USS ANUBIS - Mission 09
Crystals a Plenty
POST INDEX
Post # Character Title
001 Morningstar Crystal Quest
A small box is received with the first crystal
002 Shar'El Crystal Analysis
Shar'El looking into Prof Arken and INVERNIA II
003 Stark INVERNIA II
Jayson and Ya'Han discuss the mission
004 Ya'Han Crystals and Memories
Ya'Han recalls an early childhood memory
005 Maya One Crystal At A Time
Additional inforamton is discovered in the crystal
006 Shar'El Crysal Ball
The IGC narrows the search to two people
007 Ya'Han Crysals of the Past
Ya'Han and Jayson share a personal discussion
008 Stark Not So Crystal Clear
Jayson finds himself on the out with Ya'Han
009 Shar'El As Fragile as Crystal
Shar'El investigates Ya'Han's behaviour
010 Ya'Han Confusion
Ya'Han tries to understand what is happening to her
011 Morningstar Hidden in Plain Sight
Two away teams are sent to INVERNIA II
012 Maya Not Fully Understanding Why
Maya analyses the Invernian society
013 Ya'Han On Edge
Ya'Han, slightly on edge, observes the planet
014 Shar'El She Who Shall Not Be Named
The woman is found, but there may be complications
015 Stark Who's Following Who
Someone else might be after the crystals
016 Ya'Han From Above
Ya'Han tracks the unknown individual
017 Paquette Not One Bit
The away team finds IshDur Talkiir
018 Morningstar Understandings
Erik and Nicole have a friendly chat
019 Ya'Han Alone
Ya'Han, unable to sleep, contemplates her situation
020 Stark Solitary Confinement
Jayson tries to understand his own feelings
021 Maya A Whole Different Puzzle
Maya calls on Jayson to help figure out the clue
022 Shar'El Cold Blooded
Shar'El enlists Jayson's aid in Stellar Cartography
023 Stark No Pressure
Jayson speaks with Shar'El about 'Sam'
024 Ya'Han Detour
The ANUBIS goes to the rescue of a freighter
025 Shar'El Concerns
Shar'El speaks to Erik before setting up a new plan
026 Paquette Borderline
Working on the new plan, Sonja confronts Shar'El
027 Stark Artificial Intellect
Jayson offers a theory for the extra data they have
028 Ya'Han Keeping An Eye Open
Ya'Han watches the SPHINX as a freighter hads it way
029 Shar'El Surprises
The SPHINX makes contact with a freighter
030 Stark Different Ideas...
The SPHINX is attacked heading back to the ANUBIS
031 Paquette Complicated Thinking
Sonja and Ya'Han spend an evening together
032 Ya'Han Green, Eggs and Ham
Ya'Han speaks with Sonja about her pregnancy
033 Maya Some Puzzles...
Sonja and Ya'Han drop in on Maya
034 Ya'Han Alien to Alien
Ya'Han tries to tell Maya about her pregnancy
035 Paquette Really Complicated Thinking
Sonja, Ya'Han and Maya figure out the crystal
036 Shar'El All About Feelings
Ya'Han has a verbal run-in with Shar'El
037 Stark No Choices
Jayson starts on a research project
038 Paquette Hurry Up and Wait
Pushing the ANUBIS to its limit, the crew arrives
039 Morningstar Patience
Nicole speaks to Erik who goes to see Shar'El
040 Shar'El Headache
Contact is finally made with the surface
041 Ya'Han Not As Planned
The away team heads to the surface
042 Paquette A Bad Joke
The away team is escorted to the Grand Maestro
043 Ya'Han This Is No Room...
Ya'Han explores the room she was assigned to
044 Maya Impossible Forgotten...
Maya finds a book written by her father
045 Paquette Cutting A Deal
The away team completes the trade, sort of
046 Shar'El Returning Home
The away team returns to the ANUBIS
047 Ya'Han Grateful
Ya'Han is an emotional mess and Sonja comes to help
048 Stark Something's Afoot
Jayson wonders what happened while on the bridge
049 Morningstar The Price
Erik considers the events that have taken place
050 Paquette The News
Maya discovers the location of the next crystal
051 Shar'El Taking Proper Steps
The senior staff is placed on compulsory rest
052 Ya'Han Thinking
Ya'Han thinks back to her time on DOLBRA
053 Stark Pacing
Jayson asks a favour from Shar'El
054 Shar'El Plotting
Shar'El has Ya'Han remembering her past
055 Ya'Han Seeking
Ya'Han tries to understand how she feels
056 Maya Researching
Maya looks into the lack of pictures for the Dolbargy
057 Shar'El Contemplating
Shar'El reviews the data gathered on the Dolbargy
058 Paquette Resting and Laughing
Sonja relaxes by the warp core
059 Ya'Han Drinking
Ya'Han is relaxing in the Black Hole Lounge
060 Dima Drifting
Nicole meets with Erik to talk about the crew
061 Stark Talking
Jayson thinks back to why he wanted to see Nicole
062 Ya'Han Accepting
Ya'Han tells Jayson that she is pregnant, almost
063 Shar'El Confrontation
The ANUBIS deals with a Hirogen scout ship
064 Paquette Planning
Ya'Han is trapped by Sonja in Sonja's quarters
065 Stark Wondering
Jayson tries to understand what just happened
066 Ya'Han Accepting, Part 2
Ya'Han an Sonja accept their situation
067 Shar'El Understanding
Shar'El confronts Ya'Han and Sonja to learn the truth
Post # Character Title
068 Ya'Han Laughing
Everyone is on the bridge as things get complicated
069 Morningstar Arriving
The ANUBIS finally arrives in orbit of DOLBAR
070 Dima Avoiding
The bridge crew tries to figure things out
071 Shar'El Analysing
The puzzle thickens in regards to the Dolbargy
072 Ya'Han Trading
The team is shown around and obtain the crystal
073 Shar'El Investigating
Shar'El looks into memories to see what happened
074 Stark Hoping
Jayson is hoping all is well with Ya'Han
075 Ya'Han Understanding
The truth is discovered as to what happened
076 Shar'El Continuing
Nicole finds a way to help Tanith
077 Paquette Smacking
Sonja confronts Ya'Han
078 Dima Reckoning
Nicole deals with the situation
079 Shar'El Remembering
Shar'El deals with her own issues being in Command
080 Morningstar Meditating
Erik meditates and contemplate the universe
081 Stark Looking
Jayson is looking at Ya'Han as she sleeps
082 Ya'Han Dreaming
Ya'Han dreams while Jayson watches her
083 Maya Not Sleeping
Shar'El goes to see Maya who is still working
084 Shar'El Self-Guilting
Shar'El is having problem dealing with the memories
085 Stark Fixing
Jayson and Ya'Han try to return to their routine
086 Ya'Han Evaluating
Ya'Han evaluates the threat potential
087 Shar'El Compartmentalizing
Shar'El has problems dealing with Ya'Han's memories
088 Paquette Relaxing
Nicole and Sonja relax and enjoy a few drinks
089 Dima Arriving
The ANUBIS arrives at BREKKA
090 Stark Ridging
Jayson gets ready for the away mission
091 Shar'El Prepping
Shar'El, Jayson and Nicole beam down to BREKKA
092 Ya'Han Running
Sonja and Ya'Han head to a freighter in trouble
093 Paquette Fixing
Sonja and Ya'Han deal with the freighter issue
094 Morningstar Voicing
Erik discusses the situation with the bridge crew
095 Ya'Han Protecting
Sonja is experiencing some troubles with the repais
096 Stark Searching
The away team gets a lead to find Tianna
097 Dima Greeting
The away team runs into some trouble
098 Shar'El Reeling
Shar'El is having problems dealing with the Felicium
099 Morningstar Adapting
Complications as Shar'El escapes to the surface
100 Paquette Tracking
Sonja, Ya'Han and Nicole follow Shar'El to ORNARA
101 Ya'Han Huntging
Ya'Han is worried about Shar'El's state of mind
102 Shar'El The High Ground
Shar'El in a complete state of delusion
103 Stark Wandering
Jayson wanders back to the bridge
104 Ya'Han Surviving
Ya'Han recalls a similar event from her childhood
105 Shar'El Hallucinating
Shar'El falls deeper into a drug induced delusions
106 Paquette MacGyvering
Sonja finds and fixes a way to get Ya'Han free
107 Ya'Han Breathing
Ya'Han is freed from beneath the rubble
108 Morningstar Waiting
Erik deals with Jayson
109 Dima Shooting
The away team finds and secures Shar'El
110 Shar'El Realizing
Shar'El is brought back on board the ANUBIS
111 Dima Dealing
The trade with Tianna is completed
112 Stark Detoxing
The morning after the antidote was given
113 Shar'El Crashing
Shar'El goes to see Maya with a special project
114 Maya Multitasking
Maya discovers something and goes to see Sonja
115 Morningstar Hoping
Erik goes to see Shar'El for some Intel
116 Shar'El Chatting
Erik and Shar'El talk about the Ub-Hani
117 Maya Reviewing
Maya reads the reports on the Ub-Hani
118 Ya'Han Sparring
Ya"han and Jayson head to Sickbay
119 Paquette Computing
Sonja and Erik get an idea that involves ANI
120 Shar'El Fearing
Shar'El goes to see Sonja and Maya out of fear
121 Stark Dining
Jayson and Ya'Han share a heated dinner
122 Maya Upgrading
Sonja and Maya have a discussion about ANI's upgrades
123 Ya'Han Working
Jayson and Ya'Han have breakfast before duty
124 Shar'El Waking
Shar'El also makes it to the bridge
125 Paquette Beaming
Maya and Sonja take a quick nourishing break
126 Morningstar Preparing
Erik sends Shar'El to check on ANI
127 Maya Dying
ANI vanishes and returns with the crystal
128 Jones Getting Involved
Someone else is looking for the crystals
129 Shar'El Decorating
Maya reports to Shar'El where the next crystal is
130 Stark Bitching
Jayson allows himself to show his fear
131 Shar'El Scanning
Shar'El discovers some interesting facts
132 Jones The Cuckoo
Tanith has falshbacks of her time in the Syndicate
133 Morningstar Blinking
All crystals and found but at a cost
M09-P001: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 01 - 1130 ("Crystal Quest")
##########
"Crystal Quest"
Previous post "The Relative Merits of Planets"
##########

