Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

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Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

June 11, 2019, 04:26:30 PM

Earlier That Day

"That is close enough to what my brother said that I believe you Commander," Samala said to the woman on the screen. After reading the PADD she had recovered from her brother's cell, Samala had been both confused and angry at her brother's actions. After rereading it again, those emotions had only intensified until her fury had caused her to seek out the gym again and run until she was exhausted. She had been too angry the day before to do anything; instead having avoided everyone. After another night of restless sleep, she had once again read her brother's recounts of the 3 days’ she was in stasis; this time trying to frame them from his point of view.

"Once again, I thank you for taking the time to reply to this message. I just have a few more questions if you have the time."

[Of course, Samala. You've found me at an opportune moment - between meetings with Aldean officials,] said Dewitt to the young Reman hybrid, smiling to her even though her eyes were a bit weary. Not because of Lorad's sister, but all the mitigations of risks and advocating the Theurgy's needs at every turn. Right then, however, her focus was devoted to the woman in front of her.

"How was my brother acting during the time you were with him?" Samala asked, hoping to get some idea about Lorad's emotional state. "My brother's account of that time is rather, dispassionate, to say the least."

[He was deeply concerned for you. Perhaps he might have distanced himself from his emotions because he feared for your survival. Perhaps he hid his emotions towards us in the crew, putting on a stoic mien. I don't know. All I know is that I made a promise towards him - and you - on behalf of this crew, and you will get the cloak back. Furthermore, we will of course not divulge the cloaking technology to the Romulans, much less the particle sensors we used to detect the Apache. I know the former Commander by the name Trent may have put additional demands on Lorad, but I am unaware of the extent of those. If either of those demands are a concern, I will speak with Ives and make sure those are dismissed.]

"He should never have given you the cloak in the first place,” Samala thought to herself as she went over what the flame-haired woman had said to her. As far as she could tell, Commander Dewitt hadn’t lied to her; her recount of events matching Lorad’s accurately without being a direct recital. But it still didn’t give her the answers that she wanted. “Why did you give up the cloak, brother? After everything you taught me, why?”

"Thank you for your time today, Commander Dewitt. And for the offer to organise some assistance with repairs to the Apache," Samala acknowledged the Starfleet officer. "You have given me much to think about regarding my brother and what he has done. Be Well."

[Of course. Take care of yourself. Dewitt, out.]

Present

Samala sat at the top of the ramp, looking out across the shuttle bay as Starfleeters scurried about doing this and that while eating from a tray of food. It was one of the few good things about being on the Theurgy; food that wasn’t from a ration pack. And sitting at the top of the ramp afforded her some protection from the bright overhead lights of the bay. She may have been only half Reman but she was still uncomfortable being in bright lights for too long. She much preferred the dim interior of the Apache.

She had a few mouthfuls left of her lunch when a woman dressed in a Gold version of the Starfleet uniform stopped at the base of the ramp and looked up at her. Samala eyed the woman for a moment, wondering which of them would speak first. Her annoyance at having her lunch interrupted though won out and she set her tray aside.

“You’re interrupting my lunch Starfleeter,” Samala growled unkindly. “What is it now that you want to take from my ship?”

OOC: Thank you to @Auctor Lucan for providing speech from Dewitt.

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #1 – June 26, 2019, 12:56:44 AM

When Sinead had heard about the Remans and their unique ship, she hadn't immediately taken off to have a look at the ship as much as she wanted to, due to duties, injuries or one reason or another. But two days later found her with some free time on her hands and the lack of drive to continue another routine of meditations and punishing an innocent punching bag with her lethality of combat forms sent her over to the Reman ship, but not empty handed. She was hoping to meet the owners of the ship, to talk to them, get to know them, and over time, perhaps, if they came to trust her, and she them, they could learn to work together.

