Star Trek: Starbase 777

She had returned from the questioning and had returned to the promenade, a small pensive feeling stuck in her gut from the events from before. She didn't think it would be too bad however, Jack only hit his father once and his father wouldn't press charges anyway. As long as Jack kept up being a good officer, one small mark shouldn't affect anything too much.

[D] Even at the farthest south end of the promenade people were still running away from the explosion, but it was certainly a little calmer here.

The civilians who had successfully evacuated, had pushed their way here, there were visitors, and people who resided on the station daily. They just wanted to get off the station. It didn’t stay calm for long, there was a small squabble over seats on the USS. Pontoon, which had to be broken up by one of the security officers. After being reassured that there were enough seats for everyone, there was relative calm again. But the commotion of civilians echoed through the walls. And in large groups people boarded the Federation starships, it was underway.

Dressed in the normal Cardassian military uniform, Kassell strolled down the promenade eyes glued to a padd. He decided to get more paperwork done outside of the office to try and get some fresh air, despite not being on a planet. Many people talked and conversed with each other. The small shops established on the sides attracted many customers. However, in the back of his head he was still awaiting an order to report to the Commodore's office. Sometimes he wished it would happen now so that way he could prove he's better than what he let on afterwards. But, he had to be patient. The Glen continued to walk at a slow pace, tapping away.

Ilana Zarale eventually found herself in the south part of the promenade as she looked around the shops and noting what looked like the best places to eat or the best places to shop silently as she walked around. Her eyes wandering around the promenade, she didn't notice the Cardassian walking nearby in front of her as she continued walking, scanning her surroundings. That is until, her eyes on a restaurant serving strange food; Klingon was her assumption, she ran or moreso walked straight into the back of the Cardassian Tactical Officer in front of her. She stumbled back and let out a small "Umph" after the collision, wrinkling her nose in surprise and discomfort in running into someone.

Weapon systems reports, junior officer shifts, and more and more tactical matters. Now he knew what it would be like if he advanced to Chief Tactical Officer if Ughaz'udan was promoted. His train of thought was interrupted once he felt a light impact on his back, taking a couple steps forward to catch his balance. After his brief stumble, he turned around to see who bumped into him. His pupils dilated a bit when he set eyes upon Ilana. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, I think I'm alright. I assume you are as well?" He didn't seem to have been bothered at all, then again. It was her who had run into him. She made a mental note to watch where she was going the next time she decided to go to the promenade. To be fair, this wasn't the first time it had happened. Actually, no that was worse. She wasn't learning from her mistakes she thought with a frown. She paused as she noticed it was a Cardassian in front of her. "I'm Ilana Zarale, apologies...I should have watched where I was going." She still had that frown on her grey and blue scaled face, her mind only half there as her thoughts lingered on the realization that she needed a much better grasp on her surroundings.

"I'm good." he replied. Looks like he wasn't the only Cardassian on the station after all. Unless she's just visiting, then that thought wouldn't live long. Either way, he wasn't going to jump to conclusions. "It's fine. I could've bumped into anyone with my eyes set on my padd." he said. "I should glance up every once and a while." Kassell gave a nod before giving her his name. "Glen Kassell Arrek." and title, of course. "I'm the Assistant Chief Tactical and Liaison Officer aboard the station." he stated.

She nodded. "I'm also a Liaison Officer here actually, arrived not too long ago. Approximately..." She paused for about one or two seconds. "Forty or so minutes? Perhaps a little more than that but no longer than an hour. How long have you been stationed here Arrek?" She asked, her eyes alight with curiosity. Were there other Cardassians here too? Or only him, it was one of the things she had been most nervous about actually. The fact that there would be no Cardassians, on Bajor there had been at least four others who had been with her.

Kassell's head tilted but only slightly at Ilana also being a Liaison Officer. However, she didn't appear to be in uniform of a military officer, so it must've been another branch. Two guesses came to mind. "Liaison? Science or diplomacy?" he asked, showing off his perceptive nature. But that confirmed she was staying here. It was rather comforting for him. "I've been stationed here for ten days. I'm still familiarizing myself with the starbase." he said, glancing around the promenade. "But in due time I will know it like the back of my hand." hopefully that would be true, given he wasn't sent to a new position due to a mistake he made.

"That sounds like a good goal." She nodded. "Something that would be useful for me as well, although not in the way it is for you." She said thoughtfully. "And yes, I am the Liaison here for diplomatic purposes." She confirmed. "This is the second assignment in my career, the first being Bajor." Bajor had certainly been a hard case, especially for the young Cardassian when she had first started out but she was glad she had gone there. In her opinion, it strengthened her rather than weakened and in the end she was eventually assigned to a Federation Station with a variety of aliens she had never even met. It sounded like a win to her.

Ah, Bajor. Although, he wouldn't be able to imagine what being a diplomat to Bajor would be like for a Cardassian. He's never been there. He's been closer to a Breen planet considering his last post. "Bajor? I see. It's good to know there'll be another fellow Cardassian Liaison Officer aboard the station. To be frank, I was rather worried of being the only one here." he said. Since Ilana just arrived today, he felt it would be polite to invite her to walk alongside him. "Would you like to join me?" he asked, motioning to the way forward.

She nodded. "Of course." She moved in step with the Cardassian Officer. So there weren't any others then, if what he said was true and he had been the only on there until her arrival. "To be honest, I felt the very same. It's exciting to say the least, seeing all these new people and cultures I have never seen before. Comparing them to our own, but I have never been completely separated from Cardassians before. On Bajor there were at least five others with me. It does me no small comfort that you are here with me too."

Kassell kept the same pace, completely ignoring the paperwork on his padd while walking along side her. "Well, you and I will certainly be far away from Cardassia. I mean, we are in the beta quadrant. We're more closer to Romulans and Klingons than we are home. Heh, we might as well learn both of their languages while we are here." he said sarcastically. Although, that wasn't a bad idea. But he did take a Romulan elective when he was being educated. So conversing with one wouldn't be hard. However, Klingon would be tough. "Jokes aside, I'm sure you'll find many people and cultures to explore and learn." he said. "However, Cardassian food here does not disappoint. The yamok sauce is excellent, the zabo steak is tender and warm, and..." he stopped, realizing he hasn't tried other Cardassian food other than that. "Now that I mention it, I haven't tried anything else yet. But I'm sure I still wouldn't be disappointed either way." he stated.

"I'll take your word for it then." Ilana looked around the shops again, this time making sure she was aware of her surroundings so as to not make the same mistakes again and again. "At least our taste buds will be able to get a taste of home... literally." A soft amused smile graced her lips. "What's your favorite meal?" She asked, glancing at the other Cardassian curiously. "The thing that just absolutely screams home and Cardassia? For myself it is K'hava wine and Sem'hal stew with yamok sauce and tojal on the side." She closed her eyes briefly, she could almost smell the way the food smelled like together. It was the meal her mother always made her for her birthday. Nothing really special about the food except for the tojal, she enjoyed it simply because of how it all tasted together.

His favorite meal. Ever since his father introduced him to bread sticks, zabo steak, and some kanar was always his ideal meal. Not to mention the bread sticks. "My favorite meal? I'll always go with bread sticks, yamok sauce, zabo steak, and kanar. However, I haven't had kanar in a while. Simply because a bartender one time introduced me to the human drink apple juice. So replace the latter with that and you'll know my favorite meal nowadays." he said. Perhaps he should change it up sometime and have kanar soon. But then again, apple juice was always so good. "K'hava wine is good too. I always made it a little tradition of mine to share it with another person when we're on the path to become friends. After all, it is known as the drink of friendship."

"That it is." She nodded. "Apple juice you say? That's from...Earth is it not? Have you ever tried pooncheenee juice before?" She asked curiously. "I believe it has a similar taste from what I have heard of apple juice but the Bajoran juice does taste quite good." She noted, having spend half a decade on Bajor introduced her to many of it's foods. Pooncheenee juice while good however, was not one of her favorites. Not bad, just simply not as good as some of the other things the planet and it's people had to offer.

"It is. Made from the fruit called apple. I know it can come in red to a light green color. Well, the surface anyway. The inside usually looks the same." he said. When she mentioned pooncheenee juice, he couldn't say he had. He's never tasted Bajoran food or beverages. "Unfortunately, I've never had Bajoran juice. I haven't had anything Bajoran in general, really. Mostly because I was never stationed near their home world. Permanently, that is." he said, glancing at the Epsilon Club before returning his gaze to Zarale. "If I may ask, where are you from?"

"I was born on Cardassia VI, in the city of Lakat." She responded. "But lived in Cardassia Prime in Cardassia City for most of my life until about five years ago when I became a Liaison and was assigned to Bajor. I did travel alot beforehand but never moved somewhere else permanently because of my parents work. Or oftentimes I would visit my father from where he was stationed at." She explained. "Where are you from?" She asked curiously.

"I grew up in Tharakian City on Avenal Seven. My parents owned a food business selling fruits, bread, and vegetables. But when I joined the military at the Jokat Academy, I was on Cardassia Three." he said. There were good memories that crossed Kassell's mind momentarily. However, he averted his attention back to Ilana. "You could say I was a bit of a farmer before a soldier." he added.

"A farmer? That's cool." She nodded. "I must admit, I've never thought to be anything different than I am now." She said thoughtfully. "Had you ever wanted to do anything other than the military?" She asked curiously. "Farming perhaps? Or something else?"

"I explored many options before I joined the military. Architecture, science, finances, politics, and many other things. But none of them truly satisfied me when the day was done. That's when my father told me that if I can't find it, create it. And what better way to fulfill myself than serving Cardassia. Now, I am satisfied. I'm content with continuing on this path." he said confidently. Of course there has been many bumps and steep hills along the way, but nothing he couldn't overcome. "So to answer your question, no. I have not wanted to do something else. My older brother wanted to take over the family business while my sister pursued art." he stated.

"What a wide variety of careers you looked into." She said thoughtfully. "I can't say I've experienced the same. My sister and I simply did what our parents groomed us to be. Although I doubt we can complain, we both enjoy our jobs very much."

Ah, yes. Groomed. A lot of Cardassian parents always prepared their children for what they wanted them to do. His parents were rather different, on the other hand. "I must confess, my parents disagreed with the norm of grooming your children into your desired career for them. Mine encouraged my siblings and I to follow our own road." he stated.

"To each their own." She said with an understanding look. "I suppose I'm fortunate that the careers my parents wanted us to be were the careers we wanted." She adjusted her satchel. "Has anything exciting happened since before my arrival?" She asked curiously.

Oh boy, exciting events that have happened. Well, there was one. But it wasn't exciting in a good way. Kassell let out a heavy exhale before replying. "Well, the station was hosting an event called PACT Galactica. Many people of different cultures and backgrounds came to share a variety of things. There were lectures, merchandise, exchanges. You probably would've loved it. However, an explosion cut it short. In fact, it was right here on the promenade. I was at Rana's bar when it happened." he said.

"That's unfortunate." She sighed. "I probably would have enjoyed it alot. I assume the explosion and the person responsible for it has been taken care of?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, they were apprehended." he said. While walking he turned his attention to his right hand, remembering the padd resting between his fingers and thumb. Paperwork wasn't going to complete itself now, would it? As much as he wanted to resume the conversation, work needed to be done and his shift wasn't over yet. "As pleasant as this conversation has been, I just remembered that my work isn't quite finished yet." he said, glancing at the padd while stopping in his tracks. "We can definitely meet up another time, if you wish."

"That would be lovely." She agreed. It was absolutely great that there was another Cardassian on the station. And it had been nice talking to him too but she also wanted to meet new species and people. Put her research to work. "I suppose I will see you later than, Arrek."

"Same to you, Zarale." he said, giving her a nod before walking away. And here he was again, tapping away at a screen on a padd. Endless paperwork. That was just life sometimes.

After Glen Kassel left she went on her way and continued to look around, going into shops and looking around.

"I'm glad you agree." She smiled brightly and pressed her shoulder against Kh'reyah's."Self-knowledge is very important, wouldn't you say so?"

"Yes. It helps to know yourself. What you want. Who you are. Who you love..." She poked her arm, "Where you want to be."

She nodded and squeezed Kh'reyah's arm gently. "Couldn't agree more." She said with a soft smile as she looked at her.

"Speaking of know what you want - what flavor would you like?" She nodded toward the ice cream stand they were now approaching. "I'm sure they have something to your tastes... aside from exotic Klingon of course..."

"Mango and strawberry." She grinned at Kh'reyah before looking at the stand in front of them. "But I wouldn't mind some Klingon when we get back to quarters~" She said with a slight smirk, giving a playful jab in the other's side.

"I'm wondering in what sense you mean that exactly..." Chortled the Klingon who ordered a chocolate caramel cone for herself and Samantha's request, which she had to admit looked and smelled far better than her own. Mmm. Fruits. Fresh fruits... "Of course I am pleased to oblige you in any sense."

"We'll see." She said with a small smirk as she wiggled her eyebrows up and down for a moment before taking a lick from her ice-cream. "Truth be told, I'm just in need of some hugs and kisses." She said with a chuckle, squeezing Kh'reyah's hand gently.

"Oh? What happens if elsewise ends up happening?" She squeezed back nonetheless though, and smiled.

"Who says that'll happen to begin with?" She laughed a little, taking another lick of her ice-cream. "You're full of speculation, aren't you?"

"Am I not allowed to be?" Kh'reyah snorted and walked on down the promenade.

"I never said that." She laughed for a moment. "Kinda keeps things interesting, doesn't it?"

"Indeed." She smiled and looped an arm around her shoulders as they walked down the promenade together. "Speaking of interesting. I need a new outfit..."

She smiled back at the Klingon and snuggled up against her slightly as they walked. "Really now? What do you have in mind?"

"Something comfortable." She reckoned with a grin.

"Sounds nice! Maybe I'll get something myself." She said with a slight shrug, taking another lick of her ice-cream.

"I think you'd look stunning in combat boots." She remarked looking her over, "Or perhaps in something goth themed. Black, spiky..."

She chuckled softly. "Trust me, black is not my colour." She shook her head a little. "Boots do fit me however, I prefer them even."

"How about red. I think you would look good in red." She remarked.

"That I can agree with." She said with a wink, squeezing the other's hand gently. "See any good shops around?"

"There." She pointed to a nearby clothes shop a few doors down, half a minute's walk away. "I see that lovely red dress in the window..."

"I already have a red dress, remember? I wore it when we were at the winter's ball." She said with a soft laugh. "I could use a new sweater though!"

"A red sweater we can find." She laughed, squeezing her girlfriend affectionately - which is to say she didn't snap her in two at least. "Jusr for you. I personally like blue. Dark blue... or purple."

"Then how about we find you a nice purple piece of clothing? Like a shirt? Maybe a vest?" She raised her eyebrow slightly, pressing her shoulder against Kh'reyah's.

"A skirt." She decided. "Or both."

"Why don't you try them both, see from there?" She smiled up at the Klingon, placing a quick kiss on her lips. "I'm curious how it'll look on you."

"Good enough to make you look for a long while." She teased, kissing back and squeezing her shoulder before pulling away and striding down the corridor.

"I'm sure you'll be able to manage that without some new clothes." She said with a soft laugh, putting her arm around the other's waist as they walked.

"I know." She smirked. "I might get something red instead - to test you a little, see how long you spend looking~"

"How does "'till the end of time" sound?" She smirked at Kh'reyah and playfully poked her side.

"It sounds perfect." She smiled and walked into the clothes shop to browse.

She let go of Kh'reyah and walked over to a different side of the shop, looking around to see if she could find anything of interest.

Red dress located! Kh'reyah snatched it up and darted into the changing room, emerging a few minutes later in it and walking off to seek Samantha out.

When she spotted Kh'reyah, her jaw dropped, letting out a chuckle out if disbelief. "Wow!... Just... Wow!!" She said with a bright smile. "You look... Amazing, love!"

"Amazing? You mean so good you're still picking your jaw off the deck." Kh'reyah reached over and placed a finger under her chin, then closed her mouth for her.

She smiled softly and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Buy it, you won't regret it." She whispered before picking up a red knitted sweater and walked into a changing room.

"No, I won't." Snickering she walked away to find a few other things to buy for herself. Sam would be picking her jaw off the floor for hours...

She walked back out of the changing room, wearing the comfy sweater. "What do you think?" She did a quick twirl before looking back at Kh'reyah.

"You look good." She remarked upon returning with a myriad of colorful clothes over her arm, all so far untried.

"God, we're gonna be here tomorrow morning if you're gonna put all that on." She laughed softly, looking at the Klingon. "Ah well, we have all evening anyways." She shrugged and trotted off to find something else of liking.

She trotted away back into the changing room and swapped to a dark blue dress.

Sam walked back in the shop from the changing room wearing a white blouse and blue jeans which had a few rips in them. "Damn, am I getting a dresses-only show?"

"Is it working?" She smirked at her girlfriend and folded her arms.

"Quite." She said with a chuckle, walking up to Kh'reyah and letting her hand gently glide down the Klingon's arm, smiling softly. "It looks amazing on you, love."

"I am so glad it pleases you. I still have a few more to try on - you may want to pick up your jaw before it goes through the floor." The Klingon smirked.

"Oh please, me dropping my jaw just means that I find you absolutely stunning. So please, make it drop some more." She said with a chuckle, placing a kiss on the other's cheek. "I'll go get changed, I'm probably going to buy these clothes." She smiled brightly, gesturing to her own outfit.

The Klingon smirked and darted back into the changing room, emerging in a green dress this time.

When Sam walked out again in her own clothes, and with the outfit she just wore over her arm, she spotted Kh'reyah again and chuckled softly. "C'mon! Can't I catch a break?" She laughed for a moment and shook her head lightly. "Again, stunning as always. Is there anything that doesn't make you look stunning? Like, come on, girl!"

"Oh, come on, Samantha, you aren't so bad yourself." She smirked and clapped her on the back before strutting away to pay for her clothes and change back into her previous casual outfit.

She walked off to pay for her new pair of jeans and blouse and put the two items in a bag, hanging it off of her shoulder and waiting for Kh'reyah to come back out of the changing rooms. This evening was only getting started, and already she was loving every minute of it.

Rey's arms wrapped around her from behind while the Klingon chortled to herself. "Hello there. I think I'm starting to get a little hungry..."

She smiled and layed her hand down on Kh'reyah's as she leaned her head back slightly. "We could go to a local restaurant or back to your place? I don't mind either way."

"I'm in the mood for a restaurant. Something alien today. How about... Andorian." She smiled.

"Andorian." She mused. "Sure! Haven't had that in a while."

"And then Klingon once we return to your quarters." She suggested with a grin.

"How about your quarters? Mine are quite a mess." She said with a nervous chuckle, blushing slightly as she finally turned to face Kh'reyah.

"Mine it is, though I guarantee that mine is barely better than yours." She snickered and looped an arm around her shoulders before walking to the exit of the clothes shop.

"I don't mind, I just don't want to spend time with my date and lover in a messy room." She said with a soft laugh, putting her arm around Kh'reyah's waist and smiling up at her.

"Neither do I. I promise I shall make it tidy just for you..." She smiled.

She smiled and placed a quick peck on the other's cheek. "You're the best." She said with a bright smile, squeezing her girlfriend for a moment.

"Exclusively for you." The Klingon smirked. "Now. Let's go home shall we."

"Show the way, dearest lover of mine~" She chuckled softly, pressing her shoulder against Kh'reyah's.

"Absolutely! Come! The journey there shall be... glorious! Somehow or other! I haven't thought that far yet!" Kh'reyah couldn't resist chortling to herself as they walked out into the hallway.

"I'm sure it will be!" She laughed softly and gave a gentle squeeze, following the Klingon out into the hallway.

They moved quickly down the promenade, their ears flat on their head as the scanned their surroundings. They were still rather new to the station, and had decided to use a lunch break to explore the promenade. It was huge.

She was currently walking down the hall with an annoyed look on her face, her tail swishing again in annoyance behind her, as she passed the lieutenant her tail whipped into their leg and she stopped and turned "I am so sorry Lieutenant..." She said in an annoyed half purring tone, she noted that they were a Caitian as well mentally

They hardly noticed the tail brushing their leg, but they stopped when they realized they were being spoken to. "You...You're Catian," They observed stupidly. 'I thought I was the only one on the station,' they thought.

She nodded and gave him an annoyed smile, she wasn't annoyed at the fellow Caitian, more just the company that brought her to the station "I am..." She said with a nod "I'm R'Niri." She added in the same annoyed, half purring tone

"Uh- Hsarr. Hsarr M'ow. It's...nice to meet you," they smiled. They weren't...the best at reading body language, but something about that smile looked irritated. "Am I bothering you?" They asked nervously.

She shook her head "Nice to meet you Hsarr..." She said, managing to force the annoyance out of her smile "Not in the slightest... it's the charter company that brought me here... it seems they lost my luggage... again..." she said, trying to force the annoyance out of her tone, he tail was still swishing in annoyance behind her

"Oh, that's terrible! is there anything I can do to help? I could talk to the Commodore if you like, or I have a couple replicator credits I've been saving..." They scrambled for the solution, their helpful nature shoving up to the surface.

"It is no problem... I've already replaced everything of importance that can be replicated." She said with an annoyed shrug "I appreciate the offer though..." She added as her tail started to still some

"I hope you find your things..." They said awkwardly. "Um, good luck?" 'I really am the worst at converstations,' they thought.

"Thank you." She said with a soft chuckle at the awkwardness. Her voice was calm now and her tail wasn't really moving much either, betraying calmness

'Is she...laughing at me?' he wondered. 'Or is she just...laughing? Why do social situations make no sense?' they thought, their tail wrapping around one of their legs. 'I should probably go...right?'

She noticed how their tail wrapped around their leg "Are you alright Hsarr?"

"Um, yeah I..." They trailed off. "Were you laughing at me? Sorry, stupid question, I just...genuinely don't know," They finally asked.

"Kind of... I wasn't trying to be offensive, it was just how you said the 'good luck' that got a chuckle." She explained "I apologize..." She added with an apologetic tone

"No, no you're fine, I just have trouble navigating...conversations," They explained. "I was just wondering. Um, I should probably let you go find your stuff, huh,"

"No... its not even on the station... what do you need?" She asked, giving him a small friendly smile

"A guidebook? That would be pretty handy," They joked, brightening some at the smile. "Otherwise, I'm not sure,"

"Sorry... I don't have one of those... if you find one please send me a copy..." She said, joking as well

At this, they laughed, their shoulders shaking some. "In all honesty, everyone probably needs one,"

"Thats right... Students are so hard to understand sometimes..." She chuckled again

"Oh, you work with kids? That's even worse! Even when I was a kid, I didn't understand my peers at all," They confessed, thinking back to the thousands of gestures and expressions his classmates gave him that they never understood.

"Yes, I an a teacher..." She confirmed with a nod, it had been a while since she had talked with another Caitian, it was nice.., able to share that mutual bond between species

"I hadn't even thought about how many kids there are here...I suppose, since there are families..." They paused. "I'm going to have to be a pediatrician, aren't I?"

"I do not know... thats up to Starfleet..." She said with a shrug

"Like most things, it seems," They sighed. "We hardly have any medical personnel right now...I'm thinking it's highly likely...any troublemakers I should watch out for?"

"No trouble makers yet... are you really short staffed?" She asked with a small bit of concern

"It's not too bad...but yeah, we could use some more hands," They shrugged. "What are you gonna do about it, ya know?"

"Yeah. Thats how it always seems to go..." She said with a nod. Her tail started to swish lazily behind her

"Especially with stations. They always seem more concerned with starships," They added.

"They are?" She asked with confusion, she really didn't know about that part

"Well, the starships are the ones 'boldly going.' They get more press coverage, more recognition, make more discoveries..." They trailed off. "I hadn't really noticed it until I looked into the station after I got offered this post,"

"I see... you still get more recognition then teachers and the ship builders..." She said, giving them a soft laugh

"That's true...I hadn't even thought about ship builders before!" They exclaimed. "Man, there's a lot of missing credit."

"There is a lot of it, all we can do is give what we can." She said with a shrug "Once again, I am sorry for hitting you with my tail..."

"You're fine! I've got so much fur on my legs, I hardly noticed it! I'm probably due for a haircut...." They thought that over. "Is there a barber on this station?"

"I... do not know..." She said with an awkward shrug

"I'll figure it out!" They decided. "How hard could it be?"

"Not very..." She agreed with a nod "I really should be going, I need to do a dew final things before I go to sleep. It was nice to meet you Hsarr"

"Nice to meet you as well, R'Niri! I hope to see you around!" They smiled politely, stepping aside to let her pass.

"Alright..." She nodded and then continued on her way

She was currently wandering around the promenade and looking at the shops, occasionally stopping to look at something that interested her but not really buying anything

Ken was also roaming around the halls, a PADD in his hands. He was reading some reports from Earth, trying to see if anything of note happened recently.

She didn't see the scientist until it was too late, she had been stopped to look at something and turned, starting to walk, right into the scientist. She recoiled back with a semi-surprised hiss "I am so sorry." She said in an apologetic, half purring tone

He didn't drop his PADD, but did let out an internal sigh. Life never was just easy, was it? "It is of no problem, miss." He patted down his uniform slightly before looking up at the feline.

"Still, I really am sorry Lieutenant..." She repeated in the same apologetic tone "I'm R'Niri..." She added in a more kind than apologetic tone

"Doctor Richards, a pleasure." He said in response. His tone, opposed to R'Niri's, was quite cold, and steady.

"Oh, your a doctor? What in?" She asked, a small bit of curiosity gaining into her tone "I'm afraid I don't know the correct terminology, I don't teach medical..." She added

"A doctor in astrophysics and chemistry, not medical." He corrected, putting his PADD under his arm.

"Ah. That is nice... do you have any projects you are currently working on?" She asked with interest, she gave him a small smile

"Slow spinning singularities. Quite an odd one for sure." It seemed that Ken wasn't much of a talker, he just was straight to the point.

"I see..." She said after a second, she had no idea what any of that meant but she didn't want to be rude "Once again I am sorry I bumped into you..."

"And once again, it is fine. I am not harmed, neither are you." He said as he looked at the shopping window for a moment, then back at the Catian.

She didn't know what to say, he wasn't being the easiest to talk to... "It was very nice to meet you Doctor... but I should be going..." She said in an awkward tone

"Very well." He gave a nod and simply walked off. Seemed like his was the exact opposite of a traditional human; antisocial and very much not interested in conversation.

'what a strange man...' she thought before continuing on her way

The Captain walked down the promenade at steady pace with a PADD in one hand a portable thermos in the other. She was sipping on coffee while on her way to the Eventide. She had briefly left the ship to handle business, and she was on her way back. To once again- handle business.

Austin had just gotten off work and decided to go for a stroll around the station before heading back to his quarters. As he rounded a corner he noticed the captain. He sped up his pace to walk next to the captain. "Hello Captain Caddel."

There was that voice again, the one that was becoming more familiar everytime she heard it. Mona had shown a smile for the Lieutenant as he approached. “Lieutenant Whidbey. You’re certainly not a rare sight these days. Just got off work?”

He simply nodded. "Yeah, I just got off work a couple of minutes ago actually. I figured I'd go for a little foot patrol around the promenade to ensure all is well before fully heading off from work. What brings you from Eventide?"

“Work, same as you.” She had responded plainly. “I’m actually heading back right now.” She said continuing that direction with a slower pace so that they could talk a little longer.

He slowed his pace to match hers. "Would you mind at all if I walked with you? I don't have anything to do at all." He smiled a wide smile at her.

“No I don’t mind, I can give you the tour I promised when we last talked? If you still want it that is.” She added quickly after her last question. Mona pushed ahead, the entire place was crowded as usual. It’s probably why she didn’t come onto the promenade as often as she would’ve liked to.

He nodded eagerly, clearly excited to see the ship. "I would absolutely love to!" His tone quieted down as he added. "If it's no trouble to you at all."

The Captain exerted a chuckle before continuing to smile. They were only a few steps away from the docking port. “Not at all. We’ve just had the floors vacuumed.” The Captain joked. As she continued into the #deleted-channel.

[D] Weber exited a turbolift after getting lost on the station for a while ~~Fifteen years~~ he had taken a different way back to his quarters and ended up being unable to find it, once more forgetting that he can ask the computer where to go, so he went to the promenade, which he knew by heart from his various journeys here and because he was the CCTV/security systems officer so he watched the cameras all day. He continued to walk as he looked around. He was off duty so he wasn't in uniform, he was actually in casual civilian cloths with a leather bomber jacket with several patches on the arms.

Still a bit flustered from her encounter with the Jem'hadar at the bar, Aella was back to walking at her brisk pace. She hated that she was so drawn to him for some damn reason. Anyway, she was a diplimat. Aella 5 was the diplimat and Aella 4 was the angry one. She would not fall victim to her anger like her--- BAM "On the Founders, I am SO sorry!" This was the second time today. Aella really regretted not remembering her visual sensory device. She could not keep navigating this station blind.

Weber did a double take and stepped back, debating on whether or not to even acknowledge this... vorta? "Uh... it's alright, not your fault, where are you heading?" He asked in an awkward tone, he had been catching up on what he had ignored for most of the last few years while on break and stuff so he did indeed know what a Vorta was... finally

"Oh umm.. Just to my quarters," Aella laughed nervously. She didn't want to make any more enemies today. Weber seemed like just a pale blob to her so she did what all Vorta did and took a few steps closer to him so she could see what race he was. "Oh, you're a human. Sorry, I guess I didn't see you there, you're not hurt, are you?"

He stepped back as she stepped forward, trying to keep the space between them "I am fine, thank you." He said after a second awkwardly "Do you need help finding your quarters?" He asked, turning the conversation away from him

Aella blinked a few times before nodding. She didn't have anything to do and this guy seemed nice. "Actually... I would like that. My name is Aella by the way. Dominion Liaison, Vara'toran Aella 5," She introduced herself. "And you?"

"Ensign Weber, may I have your quarters number?" He asked, he mainly was assigned to watch the lower habitat ring and the promenade so he knew where most civilian or diplomat quarters were better than he knew where his own quarters were at

"Yes, I live here in the lower habitat ring as a civilian diplomat," Aella stepped closer to Weber again so she could look at him. He kept moving away. "The map should have it, Aella 5, you have your padd with you right?"

"I do..." He said as he fished his padd out of his jacket and looked for her quarters "Alright, I got it, this way..." He said as he motioned back to the turbolift he had just left

Aella followed Weber, trying to keep her eyes fixed on him. The pale blob was moving in many directions.

Austin went on anouther one of his foot patrols around the promenade. He was off duty but always wanted to keep the security of the station as his utmost priority. He smiled at most people he passed in an all around cheery mood.

Laruka entered the promenade after finishing her shift and decided to go walking in the promenade to grab something to eat.

He met Torvek's gaze with an extra big smile on his face. He stopped to talk with her. "Hey Tovek! How was work today?"

"It's been good." She nodded. "How was yours today?" She asked curiously. "Have a good day?"

He smiled. "My day has been pretty great so far. It was a bit of a busy day at work and I figured I'd give the promenade one last sweep before I head for dinner."

"That's good, but hey, at least busy work keeps you working." She said thoughtfully. "Or else we'd be bored all the time. Unless something happens and we have to divert all our energy into that."

"That is true. My dad used to tell me." He shifted the tone of his voice to mimic his father. "If you love what you do then you never work a day in your life." He chuckled. "By that logic I suppose I haven't been doing much of anything all day."

"I suppose so." She said curiously. "If you think of it that way. I pity the people who don't love what they do." Laruka said thoughtfully.

"Me too, I'm just glad we have the opportunity to do such meaningful jobs." He thought for a moment. "What is it like in science? Have you been up to anything interesting?"

"Nothing interesting at the moment, no." She shook her head. "How about you? Anything interesting on the security side of things?"

He shrugged. "Oh well security has just been doing the same old stuff. We haven't really done anything out of the ordinary since PACT ended."

The doctor made his way down the promenade, walking with no destination. Occasionally they paused, looking out a window into the vastness of space around them. It somewhat reminded him of the place he grew up in, but the stars were in the wrong spot. They sighed fondly.

The journalist had been wandering the promenade in search of his first story. He had reviewed the files of all the senior staff here, each of them would be a good interview opportunity if given the chance. When he notices the ACMO he immediately walked over. "Excuse me, Lieutenant M'ow. I'm Michael Crespo with Crespo news can I ask for an interview."

The fur on his neck stood up some as he whirled around. "Stars, you startled me," They chuckled. "An interview? Sure," They shrugged. "I don't see why not. What about?" Hsarr asked curiously.

He shrugged, taking a second to think of a suitable topic. "I think I'll be running kinda a 'State of the station' where I'll try and get an interview with someone from every division."

"Alright. Do we need to go anywhere, or are you just doing it here?" They shifted their weight, their tail flicking lazily. The fur on their neck stood down and his ears swiveled back from their alert state.

The eccentric journalist pulled out an actual paper and pen notepad. "I've got all I need for an interview on me. Perhaps we should find a bench, a place where we can simply relax."

"Sounds good," They said, cracking a grin. "I assume you already know who I am? I mean, as far as I'm aware, I'm the only Catian on the station. Heh, that rhymed," They noticed.

He nodded and admitted. "before we go on the record, I must admit I did my research beforehand, I've read your record allready." He tapped a recorder and started the interview abruptly. "Before we properly start I need to record that you consent to being on the record."

They nodded. "I do," Hsarr said.

Michael spent a second thinking of the right question to start with. "Reading through your record you've had quite the career allready. Would you agree that the senior staff here are very well qualified?"

"I would," Hsarr replied. "It's such an honor to be aboard the station, working with everyone here," They said sincerely.

He nodded. "Any you certainly had your pick when it comes to where you were stationed, do you believe this station to be a higher valued assignment?"

"I would say yes, this part of space isn't for the meek," They said, chuckling slightly. "It takes a certain kind of dedication as well,"

"Very good." He nodded. "As far as medical in particular goes do you believe your Junior officers are particularly skilled? Are you properly staffed?"

"I haven't met very many of the junior officers yet, but the ones that I have met, yes, they're very qualified," He said, thinking of the handful he had met. "They're all dedicated to helping people and medically knowledgeable."

He raised an eyebrow. "You've only met a few medical officers on such a large station? You must be understaffed then if there are so few people for you to be able to meet."

"I wouldn't say understaffed... but yes, there could be more medical officers, I admit," He shrugged. "We haven't had much of an issue as far as I've been made aware, however."

He nodded slowly as if he had gotten the answer he had been fishing for. "Even if you haven't had an issue yet it's feasible that you have one in the future, is it not?"

"I suppose. But then, it's not really my job to criticize how many medical officers headquarters assigns," Hsarr shrugged. "I'm not particularly worried right now. Our CMO is a capable officer, and we have skilled junior officers as well,"

He smirked. "However you said yourself you could use more medical officers. You are on the record my friend, now would be a perfect time to voice your concerns regarding your staffing."

"Well...I guess more doctors would be nice? I'm not complaining, is all I'm saying." Something began fluttering in his stomach, giving him an uneasy feeling. He remembered something his mother once told him: Never trust a journalist. "I won't complain either way,"

He shrugged. "That is your prerogative mister M'ow, I think I should have more then enough for my article. As a professional courtesy I'll make sure to send you a copy beforehand."

"I- okay," They were...disgruntled. "Do not make me out to be some discontented villain," They said firmly. "Because I'm happy here, and I'm happy with our situation, and I don't want an article going around saying I disapprove of the decisions Starfleet is making. Because I don't."

He chuckled and tapped off his recorder. "You don't have to worry at all, you are probably going to be the hero of my story actually." He reached out a hand for a handshake. "It was very nice meeting you Lieutenant. I only hope we have a chance to meet again soon."

Hsarr took his hand in their paw, shaking it firmly twice. "You're welcome, Mister Crespo,"

He began walking off. "Just keep me in mind if you need a journalist ever again."

"What would I need a journalist for?" They wondered, mumbling under their breath as he left.

T'Zan is still new to Starbase 777. She decided to take a look around before taking her post. This place seems very cool. She really likes nature.

22:45

She was taking a small stroll, she looked at the various shops.

Our resident MACO clone was currently fidgeting with his commbadge as he walked, he could never get the damn thing right where he wanted it. He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going at the moment*

The young Lt. JG walked up to the MACO clone and beamed a small smile. She hoped it wouldn't be weird, everyone assumes all Vulcans and Romulans don't smile. "Hi."

He stopped fidgeting with his commbadge and nodded to the woman "Ma'am." He said in a quiet and rough yet respectful tone

"Lieutenant JG T'Zan." She said formally and with a tone of politeness in her voice.

"Ensign Weber." He said with the same tone and another nod. (edited)

"You're human right? If you don't mind me asking." T'Zan gave him a soft smile.

"Yes, I am human." He said with a nod. "I take it that you're Romulan since you smiled?" He asked with a slightly inquisitive tone,

T'Zan giggled. That hasn't happened before. Most people assume she's Vulcan, not Romulan. But technically she is both "I am Romulan and Vulcan."

23:35

"Most people assume I'm a Vulcan more than a Romulan"

"Ah, that is interesting, I hadn't met a Romulan/Vulcan hybrid." He said with a casual but still professional tone.

She looks at Weber confused. "Really? I'm the first?"

"Yeah, I... was really out of the loop for a while." He said with a shrug

"My father was a Vulcan and my mother was Romulan. He always had high expectations for me, but I expressed my emotions too much. My mother always tried to make me happy, but she was once a Romulan soldier during one of their conquests across the galaxy. She only decided on Reunification when Romulus was destroyed."

"Ah. I see." He said with a casual nod. "Where were you born?" He asked as he studied the Romulan/Vulcan hybrid

T'Zan bit her lip nervously. She really didn't like talking about her past, it's very embarrassing and emotional, but she didn't want to be impolite to the Ensign human. "Vulcan. Before Romulus was destroyed. My mother wanted her relationship with my dad to just be a fling, but the planet got destroyed and they got together." T'Zan looked up at Weber with her bright green eyes.

"Ah, I can understand how that happened, quite a... few... of my old friends had similar stories." He said with an understanding nod and tone

"I was once on a Starship called the USS Texas and a Space station called Pluto Station Thirteen. Then I put in a request to come here. What's Station 777 like?""

"It is really quiet usually but when it gets loud it get's very loud very fast."

"I heard the Borg attacked. What happened?"

"It was very... chaotic. I must admit I wasn't awake for much of it, I was using some heavy sedatives to get to sleep..." He explained awkwardly

"I've seen my fair share of battles against aliens. But the Borg, they're something completely different."

"They are... very odd." He said with a nod as he continued to casually study the Romulan/Vulcan

T'Zan noticed that Weber was studying her. She can easily notice his body language, she wasn't a true sight to look at. She's 5'6, a short height. Black hair in a Vulcan bowl cut and Green eyes and pointed ears. But she didn't have Romulan ridges. She blushed a shade of green. "What are you thinking about?"

"What do you mean?" He asked in the same rough and quiet yet professional tone.

"I can tell that you're studying me."

He immediately stopped "Sorry, it's a... habit." He said awkwardly. He sighed and took a deep breath

"It's ok, I know that I'm different. Tell me about yourself Weber."

"What do you want to know ma'am?" He asked in the same awkward tone as he walked

"Hobbies, favorite color, why you joined Starbase 777. That kind of thing." She blushed when he called her ma'am.

"I mostly just work. I came to 777 since that's where I was posted." He said with a casual shrug

"I came here because I heard Starbase 777 has huge science options. That's what I signed up for when I became a Starfleet Officer, a Physicist."

He physically shrunk when she said scientist but he quickly forced it away, he quickly lost that effect, returning to his previous posture "I see..." He said with a forced casualness

"I don't want to rant, but I'm interested in alot of different types of science. Like time travel, shrinking tech, cloning, oh and my favorite...AI!" T'Zan smiled brightly, she didn't care if people thought it was weird, she loves science.

He nodded, of course it had to be a scientist... he shrugged and took a deep breath

She really got excited when talking about science. "I only done a couple of the things that I listed in a simulation, but the only thing I haven't done is cloning. I always wondered what that would be like."

He gained a notable stiffness when she mentioned cloning, his steps becoming much more erratic compared to the firm and swift, even paced ones he had been taking.

She didn't notice Weber's discomfort because when she gets into a rant, it's hard to get out of it. "I always wondered if Starfleet uses clones. But that'll be too weird, it's an ethical dilemma. I don't think that clones would even work for Starfleet if they were cloned by them."

"Don't know either... I should probably get going." He said awkwardly as he stopped walking

T'Zan looked at him with concern after stopping. "Are you ok? I'm sorry if I was ranting too much. I didn't mean to push you away." *She grabs his hand as he stops walking

He pulled his hand away "I am fine, I really need to be going, I have some stuff I need to do." He lied as if it was the truth, he was going to his quarters, so he could do nothing. He'd probably end up sulking over memories or feelings but right now that was a lot better than talking about clones

T'Zan started to tear up. "It's my fault isn't it?"

"No, not at all, I need to get some work done ma'am. Not you at all." He said with a firm nod "I need to go write a letter... to my girlfriend's parents back on earth." He lied with a slight catch, almost one of pain.

She breathes a deep sigh of relief. At least she knew it wasn't her fault. "Well ok Weber, let's talk later. Come to me if you have any questions about science from time travel to cloning." T'Zan smiled and waved goodbye before walking off

He nodded and left without so much as another word.

Sauk moved with a purpose down the promenade, weaving through various groups of people. Where had he come from? Where was he going? Not even the person controlling him know, only thing we really know is that he was Moving Very Quickly. So quickly, in fact, that he almost ran smack into one Lieutenant Ian Steiner. "Prophets, I'm so sorry!"

He looked down at the cadet, he was clearly about a foot taller than the cadet. "Don't worry bout' it cadet. I've done it myself plenty if times. Especially when my wedding date was getting closer. I'm Lieutenant Steiner, you?" He explained with a soft southern twang and a small grin.

"Cadet Tral," He replied. Steiner...wait. This guy was ACOO. "I'm here for experience," He explained. He rubbed the back of his neck. Holy heck, this guy was tall. "And I know you said it was fine, but sorry again for nearly plowing into you," He added.

"Nice to meet you cadet Tral. And do not worry about it. I've done it myself." He reassured the cadet with a casual nod. He studied the cadets face with a casual glance as he stuck out a Very large hand for a handshake.

Sauk took it, realizing the Lieutenant was trying to be polite. Perhaps he should invest in gloves, like Eshen wore. Compared to Ian's, Sauk's hands must've looked tiny as he shook politely. "You're ACOO, right?" He asked as if he didn't already know that. "That's the division I'm working in,"

"Yes. Thats right." He said with a small dip of his head. He took a very small step back to put some space between them. "I just got here about a week ago." He added with a casual tone, he still had that soft southern twang to his voice.

"Oh, that's neat," Sauk replied. And he really did find that interesting. "I got here...two months ago? I've lost track," He admitted. "How're you finding the station- woah, that's weird, typically I'm the one being asked that," He laughed.

He chuckled, one that was closer to a laugh than not. "It's nice. My wife likes it. Though she can't decide on how our quarters need to be arranged." He said with another small chuckle.

"Well, if you plan on being here for a while, I guess that would be pretty important," Sauk nodded. This guy sure talked about marriage and his wife an awful lot, but then again...Sauk mentioned Jack almost just as much. "This station really is a great place to be,"

"I do plan on it, so yeah it is important. I just want to be able to enter our quarters without stubbing my toe on a couch that is in what had been a walkway." He explained. "But yeah, I agree, this is a pretty nice station."

"Hm. That does sound...difficult?" In his mind, when Sauk tried to picture this giant man stubbing his toe, the couch just broke, but obviously his perception of things was skewed. "The people here are so diverse, it's a really welcoming community from what I've experienced,"

"Yes, it had been really welcoming, I met Commander Dagis and a few others, they all seem to know there job and are capable." He agreed with a nod.

"I haven't seen much of Commander Dagis," Sauk admitted. "But from what I have seen, she's very efficient," He really hadn't interacted with anyone above Lieutenant much at all.

"Agreed. She is very... duty bound... for someone just now nearing their late twenties." He said with another nod.

"Well, some people are very dedicated," He shrugged. Was he doing this right? Was this how you were supposed to converse with someone who was assistant head of your department? Probably not...Prophets, this was an awkward conversation.

He felt the awkwardness as well and decided it may be best to just end the interaction for now. "Well..." He coughed once into his arm, something was tickling his throat... "It was nice to meet cadet Tral." He said with a friendly tone.

"You as well! I'm looking forward to serving with you, sir! And sorry again for bothering you," He put his arms behind his back.

"It was no bother. I need to meet more people." He said with an easy grin before beginning on his way again.

Sauk continued on his way as well. Where was he headed, again, a mystery.

When Renakir walked onto the promenade he was greeted with an even hotter gust of wind. Unfortunately with his uniform he could not undo any buttons or even roll up his sleeves. He would have to deal with the heat, even if it was making him blush all shades of green. This was the price he paid for living with so many M-Class world-ers.

He continued walking down the promenade, he was easily six foot three and all two hundred and thirty odd pounds of him were muscle. He nodded to the Lieutenant Junior Grade with a small smile.

Renakir nodded at the man who was apparently the same height as him. He looked familiar, wait, that was the ACOO! "Good day, Lieutenant," He stopped and greeted him. This guy was his superior officer, it would be best to properly introduce himself, he thought.

He stopped and turned to the man and quickly checked the man's pips. "Hello Lieutenant. How are you?" He asked in a respectful tone. He still had the same soft southern twang to his voice as he spoke.

"I am going well. You are Lieutenant Steiner, correct? I am the new transporter operator. Lieutenant Junior Grade, Renakir Solait Torre'vnau," He introduced himself. He noticed the accent in the other's voice, but couldn't really pinpoint it. Having stayed mainly in France and China during his time on earth, he was not very familiar with the many different accents of Federation Standard. It was a diverse language, even moreso than Rihannsu and Reman, his two native tongues.

"Yes, I am Lieutenant Steiner. It's nice to meet you Lieutenant Torre'vnau." He said with a friendly tone as he studied the man. His accent made it hard for him to be understood when he said the Lieutenants name. He dipped his head to the lieutenant as he spoke.

This man was certainly human, Renakir deduced. Most humans struggle with Romulan names. It didn't bother him, he was used to it. It reminded him of when he was in France he got the nickname Soleil meaning sun because his classmates could not wrap their tongues around Renakir or Solait. "How are you doing? I apologise for not making an effort to introduce myself earlier, it seems like we have had quite a few turbolift incidents since my arrival which have kept me busy."

"I have been doing alright Lieutenant, how are you doing? And I will look into the turbolift poblems..." He said with a firm and confident nod. He was tempted to put his hand out for a handshake but he realized that the Romulan wouldn't like that so he didn't do that. He just dipped his head in another nod.

"Fine, just a bit tired. I was just taking a walk to clear my head," Renakir nodded before readjusting his sunglasses that had slipped in the process. The bright lights in the promenade seemed brighter that day for some reason. It was totally the hangover, he thought. "Where are you from if I may ask? I can't say I am familiar with your accent."

"I was actually born on Earth Space Dock. But I managed to gain a odd earth accent from the southern area of what was the United States." He explained with a nod. He noticed and ignored the sunglasses, everyone had their own quirks, he knew he had his own...

"Earth Space Dock, interesting," Renakir studied the man's facial expressions. He would not be a good Romulan if he didn't take note of every feature of a person. After all, it was Rule #4 of Deception: never let others know more about you than you know about them. "Southern United States, I suppose that would be ... Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas? Have your ever been there?" Renakir was vaguely familiar with the United States after doing research for the Academy.

"Yes, that general area. And yes, I have been there." He said with a nod, that was where he had gone with his wife for their honeymoon. "What about yourself? Where are you from?" He asked with a friendly tonje.

There were a lot of humans on the crew roster, but for some reason Renakir had not really run into many. Mostly Vulcans. "Where am I from? Hmm that one is a bit difficult," Renakir wondered if this man knew he was Romulan. Surely if he was ACOO he knew a bit about their history. "I was born on Remus then evacuated to Rator III and finally settled on New Romulus," He explained. "I guess you could say I am from Rator III where I spent most of my time. Have you ever been to Romulan space?"

"I have not. I heard it was quite interesting though. What did you think about it compared to here?" He did indeed know the man in front of him was Romulan, but that didn't really phase him, this was Starfleet after all...

"I much prefer here. Starfleet is very accommodating, especially to races that have different environmental needs," Well, everyone in Starfleet except that asshole of a roommate of his. Turning the temperature up to literally hotter than the sun. "Rator III under the Romulan Free State was hell. I am lucky they cooperated with Starfleet though. One of the visiting officers was kind enough to give me a recommendation," He explained. Humans naturally had a distrust for Romulans, but perhaps hearing him speak honestly about his distaste for the previous government would show he was not like like other Romualsn. Well, he was half Reman, that was different.

He nodded. "Yeah, I figured that some people would like it here better than in Romulan space." He said with a understanding tone. "I am glad to hear that everything is going well for you so far. Do you need anything? Any questions?"

"I was very happy when the Romulan Republic decided to join the Alliance. From how I see it, we can gain much more from cooperation that ruthless conquest," Renakir gave the human a soft smile. Letting the tips of his pointed teeth show. "I think I am good for now, my shift starts in a little less than an hour. It was a pleasure meeting you Lieutenant."

"It was nice to meet you as well. If you ever have any questions feel free to contact me." He said with a firm tone as he stood there, he returned the smile casually.

"I will do that, thank you so much Lieutenant," Renakir said before giving the man a nod and continuing on his way to explore the promenade.

He continued on his own way,.

On the promenade Cecil walked close to his mother to make sure she wouldn't wonder off. The would sometimes stop outside different shops and Cecil would whisper in her ear, but he would never speak loud enough for anyone to hear.

Sauk was wondering down the promenade, as he seems to do a lot these days, when he spotted his good...friend? Cecil, walking with....a Rejen? What? He casually approached the two. "Um...hey, Cecil!" He said, giving the ensign a small wave.

Cecil nearly lost his shit when he saw Sauk. He was hoping he wouldn't see anyone he knew! For the sake of Cardassia, please!!! He didn't want to be perceived today, and not by one of the Bajorans on the station. He quickly took a step away from his mother and waved back. "Umm, hey Sauk. Nice to see you here," He said nervously, really hoping his mother would keep to their agreement and not say anything.

1

Ellara turned when she saw the nice Bajoran... Vulcan? Boy approach them. She bowed and did everything in her power to resist grabbing his ear. He had such a nice earring, she could tell he was definitely one of the Prophets' favourite children. "Hello, are you one of Nalas's friends?" Ellara asked with a sparkling smile. Cecil face palmed and turned away, trying to pretend like he wasn't there. Oh no, he forgot to tell his mother not to call him by his Bajoran name in public. He turned away and began typing something on his PADD. [PADD] To: Marnah

I'm Cecil here, do not call me by my Bajoran name, I'm Cardassian.

