Star Trek: Starbase 777

[Event RP] [D] Mokath was down in OPS+Engineering to get his environmental pack inspected when the lights flicked. Curiously, the Zaranite looked around from behind his mask. He was dressed in a tan and orange Zaranite EV suit for venturing into oxygen rich environments. On each hand he was wearing a leather glove and on each foot his leather boots. The only visible flesh on him was the top of his semi-vertically elongated head. "Fascinating," he said to himself in a deep tone. The power surge was unusual to say the least. He then looked around for anyone who may know what happened.

[D] Right place, wrong time, it seems. Lokka was making their way back to their quarters after finishing their shift for the day. And that's when it happened, the surge from the Kon-tiki connecting to the station's power supply. Sometimes they wondered why 777 never had power diodes installed to prevent backflow from a connected ship to the station through the utility lines. Shuttle charging stations had those. Unless 777 did and the momentary flicker of light was due to something else.... They froze in the hallway when the lights went out for a split second, putting the Vulcan on high alert. This was beginning to look like something more than a mere power malfunction. "Fascinating." Looks like the two share the sentiment.

[D] Almost out of nowhere, a silvery, hazy energy field, softly crackled into life in the middle of the corridor, zapping power from every electronic device it touched. Thankfully the station had an abundance of power to feed back into the drained consoles to have them operational again after mere seconds...for now...

"I have never seen that before," he said to Lokka and pulled out his tri-corder. He proceeded to activate the device to get a good reading, but tried to keep a safe distance away from the anomaly. He didn't wish for it to drain his tricorder or his backpack. "Let's get a reading, but stay a good distance away as it may drain the tri-corders."

Before he could get a reading, the energy field floated up through the ceiling, though as it did, it shorted out an ODN relay, causing a shower of sparks to rain down in the corridor.

Antonio was woken up by the commotion in the corridor and just quickly put on his uniform before sticking his head out of his quarters and shouted with a tired and slightly annoyed voice: "What is going on out here?" Just after his friendly reminder to shut up, he noticed the sparks flying and the power surge. He suddenly was fully awake and ready for action.

"Some form of unknown being is draining energy from the station it seems," said the Zaranite. He had shielded his face with a hand when the sparks began to fly about. Once the sparks ended, he turned to the others. "We need to report what we just experienced and get this place on red alert. Hopefully, communications are still up." He then pressed his combadge on his chest. Stating his name and that he wished to communicate with the bridge. Hopefully he could get a response and get to the bottom of the situation.

Antonio waited for a few seconds but when no reply came, he turned towards the Vulcan. "You are an engineer as well, aren't you? Do you have a clue what's going on here?" He asked now with a panic in his voice.

They seemed rather unaffected by the sparking and concerning comments, only to offer a concerning comment of their own! "I believe this is related to the docking of the Kon-Tiki. Even if 777 were equipped with anti-feedback devices on the docking umbilicals, a virus could still be transmitted to the station over the data connection, which is two-way."

"I doubt a virus is responsible for the thing that we saw, but I believe it may be necessary to investigate," he said to Lokka. His attention soon turned to Antonio and offered a nod. "Do either of you have training in this sort of matter? I am only a Tactical officer and I'm not well versed in engineering beyond my atmospheric generator." He then watched as the station lights flickered before the station went dark. However, moments later the lights come on, but nearly twice as bright. This made him flinch and shield his goggled eyes. (edited)

Still tired and his eyes adjusting to the normal amount of light, he squinted his eyes in an attempt to shield them. With eyes still squinted and his hand rubbing his temple to fight the incoming headache, he shouted over the playing music. "I have never read anything about such an event but something is definitely wrong with the computer. And I don't think I can fix this."

"Your attitude towards your capabilities is most self-destructive. Highly illogical." They were planning on using their general engineering knowledge to work this problem to the fullest of their capabilities. However limited that might be. Lokka's a shuttlecraft mechanic, not a computer technician!

"Not self destructive, I just know I am not well versed in how to fix this," he said. He looked around cautiously and tried to get an understanding of what had just happened. When the ship went on yellow alert, he nodded. "Seems the bridge crew is trying to get a handle on this. We should all report to our stations, no?"

"Reporting to our stations, right." Antonio replied. He quickly pulled his uniform straight and now stood less sleepy and more awake in the corridor and ready to run to his station.

"Alright, the captain just gave us orders to report to stations," he said and turned to the pair. He offered them a nod before he departed. He headed for his station aboard the station.

Jakob paced up and down the hallway. Where was his room? What one did they say? First on the left? Sixth one from the right? He didn't remember. "Uh...th-this one? No wait...that one..." Most of his things had, thankfully, already been put in his room, so it was just a small backpack of things on him, but it still looked quite strange, a young man, in cadet uniform, pacing up and down the hall with a confused look on his face and quietly muttering to himself. "Jake you idiot. You should've written this down. You can remember the name of random stars but you can't even remember where your room is?"

Tyrah had been walking back to his quarters after his most recent shift, happily humming along to nothing in particular when he spotted a tall Human that looked quite lost, which, Tyrah being the helpful person he was, was quick to walk as fast as his short legs would let him in order to catch up and help out if he could. When he approached, he gave the Human a bright grin and a small wave in greeting before speaking in his high pitched, perpetually happy tone. “Hello there friend! I’m sorry to make assumptions, but you seem to be lost! Which, given how confusing this part of the station is, I don’t blame you, I get lost here all the time! Even going to my own quarters! Which you think I wouldn’t because I go every day, but I guess even being telepathic can’t help a poor sense of direction! I can help you find wherever you’re going though! There’s not that much ground to cover really!” He babbled out in his overexcited way of speaking, antennae twitching all the while in excitement of meeting someone new, and also subtly trying to figure out exactly where he was, now worrying slightly that he might have been lost too.

He was, at first, a little stunned. He straightened and stiffened up for a moment as Tyrah spoke at him for a solid 2 minutes without inhaling. "Uhm....hi.. I'm Jakob. I'm here for my cadet cruise, and I'm supposed to be sharing with a 'Cadet ch'Islador'?" He tried his best to pronounce ch'Islador, but considering his writer could barely spell it, let's say it wasn't perfect. "But I would appreciate any help you could uh...give me. I'm good with mapping out stars, but clearly not with star bases..."

It was only with the greatest amount of composure that Tyrah kept the chuckle at bay, and instead just continued ‘looking’ up at the other Cadet as he spoke, the smile never leaving his face. “Hi Jakob! Good to meet you! I guess you are lucky because I am Cadet ch’Islador! Well, unless there’s another on the station, but seeing as you’re in the OPS quarters section I think I may be the roommate you’re looking for! Woooo! I was told I’d be getting a new roomie, but I wasn’t told who! I’m glad to run in to you! And, I can show you the way! I’m mostly pretty good at finding my way each time! I only ask for help from the computer if I’m really lost! Which you’d think me being an Aenar, I’d have a good sense of direction, but nope! My cousin is good with that stuff though! They’re in Intelligence, so their quarters are somewhere else on the station! I haven’t even bothered trying to find my way there!” He said with a laugh, once again babbling out his response, almost as if everything that comes into his brain came out of his mouth seconds later. He gestured straight ahead and nodded to the Human, happily bouncing on his heels with open excitement at having met his new roommate, and at the thought of being able to do some more decorating.

