Messages

[[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]]

[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab >

Just like Sirol, the Uropygi must have been sensing his distress as well, as it by now had come forward from its favourite spot near one of the artifact shelves, and gently nudged Xasik's hand with its head as if to try and encourage him to follow it closer to the forcefield and have a better look"¦

Startled by the sudden physical contact, Xasik nearly pulled his hand away from the touch of the Uropygi but realized at the last moment exactly who had touched him. He was surprised to see Sirol's little companion willingly making contact with him. He was certain that it was uneasy around him since he had had the involuntary thought of eating it the first time they had met. It had given him a wide berth in the lab and stuck pretty close to Sirol for the most part, so it was indeed shocking that the little critter had found the courage to approach him.

"œOh, hey there," he smiled half-heartedly at the Uropygi. It made him strangely nervous to have the shy creature suddenly so near and touching him. He was afraid of hurting it but then again he was afraid of his own strength at times. He had been raised to be a warrior and often he forgot just how strong he could be. The last thing he would ever want to do was to hurt Sirol's cherished companion.

Once more Peylix and Sirol looked at one another, compared data and quietly muttered about the most efficient and gentle procedure to phase the child out of stasis.

Eventually Peylix straightened their posture again, and walked towards the forcefield, looking at the others, then halting their focus on the foster parent.
<"We have estimated an optimal nutrition and stimulus procedure to reinitialize the hatchling's metabolism. The procedure will take 47 Minutes.">

Looking up towards Peylix, Sirol gave them a determined look.
You agreed already!...

Xasik did not miss the way Peylix and Sirol were looking at each other every now and then and muttering between themselves at a pitch even his ears could not hear, although with the conversations going on around him it wasn't really a surprise that he couldn't understand. Their muttering was making him anxious though. Without really thinking he picked the Uropygi up and held it gently in his arms almost as if he was cradling a child and walked closer to the forcefield. His heart almost leapt from his chest when Peylix addressed him.
"œOnly 47 minutes? That's quicker than I thought! I was expecting at least a day or so, but I welcome this news! Thank you."
Xasik did not miss the determined look that Sirol gave to Peylix. He had noticed between them a kind of kinship, almost as if they had known each other for years. They way they worked and communicated was seamless and effective. He couldn't pinpoint exactly why it annoyed him so, but it did and he couldn't deny that he kinda wanted to punch the Tholian Healer for it.

The little Onlie noticed Ferris and greeted him with a nod. He'd not had much interaction with the half human pilot, and knew less about him than he probably should. He was about to answer his question when Xasik spoke up.

Looking up a the Reman Scientist"¦ which was a very odd thing in and of itself, since Remans were generally known to be warriors for the most part, Kyan smiled. "œHello Mister Freeman and Congratulations the now." He offered up the goldfish. "œI'm nae sure what Tholian kids like but the Ferengi at the promenade says that a pet is always a good bet. So I got this goldfish.

He was taken by surprise by the other offering him a goldfish for the baby. That had certainly been unexpected. He hadn't expected any gifts at all. Was that a thing? Were people expected to bring gifts for the births of other people's babies? He stared at the fish for a moment before offering a genuine smile of appreciation.
"œThank you for your thoughtfulness. I'm sure the little one will love it. Would you be so kind as to place it on the bench for me?" He indicated to the Uropygi in his arms with a nod and a grin. "œKinda have my hands full at the moment." He gave the Uyropygi an affectionate stroke with a finger, grateful that it was trusting him so much.

Ambassador Chigorra
[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]

He spoke to her, then, giving his name and stating that they hadn't met. "Chigorra." she said, in a rare moment forgetting to share her lineage and title. She blinked, shocked that she could be so starstruck. "Daughter of Loesh, of House G'Khran. Ambassador." She shrugged at the handmade leather sack on her shoulder. "I brought gifts for the child, though I was"¦ unaware of its nature. I still wish to give them upon its arrival into the world, if I may."

"œIt is an honour to meet you, Ambassador," He spoke with a polite bow to acknowledge her. He noticed the heavy leather sack over shoulder and eyed it curiously. Part of him wondered if Chigorra had brought her own lunch for the event. He was glad he did not state this when she mentioned that the sack contained gifts for the child. "œHow thoughtful of you," Xasik smiled and nodded his appreciation. "I would be honoured if you were to present them to the child upon their arrival into this world."

Chiagorra's mention of gifts gave him a moment of pause. "Mr. Freeman, were gifts expected?"

"œAhh, no," Xasik shook his head at the question. "œGifts were not expected, so please do not worry if you did not bring one. I was not expecting any gifts to be completely honest. I didn't even know it was a custom. I am grateful for the gifts for the child, but even more grateful that you all took the time to come and witness this little miracle coming into the world."

Giving the foster parent a quick nod with their head, they "˜summoned' him closer to the forcefield just like the Uropygi had tried before.
<"Do you wish to be with the hatchling during this period?">

Noticing Peylix nodding in his direction, Xasik took another few steps closer until he was right at the forcefield, with the Uropygi still nestled safely in his arms. The creature was actually a great comfort to him in that moment and helped to remind him to keep his temper in check.
Hearing the question directed to him, Xasik was almost at a loss for words. Of course he wanted to be with the hatchling during the process! What kind of parent would deny such an opportunity?
"œI would indeed love to be there with the hatchling. Allow me to suit up and I'll be in there."

Walking back to the bench, Xasik gently placed the Uropygi down and walked towards the area where his custom EV Suit was stored. It had been especially made just for him because he was too tall for standard suits, and as a joke it had even been made the colour of standard Reman uniforms, just like his lab coat, iridescent and shiny. It had even been named his sparkle suit. Shuddering at the thought of being confined in such a tight and restrictive garment, he hesitated before grabbing it and starting to pull it on over his clothing. His love of his child concurred his claustrophobia any day.

He couldn't hear much of the conversation that was carried on as he was suiting up, but even if he had, his mind was going at a million kilometres an hour. He doubted he would have been able to keep up anyway. He was aware of Peylix talking to Chigorra and Eli but he somewhat drowned it out as he thought about the child that was getting ready to hatch.

Once he was suited up he stepped back towards the forcefield and waited for the okay to enter.

[[Katra Station | Holodeck]]

[Katra Station | Holodeck]

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab >

Peylix did not react to the foster parent's apology.
Their display of emotions had been surprisingly insightful and they did not despise him for it. If anything, this moment of honesty was the only positive remark about Xasik Freeman so far.
They had nine reasons to despise and distrust Xasik Freeman, yet his honest anger had been none of it"¦
<"Acknowledged"> The healer simply spoke, then moved back towards the quarantine area to eventually have a proper look at and scan of the hatchling by themself.
<"The child's safety is my top priority as well.
I was not dispatched to agree with you or charm you. I am here for the little one.">
With that they eventually headed towards the hatch leading into the quarantine room and did a quick gesture with their hand towards Sirol.
<"Scientist. I will need assistance.">
Once more their glance fell onto Xasik.
Certainly, his motivations might have been noble but what about his qualifications? He was a geologist after all, while Scientist Sirol at least had previous experience with Tholians and showed her readiness to assist them. Hence they added <"Someone trustworthy."> towards her.

