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Day 03 [1200 hrs.] Fragility

[Zyrao Natauna – Klingon Liaison | Home | Time to Breathe | Memories and Battles]
@Iron Ferrox

March 13th, Noon
Glassed Walkways
Aldea

It was odd, sometimes, to think of a place as home.  She had, of course, had several homes since she had been born.  El-Auria would always be her home, even if it no longer existed, as much as she wished it did.  She had thought to find herself a good friend in the other El-Aurian on board.  Even though he was only half El-Aurian she thought they could at least find a kinship, as it was exceedingly rare to run into one of her own.  No matter how diluted the blood line was.  He was not even close to how old she was, but then, she hadn't expected him to be.  And now, she would never actually get the chance for that.  He was gone, dead, and she could not be more pissed about it.  A life that needed not be lost no matter the slight assimilation, there had to have been ways to save him.

She had read the reports, looked at the footage, and she still.. still felt that hope could have played a part. 

Zyrao did not hold out much hope when it came to life overall.  Things had never been easy for the older woman.  There were things she wished that she had done, things she wished she hadn't, and this new found freedom was only marginal.  She knew that she would always be tied to something, to someone, an organization, a ship, a person.  In a way she had always enjoyed being with the Klingon and she had truly enjoyed the fact that she was able to find a center for herself again after all of the slavery that she had to live though.  Still, while the nightmares had long since faded from her past it didn't make it any easier to stay where the demons of the past played in your mind.

Chloe was here, she had seen the young woman, not all that long ago and it was hard.  Hard to walk away from the stronger blonde woman.  Knowing that it was she, Zyrao, that had built the girl from a shaking and terrified young thing, to the hard hitting woman she was now.  The reason Chloe was free was because of her, but now.. she wasn't sure what to do about it.  As much as Zyrao liked knowing that Chloe was till alive and around, she didn't.. she didn't know how she felt about her still being on Aldea.  The young woman could have gone anywhere, but she had stayed and Zyrao wasn't sure that she really wanted to know why.  The good thing was that she wasn't a slave, and she was still free.

With no where to go and thoughts heavily in her mind, Zyrao leaned against one of the supports of the glass walkways.  Behind her the scooters zoomed here and there to their business carrying the people to their destinations.  Zyrao was still wearing her Klingon clothing, and that was not abnormal here since the Aldeans and the Klingon were allies.  So she could be herself, though she had her arms exposed and the sleeves of tattoos on her arms and hands were easily seen as well as the sheer amount of muscle tone there.  There were touches of tattoos on her neck as well though the rest were currently hidden by the clothing that she wore.  Disruptor on her thigh as it always though her dark grey eyes surveyed the beautiful city.

Home, and odd terminology for the El-Aurian for certain, but again, she found herself glad for the respite.

Re: 57563.87 Fragility

Reply #1 –
[ Miles Renard (Cover identity: Todd MacLeod: Freelancer Pilot)  | Glassed Walkways | Aldea Prime]  @BZ 

Miles, or rather the Vulpinian using the name Todd walked down the glassed walkway idly staring out over the skyline.  The werefox looking creature walked with an air of cockiness and aggression not unlike a klingon who had had one too many tankards of bloodwine.  His assumed identity was that of a Freelancer, a mercenary who sold his services as a fighter pilot to whoever had the coin or goods to make it worth his while.  On the books he was currently contracted to the system security of Aldea Prime in a role as somewhat of a hybrid of patrol pilot and bounty hunter.  On the books he flew routine extended patrols in the system, at a set rate and in return if brought in anyone wanted he would get a hefty cut of the bounty rather than Aldea security getting it for themselves and on paper he was set to be scrambled if Aldea needed any extra patrol pilots for a particularly hairy situation.

Of course that's just what it said on the documents, in reality if the wolves or him took in anyone with a bounty that could be claimed off system Aldea security would get to collect on the bounties and there could be a name to put on the records to create a cover of something that wasn't a group of Federation Tac-conn pilots running security.  In short being this mercenary created just the right amount of plausible deniability for Aldea to have just what they needed on paper to create a false record of who was disabling these pirates with bounties that happened to be captured in the sector.

