Mission 16 - The Waiting Game

[N'rass]

<<Sickbay, USS Malinche, Day 2, 1200 Hours>>

Roen looked a Padd of data and spreadsheets over as she sat at her desk. Eventually she sighed, dropping the device on the desk and leaning back in her chair.

"All done. Finally. So much to catch up on but I did it." She said to herself. I guess I should go see how the ACFCO is doing, after all I haven't met him yet.

She stood up and walked out of her office to the bustle of the shuttle bay. The ship was well sound padded in most places but the hard floor of the bay made the ship's hum loud relative to the rest. The crewmen on duty stood at attention as she walked by, which brought a smug smile to her face.

"At ease. Badge me if you need me." She stated flatly, walking out the door to the turbolift. "Sickbay" She uttered and it began it's motion.

Since it was a bit of a trip, she had a moment to straighten her uniform for a good first impression. Since he was her superior, she wanted to make it a good one.

When the door opened, she made her way to sickbay where she approached a nurse. "I am here to see Mr. McCarty. Could you take me to him?"

The nurse nodded. "Please wait here a moment." She turned and walked towards a female engineering officer positioned beside a bed with a man lying down. He was smiling and looked to be in good spirits. The nurse pointed Roen out to the officer who set a puzzled look upon the Bajoran. She dismissed the nurse and made her way towards Roen.

The female officer quickly scanned Roen as she made her way over as a way to gain a bearing on whom she would be talking to. "Hello Warrant. My name is Lieutenant Commander Anna Ferris, I am the Chief Engineer aboard the USS Destiny, Mr. McCarty's former assignment. Whom would you be?" she asked curiously.

The bajoran moved an eyebrow as to why a Chief Engineer would be talking to her but responded. "I am Chief Roen Anara, Shuttle bay manager. May I ask what brings you to this ship?"

Anna let out of soft laugh turning her attention away from Anara momentarily. "Of course. Jake and I are great friends and he came to see me before he hallucinated. I am here to support him in anyway I can." she began to giggle. "However he has had quite a few visitors lately I am relieved to see support is not in short supply. Please come I am sure he will be glad to see you." Anna turned and walked back towards Jake.

"I see." Roen said subtly. "Hallucinating? I had heard he had some medical condition but did not hear what sort." She remarked as they walked.

"We had a bad experience on Destiny before we arrived here. Jake and I lost a lot of good friends." A tear fell from her eye. "The doctors think it's some form of PTSD. It is unknown if he will recover but he is doing very good right now."

When they came to where Jake was, Roen stood at attention. "Chief Roen, Sir. I came to see how you were doing." She hoped it wasn't too formal, but liked her impressions to be proper.

Anna took a seat in a chair near Jake's bed fully intent on being more of an observer of the meeting.

Jake took a moment to look over the Bajoran standing before her. Although Jake was a very relaxed man he very much believed in respecting one on the first meeting. In his eyes respect earns respect. Chief Roen's introduction was very suiting. He guessed she must have been from the Bajoran Militia, such etiquette was standard to them. Jake would have expected nothing less had he been informed before hand.

He reached out his hand to her. "Lieutenant(JG) Jake McCarty, you can call me Jake I tend to skip the formalities unless the situation calls for it. However I thank you for the respectful greeting and visit. I am doing quite well." He took in a deep breath then released. "Now that we have that out of the way, where are you assigned. I haven't been briefed on your arrival...in fact I have not met the Chief Flight Control Officer yet myself. Have you had the chance to meet Lieutenant England?"

Anara shook her head. "No, Sir. I have not." She moved to a more 'at ease' posture, hands behind her back after receiving his handshake. It was a custom she was not particularly in favor of but accepted anyway.

"I am the Shuttle Bay operations manager. Thus far the operations have been effective and efficient. I had heard you had a medical situation, so I wanted to see how you were doing.

Jake leaned forward and sat up on the side of his bed. "Ah the shuttle bay! That's where I first started out as a pilot. You must have met Ensign N'Rass then? She's a pretty cool cat if you ask me. We had a nice chat a few days ago. Again I extend my thanks to you for your concern and for your work in the shuttle bay. How are you adjusting to the Malinche? A far cry from the Bajoran militia isn't it?"

"I have met her." She responded in a somewhat flatter tone. "We have met before." After a pause, she tried to sound a bit more positive. "I have been adjusting as well as could be expected. This is a typical Starfleet command structure, needless to say not the Militia." The roll of her eyes was slight but perceivable. "Have you a prognosis for return to duty yet?"

Jake McCarty was no counselor, but over the years he learned how to read a person quite well. Something about L'randil bothered Roen. He figured he would tread lightly to try and get a bearing on the situation. He did not want to have to visit Lieutenant England or Captain Kersare if he did not have to. He felt things we best sorted at the lowest level possible. Unfortunately his condition shed new light on his life and if this proved to be a problem he would be left with no choice. "Oh?" he replied trying to sound surprised. "A past assignment? Old friends perhaps?" He paused awaiting her reply.

She sighed. "Past assignment. When I was a wing leader, my squadron was temporarily on board the Thunderchild for a mission. She was one of the principal support crew for my wing." The tension was beginning to show. "I will not go farther in present company, Sir." She glanced to the engineer and back at him. "It is a long story and I do not feel it will benefit me to tell it. I am aware of the need to release it and I am doing my best to do so." Her gaze broke in a self conscious and nervous way.

Jake got up and placed his hand on Anara's shoulder. "Hey now. There is no need to feel ashamed. Take it from me, you take however long and you do whatever you need to do to find your way through this. If you ever need someone to lean on or talk to you feel free to come see me okay? Just promise me you won't let this affect your duties. Don't be afraid to step aside and take some time to yourself, eventually you will come back and this ship needs its crew operating at 100 percent."

Anna rose from her seat. "Excuse me guys, I need to go for a walk getting a little nauseated from being in sickbay too long, I'll return in a bit ok?"

Jake nodded and Anna left the room. Like him, she also could read a person. "How about you take a seat here. If you wanna talk and let it go right here by all means. No matter my condition I will never leave a man behind."

"Thank you, Sir." She said softly as she took Anna's seat. A few moments went by before she sighed and began talking. "It's just, in all my transfers and tours I never expected to meet her again. Let alone having her be my lead technician." She motioned with her hands above her head. "I mean, I know people change and get better but this brings up all kinds of feelings that I did not know I still had." She paused and tilted her view toward Jake. "I don't know if this will affect my duties, Sir."

Jake brushed his hair with his hand. "Well unfortunately Warrant, we do not always get to choose who we work with. There have been times I have been caught in some horrible situations with people I was not too fond of. In the end however, I had to get over my inhibitions and accept the circumstances as they were presented to me. I am sure if Starfleet felt Ensign N'Rass was unfit to be a technician she surely would not be aboard this ship."

He paused for a brief moment and sighed. He never thought he would find himself saying what he was about to say. "May I suggest you go see Lieutenant Zeral about this? Perhaps she could shed better light on the situation than I can. I can tell you from experience she is a very good counselor she is very understanding....As for duty, I can only recommend you try your best to deal with the situation. If you are unable to coup I must ask you speak with Lieutenant England immediately as I currently have no authority in the matter. I can't emphasize enough the importance of resolving this issue and not feeling ashamed of bringing it forward, no one will think any less of you and if they do rest assured they will answer for it."

She thought for a moment. "You are not in authority, Sir?" She said with surprise. "You have been removed from duty? I do not believe such drastic measures toward the caitian are necessary at this point, though pleasantries are out of the question for now."

Anara shifted in her seat to lean against the wall as Jake made his response.

Jake nodded affirmatively with a slight frown on his face. "That is correct Warrant. I was removed from duty by Lieutenant Zeral as a result of these hallucinations I have been having. It appears I too have some skeletons in the closet. All things aside please don't shove my advice aside. I did that for a lot of years and look where I am...not that I'm saying you will be. As for L'randil, no one is going to remove her from duty, the right people just need to know what's going on so we don't have any surprises."

Jake could not help but smile at the similarity of their situations despite the seriousness of the matter.

She smiled subtly through her tension at the similarity of their situations. "I think I will visit this Lt Zeral later. She has been recommended to me before by my previous counselor. This psychological stuff is unfamiliar to me. In the militia we just sucked it in and kept going. What are these hallucinations, if I may, Sir". She asked with a concerned but curious tone.

Jake pondered her last question for a moment. He decided to avoid it by addressing the first question. "Previous counselor? Where did you serve before? I too was sure the Bajoran Militia was all about just soldiering on. If you don't mind me asking Warrant, what were you seeing her for?"

Roen smirked at the deflection and sighed. "Actually, I did not seek help on it but she found me while I was waiting on 386. So I guess that's not all that much time. I have never been all that receptive to the idea of opening up about things, but she opened me up to it in a slight way. The complexity of the condition is quite surprising, as I am sure you have found yourself." She paused and had a self conscious flash.

Jake didn't know whether to be impressed or annoyed by Anara's perceptiveness. He noticed she stopped herself as if she had felt she had crossed a line. Jake did not want her shutting down now. "Yes opening up to others is never easy but sometimes necessary. I too used to suck it up and move on." He paused briefly. "The other counselor....Betazoid wasn't she? They have a knack for opening others up to things they would normally not share."

"This is very new for me to be talking about with a superior. Please excuse my rambling, Sir."

"Warrant I will not excuse you for something you didn't do. You are simply reaching out for help and it is my duty as your superior to provide that, Active or not."

She nodded. "Thank you, Sir." Repositioning, she continued. "Yes, in fact she was. I respect this in a superior officer. This was not always the case, but I am increasingly seeing the merits in it."

"Well then I know you and Lieutenant Zeral will get along quite well." He said with a smile.

"You were a pilot before coming here? May I ask what rating? I commanded a peregrine fighter wing before coming here." She looked off in the distance with a reminiscent glare. "Sometimes I miss it."

"Before the Malinche I served aboard the USS Destiny for 3 years. I started as a shuttle pilot however I was moved to the bridge after Captain Conaway took notice of me. He told me I had a unique ability to have a great sense of presence with the environment around me allowing me to make quick tactical decisions. It helped us in our last fight with the Borg, probably one of the reasons we even made it here...."

Anara sighed when he mentioned the Borg. It brought back quite a few memories to the fighter pilot. She stayed quiet otherwise though.

Jake could see the mention of the borg had troubled her. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey cheer up, one day those bastards are going to get what's coming to them and we'll be there to watch it."

"Sorry, Sir." She apologized snapping back out of a reminiscent daydream. "I lost too many pilots and ships to those 'things'. Any is too much." She paused for a moment, then switched to a more positive tone to cover the hurt. "The fight or die mindset is a hard one to maintain anymore. That is why I wanted to transfer to a shipboard duty on an exploration ship. Akiras are all about war and fight." Even as she said it she was surprised she was that open with a superior officer, but it was beginning to feel alright. It was as if she was turning a new corner with the new assignment.

Jake looked Anara in the eyes. "Well unfortunately even exploration missions can go bad sometimes, remember this is one of starfleet's most advanced tactical vessels. There is one thing I can guarantee you though. If those 'things' try and come after Malinche. I will give them a fight they won't soon forget. I will do everything in my power and fight until there is nothing left to ensure you and this crew are safe and can one day return home."

She nodded with a forced smile. "Don't get me wrong, Sir. I will always do my utmost to defend my people and ships. That you can be sure of. When it comes down to it I expect the most of my crew and I will deliver the same." She sighed. "What were those hallucinations about? Flashbacks?" She tried again.

Although Anara seemed unsure of herself he had no doubt in his mind she would perform at a high standard when called upon, she was in the Bajoran Militia after all. He also could not help but be surprised by her persistence. Although mildly annoying he decided since she had shared some of her secrets she could be trusted with some of his. In addition his hallucinations were common knowledge so he saw no harm. He took a deep breath. "Ghosts of the past, visions of my days on the Destiny nothing more. Apparently caused by a series of traumatic events, the counselor and the doctor are currently working on a treatment plan. We have no reason to believe it is permanent."

She nodded. "That's good, the not permanent part I mean." She replied and continued softly. "I am sorry if that was too direct of me. Sometimes my directness gets ahead of my politeness." There was a hint of nervous humor behind her remark.

Jake laughed softly. "There is no need to apologize Anara. I am sure you're just concerned like everyone else and you're not the first to ask these kinds of questions. Rest assured Counselor Zeral and the doctor have things well in hand. Again I highly recommend you visit one or both of them. The doctor can be a little forward but you just have to see what she is trying to do not how she is trying to do it. Once you can overlook that you'll be just fine."

"Perhaps I should, then." She replied, standing up. "If you want someone to talk to, feel free to badge me, Sir. Will you be in here for a while or will they be releasing you?" She asked, straightening her shirt to prepare to leave.

"Thank you chief. I am guessing they will release me once Lieutenant Zeral has had a chance to see me. After that I couldn't tell you." he said laughing at the end of his statement.

"Well, you know where to find me." She said with a slight bow as she turned and walked away.


Jp by:

Lieutenant JG Jake McCarty
Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

And

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Roen Anara (PNPC)
Shuttlebay Manager
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
played by:

[Peters]

ON: <Starbase 386, Promenade, Shore Leave Day 1, 1200>

Peters walked around the Promenade looking for a place to eat lunch. After making sure L'Randil was safely in the care of the medical personnel he'd spent the last while exploring the public areas of the base. He was sure that L'Randil would be OK, but that didn't stop him from worrying about the ensign's injury. As a result, he was trying to come up with an idea for a way to entertain the Caitian officer during her recovery.