Once Sirol had gotten into her own custom EV suit and both of them had entered the quarantine room, Sirol began to hunker down in front of the Stasis container erecting the monitoring equipment while Peylix once more looked through the forcefield - this time focussing Lieutenant Ferris while casually stepping out of their EV suit..
<"Lieutenant - Monitor and archive our process.
I want a second observer on the hatchling's readings as well as the functionality of the stasis unit.
In case you should notice any indications of your mentioned"¦ Crisis Situations, I trust you will react accordingly...">

He tried not to let it get to him. He really tried, but this Tholian was making it incredibly difficult to keep his cool. He had already had one massive outburst directed at the healer and was now fighting off a second outburst. He was certainly glad that Peylix's first priority was the well being of his child but he couldn't imagine that the comment about needing someone trustworthy had been intended as anything but an insult. Yes, Sirol was a trustworthy person but the way it had been said and the glance cast his way left no doubt in his mind. Peylix did not like Xasik, and the feeling was mutual. Worse still was the rubbing of salt into his wounds by effectively casting him out of the process of examining his child. He could understand that perhaps it was better to keep a parent out of the way as they could be too emotional to function properly and may end up hindering the process, but also he was livid that he hadn't even been asked. He and the egg had already been through so much together and he was prepared to be useful every step of the way.

He watched sourly as Sirol slipped into her EV suit and entered the quarantine room with Peylix, then with a small spark of amusement as Peylix then removed their own EV suit once in the safety of the room. He almost laughed when his stomach rumbled at the sight of the brilliant wine red colour of Peylix. Similar to when he had seen the Uropygi for the first time and it had triggered the predatory survival instinct so deeply ingrained within his mind, Peylix's colour triggered his hunger. It reminded him of the richest cuts of beef he had sampled when he had first sought sanctuary with the Federation. So rich, so tender and so deeply red. He flushed a slight green colour when his stomach rumbled. He had only had tea today and hadn't dared to eat anything for fear of bringing it up in his anxious state.
With the sharp eyes of an overprotective parent he watched Sirol and Peylix go about their business. He ignored the obvious slight thrown his way when Peylix asked Eli to monitor and record their progress. He folded his arms over his chest and continued to observe.
He appreciated Eli's company even if he didn't say it out loud. He offered a small nod to the other when the opportunity arose but otherwise remained silent as he observed and stewed in his own juices.

Ambassador Chigorra
[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]

The woman approached what appeared to be a sort of monitoring station, quietly stepping near to the hybrid male in the civilian clothing, and to the Reman. She resisted her innate desire to announce herself, and instead quietly nodded in greeting to both, feeling that it was prudent to wait until she was recognized, or asked to leave, in case delicate work was occurring. Though"¦ she saw no birthing"¦ heard no cries of pain, saw little to no medical equipment, yet in that isolation chamber there was"¦

Her eyes widened briefly, breaking her control over her own self-expressions. The Tholian, the suits"¦ Was this"¦ A Tholian birth"¦?

He hardly noticed when someone else entered the lab, instead focusing on the progress Peylix and Sirol were making. He did eventually notice the presence of a Klingon woman who had nodded in greeting towards him and Eli. He returned the gesture before realizing that he had been rude in failing to acknowledge her beforehand.
"œGreetings," he offered casually and moved slightly to the side to allow her a place to observe the process for herself. "œWelcome to the hatching of my child. I am Xasik Freeman. I don't believe we have met."

After welcoming the newcomer to the lab Xasik returned his focus to the Tholian examining his child, unconsciously glaring at them without realizing it. He wanted very badly to be in there with them but also did not want to crowd them and hinder their work. Being a parent was hard! If there weren't other people around he probably would have resorted to pacing the room again.

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab >

Peylix - by now fully out of their EV suit - followed Lieutenant Ferris' elaborations and eventually acknowledged them with a quick hand gesture.
<"I agree with you here. Preparation is paramount.
Xasik Freeman proves to have a good sense for picking capable company.">

Xasik chose to ignore Peylix's comment. It would have been the nicest thing the Tholian had said to him if it had been directed at him, but it hadn't. He chose to let it slide rather than arching up over it, he was already churning internally with anger and didn't want to further sour the mood. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion.

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab >

Sirol in the meantime - just like Xasik before - had set the canister's view-field to transparent, so she and Peylix could get a closer look at the child.
A tiny little someone, curled up into their semi transparent egg, with vaguely distinguishable limbs"¦
It was a heartwarming sight, and Sirol could not help but gently place one hand onto the transparent part of the canister as if she was laying her hand around the baby's back.
"œ...It is continually astounding how tiny they are..." She thoughtfully mumbled, towards which Peylix looked over the shoulder, into the canister as well.
They could very well understand her emotional reaction.
The little one was unspeakably cute and Peylix felt tempted to mimic Sirol's gesture.
The hatchling reminded them of their own first child. It had been of a similar colour scheme at this stage.
Gathering their thoughts eventually though, Peylix simply answered:
<"Their developmental speed will drastically increase once the stasis will be fully phased out. Compared to vulcanoid life spans, a Tholian maturation process takes up only a fracture of the time.">

With an invisible smile on her face Sirol nodded in acknowledgement of Peylix' explanation.
She was aware of how short a Tholian childhood was, but did not want to cut them off mid-sentence.
Instead she returned to her readings.
Soon she had concluded her first layer of scanning the biological and physiological properties of the child, and everything regarding the status and rate of the their metabolism, pressed a few buttons on her holographic PDA and submitted a handy summary of what she had to Peylix and Xasik while she decided to not spam Eli yet, so he could stay fully focused at monitoring things independently.
Her second attempt of sending the summary in actuality served more than just the purpose of information spreading; it served an essentially social function:
Trying to bring her colleague and her healer onto the same side of a conversation here; Have them cooperate - at least for a few minutes - in the interest of their mutual goal"¦
"Congratulations, Specialist Freeman..." She musingly began while still looking at the stasis canister in front of her. "...Your child is surprisingly sturdy considering the circumstances. It is at peak health. Would you like to know their caste?"

He couldn't help the small smile playing at his lips as he listened to Sirol commenting on how small the child was.He had quite often looked at the egg and lost himself in his own thoughts about just how tiny they would be when they finally hatched. Small enough to sit in one of his hands perhaps? At least for a few days. He knew that the child would age quicker than most children but he would savor every moment with them.
He was startled out of his thoughts by something being sent to his padd. He smiled widely as he looked over the information that Sirol had sent him. His baby was healthy!
He offered Sirol a wide grin as she stated out loud that his baby was sturdy and at peak health! That was a massive weight off his chest. He had been terrified that his child would be in danger for having been in stasis so long. At her question about wanting to know the cast of the child he shook his head.
"œNo," he said simply with a shake of his head. "œI do not wish to impose undue pressure on the little one to live up to expectations that they may not even wish to aspire to. No caste-reveal parties on my watch."

:: Simulation Lab | Katra Station ::

He adjusted the bow on the gift one last time before triggering the doors to the lab. With the limited intelligence that the Federation was able to obtain on Tholian culture, it had been nearly impossible to know what type of gift a baby Tholian might like. In the end he'd settled on something that seemed universal. He bought a Goldfish from Dahrk's "flea" Market on the Promenade. The Ferengi had informed him that the bowl shaped aquarium has a crystaline outer casing and could be stored in extremely high temperatures, which meant that the Tholian baby could keep it in it's room if it wanted to.