1

"Umm, yes ma'am! My name is Tral," Sauk said, introducing himself with his Bajoran name. "How do you know Cecil?" He asked, very curious. "You are a Rejen, yes?" He was putting on an act, the one he used when he visited his mother's family. He wanted to make a good impression.

Oh no Sauk, you're too wholesome. You're gonna make Marnah like you and she's gonna wanna talk to you-- Noooo I have to keep up my perfect Cardassian boy image, Cecil thought in his mind. "Prophets take the wheel".

2

"Hello Tral, it is very nice to meet you. Yes, I am a Renjen, from Musilla Province," Ellara introduced herself. She could see her son was uncomfortable when she realised she broke one of their rules. She wasn't supposed to talk to anyone. Well, this boy was Bajoran clearly and she was a Renjen so this was a religious talk, right? "Well I'm--" Cecil was shaking his head, clearly very concerned for what she as about to say. "I am just visiting the station and he offered to help tour me around. There aren't many Bajoran speakers on the station so he volunteered. So nice, he's a great boy."

"I see! Well, Cecil is a very nice person," Sauk nodded. Gosh, a Rejen...a real one...he hadn't actually talked to a real Rejen since...since he started going to the academy. "It's nice to meet you as well, Ma'am!" He added, playing with the hem of his uniform shirt anxiously. "I...uh, you gave me the full introduction...I'm Cadet Sauk Tral, I was born on Vulcan,"

Good, she didn't say it. Cecil just stood there and watched them talk, this was a very delicate situation. He didn't want to give away his secret but at the same time he wished his mother would just end the conversation and they could continue on their way.

"Sauk Tral, oh so you are mixed? How lovely!" Ellara said, clasping her hands together. "My name is Rata-- Ellara, you can just call me Ellara,” She introduced herself, almost letting her family name slip. She felt bad for making Cecil uncomfortable, she was trying her best! "What was it like on Vulcan? That's a long way from Bajor," There was a hint of concern in her voice. As Cecil's mother she was very familiar about the struggles of Bajorans being raised on alien worlds, especially ones with strong rules and traditions. She was truly a very caring woman.

"Um, it's very hot, for one," Sauk replied. "And I didn't live there long, only until I turned two, and then my family moved to Earth," He explained. "I've been to Bajor a couple times...my mother is moving back soon," He added, remembering the communication he received. "But you're right, it is quite far,"

"Marnah you're too nice. Sauk you're too wholesome. I hate every second of this" Cecil kept thinking as he watched the two talk. He wished he could just drag his mother away but she already started talking, it was impossible to leave without looking like a complete asshole.

2

"Ohhh I see. I lived on earth for a couple years too. I lived in Germany, it was very nice, mild weather," Ellara said, very intrigued by Sauk's story. "You should visit your mother on Bajor when she moves, I am sure she would love to see your smiling face," Ellara said, glancing at Cecil to see his reaction. Cecil had to use every fiber of his being to not show any emotion, but inside he was collapsing from embarrassment. "Where on Bajor? If it's near Musilla province you both are welcome to visit me. I work at the largest temple in the city, it's very nice. I wish I could show it to my son..."

"I believe my family is from Kendra Province," He replied. "But perhaps we'll visit Musilla Province, I've always wanted to travel," Son? Hmm... "I haven't heard from her in a bit...maybe I'll message her tonight, it's always good to stay in touch with family," He could get behind that a lot more now that family didn't include his father.

Kendra province... where was that? Wait no, that was where that massacre was. Bajoran resistance fighters, well they had it coming. "Sauk is really nice, He has a holodeck programme of a Bajoran temple. I experienced it myself, it was quite cool. He even programmed a holographic Renjen," Cecil said, desperately trying to change the topic in hopes he could keep his secret.

2

"Oh, definitely message her. I am sure she would love to hear from you. I always love hearing from my son, although lately he hasn't been replying to my letters," She said with a sad expression. It was good to see there was at least one Bajoran child on this station who wasn't too busy to talk to his mother. "Did you really? That's lovely, I supposed since this station is so far from Bajoran space there is no temple. You know that was my biggest concern when Nalas transferred. I have been trying to get him to attend service all these years."

Sauk furrowed his brows. "I thought you didn't know Cecil?" Nalas was definitely the same person as Cecil, because Ellara had been calling him that earlier... "Well, yeah, I did, I go as often as I can. I think I'm actually going to take my partner soon...he said he was interested..."

Nooooo, she said it. Cecil was a good liar, but she definitely wasn't. He had to do something. "Y-yeeaahhh ummmm-- Well this station is huge and we really--"

"Oh you have a partner? How sweet, I hope the Prophets give you two all their blessings. He sounds lovely just like you, Sauk." Ellara said before Cecil grabbed her arm. “O-Ohh that's right we're supposed to be touring the station. I'm so sorry," Ellara really wanted to stay and talk to Sauk, but it seemed like her son did not agree. "I will be here all week, I am visiting for Nalas's birthday. I would love to perform a service for you on the holodeck if you want to bring your partner," Ellara spoke quickly before Cecil pulled her away. He was so confused, what did she do wrong? She was just having a nice conversation with the cute Bajoran-Vulcan boy!

"B-bye," He waved, rather puzzled. Something was going on there...

After his rather whirlwind of a date with Eshen, Cecil headed to the promenade. He took a seat at one of the tables where he could fix his make up. His fit was amazing today so of course he was going to take the chance to show off. With his long indigo skirt and white v-neck top and little baret, he was read to be 777's next top model. He held his little compact in his hand as he attempted to draw his eyeliner. It was much easier in his quarters, why was it so hard now? He also took this time to readjust his earring. He had been fiddling it for a while, loosening the backing. He was forever thankful his earing didn't have all the heavy beads and chains like most Bajoran earrings had. His custom made one was simple, the Cardassian Obsidian Order logo with an emerald jem hanging. Sacriligious maybe, but Cecil was all about flaunting his Cardassian upbringing.

Kassell kept his padd in his hand as he walked down the promenade. Many people passed by him in the opposite and same direction. Chatter and gossip repeated all around him, which made it a little hard to focus. The Glen stopped in his tracks and sighed, glancing around to see a group of tables with less people around. A slight smile of relief formed on his face before he walked over to them. There was a free table, one that was next to another occupied by a Bajoran. Kassell didn't give the present individuals much attention since his eyes were glued to his padd. Once his bottom rested on the seat, he tapped away to continue his work. The Glen was dressed in the standard Cardassian military uniform.

Cecil put his compact down when he noticed someone sit at the table beside him. After his multiple failed interactions with strangers on the promenade he was not going to try again. Not until he noticed-- "Good afternoon," Cecil's closed his compact and immediately switched tables so he was sitting with the Cardassian. A Bajoran boy, dressed like a girl, speaking fluent Cardassian, definitely a strange sight. He had no idea who this man was, but he was a fellow Cardassian so Cecil had to talk to him! He realy hoped he wasn't bothering him. (edited)

1

Kassell's eyes traveled up to meet the Ensign's, giving a smile and a nod before nosediving back into the padd. "Good afternoon." he said back in Cardassian. However, that only lasted a couple seconds. He slowly lowered his padd to look at the Bajoran once again, blinking for a moment. What the prophet? Kassell soon noticed he was staring and quickly recovered before appearing odd. "I hope your day has been well..." he said, swallowing his saliva while trying to find the correct word. "... Miss?"

1

"Ensign Sissil Za'ari, son of Gul Za'ari," Cecil was excited to finally introduce himself with his Cardassian name. He had been away from Cardassians for so long, it was nice to finally meet one. Also this was going to be good preparation for when he spoke with his father later. He had to be a good Cardassian son after all. He also didn't mind being called miss, actually, being perceived as a girl wasn't bad. Cecil was confident in his identity as a man, but sometimes it wasn't bad to be viewed as a girl. "I'm an exobiologist. And you are?" He asked, very very excited. Cecil's was having an amazing day, he felt like he could do anything.

Gul Za'ari, how interesting. Kassell's never heard of him, but he had know idea why Cecil's father was a Cardassian. So much confusion ran rampant in his mind, he wasn't expecting someone to approach to him. Especially a Bajoran man dressed like a woman. "Oh, Ensign. I think I saw your name on the roster. I'm Glen Kassell Arrek, Assistant Chief Tactical Officer and Liaison Officer on the station." he said.

"It is really nice to meet you Glen Arrek," Cecil really wished he had switched out into his unniform. Although he looked stunning, he felt like he picked the worst day to wear cute clothes. Cecil had been stuck in trying to find his Bajoran roots again he almost forgot how to be Cardassian. "Tactical and a liaison? I think I remember seeing your name on the roster too-- Actually you're the first Cardassian I've spoken to on this station. I wanted to formally meet you in uniform, but I've been so busy I never had the time. It's nice to speak with another Cardassian, I actually transferred from Terok Nor," Cecil was trying his best to get into Sissil mode. He spoke clearly and with confidence, definitely the son of a Cardassian spy. He was going to make a good impression on this guy for sure! His father would be so proud to hear he made Cardassian friends.

Kassell appreciated that Cecil wanted to greet him in uniform, but sometimes not everything went according to plant. "Well, at least we're meeting now instead of never." he said. Wait, another Cardassian? That threw Arrek off a bit. His brows furrowed for a moment as he tried to comprehend what he just heard. As far as he knew, he was the only Cardassian on board. He glanced down at his padd for a moment before looking off to the side briefly. "Terok Nor, I see. I transfered from Entok Nor when I got this position." he said, ignoring the obvious question he had in his mind.

"Entok Nor, I know a bit about it, but I've never been," Cecil said with a smile as he fiddled with his earring a little. He really had to stop doing that, maybe he was becoming too Bajoran. "What did you do there? It must have been nice to serve on a Cardassian station. My father works in the Intelligence Bureau, the reborn Obsidian Order as some people call it.“ Despite all that had happened, Cecil still seemed proud as ever to have ties to Cardassian intelligence. Definitely an oddity for a Bajoran boy, but Cecil still had second doubts about trying to live as a Bajoran.

"Same as I do here. I was the Second Tactical Officer aboard and served there for five years. I can still remember the station down to the bulkheads despite being here for a few months now." he said. He grabbed his padd and tapped on it for a moment, trying to multitask the conversation and get this work done. Once the Bajoran man... woman... thing? Anyways, once the Bajoran scientist in front of him mentioned his father and the Intelligence Bureau, Kassell's eyes struck up to Cecil. "Your... father? I'm sorry, let's rewind our conversation here. You said it was nice to speak to another Cardassian. Last time I checked, I'm the only Cardassian on the station." ah, the question revealed itself. The confusion was too much and he just needed to clear things. Plus, it was starting to get distracting for him to do his work.

Cecil listened closely to the other's words, quite intrigued. He really wished he could have worked on a Cardassian station too, he quite liked Cardassian design. It was orderly and a bit edgy. Very cool. "Oh sorry-- I am Cardassian. Well, my face is Bajoran, but I lived on Cardassia Prime my whole life," Cecil said as if he wasn't actually born on Bajor to two Bajoran parents. It was always a bit confusing at first, but hopefully the other would understand. "I know it's a bit unbelievable but I assure I am just as Cardassian as you. I have only known the Cardassian way of life, I don't know anything about Bajor."

Ah, now it all made sense. A Bajoran raised on Cardassia--at least that's how it sounded. Quite the uncommon background, in his opinion. Kassell leaned back in his chair, putting on a more relaxed posture since he now understood the person in front of him. "Oh, now I understand. Let me guess, Sissil: you were adopted my Cardassian parents?" he asked. Hopefully he wasn't being disrespectful or too presumptious, but Bajoran parents moving to Cardassia sounded very unlikely. Even after all these years, the Occupation still echoed between the two peoples.

"Not quite,"Cecil chuckled and rested his arms on the table. "My mother married a Cardassian man and we moved to Cardassia Prime. We lived on Culat Province. It was the countryside but it was really beautiful,"Cecil smiled, remembering his youth actually quite fondly. "Actually the reason I wanted to go into exobiology was because of Crell Moset from Culat University," Cecil said with much enthusiasm.

Kassell almost got it right, but thankfully the rest of the mystery was explained by Cecil. A Cardassian and Bajoran couple. It wasn't everyday he heard about something like that. "Ah, I see." he said, grabbing his padd once again to tap on it. Once he heard the name of the exobiologist, he didn't share the same enthusiasm as Cecil did. He's heard the stories that glorified his work in curing the Fostossa virus, but also the more graphic and truthful stories of how he did it. "Crell Moset... interesting." something told him that the Ensign's point of view and his point of view on history was different. "I went to the Jokat Academy on Cardassia Three when I decided to join the military." he said.

"Yes, his work is very fascinating," Cecil said, his outlook on the whole occupation was pretty skewed thanks to his upbringing amongst True Way sympathisers. Of course he knew how to keep any spacist remarks to himself, but Crell Moset was still a legend to him. "Ahhh, so that's why you still wear the Cardassian uniform. How is Cardassia Three? I've never left Cardassia Prime," More like he wasn't allowed to leave. He travelled to Cardassia City a few times for school, but he wasn't really allowed to go anywhere else. His family never went on holiday, it was always work.

"Perhaps." he said, with an underlying tone of disagreement. He tapped some more on his padd while listening to Cecil speak some more. Cardassia Three, it was beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Avenal Seven. Of course, he's going to be bias about just how beautiful his home planet was. It's what he saw every day and what he lived in every day. A slight smile formed on his face when he thought back to his childhood. "Well, don't forget. I'm the Liaison Officer on the station as well. That's another reason why I wear this uniform." he said. "Cardassia Three... it was beautiful. It almost came close to the beauty of Avenal Seven--which is where I grew up. I'll always remember a cliff you could stand on to get a wonderful view of the countryside." he said. However, he soon realized he was reminiscing and ignored his work. Therefore, he started tapping away on the padd again.

Cecil smiled as he listened to Kassell talk about Cardassia Three. He could picture it from the other's description. "That sounds beautiful, I would love to see if with my own eyes someday. I miss Cardassia Prime every day, I wish i could have travelled more," Cecil said as he fiddled with his earring some more. "Glen Arrek, if I can ask, were you around before the Dominion War? I wish I could have been around when Cardassia was at its peak, before everything happened," Cecil asked, not quite sure how old Kassell was. Cecil didn't say it, but he definitely had the view that he was born in the wrong era. "Cardassia Prime is beautiful now, but we had to rebuild a lot after the war, there are still areas of poisoned land even in Culat.."

Kassell listened intently as Cecil asked his question. The Dominion War? Did he look that old already? Cardassia was at its peak before the war, but unfortunately a maniacal tyrant who shall not be named sold his own people out to gain power again. Thank the universe that person was gone now. "No, I wasn't. I was born ten years after it ended. I am twenty-seven years old. However, my father was around during the war. He rarely mentioned what it was like being a civilian under Dominion rule. The same went for my mother too. But, yes, we did have to rebuild a lot." he said.

"Oh, we're close in age! I'm 24, well almost 25, my birthday is tomorrow," Cecil said with an excited smile. He couldn't wait to talk to his father again. He was a bit nervous but seeing how he was able to confidently converse with Kassell he was sure he'd be able to keep up the Good Cardassian Son™ persona. "Oh that's the same for my dad, well, he lived through the occupation actually, he stayed on Bajor during that time though," Cecil said, briefly having to remember just how old his father was. "Have you ever been to Cardassia Prime? It's a really diverse place now."

"Happy birthday, then." he said with a small smile. The Cardassian's eyes strayed to the surface of the table, thinking back to his tenth birthday party. It was the most memorable and present-filled birthday he ever had. And the largest too. If he could relive it one more time, he would. He very much would. Kassell snapped his attention back to the Ensign. "I've only been on Cardassia Prime once or twice." he replied. "Nothing like exploring the roots of your people." he said. "Have you ever been to Avenal Seven?"

"No, I..." Cecil's expression went blank for a few seconds before coming back to reality. "My family never really travelled. I lived with my grandparents and their health was too poor to travel," Cecil said as he tried to calm his thoughts. He did not have good memories of his grandparents, they were controlling and very traditional in their views. In their minds, the occupation was the best time in Cardassian history. It was no surprise Cecil sometimes felt the same. Cardassia was abundant with resources, the obsidian order was around-- "And thank you, I am excited to be 25, actually I wish I could go back to Cardassia, I miss the countryside. Sometimes I wish I had been born earlier, you know, so I could see what everything looked like before all the war and craziness."

Kassell noticed the Ensign's expression go blank for a moment, but chose to not point it out by staying silent. Once Cecil explained that he couldn't travel much, Kassell felt bad for him. "I'm sorry to hear that. But at least now you have the opportunities to travel whenever you go on leave." he said. Unfortunately, Kassell's older brother only knew his grandparents. They died a year before he was born. But he's been told they were kind and gentle people. That was the only basis to go off of what they were like. The Glen nodded to Cecil's thanks, tapping away some more on his padd. He listened as he continued to speak. "I can understand that. There was a time of peace before the war." he stated. "But if you go too far back then we step into the atrocities of... of the Occupation." he said, still tapping on his padd.

"I do and there are a lot of places I want to go," Cecil said, making a note to remember Avenal Seven. He would definitely be asking his father about going there. Maybe the could go just the two of them, father-son bonding? "Oh--- I mean... The occupation was bad, but there is no denying Cardassia was flourishing during that time. We had so many resources-- It is not the best time in our history, but I can see why people like my grandparents like to reminisce," Cecil said, a slight hint at his Cardassian family's not-so-subtle support for the True Way and old Cardassia. "And the Obsidian Order, I am so curious about them, I'd love to.. Maybe do a holodeck simulation to see what it was like, they had some incredible technology," Cecil smiled, clearly having heard a much different version of Cardassian history.

His eyes perked up towards Cecil, blinking at what he just said about the Occupation. Yes, Cardassia was flourishing but not under good circumstances. Arrek believed he got a better insight in what kind of household the Ensign before him grew up in. He wouldn't be surprised if Cecil sympathized with the True Way: a group he hated and condemned. "I won't deny that Cardassia was flourishing, but we were not thriving because of our own self-support. We flourished because we took flourishment away from the Bajorans. We enslaved them and worked them to death in ore processing units, mines, out in the hot beating sun. Something Cardassia had no right to do." he said. And now the plane has flown off. Would it end in a smooth landing, or a crash?

2

"It was a mistake on our part, we should not have turned to forced labour to fuel our own booming economy, but there is also another side to it too," Oh no, Cecil, there were not two sides. Somehow, Cecil was very excited to debate this with another Cardassian. "Cardassia was much more advanced than Bajor, when they arrived they saw Bajorans as an inferior race. They were wrong, of course, but I could see why they thought that. Bajorans had a caste system at the time, there was a lot of poverty and suffering. After the occupation, Bajor no longer had a caste system and I would say the planet is stronger now than it ever was," Cecil spoke as if he literally was not fully Bajoran, speaking to a Cardassian. I am not saying what I thought we did was right, not at all. But I can understand why we did what we did."

"That other side is just extreme patriotical egoism. It doesn't matter if we thought we were superior or not, we should've helped them with open arms. Not a boot from above. Furthermore, we answered to their suffering with more suffering." he said, keeping a respectful tone of voice. "I doubt I would hear a Bajoran say they were proud of how strong Bajor has become because of Cardassia. We were proud of how strong our interstellar nation became because of our own power and ambition. And yet, we believed we had the right to take that same pride away from another species. We were nothing but pessimistic about Bajor's future when in fact we could've been more optimistic." he said in response.

Cecil shook his head and sighed, definitely disagreeing with the tactical officer, although he was here for some friendly debate. "The Bajorans were suffering pretty badly when we arrived," Cecil began. "I wouldn't really say the Bajorans had much pride before we came, in fact, they had even more problems before the occupation. The occupation helped rally them and unite them against a common enemy," Ratana Nalas, named after the Bajoran resistance leader Li Nalas, was really out here debating in favour of the occupation to a Cardassian. Yes, he was. "And I may have a Bajoran face, but I am definitely not Bajoran. I don't speak the language, follow their Prophets, nothing. In fact, my family made sure I had none of that growing up. I can really see why we used to think Bajorans were weak for their dependence on their religion, in many ways it did hinder a lot of their advancement before the occupation. Their caste system was very strict, even more restricting than the old Cardassia."

1

Kassell sighed, seeing how Cecil was either ignoring his side of the argument or was too one-sided to even see his point. But he had to admit, this debate was fun. It provided a good distraction from his work. Well, maybe not a good distraction, but still a distraction. "I won't argue that they didn't have any pride when we arrived, but my point still stands. Also, they weren't the first race to have problems of their own. We had our own problems. Humans had their own problems. Vulcans had their own problems. Every species in this galaxy most certainly had problems as they continued to grow as a people. Without an obstacle to overcome, betterment wouldn't be possible." he stated. "Yes, they had strict caste systems; yes, they had poverty. Those were already obstacles for them to overcome. But then once we rolled in with the Occupation, we crushed both of those obstacles. Why? To then open a gate to peace and prosperity? No. To plant an even bigger obstacle for them to climb over. And a lot more fell off and died than the ones who made it over. We were an unnecessary roadblock that stagnated them. Not strengthen, not rally. Stagnate. Their religion--the prophets--were the only thing they had left to hang on to while we murdered and butchered them." he said.

2

"I am not denying that what we did was wrong and things should have been done differently-- however Bajorans were a primitive race when we arrived. There were good things to come out of the occupation, for Bajor and Cardassia," Oh Cecil, he was trying his best, but his True Way sympathy was showing. He was usually pretty good with keeping his views in the realm of acceptable political correctness, but now that he got to talk to a Cardassian about them he was holding back less. "And what's more, even today there are many Bajorans who still hate Cardassians. We have apologised and even changed our whole society after those mistakes we made during the occupation, but there is still a lot of prejudice on Bajor. Cardassia is flourishing now, but Bajorans still seem stuck in the past," Cecil was in perfect Cardassian Son™️ mode, as if all the drama and self-discovery of the past month hadn't happened. Was it really that he was ignoring all of the development he had made in the past month or was he just saying what he was taught to say? His words were carefully chosen, as if his ideas were not his own, that he was just repeating the same things his Cardassian family had taught him.

Kassell slightly squinted his eyes for a moment, starting to grow suspicious if this was actually Cecil's point of view. Although, he couldn't confirm it at all. But he could ask a question. A rhetoric one, anyway. "As much as I believe that being stuck in the past isn't good for you, I don't blame the Bajorans for not letting go so quickly. There's an old quote from a not-so-famous Cardassian philosopher that comes to mind. Likor Davot. He once said, 'Tyranny's perks are always scarce when karma strikes.' the Dominion was our karma, and we paid greatly for our actions." he said in conclusion. Now, he believed that was enough debating. Work wasn't going to complete itself. However, he clasped his hands as he rested his forearms on the table, leaning forward while staring at Cecil dead in the eyes. "Let me ask you, Sissil. Is this indoctrinated perspective of your own mind, or another person's?" he rhetorically asked. With the words said and done, Kassell swallowed some saliva built up in his mouth and grabbed his padd. He stood up from the table and gave a small nod. "Good day, Ensign." with that, he turned around and joined the everflowing crowd of people on the promenade.

2

Cecil listened intently to Kassell's words. He was a fellow Cardassian and Cecil was there to make a good impression. 'The Dominion War was our karma', Cecil disagreed with this on so many levels. Sure, the occupation was bad, but it did not validate the gencide of the Cardassian race. He was just about to speak up when Kassell hit him with his final question. 'Indoctrinated perspected', those words run in his ears when his eyes locked with the Cardassian officer's. He had nothing to say in response and just let Kassell get up and leave without another word. Cecil took a few moments to grasp what had just happened-- everything. He took a deep breath and sat back in his chair. This truly was a whirlwind of a day, he thought.

Sauk walked cheerfully along. No longer was the promenade a sight of his Sad Boy Hours™️, this was a time of Happy Boy Hours. Didn't have the same ring to it, but still. He walked over to a window on the promenade, looking out Very Thoughtfully. What was The Boy thinking about? His friends, his family, how far he'd come. He'd started out as a misfit hybrid on Vulcan with a dad who's feelings towards him were debatable, but look at him now! He was a semi-confident (okay, not really) Vulcjoran with a boyfriend and a new job on the bridge who wasn't afraid to crossdress! And other than his boyfriend, he has at least one good friend! He called that a win. He sighed. Life was good.

4

[D] Aella spent the whole morning at the salon getting a haircut. This wasn't Mulan, she wasn't going to do some dramatic hair chop with a sword like in movies. It was free so why not go to a professional? Aside from nearly getting the tops of her ears chopped off (has no one seen a Vorta before?) the cut was actually quite good. The Vorta was absolutely beaming after the cut and went to one of the shops to replicate a baguette. Her Zhimata had recommended this one to her and she was excited to try. She walked proudly down the promenade, her eyes scanning the area. Until her eyes reached a familiar face in a not so familiar outfit. She approached the young boy and gave him a quizzical stare. "Sauk? Is that you?"

Sauk spun around at his name, shaking off his thoughts. As he did so, his skirt, this time a peachy-orange with little lavender hearts on it, spun with his body, fanning out before resting. Oh. Aella. The Vorta he'd met during Jack's holoprogram...but...with a funky looking short haircut? Hm... "Hello, Aella!" He said, cheerful as ever, completely masking his internal monologue. "How are you on this fine, fine day aboard the lovely Starbase 777?"

2

"I'm alright," Aella picked up on the others body language and tone of voice. He was in a good mood, which probably explained why he was out of uniform. The skirt was.. an interesting choice. She knew humans were pretty open with gender expression, but did not expect to see the usually shy and clumsy Cadet to be in a skirt. An odd choice, maybe he had a date? As usually Aella was dressed in her Vorta commander uniform. It seemed weird to have so few civilian clothes and technically be a civilian. She donned a dark purple jumpsuit with belt around her waist and across her chest (what were they for? Only the Founders knew.) She looked like. A 90's sci-fi disaster, but that was the Vorta's brand after all. "And... I'm trying to test something out. Can you call me Kelron? Kelron 6, please."

2

"Kelron...sure!" Was Aella...like...him? Hm. Well, he was supportive, either way. "Anything else you want me to try? Pronouns, anything...?" Sauk asked, tilting his head at the Vorta. He didn't know much about Vorta names, but Kelron sounded...awfully masculine. "It's no problem either way, though,"

2

"Oh no, please, still she/her," Kelron replied with a nervous smile. She began to slowly munch on her baguette, clearly very hesitant about the whole thing. She had been up all night considering if this was the right choice. It wouldn't hurt, besides, she would be Kelron 6 and if she didn't like it, she could go back to being Aella 5. She took note at the tone in the Cadet's voice as she tried to discern his expression. Perhaps he thought this was a new name or identity? "Kelron is one of my past lives. He was a diplomat," Kelron's gaze shifted to look off into the distance. She seemed a lot less sure of herself this time, an unusal trait for a Vorta commander.

3

"Okay, whatever feels best," Sauk shrugged. Sauk and Tral were both his birth names...he'd never considered other options. Maybe for the future, who knew. All he cared right now was that...this Vorta...was assigned male at...birth? Creation? And he'd never known? "And really? You used to use he/him? Interesting, because I used to use she/her," He said casually, thumbing some of his skirt fabric unconsciously.

Kelron had been well aware that humans had a similar concept of switching genders, but he was surprised when Sauk told her that he had used to identify as female. Hm, maybe she did have more in common with this strange Bajoran-Vulcan Cadet the she originally thought. Kelron glanced at Sauk's expression for a moment before taking a deep breath. "We are similar," Kelron returned back to her typical confident tone. It was strange, to be Kelron and no longer Aella. This would be an interesting experiment. "I did not used to be, I have always been. I suppose you could say the real experiment was being Aella, my physiology has not changed, I have always been Kelron," Cunningness and manipulation were things that came easily to Aella, but for some reason she couldn't find it in herself to keep up that image of Kelron. Maybe it was just difficult to adjust? “Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you continued being she/her?"

"Um. Well, no...not really? I mean, I'd probably be...really sad. I'm definitely a guy." Oh, fuck shit damn, this was the conversation he'd been avoiding, the reason he never cross-dressed, the reason he kept quiet about his identity. Not even Jack knew. Fuck, shit, damn it. "I kinda like to keep it on the...down low," He did not like being seen as a 'once-girl' or 'tomboy' or whatever people saw trans people as. He'd been trying to build more confidence, but it was hard, because he'd worked so much to make sure he didn't get misgendered...and, well, shit. Maybe he shouldn't have worn a skirt. Did he still pass? "Why do you ask?" Sauk said with a smile like none of those thoughts happened.

The Cadet's internal struggle was painfully obvious to the ever observant Vorta as she analysed the change in his tone, the hesitation. Perhaps this was not a good time to have this conversation, it was making Sauk uncomfortable-- since when she that ever stop her? Kelron found herself in a strange perdicament. Was Sauk's inner turmoil contagious? Aella would have certainly pushed the issue further, in fact, went out of her way to make the Cadet more uncomfortable in hopes he would crack and reveal more. But Kelron was much more reserved, more tactiful. He was the diplomat. "Kelron was sad too. He helped assimilate many worlds into the Dominion, he even unleashed a few viruses onto worlds that resisted," The one thing that would never change was the war crimes. Kelron was still a Vorta. "You are indeed a boy, Sauk. I never doubted that for a moment."

2

Hm. Well. That was...kinda reassuring? "I see. Well. Kelron sounds...very mean," Sauk nodded. "Uh- I never changed my name. And, I never really...changed personalities?" Shit, why was he talking about this? He hated this topic, and he hardly trusted Kelron... "So I don't really have any stories."

Kelron was mean? Oh, that's right. War crimes. They were bad. Aella learned her lessons but Kelron did not. "He was effecient and highly decorated by the Founders," Kelron's eyes narrowed as she frowned. "It is difficult to imagine for species that only live one life," Kelron said in a thoughtful tone. She adjusted her glasses and took a couple steps closer to Sauk. "Thank you again, Cadet. I suppose that will be all," She moved her gaze from Sauk to her baguette and took a few more bites. She gave the other a gentle nod before continuing on her way.

*Hollllly Prophets, that conversation had left Sauk shook. He took a shuddering breath, glancing self-consciously at his legs. Maybe this was a bad choice...maybe...maybe they should leave...before...before he embarrassed himself more. He turned the other way, taking Very Purposeful Strides, his face revealing no emotion (he hoped).

[D]Weber entered the promenade from a turbolift. His talk with Aella the other day already mostly forgotten except for the part when he talked about Erin... he tried to shake that away and go get a drink so he started walking towards Rana's.

As per the nice Ensign's suggestion, Valleka decided to explore the utility ring first. She strolled onto the promenade and looked around. Her hair tied back in two french braids just like before, silver clips in her hair. She donned the same Republic uniform as before as well, it wasn't like she didn't have any outfits, but she was technically here on official business and wanted to dress the part. Nothing particularly caught her eye except for-- in the distance there seemed to be a bar. Wonder if they sell Romulan ale, she thought as she began to walk across the promenade towards the bar. There were a lot of people on the promenade that day, she really should have taken her guards. Everyone was getting way too close to her that she didn't even notice she was nearly shoulder to shoulder with a strange looking human man.

He was still just as short as ever, hair cropped back into a fade with a rough bear on his face. He was wearing a Starfleet uniform in the usual yellow color with ensign pips on it. Everything about the uniform was completely perfect, the only way it could have been better was of a machine did it. He did a brief double take at the uniform, mostly because he was still looking for the one from the times he lived in and not the modern Romulan ones but didn't say anything.

Stepping carefully to avoid touching the other people around her, Valleka easily towered above the short human. She stood tall at six foot two, long limbs and petite frame, but she was stronger than she looked. On passerby swerved to the side, right in front of Valleka, causing her to jump in front of the tiny human man (which she didn't even notice, sorry to short people).

He ran right into her, he didn't have the time to even register that she had moved into his path before it happened. "Ach, Scheiße." He muttered under his breath, hos words automatically being translated by his commbadge. "Sorry about that." He added in a rough and quiet voice.

Valleka nearly had a heart attack when the small man ran into her and quickly backed up. She caught that vulgarity on his breath, but didn't think anything of it. She immediately rubbed her arm in the place Weber had collided into her. "No, I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," Good thing she was wearing long sleeves and gloves, but she was clearly distraught from the sudden collision. "I guess it's just too crowded here today, I'm just here to visit."

"It is usually a little calmer but not much calmer." He noted with a small nod. He may have had to crane his neck to be able to look her in the eyes but he was doing it with a determined look on his face. "I am ensign Weber." He said, not offering his hand simply because of how the woman was reacting to being bumped into.

This boy was human, but he was so short? Valelka knew humans had more variation in height than Romulans, but-- oh well maybe she was just very tall. She did not make any efforts to get on his level though, he would have to look up at her the whole time. "It's nice to meet you Ensign Weber," She greeted politely, speaking flawless Standard. Compared to other Romulans she seemed a lot friendly and clearly had some understanding of human culture. No lies or deception here and her tone showed it. "And where were you heading? I just got here so I'm not really familiar with where things are."

"I was heading to the bar. I just finished my shift." He said with a casual tone. He had expected a much colder and much less understanding of human culture Romulan, but those were expectations based on things from many a year ago. "How do you like the station so far?"

"Sounds like a good way to relax after work," Valleka smiled and flipped one of her braids over her shoulder, a true diva. "It's very impressive. I was particularly impressed with how many people speak Rihannsu. A lot has really changed over the years, I never would have thought I would be standing on a Federation starbase for a mission of peace. Have you ever visited New Romulus, ensign?"

"No, I haven't. I have had a busy life, including my time before Starfleet." He said casually, during their so far limited conversation she probably had noticed how Weber was easily ten years older than most ensigns that were in Starfleet, if not older.

"Well it's just around the corner, don't let the stereotypes hold you back, Romulan society has become very open and friendly over the years," Valleka was telling the truth, although maybe a Romulan senator was not the best person to ask for an honest review on modern Romulan society. "What were you doing before Starfleet? I thought most people joined when they were teenagers?"

"I may check it out one day if I have time." He said with a casual shrug. He wasn't going to ever go there, but he may as well make it a possibility so that the Romulan wouldn't stress it. "I was a cargo mover, I also did some basic security on board." He said casually.

"Cargo, that doesn't sound very exciting," Her tone was a bit condescending, but she was not trying to make a fight. Perhaps it could have been taken like that though, after all Romulans were known for their superiority complex. "What's your job here? You aren't moving cargo still, are you?"

He noticed the condescending tone and retorted wordlessly by straightening his position some and locking his eyes onto hers, giving a completely confident look. "No, I am a security officer here, I operate the CCTV and security systems."

She let out a soft chuckle when the man straightened his posture and locked his gaze with hers. It certainly seemed rude to laugh, but this short human man looked funny looking up at her. "I'm sorry, I should have watched my words there," She apologised, sounding sincere, but alas she was still Romulan so who knows what she was really thinking. "Hmm the CCTV. Well then I am sure you must have been aware of the incident at PACT Galactica, right?"

"That actually happened before I was assigned here but yes, I am aware of it." He said with a small nod, ignoring the chuckle of the woman. He paused to straighten a slight crease in his uniform that appeared when they ran into each other.

"Well I do hope nothing like that happens again, it's something we Romulans felt very bad about," Honestly, Valleka was flat out lying. She didn't know a thing, but lying to hide truth was the fourth Romulan dialect. "Anyway, enjoy your time at the bar, Ensign Weber, don't drink too much though, that's dangerous," Valleka spoke casually, but it was clear she was patronising him. She gave Weber a wave before she disappeared into the crowd of the promenade once more.

He casually nodded and continued, muttering something about not able to get drunk.

[D]After his talk with Lieutenant Hill, Four had moved to the south promenade to repeat the process. He sat at an empty table in the promenade and just stared off as he waited for someone to sit and try to have a conversation. His optical implant was still painted to match his skin tone and with all of the chaos of the promenade it was probably not easy to spot from much farther than standing at the table.

Two had never been to this area of the starbase, so he decided that he’d spend some time trying to figure out what it contained. Unlike Four his implants were quite visible, and it made him somewhat stand out among the people currently in the promenade.

He noticed the borg and stood. At first glance he had thought sb actual Borg drone still in the collective had been allowed on station. Then he noticed it wasn't and decided to investigate it. "Hello." He said in a monotone voice once he had made it over to the drone.

Two noticed the paint, somewhat surprised by the fact that… No, maybe it was just something else, the chance of there being another former drone here was… quite low. “Uh, greetings” He said somewhat slowly, his facial expression conveying the slight confusion his voice lacked.

"May I ask your designation, or name if you have one?" He asked in a more polite monotone voice as he noticed the confused facial expression.

”Two of Thirteen, or simply Two.” He responded, he felt like asking the question that lingered at the back of his mind, but if he assumed wrong it may be… Angering or offensive or something else that was bad so maybe he’d wait for the answer to present itself “Technically my designation is longer then that, but I’ve noticed that past said point it usually gets too hard to follow”

"Yes, Two of Thirteen is much more efficient than anything longer." He agreed, sightly emphasizing 'efficient'. "I am Lieutenant Junior Grade Four of Six. May I ask how long you have been on the station?"

Oh perhaps he was! Unless there was a culture out there that had names similar to Borg designations? “That is a good question…. I don’t usually keep track of time unless it’s required, but a month or two if I am correct?”

"I would not know. I do not keep track of civilians. I am a quartermaster. It would be inefficient to focus my time somewhere else other than my duties." He said with a slightly confused tilt of his head.

”Hm, makes sense, that would be comparable to a doctor trying to fix the warp core, it simply does not work.” Two didn’t realize he’d said his previous statement as a question, and wondered why Four was confused.

"Exactly, it is also ineffective. Have you enjoyed your time here?" He asked in the same somewhat polite monotone voice. He lost the head tilt as he spoke and had slight emphasis on 'inefficient' just like he had before.

”I suppose, although it turns out a lot of things that individuals do, like eating, can be quite harmful, and not just…. Well, inefficient in practice. My main issue is simply that I stand out a bit too much, individuals act like this whole unique thing is so…. Great, but it simply doesn’t seem that way.” Two found it somewhat easier to talk to someone who probably wouldn’t yell at him or be confused by a lot of his still quite present ideas.

"That is very true. It has been nine years and sometimes I still find myself missing the voices of the collective. You may wish to consider yourself lucky that you do not have a roommate. Mine is very inefficient with her time and overwhelming. Sometimes I wish the Borg had taken my hearing along with my right eye." He said with an almost ironic tone.

He also did a confused head tilt thing, but it wasn’t that obvious “You do not sometimes still feel like you hear them? That must disappear over time then…. What does your roommate do to be so inefficient?” Two seemed to be having various conversations mashed into one, since it was somewhat easier, and efficient that way, getting as much information at once, instead of small pieces one at a time.

"She is trying to have conversation with me when she could be working and is interrupting my own work. On our last interaction she tried to get me to eat an apple despite my repeated denials of her request." He said with an almost slightly annoyed tone coming through. "And no, I do on occasion still think I hear the voices of the collective. Mostly when I am about to regenerate or after I finish regenerating."

”Why would she attempt to force you into eating? Eating should only be attempted if one is able to, but only for research purposes if possible, otherwise the activity is rather wasteful.” Two wondered if it was a good thing he only lived with Puff, who never asked questions, caused conversations when he didn’t want one, or spontaneously attack someone “Very much off topic here, do you know how to fly a shuttlecraft…? Out of…. Curiosity.”

"I do not know why she wants me to. I believe she wants me to smile or do something like that." He said with another almost verbal shrug. "Yes. I can fly a shuttlecraft. But I am not certified to do it. I didn't take the correct Starfleet courses." He added on to the second conversation they had going at the same time as the first.

”I do not believe that that would be a situation to smile, perhaps if it was informing you of new information I would understand, but ‘the weather has sun’ doesn’t really invoke much.” He found this style of conversation much easier to carry on and follow, so he didn’t really have any reason to want to make an excuse to leave it “How would one do so, I uh… May require the skill for future…. Future events.”

"I do not understand her methodology or why she cares so much. I am probably going to end up requesting a quarters transfer." He said with a exasperated edge to his monotone voice. "Since you are a civilian you would most likely just need to get a permit but I do not know the Exact requirements by heart." He said with a small nod.

”Do all starfleet personnel have roommates? Or is it a choice?” Two wondered how one would go about adding emotion to their voice, even the slightest amount, perhaps that would be something he’d learn later on “Good to know, when I know enough about this whole being an individual thing I’m potentially going to do more research on how to acquire one.”

"Department heads will get their own personal quarters while others that are not will get assigned quarters with one other person unless they have a family." He explained with another small nod. "I see. If you need any help researching the requirements Feel free to request my assistance."

”Ah. Now that the two prior conversations conversations have been resolved, I have an important question.” Two paused for a few seconds, before asking “What are your thoughts on tribbles?”

"Tribbles? I must admit I do not have any. I simply know that they are for illegal unless they are neutered." He said without the slightest change in tone or even a hint that he noticed that they were now on their third conversation.

”Their effects on the brain are quite intriguing, both calming one done, yet letting them remain focused at the same time.” Two nodded somewhat enthusiastically as he explained this.

"Yes, I did hear about that. I personally find the sound ineffective when I heard it but then I had just been removed from the collective them."

”Well then, how about you try now?” He casually removed a small dark-brown and black tribble from the satchel he had, passing it to Four “Just don’t tell anyone I have Puff please.”

"Why not?" He asked as he took the Tribble and held it in one hand. He didn't really mind the cooing but it was honestly sort of annoying to him.

”They’re also a very effecting solution to keep any rude klingons from punching you in the face!” Two said this as if this was a common occurrence, and for him, it very well could be.

"I will keep that in mind. May I ask why you wish me to not inform others that you have a Tribble? I won't because you asked me not to, but I would like to know why."

”A few days after arriving here I learned that they were illegal, and I’m rather scared he’ll be euthanized…” He put Puff back in the satchel, closing the flap “He wouldn’t deserve that….”

"As long as it is neutered it will be fine. If it isn't neutered it would be illegal. So if it isn't I recommend you have it neutered soon." He said in the same typical monotone voice.

”Wait, they allow neutered tribbles? So…. I’ve been panicking for absolutely not reason this entire time!” Two shook his head out of annoyance, how didn’t he think of that?!

"I assume it is Neutered then. So yes. You have been panicking over nothing for however long you had it."

Two let out a ‘frustrated’ quiet yell noise, staring at the ground

"Are you alright Two of Thirteen?" He asked in a monotone, it was basically as if he was asking an active drone their status.

”I am unsure, I am having an emotion, it is not…. Not one I felt before” His organic hand was kind of twitchy, the experience of new emotions to him was both interesting, but somewhat… terrifying?

"Ah... I apologize but I am not the best person to talk to about that." He said with an almost apologetic tone added onto the monotone.

”I- I understand…” He frowned, taking Puff out again and held him in an attempt to calm himself “How… How do you ever get used to emotions…?l

"To be honest, I avoid them. But eventually you begin to just accept them. Its not something that is the same for everyone."

”That… that’d make everything so much easier…” Two said, somewhat to himself, perhaps he could find a way to to keep his emotions in, like vulcans do…?

"It does for the most part. But I am just one liberated drone, there are plenty of others who had much different liberations than I." He said with a more understanding monotone.

”What…. What was your liberation like? Was… Was someone angry when they discovered that…” Two suddenly stopped himself, shaking his head “No no that’s irrelevant and unimportant it doesn’t matter Two… Two stop….”

"How I was liberated is not irrelevant. It is why I am here now. Just like your liberation is not irrelevant. You do not need to worry about that." He said with a firm and understanding tone added onto the monotone. "The Borg sphere I was on was damaged and severed from the collective then crashed on a moon. I was trapped under debris until I was rescued several days later by a Starfleet vessel." He explain briefly. The events coming back to him as he spoke.

”You were…. Rescued…? They actually wanted to… Help you?” Starfleet did that? Was his liberation…. Abnormal? Two pondered this, did that mean that the doctor really had a good reason to be angry?

"Yes, I was. Why?" He asked asked with a confused tone, his head once more tilting to the side.

”No… No particular reason, the question… Ignore it, it was… Simply… Curiosity…” Something in how he was speaking made it sound more like he was arguing with himself then talking to Four.

"Two of Thirteen. I know you are not telling the truth, or at least hiding it." He said firmly. He noticed various signs that had been similar to what he had done when he was first liberated.

”I-It. Doesn’t… Doesn’t. Matter-r.” He attempted to say in a somewhat firm tone, but it turned out more squeaky and shaky “Really… It doesn’t…”

"Two of Thirteen." He started in a firm tone." *Report." *He finished, sounding almost exactly like a Borg Drone talking to another that had just returned to a cube or sphere. It was obvious there was more to it, and this was the most likely way to get it efficiently and effectively.

”I… I was… The doctor…. I wasn’t supposed to be….” Words wouldn’t form, he wanted to shove these memories as deep down as possible, and never think of them again. Reliving them was causing unnecessary stress, why couldn’t he just speak?!

"Two of Thirteen. Take your time." He said in an understanding tone, he didn't really understand, but thats just what it sounded like, he still sounded like a commanding Borg drone but he was also trying to be kind since Two no longer was a Borg drone.

”I was…. Intended to be… Still… Still…” He was internally screaming at himself, just speak!, unfortunately he had to at least try to get it out in small bits and pieces* “Part of the collective… they didn’t realize…. Didn’t realize for a while… that… I was…. Not…”

"You did not wish to be removed from the collective?" He asked, still in that almost commander like tone. That wasn't uncommon, it had happened to himself. He didn't want to leave the collective, but it happened.

”Well…. Yes… that too… but at the time…. They still thought…. I wouldn’t speak so…. So they didn’t know… didn’t know that I knew… that I… that I felt…. Emotion … that I… that they took… Someone who wouldn’t… wouldn’t work” Two hoped his primordial soup of jumbled words made the slightest sense, he knew that he would never be able to give the name of the one… the one person, he forgot it on purpose after all, although it was still there, unlike his previous memories…

"I understand Two of Thirteen. I didn't want to leave the collective either. You will have to do what I did. Move on. " He said with a small nod. He felt a small twinge of guilt for forcing Two to talk about this.

”Its not… That that was the main issue… but… thank you…” Two must not have been being all to clear, but that means he could perhaps avoid the topic altogether?

"If you wish you can contact me if you ever need to talk Two of Thirteen. I am sorry I can not be of more assistance."

He was somewhat relieved that the conversation seemed to be over, no need to think of the bad things that happened on the O’Leary if it wasn’t discussed! “Thank you Four, I appreciate it.”

"There is no need to thank me. Do you have any questions for me?" He asked after a second. He realized that he seemed to have been the one asking all of the questions.

”Why… Why do you hide your ocular implant…?” That was the first thing that popped in his mind, Two couldn’t understand why one would be embarrassed or shun something that they were. Even if it was something bad, changing it to seem otherwise would make you… A liar right?

"I painted it because it was... causing problems for me. I had several people target me because I was Borg. It was the most suitable option to make it less noticeable." He said with a slight edge.

”I have also been… In situations, but would it not be better to…. Okay” He decided that agreeing would be better then arguing, perhaps there was a good reason…

"I did what I did Two of Thirteen. It is my choice, just like it is your choice to keep your tribble." He said firmly, not a ride firmness, but a don't push the question firmness.

”Oh I apologize, sorry if it’s anything bad, sorry.” Two was now almost one hundred percent sure there was a serious reason, and he understood the desire to not talk about it, like how he won’t talk about a lot of things about himself…

"There is no need to apologize Two of Thirteen. It is nothing new. I have adapted to it." He said with a small nod to the former drone.

”Was it hard, joining starfleet? And having to adapt to all the differences in their society made to fit their individualities?” Two decided to ask another question, as he was hoping to eventually join himself, any advice or information would be good to know in advance.

"It was quite easy to join Starfleet, I had the recommendation of the XO from the ship I was rescued by which is why I was able to join. As for adapting... I still am adapting in some ways." He said with a small nod and the normal monotone coming back.

”You can get…. Recommended…?” That seemed like an interesting practice, but wouldn’t it place favour on said person over the others?

"Yes, it is required for members of species not in the federation." He said with another small nod.

”Would… I need a recommendation? I am technically human… But?” Two could practically feel his hopes and dreams about his future shattering in front of him, metaphorically of course.

1

"I do not know. You can always ask the station commander if they would recommend you. I will look into it, if I am able to I will recommend you." He said with the closest thing to a smile that had been on his face since before his assimilation.

”You would… Do that?” There again was his ever existent confusion at simple kindness, something that should be such a simple topic, but wasn’t for him.

"If I can yes I will." He said with a small nod. "I must admit I never looked into it so I do not know for certain."

”In this case… Maybe… Maybe I’ll be able to… Have a purpose again…!” He said somewhat enthusiastically, smiling.

"You already have one do you not? Taking care of your Tribble." He said as if it was obvious. It was quite obvious to him at least.

”Well, it is a function, but not an overall purpose, as it is not something I am specifically made to do, or in the case of starfleet, trained to do.” Two explained his reasoning, in his mind everything he did on the base were just….Things. Of no real great purpose or importance, and irrelevant in the long run.

"I see. I am sorry but I must go regenerate." He said with a small nod to the man. "I hope that you figure everything out Two of Thirteen." He said with a monotone and polite voice.

”I understand, farewell” Two returned the nod as he said it, he personally had been neglecting the activity for as much as possible because… Reasons.

2

"I wish you well on your business Two of Thirteen." He said with a small nod before he started off towards a turbolift.

[D]A day after meeting Two Four was once more on the promenade. This time he was sitting at a table with the box the crab cat had come in, but this tome he didn't plan on talking to people. Those time he just planned on saving the poor animal from Y'Zan. He would either never see it again or she would accidentally throw it against a wall... the box was open and he was leaning against the table looking into it.

[D] Meanwhile, Sauk was on his way down the promenade to some unknown destination, Shoe padding beside him with dedication, her head and tail held high. This was one proud kitty. The pair made their way past a table with a Borg Lt. JG holding a box....with a crab-cat? What? "U-um, excuse me, sir, but may I ask- what that animal you have is?" He asked, approaching the officer. "I've never seen something like it before,"

"I haven't either. And I have no recollection of any drones coming along one since I have been in the collective..." He said with a slightly annoyed tone. He was annoyed by the fact he had no idea what the thing was. "The counselor from my last ship sent it to me..."

"Oh, neat! So it's kinda like an experiment? That's rather nice of the counselor!" Sauk said, peering into the box at the little creature. Shoe, meanwhile, took a step forward and sniffed at Four's shoe. Hmm. This one...something about him...she'd have to see. She went back over to Sauk and sat loyally by his side.

"I must admit I do not know. I met the former drone Two of Thirteen, then went to my quarters where I found the box that contained the animal." He didn't have a name for the animal yet, and he probably wouldn't name it unless prompted by someone.

"Have you named the species yet? Or this one? This is an incredible opportunity!" Sauk said, his excitement clear in his voice. "I mean, for all we know, this is brand new species, that no one has seen before!"

"Well, it has definitely been seen because the counselor from my last ship got her hands on one and sent it to me..." He said with the same monotone voice he had been using. "And no, I haven't named it. It is a he though."

