Star Trek: Season 10

[Meds]

Legate Rayan and Joseph D'callan walked down the corridor in silence. Occasionally Rayan would look out the corner of his eye towards the six foot Australian. After a while he could not contain himself. " So Lt Commander" He smiled and looked directly at D'callan "You do seem to have your mind on something else. What is it that is bothering you. Your job? Starfleet? women?" Joseph flicked his eye at him but remained silent. "Ah a woman. How typical of human to be concentrating on copulating" he laughed slightly and looked ahead. D'callan smiled "If you would come this way Sir" Joseph opened a door and walked in, Rayan followed and his eyes dipped slightly as he saw the various cells in front of him. Joseph put his hand on the Cardassians shoulder.

"As you see this is a fairly large room, available on all Starfleet vessels. Self contained wash basin and of course a stainless steel toilet, sitting required and an open view so all can see you drop your pants. Now Legate Rayan if you insist on attempting to humor me with your reptile wit I'll make sure you'll be spending the rest of your journey on show for all the happy children to point and throw peanuts at. Do I make myself clear?"

The Legate straightened and stretched his neck so pulled the leather uniform. "Its not really my kind of 'pad'. If you'd be so kind as to show me to the erm, dorms in erm...."

D'callan looked him as he pressed the button on the wall panel "Shuttle bay two, this way....Sir"

The door of the brig swished open and the Legate left the room a lo quicker than when he walked in. D'Callan followed smiling to himself.

It didn't take them long to reach shuttle bay two, Rayan had quickened his pace since seeing the Brig. Joseph nodded to the two security guards and they opened the door. "Enjoy your stay Rayan" the Cardassian smiled as he walked in and the door closed immediately. Joseph looked at his men "Help anyone who needs assistance, make sure you make them feel welcome understand. You're not guarding them you're the guides, well apart from our new member of the Arabella tourist team. If Legate Rayan wants to leave you escort him, only one of you mind, and you notify me or the XO.?" The two guards stood to attention "Sir"

Joseph turned and headed towards the turbo lift when his com badge chirped.

"Zremm to D'Callan. Could i see you in my office please?"

Stopping still he took in a deep breath "On my way Lt Commander, do you mind if i grab a snack on the way, I've not eaten since we started the evac mission"

Zremm replied quick quickly "Sure Joseph, see you asap"

Entering the turbo lift Joseph and then wondered about food, "huh, replicator food, guess it will have to do"

[Jen]

Joint Post By Jen and Just X

"...then it is safe to assume that Nevaul and Murynn have been bathed as well as the dog?"

"Yes, mother.  I have dried them off and returned them to our quarters," said Aria over the com.

"Did you have fun?" asked Aeric. A smile had spread across his face at the image formed by Aria's description.

"Yes, sir," came their daughter's even reply.

"Good. Your mother and I will be off duty soon...we'll have our picnic then."

"Yes!" Aria's response was in stark contrast to her previously unaffected voice, she was obviously looking forward to their trip to the holodeck.



A sea of stretched stars were visible from the large windows of the captain's ready room, as the Arabella raced towards her rendezvous with the rest of the fleet. It had been several hours since they safely detonated the derelict freighter and made the jump to warp. While many of the Romulan refugees were quartered in the newly constructed cargo bay dormitories, Federation diplomatic protocol dictated that government officials should be provided with private guest and ambassador suites. This was a decision that could not be avoided, but it was also one that did not sit well with many of the refugees who felt the senate was responsible for their current situation.

Aeric took another sip of his carbonated beverage, and turned his full attention to the captain... It would be a few more minutes before he could officially think of her as his wife again.

When Commander James had finished briefing the Captain on the events of their rescue mission, he studied the security reports. "I'm surprised that you let Ms. Jarok out of the Brig." Aeric said between sips of his replicated cola. He was lounging in an over-stuffed crimson chair, with his feet propped up on the arm. In contrast to his casual bearing, Sevryll maintained a perfect posture from her place behind her high-gloss, ebony desk. She flicked her eyes to his boots that were crossed and resting on the chair and he moved them swiftly to the floor with a broadening grin.  "Given the possible results of Jarok's actions," he continued, "I would suggest the counselor meet with her to determine the depth of her mental issues and how those problems may affect ship operations."

The warm Vulcan spices that made up Sevryll's tea, were pleasantly aromatic and rose with the steam to fill the small Ready Room. The space that surrounded them was practical, yet comfortable; it's contents indicative of the Captain's cultural heritage. A large painting, created by a long dead Vulcan Master, hung on the wall over the scarlet settee Aeric claimed during their meeting. The work was an abstract representation of Mount Sela, a spiritually significant land mass that once existed on a homeworld she never knew.  Resting on the floor near the large viewport, was the harp that her father played for her as a child. Sevryll was not a gifted musician herself and rarely plucked the strings, but its presence reminded her of the father she had been seeking since the moment they crossed the Neutral Zone. Sokrell lived amongst the Romulans for many years as a diplomat, intent on uniting the Vulcan people with their sundered kin. He had been in Romulan Space during the ultra nova and neither his wife nor his daughter had heard from him since that time. The Captain sighed inwardly—the Romulans were not the only victims of the tragedy.

