Star Trek RPG - Mission #8: "Make A Wish"

[What Exit?]

Delaney gives and "Aye, Aye Sir" then calls for a relief on the bridge and does one last system check. Once relieved, he'll get his small tool belt to bring with him and musters.

[stolz]

Dr. Mäkeläinen gives Lt. Onn an incisive look, followed by the slightest of nods. She is fit for duty, but their recent experiences have taken more than a purely physical toll. There has not been much time since their last mission for them to meet outside a professional context. Before he has much of a chance to focus on her, though, his own preliminary orders arrive. They are not out of the blue, considering their arrival and all the related talk. He closes down the open tasks on his workstation in an orderly manner before calling for relief and leaving the Bridge to prepare for the mission.

It makes sense that Graham might tap him for this one, and Bizhi does not intend to make him regret his choice. He chooses not to pack a phaser, for a couple of reasons— this is not some wilderness adventure where it might serve as a tool, and, especially, it would be absurd for a physician to carry a weapon (not that one would do anyone much good if the party found themselves in the middle of a riot; he had better raise the possibility of emergency transport when he meets the Captain) while carrying out humanitarian duties in a tense factional powder keg, and he must not be perceived as a threat. What he does prepare to bring with him is extra medicine, and a couple of extra medkits he can donate to a civilian counterpart, the way he offered one to the suspicious and hostile Chalnoth. He recalls reading about the deliberately backwards state of medical care on the planet, and it galls him.

He taps out another message for his sister, playing up the exotic and strange marvels of the frontier, keeping the tone light. He is trying to be better about keeping in touch. However, if something did ever happen to him... would it not perhaps be better if he were less on their mind?

[choie]

Quite absorbed in her research, Kylah does not even sense the Captain's arrival until just before she notices the woman is already back in her chair. That would normally be atypical indeed, but Kylah has been spending extra time with T'Var learning to protect herself from others' minds, especially after Velir's intense fits back on Ollos and the Doregg.

Lt. Graham's voice uttering her name startles her as well, albeit for a different reason. The last time he requested her presence on a mission, she shamed herself and disobeyed him. Due to his wedding following soon after, and then the disastrous flight on the Tesla, she never had a true opportunity to apologize for such insubordination. He never so much as upbraided her for her disrespect, kind to her as usual despite her failing to show up on the mission to save a painting from Novy Rostov's tragic end.

Perhaps he already knew Kylah has been well-and-truly punished and chastised for her behavior, forced to work exhausting double watches for a week, and bearing Cmdr. Vargas's acidic displeasure, finding new threats each time they met on the Bridge. First he warned her that she risked the loss of even her lowly single Ensign stripe, undeserving as she was to wear it given her lack of experience. Then the possible recriminations escalated to transfer from the ship, and finally even a court-martial.

Still, she could not deny deserving it all. Yet look how well Lt. Graham treated her during the trials of the most recent mission. He seemed quite pleased, perhaps even proud, of her efforts. Now he provides her with the opportunity to join a rather prestigious journey: escorting Captain Singh herself! She has never had that honor on her admittedly brief time on the Yorktown.

Not that Kylah would be doing any true escorting, but regardless. This is also a somewhat risky situation, and the protective, almost paternal demeanor Lt. Graham has displayed towards her makes his inviting her along a tremendous show of trust. Even respect.

Without hesitating too long, she responds to his order with a crisp, enthusiastic affirmative, and catches the eye of the others on the Bridge whom she will be joining. It strikes her that Mr. Delaney is also being shown forgiveness and trust, considering that the last mission they shared involved his nearly getting Lt. Graham and Kylah killed. If her superior can forgive such foolish, reckless behaviors from people such as Kylah and Mr. Delaney, Kylah must be equally grateful and match his graciousness. So she sends the handsome young engineer a little smile, whether or not he notices, and does the same to Dr. Mäkeläinen when she belatedly realizes he too was asked, deservedly so.

She contacts Lt. Thalen to ask whom he wishes to relieve her, and while awaiting a response, decides that before she leaves, she must visit Velir to let him know. Like Delaney, he may not notice her gestures or words, or even her soul trying to reach out to his. But leaving without saying farewell is simply not an option.

(If Thalen returns her hail and picks a relief Comms officer, Kylah will turn to the Captain and ask permission to leave the Bridge once her replacement arrives, of course. They are nearing a planet, and while others currently on the Bridge can certainly perform her basic duties, the delicacy of the situation on the planet makes her wish to treat communicating with Traffic Control with the gravitas it deserves.)

[general_urko]

Graham makes it a point to find Marala. After the last away mission, she deserves to hear about his next assignment first-hand--and express how she might feel about it.

Especially since as far as Graham is concerned, he's more worried about something going South on this one than the freak accident that derailed the last.

[SidonianGal]

Satisfied with Singh's decision, Nia grins back at Leventhal with a soft "good job" of gratitude, then happily sits down beside her favorite navigator to work with--who just happens to be one of her BFFs. She and Lu are almost always in sync as partners. It strikes her that not only is it her first time in the pilot's seat since the Tesla crash, but she hasn't seen Luisa since she got back. So she murmurs a playful, "Honey, I'm home," which is some ancient Earth joke that usually gives the humans a smile.

As she scans the console to ensure that the Yorktown's status and journey are as they should be--no reason they've changed since the last Helm Officer kept the seat warm, but it's her job to check--Nia makes a tiny adjustment in the chair's leaning position. Tall as she is, she ain't Leventhal.

Then Book's voice crackles in the air, and Nia's head lifts in pleased surprise. A muster, so soon? Good, he's getting the C.O. role; going down to a planet like this requires your best. The names of his team continue, no real surprises--Kylah, natch--and it's only when he emphasizes that this is a Captain escort that Nia realizes that he's finished listing his chosen team. And that the tiny swell of disappointment and even embarrassment tells her she's been waiting to hear that deliciously familiar voice saying, "N--Lt. Onn."

