"Physical and language similarities?" Alveron repeats, her ears perking up. "Very interesting. I would definitely like to know more about them."
"Physical and language similarities?" Alveron repeats, her ears perking up. "Very interesting. I would definitely like to know more about them."
"It is, perhaps, a little difficult to try and give an idea of all the information right now. If you ask the Captain, she would be in a much better position to arrange for you to gain a fuller understanding of all the similarities and differences between your species." Rangin replies.
"Although I could quote several reams of text verbatim on what the Caitians are like, I have nothing to compare it against. Though I'm sure that could be rectified with your assistance." The opportunity for Rangin to get to study a new life form, is quite exciting, not that he would show it.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"Understood," Alveron replies, leaning back in her chair. "As the Codex teaches, 'Patience may bring knowledge unlooked-for, and with time may come wisdom beyond price.'"
"Indeed," says Rangin, "But I don't believe you will have to wait that long, we're nearly at our destination." He gestures to the outside, where the Yorktown is well in view as the shuttle begins to make its final approach.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Nia gets herself ready to extend the landing gear whenever the Steinmetz finally enters the Yorktown's shuttlebay. "Ensign Rangin is right, we're almost there, High Priestess. Landing should be smooth as butter."
...Which will mean nothing if they don't know what butter is. Maybe I should've said a bowl of milk.
The USS Yorktown grows huge through the forward viewports, her twin warp nacelles rising majestically above and to either side. With clearance from Shuttlebay Control, Onn brings in the shuttlecraft for a very smooth landing indeed. The two Aelyrr watch everything with great interest. The giant exterior clamshell doors close behind you, and the Shuttlebay is soon repressurized. A nearby personnel-access door swooshes open. Cmdr. Pablo Vargas, First Officer and Chief of Security, and Ens. Rachel Anna Hayes, the ship's Xenosociology Officer, walk out and approach the shuttle.
Those who beamed over earlier make their way to Conference Room 1. Cooper is not among them.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 14 Dec 2015 at 12:59 PM.
Graham debates asking Rangin if the "cat has got his tongue" but he wants to avoid having to speak with Rangin even more than avoiding offending the Aelyrr, so he keeps it to himself.
"Nice landing," Graham says sotto vocce with a little smile and approving nod as he leans toward Nia.
Nia greets Vargas and Hayes and introduces them to the Aelyrr, explaining their positions on the ship briefly so the High Priestess and Eris understand why they're here. When she finishes, and suspecting that Vargas will have a few words of his own for the new aliens, she backs up slightly and stands with Booker and Rangin--closer to the former than the latter, especially when Booker leans toward her.
She smiles at his whispered words. "Glad you enjoyed the ride, Ensign," she murmurs, keeping her gaze straight ahead and professional. "I'd be happy to have you aboard again soon. And by the way, thanks for saving my ass from that first Klingon we ran into. I don't know which of us knocked him out, but I'm willing to bet it was you."
Rangin assists the Aelyrr in disembarking and waits to see if Lt Onn will be doing the introductions or whether he should. He knows that Ens. Hayes is going to be even more interested than he is.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
The First Officer nods in thanks to Onn and then says to the Aelyrr, smiling, "Welcome aboard the USS Yorktown, a starship of the United Federation of Planets. We're very pleased to have you both aboard. Capt. Singh would like to meet you, if you'll follow me, please...?" He shows the way out of the Shuttlebay, down the corridor and to a turbolift.
Vargas briefly describes the ship, its capabilities and crew as you walk. Hayes looks like she's bursting with questions, but she restrains herself. The Aelyrr look around them curiously - perhaps even awestruck? - but ask no questions. Starfleet personnel passing the felinoid aliens in the corridor do their best not to stare.
In Conference Room 1, under the Trumbull painting of Cornwallis's surrender, Singh greets the rest of the landing party. "Any quick thoughts before Vargas and our visitors arrive?" she asks Collins and the others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_Lord_Cornwallis
"I'm sure that the Aelyrr will give more details," Collins offers, "but the Codex that the Klingons stole is not only very powerful, but very precious to the Aelyrr's culture. I know we still have a mission of our own to complete, but if we can be of any help to the Aelyrr in tracking the Klingons, I think we should use all our resources to do so." She finishes her coffee, disposes of the cup, and returns to her seat.
As they are walking along, with Vargas droning away impeccably about the ship to the Aelyrr, Rangin falls into lock-step with Hayes and gives her a slight nudge with an elbow.
"Here you go," he whispers quietly to her, "starters." as he discretely holds out his tricorder and the notes he had been making while on the Naradraen. It should at least keep her going until they finish the debriefing and she gets to talk to them properly.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Nia waits for an appropriate pause in Vargas's explanations to address him softly. "Excuse me, sir. I know time's of the essence, but it strikes me that High Priestess Alveron and Eris--and to a lesser extent my teammates and I--have been in a hands-on fight. Maybe we could have five minutes to clean, get some coffee or use the--uh, facilities--to refresh ourselves?"
She nearly said 'use the head' but since she knows nothing about the Aelyrr culture, she's not sure whether the Aelyrr might find a reference to bodily functions offensive. Especially in front of men.
In the conference room, Rawlings says, "I agree with Collins, ma'am. It'd be a good way to build closer ties to the Aelyrr if we help them recover their holy book. They definitely seem to have been pushed around by the Klingons."
Dr. T'Var adds, "I was able to get some good tricorder scans of the Aelyrr, Captain, and have shared them with the Science Officer and the Chief Medical Officer. There are certain genetic similarities to the Caitians that I wish to discuss with Mr. Rangin, and with the Aelyrr themselves."
In the corridor, Hayes says, "Thank you!" to Rangin and deftly copies what he has onto her own tricorder.
Vargas replies to Onn as the turbolift arrives on Deck 2, "Good idea, Lieutenant." He asks the visitors, "Do you need to use the, er, sanitary facilities, or to refresh yourselves before we meet the Captain?"
"No, thank you," Alveron says with a glance at Eris. "We are eager to proceed."
