Season 11, Mission 10: The Ghosts of War

[Kyle Briggs]

[Captain's Ready Room]

Nevir did what he was told, taking a seat.  After letting a breath out, he sighed.  "Captain, you know how sacred our names are in the Bajoran custom.  I consider you close enough to use my given name instead of Tekin, if you would like.  Informally, of course." he said, glancing towards the door.

"I bet you 5 strips that Kinley is going to feel very foolish after we talk with her.  She has no idea what happened.  Neither of them know." he said, gesturing towards the Bridge, where Jyur was assigned.  He was avoiding Kyle question... but that couldn't last, and he knew it.

"Ruthie had quite an adventure for her first away mission.  I've been more concerned about her than myself.  You know me, you've seen my record.  I've put my life on the line more times than any sane man.  The idea of WONO came directly from my actions.  And I know Hrafn knows if I break it.  But Ruthie... the girl went through so much, I was honestly hoping she would get a nice easy mission.  It hasn't been easy.  The nightmares of Cardassians are now joined with the nightmares of losing her father to an ancient race of humans."

Kyle couldn't help but to grin. "Thank you, Nevir." he said. "And I offer the same to you. Informally, of course." He stood back up and made his way to the replicator. It seemed they would have a little time before Kinley's arrival. " Ruthie's a strong young lady." Kyle said. He had only known her for a little while since Nevir had brought her aboard but every conversation he had ever had with her left him amazed at how smart and grown she was. "She's had some wonderful role models." he added, referring to Tekin and Hrafn, whom he had also served with before. "But if there's anything she needs, or you think she needs, don't hesitate to ask." He reached the wall and turned back around. "I'm having an Orange Juice. Can I get you anything while we wait?" he asked.

[Kinley Garrison]

Kyle couldn't help but to grin. "Thank you, Nevir." he said. "And I offer the same to you. Informally, of course." He stood back up and made his way to the replicator. It seemed they would have a little time before Kinley's arrival. " Ruthie's a strong young lady." Kyle said. He had only known her for a little while since Nevir had brought her aboard but every conversation he had ever had with her left him amazed at how smart and grown she was. "She's had some wonderful role models." he added, referring to Tekin and Hrafn, whom he had also served with before. "But if there's anything she needs, or you think she needs, don't hesitate to ask." He reached the wall and turned back around. "I'm having an Orange Juice. Can I get you anything while we wait?" he asked.

[Jeffries tubes]

Kinley turned down yet another cramped tube, trying to remember which one she had taken. Of course they all looked extremely similar to each other. One would think that some bored engineer would have mapped the whole system years ago, but apparently not.  Turning left again, she found herself against an opening. Crawling out of the tight space, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was so good to be out of there. Dusting herself off, she made her way over to the Captain's room.

[Captain's Room]

Knocking, she entered the office where Briggs and Tekin were waiting for her. "Morning. Sorry about the delay. What was it that you needed to talk to me about?"

[Klabax Cottle]

[Quarters]

D'Vid brought his hands to his side. He was feeling a little nervous now as time had passed in seconds. The door of the Doctor opened with the unfeeling face of an elder. The Denobulan male personality would fit in the twentieth century male. Those days the gramps had a cold feeling to them. They were brought up as a man is strong but never shows his emotions. Because they will come off as weak. In a way like a Klingon.

"Ah Lieutenant I was hoping to come by for a visit," he replied. The cat behind Klabax had made a cool cat leap. D'Vid attention was taken to the flying cat. The Petty Officer would like to have a pet of his own, but he had decided not push his luck to have one.

A smile grew on the El-Aurian. "I wonder we could just talk. I am here on un-medical session," he leaned and whispered. "I just like to real animals. If you know what I mean."

He had wanted to say, he had wanted to see the old grub was not a grub at all. Heck, D'Vid one day want tell that small security guard a few names himself. The word grub was rubbing off. It was a bad terminology calling another a grub. The word got around by other crew gossiping how the small little one security had a big chunk of a mountain on his shoulder. But D'Vid felt that everyone had a mask on for the rest of the world to see, but the true person was to be found. That what D'Vid had liked to do. He should had done counsellor for the crew.

