Star Trek: Starbase 777

Two days ago, there hadn't been anything planned here yet, but when Romulan pop star T'Sanga reached out to see if it was possible to plan an imprompu meet and greet, Operations worked hard to make it happen. It'd be a smaller gathering, anyway, and so there was just a small stage outfitted with a microphone, so she'd be able to answer questions in case the group got a bit large, as well as a good amount of chairs in front of it to make sure anyone who wanted to sit would be able to. By now, almost all preparations were complete, and there were just masked assistants and OPS officers walking around making sure everything was alright. T'Sanga herself was walking around too, offering a helping hand where she could as they waited for the first people to trickle in.

While Mira wasn't involved with any of the setup process for this event, she still knew that her officers were helping out, and as the new COO at least wanted to be present and assist her officers where needed if they felt like they needed assistance. Besides, when else would she get a chance to meet T'Sanga?? Now was as good of a time as ever. As Mira's eyes scanned around she noticed the OPS officers around, giving them gentle nods and smiles as she walked. Everything was nearly all set up and ready to go as expected. Small events like this weren't necessarily complicated but did require planning so Mira was happy to see everything working like clockwork. Mira gently approached T'Sanga, keeping her demeanor calm, professional, and kind. "Hello, T'Sanga," Mira's signature soothing voice cooed. "Lieutenant Commander Mira Chalet. Chief Operations Officer. I hope you are well and ready for your meet and greet. Thank you for reaching out to us so we could help you make this happen. I hope your journey here was enjoyable. Can I get you anything, perhaps a water for when you are ready for the meet and greet to begin?"

T'Sanga smiled upon Mira's approach, though her head started spinning a little at the myriad of questions. "Thank you for your hospitality, Commander," she said with a slight bow, her voice a little rough. "I've been drinking teas from home, but I appreciate the thought. My assistant have got it all covered, though," she rebuffed patiently, to which one of the assistants at her side turned around and waved.

1

A respectful slight bow forwards to T'Sanga accompanied a slight nod as well. Mira stood in the same place, as to not impose upon T'Sanga. Mira imagined T'Sanga may have been overwhelmed by all of this, especially how fast it was all happening, so the gentler Mira could be, the better, she surmised. "Of course, T'Sanga, we are happy to help, all of us," Mira replied softly. "Understandable, an outstanding artist such as yourself requires thorough vocal care and tea is a soothing beverage as such. I will be here observing the meet and greet and in case my officers require further direction, and in case you require any operations assistance. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy your meet and greet with us. We are indeed privileged to have you."

"Thank you, Commander. Your presence is a soothing force against the stresses of the day," T'Sanga said pleasantly as the assistant beside her hustled on.

1

Maggie had been working, but upon hearing that her idol, ~~bisexual awakening,~~ and favourite artist was on the station she wrote up a sticky note saying she was out of the office and ran into the event hall. She poked her head around before seeing the woman herself. She practically teleported in front of her. “Hi! Hi! I’m your biggest fan-Maggie! I’m Maggie!” Don’t tell her about the stan space Twitter account you ran as a teenager, Maggie.

1

Aaaaaaand there it was. Mira simply stood back, not interjecting unless she felt like things would get out of hand. She expected stans to be in the crowd, yes. So, with a watchful eye, she kept quiet unless summoned.

"Hi, Maggie," T'Sanga greeted pleasantly, hiding her face behind her hand as she smiled at her antics. She'd met about a million "biggest fans" over the course of her career, of course, a lot of them a lot more belligerent than Maggie was being so far. She wasn't fazed, but she was amused at the excitement.

Maggie practically exploded at hearing her name spoken from the lips of the mega-star. “I’m sorry! I’m probably being a lot right now, I’ve just been a fan since I was a kid! My aunt Dorothea introduced me to your music and I’ve loved it forever and I’m gonna take a breath now!”

2

"Yes, please remember to breathe!" T'Sanga giggled. "Feel free to take a seat, as well, and one of my assistants can fetch you some water if you need it."

1

“Oh I couldn’t brother them like that!” She said with a breath. “I will take a seat! Thank you so much! You’re so cool!”

"We're kind of here to be bothered!" A female assistant said quietly as she handed T'Sanga a thermos.

"Thank you for your compliments, Maggie. You've been a fan since the beginning, then? What is your favourite album?" T'Sanga asked, genuinely interested.

Kind of here to be bothered? That statement arrested Mira. For a second, she had to process it. The literal meaning clouded what the assistant actually meant given their job duties. Once she finally figured out the context in which the assistant meant it, Mira's eyebrow raised upon hearing that, with an impressed nod. Fascinating.

Maggie hummed. “I really liked your Very T’Sanga Holliday one! But I’m a sucker for Holliday albums.” She said with a nervous blush. “But they’re all super good!”

It was a good time for Terahl to make his way in! The journalist had the comms code ready, written on the back of his hand instead of on a sticky note or something like a normal person. He fixed his sunglasses and took a place a bit away from the hustle and bustle of everything, allowing himself a moment to take in the atmosphere before crowding T'sanga like everyone else would likely be doing.

1

"The holiday album? That's not most people's first pick," T'Sanga mused, "It's a little obscure, didn't receive a wide release at all. You really are a superfan."

1

And, here was Tavek!! He was an absolute mega fan of Romulan pop, and he loved T’Sanga most of all. Still, he wanted to be polite, so he wasn’t crowding T’Sanga just yet. He was wearing some merch, though- a t-shirt design only released at a relatively obscure virtual concert earlier in her career. He was wearing a black skirt and fishnets too, complete with high-heeled boots and black gloves. All in all, he looked very fashionable, and he was ready to hang out!