The First Officer nods. "Very well." He says to Onn and the others, "Carry on, if you need to, and then meet us in Conference Room 1."
"Thank you sir, ma'am" Rangin replies to Vargas and Onn while quietly taking the tricorder back from Hayes, and with an appropriate half bow he allows himself to be dismissed for the moment, then turning to head off for one of the rec rooms, thoughts still fizzing through his head. After being up for so long out of sync, even with his earlier sleep, he is beginning to flag.
Not to mention having been the BCDO for a large part of that. If it had just been running some science tests, that would have been easy, but having to make Command decisions and actually lead was more draining than he'd thought. Something else he'll have to get used to.
Turning into the Rec Room, he expects it to be fairly quiet, most people either asleep or getting ready for the next watch. But before he looks around to see who else might be taking a break from their overnight duties, his gaze immediately falls on one person, slumped over a desk with a Library computer surrounded by datapads. She's breathing gently but deeply.
Stopping for a moment as he gazes at her, Rangin wonders what Kylah is doing here, apparently fast asleep. He walks quietly across and reaches out to shake her on the shoulder and then stops, remembering what happened in Sickbay. He looks round, wondering if Graham is about to assault him again before breathing a small sigh of relief as there is no sign of him.
He sits opposite her and looks at the table, but the datapads are covered by her sleeping head and the discarded cups of hot chocolate alongside, indicative of the night she must have had.
Instead, he reaches out and starts to move the datapad under her face hoping the movement will wake her. "Rise and shine Kylah," he murmurs, trying to wake her.
The effort works. Her head rises, curls falling over her forehead, and Rangin can see the faint impression where her cheek must've been resting against the edge of the datapad. When she blinks her red-rimmed eyes, he notices how exhausted she looks. She can't have had more than two hours' sleep over the past day. Why is she still working? Why didn't Thalen order her to bed?
He can tell the instant Kylah recognises him. Her eyes widen, pupils black as onyx, and her inward breath is a gasp. "You're back!" she croaks, shaking her head as if disbelieving what she sees. With a nervous smile she reaches her hand reflexively toward him but pulls away just as quickly. Her smile dies, her body seems to shrink, and the distance between them is back.
"Are you all right? How did--what time--how long has it been?" As Kylah dazedly blurts all this, Rangin watches her lean back, wincing and rubbing her neck as if sore, then pushing away the mussed hair from her face. "Is everyone all right?" She stares at her monitor. "Is this true? Is the interference from the Klingon ship gone? I believe I can detect traces from the Naradraen again." Her focus returns to him. "Velir, what happened? I was so worried about you... the crew."
Rangin sits upright at the table, not leaning away from her, but not trying to get closer, and places his arms on the table, hands closed over each other in front of him. "Okay, one question at a time. We're all fine, everyone's back safe. It's about 5 or 6 in the morning and it's all over. The Klingon ship has left, after our encounter with them. They killed several of the crew and we have three of them in the brig, I believe. We are probably going to be assisting the Aelyrr, the race whose ship that we helped in returning what was stolen. Oh and well done, they are very similar to the Caitians, as you thought."
Kylah looks taken aback, her lips slightly parted but speechless, the instant he mentions the captured Klingons. Her hand even rises to toy nervously with her neckline--which Rangin is careful not to watch. He wonders what might be running through her mind over the situation. Is she that afraid of Klingons, or is it the realisation that he and the others had been in such close contact with them? He smiles across to her, hoping to calm her fears, and also hoping she'll at least very proud of what she figured out in advance of the others.
He sighs wistfully. In the tranquility of the Rec Room, together like this, they could almost seem more than friends again. But that distance is still between them, far larger than the table where they sit opposing each other. In more ways than one.
"I can't stay for too long, the Captain is meeting two of them shortly to decide what to do next. More importantly, are you alright? You look like you should be asleep in your quarters given you were on the same shift as me last night. Surely Lt. Thalen didn't keep you on station all night?"
Kylah shakes her head. "No. No, he did not, he ordered me to sleep and took over communications with the boarding party. But I..." She glances at the monitor again, but Rangin suspects this is an evasive look rather than a genuine search for data. "I did not want to lie safe in my bed when so many of my crewmates were in danger. I came here to work. I wanted to keep track of... of what was happening. And try to decrypt the Klingons' messages, but that was futile. So I went back to gleaning more about the Aelyrr language."
For the first time Rangin notices the earpiece tucked beneath her hair. She goes on: "I suppose I fell asleep, but only briefly. I have been listening to their original messages, now with the new translations. More and more, it makes sense to me."
She hesitates, then pulls her chair nearer. "Velir, I could be of some help in discussions with the Aelyrr. I am sure of it. The UT is not complete, there are gaps, and after spending nearly all day studying the patterns and intonations of their speech, I might be able to sense--" Kylah stops for some reason, then continues. "That is, to make sense of things the translator cannot. I am awake now, I want to help. Do you think I might be allowed to join you?"
Rangin considers the question for a moment, "I can't see that making the request would hurt at all. You were the one to get the original message and decipher it. The UT has been having trouble with some words despite it's best algorithms that maybe a more manual ear might catch nuances a computer can't. If anything, someone from Comms should be there, if only because you're trained in communicating and making sure the rest of us don't slip up too much or say something stupid." He pauses realising that his comments applies to so much more than just this next meeting. "Besides," he adds quickly, "as I said, you're the one who caught the distress call. The Aelyrr seem to have a strong sense of honor and gratitude--I think they might want to express their thanks to you."
Kylah glances down, her pale cheeks a little flushed. "I would like to meet them. Thank you, Velir. But you are the one who decided to speed the ship to their rescue. I hope they are aware of that."
"Well..." Rangin isn't keen on taking credit for doing his job, although he finds himself touched by the recognition despite himself. "Thanks. So, okay, I'll contact Lt. Thalen and Capt. Singh and try to convince them you should go. You've had some sleep and still probably the best person to talk to them, especially with Ens. Hayes."
And I'd be glad to have you there as well...
