they'd be able to make out the contours and slight details of one another.

"Well, this isn't exactly what I expected as muscle for a science dig." he offered her softly to break the silence as the truck started moving. The sound of the truck was the cue for them to start talking so they couldn't be overheard. The sudden movement though made Thom almost lose balance. Knowing Zephyr he had already placed his hands to her sides to prevent her from falling down on to the cold floor as he stumbled slightly against her as he tried to counteract to the movement of the truck.

The ride felt like it took hours, yet in reality it might've been an hour tops. When they arrived at their destination they were left in the back of the truck as preparations were met for their stay in the camp of the bandits. The door remained locked and the two of them were left in peace for now. Thomas wasn't sure how Zephyr was feeling so he attempted to engage in small talk, just to get her mind of the whole kidnap situation "How have your parents been?" he asked, almost out of the blue really. Yet he had always been curious about them, even during their academy days.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #9 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Oopsie | Hostage Situations | Dark and Bumpy Ride | Well This isn't Awkward at All]
@Nolan




When the one asshole boot kicked Thom into the ground, it was very hard for Zephyr to maintain her going personality and cover.  She wanted to throw herself on her back, spin kick the asshole's knee out from under him and stomp on his crotch until his pelvis was broken and his future children would never be a thing.  But, she knew that there were others, now that she was concentrating on them she could feel them all and she had to bide her time.  Luckily, she looked completely human with her colored eyes and her pale skin.  She didn't read as a Betazoid and she doubted that any of the Aldean outlaws were going to be either which gave her the benefit of knowing a little bit what was going on before it happened.  Right now, they needed to wait and see if they could get a better advantage to take all these guys out.  They needed them in a smaller group, something they could manage before moving onto the rest.  Her hope was that these were the only ones, but she wasn't sure, and for now they had to wait.  They were out gunned and out manned.  It was the smarter move.

Thom was instrumental in making sure she got her samples.  She held the large case at her side and walked next to Thom.  She wasn't sure exactly what they were going to plan here in the future but they would get away, that or the Theurgy would send a crew to come after them.  She had a feeling that she and Thom would probably be able to get this figured out on their own.  Hopefully.  Zeph hadn't fought anyone but the Savi for a long time, before that it was just holgraphics, and she didn't have any weapons with her.  But, if they could take out a couple of the rifle guys then she knew they could use those to get the rest.  But, right now, they had to play along. 

Thom bumped into her shoulder causing her to look over at him and give him a slight but nervous smile.  She was a little nervous.  For all of her bravado, Zeph was still Zeph.  She wasn't built to fight, but she would, she had no problem holding out for herself.  And she had Thom.  If there was anyone other than Khorin that she would prefer to be held hostage with it would be Thom.  Luckily, he probably had some skills that she didn't know about just like she had some he didn't know about.  Last he knew, she could barely walk straight, now she could actually fight, shoot, and defend herself when ever possible.  She just didn't like to do it as her first choice.  She usually tried to go with negotiations first but that was't going to work here and as soon as these guys realized that Thom and Zeph had nothing to do with the government their lives were forfeit.  They were on borrowed time.

She was about to answer when they were screamed at for no talking so she just walked along, but her hand reached over and took his for a moment giving his a squeeze.  To let her know she was all right, for now, she was okay.  She just hoped they weren't too dark, these men.  She didn't need any more complexes.  Right now it was about following the rules so that they didn't end up more hurt at the moment.  Only as she did so, Thom gave the man a glare and earned him a rifle butt in the eye.  Zeph's scream was real and she dropped her science kit to looked at Thom's face which was already swelling up with the stout hit. 

“Don't hurt him!” she screamed at the man.

“Oh.... I think this one has taken a liking to her boss.” said the man with a grin, as she studied Thom's face. 

“There's no reason to hurt him, you already have us!” she called out to him.  His only answer was to stomp over and back hand her across the face.  She squeaked out in surprise as her head twisted around almost painfully. 

“Now you match.” the asshole said and stomped away.