1

Her face turned into a cherry upon being called a superfan. “Oh thank you, thank you. I’m just very autistic about it.” She said with a laugh.

T'Sanga looked confused, before a tall male assistant leaned over and whispered something to her, at which point she smiled again. "Well, I'm glad even that has its fans, then."

Meanwhile, a female assistant walked over to Tavek and Terahl were hovering by the door. "Please, come in, it's not busy yet and T'Sanga is here to talk to fans," she said, her voice soft as she ushered the two of them further into the hall.

She awkwardly rubbed her head. “Yeah! Yeah, I’ll leave you alone! I’m sure you have so many fans to talk to!”

Curious. Such in-depth and energetic talk of T'Sanga's music. As such, Mira pulled out her PADD. She opened Space Spotify and looked up 'T'Sanga' -- she barely had to type a few letters and T'Sanga already showed up. Another raised eyebrow and an impressed nod. Mira hit the 'Follow' button - to which her PADD notifications listed 'You have subscribed to T'Sanga on Space Spotify!' Mira would have to listen to the music later on.

Tavek followed, glad for the reassurance. He walked over to T’Sanga, smiling while holding a poster released with one of her older albums. Yes, he had brought it with him to the Academy, yes, he brought it onto the USS Halcyon, and yes, he had brought it to 777. He was a very dedicated fan. “Hi! Aaa, I love your music so much, could you please sign my poster?” He asked, very overexcited but still polite.

2

"Oh, yeah-" He allowed himself to be ushered, scribbling down the code on a physical notepad, as well as Riao's name and the Pawdcast. Thankfully the note was easy enough to rub off his hand. Why he even wrote it there to begin with was a reason unknown to even himself. "Sorry, I was just - getting my bearings, I guess," he spoke to the assistant, as someone else went ahead to talk to T'Sanga.

The security officer had told himself that he was just going to take a peek inside and make sure everything was going fine, for security matters. Was he a fan of T’Sanga’s music? Yes, that he was, but he wasn’t going to geek out over it or anything like that. Maxson, of all people? Besides, he met Vedette Cadieux the year prior and doesn’t remember being left with much of an impression. Perhaps celebrities were the oil to his water. He was here anyway, for no other reason than a security check. He promised.

4

"Hello!" T'Sanga greeted happily, as she was handed the poster by Tavek and a black marker by one of her assistants. "Of course I'll sign the poster! This album's also a bit older, do we have another long-time fan here?" she asked Tavek almost teasingly as she put down her signature.

Ohhh she shouldn’t be here…ohhhhhh she really shouldn’t be here, but she is! Yali was lingering at the door of the hall, her PADD clutched tightly to her chest as she did her best to not shrink away from the small crowd. It wasn’t some massive group, just a couple people wandering around, which given how popular T’Sanga was, it was honestly a little surprising. She gave a sparing glance toward the frighteningly large and flat-faced ACOS that was near her, and took a gentle step aside to put space between herself and Maxson. Poor thing.

3

Kirio just so happened to be posted right there at the door, leaning a little against the wall with their arms crossed. Violet eyes cautiously scanned the room, keeping careful note of every person coming and going; quiet for now, thankfully. "Hey," was said gently to the girl on their left, who looked like she'd just come face to face with a torture facility rather than a slightly rushed meet-n-greet with a pop star. "Are you doing, uh, okay? You look spooked out of your mind."

Yali’s bright orange eyes met up with Kirio’s violet ones, wide and swimming around before she offered a very quick nod, “Yes, I’m- Mhm. Um- I’m fine. Just um…” She tightened her hands around her PADD and let out a small hum, “Not…great at…sssocial stuff. And um…famous people. Person,” She nodded toward T’Sanga, “Just…a lil’ scary.”

The assistant chief gave a nod of acknowledgment toward Kirio. It was nice to see them in a bit less of a stressful situation than the circus the both of them had to deal with. He raised an eyebrow toward the stammering cadet, feeling a slight tug in his heartstrings about her.

"Please, please, don't linger by the door," the assistant continued to usher people inside. "There are chairs to sit on if you need to work up the courage to talk to T'Sanga, first," she promised, her eyes crinkling as she clearly smiled at Yali.

3

"Yeah, let's go have a seat, okay?" Kirio glanced over to Maxson for approval to take five to make sure the poor kid didn't lose her marbles. If they were permitted, they'd gladly guide Yali over to the chairs, one of the ones in the corner so she had plenty of space to herself. "Take a breath, it's alright. Are you a fan of her stuff, then?"

His turn? Terahl stepped up! "T'Sanga? It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled as pleasantly as he could. "I, ah- hope your trip over was pleasant? I'm a little surprised, I didn't hear word you were coming until the event was already being set up. Usually I keep a better eye on these sorts of things. My name is Terahl, by the way. Terahl Th'vhireq," He chuckled, clearly a bit embarrassed as he flipped to another page in his notepad, holding it out. "Could I bother you for an autograph?" He liked collecting them! He wasn't a T'Sanga Super Fan™, but he did love her music. (edited)

Oh of course he was gonna approve! “The lieutenant’s a fine officer, cadet,” He added on, giving Kirio another small nod as he adopted the lieutenant’s post. He could talk to T’Sanga later, if he got the chance. For now? Make sure everything’s okay.

