Mission 3: "Pilgrims"

The dreams Arvel had while laying in Sickbay after being shot were to strange to even mention much less to people without a psych degree. He satup and looked around the horribly small room. He found that he himself was a bit alone that was okay with him he needed to be alone at least with his thoughts. He would get up an then let people know he was awake...

The Self Help Section

MD: 05
TIME: 2100
SCENE: Holodeck II

Authors: Nikki (Alenis Meru) - Lt. Parker Hudson

Heading down the Portland's corridor Parker looked at his silver wrist watch checking the time. He was on time for his booked Holodeck. He sauntered down the corridor with his large black Hockey duffel bag carried over his shoulder, along with his Hockey stick. He had taken the time earlier to prepare for this taping, wrapping around the butt of the stick.

Looking forward to the time off from his overworked Engineering shifts, he was a bit surprised and perplexed when he walked up to the Holodeck doors and it was currently in use. A program was in operation. This ticked Parker off. He had already scheduled the time and taken the time to get ready for a few days now. Hockey was a passion for him and it wasn't too often he got to indulge.

He paused a moment turning to leave, and then thought to his self. "Why should I be the one to walk away?" He asked his self.

Punching in a few keys to over ride the lock on the doors he had wanted to see if there was some sort of confusion as to the Portland's booking system. Entering forward Parker walked into what seemed was an oasis paradise... A beach forward strait ahead to that of a warm sunny beach. There was someone out there sitting in the sand. A female in meditation posture.

Nikki was perfectly relaxed. Not even the ninety-seven tiny social mistakes she made the night she met Sera bothered her. To her, the holodeck was a wonderful place. A place where she could escape the real world with all its stresses and anxieties and do whatever she wanted. She could be the famed swordswoman, lady Nikki of Barclayshire, Detective Barclay of the Scotland Yard, or international theatre sensation Madame Barclay. But today, she was just Nikki Barclay, getting some artificial sun and real meditation. Her eyes closed, she could feel the ocean mist on her skin and hear the rhythmic crashing of the waves upon the shore and the familiar whoosh of a holodeck door.

Whoosh of a holodeck door?

Her eyes blinked open as they adjusted to the bright artificial sun. "Hello?" she asked, at a silhouette of a man carrying a duffel bag and some sort of stick. As soon as she could make out the face, her eyes opened wide and she broke posture, trying to get up from the sand. "Oh my god, Lieutenant Hudson. I'm so sorry. I thought I booked this holodeck... is my time over already?"

Parker slowed as he walked upward to the female. His sneakers in the sand a warm feel to the sun. He had no idea who the young female was or how she had known his name. She seemed shocked that he was there, even an uneasy startled self.

"Call me Parker." He dropped the large duffel bag behind him. Somehow he had sensed she was a Civilian. "I'm sorry to startle you like this. I had holodeck time booked for 2100."

"Oh. It's 2100 already?" Nikki sighed and held her head in her hands; holodeck time always seemed to be just too fleeting. "I'll just gather my things and I'll be off. I'm terribly sorry. Like, really really sorry."

"It's ok. Don't leave!" He held out his large hand as he then dropped into the warm sand across from her. "What is your name?"

"Barclay. Nikki Barclay." Nikki closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath; controlling her breathing was a tactic recommended to her by a previous counsellor. "I'm Ensign Nikki Barclay. And you are?"

Parker mentally counted the years and age of Nikki to that of an Ensign now. Thinking to his self only then breaking into a loud speak... "could be possible are you by any chance related to a Reginald Barclay?" The man and his name was synonymous with Engineering. Parker begun a slight smile forming accross his face... "Yes, yes! I can see his face in yours."

"Correctly as you assumed. I am Lt. Hudson, Engineer here on the Portland. Are you new Ensign?"

"Yes, brand new. And Reginald Barclay is my uncle. He's super great; he was the reason I joined--" Nikki paused for a moment and gasped. A look of fear appeared on her face as she realized who exactly her guest was. "Lieutenant Hudson? Oh no, I thought I wasn't supposed to report until tomorrow morning! I was just meditating, I'm so nervous, this is my first assignenment." Her uncontrollable babble was getting faster and faster. "I'm so excited to be a part of the Portland. Uncle Reg's first ship was a Miranda class. Did I tell you he's the reason I joined Starfleet? He's so amazing, he served with Captain Picard and worked on the Pathfinder Project... and he even met Zefram Cochrane once! I was just so nervous... I needed some time in the holodeck to meditate. Otherwise I'd never get to sleep. It's nice to meet you sir, Lieutenant Hudson sir... please don't write me up, just please give me another chance... oh god!"

