Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

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Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

May 26, 2022, 03:56:27 AM

@Auctor Lucan @Ellen Fitz @rae

gin’tak Galdor | House of Kruge Industrial Compound | Ketorix Prime | Klingon Empire

“bortaS bIr jablu’DI’ reH QaQqu’nay’"
“Revenge is a dish which is best served cold.”
Klingon proverb

The holograms of Lord J’borr, Lord Udakh, Lord Kiv’ota, Lord M’gol, Lord A’chav and the remaining nobles of the House of Kruge sat at their designated positions at the long council table of the torch-lit grand hall of the Kruge Industrial Compound. They were assembled today to discuss the failings of House Mo’Kai.

“We are fortunate that our house was not dissolved along with the honorless petaQ of Mo’Kai.”

“We survive only because the Chancellor is too weak and cowardly to challenge us with dissolution.”

“Fool, we survived only because the dissolution of our house would create another civil war. Every rival house in the Empire would be at each other's throats after a piece of our house’s carcass.”

“Agreed. We continue because we are too big to fail and the Defense Force needs our industrial capacity intact so that we can keep producing ship after ship for the fleet.”

“Bah, if the Fleet and Empire was so dependent upon us why are we sitting here instead of running the High Council?”

Galdor stood at the end of the alabaster table as the nobles of the House of Kruge continued their pomp in jay routine, as they blindly played at managing a house none of them truly led. He alone knew how to manipulate this noble house to continue to exist. It was he who persuaded Lord J’borr’s son Dakh to join Gorka’s fleet. It was his death and other heirs of J’borr, at the Battle of the Houses that prompted this meeting.

“Lords focus!” Galdor exclaimed, drawing the glare of each of the assembled. “A house divided can not stand. We are here to discuss the condition of Lord J’borr’s holdings.” The House of Kruge was considered one of the Empire’s greatest shipwrights. Their industrial capabilities kept the Empire fleet replenished and that was not an easy task considering the combative nature of Klingons.

“My son meet a warrior’s death as many of our House has at the hands of the Federation and its interference in the expansion of the Empire.” the elderly J’borr responded.

“As you have no other male heirs to carry on your legacy, it is best to let one of us manage your share of the House.”

“No one but someone of blood will manage my estate!” countered J’borr. “Kersh will take Dakh’s place as my heir.”

“Hah, Kersh is a puppet to the illegitimate Martoq. As long as he grants titles to commoners and females….”

“Did you see! He promoted that ugly El-Aurian gobfly to brigadier!” another lord interrupted.

“General Kersh is not acceptable as a carrier of your legacy, J’borr. You must choose one of us.”

The room erupted in shouting and violent gestures. Galdor had listened to enough. “Computer mute communications.” As gin’tak his commands overroad all the other communication systems. The Lords mimed arguing a few seconds before they realized what had happened and eac turned to face Galdor.

“This assembly is adjourned for today. Your blood is too hot to conduct business. Perhaps tomorrow your passions will be less fevered.” Galdor pressed a button severing the holographic communication. As soon as all the noble’s images were snuffed out, he snapped. Clutching his mug of raktajino, the gin’tak roared and through it across the room. “I’m getting too old for this.” He addressed himself out loud. For nearly a century he had plot his way to where he now stood only to spend his days babysitting a bunch of spoiled petaQ’s not one worthy of the legacy of the house namesake. “What would you do?” he asked the grandiose fresco of the legendary Kruge decorating the wall. It didn’t have to answer because Galdor already knew the answer.

The great Commander Kruge would not have allowed the Federation-Klingon Alliance to move forward. He would not have allowed Starfleet invaders to freely travers Klingon space. He would have sat on the High Council and forced them to see the truth. He definitely would not have allowed his cousins to form this mockery alliance called a may’qochvan wherein they shared administrative power of the House. Without an epetai to lead the House of Kruge they had no position on the High Council. No way to directly influence the Empire. The only benefit had been Galdor’s ability to secure the one position that could lead such a neutered house back to glory.

In his position, Galdor had manipulated the lords of the House of Kruge to do his bidding. He was able to manage the collective assets of the house for his own objectives. His endgame was approaching, he knew it. When songs of his deeds were composed they would mark him a legend of the proverb that revenge is a dish best served cold.

