Star Trek: Season 7 - Masquerade

[Omra]

Drah'Vehn and Shyn stood outside of the 'Afterburner'.  Their superior had asked them to come down along with their associate Dunn.  But they were both nervous, they were used to hanging around with other non humans.  They did not understand human customs, or their mysterious non verbal cues.  

Shyn peered through one of the viewports inset in the door using the mirror from her compact.  Drah'Vehn whispered, "Well is he there?"  Shyn sighed, "Yeah, he's at the bar... alone."  The Elloran groaned, "We can't just leave him there like that."  Shyn nodded, "It wouldn't be right, we owe him."  She panned the mirror around wanting to survey the area before their insertion.  She spotted a blue man, she excitedly tapped Drah'Vehn and pointed, "Look it's a Bolian!"

Drah'Vehn leaned too close to the mirror to look, triggering the door sensor.  It slid open revealing the two female officers.  They froze in embarrassment as eyes turned towards them, having heard the hissing sound of the doors opening.  Most of the eyes returned to their ongoing conversations, two of them remained on the blushing ladies.  The two petrified aliens flashed smiles and waved at D'Callan.

He smiled and shook his head, "Are you here for a drink?"  he asked, "Or are you here to secure the area?"  The two tried to walk in as nonchalantly as possible, D'Callan turned back to the bar and his drink.  By the time Shyn was at the counter J'Dan was waiting for her order with a pleasant smile on his face.  Shyn nervously glanced about for a menu, unsure what to ask for.  She glanced at Drah'Vehn who merely shrugged, and then over to her commander who wore an expression of silent expectation.  When she looked back to the patient bartender she nervously blurted out the first thing which came to her frantic mind, "Ello Gov, al' ave me a frosty pint."  

The bartender stood stunned, his eyes wide in wonderment at the unexpected accent.  Drah'Vehn jabbed Shyn in the ribs as she saddled up next to her and gave her a 'what the hell?' expression.  When Shyn's senses returned  she looked over to the Lieutenant who's eyes were nearly as big as the bartenders.  He burst out in raucous laughter and had to set his glass down to stop it from spilling.  When he slapped the table during his laughter the two girls jumped, still unsure what the outcome was to be.

D'Callen laughed and pelted Shyn in the middle of her forehead with a roasted peanut, "Bloody Cheek!"
Drah'Vehn asked in a hushed tone, "is that good?"  Shyn softly answered, "I'm not sure, but he is laughing," she stole a glance at her, "That is a good sign."  The Elloran nodded, "And he did not use his bat," she pointed below the bar to where it rested.  They looked from the bat to each other and smiled, they may survive this after all...

When the bartender returned with her drink he saw her brushing salt from her forehead, "are you alright?"  She looked down at the granules on her fingertips and smiled, she held them up for him to see, "Well, I was a'salt'ed..."

D'Callen burst out laughing again.

[Jen]

Commander Sevryll approached the Counselor who was mentally playing a Klingon Opera at Lieutenant Commander K'ararth's request. The Vulcan didn't wish to interrupt his concentration, but the noise was beginning to grate on her stoicism. "Counselor," she whispered,  "perhaps you could play something by Moyer? Plasma Cloud is an agreeable tune. I would prefer that piece to the opera you are currently performing."

He opened one eye to meet her own, before concluding the tune with a grandiose ending. Smiling at his friend, the Counselor began the whimsical tune by Richard Moyer. Sevryll arched an eyebrow and returned to her chair to finish her dinner in peace.

The next day would be an eventful one and so when her meal was over, she said good-bye to Zremm, nodded to the counselor, and retired for the evening. Young Ensign Farmer bumped into her way out of the After Burner. The Fertillian was visibly disturbed. "Oh! Pardon me, Commander. I was just... I didn't... I'm sorry," she uttered as she brushed past the Vulcan. Sevryll glanced over her shoulder to see Aeric James wearing a bewildered expression. She had not noticed her friend until then, and walked to the bar to say good-night. "Ensign Farmer was quite upset... What happened?" she inquired.