Damn her stupid unconscious mind and its stupider out-of-date expectations. There was no chance. Vargas probably didn't even have to tell Book not to select her; it's just common sense and a reflection of reality. Maybe she was once Singh's favorite shuttle pilot, but even if that esteem were still in place (dubious), no one merely a week after a crash is getting the gig to chauffeur the frickin' captain. Plus Nia's barely recovered physically, and hasn't quite done so, mentally.

And disregarding all that, not to mention how...awkward...things remain between her and Book, the simple truth is, Nia's recent spate of off-ship activity is atypical of her two years' experience on the Yorktown. With extra blots on her copybook, things'll probably go back to normal.

Hmph. Fine. Certainly no dishonor to be on your Bridge, she mentally addresses the Yorktown--as if the ship's the one who needs the reassurance. Besides, I wanted to go swimming later. Priorities, girl. Her smile returning, if a little sad around the eyes, Nia dismisses her demons and puts full focus into following the orders from Traffic Control.

[Elendil's Heir]

Lt. Granai, a Tiburonian female and a Life Support and Environmental Systems specialist, arrives to relieve Delaney, while Ens. Nell Carmichael, a Human female medic, does the same for Dr. Mäkeläinen. Lt. Thalen himself comes up from belowdecks and takes over the Communications station from Kylah, quietly thanking her.

With a nod from the Captain, Ens. Horst Leventhal leaves the Bridge after Onn takes the Helm. Onn sees that the Yorktown is maintaining course and speed to Cavinre VII.

In their quarters, Graham's wife Marala takes him into her arms. "Leaving me again, are you?" she teases him.

Members of the landing party now have slightly less than an hour to attend to any personal matters before leaving.

[choie]

Hugging her datapad to her chest, Kylah thanks Lt. Thalen and steps lightly down to the turbolift. If she has under an hour, she would like to freshen up, but also wishes to visit Velir and perhaps take a moment to write her uncle back. Of course, she does not know how long they will be on the planet. It is unlikely they will sleep down there, with the ship in orbit, so she need not think of packing. Although if there is to be some kind of diplomatic function... Her mind wanders before she scoffs at herself. She is there representing Starfleet, and her uniform is likely all that is required.

If Dr. Mäkeläinen and Ens. Delaney are with her in the lift, she Will engage in brief conversation--if they are amenable; perhaps they are preoccupied--and heads to Deck 7. She will take care of some basic ablutions and make sure her curls are relatively tame and professional (though still loose, as Velir's reactions to her in the past have taught her that he seems more comfortable with her more simple appearance instead of the more formal, made-up and coiffed style she prefers). Perhaps the effort is useless, as he will be blind to her in his unconscious state. But Kylah will not submit to the possibility that it is all for nought. When she takes a final look in the mirror, she catches a glance of the Vulcan lute case placed reverently on her dresser.

The sight evokes her Uncle again. I will write him this evening, she thinks with some guilt when she scurries out of her quarters and this time heads straight to Sick Bay.

[general_urko]

For a moment, Graham can imagine everything is and has always been fine.

That his first love of Marala had carried through to adult life without a hitch of a bump.

So much stronger than he was as a teenager, he sweeps her off her feet.

"Not for long," he says. Then he kisses her.

He holds it a long time - as long as Marala is willing.

And then we'll--we'll what? Plan. Make believe. Pretend.

Pretend I can let go of Jane.

Or of Nia.

Or that Marala deserves better than me and always has.

"If Nikolai's away, we have time..." His hands find her curves. "Time before I go, for us to..."

"For me to show you how beautiful I always thought you were," he says, one hundred percent honestly. There's no equivocating or denying that.

One small truth in a world where so much went wrong.

[LadyCorva]

Alodia opens her eyes and exhales a deep breath. She slowly stands up from the mat on the floor of her quarters, rolls it up and returns it to a storage compartment. She has always appreciated having time before away missions to practice her meditations to center herself. This mission in particular required some additional mental preparation as it is her first since her transfer to the Yorktown. This ship is much bigger and much more crowded than the Hermes-class scouts she has previously served on. From the reports she had read, it promised to be quite a lot busier than the almost leisurely exploration and cataloguing of stellar objects and phenomena she was used to. Violaceans are natural diplomats and extroverts. Those traits had clearly skipped her in the genetic lottery.

As she finishes her preparations her thoughts turn to the planet they are approaching. Cavinre VII, she thinks to herself. I just can't understand why the Federation would align itself with such a repugnant world. But then, as Mother always says: nations don't have friends, they have interests. Alodia had always had a distaste for the nuances of intergalactic politics. The universe is so vast and plentiful yet so many still insist on subjugating others for their own benefit.

She goes to the altar on the floor where she had been meditating, snuffs out a small candle, then sighs. She stands again, pats herself on the hips, then picks up her away mission kit. "Alright then, Alodia," she says to herself. "Allons-y!"

With that she heads out into the corridor and makes her way to the nearest turbolift on her way to meet the rest of the landing party.

[Elendil's Heir]

Marala grins at her husband, and returns his caress. "As it happens, Nikki is visiting an Engineering friend belowdecks and learning more about the antimatter storage pods. I expect he'll be at least another hour." She takes Graham's hand and leads him to the bedroom. "So let's put this time to good use, shall we...?"

Ens. Alodia Baenre arrives in Transporter Room 1 early. No one else is there yet except Transporter Chief Binh Nguyen, an older Vietnamese man, who is standing behind the control console. He looks up. "Hello, Ensign," he says in a friendly way. "I don't believe we've met before."

