Star Trek RPG - Mission #6: "Marala"

[Elendil's Heir]

Mrs. Soeryadjaya nods tightly in understanding. She and Yarrow come out of the shadows towards Onn and Li.

Graham's communicator beeps again.

Ferguson looks around as the NR evacuees spill off the transporter platform. "Where's the Welcome Wagon?" he asks irritatedly. He turns to Rangin. "Would you show these folks to their quarters, Ensign? Looks like the next crew liaison officer stood us up." Two of the civilians just beamed up look expectantly at the Coridanite; one looks like she's been recently crying. The other four are still chattering away and looking around.

[general_urko]

Graham opens his communicator. "Graham here."

[Elendil's Heir]

It is the First Officer. He sounds harried. "Mr. Graham, you're released from confinement. Proceed at once to Deck 12 forward, and see Ens. St. Croix. There's a problem with one of the evacuees, who insists on talking to you. Fix the problem and then report to the Bridge. Vargas out." He breaks the connection before Graham can get a word in edgewise.

[choie]

While peeking out of the alcove, does Kylah recognize the security officer speaking with Lt. Onn?

[Rangin]

Rangin looks across at the group freshly arrived and then back to Ferguson.

“Sure, why not. I’ll see what I can do to help. I mean I haven’t spent the day beaming people up on request.” Rangin gives a subtle wink to him, keeping it away from the other technician, before quickly turning around and heading to the new group and pulling out his tricorder.

“Excuse me everyone, please could you listen and come a little closer. Welcome on board the USS Yorktown, my name is Ensign Rangin and I will try to help you find your new quarters.”

He looks down the list of people before looking up, “Please can you confirm your names?” he says listening intently while seeing if he has a list of quarters ready or if he needs to hastily send a note off for the list of quarters. Either way, it will keep him occupied for a few minutes more, and that is all he needs to know for now.

[Elendil's Heir]

Kylah doesn't think she's seen the Security officer before. They've never met before, as I recall.

"Thanks," says Ferguson offhandedly, already turning his attention to the next group to be beamed up.

Rangin consults the roster of NR evacuees he got while still aboard the shuttle with the landing party. He confirms the names of the six people, all adults, whom Ferguson just beamed up:

Jane Pettigrew, age 37 (the woman who had been crying)
Miriam Ayalon, age 24
Gennady and Lada Mikhailov, a married couple, ages 70 and 67
Pyotr and Mila Seleznyov, another married couple, ages 32 and 33

Each is properly on the list, has a NR colonial ID in hand and has brought along single suitcase, as ordered. They have been assigned bunks in various corridors of the ship; none has been assigned actual quarters.

[general_urko]

Graham quickly snaps off a text to Marala. I'm back on duty...something urgent.

He almost sends it, then adds, "Love, Boojee."

Old man doesn't usually sound flustered...

Graham double-times it to Deck 12 forward.


If Graham has access to a communicator and phaser in his quarters, he equips them, but he doesn't wait or stop if not

[Elendil's Heir]

Marala replies, I understand. Take care. I love you.

Graham arms himself with a phaser-1 and gets his communicator from his quarters. The corridors are now even more noisy and crowded with evacuees and those Yorktown crew who are trying to help them. Children occasionally run past or get almost underfoot.

[Rangin]

Rangin check the IDs studiously to make sure they are who they say they are. While checking he stops with Jane Pettigrew. Better to see what he can do now, if she needs any further help, although her reaction is perfectly normal given the situation.

“I know this is a difficult time, but is there anything I can do to help?” he enquires quietly trying to engage her. He hopes it is something small or simple that will help her during the evacuation, but it’s more likely to be the stress of the events and probably being forced to leave something valuable behind.

[choie]

Though relieved not to recognize the male officer, Kylah uses her fingers to brush her hair forward, covering more of her face. Then she follows Mrs. Soeryadjaya and Mr. Yarrow out of the alcove. She darts her gaze across the room, sweeping it to find something, anything, to latch onto. Lt. Onn, for example, is near a tray of rather mundane fare, uneaten and ignored. It was not here before. Kylah is certain. Did the man bring it to her? Why would he do such a thing? She seems well enough.

She needs a wedge inside, something to spark a command to communicate. Since the greatest danger to her is Lt. Onn, the most senior officer here. Kylah aims her thoughts there. The force is not a gentle, subtle tap on Lt. Onn's emotional door; it is a battering ram.

[SidonianGal]

While waiting for the colonists to come closer so she can talk to them, Nia sees Kylah is also emerging from her hiding place--if that's what it was. The girl looks like she's casing the joint for something to steal.

Nia gives a mental shrug. She's got more things to worry about than Kylah's latest disaster or crisis or whatever the hell is going on. In the interim Nia gives Li a smile, which suddenly feels weak and insincere. Her mood seems to be plummeting. The officer's red uniform, the phaser, the whole of his workbelt... it all brings Booker back to his rightful place in the forefront of her mind.

What is she even doing here? This entire conversation is a waste of her time. Not that she really has a purpose anymore. Nothing she can do to help Booker and Marala from here. Stuck, trapped in these quarters surrounded by mostly strangers.

And all the time poor Book is likely pacing his room like a caged tiger. He must be bombarded with the same emotions she's feeling, except much worse: rage, helplessness, guilt...

Nia's done her best to distract herself over the past half-hour, but in the end what matters is that despite all her efforts today to help Book, Marala and Nikolai, she has probably failed. Maybe even made things worse, given her history with Vargas.

Whatever guilt she's feeling, she knows it's not a tenth of what Booker's going through. Does he know I'm still with him? Not physically, but in every other way that counts? I did my best, Book. I did try. That stupid sanctuary ploy... it actually could have worked, she supposes, but she didn't have enough time to properly implement it. Plus, even then... doesn't the girl in that story die anyway? Like, all of them do? The hunchback, the gypsy heroine whatever her name was... So probably not the best idea anyway.

