Star Trek: Starbase 777 - coo：lt-dagis

The door chimed.

Dagis had returned here after her argument with Vincent and had just simply moped about until she was forced to go to work the next day. Upon returning from today's shift she had once again done nothing but mope. At the time of the door being chimed she was laying on her couch in some relatively comfy clothes and staring up at the ceiling. The door chiming actually made the Ferengi jump, making her bolt upright and look over at the closed and locked doors. She gave herself a second to control her breathing, before standing up and moving around to the other side of her coffee table. "Computer, unlock doors..?" Her instruction sounded more like a question as she frankly didn't have a clue who would want to see her right now.

Upon hearing the click of the doors unlocking he took a step forwards to trigger them to slide open, immediately offering a slight wave (or more of an awkward raise of a hand) in greeting, alongside a smile - just from Dagis's expression it seemed as though she was cautious about anyone having showed up here. "Um, sorry to bother you, Lieutenant, and apologies for showing up unannounced-" he took another couple of steps into the room just so he wasn't lingering there awkwardly in the doorway, glancing back between it and where he stood as if taking in the distance. "-I wanted to speak to you after the trial, but I was busy, unfortunately. I - I just wanted to congratulate you, and after a good outcome people normally celebrate, so I was wondering if you would be interested in drinks..? Or uhm, considering how I don't know if you like alcohol and how alcohol would probably accidentally kill me -" he offered a sheepish chuckle at that, ever awkward at the whole 'starting a conversation thing', or conversing in general, "- maybe... Some form of afternoon tea would be more apt?"

Dagis, upon seeing it was only Jericho, felt nothing but relief. She really didn't want to see anyone right now, but the Trill was her exception. She gestured as if to say 'don't worry about it' when he apologised for showing up unannounced. When he mentioned the outcome of the court martial her mind immediately slipped back to the argument she had the previous day with Vincent, but she quickly tried to focus as best as possible on what the man in front of her was saying, rather than what her brain was. The Ferengi chuckled lightly in response to the Junior Lieutenant doing the same upon mentioning that alcohol would probably kill him. "I rarely drink, not that I've really had many opportunities as of late, so tea would be nice." She responded quietly, offering a small half smile in response. She admittedly wasn't used to having visitors, or socialising for the most part, as the Section had pushed her away from being able to be herself, but she really wanted to just have a nice little interaction with someone, and the fact Jericho was offering just that warmed her heart, despite how shit she currently felt.

"Tea it is, then," he stated with a nod, no longer lingering in the doorway but still... Lingering, or that's what it felt like. Giles stood there twiddling his thumbs as he looked around - not being nosy, just... Taking in the surroundings, as he always tended to do. It probably sounded strange, but it was nice to see that people had quarters here that actually seemed... Lived in. His perception of life aboard a place like this had changed so dramatically since being sent out here, and he had found it pleasant to see that there was more here than just... Working. People lived full lives here: work, downtime, friends, family. It was fascinating to see how this starbase operated like a closely-knit community - although he couldn't help but worry if Dagis would end up ostracised from that community. How did people view her now? Had they been sympathetic and understanding or did they judge her? He hoped it was the former. Starfleet had good people. "Uhm... I saw on the rota that you've been back to work the past couple of days. Not to pry, at all, solely asking just to be polite, of course- How has it been? Has everything been okay?"

Dagis' quarters were certainly lived in. Her PADD was on the coffee table, there were various ornaments on shelves, and a holophoto of her and her family on a small side table, which was taken before she left. She was far younger, but also seemed far happier back then. The Ferengi went over to the replicator, before turning to look at Jericho, listening as he spoke and gesturing for him to take a seat. "What sort of tea?" She asked once he had finished speaking. His question about how work had been, and if everything had been okay, made her struggle to keep her mind away from the argument. "I-I mean, I think everything is going fine, I suppose... I've just been kind of keeping my head down lately. I don't want to just, you know, walk back in there like nothing happened." She responded quietly, deciding it wasn't the best idea to just instantly bring up the argument that was eating her alive from the inside out as the first subject of conversation.

"Green tea, if that's alright?" The Trill asked before eventually relinquishing his position in front of the door, thankful to have been indicated that he was actually allowed to be here and wasn't going to be ushered out. He took his seat, perched upon the edge of the couch with posture perfect and hands in his lap - it was very much more of the formal Starfleet vibe than the 'I'm here visiting a friend and I definitely know how to present myself in that sort of situation' vibe. "There should be a blend with citrus, ginger, and echinacea somewhere on the system - but if you can't find it then that's quite alright, Sir, just anything herbal will do." He let his gaze fall upon Dagis while she was up at the replicator, looking back and forth between her and the photo that he had already noted upon the side-table, trying to work out who was who in the picture. It didn't take much to presume that this was Dagis and her family. "Maybe you should speak to your staff, either in some sort of meeting or hold, ehm... Office hours, when they can stop by and voice any concerns and speak to you about it all. I know that it's probably the last thing you want to speak about, but you deserve to still be respected and they deserve to understand, so... But I don't know - I don't have much experience in that sort of thing, I'm afraid."

"I can do green tea." Came the Ferengi's reply. She was about to replicate something generic when Jericho mentioned the specific kind, to which she then looked for that. After a short moment she was successful and replicated two cups of the blend, and brought them back over to the couch, holding one out for the Trill to take as he spoke. She sat down and took a sip of her tea, closing her eyes as the nice flavours were processed, before looking back at the man next to her. "I should probably do that, yeah. I just... Worry about what they might think, you know? I betrayed their trust, so I don't know how they're meant to follow my orders without questioning them... And you really don't need to call me sir here, Jericho. I'm not on duty. And besides, we're friends, aren't we?" She asked, actually wondering if they were in fact friends.

"Thank you," he said as he took the second cup, sliding his left hand under the handle and his right hand wrapped around the other side - the ceramic could have been scalding and he wouldn't have cared, anything to warm cold hands that Joined Trill were well known for. For the most part he simply nodded along with what Dagis was saying, quietly contemplative - and at the end he simply blinked, unsure if he had heard or processed that correctly, but it would have been rude not to address the first point, so... "I understand what you mean - I would be worried about what they think, too. But I suppose there's going to be no way of knowing if you don't offer them the opportunity to say. You all need some sort of... Neutral ground where you could air your concerns and work things out. I like to hope that they'd be understanding, though. This is Starfleet, after all. I, um, as for the latter-" Him taking a sip of his tea then was probably an attempt to conceal his awkwardness which was quite evident by the way that he blushed. "As long as you're certain about the lack of formalities, I wouldn't want to overstep, but... I, uhm, yes - I would be quite happy for us to be considered friends. If that's alright with you, of course," he hastily added on at the end despite it having been Dagis who brought it up.