[stolz]

Dr. Mäkeläinen is wearing a blue [mutatis mutandis] Starfleet Medical field uniform, which he has adorned with whatever neutral local symbol he could find, if any, representing medicine. He looks neat, businesslike, alert, and (he hopes) approachable. The steel in his eyes, for now, lies dormant.

He has regularly been seeing Velir Rangin on his regular rounds, but he will not be there now except to prepare and gather the medical supplies for the mission. If Kylah spots him running in, he is amenable to brief conversation though he needs to concentrate on what he is doing; there will be more time to chat later. (About Rangin, specifically, there is not much he can tell her at this time that she does not already know.)

He does not head early to the Transporter Room, instead making a final stop in his quarters. A cup of strong tea. A message sent. A moment of calm.

[choie]

Sickbay is far, far too familiar to Kylah for her to even feel the little thrill of nervousness that has always accompanied her when near medical facilities and personnel. Mostly, however, those visits were to fix her, repair her, prod and examine and investigate. Or, sadly, she was visiting someone else, alive or dying or dead.

Velir is not dead or dying. He is not. Wiping the thought from her mind, she nods pleasantly at the crew she meets in the outer room, including a rushing Dr. Mäkeläinen. His focus is manifest, and Kylah does not wish to interrupt him. She just says a knowing, "I hope this is exciting rather than overwhelming, Doctor. I know when I returned from my first mission, I did not expect to jump onto another so quickly. We were fortunate enough to have a brief shore leave. That is how Velir and I..."

Her hand gestures limply toward the private room area, then returns to clasping the other. "Anyway, I do hope this will be a more fair representation of the duties you will perform with the Yorktown. The circumstances on the shuttle alone were extraordinary, much less on Ollos and beyond."

Sensing his urgency, she apologizes and tells him she will see him soon. She then looks around to find a crew member to ask permission to visit Velir. T'Var would most likely allow her, if the patient is not in crisis. And Carlos would as well... I think. For a moment she closes her eyes, trying to feel anything unusual that might indicate anything troubling.

[SidonianGal]

Luisa's silence makes Nia give her a quick side-eye, wondering if her friend's okay. Is she upset? She didn't stop by during Nia's recovery, which was unusual. Giya might know what's up. Until I find out, I'd better not tell her I talked her up a bit with Double-T. Or maybe she knows and that's why she's pissed off? Seems dubious, but stranger things happen in space.

The changing personnel can't escape Nia's keen notice, and she offers a pleased grin to Thalen. The rest aren't super-familiar to her--and, likely, they don't know her either. Unless they can see her scales and realize oh that's the lizard lady, she's likely anonymous. Probably for the best. If they're aware of how brilliantly she flew her last mission, they might be less than comfortable seeing her at the helm.

The Yorktown handles itself beautifully, as it does 99.5% of the time Nia's ever been aboard, and she has little to do right at the moment. A question piques her curiosity, and she turns her head slightly to see if Singh is busy. If so, Nia will wait. If not, Nia will address her while returning her focus where it belongs. "Ma'am, as you're heading back down to the planet, will--"

She stops herself, a little surprised by the nerve of her near-question. Will you give me command again? It's not so much that she's dying for a much longer watch. She's tired and the pool lanes beckon. But she likes command. And even more to the point, she wants to know if Vargas will be ensconced here instead, glaring phaser beams into her back.

Without missing a beat, Nia alters the question. "Will you be gone long? If it's not breaching security to ask," she adds, lightly stating the obvious. "Just wondering whether you and your escorts have been remaining on the planet during your visits, or if you've able to return here rather than deal with whatever accommodations they have dirtside."

[general_urko]

For a while, Graham accepts the premise that Marala is not only happy, but happy to be with him and affirmatively made all the more so by their tryst.

It nags at him afterwards as he gets dressed that the gist of his comments are that he'll be back soon.

Not that he has any specific reason to doubt it - but after the last mission, he wonders if he's been honest enough about--

Then he wonders if he's thinking about the actual level of risk involved in Starfleet operations or his own pessimism.

With that still on his mind, he heads to the transporter room intending to ensure he has enough time to check in with each member of the team and double-check all the equipment.

[Elendil's Heir]

A nurse shows Kylah in to see Lt. JG. Velir Rangin, who is resting, motionless but apparently comfortable. The Sickbay biobed's readings look normal, as far as she can tell.

Thalen smiles back at Onn, then turns to his console and inserts his chromed earpiece.

Lt. JG Luisa Guzman, to Onn's right at Navigation, apologizes. "Sorry, I missed your comment. I'm a little distracted. Some recent bad news from home, unfortunately."

The Captain tells Onn, "I expect we'll be dirtside for just a few hours." A Science rating brings her a datapad, which she quickly reviews, signs and hands back. "I don't expect it to be an overnight visit, but if it is, we'll stay at the Embassy."

Marala kisses Graham goodbye and sends him on his way. In the Transporter Room, he finds only Ens. Alodia Baenre and Transporter Chief Binh Nguyen at the moment.

[stolz]

He does not want his family and friends to spend too much of their time thinking about him. Then, logically, that should go both ways, Dr. Mäkeläinen muses.

With the spare first aid supplies he prepared in addition to his Starfleet medical field kit, he is approaching the limits of encumbrance for a brief landing. He looks at the small pouch holding the field kit, but there is no practicable way to stuff any personal items nor reserve supplies in there. If the mission parameters change, he will have to resupply from the Embassy clinic. No call for Bilitrium this time, at least, something that still bothers him for overlooking it for his off-ship mission with Lt. Onn. He makes sure he has his trusty medical tricorder, of course.

Hydrated and caffeinated, he heads to the Transporter Room perfectly composed, making sure he is not late.

[choie]

Kylah does not know if Velir can hear or sense her. She doubts he will be able to communicate either verbally or emotionally. And yet, she closes the gap between herself and his figure on the biobed, and takes hold of his hand. It seems paler than usual, and certainly colder. But she suspects it is only the circumstances that give her this impression.