He sits back in the chair and pulls out the communicator to send a message to Captain Singh and Lt Thalen. "To Captain Singh, Lt Thalen: I would like to request the presence of Ens. Kylah at the meeting with the Aelyrr Representatives. She has the best knowledge of their language and would be essential to have along for communication purposes when the UT is unable to translate as it has done so frequently with such a new language. Also, as she is the person who discovered the original signal, they may wish to help her and us understand what was being said and would no doubt by of great assistance to Ens. Hayes in determining their social aspects. Thank you for your consideration. Ens Rangin."
Last edited by CatInASuit; 16 Dec 2015 at 10:29 AM. Reason: Rangin by CIAS, Kylah nudges by choie.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
With a moment to themselves, Graham finally responds to Nia's comment. "Well, you know they old saying, 'a couple who shoots Klingons together stays together.' Or...something like that" He clears his throat. "I, ah, hope I'll see you later... Not in, uh, scales...but maybe naked," he adds with a little smile.
Booker's words--unusually bold and direct for him--nearly make Nia choke on a suppressed laugh. But Vargas and their guests aren't very far away, so she just takes a quick second to clasp his arm in what she makes sure seems like a perfectly friendly, nope, nothing-going-on-here kind of way. "I'd say that's an affirmative," she says. "But before that, we still have this to attend to. Maybe we'll get another chance to take down those Klingons and get even... closer."
In a more conversational tone, she says casually, "I just need to change uniforms and duck into my shower to wake myself up. You should grab a bite to eat, you've been running around more than I have. You too, Rangin," she adds to the shorter man with a friendly smile. It's awkward as hell, standing between these two, but as a team leader she should seem unbiased.
Doesn't look like Rangin's paying much attention, he's got his tricorder out. Might as well put a nipple on that thing, the way he's latched onto it, she thinks in amusement. Soon he's thanking her and Vargas and scurries off. Nia shrugs, sends Booker, Vargas, Hayes and the Aelyrr a last professional nod and then takes the fastest route she can to her quarters.
Inside her private cabin, she strips and makes a beeline for the shower, all the time feeling the grime from the fairly brief time spent on the Naradraen on her skin and even beneath it, in the scales tucked into her dermis layer. A less than welcome side-effect of her excursion, not to mention crawling around nude. Thousands of tiny scales itch and cause her skin to tingle unpleasantly.
Maybe I have a cat allergy, she muses. The only cats Nia has much experience with were the massive predators back on Sidonia, and if she'd ever gotten close enough to test their allergy quotient, she'd have been their next meal.
While she's in her shower scrubbing away, Nia's pensive expression changes to a scowl when she hears her communicator buzz against the bathroom counter. She turns off the water and leans out, one arm reaching for the device while she hopes it's not bad news...
Hey Nia, congrats on mission, how did it go? All gossip welcome. Have some fresh baked goodies when you're ready. AJAYDefinitely not bad news. She smiles despite herself at her friend's concern. Grabbing a towel, she dries herself with one hand while tapping off a note with the other.
Gang's all home safe and sound. Wish I could say the same for those we tried to save. Lost more than a few.Nia bites back her regret. No time for wallowing, so she keeps her mood light.
Off to a debriefing w/2 of the aliens. They're unusual to say the least. But you'd approve of the crew: all female.Suddenly a wicked grin curls her lips and a most unfeminine snort escapes her, and she finishes off:
I'll say this: If things don't work out w/T'Var, you'll definitely have no trouble finding some pussy. -- NIAShe's still smirking when the response flies back.
Ok, you need to tell me more. Like do they have a cook and can they keep a secret. ; ) Think they would they be up for some heavy petting?Nia's laugh is nearly a cackle. Well, that clinches it: Aje has clearly been informed about the aliens being felinoids. Damn, gossip sure moves fast on this ship. Especially for a guy who has sharp ears and has as many friends as he does. No fooling him, damn it.
She waits to respond while she pulls a fresh uniform over her head, slips on new underwear and tights, and finally tucks her wiry curls into a fresh low ponytail. Grabbing her communicator, she's soon on her way to the conference room, but taps out her response while waiting for the turbolift.
Haven't heard about their proclivities, but will let you know if they're as good w/their tongues as you are. If so, you'll both be purring. Better run. Might get a chance to go on another journey, so wish me luck, dear. - NIANia lowers the communicator and, as she enters the newly arrived turbolift, her smile slowly fades, though not completely. She feels remorse and anger at the lost lives, and her joking with A.J. isn't meant to be disrespectful; pilots simply have a mordant sense of humor--it's as much a part of their toolkit as a wrench or an isolinear spanner. Considering how dangerous their jobs are, joking about life is a way of cheating death. Nia is no different.
She requests the floor for the conference room. She then looks down at her communicator. For some reason she wants A.J. to respond one more time. Meanwhile, her left hand leaves the turbolift's handle and fingers the chain of her respirator around her neck. Raising the inhaler, she takes a few deep breaths. Oh, that is much much better: she feels much more clearheaded and awake. Tonight--no, last night, really--has been pretty bad for her routine. She'll need to catch up on her Bilitrium soon for sure.
Soon the communicator chimes once again and she lifts the device.
I'll keep my cream fresh for any takers. Good luck and you can de-brief me later. -- AJAYNia's smile returns, and not just because of his typical risqué banter. Pilots--along with a black sense of humor--are bound by rituals. And here, too, she's no different from her fellow starflyers.
She hasn't gone on a mission without A.J.'s 'good luck' since joining the Yorktown. Now that she has it, she feels ready to tackle whatever comes. Booker at her side will make it--whatever it is--perfect.
The turbolift doors open and Nia jogs the rest of the way to the conference room.
Nia be SidonianGal, Johnson by who else? CIAS.
Last edited by SidonianGal; 16 Dec 2015 at 11:44 AM.
Vargas ushers the aliens into Conference Room 1. Everyone stands.
The Captain, smiling, says, "Welcome aboard the Yorktown. I'm Capt. S.P. Singh. We of the United Federation of Planets are citizens of a vast interstellar republic, and are always glad to meet those of races previously unknown to us. Exploration, diplomacy, trade and peace are our abiding goals. I've learned a bit about you already, from my officers and our scans, but would like to know more. Perhaps we can help you recover your stolen Codex."