"I'd like that." The Ferengi responded with a small smile in regards to friendship. Her mind once again drifted to Vincent, and the fact she had potentially ruined her previous friendship, her smile quickly fading and her expression changing to that of sadness. "...You might be my only friend, now. I uhhh... I-I had an argument with my other friend, Vincent, and uhh... Well, I just..." Dagis cut herself off, refusing to go any further into the inevitable downward spiral, and preventing herself from tearing up, but she was so close and her eyes already felt wet. She wanted to say she was grateful for him being her friend, but right now she just couldn't. The woman also wanted to speak to someone about the argument, and she felt like she needed to, but she didn't want to burden Giles with something that she thought was her fault. She didn't want to ruin what was meant to be a celebration of her court martial going well, but she didn't feel like celebrating. In fact, she wished the outcome had been worse just so it was fair on Vincent.

His brow furrowed when Dagis mentioned the fact that he might be her only friend. He wasn't exactly a socialite either, and he figured that it must be difficult to make friends with people here when you were on the senior staff, but he thought that there would be more to it than... Well, just him. Maybe that would change now that the Lieutenant was free to act herself and didn't have the constant pressure of having to hide her past from everyone - but when she said that there was an argument involved, he couldn't help but wonder if this had happened before or after the trial. He completely understood if someone had issue with Dagis for what she had done, he could see both sides of the story; but if they were being downright rude to her then it wasn't fair. Not as though he could do much about it, but still... The concept concerned him. "You can talk about it, if you'd like. I - only if you'd like to, that is, because I completely understand if you don't want to -" The Trill stopped and breathed out slowly, collecting himself. "I really did not inherit the social skills of some of my past hosts. What I want to say is if you want to talk about it, then I'm here - but if you don't want to go into details, then that's fine."

Dagis sat in silence for a moment as she thought about what to say and if she wanted to say it. Jericho being open to listening reassured her, which was greatly needed. "I, well... I went to check on him. He was at my trial but not there by the time I left, a-and we hadn't spoken for ages. When I got to his quarters it was just sort of awkward, b-but it just... Went downhill. I asked him how he was, he said he was bored, I asked him if he had been up to much and he hadn't. I... I had noticed he was packing a rucksack, so I asked him about it and he said he wanted to leave for a bit and clear his head. I said I got that, and I mentioned how I would feel if I had lost everything, and then it sort of just went downhill... He- he said he didn't think I got it, a-and said I got away with all the stuff I did while he didn't even get away with having his old trauma dredged up... A-and I said I hated how unfair it was, that I got away with what I did and he didn't get away with far less, and then h-he had a go at me for using Dipoto as my defence, who is the same guy that r-ruined Vincent's life, and then questioned if we were even friends, and I-I said I didn't know I had a choice, and th-then he s-snapped at me and said I had a choice, a-and accused me o-of our friendship being fake, a-and me u-using it t-to convince people o-or myself that I was a g-good person..." The more the Ferengi spoke the more upset she got, until she was actively crying while speaking, her words getting slowly less coherent. 777_divider

16:54

"I-I said I never lied to him, and th-that I just didn't say what I c-couldn't, b-but then I got angrier... I-I said he had no idea what I had been through, and how scared I've been, and how scared I still am, and h-how much I hate myself, and that he didn't have a clue what it was l-like t-to kill people because you don't have a choice in the matter! A-and then I said th-that he was right, and that he wasn't my shrink, a-and that I was g-glad he wasn't allowed to help anyone b-because he's c-clearly unstable... H-he then said I forgot that he w-would have to live with something f-for the rest of his life a-as well, and th-then he just... He just left, a-and... I just... I..." By this point the Ferengi was now sobbing. She put her tea down on the coffee table so she didn't spill it before wrapping her arms around her torso as if to hug herself. "I-I ruined everything, Jericho... I-I went in there with a new uniform, a-and a new commbadge and shiny rank p-pips, a-and I just ruined it all... I went on about how my life wasn't as bad a-as it could've been, a-and that I hadn't lost everything, and I just... I'm a horrible person..." It was by this point that Dagis could barely even get words out of her mouth that sounded coherent, tears absolutely streaming down her cheeks.

For the duration the Trill sat in silence, simply letting Dagis talk; but with the more upset she became with the stuttering and mumbling and the tears, the more uncomfortable he felt: not because Dagis was upset, but because he didn't know what to do about it. He had never been the most sociable of people and the only times he had ever been in a situation like this was with his brothers - and he knew them, so he knew what to say to them, so this... This was entirely different. How he wished that he had inherited the likes of Sena's compassion and empathy and just knowing what to do. How was it that in so many of his past lives he had been so good at this and in this one singular lifetime he had the social skills of a cardboard box? After a while of just listening, brow furrowing further with any word until he physically couldn't frown more, he set his own cup down before turning back to Dagis - finally intervening when her words became not much more than breathy inhales amidst the sobs. He fumbled for a moment before managing to extract a handkerchief from the inside pocket of his uniform jacket - with how precisely folded it was, you may well have thought he had ironed it or something. 777_divider

17:13

"Here - it's clean, newly replicated, I promise - take this. Dagis... None of what you've said makes you a bad person, not in any way, shape, or form. You went out of your way to check on a person because you hadn't spoken in a while - that's a good act, isn't it? It's hardly as if you went there in uniform with the intention of being rude, you were just showing up in general. It isn't your fault that you ended up with a controversial person for a lawyer, and it's not as though you could have even considered asking for anyone else considering the time between him arriving and the court martial beginning. The jury's decision isn't your fault, and it's not your fault if somebody decides to see the negative instead of the positive. It's not fair on you - but it's a them problem, not you." Briefly he paused, outstretching a hand as if to give her a gentle pat on the arm of reassurance or something- but then he halted, not knowing if she would be comfortable with that sort of thing, and hardly wanting to break any personal boundaries. Instead he just shifted slightly, turning and leaning in ever so slightly so he could look to her better, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. "You are not a horrible person."