"The secret to a happy, successful life of paranoia is to keep careful track of your persecutors."
- Tyrone Hayes

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 32218.1130

"Here are the latest orders from Admiral Koniki," the First Officer stated as she handed over a PADD to the Native American sitting behind his desk, noticing only then that the Captain had not been alone. "Good day Counselor Dima, I hope that I am not interrupting anything important?"

Nicole simply smiled and shook her head. "We were just talking about our latest mission and debated as to how the Admiral would react to our findings."

He will probably react the same way that he has been as of late," Shar'El sighed. "Wonder what corner of the galaxy he'll be sending us to this time," the First Officer added while glaring at the PADD she had just handed over to the ANUBIS' CO.

"Am I to gather by your words that you suspect the Admiral is still angry at us for having returned Kai to his home world?" Erik teasingly inquired, glancing over the PADD he had just received from his First Officer.

"With all due respect Captain, we celebrated the 200th day of our exile from NEW ALEXANDRIA," Shar'El pointed out, in a clearly less than happy tone. "Every time we come close to completing the mission we were sent on, which just happens to be in a region as far away from our home base as possible, we get new orders sending us even father. You cannot in all honestly believe that the Admiral is not trying to keep us from returning home?"

"Has it really been 200 days?" The Native American asked, appearing honestly shocked by the number mentioned by his First Officer.

"Today makes 201 days," Shar'El clarified.

"We did disobey direct orders," the Captain countered with. "Being exiled from our base of operation seems to be a rather small price to pay for what we did."

"Are you teasing poor Shar'El or are you actually making it a point to ignore the facts we uncovered about where the data as to the actual location of Kai's home world came from?" Nicole jumped in with. "There is a great deal of evidence pointing to us having been set up by the Admiral, a conclusion that I believed you had come to agree with."

"That he agrees with that theory or not doesn't change the fact that we are not being ordered back to NEW ALEXANDRIA," the First Officer explained. "We are to set a course to rendezvous with the USS NILE. Apparently, they have a data transfer for us, one that could not be risked being sent over secured channels."

"Sounds like we are being sent somewhere dangerous," Counselor Dima noted with wide opened eyes.

"More so than dealing with the Nausicaans weapon smugglers," Shar'El agreed. Has potentially dangerous that their last mission had been, the orders concerning that matter had not been received in such a convoluted manner.

"It's not like we have any other option," the Native American pointed out. "Until such time as the Admiral sees the need, be it physical or emotional, to having us back to NEW ALEXANDRIA, we will continue to perform the tasks demanded of us."

"Does he sound like a man suffering from guilt?" Shar'El asked as she turned to face the sitting Counsellor.

Nicole knew better than to offer a reply at this time, and instead only smile once again.

"I will have Ensign Jones set an intercept course for the USS NILE," the First Officer confirmed. "Barring any unforeseen problems, we should rendezvous in just under 4 hours."

The Native American nodded his head in a clear sign of agreement, dismissing his First Officer without even having to say a single word. As soon as the door closed being Shar'El, Nicole shifting her position to sit forward on the couch where she had been this entire time.

"Erik, it's been over 200 days," the Counsellor reiterated. "I have said this to you before and feel the need to say it again, the crew is showing signs of concern."

"I know," Erik admitted. "Unfortunately there is little that I can do about it. Right now the best course of action is to carry out our orders and prove to the Admiral that we are what he needs us to be."

"A bunch of obedient mindless tin soldiers?" Nicole said in as a serious tone as she could, this despite the fact that she was in reality only wishing to tease the Captain.

The Native American simply rolled his eyes before shifting his focus onto the data contained within the PADD that he had been given by his First Officer.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32218.1515

"We are holding position 500 meters to the NILE's portside," Tanith reported.

"Thank you Helm," Erik acknowledge before turning his attention to his Chief of Security. "Are we cleared to make the data transfer?"

"We are," Ya'Han noted with a hint of surprise in her voice. "One problem though, the data transfer does not appear to be set up to be a computer to computer exchange,m but rather our receiving a small package."

"The mission hasn't even started and things are already going beyond expected parameters," the OPS Officer sighed. "Can't wait to see what this entire mission is going to take us."

"Bridge to Engine Room. Lieutenant Paquette?" The Captain called out after having opened a channel from the controls on the armrest of the central chair where he was sitting.

=/\= Go ahead, =/\= Sonja acknowledged without delay.

"Apparently we are to receive a small package from the NILE," the Native American explained. "We need to make sure that the transport beam is secured."

=/\= We are the only two ships in a dozen or so lightyears. Unless Shar'El fell asleep while at her station at the IGC, like she did during the last mission, or was that the mission before? Either way, she would have informed us of our not being alone, but since I don't have anything better to do at this moment, I will make sure that the transport beam is secured. Engineering out. =/\=

"I have the feeling that Sonja is not going to let that little incident be forgotten by Shar'El or anyone else," Nicole quietly chuckled.

"The link has been established and secured," Jayson Stark reported after a few seconds during which the redheaded Chief Engineer had done her magic.

"Initiate transport," Erik ordered as he cast an amused glance to the Ship's Counsellor in regards to what she had said.

Not having been entirely certain as to what to expect, the members of the Senior Staff present on the bridge were shocked to see what appeared to be a very small box materialize on the floor in front of the Captain.

"Little early for a Christmas gift," the Flight Control Officer pointed out, puzzled by the size of the item that had just been beamed over.

"Sensors are not detecting any sort of explosive or biological agent inside," the black and red haired woman in charge of the ship's security announced.

"If the Admiral had wanted us dead, I am sure he would not have sent the NILE to deliver *that*," Jayson exclaimed pointing to the small box in question.

"The sensors have picked up something unusual though," Maya added as she made her way to the central chair where the Captain was still sitting in. "It seems that there is a small crystal inside the box."

"Be my guess," the Native American offered as he invited the Chief Science Officer to pick up the small container and confirm what the sensors had reported.

Without hesitation, the Shillian reached for the small box and opened it with just as much scientific curiosity as she did everything else. "Most interesting," Maya announced as her eyes fell onto the item contained within the box. "It does appear to be an Hekaran memory crystal. They use these to store and transfer excessively large set of data."