Spotting a restaurant that looked promising, Peters turned towards the sign reading "Rosie's Diner" and stepped inside. Looking around, Peters was hard-pressed to believe he hadn't stepped through a time portal into the mid-20th century on Earth. The entire place was decked out with multicolored tile with chrome accents. On the back wall was a mural reproduction of an old US poster from World War II encouraging women to support the war effort.

Taking a seat near the back, Peters looked up the menu on the panel set into the table. He noted an advertisement for dinner & holosuite packages and decided that after ordering his food he'd review the programs available. After Peters had been perusing the menu for a few minutes a waiter approached.

"I'll take the #3 lunch combo plate with root beer to drink please," Peters said in response to his query and nodded politely to the waiter's assurance that his food would be out in moments. Turning his attention back to the panel he called up a list of holoprograms available in 386's central database. He scrolled through slowly, looking at the short description of a few titles that seemed promising. Suddenly one title jumped out at him.

As he read the description that came up when he selected the title, Peters grinned. He quickly arranged to have a copy of the programs transferred to his personal database on the Malinche, then opened a message and tapped in a few names with a brief message. He had just hit send when his food arrived.

"Thank you very much," Peters said with a smile.

OFF:

[Zeral]

<<USS Malinche, Zeral’s Quarters, Shoreleave Day 1, 1905>>

Nora grinned as her brother’s familiar face filled her view screen, suddenly realizing that it had been far too long since she’d last spoken with him. Soren’s (NPC) smile in return was more subdued, but it was clear that he was pleased to hear from her.

“So you finally decided to return my messages. I’m surprised you found the time,” Soren teased mildly, leaning back in his chair. “I was beginning to wonder if I should be worried. It’s been nearly three weeks, Nora.”

“I know,” Nora sighed, relaxing in her own chair. “I’m sorry, Soren. To be completely honest, I’ve just been very busy. There’s really never a dull moment in Star Fleet, I’ve found,” she admitted with a smile.

Soren nodded in understanding. “Bron (NPC) has been rather busy too. But of course, you would have known that, had you returned any of his messages.”

Nora didn’t bother hiding her guilt. She had been reminding herself nearly every waking moment for the past few weeks to get in touch with one or both of her brothers, but somehow she’d always had one task or another keeping her occupied. “I am sorry. It was a bit thoughtless of me, wasn’t it.”

“It’s all right, Nor,” Soren replied with a hint of a smile. “I’m glad to see that you’re looking healthy and well.” Never one for too much small talk, he grew suddenly somber. With an unpleasant feeling settling deep in her stomach, Nora knew instinctively what was coming next. “You know what I want to talk to you about,” Soren said, as if reading her mind despite the distance that separated them. “I think that it’s time for you to make some important decisions.”

Unable to meet his eyes, Nora stared unseeing at her hands, folded neatly in her lap. She knew that Soren was right. She’d been avoiding the issue for too long now—for years, in fact. As an infant, Nora had been genetically bonded to another Betazoid. It had been her father’s wish that she one day marry one a man named Gell Melix, but after her parents’ deaths, Nora had found it difficult to decide whether she’d actually go through with it or not. Complicating the matter further, Gell’s parents had passed away prematurely as well, ultimately leaving the final choice in their hands.

“I’m not asking for your final decision now,” Soren calmly continued. “I know that this is a very serious matter, and were I in your shoes, I would find the choice difficult myself. Father would have wanted you to follow through with the marriage in a more traditional matter, of course, but under the circumstances, I think proceeding informally might be beneficial.”

Nora looked back to the view screen, curious. “What do you mean by informally?”

“Although I’m loathe to play matchmaker,” he began, clearly trying to lighten the conversation somewhat, “I think it would be a good idea if the two of you finally met. I mentioned this to Gell, and he agreed.”

Nora nodded, aware that Soren and Gell were acquainted through their careers on Betazed. It was a reasonable request, and although her misgivings about the entire situation still lingered, she found that she was intrigued with the idea of meeting Gell face to face.

“He’s a good man, Nora,” Soren continued. “I know it’s not really my place to say this, but I think that the two of you are suitable for one another. I also think that it’s very reasonable that you at least get to know him a bit. You aren’t getting any younger, after all.”

“Very funny,” Nora replied, rolling her eyes. She knew that he was right; it was a very reasonable request, but it still seemed very sudden to her.

“Take a few days to think about it,” Soren suggested, much to her relief. “Just don’t ignore my messages next time, all right?”

Nora smiled wryly. “I didn’t ignore them, Soren. I really was busy. But all right, I’ll think about it and talk to you in a few days.”

“All right,” he agreed, his smile returning. “Then I won’t bother you any further until then. May the Four Deities watch over you, and I’ll talk to you soon.” With that simple farewell, her view screen went blank. Running her hand through her hair, Nora rose out of her chair, filled with nervous energy. Her thoughts were in a jumble, and she couldn’t decide if she was terrified or excited at the prospect of finally meeting Gell. Wandering over to the couch, she sank heavily onto its cushions, striving to clear her mind. Whether she liked it or not, she had an awful lot to think about.

OFF:

[N'rass]

<<Runabout>>
<Main Cabin, 1400, Day 2>

The Caitian pilot was milling around the cockpit of the runabout monitoring statistics and such in her picky engineering style when the comm beeped. She rushed over to the terminal and hit the button.

"You still there ensign?" Jason asked.

"L'Randil here and ready when you are, Sir." She replied with an energetic tone.

"Standby for transport."

Seconds later Jason, Adam (NPC), and Tavi (NPC) materialized back on the runabout. Jason was slightly worried about Tavi's reaction to seeing N'rass. He had no idea of knowing how much of the rest of the universe that he had been exposed too; he supposed that was one of those questions that completely forgot to ask.

Tavi stepped off the platform first and bowed toward N'rass; something that he appeared to do an awful lot of. He then said something in his native tongue that neither Jason or Adam caught.

"You're a Caitian, right?" Tavi asked.

L'Randil knelt to match eye levels with him and smiled. "Yes, I am. My name is L'Randil. You are familiar with your various species, I see."

"Master Ikia made me memorize all the Federation members, he said that it would come in handy some day...I thought that he just was getting tired and wanted to make me do homework."

Now, that sounded like something a ten year old boy would say. Jason looked at Adam and smiled as Adam did the same thing.

The caitian smirked and stood back up, patting the child on the back with her furry hand. "Everything has a reason, my dear." She said in a soft motherly voice.

It had been years since she had seen a child and at that point she was quite disinterested. Seeing Tavi gave her a flash of feeling that she had not expected, but she was glad he was going to be on the Malinche.

Jason smiled at the exchange between Tavi and N'rass. It was good to see that living with the monks hadn't made him xenophobic; in fact it appeared to have done the exact opposite. There was a lot more then met the eye to his...son. Wow, even thinking that brought a rush feelings; all of them good to the surface. Adam placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him it a squeeze.

"Are you hungry, dear?" She asked, glancing up to Jason for confirmation.

"Hmmm, do you guys have pizza?" Tavi asked, his eyes sparkling.

"You know about pizza?" Adam asked, arching an eyebrow.

"N'rass, plot a course back to the Malinche," Jason ordered. "Then we can see about getting Tavi some pizza."

"Sure!" Tavi said, excitedly hurrying toward the chair that was next to N'rass. "Can I sit here? I promise that I won't touch anything."

"By all means," Jason said. "Just don't distract N'rass, she might accidentally fly us into a star or something."

"Aye, Sir." She said as she rotated her chair to the panel. She motioned for him to come over with a wink. "You don't have to be all the way over there. The course goes in over here..." She pointed. "Then engage the engines here."

Tavi moved over to the station that N'rass had indicated. He looked nervous, as if the station was going to reach out and bite him. He reluctantly tapped the indicated keys. Moments later they were on their way. Tavi looked at Jason and Adam and smiled broadly before turning to grin at N'rass.

Once the ship was underway, she turned back around and put her hand on Tavi's shoulder, moving him along with them. "What is this 'pizza', if I may?" The caitian was unfamiliar with this dish but it must be good.

"Only the best thing ever!" Tavi said. "Although you can't eat to much of it or you get fat...at least that's what Master Ikia used to say."

"He's probably right about that," Jason said, walking by and tousling Tavi's hair. Tavi looked up at his new parent and grinned.

"I'm a kid...I don't get fat," Tavi stated, sticking out his tongue.

"Did I already lose an argument?" Jason asked, looking at Adam.

"The first of many," Adam smiled. "Anyways, N'rass pizza is a dish that's made on this baked bread with various toppings."

The banter made the caitian laugh. "Please feel free to call me L'randil, Sir." She turned back to Tavi. "Get fat? Something tells me I won't have too much to worry about. My metabolism is quite high. Do these 'pizzas' have meat in them? I have a craving for some bacon for some reason." She asked as they came into the break room of the runabout.

"Bacon, cheese, tomatoes, pineapple, and pretty much any kind of meat that you can think of," Tavi said, bounding into a chair. "The monks used to let us pick one dish from the replicator every month to have, I always picked pizza. The rest of the time we cooked for ourselves the old fashioned way."

"Maybe you can give him a few pointers," Jason stated, nodding his head toward Adam. "One of his last endeavors into cooking resulted in him blowing apart our kitchenette."

That got Tavi to laugh outloud.

"First off, its not like I caused any real damage and secondly, as I recall you didn't fair much better when you tried to cook either," Adam scowled.

L'Randil shook her head with a laugh. "Even humanoid males have a hard time cooking, I thought that was a caitian thing." She ribbed.

"I never had to growing up," Jason said, shrugging his shoulders. "Guess it was just something that I missed out on."

"Well...I can't cook too well myself either. I spend enough time fixing the replicators that I don't really have an appetite when I'm on duty." She sat down at the large table and watched the boys get things ready.

"We didn't have a choice," Tavi said, grabbing the glass of water that Jason had set in front of him. "We had to learn how to cook, clean, even do our own laundry. They wouldn't even let us use these ancient washing machine things."

L'Randil smiled. "A responsible group. Sounds quite interesting."

"Hey!" Tavi exclaimed. "Maybe I could teach you guys to cook! We used to make all sorts of stuff, have any of you ever had flecka stew? Its great!"

The caitian shrugged. "Sure, I can't say it'd be any good by the time I'm done, but perhaps the same could be said for all of us?" She joked to the men.

"Its going to be really embarrassing if our son manages to not blow up the kitchen," Adam sighed.

"Embarrassing, or educational. Take your pick." She said, patting the child on the back. "Keep it up, dear. We could use some real cooks around here."

Tavi beamed at that comment.

“Alright, who wants what on their pizza?” Jason asked.

OFF:
Jp by:

Lieutenant Commander Jason Barrett
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

[Kersare]

ON:
<<USS Malinche, Sickbay, Day 1, 1422 hrs>>

The trip to sickbay was quiet. Neither Captain spoke as both individuals were set on making it to sickbay in a timely matter to avoid the possibility of Jake's condition getting any worse. Wavering from his usual mannerly behavior Conaway (NPC) stepped into sickbay ahead of Kersare. He saw Anna (NPC) and Jake at a bed on the far side of sickbay.

A nurse had turned to see who entered and made her way over to him. "Can I help you Captain?" the nurse inquired.

"Yes." he replied taking a brief moment to collect himself. "Myself and Captain Kersare are here to see Mr.McCarty. Is he alright?"

The nurse nodded in a positive manner. "Yes sir he is fine, Lieutenant Commander Ferris has been taking great care of him. It appears he has just suffered another hallucination."

Isabel frowned; she didn't like the idea of Jake having another hallucination. As long as he continued to have them, she couldn't clear him for duty. It was one of the more frustrating situations she'd been in, in regards to a transferred crewmember, since she couldn't utilize him. It certainly wasn't his fault by any means, but it didn't make her job any easier. Isabel doubted that Taryn (NPC) was thrilled about it.

Conaway looked over at Kersare. Despite appearing calm he could tell she was deeply concerned for Jake. He knew he had placed her in a complicated position. It was an eventuality he had not considered as seriously as he should have.

Making her way over to Jake and Anna, Isabel led the way. She hung back slightly, wanting Anna or Jake to realize that she and the other Captain were there first. Noting that Anna had looked in their direction, Isabel stepped forward and addressed her, "You must be Lieutenant Commander Ferris...I'm Captain Kersare, Commanding Officer of the USS Malinche."

Anna stood herself to attention. "Yes ma'am. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am pleased to report Mr. McCarty seems to be doing well considering the circumstances."

Isabel nodded, "What exactly happened, Ms. Ferris?"

Anna looked towards Jake concernedly. He nodded back reassuringly. She turned to Captain Kersare. "We were in engineering just talking when suddenly he froze. His face... It was so blank like he had seen a ghost. Moments later he just passed out in my arms." Anna began to cry. "I am really worried about him ma'am."

"I can certainly understand your concern," Isabel began. "That's why I've had him seeing Doctor De Souza and Counselor Zeral; I'm hoping it will help him work through it so that the hallucinations will stop."