Upon being offered the handkerchief Dagis outstretched a shaky hand and took it gently from Jericho, before using it to try and dry up some of her tears, but she continued to cry quietly as the Trill spoke, focusing as best as possible on everything he said as if clutching to those words was the only thing stopping her from going back to full-on sobbing. It was only as the man said she wasn't a horrible person that her sobbing came back, but this time not out of sadness, but instead the emotions that came with someone she trusted to be truthful with her telling her she wasn't. It was after another good few seconds of sitting there and sobbing sobbing, all while trying her best and failing to dry her tears that the Ferengi shuffled closer to Giles, before hesitantly reaching out and gently pulling him into a somewhat awkwardly-angled hug. She didn't know if he would be comfortable with it, but she didn't know what else to do right now. She just knew she wanted and needed a hug. "Thank you..." She mumbled quietly as her chin practically rested on his shoulder, still quietly crying, all while fully prepared to release Jericho if she noticed him become even slightly uncomfortable with the physical contact.

Needless to say he was more than worried when the Lieutenant's sobbing started again but tenfold this time, feeling that he had said something wrong. This was exactly the reason that he didn't speak to people often - while he enjoyed being able to just ramble in conversation, he simply wasn't good at it. People skills were not his forte and never had been likely attributed to having been so isolated as a child, and it wasn't as if he had gone to lengths to remedy that in his adult years. He would much rather spend his time behind a screen sharing at a myriad of numbers and letters and miscellaneous symbols until they were burned into his memory than try to properly be sociable, and this was why: because it was easier, and you wouldn't upset anybody. It was while trying to work out what he should say (and believe me, he was going over multiple options to try to work out if they were right) that Dagis moved forwards. The Trill froze instantaneously, solely due to not knowing what was going on - but then all of a sudden there was a hand upon his shoulder and he was being drawn in and another was being wrapped around his back. Oh. He had never thought that he would one day find himself hugging - or being hugged by - a person who had openly tried to kill him... Yet here they were. What a strange life this was. "You don't need to thank me," he said in reply, voice not exactly the perfectly soft tone that he had hoped for but the effort was better than nothing. Soon he found himself reciprocating that embrace, his own arms wrapping around Dagis's back despite the multiple jolts of pain which died into aches from the awkward position they were in... He didn't care about that right now. Dagis came first. "I'm only telling the truth. I suppose some people just... Only see what they want to see: if they want an argument they'll find it, if they want to find fault then they will. That doesn't make you the horrible person. It just makes them wrong."

Dagis remained practically glued to Jericho as the two hugged, listening as he spoke. The woman remained like this for probably a good thirty seconds as she slowly began to calm down, the Trill's words reassuring and the hug calming, and something she hadn't experienced since leaving home all those years ago. It was only after that thirty seconds that she shifted, still hugging the man she felt comfortable calling a friend, but maybe a little less tightly now. "I don't think Vincent wanted to argue... I just... I think he's upset. He said he asked for help but was ignored, s-so I don't think he got any medication to help him with his mood or anxiety." The Ferengi said quietly. "I don't think he's a bad person, I just... I think he's lost and angry." It was only after another forty-ish seconds of hugging, including the time it took for Dagis to speak, that she finally but hesitantly moved out of the hug, blue eyes regaining contact with blue eyes as the hand that was on Giles' shoulder moved down one of his arms and to the top of his hand to lightly grasp it, the warmth of her's being a stark contrast to the cold of his. "And I want to thank you, Jericho. You saved mine and my family's lives just by, well, listening to me, and being here for me." She said, softly smiling despite her wet cheeks and eyes, her crying having ceased, as her other hand went to dry her eyes with the handkerchief.

It was strange how Giles found that despite all of the awkwardness and not knowing what to do in this sort of situation, he was quite content to remain there enveloped in that embrace for as long as required. The multitude of dull aches from how awkwardly they were sat meant nothing, and he found that he had never brushed them aside so easily until now. It was only when Dagis eventually relinquished her grasp that he moved as well, breathing out in a sharp exhale as the vague pain began to subside. "I... Don't know this person, but you clearly do, so you'll have insight. I haven't been a doctor in 288 years, so my insight is outdated, and I can't pretend to be an expert on Human nature, but... The questioning whether you're actually friends, or questioning that you're a good person - that sounds like paranoia to me. But the fact that you're able to recognise that and feel as though he's not in the wrong? That definitely means you're not a horrible person." The latter was stated with a vague smile - brow still furrowed somewhat in concern and sympathy, but glad that things seemed to have settled. For a moment his gaze flitted downwards, unsure if he was supposed to move his hand away, unsure of what the gesture really meant; but warmth contrasted with the cold, and he once again found that he didn't mind just... Staying there. "As for the rest. I promise you that you don't need to thank me. I was just... Doing what felt right. You were in a terrible situation and had to do things to ensure that situation didn't escalate: and I understand. Imagine the hypocrisy if I didn't. I like to think that in all of my lifetimes I've managed to come to have at least a basic understanding on judging right and wrong - and that judgement tells me that helping you was right."

Dagis couldn’t help but smile a little when Jericho mentioned the fact he hadn’t been a doctor in 288 years. The concept of Joined Trill having past lives and experiences was something she thoroughly enjoyed learning about, especially when she got to learn about someone’s past hosts. She nodded in response to the Trill saying it sounded like paranoia. She hadn’t managed to find the right word at the time, but that was exactly what she thought Vincent was experiencing. Her smile returned as the man in front of her reassured her yet again that she wasn’t a horrible person. “And I will always appreciate what you’ve done for me, and them.” The Ferengi responded with an appreciative smile, looking over to the holophoto of her and her family upon saying ‘them’, before looking back to Jericho, eyes regaining contact again as she gave his hand the tiniest of squeezes. After a short moment of quiet she spoke up again. “…I think we should get back to our tea before it goes cold. I haven’t even gotten chance to ask you how you’ve been yet.” She said with a smile, before holding out the handkerchief for her friend to take back, her one hand still grasping the top of his lightly. Truth be told she hadn’t even registered how cold his hand was in comparison to her’s. “Thank you for this, by the way. It came in really handy. I think I need to get myself one.” The woman said, her smile remaining.