Nia's head hurts. Wincing, she massages her temples and tries to focus. "Denise," she says to the older woman. "Can you just tell us what your last name is? Not sure why it matters but humor me. And then maybe can y'all leave or shut up so I can enjoy being confined and utterly useless to the person I care most about right now?"

Wait. Did she say that last part aloud? What the actual fuck?

Nia's scales prickle at the edge of her face, her version of blushing, and she turns around to hide the reaction. Finding her chair--covered in a pair of stockings she must've forgotten to clean up earlier--she sinks down and takes a few breaths.

Oh Book. I just screwed things up for you. I'm so, so damned sorry. And the worst part is, she knows he's beating himself up about this. Hopefully he knows she's as trapped as he is, thinking of him..

[Elendil's Heir]

Rangin confirms that all of the evacuees' IDs, which include pictures, match the six people who just beamed up from the doomed colony.

Pettigrew bursts into tears again, but then struggles to get a hold of herself. She weakly smiles at Rangin. "Thank you, that's very kind of you," she says. "It's just... just... oh, everything. This whole terrible day. Having to leave everything in such a rush. My... my...." She begins sobbing. "My friends, all my friends. So many who had to stay behind!"

Pyotr Seleznyov comes over and comforts her. "It's all right, ma'am," he says. "It'll be all right."



In Onn's cabin, the woman says, "My name is Denise Carter. This is my friend David," and here she hesitates for just a moment, "Seleznyov."

[choie]

Kylah must re-balance after having created an unstable emotional link and pushed so much empathic energy into poor Lt. Onn, who despite her attempts to hide the emotions forced on her looks as miserable as Kylah feels.

It was wrong, it was cruel, and contemptible. Against everything Kylah believes in, everything she has feared being done to her. Not even Aldaan knows she has, in very very rare cases, accessed and influenced others. She never tried it, not seriously, until OCIII. The spores and the experience with Jan unleashed something new into her mind--his lustful, unwanted pleasure seared its way into her, her heightened, impassioned pleas--pleas he misinterpreted, Kylah generously believes--spurred him on. She tried to stop him but lacked experience, lacked control.

Now guilty of intruding and enhancing Lt. Onn's emotions, she is sickened by her behavior. And yet while she is exhausted and sweat trickles down her back, Kylah cannot focus on this. The wild, untamed fear that has been eating away at her all day roars louder than her conscience. Later she will reckon with the ugly truth. All the ugliness.

Even as she rests a hand on the nearest solid object--Mr. Yarrow's arm--Kylah darts her worried gaze at Mrs. Soeryadjaya. Why did she not use the alias she just agreed to? Are they not pretending to be mother and son, or cousins, or whatever they must in order to be considered family?

Perhaps that is not what they told Lt. Onn. But who is Carter, is this yet another alias? What if there is no Carter on the list? Kylah knows it is pointless to gauge Mr. Yarrow's reaction to all this when it is the security officer who is more dangerous. About to turn her attention to him, something Lt. Onn said reaches through to her.

"Confined?" she repeats, aghast and startled into a question she knows she should not be asking. "Do you mean--I am sorry, is there--are you ill, ma'am?" Kylah was so busy increasing the older woman's existing doubts, that she could not simultaneously judge her target's actual state. Did she just violate the emotions of a woman already in poor health?

[SidonianGal]

Somewhere through the throbbing haze of her headache, Nia realizes Kylah's tactless curiosity has aimed itself at her, and also made a false assumption. True, she's got her head in a vise, but otherwise there's nothing physically wrong. Her lips are parted to snap out a correction when she stops. Why should these people know her exasperating situation?

Nia lifts a hand shading her eyes to stare up at Ensign Li, mutely asking him to kindly keep out of this. She can answer truthfully enough: "As it happens, I'm getting a migraine. Must be catching," she adds dryly with a similarly arid glance at the girl--which instantly proves to be a mistake. Oh fuck, Sala deliver me now, she swears swiftly to planet's mythological gatherer of souls. Even moving her friggin' eyeballs is suddenly painful.

She sighs and massages her brow again. "Anyway. Good to meet you by your full names, welcome to the Yorktown again. Ensign, you got what you need?"

Oddly, before Li answers, Kylah takes a breath as if about to respond herself. But with a little gasp and an inexplicably relieved look at the security officer, she just exhales a nearly silent "oh" and then shuts her trap. Which is fine by Nia.

[Rangin]

Rangin knows how Jane Pettigrew feels, with all the friends he has left behind at one time or another, although the majority of them are still alive.

“Yes, it hurts. It hurts a lot now and it may never stop hurting. Just as things are all wrong now and the future looks bleak, in time, it may be possible to bear it, even if the pain never truly goes away. I know it sounds selfish, but you can make new friends and live through this. I know how you feel, and for me it comes and goes. Some days I used to live my life, other days I used to do little but wonder why me. But it is possible to get through this.”

He stands up and nods for the rest of the group to gather round to be moved out, before turning back to Jane Pettigrew. “Let me get you to where you are allocated. It may be slightly better than here, but we still have more people coming.”

He looks at the small crowd hoping they are now ready, “Ok, if you will follow me, let’s find get you settled in.”

[Elendil's Heir]

Ens. Li looks around the cabin and seems as if he's about to say something, but then his communicator beeps. He looks at it, reads a text, then shakes his head and says hurriedly, "No, ma'am. I guess that'll be all. I have to go. Would you like me to have someone from Sickbay see you about your migraine?"

The six evacuees look ready to go. They pick up their bags and follow Rangin. The nearest bunk assignment, he sees, is about a five-minute walk away.

Graham makes his way to Deck 12 forward, and sees Ens. St. Croix down the crowded corridor, talking to an older couple. He recognizes them as Pavel and Elena Antonov, whom he met at the Governor's reception dirtside what seems like a century ago. He remembers how the lady repeatedly got Kylah's name wrong. They haven't seen him yet.

[general_urko]

Graham straightens his shirt and tightens up his posture. Look like an ACOS, Booker.

