Star Trek RPG - Mission #4: "Codex Aelyrr"

[CatInASuit]

Rangin neatly places his cutlery on the plate, ignoring any looks that the pair of them might be getting from around. He rests his elbows on the table, hands clasped together and rests his chin on it, looking straight across at Collins.

"Mollify. Placate. I'm sorry ma'am, I thought I was talking to his superior officer, not his junior." The words come sadly out as if somehow Rangin feels pity for her not knowing what role she should be playing.

"As for Ensign Kylah, I certainly care for her, as I would any other shipmate. But in love with her? No, no I am not." A crooked smile forms on Rangin's lips. "Besides even if I am, and as you saw yourself, she certainly seems to prefer Ens. Graham and his tender ministrations. After all she called out to him on waking, not me. Or did you miss that part?"

[anyrose]

"I already know you don't like Graham," Collins feels herself getting a little defensive, "and I'm sure you didn't like Detective Lunnd. Is it all law enforcement you dislike? Because I'm getting you don't like me very much either." She, too, places her cutlery on the table, but she puts her hands in her lap to hide the fists she is now making. "And Kylah, well, I knew on OC3 she had eyes for someone in the crew, and in Sick Bay it was obvious, to me anyway, that someone is you. She watched your every move with such intensity. And she was completely devastated by your parting shot. If she didn't have feelings for you, your words would not have cut her so deeply."

Maybe I am projecting a little but this is just like every high school romance ever, she thinks, they're not going to get together unless one of them admits how they feel.

"Have either of you ever just told the other how you feel? I doubt it. She's too shy and you're too proud. Yeah, I know you said you're not in love with her, but I think you're in denial, that's you're hurting because of what happened between you two on Anubis. And really, could you have been that hurt if you didn't love her? That's an awful lot of negative emotions aimed at someone who's merely a shipmate."

[CatInASuit]

"Au contraire, ma'am, when I was on board the Lexington, some of my best friends were in Security. I have absolutely no problems with those who are there to act and uphold the law, especially those who will apply it more rigourously to themselves than to others. Mr. Graham has shown himself to be conspicuously absent from that category." Rangin smiles politely across at the pensive face opposite him. "I have no problems with your good self. Indeed I think you could make a fine officer, otherwise I would not have made that offer on OCIII."

Rangin reaches down and picks up his knife and fork, moves the plate round slightly and begins to cut away again. "By the way, did you ever consider that the current friction between Ens. Kylah and I is precisely because we did find out how the other feels about each other." He takes a mouthful and thoughtfully chews it before swallowing. "Of course, I care about her, a great deal in fact. How could I not after everything she has been through. But no, her actions have spoken louder than she ever did. Certainly at the moment, she is ill and confused, so I wouldn't put much store in it. Besides, even if there was I cannot do anything about it. After all, I've been forbidden from seeing her without supervision. Your orders, I believe."

[anyrose]

Collins has to fight the urge to roll her eyes. She takes out her communicator. "Collins to Doctor T'Var. The restrictions on Ensign Rangin's visits has been lifted. He may visit Ensign Kylah without supervision." She closes her communicator and looks at Rangin. "She thinks you hate her. Of course she's going to look to someone else for comfort. Graham is just the first person she saw." She probably wouldn't want to be comforted by me anyway, after OC3, even though I did apologize. Why am I always the one to apologize? Why doesn't anyone apologize to me? Stop it! Focus! This isn't about me.

[CatInASuit]

Rangin looks back up at Lt. Collins and shakes his head, an amused smile flickering across his lips. Impulsive to a fault. He sighs wistfully as he lowers the knife and fork. "Ma'am, if Dr T'Var was on the same shift as us, she is probably not on duty. She could be in the middle of anything at this moment in time. Also, I believe you will find that Mr Graham will not be so happy to hear the news." Rangin inclines his head to Collins in acknowledgement. "However the thought, no matter how impulsive it was, is appreciated. Thank you"

He goes back to his meal, the second part of Collins comment left unanswered. Ens. Kylah seek comfort in someone else's arms, Rangin is sure Collins does not know how accurate she is. But in the name of keeping the tone polite, he says nothing and keeps his face still.

[anyrose]

Collins smiles when Rangin thanks her. Okay. I did something right. She notices the shift in his body language when she talks about Kylah. Subject closed. For now. No, it's not. "If she wants to talk to you, tell you how she feels about you, would you listen?"

[general_urko]

Graham's gratified to be able to spend some tender moments with large weights.

I see a large ribeye, washed down with a double whisky in my future, he thinks.

Finishing his last set, he frowns. It will bug you if you don't at least look in no Kylah, won't it? He shakes his head. No real purpose to it...but anybody who doesn't understand that you want to do it anyway has never had a sick kid or a wounded colleague.