Anna wiped the tears from her eyes attempting to regain her composure. "I'm sorry for my lack of composure ma'am. It's just Jake means alot to me and I want to see him through this. If Captain Conaway will allow it, I would like to offer you and Jake my services to help him in this crisis in any way I can."

Isabel paused and looked over at the other Captain. Before she could even consider giving Anna permission to do so, it was really up to her Commanding Officer.

Anna looked at Conaway who had just slipped something into his pocket before Kersare looked back at him. Both officers glared at each other knowing why his response had been delayed. Anna spoke up to cover for her Captain. "Captain you still wish me to care for Mr.McCarty like we had discussed correct?"

Conaway seemed to snap out of some sort of daydream but was now aware of what Anna had asked. "Of course Commander." He turned to Kersare. "Captain I will allow you and Lieutenant(JG) McCarty the services of Lieutenant Commander Ferris in anyway you should see fit from this point forward."

Although Isabel had noticed the look between the Destiny shipmates, she chose to not say anything at the moment. She had no idea what it was about - perhaps the two simply didn't care for each other or perhaps it was something more. In either case, unless one or the other brought it up, it wasn't any of her business. Nodding to the other Captain, she replied, "Thank you, Captain. It will likely be best if Ms. Ferris coordinates with Counselor Zeral to see how she can help."

Conaway nodded acknowledging the Captain and gazed back upon Anna. "Well Commander you have your orders. Please keep me updated." He turned back to Kersare awaiting anything further from her.

"Well, Mr. McCarty seems as well as can be expected for now," Isabel said. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Captain Conaway?"

"No ma'am, you have done a tremendous job with Mr.McCarty and you have my eternal gratitude for this. If you ladies will excuse me I shall return to the station." Conaway turned and exited sickbay.

Nodding, Isabel watched him leave before turning back to Anna, "What about you, Ms. Ferris, is there anything I can do for you?"

"If it would not be too much trouble ma'am. Could I ask you to summon the counselor for us? I would like to begin talking with her so we can get Jake on his feet again so to speak." she asked politely.

Isabel replied, "I was going to go see her now. I'll ask her to stop by as soon as she can." Though she was sure that Anna had just the best intentions for Jake, Isabel couldn't help but wonder if the woman didn't realize the seriousness of the issues. Jake's condition, as Isabel understood it, wasn't something that would magically clear up overnight. She also wasn't sure whether or not Nora would want Anna there for the session. But, that would be up to her. "Anything else?"

"No Ma'am thank you." Anna replied.

Nodding, Isabel turned and left the two in the capable hands of the medical staff. Unfortunately, she now had to go speak with Nora again about Jake. Isabel hoped that Nora would be able to get to the bottom of it - perhaps she and Renata could come up with a plan.

OFF: Tag Zeral/De Souza

JP brought to you by:

Lieutenant JG Jake McCarty
Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

NPCs
played by Lt JG McCarty

and

[Rho]

<Starbase 386, Merchant’s Shops, 0804>

Alexis picked up a little trinket and looked at the price. Too much, she thought. Not that she was really looking for anything anyway.

“Can I interest you in a new set of hair combs? They’re sprinkled with flecks of latinum and have some of the most beautiful gems that money can buy inlaid around the top. You would make them look stupendous.”

Alexis looked at the merchant, that at the combs, then back to the merchant. “You’re quite the flattering salesman aren’t you.”

He smiled. “It’s my job. So, about the combs?”

“Hmph. And to the point. No, I don’t want the combs.”

“Are you sure? If not for you, then someone else? They would make a great gift.”

Rho thought for a minute. “You know, I might have use for them after all.” She paid for the hair combs and stuck them in her pocket.

She was supposed to meet Pront in a few minutes at Rosie’s. Hopefully she could get more out of him about that mysterious message.

<Starbase 386, Rosie’s, Table 4>

Passing the time waiting was not something she did easily. Especially when the one she was waiting on was late. She stopped drumming her fingers on the table as soon as she saw Pront walking up. He barely made it to the table before she called out. “You’re late!”

“And you’re uptight!” He waved the waitress over. “A little something for the lady to loosen her nerves.”

Alexis glared at Pront.

“Don’t worry, it’s for me. It just makes me appear gracious.” He grinned a toothy grin.

“What’s this all about Pront?” asked Alexis.

“My contact on that Cardassian freighter tells me that the shipment they picked up was a bunch of old, dusty, faded containers. Interesting, isn’t it?”

“Apparently only if you know the rest of the story. Out with it Ferengi.”

The waitress brought Pront’s drink over.

“Well, they’re big enough to carry a Targ. Not really any larger than that.”

“A Targ?” Alexis ever so slightly cocked her head to the side.

“Yes a Targ!”

“What was written on the containers?” Alexis asked.

“How about you tell me what I’m going to get to do on the depot first,” answered Pront.

Alexis pulled something out of the air like always with this guy. “I’ve been thinking about turning it into a way-station for passing ships and weary travelers.” She pulled the combs out of her pocket. “And you might be able to sell stuff like this…jewel incrusted, latinum sprinkled whatever.” She laid them on the table.

“Don’t tell me! You bought those at that merchant’s shop!”

“Yeah, but with your contacts getting you the supplies at discounted rate, you could turn a big profit. Big ships stop by, people have families and friends, they’re looking for something quick that they get for someone…follow me?”

“Yes…yes…a latinum dipped Hyperion beetle with a rare gem attached to it’s back. Not found anywhere else in the quadrant, but at Pront’s Beetle Emporium!”

“Now, what was written on those containers!” demanded Alexis.

“Oh, he couldn’t read the lettering or recognize the symbols.”

Alexis just about came over the table after him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Only that that lettering and symbols were drastically faded. That’s all. Calm down.”

Alexis settled down. “Faded how?”

“Like they had been shipped from storage unit to storage unit for several years. It looked like they had been through several hands, but never opened. He wrote down what he could make out.” Pront handed Alexis a folded piece of paper.

Rho shoved the paper into her pocket. “Tell your buddy to back-off for a while. I’d hate to see him get caught as I’m sure you would, too.”

“Yes, but for a completely different reason than you, I’d bet.”

Alexis stood to leave. “Enjoy your drink.”

“I intend to,” answered Pront, as he took a big gulp.

[Kersare]

<<USS Malinche>>
<Bridge, 1315, Day 4 Shoreleave>

Jason had shown Tavi (PNPC) around the Malinche for the better part of the morning. Tavi was wide eyed, asking all sorts of questions to everyone that he came across. The crew seemed to respond well to the young boy; answering everything and not getting remotely annoyed by the seemingly boundless energy that he appeared to have. It was just another reminder that Jason and Adam (NPC) had made the right choice in saying that they wanted him raised here.

"Wow!" Tavi exclaimed, as they stepped out onto the bridge. "It's so big!"

"She's a big ship," Jason smiled. "Come on, there is someone else that I want you to meet."

They crossed the bridge and headed toward the ready room, Jason hitting the door chime. They were beckoned forth and stepped inside. Like usual, Tavi bowed when he saw Isabel. As far as Jason could figure out it was as respect thing. "Captain Isabel Kersare I would like you meet Tavi; Tavi this is my boss and the captain of the Malinche and your god mother, Isabel Kersare."

"Hello Tavi," Isabel said with a smile. It would seem that Jason was giving Tavi a tour of his new home.

"It is an honor to meet you," Tavi said, bowing again and then extending his hand.

Giving a brief nod to acknowledge the bow, Isabel took his hand and shook it, "It's nice to meet you too. How was your trip?" Although she had been slightly surprised that the boy bowed to her, Isabel realized that in many cultures - even just on Earth - it was a sign of respect.

"It was wicked cool!" Tavi smiled. "Sorry, Master Ikia told me that saying 'wicked cool' was not proper in front of my elders...I forget sometimes. But your ship is very big."

Isabel grinned, "That's quite alright, Tavi. The Malinche is a good sized ship, but there are a number of ship classes that are even larger. I imagine you'll have a chance to see some of them here at Starbase 386 and in the future."

"Do you really give all these people orders?" Tavi asked, looking around the ready room.

Jason would certainly give him points for curiosity.

"Well, yes, I do. As Commanding Officer, it's my responsibility to ensure that the ship runs smoothly and everyone works together," Isabel replied with a nod.

"Even my dad?" Tavi asked, nodding toward Jason.

Isabel chuckled, "Yes, even your dad. But as Executive Officer, the other Departments report to him as well as myself. There's an awful lot that has to be done to make a ship run, so he helps me run the ship." She hoped her response helped Jason earn some points with his new son, though thus far she didn't get the impression Jason needed much help in that area.

”He sounds really important,” Tavi said.

Nodding, Isabel said, "He is, Tavi. Every Commanding Officer needs a good Executive Officer to help them run the ship. And it takes everyone working together to make sure things go smoothly."

“Tavi, everyone on the ship is important, remember. We talked about this last night, the ship works best when everyone is doing their job.”

“Right,” Tavi nodded. “Dad told me that he used to work in…what was that again, operations, right? How did he end up being a boss like you?”

"Well," Isabel began, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "Some people in StarFleet, and myself as well, felt that he was doing a very good job at leading his department. People who are good leaders tend to be good at being Executive Officers and Commanding Officers. After my last Executive Officer left, I was in need of another one and your father was able to come take over the job."

"Does he get to give orders too?" Tavi asked. He had known that his new father was pretty important, Ikia called him something once...but he couldn't remember the exact term.

Isabel nodded, "Yes, he does. As Executive Officer, he's second in command. So, if I'm not on the bridge, your father will take over." It seemed that Jason and Adam's new son - her godson - was quite an inquisitive child.

"I prefer not to think of them as orders," Jason smiled. "Just suggestions."

"Suggestions that should be followed," Isabel replied, giving a slight grin.

"Alright, I think that we bugged the captain enough today. Why don't you ask her what we came here to ask her?"

Tavi nodded. "I was wondering if you wanted to come with us on a picnic tomorrow in the holodeck, around 2:00ish...oh I mean..." Tavi paused as if he was counting something in his head. "I mean 1400, is that right?"

"Good job," Jason nodded. "What do you say captain?"

A bit surprised, albiet pleasantly, at the invitation - it'd been a while since she'd been on a picnic, after all - Isabel smiled, "I'd love to join you. Is there anything I should bring?"

"Just you," Tavi smiled. "We should get going dad, Joey (NPC) promised to show me this thing called a wave something on the holodeck."

"Waverunner, Joey is taking you jet skiing?"

"That's what he said," Tavi smiled. "Is it dangerous?"

"Only with Joey at the controls," Jason sighed. "We should be taking our leave of you captain. But we'll see you tomorrow."

Isabel chuckled slightly, "Sounds good, enjoy the rest of your day." Having Tavi aboard would certainly make things more interesting.

Tavi bowed again and then turned around and bounded toward the door, Jason close on his heels.

OFF:

JP brought to you by:

Tavi Barrett-Townsen (PNPC)
Crew Family Member
played by: Lieutenant Commander Barrett

and

Lieutenant Commander Jason Barrett
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

[McCarty]

ON:
<<USS Malinche, Taryn's Quarters, Shoreleave Day 2, 1800 Hrs>>

The adrenaline from the simulation on the USS Enterprise had escaped Taryn (NPC). For the past few hours she spent time in her quarters relaxing, listening to music and enjoying a hot bath. Unfortunately she was unable to completely clear her mind with the thought of Jake McCarty's condition still looming over her. Although she already had a replacement for him she was not entirely comfortable placing a young ensign as 2nd in command of her department. She would much prefer to have her more senior staff available but she would not have the ship put in danger so she would have to make best of the resources she had.

Never before had she been so anxious over a situation. The curiosity ate away at her everyday along with feelings of lacking control on the situation. Now was the time she needed to have her first one on one with Mr. McCarty. This could wait no longer and the few reports she received on him no longer would suffice.

She got up from her bed and walked over to a mirror straightening her uniform before departing for sickbay.

<<USS Malinche, Sickbay, 1813 Hrs>>

The doors swished open as Taryn stepped into sickbay. She immediately noticed Jake laying down in a bed across the room with a woman she did not recognize sitting beside him. She walked over to the bed stopping as the woman rose and approached her. She was wearing a yellow uniform with the rank of a Lieutenant Commander. "Ma'am, Lieutenant Taryn England, Chief Flight Control Officer." she said greeting her and offering her hand.

Anna (NPC) smiled and returned the handshake. "Lieutenant Commander Anna Ferris, Chief Engineer USS Destiny." she turned to Jake. "You're going to have your hands full with this one Ms. England."

Jake scoffed. "Are you kidding me Anna? She has nothing to worry about, once she sees me in action all she'll have to do is stand around and look pretty." he replied jokingly.

Taryn was surprised by both Anna's presence and Jake's sarcasm. She had to agree with the Commander, he would be a handful. "I'm sorry Mr.McCarty but I am not one to just stand around and look pretty, especially with a pilot whose ego far exceeds his skills at the helm."

Jake scoffed. Jealous he thought to himself.

She turned to Anna. "Commander would I be correct by saying you are from Mr. McCarty's previous assignment?"

Anna nodded. "That's correct Lieutenant. Jake was on board Destiny when he experienced his last episode. I offered my services to Captain Kersare until Jake recovered or was at the very least more stable."

Jake gave Anna a cold look. "Unstable? Anna, I'm not dying I'm just seeing things. You worry too much."