To that end, she'd taken to studying about Remans, what little data was available in the archives. Her unique experience and learning with the Vulcans gave her a parallel associative understanding about Romulans and a little about Remans, yet, she was still surprised by a number of things that she discovered from the archives.

There seemed to be no way to approach most Remans diplomatically. Her only hope was that these two were somewhat more friendly or receptive to friendliness and don't perceive it as a sign of weakness. There was also the matter of their telepathic capabilities. Sinead wasn't worried overmuch about that since she was already incapable of lying and tended to speak her mind, but it did present challenges nonetheless, since she would only be able to guess based on what she saw, and what her experiences on dealing with people would tell her. It wasn't too bad in all honesty, and she came bearing gifts. Hopefully, they liked gifts. Or this would go sour very quickly.

Slinging her bag of "Goodies Meant For Remans" over her shoulder, she had made her way to the Shuttle Bay and paused at the ramp of the craft, where she saw one of occupants, though she didn't quite look how she expected. In fact, she looked more like a...expressive Vulcan, for lack of a better description. She had taken in the accounts of the various Vectors during the separation right after she, Jien and several crew members had been abducted by the Savi, and she had a good idea about what prompted the woman's angry query, along with her mealtime being interrupted. Perhaps she should have approached later or earlier. But it would be better to just get going now, “I do no' intend t' be takin' anythin' from yer ship,” said Sinead in her usual sing-song inflection, “p'haps a moment o' yer time if yeh be willin'.”

She remained where she stood before the ramp, where she would stay until invited to approach. “I am Lieutenant Junior-Grade Sinead O'Riley from Bringloid Five. Did yeh get yer food from th' replicators?” She fixed the woman with her silvery-blue almost-glowing eyes, studying her with curiosity.

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #2 – July 06, 2019, 02:56:54 AM

Samala had been ‘listening’ while she had been eating. That is, she had opened her mind up enough to listen in on the very highest of surface thoughts of those around her, practicing what she had been taught about hearing without being heard. The technique was explained easily enough; you opened your mind enough to hear everything that those who weren’t telepathic were thinking about as they went about their day. Samala had learnt pretty early on that non-telepaths tended to think loudly as they had no clue how not to. One of the reasons why telepaths tended to go insane without training.

So when this woman, this Lieutenant Junior-Grade Sinead O’Riley from Bringloid Five, approached her with a bag over her shoulder, Samala couldn’t help but do the same to her. And what she ‘heard’ surprised her. Despite visual appearances, the woman’s surface thoughts were a turbulent mess of pain, fear, regret and uncertainty; so much so that Samala actually closed of her mind to retreat from the storm of emotions.

“Impressive,” Samala thought to herself as she regarded Sinead with different eyes. “Despite everything happening in her mind, for whatever reason, she is still able to appear calm. This Sinead O’Riley is surprising. I wonder what else there is to discover about her.”

“I did get the food from the Replicator,” Samala confirmed. She’d been sick of the food on the Apache and wanted something different so she had walked up to it and ordered, just like she had seen everyone else do. “I assumed guests were allowed to eat. And I don’t like surprises so before I give you a moment of my time, what’s in the bag?”

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #3 – July 07, 2019, 10:06:10 AM

A fair inquiry and curiosity, all things considered, thought Sinead as she slowly swung the bag around and held them in front of her with both hands. In all honesty, the bag was more of a fancy burlap sack with the designs of her people in every form: practicality, durability, and functional quality. Her eyes suddenly became keener, and she fixed the Reman, or half-Reman woman with a piercing gaze. She couldn't be certain, but for a moment, she felt something oddly nostalgic or familiar. Vulcans were touch telepaths, but Betazoids, Deltans, Remans and a number of races were capable or reading minds at a distance. And aware of the fact, she wondered if perhaps she had just been psi-scanned. Not everyone had the same restraint, or perhaps held idle curiosity. If that had just happened, they would have sensed all the things that Sinead had learned from Vulcans and the teachings of Surak to bury beneath. All the true emotions she felt.

