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I LOVE this submission so much. It sounds absolutely exciting and adventurous! I'm certainly interested in this!
(Sorry for not commenting on this earlier, my brain has been all over the place)

[Kyle]

Tags to: Kyle, Eydis and Xasik/Emerald
Soft tags to: Whoever likes to bump into Sirol along the way.
She is heading out for the Arboretum now - meet her for  tasty surprise. ^^

(Last post until I am back home Monday/Tuesday.
@Eydis & Xasik: Feel free to move my character if the situation calls for it. ^^)

https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m9-downtime/msg261199/#msg261199

a little tag in return for you
https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m9-downtime/msg261201/#msg261201

I hope you have a good time while you're away! and thank you. If need be I'll drag Sirol along

[< Katra Station / XO's Office â†' Promenade â†' Arboretum >]

< Katra Station / XO's Office â†' Promenade â†' Arboretum >

So she once more tapped her comm badge.
"œLieutenant Sirol to Specialist Freeman, I hope my call does not come inconveniently. I wanted to ask whether you and Emerald would be interested in meeting me in the Arboretum. I can imagine the little one would find it exciting. I also invited Captain Eydis. Perhaps we all could process the events of last weeks together, and just talk..."

[Katra Station - Promenade]

Xasik

Wandering the Promenade with Emerald had been an interesting experience. Every new sight had seemed to grab their attention and bring on a cascade of excited squeaking as they reached out to try and grab whatever brightly coloured object or person had caught their attention. It didn't occur to the hatchling that they would be unable to grab anything while in their ECS, but it was still so heckin' cute, it was melting Xasik's heart.

The chirping of his badge came as a slight surprise to Xasik, but not an unpleasant one when Sirol's voice came through. He listened to her question and smiled before tapping his badge to respond.

"œFreeman to Lieutenant Sirol. I would be delighted to meet you in the Arboretum. I was just wandering the Promenade with Emerald, stimulating their visual senses and giving them a bit of enrichment."
He had to stop talking when Emerald's excited squeaking and chirping became too loud.
"œEmerald please," Xasik begged. "œI'm trying to talk to Sirol. We'll see her in a few moments." He cleared his throat. "œSorry about that Sirol, Emerald heard your voice and got excited. I think they've been looking for you all morning. We'll meet you in the Arboretum. Talking sounds nice and relaxing. I look forward to it. Freeman out." 

He ended the call and started making his way to the Arboretum, his excited hatchling chirping and squeaking furiously.

---------------------

Emerald

The colours were so exciting to look at. So many different and bright ones to choose from. Emerald was lost in their own little world until they heard the chirping of The Sharp One's spot. When The Soft One's chirps came through, Emerald could not help but excitedly call to her. It had worked! Their humming for her had been heard and she was contacting them through The Sharp One.

"œPEEP! SQUEAK PEEEEEP!" They excitedly called to her while stretching out their hands to reach for her even though they couldn't see her.
They momentarily quietened down when The Sharp One scolded them, but once again began to call to The Soft One when the spot chirped again and The Soft One's squeaks could no longer be heard. When The Sharp One began to move in a new direction, Emerald got excited at the thought of seeing The Soft One again.

[[Katra Station | Food Court]]

[Katra Station | Food Court]

Xasik

It hadn't taken long for Xasik to decide where to go for breakfast, in fact his stomach had made the choice for him. As soon as he had arrived on the Promenade he had headed straight to the food court, following the mouth watering scent of cooking meat right to the source, 'Meridian Stake and Ale'. He liked the place, despite him often being referred to as a "˜space vampire' and the name of his favourite restaurant having the word "˜stake' in its name. The irony was not lost on him.
The lighting inside was pleasantly dim and the atmosphere was friendly with music playing softly in the background. He had become a regular customer here since his arrival on Katra and the staff had become accustomed to him, and now little Emerald too.

Entering the establishment, Xasik gave a wave to the on duty staff as he approached the counter and placed his usual order - plenty of meat, cooked rare with a side of salad and fries. He also ordered a large peach flavoured iced tea to go with his meal. He wasn't really one to enjoy alcohol, especially not after just waking up. He chuckled as he was handed a shallow wooden bowl before he headed towards his favourite table in the back corner. It had two seats  and was the darkest part of the place. The staff had quickly learned that Xasik preferred the dark and no longer offered to try and add a bit more light for him.

Placing the bowl on the table in a prime position for viewing the rest of the restaurant, Xasik then placed the ECS containing Emerald in the bowl so the little one could watch all the people coming and going while Xasik ate. The bowl prevented Emerald from rolling the ECS off the table and getting into trouble, but was shallow enough for the Tholian hatchling to see everything going on around them unobstructed.
Xasik snorted when he realized that one of the staff had even written "˜Emerald' on the side of the bowl in green. Guess it was their bowl now.

It didn't take long for his order to arrive. The scent of the meat almost drove him crazy but Xasik restrained himself long enough to thank his server and wait the appropriately polite amount of time after they left to dig into his meal.

Emerald chirped and squeaked, happily people watching and playing with their favourite squeaky ball while Xasik ate. A few times they tried to roll the ECS to go and explore, but the bowl was sturdy and Xasik kept an eye on his child just to be sure.
Emerald seemed fascinated with all the people sitting down to eat or simply walking by. Xasik assumed it was all the different colours and species that fascinated the hatchling. He smiled as he watched his child observing everything going on around them.