Anna placed her hand on Jake's shoulder. "It's because I care Jake. Now I shall leave you two to catch up. I am just going to the lounge to grab some food, please contact me if you need anything okay?"

Jake nodded. "Of course thank you Anna."

Taryn stood back and observed the behavior between the two officers. They were much closer than they led on to believe. She was disgruntled by the lack of courtesy Jake was showing towards the Commander, something she was strict on in her departments. Discipline and respect were the foundations of an effective officer, however given his condition she would let it go this time. She took a seat beside Jake.

"Well Mr. McCarty how is your progress?" she asked.

"You can call me Jake, I am not one for formalities and I am hoping I could be extended the same courtesy. As for my progress I am waiting for Lieutenant Zeral and Lieutenant DeSouza so we can continue treatment."

"I'm sorry Mr.McCarty but I am not one for first names, ma'am will suffice. However I am glad to see you are seeking help, I would like to see you back on duty as soon as possible."

Great another Lieutenant with her uniform on too tight. he thought to himself. "Thank you ma'am. I personally can't stand laying here much longer."

"Well Mr. McCarty if you would like I can have some MVAM combat programs written up for you to keep you occupied." she shot back.

Jake looked down and rolled his eyes so Taryn could not see them to avoid any more unwarranted comments. She was beginning to overstay her welcome however it was his boss and the last thing he wanted was an incident report filed against him. She would be part of the decision on his return to duty.

"That would be great ma'am thank you. Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked trying to send a subconscious signal to her indicating his disdain for her.

Taryn rose from her seat. "No thank you Mr.McCarty, I was just coming in to see how you were progressing, get well soon." She walked over to a nurse who was cleaning a bed nearby. "Nurse? Could you have the doctor keep me posted on Lieutenant (JG) McCarty's condition and if possible an update on treatment.?"

"Yes Ma'am." the nurse replied.

Taryn made her way out of sickbay. She stopped when the doors slid shut behind her and smiled. From the reports she had read it seemed his ego and behavior towards authority were unchanged, a good sign. Anna Ferris' presence was also a warming thought to her mind. Having Jake with someone that close to him would certainly help him through this. She knew he was in good hands and the worries she had entering sickbay had now escaped her. She was certain many headaches would follow her in the coming months, but Jake's return was all that mattered.

OFF:

Lieutenant Commander Anna Ferris (NPC)
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Destiny NCC-4895
Played by: Lieutenant(JG) McCarty

and


Lieutenant Taryn England (PNPC)
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Played by: Lieutenant(JG) McCarty

and

[N'rass]

<Starbase 386, Holosuite 1, Shore leave Day 1>

"What sort of vessel, if I may?" Anara asked, beginning to relax. Ship talk was a comfort zone to the veteran pilot. The men took seats next to their respective dates, leaning on the bar and holding their drinks.

"It is a modest yacht." Kailo responded. "We harness the power of the ample wind of this region to travel silently and gracefully through the seas.

Anara was not used to Terran alcohol flavoring, but was nevertheless intrigued with the margarita as a whole. She smiled as she sipped it slowly, taking in his description thoughtfully.

"Good to see you like it. Risa has the best beverages." The islander said in his deep voice. "What vessel do you sail from?"

Roen glanced over with a smile at her counselor friend, not sure of the response sought.

Myralia could sense Anara had begun to calm down. She ventured to guess it was either due to the alcohol or the ship talk. Either way she was pleased with the results. "We came here with friends on a sailboat ourselves. They have ventured off to do some deep sea exploring, Anara and I wished to stay here and enjoy the sun and a few drinks. Later on when they return we may go out onto the sea. Anara here is quite the helmsman you know."

Anara nodded with a smile. She was catching on to the scenario now. "Is it a fast yacht. I like em fast." She chuckled in a flirty manner. The islander man laughed a deep laugh before responding.

"You are a firey one aren't you. I like that and yes, the Yigo is fast enough to be fun. We are in the tropics, so speed is not all that important. Every day is the same and they are all nice and relaxed."

"I see." Anara responded. "It is different here. So much slower and more peaceful."

Myralia looked over to Anara. "You know you can't always live life at the speed of light. If you did, you would never remember anything and before you knew it you would be old and gray. Sometimes you have to take time out to enjoy the simple pleasures."

Her companion raised his glass. "Here, here well said lass. You know where I'm from, there are green fields as far as the eye can see. When the wind blows across them it makes the grass wave like an ocean. There are also ancient ruins and old castles throughout the land that make for quite an adventure. Have any of you lasses ever been on an expedition?"

Anara shifted and wrapped her cover shirt overlapping her lap. "I guess you could say we have." She smirked, glancing at Myralia, then back at him with a coy expression. "Would you be inviting us along for one? I couldn't resist a good trip."

The man's face lit up instantly and he rose from his seat. "Aye lass that be a great idea! I happen to know of a castle not far from here. A great place to find some hidden treasures perhaps."

Myralia turned grinning at Roen. "How about it Anara? feel like seeing what else Risa has to offer?"

She nodded. "Sounds good to me. What is this "Castle? I am not familiar with the term." Anara assumed it was some sort of ancient structure but had not seen one before to base the mental image on.

The group stood up and waited for Roen to straighten her cover up, still slightly self consciously as they began to walk. It was apparent to her friend that she was fighting habit.

Myralia rose from her seat and wrapped her shawl around her waist. She noted Anara was not as liberal with her cover shirt as Myralia was, but this was also comparing a Bajoran to a Betazoid. "Anara a castle is a primitive type of fortress used by humans around the 13th and 14th centuries on earth. Usually these buildings were home to great monarchs and wealthy nobleman. However here on Risa I believe this castle might have been the result of a settlement from early human colonists. My history is a little rough but I could look into for you if you would like."

Her companion looked at her astonished. "Lass you seem to know an awful lot about history especially that of earth. Have you ever been there?"

Myralia turned to him. "No I read a lot of books when I was young. My father was human and had a particular interest in the earth period known as the "Medieval Times." He would often read me stories of knights and dragons and powerful kingdoms. I always enjoyed hearing them, sometimes more than once."

Roen nodded understandingly. This was sounding more and more intriguing as they walked in the tropical sun. The foliage transitioned from coastal sand based plants to rock borne trees and low growth as it developed into a trail up a gentle hillside. The wind increased to a steady trade wind as they overlooked the bay.

After a while she stopped to take in the view with her group realizing a moment later.

Myralia stepped up near the edge of the cliff and gazed at the water. Small waves glided across the bay, softly crashing once they reached the rockface. A couple boats could been seen in the distance, one appeared to be out for a fishing trip, the other a joyride. The group began to travel ahead when Myralia looked back to see her lost in the scenery. "Are you coming along ?"

"Oh, Sorry." Anara said in a distracted tone, then moving back into focus. "It's just so...scenic."

Myralia smiled. "There is so much more to be seen, come one." She said waving her hand.

Anara turned back to the trail and they resumed their trip to the destination. The castle was a fair distance away, which seemed to affect Myralia more than the more conditioned bajoran. Marching was a part of her training, albeit with much heavier attire and equipment. After a while she reached over and put a hand behind the betazoid to help her along.

"We don't get many marches in the fleet do we?" Roen joked. Their companions slowed a little to compensate but didn't lose any of their smile.

"My job doesn't always give me the liberty of taking time out to do marches but based on your condition I will guess Bajoran military fitness standards are most likely higher than those of the federation."

Anara laughed. "Seems like it. I try to jog at least two miles a day to keep up with it. I think we are almost there." She straightened up. "Computer, Water canteen." She commanded and the canister appeared. Handing it to her friend, Roen commented "I wish I could have done that on exercises."

Myralia let out a broken laugh still panting from the walk. "Thank goodness for the holodeck then!" She took a drink from the canteen and pressed on forward.

The supportive side was something that most of her fleet shipmates did not see often. During the militia days however, Anara was a bit more open about such things, particularly on marches and ground ops.

"How much farther up is it?" Anara asked her trail guide out of curiosity.

"Not too far, Lass." He replied, standing with a foot on a rock. "Are you enjoying the trip? This is one of the nicest coastal ridge lines in the area."

"Yes, very much so." Myralia beamed. "No matter how many times I come here, it never loses it beauty."

"Good." The man replied with a big smile. "I hoped you would."

Anara interrupted. "Is that it up ahead there? That is quite an outpost if I do say so."

"Outpost?!" Myralia said laughing. "That is no outpost, that was probably quite the stronghold back in it's day.

Anara raised an eyebrow and nodded in correction. "I see. Perhaps my perspective is a little off? What sort of situation demanded such an installation here? It seems so peaceful."

Myralia giggled. "Well now it would serve more as an outpost given some of the current structures. As for this one I can't say I know why it is here. Maybe one day we will look through the databases and find out. I think you'll find other cultures history quite interesting. If anything I find it a good way to lose yourself in the moment."

"Perhaps." The bajoran nodded thoughtfully. "Anthropological history is sometimes interesting, particularly in the militaristic end of things." The soldier thinking was very closely ingrained. "Terran history contains a great many case studies of such things. Admiral Halsey...Greg Boyington, etc. Great uses of small numbers for strong success."

Myralia remembered a story she had once read about a battle involving Spartans and Persians. "Yes I am familiar with one such story. It involves two groups, one known as the Spartans, one known as the Persians. Legend has it the Spartans, a force of only 300 managed to overcome the Persians, a force of 10,000 through the strategic use of a mountain pass in what was known then as a 'bottle-necking' technique. The strategy would be used several times as history went on."

"I have not studied that far back, but it sounds intriguing." Roen replied. "What time does your ship arrive?" She asked, realizing what time had gone by. "I don't have to be on Malinche til tomorrow, though we don't know by the day in here."

Myralia turned to see the bewildered look on the two men's faces. She began to giggle. "Computer freeze program." she turned back to Anara. "Unfortunately I have not heard word of the Orlando's arrival. I am just passing the time until she arrives. Playing it moment by moment you could say." she replied with a smirk.

"Interesting that they would not have an ETA posted. Perhaps the Elyshans disrupted such information. In any event, we are here still." Anara also looked at the men with a smirk and a rib. "A handy thing that. If only we could do that to men in real life." Changing the subject a little, she pointed at the horizon. "How much longer do you predict we have of daylight?"

Myralia was puzzled and shocked by Anara's statement. She had not received word of the Elyshans blocking any communications or of any threat from them. "The Elyshans? What do they have to do with this conflict?" she asked full of curiosity and worry. She had heard many stories before about the Elyshans and there use of subspace weapons.

Anara thought for a moment whether or not she misspoke. Deciding she was alright, continued. "The Malinche was freed from moorings to assist in the Elyshan standoff, so it would seem logical that the Orlando could have been thus affected."

"Computer, current program time?" Anara asked.

"The current program time is 1900 hours." The computer replied.

"We have 2 hours of light left. The sun will start to set at approximately 2030." Myralia said replying to her friend's earlier question. She could only hope this standoff would not negatively affect the Orlando but she had to prepare for the possibility.

"Computer resume program." she said and the group continued on towards their destination."

"Well, my lovelies, we have arrived." One of the men stated with a big smile. "Worth the trip, I hope?"

Anara smiled also. The cliff was easily near five hundred feet high with ocean on the sun facing side as they stood at a stone railing. "It is. This is a truly remarkable location. We must have a 20km visibility from here. Look how small the resort is!" She laughed and pointed back down the valley.

Myralia walked over to Anara and leaned her head towards her ear. "It's kind of like looking at your home world the first time you leave it isn't it?

"Indeed. The first time flying for me, though sightseeing was hardly on my mind. Atmo flying was so much more interesting for that reason." Anara said thoughtfully.

"Are you gentlemen going to show us the tour of this place?" Anara asked with a smile, looking up at the one man who smiled back.

"Aye Lass, I thought you'd never ask!" he replied. The man pointed to a collapsed wall and led them towards the structure. When the group stepped through the wall they found themselves in what appeared to be an old fashioned dining room.

Myralia walked towards the large table in the middle of the room. She was surprised to see there was still plates and silverware left behind, possibly in the last place they were used. She rubbed her across the various wares. "Just imagine how long these things have been here. Imagine who used them, Kings? Queens? Noblemen and now us."

Roen smirked. "Makes you feel royal, doesn't it? I can only imagine what that era would have felt like. Let's go up to the observation area." She suggested. "How do we get there?" She turned to ask one of their guides.

Myralia smiled and nodded in agreement.

The guide pointed to a tower in the wing adjacent from them. "There should be a staircase to the top of that tower lass. Be weary though as it hasn't been maintained in almost ten centuries so I would advice you be careful to mind your footing." he replied.

The bajoran smirked. "These sandals don't grip like my boots either." She said as she led the group up the stairs. Once up top, she went to the edge of the rail and put her arms out to the breeze and sunset. "This is incredible up here. You don't get this from a ship."

Myralia placed herself beside Roen. "That all depends on what kind of ship you are travelling on. Early vessels used to have a spot on the mast known as the crow's nest. It was designed for the lookouts. The view is quite extraordinary and on a perfect day I can think of no place on a ship I'd rather be." she smirked as a thought crossed her mind. Next to the holodeck.

"Narlen wouldn't recognize this side of m..." Anara began to say then stopped herself. Thus far she hadn't mentioned anything about him but it just came out.

"He was my wingman in the squadron. "We flew together almost from the academy until...the accident. We were close, but he would not know what to make of me like...this."