If this was what he was listed as on the books that meant that on the surface or in the spaceport he had to carry himself in the right way that no one would question that the Starfleet officer was instead just some freelance merc pilot who cared for nothing but the pay.  And to sell this look he had replicated himself exactly what he needed, A old worn and distressed outfit made from a pilot's uniform from his days in his people's civil war.  The Vulpinian wore no traditional shirt but instead, because of his more bestial form, fur covered his chest, he paired the clothing of his own fur with a Charcoal gray jacket not much unlike the kind of leather bomber jackets worn by some aviators of mid 20'th century Earth.  From the waist down he wore a rather worn-in gunmetal blue pair of pants that were once part of a flight suit along with military style flight boots fitted to the anatomy of Vulpinian feet.

As he walked the glass walkway he too contemplated the direction his own life had taken.  Years in a civil war that only grew more and more violent due to the manipulation of a group of Ferengi arms dealers playing both sides, his years in service to his unified people as they made their first steps to the stars, his years alongside the Federation as the Dominion war brought chaos to his world in a new war, and then his service within the Federation that brought him to the time and place where he had to do the unthinkable and betray that very Federation in order to attempt to save it from an enemy within.  All of this though served to do one thing above all else.  it served to take him further and further from what he had known for far longer than anything else, his true home.  not just far from home but far from others like him.  Sure there was another of his species on-board the Theurgy  But she had not lived her life on his home world and as such in that way he was still without another of his own kind.  He was still in that way the lone fox among a pack of wolves of many species.

The Vulpinian approached the El-Aurian and leaned forward on one of the rails as he overlooked the horizon.  Remaining silent and in his own thoughts for the moment thinking he recognized the person near him but couldn't place the face.  After all he had only been "Home" for so long and he still was not as familiar with the updated roster of crew and civilians on board the ship yet.


Re: SD 57563.87: Fragility

Reply #2 –
[Zyrao Natauna -Klingon Liaison | Silent as a Fox | Home at Last | Reprieve from Space]
@Iron Ferrox



Things had changed in her absence.

It had been some time since she had been able to step foot on Aldea because she was often gone and away with the Hakkarl.  She didn't really miss the ship so much as she missed the people.  Her friends, the Klingon family that had adopted her, she didn't miss the Captain so much as he had been nothing more than a means to an end for her.  However, it was still odd to be back on her old stopping grounds.  She still had her place, and she had been there, because it was hers.  She still needed to go through her things so that she could decide what to take with her on the Theurgy when she returned to her new position. 

Another joined her, though not her specifically, but her spot.  Against the railing, her eyes shifted slightly to the side to take in the furred man that was standing beside her.  He didn't say anything, and so she assumed that he might wish to actually be on his own.  She had no idea who he was, having not seen him before, she had been busy since the Theurgy.  She didn't know if he was from the planet or the ship, but it didn't really matter.  He was just enjoying the view of the city as much as she was.  This city, this home, there were so few places she could call home. 

She was quiet for a while, not really deciding it was necessary to talk to the complete stranger beside her. 

“Drinks!  Fresh brewed drinks!  New recipies added weekly, don't miss the chance to try our limited edition Sunset Salvation!” called a man pushing a hover cart over the glassed walkways.  Yelling out about selling his wares.  Zyrao turned and rose her brow at the garrishly painted cart.  Bright yellows and pinks with hints of white blared out of the cart, and the umbrella above it had some kind of under lighting that made it almost glow.  There were spouts above and obviously the tanks underneath.  On the side were colored rainbow cups with the company logo on them which could not be missed.

“What an eye sore.” she said to herself as her grey eyes took it in.  Still, she could use a drink.  She rose her hand and the eager greedy eyes of the salesman filled with delight as he steered his cart over towards where Zyrao stood.  “Give me your.. whatever it is.” she stated trading the credits for products.

“Sunset Salvation!” he said with delight as something warm, yellow, and somewhat thicker than she initially imaged was liberated from the spout and into one of the rainbow cups. 

“Right right.” she said. 

