S6 E4 - The Dead and the Gone

[Calindra Hejaran]

With that Challenger's pint sized XO hopped off the cargo crates and onto the deck. Hey! Hey wait. Kyan called to the woman who'd made for the doorway into the station proper. He turned off the holographic sphere around his headband and smiled up at her when she turned around. "Merry Met Miss Hejarin. I'm Kyan Mackenzie, First Officer on the Challenger."

Calindra was looking for an Ops officer of Asian lineage, she had not expected to be greeted by the ship's second in command. When she did realize that Mackenzie was there to meet her, the first thing that came to mind was a film that her father insisted was a classic where the girl being rescued from the evil minions of the empire, point blank asked of her rescuer if they 'weren't a little short for a stormtrooper?' When she realized what she was thinking, she blinked and prayed to the gods that she wouldn't say or think that ever again, especially in his presence.

At least until she knew him better.

Once she knew someone, the rules were a blur, no holds bared.

Really. Yes, really.

Maybe joining a military organization was a mistake.

"Oh! Hi!," she said when she finally realized she was in a dialogue with herself and that the other man was waiting on her. Flustered, she reached out to shake his hand. "Erm oh! Sorry, sir! Well met, yes!!"

'Oh god, he knows... Find your papers, do anything, but for Krife's sake do NOT giggle like a schoolgirl in pigtails.'

Papers. Papers wasn't quite the right term; the documents themselves were on her tablet and were all electronic, but for some reason that archaism had stuck, despite the medium having been made obsolete almost 400 years ago when Earth had experience a flu pandemic that had forced governments and corporations to move to electronic formats. Whatever papers she had, she happily waved the tablet in front of her commanding officer.

"Sorry, sir, I was expecting to meet with Lieutenant Wu; I was not expecting the ship's second in command," she finally managed with a modicum of decorum, holding herself straight at attention, fixing the sign in front of her. "Calindra Hejaran, Ensign, Operations, reporting for duty. I.. ah... noticed that the ship was in for repairs?"

[Kyan Mackenzie]

"Sorry, sir, I was expecting to meet with Lieutenant Wu; I was not expecting the ship's second in command," she finally managed with a modicum of decorum, holding herself straight at attention, fixing the sign in front of her. "Calindra Hejaran, Ensign, Operations, reporting for duty. I.. ah... noticed that the ship was in for repairs?"

Kyan took the offered hand. At least she wasn't a hugger... or worse a cheek pincher. Blood had been spilled over such things. The pinching part anyway. "Ye dinna gotta do all the pomp an circumstance so, Sure an I don't go in for it meself. You can call me Kyan if ya want, or Commander if yer after bein a proper grup. Best ta be using the last one in front of the Captain so it is, on account of because he's strict about the rules and all."

At her mention of the ship he glanced over at the viewport. Challenger was floating there, attended by workbees and engineers in EVA suits crawled over her hull repairing the recent battle damage. That would be done in a few more days and it would be off to the next mission. Turning back to Calindra, Kyan nodded. "Ya we just got back from Klingon space. They needed help fighting the Kinshaya. Ever heard of them? They're huge mutant gryphon-looking creatures with wings and three eyes. They're ships aren't too great but they're bully fighters. I dinna get to fight one up close but I shot some. Anyways, I'll take ye to yer quarters and you can put yer stuff away, then if ye wanna meet the crew a lot of em are probably gonna be at the party that Tora's doing. Last time she had a Klingon band."

He turned for the door. "So what about you? Where are you from?"

[Ardyn Jaeger - Wu]

[USS Challenger - Transporter Room 2]

Alex didn't know why the Kinshaya had attacked in the first place, nor did he understand why they pulled back so quickly. Maybe it had been only a probing incursion, to test their resistance, or their resolve. In any case, the battle had been quick, fierce, and costly. Most of the day had been spent arranging for the remnants of Ranier's crew still in their sickbay to be transported over to K7's medical facilities. The able-bodied were next to leave, and then Alex had the sobering privilege of repatriating those who had died or been recovered. Truth be told, he was glad that he had that job, because it meant he didn't have to be part of the receiving team, standing with all those waiting widowers, widows, and orphans.