When Dagis mentioned 'them' and looked towards the photo-frame he did the same, actually taking a moment this time to inspect it, squinting ever so slightly to make things out from the distance. He couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since that was taken and how much must have changed in the time since. Did Dagis even get to see her family any more? Had they approved of her joining Starfleet, or had it seemed like a betrayal? Had she had any form of proper interaction with them since she had been baited into joining Section 31, or had that been too risky? For a good moment he found himself frowning in a worried contemplation, having never been so concerned for a person's circumstances before (especially considering that everything was supposed to be fine now), only being broken from that wondering when he felt Dagis squeeze his hand. "Ah, yes, of course," he quickly stated in regards to them getting back to their tea, his gaze which had almost been vacant focussing again. He made a move to pick up the first cup to hand it back to her, only to halt as she extended that handkerchief back to him. "Oh, please - it's just a handkerchief, easily replicated, you can keep it. I mean, hopefully you won't require it, but - you know. Just in case." The Trill practically had half a pharmacy on his person at any one time; missing a singular handkerchief was hardly at the top of his list of worries. Content that Dagis was going to take it back, he did shuffle forwards to pluck up the first cup of tea and hand it back to her. The only downside was breaking that physical contact they had - and as he took his own cup again and actually sat back a little instead of being perched there upon the edge of the couch, he found that the warmth of the ceramic cup was definitely not as good as that of Dagis's own hands. "How do you like the tea? It's supposed to do... Something or other for your health. I don't think it works, but at least it's nice."

Dagis smiled when Jericho said to keep the handkerchief, and gave a small nod in appreciation before putting it in her trouser pocket. She didn't mind the physical contact being lost (even though she was enjoying it), but it did soon make her notice just how cold the man's hands actually were in comparison to her own as she briefly readjusted her position to take the cup from him with an appreciative smile, her own hands making contact with eachother in the process. Once in a more comfortable position the Ferengi took another sip of the somehow not-yet-cold tea, before responding. "I like it. The flavour is nice, even if it doesn't do anything. I think it might have more benefits for mental health than physical, but I'm sure there are some properties that do you good. Whether they transfer through to the replicated version, rather than freshly made is anyone's guess. I'm sure a scientist or doctor could tell us." She responded with a smile, a more light-hearted demeanour returning gradually, before taking another sip, this time with her eyes closed so she could savour the flavours in her mouth.

"I mean, any replicated product has to have the same nutritional value of the real thing, right? Otherwise there would be no real benefit to people consuming anything replicated. Somehow they've got to convert things like, I don't know, the amount of protein or sugar or whatever in a product into that of the replicated version. ...Don't ask me how they do it. I have no idea." Giles paused to adjust his glasses before wrapping both hands around the cup again. It was beginning to seem more like he was using it as a hand warmer than paying any heed to the tea requested. "Do you ever realise that we know so little about how the things around us work? Everybody learns things like at least the basics of how transporters transport a person or how a warp core works. But I mean... All of the other things. And better yet, how did people come up with them? Who decided that putting plants in boiling water was a good idea? Or - or who invented carpets, how did someone invent the sonic shower? We live so many years and learn so little." He stopped for a moment, offering a light laugh - but yet he glanced downwards. "It'll sound silly, but it frustrates me -- the not knowing. There's always so much that I want to know."

"Yeah, that would make sense. Eating food that does nothing for you is like not even eating food and just making your body digest useless matter." Dagis responded in agreement. As Jericho talked about the fact that people know so little about how things worked the Ferengi's mind started drifting in the same direction. She knew how the entire starbase worked, and yet only on a basic level of 'this does this so that works'. She never truly understood how half of it was actually possible, nevermind who invented half of the technology to begin with. As the Trill glanced downwards and started talking about how not knowing frustrated him she moved a hand to gently rest on his knee, offering a sympathetic look. "Not knowing how something works sometimes frustrates me as well, especially when I need to know. And yeah, who did invent carpet? I'd assume it came from the concept of making artificial fur rugs, but I have no idea who thought to just cover an entire floor in synthetic fibres. Oh, and don't get me started on sonic showers. I have no idea how those things work besides sound waves somehow removing dirt. I just know how to fix them." The woman said, offering a light chuckle and a small smile.

"Exactly," he stated in agreement with a pointed jesture of one hand, gaze briefly flitting to Dagis's hand upon his knee before he looked up again. "I mean, who even decided that carpets should be a thing? Which person out there - multiple people, considering they're universal across almost every culture - decided that something should go over a perfectly good flooring? How did these people make that idea, and then how did they get other people to support that idea? It just... Makes me wonder, you know? ...At least you know have a vague understanding of how things work - well, the things that you need to know about to do your job well. I suppose that's what matters, really." Finally he actually took another sip of his tea instead of just using the ceramic cup to warm his hands. In theory, drinking it would probably work better than just holding it, anyway. "That's something I'm not particularly good at: sort of... DIY things. Repairs and the likes... And what I do know of it all, most of it's outdated. I don't think being able to work on the engines of ships that haven't been around in hundreds of years would be any help to anyone. If only one of us had been a mechanic." They could have been - and actually had been - so much in those past lives. It was strange to think about all of the years they had lived, or that he had lived; what was his and what wasn't, whether it was meant to be him or all of them. His gaze moved downwards, then, looking away: it was all the downside of being joined and having to work all of that out without any form of assistance, it seemed. (edited)

As Jericho talked about carpets Dagis quietly listened, nodding a little in response as she sipped her tea, keeping her hand on his knee. And, as he spoke about his inability to repair anything, and his gaze moving away her expression turned into that of sympathy once more. “I don’t really know how Trill hosts work, or being Joined as a whole, but it’s probably a lot for anyone to have to deal with, especially the amount of memories you probably have to sift through sometimes to find what you’re looking for.” The Ferengi said quietly, sounding sympathetic as she spoke. “I struggle enough to remember what I need to, so I have no idea how anyone can cope with having more than one person’s memories and experiences… I actually find it really impressive.” She said with a slight smile. “You don’t have to know how to repair things, though. Sure, it’s nice to know how things work, and being able to fix things can be satisfying, but it’s a lot of information to try and remember on top of everything else, and as time progresses technology gets more and more complicated. But hey, that’s what Operations and I are for, isn’t it? Fixing stuff.” The woman said, her soft smile continuing. “…I could always teach you some stuff if you wanted, though. I wouldn’t mind.” She offered. In truth she would be more than happy to teach the Trill anything he wanted to know, provided she knew it to begin it. It’d be nice to teach someone who wanted to know how things work how things worked. At least, she thought so.