He doesn't bother to change, instead grabbing a towel to dry off on the way to Sickbay, which is where he'll head from the gym unless interrupted on his way.

[choie]

Kylah winces at Johnson's sharp tone, cursing and sudden ire--and at his calling her naïve. When he stands up she cannot help draw back as if expecting a blow. She tries to interrupt, both to apologize for upsetting him and to defend Velir, but Johnson's impassioned words give her pause. As difficult as it is to hear, she listens to him carefully. But when he suggests that Graham and Velir were fighting over her, she cannot remain silent.

"No, no, the fight was nothing like that! I do not really know what started it. I was half-asleep, and something woke me... Velir--Mr. Rangin was near me, I remember that, and then Mr. Graham was suddenly pulling him back, and Lt. Collins ordered Mr. Graham away."

She gnaws at a thumbnail, unable to tell the difference between actual memories, the exaggerated echoes of the others' heightened emotions, and any hallucinations caused by medications. "Dr. T'Var was there, but she did not say much that I recall. All I know is that Mr. Graham seemed to think Mr. Rangin was--is--a threat to me. I do not understand why. How could anyone could blame a man like him?"

After a moment of reflection, she looks up at Johnson pleadingly. "You seem angry with me," she says, her hands tightening into fists under the covers. "I am sorry, I know I am frustrating--I frustrate myself. I seem incapable of learning from my mistakes. But I appreciate your offer of friendship, if you mean it. Despite how we began, I do feel comfortable with you."

Shy, she hurries on. "But what you say about Mr. Rangin... it does not feel right. He wishes I were a better person, as do I. I want to be whatever he wishes me to be. I would be greatly improved by it. He asks nothing of me that he does not ask of himself. He has been truthful with me about what little he has told me of his past. I respect his privacy, so I do not wish to push.

"But in truth," she must admit, "his lack of trust in me is understandable. I have kept things from him. Not out of maliciousness, but because I am not ready to tell him. I am not ready to tell anyone. It is too soon. It is more than I can process myself, let alone share with others."

Kylah looks searchingly at Johnson. "When must people share everything with each other, in a relationship? I have no experience at such things, I have never been with--" Her face burns and she casts her gaze downward from Johnson's piercing blue eyes. "I have never had a relationship before. Not that I have one now," she adds with candid bitterness. "What about you? Do you tell everything to your..." She struggles for a word. "Partner?"

* * *

Johnson listens to Kylah, concerned by what she says, and scratches the side of his head as she continues. From the sounds of it, this is not a relationship off to a good start. Despite wanting to make a joke about how all the ladies feel comfortable with him, it's not the time or place.

"Yeah, that's an honest offer of friendship right there. Okay, there are plenty of things I haven't told my...er...partners, current or otherwise, but it's based on trust. They trusted me that anything private wouldn't affect them. Now I tend to be a lot more open, so most of my past comes out pretty quickly, but I know there are several people, plenty on this ship, who have secrets they don't really want to tell anyone. It really does vary from person to person. And no, if you want to keep something hidden, that's your choice."

Johnson grits his teeth for the next part, "Hey, I'm not angry or frustrated with you, surprised perhaps, bit concerned as well. Look, setting yourself up to be someone else's ideal is a really bad way to have a relationship. You need to be a better person because you want it, not because you think it will impress some other guy. Kylah, you're not having a relationship, you're crushing on him. You're setting yourself up to be disappointed by trying to be some ideal that you think he wants. Actually, I'm not even sure you know what he wants."

Leaning forward again, "Look, that line, asking nothing of you he wouldn't ask of himself? It's crap. That's like asking all my exes to be excellent cooks or me knowing how to strip down and repair a shuttle. We're all different and we ask different things of different people. My advice is this: Work out who you are first. Go out, make some new friends, enjoy yourself, learn to be you, then decide if Ens. Rangin is the right person for you."

* * *

Swallowing, Kylah considers Johnson's advice. "Make some new friends," she echoes softly. "That is like asking me to repair a shuttle." She shakes her head, trying to digest every painful thing he is telling her, and her throat feels strangled and tight.

Does she know what Velir wants? She thought she did. He has always seemed to want a partner, not a subservient creature; someone who is as ethical and strong as he is. The sad truth is that if she thought he were satisfied with someone like Kylah, she would not look up to him so much.

She thought she could try to live up to his standards. But that was before OCIII.

Hurriedly she continues. "You say this is just a crush. I do not know. I thought it was more, but maybe I have been fooling myself. You are right, I am naïve in many ways. I tried to remain that way, tried to protect myself and my... my innocence. But that did not keep me safer; remaining on my high shelf only made the inevitable fall worse. Much, much worse."

Finding it hard to speak, she reaches for her glass of water and takes a few shallow sips. Then she cradles it in both hands, staring down. "Even if I am no longer a child, perhaps what I feel for Velir is just some girlish fantasy. But if love is stronger than this, I do not know if I will ever be ready for it. It hurts so."