Jakob seemed to relax quite a bit. Great. So he's found his roommate, so he might've found his room. Only problem is that his roommate also gets lost, a lot. Well, hold on, if they're both cadets they must be around the same age, and thus in the same year. Maybe Tyrah went on his cadet cruise recently too. Well, he can't be too mean then either. "Magic! Could you, uh, show me where we are then, r-...roomie?" He gently lifted his backpack again, as it just dangled from his arms. He didn't feel like wearing it on his back, thinking he'd find his quarters quickly.

Tyrah could sense Jakob relaxing after he mentioned they were roommates, and in response made sure to do everything he could to further put the other Cadet at ease, even going so far as to take a few steps back and slowing his speech pattern. “Of course! Just this way! Thankfully we’re at the end of the corridor so if you walk enough you’ll end up finding it eventually! Actually, there’s a window at the end of the corridor too which has a great view out! I love sitting there and watching as the ships, shuttles and workbees go by!” He said happily, practically skipping his way to their quarters, before eventually stopping right outside the door. “Home sweet home! I’ve actually been here for a few weeks! I started my Cadet Cruise a bit earlier than most in our year, so I got a bit of time to settle in! It’s a nice place! We each get our own rooms and then have a common space in the middle! It’s a fun setup! We can even decorate it if you want! I’ve been waiting to do all that until I was assigned a roommate, because I didn’t want someone to show up and just have my things all over the walls and shelves! The bulk of your things have already been transported in, so I think you should be good to go to unpack! Or, atleast thats how it was for me! Oh! Also! My name is Tyrah! No need to call me by my surname! Well, unless you want to!”

He followed Tyrah to the room. Thank god. His roommate was nice and not an awful person. Been there done that for 5 weeks until he put in a room-change request. "Decorating would be fun actually. Even if it's just putting stuff on the walls." He seemed to pause a moment when Tyrah mentioned the view. There was a good view? Shuttles, ships. Stars, possibly? "The view? Can...can you see lots of stars? I...watched the stars at home and....even drew my own star charts, really got me into Stellar Cartography...why I joined up mainly."

“Yeah! We can do that whenever you feel up to it! I imagine you’re probably pretty tired from the flight out! I was tired for a few hours when I arrived, then I took a nap and was ready to go! It’s crazy how much good a nap can do! Oh right!” He suddenly paused, before keying open the door and stepping in, and he quickly pressed a few controls and the window outside unsmoked to reveal the starscape outside…quite the view, especially for Cadet quarters. “Wow! That sounds like you’re quite the superSTAR yourself with that! Is it fun? I imagine it is! Looking at the stars all day! Have you ever gotten to name one? What would you name it if you could? Hmm, I would probably call one kitten! That’s my favorite Earth animal! They’re so soft! And silly!” He babbled on as he practically flounced all around their quarters, making sure to pleece up his errant plushies that he’d left on the couch after watching a movie the previous night.

He walked in and saw the view. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped a little seeing it. "I haven't got to...uh, got to name one yet. But I'd like to. Its pretty nice sometimes, just watching the stars." Jakob was finding it quite difficult to keep up with Tyrah, all the questions and random statements with hardly a break for Jakob to get a word in edgeways. He didn't mind though. "I'd probably name it after my family, Valkyrie...if I could." Kitten. What a nice star. He could imagine teens who were just as into the stars as he was pointing out the Kitten star. Maybe, if he gets to name two stars, one will be the Valkyrie Star, and the other will be the Kitten Star. "I like kittens too. I would've adopted one, but my parents never let me."

Vara marched towards the turbo lift.

"Ah, cool. Yours aren't too far away from mine then." Kaylee said as she stepped off the lift. "...Fives..Jakob...mine..." she murmured names under her breath, as she pointed to each room, while waiting for Samantha to join her in the hallway. She had actually learnt at least a name of someone in each room.

Samantha collected her bags one more and followed Kaylee out into the corridor, "Quarters of other people you know?" She asked as she held up her PADD once more and checked to see if they were close, still silently hoping that she had her own room.

"Yep, and a few I've only really spoken to for work. If I'm not mistaken, yours should be just about...." she stopped walking and stood just in front of #deleted-channel. "Here! Mine are just there, if you should need anything." Kaylee then pointed towards her own quarters, #deleted-channel. She really was offering like some support, if they got lost again, or they needed some help, or someone to talk to. Kaylee hoped that she and Samantha could be friends.

"Nice." Samantha smiled warmly, "And that's good to know. I'm sure I'll need help again before I'm settled. Maybe when we're off-duty, you can show me around?" She asked. It was nice to already know someone on the station, especially someone who was happy to help, which she appreciated.

"Great. Hope you and your roomie get along, if you have one." Kaylee commented lightly. She knew that most people shared quarters, Kaylee definitely did. A few got lucky if there were an odd number, and got quarters to themselves until someone else came aboard. "Sounds good to me, I'd be happy to show you around a bit. Well, you know where to find me. I'll let you unpack in peace. See you around, Sam!" Kaylee said with a kind smile, before leaving to get back to work.

"Thanks for the help, Kaylee. See you around." Samantha called after her, happy to have made a friend already before she turned and headed into her new quarters.

Vara went through the halls towards the lift.

It had been a long time since Sauk had walked these halls. He took his time, like he was walking through a museum, examining every door like it was the last time he was going to see it. As he got closer to his own quarters, he felt like he was going to explode with how overwhelmed he was feeling. Overwhelmed? Was that the right word? It was more of a positive feeling. After all, this was where all his friends lived. Everyone he'd missed for the few years he'd been on the Evolution was here now. Oh Prophets, he was going to have to get used to a new roommate, wasn't he?

Allan was headed down the operations corridor after hanging out with Randi, and was familiar enough with the hall after both having lived in it so long and having frequented it - so much so that he hardly noticed the officer that was walking the opposite way from him. However, as soon as he walked past them, he only walked a step more or two before he stopped, brain connecting some dots before he didn't even bother to turn around, simply doing a little skip backwards to catch up with the other. "Yooo, hold up, is that-" once his eyes confirmed who it was, they widened as a grin came across his face, "holy shit, Sauk, dude - I totally heard you say on stream, like, something about coming back but like - that was like, two days ago or something! I didn't know you meant, like - now, you know - oh, man, this is awesome!! Did you-" he stopped suddenly, coughing a little and waving his hand dismissively as he kept a smile towards his friend. "Sorry, ah, not supposed to be shouting so much, um - had an injury a week or so, ah - question, um, how... did you just get here?" He asked, his voice now at a much, much quieter tone.