"Knowing my luck I'd just end up breaking whatever you tried to get me to work on," he replied, offering a smile of amusement - but said smile was somewhat preoccupied. "If you'd like to then I'd be quite happy to try to learn a few things - satisfy that curiosity. But please do be warned that I can't guarantee that I'd be any good at it." For a short while he lapsed into silence, gaze somewhat vacant as he thought over what Dagis had said. It was after a good fifteen seconds that he moved, shuffling forwards to set the cup down on the coffee table again. Instead of his grasp being around the cup, he held his hands in his lap, slowly twiddling his thumbs. "I uhm... I wouldn't say that the ability to be Joined is impressive. Some people would - there are a lot of Joined Trill who still consider themselves to be high society and better than everyone else - but, ehm... It's not really impressive; it's just a necessity. Once you're joined there's no going back, so you have to work it all out. I suppose for some it gets easier after the likes of their zhian'tara, learning which memories and personalities and opinions come from which host. You're eventually meant to be able to just... Merge them all together, becoming one new being. I sometimes wonder if I managed that or if I've just suppressed everything and continued to just be my old self. Someone recently asked me for advice on being Joined-" he shook his head and gave a halfhearted laugh "-but I don't know if I'm doing it right either."

"Well you won't know until you try." Dagis responded softly to the Trill not being able to guarantee being good at fixing stuff. As Jericho once again about being Joined the Ferengi listened along, nodding a little here and there in response as her look of concern and sympathy returned, her hand still very much so affixed (albeit gently) to his knee. After he finished speaking it took the woman a few seconds to respond, trying to figure out just what she could actually say. Had he ever even had a zhian'tara? "I don't really think I'm the best person to give you any advice on this, but..." She paused briefly, before continuing. "...Regardless of you being Joined, regardless of your past hosts and their lives and memories, you, Jericho, still have your own and are making and living your own every day. From what I know of being Joined that's the most important part, having new experiences." "I don't know if you're doing it 'right', and it's probably tough for you not knowing if you are or how to do it better, or how to better work with all of the memories you have, but I do know you're still your own person with your own life, and that you're allowed to decide how you want to live. I don't know how you're meant to integrate with your past hosts, or if you've done the whole being Joined thing 'right' or not, but I know this stuff takes time. You're only 26, Jericho. You've got time to figure stuff out, and I want to be there to support you when you do." She said softly, adding a small smile at the end. As she spoke Dagis couldn't help but hope she wasn't saying something wrong, or something offensive, but she knew she wanted to say something to try and help her friend, so that's exactly what she did.

"Thank you," he mused with a smile, and the thank you was legitimate. Giles had spoken with a distinct lack of other Joined Trill over the course of his years of being joined so far, and he didn't have any communication with the Symbiosis Commission at all (they were only interested in the prospect of retrieving the symbiont from him eventually), so any form of reassurance was appreciated. Most of his understanding of how things were meant to go was based on that of his previous hosts, and even then, it was difficult to tell if how he acted was the norm. Being joined without any form of support - and having six-hundred years of memories in his head - had resulted in him having to work out everything for himself. There was a very real possibility that he had simply filed those past lives aside as something he knew of instead of something that he was now one with... But at the time, it had been down to whatever worked to stop him being driven mad by said six-hundred years. "I think I have it all worked out - I mean, as best that I can, personally. It's not as if I have anyone to tell me that I'm doing anything wrong, courtesy of being... Technically illegally joined, and all." The confession probably wasn't much of a surprise: most people found out he was joined and questioned how or why the Commission would ever have approved that. "There's uhm, also no guarantee that I'll have time to work out anything otherwise, considering how I am likely to be the most short-lived of all of our hosts... But-" he broke off the statement by clapping his hands together, smile now turning into more of a sheepish grin. "-Let's not get too morbid about it all! I do appreciate the reassurance, genuinely - and I'm sure someone would have told me if I was doing so tremendously awful at being a host, so... I'm sure it's all fine."

As Jericho spoke Dagis slowly nodded along once again, listening intently to what he said. There was no hint of surprise on her face when the Trill said he was technically illegally joined. If anything, there was only more sympathy for his situation. As the man mentioned him probably living for a lot less time than the other hosts the Ferengi’s expression turned to sadness, absolutely hating the thoughts that ran through her head. One of the last thing she ever wanted to happen was for him or anyone else to not live a full life. Surely modern medicine would be able to keep him as healthy as possible, right? As the subject was changed the woman forcefully dragged her mind away from the negative thoughts floating about and back to the present, giving her friend a slight smile when he said he appreciated the reassurance. “I’m confident if you were messing up that badly someone would’ve said something, yeah.” She said with a slight chuckle. “I’m sure it’s all fine as well, but if you do ever start to struggle I’m always free to chat to about it.” Dagis said, offering a warmer smile. In truth she enjoyed being able to talk to someone about anything, even if it was something they were struggling with. The ability to just have a chat was nice. She took another sip of her tea before speaking again. “You have a good taste in tea, by the way. I would’ve never thought to combine everything this blend has. Where’d you learn about it?” She asked curiously, trying her best to turn the conversation back in a lighter direction for the sake of both of their’s moods.

The Trill almost grimaced when he saw the Ferengi's expression fall, suddenly being hit by a wave of guilt. He had seen too much of her being upset or weighed down by the negative recently, and he didn't want to see any more of that - he much preffered the smiles and light laughter that she had expressed throughout this conversation. He wasn't sure if it was proper laughter or proper happiness - surely recent events and worries of what was to come still plagued the Lieutenant - but still, she seemed far more content than she had been before... And he didn't want to change that. It was with a sense of dejected unease that he realised that he likely would change that; it was just one of the downsides of being friends with him. It was one of the reasons he wasn't too sociable: not only was he bad at it, but... He didn't like people worrying for him. He hated to think of people having to worry about him or suffer because of him during the downwards trends in his health, and he didn't want that for Dagis. And so, when their chat continued and he opted to stick with the lighter conversation they had switched to, behind the smile he couldn't help but wonder if he was being selfish. Was it selfish of him to desire this friendship despite the inevitability that something would happen to him and Dagis would simply have to watch? Was it selfish of him to want to see her smile, but to withhold that sort of information from her anyway? Thoughts and feelings were complicated, and Giles didn't like knowing what to think... But he knew he preferred to see a person happy than to bring them down. 777_divider

06:50

"There's ehm, actually a way to go through all of the options on the replicator. I'm relatively fussy," he confessed, "so I find some teas quite bitter, but then if you select an option on the replicator it comes up with a sub-menu with different sort of blends. The majority of the options are from Earth - I think they're the main species who, uhm, what's the word... Cultivated? Tea? I don't know. But anyway, most of them are from Earth, but there are a handful of common ones like Tarkalean. You can just scroll through the list and find things that sound interesting -- that's what I did to work out what I like. It's the downside of being fussy about things, and that's not just in terms of taste, it's about content as well. No caffeine, for example. But at least I managed to find a good handful of nice ones. It makes up for being so boring when everyone else has interesting coffees and lattes and whatever they are," he added with a chuckle towards the end.

