[Josh Broughm]

USS Ares
Sam's Office - Diplomatic Complex
Late Afternoon
Attachment 9774
Sam was working on some errant paperwork when he heard a comms chirp. He activated the desk console & it read:

- Priority one ALPHA conference transmission from the Federation State Department. This transmission is classified as secret. Please enter your security clearance code.

Sam entered his clearance code. The message changed to:

- CDO Urquhart recognized. Please summon Andorian Ambassador. The conf. will begin in 10 minutes.

Sam opened the comms & said,

- Sam to A'Ral. Conference call from Earth incoming.

----------
A'Ral & Akyv were enjoying a drink in the main lounge. A'Ral looked out of the window & said:

- I think we're going to be departing in a few days for the conference.

Akyv frowned and said,

- So we should have the wedding soon?

A'Ral silently nodded & said,

- I'm not much of a starship man. I tolerate them, but after a few weeks of being on a transport, I get stir-

Sam's comm call cut him off.

- On my way.

A'Ral turned to his daughter & said,

- Maybe talk to the captain about it?

Akyv nodded, saying,

- No worries.

He gave her a peck on the cheek & headed off. Once he arrived at the complex, Sam looked at him and said,

- State department conference. Looks like they want you in on the call.

A'Ral nodded and said,

- Route it to the spare office.

Sam smiled and said,

- Already did.

A'Ral moved to the spare office, replicated a coffee for himself & sat down. He entered his clearance code when prompted and waited. A well dressed man appeared on the screen & said,

- Greetings diplomats & honoured Ambassadors. As most of you know, I'm Secretary Walton, chief of the Federation's State Department. As you are all are aware, The President promised to adjust diplomatic policy at the recent SoF address. From here on out, until further notice, all agents of the FDC & the Union of Federation Ambassadors will be given total & complete authority to negotiate for the Federation on any treaties...WITHOUT contacting senior agents or Diplomats.

Walton prattled on for thirty minutes. Sam fell asleep & A'Ral muted both comms, replicated an airhorn, went over to his office, then blasted the horn for a good four seconds. Instantly, Sam awoke, saying,

- GREAT JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH, ALL IN A HOTDOG, WHAT THE F***ING HELL WAS THAT?!?!

A'Ral laughed & Said,

- Works every time. Conference was over two minutes ago. The Secretary wants a word.

Sam nodded and opened the comm. Walton chuckled a bit, saying,

- Now that you're awake, Sam, I have a message from the President. It states that he extends the best of wishes to you & Akyv on your impending Marriage.

Sam stuck a pinkie in his ear & said, thankfully,

- Tell him thanks from us. I take it nothing changes for the CDO's assigned to starships?

Walton nodded & said,

- You take your lead from the Captain, as per the norm. A'Ral, as it pertains to the things we discussed a few weeks back, your request is granted.

A'Ral smiled. Walton rubbed his eyes and said,

- Godspeed to the both of you. A'Ral, Ambassador's Union meeting as soon as you get back.

A'Ral nodded & the comms snapped off. Sam turned to him and said,

- Ya really had to, eh?

A'Ral smirked, saying,

- You were sound asleep. Left me no ch-

Sam smiled and said,

- Its fine. Wedding tomorrow?

A'Ral nodded and said,

- Was discussing it with Akyv. The group has to depart soon.

Sam nodded slowly and said,

- Yeah. I got to talk to the captain about it.

A'Ral said,

- Akyv's got it. Let's grab a drink, son.

Sam smiled, got up and went with A'Ral to the lounge to have a bevy of beers.
Attachment 9774

[Asteropax]

USS Ares
Sickbay – CMO’s Office

Christopher looked at Jei and Teriir, "He'll be right along in a minute, Sir. Jei, come on over to biobed 2, I want to make sure that you're alright before I send you back to your quarters." Just as Christopher and Jei walked through the door, the familiar chime of the transporter filled the room.

Teriir focused up on the materializing Lieutenant Drum, letting go of his annoyance of Christopher calling him out for now wearing his medical sling for the shoulder wound. Although he didn’t think he would really need it, he would have to let the Doctor know he was going to wear it while off duty and sleeping. The Lieutenant finished materializing and instantly had to prop himself upright at the realization he was no longer facing a console.

“What the hell . . .” Drum said as he took in his new environment. As soon as he spotted Christopher and Jei, he shot a glare their way and guessed what happened, “Doctor! I told you I was in the middle-”

“Ahem!” the Captain coughed to get the Engineer’s attention. Drum shifted to a more formal position sheepishly at the realization he was about to address a Commanding Officer. He waited a second before speaking, “You heard what the Doctor said about the situation on Deck 5, correct?”

“Aye, sir,” Drum replied and wriggled a little, obviously preparing to explain what happened, “There was an explosion there and I’ve been coordinating the effort with Chief Samson to get everything fixed.”

“What was the cause?”

“Main power was deactivated on Decks 5 and 6 for some reason. When I turned it back on, the power junction and one of the conduits outside Battery Compartment 4 exploded. We’ve lost 2 racks of batteries,” he summarized and then closed his eyes. Teriir guessed he was thinking through a repair schedule, “We are likely to be on auxiliary power in the quarters on those decks for the next day or so.”

“And the personal cost?” Teriir pressed him.

“Captain, I just told you the-”

“I don’t care about a piece of equipment!” he snapped, forcing a bit of anger into his tone, “I’m more concerned about two of MY crewmen on MY ship who are now in MY sickbay after being under YOUR watch while performing repairs YOU authorized!”

“What?” Drum’s eyes widened in shock, forcing him to remain still for a long time. He finally spoke again, “Sir, I . . . I forgot. But-”

“You forgot,” Teriir repeated slowly.

“S-S-Sir! There was no indicator of the repair being in progress when I turned the power back on!” the Lieutenant began almost rambling back to him. His comments though were enough to catch his ears.

“Slow down, Lieutenant,” he spoke more calmly, “What is this about an indicator?”

“There are safety warnings for all the power blocks to indicate if anything is preventing them from operating normally. I checked to see if there were any before reactivating main power,” Drum insisted, rather sincerely, “I was occupied with one of my own projects in my quarters but I would never intentionally hurt one of my people!”