Nikki's ramblings were only silenced by her hyperventilating. She had begun breathing so rapidly that she could not even speak a syllable between breaths. Holding her head in her hands, she tried without success to control it.

Parker considered his self to be fairly easy going and casual. He had hoped his attempt to help calm down the newly assigned Ensign would be beneficial. He smiled as he held up his hand to pause for a moment, reaching into his duffel bag and then pulling out one can, and then two cans of alcoholic beer. "A little something to ease you down Nikki." He held out the can for her.

Nodding at her uncle's accomplishments he had also heard of the mans notorious forays into holodeck technology and living the realm so to speak. This had become a modern day addiction and it was easy to see why someone wanted to curl up into a program that felt like home to them, and never want to leave.

"It is ok Nikki. Trust me." Parker began to rub his hand into the sand in front of him beginning to work out mathematical algorithms... "If you understand all of this you've got it made. I was nervous as hell my first assignment on the Yorktown... Literally dug my nails into my fingers from nervousness and drew blood. Luckily nobody had noticed." He cracked open his can of beer.

"Point is, while you may be the one who is nervous, nobody else is watching to see that you are. As long as you get the job done you can be your own personality, your own boss." He smiled.

"That's a relief, I'd like that," replied Nikki before taking a sip of her beer to calm her nerves. "Is that the Cochrane-Wallace warp equation?" she asked, following the algorithms he was tracing into the sand. Not waiting for him to answer, she continued. "It's just so much pressure sometimes, trying to get started in Starfleet. Especially when you carry around your famous uncle's name. Uncle Reg is great, but it's hard living in his shadow."

"I can't say I know how you feel. I wouldn't like that, no. Then again I didn't have an uncle who had worked on the Flagship as assistant engineer. Very intimidating even to me!" Parker looked at the equation with a wry smile... "Yeah that is what its called ain't it." He laughed. "I thought I was working out Navier-Stokes." He then took another drink of his beer turning to watch out at the seaside warm azure blue crashing waves. "Where are we anyways?"

"We were just getting to know each other," replied Nikki, her nerves slightly calmer on account of the beer. I don't think this is synthahol, she thought to herself before turning back to Parker. "I was meditating on the beach here, and it looked like you were planning on playing some lacrosse?"

"I had meant this program are we in Bermuda... Jamaica, Hawaii? It's awesome. It was hockey to play." Playing with the stick sliding it in the sand now he let a smile relax across his usual emotionless face. "The beer it's not synthahol either. From my buddy Chuck on the Yorktown, I won a friendly bet. I can't read your mind but I can see you thinking about the beer and stuff. You look much like your Uncle! I had the pleasure of seeing him three times for guest lecturer from Utopia Planetia Yards."

"Tahiti, actually," explained Nikki. "I'm told that I get my good looks from Uncle Reg. Legend has it that he was quite the ladies man when he served on the Enterprise." She took another swig of beer before taking Parker's hand. "Enough about my uncle, tell me about yourself. Aside from hockey and beer, what are you into?"

He looked down as Nikki had taken his hand into her smaller hand, he smiled. "Other than my job in Engineering, I'm mad about early post industrial Earth automobiles. Have you ever rode in one Nikki?" He explained relaxing his hand. "It's not a hover vehicle, no plasma energy... Just pure....Raw piston output, a fire breathing exhaust expelling 67 Mustang."

"No, I haven't," replied Nikki. She wasn't sure exactly what Parker was referring to, but she figured it would have been the ancient four-wheeled persona vehicles that she had read about. She had thought them to be rather silly. Surely the concept of everyone having their own personal vehicle, running on dead dinosaurs which had been buried for millions of years, and spewing smoke and smog into the atmosphere was the height of absurdity. Not to mention the ribbons of concrete and asphalt that were built just so people could use their little vehicles. It was a miracle that her people survived long enough to make it to the stars, especially considering their early discovery of nuclear fission. "But I did once take a ride on an old fusion shuttle... that's kind of the same thing, right?"

Taking a drink and then expelling a burp Parker chuckled. "Sorry." At this point they weren't holding hands any longer, but Parker was relaxed and eased around Nikki. She was different, in a good way! "Besides Sciences what are you into?"