She forces herself to lift her chin and face him. "I will think about all you have said, and will try to find out who I am." She feels insincere. Kylah already knows what she is, and does not like it--and clearly others agree, or she would not make so many enemies. She changes the subject. "I must not keep you, I know you need your rest after a long day. Thank you for all this. Your patience, your advice, your..." She glances at the plate of Bellaque. "Your generosity."

* * *

"That's alright, it's a pleasure. And no looking so sad, I'm sure it's against Doctor's orders. Yeah, love's a funny thing, you never know when it might hit." Johnson blushes slightly thinking about it and sighs, "If it is love, it'll survive and if Velir is the right one for you, don't ruin it now." And I might want to have a word with him about a few little details he might have missed.

"One last thing, falling from a high shelf doesn't have to be so bad. Stay as you are and you'll probably shatter and frankly that would be a waste of a good ensign. Don't be a pretty expensive jar, they always wind up chipped and glued back together again. Try being a ball and bounce back up there. Or alternatively, if Ens. Rangin won't, find someone else to catch you. Hell, if you get really desperate, I'll do it." He realizes the implication of his words and races on: "No, I don't mean that, I mean help find some new friends."

* * *

Kylah's mouth parts at his suggestion. Find someone else? Impossible. If she was wrong about Velir, how can she trust anyone else who might 'catch her'? Her life consists of a veritable parade of greedy men with ulterior motives grabbing at her, with precious few exceptions.

Still, Johnson's other words... There is wisdom in them, she knows. There is nothing she longs for more than the ability to recover quickly from her failures. Right now, such resilience seems beyond her. She is so terribly tired.

* * *

Johnson stands up and stretches slightly, the day beginning to catch up with him, but the night still young. "However, I'd suggest having a word with Lt. Thalen, find out what's on at the Lyceum, go and take part with some people who share an interest, whether that's games, arts, music whatever. Most people are fine, you just seem to have a habit of picking the idiots." Johnson gestures at himself. "Starting with yours truly. Thinking about it, I'm running a foodie evening soon if you're interested. Get to sample lots of interesting tastes with other people. Think about it."

Heading across to the door, he stops just before it and turns back to the figure in the bed. "One last thing, an open offer: I'll have hot chocolate waiting, if you ever need to talk, for fun or if you have something you want to get off your chest... which, frankly, seems overwhelming, and you probably do need someone to help handle it--" Johnson's mouth hangs open slightly and he groans. "I don't believe I just said that. I meant if the problems seem overwhelming, not your... oh never mind."

* * *

She does not comment on his innuendo, which is so second-nature that he seems unable to help himself. By now, after all she has been through, Kylah realizes that mere innuendo from a good-natured man like Andy Johnson is truly harmless.

But that 'habit of picking idiots' stings, it is so close to her own earlier thoughts. She is also surprised by Johnson's self-deprecation--or his playful chiding of her own previous attitude toward him, she cannot tell which it is. "First, Mr. Johnson, you are not an idiot," she murmurs. "I misjudged you when we first met, and I am sorry for that.

"I will consider the options you mention, including the... 'foodie' evening." Whatever that is. But he has proven himself a remarkable cook, so anything he recommends regarding food is probably sound. "And I will consider your advice, too," she adds softly, finally addressing his comment about someone else catching her.

Except she knows she cannot give her heart to anyone right now. She has already given it away: whether as a one-sided childish fantasy or the beginnings of love, her heart still belongs to Velir. He holds it now, caged and crushed. She does not know how to release it to someone else who will treat it more tenderly.

Still, she knows what Johnson wants her to say. "Perhaps you are right. Maybe there are other men who are better suited to me. Maybe I will find one."

* * *

"That's the spirit," Johnson says affably, and he flashes her one more smile, hoping to see her return it, and mean it, just once. He has his own plans to enjoy the evening, and Kylah seems so defeated; he isn't sure he'll fully shake free of the sight of her even while engaged in pleasurable pursuits. "Good night, Kylie."

* * *

"Good night," she says while Johnson's tall figure departs the room. After watching the door close behind him, she re-covers the Bellaque dish so that it will remain somewhat fresh for tomorrow, then settles back in the bed, looking up at the plate.

How surreal to end this ghastly day with such kindness. Kylah closes her eyes and tries to focus on this. But as hard as she tries, she cannot ignore the flashes of masked men with clubs, the remnants of her shattered zither, and Velir's angry eyes as cold and lifeless as a distant moon.

Shivering beneath her covers, Kylah wishes she were not so very alone.

[CatInASuit]

"Ma'am, perhaps I didn't make myself clear, but what part of 'the current friction between Ens. Kylah and I is because we did find out how we feel about each other' did you fail to understand? I understand you are feeling persistant, but it is heading towards the maxim that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Rangin cannot help but smile at the irony of the statement, indeed here he was trying not to repeat the same mistake and expect it to be different this time around.