D'Vid prefer judge someone by knowing them by a person's character  by facts by a gossiper or the individual who dislikes the human. Plus, what D'Vid understand that the doctor's species are happy aliens to be around but can be tough as a Klingon. Heck D'Vid met a few himself and they all seem to be positive ones. D'Vid was a bit curious.

[Quarters]

Klabax frowned. "A visit?" he asked, as the man's attention was drawn to the Septa and the Septa became aware of the visitor. He jerked a thumb in and stood back, not saying anything but a definate air of "In-or-out" in his motions. He stepped back and sat down in a chair, his tricorder on a shelf and the myriad of animals all around the small room.

"Who told you there were animals here?" he asked. It wasn't something that was publically announced all the time, and with good reason. These were quarters, not a revolving door. "And what do you need?" He asked. He wasn't unwelcoming, but he was reserved. It wasn't every day you got a visit from an 800-year-old.

Klabax was indeed a member of a "happy, carefree" species, but not Klabax. The dominion war had made sure of that, but that had no bearing on the current situation. As the Septa jumped around, the door shut and the Septa changed course in mid air, targeting to land on the new arrivals shoulder, mewling playfully as Klabax turned off the laser the cat had been following.

[Tekin Nevir]

Kyle couldn't help but to grin. "Thank you, Nevir." he said. "And I offer the same to you. Informally, of course." He stood back up and made his way to the replicator. It seemed they would have a little time before Kinley's arrival. " Ruthie's a strong young lady." Kyle said. He had only known her for a little while since Nevir had brought her aboard but every conversation he had ever had with her left him amazed at how smart and grown she was. "She's had some wonderful role models." he added, referring to Tekin and Hrafn, whom he had also served with before. "But if there's anything she needs, or you think she needs, don't hesitate to ask." He reached the wall and turned back around. "I'm having an Orange Juice. Can I get you anything while we wait?" he asked.

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Discovery]

Nevir chuckled.  "She had to be in order to survive the things she lived through.  Only non-Bajoran I know who can relate to what happened to us.  And she's becoming more and more like her mother every day.  Been considering what to do with her... she's almost done with her pre-Academy studies.  Been debating on giving her acting cadet and some light duties." he said, as Kyle went to the replicator.

"Deka Tea," he said, just as the doors opened.

[Captain's Room]

Knocking, she entered the office where Briggs and Tekin were waiting for her. "Morning. Sorry about the delay. What was it that you needed to talk to me about?Á,"

"Kin- Ms Garrison, thank you for coming.  The Captain and I have been talking about the positions on this ship.  You were one of the ones affected by the intrusion, but you weren't the only one in the science department." he sad, glancing to the Captain.

"Lt. Commander Michaels is being relieved of duty.  By his own request.  Apparently whatever tried to replace him damaged his nervous system.  He's... going to be sent to Starfleet Medical for evaluation." he said, not wanting to take away the announcement from the Captain.

[Lennox Ainsley]

She almost completely missed his question. "Uh..." Every cylinder in her head was firing 50/50 at this point. "Tactical station? Do some recalibrations or something. We don't - CHU! - Ungh, not sure if we need to fire anything today."

Lennox tilted his head, having seen the rather violent sneeze. "Ye don't seem te be lookin' so good today, Kali. D'ye need te be seen by the doc?" As it seemed he had nothing else better to do, he might as well be hanging around on the bridge until someone said that he needed to prep something, and mildly worrying about the condition of Kali.

[Riley T. Munro]

Munro had been in Engineering for hours already, but it never seemed to stop her from fixing or tweaking, tinkering or upgrading something. She wouldn't have the ship bouncing all over the universe in less than perfect condition. She knew it would only be a matter of time before someone broke her ship. Granted she knew it was the Captain's ship, but seeing as she fixed it and did all the upkeep, she would call it hers. Captain could have the crew, she would claim the ship.

She already had a good razzing from the crew in Engineering over her tool box. An archaic red rusted out tool box that hadn't been relevant since the late 21st century, but it comforted her to know that it had never let a mechanic down, especially seeing as it was her great-grandfather's tool box. He was a mechanic on Earth, even in a time that he was a dying breed. He would also tinker and prod on the cars he had in his old broken down shop, no need for such things anymore, but he loved them nonetheless. He would let her polish the chrome when she would visit, escaping from the turmoil at home, and as time passed he would continue the lessons on how to fix this or that, without replicating anything, no repopulated parts, just good all human ingenuity. He took pride in that, in a world of simpler times. When the loudest noises weren't that of war. Her Great Papa James was a good man, she would have preferred him as her father any day. But now she carried his tool box and loved every minute of the company she kept with it.