"Well, it's kind of geeky... but I love holodeck adventures." Nikki took a big swig of beer, mainly to calm her nerves. She felt a connection being made with Parker; perhaps one which was inappropriate for her to forge with her direct superior. "Lady Nikki of Barclayshire is quite the talented swordsman; I've saved the Kingdom of Hardor from the forces of evil many times."

"Geek? Hardly." He understood it to be that there was infinitesimal holoprograms available. Back on Earth Parker's Family had lineage and shared a Family coat of arms to one of the many Bavarian Castles near the Town of Fussen. Getting up from the warming sand under the sun he brushed off the sand on his shorts and extended his hand to Nikki's "Let us go thither." Parker gestured to the long beach and shoreline, the palms overhead. "It is most beauteous!"

"I'd... like that," replied Nikki as she took him by the hand.

Chatting with Cardassians
Assembly Building, Gamia III
MD5, 1745 hours
Authors:  Capt. Alenis Meru, Coln Jena (played by Jason Beauvoir)


As Fero, Rass, and Iyso discussed the latest plot twist in these diplomatic matters, Alenis stood back, stewing in anger. She couldn’t believe that the Cardassians had the unmitigated gall to show up here. To land on a planet full of Bajroans – even a lost tribe with archaic beliefs led by an irritating religious figure – and try to be all buddy-buddy in an effort to take control of the planet and the surrounding system was just beyond the pale. She knew that Cardassians had little to no shame, but this was low even for them.

Gripping a glass of water in her hand, she reviewed reports from the Portland on her PADD with another. Aside from the incident with the Cardassian shuttle being destroyed, the Cardassians hadn’t made any aggressive moves – though they did make it known that they have the Portland well outgunned.

Cardassians, she thought. It had to be Cardassians. Of all the powers in the Galaxy – the Romulans, the Breen, the Dominion, even the Borg – it was the Cardassians that Alenis hated the most. Aside from being untrustworthy, manipulative, immoral, and lacking in all regard for other life, she could never forgive them for what they did to her, to her family, and to her people. Just thinking about them made her so angry, that she—

Her glass shattered in her hand, a victim of her strong grip and powerful anger. The sound of broken glass got the attention of the entire room. “All right, I’m sick of standing around. I have a plan. Follow my lead.” Without saying another word, Alenis strolled towards the door of their green room, with the lobby as her final destination. Her plan was risky and not exactly standard diplomatic procedure, but as the Ferengi say, the riskier the road, the greater the profit. It was definitely a gambit, and how the Cardassians and the Gamians reacted could make or break the entire mission.

"What are you doing?!" exclaimed Iyso, following behind Alenis as she stormed out of the green room and towards the lobby.

"Someone needs to explain to these people what the Cardassians are like, before they make a terrible mistake." Kicking open the door to the lobby, she was horrified to see a Cardassian delegation bowing before the Kai. As everyone in the room looked in her direction, Alenis quickly scanned the room, picking out what looked to be the leader of the delegation.

"Ah, Gul Jatok, is it?" asked Alenis, her rage clearly evident through a mask of false pleasantries. She didn't wait for his response. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my Executive Officer has told me all about you."

"This is highly inappropriate," said the Kai, shooting daggers at Alenis.

"Inappropriate? Oh no, we're all friends here." Alenis' fists were clenched with rage as she continued. "Speaking of which, you must have been to my home planet in your travels. Perhaps you even had the pleasure of serving there during your long and illustrious military career. Whereabouts did you serve in those days? The Kendra Valley? Dakhur Province? The capital?"

"It was Dakhur," replied Jatok, caught off guard by the sudden interruption.

"Ah, Dakhur." Alenis let out a fake smile. "Beautiful countryside there, and the breadbasket of the east. Of course, it wasn't all that great in those days. The Nis Thamar massacre, the bloody fall, the liquidation of camp 17--"

"What is the meaning of this!" shouted the Kai.

"Oh, just talking to our new friends about some old times," replied Alenis.

Jena decided to join in mimicking Alenis' vineer of pleasant conversation. "And then there were all the men, women and children that died of malnutrition and exhaustion while working in your mines and ore processing plants." Then she put her fingers to her lips as if she'd made a faux pas. "Oh, silly me, that doesn't count does it, after all Bajorans aren't real people, they're sub-Cardassian, no better than animals, right, Gul?"