Tears stung her eyes, not of fear, but of anger and pain.  She picked up the kit just as a rifle barrel poked her in the back and she began to walk again with Thom.  They were shown to the back of a large truck.  The doors were opened for them and she put her kit inside before Thom helped her into the back.  There were no benches or anything in the back so they sat down on the ground amid various debris and things from using the back.  The doors were closed and locked and Zeph scooted closer to Thom just to feel his presence there with her.  There was light up above, was barely allowing anything to be visible but she didn't care.  She was with Thom and while she was bleeding out of the corner of her mouth and his eye was still swelling they were currently alive.  He began to speak and Zeph couldn't help but laugh in this situation at his little commentary.  She looked over at him in the dim lighting only being able to make out his sharpest features, and cupped his cheek with her hand.

“That's going to hurt, I don't have a tricorder with me, and even if I did, if it suddenly healed we would be caught.” she said softly as she brushed her thumb across the wound to test it for how wounded he might be.  “Not broken though, your bones.”

She smiled weakly and rested her head against the back of the truck and sighed.  “I'm sorry I dragged you into this, here you are wanting a nap, and then you get kidnapped with me.  I mean, hey .. extra memories and extra quality time right?  This will be things to tell grandchildren one day.  Oh I remember the day Thom and I got kidnapped man that was a great day.” she chuckled softly and shrugged her slender shoulders.

They were quiet for a while, and Zeph eventually let her head rest on his shoulder.  Her face was throbbing and she didn't really want to hold up her head any more.  Eventually, she felt Thom rest his head on top of hers, and they rode the bumpy dark ride together just like that in silence.  They came to a stop some time later but they weren't let out yet.  She hoped that it wouldn't get too hot in the back of the truck.  She stayed in her position against Thom but heard him ask how her parents were.

She gave a shrug.

“I haven't talked to them in years.” she admitted softly.  Her voice sounding loud even though she was speaking quietly.  “Once I was taken off to the black site.... I couldn't contact them or them me.  Now on the Theurgy I have the same problem.  I hope they're okay.  But there is no way to check.” she admitted softly.  “What about your family?” she asked softly.

She almost looked up at him but they were so comfy.  Suddenly, the doors opened and light streamed in making both the officers wince at the sudden deluge of sunlight.  “Well innit this cute.” said one of the men as he saw them all cuddled up together on the side of the truck.  “Out now.” 

She got herself off of Thom and grabbed her Kit from the overhead storage stumbling slightly as the weight came down.  But, she stepped out of the truck and Thom was next.  They were lead into an old building that must have been some kind of factory at some point.  It was all metal, and smelled of oil, dirt, and men.  They were lead through and Zeph opened up her mind so that she could get a feel for the place.  eight, nine, ten.  She counted the minds that she could feel as they were lead.  She was getting a small map of the place but she had a feeling that Thom's would be much better than her own.  They were lead through several different rooms, one was long and filled with all sorts of crates, metal junkyard treasures, and what not that had been collected.  They were finally taken to a large metallic door.  The sign beside it indicated it had once been used as a freezer.  The door was opened, and locked from the outside only and the two were shoved inside with their science kit. 

“You'll be waitin' a bit, we'll get to you soon enough.” said the man giving them both a bit of a grin.  “Make use of what time ye got left.” he gave a wink and Zeph could tell through her empathic connection he was thinking dirty thoughts.

When the door closed, zeph put the kit down and sighed softly.  “Worst part about being kidnapped is having to wait.”

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #10 –
[ Thomas Ravon | Aldea Prime | Aldean Outskirts ] @BZ 

While their cover would only last as long, Thomas didn't want to show Zephyr how dire or grim the situation was for them. Their only chance was to escape or call for help from the Theurgy or Aldean government. Their walk to the truck had been tense and when they tried to communicate Thomas had received the butt end of the rifle to his face. Zephyr's scream had gone through Ravon's bones and the hairs on his body had risen up as his muscles tensed up, even more so when she was stomped back and back handed across the face. Thomas scattered up and managed to hold back just in time before he'd pounce the thug that had assaulted Zeph. Knowing that dead he'd be no good to Zephyr either he diverted course on the last second to shield Zephyr from more harm. There was little time left after that as they were forced back up to stand and walk to the truck.