Dagis once again listened along as the Trill spoke, feeling quite content to just listen as he spoke about the ways to select different teas in the replicator, and the ways he was a bit picky. She didn't mind him being fussy, and it reassured her because she was the same. She took another sip of her tea before speaking. "Yeah, it's good that you've found some nice ones. I'll admit, I'm kinda fussy over what I eat and drink, too. A good example is that I only drink decaf black coffee, I only drink I think three different brands of beer, and I absolutely hate cheese." The Ferengi said, a grimace coming across her face as she thought about how much she hated cheese, before it quickly turning to a laugh. "There's far more than just that, but there's really too much for me to list off right now." She added with a smile. The woman thought for a moment, before speaking again. "And yeah, I think cultivated is the right word." She also added, smile now turning to that of a reassuring one. 777_divider

13:43

As the two sat there Dagis realised her hand was still on Jericho's knee, but she hadn't noticed him minding it so she decided to keep it there, quite enjoying the small physical contact. The woman was admittedly quite bad at coming up with things to talk about, so she fell into silence again as she drank some more of her tea. It was only after another few moments that she spoke again. "I, umm... I must admit, I wasn't expecting any visitors today, which I think is fairly obvious by the fact you hadn't told me you were coming to visit me," She said, making sure to sound light-hearted at the end so as to reassure her friend that she didn't mind. "But... I'm really glad you did visit me, Jericho. I would've just ended up moping about if I hadn't been able to talk about stuff. But, regardless of all of that, I enjoy talking to you. I enjoy your company." She said quietly with a soft smile. "We should do this more in the future. Visits and stuff, you know? Also, this tea is really good and it's totally going on my regular drinks list." She added with a slightly bigger smile.

Most people felt the need to fill the silence with some sort of conversation. He had always felt that was the norm, and felt awkward when you were in the presence of another person and just sat there in silence, but... The quiet that had briefly fallen over the two of them here wasn't uncomfortable. It was like being content to sit in silence with a colleague while you both worked on different things, but... This was with more than a colleague: it was with a friend... A friend who had tried to kill him not too long ago, a friend who he had defended in court, and a friend who he had voluntarily checked up on today. This really was a strange life. No matter how short-lived it ended up being, no future host could complain that it hadn't been interesting. When Dagis finished speaking it was with a smile that he replied, glad that she hadn't found him showing up here out of the blue to be intrusive or annoying in any way. "I do apologise for not asking or giving you any sort of prior warning - I thought I should probably message you first, but I wasn't sure how long it would take you to see that message, and I didn't want to leave it until it was too late, so... But - as long as you're glad that I stopped by, then it's fine! And - as for, ehm, meeting up again - I would like that. Only if you would like that, of course. I mean, of course you would, because you were the one who suggested that we should do this another time, and-" There he was again, a mess of words unable to communicate like a normal person - and he had no idea why. With a red blush colouring pale skin, he recollected himself with a nod and a sheepish smile. "What I mean to say is that I would like that, yes... Perhaps sometime soon, considering I should probably stop harassing you for the night - I know that you're scheduled on tomorrow. Not to say that I was stalking your rota or anything, not at all, I just-"

As the Trill sat next to her once again spoke, and once again stumbled over his own words, Dagis sat silently and listened with a smile. She was able to keep up with what he said just fine, so she didn't mind one bit. Her smile turned into a laugh when he mentioned him stopping harassing her, his choice of words seeming funny to the Ferengi. You know, in a good way. Her soft, reassuring smile returned as Jericho talked about not stalking her rota. "I know what you mean." The woman reassured with a smile, gently and briefly rubbing the side of his knee with her thumb after she spoke. "And you don't need to apologise for not giving me notice, Jericho. I'll never have an issue with you visiting unannounced. If anything, I consider it a nice surprise." She said warmly, blue eyes making contact with blue eyes throughout. "I'm free whenever I'm not working, so any time between our shifts when we don't overlap will be perfect to meet up again." The woman added cheerfully.

It was nice to see that Dagis didn't try to interrupt, become frustrated, or pull a face at him once again stumbling over his words. Instead she just listened, and that smile - at least to him, he didn't know if that was the intent but that was how he saw it - felt reassuring. At Intelligence everyone knew one another's quirks (there was no hiding anything from anyone there), but one of his concerns about heading out on an actual legitimate real Starfleet posting instead of being hidden away in the depths of the Intelligence building was that he wouldn't exactly... Get along with other people, that he wouldn't gel well with them or get their 'vibe,' as it were. Dagis and him talking like this, and getting along and... Just, being nice? (Was that what this was? Was it just being nice, or was it something more - her hand had never moved from his knee and he was just a socially awkward mathematician who had no idea if that was supposed to mean anything or not.) But either way - it proved otherwise. 777_divider

21:24

"Ah, well, if you do ever have issue with me showing up then uhm, please do just say - I wouldn't want to get in the way of your work - or down time, for that matter." It was perhaps somewhat awkwardly that he gave her hand a single pat, once again finding that cold verses warm contrast before moving to stand, managing to conceal a wince at the jolt of pain as he did so. It was with a slow, almost meandering gait that he wandered back to the door - not intent on lingering forever, but... Having actually enjoyed their conversation, and not wanting to cut it short. "I work flexible hours so I'm afraid you can't really predict my availability on the rota, but if you would ever like to meet then please do just call me on the comms... And besides, I wouldn't mind a distraction from the numbers sometimes." That was normally a lie: he would have spent all of his waking hours starting at a screen of symbols as he tried to convert between languages and analyse rotation shifts and piece a cipher apart. That was normally a lie: so what had gotten into him now? Knowing he would dwell on it later instead of right now, he inched one foot towards the door slightly to trigger it to slide open, before turning back to Lieutenant Dagis with a smile and one hand raised in somewhat of a wave. "I'll uhm, I'll - I'll uhm- Catch you around."