That had been an hour ago. After the last casket disappeared from Challenger's cargo bay, Commander Mackenzie had graciously and somewhat surprisingly offered to take care of Alex's final duty of the day, greeting new crew coming onboard. So now, he hugged Maddison tighter than he'd ever held her before, as Ardyn asked about their daughter's adventures and games she'd played over the past month. Looking over to Ardy, he couldn't help but feel selfishly relieved. They were still alive, and together. "Well, why don't you pick one or two of those paintings out, and we'll hang them in your bedroom?" Alex reached down to pick up Maddy's bags, slinging them up over his shoulder. "And tomorrow, you can show us all the cool places you went to on K7. I bet you know the station better than we do!"

Maddy started skipping, clutching both Alex and Ardyn's hands on either side, occasionally pulling both of her feet up to swing like a little monkey between them. "Okie! Can we have gummy worms for dinner, mommy?"

[Transport room 2]

Ardy smiled as Maddy swung around on their hands. "That sounds like a good idea." she said, referring to Maddy's favorite food, Gagh.

Personally, it wasn't Ardy's favorite to make, given the spicy sauce was hard to get just right without the replicator and well, live worms were , just that, live worms,  however for such a picky kid when she wanted to be (especially concerning her veggies,)  Maddy certainly loved those "gummy worms."

"Why don't we eat out tonight?" she asked, much to the delight of Maddy. One less thing to make for dinner, after all.

Anyhow, this time was time to celebrate.

"Can we daddy?" Asked the little girl  with that look of hers that could probably melt the iciest heart. Ardyn laughed. That crafty kiddo was persuasive, alright.

[  Restaurants - Promenade]

From what Ardy had read, the restaurants here at K-7 were pretty well-rated. After putting Maddy's stuff away in their quarters, they had made their way down here.  Slipping her hand into Alex's as they walked down to figure out what was open and also served Maddy's favorite food, she gave Alex a grin," "Let's eat."

[As Oyari Sedaya]

The somewhat nervous cadet nodded. "This looks like a really nice party you have here," she said, taking a hors d'oeuvre off a platter.  They hadn't had much of a chance, to chat, beyond keeping the surgeons going during the battle, but while she was fairly cautious of this woman whose own people were on the opposite side of the Occupation, she did respect the help that she offered, in the heat of everything.

" Yeah, I'm holding up really well, so far. They weren't kidding when they said things could get crazy at the drop of a hat. I think things have finally gotten to normal now they have transferred everyone who's left to the Station hospital." she said. It was one of the things that you had to face as a doctor, after all. "I definitely have a lot to learn, for sure..." she said, nodding.

[Calindra Hejaran]

Kyan took the offered hand. At least she wasn't a hugger... or worse a cheek pincher. Blood had been spilled over such things. The pinching part anyway. "Ye dinna gotta do all the pomp an circumstance so, Sure an I don't go in for it meself. You can call me Kyan if ya want, or Commander if yer after bein a proper grup. Best ta be using the last one in front of the Captain so it is, on account of because he's strict about the rules and all."

At her mention of the ship he glanced over at the viewport. Challenger was floating there, attended by workbees and engineers in EVA suits crawled over her hull repairing the recent battle damage. That would be done in a few more days and it would be off to the next mission. Turning back to Calindra, Kyan nodded. "Ya we just got back from Klingon space. They needed help fighting the Kinshaya. Ever heard of them? They're huge mutant gryphon-looking creatures with wings and three eyes. They're ships aren't too great but they're bully fighters. I dinna get to fight one up close but I shot some. Anyways, I'll take ye to yer quarters and you can put yer stuff away, then if ye wanna meet the crew a lot of em are probably gonna be at the party that Tora's doing. Last time she had a Klingon band."

He turned for the door. "So what about you? Where are you from?"

[On the Way to the Ship's Crew Quarters]

As her first XO, Kyan wasn't what she had expected. The academy drove you to madness with rank and polishing your shoes that it was hard to get out of it once you actually hit your first posting. It would take her some time before she could call him by his first name; she did, however, stand at ease, let herself relax a bit more, and accepted his officer to lead her to her quarters.

