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Topic: EPISODE 01: Outbreak [Prologue] (Read 31125 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #25 –
Although physically asleep Nolak's telepathic mind always remains 'semi-aware' of his surroundings.  Feeling emotional arousal auras of Amakris and other people surround him his mind starts to revel in the flow of sexual emotions.  He takes deep breaths when the female Ash'reem is close by taking in as much pheromone aromas into his lungs as possible. This sends his mind in to a blissful state of erotica dreams and fantasies.  Lying strapped on the table it hard not to notice the lower portion of his uniform rising and pitching a large tent as his body shifts from from side to side and occasionally thrusts upwards pressing against the fabric as much as possible. While his mind dances with erotic dreams and the ill side effects from the drug he continues tugging at the restraints while whispered moans escapes his lips.  Although his glands are still active, the potency of it's effects begins to run it's course while his mind slips into the darkness of sleep. 

(ooc ok he should be out for a few hours unless rp says otherwise) :D

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #26 –
Jovela had to lean against the wall, taking deep breaths. She ignored the complaints, the questions, the looks, as she instead only focused on keeping down her desires.

Ever since she left Risa and began the slow process to becoming a Nurse and, hopefully one day, a Doctor in Starfleet, she was constantly fighting back the urges, the desire. Her upbrining, her genetics, everything that made her her prior to that day she left Risa was telling her to focus on pleasure, to tear off her clothes and dance, perform, fuck. It took concentration to keep these thoughts down, to keep what Jovela dubbed 'The Performer' from coming loose. You add in some pheremones that told her to do that anyway, and it became almost impossible.

But somehow, after a few minutes, Jovela was able to regain control. Her uniform was soaked, however, from the crotch to about her thighs were covered in her wetness. As soon as she realised this, she ran to the Nurses office and quickly pulled out the spare uniform she kept there for just such a purpose. She quickly changed (one skill that being a dancer/stripper had given her was the abilty to get into clothes very quickly) before shoving the old one into the drawer and then heading out into the main bay. She paused, realising that one of the male crewmembers whose bed was leaning probably saw her changing, but she ignored it and continued her rounds, looking after the patients.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #27 –
Surgical Suite, Sickbay

At the point where Lucan walked inside the Surgical suite, Lt. Rawley's condition had become stable enough to prepare her for surgery. The Fighter pilot was still out there in main Sickbay, being prepped by two Nurses. As to where Jovela had vanished, Lucan had no idea, but he suspected it might have something to do with the pheromones that had swept the area earlier. It was not like he was not affected by them either, having half a mind to go look for the Head Nurse himself and leave all the injured to fend for themselves... yet if there was one thing he had truly mastered over the years, it was restraint. Patience. Immaculate care to be in control.

Still, a few images flashed before his eyes where he ravaged the Risan on top of his desk, or smothered her breasts against the antiseptic floor with his thrusts.

The idle thought he had when he emerged into the sterile and stark light of the surgical suite, was how the pheromone bust had been so short-lived. Yet the thought vanished when he saw who had assisted him with the suite. She stood there with some form of canister in her hand. His head tilted forward as the door shut behind him - pale grey eyes upon the Cadet.

"Computer, lock this door," he said quietly, his tone even, "Authority; Nicander Beta Seven Two Niner." Lt. Rawley could wait a little while. All the critical patients had been seen to. Here, was an issue that he had had under scrutiny for some while - some of his suspicions proven yet many questions still remaining. Yet he said nothing to Amikris at first, just looking at her - his gaze telling her far more than any accusation might. It was all an act, of course, the image of a disgruntled Starfleet officer. Behind his eyes were another intention altogether; to use this opportunity to the best of his advantage. Already, the sharp talons of his mind was dissecting her and what lay between them; finding out what was the best course to take.

When the decision was made, he let out a sigh and removed his barely used lab coat, tossing it in the appropriate bin. Next, he began to deftly remove his uniform jacket - apparently about to change into surgical scrubs. "Whatever it was in your hand, I hope you understand what it is you are doing," he said quietly, looking through the lenses of her goggles, "Our Ship Counsellor is dead, and I am not qualified to discuss your problems, Cadet. Our Captain has a lot of new field promotions to make after this battle, and that role is just one of many with a vacant seat."

Having removed his jacket, Lucan turned to the small frosted stall - back to Amikris - and removed his underskirt as well. "Yet as your superior, I feel obligated to express my concerns. You said earlier that the pheromone problems would not go away even if I dismissed you, in a tone that would be quite frowned upon, yet it leads me to believe that you did not have anything to do with what happened? Then I find you here, your skin a bit paler than usual, and smuggling something in your pocket - perhaps some kind of drug that helps you cope with the situation at hand?"

A qualified guess. Lucan removed his shoes with his feet. "Tell me, Cadet, if you were in my position, what would you think? What kind of managerial decision would you make, in order to keep your house in order?" He glances over his shoulder at Amikris and gives her a weary smile, unbuttoning his trousers. "Please, Cadet Neotin, if you want to talk off the record, that is acceptable, but let us discuss this here and now."

Turning his head back to the stall, he pulls down his trousers and underwear and step into it - enabling him get the blood out of his hair and nails, and the grime that came with Sickbay during a battle. Yet all that he did, all that he said, was for a reason - a purpose predetermined. He did not act self-concious about his nudity, yet that was prone to be interpreted as the culture and customs of his species. It was true that he did feel suffocated by the uniform... and the pheromones might have emboldened him to make such a move in front of a Cadet... but the bottom line was that they were in Sickbay, and propriety was valued far lower than the care of their patients.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #28 –
She tensed as he spoke glancing at her hand again hoping that the tremor had stopped. "It wasn't me that was secreting the generalized pheromone into the med bay sir, it was CPO Kalmil, as for what I just took, that'd be Bupropion, SR 200 mg, if you don't believe me by all means check my chart and do a blood work up sir.  It does seem to have...an unusual reaction with Ash'reem though, that is troubling."  She did her best to turn her back and give him some privacy as he changed wishing she had a spare uniform now as well as the thick viscus fluids that coated her nether region, irritated her skin slightly as they were allowed to sit in her panties.  It was awkward to say the least talking about her issue with her direct superior.  "I've been on it for almost three years now.  Initially it was meant to treat the depressive symptoms of Isophobia, during my time at the academy, however any time I try to go off it I develop a noticeable tremor, cold sweats, dehydration, and migraines.  Sir." She explains anxiously as she tosses the wrapper for the pills away in the trash disposal unit.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #29 –
Inside the stall, Lucan listened to the faint echo of her voice from outside the glass wall. He rinsed his nails and his hair in the sonic shower - especially fitted and augmented for Sickbay - and considered her words. He noted that it was probably the Chief Engineer that had accosted them with pheromone. Yet especially, he considered her symptoms, and what he knew about Ash'reem anatomy along with what kind of agents in the Bupropion pills might affect them.