As her hand was patted she couldn’t help but smile a little more. In doing just that, Jericho had managed to completely reassure her that he didn’t mind the fact she had left her hand there, which was both a relief and confirmation that he was fine with at least basic forms of physical contact, which was always a good thing to know. As he went to stand Dagis did the same, not wanting to just sit as her friend left, and as the Trill spoke the Ferengi listened and nodded with a smile, watching him head over to the door. “Yeah, this has been nice. Really nice, and honestly I think I could go so far as to say needed. I’ll be sure to comm you when I get some free time so we can plan something. More tea and chatting, perhaps.” The woman said, sounding quite content with the idea. As Jericho left and the doors closed behind him, Dagis sat back down again on the couch with a content sigh. This was nice, very nice. Her attention remained on her friend for a good few minutes, before finally deciding to do something she had been putting off for a while. She picked up her PADD, opened up a video call, and rang her parents, all while hoping they wouldn’t react too badly to everything that had happened. (edited)

[D] It had been four days since Dagis and Vincent had argued - Four days of Dagis contemplating if she should or shouldn’t message him. But, having decided that checking his journey (so far) went well at the very least would be a good idea, the Ferengi (nervously) message him.

To: Vincent Ferrufinuo From: Dagis Subject: Hello Hey Vincent, I hope your journey went well, or is going well. I don’t know where you were going so you could most likely have multiple flights. I’m really sorry for the argument. Genuinely. We’re supposed to be friends and talk things out, not shout at eachother. And I know what I did makes it hard to think I’m a friend, but I just hope we’ll at least be able to chat again at some point. Take care, Dagis

FEDNET POSTMASTER ERROR: MESSAGE UNDELIVERED.

Not only was Dagis not expecting an instantaneous response, she wasn’t expecting that response. A combination of panic and concern was quick to set in as she pressed the resend button several times to no avail. She then checked the comms signal, which was fine. Okay, think, what would cause this? Was I blocked? Did he blocked me? Maybe. Did something happen? I don’t know. It was a matter of minutes before the Ferengi tapped her commbadge. “Lieutenant Giles from Lieutenant Dagis, I need to speak with you urgently.” She said, trying her best to not sound panicked.

[Comms] The return message came through a few seconds later, with the Trill's tone tinged with concern at Dagis's use of the word 'urgent.' "Giles here, go ahead - is everything alright?"

“Hey, umm, so, I messaged Vincent, a-and I just got a postmaster message undelivered error.” Dagis replied, trying to keep her mind focused on the information on her PADD rather than speculating what might’ve happened. “I checked the comms and they shouldn’t be down, so he’s either… He’s either blocked me, or something’s wrong.”

[Comms] "The most common cause of an undelivered message is that you've gotten someone's comms code wrong, but considering he was in the station directory, there should be a correct copy of his contact details there. You've double checked that they match up to what's listed on his FED ID?"

“Actually, no, I haven’t, I forgot. He might’ve changed it… L-let me check.” Dagis then did exactly that. It was after a moment of audible tapping at her PADD screen that she spoke up again, albeit quietly. “They match.”

[Comms]"It is relatively difficult to have your code changed - if you're Starfleet then it has to go through personnel, and if you're a general Federation citizen then there's a process of going through registry." In the background there was the quiet beep and chirp of the LCARS system, the Trill presumably already at work looking into it. "...It seems as though the comms code has been taken offline, but normally when that happens there's a final log of the offline or code change request and the person who authorised it. I'm not seeing anything against the comms code here." (edited)

It was as Jericho stopped speaking that Dagis covered her mouth, tears forming on her eyes (not that Jericho could see that, mind you.) Every single possible bad thing started flooding through her mind as her breathing slowly got quicker and very much so audible as she desperately tried to not panic.

[Comms] "I'm going to presume that he's requested that comms code be replaced and the reason there isn't a log in is because it's still in progress. For all I know, someone could be working on it right now - I'd have no way of knowing, I'm afraid. I'm also only seeing the basic accessible information linked to the code: further logs aren't viewable without clearance, and monitoring internal comms isn't part of my job. Accounts don't just go offline, though, so I wouldn't worry. I'm sure that there's a reasonable explanation."

Throughout Jericho speaking Dagis desperately tried to listen to what he said and use logic as best as possible to reason with her anxiety. He was right, he had to be right. He understood communications more than she did. As the Trill said that he was sure there was a reasonable explanation the woman managed to use that to slowly calm herself down, repeating what he said in her head as she focused on slowing her breathing as best as possible, before wiping her eyes dry with the same handkerchief from the last time the two met, of which she had kept in her jacket pocket ever since. “I-I’m sure you’re right, but I think we should check in a day or two, just to make sure. Can we do that? Can you do that, if possible? Please? I don’t know where to look.” She asked quietly.

[Comms] He wasn't completely imperceptive, having caught the sound of her panicked breathing and the occasional stutter. "I'll keep an eye on the logs... And if you'd really like, I do have a colleague who works in internal comms monitoring - and said colleague owes me a favour. If it helps to put your mind at ease then I can ask her to take a look."

“Yes! Y-yes, please. If that’s possible. I don’t want to sound paranoid, I’m sure he’s fine I just…” She sighed, trying to get her thoughts together. “With everything that’s gone on recently I just don’t want anything else to happen, you know?” Dagis asked in a quiet and small voice. She genuinely didn’t know if she’d be able to take any more mental beatings.

[Comms] "Don't worry - I understand what you mean, and I fully understand being concerned. I'll keep an eye on things from here, and I'll go and message her just now - in the meantime, if your message does happen to go through and it was just some sort of temporary glitch, then do let me know. I'll go and get on that just now - but you know where to find me if you need anything, okay? Giles out."

Despite the call ending Dagis still responded with a quiet “Okay”, appreciating Jericho’s understanding immensely. There was probably nothing wrong at all, and Vincent was probably just wanting to separate himself from everything by changing his code, but she couldn’t help but worry. The Ferengi decided the best thing to do was to try and relax as best as possible for now, and so she put her PADD down to facilitate that. But, despite her best efforts throughout the evening, she did keep occasionally glancing at it just to see if her message had sent or if he had replied.

Dagis, A stop request log was just filed under your friend's comms code a minute ago, screenshot attached. It looks as though he requested it to be discontinued. Also, here is a unicode frog for your viewing pleasure.

Best, Giles. [Attachment: Stop_Code_LCARS_Screenshot]

It had been a day since Dagis spoke to Jericho in her worried state, and she had admittedly not stopped worrying. It was as she was yet again in her quarters that she received the update message from the Trill. As the Ferengi read the message a multitude of different feelings sped through her, ranging from upset, to relief, to enjoyment accordingly with what was written. She was upset that Vincent had discontinued his code, she was relieved that he had, in fact, discontinued his code and that nothing bad had seemingly happened at all, and she enjoyed the little unicode frog her friend sent for her viewing pleasure. After a few minutes the woman typed up a response and sent it, having taken some time to process the information and figure out what to say.