It didn't take the Reman long to finish his meal. He had been starving and the food was settling nicely in his stomach.  Reluctantly he got up from his seat and picked Emerald up.
"œWhat should we do today Little Pebble?" He asked the hatchling. Emerald clicked and peeped at him happily, squeezing their squeaky ball joyfully.
"œYou're absolutely right," Xasik smiled. He didn't know what Emerald had said, if they had said anything at all that is, but he liked to hold conversations with his child anyway. "œLet's wander the Promenade for a while and see if we can find something exciting. We might even bump into someone we know. Come on little Pebble."

Returning the bowl to the counter, Xasik tipped the staff generously before beginning the day's adventure.

-------------------------

Emerald

The sight of all the New Ones moving by them was always exciting to Emerald. So many different colours! They clicked happily as they watched all the colours while The Sharp One put things in his face, as he did many times. Emerald liked when The Sharp One brought them here. The Ones here always chirped and squeaked so happily, it made Emerald happy. The only thing missing was The Soft One and The Humming One. The Sharp One never brought them here and Emerald missed them. When their usual squeaking and chirping failed to draw them here, Emerald squeaked the ball that The Soft One had given them in the hopes that she would hear it and find them, The Humming One too. When this also failed Emerald resorted to trying to hum like The Humming One and The Soft One did. This sometimes worked and called both to Emerald, but this time it seemed they were out of luck.

Emerald grew tired from humming after a while and settled back down to simply enjoy all the colours of the New Ones going by and squeaking their ball happily. They chirped and squeaked excitedly when The Sharp One picked them up and squeaked at them in his deep tones before taking them to explore the area. Emerald tried humming for The Soft One and The Humming One as they explored.

[[Katra Station | Xasik's Quarters]]

[Katra Station | Xasik's Quarters]

Sharp pain was the first thing his mind registered as consciousness slowly washed over his body. Xasik didn't know where he was or why his body was aching, why his head was pounding or why he could taste a metallic tang in his mouth. His eyes refused to open and the fog of his mind refused to clear. He felt halfway between being crushed by a boulder and floating in air. The tingling should have been annoying but he found no strength to actually be annoyed by it.

It took a few moments of groggy thought before Xasik realized that he that he couldn't move. His energy had been zapped and really, he didn't want to move anyway. Sleep called to him like a siren of myth and he was so ready to follow the call. His eyes fluttered but remained closed as his mind floated and pounded.

Why did his bed feel like a slab of stone?

He was ready to drift off and be lost in the mists of his mind when the chirping of his comm badge pierced through the veil of his nonsense thoughts.

"œSirol to Specialist Freeman. I am calling to remind you of our meeting today. I was planning to come by in the next 12 minutes, but Emerald seems to still be asleep"¦ That seems atypical. Is the little one alright?"

Sirol? Why was she calling in the middle of the night while he was supposed to be sleeping? How rude. He ignored the hail and tried to go back to sleep, but then everything came rushing back to him. He wasn't in his bed, he was on the floor! Why was he on the floor? He remembered a sharp pain in his right buttcheek and a thudding blow to the back of his head, then nothingness.
Emerald! Where was Emerald?

"œEm?" He managed to slur out. "œWhere?"
When he got no response his heart started to race. Where was his child?! Why couldn't he move? Where was the signature squeak he had become so accustomed to? Emerald always answered him back when he called them. "œEM!"

He opened his eyes to a blurry world that he could barely make out. Memories of dark boots walking past his vision came rushing back to him. Whoever they had belonged to now had Emerald, he was sure of it.

It took all of his strength to move his right arm and maneuver it just enough to tap his comm badge.

"œHelp," he slurred. "œSirol, please. They've got Em. Please"¦.." His energy failed him and his tongue felt as if it was made of lead. He didn't even have the energy to tap his comm badge and end the call. All he could do was lie there, his breathing heavy and labored as his mind raced with panic. He had failed as a father, failed to protect his child and now he was helpless to do anything at all. He hoped Sirol had heard his plea and was on her way.

[[Katra Station | Xasik's Quarters]]

[Katra Station | Xasik's Quarters]

Xasik

Morning routines had never been one of Xasik's strong points, at least not when he'd been by himself. Getting out of bed had often been a struggle for him with only a full bladder eventually able to coax him from the warm safety of his bed, but now that he was a father things were different. It wasn't just himself that he had to look after, he now had a child to care for as well, a child that was insistent upon waking him up as soon as the clock on his bedside table displayed 05:55.
Today had been one of those mornings. Emerald had woken him up right on time with their persistent squeaking and chirping until Xasik had finally dragged himself out of bed.

After feeding Emerald a nutrition pallet and safely transferring them into the Environmental Containment Sphere (ECS) to roll around on ground and explore the room, Xasik was finally able to get himself ready for the day. After a quick shower and getting dressed he scooped up the exploring Tholian hatchling to get them ready for the day.

"œCome on Em, you've had breakfast, I haven't. Let's go and explore some food establishments."

--------------------------------------

Emerald

"œPeep! Squeak! Chirp squeak! PEEP PEEP PEEP!"

Looking at The Sharp One sleeping, Emerald began to squeak louder and louder until they got a response from him. They were hungry and needed The Sharp One to feed them. It didn't take long to get what they wanted as The Sharp One finally got up and fed them before putting them into the bubble nest to explore while he vanished into the humming area as he did every day

The Tholian hatchling began to explore as soon as they were placed on the ground and protested loudly as soon as The Sharp One scooped them up after returning from the humming area.