Plasma Cloud, by Rick Moyer (Moyer777)  http://www.christrocks.com/forum/plasmacloud.mp3

[Meds]

Tears ran down D'Callan's eyes as he continued to laugh.

"Oh my, strewth guys, oh dear ha ha. Lets get you two sorted out".

The bartender put four beers down and D'Callan looked up.

"Four J'Dan. Four?."

The bartender looked at D'Callan.

"Ensign Dunn sent these over, he's been waiting at his table since you and K'tan walked in"

D'Callan looked over to see Dunn waving at them. He looked back at his two companions.

"Come on Stan and Ollie lets go."

Drah'Vehn and Shyn quickly looked at each other and then behind them until they realized he was talking to them. D'Callan had picked up his and Dunn's drink and had already began to walk over. Just as they was about to join them Shyn stopped and turned back to J'Dan.

"Can i have some of those peanut pellets, i think i'll enjoy fighting with these"

J'Dan smiled and tossed her a packet.

"careful now, they are dangerous".

Shyn held the packet carefully and headed to the party.

[wraith1701]

Near the bar, K'Tan sat captivated by the talkative Trill doctor, focusing on her eyes and and trying not to stare at the sprinkling of spots that artfully traced a path down either side of her face.

"I had a chance to review the files that Commander Sevryll sent," she said.   "The planet is beautiful; I bet the cave systems are just as stunning... I'm beginning to wish that I had been assigned to the away team too."

K'Tan nodded in agreement.  "Yes, the planet has a very diverse ecosystem; I find it beautiful as well."  A slight smile lit his face.  "You would fit in well there." 

The doctor's cheeks colored slightly as she tilted her head with a smile of slight puzzlement.  Suddenly, the pair heard the sounds of a disturbance nearby.  K'Tan turned to see the disoriented form of the Fertillian ensign being helped up off of the floor.

"Isn't that ensign Farmer back there?" he asked.  "I wonder what happened to her?"

[Jen]

K'Tan nodded in agreement.  "Yes, the planet has a very diverse ecosystem; I find it beautiful as well."  A slight smile lit his face.  "You would fit in well there."

The Trill returned his smile impulsively. Is he flirting with me? She thought as she felt her cheeks grow warm. Great, I'm blushing. No, he's not flirting, Lieutenant Commander K'Tan is just being friendly. Besides, he's human, a decidedly handsome one at that, adopted by Klingons and raised as a warrior on the Klingon home world. He moves like them, speaks like them, thinks like them...or does he? Well, one thing I'm certain of is that he wouldn't be interested in Polly Anna. Suddenly the awkward moment was interrupted by a quickly moving blur that she recognized as Mackie Farmer...

"Isn't that ensign Farmer back there?" K'Tan asked.  "I wonder what happened to her?"

Ryla's smile faded as the concern for her friend began to build. "I think I know..." she said and then  bit her bottom lip in thought.  "I'm sorry, Commander, I have to go... It was very nice to talk to you." The Trill stood and exited the lounge leaving the smitten tactical officer alone at her table.

[X]

"How are you doing this evening Sevryll?" Aeric ask as he downed his martini in one sip. It wasn't Deltan sparkling wine, but it was among his favorites. "As to your question, it appears that gravity became subjective for our new ensign."

He had wanted to check on her, but when he saw Ryla follow her out, he knew that she would be in good hands.

He continued to survey the bar and the various grouping of individuals as he smiled to the XO.

Seeing the now alone K'tan, Aeric whispered to his companion. "It seems that the bird of prey seems to have experienced a warp core failure."

The situation reminded him of his own troubled courtships with temporal exes and the current situation with his marital status. He had found a strong relationship with a female from a species that he was bound not to speak of to the Federation. It had been a short five year courtship and was one of the few things that had remained constant in last few temporal changes. Part political and part love, it allowed him to return to the Federation, but it had prevented him from seeing Oona as much as he would have liked.

"What are you drinking tonight?" he asked the vulcan. "Perhaps I can get you a drink and another round for our tactical officer?"