Hey Jericho, Thanks for the update. I wish it had just been an error and that he hadn't discontinued his code, but at least he has discontinued it rather than anything else happening. I appreciate the little frog, it's cute, and has definitely provided viewing pleasure. I'm going to copy it to my clipboard for future use. I'll message you later about meeting up again. Best, Dagis

Dagis had been at work when the missing person report came through so she hadn't had chance to see it. When she returned to her quarters and got out of uniform she sat down to check for any personal messages or news. As she saw who the missing person report was for her eyes widened and stomach sank, and as she read more she felt worse and worse, until she couldn't take any more and burst into tears, immediately hugging her PADD to her chest (which still had the case Vincent had given her on it) as she curled up on the couch. She knew something was wrong, she knew it. She couldn't fathom why he had gone missing, or what might have happened to her friend, her mind flooded with endless thoughts and emotions, none of which were nice. The Ferengi remained this way for a very long time, until she eventually fell asleep on the couch, still curled up, still hugging her PADD, and still very upset

Once properly in her quarters Dagis took her shoes off, before picking up her PADD again and going to sit down on the couch. She sighed as she switched her PADD screen on again, only to realise she had left the message about Vincent on screen. Despite her best efforts she couldn't help but read it again, tears once again starting to fall down her cheeks. The woman ended up re-reading it several times as she tried to process what had happened. This was Section 31, there was no doubt about that, but she hated the fact it was. She had a feeling as soon as Vincent went missing that something horrible had happened, but she had always hoped it wouldn't be this. The one thing she had hoped and begged to not happen happened. Was it her fault? No, it wasn't... Right? She couldn't escape the Section, so she couldn't have prevented this, right? Stars, this was all so horrible. The Ferengi ended up laying down on the couch, hugging her PADD again as a few tears escaped her eyes, just desperately trying to process everything and figure it all out.

[D] Dagis had been in her quarters for quite some time now as it was her day off. She had been relaxing for the most part, with one call to her parents interrupting her book reading. They were doing well, despite everything they and her uncle had been through. It was some time in the early afternoon when something popped into her head, something that had been nagging her for quite some time. She hadn't spoken to Jericho in ages, nor heard from him. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Junior Grade Jericho Giles."

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Jericho Giles is in his quarters, located on Middle Habitat Ring, Section One."

Upon having her enquiry answered Dagis stood up, putting her PADD under her arm, before heading out of her quarters.

[D] A messaged pinged through to Dagis's console. Upon being opened it looked like a jumble of confusing ciphertext but precisely three seconds after being opened it began to auto-decrypt itself at a rate of 400 words-per-minute, and then started to fade off the screen as soon as they had been read. It would have been difficult to keep up to anyone with a slow reading comprehension, but the message was clearly designed to be kept hidden from any prying eyes. Not that there were any prying eyes within Dagis's quarters. Hopefully.

Dagis, I likely shouldn't be telling you this (hence why I'm covering my tracks), but considering how recent events for you have been rather dire, I thought you could be doing with some good news. I've managed to confirm the location of three separate Section 31 bases. They're in the Celes, Mizar, and Draconis sectors respectively: most of them seem to have drifted away from the centre of Federation space except from the one closest to us, likely so they can keep tabs on what's happening there without their information ending up weeks out of date. Intelligence are already enacting their surveillance network to start gathering more information on these bases, and it won't be long before they launch attacks against them. We're not sure if these bases are auxiliary or more central to Section 31's operations, but either way, it'll be a step forward in stopping them for good. There's been no mention of recalling me back to Earth yet. If I don't bring it up, do you reckon they'll just forget about me and let me stay? Best, Giles

[D] At the time of the message coming in Dagis was sat at her console working on the shift rota for the month. Sure, she could've worked on it in her office while on duty, but why do it there in uniform when she could do it here in far comfier clothes? As she saw a message flash up she opened it, only to immediately feel her heart rate increasing as she saw it was encrypted, her mind immediately thinking the worst despite Section 31 having (hopefully) cut ties with her for good. It was as it decrypted at a rapid pace that she began reading it, feeling a substantial amount of dread in the process. It was as the Ferengi read the words 'I thought you could be doing with some good news' that she realised who the message was from (as no one in the Section would ever give her good news, nor write like this), a wave of relief flooding over her as she carried on reading about her probably-more-than-a-friend's success, a smile crossing her face. However, that relief was short lived as the message started disappearing from the beginning to the end. Her eyes widened and she immediately started speed-reading in an attempt to keep up and read the whole message, having been thus far taking it at quite a leisurely pace. Even with her training as a Section agent, and even with her family teaching her how to quickly read an entire contract (including the small print), she still struggled to keep up with the disappearing text. Upon reading the Trill's comments about Intelligence forgetting about him and letting him stay that a small chuckle escaped her lips, the text on her console screen completely vanishing as she caught a glimpse of the butterfly in his signature. Once the text had vanished Dagis sat back in her seat with a sigh, feeling quite like she had just ran a mental marathon. 777_divider

13:38

It took the woman several minutes to process what was said to her, having chosen to memorise the message when reading it rather than process it at the time. It was as she processed Jericho's message that her smile soon returned and quickly evolved into a joyous grin, feeling absolutely ecstatic about the progress he had made. After another couple of minutes she sat upright in her chair once more and started figuring out how to encrypt her reply. She had never been that good at covering her tracks, nor encrypting anything (she had been caught, after all), whereas the Trill was a literal cryptologist, so she had to get a bit creative. It took the Ferengi a good half hour of writing and then subsequently trying out different encryption options on her console to see what would work before she eventually sent her reply with a content sigh.

Dear Lieutenant Dagis, Starfleet Intelligence requests your presence on a classified mission. You are to be assigned to the USS @deleted-role to serve as the handler of Away Team Two. A full briefing as to the nature of the mission will take place once the ship has departed. A meeting shall be held with yourself prior to this in order to brief you on the nature of this journey. Eventide is to depart on stardate 89728.71 – the 23rd of September 2412 at 1700 hours. Please be aboard the vessel for this time. It is predicted that this mission shall last approximately three days including the time taken for travel. A full communications blackout will be in place during this time: there will be no communication with Starbase 777 or any other outside sources. Please do not inform anyone else as to the details of this journey. We hope you understand, and we thank you for your compliance. Yours, Starfleet Intelligence.