"œSqueak! Peep! Click chirp!"

The Sharp One squeaked something in his deep tones as he did. Emerald didn't understand what The Sharp One was communicating but they were excited for an adventure! They hoped that they would see The Soft One on their adventures!

S3M8 Best Laid Plans, Post #52, Sirol, very good character and world building

I second this one!

tag for Sirol, Eydis and Peylix

https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m8-best-laid-plans-13866/msg260919/#msg260919

my last post for the mission. I've started the holo and linked it in my post

[[Katra Station | Tholian Embassy]]

[Katra Station | Tholian Embassy]

< Katra Station / Tholian Embassy >

It took Sirol a second to properly internalise the impressions she slowly but surely received from the child - the longer it lasted the more profound and three dimensional the perception seemed to become.
"œThey are"¦ Sensing us via the Lattice"¦" She stated in a surprised - noticeably happy - tone, tilting her head and patting the little one's ECS before linking to the warriors again and providing her next situational update for them, as well as asking them about any potential occurrences.

Emerald stayed busy"¦ The little one even seemed to be able to sense Sirol in particular"¦ And they seemed to desperately want a hug from her...
With a little sigh of parental defeat she eventually decided to grant the little one their wish. For now.

It would only take a few seconds to re-activate the ECS if needed and little Emerald seemed truly desperate for attention"¦
Opening the baby bubble she gently lifted the child up, carrying them on one arm, softly stroking their little head with her free hand, then slowly faced Eydis again.

Emerald

Slowly but surely Emerald began to recognize the different humming coming from The Soft One, The Humming One and The New One. They were all different but still the same. In particular they were able to focus on the warm humming of The Soft One. It was gentle, calm and so very warm. It soothed them to their core.
Their excitement grew as The Soft One then opened the bubble nest that they were in and proceeded to lift them out and snuggle with them. They chirped and squeaked excitedly as she picked them up.
"œCHIRP! SQUEAK! SQUEAK SQUEAK! CHIRP! PEEP!" They excitedly exclaimed and gripped onto her hand as tightly as they could.
Finally! One of the parents was listening to reason! Emerald bathed in the warm of The Soft One's aura and took comfort in her company.

Sirol could sense that the hatchling was still scared and in distress. And while Emerald seemed not to be able to clearly phrase and relay their feelings, Sirol could still gather enough to understand that it had been Slasvia's sudden telepathic contact to frighten them.
Sirol began to gently rock the child [no pun intended] on her arms while both, speaking to Captain Eydis and coordinating the warriors.

Emerald

Emerald hated the feeling swirling within them. It was something they had never experienced before and it made them cling to The Soft One as tightly as possible. They could feel something was wrong with The Sharp One and that something bad was around and that was the cause of the bad feeling inside them. The Sharp One was the protector and if there was something wrong with him then  something very bad was happening.

They calmed down a little bit when The Soft One began to rock them. The motion was soothing and something all the parents did when snuggling them. They listened to her squeaking to The New One but could not understand so instead just focused on the soft tones of her squeaks and the enjoying the humming coming from her.

Of course Emerald was still too young for explanations, so instead she had to try their own, childlike way.
Just like both, Sirol and Eydis had done it before, the scientist once more tried to reach out to the child in particular, make her presence, warmth and love known to them, to calm them down.
Then, after some moments had passed, the scientist reached out for Eydis' hand and slowly took it, making sure that the hatchling would see it, then she would attempt to move her and Eydis' hand towards one of Emerald's stretched out, open arms to meet - To establish a first contact vial little baby steps.
"˜See"¦ It is alright...' She softly relayed to the little one. "˜Eydis is with me, and shi is very dear - just like you.'
She smiled, hoping that Emerald would be able to calm down and lose their fear, as well as that Eydis would not take offense to Sirol touching hir.

Eydis would look over at Sirol then back at the emerald seeing the hatchling reject hir hand. The tholian commander removed it.

As Sirol noticed Eydis removing hir hand her heart seemed to sink a little, worrying that shi might feel upset about the child's reaction.
Of course Emerald was still too young for explanations, so instead she had to try the hatchling's own, childlike way.

Emerald

Emerald enjoyed the warm and safe feelings they got from The Soft One. Her humming was so soothing that they almost even forgot the bad feeling swirling within. They tried to hum back to her to relay how they felt and hoped she would understand. It was hard to hum like the others did but Emerald tried. It was exhausting and they felt drained after a few moments and were simply content to enjoy being rocked back and forth.

Emerald's attention peaked as The Soft One reached out for The New One. They watched carefully as the two made contact. The Soft One seemed to want Emerald to witness the act so the child watched carefully. They flinched when The Soft One slowly brought The New One's hand close to them. Hesitantly Emerald reached out to touch The New One before withdrawing their hand again with a sharp squeak.

Emerald could feel the humming coming from The Soft One and could feel her meaning. This New One was not to be feared and was dear to The Soft One. Emerald reached out again and poked The New One quickly before giving them a click and a chirp and pulling their hand away.

When The New One pulled hir hand away, Emerald settled back against Sirol and enjoyed the humming coming from her. The bad feeling hadn't gone away but at least The New One was safe.

