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Thread: Star Trek RPG - Mission #7: "The War-Brotherhood of Irkhuit"

  1. #51
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    Nia again thanks her colleagues. "Goodness, between this and the Sarafina, I seem to be on a streak of encountering ships playing hard to get. Well, I don't think the Yorktown should be cast in the role of desperate suitor. If they want help or contact, they know where we are." She glances around at the Bridge crew. "Unless anyone has any concerns...?"

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    Lt. Onyibe looks from Kylah to the "sleeping" Soeryadjaya, then back again. She frowns a little but then nods, and follows Kylah out into the corridor just as Martin Yarrow approaches from down the way. Upon seeing Kylah, he smiles and waves.

    Thalen leans closer to Onn and murmurs, "Perhaps we should inform the Captain, ma'am, as they are on an intercept course. Or perhaps you'd like to hail the ship yourself...?"

  3. #53
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    Graham doesn't turn around, instead shaking his head dismissively and continuing on his way.

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    Heart thrumming less wildly now, Kylah nods pleasantly to Mr. Yarrow and moves to the far side of the corridor to stay out of anyone's way.

    "Thank you, Lt. Onyibe," she says once they both stop. "I hope you do not mind, but I wish to ask a favor... or at least, express a preference. I have had a cabin to myself for some weeks now, since Lt. Collins left. I did not mind the solitude before--it is what I am used to--but I was thinking, once everything is back to normal..." Her hand gestures to the busier than usual hallway. "...If there are any newcomers expected onboard, I would be grateful to have a roommate. Not that you need my permission to assign anyone anywhere, of course," Kylah adds hurriedly. "I just thought I would express my willingness to assist. I know I am little more than a newcomer myself, but I like the thought of being some help."

    After a second, she frowns. "I just realized--forgive me, Lieutenant, I must have interrupted you. You probably had something to discuss in there?"

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    "Yes to both," Nia says, smiling up at Thalen. "You're right, and thanks. Please relay the information to Captain Singh, and open a channel to the Ain't She a Beaut.*" Her mouth twists a little to one side. "Looking forward to finding out if she lives up to her name."



    * I know it's spelled the other way, but Nia wouldn't.

  6. #56
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    It's a homophone, so I don't think Thalen will mind much.

    Ignoring the ugly laughter and jeers behind him, Graham continues on his way. The rest of his patrol is uneventful until, on Deck 10, he finds a little girl in a blue dress who looks lost.

    Yarrow approaches Kylah, pauses for a moment not far away as if considering whether to talk to her, then enters his and Mrs. Soeryadjaya's quarters.

    Onyibe has her back turned and doesn't notice him. She tells Kylah, "Don't worry about it, Ensign. I'm doing spot checks of guest quarters, and that was next on my list." She makes a note on her data tablet. "I'll see about getting you a cabinmate once the evacuees leave us; that's no problem. We're going to be having some new crew join us soon, maybe even at Beta Antares IV, and one of them might be a good fit. You might want to update your Residential Preferences form if you haven't done it lately."

    Thalen notifies Capt. Singh, who is soon on the shipboard comm channel. She says, "Report, Mr. Onn."

  7. #57
    Ape must not kill ape! general_urko's avatar
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    "Hi..." Graham says softly, dropping slowly to one knee so he's at eye level with the girl. "I'm Lt. Graham, my job is keeping people safe on this ship."

    He gestures up and out to emphasize his point.

    "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

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    Kylah bobs her head with a trifle more enthusiasm than she feels. Actually, she is ambivalent about having a new roommate; the request just flew into her head as a pretext to get Lt. Onyibe away from Mrs. Soeryadjaya.

    Her temporary roommate, Lt. JG Xiang, is still an unknown, and they have seen so little of one another Kylah cannot compare it to how life would be with someone permanently quartered with her.

    "That is perfect," she says. "Thank you so much, Lieutenant. And yes, I will update that preference on my record--I did not think of doing that before."

    With a departing nod, Kylah walks a step or two, then hesitates for a few seconds. She wants to stay and make sure the quartermaster does not return to Lt. Onn's quarters. And Mr. Yarrow seemed to wish to speak to her. Was there a reason, or simply friendliness? Regardless, she cannot think of a reason for staying, much less re-entering the cabin now after hustling Lt. Onyibe out. I will contact him later.

    She starts down the corridor. Then, remembering the second buzz from her communicator, she lifts it--never having put it away after reading the message from Velir--and looks to see who else has contacted her.

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    "Yes, ma'am." Nia uncrosses her legs and unconsciously leans closer to the comm panel. "We remain on a steady course, along with the other ships in formation. About five minutes ago, our sensors identified an approaching vessel. It's a civilian ship from..."