"Me? Oh, I'm from all over," she said with a proud smile. "My father is a retired Admiral and my mother works for the Board of Trade; my parents haven't been to Earth much other than to visit family every few years. My father often jokes that missed being Romulan by a few hours..." Her mother having been part of the Trade Delegation to Romulus shortly after the Dominion war ended -- officials felt it was time to strike some discussions after the collaboration during the war had melted some of the tension between the two powers.

"I can't say I know much about the Kinshaya, but it's probably a good thing they share a border with the Klingons and not us, directly," she said with a frown, wondering just how many crewmen the altercation had cost them. "A party sounds nice! What is the occasion?"

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Deep Space K7 - Promanade]

After paying the bartender, Lahr made a quick exit clenching his hand to hold pressure on the wound to his finger.  If he'd stayed, the nightclub owner would have been required to call the medics... so it was best he left before they - or security arrived.  He still had many more bars to hit up before he could claim victory over this station.

He stopped briefly at a clothing shop and bought himself a pair of faux-leather gloves - the kind with the fringe.   He wore the gloves tight to keep pressure on the cut.

The next bar Lahr went to was a modern dance club.  This was more to Lahr's taste.

[Ian Galloway]

[Outpost Deep Space K-7]

When Ian awoke, the first thing he was aware of was that he was not alone. Upon this realization he thought.

"Jess goin' ta kill me, bury me in a shallow grave, dig me up and kill me again, because that's the beauty of a shallow grave."

"Oh you're awake." Rachel said with an impish grin. "Last night was magical, but we both know reality won't allow us to remain in a land of wonder. I won't ask you any questions and ask you do the same. Let's just let what happened be a special memory as you return to you life and I return to mine."

Ian was relieved it seemed there were no strings attached and simply replied.

"Aye, that does seem best." He dressed quickly and added. "You are all too right that last night was magical. Good day ta you Rachel, you are an extraordinary Lass."

"Never been called that before. Good day Ian."

Ian exited Rachel's quarters and dearly wished he had the access codes to order the station's computer to beam him point to point directly to his quarters on the Challenger, but he did not. This forced him to take a turbolift to the nearest transporter room for transit to the Challenger. When he got to his quarters, he quickly changed into his uniform. Once he was properly dressed, he thought.

"You have buggered things for real this time Ian. Maybe I'll get lucky and get killed in the line of duty before Jess finds out."

[Zemi zhCharion]

[As Oyari Sedaya]
The somewhat nervous cadet nodded. "This looks like a really nice party you have here," she said, taking a hors d'oeuvre off a platter.  They hadn't had much of a chance, to chat, beyond keeping the surgeons going during the battle, but while she was fairly cautious of this woman whose own people were on the opposite side of the Occupation, she did respect the help that she offered, in the heat of everything.
" Yeah, I'm holding up really well, so far. They weren't kidding when they said things could get crazy at the drop of a hat. I think things have finally gotten to normal now they have transferred everyone who's left to the Station hospital." she said. It was one of the things that you had to face as a doctor, after all. "I definitely have a lot to learn, for sure..." she said, nodding.

Zee continued to politely nibble at the prepared food. Despite having eaten already, Ensign Zalos had obvious gone through a lot of effort to make sure there was a diverse range of food available. It really would've been rude not to. Nibbling away, she observed the interaction from a safe distance.

When she was younger and hitchhiking, she'd spent ten days on a Cardassian patrol frigate that had graciously allowed her passage in exchange for helping their 'doctor'. He was little more than a first-aider, in retrospect, and doubled as the ship's cook. He was old, a veteran of Cardassia's many past wars, and would regale her with tales of his people's greatness. He'd bemoan the Federation and its peace-loving attitudes, and spoke surprisingly highly of the Dominion, despite the closing events of the war. To him, Cardassia was never greater than when it single-handedly turned the fate of the Quadrant, and stepped on the lesser races, including the Bajorans.

