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EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

EPILOGUE: SUPPLEMENTAL [ DAY 06 | 1445 HRS. ] SHELTHRETH

[ Ens. Sehl th'Chilnes | Junior Officers' Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ] @Numen @chXinya
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Seated in the couch by the viewports, the Theurgy at a low warp towards the Epsilon Mynos System, Ensign Sehl th'Chilnes had replicated himself some Andorian ale. The glass stood on the table in front of him, half-empty, and he waited in silence. He was not exactly proud of himself, but he'd done what was right. Not just for his species and the future of Andoria. It was a shame he had to do it, but she'd left him no choice. The alternative was unthinkable. It was too late for regrets.

When the chirp from the door came, he frowned - antennae lowering. He decided on taking a slight precaution. "Who is it, Thea?" he asked, and he wrapped his fingers around the grip of his pulse phase pistol, which he had collected from the busy Fighter Bay as soon as he had been released by the medical officers. He hadn't spotted Angel there, which was kind of fortunate. He'd had something to take care of, and he would not have had the time to talk to her. She would have noticed what he'd taken too.

[Lieutenant Kelleshar sh'Zenne and Irnashall ch’Xinya.]

They had arrived together, which was fortunate. "Enter."

Once the two stepped into his quarters, they likely would notice the dim lighting - lit by the shooting stars alone. He remained seated, his hand still wrapped around the grip of his weapon, but he smiled to them and reached for his drink. "Glad you could make it," he said quietly, and sipped his drink. "It's your turn now, Shar."

If there was any confusion about what he meant, it likely became clearer when they stepped further into his quarters, and saw what was on top of his bed cover.

"I never had a chance to do it when we were in the pen..." he said, without much joy, "so I took the time to warm her up for you."

The figure on top of his bed has been stripped of all clothing, lying on her front with her head turned in their direction. She was unconscious. Stunned, of course, and her legs were still spread after he'd prepared her for the egg Shar carried. Sehl wasn't looking at the Androrian Zhen, of course. The Savi had been very clear, that as long as they followed through, the success was certain. The four of them had been picked because how uniquely compatible they were, and it had been clear what he had to do.

He was studying the bondmates of his that had come through his door nonetheless. For while he was quite certain they didn't want their child to die... he knew that this was not an ideal arrangement.

On the bed laid Deputy ThanIda zh'Wann. The unwilling part of their shelthreth.

OOC: Here is the layout of Sehl's quarters: [Show/Hide]

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #1 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | In front Ens. Selh th'Chilnes| Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ]
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Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 



Shar was not a person given to rush. She would come  and go to her appointments when and how  she wanted to.

This time, however, she had taken less than she should have. She hadn't even stopped to put on her uniform. She had simply thrown the black and grey jacket over her slender shoulders, the combadge loosely fastened on one of the lapels. She wore the gold undershirt and the pants under her arm, squeezed against her sinewy figure. She had ascended to the upper deck with long strides, dodging any other officer. During the short turbolift ride, she had been paced nervously in the narrow space, from a wall to the other.

And yet now, in front of the door, she stopped for a moment. Almost freeze. Shar bit her lower lip and move her pale eyes to the toes of herSavi boots. Even when she didn't want to, she nipped her lower lip.It didn't take too much cleverness to find out why the thaan had called her to his quarters and the young shen preferred not to delay the inevitable talk. They... needed to meet, to arrange what must be done before... before it was too late.

She lowered her right hand to her belly and stroked the small spherical shape under her skin. It had shifted slightly, closer to its destination. In some hours, maybe a couple of days, they would run out of time and that egg, that promise of a child, that small bless in the Versant nightmare... would banish. Lost, forever. Their chance. HER only chance. Her thumb rubbed the rounded profile a couple of times before it cupped the form with the palm. She NEEDED to give the egg an opportunity. Maybe... maybe Selh had a plan. They needed a plan.

Shar sighed and her hand left her belly at last. She ran those same fingers through her hair, combing her short mohawk. "Let's go then" she growled to encourage herself.

Then she saw him.

An awkward blush rose to her cheeks, despite all her efforts to stop it. Her antennae writhed a bit, but she hastened to freeze them, slighly curled over her forehead. Shar looked at him in the eyes and, before either of them said anything... she knocked on the door. The door keep closed for longer than she had expected and the two andorians stood in front of it, side by side in growing uncomfortable silence. Shar holded the uniform against her chest, both arms wrapped araund her slender body, fingers curled into the fabric. Finally, the door opened with a hiss and Shar rushed in as soon as she could.

The sudden dim light blinded her after the bright corridor.

The quarters were scarcely illuminated by the subtle glow of the stars in warp. Selh was barely a dark silhouette in front of the window. Shar only spotted him when he greeted them, his deep voice accompanied by the tinkling of a tall glass. There were... a scent in the room. Something she knew but could not identify. The shen step further, close to the thaan's shape. The aroma became more intense. Sugary. Somehow heady. Her antennae writhed again. She.. remember that smell. The intoxicating fragrance.

"It's your turn now, Shar.” Shel proclaimed

She heard no more after that.

Shar knew what she was going to find before she saw it. Before she saw HER. She approached to the bed slowly. So slowly it almost hurted. Her heart pounded quick in her chest. She left fall the uniform she held. In the bed, the profile of the prostrate figure became more defined as she approached, the velvety blue skin illuminated by the blinking stars. Ida.

She hadn't been able to see her so closely in the pen, separated as they had been at first by their patriotic pride. They had only approached when the darkness had embraced them, when the shades had hidden how they have become Whole. Shar nipped his lower lip again as she sat on the edge of the bed. She hesitated for a moment, her pale eyes strolling over the zhen leaning body, but finally she let her fingers caress the silky white hair and pull it away from her face. Her eyes were shut. The sour expression on her face, relaxed. The skin of her cheek so soft that Shar got goosebumps. It was so warm, so silky. How beautiful she was. In spite of everything that had happened between them, in spite of the bruises and the hard words. For the Water Guardian, she was simply delightful. Ida's lids futtered when Shar's fingertips fondled her temple, but even so, she didn't wake up. Shar leaned forward, until her lips practically caressed the lobe of her ear.

"Did you remember, zh'yi? Did you remember what you told me in the Versant corridor, last night?" she whispered sweetly to Ida's ear. "What should i say to you today, now that the tables have turned?" One of the corners of her lips curved slightly in a smirk. The ugly expression of someone who doesn't know how to smile.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #2 –
[Ens. Irnashall “Shall” ch’Xinya | Junior Officer’s Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Numen @Auctor Lucan

Shall had been in his quarters when the message came, surveying the damage.  The room itself was intact, but the contents were another matter.  Everything had been tossed everywhere since he last slept in here.  PADDs and other implements from his desk were scattered along the base of the replicator, the items on the shelves knocked over, askew, broken, and sitting anywhere but where they were supposed to be.  In his blue hand, Shall held the photograph of himself and his bondmates, the one taken on the day of their bonding.  The protective transparency had cracked and the frame was missing a corner, but thankfully the picture itself survived.  The shapla had been retrieved and now hung around his neck as it always should have.

Staring at the four faces in his hand, Shall’s emotions were running wild, his antenna emulating the mental storm.  Jay, Tavin, Syora, and Shall all beamed with pride at the camera, each dressed in the traditional clothing of their genders.  A small smile started to build on the chan’s face as the memories of that first night in the Northern Wastes flashed through his mind’s eye.  It soon faded again though, the visions from the Wastes were soon replaced with the cold deck plates and transparent walls.  Shaking himself back to the now, Shall set the picture on the desk and moved to the window.  The small telescope had been thrown out of its mount and shattered on the deck.  Glass crunched under his feet but he paid it no mind, his attention was firmly on the warp-distorted stars outside.

He was still there when Thea called with Sehl’s request.  Pulling himself away with a sigh, Shall stepped back and turned towards the door.  Instead of his uniform, he was wearing one of his simpler outfits, just a grey mid-length tunic over black, loose leggings.  The ink blue sash Syora had given him as he left for the Academy was tied around his waist, excess hanging on his left, just as he liked it.  Tucking his shapla under the tunic, Shall left his ghosts behind for now.  Sehl wanted to talk about what had happened, and while he could’ve stood to wait a bit longer to get settled, who knew if there was time later.

Several minutes later, by chance he and Shar reached Sehl’s quarters at the same time.  Words escaped him at the moment, anything he could think of saying kept dying on his tongue.  The way she clutched her abdomen and how her skin blushed were stark reminders of what had gone between them on the Versant, and he still didn’t know how to approach it.  Maybe that was why Sehl had summoned them, to get everything settled once and for all.  The door soon opened and Shar ducked in first, Shall following suit.

It only took the chan a few moments to adjust to the dim lighting thanks to his long experience with the night, but even before he could see something was off.  The tip of his antenna pressed bent forward, twitching and twisting as if it was hunting for something.  Sehl sat in front of the window, the astronomical lighting casting the thaan in shadow.  The sharp biting smell of Andorian ale wafted from his direction, the soft clink of a bottle and glass betraying its presence.  There was another scent though, irritatingly familiar but Shall couldn’t put his finger on it.  “Glad you could make it.” Sehl final spoke, his voice low.  “It’s your turn now Shar.”