    She hesitates, turning to Gunnarsdottir as if hoping to find the answer written on the other woman's face. Fortunately, even without anything that obvious, the look triggers her memory. "...From Camus V. No threat, she's barely more than a large yacht, but she's in a hurry--warp 7--and on an apparent intercept course, roughly 15 or 16 minutes from us.

    "It's not 100% clear if the intercept is intentional or just two ships passing in the night, so to speak, but there's nothing else in the vicinity they'd be heading for. Since our hail was met with nothing but an autoreply, I--" Nia sends a tilting, appreciative glance up at the Communications officer. "Lt. Thalen was about to open a channel. Any recommendations or orders, Captain?"

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    Rangin shrugs at the Botanist’s comments. “I’ve just been hiding in the Science Labs trying to get out of the way. A little bit of cataloguing, a little bit of keeping an eye of Life Support when they ask.”

    He takes another sip of the coffee before continuing. “You know, I’ve also been watching all the interactions of the crew and colonists in the confined quarters. It is a fascinating study if not for all the moral implications of collecting the data. This kind of situation and trauma happening here is not unprecedented, but the ongoing complexity of so many people forced to survive together and how everyone is responding...I know a few people who would love to be able to document this.”

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    The little girl, who can't be much more than five, looks up at Graham with tear-filled eyes. She says, "I can't find my mommy. She was just here." Her nose is running, and she wipes it with the back of her hand. Graham sees that her dress is mostly clean but has been patched a few times. She is clutching a small, well-worn stuffed elephant.

    Onyibe moves along down the crowded corridor and does not return to Soeryadjaya's and Yarrow's quarters.

    Singh says, "Yes, contact them directly, Mr. Onn, and proceed from there. Let me know if there are any complications; otherwise, it sounds like you have matters well in hand. Carry on. Singh out."

    Gral gives a raspy chuckle before lifting his cup to his porcine lips. "Yes, anyone interested in humanoid psychological responses to overcrowding, or in military-civilian relations under stress, could get a research paper or two out of it, I'd wager."

  12. #62
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    Once the connection with Singh has ended, Nia gets to her feet--for no real reason except that her long legs could use the stretch. "Okay, Lieutenant, open a channel when you can. Also--are we able to get a look at them yet?"

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    Kylah exhales heavily in relief, very glad to have looked behind her in time to confirm that the quartermaster has moved away.

    With the latest danger temporarily averted, Kylah looks back at her communicator to see who contacted her just when Lt. Onyibe rang the door chime.* She is anxious to respond to Velir's message, but is just as worried that she should have responded as soon as possible to this second hail.



    * See posts 40 and 42 - sorry, just realized we never established who was contacting Kylah besides Rangin.

  14. #64
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    "Well," Graham answers, "I bet that I can help with that." He looks gravely at the girl's elephant. "Does your friend there have a name?" he asks, pointing at the elephant.

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    Thalen touches a switch, and says, "Channel open, Mr. Onn."

    Pourtash says, "Still outside of visual range, ma'am."

    "I call him Stampy," the little girl solemnly tells Graham. "I like to pretend that he stamps on people who are mean to me."

    Kylah reads the text: Hello, Ens. Kylah. Hope you're doing ok in these crazy times. I hear Communications crew are working like dogs. How about coffee sometime, when you have a break? My treat. All the best, MAYHEW.

    For a little trip down Memory Lane, see the encounter beginning at post 435 here: http://www.mellophant.com/forums/sho...ala-quot/page9

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    The words on the tiny screen of Kylah's communicator are gratifyingly friendly but the name... Her brow furrows with a frown. Mayhew? At first it is unfamiliar. She looks ahead at the dull corridor surroundings, which serve as a sort of blank canvas onto which she can project her memories.

    Who would she have met who might contact her in such a congenial way? She blinks a few times, still coming up with nothing. As she shrugs and begins walking, a sudden jolt of recognition hits her--specifically because of the hallway. A man, young and with a beard...

    "Oh!" she blurts unintentionally. A fellow ensign, who helped her with directions somewhere. For the life of her she cannot recall when this was, or even the circumstances, but the encounter was pleasant and unusually innocuous for her, and thus cannot help sticking in her mind.

    She rereads the message and smiles slightly. 'My treat.' He has some humor, which Kylah is not a natural with, but can recognize it--usually--from others. With a shrug she texts back to him:

    We are very busy and in fact I am even running double watches as-- Kylah nearly writes as punishment but quickly erases those words. --as needed. I would be glad to meet for coffee sometime. Perhaps tomorrow, depending on our schedules? I have another watch in eight hours, so will be free in the morning briefly, or late afternoon following my second watch. Thank you for thinking of me. -- KYLAH, ENS.