Myralia could sense that Narlen was more to Anara than she was letting on. Her feelings for him were very deep. She figured he was either her lover or a family member, perhaps a brother. The feelings she were sensing were not those one would normally feel towards a paternal figure. Underneath all her feelings she could also sense tension, this appeared to be the source of her anger and depression.

"Computer freeze program. Anara, please tell me more about Narlen. Was he family? A Lover? and what of this accident? Either way I am sure knowing you, he would be very pleased to see you having fun." she paused giving Roen a chance to collect her thoughts.

Anara was a little surprised to have the program freeze but turned and leaned on the wall. "He was my lover I guess you could say. He was the only pilot who I ever felt a connection with in that way. Most are too impulsive to make a good relationship. We were on track to be engaged when the accident happened. I don't know what to think about that, the borg or the crew that worked on his fighter."

"In any event, he never saw me out of uniform beyond my off duty militia clothing. If he saw me like this I don't know what he would do." She joked, skimming past the negative.

Anara emotions were filled with anger. However these emotions were not the type one has had buried for several years, they had been stirred quite recently. "Surely if it was the borg it was no accident. However what would lead you to suspect the crew?"

"I preflighted the wing's ships like always, followed by Narlen as was protocol. All systems checked normal, but the master power control was repaired from some
prior malfunctions along with wingman two's craft. They checked normal, but when we got into range and began taking shield hits both of theirs failed and mine did not." She stopped momentarily to catch her emotions. The apparent tension made her turn away and place her hands on the wall of the overlook.

"That was the worst feeling I could have imagined." Anara continued with a tear trying to come out. "He shouted on the comm that his system was dead right before they were both destroyed. I can still hear his voice and the feeling of being so alone out there. I barely managed to make it back to the ship before breaking down emotionally."

Myralia inched closer to Anara and placed her hand on her back. "Sadly Anara, these kind of accidents happen and all we can do is be more vigilant the next time. Were there any kind of formal inquiries filed against any of the maintenance crews?" She noticed a tear running down Anara's face. This was getting more serious than she had imagined. She needed to make an assessment quickly and speak with Malinche's counselor if necessary. "Anara, do you hear any voices during you day or while sleeping? Have you experienced any vivid dreams or apparent hallucinations?"

The bajoran shook her head. "No, just flashbacks. I have made it a point to be vigilant about my tasks and my crews even moreso since then." She paused to gather her thoughts, then continued. "Because I insisted, there was a formal JAG investigation but since the ships were destroyed there was little if any evidence to support a charge. They placed the ground crew on disciplinary suspension and I hoped that was enough for me."

Myralia was concerned by Anara's flashbacks. Drowning one self in work was not Myralia's recommended treatment for this condition, if anything it would place others in danger. "Anara do you feel as though you have closure on the incident or are you still having a great deal of trouble dealing with it?"

"No, it didn't. I have had little closure. Getting close to anyone was hard before but that made it even harder.

"Anara when and how often do you have these flashbacks? Can you describe your reactions to them when they occur?" As per protocol Myralia would have to seek out the Malinche's counselor immediately after her time on the holodeck to discuss her findings. However she would need Anara's permission before divulging any specific details of the session."

Anara thought for a moment how to word her response. "I visualize walking the preflights and imagine how it would have been different but don't know how. Then I picture the three of us in formation chasing the sphere closely, weaving between torpedo and phaser blasts. Then, it happens." She closed her eyes and sighed, placing her hands on her head, eventually looking through spread fingers.

"I often find myself checking my technicians and pilots with a fine-tooth comb on the chance that could happen again. If it was the enemy that killed those two pilots I would miss them but it would have been at least the decent way to go. This, this is...unacceptable. That is the only word for it. I can't accept it."

Myralia ran her hand through her hair. The visualizations that Roen was having were not severe enough to indicate any form of PTSD however at first glance it appeared she was having troubles coping with her past. "Anara, when you do your extra flight checks of the crew do you feel as though you are doing this hoping to change the past or it's effect it is having on you?"

She thought for a moment. "I never thought of it that way. The thought does nag at me all the time that if I did it better he would still be here. I let him, I let them...down." Anara slid down the wall til she sat on the floor, leaning over her knees. "It was me! It was my fault! I could have prevented it. I let my wing down. I...failed him." The emotions that had built up for years were coming out in force. "I miss him so much."

Myralia kneeled down in front of Roen and grabbed her hands. "Hey now, let's talk about this, there is no need to be angered or shift blame around." She was beginning to see the symptoms of psychological projection. It now appeared that over the years Anara had felt at fault for possibly missing something during her pre-flight checks of the ships.

Unfortunately Myralia was not qualified to make an assessment on the incident itself however she guessed from Anara's eyes she saw it as a collective failure of both the shuttle technician and herself. However Roen was a very confident leader and took great pride in those qualities. Roen, at some point after the accident must have felt the need to shift her part of the blame to the shuttle technician, perhaps out of anger, the need to preserve her confidence and pride or both.

She would have to continue pressing Anara for the answer in order to provide as much clarity as possible. "Computer, return us to the beach we started on placing us near a tree for shade with 2 sun chairs." Suddenly the scenery changed and the pair found themselves on the beach. Myralia led Anara over to the chair.

"Lay down here please." she helped her into the chair and placed her's right beside Roen's. "Now Anara. I am going to start asking some tough questions I need you to realize I am doing this to help you alright?"

The bajoran sighed as she sat down, folding her arms with a nod.

"Okay, Anara I want you to tell me exactly how you feel about this situation. What happened and who do you think is to blame?" she continued.

"I don't know." Anara replied. "She is. This wouldn't have happened on the Hamilton. My crew chief wouldn't have let that happen, nor would I have missed it myself. I had my misgivings about that assignment in the first place."

"I have yet to find a crew on par with the maintenance crew on my old ship. In the two years we were flying on that ship we never had a preventable mechanical problem." The sense of pride was evident on her voice, then it switched.

"The Thunderchild's crew was not so...consistent. I made several corrections to their young technicians. If I had been more familiar with the inner workings I would have been inclined to do it myself rather than trust them. I should have."

Anara's feelings began to make sense. Her sense that Roen had undergone recent emotional trauma were confirmed. It appeared as though she had come into contact with her former head crew chief on the malinche. Having to face the issue so suddenly and soon would make things more difficult on Anara. Myralia was determined to help her find a way through these tough times. "By she are you referring to someone on the Malinche?"

She sighed. "Anara I think perhaps you may be placing expectations that are too high amongst your maintainers. Young technicians require training and supervision during their first years on assignment. They are bound to make mistakes and it is the supervisors responsibility to ensure they are guided in the right direction. I can assure you this technician probably feels a great deal of guilt. I must add stress can attribute to their performance, keeping in mind there will be times when stress in unavoidable. However we must also keep in mind mistakes can and will be made at those times as well. Do you think you're being a little hard on this young tech?"

"I hope I don't have to meet her again but I have that feeling. I do not have a thing against young who know their place, but she was only the assistant head and acted like the chief. That irritates me." She paused. "No, I don't think I was too hard. She had responsibility on that crew, and that is not to be taken lightly."

"Youngsters tend to be full of ambition. Again it is the responsibility of the leaders to ensure their focus is in the right place. I must agree with you though, we all must be held accountable for our mistakes. What measures were taken against this particular technician?." Myralia was now sure this technician was playing an active role in Anara's life.

"Are you sure you two already haven't crossed paths?" she asked.

Anara raised an eyebrow and shifted in her seat. "I was looking at the crew manifest for the shuttle department and there is a caitian who fits the description, but I am hoping it was not her. That remains to be seen. This will be a long cruise if it is her. I doubt there will ever be enough to bring closure to me for it."

Myralia sighed. "Unfortunately Anara, I do not believe your captain will accept that. You will have to find a way to find closure, perhaps you two could talk? Maybe bring your counselor as a mediator should the need arise."

Anara nodded. "I understand that, but it is a well of emotion that has been capped for a long while. I don't know how to proceed though." She shrugged. "I can't just pretend it didn't happen. I can't pretend Narlen didn't exist. I have tried that for a few years now and look at me." She shook her head, looking down into her hands as she leaned forward.

The emotions inside her were conflicted to say the least. One side was filled with anger and desire for restitution and the other was one of wanting to move on. Pride was larger than both and all came together to form a tangled mess.

"Anara denying the problem ever existed will not help you get over it. The only way to see this through is to come to terms and accept what has happened, understand that you cannot change the past and to learn and grow from the situation." Myralia could sense an overwhelming feeling of pride exuding from the Bajoran. "Would you not feel better if you helped this technician become better and to one day grow into the chief you long for once again? I think that would be quite the accomplishment in itself. Enriching another's life is one of the most selfless and most rewarding acts an individual can do."

"Perhaps." Roen responded flatly but thoughtfully. Then she responded with hand gestures and emphasis. "It's just not that easy. I don't know. It's...I can't." The pride was too hard for her to break away from. "Not yet anyway."

"All in good time. These things take time to see themselves through all anyone can ask for is your patience and understanding." she said knowing that understanding was not an easy trait to some bajorans, hopefully Anara was different.

"No guarantees." The bajoran responded as she leaned back against the back of the chair, placing her sunglasses down on her eyes. "For now, can we change the subject." She asked as she rolled onto her side facing Myralia. Deflection was one tactic she learned to use to diffuse emotional responses. "Tell me about you. You know my deep secrets and I just met you."

Myralia laughed noting Roen's willingness to change the subject. "Yes however keep in mind Anara, it is my job."

Roen uttered a nervous laugh. "I suppose it is. In one evening you have known more about me than anyone since my parents. That is...well...remarkable." She was fighting the urge to clam up self consciously as she realized that fact. The two sides were still at odds inside her even as she spoke, not realizing that it was apparent in her slowing speech and tone.

Myralia did not need any empathic abilities to know that Anara was not entirely comfortable with the way their time on the holosuite had transpired. "What is remarkable is the courage you have shown opening up to someone this way. I only hope it will help you in the future."

"One can hope." The bajoran said with an attempted smile and soft tone. There was a moment of silent contemplation as the pair looked at each other. Eventually she opened back up with a simple, "What level communication will you have access to on your ship? Even if we cannot be counselor-patient, I still would like to keep in touch." That statement made her look down into her drink and swirl it around in a small circular motion.

Myralia smiled filled with happiness that Anara had warmed up to her. She too wished to keep in contact no matter the circumstances. "I would hope at least subspace. I too wish to stay in touch even if it is a message here and there."

"Thank you, Myra" Roen said softly as she stood up, straightening her coverup shirt. "I think we should be going." She helped her friend up and the pair walked away from their tropical oasis back to the cold reality of the station.




A Jp by:

Lt. Myralia Constantine
Chief Counselor
USS Orlando

and

Warrant 2nd Class Roen Anara
Shuttle Bay Manager
USS Malinche

Played by:

[McCarty]

ON:
<USS Malinche, Roen's office, Shuttle Bay, Day 3, 1500 hrs >

Since the Warrant had not formally met her department head since arrival, she viewed it as inevitable. This didn't affect her routine, though the business driven Roen was generally on edge anyway.

"Johnson." She said as she leaned back in her seat to address the human ensign who stood at attention.

"Yes, Ma'am?" He replied with a tone of uncertainty.

"Your last service overhaul was unacceptable." She stated in a calm but focused way. He looked at her.

"How, Ma'am?"

"You have been on this assignment for a year now and you still rely on your superiors to catch your errors. You made several. Here is a list of the corrections which I will suggest you make before you kill someone."

He took the Padd and scrolled it, getting an annoyed expression but bit his tongue.

"Dismissed. Keep in mind it is the lives of your crew mates and friends we are dealing with."

He nodded and walked out, passed by a human woman who entered with a confidence on par to the bajoran. Roen raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Can I help you?"

Taryn gave the bajoran a cold stare disgusted by her manners. Usually they were much more professional, she had a lot of work to do in the department. "Before you help anyone else I suggest you help yourself by retrying that introduction chief. I hope you do not present yourself in such a manner to all your superiors."

Roen thought for a moment and stood up. "How can I help you, Ma'am?" She asked with a hint of a tone. "And no I do not always, just when I have been dealing with discipline problems all day."

Taryn began to inspect the chief's office. "Much better chief, we will have to work on the attitude though. Now I am hoping you have this situation under control because if I have to hear about it we have a much larger problem."

Roen watched with a little uncertainty as to the superior's intent. "If you are referring to the disciplinary matter, yes it is under control." She said after a moment. "I need not concern you with such things. As manager, I can handle it."

The superior officer came to a bajoran Militia pin and disruptor sitting on the corner shelf of the office. When Roen noticed, she came a little closer with a reminiscent smirk.

"Don't worry, it is deactivated."

Taryn returned with a sarcastic smile. "Likewise. Well I am pleased to hear you have this under control. However my presence here is due to a situation I also am hoping you have under control. I would like you to tell me about your past involving Ensign N'rass." Taryn took a seat on a chair across from the chief.

The bajoran's demeanor lowered as she settled back into her seat. Apparently Taryn had been informed to a certain extent by someone else because Roen had not intended to take it that high.

"Because of her mistakes on two of my fighters I lost two of my pilots in preventable combat damage. She is too cocky and needs to learn to work by the regs."