"I will not stand here idly by and allow my people to be defamed by a little girl!" exclaimed an exasperated Jatok. "Control your people, Federation," he added, staring down Alenis.

"For it to be defamation, it would have to be false," pointed out Rass, surprising even himself with his contribution to the little discussion they were having.

"Yes, only the Cardassians could have the nerve to try to expand their influence onto a planet full of Bajorans so soon after the occupation," added Alenis. "I know the Cardassians are duplicitious, but did you really think this would work?"

"And the Federation is not an expansionist power itself?" asked Jatok rhetorically. "Let us be honest here, your little delegation is not about improving the well being of the Gamians. It is about expanding the Federation's influence into this sector. We've turned over a new leaf; whereas under the Federation, Bajor can not even control its own affairs, as shown by the fact that they can't even send a diplomatic delegation without being supervised by Starfleet."

"How dare you--" Alenis was about to launch into a tirade when she was interrupted by the Kai.  It was only then that she noticed that her hand was bleeding, having been cut on the sharp glass.

"Enough!" she exclaimed. "Gamia III will set our own path!" She held her hand to her head for a moment before continuing. "I think it best that we retire for the night, in light of recent developments..."

Sexual Healing, part III
Holodeck 2, USS Portland
Several hours after part II
Authors:  EMH Mark I (played by Alenis Meru), Lt. (JG) Brad Silverton, Lt. Jason Beauvoir


Coming to, the holographic representation of the captain rolled over in the bed. "Jason," she whispered quietly, seeing her companion asleep next to her. With him sound asleep underneath the red silk sheets, she could only assume that the plan was successful. Carefully, so as not to disturb him, she got out of bed, threw on a robe, and walked over to the control panel for the intercom.

"Doctor Silverton," she whispered into the intercom.

Brad was sitting in sickbay reviewing over Arvel's medical scans. His head perked up. "Lt Silverton reporting. I presume by the whisper that this is the EMH on the holodeck? Is everything ok?"

"Yes, I think so," she replied, thinking it a little strange to be referred to as an EMH. "We're... done," she said, figuring the less explicit her terminology the better. "He's passed out on the bed. From exhaustion, I think."

"Understood. I am on my way." Brad grabbed a tricorder and quickly started to head to the holodeck.

Jason stirred, his mind was beginning to clear, now that his blood fever had broken. He was tired but he felt good. Seeing Meru, his feeling became a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. He didn't know what to say to her.

"Jason," said Alenis softly as she returned to the bed. As she sat next to him, she placed a hand on his head to feel his temperature. It was a little warmer than normal, but not feverish. "Doctor Silverton is on his way. Are you all right?"

"I feel like I could sleep for a week, but otherwise I feel great. Thank you, Meru." Jason replied with a smile.

"I..." the hologram paused for a moment, staring off into space. He called me Meru. He doesn't know I'm a hologram, she reminded herself. She didn't really know what she was -- she felt like Meru. She had all of Meru's personality, her emotions, her thoughts and dreams. But she wasn't Meru. She wasn't really anyone, just a hologram. "Don't mention it," she replied. She didn't know if holograms could cry or not, but she held back a tear at the realization that she was not who she felt she was.

Looking down at Jason, she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, "Just relax," she said, holding him by the hand. "Everything is all right..."

Jason closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep again, leaving Alenis to ponder the meaning of her own existence.

Healing Arvel
USS Portland - Sickbay
MD5, 14:35 hours
Authors: Lt. Brad Silverton and PO Ellen Washington (played by Timothy Rouse)

Ellen sat behind one of the consoles latterly waiting for something to happen. It had been quit for the entire duration of her shift. Checking the schedules, to see what crewmembers still needed their medical checks and send them a invite. The length of the list suggested many people liked to find way to get out of the exams, apparently. Then the doors to sickbay opened and two security officers came in carrying a man, wearing a Teal uniform. She immediately recognized him as the Portland's Chief Counselor. She looked around to see who of the medical officers was present, and there was no one.

"Where do you want him?" one of the security officers asked and she showed them to the bed in the center of the room, while pressing her commbadge. "Lieutenant Silverton, please report to Sickbay immediately."

While waiting for the CMO's presence she grabbed a tricorder and started assessing the severances of the Counselor's injuries. He was unconscious, that much was clear. The doors of Sickbay opened up again to reveal the CMO. After he approached the biobed Ellen gave her preliminary findings.