"Oh, yeah, good point. Maybe you should name him! He's a cute lil guy," Sauk noted, tilting his head to get a good look at the animal. Sauk was fairly certain that this animal was almost entirely crab, with just a hint of cat. Maybe he and Shoe would get along, he mused.

"I wouldn't know what to name it." He said with a slightly confused edge joining his slightly annoyed monotone. He put a finger in the box only to have the animal pounce forward and swat at his finger playfully.

Sauk stifled a laugh at this. "You could name him literally anything," He informed the Lieutenant, shrugging his shoulders. "My cat's name is Shoe. Like the thing you put on your feet," The cat in question looked up at Sauk at the sound of her name, then relaxed again when she realized he must just be bragging again.

"I see. I will have to think about it..." He said with a slightly thoughtful tone as he removed his finger from the box. The crab cat immediately tried to follow the finger, its paws slapping against the box. When it couldn't get any purchase it allowed its very sharp to eject and pierce the box in its attempts to follow Fours finger.

Sauk watched with some amusement. "I think he wants to play," He observed, tilting his head curiously. The little guy really was trying. Shoe, meanwhile, was getting curious, but Sauk hadn't given her permission to do anything, so she sat still by his side, loyal and hardworking as ever. She really, really hoped her Friend would let her investigate, though.

"Yeah... I am cautious of the claws though. They are very, very sharp." He said with a small nod. "I will have to let it calm down before I put my hand in the box again." He said with a more casual monotone voice.

"You could ask one of the medical staff to declaw him? The ACMO is Catian, maybe they have some experience with that? I think I read somewhere that Catian kids have to be temporarily declawed, but I could be imagining that," He suggested. "I got Shoe declawed permanently at her first checkup,"

"Well, I looked into it. I personally find it kind of cruel to declaw animals. They are only natural for them to have... I will most likely just invest in a pair of gloves." He said in a casual monotone as he looked into the box.

"I tend to agree...it was my father who got Shoe declawed. I was only three, so I didn't know any better. There's always the option of simply trimming them," Sauk mused, finally deciding that this conversation was long enough for him to sit in the empty seat across from Four. Shoe hopped up into his lap shortly after he did so.

"I see, who knows... the claws may make my roommate think twice before randomly picking it up..." He said with an almost chuckle. The crab finally stopped trying to escape and started to skirt around the inside of the box, going back and forth with brief bursts of forward movement.

"Not a great roomie, huh?" Sauk asked, tilting his head. As he did so, Shoe peeked up over the table, her white face on the tabletop, her pale yellow eyes and ash-colored ears searching. She didn't do anything else without Sauk's word, but there was definitely another animal, somewhere close.

"Yes. Lieutenant junior grade T'Zan... she thankfully doesn't know that I have it yet. I do not want to think what will happen to it when she finds out about it." He said with a slightly disgruntled tone adding onto his voice.

"Yikes. That bad?" Sauk said sympathetically. All he knew about his old roommate was that she was Catian. She had been in her room at one point when he and Jack were watching a movie, he was pretty sure. "Sucks," He said.

"It is what I have to deal with. That can't be changed until I request a change in quarters." He said with ab almost shrug, his voice was consistently a monotone throughout their conversation, just with different hints of other tones added in.

Sauk hadn’t noticed his tone. The boy had autism, and was completely deaf to tone of voice and blind to facial expressions. “Well…maybe you should do that? From my experience it isn’t very hard,” He suggested.

"It has only been a week, I am going to try and give her time to adapt." He said with a firmer monotone as he looked down into the box again.

“To having you as a roommate? People typically don’t change their personalities for different people, I’m pretty sure,” Sauk himself used to do that, and still did sometimes. It wasn’t fun.

"To having a roommate in general since she arrived." He said with another verbal shrug. "I will take care of it when I feel it is necessary."

“You do you, I guess,” Sauk said with a physical shrug. Meanwhile, Shoe was looking very intently at her Friend. “Oh- I think she’s curious about your little friend over there,” He chuckled.

"I see. I honestly do not know how it would react to another animal. I do know that it's claws are much sharper than a normal cats so I would avoid letting her to close to it." He continued. Looking up at the cadets cat.

“I don’t think Shoe’s thinking about it like that, I think she just wants to know what she smells,” Sauk mused, moving Shoe to perch on his shoulder.

"I think its called seafood?" He asked in a very monotone voice, almost any hint of the fact he had tried to joke disappearing in the monotone.

“What? You’re going to eat your pet?” Sauk asked, horrified. He definitely didn’t register that this was a joke, and he was suddenly very concerned for the little crab-cat’s safety. Maybe he should talk to security after this interaction ended….

"It was an attempt at humor. Crab is a sea food, its part crab." He said with a self conscious tone added on. He had expected the ensign to get the joke, he got it and he was a liberated drone...

“Oh! Sorry, I don’t really know what different tones of voice sound like. I’m autistic, that’s part of it,” Sauk said. “But yeah, that was a good joke! I think it would be better used on someone else; I was worried for a bit there,” He explained. “My bad,”

"It is fine Cadet Tral." He said with a reassuring nod of his head. "I mostly make the joke because of cats liking sea food." He added in the same self conscious monotone.

“Oh, that’s true! That’s really smart, then, wow,” Sauk realized. He must’ve put thought into that joke…and Sauk didn’t get it, that probably didn’t feel great.

"It is nothing new." He said with a small shrug. He wasn't going to go into depth how long it had took for him to come up with. It was easy once he figured out that it could be considered humorous, but six hours...

Sauk nodded. He understood the feeling. He had explained many times to others the way he needed people to come out and say they were joking sometimes. “I understand,” From his shoulder, Shoe tried to peer into the box. Was that…another cat? Or…it was red? Hmm…

The crab was light brown in color, its paws being like a Maine Coon, black and brown striped. It reached up and once more tried to climb out of the box only to have four put his hand back in the box, to which the crab cat immediately started to swat at. "I see that it needs to have some sort of toy..." He said in an almost exasperated tone.

“Yeah, I have a couple cat toys I could lend to you until you got some for him, if you want,” Sauk nodded, noticing the restless nature of the crab-cat.

"I can take care of it." He said bluntly. The counselor wanted him to take care of the animal, and that was what he planned to do. He would ensure the creature survived.

“Suit yourself,” Sauk shrugged, content to let Four do what he wanted to take care of the little crab-cat. It was a strange little thing, and if he wasn’t slightly intimidated by the Lieutenant, he would probably be asking for updates on this whole ‘project’.

He nodded and almost, *almost, the slightest movement in the right side if his mouth, grinned as the animal skittered away from his hand sideways only to at the last second pounce on his hand again.*

Sauk glanced down just in time to see the creature pounce, at which he let out a little chuckle, smiling. “You’ve certainly got a playful new friend,” He observed.

"Agreed." He said with a small nod, the almost grin disappearing quickly as he moved his finger around some and the crab cat chased it.

Well, now, if that wasn’t the most wholesome thing he’d ever seen. He hadn’t known Four had it in him. Shoe mewed loudly in his ear, reminding her Friend that they were supposed to be on a walk. “Oh, crap, I’m sorry, I should probably get going. I was going to take Shoe on a walk,” He said, picking the cat up and setting her on the ground.

"Understood, enjoy yourself cadet." He said with a small nod, not looking up, his attention solely on the crab cat in the box.

[D] Sometime after getting their foot fixed, after shift, Comet strolled down the promenade with no real destination in mind. Their mind was distracted, and they weren’t really watching where they were going, so it was quite possible that they’d run into someone. What were they thinking about? Niatha, their new relationship with her, Icarus, and their job, their new boss, Alizati, to name a few things. They really were lucky they hadn’t hit anyone yet, seeing as they were walking with such an absent mind.

He was walking down the promenade with a look of glee again. Excitement had been bottling up within him, he was finally exploring space again. Maybe he wasn't as cool or exciting as Rainier was but maybe he'd be able to make it there. He invisioned himself I'm several of the shops that he walked by. Part of him even thought about where his past lives would probably shop. He was looking into a shop when he was a leather jacket. "Rainier would love that." He said to himself but he didn't notice that he veered into the path of Comet.

Bam! The poor half-Bajoran ran smack-into a Trill Ensign. “Prophets, I’m so sorry!” They squeaked. “I didn’t see you, I was distracted. Are you hurt? Crap, I hope not…” They trailed off, rubbing the back of their neck. “Say, are you new here?” They realized, tilting their head. “I don’t think I’ve see you before,”

He nodded. "Yes, my name is Del, Tacoma Del, and I'm very sorry for running into you. It really is my fault for getting distracted by stupid leather jackets. I thought Rainier would really like that... but that's just an excuse, I really am sorry."

“Who’s Rainier?” Comet asked, further tilting their head. “Oh! My name’s Comet. Eco Comet, Lt. JG. Nice to meet you, Tacoma!” They added, giving the ensign a friendly smile.

He waived his hands, signaling his discomfort but still gave the man, insleys practiced charismatic smile. "Please don't call me by just my first name, my brain still gets a little bit confused. As for Rainier, he's a past host of mine."

“Oh! Okay, Del then. Nice to meet you, Del,” They amended, still a bit confused but happy to accommodate for whatever confusion this man might have. “I guess that means you’re a joined trill?”

He nodded. "Yes, I'm pretty new to being joined though so I still get a little confused a lot and kinda easily distracted. I think I might have to buy that jacket is saw though. I just kinda get urges like that all the time."

“Urges are normal for everyone, I think,” Comet replied. “Like, earlier, I got the urge to kick a bulkhead. I didn’t, because that would hurt, but I still really wanted to. It was weird- wait, that’s probably not normal, is it?” They laughed awkwardly.

He shrugged. "Well the issue is I've got 5 other people's urges in addition to my own. Rainier always loved himself a leather jacket but before I was joined I probably would've never considered one. Kenmore is kinda pushing me towards a nice suit. It's all very confusing, especially when it comes to fashion." He laughed slightly really He was confused by all of it part him even wanted to wear women's clothes even if it didn't make much sense to Tacoma himself. Kitsap and Kenmore were sorta telling him that it was a lot more comfy that way.

“Fashion is an interesting thing. I think it’s a great way to express yourself, but it can also say absolutely nothing about you. Some people wear clothes because they like them, others wear them because they’re comfy. I’m a bit of both,” Comet shrugged, glancing down at their plaid flannel and bumblebee-yellow skirt.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I still haven't gotten many clothes since I got joined though, I think it might be time for me to go shopping. You would be free to come if you want?" He offered a friendly smile again, drawing inspiration from Dassault's much more confident smile.

“Sure! Could be fun,” They returned the smile, shrugging their shoulders. Shopping, not exactly a pastime of theirs, but something to do. Besides, maybe they could make a friend! Opening a file on Tacoma Del, mentally.

He immediately walked into the store. "Personally I'm not much for fashion, so I'll probably need your help deciding what to get. Kenmore was pretty good with fashion so atleast I have her helping aswell."

“Sounds like chaos in your brain right now, huh, Del?” Comet asked. “I can definitely know what that’s like. Maybe not to the extent where I have multiple personalities bouncing around in there, but I do have ADHD, so my thought process is pretty chaotic,” They shared. “And sure, I’d be willing to help,”

"Thanks, lord knows I need it." He quickly ran into the shop and threw the leather Jacket over his uniform. To be honest it didn't look great, it paired poorly with the starfleet uniform he was still wearing and he didn't have anything else to wear under it. Still the Rainier part of him was making him excited. "How do I look!"

“Erm…it doesn’t pair very well with the uniform, I’ll be honest,” Comet said gently. “I’d suggest maybe a plain colored t-shirt? I can’t give you a solid answer with the uniform underneath,” They told him. “But I’m sure it looks fine,”

He nodded eagerly. "Okay, yeah I need to get the full outfit together." His hands fidgeted slightly as he let Rainier eagerly bubble back up to the surface. Suddenly the Trill seemed very confident as he rushed around. "I'll take this!" He said as he confidently grabbed a tan button up shirt and then quickly he ran over to some pants where he grabbed a pair of Tan pants to match. It was as if he suddenly knew everything about how to dress himself but really, he was dressing for anouther person. "Give me one minute!" He said as he quickly changed up his clothes. Quickly grabbing a pair of aviator sunglasses (Dessault's favorite style) along the way. When he came out he looked like a changed man, he had his hair slicked back and he was dressed almost like a pilot from the 80s. The clothes didn't necessarily jive with how he normally acts but in the sudden wave of confidence he was able to pull it off.

Comet laughed to themself at the sudden personality change. What a funky person they’d just met. They watched as he scrambled around, grabbing various items, putting together a very interesting outfit indeed. When he emerged from the changing room, he was definitely not the same nervous and confused ensign Comet had met on the promenade. He seemed…confident. Good for him. “That’s…some outfit,” Comet nodded. Wasn’t exactly their style, but it suited the man, kinda. He seemed to pull it off, just barely. “Interesting, it kinda works,”

He nodded. "I knew it would work out!" He adjusted his sunglasses slightly, a lot more confident in the outfit then Comet was. He quickly went to look at himself in the mirror. He laughed to himself at something only he really would understand. "I look just like Dessault! Maybe I should figure out an outfit that fits all my past hosts! That would be super cool!"

He seemed to be enjoying this self discovery (?) thing, do Comet let him have his fun. “If you want to, go ahead! And if you’re interested in what’s typically referred to as ‘crossdressing’ then I’d be willing to help you find an outfit that could suit you,” They offered. Being non-binary meant nothing was really ‘crossdressing’ for them, but they wore a fair amount of ‘women’s’ clothing.

He ducked down slightly. "You mean I could really cross dress... I mean I'm not gonna lie I was thinking about it... Kenmore has definitely been in my ear telling me to wear a buisness skirt or some nice fancy dress." His demeanor took on a slight shift as he let her influence him more. "You think I'd look cute in a dress?"

“Hell yeah, you would! I mean, gendered clothing is hardly a thing anymore, I think this ‘Kenmore’ has the right idea,” Comet grinned. “I wear skirts and dresses all the time. I’m not exactly a man, but still,” They shrugged.

His disposition was more formal this time as he eyes each of the outfits he walled past. Eventually he decided on a cute skirt, blouse, and blazer. He stood and front of it and gestured for Comet to come over. "What do you think of this one?"

“Impeccable taste, my friend,” Comet told him, looking over the outfit. “You wanna try it on? I’m sure you’ll look great,” They assured him.

He nodded eagerly as he ran into the changing room. He wasn't very familiar with women's clothes but Kenmore was helping a lot. When he stepped out he strut out confidently like a total girlboss. He was walking a lot like Kenmore used to, at a point he even felt more in touch with himself by tapping into this part of his brain. He confidently stood infront of Comet. "How do I look?"

4

"Umm, incredible?" Comet laughed disbelievingly. "That is, just, an amazing look. You pull that off so well, Del- hey, that rhymed," They chuckled. "Seriously, though, you should get that! It looks great on you!" The person in front of them was switching personalities and body language so fast it was hard to keep up. It felt like learning the habits of more than one person, rather than just one. It was confusing, to say the least, but they'd never met a joined Trill before. Maybe they were all like this.

He nodded excitedly. He wasn't use to women's clothes but he felt very comfortable in those clothes. By being able to tap more directly into Kenmore through the clothes it all around made things better for him. "Is it weird that I want to walk out of the store with them on? I hope no one will look at me weirdly..." He changed his mind quickly. "Actually I don't care I just love them."

"Not weird at all. Own it! Tap into that inner girlboss!" Comet said, 100% hyping him up. "Beee whooo youuu aaaare..." They sang, somewhat off-key, referencing a now-obscure meme from 21st century Earth. They did that sometimes, problem? "If it would make you feel any better, no one has ever looked at me, and I wear skirts all the time," They shrugged.

He ran his hand down his side. "Well, who I am is Tacoma but I am in a way also still Kenmore. She's the one who I'm really leaning into right now." He switched into a power pose to confidently look at himself in a mirror, it was still giving him a much needed confidence boost, even if it wasn't his confidence necessarily. "It is weird to feel like this, I'm not sure if it is me, yet I still love how I feel."

"I honestly can't help you with that, Del. I'm not a Trill, let alone a joined one, so I have no idea how you're supposed to feel. Aren't there people you can talk to about this?" Comet asked, giving Del a sympathetic look. "I imagine you're confused, and I wish I could help, but all I can say is that I'm sure this is normal. In fact, you have memories of being newly joined from the other hosts, right? Why don't you figure it out yourself?" They suggested.

He nodded slowly. "Inslee struggled with it given that he was the first male host after Kenmore." He left out the other female host he had, he wasn't planning on telling anyone about his secret evil. "I'm unsure if there is anyone I can talk to other then myself I suppose. There's an old Trill ritual where I can talk to the past hosts but they'd basically end up possessing people for a short period." He waved his hand dismissing himself. "I'm not close enough with enough people to pull that off."

"Maybe you'll get there soon! I could introduce you to some of my friends. Possession sounds a bit weird but I mean...tradition is tradition," They shrugged. "Plus, if you need the advice then I'm sure you could figure something out," Comet added. Possession, huh? Interesting. Sounded a bit violating, but if people in the past had agreed to it then it couldn't be that bad, right? Surely the Trill wouldn't continue doing something that was incredibly unnerving and uncomfortable for people? This might keep them up at night.

He chuckled. "I wouldn't do it without peoples permission if you are worried about that. As far I know it's actually quite a enriching experience. Basically people get to feel the experiences of my past hosts but you'd be able to assert dominance at any time! If I ever put it together I might have to invite you."

"Huh. Interesting. I would be honored, Del," They said, taking in that information. Sharing a body with another conciseness would be...weird, to say the least. But if he said it was enriching...maybe they could learn something. Could be enlightening. Maybe they would even get dirt on a dead person. "Would it matter who you invited? Out of curiosity,"

He shrugged. "Well the people would have to be very willing to be part of it since anouther person would be in their body. It also helps if they have a strong will, one of my old hosts could be... quite overbearing."

3

"Oh? I see," Actually, this sounded quite interesting. An experience that Comet might not want to miss out on. Mostly for Del's friendship, but slightly for the chance to Do This Thing, Comet decided they were going to stick with this strange, confusing Trill. He seemed like he could be a good friend, anyways.

He chuckled a little bit. "When I do it I think I'm going to have you take Kenmore, you helped me get more in touch with her. I think maybe she might actually be able to help you out aswell." He smiled at the other man, realizing just now that he was outranked.

"Oh? I wasn't aware that I needed help, but I'd be more than willing to accept help from a dead girlboss," Comet smiled. "That's all I know about her, really, is that she's dead and a girlboss," They realized. "Hmm." Well, they knew the important things.

He smiled at the other man. "Trust me, she's a lot more than that. I know you probably don't need help but she might just be able to help you understand yourself better. Honestly she's probably the smartest former host of mine and she did a lot to help people out."

"She sounds lovely," Comet smiled. Perhaps, if this ever did end up happening, Comet would end up a changed person. Who knew? The future was undecided. "I'd say I'd love to meet her, but, ya know, the dead part. I'm sorry, is that insensitive?"

He smiled. "Well actually you are sorta talking to her. I am her in many ways, I have all of her memories and I can oftentimes feel all of her emotions. If you want to ask her a question I could answer it for you." He laughed slightly at the idea, she both was him and her own person.

A bit strange, not gonna lie, but why not. "I see. Um...I'll be honest, I can't really think of anything," They laughed awkwardly. In a way this felt...almost like using a ouji board with a personality. Which was a very unsettling thought that they immediately dropkicked out of their brain. Bold Italic must be acting up again.

He chuckled. "That is definitely fair, technically I've been alive for over 250 years which is still crazy to me. Though in may ways you are also a lot more experienced then I am. There's a reason you are the Lieutenant Junior Grade."

"I'm a- oh, right. Uh, don't tell anyone that I literally forget my own rank," They laughed awkwardly. "I promise I earned my promotion!" They assured him. "And...250+ years definitely puts you at more experienced than me, Del. I've only got 27 years,"

"Well I'm also a 24 year old scrawny Ensign. I can hardly deal with myself nonetheless be in charge of people." He joked but he also meant it. "Del has lived for a long time but thats only half of me."

"Well, I'm sure you'll move up quickly, with all that experience under your belt. Joined Trills have lived so many lives, they're like wise old people guiding us all on quests sometimes," They mused, running their hands through their fluffy hair. "I couldn't even begin to picture having that many memories of different people's lives,"

He shrugged. "Its certainly an odd experience for me but in the end knowing how they lived only serves to help me with my dreams. In some ways I've allready done better then some of the others but thats only because I have different goals." Part of it was him assuring himself, Rainier was a full blown captain but none of them had ever been a part of starfleet. "Rainier may of been a captain but he never got to be a part of starfleet."

"Well, in my opinion, I think it's important for you to be your own person. Not just a combination of who you were and all the other lives inside you," They added. "It's important for you to make 'Tacoma' a name for the next host to remember," They hoped this was good advice. I mean, it was basically just 'be who you are' but Trill edition, right?

He shrugged. "They have shifted my perspective but I'm still me for the most part. I always wanted to be in starfleet and I still absolutely be." He failed to add that the symbiote shifted his path from command to ops. "They are just helping me achieve my dreams. Even if they confuse me a lot."

"Confusion is a part of life, I'm afraid," Comet sighed. "Believe me, I've tried to get rid of it before. You're always going to be kinda confused about something," They said wisely. "It's good that you're fulfilling your dreams, though!"

He nodded. "Aren't you aswell though? Many people dream of one day becoming starfleet officers, heck Many ensigns water at the mouth at the simple idea of being a Lieutenant Junior grade."

"It's a bittersweet victory for me, really," Comet shrugged. "My dream was to be in Starfleet with my friends, but in becoming a Lt. JG., I was posted here, away from my friends on my last posting," They sighed, thinking back to their friends on the Ohio. Sul, Luxeyo, Ekra, and Uyon. The five of them were ride or die.

He leaned in to look the man up and down, the wise Inslee spoke for him, he seemed to always know what to say during these kinds of conversation. Tacoma himself wasn't great with dealing with emotion though so it likely came out in an odd manner. "Well you can make friends here can't you? Heck you've made one pretty easily just now haven't you?"

"Wait- are we friends? I'm terrible at that aspect of friendship- finding out when you can consider someone your friend," They laughed, "And I suppose you're right...but those four were really important to me. We met during the Academy, and it was incredible luck that we all got the same first post. Heck, I even found my first love in that group. We didn't really work out, of course, but we're still really good friends," They shrugged. "But I suppose you are right. I have made friends here. I just miss my old ones,"

"Well I wish I could help..." Damnit, that reminded him of his Ex, it reminded him of how Kitsap fucked things up for him... wait shit... he could feel Kitsap taking over a little. The power in the room shifted but Kitsap kept his demeanor the same, nothing other then the trills coming words signaled the change inside his brain at all. "Oh cmon, stop being such a baby. I'm sure things will be fine for you here at the station."

What the fuck? That was definitely not Tacoma. Or Kenmore, by what they knew. "Um. I'm...not being a baby? I thought we were chill," Comet said, slightly hurt and very confused. "Sorry, I'm just a bit puzzled as to what's happened, because a minute ago you and I were being very deep and exchanging life advice and now you're calling me names," They frowned. Had something happened? Had they offended him somehow?

She just laughed at him, Kitsap that is. Tacoma didn't want to but his mood was that of a high school bully, he wanted to stop yet his mind told him he didn't want to stop. He had a smile on his face. "Whats happening is that you are being a little baby, whining about how much you..." She mimicked his voice and gestured crying. "...miss your friends." She laughed again. "Just be a fucking man you're a starfleet officer for fucks sake."

6

"Well. I'm not even a man, mind you. I might've mentioned this, might not've, but my pronouns are they/them, and you are being an absolute dick right now, is what's happening. I could very easily take this up with your superior officer, but I'm not going to, because I'm nice. I think what I'm going to do is walk away," Be a fucking man. What a joke. Here they were thinking they'd made a friend. Guess not. They turned, ready to leave, taking the first few steps away from Del.

4

5

He pointed at Comet. "Yeah, just walk away like the coward you are. Being nice won't get you shit in this world. You've got to put your fist down." Tacoma jammed a fist down into his open palm. "Have some fucking balls for fucks sake." He laughed to himself as he watched the man walk away. After a few seconds though he looked down at himself, he looked down at his hands. What was he saying, what had he done... he needed to think, what was he gonna do. As he thought he paced back in forth around the store, repeating obscenities to himself as he did.

Comet just kept walking. They didn't have to put up with this shit. They literally didn't have balls. They were AFAB. But that was none of that asshole's business. They kept moving down the promenade, steaming, shaking their hands as if trying to get rid of the rage that was building up. They sped up, walking faster, heading off the promenade and onto #deleted-channel. Honestly, at this point, they were just going to go back to their quarters. They didn't have to deal with that! Right? But...they thought they'd made a friend...he'd said they were friends...fuck, they were not going to cry about this.

4

He looked down at his hands for a few moment. He switched his mind to auto pilot, following whatever he figured Insley would have done. That man had been much better at dealing with this but he was still only learning. He quickly paid for his clows, inside his own head Tacoma was crying. Kenmore and Rainier both got themselves outfits but it was tainted now. He went and returned to his quarters.

6

Satok made his way down the hallway with a box of something inside... contents intended for his wife. Whatever it was, he made and spent hours on it and put his heart and soul into it. He, however, wasn't looking where he was going and tripped on the side of a bench leg, sending the box flying. It hit the floor with a light bounce, the item protected from damage because of its packaging. Satok started to get back up...

After another day at work Alizati made his way across the promenade. He was thinking about visiting Surak Snacks again, not because he wanted to get another look at t he handsome owner, no that would be illogical. He strolled brisky across the floor, each step taken with confidence until-- *Thud! Something hit his foot, causing him to lose balance for only a couple miliseconds before he stepped forward to regain balance. When he looked up he expected to see a clumsy human not a Romulan. Alizati's first instinct was to take a step back, knowing that Romulans were similar to Vulcans in that they preferred keeping some distance. The point in which they differed was whilst Vulcans valued personal space, Romulans kept a distance to protect their lives. Illogical, he thought.* Alizati picked up the box cautiously and raised an eyebrow at the man in front of him. "You should be more careful," He stated, his face giving away none of his emotions.

He stood up completely after his minor gaffe, looking at this... vulcan? before him. And he so kindly picked Satok's package before him... a good man in Satok's books for this action. He held his arms out for the box... hearing the other speak. Ah. Yes. "I know I should be more careful... I'm just itching to get this project back to my wife... lost in thought, all of that jazz," he said with a small smile, seeing a vulcan as someone to simply talk to and be polite to even though they couldn't outwardly feel or express emotion.

As the two men made eye contact, Alizati's eyes widened ever so slightly when the other began to speak. The tone was overly friendly, even casual, not something he would expect from a Romulan who was speaking with a Vulcan. No matter, he kept poker face as he handed the box to Satok. His eyes looked away from the other as he blinked rapidly for only a few seconds. For some reason or another it had become increasingly difficult to hold eye contact with others. Was this paranoia? No, that would be an emotion, illogical. There was no reason to be paranoid about anything, perhaps it was the other's inherent Romulan paranoia affecting him. "A project?" Alizati switched over to speak Rihannsu to the Romulan. Curiously, it wasn't standard Rihannsu, it was a dialect. A very specific dialect to be exact, but he had only spoken two words, not enough for anyone to pick up on. Yet. He noted that the man in front of him had a wife, but no name sprang to mind. He began to scroll through possible matches in an attempt to identify this stranger. Maybe he hadn't downloaded the complete roster during his last update. The Vulcan engineer was dressed in his uniform, worn perfectly, straight edges, everything. The only thing that stuck out was his dyed cobalt blue hair, a very odd choice for a logic-loving Vulcan, but he had his reasons. (edited)

The speaking of Rihannsu made the romulan seem a smidge happier and easier to converse with. No dialect was picked up on, however... He wasn't paranoid in the least, simply happy and energetic in the moment. He took the box and held it more tightly in his hands, not wanting to drop it again and actually damage it. Nothing in his life mattered more than the happiness of his mate, a woman that helped him through thick and thin for the past 8 years. Ah, he couldn't thank her enough... He looked the vulcan (or what he assumed was an actual flesh and blood vulcan with funny hair) over and nodded. "Yes, a project. A sculpture of a wave, made to a perfect standard... representative of her home on vulcan," he said.

Despite being fully conscious and aware of his surroundings and actions, the Vulcan was a bit surprised to hear the standard Rihannsu back. It was as if Alizati was unaware that he had spoken another language. Odd. He blinked rapidly for a brief moment as his eyes bagsn to shake a little more. The blinking helped him seem more organic, but it also covered up the shaking which seemed to be getting worse and worse for some reason. He watched as the Romulan boy took the box and gave him a curious Vulcan eye brow raise. "A wave?" He was less surprised at the subject matter and more surprised that he was so careless carrying such a precious object through the crowded promenade. The Vulcan wife did not surprise him at all in fact he-- "You have a Vulcan wife. I am sure she will appreciate that, I assume you are treating her well?" His tone was flat, but the last few words of his sentence was stressed as if he was almost skeptical that the Romulan in front of him was incapable of being a suitable mate to a Vulcan. Illogical. He was simply inquiring he told himself. This man seemed open and honest, having a preconceived notion of another solely based on DNA was not only spacist, but highly illogical and Alizati has no reason to be suspicious of this man.

"Of course, I bring her flowers... and spend lots of time with her... and we do more, but I do treat her well..." He replied, thinking that it was a no-brainer to be always pleasant to his mate that he loved. He loved the woman boundlessly, why would he treat her terribly? He smiled softly and switched his stance to slightly leaning on his right foot. "She is half romulan too... and my son's appreciative to be hailing from two very different cultures. He enjoys it..." He said, keeping up friendly conversation with the android (that he didn't know was an android) across from him. "But you, do you have a significant other? From your statement I feel as if you might have someone?" He questioned, a mixture of the human desire to bounce a question back along with the romulan urge to acquire as much information about others as possible. He truly was curious about this figure, this vulcan with the odd hairdo. He didn't notice any sort of shaking, though the rapid blinking came off as odd. Well, full vulcans were odd; Satok never really understood them though he had a vulcan name and his species was an offshoot of theirs. "But... introductions. I'm Satok Aylek, lieutenant. Chief of operations on the USS Eventide. You?"

The other's reply was predictable, Alizati was trying to wrestle with the logic of even asking him in the first place. There was no reason to believe the Romulan stranger treated his wife with any disrespect especially if he was bringing her a gift. Plus being Vulcan she had a logical reason for choosing him as her mate. 'Half Romulan' Alizati's eyes began to shake a little faster, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut and pinch the bridge of his nose. The shaking was making it hard to concentrate. It only lasted a couple seconds before the android faced the stranger once more, his face blank as if nothing had ever happened. He made a mental note that this man was married to a Romulan-Vulcan woman and their son would be-- a quarter Vulcan. An interesting identity, he thought. To hail from mixed heritage was something he could not even begin to-- "I do not have a mate," He answered as soon as the question was asked. He spoke flatly and logically, only saying as many words as was necessary. Superfluous conversation was not something he engaged in, especially with strangers. *Satok Aylek, that name was familiar from the roster. Alizati had read his profile, fascinating gentleman he thought.* "Lieutenant Commander Alizati Dzharok, chief engineer on the base," He spoke his name in a mix of accents. His first name was terran, Chinese Uyghur, and his 'surname', Vulcan. All of that mixed with his rather odd Rihannsu dialect made quite a funky sentence. The Vulcan clasped his hands behind his back, looking the the picture of perfection without a hair out of place. For some reason his breathing remained stable throughout the whole conversation, it was just his eyes.

He was indeed a fascinating man, whole self just a bundle of human/romulan happiness and trust wrapped up in a shell of seriousness and slight tiredness. He noticed the shaking of the other's eyes, looking perhaps a bit too much as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He turned his head sideways and looked the other over, slightly confused but not showing it. The odd dialect made Satok pause and squint slightly, the shifting accents making him only more intrigued in this man. Plus... the first name was terran. Why would a vulcan have a terran first name? It made no sense at all... but it certainly would be impolite to ask this stranger such a personal question as they had only just met. He yawned and scratched his nose, typical fleshy being movements that came natural. His eyes were locked onto the other's eyes, however, infinitely curious as to what this meant... why did they move in such a fashion? It was still very unvulcanlike. The lack of a mate was unsurprising, sad to say from Satok's part. This vulcan was definitely weirder than most he'd met in his career. "Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Commander Alizati Dzharok," he spoke in fluent and perfect English, wanting to switch away from the rihannsu dialect that confused him.

The squinting did not slide past Alizati, he began to reply the last few lines of their conversation to find what may have made the Romulan react that way. Was it the eye shaking? It was illogical to dwell on the past so those thoughts were quickly Surak'd away. The other's stares however did not bother him in the slightest. Vulcans held eye contact all the time and the engineer was well aware that his hair colour made others pause. It was nothing new and Alizati maintained his poker face, giving away nothing in his expression. The android only blinked at the other man, listening to him speak. "Chief of operations, may I inquire as to your opinions on your accommodation on the Eventide?" He decided to switch the topic to work, something more logical that interpersonal relations (which he severely lacked in, no surprise). The switch in languages did not bother him at all. He spoke fluent English with his typical Vulcan accent. He sounded just like any flesh and blood Vulcan, funkiness from his Rihannsu completely gone. He had no preference to what language they spoke, he was an android and a Vulcan, such favouritism towards anything was illogical.

"I think my accommodation on the Eventide is adequate, Commander. And you may call me Satok or Sat, if you're so inclined," he replied. The other's sounding like a normal vulcan was indeed comforting to him now, the funkiness odd and off to him. The vulcan accent... was expected as he heard smidges of it here and there from his beloved. The eye shaking was indeed somewhat concerning, though the poker face was another normalcy. Satok, however, neglected to give his super-duper private name to the vulcan, which was Sattie. Nobody called Satok Sattie except his human mother. "So..." He hummed, unsure of where to go in conversation with a vulcan.

"I have yet to see the Eventide myself, which is why I asked," He nodded at the other man and took a deep breath. He did not make any comment about the nicknames, they were illogical. He had no problem addressing the Romulan by his title, but that was the attitude of most Vulcans. There was no such thing as 'casual conversations' to him, he was always working and honestly he found it illogical to have what humans called a 'personal life'. The closest he got was his study into retro tech. He looked around the promenade at the people passing them before turning back to the Romulan. "I hope your wife enjoys the gift. It seems logical that we continue on our separate ways now," He said plainly giving Satok a Vulcan salute before walking away and disappearing into the crowd of people on the promenade.

1

Finally on the promenade, Renakir was looking for Surak Snacks. All he knew is it was a Vulcanoid-themed restaurant somewhere in the utility ring. Tenakruvek, this was difficult. There were so many places on this damn ring he couldn't tell which one was which. As his eyes darted between the various storefronts, he made sure to expertly dodge the oncoming crowd. There were just so many people, was it because it was technically night shift? A lot of Lower Deckers™️ worked swing shift after all. Renakir much preferred the swing shift himself, mostly because it closely matched his normal sleeping schedule from Mol'Rihan. As he weaved in and out through the crowd, he clutched his PADD in one hand and the other was holding his sunglasses in place. The one con to these temporary sunglasses was they never stayed on his face just right. This was getting too much, too many people, too much noise. His senses were getting overwhelmed, he needed to take a break.

[D] Meanwhile, a certain southern Catian was making her way down the promenade, headed for that spot Nalas had showed her when they had first met. It was a secluded spot right by a window, so it would be quite and great for looking out at the stars, something that she’d loved to do since she was a kit. She didn’t notice the Reman as she nearly collided with him, dodging out of the way just in the nick of time- good thing, too, once she realized he appeared part Romulan. “Oh, I am so sorry, sir,” She apologized, looking up at the Lt. JG, technically her superior, even only by a tiny bit. “I didn’t see you there, I’m so sorry I almost walked into you, it was never my intention,”

Renakir nearly screeched when the Caitian passed in front of him. On Shinzon's grave, he slapped his hand to his chest in shock. "No no, it's alright," Sharp pointy white teeth were fully visible as his mouth hung open for a split second. Being the quick thinker he was he stepped to the side, away from the crowd and more importantly away from the stranger he nearly collided with. "It's very crowded, come over here," He wasn't mad, but the tone of his voice gave away his frustration. The bright lights, the noise, the people. He was dealing with sensory overload and couldn't be bothered to worry about how he sounded. Hopefully this stranger would understand. He pushed his sunglasses up and held them in place to make sure no light was leaking in, his eyes were burning enough as it was.

This poor man, it was clear to P’Nelar what was happening. “I understand, it’s almost making me insane, how many voices there are in here,” She said, following as Renakir guided her over to a spot away from the crowd. “This noise is the worst,” Being on a station designed with mostly humans in mind sometimes had its downfalls. As she spoke, her ears were rotating like crazy. She shook her head in frustration, covering them with her paws. They may be overwhelmed by different things, but they definitely understood each other.

The Caitian was speaking to him, but for some reason his brain wasn't processing the words. Even with the universal translator feeding him the words in his native Rihannsu, he was just too overwhelmed. Renakir plopped down in the first empty seat he found and practically threw his arms on the table in exasperation. Could this day get any worse? And that's when it clicked that the other was indeed talking to him, oh and now he looked like a fucking stuck up wanker with sunglasses 'too cool' for everyone. A heavy sigh and a brief moment of trying to get his shit together and he turned to the stranger who was talking to him. "I'm so sorry, I'm just not having the best time. I've never seen you around before, are you new?" He looked at P'Nelar, eyes hidden behind his dark sunglasses. His black fingernails clicked against the cheap plastic as he attempted to keep them in place.

P’Nelar could 100% understand everything that his man seemed to be going through. “Yes, I am new here. My name is P’Nelar S’Tera,” She introduced with a friendly flick of her tail behind her. “I’m sorry you’re struggling, sir. I know a much quieter spot where the lights aren’t quite so bright if you can handle walking for a bit longer,” She offered, trying to look as sincere as she could. Her yellow eyes darted briefly over to the spot she and Nalas had conversed in, just a couple feet away from where she and Renakir stood. It was behind a corner, by a window, illuminated by no extra lights. Perfect for an emergency de-overstimulation.

The tone of the other's voice was friendly, which helped put Renakir's mind at ease. The last thing he needed was to make another enemy. "Yes, please, thank you P'Nelar," He assumed P'Nelar was the stranger's first name. Somehow it felt like the noise was getting louder, why did he have to be a mix of two species with incredibly good hearing? His eyes scanned the Caitian once more, noticing their equally pointy ears. In a weird way, he felt comforted by the fact they had similar ears and most likely similar sensitivities to sound. His eyes then went down to her tail, cute is what he thought.

She guided him over to the spot she had been eyeing, making sure that there was almost no sound in the little nook before gesturing for Renakir to take a seat. She did so, flopping down and curling her tail around her body. “Is this any better, sir?” She asked, both because she was a polite southern gal and because she didn’t know this stranger’s name. Hopefully, she could turn this interaction around, and make his day just a little bit better.

He got up from his chair and followed the P'Nelar to the more quiet spot and slapped his hands on the table, making a loud thud. His back was hunched and he looked tired. Not just sleepy tired, but mentally tired. Another heavy sigh and he plopped his little grey butt in the chair. "Sorry,"He said quickly, realising all the noise and trouble he was making for P'Nelar. He owed her a snack or something later. Tucked away in the quiet nook off of the promenade, Renakir took this opportunity to lay his arms on the table like a washed up jellyfish. Long grey fingers, extended outwards as he turned his head to face the other. "Yes, thank you. And.. You can call me Renakir. Transporter and turbolift operator," He was not familiar with the other's accent, but he had a feeling they were from America. Renakir thought he must have looked silly being Romulan with a very distinct French accent. "Where are you from, P'Nelar?" He asked, partially out of the desire to make a new friend and partially out of the need to listen to someone else talk to distract him from his own thoughts.

“Texas, born and raised,” P’Nelar said, ignoring the apology. It was unnecessary. “You’ve got a bit of a french accent, if I’m hearing you correctly,” She added, tilting her head. Her goal at this point was to distract the man from any feelings of stress or anxiety. And to keep him from feeling guilty about this. “Renakir, that’s a Reman name, ain’t it?” She asked, her southern accent spiking on the ‘ain’t’. She really was hopelessly Texan, but luckily the state was a lot woker than it was in the early 21st century, otherwise she’d likely be a nightmare to be around, despite having lesbian mothers.

Texas, so he was right about that. Renakir sat up properly in his chair, now feeling a bit better. He ran his fingers through his hair, exposing his twin forehead ridges that he always tried to cover with his bangs. "Yeah, I went to the academy in Marseilles, France," He was starting to calm down and it was evident in his voice he sounded less strained than before. He had never been to America, but it was something about the southern accent that sounded like home? Maybe it was the cadence and delivery of each syllable, the southern drawl was not too different from some Reman dialects. "Yes, half Reman, half Romulan," He turned away as soon as he said that, grinding his teeth ever so slightly. Stupid, stupid, you should have just said your name was Solait, the voice inside his head was telling him. Why was it so hard to be Reman all of a sudden? And why did this earth-raised Caitian knew what Reman names sound like? This was a plot.. "I'm surprised you know, there aren't many Remans in Starfleet or on earth."

Unfortunately his self loathing monologue would need to wait, duty called. "There's a problem, we need to get to our stations," Renakir wasn't sure what was up but he had to move. He sprang up from his chair and booked it to the utility corridor.

Elwyn entered the promenade from the south and started patrolling, looking out for any civilians that weren't meant to be there. It seemed like people were complying, as the ring was slowly empty.

Maggie smiled as she was carried by Dion, practically nuzzling her head into his chest. “Mhm, this is nice.”

"Comfortable down there, are we?" Dion said as he carried her through the whole promenade to the #deleted-channel.

[D] Speaking of comfortable, Allan was walking down the halls casually, off-duty, having explored just a little bit earlier. He had just checked out the Waffle House, actually, and had a nice hashbrown. He'd actually never even had hashbrown before that. Out of all the things he'd never tried... either way, he was strolling down the south promenade on his way to go back to his quarters... unless? (edited)

Down the promenade weaving between the legs of various different species was a long three headed monstrosity. Their white fur had quickly become dirtied slithering around. The mechanical beast made a soft hum as it made it's wait towards Surak Snacks, clearly on a mission. The creature had one body but three long heads and around the middle one's neck was what appeared to be a tracking device. A black band with a few simple buttons and a simple black and green display. The device clicked against the floor as the creature moved, slowly but surely inching closer to the Vulcan restaurant.

Allan didn't really try and determine where the thing was going, all he knew is that his mind immediately remembered when Alizati had told him he felt fear akin to that of a lost child in the grocery store the previous time he lost this thing. "Ayyo? Alizati? Your dog's fucking loose..." he called out, before realizing that...oh, Alizati was not in his sight. Well then. He walked over to Bir, Ikki, and Yuch, kneeled down, and tapped Bir's head, assuming he'd learned which was which by now.

Bir, the middle head, looked up at Allan and made some indecipherable noises whilst the other two heads stared at him. The furberus looked surprisingly calm, although they could only move their eyes and mouths and ears. Ikki, the head to the right, made a concerned whining noise. Bir slithered across Allan's leg, allowing the boy to see the tracking device around their neck. The text on the panel read as follows:

OWNER: Alizati Dzharok Upper Habitat Ring Room#

Allan smiled a little when he realized that there was a little collar on this guy now! Cute. "Aw, well at least you have a collar..." He reached his hand over to pet Ikki after hearing the concerned whine, and just tilted his head. "What are you doing out here? Are you..." he then looked up and made the mental map of where this thing was headed. "Ohhhh, he's probably in there huh... probably best not to interrupt whatever gay shit's going down in there," he whispered, he didn't want anyone else to hear Alizati's business after all.

The three headed furby looked towards Surak Snacks and then back at Allan. Yuch, the head on the left and the shortest of the three nudged the engineer's arm, trying to slither over him to wrap their long body around. The furby seemed very concerned despite supposedly just being a Kal-toh machine. Bir made some more garbled noises, it seemed only Alizati would be able to understand their cursed language.

"You want up..?" Allan asked Yuch as he would to a small child, sort of reaching his arm out and down to allow the furby to climb up his arm if it so wished. "I have no clue what you're saying though, Bir, I'm sorry. Maybe in exchange for doing all this code for Alizati I can put some basic commands in for you. I've seen people do it with dogs before actually, it's pretty neat!" It was true, humans had been teaching dogs and cats to walk ontop of buttons that said simple words successfully since at least the early 21st century.

The three headed furby quickly slithered into Allan's arms and snuggled close to his chest. The three heads each made happy humming noises. Unfortunately there was no way to decipher the cursed noises coming out of the creature's mouth and the display panel was just an identification collar. "C̶͌̄h̷̛͒à̶̔y̸͐͠a̸̔̂ ̴̾̅t̴̏͊'̵̓͊n̴̎̉o̵͎͌t̷͌̀" The head of Yuch spoke, trying to communicate with the engineer. Alas the three headed furby only spoke Vulcan, when it did attempt to speak that is.

2

"Yeah, no problem," he said, because 'thank you' was one Vulcan phrase he still knew, even if it was ... mechanically garbled to some degree. He simply stood up, holding the furby close. He probably looked like a crazy fool but he didn't mind too much. "Where should we go?" He asked, as if he would maybe understand the answer. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't.

The three headed furby squirmed in Allan's arms and made the same mechanical hum it always made. Yuch, the shortest of the three, extended its neck towards Surak Snacks and the other two heads looked at Allan. Four eyes blinked at Allan and two mouths opened and closed.

"Ah, but your boss is probably being gay in there, guys..." However, Allan stepped closer to the restaurant, gently petting the furby to make it a little more comfortable as he carried it there. He didn't see Alizati nor Men at the entrance. "Yeah guys, I don't even know if Alizati's in here still, but if he is.... it's definitely gay stuff." What scandalous things they could be up to!

The three headed furby whined when Allan stepped closer to the restaurant and it saw that Alizati was nowhere in sight. Yuch wrapped himself around Allan's arm whilst Bir and Ikki continued to stare and chirp at him. They were confused, the boy was speaking in riddles to them. They were a Vulcan creation after all and were not designed to converse.

Yeah, Allan was at a loss of how to explain the concept that Alizati might be doing sus things in the restaurant to Bir, Ikki, and Yuch. "I don't know," he said softly, still petting them as he stepped closer to the restaurant. Should he have gone inside? Hm.

The trio wrapped themselves around Allan's arms and shoulders, ceasing to make any noise. They did not understand what the engineer was saying, but it was clear they were not going to be seeing their owner and in a weird way it made them sad.

Allan sighed when they did that, just gently petting the back of Bir's head as he simply sat down outside the restaurant, perhaps on a nearby bench. "We can wait here," he said, well knowing they wouldn't understand him.

Bir nuzzled into Allan's hand and made a soft chirping noise along with the other two heads. A few people on the promenade were staring at the ensign, confused why he was sitting on a bench with a long three headed furby. Ikki began to purr and Yuch laid across Allan's lap.

Those people could mind their own damn business why Allan was sitting on a bench with a long three headed furby. The reason why was because Bir, Ikki, and Yuch were just as deserving of love as any other creature and Allan would have been rude to not be friendly towards it! He ignored their stares, he was used to them anyways, and continued to pet the creature.

The furby tightened its grip around the engineer, purring, chirping, and overall enjoying life. From inside Surak Snacks, Tiravurik could be seen working out at the front cleaning the signs. It was a Vulcan establishment so everything had to be spotless, including the outside of the restaurant. No detail overlooked!

2

After his interesting time at Surak Snacks, Alizati walked out into the promenade. It was bustling as always, especially with the press conference. It wasn't even five seconds until he started to wish he was back at Surak Snacks with Men. He walked slowly and carefully, weaving between the crowds of people.

1

Lalisa had headed over towards the restaurant after her chat with Satok. She wondered if Alizati was there at this time? He was Starfleet officer, so he probably had work. She wished she knew his schedule, but there was no way of knowing and he was definitely not going to tell her. She had sent him some interview questions earlier, but still no response. She sighed as she strolled along the promenade only until she saw the familiar glimpse of cobalt blue hair. "Lieutenant Commander Alizati Jarok," She called out to him, quickening her pace and heading straight towards Alizati.*

It was that reporter again. Alizati was not looking to be perceived for the rest of the day, especially not by some nosy reporter. Still, he knew that if he kept avoiding her she would continue to pester all those he associated with. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. He walked over to a less crowded area, a place near the windows on the south side of the promenade. As expected, the reporter followed him.

Finally she had his attention. Lalisa knew her time was limited with the Vulcan android so she wasn't going to beat around the bush. She had to be tactful about it though, or else Alizati would leave before she even got two words in. “Thank you for stopping, Lieutenant Commander," She switched over to Rihannsu, speaking comfortably in her native tongue. She clutched her PADD in her hands and looked at the man. He wasn't much taller than her, only by a few inches, but he had a strong and commanding presence that was honestly a little intimidating. She pulled back her hair and made sure to keep a safe distance apart from him. A comfortable distance for two Vulcans, but within stabbing range. "I was wondering if you received my questions."

”I have received them. However all of those questions can be answered by reading my profile on the VSA website," Alizati replied back in Vulcan as it was his preferred language. This was a waste of his time, he did not know why a Romulan reporter would be so concerned about the experiences of an AI. Romulans were good interrogators and collectors of information, it was illogical to ask such basic questions unless this a front for something else. He folded his hands behind his back and straightened his posture. His eyes stared at the reporter, shaking ever so slightly.

"I see," Lalisa looked a little dejected at the commander's response. She was hoping to get more out of him than just what was written on his public profile, but it was clear this android was no interested in speaking with her further. Maybe she should just cut to the chase. "You know, I spoke with a man named Remun T'Lauk, he asked if I was an android because of my eyes," A very strange change of topic, but it seemed like Lalisa was trying to keep the android's attention.

"I do not believe you came all the way to this station to ask a Vulcan android questions to write an article for a Romulan newspaper."

"I'll be direct. I want to speak with Jarok i--"

"I do not know anyone by that name, I cannot answer any further questions. Please refrain from questioning my colleagues about such matters," Alizati stated firmly before she even finished her sentence. He didn't even give her any time to react either as he quickly turned on his heels and walked back into the crowd of the promenade. He wanted nothing to do with any reporters and was certainly not going to entertain any questions from this T'Kota.

2

1

Allan was still taking care of Bir, Ikki, and Yuch in his arms, although when Alizati came out of the restaurant it can be assumed that the creature started making more noise, so Allan was about to get up when he saw Lalisa approach the man. Ah. She hadn't gotten to him still? What did she even mean by continuing to call him Jarok? She had said it was because Dzharok and Jarok were so similar but... in his mind, they were quite different. He still had no idea about the file name, either... Anyways, after that interaction was done, Allan stood up, continuing to carry Bir, Ikki, and Yuch in his arms as he approached the chief engineer. "Hey, uh, boss? It's no problem, but they got a little lost, I think, so I've just been watching them for ya. They're really fun to be around, not gonna lie," he said, offering the other a smile as he walked alongside him.