"Think you can access whatever is inside that thing?" Erik inquired, very confident that his Chief Science Officer would be able to do that and much more.

"Give me a few minutes and I will see what I can find inside this crystal."

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32218.1530

It had actually taken longer to gather the members of the senior staff than it had taken Maya to access the data contained in the Hekalan Crystal.

"Although the information was well encoded, it was meant for us to access so it did not take too long, but as you will see, what I did find is rather interesting," Maya explained before dimming the lights to allow a three-dimensional hologram to be clearly seen by all. "The man you are seeing now is Professor Elijah Arken, a brilliant man who had been working on several important scientific matters."

"It should also be mentioned that Professor Arken is considered to be quite mad by the whole of the Federation Scientific community," Nicole added, the man's name having been mentioned more than once in the field of Ship's Counsellors.

"I know him," Jayson explained. "His portrait is found right next to the dictionary definition of paranoia."

"And here I thought it was Koniki that had that honour," Sonja sighed.

"Our mission is to locate seven other similar crystals to this one," Maya continued, ignoring the banter of the others. "Apparently, the Professor was working on something very important, and to avoid his work to be discovered and used by others, he separated it into a total of eight crystals which he scattered throughout the Federation and even beyond. The data contained in a single crystal is useless without the others, and even if only a single crystal is missing, the others would proved to be equally useless."

"Not paranoid at all," Shar'El chuckled. "So, how do we find all of these crystals?"

"In order to insure that the location of all eight crystals could be readily found, there are clues in each crystal pointing to the next. This crystal seems to be telling us to go to INVERNIA II, where we will need to locate a certain IshDur Talkiir. It appears that he is in the possession of the next crystal."

"Great," Sonja sighed. "He is still getting even with us, and he is doing so by sending us on a wild goose chase?"

"Wild goose?" Ya'Han inquired not having been familiar with the expression.

"Ensign Jones," the Native American stated as he rose from his chair at the end of the table. "Please set course for INVERNIA II. It appears that we have a specific individual to locate."

"Once we get there we'll just have to hope that he still as that crystal in his possession," Shar'El added, obviously not sharing the Captain's abundant optimism.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P002: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 01 - 1600 ("Crystal Analysis")
=-=
"Crystal Analysis"
[previous post was "Crystal Quest" by the well-rested Francois]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck A-4, IGC
Stardate: 32218.1600

The ExO / ILO had returned to the IGC to see what she could find on Professor Elijah Arken, the Ivernian named IshDur Talkiir, as well as his home world of INVERNIA II. As she scanned the data being displayed on her monitors, Shar'El was shocked to see just little data was available on their destination. Although diplomatic relations had been established with that world in the mid to late 2340s, 80 years later the Invernians were just as a complete mystery as the first day the Federation made contact with them.

Immediately, Shar'El believed the race to be extreme xenophobes, fearing any and all outside interference in their way of life, but the reports from visitors to that world painted a drastically different picture. In general, the Invernians were a welcoming and friendly people, what set them apart from others though was their distinct  loathing of talking about themselves, either as individuals or as a race.  To this race, history is any form, was looked upon as something sacred that could not be shared with others, especially not strangers. Even the most basic of culture differences had been kept out of sight of those visiting dignitaries, further fuelling the mystery that engulfed the race for the last 80 some odd years.

Realizing that this might prove to be a problem for them as well as their quest for the memory crystal currently in the hands of an individual by the name of IshDur Talkiir, the ExO / ILO turned her research onto the Professor, curious as to how the man had managed to develop the trust she believed would have been required to allow the Invernian to take on the responsibility of protecting the crystal.

According to the public records, Professor Elijah Arken had travelled to INVERNIA II several years ago claiming that he needed to personally pick up some local material essential for his research. Knowing how paranoid the man could be, those in charge had not seen any reason to deny the Professor's request, and had likely welcomed the opportunity to see their lives be free of the man's well documented madness.

"I am going to need to speak with Counsellor Dima about this guy," Shar'El noted to herself. "Doing a psychological analysis of someone is easy. It is always an advantage to know how someone might react to any given situation, but this Professor seems to be the perfect example of an over-the-top 'mad scientist'."  The ExO / ILO sighed in amused surprise as she read the lengthy list of events that Professor Arken had been implicated in since the moment he had become known to the Federation's scientific community.

To say that the man was a genius would have been a grave understatement, but as smart as he was, Professor Arken had proven himself to be equally unpredictable in his research and methods of performing experiments. Knocking planetary communication satellites because they were getting in his way while studying a spacial anomaly from the planet surface had not been something that required a second thought as far as the man had been concerned. Ejecting and detonating a starship's warp-core to test the strength of a magnetic bond between a flat surface and his experiment at the time had also been something that the Professor had not shown any remorse in doing.

"This might give us all a new appreciation for Maya," Shar'El quietly chuckled. "I can just imagine how chaotic life would be on the ANUBIS if our resident Chief Science Officer was but a small fraction as unpredictable as this man is documented being. Suddenly, having to listen to her go on for hours about some scientific discovery doesn't seem to be so bad now."

Thinking about Maya, the ExO / ILO decided to check in on what the Chief Science Officer had been doing. It was without the slightest amount of surprise that Shar'El found the woman in question working inside one of the labs scanning and analyzing the crystal that had been beamed over from the USS NILE. Given everything that she had read about the Professor, it was highly unlikely that the Shillian would be able to break the encryption to reveal the secrets hiding therein, especially given that they currently only held 1/8th of the complete puzzle. That said though, if there was something to be discovered in that simple, innocent looking crystal, the raven-haired woman was more than confident that their resident Chief Science Officer would be the person to find it.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P003: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 01 - 1615 ("INVERNIA II")
"INVERNIA II"
[previous "Crystal Analysis"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32218.1615

Here they were, heading into another mission set on the far reaches of the galaxy. If Admiral Koniki had not been trying to keep them from returning home, he sure was getting some sort of kick in having the crew of the ANUBIS bounce all over the cosmos.  As annoying as this might have been to some though, Jayson did not feel in the least bit bothered by their not having returned to NEW ALEXANDRIA since their departure some 200 days ago. Yes, the secret installation hidden inside a huge asteroid was their base of operation, but to him it was far from being their home. That title was reserved for the ANUBIS, this for no other reason that it was where he spent all of his time, not to mention that it was where the one person he cared most about could be found.

"What are you smiling for?" Ya'Han asked from the security station. The beaming grin on the man's face having been impossible to miss even from halfway across the bridge.

"Just thinking about our latest mission and the fact that we are being sent to INVERNIA II," he replied thinking it unwise to admit that he had been thinking about the ANUBIS being his home and how much his world had now been a single individual onboard that same ship.

"Finding this IshDur Talkiir is already going to be a challenge," she explained. "Although we do have all of the equipment we need to tap into their planetary data system. I am more concerned about dealing with the Invernians themselves. According to Federation records they are a very friendly and welcoming people, but they seem to have an extreme aversion when it comes to revealing details about themselves to anyone, that including members of their own race. That one fact may play a huge part against our efforts to find and even discuss the situation with the current holder of the second crystal. He may very well put up a fight in order to protect the item he was entrusted with from people he knows nothing about."

"Do you ever get tired of always expecting a fight of some sort?" Jayson asked in amusement.

"I would be a lousy Chief of Security if I did not think that way," Ya'Han pointed out in a quasi-serious tone. "That said; you have to agree that we do seem to be a magnet for trouble. We got lucky with those Nausicaans during our last mission, and the time before that, those Ruthian terrorists almost succeeded in blowing up that Risian embassy."

"We did stop them in time though," the OPS Officer argued back, believing that they had done a great job on that particular mission.

"Yes we did stop them but only after the fact that they rushed their timeline and made several crucial errors in the process. Luckily for us, the additional personnel they brought in proved to be more of a hindrance for them instead of us," Ya'Han confirmed adding some details. "My point is that wherever we are, whatever it is that we are meant to do, we always seem to attract more trouble than we were meant to deal with initially.  Our track record is more than enough to make me expect the worst possible outcome regardless of how simple a mission may appear to be, and this mission does not strike me as being anywhere close to easy."