The mystery was already enticing the scientist, he had a bad habit of letting himself get swept up into games and puzzles of all kinds.  Stepping closer to see a touch better, a form in the corner of his eye caught Shall’s attention.  Stopping mid-stride he turned to the left and felt his heart skip a beat.  Sehl finally explained what he meant, though he let the scene speak for itself.  Laying face-down and naked on the bed, Ida looked like she was waiting for Shar.

Alarm klaxons rang through Shall’s head and if the light was better the others would see the blood drain from his face, lightening his skin even more.  While he froze, Shar walked up to the zhen, checking her lifesigns maybe?  “Sweet Lor’vela, what have you done?” he asked, hand clutching the shapla through his tunic.  Why he wasn’t calling for security already he didn’t know, but no matter how hard he willed his hand to hit the combadge it would not budge.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #3 –
[ Ens. Sehl th'Chilnes | Junior Officers' Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ] @Numen @chXinya
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Quietly, Sehl watched the two as they made their way into his quarters. His blue eyes hidden in shadow beneath his bushy eyebrows, and the stubble upon his cheeks lit from behind by the shooting stars. Shar seemed to check on Ida, to see if she was truly unconscious. That seemed like a positive response, and Sehl was happy that she seemed willing to do what had to be done to save their child.

Shall, on the other hand, seemed to have the opposite reaction, making Sehl antennae slowly lower towards him. He shifted his fingers around his phaser too, the starlight making the weapon gleam in the darkness.

"What I have done?" he asked in his deep voice, remaining seated even though it was clear his full attention was levelled against the Chan. The question seemed daft, for it was apparent what he'd done, wasn't it? He'd ensured the safety of the egg, and his child. He was not about to loose perhaps his only chance to procreate. The circumstances were unfortunate, but without a bond group of his own, ThanIda zh'Wann would be his only option.

"It was the Savi who forced this upon us. I had rather this been done with consent, but we all know the egg won't last, and we know equally well that this Deputy in our bondgroup feel no obligation towards our dying species. She said it herself. She's an exile, and she loathes our mere company, just because she was unfit to serve her Keth."

Sehl didn't look away from he Chan, not about to take any chances with him. "Shar, do you need assistance... or can you put the  the egg inside her without aid?" he asked tonelessly, eyes still in shadow. "Like she said - Sclergyn of the Antes - as long as you do it... our child will make it."

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #4 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Ens. Selh th'Chilnes| Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ]
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Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 


Shar turned her face away from Ida to look at the two males, her pale eyes hidden beneath the shadows of her eyebrows. There was a gleam in Selh hands, a metalic glow that couldn't come from the reflect of the starlight in a glass. Her gaze remained there for a time, before moving toward the thaan's face. From her position, sitting on the edge of the mattress, she could see his profile silhouetted by the backlight, the lowered antennae, the tense jaw. From the pilot's face, her eyes toured the room untill they reach Shall, who still reminded standing, frozen in the middle off the room. “You ask what he has done, bouf?" She asked, using the same epithet with which she had called him at Versant's bridge. "Th'se has made a choice. He has chosen for all of us... he has made a decision for all our Shelthreth" Shar's voice broke the silence left by Selh's words. Her tone was calm, without its usual caustic undertones.

Shar turned to Ida again and removed a lock of rebellious hair that insisted on hiding the zhen's features. She left her fingertips wander over the feathery hair, combing it from the hairline to the nape one more time. After that, her eyes move to the males again. "Stop this dick measuring contest” she commanded in a low voice, her antennae standing rigid over her head, quivering.

Finally, Shar looked for the chan face and she seemed to address her words to the young scientist, although them could be applied to both males. "You know what we MUST do. Which is OUR duty.” there was a cautionary tone in her voice. "Remember where you belong, Irnashall"


When silence return to the room, Shar folded her arms across her chest, curling her slender fingers over the lapels. She looked at Ida's unconscious figure once more time, nipping her lower lip. Right after, she bored her gaze into the shadows of the room, far from Shall and Selh. "I will need help with this."

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #5 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" ch'Xinya | Junior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Numen @Auctor Lucan

The sight of the phaser froze Shall’s blood even further, his fingers pressed around the hidden shapla digging further as the fear response kicked in.  The sheer idea that Sehl would force this issue at phaserpoint was lunacy and he was at a loss at how to respond to the situation.  For the moment all he could do was to hope that Shar wouldn’t follow.  No matter how bad the reproductive crisis got they would hold to honor, wouldn’t they?  Those thoughts passed in a brief moment and Sehl’s follow-up speech belied the depths that the thaan had fallen to.  All his life Shall had been raised with his bondmates and taught about how each had to serve the Whole, that being selfish in any pursuit could damage them all.  Sehl had clearly forgotten those lessons, twisting his desire for children into a mockery of the Whole.

Without hesitation, Shall opened his mouth to respond but Shar cut him off, her face hidden in the darkness.  Despair started to cloud Shall’s mind when it became clear that she was siding with Sehl.  The way she spoke and the way she seemed to fawn over Ida made Shall’s skin crawl.  Where I belong? Shall’s inner voice echoed the shen’s admonition.  While they were on the Versant they’d acted like they were a shelthreth, bonding together but were they really bondmates?  Shall frowned and his antenna writhed in his hair, unsure of just what he was feeling.  Disgust, rage, frustration, curiosity, jealousy, intrigue, and more all flashed through his mind.  In the center of that storm though he found the one truth of his life, and it has in his hand.

“I belong with my bondmates.” Shall declared to the darkness, his gaze shifting between Sehl who was still focused on him and Shar who was looking elsewhere, arms across her chest and back to the males, probably waiting for him to decide.  Something deep inside of him felt like a black hole was forming in his core, the knowledge of what he was about to do eating away at his soul.  Uzaveth protect me… he whispered as softly as possible.  Would he be able to find forgiveness for what was about to happen?

Stepping carefully so that he wouldn’t spook Sehl into firing, Shall walked over to Shar and set his hands on her shoulders.  The familiar sensation of her uniform jacket slipped away as he gently pulled it off of her.  Leaning close his breath could warm her neck and her hair tickled the tip of his nose.  The Savi jumpsuit, one final reminder of what had been done to them, still hugged every curve of her supple body.  Searching in the darkness, his fingers roamed for the clasps, an eagerness to be rid of the alien material making itself manifest in how they walked and pressed against the shen.  He almost forgot about the phaser behind him, primal instinct starting to eat away at his conscience.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #6 –
[ Ens. Sehl th'Chilnes | Junior Officers' Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ] @Numen @chXinya
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The starlight that whisked by outside the viewports shimmered across the wide shoulders of Sehl's Starfleet uniform, and he said naught while he observed the Chan and the Shen prepare to complete the Shelthreth.

While he sat there and watched Shall undress her, Sehl remembered how he had enjoyed Shar in the darkness of the Savi observation pen. The sight of skin caressed by hand, starlight and shadows might have been more tantalising if he had not already spent himself inside the stubborn Deputy. In the wake of this, an act that he had applied himself to with little joy, he almost regretted having done so before their arrival. He had not known how cooperative they would be, even if in his opinion, they had little choice if they were interested in saving their child. No, he had committed the act to ensure ease of passage for the egg. No more. This was decidedly not his finest hour, and he cursed the Savi for it, but there were no other alternatives.

Luckily, it seemed Shall had come to his senses and applied himself to the act. Therefore, Sehl continued to watch in silence where he sat, his hand still wrapped around the grip of his phaser. As distracting as they were, he had no intention of leaving his seat. If the Deputy stirred, he had to be ready to stun her anew. Likewise, if either of them had a change of heart...

...he would have to use the phaser to persuade them. Not just for fulfillment of what the Savi had begun, but to make them stay silent about what they'd done. As for the Deputy, he believed that once the egg was inside her, she would come to her senses out of maternal instincts. If not, well, then he would have to threaten her. It was not ideal, but he believed he had some compelling arguments that would keep her from aborting their child.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #7 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Ens. Selh th'Chilnes| Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ]
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Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 


When Shall's hands freed her from her clothes and stroked her skin, Shar moaned softly. How she had craved his touch, their touch. Any touch. How easily that forced situation could turn into something pleasant. That only could point that it was the correct thing to do. They belong to the others after all, despite the twisted circumstances that had brought them together. The egg she carried was but a sample of that union. A new hope, a new life which only desire was to be deposited in a loving cradle to developt. Wasn't that the ultimate duty of any Andorian? To preserve the continuity of their species? How could any of them reject that?

The chan slid the Savi suit off her shoulders, peeling it from her body, exposing her skin to the dim light of the stars. Shall fingertips rose goosebumps in her skin, a trail of longing, heated paths that made her core pulse. When the younger andorian hands hold firmly her hipbones, she felt a stir in her loins. Her body was preparing for what was to come. For him and, over all, for the woman that rest unconscious in their side.

Shar wrapped her slender arms around Shall's neck and approached him. Her lips flew over the angle of his jaw, while her antennae became entangled in his dense locks, caressing his scalp.