Alizati was surprised when Allan approached him, although of course he was Vulcan and he showed no expression on his face. He looked at the ensign and then at the furby that was draped around his shoulders and curled around his arms. "I do not know how they got out of my quarters," Alizati said, now wondering if he needed to lock his doors whenever he left. It was not something he thought of doing because things were rather quiet in the upper habitat ring. Perhaps in the lower or middle rings locking the door would be a good idea to prevent wandering ensigns or civilians, but not where he resided. "Do you have time now? You may walk with me to my quarters, they seem to like you."

Allan laughed, nodding and giving Bir a little pat on the head. "Of course, boss! I like them too, so it works out." He walked along with Alizati, continuing to hold the creature. "They might have just gone through the door, honestly... have you ever thought about teaching them some basic commands in Standard, maybe? I've seen people on Earth do it with their cats and dogs, it might be kind of cool."

Alizati walked alongside Allan, taking slow and cautious strides as they avoided the others on the promenade. He had his eyes forward and head up, he walked with confidence. Despite the severe case of resting bitch face that too many Vulcans suffered from, he was actually in a good mood. He had a nice meditation session with Men and got to speak with Eshen again. He still had the conversation with the reporter on his mind, but he was not going to mull over that now. "No. They are only for playing Kal-toh for now," Alizati said, stepping into the #deleted-channel. "They are not a dog or a cat, they are a machine. Your personification of them is illogical," He stated dryly. The furby wiggled in Allan's arms, Bir specifically seemed to be trying to get Alizati's attention, but he was too focused on walking to pay them any mind.

Austin was leaned back on the edge of the promenade reading a book. Every so often he took a second to sip from a glass of wine he had brought along or gaze out into space in deep thought. He was once again reading a philosophical book, in this case Immanuel Kant's 'Groundwork of the Metaphysical of Morals.' it was a long text and yet he had also brought along a copy of his favorite book so he could on occasion clear out his mind with a bit of satire. Overall though Austin had a slight smirk on his face throughout, Kant's philosophy was just what he needed to dip his mind into thoughts of his place in the universe again.

A quiet 'thunk' sound came from within the wall near where Austin was.

Austin popped up like a baseball off of a poorly placed bat. He was quick to his feet to check the thunk he had heard in the wall. He almost had to laugh at himself in shock after a moment as he settled down again.

A few seconds later the sound was once again heard a few metres further along the wall.

Eshen was also here the whole time. "Do we have a vole problem?"

Austin's attention was ripped away from his book again. "Odd." He stated matter of factly, then he decided to knock back on the wall. "Maybe it's just some steam in the pipes." An unlikely explanation given that they had little use for steam.

There was no response.

"Can we get some ops guys to look at this, maybe?"

20:52

"Oh! Also, I'm Ensign - Lieutenant Junior Grade Eshen K'Tann, but you may address me as Eshen or Dion, and he and him. Nice to meet you, sir." Eshen held out a hand to shake. Unlike many Vulcans, he was actually okay with that, as long as he wore gloves.

After noting Eshen's ears he was suprised to be offered a handshake but he grasped it all the same. "My name is Austin Whidbey, Lieutenant Commander Austin Whidbey. It is very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Austin!" Eshen's handshake was firm, but comfortable. "Should we call Ops, then? Or ask the computer what's in there?"

"It's probably just some behind the scenes system. Let me try this." He paused for a second before addressing the computer. "Computer, is there any sort of system behind this wall?" He said pointing at the wall.

“Multiple standard systems are located within the wall.”

"Are there any Cardassian Voles in there?" Eshen asked, knowing infestations of those were quite common. "Or any other creatures?" He further inquired, thinking perhaps someone's pet had gotten lost in the tubes.

“There are no creatures detected.”

"What kind of systems are located in the wall?" (edited)

“Life support and power are two of the most prominent systems.”

"Are they functioning correctly in this section?"

"Affirmative."

[D] Out of nowhere, Namika appeared in a cloud of smoke like a cool magician! Just kidding. She was just strolling down the promenade, nothing to do, when she suddenly heard a noise in the walls. Following it, she saw two people — both taller than her by a ridiculous amount! One of them a Klingon with pointy ears and one a human security officer. Namika was dressed in uniform and a leather jacket that wasn’t entirely hers. As always, she carried herself with natural confidence and a bit of a leisurely aura. She didn’t seem too worried about the weird noise. “Hey,” she said to the two people, “Did you guys hear that sound, too?” (edited)

He gathered up the pair of books that he had and placed them under his arms. He couldn't really get much reading done anyways with all the chaos that had emerged here. "Yeah I was just sitting here getting some reading done and the sounds of some sorta... clanging came from the wall."

"Paper books, though? Me too. And Kant? Good read," Eshen said, as though his roleplayer had ever read Kant and knew what they were talking about. He turned to the newcomer and - was that Mo's jacket? Interesting. "I was passing by and heard similar. Computer didn't think it was a creature, and all systems behind the wall are functioning correctly. We could go into the jeffries tubes and find out, but if we do we'll just get teleported out by the CoS."

Namika glanced at the books briefly, noticed that she didn’t know them, decided not to comment. She then looked between the two tall men and shrugged. “Well, we won’t find out if we don’t risk it, will we? I’m Mika, by the way. Namika Grey,” she added, because maybe she wasn’t first name basis with the book-reading Lieutenant Commander. She didn’t exactly have a track record of getting to first name basis with superior officers. Her slim eyes behind the glasses slid towards the walls again. “We should locate the origin of the noise more exactly before we go in, though. Might help.”

"I've found that paper backs are a better experience, plus staring at a PADD all day reading security reports allready screws up my eyes enough." He then switched to focus on the situation at hand. "I outrank the CoS and I used to be the CoS here anyways. As far as I'm concerned we are good to go. Given that the tubes should allow us to get a closer look that's where we should go. If we can all agree upon that?"

"I don't know... I've heard she's kind of strict about this kind of thing. I only just got promoted." Bold as he was in many ways, Eshen was still not a rule-breaker. Dion was a different story, but he wasn't here right now.

20:49

"Oh! And as I said earlier, but you weren't here, my legal name is Eshen K'Tann, but you can call me Eshen or Dion, and he and him. Nice to meet you, Namika, if I may address you as such!" He held out a gloved hand to Mika. "I like your jacket; looks just like the Captain's, down to that little coffee stain on the collar."

“Nice to meet you, too,” said Mika and shook his gloved hand with a minimalistic smile which somehow always made her look more mischievous than she really was. “And that’s because it is Captain Mo’s jacket,” she said casually before she turned back towards the walls. “I still think we should go and look at whatever was causing the noise. I’d rather like to know what it is, whether the CoS likes it or not, and I trust the Lieutenant Commander here knows what he’s doing.” A glance at Austin, then back at the walls. “Computer, locate the origin of the thunk noise!” (edited)

"Hmmm. Maybe if I crack enough nuts for him, he'll let me steal his cool jackets... Kidding, they wouldn't fit me."

1

“Actually all it takes to steal his jacket is a good bet. And I picked out the jacket, so you can thank me for the coolness,” she said, smiling at the mental image of Mo having to ask someone to crack open walnuts for him. Her walnuts, by the way. That sounds weird. No more nut jokes please. (edited)

Austin stepped a few feet away so he could talk to the computer while they have their conversation about... Walnuts? Whidbey honestly wasn't entirely sure. "Computer could you show me a path to the location closest to that sound."

2

Just before the computer got chance to respond the noise was once again heard further along the wall.

“Location inconsistent.”

"You sure know a lot about him... Hey, we should talk about it later over drinks sometime! Whidbey, or Austin, you're invited too. Alright, looks like we'll have to chase it down."

Namika wouldn’t mind drinks with two tall as fuck muscular men. Why the fuck not. And oh no, she was thinking about Isaac again. Focus back on the task at hand! “I’m down for drinks. Yes, we will have to chase it. Let’s climb in!” And nimble and small as she was, it was no problem for her to open one of the panels and make a way into the #jefferies-tubes. “Ladies first I suppose.” And she climbed in.

He climbed his way into the tubes, slinging himself forwards through them with a grip to the top. He was uncomfortable in the tubes because of his height but he had learned to live with them. Also the last time he killed a person was in the jeffries tubes which only served to make him more uncomfortable. "Sounds like a fun little trip."

2

Eshen hoisted himself into the tubes. Little did he know he and Mika were kindred spirits in their thoughts right now. Tall strong drinks with tall strong men was always a fun time, even if sometimes he had to be one of the men. He had to crouch about as much as Whidbey did, probably, I forgot his height. "If this station is infested with tribbles, I'm transferring."

He ended up sitting down besides the entrance to the tubes when he finally got out. He still had a sorry look on his face, his arms were buried deep onto his sides. He still wasn't going to push for forgiveness, after all if she deemed him unworthy of it, he probably was. He ended up rubbing his neck a little more, he didnt want to part ways with the others on bad terms.

Mika exited the tubes and looked at Austin who seemed genuinely regretful. “I think you’re still invited for drinks, even after the rat incident,” she said. And then suddenly her PADD gave a chime. She pulled it out and her face immediately dropped. “Oh, shit.”

Wow, this guy was really miserable about killing a rat. He supposed that was what happened when you never hunted your own food. It had been cute, though. He'd never thought about getting a pet rodent before, but now he was tempted. "Yeah, you can still come! What's got you so rat-tled, Namika?"

Mika pulled a displeased face. “As much as I would love to go out for drinks with you two, I… I forgot, but I actually have a thing.” Namely, a physical examination. Shit. “So, I need to go…” (edited)

By the look on her face, she may well be going to a funeral. "Alright. Well, give us your COMMs code and we can meet up another time?"

It kind of felt like going to a funeral, actually. Her own funeral. “Yes, here.” She held out her PADD to connect it to Eshen’s and give him her contact info. At least that gave her something to look forward to after that goddamn physical! “I’d love to chat soon! It was nice meeting both of you. Don’t go around killing more rats.” She gave both of them a subtle smile.

Austin slowly stood up off the ground to the shock that she actually forgave him. "I hope we can speak again soon."

Eshen gave her an unsubtle smile, putting his PADD away. "We won't! See you!"

“See you both!” And with that she hurried towards the lifts.

1

Mo sat on a bench in the promenade, writing down all the names of the shops he knew in a physical notepad. He didn't usually care that much about stuff like this, eating mostly replicator food and taking most of his work notes on his PADD, but with the notepad he could doodle small raccoons next to his notes. He was trying to decide where to go to buy more stuff for his room and office, seeing as he hadn't had much time to shop recently, which was, frankly, cultural discrimination by the universe. In all likelihood he was probably just going to end up going to Delta Delights again to do some spicy haggling, but it was fun to kid himself. He looked as angular and stiff as he always did, and wore plain black shoes and trousers, but his shirt was the black formal shirt with gold galaxy embroidery running up near the buttons and on the collar with the capricorn symbol on the collar. It was pretty much his new favourite shirt and he was going to wear it everywhere always. Thanks, Mika.

2

Dagis had been 'shopping' (looking and not wanting to spend such astronomical prices) for the past hour, trying to find some gifts for her family and some nice things for her quarters and office. So far she had found a few bits and bobs, but nothing that big so they all fit in one tote bag. It was at this point that the Ferengi decided to sit down for a minute, her feet hurting from walking for so long in a new pair of shoes she had replicated. So, without even paying the slightest bit of attention she headed to the nearest bench from memory and sat down, completely unaware that she was sat next to the Station Commander. The woman looked, if anything, a bit tired, but perhaps happier than she had done before being found out for working with Section 31. She was currently wearing a pastel yellow short-sleeved button-up shirt tucked into her trousers, which were fairly high-waisted, green, and slightly short so as to get some air around her ankles. It was summer, after all.

Mo heard the soft thump of someone sitting next to him, glanced her way, then went back to what was now just raccoon doodles (raccoodles). Then he realised who it was and looked back again. "Dagis?" He said, blinking in surprise. He hadn't expected to see her here casually shopping in a cute breezy summer fit. In fact, the last time he'd seen her outside of occasional encounters at work was in her trial, and before that, jail. It was kind of weird seeing her here just existing, not caught up in some kind of conflict.

2

Upon hearing her name mentioned Dagis slowly looked over at the person next to her on the bench while speaking. “Yes, can I help you?” It was only once the Ferengi was actually looking at the person she sat next to that she realised just who had spoken, her eyes widening slightly. “Oh, oh Captain, I’m sorry, I can go to another bench if you want. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” The woman said, sounding both sheepish and flustered at the fact she hadn’t even realised she just sat next to her boss.

2

"Disturb me?" Mo looked subtly amused. "This is a public bench, Dagis. You're allowed to sit 'ere." Mo put his notepad away. One day someone would see the raccoodles, but not today. His voice was low and though slightly raspy, had a soothing rhythmic lilt to it. "Actually, it's nice to see you lookin' so... Casual, after events recently. I hope you've been acclimatisin' alright."

“Acclimatising, what a word…” Dagis said softly with a slight chuckle, before looking forwards, her brief eye contact broken. “I guess you could say that. I mean, it’s basically been the same, if I’m being honest. Just… Well, I’ve been avoiding people. I didn’t want to head back into work like nothing happened, so I’ve been sticking to my office a lot recently. I’ve been trying to be seen more, though, which is why I came here. That, and I needed to buy some things.”

"Yeah, I imagine it's a lil' awkward. Just so you know, I don't hold it against you or anything. I keep thinkin' about what I would'a done if my family a planet away was threatened, and I like to think I'd'a done different, but I don't know that." Mo wove his fingers together on his lap." Sorry, you're prolly sick of hearin' about it. What did you get?"

Dagis listened along as Mo spoke, and she was going to comment on what he said when he (thankfully) changed the subject. “Oh, um. Not a lot so far, admittedly. Everything is so expensive here. It’s like tourism prices instead of normal ones.” The anti-capitalist Ferengi commented, now looking back at the Captain and regaining eye contact. “All I’ve managed to get so far is a nice little analogue chronometer, a scented candle, and an Earth fantasy novel translated into Ferengi.” She explained, her tote bag sat between her legs on the floor.

Mo realised when they made eye contact that her eyes were blue. It was an interesting contrast to his pitch black. "Damn. You know, you'd think I'd be able to do something about that, but I don't think I can. The economy and all that." He actually wouldn't mind talking in further detail about why exactly the prices were like that, but wasn't sure if she'd find it interesting. Also, the roleplayer still doesn't know how the Starfleet economy works. "Those things're nice, though. Tip, though, if you go to Delta Delights and haggle, you can get useless trinkets for a decent price."

Dagis smiled a little when the Captain offered her a tip to get stuff cheaper. It wasn't the greedy smile of a Ferengi wanting to spend less, though. It was the smile of someone who genuinely appreciated the advice. She did, of course, want to spend less, but it was because she hated spending at all. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." The woman said, her small smile making her seem far less unhappy than she ever was when the two first met. "I'll admit, I'm not even really buying for myself. I mean, sure, I'd like a few things to decorate my office and quarters more, but I'm mainly buying gifts for my family. They've been through a lot, and now that none of us need to really worry about saving money now they're safe in the Federation I thought I'd treat them a little."

2

"Oh. That's pretty nice of you. Here I am, just straight up buyin' stuff for myself." Maybe he should get Mika something... But what? "I know it's very, uh, stereotypically Ferengi of me, but I love retail therapy. It satisfies the little capitalist in me." Mo, too, seemed noticeably happier than when they'd first met. Well, he still had a bad case of resting bitchface, but it looked less bitchy. "T'be honest, it doesn't seem like you have one of those. Don't know how you managed to shake it off." Ironically, the human was more capitalist than the Ferengi.

2

"I realised a very long time ago that capitalism only hurts people. Almost every society outside of Ferenginar has gotten rid of currency for a reason, and they're so much happier because of it. Ferengi live their lives desperate to climb up the business ladder and make a profit, but all that does is cause stress and unhappiness, when instead they could be living free lives without a financial care in the world, just like we can." Dagis responded honestly. It was very clear she was quite passionate about the subject, and also quite clearly she was adamantly anti-capitalist.

"Yeah, I get that. I mean, I've known that since I was a kid. S'why I joined, and now here we are." Mo looked out across the promenade at the swathes of people - a diverse crowd, but what they all had in common was they were customers. "But I mean... The small habits. Being stingy with your rations, hesitating before you sit because you'd usually have to pay for the luxury... Sometimes I call myself a hew-mon."

"Everyone deserves to not have to worry quite as much." Came Dagis' reply, before she too looked out at the crowd of people going about their day. "I get the appeal of shopping, and I'm perfectly happy paying for hand-made products or artisanal goods, but other times I just think it's completely unnecessary, and that replicators do a good enough job. Replicated food is my main exception, because I'd much rather eat fresh, natural food. It just tastes better."

"I honestly can't tell the difference if you put a plate of non-replicated or replicated food in front of me and don't tell me which is which, but I do hear that a lot." Mo looked back at Dagis. "The exception is coffee. Replicated and non-replicated coffee taste very different. Mainly, non-replicated is stronger. Speakin' of, you busy?"

"I'm strangely fine with replicated coffee, but that might just be me being lazy and not wanting to make it myself." Came the Ferengi's reply, before she looked back at the Captain again. "I... Am not busy. Why do you ask?" She asked curiously. Despite having worked for Section 31 for a while now she still wasn't that good at connecting the dots for social cues, and admittedly had forgotten about going to get coffee with Mo.

"Gliqqigug's. So I can maintain friendly relations with one of my staff, and espouse the benefits of non-replicated coffee." Mo remembered the last time he'd mentioned the place was in the jail cell, and she'd had a pretty funny response. Most of the Ensigns probably thought she was a little uptight, but she had a sense of humour under there. "Been thinkin' about buildin' a coffee machine in my room, actually."

It was after a good moment of simply staring at her boss that Dagis actually responded, having taken the time to both process what was said, and to remember the whole having coffee thing being previously mentioned. "Oh, oh sure, I'm down for coffee. I'll admit, I haven't been to Gliqqigug's the entire time I've been aboard 777." The Ferengi said with a slight chuckle, although internally realising just how little she actually had done 'normal' stuff during the past few years. She was practically deprived of a social life. "And if you have the Latinum I saw a good looking coffee machine for sale further down the promenade. Would mean you don't have to build one yourself then."

"Thanks, but I want to build it. I need a project like that to keep my hands busy." Mo stood up, but it didn't increase his height much. Still, she was shorter even than him. It was nice to not have to crane his neck when talking to someone. "'Sides, it's very good anti-capitalist praxis to build and repair things as much as you can instead of buyin' it. Better for the environment, too, but that isn't so relevant on a space station, I s'pose."

"I mean, that and the fact replicators can recycle anything, but it's good to not waste anything." Dagis responded in agreement as she stood up, picking up her tote bag as she did. Despite the two being completely different species their heights were very similar, with the Ferengi being just barely shorter than Mo. "I... Don't actually know where Giqqigug's is." She added with a slight chuckle.

"It's right over there." He pointed right over to it, and there it was! Mo started walking towards it. "I know stations can look kinda samey sometimes. Honestly, if I worked on designing 'em I might change that, but I don't. I've been thinkin' it might be nice if we had an aquarium, though."

"An aquarium would be nice." Came Dagis' reply, a small smile back on her face as she walked alongside her boss. "I believe we have koi ponds, but I think that's pretty much it for fish aboard the starbase. We're big enough to build something like that, though. We'd just need to find the space."

2

"I'll talk to some folks. Be nice to be the cool aquarium Station Commander instead of the shorts hater. You seen that petition? I don't know what the 'ell to do with it, to be honest." Mo entered #gliqqigug’s-blends.

2

Mo made his way downtown through the promenade with a frowny Ferengi, his pace fairly slow so she could keep up, to #deleted-channel. He didn't bother giving her any false reassurance like 'it's gonna be okay', because, fuck, was it? Sec 31 mailed them a corpse! Daffodil would be hearing about this shit later. (edited)

2

Dagis followed Mo along, practically staring down at the floor in the process. She was far, far more than frowny, but she couldn’t let her emotions get the better of her here. She couldn’t.

1

Quinn exited the club and bar onto the south end of the promenade, immediately looking straight across, right, and left to see where was quiet and who was nearby, before spotting an empty bench further down and be-lining straight to it. The bench in question was near some quieter shops and cafes, and had a few nice potted plants and trees nearby to further calm the environment down. In their focus to go and sit somewhere quiet they almost completely forgot that someone was meant to be accompanying them, only looking back in the direction of Epsilon once they had sat down to see if Elias was following them. They sat with their hands clasped in their lap, their right let still bouncing.

Elias followed, and sat at a careful distance from Quinn. They weren't sure what their comfort level was when it came to proximity to others. "This is nice. How are you feeling?" They looked over at the other doctor, trying to examine their face and determine how they might be feeling. However, since they had only recently met the individual, they hadn't observed a pattern of behaviour or facial cues other than the leg bouncing. They noted Quinn's leg. "Does that help with overstimulation?" They realized it might have seemed to be an invasive questions, so they added onto it. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Quinn didn't react at all to how close or far away Elias sat next to them on the bench, but their green eyes did briefly look in their direction when they asked them how they were feeling. They looked back across the promenade, focusing on the tree in front of them, their leg still bouncing. "Better. It's quieter here. I liked the music, but it was too loud, and people were talking loudly to compensate so that only added to it." The doctor replied, now speaking at the same volume as when they first started talking, which now suited their environment a lot better. "Self-stimulatory behaviour can be a coping mechanism, as I'm sure you're aware. So yes, the leg helps." They added, their tone being rather matter-of-fact. (edited)

Elias nodded, understanding. They sat, quiet, for a little while, before turning to Quinn again. "If I may ask, how do you manage on the station? I know that sometimes it's pretty busy, especially in certain areas." They were gently attempting to probe Quinn for more information, simply out of curiosity and the desire to know more about their roommate. And, if Elias knew more, they might be able to help Quinn more often.

"I can cope in a work environment. I've trained for six years to do just that, and I had school before that. It's social environments I struggle in." Quinn replied simply, only turning to face Elias after answering. "It's full of unexpected noises, sounds, and other sensations. Some could argue that work, especially as a medical professional, is the same, but at work I'm in work mode. At work I'm in my element. I'm doing my job, and I can focus on that. I feel far more comfortable at work than I do in any social situation." They explained, the same simple and to the point tone being kept throughout, but with the added element of a smile, their enjoyment of their job showing as they spoke about how they were far more comfortable working than not.

Elias smiled in a friendly manner. "I see. Six years, huh? I can see you're well prepared! Yes, I suppose when you're working, you know what you can do and what you should do. Usually, there's not many unexpected surprises or situations where you're out of your element. Off-duty, who knows what could come flying at you." They paused. "You really like being a doctor, don't you?" They had noted the smile, one of the first shows of affection for something that Elias had seen from the other doctor.

Quinn nodded quietly in agreement to the statements about unexpected surprised and a lack thereof. When Elias mentioned them liking being a doctor the Lieutenant nodded again in response. "I do. It's been my life's dream since I was eight to become a medical professional." They explained, the smile remaining as they spoke. "I admittedly didn't expect to become a doctor in Starfleet, but here I am."

"Mine as well! It's what I've wanted to do since I was a child. Where I grew up- um, there was... fighting. It made me want to help." They were elusive as to what they were saying, and their smile faded, but quickly came back again. "Feeling that I've helped people is great, at least to the best of my ability. And the human body, as well as other Federation species', are so fascinating and intricately crafted." Elias as well had a bit of enthusiasm creep into their voice. "What made you want to go into Medical?"

"A shuttlecraft crashed in my town, resulting in several fatalities and injuries." Quinn responded with a completely straight face expression. "That was what sparked my hyperfixation on the medical field." They added, their vision briefly focusing on someone passing by, before turning back to Elias. "I'm sorry to hear about the fighting. I don't like fighting. It's completely unnecessary, and even though it usually gives us more work I'd much rather not have to heal people that have been attacked or that have attacked someone. Not because I don't care, of course, but because it shouldn't have happened to begin with."

Elias was taken aback by the bluntness of Quinn's statement. I'm sorry to hear that. I bet seeing that was quite a shock at such a young age." No longer feeling the need to dance around the topic, Elias elaborated on their own situation a bit. "Our colony was close to the Neutral Zone, and it was prone to skirmishes relating to who was the owner of the small planet." Annoyance entered their voice. "Quite pointless, honestly. I'm not sure what made it so special. It was a waste of lives. I agree, fighting is often pointless. I prefer treating injuries related to much more... 'innocent' causes. I use that term relatively." They watched as people passed by, occasionally following one with their gaze absent-mindedly.

"There wasn't much of a shock. I wasn't allowed to see it. All I heard was a bang." Quinn replied simply. "My parents were the ones that explained to me what happened." They added. As Elias spoke the Lieutenant listened silently, not wanting to interrupt what was being said. "I find the sheer concept of an injury being caused by a malicious act uncomfortable." They added in agreement, all while feeling quite about what the other doctor had been through. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. I struggle to imagine now it felt at the time."

They shrugged, but appreciated the sentiment. "It felt normal. Don't worry about it. Nothing we can do about it now. It was resolved in the end, anyway." They were quiet again, thinking about to say next. They felt a bit awkward, and shifted on the bench. "Sorry, didn't mean to go on a tangent there."

"I don't mind tangents." Came Quinn's almost instantaneous response. "I frequently go off on tangents when my mind wanders. When I get focused on a specific subject I could honestly talk for ages about it." They added with the return of a small smile. After a brief moment of silence again something popped into the Junior Doctor's head which they decided to bring up. "I think we need to talk about our boundaries. I feel this is important seeing that we're sharing quarters."

They chuckled. "That's good. I love listening to people talking about what they like. So if you ever need someone to go on a tangent to about something... " They smiled. Elias was glad that Quinn had brought up boundaries; they weren't quite sure how to ask, amd also had never had any experience sharing quarters before. "And I agree. I think that's a reasonable assessment. What do I need to do for you to perform your best or for you to be comfortable." They focused all their attention on Quinn, ready to listen.

“I presume when you say ‘perform your best’ you mean in a work environment? We are colleagues, but I just wanted to check.” Quinn asked simply, before immediately starting to list off boundaries and other things they don’t really like. “I don’t like physical contact unless I completely trust someone, and then not in specific places or at specific times. I don’t like my personal possessions being moved, nor any equipment I am using to treat a patient. The exception of course being if someone needs a piece of equipment I have more urgently, or needs something I am not using at that exact moment. I don’t want to hog the equipment.“ The Lieutenant took a moment before continuing. “I don’t like loud music, and I can’t perform certain activities with music in the background. I don’t like uninvited guests, nor do I appreciate invited guests without previously being told they were coming. I don’t like loud noises, I don’t like pranks, I don’t like mess being left anywhere, and I loath spicy food, so please never offer me any. I also refuse to consume alcohol or anything else bad for the body.” They stated in a very matter-of-fact tone. “Also please don’t enter my bedroom without knocking first.” They added quickly. “What are your boundaries?”

Elias pulled out their padd and looked down, writing down the list of things Quinn was saying, and wrote as they replied. "Yes, I apologize for the confusion. I would like to know how I should act in a way that would suit you best, not only off-duty, but on-duty as well. I shall keep all of these things in mind." Finishing writing, they tucked away the padd and thought for a moment. "Boundaries, boundaries... I suppose I like knowing what's going on. I don't like surprises. I don't like loud noises or people trying to scare me. You may enter my room, but if you plan on taking or moving anything I would like to know. I don't like having a lot of people in my personal area, or in our quarters in general. Crowds are not ideal. I also do not like alcohol or anything that 'messes' with my body in such a way, so you don't have to worry about that! I would like there to be communication. I do not like things, such as actions or words, to be left to interpretation. So if you ever find yourself having a complaint, please tell me." They paused, and then added something. "Does that sound... agreeable?"

Quinn nodded in response, having taking everything in mentally, all while realising some of the boundaries Elias listed off were ones they had too but simply forgot about. “That does sound agreeable. And some of the ones you listed off I also share, but had forgotten to mention. I have a lot, it’s hard to keep track. Crowds, personal space, etcetera. Although I feel like some of that was obvious back in the club.” The doctor replied with a straight face. “I think I should also probably clarify that I am diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and social anxiety.”

The Lieutenant JG nodded thoughtfully and smiled. "Alright. Thank you for telling me. I appreciate it." They pondered the idea of doing a bit more research on those later; they had knowledge of those disorders, but not as extensive as a counselor's. I think it would be wise to learn about these, and therefore, learn more about Quinn. "I am not formally diagnosed with anything, though I do struggle with social interactions, at least at first." While they spoke, they thought, 'I quite like my roommate.'

Quinn nodded in response. They were appreciative of their roommate's appreciation for their needs, and their apparent desire to meet them, or at the very minimum not cross boundaries. They could've ended up with an arrogant, ignorant person with no care for anyone but themselves (although why anyone like that would be in Starfleet is anyone's guess) but they didn't, and they were thankful. "I see. Well, if it means anything I think you've done well during this interaction thus far." The doctor stated with a hint of a smile.

Elias felt a bubbly sense of happiness and relief at the comment. "Thank you, likewise." They began to stand up. "Well..." They debated on how to address Quinn. "Quinn, I enjoyed this conversation. If you don't mind, I think I will head back to our quarters. You're welcome to join me, but if not, I'm sure we will see each other soon." They dipped their head resoectfully.

Quinn sat in silence for a moment, debating what they wanted to do. They were, admittedly, enjoying sitting here and chatting, so they weren't sure if that enjoyment would continue after Elias had left. "I'm not sure. I like being here, watching people go about their day, but I would also like to head back to our quarters." They stated, remaining in silence again for a moment before standing. "I'll join you."

They beamed at the prospect of Quinn's company, and clasped their hands. "Perhaps we can come back here soon. Off to our quarters we go, then!" Turning, they strolled down the #deleted-channel towards the turbolifts.

Quinn nodded in response, before following along, unclasping their hands as they walked.

"...thank you, sweetie, byeeee! I'll seeya around." The redheaded Bajoran winked and waved to the shopkeeper just behind her as she exited a clothes store, arms laden with bags. She'd clearly been going her rounds, off duty rounds that is. She'd opted for a crop top, ripped shorts and boots today, smirking as she strode through the promenade on her way to the turbolift.

Jamie was rather enjoying her afternoon strolls down the promenade. She wore an outfit that was rather baggy which was of a vintage style, saturated and simple. She noticed Rinne, wearing a rather noticeable outfit. She blinked, a before swiftly looking the other way, trying to make her attentiveness unnoticed.

The Bajoran smirked, having caught the Trill's gaze at the edge of her vision. "I don't mind if you look, sweetie." She chirped.

Fuck. She thought, continuing to walk away sheepishly, as her face grew a bit flustered.

"No, really." Rinne called after the fleeing Trill, obviously teasing of course. "But if you got somewhere to go, I ain't gonna stop ya! Bye!" Smirking to herself the Bajoran spun round and headed to the lift.

She didn’t really, but was way to nervous to actually say something, so all she did was look back again, her cheeks still red-ish.

Rinne paused at the turbolift smirking at the poor young Trill. "Yeah?" She smirked and puffed a few errant strands of red hair out of her face. "You gonna stand there looking at me, or?"

“I-I…” She didn’t know what to do, her mind was panicking already, so she simply just froze.

"Oh, come on, now. You good over there, girlie?" Rinne pushed away from the elevator and approached the poor panicking Trill. "Did I make your brain skip a beat or something?"

“I think so.” She blurted out, not excepting her to be so confronting.

"Think so? Aww, sweetie." The redheaded Bajoran burst into a raucuous laughing fit. "Let's start over. I'm Rinne." She held out a hand to be shaken.

“Jamie.” She shook her hand, sheepishly smiling as she did. “Nice to meet you.”

"Rinne. Just call me Rinne." The Bajoran shook her hand firmly. "Lemme guess. You just came aboard and you don't know heads or tails of this section?"

“Aye, you’re a quick one.” She giggled a bit, maybe this wont be so embarrassing as she feared. “Just arrived 4 days ago.” Jamie spoke with a distinct northern english accent, but her tone was rather soft.

"Explains it. Fancy a guide? As Mistress at Arms you better believe I've been everywhere." She chortled. "Won't take up your time if you've got somewhere to go, though!"

“I don’t mind a tour, and I don’t really have anywhere else to go.. So yeah! I don’t mind!” She grinned, tilting her head.

"Wonderful. We'll start with this deck and work our way up. I assume you've seen your quarters." She remarked, beckoning her over to the turbolift with a wave.

She followed along, unsure where they were going. “I have seen a bit more of the lower levels though, so high up I assume?”

1

[D] Today Nalas was coming back from work! He was still dressed in his full uniform with hair neatly combed. He also had his Bajoran earring on his right ear, green gem dangling down with a pretty silver ear cuff, the design oddly resembling the Cardassian logo. He honestly just wanted to look at the stars for a bit on the quiet section of the promenade before heading back to his quarters. There was something romantic about just looking out into an alien starscape.

The Andorian starred out a window, her mind was on something, no, rather it was on nothing. She sat rather tense, but wearing an vintage Andorian dress that seemed to indicate otherwise.

Nalas made his way to where the Andorian was standing and stood a few metres from her. Not too close, but also he was a little curious that there was someone else stargazing too. What was even more interesting was her dress, hmm wonder where she got it? After a few minutes of silence had passed the eccentric Bajoran boy turned to the woman and waved. "Bonjour," He greeted in French because why not. He was pretty terrible at Federation Standard so French was usually a good default. They had universal translators if they really didn't have any common language between the two of them. "Stargazing too?"

She turned, not expecting to see another person there. “Ah, Hello.” She spoke with a bit of an accent, a human one oddly enough. “French hmm? Do you prefer it?” She spoke rather sharply, but not in an offensive manner.

Nalas recoiled a bit at the Andorian's tone. He didn't mean to offend, or well, that's how he interpreted it. His posture straightened and a small frown crossed his face. "O-Oh umm... I'm not good at Standard or.... An...Dorian?" He said, a rising tone at the last couple of syllables. He noted her terran-sounding accent, not unusual considering they were both in Starfleet and therefore probably spent time on earth. Nalas began to fiddle with the little gem dangling from his earring, now a bit nervous.

“That’s fine, I’m not really that good at Standard anyways.” She paused for a minute. “I just don’t prefer using the translator a lot. It doesn’t really capture the essence of someone’s true voice.”

Nalas took a deep breath and clasped his hands in front of him. "Ah yeah... Umm.." It took him a few moments to think of how to best phrase his thoughts. His mind seemed to run twice as fast as his mouth could make the words. "What language do you speak? I only know French and Cardassian," He admitted, really hoping she wasn't going to judge him, a Bajoran boy, for speaking Cardassian. Either way, he was prepared for questions if they should come up.

“Cardasi-what? Oh, right. Cardassian. No, unfortunately I don’t. Seems like my presumption of not requiring it was… ill informed.” She spoke like she had to pull the words out a bit, but not in an aggressive way.

Oh no, did he said something bad again? Nalas took a mini step back and looked away from her, choosing to turn his attention to the stars. The twinkling stars in alien space. Far from home in the alpha quadrant. He rested his hands on his chest and took slow and even breaths, he wasn't going to clown himself this time. "It's not very useeful within Federation space. I grew up on Cardassia Prime so even though I look Bajoran, this is my first time living in Federation space," He explained, this time choosing to speak Cardassian and just letting the translator handle it. "And where are you from? Andoria, right?" *He asked, trying to discern what language she would speak.

“Bajor… Oh? Andoria, yes. However, I grew up in Canada.” Bajor, the planet she first laid her eyes upon since that uncomfortable fiasco. For Science, they said. The planet itself was marvelous, beautiful. If only… She shook her head, breaking her train of thought. “Tell me more about your people, I know dangerously little.”

"Canada, oh umm.. Wait then you speak Standard-- or French?" Nalas switched back to speaking French, now very confused. The Earth accent made sense now, but the French? That wa still the second language of Canada! Well... Not all Canadian spoke French, it wasn't like the whole country was fluent. "My people? Uhh.. Well we live on Cardassia Prime.. And other Cardassian worlds. umm... Oh we had the occupation, but I am sure you know all about that," Nalas frowned as he said it, actually very upset when he remembered the darkest time in Cardassian history.

“I speak a little french, but I haven’t used it properly in 14 years.” She listened as the Bajoran went on, noticing it was a bit vague, and his distain at mentioning this occupation. “I know very little about what has happen over the past 140 years. And I’d rather not elaborate why.”

"It's okay," Nalas turned his head toward her and gave her the faintest of smiles. He was intrigued when she was.. Incredibly specific about being out of the loop with news . 140 years was and awfully long time. Well, he was one to talk, he also grew up sheltered. "You know I was also really out of the loop, like, I grew up in nowhere land, it wasn't until I joined Starfleet that I learned how history really happened. I can teach ya about anything you wanna know though! Well, Cardassian stuff. I am not very knowledgeable about Bajor," He was definitely gonna help this woman. If only he knew her rank he would have probably tried to pry more.

“That’s alright.” She paused a moment, in thought. “Forgive me for not asking sooner, what is your name Lieutenant?”

Nalas blinked a couple of times when she addressed him by rank. Something weird about being called 'Lieutenant' and not 'Ensign'. Promotions were strange heh. "Oh umm.. Nalas. Nalas Za'ari," If she was unaware of news for the last 140 years then she wouldn't ask about how a Bajoran boy with a Cardassian name got the name Nalas. "And you? Umm, you're in Starfleet, right?" He assumed so as an Andorian civilian would probably have little reason to just "hang out" on a station in the Beta Quadrant. Nalas gave the woman a charming smile, trying his best not to look stupid.

"Yes. Lieutenant Commander Sh'Drvai. Pleasure to meet you Za'ari." She sort of mumbled her words, in a McCoy-esque drool. Perhaps it was coincidence since she came from that time period. It was evident by her use of last names that she was being oddly formal about all of this, even if the situation was informal.

When he heard the other's rank he tensed up again. Oh no, was he really out here clowning himself in front of a Lieutenant Commander? He turned to her and bowed his head. "Commander Sh'Drvai, it is nice to meet you too," It was even more important he made a good impression. "I'm an exobiologist, science," He said, assuming she was probably in a different division which is why they had never crossed paths until t his day. "And you?"

"Chief Tactical." She paused. She hadn't been in many conversations since her arrival to this time, and found it hard to come up with a response, while at the same time conflicted as she felt the need to draw less attention. Maybe telling her rank was a bad idea.

"Chief-- Oh, umm.. Umm, yes it is an honour-- I mean.. I.. Wow, tactical chief umm," Nalas was a silly boy and it showed by how flustered he got in the face of authority. He looked back out at the stars, trying to calm his thoughts for a moment. He definitely looked silly, tripping over his words especially because he was still speaking his native Cardassian through the translator. "How do you like the station?" He managed to say with minimal stuttering this time.

"It is modern." She paused again. "Take your time, if you wish to exit the conversation due to discomfort, that is fine." She tried to sound a bit reassuring, but whether it worked or not was up to the Bajoran.

"Yeah, it's pretty state of the art. I mean, we have to do something to impress the Romulans and Klingons, right? "He chuckled as he slowly swayed back and forth, his eyes darting around the beautiful starry sky in front of them. "I want to stargaze a little more. If you grew up in Canada then you're familiar with the terran sky, right? When I lived in France I remember being able to see Mercury and Venus at night, isn't that cool?"

"I suppose." Her combadge started going off, as she quickly grabbed from off the table. "Ah, that's my break over. Apologise for the sudden interuption." She stood, walking slowly away, as off in the distance, someone was order some food.

"O-Okay see you later Commander," Nalas waved sheepishly at her before he turned his attention back at the night sky. It really was beautiful, the only thing it was missing was the celestial temple-- no Bajoran wormhole, he had to correct himself. He rocked back and forth on his heels, content with just staring off into space.

Soon enough, a short trill soon approached the table the Commander was sitting at, with a tray in her hand a hot bowl of Japanese noodles and English tea, a weird combination. She sat down with a bit of glee of her face. "Oh, uh- Hey." She said, noticing the Bajoran. There was an awkwardness in her voice, clearly she didn't notice him.

@Ranka 💥

Nalas immediately smelled the Japanese noodles!! He loved Japanese food, even though he had never been to Japan. The closest he had ever come was South Korea, which was nice, but he wasn't a fan of spicy food. He turned to see who was eating the wonderful smelling noodles. "Hey, are those Japanese noodles?" Nalas walked over to the table and plopped down in the seat across from the Trill. He didn't seem nervous now, maybe it was the allure of food.

"Y-yeah! Do you like noodles?" She was taken aback by his sudden response, tripping on her words a bit. She dusted off her baggy shirt, just out of anxiety.

"Yes, I love noodles. Actually, it's in my name, Nala-noodles," Nalas said as he pat his chest. Nala-noodles was actually his nickname when he visited China for some reason, something something Na-la-si and si means noodles. He didn't quite understand the language pun, but wore the nickname proud. "What flavour? I used to eat a lot of that... What was it called, 'cup ramen', when I lived in France. Really cool stuff, you just add hot water and BAM instant lunch. Science is amazing," Hot water mixing with dry noodles and flavour powder was hardly rocket science, or exobiology, but Nalas was still intrigued.

"Um- I don't remember." What was she going to say? Oh no, she was confused again

"Oh well they look good, maybe I'll get noodles next meal," What was his next meal? Lunch? Dinner? Nalas sat back in his chair and stretched his arms up. "Anyway, I'm Nalas Za'ari, and you? " He inquired, happy to see a fellow non-beta-quadrant-er. He was super nervous around the Andorian Commander but this Trill seemed like she was a lower decker like he was. Maybe they were in the same department?

"J'mi- uh, Jamie M'Kahl! Nice to meet you!" She smiled sweetly, growing calmer as the shock started to wear off. "You're Bajoran, right?"

"Jamie! Hi," Nalas waved at her. He really wanted to try those noodles, like really. "Ummm-- Yeah I mean you would think so from my name and uhh," Nalas waved his hands around and pointed to his forehead ridges and earring. "But nope. I'm Cardassian. Born and raised," Well, he was born on Bajor, but he remembered little to nothing about the tiny rocky planet outside of the wormhole. "My dad is a Gul, works for Cardassian intelligence," And also did a lot of war crimes, but that was neither here nor there. "Where are you from? I just met an Andorian from Canada, wild right? Intergalactic relations are crazy nowadays, it's kinda cool!"

"I'm Trill, but I grew up in the North of England!" She giggled a bit. "That's why i have this odd accent. And infact, my parents were part of Starfleet Intelligence! Though I never really knew them."

"England! My boyfriend is from there!" Nalas said with a bright smile, giggling along with her. "Woah for real? Man, intelligence children!" They had that in common too! How serendipitous! Nalas rested his arms on the table and leaned forward, still eyeing the noodles. ”And no worries, I have a French accent when I speak Standard coz I lived in France," Nalas said despite the fact he was sitting there speaking Cardassian through his translator. Oh did you grow up with a guardian on earth? Sounds cool actually! I am similar-- kinda. Never knew my biological father, my adoptive father is Cardassian though."

"Ah! I see." What a funny coincidence, guess they had a lot in common. "Yeah, I grew up with an Admiral actually, a friend of my parents."

"Yeah yeah, an admiral? Is that why you joined Starfleet?" Nalas had to remind himself a lot of people joined Starfleet because their parents were in the service. Nalas had no family members who were in Starfleet, at least to his knowledge. He probably had some half siblings or distance relatives in the fleet, but who knew?

"Kind of, but I have a love of tinkering with things, so that's mainly why." *She smiled again, eating a small bit of her noodles. *"What about you? Why did you join?"

"Tinkering with things? Soooo engineering? OPS?" Nalas asked, trying to guess her division. Jamie was bubble like him so engineering didn't seem too crazy a guess. He knew a lot of chaotic engineers, Allan, Wheatley. The only serious division was medical and tactical-- oh and command, those guys meant business, including Eshen! "Mmm, well I wanted to serve in the Cardassian military but well, I don't exactly look the part," Nalas pointed to his face and chuckled. "But for real, I thought I could make more of a difference in Starfleet. Plus, Starfleet science department has a better reputation than Cardassian science, you know, the Occupation and the illegal experiments on Bajorans and all that, not really the thing I'd like to associate myself with," Look at him , Ratman Nalas, showing growth by not simping for Cardassian scientists. Although there was a part of him that still admired Crell Moset's work, even if the man did a lot of messed up illegal experiments.

"Yeah! I'm a good old engie!" She giggled, enjoying the conversation. She continued to listen to his story, finding it rather interesting. "I see. Well, Starfleet does have the cleaner ships, no offense."

"Engineering! Knew it!" Nalas snapped his fingers, proud his Cardassian intuition seemed to be sharp as ever. "Oh none taken. Well-- Cardassian ships are hot, because you know scales and all," He told Jamie with a nod as he looked at her bowl of noodles once again. "And... Real talk Jamie, after the war Cardassians didn't really put their limited resources towards making clean ships. Like, have you ever been on a Damar class ship? Man I'd rather sleep in the brig on a Klingon ship," Not Nalas out here roasting his own people, but he never regretted his decision to join Starfleet instead of joining the Cardassian military.

"Hotter than Vulcan ships? I couldn't stand for more than a few hours in there. Maybe that's because it always rains in England." She chuckled again, careful not to knock over her food today.

"Hotter than Vulcan ships. The humidity is what kills me. I love Cardassia and my fellow countryman, but I can't stand the humidity. Thankfully the weather was a bit more mild in my hometown in Culat Province, but Cardassia City? Terrible," Nalas laughed as he spoke about it. Cardassia Prime was technically M-class like many of the other Federation worlds, but the humidity was something else. "You've been on a Vulcan ship before? You know my boyfriend is half Vulcan, he loves the heat haha I can never escape."

"So I've heard, it must be like hell sometimes eh?" She giggled along."Half-Vulcan? Ahh.. To tell you the truth, it seems like everyone here has partners. I wonder how." She chuckled again, continuing to eat her little lunch.

"Yeah it was definitely like... Another level of hell," Nalas chuckled nervously, thinking back to his upbringing. It sure was hell. Being locked in a closet every time he did something that upset his Cardassian family, or ratting out his mother and forcing her to spend a week outside with no food or water. Oh that was definitely hell. "Hmm does it? I mean, I guess that's what happens when a lot of people are stuck on a space station," Nalas shrugged, not thinking much of it. "Kinda cool how much freedom we have. This sort of thing would definitely not be tolerated on Cardassia. The state kinda likes to control everyone. I mean, as in no relationships, only business. At least we're not like the Vulcans or Romulans with their arranged marriages, I think I'd rather chase a baby targ for a week than let my father choose a partner for me," He mused as he watched Jamie eat.

"Well, I'm very new here." She chuckled again, still munching on her food. "There is a lot of freedom here compared to a Starship, a lot more like a little neighbourhood in a city that happens to also be a base."

"Wanna hear something wild? I've only be stationed on starbases. Before this place, I was on Terok Nor, I know not really far from home. This is my second time living outside of Cardassian space," Bajoran space as well, no Bajoran temple here, no vedeks or renjens. It was honestly a little scary knowing he couldn't just hop in a transport shuttle and be home in a couple hours. It was like that on earth too, but at least on earth he had his mother living in Germany when he lived in France. "Where were you before this? Or is this your first posting?"

"I was on a ship before this, the U.S.S Eventide. But only briefly, then got rotated here." She paused a minute, before continuing. "To tell you the truth, despite being a full Trill, I have never actually been to Trill."

"Eventide? I mean, that is our ship," Nalas chuckled when she said it. So this was her first posting. Well they could chill and be lower deckers together. "Really? I mean, I've never been to Bajor either. Actually, I was there when I was really tiny, but that doesn't count because I don't remember it," False, he did remember it. All too well. He hated Tozhat, his life on Bajor was terrible and it was the reason he chickened out during shore leave when his mother invited him. "Trill is a pretty cool place I hear, you ever interested in going?"

"Shoot! I meant Aventine! Hehe- Sorry." She listened along to his tale, wondering she had made a new friend. "I've heard about it too, and I've been on Trill ships before, so I'd assume so."

"Aventine-- Yeah those are similar," Nalas shook his head and rested his head on the table. He was a lil sleepy but also just naturally a boy who needed to move a lot. He stretched his arms across the table, but luckily the table was large enough that he wasn't too close to Jamie. "Yep yep, sounds really cool, I think you should try to visit. I know that's weird coming from me, the Bajoran boy who's scared to go to Bajor, but no for real you should," Nalas sat up and leaned back. "How's the noodles by the way? Looks good, ahhh I want noodles too but the carbs. I gotta build more muscle, you know," Actually Nalas just wanted to get stronger so he could wrestle Eshen someday. A noble goal, but definitely not very realistic coming from a boy with a single lung.

“Maybe, I just don’t see it as a trip that’s essential.” Maybe she was hesitant because if she went, she might have to face the uncomfortable reality for her biological family, of which she has rarely ever seen. “The noodles? Oh, these are one if those that remove all the things that make you fat, sort of vegan if that makes any sense.”

"Understandable, me and Bajor," Nalas said as he fiddled with his earring a little. He was really getting hungry, maybe he would try some of those noodles after this. "Oh like those... Hmm what was that word, cellonoodles? I don't really know the Standard word," Actually more like Nalas' poor typist spoke Chinese so he was bound by their language limitations. "Maybe I'll try them, I do need more protein though," He hummed and looked out at the stars as he was trying not to think about how hungry he was. "Maybe next time you're free we can get something to eat together. OH There is a Cardassian restaurant around here. Something something Shoggoth's Enigma Eatery, I can't remember," Honestly, he had only been there once because the temperature was insanely humid so if he were to go, he'd want to go with a friend where he wouldn't feel bad being at one of the tables with a fan.

“There are Ramen, I think? I’m not very good with different names.” She pondered a moment, as she listened to his statement. “Yeah! That sounds nice! When do you want to go? I got off-duty at 1400 so I could take lunch then.”

"Ohh I got night shift again. You know, always the lower deckers getting the worst shifts," Nalas told her. Sometimes he wished he was higher rank, not for the authority, but for better shifts. Eshen was lucky, he always got pretty good shifts, but it was because he was a diplomat so his shifts needed to align with normal business hours for Qo'nos and Mol'Rihan. “I got day shift in about three days, how about then?"

“Sure!” She smiled widely, seemingly excited at making a new friend. “I assume you’ve got to go now? Or nah?”

"Uh I'm starving and I don't want to steal your food," Nalas said with a laugh as he stood up and pushed in his chair. "I'll see ya around Jamie," He waved and quickly darted away. He was probably just going to have replicator food, restaurants were nice but he wasn't made of latinum. Especially since lately he hadn't been getting his weekly allowance from his father, strange.

1

She sat down, calmly looking around, absent-mindedly petting Bailey.

[D] A certain cheerful souther Caitian was sat at a table nearby to Lorin, humming softly under her breath. She wasn’t sure where the tune was from, but she suspected the last time she’d heard the song was during her high school dance class. Strange, how the neurodivergent brain worked.