"I very much hope so, Captain," the alien says.
"Would you like to sit down?" Singh asks, gesturing.
"Yes, thank you." She does, and everyone else does. "I am Alveron, a high priestess of the Aelyrr. This is Eris, one of our warriors. Our ship is disabled for the moment, and we are grateful to your Mr. Cheverez for his assistance in making repairs. With your permission, I would like to send Eris with you to recover the Codex. It is very important to us, more so than even I may express it."
"What brings you to this particular region of space?" Hayes asks.
Alveron says, "I have discussed this already with some of your crew, but perhaps additional information would be useful to you." She pauses, and then says, almost as if reciting, "We know that Ael created the Universe and then She created the Aelyrr, Her chosen people. She established the Faith. She created the Four, and chose the Sixteen, and blessed the Four Hundred, and gave us a world on which to live and thrive. With her inspiration, we discovered the hunt, and tools and science, arts and music, and over many, many years we reached out to the other worlds in our star system. The first alien race we met was the Mezu'un, who greeted us with honeyed words and declarations of friendship."
Hayes glances at Vargas.
Alveron continues, "They came to our homeworld, and by deception and then by force overcame us, and enslaved us - for some of our people had grown wicked and disobedient to the will of Ael, and thus She tested us. Our suffering was great, but then a heroine arose, and her name was Vael. Wise in counsel and mighty in battle, she led us against our oppressors. In time we threw off the domination of the Mezu'un and forced them to depart. Divinely inspired by Ael, Vael wrote the Codex and shared its wisdom with all. We rebuilt our society for the betterment of all. A new golden age began, and we learned, grew and rose as a people. After long years we reached out for the stars."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 16 Dec 2015 at 02:01 PM.
Graham nods to Nia and heads to his quarters to quickly shower and change into a fresh uniform.
He doesn't intend to eat, but with Nia's suggestion in mind he's struck by a thought. Damn, some beef jerky would be great right now. Even if it's replicated...
He looks to stop by a convenient replicate and instantiate a meaty snack before heading to the conference room.
Graham gets a quick snack which hits the spot. He is just approaching the Conference Room 1 door when he sees Onn coming briskly down the corridor.
Kylah and Rangin get the same text: Makes sense to me, but Captain already meeting with Aelyrr reps and I don't want to interrupt her to make request. Go to meeting on my authority, if you wish. THALEN.
Seeing Booker, who looks as refreshed as Nia feels, widens the smile on Nia's face. She should be bone tired, but damn if she doesn't have more energy than she knows what to do with. The Bilitrium, she thinks. Wish I could feel like this all the time. Maybe I can, if those new life support belts get approved for wider use...
When she nears Booker, she grins her admiration. "What's a handsome thing like you doing in a place like this?" If no one else is nearby, she'll squeeze his hand quickly before letting it drop. If not, she just cocks her head toward the door. "Here's hoping we either get taken off-duty so we can finish what we started, or are assigned to a kickass Klingon hunt so we can finish that." Nia's voice drops to a murmur. "I want that cowardly bastard I let slip away. What about you?"
Kylah taps out a rushed thanks to Thalen, and then automatically grabs Velir's arm, clutching it with the same gratitude that shines in her tired eyes. "Thank you for backing me, Jeril," she whispers without thinking due to her sleepy happiness. She only releases him so she can bend down to gather the multiple datapads she's amassed over nearly 24 hours of study and research.
She rises from her chair in haste and starts toward the exit, but the memory of the empty mugs on the table makes her self-conscious and she turns back to Velir. "Oh... I must look a mess. Do I have any chocolate on my face?" Her hand lifts awkwardly to wipe her mouth--not easy to accomplish while hugging five or six datapads to her chest. My hair is probably a knotted mess too.
It is not mere vanity; she simply does not want to show disrespect to the new arrivals or her crewmates by showing up with a slovenly appearance. She tries to find a reflective surface even as she continues toward the rec room door.
Last edited by choie; 17 Dec 2015 at 02:15 AM.
It's not the grabbing of his arm that is the surprise, but the name she whispers to him. ...Jeril... As Kylah lets him go, he reaches out to steady himself on the table unsure if his knees will support him as time slows down and all that is left in the centre of his vision is her, picking up her datapads, subconsciously trying to tuck some rogue hair back behind one ear. His fingers twitch and one arm starts to move of its own volition as if knowing how it annoys her so, before it drops back as she turns round to him.
"You look fine," for someone who has only had a few hours sleep, "you don't have chocolate on your face, and hopefully the datapad mark will disappear before we get there." Rangin tries to calm her slightly, even though he can feel butterflies churning in his stomach. The sudden realisation that Graham will be there as well, just makes Rangin all the more determined not to do anything untoward at all nor rise to any bait or needling he may consider.
"We had better hurry, I doubt Captain Singh will wait for long." he says as he follows her out of the Rec Room to the nearby turbolift.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham titles his head just a slightly. "Well, sure...but don't let it get personal. A mano-a-mano challenge is playing to Klingons' preferences. You'd never hear the end of their 'honor' and 'cowardice' bullshit if we were able to beam knockout gas into a Klingon ship's life support system or wide-area stun a Klingon encampment into dizzy land, but either one would be good with me."
Nia stares in surprise for a moment and then chuckles affectionately, patting his chest to reassure him. "Oh, Booker, we still have a lot to learn about each other. I promise you, I'm not delusional enough to go after this guy on my own. If he had a disruptor and I had a phaser, I might get lucky on the draw or be turned into diffuse atoms. If he had a bat'leth and I had nothing, I could survive a few rounds, since scales are pretty useful against pointy things, but I'd still be S.O.L. in the long run if I couldn't get away. And if it came down to a fist-fight, he'd pummel me for sure--luckily, thanks to our miserable environment, we Sidonians had no choice but to evolve to endure a lot of physical punishment. But the only way I'd outlast him is if his arms got tired of whacking me around."