<"I understand that you are facing"¦ Distress"¦ And apologise for my advice seemingly being less effective than expected.
Would you prefer a sedative? I could replicate a spectrum from mild to hard - depending on your preference.">

Xasik

Xasik listened to Peylix's words and smiled to himself. So the Healer really did care about him. The concern they were showing was very touching.
"œYou have nothing to apologize for Peylix. Your advice is appreciated and always welcome." He paused as Peylix mentioned giving him a sedative and his body tensed. He had been sedated regularly in his youth and had no desire to experience that again if possible.

"œNo sedatives. I'll be alright. I just need to relax and let the tension go. I should be able to overcome this."

Xasik Freeman touching their arm startled the healer for a moment, yet it took them mere seconds to adjust. After all, they had been the one to start it"¦
They acknowledged his gesture with a little nod, and his words with a chirping cackle their translator failed to process, hence them adding.
<"I understand what you feel and share your sentiment.
If it was not my duty and function, I would not have chosen to be stationed in a war zone either.
But we persevere...">

Xasik

Startled by the sound of Peylix laughing, Xasik couldn't help but chuckle back as he grinned widely. He had almost expected his comment about leaving the lab to be taken seriously, but was refreshingly surprised to discover Peylix had a sense of humour. Perhaps he was correct in his assumption that Peylix was coming to care for and tolerate him and his humour.

"œYes, I agree. We persevere."

Through the waves of telepathic attack Xasik was vaguely aware that Sirol had removed Emerald from the ECS. He didn't mind and it brought him joy to see the child so happy with something they loved and trusted. He felt guilty that his current state probably contributed to Emerald's distress but he was glad that Sirol was here to help keep the child calm.

I will seek to get past the fight and perhaps convince Slasvia to follow after the mother swan.

Xasik

He could not deny the relief that washed over him as he heard Eydis' plan to try and draw Slasvia away. He felt concern for the welfare of the Tholian Captain and hir crew but he also trusted that shi would know what to do.
He shifted his position slightly to sit up a bit straighter. Slowly but surely his mind was clearing as he learned to deal with the telepathic attack and overcome it. He watched Sirol snuggling with Emerald and smiled to himself. It really was helpful to see such a heartwarming sight to help ease his mind.

"œCaptain," Xasik addressed Eydis, his voice finally returning to it's usual deep, gruff tones. "œBe careful. I hope to speak with you again soon and plan the trip to Tholia."

With a smirk Sirol too looked at the hatchling. "˜Say goodbye to Eydis for now, I am sure you two will meet again soon.' She lovingly relayed to the child, then walked over to Xasik and cautiously handed him the little hatchling to hold.
As much as she loved holding them and watching them curiously scan and explore their environment, Emerald and Xasik needed one another - now even more than usual, and Sirol understood.
"œOne more family united." She quietly spoke, then walked up to Eydis again, listening to hir words.

Emerald

Emerald clicked happily as they once again felt the warm humming of The Soft One. Something in her humming was familiar to them, and sounded like something she squeaked often when vanishing. Emerald reached up and mimicked a motion they had seen her do when vanishing, wiggling their fingers as an attempt to wave goodbye.

"œChirp chirp!" They squeaked at The New One in the same manner they had heard The Soft One do before.

Their moment of warm bliss was interrupted when The Soft moved towards The Sharp One and passed them to him. It wasn't that Emerald didn't lover snuggling with The Sharp One, but rather that right now they wanted to snuggle with The Soft One only.
Reaching out their arms, they squeaked and chirped for The Soft One to come back and pick them up again but eventually settled back down again to snuggle with The Sharp One and relax now that he seemed to be better from whatever bad was hurting him before.

Xasik

Xasik watched as Sirol approached and gladly accepted Emerald from her. He smiled at her comment about reuniting a family before proceeding to try and settle Emerald.

"œHey Little Pebble," Xasik cooed softly to Emerald. He frowned slightly when the child resisted and called for Sirol to come back, reaching for her with their tiny arms. He sighed and smiled.
"œWell aren't you just a mumma's pebble," he laughed before he realized what he had said. He looked to Sirol for any kind of reaction.
"œOh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cast you as their mother figure. I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable. The words just kind of slipped out."

Eydis would then look to everyone. The tholian assembly is glad to take refugees onto assembly ground and will keep you secure here. While the adoption of tholian individual known as emerald is temporarily stalled by the unpleasantness occurring at the station.  It is also of some comfort to think any non tholian or without a evo suit wearing individual who comes into the embassy will begin to cook alive and all concerns of capturing you will become secondary. Eydis showed hir odd sense of humor and perhaps a little dark at the end.  Eydis would look down at emerald for a few seconds and turn to head out of the embassy. Clutching a axe in hir right hand.

Xasik

The Reman had to laugh at Eydis' dark sense of humour. It was right up his own alley. Perhaps he and Eydis would become friends eventually. It would be very beneficial to have another Tholian influence around Emerald as they grew.

Xasik got to his feet as the Captain went to leave. He offered hir a bow of respect. "œThank you Captain, for everything that you've done and for allowing us to seek shelter in the embassy. Keeping Emerald safe is of the highest priority. I'm so relieved that they'll be safe here."

He made sure to hold Emerald securely to keep the wiggling green child from falling out of his arms, much to the dismay of the child who wanted to explore again.

The scientist appreciated the Captain's generosity and acknowledged hir explanation with a little bow, followed by a tiny chuckle at hir joke.
She had never heard any Tholian make a joke before, and now she witnessed two jokes within less than three minutes.
"œThank you, Captain. For everything"¦
...Would you like me to come with you and assist you with Slasvia?"