"I see... I would suppose you have already tried to find out the reasons for your ailments; secretly tried to find answers on your own?" he asked, his deep voice thrumming against the frosted class wall that separated them. "I am aware of the Isophobia that might accost your species, and I am sorry to hear the answer you found was not the best - leaving you with withdrawal symptoms and forcing you into an addiction that might gradually worsen - perhaps someday even become uncontrollable. I venture to guess that given your harsh symptoms for something other species does not the get the least bothered by, it is potentially far worse than you might think. My question to you; what is it you would like me to do about your situation?"

All the while he talked, images of him stepping out of the shower and slamming her against the wall flickered in his peripheral vision. He saw himself bashing her goggles and her face until she went limp, and then would spread her weak legs wide, rip her clothes, and plough her until he spent himself inside her. The stark light of the room would render the Ash'reem blind, he realised - an interesting spice to the vile concoction in his imagination. He tried to blink the images away, but they persisted because of the pheromone. He found himself growing awkwardly rigid, and decided to stay in the stall a while longer - taking care to wash himself very thoroughly...

"I want to help you, Cadet," he said, finding that closing his eyes made his visions become that more stronger, "but I also need to do what is best for Sickbay. I hope you understand that."

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #30 –
Captain's Ready Room, Deck 01

Seated behind her desk, Jien looked up and gave the Ensign a weary smile, standing up from her chair to greet him properly.

"When I am wearing this form," she said as she came around the desk, casually indicating her "uniformed" body through a tired little wave with her hand, "I prefer to be addressed as ma'am. At ease, Ensign. Please, have a seat."

She walked to the window and folded her arms underneath her breasts, looking out towards space. He spotted one of the Lone Wolves patrolling in the far distance - but a speck moving across the backdrop of a red distant nebula. There something poignant and sad about the elegant sweep the Federation fighter made - immortalised in her memories from strife of old. She turned around to face the Ensign, suppressing the images from the Dominion War and whatever else conflict that came to mind.

"I would offer you something to drink, alas, I have only sanctioned key segments of the ship to use the replicators, and I did not include my Ready Room." She turned her eye to the PADD containing Lance's personnel file, and she frowned a little. It was time for the little speech she had made far too many times recently. "I regret to inform you that Sickbay just contacted us here at the Bridge, informing us that the Chief CONN Officer has been subdued by the wounds he was inflicted during the last fight. He passed away just before midnight, and our CONN Department stands without a head - another position vacant in the Senior Staff of our ship."

Jien now looked into the... admittedly very handsome yet quite young man's eyes, and her jaws were clenched. "I am considering to offer you this position, Ensign, complete with a promotion to Lieutenant and new quarters. Your track record speaks for itself, and while you lack in experience according to these files, you show promise to become a great asset to the CONN department. However..."

She unfolded her arms and placed her hands on her hips, and though she was not leaning over the human, her presence filled the room nonetheless. "You have parts in your file that is classified above Level 10, and that casts you in doubt. I am unwilling to offer you the position unless you spill your guts, and tell me why a great deal of your background has been locked away."

Standing perfectly still, Jien's eyes remained upon the Ensign's, utterly unblinking. She did not have her sword in her hand, but she just as well might have, given the piercing quality of her scrutiny. "I am sure you understand my disposition, Ensign," she says in a low voice, "given the recent events...."

Why would Starfleet Command - their current enemy - have locked away this crew man's background?

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #31 –
Ensign Lance watches the captain as the stands up and walks to the window. While her back is towards him his eyes quickly takes the momentous occasion to study the contours of her shoulders, back, and well formed buttocks, before snapping his eyes back  to attention looking into her eye as she turns back around.  Quickly he decides on what to say to can he tell her the truth, or the Federation speech he was required to say when asked about his personal information.  I’ll smug them both and play it by ear he thinks as he starts to address the Captain.

“I’m sorry to hear about the Lieutenant, he was a good man and damn good outdoors man.  If you don't mind I'd rather stand, I've been sitting at the helm position since his injury. As for my service record Madam, as you can understand the Federation has been under attack by nearly every hostile faction who wish to conquer instead of following peaceful means of co-existence.  From our recently semi-allied Klingons gone sour, the sneaky plotting Romulans, the Dominion warrior intrusion, to the unfeeling Berg (intended).  So it's I it's, "his speach stumbles slighly,"it may appear somewhat puzzling, and understandable why my record is marred with blank spots and gaps.  Prior to joining Starfleet, I grow up in a small farming community outside Willington, New Zealand sector of Earth, raised by my mother and her brothers.” He scratches his nose and continues thinking again for a moment.

“My father was a non-commissioned Starfleet freighter captain. He died during an Orion raid while I was young, Robert M. Lance.  His service record is more of a mystery than mine.  After his death I was perhaps no more than 10 years old, old enough to stowaway escape earth and reach space vowing revenge on the Orion pirates.  I joined a non official resistance group called Wing 42, and we gave them pirates hell.  However during one of our raids my small one man ship was critically disabled and after spending time slowly starving to death drifting in space got real lucky, and was picked up by a passing Starfleet vessel Saber class.” He runs his fingers through his hair before returning to attention.

“I can’t recall the designation number or the name of the captain.  Since I wasn’t a member of any faction official government and had no personal record. I spent the rest of that ships tour located in the brig after I decked the commanding officer after a heated debate over ethics.”

“I was transferred back to Starfleet and given the option either join or have some other mundane position, or face a prison sentence,and wither away like the rest of the universe.  Obviously I enter the academy.  My affiliation with Wing 42 and the Orions, both group used inhuman methods to kill each other, and because we had no loyalty except to ourselves Wing 42.  In reality we were no better than the pirates themselves, because we prayed on Starfleet ships, and any other vessels that crossed our territory.  So my record is marred with blank spots to prevent resentment from other members of the crew.  I’ve changed my ways from those bloody years, and those events are long long ago behind. My loyalty is to Starfleet Federation and I intend to right the wrongs I've caused.  If you feel you an trust me than it would be an honor to serve as helmsman of the USS Theurgy with any rank I have.” He stands awaiting her reaction. 

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #32 –
While the Ensign told her his story in his own words, the Captain slowly began to pace the room - the lights of the nebula flickering across the dark fall of her hair.

