Star Trek RPG - Mission #6: "Marala"

[Elendil's Heir]

The Yorktown Sickbay's small lobby looks much as it did yesterday, of course. A female nurse whom she does not recognize greets Kylah: "May I help you, Ensign?"

[general_urko]

Graham 's eyes flutter, and he rolls over slowly, halfway between awake and asleep, feeling as if he'd been asleep for a week, never mind a night...

...he finds a warm presence by his side, breathes in deeply, reaches out to J---

Nia.

He snaps awake, realizing where he is--noticing the chronometer. And shit it's later than I planned...there were things I wanted to do on my first full official day...

And last night...what the hell happened...er, didn't happen, because... Hell, did I fall asleep?

Nia seems to be peacefully asleep--hopefully as blissfully asleep as he was a few minutes ago. He watches her for a moment: the lines of her cheek and nose, the rise and fall of the covers, remembering her urgent need for the breathing apparatus.

That feels a million years away now. He's torn about what to do, but in the end she looks so peaceful, he can't bear to wake her (...and then run).

After one last glance, closing his eyes to fix the moment in his memory, he gently extricates himself from the bed. He quietly gathers his uniform and puts on enough to be decent stepping into the hallway.

Before he does he taps a message on Nia's computer terminal, struggling with what to write. In the end, he writes:

I woke up to a miracle today. BG

He slips out and heads to his quarters to get a jump on his watch.

[choie]

Kylah's gaze flicks nervously over toward Velir's room before she addresses the nurse.

"Yes, I was hoping to visit Ensign Rangin, if I may. Could you tell--oh, I should have said 'good morning,' I am sorry," she adds belatedly. "Could you tell me which doctor on duty is attending him this morning?"

Please say Dr. Bucci, please say Dr. Bucci...

[SidonianGal]

The whoosh of the door in Nia's quarters results in an infinitesimal temperature change: the cooler air from the corridor sweeps inside the room, which is kept warmer to better suit Sidonian biology.

Even this briefest of drafts is enough to cause the bare skin of her forearms to respond, resulting in something between prickly goose bumps and sleeker but more protective scales.

Nia wakens and shivers with a tiny frown. After a second or two of sleepy confusion, she rises to rest on her elbows and face Booker.

Well, no. She's facing the empty space on her bed that should've been Booker.

The hell...?

Now she sits up, rubbing her eyes. A scan of her quarters reveals no male clothing or boots. No extra communicator. No trace of the guy who slept cradled in her arms.

Then her attention is caught by an item on the floor by her bed, not quite hidden by the covers.

Correction. There is a trace of him after all.

She sits up and, swinging her legs off the bed, kneels down to pick up the gift she got him. The expensive copy of The Maltese Falcon, left open on the floor, probably after having fallen off thanks to what must've been one helluva fast departure.

Her frown deepens as she presses down on two pages that are now slightly creased. She straightens them as best she can before snapping the old-fashioned cover shut. Guess books aren't for Book. Ha ha.

She knows he liked the gift--his gratitude seemed sincere. Still, his leaving it behind rankles, especially on top of that Jane thing, and the fact that he wasted no time to scram out of here without even a nudge. Why was he in such a hurry? The alarm hasn't even gone off.

But when she looks at her chronometer on the bed table, she notes that a) it is pretty damn late, and b) she forgot to set the alarm last night anyway. Great. Seven minutes to get to the Bridge. Thanks for the wake-up kiss, Book.

With a curse Nia tosses The Maltese Falcon on her bed and races to the bathroom to take care of what needs to be done, then scrambles into a fresh uniform, tights and boots. She's grabbed her communicator off the night stand to stuff into her utility belt when she spots the gift bag with Andy Johnson's present still in it.

"Yeah," she mutters to herself when buckling her belt. "Bet Ajay wouldn't forget a cookbook I gave him."

Ugh. Now she's crabbier than before, and she's not the crabby type. C'mon, woman, shrug it off. Not the first guy to make a hasty exit.

She yanks a barrette from her dresser and clamps it in her mouth temporarily as her busy hands attempt to corral her frenzied mop of curls into something resembling their usual ponytail. Meanwhile she makes a hasty exit of her own, so blindly that she almost knocks the keypad of her computer terminal off the desk.

This results in a vicious, wholly unmerited glare of resentment aimed at the back of her terminal, which didn't do anything wrong except exist while she stupidly slammed her hip into it.

Stalking through the door so quickly she nearly slams into that before it fully opens, Nia mutters a fluid round of curses. Thankfully, the UT is unlikely to be able to translate the words, since they're in an older Northern Sidonian language unknown to the Federation... even in the unlikely event anyone else could hear the profanities through the barrette stuck in her gritted teeth.

In this dire frame of mind, Nia ends up taking the turbolift to the Bridge. Now her hair's in place and her countenance serene. But down deep, beneath her protective scales and facade of calm control, her mood is anything but tame.

[general_urko]

Graham hustles to his quarters to make himself presentable, and then to the Security office. On full day number one he has two goals: one, in the off chance Vargas sent any messages overnight, to respond as soon as the watch starts; and two to personally greet each Security officer taking a watch on patrol.