Having gotten off duty not long before, Kyan hadn't been back to his quarters yet, so he was still in uniform, Although he had given thought to changing into his dress uniform for the occasion. That was met with a quick "hell no" when he recalled that the last time he wore it the thing tried to strangle him. So here he was. He finally stepped into the sensor range of the door and it swooshed open before him.

When Kyan stepped into the lab, the first thing he noticed was that it was full of people. A Romulan, a Reman, a half-Human, a Tholian, and lastly, Ambassador Chigorra. He hadn't yet met the Klingon woman. He decided to greet her first. Being an ambassador and all... Decorum and stuff.

Kyan cleared his throat and launched into his best approximation of Klingon, which lost something in his higher pitched voice, but he applied as much base ad he was able. "qaleghneS. Sogh Kyan Mackenzie 'oH pongwIj'e' JiH nuH yaS (I am honored to meet you. My name is Lieutenant Kyan Mackenzie. I am Weapons Officer.)

Noticing yet another person entering the lab, Xasik turned to greet them only to be confronted with what appeared to be a child in uniform holding a goldfish. His stomach rumbled again at the sight of the fish and once again his face flushed a slight green colour in his embarrassment. Damn his ingrained Reman survival instincts. Not every small creature was food. He held off his greeting while they greeted the Klingon woman first. He bit his tongue to resist asking if the child was lost and was grateful that he did when he heard the other introduce himself as Lieutenant Kyan Mackenzie, a weapons officer.
"œWelcome to the lab Lieutenant Mackenzie. I am Xasik Freeman," he spoke when he had the opportunity to do so without interrupting the others. "œAre you here to witness the hatching of my child? So far Lieutenant Sirol and Healer Peylix are examining the child to ensure they are healthy and strong enough to be brought out of stasis."

Ambassador Chigorra
[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]

She frowned a little as she looked to the quarantined area, then back down to the youth. "This birth is not what I expected it to be." she admitted.

"I agree, Ambassador," Eli stated, glancing at the monitor. "I had not anticipated monitoring the egg here. I had thought it would look quite different. Healer Peylix has proven to a wealth of information. Though, I was not aware a caste was determine at a birth." He glanced at Kyan and Chigorra. "Either of you?"

Xasik smirked at the conversation going on around him. "œI agree. When I adopted the egg I had no idea exactly what I was getting myself into, but I don't regret anything. I am fortunate to have Lieutenant Sirol and Healer Peylix here to assist with this delicate process. I also agree that Healer Peylix is a wealth of information." And a piece of schist, he thought to himself. "œWe are lucky to have them here to imbue us all with their wisdom."

[[Katra Station | Holodeck]]

[Katra Station | Holodeck]

Serena frowned on the inside. At least with her Horta, she could use acid to talk. But without an apparent voice box, she bowed to Xasik, making a flourish with her hands. She wanted to give him a thumbs up, but for all she knew, to a Reman, that was... Well, the correct finger and the incorrect finger.

Turning to Sirol, she cocked an eyebrow, Vulcan style, but the Salt Vampire form stayed impassive. Thinking for a few seconds, she decided to do a combination of Riverdance, Saturday Night Fever and the Moonwalk before stopping and shrugging.

Tribble-Xas watched Salt Vampire-Serena with amusement. He had no idea what she was trying to communicate but it was amusing nonetheless. He chuckled, even more amused when his current avatar purred and churred as a tribble. He had bowed back to her but he doubted she could see it with how small he appeared currently. He was certainly fascinated by the tribble avatar but it would be time for something new soon. He would have to think on that and try for something truly unpredictable.

With a press of a few buttons on her wrist mounted PDA, she lifted the linguistic restrictions and enabled regular voice output.
<"I apologise for the confusion.
It seems that realism is not necessarily always the go-to.
This is exactly why you are here though. One person can only see and consider so much.
Such as one developer likely would have little need to "˜communicate' and hence would inevitably miss the prevalent difficulties of interaction. Thanks to your united efforts though, I spotted my first detrimental problem with this simulation, which I will put on top of my list of things to work on.
I am welcome for everyone's input and suggestions of how to make this experience as realistic as acceptable without sacrificing any player comfort...">

With that she looked into the round of people, then - once more - did a sneaky little press of some of the buttons on her PDA.
See if you find this funny now"¦.
She internally mused towards Xasik with the tiniest little hint of amusement (which her mimic-less face however hid).
Within one more second, it was Xasik who was blessed with Sirol's T-Posing Tholian body, while Sirol herself took the next available randomised shape: The limbless, silver, cylindric body of the famous Nomad Probe...

Xasik gave the Lieutenant a flamboyant bow before he realised that his avatar would not display such movement and instead decided to use his voice which was now back to normal after the voice restrictions had been lifted. It must have been hilarious to hear his deep voice coming from the small and fluffy body of a tribble. "œI must say it has been an honour to help you stress test your program. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. I am glad we have helped you find something to improve. If I think of any suggestions I will let you know."

His thoughts were cut off suddenly as his avatar changed without him doing anything. He looked down at his body and stared for a moment. Purple crystal body and legs. That was interesting. He then looked to the side and couldn't hold back his laughter. As he suspected, his avatar's arms were stretched out wide to the side. He was T-posing! Someone had wordlessly switched his avatar on him! And judging by the Nomad Probe suddenly before him he had a pretty good idea who it had been. Sirol did have control of the program after all. "œNice probe," he snorted as he watched the silver cylindrical avatar hover before him. The smile on his face was hidden by the expressionless Tholian face he wore but it could be heard in his voice. After a moment he could no longer control his laughter and allowed the rich deepness of his natural voice to echo around the room. His eyes even seemed to glow a little brighter in his enjoyment.
"œReally?" He asked in-between chuckles. "œNow I'm the T-posing Tholian? That's amazing! Look at me asserting my dominance!" He laughed again before deciding to slide around the room and laugh even harder. "œIce skating, T-posing Tholian!"

After a few laps of the space he settled down a little and began to think of just how he could repay her for this lovely avatar. He would stay like this for a while though. It was amusing and strangely comforting, making him feel a little closer to his child.
"œDoes your program have any limits that you are aware of for the number of people that can be using it in a singular location at any one time? Asking out of mere curiosity. I think this could be a fun idea for the "¦.'birthday' parties that humans hold for their offspring and their loved ones." The more he thought about it, the more he considered bringing Emerald to play with the avatars when they had finally hatched, maybe even have one of those parties to celebrate the anniversary of their hatching.

If he could have offered a hand to the others and have them see it he would have asked if anyone wanted to dance with him, instead though Tholian-Xas began to dance by himself, his static avatar seeming to glide about and twirl in circles. He was sure he looked ridiculous, but he didn't really care. He was allowing himself to have fun for once.