As she has done since their return, she greets him with words and through silence, aiming the full measure of her affection for him. Her wishes for his comfort are expressed, as ever, as is the question of whether he knows she is here. Staring down at him, Kylah bites her lip for a few seconds before leaving the unfortunately familiar territory.

"I can only stay for a moment. We have almost reached the planet--Cavinre VII, do you remember?--and a small group will accompany the Captain down to..." She furrows her brow. She does not actually know what they are doing other than escorting her, nor where they are going. "To the Embassy," she improvises. Her fingers interlock with his. "You have been onboard longer than I. But it is my first mission in the Captain's presence. I hope I do not bring shame to her. Things are apparently very unpleasant down there; Starfleet is no more liked there than we were on Ollos."

Kylah winces and shakes her head at herself. Why bring up something so harrowing? Her left hand joins her right in caressing his hand, and she concentrates even harder to make sure he is not distressed before she continues.

[Elendil's Heir]

Rangin does not respond to Kylah's touch for a long time... until finally, ever so slightly, so gently that she almost thinks she may have imagined it, his fingers tighten on hers and then, at once, relax.

Graham, Dr. Mäkeläinen, and Ensigns Baenre, Delaney and St. Croix gather in the Transporter Room. Chief Nguyen distributes communicators and phaser-1s. If you wish to take along a tricorder, you may get one from him.

Seconds later, Capt. Singh strides in, having left the Chief Engineer in command on the Bridge. She sees the local symbol representing medicine (a stylized seven-petaled flower) which Dr. Mäkeläinen found and placed on his blue Medical tunic. "What's that, Doctor?" she asks with a slight frown.

[choie]

After a sharp intake of breath, Kylah does not move for several seconds, hoping she did not just imagine Velir's activity--infinitesimal as it was. ""You do hear me?" she exhales at last. "I will stay with you, as long as it takes, if you will just give me a sign--"

The sudden recollection of her duty causes a tiny moan of frustration. If Velir has truly communicated with her, she must stay here! This matters more important than an escort mission where she cannot fathom playing any significant role. Except... she has already let Lt. Graham down before, the last time he chose her for a mission. True, then she truly had to stay, to save two lives. Now, she would be risking court-martial only for her own reassurance.

Swallowing, she bends down nearer to the pillow. "Please forgive me, dearest. I am in danger of being late. I must say goodbye for now." Her gaze searches his face miserably. "It will be my first mission without you. I--I do not like the feeling." Vision blurring, she quickly blinks before she risks tainting him with her tears, then lifts her shoulder to wipe any dampness from her cheek. The kiss she bestows is feather-light.

"I will be back soon. And you will get better," she murmurs with her lips pressed against his temple. "We will have other missions together. And, I hope, many more times to be as we were, at the nightclub."

The heat rising in her face could possibly warm him too, when she recalls how fervently their mouths explored each other in that private room. And now she risks crying again, overwhelmed by despair at the thought of never knowing anything further with this man. She straightens and steps away.

"Be well, my heart. I do not know if you are dreaming... But if you can dream, dream of us in the Black Sun. Before Mr. Rawlings' interruption," she hastens, smiling despite herself. "No. The boathouse, back on Beta Antares. Our day together, there. It was perfect. We will have that again, I promise."

She wavers at having made such a promise, one that she cannot fathom how to help fulfill. With another smile that is both insincere and undoubtedly unseen, Kylah turns to leave for the mission. It is impossible to resist another tiny pause, again hoping she can sense something from him. But the thought of Lt. Graham's having to hail her again--even just having to doubt her momentarily--forces her from the room, fairly flying toward the transporter room.

[SidonianGal]

It's been about a half hour since Nia expressed discreet concern for Luisa, offering to have one of their hangout sessions whenever/wherever her friend chooses...whether Lu wants to talk, meditate, listen to music or just drink. Since then, Nia divided her mind between helm activity and speculating on what might be Luisa's troubling news.

When she heard Singh hail Cheverez, Nia's shoulders slumped. The captain picked the one BCDO option that--for Nia, personally--is even worse than Vargas.

Now, with the Chief in the big chair behind her, Nia sits up straight and rigid, avoiding eye contact and conversation. Fortunately, the former's easy, given their positions. But as for the latter... the truth is, normally the two have a pretty collegial rapport, with their interests and humor aligning pretty well. He's always seemed appreciative of her "extracurricular" contributions to the engineering team. They've had many enjoyable conversations and companionable silences during late nights tinkering with things, particularly the Tesla.

She hasn't spoken to him nor been back to Engineering since the accident. She doubts she'll be asked for some time, and--if she maintains the sanity granted to her by Sid'Os--she sure as hell won't be asking for an invite.

Her hands move expertly over the controls, when necessary. Otherwise she is silent and still. If only her scales were capable of such sophisticated camouflage patterns as the ever-changing colors of the helm panel, she'd be invisible, too.

[stolz]

Mäkeläinen notes the new, as well as the familiar, faces, and very briefly greets the others when he arrives. He accepts a communicator from the petty officer, but declines to take a phaser. He has brought his own tricorder, which is a medical tricorder (one with sensors and software set up especially for medical diagnosis, compared to a standard-issue sciences tricorder), since he was not expecting to be supplied with one without having asked for it in advance, nor would he like to trust one he had not checked himself.

It is not unexpected that the Captain has lasered in on the foreign insigne which cannot but be prominent on his blue tunic, but she still catches him off guard. They say it is better to ask forgiveness than permission, but surely this is only a wee bit irregular? He explains, "This is the local symbol of medicine. Like the, er, rod with a serpent around it on Earth. I looked into it, and medical facilities in the cities, and elsewhere on the planet, are primitive--- not in a good way--- and inadequate. If we step out of the Embassy, well, even without the hostile audience, my role should be clearly visible in that case. Considering current events, I have brought extra medical supplies, and it is not out of the question we will want to share them, or be compelled by humanitarian principles to render assistance to any injured."