In an outburst of passion, she grabbed his loose-fitting clothes and forced him to lie, beside Ida. Meanwhile Shar climbed the bed and she straddled the chan. She stretched out over him, squeezing her sinewy figure against his body, the small mounts of her breast against the hard angles of his chest. She drew a path of kisses on his neck, ascending up to his face, leaving a wet trail behind them. Her hips pressed against his in an instinctive movement as she leaned forward. When her mouth reached Shall's ear she hold her breath for a second and then, she whispered what she needed from him.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #8 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" ch'Xinya | Junior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Numen @Auctor Lucan

Free of the Savi garment, Shar suddenly felt free to reciprocate Shall’s touch, wrapping her arms around his neck and caressing his skin with her lips.  As her two antenna dug through his hair his one sought out a mate and entangled itself with it once contact was made.  Shall’s head spun with pleasure, followed a moment later by his entire body spinning through the air as the shen tossed him onto the bed.  Landing hard, both he and the prone Ida bounced a centimeter or two before Shar jumped on top of the chan, straddling his waist.  The upper part of the Savi suit, dangling from her waist, flopped onto his legs.  It was an interesting contrast, the way her warm flesh felt against his face, arms, and chest while limp, cold fabric dragged against his upper legs and pelvis.

Unbidden and acting on their own, Shall’s arms wrapped around Shar to hold her close, building passions seizing control.  Syora was never this aggressive, Tavin would never dream of doing anything beyond “vanilla” until Jay made him.  There was something about this position that Shall just loved and Shar could easily feel it where it counts.  Shall’s hands snaked their way down her spine, slipping into the suit bunched around the shen’s waist to grip her rear.  The pressure against his groin intensified as she pressed in and he couldn’t help but moan in response.  The kissed ended for the moment and Shar whispered something into his ear.  Shall paused for the briefest of moments then gave her rear a receptive squeeze.

“Distress call.” had been the brief message, whispered into the chan’s ear like it was the most erotic thing ever.  The pause had been from his momentary confusion before Shall realized what Shar was saying.  There was a combadge still pinned to his tunic, well within reach.  It was a standard feature that if the case were to be broken open an automatic distress call would issue out.  It was a good idea, the question was how to do it.  Commbadges were not easy to open without tools, and they had to do it without Sehl figuring it out until it was too late.  As Shar continued to pleasure herself and her chan, Shall glanced to Ida’s body laying next to him.  She seemed so helpless now, it would be so easy to simply deposit the egg and try to support her.  With the reproductive crisis it would be incredibly easy to justify the act, calling it necessary for the survival of their species.  He couldn’t justify it though, even if they were the last four Andorians in the galaxy, if the zhen refused to procreate, that was that.

Shifting slightly, Shall pushed against the Savi suit with the back of his hands, sliding the fabric off of her waist and down the round curves below.  Fully exposed now, Shall’s hands moved, one supporting Shar’s back while the other slipped between them, fingers caressing the slits found between her legs, coating them with her fluids.  Feeling playful, Shall only spent a few seconds playing down there before pulling them out and tasting Shar.  Giving her a playful smile, Shall offered his fingers to her as well so that she could get a hint of what she was offering.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #9 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Ens. Selh th'Chilnes Quarters| Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ]
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Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 


Shar hoped that the brief message she had conveyed to Shall had been clear enough. Given the dangerous game they played, on the edge between deceive and passion, she couldn't be certain. He moaned when he pressed her against his body. His enthusiasm was more than evident and the shen could easily feel his growing hardness against her groin.

Shall drew her body with his hands, sliding the savi cloth with his fingers, exposing her skin to the room's cool air. She had to keep her mind clear, she had to keep her senses attentive, at her back. Both of them needed to do it. Selh was still pointing a phaser at them. Ida was still lying next to them, not as a whilling participant in the shelthreth, but as a marionette whose strings have been cut since the beginning of the... whatever the thaan had done with her. Shar shivered, half by the sense of danger, the trill that anything could go wrong at any time. The other half was her body responding to chan ministrations, fiddling with the open of her womanhood.

She bit her lips, trying to repress the new moan growing in her throat due what Shall was doing with her. She probably shouldn't be enjoying that situation. She should probably be more concerned about keeping Ida and Shall save from a sudden phaser blast. But instead, her antennae writhed slowly against her will as she followed Shall game and licked his fingertips, savouring herself and his saliva. But she couldn't resist the urge nip them, little more harder than she oughted to but not enough to hurt him, just to remember the scientist what dangerous charade they were playing. And because she had always liked to play rough. Shar loved to play a domineering role, even when she didn't have control over the situation. Just like was happening at the time. 

Plunging her hands between their intertwined legs, Shar left part of his flat belly in plain sight and fiddled with the zippers that kept the pants in place. She bit her lip and fumble with the garment, letting out a frustrated hiss. As she did so, hier eyes were fixed on the combadge attached to the male's tunic. They need to let out a distress call but...how?. Breaking the device seemed like the easiest option, but the communicators were built to last. Unless they performed some ostentatious act that broke the illusion they had created, she couldn't think of anything violent enough to break it and activate the automatic call. Not when Selh seemed to have his finger on the trigger, ready to fire at the slightest sign of disruptive behaviour. Probably he wouldn't hit her, no if that put the egg in danger. But she wasn't sure about Shall or Ida. Neither she knew if the weapon settings were set to kill. She would not risk their bondmates.

"C'mon Kelleshar, think something, you dunderhead" she innerly hurried herself. Even so, none of the ideas she managed to form in her mind seemed flawless. She worked better under pressure, mainly because it was when her no-nonsense attitude shone brightest. But it was also true that given her preference to work alone, most of the time she only had to take into account her own physical safety. And she didn't used to worry too much about it. Having to protect the other two Andorians or, at least, prevent that Selh suspected something about her intentions was blocking her. She needed to think and consider the consequences, which was too much work. That wasn't her strong suit. She acted. And maybe it was time to act. The phaser was the wild card in every one of her ideas, so she needed to neutralise it. With that burning decision in her brain, she slipped her fingers down Shall's torso, under the fabric that covered it. At that moment her fingers touched something. Something soft. A familiar form that she had seen in her home and that she had known for a long time that she would never wear. Something she didn't know the chan possessed. Her pale eyes looked for Shall ones and bored them, her hand still holding the shapla.

"Th'se" she called at last, looking away to find Selh's dark form on the other side of the room. His expression was covered by shadows and the shen could only see fragments of his profile, and the starlight playing in the weapon he held. "Will you help me? Ch'te and I can complete the act, but we wouldn't be Whole. We need you," she pleaded in a soft purr, lust pouring in her words.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #10 –
[ Ens. Sehl th'Chilnes | Junior Officers' Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ] @Numen @chXinya
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While sitting there, Sehl was trying to normalise the situation for sake of his own conscience.

Watching Shall and Shar beginning the stages of of the final phase, Sehl tried to forget what he had just done, never having thought himself to do something like it unless the circumstances hadn't been so extreme. He blamed the Savi fully, this Sclergyn qi Versant that had forced his hand. But hate towards the Ante woman only got him so far. Searing hate lay too close to heart, and bled into his self-loathing. Sitting there, his jaws clenched, he wanted to be anywhere else but in proximity of his macabre deed - the sight of Ida and her spread legs on the bed cover a constant reminder of grim necessity.

Only the display next to Ida... was gradually drawing his eye more frequently. It seemed more and more apparent that the other two conscious bondmates were far less reluctant than he'd thought. Gradually, the Shen was offering more skin to bathe in trailing starlight, and the way she urged the Chen to respond to her seemed quite uncaring. Maybe Shar, of the three of them, would feel the most how they had no choice but to make Ida's decision for her. She did carry the egg, this life they were about to set free into the galaxy, and she would be the most keen to see it live. Surely that was the case, given how readily she prepared to finish what they had begun?

Oh, but he found himself ignoring Ida, and even the memory of her, treating her like a piece of decor in his mind. She was just a part of the room, naught more. The three of them were vibrant, and about to finish it. Shelthreth, where neither of them had thought it likely. It all made sense with the Savi guarantee, that they were compatible enough to let the child live.

Then, mesmerised as he had begun to feel in watching Shar from his seated position... she spoke to him. Wanted him, despite what he'd just been forced to do. She forgave him, knowing him and caring for the egg just as much as he - if not even more. She wanted him there, so what he'd done couldn't be so bad, could it? The gesture... it was one of forgiveness. Yes, she forgave him. She even showed him that it had been the right thing to do, in wanting him there with them.

Slowly, he rose from the couch, like a statue coming alive... and he set his steps towards the bed. He wanted nothing rather than forgiveness, and a sign that he had done well, so he went to them - the phaser still in his hand in case Ida would come to.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #11 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" ch'Xinya | Junior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Auctor Lucan @Numen

Shar continued to play along, as she took Shall’s slick fingers into her mouth he struggled to keep himself from losing control.  Her moans, the way she shimmied against his groin, the way she sucked on his digits enflamed his passions further, everything but her face subtly blurring into nothingness.  A sudden sharp pain in the fingertips snapped his attention back to the now and she could swear the shen was smirking a bit afterwards.  Shar took charge from there, pressing her hands against his torso to push his own clothes out of the way while he rested his hands on her waist, attention shifting just enough to keep an eye on the thaan sitting in the chair, watching them intently at phaserpoint.