He had been ready to argue this, pointing out that maybe she had been over reacting and exaggerating things, but as he recalled their mission on MARKALA PRIME, the OPS Officer quickly reconsidered. During that particular mission, their objective had been to locate and extract a missing Intel operative. By the end of the mission, they had uncovered a plot to assassinate the ruler of NYLA IV who also happened to be her estranged father. That Ya'Han discovered the existence of a half-sister she knew nothing about only to see her die shortly after had only proven the point that the Chief of Security was trying to make.

It did appear that the crew of the USS ANUBIS had a way of finding an abundance of trouble where none would have been expected beyond the expected hurdles of their missions.

"Alright, you win," he conceded with a sigh. "What kind of problem should we be getting ready for?" The question had been meant as a truthful acknowledgement as well as to show a willingness to accept what Ya'Han had been saying. There would be no harm in getting better prepared for the probably unexpectedness they might be coming up against while on INVERNIA II.

"Commander Shar'El and the IGC will already have a hard enough time locating the whereabouts of IshDur Talkiir to within a city or maybe even closer, this simply based on the unlikelihood that he will not be the only one with that name. So finding that specific individual will prove to be a sizable first challenge," she explained.

"First challenge? You don't think that it will be enough? Let me guess, you found something else."

"Nothing concrete," she clarified before continuing. "All reports point to the Invernians as being welcoming and friendly, so our beaming down to the planet surface should not pose any problems in itself. Our asking about the location of any specific individual though will likely not be all that well received by the general populace or local authorities. Without possessing more specific details about that individual, it will be difficult for us to locate him without any sort of assistance. As friendly as they may have been to previous Federation diplomats and visitors, I suspect that we will be finding more than enough trouble when we start pushing for information."

"Well, it does make sense that Professor Arken gave the crystal to someone who would not be all that easily found," the OPS Officer said with realization. "It would have defeated the purpose of scattering the data all over the galaxy if it had been that simple to bring the pieces back together. It is too bad that the Professor could not be here to help."

"Do you truly believe that it would be better to have that mad man here on board the ANUBIS?" She gasped. "You don't need to look all that far to see some near-catastrophe related to that man having tried or tested something that no one else would have ever dreamt of doing. The man is a dangerous menace and I for one am happy that he is not here. I can only imagine in fear the kind of trouble we would have to deal with had he been our guest on board."

"Imagine in fear," he repeated in shock. Knowing the black and red haired woman as he did, her using the word fear in relation to herself had been quite telling. "Alright, you made your point," Jayson agreed. "I guess all we can do is hope that we will be lucky in finding this Talkiir fellow."

"That will only be the start," she added. "The next issue after that will be to see if he is still in possession of the crystal," Ya'Han said in a less than optimist manner. "It has been a few years since the professor's visit to that world, so there is no telling what might have happened. For all we know IshDur Talkiir may be dead and the crystal lost, or worst, it could have fallen into the hands of someone who, after having disposed of the man, is now searching to put this puzzle back together as we are."

"I think I am starting to understand why you go and visit Counsellor Dima on a regular basis," Jayson said in stunned astonishment. "I don't think I have ever been around anyone as pessimistic as you."

"Expect the worst and you will never be disappointed," Ya'Han stated as if quoting some long-lost wisdom which of course left the OPS Officer to feel a little hurt given that they had shared a rather sizable amount of time together. Seeing the expression on his face, the Chief of Security offered a gentle smile before adding a small footnote to her previous statement. "There are a few exceptions, and yes you can count yourself amongst them."

Jayson returned the woman's smile before sending his thoughts back onto what the matter that had been at the center of their discussion. INVERNIA II would be an interesting first stop in their mission; one that Jayson could only hope would not set the tone for the other six crystals that they would need to find.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P004: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 01 - 1630 ("Crystals and Memories")
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"Crystals and Memories"
[previous post was "INVERNIA II"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32218.1630

**Expect the worst and you will never be disappointed, ** Ya'Han repeated in her mind following the discussion Jayson and her had just shared. The truth of the matter was that she had not always been that way, and the realization that she had become a person who by default looked onto the darker side of things actually bothered her. It was true that she was a far away from being the woman she had been meant to upon her birth as could be, but some aspect of her current persona had been just as distant to what she had hoped they would be.

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FLASHBACK
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Setting: NYLA IV, Imperial Palace, Courtyard
Stardate: 13027.0530 (Ya'Han is 6 years old)

Although the light from the rising sun had not yet made its way over the protective walls surrounding the Imperial Palace, the darkness of the night had already begun to give way to the advancing new day. As the daughter of the High Sovereign, the youngest of 13 children, Ya'Han had been expected to remain in her room until a servant would come to assist in her morning routine. Of course, being the youngest also meant that she was the last of the children to be attended to, and the one wishing the most to be out of her room as quickly as possible.

Several servants had come to call the little girl by nicknames addressing both her size and swiftness. Of course, at that age there had been no way for Ya'Han to realize that such nicknames had been highly inappropriate for someone of her station. She would actually grin, as any happy child should, when she overheard these cautiously whispered nicknames.

The escapes were always short lived, but even after being discovered in the Imperial courtyard and brought back to her room, the youngest of the High Sovereign's children still found it within her to be happy with the early morning game she enjoyed before the rigorous training of the day began. In some ways, these early morning unauthorized outings had been the highlight of her days.

As much as she wanted to make her father proud, the 6-years old Nylaan girl had been too joyous about life as a whole to let any opportunity to enjoy it pass her by. Even if she could not directly see the rising sun, the warmth of its light had been enough to make her happy for the start of a new day.

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End of FLASHBACK
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A trembling smile caressed Ya'Han lips as the distant memory of a happier childhood flashed through her mind. From the joyous little girl she had been, her relentless training to meet the expectations of a father's towards his children had quickly changed the youngest daughter into a much colder person. Her escape from NYLA IV and the hardships she had to endure during her travels through countless cold and filthy freighters had quickly replaced the happy memories with the harsh realities of her situation. To expect the worst had not been something she had come to do by choice, but rather something that she had been forced into for no other reason than to be able to survive another day.

The cruelty and demands of the majority of the crewmembers she encountered on these freighters had been more than enough to make her fear never again seeing the light and feeling the warmth of any sun, no matter what planet she might end up on. 

"Are you alright?" Counsellor Dima asked. Although Nicole had only been walking by, it had proven to be more than easy for the joint Trill to notice that darker clouds had swept through the mind of the Chief of Security. The fact that her hair had shifted back to being solid black had only confirmed the Counsellor's suspicious.

"I'm fine," Ya'Han quickly offered, realizing only then that both Nicole and Jayson had been staring at her as if some extra appendage had appeared on her body.

"Are you sure?" Nicole inquired, quickly casting her eyes up to draw attention to the Nylaan's hair before looking directly into the woman's eyes.

Ya'Han reached for her hair and pulled a single lock into view. Despite her continued efforts and counselling sessions, the Sec/Tac had still found it impossible to control the changing color of her hair when strong emotions surfaced.  As she drew in a long, deep breath, the black-haired Nylaan calmed herself and summed back the dark and crimson mix that had become her norm.

"My apologies Counsellor," the Sec/Tac politely offered. "I allowed certain memories from my early childhood to surface following my discussion with Jayson. The fault was entirely mine," Ya'Han added to make sure that should any blame be cast it would land on her shoulders alone.

"Relax," Nicole said with a reassuring smile. "There is nothing wrong with allowing our memories to surface; in fact I would be concerned if you or anyone else were actually able to completely stop that from happening. The only difference in your case is that the emotions that your memories trigger are, shall we say, impossible to hide. We still have some time before we reach INVERNIA II, so maybe you could drop by my office after you are done here on the bridge?"

"Of course," the Sec/Tac replied, understanding that she had greatly overreacted. "Thank you."

"There is no need to thank you Ya'Han," Nicole stated with a smile that in a way reminded the Nylaan of herself at a much younger age. "I would say that it's all part of my job as Ship's Counsellor, but that would make it seem like I only do this because I am required to, which is not why I am here and wanting for us to talk. I am here for you as a friend."

"Thank you," the black and red-haired Nylaan offered once more noticing a rather puzzled and concerned expression on Jayson's face. Although the two of them had spent a great deal of time together, Ya'Han had been far more willing to detail her past with Nicole than she had been with Jayson. Maybe in time she would tell him everything, but for now, she needed to better understand her own self before sharing some of the darker events that had filled her life, both before and after her escape from her home world of NYLA IV.