She smiles crookedly. "No, Book. My code of honor doesn't require personal vengeance of that sort. I'll be perfectly fine flying within firing distance of the scoutship, using torpedoes to pound them into submission, turning on our tractor beam, and towing him and that ugly hunk of terribly designed metal he calls a ship back home."
As she speaks, her eyes catch a glimpse of a pair of rushing figures down the corridor behind Graham's shoulder. She recognizes Rangin, having expected him, but... oh crap, is that Kylah with him? Looking like she's been dragged backwards through a hedge?
In addition to endurance, Sidonians specialize in awareness of environmental dangers. And Nia is certain that once Booker sees Rangin and Kylah together, the current environment might not be dangerous, but it sure as hell won't be a charming reunion of pals.
She swiftly turns toward the conference room and tugs Booker forward. "Uh, we'd better go in. Missed enough of the opening pleasantries as it is, I'm sure." She starts forward and hopes her colleague/friend/almost-lover follows.
Last edited by SidonianGal; 17 Dec 2015 at 06:30 PM.
Graham chuckles slightly, letting himself be pulled forward by Nia's tug. "Heh, let's not get carried away, I didn't imply we should always leave all the glory to hotshot pilots, hopefully there's still some opportunity to shoot or pummel one of 'em the old fashioned way."
Nia smiles with secret relief when they enter the conference room without incident, whispering to Booker under her breath. "Ideally we'll each be able to fulfill our individual fantasies. Now let's see what the story is--just pray we don't get sidelined."
Collins nods greetings to each of her crewmates as they enter and take seats. She's a little concerned when she sees how ragged her roommate looks, but glad to see she is in the company of Ensign Rangin. She's also glad that Onn is there as a buffer between Rangin and Graham.
Last edited by anyrose; 17 Dec 2015 at 08:24 PM.
dupl post
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 17 Dec 2015 at 11:13 PM.
Graham and Onn, and Rangin and Kylah, enter more or less unobtrusively and take seats along one bulkhead.
The Captain nods a silent greeting, for Alveron is still talking: "...from the lineage of the Four Hundred came Vael, the first Nalan or Chief Priestess, and those who led our people when she died. But five years ago the Four Hundred, gathered in conclave, could not agree on the successor for the Nalan who had just died. Some took counsel of their ambitions rather than the interests of all Aelyrr. Disagreement turned to dispute, and dispute turned to violence. A civil war resulted and many suffered. None of the factions could gain the upper hand, and alien mercenaries saw an opportunity and came, offering to help one or the other. Among these were Klingon mercenaries such as those who boarded our ship. The mercenaries extracted payment as they saw fit, and few could [untranslated] against them. They fought, yes, and they helped some Aelyrr win victories, but they also pillaged our temples, treasuries and museums, looting the religious and cultural heritage of untold generations. Earlier this year a victory was at last won, and the war came to an end, and a new Nalan began her reign. The mercenary companies left or were driven off - all but one. In their greed they set their sights on one last treasure, the greatest treasure of all - the Codex Aelyrr. The Nalan ordered that it be taken to a place of safety elsewhere, the first time it had ever left our homeworld. Five ships were sent out as decoys, each bearing uncannily accurate [untranslated] replicas of the Codex, but only one ship - ours - bore the true original. The Klingons, much reduced in numbers, still were able to attack each ship... and the rest you know."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 17 Dec 2015 at 11:13 PM.
Nia's brows slower slightly as she tries to follow this history lesson. Long story short, find the treasure and win it back. Got it. "Excuse me, High Priestess. You mention the Codex was being taken to a safe place. What was your destination? Also, who on your planet had been in contact with the Klingon mercenaries when they offered their so-called help?"
Kylah's eyes blink when she sees the two Aelyrr, and she is somewhat intimidated by the other officers in the room. Only a month ago she would have felt that she had the right to be here, as a member of a royal family and an accomplished linguist. Now, as much as she wants to be here, she feels like hiding. She selects the farthest chair possible and places all but one of her datapads to the side without making a sound. While Kylah watches the smaller Aelyrr who's speaking, she uses the other datapad to tap out notes of the speech.
She immediately notices when the translator fails, of course, and each time it happens, Kylah works out a phonetic transcription of the unknown vocabulary. At first she tries to determine the meanings from the context of all the other transcriptions and notes she has taken and feverishly memorized over the past day.
If that does not work, Kylah will wait until there is a moment free and seek permission to speak. All the while she takes a preliminary measure of the aliens' emotions, wondering what their minds feel like.
Every time she hears the word for Klingon, she tenses with a stab of anxiety. She prays these mercenaries are indeed rogues, and not at all connected to the official Klingon government. In truth, this does not sound like the work of Klingons in good standing on Qo'noS. Klingons are warriors, conquerors. Not scavengers. They revere their own holy objects, I cannot imagine their approving such extortion relating to sacred relics, even those of an enemy.
This raises the possibility that these criminals might be wanted on Qo'noS--there might even be a bounty for them. The possibility of Starfleet working with the Klingon government is difficult to imagine, but it could be a huge step forward in easing relations between the Empire and Federation. Either way, she must tell her uncle about this. He might be able to learn more than Starfleet would.
Kylah bites her lip and continues to listen.
Rangin sits and listens quietly to the remainder of the speech from Alveron, although truth be told, his senses are torn between understanding what happened to the Aelyrr and the fact that Kylah is sat right next to him and Graham is only the other side of Lt Onn, though fortunately, he doesn't necessarily appear to have noticed that fact. At least Rangin can only hope so, and with Graham looking in a different direction, it may be a while before he does.
However, when she has finished, all Rangin can wonder is who let the Klingon mercenaries know that the Codex was being moved. Surely something like that would have been a secret, let alone having five ships head out. But for each one to be attacked in an attempt to get the codexes, it probably means they have five or six of them and are now wondering how to work out which is the real one.
