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[< Katra Station / Turbolift >]

[Katra Station | Turbolift]

< Katra Station / Turbolift >

"Xasik it is then" Zex replied.  She offered the man a smile and a nod.  But she pondered his comment a moment.

"Commander Briggs is off site at the moment, and we have no SO currently.  And Kirok is in the ready room, but I might be able to send an email and get you situated.  Do you have anything of note that needs immediate attention among your belongings or can you wait for a reply from the OCC?" she asked as she pulled out her PADD.

Xasik considered Zex's question for a moment. His belongings were important to him, but not as important as the egg in stasis on his back. Until he had quarters to safely set up an environment for it, it would stay with him where he could protect it.
"œI can wait for a reply from the OCC. Belongings can be replaced should something unsavory happen but lives can not and the urgency I sense in the air tells me that we should not waste time if possible."

< Katra Station / Turbolift >

She looked at Zex and gave her a thankful nod before she focused on Xasik again.
"œIn case you can not be assigned to a quarter before we head out, I suppose you can also leave your items in a marked stash in the shuttle bay of the docking saucer."
Judging by the noises, he had rocks with him in that bag, and"¦ Whatever he had in the sealed container, she assumed it could not be anything particularly dangerous, otherwise he would not directly carry it on his back"¦

"œEither way, I advise we hurry up..." She calmly spoke.
Just as if it had been timed, the doors of the Turbolift hissed open, presenting the view across the wide corridor leading to Docking Saucer 1.

He listened to Lieutenant Sirol and nodded. "œA secure stash would be perfectly fine. I only ask that I keep the container on my back with me. It is very important to me and I am not comfortable with the idea of leaving it behind." He considered adding that it required monitoring but decided against bringing that up. It wasn't exactly common practice for someone to tote around a Tholian egg, and he had only just met these people. He had no idea how they would react to being told such a thing.

As the turbolift doors hissed open to reveal the corridor, Xasik had to hold back a quiet hiss of his own. The lights hurt his eyes. He regretted not wearing his contacts so he knelt down and opened his bag just enough to stick a hand inside. He knew where the case for them was so it didn't take him long to fish it out. Ignoring the other two briefly he put the contacts in with practiced ease before closing his bag and standing back up again.
"œI shall find a stash to place my bag in and join you immediately." He nodded politely to Sirol and Zex. He was aware that his aura was a bit hostile and he hadn't really meant it to be so. He would apologise later if he found that he worked well with the two strangers. The last thing he needed was to sour any possible acquaintances that he may have to work with in future.

Excusing himself briefly he picked up his bag and winced slightly as it crunched and grinded. He made his way down the corridor and towards what appeared to be lockers against the wall and inquired with an officer there about leaving his bag and retrieving it later. It didn't take long to safely tuck his bag away in a secure location. He was back with Sirol and Zex as quickly as possible, canister securely on his back.

tag Sirol and Zex

[< Katra Station / Turbolift >]

[Katra Station | Turbolift]

< Katra Station / Turbolift >

Folding her arms behind her back, Sirol just looked at the newcomer.
What followed was a period of uncomfortable silence; a moment of tension metaphorically thick enough to cut it with a Kaleh.
As he eventually answered her question with a delay, she simply nodded in acknowledgement, then activated her holo interface again and took some notes, including his name, his position and how to address him, before she briefed him on the essentials.

"œExcellent, Specialist.
I am Lieutenant Sirol, the currently available science officer, and the one to overlook our ongoing task.
Your experience with probes will be beneficial. Your responsibility will be to guarantee their functionality and sufficient number. I will send you a copy of the modifications we will have to perform on them - which will be your follow-up task.
Once we are done with this, network-calibration and a simulation of their placement will follow, and eventually, Ensign Zex will be the one to fly us through strategical points within and around the anomaly and help us place the probes in their respective positions, establish and calibrate the sensory- and communication grid.
Is there anything else you require to know?"

She paused for a moment, before her gaze fell onto his luggage again. His large backpack, housing what she assumed to be some sort of hermetically sealed container, as well as the large bag he was holding in one hand and which gave of suspiciously"¦ Rocky"¦ Grinding noises upon movement.
Sure, he was a geologist, but this"¦. This was over the top even for his profession"¦

"œTake ten minutes to bring your"¦ Collection to your quarters. You can meet up with Ensign Zex and me at Docking Saucer one to begin afterwards.
And do not be late."