[Elendil's Heir]

The nurse says, "Dr. Bennett is on duty at the moment, ma'am. Have you met him yet? He just came aboard yesterday."

Capt. Singh is in the big chair on the Bridge when Onn enters; she doesn't look up from a data tablet on her lap. Lt. Kendin, an Algolian male, is at the Helm, and yields his seat to Onn at once. Lt. JG Melissa Tsu is at Navigation, and gives Onn a friendly smile. Everything seems quiet. The stars on the viewscreen stream past as the starship continues her voyage deeper into space.

Graham finds no messages from Vargas, and only two minor Security advisories from overnight. No incidents or crimes were reported since he last checked. He is able to greet the four Security officers as they arrive for the morning watch: Ensigns Jeanne St. Croix and Haakon Kjaerstad, and Crewmen Alexandra Harper and Ari Friedman. He knows St. Croix the best, but is familiar with the other three. Friedman looks annoyed for some reason.

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Algolian

[general_urko]

Graham greets everyone, working "good to see you again, St. Croix" into it.

"With Collins shipping out,"* I wanted to greet everybody face to face. As ACOS you should feel free to reach out to me anytime, day or night, if you think it's the right thing to do. Or if you need anything. And I want to emphasize: I have no doubt the courage of anyone on Yorktown's Security team. But keeping people safe--being safe, feeling safe, feeling comfortable to come to us with anything that seems out of line--onboard the ship, that's less about wrestling Denebian Slime Devils and more about listening, and making sure every crewmember knows we're there for them. Let's make Vargas proud."

He pauses for a moment, and rubs his chin, looking thoughtful, "Or at least...less looking pissed off."

"Any questions before you get too it?" He pauses and squints. "Friedman," he ask sympathetically, as if seeing someone who looks like he has a headache - "is there anything your mind you want to chat about, here, or for a few minutes in private?"





*

[choie]

Her wishes not having worked, Kylah tries not to slump at the nurse's words. "Yes, I met him...when Mr. Rangin was brought in. But I was distraught, and fear I did made a poor impression."

Now she must decide whether to be brave and try afresh, or to slink away and wait until Dr. T'Var is on duty.

Concern for Velir outweighs timidity. "Would you be willing to ask the doctor if Ensign Kylah may speak with him?" She searches the nurse's face but does not recognize it, despite having spent so much time as a patient here. "Forgive me, I do not know your name."

[Elendil's Heir]

Graham gets some wry smiles in response to his joke about the First Officer. Friedman seems a little startled to be singled out, and says hurriedly, "Uh, no, sir. Thank you anyway, sir." He puts on a studiously neutral expression.

The nurse says, "I'm Ellen Mills. You're Ensign... Kalla, is it? I'd be glad to speak to the doctor for you."

[SidonianGal]

Nia doesn't know Tsu as well as some of the other navs, but the other woman's smile of greeting brightens her mood somewhat. She sends one of her own around the Bridge to acknowledge the rest of her colleagues.

"Morning, Tsu," she says softly while settling herself in the seat Kendin warmed for her. "Anything interesting I missed?" While she talks, she takes in both their shared panels to confirm (as she fully expects to) that everything's as it should be on this planned journey to Novy Rostov.

Even as her eyes are busy, her body's instincts take their own measure of things--those not visible on any screen: an overall sense of how the ship engines "feel," as most highly experienced pilots and engineers learn to gauge through a myriad of tiny vibrations, sounds, and even the very atmosphere.

Assuming all's well, Nia's happy to continue the status quo and will ask Tsu--in the quietest possible voice--if Singh seems unusually preoccupied to her.

[Elendil's Heir]

The ship feels right to Onn, all the way down to her scaly toes. Tsu murmurs, "Good morning, ma'am. Pretty quiet so far, and nothing out of the ordinary overnight, they say." The young, pretty Chinese woman glances over her shoulder. "I guess the Captain's deep in some report from Starfleet Command."

The Bridge doors whoosh open and Cmdr. Vargas enters. He steps down into the well and, after a moment, begins to talk quietly with the Captain.

[choie]

Kylah starts to correct the nurse's mispronunciation of her name, but then thinks better of it. After their rocky encounters yesterday, Dr. Bennett might not want to see the woman he knows as Ensign Kylah. The nonexistent Ensign Kalla, however, might actually get a response.

Instead, she simply says, "Thank you, Nurse Mills." Though she does not smile often, Kylah is well aware that most Terrans find it an important form of communication. So she offers a small smile of gratitude.

Once the nurse focuses on her communicator to contact Dr. Bennett--or leaves to see him in person--Kylah will take a quick look at her chronometer. How much time does she have before her watch begins?

[anthonydlangford]

Nathaniel is glad that Rangin was progressing. Now he supposes he should see what else was going on in Sickbay. And then get himself a dress uniform for tonight. He hadn't needed one in years and his is still back on Earth. He briefly wonders if that still fit, but notes he is in as good a shape as ever. Too bad Ensign Ward took off or he would have had a chance to find out.