Taryn crossed her arms not being impressed by the Bajoran's demeanor. Roen did not fit any of the usual characteristics of a Bajoran. Her introduction was far from what she would expect from a soldier of the Bajoran Militia. She seemed to have issues accepting responsibility for her own shortcomings. "What have you done to correct these failures chief? Also if the failure in combat was due to a maintenance malfunction how did you not pick it up on your pre-flight checks?"

Roen huffed subtly. "Because while I performed standard checks, we were called to launch under an attack. As wing lead I had to preflight all three units before taking off. How can you claim that the liability would be any other than the technician responsible? If we cannot trust our techs implicitly than how can we trust them at all? We need to teach them accountability above all." Roen was taking a gamble at being so forthright with her position, but she figured she would try anyway.

Taryn leaned forward looking Roen in the eyes. "Because as leaders we are ultimately accountable for our subordinates. You are correct we must teach them accountability but we must also teach them to grow from their mistakes. Was Ensign N'Rass held accountable? Is she blaming someone else for the accident? Unfortunately Chief, mistakes will be made during combat, it is your job to ensure they are kept to a minimum rather than just simply placing blame on others, no one is perfect, not me and not even you Chief."

She paused as she continued to gaze into Roen's eyes. "Unless she purposely tried to kill your squadron than I see nothing more than an error that any member of any maintenance crew could have made. What I am seeing is a leader failing to be a leader and just dropping her team at the first sign of trouble. How would you feel if I just lost faith in you right now because I think you're trouble instead of allowing you to learn from your mistakes. Maybe I should just drop you and Ensign N'Rass off right here, because according to your theory, I cannot trust either of you."

Roen swallowed and nodded as she maintained eye contact. This was the first time a superior had made such a statement, questioning her leadership.

Stammering, she tried to reply. "But, Ma'am..."

"I don't want anymore excuses Chief I want results and I suggest you start by clearing up this unnecessary feud you are having with Ensign N'Rass immediately. The two of you should sit down discuss the matter and grow from it, any good leader would do that." she said sternly.

"Understood." She said in a defeated tone. "I will do what my best. Where does this leave my authority?"

"Good. As for your authority unless I see need to have it removed you still are the shuttlebay manager. This is my way of giving you your chance to grow and I hope you will make the most of it."

"I will let you two have some time to talk amongst yourselves while I go about inspecting the shuttlebay. Should you require me at anytime please come get me." Taryn said getting up from her seat.

"Yes, Ma'am." Roen attempted to keep her straight composure. "Thank you."

Roen tapped her badge. "Ensign L'randil, I need to see you in my office." She said watching her superior walk away.

"On my way". L'Randil replied, looking up from her workstation. It surprised her, but she came to the office expecting to be told about something.

When she walked in and found Roen sitting at her desk, she wondered what the matter was.

"Yes, Ma'am?" The caitian asked, nervously.

Roen sighed and rocked back on her chair. "We are at an impasse it seems." She said slowly. "I have been given an order to resolve our working relationship by Ms. England. You know how I feel on this matter."

"I do." L'Randil muttered, crossing her arms. In a certain way she felt relieved that it was coming to bear.

"It would seem you have garnered a bit more of a supportive crew image here than you had on the Thunderchief. Commander Thax would have sided with the superior officer at any point, but here..." She stood up and began to pace around the shorter caitian slowly. "Here, it is all about second chances and moving on. It is disappointing really."

L'Randil flicked her tail. "How, Ma'am? Have you ever failed at something?".

"No." She said flatly. "Failures do not succeed, they only cause others to fail or die..."

The caitian interrupted, placing her hands on her hip. "Failures! Failures?? I am insulted you dare claim I am a failure for what happened on the flight line! Give me one good reason I shouldn't go out there and find Captain Kersare or Ms. England?" L'Randil was getting fed up with the whole situation and her felinoid temper was beginning to show.

Roen raised a finger to stop her. "Nevertheless..." She said in an unusually soft tone. "Nevertheless, I realize in order to be successful as an officer, I also need to move past this. I do not agree with it but I will give you the chance to prove yourself again."

"That's it?" L'randil said in shock. "That is all you are going to say? No court martial charges or 'you killed my wingmen'? I don't know what to say. It is unlike you."

Roen squinted. "Do not mock me ensign. Insubordination would be a welcome charge toward you. In no way do I like you or view you as a friend. Am I clear on this?"

"Crystal." The caitian squinted back.

"Good. You will report all inspections to Lt. Sheldon or myself for review when you complete them. I want everything cross-checked until our reject rate is at zero. Just so you know, you are not the only one getting told about performance. Ensign Johnson's detail level is completely lacking."

"And he gets better treatment than me?" L'Randil said sarcastically.

"He did not kill my fiance. Regardless, I am obligated to let this go somehow. All technicians in my bay are under cross check probation for the time being. An annoyance which is justified for keeping all of us safe."

"I see. And what of my experiments?"

"You may do them only after simulating and clearing engineering data with me and with Cmdr Peters. The fleet designed these machines for a reason."

"Understood." L'Randil replied grudgingly. Freedom to express ideas was a luxury she enjoyed. To lose it was disappointing, but she figured it would be temporary.

"Dismissed. From now on you will also work a standard shift. Your odd hours cannot be helping this random detail problem we are dealing with. Morning shift or night shift, that is the choice. Let me know tomorrow."

The caitian nodded with a look of anger on her face and left the room. Taryn was milling around near L'Randil's work station when she walked up.

Taryn turned to see the Caitian maintainer standing before her. Despite having just met her she could tell she was furious. Taryn however would not let that be an excuse for yet another improper introduction. "You know Ensign, it's common courtesy to introduce yourself first when you first approach a superior officer."

L'Randil looked at her collar and straightened a little. "My apologies, Ma'am. I have just had my working world flipped over. I am Ens L'Randil." She wasn't sure who she was talking to, but felt nervous about it.

"I'm glad to see Chief Roen is actually doing her job then. I am Lieutenant Taryn England the Chief Flight Control Officer. I read a bit about your past with the chief in a report and I would now like to get your views on it."

The caitian had some grumble thoughts which she refrained from expressing. She walked over to the shuttle she had been working on and leaned against the side of it.

"My views? That is a broad question, Ma'am. I am a person striving for improvements of both technology and efficiency. For the most part I have been supported in the fleet, aside from some like her. To go and change my hours to lock me to a shift is going too far. I need my freedom to express my ideas, sometimes that takes a twelve hour day or more. That is going to stifle my progress on the projects!" The frustration was evident in her voice as well as the erratic motion of her tail as she spoke.

Taryn was impressed by the caitian's apparent work ethic although she did not show it. She too agreed that if an officer wished to push herself and step up she would be allowed to do so. "Well Ensign unfortunately this is the way the maintenance world works. However what you do on your spare time is no business of mine or Chief Roen's. I will speak to her on the matter."

"Now Ensign I must also reiterate the importance of following the chief's orders. Although it seems you are unaccustomed to having a superior in charge of this bay you must follow her commands without question. Should you feel they are out of line I invite you to come visit myself or Ensign Sychorski (NPC) and we will resolve the matter. The same will go for Chief Roen should she see the need and mark my words I will not hesitate to lay charges down where they are warranted."

L'Randil nodded. "I see. Permission to speak freely?"

"Please." Taryn replied.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Ma'am, but the command structure is already rigid enough. I don't mean it has to be as lax as the mining company, but there is only so tight we can be squeezed before we start loosing something." The caitian said with a calmer tone, trying to argue her point.

Taryn wondered if L'Randil had met with Lieutenant(JG) McCarty. Both individuals seemed to have the same distaste for authority. "Ensign the command structure is in place to protect you and teach you. The leaders are put into place to pass down their knowledge and experiences down to you our subordinates. All I ask is that while you are on duty you present yourself in a professional manner befitting that of a starfleet officer and you do your job to the best of your abilities. Off working hours I only ask that you continue to act as a professional and be vigilant and alert should you be called upon, is that too much to ask Ensign?"

"I suppose not, Ma'am." L'Randil replied. "I will do my best, as I always do. You have my word on that."

"Good, then I believe we will not have any issues. Now Ensign returning to the issue at hand I must ask for your take on the incident involving yourself and Chief Roen. Why do you believe the accident happened?"

L'Randil sighed. "I have wondered that many times, Ma'am. The reason is hard to say, but that squadron's perigrines were rife with build issues before we ferried them over from the shipyard. Utopia has not made a power system for a small craft that has been satisfactory from the assembly line yet in my opinion." She shifted a little before continuing. "I had been correcting some of the problems on units 2 and 3 before the red alert was called."

"Ensign may I ask when you became the expert on power systems? I am sure if there was a significant design flaw the engineers at starfleet would have corrected it by now. Perhaps they too need to be court martialled by a JAG?"

"I have always had a knack for power systems, Ma'am." L'Randil responded. "I may be young on your terms, but I was fixing and rebuilding power systems and engines for the mining company since I was thirteen, which is legal age on Cait. It is my belief that more often than not, the engineers design the proper system, but do not execute in proper material. In this day and age, how could they be concerned about cost, but that's all it comes down to most of the time."

Taryn did agree that the starfleet engineers had become more concerned with cost however it was in their moral obligation to fix a major fault should it arise. This incident was however isolated. "So your experience outweighs that of engineers who have been rebuilding and designing these types of systems for years? Then I ask why you are not part of the engineering team. I might also remind you that this incident was isolated as I am unaware of any string of incidents involving the power systems of the peregrine fleet."

"From what I gathered it is only isolated batches of them, dependent on what factory made them. The tolerances of the modern power grid are so tight that the slightest imperfection will throw it offline. The deceptive thing is these imperfections usually affect the longevity more than the performance. That is why they tend to escape the fleet yards fairly readily. Periodically they issue recalls and service bulletins about it, but more often than not it is me who issues the notices to the fleet engineers." She looked up at the ceiling and back down humbly at the officer. "The reason I am not a fleet engineer is I was not always as submissive as I am now. I want so dearly to be a crew chief on an Akira, but after two tours as an assistant and an administrative suspension, I feel I am destined to stay here in this capacity for a while."

"Perhaps but don't let this incident push you back. Continue to strive for your goals and one day you will achieve them. Now please Ensign continue with your story on the incident." she said returning the conversation to its initial point.

"My crew chief ordered us to work on readying them and the Thunderchild was a large capacity Akira carrier. Nobody predicted a Borg attack. I had to finish the work in a considerable hurry, but they met specification before I sealed the hatches. Chief Lorens, my crew chief verified and we released them to Roen's pilots."

"Unfortunately that is the nature of our jobs. We must remain vigilant under pressure. It is also your responsibility to ensure the quality of the work as you too will one day be a senior technician teaching a younger one. I find it hard to believe three trained professionals and tooling that has proven reliable for years failed to see such a fault."

The technician sighed and shook her head. "I still do not know what failed. I told Jag that and they still gave me and my Chief administrative suspension over it. Sometimes I wonder if it was on Roen's insistence."

"Procedures, it is customary to do so until all doubt regarding the incident has been cleared. As for Roen I am starting to wonder if this was something personal. If the JAG came to eventually clear you both I am beginning to think her judgment was clouded. One's personal life should never interfere with duty."

"I agree, Ma'am But I do also understand people are people." It made L'Randil relax a little that the superior officer was being reasonable. "Most pilots that I have worked with were so closely tied together that they almost passed as betazoids. I do however think there may be something to that point." The engineer knew but she was not going to allude to it directly. As much as she was tempted to cast light on the dark secret, she decided to let it go.

"Friends, lovers, family none of this should have any bearing on the mission or incidents like these will happen. People are people and we must strive to always achieve better. We must grow and pay particular attention to detail in order to limit these mistakes. I think one is enough for both you and Chief Roen's lifetime."

L'Randil smirked. "No argument there. I only hope we get the chance to redeem each other to this."

"Indeed Ensign you both shall and I recommend you make the most of it."

"I will try, Ma'am."

Taryn nodded and walked out of the shuttlebay with hopes her intervention settled the hostilities down.

OFF:

A JP by:

Warrant Officer Anara Roen (PNPC)
Shuttlebay Manager
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Played by: Ensign L'Randil N'rass

and

Ensign L'Randil N'rass
Shuttle Maintenance Specialist
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

Lieutenant Taryn England (PNPC)
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
Played by:

[Davis]

ON: <<USS Malinche, Ready Room, Day 20, 1030>>

Isabel picked up yet another PADD and started reading over it. Starbase 386's Shipyard Foreman had been kind enough to send over the various refit reports on the Malinche. Since the refit was nearly complete and Isabel suspected they'd be leaving soon, she had decided to take the time to look over them a little. It was then that her doorchime sounded. "Enter."

The young ensign walked into Captain Kersare's Ready Room, nervous to the bone. James wasn't this nervous since joining the Malinche. He stood at full attention, his eyes making contact with the captain's. "Hello Captain, I hope my extended period of absence hasn't been any trouble."

A bit surprised, Isabel replied, "Ensign Davis - I hadn't realized you had returned. We've been managing since you left... How are things with your family?" The last time she'd seen him, James had requested a leave of absence due to an illness in the family. Since that time she hadn't received any updates.

Cracking a smile, James replied, "Things are better now. My father was having heart troubles, but he has recovered and is back to his usual, happy self. I apologize for not sending updates on my return or my status. My mind was on taking care of my father and forgot to send the necessary messages."