She was handed the cup that now had a lid hiding it's garish liquid.  A small hole in the side would allow the drink to slither out onto her tongue when she was ready.  The salesman looked over at the large Fox-like man.  “Sir!  Would you like to try the Sunset Salvation, there's nothing like it in all of Aldea.. or the universe!”

Re: SD 57563.87: Fragility

Reply #3 –
[ Miles Renard (Cover identity: Todd MacLeod: Freelancer Pilot)  | Glassed Walkways | Aldea Prime]  @BZ 

Miles heard the cart approaching from the distance or rather the voice calling from it. His ears instinctively perked a bit at the noise and hearing it was related to food or drink he seemed to reflexively inhale, a sort of inborn reaction to try and discern the scent of whatever was being offered even from a distance.  as the cart approached Miles sighed softly to himself, He watched as the other looked over the object deciding whether to patronize the dealer, himself trying to make the same decision.  He didn't know if the person selling was hocking a ware of his own creation and trying to sell it up or if he was just a cog working for a larger planet-side entity.  Either way it didn't really matter, he had decided to get one if only to try something new as it were.  "Sure, what the hell." he said exchanging the the drink for a few of the local credits he was given to spend.

He was somewhat surprised when he took the cup not expecting the warmth though now that he thought of it the man had called it fresh brewed so he really shouldn't have been surprised.  He supposed the reason he was expecting something cold in his mind were the color of the fluid and the cart it came from.    He nodded to the man as he left then smiled looking to his to his companion by proximity.  "so... is it just me or do neither of us have a clue what the hell we just bought?  Well I mean aside for it being a "Sunset Salvation!"  he said the name in an exaggerated impersonation of the vendor adding. "An experience unlike anything previously known to Aldean! Human! Klingon! or any other being in the Galaxy!" he added in the same faux exuberance raising the cup in an impersonation of the  Shakespearean 'Hamlet with the skull' pose further exaggerating the vendor's exuberance. 

Obviously there was a certain mockery in the impersonation, but in a certain way way he couldn't help but admire the vendor's zeal.  He didn't know if the man had developed the drink on his own and had that zeal out of heartfelt passion for his own creation.  If he was just an enthusiastic salesperson. Of if the guy had merely been faking that zeal as a lowly salesperson shilling a drink created by some corporation native to Aldea or even possibly elsewhere.  Nevertheless, he couldn't help but in a certain way admire the ethics of the man's salesmanship, just not enough to think that by purchasing the drink he didn't earn the right to jest at his expense as well.

Re: Day 03 [1200 hrs.] Fragility

Reply #4 –
[Zyrao Natauna – As Herself | Settling in the Soul | Odd Conversations | Odder Drinks | A Bit of Common Ground]
@Iron Ferrox



Zyrao looked over at the man that stood there beside her.  She hadn't really paid any attention to him before.  But, now that he was speaking directly to her, she supposed spurred on by the mutual purchasing of the same beverage, she felt the need to actually give him attention.  She had been so taken back by the beauty of home and the city that had taken her back.  The changes in the skyline as the city had been rebuilt.  The technology, the beautiful glassed walkways allowing people to always have a view of their surroundings and the beauty of the golden planet.  She had missed the golden hues while she was in the darkness of space and underneath the glow of artificial lighting.  There was nothing that could quite replace the bronze color of the sand, the water, the buildings glistening in the light no matter if it was waning or waxing. 

Zyrao looked down at the cup in question that was still held into her hand.  A bit of a quirk of her lips showed her amusement at the man calling out Sunset Salvation even after the cart and vendor had gone on his marry way calling his wares further down the glassed walkway.  “It does make one wonder if there was some sort of naming competition.  Sunset Salvation, it's quite... potent for a drink.” she thought for a moment as she leaned down and inhaled the scent of the warm liquid within the cup.  Twisting the top of the cup which aligned the external hole with the internal which would allow the drink to come through.

“Well, if I die, then you know it's poison and not to partake yourself.” she stated simply as she pressed the plastic cup to her lips and tilted it back slightly.  Taking a mouthful of the fluid she pulled the cup away and allowed it to sit on her tongue for a moment.  Then she smiled and turned back to the view of the city while her throat swallowed the thick liquid. 