[Elendil's Heir]

Nurse Mills returns Kylah's smile and hits the comm button. "Dr. Bennett, an Ens. Kalla is here to speak with you, if you have a moment."

The young Elasian woman has almost an hour before she goes on duty.

[anthonydlangford]

Nathaniel frowns upon hearing the message from the nurse. You have got to be kidding, he thinks. He was going to have to teach this staff about saying he wasn't here or was in surgery or something. His team back on Earth learned very quickly about when and when not to bother him.

Besides, wasn't that woman out here for hours yesterday? And little had changed in Rangin's condition, nor could she do anything other than cry or wail over his body. Nathaniel's incliation is to send her away, but she'd only hang out in the office until he tries to leave and then she'd pounce on him, even more overwought and emotionally out of control.

He has to deal with her eventually, he sighs. Best to get it over with. But he has every intent on keeping this meeting short and make it clear he isn't going to put up with any of her nonsense.

"Send her in." Nathaniel says.

[general_urko]

Graham checks the records for when Security last had some kind of moral / team building event or get together and any feedback about or assessments of them.

[choie]

Kylah takes a few deep breaths while waiting for word on whether she will be able to speak with Dr. Bennett. She does not know whether he will come out here--effectively blocking her from seeing Velir--or if she might be allowed in after all.

Running through her mind the whole time is a calculation of how best to approach this prickly, arrogant human. Emotions do not sway him. Appealing to his ego helped some, but even then the change was insignificant. If he could have swatted me away like an irritating little insect, he would have. Gladly.

She clamps her teeth together and forces her nervous hands down to her sides while she waits. Deep breathing, calming thoughts, and a deferential attitude. If she could navigate the fractious moods of her cousin Elaan, not to mention gain the trust of a few hotheaded Klingons... Surely Kylah can do the same for one narcissistic doctor.

[SidonianGal]

Nia nods at Tsu's words while taking a nonchalant glance at Vargas's entrance. She's not exactly well positioned to view him, considering Nav and Helm are in front of the Captain's chair. For a really good look, it'd mean swiveling around about 45 degrees, and that's hard to do without being egregiously obvious.

One thing Nia doesn't wanna do is attract Vargas's attention. That rarely goes well for her. And Singh wouldn't be pleased that her pilot's scoping the Bridge, as if she's bored and has nothing to do.

Even though... well, there isn't that much to do. Truth is, piloting the ship is easy-peasy when traveling through a relatively safe and mapped-out part of the Quadrant with a properly set course laid in. Depends on the Nav,, Nia thinks with a little smile.

But while she has some self-admitted. utterly absurd irritation toward Cecilia Bennett--who was by Nia's side when the Captain ordered the course set after leaving Beta Antares--Nia can't deny the gal knows her stuff, navigationally speaking.

So Nia's just there in case. Nineteen journeys out of twenty, there's no in case. Anything they come across will be visible in plenty of time, either literally or via the ship's exquisitely fine-tuned sensors. Even something extraordinarily unforeseen, like space debris, should be easy to catch in plenty of time for Nia to avoid disaster.

A Bird of Prey manifesting itself out of nowhere, on the other hand...

Oh crap, may Sen forbid that!*, Nia thinks with an atypical internal prayer to her culture's ancient deities... who she doesn't believe in anyway, so... kinda pointless.

But a cloaked Bird of Prey...yeah, that'd definitely count as that twentieth, unexpected glitch.

Let's not go there.

Back to being curious about Vargas. She does turn just slightly to give the commander a respectful nod--not that he'll likely see it, much less return it. She doesn't care; she just wants to see exactly where he's positioned. Now, when she shifts back, she can casually pick him out in the shining reflection of her panel, able to watch whatever he and Singh are doing.

The ability to let trivialities amuse her is one of the reasons Nia never finds these long journeys boring. Always something to see: outside in the vast expanse of inexhaustible space, or inside the small container of the Yorktown Bridge with its even smaller inhabitants.



* For more of this fascinating mythology, see "Religious Culture," at the bottom of the Sidonia page of "Memory Theta."

[Elendil's Heir]

Nurse Mills smiles, gestures towards Rangin's room and says to Kylah, "You can go right in."

The Security Department last had a morale/teambuilding exercise just before Graham came aboard - a martial arts tourney followed by drinks and dinner, all hosted by Cmdr. Vargas. The anonymous evaluations on the Security computer comment boards afterwards were generally positive.

Vargas is focused on his talk with the Captain but Onn does catch his eye, and he nods back to her.

That Memory Theta page is really cool, SG!

[general_urko]

Graham muses for a few moments and then sends a text message to Mahmoud.

Hey - what do you think about another morale event kind of thing - seems like folks liked the martial arts thing before I came onboard. Any ideas or suggestions for who I should talk to who might have some?

He pauses, and then adds more.

I also have a question - I'm looking for something that might be a little hard to find or...odd. To surprise Nia with. Anybody who's good at--as you might say--finding things onboard?

He starts to sign off, and then...

It's not what I bet you're thinking, get your mind out of the gutter. And it's "Pervert, Sir" now in any event if you were thinking something like that. Lemme know when and we can just talk.