She considered Commander James over her cup of tea. He was not questioning her measures regarding Jarok's release. Though he was no 'yes man', in the forty years that they served together he never once felt the need to challenge her decisions. The suggestion he made, a moment before, was a mixture of curiosity and duty and she valued his advice even if she did not always put it practice.  "I am no counselor, Commander, but I am quite certain that Nalah Jarok is in fact mentally stable... " She gazed into the cup she had been turning absently in her hands then lifted it to her lips and took a sip of the bitter-sweet beverage. The starlight that streaked before them, reflected in the dark eyes that she now settled on her first officer. "These people are under much duress. The Romulans aboard that ship survived a cataclysmic event only to be attacked by their own military....'salt on open wounds' as the Terrains say. And given the history between the Empire and Federation, it is understandable that Ms. Jarok would suspect sinister intentions of our rescue team." She glanced to the PADD once more and read the line detailing her orders regarding Jarok then returned her gaze to Aeric, "I have, however, requested that security monitor her activities should my logic in this matter be proven erroneous. She will not be free to roam this ship without an escort."

Aeric nodded his head in agreement, "I can't find any objections to that. We're going to need a team put together to start working on a replacement for the Presidio."

"Indeed. Lieutenant Commander Tolok will assist in the teams formation," said Sevryll.

Aeric looked over one of the many PADDs before sliding it to the captain, "Have the civilians selected their spokesperson yet or are they still deferring to the senate?"

"Senator Ketleck has assumed the role of representative. But many of his constituents blame the government for the dilemma they find themselves in now."

A soft sigh escaped Aeric's lips, "I've notified cook about a potential diplomatic dinner." Aeric smiled to his wife, "I'm sure that Chef Doyan would jump at the chance to cook something other than Zremm's pastries."


"What are we going to do about the Legate?" Aeric mused. "He seems quite full of himself and I think that he might be more a problem than a help on this mission."

"Yes...he is rather pompous." She fell quiet a moment pondering the alternatives. "I don't trust him. Perhaps we will learn more once the High Command has finally returned our inquiries, but in the mean time we should learn what we can from the Romulan Senators. I've asked Mr. D'Callan to keep him under guard until we know for certain who he is and why he be believes he holds influence over our guests..."

"...And then there is the matter of the encrypted files Zremm discovered in the download of the transport's databases," said Sevryll.

"It seems we have our work cut out for us this week," Aeric replied. "I think that resolves any pressing issues that can't wait until tomorrow. We've earned the right to be off for a few hours and I'm starving."

Sevryll nodded as she stood and reordered the PADDs on her desk, "yes... but I am not interested revisiting the Klingon menu. The few vegetarian dishes the Klingon people prepare, are suited only for cleaning plasma conduits."

Aeric grinned, "Perhaps we can try Romulan on the picnic ... like the Klingon's they are meat eaters too. We're going to have find something that appeals to you to keep from offending them during the dinner."

"I shall endeavor not to insult them," said Sevryll with a the slightest hint of sarcasm. The Vulcan stopped at the door, waiting for her husband to haul himself out of the settee he had been lounging in, "if you sat in that chair in the manner with which it was designed to hold you, you would not have such difficulty."

Aeric rose and stretched. He took a deep breath and moved towards the exit with the captain. He offered her a crooked smile, "And what would be the fun in that? If the designers had created it with actual comfort in mind, I would be far less prone to improvise."

Sevryll suppressed the desire to snort at his remark, and instead arched a brow at him as they stepped onto the bridge and moved to the turbolift. When they turned to face the doors she added, "you would improvise whether the chair was designed to your specifications or not...and that is perhaps one of the most endearing qualities you posses."

Aeric chuckled at the comment and briefly brought the tips of two fingers into contact with those of his wife's. The touch seemed to awaken their senses, bringing them sharpness and clarity that was more invigorating than any stimulant could provide. There was a reason why they limited their contact in public. It wasn't that the brushing of finger tips was inappropriate, but rather a display of affection they preferred to keep to themselves, for that simple contact carried with it a passion that after more than forty years, showed no signs of dimming.

[Feathers]

Tolok sat at the engineering duty station on the Bridge and stared at the monitor before him. Although Alpha shift had gone off duty a while ago, it had become his habit to spend time up here at the start of the Beta shift rotation to do some research or read reports or whatever other extra work was required. The Beta shift Engineering Officer liked to work within sight of the warp core, an attitude Tolok encouraged, leaving the bridge station available for such duties at this time.

The Lieutenant Commander believed in maintaining a strict separation between his duty and off-duty activities, so avoided working in his quarters wherever possible. On his previous vessel, he had also found that the Chief Engineer's presence on the bridge did no harm to the relationship between his department and the Beta shift command crew and kept him appraised of current mission objectives and operational constraints. It wasn't regulation, certainly, but it was logical.

Currently, the Engineer was looking over the specifications of the Volga class runabout in the expectation that the Captain would wish to replace the craft sacrificed in the destruction of the Romulan cargo transport. While the Arabella was not a space dock facility, it was also not unheard of for vessels on deep space missions to replenish their own supply of small craft after such incidents. The advantage here was that that they were not alone but part of a larger fleet and thus had access to both resources and construction space that would not otherwise be available to them. The latter was particularly important now that one of the shuttle bays had been given over to serve as a refugee centre.