"Besides, it would not surprise me if Ens. Kylah is feeling a little regret over what occurred today, through no fault of her own. So anything said now would, no, should be held in the heat of those moments. Perhaps wait awhile until she has recovered and is of a calmer mind. What do you think?"

Rangin continues to tuck into the remains of his meal, which is now nearly finished.

[anyrose]

"Actually," Collins agrees, "that's an excellent idea. Time heals all wounds." She watches him eat and realizes, except for that one bite, she hasn't touched her dinner. She raises her water glass to him, then enjoys her own meal.

[Elendil's Heir]

Kylah's communicator beeps and she sees a text: Found a Vulcan lute for you to borrow, if you're still interested. No such Risian instruments aboard, and no other Elasian ones, I'm sorry to say. See you in the morning. Sleep well! THALEN.

Giya acknowledged Rangin's grimace with a smile and returned to her meal.

Dr. T'Var has not responded yet to Collins's message about Rangin's access to Sickbay.

Graham arrives in Sickbay; the duty nurse tells him that visiting hours end in 30 minutes.

It is now 1800 hours on the dot.

[anyrose]

Collins stands and picks up her tray. "Thanks for the lovely conversation," she says to Rangin, with a bit of a laugh and a smile. "Have a good evening." She buses her tray, steps outside the mess, and stretches. Hmmm, maybe some yoga this evening. On her way to the gym she stops by Sick Bay to let the duty nurse know about the restriction lift. After she changes in the locker room, she messages Cooper "Give me a buzz when you're finished with whatever it is you're doing, and then come on by. Ensign Kylah is staying in Sick Bay tonight. I'll fill you in later."

[Elendil's Heir]

The duty nurse acknowledges the change.

Cooper replies, Just finishing. Should be on my way soon.

[anyrose]

Jeremi gets Ben's reply while she's in a particularly awkward pose, and falls over on her side when her communicator beeps. She then rushes to change and hurries back to her quarters. I guess it's cardio tonight after all, she thinks happily.

[general_urko]

Graham sees--what's his name? Johnson. The comedian--leaving Kylah's room. Telling her a few jokes? He's not sure that's the best therapy at the moment, on the other hand, maybe it is.... He recalls hearing about entertainment-as-a-treatment that had great results helping people recovery from trauma.

"Hey," he says, quietly but enough to try to get Johnson's attention before he leaves. "How is she?" he asks, gesturing toward Kylah's room in between toweling off some residual sweat from his forehead.

[CatInASuit]

Rangin finishes his meal and watches Collins leave the mess hall. Shaking his head as to why she is so cheerful, he is not sure he understands what has gotten into her.

He dumps his tray and if Giya and Chris are still around, he will chat to them. Otherwise he will head back to the lab to do a little more light reading.

[Elendil's Heir]

Cooper rings Collins's doorchime just a minute or so after she gets there. "Anyone home?" he calls.

Ens. Giya, the female Deltan chemist, and Ens. Chris Johnson, the sensor specialist, are both still dining. They greet Rangin. "You didn't look too pleased to be breaking bread with that redshirt," Johnson says. "Who is she?"

[CatInASuit]

Rangin is pleased to sit down with the two scientists more in hope of having a more stimulating and intellectual conversation that with Collins.

"That particular redshirt is Lt. JG. Collins, current Assistant Chief of Security. She survivable." Rangin grins in reply. "She's also a young and over her head, with some impulse control issues, I think. She'll either do well if she holds it together, or really crash and burn."

Rangin shakes his head slightly. "Anyway, enough about Security, What's happening in Science. You'll both be amused to know I got absolutely no chance to study at any of the spores on OCIII while I was there, other than a brief look at them, mainly thanks to Security. Actually Chris, I wanted to have a word with you anyway. Roble has me looking at this new prototype sensor, the one we just picked up from Anubis, and its effects on biosensors. I'd love to get your opinions and thoughts on some of it..." Rangin leaves the sentences unfinished for a moment knowing that like any scientists the chance to play with something new is always welcome "...if you're not too busy of course. After all, you are the expert."

[Ajay]

Having headed out of Kylah's room, Johnson is on the verge of calling T'Var who doesn't appear to be around Sickbay, when he is approached by Ens. Graham. "Evening sir, who Ens. Kylah? 'Bout as well as you could expect really. I just popped in to see how she's doing, which isn't great, and to see if she liked the gift, which she did."

Johnson watches Graham, who looks like he just decided to go beat up some other poor sucker. "Your not going to go back in there and start fighting again, are you sir? I really don't think that would help."

[anyrose]

Collins opens her door and greets Cooper with a bear hug and a deep kiss. When they come up for air, she takes his hand and brings him to sit on the bed with her. "Hi Honey. How was your day?" she asks him.