[[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]]

[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]

His response was involuntary. Upon hearing the words "˜Jolan Tru' Xasik had tensed up and balled his hands into fists before taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. Now was not the time for this. He had actively avoided using his native tongue for as long as he had been free and had been able to learn other languages. Hearing it spoken so casually triggered something inside him like a jab to the mind. He realized that in his emotional state he was probably projecting his emotions unintentionally. He had to regain his control. He had been taught from a young age by the elders living in the mines to control his innate telepathic abilities. Many Remans were born with telepathic abilities and were taught to control them as a courtesy to those around them. The mines were bad enough without multiple people projecting their messy emotions all over the place. Plus they didn't need anything else for the Romulans to use against them. Living with the federation has softened his self control considerably and he would have to fix that. With a little more effort than he would have liked to admit Xasik put a lid on his emotions and implied the self control he had been taught so that his aura was once again neutral.

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab >

     
Sirol      &      Peylix

Peylix in the meantime noticed that they had been addressed by one of the bystanders, hence slowly looked up and focused on the third alien present in the room.
They had no information about this person's identity, and they did not like it.
They had prepared for the presence of the science staff, even the presence of their families and associates, yet who was this one?
No uniform. Despite Scientist Sirol referring to him as Lieutenant.
Barely visible vulcanoid facial features just like the other two.
...Was this a cultural matter?
Romulans and Remans devoid of their homeworlds with their natural gene pool detrimentally thinned"¦ Adopting outside children?
Shaping and assimilating them into their culture to replace what was lost?
The healer internally shuddered at the mental image of a poor Tholian child having to grow up aboard the flotilla or on a provisional colony with little to no sufficient accommodation, cut off from their culture, the lattice, and essentially forced to grow up as an exile"¦

Giving the egg in the stasis container another look, a metaphorical wave of sympathy washed over Peylix.
This was not a joyful assignment... They had been called to practise damage control"¦ Minimising cruelty in the interest of bilateral political cohesion"¦ And they despised it"¦

Looking at the unknown alien [Eli], Peylix eventually approached the others a bit. <"Aid and moral support..."> They just repeated, critically investigating the alien. <"Are you affiliated with the scientists?">

As the foster parent in question addressed them directly, Peylix eventually approached the two even closer, until they were face to face with the bewildering aliens and the one named Xasik in particular.
<"I did not 'take the time' I was assigned to this"¦ Project... To ensure the child's safety and well-being."> they replied in a tone that made it obvious that their presence here was certainly not by choice"¦
<"I have been briefed about the situation. Your superior, Scientist Sirol provided additional insights. The only questions I have as of now are as to how long this child is already in stasis, whether the device has been tinkered with ever since, and"¦ Where the family of this child is...">
They paused for a moment, once again thoughtfully looking over their shoulder towards the stasis canister in the quarantine room which by now was monitored by Scientist Sirol.
Focusing Xasik and his associate again, Peylix then continued.

Xasik was taken aback by the rather rude response he got from Peylix after offering a common courtesy greeting to them. From what he had learned while with the Federation, it was common to thank someone for their time, although he shouldn't have been surprised he supposed. He had done his research on Tholians and the Assembly and he was aware that they were not always the friendliest of beings. Peylix was leaving no doubts that they were not happy about being here at all.
He was somewhat relieved that the healer had been briefed on the situation already. That would save them a little time and they could get right to helping Emerald.
"œHonestly, I am unsure as to how long the child has been in stasis. While in my care only a few months while we travelled here, but before that I honestly do not know. The traders could have had the egg for years." Xasik tried to keep the emotion out of his voice as he responded to Peylix. He was torn between getting defensive and remaining as neutral as possible. There was also the underlying anger bubbling away just beneath the skin when he thought about his poor egg in stasis being sold by a filthy criminal to another filthy criminal.
"œSince obtaining the egg I have not tinkered with the canister at all apart from ensuring it was still powered and functioning. I didn't dare in case something went wrong. As for the family of the little one, I do not know. I tried reaching out to the Assembly. When that yielded no results I also considered the Tholian factions that were exiled from the Assembly, but I was unable to contact them either. I couldn't just leave the little one without protection so I became their family."

<"...I am aware of your previous attempts to contact official Assembly channels about the matter..."> No one had taken him seriously"¦ The universal consensus on his inquiry had been that he must have misread scans regarding whatever he may have found there"¦ There were no infant (or expecting) Tholians who had been reported missing throughout the entire year in which Xasik's inquiry took place, indicating that he most likely"¦ Had an egg of a different - to him foreign - creature which merely misinterpreted"¦
<"...as well as the Federation's acknowledgement of your situation and permit of official adoption due to"¦ Lack of response.
An unfortunate chain of events...">

Once again they paused, then activated a roughly spherical holographic interface projected by their suit, monitoring the conditions and life signs from the egg inside the stasis canister in the same manner Sirol had done before.
<"...I am not here to lecture you on your blatant carelessness bordering child abuse.
I have merely been requested and sent here to assure"¦ Damage control. Beginning by making sure that the phasing out of the stasis will be as little traumatic as possible. We have looked into the technology of the stasis device. It is antiquated but crudely effective.
I will begin with assessing the rate of how severely the child's metabolism is affected to establish an optimal curve.
By"¦ Federation protocol, with you as the officially recognised foster parent"¦ I will need your consent to begin any sort of medical procedures on the hatchling. Do you understand?">

At the mere mention of carelessness and child abuse, something in Xasik's mind snapped. Once again he clenched his fists but he did nothing to try and calm himself this time.
"œCarelessness?! Child abuse?!" He took a breath and restrained himself, but did nothing to hide or conceal his temper flaring up. "œI saved this child from a life of who knows what! Anyone could have purchased them, tortured them, used them for experiments! I have repeatedly risked my life to keep this child safe. I have accepted this child into my care when no one else would. I have come to love this child in the short time I have had the egg!" He took another shuddering breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn't lose control. It would only make things worse.
He listened to Peylix explain that the technology of the stasis canister had been looked into and that they would begin assessing the child's health, metabolism and any possible damage to determine the way forward.

"œForgive my outburst healer. Please begin the process however you deem necessary. The safety of the child is my top priority. As their guardian I do hereby give my consent for you to proceed with any medical procedures you deem necessary."
Xasik had forgotten that he and Peylix were not alone in the lab. He gave an apologetic glace to Eli and Sirol for his outburst.

Thank you so much! I'm in awe right now. Thank you!

[[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]]

[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]

Eli had been surprised by the random invitation. However, he had made it a small point to expand his social circle, and civilians were far outside of his comfort zone. So, as many had suggested to him despite his incredibly strong reticence to the idea, Eli ventured to the holodeck.

He entered, uncertain what he would be expecting. Unlike him, he was not in uniform, but a casual blue collared shirt, and simple pants. His casual attire was probably the more simplistic of many but that was his way.

Looking up at the doorway as someone entered, Xasik was surprised to see that it was not Lieutenant Sirol and the promised assistance from the Tholain Embassy, but rather someone he didn't know. A man dressed in casual attire. His confusion softened his stance a little as he regarded the newcomer with a cautious eye.
"œHello," he offered as he gave a polite nod to the other. "œI'm Xasik. Welcome to the Simulation Lab. Are you here to assist with the hatching of my child?"

     
Sirol      &      Peylix

______________________________________________________

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab >

As the doors to the Simulation Lab hissed open, the friendly and welcoming darkness instantly surrounded Sirol and took away a portion of her headache.