Xasik held his ground as the Romulan stared at him in silence. His posture was rigid and unyielding, almost a silent challenge. It was uncomfortable and he wanted to know what she was taking notes on but he decided to let that question die in his throat. There was a job to do and he didn't want to sour the mood more than it already was.
The name Sirol rang a bell in Xasik's mind. He had known of a Sirol on Remus who had owned multiple shipyards and her husband on Romulus who was a senator of great importance. If this Sirol was indeed related to those then his instant distrust of her would grow exponentially. He had never met either of them personally but Romulan aristocracy still left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had witnessed too much abuse at their hands to simply forget.

< Katra Station / Deck 1 Turbolift >

"Please, I am happy to help.  In fact I rather enjoy keeping my other skills honed.  So you are doing me a favor" Zex said to Sirol.

She offed a nod to the newcomer.  "You can call me Zex.  Like Sirol, I have no last name" she added.  "What do you prefer to be called? " she asked

"œSirol. I know this name from Remus." He frowned but said no more on this. It was perhaps better not to probe into this subject after just meeting her. Instead he turned his attention to Zex and gave her a polite nod. "œEither Specialist or Xasik is fine. I admit that I'm not one for titles but if I must use them then I will."

Listening to Sirol's explanation of what was expected of him, the Reman nodded. It certainly wasn't how he had thought his first day on Katra Station would go, but at least it wasn't dull. It had been a while since he had used a probe so he hoped his skills weren't too rusty, or the whole ordeal may turn out to be a bit of a rocky experience.
He nodded in acceptance of this mission, however there was one problem.
"œI have yet to be assigned quarters. I was actually on my way to check in with the Division leader before settling in."

Tag Zex and Sirol

[< Katra Station / Deck 1 Turbolift >]

[Katra Station | Turbolift]

< Katra Station / Deck 1 Turbolift >

Sirol took a polite bow towards Zex.
"œI appreciate your help.
...Thank you."

Having Zex take over this task, Sirol had to only do two instead of three calls, so she looked at her list again, then tappend her comm badge.

Not knowing about the reasons behind the Uropygi's presence yet, she still assumed that the poor little thing was lost, leading her to the conclusion that the Commander was most likely worried and looking for it.
"œSirol to Commander Eydis. I have found one of your Uropygi near the OCC.
It is unharmed and safe, but let me know when you wish me to bring it home."
A little pause followed and Sirol gave the little creature a gentle boop before she once more checked her list, as she was suddenly interrupted by the Reman that had joined them; still standing in the turbolift.

She could very deliberately sense that he was not exactly excited to see her; if not actively averse to it.
And Sirol could not even blame him. His appearance indicated that he was within the age group that had actively experienced slavery and abuse at the hands of the Romulan Empire.
The scientist was certain that him seeing her must have awoken a multitude of traumatic memories"¦
She however did not mention it, but instead stuck to the formalities to not make the situation any more uncomfortable for either of them.

Tilting her head Sirol gave him a hesitant look.
This meant another call was checked off of her list.

"œI am pleased to make your acquaintance, Freeman"¦
Is it"¦ Doctor? Or any rank?
I apologise, but I have not been briefed on the new arrivals until mere minutes ago."
She did a polite bow towards him, yet spoke in a neutral, business-like tone.

She was not yet sure how to incorporate a geologist into any of her projects, but then again, maybe he had any other fields that would interlock with her own areas of work more conveniently.

"œ...We have a tight schedule right now, so you will follow me until we have everything sufficiently associated.
Are you experienced with operating probes and/or versed with spacial and phasic anomalies?"

She then looked towards Zex and did a polite gesture pointing at her.
"œEnsign Zex will accompany us as the pilot and operator during this mission."

Xasik eyed the pair cautiously. He couldn't help but wonder who Eydis was. It was certainly an interesting name. He would keep it in mind. It would be interesting to see the person behind the name. Perhaps they were the Chief Science Officer, and perhaps the creature the Romulan officer was holding was a part of their research.
"œSpecialist is fine," he nodded to her but remained wary of her tone. "œUnderstood. I will assist you however I am able. I have experience operating probes, yes. My abilities are at your service"¦.uh, how should I refer to you?" He tried to keep his tone formal and void of emotion. There was a war playing out in his head. He had no objections to following the orders of his superiors, but following the orders of a Romulan was bringing back emotions and feelings he had long tried to move past. With the station still under a Yellow Alert he reasoned that for now, following her orders was the best course of action. The less he found conflict with those around him, the better the environment he could provide for his child.