And get your head in the game. He takes a deep breath, and approaches at a casual pace, making professionally attentive, appraising glances at what's happening while keeping an on the trio.

[Elendil's Heir]

Ens. St. Croix appears to be trying to placate Mrs. Antonov, while her husband, standing close at hand, looks somewhat embarrassed. Graham cannot hear what they are actually saying. Others in the teeming, noisy corridor are settling in on their bunks, looking through their luggage, or moving around and talking. One young man, seated on a bunk nearby, is quietly weeping; no one else seems to have noticed.

[SidonianGal]

Nia lets her arm drop onto her knees, forcing herself to sit up a little straighter. "No, that's okay, Li. They've got more important stuff to tackle, I'm sure. I'll relax and eat--my hunger probably isn't helping--then wait until I get the okay to go."

Crap, did she give away too much? She almost takes a wary glance at Kylah, but the dread of moving her eyes again keeps her gaze on Li. "Um, the okay to head to my temp quarters, wherever that is."

Sighing, she lifts her hand again to massage her neck and gives the security officer a weak, rueful smile. "But seriously, thanks. You've been very helpful considering, y'know... everything. Good luck out there."

After a second's pause, she forces herself to face Kylah, who's still near Carter and... the other one whose family name she's already forgotten. "And you can consider that your cue, too. Feel free to join him. Maybe you can make yourself useful helping more of the refugees instead of lurking in here."

[choie]

Kylah has been thanking the utterly unexpected hint of good fortune that somehow prevented this man from questioning her identity as well--until Lt. Onn wrests the relief from her by effectively kicking her out, and making it clear she is a crew member.

Her mind hunts wildly for an explanation, an excuse for why she is out of uniform, and how she might possibly escape from Ensign Li's side, for he will surely ask her name, and--

Except... No! Kylah blinks and holds her breath, calculating. No, this is not as dire as she thought. Lt. Onn's suggestion did not reveal Kylah's status at all. It could apply just as easily to a refugee as anyone else.

Kylah's terror subsides a fraction, and she girds herself before she alights on a tactic. She hugs her chilly arms, looking back at Mrs. Soeryadjaya and Mr. Yarrow in apparent confusion.

"Do you mean me, ma'am?" she says hoarsely when returning to Lt. Onn. Hopefully the other woman's headache will prevent her from asking why Kylah is acting like an imbecile. She selects her words carefully. "I--I would prefer to stay. It is so chaotic out there, I would not be of any use."

And, as if she has not already crossed a dreadful line, Kylah again lets her fear-filled stare express how overwhelmingly desperate she is--all the while pushing, pushing, pushing her emotions into Lt. Onn through the unfortunate woman's tired, glassy eyes. "Please," she whispers.

[Elendil's Heir]

Li asks Kylah, "Do you three have assigned quarters elsewhere, ma'am?"

[general_urko]

Graham frowns, then pauses and approaches the weeping young man.

"Are you all right, ?" he asks professionally, intentionally putting a gentle twist on his tone.

[choie]

Kylah can sense Lt. Onn's rising panic, which in turn boosts her own--and she hardly needs help in that regard, especially when Ensign Li has turned his attention toward her after all.

"Have we three--" She eases off her link with her senior officer and glances back at Mrs. Soeryadjaya and Mr. Yarrow. Impulsively she clasps the latter's hand. He seems the most likely to need reinforcement--and besides, a connection to him makes more sense than his employer. If Kylah should need to give a false name, she prefers using one that she knows is on the list.

But she hates it, she despises all of this. Her face tingles with a flush, mortified that she must tell a lie--or at least, tell the truth in a very deceitful, legalistic way. "No, sir. We are supposed to be here." The words choke in her dry throat. "Please, is something wrong?"

[SidonianGal]

Unable to stop looking at Kylah, Nia continues to massage her taut shoulder and neck muscles. Instead of relaxation, a growing sense of claustrophobia makes her more tense, increasing her heart rate and electrifying her nerves.

What the hell? What's wrong with me? And why is everyone still here? Bad enough I'm stuck, can't they give me some goddamned breathing room?

The instant Ensign Li speaks and Kylah finally drags her wide-eyed, eerily intent accusatory stare from Nia, a flash of clarity and a possible solution to both the headache and the weight on her chest strikes her. Breathing room. Of course, idiot.

She reaches for the inhaler dangling from its chain tucked underneath her uniform, fingers fumbling with less practiced ease than usual.

Just holding the device in her hand offers comfort. Sidonia, with all its horrors, is at least a place where she was almost always able to breathe, really breathe. Except for jaunts up in her parents' ships to the toxic atmosphere--but even then she had a supply of air through her helmet.

Nia plunges it into her mouth and presses the button to release a stream of the delicious, mind-clearing mixture of Bilitrium, nitrogen and oxygen into her. Seconds later the fog sweeps temporarily away. Nothing is like it, nothing as precious and sacred as the air she breathes.

She opens her eyes to catch Kylah's reaching for David, as if calming him. Or calming herself. Look at her, she's terrified. Why is Li freaking her out so much? Like Rangin the other day in the gym. Is it men in general? No, she seems okay with Booker. But who wouldn't? He takes care of the people who mean the most to him. Marala is proof of that.

With a shudder she shakes her head while still taking in the life-sustaining compound that refreshes her more than the ship's M-class air ever can. Dimly she hears Kylah's answer to whether she belongs here.

Wait, what? Did the ensign just imply--

She instinctively presses the inhaler button for one last boost before yanking it from her mouth. About to blast the girl for whatever craziness she's into now, Nia--unaccountably--freezes. The thought of having Kylah look at her again has sent a jolt of dread and guilt through her. Guilt? Why? The kid's afraid, yes, but--but it's not Nia's fault. Is it?

And she's lying. Why is she lying? Most of all, why does Nia feel so protective toward the girl all of a sudden? Not even just protective, but understanding. Compassion. Kylah's trapped too, somehow, caught up in something just as Nia and Booker and Marala and Nikolai and all the others in this horrific crisis.