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P005: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 01 - 1630 ("One Crystal At A Time")
---
"One Crystal At A Time"
(Previous Post: "Crystals and Memories")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Quantum Physics Laboratory
Stardate: 32218.1630

Using crystals for the storage of large quantity of data had not been something new, in fact thanks to the durability of that substance it was theorized that the data contained within could remain intact for several centuries even if the conditions were less than perfect. Those civilizations capable of utilizing such a method of storing data had done so and quickly saw their level of technology increase exponentially due to the fact that computerized devices could access an impressive amounts of data almost instantaneously.

As great as the technology was though, it proved to be out of reach for a large number of races, and those who could actually use it found themselves unwilling to devote the time and work required to make the process viable for everyday use. Obviously, that had not been a problem for Professor Arken, the proof of his success in using the method sitting right there in front of the Shillian Chief Science Officer. His success only increased her determination to get inside the crystal and get a better idea as to what kind of data they were dealing with. From there she would be able to figure out just how much of it there was in this first of eight crystals to be located.

Encoding a crystal with data had not been an easy task, and being able to retrieve that encrypted data had proven to be even more complicated as the information could not only be electronically encoded prior to being inserted into the crystal but also fragmented within the actual crystalline structure. This gave the additional protection of insuring that the data would remain unreadable unless the specific method used to install it into the crystal was also used to retrieve it.

In this particular case, Professor Arken had layered the data contained in the crystal currently in their possession in such a way that the basic information that had been shared with the rest of the Senior Officers had been easily enough obtained. The rest of the information contained in the crystal though had been set-up in such a way as to insure that all eight crystals had been required to decode and access the whole of the information.

At first Maya had wanted to try and break the encryption but after a little while, the Shillian had found herself more interested in understanding the mechanics used rather than the actual information. Based on her scans and comprehension of the process in general, the Chief Science Officer rapidly began to admire the mad genius behind the creation of this crystal, which was simple in appearance by any standard.

Given the intellect and obvious abilities of the Professor, the Shillian Scientist could not help but wonder if there had not been more secrets hidden within the crystal than those that they had initially been told about. Due to the immense data storage capacity of the crystal, it had no been impossible for data aside from the research material of the mad man to be contained therein. Of course finding such data, which had likely been meant to remain hidden from prying eyes, would be but the first of many difficulties the Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS would have to deal with.

As much as she might have wanted to dedicate all of her time and efforts to this quest, the Chief Science Officer understood that her focus needed to remain on the mission and its objectives, at least for the time being. Maybe once this mission would be completed she would have the opportunity to better research these crystals, the data they contained as well as the method used by Professor Arken in storing and protecting the information as he had.

With her thoughts back on the encoded layered information, the Shillian began to isolate those parts of the data that she knew would be impossible for her to decipher at this time. Using a simple process of elimination, the Chief Science Officer had hoped to identify some data that she might be able to access beyond that which had already been. The hope was to find something that would help them in finding the Invernian IshDur Talkiir, a single individual amongst a planetary civilization that counted in the billions

Maya carefully reviewed and examined the data layer by layer, finding only a few bits and pieces that she was actually able to decipher. Unfortunately, these had been far too small to be of any use, appearing also as if this data had been there to act as a diversion. The more of these fragments of data she discovered, the more the Chief Science Officer believed that this had not been a random error, but in fact, a expertly designed way to again make sure that nothing contained within the crystal could be easily retrieved.

After having found hundreds of these bits of data, the Shillian decided to run the data collected through the computer to see if some sort of pattern could be detected. Maya knew that the odds had been against them, the computer having been given the task to formulate words after being given nothing more than letters without a linguistic base to work with.  Even before the results came back, the Chief Science Officer started playing the data, seeing that each bit retrieved possessed what appeared to be some sort of marker attached to it.

At first, these markers made little sense until Maya noticed something odd. The markers resembled the coding used by the medical department to identify the structure and progression of genetic strands. Using this discovery as the foundation for her work, the Shillian began to place the pieces of this latest puzzle together until she arrived with a complete genetic sample.

---
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32218.1700

"That should make things a lot easier," the Captain stated after having been informed that the description of a genetic sample had been found within the crystal.

"Not really," Maya amended. "The genetic data I was able to reconstruct seems to belong to a Risian, not an Invernian. I did think that it was strange so I ran the data through the computer to see if maybe I had made an error, but the markers left little room for that. Once you understood what the markers were and how they were to be read, the final outcome was inevitable. For some reason, Professor Arken incorporated the genetic data of a Risian with the information contained in the crystal. The genetic sample is not enough to get any sort of appearance or there was enough to identify the person as being a female."

"Why would the Professor put the genetic information for someone belonging to a race other than the one we are heading to the world of?" The Chief of Operations asked, unable to make sense of any of this. "Would it not have been easier to give us the genetic data for the man we are actually looking for, or did the professor put that genetic information only to confuse us?"

"The Professor may be smarter than we fully realise," Commander Shar'El said, he First Officer having come down from the Intelligence Gathering Center following the announcement from Maya that she had discovered something new. "Giving us a way to identify the specific IshDur Talkiir out of the over 29,000 who share the same name would have risked the safety of the man and the crystal he was entrusted with."

"So the data was added to allow us to narrow our search," the Shillian said, now even more than before in admiration with the Professor. "Whoever this Risian woman may be, she is our link to him. It does make sense as this way we will have to identify ourselves and prove our reason for seeking IshDur Talkiir and the crystal, doing so without risking the man's life or the item we are currently searching for.

"Genius or not, I am already dreading our having to look for the other seven crystals, especially if each one is as hard to locate as this one," Stark announced.

"Professor Arken wanted t make sure that his work remained safe," Maya explained. "We can only guess as to the importance of the research based on the length he has gone through to protect it. We should not be looking at these steps as obstacles but rather as a confirmation of just how important the completed data will be."

"There is only one way for us to know how important all of this is," the Captain added, trying his best to hide his uncertainty. "We need to find all of the crystals and reassemble the data. Until then, all we have are guesses and speculations, so I would rather we all focus on the mission, in this case one crystal at a time."

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P006: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 01 - 1800 ("Crystal Ball")
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"Crystal Ball"
[previous post was "One Crystal At A Time" by the investigating Jessica]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck A-4, IGC
Stardate: 32218.1800

With the ANUBIS about a full day out from their destination of INVERNIA II at their current speed, the ExO / ILO had returned to the IGC with the information provided by Lieutenant Commander Maya. It was hoped that the latest discovery would allow Shar'El and her team of Intel Techniciens to narrow down the search parameters for IshDur Talkiir.

Finding a single individual by that name in a population of several billion, where 13,857 of them had that particular name, would have been an already daunting task. When adding the fact that the Invernians were exceptionally shy about sharing information about themselves through any sort of media, that search became that much more impossible. Without any sort of description or data on that person, there had been no way to tell one IshDur Talkiir apart from any of the others.

Now, thanks to the discovery made by the Chief Science Officer, they search had shifted to be focussed on a Risian woman in a world of Invernians. This new search parameter would be an entirely different matter, one that the head of the IGC felt far more confident about. This increased optimism was quickly met with one massive obstacle; how were they to locate this Risian woman using the incomplete genetic data discovered by their Chief Science Officer?

As much as the ExO / ILO might have hoped that this woman would be the only Risian on INVERNIA II, the odds had been against them in that regards. That said, Shar'El suspected that those odds would still be far better than the 13,857-to-1 they had previously faced in finding the current owner of the crystal they were after.

"Commander," one of the IGC techs called out, drawing the ExO / ILO's attention. "The only available information we have to work with is from a planetary survey conducted by the Federation envoy to INVERNIA II. The data collection appears to coincide with the Professor's visit to that world, which meant that the data is a few years out of date."

"This just keeps getting better and better," Shar'El exclaimed. The planet and people selected by Professor Arken had been apparently been very carefully chosen to insure that his research remained as safe as possible. As much as she might have admired the man, the ExO / ILO found herself equally despising him for the nightmarish situation that he had created through his genius driven madness.  "Alright, do we have access to list and location of the planetary medical facilities?"