[general_urko]

Graham greets Chief Nguyen warmly, the transporter officer having earned a solid place on "people you can count on" in his book.

He's glad to see Mäkeläinen, although he's less than thrilled that the Captain might take exception to his modification of the standard uniform--although as far as he's concerned, the doctor's explanation holds up.

But - no Ens. Kylah....

[Elendil's Heir]

Rangin does not respond to Kylah again before she quickly leaves Sickbay.

On the Bridge, Lt. JG Guzman smiles gratefully and says to Onn, "Yes, thanks, let's talk when we go off-duty. Maybe some coffee, or something stronger...?"

The Captain thinks a moment and says, "Not a bad idea, Doctor, but I'd prefer you make no modifications to the regulation Starfleet uniform. Please stow that insignia in your medikit, or leave it behind. I'm sure Chief Nguyen can keep it for you until we return, if you like."

About a minute later, Kylah arrives in the Transporter Room, slightly out of breath. Everyone turns to look at her. The Captain says, "Ah, there you are, Mr. Kylah! I think our party is now complete."

[choie]

Though Kylah softly begs the Captain's pardon for her tardiness, her most sincere apologetic gaze is aimed at Lt. Graham. I would not desert you again, she tries to assure him via her expression. Of course, just as she was unwilling to tell Velir that her mission is being headed by the ACOS, neither is Kylah planning to excuse herself by explaining the visit that delayed her. She just nods humbly and turns to retrieve a phaser. She has a datapad and that is as far as her technological needs go--always excepting her communicator, that most precious of items. If she can keep possession of it for two minutes together.

Dr. Mäkeläinen seems to have earned some minor attention, which perhaps does not please him? Kylah cannot really discern his emotions, especially since his face reserves its expressions. She knows Delaney and St. Croix, of course, but the most obvious person to catch her eye is the Violacean science officer, Ens. Baenre.

Kylah has not met one of her kind before, and it is hard not to be a little dazzled by the extraordinarily pretty skin color. One of Kylah's favorite dresses is of a similar shade, but of course, mere dyed clothing cannot be as striking as a humanoid form. She smiles a little at the newcomer--new to Kylah, at least, who realizes she does not know precisely when the other woman boarded. There have been few opportunities to meet many from Stellar Cartography, or indeed Science officers in general. Mostly just Velir and a literal shipload of medical personnel.

Avoiding too long a study of the other Ensign, Kylah whips her attention back to Captain Singh. Are they going to have a briefing here, or on the shuttle? Will they even be traveling by shuttle? She is embarrassed by how little she knows of this mission's particulars, so she primarily focuses on looking curious and, above all, not ignorant.

[general_urko]

Ens. Kylah seems to intentionally catch his eye as if to apologize for being late.

He nods amiably - all things considered, as far as he's concerned, she ought to be more worried about the Captain, and as far as he can tell she's not put out by her late arrival--fortunately.

He clears his throat. "Ah, Captain, if I might--"

"Our first priority is escorting the captain, but we are also to offer any insight into securing the embassy. Obviously, there's a Security point of view relevant to that, but we're a cross-functional team, and everyone has expertise to offer - Science (he nods to Baenre), Engineering (he nods to Delaney), Medical (he does the same to the doctor), and Comms (and to Kylah). If you see something, say something, don't be shy."

[LadyCorva]

After a brief but cordial greeting with Chief Nguyen, Alodia does a final check on her away kit confirming all is as it should be. She feels somewhat awkward arriving early and small talk has never been her strong suit. I suppose I ought to take some time so get to know my crew mates now that I'm settled onboard, she thinks to herself. But it's so much easier to get along with star charts and PADDs. She brings herself back to the task at hand, collecting and stowing the proffered communicator and phaser. She takes a tricorder as well and tests it.

As the rest of the away team arrives she greets them politely in turn. Getting the feeling she's being watched, she turns to meet the smile of Ens. Kylah. This is the part where you're supposed to be charming, Alodia, she reminds herself. Switching from her default "neutral observation mode," as she calls it, she returns the other young woman's smile.

[stolz]

Bizhi is not about to argue with or gainsay the Captain. He smoothly unhooks the flower insignia from his uniform, to which it was affixed without injuring the fabric, and stows it in the depths of his medkit, where it will neither be visible nor get mangled.

He gives the frazzled Kylah an affable look of recognition when she runs in.

They may be here to escort the Captain, but it is still not clear to him what the Captain's real mission is, why it requires such a multi-disciplinary team (as Lt. Graham has pointed out), nor how much they will be told of what is truly going on. Experts in science and engineering? He looks at them again, thinking.

[Elendil's Heir]

Ens. Baenre finds that her tricorder is functioning just fine.

Capt. Singh nods to Kylah. "Quite all right, Ensign. You're right on time." After Graham's remarks, she says, "Thank you, Mr. Graham." To the rest of the party, she says, "We'll be beaming over to the Cavinre space station, and then taking the orbital elevator - the beanstalk - down to the surface from there. We'll be met on the space station by the Embassy's Starfleet attaché and, I expect given past experiences, someone from the Cavinre Foreign Ministry." She smiles wryly. "Cavinre being Cavinre, you should presume this person is a spy. You should also presume everything you say and do until we're actually inside the Embassy is being observed and very likely recorded. Say and do nothing that would embarrass me or you, or do a disservice to the Federation, if it were seen by the regime's leadership. Once we're safely inside the Embassy, I'll meet with the Ambassador while you receive a briefing and then assist Mr. Graham in his review of the Embassy's security. Any questions?"

