Star Trek: Starbase 777

Farrah gave Rehszan a thumbs up as she and the other android took the lead of the away team. She kept her eyes peeled, hoping to see some wildlife she could point out to Thalass, and wanting to be prepared in case something or someone did come out to attack them. She didn't think there would be anyone, but it never hurt to be cautious.

Kya stepped behind them as she held her rifle close. “Everyone stick together, please okay?” She asked sweetly.

Thal followed, looking and listening. Hopefully there weren't any dangers here. They weren't keen on losing their other arm. "I would appreciate it if someone could stay to my right." That was the side where their arm was missing.

Vara'l moved along with the group as he continued to have his tricorder scan for lifesigns. As he moved he continued to visually sweep their surroundings on the lookout for anything that happened to be.. interesting or constituted a threat. When Lieutenant Commander Pok proceeded to speak again, Vara'l idly noted their words and continued to walk, to keep a look out as he walked. When Thalass made their request, Vara'l moved over to the Lieutenants right as they'd requested.

Rehszan chuckled out loud, he couldn't help himself. He and Farrah alone were enough to fill almost the whole path, and their combined muscle and weight in metal was probably enough for 3-4 people. The notion that the Lieutenant Commander Pok was so concerned about seemed... a little silly to him. He didn't say that out loud, though. Being cautious made sense. "Yes sir!"

Five jogged to catch up, fidgeting idly with their toolbox. This place had a melancholic, mysterious sort of beauty to it, knowing some sort of tragedy befell the colony and being about to uncover the depths of it..

He found himself in the middle of the group. Here, the distant songs of various birds were even more pronounced, but the area around the officers itself was quiet. "Local wildlife isn't used to humanoids, I feel."

Rehszan listened for the buzz of bugs or the twittering of birds nearby. He was keeping an eye out for any bugs or signs of hives. Couldn't help it. "It sounds like it.." he mused aloud.

"I wonder what it's like sometimes, being unbothered by people's tragedies," he continued, voice carefully neutral, eyes somewhere up there in hopes of spotting a bird or two. "Swallowing the history in moss and growth without a second thought, building nests in those hollows... must be nice."

1

"I don't know if they're unbothered, or if they just don't have a choice but to live on," Farrah offered casually. She didn't know what the local flora and fauna experienced from the orbital strike, no matter how peaceful everything looked now.

Kya hummed slightly as she watched the trees for any dangers. “I feel like it’s the latter.” She said with a breath, it’s what Bajorans were good at after all, living on after tragedy.

"A curious perception," Rehszan tagged on. "Despite all the tragedy we face, misery, and otherwise.. Pressing on is the instinct of life, no? It's what connects all living things. To grow and prosper despite it all. Like a plant pushing up through broken concrete."

"True. For them it's another hurdle to overcome, though. With no emotional attachments to that," he continued. "At least as far as we know."

He wrapped a hand around Saren's. "Sometimes I do think it would be nice to return to nature like that. But if I was unbothered by people's tragedies, I would be unable to enjoy certain people's joys."

1

"We, too, have no choice but to live on." They nodded toward their stump of an arm. "We are all walking wounded."

"Ah, yes." His smile saddened a little. "The emotional connection is what makes it all difficult.*

Dagis followed the group along, keeping an eye out for anything untoward. The forest was nice, all things considered.

Following the group along, T'Kastrir kept his tricorder out and scanning, looking for anything that stood out. So far, though, all seemed normal. At least for an alien forest, that is.

"I don't know enough about animals to say whether or not they have emotions, but I bet they hate their home being messed with just as much as anyone else." Wouldn't it be worse for the animals? They couldn't understand why things were the way they were, you couldn't very well describe spaceships and energy weapons and political unrest to them. Intelligent, sentient life could at least understand why things were happening, and use that to explain their situation... or was that all too practical a viewpoint from an android who didn't understand emotion in the first place?

6

She had most definitely always been there, that said Evoras though it would not be too surprising if some of them forgot she was there since she was keeping to the back of the group of people walking down the path. Almost subconsciously she kept going over all the people in the group, making sure all of them were still there. The forest was by far not the most unwelcoming one she had ever encountered. It was not particularly peculiar that people had chosen to settle here.

"Like dragonflies," he added quietly. "Or wasps, or some ants." Not the time, but sure, Rehszan, go ahead.

Kya listened softly. “Yes, like dragonflies.” She said with a small smile, that was….nice to think about somehow.