"Trust," said Jien as she came to stand at arms length from the young man. In her chosen form, she was shorter than him, yet she nevertheless held his eye, "is like a vase... once it's broken, though you can fix it the vase will never be same again. I would not become upset if you lied to me, Ensign, I would - however - demote you to service duties on the Fighter Assault Bay - scrubbing that wast hangar until we all either die, or are thrown into custody for what we have done. Either way, we will not gain any merits for uncovering the impersonators in Starfleet Command at this point. No, we have killed our own, and a continued career within the fleet is unlikely for any of us."

Jien folded her hands behind her back as she stood there in front of him, but her gaze never wavered - daring him to look away. Challenging him to even blink or give her a sign that he was not forthright. "Consider this, as this might be the last time you serve in Starfleet, if you serve anyone else at all but the maggots of your early grave. Would you spend your last time in service... living a lie?"

Her scowl now poured into her features from her hairline, yet her eyes were still right there - nailed to his. She took a very small step forward - the intimidation quite plain. "Reason I ask... is because I find it highly unlikely that a discriminating criminal record would ever be under the same kind of red tape that I see all across your file."

It was plain that she did not believe him just yet. There were too many risks involved too, in just accepting the story he had told her. The enemy had fooled the whole Fleet, after all.

"So, should I begin to ask more detailed questions, like what the ethical argument was about, or very specific information about the area where Wing 47 roamed? I would begin asking for things that such raiders would know; hiding places and planets, moons and nebulas to shake off bad company," she folded her arms again, tilting her head a bit - giving him a side-glance. "Or have you reconsidered?"

The silence screamed in the Ready Room, as if it dampened the sounds of the Theurgy. Only then, did Jien break away and walked back around the desk. Idly, she fond herself enjoying his breath. A curious observation.

"Trust, like the soul, never returns whence it has once departed, Ensign," she finished, and sat down, "Speak, and know that given what you say, what you tell me will remain a secret, but I need to know whom is reporting directly to me. If we are to live, and prevail, I need to know, surely you understand this."

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #33 –
It had been over three hundred years since his true military training back in the war of his home world.  Had this interrogation taking place back then this would have been a piece of cake.  The academy was too soft on the students he once thought, and bullshitting the professors and other students was a piece of cake.  Captian Jien Ives wasn’t a stuffy headed professor.  As she steps forward her breath to his, he could feel the blood rising to his face.  He remains rigid never flinching like a disciplined soldier who has done this routine a million times, except for his blushing cheeks.  His eyes gaze deeply into her eyes exploring every little detail of her beautiful brown eyes.

He stands silently never challenging the captain in any form. He watching her figure studying her every movement while she walks around the desk and sits at her desk.  His imagination wanders for a spit second thinking what it would be like to challenge her to a simple sparing contest noticing the blade. For several seconds he continues to stare into her eyes judging was this a test, knowing it wasn’t he lets out a deep breath.

“Well, I can see that my Starfleet speech didn’t work, like I had hoped. It’s more believable than the truth.”  He steps forward and sits down on the seat in front of him. Looking her dead in the eyes continues, “The truth, well the truth starts around three hundred and third years or more years, when I was born on a planet suffering from a ravaging war.  The battles were bloody and the horrors of wars shattered the lives of everbody on it. I was Commander of Wing 42, and much of what I said about them is true except our enemy was not the Orions. During the final months of my home a band of people gathered all we had and became refugees escaping our world before the final judgment was passed with left the world a now desolate dead rock.”  He frowns thinking about those times, the natural color returns to his cheeks.

Glancing out the window at looking at the nebulae he continues, “We spent a several years in deep space searching for a new home. Finally we found a planet located deep within a the nebula in Sector 441 according to your star charts the 'briar patch'. " He makes a jesture with his fingers.  "It is here the Ba’ku, our name for ourselves which means 'the peaceful ones,'  lived and thrived.  After years living there we soon discovered that the unique rings around our planet created a regenerative metaphasic radiation which slowed the aging process of our bodies and in some cases cured and reversed the aging of time.  A fact your Federation took intrest in. As a matter of fact it not only made us younger again it made us healthier than we had ever had before.  Our children grew up naturally as they do on earth up until puberty before the effects also preserved their lives.” 

Looking into the captains eyes again, “However, our paradise planet began to have troubles as of younger members began to grow restless wanting to explore the galaxy. The elders of the village disagreed and there was a revolt that ended with many of the younger generation to be exiled into space.  They began calling themselves the Sor’a, and recently began a joint research and study with Starfleet Federation under top secret programs. I don't know any of the spacifics except their plan to relocate us.  However, had it not been for the malfunction of the Artificial life form called Commander  Data, USS Enterprise, and it’s captain and crew the planned force relocation of the Ba’ku to a new world would of taken place.”  He sighs out now knowing he has broken top secret protocol.

 “This is the truth, some of the High command ordered with willful knowledge breaking several prime directives to extract a way to cheat death or something ethical like that.  I took the opportunity to leave the planet after the situation was resolved by the noble crew of the Enterprise. I never fought an Orion, never plundered any ships, I lived on a peaceful planet isolated from the galaxy deep with a nebula for around the hundred years until 2375 and joined Starfleet early the next year.”  He sits back done relaying his story, then he adds, “Sorry I don’t have any clearance to prove my story other than what I just told you now. If you don't believe me then I'll spend the rest of our voyage within the brig so that you and anybody else may feel comfortable."  He saids with a very serious expression.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #34 –
Considering the contents of her crewman's story, Jien would have afterwards - had she had such inclinations - prided herself with how she reacted whilst hearing it.

She sat there, as the most austere cliff-face solemnly watching the brilliance of dawn; in this case being the dawning realisation that this would-be helmsman of hers had both led a life longer than her own and also an... unforeseen magnitude of gravitas in his disposition. Humble, yet without shame - proud of his heritage, yet knowledgeable enough not to be demeaning himself in haughtiness once the truth was spilled. Oh, to have led a life in seclusion; unable to be whom he really was, even lie in order to serve the greater good of the Galaxy. For indeed, Jien had heard  - through the Enterprise's involvement - the tale of the Baku but unofficially, yet she knew this story she heard to resemble what she had learned. These were not lies she heard.

No, the lies had been the good Ensign Lance's  life until that point.

Lawerence was most probably not even his real birth-given name.

Oh, she would not insult the integrity of the Ensign by questioning him further. Nor would she be so presumptuous as to beg for more details about his past. What she had been told was quite enough, and her decision made. She rose to her feet after he had finished speaking, and she inclined her head. "My gratitude, for your candour in this matter, and for being so kind as to forswear your oath of secrecy for the sake of this ship and this crew. Your generosity and willingness to serve your duty to the Theurgy before all else has been duly noted, and shall neither go unnoticed nor unrewarded."