Peylix for their part simply followed her, then walked past the scientist, across the room and with little to no regard for the present foster parent [Xasik Freeman] and the random outsider civilian [Eli Ferris].
They almost even bumped into both of them, naturally expecting them to walk out of Peylix' way while they navigated to the quarantine area which stored the stasis container with the hatchling.

Having a versatile quarantine area like this would come in handy. And so would the already open tabs on the central holo-console, showing documents and files regarding the status of the little one.

<"This Laboratory is sub par by Assembly standards"¦
But certainly above what is to be expected from Starfleet...">
Peylix casually spoke, although the sharp, dismissive aura in their words - maybe even a little bit intentionally from their side - tainted the room"¦

"I had to work with the assets provided by Starfleet and Captain Solluk."
Sirol calmly responded towards Peylix' statement, then walked over towards Freeman and Lieutenant Ferris, and gave both of them a polite, hailing nod.
"œI was informed that the assessment of the child and their situation will begin immediately..." Sirol spoke towards Xasik, then turned around towards Lieutenant Ferris.
"œAn unexpected surprise to welcome you in my Simulation Lab.
Are you here to assist Healer Peylix?"

Looking up once again as the door opened to the lab, Xasik almost smiled as Sirol walked in but that feeling faltered and he maintained his default static Reman expression as the Tholian following her entered the lab. He wasn't unhappy to see the assistance from the Embassy but he wanted to maintain a serious aura so as to not give off the wrong impression. He offered them both a polite bow. He did allow a small frown to make itself known as the Tholian paid him no mind and walked right past him, almost bumping into him without so much as acknowledging him or the stranger standing near him. He was hardly surprised though, his experiences with Tholians so far had been much the same. He tried not to let it get to him, for the sake of the egg. He would need assistance and a Tholain hatching a Tholian egg was probably the best kind of help he could hope for..

He frowned again at the Tholian's comments about the lab being "˜sub par' but said nothing. The last thing he needed now was a diplomatic incident that would potentially ruin his life and further hinder the process of hatching his child.
Their voice was sharp and dismissive and it was obvious to Xasik that they did not wish to be here. He eased up slightly as Sirol spoke, giving her a small smile and politely bowing his head in greeting. "œLieutenant," he spoke almost softly in relief that she was there.
He nodded as she spoke. "œYes. The sooner the better I think. I am prepared." He listened as she addressed the other stranger in the room. Healer Peylix was the name of the Tholian? He made a mental note to remember that.

Eli regarded Sirol with polie acknowledgement. He was less familiar but her work spoke for itself. "Jolan tru" he started by way of greeting. "I am here primarily for moral support, if that is possible. I also have several emergency subroutines established that can provide access to aid quickly."

He turned to the Tholian. "Greetings to you as well, Healer."

If he had had eyebrows, he would have raised one as he listened to the conversation between Sirol and the stranger. He was here for moral support? That was appreciated even if they had never met, and he had several emergency subroutines established that could provide quick access to aid? Even better. That thought alone was comforting to the internally fretting Reman father.

"œHealer," he finally addressed Peylix with another polite head bow as he approached them. "œI would like to thank you for your time here and your assistance. Have you already been briefed on the situation or do you require me to fill you in?" Xasik was unsure of just how much this healer knew about the situation but he would be as transparent as possible. Things needed to run smoothly for the sake of the egg.

Character(s) affected: Xasik Freeman
Assigned ship(s): Katra Station
Period of time absent: 22/07/21 - 9 days
Date of last period of activity: 22nd July
Date returning: August 1st

Any relevant comments: Current mission is too stressful and anxiety inducing, being ripped away from a comfortable pace and forced into a situation I wasn't comfortable with. Having any character forced to do something the player isn't okay with is really stressful. I can not keep up.
Kyle is aware of my situation, we have spoken about this.

[[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]]

[Katra Station | Simulation Lab]

Nervous.

He was nervous.

But "˜nervous' didn't seem to cover it. His heart was beating in his throat and his chest felt like it would explode. He had contacted the Tholian embassy to request assistance with his egg and they had responded with the assurance that they would send someone to assist and assess his situation. Lieutenant Sirol had even offered to act as translator for him. She was already involved and aware of his situation and he felt comfortable with her assistance. He had been relieved at first for things with his egg to finally be moving forward, but now that the time was drawing nearer, he was as nervous and anxious as an insect running the gauntlet of the Reman mines at meal time. He hadn't felt this way since he had been selected to undergo combat training as a child. He hadn't even felt this anxious while escaping from his former masters with his fellow slaves.

This was a whole new level. He was pacing the room like a caged animal in between picking up random objects and putting them down again. His lab coat, dark and iridescent in the style of Reman uniforms, was swishing behind him as he walked. If he had had the lights up brighter, the material may have even thrown off prismatic reflections across the lab. He could hear the fabric rustling and rubbing as he moved but he hardly cared at the moment. His footsteps were light and fast and he reached one side of the lab quickly before turning back.

Was this what being a parent was like? The constant worry for the safety of a youngling under your care and protection always nagging at your mind? Your thoughts always on the welfare of the child? He himself had not really known his own parents and conditions in the mine were harsh and did not really allow for parental bonds to form. He knew he was getting himself into a situation that would change his life forever, but he was also excited and couldn't wait to begin the journey. He had spent several nights laying awake and reading "˜Parenting for Dummies' books to try and prepare himself as best he could. But no matter what, he felt that he would never be prepared enough. He supposed that all parents felt this way.

He had arrived at the lab at least an hour earlier than the arranged meeting time. He didn't want to give off the wrong impression by being late, but even he admitted that being here so early was ridiculous. He shrugged it off and slowed his pacing to pick up his cup to take a sip. The green tea inside was a perfect temperature, hot, but not scoldingly so. It was soothing to his soul and after a few sips he calmed himself down. It would do no good to appear as frazzled as he felt. The last thing he needed was to be deemed unfit to raise his child.
He looked to the canister containing the emerald green, crystalline egg and smiled again. Everything he was feeling and experiencing was worth it. He would do it all again if he had to. He already loved the child inside the egg unconditionally, and that realization had shaken him to his core. He had never pictured himself as a parent, never thought himself capable of raising another life form, and yet here he was preparing to do just that. It was mind blowing and although he would never voice it out loud, he could have used a nice warm hug at that moment.

"œWell, Little Pebble. Today may be the day when your thawing and hatching process can finally begin. I can't wait to meet you, and to teach you about everything you could ever want to learn. It won't be easy, I know, but it will be worth it and even though you can't hear me, I want you to know that I love you and I will always protect you." His face heated up slightly as he realized that he had said that out loud. Anyone walking by would have been able to hear him. He was not used to expressing his softer side to anyone, but he would be as gentle and warm with Emerald as he could be. A rocky exterior would do no good in this situation.

It was out of nervous habit that he checked the time again and realized he had been musing for far too long. His company would arrive soon and he didn't want to be caught daydreaming. That may certainly give off the wrong impression. He placed his cup of tea down onto a bench and reached for his padd to pull up all the necessary paperwork he may be required to show. He almost doubted it, but then again, he felt he could never be too prepared. Looking at the stasis canister again, he smiled and picked it up to cradle it like a baby. It was as much to protect the baby as it was to bring himself some comfort while he waited.
He looked at the time again and sighed. It was very nearly time. They would probably arrive any moment now. He hardened his expression and squared his shoulders. He would not allow himself to come across as weak and unworthy.