Once in the truck the two got closer together as as she cupped his cheek he reached out as well to place the palm of his hand against the side of her face that had been struck. His thumb gently probing the wound and wiping away the blood carefully in order not to hurt her. She mentioned that he hadn't broken anything and he chuckled "Thick skull... I think my Bajcardie friend would die laughing when he hears about this." he mentioned before he tried to look as good as he could at Zeph "Are you okay though? You took quite a hit." he whispered. He had to laugh, a bit loud at her comment about him wanting to take a nap and ending up at a hostage situation with her "Naps are overrated anyway..." he smirked, though his body felt spent. The darker environment was honestly suitable for a rest "You and I will need to have a talk about what quality time is." he answered her. The rest of the ride was left in silence and as Zeph rested her head against his shoulder, Thomas pulled her a little closer before placing his head on hers. He closed his eyes and recuperated some energy for as long as the ride lasted.

When the truck stopped his eyes opened up once more and his ears tried to pick up what was going on to no avail. Zephyr would probably have a better chance to find out where they were or whom was around them, perhaps even overhear plans with her mind reading abilities. He asked the question about her parents and the answer was somewhat disappointing, another damper perhaps on the already bad trip. When she asked about his family Thomas shrugged "Haven't found anything new... Ship's my family for now." he answered softly, still finding it a touchy subject to talk about.

When the doors flung open the light invaded the space in a matter of seconds. Thomas closed his eyes though when he opened them again, the light still stung to his darkness adapted eyes. He heard them talk, yet didn't understand the first line before they were forced out. Thomas let Zephyr head out first before he hopped out of the back of the truck. His eyes managing to make out the structures around them before his sight returned fully. Taking in as much as he could, Thomas remained silent behind Zephyr as she hauled the science kit along. His role as her boss would be questioned if he took the kit from her and he looked around in the factory. It smelled somewhat familiar like a fighter bay, yet very distinctively different at the same time. The pilot paid attention to the infrastructure, creating a map in his head for when it would matter.

Some rooms could presumably hold interesting places to hide, find weapons or items to use in their escape. It did depend on how many thugs there were and how well spread out they were. The walk came to an end as they faced a large metallic door, almost looking like a vault of sorts, had it not been for the sign. They were shoved in and Thom stumbled slightly at the rather aggressive shove. They were instructed that they'd have to wait and the dirty thoughts obviously didn't get picked up by Thomas as the door was closed behind them. Waiting a few more seconds Thomas answered to Zeph "Waiting is fine... Time for us to examine the room. Find any weak spots." he smiled, his voice confident as if this was the only viable option. His eyes scanned through the room and his smile faded when he saw a primitive camera system hanging in one of the corners. It seemed like the freezer had been used as a holding cell before. The camera was too high to be covered up so they'd figure out when they'd try something to escape.

Thomas wandered through the space, finding some dried up blood in one of the corners and scratch marks on the floor of previous inhabitants. He looked over at Zephyr as he clicked his tongue "Time to work for our escape plan." he whispered, in case they'd be listening "Did you manage to make out with how many they were? I counted five at the ambush."  he made his way back to Zephyr now and he got a better look of the hit she had taken, his face was starting to throb with pain now, though he bit it away.

Meanwhile in the factory the thugs unloaded their loot from their latest run. The guy who had escorted Thomas and Zephyr in the freezer cell had walked to a control room of sorts. He flipped on the display and the facility seemed to run on solar power. The power production was limited though due to poor to nonexistent maintenance. Two more of the thugs joined him at the room both of them been at the capture of the two civilians "What are they doing?" one asked as the guy at the display shrugged "Just talking..." The third guy sighed "Man that's boring... That girl is feisty though, fucking hot too.". The guy at the console grinned "You think she's hot? I bet her boss is a fucking hothead... He'll be trouble." The thug rolled his tongue against his cheek "I think they both need to chill." The two other guys began to laugh and giggle as they shoved the guy at the display "Yeah, do it! Less resistance is better when we have to drag em out." The other laughing louder as the thug at the display flipped a switch.

Back in the cell Thomas and Zephyr were still talking about the how and what, Thom's plan was to attempt an overpower the guard that would come and get them, possibly using what he could find in the science kit to give him just a bit of an edge in the situation. After that they would make a dash for the storage room where they saw all the boxes to find some blunt objects to arm them. They'd need to either sneak outside or overpower a thug to get a weapon to fire their way out and get outside. Besides the truck there were some light buggy like vehicles and four hover bikes. If they could get to the motor pool, they'd be on their way.