For how much attention Sauk was paying to the halls, you would think he would notice Allan walking away from him, but when Allan skipped back over to Sauk, he jumped. From behind him, his emotional support cat, Shoe, peeked out and meowed, wrapping the leash slightly around Sauk's leg. It took Sauk a moment, but then, after hearing Allan’s voice, he was grinning. “Holy shit, hey, Allan!” He shifted which hand was holding Shoe’s leash and gave a little excited wave, rocking on his heels. “How’ve you been?” His question was somewhat answered when Allan started coughing. He gave his friend a sympathetic look, tilting his head slightly. “Yeah, me and Shoe just transported in,” He nodded. “I’m trying to find my new quarters,”

Allan gasped, a very delighted smile on his face when he looked down and noticed Shoe, and then looked back at Sauk. "Yeah! Yeah, you and Shoe both, holy shit, wow, um- all things considered, pretty good! Crazy last mission, yeah, honestly, um, pre-tty bad, not gonna lie, but like - hey, successful, we all lived, you know? Um-" he tried to think of a topic that would make him Not Think About The Mission when thankfully, he did actually think he knew where quarters were. "New quarters? Oh, okay, yeah, you should be - like, pretty close over to Randi, I think, 'cause she's a Lieutenant too, which like - ooh, man, I dunno if you heard about her in the news? Like, you're OPS, right, but you're comms, too, so maybe not, but like - you know how rare transporter accidents are, right? Like, maybe 3 every ten years out of trillions of transports and all that? Yeah, well uh.." he walked them over to where he'd just been, where the lieutenants had their quarters in the hall, "we had our own! Right here on 777! Me and my boy Rennie were at the consoles, and like - boom, sudden unexplained surge in the antigraviton particles causing the primary energizing coils to start to fail, had to you know, do the whole second confinement beam shit to avoid losing Randy, and then boom - transporter clone! And she's... well, she's actually really cool! Very different than Randy, though. They're both great, though, but um.." as they kept walking, he did notice that he didn't see Sauk's name anywhere.. "hold on, did I forget your last name or something?"

"Yeah, I take Shoe with me everywhere," Sauk grinned. His smile turned to a frown as Allan mentioned his last mission. What had he missed? Hopefully nothing too awful, but from the sound of things, it was. He decided to let Allan change the topic, not wanting or really having the ability to press. "A Lieutenant?" Sauk blinked a couple times, then laughed awkwardly. "Oh- well, uhm... Allan, I'm still an Ensign," He informed the other a bit sheepishly, glancing down at the bag on his shoulder. His uniform would have one pip, same as it did on the Evolution. He was about to say something else, but was momentarily distracted by Allan continuing. "No way, for real? Like, an actual transporter accident?" Sauk watched, enraptured, as Allan explained the problem, mentally running over what he would've done to attempt to fix it. Y'know, as practice. He grinned at the mention of Renakir, he had missed the guy! Hopefully Sauk could see him soon. "Wow. Shit's been going down here. That's like, so cool, I wish I saw half that action on my last posting!"

Allan stopped walking, looking down at Sauk with a bit of a confused look on his face as his brain loaded a little bit to process that. "Really? Ohhh, right, right! Yeah, you're like - you were just a cadet like, a few months before you left, right? Something like that? You're like... you're like the same age as Randy, I think! And so ensigns, um, also, ensigns... oh! Elwyn, you're probably like, right next to her room! If you're lucky, you're roommates!" He said with a grin, turning around and leading Sauk over to where the ensign quarters were way down the hall. "Hey, look at that," he laughed as he gestured at the door once he'd found it, and then gestured over at Elwyn Preston's door right next to it- "not quite roommates, but right next door! Wasn't too far off," he smiled when he saw that Sauk looked a little more excited now than he had when he had passed him, "yeah, real actual transporter clone accident. Shit's been going on for real, but ah... you know, it's a mixed bag? Like, some of it's great, some of it's ... interesting, some of it's downright awful, but - you know, it works out in the end! Speaking of exciting, the Captain's cat, Bandit, had a bunch of bandititos - I mean, kittens recently, so that's like, pretty neat, too."

Sauk nodded, still looking a tad bit sheepish. “If Randy is 20, then yeah,” They nodded, keeping pace with Allan as they made their way down the corridor. When they stopped outside a room labeled ‘Mitchells and Tral’, Sauk looked back briefly at how far they’d walked. Vaguely, he remembered an Elwyn. The past year or so on the Evolution had been such a blur that it had started to blur the years before his posting there. Now, he was left with a couple highlights, like talking to Eshen about Warrior Cats, or getting coffee with Renakir. The rest was fuzzy. “Bandititos?” Sauk repeated, sounding thrilled. “That’s such a cute name! If I wasn’t terrified of the Captain maybe Shoe and Lace could have a playdate with them!”

"Yeah, he is! Turns 21 this year, I think! And probably you too..? Unless your birthday's already happened, in which case, like, happy belated birthday!" He always tried to remember his friends' birthdays, but sometimes they slipped his mind. It was good to keep track because then he could get like, little gifts and such throughout the year and then save them for their birthdays, but he supposed he also sometimes gave people gifts on random days, too. "Yeaah, bandititos, bandititas, they're so cute, they're actually so grown up now! Still not even a year old, but like... they're so much bigger, they really grow up so fast," he said with a smile, and then he looked incredibly confused when Sauk mentioned being terrified of the Captain. "Oh, whaaat? Nah, dude, the Captain is like - we'd totally love to have a playdate with them! Really, there's no reason to be like, terrified of him, is there like - a reason, did he do something...?"

Sinau stepped out of her room into the hallway. Sinau's foot steps barely audible over the handful of side conversations. The woman's hands clasped behind her back, wanting to go on a walk, get blood flowing before she had to head to the operations room to get to her work. It had only been a week or so since the woman had arrived. Still settling into the vast spaces of the Starbase. Haven't being on one for a decade or so. Sinau's mind wandered, as she looked around. Removing the hands grip from each other as she walked more casually. Waving to a few people. Admittedly still a bit timid. So far the Romulan recognized nobody, and worried of embarrassing herself still. For the off time she had for now, she was still extremely stressed, after this walk, Sinau would probably just read for awhile. The base has an incredible catalogue of books. One thing that made the move easier. The woman kept walking along, looking and waving at the faces of people she passed by.

She was passing by, as she often did, on her way to Upper Engineering. It was like a second home to her, a place where she could be alone with the hum of the warp core and the beeps and boops of the the computers that surrounded her. Her right antenna was regrowing, yet very slowly. It was… complicated, to say the least. Oh well, she tried her best not to think about it. She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact as she passed by the other officers on their way to work or elsewhere on the ship. Trying to blend it, not stand out.

As Sinau walked, she took not of the Trill-Andorian, missing her antenna she stuck out a little. Sinau couldn't help but feel she recognized the woman, like some deep part in her brain has seen her face before. This wasn't a sense of Deja Vu, but a proper recognition of somebody she swear she knew. The woman stopped for a second, pausing as she flipped a mental coin to talk to her, just say hi and maybe get a better look at their face. "Hello." She said, trying to grab their attention. Something was so familiar about them....

She looked up, trying to find who called her before her eyes fell on a familiar sight. She stopped in her tracks, a fuzzy feeling of remembrance in her chest. Whether it was comfortable or unsettling, she didn't know. "Oh, hi." She paused for a moment. "Is there something you need?"

Sinau stared at her for a moment, she was familiar, but putting faces to name wasn't easy. The woman stuttered, not having a good excuse for why she said hello. "I... um... just, thought... I umm... know... you? I'm Sinau t'Lihweiir." She stuttered out, worried she had embarrassed herself, probably should have thought about it more before throwing herself into a conversation with someone.

She froze in her tracks, the memory of that face flooding back to her. The girl that sat across the room in the academy, the girl with the soft, uneasy smile. Her roommate, her friend. "Sinau?" She blurted out. “You’re… still alive.” Her antenna seemed to wag a bit, her expression was one of disbelief and an untold amount of joy. She thought she was gone, she thought they were all gone. Yet, why was she here? What was she doing on this ship? What had happened after all these years? Her mind began to wander, back to when she was young. When she was naive and brash, when she was stupid.