Zee herself had never been to Bajor, and it always sounded like this guy never had either, but their plight was known across the Federation. By all accounts, the Cardassians should've learned a valuable lesson from their occupation of Bajor, and the devastation to their homeworld at the end of the war. Fortunately most of the crew were younger, many born after the war, and didn't listen to much of what the old curmudgeon had to say. Still, it worried Zee that people like him were still out there, clinging on to past days of empire and conquest.

Ensign Zalos, fortunately, didn't seem to share any of that man's regressive attitudes. The Bajoran she was chatting with (hey, Zee remembered her, they drained off a dude's lung during the battle!) seemed perfectly comfortable around her. They were both proud races, it was good to see no bitterness between them.

For just a split second, Zee found herself thinking back to her parents, and wishing they might end up with just a little bit of their humility... But was quick to brush that thought away. She didn't like dwelling on Home much.

[Tora Zalos]

[Lieutenant Commander Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Lounge 2B | Deep Space K7]

Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas found himself lost in his thoughts, once he had inspected the inventory, making sure that everything had been readied for the evening at hand. The new shindig that Tora had prepared alongside him and a couple of fellow members of the crew had gone off without a hitch. People were arriving, and beginning to partake in the festivities. The Caitian felt... less festive, though. While the administrative duties have aided him in keeping his mind busy, his mind usually strayed back to the two members of Security that he had lost back in the USS Rainier.

He wondered if he could have done a better job in training and organizing his Security officers. If he had any failures while commanding them on the Engineering deck. If he had any failings as a leader. Previously, he had struck against his enemies with certainty and unwavering conviction. Had the fear of the Kinshaya affected him?

Or, had it just been bad luck?

His actions, after all, had allowed Neva and the rest of Engineering to regain the section and had prevented the total loss of the vessel. Most of the Rainier survivors had made it out alive, too.

It had been not easy to reconcile both views that constantly quarreled in his mind, thus he could not fully enjoy his current duties. In fact, he was so out of it, that he missed when Tora had called for him the first time, his ear swishing instinctively to the direction of her voice. It took him a moment to fully process the words spoken,

"Ah... yes. All the decorations have been set in place, Tora."

He spoke, in the serious, monotone voice he almost always used. He supposed that the Cardassian may notice he was not feeling his best, but he hoped that she wouldn't ask. He had no intention of bringing it up. In fact, with the event going well thus far, he was shuffling the idea of heading out to a place where no one knew him. When he first arrived at Deep Space K7, he saw a club that had caught his attention: the Kit Kat Club. A place with an ancient theme to it, that just sounded quite interesting to him. It could prove as a perfect next distraction for him to avoid having to fully face his current feelings.

[Crewman Zala | Transport Room Two | Deck Four | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Zala gazed at the tender scene with a smile, shared between Maddy and her parents. Reunions, even if they came from other people besides her family, always made her teary-eyed. She also felt a certain relief at seeing that both Ardy and Wu had remained completely unscathed. Not everyone had been so lucky over at Security, yet she decided not to think too much about it. She was thankful for Lieutenant Commander Mrekrerhas, who had saved her life not once, but twice, by quickly getting them to cover, and shouting a warning just before she had attempted to fire on her rifle on one occasion, saving her life. Sure, she had been wounded on her shoulder shortly afterward, but she had at least not lost her entire head. She had also made sure to pray, and offer a few slips of the little Latinium she had to the Blessed Exchequer for letting her remain relatively unscathed from the brutal engagement.

And of course, reuniting with her beloved brother.

"Sisther, sisther!"

Came the excited words of Little Mo as the two of them ran towards each other to reunite. Zala brought him into a bear hug, and she began to cry,

"Yes, it is me, Chikeki! It makes me so happy to see you!"

[Ensign Tora Zalos | Lounge 2B | Deep Space K7]

Poor Zhuk looked tired - heck, he even sounded tired. Tora knew extremely well that the Caitian had a lot on his plate at all times, and after their last battle she could only imagine the kind of stress he'd been under. That he'd volunteered to help her get this small party together must've taken quite a bit of effort. Quietly, she shuffled up to him and placed her hand on his arm. "Go rest if you need it, okay? We can hold the fort for a while; I'll call if you're needed. I'll see you later for that fur brushing I promised you, okay?" She squeezed his arm and let him go; while she would've loved to stay by his side and talk to him about what'd just happened to all of them and how he felt, she couldn't. She was the host of the party, and the host could not stay with just one person all the time.