A slight hiss was heard on the background though and both Zephyr as Thomas had heard it as they began to look around for the source of it. In a matter of minutes the ground level of the cell had formed a mist of a few centimeters as the ground felt distinctively colder. Thomas knew what that meant and he looked at Zephyr as this could mean that their cover had been blown, perhaps they figured that they weren't Aldean officials and thus expendable.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #11 –
[Zephyr Praise | Frozen Friendships | Thawing Emotions | Science is Magic | Pay Back Will be a Bitch]
@Nolan



The door closed resoundingly behind them.  Zeph stood there for a moment, as if to make sure they were gone but also because she wasn't sure what to do with herself now.  She had kind of hoped they would be put somewhere she could at least try to escape from.  But, this wasn't the worst place she had been kidnapped and held in.  She hoped that they could gave a bit of a chance to get out, but that didn't mean she didn't have a chance either.  Zeph looked over at Thom when he mentioned that waiting was fine because they would have time to examine the room.  She snorted and shook her head. 

“This is a freezer, but there should be some kind of vent system.”

Zeph looked up and noticed that there was a camera in one of the corners.  Though she was unsure if it was actually live or not.  So she quickly pushed her science kit over to the side so that her back and the kit were away from the camera.  They wouldn't be able to see what she was doing.  And while most of it was a samples extraction kit she also had her normal Science stuff in here.  And, while she was no actual chemist she knew enough about Science and related things to do some pretty handy things.  She had figured out how to make a bomb once out of her kit because she had been in danger of getting caught and held hostage.  It was enough of a distraction tactic she had been able to get away.  Zeph planned to use that knowledge again here.

She picked up one of the tubes that she had and set it down on the foam that had a built in hole in it so that it would stand up straight.  There were small containers of chemicals that came with the standard kit because you never knew when you needed one for something even extractions.  So she began to mix her things together, because, she didn't know how long they had.  “I'm just checking to see if my samples are all right.” she told him, even though it was actually all show for the cameras just incase they could hear them.

As she knelt and did her things while he stayed close and whispered to her, she gave a nod.  “Ten in all, but I got the feeling that they were waiting for someone else.  So someone is gone.  Not sure if it's just one or if it's a group.” she admitted to him so that he knew what was going on.  She had intended to share with him anyway but since he was asking.  She made two tubes with the mixed chemicals and topped them off.  It was all she had enough chemicals for.  Closing her case she pushed it to the side and she looked over at Thom.  She wanted to give him one but it would be odd if she gave him a tube so she tucked both of them inside her robes so that they would be close.

She slid over to him and leaned close so that it seemed that she was just checking out his eye again.  Reaching into her robes she pulled out one of the tubes and she put it in his hand.  “This is a bomb.” she promised looking into his eyes.  “When you need one, albeit small but powerful, just throw it.  Not.. at anyone you don't want to die or be severely burned, but if you do it right, it can cause a distraction or .. well.. at least a nice fire.” she said with a shrug of her single shoulder.

Once he took it she sat beside him and thought about what they could do.  The vent system, there was one, was way too small for a person to get through.  There was no interior way to open the door.  There was nothing they could to get out.  None of the paneling was riveted from the inside, nothing was rusted enough to bust through.  And she didn't have enough corrosive chemicals to help.  That and they didn't know what was behind and around the place.  And the time it would take to do a chemical deterioration would not only subject them to harsh fumes they may not live through, but also if the camera was working they would totally be caught.  No, they had to play it smart, and smart meant waiting.

Apparently, the two of them waiting was not exciting enough, and Zeph and Thom ended up staring into the eyes of each other's as the hiss of the chilled vents came on.  She looked over at him surprised and swallowed.  “I think we've been put on ice.”

She leaned against him as the mist began to infiltrate their room.  At first, it wasn't too bad, it was almost pleasant.  Espeially after the heat and warmth of the planet.  However, it wasn't long before the metal walls and the metal floors began to channel the chill as well.  The air was getting colder and it wasn't long before the slender Zephyr began to shiver.  She was rubbing her hands together and blowing into them for momentary relief but it was not enough.  Soon, she felt Thomas pull her closer.  “Come here.”

She crawled over to him and saw that, he too, was shivering and his face was pale his lips slightly blue and likely her own too.  He pulled her into a hug, and she curled up against him.  “Are you going to spout some crap about sharing body heat.” she shivered against him. 