"That information was part of the census taken by the Federation envoys," the IGC Tech reported.

"My guess is that there won't be any planetary network for us to tap into in order to locate all of the Risians on INVERNIA II, so I want to get a head start and pin every medical facility for us to target. Hopefully we can access some sort of data that will allow us to locate this woman without having to resort to a full planetary genetic scan of every Risian on the planet."

"According to that census," the Tech nervously offered, "there were just under 10,000 Risian woman on INVERNIA II."

"Of course there were," Shar'El sighed in desperation. "Why would Arken make things in the slightest way for anyone? That said though, there had to be a reason why he chose to add the genetic data of that particular woman over anyone else's. What if we are looking at this all wrong? What if this Risian woman is not just an in-between contact to insure the safety of the man and crystal but is something more, much more? Maybe a life partner."

"N nearly half of the 10,000 Risian woman were married to Invernian man when the census was taken a couple of years ago, but there are only two who were married to someone by the name of IshDur Talkiir," the IGC Tech reported, certain that his words would make the ExO / ILO rejoice.

"Now, those are the kind of odds I like to be working with," Shar'El cheered. "Get as much information on those two Risian women. Once we reach orbit, we will have a 50-50 percent chance of getting the right couple right off the bat. A quick genetic scan of the Risian will confirm if we actually have the right one or not. From that point on, it should not be too complicated to introduce and explain ourselves in order to convince Mister IshDur Talkiir that we are here on behalf of Professor Arken and that he can without worry hand over the crystal to us." After having heard herself say those words, the ExO / ILO could not be certain if she had said this out of actual optimism or darker sarcasm. Given how many barriers the Professor had put into place to insure that the crystal and the data contain therein remained safe, she suspected that things would not be as simple as she had just stated them to be.

The simple fact that the census they were working from to get all of this information had been a couple of years out-of-date had been more than enough to hint to a great deal of problems they would likely have to address long before being able to come face to face with the man in possession of the crystal. The first and more troubling possibility was the unappealing chance that the crystal had for one reason or another changed hands.

As much as she might have wanted to tackle this matter right here and now instead of waiting for their arrival to INVERNIA II, Shar'El had been obliged to wait. With a society and people as shy or sharing information about themselves, the ExO / ILO had to consider how fortunate they had been in having as much data as they currently had. Without the discovery made by Commander Maya and the research performed by the IGC personnel, the ANUBIS and its crew would still be searching for a single man out of 13,857 with the name of IshDur Talkiir, and this without knowing anything about that specific individual.

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Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P007: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 01 - 2145 ("Crystals of the Past")
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"Crystals of the Past"
[previous post was "Crystal Ball"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32218.2145

"How is it that you manage to keep your quarters so tidy?" Jayson asked from the couch on which he had been sitting, the cleared plate of the late dinner he and Ya'Han had shared still sitting on the living room table along with an empty glass.

"Because I clean up after myself," the off-duty Sec/Tac replied, a playful yet snarky tone was in her voice as she stood by the food replicator, the device having just turned off after having claimed her plate and glass.

Jayson sighed and stood, taking the plate and glass in the process. After a few steps, the OPS Officer had joined the Sec/Tac by the food replicator, the machine ready to recycle the other half of the serving plates that had been used for the meal.

"I find it funny," Jayson said laughing. "You would think that it should be the opposite? I'm the one who should be in a habit of cleaning up right after me and you should be the one expecting others to do this for you."

"Why do you think that?" Ya'Han asked, puzzled by the man's words and genuinely curious as to see what thought process he had used to reach that conclusion.

"When Leena died, I found myself alone and forced to take care of things on my own. So you'd think that I would have learned to do that, like cleaning after myself after dinner," he explained as he looked back at Ya'Han as if the mention of his deceased fiancee had been perfectly normal.

"Obviously you didn't," Ya'Han snarled back as she left the man standing there in order to return to the main living area, selecting to sit in the chair instead of the couch.

"Unlike you," Jayson continued, completely oblivious to the faux-pas he had just made, and apparently unaware that he had been about to make another, this one even more severe. "You would think that growing up in a castle with servants all around you would have made it second nature for you to have things done by others."

The black and red haired Nylaan had been more than willing to let the mention of his fiancee go by without her saying anything, but his last statement had proven to be far more than the self-exiled daughter of the High Sovereign could manage.  "Is that what you think? Is that how you see me? I am just the spoiled brat of some distant planetary ruler?"

"That's not what I meant," Jayson quickly offered, having only now realized where Ya'Han had chosen to sit and the fact that her hair had changed color, and not one of the pleasant ones.  "I was just thinking that when you were younger, you would have gotten used to having others do things for you. It's not like you talk that much about those days, so i have to guess quite a bit."

"I might have grown up in a palace," Ya'Han began, correcting the term used by her dinner guest, "but we all were expected to take care of our own things, especially the girls. Those required to remain by my side have very specific duties to perform, everything else was up to me and I would be the one punished if I did not perform my tasks to my father's high expectations."

"I'm sorry," Jayson offered, actually hesitating in stepping closer to the sitting Sec/Tac. Given her current fiery hair color, the OPS Officer had been certain that he would find himself on the losing end of a single rapid strike, this despite having the height and position advantage. "I just wanted to start a conversation; you were rather quiet during dinner. It was not my intention to say or do anything that you would find offensive in any way. In my defence, I would like to point out again though that you do keep your past to yourself, very much like the Invernians.  I have the feeling that you would fit into their society with far greater ease and any of the others."

Ya'Han had still been angry at him, but his final statement had been accurate. There had been only one person with whom she felt at ease discussing her past with, and right now Nicole had likely been in her quarters, relaxing, oblivious of the storm that had begun in these quarters.  Following a few deep breaths, the Sec/Tac brought her hair color to be what it had been during supper, a simple enough change that made Jayson instantly let out a sigh of relief no longer believing that his life had been in any immediate danger.

"Maybe I am like the Invernians, unwilling to share my past with others," Ya'Han admitted. "My reasons thought are entirely different. This silence concerning my past is not born of unwillingness to share, but rather due to a desire to not have to explain certain aspects of my life, an inability to talk about those times I only wish to forget.  Yes I was born into privilege, but that life was nothing but a prison sentence that would have continued after my wedding to that Ferengi troll Ardax.  Most of my sisters were happy with such a life, one without worries or concerns. All they needed to do was to be the obedient wife that our father required them to be. The problem was that it was a life that I was never truly certain I wanted, and when I was betrothed I was forced to make a decision, chosen between my father's expectations of what my life would be and what I wanted instead."

"That's why you ran away," Jayson said thinking that he had figured everything out, going as far as to wonder why it had taken Ya'Han so long to open up about this fact of her past.

"It was not that easy," the black and red haired woman clarified, a touch of sorrow lacing her words.  "I do remember some parts of my past being happy and carefree, but the reality of the life I had on NYLA IV was that brothers, sisters and myself were expected to train and master everything we did. While doing this, we were all expected to succeed and not embarrass our father by being anything less than what we could be, to be less than what we were told to be."

"Wow, sounds like you actually had a rough life," Jayson admitted, sitting on the couch as close to Ya'Han as he could.  "I'm sorry for not having understood this earlier and without you having to dot the I's and cross the T's."

"Like those crystals we are looking for, my life while inside the Imperial palace may have appeared to be great and privileged to outsiders, this was not an accident but rather done by design as per the desires of the High Sovereign. Like those same crystals though, there is far more than what can be seen, and even after taking a closer look, you are made to discover that there is a great deal more hidden within. I believe Commander Maya said it best when she described the multitude of layers she found in the crystal, each one more complex than the one found before it."

"I just hope that one day you will trust me enough to allow me to know what is in those deep inner layers of your past," Jayson said in a wishful and caring tone.  "There may be eight of those crystals out there, but there is only one of you, and that to me makes you far more important than anything or anyone else."

"It is not a question of my not wanting to share," Ya'Han admitted. "It is just that, like those crystals, I am unable to just simply reveal the secrets that have been kept hidden from everyone, and at times even from me."