[Transport room 2]

Ardy smiled as Maddy swung around on their hands. "That sounds like a good idea." she said, referring to Maddy's favorite food, Gagh.

Personally, it wasn't Ardy's favorite to make, given the spicy sauce was hard to get just right without the replicator and well, live worms were , just that, live worms,  however for such a picky kid when she wanted to be (especially concerning her veggies,)  Maddy certainly loved those "gummy worms."

"Why don't we eat out tonight?" she asked, much to the delight of Maddy. One less thing to make for dinner, after all.

Anyhow, this time was time to celebrate.

"Can we daddy?" Asked the little girl  with that look of hers that could probably melt the iciest heart. Ardyn laughed. That crafty kiddo was persuasive, alright.

[  Restaurants - Promenade]

From what Ardy had read, the restaurants here at K-7 were pretty well-rated. After putting Maddy's stuff away in their quarters, they had made their way down here.  Slipping her hand into Alex's as they walked down to figure out what was open and also served Maddy's favorite food, she gave Alex a grin," "Let's eat."

[As Oyari Sedaya]

The somewhat nervous cadet nodded. "This looks like a really nice party you have here," she said, taking a hors d'oeuvre off a platter.  They hadn't had much of a chance, to chat, beyond keeping the surgeons going during the battle, but while she was fairly cautious of this woman whose own people were on the opposite side of the Occupation, she did respect the help that she offered, in the heat of everything.

" Yeah, I'm holding up really well, so far. They weren't kidding when they said things could get crazy at the drop of a hat. I think things have finally gotten to normal now they have transferred everyone who's left to the Station hospital." she said. It was one of the things that you had to face as a doctor, after all. "I definitely have a lot to learn, for sure..." she said, nodding.

Her attention then turned to Sedaya, who seemed rather nervous. She couldn't blame her, really. No cadet asked to enlist for the thrill of going into battle with militaristic religious zealots with wings. That kind of experience tended to change people. Harden some, soften some. "There'll always be a lot to learn, no matter what rank you are." She assured her. "But you can't learn properly when you're not in the right state of mind. If you ever need help, don't be afraid to look for it. No shame in needing support, okay?"
Tora's brow furrowed as she noticed Zemi seemingly standing by herself, observing the rest of the party from a distance. Indeed some people preferred to stay on their lonesome and enjoy the atmosphere or whatever have they, but sometimes their reason was feeling left out of the crowd for whatever reason. Which wasn't the goal of tonight. "Give me a second-" Tora patted the cadet on the shoulder and walked towards the Andorian with a smile. "Zee? You feeling alright? Would you like to join me and cadet Oyari?" She offered, nodding back at Sedaya.

[Zemi zhCharion]

One minute, the Andorian was deep in thought about Cardassians, the war, the Bajorans, and the next---

Tora patted the cadet on the shoulder and walked towards the Andorian with a smile. "Zee? You feeling alright? Would you like to join me and cadet Oyari?" She offered, nodding back at Sedaya.

"Huh?" Zee snapped back to reality with the Cardassian in question right there. "Oh sorry, I just had a lot on my mind I guess. I didn't want to get in the way of your conversation, y'know? But if there's an opening, I'd love to fill it." Wait, that's not- "Wait, that's not what I- oh, you know what I mean! Sorry, I just find it difficult to switch off sometimes."

[Calindra Hejaran]

[Ensign Calindra Hejaran | Passing by Lounge 2B | DS-K7]

Before they made their way to the ship, Commander Mackenzie had pointed out the lounge in which Ensign Zalos was hosting the get together. It had seemed easier since it was nearby.  "Oh! It's not on the ship!" She exclaimed, realizing suddenly that she did not have much to stow in her quarters anyway. She looked into the lounge, curious to see how many had already gathered there. She did see a Cardassian Ensign fussing over the food and redirecting some of the staff, as well as a few others as she and Kyan passed by.

[Kyan Mackenzie]

"A party sounds nice! What is the occasion?"