[choie]

Though she has a couple of questions, Kylah knows they are not in her purview and will be better addressed by one of the Security officers. She is disinclined to speak at the moment, anyway, and keeps her reddened face tilted down at the datapad. Her history of conflicts and poor choices that became the source of much ugly gossip is all too familiar to the Captain, and so the warnings against being an embarrassment are, if not wholly aimed at Kylah, certainly not unintended for her. Conflicts with the Sakthians, the Hwuen, Lord Fastolfe, the gangs on Sigma Iotia, and, to be honest, Terrans of all stripes incluing on her own ship; she does not have a good track record for keeping her reputation free of disgrace.

At least I mostly stayed out of trouble among the Uwat and Chalnoth. I have learned my lesson, she promises silently. More a prayer than a promise, although she has no spiritual beliefs. Her strategy will be straightforward enough, if belatedly learned: keeping as inconspicuous as possible.

[general_urko]

Graham shakes his head. In point of fact, he has a lot: in an ideal world, he would have gotten a briefing from whoever was in charge of Federation security dirtside prior to this mission, including the latest intel, the transportation arrangements for getting to the embassy, and the ins and outs of what to worry about in transit.

But that's a moot point and water under the bridge now.

[stolz]

Mäkeläinen thinks the beanstalk sounds quaint. A slower pace... seems like a simple shuttle would be quicker? He understands from the conversations earlier that the main point of the 'stalks is to control access to and from the surface, but how easy is it to trace a tight-beam transport or cloaked shuttlecraft? It is only law-abiding, non-rich citizens that would not have access to a better mode of transport, any more than they would to a state-of-the-art hospital.

Dealing with everyone being a spy at least beats playing games with Romulan operatives. As a doctor, he is not particularly worried about becoming a target for the regime's machinations, but, under the circumstances, he is under no illusion that outside the Embassy he will have free movement or unrestricted access to patients.

"How long is the trip down?" he asks. "We may want to bring a pack of cards, or find a safe topic for discussion. Trends in Algolian infra-pop?"

[SidonianGal]

Nia continues to guide the Yorktown to its programmed destination, continually glancing at her panel to track their distance and ETA. To Luisa, she bobs her head. "Something stronger for me ain't the same as it is for you. I think it'd take some of Orion's most notorious illicit goodies to affect me the way 'something stronger' affects you humans. It's just filtered water far as my system goes." She softens her voice even further, though she was barely audible already. "But it's not about me. We'll go wherever you want, hon."

[Elendil's Heir]

Guzman says quietly, "Sounds good, thanks."

Onn guides the Yorktown to its appointed position, high over the planet, and confirms that the ship is in a stable orbit. Lt. Cmdr. Edgardo Cheverez, the Chief Engineer, sees this. He nods, leans back in the big chair and says, "Thank you, Mr. Onn. And now we wait."

Thalen adjusts the main viewscreen to show the Cavinre space station directly ahead. Four other starships can be seen in orbit nearby; another two are docked with the station.

The Captain smiles at Dr. Mäkeläinen's suggestion. "I know nothing about that topic, Doctor, so perhaps you could educate me... or all of us. In any event, the trip takes about half an hour." She looks around. "All right, let's go."

The landing party steps up onto the transporter platform and you each take a spot on one of the six evenly-placed duranium discs embedded in the deck. "Energize," the Captain says.

Everyone feels the familiar tingling and disorientation as Chief Nguyen and the Transporter Room fade from view. When your vision returns you find that you're standing in a slightly larger oval space, with a low ceiling and dark, scuffed floor underfoot. The room is drab except for a wide, larger-than-life portrait of First Citizen Vinre which fills the opposite wall; she is an older woman with hooded eyes, snow-white hair and an expression somewhere between confident and glowering.

There are four people in the room: a Cavinre official, an older man in a severe, dark gray uniform, and a young Asian woman in the teal, gold-trimmed dress uniform tunic, gold aiguillette,* black pants and shiny black boots of a Starfleet officer attached to the Federation Diplomatic Corps. The other two people are guards of indeterminate gender; they carry ugly-looking blast rifles and are wearing angular black body armor, including helmets and masks.

The Cavinre official steps forward and gives a slight bow. "Welcome back to Cavinre, Capt. Singh. We're glad to see you again." Kylah doesn't think he either looks or sounds especially sincere.

"We are indeed," says the Starfleet officer, smiling, and much more warmly. You know she must be the Starfleet attaché, Lt. Deng Minxia, which the Captain confirms when she makes introductions all around.

The silent guards are not introduced.


* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiguillette

[stolz]

The Doctor greets the persons to which he is introduced, including the attaché, with a practiced blandness coming from experience meeting strings of forgettable people during official functions and receptions, not that there is anything for him to give away or be caught out on. If the guards scrutinize him, he presents them the same perfunctory acknowledgement.

[general_urko]

Graham waits for the captain's lead, simply nodding politely if and when it's appropriate.

Mental note: inquire at the Embassy about the impact, if any, of the body armor on phaser effectiveness.

And--he has to resist shaking his head. The long guns strike him as at best unnecessary, but more likely a hindrance in tight spaces. He wonders about the balance between "for show" and efficacy or pragmatism he can expect from the local security forces.

But with that said, the guards aren't adversaries and he wouldn't mind a chance to hear things from their perspective if the chance arises at some point.

[choie]

As the disorientation from the transporter fades, Kylah's first true vision of her environment is... her grandmother? She inhales and blinks until her eyesight and mind are clear. Of course it is not Madam Ditraa. It is a painting, and of the First Citizen, no less. Not Elasian, not dark-haired, and without the large, fierce brown eyes that ran--run--throughout her mother's family line.