1

Yali flicked her eyes to the assistant and gave a few quick nods, before looking back to Kirio and nodding some more. She cringed internally at people making a big fuss about her. She was fine, she really was. This was just kinda how she operated like…in general. After taking a seat, she placed her PADD in her lap and hummed at the question, “Um…yeah,” She scrunched her shoulders up a bit, “But really, um…I’m fine, I am.” “I’m training to be a diplomat,” She mumbled under her breath, before lifting up her voice a little more, “I gotta talk.” (edited)

T'Sanga smiled at Terahl as he stepped up. "Yeah, it was a little last-minute, I can understand it being a surprise. We had to make a few changes suddenly, but we still want to meet fans wherever we can, so we had this set up." She took the notepad from Terahl, easily putting in her signature. "It's nice to meet you, Terahl. Are you a big fan, then, keeping an eye on my activity?" she asked, her eyes crinkling as she smiled.

“Yeah, I’ve been a fan since the beginning, pretty much, I love your style and your music.” He loved all Romulan pop, honestly, it was his favorite music genre. He subjected all of his friends to it whenever anyone visited him or asked him for music recommendations. He took the poster back once she signed it, smiling.

"Awesome! I'm glad to have such dedicated fans," she said, smiling at Tavek.

They grinned at the compliment before taking a seat beside Yali, leaving a chair between them. "This is a good place to practice," Kirio leaned back against the chair, crossing one leg over the other, arms across their chest once again. "Sorry for making a big deal, then. Diplomatic Cadet, huh..." Hmm. "You've got more guts than me. I can go toe to toe with the best of them, but as soon as I'm face to face with any sort of situation I have to talk my way out of, I kinda flounder. Not that I'm stupid, mind you." They were a detective, after all. "I'm sure you've got this."

“No, you’re- You’re fine, um…sorry to make you, uh…fuss. Sorry to make a fuss,” She slouched where she was sat, looking to the officer beside her from where she had slightly slung her head. “I um…I hope so,” She mumbled, “I’m…not good at talking to people unless there’s like…a point, so,” She kinda wavered her hands, “Diplomacy, and uh…meeting somebody you’re a fan of,” She slid a small notebook out of a little pocket on the back of her PADD, “And um- Getting an autograph, maybe.”

3

"Ah— well, that's.." A little warm in the face, Terahl chuckled again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not exactly what I meant. I'm a fan, sure, of course. Just.. what goes on on the starbase in general. I'm a journalist, you see, so I like to keep tabs on things. Even if I mostly stick to disasters, it's fun to write up the fun things that go on around here." His natural curiosity was not easily satiated, but if something caught his eye, it wouldn't go away until it was down on paper. "Speaking of! A friend of mine— one of the officers on board, a press liason— runs a podcast, and I offered to send you his way while I was here and he was on duty. He's had a few other big names on, I think he said he was working on another episode with Ms. Cadieux — if you've heard of the Pawdcast?" He flipped the page back once the notepad had been returned to him, offering tradesies for Riao's code. "Thank you very much, by the way, I really appreciate it.*

"The Pawdcast? I can't say I'm familiar..." T'Sanga said, though she looked very interested in what Terahl had to say. "Vedette Cadieux? I love her work! I'm a big fan of noir, as you- well, as you might be able to tell," she said, laughing, before motioning to one of the female assistants to come copy over the comm code. "I'll see what I can do for your friend. It's been a pleasure to meet you, Terahl. Do write something nice about me, hm?" she asked, smirking at him teasingly.

1

"You're not making me do anything, I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Kirio tapped their finger a few times against their bicep, creating a rhythm to their thoughts, trying to find something .. meaningful to say. They were just as awkward most of the time, but in the complete opposite direction, often blurting out the wrong thing at the wrong time. "I mean - yeah, I get it. Maybe you can consider this some kind of diplomacy. I mean, you wanna make a good impression, right? Like she's... you're welcoming someone new onto the starbase. Even if your connection is a little more personal on your end. Try your best to make a good exchange?.." Bad suggestion, but if something worked...

"Of course, I have no intention of saying anything negative, miss. Thank you very much for your time." Terahl smiled and nodded politely, ducking out of line. Mission success!

Yali’s eyes flicked away from Kirio’s to the finger tapping against their bicep for a second, following the rhythm for a few moments as her eyes bounced up and down. She sat up a bit straighter at Kirio’s suggestion and took in a small breath, “Um…yeah, yeah that’s…that makes sense,” She definitely didn’t view it as bad, “It’s just, uh…practice.”

"Okay," Kirio released a breath of relief that their suggestion wasn't total dogshit. Hooray! "Your assignment, to go talk to Ms. T'Sanga and make a good impression. And to retrieve an... important signature," they couldn't help a lopsided smile at the absolute goofiness of it all. They gave Yali a firm, but affectionate, pat on the shoulder before standing. "Good luck, Cadet. You've got this in the bag, we're counting on you."

Yali’s eyes brightened a bit at the little roleplay, and she managed a little smile of her own as she stood up alongside Kirio and pressed her PADD against her chest again, “Um- I’ll um…hah, I’ll do Starfleet proud,” She said with a small laugh, before she shuffled her way over to T’Sanga. Clearing her throat, the cadet plucked her notebook from the storage pocket on the back of her PADD and once again shone a small smile, “Hello, Ms. T’Sanga, um…I’m Yali, I’m a big fan. A lot of your music helped cheer me up during um…medical…recovery, uh…” She shifted her eyes downward before steeling herself a bit, “I was wondering if I could get an autograph..?” She held her notebook outward.