“Busy with a project in your quarters?” the Captain was starting to accept there may have been a mixup with the less experienced Technician Murray until that last statement. Lieutenant Drum wasn’t at his post when he was supposed to and only showed up when something was going on. The young man gulped and looked away, clearly not wanting to put himself into any more trouble than he already was. Teriir sighed and shook his head, “You’ve put me in a difficult position here.”

The Captain took a moment to pace slowly around the Chief Medical Officer’s Office. He needed to think things through, “Lieutenant Drum, you are supposed to be in charge of Gamma Shift for the Engineering teams. I know this shift doesn’t see much action and is often filled with less experienced and worn out junior officers. It is still something that has to get done. I don’t know what you were working on in your quarters but it couldn’t have been more important than reporting to your station.”

“Yes, sir,” Drum replied.

Teriir wasn’t expecting the interruption by he felt satisfied the Lieutenant was aware the gravity of what he was facing, “Ordering some of the repairs to be done here was good, but forgetting the orders you gave is not good. I would be pulling you from your current station on Gamma Shift but I feel this is a lessons learned for everyone. It sounds as though Murray forgot to activate some of the safeties as he worked on the conduit, Han was not overseeing her junior’s work as diligently as she could have while supposed to be on a temporary leave, and you – I covered you already.”

“Are they alright?” the Lieutenant asked.

“In recovery,” he informed him, nodding towards the door, “Go ahead and talk to them along with the Doctor. I want the three of you off duty for awhile so you can recover. Alpha shift will have to cover most of the repair work starting tomorrow morning. Dismissed.”

The Captain headed out of Sickbay while Drum moseyed over to join Christopher and Jei. He muttered to himself once he was outside, "Hopefully that doesn't happen again."

He was about to head back up to the Bridge but noticed an Andorian woman approaching him and recognized her as Sam's fiancé. He thought she was heading over to Sickbay as he was made aware she was going to be a Nurse while she stayed with them but it was clear she wanted to speak to him about something, "Is there something I can do for you, Akyv?"

(( TAG: Jei, Christopher, anyone else wanting to jump in to see what’s up in Sickbay, Sam ))

[Josh Broughm]

USS Ares
Just Outside Sickbay

Attachment 9774

He was about to head back up to the Bridge but noticed an Andorian woman approaching him and recognized her as Sam's fiancé. He thought she was heading over to Sickbay as he was made aware she was going to be a Nurse while she stayed with them but it was clear she wanted to speak to him about something, "Is there something I can do for you, Akyv?"

Akyv smiled at him and said,

- Yeah. Dad's group is looking to get to heading out & I was wondering....

Her foot scuffed the carpet. She was nervous. Akyv continued,

- .....I was wondering if we could have the Wedding.....tomorrow.....maybe?

((TAG Terrir))

Akyv let out a long breath & said,

- Thank you, Captain!! You don't know how much this means to us!

((TAG Terrir))

Akuv laughed and said,

- I know. Now, if you could excuse me...

((TAG Terrir))

Akyv pointed up to the ceiling as she walked into sickbay, then into an adjacent bathroom, saying,

- TO THROW UP!!

((TAG Cushing))

[Silynn]

U.S.S. ARES
Deck 8 – Medical Complex
Jei watched in silence as Christopher had a one-sided discussion with the junior engineering officer, Lieutenant JG Drum. Her eyes went a little wide when Christopher ordered the transporter chief to transport Drum immediately into the office. Only the Captain and the Chief Medical Officer really has that authority.

Christopher looked at Jei and Teriir, "He'll be right along in a minute, Sir. Jei, come on over to biobed 2, I want to make sure that you're alright before I send you back to your quarters." Just as Christopher and Jei walked through the door, the familiar chime of the transporter filled the room.

Jei followed Christopher to biobed 2. Christopher padded it with his left hand as he went to a wall storage unit and pulled out a medical tricorder. Understanding, Jei hopped onto it and sat with her legs dangling.

((Chris))

Jei’s eyes looked back at Christopher and realized he had been talking to her. She had been looking at the CMO’s office, hearing the Captain’s voice raise a bit to an indistinguishable yet audibly noticeable that he wasn’t happy. Jei could empathize with the why. Things got fouled up. She let herself be distracted, Crewman Murray was trying to make a positive impression on his first real task but needed a bit more hand-holding still, she knew that Lieutenant Drum was distracted by Ensign Garcia finally inviting him to her quarters for a “talk”. But the worst was that she by-passed Master Chief Samson for the sole reason of just wanting to avoid his ire of being on duty when she was told to *not* be on duty.

Jei sighed and noticed that Christopher had raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what he had said and obviously he knew so. “Oh… um, sorry Christopher… I kind of got lost in thought. I guess I was just trying to piece things together,” sheepishly admitted Jei.

((Chris))

The Captain walked out of the CMO’s office and continued on until he left sick bay. She then noticed Lieutenant Drum walking over, obviously tense and uncomfortable. He was not angry or even upset, but seemed a bit off-balance. Likely, the words from Captain Teriir had a profound effect on him.

The engineering Lieutenant looked at Jei and then Dr. Cushing. “Hi Doc, Petty Officer Han. I’m relieved to see that you are ok,” began Lieutenant Drum as he turned to Dr. Cushing. “Sir, how is Crewman Murray? Will he be ok? May I see him… talk to him?

Before Chris could answer, Jei spoke-up. “Hey Lieutenant… sorry about the mess Murray and I caused. I should have watched him more closely.”

Drum shook his head. “No. It’s not your fault, Petty Officer Han. Nor Crewman Murray’s. The fault rests directly with me. I am sorry and hope that you will give me another chance… even though I don’t deserve it,” the engineering officer turned to Dr. Cushing. “Sir, I owe you… for taking care of my team. And I… apologize for my earlier… arrogance. I swear to you… both of you, that it was a wake-up call and it will never happen again.”

((Chris))

Jei shrugged. “No worries, Lieutenant. And if you can get me back on duty sooner rather than later, I’ll forgive you,” offered Jei.