[choie]

Kylah nods again at Nurse Mills and offers a nearly breathless 'thank you' before starting forward. On her way, she suddenly realizes her hands have balled into tense, tight fists. At once she pauses, then loosens her fingers to shake them out.

Then, donning her mother's virtual mask of serenity, Kylah walks into the room.

Every instinct screams at her to pay attention only to Velir, to rush to his side and clasp his hand in an attempt to communicate. But she must deny those impulses. In fact, she does not dare look at the man lying so still on the bed.

Instead she aims her calmest gaze up--way up, given her diminutive stature--at the implacable figure of Dr. Bennett.

Not merely his height and obviously fit figure make him so imposing; Kylah finds even his extremely handsome face to be attractive in a remote way. It bears the rigid perfection of a statue cast from the richest bronze: beautiful but cold.

She stops a respectful distance from him. "Good morning, Dr. Bennett. I hope your first night on the ship was restful." Her tone is measured and well modulated, as if reciting before the Elasian Royal Council. "I am grateful for your sparing the time to see me. I promise will not bother you for long--I am due on the Bridge soon."

Not entirely true, but Kylah hopes this will assuage his impatience. She moves smoothly on. "Dr. T'Var told me that he appears to be responding to the treatment--or at least, is encouragingly stable. Is that so?"

[Elendil's Heir]

Graham soon has a response: Another event like that might be fun; don't have any particular ideas myself, but let me think about it. As for finding things aboard, I know a guy: Ens. Akinola Serowe of Engineering. He's amazingly resourceful, but he doesn't come cheap. Meet for lunch? MAHMOUD.

Kylah can see that Rangin appears to be resting comfortably.

[anthonydlangford]

"He's fine." Nathaniel says. "He'll be fine. So there's no need for you to keep coming here and... worrying about him."

Nathaniel would find her weakly veiled attempt to control her hysteria amusing if he didn't feel she was such a sad, pathetic creature. He wonders what Rangin thinks of these visits, if he even has any awareness of his surroundings. Maybe he likes women weeping and wailing over him. Some men need that kind of attention. And some just commands it no matter what they did.

[general_urko]

Graham replies.

Main mess, 2400 sharp. See you there and thanks for the pointer.

Graham checks Friedman's duty logs and records just to get a sense of whether there's something he should know about why the guy would be in a bad mood.*

Then he checks the duty roster for when this Serowe guy will be on station.


*Nothing invasive like what Security or a manager would do if there was an investigation or suspicion of wrongdoing - just normal everyday records acccess.

[choie]

Kylah's throat is tight as she swallows. The doctor's contempt is practically an emotional corona, so strong it could overload her senses if she were not already guarding her own feelings.

Why? she wonders in frustration, hands clasping together. Is he devoid of the slightest compassion? Or is it that he has heard of her Elasian background, and suspects her of using her notoriously enslaving tears?

She has done nothing to imply such a plan. It is not fair. A flicker of anger warms her cheeks and the skin from her throat to the deep V of her neckline. This, along with her fear, she must hide.

Anyway, she is not hear to befriend this man. To continue to try would be like... like...

Kylah shakes her head, momentary at a loss for an analogy, and then almost smiles when she remembers a phrase used by one of her uncle's honored guests from Qo'noS: qagh HoH. Literally, 'killing gagh,' but idiomatically, it means an act that is illogical and pointless; gagh is, after all, only worth eating when alive.

And one Klingon phrase reminds her of another, which--in her thoughts--she spitefully aims at Dr. Bennett: HoS lI' Dalo'Ha'chu'. You are an utter waste of effort.

"Thank you for letting me know, Doctor," she says with considerably more control and respect than she feels. "I suppose it must be troublesome, visitors irritating you all the time." At last she turns to Velir and, taking him in with her eyes and heart, she is almost magnetically drawn toward him.

She must touch him. She must get some contact. Kylah does not care if Dr. Bennett calls security, but she will attempt to communicate with Velir again. As she nears the opposite side of the bed, she begins to gently push her thoughts outward.

Velir, Velir, listen to me. Can you talk to me? Over and over, like the Aelyrr broadcasting their desperate pleas into the void of space in hopes of a response. It was Kylah who caught that tiny cry for help. Will Velir do the same?

She continues her inward chanting, but knows she must somehow get Dr. Bennett to allow her more time. How can he be so unfeeling?

"You probably do not know this, sir," she says suddenly, "but Mr. Rangin and I... we are not just friends." She falters when she realizes that this will give him the wrong impression.

"That is--I mean--I owe him a great deal. He saved my life. Not long ago, on a shore leave like this past one, I was kidnapped. Attacked, robbed, and abandoned, unconscious and bleeding on a strange planet, with no communicator to be tracked, nothing identifiable."

She shudders involuntarily but quickly collects herself. "I-it was Mr. Rangin who thought of a way to search for me, using the ship's sensors to recognize the one item I owned that was unique to me. Something only he knew I had been carrying. His quick thinking enabled my other crewmates to find me at last."