As Shar’s hands worked the clasps and antique zipper that kept his pants in place Shall stopped squirming and pushed down into the mattress to give her some room to work with.  A rush of cool air greeting his skin after a few moments when she finally succeeded, freeing him to the elements around them. With a gentle care, Shall resumed his slow grind against Shar, keeping up the charade they needed to keep Sehl content.  Responding to the ever-increasing wetness, the blue phallus started to peek from its pouch, a protrusion that the shen was bound to recognize instantly.  Looking up at her with a small smile, Shall had to suppress a giggle as her hands pushed their way up his chest, triggering the slight sensitivity that Jay would often take advantage of.  The sudden change in her expression caught him off guard, the way she froze momentarily made him wonder if Sehl had seen through them and stunned her without a sound.  When her gaze locked into his Shall realized what had happened, one hand pressed against his chest, the other wrapped around the shapla resting against his collarbone, the metal warming in her hand.  Something happened between her eyes, and he knew what she was about to do.

As Shar called to Sehl with a sultry tone that made him want her even more, Shall looked past her and beckoned the thaan over with his eyes, wordlessly pleading for him to join them.  Shelthreth took all four of them, it was unseemly for one to sit out while the others joined together.  Amazingly, it worked, Shar stood and slowly made his way to the bed. The phaser was still pointed at the trio, but not at any one of them in particular.  He had this spaced-out look on his face, his eyes jumping between them all as if he were looking for something.  The beard hid the subtle ticks in that amazing jawline of his, but the antenna poking out of the top of his head told Shall everything he needed.  Looking to Shar one last time he hoped she could see the conviction in his own eyes, the next minute could be just as dangerous as any moment they had aboard the Versant.  A stun blast at this range would kill, something drilled into every cadet on day one of phaser training.

It was a risk that had to be taken though.  Honor demanded it.  Taking the hand holding his shapla in his own, he gently lifted it to give her fingers a tender kiss before setting it back down, cupping it over the combadge almost hidden in the folds of his tunic.

As Sehl got closer Shall slid out from under Shar a bit, exposing himself fully to the both of them though she was still straddling his upper legs.  His heart started to race a bit, adrenaline flooding his veins in preparation that was to come.  Holding out his hand, the chan curled his index finger, inviting the thaan to come closer.  There was no need to be shy now, they were a bondgroup now, were they not?  Ida was waiting patiently next to them, her maternal instincts would surely kick after Shar deposited the egg inside her.

The moment Sehl was in reach, Shall struck.  Snapping his hand around the wrist above the hand with the phaser in a flash he wrenched, hard, trying to get those fingers to let go.  Pulling him forward and off balance, Shall practically threw Shar off of him as he used his own body for leverage and momentum, doing his best to get Sehl under him and under control.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #12 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Ens. Selh th'Chilnes| Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ]
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Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 



It seemed that Shall wasn't so hot-headed after all. At least he was able to maintain that display to attract Selh, shifting his hips to show his sheath, where his manhood began to peek out, demanding some attention. The subtle brushing of that movement between her legs made Shar half-close her eyes and nibble her lower lip. At that moment she didn't have to faked how aroused she was and the ardent look she directed at the thaan was genuine. The temptation to indulge herself was just too strong.

Then, everything precipitated. The gentle rubbing of some lips on her fingers drew her attention away from Selh's attractive silhouette. Shar looked at the chan again with her head slightly tilted. What was he going to...? He placed her fingers on the combadge. She closed them tightly around the device. Selh approached them, just at arm's length.

And Shall leapt forward, throwing himself against the thaan.

Shar was thrown backwards.

She fell from the bed and her shoulders slammed painfully against the low table.

The world seemed to whirl wildly.

"Where...?" murmured the young shen. No. Not now. It couldn't have happened.

Grunts and wrestling sounds filled the quarters.

Both males crashed into something, which fell to the floor, shattering.

Shar crawled over her hands and knees, fumbling around desperately. "Nonononono" she hissed between clenched teeth.

But she found nothing. The surprise of Shall's sudden movement had caused her to drop the combadge during her tumble. And she had lost it.

"Come on... shit, come on..." she snarled again, frustration and despair took hold of her as the seconds lengthened and the sound of the struggle became louder.

At the end, she gave up and staggered forward, throwing herself over the bed again.

Ida's stiff body was still there, ignoring everything that was going on around her. Shar seized her firmly under the arms and dragged her with her up to the head of the bed.  Then she stood up slightly and pushed her feet firmly against the mattress in a violent and desperate kick.

The mattress base moaned and pivoted a little and Shar fell again, with Ida still in her arms. The bed knocked over, forming a parapet that separated them from the rest of the room. That it would shield them from a point-blank phaser blast. But they were trapped. She could only rely on Shall to prevail upon the thaan.

She looked at Ida's face, but the shadows the mattress cast over them both prevented her from being able to distinguish her features.  Shar bit her lower lip again, for a very different reason than she had just seconds ago.  

A glare of metal caught her eye. Under the workstation. The combadge. An opportunity. Shar threw herself forward and leaned over the edge of the mattress. She only needed a second. A second to catch it, if the males were distracted long enough to not pay her any attention. She would have only one chance. Shar crouched and watched them, ready for dive forward as soon as she had a shot.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #13 –
[ Ens. Sehl th'Chilnes | Junior Officers' Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ] @Numen @chXinya
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Far too late, Sehl realised his error. Shall was not as taken with the ministrations of their Shen as he might have thought, ascribing his own reactions to that of the Chan. For surely the other would have been equally pleased with her eagerness? No, it was a grave error, and he should have listened to his first instinct. Shall cared not for their child, nor for the preservation of their people. He would put the Zhen and her moronic stubbornness before those who cared for him. The fact that he would forsake their egg for the Deputy's sake made his anger ignite - replacing his carnal wishes with that of another desire entirely.

"Kav!" he hissed through his teeth as he grappled with Shall, dealing strikes against him with his free hand whenever there was an opening. He would try and wrench his wrist free, digging his fingers into the cartographer's face, seeking to reach the eyes. Being in Tactical CONN, he thought himself stronger and more skilled in close quarters combat. He applied all he'd learned in Starfleet and on Andoria to free his phaser so that he might stun the man to immobility. "Hraas!"

The bulkheads of his quarters served as the outer bounds of the battle, slamming the scientist into them and being pressed up against them himself. He would try to kick the man's legs out and drive him into the deck beneath their feet. He twisted and turned in order to get his weapon back. At turns he pressed the trigger when he thought he'd hit Shall, but the five beams he managed to send of - casting the interior of his quarters into stark light - hit nothing. Twice the stun beams struck the area where Shar and Ida were, but they were protected by the overturned bed. Adrenaline and ire fed Sehl's strength as he brought an end to it all.

When the cartographer thought he was twisting in one direction, the RIO drove his shoulder into her midriff and the turned the phaser upwards between their bodies. At that range, the shot might be deadly, but at that point - rationality was abandoned. Desperation for his child's sake clouding his judgement.

And he fired a fifth, and final time.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #14 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" ch'Xinya | Junior Officer's Quarters | Deck 10 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Numen @Auctor Lucan

Shall may have caught Sehl (and Shar) by surprise, but the fight did not stay in his favor.  Trying to pull the thaan to the bed and subdue him from above was the wrong move, the smaller Andorian had all of the advantages.  He’d stumbled forward at first but planted himself at the edge of the bed, using it as leverage to haul Shall out in return.  Still clamped onto the man’s wrist, the chan landed on his feet, the force of the swing thankfully whipping his leggings off so that his footing was free of that obstacle.  Head spinning from the unexpected motion, Shall couldn’t protect himself from the following blow to his ribs.  Rage growing with the sharp pains, Shall pushed back hard slamming Sehl into the bathroom’s doorframe hard enough to knock items off of the shelf.

Sehl went for the face, fingers clawing at the softer skin around the eyes forcing Shall to keep moving his head.  Limiting his visibility like that meant that Shall couldn’t watch for any tells allowing the thaan to hook his heel around Shall’s leg to send him to the floor.  The chan’s iron grip on his opponent’s wrist was the only thing that kept him upright, but the resulting spin meant that it was now his turn to get slammed into the bulkhead at full force.  Gasping for the air that was just knocked out of his lungs, Shall narrowly avoided a debilitating kidney blow by twisting for a knee to Sehl’s groin.  He only hit pelvic bone though, a glancing blow that did nothing but shoot some pain up his own leg.  Growling in frustration, Shall pushed hard throwing them both back.  Sehl stumbled right into the desk and folded backwards over it giving Shall the advantage for the first time.

Several body blows rained down onto Sehl, the cartilaginous plates bowing under the assault.  Despite that the thaan would not let go of the phaser, and seemed determined to regain control of it.  Somewhere in the struggle his thumb managed to clamp down, the orange nadion beam briefly illuminating the room like a lightning bolt.  It missed by a kilometer, but sent Shall’s antenna buzzing.  His face flushed blue with rage and Shall instinctively reacted with one of the dirtiest moves possible: full fist right to the base of Sehl’s antenna.  The response was immediate.  Howling with pain Sehl kicked up with all his strength catching the chan directly between the legs.

Everything went black for a moment, by the time Shall came to Sehl was on top of him, straddling him like a lover, but somehow Shall’s hand was still clamped around the thaan’s wrist, keeping him from aiming properly.  Devolving into a schoolyard wrestling match, the pair writhed on the ground, each one trading blows onto the other with fists, elbows, and knees.  Several more times the phaser went off, each beam impacting harmlessly onto the bulkheads or into the overturned bed.  Completely focused on survival, Shall never realized that Ida and Shar were behind that bed, probably the only thing that kept Sehl alive for the time being.