"Victim is unconscious. He has small phaser burns to the abdomen with possible damage to the symbiont."

Brad nodded as he came over to join Ellen's side. "Phaser burns? Damn thats going to complicate things. The Trill symbionts are very long lived and hardy... except when it comes to energy. They seem particularly susceptible to that." Brad thought back to how long it took for Tyrlai to get even simple surface dermal regeneration.

"So, what shall we do?" Ellen asked.

"Apply dermaline gel onto the wounds for the burns. Luckily I think the phaser was only set to a meadium stun instead of stronger. A non-joined Trill would be out of it for only a day but with Darze... it'll be a few and touch and go. Monitor his vitals for the next three hours. Have the biobeds lifesupport field on standby in case he worsens. If for some reason he starts to come to... don't let him. Keep him under. We need to give his body time to heal up."

"Will do sir," Ellen said as she went to work. With Arvel being unconscious and sedated there was no need for a whole trauma team. A other nurse, who was standing by approached her. "I'll replicate the gel, could you start with removing the clothes from the wounds." she said and headed for the replicator. Passing by a tray with medical equipment on her way back to the Counselor she grabbed the needed material and displayed everything they needed. Seeing the major wound was clear she started there. Cleaning it first, before applying the gel and placing a bandage loosely over it, before moving to the other wounds.

Brad looked over at the Minister on the emergency biobed in the center of the room. She was still critical and on life support herself. Arvel would have to make do on a regular one. The phaser blast to the abdomen would be a synch on there but he'd have to make due. Brad was already getting tired of the limited facilities on the Portland. Why Starfleet kept retrofitting them instead of just de-servicing them was beyond him. That was a question better suited for Parker though.

"Dr. Silverton, please head to Holodeck 1. Your presence is needed earlier then planned." Tim's voice was heard through the doctors commbadge. Ellen looked up in surprise. Guess the EMH will be out of order for the moment she thought, before going back to work.

See How She Runs...

MD: 05
TIME: 10:10
SCENE: Mess Hall

Authors: Ens. Sera Williams (Played by Alenis Meru) - Lt. Parker Hudson

Sitting in the mess hall Parker's eyes drifted from the stars caped windows to that of the chatting people around him. It was late morning and the lulled murmurs of conversations was almost enough to overpower the gentle warm humming of the Portland's engines. He was not someone to get excited, although today he was rather outwardly happy to be meeting his new Chief Engineering Assistant a Sera Williams.

Flipping through the PADD on his table he read the headlines from the Federation News Services. There was always something new and interesting happening somewhere. Taking a sip from his coffee and letting it wallow before swallowing, he reached to his plate of cookies. He was here to meet and greet with the Engineer. Cookies and chocolate chip namely was Parker's way of welcoming someone. He didn't know how else to address such pleasantries.

Sera looked around the sickbay, PADD in hand. She had a picture of the man she was supposed to meet, one Parker Hudson, her new boss, up on the PADD. Scanning the room, she saw what she thought was a match and checked her PADD again to be sure. As she walked over, she noticed the cookies in front of him. "Lieutenant Hudson?" she asked, standing over the table and the plate of cookies.

Parker got up from his seat "Ensign Williams. Good to see you on time. Have a seat, will you?" He extended his hand at the seat across the table. As she sat down one of the Galley servers came around. Parker extended his hand looking into Sera's eyes and made contact with a firm commanding control.

"It is nice to meet you, Lieutenant," replied Sera, shaking his hand. She turned to the server. "I'll have a coffee, black," she requested before sitting down at the table. This was definitely less formal than she was expecting.

"One black coffee on the way," replied the server. "Lieutenant Hudson, may I get you anything else?"

"No thank you I am still working on my first cup." Parker nodded at the server.

"I see here that you have graduated cum laude." He reviewed her personnel file in front on the table. "It is Federation Law that I review standard Engineering Corps Emergency procedures. However I will forgo that one..." He slid Sera the PADD with the info. "Sign and get back to me when you have passed the 42 part page report exam on those please." He then reached for the second PADD "this is your LCARS static sign in display systems, you can manufacture which operational system you find efficient while you are on your command duty. I will be only allowing you once I have been thoroughly satisfied."

