S2 M6 - The Spaces Between Us

[Amarande Xiiv]

NPC - Adryel Randis of Etros
[Planet Meridian >>> Katra Station - Promenade]

There was the hard but steady sound of a dull thud every time the axe hit the tree's stem. There was a lot to do if, they needed to rebuild their homes here and prepare as much as they could for when more of their people arrived here.

Most of the time during the past 10 weeks Adryel had spent down on Meridian. He had met with the ambassador once or twice and he had been very nice to him. Everybody here was very nice to him, really. The Etrosians had been free to choose a spot on the planet, where they wanted to resettle. Since Adryel had been the only one at first, he had spent much time roaming the jungle of Meridian and getting to know some places. He was glad when the first transport of Etrosians had arrived. He hoped he would see his family soon.

By now Adryel had gotten know the station better. He was able to orientate himself without getting lost every time. After his first days on the station he had received one of the devices the people here communicated with each other. So he would be available for any questions the command staff of the station or the Meridian ambassador might have.

But this time when the communicator bleeped, it was none of the mentioned above. It was Amarande.

Adryel smiled. He had liked the Trill from the very start. It wasn't unusual that she asked him to join her for some activities - he pretty much enjoyed it every time. Putting the axe aside he wiped beads of sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. With his free hand he tapped the communicator.

"Greetings, Amarande. I would love to join you." After he asked where they would meet Adryel called for someone to beam him up to the station. That he had learned by now.

He easily found the way from the transporter room to the promenade. Given the Trill woman's shortness it wasn't that easy to make her out in the crowd roaming the promenade. But Adryel was patient and he knew he could call her if he didn't find her.

But soon the Etrosian spotted her, speaking with a Romulan?, no, Vulcan. He had learned what the difference was.

Adryel approached unhasting, not wanting to interrupt the conversation. "Greetings", he said to Amarande and then stranger, for whom he added a bow to his greeting.

[Katra Station - Promenade]

Amarande raised a hand, her smile bright as she recognised the Etrosian. The Vulcan Captain received another few words and the traditional live long and prosper as she excused herself. They would hopefully have another conversation that would be just a lovely as the first. A few taps and her universal translator was back online.

"Greetings, Adryel," she said glancing up at her friend with a broad smile. Her fingers lightly touched his elbow as they turned to walk back towards the viewport so she could stand with him and point out some progress she'd seen.

"The retrofits will be marvellous when they're all done. I really can't wait until they are. Hopefully, I'll get to help with some of the medical machines," Amarande said, her eyes a flash with excitement. "Maybe training. I know that would be quite useful."

She paused and then laughed softly.

"I'm so sorry. My manners.... Adryel, forgive me. How have you been?"

(OOC Post restored due to server outage - ShranLahr ch'Verret November 20th 2021)

[Solluk]

Katra Station - Counselor's Office

Solluk arrived at Beja's office just as Zex was being buzzed in by the receptionist.

"Come in," Crewman Dali said, smiling from the reception desk, "the Counselor is just wrapping up an appointment.  Have a seat, and she'll be with you presently."

"Thank you, Crewman."   Solluk took a seat in the reception area, and nodded to Zex, "Good to see you, Ensign.  How are you settling in?  I imagine things are about to become very busy for you."

IKS LoD Qan - Holding position 2 kilometers from Katra Station - Captain's War Room

K'mpoc looked at Noh'ves.  His Captain had not been the same since the incident with the alien spy.  None of them had.  Losing the bird of prey that they had served on together for so long was a great blow in itself, but that they had lost it to a prisoner was a dishonor almost too great to bear.  Now, they had received this relic of a ship, compounding dishonor upon dishonor.  And yet, there was a strange reverse-image to it all.

Conveying a Klingon Ambassador had some kind of honor in it.  Being technically ambassadorial staff, they had gained a type of prestige.  They should have been cashiered from service, or placed on some ignominious listening post on a quiet frontier.  Instead, they had been sent here.  It was strange, and no one knew quite how to feel about it.

"HoD, with the Ambassador settling in at his embassy on the station, I thought I might grant most of the crew Shore Leave?"

Noh'ves nodded, "Why not?  If any trouble comes here, there are better vessels to handle it.  Perhaps one of those Vulcan museum ships out there."

K'mpoc took a step closer to his old friend, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "We could have those Vulcan cruisers for lunch!"

Noh'ves looked up, "No... I do not eat anything green."

Then they shared a brief laugh.  It was good.  There had been too few laughs for them lately.

"When I am done sending them away, we shall go on a hunt, eh?" K'mpoc suggested and he began to leave.

Noh'ves considered this for a second, and then nodded, "Yes... a hunt is just the thing.  I will join you on the promenade.  I have to pick up something for my niece.  Then we can beam down together."

"HIja'" K'mpoc responded enthusiastically as he left the room.

Noh'Ves watched his second in command leave, and the mirth gradually faded from his features.  On the station, he would doubtless soon meet his daughter.  A cause for joy... but also shame.  How could he face her with bright eyes after his recent defeat at the hands of a lone criminal?  She would surely never see him the same way, no matter what false prestige he was given by the High Council.

He knew this assignment for what it was: Putting a faltering warrior out to pasture, while honoring him for past service during days when he had still been useful.

He would have rather been shot.

[Kirok]

Katra Station - Counselor's Office

Solluk arrived at Beja's office just as Zex was being buzzed in by the receptionist.

"Come in," Crewman Dali said, smiling from the reception desk, "the Counselor is just wrapping up an appointment.  Have a seat, and she'll be with you presently."

"Thank you, Crewman."   Solluk took a seat in the reception area, and nodded to Zex, "Good to see you, Ensign.  How are you settling in?  I imagine things are about to become very busy for you."