And yet, something made Kylah's thoughts leap beyond rationality to the memory of her grandmother. A shared expression and posture, perhaps. Entitlement? Superiority? Pride? The ability to appear vaguely threatening while simultaneously compelling. Kylah is surprised this image should spark such a tug of nostalgia for home, and even more surprised that she is grateful for it. She would very much like to meet this leader.

Tearing her eyes away from the portrait--she is being terribly rude--she turns while pondering the First Citizen's name. So similar to the planet, it cannot be coincidence. She tries to recall anything from her research that might have indicated if this is a familiy name or--

All musing stops when she sees the guards. More accurately, their fearsome weapons. How were they not the first things to catch her attention? Instinctively she whisks her gaze away, directing it to where it belongs: their hosts, and, particularly, the official approaching and greeting them. She has been among enough royal, Council and various governmental figures to recognize insincerity in the guise of cordiality.

Aldaan excelled at such performances. Indeed, she has played the role herself. And so with rare ease, she acts as required, lowering her head in acknowledgment of the generous welcome. She does return the smile of the Starfleet envoy, but of course remains silent. She has one stripe on her sleeve; no tenuous link to a ruling family in a tiny planet lightyears away matters a jot.

[Elendil's Heir]

The doctor notices that the guards seem to look upon you all with equal passivity.

The Cavinre official, Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister Rul Gorra, leads you from the room, chatting with the Captain, and with an attentive Lt. Deng close behind. The guards silently follow your group. You go down a long hallway and into a large and open plaza, with a high ceiling and circular dome. Cavinre VII fills the dome; massive, beautiful, green and white and blue, swirled with clouds and looking much like Earth. The plaza is about half full, with people coming and going from the shops and offices around its perimeter. Most are natives, in clothing of muted or dark shades. A few of them glance at you but then quickly look away.

There are a few aliens here and there in the crowd, as well; Graham notices a Tellarite from across the large room, an Edoan with a large, oblong bag, and two Rigellians in diplomatic tunics.

[stolz]

Mäkeläinen would rather think of the guards as persons rather than menacing bits of décor, but he is not about to chat them up, either. It is not just the guards, though; does he really want to make small talk with the Cavinrian minister, or other diplomats, without even knowing what Starfleet is here to do? He is perfectly up to the task, of course, and, if asked what he is doing here, can easily discuss how he is going to take a look at the Embassy clinic, and fill time explaining minutiae of sourcing various pharmaceuticals. If it were up to him, he would purchase a drink at a cafe and interact with some of the locals, but he would spare the possibly innocent bystander the subsequent chat with secret police.

He turns to the crystalline dome and admires the view. Such a paradise— it could be. Those from such Edens seldom fully appreciate what they have.

After a few moments, he casually inserts himself into the Captain's conversational circle, attempting to follow what she and the diplomats are saying, and not saying.

[choie]

The plaza is a pleasant change from the drab arrival area, and Kylah peers around curiously. She is still aware of the guards, but it is not unusual for dignitaries to be thus accompanied, so she just focuses on their surroundings. The stores--can she see any in particular likely to catch her eye?--trigger the desire to buy something, or even simply to browse at new and engaging local items. Neither is an option now, as she is well aware, but it seems a long time since she had the fun of a shopping excursion. Searching for civilian clothes at that dreadful market back on Ollos certainly did not count.

The possibility of actually pausing to explore the local shops is a forlorn hope, so she does not indulge it too long. Kylah's attention is dragged to the Captain when the Doctor moves closer to their conversation. Lt. Deng seems intent upon Capt. Singh and Minister Gorra (or Rud, if that is the way he would be properly addressed), so Kylah does not wish to interrupt her by initiating a discussion. She glances at the others to see what is capturing their focus.

Realizing that the locals are quite noticeably trying to avoid seeming curious, Kylah purses her lips in disapproval before smoothing her expression into one much friendlier. Let them see the group as nonthreatening. Meanwhile she concentrates lightly on sensing any unusual emotional activity nearby. All she expects would be some piqued interest, nervousness, mild hostility--given the disdain for the Federation--along with numerous random emotions involving their current activities. The people on the station have their own concerns and pursuits that have nothing whatever to do with the visitors.

[general_urko]

Graham surveys the area for ingress and egress, noting where they came from and any signs that would help them navigate if push came to shove (or as the saying goes, the shit hit the fan).

He's careful to maintain a non-aggressive demeanor and not to stare too long at any one place or person - especially the latter. The locals seem skittish.

[Elendil's Heir]

The view through the dome is quite striking. The shops and stores around the plaza are mostly for Cavinre products, Kylah sees, although a few high-end Federation brands are represented: Supernova clothing, Deliciosa fine foods, Tiffany & Co. jewelry and Ebony2 computers, among others. Kylah gets mixed and fleeting psi impressions from passersby, mostly of curiosity, fear and purposeful disregard, but not hostility.

The Captain and the Cavinrean diplomat appear to just be making small talk, Dr. Mäkeläinen notices, as he remembers Singh's earlier warning. Lt. Deng, the Starfleet attaché, puts in an occasional comment but is mostly just listening.

Graham, with his practiced and practical eye for security issues, notes ingress and egress points and sees nothing amiss or threatening.

Your party passes through the plaza and then goes down another hallway. Pairs of guards are posted every few dozen yards here, identically dressed and equipped like the two which still follow you. There are more pictures of the First Citizen on the walls here, many in heroic poses: standing atop a waterfall, reviewing troops, greeting children, presiding over what appears to be a meeting of government officials, and sitting, poised, on the bridge of a starship.

You are then waved through a security checkpoint, passing by a dozen guards who are holding back members of the public, and into the boarding area for the orbital elevator.

Minister Gorra says with satisfaction, "This way, please. We will have a compartment to ourselves."