"Animals have... Different emotions. Some less. It varies." They empathised. They had worked out with their therapist that reconnecting with their emotions would help them mentally, but that was easier said than done. "They have simpler problems. It is hard to say if they are worse or better, but certainly easier to visualise how one might overcome. If I am thirsty I know how to obtain clean water in a forest. It is a solvable problem. But I do not know how to build a world that guarantees the individual and collective happiness of society. Animals do not worry about the latter problem, nor do they mourn when a society falls." (edited)

Pressing himself closer to the warm hand and side, Saren allowed himself some silence.

1

"Oh, and beetles—" he tagged on hastily, now staring up at the trees as if searching for them. "Especially the males.."

Some trees by the road appeared to have ribbons tied into their branches or around their trunks, with RIhannsu writings all over them. If someone were to look further in the front of the road, eventually they would notice that the tree line was starting to thin out...

"Hmm, I guess. Ants don't really have to think about those things either, they were born for a purpose and only have to fulfill it. But then their work being messed with is a transgression against that life's purpose..." This was all getting too philosophical for poor Farrah, who was not educated on bugs, plants, philosophy, or emotions, and who was in fact built for a purpose like a worker ant. If she were flesh and blood, she was sure she'd have a headache by now. "Hey, I think we're almost there," she said, changing the subject.

Rehszan hummed, trying to see if his translator would pick up on what the ribbons read. They were pretty... "It seems so."

Kya nodded as she stepped with them. “It is very pretty, okay people. Heads up, let’s stay focused. Remember, diplomacy first.” She said for the sake of the tactical and security officers in the path.

"I am focused. I will leave the diplomacy to the diplomat, however." They nodded to Eshen.

Trying not to be too disappointed that the philosophy convo got cut off before he could start rambling on about it, he said, "That's me! What're those pretty ribbons?"

"They seem to be... songs, of some kind. Perhaps it is something left after a festivity, or a tradition," he responded softly, looking at the ribbons as well.

5

Vara'l glanced to Lieutenant Commander Kya Pok then, an analytical glance his glance was. One that looked for any sign of other intentions behind that comment, one that seemed aimed at the security and tactical officers, one of whom happened to be the ACTO. Deciding to make nothing of it afrer all they had a point. Diplomacy first. No, for now he instead looked at the ribbons as he attempted to gauge what they were. As he did this he then proceeded to say. "Its interesting.. what survives." His voice soft for a moment before he proceeded to say. "Diplomacy should..indeed be left to the diplomat, should we encounter any survivors, though given the nature of the attack on this colony, I'd still suggest people keep a eye out." He mused as he leaned in to look close at the ribbons, he wanted to see what they said. "I've heard of traditions like that, though..I don't remember everything I once knew about such things."

Celebrations of life and victory, songs related to different festivities, one or two seemed to be celebrating weddings. Soon the people that were walking in the front of the group, would reach a collapsed arch, leading into the colony.

12

9

Lama was here, in the back of the group, looking at the pretty ribbons! He got a little too excited and soon Lama found himself stepping further and further, soon reaching the front of the group and the collapsed arch. "Oh......... I think this is an entry way?"

Kya hummed as she looked at the arch. “Most likely yes. Nice design.”

Rai was taking his steps cautiously, sticking towards the side of the group and glancing around ocassionally. Something didn't feel right...

"Yup. Let's see what we can find, right? We're supposed to be conducting an investigation." *With those words, Farrah stepped around the archway, into #colony-north *

Kya quickly went after Farrah, these people were walking and running all over the place.

He pulled out a tricorder to scan the arch, before following people into the settlement. "Fire damage," he concluded, which... tracked. He then followed the Security officer into #colony-north.

Phoenix followed the rest of the group. Slightly confused with what was going on due to not being there prior.

He stuck close to Saren as he journeyed through the arch.

3

They followed Farrah with little comment.

Rehszan knelt down to take a quick sample of the archway before following. Fire damage. Of course...

Oops— Five got distracted looking for flowers and had to hurry to catch up.

Ten followed behind his tricorder out, still scanning for life as he followed to #colony-north (edited)

Vara'l lingered briefly on the strips of paper before he swiftly moved to catch up with everyone else as they headed to the northern part of the colony. He sighed a bit as he moved and his jaw worked slightly.

Lilian had followed the group, staying quiet. This was because she was deep in thought, not because her player was asleep.