Sinau's pupils dilated, realizing it was them. The person she thought she got killed. "Yaveru?" She asked, equally flabbergasted. "What... what happened... I thought you died." She blurted out, regretting it a bit, thinking it was insensitive. Sinau scrambled on what to say, stuttering again. "It's... it's good to see you." The woman said, kind of stating the obvious. Her body sort of frozen, unsure of what to do with her hands or anything, hug her? Would that be too inappropriate, Sinau didn't know, just sitting with an expression of awe.

“I thought…” She felt a surge of emotions was over her. The memory of all her friends, the memory of San Francisco. The time in her life where she was filled with the most hope. All those smiles, all those people. Gone. Yet she was here, standing in front of her. Her eyes began to swell up, despite Yaveru’s own mind trying to portray a sense of stability. “It’s good to see you too.” She smiled, a bit of a stutter in her breath. Her antenna began to wag even more, her face saying and thinking a million different things. “How have you been?”

Sinau was pretty emotional too, tearing up a bit, but holding back the tears a bit. Not wanting to cry in such a public place. "I didn't think you'd make it." Sinau said honestly, smiling a bit after as Yav asked how she was. "Lots of... ups and downs. Mostly downs. What about you? Everything okay on your end?" She asked, a nagging question of how she survived after everything. The last Sinau saw of her was her bleeding on the ground in a war zone.

He got off the turbolift and went looking for his quarters. He entered his password into the padd on the door before entering #deleted-channel

After stepping out of his quarters he went to the closest turbolift. Which was #turbolift-one. (edited)

“I’m good. Pretty good. I…. work here now I guess.” She shrugged, a sense of emptiness always came around when it came to talking about herself. The hybrid wasn’t very good at it in all honesty. “Are you passing by? I- I just wanna know if- y’know, where you’re stationed and all that.” She was really trying to come up with something to say, but it was so hard. All the things she actually wanted to tell her were things she had buried so deep down, she never knew if they’d ever come back out. The war, the Nova Scotia, their friends, and both of them. Were they the same people as before? Would they even be friends anymore?

Sinau thought of what to say, before responding. "I just got dropped off from the Nova Scotia a week ago. I'm stationed here..." She said, finding this crazy lucky event to happen. The woman had to think for a second on what to say next. Contemplating a lot of things. Before the war, Sinau had so much to say to this person, but now it was so awkward, probably just because of the awestruck in her. "You... how did you..." Sinau paused, shaking her head quickly, changing her own topic. "I'm just happy your alive... and in... well most of one piece." She couldn't help but joke, trying to lighten the awkward tension.

“The Nova Scotia…? How… how is she?” Her antenna perked up, her eyes clearly wanting to ask more. More about what happened to the ship, what happened to her old home, her old friends. Yet that wasn’t important right now. Yaveru couldn’t help but look at Sinau’s eyes, those bright blue eyes. She shook her head, muttering something under her breath. “Well, um, are you free later? I think could go somewhere relaxing to catch up.”

Sinau smiled nervously. "I'm free later yeah, you want to go on a walk by the river? Have a drink? I can bring some coffee or... whatever." Sinau offered, seeing it as a good chance to get to talk, they did this years back anyways. Sinau had to do some work but was free in a few hours. "How about two hours from now, need to do something really quick." She explained, excited to talk to an old friend.

Rakim slipped out of the turbolift and headed directly for his quarters. He moved swiftly and quietly as he strided along, hands clasped tightly behind his back. Once he arrived at his quarters, Rakim opened the door and stepped through into the common area.

Twelve stepped out of her quarters,PADD having been discarded in her room. Once she had stepped out, Twelve turned as she then headed toward Rakins quarters.

Aria had decided to spend her day post-paperwork observing the rest of the base. Not quite a tour, but also not quite heading for an exact destination. Despite this, she had also wished to find her quarters for later. She surmised that the sign which said 'Living Quarters' would be a good place to look! While the medical bay provided Aria with interesting sights and conversation, it was not where she'd be living, and she also had yet to speak to many people aboard the base. What better way to meet people, as well as settle in, than to familiarize herself with the station? While her social life had lacked at the academy, she had planned to make up for this while here...as long as she had the curiosity (and, in many respects, the courage) to do so upon finding a new face. This is all to say that, quite simply, Aria hadn't said hi to a lot of folks aboard the base outside of her introductions in the chatroom, which she had no doubt enjoyed! But she knew that interpersonal connection was often aided by in-person conversation, of which she had had one, thus far. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to let that dissuade her. It was just her first day, after all! And maybe she would bump into someone while walking the corridor to find her quarters?

Bellona was dog tired, and it showed in her slower, more shufflelike gait than usual. Maybe, just maybe, locking herself in the command offices for hours on end (with meals, just to keep herself out of any internal watchlists) to do her work early and to her own satisfaction was probably not such a good idea after all. Nonetheless, she made a valiant attempt to seem all there and not at all tired; her posture was upright and her face stony as she passed the strange ensign in the corridor in silence.

Aria had continued to wander about, double-checking her PADD here and there to compare the number on the screen to the numbers of the various quarters present within the corridor. No luck just yet, but she hadn't been searching for very long. Though occupied with her current self-given mission, she looked up from the screen upon hearing the click of shoes against the floor of the corridor. She turned her attention toward Bellona, her bright glowing eyes looking over the command officer with a mixture of worry and curiosity. Indeed, Bellona's...well, shuffle certainly made her look much more tired than she was trying to appear. Perhaps Aria should say something? She was, after all, a medical aid, and similarly a new ensign aboard the base. It might be good to introduce yourself to command, outside of the group chat and paperwork! "Excuse me," The android piped up, "I apologize if this is out of line in questioning, but are you feeling well, officer?"

The Magna Romani woman paused in step. "I am fine, ensign. There is no need to worry." Bellona muttered through gritted teeth. By the gods, did she really have to run into this weird situation today? All she needed was to return to her quarters and sleep - why did people need to ask her about it too? "I am merely tired from my day. That is all. Please, carry on..."

Aria did not consider herself weird, nor did she consider asking whether or not a superior officer was doing well weird either. This was, of course, what she was designed for! She also wasn’t too great with social cues, which meant that very likely Bellona would end up more frustrated with the ensign than she already was. Aria didn’t mean anything by it, of course. She didn’t set out to annoy the lieutenant while passing by. It was simply curiosity and worry for her fellow crew mate, and a bit of that desire for social interaction mixed in! “My apologies. As a medical aid unit, I simply wished to ensure that you were operating at peak efficiency!” She replied with a small smile, “I would imagine that working command would take much out of you. Aboard the ship I was on previously, I had seen many insomniacs within that division. I am glad that you are not suffering from insomnia. “May I ask your name? It is important for future encounters, if we are to see each other again. I wouldn’t want to call you by an incorrect name, or rank.”

Bellona blinked and studied this strange blue-haired ensign a bit more closely. A 'medical unit'? So she was an android. Or an automaton. Or a hologram of some sort, maybe. Interesting. "Lieutenant Bellona Aurelia Juventus." She responded, seeming a bit more tired than she'd let on the entire encounter. "Away team coordinator... and you?" A nurse, she guessed, or a medical technician.