    Sending the message, Kylah slows to a stop and leans one shoulder against the wall, at last able to respond to Velir and thus wanting to concentrate more.

    VELIR - Of course if it is important, I will make the time, whatever you wish. I hope nothing is wrong. I am on Deck 4 but near the turbolift. Where are you? I can meet you in one of the rec rooms, lounges or whatever is closest, My quarters are empty, if you need privacy. -- KYLAH

    She reads over the message and considers deleting the reference to her quarters, but she trusts Velir too well to believe he would find her suggestion inappropriate. Sending the second message, she resumes her pace down the hall, waiting for a response.

  17. #67
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    Nia acknowledges both officers, then looks out at the viewscreen, which reveals nothing but stars--still, they're what she knows best.

    "Good afternoon, Ain't She a Beaut," she says conversationally. "This is Lt. Onn of the Starfleet ship USS Yorktown. As you can probably see we're one of five ships in a convoy. We've noticed your rapid approach and would like to know if you're trying to contact us. And if so, whether you need any assistance. Please respond."

    She indicates to Thalen to briefly mute the connection, then turns to Pourtash. "What's their bearing?"

  18. #68
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    "Oh..." Graham nods seriously. "'Stampy' seems like a great name. And it sounds like Stampy has an important job. Nobody should get away with being mean to anyone. And you know...my job on this ship is to make sure everyone stays safe. I hope that never requires stamping on anyone--but it definitely means making sure everyone can find their mom."

    He puts his hand on his chest. "My name's Lt. Graham. What's your's?"

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    Rangin feels the buzz of the communicator while nodding along to the sage words of Lt Gral.

    “Excuse me, please,” he offers politely while pulling the device out and seeing who is making contact. He is hoping it is Kylah, but these times you never know. His smile only gets wider as he finds out it is her.

    He looks up briefly around the Mess Hall and then back to the message on the screen. She is happy to meet up even though her next shift starts shortly. Rangin checks her previous message and then goes back to the current one and a plan forms in his mind.

    “Ah, I have something I need to go and attend to. I’ll swing by and come smell the flowers when I get a chance.” he says quietly to Lt Gral,

    He taps out a quick message back to Kylah--
    KYLAH, ENS. - Hi, thanks for meeting up, I’ll see you back at your quarters shortly. - RANGIN
    --while rising from the table, coffee cup in hand.

    He heads across to the replicators to pick up something a little more substantial for Kylah to eat, knowing she is unlikely to have eaten much anyway before heading out quickly to her quarters.

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    The response comes quickly enough, and Kylah reads it as if it were a glass of water and she parching with thirst. She closes the communicator, once again treating the sturdy device more gently than it warrants, and quickens her step to the turbolift and eventually Deck 7--the whole while, her mind preoccupied with guesses as to what Velir could possibly wish to tell her.

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    Kylah soon has a response: Oof, sorry - I don't envy you for your schedule. Sure, how about Mess Hall 3 at 0800 tomorrow? Best coffee on the ship, I've been told. MAYHEW.

    Thalen says, "Message sent... I can't tell if they've received it, though, Mr. Onn. Just a moment." He touches his ear transceiver and then taps a key, and a wave of unintelligible static fills the Bridge. It is not uniform, however, and there are louder noises irregularly interspersed with the background subspace crackle. "They're transmitting something, but it's badly garbled. Stand by, please." He works hard to clean up the incoming transmission.

    Pourtash says, "The Ain't She is inbound bearing 14 Mark 7, ma'am. Just off the starboard bow. Course and speed unchanged."

    "I'm Tina," the little girl tells Graham, looking at him warily and clutching her elephant close to her chest.

    "Any time," says Gral to Rangin, raising his drink in a farewell salute and smiling before taking a big swig. "Smelling our flowers is always free; we only charge if you want to eat any of 'em."

    Kylah makes her way through the starship's crowded corridors and reaches her quarters without undue delay.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 13 May 2021 at 01:34 PM.

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    Entering her quarters, Kylah heads straight to her terminal, bending over to login and once more look up her watch schedule. Her next watch will end at 06:00, which would be fine for a meeting with Mr. Mayhew two hours later. But if she is due for another double watch, she will have to reschedule the date.

    Date. She freezes and, after a few seconds, straightens. That is not what this is, is it? Kylah cannot believe she did not consider this possibility. Has her success over her uncle's orders and having revived the otherwise moribund friendship with Velir, allowed her to become complacent? Her?

    She scowls and glances back down at her schedule. No, surely Mr. Mayhew means this as just a friendly break. Given how unattractive and exhausted she has found herself over the past few weeks, it is extremely unlikely that anyone would be drawn to her now. Unless there were already something there... as with Velir.