[choie]

The visual homages to the First Citizen are impressive, though the one that intrigues Kylah most is the depiction of the older woman on the starship. It seems incongruous for some reason. Perhaps it is simply a publicity shot? Captaining a starship is a dashing, adventuresome activity--at least, it makes Vinre look so--far more than the usual poses of a politician.

Nearing the orbital area, Kylah feels her stomach flutter, not unpleasantly. Less anxiety than anticipation. She peers around with avid interest and follows the elevator as far down (or up--however it appears from their perspective) as her eyes can see. "How many compartments are there, I wonder?" she murmurs to whichever fellow Yorktown crewperson is nearest. She also tries to recall the distance from this station to the planet. If her memory fails, she will politely broach the question to Lt. Deng.

Whenever it is appropriate to move forward into the compartment, she will do so.

[stolz]

How long has Cavinre been a dictatorship? Bizhi wonders. How is the First Citizen selected? He realizes that he spent time researching the local medical infrastructure and semiotics, but not their political history. And now it is not the right time to bring it up. He follows Lt. Deng's example of listening to, rather than participating in, the small talk.

The orbital elevator, a rather unusual structure in this day and age, captures his interest as well as it does Kylah's. It may be slow and dangerous, but the views are unparalleled. How many people spend their careers working on board starships and starbases, yet do not take time to properly appreciate what is outside the hull?

He is not so mesmerized that he neglects to keep an eye out for emergency space suits and damage control equipment. Space debris can pierce through unshielded structures faster than you can react.

[Elendil's Heir]

The space elevator is, you see from a wall-mounted diagram as you enter, shaped like six-story-tall cylinder, about three times the width of the Yorktown's Bridge. Each level is roughly circular. Ens. Jim Delaney, who has read up on the space elevator, says, "The ultra-thin, ultra-strong synthetic diamond cables of the beanstalk pass through the middle of the elevator, where they're gripped by the central mechanism, which can either climb or descend, or stop, of course. The top level of the elevator, Level 1, is a machinery, life support and control space. Levels 2 and 3 are for cargo. Levels 4, 5 and 6 are for passengers."

You descend on a small lift to the bottom level - the equivalent in accommodations, it seems, to First Class in Federation travel. Your compartment takes up almost half of Level 6. Well-padded couches line the wall farthest from the oval windows of the outer hull. There are several other comfortable-looking chairs and small tables. The lighting is subdued, and you can clearly see the planet filling almost the entire visual field below you. There is an adjoining kitchenette and bathroom.

Dr. Mäkeläinen does not see any emergency spacesuits or damage control equipment, although there are several panels on the inner wall of the compartment which have labels in the Cavinrean script.

Lt. Deng says, "Good question, Ens. Kylah. The space station, the upper terminus for the elevator, is about 600km above the planetary surface."

Minister Gorra says, "Please, come, sit, make yourselves comfortable!"

A uniformed and attractive young female attendant stands ready to assist you. She offers refreshments and snacks.

[stolz]

The Doctor politely declines the food and drink. He does take a seat with the others.

Sensing an opportunity to glean some information, he asks Ens. Delaney, "It's unquestionably impressive. How long has it been in operation, do you know?"

[Elendil's Heir]

"The first one was built about a century ago, I think," he says. "It's been overhauled and upgraded several times since then."

[general_urko]

Graham nods acknowledgement to the attendant and politely demurs. "Ah, sorry, against regulations to snack on duty," he says apologetically. "But is there something traditional or unique that you recommend I try while visiting your planet?"

[choie]

Kylah's eyebrows lift slightly at Minister Gorra's almost enthusiastic invitation for them to sit--well, it seems enthusiastic for him, at least in the brief time of their acquaintance. She meets his politeness with her own grateful smile and, deferring to wherever the Captain, Lt. Deng and Lt. Graham choose to sit, positions herself close enough to Gorra to hear any conversation.

Since Lt. Deng was kind enough to answer her question about the distance to the planet, Kylah also offers her a smile. "Then it should not take us long to reach what appears to be a beautiful planet. The view along the way should be stunning." Banal words, but such is the way of diplomacy. She looks up at the attendant's question, and is a little surprised by Lt. Graham's refusal, as she is unaware of any rules against taking refreshment on duty. Uncertain if she should follow his lead, or obey her own instincts to accept their hosts' hospitality, she hesitates before requesting water--with ice and some sort of citrus fruit, if that is available.

"Your home star system is well represented in this compartment," she observes to Lt. Deng, glancing at her crewmates--most of whom are Terrans, but she knows the Doctor is from Mars. "We have people from three of its planets at least, if I am not mistaken about your background from Ganymede, ma'am. Have you been on Cavinre long?"

[stolz]

A century ago. Mäkeläinen nods at the statement. Makes sense. What he is really wondering about is the effect of Cavinrian politics on the development of spacefaring technology, and vice versa. He is not worried about the soundness of the structure itself, not really. Perhaps the radiation shielding? No, thick diamond windows ought to do it, even without any modern refinements.

[Elendil's Heir]

The attendant, whose name is Deev, tells Graham, "Cavinre has several notable foods and beverages, sir. Our sallana liqueur is famous throughout the quadrant, and the roasted meat of the ivinit is also very popular."

Lt. Deng settles into a seat next to Kylah. "Just eight months now. It's a very... interesting place, as you probably know. Different from any other world I've been to."

Everyone takes a seat and soon a voice over the intercom says, "Stand by to begin descent in three minutes." Similar announcements follow, with diminishing time references, until there is a countdown of five seconds, and the orbital elevator at once moves below and away from the space station. Cavinre inertial dampers are definitely not up to Starfleet standards, and you all distinctly feel the drop. Graham, in particular, is reminded of the downward track of an old-fashioned roller coaster he rode many years before. With each passing second, the sensation of falling becomes more noticeable.