“Lieutenant Bellona Aurelia Juventus.” Aria repeated, storing the name away in her database, which now had quite a few entries thanks to the chatroom. Now, were she to encounter Bellona once more, she would be able to recall her name, rank, and position! Away team coordinator…the ensign quietly mused on that position for just a moment, recalling that one of the reasons she was placed here was due to potentially being a liability to an away team. And here stood the individual in charge of such things aboard the base…she hummed in thought. Bellona’s question brings her out of these thoughts, “Ensign Aria, or Robotic Medical Aid Unit: R1-A. I am a general nurse. I am a recent addition to the medical team aboard the base! I arrived on the Mandelbrot not too long ago.”

"I see. I hope you enjoy it here. You will find a great number of... interesting... individuals come your way in sickbay." Bellona replied tiredly. Yep, this poor android was going to have a field day treating the cornucopia of other species living on the starbase with her - especially the Dominion species, maybe. She glanced down the hallway towards her quarters. "Well. If you have somewhere to be, I shall not interrupt you any further..."

“I certainly hope so as well!” She says with a smile, before she tilted her head upon Bellona’s addition. Interesting individuals. She hadn’t quite considered this fact, since she just arrived and all. The doctor in the chatroom did say the base was for cultural exchange. She had yet to do medical work on many species outside of a few select humans (and humanoids) aboard the Mandelbrot, and those individuals were of species often seen within Starfleet. This would definitely be a learning opportunity! “Ah, understood! I will keep this in mind, Lieutenant.” She said with a nod. She followed Bellona’s glance for a moment before returning her gaze to the command officer upon her addressing her once again. “I am currently searching for my quarters, outside of familiarizing myself with the layout of the base. I would not say you are interrupting! I apologize if you felt as though you were.” Straight over her head. (edited)

"Well. I'm sure they aren't far at all." Bellona deadpanned. She glanced back down the hallway she'd just come down, focusing particularly on the door numbers and the marking on the bulkhead behind them. "Which room were you instructed to settle into in your posting order, ensign?" She asked. No harm in helping her out, she reckoned, considering she was new. It wouldn't be a few minutes.

“Room number 308.” Aria replied, holding out her PADD to demonstrate that that was where she got the information. Indeed, she was new. There were various documents and things like that present on her current work desk, things new ensigns and additions to the crew were required to fill out after transfer. “I am unsure how often I will use the quarters outside of periodic recharging, but I appreciate the privacy provided. I would not want to live within the medical bay, despite its amenities.”

"That is something you will have to figure out for yourself, ensign. This way." Bellona led her confidently in the other direction from which Aria had come, and soon enough the two were indeed in front of the android's quarters. "Well then. I suppose this might be where we part for the time being." She decided, with her arms akimbo. "Until next time we meet, ensign. I pray that it will not be under unpleasant circumstances."

“Affirmative. More often than not I recharge within 48 hour intervals, so I know that I will use my quarters during those times! Perhaps I will busy myself with something when not working in the medical bay. I have heard that bonsai trees are a calming hobby to have aboard starships.” Aria followed close behind the lieutenant, as the senior officer clearly knew where she was going as opposed to the android. Upon arriving at the room, Aria turned to Bellona to bid her farewell. “Understood. You are correct, it would be quite unfortunate to meet under circumstances not as pleasant as simple conversation,” She paused, “Oh! You are referring to a potential medical emergency in which I would need to serve as a nurse to aid in your recovery. Yes, hopefully this need does not arise! I would wish to speak to you once more in a more recreational setting, as opposed to something of consequence, Lieutenant.”

"I suppose that moment shall come sooner than later. Knowing our collective circumstances it will not be long before we meet again. Until then." Bellona sent a wave her way, turned and began to walk off down the corridor. She was still tired, mind, but at least she'd helped someone out. That was good, wasn't it?

Triple 1 and Triple 0 both didn’t anticipate their freight arriving early. But being so far from Bynaus made Triple 1 a little more nervous, so getting their DataHaven Nexus early was a delight of a surprise. Triple One carefully patted their giant metal box almost to comfort it. * *The refrigerator-sized box was one of the many tools in Bynar deep space operations, formally known as the DataHaven Nexus. Its name was printed proudly in bold Bynaus script on the side. Encased in sleek metallic housing with softly pulsing status lights, the DHN was designed to provide Bynar pairs with complete technological autonomy in deep space. Its considerable size housed advanced data processing, storage, and communication technologies crucial for operations beyond planetary networks. Maintaining the DHN was a secondary duty, essential for backup and auxiliary support to the Master Computer, ensuring uninterrupted operation and connectivity in case of primary system failure. Powered internally, it was designed to preserve access to Bynaus knowledge even during unstable primary connections. *However, the DHN had its drawbacks. Standing about 2 meters tall, 2 meters wide, and 1 meter deep, it wasn't easy to move or get around. The DHN required specific environmental conditions to function optimally and needed weekly specialized maintenance akin to nurturing a temperamental plant. These conditions were crucial for its delicate systems to operate efficiently. While Starfleet provided basic computers and visual screens, they often fell short of meeting the comprehensive needs of the Bynars. Triple 1 softly rubbed on the casing, almost to reassure the computer That it would be fine as they got into Corridor Three. Soon, they’ll be in their quarters. *"Excuse us!"

Triple 0 had taken on the task of pushing the cart from the back, his muscles straining under the weight of the cumbersome load, while Triple 1 was at the front, deftly maneuvering around obstacles and ensuring no one got in the way. The box was so large that it towered over both of them, casting long shadows down the narrow corridor and making each turn a nerve-wracking challenge. Their synchronized efforts were the only thing keeping them from thwacking someone accidentally. (edited)

Maxson was on break from patrol duty, if only for an hour. He had stopped off at his quarters to give Lila, his calico cat, a bit of attention and her lunch, but had found that he'd since ran out of the little cans that she liked. Replicating kibble worked, for now, but he knew that Lila wasn't the biggest fan of the stuff the replicator made. Leave it to cats to be picky, he supposed. With a huff, he surmised that he'd have to stop off at the commercial promenade to buy her wet food for the next week or so. He hadn't quite planned on spending his break doing so, but such are the sacrifices of a pet father. It also saved him from Lila squawking at all hours in disappointment of the food placed in front her...which was an added bonus. Unlike his cat, Maxson wasn't particularly picky about the food placed in front of him. Serving aboard a diplomatic vessel for a good few years had given him quite the expansive palette. He had learned that dinners between cultural representatives were always an interesting look into how people lived through the avenue of the stomach. Well, he didn't quite mean to be poetic about the whole thing, especially since this new cafe that was being advertised lately he'd hope to try out during his break offered mostly American diner fare, which he'd eaten before, but the detour to the commercial promenade impacted the time he could spend enjoying a burger. (edited)

03:40

His door slid open, and the broad-shouldered lieutenant commander made his way out into the corridor. He glanced down one way, then the other, and it was there that he greeted with the sight of the Bynars struggling to move their package through the hallway. A rather large package, on a cart, with a whole lot of weight being pushed between the two of them. He hummed softly. He could just...go to the turbolift, get Lila her food, grab a burger on the way back, and spend a quiet break in his quarters like he always did. He could do that, he could. But he won't. Despite first impressions of the man, he could at least lend a helping hand. He cleared his throat, "Do you two need...any help?" He asked as they passed by him, his normal flat face having the added addition of a quirked eyebrow of curiosity. (edited)