Being not unfamiliar with the specifications, the exercise he was engaged in was more of a refresher than a learning exercise but it was proving beneficial. To his chagrin, it appeared that he had could not immediately recall as much detail on the vessel as he felt he ought to be able to, his time of study on Vulcan having had more of an impact on him than he had realised.

Had he been human he would have smiled at this revelation. Being Vulcan, he simply continued to study.

[Feathers]

As the door to his quarters closed behind him, Lieutenant Galdar unfastened his tunic and headed across the living space to the bedroom and a change of clothes.

His shift having been somewhat less eventful than he'd feared, he was surprised to find himself free to meet Ryla for the drink they'd arranged and was determined to take advantage of the sudden availability. With any luck, he'd beat her to the bar too!

He grinned at the thought as he changed. Beating Drett to the bar had become a bit of a game with him over the years, largely because it was something he could normally manage without too many problems. Even when late himself, he was normally earlier than his friend.

On countless occasions he'd arrived first for a drink, a meal or some other occasion by the smallest of margins but he always managed to appear to have been there for hours when the Trill arrived, making a big play of it on each occasion. He still couldn't decide whether she'd worked this game out or not but the fervency of some of her apologies tended to suggest she was still in the dark over the whole thing.

Still grinning, he headed back to the door; only changing direction at the last minute to enter the bathroom, splashing a couple of handfuls of water on his face and head.

"Must ask for some more of that moisturising cream." he muttered as he headed back out of the room.

[Shelby D]

Joint Post by Feathers and Crystal


As Galdar trotted round the corner, he was confronted with the sight of Ensign Daelen standing at ease outside a cabin door. Not an unusual position for a Security Officer, he supposed, it was still a surprise to him to see Shelby standing there.

Slowing his pace a little, Galdar nodded to the Ensign as he passed. "Shelby", he stated in greeting.

Turning her head upon hearing her name Daelen's gray orb's set upon the Ferengi and she looked at him evenly. "Hello Galdar."  

"I'd have thought you'd be off duty by now too?", the Ferengi asked, slowing to a stop and turning back to face her impassive Romulan features. "The rescue mission was over while I was still on duty and that was a while ago."

"no, I've pulled guard duty for one of our 'guests'." she said, "I was going to actually contact you tonight about our holodeck booking this week and tell you I was going to need to cancel." The pair had made a regular appointment out of holo-suite gaming together. Doing a variety of things from epic battles to flying simulations; those Galdar loved the best.  

"Ah, no problem." the Lieutenant replied. "I pretty much wrote off today the moment we contacted that ship. I'm sure guarding dignitaries is more interesting anyway."

"My guest isn't quite a dignitary, just someone who needs a friend more than anything else." The Half-Romulan said with a ever so slight smile.

"Ha. Don't we all! Rule of acquisition...", he broke off, "Never mind."

"Touche` my friend....Where are you headed right now?"

"Afterburner. Long standing drinks engagement." Galdar hesitated, "Still, I guess I have longer to enjoy it now!"

"Enjoy."

Raising his hand in farewell, the Ferengi moved off. "Carry on, Ensign.", he called over his shoulder as he headed for the turbolift.

[Jen]

Joint post by Jen, Feathers and KC

The Orion/Terran hostess stood before Ryla Drett preparing the doctor's favorite drink: a "Yellow Fever". It sounded more deadly than it actually was, but Cyra Fredrick thought it an appropriate beverage for the blond physician. She was wearing her flaxen hair down and from the look of her attire Cyra was fairly certain the Trill was meeting a date, which was often the case for Ryla Drett. The doctor never came to the Afterburner alone...

The petite young woman watched as the first Romulan evacuees entered the establishment. "Tell me Cyra, is it illegal to serve Romulan Ale to Romulans?" She asked as she accepted the highball of Vodka and lemonade from the hostess. The Trill took an experimental sip and smiled her approval.  

"It would be a bit of a conundrum if that were so. But I'll see what I can do," Cyra replied, winking at her friend. The Orion glanced to the side to see if Ryla's latest male companion would walk through the door, but no one seemed to be headed in their direction. Curiosity burned inside her, but she did not want to seem nosey. It's not so much that I need to be, she thought. But it's still a courtesy.

As Cyra turned away, a diminutive orange form dashed around the corner, slowing to a casual saunter as it entered the lounge and looked around as if seeking someone. On seeing Ryla at the bar, the figure's face fell ever so slightly, then broadened into a very toothy grin. Oh well, thought the Ferengi, I can live with being beaten to the drinks occasionally. Serves me right for stopping to talk with Shelby.

Picking his way across the room, Galdar looked with interest at the higher than normal number of Vulcanoids. The presence of so many non-starfleet personnel on the ship would make for an interesting dynamic in the social areas and the number of supposedly 'off-duty' security personnel in the room testified to the fact that he wasn't the only person who thought so.

As he neared the bar he battled to remove the smile from his face, trying to assume a contrite expression. "Ryla, I'm sorry I'm late....", he started but the speech tailed off pretty quickly when his facial control failed and the grin reasserted itself. Collapsing onto a low stool beside the Trill, he shrugged mischieviously, "Oh, I'm sure you know how the speech goes!"