Sera frowned at the first PADD. "Sir, with all due respect, I have just completed Starfleet Academy with honours. There is no need to do additional testing; If I had not been a satisfactory engineer, I would not have made it through the Academy." She looked up at Parker, seeing he was about to open his mouth to speak. "...but, if it will make you feel better about my performance, I will write the test."

He crossed his arms and leaned back somewhat in his seat, his body becoming more comfortable in that position as he studied Sera's response. "I understand. I agree with you." He looked at his PADD with the same testing information on it. "These are specific updated procedures for a Miranda Class vessel." Looking at his silver wrist watch antique time piece... "Judging by the time you've left and arrived on board its been almost few days in transit. You've got a few recalls to read up on, its a standard bureaucratic mess we have to go through Ensign Williams." Parker then reached for his cup of coffee looking at it and then taking a drink of it.

"Tell me what you hope to achieve from this position Sera." Parker asked curious.

"Just to be the best engineer I can be, sir," she replied.

"Good, that should be well. Now what can you offer me as Assistant? What is your passions?" He asked staring intently at Sera. It must have been awkward to her.

"My passions, sir?" she asked, stumbling slightly over the words. <i>My passions?</i> She dreaded these sort of open-ended questions. It was just giving her more rope to hang herself with in front of her new boss. "I suppose you could say that exploring the stars is my passion. Since I was a little girl, I wanted to see the universe. It's why I joined Starfleet. As for what I can offer you..." she paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "I'm very knowledgeable about warp systems, tactical systems, and holographic programming. Those were my best classes at the Academy. And I'm a quick study too."

Parker sensed Sera's somewhat dread and confusion in her response. He could not blame her... "I am sorry." Parker slid the white porcelain plate with homemade chocolate chip cookies across the table to her. "It was... A lame question. I don't have much experience you can tell in these sort of meetings." He had wanted to start in a professional character to Sera. More and more he was sounding like a fool. "I like your response!" He half grinned.

"Cookie?" He took a bite chewing from one of his. "I baked them myself."

"Baked or replicated?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she made a reach for the chocolate chip delectables. Baking was in a lot of ways a lost art, given the convenience of replicators. Taking a bite, the cookie melted in her mouth and the chocolate and cooked dough swirled together, creating a vortex of deliciousness in her mouth. "Mmmmmm, that's so good," she said, clearly enjoying the taste. "Definitely baked."

"One thing is that I don't trust much replicated." He held looking at the authentic baked cookie in his hand. "You just..." He chewed and swallowing "Can tell the difference between baked free amino radicals from pre-chained photon spheres."

"Why don't I show you the nature of the beast then let's get started."

****************
Main Engineering
Deck 7
****************

Walking through the main entrance of the operations center there was a slight action of personnel. Hudson nodded at one of the officers performing a diagnostic. Stopping and introducing Sera to Ensign Jennings. "Ensign Jennings this is Ensign Williams she will be our new Assistant here in Engineering."

The similar aged male to that of Hudson extended his hand offering a slight nod. "Welcome to the Portland and Engineering." He was working on a level two diagnostic of the Portland's internal dampening systems.

"Thank you, Mr. Williams, it's good to be here," she replied, shaking his hand.

"We call him Mike, we drop the formalities here as much as possible." Parker led on Sera through towards the Portland's slow blue pulsing Warp Core. "When the Captain is on away mission planet side we try and catch up on much as possible." Parker stopped at the computer table top readout display or 'pool table' and punched a few buttons in bringing up the current work list... "Right now I'm reworking the Displacement Manifolds I could use some of your help with those."

"Sure, I think know my way around a displacement manifold," she replied, eager to prove herself with this task. "Would you like me to monitor the flow rate while you make adjustments, or shall I do the honours myself?"

"Nah, I think I'd better let you work this one out." Parker took a step back from the computer work station. He gestured. "I'll be in my Office, if you need me..." He nodded. Parker then turning and leaving Sera to herself with the task. He knew by her GPA ratio and marks that she was well suited for the task and theorem associated. He wanted to see how long it would take Sera and her familiarity around the Miranda Class systems.

"All right, displacement manifolds..." muttered Sera. She took a quick look around her new assignment, taking in the layout of Main Engineering and the glow of the warp core before getting to work.