2

"Hey Yali," T'Sanga greeted with a smile. "Of course you can get an autograph! I'm glad my music helped you during a difficult time," she said, taking the notebook and signing it for her. "What was your favourite thing to listen to?"

There’s so much weight that lifts off her shoulders when her question is given a positive answer, and she in fact did NOT immediately embarrass herself in front of a famous musician. So that’s good! She beamed as she took the notebook back, “I um- I liked Made This Way a lot. I still do. It made me feel nice. Makes.”

"That's a good one! It's one of my most popular songs for a reason, I like performing it a lot too." She took a sip from her thermos after giving the notebook back, coughing a little. "Maybe another day, though," she laughed. "It's nice to meet you, Yali, thank you for letting my music help you."

The cadet’s smile became decidedly less small as T’Sanga complimented her choice in music, and said it was nice to meet her! Her, Yali! Wow… “Thank you for helping! Um- It’s…yeah, thank you. It’s nice to meet you too!” She wiggled her shoulders around a little bit, since her hands were occupied, and quickly shuffled away. She smiled very brightly in Kirio’s direction!

Kirio, now back at their post, returned the smile with a thumbs up. Mission success x2!

2

Next to Kirio and Maxson, one of the female assistants was stood, making sure that everyone who was coming in wouldn't loiter at the door. She regarded the entire scene with a melancholy look in her eyes, which was perfectly masked every time she ushered new people further into the hall.

The assistant chief, his arms folded over his chest, looked over the whole scene in a similar vein to the assistant beside him (and Kirio). He looked to her for a moment and noticed the way her emotion dipped and rose whenever someone walked in. “Everything alright, ma’am?”

She looked at Maxson, genuinely shocked to be addressed. "I'm- uh, I'm fine, sir," she said, looking up at Maxson, then nodding to herself as if taking note of something. "I'm okay."

A bushy eyebrow is raised at the suddenness of the response as he looked down at her, “If you’re certain…though, if I or the lieutenant can help with anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” He presses a hand against his chest, “Assistant chief of security.”

Again, a vaguely saddened look came over her, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. It probably wasn't that noticeable to anyone besides Maxson though, who was actively talking to her. Still, she nodded again, before pulling her mask a little further over her nose. "Good to know, sir. My name is S'anra, if you need anything just let me know."

“Or me! I’m a cool science gal!” She said. popping into existence beside the pair. “I’m Maggie!”

"Hello Maggie, I watched you come in," she said honestly, once more masking her sadness with scary efficiency. "Are you about to leave again? I think T'Sanga was planning on doing a little Q&A thing in a minute, since we haven't had the time to set up something more interesting."

Maxson furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn’t too sure if he had reason to be worried about things just yet, but it was enough to get the back of his head tingling a bit. He was about to ask S’anra more before Maggie appeared, and he let out a small huff, “Lieutenant.”

Maggie waves at Maxson. “No no I’m going to stay in here!” She said with a smile. “I just thought you looked cool and wanted to chat!”

The hybrid human-Vulcan COO, who was moreso focused on everything going smoothly on T'Sanga's side, only noticed what was going on with the female assistant, Maxson and Maggie after a good couple seconds. Again, saying nothing, she simply stood and observed. She was thankful ACOS Maxson was there. She was rather confused by Maggie being there but that wasn't for her to judge. So she stayed quiet and vigilant.

"I'm not part of the experience," S'anra said softly, motioning back towards the chairs. "Please divert your attention to T'Sanga, who came here to make time for you all. I'm just an assistant," she continued, bowing her head a little.

He was off for the time being, well, he wasn't on shift, which was something he wasn't really used to. (You were never truly off, as a medical officer, you needed to be ready to jump in at any time if someone needed you). But, he was off shift, and had just happened to wander into the events hall, having heard that something was happening there. He was curious, even if he felt like he wasn't the target audience.

T'She was also off shift! And they were also drawn to the events hall for whatever reason, but they stayed in the back, just watching the proceedings there, since they never really knew how to act around celebrities. (Be excited? Maybe? But wouldn't that come off as too forced? No, it was better to just watch).

“You don’t gotta talk about yourself like that! You’re super cool, I really like your mask.” She said with a nod. “But if you insist I can go sit!”

"My- my mask? It's the same as everyone else's..." S'anra said confusedly, smiling at Diahjir and T'She as they walked past. She was telling the truth, all of the Romulan assistants and techs that T'Sanga clearly employed were masked in a similar fashion to S'anra herself, both in a bid to protect their identities, and to not have them distract from the star power in the room. "I don't think I'm too interesting, I'm just watching the door. Please feel free to take part in the Q&A that's about to start."

It seemed like he got there at just the right time, if he was being honest. Could it be some form of luck? He offered the assistant a smile as he found a place to stand or sit, even if he did not have any questions of his own to ask.

“Oh! Okay!” She said with a smile. “Have a good one S’anra!” She said, before walking towards her seat for the Q&A.

Something didn't seem right to Mira about S'anra. What that something was, she couldn't quite tell. But Mira had a gut feeling that there was something else going on inside S'anra's mind, and quite possibly even the other assistants. Mira kept quiet still, but tried her best to discreetly pick up on what was going on. Mira wished she could say something. But likely, Mira surmised, S'anra would just tell her the same thing she told Maggie. So Mira made sure to keep her eye everywhere, and not just on the Q&A. She had a duty after all to, despite her department, still ensure the safety and well being of everyone on this station, and in her mind that did not exclude S'anra or the assistants.