Somewhere in all the rolling on the floor one of them managed to regain some footing and stood, pulling the other with him.  Feeling the fatigue sapping his strength, Shall knew the end was coming.  He had to end this soon, or Sehl would have his way with them all.  Growling in pain, anger and frustration, Shall spit into the thaan’s face in an effort to blind him, but missed when Sehl’s head ducked to his left.  Figuring that his body would follow that turn the chan braced for a blow to his left, but Sehl was craftier than that.  Rushing forward the half meter between them, Sehl’s shoulder dropped and slammed into Shall just below the sternum, pushing him back into the bed once again.  The wind knocked out of him again, Shall’s grip loosened just enough that the phaser got between them pointed up.

Catching Sehl’s wrist with his other hand, Shall found that his strength was fading fast, both hands needed to keep the phaser away from his chin.  Pushing hard, Shall’s teeth ground and he grunted with effort, eyes locked onto Sehl’s.  Time slowed to a crawl as both Andorians pushed against the other, four hands on the phaser’s grip, each trying to outdo the other.  Shall felt the EM spike in his antenna a fraction of a moment before the orange bloom filled his vision once again, and he knew it was over.

Several seconds later, Shall’s blue eyes opened to reveal the shocked look on Sehl’s face.  A massive streak of purple discoloration arced up the thaan’s face from chin to brow, the two antennae drooping just before the lifeless body flopped to the deck like the sack of meat it was.  Left standing with both hands gripped around the phaser, Shall could only look down from above, victorious in single combat at last.  He found no joy in it though, his antenna drooped in sorrow, reflecting the pity he felt to the shell of a man laying at his feet.  Standing with nothing but a torn tunic hanging off of his frame, cobalt blood dripping unheeded down his face and chest, Shall dropped the phaser in disgust before sliding to the deck, wrapping his arms around his legs to hold his knees tight against his chest.

"What else will the Savi take from us?" he whispered to a dark universe.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #15 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Ens. Selh th'Chilnes| Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ]
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Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 


Each time Shar thought that she could leave her hiding place to grab the combadge, a phaser shot flashed in the room. The second hit the bed, barely inches from where her head had been. The Andorian managed to get out of its path just in time, but even so, she felt how the hair in her mohican had frizzled even more. Shar could only step back, until her body halted by the lying Ida figure. The shen blinked ineffectually, dazzled, her nostrils filled with the odor of ionized air. Beyond, the struggle raged on. But Shar didn't dare to try another attempt to move out. Instead she struggled to shield the zhen with her own body, and follow the unfolding fight through the narrow gap left by the parapet.

Her caution was more than rewarded soon after, when a second blast jolted into the bed structure, leaning it even more over the two women. Shar cursed between clenched teeth and shrank further, passing a protective arm over Ida, as her eyes drifted again and again to the combadge. It gleamed mockingly under the table, as close and, at the same time, as far away as if it were on the other side of the quadrant. At least she no longer had to worry about contacting Security. The starship's internal sensors would detect the shots and dispatch an automated distress call. It was a little consolation, but it was the only one she had left.
And then, as quickly as the fight had begun... it was over. 

One last shot.

A few seconds of silence.

The impact of a lifeless body on the floor.

Shar held her breathing, uncertain about who would have prevailed. It would have been Shall, and they should face Security, trying to explain what had happened? Or would Selh have been the winner, and Shar should fight for her and Ida's honour until the guards overrun the door codes and rid them of that nefarious situation? A few seconds later, she had her answer. The chan's lament was barely above a whisper, but in the room's tense silence  it sounded more clearly than a scream.

Shar closed both eyes and sighed. A respite. A brief pause. Just a moment.

The young shen crawled out of her battered shelter and slowly rose to her feet. Slowly, with cautious steps, she approached where Shall stood, victorious, yes, but with the semblance of one who has lost everything. Shar placed a hand on his shoulder and forced him to face her. But instead of the usual brusqueness, she did it with care. She rested her fingertips on his chin, making him tilt his head so that his dark eyes would focus on her pale ones.

"They won't take anything more from us, ch'te, I swear it" she whispered softly, cupping his face in her hand. Her own antennae had also dropped to the sides of her face. "And if they try... if they try, we' ll confront them again. Together," she reassured with more determination than she really felt.

However, that respite, that little truce, had to end. Shar dropped the hand she had placed on his face and stepped back. One step. Two steps. Without ever stopping looking at him. It had been a brief pause. Too short-lived. But they couldn't waste any time. Not yet.

Finally, Shar turned around. "Computer, increase the light by twenty-five percent," she whispered. The answer didn't take long, with the familiar confirmatory notes. In Shar's ears they sounded almost... too cheerful. Too banal.

With measured movements, she held the corner of the bed base and pulled the structure away from the wall, leaving Ida's form in plain sight. Now that the shadows did not fade her silhouette, what Selh had done with her was dreadfully evident. Shar knelt beside her, took one of the bed sheets and wrapped it around her. She would have preferred to... wipe the traces of what had happened. Spare her the unpleasant gulp of finding that she had suffered again what she abhorred. But Shar couldn't do it.

"Oh zh'yi, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," she said, even though she knew she couldn't hear it. Gently, she pulled a lock of hair out of her face, then placed those same fingertips on her jugular and under her nose. She breathed, albeit superficially. Her pulse was weak and erratic, but still there. With all the tenderness she was able to muster, she held her in her arms and cradled her gently. "I never... I never wanted this to end like this zh'yi, I swear. I would never force you this egg against your will. At the expense of your dignity... no matter how much I want that it survives. Not like this. Not at your expense." Shar knew she could not hear her. That she wouldn't remember what she was saying. But even so she said it. She has to say it.

Without further ado, she rose to her feet, carried Ida in her arms and made her way to the center of the room. Without adding a word, she placed her wrapped body in Shall's arms. Then, she picked up her uniform jacket and placed it over her body, covering her nakedness as best she could. "Listen carefully ch'te," she started to say without looking at his face. Her eyes were nailed onto the thaan's corpse. She would have liked it if everything hadn't ended like this. But had there really been other options available? She was unsure. So, swallowing loudly, she averted her eyes from Selh and kept talking. "...things are going to get messy from one moment to the next, but whatever happens, let me do the talking..."

She could not say anything else.

Footsteps sounded in the corridor, right outside the door.

A couple of dry orders, in a deep manly accent.

The hiss of the door.

Shar raised her hands and stood between the door and her bondmates. Those who lived and those who did not.

Four phasers aimed at them at once.

Shar held he arms still.

A balding pinkskin stepped forward, pointing her between the eyes.

"What has happened here?" He demanded.

His gaze quickly swept across the room. The signs of a fight. The blackened marks of shots on the walls. Ida, unconscious, in Shall's arms. The body on the floorplates. Finally he looked back at Shar.

"We'll cooperate with you...." The Andorian looked at the pins on his collar before kept speaking. "...Lieutenant... but we have with us a rape victim who needs medical attention. Please take whatever action you deem necessary with us, but let them take care of her."

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #16 –
ONE HOUR LATER

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann | Recovery Ward | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @chXinya @Numen 
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Slowly, Ida's eyes opened, and she was greeted by the sounds common around sickbay, only more accentuated then, when only hours had passed since the battle against the Borg.

Though the Borg had been defeated, so the reason as to why Ida found herself in the Recovery Ward was lost on her. Frowning, still drowsy, she propped herself up, finding herself wearing the standard patient's gown. There wasn't a single biobed not occupied, and medical personnel milled about, talking amongst themselves. Entering, leaving, with or without patients. Her antennae angling forth, she was just about to call for one of them when a somewhat... digital voice spoke up on the other side of the biobed,

"Ah, Lieutenant zh'Wann, you're awake," it said, and when Ida turned her head, she found herself looking at... an android. Specifically, the Savi android that had come aboard from the Versant. V-Nine. Ida's frown did not lessen while the mechanical humanoid continued to speak. "How are you feeling?"

"Why am I here?" she said, her tone low, and if the android had already begun to preform duties in sickbay, she expected some kind of answer, since her memories were not revealing anything yet.

"A moment," V-Nine said and picked up the medical journal from the side of the biobed. "Ah, I have seen these injuries often, and the comments from the assigned Medical Officer confirms it. The Code made it common praxis, while the Old Code forbade it - had it punishable with severe consequences. An effect of Scion dominance, altering the Code to fit their needs. Oh, dear.. I am rambling. You don-"

"Why am I here?" Ida demanded again, her tone sharper, but the hairs at the back of her neck was already rising, her heart beating more quickly. She remembered how Sehl had ambushed her, injected her with something before she had the chance to fight back. She remember her last thought, thinking how cunning it was of him to avoid the internal sensors' detection of a stun discharge. She'd tried to go for her combadge, but Sehl had snatched it from her chest the moment he pressed that hypospray to her neck. She'd managed to strikes to his torso, but then... nothing.

V-Nine wrung her metallic hands where she stood, the PADD already returned to its socket. "Non-genital or genital injury occurs in about 50% of rapes of females among most species. Most physical injuries are relatively minor, but some lacerations of the upper vagina are severe. Yours were not. Scans showed no genital trauma to the perineum, hymen, vulva, vagina, cervix, or anus. Likely the perpetrator used some kind of lubrication, if the witness accounts are to be believ-."

"Witnesses?" asked Ida, her jaw clenched shut, the ire and shame making her fist shake. "Who?"

"I am unfamiliar with proper protocol for such matters, but I did overhear the security officers who brought you here speaking about other Andorians."