((Chris))

[Krajin]

USS Ares
Deck Four

Thane had been enjoying a meal and a display of the prowess of the Ships crew in the art of Music, battling it out with one another through different forms of Earth Genre from rock to something that was like a weird blend of classical with a bit of dubstep that hurt the ears. Post meal the Ferasan went off to explore the ship some more and headed down to Deck Five. It'd been interesting to see the way the crew chose to entertain themselves on a Federation ship outside of War, especially when they now had their families with them. The looks were proving interesting though. He was riding the Lift when the explosion happened causing the lights to flicker and the lift to stutter just a little, Thane grabbed the walls in mild fear (Not that he'd ever tell anyone!) Just in case the lift decided to plummet down and take him to his doom. Thankfully it did not and quietly hummed its way down to the lower floors wherein Thane stepped off, heading for the Medical Complex whilst adjusting his gloves and trying not to look frazzled by the lift's sudden lurch.



Medical Complex

He headed on into the Medical Wing, a little unaware of what was transpiring within as Thane generally chose to ignore the emotions from this particular area and other things his Telepathy would pick up. He stepped into the entry way and paused at the smell, sterile, disinfectant and something else. He'd give a nod to Teriir as the man exited the facility, pausing a moment as a Blue Andorian approached and engaged the Captain in conversation. He'd give them both a nod before stepping into the Medical Facility properly and glanced around. Noting the fuss going on inside that came with emergencies and looked about a little quizzically. "What just happened?" He'd ask, not to anyone in particular at this point and held to the curiosity of his without invading everything in the room.

TAG: Anyone in Medical!))

[WelshAvenger]

USS Ares
Sick Bay


Attachment 9773

Attachment 9774

Jei followed Christopher to biobed 2. Christopher padded it with his left hand as he went to a wall storage unit and pulled out a medical tricorder. Understanding, Jei hopped onto it and sat with her legs dangling.

Christopher ran the tricorder's sensor over Jei, not expecting any results but he wanted to make sure he wasn't missing something. "You know, you seem to have a knack for medicine, which isn't typical in an engineer." Noticing that Jei's attention was on his office, Christopher simply waited for her to catch up.

Jei’s eyes looked back at Christopher and realized he had been talking to her. She had been looking at the CMO’s office, hearing the Captain’s voice raise a bit to an indistinguishable yet audibly noticeable that he wasn’t happy. Jei could empathize with the why. Things got fouled up. She let herself be distracted, Crewman Murray was trying to make a positive impression on his first real task but needed a bit more hand-holding still, she knew that Lieutenant Drum was distracted by Ensign Garcia finally inviting him to her quarters for a “talk”. But the worst was that she by-passed Master Chief Samson for the sole reason of just wanting to avoid his ire of being on duty when she was told to *not* be on duty.

Jei sighed and noticed that Christopher had raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what he had said and obviously he knew so. “Oh… um, sorry Christopher… I kind of got lost in thought. I guess I was just trying to piece things together,” sheepishly admitted Jei.

"Wasn't your fault Jei," Christopher reasoned, "if it was, the captain would be shouting at you right now, not him."

The Captain walked out of the CMO’s office and continued on until he left sick bay. She then noticed Lieutenant Drum walking over, obviously tense and uncomfortable. He was not angry or even upset, but seemed a bit off-balance. Likely, the words from Captain Teriir had a profound effect on him.

The engineering Lieutenant looked at Jei and then Dr. Cushing. “Hi Doc, Petty Officer Han. I’m relieved to see that you are ok,” began Lieutenant Drum as he turned to Dr. Cushing. “Sir, how is Crewman Murray? Will he be ok? May I see him… talk to him?

Before Chris could answer, Jei spoke-up. “Hey Lieutenant… sorry about the mess Murray and I caused. I should have watched him more closely.”

Drum shook his head. “No. It’s not your fault, Petty Officer Han. Nor Crewman Murray’s. The fault rests directly with me. I am sorry and hope that you will give me another chance… even though I don’t deserve it,” the engineering officer turned to Dr. Cushing. “Sir, I owe you… for taking care of my team. And I… apologize for my earlier… arrogance. I swear to you… both of you, that it was a wake-up call and it will never happen again.”

'Jei might be willing to turn the other cheek' Christopher thought, 'I'm not.' Turning to Drum, Christopher spoke in a frosty tone, "See that it doesn't Lieutenant. Crewman Murray is still in surgery but I'll be sure to let him know you stopped by."

Jei shrugged. “No worries, Lieutenant. And if you can get me back on duty sooner rather than later, I’ll forgive you.” offered Jei.

Christopher snapped off the tricorder, "You're good to go now Jei. If the Lieutenant here is willing to let you back into Main Engineering, I'll sign you fit for duty." Seeing the happy look on Jei's face, Christopher continued, "However, one condition of that is that you come visit Crewman Murray each evening. Now, out, the pair of you! You're making the place look untidy."

Making his way back to the office, Christopher caught sight of Akyv dashing towards a bathroom holding her stomach and mouth. He knocked on the office window and motioned for Mell to go check if she was alright and activated the computer.

"Computer, display the service record of Jeihee Han." He scrolled through the information, not seeing anything unusual. "Computer, display academic records." Christopher read along until right there on the screen were the words, 'Starfleet Academy Medical Program... Incomplete. Failed final assessment. Transferred to enlisted engineering program.'

"What the hell?" Christopher asked nobody in particular.

Attachment 9774

[Asteropax]

USS Ares
Deck 8 – Outside Sickbay

Akyv smiled at him and said,

- Yeah. Dad's group is looking to get to heading out & I was wondering....

Her foot scuffed the carpet. She was nervous. Akyv continued,

- .....I was wondering if we could have the Wedding.....tomorrow.....maybe?

Captain Teriir flashed her a soft smile. Something Admiral Ivanov always told him was that whenever something bad happened, it was just a sign good news was around the corner, “Consider it on the schedule!”

Akyv let out a long breath & said,

- Thank you, Captain!! You don't know how much this means to us!

Thinking briefly about some of the wedding he’d participated in or was a guest to, he chuckled, “Congratulations! Don’t forget the guest list!”

Akuv laughed and said,

- I know. Now, if you could excuse me...