“Hello!” *She said to the Catian. It had been a long time since she had talked to a Catian, the last time was with her lab partner in the Academy. The outpost on Thealin III was almost entirely humans, except for her and a few others.^

P’Nelar looked up, eyes widening in slight surprise. “Hello!” She grinned. The woman appeared to be Vulcanoid, which was common aboard a Starbase. Her tail swished behind her idly, yellow eyes bright as she spoke.

“Who are you?” She asked.

Interesting phrasing of the question, but P’Nelar wasn’t going to judge. “Ensign P’Nelar S’Tera, Secruity,” She replied, bare paws shifting on the floor as she moved in her chair. “P’Nelar works fine, though.” Her voice had a slight southern drawl to it, clear evidence that she didn’t grow up on Cait.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lorin. Science division. That accent of yours sounds Terran to me, sounds like the people I met in the academy who grew up in Texas.” She said. She liked the sound of P’Nelar’s voice. Better than her own high and squeaky tone.

Odd that Lorin was able to guess the exact state that P’Nelar had grown up in, when all southern accents sounded the same, but impressive, as well. “You’d be right in guessing so,” She said with a smile. “I grew up in Austin,” She informed the Vulcanoid, ear twitching.

Lorin, having correctly (though randomly) guessed the exact state P’Nelar grew up in, was rather proud of herself, though she didn’t show it. “I only lived on Earth when I attended the Academy. Now that I look back on it, I think I would’ve liked to travel there and go to other countries. I stayed mostly in San Francisco.”

“I went to the academy there, as well!” Said the Caitian cheerfully, then noticed that Lorin was still standing. “Why don’t you take a seat?” She offered, gesturing to a chair across from her.

Lorin sat in the chair, Bailey sniffing the Catian but remaining well-behaved. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” She nodded, opening a small bag on her side and pulling out a protein bar. She unwrapped the snack and bit into it, smiling. Chocolate chip protein bars were absolutely god-tier.

Lorin took a water bottle from her own bag, taking a sip. She hadn’t brought any food, but she wasn’t that hungry anyway. “This place is absolutely huge. I’ve gotten lost at least three times in the past four days.”

“It is!” P’Nelar agreed enthusiastically. “Are you new here? In my first month it took me at least thirty minutes every day to find my own quarters. Totally embarrassing,” She said, laughing at her own misfortune.

“Yes, I am. I’ve been here for about four or five days now.” She replied.

“Oh! Well, welcome to the station! It’s a lovely place to work, the people here are amazing,” P’Nelar gushed, her paws flapping excitedly. She loved making new friends! And this friend was new new!

“I have had nothing but pleasant experiences here. I hope to keep it that way.” She said. Well, if you omit reliving the events of Thealin III twice in one day, then it was nothing but pleasant experiences. She hated the workings of her mind, the human side and vulcan side battling it out every second on how to deal with the disaster. It left her with human survivor’s guilt and the knowledge that such guilt is totally illogical, even for her.

The Caitian smiled, nodding. She expected nothing less from Starbase 777’s crew. Starbases 69 and 420 had nothing on them, truly. And according to her friend from the academy currently posted at Starbase 21, neither did 21. 777 truly was the dream posting, in P’Nelar’s opinion. “I’m glad!” She beamed, sharp, cat-like teeth showing in her toothy grin.

“What is security like? I do not have much of an idea about other divisions besides my own.” She asked.

Strange question. How do you describe a division? The it really was self explanatory. Security made sure things were secure. “Well…um…I mean…it’s a lot of physical activity?” She shrugged. There really were a lot more quality questions someone could ask that were along those lines.

“Yeah… I’m horrible at small talk. I’m better at spending hours at a microscope and not leaving until I find something. What was your time at the Academy like?” She said, a green tinge to her face from embarrassment. Lorin’s mind was very good at making small errors look like massive failures like it was doing now.

“Umm…pretty average?” P’Nelar said, sounding unsure. She really was trying. She understood, P’Nelar being autistic, that socialization was hard. But she’d never had that problem. “Made a couple friends, almost failed one or two classes…”

“It was better than what I dealt with on Vulcan. I made a friend and basically lived in the lab. I didn’t have any trouble with academics, though. I was used to proving my worth through good grades. Also, trust me, this conversation is as embarrassing and awkward for me as it is for you.” She said, turning a bit greener.

At that open and blunt admission, P’Nelar couldn’t help but laugh. Not at Lorin, of course. She wasn’t mean spirited. When the giggling died down, the Caitian spoke. “You’re funny, Lorin,” She said, grinning at her companion.

“It’s the truth. Not sure what’s so funny about it, but okay. I’m used to people laughing at things I say for no reason.” She said. Often, she didn’t know whether it was out of malice or if she actually said something funny.

“I didn’t mean anything by it, I promise. I just found it funny,” P’Nelar assured Lorin, still smiling. “I know it was genuine, but it was funny, as well,”

“Thank you. I apologize, this conversation is going nowhere. I am one of the hardest people to keep a conversation going with, I have been told.” *She said. And it was true, especially in the Academy. On Thealin III, it was easier- she was around a bunch of scientists who were equally horrible at holding a conversation.

“Well, that’s just rude,” P’Nelar frowned, furrowing her brows. Strange that someone would tell Lorin to her face that she was difficult to hold a conversation with. “I might have to go fight those people who told you that, they clearly don’t know how a conversation is supposed to work, either. You don’t just insult people,”

“Not only is violence hardly ever the answer for any situation, you cannot physically fight them. They are not on this starbase. And their statements were true, regardless. Most times I try talking to anyone, I either accidentally make them uncomfortable or the conversation fizzles itself out like this one.” She said. She knew it was from a lack of practice when she was a child, her silent nature becoming more and more of a problem as the years passed. But, she wasn’t sure on how to fix it without making it worse and ruining her relationship with Starbase 777. Better to be silent than hated.

“Well, I like you, Lorin. I’d never say nasty things about you,” P’Nelar decided, grinning at the woman she now considered her friend. “You seem very interesting, and even if violence isn’t the answer and they are elsewhere, I’d still like to fight them,”

“You do? That’s nice of you to say.. You seem interesting as well. Sometimes I wonder what it would’ve been like if I grew up on Earth, as you did. Though I know, fantasies like that don’t do anything except make things worse..” She said, absentmindedly scratching Bailey behind the ears.

P’Nelar didn’t think that was true at all. “There’s nothing wrong with imagining things!” She protested, tilting her head to the side. “There’s no harm in something like that at all!” She said, very puzzled. “Where’d you get an idea like that?”

“Focusing on what could have been does not change your situation. The past cannot be altered, and getting lost in fantasy won’t help you. Unless you have a time machine I can borrow, what’s done is done and I can only go forward.” She said. She had gotten better at jokes over the years, copying the styles of people she met over the years. Truth be told, the thought of a childhood on Earth was daydream she had for years, a habit she wanted to get rid of but never could.

She exhaled slightly, a form of a laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with living in the past, unless you dwell on it, Lorin,” She said wisely. There had been many times where she’d regretted something, and thought about how she could’ve done differently, and that wasn’t helpful, sure, but an occasional fantasy never hurt anyone.

Maybe for P’Nelar, they weren’t bad. But for her- they definitely were. If she didn’t place her only value in her work, she wouldn’t have risked her health to constantly research the virus on Thealin III without any breaks, she wouldn’t have gotten sick and infected the last healthy doctor, and the two of them working together would’ve had a better chance at curing the virus. She wouldn’t be here now, still suffering the after-effects to her memory and thought, her research wouldn’t have been cut short, and she would’ve been happy. “Can we change the subject?” She asked.

Realizing that this must be a touchy topic, and that there was probably some emotion loaded behind this, P’Nelar nodded immediately. “Of course,” She said, not at all upset. She would gladly do almost anything possible to accommodate her friends. If someone else wasn’t comfortable, then neither was she. “How have you been finding work here?”

“It’s been quite enjoyable so far. Isn’t there a thing humans say, if you make a job out of what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life? I don’t really understand it, but it resonates with me anyway.” She said, trying to look through her damaged memory for the answer, but finding nothing. It seemed as if she would just have to deal with the blank spots at this point.

P’Nelar nodded, listening to her words. “I think so, yes,” She agreed. If that statement was true, then P’Nelar never had worked. She had always known from the beginning of her ‘career’ that she would be going into security. She’d gotten a mentor in high school, and that was part of the reason she’d gone so far.

“Anyway, I just got a message from the chat room- one of my old friends got assigned to this starbase and I think I’m going to meet up with her. It’s been nice talking.” She said.

“Oooh, fun!” P’Nelar said, grinning. “Have fun! It’s been nice talking to you, as well!” She smiled, a purr lilting in her voice just slightly as she spoke.

With a wave, she stood up and walked out of the room, Bailey following close behind.

1

[D] Everyone's favourite Bajoran clown was back at it again on the promenade! The young scientist had claimed a table towards the edges of the promenade, one that had a clear view of the beautiful sea of stars. Today he was wearing a beautiful fluffy orange dress with some black and white trainers-- definitely a bit of an interesting fashion choice. It was towards the end of the week so he just hadn't done laundry. On top of the table he had a small food scale with a bowl of what appeared to be tasper eggs and another bowl to the side with some crushed bits of larish pie. Nalas had a PADD in front of him as he carefully typed away some notes.

Wandering around for the heck of it, lost in thought, Elias was pulled back to reality when they noticed this curious individual, particularly because of the vibrant dress, which they quite liked; they ambled over to Nalas, looking strangley small without their bulky pack slung over their shoulder. Inside, they worried. Would it be strange to go and compliment him? No, that's a nice thing to do, right? I guess I'm about to find out? On the inside, they felt more nervous than they appeared. Timidness translated into quiet politeness, and when they reached Nalas' table, they nodded to him respectfully. "Excuse me. I know you don't know me, but I love your outfit." Cringing inwardly, they decided to make a stab at some kind of aquaintanceship. "I'm Elias, Elias Murrow, by the way."

Nalas was deep in numbers when he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards his table. He may not have had Vulcanoid level hearing, but he was always keeping his senses about him at times like this. Distrust? Paranoia? A little of that. His gaze shifted from his PADD when he heard the stranger's voice and gave them a soft smile. "Oh, uh-- thank you!" He said in Standard in his little French accent sprinkled over his words. Elias Murrow? He briefly remembered reading the name on the roster, but that was about it. From the looks of it, they were human. "I'm Nalas, Nalas Za'ari," He gave his name with a little wave. The little ridges on his nose paired with his earring gave away his species easily. Perhaps the only odd thing was the green gem and blood orange metal bits that made up the (semi sacrilegious) Bajoran style earring. It had been a while since a stranger approached him, but he didn't mind. Nalas was happy to get compliments on his clothes.

They gave him a smile as well, more relaxes now that they could gage some of his personality. "Nice to meet you, Nalas Za'ari." An interesting name. They leaned in a little bit, careful not to get too close. "Your earring--it's beautiful. I don't think I've seen those stones before, certainly not in a Bajoran earring." Elias was wearing chunky boots, dark green cargo pants, and a black t-shirt with a black jacket over that.

The drop of tension in the other's body language gave Nalas the hint that this Elias person was a friend. As he listened to the other speak he grabbed his bowl of eggs from the scale and put it to the side. Work could wait, at least for now. He was off duty anyway. "My earring?" He instinctually grabbed the green gem between his thumb and index fingers and smiled shyly. "Thank you! I designed it myself," Nalas switched languages, back to his native Cardassian as it was a lot easier to explain that way. It was easier just to let the UT do all the work, especially after clowning himself on multiple occasions trying to speak Standard. "I'm from Cardassia Prime and I wanted something to show that," He said proudly, always happy to talk about his art. He didn't make this new earring, but his mother had taken his design from his more sacrilegious one. (edited)

They smiled at his bubbly attitude, but tilted their head. "Cardassia Prime? I've never met a Bajoran from Cardassia Prime. I've been there myself." And oh boy, was it lacking in Bajorans. There had been some Cardassians who shared the telltale nose ridges of a Bajoran, signifying that they were part Bajoran and part Cardassian, but there had been little to no Bajorans. They observed his features. Nope, definitely Bajoran. How did that happen? No matter... Elias wasn't one to judge. But, they did wonder... how did he feel about being a member of the race that was being oppressed by those of the planet he lived on? Elias could only imagine the internal conflict. What was the story behind him? They had one just met them, so they thought it was to hold those questions for a while.

"Really? Where at? I'm from Culat Province," Nalas noticed the slight tilt in Elias' head paired with their statement and wondered if they thought he was unhappy with living on Cardassia. Despite the hardships he faced as a literal prisoner in his own home, he was still proud of his Cardassian upbringing. After all, Cardassian education was some of the best in the world, he had near perfect photographic memory, skills in maths and the arts, it was great. Nalas was very enthusiastic when he spoke, moving his hands and smiling the whole time. He hoped the other didn't feel bad for him or something. He knew a lot of humans and Bajorans who met him often jumped to the conclusion that being Bajoran in Cardassian society was some sort of hell hole. He may have been the only Bajoran in his class (super awkward when they learned about the Occupation), but for the most part people didn't bully him for his species. There was enough other stuff to bully him about, to be honest.

They took a seat, eager to meet another who was from Cardassia. Well, Elias wasn't from Cardassia. They had just lived there for a while. But it almost felt like home more than their colony did. Aside from the whole occupation thing. But they weren't being attacked every other day, which was more than they could say about where they grew up. The people of Cardassia didn't make them feel at home. The land did. They had despised the whispers of restarting the occupation, of rebelling against the rebuilding of Cardassia. But they were alive. And that was good. Nalas seemed eager to speak about his upbringing, so surely it he must have enjoyed at least part of it, which was more than Elias expected. They had not prepared themself to discuss Cardassia. This was... unexpected, but welcome. However, they did remain wary. It was possible that Nalas would have opinions about occupation that Elias didn't necessarily share. "I stayed in Lakat for a while when I was a teenager. I worked as a servant, so I stayed with a couple." Amora and Hellet: their second parents. They should visit them sometime. "I also visited the area around the Mekar Wilderness and the Bamarren Institute, purely out of curiosity. The Wildreness and the gardens of the inner district are my favorite areas." They remained polite, and friendly, but their eyes sparkled. They had only talked to Mo about this before. An opportunity had arises to exchange experiences!

Restarting The Occupation? Sign him the fuck up-- just kidding, Nalas had long since turned over a new leaf and he was very anti-Occupation now. He had a lot of questions for Elias though, they both lived on Cardassia Prime! In fact, Elias was the first non-Cardassian he had met since the Academy that also spent time on the same humid planet he called home. "A servant in Lakat?" He looked at them with a curious expression, wondering what sort of circumstances happened to put them in that situation. ”Bamarren Institute, I've never been," He responded now thinking that there was a lot of places on Cardassia he had never actually been to. Aside from the city and of course his home province he didn't really go anywhere due to his father being busy with work. Also, something Nalas knew now is that his father was a bit shameful of their family. Sure he'd mention them when he needed something to brag about with his colleagues, but actually being a family man? No way, not Giyon Za'ari. "I wanna know how you came upon that situation. Was it... Was it fun? Did you attend school? You know Cardassia has some of the best education in the quadrant," Always here for #CardassianPride, Nalas was the most Cardassian Bajoran boy to have ever lived, probably. Which one would never have thought being named after the hero of the Bajoran resistance movement.

"I traveled a lot. My... employers, or whatever you want to call them, were lenient with me, and gave me free time and off days. I tried attending school, but it... didn't work out, so they taught me themselves. When I had time, I would walk and walk, for miles, from the outer district to the inner." Warm evenings, heavy air, the only sound the quiet tapping of their feet on the ground as they strolled down the middle of the paths between houses. Clouds stretched across the sky like strokes from a paintbrush. "I received most of my education at the Academy. I had to take extra courses to catch up to everyone else. I'm a nomad. I was on my own a lot, staying on so many ships and planets that I lost count. Not much time for education." "But, Cardassia was different. I always hesitate telling people this. I don't want them to think I supported the occupation. It was just home to me. Fun? Maybe. I wasn't there by choice, at least not at first. But I decided to stay, even when I had opportunities to leave. After about 2-3 years I left."

Traveled a lot, interesting. Nalas listened attentively as they explained their living situation. It was odd that Elias, a servant, seemed to have more freedom than Nalas could have ever dreamed of. He couldn't even go on walks alone. If he went anywhere, it was with his family and he was closely supervised. "That actually sounds nice. I am sorry school didn't work out for you," He gave them a sympathetic look, his downturned eyes blinking slowly. "I can sorta relate. I mean, I wasn't on Cardassia by choice either, I was a child when my father took us to Culat," He said, completely forgetting if he had actually said he was born on Cardassia or not, although with his statement it was clear he was not. His ears twitched ever so slightly when Elias mentioned 'supporting the occupation' oh that was awkward for Nalas to hear. "Just because you love Cardassia doesn't mean you support the Occupation, but yeah, I get how it can be misunderstood," Nalas said as if he did not literally support the Occupation three months ago. He still didn't really know how to feel about it. Sure he knew it was a bad thing, but it was also difficult to change years of living under the roof of True Way sympathisers. "Opinions are changing, we learned about The Occupation in school, a lot of Cardassians feel ashamed for how we treated the Bajoran people so at least there's that now."

They listened curiously as he explained how he was taken from Bajor. How had that happened? "If I may ask, were your parents Bajorans who also lived on Cardassia or were you adopted into a Cardassian family?" They shifted, kind of embarrassed, and said more in response to Nalas' latter statements. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't really word that well, did I? Most of the reactions I've gotten in response to my time on Cardassia usually involve some dubious looks and assumptions that I was for the occupation. Most people I met on Cardassia were against it. Very few still held the old beliefs. Cardassian society in itself is fascinating to me. The culture is captivating. The actual xenophobic ideas that used to be popular are a very small percentage of today's beliefs. I miss Cardassia sometimes. Hey, maybe you and I could visit together." They smiled, half-joking.

"My father is Cardassian and my mother is Bajoran, but my DNA is completely Bajoran," He explained with a nervous smile. Oh Elias is gonna think he was abused or something, better clarify. "But my upbringing was completely Cardassian. I don't really know much about Bajoran culture or anything, I lived with my grandparents and they were very traditional," As in Make Cardassia Great Again, True Way, Occupation wasn't that bad traditional. Ah yes the good ole' Cardassian values. "Oh no I'm not upset or anything, yeah Cardassian culture is pretty diverse. In school we learned a little about Bajoran holidays and culture," ‘But I was never allowed to participate', he thought. "I would love to go back to Cardassia with you! For real, it's so nice to meet someone else from the same planet. It's really rare because you know, Cardassia isn't in Federation space and most Cardassians join the Cardassian military. Actually, my father is a Gul in the Intelligence Bureau, he used to be in the Obsidian Order though," Nalas felt really comfortable with Elias, so comfortable he didn't realise maybe he shouldn't have told them his father was a spy, which meant he probably did war crimes.

The Obsidian- this man was full of surprises. Elias went over all of the knowledge they had about the obscure organization. Amora and Hellet had taught them much about Cardassian history and politics. If they remembered correctly, The Obsidian Order had somewhat diminished in power, especially after Enabran Tain retired. The Order itself had been responsible for many dubious acts committed throughout Cardassian history. However, they had a certain detachment when it came to the Order. It had not been very... present... when Elias lived on Cardassia. However, they did know the cost of the things the Order did for the "good of the state." They felt a certain sense of unease, but also felt like Nalas was too... bright to be a spy. "The Obsidian Order... it sounds like he held a lot of power." What did he do with that power? Elias studied Nalas carefully. "Sorry, it's just, when someone is associated with a group of people like that... I wonder how that impacted your life." They spoke in an apologetic manner, but really they were observing Nalas for a reaction to them bringing up the Order's various... actions.

"Oh yeah, he's a Gul so he has a lot of sway in the military now," Nalas said with a soft smile, seemingly unbothered by it all. He could sense the worry in the other's voice when he mentioned Obsidian Order. Maybe he shouldn't have said it? After all the organisation was part of a very dark part of Cardassian history and if their previous conversation was any hint, Elias was not very fond of Cardassia's past. "Impacted my life? Well, you know Cardassian children go to work with their parents a lot," Nalas began to explain, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "I got to go to work with my father, cracking Bajoran encryption codes," Like his own mother's. "And learning about how the intelligence bureau works. It was really fascinating," Also learning about the Order's history of interrogation. "If I didn't look like umm.. Look Bajoran, I would have joined the Intelligence Bureau," Nalas said, pointing to his face. "I don't mind science though, I'm an exobiologist by the way," He realised him and Elias never said what their jobs were! "Trying to repair the reputation of Cardassian scientists after Crell Moset," Ah yes Cardassian scientists who experimented on Bajoran slaves without their consent. Nalas was trying to be a good Cardassian scientist!

1

Elias listened, blue eyes gazing at Nalas intently and thoughtfully. Their hands were folded on the table in front of them, and they leaned forward as they listened. At the mention of science, Elias perked up. They liked science! It was full of facts. Straightforward things that could be figured out. Feelings weren't involved in science. Well... in medical they were, which was a kind of science. But for the most part, science didn't care who you were. Science didn't change (most of the time) and science was predictable. "I'm a doctor! Lieutenant, junior grade." They said, smiling at the mention of their job. "I actually did learn a lot about medicine on Cardassia. I'm quite well versed in Cardassian physiology. I've never had any Cardassian patients, though. But, they are fascinating, as are all species." "Amora, my m- erm, one of my employers, she took me to the data archives to retrieve medical studies. Her and Hellet, her husband, encouraged me that way." They paused, a bit awkwardly, but felt comfortable revealing this to Nalas. After all, he had parents of a different species, too. "I was about 15 at the time. I hardly knew what I was doing. They were... kind of my parents. Even if it was only for 3 years."

"Doctor? Oh well I am glad we have never met on duty-- no offense, I am just happy to not have had to go to sickbay lately," Even though Nalas honestly needed to go to sick bay. His claustrophobia was still pretty and he was terrible at sleeping, as always. There was also something else about his upbringing he had conveniently failed to mention... "Oh really? You know, for the longest time I wished I was Cardassian. Like the tail, the scales, all of it. Super cool. Do you know about the Enigma Tales? Not the book but like... The experiment. It's really problematic, but it's fascinating," Ah yes that time Cardassians took Bajoran-Cardassian orphans from the occupation and tried to genetically engineer the Bajoran DNA out of them. Riveting stuff. If it wasn't clear already how Nalas felt about the Occupation or Bajorans as a people, that comment was it. "Cardassia has changed a lot indeed. I know a lot of orphans who were adopted after the war. My father adopted me once he married my mother and raised me like I was his biological child. When we moved he gave me a Cardassian name-- Sissil Za'ari. Your parents-- well employers, did they give you a Cardassian name too?" Nalas said, still thinking his upbringing was normal. It was crazy but that was just how life was on Cardassia.

"Jekba Erre. That was my Cardassian name. They gave it to me as a sign of affection, and also because it was easier for them to say." They chuckled warmly. It had felt good at the time, to be given a new identity, to escape the small, bitter Elias that was born on the colony. They had been Jekba for a while, the child embraced into Cardassiam culture, the servant who walked across districts. But eventually, they had forced themself to make the painful transition back to Elias, to acknowledge their past and their future. "I still go by it sometimes, actually. Sentimentality. My Earth parents never liked it. But I am Elias. And I am Jekba. I am a human who considers Cardassia home. And at the same time, it isn't. The endless expanses of stars are my home. They welcome me wherever I may be. They glitter from afar, always calling me back at some point. But so does Cardassia. As you may be able to tell, I am not one for sitting still." Wow, did it feel good to be able to say all of that openly. But also, good going Elias, always one to go for a deep first conversation. "Sorry, when on a bit of a tangent there! But please, tell me about the experiment." It went against the whole idea of the Hippocratic oath, if this experiment went where they thought it would go. But hey, it was certainly a conversation peice, and so what if they were curious?

The more Elias spoke about their time on Cardassia the more Nalas could relate. They had such similar upbringings on the humid planet, although there were still many details Nalas had yet to share. However for what the two of them had shared, there was a lot to relate to. The Bajoran boy was grinning from ear to ear as his new friend spoke about their Cardassian identity. "Jekba Erre, that's really beautiful," As beautiful as the Cardassian language could be. It was a harsh language with a lot of glottal stops. Much different than the more poetic-sounding Bajoran that his mother spoke. "We're really one in the same. I like living in space, even if I miss Cardassia sometimes," Speaking of Cardassia he wondered how his mother was doing on that planet. Last he heard, she and his father had actually moved back to Culat with his grandparents who were both sickly. "OH Yes the experiment well-- Some Cardassian exobioligists took Cardassian-Bajoran hybrid children and tried to genetically remove the Bajoran genes so they would just be Cardassian. Crazy, right? My father told me about it, but the experiment was really dangerous and it was a dark time in our past so it won't happen again. Sometimes I wonder if I was genetically modified to be Bajoran or something, maybe? I don't know, I never met my biological father."

"Wow, that is crazy!" Their eyes were wide as they listened. Even with all of their medical training, which, admittedly, was not as much as a more seasoned doctor, they could not imagine a situation where that would work effectively. All the genomes that would have to be carefully separated and reconnected... it was messy, to say the least. Lots of DNA resequencing. They inwardly shook their head. They could only image how that ended. Eli was repulsed. They grieved for the subjects, cringing in horror at the utter violation of the code of life, as DNA was sometimes called. Thank God things like that didn't happen anymore. But, they did harbor a fascination for medical studies. One could hold an interest in something without condoning it. "There is something to be said for learning about past studies and experiments. Sometimes they result in new discoveries. Other times they don't end well, or nothing useful is gained. However, we can still learn from all of them. Especially the ones that went wrong. Thankfully, now we can run simulations and try to predict how things will work out. Save a lot of time and resources, and is much more humane. But thank you for telling me about it. It's insane what kind of things have been attempted in the past!"

"Cardassian history is messy, I mean, recently I learned Legate Damar was spacist, man," More signs of Nalas' very sheltered upbringing. Damar may have been honoured as a hero of Cardassia, but he still hated Bajorans and made it no secret he found the neighbouring aliens to be inferior. Although by the way Nalas spoke it made it seem like he didn't really consider himself to be Bajoran in any way outside of his appearance. "And like Crell Moset. He was also an exobiologist from Culat! I don't care what people say, I know he experimented on Bajoran slaves without their consent, but his work really paved the way. You can appreciate the work and not the person. Anyway, I recently helped out some Bajoran scientists save their umm.. Wood," The same scientists also laughed at him and said they did unholy things to Damar's grave but he wasn't going to mention that. "Exobiology and medical overlap a lot! I work with plants mostly, like genetically modifying plants to be more sustainable or for use in other applications," As Nalas spoke he continued to wave his hands, very passionate about Cardassia and science. It looked rather strange for a Bajoran boy to be chatting with a human in Cardassian whilst wearing a fluffy orange dress, but Nalas was a professional clown at heart so this was normal to him. "I do wanna help Bajorans with my work, like.. I wanna give back, hopefully by showing I am an honest scientist who obtains my research ethically."

Elias picked up on how Nalas seemed to exclude himself when he talked about Bajorans. They weren't exactly surprised; after all, he had been raised on Cardassia and had been completely submerged in Cardassian culture. Elias was the same in some aspects. They didn't really consider themself to be from Earth. I mean, they were, as in their ancestors were there, but they didn't know much about Earth, and they didn't claim to be from there or think that it was their "real home." "I agree! Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, even some of the most disturbing experiments have led the way to better treatment of individuals and better medical practices. Like the wars on Earth." Two different things, but that they felt were still related in a way. "I think that's very noble of you to do. Now you're the one paving the way for the future. A Bajoran, in the physiological sense, who is Cardassian and strives to break the stigmas. I admire that."

Elias was so nice, and understanding! Nalas always liked meeting people like them who were able to look past his physical appearance and see him as Cardassian. They were both Cardassian as far as Nalas was concerned. Elias was taken in by a Cardassian family, even if it was only three years, they also felt connected to the alien planet much like Nalas did. "Oh most definitely. Bajorans can say how much they hated The Occupation all they want but there were some positives that came out of such dark times," The less offensive way to say 'man, The Occupation wasn't all bad'. "But yeah I really want to help repair the reputation of Cardassian scientists. We're not all monsters, especially not now. Our government is open and honest, not like that-- what's the terran word? Big Brother?" He gestured ambiguously in the air, trying to pinpoint the word. "I swear this is related, but you're missing one of your molars, right? "He never thought to ask Elias their age. Nalas was pretty sure the government was still extracting molars of all children 10 and older, but he wasn't sure.

1

Positive things from the occupation... Elias wasn't actually sure how they felt about that. So much death and horrible acts were committed during the 60 years of the occupation. And the aftermath: famine, factions fighting against one another. But the Bajorans were as strong as ever. They were pulling through, solely because they were not giving up, and hopefully a better Bajor will come out of the rebuilding. "As a matter of fact, I am. I did my best to stay under the radar, but when you're there for multiple years, it gets harder. Eventually I became some sort of established resident, because apparently they wanted record of me. And, Amora and Hellet pushed me to get it done." They felt the space where the molar used to be with their tongue, and thought back to when they had gotten it done. Boy, that was an experience. "Sometimes I wonder if they still have it or what they did with it, since I don't live there anymore. Maybe it's because I might visit. I mean, I'd like to."

Nalas may have now understood why The Occupation was bad, but internalising and truly understanding the effects it had on Bajoran society as a whole was something he was only beginning to come to terms with. He still kept his energy in his words, he was a happy boy through and through. "'Eyy well I think you could say you're Cardassian if you wanted to. Missing molar buddies!" Weird thing to bond over but that was that. "Actually I'm also missing a lung-- no one took it from me, I was just born without it," More like his other lung was deflated, but he wasn't going to go into that. "The government keeps the molar by the way, you didn't want it back did you? There's also implants," Although he didn't mind the lack of tooth. Just like Elias, Nalas poked his tongue in the spot where his molar would have been. He got his pulled when he was 10 so his teeth had long since filled up the gap but there still was a little spot where the tooth was. "Maybe we could visit your uhh parents? And I could take you to visit-- wait not my family. Uhh they... don't really like 'aliens'," He said as if he wasn't also an alien to them. Although it was no secret Nalas's Cardassian family did not treat him right.

If they hadn't been a doctor, Elias would have been alarmed. One lung? But they were well-versed in such cases. Nalas might get a little winded more than others, but he would still live a long life. Plus, there were medical interventions out there to help with that if he ever thought he wanted or needed it. But one lung was perfectly capable of supplying enough oxygen to the body and removing enough carbon dioxide, if it was healthy and undamaged. "No, I don't want it back." They chuckled. "And I never got an implant because missing a molar reminded me of Cardassia. It was a momento, I guess. It's what made me feel like I fit in." "And we should totally visit together! I can't wait to show you Lakat. After 3 years of walking, I know some pretty interesting places. My parents would love to see that I've met someone from Cardassia." They felt better about calling Amora and Hellet their parents around Nalas. They felt better about a lot of things around Nalas. He was an interesting man, and he made them smile with his enthusiastic gestures and tones. And, they couldn't help but think that he was rather pretty. They stopped, however, when he said that his parents didn't like aliens. "But... you and your mother are Bajoran. Well, not really. But appearance wise and physically." They tilted their head, puzzled.

"Well said, Elias," Nalas was happy to hear that. Wow they really had a lot in common, like a lot a lot. Well, perhaps not everything. For one, Elias guardians actually liked them and they did not live like they were under house arrest for 15 years. "Hmmm next shore leave we gotta go, I definitely wanna meet your parents," Nalas thought it'd be a great to hang out with a new friend on the planet both of them called home! He had never gotten to do any sort of tourist activities during his childhood so this would be a good opportunity. He looked away from Elias for a brief moment so he could check on his little bowls of food he had weighed out perfectly. "My mother is definitely Bajoran. When.... Ahh it's really complicated," He began to speak before his mind was flooded from memories from that incident. Nalas squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, clearly a sign of distress. The little ridges on his nose wrinkled when he did this and the gem on his earring ended up smacking his neck. Not great, but it only lasted as second before his gaze met Elias' again. "My grandparents were fine as long as I followed Cardassian rules. It was... Kinda like walking on egg shells with them, but all I had to do was follow their rules. I mean, that was kinda obvious. Why wouldn't I be expected to adopt Cardassian culture when I was going to be living there the rest of my life? And now I don't even have to try, I love it," He was speaking honestly, although the mention of his forced assimilation paired with his reaction right before would definitely raise some red flags for anyone.

"Whoa, Nalas, Nalas. Full stop." They began to reach out to touch his arm in a reassuring way, but stopped. They weren't sure if that would help him or not. "Are you okay?" An intense reaction coming from Nalas. The original impression that his childhood had been okay, as okay as it could have been, was gone. Perhaps that was what Nalas had been trying to convince himself. 'And now I don't even have to try.' What was the full story here? Elias felt a pang of concern for the Cardassian-Bajoran, as well as... protectiveness? Odd. They had just met him. But they had always been protective of others. "That's not... I mean, you shouldn't have to learn to love something because you're forced to. You should love somewhere because you genuinely enjoy your time there. You shouldn't be... force into a culture like that."

3

"I'm fine," Nalas waved his hands and chuckled nervously. Out of pure habit he began fiddling with his earring. Maybe he said too much. This was starting to play out oddly similar to how Eshen was when he first told him about his upbringing. The Bajoran boy let out a small sigh, having to take a few breaths since he was talking a little too fast for his single lung to handle. "But I do love it. I genuinely do love Cardassia and I like being Cardassian. It was just as a child I was a bit close minded," More like it was his family who was close minded. "My grandparents lived through The Occupation, I don't blame them for being kinda nervous around Bajorans. You know, I just wanted to make sure they were comfortable. It's no different than-- like if something makes other people uncomfortable, you don't do that thing," It was totally not like that. It's one thing to avoid talking about bugs around someone who's afraid of bugs, but another to completely deny your own species and culture just because others feel 'uncomfortable' by it, but Nalas didn't know that. "It's really not a big deal, I was like.. five, or whatever, like I don't remember it at all."

"If you were that close-minded, you might not be where you are today. And as a child you adapted because you had to. And, you can't help what you were born as. If that makes people uncomfortable, they have to adapt, not you." They defended Nalas with unexpected ferocity, smile gone. Debate mode was activated. "Whenever you visit, I'm sure you can always come visit my family if you don't want to visit yours. I mean, I don't know hoe they are around you know, but... wow." Maybe they shouldn't talk about this, judging from Nalas' extreme reaction.

"I know I know," Nalas sighed and his breath slowed. "I don't agree, but it's alright I understand where you're coming from. I really don't mind being Cardassian at all, I don't know anything about Bajoran culture and... Between me and you, the weight from The Occupation, I just can't relate to it as Bajorans do," Nalas was still a very traditional thinker despite what he might say. So traditional that he believed his Cardassian upbringing and separation from Bajoran culture made it inappropriate to call himself Bajoran. He had the name Nalas, a weird name for someone like him. "I definitely want to visit your family, even if you couln't really visit mine," Maybe if Nalas asked nicely they could? "My mother lives in Cardassia City though, I think we could visit my house there," His mother and fahter were open minded at least, although Cardassia City was not nearly as pretty as the rural areas.

They nodded. "I would like that. Believe it or not, I've never been there. Lakat kept me entertained for most of the time, so I've never visited the more urban areas. Is it... are they nice? Are they busy?" They leaned forwards bit, curious. "What did you do there? Do they have gardens too? I love the gardens in Lakat. I bet all sorts of stuff happens in Cardassia City. It's like a central hub for Cardassia Prime, right?" They assumed so, hence the name Cardassia City. They wondered if the military still trooped around the streets, like Elias had read about them doing in the past.

Never been to Cardassia City? Nalas would have to show Elias! Despite his single lung, Nalas spoke passionately and with enthusiasm, randomly gasping for air in between phrases but it was because Cardassian was a language with a lot of redundancies. He could use to drop some words or phrases and the UT would make sense of it. "It's a big city so yeah tons of people. Super diverse too, lots of Bajorans and humans," Nalas explained as he grabbed the bowl with the tasper eggs in it and put them back on the scale. "Yeah they have gardens but ummmm... You know, the Dominion War, Cardassia City was kinda ground zero. A lot of areas are still blocked off because the Jem'hadar poisoned the ground. But there's been a strong rebuilding effort! Also the university of the union is still strong! That's where my mum teaches, she talks about Bajoran faith and life post-occupation," He said, very proud of his mother for getting such a job even if it was with the help of his father's political power. "Oh, and do you like tasper eggs? I got one extra," Nalas picked an egg from the bowl and offered it to Elias.

"Bajorans and humans? And I thought I was a rare occurrence on Cardassia." Cardassia had become much more diverse over the years. "Also that's so cool that your mom teaches! I'd be interested to hear what she has to say." While they spoke, Elias gently took the egg and cupped it in their hands. It sat, cool and heavy. "I've never... how do I.. eat?" They peered at it curiously. "And what are you working on? When I walked up you were weighing eggs, which was a very interesting sight to see."

"Nah, it's just in the countryside there is nothing. Cities are more diverse, especially after the war, a lot of Starfleet officers come and go to help with the rebuilding efforts," Nalas remembered that was the first time he had seen another Bajoran besides his mother since he moved to Cardassia. The Bajorans he met in the city were... Not very friendly to him. Probably because he was a rowdy Cardassian-minded boy who said a lot of problematic things. Anyway. "Yeah my mum is so nice, she used to be a Renjen on Bajor, but she left to move to Cardassia. Uhh.. My parents have a wild history," Nalas chuckled nervously, not wanting to get into all the drama, but it was certainly a story. "Oh tasper eggs, you've never had one? Just peel off the shell, don't worry, it's hard boiled, it's just like those terran eggs from the fat chickens," Nalas explained. "And I am preplanning meals for the station's resident Vorta. I made some medicine that allows her to taste food and I wanted to get her opinion on some tastes for my research," He said, always excited to talk about science. He also had a bowl of smooshed Larish pie in a plastic bag. It looked gooey and a little runny, but it was easiest to portion it out when it was in a bag rather than just on a plate.

Tentatively, they peeled off the shell. They had never had a Terran "hard-boiled egg". "It's strange. I feel like I should know about Terran chicken eggs because I'm Terran. But I don't." Once they had gathered all the shells in a small pile, they took a bite. Their face contorted as the got used to the strange texture. "...Interesting." Their voice was muffled and their cheeks were puffy with hard-boiled egg. They swallowed, shivering a bit. "It's strange, but I like it. Could use some salt." At the mention of "medicine," they smiled. They knew about medicine! Talking between munches, they replied. "Fascinating. I have never had much opportunity to study Vorta physiology. I wasn't aware they lacked taste buds. But food related research? Sign me up. If you ever need someone to taste test something, I'm a combadge tap away!" They took another bite of egg.

Nalas watched as Elias peeled away the shell of the egg and took a bite. He hoped they would like it, it was his favourite Cardassian savoury snack. He ate them raw but that was only because he liked the gooey texture. "Oh ehehe well I am glad you find it interesting! I don't have salt, sadly," He said with a frown as took an egg from the bowl and peeled it to munch as well. Oh he only had one extra- well no matter, he could just ask his boyfriend to get him an extra! "Oh I would be happy to share my findings! And maybe you can meet her-- her name is Aella 5, she's the Dominion Liaison, very umm... She's a little rough around the edges, but I swear she's a nice gal,“ As nice as a Vorta could be at least. Nalas finished peeling the egg and plopped the whole thing in his mouth. He was sure getting his protein in for the day! He munched quickly and swallowed, putting the bits of egg shell back into the bowl. "I gotta finish up making these meals for her, I was hoping to give them to her tonight."

”Aella 5.” Elias said it out loud to see if they were saying it right. “I’ve never met someone who is affiliated with Dominion before, at least not openly. I’d love to meet her sometime! Also, I would enjoy looking at you findings. I’m also curious as to how you managed to synthesize taste buds when you’re not in Medical. It’s impressive though. I’ve never preformed anything like that just yet.” They thought for a moment, quickly running through all similar medical procedures they were versed in. “Oh, and good luck in your cooking endeavors! I can leave you be to focus on your project if you’d like. A certain dino back in my quarters is probably itching to go for a walk anyway.” Perhaps after this Elias would take Leo to the park for some more training. They had no idea how trainable raptors were, but they guessed they’d find out. Hopefully their other shoes would be intact when they got back.

"Oh she's so funny, I am sure you'd get along with her. She calls me stinky so if you see her, tell her Stinky sent you," Nalas and Aella had quite a strange relationship. Friends that teased each other constantly, but rarely spoke outside of work. He grabbed his PADD and clicked a few buttons before looking up at the doctor. "Well the Vorta can taste Rippleberries and Kava nuts. I simply used the enzymes from Rippleberries and put it into medicine to trick her tastebuds into think she was always eating Rippleberries. Kinda complex, but I'll let you read the research," Nalas was already preparing on sending Elias his files. The best thing is Elias would probably be able to read the report in the original Cardassian and perhaps they could give him some good feedback. "Have fun walking your-- dino? A dog of some sort?" Nalas tilted his head. Pets? He loved pets! He never could have one, but he liked animals. Kinda had to since he was an exobiologist.

"Wow, that's really fascinating! I'm impressed, actually. It sounds like you know a lot about Vorta physiology. And," They paused, finishing up the egg. "Nope. Actual dino. Well, not really. He's a raptor. You should come see him sometime! Be warned, he's teething." Which I didn't know, but judging from the 3 pairs of shoes already gone, Leo is indeed teething. "I'll take a look at the research at the earliest opportunity." Yay! Science! Someone who was so much like them! Hooray! (edited)

"Woah a real terran dinosaur! Okay yeah I gotta see this!" Nalas turned to Elias and grinned. He was absolutely beaming with excitement, new friends! And also Nalas was just a happy boy. He fluffed up his skirt and swung his legs under him as he sat on his chair. "Let me know when I can come see this dino! Don't worry I'm great with animals-- I'm an exobiologist after all," Nalas always loved alien animals, his coworker's epohh trio was fantastic! Maybe he could convince his boyfriend to get a pet too.

"Well, not reaally Terran. A pair of Voth sent it to me! Graduation present. How about we meet up in the park in a few days? And yeah, he loves everyone!" He loves everyone's fingers. Specifically eating them. But Nalas! The Cardassian boy! The basically mini-me of Elias! It would be worth it.

"Voth! I know those guys," Of course every exobiologist knew about the Voth. They were quite an interesting race and their advancements in science were impressive. "Yeah let's meet up at the park! I would love to play with him. I am used to wrestling Cardassian voles, I'll be okay," Nalas didn't think a raptor would be too bad. He just had to watch his fingers-- and his arms. Well some playful bites wouldn't be too bad. Plus if the dino was really dangerous Elias wouldn't have been allowed to have one on the station. "I'll see you around Elias! Thanks for chatting-- fellow Cardassian-raised alien," So Nalas didn't have a problem admitting he an alien. Well, he wasn't going to deny his own species.

2

They gave him a sweet smile and nodded, before turning and walking away back to their quarters.

2

The young, rather short trill was sipping a drink, looking happy enough with her tappy feet, but in her hand she held a PADD, one about her parents. Their file was oddly vague, and there was barely any public mention of them that was easily tracked. It had been an enigma in her head after she still felt something was missing. She was walking down the hallway, unfocused and bound to make an incident.

She was walking down the promenade, distracted by a file she was reading. Her earrings had a distinct jingle and her boots made a noticeable tapping sound. She hadn't done much since getting onto the station other than the holodeck events. When she got close to Jayrehi, she bumped into her shoulder, Kate dropped her P.A.D.D "Oh! Jeez, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." She bent down to pick up the P.A.D.D.

The trill jumped in surprise, accidentally spilling her drink onto the promenade floor. Luckily she had finished most of it, but she turned a deep shade of red as the utter embarrassment settled in . She dashed to pick up the PADD, accidentally grabbing the lawyer’s hand.

2

"Ah, shit, sorry about your drink! I-" She realized the accidental hand grab, rescinding her arm quickly. "Sorry about that. How did we manage to do this in the middle of an empty hall?" She grabbed her P.A.D.D and Jayrehi's cup, handing it to her.

“I- I don’t know! God- I’m so sorry!-“ Her face was utterly ashamed, as she quickly collected the lawyer’s files.

She traded the P.A.D.Ds, getting her own back and giving Jayrehi hers."Well, it seems we're all collected again. I'm Kate Prisma, I've got a law firm down the hall." She stuck her hand out for a handshake before realizing Jayrehi doesn't have a free hand and putting it back down. (edited)

”J-Jayrehi M’Kahl. Nice to meet you! Heh-“ She nervously blushed, still very much in a state or anxiety. She blinked at Katherine, trying not to seem awkward.

"Nice to meet another friend on the station. Everyone here seems to be Starfleet, you guys are so uptight and proper about everything, it's kind of funny sometimes." She cracked a slight smile.

“Yeah! uh- nice to meet you too! I uh- yeah…” She slouched a bit, still very, very awkward. “Sorry about touching your hand by the way.”

"It's fine, we're rational adults, no need to freak out about it." She straightened her suit jacket out a bit, it had been slightly crumpled when she bent down.

“Sorry, I’m a bit of a perfectionist.” It’s also because I’m g- she interrupted her thought, shaking her head. “I uh, hate making mistakes.”

"Heh, I understand that one. My job doesn't leave much leeway for errors. If you mess up, it can ruin your whole case." She shuddered, remembering the time she failed an assignment back in school because she stuttered too much while presenting her case.

“Hey, If you aren’t busy- I could get you a drink for the troubles.”

"No thanks, not right now at least, I've got lots of setting up to do elsewhere. Maybe later today, if you want I can call you whenever I'm finished with everything."

“Ah- Okay, uh- just lemme know alright? I feel kinda responsible for the mess.”

"Y'know, you seem like a kind of clumsy person, no insult to you, it's just an observation. If that ever lands you in trouble, give me a call, personal injury law is my specialty." It wasn't her specialty, but how hard could it be?

“I’m not that clumsy! I’m just a bit aloof is all y’know?” She spoke a little quickly, trying to save face.

"Right, sorry, I guess I'm just desperate for anything, nobody commits any crimes here, it's boring sometimes." She looked down at the P.A.D.D she's holding. "Shit, I really have to go, it was nice meeting you though, give me a call later!" She started to walk off, waving at Jayrehi before kind of hurriedly walking away. Not because she didn't enjoy talking, she really did have to go.

2

Finally making his way to the promenade, it was thankfully quiet here with some tables a few doors down from Snacks. The tables were also very close to Waffle House, but it didn't look like there were any fights that day, at least not yet. He took a seat and gestured for Lorin to sit across from him. This area was a lot quieter with only a few others in the area, but they were making soft conversation. "Is this location better?" He inquired, hoping the volume here was acceptable. Still a little louder than Snacks since they did not have the nice noise cancelling booth, but definitely quieter than the restaurant.

Lorin sat across from him. She had pretty good posture, sitting straight up. She put her breadsticks beside her. She didn’t look him right in he eyes. Eye contact was hard. “Yes, it is. Thank you, sir.”

Alizati's posture mirrored Lorin's, back straight with forearms resting on the table. His gaze was void of emotion, but he took the hint and did not stare directly at Lorin. It was easy to forget prolonged eye contact was unnerving. Even Men struggled and that was something he had learned to be sensitive to (even if he could look into Men's eyes for Menllenia. He took a deep breath as he attempted to calm whatever was bothering him inside. Well, figuratively inside. Alizati was all metal and wires on the inside, he had many moving parts. "I read you received commendation from your away mission. Congratulations," The most unenthusiastic 'congratulations', but his tone had a hint of warmth, just enough so that Lorin could understand Alizati's words were genuine.

She smiled, fidgeting with her hands in her lap. She hadn’t done much on the mission- wait, fuck that! She did a lot! She helped place bombs, she took down agents, she carried a whole-ass unconscious dude to Elias. Fuck self-depreciation today. She was important. She could fight her own brain some other day. “Thank you. It means a lot. I’m a scientist, not a fighter. I was pretty out of my depth.”

"I understand that," So there was combat involved? That would explain why Alizati was not called upon. Although he was perfectly capable of combat, perhaps sending an android who would be at risk of breaking was a bad idea. He had fought a few times on previous missions , but there was always a fear someone would take the chance to literally dismantle him. "It is not something I would like, but we may be required to fight in the future. Have you considered brushing up on some self defence? I was not here for it, but the Borg once came, we also had a bomber on this station earlier this year. As home of alliance cultural exchange this station is a big target to our enemies," Alizati was not trying to scare Lorin, but his expression was serious as he spoke. He was going to protect his crew as much as he could, but in the end it was up to the individual's own abilities to keep them safe.

“I have taken all the self-defense courses I had to take to become a Starfleet officer. Though it couldn’t hurt to take more. I’m.. just uncomfortable with causing harm to another person. Even if I know they’re bad. It’s something I have to work on, but I just don’t like violence” She didn’t like having to put her morals to the test. She didn’t like philosophy, or debating with people. She just wanted to live her life how she wanted.

"I can agree with you on that, but sometimes as Starfleet officers we must face danger, if you ever want help, I have some self defence sub routines so I could help you train," Alizati was worried for a lot of his fellow officers, especially people like Lorin or Jamie who didn't have as much skills in combat. Well, hopefully if the time came, combat ready officers such as Eshen or.. Bright, could come and protect their department. He was also worried for Captain Mo, if they were literally anywhere on a planet he was certainly the Captain would blow away like a wind sock. "You have a lot of reliable officers in your department. I do not think there is anything to fear for now," Alizati looked around the area, turning his head to see the few people sitting there. He wished they were going to Snacks, it was super quiet there and of course he loved seeing Men (The Vulcan). "Are you going to eat the breadsticks you saved? Or did you not take them?" Alizati's attention was back on Lorin, now he was curious what the terran bread tasted like.

“Yeah, I have them with me.” She took off the wrapping on the breadsticks. They were still warm, and smelled like garlic. She took a bite. It tasted better now that they weren’t in sensory hell. “Also, thank you for the offer for the self defense thing. I’ll be sure to consider it.” She said sincerely. She really did want to learn, and to put away her distaste with physical altercations.

"If you want to train you can always message me," Alizati was serious about that, eyes looking around the area once more so he wouldn't just be staring at Lorin. "Breadsticks, garlic? May I try one?" Alizati was more than happy with only eating Vulcanoid food, but he was curious about some terran foods. Despite being born on earth and spending a lot of time on the blue planet, he had yet to have many memorable experiences with terran things. He was confined to the Daystrom Institute for most of that time, but he did wish he could have enjoyed some more of the culture of-- Japan. "I have only ever eaten Vulcan bread, i am aware terran bread contains sugar?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering how Lorin was eating all this with sugar as a vulcanoid.