Ryla smiled at the the Ferengi seated beside her, "pleeease. When am I EVER on time? Besides, I'm the one who owes you an apology. I sort of made a date. I hope you don't mind if he joins us."

"Really?!", Galdar exclaimed without thinking. "Ah, I mean...OK, no problem. Anyone I know?"

The drink she lifted to her mouth paused before her lips touched the glass. She set it down and gestured to the man standing behind her friend, "Galdar, this is Lieutenant Jared Olson. Jared, this is Lieutenant Galdar."

The shuttle pilot wore a nervous expression, "ah...I've...I've heard a lot about you, Galdar...uh....Mr. Galdar." He started to offer a hand to the Ferengi, but decided to wipe his palms on his tunic before doing so. He was a tall, brawny man with neatly combed black hair and bright blue eyes framed by long dark lashes.

Cyra turned her attention to the new patrons and noted the slightly awkward situation the trio seemed to be in. She leaned over the bar, her arms folded over each other and greeted them with a pleasant smile. "May I get you anything, gentlemen?"

"A Starduster for me please", Galdar said, turning to Olson, "and..?"

Jared nodded, "..ah...Cosmopolitan please."

Cyra blinked a few times in astonishment, and then turned to Ryla with a raised eyebrow. The Trill didn't seem to notice—her smile seemed fixed on Jared as she absently swished the ice around her glass. "Okay then..." Cyra said at last. "Coming right up."

"Galdar used to pilot shuttles too," Ryla said in an attempt to strike up a conversation between the two.

The taller man, who had taken a seat on the other side of Ryla, leaned over to gaze down the bar at Galdar, "used to?" He managed to ask without stammering.

"Yes", Galdar leaned back against the bar, "and sometimes I wish I still did. Sitting back and watching others fly into half cloaked Romulan ships isn't the most impressive days work I've ever done." Straightening, he looked at the Lieutenant. "After the Tiberius was lost, I was assigned to a Starbase. Starbase shuttle service is... Well, I'm sure you know." Taking his drink, he raised it to his companions and took a long pull.

"Galdar is the Alpha shift helmsman," said Ryla with a note of pride.

Jared simply nodded. Silence stretched between them before Ryla brought up another topic, "Oh...guess who came into my sickbay today with a child."

Galdar shook his head.

"Was he bigger than a breadbox?" asked Cyra, sarcasm dripping from her question.

"What's a breadbox?" asked the Trill before taking a sip of her bright yellow beverage.

"Okay, I'll retract that question and ask another: does his name begin with a 'K' and end with a 'Tan?'"

Ryla frowned, "I think I'm going to refer to him as 'Mr. K'Itten' from this point forward.... but yes, you guessed correctly." Galdar snorted at the naming, a spray of Starduster striking the bar.

Cyra smirked and took the opportunity to applaud herself for her efforts while Galdar coughed and mopped his watering eyes. Ryla soon joined the Orion in her clapping, drawing the attention of a few of the Romulan patrons seated further down the bar. The Trill gave Jared Olson a wink and a smile before turning back to Cyra, "it wouldn't be very nice of me to speak unkindly of Mr. K'Itten. He did a good thing saving that child...and the rest of us," she added reluctantly.

Cyra smiled, but then she remembered the tall man sitting next to Doctor Drett with his bright pink mixed drink. "So Ryla, how exactly do you know Mr. Jared, here?"

The Trill regarded him with a smile, "we bumped into each other...literally. I still think he did it on purpose."

The Terran blushed as he laughed, "I...I...could never do that."

"Suuuure," Ryla gently teased. "I was coming out of Sickbay a week ago and he was coming in...and bam! That's how we met."

Jared smiled, "I... had an in-grown toe nail that needed attention." His statement was followed by more awkward silence.

"Yes... well... um..." Cyra wasn't quite sure how to finish her sentence. Jest? Sly insult? Admission to confusion? So, she chose to end her thought with two words. "Those hurt."

[Meds]

Yawning Joseph left Zremms, office, he was hungry, tired and seriously needed to hit the sack. Leaning against the wall he closed his eyes for a moment. "D'Callan to Dunn. Could you relieve Ensign Dealen from her position." Dunn replied in his usual quick, enthusiastic fashion "On my way Sir" Undoing his tunic for the second time today Joseph headed to his quarters, his mind buzzed with information, the Romulan ship, the injured, the senators and Legate Rayan and now Zremms findings. He tapped his badge "Ensign Daelen. Dunn is on his way to relieve you, please make your way to Lt Commander Zremms office. I want you to work with him, I think you'll find it interesting. Usual reports to be handed in after your shift"
Shelby sounded quite calm in her reply "Understood Sir,". he listened to her voice and soaked in her tone, he smiled gently and headed to his quarters for a well deserved sleep.

[wraith1701]

The room suddenly shifted around K'Tan; one wall of his quarters seemed to trade places with the ceiling as his back crashed through his living room end table.  Laying amid the shards or safety glass and bits of replicated wood, he stared up at the ceiling, growling as he tried to get his bearings.  Adrenaline quickly washed away his brief moment of disorientation. 