[[Katra Station | Holodeck]]

[Katra Station | Holodeck]

Sirol just stared at Freeman, observing his reaction.
Her mimic-less, reflective face attentively following his movements.
He found a bizarre form of amusement in her incomplete work process"¦ Fascinating"¦
With him eventually regaining his senses and answering her offer for providing information though Sirol just nodded.

<"œI will be of service as soon as you need me, Specialist."> She answered calmly, certain that her work as a xenologist once more proved to be of use to her associates.
Being useful was a satisfying state of mind.

It was relieving to hear that Sirol was ready to help him by providing important information that would be very useful for him in the future. He had the means to research it himself, but since arriving on Katra he found his time had been stretched thin between trying to set up his quarters and get himself settled in the lab. He hadn't even begun to think about getting his egg set up so that it would have the chance to eventually hatch.
Soon, Little Pebble, he thought to himself. Soon I will meet you and welcome you into this world.
"œThank you Lieutenant. I appreciate your willingness to assist me. It is a very welcome change of pace to my time spent traveling here."

Sirol's focus once more wandered over towards Freeman, acknowledging his words with a polite nod.
<"œI would certainly be interested and willing to participate in such a chance arose."> Sirol began.
Did he just trigger her scientific curiosity?
After all, Sirol had never had much chance to see and examine any sort of cosmozoans, and a new direction to widen her horizon into was always more than welcome. If not to say needed.
Yes"¦ Witnessing rate and unique specimens in the name of science"¦ Excitement!

Xasik smiled to himself as she responded to his question before blinking in confusion. Had he just really asked Lieutenant Punctuality out on a date? Could it be considered a date? Oh crap, what if she thought it was? They were still getting to know each other. Would this make it awkward? Maybe she had thought about it like he had, not as a date but simply an invitation to witness something incredible. If those around him could have seen his face, they would have seen the tints of green rising to his cheeks. How easily flustered he had become since moving in with Starfleet. He would have to start exercising again to avoid becoming soft around the edges. It would be a good stress relief as well. Once he was settled, he thought. No getting ahead of himself and causing himself more stress than his journey had already caused.

"œE-excellent," he stuttered slightly in his embarrassment, mentally reprimanding himself for acting like an awkward, pubescent creature. He had been through puberty once and that was enough for him. "œI will keep an eye out for any news on any Gormagander migrations and if one should happen to be close by I will inform you and we can make the arrangements."

Turning into a tribble had been an act of curiosity on his part. He had never seen a tribble before but had heard of them and was curious as to why such cute sounding creatures had such an interesting reputation.

Once more she witnessed his laughter following her movements and current body shape.
Did he find her appearance"¦ Funny?!
There was hardly anything humorous about her appearance unless he was immature enough to find entertainment in this avatar's lack of clothing"¦
She made a mental note about that for later.
When he least expected it, she would hex this model onto him, just to test his own reactions"¦
For now, she witnessed him turning into a Tribble.
A Tribble!
She had never seen a real one, but their appearance was not particularly hard to replicate"¦
A part of her instinctively felt drawn to his purring; wanted to pick him up and stroke him like a Uropygi.
But that of course was her instincts versus the surrounding optical illusion.
Neither his mass, nor his density had changed, and the frail scientist - even despite her current, slightly taller and more sturdy avatar - would never be able to lift that weighty "˜little' furball...

<"œSo far I have accumulated 369 models.
In various stages of development though, as you can see on myself right now"¦"> She explained to Jyur, pointing at her not-so-flexible blue Tholian body.
<"œIf you wish for something specific, say the word..."> In the middle of the sentence though she suddenly stopped, her gaze slowly turning around towards Serena.
While Sirol's current face lacked any visible mimic, her eyes seemed to flash a little in excitement.
Serena knew how to truly challenge this stress test!
Sirol had always considered Bynars to be an exceptionally fascinating culture, and embodying a pair of them in her program had been among her first ideas, yet - just like the Tholian - these two were far from being properly calibrated and tested yet...

As Sirol noticed Serena's reaction, she instantly slid over and offered her hands to hold onto while looking up into the simulated nothing.
<"œComputer, revert Lieutenant King's current avatar to "˜none'."> She quickly spoke to avoid her getting even more unwell and potentially even coming to harm.
<"œ...Are you alright Lieutenant?"> She asked in a serious - maybe even slightly worried set of squeaks.
<"œI advise taking a seat for a moment. My apologies for the unkind experience.>"

He couldn't help it, He was still very amused by her T-posing Tholian avatar and failed to suppress his chuckles. He hoped he wasn't causing any offense by laughing but he simply couldn't help it. She looked like she was T-posing to assert dominance. It was a phase he had head while hologaming and it had never left him.

His eyes almost bugged when he heard Sirol inform Zero that she had 369 models in various stages of development. That was impressive indeed! And if offered them a lot more chances to mix things up in assigning each other avatars. He thought about what he could inflict upon the others but decided to hold back for now and see if they would do it to him first. Plus he found he rather enjoyed being a tribble at the moment. His own avatar purring was soothing to him. How strange. Maybe he should look into whether it was okay to have a tribble for himself. He almost doubted it with the rumors he had heard. Oh well, tribble videos might have to suffice. They might help him fall asleep on those nights his brain simply wouldn't shut down.

"œImpressive," he said to Sirol in response to her comment on all the avatars she had in progress. Her comment hadn't been directed at him but he felt the need to let her know anyway. It couldn't hurt to convey it right? Perhaps this was something he could do with Emerald when he hatched. A working Tholian avatar might be a good way to bond and have fun with his little one.

[Katra Station | Holodeck]

"Urgh."

Serena shook her head a few times and looked at Xasik, then frowned at Sirol. She hadn't wanted to break character, but needed a moment. Rubbing her face a few times and taking a few deep breaths, she gave a lopsided smile. Pulling out her PADD, she accessed her own controls and morphed herself into...

A salt vampire. Although it had a mouth, Serena now couldn't speak. So held up her right arm straight, suckers and all. Her palm and fingers raised to a 45 degree angle, then flat, clenched into a fist, relaxed her fingers to palm down and clenched back into a fist and finally fingers and palm straight and hand as if in a handshake manner. Inside, Serena giggled, but the salt vampire avatar stayed impassive.

He had been genuinely worried about Serena when she changed into the Bynars and had rushed over to offer his assistance. He was glad that Sirol had had the program revert Serena's avatar to none to avoid any further discomfort, but had been surprised when Serena had assigned herself a new avatar so quickly.

"œPlease be careful," he said with a soft tone in his voice. "œDo not overexert yourself." He would offer his assistance if need be, but trusted her to know her own limits.

Hi Eydis!

We never got to meet but I just want to say that I really enjoyed reading your posts and seeing the interactions with other characters. I hope that this message finds you well and that eventually you will be able to to return again. I would have liked for our character to be able to meet, so hopefully one day they will.
I hope you are safe and well.