From her desk, she produced a small black box with silken lining, and she stepped up to the Ensign-no-more.

"I hereby bestow upon you the rank of Lieutenant, and the position of Chief CONN Officer aboard this ship - the USS Theurgy. You will forego the intermediate rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, for reasons that will unofficially remain between our eyes alone. Officially, you we given this rank and position for lack of other suitable candidates which, alas, might hold a smidgen of truth..." She looked up into his eyes and took his hand into her own. Then, she lay the box between his fingers, and she smiled - gratified to have found such a remarkable and clandestinely resourceful man aboard at her poor tormented starship.

"Congratulations... Lieutenant. I hope that you will safely fly this wounded hydra back to where she belongs."

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #35 –
Bupropion was an anti-depressant (Chemical formula below) belonging to the aminoketone class, most closely related to diethylpropion, and is officially designated under the Federation standardized molecular index as (+-)-1-(3Chlorophenyl)-2-1[(1,1-Dimethylethyl)Amino]-1-propanone Hydrochloride.  Its molecular weight coming in at about 276.2, and its full formula being C13H18ClNO*HCl, in its natural form it is a bitter water soluble white crystal, that produces localized anesthesia to human Oral Mucosa.  It works on most humanoid races and is produced in the form of tablets most often although some races require it be made into a powder and dissolved to have a more controlled reaction.

                     CH3
          H   C <-CH3
           \  /     CH3
O         N
\\        /    H
   C-C-C<-H   * HCl
  /       \H  H
 //\
|   ||
 \\/  \Cl

http://www.rxlist.com/wellbutrin_xl-drug.htm

Several of the symptoms that were displayed were found in humanoid subjects, but never as severe as Amikris seemed to have been implying, and never upon coming off the drug.   Studies into Ash'reem reactions to certain medications had shown abnormalities but nothing like this, and the most common binders the only other substances in drugs that could cause side effects seemed to have minimal if any effect on Ash'reem bodies, only causing a mild immune reaction to their introduction. Bupropion did seem to be chemically similar to a naturally secreted hormone in the Ash'reem nervous system that reinforced the concept of communal mentality but it didn't cause reactions like this in Ash'reem in fact, according to the files ash'reem had released on their own biology, it was essential in preventing isophobia from setting in naturally.

Amikris glanced at Lucan anxiously as he spoke her hands calming finally although the tension in her body said that she wasn't relaxed by a long shot.  "Correct, my initial reaction to discovering my addiction was to give myself a endorphin feedback inhibitor in low doses to break any possible emotional dependency on the drug.  My academy medical instructor placed me on it when I started showing severe signs of Isophobia outside of the classroom setting.  I don't know what more I can do, aside from feeding the addiction, I can't work well off of it at this point, my hands have a pronounced tremor, if I'm off it for more then six hours. I know you have to do whats best for sickbay we all have to, especially in a crisis like this.  Our first concern should be our patient not me though."

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #36 –
As she finished speaking, Lucan stepped out of the sonic shower and wrapped a towel low around his hips - so low and so tightly as to forcefully keep his physical condition from ...springing to attention. Despite himself, along with the momentary urge to bodily approach her (perhaps along with the fact that Lt. Rawley was due to surgery in the room quite momentarily), the CMO spoke to Amikris in a quite detached and professional voice.

"Indeed, the hour does not call for reprimands and the idea to loose a set of able hands - despite the fact that they might not be so for too much longer during this journey. I reckon you are quite able to assist us in this crisis, and therefore you stay. However, as soon as Sickbay returns to something resembling normalcy, I will suggest you present me with a solution for your shifts and duties aboard this ship - given how you know your own condition best at this point - until the point where I am able to find a cure for your medical predicament."

Turning away from her, he tossed the towel and began to don his surgical scrubs. "Given the crisis, keep in mind that I am rather forced to find some kind of remedy. It is not like we can educate new personnel for Sickbay. If we can find the time, other sections of the ship will become short-staffed instead." Lucan might have sounded bitter, and the statement not so flattering for Amikris, but he turned his head to her next and smiled. "I am just saying that I better find something for you, even though I do it out of the kind nature of my heart."

Inside, the serpents laughed at him, and he shared in their remark.

"My apologies for my tone earlier," he said as he finished dressing, "when I believed it was you instead of the Chief Engineer that had assaulted Sickbay."

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #37 –
[Below Decks | 0100 hrs] Attn: Acornfilm and SteveJ (the latter whom might make an appearence...)

Her uniform still ripped and covered in soot from plasma explosions and phaser fire, Deputy ThanIda zh'Wann entered Below Decks along with a handful of other Sec/Tac personnel. Though unarmed, her walk in the wake of the battle seemed to suggest that she had just seconds ago stowed away a Mk. III Phaser Assault Rifle.

The Andorian drew the attention from the proprietor of the establishment even as she approached the bar counter. "Mr. Regal!" she called out to the Pinkskin, "me and my guardsmen are wondering who you have to screw in order to get a stiff drink around here, now that the replicators are off-line. Our throats have been dry since we left Earth, and now that we are in the clear, we are in sore need for something else than polluted water."

She slapped her hand on the counter as she reached it and leaned against it with her back to to the human, elbows on the bar and her foot against the polished footrest behind her calves. The torn state of her uniform just about preserved her modesty, but after what they al had been through, she could not care less. She tossed her hair out of her midnight blue eyes and glanced sideways at the Pinkskin. "Put it on our department's tab, will you? Chances are that we will have little else to spend our gold-plated latinum on than in your drinks. Surely you have a bottle or two already replicated and stored under here."

She thudded her fist against the polished surface of the counter and then returned her attention to the surviving members of her shift.

"Listen up!" she said, and she levelled her stare and her antennae upon them all. "Our Chief is dead, and while you might have expected that I would take his place, it seems that our good Captain has decided otherwise. He, or she, has decided to raise another one from our ranks - one from the Alpha shift, apparently. I will not tell you who it is, since I expect him to announce his own promotion. I will be damned before I do his job for him on this eve of celebration... or whatever we should call it."

The matter of being passed by for the position of Chief Sec/Tac Officer was a sore point for Ida, and moreover so because of whom it was that had earned the position and what he had done to gain the recognition. The salt in her wounds were still stinging after the Captain had taken her and the new Chief aside and told them his - or her - intentions for their department and its future. She drew back her blue lips from her white teeth and rounded on Mr. Regal.