[Omra]

After a few rounds the two young security officers had relaxed.  Perhaps too much, whenever they started tossing peanuts into each others open mouths for amusement, Joseph had to clear his throat in order to bring proper decorum back to his table. 

As D'Callan and Dunn were talking scuttlebutt, Shyn and Drah'Vehn's eyes surveyed the room trying to see from others behaviour how they should act, sit and interact.  But there seemed to be no clear protocol, or at least none that they could understand or interpret.

Dunn noticed that Drah'Vehn kept inclining her head in the direction of the Denobulan, and Shyn would shake her head and silently mouth 'no'.  He asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"  Drah'Vehn looked at him cautiously, "Is he," she nodded in the direction of Margon, "a musician?"  Dunn nodded, "Yes."  The Elloran shot a look at Shyn, "See!"  Dunn continued, "not professionally, but he is quite good as you can hear for yourselves..."  Shyn pulled a face and explained to Dunn, "She wants to know if he is from Vegas."

D'Callan and Dunn looked at each other, and then to the girls, and answered almost in unison, "I don't think so..."  They looked to Drah'Vehn with questioning faces.  She looked somewhat embarrassed but leaned close and whispered, "I went with some cadets from the academy to Vegas on winter break, and we saw these guys in concert that, " she diminutively pointed to Margon, "looked like him..."

Dunn kept a good poker face, not wishing to embarrass her further.  But D'Callan couldn't help himself, he started laughing.  Drah'Vehn covered her face.  Dunn turned to his superior and in an effort to help her save face said, "Well he is blue; and he is a musician..." 

Joseph said between laughs, "Do you two ever stop?"  Drah'Vehn slinked away to the bar and started doing shots.  In defense of her friend Shyn pelted him with a peanut.

Startled he shouted, "OY!"

[institches]

When Ryla Drett caught up with Spring, she made an effort to alleviate her friend's discomfort.  "Mackie! Are you okay?"

"Oh, that. I'm fine. I honestly didn't think you noticed. You and K'tan were pretty focused in the lounge."

Ryla ruffled her hair. "No, that wasn't anything. You could have joined us." The women entered Ryla's quarters.

Spring's eyebrows disappeared into blonde bangs. "Not with those pheremones flying. That was strictly a one-on-one conversation."

The symbiont, usually quiet, chose this moment to voice its opinion. "That's what I've been trying to tell her. Remember, I've been around the galaxy a few times..."

Spring giggled at Ryla's open-mouthed expression and her white chocolate shock.

"You mean K'tan really was..."

"He wasn't alone. You're still pretty ramped up."

"Ah." Ryla cleared her throat and plopped down on a sofa. She motioned her friend to sit. "How about we talk about why I wanted to talk to you. This Medical Priority One you used on the holodeck?"

Spring's face fell. After several fits and starts, Spring finally explained why she had made use of the medical protocol. She stared at the floor, blushing furiously. The smell of Risan lotus surrounded her.

Ryla Drett smiled across at her. "You mean you've never...."

"No! Of course not. You remember what I said: once and that's it. Dead."

"But what about romance? Haven't you looked at anyone and felt something---"

Spring cut her off. "No. I'm young." She snatched off her wig and began figeting with it, pulling out the ponytail and twisting the hair. "Not that it's unheard of at my age, but most people live into their thirties, at least. Besides, romance is for aliens."

"Okay, let's get into what we can do. The pheromones were a trigger. You masked the scent with what, soap, and everything went back to normal." She looked down at her padd. "Your physical showed no changes from last time. I'm guessing that's good. Mackie, I wish there was more medical research available on your species! I feel like I'm starting from scratch.

"What can you tell me about how mating works?" Spring's eyes widened; her fingers moved faster through the wig and the lotus smell was renewed. "Oh, come on, Mackie. We've talked about other species. You learned about them in the academy."

The wig was definitely getting the worst of the conversation. If she slipped it on now, she'd look like a blonde kazon.  "I know. That's normal, for them. That's biology. But it's just not discussed on Fertillier. I don't think I even have the smells..."