As a Bringloidi, she felt a lot. Possibly more. The Dominion War certainly didn't help matters.

“Gifts from meh,” said Sinead evenly, betraying no feelings one way or another, but her voice was gentle, quiet, “some o' the materials were replicated, but I made or grew most else.”

She knelt down and lowered the simple-yet-sturdy sack to the ground, exposing much of the contents within. She had a bottle of rapid-aged poitín, brewed on board the Theurgy itself by herself. She labeled it Chateau Sinead (take that, Klingon bastards. Drown in Bringloid's finest!). There was a fragrant octagonal parcel that was still warm, containing a chicken meat pie. She prepared and baked virtually everything by hand, making the crispy pastry, the mix of vegetables which included peas, potatoes, sliced carrots and spring onions in fine gravy and filling it, then storing it in a special Bringloidi packaging that kept the pie hot long after it had been removed from the oven. She also had four smaller bottles of fruit juices, again made by herself, non-alcoholic, and perfect for picnics or a field outing. Then lastly, she had some strange glowing crystals, which were from her own collection, or rather replicated copies using all the same ingredients and contents as the originals, and two very balanced gleaming knives with retractable blades.

She was still at the base of the ramp, and from this angle, Samala would be able to see every single item in the sack. Sinead was certain there had been a slight change in the woman's expression, but she betrayed nothing of her own. At present, aside from the usual turmoil within her, the auburn-haired woman was curious, and hopeful of making peace with the two Remans. If she could achieve that, then...that would be good. Logically, that would be good for the crew as a whole. It wouldn't do to alienate and anger their few potential allies or friends in this time. And as she understood it, they had already done plenty to offend their guests. It was time to give rather than take. “I no be wantin' anything more than fer yeh to have all these, fer yeh enjoyhment. reckon this be better tastin' than any replicated meal.”

She began to describe the gifts, and their purposes and uses. The sack itself was a gift, what with the straps and string for various methods of carrying, and sturdy too. The food and beverages didn't need explanation (and hopefully they weren't allergic to anything), the crystals she explained them to be souvenirs from her own home. She found they brought her comfort, and while foreign and possibly meaningless to Remans, maybe the knowledge of what they did for Sinead would somehow bring its own comfort to them. The knives were something borne of the merged cultures of the Mariposans and Bringloidi, and they were versatile in purposes, since they could be used as tools or weapons and were very easily concealed, not to mention so well balanced they could work as projectiles. She remained in a kneeling position, looking up wonderingly at Samala.

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #4 – July 25, 2019, 05:41:00 PM

Samala was nervous. After a month of being constantly armed, even when it was just herself and her brother on the Apache, being unarmed had her nervous; more so with a stranger at the base of the ramp unpacking a bag. Worse, she couldn’t risk monitoring Sinead’s mind because the Bringloid’s thoughts were too turbulent for her to focus on properly.

“I need to practice more. No matter where I am or what weapons I am allowed to have, I have myself, in body and mind. I need to hone both,” Samala told herself as she watched Sinead begin to unpack the bag, revealing its contents one thing at a time. It wasn’t long before the smell coming from the package reached her nose and made her mouth water despite the meal she had been eating before. “That smells good,” Samala noted as she wondered about the use of the crystals. And then came the best bit, in her opinion; a pair of knives with retractable blades.

“Now those I can find a use for,” Samala considered as she listened to Sinead begin to explain everything that she had brought. She had initially considered just suffering through the exchange to get the knives but found herself instead listening, and reacting, to the woman’s words and her seemingly honest and good-natured attempt to be friendly. She had made most of the gifts herself and was offering her a part of her own home to the hybrid. And that was something that Samala could understand. She had no home to return to. As Sinead finished her explanations, Samala looked down at the Bringloidi where she knelt and admitted to herself that perhaps not all the Starfleeters were bad.