Xasik

Xasik's body went rigid as he heard Sirol offering to go with and assist Eydis with Slasvia. He had been so relieved to find her safe within the embassy and now she was willing to leave that safety to assist with a potentially dangerous situation.
Xasik bit his tongue to keep from saying anything he would regret. Of course he had no say over Sirol's decisions, nor would he want such power over another being. Sirol was her own person and if she wanted to go then he wouldn't stop her.

Slowly he made his way towards her, Emerald's happy squeaking getting louder with each step. He cleared his throat before he addressed her.
"œBe careful Lieutenant," he said softly and opened his free arm to offer her a hug. "œLittle Pebble here would never forgive us if anything went wrong."

@ Eydis & Xasik: Would you guys like to conclude the story arc regarding Emerald in a holo maybe?

That sounds like a wonderful plan to me. I'll start a holo for us and post the link here. THOLIA TRIP!

https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/holodeck/of-crystal-kids-and-pebble-parents-xasik-eydis-sirol/new/#new

[[Xasik's Quarters | Katra Station]]

[Xasik's Quarters | Katra Station]

Cracking one eye open groggily, Xasik glared at the EV tank set up beside his bed before looking at the time and groaning. It was early, far too early and yet his child insisted upon waking him up at the same time every morning with their ear piercing squeaks and chirps.
"Emerald, please." Xasik begged tiredly and rolled over, pulling the pillow over his head to try and block some of the squeaking out. Emerald however seemed to have other ideas and simply increased the volume of their squeaks until Xasik couldn't ignore them anymore. "Alright, I'm up! Good morning Little Pebble" He sat up and yawned, stretching his arms above his head to stretch and crack his back. "Excited for our trip huh?"

Emerald seemed delighted as they watched Xasik sit up and stretch. "Click! Squeak! Peep peep peep!" They happily chirped at him. Xasik smiled despite his tiredness. "I know I know. You want to see Sirol. Well, good news is that she's coming with us. We'll see her soon."

He reached over and attached a nutrition pallet to the side of Emerald's EV tank to feed the child while he got ready to depart. He made sure the child was fed and happy before taking a quick sonic shower to freshen up.
It didn't take long for the Reman to be ready to leave. He had packed his bag the day before. A couple of sets of fresh clothes, Emerald's nutrition pallets and a couple of EV suits were all that he would need. Tholia would require him to wear an EV suit or he would fry instantly.

With a quick look around his quarters to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, Xasik proceeded to safely transfer Emerald from the EV tank to the more portable Environmental Containment Sphere (ECS) for their journey. Emerald squeaked excitedly once they were in the ECS and wiggled around a little to get comfortable. They were getting stronger by the day and could now roll the ECS around on the ground and explore. Inside the ECS were a few of Emerald's favourite toys, including their all time favourite, a small squeaky ball given to them by Sirol.

When he was sure he had everything he needed, Xasik threw his bag over his shoulder and picked up the ECS and left his quarters to head towards the Docking Bay. He stopped only briefly to grab a coffee, making sure to hail Sirol and ask if she would like a coffee as well.

"Specialist Freeman to Lieutenant Sirol. I know you're already awake. I'm grabbing a coffee, want me to get one for you too?" He yawned as he was talking to emphasis his point before getting the two coffees and making his way to the Docking Bay. Once there he stood in the agreed upon meeting place and waited, an isolated corner out of everyone's way, placing Emerald down to roll around a little bit and explore. Xasik made sure to keep a close eye on his mischievous child.

"Xasik to Captain Eydis, Emerald and I are in the Docking Bay and ready to go. Just waiting on Lieutenant Sirol to arrive."  He sipped his coffee, pulled a funny face and waited.

tag for Sirol, Eydis and Peylix

https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m8-best-laid-plans-13866/msg260833/#msg260833

[[Katra Station | Tholian Embassy]]

[Katra Station | Tholian Embassy]

< Katra Station / Tholian Embassy >

Despite whatever violence and horrors; restless combat and grinding was lurking outside and beyond these doors, and even inside Zex's and now Sirol's mind, little Emerald managed to ease Sirol's stress from one second to another, simply filling her with warmth and joy.
Simply holding his ECS tightly, cradling it like an actual hug, she remained still for a moment, closing her eyes and once again updating the warriors on all the current changes in hotspots, and making sure that all of them were safe.

Emerald

Whenever The Soft One snuggled with them, nothing could upset Emerald. They were always soothed by her soft chirps and squeaks and by the feeling of familiar sameness that they had always instinctively sensed within her. She had been there with The Sharp One and The Humming One from the very beginning and was very much one of the pillars of the hatchling's world.

Within The Soft One and The Humming One Emerald had immediately and instinctively sensed a familiarity, a sense of being the same but in different ways. Within The Humming One was an instinctual pull that Emerald felt. They were the same. This the hatchling was now certain of. Instinct told them that The Humming One was just like them.
The Soft One was also just like Emerald, but at the same time she was different. This was not something the hatchling could understand. They had imprinted on her at the time of their hatching, just as they had with The Sharp One and The Humming One, so to the hatchling she was a parent but she was different to The Humming One. Emerald could not yet process all the tones and vibrations she made and she did not hum soothingly like the Humming One, yet the hatchling was drawn to her anyway, to the sense of sameness that they detected within.