[Scott Bradley]

The doors opened with a familiar hiss, and there it was. The familiar sight of the bridge stood before him. It had been almost 4 years to the day since he last saw it. Scott took a breath and walked briskly from the turbolift and into the buzz of activity that was the bridge. Scott noted the various conversations going on, not all of them strictly relating to work. The mood was usually relaxed when the ship was charting a nebula.

Within a few moments Scott had arrived at the ops station, his new role on the Discovery. He sat down and activated the console, bringing up the display.

Time to get back to work.

[D'Vid]

Klabax frowned. "A visit?" he asked, as the man's attention was drawn to the Septa and the Septa became aware of the visitor. He jerked a thumb in and stood back, not saying anything but a definate air of "In-or-out" in his motions. He stepped back and sat down in a chair, his tricorder on a shelf and the myriad of animals all around the small room.

[quarters]

D'Vid stepped in quickly as he was thumbed in. "Secret will be safe with me," he placed his index finger to his lips. There was a serious look, but not seeing the elder of his race not to smile. "Touchy," he added. He pretended to toss a invisible key away.

"Who told you there were animals here?"

"Just a hunch," he replied. The male was not going to explain his resources of how he knew about the pets. The small pets was making D'Vid to smile. They are adorable. They were full of energy. It was good to see such high spirit creatures on the ship.

"Well, hello there," D'Vid said to the feline who was on his shoulder. The purring of the pet was nice and loud. It was intent. It was happy. The animal had a nice shiny fur too. "You remind me of my own pet...Patches." He allowed the cat to leap down in his arms.

"And is it a guy or a gal?" he had to ask. There was no way he's gonna pick up the animal to look. It would be funny. It would work. To D'Vid it would look weird. Just picking an animal up to see parts. He looked at the cat. "What beautiful eyes you got. You got a name?" he asked stroking his finger under the chin of the pet.

[Kirok]

[Bridge]

Zex had arrived on the ship just minutes ago.  She stowed her travel bag in her temporary quarters.  Knowing that she would likely be moved onto an different ship soon.

Stepping off the lift onto the Bridge, the Deltan looked around.  A few new faces and a few hansom men among the group!  "Medical Officer, Zex reporting in" she said after walking up to Kali and saluting.

[Kali Reyes]

Lennox tilted his head, having seen the rather violent sneeze. "Ye don't seem te be lookin' so good today, Kali. D'ye need te be seen by the doc?" As it seemed he had nothing else better to do, he might as well be hanging around on the bridge until someone said that he needed to prep something, and mildly worrying about the condition of Kali.

[Bridge]

Kali imperceptibly rubbed the soreness forming around her cheekbones and 'snapped' back to work. "Sickbay doesn't need to deal with a case of allergies, Len," she said, albeit hoarse. "I'm sure there's someone from Engineering missing an arm or something that requires the good doctor's attention." Because Kali Reyes never got traditionally sick. It just wasn't bound to her wild DNA.

If she sneezed again, it was very quietly into her sleeve. And hell, was it getting hot in here? "Bradley, you mind lowering the thermostat on the bridge?"

That was when Zuriel brought the ship to a stop. Kali squinted at the viewscreen.

"That's new," she snuffled, her fingers tapping hesitantly on the chair arm where the comm sat. "Just keep on coasting for now until the brass gets back, Soreka. The last time we did something under the Captain's nose it was hell in a handbaska-ACHOO!"

[Bridge]

Zex had arrived on the ship just minutes ago.  She stowed her travel bag in her temporary quarters.  Knowing that she would likely be moved onto an different ship soon.

Stepping off the lift onto the Bridge, the Deltan looked around.  A few new faces and a few hansom men among the group!  "Medical Officer, Zex reporting in" she said after walking up to Kali and saluting.

Oh god. Just her luck. Kali tried to school some sort of poker face when Zex approached. "At ease, doc." She hoped Zex would take the Medical station far away from her. 

[Zuriel Soreka]

[Bridge]
Zuriel brought the ship to a stop. Kali squinted at the viewscreen.