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P008: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 02 - 0945 ("Not So Crystal Clear")
"Not So Crystal Clear"
[previous "Crystals of the Past"]

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32219.0945

Another day, another shift, but today had started very differently from most others over the last 200 days or so since the ANUBIS had left NEW ALEXANDRIA with the shapeshifting being aboard. During those days, Jayson and Ya'Han had gradually fallen into a pleasant habit of sharing each other's' quarters. Most of the time, it was him who went to hers, the Nylaan having on more than a few instances voiced her dislike of the all-encompassing mess that had been a permanent state of his quarters. As annoyed as she might have been from time to time though because of this, the two of them seemed to have reached an understanding that this was how it would be. Therefore, by the next morning, things would return to normal and life on board the Intel cruiser continued as it had before.

This morning though, Ya'Han had come across as being overly quiet, cold and even physically distant, as if lost in a world of her own making. Every effort he made to breach the emotional force-field she raised around her failed beyond measure leaving the OPS Officer to wonder if she had been angry at him for some reason. The problem was that he had not been able to get her to say the slightest thing over breakfast or during their trip to the bridge to start their shift, so he was left with countless questions and not a single answer on the subject.

With INVERNIA II just about 7 1/2 hours away at their current speed and heading, Jayson quietly wondered if this troubling silence would extend all the way to their destination. Being in the proverbial dog house was not something that he was unaccustomed to, but still he would have liked to know why he had found himself on the out with Ya'Han.

Jayson was taken by surprise when he say Ya'Han heading for the turbolift. He was equally disappointed when she failed to even look in his direction.

"Where is she going?" The OPS Officer inquired of the First Officer who had chosen to be on the bridge this morning instead of hiding in the IGC as she so often did.

"She wanted to run a hands-on verification of our weapons' system," Shar'El replied. "She claimed that she wants to make sure we are ready for whatever we may come up against while in orbit of INVERNIA II, but given the memories from last night and this morning that you are broadcasting, I am doubting that this is actually the case. What happened?"

"Wish I knew," Jayson admitted in complete honesty. "Since we woke up this morning, I suspect that she has spoken more to you than she did with me."

"I would strongly suggest that you to get this matter resolved *before* we arrive at INVERNIA II," the Commander said in a firm voice. "Both you and Ya'Han have been given a very wide latitude in regards to your relationship. Normally, such behaviour would have been discouraged from he start, but as i am sure you are very aware, the ANUBIS is not a normal ship working under the banner of the United Federation of Planets."

"We both greatly appreciate your understanding Commander," he quickly offered back, not at all wishing to find himself on the wrong side of the line with the First Officer as he had someone found himself being with the Chief of Security. "As soon as I have an opportunity, i will speak with Ya'Han and resolve the situation."

"Good," Shar'El huffed before making her way back to the central chair.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 6, Upper Phaser Array maintenance access station
Stardate: 32219.1130

After having performed all of the verifications he could, Jayson had handed over control of the ship's Operations station to one of his underling in order to be able to track down Ya'Han.  Using the internal sensors, it had been easy to locate the Nylaan but the OPS Officer had not expected to find the Chief Engineer there as well when he walked in.

"I see what you mean," Sonja growled as she shot an unhappy glare in Jayson's direction. "Can we help you with something?" The Engineer asked, barely giving the OPS Officer the chance to find his mental footing.

"I was hoping to talk to Ya'Han," he replied, trying to catch the eyes of the woman in question.

"Sorry buddy boy, but this is a 'woman only' club," Sonja quickly shot back just as ANI walked in.

"She's not a woman," Jayson pointed out, trying anything he could to find a way to speak with Ya'Han.

"I may not possess the biological reproductive requirements to be officially classified as a woman by medical standards," the Avatar offered appearing almost upset by the man's earlier comment, "but the external appearance of this form was definitively given a distinct feminine appearance, and that by the greater majority of standards encountered throughout the Federation."

"There you have it," Sonja continued, not giving Jayson a single split second to recover from the burn he had just been made to take. "So, unless there is something about your physical layout that Ya'Han has failed to mentioned, I believe that you need to step back and let the women talk amongst themselves."

By the time the OPS Officer had regained enough of his wits to try and launch a counter argument, he had been pushed out of the room and the door closed and sealed right in his face. Although he had managed to get closer to the Nylaan than he had since leaving her quarters this morning, Jayson had been no closer to figuring out what had happened to cause him to be where he was now.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32219.1200

Jayson returned to the Bridge and was relieved in seeing that Commander Shar'El had not been there, Captain Morningstar having been sitting in the center chair instead. Confused beyond his ability to comprehend, the OPS Officer made his way back to his work station hoping that maybe someone would at some point clarify the situation had he had unexpectedly found himself dead smack in the middle of.


[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P009: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 02 - 1300 ("As Fragile As Crystal")
=-=
"As Fragile As Crystal"
[previous post was "Not So Crystal Clear" by the puzzled Jayson]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 32219.1300

As the ANUBIS' ExO Shar'El needed to stay on top of a great many things, one of the more important had been the various matters dealing with personnel, this both on a professional and private level. Her earlier discussion with Lieutenant Stark had been required based on her responsibilities as this ship's First Officer, that she had wanted to or not. What she needed to do now though fell more under the requirements of an Intel Liaison Officer instead of an ExO.

There was little the ExO / ILO did not know when it came to what was happening on board the ANUBIS. With the IGC keeping a constant watch on every member of the crew, secrets had been hard to keep, and this one had not been any different.  Confronting Ya'Han seemed inevitable, but before doing so, Shar'El thought it best to speak to Sonja. A quick chat with the Chief Engineering Officer might confirm that her suspicions had been right and make the discussion with he Chief of Security that much easier.

"Commander?" The Chief Engineer found herself asking with surprise, not having expected to see the ExO / ILO down in the heart of the ANUBIS. Everyone knew that the IGC had been Shar'El's preferred location, so to have her come down 20+ levels meant that something was not quite right. "Alright, what did Jayson break this time?" The redhead sighed as she rolled her eyes in playful desperation.

"Funny you should ask," the raven-haired woman calmly replied, the seriousness of her tone again taking the redhead by surprise. "I am asking you as a friend, not as this ship's First Officer; what did Ya'Han say to you while you were both in the Phaser Array maintenance access station?"

"Why ask?" Sonja shrugged, "You could just scan my memories and find out for yourself." The Engineer seemed a little upset that the conversation had turned so quickly, but evidently Shar'El had not wanted to waste any time on pleasantries.  With that in mind, the Engineer willfully recalled the last words she said to the Chief of Security.

It was impossible for the Ullian not to pick up on the particular memory that the red-haired woman had made a point to broadcast as loudly as she could. The point had been perfectly made, but it was not enough to make Shar'El step down from wanting to know what had exactly been said. Actually, the term want might have been wrong and the ExO / ILO needed to confirm her suspicions while doing her best to maintain the promise she had made to the Captain as well as the rest of the senior officers of the USS ANUBIS.

"I understand that you promised her that you would not mentioned it to anyone," Shar'El acknowledged, the memory of Sonja's promise to Ya'Han having been beyond crystal clear. "I just want to help Ya'Han and in doing so Jayson as well. The man is a basket case right now and the fact that she won't talk to him only makes things that much more complicated. Both are exceptional officers and that is why I want to help. Whatever the situation is between them, I need to know so I can offer the right support."

"You could just send them both to speak to Nicole," Sonja suggested with a grin. "Bet our Counsellor would love to find herself in the middle of this. Not that I am saying that there is something for her to get in the middle of," the redhead quickly amended.

"I might have to call upon our Counsellor at some point, but if I do so it will have to be as this ship's First Officer," Shar'El explained. "I am here as a friend, trying to help Ya'Han and Jayson without having to make any sort of official report or recommendations," the ExO / ILO stated once more, this time with a little more emphasis. "So I will ask you again, please, tell me what Ya'Han said to you."

"I appreciate what you are trying to do for her, I truly do," Sonja offered with a clear show of sympathy, "but I can't. All joking aside, she told me what she did in confidence and I just can't betray her like that. Like it or not, you are going to have to ask her yourself.  Guess it would have been easier had Doctor Doyanne still been here, but without a Chief Medical Officer on board, you are going to have to rely on other methods to get the answer you seek."

"I hope that Ya'Han realizes how good of a friend you are," Shar'El offered, a soft yet understanding smile gracing her lips.