[Elendil's Heir]

Ens. Johnson says, "Sure, I'll take a look, but my specialty is tactical sensors. You're the shipboard authority on biosensors, from all I've heard."

Cooper grins and gives Collins a squeeze. "Much better, now. This project is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. Still not done yet."

[general_urko]

Graham shakes his head slightly. "You don't have to call me sir," he replies, starting to point to his uniform and then realizing he's wearing workout clothes. He shrugs and sighs. "I don't have a talent like yours, but, no, I wasn't planning on fighting anybody, uh...outfit notwithstanding." He pauses, looking at the door to Kylah's room and wondering whether checking on her would do more harm than good. "What gift?" he asks, as that bit of Johnson's response registers.

[anyrose]

"Are you allowed to talk about it?" Jeremi asks Ben "Is it interesting or mundane?" As they talk, Collins takes off her tunic to reveal a tank top which she untucks from her pants.

[Ajay]

"What kind of gift d'you think? I'm a cook, I whipped up her favourite dish." Johnson wonders if Graham has taken one too many hits to the head. "She's had a rough couple of days so it's the least I could do. I owed her one anyway. It would have been last night but her friend didn't think she'd be interested. "

Johnson studies the older man in front of him. "So what's your reason for calling? I mean there were two of you last night outside her door and today...well...fisticuffs from what I 'eard."

[general_urko]

Cook? I thought he was a comedian...

Graham shakes his head slightly. "It wasn't 'fisticuffs.' At the time I thought Mr. Rangin was a threat..." He corrects himself. "A physical threat to her. So I did what they pay me to do."

"As to now...I don't know." He frowns slightly. "One last check before lights out seemed like the right thing to do."

[Elendil's Heir]

"Just a new shuttle maintenance advisory from Starfleet," Collins says, "making sure we're in compliance." He grins. "Are we getting undressed now?"

[anyrose]

"If you like," Collins says in a sultry voice. "I was just getting comfortable is all. I had a busy afternoon." She then tells Cooper about what happened on Anubis after shore leave ended, and about the investigation and her small part in it. She praises Rangin, and speaks sympathetically about Kylah. She leaves out the bit about Graham restraining Rangin, because that's not pertinent to the tale.

[Elendil's Heir]

Cooper kicks off his boots. "Comfort is good." He has several questions about Anubis and the investigation, but seems a little tired.

[anyrose]

Collins kicks her boots off as well, then lies back and opens her arms, inviting Cooper to lie next to her.

[CatInASuit]

"Who me?" says Rangin in mock surprise, "I don't know where you heard such things. I may have a passing knowledge, but I'd hardly describe myself as an expert. Just someone who has used them an awful lot." Rangin smiles at the two scientists, relaxing after the day's events. "Besides, a sensor is a sensor and any help would be appreciated. Why should I get all the fun of trying to work out why this prototype disrupts other sensors ability to read biosigns?"

Rangin sits back, "It can wait until morning, so how are the pair of you, what's news onboard?"

[Ajay]

"You're kidding, Ens. Rangin, he's titchy, no bigger than she is?" Johnson is slightly incredulous at Graham's statement. "You sure? I mean the night before he seemed all worried about her. I mean I know they had a fight, but even so, I was going to drop off Kylah's favourite dish to her but he suggested I put it off a night off out concern for her. Oh yeah, that was because I made his favourite dish at Kylah's request and dropped it off to him earlier on. Crazy pair, I wonder if he realises he has her wrapped round his little finger. Ah, you didn't hear that from me."

Johnson nods back towards the door. "Seriously, you're not jealous are you, I mean you were there last night and saw her first. You didn't ruin it for them? I mean the pair of them were as miserable as anything afterwards."

[Elendil's Heir]

Cooper lies down, takes Collins into his arms, and one thing leads to another....

Giya says, "Not much. The Captain offered shore leave to Beta watchstanders, since it looks like we're going to be here for at least another few hours because of the investigation into the attack on Kylah. We'll be beaming down soon."

[CatInASuit]

"Well I hope you have more fun down there than I did. Enjoy it while you can." Rangin does hope they enjoy the parts of it he didn't get to see, "I'll see you in the morning, I've got a sensor to figure out." He rises from the table leaving Giya and Chris behind and then heads off to the Science lab to see if he can put down all those thoughts he had before the interrogation took place with Thoth's finest.

[WES]

While awaiting Johnson in the Mess Hall, T'Var notices the message from Collins and responds.

"If Ens. Kylah agrees to visits from Mr. Rangin, that would be fine," T'Var says. "However, if she does not wish to see him, he will not be allowed access to her."

[general_urko]

Graham scowls at the phrase "wrapped around his little finger."