"Well, you pardoned little culprit, what about the drinks?" she demanded, and behind her, the people she trusted her lives with became a beehive of talk about whom it was that could have snatched the Chief-position from their Deputy.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #38 –
Amikris listened to him as he droned on in a detached tone.  "I'd have thought my natural secretions would have been more useful given our energy crisis then my 'hands' but if that's your opinion." she smirked at him causing her left hand to have a slight almost seizure like movement when it ceases a few seconds later she turns it to face him, as a thick white paste rests in her palm,  extending from a small hole that looked surprisingly like a ear canal coming from the base of her palm.

 "I'm ready to begin surgery when you are sir, and thank you for the apology." She turned her head and glanced at Lt. Rawley she approached and began to take some careful readings with her tri-corder.  Her hand expertly keeping the paste like substance away from the tricorder.  "How shall we proceed with the surgery Doctor?"

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #39 –
Noting the disinfectant secretion that squirted into Amakris' palm, Lucan found her humour quite compelling - perhaps because of the morbid timing given the situation. He smiled to her and adjusted his scrubs across his shoulders. "First things first," he said and folded his tattooed hands behind his back - eyes following the arriving patient, "we need to try and find more able hands than your own if we are to undertake this quite lengthy ordeal. Computer!"

[Yes, Doctor?] came the reply.

"If you would be so kind and contact the available Department Heads, " he said, as he lit the displays on the diagnostic table and motioned for the team of nurses lay Lt. Rawley down, "and ask them to have any available personnel that has undergone something more than regular medical training to deploying them to Sickbay until further notice?"

[Consider it done, Doctor,] said Thea over the comm, her AI probably in the middle of a dozen conversations simultaneously all across the ship. So strange to the mind, when considering that her holographic projection was limited to be in only one place at the time. It was nigh unfathomable how the sentient physical image could practically do anything she felt like while still being there - through the comm - for everyone aboard.

Lucan stepped up towards the sterile instruments that would be his arsenal. His grey overcast eyes were hard as granite. He turned his gaze to Amikris and replied to her previous question. "Surgery on Lt. Rawley will commence momentarily... With no estimation for time required to complete it."

There was emotion to those few words, yet Lucan could not afford to take notice of them. He needed to protect his asset. All things considered, he owed her as much for the pleasant evenings they had shared aboard... beyond the queer feeling that he actually gave a damn.

"This is Doctor Lucan cin Nicander. The time is 0013 hours," he said according to protocol - the recording initiated, "the patient has been prepared for surgery, where we will treat the following conditions; MTBI, tympanic membrane rupture, A.G.E, occluded veins in the cerebral cortex and around the vertebral column that was caused by blast injury to the lungs - which are presently stabilised from collapsing. Furthermore, massive internal haemorrhaging to be drained from five places. First degree burns. Hairline fractures to seven ribs. Assisting me is Medical Assistant Officer Amikris, who will run continuous diagnostics and provide resuscitation if required. Surgery... will now commence."

As for Amikris, whom he had yet to share such pleasant evenings with, Lucan would make it his priority to be quite helpful indeed when it came to her withdrawal symptoms...

OOC: Perhaps we shall end the Sickbay scene on that note and focus on Below Decks? :)

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #40 –
William looked up as he heard his name called out, and supressed an urge to make a run for it. He had always had this reflex, to run when someone called out to him, ever since as a child he had begun scamming toys off the other kids. But he managed to keep it under his hat, so to speak, and came over to the rather loud Andorian.

"Screwing anyone is not needed, alas." he said quietly, before she continued, demanding a stiff drink. He nodded, but then paused, trying desperatly to remember if Andorians drank in the same way as humans and most other races. It caused him to pause for a moment, ignoring her comments, before he finally decided to risk it.

As she demanded to know where the drinks were, William came back up from behind the bar, holding in his hands a bottle of vodka. "Here we go, I replicated the classic 2015 vintage, strong stuff but goes down nice and smooth. Mostly." he said, pulling out enough glasses for the troop. "Would you like me to pour or would you just prefer the bottle?" he asked, when Felicity came over, putting down a tray of empty glasses. "For shame, Williamus, asking a lady that sort of question. My dear Worshipper, why not come over here by the far portal that... isn't working at the moment, and I shall regale you and your friends with tales of the Pantheon!" she said, smiling at her, her Greek accent thick but clear.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #41 –
Fingering a bruise across the back of her hand, Ida's initial anger-infused gusto at being able to go to Below Decks began to settle down - being replaced by the more self-important and bitter disappointment in being passed over for a promotion. The passion she so indulgently placed in her paintings and her duties had become the pinnacle of demeanour, but now, she merely nodded briefly to the human behind the counter.

"Please, serve them," she said and merely poured for herself before turning to the hologram. It was a wonder that the proprietor had been able to circumvent the energy crisis on board and kept Felicity running. Perhaps he utilised some illegal generator, or had circumvented the security sub-routines that Operations maintained and utilised in those situations, but as it were, Ida could not care less.

Numbly, yet with her back straight and a scowl persisting to plague her smooth brow, she followed along with Felicity to the broken panel - her vodka cradled in her dirty hand. She did not have any patience for the prying questions of her colleagues about whom the new Chief would be, so the hologram had provided her with a good way to excuse herself somewhat from the bunch.

Coming to stand before the panel, Ida's thoughts came to touch the fact of her uniform's state - how the air in the lounge touched her in places where it shouldn't. She looked down herself and hiked up a loose shoulder, tugged down her jacket so that the underside of her breasts did not show as prominently, hiked up the hem of her trousers so that the lower curve of her left buttock was not granted to the eyes of the proprietor and her subordinates, and then had to start over as the shoulder feel down once more. With her drink in her free hand, she realised there was not much to be done, so she abandoned the task with a resigned sigh.

In the aftermath of what had happened, her own modesty seemed a silly thing to defend - the ship having been her priority for that for too long. It was undignified for her, but not something to think about right then. Normally, she would have excused herself hastily and squirmed all the way to her quarters so that she might change, but given her dirty, grimy and despicable state and mood, she hardly thought anyone would take notice anyway.

The Hologram, by comparison, would surely draw any straying glances that came in their way... so Ida folded her arms underneath her riven uniform chest and cocked a hip - waiting for the Hologram to begin her tale and draw her own mind away from that awkwardly handsome young Officer that had not only snatched her from death's jaws, but also snatched her career from under her feet...