    She hopes.

    Once confirming her schedule--if she does indeed have a double watch she will contact Mr. Mayhew to find a different time--she hurries to the bathroom mirror and debates restyling her hair and applying fresh makeup. Whatever Velir expects now of their friendship, Kylah wants to be pleasant to the eye. It is what she was trained to do, something repeated enough times by her mother and uncle.

    She ponders her appearance and decides simply to re-pin her hair so it is not quite so severe. What looks professional and appropriate in front of her colleagues is not necessarily how she wishes to present herself to Velir Rangin.

  23. #73
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    Graham nods. "Well, then, let's get you back to your mom, Tina. Can you remember the last place you were with your mom, and tell me her name?" he says warmly and encouragingly.

    Lizzie would have had a Stampy, if her mom hadn't been Stampy herself. I always hoped Lizzie could always count on me, but I know she never doubted her mother had her back.

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    Crossing her arms over her chest, Nia walks a little closer to Thalen, as if being closer to him will somehow clear up the static. Though she doesn't want to interrupt him, she has to ask, "Could they be sending something more than pure audio?"

    The idea suddenly reminds her of what she read of the final reports from the Aelyrr mission. Didn't that start out similarly? A highly complex broadcast, hard to differentiate but eventually successfully decoded? Yes, Nia recalls, and at once another question leaps to mind: You think Ens. Kylah would be of use here?

    Her eyes widen as she swallows that thought before she voices it. She laughs at herself. There's nothing frickin' Kylah can do that Lt. Thalen can't accomplish much faster and with greater confidence of accuracy--except get herself injured. Nia almost snorts at the idea. Ridiculous.

    She turns back to Pourtash and returns to look at the Helm and Nav panels. "Let me know if their speed or trajectory changes," she murmurs, a somewhat rote response. Of course Pourtash would inform her. Nia's just getting a little antsy and, as usual, prefers actual activity over the mere overseeing of activity that command requires.

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    Kylah does indeed have a double watch scheduled, the next one to start a little less than eight hours from now.

    Tina says, "Her name is Mommy. I last saw her in... uh, in a hallway like this." She puts a not-very-clean thumb in her mouth.

    Thalen, still concentrating and working, shakes his head. "No, Mr. Onn, it doesn't look like that." He says something under his breath in Andorian and turns to another panel. "Just a moment."

    "Aye, ma'am," Pourtash says to Onn, "but no change as yet."

  26. #76
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    Ask a stupid question...

    Nonetheless Graham chuckles inwardly, if a bit bitterly. Of course her name is mommy, Booker.

    "Has Mommy ever told you about your last name? Like your 'first name' is Tina, and your 'last name' is something else?"

    Graham pauses and taps his chest. "I told you my last name, Graham. My first name is Booker."

    And Nia calls be Book...

    That's a memory that's both sweet and bitter at the same time, given the circumstances.

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    Kylah taps out a quick apology to Mr. Mayhew and, explaining her schedule, asks if tomorrow at 14:00 or thereabouts might be convenient for a break. Privately she suspects she will be exhausted by then, but since coffee--well, hot chocolate--will be on the 'menu,' she decides the caffeine will hopefully perk her up.

    She stares in the mirror. Her hair is now pinned up loosely away from her face, with the rest of her curls spiraling down her back. The length is somewhat excessive, as she has not had a cut for several months now. Normally the traditional Elasian braids make her hair seem shorter, but she has had neither the time nor inclination to spend on such niceties, even those that have been her daily routine for most of her life.

    Shaking her head, she returns the comb to her dresser drawer with a clatter that betrays her nervousness. She smooths the skirt of her uniform and sits on the edge of her bed. After barely a minute, she changes her mind and moves to her desk chair, performing the same smoothing motion and resting her hands on her lap.

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    Nia nods at Lt. Thalen with respectful silence, and thanks Pourtash for the update. Her fingers drum on her crossed arms as she thinks. "Until we hear from them directly I know I'm just making busy work," she says thoughtfully to her Helm colleague. "But just as an experiment... If we go on the assumption that they've been on this trajectory for much of their trip--a long shot, but it's all we've got for now--where might they have come from? What occupied systems are within range of a clipper like this?"

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    The little girl pulls out her thumb long enough to say, "No, just Mommy," before reinserting it. She solemnly looks up at Graham.

    Kylah soon has her response: 1400 should be OK. See you then. MAYHEW.

    Pourtash checks the star charts. "Quite a few, ma'am. That's a pretty long-range ship. Probably the best-known inhabited worlds in the region are Krasni, Morra III, Temenos V, Sardonna, Harak and Starbase 27. And Beta Antares IV itself, of course."