Having listened to Calindra's recent family history, Kyan was simultaneously impressed and glad it was them and not him. Romulan grups were among his least favorite. With few exceptions, they were predictably deceitful and way more arrogant than Vulcans. They did have a flare for the dramatic though, so they had that going for them. But ultimately the cons tended to outweigh the pros with them. And who wanted to wear shoulder pads ALL the time?  Like what was that about? He'd seen plenty of Romulans with their shirts off. They had normal shoulders. And those haircuts? It's like they saw what their Vulcan cousins were doing and collectively said "We can do worse!"

"Sure and I'm from Miri's Planet meself." Kyan answered finally. "But I haven't been back there since a few years after ol' Kirk showed up. Then I lived on Cestus Three with the Mackenzies. They founded the city of Prairieview if you ever been there. An after they went off ta da Summerlands, I was on a Ferengi freighter for a long time. That was the best so it was. Loads of adventures. I did that til Starfleet finally let me join."

When Calindra inquired about going to the party instead of the ship Kyan was all for it. Any time he could avoid using the transporter was a win in his book. When they arrived at the party Kyan remembered her question about the occasion for the shindig. "Oh... and Tora's party is prolly cause we're not all dead." He shrugged. "She dinna need a reason for it so, she's Cardassian but she's from Risa. She likes parties...and hugging folks. So watch out if yer not after gettin hugs."

Kyan glanced around the room before they parted ways and saw their Security Chief coming toward the exit looking rather morose. When Calindra went off to meet her new crewmates, Kyan went over to Zhuk. "Heya Zhuk. It's tired ye look the now. Are ye sick?"

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Deep Space K7 - Promanade]

An Andorian ale and three dances later, Lahr extracted himself from the circle of dance partners he'd introduced himself to a half hour before.  It was time to hit the next watering hole!  Four drinks in less than an hour, had caused Lahr's gait to be more fluid than he was used to.  His antennae bobbed about reading his surroundings, which his brain completely misinterpreted.  Twice he bumped into the railing that allowed pedestrians a view to the lower promenade decks.

It was in this inebriated state that Lahr arrived at Lounge 2B where several members of Challenger's crew were getting together.

[Lounge 2B]

"Yo peeps! Party is on 'cause DJ Lahr is in the house!" And with that Lahr crashed the party.  First place he hit up was the bar.

"A tankard of Klingon ale." he called to the server,  "and a round for any Challenger crewmember present."

[Calindra Hejaran]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Deep Space K7 - Promanade]

An Andorian ale and three dances later, Lahr extracted himself from the circle of dance partners he'd introduced himself to a half hour before.  It was time to hit the next watering hole!  Four drinks in less than an hour, had caused Lahr's gait to be more fluid than he was used to.  His antennae bobbed about reading his surroundings, which his brain completely misinterpreted.  Twice he bumped into the railing that allowed pedestrians a view to the lower promenade decks.

It was in this inebriated state that Lahr arrived at Lounge 2B where several members of Challenger's crew were getting together.

[Ensign Calindra Hejaran | Passing by Lounge 2B | DS-K7]

As Mackenzie explained where he came from, Calindra observed an Andoran walk into the causeway's railing. His antennae seemed agitated. Hopefully the Commander wouldn't notice, but Calindra took precautions to ensure he was looking the other way when the Andoran pushed past her and into the lounge. They followed him in just as he declared himself.

[Lounge 2B]

"Yo peeps! Party is on 'cause DJ Lahr is in the house!" And with that Lahr crashed the party.  First place he hit up was the bar.

"A tankard of Klingon ale." he called to the server,  "and a round for any Challenger crewmember present."

She thanked the commander for meeting with her and then headed towards the bar. "I can't say I ever had Klingon ale, thank you," she said as she stepped up to the bar waiting for the bartender to fill the Andoran's order. She turned her back to the bar, leaning back as she took in the others in the room.

She noted the Commander was talking to a Caitian; she found another Andoran -- a female this time; and ahh, there was the Cardassian talking to a nervous looking cadet who then moved on to engage the Andoran woman.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tankard of ale being placed next to her shoulder, which she took and raised in thanks at the Andoran male.