Throughout all this, the gratitude she felt toward Ensign Li has evaporated, replaced by an expanding bubble of resentment of being under anyone's custody, even a nice harmless guy.

"Goddamnit, I asked you to go!" she blurts, surprising even herself. She's not a blurter. Nia forces herself to her feet. "Sorry, Li, but look, everything's fine. Can you just, please, leave me the hell alone? And them? Like they don't have enough on their minds already? I'm sorry," she repeats, this time to the guests. "You shouldn't have to go through this. It's not fair, not any of it."

Turning back to Li--carefully avoiding Kylah the way she navigated her ship past treacherous burning clouds back home--Nia lets go of her inhaler and lifts a pleading hand. "You've got your job, I get that. But you're the one who's supposed to be somewhere else--you said it yourself, you've got orders. So go." Almost unconsciously--she knows she's doing it but she can't seem to help herself--she beseeches exactly as Kylah did her, with a soft, agonized: "Please?"

[Elendil's Heir]

Li's communicator beeps again, and he says, without looking at it again, "Yeah, all right. Looks like we have a situation developing in Rec Room 5 that I should see to anyway." He nods a salute to Onn, the senior officer present, and leaves. The door whooshes shut behind him.

The young man in the corridor looks up at Graham and grins crookedly for a moment, still crying. He manages to gasp out, "Oh, yeah, everything's great. Thanks for asking."

[general_urko]

Graham looks sympathetically at the young man. "Hard times, indeed," he says quietly. "Hang in there."

Unless otherwise interrupted, he proceeds toward St. Croix.

[choie]

At first, shock prevents Kylah from reacting when Ensign Li leaves. Then she squeezes Mr. Yarrow's hand in delight before realizing she is doing so. She apologizes and releases his fingers. "It is all right," she adds, almost smiling at him and Mrs. Soeryadjaya. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I--"

She stops when she takes a good look at Lt. Onn, whose complexion seems a dull gray rather than its usual warm brown. Kylah's guilt returns. "I am sorry to have bothered you. Perhaps you should go to Sickbay."

"I'll be fine." Lt. Onn leans against her dresser, rubbing her left temple. "I want to talk to you."

Having anticipated this, Kylah swallows and takes a hesitant step toward the door. "Yes, I understand, but... I should let you alone and--" Abruptly the bargain she made with Velir floods her mind. He only gave her a few minutes before threatening to report her. How much time has all this taken? Much too long. The urgency tightens her throat. "Forgive me, I really must go now."

Lt. Onn manages to head her off and takes firm hold of her arm. "I said. I want. To talk to you." She glances back at the refugees. "You guys too. Don't you think of going anywhere." And with more strength than Kylah would have expected from the weary senior officer, she guides--more like pulls--Kylah away from the door.

[Elendil's Heir]

Mrs. Antonov spots Graham, claps her hands together, smiles encouragingly and says, "There he is! Oh, thank you for coming, Lt. Grant. Just the man I wanted to see. I was telling this young officer just what needs to be done...."

The two stowaways exchange a look as Onn lays hands on Kylah.

[general_urko]

Graham accepts the unexpected reception in stride. Matter-of-factly, and intending for her to overhear, he states "Ens. St. Croix is an excellent officer."

[Elendil's Heir]

"Oh, I'm sure she is," the old lady says, with a small, dismissive wave of the hand at St. Croix, "but there's only one Lt. Grant. Won't you help us, please?"

[Rangin]

Rangin leads the evacuees out of the transporter room in the direction of the first set of bunks, well aware that he can afford a little bit of time to make sure they know their way around the ship, perhaps taking a little more time than he should. A five minute walk is just fine by him, but aware that they are carrying luggage as well, he takes the time that they need to get to the first point without struggling too hard.

The more time it takes, the more likely Kylah will be back in her cabin. But, of course, she will be there...

[general_urko]

Graham clears his throat. "Uh, Graham." He assumes a polite smile "what seems to be the trouble?" he asks politely.

[Elendil's Heir]

Rangin is able to guide the evacuees to their respective bunks, sometimes having to almost elbow his way through the jam-packed corridors, and once almost tripping over little kids running loose. Several of those he is escorting don't look pleased by their makeshift accommodations and what will be an obvious lack of privacy, but no one complains out loud.

Mrs. Antonov says, "Graham, yes, of course, thank you, dear. Well, it's about the Governor and his wife and their dear girls. I haven't seen them aboard and I'm not even sure that they've beamed up yet. This young lady," she says, indicating St. Croix, who is remaining carefully stonefaced, "tells me that they weren't approved for evacuation, but I know that just can't be right. He's the Colonial Governor, for heaven's sake!"

[general_urko]

Graham intentionally adopts a posture that looks like he's listening attentively. He is, but he also intends to show it.

Graham nods somberly. "I don't believe holding the rank of Colonial Governor was a consideration in eligibility for evacuation, ma'am."
"

[SidonianGal]

Nia draws Kylah away from the door and, when she's certain the junior officer isn't going anywhere, lets go. "All right. What the hell is going on here?"

Kylah rubs her wrist, as if she's some delicate flower Nia's massive talons might've crushed. "I am sorry, I do not know what--"

"You can stop that line right now. When Ensign Li spoke to you, you basically implied you were one of them." Nia bobs her head in the direction of the two strangers, then gestures toward Kylah's dress. "And in this get-up, you could pass for a civilian. Coincidence? I'm beginning to think not. So I repeat: What is going on?"

Kylah bites her lower lip. "Nothing, Lieutenant." When Nia's about to break in, she hurries on. "That is--I cannot tell you."

Okay. Well, this is getting somewhere. "Can't tell me, or won't?"

"Both."

Nia lifts her arms as if physically begging for more details, then lets them slap down to her sides again. "Tell me this then. Just who are these people to you?"