Triple 1’s first instinct was to decline help, determined to keep Master Computer and the DHN safe themselves. Breaking a DHN on its first day wasn’t something they wanted on their record, and entrusting another would be risky. However, a better glance at the man offering assistance made them reconsider just based on looks. Almost on cue though, Master Computer’s voice gently resonated in their shared consciousness: “This is your first time handling a DeepHaven Nexus. Remember, assisting others strengthens our collective capabilities. Collaboration enhances problem-solving and builds trust. Accepting help, especially in unfamiliar tasks, not only optimizes efficiency but also fosters mutual growth and learning. Visual data suggests that he is better suited for this task.” Triple 1 was about to respond when they felt their Pair push a thought: “You better listen to Master Computer; we still have to get the DHN off the cart,” Triple 1 heard Triple 0’s gentle scolding. After a few seconds pause, they nodded and addressed the man, slowing down their walk down the corridor. “Yes, we would like help. Can you-” (edited)

Triple 0 heard the offer of help and Master Computer’s lesson on accepting assistance. While they understood their partner’s hesitation, they couldn’t afford to turn down an offer from someone like him. “You better listen to Master Computer; we still have to get the DHN off the cart,” they sent the thought as a gentle scolding. Normally, when Triple 1 becomes stubborn like this, they can step in more directly, but all their attention is focused on keeping the DHN from tipping over. Being the first to drop and break a DHN within the hour wasn’t an accolade they desired. “Please come over here and help me?” they asked, still seamlessly finishing Triple 1’s sentence, as they slowed down so he could come and help

Leave it to engineers to lug around heavy equipment. He recalled a time while aboard the Lake Tahoe of having to help the engineers and scientists move things from lab to lab: Scanners, computers, various other…things that he didn’t quite understand, but hey, they were doing their job. He was never great with science at the academy, or the lessons he got on the Oklahoma, or…ever, particularly. He was much more adept at athletics and literature, the former of which is what usually led him to helping move things around for the other divisions while he was an ensign. And a junior grade. And a lieutenant. And now, a lieutenant commander. Oh well, it’s not the end of the world to help these two push a cart, despite the frustration of not getting his meal sorted just yet. His eyes slid between Triple 1 and Triple 0 as they seamlessly spoke with one mind. He wasn’t too sure if he’d met Bynars before, though he’d certainly heard of them. A few served aboard Starbase 74, right? He wasn’t too certain he could nail that one down, but based off the two standing in front of him, a few served aboard Starbase 777 as well. He nodded to Triple 1, and also Triple 0, as he moved over to where the second one stood behind the cart. Resting a particularly large hand on the handle which Triple 0 had been straining against, he took in a breath, “Well…where to?”

Triple 0 felt a wave of relief as the large human came to help them. The strain of pushing the cart was lifted as they said, "Room 47 Beta, left bedroom—" They then pointed to their room as they carefully started walking back, their relief palpable. With the new arrival, they were sure they wouldn’t drop the DHN. They sent a thought quickly to their partner. “We’re almost there.”

"It's its home! Thank you so much,"they finished with genuine gratitude. As they started back down the hall, they exchanged relieved glances. With careful steps, they guided the two to their room, trying their best not to stumble. Once they reached the door, they opened it and glanced back to Triple 0, giving a smile. "Mind the threshold," *they called out as they carefully kept the DHN on the cart while moving it into #deleted-channel .

Maxson raised an eyebrow when Triple 1 said that their quarters was the package's home. What in the world did he volunteer to help push? It was just equipment, right? If it was some kind of exotic animal, it was a damn good thing that he had ended up walking out just then. This may end up being a matter of security, after all. And he was still on break...he'd sigh if he wasn't already doing a bit of labored breathing from helping Triple 0 push the damn thing. "Hrrn...no problem," He replied beneath his breath, shoving it forward with the second Bynar and through the threshold of #deleted-channel. This was certainly shaping up to be an interesting break, that's for sure.

Well. That was certainly a red flag in Savva's book. Computer interfaces every so often, where she assumed someone may have some sort of camera system that allowed them to spy on her. She was just on her way to her quarters when she happened to notice these interfaces, and she just couldn't let it pass her by. Fittingly, Savva had a toolbox she was carrying along with her, and she felt like she could certainly put it to good use now. Stopping by one of the computer interfaces, Savva set down her toolbox and simply looked at it. Not actively taking out a tool yet. In fact, the box remained closed. Instead, she aimed to simply study the look of the interface first, before she took out a tool. Yeah, it was certainly big enough to hide a camera or other spy equipment inside. Of course, in reality, there wasn't - but Savva couldn't know that for sure. She had to be certain and see the proof for herself. So without taking a tool, Savva simply, from the side so the 'camera' couldn't catch her, inspected the interface as well as she could.

Yoro'clis rhymically walked down the corridor and scanned the area, simply wanting to see the area. He did not spend much time around the more recreation side of the station and figured it was important for him to know about and understand. He took in his surroundings but did not stop or say anything to anyone. In the Jem'Hadar's mind this was basically reconnaissance. He saw Savva ready to tinker with a security interface down the hall and wondered why she was there. The COS was confident that there were not any security work orders for this section of the station. Either it had just broken or the Orion was up to something. Yoro'clis continued his march-like stroll until he stopped directly behind her, looking to see if there was anything strange with the machine. He was a full foot taller than here and therefore managed to do so with little issue. "Is something wrong with the console, Ensign? I don't belive my department requested any repairs here."

Savva was so invested in checking out this console that she didn't see nor hear someone coming. But when she finally did notice someone was coming, her eyes were met with a Jem'Hadar that was a full foot taller than she was. And not only that, she didn't recognize this person. Savva's eyes popped open. "Ah--!" Savva yelped as she fell to the ground, crawling away from the Jem'Hadar. Savva kept her distance, and always kept one arm up to block the Jem'Hadar from advancing any further. "You're gonna kill me, aren't you?" Savva said, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're the one who tapped into those consoles, aren't you? You're the one who is spying on me, you're the one who wants me dead! I'm not going to let you! No! I'm not going to let anyone!" As tears began to pour out of her eyes, she kept her gaze upon the Jem'Hadar. Her eyes looked like those of a frightened child. A fright so terrorizing that it shook her to her core. Not of Yoro'clis himself... but upon the fact that she was convinced now, someone was after her.

Yoro'clis paused for a moment, taking Savva's rambling in. There was no discernable emotion on his face. He knew that Starfleet had a variety of unique officers but this was something different. This was a sort of trauma or paranoia that was truly one of a kind. While the Honored Elder had been forced to take emotion intelligence courses as part of his transition to the Federation this was beyond his skillset. Still, he knew that it needed to be dealt with now before a crowd gathered. Rumors of wire tapping and spying were going to make station security's role far more difficult The COS wanted to see if there was a problem but figured that he should start with calming down Savva to the best of his ability. He debated what to do for a second before deciding that it would be best to be direct. Savva was too panicked to think right now so they needed facts and proof of his identity. "I am Honored Elder Yoro'clis, Chief of Security of this Starbase, and have no intention of harming you." He drew a PADD and brought up a copy of his personnel file without any classified information before showing it to her.