Katra Station - Counselor's Office

"Thank you, Dali" Zex replied.  She would have asked about the Crewman's family or engaged her in some chit chat as she normally did, but noticed that there were others in the waiting area.  So she chose to simply take a seat instead.

"Oh, it is good to see you, Captain" Zex said sincerely.  He had just sat down, so she thought it inappropriate to stand and salute.  So she too remained seated.

"I'm settling in quite well, thank you for asking.  And thank you for giving me the chance to serve on the Katra.  It was my top choice when I ranked my preferences" she added.

The Deltan nodded.  "With the addition of the two new embassies to the station I have been plenty busy already, but I'm looking forward to what the future holds" she said confidently.  "Besides, the more work there is kinda creates some job security for me" she finished with a chuckle.

"Vulcan really came threw for us with in regard to transporting our new friends" Zex added.  "They really made the difference in accomplishing such a monumental task.  Truly" she added, attempting to find a topic Solluk might be willing to discuss while they waited.

[Solluk]

Katra Station - Counselor's Office

"Well, we're certainly fortunate to have your expertise here," Solluk told Zex, "I don't mind admitting that the difficult situations we've encountered have left us groping about in the dark.  But with Counselor Beja and you working together, I feel we are much better equipped to represent Federation interests in this sector."

When Zex mentioned Vulcan's contribution to the evacuation and relocation project, Solluk nodded.

"I was rather disappointed with the Vulcan response during the Hobus disaster.  But they've gone a long way towards making up for that, now.  Between the Vulcan ships and their Galaxy-class escort, I expect we'll be able to bring about 23,000 Etrosians per trip.

So far, twenty-five million Etrosians have signed up for relocation.  A daunting task.  But the Tellarites and the Bolians have promised some transports as well.  Once all of these promised transports arrive- a fleet of over fifty vessels- we'll have capacity to get the refugees all settled on Meridian by the years' end."

Solluk lowered his voice slightly, "There may be ancillary benefits, as well.

The mere knowledge that the Etrosians are leaving has caused the Atrosian government to begin talks about broad social reforms.  They don't want to lose all of their Etrosian workers.  So, they may be abandoning the stick and embracing the carrot.  I have hope that this will cause a fundamental shift in their culture's outlook and treatment towards not only the Etrosians, but all sentients they may have previously oppressed.  Change will take time, of course.  Maybe even generations.  But the first steps are already upon them."

[John Saxon]

[Katra Station - Turbolift]

Stopping in front of the turbolift she reached her hand out to touch the plate at the panel, the doors opening just a moment later. "A commotion related to a date set for today?", she asked, the cluelessness audible in her voice and visible in her face. Turning her gaze away from John to briefly look up towards the ceiling Tess spoke to the computer. "Saucer 1."
Looking back at him she asked: "I hope you don't me joining you?"

Any excuse for a chance to see Rayek. And check what was going on down there.

Her befuddled query to his absentminded comment caused him to close his eyes in embarassment. "Sorry Comman-..Tess" he admitted. "This was something that had been flagged some time back, before my transfer of duties. It didn't come to much at the time as certain individuals were.." he rolled a phrase around before choosing one, "not terribly forthcoming on details. The Captain, Commander tr'Lhoell and myself were involved in the initial request but without final specifics it was left as just pending." His lower jaw waggled in a small sign of annoyance with a trace of someone who enjoyed the cat-and-mouse challenge. "Nevertheless, I did mean to note in the station schedule - more as a gentle warning to Security than an official event. Then...Well, this happened." He tapped his chest, inferring his heart attack and subsequent reassignment away from Chief of Security, "and it dropped off my list. I hadn't given it another thought. Until now."

He looked at Tess, his eyes narrowing. "But I'll give you one guess as to just who are responsible for the 6 green-legged slug causing the said commotion right now...".

[Beja]

USS Katra Station - Deck 18 - Counseling Facilities

Katra from its very inception had always been busy and bustling with activity. Mainly due to the location of Katra, being on the outer rim, it was positioned for all kinds of races and species coming together, whether for trade, forging of alliances, or even for more criminal enterprises. The bustle never really ended at Katra, and the pace could become a lot for the crew to handle. Change was the one constant that the crew could count on with being assigned to Katra, and while most were able to adapt to that well, some did not.

Beja had been surprised just like the rest when their Commander Rayek appeared to break at the stress of it all. She had been so impressed with all the strides that he had made of late. He had shown such growth that she had been quite shocked when he had thrown that all away, and made such a brazen disregard for all that he had worked for, and fired upon the Atrosian ship! Due to Beja being needed to go to Atros and help with the very arduous negotiations, she was not able to go to Rayek�s trial.

Beja didn�t agree with Tess� assessment that there could have been mental  influence from others that had Rayek act in such an abhorrent manner. The Numati would not have had anything to gain from doing such a thing. The Dord mistrusted psychic abilities and didn�t even allow their �slaves� to be on Katra. The Thinkers had tried a much more mundae terrorist act by trying to crash a ship into Katra. Added to that the fact that Tess was Rayek�s wife, loved him unconditionally, was pregnant with their first child, made Tess� assessment less than objective.

No, Beja was sure that Rayek acted, yes, without thinking it through, but Rayek acted on his own. That didn�t mean that she thought he should be removed from Katra, Starfleet, and imprisoned. Beja believed in second chances, and that no one was beyond redemption.

Rayek deserved another chance. He had done a lot of good for Starfleet and Katra, and that shouldn�t be thrown away. She was glad he was getting that second chance, and she looked forward to working with him if he was willing. Rayek�s future and his happiness has been where it always has been, in his own hands. If he was willing to put in the work, Beja would as well. The big question remained, was Rayek willing to do that? She hoped so.