"What is your mythological Terran tale, Felicity?" she asked quietly, eyes upon the deck below their feet.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #42 –
Nathaniel Isley was a new addition to the crew.  His transfer came at the same time as the departure from Earth, when the Theurgy and it's crew were marked as enemies of the Federation.  Amidst all the chaos, he wasn't even sure his transfer was remembered.  There was no talk with any of the senior staff, or a meeting with the Captain, though all of that was quite understandable, given the circumstance.  He hated formalities, anyway; all that standing up straight and the "sir, yes sirs" could be a pain in his ass most days.  He was here for one reason.  To be exactly where he was at that moment; the cockpit of a MK. III Valkyrie class Fighter.

His last post on the USS Emery had been an okay place to get his space legs out of the academy, but their fighters were hardly as advanced as the ones on the Theurgy.  For a true pilot, even the most slight of alteration could have a profound effect on performance.  As a fan of the twentieth century's contributions to the world, Nathan would use the comparison of a beaten down truck to a high end sports car to define how drastically different the new fighters handled.  His first time out in it was also an ideal test run.  A simple recon mission let him fly without dodging enemy phasers, allowing any tactical maneuvers he performed to simply be practice.

You are leaving the allotted range for this reconnaissance mission.  Came the distinctive female voice of the computer.  It was a reminder to stay within a certain distance of the ship, and not venture out too far.  "Maybe the range is unacceptable."  He responded, causing the computer system to speak again.  Clarify.  It said, seeking better understanding for Nathaniel's last statement.  With a sigh of annoyance, he spoke again.  "Let the record show that I am moving beyond the allotted range to get the job done right.  Any complaints for my actions should be forwarded to Astrometics and Stellar Cartography for being offline."  It was the real reason why the fighters were out there; the Theurgy's ability to use a sensor sweep was greatly hindered, forcing it to rely on shuttles and fighters to blaze a trail forward in search of resources.

Nathan knew the only way he was getting out of this with less then a stern talking to for his behavior was to find something of use.  Luckily for him, he had no intention of going back empty handed.  His sensors were on the lookout for anything they could find which might have been useful.  A resupply of dueterium would mean a replenishing of replicator rations; something the entire crew was in desperate need of, in order to avoid the terrible standard issue rations.  It would also allow for replication of parts needed for ship repair.  Too much was needed to go back to the hanger bay with nothing.

Then it came.  Exactly what was needed.  Nathaniel's sensors had picked it up, not five minutes distance from Theurgy's path.  if he had stuck to the distance required, it could have been lost entirely.  "This is Wolf Nine reporting an M Class planet found.  Transmitting coordinates now."  Taking in a deep breath as a reward for a job done, he remained stationed in orbit around the planet.  He could dock with Theurgy when it arrived at his location.  In the meantime, he was hoping the praise would outweigh the archaic need to discipline him for going against orders.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #43 –
[Fighter Assault Bay | 0127 hrs] Attn: Ascornfilm & Darkninja2000 (once you have submitted your character)

The discovery was a fact, and Captain Jien Ives had - after an endless list of field promotions done out of necessity to preserve a functioning command structure - used it as an excuse to get out of his Ready Room and the Bridge altogether. He had even asked his First Officer to come along, and just emerged out of the tubolift into the Theurgy's Fighter Assault Bay.

With his sheathed dai-katana held in his left hand - held around the mouth of the scabbard - and with Nerina next to him, Jien strode out across the wast open area. Along the starboard and port bows of this great hangar (though admittedly small compared to some of the Starships that mainly functioned as carriers), those remaining Valkyries that had survived their flight across the Alpha Quadrant all had their individual platforms. As for now, only six ships were present of the remaining twelve. Or eleven, given how Wolf-07 seemed beyond the technicians' ability to repair without spare parts. Jien's brown eyes drifted to it - sitting there with neither pilot nor designated engineers since the former had perished in the battle and the others were needed elsewhere. It had been sheer luck that they had managed to tow it in with a tractor beam before they had shaken the heat they had been in. How long ago was it? A week? Jien failed to remember.

As for the other wolves, they were out on the prowl - guarding their new course towards the planet Niga. A course set thanks to the pilot standing alone in the middle of the hangar. The person whom Jien and Nerina was about to speak with. In a way, it was for the better that the Lone Wolves' SCO was up and about, since this confrontation would most likely flow quite better with a lesser number of superiors in attendance.

Once they reached the pilot - this Nathaniel Isley that had found their means for salvation - Jien's pace slowed down, and he came to a stop before the man just a couple of yards away. The Chameloid grounded the tip of his covered sword against the deck and raised his chin slightly as he looked the Junior Lieutenant over, and in the lingering silence, the three individuals in the middle of the hangar were the only ones standing still - technicians milling about in their peripheral vision.

"At ease, 'Lieutenant," said Jien quietly, and the echo made his voice carry. He did not glance towards Nerina at his side, but it was evident that he would rather have her - as she was in charge of Mission Ops and the man's SCO reported directly to her - describe the import of following orders, and relay the reasons for the patrol orbit that had been set for the Lone Wolves squadron. Yet he suspected (perhaps without ground) that she might be a bit lenient, however justifiable that was in this particular instance, so he instead spoke up - his deep voice emphasising the stare he dealt the man.

"I would have you debrief us," he merely said, "on your reconnaissance mission, and motivate your actions that led you to endanger the safety of your pack, and the den in which you dwell."

Had Starfleet found his Valkyrie on their fully empowered long-range sensor readings, the three of them would not have been standing there - at the centre of the hangar. Then again, had he not done what he did, there was no telling how long they would have remained adrift in the backwaters of the galaxy, and the chances of the same result would have increased exponentially with every passing day, hour and minute.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #44 –
Nathan's return to the hanger bay meant being put back on his leash.  When he was piloting his Valkyrie, he felt a sense of freedom he couldn't get elsewhere on a Federation ship, even if that ship was recognized as an enemy vessel to their organization.  After exiting his space craft, the first thing he had to do was fix his uniform, fastening the jacket closed so that only the collar of the white shirt below it was visible.  It felt more restrained, and outside his preferred comfort zone, but he could only get away with his uniform being out of regulation while there were no senior officers present.

The captain and first officer arrived together.  It was his first time being face to face with either of them.  His first impression was as much a good one as it was a bad one, being equal parts hero and insubordinate, and when Jien began to speak, it was clear which one the focus would be placed on, at least during the initial phase of the debriefing.  Both officers had their professional faces on, which were best described as one part attentive and two parts stern.  They had to establish the chain of command, which meant displaying themselves as authority figures in front of a defiant crewman.