"I told you, ma'am, I never met them before."

Kylah's words are so carefully chosen that Nia knows she's playing loose with the truth. "Spare me the legalese. I saw you holding that guy's hand just now, and it's not because of some 'crush' you picked up. And I noticed all the whispering you three were doing while I was dealing with Li. You think I just hatched from an egg? C'mon, Ensign."

Kylah hugs herself and twists to face the door as if expecting a savior to walk through it. "Please, I must go. I have no time--"

"You have as much time as I want you to have. Because unless you start spitting up some truth I'm gonna call Security." Nia really wants to pace, nervous energy springing up and down her leg muscles, but she's afraid to take her attention from Kylah for a second. What is going on here? Why is she involved in helping this pair? Why would they need her help, for that matter?

Suddenly she inhales, holds her breath, then exhales with her realization. "The lottery." She shuts her eyes for a second, then opens them, really seeing everything for the first time since entering the cabin. "They're not even on the list, are they."

[Elendil's Heir]

Mrs. Antonov insists, "But he's the Governor! He's our friend. He has a lovely family - his wife, their twins. He's the planetary leader. Of course he should be evacuated, and his family, too. Can't you see to it, Mr. Graham? Can't you arrange for them to be evacuated with the rest of us?" Her husband, looking embarrassed, takes her arm and tries to soothe her, but she shakes him off.

Denise turns to David and says firmly, "We should be going, and give them the chance to talk."

[general_urko]

Graham listens patiently, and glances sympathetically at Mr. Antonov before responding. "I'm sorry, that's not within my power, Mrs. Antonov." After a brief pause he adds, "I'm sure we all wish more people could be evacuated. But it would be best if we...all tried to remain calm, not tax the life support systems, and come to grips with this terrible tragedy as best we can."

[SidonianGal]

Nia sees Kylah's widening eyes, but the girl stays silent until "Denise" speaks. Then both Starfleet crewmates simultaneously spin to face the guests.

"No, you must not go, it is not safe!" Kylah cries out in a plea, which Nia's sharper voice cuts through easily. "Don't even try it, Denise or whatever your real name is!" She stabs a pointing finger at the civilians as threateningly as if it's a phaser set to kill. "No one is leaving until I say you leave. Got it?"

Darting her gaze back at Kylah, she shakes her head. "Am I right or not? You're hiding them here?" Not even a syllable in response. "Damn it, Ensign, if you think you're buying time to conjure up a lie, don't bother. Listen. Do you realize every single available square centimeter on this ship is precious? That we can't waste it with stowaways or people who bribed you to sneak on board--"

"I have not been bribed."

"My apologies. You don't need credits the way the rest of us plebians do. Well, whatever it took to get this pair up from the planet--" A scowl lowers her brow, causing another pain to stab her between the eyes. If her guess is correct, how could Kylah have smuggled them onto the ship? Did she fake their names on the lottery list? How else...?

She blinks in sudden recognition. "Ajay. Did you get him involved in this... whatever the scheme is? Does he know?"

"'Ajay'?"

"Andy Johnson." Of course, the little royal Ensign is too elegant to use nicknames. "The one you somehow cajoled into letting you in here. No way he'd've done this if he knew what it was for. Putting me at risk, not to mention himself? I swear, if he gets in trouble because of you--"

"He will not! He could not, he did not even know they were here!" After a frozen second in which Kylah looks like someone on the wrong end of a stun blast, she clamps her mouth into a thin line.

Nia crosses her arms over her chest. Annnnd, gotcha.

"Unbelievable. You know what pisses me off about this the most? The sheer entitlement. Why do you think you and your friends here deserve special treatment? Using Ajay, using me... Do you know, aside from all the thousands of strangers who're facing death this minute, there's a man I care about, who I sorta think you care about, who's suffering agony because people who matter deeply to him might be sent back down to die with the rest of their neighbors?"

Kylah's face pales--which Nia wouldn't have thought possible, the girl already looks like a ghost. "Lt. Graham," she whispers. "His... friend. Mrs. Gromov. She did not make the list?"

Somehow Nia is irritated that Kylah knows this secret. Why did Booker tell her? "No. Neither did her kid. Eight, nine years old, I don't know exactly, but he's a little boy and he's never gonna grow up if the Captain and Vargas decide to send them--" She cuts herself off and, in a sudden recollection that Kylah's presence can actually serve a purpose right now, holds out her hand. "Give me your communicator."

"My--I beg your pardon?"

"Give. Me. Your. Communicator." Nia enunciates as if speaking to a not-very-intelligent dog. "Or actually... I probably can't use it myself. But you can. I need you to contact... um..." Shoot, she can't get in touch with Booker, obviously. Who's the best alternative? "Ensign Mahmoud. He's Book's roommate, he can pass a message along. Get him on the line and let me speak with him."

The girl's complexion warms from white to a blush of pink. "Why can you not do so yourself?"

"Because I don't have my communicator. Or access to my comms account, except for emergencies." Nia sighs, giving up her pride when it's really of no use to her right now. "I'm confined to quarters, stripped of my communicator, basically a glorified prisoner. Book's in the same situation."

Kylah's lips part a few seconds before she finally speaks. "Because you brought Mrs. Gromov on board? They are punishing you for that?"

"Not her, her son. But basically yes. And I want to know how Booker's doing. This has gotta be killing him. So just hurry up and get in touch--"

"I am sorry, Lieutenant. I cannot."

Pain bursts from behind Nia's eyes as if a tight, elastic band has just snapped around her brain. Losing patience, she advances on Kylah. "I'm not gonna ask again. I can contact Security, at least if the usual protocols are in place, so I can get someone back here to check out your pals--"

"Please, no! You do not understand. I do not have my communicator with me!"

Nia glances down at Kylah's dress, which is thin and free of any pockets, much less a utility belt. "How--why the hell are you gallivanting around the ship without a communicator? With a thousand strangers, during an emergency?" She grabs Kylah's wrist again and gives her a frustrated shake for emphasis. "Do you have even the slightest shred of responsibility? Of self-protection? What is wrong with you?"