Ryla rolled her eyes and blew into her hair. "I'm a doctor! And I'm your friend." She grabbed Spring's hands and looked meaningfully at her friend. "If you can't talk about this, I think we should include someone else in this conversation: Counselor Margon."

[Jen]

Sevryll looked across the room at Lieutenant Commander K'Tan and considered the man's expression.  "He doesn't have the air of a disenchanted man. Perhaps he is not as disappointed as you think." She turned back to the Second officer, "Thank you for the offer Aeric, but I was just about to retire for the evening. I will see you at the meeting tomorrow morning. Enjoy your drink with the bird of prey." She said, lifting a single brow to emphasize the latter part of her statement. Sevryll left just as Counselor Margon began his rendition of Dave Brubeck's Take Five.

[Meds]

D'Callan spun round to look at Margon.

"Oh my!"

Shyn and Dunn looked at their chief.

"Sir are you OK?

D'Callan glance quickly to Dunn and then back to Margon, who's fingers glided in wonderment.

"This is Take 5, this is Brubeck, this is one of my all time favorite jazz pieces. This and Dirty Dude by Dizzy Gillespie. Quiet now people sit back and relax. This will take you to more places then anything you will ever encounter. Well not everything aye Dunn"

D'Callan winked at Dunn who looked at Shyn slightly embarrassed.

The music glided across the room and everyone listened to the beat. Jazz was a good choice to get the room going and D'callan signalled to J'Dan waving a drinking motion to his lips, spun his hand round his table to signal a round and then pointed over to K'tans table so his friend could have a drink.
Joe sat back stretched his legs out and listened. When he was married, this was the song they played during the signing of the register. It used to upset him when he heard it but not now. Now he had friends, now he had family aboard a great ship, now, Joseph D'callan felt at peace.

[moyer777]

The counselors data pad beeped and he glanced down at it.  "hmmm, interesting" he said.

As he closed the song out, he called to the computer- "Computer, more jazz, and keep it coming"

The computer chirped and spoke back, "Specify artist and time period"

"Oh, let that be up to the crowd"

The computer defaulted to a popular jazz tune and the crowd all clapped for Margon as he got up from the stool.

"Thanks everyone" 

He strolled out of the Afterburner and went back to his office.  He was expecting guests now.

[wraith1701]

As he watched the Trill doctor exit the lounge, K'Tan sighed.  Way to go, Romeo, he thought ironically, the hint of a self deprecating smile forming on his lips.  While he was disappointed with the briefness of his visit , he respected the doctors' commitment to her duty and to the welfare of the crew.

I hope ensign Farmer is allright, he thought.

Grabbing his drink, he stood and headed for the exit.  He noticed the Opps chief regarding him with a bemused expression; K'Tan silently raised his drink in acknowledgement.  Moving on, he drew near Lt. D'Callan's table; the security chief shot him a smile. 

"Well, how did that go, mate?" D'Callan said with a grin. 

"I'm honestly not sure," K'Tan replied to his friend.  "But I was true to myself, and acted on what I felt.  To have done otherwise would have been dishonorable.  And you have to hand it to the doctor.  Like us, she is charged with guarding the welfare of the crew.  She saw a comrade in distress, and immediately acted on it."   K'Tan smiled.   "A very Klingon attitude, if you ask me."   

The Lt. Commander set his drink on the table, and turned to leave.  "I'm going to get some sleep.  I'll see you tomorrow at the Captain's briefing."

[institches]

Joint post with Moyer 777 and Jen


   Margon met them at the door.

    "Welcome Ensign, Doctor," He smiled. "I've been expecting you. I have looked over your communication and think maybe I can help. Have you ever had holotherapy?"

    Ensign Farmer looked at the counselor. "No, not the kind you are offering."

    Counselor Margon invited them in to a pleasant-looking office complete with three chairs. The group sat down. Margon bother with small talk: he got right to the point.

    "So I understand you're afraid of breeding."

    "I'm not ready to die yet. That's why I left."

    "Computer," the Counselor said, "Activate interface, Farmer one."