Though Rayek wasn�t the only one that also appeared to have a breakdown, Jada also had defied Starfleet and punched a representative in the face. Now, that hadn�t been a surprise to Beja at all. She had always kept the counseling doors open to Jada, but the Orion had chosen not to open that door. Jada�s issues ran deep, and until Jada wanted to deal with them, there would always be the desire to punch, something that Jada opted to do rather than dealing with what prompted such desires. That was the harder thing for a counselor to grapple with, not being able to help everyone. To see a person in pain and not able to help ease that, was a difficult thing for Beja to do. Beja would just continue to keep the door open, and it would be up to Jada to open it.

Now that Beja was back at Katra from Atros, the appointments were stacking up. Rayek�s mandated counseling appointments were a big part of that, but also to keep up with the new diplomatic embassies, and making sure that the Etrosian relocation went smoothly. The last 11 weeks were a whirlwind where Beja hardly had any time to breathe.

She had wished she had gone to Atros under better circumstances, but was glad to have been able to see such a wonder that the planet was. She was glad that the Atrosians� had complied with the relocation plan. Yes, she would have preferred it wasn�t done by blackmail maneuvers, but she held out hope that there could be actual peace and understanding between the Atrosians,  Erosians, and Starfleet. Just like the Dord were making changes, Beja hoped that the Atrosians would as well. That they would develop into a better society where people were treated equally.

Today, Beja�s day was already full, almost too full. She had been glad to see that there was a new diplomatic officer assigned to Katra. The station really had a need for well trained diplomatic officers, so that hopefully the future diplomatic talks would end with better outcomes. Beja had an orientation meeting with the new officer today. She was very much looking forward to welcoming them to Katra properly. They had endured quite an unusual journey to Katra, what with the possible terrorist act by the Thinkers! Thank goodness to Zex�s swift thinking that had been avoided, but not a great first impression for Katra to give them. Let�s hope that today Beja could help turn that impression around.

Beja walked out into the reception area, and smiled brightly at her new receptionist Dali, �Alright Dali, I�m ready for the next appointment.� Beja then turned her gaze to the room and noticed that not only did she have her expected guest Zex, but also the Captain. Oh no, had her last appointment run long? Had the receptionist accidentally booked two people at once?

�Hello Captain,� Beja nodded and smiled over to him, and then smiled and nodded over to Zex, �Hello Zex. I hope you are both doing well today.�

(OOC Post restored due to server outage - ShranLahr ch'Verret November 20th 2021)

[Rayek trLhoell]

[Customs, Saucer 1]

Crewman Curdo hurried up to the newly made Ensign tr'Lhoell; fortunately for the enlisted man, he didn't have to address him any differently than before, but the change still took some getting used to. 'Sir! We've been issued phasers for some security alert.' he said, but the Haliian was frowning even as he passed the new phaser to the Romulan. 'There's something funny about these weapons, sir.'

There was: it was plastic, much lighter, and very definitely toy-like in its grip...

The hurried arrival of Curdo and his unexpected announcement caused a slight frown as Rayek turned off the cargo conveyor to take up the odd phaser.  Turning off the conveyer would send an alert to the cargo handlers and ops staff overseeing the unloading of the transport ships cargo.  A trickle effect of disruption.

"Who assigned the weapons issued?" Rayek asked, as he looked over the weapon.  Curdo was right it, it was certainly not standard issue.  He considered taking it apart to check over it's components, but perhaps that was just his paranoia working against him again.

Had these new weapons been a requisition by Saxon as Chief of Security?  It was troubling for Rayek to be so out of the loop.

Reports were still coming over his comm badge, the creature - if that's what it was, there was some commentary over the comms that lead Rayek to suspect that this could be some elaborate costume by a particular group of individuals - was seeming to be headed towards the central hub.  Given the size noted it would need to use the main corridor and not the turbolift, which gave security the opportunity to get ahead of it.

Rayek started for the nearest turbolift and tapped his commbadge.  If this wasn't what he suspected then security needed to be able to keep whatever it was from the main population.

"tr'Lhoell to Saxon.  The reports coming in to security from Saucer 1...  Can you confirm that this is the Orion celebration, sir?  I've been handed a non-standard issue phaser, to respond to the situation with.  It looks more like a toy than anything.  Permission to swap out for something more certain, sir?  Just in case."

Rayek waited with bated breath after making his request... perhaps Saxon had specifically assigned this type of phaser to him because of his past recklessness. 

[Kirok]

Katra Station - Counselor's Office

"Well, we're certainly fortunate to have your expertise here," Solluk told Zex, "I don't mind admitting that the difficult situations we've encountered have left us groping about in the dark.  But with Counselor Beja and you working together, I feel we are much better equipped to represent Federation interests in this sector."

When Zex mentioned Vulcan's contribution to the evacuation and relocation project, Solluk nodded.

"I was rather disappointed with the Vulcan response during the Hobus disaster.  But they've gone a long way towards making up for that, now.  Between the Vulcan ships and their Galaxy-class escort, I expect we'll be able to bring about 23,000 Etrosians per trip.

So far, twenty-five million Etrosians have signed up for relocation.  A daunting task.  But the Tellarites and the Bolians have promised some transports as well.  Once all of these promised transports arrive- a fleet of over fifty vessels- we'll have capacity to get the refugees all settled on Meridian by the years' end."

Solluk lowered his voice slightly, "There may be ancillary benefits, as well.