His assailant looked down at him with a self-satisfied smirk; a smirk K'Tan tried to wipe away with a swift sweep of his left leg, followed by a matching sweep of the right.  His assailant effortlessly hopped over each swipe, then danced back out of the Ops officer's range. As his attacker grabbed the bat'leth hanging on the wall,  K'Tan gathered himself to spring up. his lunge was cut short by the razor-sharp point of the bat'leth suddenly pressed against his throat.

"Do you yield?" his opponent panted.  The question was punctuated by a slight increase in the pressure against his throat; K'Tan froze as he felt a warm, wet trickle tickling it's way down his neck. 

"Damn it, yes, I yield!" he shouted.

The bat'leth was tossed away with a laugh, clattering against the far wall. His assailant then dropped down onto him, legs straddling his torso.  As the victor leaned into him, K'Tan inhaled against the pressing weight, drawing in a heady combination of sweat and fragrant sandalwood.  K'Tan's eyes flickered down, and a guilty smile played across his lips as he glimpsed his opponent's cleavage straining against her tunic.  Rose colored lips drew close to his ear, and a warm, tickling breath sent shivers through him as she whispered "Are you as turned on as I am?"

A sudden movement in the background caught the woman's attention; her eyes swung up, then widened in surprise.

"Um... What the hell...?"

K'Tan followed her gaze, and gave a mirthless chuckle. Peeking around the entrance to the darkened sleeping quarters was a small, pointy-eared child.  "Ahh. yes." 

As K'Tan sat up, the woman scrambled off of him; she then stood and adjusted her clothing. 

"I guess we woke him up,"  K'Tan said.  He gestured towards the child with a flourish.  "Tara, please meet--" He paused, at a loss for words.  "Please meet... my guest." 

Tara gave an uncertain smile, and waved at the child.  "Hello, little guy.  How are you?"

The child answered by ducking back into the room. 

"Well, he certainly is a talkative one, isn't he?" she said.

K'Tan moved next to Tara, draping an arm over her shoulder.  "I was planning on telling you about him, but you greeted me so enthusiastically, I didn't have time to. He appears to be an orphan; I found him on the Romulan wreck."

K'Tan turned to pick up his bat'leth, and hung it back on the wall.    "Come on, let's head to the Afterburner.  You two can get to know each other, and I can tell you all about it over dinner."

[X]

Oryn quietly rose and moved to the command chair of the small automated scout vessel. A gift from the Empress, The Sword of S'task had been designed and constructed on the Imperial equivalent of the The Vault. Along with the ship, Oryn was given very specific orders. He was to meet with the Federation Fleet and serve as the liaison of the Imperial State. It was the last time he had heard from the Empress and the orders were not easy to follow. The advanced systems of the scout ship had detected cloaked vessels in pursuit of his destination. It presented him with two options. Reveal himself to the ship he followed or continue to track the cloaked ships until they reveal their intentions. Oryn opted for the second option. He would hunt the hunter.

"Computer," the blue eyed Romulan spoke from the command chair. "Continue pursuit course."

"Confirmed." The seductive female voice replied.

"Also replicate a glass of Chulan ale vintage 2367 and begin The Ballad of S'task." Oryn said as he pulled the shoulder length hair from his face and placed the errant strands behind his ears.

Soft music began to fill the small ship as the glass containing the emerald Romulan ale appeared on his armrest. The former commander of Imperial Romulan State Security took a slow sip of the beverage and rolled the heady liquid in his mouth. Empress Donatra knew exactly what she was doing when she gave him the small vessel. It was crafted for comfort over what could be weeks of silent operations.  Automated systems made any crew redundant, but she held opulent quarters for two officers and bunks for half a dozen crew. She was still a small vessel, one designed to dock and be launched from the shuttle bay of any larger Romulan ship. While her size was similar to the Federation scout ship, her lines gave her the look of a bladed weapon that could be wielded by the gods.

Oryn leaned back in his chair and sipped his drink, "Continue pursuit course."

Oryn's mind drifted back to the item the Empress left him with at the behest of his benefactor. In her wisdom the Empress managed to smuggle the honor of the people off of the planet before it's destruction. For reasons beyond his understanding, Oryn had been tasked to carry that honor with him until the people could be restored. It was an honor that weighted on him and his humble upbringing, but one that he could not refuse.

Oryn rose with drink in hand and paced the cockpit of the shuttle. Despite the comfort and the holosuite, it was a lonely existence aboard the small ship. Hopefully, the isolation would soon be over.

[Allen]

The day was getting long. Herm had begun his duties early this morning, as usual, but the stress and excitement of finding the Romulans and rescuing them had given him and adrenaline high that was now wearing off.

Still, the Archeology and Anthropology officer was having the time of his life. This is what he loved, meeting new people, learning about them. However, the feeling was not mutual.

"Hello, I am Ensign Heraratlo, may I have your name and family relation, please?"

"Hrmph", replied the particularly grumpy, elder Romulan. Herm knew that, like Vulcans, Romulans were very long lived. A Romulan "senior citizen" was probably several centuries older than he ever hoped to be.

"I'm sorry, sir. I know this is difficult for you. I don't mean to disturb you. But I do need your name for our records. Then I will leave you alone."