    Thalen is finally able, with considerable effort, to make sense of the incoming subspace message and clean up the transmission. He taps another key and a still-garbled but understandable message can now be heard over the Bridge speakers. It is a woman's voice with a perceptible brogue: "Yorktown, this is Ain't She a Butte, Captain Maeve Danaher, commanding. Do you read us? We're having a bitch of a time with our subspace radio."



    Krasni was the setting of "The Face on the Barroom Floor" by Eleanor Arnason and Ruth Berman in Star Trek: The New Voyages (1976), about a shore leave which doesn't go quite the way Kirk expects it to, and which I first read and enjoyed many years ago. A funny short story. For more: https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/The_New_Voyages
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 18 May 2021 at 01:28 PM.

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    It's not long before Rangin is in front of Kylah's quarters with food in arm. It is mainly for her, but as it's impolite to watch others eat, he is carrying some for himself as well. It is only as he is reaching for the chime that he suddenly realises how this could look.

    There is a moment's hesitation and then he presses the chime anyway, hoping that the only person who matters in this situation, that is Kylah, is ok with it. Then it's a case of hoping she is actually back at her quarters and he isn't standing like a fool outside an empty space.

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    Kylah has just read Mr. Mayhew's response when the door chime drags her attention away. She stuffs the communicator awkwardly--almost guiltily--into its usual place on her duty belt, and manages to stumble upwards to her feet. Stop being so nervous, she pleads as she tries not to look like a clumsy oaf. "Yes, come in?"

    The door slides open to reveal Velir, about a half-second before Kylah manages to retain her balance. She smiles just to see him here, and the gifts he is bearing--an utterly unexpected meal--are nearly as welcome as Velir is, at least if the twisting in her stomach is any proof.

    "Please," she begins, walking toward him and beckoning to the desk chair. "Sit here, if you like." Kylah has to smile at the offerings in his arm. "Is that for both of us, I hope? I have so little time to eat and sleep given my watches... but no, most important is your news. What is it? You seem..."

    She gazes at him, at his demeanor. But as usual, Velir Rangin is difficult to read. Especially because Kylah is so strict about avoiding any breaches of his emotional privacy. "No," she admits. "I cannot tell how you seem." Taking hold of his free hand she guides him to sit in the chair front of her, while she sits on the edge of the bed not far away. "You tell me."

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    With a little salute of thanks to Thalen, Nia nods to the invisible woman's greeting. "Yes, ma'am. We had trouble to start with but we're hearing you more clearly now. This is Lt. Nia Onn, BCDO at the moment. Are you having any other technical difficulties? I'd like to get a visual once you're close enough, but from what we see already you appear to be on an intercept course. Anything we can do for you?"

  33. #83
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    Capt. Danaher says, "No, no other technical problems, thank God. As if this hasn't been bad enough! No, we heard your initial request for assistance evacuating Novy Rostov but were too far away and, due to our subspace comm problems, unable to let you know that we wanted to help. So here we are! Better late than never, I hope. If we can take any of the evacuees off your hands now, we'd be glad to."

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    Nia's arms uncross, her hands landing on her hips while she exhales in delighted surprise. "That is extraordinarily good news. I'll check with Captain Singh, and our quartermaster too, but I'm pretty sure they'll agree that the more is definitely the merrier. Thank you very much, ma'am."

    She glances at Gunnarsdottir and Delaney, eyebrows lifting a little in recognition while she continues to talk to Danaher. "With your permission, I'd like to have our Science and Engineering Bridge officers discuss this with your crew. We've got your ship's layout and specs from its registry, but to determine what you can handle, we'll need updated, specific data regarding your current capacity and capability." Whoa. A lot of annoying alliteration. "Can we coordinate... uh, can we organize our respective departments to gather up the info so I can take the proposal to our Captain?"

    Her voice lowers slightly to address the Bridge crew. "Any other suggestions for whatever I'm missing so far?"

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    Thalen murmurs, "I have nothing to add to what you've said, ma'am." There are some other shaken heads as Onn looks around the Bridge.

    Danaher cheerily replies, "Thanks, Yorktown, but no need for that. I know my own ship, and we can take up to, say, 40 people, and then proceed with you to the Beta Antares system."

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    Nia nods again. "Your spirit of generosity and goodwill is greatly appreciated, Captain. I have to say, we've all been humbled by the outreach to this crisis. Of course you know your ship better than anyone, any good commander would. Full respect to you and your crew for all you're offering, I hope you know that."