The mere knowledge that the Etrosians are leaving has caused the Atrosian government to begin talks about broad social reforms.  They don't want to lose all of their Etrosian workers.  So, they may be abandoning the stick and embracing the carrot.  I have hope that this will cause a fundamental shift in their culture's outlook and treatment towards not only the Etrosians, but all sentients they may have previously oppressed.  Change will take time, of course.  Maybe even generations.  But the first steps are already upon them."

Katra Station - Counselor's Office

"Thank you for saying so.  I'm excited about the opportunities the Gamma Quadrant offer from a diplomatic point of view.  And I agree that the pairing of Beja and I has promise to sufficiently represent Star Fleets needs.  She seems to have done a great job with the recent situation with the Etrosians, though.  I just hope I can add value to what she already brings to the table " Zex said candidly.

Her eyes lit up just a bit when Solluk mentioned the Hobus disaster.  It, and the federations response to the Romulan Empire, had been the focus of her study at the Academy.   She wondered if the Captain knew that already, but take the chance to inquire about it.

"That is good" she agreed.  "Have you considered reaching out to none-federation resources?  Odelot and his family may be able to find some more transport ships to help more the Etrosians and shorten the time frame" she suggested.

USS Katra Station - Deck 18 - Counseling Facilities

Katra from its very inception had always been busy and bustling with activity. Mainly due to the location of Katra, being on the outer rim, it was positioned for all kinds of races and species coming together, whether for trade, forging of alliances, or even for more criminal enterprises. The bustle never really ended at Katra, and the pace could become a lot for the crew to handle. Change was the one constant that the crew could count on with being assigned to Katra, and while most were able to adapt to that well, some did not.

Beja had been surprised just like the rest when their Commander Rayek appeared to break at the stress of it all. She had been so impressed with all the strides that he had made of late. He had shown such growth that she had been quite shocked when he had thrown that all away, and made such a brazen disregard for all that he had worked for, and fired upon the Atrosian ship! Due to Beja being needed to go to Atros and help with the very arduous negotiations, she was not able to go to Rayek�s trial.

Beja didn�t agree with Tess� assessment that there could have been mental  influence from others that had Rayek act in such an abhorrent manner. The Numati would not have had anything to gain from doing such a thing. The Dord mistrusted psychic abilities and didn�t even allow their �slaves� to be on Katra. The Thinkers had tried a much more mundae terrorist act by trying to crash a ship into Katra. Added to that the fact that Tess was Rayek�s wife, loved him unconditionally, was pregnant with their first child, made Tess� assessment less than objective.

No, Beja was sure that Rayek acted, yes, without thinking it through, but Rayek acted on his own. That didn�t mean that she thought he should be removed from Katra, Starfleet, and imprisoned. Beja believed in second chances, and that no one was beyond redemption.

Rayek deserved another chance. He had done a lot of good for Starfleet and Katra, and that shouldn�t be thrown away. She was glad he was getting that second chance, and she looked forward to working with him if he was willing. Rayek�s future and his happiness has been where it always has been, in his own hands. If he was willing to put in the work, Beja would as well. The big question remained, was Rayek willing to do that? She hoped so.

Though Rayek wasn�t the only one that also appeared to have a breakdown, Jada also had defied Starfleet and punched a representative in the face. Now, that hadn�t been a surprise to Beja at all. She had always kept the counseling doors open to Jada, but the Orion had chosen not to open that door. Jada�s issues ran deep, and until Jada wanted to deal with them, there would always be the desire to punch, something that Jada opted to do rather than dealing with what prompted such desires. That was the harder thing for a counselor to grapple with, not being able to help everyone. To see a person in pain and not able to help ease that, was a difficult thing for Beja to do. Beja would just continue to keep the door open, and it would be up to Jada to open it.

Now that Beja was back at Katra from Atros, the appointments were stacking up. Rayek�s mandated counseling would be a big part of that, but also to keep up with the new diplomatic embassies, and making sure that the Etrosian relocation went smoothly. The last 11 weeks were a whirlwind where Beja hardly had any time to breathe.

She had wished she had gone to Atros under better circumstances, but was glad to have been able to see such a wonder that the planet was. She was glad that the Atrosians� had complied with the relocation plan. Yes, she would have preferred it wasn�t done by blackmail maneuvers, but she held out hope that there could be actual peace and understanding between the Atrosians,  Erosians, and Starfleet. Just like the Dord were making changes, Beja hoped that the Atrosians would as well. That they would develop into a better society where people were treated equally.

Today, Beja�s day was already full, almost too full. She had been glad to see that there was a new diplomatic officer assigned to Katra. The station really had a need for well trained diplomatic officers, so that hopefully the future diplomatic talks would end with better outcomes. Beja had an orientation meeting with the new officer today. She was very much looking forward to welcoming them to Katra properly. They had endured quite an unusual journey to Katra, what with the possible terrorist act by the Thinkers! Thank goodness to Zex�s swift thinking that had been avoided, but not a great first impression for Katra to give them. Let�s hope that today Beja could help turn that impression around.

Beja walked out into the reception area, and smiled brightly at her new receptionist Dali, �Alright Dali, I�m ready for the next appointment.� Beja then turned her gaze to the room and noticed that not only did she have her expected guest Zex, but also the Captain. Oh no, had her last appointment run long? Had the receptionist accidentally booked two people at once?

�Hello Captain,� Beja nodded and smiled over to him, and then smiled and nodded over to Zex, �Hello Zex. I hope you are both doing well today.�

"Hello, Beja" she replied.  "Quite well, thank you" she added.  "The Captain was here first.  I'm happy to wait for to you to finish your meeting with him before we meet" she volunteered.