"Understandable, Ensign. I'm glad to hear he's doing better," she said. "Would you like to have a seat?" Isabel motioned to the chairs in front of her desk.

"Certainly," James said. He sat down, cleared his throat and started to speak again. "I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to return to the Malinche. I thought I was going to be placed on another ship or put on some sort of waiting list to be placed on a ship." James tried not to smile as this was a serious situation to him.

Isabel nodded, "It would appear that you had good timing. I expect that I'll be given our next orders in the next day, so if it had been much longer you could have been assigned to another vessel. Then again, while you were on your leave, you were technically still assigned here. In any event, you're back now."

James let out a sigh of relief. "I thank you, Captain. I am very glad I was able to return." James shifted a little in his chair and made an attempt to get comfortable. "If I may ask Captain, if I may have heard correctly from StarFleet, am I to be reassigned to another position here?"

Frowning slightly, Isabel brought up the transfer report for the Malinche; reviewing the list was still among the items she wanted to take care of, but she hadn't had the opportunity yet. James wasn't transferring to the ship itself, per se, but as she scrolled through the list, she found his name. "Yes, actually," she confirmed. "You'll be moving to the Operations Department, though still at Assistant Chief."

James smiled a bit. "Captain, I noticed you frowned upon me mentioning my position on the ship. I assure you I meant no harm in saying that. As for me moving to the Operations Department and still being an Assistant Chief, I am more than willing to take on the task," James said.

Isabel shook her head and waved her hand dismissively, "I was only frowning because I was unsure of whether you'd have the same position or a different one. I hadn't been specifically informed, and I'm afraid that reviewing the transfer list is on my list of things to do but I've not gotten to it yet." She hoped her explanation clarified things; Isabel certainly didn't want to give him the wrong impression. "I am glad to hear that you're willing to take on the role. I imagine you'll still be working with Lieutenant Commander Peters and the Engineering department from time to time."

James couldn't help but smile. It had been a while since he worked with Peters, but he was excited to work with the Lieutenant Commander again. "I'm looking forward to it, Captain. I just hope the Lieutenant Commander doesn't have any surprises in store," James said.

"No more than usual, I'm sure," Isabel replied. "We actually just recently got a new Chief Operations Officer, Lieutenant Sean Hansen. You might want to meet up with him at some point."

James nodded, "I most certainly will, Captain. Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" James figured he needed to ask so that he wasn't wasting Captain Kersare's time.

Considering the question a few moments, Isabel then replied, "No, I think that's about it for now. We haven't been assigned a mission yet, though I expect to hear from Admiral Tavez (NPC) in the next day or two. Once I find out, I'll inform the Department Heads, so I imagine you'll hear about it from Lieutenant Hansen."

"Understood, Captain. I'll be awaiting the orders. Speaking of Lieutenant Hansen, I think I'll go report to him," James said standing up. He gave a salute and started for the door, but he froze in his tracks. "Umm, permission to be dismissed," James said blushing.

Isabel nodded, "Dismissed, Ensign. Welcome back."

"Thank you, Captain. It's good to be back," James replied.

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

[Peters]

OFF: With apologies to Abbott & Costello

ON: <USS Malinche, Holodeck 1, Day 3, 1000>

Peters entered the Holodeck and saw that a few people were already there. Since most of the rest of the crew seemed to have little knowledge of recreational activities in the pre-anti-gravity age, Peters had decided to do a few lessons in some of the more popular sports from Earth's past.

He'd thought about Soccer as a starting point, but given N'Rass's injury during the Basketball lesson he'd decided to go with something a little less strenuous...

"Computer, begin program Peters-two-two-alpha." The computer bleeped an acknowledgment and a baseball diamond appeared in place of the Holodeck grid. There were no players on the field and no spectators in the stands, but that would be dealt with soon enough.

L'Randil was walking at a moderate pace with her cane to the holodeck. Peters had invited her to come along, so she was rushing to make it there in time. When she stepped in, he was at the pitchers mound and she walked up to the outside of the fence behind the home plate.

"What is this sport?" She asked with a curious smile, resting over to one side.

"This," Peters replied with a smile, glad that the Caitian had made it, "is the game of Baseball."

Sean, who was still looking around the holographic playing field, quirked an eyebrow. "Baseball? You're 'big game' is a game that hasn't been played since 2042?"

"Haven't been to Cestus III recently, have you, Lieutenant?" Peters asked. "I won't claim it's all the rage, but it is played on several human-populated colony worlds."

"I even know of a few games that are still played on Earth," Aaron remarked as he and Mike (NPC) stepped through the archway. The walked out onto the field, approaching the small group at an easy pace. "Nothing official, mind you," he added, "but some people who still keep it alive for fun."

"Well, now that we're all here," Peters said, walking back, towards home plate, "Shall we get started?"

L'Randil moved around the fencing to the playing field. "I think I recognize it now. You will need a...'receiver' over here, right?" She pointed to the catcher's area, leaning her brace against the fence.

"Catcher," Mike muttered under his breath. Aaron elbowed him lightly in the ribs. Mike chuckled a little as he rubbed his side. It hadn't hurt all that much and he could tell that it hadn't been all that serious, as if more in jest.

The Caitian turned an ear at the remark but did not give it a look, merely smirking at the ribbing. She carefully set down to the posture of the position to wait for the process to start.

A crewman offered her a glove which she tried on but found its humanoid fit to be inappropriate for her felinoid hands. Instead she decided to go barehanded with her wider finger spread.

L'Randil motioned to Peters with a hand up. "Shall we?"

"Computer, add players,' Peters ordered. Within seconds players had appeared all around the field. One stood at each base, one behind home plate, one on the mound with another between him and second base, and three in the outfield. "Would anyone like introductions?"

L'Randil nodded.

"Alright, we'll start over here," Peters said, gesturing towards first base. "So, I have to warn you, Baseball players tended to have some odd nicknames. So, with that in mind, I'll tell you what the players we have here are named."

Peters pointed to each player as he said their name. "So, Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third..."

Aaron and Mike exchanged a glance, then both looked around the infield at the players the commander had just named off. From where they were standing, they couldn't see the names on the players' uniforms, so there was no way of knowing if he was being serious or just pulling their leg. "Excuse me, sir," Mike said, raising his hand slightly, "but who's on first?"

"That's right," Peters said with a nod. "Who's on First, What's on Second, and I Don't Know is on Third."

Sean shook his head and took a step towards the commander. "Whoa whoa whoa. What?"

"I believe that was the name of the second baseman," Aaron said, looking to Peters for some sort of confirmation that he was correct. If he was, then these were some mighty strange names for a baseball line-up. It was quite possible that he had misunderstood the commander and was just as confused as the rest of them.

The Caitian flicked her tail as she pondered the names. After a moment she closed her eyes and began laughing quietly, trying to not be too apparent.

"What's on Second," Peters replied, deadpan.

Sean looked at Peters and shrugged, he had a fairly clear view of the second base and it appeared to be empty. "I don't know." he responded.

"No, he's on third," Peters said. "Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third."

"So who is outfield?" L'Randil shouted over, half expecting a strange and cryptic answer.

"Well," Peters said, giving the Caitian a small grin, "Naturally, Why and Because."

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Why Naturally?"

"And Because," Peters said. "Need three outfielders, after all."

"I would assume you need three, Naturally, but Who are they?"

Peters gave his reply with a completely bland expression. "They're Naturally, Why, and Because."

She flicked her tail as she crossed her arms. "Is it just me or was that a syntax error? Naturally should be outfield because why?" She tried to twist it.

Mike and Aaron exchanged another glance with each other. For a moment, Aaron had thought he'd seen where this was going, but now he wasn't so sure. Mike was pretty well lost, too. "I don't think this has to do with syntax," Aaron ventured, looking around at the bases and then out toward the outfield. There was some piece of this puzzle that they were still missing.

Sean shook his head, things had gone from confusing to worse. "Okay okay okay. Let's forget about everyone else for a minute." he said, taking a step toward Peters. "You've got a catcher and a pitcher, right?"

Peters nodded. "The finest pitcher-catcher pair you'll ever see."

"Okay, so what's the catchers name?" Sean asked, hoping to get a straight answer.

"Today," Peters replied.

"Well, I figured." L'Randil smirked. "I would figure it wouldn't be tomorrow since he is here."

"He's pitching," Peters replied.

Sean quirked an eyebrow. "Who's pitching?"

"Who's on first," Peters answered immediately.

"I'm not asking you who's on first." Sean replied. "What I want to know is what's the pitchers name?"

"What's on second," Peters said, "We're not talking about him."

"Talking about who?" Sean asked.

"Who's on first. We're talking about the pitcher, Tomorrow." Peters had to fight to keep a straight face.

"Why can't we talk about the pitcher today?" Sean asked. He knew people that had been into this ancient game had cruel senses of humor at times, but this just wasn't making any sense.

"Because he's the catcher," Peters said.

Sean shook his head feverishly. "If you don't know who's pitching, you can just say 'I don't know,' Commander."

Peters chuckled. "No, he's on third. We're not talking about him right now either."

Sean looked down and thought through the go around that they had been going through. "Ok... so... let's say we've got a batter, hit's the ball, ground ball to left field. Left fielder throws it to first base, now who's got it?"

"Right," Peters said. "Who's got it."

"So who throws it to what, who throws it to I don't know, why? Because I don't give a darn." Sean said, in a slightly raised voice.

"What'd you say?" Peters asked.

Sean looked Todd straight in the eyes and repeated, "I don't give a darn."

Peters chuckled and walked over to the short stop. He turned the character around and showed the nameplate on the back of the holographic man's uniform to the watching officers. It read "I Don't Give A Darn".

L'Randil broke out laughing, resting her hands on her knees as she leaned forward. This human humor was entertaining indeed.

Sean dropped his head, half to try to stop himself from laughing as well, half to hide that he was trying.

"Alright," Peters said, "I really am going to teach you about baseball, but if you'll indulge me for a few more minutes, I figured I'd show you the inspiration for this little... whimsical interlude."

He looked around at the assembled officers to see if anyone objected. When no one did, Peters turned the shortstop back around, then spoke. "Computer, freeze program Peters-two-two-alpha. Begin program Peters-two-two-beta, primary characters only. Adapt to fit within program Peters-two-two-alpha."

The computer bleeped an acknowledgment and a stage appeared in center field, just behind the now-frozen form of 'Because'. Two figures emerged from the home team bullpen and walked towards the stage. One was tall and thin, the other short and rather rotund. They seemed to be having a jovial conversation, but when the reached the stage and stepped onto it their voices were suddenly audible throughout the simulated ballpark.

"So, how do you like my ball club, Lou?" asked the taller one.

The other seemed to ignore the question, instead pointing towards the stands. "Hey, all those people gonna be at the game today?"

"Well certainly," the first answered.

"This is gonna be a whopper of a game," came the reply from 'Lou'.

"Well, it should be," the first agreed.

"Hey, Abbott, I understand they made you the manager of this here baseball team..."

OFF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbJwwJ33TEI

This has been a Joint Post by:

Ensign L'Randil N'Rass
Shuttle Maintenance Specialist
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

&

Lieutenant, JG Aaron Masterson
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

&

Lieutenant Sean Hansen
Chief Operations Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

&

[Kersare]

ON: <<USS Malinche, Isabel's Quarters, Day 14, 2015>>

Isabel sat at her desk, staring at the console screen. Though long overdue, she still hadn't been able to work up the nerve to call on either her relatives or Derek's. After his identity had been confirmed, his family had been informed by StarFleet that he was still alive, but Isabel hadn't spoken to them. She'd been avoiding the conversations with any of their relatives - particularly the questions she was sure were inevitable.

But she knew she couldn't avoid it forever. And, truth be told, Derek was doing much better now. Isabel just wasn't really ready to face the questions of where their relationship stood. Finally, she allowed her fingertips to slowly move to the screen and start the call.

Moments later, the faces of her parents and sister appeared. "Isa!" Gabrielle (NPC) exclaimed. "We were wondering when you'd get in touch with us!"

Surprised at seeing her sister, Isabel replied, "Gabi? You're visiting Mom and Dad? Where's Stephen?"

"Yes, yes, we came for a visit. He's in the other room with the children," Gabrielle replied with a smile. She was going to speak further but was interrupted by Adrianne (NPC).

"Isabel, what has taken you so long? We received news that Derek (NPC) is alive...is that true?" Isabel and Gabrielle's mother had a look of concern on her face. She glanced over at Caleb (NPC) as he laid his arm around his wife's shoulders.

Isabel responded, starting to feel overwhelmed, "Being the Commanding Officer of a starship doesn't generally leave a lot of time, mom. The Malinche's been fairly busy. And yes, Derek is alive...that's the other reason I've not gotten in touch with you lately - I've been trying to spend time with him."

"Spend time with him? But he's Borg!" Gabrielle said, wide-eyed.

It was now Caleb's turn to try to calm things down, "Now Gabrielle, you know that's not quite true. He's no longer part of the Collective." Once he saw that Gabrielle had gotten a hold of herself, he turned back to Isabel, "Has he been making any progress, honey?"

Nodding, Isabel said, "Yes, he's been doing fairly well. He's even working with the Security/Tactical Department on the Malinche. I asked my new Chief Security/Tactical Officer if he'd mind, which he didn't; although some of the other crewmembers are leery of the arrangment."