“I’ll be honest,” Samala began, truthfully being honest. “I do not know what to say to this. I wasn’t expecting this kind of reaction from anyone here,” Samala admitted. She considered what else to say to the woman, but nothing came to mind easily so she went with her gut instead. And it wanted food.

“Why don’t you bring the food up here and we can share it. I’ve already eaten some and you deserve to enjoy your own food as well,” Samala suggested, trying to be nice. “I don’t know what I can offer you in return for this either. All I have is the Apache and what’s inside. And even that is in disrepair.”

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #5 – August 06, 2019, 12:14:00 AM

The whole time as she spoke, Sinead studied Samala's expressions and reactions, but kept here expression mild and cool. It seemed that both of them were feeling the other out with what skills or abilities they had. Moreover, her response made the Bringloidi frown ever so slightly, and she wondered if their sense of hospitality had been lacking if Samala had not seen any friendly gestures or she simply had a minimum of exposure to the crew thus far...

Then again, there were people like Meony or Dyan Cardamone.

She managed the barest hints of a smile when the woman decided to invite her up. That was an improvement, and what Sinead was hoping for, so she gently scooped up the gifts in the sack and slowly walked up. She settled down across from Samala and looked intently at her as she spoke, her silvery-blue eyes became more obviously bright under the reduced lighting of the Apache, until they were nearly glowing. The Bringloidi responded as she unpacked the meal that she brought with her, “I do no' expect nothin' in return for wha' I brought yeh. This be me gift. If it do be makin' yeh even a little happier, I be considerin' it all th' return I wouldh be needin'h.”

She shared out the portions of the food, and cracked open the bottles, leaving one for the male occupant of the vessel should he appear or return from wherever he was. Looking at the ship from within, she could see that it did indeed show signs of being...lived in, for an extended period. Her interest in the ship's design and her desire to understand the vessel began to show in her thoughts, her mind and even her expression, which went from its usual blank slate to one of curiosity and interest. “Wi' wha' we have in th' Theurgy, yeh shoul' be able t' get th' Apache back int' shape, an' anythin' we don' have available, I reckon can be foundh on Aldea. This be a fine ship. One, I daresay, has served yeh well.”

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #6 – August 18, 2019, 10:22:17 AM

“It has saved our lives more times than I care to admit,” Samala confirmed, looking around at the cargo hold. So much of her life in the past few weeks had occurred on this ship, most of it either in the cockpit or here in the hold, that the Apache had essentially become her new home. But thinking that way also served to remind her what had been done to ‘her home’; and by her brother as well. “And you don’t need to leave a bottle for my brother, he won’t be joining us if he knows what’s good for him.”

“You want to know more about the Apache,” Samala stated, not having need of her telepathy to see the curiosity and interest on the Bringloidi’s face. The way her eyes glowed in the shadowy hold was also of interest to the half-breed given her own penchant for the dark. “And yes, most of what I need to repair the damage is available here on your ship as you have said. I doubt I’ll need to go down to the planet for anything, assuming I was even allowed too.”

“The hardest part of the repairs will be constructing and aligning a new cloaking device. The original one from this ship is now in your possession and has been thoroughly butchered almost beyond recognition. About all I can salvage from that will be the core programming,” Samala explained, managing not to glance at the deck hatch that covered where the cloak would go. She also realised that it wouldn’t matter if she did; the Starfleeters obviously removed the cloak from the Apache, so they knew where it belonged. “It will just take time is all. Probably about a month or so to get everything rebuilt if I work whenever I’m not sleeping. Assuming I can get what I need.”

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #7 – September 13, 2019, 01:57:41 AM

Sinead's gaze betrayed nothing, but she was curious by the insinuations implied by Samala's statement regarding her brother. There seemed to be some kind of falling out between the siblings, which explained his absence here. She wanted to ask about it, but decided to file it away into the chaos of the rest of her mind. It wasn't going to do anything but antagonize her new friend, and it was far too soon to pry into such matters. Besides, she had enough drama of her own to deal with, she certainly didn't need someone else's adding on over hers. Even in a group as tight-knit as the former Resolve crew, tensions could arise without warning.