The Soft One was different now though, Emerald could sense it. Now she hummed just like the Humming One and the strangers around them. The Soft One was now exactly the same as Emerald, and as she held them in their ECS the hatchling was soothed and relaxed.

"œClick, chirp, click!" The hatchling cooed happily at The Soft One. They felt so safe and warm with her.

As Sirol noticed Xasik's distress, she slowly moved closer towards him, yet still remained silent, focusing on the feedback from each warrior and their current operation. She reached out towards him, yet got interrupted by Emerald's panic, which she could almost sense - in a way - as an uncoordinated, raw wave of confusion and emotion surpassing that of their parent.
Did she just sense Emerald among the other Tholians?!
Her heart seemed to skip a beat for a second with a strange mixture of sympathy and excitement about sensing them.

Emerald

The Sharp One was different to The Soft One and The Humming One. He did not hum or radiate the sense of sameness that Emerald felt within the other parents but that did not mean that the hatchling was not as attached to him as they were the other two. The Sharp One radiated safety, security and warmth. He kept Emerald safe and was there when the other parents were not. The hatchling had bonded to this parent every bit as much as they had with the other two. Emerald didn't understand it but they could feel his aura. They could feel the warmth of his affection directed towards them, the tension he sometimes had with The Humming One and the soft warmth he felt for The Soft One, so when the Sharp One's aura was that of distress, Emerald reacted in the only way their young body could, panic.

Something was wrong! Something was wrong with The Sharp One! He tried to hide it but the hatchling was naturally very perceptive. Emerald cried out for The Humming One and The Soft One with all the energy that their young body had, and for a brief moment they even hummed like The Humming One and The Soft One.

They could sense something coming, something big and overwhelming and it frightened them. It had already hurt The Sharp One! Emerald noticed The Soft One approaching and called out to her desperately.

She once more came closer, gently placing one hand on the ECS, trying to reassure the little one that they would be safe.
As Xasik began to speak to the child, and soothe them, Sirol gave him a warm nod.
He was full of love and passionate protectiveness for the hatchling, and Sirol"¦ Actually felt the same...
She just listened and smiled, yet was hesitant to try and communicate with the child via the Lattice, since she was not yet sure whether and how easily the child would be overtaxed by too many people trying to contact them on too many levels of perception.
They already had to process Slasvia's semi-opaque presence and motives, and Sirol did not want to put any additional burden onto the hatchling.

She just stood there, with one hand on the bubble, relaying updates and looking after the safety of the warriors.
"œThe number of the boarding hunters is decreasing and most of them seem to be under control at this point, but I advise to maintain caution..."
She spoke out loudly.
Not that Captain Eydis or the warriors needed to physically "˜hear' it, but she also wanted Xasik to hear a little bit of positive (or at least not worse) news.

Xasik

His skull felt like it was splitting open from the horrible ringing bouncing around his head. He had experienced telepathic attacks before as part of his combat training on Romulus, but never anything like this. His training hadn't prepared him for anything this intense. He wanted to cry out, to curl up into a ball until it went away, but he couldn't. Emerald needed him. He needed to be strong for his child. Emerald's distress was like a knife to his heart and he would have done anything he could have to soothe the hatchling.

Sirol's presence beside him was a great comfort. Seeing her place her hand on the ECS in an attempt to calm Emerald down was reassuring. It gave him the strength to continue talking to Emerald softly to try and calm them.

"œIt's okay Little One. You're safe. We've got you."

Hearing Sirol say out loud that the number of hunters boarding the station was decreasing was a great comfort to Xasik. It was an even greater comfort to hear that most of them seemed to be under control as well. He reached up and placed a gentle hand on Sirol's shoulder to thank her before another shock-wave of telepathic energy hit him and seemed to seize his body and scramble his mind. Things after that became blurry for the Reman. For a moment he was barely aware of Eydis approaching or the ECS being opened to calm his child down.

Eydis tholian assembly embassy Eydis crystalline shell would begin to pulsate a bright glow. Shi looking to Sirol first and then at Xasik. "œ It may be to late to stop Slasvia. The entity slasvia only obeys on its whim. We need to alert the federation about the approach.   Slasvia is a crystalline entity rescued by combined operation of federation, tholians and hidden allies. "œ  Eydis would shake hir head and look down at emerald. Little one do not fear the crystalline entity. For tholians share ancestral lines with them

Shi reached down and placed a bluish hand to emeralds head. Transferring hir peace and calmness . As well as knowledge and memories of the event to emerald. Showing emerald how Eydis came to be a hybrid tholian altered by exposure to very same dying crystalline entity that was the direct ancestor of Slasvia. The violent crash planet side and the rescue and bravery of the federation klingons who helped the tholians.

Healer caste peylix please tend to xasik who is experiencing negative effective of exposure to the entity:  I will calm emerald down

Emerald

When The New One (Eydis) touched their head Emerald cried out in distress and reached their arms out towards The Soft One (Sirol). They squeaked desperately to try and get her attention, their little hands flexing open and closed to emphasize the point. The New One was not The Soft One and right now Emerald wanted The Soft One.
Normally they were excited to meet every New One that came into their world, but right now with The Sharp One in distress and something bad coming Emerald just wanted the comfort of their parents.

The New One hummed just like The Humming One and The Soft One but shi was not either of them. When shi touched the hatchling's head they saw hir in their mind and felt her intent to calm and soothe them, but it was all too overwhelming. They once more cried out for The Soft One and reached out their arms towards her to be picked up.