The elderly Romulan looked up, examining the young Risian from head to toe. There was something calculating, but not unkind in the way the old man sized him up.

"You are Risian, aren't you?", he finally asked, "Why are you here in Romulan space with these "Starfleet" instead of on your home world making love to fat tourist women? And what happened to your hair?"

The question surprised the young ensign. Not that it was about his home world, as the birthmark on his forehead was unique to his race and well known throughout the galaxy. No, it was the crudeness of it coming from someone who seemed so... stately.

Herm smiled disarmingly at the old man. "It's a long story, sir. And to tell you about my hair would take even longer. Let's just say I lost my.... appetite... for overfed females."

Suddenly, there was a strange sound in the room. It started low, almost blending into the background. At first Herm thought there was something wrong with the ventalation system. But then it grew louder. A choppy, wheezing sound. Then the ensign realized the elder Romulan was laughing. Laughing so hard he couldn't catch his breath!

Then, with a great gasping sound, the man took a huge breath, then the laughter burst from him like geyser, filling the entire shuttlebay with the contagious sound.

Herm didn't know what he was laughing about, but couldn't help but chuckle along.

After several long minutes, the old man wiped tears away from his eyes. "Have a seat, Starfleet." This last he said with kindness, instead of as an insult as he had before.

"I am Sutpak Choro. Sit and keep an old man company."

[Shelby D]

Joint Post with BryanCd & Crystal

Watching Galdar leave, Shelby glanced back at the door, where Nalah was. It wasn't that Daelen wanted to go out and party; she wasn't that interested in such social meanderings. It was more that she wanted to investigate more of the information on Nalah's Father.

Maybe through finding more out about the situation she could prove to the Romulan woman that she was honorable and could even be a friend to her; if she let her.

---

Nalah remained seated in the chair as she continued to gaze out the small window. She found a small sense of calm and peace looking out towards the stars and she welcomed the respite. She knew the Vulcan Captain would be interviewing all the survivors, including the corrupt Senators. She hoped the woman would see through their lies and deceits.

Her thoughts drifted to Half Romulan Ensign who had bested her, a grudging sense of respect. She seemed to know a great deal about Nalah, but why should she care about the daughter of a traitor?

---

Shelby focused herself on the days events, what was next for them, all these people would need a place to go. They couldn't stay on the ship. What was the Captain going to do to 'prove' her good faith to the brunt of these people; would be interesting to say the least. There was an old human proverb 'You can please some of the people, some of the time. You can't please all of the people most of the time.'

She wasn't sure if she was recalling it right, but she knew it was something like that; which brought a half grin to her expression then as quick as it was there, it was gone again. Before she could let her thoughts drift to composing her report on the days events. Daelen's com-badge went off. It was D'Callan. He was sending Dunn in to relieve her and he wanted her to report to the science officer; Mister Zremm as soon as possible.

Shortly after receiving the message Dunn rounded the corner and after Shelby gave him a short report on the situation, the ensign departed for the science labs.

---  

Nalah stood and moved towards the door. She felt conflicted. For some reason she felt a degree of empathy with the Ensign. Perhaps they had more in common than she realized. Friends had never been a part of Nalah's life. Acquaintances mostly along with the occasional lover when she felt those needs, but never anything of meaning. She lived on the outside of a closed society, a society that was no more. Things change.

[Meds]

The green grass waved gently in the breeze, he breathed in the air, "lavender, oh what a beautiful smell". Below him bounced a joey, he bent down and put his hand out and the small animal sucked up the nuts and berries.

BLEEP, BLEEP, BLEEP.

"Strewth what the...."

Joseph sat up in bed, dazed from his pleasent dream. looking around his room he rubbed his eyes and concentrated on the flashing light above his monitor. Rising from his bed he stretched out "Computer play message"

"Message is in text only."

Joseph growled and sat down at his desk "Who's it from"

"The message is from Cardassian Central Command, reply from message sent by D'Callan 20..."

"Computer display the damn message, text only, typical"

Joseph yawned again and focused his eyes on the text in front of him, his eyes gracefully moved across each line taking in all the information. He sat back and looked across his room and up at his treasures cricket bat.

"Would you believe it....computer transfer message to my personal PADD."

He stood up and picked his uniform off his chair, he stopped and thought for a moment, "this is down time, family time, sleep time. It can wait.". Placing his uniform carefully back on the chair he glanced in the mirror and stood back to see that his hair had a taken an unwarranted vacation skywards. Getting back into bed and trying to flatten his hair he looked over to his badge, he tapped it. "D'Callan to Hayes. Legate Rayan is not to leave his temporary home. Understood" the quiet voice echoed back an acknowledgement and Joseph put his head back into his pillow. "now skippy me old mate, where did you go"

[Rico]

Joint post by Rico & Crystal

Walking into the lift Shelby turned and crisply spoke. "Deck 8." the hum of the lift relaxed the woman; although she was still a bit sore from her fight with Nalah. The ensign wasn't going to let that stop her. The trip was short, to the woman's disappointment, she knew though that there was work to be done and D'Callan's tempting call had her more than interested in what the Chief Science officer had found. The doors hissed open and the dark haired ensign strode with confidence towards the Zremm's office.