“Yeah, of course. And also, it’s a minuscule amount of sugar compared to every other Terran food. If I ate a chocolate cake or something, I’d be in trouble, but I can tolerate a small amount.” She slid a breadstick over to Alizati, wondering if he could even get drunk off sugar. You’d think, since he was an android, whoever made him would’ve made sure he couldn’t, just for convenience. Really, everything on Earth had some amount of sugar. She thanked her half-human heritage for her increased tolerance. If she had to pick which side she liked better, she’d pick the human side.

"It makes sense as sugar is essnetial for many species," Alizati picked up the breadstick and looked it over. Mechanical eyes scanned the item, relaying all of the visual information to his internal processor. He stared at the breadstick like it had just killed his father, eyes narrowing and brows pulled inwards. He may have been an android, but he had the mind of a Vulcanoid and it was telling him to proceed with caution. He ripped off a tiny piece and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. Although Alizati's expression did not change, the silence was a tell tale sign that he did not seem all impressed. This was nothing like Men's food, although to be fair Alizati had never eaten before visiting Surak Snacks. "The texture is not bad, but if I was organic surely just one bite from this would make me drunk," Alizati put the breadstick down and gave Lorin an eyebrow raise. "Thank you for letting me try," He slid the breadstick back to Lorin, having only ripped off a small piece so most of it was still in tact and it wasn't like Alizati had bit into it or anything.

“Uh, you’re welcome. I’m definitely glad I’m not fully Vulcan, because I like bread.” She said, with a matter-of-fact tone. She was also glad she wasn’t for a whole host of other reasons. If she wasn’t half human, the cascade of events that led her to join Starfleet would’ve never happened. She would’ve been stuck on Vulcan, being just as bigoted as the rest of them.

1

Alizati made no reaction to Lorin's statement, but had he been organic maybe he would have been a little upset at the comment. He blinked a couple times as he watched Lorin eat her breadsticks. He certainly was not going to be trying another non-Vulcanoid food for a while, the breadstick was very unimpressive. It made him wonder if Japanese food would be just as boring, his father had mentioned Japanese miso soup to be quite enjoyable and sugar free. "I am an android and thus do not require to consume any food, any items I eat are just turned into energy," He explained with a stoic expression. "I am impressed you can eat so much of this though, the breadsticks and the pasta. Another reason I have always stayed away from any non-Vulcanoid food, although I had never eaten food until this posting."

“I haven’t eaten in a while. What with my new project. I was also catching up with some shows I like. I got carried away.” She had a lot on her mind, and the research helped take it away. She kept busy as much as she could. Plus, watching her new insects crawl around and explore was therapeutic in a way. Even if one of the little bastards bit her.

"You should be eating regular meals, especially with your mixed genetics it is important to keep a balanced diet," Alizati said plainly, being fatherly as always. He did not need to eat, but organic people did and he was always looking out for his fellow officers. Alizati was now wishing they had stopped by Snacks so he could have picked up some tea and maybe Kreyla bread because he could use a snack. He wasn't hungry, he never got hungry, but watcing Lorin eat made him want to eat. "You are also always welcome to Snacks, typically it is not as crowded as it is right now. That reminds me, will you be coming to Kal-toh night this week?"

“When Surak Snacks is less crowded, I believe I will stop by again. It’s the best restaurant I’ve been to.” Being mixed genetics did have its downsides. Besides being treated differently for it, she also had to sleep more. Which was annoying, since she had a million better things to do than sleep. “Of course I will come. I have not played in a while, though. I may have since forgotten the rules.”

Alizati didn't smile, but the twinkle in his eyes was all that was needed for him to convey he happiness that Lorin liked his fiance's restaurant. Alizati looked in the direction of Snacks in an attempt to see if anyone was leaving. He really wished he had x-ray vision, but alas his visual sensors may have been more sensitive than an organic being's eyes, but he still could not see through walls. "We will teach you again," The game was simple to learn, but hard to win. It was about logic and problem solving. "I will be bringing the Furberus as well, I am sure they would love to play a game with you," The three headed monstrosity was incredibly friendly, so friendly that it was hard to believe they were created by such a stoic Vulcan-Romulan man.

“That’s the three-headed Furby, right? I’d love to play a game with them, too.” She could out-chess someone, but that was because at first glance, nobody expected her to make an illogical decision. Which would catch them off guard, and allow her to get a move in on them. Kal-toh was different, she remembered that. She hated to think about what other memories she was missing.

Alizati paused when the other said three-headed Furby. He had grown accustomed to everyone treating them like a cat that he forgot that yes they were just out here looking like a very cursed 21st century terran toy. He nodded his head and rested his hands on the table. "Yes, Bir, Ikki, and Yuch. They enjoy company," They were a curious creature that always was seeking new information. The mechanical pet already knew how to speak some basics of Vulcan and Rihannsu and some commands in Standard thanks to the tutelage of one shorts-loving officer. "Speaking of which I must attend to them. I try not to have them stay in my quarters alone too long or else they can get very restless," And with that he stood up and pushed in his chair, ready to leave. "Thank you for letting me try the breadsticks. If you need help with the self defence training, I am here."

“Thank you, Alizati. I must also return to the bioscience lab to check on my insects. If you want to, you could visit them. Just don’t open their container, they’ll escape and probably bite someone.” Lorin and her feral insects. The perfect duo. She willed herself not to scratch the bug bite on her arm. She didn’t want Alizati to say anything about it, so she resisted the urge.

"I will surely visit if I have time," Alizati bowed his head, perfect posture and a stoic gaze. He was not all too interested in being bit by insects although should there be reason for him to be in the biosci lab he would take the ensign up on her offer. He gave Lorin a ta'al before walking away and leaving her to her breadsticks. He was off to go play with the Furberus until Men got home, and then all three of them could relax together.

3

She packed up her breadsticks and left the promenade to go back to her insects.

2

After Alizati flinched at her raising her voice, she got the hint and Amelia was gonna talk quieter. Although she thought to herself was it really that bad, these Vulcans sure are special creatures but a little integration just a show a bit of understanding towards us. But now to the more important, work related topics: "So is there anything I should know about the station, the engineers or something like that? How do you have things structured here?" She was overflowing with questions, it really was a lot of pressure working on a new station with a lot of new faces and new systems. The first few weaks were always the most stressful.

Alizati walked down the corridor with Amelia, his eyes forward as he walked. He had perfect posture, of course how Vulcan, with his hands clasped behind his back. Thankfully there were not many people crowing around the promenade that day. Alizati was not dressed up at all, he was in his standard uniform looking ready for work, not Halloween. "You will be working with a crew of excellent officers. Engineering specifically. I would say our department is rather eccentric, but each officer has their own charms," Alizati began to explain, the coldness from his eyes softening when he mentioned his beloved engineering department. In a way, he felt protective over his officers. "As for the structure, it is standard Starfleet chain of command, no abnomalities," He continued, briefly glancing at Amelia as he spoke. "Do you require any accomodation? I understand you were recently transferred, if there is anything I can do to make you more comfortable I would be glad to assist."

1

As Amelia heard his voice soften when talking about engineering. She felt a little bad for thinking that bad of him. Vulcans do have a soft side, you just have to find the right spot. Amelia was excited to meet a few more engineering officers, she loved knowing everyone in her department personally, it seemed to make work a lot more comfortable. When he turned toward her and ask her for anything she needed, her heart got touched by the care her commander had for his officers. "At the moment I don't need anything", she said with a thankful voice, remembering to keep her voice down. After the Halloween thing Amelia would immediately start getting to know all of the engineering personnel. Her mind was now already wandering to work. All the things she had to do where sometimes overwhelming, especially as an ACEO a lot of extra work came towards her. Sometimes she wished to be able to handle information as well as Vulcans could.

Despite the cold demeanour and unblinking gaze, Alizati was perfectly capable of feeling all of the emotions that others could. Even more so sometimes, as he had already lived a whole life time before being Alizati, chief engineer. "Alright, but if you ever do you may consult me. I am always here to support my fellow officers," Alizati reassured her, knowing very well that Vulcans (and Romulans) were not known for being the warmest or most caring aliens in the galaxy. Alizati stepped into #turbolift and waited for Amelia to follow him. There was a steadiness to the way he walked, no bounce in his step, his upper body didn't seem to move at all as he walked, like he was just... Floating everywhere. Rolling his feet from heel to toe, an intersting way of walking but it was efficient.

He stepped out of #turbolift, and jogged down the promenade, to #holodeck-01.

*He left #holodeck-01 , and walked towards #deleted-channel .

[D] After helping his fellow officers out cleaning up after the ball, Renakir was heading to the pool to meet up with his dear bother and have a nice swim. He was looking forward to splashing Rai in the face and making his make up run. Rennie looked ready for the beach, he had on a pair of starfleet shorts, a T-shirt with a picture of Kali-fal on it, and of course his sunglasses and a pair of thongs. Over his shoulder he had a bag full of his pool gear, a pair of goggles, towel, and his swim trunks.

Fresh off of his first shift patroling the various promenades across the station, Torrun, in his usual exuberant fashion made himself ready for a trip to the pool area to try out the hot tub he had been hearing so much about. Dressed in a tight white cropped tank top, showing off his slim, flat tummy, a pair of short, black swim trunks, some very basic looking black flip flops and he carried a fluffy red towel. His hair was in its usual messy mop that partially covered his signature forehead ridges, strands dangling over one solid black iris. As he walked he couldn't help but notice the striking Reman-Romulan...and the shirt...he had to say something. Approached Rennie slowly and gave the man a soft smile and a wave. "That's a cool shirt! What kind of animal is that on it?"

Renakir was just vibing, minding his business when someone approached him. He was a little spooked at first, but this wouldn't be the first time a stranger had suddenly started talking to him. With the amount of visitors from other ships though, he was still cautious as evident in the way his shoulders stiffened up and how he pushed his sunglasses up on his face so he could clearly see the person. Forehead ridges, black eyes, hm, Klingon mix? "It's an epohh, an animal found on Mol'Rihan. However this specifically is my daughter," Renakir said as he tugged on the bottom of his shirt so the man could see Kali-fal clearly. Cute and fluffy, blue in colour, peeking from behind a wall, staring with all six of her beady little black eyes. "And uhh, you heading to the pool too?" He asked, noticing this stranger also looked ready to hit da beach.

Noticing he had spooked the man, he moved back slightly, relaxing his body language, even though he was only 5'2", he knew his Klingon heritage could make him a little look...intimidating. He smiled up at the Reman-Romulan, enjoying how excited he seemed to talk about his epohh daughter "Oh wow! She's adorable! I've never heard of epohhs before, but oh my gosh do I wanna meet one now!" He cooed, an amazed grin on his face. Before he looked down at the towel clutched in his hand, suddenly remembering just what exactly he was doing. "Yeah! I wanted to try out the hot tub! I had a bit of a strenuous shift today so I thought it might help these sore muscles." He said with a slight laugh, rubbing his shoulder with his hand.

"Her name is Kali-fal Madeleine, she's very smart. Although today she's at epohh daycare because I can't bring her to the pool area. I understand why no pets there, but I wish she could enjoy the water with me," Renakir said with a soft smile, relaxing his shoulders a bit as he realised this stranger was friendly and not going to hurt him. Oh and Renakir was so much taller than him too, well over a foot taller in fact. He was actually below average for both his species, believe it or not. When the other said he was heading to the pool Renakir debated if he should just make a friend or just go on his own. Well, this person didn't seem like they were going to stab him and if Rai could hold someone's hand in public then he could go to the pool with this friendly dude. "Yeah we can go together. My name is Renakir by the way, turbolift operator, and you?" He was doing it! Making friends! Renakir spoke in a warm tone, but his words were still cautious, delivered slowly as if he was still unsure if he was making the right decision.

He looked up at the man, unsure if he really wanted him to join, or was just being polite. It would be nice to make a friend on the station. Torrun decided to go for it, after all, he could never say no to an attractive man, he thought with a smirk, subtlely checking him out...he was tall or atleast tall compared to Torrun. He spoke with a soft smile, a slight blush rising up his neck. "That sounds fun! Swimming is always better with a pool buddy! I'm Torrun! I work as a security patrol officer, basically I make sure no one dines and dashes or steals from the shops, although today I actually had to chase down and tackle someone trying to steal from one of the shops!" He said excitedly, almost like a twink-y puppy that just got a new bone.

"Uh yeah, pool buddy," Renakir laughed nervously, trying not to think about what that would mean if they were both in Romulan space. Why did Romulans have to turn a somewhat friendly phrase into something about murder. Anyway he walked alongside Torrun, stabbing distance apart until they reached #swimming-pool . He noticed the way the shorter man smiled and the blush? Was it hot or something? Renakir was constantly blushing so he totally understood the feeling of always been too warm. Although Eshen didn't blush all the time, or did he? "Oh man, sounds crazy. I just fix turbolifts. By the way stay away from turbo 2, that one's haunted," He said as he headed to the changing rooms. Renakir already had his little speedo on and his inflatable swan thing. Luckily he had great lung capacity so he was able to blow up the floatie in just a few puffs. "Oh Torrun, you got any floats? I have an extra swan."

Rai walked towards the swimming pool.

Alan aka Snakebyte stepped out of the turbo lift to gaze upon the wonders of this new entertainment promenade. New faces, new sights, new sensations. It was his ideal place - a place where he could appreciate the arts. Hopefully there was a show around here too! Auditions, maybe? Snakebyte looked around for people he could talk with, mingle with - his first day wasn't necessarily the most eventful as it was a chance to acclimate himself with the vessel. But now, he hoped for that to change.

Conny was on her way to the swimming pool. For no apparent reason at all she'd felt the urge to go swimming earlier and had decided there'd be nothing wrong with indulging. She had a bag over her shoulder and was walking while looking at her PADD, because she was writing a reply to her stepmum's last message. Yes she was fine, no she didn't forget about her mother's birthday. She was still furiously typing away when she walked straight into another person. Luckily catching her PADD before it could hit the floor she looked up to the person. "Whoops, I'm super sorry. I didn't hurt you did I?"

"YAOWZA!" Snakebyte yelped, moreso in a shock than hurt. "Oh, no, I'm alright, I should have looked, my apologies. I hope I didn't hurt you!" But he wasn't as perturbed by this as he expected to be. Oddly, he was content - he felt lonely here at least so far, he didn't feel like he could connect with anyone like he could back on his old ship. But now he felt like he could move forward a lot easier. Snakebyte put his hand out for Conny to shake. "I'm Snakebyte--" he began, before he caught himself. "U-uh, sorry. That's my nickname. I was well known by it on my last ship. I'm Lt. JG. Alan Grayson." It was noticeable he was nervous behind his attempt to remain calm and collected.

"Nah, I'm fine, no worries. Plus I was the one that ran into you, so it's my fault anyway." Conny grinned widely and rubbed the back of her neck. Just to make sure she'd not find a way to drop it despite just having saved it from that fate, she put her PADD in her bag." *Taking his hand she shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you Lt. JG. Alan Grayson Snakebyte. I'm Ensign Konstanze Falada-Schuchert, but you'll probably wanna call me Conny. I promise I don't usually try to trample people." She let go of his hand and grabbed her bag's strap instead. "Are you new here or do you just like standing around here? Not that that would be a problem either, obviously. If you're new tho, do you need help with something?"

"Oh, me?" Snakebyte said. "Yeah, I'm new. Still finding my legs here. I don't necessarily need help with any tasks, per se, I'm still trying to figure out my circle of friends here. And I haven't fully made myself aware of the layout of the place yet, are any major command locations near here?" But then he decided to prove his friendly nature. "And I don't know, judging by those Gorn-sized footprints in the floor, you seem like the trampling type!" He joked, placing over-emphasis in his voice to exaggerate the gag before he smiled. Obviously there were no footprints in the ground. "Just joking. I agree, you don't seem that way at all. It's a pleasure to meet you, Conny. Oh, and feel free to call me Snakebyte if you wish, or Alan, either one is alright with me."

"Nah not really, the Command stuff's all all the way up as far as I know. Not that I'd go there all that often." She gestured towards her yellow uniform. If anything it'd been annoying taking the lift from her shift up to her quarters, only to go back down almost the entire way to arrive here. "Unless of course you wanna run some sort of Command simulation in one of the holodecks, in that case you'd be exactly in the right place. The holodecks are over there." She pointed in the direction. "Funny." Conny rolled her eyes in an over dramatic manner and grinned. "Don't worry I know and I'm right on it Snakebyte-Alan. I already told you to call me Conny, but if you really want to you can try your luck with Konstanze too." Most people didn't, not even her family called her Konstanze most of the time. "Did you wanna do something in particular here or are you just looking around?"

Snakebyte looked around and examined the area for things to do. He noticed the holodecks in the vicinity. Well, the time was opportune - he didn't have really anything that was pressing right off the bat. He was happy that today was a day he could take it easy. "I've got no assignments for a while today," he said. "If you're free for a bit we can try one of the holodecks. It might be one of the only chances I get for a bit, I don't get a ton of downtime, at least that's what it was like on my last ship. You down?"

"Might as well, better choose a program that has some place to swim tho, cause that's what I wanted to do." She gestured to her bag that was filled with both her swimming gear as well as some comfy clothes and as of earlier her PADD. Swimming in one of the holodecks would work just as well as at the swimming pool, maybe she could even find some sort of waterpark with a few slides. After taking a few steps towards the holodeck, she turned around to look at him and proceeded to walk backwards. "So tell me about yourself Alan the Snakebyte how'd you get that name? What exactly is your job? And what's your opinion on lemon and elderberry flavored ice cream?"

Snakebyte was taken aback by all this. "Whoa whoa whoa," he chuckled. "Slow down, I'm not an android - well, I wish I was. Oh well." He got back on track. "My job title is Diplomatic Attaché," he began. "Fitting given my experience with communication with other cultures through the arts. I'm a regionally and intergalactic-acclaimed stage actor and a pretty decent musician. Not to toot my own horn, of course. But my nickname?" He cracked his neck, preparing to explain this. "On a mission, my captain chose me as part of the away team," Snakebyte started. "The planet was infested with venomous and lethal snakes. I don't know how it happened or what sort of attitude got into me - but once one bit me, I just ripped it out of my skin, as if I gained an extra set of muscles. I don't remember it as well as others do, but apparently I went into a frenzy, protecting the rest of the away team from an onslaught of other snakes, with phaser and by hand. My captain was part of that away team. I've been known by it ever since on my old ship." He looked on over past Conny to the holodecks coming up. "I suppose I could try that ice cream you pointed out," he said. "Lemon isn't usually my thing, but I can't say I've had it in ice cream. Same with elderberry. Regardless, if I didn't know better, seeing all that gear I would have thought you were an Olympic athlete," he joked again, smiling.

"Oh no worries, I'm fairly confident I could go too fast for Androids just the same." Conny was still grinning, but eventually decided that walking backwards was a little too risky. "Huch dang, I'm in the presence of a celebrity then? Typical for me not to realize. I'm nothing of the sort, just your local logistics officer. I can order chemicals, desks, screwdrivers and ten thousand party hats." And a whole lot of other things. Most of her work day was going through their inventory and updating how much they had of what. "That sounds super dangerous, I must say Snakebyte-Alan, I can't say I've got any comparable stories. Although I did get taken hostage once. Can't say I acted overly heroic tho, definitely didn't earn me any fancy nicknames." Especially not on her previous postings, starbase 404 was something else entirely, plus even if she'd earned something there it would probably have gotten lost. "You should, lemon ice cream is peak. Then again I'm not entirely certain if what I'm speaking of wouldn't technically fall under the term sorbet, but I don't think so? Also, me? An athlete? Really!? Well I suppose I'm flattered." When they arrived at the entrance to the holodecks, Conny scrolled through the programs until she found something she thought might be fun. "How bout this Alan the Snakebyte?"

Snakebyte looked on to see what programs Conny had pulled up. "Well, I don't see why not!" he said. "This should be fun, I haven't really been on a holodeck in a while, I'm excited to get back in. Plus, free lemon and elderberry ice cream and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the spectacle of this incredible Olympian for myself! An Olympian who's survived a hostage takeover, no less! See? You'll be a celebrity soon. Because people will know who you are... all thanks to me!" He joked again, this time letting out an unmistakably mischievous laugh, one that only pranksters would make. "All in good fun, don't worry." Undoubtedly, he didn't mean any of this seriously, a major part of it was to gauge Conny's sense of humor. Conceit was never something Snakebyte pursued earnestly. "It's fun, getting to mess around like this. I've been told by a close few friends that I'm just a big teenager. While they're not entirely accurate, at least I have an excuse to be a bit of a jerk when I want to, harmlessly!" Obviously he had no ill will towards Conny - it was evident from his voice that he genuinely enjoyed his time with her, even with it being so brief, not to mention by accident.

Snakebyte heard the yellow alert on the PA system as well as the away team announcement. "Looks like this will have to wait," he said. "But hey, don't be a stranger come and visit me any time, I love making new friends. Especially ones that are as chaotic as you." He giggled before heading to #drydock

Andrea looked around the Promenade, taking it all in. She hadn’t seen much of the station yet, but it’s size was breathtaking. She had heard that the facility was impressive but she didn’t expect… this. She took a seat at a small, nearby bench, and began to take a few pictures, kicking her feet softly out of excitement. “Oh this place is… huge. Might have to take a few days to explore it all fully… and I want to take a full day to walk around the Eviro-ring…” she murmured, trying to plan everything. She felt like a kid going to the big city for the first time. So much to do and see. At least here she didn’t have to worry about the rain.

He saw the look of awe on the other ensigns face from across the and his face lit up with a smile. He himself had been in her shoes recently so in his ongoing quest to make some more friends he slid into the table across from her. At first he didn't make eye contact and looked around with her. "This place really is something isn't it? I don't think anything from the academy or my past lives could've prepared me for how beautiful this station is." He then finally made eye contact with Andrea. "I suppose you're new to the station but I've found it truely never loses its beauty."

Andrea looks up from the camera and smiled softly, seeing the stranger. She nodded and put the device away, standing up to be polite. “Yea, I thought San Francisco was pretty when I went there for the academy. Been nothing by sight after sight for me.” she stuck out a hand and fixed her hair slightly, no doubt a nervous mannerism. “Names Andrea. Nice to meet you. Sorry if my gawking was… embarrassing. First posting, first time in space. Lots of firsts…” she kept her hand out and let out a chuckle, her shoulders relaxing slightly

He offered up an inviting smile before he spoke, evidently he was in quite a good mood. "Oh please, that's not embarrassing at all, infact I quite respect it. " He gave her hand a shake, and then offered up his first introductions. "I'm Del, or Tacoma, Tacoma Del... being a joined Trill is a little bit confusing. That said it's quite great to meet you. It can be tough going through all those firsts. I'm just lucky I had my past experiences to rely upon."

“I haven’t formally met a Trill yet. Yet another first for me!” She said, tilting her head to the side. “it’s lovely to meet you, Del. Glad to know I’m not the only new person here. Is this also your first posting?” she adjusted her uniform slightly and further relaxed her posture, taking a soft deep breath.

He nodded. "Yep! I've been here for a couple months though. All things considered I'm still relatively new around here. I'd still be incredibly happy to show you around." Del smiled, Rainier would've been proud of him for going out of his way to help out a new officer. He was just overjoyed to be making new friends though.

Vara'l entered the promenade and with a rapid series of strides departed it as he headed for the sports hall. The Liberated borg having a bag clutched in one hand.

Having departed the sports hall after a conversation and some martial arts practise, Vara'l checked the time. Upon being presented with the current time, the Lieutenant then proceeded to utter a number of choice phrases in three languages that probably shouldn't be translated in polite company. These words snapped out as he double timed it toward the nearest turbolift.

As he stepped out of the turbolift, a small person sat on his shoulders and in deep conversation with him, Vara'l moved with sure strides toward the fitness suite. The older Romulan teasing his kid a tad in the moments before they arrived at the door to the fitiness suite and entered.

[D] After getting settled in to his quarters, Lhi was out here at the entertainment promenade alone whilst his dad was off doing dad things? Well, Lhi wanted to so some exploring on his own so he expertly dodged the bunches of people as he walked slowly. Being generally poor with fashion, Lhi was just in his uniform that day. His silky purple hair was arranged neatly in a side braid that bounced a little with each step he took. If it wasn't his implants or greenish gray skin, it was his height that usually made him stick out from the cowd, but on a station full of Vulcanoids he was pleasantly surprised to not be the only 6'5 tall Romulan around. He was very average height for his species, but well above the height of many of the other humanoid species. Lhi didn't seem too overwhelmed by all the people at all, he was just drifting through the crowd.

Snakebyte strolled onto the promenade - ahh, the memories. One of the first places he ever visited on the starbase! Certainly bringing back some nostalgia. Snakebyte did sport his command red uniform, although he wasn't planning on getting much done now given he was here. This was just a chance for him to let off some steam from the past few weeks. And he was diving head first into it. That is, until he spotted Lhi across the way. Ah! Another unfamiliar face! Just like nearly every single one he had come across when first touring the starbase... oh well. He approached Lhi with a smile. "Mind if I join you? Seems a lot too quiet down here."

Lhi was caught off guard by a stranger talking to him, causing him to turn his head and his eyes to widen. He stared at the man for a few seconds before it registered to him that he was asking a question! Lhi opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out at first, which was slightly concerning to him but a few more seconds of silence passed and he nodded his head. "That is fine, hi," Lhi waved his hand at the stranger. "Join me in... Walking? I am new here, I don't really know what I'm doing," Lhi admitted with a slightly nervous expression. The skin above his eyes gently pulled together, if he had eyebrows they would have furrowed at that moment, but he only had one tuft of hair above his left eye. His gaze stayed on the stranger in front of him, unblinking, just staring.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Alan Grayson," Snakebyte said, holding his hand out for Lhi to shake. Yes, this time he did not introduce himself by his moniker. This time, he stayed genuine to his birth name. Certainly through a number of experiences on the Starbase did he learn not to use it everywhere as a brag, and certainly now with someone as gentle-appearing as Lhi. "It's alright," Snakebyte replied. "I'm still fairly new as well. Can I give you a hand with navigating the place?"

"We are Lhi erh'fve, Six of Nine in Standard," Lhi said without stuttering or pausing at all! He was quite proud of himself and he showed this by balling up his hands into two fists like he had just accomplished running a mile or something. That's when he noticed the other had extended a hand to shake which quickly sucked any confidence Lhi had and caused him to hide his hands behind his back. "We're Romulan," Lhi said plainly, as if that was enough explanation the other needed for why Lhi was not going to shake hands. He stared at Alan for a few more seconds, not blinking, just staring straight into his eyes. A green blush crept across Lhi's cheeks after staring for too long and he covered his cheeks with his hands. "I mean-- no handshakes sorry! It's very intimate to me," Lhi's mind was going at literal threshold speeds, his mind was a salamander. "Yes! Hi Alan it is nice to meet you. I would love your help, where are we going?" Lhi brought his hands down to fiddle with his braid again, not smiling, but his posture was relaxed and he seemed to have calmed down a bit.

Snakebyte responded, pulling his hand back but not before he looked upon Lhi with curiosity. "Hey, hey, it's okay," Snakebyte reassured Lhi. "I didn't mean to offend. You're alright. It's nice to meet you as well, Six of Nine. Why don't we head down to the food court? Get you some water if you want it. Well, actually, that could go for both of us, I'm parched." Snakebyte was more than a bit hungry, although unexpectedly not as hydrated as he thought he was. It was an oddly convenient opportunity for him to both get a break to chow down at the food court and to get to know Lhi better. He didn't have many opportunities to meet with a Romulan, anyway - this could be a great new milestone and he could definitely learn something from Lhi!

Lhi nodded, happy that Alan didn't seem offended when he denied him for the handshake. Starfleet officers were so understanding, but that didn't make Lhi feel any less awkward. "You didn't offend it's okay, I know umm.. Other species do not mind touching," Lhi gave Alan an understanding nod and glanced around the promenade at all the people walking past them. It was a lot more crowded than Rapture and with more civilians. There was a part of him that wondered what his dad was doing and if he was having a fun time. "We can go get something to eat! I.. Don't really eat like other people, but I like water!" Lhi said with an enthusiastic nod. "Lead the way, let's go exploring!" As Lhi said this he did a little fist pump in the air.

"Sure thing," Snakebyte replied. "Let's get you some water. You should be able to get something you like at Papa Giovanni's. Let's go." Snakebyte promptly began walking with Lhi to #deleted-channel

Down the promenade and into holodeck 2 Shane went.

Haruki looked a little lost as he wandered into Holodeck 2, trying his hardest not to chicken out at the last moment.

Vara'l rapidly moved off toward the holodecks,holodeck 2 selected mid move as he noted a empty patch of time free on it's schedule and blocked it out for his use. The action followed by a soft whispered prayer of thanks to the elements in Rihannsu as he thanked them for having allowed him to have some time with which to do this.

Vara'l departed the holodeck and headed to the nearest turbolift.

[D] Allan had heard, via the chatroom of course and general talk on the station, that there was a party, or rather, a mix of both a party and an amusement park holodeck program being run in #holodeck-01 . Well, it would have been silly not to attend, especially when he heard Aella and Renakir would most likely be in attendance. Thing was, before any good party, the engineer typically liked to pregame a little. He'd probably done some things earlier in his quarters, and his hair was just a little messy, so he stopped for a moment in the promenade, using some truly amazing future technology to touch a button or so on a nearby wall panel and turn it into a small mirror for about 10 seconds, combing his hair back into place, making sure the rest of him looked good (always did, but he had to make sure). Before the mirror function switched off he also made sure to take a selfie or two - wasn't it cool how the technology recognized who activated it and only was able to recognize them so that you didn't have any photobombers? Pretty cool. Anyways, after making sure his short shorts and his crop top (very simple - you didn't want to have something too complicated when you planned on going to the waterpark too, after all) were fine, he pulled a bottle of good ol' Torre'vnau RPA - the best Romulan ale, which was also half empty- and started chugging the rest of it. Yeah, he'd be fine.

2

Æn'kae wasn't the sort to just walk up to strangers. He certainly hadn't planned on it today. He was honestly just exploring to get the gist of where everything was. This included making a mental note of the fitness areas. He wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of keeping up with sparring, but D'kæh had warned him in no uncertain terms that he'd make sure he was keeping up with it when he visited next. Æn'kae knew better than to test if he was joking. But sparring could wait until he had finished settling in. Outside of that, he'd hurried past the club, not that he minded bars when he was with friends, but alone? Just being near them was a bit overwhelming so he wasn't exactly paying attention for a moment. He ended in a bit close proximity with the currently less than sober Terrhaha than he cared for, not that close, but close enough that it was hard to just ignore what he was doing. The two were a study in contrasting appearance. Not only was his own hair forever a bit of a curly mess, but he wore his usual pants and jacket combination while this man wore a crop top and shorts that left very little to the imagination. Mind, he looked fine, that didn't even enter Æn'kae's focus. But he did care that this person seemed to be putting away enough to make most Rihannsu drunk. So he paused. "I, uh, I don't want to pry but umm, are you sure that's a good idea?"

2

Allan was about to turn on his heel to go walk over to the holodeck, but when he noticed someone walk up to him and ask - "Hm? Is what..." he looked down at himself, and then back up at the man, seemingly confused. "Like, my... my shorts? 'Cause I don't reallly.... like, I dunno how new you are here, but Starfleet Shorts have been a thing, and..." he didn't sound rude in tone at all, just genuine, and he squinted at him, looking at him in complete silence for a while. "You... sorry, you..." he stopped squinting, and his eyes widened as he stepped back and facepalmed and gestured to Æn'kae. "You're the new vet, right? Like, I think I saw your picture when I uh, I looked you up, 'cause uh, you know, my boyf- the uh, Bandit's cat- Bandititos, you - you know?" He had such a silly smile on his face, well - mostly because he was drunk as hell, but also because he was sort of just like this sometimes. "I'm like, going to a party, though, uhh, like - whole type of amusement park, water, the whole shitshabang, you know? Do you - do you like funnel cake? Or hot guys? This guy uhhh, Renakir, he's gonna be there," had to hype up the bestie.

2

1

Please allow a few moments for Æn'kae to try and process this. Those sure were some words. Were all of them even words? Who knew, certainly not him. All he got for sure was someone else had cats? And something about a party? This did one thing, though. It distracted him from his concerned questioning. Because you know what, this was an adult (debatably.) "I am, ie, I'm Æn'kae. And... I have no idea what a funnel cake is? But I believe I've met him?" Maybe, he'd only heard the full name once. "He have a far to bright little blue Epohh named Kali-Fal?" He was pretty sure there was an invitation embedded in all of that somewhere. And. Was he trying to set up his friend? Or? Just gonna brush by that part, as he was not entirely sure he understood the slang right.

All of them were words in Allan's brain right now, that was for sure. It all made perfect sense in his brain, too, but of course, everything always made sense when you were drunk. It just happened how it did, and you just went with the flow, of course. And yes, he was an adult. 27 years old as of last month, to be exact. "Æn'Kae, Æn'Kae, nice to meet you," he said, looking shocked when the other said he didn't know what funnel cake is, but believe he'd met Funnel Cake... oh, wait, no, he meant he'd met Renakir. Right. "Whaaat? Aw, no way, dude, we've got to get you some funnel cake, like, stat, well - do you like, like, crunchy but soft things? And sugar? If you don't, we'll just get you something else," he said, slowly starting to edge himself over to the holodeck, taking slow but careful steps over there. "YES! Yes, Kali-fal, oh, God, she's the best, she's-" he held up the bottle that was now almost empty, but managed to point right at the bright blue liquid that was still inside, "this color, yeah, suuuper pretty though, but I swear, her owner's so pretty too, great kisser, also," he continued as he walked, hoping the other would follow to the holodeck as he did.

2

2

Æn'kae did follow, in no small part because he tended to get a bit caught up in powerful personalities. As to the rest? If this was before the party even started, he was incredibly curious what this person would be like by the end (Aside from unconscious). He raised an eyebrow, the somewhat confused and very subtly amused expression looking far more Vuhlkansu than his norm. "I'm not sure how something can be both crunchy and soft at the same time, but I'll admit, I'm curious." And then, well, then the man continued in his description of Renakir. And. Don't mind that subtle bronze tone that went all the way to Æn'kae's ear tips. It was just a shift in the lighting. And absolutely was not in any way some sort of blush. "I um, I will have to trust your expert opinion."

"Like... it's crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside," Allan explained, glad the other man was following him. "Damn right, you will," he chuckled, as he walked in through the holodeck doors and into the #deleted-channel , where the next reply would be posted...

Savek was quite excited to go to this party! He was with his wife, he had managed to drag her away from her work for one more night of fun together before he went off on his long-awaited geological survey. He wouldn’t have had nearly as much fun at the party without her, she was his support and also his closest friend! If she wasn’t going to have fun then how was he supposed to? But of course he first had to navigate the promenade, somewhere he NEVER liked being at this time. His noise cancellers were turned up to their highest setting, he couldn’t hear a thing. He was wearing a hot pink shirt, black shorts, and black combat boots, underneath he had hot pink swim trunks so he could do waterpark stuff, hopefully scare a few people with his rather unsettling amount of time he could go without air.

T’Asha wasn’t far away from Savek. She wasn’t as totally thrilled to go to this party as Savek was, but she knew he wanted to go and that this would be different from the real life amusement park Halcyon had dragged her to back in the Academy. It wouldn’t be as loud. She’d be fine. The two of them had eaten dinner beforehand because she wasn’t sure if there’d be much she could have, much less anything her notoriously picky husband could have. She did have a thermos of spice tea with her that she was carrying though, plus disposable cups in her bag. It’d be enough tea for a few people to have if they wanted. She was wearing a black shirt and dark blue jean shorts, black bikini on underneath. She wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to yeet herself into the water. She didn’t have any noise cancellers on, she was having a good day undiagnosed autism symptoms-wise and she was trying to be open to perhaps making a new friend. She was really just out here with only three friends and one of them was her husband.

[D] The hybrid eventually finished his daily tasks, more curious to attend this party rather than a social event. His time on the past post was interesting but he didn't see it fully covering the social events he could learn from. Sikan made his way throughout the starbase until he arrived to the promenade. He didn't bring swimwear, wearing more formal attire even in a casual situation such as this. His attire consisted of black dress shoes and black dress pants with a royal blue turtleneck. Sikan glanced around the promenade, emotionless as ever. He couldn't help but wonder. This might be far more chaotic than the events from his last posting, the mist they had there were game nights for strategy. It was strange to him in a way that he had to see for himself. His antennae didn't move for now.

Savek hadn’t noticed Sikan yet, but T’Asha did. She nudged Savek to let him know there were people she was talking to and she and Savek both gave Sikan a ta’al. Savek turned his noise cancellers down a little bit so he could actually hear what Sikan might way. More Vulcanoids would be nice, T’Asha thought. Though by the formal clothes she wasn’t sure if he was going to party. Well, it couldn’t hurt to ask. “Hello, are you going to the party?” She said as she continued walking with the two men towards the holodecks.

It would be hard to miss other Vulcans. Sikan quickly returned the ta'al, his antennae curled in a calm manner. "Hello. And yes I will be attending the... social event." He had to look down a bit to see the other two. Though this was something he was used to. Sikan wondered momentarily if there were more Vulcans, maybe hybrids like himself. "Interesting attire. Are physical activities involved? I only saw a small conversation in the chatroom regarding of this event." He slowly raised one eyebrow in curiosity.

Savek was used to being small. Both in height and in terms of muscle, he had never really been as physically strong as other Vulcans, he could carry his diving equipment but that was about it. And he was only 5’10, his wife not much taller at 6 feet. And while that was good for fitting into caves, it wasn’t good for conversations. Not that it mattered to him, he didn’t make eye contact no matter the height of the person he was talking to. “Thank you, I like my outfit style. But yes, there are physical activities involved, there are rollercoasters to ride. But I have not actually been to an amusement park like this before, they are too loud for me usually.” He said in complete monotone.

He doesn't make eye contact either. It was silly but he felt it creepy in a way to look at eyes. His antennae curled more. "Interesting. I should avoid too much of the activities then. I am not equipped." Sikan doesn't show it or say it, but that was definitely a bit embarrassing. He would have to do more research next time. Though he probably could find a way inside the holodecks? He would have to see for himself. Sikan adjusted his tinted glasses that protected his eyes. "Rollercoasters. I have heard of those before. Definitely will not be riding those." His tone stayed flat, the idea of being jerked around like that did not appeal to him.

“Well, I hope you will have a good time anyhow.” He was very excited to go on the rollercoasters. He hadn’t ever been able to before, he never would be able to in real life. Holodecks though, he could. He just hadn’t before. T’Asha was also a tiny bit excited to go on the rollercoasters, she thought the physics that went into them was fascinating. It was cool to see it in action, for her. And, they arrived at the holodeck entrance, where the two others would follow Savek inside.

"Thank you." His antennae had curled again, more of a friendly manner. It was nice to see other Vulcans around. Momentarily Sikan himself wasn't sure which portion to go into. Until he saw the waterparks. Maybe he was just sheltered, but he never had seen so many people near a body of water. Not for fun anyways. This definitely felt strange to him. Sikan had to see it for himself. "Studying this behaviour will be interesting." The hybrid scurried off, evidently deep in his thoughts and curiosity.

“Well, let’s go see what Ace has in store for us.” Savek said to his wife as the two of them entered the holodeck.

After having wandered away from the miscellaneous restaurants, Essen took a stroll by herself into the entertainment promenade. Just wandering in, no real destination in mind, just taking in the atmosphere of the entertainment promenade. She enjoyed the feel of everything here - it felt homey and habitable for her to let off some steam.

Thiru had just gotten off duty and was now wandering the corridors, looking for some social interactions. Filling out paperwork or watching security tapes all day was often boring and monotonous. As she walked past Essen, she glanced at her quickly before realising it was her and then finally stopping. "Hi Essen!", she greeted her full of enthusiasm. "How are you?" Thiru was so happy to finally see Essen again, she was the person, Thiru knew the most about and she felt that they had formed a great connection to each other.

Essen's eyes widened when she saw Thiru - but not as much when she would normally see Kaylee. "Thiru!" Essen said, approaching Thiru. "Heyyy! It's so good to see you, I honestly have never been better. I'm sorry you had to meet me at my worst, things during the past week have been absolutely the best they've ever been for me." Essen owed a large amount of her mental health recovery to Thiru. Essen probably wouldn't have even been able to talk to Kaylee or begin dating her if she hadn't met Thiru.

"That is amazing to hear", Thiru said, she had been worried for a while after their conversation that she would fall back and not have anyone to talk to. "Don't worry about that. Everyone has a hard time sometimes." She replied "What have you been up to the past weeks?" Thiru quickly switched topic, she didn't know how sensible Essen was and what could trigger her.

1

Essen blushed slightly - and then she full-on blushed. "Welllll... I got my first girlfriend!" Essen spoke as if she had just won the lottery, or made the biggest accomplishment anyone could ever make. She dearly loved Kaylee - and she would thank Thiru for helping her through her toughest times so she would eventually meet Kaylee.

2

Thiru face lit up with a great smile when she heard about it. "That's amazing, I am so glad you got so much better." Considering how bad Essen felt just a few weeks prior, this was a huge accomplishment. She had heard of so few people who were able to recover from such mental distress so easily. "Tell me about it", Thiru wanted to know everything about it and couldn't wait for the story.

2

Essen immediately found a small table with two chairs nearby, and sat down in one, motioning for Thiru to join her. "Do you know Kaylee Valkyrie? Ensign, Engineering, any of that ring a bell?" Essen began. "Welllll... I met her at the holodeck, and she showed me her home, it's such a beautiful place back on Earth. While we were there, I just felt this... Tug towards her. A feeling I've never felt before. I've never had any significant other before Kaylee. Back home, I was always hated or pushed to the side... But Kaylee even saw my scar and is still madly in love with me." Essen's toes curled underneath her. "You know... She's super nice, and sweet, and funny, and compassionate, and so...so pretty... legitimately she's an angel... The most gorgeous girl I've ever met. If you don't know her I'd love for you to meet her! You'd really like her." Essen's mannerisms turned rather giddy, as she let out a dazed giggle that she only let out when she thought about Kaylee...

2

Thiru almost felt Essen's love for Kaylee, as Essen so vividly described the feeling she got everytime she saw her. Of course Thiru knew Kaylee, she had read almost every person's intelligence file that was on this station and her memory was almost perfect. But she usually refrained from telling anyone about it. That almost always made her look bad in some way and a lot of the information in them wasn't accessable for most personnel. "I would be honered to meet her." Thiru responded. She herself had never been in love or even close to it. Maybe she had always looked in the wrong direction or was just to occupied with work to ever realise, she was in love. Furthermore her interests in another person would definitely interfere with her ability to carry out her work as an intelligence officer.

1

"I knowwww," Essen said, slightly rocking back and forth in her chair while her toes kept curling underneath her seat. "I love her so much... She honestly is the other half I didn't know I needed until I met her. Now she's my everything. My world, my universe... She gives me a sort of energy I've never had before." Essen practically was going to fall out of her chair, she was swaying slightly and did lose her balance - but she stopped herself and planted her foot onto the ground to keep herself from falling any further. "Phew! That was close." Essen cleared her throat and sat up straight. "But enough about what I've been up to, what about you?? What have you been up to?"

As interesting as live could be in intelligence, it didn't even come close to Essen beatiful love story. Thiru had been reading intelligence reports and updating them when she noticed any imperfections. It had been the same for the last weeks and it was boring as hell. "Nothing interesting", she told Essen, Thiru didn't want to bore her with any details, "I just wish that there was something to come up, some kind of hostage rescue or something of that sort." Thiru knew that it was gruesome wishing for something that horrible to happen but her mind was craving a challenge and combat was the outlet she had for when she was full of energy again.

1

Essen thought about it -- a hostage rescue? Sort of like rescuing a princess? Hmm... Would be a fun holodeck program to try out with the three of them - meaning Thiru, Kaylee and her. Not today, but sometime. "Hey, whatever happens, I'm just glad you've been alright too," Essen said. "Who knows? We might get in the middle of something exciting soon!"

"That's the thrill of it, isn't it", Thiru suggested, "You don't know when anything will happen or if it will ever happen but you have to be prepared." "How do you fell about it, Tactical has to be pretty boring as well, aren't you interested in a little action as well."

1

Essen snickered at that. "Heh, I make my job fun," Essen retorted. "I have to. Or else I'd probably have gone insane months ago. Of course it helps that Kaylee and I are together! But all in all, I like to sprinkle -- no. I love to dump generous amounts of chaos into everything I do. It makes everything so much more interesting."

Thiru was sure Essen loved the chaos she caused. What she knew about her was that she did everything 150% wether it was crying, loving or doing her job. This was a valuable quality about her but also her greatest weakness. "As much as I know about you I believe that instantly", Thiru chuckled. "But give me a few tips, how do I make every day work interesting with a little chaos?"

1

Essen let out a laugh. "Ha! It's easy," she began. Well... Truth be told, adding chaos to everything one does certainly sounded easy when Essen said it, but when others did it? Could be a hit or miss. "Turn everything into a challenge, almost like a dare," Essen continued. "Boom! Makes things more fun. For me, I like making trick shots left and right that will leave the crew speechless as to how I did it. But also? Just keep things chill! No need to be serious all the time, I use what was called 'Gen Z' language back in the 21st century. I don't wanna be robotic and all that shit - bam! Adds chaos right there."

1

Thiru was laughing at Essen's recommendations. "Maybe, I should try this Gen Z language you're talking about. Or you could teach me a little." Thiru chuckled "I don't know, how I could trickshot though, I mean in intelligence aren't really that many oppertunities for that." Thiru gave a Essen words a little more thought and realised that maybe she was a little uptight sometimes but it was part of the job.

1

Essen shrugged. "Hey, maybe there will be an opportunity for you to trickshot one day! You never know, if you feel like you can do something to an all-time max or put up your best performance where others would stand and scratch their heads trying to figure out how you did it, why not go for it? Keeps me on my A-game and it gives me an excuse to call myself a badass. Because I am." Yup... Essen certainly wasn't too modest here. "Besides, life is too short not to live it up," Essen said. "And we're in space, for fuck's sake! There has to be a chance to get crazy!"

2

Thiru started laughing uncontrollably once Essen finished talking. This little Vulcan was a bundle of pure power and chaos. From a far you definitely wouldn't expect her to be that chaotic. "You are a funny Vulcan!" Thiru squeezed out between gaining her breath back and holding her stomach from all the laughing. Even though Essen called herself a badass, Thiru didn't think that she was arrogant, she definitely earned herself that title after pulling herself out of a machine that was splitting her skull and then still being able to live a fairly normal life. "You 100% are a badass"

1

Essen sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other, girl-boss style. Immediately she had an overwhelming sass and swagger, just from that simple motion of sitting back in her chair. Placing her hands behind her head comfortably, she smiled knowing that she had an effect on Thiru. "Damn fuckin' right, I'm funny and I'm a badass, and don't you forget it." A spark lit up in Essen's eyes. "You know how else I'm a badass? I saved Kaylee's life. She was bitten by a cannibal tribble during the infestation - I acted quickly, and brought her to the casualty wing. Helped regulate her heartbeat, keep her calm so the doctor could treat her." She decided not to include the part about disobeying the yellow alert and the direct order to report to the security base... She definitely learned her lesson on that though.

1

Thiru was impressed by how much the two loved each other, they couldn't know each other for two long and they were already that much in love. She saw how much effect the thought of Kaylee had on Essen. And being brave enough to save her from a cannibal tribble. "You two really are perfect for each other", Thiru noted. She thought of writing everything that she had learned about the two of them into their intelligence reports. Thiru always put work first and she knew that it was important but it felt different this time. Thiru didn't want to invade their privacy and it was probably already in there, so she decided to push this thought aside. "Oh no, what happend to her?" Thiru asked in an empathetic voice. "Is she better now?"

2

Essen did take that whole thing with an element of bragging - she was, after all, the knight who saved princess Kaylee in the moment of strife from the cannibal tribble dragon, both trapped in the tall turbolift tower. "We really are," Essen said. "You should see me when I'm around her. I'm so giddy but moreso just... happy! Happy and loved!" Then Essen heard Thiru's next question. "Oh yeah, she's alright! After the bite she lost a lot of blood, she nearly died from that. But I made sure she got the medical help she needed. I swore upon her and upon myself to ensure it."

1

As Thiru was listening to all that Essen told her about Kaylee, her expression changed from overly positive to somewhat sad or negative. She suddenly realised how alone she was and had always been. She had never been in a real relationship, it was always just her and her job. Since she joined Starfleet that feeling had come more frequently but she always shoved it aside. This time it hit with more force than ever and she almost couldn't hold it in.

2

Essen sensed the shift in Thiru's behavior right away, and she abandoned her comfortable sitting back to lean forward and approach Thiru. "Hey... You okay?" Essen said. "You just... Went real quiet." Immediately Essen was on alert - something was wrong and Essen wasn't sure what it was. Did she say something? Was it something in her body language? Was it something else? She didn't know. But she had to ensure Thiru was okay.

1

Thiru was barely able to keep her composure, every fiber in her body fought against the feeling of emptiness. She didn't often talk about herself, so it felt hard to open up sometimes but she tried anyways. "I... it's..", Thiru stuttered "Seeing you two so happy together, makes me realize how lonely I've been my entire life." Thiru eyes began to water up, so she buried her face in her hands and hide herself. For her this was the greatest embarassment she ever felt.

1

Essen realized that she was now in the position Thiru was in when she originally was upset - Essen immediately knew what kind of friend Thiru was, she was a friend that would be there until the end but wasn't afraid to be herself when necessary. "Oh, Thiru," Essen said, giving Thiru a gentle hug. "Come here." Essen made sure to hug Thiru and not hurt her, just providing enough to help Thiru feel supported. "I can't imagine how it's felt for you. I'm so sorry... How can I best support you?" Essen thought of some ideas to help Thiru out. "Maybe Kaylee and I can help you out! Sort of like matchmakers! In the meantime I don't see why you couldn't hang out with me and Kaylee! Just because Kaylee and I are dating doesn't mean you have to be alone! Because you know what? You're not alone. Not on our watch." Then Essen got an idea. "Think about it this way. I adore Kaylee as my girlfriend. And I adore you as -- my sister." Essen never had a sister - being an only child, Thiru could be an incredible sister figure. (edited)

2

3

Thiru felt harbored when Essen gave her a hug. Her tense muscles relaxed and after a little while, she already felt so much better. "You don't have anything to do with it. A lot of people are usually skeptical when they realise that I am in intelligence and that was usually the biggest problem. They often see me as the enemy." Thiru slowly loosened herself from the hug and after wiping her eyes with her forearm, she put on a small smile. "Sister... ", Thiru looked at her with big eyes similar to a puppy. "You would be something like this for me."

3

Essen put her hand on Thiru's shoulder as she pulled away from the hug. If Essen was anything, she was consistent with those she cared about. Before meeting Kaylee, Essen probably wouldn't have had this amount of eloquence in supporting Thiru. "Absolutely," Essen said. "Yes, it might be different than my relationship with Kaylee, but it doesn't mean you're any less! I've never had a sister. I'd absolutely want you as my sister."