From one Tholian parent to another,
-Xasik and Emerald

tag to Sirol

https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m7-settling-in-again/msg258130/#msg258130

[[Katra Station | Simulation Lab | 1414]]

[Katra Station | Simulation Lab | 1414]

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab / 1411 >

The scientist just quietly nodded, and once more looked at the stasis canister.
"œI agree. Any metabolism has its limits when it comes to stasis containment. One important aspect though is, that your child's species possesses one of the fastest metabolisms among spacefaring neighbours, meaning that both, initiating and phasing out the effects will be a delicate process that needs to be closely monitored.
My advice would be to include a medical officer.
Despite my willingness to help, I am neither a biologist, nor a medic or a"¦" She awkwardly cleared her throat. "œ...Geologist."

If he had any, Xasik would have raised an eyebrow at her geologist comment. Was that a stab at him? No, she wouldn't be so vague if she was. He knew enough about her to know that she said exactly what she intended to exactly the way she intended. He liked that about her. She was direct and honest so he could trust what she was saying.
She did have a valid point though, a medical professional would be invaluable, but he didn't know any personally and he was reluctant to bring in a stranger to this delicate situation.
"œA medical professional would be invaluable, but I do not know any that I trust. Being new here I haven't really had the chance to explore and meet anyone much outside the lab and holodecks. I'm afraid my experience is lacking. Do you by chance know anyone we could trust? I do not want anyone who could potentially harm Emerald to be involved with the process. I don't know what I'd do without them. I never intended on becoming a father but now that I have Em, I would die to protect them."

It was hard to admit that he would need help, that this was something he couldn't finish alone. It was harder still asking the Romulan he worked with for help. Sirol was a pleasant person to be around in his limited experience with her, but his brain was hardwired to resist and rebel against anything Romulan since his escape. He had managed to look past his own mistrust of her and actually see the person underneath his first impression. He found that he actually did trust Sirol and that revelation blew his mind.

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab / 1411 >

With a slow, musing nod Sirol acknowledged his words and leaned a little forward on her ball. Her back gave off an unhealthy cracking noise like grinding sand.
It was time she finally got out of this exoskeleton and began to train her body again before Katra's lower gravity rendered her utterly useless"¦
"œI understand"¦
Yet please try to understand my position as well.. I am not accusing you of kidnapping"¦
But I must be sure that the child is safe.
And I must be sure that whatever happens within my lab is legal, documented and universally acceptable."
Taking a little breath she added. "œI will consult the Captain just to be sure.
I can not risk anyone in our department causing any form of diplomatic incident based on a misunderstanding that could be avoided."

Once more Sirol nodded, once more she stated that she understood, hesitantly reaching out to accept the PADD with the adoption documentation.

He was the luckiest, most blessed individual in the sector"¦

Suppressing a silent sigh she skimmed through the text which essentially backed up the things he had already told her before she gave it back to him.

"œI understand your efforts, your will to protect and take care of your child.
I do.
You two are fortunate to have one another.
I will help you with the hatching process and with retrieving all the information and assistance the child will need.
But I insist on including a proper medical practitioner sufficiently acquainted with the child's physiological development and medical needs throughout the process.
If I am to assist you with the child, we will do it correctly."

He did understand where she was coming from. He would react much the same if he were in her position. He nodded his head as she spoke.
"œI understand where you're coming from, I do. I admit that I'm probably overprotective but that is an instinct that I simply can not ignore. Please proceed as you need to to ensure everything is legal and acceptable. I will comply with what you deem necessary unless that involves confiscating my child. Then I will be a bit more stubborn. Unfortunately extreme stubbornness can be a Remen trait not easily buried once it surfaces, and my liberation has brought out my stubborn streak with a lot of things. I apologize If I've ever been rude to you because of my stubbornness."

He once more picked up the egg to cradle it lovingly. In a few short months his entire life had been turned around. He had gone from rogue Reman geologist renegade black market dismantler to overly cautious dad moving to a new location to keep his child safe. It was mind blowing just how much he had changed since arriving.
"œA diplomatic incident would be unfortunate and I would hate to bring dishonor upon your lab. I appreciate you going out of your way to help me with this. I honestly do not know how I would handle the situation alone. I am grateful." He meant his words and gave a slight bow of his head to further add meaning to his statement.
"œDoing it correctly would be the ideal situation, after all we won't get a second chance if something goes wrong. I will take any advice you have on board with an open mind."

[[Katra Station | Holodeck 5]]

[Katra Station | Holodeck 5]

Holosim - Mage War Online

The market had changed so much in the time he had been away from the game. He was pleasantly surprised when some of the more common items he had in his inventory were selling for much higher price than he remembered, but that in turn meant that he was paying a little more for the potions and the  gear he needed. Good thing he had all the extra gold he had earned from his attackers so he barely noticed the price rise. Preparation was always the boring part of any planned journey, but it was necessary for success so it was a chore he endured because it would lead to a fun adventure afterwards.

With his supplies in order, excess junk sold off and his gear in perfect condition, Xasik opened up his social menu to see if any of his guild mates were online. To his surprise he found that the guild section of his social menu was blank. Huh, perhaps the guild has disbanded while he was unable to play? A quick search of the guild search function and he was able to locate his former guild, the Killer Khellids. Nope, they were still active. He must have been purged for being inactive for so long. Oh well, he couldn't blame them. He had been gone for a long time and they probably had assumed he wasn't coming back. What annoyed him though was that no one had reached out to see if he was ok. Oh well. He would start his own guild, with bloodwine and dabo girls! And he would name it the Obsidian Obliteration! But for that he would have to visit the Cerulean Citadel and speak to the Master of Guilds to register a new guild. It wasn't that far from his current location but he really didn't want to walk the entire way so he decided to pay the fast travel fee and zip straight to the Citadel. He landed with a thud on the stone pathway leading towards a towering blue structure reaching high enough to have clouds swirling around the top of the tower. It was an awe inspiring sight that stilled his heart every time he saw it. He could still remember the first time he had seen the tower as a freshling player. He had fought hard through the Forest of Farthorl to reach the tower and get his hands on his first set of matching gear. He had been new to gaming and had been quite proud of his ability to adapt to the strange and sensational pastime his roommate at the time had introduced him to. It was such a fond memory that he made it a point to think of it often, a taste of freedom his child self could never have imagined. For this reason alone, the Cerulean Citadel would always be one of his favourite places to visit and hang out at.
He smiled to himself as he made his way inside and wound his way through the various areas to find the Master of Guilds. He passed many players on his way but he didn't pay them much mind until someone called out to him from across the room. He grimaced. He knew that voice. It was MadMaxMalone472, someone he had had difficulties with in the past. For whatever reason, MadMax hated elves. He claimed that anyone playing the race and running a "˜shadow-magic stealth build' was a cheater with no skills. Xasik hadn't been his only target  but he had been the one to stand up to the bully. Max hadn't liked that at all and for a while he had challenged Xasik to a duel every chance he got. He had lost every time too, which only served to fuel his rage. His beefy Boulder-Orc character was no match for Xasik's lithe and speedy Moon-Elf. It also helped that Xasik had real life combat experience and could read the other's moves before he acted. Luckily there was a strict no PVP rule enforced within the Citadel so at least MadMax would not be able to try and start duels with him. But that didn't stop the verbal harassment and while he tried to ignore it, it was admittedly difficult. He really, really disliked this player and had hoped that maybe MadMax had left the game in his absence and moved on to other things. No such luck apparently.