(OOC Post restored due to server outage - ShranLahr ch'Verret November 20th 2021)

[Kalem Michael]

Katra Station - Promenade - Blue Belles

Kalem had fallen into a standard routine since the revelation of his father's passing. The pattern that he had fallen into was one that he had thought would keep his mind off of this fact. For the past ten weeks, he had gotten up, gone to work, and thrown himself into his work whatever it had been.

At the end of his shift, he went to the piloting simulator and was there for multiple hours running all kinds of simulations. Combat, Patrol, anything that he could think of. Then he went to the gym. and worked up a sweat, then it was shower and go to the promenade to sit and drink synthahol because he didn't want to show up to work drunk.

This was the worst time for him. There was nothing to stop him from thinking about the time that he had spent with his father on board the Tereshkova. Even though the pain of losing his father hurt, he understood why his father had done it. The people on board this station, even though they were not blood-related, had become his family and he would do anything he could to protect them. even if it was just the maintenance of the station or other duties performed by an operations officer.

Today was no different. Kalem sat in a darkened corner all to himself With the drink sitting untouched on the table in front of him. This had been his routine, his escape from reality. Telling himself that there was nothing that he could have done, and nothing could be done to change what had happened. He was light-years away when it happened. There was nothing that he could have done

[Jada]

[Customs, Saucer 1]

"Who assigned the weapons issued?" Rayek asked, as he looked over the weapon.  Curdo was right it, it was certainly not standard issue.  He considered taking it apart to check over it's components, but perhaps that was just his paranoia working against him again.

'Chief Petty Officer Bexx, sir.' Curdo answered, 'And delivered by Crewman Murv.' Both of them T.M.P.S.T., both of them Jada's teammates. Curdo hurried off to deliver more of the odd phasers to other Security personnel.

[Shops Section, Saucer 1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZFxv1PT-QQ

The Monster had marauded unchecked through Customs and Disembarkation and attacked the heavy bulkhead door, banging and scraping at the metal (it was rather hard, using only its feet and suspiciously arm-shaped mouth-tentacles) in rhythmic fashion until it finally dragged it open and heaved its bulk through, alarming all it found on the other side.

Then it surged past the Transit Shops and Food Kiosks, stamping and roaring and always dancing, dancing to the incessant music. The tune itself creeped and crawled ever onward, suggestive of a huge and slithering slug, and it thrummed through the deckplates in a constant doof-doof-doof-doof felt long before it was heard, and heard long before it was seen. It wasn't subtle or secret, at least, unlike most everything else in Orion culture, but it still didn't feel a need to explain itself or educate others. It scattered Starfleet and civilians alike, who were forced to clear from the massive thing's path, but shouts of surprise soon gave way to cheers and laughter as people beheld it fully and understood this was some kind of show.

Or at least they thought they did. It was still way too weird.

...There were, in such voyages, incalculable local dangers; as well as that shocking final peril which gibbers unmentionably outside the ordered universe, where no dreams reach; that last amorphous blight of nethermost confusion which blasphemes and bubbles at the centre of all infinity � the boundless daemon sultan Azathoth, whose name no lips dare speak aloud, and who gnaws hungrily in inconceivable, unlighted chambers beyond time amidst the muffled, maddening beating of vile drums and the thin, monotonous whine of accursed flutes; to which detestable pounding and piping dance slowly, awkwardly, and absurdly the gigantic Ultimate gods, the blind, voiceless, tenebrous, mindless Other gods whose soul and messenger is the crawling chaos Nyarlathotep.

...Or rather three green Orion women in a giant slug costume playing weird electronic music with a thumping bass and dancing their hearts out. But they were sometimes confused and quietly blaspheming to themselves.

(OOC Post restored due to server outage - ShranLahr ch'Verret November 20th 2021)

[Jael Sherem]

[Ensign Gid Sherem | Vulcan Starship Sivok | Katra Station Proximity | Meridian | Trialus Sector]

As Gid worked on the walls, he tallied off in his mind what would come next, as he had done with the two ships he worked on:

After the walls, there�s the installation of bed bunks, then beefing up the air, food and sewage systems. He wrinkled his nose at the latter; he always heard that the reclamation and sanitation jobs were the worst jobs to work on Cardassia, and he didn�t blame them.

If need be, he would upgrade the EPS conduits so the ships will be able to carry additional power once the drydock upgrades the cores. Although Gid would likely work on the EPS conduits anyway.

As he worked, a petty officer approached him and showed him a PADD. Gid took one look at it and pursed his lips.

�[spoiler]Shite[/spoiler],� he cursed, and then tapped his comm badge to get in touch with his immediate supervisor, who was running the refits in general.

�Lieutenant Goodspeed, this is Ensign Sherem,� he said. �Could you come down here, please? I may need your expertise. There�s a problem with the EPS conduits on the Sivok.�

He knew he had to report to Lieutenant Goodspeed�though he was astonished someone as old as Goodspeed was a junior lieutenant. Although he took one look at Goodspeed when they first met and instantly thought of his Cardassian grandmother. He knew at once this was one old woman that he must not screw around with.

Katra Station - Promenade - Blue Belles

Kalem had fallen into a standard routine since the revelation of his father's passing. The pattern that he had fallen into was one that he had thought would keep his mind off of this fact. For the past ten weeks, he had gotten up, gone to work, and thrown himself into his work whatever it had been.

At the end of his shift, he went to the piloting simulator and was there for multiple hours running all kinds of simulations. Combat, Patrol, anything that he could think of. Then he went to the gym. and worked up a sweat, then it was shower and go to the promenade to sit and drink synthahol because he didn't want to show up to work drunk.