10

"Thank you for caring about me" Thiru said "I think I really should get going", Thiru said, putting on her usual stone cold expression, while standing up from the table. "Bye", Thiru said and with a quick wave made herself on her way back to her quarters.

2

Essen called out to Thiru as she left. "Thiru! Please come back sometime and visit me," Essen said. "I'm here for you just as you're here for me." Essen smiled, and got up, going on her way.

2

'Event post': Maza had just left one of the holodecks, so of course she was dressed as a Maza-sized Godzilla. She had recently been made aware of the human genre of kaiju films so she wanted to partake and see what it was all about. So instead of being a scientist, or soldier or damsal in distress, she had just spend an hour toppling miniture buildings and skyscrapers and roaring at the tiny planes shooting at her. It was... like how toddlers enjoyed throwing over towers of bricks. It felt nice. As she made her way across the promenade, the lights began to flicker. Denobuzila commented. "That kind be good..."

[D] Almost out of nowhere, a silvery, hazy energy field, softly crackled into life in the middle of the promenade, 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...

Thiru was just heading to one of the holodecks for a combat simulation that she had written herself. She had taken inspiration from the earth combat form of judo, so she was basically in a bathrobe. When the power surge hit, Thiru rolled her eyes and thought not now please.

Denobuzila would look at the shivering silvery energy for a moment, being confused more than actually frightened. She saw Thiru nearby, remembering her from an earlier holodeck adventure they went on. The fact that she was just in a bathrobe did not seem to bother her in the slightest. When on Romulos. "Thiru! Did you just see that? Are we still on the Holodeck?"

Thiru got surprised by the speaking costume and just after rubbing her eyes asked: "Is that you Maza?" This had already been a weird day and it seemed that it would get even weirder while she was just standing there in that stupid robe. She wished that she had at least been on duty while that whole thing started. "I don't think so, I was just on my way there and it seems like you were too." Thiru said with a slight concern in her voice. Were they under attack because something couldn't be right. She hadn't seen this ever or heard about it. "This can't be good", she added. At this point, she was just waiting for the red-alert to go off any minute. She was already preparing for the worst.

Denobuzila would walk over towards Thiru. While she was not Starfleet, she knew that staying to them and heading their advice was most likely the best course to take. They got in perilous space situations on a more frequent basis than her. "It is me in the costume. Not part of any kind of...Gorn invasion force." Was that speciest? "Is there anything I can help with or, should I just head to quarters? Perhaps the...whatever is happening is afraid of Godzilla costumes?"

As the lights shut off and then suddenly were twice as bright, Thiru tried to cover her eyes with her right arm and tried to somehow shield her ears from the loud music suddenly playing. As the yellow alert started sounding throughout the station, Thiru shouted over the commotion: "Getting you to your quarters sounds like a reasonable plan. Do you want me to accompany you or can you do it yourself?"

Maza was totally disoriented when many different things seemed to happen all at once, the costume not really helping one bit. She removed the head and kept it under her arm as she began to feel the danger with the yellow alert going off. A part of her wanted to say that she would be fine. But as she was still relatively new to this station, she actually would like the assistance. "If you are not needed at any station, I would not mind an escort! If we find anyone else they can join us to the quarters!" Maza would waddle behind Thiru, the costume not really helping with speed.

Thiru was leading the way for the big, scared reptile while she was thinking about what or who could have caused this. The most likely thing was still a computer virus. But that didn't explain the weird energy field. "Don't be scared", Thiru encouraged Maza just before entering #turbolift .

1

The young Romulan wasn't sure where he was, having just gotten off the transport here barely half an hour ago. Veldan didn't speak Standard, so he was aimlessly wandering through the entertainment rings, wholly basing his decisions based on the pictures and graphics dotted around. He didn't think about it too hard, but from the looks of what the attendants at the dockyard gave him, he had requisitioned his own quarters? Totally by accident by the way, Veldan didn't plan on staying long at ALL. If anything he wanted to go back to the planet he stopped at before, it looked cold. His kind of environment. No, here, this station, was too dangerous for him to stay (even if he did admit it looked nice). That wasn't the thing Veldan was most paranoid of though. Despite the language barrier he was deathly aware of his proximity to his native space. At any point a group of passing Romulans could recognise him and raise the alarm for his family. Double checking he still had the original fake ID with him, (he managed to find it in his jacket pocket) he memorised the name on it, over and over again, just in case someone asked him where he came from/where he was going. Was he overthinking this? Yes, massively. But Veldan wanted to keep all his bases covered, so as far as anyone knew he was Ataba tr’Llhweiir. Going over it in his head, Veldan had become distracted and he was forgetting to look where he was going.

Rilek was just walking around, as one did. She was coming back from her weekly swim and was looking forward to just relaxing in her quarters with a tall cold glass of lemonade. With a stride that exuded confidence with every step, Rilek was not slowing down for anyone. They walked as if they were the most important person on the station that day, even if they looked like any other civilian. Neatly combed red hair with white highlights complimented her darker skin tone that also had strong red undertones. She wore a nice business casual outfit, just dark green trousesr and a black pinstripe blazer with an off white collared shirt. Rilek had to look their best all the time, who knew when they would run into someone important. That is when Rilek noticed a very lost Romulan boy. A boy, he certainly looked very young, but then again with how Vulcanoids aged one was never sure how old someone was. Rilek approached him with slight concern on their face that there was a minor walking around on their own looking very lost. "Jolan tru," She greeted, assuming this boy was from Mol'Rihan or at least a Romulan-dominated colony. "Lost?" Rilek raised an eyebrow in a very Vulcan-like fashion.

This was the first time Veldan had heard casual conversational Romulan since he left, and his face somehow became paler than it already was. Shit. Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit, he knew he had to look up to talk to the Romulan who spoke to him (it wasn't polite otherwise), but he had a sinking feeling that his days of freedom were over. Tentatively, he lifted his head to look at Rilek, before clearing his throat to reply. *"J-Jolan Tru." *Veldan's brain was a mess, and it reflected on his face. Romulans were good at reading expressions, he knew that already - Veldan desperately hoped to all the elements that Rilek wasn't reading him like a sheet of paper. Oh no, what if they were part of the group sent to take him back? Trying so hard not to just up and run away (as that would cause more suspicion than there was already), Veldan remained frozen in place as this conclusion gradually took over his thoughts. Neverheless he kept repeating that fake name in his head, just in case he needed to say it. "I'm just wandering, apologies." *Veldan spoke in an unmistakable upper class Romulan, with an accent to boot - something he had never learned to shake off in his time away. * (edited)

What was up with this kid? Rilek thought as her light yellow eyes stared at the shorter man. Rilek honestly didn't mind kids, but teenagers who thought they were somehow invincible or too cool for whatever grinded their gears. With arms crossed and a judgmental Vulcan-like stare, Rilek waited for this stranger to explain what they were doing. "Yeah? Really?" Romulan or not, Rilek could tell this guy was lying and although he didn't seem like he posed any security risk to the station, that still didn't explain why a Romulan teen was wandering the promenade clearly lost. It did not occur to Rilek there was any sort of political situation happening here or that this young kid even knew who she was. Even on Mol'Rihan, it wasn't like she was any celebrity even if she bared the Khellian name. She was well-known amongst her circle of associates in the judicial offices of the Republic, but again, hardly a celebrity. "Where are your parents? I assume you're not a Federation citizen?" Judging by the younger's movements and looks of confusion, Rilek could only assume he was not familiar with the station so he was probably a visitor and the diction in his speech was clearly that of someone who grew up Romulan. Not that Romulans couldn't be raised within the Federation, but if that was the case, he'd speak with a more mixed accent and not clearly the high Rihan variant. Clues aside, this guy clearly thought he was doing something lying to a lawyer, especially one as dedicated to the truth as Rilek. She knew when people were lying and did not take kindly to such bahaviour. Still, she had no ill intentions towards this kid and was going to attempt to handle this issue calmly and as gently as she could.

See now Veldan was an idiot (affectionate), and he didn't know what to do in this situation. They were some LOADED questions, and he didn't feel like opening his heart to a stranger. Mistaking the Citizenship part as a passport request, Veldan didn't hesitate to present it to someone who looked like they were some form of authority. On fuck were they border control? Was he about to get deported back to the Republic? The passport was the same one he had very legally obtained all that time ago, and it bared his fake name - Ataba tr’Llhweiir. Knowing he'd have to do some quick thinking, Veldan came up with a story about his parents on the fly. "My parents are - they're waiting for me, I don't know where though; I just stepped off the transport about five minutes ago." Whether or not Rilek would believe that iymn'kllweni was another thing entirely. It was clear to Veldan that she was smart, and was probably already deducing things about his own life that he hadn't realised yet. Was she building a profile on him? Veldan hoped not, since that would make it easier for him to track - and that was the last thing he needed right now. As far as he was aware those mercs that were out to get him were hot on his heels, so he needed to gtfo before they arrived. (iymn'kllweni - Rorseshit)

1

Rilek was not sure why this kid was presenting them with... Citizenship documents? For one, Rilek was not wearing their uniform, and for another, the name... Llhweiir? A defunct house, with Rilek being the only known survivor. Surely if this person was a Republic citizen, they would be directed to Rilek as the Llhweiir house was now consolidated under the Khellians. The Republic had been making strong efforts to reunite families so the chances of a Llhweiir being on Mol'Rihan without Rilek's knowledge was.. Slim. What started out as genuine concern for this lost kid quickly turned into deep suspicion and anger. The first thing that came to her mind was this stranger had been placed on the station by the Tal Shiar or was somehow in contact with her brother to try and pursuade her to help him or the rest of their criminal family. Rilek kept her calm demeanour about her and put both hands on hips (hopefully no Tak Tak's were in the area). "I will be direct with you, Ataba," Rilek stressed the boy's name. "You are in Federation space and are required to adhere to all Federation law on this station. I am going to give you another chance, who are you and what are you doing on this station?" She spoke firmly with a piercing gaze, now actually trying to strike fear into this guy's heart. Rilek silently feared that this kid would get scared and run away, but there wasn't anywhere to run on a station when Rilek could easily call security.

Veldan wanted to run - to just sprint off in one direction and not look back. That was a terrible idea, for multiple reasons; he didn't know the layout of the station, he didn't know how fast the woman standing in front of her could run, and he didn't want to look even more suspicious than he already did. Veldan racked his brain for more ideas, probably looking like a total fool as he stood there staring. Should he tell her the truth? That he was a Rei'Nak? Veldan hadn't told any other Romulans before so he had no idea how she would react? Also, Federation Law? Veldan barely knew Republic law let alone those of a different country! That said, an idea crossed Veldan's mind - he didn't have to give her the entire truth. By the sounds of it the woman had taken the fake ID, so he didn't have to say his actual name (at least not yet - Veldan hoped it wouldn't come to that). "I showed you, my name is Ataba tr’Llhweiir..." Come on, out with it! The words caught in his throat, as if he didn't want to admit it to himself. This made his next words quieter, with much less confidence than what he had said already. "...And I'm being chased." Veldan could feel himself exhale after he said it - as if the realisation that people were still after him had physically blocked his airway.

2

Was this kid really going to try and run? Rilek wondered as her gaze stayed unwavering on this poor kid. Considering this kid didn't seem to get the hint that Rilek was not buying his lie and in fact trying to double down on said lie, the older Romulan decided they would need to be more direct. "Do not lie to me," Rilek's words was not any less harsh than before, but she wasn't making any effort to move closer to the kid when she realised they were probably not going to run. Well, he could, but it was not a smart move and 'Ataba' seemed to recognise that too. Seeing that they were still very much in the way, Rilek took a step towards the kid, not as a sign of aggression, but to try and get him to move with her towards the side of the promenade where they would cause less of a traffic jam. "I used to be the Llhweiir House's matriarch, do not use my dead house's name as a cover for your sneaky antics," And this guy was a fool to try and lie to a lawyer. "Tell who you really are and maybe I can help you with whatever you're going through," Rilek grinned and let out a low chuckle, her pointed teeth poking out when she laughed.

The boy took a deep breath. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Veldan knew he was busted, well and truly. This woman was being serious, so serious that Veldan actually took a step back as she took a step forward. The very well pointed teeth not helping his anxiety. How many people were there in the galaxy? A thousand at least, and the ONE person who would be able to see through his fake ID was the exact one he had bumped into. Elements preserve him, that was a cruel play by fate. Just like that Veldan was hit with a wave of guilt; he used someone's dead family name for his own gain, and it felt shitty If he went along with Rilek the station security would be called- Veldan didn't know how the Federation Navy operated, but at this point he didn't think he had any choice. "I... I am being..." Veldan didn't want to continue, but knew he needed to." They tried to get me at the stop before this one." *Veldan could feel it all coming up, like it had with K'Koshi two years ago. It was a strange effect - one he'd have to speak to someone about (If he ever could, constantly moving and all) "I never wanted to be this close to Romulan space, but I had no choice. I'm - " He could feel a lump in his throat, this would be the first time in a long time that he had admitted to having any connections to Romulan society. "I'm sorry about your family name, but I had to; to get away, as far away as I could." He could feel the corners of his eyes begin to moisten, as the weight of his words slowed him down at every syllable. Would this stranger even help? It was either run away and get sent to wherever this station's holding cells were, stuck until the people after him finally caught up to him, or open up for once. *Tell the truth and this woman could help him. The lump in his throat caught every phrase he tried to speak, particularly these last ones - they made his voice shake, and noticablly as well.* "My- My name is Veldan." "I'm Rei'Nak. Please help me."

1

Rilek still didn't appreciate being lied to, with her own dead house's name no less, but she saw the look on the youth's face and he was really just a kid. The other's tale did seem somewhat believable, hence the reason for a false name, although Rilek wondered how he got that through Federation security. Perhaps it was a little easier for Romulans since their citizenship database was separate from the Federation's. Still, Rilek was not born yesterday and was already well aware this kid was full of lies. As the kid went on to explain his story, Rilek listened in silence, her gaze growing a little softer. That was until he started crying-- she really didn't need to deal with some crying kid right now. Rilek looked away not knowing what to do when confronted with someone so distressed, if he actually was distressed. It was a good thing they were on Federation ground, this sort of thing would not go over well in Romulan space, but it sounded like that was exactly why he was here. And then came his true name, well, not the obvious fake name. A Rei'Nak. Rilek faced the kid again in an expression that could only be described as that meme 'Not this Shit Again'. Whether he was telling the truth or not, her decision now would most likely be a pivotal part in her future senate campaign. Was she really going to fuck with one of the major houses on her homeworld or was she not going to taunt the lion in the den. "Well, Veldan," Rilek began, as if still not believing he was telling the truth about his name. "You need to be more clear what you're running away from and maybe I could help you make a case to seek asylum here."

"The Federation can do that?" Veldan wasn't completely aware of what asylum was specifically, but he knew it meant something to do with leaving your native country. Veldan had ruled it out years ago - he always thought that asylum needed the approval of someone's home (in his case the Republic) before it was accepted. "I can only ever assume they're trying to catch me." Finding his composure again, Veldan sounded a little bit more stable. Another deep breath, lest he go spiralling again like he did a few moments ago. "I ran away from my family, about two years ago. I felt like an outlier - like sometimes they just forgot I existed - and I wanted to leave it all. With help from the servants- " 'Servants. Looking back on it now he hated that word, it sounded so derogatory. "- I did, I got all the way to Mol'Rihan and out to the edge of the Republic before they realised I left. Obviously they would rather have me with them than having a life away." Veldan wanted to keep his time with K'Koshi to himself, at least for now.; that entire period of his life he held close to his heart. "After a while, I was jumped by some Mercenaries, I knew they were out to chase me - to take me back to the family head for 'judgement.' " The last word was pronounced mockingly, Veldan knew the absurdity of it. He looked back up at Rilek, eyes still pleading. "Please, if I get taken back to my family they'll lock me away in their estate." That part was practically guaranteed - if Solon was willing to go to this length to capture his son, then it was a safe bet to assume he was going to use the same intensity to keep him from leaving again.

Rilek let out a loud sigh. This guy really had never left Romulan space, or well, Empire space specifically because everyone knew the Federation took asylum seekers. That was what saved so many people during the Supernova and what also put so many Romulans on Vulcan and the outer Vulcan colonies. Personally, Rilek would never have considered seeking asylum simply because she was such a determined child and would feel even more anxious leaving her home. "Running away from home?" Rilek raised an eyebrow at Veldan's tale. At first she thought it was just a case of some spoiled brat being mad at his family, but as he continued they began to realise Veldan's tale was hitting much closer to home than expected. "You know, Veldan, I understand. I tried to do.... To do the same exact thing as you when I was 18," She didn't know how old he was, but could only assume he was on the cusp of adulthood just like they were. "So.... Why are you running away?" Came her inquiry, still keeping her Vulcan-calmness, but she was starting to think perhaps this was a political situation that may very well be something she would rather avoid.

He could answer that question in a multitude of ways, like how his birth gathering was used as a marketing event for Free State officials, how he was always somehow buried behind the others in family photos, how for his thirteenth birthday (an important day in Romulan culture) he got a pre-written card from his parents who never showed up, or how - on multiple occasions - he was mistaken for one of the house staff by his siblings. Each point he could spend an hour venting to this stranger about, but he elected to save her the strain on her ears and condense it into a rather blunt, but simple phrase. "They treated me like shit." Wait, she tried to do the same thing? This realisation was more profound on him than he realised at that moment - that he wasn't the only person who was under the thumb of their family head. Granted she had tried when she became an adult, so Veldan assumed it was a much easier process for her (for better or worse, who was to say). "What about you?" As soon as he said it Veldan realised he was being too intrusive; prying into this strangers life just because it had a vague similarity to his own. Oh well, it was out now and he couldn't take back his words.

'Treated me like shit', wasn't the first time Rilek had heard that before. They were also horribly mistreated by their family, mostly their biological father and his partner who was-- ironically Rilek's only living parent. Rilek's relationship with Eviess was still delicate and sadly one-sided. Where Eviess wanted forgiveness, Rilek couldn't see herself ever forgiving her for what she had done. She had a feeling Veldan's situation was similar to that even if he didn't give her many details aside from being 'treated like shit'. "A similar reason," Rilek wasn't quite sure what to call her attempted escape. It wasn't that her family treated her like shit, although that was a factor. She was purposefully vague about her own escape, it wasn't really something to be said in the middle of the promenade. "Unfortunately what you are doing is a crime," A former lawyer, Rilek kept up to date on the laws of both the Federation and the Republic. "What... Exactly are you trying to do here?" Rilek wondered where exactly Veldan was running. They were on a starbase, there wasn't really anywhere to 'run'. Unless he was planning on stowing aboard a ship or something, which would also be, very illegal.

Fuck he was going to a holding cell - Veldan had already consigned himself to this in his head. "I honestly have no idea where I'm going, I stayed on this transport coming from Andoria and got off here and I don't have a ticket anywhere-" He stopped himself, realising he was word dumping again. Taking a deep breath, Veldan collected his thoughts and recomposed his voice, going back to that upper class formality in his speech pattern. "I assumed running away is a crime, I've accepted the fact that if I go back I'd be arrested on sight." A lie, the thought of being flagged at border control wasn't a pleasant thought at all. Thinking some more, Veldan came to the realisation that being in a holding cell was actually better than in a busy promenade - where anyone could try and snatch him at any moment. Reluctantly, thinking that Rilek was some form of law enforcement (a valid assumption, considering she knew so much about the law), Veldan got ready to be arrested. "If you think I committed a crime, take me away."

So this guy was really just stowing away on a ship? Rilek was caught yet again between her own morals and her emotions. The right thing would be to report this guy and have security come for him, but what she wanted to do was protect him from his house. Rilek had been there, she knew what it was like to detest your own house and be impatient to leave. But this kid was still a minor. RIlek sighed. "I'm not going to take you away.... Yet," Rilek's gaze was piercing, their inner thoughts and emotions hidden under Vulcan-like stoicism. "You are correct that you are committing a crime and you will need to face consequences for your actions, but I am not going to return a child to an unsafe home," Rilek's yellow eyes looked left and right, wondering if the two of them were attracting any attention yet. Most people were just going about their days, thankfully. "Alright, you know what we're doing to do," They began, hesitance in their voice with each word. "Tell me what you would like to happen and maybe we can work out some sort of deal. I am afraid I will be needing to report you to security though, but I can work with your family, I am the matriarch of the Khellian house."

[D] After a short conversation, Rilek decided it would be best if Veldan did not walk around as an unattended minor so she was going to take guardianship of him temporarily. As a Llhweiir, technically, Veldan was technically in her house. If the Rei'nak's had a problem with it, there were numerous child safety laws within the Republic that would allow Rilek to refuse to transfer custody if she deemed the parents were unable to provide a safe home for Veldan. Since Veldan was nearly an adult, they decided he could stay in his civilian quarters, but Rilek would be his guardian and ensure that he was safe should any red or yellow alerts happen on the station. Parenthood was something Rilek had never considered for themself before, but Veldan was nearly an adult so hopefully it wouldn't be too stressful.

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Having concluded their murder mystery event, and one by the one group having filtered out and away down the promenade, Vialara reached out and grabbed Niwa by the shoulder to get her attention. "Sorry, go stand there for a moment I just need to-" There was a brief pause as she struggled to haul her long sunset dress up, revealing a pair of sleek black heels, which she subsequently kicked off before retrieving a pair of flats from her bag she had tucked under her arm. "I am not walking back in those." She said with a gentle chuckle, as she picked the discarded heels up from the floor, and tucking the two away under her arm. (edited)

2

With the rest of the group Niwa had filed out of the holodeck, content with the conclusion of the murder mystery and quite impressed that they had managed to get things right. It wasn’t to say that they weren’t all capable Starfleet officers and other individuals who could parse together a mystery, but you never knew how things might go with a holodeck programme. There might have been a thousand twists for all they knew! As she walked behind the group she was musing about how they had managed to put things together – but then almost jumped out of her skin at a hand suddenly grabbing her by the shoulder. Startled, she spun – only to find that the CMO had stopped her, slowing for a moment. “Gods, you scared me,” she said with a breathy laugh, a hand having jumped to her chest in shock. She stopped following the rest of the group and instead waited for Vialara, watching whatever she trying to do. The panic of having been grabbed soon subsided as she realised what the CMO was up to. “You know,” Niwa started, now watching in awe more than anything, “we saw a lot of smart decisions putting those puzzles together and working out the murderer… But I think that must be the smartest thing I’ve seen all day.” How she wished she had had the same idea. Wearing heels had been a bad decision.

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The CMO gave her a gentle smile, as she slipped in beside her as the two began to walk together. "You go to enough formal events, you learn not to go the whole evening on heels. Always pack a spare." She said with a gentle chuckle as she looked down at Niwa's heels. "If you've ever had to walk down the hallway barefoot to your quarters one too many times, you start to remember to think ahead about these sorts of things..." She smiled and looked back up again, admiring her outfit as she did so. "May I also say, you look fabulous. I told you that dress would look good on you. I'm only getting a good look at you just now, I never saw much of you during the event, we got separated quite early on... I'm so glad it wasn't one of those 'Oh no, someone has also been murdered in the lounge!' events, where you're scared you're going to get betrayed by somebody in your group... Can't leave anyone alone for five minutes. I don't think I could handle the stress of that." She said, as she headed up the promenade a little bit with a gentle chuckle. "That and I don't think I could keep my composure whilst lying on the floor pretending to be dead."

Having waited while Vialara changed her shoes – something that made Niwa infinitely jealous, honestly why hadn’t she thought of that – they were now lagging behind the group. Oh well – everyone would probably split off further down the promenade anyway, heading to their respective destinations. It was hard to travel in groups in a place like this anyway. The promenade was always bustling and you had to navigate your way through so many people. She might have considered taking her heels off and going bare-footed had it not been for that point; there were too many people going about for it to be a smart idea. Getting your toes stepped on would be inevitable. “Oh, thank you,” she replied at the comment about her dress. It was always a struggle to find things that she liked, being very particular with the style of dresses that she liked. This one had taken a lot of hunting. “Although, I would say the same about yours. Look at the gradient of colours! It’s lovely. Honestly, I’m quite jealous… But those sorts of colours wouldn’t work well on me.” It was the downside of being blue (literally, not emotionally). “As for the mystery? I was worried that it was someone in the group. Lieutenant JG. Valkyrie would not put that rapier down when she found it in the lounge. For a good minute I was pretty convinced that it was going to be her and that I was about to be fake-murdered.”

"As soon as I saw it I just knew this was the one I was going to pick, I've had it set aside for a little while now, This was the one I was planning on wearing it to the winter ball, but obviously that didn't happen, so I've been literally ecstatic all week about the prospect of finally getting it on. I'm a little annoyed I didn't get to were the little Masquerade mask I had prepared either, I suppose I could have worn it for the murder mystery, but I never really thought about that until just now." She smiled and gave Niwa a little twirl, showing off all the colours. "I think we could easily get a nice gradient dress like this for you, but in a blue hue that would go well with your skin tone." She said, immediately planning out Niwa's entire outfit in her head. "There'll be a new formal event before you know it." "As for the murder mystery, it was certainly interesting. I've not done something fun like that in a little bit, It makes me want to run another little sort of team building exercise for the Medical Team, I think we could use something to bring us all together, we've gotten a large influx of new officers recently, so it might be worth planning something like that... Although I'd need to have a think of what sort of thing we could do." She thought back to the recent Emergency Training Session they did, it was a little dramatic for a team building exercise, and the standard ice breaker exercises were boring and horribly cringey for everyone involved...

Niwa had been the same, excited to finally wear what she had chosen for the winter ball. Missing it had been a total disappointment: it really would have been nice to speak to more of the crew and see everyone dressed up in their finery. Hopefully what Vialara said would be true and that some other formal event would come up soon – so far the winter ball was all that she knew of, but there was always the chance that something else might be arranged for whatever reason. “I hope you’re right,” she mused, laughing from Vialara doing a twirl. “I had really wanted to go to the winter ball – I’ve been here for almost a year and I barely know anyone outside of medical. I’ll have to find something else to go to so I can actually socialise and get to know people.” It wasn’t to say that she didn’t like the company of the other medical officers, but she liked being sociable! Talking people and getting to know about them and their experiences was nice. But, on the concept of medical… “Doing something with the staff would be good too, though. We have had a lot of new people recently. Maybe we could do some specific scenarios on the holodeck? Or if that’s too close to the casualty simulation that we did the last time, maybe some sort of gathering instead? Meet your colleagues, discuss your line of work; if anyone’s working on any medical projects then they could maybe present a run-down of what they’re up to as well… Something like that?” Tactical had done a pizza party, right? Maybe they could do similar. Medical outing to the environmental ring for a picnic or something like that.

Vialara gave her a gentle nod, she too didn't know many people from outside of Medical, it was the curse of being so busy running your own department you didn't often get time to meet many people. But she was always excited to meet new people. "I'm in the same boat, even worse by far though, this is just past my third year aboard the station and I can barely name three people outside of Medical. I've never been the biggest at social interaction, this is about the biggest event I've managed to attend since the Winter Ball back in 2411 and that feels like a lifetime ago." "It would be really nice to host a social event for medical, especially just to meet the new transfers. I'd really love to host like an entire inter-departmental event, but that seems like a lot of work." The woman stated as she gave a half-grimace. "Imagine the amount of planning that would take, I pity operations setting up the winter ball every year... But first and foremost we focus on our own department. We'll definitely arrange something, it's your job to hold me to that, okay?" She said, shooting her ACMO a large grin.

”You could definitely name more than three people,” Niwa reassured, giving a sideways glance to Doctor Dreaxa so she could offer the woman a soft smile. As they walked they had started merging into the other groups of people milling around the promenade – it was always busy at this time of day. Two teenagers came hurtling past, probably just finished school for the day and booking it to the holodecks before it got too busy. Niwa nimbly stepped aside to let the two of them dart directly between herself and Vialara. It was quite a miraculous feat preventing her from being completely mown over; it wasn’t as if it was easy to walk in these heels, never mind side-step in them. “You know the names of all of the senior staff plus numerous patients. …Maybe we should get the names of those two teenagers so we could send their parents a strongly-worded letter, too.” She slowed for a second to cast a disapproving glance over her shoulder, watching multiple people behind them having to part for the teenagers as well. That was the most you would get out of her; a ‘not angry, just disappointed.’ “Anyway – social event. I’ll add it to our itinerary of things to discuss at our next check-in. Maybe we’ll think of some good ideas by then.” Now she had her mind focussed on the idea of a picnic. It would be cute… But she couldn’t see any of the grouchier medics of the staff wanting to attend something so wholesome. You were lucky enough if you managed to drag them into a meeting. “If you ever did want to do something larger then you could ask Operations, right? I think they have a whole team of people who sort out events – like the Winter Ball."

2

"Well, I think maybe three people might have been a bit of a understateme-" Vialara wandered alongside Niwa, focusing almost entirely too much on her ACMO as she spoke, before being completely disoriented by the two teenagers blasting past them at full speed "-Hey, watch it!" She shouted after the two of them as they almost knocked the pair over. She, much like Niwa, turned back to watch the kids continuing running down the promenade, before turning back to her. "That sounds like a good idea, Parents should teach their kids better respect, I know it's exciting going to the holodeck and all, but-" She smiled and let out a sigh. "Nevermind, happy thoughts. I hope you'll teach Keazayi better, she's already a bundle of energy now, we don't want her tearing her way down the promenade." She let out a chuckle, before smiling back at her. "But I know that won't be the case. As for a proper event? I'm sure I could get operations involved, it would just take a little bit of planning. I do like the idea of a big proper party, everyone loves a party, y'know."

Vialara’s reaction to the teenagers running past (or rather through?) contrasted her own. It was amusing when she thought about it. They had a similar way of handling things in the medical bay: Doctor Dreaxa would be very vocal in telling someone if anything was wrong. Niwa would be disappointed, but only properly intervene if it was serious. It appeared the way the two of them operated (no surgeon pun intended) extended to outside of the medical bay, too. “I hope Kea won’t end up like them,” she commented as they resumed their walk, this time managing to wander along with the steady flow of people without almost getting ran over by two teenagers. “No, that sounds rude. I don’t know what they’re actually like. I hope that she’ll… Watch where she’s going, at the very least. I’ve seen that some people put their children on a leash when they’re out and about. I’d do that, but she’d end up running and dragging me along with her.” Niwa gave a shake of her head, tendrils jostling with the movement. Honestly, it was something that you could picture. “She’s going to get increasingly more difficult to wrangle.” Was baby two going to be as energetic? It was something that she was already thinking about, wondering just what sort of person this tiny new life was going to end up being. Her mind started to wander with the more she thought about it, already hopeful and excited and optimistic – despite still having so long to go.

Vialara listened as Niwa spoke about Kea, the three of them always got on well together and since Niwa had joined the medical team it was wasn't rare to see the three of them in your usual kid-friendly hotspots. Vialara had really taken up the role of 'Auntie Via' rather well all things considered, she was glad that Kea approved of her so much, but it was probably only natural given Vialara's pleasant and welcoming nature. "Well, I'm sure she'll learn well enough, you've done a fantasic job so far of raising her, and she's always been quick to pick up new things. It's just a case of making sure you manage those energy levels. It's only natural anyway, young children are often little balls of energy." As the two of them reached towards the end of the promenade, Vialara had noticed that Niwa had gone unusually quiet, not that she couldn't choose not to speak, but it seemed as if her mind was otherwise occupied. Being a Betazoid, Vialara naturally could sense the strange waves of emotion and energy coming from her silent partner, and she couldn't help but inquire. "Something on your mind? I've noticed you've been in your own little world quite a lot recently. And whenever you do it's as if you're a fountain of emotions. As always, there's no pressure to talk if you're not ready, just... Letting you know I'm here."

Vialara’s response snapped Niwa out of her musing. She blinked and looked to the CMO, thankfully having caught what she said but brain needing a moment to actually process it, having been wandering. “Oh, thank you – and don’t worry, I know. I’m not sure where she gets the energy from. It’s definitely not from me.” That was something that had been noticeable lately. The first trimester had, for lack of a better word, completely floored Niwa. She had forgotten just how tiring it was – and keeping up with Kea was a whole other story. Maybe being so hyper came from her father’s side… Aangahd had always been more animated where Niwa, in contrast, was calmer. The conversation changed very suddenly – not that it was a bad conversation change – and it was entirely her own fault. Sometimes she forgot that Betazoids weren’t just telepathic but empathic as well. Vau N’Akat, like other species such as the Ferengi, couldn’t have their minds read telepathically… But that hadn’t been anything to say that their emotions couldn’t be picked up on. Doctor Dreaxa was a very attentive Betazoid, too. “Oh, please don’t worry. I’m sorry if I’ve been distracted. But it’s uhm…” Slowing, she twiddled her thumbs together. “It’s a good thing, actually.” Her heart rate had already increased just with the nerves; but it was a good nervous as opposed to bad. Did she tell Vialara now while it was coming up naturally? It was difficult to know how she should approach the conversation. Should it be formal or informal? The CMO was her friend, but she was also her boss. That made it somewhat tricky.

She waited for a response, it seemed like forever but when she finally responded it gave her a sense of relief, but the emotional waves coming off her growing stronger hadn't filled her with the most confidence, it felt like good energy at least, something with was then swiftly confirmed by Niwa. "Good news? That's good to hear, I was starting to get a little nervous." She said with a gentle chuckle, as she gave her a reassuring smile. "Whatever you have to say, just come out and say it. I may be your boss but I think we're past the point of you having to worry about what you say to me." Vialara had always made sure that Niwa and the rest of the medical team didn't think of Vialara as a boss, she never actively enforced any kind of serious formality and expected them all to treat each-other like a family. It was something that most departments considered themselves as, a little family, but it was something that Vialara was confident that everyone in the department actively agreed with.

“Well, the thing is…” Niwa started, and actually slowed to a halt. She stepped out of the way of the other passers-by, coming to a stop outside of a shop towards the point where the promenade curved and began to loop back around again. Now caught in a strange mix of excited nervousness, she turned to inspect shop’s window display. There were a lot of pretty hand-crafted ornaments – the perfect thing to distract yourself with if you didn’t want to meet the eye of your current conversational companion. Vialara’s reassurance had been appreciated, but Niwa still wasn’t sure whether she should say or not. “The thing is that it’s something that I want to tell you as a friend, but it’s also something that I have to tell you as someone under your command. It’s uhm, going to impact work, so…” She glanced back to Vialara, still nervous, but managed to laugh. What a stupidly difficult situation she had managed to get herself into, and it was over something so simple as well. This was probably why you weren't supposed to become friends with your boss, but how could she not be friends with the CMO here? Everyone was quite close within the division; event the people who didn't like to socialise knew that they'd have friends there if ever needed. “I don’t really know if I should say now, or if it should be some… Formal sort of thing. It’s complicated.”

"Alright... That sounds fair. Would you maybe prefer that we wait until we're somewhere private? Maybe the middle of the promenade isn't the best place to be giving big news. You can pop into my quarters when we get back upstairs, we can talk properly there, where you can take all the time you want to talk to me in however professional a manner you think is appropriate. Plus, we can get you out of them heels." She said with a gentle chuckle, looking back over at Niwa. She tried to focus in on her, get a solid read on the masses of fluctuating emotions coming off of her. "But whatever you have to say, I'm ready to hear it. Take your time to think over what you want to say." She didn't want to make Niwa uncomfortable, and it was true that the news was clearly something important, she had a few ideas in mind as to what it could be, but it was never good to speculate. She stepped off to the side, motioning towards the opposite turbolift. "C'mon, let's get out of this promenade."

1

It was a relatively normal day on Maggie's end. They'd just finished picking up a few final props and were making their way back to their showroom, readjusting everything under their arms and humming a jovial tune. Would fireworks be too much? They'd have to check on that with the person they usually commissioned for these holograms. They made a mental note to send a message later, ducking and weaving through the crowds of people.

The emegency light flashed on as the intruder alert was called. Maggie barely had time to register it before they felt an arm wrap around their neck and the functional end of a phaser pressed against their temple. A voice hissed in Maggie's ear. "This thing is set to kill, so don't make any sudden movements. Now move." (edited)

5

Maggie yelped at the arm around their neck, held tight and keeping them from squirming free. Shaking hands dropped their bags as they nodded just a little. "Okay, okay," the magician barely managed through the fear that clawed at their throat, following along with what they'd been directed to do. They did not feel like dying today, thank you.

The pair were getting intense stares from passers by as they began walking. Each person who got in the way was quick move aside, out of the path of the gun wielding hostage taker. Maggie could hear the criminal under their breath. Something about 'two and half years' and 'gone in a second'.

3

Maggie, usually quick to a snarky remark, kept their head down and kept quiet even while they were shaking like mad. It wasn't their first time playing hostage, actually, and it probably looked to everyone else like they were being arrested. "Are you going to kill me?" they asked quietly.

"Maybe, if starfleet plays nice and lets me get faaaar away from here. Otherwise we'll have a problem" On the word 'problem', the hostage taker pressed the phaser into Maggie's head a bit, as if to emphasise a point that had already been well established by now.

The magician flinched a little, biting down on their lip as their vision blurred with the threat of tears. Fuck, they hoped somebody -- anybody -- would show up soon.

5

4

It was only a matter of time before Alyssa and the team made it to the entertainment promenade. She held up a hand to halt the team as they were just about to make their way around a corner that would lead to the entire promenade - which Alyssa assumed would be where the hostage would be. Alyssa peeked out from behind the corner - yep, that was it. Although thankfully it was only one hostage - that they could see, anyway. Alyssa turned to the rest of the team and pulled out her PADD. She opened a speech to text function so that she could show Timi what she was whispering, as she was whispering it. "Here's the plan. We're going to surround the criminal and the hostage on all four sides. Lieutenant K'Tann, take the front, attempt to negotiate with the criminal, buy us some time for security to arrive. Lieutenant Junior Grade Morgan, on the back. Lieutenant Commander Kestrel, take the port side. I'll come in from the starboard side. We won't approach as a group, or else the criminal will be able to slip away. Use the hallways around and enter from your respective side so the criminal doesn't have an easy out. Am I clear?" (edited)

"Copy that," Timi's PADD said clearly, though less loudly than usual. Then, he typed a second sentence. "I have assistive devices to help me interpret spoken word. You are thoughtful, but please, spare the effort." It was in reference to Alyssa's speech to text function, which genuinely did go appreciated. Timi signed a quick 'thank you' before circling around to take his position.

1

Alyssa nodded and gave a genuine smile to Timi. Alyssa found his gentility quite refreshing, she had to admit. With a thumbs up to Timi, Alyssa addressed the group. "You will advance upon the criminal on my signal. Not before, not after, on my signal," Alyssa whispered. "Let's move. Good luck." Alyssa promptly dashed on her side to take her position.

The hostage taker wasn't making any effort to be discreet, and they were going in the direction of a nearby turbolift with Maggie almost held in front like a human shield.

Watching as the criminal was taking the hostage in the direction of the turbolift, Alyssa needed to think fast. Immediately she tapped her COMM badge. "Change of plan. Lieutenant Junior Grade Morgan, block the entrance to the turbolift so that the criminal can't escape through it. We're going to corral the criminal and the hostage back into the center of the promenade so they don't have an easy escape. Remain on your sides... almost there... and... now!" With that, Alyssa ran out towards the criminal and the hostage, pulling out her phaser and pointing it at the criminal.

Timi had a brainwave, and quickly pressed his commbadge in order to get a message back to his colleagues. "Kestrel to Engineering, please shut down lift if possible," the monotonous voice of the PADD rang, before he too drew his phaser and approached the hostage taker.

1

He didn't draw his phaser. If there was still a chance they could talk down the hostage taker, in his experience, it was best for whoever was talking to them to look as non-threatening as possible. He was pretty quick on the draw if he did end up needing to shoot someone, though.

2

The doors to the turbolifts that were shut down flashed red lights, and the hostage taker stopped in their tracks when Alyssa jumped out in front of them before talking to Maggie. "It looks like Starfleet are being bold, let's hope they're smart as well..." The hostage taker raised their voice so that the officers could hear them. "Well then? I know the rest of you are here now so you might as well all come out!" (edited)

Maggie kept their head down, squeezing their own arms as they tried to stop their shaking. Their heart was racing in their ears, drowning out all other noise. 'Please...'

2

Keeping her phaser drawn as she stood to the starboard side of the hostage taker, Alyssa quickly scanned the remainder of the entertainment promenade within her periphery. She prided herself on having eyes like a hawk. Even if one of them needed a half visor. She quickly visually checked in with her team who had stepped out and approached the hostage taker, before noticing Eshen didn't have his phaser drawn. That was a good move on his part - Alyssa gave him an approving nod.

Eshen, who hadn't revealed himself yet, gestured for wheover was near him to approach him. "What do you think about only one person coming with me to talk to him, or maybe just me, and the rest staying back?" He said. "He might think that was the last of us, and if anything goes wrong you can be a big surprise. I also don't want to outnumber him too much."

1

2

Timi too had not come forward, wanting to leave the de-escalation to people who could actually speak. He readily agreed to what Eshen suggested; he was a good shot, and could hang back for now. If it was necessary, he could always jump in later. Instead, he reached out to Maggie with his mind, knocking on theirs telepathically in the hopes they'd let him reassure them.

3

The Betazoid blinked a few times as it registered, though tentatively let the connection pass through. They needed something to focus on besides the phaser to their head and their own distress.

Timi was glad the hostage allowed him to communicate telepathically. It was so much quicker than having to type everything, after all. "I can feel your nerves," he started, hopefully soothingly, "but you're doing extremely well. There's a team here to come get you out, so hold precisely as still as you have been, and everything will turn out alright, I promise." He hoped that got the message across. It wasn't frequent he had to reassure people, and while he was a strong telepath and empath, that didn't mean he always knew the best way to go about dealing with the emotions of others.

4

3

Alyssa kept her phaser pointed directly at the hostage taker. Her eyes were poised on them now, and didn't let them out of her sight. "You don't know what you're doing. You may think you do, but you don't," Alyssa said. "So let's just handle this calmly and without any more hard feelings, okay?" She wasn't one for diplomacy, she had to admit, but her voice was the softest and gentlest it had been this whole mission. Right now, she was alone. She hoped she'd get backup soon enough.

The hostage taker grinned at Alyssa. "I know exactly what I'm doing. I've taken this person as leverage so I don't get arrested - and I'm perfectly calm about it." Game recognises game, and the hostage taker was at least somewhat satisfied with taking the diplomacy option.

Knowing there was a team here to help put Maggie a little more at ease, but they didn't relax in case that seemed suspicious. In fact, they only tensed a little more. "Okay," they finally managed to reply telepathically through their panic, "Okay, I'll try. I trust you. Please hurry, if you can." They tried to focus on the connection over the sound of the taker's voice, taunting the team with their life on the line.

Having arrived with the others Alyx had thus far kept their phaser in one hand, powered up but lowered. The last thing they wanted was to spook the hostage taker in any way, so they decided to just do as advised and block off a potential means of escape. They weren't exactly trained in hostage negotiation, after all. Their job description didn't include this in the slightest, and they knew they could be quite hot-headed at times (you can blame their old colleagues for that) so they decided to just keep their mouth shut and hope for the best. Hoping their purple uniform did enough to convey the seriousness of the situation the hostage taker had gotten themself into without the need for words, them not getting arrested was certainly not to be happening, that was for sure. Not on their watch. And oh boy were they looking forward to asking this individual a few ~~hundred~~ questions.

Alyssa felt it unnecessary to acknowledge the fact that the hostage taker 'knew' what they were doing. However, it seemed they were open to diplomacy. "Alright, you're calm," Alyssa said carefully. "So let's talk. If we can reach a mutual agreement on this, we can move forward with no hard feelings. Running and hiding isn't going to get you anywhere. So just tell us what you want. Something that doesn't involve taking a person as leverage. And while I'm at it..." With that, Alyssa sloooooowly lowered her phaser... before holstering it. "See? Just want to talk." (edited)

Assuming the others agreed to his course of action, Eshen stepped out slowly, hands up and empty. "Sorry for the wait - I'm coming out now. Well, I did that years ago, technically, but I mean I'm making myself known." Diplomacy notes for Alyssa later: the calmer voice was good, but condescension was unnecessary. "I ask the same question - what do you want? You should know - what you were doing in the chop shop wasn't violent crime, but this is, so if you show mercy to your hostage there, you might get a softer sentence. We could even vouch for your benevolence!" (edited)

3

2

"Ah yes, your almighty benevolence for not shooting a perfectly innocent bystander in the fucking head. How very gracious," Maggie grumbled telepathically, making sure not to say it out loud as not to make their situation worse. (edited)

"I want out of here. On a shuttle, transport, whatever. And it can't be tracked, by you or that Intel department you have here." Seriously, those guys gave them the creeps. "And a softer sentence? Do you take me for a fool after what I've done here?"

"We're working as fast as we can while being as safe as we can. I'm with Intelligence, I'm keeping my distance right now. One of my colleagues is here too, and you can already see the two red stripes trying to talk your captor down. Lieutenant Eshen K'Tann is a diplomat, if anyone can get you out of there, it'll be him." Just keep talking. As long as you're busy talking, you're not busy being scared. And that was the most important thing he was trying to achieve right now, even if the talking was more like thinking loudly. Timi himself kept his eyes on the scene. He couldn't exactly make out what Eshen was saying, his lip-reading had never been great and his assistive devices were simply not meant for use at larger range, but he got the distinct impression that there was some stalling going on. He wasn't aiming his phaser directly, but he had it at the ready, picking a spot out of immediate sight where he'd have a clear shot. It never hurt to be prepared for the worst.

4

"Hmmm. I suppose I could ask the Captain about that, really try to cash every bit of clout I might have," he lied. Even if they did manage to grant him that wish, there really wasn't anything stopping intel from just tracking him anyway, or organising an ambush before they got to the shuttle, or even rigging the shuttle so it would go straight to the nearest penal colony. All this guy was doing was telling them exactly where he'd be after this. "You'd need to give us the hostage first, though."

At first Alyssa was completely shocked by Eshen's response. How could he say that?! He was just going to concede the fight? Let the hostage taker get away with-- oh wait. Then Alyssa realized that Eshen likely was just doing his diplomacy thing and bluffing to gain the high ground. She tried her best not to show the initial shock on her face, and went along with what Eshen was proposing. He was the diplomatic attaché, after all. (edited)

Maggie clocked Lieutenant K'Tann, listening to how easily he spoke to the hostage taker, definitely believing he was a diplomat of some sort. They, of course, recognized him from that drag event a little while ago and not from official Starfleet business. "Intelligence. Fancy," they managed to reply, sounding weary even in their own head despite the pathetic attempt at a joke. "I really don't want to die, so safety is a priority, I guess."

Despite the obviously targeted comment towards Intel Alyx’s face remained entirely neutral. This hostage taker really thought they could get away on a shuttle? They had another thing coming. Case in point: Tractor beams. It was never going to happen, so it was only a matter of time before they’d be in cuffs and being questioned.

"Your safety is absolutely a priority to us. Also, hmmm," he paused for a second, thinking, "no, the fanciest thing about belonging to the Intelligence division is the purple stripe on my uniform. It's a great colour, though it doesn't blend in too well." He really was talking about inane things now, just to keep a conversation going. "On missions I tend to prefer the yellow of operations. I used to be a Security officer, so posing as one isn't too difficult. In the purple people tend to take me a lot more seriously, though, so it has its uses. Are you holding up okay?" he asked, keeping his feelings level as if in an effort to transfer his calmness to Maggie. (edited)

The hostage taker smirked. "If I give you the hostage, then what stops you from just arresting me when I let go? I can't trust that. And the shuttle - I'm not letting go until It's confirmed." This guy seemed dead set on their objectives, they were going to be a tough nut to crack.

He took a moment to think it over, then said, "Would you allow me to confer with my comrade for a second?"

After a lengthy bit of Jeffries tube transit marked with grumbling, Vara'l had slipped out of one of the Promenade's Jeffries tube accesses and after he quietly sealed it behind him, watched from cover. He raised his phaser slightly and proceeded to watch the situation as it continued to develop. He'd done so from what he hoped was concealment.

Deliberating for a second, the hostage taker made a motion with their head that gave approval to Eshen's request. "Be quick, and no sudden movements."

4

Maggie was starting to get antsy. Really antsy. They blinked a few times to stop their tears, their legs begging to run for it, to do anything, under them. "I'm scared," they managed telepathically, "I don't think he's going to let up, I.. I really don't want to die."

5

4

Vara'l continued to press into the side of the Jeffries tube access he'd entered through and silently praised his lucky stars the hostage takers attention seemed to be at least partily elsewhere. Once it seemed like it happened to fully focused elsewhere, Vara'l had carefully then slipped away from the Jeffries tube access and pressed further into the cover provided by a nearby entranceway. If was discovered, he had reckoned rather didn't want to highlight a problematic potential egress route.

Alyssa nodded - she followed the hostage taker's request and moved slow to confer with Eshen. "Well, lieutenant," Alyssa whispered. "I defer to you on this one. I've got the combat skills, but that means nothing compared to your diplomacy and negotiation skills. How should we proceed? I have some ideas but you know better than I do." Alyssa didn't necessarily like to admit she didn't know everything and wasn't the best person to handle a situation. But now? Now was one where she had to get used to it. Maggie was worth it. They were more than worth it. (edited)

"You're doing really well. We're not going to let you die- What's your name? Tell me a little about yourself." Timi asked, watching as Eshen moved over to Alyssa. He raised his phaser, aiming for the hostage taker, but doing nothing else to draw any attention. He was starting to lose patience, but this situation was delicate, and he had to let the professionals do their work. He was here in case things went south. And it wasn't like he wasn't trained to hang back and watch, and wait for the right moment to strike.

7

This was taking too long. Except it wasn't, either. They were just impatient and wanted it over with, but they also knew everyone else did, too. Moving over towards Eshen and Alyssa to listen in on the conversation the hybrid spoke in a whisper. "We could try to set a sniper up somewhere. Worst case scenario both get stunned if we take a shot. I'm not happy with giving them a shuttle when they've already stepped over a line they shouldn't have crossed, but if we did we could disable it within about five seconds anyway, so if it gets us our hostage I think that's our best bet."

2

Vara'l peaked out from his hiding spot as he continued to watch the situation and watched for potential opportunities for a shot if it started to become apparent the diplomatic solution had failed. Something that currently looked like it wouldn't be doing, though he wanted to be prepared for if it did, his phaser raised as he pressed his other arm along with himself, into the wall. Pressed in and then rather regretted that. This had really started to become a problematic bruise he reckoned he was on the way to getting. Not that it overly concerned him much. He'd been hit by a box, a small metal box and it had bounced off, he could function and he'd been functioning, it hurt a bit more now, but not so much he couldn't have continued to operate. He'd already resolved to drop into medical when things died down, it was fine it just happened to hurt more now, that was okay he reckoned. He'd been in two firefights and had raced around then climbed and walked about in the Jeffries tubes. Right now, he reckoned their were far more important matters than something that could be solved easily later and focused on the situation at hand. If only he'd accounted for them having the equipment to force open the Jeffries tube hatches, his mind grumbled as he mentally kicked himself about that and continued to listen in as he'd watched the situation, phaser raised.