“Of course!” he replied and stepped out of her way as she headed into Sickbay. He spotted Thane moving towards Sickbay as well and opted to let him go on by rather than engage in conversation as his mind was feeling mushy. Letting out a yawn, he flexed his limbs and opted to head to his quarters. Although the day was busy and eventful, it wasn’t as hectic as the day before. Still, it felt like a good idea to get some more shut-eye before something else happens. He activated a nearby wall console and submitted in command exchange codes to the Gamma Shift CO, Lieutenant Mason, before heading to the turbolift.

The lift didn’t respond immediately, due to it and the secondaries likely being occupied, but he didn’t need to wait long. It opened up and revealed Lieutenant Vars and Ensign Hansen were already inside. The two were having a conversation but paused and silently moved to invite him in. He stepped in and instructed the computer on where he wanted to go, “Deck 4.”

“Everything okay in Sickbay, Captain?” Hansen asked, obviously trying to strike up a conversation.

“Yes,” he answered turning slightly to talk, guessing news of the explosion had spread like a wildfire, “Everyone is going to be alright and the damage will be patched up soon.”

“Phew! That’s a relief!” she replied, “From the scrambling going on in Engineering, one would’ve thought we were fighting a Borg Cube!”

“It sounded like just another day in Engineering to me,” Vars cut in with a much steadier tone, “They’re always running around doing something down there, either tweaking systems or trying to one up each other on who can fix a minor system faster.”

“It wasn’t like that and you know it!” Hansen began arguing as the lift doors opened to Deck 6. The Ensign walked off and started heading down the corridor, her attitude suggesting she was expecting someone to follow, “Every time something crazy happens, Engineering begins . . . aren’t you coming, Jenha?”

“Sorry, I’ve got to talk to the Captain about something. It’s personal. We can talk more later,” Vars said apologetically before the door closed. Teriir stepped aside so they could stand side by side, already knowing what this was about. She interrupted his train of thoughts, “Thanks for getting me out of that; although Jayce and I are neighbors, we don’t always see eye to eye.”

“Is it just me or do neighbors either get along perfectly or get into fights all the time?” he joked, making her smirk a little as the lift opened up again to Deck 4. He motioned her to go first and followed her to the door to his quarters. Once inside, he instantly went over to one of the lounge chairs and sat down. He was expecting Jenha to take a seat too but she’d busied herself with looking around the decorations in his quarters.

There were a mix of numerous war and much more scientific memorabilia along the walls. A Ketracel White container rested on a pedestal underneath twin Kar’takin. Not far away was a small Rube Goldberg project which moved around a small series of chimes. A plaque honoring his service in the Dominion War, along with a number of others celebrating various achievements, were on display alongside the wall adjacent to his bedroom. As he watched, Jenha went over and toyed absently with a small drone formerly used by archaeologists on Aureum to help with their studies.

“Tea?” Dyrell offered, replicating a pitcher of a type of black tea she liked. She nodded and sat down but didn’t take a sip from the beverage he was passed her; he didn’t drink from his either. They simply sat across from each other, thinking through what to say.

[Josh Broughm]

USS Ares
Sickbay

Attachment 9774

Mell knocked on the bathroom door, feeling slightly worried about Akyv.

- Are you okay, Akyv?

She heard another wrench from the the other side, as Akyv said,

- I don't know if its nerves, or something else, but I feel like actual-

Akyv wrenched again

- ...DEATH!

Akyv exited from the bathroom & she leaned on the door casing. Mell could see Akyv's colour shift to a slightly lighter((Darker?)) blue.

- JESUS! How-

Akyv laughed softly and said,

- This hit me all the sudden. Mind doing a-

Mell put her hand up and said,

- Way ahead of you. Hop up on a bed.

Akyv hopped up on the bed and laid down. Mell grabbed a tricorder and sweeped it across her body. She had one look at the readout and said,

- Andorian flu...In your case, just the flu.

Akyv propped herself up on the bed and said,

- I hadn't been sick since I was a kid. How bad is it?

Mell looked at her and said,

- Not bad at all. If you were...say....CDO Urquhart, this would likely plant him on his ass and in sick bay for AT LEAST four days.

Akyv laughed, then gagged a bit.

- I'll get you fixed up.

Mell grabbed a hypospray & a mixed cartridge. She took the cartridge, slotted it into the hypo and applied it to Akyv's neck. After about a minute, her colour returned to normal & her apparent nausea eased greatly.

- Was that a R-941 treatment?

Mell blinked and said,

- Yeah, it was. How did-

Akyv put a hand on her shoulder and said,

- Civilian nurse on staff. You didn't know that?

Mell stammered a bit. Akyv hopped off the bed and said,

- I'll come back if anything changes.

She strode out of the sickbay with a bit of a bounce in her step. Mell sighed a bit and said, in no one in particular,

- Why am i the last one to know about these things?

A random staffer walked by, saying,

- You're an Ensign.

Attachment 9774

[Asteropax]

USS Ares
Deck 4 – Captain’s Quarters

“Look,” both Captain Teriir and Lieutenant Vars said simultaniously, making them freeze again. Jenha dipped her head and sighed, “You first, Dyrell. It was my fault anyway.”

“No, it,” he stopped himself to prevent them from getting into a blame game. He let out a long breath and scratched at his hair, getting to the point, “Jenha, Why weren’t you there when I needed you for those two months of rehabilitation? I nearly died and I didn’t see you.”

“I got temporarily transferred to help with a mission in the Calfarr System by Captain Vel’Tor. He said it was going to keep me preoccupied so I wasn’t worrying my head off for a few days, not two months,” she explained before staring at him in a sudden show of anger, “What!?! You had no idea did you!”

“This is the first I’ve heard of this!”

“What kind of an excuse is that?” she glared at Dyrell, “You were the Tactical Officer and First Officer! How could you not have -”

“I was out for two months and I’m not telepathic,” he retorted, “I wasn’t exactly in charge of reports and Captain Vel’Tor didn’t say anything about . . .”

“Yes?” Jenha pried as he picked up a PADD and began scrolling through it. He was searching through the Federation Medical Archive about his former CO. Although he was a very strong leader and considered among those who served with him to be an excellent person, he suffered greatly from PTSD. Dyrell passed the PADD back towards her when he found what he was looking for.