She lifts her gaze to the ceiling before Kylah can respond. "Y'know what, I don't care." Tilting her aching head, Nia indicates the terminal on her desk. "Log in to your comms account. That should work."

Kylah follows the direction of Nia's nod, her complexion even redder. "No, I am sorry, Lieutenant. I cannot."

Nia's hand reflexively squeezes harder on Kylah's wrist, and only the girl's grimace of discomfort stops Nia from continuing. Embarrassed, she releases her grip... which is when she sees a series of mottled red and purple bruises--fingerprints--around the younger woman's left wrist and forearm. Shaken, she stares up at Kylah, about to ask just who the hell did this to her, but higher immediate priorities hold her in check.

"Listen carefully, Ensign. I don't want to hear the words I cannot again. I need to get a message to Booker Graham and you're standing right here, owing me a very very big favor, so you'd better start making yourself useful."

"But I canno--" Kylah cuts herself off, wisely. "Please believe me, Lieutenant, I am not trying to be difficult. I literally can not do ask you ask. I wish I could, but I..." She gnaws at her lip again, head bowed slightly. "I am being punished as well. Cmdr. Vargas has restricted access to my communications account."

A pause is filled by Nia's breathing. "That's ridiculous. They don't take away people's ability to communicate when they're just free to roam around. What would be the point--"

It's impossible to miss Kylah's wince and the tightening of her jaw. And the penny drops.

"Oh. Oh shit." Nia retreats a step, as if the girl's insanity is infectious, and lowers her voice to a whisper. "You're not supposed to be here. That's why you lied to Ensign Li. They've confined you to your quarters too. But--somehow you got out? Are you certifiable? They will throw you in the Brig, they'll court-martial you for sure. What in the name of the six holy thrones are you thinking?"

[choie]

Kylah's right arm cradles her left, running a soothing hand along the bruises that began with Lt. Ferguson's assault, Velir's attempt to keep hold of her in the turbolift, and now Lt. Onn, who like Velir did not truly mean harm. None of these incidents would have been as painful if this wrist were not seemingly incapable of fully healing after the Denebian Slime Devil attack during her first mission.

Vulnerability to emotional wounds has long been part of her life. It is only since joining Starfleet that physical injuries have added to her burden.

And so Lt. Onn now knows everything. Kylah is completely reliant on this woman's generosity, which is not a comforting thought. The Helm officer is unpredictable. Sometimes sympathetic, others barely tolerant.

"You are right. I know how mad all this must seem," she says now, trembling when she spares a glance at Mrs. Soeryadjaya and Mr. Yarrow. Their lives are no longer just in Kylah's hands. "I cannot spend time explaining it all, and indeed I could not, even with the time. But all I have done I had to do, including disobeying orders, evading the disciplinary restrictions I have earned."

"Why were you disciplined?" Lt. Onn's voice is still low, no longer as bullying or snappish as earlier. "If no one knows about these two, why did Vargas--"

"Because I did not obey Lt. Graham's orders and remained behind." Kylah again glances at the civilians and continues in a whisper. "I was afraid Cmdr. Vargas knew why I did not fulfill my duty. That he had learned about these two, and possibly had removed them from the ship. So I had to determine whether they were safe. But without a communicator..."

"...You had to come here to see for yourself."

Kylah nods. She stares up at Lt. Onn, no longer pushing her emotions outward. Standing this close, it is clear Lt. Onn is still feeling the residual discomfort of Kylah's breaching her privacy. Guilt still simmers beneath all Kylah's other myriad emotions, but she continues to ignore it.

"I beg you, I must leave. Ve--someone will be expecting me back in my quarters and I must not be absent when they return."

Lt. Onn's right eyebrow arches. "Someone. Right. Does this person know everything that's going on?"

"No. You may not believe it, Lieutenant, but you know more than anyone else, aside from myself. That is the utter truth."

"Truth. I'm beginning if you know the meaning of the word." The senior officer lifts a defensive palm. "Don't take that as an insult. Not entirely. I can appreciate the skill behind a good liar. If you don't mind my saying so, your problem is that you aren't great at selling the Big Lies. Or maybe you're just juggling too many."

Kylah looks down quickly. This woman has no idea the magnitude of the lies Kylah is hiding. But still, Lt. Onn is not entirely wrong. It is the smaller lies, the sheer quantity of them, that exhausts Kylah more and more each day.

Maintaining control of her expression, she flicks her gaze back up at Lt. Onn. "Then will you help me, Lieutenant? Please, will you let me go without fear that you will turn them in?"

Lt. Onn sighs, again showing her tiredness in the heaviness of her lowered lids, the sheen of irridescent green more evident than usual. "There's a problem. If I'm able to leave here for space that'll help save on the l/s resources, there'll probably assign two new guests here. They won't be expecting four."

Kylah scans the room quickly. "But it is a very large cabin. Four would not seem excessive, and would fit very well, at least for a short period during an emergency. I think it would seem..." She hunts for a word. "Efficient."

Lt. Onn shrugs; her energy seems to be flagging. Remorseful, Kylah holds her hands together prayerfully. "Lieutenant, I... I think I can help you get a message to Mr. Graham. Lt. Graham," she corrects, recalling his still-new promotion. "Ens--the person I am to meet back at my quarters. I can ask them to contact Ensign Mahommed... is that his name?"

"Mahmoud." Lt. Onn blinks, seeming to have perked up. "You think so?"

"Yes. Tell me what you wish me to say and I will pass along whatever message you wish. And since both parties are neither you nor I, it will not be breaking the letter of the law, as far as the rules to which we are meant to be adhering."

This garners a chuckle--more of a snort. "Right. And that's obviously pretty damn important to both of us. By all means let us adhere to the letter of the law. The spirit can go screw itself." As far as Kylah can tell, Lt. Onn is not genuinely upset. To the contrary.