Ida's eyes widened. She realised why Sehl had attacked her. "Am I..." she had to start over, the turmoil inside her making her clear her throat, trying not to loose it completely. "Was I...?"

"Impregnated?" asked V-Nine, likely having derived her meaning from what that Ante named Sclergyn had said in front of everyone on the alien bridge. "Negative. Acid phosphatase was tested to detect presence of sperm, saline suspension and semen analysis were made, along with baseline serologic testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Thaan semen was found, but in the Andorian mating habits, the presence of an egg is required for a Zhen pregnancy."

Shar didn't do it, thought Ida, and the relief... was tinged with guilt, but nonetheless there. It made her take a deep breath, and raised a trembling hand to her face, covering it. Her antennae drooped and quivered, and as strong as she tried to be, there was so much weighing on her. Her fate had not been kind, and V-Nine didn't seem to know how to handle the situation, talking still.

"For non-Savi, my database tell me that psychologic symptoms of rape are potentially the most prominent. In the short term, most patients experience fear, nightmares, sleep problems, anger, embarrassment, shame, guilt, or a combination. Immediately after an assault, patient behavior can range from talkativeness, tenseness, crying, and trembling to shock and disbelief with dispassion, quiescence, and smiling. The latter responses rarely indicate lack of concern; rather, they reflect avoidance reactions, physical exhaustion, or coping mechanisms that require control of emot-."

"Be silent," warned Ida her dark-rimmed eyes snapping towards the android.

"Anger m-may also be d-displaced onto medical staff or family members," said V-Nine, the worried reaction so... sapient that Ida almost regretted snapping at the thing. There was no use stopping the nervous android from finishing. "Eventually, m-most patients recover; however, long-range effects of rape may include posttraumatic stress disorder, with flashbacks, intrusive upsetting thoughts, avoidance, negative effects on cognition and mood, altered arousal, sleep difficulties, irritability, concentration problems."

"I know, this is not the first time," grated Ida, one hand making a white-knuckled first around the blanket that had laid on top of her when she woke up. And just like with Niga, I don't remember it all, leaving it to my own imagination. She was a checklist of symptoms, having both come to avoid sexual partners since that horrifying flashback she'd had on the holodeck. She slept poorly, and while she could still concentrate, she was more irritable than before.

"I see, I believe that on this ship, as opposed to the Versant, you will likely be introduced to a specialist trained in rape crisis intervention. Because the full psychologic effects cannot always be ascertained at the first examination, follow-up visits will be likely."

"No follow-up visits will help this situation," she rasped, her throat thick. Slowly, she laid down on the biobed, staring towards the deckhead again. "My avoidance, and my oath, prevent me from giving the other Andorians what they want. And in doing so, our child will die. That's why this happened. I should have seen it coming..."

"Oh," said V-Nine, and she was silent for a moment. "I believe I understand. May I offer a suggestion?"

30 MINUTES LATER

Adam Kingston had been alerted in advance, and when the Deputy arrived in full uniform and her white hair in a tight braid, he merely inclined his head to her. He said naught to her out of respect, having spoken with her already after she came to, and he came to stand with her in the lobby. He tapped his combadge. "Interrogators in rooms two and three, stop the hearings and let them step outside."

OOC: Up to you how the interrogations have gone before they are let out into the lobby, where Ida and Adam will be waiting for them! :)

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #17 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Security Center| Deck 7 | USS Theurgy ]
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Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 

When Shar left the interrogation ward, her arms were tightly wrapped around her slender torso. Her antennae were pressed tightly against her skull and her expression was even more bitter than usual. But, in stark contrast to all this, her cheeks were died in a bright purple hue.

Her slender fingers clenched her arms, making ugly wrinkles in her uniform. Her interrogators had been... kind in some way. They had provided her with a uniform and had allowed her to dress fully before the interrogation began. By the Water Guardian, they had even provided her with the bicolor pips that now adorned her collar. For a moment she had felt almost like a person. Almost as if she were a Starfleet officer again, on a normal day. But of course, later things weren't so simple.

Shar wasn't willing to share her problems with anyone else. She kept her shit for herself and turned it into fuel for the harsh anger that motivated almost all her reactions. Anger kept her centered and sharp and allowed her to raise a shield around herself that kept people away. Everyone who she had let in had ended up with a bad fate. Layiss was dead. It had been years since she had heard from her fellow Academy pal, Ekon. Vasiliev was dead as well. Or, worse yet, his Borg version lurked in a Cube, lost somewhere in Azure Nebula or wherever those cursed cyborgs had gone after destroying the Endeavour. That starship, was gone too. The only thing she had left was that she was YET a Starfleet officer, even if she was just a stowaway on that fugitive vessel that was held in one piece by sheer willpower and duct tape. That and that mockery, that poor imitation of a Shelthreth. Or what was left of it.

So, when the interrogation had begun, Shar had told the truth. Plain and crude. From the moment she awoke in the Versant pen with the other Andorians until Selh's death. The only thing she had concealed were her actions on the Versant's main bridge, and, by the time she got to that part of the story, one of the starship's doctors had arrived to check if what she said was true. That pause had only made clear that the egg was in its later stages of development, ready to be implanted. And obviously that only had contributed to increase the embarrassment she felt. The situation itself was shameful enough. Moreover, Shar, as a good example of her specie, was a private person and little given to sharing her problems. She preferred to solve them on her own, in the Andorian way. And it was clear that it had been the worst possible path.

Then, they resumed the interrogation, from the point when the thaan had summoned her to his quarters. Somehow the pink-skin that was interrogating her had softened the tone after the medical check-up. Shar hated her for it and blushed even more. She didn't want her pity. She didn't NEED her sympathy. She could take that compassion and insert it into the body orifice of her choice. Shar didn't want it.

Despite this, Shar explained in detail how Selh had been deceived. How their intention had always been to release Ida from the hands of her captor. And how everything has gone south.

While she answered a few additional inquiries, as drained that she could barely reply with monosyllables, an order from outside allowed her to get rid of talk even more.

And there she was, her cheeks dyed purple, her disheveled mohawk dropping loosely down her forehead and her antennae crushed against her skull. All she wanted was to check that the chan was absolved. And hide herself somewhere, somewhere where no one could find her until she could deal with everything that had happened.

She raked her fingers through her short hair and finally raised her eyes. Only to find the grim face of the pinkskin who had led the assault to Selh's quarters... and the person she was most afraid to see at the time. Shar tightened her arms even more around her bossom and shoved her nails into her arms, until she harmed the skin under the fabric. Only then did she greeted her.

"ThanIda" she acknowledged with a nod, froze in place.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #18 –
[Ens. Irnashall “Shall” Ch’xinya | Security Center | Deck 7 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Auctor Lucan @Numen

As interrogations went, Shall’s was pretty quiet.  He looked a lot better than he had when security first found him slumped on the deck of Sehl’s quarters, arms holding onto Ida’s unconscious form while staring through the thaan’s cooling body.  Instead of his now-tattered tunic and pants he was in uniform again, and while the blue blood had been cleaned off of his skin by a medic the chan refused a dermal regenerator.  Simple bandages covered the numerous cuts and abrasions while the bruises were already starting to darken to a midnight blue all across his skin.  For well over an hour now some poor security officer had patiently tried to get Shall to open up and give more concise answers to her questions, but he barely responded, usually just affirming or denying a statement she made while staring at the cold mug of katheka that had been provided in the beginning.

Some watching this one-sided conversation could easily come to the conclusion that Shall was trying to exercise his rights under the Fifth Guarantee, lawfully refusing to answer questions that would self-incriminate.  His antenna told a completely different story though: it had drooped down so far that it was completely hidden by his hair.  The white locks didn’t even shuffle under its natural motions.  Anyone who understood Andorian body language would realize that was a sign of serious depression or weariness.  Thankfully, the interrogator was well trained, probably why she was showing such calm and patience with him.  She knew that forcing the story out of Shall would be far from productive, he’d tell it in his own time, though that just meant more time spent in the box instead of moving on to the next step.  So far what Shall had confirmed was that he’d been called to Ens. th’Chilnes’s quarters by the thaan himself, he had no idea what the summons was about, and that Lt. zh’Wann was already unconscious when he and Lt. sh’Zenne arrived.

The call from Lt. Kingston was a bit of a surprise, while it was normal for interrogations to have breaks every so often it wasn’t one of those times.  Nor was it normal for the interviewee to be allowed to step outside.  Shall looked up from the tabletop at last, the confusion of the new twist already evident on his face.  The interrogator just shrugged.  “You know as much as I do.”  She stood and helped him to his feet (even with the medical attention he was still a bit shaky whenever he tried to move).  She hung back a step or two as Shall led the way to the door, not wanting to injure his pride even more with the suggestion that he needed the assistance to walk.

The door opened immediately, the locks never having been engaged.  Out of the corner of his eye Shall saw Shar already outside, arms wrapped around herself protectively.  His focus was locked onto the blue-skin standing in front of them both.  Something deep inside him stirred at the sight of Ida’s stern face but he buried it again quickly.  She’d made her intentions beyond clear, there would never be anything between them, and after the events of today he didn’t even want to subject her to his dreams.  He owed her that much at least.

“Lieutenant.” Shall croaked, his parched throat struggling to find his voice again.  "I don't know what I can say..."