“He had an episode,” he commented, “Since I’d been one of the people who he always leaned on when coping with things -”

“He ended up needing to be put in isolation not long after putting me out on assignment and any thoughts of informing you became secondary,” she finished. Dropping the PADD on the table between them, she placed her elbows on her knees while placing her hands on her cheeks, “All this for a miscommunication.”

“Yeah,” he said absently, “Diane wound up being the one who kept me company while recovering.”

“I noticed that,” Jenha remarked before looking at him warily, “Did I see you with her before or after I ended up finally got Ensign . . . Rennin off my back by kissing him. I wish I’d slapped him instead.”

“You met him while on that mission?” he guessed. Her ashamed nodding confirmed it but Dyrell only grunted softly in response, “It wasn’t anyone’s fault for what happened.”

“I thought . . .” her voice was shaking, “I thought you were cheating on me. You thought I was cheating on you.”

He got up from his seat and moved over to be beside her, “It’s as you said. It was a misunderstanding.”

[Blaster]

USS Lakota
Deck 1 - Bridge

Lieutenant Tanata sat at her post on the bridge, monitoring the clean up from the battle with the Nausicaan vessel, and any lasting damage.

It was a dull job, and not one she much liked. However, she was loyal to her ship and Captain and so it was a rewarding job.

Lieutenant Commander Darius was in the Captain's chair today, as Chief Tactical Officer, he was essentially the second officer. He suddenly got a ping from somewhere on the ship, and started talking to someone.

"Lieutenant Tanata!" Called Darius.

Aliyah spun around, uncertain of why she was being called. "Yes sir?" She replied.

"The Captain wishes to speak with you in her Office. You shouldn't keep her waiting" Said the Commander.

Aliyah got up and went over to the Captains ready room. She buzzed on the door.

"Enter!" came the reply.

She walked in, and after a brief look around the room took a seat at the Captains request.

"So Lieutenant.... I've recently had an odd request from Captain Teriir. His current Chief Science Officer and his family are moving off ship, and as we are departing soon, they need a CSO to help them. Sadly, you are going to have to transfer. It will just be for a bit, and then you can transfer back if you so wish. However it must happen. " Said Captain Terry.

Aliyah was none to pleased with this, but knew arguing would get her nowhere.

"Okay Ma'am, where should I go?" She inquired.

"A shuttle will pick you up later, I recommend you pack and say your goodbyes" Said Terry.

Aliyah thanked the Captain and got back up, saluted and turned to leave.

"Lieutenant.... just want to say.. you'll be missed" Said the Captain, saluting the Lieutenant as she left the office...

(Anyone)

[WelshAvenger]

USS Ares
Sick Bay


A joint post by Krajin and WelshAvenger

Attachment 9773

Attachment 9774


Christopher looked up from his research. He didn't realise that he'd spent so much time on the computer. His back and neck muscles were sore from sitting in a bad position. He stood up stiffly and crossed the office to the replicator, "Lemon and Ginger tea with a dash of honey." He reached into the machine, drew out the steaming mug of soothing tea and crossed back to his desk, glancing out of the window into main sickbay. Christopher stopped dead. Standing in sickbay was a rather large Ferasan in Klingon uniform. Blinking to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating, Christopher left his tea on the desk and walked out of the door.

"May I help you at all?" Christopher asked in a slightly confused tone.

The Ferasan was dressed in more than just a Klingon uniform, it was Honour Guard protection with a cloak that swept down to just above his ankles with his furry tuft of a tail sticking out underneath. "Sure." The gaze of the Ferasan hadn't swept to Christopher as of yet. He was speaking in near fluent English, with a pretty hefty accent tied to it. "Had a near miss of a turbolift going into freefall as it went by Deck 5. I am curious what happened."

Christopher's brow furrowed in confusion, "That seems more like a question for an engineer rather than a doctor. Unless, you're not hurt at all are you? Only it's a little difficult to tell underneath all the armour."

"If I was hurt I would be informing you of such. As engineers are currently busy more if someone got injured, a medical officer would be aware of what had happened with what caused it and potential incidents that had caused it." replied the large Ferasan.

"This medical officer is aware of what happened but is in no way inclined to speculate as to the cause. I take it that you're an exchange officer?" Christopher began, "Well then, assuming you have no objection, we can take care of your arrival medical right now? Biobed 3, if you please."

He walked on over to the Biobed, noting how many and then sitting on the edge of it, the cloak adding a little extra cushioning to things as he settled on it. Figuring that he was on the right bed. "No objections at all. Any Questions?"

"Did your previous medical staff provide a copy of your medical records? So we can add them to the crew database." asked Christopher.

"Yes, I have them here.." He removes a smaller PADD from one of his belt pouches and offers it over. "They are for the most part up to date as of last major check up Six Months ago. I do ask that this be kept private though."

"Naturally so. Any medications that you're currently taking?" Christopher enquired as he started to scan the Ferasan.

"I have no need to take any medication, however I do on occasion enjoy a dose or three of refined Nepeta Leaves." He would comment idly.

"Good Grief!" Christopher exclaimed.

"That cannot be a bad thing now can it? Or did your scans show up something that the less sophisticated Klingon ones miss?"

"What? No, nothing's wrong. I just realised that I forgot to introduce myself." Christopher held out his hand, "Christopher Cushing, Chief medical Officer."

A look of amusement washed over Thane's face as the Doctor gets to his introduction. "Hahaha. It is alright, you seem to be the sort to get caught up in your work.." He would reach out and take the hand, giving a firm but not hand crushing shake. He isn't out to do anything silly or prove some point. "Thane Va'rek. Klingon Honour Guard and exchange officer now. Hopefully you won't have to much issue with Ferasan Biology at all?" He feline flashed the tips of his Saber-like Canines.

"I've no issues at all." Christopher explained, "That's it, you're good to go. Please let me know if there's anything you require. Medically, that is."

Christopher watched the Ferasan sweep out of sickbay, shook his head and returned to his office, determined to get to the bottom of Jei's academy record.