    She begins a slow tour around the Bridge. "Ideally this'd be as easy as just beaming 40 people over. It's just... this is very sensitive. We've got the ultimate responsibility for these refugees, and... well, there's a balance of medical, social and resource needs that the Yorktown has to take into consideration during this whole situation. These folks have suffered a huge loss, they're traumatized, and we've been asking all the ships who're helping us to provide us with some basic details so we can determine the best configuration for all concerned."

    During all this, she's slowed her pace and come to a halt behind St. Croix. Once her words have stopped too, Nia glances at Thalen and makes a light slicing cut gesture across her throat.

    When and if he confirms her mic is silenced, she'll murmur quickly to St. Croix, "Let's get a quick look at the history and manifests of the Beaut and its captain." Just wanna cross the I's and dot the T's, as Ajay would say. When drunk. "Singh'd want it done, and if she doesn't, our First Officer certainly will."

    On confirmation from the Security officer, Nia will give Thalen the go-ahead to bring her mic live again.

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    St. Croix nods silently and turns to her console to begin her work.

    Thalen reopens the channel to the Ain't She.
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 22 May 2021 at 09:26 PM.

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    Nia smiles--always a pleasure dealing with such thoroughly competent, professional officers--and keeps her gaze on St. Croix's screen while once again addressing Captain Danaher as if there's been no pause. Since the other woman hasn't objected, it's possible the logic of the request has overridden the Beaut captain's impatient enthusiasm. "You understand, I'm sure, ma'am. Would you wait a moment while I contact our commanding officers? I'm sure one of them will want to speak with you."

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    "OK," Graham replies, nodding slowly. "No problem, Tina. I'm sure we can get you, and Mommy--and Stampy--all back together, safe and sound, again."

    "Would you like to go get something to eat while we work on this?" he offers.

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    Rangin steps into the room following Kylah’s guidance and trying not to show his amusement at her words as a stream of consciousness just seems to flow out. He sits down on the chair at her beckoning, being careful to balance the food in front of him.

    “I will tell you, but only after...” He pauses and lifts the bundle--a cloth napkin protecting a variety of replicated food items, less a meal than hot snacks to be eaten by hand. Mostly combos of fried vegetables, cheese and pastry. Not the healthiest, but certainly filling enough to keep body and soul together.

    He takes a few for himself and sits back on the chair to wait for Kylah to start, expecting to have to encourage her--but apparently she’s too hungry to be her usual deferential self: she’s just grabbed two of the fried potato puffs in one hand and started in.

    “So, important news," he begins. "Ah yes, despite the new ships turning up, the Yorktown is still crowded.” Rangin pauses solemnly for a moment, enjoying the sight of Kylah relishing the food while staring at him with wide-eyed anticipation. “There are edible, albeit expensive flowers now available in the Science Bay…”

    He continues stalling until the initial look of interest from Kylah gradually morphs into something like confused frustration. He wonders how long he can keep this up. Even her food is being chewed with what looks like annoyed deliberation.

    “Most importantly," he concludes at last with a modest shrug, "I was summoned to see Captain Singh. I’ve just been promoted to Junior Grade Lieutenant.”

    Having taken a large bite to finish one of the puffs, Kylah chomps down in obvious surprise. Immediately she winces and grunts in pain, her free hand darting to cover her mouth--not at all the dramatic effect Rangin intended. Bitten tongue? he worries when he catches a barely understandable blurt of something that sounds like profanity... which would be her first, at least the first he’s heard from her. Still, she brushes away his attempt at apologizing.

    “No, no, I am all righ’,” she says, thick-tongued. “A promotion? Are you theriouth?” Despite her discomfort and awkward lisp, she's clearly pleased, evident to Rangin by the joy she's radiating both visually and emotionally. “Oh Velir, you mutht be tho happy! I cannot believe they finally--I am tho, tho--” She runs out of words and instead leans forward, arms raised in an obvious impulse to embrace him.

    But she freezes, flushes, and then retreats to just clasp her hands together and stammer, “I--I am tho proud of you.”

    Rangin is somewhat grateful that Kylah did not go for a full embrace. He had not been ready for it and they could have been wearing his food, if she had.

    "Thank you. I thought you should be the first person I tell. There are probably several who already know, I'm sure Roble will have something more planned for my new rank, but that is beside the point." He hesitates. He can't help noticing how warm her gaze is, and wonders if he's flushing a bit too. "And yes," he admits, less formal as he matches her quiet tone. "I'm happy about it."




    Kylah by choie, Rangin by me
    Last edited by Rangin; 24 May 2021 at 08:01 PM.

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    Capt. Danaher says, "Understood, Yorktown. As I said, we're just here to help. Standing by."