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #19 –
[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann | Security Center | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @chXinya @Numen 
[Show/Hide]
When the two other Andorians had emerged, Ida had browsed the PADD that Kingston had given her, and where the current results of their hearings were detailed. Shar had been forthcoming, her account corroborating with the evidence in the dead Ensign's quarters. While IrnaShall ch'Xinya had not been forthcoming at all, the scans of the body did match establish events as described. Furthermore, there were the internal sensor readings that Thea had provided, detailing timing of the phaser energy emissions, which also matched Shar's story. There was also the most important thing for Ida, that she'd not been impregnated, and that gave motive to the development. It established that they had fought to protect her from the Ensign's intention to have her bear the unwanted child.

Ida returned the PADD to Kingston, who quietly took it. His witness account - his report of the incident - had also helped facilitate the development. There were to offences to deal with, and in regard to Ensign Sehl's death, there was nothing suggesting anything else but an accident during self-defence, in the protection of Ida in her vulnerable state. The second offence was towards Ida, in how the RIO had raped her unconscious body, but there was no one to charge for that crime. Nothing suggested that Shar and Shall had been involved in the attempt to impregnate her. Rather the opposite, in fact.

So, when Ida raised her eyes, she put on the caricature of a smile when she greeted them. There was a lot to deal with emotionally for all three of them, but as far as Ida was concerned, she had no grievances with them any more. It was the Savi that had driven them mad in that observation pen, and she'd succumbed to the aphrodisiacs as well.

"You need not say anything, Lieutenant," she said quietly, stepping forth. "The evidence is clear. Thank you both, for protecting me rather than complying with his wishes. I have nothing but gratitude to offer in return. Neither of you will be charged, but you will have to submit a written report eventually, ch'Xinya, even if you're unwilling to speak of the altercation right now."

Pausing, she realised that she'd misspoken. Well, not in the way that she had naught more to offer them, but someone else just might...

"If only Ensign th'Chilnes had known what I just learned, all of this might have been avoided," she said, frowning in regret, for in a way, she understood his motivation, even though she disagreed with it. "At least there is hope now. It might not be ideal, but in a way, it might also be the best hope we've got. Please, walk with me while I explain."

And then, Ida led the way out to the corridor, since the topic was private, and Ida's subordinate officers needn't hear anything further.

LATER | EVENING

The three of them were in Medical Lab 01, and V-Nine was present. The Android had just explained the features of the device sitting on the desk, which had been activated as soon as the procedure on Shar had been finished. Ida had arrived, and Shall as well, and now, the three Andorians could breathe a bit more easily - even if the cost had been too great on them all.

"So, when you are ready, you can press the command at the top of the unit, and the projection will be activated. The result is based on the lactate that was needed for the egg to form, simulating the requirements of the last phase of the Andorian mating. The result, as you can see, can be toggled by year, so with the slider next to the activation command, you can progress the age."

Ida turned her eyes and antennae towards the android. "Thank you, V-Nine. We appreciate the efforts you've taken, and how you've helped us with this unit. Now, however, could we please have some privacy?"

"Yes, of course, I will be right outside, and when you are ready, I will make sure the unit is stored safely - available for you whenever requested, of course, if you want to look at the projection again."

The android left them, and Ida looked at the small stasis unit on the desktop. It was strange, seeing such a sophisticated solution for their conundrum, and one more advanced than Federation technology might provide. It had not been easy for the engineer to follow V-Nine's specifications, but all had turned out well - the unit tested - and now... it was safe. Suspended for the future, whoever it might be that carried the egg to term. Ida wouldn't, but perhaps the scientists on Andoria may have the answers they needed eventually.

"Shar," she said quietly, folding her arms underneath her chest. "I think you should activate it."

It would be a holographic image of the future - their child staring back at them from beyond the shell of its egg.

OOC: If @Numen posts next with the projection activation, perhaps you can have Shall use the slider to make the projection of the child mature, @chXinya ? I will then end the thread with Ida's replies and/or reaction to seeing the vestigial traces of th'Chilnes' features on the projection, and her leaving the room as a finish? :)

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #20 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Medical Lab 1 | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy| Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]

Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 

It was done. Every hardship, every distress. The combination of hope and despair. All this all their troubles, all their feelings, contained in that artifact, that capsule for the Future. The shen glanced at both sides. The little that remained of her ill-fated conat of Shelthreth was there. None had selected the others, either by tradition or by choice. And yet in spite of it... in spite of it there was a bond between them. A promise for years to come housed in that showcase of Savi technology, built by the hands of Federation engineers.

Shar looked at the two people at her sides, trying to discern how they felt. This solution would have placated Ida's hatred, despite the high price they had paid for it? The burden of taking a life, the life of their th'se, had been what had ended up breaking Shall? She did not know. She wished and feared to know those answers.

By sheer force of habit, Shar rested her hand on the lower part of her abdomen, near the hip. There was where the egg had been until barely an hour ago. Where it had searched for it and felt it with a mixture of shame, fear... and hope. This time, her fingertips didn't feel anything. It was a strange sensation. Bittersweet. Her antennae wringed in front of her forehead one more time, reflecting the inner turmoil she felt. Could she indulge herself in hope this time? Or would it be crushed again, as it had been over and over again since the Borg attacked the Endeavour? There was still room in the galaxy for the faith in the future?... Ida's voice pulled her out of her reflections and, finally, Shar took her eyes off the device and focused on the zhen's face. She wanted to say so many things. All sorts of doubts. So many questions. But Shar said naught. She only glanced at her for a brief moment which seemed to take more than she had expected, and finally she nodded.

The Liutenant stepped forward and took the device between her two hands, as if she were afraid of breaking it. Or of what it was going to show her. For a short time, she hesitated, cradling the capsule between her hands. But, at last, her slender fingers slid down the side panel. The device hummed and displayed a small hologram. The future form of the egg it hold.

That first image, she treasured it only for herself. An andorian newborn. Their child. Her child. The one she never dreamed she could ever see. The one that so many times had been on the verge of vanishing, like a dream upon awakening. Her breath fluttered a little and she bit her lip, repressing the emotion that the picture brought her. But her hands acted with a life of their own, alien to their own will, and they tried to caress the small head, the dense patch of white hair that bristled between the two antennae, so similar to her own. However, her fingers went through the projection, the image distorted lightly, voxels shifting for just a moment before they reshaped into the tiny dormant form. It wasn't the time. Not yet. But someday. Someday.

"Welcome to the world, my emvaiir" she whispered to the baby, before she spun around to show the image to others. When she did so, there was wetness in the corners of her eyes. But, for once, Shar didn't try to hide it. To hell with Andorian discipline and seriousness. it was a moment for emotions, and they ran wildly under her skin. Shar turned her eyes away from the projection and sought Shall's gaze. When their eyes finally met, the shen' s ones had a special glow, soft and liquid. "Here," she said, as she deposited the device in the chan's hands and gently brushed his fingers as she did so. "Here's your thei," she whispered with a broken voice. Then, she took a couple of steps back, until she stood next to Ida again. During a few minutes, she simply stood there, observing Shall, as she embraced herself.


emvaiir-> Hope

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #21 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" Ch'xinya | Medical Lab 1 | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Auctor Lucan @Numen

Still as quiet as ever, Shall watched V-Nine leave, the PADD with his partially written report concerning the events in Lt. th'Chilnes's quarters forgotten on the chair he vacated a few moments ago.  So much had happened since Ida collected the two of them from the Security Center, his head was still spinning from what the zhen had to tell them.  After all that worry over what would happen with the egg they'd conceived on the Savi ship a solution came out of the dark.  A part of him wasn't comfortable with the idea of entrusting their offspring to Savi technology, but it was better than nothing.

Standing next to Ida, Shall couldn't help but fidget as Shar stood between them and the stasis unit/incubator, constantly trying to peer over the shen's shoulder so that he could see.  The way she was holding the device made it impossible to view the image though, all he could see was the way her antennae shifted towards the box cradled in her arms.  She whispered something that he didn't catch before finally turning around.  Pale blue eyes locked onto Shall's dark blue, freezing him in place.  There was a new light in them, something he never thought he'd see in anyone's ever again: hope.  A weight appeared in his hands alongside the announcement he'd waited his entire life for.

“My thei…” Shall echoed and his world collapsed to encompass the holographic display in front of him.  The pale-blue skin of a newborn infant hovered centimeters from his face, eyes blinking under the first hints of soft, white eyelashes.  Gorgeous ice-blue eyes seemed to shine as the infant thaan looked around in random directions.  Shall wished he could hold him for real, but he would have to wait.  Turning towards Ida next, the chan meant to offer the small box to the zhen for her own inspection when he noticed a slider on the control panel.  Running his thumb across it out of curiosity the hologram disappeared momentarily.  When it reformed he gasped in surprise: where a chubby, newborn infant hung now stood an adolescent thaan.

Just shy of full adulthood, the adolescent contained the last few traces of his childhood in the way his body stood (the proportions were just barely off, a few more centimeters of growth would fill out his frame perfectly), but his final features were there.  The wispy beginnings of his eyebrows had grown into a familiar pair of bushes.  The ice blue irises had darkened slightly but shone with an intelligence that contrasted with the muscular build of a promising brawler.  His skin had gained much more pigmentation and was now quite a bit darker than Shall, Shar, and Sehl, but not quite as dark as Ida.  The one feature that caught Shall’s attention the most though was his chin.  The disturbingly familiar rounded chin was prominently displayed, impossible to miss.  Shall could already see the familiar stubble of the rare Andorian beard gracing his face in a few more years, a gift from his thavan.