The cadet, while everyone was worrying about the assistant, had returned to the seat that Kirio had offered her and was bobbing her head side to side pleasantly, looking at her little autograph. Wow, T’Sanga signed her notebook…and she said it was nice to meet her! She happily wiggled her shoulders again.

A QnA, huh? Sure, he'd bite. Sounded like a lot of fun. He took his place— somewhere in the middle, closer to the stage— and waited.

A male assistant quickly grabbed the microphone on the stage, while two others ushered T'Sanga into a chair. "Alright, everyone, since this group is pretty small, if you have a question just ask it, and T'Sanga will answer it. Try not to talk over each other," he instructed in a deep voice, handing the microphone over to T'Sanga, who took it after another sip of her tea.

Mira wasn't one to really know much about pop music but she was curious and did also want to break any hesitancy for people to start asking questions -- not that there would be any, since the group consisted of multiple loyal fans. Still, from seeing T'Sanga's space Spotify and her repertoire there, she was curious about one thing. So, Mira raised her hand to at least signify where she was in the small crowd. "T'Sanga, if I may," Mira called out when appropriate to do so. "What is your proudest moment in your career?" Evidently not the 'what's your favorite color' type of inquiry, but one that she figured T'Sanga would appreciate nonetheless. (edited)

T'Sanga coughed quickly before answering. "Well, receiving an award for your music never fails to make one feel appreciative of the support they've received," she joked, though she quickly schooled her expression into something more contemplative. "I think that my proudest moment has to have been the first time I held a concert in the Republic. At the meet and greet afterwards, people were so loving, telling me how much their music helped me. It was the first time I've seen so many people be so openly loving and appreciative of my work, without being afraid to express that. The fact that I made it far enough, and long enough, and made enough of a difference to experience that, it has to be the thing in recent memory I'm the most proud of."

1

Well spoken indeed, although Mira heard the cough and hoped that the tea would suffice. Subconsciously she kept that in the back of her mind. "Indeed, thank you," Mira replied with a nod, before she stood back. She imagined others were bursting to ask too!

While he was quiet, he did also hear the cough, and wondered whether T'Sanga was alright, but decided it was better not to ask. It might just be a simple cough after all, just the stress from singing so much.

"What's your favorite song to perform?" Terahl called out, waving two fingers kind of a half-heartedly. He may as well chime in, huh.

"I feel like I've answered that one a million times, but the answer remains the same, I think! No matter how old the song gets, Foul Romance is an iconic performance and it doesn't matter where I am or who I'm performing for, it gets a massive reaction," T'Sanga explained with a satisfied smile.

Wave from the back of the room! Kirio chimed in since the crowd was pretty nothingburgers, "What's your creative process like? Do you have an image of music videos in your head when you're recording, or does something like that come after?"

"Ooooh, I like that question," T'Sanga said, bringing her hand up to her chest in a self-soothing motion while she thought. "It really depends on the song. Obviously usually I will usually know what the singles are going to be beforehand, and I tend to have concepts in mind for what the theming of an album is going to be, and how I want to tie music videos into that. But for me, getting together with a videographer and figuring out together how to get my ideas across in a way that is visually coherent is so important, that I've come to rely on that part of the process, in a way. So I try not to make too many choices beforehand, so we can work together on things," she explained in the end, nodding in Kirio's direction.

The security officer beside Kirio similarly raised a hand, clearing his throat before speaking, “Have you any interest in continuing a potential acting career, after having appeared in a few feature films? Perhaps a…directorial debut, based off your work alongside videographers?”

"Do I spy a secret fan hiding beside the entrance? I love that question, you should consider a career as an interviewer," T'Sanga joked, though her brow pulled together in apparent discomfort, and she laid her arm over her stomach as if clutching herself. "I think I'd definitely take the opportunity, if it was presented to me. I wouldn't want to promise-" she cut herself off, standing up abruptly and turning further towards Maxson. "S'anra-" she said, in less of an accusatory tone, not even as if she were asking for help, but instead as if she were warning her assistant about something. Then, she unceremoniously dropped to the floor.

4

6

There’s a flush of embarrassment at the joke T’Sanga offered before Maxson’s expression goes from surprised, to shocked, to determined. Immediately, he leapt into action, rushing toward the stage and tapping at his comm badge, “ACOS Maxson to medical, we need a doctor in the event hall immediately.”

Kirio followed suit, letting Commander Maxson handle the actual...stuff, while they did crowd control. "Everyone remain in your seats, don't block the path to the stage. Leave room for medical to get through!" They raised their voice enough to be heard, but remaining calm and composed, because that was their job. Even so, their heart was racing. What the hell!? (edited)

Maxson hopped up onto the stage, hoping that whatever assistant would end up standing in his way would step aside as he went to T’Sanga’s fallen body, whipping out his tricorder to get a read on her vitals, “Lieutenant Mizax! Nobody leaves!”

1

Meanwhile, in her corner seat, the cadet had started to hyperventilate.

"Yes sir!" Kirio practically bolted to the doors, briefly thankful for all their sports. No escape on their watch.

Luckily, all of the staff that T'Sanga employed seemed just as stricken as everyone else in the room, and nobody made any move for the door. It was as if they'd all been frozen in time; only S'anra seemed to be sinking down the nearest wall in wide-eyed shock.

Quickly! Lieutenant time! Maggie went over to Uo. “Take deep breaths cadet, it’s going to be okay, your okay.”