    The computer chirped and the lights darkened a bit, the chair Ensign Farmer was sitting on expanded and kicked back a bit, making her more comfortable.

    Ensign Farmer's eyes were closed and her direct olfactory interface with the ship's computer was working perfectly. The holo-emitters created everything she could describe.

    "Tell me the first thing you remember." Margon said in a calm voice.

    The surroundings changed before them, the holo-interface was working perfectly.

    "The gate. Wash and Stone were with me." A gate with a complicated latch appeared in the middle of the room. Three small naked and filthy children worked together to open it. They used sticks and a long strip of bark as tools.

    "Where was the gate?"

    "The second yellowfruit tree reservation. That's where I was born." Behind the children appeared lush trees, filled with golden fruit. A delicate nectar floated on the breeze. The children succeeded in their task and ran out of the gate, into the arms of smiling and laughing young adults. Unlike the adult Ensign Farmer they knew, all of these Fertillians had three facial gill-slits on either side of their noses. One woman in a saffron skirt laughed as she lifted the young Spring Farmer and bore her away.

    Margon felt something. He wasn't an empath, but he was compassionate and had discernment. He felt goosebumps rise on the back of his neck. If they were going to explore her past like this it would call for a combination of holo- and hypno-therapy. He didn't want to risk exposure of a past negative experience that could trigger a breakdown.

    "Computer," the counselor said softly,"Farmer, program 3."

    A soft light began to pulsate above Ensign Farmer. She opened her eyes and seemed to be mesmerized by the pulsating rhythm. Soon her eyes closed and her body relaxed. She was under now, so the Counselor could explore her past without disrupting her present.

    Ryla watched, fascinated by the whole scene.

    "Let's go back," he said, "Back before the gate. Show us what's away from the gate."

    A young holographic Spring led Margon and Ryla back through the gate and into the trees. The scent of the yellowfruit was pleasant but not overwhelming. As they passed through a glade, the smell of rotting meat assaulted their nostrils. Ryla spotted a discolored meaty bone and headed toward it. "What's this?"

    The young girl shook her head and repeated the rotting meat smell. "No good. That's not food." She continued through the glade, passing the richly laden yellowfruit trees without interest.

    Ryla asked, "What do you eat?"

    The girl turned a blank face to her. "Food."

    "Can you show us?"

    A short walk brought them to a gory vision: two adult Fertillians, wrapped in each other and unconscious or dead, crawling with eight or nine voracious infants that were slowly devouring their parents. The partially eaten corpses of an equal number of infants lay nearby. The holographic girl pointed to the hideous tableau: "Food." She knelt and reached toward them.

    Ryla's gorge rose and she spoke quickly. "Computer, end program!" After the holoimages had dispersed, Ryla and Margon looked at each other, faces mirroring the other's shock. The Trill had paled, her spots standing out more than usual around her usually light tan face. She looked over at Spring, still deep in hypnosis. "Should we tell her?"

    Margon's blue face darkened. "Are you kidding me?"



    "Here's the pheromone profile." Ryla punched up a combination of scents, their pungency amplified for the convenience of those the Fertillians would call nose-deaf. A holographic image appeared to match it. "Oops. I didn't mean to..."

    The rotund Bolian stayed her hand. "No. I need to know this." He slowly circled the familiar form and looked back at Spring, relaxed in the reclining chair. "So that's our little girl's crush. Surprising it hasn't happened before now, considering."

    Ryla turned a concerned face to her colleague. "Somehow we need to bring her back to prepubescence. It would be an invasive procedure, and complicated, considering the state of Fertillian medicine. I'd hate to subject her to that, but I can't think of anything else I can do."

    Margon tapped his chin. "I've got an idea. It's going to take some time, and she'll have to come in for therapy. Have you heard of post-hypnotic suggestion?"

[Omra]

When Shyn had finished the beverage her supervisor had provided and watched the cheery looking blue man leave.  She realized her friend had still not returned from the bar.  When she looked over and saw the number of empty shot glasses on the counter beside her she grew worried.  Drinking alone was bad enough but drinking when you are distraught is self destructive.  Shyn rose to rescue her friend.