Either way, chances are that finding them culprits is going to be high on Captain Singh's list, or more likely delegated to Vargas and the Goon Squad to hunt them down. At least that would give himself a chance to catch up on the new sensor and spend some quieter time with Hayes and Kylah in talking to the Aelyrr and finding out more about them. Win-win all round, especially with Graham in some far flung part of uncharted space looking for something else to hit.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham listens to the Aelyrr with a certain amount of sympathy. Clearly in the grand galactic scheme of things they aren't a particularly powerful planet. On the flip side, their extreme religiosity seems to him to be making their lot worse rather than better... But who am I to tell anybody what to believe?
Glancing around the room he almost does a double-take, seeing Kylah looking like death warmed over. And next to Rangin...like every goddamned time she's in obvious distress...
He forces himself to return his attention to the Aelyrr and the command staff.
The elderly, frail Alveron seems shaken by her explanation of her race's travails, as if she has taken onto her own shoulders the suffering of the civil war, and the loss of the Codex. She replies to Onn, "We were on our way to our colony on Yaavel. Several of the factions hired mercenaries, Klingons and others, and as I told you back aboard our ship, I do not know how they found us."
The untranslated words or phrases are gibberish in the Caitian tongue, Kylah sees. The Aelyrr are not easy to read - their minds are unlike any she has sensed before - but Alveron seems old, tired, and distressed. Eris is much younger, and is also upset, but more purposeful and determined.
"Thank you, High Priestess," the Captain says. "Are there any other questions?"
Nia shifts slightly in her chair. "Yes, thank you for answering, High Priestess. But I'm sorry, I don't think I was very clear. You'd mentioned that mercenaries--like the ones on the Klingon ship--offered their help. I'm just wondering, who did they offer their help to? Who's authorized to accept help for your government, or governments... sorry, I don't know if you have separate countries or colonies on your planet. Was it the Chief Priestess?
"And when they stole these artifacts, what was the purpose? Did they extort your government in order to retrieve the relics, or were they intending to sell them to another buyer? If so, who could possibly want the Codex other than yourselves? Is it encased in some precious metal or something? Or are there factions that left your planet after the civil war who might have believed the artifact was rightly theirs?
"Also, I may have missed something since I came in late--my apologies--but when we entered, you were saying something about "the lineage of the Four Hundred" bringing forth the, um, Chief Priestess--Vael, I think? You also said that your religion and artifacts have been around for untold generations. But then you said that these Four Hundred were still around five years ago?" Nia smiles apologetically. "Like I said, I probably didn't get some important details, but I'm wondering if the Aelyrr have very long lifespans? Or do the Four Hundred get... chosen, however that works, by the Chief Priestess?
"Really what I'm getting at is, as you suggested, how the Klingons knew you were making these efforts to hide the Codex. Somewhere along the chain, there must have been a broken link, somewhere this secret operation was revealed to these outsiders. It may not have been willful; someone might have been spied on, or even kidnapped to reveal this secret. I'm also wondering if the same Klingons attacked each of your ships, or if was a different batch each time. It'll help to know how many of these bast--criminals--we're dealing with."
She glances to the side and notices that Kylah seems anxious to speak. Before she cedes her virtual podium, Nia turns back to Alveron. "Finally, and I know this is painful, High Priestess, so please forgive the question... Were there any survivors from the other four ships?"
Last edited by SidonianGal; 18 Dec 2015 at 05:38 PM.
When Nia finishes, Kylah waits until the Priestess finishes her response before speaking up.
"Thank you for your patience, High Priestess. I am honored to meet you. My name is Kylah, an ensign focusing on communications, and I have been studying your language since we first heard your signals. Just now, I noticed there were a few words and phrases that our translator did not seem to understand. If I repeat them, perhaps you could offer some synonyms or descriptions of what they mean? Our computer might be able to translate them. Here are the missing terms." She swallows and adds, "Please forgive my poor pronunciation. Our mouths have different shapes and muscles, and it is not always easy to replicate sounds..."
Kylah looks down at her notes and voices each of the [untranslatable] words or phrases, reproducing them to the best of her ability using the phonetic symbols and her own memory and knowledge of the Aelyrr's accent.
When through, she glances up again. "Another question is: did the Klingons say anything to you when they first reached your ship? Did they contact you and give you any chance to surrender the Codex? Not that you would have," Kylah adds hastily. "I am just wondering how aggressive they were."
She thinks hard of what she might ask and checks one of the other datapads, even though the words are blurry to her by now. "Oh... yes, I was also wondering--when we first heard your signal, it seems that it was the Naradraen in contact with someone else. A stationary source. Would this have been your planet, or a starbase of some kind? We never did identify this source."
Glancing up again, she concludes: "And finally, High Priestess, I just want to say how sorry I am for the loss of life on your ship. I wish... I wish I had worked faster to understand what you were saying. I also grieve for your Codex. Losing something so precious to you is... it is extraordinarily difficult to endure." Kylah bows her head in a sign of respect and falls silent.
Last edited by choie; 18 Dec 2015 at 06:04 PM.
Alveron says, "The mercenaries offered their help to any faction which cared to hire them. Some, not all, did. Before the war, we had a single planetary government, under the wise rule of the Nalan, one after another. Once the war began, however, the various factions all claimed authority to rule. Each claimed legitimacy and the others, of course, denied it. I do not know the Klingons' motivation - the metal in which the Codex is encased is valuable, yes, but not nearly so much as the contents. Selling it back to us, or extorting payment to keep them from destroying it, may have been their goal. There may also, as you suggest, still be contenders for power who want it. They may, I have wondered, secretly plan to use possession of the Codex as a source of authority to seize power." She thinks. "Let me see, your other question... oh, yes, the Four Hundred. They are the descendants of the Four Hundred first blessed by Ael. They have always been the clerical caste among the Aelyrr, and the Nalans are typically, but not invariably, selected from their ranks. Was there another...?" She looks puzzled.
"We usually live 70 to 80 years," Eris adds. "We do not have full accounts of who attacked the other ships, or how, or how many survivors there were, but before we lost communications it appeared that the attackers were all from the same Klingon mercenary band." Alveron nods, a gesture which appears to mean the same thing as in Federation culture.