Diahjir was shocked for a moment, but he jumped into the fray as soon as he could -- after all, that was the job of a doctor. He might not have had his medical bag with him, but he could always send someone to go and get it for him -- he did recognize that nurse next to him after all. And so, he rushed onto the stage in order to help out.

2

“The- But- I- She..!” Her voice upped in octaves as she spoke, eventually ending in a little squeak as her wide eyes swam around the room and met Maggie’s. Her face had noticeably paled, and she was holding her notebook very close.

That escalated quickly. Mira dashed over to Maxson. "I'll have Ops do what you need them to do, Maxson," Mira said. "We've got a bunch helping out today."

“It’s okay Cadet. I’m worried too, but you gotta stay calm.” She said with a breath. “There’s nothing you can do but stay calm and not panic.”

They had been sent on an errand! They needed to go get the CMO's bag, so they turned to Maxon, the one who said that nobody could leave. "May I leave to get a medical bag? I will return once I have acquired it."

In the corner, by the edge of the now anxious and active crowd, stood an inconspicuous civilian - perhaps initially drawn to the sudden gathering, now he watched the tense situation unfold before him with a steely gaze and a furrowed brow, any possible reaction carefully reeled in and muted.

T'Sanga's body was, put simply, lifeless. One second she was right in front of everyone, talking happily as if there was nothing wrong. The next, she was laying on the floor. Her heartbeat wasn't there, her eyes weren't moving, her everything was as still as stone.

9

A strained hummed escaped Yali as she gave a very quick, panicked nod to Maggie and shrank in on herself a bit more. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

“…damnit,” The commander let out with a hiss, glancing to Diahjir as he arrived and just…shaking his head. He didn’t have any real words to offer, not yet at least. He raised his head toward T’She, “That…won’t be necessary, Lieutenant.”

"We need to get her to sickbay in order to figure out further what's wrong, or... what happened... Shall we transport her there? At the very least it will be more private..." Diahjir offered quietly as he looked to Maxon, wanting a second opinion before acting.

Maggie moved to sit beside the cadet to offer a comforting presence. “You’re okay, it’s okay.”

“That would be for the best,” He replied to Diahjir in a low tone, holstering his tricorder and pinching the bridge of his nose. Never a dull moment, “Hell of a way to meet properly, Doctor…” He said with a huff.

She nodded again to Maggie, before putting her forehead against her knees and trying to keep herself still. Just still, still and quiet. She’s training to be a diplomat. She’s training to be a diplomat…

"Hell of a way to meet indeed, do you want to make the call or should I?" He asked, trying to remain as calm as he possibly could -- this was not good in the slightest, after all.

Kirio swallowed, one hand on their phaser - what good it would do now, huh. "I'm going to start collecting the names of everyone present," they said, just...out loud, in case anyone was listening. Probably a good idea? Yeah. Back in the zone, they were a detective and they knew what to do now.

“I believe that in this situation, security defers to medical, and as CMO, well…” He gestured toward the Trill before resting his hands on his hips, “Call it in. I’ll probably need to help with crowd control.” (edited)

She patted the cadet on the knee. “Maggie Roode!” She said to Kirio while trying to comfort Uo.

Yali shrank away from the pat on the knee, her bright eyes peaking out from the ball she’d curled herself into at Maggie for a moment. No touchy, not right now at least. She swallowed before lifting her head up to Kirio and offering, “Cadet um…c-cadet Yali Uo…” very softly.

Diahjir called it in! All before he prepared to give his name. "Diahjir Lan, though I will be leaving shortly with our patient."

As Diahjir called it in, within seconds he was being beamed away to sickbay, leaving everyone else to their chaos.

2

Taking notes, thank youuu. "Thanks. Uh- take care, doc," He immediately cringed. Bad thing to say at a time like this.

It was harrowing to even think about the image of T'Sanga collapsing. Mira took a breath and turned to Kirio. "COO Mira Chalet," Mira said to Kirio.

"T'She Tamura," They answered when it was their turn to do so, really, they weren't in much of a hurry, the CMO could probably handle it, besides, they could help here with whatever needed to happen next.

"S'anra ir-Rarathik," S'anra sounded off, after which the other assistants followed her lead.

"Terahl Th'vhireq," the journalist piped up from his seat, furiously scribbling on his notepad. In truth, he was relatively unfazed. He dealt with disasters and death all the time. Even so, for a cultural icon to drop dead out of nowhere... He didn't want to think too hard about it.

Standing somewhere to the side they were infinitely glad that Laina was still at her daycare and therefore very much not present. Not that a meet and greet would have been a good place for a small child anyway. They had not been certain whether to attend themselves, but had eventually decided to do so out of a sense of, as they now knew, misguided nostalgia. People dropping dead or unconscious, hopefully unconscious, they had gladly not been close enough to tell was not something they had missed. The simultaneously familiar and foreign situation had them slipping into old habits faster than they could think. Acting calm and not sticking out were more important than anything. Coming here had been stupid, having their name connected to this was a risk. Still when it was their turn they did give their name. "Havra t'Mrian."

Tavek, still clutching his posters with eyes as wide as his artificial facial muscles could allow for, very obviously quite panicked, found it hard to speak without a stutter. Which was ironic, considering he had seen and been hands-on involved with death plenty of times before. “T-Tavek tr’Lliehn. Ensign.”

Maggie took a breath, her brain forming an image of Tina berating her for A: leaving work and B: being at the site of a murder. Of course Tina would be correct for that in her view! But regardless. “So um, what the heck do we do now?”