She nodded ever so slightly at Samala's statement. Of course she wanted to know more about a new ship. She wouldn't be an engineer if she wasn't interested in learning about a ship. A Reman ship was a chance in a lifetime and she wasn't going to let it go without studying as much as Samala was willing to show her. But she looked slightly surprised when the Reman declared that she wasn't sure she was allowed to visit Aldea. As far as she could tell, the woman was free, a guest of the Theurgy. What reason would anyone have to confine her aboard?

“I can be o' help there,” said Sinead, as she took a bite of a portion of the food she brought, and watched the woman thoughtfully, “I do be sorry t'know tha' we had taken yer cloak an' butchered it. I just need some time, and a list o' what yeh need, an' whatever yeh be willin' to share wi' me abou' th' vessel, we kin have a brand new cloak workin' an' ready in no time. If yeh woul' like, I can clear it wi' th' quartermaster t' let yeh visit Aldea. I be hearin' 'tis quite beautiful.”

She looked away thoughtfully, then brought her focus back on Samala, and questioned her about the ship, “This vessel, it be runnin' on an artihficial quantumh singularityh warp core?”

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #8 – September 20, 2019, 05:22:21 PM

“It does,” Samala confirmed seeing no point in denying it. A simple scan with a standard tricorder would have told her companion as much. And Samala was certain that they had scanned it with much more than that singular basic device. And this consideration brought about Samala’s next decision. How much to tell the Bringloidi. Doubtless this ship had detailed scans of the Apache, including its cloak, so was there really a point in hiding anything anymore. And it would be out of spite and nothing else. No, if she wanted help to fix her ship, Samala knew that she had to play nice, at least a little bit.

“The design of the Hawks, which the Apache is one of, is based off of the plans of a Danube-class runabout,” Samala began, choosing to start at the beginning. “I don’t know how the Tal Shiar came by the plans, but we obtained them through sympathetic Romulans. Rare, but very helpful at times. We took the designs and modified them to better suit our needs. Heavier weapons and armour profile, more spartan accommodations and an alternate power source, among other things.”

“The core itself is based off of a modified Kestral-class scout design,” Samala continued. “It was the only one that came close to the right size without too much research being done. Something for which my brothers and sisters are not equipped for. It’s a struggle just to build these ships,” Samala admitted. “But they are tough, powerful in their own way, and relatively easy to service and maintain. What they can’t outshoot, they can either outrun or simply hide from.”

“That said, besides the core programming and a few specific items, all I need is access to an industrial replicator,” Samala described. “Help would make the repairs go faster but I can do it all myself if I have to. And as for the planet, you don’t think that someone like me is going to stand out? I am rather unique,” Samala pointed out, smiling to emphasise her most glaring difference.

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #9 – November 12, 2019, 08:22:25 PM

Sinead nodded and committed to memory whatever she was being told for data entry later, the information was invaluable and the Bringloidi had ideas to share whatever she learnt with her people in New Mariposa. They were building up their own fleet, and the details would go a long way to improving their R&D. But all that could wait. Sinead took the moment to appraise the young woman before her when she inquired about her unique appearance. “Nae,” said Sinead, “yeh can blend in wi' minimal effort.”

She gestured at the parts as she spoke, “Yeh eyes kin be attributed t' heavy makeup, yeh ears kin be hidden wi' yer hair, an' yeh kin hide th' brow wi' a headband or scarf. If yeh didna smile too often, no one woul'h notice th' teeth, but fangs be no tha' uncommon even amongst humans.”