Attachment 9774

[Asteropax]

USS Ares
Deck 4 – Captain’s Quarters

Captain Teriir adjusted his undershirt and took a breath as he examined the morning reports. Although it wasn’t quite time to head to the bridge, it already felt like a busy day. The starship Athena was due to arrive in a few hours, all of the arrangements had been made to get Barron off the Ares, and reassignments for ships to escort the Ambassadors were set at a rendezvous in the Valo System. He’d also reviewed the traditional ceremony for the wedding to be held that evening. Lieutenant Tanata was coming aboard soon but he understood the note included from Captain Terry about it being an uncomfortable change. On one hand, transfers allowed the sharing of ideas and prevented possible stagnation but he also knew it had quite an impact on morale and created rifts in relationships.

“Although I’m glad she’s coming aboard, I still don’t like the idea of transferring one person from one ship to another in these sort of forced circumstances. I remember hearing Captain Picard once briefly lost command of the Enterprise to a Captain Jellico because of such a transfer. Even though it all worked out . . .” he trailed off, having second guesses about getting Lieutenant Hood off the Ares and bringing Lieutenant Tanata aboard. Still, the decision was already made and he’d have to stand by it, good or bad. A chime at his door made him look up, “Enter.”

M’iia stepped through, looking rather angry and anxious, “Dyrell, I heard there is a Ferasan aboard your ship!”

“I know,” he answered nonchalantly. Knowing he wasn’t dressed yet for the day, he zipped on the turtleneck and jacket pieces of his uniform before continuing, “I talked to him yesterday in the early evening.”

“What?” she gasped at him in surprise then settled down a little, “I think you ought to explain.”

“Lieutenant Thane is an Exchange Officer from the Klingon Empire and will be traveling with us on our exploration,” he explained to the Attaché, knowing this may take awhile due to his knowing the Caitian’s very colorful history with the Ferasans.

“Oh, um,” she scratched an ear, obviously trying to shift through a hundred conversations, “How is your crew holding up to the thought of a . . . erm . . .”

“This is not much different between any other Exchange Officer joining the crew. The only difference is that few of us have experience with Ferasans so it’s a new experience,” Dyrell commented, knowing exactly what she was worried about, “With the Caitian crewmen, I believe many of them are also meeting what Humans would call a ‘boogeyman’ as all most of them have heard about them are from stories growing up. It isn’t much different from a Klingon meeting a Romulan.”

“That’s a good way to put it,” she replied, sitting down heavily in a cushioned chair, “I just hope you aren’t going to force your crew to change their behaviors just to accommodate him.”

“Just as Starfleet Officers are allowed to maintain their own customs and traditions aboard our ships, stations, and other facilities, nobody will be forced to give up anything,” he answered, “We all wish to keep our core values and beliefs. As long as everyone here is willing to judge him as an individual, there will be no issues. Also, I’ve read through some of Thane’s file; he’s Klingon Honor Guard, which means he is deeply loyal to the Klingon Empire and is therefor representing them rather than other Ferasans. I would encourage you to meet him as I don’t think you’ve ever anyone like him before.”

“An Alien within the Klingon Honor Guard? That’s . . . unheard of,” she stared at him in amazement. As the Klingon Empire was completely dominated by their kind, any and all Aliens were viewed as lesser beings. It was an understatement to say Thane was a capable Warrior to the Empire. M’iia let out an impressed huff and agreed, “I will admit to having misgivings but you are right. They are based on what I think he is rather than who he is. I’ll make an effort to at least clear that up.”

“That’s all any of us can do,” he smiled, knowing the idea of people keeping their cultures was a major point brought up by Federation Citizens displaced by the Dominion War. It led to many of them resettling planets which had been abandoned, colonizing new ones, or moving to already inhabited systems. In the last case, many people were willing to adapt to the societies of the established citizens but some were being unreasonable and a few colonies were actually failing due to a clash of cultures.

Any thoughts of that subject were snapped out of his head in alarm when the door to his bedroom opened up. He looked towards Jenha, who stepped out in her undergarments. She instantly went beet red at the realization they weren’t alone anymore and retreated back inside. Dyrell looked towards M’iia, feeling extremely nervous but she stuck up a hand to prevent him from speaking.

“It looks like I don’t need to ask my follow up questions about whether or not you two have settled things,” she smiled and let out a slight purr.

“Yeah, but we need some time to reconnect,” he huffed in relief she wasn’t making this more difficult than it already was, “Plus there are a number of things to do today.”

“Such as welcoming aboard Gul Enok,” she replied, reminding him the Cardassian was wanting to see their treacherous prisoner off and speak with some of the diplomats before they left.

He nodded his thanks and shot another look back towards the bedroom, “I’m not going to be hearing about that for the rest of your stay, right?”

“Nope,” M’iia replied sympathetically before getting up to leave. After she left, Dyrell remained seated and scratched his scalp, calming himself down from what had been an extremely awkward situation.

“Is every Caitian on this ship visiting your quarters this morning?” Jenha’s complaint made him aware she’d returned to the main living area. This time she had on her uniform but was fumbling around with the hairpiece she kept her ponytail together with.

“They’ll settle down soon as their curiosity about him takes over. I'm sure more than one of them would like to hear about his exploits in the Empire,” he replied while getting up, embracing after he helped straighten the hairpiece. After holding each other for a few seconds, he began shepherding her towards the door so they could leave, “Come on, I know we both want to talk more about us but we can do that once we’re off duty.”

[WelshAvenger]

A Joint post by Welshavenger and Silynn

USS Ares
Sick Bay




Attachment 9774

Christopher had struggled with the computer records to find out more of why and how Jei managed to fail her final assessment for the medical program. Usually by that time of the Academy, it's almost a formality. There were no other records and Jei's exam results, practical assessments, and notes from professors leading up until then were good, if not stellar. Christopher sighed and placed the PADD in his labcoat pocket. "Well," he said, "can't put this off forever." Looking into the mirror at the back of the office, he clipped the extra half pip to his collar and pressed a button on the desk, "Cushing to Han, if you're not busy, would you care to meet me in ten forward?"

=^=”Is it… ok for me to go up there? That’s officer country. Us lower deck types typically get looks of disapproval if we mingle up there?”=^=

"Come on up anyway, you'll be my guest." Christopher replied.