"œGood to see you again Max," Xasik cooed in his avatar's silky voice. "œI'm surprised you're still around. Weren't you the one complaining in the area-chat about how lame this holosim is? I would have thought that maybe you'd have found something more to your tastes by now!"

"œWhat's with the voice Quartzferatu? Why don't you use your real voice instead of that female voice, or don't you want people to know that you're a man?"

Xasik rolled his eyes. He had no problem with people knowing he wasn't actually a female, but it did kind of ruin the immersion. He reached up and turned his voice modifier off. "œHappy now Max? Did you miss my voice that much? Well, soak it in buddy, because here I am!"

He heard a spluttering from the other. Clearly that was not the reaction Max had been expecting. Xasik laughed and continued on his way towards the Master of Guilds, amused by the encounter but fully expecting consequences from Max. He would probably make it a point to hunt Xasik down in the wild and try and destroy him. Bring it on, Xas thought with a grin. He may have been a little rusty but he would still win, he was certain of that.
As he turned to leave the area and continue on his way, Xasik stumbled as he nearly crashed into someone standing in the middle of the walkway.
"œOh, excuse me. I didn't see you there." he said in his normal voice as he moved to get past the other player. He realized he had forgotten to switch his voice modifier back on but he didn't really care either. Everyone in the area had heard his voice now so he would just leave it as it was until he was done in the area.

Tag to Sirol
https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m7-settling-in-again/msg258000/#msg258000

[[Katra Station | Simulation | 1407]]

[Katra Station | Simulation | 1407]

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab / 1404 >

And while - for the first time truly intentionally - she reached out for someone else's; his mind to gain a taste of his motivations, he luckily met her over halfway there: He explained himself, and Sirol attentively listened.

Squinting her eyes she still stared at him for a few more seconds.
He; his vicinity"¦ Genuine"¦ Honestly worried for the child's well-being.
Granted, this spoke for him, but things were not that easy"¦
"œI have heard of black market trafficking of Horta Eggs, but never of a case involving a Tholian"¦ How long is the child in stasis already?"
She paused for a moment, then looked at the canister in her hands again.
Her face turned into a smile - again - although this time in a more soft and slightly less tense manner.
Placing one hand on the transparent casing she just looked at it and musingly smiled. "œWelcome to Katra, Little Emerald..." She quietly whispered towards the little one, slightly wrapping one arm around the canister in the same manner a parent would hug their baby.

A few seconds passed, and Sirol just stood there. Thinking"¦
"œOf course I will assist you with the little one"¦ No need to ever ask..." She quietly mumbled as it it was the most natural thing in the world.
[After all, to Sirol it actually was.]
Eventually, she looked up to Freeman again, and carefully handed the canister over to him again.
"œStarfleet being aware of it is one thing, but what about the child's original family?
What about Emerald's parents? And are Lieutenant Falleg and Captain Kirok aware that you brought the child aboard?"

She - of all the people - would truly be the last one to pass the chance to adopt a child, and she could see it in Freeman's eyes that he was the same... Equally invested and fiercely protective over the egg, so she phrased her questions carefully...
Yet she primarily had to think about the child's interests and well-being here.
What if their family was still out there looking for them?

His brow tensed as he listened to Sirol explain that she had heard of the illegal Horta egg trade. That had been his original purpose for visiting the black market in the first place, to help liberate Horta eggs from those that had taken them from their parents. It was an horrific trade that destroyed families for no reason other than personal gain. It made him sick to his stomach and reminded him much of the slave trade that he himself had been victim to in his earlier years. But that was the past and right now he couldn't dwell on that. He needed to explain things to Sirol so she could understand. He could feel the tension in the air. He took a deep breath to keep himself calm and to keep himself from getting too defensive so he could explain the situation as clearly as possible.

"œYes, Horta eggs are the more common target for black market traders, but on very rare occasions there are other races represented in this horrific trade. The day I found Emerald I was a part of a sting operation focusing on dismantling the rampant black market of this particular little backwater planet. Intel had stated that there were several locations within the biggest city where dealers were selling eggs to select clientele. Several agents were in position to make the trades and secure the eggs before the vendors were taken down. I was one such agent and was in position and ready to engage." He paused and tensed his shoulders as he remembered the scenario. "œMy target was approached by someone else so I held back and observed their interaction. At first it seemed like a normal interaction. I could hear their conversation and was relieved that they couldn't settle on a price for the eggs, but then to my surprise he pulled a box out from behind his stall and inside was Emerald. I saw the green and my eyes were drawn to it immediately. At the time I didn't know what I had seen but I knew that I had to get it along with the Horta eggs. I won't go into vivid details, but when they couldn't negotiate a trade and the potential buyer walked away I took my chance to approach. The vendor was hesitant at first after his interaction with the guy, but with a few choice words he was willing to open up and offer me a deal for the eggs. This was all I needed. My partner was hiding somewhere close by and had recorded the entire interaction for evidence. With evidence secured, my partner made his move and made the arrest while I secured all the eggs. What we didn't realize was that the vendor had partners that showed up right as their front man was being led away. Naturally they were not amused at having their stock taken away and with my backup now gone I had to run for it, Horta eggs and Emerald now in my possession. I am thankful for my long legs because they couldn't catch me, even with the weight of the eggs weighing me down."  He paused once again to collect his thoughts and to take a breath after telling his egg heist story. "œBut to answer your question, I do not know how long the egg has been in stasis, but it has been with me for at least a couple of months by now. I haven't had the chance to properly set up an environment to allow it to hatch, and to be honest I am scared to do so without assistance. Although I have had the egg examined medically, I still worry that allowing it to come out of stasis too quickly could be very damaging for the little one."

He couldn't help the smile that crept over his face as he witnessed Sirol holding the canister so gently and welcoming Emerald to Katra. It was like a huge wave of relief washing over him to know that she was willing to help him and he didn't have to shoulder the burden alone. He would have someone that he could rely on which was more than he had had for months now. Gratefully he accepted the canister when she handed it back to him and held it as gently as possible, looking down at the green egg as if it contained his entire world.

He looked up again when she asked her next question. Did Falleg and Kirok know about the egg? He sure hoped so. He had been assured by Starfleet Officials that the information regarding his situation would be passed on to his new location. "œI sure hope that Falleg and Kirok know. I was assured that the information would be passed on before my arrival. And as for Emerald's biological parents, I have tried to reach out to the Assembly and find them, but with no luck. They know of the situation but I get the feeling that they don't believe me. They responded to my plea for communication once but I have heard nothing from them since."
He looked at the canister again before gently setting it down on a bench. "œI couldn't just leave the egg alone. The poor child hasn't even hatched yet and they've been through so much, so when my efforts with the Assembly were unfruitful Starfleet allowed me to officially adopt the child. I hadn't intended on becoming a father but I won't shy away from it either."

He reached for his padd and scrolled through some files before finding the one he was looking for before passing it back to Sirol. "œHere," he said almost timidly. "œHere's the official documentation, for his adoption and the situation around it."

In a strange way, Xasik felt relieved at having finally explained the entire situation to someone. He felt relaxed when he normally would have felt defensive and anxious. His guard was down and as a result he was probably very easy to read regarding his emotions and feelings. There was hope for his Little Pebble and that was all that mattered to him.