"I operated within the range that had been permitted, monitoring my sensor sweeps for any celestial body that contained even a trace of the materials needed.  the closest I found was an asteroid, which had negligible levels, which two of the other crafts present on the sweep can confirm.  I took it upon myself to break formation, trusting the SCO could create a new formation while I took the risk moving solo.  My reasoning for taking the path I did was faint warp signatures I detected.  They were a few hours old, and matched that of a Ferengi cargo transport.  I ran cargo long enough to know that Ferengi civilian transports always plot their course along the path of M class planets which display no signs of advanced life.  They are a bit obsessive with finding new resources."

It was knowledge outside that of a normal Starfleet officer, which was why it could have gone unnoticed.  It was only due to flying a cargo ship himself before entering the academy that he had knowledge of how other species conducted their business.  "While there were risks that I could have been detected, I reasoned that there is risk in every action we take, including continuing on our course without replenishing and repairing this vessel.  I might be new here, but I'm getting attached to this hanger bay.  I'd like it to remain attached to the ship as long as possible."  Following his last statement, rife with attitude, he was watchful of the captain, who held a bladed weapon in his hand.  In his experience, men who carried a weapon had little issue brandishing it to solidify their place in the chain of command.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #45 –
Yet Jien did not draw his sword. No, he was far more cultivated than that, his age a tad older than what his features let on. Had he been human, his temples would already have owned wings of grey hair, and his features far more lined than they presently were. Especially after this last bit of the Theurgy's journey, where a common man in his position would have looked far more harried - great rifts embedded in his brow from the scowls and the private worries.

No, he merely listened impassively to the fighter pilot, and he only moved to fold his hands behind his back - the grip of his sword returned to the scabbard's mouth. He did not say anything, his breathing slow and even, yet his presence filled the hangar even in his impassiveness - far more than the physical fact of his body. Nerina remained silent by his side - a mirror image of his own stance.

"Do not act smart with me, 'Lieutenant," he commented at last, and there was quite a bit of iron in his vowels, "I fully well understand the poorly hidden innuendo that you foresee an option to decouple the Theurgy and take the Secondary Hull with this flight hangar with it... should things turn more sour than they already are. A quite dangerous thing to say in present company, I assure you. Strictly speaking, it would be mutiny to commandeer even a part of this ship, as it has its own propulsion. I need not remind you of the measures I may wield to rectify such actions, do I? Moreover, should that innuendo not have been your intention... and your words were just poorly chosen... then you are threading rotten ice indeed."

Jien did not step forward, but the sudden shift in his stare was like a kick in the teeth. "And I will be the one waiting below, 'Lieutenant."

Even though he had the inclination to begin circling the new crew man like a wolf around his prey, Jien chose not to. Nathaniel was supposed to be the wolf in present company, and he had an itching need to put it down for its attitude. If the wolf could not work with its pack, then it was better to let it loose into the wild. Whether it would be in a casket shot out into the desolate Mahewa System or beamed down upon some planet after a long time of isolation in the Brig.... all depending on the whelp's adroitness and understanding of the present situation.

"Such a shame, that you would chose to act like a pup with its first set of teeth grown out, when my First Officer and I was about to congratulate you - even thank you - for your astuteness. Especially since your debriefing shows that you had the right on your side, acting as you did."

OOC: Ascornfilm might reply after you, but either way, you go next. :)

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #46 –
"You're referring to M-VAM?"  He said, pronouncing it as two words, and referring to the Multi-Vector Assault Mode that the Prometheus-class vessel was equipped with.  he hoped that his mention of it, along with the tone of his voice, would tell the Captain he had not considered it before.  "Call it poor choice of words, sir.  The only thing I meant by that comment was a wish to maintain the structural integrity of the ship.  I don't want it breaking down or falling apart under the wear and tear of combat without maintenance.  I know this ship is more advanced then the last one I served on, but we are an enemy of our own organization, and any race it has friendly ties with.  That limits our options in this sector of the galaxy for finding anyone other then ourselves to keep us in the air."

Jien appeared the type to mark his territory, at least from the impression that Nathaniel got.  He was the one in charge, and wasn't going to let some new transfer threaten the way he ran things.  At least he appeared more willing to fight then the other commanding officers he had seen; he could respect that.  All the rules and regulations that most COs hid behind to make themselves seem bigger and scarier didn't seem as necessary for Jien.  "Well . . . this was my first real mission as a Lone Wolf, so I suppose in a way, I did just get my teeth.  I'm sure you run a tight ship around here, and I hope your idea of procedure doesn't conflict with mine, because I think you are the closest a commanding officer has come to earning my respect."

There had never been a time that his insubordination had been noted as being in the right.  No matter the circumstance, there was not a superior alive who could admit that he might have done good if he wasn't following a direct order.  Perhaps it was just arrogance on their part, which Jien wasn't allowing to get in the way.  Maybe it was the fact that they were on the run from the Federation, and a bit more willing to relax the rules and regulations that bound them so tightly.  "I just want to fly, Captain.  The universe makes more sense out there then anywhere else to me.  I'll fly as fast and as far as you need me to, but staying within the 'yard'?  This ship sees too much danger to worry about stepping outside a comfort zone.  Better me, one man in a small craft, then this ship full of people being the ones in danger.  If I can detect trouble by going further, then it's a risk I am willing to take."

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #47 –
Respecting the Tac/CONN Officer's right to voice his view upon the situation, Jien remained silent while he watched the man.

There was always a fine line for people like Mr. Nathaniel Isley to thread with his kind of disposition towards the world around him. What one man might perceive as backbone and certitude, a sense of righteousness that overruled the nit-picking regulations he served under because of common sense, another man would view such qualities quite differently. For to others, the pilot's actions and his way to view life was a sign of altogether different qualities; stubbornness soaked in stupidity, narrow-minded temper and a lack of humility that bordered on sheer arrogance. People might find him a self-righteous man instead of one of firm beliefs. In how the Junior Lieutenant was honouring common sense instead of the laws, rules and regulations that they all adhered to in the Fleet - regardless of present circumstances - he would either be shot down hard... or elevated to a point where his words would carry some weight.

Thus lay the decision before Captain Ives, when the echo of the Lone Wolf's voice had faded.

In the end, Jien had to look upon their present situation, and make his ruling as best fitted them all - which was something that the pilot had just touched upon.

"Perspective," said Jien quietly and began to pace, walking past the man's shoulder. He raised his eyes to the great ceiling of the hangar, as if in contemplating the ship they were upon. "That is your margin of error, 'Lieutenant. Note that there be a margin and not a complete ruling that I now address. I want you to listen closely, and open your mind to this, because it was something that I personally drew great benefit from in my Academy years. I hope you will pardon the lecture."