But then the Lieutenant's demeanor sobers, turning speculative. "This... 'person' of yours. The one whose name and rank you almost dropped a couple times, and even if you hadn't, I'd still probably be able to guess who you're talking about." Her eyebrow arches higher. "This isn't someone who has very warm feelings about Booker, or vice-versa. I'm right, aren't I? You sure he'd really be willing to act as a go-between here?"

Kylah needs no empathic skills to know Lt. Onn has guessed correctly. She feels her cheeks warm with another flush. "Their feelings for one another aside... in such circumstances..." She tries to imagine Velir's reaction if he hears what Lt. Graham is undergoing. A young mother, a boy of so few years, possibly doomed to a horrific death.

No: even with the extreme distrust between the two, Kylah cannot believe Velir would be unable to sympathize. Such a tragedy goes beyond animus.

"Yes. My friend is kinder than you may believe, if you only know Lt. Graham's experiences with him. He is... he is moral and compassionate. He would not be generous enough to help me, now, if it were not so."

Lt. Onn nods, very slowly, with slightly narrowed eyes. After a moment Kylah realizes she is staring directly at Kylah's bruised forearm. "And just making sure..." she says, very carefully. "He doesn't have anything to do with that, does he?"

Aghast, Kylah pulls her arm protectively against her chest. Yes, he grabbed her to prevent her leaving in the turbolift, but he did not know she was already hurt, and if she had not felt all that emotional feedback with his touch, she would not have tried to wrest it free and thus aggravate the injury that was already there.

She lifts her chin and meets Lt. Onn's gaze. "With respect, ma'am," she says, trying to calm the tremor in her voice, "He bears no more responsibility than you do, with your actions just now."

To her satisfaction, the taller woman widens her eyes, then finds it difficult to meet her stare. "Damn it. I'm sorry, Kylah. I really am. I shouldn't have..." She sighs and shakes her head. "Time's wasting. I promise we'll talk more about this later and I'll give you a proper apology. For now: Go. I won't say anything about them. Or you. Not if I can help it, anyway."

Kylah nearly asks for Lt. Onn's word, but she senses there is no need. As with Lt. Graham, something in this woman seems so forthright that even without a strict promise, she will do as she says. For once, let my judgment not fail me, Kylah prays.

She turns to the two civilians whose lives are now in multiple hands. "Ma'am. Sir. You... please, you will follow Lt. Onn's instructions? I must leave for you to be safe. And you must stay out of sight. If anyone recognizes you from the planet... if any crew member asks for your names... it is too dangerous. Just until the ship is out of orbit and on its way. It cannot be long now. Please?"

[Rangin]

Rangin turns his head back towards the group, aware of how they are feeling, while still trying to keep them moving. “I know, it’s not the greatest of places to stay and the hospitality is a little lacking in organised stakes, but I can say that everyone is very welcoming and will do their very best to make your stay here as comfortable as possible.”

It’s difficult to force the humour, while knowing that these people have left nearly everything behind and are losing not just their friends, but their entire way of life in the sudden blink of an eye. He hopes that it will ease some of the tension, but in the end it will take weeks or months to get over this.

He moves a few more people out of the way and keeps the group moving.

[Elendil's Heir]

Denise looks from Kylah to Onn, licks her lips and says to the older officer, choosing her words carefully, "Just a minute. Do you promise to keep our secret? If not... I have a communicator. What would it be worth to you to use?"

Rangin is able to keep his group of Novy Rostov evacuees moving, leaving each at their proper place, until at last all six are taken care of. His communicator vibrates, and he sees a text: Attention, all hands. Prepare to break orbit in 12 minutes. We will go to warp immediately thereafter. Department chiefs to Conference Room 1 on the double. SINGH.

Graham and every other member of the Yorktown's crew get the same text. Onn and Kylah, obviously, do not.

[general_urko]

Graham clears his throat and offers an "excuse me" that doesn't need a response as he checks his communicator.

He manifests an exaggeratedly serious demeanor. "I'm sorry, that's the Captain." Trying to balance sympathy with sternness, he looks first at Mr. Antonov, then his wife. "It would be best if you get to your quarters."

He nods to Three Crows and if not impeded, turns with a look of purpose to go.

[Elendil's Heir]

Mrs. Antonov begins to wail but St. Croix (not Three Crows) and her husband take her in charge as Graham leaves.

[SidonianGal]

Nia turns to Denise to confirm that those words just left the woman's mouth.

"What's it worth," she repeats, deathly quiet. From the corner of her eye she can see Kylah shaking her head, which at least shows the girl has better sense than her.... friend, client, who the hell knows what these people are to her. "Probably a set of charges and some time in the Brig, possibly for me, definitely for you. Insulting me with a bribe isn't a great tactic, and I don't know what made you think--"

She cuts herself off. Because Nia has just run back the past ten minutes and... actually...

Arms still crossed protectively over her chest, Nia walks farther away, no longer facing the others. "Okay, forget the outraged indignation," she mutters. "What you've seen of me just now, I can understand what your opinion of me probably is." She flicks a palm toward Kylah, reluctant to look her in the eye. "Bullying her, insulting her, shoving her around. I guess I pretty much made it sound like I'd rat you two out if she didn't help me send a message."

She sinks into the chair in the corner of the quarters. "I don't get it," she adds to herself, running a hand over her mouth. "This isn't me. I feel so out of control, like there's this pressure that's gonna break my brain until all my emotions bleed out. I don't recognize myself." Something in between a chuckle and hysterical sob bubbles from her, and she presses her fingers harder against her lips. What the fuck is wrong with me?

"Lieutenant..." Kylah's soft voice seems surprisingly well designed to soothe her--or at least, not trigger more crazy feelings. "Please, you are just upset, with Lt. Graham and all your responsibilities. And I am to blame. I added all this to your plate, and pushed you, provoked you..."