"Jealous?" he replies quietly. "No, my, ah,...concern for her...isn't like that. But I'd recommend taking Mr. Rangin's expressions of concern for her well-being with a grain of salt in the future, though, Chef." He sighs again. "Well if I'm going to check in on her I'd better get it down." He pauses. "I'm glad to hear you made something she liked for her...without a, ah hidden agenda. She could use more of that."

[anyrose]

The beep of Collins' communicator goes completely ignored for the nonce.

[SidonianGal]

By the time she has left the shower and is ready for bed, Nia is back to feeling lightheaded. She pulls her respirator unit over to her bunk, where she gratefully sits down. Before she dons the mask that will provide her with the equivalent of the Sidonian breathable atmosphere, she retrieves Graham's present from the gift bag, cradling it carefully with both hands. Her gentle smile broadens when she shakes the snowglobe and sets it on her nightstand. Now, pulling the mask over her face, she lies down, takes deep, revitalizing breaths, and watches the flakes drift around the tiny cabin and figures amid the water.

Such a considerate gift. Most men would just buy flowers, candy, perfume or--if they're feeling extravagant--jewelry. This took some actual thought. The specificity of the miniature scene inside the globe has to be pure coincidence, of course, but Graham knows she's from a desert planet, discovered she loves water, and deduced--correctly--that snow is a rarity for her.

Thoughtful and a helluva kisser, Nia thinks drowsily, smiling again. Not a bad combo. She orders the lights off, makes sure her breathing mask is comfortable, and settles in for what she hopes will be an enjoyable night's sleep.

A vast stretch of sere land, the dirt rust-colored and burning beneath her feet, lies before her. She is back on Sidonia, somewhere in a valley that used to contain water, which makes the hot wind taste of salt and minerals when Nia forgets to shield her mouth.

Ahead, something appears to be covered with a white blanket. Nia moves in that direction, and when she gets closer she notices dark curling hair whipped by the wind, although the rest of the body is unseen. Must be Ensign Kylah--Nia has found her, she'll have to report this to the rest of the crew.

She runs now until she is next to the young woman lying on the ground. Her face is buried beneath the blanket, and Nia gently reaches out to see how badly Kylah's been hurt. To her shock, the white material is freezing cold and melts beneath her touch. Massive snowflakes are now falling, which is unheard of on Sidonia, but Nia turns her face up to the sky and feels the frigid flakes landing gently on her head.

Impossible or not, it can't be good for Kylah to be buried--shrouded--by all this snow. Nia bends down and digs away at the mound until she's able to see the girl's face and shoulders. But it isn't Kylah. The age is just about right, but Kylah's hair isn't this curly, her skin isn't this dark. And when the girl opens her eyes, a dark green gaze settles on Nia.

Nia shudders and tries to take hold of the young woman's shoulders. "I found you," she says, her voice almost carried away by the wind. "You're safe now."

The girl shakes her head. "Since when do you care? You sent me here in the first place."

"I had no choice," Nia insists, and keeps pulling. But despite her own strength and effort, the girl doesn't budge. The snow begins to melt and, horrified, Nia must watch as the young woman begins to dry out and crack like the former lake bed beneath Nia's feet. Soon one final gust of wind reveals that she is nothing but dust, dissipating and vanishing in the hot desert air. Nia cries out but there's nothing she can do.

Then a hand clasps Nia's shoulder. She turns: it's Booker Graham. Her instinct is to go to him for comfort, but instead he holds a phaser on her. "Dereliction of duty," he says. "She was your responsibility. It happened on your watch. You know the punishment." Nia starts to back away but Graham blasts the phaser too quickly. She is stunned, her lungs are paralyzed. She cannot breathe. All Graham does is watch as she falls to the ground, suffocating on the burning hot soil and the few particles of dust that were once a young woman.

Nia's eyes pop open to the sound of her own gasps. Now awake, she realizes she has shifted enough in her sleep for the breathing mask to fall from her nose. At once she clasps the plastic and shoves it back into its proper place, inhaling deeply and as slowly as she can to avoid hyperventilation.

When Nia has recovered herself, she closes her eyes, pulls the twisted covers back up over her body, and does her best to relax once again.

[Ajay]

Hidden agenda? Johnson leaves SickBay wondering what on earth Graham is on about. Was he suggesting Ens. Rangin had a hidden agenda when it came to Ens. Kylah? He isn't sure what is running through Graham's head, but it didn't seem pretty. Besides, he'd be there to talk to any of them afterwards should it come to it. Yeah, he really did need to have a word with Ens. Rangin at some point. Perhaps find out just what is going on

Johnson shrugs as he calls T'Var to meet up for the game of chess and her ongoing battle to improve and beat Vargas. At least his night wasn't so complicated.