As Lieutenant Commander Zremm completed another data comparison of the files he was reviewing, his Andorian antennae picked up the sound of steps approaching his office.  So he found no need to even look up as he heard the young ensign standing at his door.  "Please come in and have a seat, Ensign Shelby."  He said, as he continued reviewing the files that had kept him preoccupied for the past several hours.  As he scanned over the latest set of readings Shelby took a chair near him at the computer station he was working at.

"I was ordered to report here to assist, Commander."  Shelby said in a slightly more formal tone than she had intended.

"Yes, Ensign.  I've been reviewing some of the data files from the Romulan ship, specifically the star charts.  And I've discovered some interesting anomalies."  The blue-skinned man said in a brisk, slightly tired tone.

"What sort of anomalies, sir?"  The ensign said, trying not to sound too eager.

"There is encoded information from a certain Senator Nevash.  I require your skill and expertise in refining the data stream.  Please tell me what types of data recovery methods you are familiar with, ensign?"  Zremm said as he waited for a reply.

Hearing this information had the effect of relaxing the officer and she actually gave him a half smile. "I've worked a little file and backup recovery. Assorted styles and types of encryption, encoding, decoding.... Let me see what you have."  Shelby looked over the Andorian's shoulder and began to read through what he had discovered.

"The encryption isn't very sophisticated.  Perhaps the files were meant to be found and we just happen to be in the right place at the right time.  I'm trying an isolinear data packet filter now.  Please open node 1-B-alpha, Ensign Daelen."

Moving over to one of the other chairs, the woman sat and used the console to set up the node that Zremm asked for. "Done." There was a pause and she added after a bit of thought. "I think it is very likely that someone wanted to be able to access this eventually." The ensign continued to scan the information that Zremm was digging out. "Can you access that sub-routine?"

"Certainly.  Computer, grant temporary access to decryption sub-routines to Ensign Shelby Daelen.  Authorization code, Zremm, 2-beta-alpha-3-zero-one."  The science officer said.  The computer soon replied and Shelby got to work.

Her gray orbs studied and processed the information that the sky blue Commander pulled up on the screen, upon her request. "Hmmmm," there were several Romulan characters in the file and then a series of numbers. Crossing her arms along her chest she sighed. "This looks like a bunch of personal files. Can you isolated them?"

"Yes.  I'm running the data through the universal translator now.  I believe we should share this soon with Captain Sevryll.  She wanted to know what we discovered as soon as we had something."  Zremm commented.

After the unencrypted information began to stream out of the system, Shelby leaned a bit closer to the screen and started scanning some of the information. "Lluadh...." she said in a low voice. "There is a lot in here." Her gaze turned to the Lieutenant Commander. "It's a mix of files, some personal but there is also very sensitive information about Nevash." While scanning the documents, Shelby caught sight of a familiar name. Jarok. Stopping the stream she reversed and located a series of files relating to Admiral Jarok. "Huh....interesting...." Then she moved onwards, making a mental note of the line index. "I think every underhanded, backstabbing or dirty deed our dear Senator has been involved in since joining the senate and possibly..." she faded a little. "Even before that....is documented in here....."

[X]

Aboard the S'task, Oryn carefully plotted his next course of action. As much as he would like to issue a warning to the Federation Fleet, doing so would reveal his position. He needed a second option that would not do that.

He racked his mind at the choices and, with the efficiency of a vulcan, calculated the probability of success. The riskiest of the options also felt like it would be the most exciting. Was there every really a choice?

Oryn moved to the controls of the vessel, "Computer, release controls to manual."

Oryn fingers moved over the controls like an musician playing their instrument. He targeted the Federation vessel and increased the speed of his own craft.

Within minutes, the cloaked Sword of S'task inched forward above the hull of the Intrepid II Class vessel. Matching the frequency of it's warp field to allow edthe smaller ship entry with only the slightest of disruptions to the larger's warp field integrity.

"Extend magnetic clamps." Oryn said as he moved his smaller ship closer to the hull of the larger one. Settling on the area of the vessel just behind the bridge.

"Magnetic clamps extended," replied the ships computer.

Oryn focused is thoughts and lowered his craft to the surface of the still at warp vessel. Meters reduced to centimeters, until there was only the smallest gap between them.

"Engage magnetic clamps." Oryn ordered and allowed his ship to cling lamprey-like to the more massive ship. As a credit to his training there was only the slightest of bumps on the completed landing.

"Status of cloak?" Oryn asked.

"Cloak is function at 100%," the smokey voice replied.

Oryn rose from the console and stretched. Now for the next phase of his mission. Should he attempt communication with the vessel or transport to it? Both would have there dangers and both would have their own unique rewards.

[Jen]

Joint Post by Jen, Feathers and KC

"Indeed...they can be quiet painful," said Ryla in a clinical tone, though inwardly she was grimacing—embarrassed for Olson.

Cyra merely nodded at the comment, no longer trusting what words might come out of her mouth lest she insult Jared.

Feeling a little more comfortable, now that he had half his Cosmo downed, the Terran continued, "oh, yes...ingrown toe nails are very painful. But the treatments these days are far less archaic than they were a few centuries ago. In nearly all cases, drainage of blood or watery discharge—"

"—so anyway," Ryla briskly interrupted. While friendly and very easy on the eyes, Jared Olson was definitely not her type and their first, and consequently their last, date had certainly cleared any doubts she may have had regarding this fact. It seemed she had a talent for finding men who were not a good match. Intent on changing the subject she moved on, "I'm going to be assisting 'Mr. K'Itten' with the boy he's now caring for."