=^=”Alright, I guess… besides Master Chief Samson has locked me out of engineering. He said I can return to duty when Cam does. So I guess I may as well and see if I can upset some other officer types while they try to relax.”=^=

USS Ares
Ten Forward


Christopher sat at a booth that would offer a little privacy and ordered some snacks and a drink. He was almost startled when Jei dropped into the seat opposite him.

“Hey Christopher!” greeted Jei. She was not wearing her uniform, deciding to be a bit more discreet in upsetting officers seeing an enlisted among their turf. “Looks like you all get the good stuff up here, though the air seems a bit… thinner. May have to check the O2 regulators up here,” she added.

"The air's thin due to all the hot air us officers talk when we're off duty." He smiled and motioned for a waiter.

When the waiter came over, she was a little caught off guard. “Oh right, um… just some cranberry juice, if that is ok,” stated Jei. The waiter nodded and left just as quickly as he arrived.

Christopher waited while Jei ordered her drink, "I was searching Starfleet records when I came across something curious." He slid the PADD from his pocket across the table towards Jei. "Something doesn't add up and I hate mysteries. What happened in your final semester at Starfleet Medical Academy?"

Jei’s cheerfulness deflated and she looked at the PADD then at Christopher. “It’s in the past… water under the bridge as you say. No getting back that spilt milk.” deflected Jei.

Christopher held up his hands in front of him, "This isn't me snooping on you, I have a hunch and I'd like to know if I'm right."

Jei looked at Christopher and tried to read him. To see if she trusted him enough to tell this story, whom she had only told Tavo, the Tellarite engineer who took Jei under his wing long ago. Christopher had been nothing but fair, kind… and a friend to her. Their experience on Dorvan VI together cemented that. Jei sighed, as if a huge weight she was carrying around could finally be released.

“Simply, I was framed. Back then the 20-year old me was too shocked of the allegations and full of shame to fight it. The evidence was all ‘witnesses’, other cadets… friends who were all in a clique together. They were sons and daughters of ‘prominent’ officers and officials…” explained Jei.

Jei paused as the waiter brought her cranberry juice and placed it on the table on top of a napkin. As he nodded and left, Jei took a sip before she continued. “I was devastated that none of the instructors or professors stood up to defend me. More so, I knew my parents and family would be more ashamed of me and the dishonor I brought to the family… so I did what any young and naïve barely passed being a teenager would do. I ran away. It was luck and fortune that this Tellarite engineer saw me at the space port. He asked if I wanted a job, to learn to become an engineer… I said yes, and well, he treated me like the daughter he never had. Couple years go by… ship is attacked by Nausicaan pirates, everyone is killed… including every last one of the Nausicaan pirates. I would have died if the USS TIAN AN MEN hadn’t responded to the distress call. I’m the sole survivor from two ships, the raider and my freighter, full of dead people…”

Jei paused, wondering if Tavo would approve of her path thus far. “Well, at that point I had no where to go, asked to enlist into Starfleet. As I had skills in need on the lower decks, Starfleet took me in. The rest should be in my service records… even the honor infraction and expulsion from the Academy,” concluded Jei.

Christopher listened as Jei related her story to him, not once interrupting. When Jei had finished, Christopher ordered another drink, "Are you happy, Jei?"

“Happy? You’ve seen my psyche eval, right? I tried to commit suicide on ESD. I couldn’t hack being in a ‘normal’ environment… or being back close to Earth… my family. Too many bad memories. The counsellor said I should take this assignment on the ARES. The PTSD, the lingering negativity of Earth in my psyche, the stress from raising a young child, constant fights with my then husband… all my fault of course, I admit and accepted that… counsellor said I needed a change. A new start…” answered Jei.

“So am I happy? Leaving behind a child whom will likely despise me. Ruining my marriage to a man who did nothing wrong. Yet I saw him as the cause of many of my problems…” Jei shook her head, “I’d have to be a sociopath or psychopath to say that I was happy…”

"I'm serious. Are you happy in Engineering?" Christopher prompted.

Jei shrugged. “It is… It keeps my mind off things. When I’m fixing that or this. Am I happy there? Well, I don’t know. I don’t mind it. You really haven’t seen the type of jobs I do or take. I take the stuff no one else wants to do. Either it is too hard, too time consuming, or just undesirable. I like the challenge of it and the satisfaction of completing it. Jeez, doc… who is ever happy in their job? Why are you asking anyway? I’m an engineering technician, why do I have to be happy about it?”

"I'm asking because I don't think you are. I'm asking because the Captain promoted me and gave me permission to find a replacement Trauma Specialist. I'm asking because I put you forward for a field commission to Lieutenant j.g and don't want you to turn it down because you're unhappy where you are." Christopher said. "I'm asking because as CMO I can help you retake your finals and get you accepted into Starfleet Medical as an MD but far more importantly, I'm asking because you're my friend."

Jei blinked. Several times. Looked around then back at Christopher. “Just for a moment, say that I’m interested. That is all too much. Too many obstacles to leap over… Starfleet wouldn’t allow it. Heck, look how much trouble I’ve caused already. The Captain didn’t look very pleased or happy when he left Sick Bay… I’m sure my name is one he doesn’t want to hear or see again.”

"Don't you worry about a thing, I'll sort it out with Captain." Christopher raised his glass and passed a single gold pip across the table, "Welcome to Medical, Ensign Han."

Jei looked at the gold pip, unsure of what to do. It was a lot to take in. “You can do that? I mean… is this for real?”

Seeing the confused look on Jei's face, "You'll get the other half pip once you've completed your finals, until then, congratulations on your promotion. I'll see you on Thursday morning at 0900 in Holodeck 2 for you first tutorial and don't forget to wear a blue uniform."

Jei held the pip in her hands and looked up at Christopher and genuinely grinned. “Aye, Aye, Commander… but you will have to break the news to Master Chief Samson. He may not be happy with you poaching me from him.”

"You could always speak to him yourself. As of right now, you outrank him." Christopher began. "But, I'll make the call, it's the least I can do. In the meantime, Cheers!"

Their glasses clinked together.

Attachment 9774

[Josh Broughm]

USS Ares
Sam & Akyv's quarters
0600 HRS
Attachment 9774

Sam & Akyv bedded down for the night after she came back from sickbay. Akyv was the first one to rise, She made herself a tea and sat at the desk, flipping through the ship's directory. About a half-hour later, Sam awoke, threw on a shirt and went over to his betrothed and kissed her on the cheek.