[CatInASuit]

Rangin finishes off his second coffee in the Science lab since he returned from the Mess Hall. Feeling a slight buzz as the caffeine has well and truly kicked in as he pores over the data in front of him, he notices the little alarm going off in the silence. Blinking and looking around, his colleagues are absent, a few experiments ticking over in their place. Rangin smiles, stretches and then hastily covers his mouth as a yawn catches him unawares. Perhaps he should consider returning to his quarters to get some well needed sleep and be fresh for the morning.

As he downloads some data to a pad, his mind ticks over with possibilities and approaches. He retrieves his communicator to send some questions and details to Chris and then groans in disbelief as it shows the missed call from Lt. Onn earlier. He really should have answered it earlier, even before he had gone for dinner, but he had been so caught up in this new experiment, he had plain forgot.

Rangin replays back the message listening to it carefully, no-one else around to hear the words or his mumbling comments under his breath. An advocate, well she was certainly right about that one. Her comment about Security making her feel nervous raises a smile, they did the same for him, especially Graham who, it seems, had decided to hold him responsible. As he thought back over the session, he was glad that Roble had been there, it seemed to have stopped Lunnd in his tracks, just having someone else around who wasn't going to be cowed by Security.

"Next Message...Ensign Kylah". Rangin's attention is snapped out of his reverie as the next message starts to play and the sound of Kylah's voice, tremulous and tired, echoes out. "I just learned--I just heard--", Rangin's palm slams down on the communicator halting the message in its tracks, leaving him shaking. He had forgotten, Kylah had tried to contact him earlier. Learned...heard what that he is a suspect, that Security has dropped the restrictions. No, this was several hours ago, perhaps that the restrictions were in place and she was glad for them.

It didn't matter, he isn't going to be talking to her again any time soon if he could possibly help it. She rejects him, so be it.

Rangin quickly answers Lt. Onn's message with a brief text, given the time she would probably be asleep like he should be, thanking her for her concern and that in any future meetings he is certainly having an advocate present given how it went.

He goes to delete Kylah's message, not wanting to hear the rest of it, but stops. What ever she had to say is important, whether its a confirmation of her rejection of him or not. But, he cannot discard it without hearing the rest of what she has to say, no matter how painful. It's just that he can't bear to hear it now, not when the wounds across his heart are so fresh. Some other time, maybe. He saves the message, knowing the Pandora's box he has stowed ready to be opened.

Picking up the pad with the final pieces of work on it, he heads for bed and hopefully a dreamless sleep.

[general_urko]

Just outside Kylah's room Graham's hand hovers over the door control. What he'd like to do is look in and confirm she's sleeping peacefully. For your benefit or hers, Booker? he wonders. And what if she is, and you waker her up? She may, like Nia said, look sixteen lying in the bed but you can't rub her head like Lizzy's and singe her out-of-tune lullabies...

Graham places a hand against the door--without opening it, and whispers "sleep tight." Then he turns and leaves Sickbay to head back to his room and (he hopes) a deep sleep.

[Elendil's Heir]

The night passes, so far as you know, without incident. The Yorktown remains in synchronous orbit over the city of Thoth.

The next morning, Collins sleepily disentangles herself from a nude Cooper when her communicator beeps. It is Det. Lunnd, who says, "We've been separately interrogating Lez Trovon and his friend, Velig Honul, who you nabbed. Our scans show Honul's shoes have trace amounts of Elasian crystal, we think from the smashed-up zither. They spoke to counsel overnight, and they each want to cut a deal. I think they're both worried that the other is going to turn state's evidence. Also, FYI, as I thought, it looks like the prosecutor may drop charges against Laran Sloon AKA Bob Bobbins."

When she wakes, Dr. T'Var finds a text from the CMO: Fujishiro's condition deteriorated overnight, I'm sorry to say. Please come to Sickbay instead of the Bridge when you begin your watch. I'll tell the Captain. VILLA.

Kylah wakes in her Sickbay room feeling much better. Rangin rises rested and ready to start the day, while Graham is rudely awakened by Mahmoud's snoring in his nearby bunk.

It is now 0700. You are each to begin your next watch in an hour.

[anyrose]

"Detective," Collins says between yawns, "Ensign Kylah said there were 3 men involved. Could you maybe get Trovon or Honul to cough up their accomplice as part of any deal? As for Sloon, I could have sworn he was involved somehow. But thank you for the update. I will bring Commander Vargas and Captain Singh up to speed." she pauses a moment, "Anything else at this point I need to know or to tell you?"

[choie]

Kylah sits up, disoriented for a few moments before she regains her memory of where she is and why she is here.

Carefully she swings her legs over the bed, intending to get up, then stops short. She has nothing to wear. Not even shoes. Merely the civilian dress in her canvas bag, and besides the fact that the pale peach silk is now dirty--something she could tolerate, if only on the short trip back to her quarters to shower and dress properly--but the dress is now covered in dust and larger pieces of sharp, glittering shards of crystal.