Alyssa was a bit concerned hearing Alyx's plan, as it involved possibly harming Maggie. She didn't want any harm to come to Maggie, especially if it was from Starfleet. "If anyone is to be the sniper, it will be me," Alyssa said. "I can aim and snipe the hostage taker from afar. I'll need to get to a higher level of the promenade to do so. Lieutenant K'Tann, if you can keep the hostage distracted I can set up from a higher level. I'd just need a signal to fire a stun at the hostage taker. If all else fails, we bluff that we're conceding the battle. If that happens, Lieutenant Junior Grade Morgan, alert Engineering that they'll have a limited window of time to disable the shuttle within five seconds. First things first, we'll need an excuse for me to leave the situation so I can reposition from higher up. Does this sound like a good plan to you both?" (edited)

Maggie's ears perked up just a little as they heard the whispering of the negotiators, blocking out everything else and basically destroying any calm that Timi had helped them build up. "Hey, they're not actually considering leaving, are they? They can't just lie and walk away, he's going to kill me!" They were trying to keep their panic off their expression, but it was getting harder by the second. "I don't want to get shot, I don't want to die, I don't --" (edited)

4

"You're not going to die, sir, I can promise you that." Within a second, Timi's priorities shifted, instead knocking twice on Alyx' mental door before coming in, only barely awaiting the slightest hint of confirmation. "Lieutenant, whatever you're planning, you'd better knock it off. The hostage can hear you and is about to collapse with panic. I can taste their fear." Then, he pulled back, awaiting a response if any was to come, but focussing on Maggie and the criminal. If could just see how their trigger discipline was.... If their finger was off the trigger, he might have enough time to get off one shot, which would be enough. Just one shot.

Assuming they were now in some place the hostage taker couldn't see or here them, Eshen spoke quickly and quietly, not trying to try the hostage taker's patience. "The priority is the safety of the hostage above apprehending the hostage taker. I would much rather go along with what they're saying, considering their plan won't work. I could offer to switch places with the hostage if need be, and then - timi can talk to people telepathically, right? He can give me a signal for when to dive aside when Alyssa takes the shot. Otherwise, I say we honestly just say we let him get on the shuttle. It isn't exactly going to work out for him either way, though I'd still prefer to be his hostage in that scenario too, because I'm trained to be calm in that sort of situation." Civilians really shouldn't be caught up in all this mess. Besides, the moment the hostage taker turned their back - Vulcan nerve pinch!

2

2

The knocking at their mental door was far from appreciated, having never experienced such a thing before, but knowing who it was the rather begrudgingly didn't fight against it, nor did they look at Timi so as to give away the telepathy to the hostage taker. "With all due respect sir I'm not planning anything, I'm suggesting we shoot this prick before he shoots first. What would you rather happen, both get stunned or one get killed? I know what I'd prioritise. But in my defence I did say the shuttle idea was the best bet." Having responded, the stress and frustration they were experiencing being quite apparent to the Betazoid, they metaphorically slammed the door to their brain closed as they listened to what Eshen said, giving a subtle nod in response. "The shuttle won't get far so I say we give them what they want." They whispered in agreement.

Considering the options in her head, Alyssa concluded Eshen and Alyx were both right. Perhaps it was best for Maggie to be removed from harm's way first, and the shuttle was the best bet. Right now, Alyssa's mind wasn't as sharp as she thought it would be. She didn't trust herself anymore. "Very well, lieutenants," Alyssa said. "Proceed accordingly."

Well, that was absolutely useless. Timi understood not everyone enjoyed communicating telepathically, but the Lieutenant could have at least responded to their information better. It's not like he could actually hear what was being said, now could he? He didn't know what the plan was in the slightest, he just knew the hostage didn't like it. He had two options; either try again with someone smarter, or wait for the opportune moment to shoot. He decided on the latter, steadying his breathing and once more trying to convey that calm to Maggie.

As Vara'l had noticed that there was some form of conference that had happened, Lt Commander Hayes and others having.. paused to talk, the Romulan mulled things over before he snatched at an opportunity as it presented itself and poked out a hand from his cover. He'd selected a moment when he was once again sure the hostage taker happened to be looking the other way to do this when he acted and poked his hand out briefly as a 'hello there's another officer here now' as he'd attempted to alert the officers without alerting the hostage taker that someone else had entered the area. His hand selected for this, his none phaser hand, twitched slightly as he moved it and on the way back into concealment as he'd moved it back. His body had started to protest yet further what he'd put damaged muscle and dinged bone through and that showed then. Not something he much liked but he'd resolved to simply tolerate it for now and to kick himself about it mentally along with the Jeffries tube thing, later.

Out of the corner of her eye, Alyssa spotted Vara'l. Right away, she knew that she was no longer the sniper. "ACTO is here," Alyssa whispered under her breath to Eshen and Alyx. "Looks like we have backup. Whenever you two are ready, proceed how you both see fit." Alyssa couldn't see any other option. Perhaps it was best to just let Eshen and Alyx do their thing as Vara'l now provided another backup fire. In this moment, she really... wasn't needed. So, she encouraged Eshen and Alyx to put their brains to use and handle this to gain further practical experience.

"To be clear - do you want me to offer to switch? I think that would be better. The hostage has been through enough." He was absolutely confident in his ability to come out of this unscathed. Confidence or arrogance? Who knew.

5

Brain whirring away for a moment, just trying to think of what the best idea was as they glanced between the hostage taker and the others, Alyx spoke again. "I can switch out if you want." They offered simply, still whispering. "I'd much rather have someone able to negotiate their way out of anything else not have a phaser to their head. I'm only here for firepower, anyway. You actually have a useful skill right now."

"I understand what you mean, but I think I've established a better rapport with the hostage taker than you have, which will increase my chances of getting out of this alive. If you need to negotiate in the future, I'm sure if you keep a calm head and try to see the other person as a... Well, person, and not an enemy, you'll do fine." He tried not to do that with people he was negotiating with - people could generally tell when you were dehumanising them. Usually you'd start with asking the person what their name was, but this time he actually forgot to do that - oops. Well, he could ask after this.

Alyssa gave Eshen a quick nod. "Eshen has a point, Alyx," Alyssa said to Alyx actually using their first names now! "Use this as a learning experience if ever, god forbid, you were in the same situation." Alyssa promptly turned to Eshen. "Eshen, it's all yours."

"Alright." He approached the hostage taker, hands up again, and then said to them in a calm but firm tone, one which wasn't threatening but communicated that these were the final terms of the deal: "We agree to your terms, on one condition: you take me as a hostage instead. They shouldn't be involved in this."

The hostage taker looked to be deep in thought for a rather long time, and at the end of it Maggie could feel the arm around their neck loosen slightly. "...Alright, but I don't let go of this one until you're closer."

"Okay, I'm going to come closer, then." He started walking slowly toward the hostage taker, along the way saying, "Once I'm within arm's reach, I advise you let go of them immediately and let them run away." Presumably the hostage would grab him after that, but then their hands would be off Maggie, which was a win.

Vara'l had sighted in, as the situation continued, on the hostage taker as he'd better adjusted in his position. If a phaser shot was needed he definitely wanted to be as ready as possible and in as best a position as possible to fire at them. He intended to use the fact they'd not spotted him so far to his advantage in that respect, though when he had moved he'd atempted to stay as concealed as possible. All he did probably wasn't helped by the discomfort he was in. While he might not have regretted what he'd been doing, his body continued to experience painful twinges as he moved and that had made him slightly..less stealthy as he'd adjusted his posture.

As Eshen came closer and closer, the grip on Maggie loosened until they could get away. In the same second, the hostage taker quickly aimed the phaser at Eshen. "Like I said, no sudden movements. Don't be a hero."

Maggie stumbled in their effort to get away from their captor. They couldn't get far, a little too dizzy with terror, but it didn't really matter--

Timi watched the situation like a hawk. There finally seemed to be some movement in the whole thing, and he couldn't wait until he finally got to do something. Waiting.... Waiting.... there. The hostage was being exchanged somehow, and the gun was no longer pointed at their head. In a split second, he shot, watching the captor drop to the floor before stepping out from his cover, quickly jogging to join up with the group.

5

Vara'l also opened fire as soon as the moment arrived. Seemed things had gotten heated now and the shot needed to be taken, if only so the other officers were provided with the time needed to get the magician out and ensure they were removed from the area of danger.

He blinked, looking down at the captor, stunned on the floor. Well, not what he'd intended, but hey, it worked! He approached Maggie, offering a hand to help them up. "You okay, darling?"

The hostage taker was stunned (pun intended) at the fact they had just been stunned. They stayed there, for just a few seconds, before crumpling onto the floor incredibly ungracefully. Vara'l's shot flew at where the hostage taker used to me, creating a scorch mark on a nearby bulkhead.

6

3

As the shot was taken Alyx legitimately jumped as if they themself had been shot at, as they raised their phaser towards the hostage taker, only to realise it wasn’t the hostage taker that had shot. Looking over at Timi with a frankly baffled expression on their face, said expression soon turned to a combination of two things: Realisation that no one had told him the plan so he had no idea what they were doing, and frankly looking really quite impressed that he had just taken the shot when he got the opportunity. It made sense, and had they had been in a better position they would’ve done the same. “Thank fuck…” They muttered, holstering their phaser before signing to Timi. “Nice shot.”

Timi, too, gave Maggie his undivided attention. "Told you we'd get you out of there alive," he told them gently, smiling slightly as he signed a quick "thank you" to Alyx.

Phaser still loosely aimed at the stunned man given the fact their phaser hadn't been secured, Vara'l headed over and then proceeded to reach down with a visible wince as he retrieved the hostage takers phaser. Once he'd retrieved it, Vara'l holstered his own phaser. He then looked to Lieutenant Commander Kestrel. "..Aye, nice shot commander." He commented then calmly.

Maggie was a little bit steadier with Eshen's help, offering a pathetic excuse for their usual dazzling smile. "Thank you," they managed, attempting to walk a little on their own to at least start to get back to their bags, though... didn't last long, anxiety-induced wobbly legs cursing them to nearly collapse as soon as Timi moved up close. "I think I need a nap. Or six," they mumbled.

2

Timi only barely caught the mumbling, just loud enough for his lenses to subtitle. "We'll get you those naps," he told them, catching them by the arms as they fell. "Can you walk if I'm holding you up, or do you need me to carry you? We'll just go to the sick bay first to make sure you're alright, if that's okay." The telepathic communication was really working out for him, especially if he'd need to carry them. Hard to sign or type if your hands are full. (edited)

Alyssa had also reared up to take the shot, but was too slow on the draw. Vara'l and Timi had gotten there first. Alyssa also attempted to speak to Maggie and ensure their well-being, although Eshen was quick enough to do that first as well. As such, Alyssa simply stood back, not saying a word and holstering her phaser. It seemed her work here was done, although she needed to stay if Vara'l had another assignment for her. She had a feeling though that that answer would be no.

"I think if I'm on my feet for another second I might pass out. My head is spinning like nobody's business," Maggie answered, straightening up best they could despite it, looking over at Eshen and offering as big a smile as they could manage right now. "Thank you... All of you. For saving my life, and for not shooting me in the process," they laughed, lowering their head a little.

5

With his phaser holstered and a hand freed, Vara'l then probed the area that he believed the discomfort originated from on his body. As he did so, he twitched periodically then frowned when he identified something that he reckoned shouldn't be like that. That was something he reckoned he needed to deal with in a moment, given how quickly such things were fixed up, there was something else that he reckoned took priority. That happened to be conversation with Lieutenant Commander Hayes, or so he'd decided. That decision followed through on, Vara'l headed over to Hayes and once he was close enough he then stopped and nodded to them in greeting. "Hello Lieutenant Commander Hayes." He softly proceeded to say before he turned and looked to Maggie. He.. found as he considered what to say, that he happened to be.. unsure how to respond to that past a small nod and a smile he offered. So he quietly hoped as he turned slightly back to the Lieutenant Commander that that would be taken as a focus on his duties. "It would appear this situation is well in hand, anything to report?" The Romulan softly then asked. (edited)

Timi quickly swept Maggie up in a princess carry, so that their feet would be off the ground and they could rest. He could hold them for a while, in case he was still needed, and mostly just wanted to make sure that Maggie was comfortable and safe. Collapsing and passing out didn't exactly scream "safe" to him.

4

TW: negative self-talk Alyssa politely faced Vara'l and gave him a nod as well. Welp, this was it, she supposed. "Sir," she replied. "Aye, sir, the situation is under control. Lieutenant Commander Kestrel, Lieutenant K'Tann, Lieutenant Junior Grade Morgan and yourself are the heroes in this situation. They all played their parts beautifully and de-escalated the situation far beyond what I could do." Just then - something hit Alyssa which she never thought would hit her - impostor syndrome.* "I give full credit to you and the other members of my team for averting the crisis, sir," *Alyssa said, defeated. "I shall provide a full written report in detail if you'd like. In the meantime, sir, do you have any other orders for me? It appears I'm really... not... needed here right now." With that, while Alyssa's face, voice and demeanor remained professional and unphased, a tear ran down her cheek. Alyssa hadn't felt like this in years - she'd only endured the feeling of not being needed in her childhood and crucial developmental years. This wasn't anywhere near what she felt like she was supposed to be. Eshen, Alyx, Timi and Vara'l did all the work, and all she did was stumble behind. What was up with her today?! Why wasn't she on her ballgame like she always was?! Since the accident that took away her eye, she never had a bad day! Why here?! Why now?! And why when she was managing a team?!

3

Maggie giggled a little as they were swooped up off their feet -- it was weaker than it usually would be by a long shot. They were still shaking quite a bit. Of course they were -- being in a situation and almost dying was scary, no matter how many times you went through it, no matter how many back alleys you've been stabbed in before. At the same time, mostly everyone around them being at ease was starting to soothe them, though the sudden rush of guilt confused them. Didn't this go like it was supposed to? They'd come out safe and sound, and all of the officers had as well, so wasn't this the best case scenario?.. They focused on following a steady breathing pattern, squeezing their eyes shut and avoiding the nasty thoughts that curled in the back of their head-- were they even supposed to be okay?

Vara'l started at the other commander as she proceeded to say that before he softly proceeded to say. "Given the nature of the situation and the point in it I arrived at, from my position it rather looked like the hero's were yourself and the others." He paused before he then continued to observe. "All I did was provide your teams plan with another shooter." As he watched their reactions and his mind proceeded to identify some signs that indicated something was up. What, he happened to not be sure about. Pain marred and sometimes slowed a mind. His mind had slowed a bit. "I'll happily accept the report, though from what I saw I've no concerns, if...that helps." He then paused before he then said. "I can..see you're not okay right now, if you don't mind may suggesting this, talk this situation over with a councillor, they will able to help you unpack what you're feeling around it." Vara'l then moved to rub his head with one hand then winced and mentally kicked himself. Maybe not do that, he mused in the aftermath. As he then rapidly moved to cover how he presently felt, Vara'l then proceeded to add. "I've no further orders for you at present, Lieutenant commander.. though I'll be available if you'd like to talk this matter over further later, while I am not a counsellor If it'll help to talk over the tactical decisions made or anything, I can do so with you." He had offered as he'd moved the hand of his bad arm behind himself so the fact it twitched with pain and discomfort was concealed from the officer who happened to seem like they were in distress. (edited)

1

2

With another nod, and another tear rolling down her cheek, Alyssa's face actually developed somewhat of a smile. She'd NEVER shown this level of vulnerability to Vara'l, literally to anyone on the station since boarding. Not once. Well - if you count meeting a certain feline. But this? This was different. Alyssa was always known - or at least, that's what she liked to think, she was always known - as the tigress. The warrior, the unbreakable, invincible wall of unstoppable force that no one dared cross. Now? She couldn't even pick up her phaser from her holster without thinking... 'How did I even get here?' "Aye, sir, thank you, sir," Alyssa said. "I'll schedule an appointment immediately. One moment, please, sir." With that, Alyssa stepped to the side and sent an email to #counselling-office-01 requesting an appointment for whoever was available before stepping back to Vara'l. "If you'll excuse me, sir. Thank you for letting me tag along." With that, Alyssa turned about face before heading to #turbolift.

Did... did Commander Hayes just leave? He hadn't been paying attention, just focussed on making sure Maggie was alright. Okay, uh. Well, he guessed the altercation was over, anyway. No need to hang around to simply watch things happen, he supposed. "I'm pretty sure you still haven't told me your name, what do I call you?" he asked Maggie instead, hoping to keep them aware. Adrenaline crashes were real and scary, and he wanted to make sure they knew they were in good hands now.

Vara'l proceeded to say. "..Your welcome...and alright." As he responded to their initial words. When they proceeded to speak again, he started to say. "You're a brilliant officer who led a team, you didn't just ta-" Before he stopped as he realized she'd just departed. He..watched her leave then before he turned away..softly sighed in worry for the officer and then tried to move his arm more. Tried and then decided against doing so. That happened to be unpleasant. Something he noted down mentally as he decided that after this was sorted his next stop was sickbay. He had then turned to the other officers and conducted a visual check for injuries on the officers and the civilian as he attempted to get a idea of the current situation for a report to the captain.

Watching as everyone else either rescued the hostage, left (?), or just generally secured the scene, Alyx made their way over to the suspect to cuff them. Standing and tapping their commbadge they spoke. “Brig from Lieutenant Morgan, one for transport in stasis cuffs.” They stated simply.

"Oh-- technically, my 'name' is Magician, but Maggie'll do just fine." Maggie did their best to keep focused, leaning a little against Timi from where they were in his arms. They were tired, but their eyes bounced around before fixing on the person who'd had then-- who was finally being transported away, thankfully. Their heart was still racing like they had a phaser to their head. They sighed. "You? If you don't mind my asking."

He once heard a wise man say 'if it sucks, hit da bricks'. Watching Alyssa leave, he reasoned that she, too, lived by that philosophy. "I wonder why they got involved in all this. They're Starfleet, so it certainly wasn't for the money."

"I'm Timi Sinon Kestrel, though just Timi is perfectly fine. At your service, Maggie." He reiterated their name to make sure they knew he got it. He squeezed his arms just barely, hoping the extra pressure would be comforting for Maggie. It usually worked when hugging someone, and this was pretty similar, right?

4

"We aren't presently sure they're even Starfleet." Vara'l observed a bit as he turned to Lieutenant Eshen and continued to keep one hand behind him. His jaw had tensed a bit by this point, just got to get this sorted then medical, he mentally reassured himself before he instinctively moved to tap his combadge with one hand.. then paused and instead tapped it with the other. "ACTO to Captain, hostage situation resolved, civilian hostage being taken to medical, no further perpetrators at large in the entertainment promenade."

He shrugged. "They're wearing a Starfleet uniform. I suppose they could just be pretending, but they were only of only a few who were." He walked a little closer to Timi and Maggie to see how they were doing. "Nice shot, friend!"

1

"Got it. It's nice to meet you. Thank you," they answered Timi, exhaling a sigh as they were held a little tighter. Grounding, definitely helped them a little. Maggie was definitely ready to be carried off and away from here. They rested their head on his shoulder, quiet to let Eshen and Timi have their conversation.

"Something I imagine will be identified qhen they're questioned and the like." The Romulan mused softly before he then looked around to the others, moved over to Lieutenant Morgan and proceeded to speak as he informed them. "As the hostage taker has been transported to the bridge and the hostage is on the way, I'll be heading to medical now, if there's anything else I'm needed for, I can be reached via the comm." He then smiled at the group and started to head off in the direction of medical.

Timi just nodded at Eshen, as a way to thank him for the compliment. He had no way to use his PADD right now, the hand holding it far too important for holding Maggie up, so he hoped the nod would get the message across. He tried to fingerspell "T-H-A-" but got frustrated and left it.

4

1

Jakob was walking down the entertainment promenade, still in his Cadet uniform. He was looking around at the difference places, the holodecks, the sports hall, and he even noticed a hairdresser's...he'd been meaning to get his hair trimmed recently. The promenade was not too busy, but there was quite a few people walking around the promenade also, and a few inside the sports hall and holodecks. He'd only been in a holodeck here once. He got to use the program he got as a birthday gift. One of the stars nearby Earth. So he could see and study each one, and what was around it. That was a fun time. That reminded him, he was supposed to speak to his sister soon. Maybe he'd invite her to lunch or dinner. Whenever she was off duty. Catch up a bit. That would be good. Jacob's mind had started to wander a bit as he strolled down the promenade, and he wasn't really paying much attention to where he was going anymore.

Ocannra was marching up the opposite way of the promenade, having a rather serious look on her face as she wanted to have a brief look around before going to her tactical position. Though she didn't want to admit to anyone that she was doing a bit of window shopping, rather keeping up her serious honour driven self. Her attention instantly went towards the holodecks as she wondered if they were combat programmed or not. She could use a real sparring partner if that was the case. Then suddenly it happened, a car crash that was going to happen. Ocannra instantly bumped into Jakob without realising it as she to a step backwards to regain her train of thought as she gave the Cadet a death stare. "Watch where you are going Dogh mangHey." Ocannra didn't exactly look too pleased that a cadet would bump into her since she felt dishonoured at that moment in time. You didn't exactly bump into people in the Klingon empire.

Jakob hadn't quite been paying attention, and had almost fallen completely over if he hadn't caught himself. His mouth fell open to splutter out an apology. But before he could even get the beginning of a word out, the Klingon woman spat some words at him. His shoulders reached up to his ears as he met her death stare with a slightly worried gaze. "...S-Sorry Ma'am, I....I didn't see you there. I didn't mean anything by it. It was an honest accident. Are you hurt?"

"You should watch where your feet are heading Cadet, if we weren't on a station and back on Kronos this would be a whole different story." Ocannra folded her arms as she knew what normally happened on the Klingon home world of Kronos, the urge was there and swirling about her head but she decided against it and to be the better person in this situation. "I don't mean that as a threat Cadet, but just know other cultures views bumping into one another as disrespect." Ocannra tried to look past Jakob as she could feel the fear dripping off the Cadet, though it was slightly funny to her as she felt like she was doing her job well as a tactical officer that could strike fear into anyone. "Let's just call this a misunderstanding of interests and mistakes were made on both sides." Ocannra's voice was slightly lowering from her aggressive stance as she knew that she couldn't exactly shout at a Cadet since they were new to this position and it wasn't like an ensign. "Do you mind if I ask you about what you are doing here? Plus a name would be good so I don't need to call you a mangHey." Ocannra was trying her best not to rage out at the cadet, though her culture was being tested at the time.

"I understand...it was an accident...I didn't mean anything by it, I didn't even mean for it to happen." Jakob had never felt so small. Poor guy. Normally accidentally walking into someone results in an awkward apology and then you move on. But he never expected a full telling-off like this....well I guess expect the unexpected on 777. "Yeah...that sounds okay.." Jakob noticed the less aggressive tone she was taking on. He knew Klingon's were usually about honour and fighting, and could be quite aggressive, but he didn't want to stereotypes or anything. "Like...here specifically or on the station? Because I'm on the station for my cadet cruise...before I graduate..but I came here to..yknow...relax a bit?" Oh. She was asking for name. He knew she wasn't asking to get him into trouble, but as a cadet you can't help but be afraid of anyone above you. So there was a niggling feeling of anxiety when she asked. Was she going to report him to the commander? The academy? The Admiral? He'd be kicked out of Starfleet before he became and ensign! What would he do then? No, stop, she's not going to report you, Jakob, she's probably just...trying to make polite conversation. Yeah. "Um, Jakob...but I suppose Cadet Valkyrie works.."

"I mean here and now Cadet, what exactly are you doing in this part of the entertainment promenade?" Ocannra kept trying to prevent herself from shouting as it was a natural instinct of Klingon culture to speak to a lower rank. Though she did find it embarrassing that she had to put these barriers around herself when it came to the way she spoke or acted around people. Perhaps this was her chance to set the record straight with some of the crew members and actually get to know them a little bit better. "I am Lagh Ocannra of the Klingon Defence Force, if you wanted to know."* Ocannra allowed herself to let their guard down as she tried to understand and try to have a decent conversation with them about their activities.* "I was hoping that you could advise me on where to go, I don't know what entertainment venues this place holds after all. Would you have any pointers on what to try?" Ocannra was really trying her best to de-escalate the situation which started this whole conversation. Always having a slight goal of being the best exchange officer if possible.

"Oh, erm...I was just looking around mostly. Just some off-time so I thought I'd see what's on offer." Jakob was relaxing. Ocannra seemed a little blunt, but maybe that's just how she was. He wasn't going to judge. And anyway, he was a cadet. She wasn't the only one who treated him as less-than-officers. But he didn't mind. When he got his Ensign rank he'd have her respect. And the respect of most other people on the station too. If he was reassigned here. "Oh, its good to meet you Ma'am." Klingon Defence Force...he'd never really done too much research into it. Sounded interesting though. "Well, there's the holodecks, of course. There's gyms, and a library, a swimming pool...uhhh..." He hadn't spent a lot of time in the entertainment promenade, and was trying to remember everything he'd heard about it. "There's a club, uhhh...if none of that speaks to you, there's also the commercial promenade, with lots of shops.."

"That does sound interesting to a certain degree, can the holodecks support isolinear chips from other planets. I may have a few battle simulations I want to partake in while serving on board this station." Ocannra began looking round the entertainment promenade as she tried to understand where everything was located, it all seemed new to her as she felt a sense of displacement as she didn't exactly feel at home. Having a sense that she wanted to abandon her post already. Ocannra was lost in her thoughts for a brief moment before returning to reality as she tried her best live in the moment of that time, she was there for a reason and to serve whoever ran this station. That was the oath she committed herself to as she wanted some sort of peace between Federation and The Klingons. She still felt guilty for the actions that she had done on that day. She had to get her mind off the subject somehow as she tried to ask more questions so she could shift her focus onto knowledge about the station. "What about the Library, does it have any Klingon literature?"

1

Nothing wrong with a stroll just around the nightlife and leisure area, right? Essen just needed a chance to chill and get some exercise, even if it was just a walk around the starbase. She didn't really have an aim in mind, but she at least wanted to explore areas she hadn't before. Essen had a long day, a good amount of work to do, and now that she was done she needed to get out of a chair and into her walking era, bruv!! She was still in her uniform, but she didn't really mind, it made her look like she was useful, so. That's what Essen was doing. That's what she was doing before she received another cryptic message from Inneth - and immediately she notified Erra. Unfortunately, her notification came in too late... (edited)

A slinking, slithering figure stepped out into the middle of the corridor, wearing traditional Vulcan robes, but they seemed dirty, dark, and sickening. The figure's pale, opaque eyes were glassy and somewhat bugged out, as they followed what they were looking at - and that was Essen. Long strands of frail black hair fell at the sides of the figure's head. Their face was furrowed into what looked like a permanent frown, but exaggerated somewhat given their energetic entrance. Black lipstick offset those cloudy, murky eyes, lipstick which hid those dry, cracking lips. Lips which uttered... "No exit."

Essen was not even paying attention too much to where she was looking until the figure stepped out into the middle of the corridor. At that point, out of pure caution of running into someone else, Essen halted right away. But that's when she recognized the figure in front of her. A figure that seemed like the decrepit, senile version of the miserable manipulator she once knew. And right away, Essen's body jolted. "AAAHH--!" As Essen grabbed her phaser from her holster, and at the same time, pressed her comm badge. "MOM! KAYLEE! IT'S INNETH! SHE'S HERE! CORRIDOR TEN! HELP!!!" *As she did her best to fire at Inneth - two shots that she fired off, and two shots that missed...* (edited)

Heh. Pathetic. She missed both shots, and Inneth was unscathed. Now it was time to finish the job. Right as Essen finished her cry for help, Inneth lunged at Essen, both hitting the phaser out of Essen's hand and tackling Essen against the wall. She used all her might to keep Essen pinned. "You think your mommy is going to save you now, huh? Think again, shit stain. In a few minutes you'll be dead. And there's nothing you can do to stop me!" As she began to lay into Essen, throwing punches into her face against the wall!

TW mild gore Essen tried her best to get free from Inneth, but the evil aunt had her secured against the wall, and she was unable to move! That's when Inneth threw punches, hitting Essen square in the face! "AUGH--!" Essen's neck slacked, as she tried to let the punch go through unscathed. After a few hits, beads of green trickled from Essen's nose and her lips. "You're a monster, Inneth. You're a freak. You deserve to rot in that prison." (edited)

Inneth only hit harder, before she tried to practically smush Essen's head into the wall. Of course she couldn't actually do that, but it definitely kept Essen pinned and in pain, which was exactly what she wanted. "A monster doesn't get denied from her true love and best friend just for being loyal. A freak doesn't deserve to have to live with a burden on her shoulders because the Borg made it so. You and your wretch of a mother will rot in hell. I'll ensure of it. And you seem to be the perfect first target..." As she grabbed Essen by the collar, with all her might and threw Essen onto the ground from the wall. "Can't even keep yourself upright in battle, I thought you knew kung fu."

TW mild gore Essen felt a rush of pain sear in the back of her head as Inneth kept her pinned against the wall. She never remembered Inneth being this strong or this capable. She must have learned something from prison. Essen wasn't expecting the yank on her uniform as she tumbled forward and hit the ground HARD. Another small pool of green emanated from the sides of her mouth, and more from her nose, onto the floor. She could only look back up like a frightened child, as much as she could with a swollen eyelid.

And that's when Erra finally arrived, having a phaser in hand. Sprinting like her life depended on it, Erra moved with a speed that was unseen for her - and rightfully so. When she finally arrived, she nearly screeched to a stop, and pointed the phaser at Inneth. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" As she turned it up to the highest stun setting.

And that's when Inneth finally stopped, stood still for a moment, not even facing Erra... But knew exactly who it was by Erra saying that Essen was her daughter. Instead of a worded reply at first, Inneth produced a faint cackle, which turned into an even bigger cackle. The woman had no regrets whatsoever, she was enjoying herself, way too much, and for all of the wrong reasons.

Erra felt her stomach churn at the woman's reaction and behavior. It was sickening. Seeing how much Inneth laughed at beating Essen up! "You think this is funny, Inneth?!" Erra snapped. "You think what you're doing is funny?! You broke out of prison to kill both of us, you actively found ways to contact and track us, and you think it's funny?!"

CW discussion of murder Inneth finally turned around to face Erra, and gave her that same wicked smile. "BECAUSE IT IS!" Inneth roared back. "It is funny. First Senutt died, then I killed our parents, now I'm killing both of you. It's poetic. After all of the suffering I endured, after all of the time I've had to sit and stew over the life YOU took away from me!! Yes! It is funny! Come on, sister... Have a laugh with me for once."

Essen could barely even move, she was in so much pain. She turned her head to look up at the towering Inneth above her, tears escaped her eyes. She wanted desperately to call out to Erra to tell her to run, to leave her and to save herself... But she was worried that if she spoke another word, Inneth would hear and hurt her again... She was in too much pain...

After hearing only silence as a response from Erra, Inneth's brow furrowed. "That's what I thought. You can't even admit you are related to me anymore, can you? I devoted my LIFE to you, Erra, and you THREW ME away! I could have been so good to you, if you continued to show that I was worth something. Well. All that worth went to Senutt. Senutt, Senutt, fucking SENUTT! Do you understand how badly you hurt me?! I planned that the rest of my life would be where nothing mattered except all three of us, living together where nothing else existed... No. What did you do?" Inneth said. A brief pause. Then... "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Inneth barked again.

Erra tensed up every single time that Inneth raised her voice, causing her trigger finger on the phaser to closely approach firing at Inneth, but she didn't. This was too important. She needed to solve this diplomatically first, and then resort to weapons if and only if she needed to. That was the Starfleet way. "I chose to have a life!" Erra responded to Inneth's question. "Not everything is or ever was about you, Inneth. Doesn't matter if we grew up as sisters or as best friends or as both! YOU took things too far! Listen, I know it was hard for you when Shelleq died. I know you were close to her as a child. But you can't just treat me as a replacement for her! I'm not meant to fill a void, I'm not just meant to fill space! I tried to TELL you to get help!" Before Erra realized. "You just wanted a space to fill so you chose the closest person you could. You just wanted to get energy out of me. The same energy that Shelleq gave you. And you accuse me of throwing away and using you?! You're a hypocrite!"

Shelleq... Inneth hadn't heard that name in years... It was an old memory she buried... One that she wished to keep hidden... But as she heard that name, old wounds in her mind reopened. "Don't you EVER say that name to my face!" Inneth said, as she approached Erra with a start. "Shelleq made me feel worthy. And I wanted to feel worthy again after she died. You made me feel worthy. And then, you met Senutt. I could feel so much more love from him, I'd be able to have him love me like you did, like Shelleq did. Instead of letting me at him, you chose to have your own life away from me! You ROBBED me of that good feeling when you married Senutt!"

TW discussion of murder Erra certainly had her phaser ready to fire now, she had it pointed at Inneth, who still didn't seem to mind, but she didn't fire. She needed more answers. "Worthiness isn't the same as selfishness, Inneth," Erra retorted in a huff. "You were selfish. You wanted Shelleq, you wanted me, you wanted Senutt all to yourself just so you could feel 'loved' or whatever it was. I TOLD you to make new friends, I TOLD YOU that marrying Senutt wasn't a reflection on you, I TOLD YOU that it wasn't healthy to obsess over anyone, and especially not me! I married Senutt partly to get away from you. You made me uncomfortable, you made me scared for my safety, and look what's happened to you. Your kill count is probably in the hundreds now. And now you're trying to kill me and my own daughter. I won't let that happen, Inneth. Not while I know that you've become even more unstable."

Inneth didn't even flinch at Erra raising her voice - all she did was stand right at the tip of the phaser. And watch. With those cloudy, opaque, lifeless eyes that looked like they belonged more to an undead person than a living one. All she did was peer into her sister's eyes, unblinking, like a hawk, or an owl... "Oh yeah? How's this for unstable?" As she, with an unsettling speed, grabbed the end of the phaser to point it away from her as it fired - and she managed to knock it out of Erra's hand. The phaser went tumbling far behind the three of them, leaving Erra defenseless except for her bare hands. That's when Inneth swung! (edited)

Erra didn't react soon enough to get a phaser shot off at Inneth, and now she was disarmed! As soon as the swing from Inneth came in, Erra's hands shot up to her nose as she crumpled to the ground in agony. "AAAAAUGH!!" And she also hit the ground hard...

TW discussion of death Inneth didn't let this perturb her, in fact, the cackles trickled out of her mouth once more as she proceeded to lay a barrage of kicks into Erra's stomach and at her head! It went on for what felt like forever, but in reality was about 45 seconds. Still, much too long, as Inneth finally knelt down beside Erra, and picked her head up by squishing her chin and cheeks. "I'm going to make you beg for me to kill you. You won't be able to withstand the pain... The agony that numbs you... It will be enough for you to wish for death. Both of you."

Erra screamed in pain with every single kick and attack that Inneth laid into her, feeling a searing sensation every time Inneth hit her. Whatever happened to Inneth at prison, it must have toughened her up, more than she could have ever expected. She looked up at the towering Inneth as Inneth grabbed her face and squeezed it painfully. The lifelessness, the lack of regret, the pure evil that filled this woman's eyes, this was something unlike she'd ever experienced before. This was Inneth at her absolute most dangerous.

Inneth let go of Erra's cheeks, letting her head just fall to the ground with a THUD! Before she walked over to Essen, and knelt down to her, doing the same thing to Essen, picking her head up by her chin and her cheeks. "See, this is a much better look for you. Fitting. Little BRAT!" As she then proceeded to pick Essen up by her collar once more, and hold her up in the air. "See how powerless you can be when you get hit? Oh, so tough, you know kung fu, but can't take a hit, can you?" As she was now practically nose to nose with Essen, Inneth whispered at Essen... "If there's one thing I can guarantee about you, Essen... I made you who you are... I was there from the beginning of your life, I know who you are inside and out, and I know how to break you. This will be the day that teaches you... YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY DAUGHTER." Before she let loose another uppercut into Essen's jaw!

Essen was just too weak to be able to fight back, the strikes that Inneth used were too powerful, and Inneth was right, she knew exactly how to disarm Essen to the point where she'd be helpless to fight back. She watched with barely open eyelids as Inneth spoke, unable to respond, despite how much energy she was using to be able to even stay conscious. And right as Inneth sent the uppercut into Essen's jaw, Essen's body lost its balance and she collapsed to the ground. Still conscious, but just barely. It was becoming a chore to breathe, it was becoming a chore to stay conscious...

TW discussion of murder After Essen's collapse to the ground, Inneth knelt down one more time to inspect her quality work. She used a finger to lift Essen's swollen eyelid, before she let go of it, and watched silently. "You will fear me," Inneth half-whispered, loud enough so that Erra could hear. "Be it in the flesh or inside your mind, I'm always there. I always have been. I saw how terrified you were just to see me... I can imagine the look on your face when you saw my first message... you know, serving at a prison with transports has its benefits... they should really up the security around those transports." Well... that's how she broke out of prison. "But the great thing is about me... is that I'm like an earworm. Once I'm inside your head... you'll never get rid of me. I reserve the right to lay claim on your pathetic little lives, both of you." As she got even closer... "And I reserve the right to take your lives too." Then she stood back up. "Normally I'd kill my victims immediately. But that's not fulfilling enough for me right now. This is too fun. And I want to feel your suffering." And all she did in that moment... was stand there, and look back and forth between Erra and Essen, seeing the pained expressions on their faces, and the battle scars they obtained from this whole ordeal. It fueled Inneth, put her into a bigger power trip she'd ever been in. (edited)

And, as if by summon, Kaylee skidded to a stop a few feet away from the three of them. She took a moment to take in what was happening around her. A woman she'd never seen, standing over a barely conscious Essen, and Erra...the two looked injured. Seriously. Fortunately, she was standing to Inneth's back, she had the element of surprise. But she wasn't the most tactically minded... She took a deep breath to steel herself before calling out. "You get away from them!" Kaylee looked like she was going through a million thoughts. Her teeth gritted, her hands balled up into fists, her arms quaking with rage as she tried to take steady breaths. Trying not tolet her anger take her over, control her actions. If she was angry, she'd make mistakes. Stupid mistakes. She couldn't let that happen. This person wouldn't hurt Essen, or Erra, anymore. She'd make sure of it. Kaylee glared down Inneth with more anger than Essen had ever seen in Kaylee, her eyes focused solely on Inneth, looking through her like a person on a mission. "You won't hurt them anymore. Either of them."

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Inneth wasn't expecting anyone to be coming down the corridor without a weapon, but it turns out there was at least one officer stupid enough to do so! Ahhh, classic Starfleet. Always things slipping through the cracks. But she turned around to face this... girl? Yes, she looked about Essen's age - and right away, Inneth found herself rather amused by this. First a chuckle. Then, a louder laugh! Then an even LOUDER cackle! The smile she had on her face denoted that Inneth was NOT scared of this girl. "And, er, what are you supposed to be? The knight in disgusting yellow armor?" Inneth retorted.

Kaylee tried not to let her shock show on her face. She tried to keep looking stern and almost scary. But she was shocked. How was she not....scared? At least, concerned? Inneth just...laughed. Kaylee took another deep breath to stop herself from saying or doing something dumb. Her nails dug into her skin a little as her hands clenched tighter. "I'm the person who's going to stop you from hurting the people I care about. You have 5 seconds to step away from them before I....I...before I..." what was she going to do? She didn't exactly bring a phaser. Her eyes flicked to Essen, and then Erra, then back to Inneth. Could she throw a punch to save her life? Or...rather, to save Essen and Erra's? "10 seconds. Before I act. And you won't like what I'm going to do." She carefully extended her arms out behind her, preparing to fight. She never really fistfought people, wasn't her first choice. But here, it would be. Kaylee wish she knew what was happening in Inneth's head. Find her weakness. Her motive. Find what she could use against her. Anything.

The signature Vulcan raised eyebrow accompanied an indifferent expression before she listened to the girl jabber on about 'oh, I'm gonna hurt you but not actually hurt you.' "You're gonna what? Come on, spit it out!" And when Kaylee finally avoided the need to specify her attack, Inneth simply laughed again - a louder, witchy cackle, before she stared Kaylee directly in the eyes. Those cold... murky eyes. "Oh, but I'm sure I'll like how you're going to 'act,' because you're already making me laugh! You're adorable and butt-ugly at the same time. Well, serves those who spend time around the wrong people..." She said, as she approached the girl, slowly. "I'm not afraid of you, BRAT," she spat. "But I can already tell you're afraid of me... so I suggest you run along home and leave my victims here to suffer a slow and painful death-- or I can add you to the list."

"...Who are you calling a brat? Me?" Things that make her sound childlike her piss her off more than she can say. Brat, kiddo, little one. Any of it. She was a grown woman. Only people can call her that are her parents. "Look here, Ma'am. I don't know who you think you're scaring, but it's not me." The truth was, Kaylee was petrified. But she couldn't show it. She needed to brave here. She was the only one who could stand up to Inneth here now. "If you don't step away from them, I will beat you so hard, you'll forget why you're here. You won't know what hit you, lady. I swear. But I'm not leaving. Not now. Not ever." Kaylee glanced to Essen, hoping to grab her attention. She struggled to keep her voice from breaking as she asked. "Essen, are you okay?"

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Inneth couldn't help but snicker once more at the girl. This was just precious. Spunky, this one. She just didn't want to back down. Braver than most, but surely she'd break soon. "Damn right, you're going to call me ma'am, BRAT," Inneth spat again. "You'll beat me so hard I won't know what hit me, huh? Not if you're the next kill on my list," Inneth said, as she cracked her knuckles and prepared to lunge at Kaylee -- but didn't. She heard Kaylee ask if Essen was okay. Perhaps... this one needed a little bit more taunting. "Oh...awwww... this is just too sweet, isn't it? Oh, I'm sure Essen can tell you!" As Inneth went over to Essen and picked her up by the back of her uniform collar, while her other hand grabbed onto Essen's chin and cheeks, as if to make Essen talk. Inneth said in a mocking impression of Essen's voice, "Oh, I'm doing so well, my mother's a wretch and my father was too blind to see it. Oh, goodness me, I wish I didn't have to deal with them anymore, oh give me the sweet release." Before she switched back to her own voice. "Why, of course, Essen, there's someone here who wants to SEE you! BE MY GUEST!" Before she threw Essen to the ground in front of Kaylee.

Essen's body tumbled in front of Kaylee, and came to a stop at Kaylee's feet. Essen looked up at Kaylee, and tried to reach out to her. "K--kay...lee..."

Inneth all of a sudden piped back up again. "What was that you said about not letting me hurt them?" Inneth said. "Well, you see, these two ruined my life. That poor old excuse of a mother, mostly. You should be chastising them for casting me aside... and leaving me for dead."

Kaylee couldn't stop herself from jumping back a little when Inneth picked up Essen. A look of horror crossed her face when Inneth started to speak for Essen. Her legs shook as she took another step back. Her instincts screaming at her to run away. To hide. Kaylee bit her lip hard to prevent herself from crying here as Essen reached out for her. "Well." She said, looking back to Inneth, kneeling down to try to pull Essen away from Inneth. "From what I heard and have seen here, you deserved it." She spat, her words full of venom. She had never been so angry, so upset. Kaylee continued to collect herself. She wouldn't be the first one to strike. Her fists shook as she stood back up straight, her eyes almost never leaving Inneth. It was an effort to not leap at her, tear her limb from limb. Kaylee quickly wiped at her eyes, not sure if there were tears or not. But she wouldn't show weakness here. Only bravery. Only defense. Only protection.

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TW discussion of murder tactics Inneth found it absolutely pathetic how much Essen was doing to be able to hold on, to stay close to this girl -- Kaylee. "So that's your name... Kaylee," Inneth practically hissed like a siren viper. She simply stood back, admiring her work once more, basking in her glory before all of a sudden, Kaylee said that Inneth deserved how she was treated. ".....what." Inneth growled, before she stormed forwards at Kaylee, practically getting neck and neck to the girl. "Now you listen here, I am this close to snapping your neck, you pint-sized brainless wad of garbage. If you'd like I can go and take you to the garbage receptacles because that's where you and these grease spots belong. Give me one reason why I shouldn't go ahead with it."

"That's right. Don't wear it out." Kaylee said. She wasn't scared. Or at least, she wasn't showing it. Eyes up Kaylee. She had to be brave. Fearless. It was hard. Especially for Kaylee. She was used to stepping back when things got hard. When things got scary. But she's here. Face to face with a murderer. She straightened up as Inneth rushed forward, intensely close to her. She swallowed hard. She didn't want to die here. But if that's what it took, she'd take it. "Because. Because I care about Essen. She is the woman I want to spend my life with. And Erra is someone Essen care about. And I'm not about to let you do anything more to them. You. Don't. Scare. Me. Try it. See what happens." She stared through Inneth. A flat, stone-hard glare. Not a hint of fear shown in her eyes. On the inside Kaylee was shaking. Wishing she could run away. But it would be a cold day in hell before she left Essen. A cold day indeed.

Still on the ground beside Kaylee, Essen heard all those things she said about her and Erra - such wonderful things... things that reminded Essen of who she was... what she fought for... and Inneth hadn't delivered a crushing blow in a bit, so she had just a little bit of strength left... Essen pounced forward and dug her nails into Inneth's heel! Almost like a wild animal biting into its prey, Essen clamped her nails down on Inneth's ankle! "Call... Lama... Security..." Essen said to Kaylee. "Lama... tr'Ehweia... need backup..."

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Inneth wasn't expecting the sharp pain to rush from her ankle, but when it did, it disarmed her! "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" And Inneth collapsed to the floor, doing all she could to fight back, but the amount of pressure that Essen's nails had on her ankle was too great, and she was in agony!

Erra found the strength to get to her feet, before she managed to stumble over to Kaylee. "Once you call Lama, keep Inneth pinned down," Erra said. "We can't let her get up again!"

Kaylee nodded, tapping her commbadge to call for backup as she knelt down to the ground to pin Inneth down. She murmured something barely audible before speaking into her commbadge. "Lt. JG Kaylee Valkyrie, to Lama tr'Ehweia, your help is requested, calling for backup in Corridor 10. We have a dangerous attacker here." As soon as she finished calling for help, she held Inneth to the ground, and flicked her eyes to Erra and Essen. "Are you two okay? You're not hurt too bad, are you?"

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Essen kept her nails dug deep into Inneth's ankle, and while she could, moved up so she could pin Inneth down as well. She looked to Kaylee, croaking out a response. "Well..." Essen began. "I'm not dead yet, so that's a first... she certainly--" Cough cough, wheeze wheeze! " 'scuse me. Er, anyway, she certainly gave me a run for my skill leve. Clearly kung fu isn't enough..."

Erra quickly grabbed her phaser from the ground, and set it to a lower stun setting, while she joined the other two with Inneth, and helped to pin Inneth down so that Lama could arrive. "I'm here, you two, she should be pinned down now," Erra said. "I'm doing alright. My borg implants are holding up better than I expected. But she got dangerously close to damaging one of them. I probably have a broken bone or two, but it's nothing Doctor Peterson can't fix." Then, she fired at Inneth - not enough to render her unconscious, but enough to stun her so that she'd be immobilized, or at the very least, non-destructive. "Turn loose, I got her." As she stood up away from Inneth...

Inneth felt the stun, and as soon as she did, she felt nearly all of her strength leave her body. It was barely enough to be able to roll over onto her back after the three girls leapt off from pinning her to the ground. But Inneth knew now, now that Erra had the phaser and could subdue her with it, that she had lost. She looked up at Erra and Essen with a vile scowl. "Deplorable insects," she spat at them, as much as she could.

Honestly, Lama was just a detective so there was little need for him to be patroling, but he was in the area. Which was probably why he was pinged! Like some comic superhero who just saw his logo projected into the sky, he darted to the corridor. He was going to be the hero for once! "Arhem hilain! I have arrived! Call me SUPER LAMA!" He said, pointing a phaser towards Inneth as he identified her as the baddie needing to be arrested.

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Essen finally regained some of her strength to be able to stand on her own, but stayed close to Kaylee. Still in a lot of pain, but not as much as before, and finally able to stand upright. "Super Lama," Essen said, with a relief in her voice. "Thank goodness, thank you for coming. My aunt here intruded onto the station. Unauthorized, mind you -- well, that's what any intrusion is, unauthorized -- but anyway, she started beating my mother and I up in an attempt to kill us. We managed to subdue her."

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Erra also turned to Lama, giving him a kind smile. "Yes, lieutenant, thank you for coming. If you could, please, restrain my sister. She has a one-way trip to the brig. Although I think we also deserve to know how she got here in the first place... Don't we, Inneth?"

Stunned yet still conscious, Inneth looked up as she remained flat on the floor. "Fuck you!" She spat. "I could have succeeded in killing you both!!! If it weren't for that abomination using her nails to claw into my ankle!"

Lama approached Inneth and shook his head. "Sorry, my dude, you're gonna have to explain that to a lawyer," He said and tapped his comm badge. "Lieutenant Lama to the brig, one Vulcan to beam," And then Lama stuck a transport pad on Inneth so she could be beamed away! "Are you cool cats ok?" He asked, concerned for the three who were still there.

Inneth didn't know what to expect when Lama slapped the little device on her - what was that thing?! What was it doing? "What? No, I'm not finished here!" But it was too late. Inneth's body became surrounded by the familiar glow of the transporter beams. "AS LONG AS YOU TWO LIVE I WILL FIND YOU AGAIN, AND I WILL---" Before the beams disintegrated and Inneth was gone.

Essen stood back against the wall, leaning against it for support, while she took a breath... Multiple breaths... "Oh, jeez... Ergh... Well, Lama, I'll be okay -- eventually," Essen replied. "Lama, how bad do I look? This isn't a minor injuries unit level deal, is it?" Truth be told, Essen looked worse on her face right now, bloodied and bruised up, everywhere else seemed alright on the outside. She wasn't sure if she broke any bones though. Essen kept Kaylee close as well, examining her quickly - it didn't seem like she broke anything just from the looks of it, and as far as Essen remembered Inneth didn't attack Kaylee, although she came close to it. (edited)

Erra also felt a bunch of pain over her whole body. Inneth hit her hard, multiple times, and thankfully it wasn't getting any worse but still hurt like hell. "Essen, I'd think we get treated at the very least," Erra replied. "Just in case." She then turned to Lama. "Like Essen said, I'm not dead yet, lieutenant. Truly, you had what we needed to be able to deal with her quickly and efficiently, and for that I can't thank you enough." (edited)

"Well at least you guys are talking! Due to regulations, I will need to send you two to medical just to be sure," Lama put his phaser back in the holster and pulled out his PADD so he could ping medical. "Do you think you guys can get to sickbay on your own or should I call site to site transport?"

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Essen did have the idea to walk over to medical, but given the fact she just got, well, beaten up, that she deserved the luxury of being beamed. "Heh, site to site transport, please, Super Lama, thanks," Essen said.

"Youuuuu got it!" Lama messaged medical to request site to site transport and then whoop they were all whisked away!

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