Jared released an awkward laugh. Several patrons turned their attention toward the sound of the horribly loud, wheezing cackle that conquered the den of the Afterburner. It was now obvious that Jared's lack of social skills were not simply a result of his shy nature. The Trill turned her head to Galdar and mouthed the words: 'help me'.

Putting his drink down carefully, Galdar looked at Ryla, drawing out the silence for as long as he dared. As the desperation built in her eyes, he felt a corresponding twinkle grow in his own. Finally giving in, he glanced down at his baggy, blue trousers then back at the Doctor. "So, what's the child's story? Were his or her parents not rescued and brought aboard also?" he asked.

The doctor shook her head, her newly regained smile slipping slightly. "Not that we know of, no. He's not saying much at the moment but he seems to be alone."

Galdar shook his head and snagged his drink again, the sudden somber mood feeling out of place in the normally cheerful lounge. As he drained the contents of the glass, the Ferengi struggled to think of something more cheerful to discuss, a story to tell or a tale to recount. Finding Ryla with someone who seemed to take an interest in her, he didn't want to let the occasion fall flat.

"Have you seen Danny recently?" he asked, the twinkle back in his eye.

"Who's Danny?" Jared inquired as he motioned to Cyra for another Cosmo.

"Lieutenant Commander Young is the Chief Medical officer aboard the Boris Yegerov," said Ryla, "I think you may be disappointed to know, Galdar, that all of his hair has grown back." She once had a relationship with Danny. During her academy days the young Trill had a penchant for muscles. At the time, Danny's muscles enabled her to overlook the fact that, in addition to training his physique, he also worked hard to shape his moral fiber into that of an arrogant jerk. After a while, it became clear to Ryla that Danny Young loved himself more than her.

Cyra raised a hand to catch their attention. "Excuse me? Danny? Hair loss? What?" she asked.

"He was my boyfriend. I broke up with him because he was an ass..." She took another sip of her drink, swirled the ice in her glass again and glanced to the Ferengi, "I'll let you fill her in on 'Operation Sonic Strike'."

Galdar waggled his empty glass at Cyra and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh, where to begin...." he muttered theatrically.

"Sonic Strike was an extra-curricular away mission that we undertook at the academy. Ryla was the assigned physician and I was the security detail." He tapped his left lobe meaningfully and grinned again, "It was an infiltration and extraction job at a secure facility...." he tailed off and sighed when he noticed the look in the CMO's eyes.

"OK, OK. Sonic Strike was a Cadet prank that Lieutenant Commander Young well and truly deserved for a moment of crass behavior." Ryla nodded agreement as he continued, "We crept into his quarters at the Academy one evening and reprogrammed his sonic shower...and for a brief period it became the biggest sonic shaver on the planet." Nodding his thanks to Cyra, he took his refilled glass and swallowed a couple of mouthfuls of the beverage.

Further down the bar, noise levels briefly rose among a small group of Romulans before subsiding to previous levels. A number of ostensibly off-duty security officers twitched at their tables in response.

"We got in and out without trouble and everything seemed to go as intended. You should have seen him the following morning!" The Ferengi continued, "he was not a happy human and for some reason he didn't seem quite as...confident as before." Closing his eyes briefly, he pictured the Cadet as he'd appeared that day. "There was an immediate investigation, of course, but I'm not sure how vigorously it was pursued. If Kate hadn't eventually come out of hiding and shown herself in public the following day, I think the whole thing would have been dropped but as rule nineteen clearly states, 'Satisfaction is not guaranteed'." Taking up his drink again, he nodded at Ryla who simply smiled at him.

Jared looked confused, "Who...Who's K...Kate?"

Looking slightly mournful, Galdar stared through the window, lost in the pattern of elongated stars rushing away behind the ship. "Kate was..." he took another sip of the Starduster, "Kate was what could be described as collateral damage...or a target of opportunity depending on your point of view."

"The shower was configured to effectively remove all bodily hair from anyone using it for a period of twelve hours. Shower in that unit before bed and you'd wake up bald in the morning, sleeping on a lovely downy mattress. Danny used the shower as intended...but so did Kate." If Ferengi had eyebrows, Galdar may have waggled them suggestively at this point. It was something he'd once seen on an old Earth vid and had always wanted to try.

"For some reason, a bald woman is seen as a bigger victim than a bald man and so deserving of a better investigation and a more severe punishment."

Ryla smirked, "served her right. The backstabbing..." her tone suddenly shifted from one of distaste to a more typically pleasant sound, "you know they're married now? Kate is the Alpha Shift helmsman aboard the Yegerov."

Lieutenant Olson, laughed as if her statement of fact had instead been the punchline of a joke. Jared's snorts continued for a few more seconds before he managed to get his distracting laughter under control.

"You alright there?" Cyra asked as she patted him on the back.

"Good career choice", nodded Galdar, catching Ryla's eye, "and I'm sure she's a very...safe option for a medical ship."