He let out a chuckle.  It helped a little, to be against one another, but not enough.  She was still shivering and so was he.  Finally, she reached up and she unzipped his robes, and her own, so that they could get skin to skin contact.  Her warmth and his began to press against one another and the robes wrapped around the outer area of them kept their body heat insulated for the moment.  “It's apparently powerful freezer.” she shivered out and smiled softly.  Zeph pulled back enough so that she could look into his face to make sure that he was getting warmer.  Their noses brushed against one another's softly.  She smiled at him. 

“You doing okay?” she asked softly, her voice barely anything more than a whisper. 

His hand brushed up out of the robes, and brushed her bangs out of her face and behind her ear.  A soft smile on her face as she looked deep into his lovely eyes.  She was still cold, and so was he, but it was a little better than it had been earlier.  Warmth between them but not enough to keep all of the shivers at bay.  Zeph swallowed softly.   She could feel his emotions, they were boiling over the gates that she carefully erected around them, but nothing could stop them now.  She could almost hear his heart thudding in his chest.  They were so close, only a breath away.

Zeph could tell he was moving forward and she gasped, turning her face at the last mention.  "Stop." she whispered softly, as she shivered since she had pulled back and lost his body heat.  But, she pushed the robe closed around her.  "I can't.  You.. you mean a lot to me Thom.  You're my best friend but... I'm already seeing someone."  she confessed, and her lovely hazel green eyes shifted up to his to gauge his reaction biting her lower lip in fear of his possible thoughts.

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #12 –
[ Thomas Ravon | Aldea Prime | Aldean Outskirts ] @BZ

Zephyr talked about a ventilation system and Thomas helped look, though when they found it, it quickly became apparent that neither of them would fit through it. Instead Zephyr began to fiddle with the science kit she had taken along and Thomas couldn't help but wonder what it was. As she gave the number of occupants in the building, Ravon nodded as he tried to account for how much trouble they'd be able to get in when they escaped. Ten was quite a large number, especially if it seemed they were waiting for someone or some more people.

When Praise returned to him, she looked up at him and slipped over the tube she had manufactured and Thomas couldn't help but snicker "A bomb? Sheesh, what are you a walking terrorist now?" he teased her as he could feel the admiration for the woman grow as she surely had changed and become different after their academy days. He was instructed not to throw it at people unless he wanted them dead, a notion the pilot understood, but considered if the time would come. The two of them would just have to bide their time though as they sat next to each other, their eyes crossing and catching on as they gazed into one another. There was no deniability that Thom's feelings for her weren't there.

The clicking and cool breeze however made them stand up as the coldness began to spread through the freezer. Ravon considered this to be a move to weaken them, to drop their willingness to fight, to break them so to speak. While it had been a pleasant cooldown at first, it quickly became too cold and Zephyr started to be the first to feel the effects of it. He pulled her closer to warm her up a little and as she shivered and curled up against him she talked about the crap of sharing body heat. Thomas laughed softly as the cold was getting to him as well, their clothes not designed for it "Hey, you're the doc, you should know what help and what shouldn't." he tried to joke.

It didn't take long after that that temperatures would be below freezing and as Zephyr pushed open his robes and hers, their bodies cooled down faster. Despite their bodies hugging one another to get some more heat and their best efforts to use their clothes as a blanket around them. The moment would've been adorable in any other setting probably and Thomas smirked lightly as he looked down at Zeph as she checked in on him. Their bodies so close and attempting to keep one another warm, there was that moment again. The moment Bila had warned him about, the next chance he'd be able to get with Zeph. Surely she felt it too right? The physical and emotional attraction for her starting to get the upper hand as Thomas' hands rested on her sides, following the curves of her hips as they held on to one another. He leaned in, slowly thinking this was the moment.

She turned her face away and called out a stop. It wasn't that loud, though it felt like a thousand megaphones resounding at once. Thomas felt his mouth go dry as she pulled back. The loss of heat quickly having him wrap his robes shut again before she made her confession. A confession that ripped through Thomas even more than back at the Arboretum. A million questions rose up in his head yet a single one burned bright. Where the hell did she meet someone between getting on the ship and now? It had been two days? Was he that insignificant to her? Was he just nothing more than a friend? He couldn't believe it, he wouldn't, though he was faced with hard facts.