Alveron greets Kylah and listens to the untranslated words or phrases she quotes. After some back and forth with Eris, the high priestess interprets them as follows:
"The mercenaries extracted payment as they saw fit, and few could [untranslated] against them...." = "take a stand and then remain alive"
"...each bearing uncannily accurate [untranslated] replicas of the Codex, but only one ship...." = "blessed but inauthentic"
Alveron continues, "The Klingons did brusquely demand our surrender and that we turn over the Codex; of course we refused. Then they attacked us, the scoundrels. Yes, the Aelyrr with whom we were in contact before were our colonists on Yaavel." To Kylah's last remark, she says, "Thank you for your kind remarks, Ensign. We appreciate your help, and your sympathy. As the Codex teaches us, 'To overcome adversity while in service to the Faith is a blessing indeed, and enduring what seems unendurable strengthens you for further service. But you should be of good cheer. For what you cannot overcome, in time, your daughters may after you, inspired by your example and hallowed by your sacrifice.'"
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 18 Dec 2015 at 10:34 PM.
Rangin listens to the Aelyrr finishing and the questions from Lt Onn and Kylah while trying to work out what he could do to help. He reflects on the fact that as a member of the Federation, there is very little he can do, that others on the ship could not do better.
He fidgets slightly realising that if the Klingons were indeed mercenaries then he would stand as far better chance of finding out about them through more unconventional means. But the thought of tracking back to contacts left behind and long forgotten is not something to be relished.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham is glad to hear Kylah speak up, however hesitantly, then tenses when he catches Rangin moving out of the corner of his eye...
This is exactly how a sick sonofabitch like him would get his rocks off, saying something right now to make her feel...embarrassed, stupid, small... What had the piece of shit bastard said in Sickbay? Broken. In front of an audience. Playing the part of the 'smart guy' in a way that puts her in her place that no one would notice but her...
Graham forms clear idea of where to put him that the audience present would make awkward.
But how many times did you watch that kind of psychological abuse with Fiona because you were afraid, Booker? How long did it take you to keep to a promise of never again?
Graham modulates his breathing and quietly shifts his feet and his center of gravity.
A sad sigh quietly escapes as he can feel the cold shiver run down his spine. The one he always had when dealing with those who had no ethical issues about anything. He can think of several things to do, all that is required is for Singh to give the word, but until then Rangin will stay silent, unsure of exactly how much help is promised to the Aelyrr.
But he gets the feeling those Klingon mercenaries in the brig are going to be very valuable...
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Nodding at Alveron's details, Nia casually glances over at the rest of her team--T'Var, Rangin, Collins, Booker and Rawlings. The amount of silence from the security contingent seems... let's face it, just plain weird. Aren't they the ones usually so anxious to go off and get the baddies? Maybe they're tired. They are humans, they need more sleep than me. But then T'Var is being her usual taciturn self, and Rangin... who knows what's his deal. Wonder why he was with Kylah. Not that I have time to worry about whatever melodrama's going on there, but if he's all distracted...
Since no one else is speaking up, Nia shrugs and decides to take matters in her own hands and cut to the chase, literally. "Thank you, High Priestess. Since it seems you guys don't have much information about this particular group of Klingons, understandably enough, I don't think we need to ask more--unless you can think of something we haven't." She turns to Singh and Vargas. "Captain; Commander. I think it's pretty clear our best intel will come from those Klingons cooling their heels in the brig. Maybe one or more of our security officers would be grateful for the chance to have a chat?"
Nia notices Kylah's head and shoulders drooping slightly, and she wonders if this means the kid's about to fall asleep, or if she's disappointed that she can't play with the Klingon toys herself. Nia decides to give it a try.
"...Uh, and maybe Ensign Kylah, who's got the language thing down pat, would be of use there too? Speaking of which: Priestess Alveron, Eris, I should tell you--since the ensign was so modest she only called herself someone who'd been working on your message--that Kylah's actually the one who picked up your signal and worked for hours to help translate it."
To spread the love, she adds: "And Ensign Rangin here was in the captain's chair when he decided to take the ship to investigate. So it's a couple of Ensigns you can thank for your rescue. That might be cold comfort considering we..." Be honest. "--I mean, considering I wasn't able to prevent the Codex from being stolen. Still, your being alive is what makes it possible for us to know what they were after, which means we're better equipped to follow. You already know that Lt. Collins and Ensign Booker are the ones whose shots took out most of the Klingons. They'll be the first to say they were just doing their job, but I want to say they were darn good at it. And of course Ensign Rawlings and Dr. T'Var helped find any injured and patched them up, respectively." I'm the only one who was useless. Hopefully I can make that right.
She returns to the ship's most senior officers. "I might be able to speak for the rest when I say we await your orders, Captain. Frankly, I'd be honored to continue this mission. I can fly anywhere and any speed necessary, and I really want to help the Aelyrr retrieve their Codex." Least I can do since I screwed up and let that coward run away with it. "If you assign me to lead--or even if not--I hope you'll consider letting me pilot whatever ship we use. That is, assuming we're not leaving Cheverez and the other engineers behind on the Aelyrr's ship while the Yorktown speeds off to find the mercenaries?
"If a search team is leaving the Yorktown in a separate vessel, do you recommend a tricked-out shuttle, or do you know if Mr. Cheverez has had time to upgrade the Naradraen so she's back in flying condition and, crossing fingers, with better weaponry?"
She smiles hopefully. Damn, she would love to try her hand at flying a new ship. The Aelyrr obviously don't have a pilot left, so they'll need someone in charge. And the Naradrean looks mighty sweet, when disregarding the damage. Nia can well imagine it in flight.
"In any event," she concludes, "I know I speak for all of us when I say we await your orders, especially since the clock is ticking as the Klingons get farther away."
Last edited by SidonianGal; 21 Dec 2015 at 10:02 AM.
Singh says, "Thank you, Mr. Onn. Mr. Vargas has already been questioning the Klingons but has found them less than forthcoming...?" The Chief of Security nods. She continues, "And unfortunately, it looks like the Naradraen isn't going anywhere soon. I've updated Starfleet Command as to our current situation, and Mr. Cheverez assures me he and his work crew will be fine if we leave them for awhile. High Priestess, I've heard enough to decide. We will assist you in taking back the Codex Aelyrr from the Klingons. Eris is welcome to come with us - as are you, unless you'd like to return to your ship?"