Jien rounded on the pilot and gestured with his free hand whilst he spoke, his sword still held casually behind his back - a weary smile having found itself to his features. "When you said that our present situation does not call for worries about a comfort zone, you err in how you do not look upon the greater perspective of your actions. You say you would rather sacrifice yourself and... your vessel before endangering this one and those that serve upon it. The 'trouble' you are referring to, and that it would be a risk you are willing to take... is in fact a risk not upon just you, but this entire ship you so courageously wish to defend with your own life at stake. When it comes to the safety of the Theurgy, 'Lieutenant, you cannot merely measure the risks from your own - sole - perspective."

Coming to stand right next to Nathaniel's left, Jien spelled out the truth about what had happened from a tactical point of view. "Suppose you do not stay in the 'yard', as you put it, and you are detected by Starfleet on long-range sensors, do not think they will go after just you for one minute. No, they would follow you from well without your own sensor range - being as they have better eyes than you. They would trace your sweep, and they would watch you return to this den. You, single-handedly, would be the bane of us all. For they would immediately send a sub-space transmission to all of the fleet, and the hunt that we have just barely survived... would begin anew. And I do not know what you believe, but I find it unlikely that we would survive another ordeal like the one we have just emerged from. Not now, when we barely have any propulsion, much less ammunition for a valiant last stand. Thus... Perspective, Lieutenant."

Jien left Nathaniel's side and walked in Nerina's direction, his words coming anew - his decision final. "The fence of the so-called 'yard' has been raised for reasons that you might not be aware of, and you need to remember this; to know that there are reasons for such routines and tactics that far outlasts your momentary whims. In this case, the fence is staked out so that the Theurgy's sensors would have had a chance to respond to a threat - to call you Wolves in and to gut our Warp Core in attempt to flee. Tear our already torn thrusters apart in the attempt to leave this System before the Fleet gets a fixed position on us."

Looking over his shoulder upon the Lieutenant, Jien did smile - a bit ruefully at that. "Great leaders and distinguished men and women have through history been those that dare climb the fences around them," he said, and there was no doubt that he spoke of the pilot from the look in his eye, "yet they do not jump over them unless they have good reasons for it. Your reasons were not solid from a greater perspective... yet the outcome quite fortunate for us all. I take this moment to thank you on behalf of the Senior Staff. Yet mark my words... if you fail to broaden your vision again, and endanger your fellow crew on a whim without communicating your qualified assumptions with your SCO or with Mission Ops before acting, then you will no longer serve your pack or your den, but your own need for freedom. Which will be the point where you do not longer serve me, and I have no choice but to let you go - to leave you in pursuit of your self-government."

Jien's smile remained, but there was nothing mellow about the look in his eye. "Do I make myself clear, 'Lieutenant?"

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #48 –
Jien told a good story.  Any other time someone was giving him a long winded speech about his actions, Nathaniel would have just ignored it, and wouldn't have any qualms over making it known.  This time, he actually listened, because it was the first time he felt like he was being lectured by someone who was actually qualified to do it.  It wasn't a matter of just telling him he did wrong; the Captain broke every action down in detail, and explained how it affected the Theurgy as a whole.  It was the kind of command structure Nathan wasn't used to witnessing first hand.

"You speak like a tactician rather then a politician.  A soldier instead of a diplomat."  That was the straight forward observations he made, and they were meant to be high praise, regardless of how they might have sounded.  "I'm a big enough man to acknowledge my mistakes, when there is someone who can see them.  My intentions did place danger upon this ship, which only proves that I am not ready to be a man giving the orders.  If it was anyone else giving me this speech, I might use a human saying like 'the ends justify the means' or a Vulcan saying about the needs of the many.  This time . . . I'll issue a formal apology for my actions and accept whatever punishment you see fit for my crime."

If his service record said anything, it would tell the tale of a man who never issued a formal apology to a commanding officer, Academy instructor, or even a fellow crewman or cadet.  That alone was a testament to the leadership of the sword carrying man in front of him.  He'd struck more senior officers then he had ever given a kind word to.  It might have been the fact that the crew of a ship like the Theurgy was geared more towards combat then diplomacy, but it seemed a better fit for him then anywhere else he tried to make a home of since leaving his birthplace.

"I can't promise you won't have any more troubles from me.  My last CO said I was as irritable as a Klingon.  I can honestly tell you though . . . widening my perspective is now my number one priority."  Taking in a breath, the Lieutenant stood up straight, arms behind his back entering into a formal stance.  "Lieutenant Junior Grade Nathaniel Isley requesting permission to come aboard."  It was a ceremony that had not been recognized, due to the crisis the ship had faced.  His first meeting with the captain would have begun with that.  In his own subtle way, Nathan was displaying a bit of respect to the man in charge, and looking to be officially recognized as a member of the Theurgy's crew.

Re: PROLOGUE: Aftermath & General Character Introductions

Reply #49 –
Honouring the pilot's gesture, Captain Ives turned to face the man fully with Nerina by his side.

"Permission granted," the Chameloid said clearly, then lowered his voice, "and apology accepted. At ease, 'Lieutenant and welcome aboard."

Jien stepped forward again, and he chuckled quietly. "You say you find me a soldiering tactician, even though the fact is... that I have served the Fleet both in the capacity of counsellor and of a diplomatic officer, negotiating treaties and been a shoulder to cry on for victims of war, if you would pardon the crude generalisation. I do not know whether I should find your comment an insult or words of praise. Then again, I served in Starfleet Intelligence to begin with, so I suppose that I ought not take too much offence."

In fact, it served to make Jien come to think about how much he had changed since his failure at Romulus.

Coming to stand at arms length from the man, Jien raised his chin anew. "As for your punishment," he said a little louder, changing the topic from his own service record, "which you - by your own words - will accept... on the penalty of your time actively piloting your Valkyrie being allocated to the simulators for one day each time you fail, will be to properly address your superiors by title, or sir..."

In mid-sentence, Jien changed into... her female form.

"...or ma'am, as Starfleet regulations clearly states that you should in order to be allowed to wear that uniform. This will be your punishment, even though every single puny cadet fresh of the Academy has learned to do so already. Thus, I hardly think you will have any difficulties to live up to such a low standard of protocol."

Jien turned away, as if her change of appearance did not mean anything, which it hardly did in the situation. She still carried herself the same way, and her sword was still held casually behind her back, so the only thing that might be different would be the view for the pilot while she returned to her First Officer's side. Something Jien did not ponder for a moment when she looked over her shoulder - her big brown eyes as hard as they had ever been - like seasoned oak. "Do you understand your punishment, 'Lieutenant?"

After she returned to Nerina's side, she glanced sideways at her First Officer. "Anything to add, Number One? It is you besides the SCO that Mr.Isley here will be reporting to, after all."
 
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