As she says these heartfelt words, Kylah at last places her hand on Velir's wrist. A thrum of life, always there when she physically connects with nearly every emotionally readable being, vibrates from his skin through hers. She keeps her mind chanting, but adds aloud: "Surely you can now understand why I care so much what happens to him, Doctor? Why I keep coming back? Without him I would have died. I owe him my very life."

Afraid she will lose control again, she blinks and lifts her chin to look evenly at Dr. Bennett. "I wonder, sir..." She hesitates before continuing. This question must be phrased artfully, for she must simultaneously protect Bennett's enormous ego and her own secret.

"Dr. T'Var... she mentioned to me that because of his new mental abilities, there might be some psionic activity in his brain. Of course, I do not really understand the medical terms for such things..."

These last words are spoken all in a rush--blurting them out is the only way she can manage to tell such a massive lie.

"...But," Kylah hurries on, "...she suggested that Mr. Rangin might be reachable even while seemingly unconscious. Through Dr. T'Var's touch telepathy, or... or perhaps even a mind-meld. Naturally, Dr. T'Var is very experienced with that. I suppose you two have spoken about this already. Do you think that might work?"

Even as she says all this to this icicle of a doctor, Kylah's fingers clutch at Velir's, her thumb stroking him gently, soothingly.

I am back, Velir. It is Kylah. Feel my hand, my warmth. Feel my love-- No! No, that will scare him away! She corrects herself immediately: My loving friendship and affection. You are safe here, with me. Please tell me--show me--where you are, and why you are there? Will you not return to us?

[Elendil's Heir]

Lunch at midnight? Um, how about a little earlier? Mahmoud texts back.

Friedman's duty logs and records appear completely routine, and reveal nothing about why he might be in a bad mood.

Ens. Serowe, Graham sees, is on duty right now on Deck 12, in Inertial Damping System Subcompartment 4.

[anthonydlangford]

Nathaniel is alarmed by what Kylah is suggesting. Rangin's condition is delicate. Improving, but delicate. She has no idea how intruding on his mind, which he would never allow without a lot of research first, would do to his condition.

"A mind meld?" Nathaniel says. "Are you insane? Or are you just stupid?!"

[choie]

The doctor's blistering words strike Kylah like a blow, and she takes a jerking step backwards--but holds on to Velir. He anchors her.

Somehow--whether because Velir is so still and quiet and it is affecting Kylah, or because he is in that same pastoral dreamlike space... a sense of quiet indignation stiffens her pine.

At last she finds her tongue. "You have no cause to speak to me like that." Her body trembles with suppressed tension and anger. "I know mind melds are a risk. I did not suggest it, Dr. T'Var did.

"And I assume she did so because she knows Ensign Rangin's medical history as well as his capabilities, having served and treated him for longer than--than twelve hours."

Kylah clenches her jaw and forces herself to return to Velir's side. "I neither like nor advocate for invasive medical procedures, especially those involving the mind. I have experienced... too much along those lines." She glances down at Velir, needing the comforting sight of his face, before returning to Dr. Bennett.

"But the doctor's suggestion is worthy of consideration, and I simply wished to bring it up with you. She would have done so herself, and will, when she sees you next."

Kylah's left hand joins her right in clasping Velir's hand, cupping it and drawing strength from his presence. Please, Velir, I need you so! You would know how to deal with this monster passing as a doctor!

She takes a deep breath. "Contact Dr. T'Var, sir, as she is the expert on the subject on psionic skills. But I recommend you keep your insults at a minimum with her. Vulcans' tongues are dry but as sharp as a bat'leth. I would not wish to match your barbs against hers."

[anthonydlangford]

"I don't need you to 'suggest' to me how I handle my co-workers." Nathaniel snapped.

This... woman had really gone too far. Nathaniel had tried to be patient. He'd tried to be civil. He'd tried putting up with her nonsense, but he'd had all he could take.

"And I sure as hell don't need our unsolicited and unwanted medical advice." Nathaniel hissed, truly offended. He'd done all the work, he'd done all the research. And she dared to suggest it wasn't enough. "He's getting better and he's going to get better. And he's going to do so without your... help. At this point are you proving to be a distraction to him -- and to me. I'm going to ask you to leave. Now."

[choie]

After Kylah's weakness in her confrontation with Ferguson yesterday--and losing countless similar battles in her life--something inside her snaps.

Normally, due to her empathic senses, she cannot avoid being affected when in proximity to such heightened emotions, especially those directed at her. An opponent's anger creates an almost tangible blast of heat--like a flamethrower--and her body reacts with an animalistic instinct to either respond in kind, or flee from the enemy.

But not this time. Kylah will not run, she will not crumple; not under the barrage of utterly inexplicable rage. Not when she is genuinely trying to help and breaking no rule.

Why... this is how Velir usually reacts, she realizes in wonder. Her gaze falls down to the man lying on the bed before her. It is as if I am channeling him.

The thought comforts her and enables her to stare evenly at this human, while projecting a shield of cool dispassion of which even T'Var would approve.

"I have done nothing to engender such hostility," she says. "Nor am I here without permission. Dr. T'Var--your colleague, an officer who is of equal rank and greater seniority in terms of service to this ship--allowed me to visit. So if you wish me to leave, Dr. Bennett, you will have to call Security."