Xasik gave a hailing nod to Ensign Zex and moved his bag more to the side to give the two more room. His bag made a sandy grinding kind of noise as he moved it but he hardly paid attention to it. He was more focused on keeping his guard up.
"œI look forward to working with you both," he spoke with strained politeness. He was a little bitter about not having the time to settle in properly but such was life about a station at times. He cleared his throat and addressed his two new companions. "œSo, uh, what exactly is going on?"

(Hope it's ok if I join in too!)

[Katra Station | Main Holodeck]

Groaning in frustration Xasik picked up the pace. He had received an invitation from Zex to view some kind of program. It had taken him by surprise if he was completely honest. He was still new to the station and had kept to himself as much as possible. The quiet was nice, but so was the chance to maybe make a few new friends. He was running late though. It had taken him longer than he had anticipated to check on the well being of his Tholian egg in it's environmental field in the lab.With all readings holding steady in the ideal ranges he had finally pulled himself away and made his way to the Main Holodeck, entering without a second thought other than needing to apologize for being so late!

Welcome!

(Hope it's ok that I slip on in)

[Katra Station | Holodeck 1]

Looking down at his padd, the Reman frowned as he approached the correct location. Holodeck 1 had been a little difficult for him to find as he was still getting used to life aboard Katra Station, but curiosity was stronger than pride sometimes and he was curious as to why Sirol had invited him and for what. He had stopped to ask directions at least three times but finally he had found it. He hesitated for a moment. He still didn't know what to think of Sirol but at least she was tolerable from his limited experience with her. Still, it struck him as strange that he had been invited at all. Life had taught him to question everything, every action and motive, but logic also dictated that life aboard a Starfleet station was probably safer than anything he had experienced yet. When he decided that he had procrastinated enough he finally entered the holodeck and squeaked in surprise. Before him was a Gorn and a Horta, not at all what he had expected to see! And his voice! Never in his life had he made such a high pitched sound! What in the ever loving universe was going on?
Something wasn't right. "œSirol?! What is this?" He sounded like he had inhaled helium"¦"¦.like an insect"¦.a khellid perhaps? He couldn't quite figure out the familiar tone to his voice.
Xasik went to walk towards the Gorn and Horta and his vision bobbed oddly. It threw him off so much that he almost stumbled. "What is going on?"

tag Sirol and Zex

[< Katra Station / OCC/Turbolift >]

< Katra Station /  OCC/Turbolift >

Once more looking at Zex, Sirol closed her holographic interface again and folded her arms behind her back.

The doors of the turbolift they had been waiting for hissed open, yet - for now - Sirol's main focus still rested on Zex, thus her not immediately spotting the newcomer.
"œ...The last civilian specialist I had to work with tended to pride himself with how many loopholes he could find within Starfleet regulations; constantly eating at work, occupying my lab, being late and forgetting to log out of his terminals after every. Single. Shift..."
ch'Talvin had certainly been a talented scripter, but the high maintenance of his person had outweighed his usefulness"¦
"œ...I hope Freeman will be"¦ More useful..."

As she sensed a wave of"¦ Anxiety"¦ Almost even panic flooding the OCC like a painful burst of sunlight, she stopped her small talk. With all the people in the OCC, she assumed that it might be the Uropygi  in her arms being scared in the same manner Erika had been on the Med Bay, so her wrapped arms around it instinctively tightened a little in a protective manner.
No worries, you will be safe, little hero. She mused; spoke without words.

Eventually looking at the open lift doors she spotted a Reman with plenty of luggage.
"œAt ease." She just spoke in a cool tone, giving him a casual nod and then heading for the lift - once more looking at Zex, intending to continue their original conversation.
"œ...After we picked up the new specialist, I will need to make a few calls, but afterwards, could you take care that the shuttlecraft will be sufficiently equipped and prepared while I assess the available probes?"

[Katra Station | Turbolift]

As the turbolift doors opened Xasik came face to face with two people about to step in. He heard his name mentioned in a way that he found highly insulting. Apparently they didn't think very highly of civilian specialists, or at least the previous one. He hoped his work would speak for itself because he knew his social skills could be considered lacking. He had been told more than once that the way he held himself was intimidating.
He hadn't meant to, but at the sight of the Romulan he squared his shoulders and puffed his chest. It was entirely instinctual, something that had developed after he grasped his freedom. Years of suffering oppression had turned into aggression. It was a hard instinct to suppress.
Standing as tall as possible he stared the two down, trying his best to hide the wave of anxiety threatening to overwhelm him. He was surprised to see the Romulan holding some kind of creature protectively in her arms. He tried not to let it show.