What...? Chief of Security? So... he wasn't a hitman or other person in disguise? Well, to be Chief of Security, one would need to undergo a thorough background check, and be surrounded by other Security officers as well, those who were doing the same essential duty that he was doing. Savva's breathing slowed slightly, although she was still in a bit of a shock, and allowed her volume level to drop so she and Yoro'clis could have a proper conversation. "Promise?" Savva said, as she pushed herself up from the floor, keeping her hands out for just a moment, before she lowered them. "I was looking at this console because it seemed the perfect size to fit a nanny cam inside it. I can't be certain who's out to get me, sir. I don't know if someone's got a hired gun waiting for the right moment when I turn the corner. I don't know if my people sent someone to try and kidnap me to bring me back! I don't know if the Borg are trying to reassimilate me. I can't... I can't let that happen... I just..." Savva's tears continued to flow. She trembled now, noticeably, again like a frightened child... "They're gonna find me... They're gonna make me a monster again... I had to make sure I'm safe, and this was the first place I knew to look..." (edited)

Yoro'clis nodded, only starting to understand just how disturbed Savva currently was. "I promise, yes." He could tell that this was some sort of engineering, security, or OPS ensign. Either that or this was someone impersonating a Starfleet officer. Additionally they were Orion and seemingly ex-Borg. At least for now the best was to discover any more details was to simply ask and trust that they were giving a real answer. While people loved to lie there was nothing that Yoro'clis could do for now to prevent that. "If I may, what is your name?" The Jem'Hadar needed more control. He could not allow for the ex-Borg to continue yelling in the busy hallway. The only question was whether to bring her to counselling or security. Realistically there would be less people and he would have more influence within his own domain so decided to go for the later. He could also use Savva's paranoia to convince her to move, all that was needed was a promise of safety. The Orion was desperate for a fortress and the defense hub was the closest thing on the station. "And are you willing to go somewhere more secure? I think it is best if we are not so exposed"

Savva took a moment, collecting herself, wiping away any tears she had before she took a deep breath, in and out. Well, the Chief of Security was around here, so he was as good enough as anyone to divulge her identity to. "Well, since you're Chief of Security. My name is Ensign Savva Serruvi, Electronics Engineer. Here, I'll prove it to you," Savva said, bringing out her PADD and showcasing the top portion of her Starfleet file. Yup, it Savva Serruvi, alright. No tomfoolery or trickery here. "Just... don't go selling that information to the Orion Syndicate... please." Well, she didn't want to be perceived anyway, so she might as well. "Yes," Savva said. "Yes, somewhere more secure." (edited)

Yoro'clis took the statement about the Orion syndicate literally but did not see it to be an issue. He had no contact with the syndicate or any such group. Additionally, e was minimalist to a fault, meaning that he saw no use for currency in the first place. Everything was either standard issue or unnecessary. "Do not worry, I have no use for credits." He began to work near the closest turbolift. "Follow me Ensign." The Honored Elder realized that he needed to pick a specific place within the defense hub to go. It was a large yet secure space as a whole so there were a lot of options. His office would be ideal but reaching it would require going through the main hub, so he would need to see what Savva was comfortable with. "It is best if we go to security."

With a hesitant nod, and keeping a comfortable distance from Yoro'clis, at least until they reached the destination they needed to be in, Savva followed. "Aye, sir." And they went to the nearest #turbolift.

Savva walked with Essen, holding her shoulder from behind. This was the support that Savva needed now... They were so close to Essen's quarters now too.

Essen made sure to keep her eye out for anything that could act as a prompt for Savva. She always was gentle with Savva, not overextending herself or her words. "It's alright, we're almost there. We're almost there."

Starbase 777…it was a lot bigger than Nairi expected. Though considering it was on the border of all these different territories, she probably shouldn’t have been that surprised. Still, she was in awe at the scale of the station, her face glued to the window when her arrival shuttle approached. Her first official Starfleet posting…this was the real deal. This was her chance to prove to the galaxy and to her parents that she was better than who she was initially born to be. The young Orion woman had a large smile on her face when the shuttle touched down and she stepped out, her bag slung over her shoulder as she looked up at the large sign, “Starbase 777”. “You got this, Nairi,” she said to herself before quickly going to complete a small orientation with a personnel officer. Once that was completed, Nairi found herself walking down the corridors near the living quarters, her bag still slung over her shoulder as she looked from door to door trying to find her quarters. “Hmm…I thought he said it was around here somewhere. Maybe I should ask the computer where to go,” Nairi said aloud to nobody in particular again. She would turn the corner and in front of her, there would be what appeared like a Vulcan and…Savva?? Savva was a Starfleet Officer now too?! *“Savva??!” *she exclaimed before her lips curled into an extreme but happy smile, “I didn’t know you are a Starfleet Officer now!!”

But the appreciation wasn't reciprocated from Savva. In fact, the moment she saw Nairi, and recognized her... "Nairi... No... No!" Savva's body ran cold as she immediately stopped in her tracks. "Essen! We need to get out of here!" Savva said as she tried to pull away from Essen. "You're gonna bring me back to the Syndicate, aren't you?" Savva asked Nairi as her face contorted in horror. "You're gonna bring me back and they're gonna kill me for being disloyal. That's why you're here, isn't it? You stole a Starfleet uniform to get past security! I'm not gonna let you take me, Nairi! I'm not gonna let you!"

It wasn't long before Essen noticed Savva's behavior change once again. She looked at the other Orion approaching them. "You know each other?" Essen asked calmly. Before Savva tried to escape, Essen helped Savva remember. "Savva, it's okay," Essen reminded her. "Remember your training. Notice where you are. Deep breaths... You're safe. I gotchu." As she took Savva's hand, and showed her the motion of deep breathing. "She's... Going through a lot," Essen said to Nairi. "Please be patient with her."

Nairi’s smile faded quickly when Savva began to panic and brought up the Syndicate almost immediately. “Wait! No! It’s not…This isn’t…I’m not a part of the Syndicate anymore!” The Orion woman would take a small step forward before her head turned to look at Essen. “I…yes. I do know her. I’ve…worked with her in the past.” She would turn back to look at Savva and for a second time, a look of surprise would soon flash over her expression as Nairi didn’t notice at first, but she finally noticed the Borg implants that corralled her right eye. “Oh…oh no. Savva…” She was lucky enough to have never encountered the Borg in her life but during her Starfleet training, she was forced to study them quite a bit as a part of her Security track and the idea of them and what they did both terrified and horrified her.

Essen nodded understandingly as she heard Nairi's take on everything. It wasn't easy for her to hear it, but at least it gave her more of a complete picture, for what it was worth. Then Essen's eyes followed Nairi's gaze - to Savva's Borg implant. Apparently Nairi had no clue Savva was assimilated into the collective - and by extension, knew what sort of harm came Savva's way as a result of it during her time in the collective. This in Essen's mind immediately registered that Nairi was not a threat. "Savva, it's okay, deep breaths," Essen continued with a calm, gentle, reassuring voice. "It looks like your friend didn't know what happened to you since you last saw each other. She's different now. She's an ensign just like you. You can trust her. She's gone through the Academy like you have."

"H-how... how can you know for sure? It's... it could be a trick..." Savva spouted out in response, before she remembered to do as Essen recommended. Savva took some deep breaths as she and Essen slowly approached Nairi. "You're not... gonna kill me? You're not gonna take me back to Orion?" Savva asked, her voice weak with anxiety. "I never know if they've sent a hitperson to find me..." Then she noticed how... different Nairi seemed. "You're... nicer than when I knew you." And with that, Savva, with Essen next to her, approached closer.