As she says this last word, her heart quickens when she realizes that, at last, she has an advantage here.

This is a gamble, she knows. Mr. Graham's disapproval of her connection to Velir could easily make him side with Dr. Bennett, if for no reason than to force her away from what he clearly considers a toxic situation.

But he can also be fair and professional. He will, she hopes, see this doctor's egregious hostility. Bennett's behavior is far more detrimental to his patient's recovery than Kylah's.

So, after a patient inward breath, she adds quietly: "In fact, sir, perhaps you should take the matter all the way to the Assistant Chief of Security. Have him decide who is causing the disturbance."

[SidonianGal]

Nia strains to hear any snippet of conversation between Vargas and the Captain.

It's not that she's that interested in whatever they're talking about. Most likely, mundane crap, like 75% of the discussions between a ship's captain and her first officer. But Nia craves something for her mind to work on, and she's a social person by nature.

Once again she notices the difference in the Bridge dynamic depending on whoever's in the big chair. When Nia's BCDO, she encourages conversation. Not to the detriment of people who have current projects to do at their individual workstations, but enough so that no one goes crazy from hours of traveling in what's generally the same endless vista of stars.

Singh doesn't mind chatter, either, to a degree. Officers are respectful and wait for her to initiate conversation, because... well, y'know, she's the captain. But at least talking's not forbidden.

It's the combination of Singh and Vargas that's shut the door on any likely banter. Even if he weren't in deep conversation with the Captain, Vargas alone is enough to keep most officers quiet. As Nia's joked before, Vargas's presence is the vacuum in which sound can't travel.

The thought makes her smile. Well, she's not afraid of speaking, and plans to ask a few questions that'll at least keep her and her crewmates mentally engaged. But interrupting the ship's two highest-ranking officers would be a) against protocol, b) rude, c) bad judgement, and d) an open invitation for Vargas's notorious dressing-downs.

So she's content to bide her time until whenever the aforementioned First Officer/Security Chief/Chief Pain-in-Nia's-Ass has finished his private confab with Singh.

[general_urko]

Eh, 1200 wise guy, Graham replies to Mahmoud.

If otherwise undisturbed he heads off to find Serowe.

[Elendil's Heir]

Onn can overhear only a few snippets of the conversation between Captain and First Officer: "Yes, we should defin...." "...ary readings are...." "...unusual, but not...." "knows what he's talking...." and "...see when we get there; I know that Mister Ro...."

Mahmoud replies, I thought that was probably what you meant, but of course now that you're ACOS I get to needle you just a little more so you don't get too full of your own awesomeness. See you!

Graham soon finds Ens. Serowe, as expected, in Inertial Damping System Subcompartment 4 on Deck 12. Serowe is a thin, almost scrawny African with a ready smile. He is with a humanoid alien redshirt whom Graham doesn't recognize. They have a toolkit partly and neatly unpacked on the deck. The compartment is utilitarian and drab, with not much space to move around the large IDS machine.

[anthonydlangford]

Nathaniel sighs, even more disgusted by this sad, pathetic creature. He loathed weakness. And he hated those who couldn't handle their own problems even more. It is just like her to want to whine to other people about her problems, rather than deal with him herself. But Nathaniel has better things to do than bring other people into this. Unlike her, he didn't create unnecessary and unneeded drama.

"Look, you clearly feel like need to make everything about your and your --- issues." Nathaniel says. "And I am hardly about to feed into your obvious desire to create drama as much as you might enjoy that. I just need you to remember that I am his doctor and I will decide what is to be done about his treatment, not you. Your... suggestions are neither welcome, nor warrented. You want to stay here to weep over him, then keep your comments to yourself and stay out of my way. Got it?"

[general_urko]

"Morning," Graham says in a friendly tone. "Hope I'm not interrupting any work that's too delicate to be disturbed. Lt. J..G. Graham, Booker Graham."

[Rangin]

Rangin sits on the hill looking down again, the blue skies are still in place, but the valley below is now obscured by fog hiding the people below. he can hear the gentle murmur but somehow it seems subdued, almost deadened as if the fog was muffling the chatter.

The fog then begins to form shapes and slowly creep up the hill. Wisps of it turning into figures that seem to come and go, drifting out of the mist and then merging back into it. But with it he can hear other voices, not the ones he has been hearing from the people down below, but new ones that spark some form of recognition.

The whispering words come out but mean little, but the feelings behind them: desire, anger, loss, fear, hatred, these he can feel. As the temperature cools slightly, his muscles begin to stiffen and feels helpless in the face of the oncoming fog.

Rangin struggles slightly both against himself and the feelings that sweep over him. That he has done something wrong, something he needs to make right, something he still doesn't understand. Looking into the fog, he can see things coalesce; a door with a figure in it. It changes to a floating object with charred patches across it which seems to twist sending sparks out into the mist.

He sits there, watching it move around trying to understand it, concentrate on it, figure out what it means and why it is so important to him, or to others as well. The figures slowly revert again and he watches almost hypnotised and trying to stay focused on the scene dancing in front of him.

[Elendil's Heir]

"'Morning, sir," Serowe says, standing and nodding. "What can we do for you?"