Kylah looks around, hoping one of the nurses might have brought her a uniform. She would rather slip out and not see anyone, but she cannot do so in a hospital gown. Biting her lip in consternation, she clears her throat. "Excuse me?"

Falling silent, she now senses emotions around her. Someone--perhaps multiple people--consumed by mounting concern and distress. The medical staff must have an emergency of some kind. It cannot be her own case; physically she feels much less sore and battered. Even her bothersome left wrist was strong enough to push her up to her seated position, although it has not been 100% healed since she was bitten by the Slime Devil back on the Sakathian station.

The Sakathian station. Fujishiro. Kylah takes a deep breath and turns in the direction of the other private areas. Ignoring her bare feet, she slides from the bed and walks in the direction of the activity. She tentatively pushes her mind outward, forgetting how much she suffered yesterday when she tried to use her empathic abilities--or, for that matter, the horrible chaos she felt when she got too close to Mrs. Porr back on the station. Can she sense anything from her gravely injured colleague?

[Elendil's Heir]

Lunnd says, "Yes, we'll be asking them about that, definitely. We'll want to have Ens. Kylah look at a criminal-suspect photo array soon, so we can confirm the identification of the third man."

Still asleep, Cooper snorts and rolls over.

Kylah only has vague psi impressions of other people around in Sickbay. She hears nothing amiss. A Rigellian orderly comes into her recovery room. "Good morning, ma'am!" he says. "May I get you anything? How about some breakfast?"

[choie]

Kylah turns to the orderly, self-consciously pulling her gown closer to her. She flushes, embarrassed at having been caught eavesdropping on another patient. "Excuse me, I was just... looking for someone to help me..."

Focusing on the orderly's question, Kylah finds the possibility of avoiding the Mess--and all those curious pairs of eyes--too tempting to refuse. "Thank you, yes, I would like something, if it is not too much trouble. Perhaps something hot to drink, please? Cocoa?" She hesitates. "Do you know if am I to be released this morning? If so, I will need a uniform and..." Underclothes as well, but she is too embarrassed to ask about that. "And shoes, please. I am sorry, I do not know your name, Mr....?"

[CatInASuit]

Rangin awakes feeling slightly muzzy and as he rolls over and finds the datapad is digging into his side from where it is lying on the bed. He realises he must have been reading it and dropped off to sleep mid sentence.

Checking his shift he looks to see if he is required on the bridge at all or, as is far more likely, to head for the cargo bay and the prototype sensor.

Once he knows what he is doing, Rangin briefly showers and heads for a full breakfast as it is he will be spending the entire day locked in a technological battle with the unknown bio-sensor issues.

[anyrose]

"Okay," Collins tells Lunnd, "and thank you to you and your officers for everything. Enjoy your day, Detective. Collins out." She closes the communicator and puts it on the nightstand. She grabs her pillow and lightly hits Cooper in the back with it a few times. "Wakey, wakey, Ben-ben." she says musically. Then normally, "Watch in an hour, sweetie. Do you want to wash up here or in your own cabin? Because I'm going to take a shower, now."

[WES]

T'Var rushes to Sickbay and finds Dr. Villa.

[general_urko]

Half awake, Graham idly wonders what it would be like to wake up next to Nia, musings blasted into fragments by the photon-torpedo-explosion-like snoring of his roommate.

Well, probably not like this, he thinks, debating hurling a pillow or firing a phased on light stun at Mahmoud before simply getting up quietly instead.

He takes stock of the room and realizes the gift bag he took from Kylah's room in Sickbay is still sitting there. A gift for Rangin. What did she say? I so wanted him to have it, or something like that...

What the hell do I do with this? he wonders. "Smash it" and "beam it into space" come to mind, but he dismisses those as obviously inappropriate. Giving it back to Kylah would only create a reason for her to see Rangin again.

He sighs and grits his teeth. What he should do is obvious, even if it will leave him wanting a shower afterward. He quickly gets ready for duty and then asks the Comms officer on duty for Mr. Rangin's location.

[Elendil's Heir]

The orderly bows a little and says, "Medical Orderly/2 Helisel, at your service. There's no order for your discharge yet, but the doctor should be with you shortly. If so, I'll be glad to bring you a uniform. In the meantime, one cocoa and one underwear, coming up. By the way, there's a call button on the bed display if you ever need help."

Rangin's daily orders are for him to continue his sensor module analysis. He may do that wherever he wishes.

Cooper grunts and rolls over. He opens one eye and smiles. "Want some company in the shower?"

Dr. Villa looks grim. She tells T'Var, "Her synaptic functions have deteriorated further and her breathing is slightly more labored this morning. Blood oxygenation is down 2.7% over the past three days." She sighs. "We've done everything we can. At this rate she may die within days, maybe hours."

The Communications duty officer on the Bridge tells Graham that Rangin is apparently in Mess Hall 3.

http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Rigellian