Alveron's tufted ears perk up, and she smiles toothily, as does Eris. The high priestess purrs, "Thank you, Captain. We are deeply grateful - to you, to Mr. Onn, and to all your crew. I would indeed like to return to my ship, but before I do, I...."
The bosun's whistle of the intercom sounds. "Bridge to Captain." Graham and others recognize Lt. Bennett's voice.
Singh leans forward and presses an intercom switch. "Singh here."
"Captain, we're getting some strange readings from the Klingon ship. Over the past few minutes, there have been some odd energy fluctua...." Bennett gasps. "Good Lord, it's... blown up! Ma'am, the Klingon ship has... just exploded!"
"Red Alert," the Captain says after a moment, "and raise shields. Set a course to follow, but don't go yet. Notify Mr. Cheverez and Starfleet what's happened. I'm on my way. Singh out." The Red Alert klaxon begins to sound as Singh clicks off the intercom. She looks around the room. "Mr. Vargas, look to our prisoners, and resume questioning. Onn, Graham, Collins, Rangin, Dr. T'Var, come with me. High Priestess, Eris, you're welcome to come to the Bridge, as well. Everyone else, report to your regular posts." She quickly heads for the door.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 21 Dec 2015 at 10:41 PM.
Nia doesn't move for a few seconds, and grabs Booker and Rangin's arms--they are the closest to her--to prevent them from leaving immediately.
"I don't like this," she says softly but swiftly. "I regret not thinking of this before, but after hearing of these factions, and now this..." Nia looks at both men to gauge their reactions. "How do we know these Aelyrr are legitimate? For all we know, they're the ones who stole the Codex, and the Klingons might've been bringing it back. Or maybe they're one of the decoys and that fake Codex was a booby trap."
She focuses on Booker. "What do you think? At the very least we should keep an eye on them as we follow the Captain. I don't want them alone and frankly I would rather Cheverez and the rest get the hell of that ship. We'd better get going, but give me your opinions on the way--quietly." She glances back at Kylah. "Kylah. You understand some of their language. Give a good listen and pay attention to anything they say. Can you do that?" At Kylah's whispered but determined yes, Nia starts off as ordered.
Leaving the others to forge ahead, Rangin steps closer to Vargas. "Sir, they're mercenaries, I'd suggest trying to buy their services as an inducement, especially given the current state of their vessel. They may find employment more conducive to providing information." with a nod he leaves to catch up with the others.
Rangin start quietly, considering that the Aelyrr may be able to hear them, if their hearing is as acute as the average Caitian. "I would hazard a guess that one faction of Aelyrr are not above using mercenaries to retrieve what they desire. Besides, if you are the legitimate source, hiring mercenaries to take out several ships is not the usual course of action unless you wish to ensure the blame lies with someone else. However, the only way to tell would be if we can make contact with their home planet for confirmation. Until then, it's go on what we know.
"As for what happened, ships don't blow up for no reason and I'd be amazed if the Codex wasn't somewhere else."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham nods as Nia speaks, ruminating as Rangin says something or other. "I hear you," he replies to Onn. "And even if they aren't exactly 'bad actors,' given their weir-- uh, intense--religious beliefs their motivations and priorities may not exactly align with ours. I'll talk to Collins and Vargas to make sure our guests have an escort, for their own convenience and comfort, of course--who also happens to wear a red shirt."
Rangin's words don't quite make sense to Nia, and she's not sure if his brain just works on a higher tactical level than hers, or if he's as trusting/naive as what she thinks his comments meant. She responds, still talking quietly enough to avoid being overheard. "Maybe I've got water in my ears, Ensign, but I don't follow you entirely. If you're saying to back off, I'll just say I'm not planning on demanding they be thrown in the brig. Just...we need to exercise more caution. Seems to me that we've taken everything they've told us on faith, whereas there's almost no reason to have done so except that we saw they were fighting Klingons. The whole 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' thing is a great way to get a knife thrust in your back. Remember: literally anything they said could be a half-truth at best."
Booker's comments, thankfully, are easily understandable. "Yup, fill them in, please. And hey, if you speak to Vargas, make sure he knows I'm the one who suggested it. My rep could use some boosting--I don't have a very high credit balance where he's concerned." She smiles briefly before goes on. "But seriously, make sure you ask for at least two red-clad escorts. We saw Eris's death sentence for that one Klingon, and even that frail priestess seems to have held her own against armed Klingons despite having nothing but claws and teeth. They don't go down easy; maybe they've got nine lives after all."
Last edited by SidonianGal; 22 Dec 2015 at 02:13 PM.
Collins starts to leave and head for the bridge, but she notices Onn, Rangin, and Graham discussing something sotto voce. She doubts it's of a personal nature between Graham and Onn, since Rangin is right there, so she hangs back, hoping to be read in.
Graham smiles slightly at Nia's last comments. "We'll be careful, assuming the worst is part of the job."
He decides to let her comments about Vargas lie for the moment...he certainly does not want to commiserate about getting handed his ass because of Rangin in front of Rangin... Seeing Collins nearby gives him the "out" he needs.
He gives Nia's arm a quick squeeze--nothing anyone who didn't know any backstory would assume was romantic rather than collegial.
He gestures toward her, moving in her direction. "Hey, L-T, Niii...Lt. Onn brought up a good point about keeping an eye on our 'guests.' On the one hand they could be full of shit and be part of a faction that stole this codex thing from its legit owners. On the other hand...or paw, I guess..given their, uh, beliefs they could have some wacky priorities anyway. We ought to make sure they have a Security escort while onboard. Want to suggest it to Vargas, or should I? Your call...if you want to do it I may just start...heh, 'tailing' them now..."
Collins rolls her eyes at Graham's pun and says "I'll suggest it to Vargas, but you're supposed to be on the bridge. I'm sure Rawlings and some of the others can handle it."
Collins walks faster to catch up with Vargas and those with whom he's walking. "Commander, a word if I may?"
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