"œI am Freeman. Geologist, palaeontologist and new to Katra Station," he said a little defensively as he introduced himself. The Romulan's cool tone towards him had him on edge as she told him to be at ease. He made sure his back was facing the wall of the turbolift wall to protect the egg in the stasis chamber on his back. If indeed he was the Freeman they were talking about like he believed he was then this turbolift was about to feel crowded. He was not a fan of the thought.

[[Katra Station | Docking Bay]]

[Katra Station | Docking Bay]

[Katra Station | Docking Bay]
"Hey.  I think Falleg is off on an away mission.  You might could check at the OCC.  They will probably be able to get you squared away" a mechanic nearby said.

"œAh, thanks," Xasik gave a polite nod of his head to the mechanic who had spoken to him. It was helpful information. He wouldn't look so much like a lost child now, looking for someone who was away on a mission. He couldn't have known of course, but still, his sense of pride was rather difficult to swallow at times. "œI'll head that way now."

It was an odd atmosphere to form his first impression of the station. A yellow alert was not something you stepped off a shuttle into every day. He could forgive the chaos and would assist in any way he could if there was a use for him, but to know that he would have to check in with whoever was in charge with Falleg away.
With his course of action decided, Xasik adjusted the stasis container housing his egg on his back into a more secure and comfortable position while he simply carried his bag containing his personal belongings with his left hand. Hopefully he would have time to set up an artificial environment for his egg soon. He sighed and almost smirked at the situation he was in. Only a geologist would adopt a Tholian.

Stepping into the turbolift that would take him to the OCC Xasik actively focused on his breathing. He hated small, cramped spaces so much and would be so glad to step out of it again. He simply needed to retain control over his breathing and he would be able to stay calm. He couldn't let anyone see him in a frazzled state. What a first impression that would be. He set his bag on the ground and pulled his heavy coat closer eagerly awaiting the turbolift door to open again.

Thank you so much! It looks so good! I feel official now!

[SpecialistXasik FreemanCivilian ScientistGeologist / PalaeontologistKatra Station]

Hi! I'd like to please request an ID. They look absolutely fantastic

Specialist
Xasik Freeman
Civilian Scientist
Geologist / Palaeontologist
Katra Station

Thanks so much for the very warm welcome!

[Katra Station | Docking Bay]

There was a certain sense of relief every time Xasik disembarked from a shuttle. It wasn't that he found the journey uncomfortable, on the contrary , he had found the shuttle to be quite luxurious compared to some of the conditions he had experienced in the past, but rather that he felt vulnerable traveling in smaller craft through large expanses of space. The ever lingering fear of Romulan repercussions was always haunting the back of his mind and shuttles could be so very vulnerable to attacks from larger ships. He had seen it time and time again while running from his former masters. Many of the Remans he had escaped with had met their ends while traveling via shuttle to start their new lives. He had been one the lucky few to have survived the ordeal.
He allowed the wave of relief to wash over his body as he simply took a moment to settle himself before hoisting his duffle bag over his left shoulder and taking a look around him. The station had an atmosphere much like others he had visited. People were milling about attending to their tasks and barely noticed him. That was fine, he didn't mind at all. He hadn't slept much and would probably be irritable if asked too many questions right away. But even still, he needed to settle in quickly. The metal case strapped to his back would require attention as soon as possible. It was a mobile environmental system and life support for the egg he was carrying. It had been in stasis long enough and it deserved the chance to finally hatch. He simply hadn't felt safe enough while traveling to allow the egg to hatch naturally but now that he had arrived on Katra, he would finally be able to settle long enough to meet his child at last.

It was with this thought in mind that he reached up to lower his hood and take off his shades to reveal his entire face. He would need to ask someone where he would find the department leader for the sciences so he could request lab access to start work as the station's geologist. He had noticed during his travels that the Human race could be distrusting of one if they hid their face and he didn't want any misunderstandings to hinder his settling in period. The lights of the station were sure to be too bright for his Reman eyes but he would tolerate it for now. He had contact lenses that would filter out bright lights but they weren't comfortable to wear for long periods of time. He would save those for when he needed them.

Clearing his throat, Xasik approached the nearest stationary crew member. "œExcuse me, where can I find the Science Department Head?"
The ensign looked up from his padd and seemed taken aback by the severe looking Reman towering over him. "œUh, that'd be Lt. Hrafn Falleg. Here let me write down some directions for you."
"œThanks," Xasik nodded and waited for the rushed directions before setting off towards the nearest turbo lift. He shuddered as he entered the confined space. It reminded him of the mines of Remus. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long to get to his destination.