Tyrlai's Report
Tyrlai Zade and Alenis Meru
Captains Quarters
Evening, MD5


"Lieutenant, report," said Alenis into her comm badge. She was on a secure channel, and with a little gadget that Parker prepared for her before she left, she could be confident that no one would be able to eavesdrop on her conversation. She knew that letting Tyrlai run off by herself was taking a big risk. The sorts of diplomatic incidents that she could cause on her own was enough to make Alenis worried sick. On the other hand, Tyrlai had about a dozen lifetimes worth of experience inside of her, so she had to know at least partially what she was doing.

On top of that, Alenis had a vague feeling of discomfort . A tinge of pain radiated out from her abdomen, from where Brad had found the growth. She made a mental note to go see him as soon as the missions was over. Maybe sooner, if she could just get some painkillers. The pain wouldn't be so bad, she figured, if only Tyrlai would report on time and she didn't have to worry about what she was up to.

So, anxiously awaiting news of whether Tyrlai had found out anything important or single-handedly derailed the entire negotiations, Alenis got impatient and decided that if Tyrlai wasn't going to call her, she was going to call Tyrlai. "Lieutenant Zade, come in."

Tyrlai Zade walked through the doors as they whooshed open carrying a gathering of technical doodads and a small horned monkey in a cage. "'There is no such thing as a secure channel.' I learned that from a Romulan Subcommander about a hundred and ten odd years ago." She placed a device on the floor which after she slid a chip into it played a holostill picture with full spectrum energy scans of a Bajoran with a cobalt blue earring in priest robes, as he stood on the other side of the force field from her.

"I call this guy 'the pretty one'. We found him at a warehouse / monastery that coincidentally was the site of the rocket launch that nearly took us out on arrival. We also found three datacores of information on various religious and secular factions currently active on this world. Though technically united there seems to be a near constant struggle for power going on just beneath the surface. Parker is decrypting and analyzing the data now, I have assigned Thosk to help. Unfortunately we don't have information yet on the important whys. Why steal a book widely available in data format? Why shoot at a shuttle full of starfleet kids? Why risk an incident with Bajor to shoot me? And, interestingly enough, why did a force field appear between me and him without any sort of energy emitters or detectable energy signatures?"

"Those are some very interesting questions," mused Alenis. None of it made sense to her. "I've been talking to one of their diplomats on the side. One Jita Eloru, possibly related to our own Ensign Jita. She's been very open about the internal politics of Gamia III. It's... well, it's a cause for concern." Alenis sighed, shaking her head in frustration. "So, Tyrlai, what would Eledzar do?"

Tyrlai thought for a moment, Eledzar was still pretty fresh in her memories. "He would be primarily concerned with the Cardassians, he would make it his primary mission to make sure they did not get the opportunity to add a planet full of Bajorans to their Union. He would be interested in setting up an advisory embassy which he would make sure would get filled with listening equipment and the shadowy types that handle those sort of things. Tyrlai would say the odds that this place is going to pass for Federation membership are dwindling rapidly."

"Agreed. Regardless of their political instability, we can't let Gamia fall into the grasp of the Cardassians. For their sake. But the Kai is just so intransigent" Alenis shuddered at the thought of the Cardassians subjugating more Bajorans. "I don't suppose one of your past hosts would be skilled at finding out what these Cardassians are up to?"

"Being sneaky and getting involved in things that sane people would think twice about is uniquely a Tyrlai quality.  No stuffy previous hosts needed for that."

"One more question, Lieutenant... why do you have a monkey?"

"One of the kids smuggled it and it's sister aboard for 'scientific study'." Tyrlai smiled down at it as it crouched in its birdcage. "She is now cleaning and polishing fixtures in the mess hall and very distraught about her missing 'subjects'. Bio sciences is running tests as we speak to make sure they don't have any sort of high level pathogens. If they pass evaluation I'm considering returning them as a kind of school mascot and mascotess, with your permission of course." Tyrlai added the last bit smoothly as if she had been planning to say just that the whole time.

Alenis sighed. A pet monkey was highly unorthodox, and it was questionable whether it was appropriate for a starship, but she didn't want to add distraught children to her list of problems. As she was about to deny the request, she was interrupted by a bird call. She rolled her eyes as Ko-ko forced her tongue. "Well, I suppose it would be hypocritical for me to say no, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah I was going to guilt you with the bird." She had actually been planning that the whole time and she looked over at Ko-ko like it had been in on an operation. "There was something about the look on that kid's face when I had to take them away, and frankly it was a little more personal betrayal than I have allotted for this year.  For children at least"