A vibration from the hidden communicator under his cloak alerted him of an incoming message from his co-conspirators. With the movement of a warrior much younger than himself, Galdor traversed the complex directly to the vacant office of Lord J’borr, whose advanced years prevented the Lord from using. Sealing the room behind him, Galdor activated the secret screen behind the wall and opened an encrypted channel.

“Report!” Galdor commanded the man on the screen.

The grizzled Klingon on the screen glared. “The Unsung have agreed to join the Untamed in your cause.”

“I am transmitting your assignments now. Do not fail!” It had taken decades for Galdor to secure the support of the independent splinter-state known as the Imperial Klingon States. They had never been officially recognized by the High Council, and many of its citizens were discommendated so any acknowledgement of their existence violated the institution of discommendation, something no one on the Council would do. They were untamed in their words. Unlike the Federation domesticated leaders of the Empire.

“When do we see payment? You promised us ships!”

“Prove you’re true Klingons and you will have the most elite ships in the fleet.” As gin’tak of House Kruge, Galdor could pull any ship off the assembly line and make it disappear just as Kruge had done when he was alive. The Phantom Wing he had called them and Galdor found them, upgraded them, and was anxious to use them.

“We are the only true Klingons left in the Galaxy today. All others have sold out their birthright, their heritage, their right to kill." With the closing propaganda, the connection was cut. Galdor grinned a toothy smile. His long game was entering its final countdown.

Brigadier Zyrao Natauna | Pa’vanoQ’s Bar and Grill | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS.

Zy sat at a table in a corner so that she had a clear view of the entire establishment. She had learned centuries ago to never sit with her back to a door and always protect her six. She knew Theurgy would be leaving orbit eventually and she would have to enjoy this R and R while it lasted. The El-Aurian woman winced briefly from the pain in her still-healing arm as she reached for her drink. She knew better than to attempt drinking anything alcoholic and instead was glad that Pa’vanoQ, the bar’s owner also had a stock of teas from por SuS Tea House. Zy had become close friends of Ra’tijik, the tea house owner. Zy took a moment to take in the aroma of the unique peppadugh spice tea in her tall cup before taking a sip.

Zy was hoping for a quiet evening but wasn’t expecting one. The bar was already filled with rowdy warriors playing In’zanS darts, Wo’dagh, and Go’daHl’.

CWO1 Larrant | Min’aq Theater | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS

Larrant stood outside the theater in his avatar form trying to not draw attention to himself. Meanwhile the spectral duads in his consciousness communicated.

“You are not worthy of this high art!!! I demand you petaQs surrender this effort to defile Klingon cultural institutions!!!” the voice of Kij’qa demanded.

“Silence Klingon, a God does what a God wills. Do not listen to the small minded your greatness.” cam the response of the Vorta Loriss.

“The ‘angghal Theater Company is well known for their artistic skill. It is only logical that this will be a fascinating experience.” As usual T’Vella provided intellectual analysis only to be followed by her counterpart Sollek.

“Logic fails to encompass the beauty of their work. After all these decades you would think the emotionless ice would melt.”

“You imply feeling where none lie.”

“Do not listen to them. Expand your experiences. Learn all you can from our corporeal existence.” Yemma always provided positive support. As did Hedril who began flooding Larrant’s mind with images of excitement.

The echoes of the minds he had shared continued their back and forth as Larrant waited for Lieutenant Ryn to arrive. The assistant chief engineer had bombarded his communicator with requests to meet. It would appear that the Trill female shared a similar fractured conscience of many lifetimes. Larrant was curious as to what she was so determined to ask him about. Running her record the Medusan had noted her expertise in warp propulsion. Perhaps she wanted to discuss navigational theory as applied to warp engines. It would only be the millionth time an engineer had approached him to prove the validity of their calculations.

At the thought of interacting with another lesser intellect, Larrant’s thoughts were bombarded by images from Hedril, the youngest and most promiscuous mind he had paired with. The image of flowers, sweets, candlelit dinners, hearts, and silhouettes of couples kissing replaced his thoughts.

“No, I doubt this is any attempt at romantic development,” he thought back. “It would be impossible to form any physical relationship with a corporeal being. How can such a being be satisfied forming a relationship with someone whose true form they can not see or touch? The lieutenant must desire something else from me.” He would just have to wait to see what the encounter with Ryn would present.