    Having checked Federation records, St. Croix reports to Onn, "The Butte has been in this region for most of her existence, carrying passengers and cargo including dry goods, mining equipment, grain and foodstuffs. She's also taken occasional charters. Capt. Danaher appears to be an experienced and respected officer with just two complaints against her throughout her career, and no official disciplinary action ever taken."

    Tina nods, holds one sticky hand up to Graham and asks, "Could we get pancakes?"

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    Graham's eyes widen. He looks around, then leans forward and says quietly in a conspiratorial voice, "Pancakes?"

    "Why, one of my favorites, too! I think if we're very careful, we can have extra pancakes...."

    He gives Tina a thumbs up. "Are you with me on extra pancakes?"

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    She nods solemnly, thumb still in her mouth and sticky hand still extended.

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    "Excellent, thank you." Nia's answer is ostensibly for Capt. Danaher, but she's looking at St. Croix with a smile when she says it. She expected this result, but she had to ask. The way Nia's luck has been going lately, if she hadn't checked and just handed over 40 refugees, Danaher would've turned out to be a slaver or hostage-taker.

    "All right then. Lt. Thalen, we should update the Captain, Cmdr. Vargas and Lt. Onyibe with this good news and see how they'd like to proceed. I'll await the Captain's and First Officer's orders."

    Good news. Nia hears herself saying the words and takes in a large breath to savor them before exhaling with a happy sigh. It's about frickin' time. Of course the arrival of the other ships in the convoy was a relief, but honestly, Nia couldn't find joy in it. Too self-absorbed.

    For the past several days she's been utterly unlike herself. Quick to anger, given to bouts of bitterness, distracted, and even--and this is the most shameful of all--perilously close to her Sidonian form of tearless crying. At least the latter's only a risk when she's shut herself alone in the frigid little space she's temporarily calling her quarters.

    She looks steadily back at the Security station, and for the nth time today thanks whatever stars put St. Croix here instead of Booker Graham.

    Striding back to her chair, she parks herself in it once more. "Captain Danaher, we'll just be a moment. On the off-chance that we need to have someone beam aboard to assist with the transfers, is that acceptable to you?"

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    Kylah is enchanted by Velir’s words, and how his eyes crinkle slightly when he smiles. When was the last time he looked at her this way? Possibly at OCIII, very early in the mission. If only she could magically erase everything from that day to this moment...

    She glances down at the food. “I am… I am grateful you wanted to share such news me. It is long overdue, with all you have done for the Yorktown and our missions… and--and me,” she says, returning her gaze to his. “No one deserves it more.”

    Kylah wants to cringe at hearing her sore tongue turning 'deserves' to 'detherveth.' This is the worst time to sound like a little girl. Perhaps cool water will soothe her? Standing, she brushes some crumbs from her chest and nods toward the bathroom sink. “Pardon me, I will be right back, May I get you a glath of--a cup of water?” she amends, aware that she might be unintelligible.

    + + + +

    “Yes, please,” Rangin replies politely, still trying not to smile too much at Kylah’s slight discomfort. He sighs inaudibly as her back is turned. It is not as if either of them have treated each other well over the time they had known each other. But still, despite everything, they are still gravitating towards each other, their background and position in the Federation still a common factor between them that very few of the other species would understand.

    When she returns and he accepts the presented glass of water, he waits until she is seated again before he continues. “I wanted to tell you because you are, I would hope, a close friend, despite everything we have been through together....” He pauses and contemplates for a moment what he is saying and whether he truly means it. To his own surprise, he does. “...and I don’t think there is anyone else on board I would rather tell first. “

    + + + +

    Sipping the cold water helps Kylah’s tongue, and everything she hears from Velir is just as rejuvenating. She sets the glass down on her desk. “Thank you. You have no idea what your friendship means to me, and having lost it… I was lost.” The urge to be even more ardent thrums with every heartbeat, but her instincts warning her against that might as well be klaxons.

    “I hope we can start again. Get to know one another again. I have changed, Velir. Truly. I know you disapprove of my mistakes and--and everything--but I am not the person I was when I boarded the ship.” Her gaze shifts away. “You might have preferred her. I am sorry. I can never return. Too much has happened. But I am trying. It may not appear so, considering what I--what happened during the evacuation. But I want to be professional, to be useful, to be honest and intelligent and mature and dependable--” Kylah interrupts herself with a faint smile and looks back up at the man opposite her. “I just realized… Velir, I am describing you.”




    Rangin by Rangin, Kylah by me

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    Graham nods and extends his own hand toward hers. "Let's go get some pancakes, shall we?"

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    Thalen brings the Captain up to date, and then passes along her orders to Onn: notify the other ships that the Yorktown will be briefly stopping, then take the ship out of the line-ahead formation. Select 40 evacuees for transfer (not breaking up any families, of course), rendezvous with the Ain't She a Butte and beam them over.