[general_urko]

Graham casually lowers his hand. "You're Ens. Serowe, is that right? An old friend - Ens. Mahmoud - told me you might be able to help me find something, uh, out of the ordinary. A, ah - well, kind of a gift for somebody that's a little out of the ordinary."

[Elendil's Heir]

Serowe looks a little cagey. "That's what people say. Give us a minute, would you, Belet?" The alien leaves the compartment. "What did you have in mind, sir?" Serowe then asks Graham.

[choie]

Unable to meet this human's arrogant gaze any longer, Kylah bows her head like a dog beaten into submission.

"I do not know what I did to so offend you, nor what you mean by 'drama,'" she mutters, emotionally exhausted by both Dr. Bennett's incessant nastiness and her own failed attempts to reach Velir. "I have done nothing false. I have not caused a commotion. I just asked a simple question about Dr, T'Var's idea, and then wished to remain by my friend's side."

Kylah shakes her head and unconsciously squeezes Velir's hand; otherwise she is numb and motionless. "Thank you for allowing me to stay--for that much, at least, I owe you my gratitude."

[SidonianGal]

Nia can barely piece together the Captain and Vargas's conversation. Something to do with the sensors, maybe? Anomalous readings, it sounds like--although what kind is anyone's guess. Seems Roble's involved somehow, or will be. Frustrated, she shrugs to herself. Well, my career as a spy's not going too well. Doesn't appear to be an emergency, anyway.

She purses her lips slightly and glances sideways at Tsu. Can't hurt to get to know her a little better. "So," she begins, "how long've you been with the Yorktown?"

[anthonydlangford]

“Well, I’d settle for your not being here.” Nathaniel thinks to himself.

While she is clearly a weak, troubled creature, in some respects she is a stubbborn little thing. There is some strength there, even if it is misguided and pointless. He has to give her that much.

Instead he replies “Well, Rangin is recovering and I have other patients to see. I’m sure at some point you’ll return to doing whatever it is you do on this ship and you may not be here when I check on him again so I’ll Just say goodbye now.”

Nathaniel nods and walks out. He thinks about what is on his agenda for the rest of this day. Beyond his duties in Sickbay he still needs to get a suit for the officer’s dinner tonight so he has to see the ships tailor. And he still needs to get laid. It has been too long and he is starting to get a little grumpy. Last night with the cutie in the mess hall was a missed opportunity. He isn’t going to let the next one pass him by.

[Elendil's Heir]

Tsu says, "Almost two years now. I was on the Waterloo before this, and was at Starbase 8 for awhile, right out of the Academy. How about you?"

Dr. Bennett's medical duties for the rest of his watch are not especially demanding. He learns from Dr. Bucci that the Yorktown doesn't have a tailor among its 430-some personnel, but that he may get a dress uniform in the proper departmental colors and size from the Quartermaster's stores. Any necessary tailoring is done by automation.

[Rangin]

Rangin stares entranced at the figures in the mist as they seem to solidify. Before he knows it, the figure has held out whatever object it was, a sparking communicator, and pushed it out to him. He cannot help but reach out to her only to feel his fingers drift through the object, but entangle and make a tangible connection to hers. Last time he fell through, but this time he can feel something.

New emotions, a desperate sense that the person needs him for some reason, that there is something more he is needed for. It's despair tinged with fear and hope-against-hope that he might recognise her, hear her, answer her.

He squeezes slowly, almost surprised that the hand he touches does not fade away into nothingness, and calls out her name.

Kylah, I'm here for you.


* * *

The oddest sensation ripples from Kylah’s fingers up through her arm, making her shiver--but not from fear. Instead of the door--on which she has been focusing since Dr. Bennett left so abruptly--she suddenly sees a hillside, the same one as before. More than that, she sees a transparent image of herself. As viewed in a dream. As viewed through someone else’s eyes.

She inhales sharply in comprehension. She is again seeing what Velir sees. More than that: she feels him. Both mentally and physically: beneath her own hand, his fingers twitch, tighten.

Then his ghostly voice. Those words. A vow… to her.

With a startled cry, she clutches his hand and draws it nearer, holding it just where her pulse races at the V of her neckline.

“And I am here for you,” she blurts, both aloud and in her mind, as she focuses on Velir’s face. “Can you truly see me? Squeeze my hand again, if you are strong enough.” Her voice softens to an intense whisper, echoing every thought she transmits to him. “Please. Let me lead you home.”


* * *

Home...home. The words echo forth from the figure in front of him, and as quickly as it had arrived the mists clear, revealing the hillside and the people below still moving on and the suddenly clear sound of the transport overhead.

Home...home. He can hear their call urging him to join the journey onwards, to leave all this behind to find somewhere new, a permanent home for the rest of time. He starts to move towards them, perhaps understanding at last.

Home...home. But his fingers will not untangle themselves from the figure’s grasp. Some part of him is unwilling to give up and the figure is keeping him there, refusing to let go and wanting him, needing him to go with her instead.

Home...home. Is he always so weak-willed? Unable to move, he draws the figure closer. And as the mist draws around him turning the world white, he closes his eyes, burying him in darkness.