This was the worst time for him. There was nothing to stop him from thinking about the time that he had spent with his father on board the Tereshkova. Even though the pain of losing his father hurt, he understood why his father had done it. The people on board this station, even though they were not blood-related, had become his family and he would do anything he could to protect them. even if it was just the maintenance of the station or other duties performed by an operations officer.

Today was no different. Kalem sat in a darkened corner all to himself With the drink sitting untouched on the table in front of him. This had been his routine, his escape from reality. Telling himself that there was nothing that he could have done, and nothing could be done to change what had happened. He was light-years away when it happened. There was nothing that he could have done

[NPC Ensign Jael Sherem | Blue Belles | Promenade | Katra Station]

Jael had some time to kill before the beginning of her shift. She had signed up to find anything useful and sciencey from the Vulcan labs from the antique ships to be turned to refugee transports. She heard Lieutenant Falleg, her departmental head, wanted any potential science equipment for salvage�in a way.

So far, Jael had not run into anybody from the Dominion since she came aboard. She was sure that there was a chance, however unlikely, she would run into someone who held a grudge against Cardassians�or worse, was one of her father�s underlings. So far, no Dominion visitors as of yet. In fact, if there were people from the Dominion frequenting to the station, she wouldn�t enjoy her new post, which she was.

How ironic, she thought. Here I am on a station one another side of the wormhole where on the other side was a station that made history. A Sherem used to work on one side. Now two of them, though one of them�s technically not a Cardassian, are here on the other side.

Naturally, Jael would seek out a little bottle of kanar, the synthesized edition, to prevent drunkenness, to sooth her nerves just in case anybody from the Dominion came to call. She knew to stick with the synthahol version of kanar so as to keep from getting drunk; this kind of kanar only calmed her down simply because it was a bit of home.

As Jael looked around for a place to sit, she saw a man with a bottle at a table. She knew the kind of people who sat like that. They normally wanted to drown sorrows of some kind.

Well, misery loves company, Jael thought, and I got time before my shift not just for a drink but to get to know someone.

She approached the table and asked, �Mind if I join you�Lieutenant?�

When she got close, she noticed the pips. Lieutenant Junior Grade. It�ll be interesting to share a drink with a higher-ranking officer.

(OOC Post restored due to server outage - ShranLahr ch'Verret November 20th 2021)

[Solluk]

Katra Station - Counselor's Office

"Odelot?"

What's an Odelot, Solluk wondered to himself.  Then a flash of memory came to him from Zex' report.  Odelot had been the name of one of the Pakleds running the transport she'd come over on.  Unless he was mistaken, that ship was still at the station.  He was sure he'd seen its ancient hull floating about outside one of the viewports earlier.

"Oh, the Pakleds.  Well, I must admit, I didn't think any of the local transports or freighters would be much help.  Most of them are mid-bulk or smaller, able to carry only a dozen people or so.  But it hadn't occurred to me to ask them if they might have friends who operate larger vessels.  Thank you for the suggestion, Ensign."

When Beja appeared, and Zex tried to give up her spot, Solluk held up a hand.

"Hello, Counselor.  No, please, take the Ensign here first.  I didn't make an appointment, and department business must come before unannounced drop-ins.

Besides, I've suddenly discovered that this reception area is a good place to relax for a bit.

Go on.  My business can wait."

[Beja]

USS Katra Station - Deck 18 - Counseling Facilities

Beja had impeccable timing it appeared, as she had clearly interrupted a conversation between the Captain and Zex. She didn�t know what an Odelot was, but she had read about the Pakled ship that Zex had helped to gain control over from a terrorist hired by the Thinkers. A traumatic experience to be sure, but at least it had a happy ending. Out here in the outer rim, those were much more difficult to find.

The Captain provided an answer to one of the questions Beja had, Dali hadn�t overbooked her appointments. He hadn�t an appointment set up. She was glad of course to see him, as she had several pressing matters she had been wanting to discuss with him, but of course his timing was as impeccable as her own. She had now to figure out which one to see first. The Captain of course had seniority but Zex had a standing appointment.

In the end the decision had been an easy one to make, Beja smiled brightly over to Captain Solluk, �Thank you for such a generous offer, Dali here will be happy to get you a cup of tea or anything else you�d like to drink. And we will be sure to not keep you waiting too long, sir.�

Beja then turned to Zex, �Again welcome to Katra, if you follow me my office is just this way.� Beja took Zex back to her office area. She had worked really hard to create a warm and comforting room. The walls had a soft, buttery yellow color, and in the right corner was a meditation area. A few thick rugs were placed on the ground with several brightly colored pillows too. The meditation area was dimly lit with a few crystals so that there was no harsh glow to break the serenity that a person sought there.

There was no traditional �couch� in the room. The main room had several overstuffed chairs that a person could just sink comfortably into. The muted gray colors of the chairs were decorated with yellow accent pillows. The room had a more joyful appearance to it, with several plants and flowers that helped to make it feel inviting and soothing to those who entered it.

�Please Zex have a seat anywhere you like, is there anything I can offer you to drink?� Beja walked over to the replicator by her desk area.

There in the corner of the room, sitting quietly was a rather large sehlat cub. Mon watched the newcomer arrive with curiosity, the only motion he made was the thumping of his tail.

(OOC Post restored due to server outage - ShranLahr ch'Verret November 20th 2021)

[Catherine Goodspeed]

Katra Auxiliary Drydock) orbiting within 50 kilometers of Katra

"I would, if you have a black one... I love the black, red and green ones best!" The CSO came up behind the older gentleman and grinned equally conspiratorially. Almost whispering herself she continued. "I haven't had a Jelly Baby since I was last on Earth... and that's been quite a while.  Aunt Em loved them!"