The sound of Shyn dragging her argumentative friend back to the table broke the two men's musical reverie.  They watched as the tipsy Elloran plopped down into her chair.  Dunn took the opportunity to try and patch things up among the squad, "I am sure the Lieutenant meant no disrespect when he laughed at your comment..."  He nudged D'Callan's elbow who then nodded and explained, "Right,... I wasn't laughing at you," he gestured to the now empty stage, "I was laughing at the image in my mind of Margon dancing around in tights banging pipes and waving sticks to make music..."

Drah'Vehn snorted and laughed, "Dat wood be foonie..."  The table laughed and the nervous tension that had arrived with the Elloran dissipated until she reached for a beer.  Shyn slid it out of her sloppy grasp.  Drah'Vehn scowled, "Aye, whot's al' this then...?"  D'Callan looked to Dunn, "Is my accent contagious?"  Dunn answered totally deadpan, "Accent?" he looked to him quizzically, "who's got a bloom'n accent?"  They laughed.

Drah'Vehn's fingers twitched as she stretched trying to reach the beer, Shyn pulled it back further, "You know the rules..."

D'Callan and Dunn spoke in unison, "Rules?"  Drah'Vehn's bloodshot eyes narrowed, "Your eeeeeeevvvviiiiilll..."  The two men looked to Shyn expectantly, she smiled when she saw their eager faces, and then looked back to Drah'Vehn who now was crossing her fingers in a makeshift cross as if to ward her off.  The Elloran hissed, "Evil..."

Shyn explained, "In order to keep her from getting into too much trouble we have an arrangement, if I think she has had too much to drink she must pass a test."  Drah'Vehn glared at her and in her best Jean Luc Picard voice pronounced, "There are ... FOUR... lights!"  D'Callan and Dunn burst out laughing, slapping the table and almost coming to tears.  Joseph stated, "Oh God, she almost deserves one after that..."

Drah'Vehn looked to Shyn expectantly after his comment.  Dunn interupted to bring the conversation back on track, "What is this test?"  Shyn smiled, "She has to say my FULL name."  D'Callan winced, "Ouch!"  He laughed and looked over to Dunn.  Dunn smiled and stated, "Don't look at me, I can't say it sober..." 

Shyn looked Drah'Vehn in the eyes, which was not easy since the Ellorans eyes were not tracking well.  And she ordered her to, "Say it." 

The Ellorans lips twisted and out came, "SShhh... Shhh... Channella'Broccolli."

The Ellorans expression went from one of hope to defeat when she heard the men's laughter, she sighed and hung her head.

[Omra]

D'Callan leaned forward on the table,"I bet there is an interesting story behind this test."  Shyn chuckled, "Ellorans don't seem to react to Synthahol the way most Humanoids do," looking at her semiconscious friend, "I am not sure why, but their bodies seem to treat it like real alcohol."

She patted Drah'Vehn's hand, "we were having drinks with one of Korridan's friends, and she started slurring."  Nearly drooling Drah'Vehn muttered, "I like Pooch, he's gotta..."  Shyn dug her claws into the Elloran's hands.  She drew her hand back and rubbed it, "Whot was that foh?"  Shyn gave her a hard 'we aren't supposed to talk about that' look.  Realizing her mistake Drah'Vehn looked sheepish.

D"Callan chuckled, "We already know about Hooch's still."  The two ladies looked shocked.  He smiled, "Half of Starfleet knows about Hooch's stills," he shook his head, "how do you think he got the nickname?"  The girls looked at each other.  Dunn explained further, "He's one of the best tool pushers in Starfleet, that is why on every ship to which he is posted they look the other way when it comes to his 'hobbies'..."  D'Callan shook is head in amazement, "The funniest thing of all is," he couldn't help but chuckle, "he doesn't even like to drink the stuff, he uses most of it to clean parts."