[Aarwendil Cheizex]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Deep Space K7 - Promanade]

An Andorian ale and three dances later, Lahr extracted himself from the circle of dance partners he'd introduced himself to a half hour before.  It was time to hit the next watering hole!  Four drinks in less than an hour, had caused Lahr's gait to be more fluid than he was used to.  His antennae bobbed about reading his surroundings, which his brain completely misinterpreted.  Twice he bumped into the railing that allowed pedestrians a view to the lower promenade decks.

It was in this inebriated state that Lahr arrived at Lounge 2B where several members of Challenger's crew were getting together.

[Lounge 2B]

"Yo peeps! Party is on 'cause DJ Lahr is in the house!" And with that Lahr crashed the party.  First place he hit up was the bar.

"A tankard of Klingon ale." he called to the server,  "and a round for any Challenger crewmember present."

[Ensign Calindra Hejaran | Passing by Lounge 2B | DS-K7]

As Mackenzie explained where he came from, Calindra observed an Andoran walk into the causeway's railing. His antennae seemed agitated. Hopefully the Commander wouldn't notice, but Calindra took precautions to ensure he was looking the other way when the Andoran pushed past her and into the lounge. They followed him in just as he declared himself.

She thanked the commander for meeting with her and then headed towards the bar. "I can't say I ever had Klingon ale, thank you," she said as she stepped up to the bar waiting for the bartender to fill the Andoran's order. She turned her back to the bar, leaning back as she took in the others in the room.

She noted the Commander was talking to a Caitian; she found another Andoran -- a female this time; and ahh, there was the Cardassian talking to a nervous looking cadet who then moved on to engage the Andoran woman.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tankard of ale being placed next to her shoulder, which she took and raised in thanks at the Andoran male.

[Deep Space K7 | Lounge 2B]

Aarwendil was walking toward the bar, feeling conflicted with his emotions. They had been successful in defeating the Kinshaya, securing the safety of the Federation and its allies against a possible great threat. However, some colleagues died during the process. It was usual, people died while on duty, but the Betazoid couldn't avoid lamenting about them.

After all, he was a sentient. Sadness was something normal. The only thing was that he couldn't allow it to dominate him.

This was why he decided to come to the bar, arriving right on time to see Officer Lahr livening up the party. Aarwendil smiled, some stuff never changes. He walked toward the bar, stopping next to an Ensign right on time when  a tankard of ale was left there. He would avoid something that strong at the moment.

"Aren't you going to try it?" he asked the blonde woman.

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Ensign Tora Zalos | Lounge 2B | Deep Space K7]

Poor Zhuk looked tired - heck, he even sounded tired. Tora knew extremely well that the Caitian had a lot on his plate at all times, and after their last battle she could only imagine the kind of stress he'd been under. That he'd volunteered to help her get this small party together must've taken quite a bit of effort. Quietly, she shuffled up to him and placed her hand on his arm. "Go rest if you need it, okay? We can hold the fort for a while; I'll call if you're needed. I'll see you later for that fur brushing I promised you, okay?" She squeezed his arm and let him go; while she would've loved to stay by his side and talk to him about what'd just happened to all of them and how he felt, she couldn't. She was the host of the party, and the host could not stay with just one person all the time.

[Lieutenant Commander Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Lounge 2B | Deep Space K7]

The Caitian tensed up as he felt Tora's hand on his arm. He worried that she would ask him what was wrong, and that would lead to a scene where he could no longer hold back his feelings. He didn't want to break down in public. That would be incredibly embarrassing, and shameful. He was also worried about being seen as weak. He couldn't allow that, especially because he was now Chief of Security. That reflected badly on him, and then he would have people question his effectiveness, just like the incident of the thief.

Instead of those awful things that had engulfed his mind, though, she offered gentle words that reassured him that she could manage, asking him to take a rest. Plus, the offer for a brushing did sound wonderful right at that moment. He visibly relaxed, slumping his shoulders as he properly turned towards the Cardassian, and nodded,

"Much appreciated, Tora. I shalt take thy advice. Though please do call if you require any assistance."