"That's new," she snuffled, her fingers tapping hesitantly on the chair arm where the comm sat. "Just keep on coasting for now until the brass gets back, Soreka. The last time we did something under the Captain's nose it was hell in a handbaska-ACHOO!"

Zuriel had taken to counting the exchanges of energy across the expanse, He felt it was a good way to pass the time, and a even more effective way to staying awake. Zuriel had heard about humans counting sheep to do the opposite, but he was not up on ancient terran lore. In any case Zuriel continued on with his duties, checking the shuttle manifests at his station, they had drawn a bad lot in regards to shuttles afforded by the federation. Frankly Zuriel looked at them as his island of misfit toys, three where nearing thirty years old and many of them had hodgepodge parts. Zuriel made his case to the Dock Chief but even considering they were the same rank, he was shot down, the choice words did not help either.

Zuriel's team did the best they could with what they were given, and they did a hell of a job, even if they did not know it. Sadly on a ship with unlimited food he could not buy them dinner or something like that, but he did take a few hours off of each of their shifts, which is why he sat here with the zen focus only coffee could achieve.

His increased work hours did not go over well with his wife. Talia knew the dance of marriage to an officer, department head, but she did not have to like it. Zuriel would have to tread carefully with her, a nice hand made dinner would do. What time Zuriel did have off he would be sure to include her.

Once Kali gave him an order Zuriel snapped back to work, he wanted to keep the ship safe, but orders were orders, "You got it Chief." The El-Aurian said as he moved with a sense of urgency. Moving the ship was more complicated than it seemed, you had to hit over thirty different buttons in the right sequence just to make a two degree course correction, you had to do this every time you altered the course or you died quite simply. Helmsmen could not just be quick thinkers, there hands had to move as the person in charge gave orders, and not as their brain processed them. A slow flight like a survey mission was easy, but a fleet battle, while tracking twenty other ships was another matter, you had to have the gift.
Zuriel arched his shoulders as the miasma wind of Kali's sneeze hit his neck, he turned for a moment to give a pleasantly snarky comment in jest, but found himself staring at a medical officer instead. Zuriel shot his gaze back and forth between the two, until he picked up on Kali's deception. He had to think quickly, no one likes to be pulled away from duty for something as dumb as a cold. Zuriel had one shot and he would take it, he would give such a performance, it would normalize what Kali just did, he had no more time to think. Zuriel bent his neck back and released such a sneeze the federation would have given him two awards of valor. "Man, you too Kali?" Zuriel said as he put the icing on by wiping his nose with his sleeve. "I thought it was just me, it think its those animals Kalabax has,been stopped up since I came on board." Zuriel made his acceptance speech in his head, it was glorious even if his performance was not.

[Kyan Mackenzie]

:: Bridge | USS Discovery ::

~ a few moments after Zuriel's post ~

Having eluded the headshrinker, and probably gotten her wet, wind blown, and maybe hollow eaten but a dinosaur, Kyan made his way to the Discovery's bridge. Not that there was anything good happening there of course, this being a sciency, boring mission. But one could hope.

The little Miran stepped off the turbolift feeling quite satisfied with himself, and cheerful. There were several new faces manning the various stations. He noticed a grup female at the helm, given her long hair. And there was Munro's grup companion at ops. Ainsley was at Tactical and Kali was sitting in the Captain's chair. Both he and the XO were no doubt in the ready room, poring over star charts or something else related to this mission that couldn't have interested him less if it were being held at a medical conference on Medical Prime, home of the doctor aliens.

Seeing as nothing was happening, he decided that he'd finally learn what had happened with the away mission from their last outing.

"Aye Kali and you look like you might be a natural the now, sitting there in the big seat." he offered jovially as he depositied himself in the seat beside here. "And as we're plodding along doing science stuff, the sadness of it, can ye now tell me what happened down on that planet we last visited?"

[Klabax Cottle]

[quarters]

D'Vid stepped in quickly as he was thumbed in. "Secret will be safe with me," he placed his index finger to his lips. There was a serious look, but not seeing the elder of his race not to smile. "Touchy," he added. He pretended to toss a invisible key away.

"Just a hunch," he replied. The male was not going to explain his resources of how he knew about the pets. The small pets was making D'Vid to smile. They are adorable. They were full of energy. It was good to see such high spirit creatures on the ship.