A day off for Sideon was a day to be spent doing as much as possible, and as it just so happened that a particular pop star happened to be visiting, he thought he should check out what was what and stick around for the socialisation to really make the most of his off duty time. Sideon himself didn't have a proclivity for indulging in pop music, or have a tendency to idolise and fanboy over celebrities of any kind, but he did respect the effort and commitment it takes to be an entertainer. Especially a musician! Sideon's mind wondered over that fact, casually gazing across the crowd as people did the meeting and greeting, not particularly getting involved but enjoying the crowds energy. He even went so far, whilst looking at the popstar, as to daydream about the music he creates for fun, and how perhaps in another life where he had no extreme stage fright he could also had been in the same position as h- Uh-oh. RIght as that thought crossed his mind, he witnessed the collapse of the pop star. A horrific thing but one that came at an eerily specific time. But it was no place to ponder that fact, clearly something had gone quite wrong and despite being off duty today, he is assuredly going to have something to officially log later on.

The ACOS takes in a breath and folded his arms over his chest as he stood on the stage, thinking about the next course of action from here. After a few seconds of silence, he began to make his way down into the crowd once again, “Lieutenant Mizax and I will take statements, and we wait to hear from medical.”

Okay. Kirio knew what to do now, as the resident detective. Collect evidence, photos of the crime scene, get ready to Analyze Things. Photos first.. Kirio grabbed for their holocamera to start grabbing photos of things!

Seiyya had gotten the orders for Security officers to come down and.. she did NOT know what the hell was happening. She wasn’t a pop fan, so she hadn’t been at the meet-and-greet.. but apparently a pop star had just dropped dead? What in the… well, Seiyya was here now, there had to be some reason for all this, since people didn’t just drop dead out of nowhere.

Maggie stood up and lightly walked over towards S’anra. “Um, hey. Are you okay?” She asked awkwardly and sadly.

Saros had heard the call and immediately came to help with the event. Something unfortunate happened at the pop event, and he would help. As he walked into the event hall, His robotic eye started to scan and catalog hyperctively as he went to the assistant chief.”Detective Saros Sir, I've come as soon as I logically could. Could I have the situation report sir?” Not knowing precisely what had transpired and didn't want to jump in without at least some knowledge

"I'm... I'm not? I don't think so." S'anra said it matter of factly, but her eyes when she turned to look at Maggie were big and wet and sad.

“Commander V’Lanutt,” He said with a nod, ushering the detective away from the small group to give him a rundown without multiple voices, “A few moments ago, a visiting Romulan celebrity dropped dead on the stage…immediate loss of vital signs, her last word calling out the name of an assistant of hers. Lieutenant Mizax and I were in attendance of the event preceding this, and we’ve prevented anyone else present from leaving. The body is currently being examined in sickbay, and we are taking statements,” He took in a breath, “…it’s…quite the incident.”

Kirio moved to stand with Maggie, ready to do Detective Things. Their job. Great. Not what they wanted to do today, this was unprecedented... "That's understandable," they soothed, getting down on one knee to talk to her. "I can only imagine how you're feeling. We're going to do our best to figure this out, alright?"

Maggie awkwardly stood to the side so Kirio could question the worker. “Uhm, if you want a hug I can offer that, I don’t have much else.”

"N- no thank you." S'anra turned towards Kirio. "You're Starfleet, I trust you... That's-" she cut herself off, thinking better of what she was about to say.

"Can I..." Kirio trailed off, a little awkward. The worst part of this thing. "Can I ask you questions, or do you need a moment?"

S'anra looked up at Kirio, quickly wiping away what was about to become a tear. "Ask away, please," she offered. "Anything I can do to help."

"Have you noticed anything strange lately? Any change in behavior from T'Sanga, or anyone behaving suspiciously. Anything will do." They kept their voice low, sitting down in front of her.

"Not that I know of... There's- no, I mean, there's nothing going on now that we haven't done exactly the same way before," S'anra explained.

"Can I ask what you did before you arrived to the event? Only in the past day or two." Kirio took careful notes. They were here for the event setup, so...

Immediately after explaining the situation to Saros, information arrived from Diahjir concerning a cause of death and some rather odd readings. He raised an eyebrow, “Quite the incident that only grows stranger…”

"We were on our way here... We travelled from Mol'Rihan the past few days, so we would have just been in our shuttle." S'anra explained. "We only got here a few hours before the event started."

Kirio frowned, brows furrowing. "A potassium overdose..." How would something like that come to be? "Commander, if we can take a quick aside-" oh, right, "Thank you. I'll be back in just a moment."

Maxson stepped aside with Kirio, giving a glance toward the assistant that they had been interviewing before turning back to the Trill detective, “Anything of interest from the assistant?”

"Well, nothing in particular just yet. She said they'd spent most of their time in the shuttle," Kirio said quietly, glancing off to the side where the body once was. "If it's an overdose, we'll have to figure out how it was introduced to the body.."