A child is innocent of the parents’ crimes. Shall reminded himself.  Tearing himself away from the hologram, Shall finally held the incubator out to Ida for her to take.  “We have to get it off the ship, it isn’t safe here.  Unless you’d rather he go to your clan, I can write a message to my bondmates, let them know who it’s from but keep them in the dark on where we are.”  He glanced at Shar, a small apology in his gaze.  He hesitated before saying the next thing that came to mind, but it needed to be said.  “Jay might even be wiling to carry him.”

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #22 –
[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann | Security Center | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @chXinya @Numen 
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As touching as the moment of seeing the child might have been for Shar and Shall, Ida's connection with that offspring was one of guilt, shame, anger and exploitation. She watched the young child that had first been projected above the stasis unit, looking innocent enough...

...but when Shall advanced the years of the projection into adolescence, Ida's jaw had clenched - seeing her rapist in the features of that figure. The rational side of her knew not to cast blame upon the unborn, but the sight of that face did not beget reason. Quite the opposite. She said naught, however, until Shall turned towards her, offering the device with the despicable holo-image to her without any care or concern for her feelings on the matter. She did not unfold her arms from underneath her chest, and she averted her eyes from the image - instead staring into the Chan's.

"I would not subject my worst foe to the 'care' of my surviving Thaan," she said in a low yet sharp voice. She unfolded her arms, but didn't move to take the thing from Shall. "I will leave the decision to you. I have neither insight nor right to choose his fate. In fact, I'd prefer if you leave me out of it entirely."

She turned away from them, heading towards the exit of the med lab. She paused after the doors had parted for her - glancing towards them in the light of the corridor outside. "I am glad he didn't have to die, having a chance at life, but I have no part in it. Please do not speak of him again when I can hear it, for I have no room for a child forced upon me. In fact, he'd be better off without me."

With her final word said, she stepped away, and the sliding doors closed behind her. Only then did she raise her hand to take back her hair from her antennae...

...refusing to acknowledge the slight tremor to her hand. The tightness of her throat.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #23 –
[ LtJr. Khelleshar sh'Zenne | Medical Lab 1 | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy| Deck 10 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]

Att: @Auctor Lucan @chXinya 


As Shall moved his fingers along one side of the stasis unit, the image of their thei flickered for a second, reshaping into a prediction of how the little one would be when he grew up. To her chagrin, Shar's eyes widened in surprise and the breath froze in her throat. That face. That jaw. Although his features reflected in one way or another to all of his parents, the likeness to Selh was more than obvious. A slightly distorted photocopy of the thaan who had died barely a few hours earlier. A vivid reminder of what the ill-fated Shelthreth had had to suffer in order to give him life. Once the first surprise was gone, the feeling that had flooded her as soon as she activated the hologram returned. No matter what the circumstances in which he had been conceived, her thei was innocent and should not be burdened with the sins of his parents.

However, Ida didn't seem to agree with this maxim, and when the chan offered her the incubator, she rejected it, turning her body as if she wanted to protect herself from the image of the unborn child. After that, Shar wasn't surprised at all by what she did. An unchangeable verdict, distancing herself from both the rest of the bondgroup and their offspring. Then she stormed to the door. Lastly, a lapidary statement, detaching herself from the fate of their thei, just before she left. When the door hissed behind her, Shar sighed. At least this time she hadn't addressed them as the worst monsters on that side of the galaxy. Despite everything, they had built bridges with the mercurial zhen. Maybe, in time, they could all forgive each other. Perhaps.

Shar turned to face Shall and picked up the stasis chamber from his hands. After examining it for a few seconds, she found the slider that the chan had moved and she manipulated it briefly. In front of her, the image of her thei shifted, younger if she slid her finger down and older if she slid it in the opposite direction. Finally she halted it when it showed him at the peak of his life. Her chest would be wide, her body structure strong, very different from her slender frame. The hologram showed him with a thick beard, much like the one his thavan had worn, but that contrasted markedly with his indigo skin. Under the thick eyebrows shone some icy eyes, darker than hers, but much lighter than Shall's, filled with wit and resolve. Her thei looked like a leader. Someone who lured loyalty from those around him. Shar wholeheartedly hoped so.

But before that, they must bring him to safety. So Shar finally peeled her eyes from the hologram image and stared at the scientist, eyebrows furrowed and antennae deeply arched toward the tallest male. "Indeed he cannot remain here, this starship is not secure." she agreed. She remained silent for a split second, trying to work out the answer she wished to give without being insulting. Shar hadn't  known that Shall had his own bondgroup. Not until that moment. She should had had imagined it, but she had trusted that he was single, just  as she was. To her chagrin she felt a jealous twinge. A grief to see as a hope that she hadn't even dared to fully shape was torn to pieces. But she couldn't focus on those feelings at the time, so she just converted them into a small sphere and buried them deep inside. Where she could ignore them until... well, until they blew up.


Staring at Shall, she finally spoke her mind. " Although your offer that your... zh'yi carries our egg... no matter how patriotic she may be, I don't believe she will find easy to nurture her ch'te's bastard, Irnashall," she said with a cool voice, trying to emotionally distance herself from the chan. " Moreover, if the Parasites threat is real... Andoria won't be a safe place for a fugitive's thei," she argued. Cradling the incubator in her lap, Shar slid her slender fingers back down the slider until the hologram returned to show the image of a newborn. "I..." she hesitated for a moment. "I could take him to my home planet, Thonolan IV. It' s a colony of our people, in Andorian space, but close enough to the borders to pass under the radar. I could carry it myself, no one knows after all that I have stepped into the Theurgy. Maybe my zhi can take him to term... or my shi's zh'yi..." Shar glanced Shall in the eyes again, her expression unreadable. "Or maybe... 'Jay' can travel there to carry him. Thonolan is safe." she suggested, stressing the name.

Re: EPIL: S [D06|1445] Shelthreth

Reply #24 –
[Ens. Irnashall "Shall" Ch'xinya | Medical Lab 1 | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy] attn: @Auctor Lucan @Numen

Something changed in Shar’s expression after he mentioned his bondmates.  Shall noticed it right away, but Ida pulled his attention back before he could say anything.  The headstrong zhen absolved herself of any responsibility to the fetal thaan, and he couldn’t blame her for it.  As she turned and stormed off Shall could only sigh in relief that she hadn’t blown up over something concerning them again.  His eyes were still locked on the door after it closed behind Ida and he didn’t outwardly react when Shar plucked the stasis unit out of his hands.  When she addressed him Shall finally let Ida go and he returned his focus to the shen.

The room fell into an awkward silence once again while Shall studied the changes to the projection.  If accurate, his thei was projected to be a model Andorian, the pride of his clan.  With those looks Shall could easily see him as Presider one day if he had the political acumen to seek such a career.  Thoughts of the possible futures threatened to overwhelm his attention, but Shar pulled him back.  She spoke of the near future, about where the child could go.  He could feel his antenna curling defensively at the idea that Jay would reject his offspring simply because she and the others had borne no part in his conception.  Changing the projection back to his newborn stage inflamed the undeserved outrage, but Shar kept her tone soft.

The shen spoke of Thonolan IV, her old home and where her clan currently resided.  To his surprise, Shar didn’t speak of Jay’s probable rejection in favor of her own clan, even with no reason for the two to ever mingle she suggested a way for their clans to unify around this horrific miracle.  Shall’s mouth opened but quickly closed without a sound in reply, months-old fears returning to him like a monster from the bog.  Grabbing a chair, Shall rolled it close enough so that he could sit across from Shar with their knees almost touching.  “If you’d met my zh’yi then you’d know that the more something would scandalize others, especially the elders, she’d do it without looking twice.  Carrying the child formed from a bastardized bonding of her ch’te would be something she’d shout to the heavens every day until the end.”  The thought of Jay doing just that brought a small smile to the chan’s face, but the new realizations quickly turned it into a frown.

Reaching out to gently clasp Shar’s hands in his (allowing him to share the cradling of the stasis unit), his tone grew serious once again.  “You can’t.  The parasites have infiltrated Starfleet Command.  The moment they get wind that someone from the Endeavour mysteriously survived they’ll interrogate you, pry everything you know out of you no matter how much you fight them.  When they find out you’re connected with us, even as an unwilling passenger, there’s no telling what they will do to you and everyone you know and love.  The same goes with my bondmates.”

Shall’s antenna started to quiver to punctuate what he had to say next.  “We don’t think they’ve done anything to our families, I can’t believe that they aren’t watching them at least.  If Jay, Tavin, or Syora approach your clan they’ll know it, and they’ll try to figure out why, leading to learning that you are alive and with us.”  This was the nightmare that had woken Shall up at least once a week since the day Theurgy fled Earth.  He couldn’t protect his bondmates, not the way a chan is supposed to.  All he could do is keep the parasites focused somewhere else and hope it was enough.

“He is my blood.”  Shall declared, nodding towards the hologram one final time, “but if I have to remain a mystery to him to protect his life then that is what I will do.  I know Thonolan IV, he will be safe there and I’m sure your clan will accept him without reservation.  You have to stay here though, returning home put everyone in danger.”
 
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