"Well, hello there," D'Vid said to the feline who was on his shoulder. The purring of the pet was nice and loud. It was intent. It was happy. The animal had a nice shiny fur too. "You remind me of my own pet...Patches." He allowed the cat to leap down in his arms.

"And is it a guy or a gal?" he had to ask. There was no way he's gonna pick up the animal to look. It would be funny. It would work. To D'Vid it would look weird. Just picking an animal up to see parts. He looked at the cat. "What beautiful eyes you got. You got a name?" he asked stroking his finger under the chin of the pet.

[Quarters, Nickels, Dimes....]

"A Hunch." he said, not convinced. To him, at least, it seemed that Kali Reyes had been a little less than capable of keeping her mouth shut. He might mention that when her physical came up. Which had just found it's way a bit sooner in his schedule. Though the energy in the room was indeed high, it was offset to a kind by his Stoic, Guarded expression.

As the Septa landed on the man's shoulder, Klabax moved to remove it before the man seemed to react positively to it. He immediately checked his motion, instead redicrecting him to his other animals, such as his pyrithian bat. He put a few snow beetles in the cage, which were quickly devoured, and the bat screeched happily.

As D'Vid talked to the cat, it seemed in a way to acknowledge his talk and respond, mewling a little answer, as if saying "Who's Patches?", before jumping with surprisingly powerful legs to the man's other shoulder via his head.

"She is a female." Klabax said, a little less ice in his voice. The animal didn't trust many people- as some of the operations crew had found out. The cat jumped into the man's arms and curled up, as Klabax turned. He spoke the cat's name, some unpronounceable Denobulan tongue that translated loosely to "Luna". From there, The cat purred as he scratched it. It seemed it had found a new friend.

[Lennox Ainsley]

[Bridge]

Kali imperceptibly rubbed the soreness forming around her cheekbones and 'snapped' back to work. "Sickbay doesn't need to deal with a case of allergies, Len," she said, albeit hoarse. "I'm sure there's someone from Engineering missing an arm or something that requires the good doctor's attention." Because Kali Reyes never got traditionally sick. It just wasn't bound to her wild DNA.

If she sneezed again, it was very quietly into her sleeve. And hell, was it getting hot in here? "Bradley, you mind lowering the thermostat on the bridge?"

That was when Zuriel brought the ship to a stop. Kali squinted at the viewscreen.

"That's new," she snuffled, her fingers tapping hesitantly on the chair arm where the comm sat. "Just keep on coasting for now until the brass gets back, Soreka. The last time we did something under the Captain's nose it was hell in a handbaska-ACHOO!"

Oh god. Just her luck. Kali tried to school some sort of poker face when Zex approached. "At ease, doc." She hoped Zex would take the Medical station far away from her.

[Bridge]

Lennox simply raised a brow, from what he could hear, it seemed more than allergies. But, he was not going to dispute the matter with her. She was a higher rank than him after all and having been a soldier in the past, there was really little point in arguing with her.

As more people joined them on the bridge and his eyes caught hold of his commanding officer, Kyan McKenzie, he stood a little taller before being spooked by the rather loud sneeze. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he looked back at Kali, "Allergies, aye...."

[Kinley Garrison]

[Captain's Ready Room - USS Discovery]

Nevir chuckled.  "She had to be in order to survive the things she lived through.  Only non-Bajoran I know who can relate to what happened to us.  And she's becoming more and more like her mother every day.  Been considering what to do with her... she's almost done with her pre-Academy studies.  Been debating on giving her acting cadet and some light duties." he said, as Kyle went to the replicator.

"Deka Tea," he said, just as the doors opened.

"Kin- Ms Garrison, thank you for coming.  The Captain and I have been talking about the positions on this ship.  You were one of the ones affected by the intrusion, but you weren't the only one in the science department." he sad, glancing to the Captain.

"Lt. Commander Michaels is being relieved of duty.  By his own request.  Apparently whatever tried to replace him damaged his nervous system.  He's... going to be sent to Starfleet Medical for evaluation." he said, not wanting to take away the announcement from the Captain.

[Captain's room.]

Kinley silently nodded to her commanding officers. Ever since the body-snatching incident a couple weeks ago, the CSO had been reporting feeling a bit under the weather, but this was news to the young scientist. "I didn't know it was that bad.  So what is going to be the plan for the Science Department when he leaves?"