Saros’s right eyebrow arched incrementally as the new information from Lt. Cdr. Diahjir filtered through. His cybernetic eye whirred faintly, cataloging the data as his organic eye remained fixed ahead, betraying no emotion beyond a subtle tightening of his jaw. The implications were immediate and significant. “Fascinating,” he intoned, the word devoid of inflection yet weighted with analytical curiosity. He turned to the chief , his posture rigid, as he clasped his hands behind his back. “Commander, logic suggests intensified scrutiny of the assistants is warranted. They were the victims sole companions during the shuttle journey from Mol’Rihan, the most probable timeframe for exposure to the overdose. I propose we divide our efforts—I will conduct another talk with the assistants, cross-referencing their statements for inconsistencies, while others check the shuttle and quarters, if that is alright with you, sir?* His gaze shifted toward the group of assistants*

“I think that may be best, Commander. If we could also track the victim’s movements through the base from the shuttle, to quarters, to the event hall, we could try and piece together a timeline alongside the statements of the assistants,” He nodded to the both of the detectives, “Somewhere along the way from Mol’Rihan, whoever this is received a lethal dose. It may be good to contact someone on the planet, maybe a press liaison…this meet-and-greet was entirely impromptu. Who made this plan? And if this isn’t T’Sanga, where is she…” (edited)

The cadet, in the meantime, had managed to calm herself down. Her knees were no longer tight against her chest, and she had set her feet down on the ground. She wasn’t a Yali-shaped ball in a foldable chair anymore, she was just…Yali. Wide-eyed, witnessed her first death Yali.

Saros inclined his head in a precise, minimal nod towards the chief as he left the group and approached the assistants, his posture erect and hands clasped behind his back. His cybernetic eye hummed faintly, scanning the group, while his organic eye remained fixed ahead, assessing their reactions with clinical detachment. “Greetings. I am Lieutenant Commander Saros V’Lanutt, Starfleet Security, Detective Division. I am tasked with investigating the circumstances of T’Sanga’s death.”He deliberately omitted the known cause of death—potassium overdose— and they knew it was a 20 year old man. Opting for discretion until further data warranted disclosure.“To establish a factual baseline, I require each of you to recount your general movements and interactions with T’Sanga over the past 48 hours. Begin with your departure from Mol’Rihan and conclude with her collapse. Provide a clear sequence of events, omitting no relevant detail.” (edited)

"We- uhm," S'anra said, eyes darting between Saros and the other security officers, who she clearly preferred. "We left Mol'Rihan as per usual, eight of us and T'Sanga. We're pretty close, all of us, so we tend to all mingle... and it's kinda close-quarters, so there's not really a lot of privacy anyway, we can't even really sleep alone. I don't really know- I mean, we eat pre-packaged meals on long hauls, and-" S'anra trailed off.

Another assistant filled in the holes in S'anra's story, but essentially, the shuttle was too small to really get any alone time. S'anra, T'Sanga and two others had even shared quarters for the duration of the trip here from Mol'Rihan; that's how tight it was. Simply put: everyone corroborated everyone else's alibi. It was pretty much airtight.

Saros processed the mention of pre-packaged meals, his cybernetic eye flickering as he cataloged the detail. “Clarify: Did T’Sanga have a distinct supply of pre-packaged food, or was all food distributed uniformly among the group?"

"Evenly, I mean, there's not really any designated meals. We just pick what we feel like that day." S'anra explained.

Kirio nodded along. It didn't sound like anything could have been messed with on the flight over, at least, not from what they could see. Where was the real T'Sanga, indeed? So many questions swimming around that they just didn't have the answers to yet. "Thank you very much for answering our questions," they butted in, noting that she looked a bit nervous. "We're doing our best to figure this out, and your answers will help us a lot." They offered their best semblance of a reassuring smile. "Taking a look at the shuttle sounds like a good idea. Hopefully we get more information from Medical soon, so we know just what we're looking for..."

"Do you need someone to show you around? It's not that big, but it's... compact. I can show you where everything is if you need," S'anra offered, seemingly 1) eager to get away from Saros, and 2) eager to help in any way possible.

2

1

Saros inclined his head in a slow, deliberate nod, his gaze steady on S’anra. *“Your cooperation and candor in responding to our inquiries are appreciated. They contribute significantly to the efficiency of this investigation.”His cybernetic eye flickered briefly as he processed the incoming report from Medical that came through his com badge, identifying the compound KCl as a focal point. He made a mental note, his voice remaining even as he continued,* Your assistance in facilitating access to the shuttle is both logical and agreeable. Let us proceed.”

"That- hmm." There was a concern of someone tampering with evidence, but it was dismissed by Saros quickly. "Ah, okay, let's get a look.." Proceed they would, then! (edited)

Stepping forward towards the group discussion, having heard rather intentionally the conversation between the officers, he introduced himself with a small wave as they start to leave, toning down his usual over confidence and social enthusiasm to ensure he can navigate the sensitive topics at hand. "Excuse me!...sir!...Lieutenant Junior Grade Sideon Ezra here...I may not be on duty right now but if you all are going to be dealing with shuttlecraft...well I'm a pilot and I know them quite well. Perhaps not to the technological level of a shuttle engineer, but on a practical level just as any. I'm happy to assist you all any way I can."

Saros regarded the newcomer with a brief nod before addressing Lieutenant Ezra. “Your assistance is acknowledged and required. Come—additional eyes will prove beneficial.”And with that Saros left to go to the shuttle!

"Welcome aboard, then!" Shuttle time!

Maggie moved with Mizax but walked next to S’anra. “Don’t worry, we’ll make things as right as they can be!”

She did not really want to be involved in this, but she had always had a hard time keeping out of other people's business. Perhaps that was why she liked cats so much, just like them curiosity would be what eventually did her in, she just knew it. With a sigh of defeat she followed behind the other starfleet officers towards the shuttle and wasn't that still just so strange, her... a starfleet officer.