"Stop," Nia sighs. Kylah sounds genuinely regretful, almost mournful. It's appreciated, but it doesn't really help. "I'm not supposed to be that easily provoked. I'm a pilot. I have to keep my cool under fire." Inhaling, she finally returns to the civilians. "Look. Your communicator won't help me. I'm sure comms activity is being monitored, especially in an emergency situation where, I assume, they're asking people to keep chatter to a minimum. A stranger contacting a security officer...? You don't want your communicator's signature being identified, especially if it doesn't match up with a name on that list. Which, I assume, it doesn't.

"No. Your savior over here had the best idea." Though her head is still throbbing, she nods it toward Kylah and addresses her. "You, me, these two, even Booker... none of us want to show up as active. If you can get third parties to pass along messages, that's safest. Still, we're gonna have to pay the piper eventually, 'cause I doubt your guests are gonna stay anonymous for the whole trip, and I have no idea what Vargas has in mind for me. Or Booker, or Marala and her little boy..."

She stops this line of thought at once because her throat is closing up and her eyes positively itching with the unfamiliar instinct to produce tears--very rare for a Sidonian. My whole body is one big raw wound, what is going on?!

[choie]

Kylah watches the senior officer in mortification, knowing all too well what it feels like to be assaulted by unbidden emotions. And, worse, because whatever level of uncertainty and concern exists within Lt. Onn, it has been severely magnified by Kylah's own actions.

First she twists to focus on Mrs. Soeryadjaya. "You may trust her, madam. I know you are doing what you must, but implying that she is--that she has a price--that can only make things more... tenuous... for us."

Next she walks up to where Lt. Onn is seated, head bowed and cradled in her palm. She keeps her tone in a near-whisper. "Please, Lieutenant... just rest. Your feelings are understandable. You are deeply upset for your--your friend. You care for him and worrying about this cruel situation. With everything that has happened today, you are likely just tired." Kylah's voice breaks in shame, and she must push forward to ignore it. "I will do as I promised and seek to get your message through. What do you want to say?"

After a few deep breaths, Lt. Onn lets her hand drop to her knee. "Just that I'm thinking of him. And I know he's killing himself with self-recriminations and guilt and fear and anger, and I--I wish I could take it all away. I'm sorry I didn't do better. That I might've screwed things up. And if there's any news, please somehow let me know?" She closes her eyes, which have barely been open anyway. "He probably knows already. Even Vargas isn't cruel enough to make him wait till there's no time to say goodbye. And it's gotta be bad."

Kylah starts to reach out to touch her arm consolingly, but thinks better of it. "Perhaps it is not. As you said, the captain does not seem like someone who would tear Lt. Graham from people he--he--"

"Loves. You can say it. I mean, it's a friendship-type of love, at least... I thought it was, at first. But his feelings toward this woman are very strong. Maybe you don't get over that sorta thing, even after decades. I really wouldn't know." Lt. Onn makes a grimace. "Sorry. I'm wasting time. This is crazy, I can't even control what I'm prioritizing, this is insane. Anyway. If it was good news he'd've told me. We were in this together. So... you'll pass that along? Just that I'm here for him, assuming we're ever in the same room again?"

Kylah nods. "Yes. Now please rest. All of you." She sends a quick glance--both warning and pleading--over to the civilians. "Stay quiet and let each other be in peace. I must go, and hopefully the next time we are again in contact, we will be far away from this place."

Already her mind is racing ahead to how she will safely return to her cabin, and if she will do so in time. Or if Velir is there now, waiting, disappointed in her, and already opening his communicator to get in touch with Cmdr. Vargas...

She starts to leave, but Lt. Onn reaches out to her and beckons her to lean down. "What is it, ma'am?"

"Just between you and me. This woman friend of yours?" The senior officer raises her eyebrows as if indicating Mrs. Soeryadjaya. Her voice is a silvery, almost reptilian whisper. "Not sure why you're risking everything for her and this guy. But I wouldn't be surprised if, when you guys get caught, she ends up claiming you personally kidnapped her and forced her onboard. She'd probably do the same to her sidekick Mr. Motormouth too. I admit I barely know her, but... well, I'm just sayin'... Look out for that one."

Kylah's eyes widen. It is not a bad judgment by any means, and actually she is impressed that Lt. Onn has assessed Mrs. Soeryadjaya fairly well. The thought is sobering. Still, Kylah has already resigned herself to the inevitable disaster. Warnings serve no purpose to her now: she is on this path and cannot divert from it.

With a similar sotto voce word of gratitude--for everything--Kylah heads to the door. If neither of her guests wish to say anything, she will exit and do her best to make a very quiet, unobtrusive path back to her quarters.

[Elendil's Heir]

Mrs. Soeryadjaya hears out Kylah and then nods once, curtly. Yarrow, cowed by her as usual, also says nothing.

Kylah makes her way through the Yorktown's crowded corridors back to her cabin. She does not run into anyone she knows by name, and is quiet even if nothing else around her is.

[general_urko]

Graham wants to find Nia, but there's no ambiguity in his mind he either needs to be on duty, or, in the absence of a crisis, with his--new family.

Maybe you want to avoid having to tell her what's happened, too, Booker?

Unless otherwise interrupted he heads back to--be with Marala and Nikolai when the world they've known dies.

[Elendil's Heir]

Graham receives no other assignments - perhaps Vargas is showing some uncharacteristic solicitude, or is just too busy during the ship's last few minutes in Novy Rostov orbit. The Assistant Chief of Security is able to return through the teeming corridors to his fiancee and her young son, who is now standing beside her, looking up at him with an odd expression.

Marala takes Graham into her arms and whispers in his ear, "I think we should talk to Niki together about what's happened... and what comes next."

[general_urko]

Graham nods. "Of course, of course," he replies quietly, allowing himself...telling himself, and allowing himself...to ever so gently return Marala's embrace with a brief hug of his own.

[Elendil's Heir]

Marala loosens her embrace a little and asks Graham, "Do you want me to tell him the big news, or would you rather do it?"