Zhuk offered her a small smile, and a nod of his head, before beginning to head off. A small twinge of worry still remained, wondering if he would be able to make it back in time if anything transpired. Then again, he knew Tora was capable, and so he reassured himself that she would do a good job. So, he decided to let it go, and try to find an activity that could properly take his mind off the edge.

Or maybe he would just sleep. Sleeping was pleasant.

Having listened to Calindra's recent family history, Kyan was simultaneously impressed and glad it was them and not him. Romulan grups were among his least favorite. With few exceptions, they were predictably deceitful and way more arrogant than Vulcans. They did have a flare for the dramatic though, so they had that going for them. But ultimately the cons tended to outweigh the pros with them. And who wanted to wear shoulder pads ALL the time?  Like what was that about? He'd seen plenty of Romulans with their shirts off. They had normal shoulders. And those haircuts? It's like they saw what their Vulcan cousins were doing and collectively said "We can do worse!"

"Sure and I'm from Miri's Planet meself." Kyan answered finally. "But I haven't been back there since a few years after ol' Kirk showed up. Then I lived on Cestus Three with the Mackenzies. They founded the city of Prairieview if you ever been there. An after they went off ta da Summerlands, I was on a Ferengi freighter for a long time. That was the best so it was. Loads of adventures. I did that til Starfleet finally let me join."

When Calindra inquired about going to the party instead of the ship Kyan was all for it. Any time he could avoid using the transporter was a win in his book. When they arrived at the party Kyan remembered her question about the occasion for the shindig. "Oh... and Tora's party is prolly cause we're not all dead." He shrugged. "She dinna need a reason for it so, she's Cardassian but she's from Risa. She likes parties...and hugging folks. So watch out if yer not after gettin hugs."

Kyan glanced around the room before they parted ways and saw their Security Chief coming toward the exit looking rather morose. When Calindra went off to meet her new crewmates, Kyan went over to Zhuk. "Heya Zhuk. It's tired ye look the now. Are ye sick?"

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[Deep Space K7 - Promanade]

An Andorian ale and three dances later, Lahr extracted himself from the circle of dance partners he'd introduced himself to a half hour before.  It was time to hit the next watering hole!  Four drinks in less than an hour, had caused Lahr's gait to be more fluid than he was used to.  His antennae bobbed about reading his surroundings, which his brain completely misinterpreted.  Twice he bumped into the railing that allowed pedestrians a view to the lower promenade decks.

It was in this inebriated state that Lahr arrived at Lounge 2B where several members of Challenger's crew were getting together.

[Lounge 2B]

"Yo peeps! Party is on 'cause DJ Lahr is in the house!" And with that Lahr crashed the party.  First place he hit up was the bar.

"A tankard of Klingon ale." he called to the server,  "and a round for any Challenger crewmember present."

Of course, things couldn't be that easy.

As he almost got to the exit, he came across Kyan, who was escorting a pretty human woman. The two went their separate ways, and the Commander approached. Then the Onlie proceeded to irk him by asking him if he was sick. His expression did not change, even if the usual pink of his ears turned a beet red. He hated how perceptive Mackenzie could be sometimes. A boon in combat, of course, but in these types of social situations, it was nothing short of a curse.

The sharply dressed Caitian took a moment to answer, taking a moment to dust off his fancy emerald green tuxedo, and slightly shifting in his spot to show off his luxurious orange coat. He finally knew what to respond with,

"Not at all, Commander Mackenzie. I just find myself moderately tired. Nothing to concern thee about."

There, succinct and simple. No need to elaborate if it isn't needed.

And the perfect distraction came by, in the shape of Lahr, who seemed to be especially wobbly today. He couldn't help but chuckle at seeing his friend so happy. He wondered if alcohol could do the trick, as he saw him walk over to the bar and speak to the bartender, announcing that, besides his drink, he would invite a round to all those belonging to the Challenger,

"Huh... Lahr seems to be in splendid spirits. I assume that is the same for thee, Commander?"

He glanced over at Kyan, deciding to engage in some conversation so that he wouldn't suspect too much of how he truly felt. Throw him off his scent,

"Say, who is the newcomer? A new individual in the Challenger? I fail to recognize her from the records..."