Approaching the specialist, Peylix looked at him, then placed one hand on his shoulder.
<"The presence in your mind can not harm you, Specialist Freeman. Picture it as an erratic weather phenomenon..."> For a moment they were searching for the correct terminology.
<"...In the manner of mass quantities of liquid water"¦ Try not to - metaphorically - swim against its flow, but let it pass through your vicinity.">
They paused, for a moment uncertain as to whether they were able to properly explain this particular technique of tranquillity to him.
<"Resisting the sensation will increase the perceived severity as it will put your senses into an alert state"¦.">
Once more they paused, then looked over to Emerald, who was held up by Captain Eydis and Scientist Sirol.
<"Focus on your hatchling, and observe the Captain's and the scientist's caring approach"¦"> They eventually spoke, hoping for this rather positive picture to help and ease up Xasik's tension.

Xasik

As his mind cleared slightly, Xasik became aware of the hand now on his shoulder. It was a great comfort to him as his eyes focused on Peylix and the words they were saying to him started to make sense again, well as much as possible. He appreciated what Peylix was trying to do, even if the metaphorical example they provided was a little strange.

"œSo your advice is to go with the flow? How can I achieve that when it feels like my brain is melting?" Xasik groaned again and clutched at his helmet, desperate to take it off but being unable to remove it due to the environment of the Tholain Embassy.

"œI can't help but resist it. You say that it cannot harm me but I feel like my brain is being mushed into a pulp. I was trained to withstand telepathic attacks, but never anything of this magnitude. However, I will try Healer. If it helps with this pain, I will try."

Peylix's next words resonated deeply with him. He looked at Emerald being doted upon by Eydis and Sirol and his heart melted. Looking at his child gave him strength to not fight the pulsating ringing in his ears and mind. Eventually he was able to withstand the assault by not resisting like he had been. It was still loud in his mind, and overwhelming but he could at least see and think clearly.

Reaching up, Xasik gently placed a hand on the arm Peylix had extended to touch his shoulder. It was his non verbal way of thanking the healer for helping him through this strange ordeal.

"œI'm starting to think it's a bad idea to ever leave the lab. Every time I do something bad seems to happen."

He once again turned his attention to the hatchling. "œAre you alright Little Pebble?"

These are my POTM nominations. All are beautifully written, very descriptive and allowed me to perfectly envision the scene portrayed. I thoroughly enjoyed these.

Sirol - This was a very emotional post that made me tear up with happiness while reading it. Extremely well written. Very vivid imagery. It really touched my heart to see Sirol so happy and feeling whole again. LATTICE FOREVER
https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m8-best-laid-plans-13866/msg259632/#msg259632

Kirok  (NPC3) - Vivid wordplay that really let me imagine I was there, really loved the use of onomatopoeia. Very dramatic!
https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m8-best-laid-plans-13866/msg259758/#msg259758

Serena - Love the detail you always put into your posts. The little tidbits of information flesh out your characters and scenes so well
https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m8-best-laid-plans-13866/msg260294/#msg260294

tag for Sirol, Peylix and Eydis

https://www.shadowfleet.org/forum/katra-station/s3-m8-best-laid-plans-13866/msg260758/#msg260758

[[En route to Tholian Embassy]]

[En route to Tholian Embassy]

< Katra Station / Simulation Lab -> Tholian Embassy >

Peylix immediately took the ECS and let Xasik fall back.
He was correct, and there was no denying. They had little to no combat expertise, simply due to the fact that it was not part of their function, so instead they took the hatchling and protectively wrapped their arms around the sphere.
Xasik Freeman's question though"¦ Unsettled them"¦ An awkward feeling like a stingy taste which was noticeable to the Tholians around"¦
Was Xasik intending to have Peylix and Sirol as co-parents?
Was he suggesting Peylix adopt Emerald and Scientist Sirol?
Or was he even intending to "˜recruit' both of them as his"¦ Mates?
Peylix was unsure of how to react to that"¦ Despite how much they adored Emerald and how - admittedly much - they enjoyed their current assignment as their caregiver"¦ They also had a family back home"¦
<"I will"¦ Make sure to act in the best interest of the hatchling's well-being and prosperous future."> Peylix eventually responded, deciding to postpone their questions and a potential discussion about such a subject for later once they were out of a crisis situation...

"œThank you Peylix," Xasik responded as he kept an eye out for any possible threats as they made their way towards the Embassy. He had no idea that his question had caused such chaos in the mind of the healer. To him it had been a simple request that the two people he trusted the most would see to it that the best arrangement for Emerald would be reached should Xasik lose his life.

"œIt means a lot to me to know that Emerald will be taken care of should the worst happen to me." The Reman followed the Tholians closely, his body tensed and prepared to fight if necessary. He would only relax once they were safely inside the Tholian Embassy.

"œGet those shiny butts moving," he muttered to himself, starting to get frustrated with the pace. He had long legs that wanted to walk faster than they currently were. Roaming the corridors left him feeling exposed and vulnerable, especially when Emerald was with them.