"Who is it?" he asked, his voice soft, yet distant, cold, border lining anger. His head quickly came to the conclusion that he might've been depraved of the truth in the Arboretum, that she had willfully neglected to tell him she was dating. He couldn't handle with this, not now, not here. His hands turned into fists as he shot a look to Zephyr, a look that usually was reserved for when his combat instincts kicked in. He couldn't find any words for her. His heart sank to a new depth, his jaw clenching together as he could feel the cold seizing over him.

In the meantime the thug leader arrived and as he marched into the factory he noticed the functioning freezer. Considering why they used the freezer, the short man began to curse before he double timed it to the control room. A hefty and short lived discussion flared up in it as he beat some sense into his goons. There was NO point in capturing Aldean officials and getting money for them as it would paint a giant target on their clandestine operations. The leader was boiling over with anger as he told the guy at the controls to go open the door, alone. The freezer's systems were shut down and to those inside of the freezer it would seem like a technical issue perhaps to the freezer. The thug was instructed to tell them that he was supposed to check on them. In fact the leader wanted to stage their escape, to make them believe they narrowly got out of the facility. He'd have his men shoot at them, deliberately missing and guiding them to the motor pool where they could make their escape with one of the vehicles. He'd recover them regardless, yet he did not want the attention for the government breathing down his neck. He just hoped the captives would still have some fighting spirit and that they'd just not tell whomever was in charge about what had happened, though in the back of his mind he knew preparations had to be made for their departure.

Despite the freezer being turned off, the situation between Thom and Zeph was still well below freezing. He didn't want to talk to her and simply stated "Lets just focus on getting out of here." He shut himself off completely for her otherwise. He promised to himself that the first guy he'd see of the thugs would get the bulk of his anger and as the lock audibly got removed the pilot's kill instincts surfaced, even for Zeph to feel. The door was opened and the thug was about to say something before Thom rammed into the door with all of his weight. The door slammed into the face of the thug and Ravon was quick enough to vent at least part of his anger on the man. The face of the thug was kicked into the freezer door a couple of times. The sound of his nose and probably parts of his eyes sockets and teeth breaking were heard. Thom wasn't done yet though as some stomps to his sides and groin were delivered to make sure he wasn't going to get up any time soon. He wasn't sure if Zephyr had seen this side of him before, how he had wanted to make Ethan pay for what he did, to hammer away at that smug face of his. At this point he frankly couldn't care less as he just need to get away from here, her and he needed to exhaust the fire within.

He looked over his shoulder to Zeph as he gestured "Lets go!"

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #13 –
[Zephyr Praise | Losing a Friend | Breaking a Heart | Truth Time | Friend Zoned]
@Nolan




She could feel the shock.

The outrage. 

She didn't listen to his mind so she didn't know the questions racing across it but she could feel the incredulity of the whole situation.  He had thought he had a chance, he had made his move twice now.  Teh last time they were interupted by the bug and she had hoped that was cosmic enough that he would catch on but it wasn't.  Here in the freezing room where they sat he had taken another moment to try another one of his moves.  And, had she not met Khorin, had she not given him her heart, and had she not mated with him in the most Klingon of ways, she would have probably have let him.  Back in the Academy, she would have gone with him, she had crushed on him so hard in the early years, in the times they spent over text books before he drug her out for actual fun.  But, he never seemed interested and Ethan came along.  She had thought Ethan was the one for such a long time until he had done what he did.  She wanted to tell him, to talk to him about Ethan and had actually hoped that here now they would be able to do that.  On this mission, on their little excursion.  She wanted to talk to him about all of that.  She had wanted to for years, and never been able to.

And now, with his reaction, she doubted she ever would.

He was mad, angry, hurt, betrayed, and many other emotions that boiled over.  He spoke, and while his voice was quiet she could tell that he was holding himself back from crushing what little of her he could.  “I.. it's um, it's a Fighter Pilot... actually.” she said softly.  “His name is Khorin.” she stated softly.  He shot her a look that had her moving off of his lap and closing her robes fully around her.  She knew that today, she had lost someone she had always held dear to her.  He wasn't going to be the same Thom any more, the happy go lucky guy.  She couldn't use his shoulder as a pillow anymore, or go tlak to him when she was having a rough day, she couldn't seek him out because what she wanted from him and what he wanted from here were too different.  He was angry, and she was sad.  She was already mourning the loss of someone that she had always considered family if nothing more. 