She looked at the Reman woman, and bared her teeth, showing uniquely sharp fangs and fairly perfect teeth. “Me people were descended from humans, but many o' us have longer'n normal fangs. Me fangs tha' yeh nowh see are medical replacements. I lost mine when I was imprisoned by Nausicaans. They be no' appreciatin' tha' I kept bitin' them, so they pulled out me fangs first, wi' their hands. I broke me wrist t' slip out o' th' manacles, then killed them all.” She didn't speak in a tone that indicated boasting, but merely reporting exactly what happened as she remembered it. She'd blacked out after she escaped the holding cells, and came to on the bridge, now with a broken leg, clavicle, and a mangled arm, and not a single Nausicaan was left alive.

“Are yeh affected by bright sunlight?” she asked, remembering Reman sensitivity to light and heat, much like she and her kind were similarly affected. “we couldh go at evenin' or even night time t' minimize discomfort if necessary, and it be easier t' blend in too.”

Studying the vessel again, the auburn-haird woman considered Samala's living conditions and asked, “If yeh intendh t' stay here more'n any of our quarters, p'haps, yeh wouldh like t' get some comforts and luxuries too? 'tis now th' best chance t' do that while we can.”

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #10 – November 20, 2019, 12:15:29 AM

Samala’a assertion of her uniqueness didn’t seem to faze the Bringoldi in the slightest; the woman dismissing her statement at face value and proceeding to point out exactly what she could do to disguise or hide the more distinctive features that she possessed. And the worst, and perhaps best, part; Sinead O’Riley made it sound so simple. That she could go for a walk on the surface of Aldea with practically no one the wiser.

“I can go out into the sunlight. The brightness of it will make me uncomfortable but I can cope with it,” Samala explained casually. In that way, being a hybrid was a blessing. Unlike her Reman brothers and sisters, sunlight was merely uncomfortable for her whereas to them it was painful or outright debilitating. Even her brother, a Reman from the twilight region of Remus and thus much more adapted to sunlight couldn’t stay in it directly for very long. “If I can shade my eyes then it won’t bother me at all.”

“I don’t know whether I am going to stay or go. At the moment my goal is to fix my ship. After that, I figure that I will go back to what we, my brother and I, were going to do originally; find the Remans settled in Klingon space and live with them. Free.” Of course, that had been the plan before she had found out what her brother had done. Now she was of a mind to leave him here and go on alone. But he was also the only family she had left.

“How about we take this one step at a time?” Samala offered. “We can work on fixing my ship, that is, if you want to help, and maybe go down to the planet. If I am allowed to.”

Re: Day 02 [1300 hrs.] Lending A Hand

Reply #11 – December 07, 2019, 01:38:44 AM

Sinead nodded and offered the tiniest hints of a smile before slipping back into her usual mask of a neutral expression. “Aye, that do be a logical course of action,” said Sinead evenly, “yeh are most certainly allowed to. I will see to it. As fer fixin' this ship, if yeh will have me, I will render all my strength an' ability t' help yeh.”

She had accomplished what she set out to do, so as far as Sinead was concerned, this was a roaring success, not that she was one given to celebration or even the feeling of jubilation. There was a lot of work to be done. No vessel was built to withstand the pressures of space travel for too long. Wear and tear, battle damage, structural fatigue, and the resource consumption of passengers all took a toll on any vessel. Thea was certainly proof of this issue. On a smaller ship that had been in travel for a long time showed the cost and fatigue even more quickly. Sinead was good at her job, and she had an eye for the minute details. Though she was unfamiliar with the durability of Reman designs, she could make a list of what Samala would need to make her ship as close to tip-top condition again.

The advantage they had was being stationed at Aldea meant they could obtain most of the extra items needed. As much as planet surfaces pained her, the Bringloidi was actually looking forward to setting her feet on solid ground again for a while, as long as she was able to bear it. She heard the planet was warm, which was going to prove absolutely murderous to her heat-sensitive body. But she wasn't just here to get her hands on a new piece of technology. She was here to help her new friend, and she'd endure discomforts if it meant helping a friend in a meaningful way. That was what Bringloidi did.

FIN