* * *

Kylah’s senses are torn into too many pieces, indistinguishable from Velir’s. Some unexpected reserve of strength within him is pulling her with him, into a dreamy, restful void as appealing as a warm bed on a cold wintry evening. It would be so easy to follow him, to slip into a place without heartache or pain...

Her eyes widen. No, she must not succumb. She takes a deep breath to clear her head and reclaim her own separate consciousness. As soon as she recovers, she bends closer to him, whispering fervently: “I will not let you go. I will not. Fight this and wake up!”


* * *

Tired, so tired; Rangin can feel every part of his body aching as his eyes open a crack. Blurred shapes emerge from a darkness haloed by blinding white light from all around as he struggles to work out where he is. From the one side he can feel his hand being held, still being held by someone. The dream he was having flits away quickly and it's hard to remember anything but the vaguest details and feelings, other than a sense of leaving something important behind. But for better or worse he is waking up...somewhere.

He lies there as the weight of his body becomes more apparent. As his vision slowly begins to clear, he starts to recognise the ceiling of Sickbay. Blinking away the blurs, he slowly starts to look round to see who is standing alongside him, even though he already knows the answer.




Rangin by Rangin/cias, Kylah by choie

[SidonianGal]

Tsu's response makes Nia smile. "Didn't realize we were both members of the same Yorktown entry class. But given my age, I've got a lot more light-years in my history, and my record reflects that. I started on the Kossuth, served a two-year stint on the Rangoon, and right before this, a triple on the Meikikel."

Her voice is still low, which helps her keep one metaphorical ear on the Captain/Vargas conversation as she continues.

"Hard to believe we've served together all this time and haven't shared that many watches. Mostly, I sit next to Guzman or Bennett. Who are great, don't get me wrong, but like they say, variety's the spice of life. Who do you usually get teamed up with?"

[choie]

Kylah holds her breath when Velir's eyes blink open and his confused, unfocused gaze takes in his surroundings, sweeping the small Sickbay room in a painfully slow arc.

At last he reaches her--first apparently noticing their linked hands, then--at long last--her face.

"Oh..." she exhales, struck forcefully by the impact of his questioning stare. She is at a loss. During her two-day vigil, she never considered how she should act if he should recover.

It has been such a long time since they were this close, physically. Or emotionally, for that matter. She was bound to him, through their empathic connection, and such intimacy has eluded them for a long time.

"Do not be afraid," she murmurs, although she does not sense any fear--or anything else--from him. "You are in Sickbay. The orbital skydiving... do you remember that? Your suit failed, and there were... complications. But you will be all right."

The words are automatic. She does not fully trust Dr. Bennett's brusque statements, as he seems likely to tell her anything if it meant she would shut up and stop bothering him. Thinking of the doctor makes her shake her head and glance up at the various monitors linked to Velir's status.

"I must tell someone you are awake. The medical staff will likely see your status has changed, but... " Kylah hesitates. Dr. Bennett or Dr. T'Var? She can only imagine the vitriol Bennett will spew at her if she contacts him directly. Or, for that matter, if she does not. She cannot win with him.

But to contact someone, to reach for her communicator, Kylah would have to stop holding Velir's hand. She is not ready to do that. After the struggle they just went through to pull him from unconsciousness, it is entirely possible that their connection is the only thing keeping him here.

She has to make sure he is solidly here, that he will not slip back into that seductive oblivion. Her worried gaze returns to him. "Can you speak?" she asks softly. "Can you tell me how you feel?"

[Elendil's Heir]

Nurse Mills enters Rangin's room. She looks surprised to see him with his eyes open. She says, "I saw the change in his brainwaves, and came to check."

"Usually Kendin or Vaudreuil," Tsu replies. "They're both on the ball. I had a friend on the Rangoon, by the way."

Capt. Singh stands up. "Mr. Onn, you have the Bridge," she says. "I might be awhile." She turns to go with Vargas.

[general_urko]

Graham grunts, clears his throat, and rubs his chin. "Well, it's like this..."

When he finishes explaining what he has in mind to Serowe, Graham emphasizes sooner is better than later--and offers to pay whatever it takes.

[Elendil's Heir]

Serowe has a slow, sly smile by the time Graham finishes. "OK, Lieutenant," he says, nodding. "Let me see what I can do. I'll report back to you tonight."

[anthonydlangford]

Nathaniel heads down to the Quartermaster and before he knows it, he has his dress suit for the dinner tonight. He takes it back to his quarters and tries it on. He looks at himself in the mirror of his quarters. It fit well enough and is certainly snug in all the right places. Hopefully the right someone would notice. A little fun with the right guy is the only thing that is going to make this evening bearable. Nathaniel hates these stuffy dinners with the ship's officers. With the task of his uniform for the night taken care of, Nathaniel wonders if he should check on Rangin. It was doubtful his condition is changed. He would have been contacted if that were the case. Besides that.... woman would still be there. And Nathaniel does not want to see her. Then again, he'd be damned if he'd let anyone keep him from his Sickbay. Maybe if he were lucky, she would have found someone else to weep over.