The two women looked like they had just had a joke played on them.  Shyn scowled, "That sneaky old..."  The barely upright Elloran asked, "Wash he make it foh 'en?"   D'Callan looked to Dunn, Dunn shrugged, "It has something to do with his past, something to do with that colony he was on," his face pinched, "I think now he does it mostly because of the rep, people expect him to have it."  Dunn was transfixed by the Elloran's slow sliding slump to the tables surface.  He nudged Joseph, and inclined his head toward the deflating Elloran.

The Lieutenant rose, "Right, I think we better get her home..."  Shyn straightened her friend up and pulled the chair away from the table.  Dunn secured the cricket bat for his friend as D'Callan lifted the limp security officer from her throne.  Shyn grabbed her legs and they proceeded to the exit, surprisingly they drew little attention, or at least the occupants were too polite to stare.

The door whooshed open as they neared the exit, and in walked one of the girls roommates, a young J'naii named Sorena, Drah'Vehn waved to her, "Hey Sorey..."  Sorena walked up to Drah'Vehn with a big smile, "I am so happy for you, I am sorry I missed the ceremony."  Shyn and D'Callan exchanged puzzled looks.  Sorena noticed the Lieutenant's funny expression, "You are carrying her across the threshhold are you not?"  His jaw dropped and he looked down to the Elloran, she winked and blew him a kiss.  The J'naii took that as a 'yes', she walked over and patted him on the shoulder, "You are a very lucky man."  And then strode off leaving the stunned man holding the giggling Elloran.

He looked over to Shyn who was still holding the Elloran's feet, she just smiled back and joined in with the inebriated officers giggling.  Dunn chimed in, "Sir perhaps we should leave before any more rumors get started."  Joseph nodded, "Right, next thing you know I will have children too..."   Drah'Vehn smiled and was about to say something, D'Callan cut her off, "Don't say it!"  They got moving again and were nearly out of the 'Afterburner' when Drah'Vehn noticed Korridan standing beside the entrance staying out of everyones way, and watching with measured intrest the unusual procession.  She waved, "Hey Kory!"

Shyn looked in the direction of Drah'Vehn's gaze, and a smile came to her face when she saw her friend.  Valcore was about to greet her when a hand came to rest on his shoulder, he turned to see the owner, it was Rina.  Shyn's smile vanished, she became transfixed on the hand, she looked like she wanted to rip it off of its owners body.  Drah'Vehn saw Rina hold up a flat screen display for him to look at, the act had been purely innocent but Shyn missed it all because she had kept staring at the hand.

Drah'Vehn's heart pumped, panic set in, she needed to stop her friend from doing something stupid.  As glands started secreting 'fight or flight' enzymes into her bloodstream the reactants in the Synthahol finally kicked in.  And the fog began to lift from her mind, she needed to distract everyone and save her friend.  She blurted out for all to hear in a cheesy cockney accent, "RIGHT!, It's a fair cop!, but society's to blame!"  Shyn was startled back into reality and looked to her friend in puzzlement.  And no one else had noticed the dangerous fire that had been in Shyn's eyes, it had worked.  D'Callan snickered at the comment and added, "Right; well, we'll get them latter."

Once in the safety of the hallway Drah'Vehn stopped her act, she struggled to her feet and poked Shyn in the chest,"You need to address this whole Korridan thing before you get into some REAL trouble."  A bewildered expression took over Shyn's features, "What?"  And an urgent and hushed argument erupted.

Dunn muttered, "Oh crap, Girl Talk."  He shoved the cricket bat into D'Callans chest, "I'm outta here..."  And he strode off in the opposite direction of the intense conversation.  D'Callan watched his friend disappear down the hallway and then looked back at the scary exchange going on in front of him.

The 'World of Women', it is as mysterious and dangerous as a First Contact situation.  He looked to his chronometer; the time for the Mission briefing was not far off, he better excuse himself.  He looked back to the two feisty women, he raised a hand to wave goodbye but soon realized they were oblivious to everything else around them.  He shrugged and turned on his heels and casually strode away, twirling his cricket bat and whistling 'take 5' while thinking, "Well I shan't be bored here, that's for sure..."