[Katra Station | Tholian Embassy]

< Katra Station / Tholian Embassy >

As she noticed little Emerald trying to move their Baby Bubble closer towards Sirol, the scientist eventually hunkered down and reached out for it.
"œHello, cyar'ika! I missed you..."
She quietly spoke - almost even whispered towards Emerald before she went quiet again, fearing that her speaking might interfere with her relayed information and communication via the Lattice, which - at least for now - took presidency.
Picking up the bubble she gave the little one a wide smile and mimicked a friendly parental tholian chirp towards them, slightly hugging the bubble in one arm, while she still had her other arm protectively around the Uropygi.
It was an almost ironic sight how she stood there: Snuggling her two little ones in the middle of combat...

It WAS her, The Soft One! Emerald couldn't contain themself and squeaked out their joy. She looked different in her strange covering but it was her! They could feel it. They didn't yet understand it but they just knew it.
"œClick! Squeak! Click click! Chirp! Squeak!" Their excitement grew as The Soft One picked them up in their bubble and held them, giving a soothing chirp which Emerald responded to with several chirps of their own. "œChirp chirp! Chirp!"
This snuggle was different, not the same but it would do. They had been taken from one nest and placed in another, one that wibbled and wobbled when not being held by a parent. Emerald did not yet possess the knowledge to understand why but that hardly mattered to them. All three parents were together with Emerald and that made them happy.

They had picked up on the presence of others that also hummed but were not The Humming One but it did not distress them. The Soft One, The Sharp One and The Humming One were all relaxed which meant that all was well in this moment.

Watching over Emerald, Xasik couldn't help but smile as Sirol hunkered down and reached out for the ECS. He wasn't sure what she had called Emerald but it sounded cute. He would be sure to ask about it later when she wasn't busy. He really wanted to talk to her and make sure she was alright but he could tell that she was busy at the moment and didn't want to distract her.

The hatchling's excitement was contagious as they were picked up and held by Sirol. She looked completely relaxed standing there with the ECS in one arm and the Urogypi in the other. Once it might have been a strange sight for the Reman but now he couldn't think of anything more normal. He watched for a while from his position on the floor but eventually closed his eyes as exhaustion began to make itself known now that his body was relaxing and he was idle.

Eventually she hunkered down once more, letting the Uropygi and Emerald roam free again, before immersing herself in her current task of coordinating the warriors again.

Xasik allowed himself a few moments of peace before opening his eyes again. Emerald was safe with Sirol and Peylix while he rested, plus they were in The Tholian Embassy. Only a fool would attempt to break in here. Although safe in his suit, he still shuddered when he thought of how hot and painful it would be to be exposed to such an environment. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as the realization dawned on him that he was trapped inside his EV suit, and would be for quite some time, until it was safe to leave this oven.

It was then he noticed Sirol hunkering down again to place both Emerald and the Uropygi on the ground to explore. He forgot about his claustrophobia for the moment as Emerald clicked at him and began rocking their bubble slowly back towards him. He resisted the urge to assist the hatchling and instead opted to encourage them with beckoning hands and soft, kind words. They would never get stronger if he didn't let them try.

"œThat's it Little Pebble! You can do it! Look at you! Getting so strong and moving the ECS all by yourself!"
He was rewarded with excited little clicks and chirps as the hatchling slowly made their way back to him. By the time the ECS was within reach the little one had tired themself out.
"œYou did so well my Little Pebble," Xasik smiled as he cradled the ECS with his child inside. "œI'm so very proud of you."

Eydis would walk over to emerald and xasik finding hirself rooting for Xasik to secure parental rights from the council. But just then dominating the lattice was the entity. It had decided on its own to begin a approach to station. And it's mood transmitted over the lattice was like that of approaching dark tropical storm.

Eydis would tense up and look to sirol, then xasik as well the healer.

Slasvia has decided to approach the station and the conflict . It could prove very bad. 

https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.5301d76e95ac534f3bac46e7d23997cc?rik=FECbJDYWE%2bJTyQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

Slasvia was heading to the station at high warp speeds. Glinting and twirling around as it moved effortless through space bearing down the station and conflict. It's size rivalled that of the station. Eydis hope for Slasvia to have a peaceful encounter with the federation had clearly been shelved. Soon slasvia warp signature and size would appear on almost all sensors . And soon it's telepathic footprint could be felt by any not using the lattice who were telepathic.

Xasik looked up as Captain Eydis approached him. He was still sitting on the floor cradling the hatchling in the ECS. He felt a little rude sitting on the floor but he also did not want to disturb Emerald who was now resting by moving too much.

"œCaptain. I want to thank you for escorting us from the lab to the embassy. If there is anything I can do to make myself useful please let me know."

All of a sudden Xasik cringed and grimaced. His mind filled with an overwhelmingly numbing crystalline humming, like the sound of a finger tracing the rim of a crystal wine glass.

"œWhat is that?" He gasped, desperately wanting to press his hands to his temples in an attempt to block it out, but unable to because of his EV suit. If he hadn't been holding the ECS he would have tried anyway. He looked from Eydis to Sirol and then to Peylix. The commotion unsettled Emerald who began to cry out in distress.

"œHey, hey, it's alright," Xasik attempted to sooth the hatchling. "œIt's okay, we're here. We're right here Little Pebble. It's alright. You're okay." His heart hammered at his chest as he tried to simultaneously sooth his child and block out the horrendous humming in his mind. No matter how competent he was with his telepathy, he simply couldn't block it out.

Xasik clutched the ECS securely as a wave of dark, storm-like aura washed over him as the humming in his mind intensified. He could barely hear his own thoughts.
"œSlasvia?" He questioned before groaning. "œWho or what is Slasvia?....It's so loud."