Hrafn had been sent to investigate the labs on the Vulcan ships and mark anything 'useful' prior to Cat Goodspeed doing some serious upgrading.  She held forward a tray of drinks in 'travel cups'.  "Nice to see you again Lieutenant, who's this fine gentleman? I come bearing gifts, or well your coffee break! Ratkajino in the red, cocoa in the green, English tea in the blue, regular 'instant' coffee a la Starbucks in the purple... there's 2 of each I figured the minions could have a drink too if that's ok with you?  You're in charge of the Engineering lot here.  There's little packs of milk and sugar and sweeteners and biscuits, help yourselves." she emphasised each colour with a nod in the direction of each to point them out.

"And I should explain... despite the appearance..."  she gestured to the spots, "... I'm part human and also studied at Cambridge University... linguistics and languages, 'Aunt Em' was a college librarian that was intrigued by my love of books that matched her own and since she had no children she sort of adopted me, then left me her home, and importantly the contents of her library!  But she loved Jelly Babies, and... Midget Gems?  Not sure if I am remembering the name correctly, also Jelly sweets, harder to chew, about the size of my little finger joint... and Chocolate Oranges... oh I miss them!"

Blinking out of her Earth sweets reverie she smiled.  "Anyhow I'm not here for the sweets, I'm to mark anything in the labs for 'salvaging'.  Good job I speak Vulcanisn't it?!" Hrafn mockingly rolled her eyes as if to say 'If I didn't this might not go so well...'

"...So, if there's anything you're not sure on if you don't read it yourself just shout.  Oh and please, between you both, me and the bulkheads... it's Hrafn here... don't stand on ceremony, we're equal rank Cat, oh what's that?" the Science officer said noticing the box  in Cat's hands.

Katra Auxiliary Drydock orbiting within 50 kilometers of Katra

Cat was delighted to see Hrafn, she was beginning to forget what everyone on the station looked like but you would never forget that hair colour.

"oh coffee... you are an angel!"  Cat placed the box onto the floor and emptied 2 sugars and a few milk pots into an instant coffee cup from the tray being offered. She took a happy sip before replying again.  "Hrafn, this is Gramps. Gramps, this is our Chief Science Officer Hrafn Falleg. Gramps is a wizard round here, nothing he can't turn his hand to"

Gramps smiled his widest smile "A delight to meet you my dear!  Ohh take a handful of the ones you love, they do cheer you up.  I like to bite their heads off for a quick death you know" He winked and then took the tray of drinks from her.

"I'll gather the troops Cat and feed and water them with the lovely refreshments..." And with that he ambled off, trying not to spill anything.

Cat watched him wander off, calling loudly for the others to gather for their break.

Cats gathered her thoughts and remembered Hrafn's last comment.

"oh the box!  Labels.... good old fashioned sticky labels.  One thing I have learnt is once people who work on ship refits start ripping stuff out they can go a bit.... trigger happy.  Point out what you want to keep and I'll slap a label on it so they know what to keep aside rather than put in the recycling processor".

Cat managed to bend down and jostled the box under one arm whilst she held her coffee stable. "Are you up for a tour to see what you want to keep?  "

Cat took another sip from the hot liquid.  "Oh and if your children want to meet a Cardassian Vole at anytime, bring them along next time you pop over... They'll be helping with cables re-runs and checking for any stress fractures.. Also checking the waste systems... Going to have to upgrade those!  I don't think what the vessels currently have will cope with the amount of ...well.... waste all the refugees will produce!!"

Cat took another sip and smiled at the look on Hrafn's face.  "Oh trust me, had to do many a refit on commercial ships because someone else didn't think of the changes from someone eating proper home grown food and drinking their own water to having to eat replicated food and on board water.... " Cat shuddered at the last time they had to fix that error on a Klingon commercial vessel that went from a shipping vessel to taking passengers... oh the horrors she saw...

Cat changed the subject back to something more pleasant "if your little ones want to see and pet a vole that is, they aren't very pretty. They can see them at work.. they don't bite.  oh... and.." Cat leaned in slightly and whispered "if you ever fancy fresh eggs... let me know..."

Lieutenant Goodspeed, this is Ensign Sherem," he said. "Could you come down here, please? I may need your expertise. There's a problem with the EPS conduits on the Sivok.

"Ahhh.. that'll be Ensign Gidjael Sherem.. new blood.... only met him once... I hope he hasn't ripped out something you needed!"

Goodspeed here.   One my way"

Cat smiled and straightened herself upright.  "Shall we kill 2 birds with one stone and have a wander to see what the problem is and then go and see what delights we have that we can play with?"

[L'mar Camili Rhade]

OOC: This post has been edited. Apologies Goodspeed.

[ Provisional Junior Lieutenant L'mar Rhade ] | [ Engineering Support Offices - Deck 24 | Katra Station ]

Not sure what to make of what he had heard about Rayek tr�Lhoell and Jada, Rhade was saddened that they were no longer the people he thought they were. Thankfully the Captain had 12 Vulcan vintage cruisers scheduled for refit for refugee transport duty, though it was under Junior Lieutenant Catherine Goodspeed�s authority. Rhade would have to approach her and ask if he could help with 2 or 3 of the ships� construction work. On the other hand Rhade had informed the Captain that an upgrade was about to be released for the tractor beam system, so he was ordered to get that done, Katra Station had 9 type 9 tractor beam emitters across the station. To top that off both the Tholians and Klingons were establishing embassies here on the station so he had plenty to do to distract him from the Atrosian debacle.

An engineer�s dream while at the same time a nightmare. Rhade loved it. The Upgrade and Embassy projects were things he could grab with his claws and plan out without much interference or surprises, well he hoped. Another happy event was that a new engineer had arrived and Rhade had put him, an Ensign Gid Sherem, straight to work on the Vulcan refit project to help Junior Lieutenant Goodspeed.