Adrianne spoke up, "Well, dear, I can't really blame them. The Borg are quite unnerving...and even though he isn't part of the Collective, people are bound to be concerned. I must say I'm a little concerned too...are you two still together?"

"Mother!" Isabel shook her head in disbelief - this was what she had wanted to avoid. "We're taking things one day at a time. He didn't really remember me at first, but he does now; most of his memories are intact. He's been speaking with our Counselor, Lieutenant Zeral, as have I."

"Good," Caleb replied. "I'm sure that with time, things will work themselves out. Have you talked to Derek's family, Isabel?"

"Not yet, Dad. They're next on my list," Isabel said, blushing slightly.

"Well, now that we know you and Derek are alright, I think you better get in contact with them. They've already asked us a few times if we knew anything, so I'm sure they're anxious to hear from you," her father said. "Take care Isabel, we love you."

"I love all of you too," Isabel replied quietly. "I'll try not to wait this long between getting in touch next time. Take care...and Gabi - say hello to Stephen and the kids for me." She watched her sister nod and give her an encouraging smile before her father closed the connection.

With a big sigh, Isabel leaned back into her chair. She needed a few moments before calling her In Laws. Closing her eyes, Isabel took deep breaths for several minutes. Feeling calmer, she decided it was time. As she started the call, Isabel sat up a little straighter. When she saw her mother-in-law, Claire (NPC), she gave the woman a small smile, "Hello."

Claire's eyes light up at the sight of her daughter-in-law, "Ryan(NPC)! Isabel's calling!" She then turned back to Isabel, "We've been wondering about you, dear. We got the news about Derek, but have been worried since we haven't heard from either of you."

Ryan joined his wife, "It's been awhile, Isabel. I had thought you would've given us the courtesy of contacting us. Instead we had to keep calling your parents to see what they knew."

The smile disappeared from Isabel's face, "I apologize; unfortunately things have been rather hectic on the Mainche and-"

Before she could finish, Ryan interrupted, "Hectic? Hectic! Our lives were turned upside down when we were told that Derek was dead. Now we find out that he was turned into a Borg, but then rescued....alive...and you can't make the effort to tell us yourself?"

Speechless, Isabel sat quietly. She had hoped this would go better, but obviously her father-in-law was not happy with her. Really, she couldn't blame him, but surely he knew that it was difficult for her too. Isabel sucked in her breath as he gave her one last glare and left.

Claire watched him leave before turning back to Isabel apologetically, "Don't worry about him, Isabel. He'll come around. He's just hurting, like all of us are. I'm sure the shock of Derek being alive has hit you hard, just as it has us."

Isabel nodded slowly, "To be honest, I wasn't sure what all to tell you...that's partly why I've put it off. At first, Derek didn't remember much at all; he's been doing a lot better, but he's still... Well, he's not quite the same. Though I didn't entirely expect him to be."

"I don't think any of us can expect him to be the same man he was before the...accident," Claire said. "Have things been going well with him, at least? Can I speak to him?"

"For the most part, yes. As I said, he didn't remember much at first - that was one of the hardest parts. Derek has been having Counseling sessions with our Chief Counselor - by himself and some with me. Lieutenant Zeral is trying to have him take things slow. I'll talk to him and see if he's ready to speak with you...but I can't say for sure - some things he just doesn't seem to be ready for yet," Isabel said with a slight shrug. "He has been helping out in the Security/Tactical Department, though."

That brought a smile to Claire's face. "I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure it will all come in time. Feel free to call anytime, dear. I'll talk to Ryan and Derek's siblings; don't worry about them."

Nodding appreciatively, Isabel said, "Thank you. I'll see what I can do."

"Take care, Isabel," Claire said. "And tell Derek we love him." A tear, although she tried to blink it back, escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. "We love both of you."

The conversation over, Isabel sobbed quietly, her hands over her eyes. It had been more difficult than she had thought - especially the conversation with Derek's family. Her relationship with them was already a bit strained - they hadn't really gotten a chance to really know each other since both Isabel and Derek were in StarFleet...and to some extent she had felt that they blamed her for Derek's supposed death. It would take time to repair the damage. She knew that. But it didn't make it any easier.

[Kersare]

OFF: This is a backpost

ON: <<Starbase 386, Promenade, Day 9, 0900>>

After sleeping in a little, Isabel had decided to head over to the Promenade. She hadn't had much time to explore it this time around to see if there was anything new. Plus, Isabel wanted to see what she could find out about the planet - perhaps she and Derek (PNPC) could visit there later in the week. She'd been doing her best to spend more time with him...and, truth be told, she was trying to put off contacting her family and Derek's.

Alexis seemed to find herself spending more time on the Promenade that she ever expected. She’d actually started to get a little concerned…she did not like being around large groups of people. For a very brief moment, she entertained the thought that maybe…just maybe…these Malinche and 386 types were starting to change her. She shook it off and attributed it to being idle for several days. Besides, one could learn a lot about others just by watching them, she thought. Wait, did I just justify myself being here?! She paused, great, now I’m arguing with myself! I must find something to do before I go crazy! Then her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t had anything to eat yet. She looked up and saw Captain Kersare a few feet away. Alexis waited for eye contact, then nodded and started walking towards her.

Isabel gave her Chief Intelligence Officer a smile, "Good morning. Taking advantage of leave time?"

“As much as possible,” replied Alexis. “Though I still find myself taking care of…things. Enjoying your leave?”

"Glad to hear it," Isabel said. "For the most part, yes. It still seems like there aren't enough hours in the day sometimes though. Have you had breakfast yet?"

“Actually, no, I haven’t. I’ve heard rave reviews of just about every place down here. But I haven’t tried any of them. Do you have a particular favorite that you like?”

Pausing to consider the question, Isabel replied, "Well, all of them are rather good. Flanagan's Pub and Rosie's Restaurant are probably my two favorites. I've not had breakfast at Flanagan's before, just lunch and dinner, which were both good. Rosie's has a good selection for meals - it's more like a cafeteria line of foods. I'm fine with either one, do you have a preference?"

Alexis considered her options quickly. “Let’s go with the Pub. That’s sounds like it has an interesting atmosphere.”

"Sounds good," Isabel said. "It's right over here." After motioning in the correct direction, Isabel started that way. "Things seem to be picking up since the standoff...I think people have calmed down since the Elyshans haven't resurfaced."

Alexis followed Isabel toward the Pub. “I’d agree. I believe people have calmed down. Although, I’ve noticed that there are a still a few of the civilians that are edgy.” She smirked a little. As they approached Flanagan’s, Alexis waited for Isabel to choose table or barstool. “I don’t know him at all, but Captain Lange doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would be lulled into a false sense of security. The enemy can sometimes use that as an opportunity to return. I’m sure the staff around here will keep a wary eye out.”

Finding a high top table, Isabel sat on one of the tall bar stools. She passed a menu to Alexis before answering, "Civilians tend to forget the danger sooner - it's part of our job to stay alert. I'm sure Captain Lange is doing everything in his power to ensure the starbase will be secure in case the Elyshans try something again." Her eyes looked over the breakfast menu as she tried to decide what to have; many options looked good.

Alexis nodded. She looked down at the menu Isabel handed her.

"Can I take your order?" A tall red-headed young woman asked with a smile as she approached the table. She was glad things were starting to slow down from breakfast.

Alexis looked up. “I’ll have a slice of fried ham, two pieces of rye bread, and an extra strong coffee. Oh, and put a teaspoon of grounds in it.” She glanced over at Isabel. “Adds character.”

"I'll have scrambled eggs, two slices of wheat toast, hashbrowns, and a coffee, please," Isabel said when the waitress turned to her. She grinned at Alexis' comment about adding character.

The waitress nodded, "I'll bring your drinks out once I have your order in. It should be about ten minutes for your food, officers."

Alexis looked across the table at her Captain. She really didn’t want to talk shop, but there was something that she had been needing to take care of for quite some time. “Some time ago, you asked me to recommend someone as the Acting Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer. I’ve come to a conclusion. I believe Ensign Michael Derrin is the one for the job.”

Isabel nodded slowly, "What made you come to that conclusion?"

“He is hardworking, dedicated to what he does, and has an initiative that I haven’t seen in a long time,” replied Alexis.

"You've seen this while working with him? What have you seen?" Isabel had no doubt that Alexis was absolutely correct, but was curious as to her insights.

“Well, for example, I left him in charge of the department yesterday while I tended to some much needed relaxation on the Starbase. When I returned, he had a departmental daily report on my desk. I never asked him for anything like that. I asked myself, if he takes that kind of initiative in temporary administrative duties, what could he accomplish as Acting Intel Chief? Your opinions, Captain?”

Smiling slightly Isabel replied, "I think that he is an excellent choice. From what you're telling me, he's just the kind of person that we would want as your Assistant Chief. As far as I'm concerned, you can give him the position." Pausing for a moment, she then continued, "If you don't mind my asking, what do you think of the other Intelligence Officers? Do you need more, or some with different specializations, or is there someone not up to par?"

Alexis took a long sip of her extra strong coffee that the waitress had brought out a few moments ago. “In general, I like the other officers. They show themselves worthy of their positions.” She paused. “The Warrant Officer, Rachel Tilden, intrigues me. I don’t think I’ve ever met such a personable, outgoing individual that works for Starfleet Intelligence. We’re usually more kept to ourselves, and…if you will Captain…the strange ones of Starfleet. Everyone seems to have these weird ideas about an aura of mystique that surrounds the Fleet’s Intelligence department. Granted, we are more secretive that most others, but I don’t think we live up to the ideas that have perpetrated.” Alexis had never opened up and spoken that much in her life. Perhaps it was the easy, calming effect that Captain Kersare had.

Isabel nodded thoughtfully before replying, "It does take a certain type of person to be in Intelligence. My mother is actually in Intel - my sister and I grew up listening to her stories about it. From my experience, you're quite right; Intel officers are usually more secretive, for good reason, but in general you're like the rest of us. She gave Alexis a smile as she took a sip from her coffee.

“As far as your other two questions, I’m currently fine with who I have an they all seem to be up to par.”

"I'm glad to hear it," Isabel replied. "I think you'll make a good team." Out of the corner of her eye, she noted the waitress coming back. Time for some food.

The waitress brought out their food and Alexis started in on the ham. After swallowing a few bites, she said, “I’ve noticed a rescued Borg onboard who is training with Security. Kudos for getting the man out. Is he a former officer of the Malinche?”

"Not of the Malinche," Isabel said, a bit hesitantly. "Derek (NPC) served with me on the USS Cheyenne...he's my husband." Her eyes glanced over at her Chief Intelligence Officer as she made the revelation - most people were fairly shocked when they learned, but Alexis didn't seem to be. At least she was hiding it well if she was - which Isabel wouldn't be surprised about. "We found an abandoned ship and an away team was sent over. When they found Borg on board, they tried to get back to our ship...Derek got captured and one of our crewmates shot him to save him. We all thought he was dead - until we found him, as a Borg, a few missions ago. He's been making good progress since then."

Alexis listened to the account intently as she wolfed down her breakfast. When Isabel finished, Alexis looked up from her plate. She remembered what it was like after her father and brothers died. Mustering her sympathy, she said, “I’m sorry about the turmoil during the years your husband was gone. But I’m glad you have him back and that you’re making progress.” Not wanting to seem uncaring, she didn’t go back to her breakfast right away. Instead, she utilized a coping mechanism for when she thought about her father and brothers. She turned her thoughts to her work.

She thought about how much she might be able to add to SI’s file on the Borg if she used her telepathic memory retrieval ability on the former drone. She could recover, reconstruct, and enhance lost memories from the time he was connected to the hive mind. But this was the Captain’s husband and somehow it didn’t seem appropriate. Besides, she would have to sort through a lot of personal memories and she didn’t know Isabel well enough to go rifling through her husband's memories of their life together.

Usually, mention of her husband brought conversations to an end. In this case, though, Isabel changed the subject while the two finished their meals. She was glad to have gotten the chance to get to know Alexis a little better and it did feel good to get the story about Derek out. Before she left, Isabel turned to Alexis and gave her a smile, "We'll have to do this again."

Alexis nodded, “Yes ma’am, we will.”

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Lieutenant JG Alexis Rho
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

[Peters]

ON: <Starbase 386, Shore Leave Day 8, 0900>

Peters looked out the viewport on the upper level of the Promenade towards the collection of drydock assemblies that made up the Aldani shipyard. He could just see the Malinche's bow sticking out from the nearest of the drydock frames. She'd be there for another several days as the yard engineers upgraded several major systems.

In the mean time, while Peters had a handful of short shifts as the duty officer in Engineering, he also had a lot of free time to kill. And that was why he was here. He'd gotten up early this morning to explore more of the Cardassian-designed station. He was curious how the Starfleet equipment had been custom-fitted into the Cardassian architecture.

Looking out the viewport again, Peters noted that a tug was approaching the station. It looked like the tug was towing a ship. He couldn't quite tell from this angle, but it look like... Walking around the upper level of the promenade, Peters tried to get a better angle. It looked like, yes, yes it was. A refit Constitution class ship.

Peters wasn't sure why a Constitution class starship was being towed to 386, but he was going to find out. Maybe he could arrange a tour for himself if it was going to be here awhile. That ship was a classic. And someone on this base knew why it was here and how long it would be at 386. Peters decided he was going to find out.

With that decided, he set off towards the stairway down to the main level.

OFF: