S6: E2 - Truth and Consequences

[Ian Galloway]

[Mayflower Function Room - Starbase 185]

Ian arrived at the lounge-like room and scanned through the dim lighting for a very specific profile. After a couple minutes of looking, he finally spotted who he was looking for. He approached the table quietly and in order make sure he didn't startle the group at the table. He announced himself with a loud.

"Well, if'n this isn't the most disreputable lot ta ever be in one place at one time."

He let that sink in before he continued.

"Mister Mrekrerhas, I'm sure this is ta be some sort of clerical error, but it seems some bright spark at Starfleet Command has taken in into their head that you are worth a tinker's damn. Ta wit, I formally announce the following."

Bringing up his PADD, Ian continued by reading what was on the display.

"To all who shall read these presents, greetings,

"Starfleet Command has endowed special trust in the fidelity, competency, and demonstrated leadership of Lieutenant Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas and hereby advances him to the rank of Lieutenant Commander with all rights and privileges associated with that position.

"Signed Admiral Phillip D. Slater, Starfleet Command."

"Congratulations Commander Mrekrerhas, it is an honor ta serve with you and surely the Challenger is the better for you bein' with us."

[James Carter]

Jellico raised an eyebrow. "The Iconians ran an interstellar empire. Are you sure you're not making a flimsy connection between them and the Landsers as a reason to excuse what happened Hamish?"

Jellico wasn't buying the Iconian comparison, but having not spoken to Galloway himself, or any of the other senior staff, he wasn't ready to fully commit to a judgement. "Look, I just got here. So I'm going to go eat and then get some rest. Tomorrow I plan on talking to the Challenger's senior staff. ALL of them. I'll be ready to vote on whether or not to go to court martial by the end of the day. I suggest the two of you be ready to make a decision than as well. Good night Admirals."

With that, the retired admiral turned on his heel to leave.

[Conference Room | Starbase 185]

Carter let out a long sigh once Jellico left the room. "And pops wondered why I stepped away from Starfleet..." He said under his breath. Before speaking again he shook his head and looked over to Gillespie. "Well, that went just about as well as I expected. Always a pleasure Jelly Roll." The admiral grabbed a pad with a scowl. "I didn't want to interrupt Mackenzie's recovery process but I doubt Jellico has the same reservations. We haven't always seen eye to eye but I respect him enough to make sure that the first person to hear him be a friendly face. And myself of course." Carter laughed again as he sent a message to Kyan.

Commander Mackenzie,

Please report to the main conference room of Starbase 185 at your earliest convenience.

Admiral James Carter.

[Alexander Wu]

[Function room]

"œTempting,  very tempting my darlin' "œ Teased Ardy to Alex, guessing pretty well that any more of the real alcohol kind would probably put her over the edge to do something stupid. Of course, her younger self would have probably been shocked to see her so mellow nowadays. "œThat doesn't sound half-bad. You want anything?" she said, looking around the party for the few folks they had gotten to know since coming onboard.

[Starbase 185 - Mayflower Function Room]

Alex hid a smile as Ardyn's manner of speech began slipping, tempted to tease her about becoming such a lightweight. His more rational self refrained from saying anything though, knowing that she would see it as a challenge, and then pants might become optional. He scooped some reddish juice from a large serving bowl into two glasses, handing her one of them after sampling a sip. Lousy with hooch. At least it's not her usual dancing juice. "Let's stick with punch for now. Maybe some food?"

Looking around as people slowly congregated around the refreshments and other smaller tables spread throughout the room, Alex could pick out sporadic familiar faces amongst the crowd. Kyan was hard to miss, his boyish stature actually making him stand out more in the sea of adults. Likewise too was Mrekrerhas, though in his case it was the ears, and the four security officers trailing in his wake escorting a pair of hapless party crashers. Their path through the crowd passed fairly close by to where Alex and Ardyn were, so with his interest peaked, he fell in step with the security chief. "Hey there. Need a hand with anything?"

[Jettis Jyur]

[Function Room Mayflower - Starbase 185]

The two figures closed quickly on their targets with authority and when they were inside five meters, each one produced an object their left hand simultaneously, almost as if they had practiced the maneuver. When they reached two meters from Jettis and Kyan, the two humans shouted to be heard above the music in very fine cultured voices virtually the same thing.

"Commander Kyan Mackenzie. I am Alex Freemantle, Federation Network News and I would very much like your thoughts on your experiences on the planet Land."

The second human had said the only slightly different.

"Lieutenant Jettis Jyur I am Rodney Fisk, Federation Network News could you tell me about your experiences on the planet Land?"

Kyan shrugged. "I'm ok. Sure and the blue shirts fixed me up from it but I hafta be on IRT because Jalen is after making sure I dinna got no Post-Trauma-Stress or whatever. He probably talked tae yer cousin so he did." He glanced around surreptitiously to ensure the old El-Aurian wasn't lurking within earshot. It was hard to see anything with the crowd of people milling around them, but Jalen was tall even for a grup. When Kyan was satisfied that he wasn't around, he continued in as close to a conspiratory whisper as he could while still making himself heard. "So... how're you? And what's going on with the crew? Are the fat admirals crabbit at Galloway fer having a piss on the Prime Directive? Is that why we're stuck on the base?

He knew he wasn't supposed to be talking about work, but not knowing what was happening was annoying. Besides it'd be nice to know if there was a court-martial coming down the pipe.

Since Leran was still talking to the Vulcan, Max answered for them. Although these were teenagers, and one was a Klingon, he figured it would be ok since they were from the Challenger. At the same time he glanced around to see if Kyan was finished with whomever he was talking to. He wouldn't want to miss hanging out with a Klingon.

"Sure." Max replied. "We just finished watching that weird band and Leran was hungry. Did you guys like them?"

Jettis nodded slightly, noting Kyan's quick glances around the venue. Jalen - the name rang a bell, and after a moment he recognized it as one of the new crewmembers, another El-Aurian. They had met on-duty, but never formally or off-duty as of yet. "You know I can't tell you any detail about an open investigation.." Jettis clicked his tongue, shooting Kyan a sympathetic glance. He could only imagine, being on 'bed rest' and being totally out of the loop on such a huge event. Not just for himself, but for the ship. As XO, it would have driven him mad, he knew. "But even if I could, if I'm honest, there isn't much for me to tell. We've been kept just as much in the dark," He admitted.

Nobody had a clue why the trial hadn't begun yet, only rumors and assumptions. "I can't imagine they're very happy about our liberal interpretation of the prime directive, but at the same time I don't know how much more information they could possibly gather out of us," he hummed. "Any more briefings and I think they'll just start pulling Vulcans and Betazoids to read our minds directly."

Shrugging, he paused when suddenly a chorus of voices sounded. Loud enough that they could be heard over the ambiance of the room, which in an of itself was annoyance to Jettis. "No comment, thank you." He stated firmly, straightening up to shoot a look at the reporter.

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Starbase 185 - Function Room Mayflower - stage]

Lahr wasn't surprised that the priority went to dealing with the suspected drug pushers.  He'd have questioned Zhuk's being in charge of security of the ship  otherwise.   Lahr pointed out towards the two.  "There.  The ones that are approaching that cluster of kids."

At this distance and dim lighting for the concert, Lahr couldn't make out who the children were.  If truth be told, he was actually assuming they were children, rather than any number of short stature species within the Federation.

As he watched, he was surprised to see the pushers seeming to hold something out towards the kids.  It was difficult to tell what it was, given the figures had their backs to the stage.

"Bold.  I think they're pushing their goods on those kids and their guardian openly."

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Function Room Mayflower | Starbase 185]

"Security. Be advised, that we may have a cadre of interlopers in our celebration. Convene in mine position at my command, over."

Zhukdra'shar's ears perked up as the stage hand relayed Lahr's information on the possible suspects. His look was a furious one now, and it was visible to anyone this time that the chase had utterly ruined his mood. His dichroic green eyes darted from side to side as he attempted to locate them, tirelessly, frankly insulted that they would even attempt to peddle illegal goods in such a good-natured party. Then again, perhaps Tora should have allowed alcohol to be served, maybe.

But children?! And their guardians?! Inadmissible. He would pursue them to the full extent of the law, and even beyond if necessary. As the stage hand further described them once he had identified them himself, Zhuk arrived at the scene like smoke in the night air, ready to pounce on his prey. Lowering his voice, he called forth,

"Security, I have the two suspects located. On me."

Caught completely off guard by the news reporter, Kyan had no response. The truth was that he hadn't been thinking about Land since he'd regained consciousness. Or at least he'd been making an effort not to think about it. The goal of Immersion Roleplay Therapy was for him to be removed from the triggering event or stress so that he could focus on recovery. That's why his commission was deactivated, and why he was living with the Kartos family. In fact, if Jalen were here now...Well, he could imagine how that would go.

"I cannae talk about....

Before he could finish, the reporter was yanked out of his field of vision.

S'mol and her act stopped with a round of applause from the crowd, just as Zhuk reached for Alex Freemantle and yanked him out of sight and mind from Kyan. Another member of his team swiftly did the same with Alex's companion. The first sign that something was just not what it seemed was the fact that Zhuk noticed Admiral Gillespie, Kyan, and his friend, Max out of the corner of his eye. The second one was the rebuttal from the news reporter even before Zhuk could say anything,

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?! I was interviewing Commander Mackenzie-"

Zhuk, having walked a few meters with them in tow, pressed his claws into his arms, making him quiet as he struggled to explain himself, though soon enough, Zhuk backed off, letting him continue, "Mine apologies. I had believed you were some kind of subversive element."

"What?! No, no. I just wanted the scoop of the Land mission. Didn't mean any offense to the Commander." The man defended himself. Zhuk gazed at him for a good while, trying to determine if he was lying to him, however, the flashing of an Identification Card made Zhuk finally back off, "Yes. I perhaps acted far too harshly. You were not registered on our list. We unfortunately cannot divulge sensitive details of our mission, and I am afraid Commander Mackenzie is not to be bothered at the time being. We hope that you can enjoy the party, however."

He motioned for his companion to be released. Alex was about to speak once more, his face betraying a look of mild irritation, though he decided against it as Zhuk's look became severe. Nodding, he took the hint, and prepared to disengage. Zhuk was about to return to his duties upon the venue, just in time to see Lahr walking upon the stage, when a certain familiar face came up.

[Starbase 185 - Mayflower Function Room]

Alex hid a smile as Ardyn's manner of speech began slipping, tempted to tease her about becoming such a lightweight. His more rational self refrained from saying anything though, knowing that she would see it as a challenge, and then pants might become optional. He scooped some reddish juice from a large serving bowl into two glasses, handing her one of them after sampling a sip. Lousy with hooch. At least it's not her usual dancing juice. "Let's stick with punch for now. Maybe some food?"

Looking around as people slowly congregated around the refreshments and other smaller tables spread throughout the room, Alex could pick out sporadic familiar faces amongst the crowd. Kyan was hard to miss, his boyish stature actually making him stand out more in the sea of adults. Likewise too was Mrekrerhas, though in his case it was the ears, and the four security officers trailing in his wake escorting a pair of hapless party crashers. Their path through the crowd passed fairly close by to where Alex and Ardyn were, so with his interest peaked, he fell in step with the security chief. "Hey there. Need a hand with anything?"

"Ah, Lieutenant Wu. We are okay, but I do appreciate the petition for assistance. It seems that the situation was somewhat of a misunderstanding. Just a reporter, that is all. Or rather, two of them," He explained, the situation calmly, "Ah, but perhaps we should speak of this back at my table? There is some sparkling water waiting for me."

He invited Wu, wondering if he would accept.

[Mayflower Function Room - Starbase 185]

Ian arrived at the lounge-like room and scanned through the dim lighting for a very specific profile. After a couple of minutes of looking, he finally spotted who he was looking for. He approached the table quietly in order to make sure he didn't startle the group at the table. He announced himself with a loud.

"Well, if'n this isn't the most disreputable lot ta ever be in one place at one time."

He let that sink in before he continued.

"Mister Mrekrerhas, I'm sure this is ta be some sort of clerical error, but it seems some bright spark at Starfleet Command has taken in into their head that you are worth a tinker's damn. Ta wit, I formally announce the following."

Bringing up his PADD, Ian continued by reading what was on the display.

"To all who shall read these presents, greetings,

"Starfleet Command has endowed special trust in the fidelity, competency, and demonstrated leadership of Lieutenant Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas and hereby advances him to the rank of Lieutenant Commander with all rights and privileges associated with that position.

"Signed Admiral Phillip D. Slater, Starfleet Command."

"Congratulations Commander Mrekrerhas, it is an honor ta serve with you and surely the Challenger is the better for you bein' with us."

Zhukdra'shar eventually returned to his table, where Tora was sure to be waiting for him with a drink. He was not expecting to come upon Captain Galloway, however, his eyes blinked as he ensured he had recognized him. His voice, however, left no doubt in his mind. He glanced around the table for a moment, as he tried to determine exactly why they were disreputable before Ian's announcement crashed onto him like a ship at Warp 9,

Lieutenant Commander?! Sir... that is... Zhukdra'shar stood up and offered a nod towards his Captain, his tail swishing from side to side, eyes wide like plates. He was surprised and excited, for certain, and could not hide it, "I greatly appreciate your words, Captain. It is but an honor to serve aboard the USS Challenger and her esteemed crew, and I am proud to call thee my superior. I shalt be sure to personally thank Admiral Slater later today after this event. You can be certain I will continue with my exemplary work as I have thus far."

He smiled, his heart beating fast inside of his chest. He felt a fuzzy, incredible feeling, and could barely contain it within himself.

[Promenade â†' Interrogation Rooms]

[As Maddy]

"œRight!" said Maddy, as they got out of the classroom into the station at large. It was pretty big, but Maddy wasn't too afraid of all the crowds.. They knew where Zala was, mostly.  They could find her!

Maddy gave a reassuring nod to Mo as they went out into the big promenade. She turned to one of the computer terminals. "œComputer, can you tell us how to get to In-terr-o-gation room?" she asked. She wasn't exactly sure what that word meant, but maybe they could ask Zala once they found her.

The computer spoke some instructions, and Mo and Maddy were off the races. It didn't seem that hard to get there.

[Little Mo | Schoolrooms --> Interrogation Rooms | Starbase 185]

"Hooh... the Pfthomenade is huuuge!" Mo gazed around with a sense of wonder in his brown eyes, taking in all of the Station's common area with slow spins that allowed him a 360° view of his environment. Maybe, when they found Zala, they could come back here, and maybe get some candy from that colorful store they passed by.

For now, though, he had a mission, and so, he deferred to Maddy as she asked the computer about Zala's location. A big smile came into his face as the computer offered some instructions, and so, he sprinted after Maddy to reach her sister. As they wandered closer to the Interrogation room, however, a certain Efrosian officer with a long, full mustache of cinnamon coloration noticed the children as they attempted to wander upon the Interrogation room, and quickly walked up to them,

"Ah, hello, little ones. Are you lost?" He asked, with a deep, baritone voice as he leaned down slightly to take a look at them. Mo immediately shook his head as he tried to think of a way to keep the man from stopping them from reaching his sister,

"Uhm.. nope! My sister is here. She is a Security officer, and we are uhm... I wanted to ask her if we could get some candy! Yes."

The Efrosian raised an eyebrow, quite doubtful.

[Ardyn Jaeger]

[Starbase 185 - Mayflower Function Room]

Alex hid a smile as Ardyn's manner of speech began slipping, tempted to tease her about becoming such a lightweight. His more rational self refrained from saying anything though, knowing that she would see it as a challenge, and then pants might become optional. He scooped some reddish juice from a large serving bowl into two glasses, handing her one of them after sampling a sip. Lousy with hooch. At least it's not her usual dancing juice. "Let's stick with punch for now. Maybe some food?"

Looking around as people slowly congregated around the refreshments and other smaller tables spread throughout the room, Alex could pick out sporadic familiar faces amongst the crowd. Kyan was hard to miss, his boyish stature actually making him stand out more in the sea of adults. Likewise too was Mrekrerhas, though in his case it was the ears, and the four security officers trailing in his wake escorting a pair of hapless party crashers. Their path through the crowd passed fairly close by to where Alex and Ardyn were, so with his interest peaked, he fell in step with the security chief. "Hey there. Need a hand with anything?"

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Function Room Mayflower | Starbase 185]

"Security. Be advised, that we may have a cadre of interlopers in our celebration. Convene in mine position at my command, over."

Zhukdra'shar's ears perked up as the stage hand relayed Lahr's information on the possible suspects. His look was a furious one now, and it was visible to anyone this time that the chase had utterly ruined his mood. His dichroic green eyes darted from side to side as he attempted to locate them, tirelessly, frankly insulted that they would even attempt to peddle illegal goods in such a good-natured party. Then again, perhaps Tora should have allowed alcohol to be served, maybe.

But children?! And their guardians?! Inadmissible. He would pursue them to the full extent of the law, and even beyond if necessary. As the stage hand further described them once he had identified them himself, Zhuk arrived at the scene like smoke in the night air, ready to pounce on his prey. Lowering his voice, he called forth,

"Security, I have the two suspects located. On me."

S'mol and her act stopped with a round of applause from the crowd, just as Zhuk reached for Alex Freemantle and yanked him out of sight and mind from Kyan. Another member of his team swiftly did the same with Alex's companion. The first sign that something was just not what it seemed was the fact that Zhuk noticed Admiral Gillespie, Kyan, and his friend, Max out of the corner of his eye. The second one was the rebuttal from the news reporter even before Zhuk could say anything,

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?! I was interviewing Commander Mackenzie-"

Zhuk, having walked a few meters with them in tow, pressed his claws into his arms, making him quiet as he struggled to explain himself, though soon enough, Zhuk backed off, letting him continue, "Mine apologies. I had believed you were some kind of subversive element."

"What?! No, no. I just wanted the scoop of the Land mission. Didn't mean any offense to the Commander." The man defended himself. Zhuk gazed at him for a good while, trying to determine if he was lying to him, however, the flashing of an Identification Card made Zhuk finally back off, "Yes. I perhaps acted far too harshly. You were not registered on our list. We unfortunately cannot divulge sensitive details of our mission, and I am afraid Commander Mackenzie is not to be bothered at the time being. We hope that you can enjoy the party, however."

He motioned for his companion to be released. Alex was about to speak once more, his face betraying a look of mild irritation, though he decided against it as Zhuk's look became severe. Nodding, he took the hint, and prepared to disengage. Zhuk was about to return to his duties upon the venue, just in time to see Lahr walking upon the stage, when a certain familiar face came up.

"Ah, Lieutenant Wu. We are okay, but I do appreciate the petition for assistance. It seems that the situation was somewhat of a misunderstanding. Just a reporter, that is all. Or rather, two of them," He explained, the situation calmly, "Ah, but perhaps we should speak of this back at my table? There is some sparkling water waiting for me."

He invited Wu, wondering if he would accept.

Zhukdra'shar eventually returned to his table, where Tora was sure to be waiting for him with a drink. He was not expecting to come upon Captain Galloway, however, his eyes blinked as he ensured he had recognized him. His voice, however, left no doubt in his mind. He glanced around the table for a moment, as he tried to determine exactly why they were disreputablebefore Ian's announcement crashed onto him like a ship at Warp 9,

Lieutenant Commander?! Sir... that is... Zhukdra'shar stood up and offered a nod towards his Captain, his tail swishing from side to side, eyes wide like plates. He was surprised and excited, for certain, and could not hide it, "I greatly appreciate your words, Captain. It is but an honor to serve aboard the USS Challenger and her esteemed crew, and I am proud to call thee my superior. I shalt be sure to personally thank Admiral Slater later today after this event. You can be certain I will continue with my exemplary work as I have thus far."

He smiled, his heart beating fast inside of his chest. He felt a fuzzy, incredible feeling, and could barely contain it within himself.

[Little Mo | Schoolrooms --> Interrogation Rooms | Starbase 185]

"Hooh... the Pfthomenade is huuuge!" Mo gazed around with a sense of wonder in his brown eyes, taking in all of the Station's common area with slow spins that allowed him a 360° view of his environment. Maybe, when they found Zala, they could come back here, and maybe get some candy from that colorful store they passed by.

For now, though, he had a mission, and so, he deferred to Maddy as she asked the computer about Zala's location. A big smile came into his face as the computer offered some instructions, and so, he sprinted after Maddy to reach her sister. As they wandered closer to the Interrogation room, however, a certain Efrosian officer with a long, full mustache of cinnamon coloration noticed the children as they attempted to wander upon the Interrogation room, and quickly walked up to them,

"Ah, hello, little ones. Are you lost?" He asked, with a deep, baritone voice as he leaned down slightly to take a look at them. Mo immediately shook his head as he tried to think of a way to keep the man from stopping them from reaching his sister,

"Uhm.. nope! My sister is here. She is a Security officer, and we are uhm... I wanted to ask her if we could get some candy! Yes."

The Efrosian raised an eyebrow, quite doubtful.

[Party]

Ardy caught a glimpse of Alex's cheeky thought and grinned, "That's still an option."  she winked flirtatiously,  taking the punch, and heading to the snack table, passing by Lt. Zhuk to see if he needed help with the situation unfolding. "œReporters? what are they doing here? Didn't think breaking the Prime Directive was all that exciting. Either way, glad you've got stuff settled."

Coming over to the table, she wasn't expecting to see the Captain over here, with a promotion for Zhuk. "Well earned!" she said, taking her punch and lifting it in a toast.

[As Maddy]

[Promenade -> Interrogation rooms]

The promenade was pretty big! There were definitely more stores here than on the last Promenade she had been on, and she was already emboldened from the last time she went exploring on a starbase. "Yeah, Mo!  They're so cool! With lotsa people and even a spot where you can see real live spaceships!"�

The computer was really cool and showed them where they needed to be going to find Zala.  It was up some floors, but they made it to the foyer that lead onward to some sterile-looking doors ahead.

Maddy almost didn't notice the tall Efrosian behind her until she could feel his thoughts of surprise at seeing two kids here without any adult supervision.

"We're not lost!" insisted Maddy. "We have a question for Zala. She's his big Sis!"

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Starbase 185 - Function Room Mayflower - center stage]

The Vulcan had just recently ended his set, and Lahr was in the back, listening on his ear buds to the stagehand's directions on where and when to take the stage, then one of the helpers moving Lahr's equipment, turned on the unit's comm board to open scanning.  Lahr winced as his ear buds suddenly picked up an cacophony of Ops reports directing ships to their docking ports.  He also overheard via the open comm between Zhuk and his stagehand that the 'candymen' were actually new actually news reporters.  Whoops! Honest mistake there.

Lahr hurried his way to his equipment and rather than turn off the scanning he quickly filtered out the Ops comms and zeroed in on Zhuk's comm badge signal.  The Andorian thought it would be wise to listen in on what the Caitian was saying about him after that rather grievous error.

There was no immediate badmouthing, which was a huge relief to the Andorian but as Lahr listened in on the Security officer and those at Zhuk's table, he picked up on Galloway's voice.  The tone and inflection... immediately spoke volumes to the Petty officer.  Lahr's immediately began recording just in time to catch the Captain's announcement.

[Mayflower Function Room - Starbase 185]

"To all who shall read these presents, greetings,

"Starfleet Command has endowed special trust in the fidelity, competency, and demonstrated leadership of Lieutenant Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas and hereby advances him to the rank of Lieutenant Commander with all rights and privileges associated with that position.

"Signed Admiral Phillip D. Slater, Starfleet Command."

"Congratulations Commander Mrekrerhas, it is an honor ta serve with you and surely the Challenger is the better for you bein' with us."

Lieutenant Commander?! Sir... that is... Zhukdra'shar stood up and offered a nod towards his Captain, his tail swishing from side to side, eyes wide like plates. He was surprised and excited, for certain, and could not hide it, "I greatly appreciate your words, Captain. It is but an honor to serve aboard the USS Challenger and her esteemed crew, and I am proud to call thee my superior. I shalt be sure to personally thank Admiral Slater later today after this event. You can be certain I will continue with my exemplary work as I have thus far."

He smiled, his heart beating fast inside of his chest. He felt a fuzzy, incredible feeling, and could barely contain it within himself.

The curtain rose.  Lahr started with a heavy club beat, as he cued the recording.

"Hello! Challenger Crew! DJ Lahr is in the house!  But before we can play, the Captain has an important announcement to share."

Lahr pressed play on the recording.   The crowd went wild with applause and a chant of 'Zhuk! Zhuk! Zhuk!' rose in volume with Lahr joining on stage. "Zhuk! Zhuk! Zhuk!" as he switch up his first song.

Then the music started.

[Ian Galloway]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Function Room Mayflower | Starbase 185]

"Security. Be advised, that we may have a cadre of interlopers in our celebration. Convene in mine position at my command, over."

Zhukdra'shar's ears perked up as the stage hand relayed Lahr's information on the possible suspects. His look was a furious one now, and it was visible to anyone this time that the chase had utterly ruined his mood. His dichroic green eyes darted from side to side as he attempted to locate them, tirelessly, frankly insulted that they would even attempt to peddle illegal goods in such a good-natured party. Then again, perhaps Tora should have allowed alcohol to be served, maybe.

But children?! And their guardians?! Inadmissible. He would pursue them to the full extent of the law, and even beyond if necessary. As the stage hand further described them once he had identified them himself, Zhuk arrived at the scene like smoke in the night air, ready to pounce on his prey. Lowering his voice, he called forth,

"Security, I have the two suspects located. On me."

S'mol and her act stopped with a round of applause from the crowd, just as Zhuk reached for Alex Freemantle and yanked him out of sight and mind from Kyan. Another member of his team swiftly did the same with Alex's companion. The first sign that something was just not what it seemed was the fact that Zhuk noticed Admiral Gillespie, Kyan, and his friend, Max out of the corner of his eye. The second one was the rebuttal from the news reporter even before Zhuk could say anything,

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?! I was interviewing Commander Mackenzie-"

Zhuk, having walked a few meters with them in tow, pressed his claws into his arms, making him quiet as he struggled to explain himself, though soon enough, Zhuk backed off, letting him continue, "Mine apologies. I had believed you were some kind of subversive element."

"What?! No, no. I just wanted the scoop of the Land mission. Didn't mean any offense to the Commander." The man defended himself. Zhuk gazed at him for a good while, trying to determine if he was lying to him, however, the flashing of an Identification Card made Zhuk finally back off, "Yes. I perhaps acted far too harshly. You were not registered on our list. We unfortunately cannot divulge sensitive details of our mission, and I am afraid Commander Mackenzie is not to be bothered at the time being. We hope that you can enjoy the party, however."

He motioned for his companion to be released. Alex was about to speak once more, his face betraying a look of mild irritation, though he decided against it as Zhuk's look became severe. Nodding, he took the hint, and prepared to disengage. Zhuk was about to return to his duties upon the venue, just in time to see Lahr walking upon the stage, when a certain familiar face came up.

"Ah, Lieutenant Wu. We are okay, but I do appreciate the petition for assistance. It seems that the situation was somewhat of a misunderstanding. Just a reporter, that is all. Or rather, two of them," He explained, the situation calmly, "Ah, but perhaps we should speak of this back at my table? There is some sparkling water waiting for me."

He invited Wu, wondering if he would accept.

Zhukdra'shar eventually returned to his table, where Tora was sure to be waiting for him with a drink. He was not expecting to come upon Captain Galloway, however, his eyes blinked as he ensured he had recognized him. His voice, however, left no doubt in his mind. He glanced around the table for a moment, as he tried to determine exactly why they were disreputable before Ian's announcement crashed onto him like a ship at Warp 9,

Lieutenant Commander?! Sir... that is... Zhukdra'shar stood up and offered a nod towards his Captain, his tail swishing from side to side, eyes wide like plates. He was surprised and excited, for certain, and could not hide it, "I greatly appreciate your words, Captain. It is but an honor to serve aboard the USS Challenger and her esteemed crew, and I am proud to call thee my superior. I shalt be sure to personally thank Admiral Slater later today after this event. You can be certain I will continue with my exemplary work as I have thus far."

He smiled, his heart beating fast inside of his chest. He felt a fuzzy, incredible feeling, and could barely contain it within himself.

[Function Room Mayflower - Starbase 185]

Ian shook Zhuk's hand and winced as the music started. Knowing it was time to go he added.

"You earned it Commander. I'm goin' ta leave you ta celebrate. I hope you have the latinum ta cover the drinks, it could get expensive. Good night."

Ian had noted the commotion with the reporters and found a side exit to slip out unnoticed. Last thing he needed was a nosy reporter. He again ambled around the massive starbase, once again without destination until finding a quiet little cafe that promised it used fresh, not replicated food. He decided, a good meal was just what the doctor ordered and went in.

[Alexander Wu]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Function Room Mayflower | Starbase 185]

"Ah, Lieutenant Wu. We are okay, but I do appreciate the petition for assistance. It seems that the situation was somewhat of a misunderstanding. Just a reporter, that is all. Or rather, two of them," He explained, the situation calmly, "Ah, but perhaps we should speak of this back at my table? There is some sparkling water waiting for me."

He invited Wu, wondering if he would accept.

Zhukdra'shar eventually returned to his table, where Tora was sure to be waiting for him with a drink. He was not expecting to come upon Captain Galloway, however, his eyes blinked as he ensured he had recognized him. His voice, however, left no doubt in his mind. He glanced around the table for a moment, as he tried to determine exactly why they were disreputable before Ian's announcement crashed onto him like a ship at Warp 9,

Lieutenant Commander?! Sir... that is... Zhukdra'shar stood up and offered a nod towards his Captain, his tail swishing from side to side, eyes wide like plates. He was surprised and excited, for certain, and could not hide it, "I greatly appreciate your words, Captain. It is but an honor to serve aboard the USS Challenger and her esteemed crew, and I am proud to call thee my superior. I shalt be sure to personally thank Admiral Slater later today after this event. You can be certain I will continue with my exemplary work as I have thus far."

He smiled, his heart beating fast inside of his chest. He felt a fuzzy, incredible feeling, and could barely contain it within himself.

[Starbase 185 - Mayflower Function Room]

Watching the receding backs of the reporters being escorted out, Alex felt mildly irritated by their intrusion, but also curious how much they knew already, and from whom. "Thank you, I think we will." He replied to Mrekrerhas' invitation, following him back to his table after glancing around to see if Ardyn had any other plans. "And please, feel free to call me Alex."

Captain Galloway making an appearance wasn't unexpected, but his annoucement certainly was. Mrekrerhas' unmistakable delight was infectious, and as the skipper left, Alex clapped the caitian heartily on his back. "Congratulations, Commander! Well, I guess we know at least one person who won't be getting fired for this Land fiasco."

[Party]

Ardy caught a glimpse of Alex's cheeky thought and grinned, "œThat's still an option."  she winked flirtatiously,  taking the punch, and heading to the snack table, passing by Lt. Zhuk to see if he needed help with the situation unfolding. "œReporters? what are they doing here? Didn't think breaking the Prime Directive was all that exciting. Either way, glad you've got stuff settled."

Coming over to the table, she wasn't expecting to see the Captain over here, with a promotion for Zhuk. "œWell earned!" she said, taking her punch and lifting it in a toast.

"Hello! Challenger Crew! DJ Lahr is in the house!  But before we can play, the Captain has an important announcement to share."

Lahr pressed play on the recording.   The crowd went wild with applause and a chant of 'Zhuk! Zhuk! Zhuk!' rose in volume with Lahr joining on stage. "Zhuk! Zhuk! Zhuk!" as he switch up his first song.

Then the music started.

Alex didn't bother trying to say anything else over the crew's raucous chants, stepping aside so 'Zhuk' would be unobstructed from view. Grinning, he raised his glass along with Ardyn's toast as the speakers started playing DJ Lahr's first song of his set. "We'll have to find you a mess bell to ring, put that pay raise to good use."

[Neva Cordon]

[ACEO Lt. JG Neva Cordon|Starbase 185|Function Room Mayflower]

Neva had enjoyed getting to know Alex and Ardyn. She hoped they'd allow her to get to enjoy being "Crazy Auntie Neva" to their little girl. Time would tell.

Despite this, Neva tried to find a quiet corner to sit in the Function Room. She just wanted to people watch, considering the imbibing she'd done had dulled her mental "walls." So she clapped and raised a cheer for Zhuk at his promotion, but kept quiet otherwise.

After the events from the Land Mission, Neva decided it was time to hone her abilities. She admitted that having another telepath would help, but she wasn't sure who to go to this time. Considering this, Neva closed her eyes and "listened."

[Nira Said]

Jellico raised an eyebrow. "The Iconians ran an interstellar empire. Are you sure you're not making a flimsy connection between them and the Landsers as a reason to excuse what happened Hamish?"

Jellico wasn't buying the Iconian comparison, but having not spoken to Galloway himself, or any of the other senior staff, he wasn't ready to fully commit to a judgement. "Look, I just got here. So I'm going to go eat and then get some rest. Tomorrow I plan on talking to the Challenger's senior staff. ALL of them. I'll be ready to vote on whether or not to go to court martial by the end of the day. I suggest the two of you be ready to make a decision than as well. Good night Admirals."

With that, the retired admiral turned on his heel to leave.

[{NPC} Admiral Hamish Gillespie | VIP Suite | Starbase 185]

Gillespie took his share of hearing out Jellico and then said, "Aye, that's probably the case. Yeh need to get rested, yeh have a long job tomorrow."

Once Jellico was gone, Gillespie muttered to Carter, "Git. Suddenly makes me long for Clarence and his wife. I think we need to pause and resume tomorrow...I might even need to warn the Challenger crew to brace themselves for that battle ax."

[Function Room Mayflower - Starbase 185]

Ian had noted the commotion with the reporters and found a side exit to slip out unnoticed. Last thing he needed was a nosy reporter. He again ambled around the massive starbase, once again without destination until finding a quiet little cafe that promised it used fresh, not replicated food. He decided, a good meal was just what the doctor ordered and went in.

[{NPC} Admiral Hamish Gillespie | Readiness Cafe | Starbase 185]

Gillespie had been hearing of parties going around on the starbase. Even the Challenger crew were immersed in one in the Function Room Mayflower. He settled for something more quieter. The Readiness Cafe was a good place for peaceful eating, and he was impressed with all the non-replicated food. He had a good idea why it was called the Readiness Cafe. He heard of an establishment called the "Captain's Table," and obviously this was named so in reference to Ready Rooms.

He was just tucking into some mushroom stew when he noticed Ian Galloway in passing.

"Ah, Ian, me lad," he called. "Over here. Nae, we're jes finished with business for today, in case yeh were wondering."

[Ian Galloway]

[{NPC} Admiral Hamish Gillespie | Readiness Cafe | Starbase 185]

Gillespie had been hearing of parties going around on the starbase. Even the Challenger crew were immersed in one in the Function Room Mayflower. He settled for something more quieter. The Readiness Cafe was a good place for peaceful eating, and he was impressed with all the non-replicated food. He had a good idea why it was called the Readiness Cafe. He heard of an establishment called the "Captain's Table," and obviously this was named so in reference to Ready Rooms.

He was just tucking into some mushroom stew when he noticed Ian Galloway in passing.

"Ah, Ian, me lad," he called. "Over here. Nae, we're jes finished with business for today, in case yeh were wondering."

[Readiness Cafe - Starbase 185]

Ian was surprised to hear his name and even more surprised to see Admiral Gillespie being cordial. The man didn't seem duplicitous, but Ian was cautious nonetheless.

"Hello Admiral, are you certain? I'd nae like ta intrude."

When given leave to sit, Ian nodded and joined Gillespie. He thanked the server for the menu and quickly scanned through the options. Non-replicated food was unusual anywhere in the 25th Century, so to find any at a space station was a rare thing indeed. Spotting something he'd always wanted to try, he notified the server he would be having the Raviolo al Uovo and asked for whatever white wine was recommended.

"How are things on Earth? Any new pending catastrophe out there, or has Picard already saved us again?"

[Nira Said]

[Readiness Cafe - Starbase 185]

Ian was surprised to hear his name and even more surprised to see Admiral Gillespie being cordial. The man didn't seem duplicitous, but Ian was cautious nonetheless.

"Hello Admiral, are you certain? I'd nae like ta intrude."

When given leave to sit, Ian nodded and joined Gillespie. He thanked the server for the menu and quickly scanned through the options. Non-replicated food was unusual anywhere in the 25th Century, so to find any at a space station was a rare thing indeed. Spotting something he'd always wanted to try, he notified the server he would be having the Raviolo al Uovo and asked for whatever white wine was recommended.

"How are things on Earth? Any new pending catastrophe out there, or has Picard already saved us again?"

[{NPC} Admiral Hamish Gillespie | Readiness Cafe | Starbase 185]

"I don't mind," Gillespie said. "I'm not on business at the moment. Oh, I'm still on duty, but I'm not at my business; there's a difference between duty and business, after all."

At Galloway's question about Earth, Gillespie gave a shrug. "Och, neither. It's still quiet so far. In regards to Earth, our first sets of recruits from our new Academy one-year program are ready to roll. Dinnae ken if yeh had some of them already; I mean, look at us. We had to graduate everybody at the Academy early, except for the first-year cadets. It's like with the Dominion War again. Even with draining the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Free State and the Unification Movement of officers for the Exchange Program, we're nae at full capacity. We still won't be even when our first sets from the new program come oot.

"Starfleet Security's been working 'roond the clock in keeping an eye on potential hostiles," he added. "The Tzenkethi,  the Breen, the Kzinti. And Romulan factions hostile to the Federation. We'll be in a sticky wicket if any one of them elects to attack noo. Still, a court investigation makes a refreshing change."

He took another sip of the stew and said, "Thus far, there are only nuisance raids along our borders, nothing to indicate something serious...yet. The most interesting thus far is at the Ciden System. We haven't had a thing oot of Ciden for almost thirty years, after all, and now that we have Starfleet personnel manning the newly named Outpost Solaere, we're getting plenty."

"Noo, Galloway," he added, "I had planned on calling on yeh once I supped, but it's good you're here. Firstly, I wanted to send yeh a warning of sorts: Our third man has arrived, and it's none other than old Edward Jellico. My warning is to brace yehrself. He's going to interview yeh and yehr crew next tomorrow. On another matter, I've been accompanying personnel on a new ship that's having a shakedown cruise before my summoning to yeh're court martial. I'd like yeh to accompany me on a new inspection of the ship and get some opinions from it, get yehr perspective on the matter."

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Party]

Ardy caught a glimpse of Alex's cheeky thought and grinned, "œThat's still an option."  she winked flirtatiously,  taking the punch, and heading to the snack table, passing by Lt. Zhuk to see if he needed help with the situation unfolding. "œReporters? what are they doing here? Didn't think breaking the Prime Directive was all that exciting. Either way, glad you've got stuff settled."

Coming over to the table, she wasn't expecting to see the Captain over here, with a promotion for Zhuk. "œWell earned!" she said, taking her punch and lifting it in a toast.

[Starbase 185 - Mayflower Function Room]

Watching the receding backs of the reporters being escorted out, Alex felt mildly irritated by their intrusion, but also curious how much they knew already, and from whom. "Thank you, I think we will." He replied to Mrekrerhas' invitation, following him back to his table after glancing around to see if Ardyn had any other plans. "And please, feel free to call me Alex."

Captain Galloway making an appearance wasn't unexpected, but his annoucement certainly was. Mrekrerhas' unmistakable delight was infectious, and as the skipper left, Alex clapped the caitian heartily on his back. "Congratulations, Commander! Well, I guess we know at least one person who won't be getting fired for this Land fiasco."

Alex didn't bother trying to say anything else over the crew's raucous chants, stepping aside so 'Zhuk' would be unobstructed from view. Grinning, he raised his glass along with Ardyn's toast as the speakers started playing DJ Lahr's first song of his set. "We'll have to find you a mess bell to ring, put that pay raise to good use."

[Lieutenant Commander Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Function Room Mayflower | Starbase 185]

"Ah, uh... I greatly appreciate your congratulations, Lieutenant Jaeger," Zhuk stated, his tone wavering slightly from the emotion. He then turned towards Lieutenant Wu, and offered him a nod, "I am grateful for your words too, Lieu- Alex. But... pardon, what is this about getting sacked?" He asked, doing his best to pay attention to the response, though his mind unfortunately began to go elsewhere.

Lieutenant Commander, he thought, the rest of the crowd slowly disappearing from his mind as he basked in his achievement. Having gone so far, from being a mere Ensign, in two years certainly made him incredibly accomplished and proud of himself. He wished, for a moment, that his family was there to see him. To celebrate with him.

The happiness he felt became soon tainted with a significant amount of sadness that caused him to slump lightly, his figure a momentary shell of his usual self.

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Starbase 185 - Function Room Mayflower - center stage]

The Vulcan had just recently ended his set, and Lahr was in the back, listening on his ear buds to the stagehand's directions on where and when to take the stage, then one of the helpers moving Lahr's equipment, turned on the unit's comm board to open scanning.  Lahr winced as his ear buds suddenly picked up an cacophony of Ops reports directing ships to their docking ports.  He also overheard via the open comm between Zhuk and his stagehand that the 'candymen' were actually new actually news reporters.  Whoops! Honest mistake there.

Lahr hurried his way to his equipment and rather than turn off the scanning he quickly filtered out the Ops comms and zeroed in on Zhuk's comm badge signal.  The Andorian thought it would be wise to listen in on what the Caitian was saying about him after that rather grievous error.

There was no immediate badmouthing, which was a huge relief to the Andorian but as Lahr listened in on the Security officer and those at Zhuk's table, he picked up on Galloway's voice.  The tone and inflection... immediately spoke volumes to the Petty officer.  Lahr's immediately began recording just in time to catch the Captain's announcement.

The curtain rose.  Lahr started with a heavy club beat, as he cued the recording.

"Hello! Challenger Crew! DJ Lahr is in the house!  But before we can play, the Captain has an important announcement to share."

Lahr pressed play on the recording.   The crowd went wild with applause and a chant of 'Zhuk! Zhuk! Zhuk!' rose in volume with Lahr joining on stage. "Zhuk! Zhuk! Zhuk!" as he switch up his first song.

Then the music started.

His ears flicked as he heard a commotion around the stage. To his surprise, he heard his name being chanted. Almost instinctively, he straightened back up, a smile returning to his face. He gazed over at Lahr as he played a rather catchy, animated song, and offered him a nod. A surge of positive feelings once more washed over him, though accompanied by a certain shyness. Caitians couldn't blush, or at least, not in a way like humans could. Instead of having their cheeks flush with color, Caitian's ears acquired a noticeable reddish pink color, instead of the usual pale pink that Zhuk sported. He hoped that no one would notice, considering that they were most likely not familiar with his species' anatomy.

His fellow crew and friends were too kind. It made him glad to serve alongside them.

[Function Room Mayflower - Starbase 185]

Ian shook Zhuk's hand and winced as the music started. Knowing it was time to go he added.

"You earned it Commander. I'm goin' ta leave you ta celebrate. I hope you have the latinum ta cover the drinks, it could get expensive. Good night."

Ian had noted the commotion with the reporters and found a side exit to slip out unnoticed. Last thing he needed was a nosy reporter. He again ambled around the massive starbase, once again without destination until finding a quiet little cafe that promised it used fresh, not replicated food. He decided, a good meal was just what the doctor ordered and went in.

"Ah... yes, Captain. Thank you kindly. Hope you have a good rest. _{I... I am not certain I possess enough Latinum... drat..."} Ian's words caught the attention of Zhukdra'shar, and he offered a salute of sorts before his superior left. He supposed that he would be able to ask about the interrogations later. For now, he guessed that the best he could do was to enjoy the party, which seemingly had become a celebration catered towards him. Not bad at all.

[As Maddy]

[Promenade â†' Interrogation rooms]

The promenade was pretty big! There were definitely more stores here than on the last Promenade she had been on, and she was already emboldened from the last time she went exploring on a starbase. "œYeah, Mo!  They're so cool! With lotsa people and even a spot where you can see real live spaceships!"

The computer was really cool and showed them where they needed to be going to find Zala.  It was up some floors, but they made it to the foyer that lead onward to some sterile-looking doors ahead.

Maddy almost didn't notice the tall Efrosian behind her until she could feel his thoughts of surprise at seeing two kids here without any adult supervision.

"œWe're not lost!" insisted Maddy. "œWe have a question for Zala. She's his big Sis!"

[Little Mo | Interrogation Rooms | Starbase 185]

The Efrosian gazed at them with no small amount of suspicious, while Mo tried to smile as best as he could to throw off the Security officer. After a moment, and Maddy's attempt at convincing him, he gave up. Sighing, he glanced over at the children, "Alright... I will let you through. But you need to come with me, and you will wait if your sister is still being questioned, are we clear?"

He spoke, firmly but not aggressively, hoping to indeed be able to convince the children that they should not wander alone. He opened up the gate to allow them in, before following them. Mo, on one hand, was glad that the good Security guard had let them through, jumping from excitement at the little adventure they were having,

"Yeah, okay! Thank you, sith!" Came the words of the Ferengi, as he motioned for Maddy to follow. Fortunately for the Efrosian, he had not wandered very far. And at least, they were only two. It would be easy to keep an eye on them, he thought.

[Ian Galloway]

[{NPC} Admiral Hamish Gillespie | Readiness Cafe | Starbase 185]

"I don't mind," Gillespie said. "I'm not on business at the moment. Oh, I'm still on duty, but I'm not at my business; there's a difference between duty and business, after all."

At Galloway's question about Earth, Gillespie gave a shrug. "Och, neither. It's still quiet so far. In regards to Earth, our first sets of recruits from our new Academy one-year program are ready to roll. Dinnae ken if yeh had some of them already; I mean, look at us. We had to graduate everybody at the Academy early, except for the first-year cadets. It's like with the Dominion War again. Even with draining the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Free State and the Unification Movement of officers for the Exchange Program, we're nae at full capacity. We still won't be even when our first sets from the new program come oot.

"Starfleet Security's been working 'roond the clock in keeping an eye on potential hostiles," he added. "The Tzenkethi,  the Breen, the Kzinti. And Romulan factions hostile to the Federation. We'll be in a sticky wicket if any one of them elects to attack noo. Still, a court investigation makes a refreshing change."

He took another sip of the stew and said, "Thus far, there are only nuisance raids along our borders, nothing to indicate something serious...yet. The most interesting thus far is at the Ciden System. We haven't had a thing oot of Ciden for almost thirty years, after all, and now that we have Starfleet personnel manning the newly named Outpost Solaere, we're getting plenty."

"Noo, Galloway," he added, "I had planned on calling on yeh once I supped, but it's good you're here. Firstly, I wanted to send yeh a warning of sorts: Our third man has arrived, and it's none other than old Edward Jellico. My warning is to brace yehrself. He's going to interview yeh and yehr crew next tomorrow. On another matter, I've been accompanying personnel on a new ship that's having a shakedown cruise before my summoning to yeh're court martial. I'd like yeh to accompany me on a new inspection of the ship and get some opinions from it, get yehr perspective on the matter."

[Readiness Cafe - Starbase 185]

Ian listened to Gillespie intently. Even though they had disagreed over things in the past, Ian felt the Admiral was about as close to an ally as he had in this whole mess. He was confident in his decisions and wouldn't have changed anything, but it seemed that admirals stopped being Starfleet and became politicians when the pinned on flag rank. Many decisions, especially the worst of them lately were based on politics and not strategic thinking. However, the offer to tour one of the new ships did sound interesting.

"Yes Sir, I'd be deeply honored ta take a wee look at this ship of yours. I ken I've fought hard ta keep Challenger in the game, but I do keep up with new design developments."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Elsewhere]

The sleek probe was ready. All systems had been triple checked and it was time for the Seeker's first manned mission. The two pilots were in place and the countdown was underway. History was about to be made.

"Five, four, three, two, one. Engage."

The probe then vanished as its revolutionary drive activated.