It was pleasant though.  Warm, thick, but not too thick.  It was like a spiced tea but there was a bit of bitterness to the end that was infused with something that was sweet.  So while odd, it was actually pleasing and new.  Different.  Zyrao doubted that she would make a habit of actually consuming something like this too often, or probably ever again, she was a woman of the tea.  There was no need to partake in another kind of beverage when the right one had already been created thousands of years ago. 

“Different.  Not bad, nothing that will make me repurchase either, but I would not waste the drink to the garbage.” she gave a bit of a shrug, it was the only kind of review that it was going to get from her at this point.  She took another sip but didn't hold it this time allowing her mouth and throat to work together to push the fluid into her stomach.  It set heavily here, almost like a shake or meal, and she wondered just what the intake was on something like this.  I'll have to hit the gym later.. she sighed mentally and looked out over the beautiful city.

“The sun is almost just right.” she said more to herself than him, but talking loud enough that he could hear her and comment if he wished.  “Once it reaches a certain low spot in the sky, the whole city lights up from it's rays.  The light bounces off the buildings and onto other buildings, and it is like the whole thing is this living and breathing entity.  Just for a brief few moments, but … in those moments, it's perfection.”

Re: Day 03 [1200 hrs.] Fragility

Reply #5 –
[ Miles Renard (Cover identity: Todd MacLeod: Freelancer Pilot)  | Glassed Walkways | Aldea Prime] @BZ

The Vulpinian nodded in response to her observation on the naming.  He took in the drinks scent again, as she took her first sip and he did the same.  He was noticing similar notes to it that she was and once he swallowed he would have agreed but liking the bitter and thick aspects of it to a greater extent, though he could have done without the sweetness.

When her spoken thoughts turned to the scenery. He couldn't help but take in the view she was describing.  It had yet to approach that zenith of the perfect moment of sunset she had described but he could certainly appreciate the approach towards it.  "One of the few perks about being a merc... there's always a new moment of natural beauty to admire. Still one does always miss the view one has of home.  I had always thought of what my world’s norm was as what must have been the norm for the entirety of the universe.  Being out amongst the other stars... it puts into perspective just how unique something as simple as one’s own world’s sunset truly is." He said musing a bit.

His thoughts soon turned to his home world though; his people more so and though he often had not thought of them before in this way his comrades and even a few who had become close friends.  Had this infestation that they fought against infiltrated his government as it had the Federation’s, or were his kind too minor of players in the grand scheme for his enemy to even consider the need to infiltrate them?  There were so many things he felt a certain want and need to worry over regarding his people’s role to play in this whole ordeal, but in the end he knew there was no use in the worry as it would make no difference.  Instead all he could do was what he could from his place on the ship at the forefront of the battle.



Re: Day 03 [1200 hrs.] Fragility

Reply #6 –
[Zyrao Natauna | Among the Stars | Home is Calling | Back Where I Belong | Leaving Again so Soon]
@Iron Ferrox



Zyrao stood there sipping the drink.  Her eyes watching the city.  People were milling about having a good life.  Going from one spot to another.  From work to home, or vice versa.  It was the kind of life that most people lived, she had never truly been interested in it.  Perhaps when she was younger, when she was a young soldier on El-Auria.  Perhaps then, she would have liked to find a man to settle down with and make a family.  But, then, she had never really wanted children and even now that didn't seem like something she would want to do.  She wasn't even sure if she was the kind of woman that would settle down, ever, with one person.  But, it didn't matter she was the sort that would take life as it came and not push herself to do more than that.  So, there was no reason to rush or push herself into something she wasn't even sure she wanted.

At this moment, just living was enough.

The man beside her spoke talking about how as a mercenary he was privy to many beautiful things in the universe but there was nothing quite like home.  She gave a wry smirk for a moment.  She was a mercenary, she supposed, of a kind.  But, then she had never really consistently gone from one thing to another. 

“Seeing different worlds keeps life interesting.  I'm far too restless to be the sort to stay in any one place too long.  However, coming home, coming here, settles my soul in a way that being out there does not.  Or rather, not that it leaves a void, but it fills a different one.  I think for me, I need a nice balance of the both.” she admitted as she finished off her drink.