Rhade hoped that Goodspeed would allow him to help while work on the Tractor Beam Emitters and Embassies were under control, he wondered how fast the refits would go. He had already planned out the construction schedule for the Emitters and Embassies with some hopeful gaps to fill with Goodspeed�s permission of course, to help with the refits, he�d made and submitted to Commander t�Lhoell.

Right now Rhade was busy reviewing the Starfleet Corps of Engineers� specifications on tractor beam emitters as the type 10 had, funnily enough, just been given the �go ahead� from Starfleet Command. He�d need to rebuild the emitters as some internal structure changes had been made to streamline the power flow. It nearly doubled the reaction time and gave extra modulation potential to the emitters.

He was so excited to be doing construction and upgrade work. On another display were the 2 Embassy layout plans and a schedule with who would be on that construction teams, at a few times he nearly added Gid but remembered he had sent the new engineer to assist Goodspeed. Minus Gid, Rhade had the rest of his engineers sharing shifts on all 3 projects, the list of engineers he offered to help on the Refit project and the shifts they were available for, he sent to Goodspeed for her review. His specialists were in charge of the particular aspects of the Embassy and Upgrade projects that they focused on so the engineers could get guidance while working on the tractor beam emitters and the embassies.

Rhade had several communications with Ensign Campbell and the former Chief Engineer had noted that the Starlifter was having a few issues that he would like help with. Rhade had that on the schedule as well, and Campbell had asked if he could help with the other projects as well which Rhade had agreed to but would have to approach the Captain to sanction it.

The Tholian embassy would be the most complex, Rhade wondered if they would give living conditions statistics and perhaps a sample of comforts. He didn�t know much about the crystalline beings and hoped they would be willing to cooperate with him on the embassy stuff. He wondered when the Ambassador would arrive, would there be others.

�Chief we have to go now, the Sikor�s Commander has been kind enough to allow us to do a structural assessment, as per your request.� Valak called through the closed door to Rhade�s office.

�On my way,� L�mar said and transferred all the documents and plans to his p.a.d.d, it was one of the larger engineering models. He liked them a lot. Additional controls and larger display screens, he left the office and Valak walked along with him. �Have you serrved on any of those crruiserrs Valak?�

The Vulcan male nodded. �I did, the Prosus was my first assignment before the class was mothballed and the majority of Vulcan High Command had merged with Starfleet.�

Rhade sidelong glanced at Valak for a few moments, how old is he? L�mar thought, he returned to watch where they were going. �I�m surrprrised they kept theirr old ships, though I�m surre they rrefitted them as much as they could.� L�mar said.

The two entered a turbolift and Morgan was waiting, suspiciously. �Morrrgan,� L�mar greeted with somewhat narrowed eyes.

�Sir, oh don�t give me that look, you know I know where most of our circle is on the station at any time.� Morgan said with a teasing smile.

�Deck 20, Trransporterr Rrooms� L�mar ordered and the lift sped off. He just eyed Morgan with an unimpressed expression as if to say �rrrreally?�

[ V.S.S. Sikor ]

The Vulcan commander was standing in front of the transporter platform and offered the traditional Vulcan greeting with the V shaped hand beside his head when Rhade, Valak and Morgan stepped off the platform. �Welcome aboard,� the Vulcan male said. �I am Commander Vaas of the Sikor for the duration of this mission.�

If Rhade didn�t know any better he�d thought he heard a slight shift in the Vulcan�s tone at the end. It would appear that the Vulcan government has crewed the cruisers with personnel that didn�t want this �babysitting� job. Rhade grinned with fangs visible. �Live long and Prrosperr, Commanderr Vaas. I am Juniorr Lieutenant L�marr Rrhade, Chief Engineerr of Katrra Station. My colleague Junior Lieutenant Catherine Goodspeed of the Drydock and our engineers will have you and yourr fleet on its way as soon as we can.� L�mar said and mimicked the Vulcan gesture before returning his hand to his back with the other.

Rhade�s keen feline senses could detect the slight immeasurable relaxing of Vaas� posture. �I do thank you for you and your team�s timely efforts, my crew are at your disposal.� Vaas gestured to the door and the four left the transporter room. Rhade already had his p.a.d.d out and was studying the deck plans of the Sh�ran-class cruiser.

He wondered what changes Goodspeed and Gid would do to the 12 cruisers, Rhade would visit the Drydock after doing this assessment to see if Cat would let him assist, when she would let him. Considering the refugees will need plenty of sleeping space and common areas, Rhade would ask Cat a lot of questions about the new internal configuration, new sleeping arrangements and common areas.

He imagined that any laboratories or workshops would be taken out, they wouldn�t be needed for refugee ferrying. As he examined the deck by deck he wondered about some of the interior walls and what Cat would do about those. Rhade was sure the key rooms like the Bridge, Main Engineering and essential systems like life-support, environmental and deflector control would be safe where they are.

Though the more he thought about it, who knows Goodspeed could move those around.

�If you have other duties to tend to Commander, we can take it from here.� Morgan said, pulling Rhade from his inner thoughts.

�Would it be possible for my crew, when you don�t need them to go to the station?� Vaas asked.

�Of courrse Commanderr. Ourr house is yourr house, as the humans put it.� L�mar said and eyed his teammates for a moment as they nodded slightly before Vaas thanked them and returned to the transporter room. Rhade grinned. �Clearrly he had alrready had planned on it.� He remarked and they went on to assess the cruiser.

(OOC Post restored due to server outage - ShranLahr ch'Verret November 20th 2021)