- Today's the day, sweetie.

Akyv looked up at him and said,

-Told you i was going to marry your ass...and it is a fine one at that.

Sam laughed loudly and said,

- So, trying to find a hairdresser?

Akyv nodded and said,

- I think I'll have it done on the holodeck.

Sam nodded and went to get dressed. When he was done, Sam kissed her again & headed out to his office.
Diplomatic complex - Sam's office

Once he got to his office, Sam sat down & started to flip through documents. Nothing came to his attention, so he opened the comms

=^= Urquhart to Terrir & A'ral, can you come down to my office, please? Wedding discussions.

((TAG Terrir))
Attachment 9774

[Asteropax]

USS Ares
Bridge

“You?” Lieutenant Judor said in astonishment in response to Captain Teriir’s story to Ensign Aerign asking him about his knowledge of Valo System, “Running away from a mix of Cardassian and Jem’Hadar warships?”

“Believe it,” he answered flashing a mild grin around the Bridge before explaining, “Outnumbered 12 to 1 we didn’t have a choice but to run. They gave chase but my Captain had us jettison torpedoes behind us and had us arm them only when our attackers came in close. They lost 2 ships to the surprise minefield and the rest had to maneuver around just enough for us to warp out. It certainly wasn’t our finest moment.”

“It sounds like a lot of the ships in the 6th Fleet got themselves into trouble during the War but were always able to turn the tables on their opponents,” Ensign Aerign remarked, her voice indicating she was filing away the tactic for later.

“Speaking of trouble, um . . . permission to speak freely?” Lieutenant Burns asked from the Engineering Station, shifting nervously. Teriir briefly glanced at Lieutenant Locke, seated in one of the vacant stations nearby, before nodded encouragement to let him speak, curious about the trouble he was talking about. The Engineer mouthed carefully, thinking through what to say before saying it, “What . . . what do you guys think of that trouble that Technician Han seems to keep getting into.”

“I’m troubled more by the fact she hasn’t been taking care of herself like she should afterwards,” he sighed heavily before letting out a light chuckle to himself, “Ah, who am I to talk about that. I haven’t exactly been taking care of myself either.”

“At least you’ve been getting your rest and are trying to avoid more strenuous duties,” Lieutenant Kenny observed thoughtfully, “Whereas you’ve been stopping and making an effort to rest or let others help you, she’s been practically working until she passes out.”

“I’m forced to agree as she often spends long hours on duty, more than most of the other Technicians. I know we all feel like we have something to prove but I’m worried she’s overdoing it,” Burns, as an Engineer like Hans, agreed. He took a deep breath and almost muttered under his breath, “It’s almost like she’s trying to work away her expulsion from the Academy.”

Teriir turned to Locke and pointed towards the data access point at the console he was at, quietly signaling he wanted confirmation on that statement. Knowing how much of a detective Locke was, he would speak to him later to learn more about the topic. Noticing a few of the other Officers heard too, he spoke up before any of them could, “Expulsion?”

“I’m afraid so,” the Engineer shook his head, “She went in looking for a career as a medical officer and ended up getting caught, along with a few others, in academic fraud. Han ended up enlisting in Starfleet later as a technician after spending some time on a freighter, basically taking up any job she could.”

“That does explain how she was able to help out with patching people up when the shuttle was shot down,” Aerign commented, “As well as how that Tech she was with yesterday held up until the Doctors arrived.”

The Captain frowned, not liking what he was hearing, “Hans appears to be a very hard worker and extremely driven. She doesn’t appear to be a person who would try to cheat to get ahead in life.”

“She still got expelled,” Lieutenant Nagi said, his tone pointing out the fact sympathetically, “Perhaps that helped turn her around into becoming a better Officer.”

“Captain,” Locke got Teriir’s attention, “Do you know of a Hunter Basset?”

“I’m unfamiliar with Hunter Basset,” he answered slowly, the thought process making him remember a similar name, “But I do know of a Quinton Basset. He was considered to be a rising politician and served as a Consul under the Federation Ambassador to Alpha Centauri until he was ousted shortly after the Dominion War. A criminal investigation found he’d been using his position for personal gain, interfering with elections, and cover ups. Why do you ask?”

“Hunter Basset is that guy’s son. A quick check here shows he went to Starfleet Academy and became a Doctor on Alpha Centauri. He got arrested just 3 months ago for,” the Security Officer paused and huffed low in disgust, “Extorting a number of female patients.”

“Ugh,” Teriir groaned in anger, “I hate hearing these stories about people who’ve gained everything they could want in life and yet it’s not enough. Why are you bringing him up?”

“Because he was one of the three Cadets who accused Mrs. Han and those other Cadets of academic fraud,” Locke’s matter-of-fact reply made the Captain rise from his seat and join him. Teriir slowly scrolled through the report to see everything. He finished right when the Intercom called out.

=^= Urquhart to Terrir & A'ral, can you come down to my office, please? Wedding discussions.

“I’ll be there soon,” he answered before looking directly at Locke, who he knew was arguably one of the best investigators he’d ever meet, “Keep digging.”

“Another Shadow Case?” he smiled back, drawing some confusion among the others. He shifted in his seat to peer past the Captain to explain, “Oh, it’s slang people in the 6th Fleet used to describe an unsolved crime, namely one which exposes someone who was practically born with influence to be a crook. Given what has happened to one of the people who accused Mrs. Han since she was thrown out of the Academy, there is reason to doubt their claim against her. She may have been framed for the academic fraud.”

“Seriously?” Judor commented, leaning far back in his seat, “Yikes. Okay, assuming she’s innocent, how can we help?”

“It would be best to be quiet for now. Do not tell Mrs. Han about this review at this time because we don’t want to potentially get her hopes up,” Teriir said, “Locke, please continue to look into this on your own time. Everyone else, stay focused on your duties. We have much to do over the next few days.”

“Yes, sir!” a few people said in unison as they returned their attention to their consoles. The Captain turned and headed over to the turbolift so he could join Sam in his Office.

(( TAG: Sam, Jei, Christopher ))