OOC Posting Order: jreeves1701; EllenFitz; Rae

And we are off.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #1 – June 03, 2022, 01:53:14 PM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Pa’vanoQ’s Bar and Grill | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS] attn: @rae @jreeves1701

Hungry, dirty, and a little bloody from an earlier kerfuffle over an accidental pass at a married man, Enyd pushed her way into the pub with every hope that the last of her troubles were over. After a full day of seeing this famed Kahless place and that famed Kahless thing, with more planned for tomorrow, Enyd felt the need to break from the tour's prescribed itinerary and catch some private time to herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the historical significance of the places she was visiting or the things she was seeing, but even someone as enthusiastic about legacy and living legends as she had to wave a white flag some time.

The pub was already quite full, loud with the sounds of Klingon merriment. Enyd was just about to shove her way to the bar to demand a table and food when she caught sight of a familiar face. It was Brigadier Zyrao Natauna, the inscrutable El-Aurian Enyd had recently served with. Recalling the events at the Federation Embassy, Enyd moved toward the woman without bothering with the barkeep. She was curious how the brigadier was holding up, remembering that she’d taken quite a beating against the Infested.

“Good evening,” Enyd announced her presence before she was too close, not wanting to startle the woman into a defensive posture, “would you mind if I join you? It’s slim pickings around here, and I honestly don’t have the energy right now to wrestle my own spot at the long table.”

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #2 – June 04, 2022, 10:56:24 PM

[ Lt. JG Azrin Ryn | Min’aq Theater | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS ] Attn: @jreeves1701 @Ellen Fitz

Ok, there was a possibility that she’d been a bit… over enthusiastic.

During her excruciatingly long recovery in sickbay - about thirty-six hours in total - Azrin had scanned the Theurgy’s entire crew manifest, searching for her friends and not finding near as many of them as she’d liked. The ship had been through hell during her six months in stasis. Nothing proved that more than their list of the dead. With that haunting her, it wasn’t all that surprising that she’d fixated on a new crewmember who’d filled her mind with curiosity and fascination. Seeing that there was a medusan on board had been a wonderful distraction from her grief. So naturally, Azrin desperately wanted to meet him. Resulting in the incessant and mostly one sided communications she’d sent to Chief Warrant Officer Larrant.

She wanted to meet him so badly that she’d actually accepted the invitation to this Klingon Theater when he had finally replied to her. Hamlet - Klingon, human, or any other variation - was a place she’d never be caught dead at otherwise. She remembered what it was like to sit still. Elza would have been absolutely delighted to be here. Mathiz had sat through committee meetings far more boring than this. Drezden could lay motionless for countless hours on nights when the stars were clear. But this host had never managed it. Azrin Ryn needed to move. She’d happily play this story in the holodeck where she could take a character’s place, but sitting to watch was going to be a disaster.

She was going to drive Larrant nuts. If she hadn’t done so already.

“Hello!” Larrant might have been trying to stay out of the way, but Azrin wasn’t. The small slight trill slipped easily through the Klingons entering the theater, chipper voice carrying loudly when she spotted the navigator she was meeting. She stuck out like a spotted, ginger thumb. “I’m Azrin. Larrant right?” Of course he was, the holographic avatar looked exactly like the one in the computer. “Wow, that holo avatar is beautifully detailed.” There were a lot of things she wanted to talk to him about, but first and foremost she decided to look at what was right in front of her - the engineering marvel that was his containment unit. Not that she could see it through the hologram, but that was cool in itself.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #3 – July 08, 2022, 05:29:32 PM

[ Brigadier Zyrao Natauna | Pa’vanoQ’s Bar and Grill | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | Qo'noS ]
@rae @Ellen Fitz

The thought of the woman before her forced Zy to fight the urge to laugh. Visions of an all-out Klingon bar brawl played in her mind, none with an outcome that didn't involve torn garments, broken bones, spilled blood, and mountains of paperwork to file. It would however be very fun to watch and take part in. The thought caused her blood to pump faster and pinning the woman before her down excited Zy's loins.

"By all means, sit, drink, and take in all that Qo'noS has to offer." Zy responded before an awkward silence could form, or before one of the rowdy locals decided to snatch the doll in front of her away.

"Lieutenant Madsen," she addressed the woman already knowing her name. Zy had read all the personnel files she could get access to while on the Theurgy. Her loyalty was to the Empire first and being stationed on a Starfleet ship gave her an opportunity for reconnaissance that she would take advantage of`. "What brings you to Quin'lat? It isn't exactly a tourist-friendly city."

[ CWO1 Larrant | Min’aq Theater | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | Qo'noS ]

"Lieutenant Ryn, it is agreeable to see you. I am indeed Chief Larrant."

The avatar raised its right hand in a position to receive a high-five. It was one of many glitches in the POD's holographic communications interface. Or was it? Larrant had wanted to imitate the Terran greeting gesture of a handshake, which in turn led him to think of the Vulcan standard greeting that two of his diad partners frequently used. Then his analytical mind began to compare the Vulcan salute to a similar Terran gesture of high fiving.

"The holo-avatar is an astonishing improvement to my old E.M.U. POD." Larrant's hand remained raised awaiting to receive Ryn's.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #4 – July 16, 2022, 03:28:00 PM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Pa’vanoQ’s Bar and Grill | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS] attn: @rae @jreeves1701

Enyd gratefully dropped into the seat close to Natauna. She was able to snag a server long enough to order an ale—though she really just wanted a trough of water to bathe in—before setting her chin in her hand and leaning far more heavily against the table than was deemed proper for her rank or department.

“I decided to join one of the cultural tours advertised back on the ship. But I came alone since I couldn’t wrangle any others to join this one, likely because all the other tours I’ve gone on have ended in near diplomatic incidents and have managed to go all sorts of awry.” Enyd grabbed the over-filled ale plunked on the table in front of her with both hands, eyes wide with desire. “Excuse me a moment.”

She hefted the tankard up and drank almost a third of the liquid before she came up for air, swiping the back of her dirty sleeve over her mouth once she had the tankard safely on the table again. Brought to a greater level of satisfaction than mere moments before, Enyd managed to answer the woman’s question.

“The tour is actually still going on, most of the tourists eating at another tavern further down the street. But there was an…incident, and I decided that making myself scarce for a wee bit was probably the wisest option. What about you? What brings you here?”

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #5 – July 18, 2022, 04:49:18 PM

[ Lt. JG Azrin Ryn | Min’aq Theater | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS ] Attn: @jreeves1701 @Ellen Fitz

Why was his hand in the air? For a brief second, Azrin wondered if it was a meduasan greeting, an incredibly exciting prospect until she realized how stupid that idea was. This was a hologram, the real Larrant hidden within as a deadly ball of light and gas. A species without arms would hardly have a cultural greeting that required them. That left… well, his hologram looked human enough. There was a possibility for greetings from other Federation worlds that merely involved the raising of hands, but she wasn’t about to miss the chance to check out his forcefields in action. A second too late - after spending far too long thinking it through - her hand slapped into his.

The smacking sound drew minor attention from the nearby Klingons. They were probably hoping for a fight, only to shake their heads and look away upon seeing two foreigners. Azrin was too focused to notice, analyzing the feel, sound, and even trying to get a glimpse of his palm to see if the simulated flesh rippled at the hit. Now that would be detail.

“Nice to meet you. You can just call me Azrin if you’d like.” They weren’t on duty, this was a social setting, and Azrin had never been one for formality anyway. The crowd behind them was beginning to thin as most of the Klingons entered the theater. It might have meant the play was about to start, or there was a pre-show. Or a bar. She had no idea how the Klingon theater experience worked. And since she was wholly unenthusiastic about the play in the first place, Azrin wasn’t really worried about it.

“How do you see out of it?” She blurted out, unable to contain her curiosity for more than a few seconds. “Like if I’m looking at the holo-avatar’s eyes, am I looking at you, or does it seem like I’m staring over you?” It would be much more helpful if she could see the POD, though she conceded that not seeing it was the point. “I know I can’t actually see you,” wouldn’t that be amazing though? Minus the whole insanity thing. “But it feels rude if I’m looking in the wrong direction. Does that make sense?”

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #6 – September 04, 2022, 10:08:46 PM

[ Brigadier Zyrao Natauna | Pa’vanoQ’s Bar and Grill | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | Qo'noS ]
@rae @Ellen Fitz @Auctor Lucan

"Personally, laying low. The shit going on with the Theurgy is a bit stressful." Zy took a big swig of her peppadugh spice tea, the sensation of the warm liquid flowing down her throat eased some of the tension in her neck muscles. "Not that events on Qo'noS are any less stressful." Zy motioned toward a group of Klingons butting heads in a physical challenge following a dispute over a recent dart match. "Klingon Diplomacy must be interesting for you."

[ CWO1 Larrant | Min’aq Theater | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | Qo'noS ]

The questions were unexpected. This organic was inquisitive. "Azrin as you like to be identified as. My noncorporeal form contained within the Mark III Environmental Manipulation Unit is able to acquire visual information accurately through an interface with the Mental Image Communicator and Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement devices incorporated into its hardware. To put it more primitively, I see and interact with the world as if I and the holographic matrix are one. It is the closest I have come to experiencing your existence outside of mentally bonding with a corporal being." Larrant resisted the urge to reach out to Azrin's mind. It would have been easy, second nature even. He had already violated his oath too resently to save the soul of a dying Klingon, a sin he had yet to fully deal with.

"If you would be interested I would be agreeable for you to review the schematics of the Mark III. Perhaps you could assist in locating inefficiencies in its relays. I believe the corporeal phrase is, there are a few bugs that need to be worked out."

[ Lt. JG Zarqan and Ens. Tala | Xenozoology Lab | Deck 7 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy]

Zarqan stared at the holographic simulation depicting the female Gorn's DNA sequence. "What do you make of it?" his lab assistant asked. The Benzite lieutenant turned to answer the Bajoran ensign.

"It is unlike any recorded sample. I have cross-referenced this Gorn's DNA with every known species of Gorn. There are hints of the others but this is totally unique."

"Do you think it is bio-engineered?"

"If it is, it has to be on a level equal to that of the Savi. There is not a single imperfect gene. No mutations, or at least none I can identify. It is as if this is a pure Gorn."

Ensign Tala turned to look at the Female Gorn inside the xenozoology simulator bay. The female Gorn prowled the holographic jungle stalking holographic prey oblivious to the scientists observing it from the other side of the projection. "She's so primal. Yet she and a herd of others managed to coordinate an attack." Tala turned back to her Benzite coworker.

"They were being controlled remember? By that Klingon female. But I don't yet know how. And until I do, we have a lot of work to do. If our own big green guy is susceptible to the same influence, we are in trouble."

"Do you think that is what happened to him on Praxis?"

"The Medical team doesn't want to rule it out until they get our report."

"Fascinating how....." Tala stopped mid-sentence as she turned to look on the Female Gorn again. "Where did she go?"

"Oh no!" Zarqan punched his combadge. "Zarqan to Thea.... what is the location of the female Gorn."

"The female Gorn is no longer onboard. There are no Gorn life signs aboard the Theurgy."

"Wait... no Gorn life signs?" Tala asked.

"Thea? Where is the location of Chief Sithick?"

"Chief Sithick is no longer on board the Theurgy."

"Oh shit! Zarqan to Bridge....."

[ Unsung Warriors | Jem'Hadar Attack Fighter436 | Dominion War Exhibit | Museum of Military Triumph and Conquest | Quin'lat | Qo'noS ]

"We have them!"

"Excellent, inject them with the compound and beam them to the coordinates. The commence transport of the other targets." The leading warrior laughed. "All that advanced technology and weaponry aboard that Federation garbage scow there for the taking."

"Sir, the Dominion vessel was not salvaged undamaged. The transport buffer will only function for a few more 'tups' before shorting out."

"Then hurry and focus on the primary targets. Get me an Omega Bomb if possible. An eye for an eye."

OOC: Sorry it took so long. I am planning to be more on top of posting in the following months.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #7 – September 10, 2022, 03:10:00 PM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Pa’vanoQ’s Bar and Grill | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS] attn: @rae @jreeves1701

“Stressful?” Enyd laughed, ducking her head to take a sip of her drink. “That is an understatement. I mean, in all honesty, the present situation, even with the Klingons, seems to match my style of diplomacy more than some of my peers. Or at least,” Enyd smirked, “that is the way they respond to my problem solving. I am a bit more of a ‘cowboy’ in my work than they prefer, so Klingon diplomacy doesn’t bother me. A few days back, I was able to wrangle a meeting between the rebel faction refusing to accept Mickayla MacGregor as House leader after myself and my colleague bested some of their warriors in an arena.” Enyd snorted before shooting the brigadier a playful smile, “We were both torn up pretty good, but success was what we went in for, and success is what we hobbled away with.”

Enyd shifted closer to her tablemate before asking her next question, “What is the definition of ‘stressful’ for you anyway? I would presume it would be slightly different than my own definition or that of a Caitian or a Tellerite.”

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #8 – September 13, 2022, 03:04:24 AM

[ Lt. JG Azrin Ryn | Min’aq Theater | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS ] Attn: @jreeves1701 @Ellen Fitz

“That is… so cool,” she drew out the last two words to further accentuate her awe. What a marvelous device, to take this sort of tech and get it to interact with Medusan biology in that manner. Now that she was sure to avoid accidental rudeness, Azrin looked up to meet his eyes squarely, the excitement coming off her in waves. Hopefully the play wasn’t about to begin, because she was far too hyped up to possibly sit down now, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as she thought the Environmental Manipulation Unit through. The detail in the holo-avatar’s sensors, combined with converting the inputs to Larrant’s view? That was a delicate bit of programming.

And then to get a chance to work on it? “Yes! Yes please. I would love to see the schematics.” She looked like a child who had just been offered an amazing present. “We’ll track down all those inefficiencies. This is great, and I haven’t even gotten to my questions on navigation and how the ship feels at warp yet.” Azrin had always been inquisitive. She wanted to know how everything worked, and it tended to annoy people when she took their things apart without permission. A fact that she’d learned the hard way as a child.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #9 – October 15, 2022, 11:21:07 PM

[ Brigadier Zyrao Natauna | Pa’vanoQ’s Bar and Grill | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | Qo'noS ]
@rae @Ellen Fitz @Auctor Lucan

Zy took a deep swig of her beverage letting the warm sensation massage her throat and warm her innards. Stressful, the word she had used to describe dealing with Klingons. Madsen had called her on it and punted back. Did the woman across from her have time to listen to the century-spanning saga that was her life? Death-defying battles with the Borg, Kzinti, Breen, Cardassians, and Dominion. She seemed to exchange one slaver for another. Was she enslaved by the Empire? Her promotion and the honor she now lived by would suggest it.

Gently running her right hand across the scars and tattoos on her left forearm, "You could say my body is a road map of my battle with stressful existence. I've faced the Borg, Kzinti slavers, Breen slavers, and deceptive Cardassians. The Klingons, at least have honor. And if you understand that then you might be the right person to wield diplomacy against them. But beware, you must be ever vigilant and always on guard. Not all Klingons are honor bound. And that makes your job potentially stressful. Honorless Klingons are not always easy to spot."

Just as Zy was about to take another drink from her cup a commotion drew her attention to a monitor above the bar. A cluster of Klingon officers had congregated near the viewer as the bar keep turning up the volume. On the screen was a uniformed officer making a public announcement.

"-- Jin'tika District. I repeat. A disturbance has broken out near the Min'aq Theater. Citizens are advised to remain indoors while security forces deal with the situation in the Jin'tika District"

The image then switched to footage of a neighborhood in the Jin'tika District. Flames could be seen on the streets and the monstrous roar of an unseen creature was then echoed by another. The patrons of the bar all began to converse until it appeared to be communally decided that they would take the matter into their own hands. Blades and disrupters were drawn as they all poured out into the streets heading toward whatever chaos was just announced.

"Shit!" Zy exclaimed as she stood. "This.... this is what I call stressful. Klingons are like aggressive toddlers that are always ready to fight for a fucking cookie." Zy quickly drew dual disrupters from her side holsters. "Care to put your diplomacy to the test?"

[ CWO1 Larrant | Min’aq Theater | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | Qo'noS ]

Larrant was not sure how best to respond to the excited Trill before him. The urge to crack her mind open to better understand her behavior became greater, but Larrant's discipline was stronger. He knew that joined Trill had multiple lifetimes of experiences and memories. Much like his Diads. It would be interesting for Ryn and himself to explore each other's minds.

"Perhaps when we return to the Theurgy, I give you access." Larrant was being nice. He knew that an inferior mind of a corporeal organic could not possibly solve the complex advancements of his E.M.U. The Medusan situation was a decades-long journey in advancement from a mere containment box to his current pod and all its features. But what would it hurt?

"I can answer your navigation questions and the Medusan Navigation algorithms already present in all Starfleet vessels that already assist amateur navigators and pilots, even the famous Captain Sulu, while you study them." Was he setting up a second date, while engaged in the first? The thought echoed from within his deeper consciousness from one of the Diad voices. He was too focused to identify which.

Larrant was about to respond when the sound of disruptor fire and shouting from down the street interrupted. Then the roar of a creature and the echo of a second. The Klingon patrons of the Theatre, however, did not seem phased by what they must have thought was a routine night on Qo'noS. Instead of scattering to safety, the vast majority, dressed in the attire of Klingon Great Houses, continued entering the theater. Only a small group dressed in officer uniforms turned drawing concealed weapons and headed toward the disturbance.

The Medusan paused and stared into the face of Ryn, his expression frozen as his pod's sensors scanned the area. "Odd. My sensors seem to be malfunctioning. I cannot detect anything. Not even your biosigns. Internal diagnostics all come back operational." Larrant tapped his combadge. It was a pointless action but one that he had learned made him seem less alien to the crew. It took weeks for him to realize how unsettling it was to his fellow crewmates for him to activate communications via a direct link from his pod. His avatar however still cocked its head to the left every time he did activate comms.

With head tilted to the right, "Larrant to Theurgy."

The only response was static. "Larrant to Theurgy. Come in Theurgy." He repeated. His head returned to its upright position. "It appears I am also experiencing difficulty with my comms array."

OOC: And the plot is sparked. Reminder per the Red Herring plot point, communications are jammed.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #10 – October 16, 2022, 10:46:07 AM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Pa’vanoQ’s Bar and Grill | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS] attn: @rae @jreeves1701

Enyd nodded with a half smile, “I have a few stress scars of my own. But nothing from the Borg, Kzinti, or Breen. If you care to share, I always love to learn and listen. It helps to build up experience in lieu of actual experience.” She sipped at the last of her drink as Natauna continued to speak about Klingons, nodding emphatically at the last regarding honor-less Klingons. She’d not been among them for nearly as long as Natauna, but she already encountered a few that could use honor lessons from their mother’s knee.

Natauna was on her feet, disruptors in hand, within seconds. The rest of the bar was already draining of patrons, all equally minded to solve the problem. Despite the gravity of the situation and the dangerous unknown, Enyd couldn’t help but laugh as she stood and waved for Natauna to lead the way.

“Only on Qo’Nos would the citizens take a message like that and see it as a personal challenge. Let’s go. Hopefully, we can use more verbal diplomacy and less disruptor.”

She followed the brigadier outside, where they filed through the general bedlam that was the street immediately outside the inn. Over the roofs of the houses, they could see the burning glow of the fire a few blocks away and they could smell the acridity of burning flesh in the air. Either a pet targ hadn’t made it outside, or something worse had happened. Enyd kept close to Natauna, even going so far as to reach out and grab her belt at a time to keep from getting separated. She was by far the smallest person in the crowd and no one seemed to mind stomping on her in their efforts to kill or capture whatever had caused this.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #11 – October 24, 2022, 03:20:32 AM

[ Lt. JG Azrin Ryn | Min’aq Theater | Jin’tika District | Quin’lat | QonoS ] Attn: @jreeves1701 @Ellen Fitz

Maybe she’d been too overexcited, since Larrant had felt the need to emphasize that the schematics were all she was getting. Unless she came up with a really innovative idea maybe? Azrin decided to take it as a challenge. She liked challenges. Nothing improved technology like an engineer under stress and a deadline. And she was going to get all the navigation information too! “I’m not the best pilot, but I’m hoping that understanding the navigation programs will help me tune the warp core better. Keep everything in harmony, stop the helmsman from overworking Thea’s poor warp cores, etc. Can we go right now?” Then the trill hesitated, looking over to the theater, “Oh, wait sorry. You wanted to see the play. After that? If we’re not too tired.” Though she hadn’t slept well since being awoken from stasis, Azrin suspected she was going to finally get some rest during this play. No amount of hoping was going to help her channel her past hosts’ spirits. This host’s inability to sit still was always going to be the overriding influence.

An angry sound ripped through the air. Azrin, who wasn’t overly familiar with the sounds of disruptors, looked around with confusion, “What was that?” The Klingons didn’t seem overly worried about it, so she shrugged and turned her attention back to Larrant. She was still far more interested in the E.M.U. Which seemed to be having a problem of its own, because Larrant had gone still, like the whole program had frozen. He’d looked completely real before, but right now the holographic nature of the avatar became obvious.

“What’s wrong with it? Can you run a diagnostic right here or do we need computer access?” Her mind was already spinning, but it was hard to offer solutions when she had absolutely no idea how the E.M.U. worked. Weird coincidence, that it would break right while he was offering to let her examine it. Was this a test? Naw. One creepy parasite taking over Starfleet and she’d become a conspiracy theorist. Larrant seemed cool, she’d rather trust him.

When the problem extended to his combadge, she actually reached out to pluck it off his chest and have a look at its innards. Pale fingers stopped a centimeter away, pulling back with an embarrassed laugh when she realized her mistake. Of course, it wasn’t an actual badge, just part of the hologram. Another one of those strange sounds reached her ears, distracting her again as she belatedly realized what it was. “Um, is someone firing a phaser over there?” She’d thought he was calling the ship to report his own malfunction, but on second thought…

“Ryn to Theurgy,” she tapped her own combadge lightly. Nothing happened. Not even a sad chirp in response. “I don’t think it’s just you.” This time, she did pull her badge off and pop it open, head lowering and face twisting in concentration as she started poking around inside.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #12 – February 05, 2023, 08:27:17 PM

Att: @rae @Ellen Fitz @Auctor Lucan

OOC: Guys, life has happened as it often does and I need to lead this thread to a close. So I will give a rapid summary of events so that our characters can move on to the next big adventure. As can the subplot created by this thread.

Eynd & Natauna both hit the streets of Quin'lat to find a pack of Krencha rampaging, attacking everything in sight. The Krencha is a large three-meter-long (over 9 feet for us imperial folks), four-legged, reptilian animal native to Qo'noS. They possess sharp claws and deadly fangs which they used to rip the flesh of their kill. They also had reptile-like tongues which helped them scent the air to detect their prey. They are intelligent hunting animals but ones that evolved as quick attack predators and thus could not last in battles that lasted too long. However, these don't seem to possess that handicap. In fact, they appear to be pumped full of adrenaline.

Ryn and Larrant soon find themselves in the same situation as a pack of Krencha have reached the theatre. Klingon Civil Defense teams have begun to set up perimeters to fight off the beasts but can manage a stalemate at best.

For Enyd and Natauna, they managed to fend off the Krencha barely taking anything more severe than a scratch. Unlike their Klingon counterparts who have had limbs severed and heads decapitated. It really is like watching the dino onslaught from Jurassic World. The climax of their battle is the appearance of a familiar face. Fellow crewmember Sithick. He is equally crazed and rampaging through the streets. Natauna wants to kill him with her disruptors set to vaporize and has to be cautioned by Enyd of the diplomatic repercussions it might cause. They settle to stun him but it takes many shots at heavy stun for the big guy to finally go down.

Back to Ryn and Larrant. Larrant manages to protect Ryn while she works on her combadge. She is almost distracted when Larrant's avatar disappears to reveal his fully armed pod. His arm tentacles provide physical defenses in close-quarter combat with any Krencha that gets to close. While his phaser emitters neutralize any ranged threats. There are some civilian casualties and as the worst of the Krencha assault is dealt with, a feral female Gorn appears. The same one that was contained on the Theurgy. Unlike the fate of Sithick, she is not stunned. It takes a blast from Larrant's pod to a nearby building that causes a portion of the structure to fall on the frenzied Gorn. It was his hope that it would merely pin the creature and contain it, however, the weight of the rubble and the strain of the drugs flowing through its body was too much.

Post combat: Sithick is once more restrained and contained. The Female Gorn is taken back to the Theurgy for an autopsy. Enyd successfully fixes the comms. The masterminds behind the terrorist attack are still unknown at this time. But it was found that there was a chemical agent in the Krenchas', Sithick's, and female Gorn's blood. It had the effect of a super stimulant and psychotropic agent.

Followups: Ryn can further the development with Larrant and his POD. Enyd & Natauna can continue their conversation in diplomatic relations and the further fallout of Sithick's aggression toward the Klingons.

Re: Day 07 [18:30 hrs.] Red Herring

Reply #13 – February 12, 2024, 11:57:27 AM

FIN