But, it wasn't enough.

He said they just needed to focus on getting out of there.  She bit her lower lip.  “Thom, I-” he shot her a look that shut her up and made tears well in her eyes.  She blinked them back, she wouldn't cry, she would NOT cry here in front of him because he was being a dick.  She had found someone else, and she didn't even know he was on this ship before she found Khorin. Whether or not that would have made a difference she had no idea but her heart belonged to a large Klingon that loved board games and soft sweaters.  That build cardboard castles in their Quarters, and ate picnics in the center of it.  That was the man she had come to love, and she didn't have room for two.  She didn't want room for two, Khorin was everything she needed.  Light, happy, and yet he could be serious when it was needed.  But, when life was hard, he was there, and it had only been a few days.  But they had fought back to back, they had done a lot together, lived and survived together, gotten off the Versant together, and she was the one that had gotten him to calm down when he was raging after being transported back to the Theurgy.

They were each other's second half.

The door opened and Zeph watched as Thom lunged at the man.  She quickly grabbed up her kit, and she rushed over because they could get out now.  But he was still pummeling the man into the dirt.  “Thom!” she screamed.  “Thom!” she cried louder as tears fell down her cheeks and he told her to go.  She looked up at him, he was different now.  Was this the man that supposedly loved her?  He was scorned now?  He was going to make her suffer now, and somehow, that was how he loved her?  She didn't know if it was love because he didn't even know her anymore.  She had changed, grown, and altered.  She wasn't the same girl from back in the Academy anymore, and he certainly wasn't the same boy.

She looked down at the man with the beaten in face running with blood and already swelling, and she feared .. for the first time, being with Thom.  She understood that he was doing it for them, but this was beyond escape, this was brutal beating because of her.  Because of what she had said.  Zephyr's lower lip quivered as she took into the realization of what was going on here. 

“Run.” she whispered softly, as tears streamed down her cheeks.  She reached into her robes and pulled out her bomb as the two of them ran as fast as they could.  As they ran she threw the bomb towards some of the stacked up supplies and it exploded just in time to cover their exit.  As they headed outside there was a truck waiting at the entrance.  It wasn't on, or anything, but it seemed to be the one the boss had just gotten there in because it wasn't the truck they had gotten in on earlier.  She opened the door, curiously, and she looked over at Thom. 

“It's got keys, can you drive it?” she asked him.

He didn't answer, she just got a nod.  She nodded back and climbed in and scooted over to the other side of the truck and held her science kit to her chest as he fired up the engine and put it in gear.  They were soaring over the rough and broken landscape within seconds heading for the city they had come from earlier.

“Please.” she said softly, her voice a little whimper, and one she didn't like hearing out of herself, but tears streamed from her lovely eyes, and they pitter pattered onto the case in her arms.  “Don't hate me, Thom, please.”

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #14 –
[ Thomas Ravon | Aldea Prime | Aldean Outskirts ] @BZ

More details began to trickle in, she told him it was a fighter pilot and his stomach churned. If it could it would probably roll over a couple of times and the conclusive feeling of wanting to throw up came to mind. Khorin. There it was, a face to stick to Zephyr's partner. The recently returned full Klingon from the Versant. One of his original pack members, a friend, if he could still consider the man that. The eyes of Ravon were glaring as if he was even more furious that she chose one of his own pack, though eh said nothing and tried to block out any outgoing thoughts.

Trying to cope with this new situation Thomas would return to his old habits when he first transferred aboard the Theurgy. Becoming withdrawn while his pent up frustrations had a vigorous reign on the inside. The pure anger, rage and disappointment trying to break out and when the door opened, the thug on the other side got the bulk of it. The man was nothing more but a meat bag. A channel to ventilate some of the built up pressure that desperately needed to get out of Ravon. The screams of Zephyr were distant, unrecognizable as the blood pumped through his veins while his feet and fists splattered the blood against the door, his robes and the bones cracked on the receiving party. Thomas didn't even bother to look at Zephyr, he didn't see the tears, nor the fear she now felt for him. She had seen a side of Thom he would've wished she never saw. The dark side that he meticulously had filtered away around he, a side that normally would never have surfaced around her in the past.