    Capt. Danaher says, "You mean, have one of your people come over here? That'll be fine. Just let me know who I should expect. See you soon."

    The little girl takes Graham's hand and asks shyly, "Can we get mapeup syrple on our pancakes?"
    Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 04 Jun 2021 at 03:11 PM.

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    Rangin blushes at Kylah’s unexpected words. “I’m really not that great an example to follow. I’m as fallible as the next person.” He looks back across to Kylah, perhaps slowly realising what he has just said. “You can be the person I think you want to be.” He sighs slightly not wanting to ruin the mood they have in this room.

    He sits back slightly. “All I will say is that you can be professional and resourceful and have shown that on several occasions. Are you the person you were before? No, but that is fine. It doesn’t matter which version of you I prefer, because, after everything, I still would like to... ” Rangin’s voice trails off again as he finds himself blushing again, “...that is not going to come out in any way which is quite right. But definitely friends.”

    He takes a quick sip of the water, letting it halt his flow of words before he says anything that could be further misconstrued.

    + + + +

    Kylah is transfixed. Is Velir… is his face flushing? Is he truly displaying a rather charming awkwardness... because of her? His rare verbal misstart gives her another reason to smile--she has not smiled so much for ages. The undeniable frisson between them sets her heart pounding.

    She must keep her emotions in check, difficult as it is, because she has no idea how empathic Velir is without direct touch. If she displays too much hope, he will back away, Kylah is certain of that.

    “Oh yes, Velir, please let us be friends again.” Even that seems overenthusiastic, and she reins herself in. Try though she might, she cannot keep the pleasure from bubbling through in her voice. Her smile brightens as she diverts her exuberance into rare mischievous words, “After all, I am honored to find that you still wish to be of close acquaintance with a mere Ensign.”

    + + + +

    “It does not matter what rank you are, I find myself looking to be your friend as well.” Rangin replies with an amused smile matching hers. “We have had good times and bad, and we are still here talking to each other despite what may have passed. I think that counts for something.”

    He relaxes in the warm glow of Kylah’s smile, it has been too long since she showed it. There have been so many reasons for her not to smile, perhaps if she is being as determined as she says is, that gleam will be around a lot longer.

    “Well, here’s to the future,” he says, raising the glass of water before taking a sip, “Let’s hope things get better, although having said that now I will stub my toe on the nearest chair.”

    + + + +

    Kylah laughs quietly as she raises her own glass before sipping. She gazes over the rim at Velir, so pleased at how natural it feels to be with him. On impulse, she leans forward--not inappropriately so, not an attempt to embrace him. She hesitates only a second or two before she risks the question on her mind.

    “As to the future, the near future… Once we have left Beta Antares, and everything is.. behind us... perhaps we might spend more time together? I do not know how long Cmdr. Vargas will continue my double-watch schedule. It has been very hard,” she murmurs, already tired enough to sleep. “For now, I only have a few minutes between watches to eat and get some rest. But--perhaps we could play cards again? Not just--not the way we did--” She cannot help glancing at her bed, and she yanks her gaze away in alarm at having even broached that subject.

    Her napkin crushes the remaining snack and she hurriedly amends: “We could play in a rec room. With others, too; a proper poker game.” Who could she possibly invite? Counting her friends on one hand would leave at least two fingers unused. Still, the idea now sounds refreshing, and her smile returns. “I would so like us to have fun.”


    Kylah by choie, Rangin by me.

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    "Yes, Captain Danaher. One, two at most. Whoever we choose to organize the group and ensure their provisions. And," Nia amends with a sudden ad lib, "uh, probably a security officer to provide basic crowd-herding. I'll be in touch, ma'am. Lt. Onn out."

    She catches the eye of Lt. Thalen, his cue to cut the channel. Already she's bubbling with energy. What a gift to have purpose, to play a part in easing the congestion aboard the ship, even if only by 40.

    Her legs are crossed while her fingers tap idly away on the armrests. "Lt. Thalen, please open a channel to our comrades in the convoy." Assuming he does so without problem, Nia will pass along the plans exactly as Singh ordered. She's already mulling over options and is enjoying what's springing to mind.

    We need someone who's unbiased, fair and knows the list backwards and forwards. Someone pragmatic, a problem-solver, who'll think of all the practical issues involved in moving forty people and temporarily housing them. All this runs through her head while her fingers hover over the armrest communication panel.

    At last, decided, Nia presses the command button to initiate a hail. "Bridge to Ensign Rangin."

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    "You bet," Graham says, giving her hand a gently squeeze and offering a little smile.

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