It had been good enough, but she didn't plan to buy it again, it wasn't good enough for that.  Perhaps she would find someone to share it with at some point but, she would rather stick with the tea that she knew and liked the best.  Still, for now, she held the empty cup.  She needed to find a trash receptacle for it and probably would when she headed down to the city streets below.

“How long have you been doing mercenary work?”

Re: Day 03 [1200 hrs.] Fragility

Reply #7 –
[ Miles Renard (Cover identity: Todd MacLeod: Freelancer Pilot)  | Glassed Walkways | Aldea Prime] @BZ

He listened as took in the drink watching the movements of the city, hearing her as she talked about her balance between a home life and a life away.  In the time silent Miles contemplated his cover story what he could say how alike his life and his alias's would be.  Soon his test in maintaining that cover came as she asked about his time as a mercenary. 

"How long, well by the Federation’s standards I’d say a little over 10 Earth years. But that's just because I was going stir-crazy on the Homeworld after the civil war ended.  I mean sure I'm happy that the war’s over and all but when you've a fighter pilot for 20 years already even a year of peace can be a long time and by three of 'em I used what military retirement I had been given bought me a fighter from the old war, docked it to a Ferengi trader that wanted an escort on their trip to Terok-nor, ya know just in case the Bajoran resistance decided it looked like something they wanted to capture.” 

“Since then I've been going wherever the job takes me.  Got lumped in with the Klingon Empire doing some escorting jobs on Imperial freighters a bit before the Dominion war and since then I've been mostly doing escort and patrol work in regions that are less under the Empire's rule and more under their protection.  My contact in the empire told me about this planet said it needed some patrol pilots and they would provide the ship so I didn't have to worry about getting mine damaged.  Add to that if I dusted someone with a bounty or disabled them I'd get the lion’s share of the bounty.  Seemed like pretty steady work with potential for a few decent paydays so now I'm here."  He explained taking a few sips of the drink between sentences until his was gone as well.



Re: Day 03 [1200 hrs.] Fragility

Reply #8 –
[Zyrao Natauna | Peace is Always Preferred | War is Never Good | Soldiers Never Change]
@Iron Ferrox



He began to explain about how he had been gone for a little bit over 10 Earth Years.  Zyrao had never been to Earth and had not, until now, been even part of the Federation.  Even as she stood now she doubted that she was truly part of the Federation but instead a Liaison between them and the Klingon to whom she truly belonged.  She hoped that she would one day feel comfortable returning to them again, but, she wasn't sure what she wanted in life.  She had been with the Klingon so long they had begun to feel like her family, her people.  They were her people and Martok was the head of the house she represented.  She hoped, that wouldn't change, as she liked the older Klingon though without his stupid son to bridge the gap any more she wasn't sure they would have as much in common.

It was then that Zyrao realized that he had continued to speak to her, and he was talking about how stir crazy he was after the war had ended.   She supposed, in one way, she could understand that, but in another she couldn't.  She had, when she lived on El-Auria only wanted peace.  Only wanted to finish the Borg or run them off, but instead she had not just lost people but she had lost her entire planet.  Her race, her kind, her people.

He began to talk about how he started working with the Klingon empire, doing some escorting.  Her brow rose, because she had been with the Klingon for a long time and had never seen him. Though the Empire were large, she imagined that they would have run across each other's paths at some point.  Though, she chose not to call him out on it, as she didn't really care.  If he wanted to make up a fantastic story to tell some woman that he was standing next to about, he could do that.  It was harmless really as long as he didn't go about proclaiming that he belonged to a house only to get that shoved in his face in a very painful and final way.

“Well I hope you continue to find work. The Klingon can always use a good hard worker.” she said with a shrug of her shoulder and she pushed off of the glassed railing and gave a sigh.  “Speaking of work though, I should get back, mounds of paper work, and I intend to hit the gym later.  It was good speaking with you, I hope your travels fair you well.” she said with a small wave of her hand Zyrao Natauna headed down the glassed walkway towards the city itself.  She did need to get to work, and she had a mission to hand pick people for.  She needed to get that figured out first, and to make sure that Dewitt was on board as well with her choices. 

- FIN
 
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