Their past, it was a distant memory now... Nothing more but an event that had happened years ago.  They would never be the same anymore and honestly how could they. Too much had happened, the water between them too deep now for anything to grow or flourish.

Hearing the footsteps of someone, Thom turned his head, in time to see Zephyr dashing for her escape. He quickly got up and ran after her, his mind set on autopilot to get out of here now. The bomb Zephyr made was thrown to the supplies and the searing heat was felt against Thom's neck as they made it to the outside and Zephyr quickly had found a new truck. Lucky for them the keys were still on it and as she asked him if he could drive he simply nodded, not even granting her the courtesy of a look. The engine came to life and the truck screeched off as the engine was put to its limits by the pilot. Before they left the compound, Thomas threw his bomb out to the truck they had arrived in. Disabling or destroying it as the flames eagerly grabbed around the frame.

They quickly made their escape out in the desolate landscape and Ravoon pressed his lips tightly against one another as he tried to get his bearings. Looking at the old on board GPS that would eventually lead them back to the city. He could hear Zephyr's plea to not hate her and Thomas snapped his head towards her. Seeing her cry, feeling the heart ache he couldn't help but shake his head. "I can't... Hate you." he answered her, his voice surprisingly cold "Though right now... I can't be with you. I..." he concluded for himself as he shook his head "I wish you the best in life with Khorin. He's a good man." he answered though stating it as a fact with zero emotion involved.

He fell silent after that, not even reacting to anything Zephyr would tell him. He focused on getting them back to the city, back to the outskirts and back to the shuttle pad that would get them back in orbit. His knuckles were white as he held on the steering and his muscles were tensed up. Whatever fury was still inside him, it wasn't vented enough on the man he had pummeled on. He avoided eye contact with the Betazoid as he didn't want her to catch on to the burning chaos within. He didn't want to taint her last good memories of him, though he'd figure it was too late for that in hindsight.
 

Re: Day 02 [0800 hrs.] Samples Extraction, What Else

Reply #15 –
[Zephyr Praise | Heart Broken | Losing My Best Friend | Time Might Not Heal This One]
@Nolan




Zephyr didn't know what to say.  What to do.  She was in uncharted territory right now.  She hadn't thought she could hurt or lose Thom.  Now that they had found each other again after so many years, she could not imagine that there was any reason for them to fall apart again.  Boy, was she wrong.  Brushing her bangs behind her ear she leaned against the door to the truck they were taking.  Thom paused as they left and tossed the last bomb Zeph had made into the truck they had used to kidnap them and they burned out heading over the bumpy terrain.  She bounced and jolted as they sped over the terrain and the silence between them sat heavily like a full on other person in the truck.

Finally, he spoke.  He couldn't hate her, but his voice said he was already there.  Zeph swallowed heavily, as he continued to say that he couldn't be with her.  He wished her the best with Khorin.  Zeph looked out the window, the scenery blurred by because they were going so fast, and Thom had the pedal down as low as it could go causing them to catch air from time to time for just a moment before slamming back to the ground making her whole body jump and her arms struggle to keep up with the large kit in her lap.

It was such a final thing.

Have a good life.  Be happy with him.  I can't be with you.

Such a final feeling to it all.

Once they got back to the outskirts, they ditched the truck in plain sight so it could be found and whatever the city did with that crap.   Right now, she just wanted to get back on the ship so she could go cry somewhere that Khorin wouldn't find her.  Because, if he figured out how devastated she was, he was going to go nuts and probably hurt someone.  So, she was going to have to let it go on her own.  They walked in silence back to the little hover scooters that they had used to get to the outskirts.  In silence she rode back to the shuttle.  Once they were there, they turned in the scooters and she boarded the shuttle, sitting all by herself in the back with tears streaming down her cheeks.  She knew it would probably be a small wait for them to get off the planet but she was ready to go.

Some fifteen minutes later the shuttle took off taking them back to the Theurgy.  Once he got off the shuttle Zeph picked up her kit and headed out of the shuttle back onto the ship.  She rushed past everyone on the deck and brushed passed Ravon at an actual run as she disappeared from his deck.

From his life.

-Fin-
 
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