"Hey, good job!" Essen said with a smile, before she looked to Nairi with a hopeful look in her eyes. Maybe something good would come from this!

Nairi wasn’t sure what to say or what she could say to calm Savva down right now. In fact, Nairi was probably as shocked as Savva was running into each other in Starfleet uniforms on the same station. She felt extremely lucky that this Vulcan woman was here to help them both as Nairi clutched her bag over her shoulder tighter. “Savva…I’m not here to hurt you. I was just assigned to Starbase 777. I had NO idea you were here…” Nairi would slowly removed her bag from her shoulder and set it down. She would glance towards the Vulcan as they slowly approached her, a small knot forming in her throat as she mouthed the words, “Thank you,” before focusing towards Savva. “I’m not the woman you once knew…” she would say in response, “I promise, I’m changed. I’m here to serve Starfleet and the Federation now.”

Savva felt this nagging in the back of her mind that Nairi could be lying... that all of this could be a trick. But once she saw the look on Nairi's face, and how eager she seemed, it was evident that maybe Savva had miscalculated that fact. And hearing her say she was changed in a voice that Savva would have never pinned on Nairi... that made Savva pause. Enough so that she controlled her breathing further and wiped away a few of her previous tears... before she actually slowly reached out her hand towards Nairi. Yes-- Savva was taking a risk. A risk that certainly felt uncomfortable - but she took it. She chose to.

And Essen wasn't anyone not to notice that act of bravery. Seeing how Savva reached out towards Nairi, just as Savva did to her back in the armoury... it was a display of strength that Essen truly admired. "Yes! You're doing it, Savva! Great job!" Essen encouraged her again, still keeping her voice soft as to not overwhelm Savva.

Nairi felt the knot slowly rise in her throat as Savva reached out towards her. A part of her was unsure if she should take her counterpart’s hand, feeling almost unworthy considering the life she had lived up to his point. However, another part of her knew that this was all part of reconciling the sins of her past and acknowledging the mistakes she had committed, mistakes that were committed partly because she was raised in the Syndicate and she didn’t know any better. The knot in her throat soon gave way to fierce determination as the Nairi before might have chosen to shrug off any emotional interaction, brushing it off as some form of weakness but the Nairi today was not. Suddenly and without hesitation, the woman reached out and embraced Savva’s hand, pulling her in rather forcefully as her arms soon wrapped around the shorter Orion woman. “I’m so sorry, Savva. I…I should have been a better person to you…The Syndicate was wrong. I know that now…”

It took Savva off guard as Nairi took her hand and pulled her into a hug. "Ah--!" Before she realized what Nairi was doing. This was the step that Savva needed to take - albeit faster than she had expected, she soon settled into the hug in Nairi's arms, and with the shock and awe of the speed of the hug behind her, Savva gradually let herself relax into the hug, and her waterfalls of eyes poured out tears once more into Nairi's shoulder. "You've... never hugged me before... I've never felt this sort of affection before... you really have changed..." Even though she was crying, it was as if she finally felt some closure with Nairi. Things were finally moving forward in a good direction.

Essen was also slightly startled at the hug being so fast, but once it happened, Essen relaxed and let out a sigh of relief as she knew now that Nairi was not a threat after all. Plus, she was delighted Savva was able to open up to Nairi like this. "Come on, you two. Let's head to my quarters. Maybe we can talk through some things there?"

Nairi held the hug as her eyes closed, images of the last time she saw Savva flashing through her mind. Man, she was not a nice person back then. She recalled Savva’s crew negotiating with her parents, trying to acquire more weapons and her family up charging the price ridiculously. Whenever they talked to each other, there was always that air of dominance as they both vied for power. No. Not anymore. “I know…I used to never hugged anybody. But I promise, things are different now.” She would slowly released Savva from the hug, tears welling up into her eyes too as she broke away, her face looking down towards her old acquaintance from a past not that long ago. Nairi would finally turn to address Essex when she offered to take them to her quarters, a hand raising to rub her tears from her eyes, “That sounds lovely…I’m sorry, I know we just met. I’m Ensign Nairi Dellek…”

Essen didn't mind any of the proximities of when she met Nairi. "Oh, no worries," Essen smiled. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Essen. Tactical. Come on. My quarters are just a few doors down." Before Essen gently guided Savva towards her quarters.

Savva looked up at Nairi before she began to follow Essen towards her quarters. "I want to... to hear about what you've been going through. What you've done since we last saw each other? If that's okay..." Before she motioned for Nairi to follow her and Essen to Essen's quarters.

Nairi's smile soon returned to her as she wiped away the last few tears from her eyes. This day had definitely taken a strange turn compared to what she was expecting upon arriving on Starbase 777. However, it was definitely not an unwelcome one. A part of her kind of was happy she was going to know at least one person aboard the station since she would not get to serve aboard the U.S.S. Hermes with her friend. However, her first meeting with Savva could sure have gone a little smoother. "It's great to meet you, Lieutenant Essen!" She would immediately follow but turn her attention towards Savva, "Of course, Savva! I'll tell you everything...!" Nairi would look away briefly as she would let a small grimace form on her expression, hoping that Essex or Savva won't notice but the second either of them would look back towards her, she would put on a large grin again.

"Yeah. Bir, Ikki, and Yuch and me do, in fact, have to come, thanks." He said as he gladly followed the Furberus. "It's very logical, actually. Like I said before, this is me and Alizati and the Furberus's hangout time, you're simply interrupting that - it makes sense for our hangout to continue, doesn't make sense for us to stop hanging together to get rid of .. you," he shrugged, having tried awfully hard not to say any insults there as they followed the Furberus into the corridor.

Alizati followed Allan out of the room, keeping his eyes on Lun. The other said he wouldn't run away, but Alizati was also hesitant to trust him. Had Allan not been with him, maybe he would have believed that Lun was genuinely seeking asylum and not trying to dodge the law. "Allan is my friend and The Furberus enjoys helping. They may not be an organic pet, but androids also learn from experience and I was to ensure they have as many experiences as possible so they can adjust to life on Vulcan with my sister," Alizati explained, taking slow but long strides. In the hoverchair, Ikki was steering by booping is head against the joystick and Bir was looking out for obstacles in the way. Yuch was awake, surprisingly, enjoying the lights and sounds in the corridor. They passed a few other officers who were pretty used to the sight of the Furberus by now.

"I do not understand why you are treating me like a threat. I am clearly not and I am unarmed," Lun told Allan with a sigh as they approached the #shuttlebay . He took shorter strides than Alizati, choosing to just walk faster. "Are you always this distrustful of people you just meet, Allan? It does not seem very senior staff of you," Lun took a few longer strides so he could be shoulder to shoulder with Allan. Being much taller than the human, he wasn't actually shoulder to shoulder. (edited)

Allan smiled when he saw the Furberus just doing their thing, it really made him happy, and from the way the officers looked at them (well, the ones that were used to them - some still looked in terror sometimes), it seemed many on the station would miss them when they had to eventually leave. "Not treating you like a threat, treating you like someone who would try and run away. Doesn't have to be uh.. mutual? Same thing? You can be one without the other, or both. And uhhhh.. you're literally being arrested as a suspect for murder and covering up a murderer. Sorry if I'm distrustful of someone accused of that?" he took a deep breath, letting it out in a clearly really fucking annoyed sigh. It really felt like he was putting up with a chi- no, it would be insulting to children to compare Lun to one, actually.