"I hope that this won't affect our friendship?" The redhead asked, actually sounding a little concerned. Although she doubted that this exchange would change anythig, the possibility had still been there and as such Sonja needed to make sure.

"Of course not," the ExO / ILO quickly and honestly replied, offering a genuine smile to her friend. "You might even have earned a little more respect from me."

"Respect?" Sonja repeated in a thick Scottish accent, having decided that the time for seriousness had come to an end. "Aye Lass, what am I suppose to do with that? You can't drink someone under a table with respect, or have 'em pass out on yer couch for that matter if they respect ya."

Shar'El giggled, shook her head in amused disbelief before making her way out of Main Engineering with her suspicions still unconfirmed. On the other hand, Sonja's desire to abide by her promise to Ya'Han had in a way only further strengthen the possibility of what the ExO / ILO had suspected, but without any concrete evidence, the search still needed to go on.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7, Corridor
Stardate: 32219.1330

With about four hours left before their arrival to INVERNIA II, the ExO / ILO had begun to feel the pressure in getting to the bottom of this before then. Confronting Ya'Han seemed to be the only way that was available in order to accomplish this without having someone break their promise or go through the CMO, who unfortunately they did not have at this particular time. Speaking to a nurse had still been an option, but one that Shar'El would have better wanted to avoid, especially if her suspicions were proven to be true.

Walking down the corridor, Shar'El wondered as to how Ya'Han would react to the query. First the ExO / ILO would have to explain how she came about to suspect what she did. As much as all of the hints had been there for the raven-haired woman to pick up on, it would still be difficult to justify having done so without risking being accused of spying. Then again, what kind of an Intel Operative would she be if she did not act in such a manner, even towards the member of her own crew? Being aware of every detail, no matter how small, of her surroundings had been a standard job description for someone in her position.

Hopefully Ya'Han would understand that this query was for no other reason other than Shar'El having been concerned, not as the ANUBIS' First Officer but rather as a friend, something that the ExO / ILO had already explained to their Chief Engineer. That said, there was one other stop the raven-haired woman needed to make before actually approaching their Chief of Security.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counsellor's Office
Stardate: 32219.1345

"Good afternoon Commander," Nicole offered as Shar'El walked in. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Just wanted to touch base with you before our arrival at INVERNIA II," the ExO / ILO explained in a casual manner. "Have you been made aware of any issues that, as First Officer, I should know, issues that I need to be taking into consideration when figuring who should and should not go down to the planet surface?"

"That is a very specific question," Counselor Dima pointed out, unable to hold back her grin. "I have the feeling that you have something, or more accurately someone, in mind with this unspecified issue."

"Looks like I need to work on my poker face," Shar'El dryly chuckled, her attempt to be inconspicuous having obviously failed beyond measure.

"I would not take it too personally if I were you Commander," Nicole pointed out. "You are after all dealing with someone possessing multiple lifetimes of experiences. Beyond that, I would be a poor Counsellor if I were unable to read people who come into my office. Being able to know what they want or need before they even know themselves can be quite a time saver, not to mention a way to keep my own stress to a manageable level."

"Point taken," Shar'El happily acknowledged. "I will leave you to your work."

"Sorry that I could not have been of more help," Nicole offered, keeping her puzzlement of the situation in check. It was evident by the woman's evasiveness that she had not been willing or able to talk about this in more details, so pressing with questions would not have served any purpose other than to make this even more awkward.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32219.1400

Without any other course of action available to her, the ExO / ILO made her way to he bridge where she hoped to see the Chief of Security. Maybe Shar'El would be able to confirm her suspicions without having to interrogate Ya'Han or look into her memories without permission.

"Lieutenant Ya'Han?" Shar'El called out as she stepped onto the bridge to see the Chief of Security at her station. A quick glance in the direction of Lieutenant Stark made it clear that the two had yet shared any meaningful words.

"Yes Commander?" The black and red-haired Chief of Security replied, the woman appearing troubled if one knew what to look for.

Shar'El had hoped that maybe the Nylaan would allow something to slip from her memories, but luck it seemed had not been on the side of the ExO / ILO forcing her to carry on with her plan.  "I would like to discuss some tactical issues about our arriving to INVERNIA II, can you spare a few minutes and meet me in the observation lounge?"

"Of course Commander," Ya'Han acknowledged. Although she had found it strange that the ExO / ILO had wanted to have this meeting away from the others, the Chief of Security had not found it all that unusual, this not having been the first time that the tactical expertise of the woman with the changing hair color had been requested in a more private setting.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32219.1402

"How are you doing?" Shar'El asked the moment the two of them found themselves alone, behind the closed doors leading to the room.

"I'm fine," Ya'Han replied with hesitation, not sure what her condition had to do with the tactical review she had been called in for. "Shouldn't I be?"

"Sorry," the ExO / ILO continued. "Just wanted to make sure. It has been a few days since we have had the opportunity to just sit and talk."

"Life on board the ANUBIS is busy, even when nothing is happening," the Chief of Security said, dismissing the concerns displayed by the Commander as if they had been completely unfounded. Following a quick exchange of smiles, the two sat down and began speaking about INVERNIA II, the world's odd social unwillingness to discuss their past and personal lives, and the potential problems that the away team might face once on the planet surface.

Every attempt to have Ya'Han tip her proverbial hand had proven futile, the Chief of Security having been in perfect control of her thoughts and display of emotions.  That by itself though had been enough to make it evident that the woman was hiding something, but again Shar'El had not been in a position to press for more information. Even her query about how things had been between Jayson and her had not brought up any useful memories that the Ullian would have been able to pick up on.

With the meeting over, Shar'El returned to the bridge leaving Ya'Han to take care of a few additions to her list of items to be taken into consideration by the away team.  As she stood to follow the ExO / ILO, the Nylaan found herself looking out at the streaking stars, her right hand mindlessly rubbing her belly.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P010: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 02 - 1530 ("Confusion")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Confusion"
[previous post was "As Fragile as Crystal"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32219.1530

The planet designated as INVERNIA II was about 2 hours away, and now that Commander Shar'El had left the Observation Lounge, the Sec/Tac could not bring herself to focus on their destination for more than a few seconds at a time. How she had managed to keep her personal concerns and fears for the future from the Ullian woman had been a complete mystery, something that only added to the confusion she currently felt.

It was only after several moments of her looking at the streaking stars through the windows that the Sec/Tac realized she had been absentmindedly rubbing her belly. On several occasions, Ya'Han had witnessed this telltale sign displayed by expecting women, but this had not been her case, or at least she hoped it had not been. How could it? Jayson and she had not been bonded to one another nor had they even officially declared their intent to have a child to their friends and family. It might not have been the way things were done beyond the Imperial palace of NYLA IV, but that is how she would need to act when it would be time. This had not been such a time, far from it and yet here she was, rubbing her belly and wondering as to how all of this had come to be?

Ya'Han knew all too well about the physical *how* such a condition could have come to befall her, the physiology of Terrans and Nylaans having been remarkably similar. What the troubled woman had questioned in passing before now was the genetic compatibility of the two species, something that she had actually given little thought on since their departure from NEW ALEXANDRIA some 200 days ago. As long as Jayson and her were not bonded, there had been little need to be concerned by this requirement imposed on her by the culture of NYLA IV.

Before then, on those rare occasions when that specific question came up, Ya`Han knew that she could go to see Lillie without any worries. That was then, but with the CMO no longer aboard the ANUBIS, that option was no longer valid. This lead the Nylaan to dismiss those occasional thoughts without any real concerns. After all, even if they had been genetically compatible, she would need to make herself ready to receive him in that fashion, this only after they had bonded for life to one another. So again, how had this happened without any of the requirements having been remotely met?

Without Lillie in Sickbay, Ya'Han had not felt comfortable in simply walking in, asking for a test to be performed to confirm what her body had stated through the pains she had experienced upon waking this morning. As a friend and Doctor, the Sec/Tac would have hoped that the CMO would have found some other reason to explain what the Nylaan currently felt.  Never having experienced these sensations before, the black and red haired woman could only use what she had been told while growing up in the Imperial palace to explain what was happening to her.

Using a tricorder on herself had not revealed anything that would have confirmed the presence of an implanted fertilized egg within her, but the truth was that given the genetic differences between Humans and Nylaans, the Sec/Tac had not been entirely certain as to what to search for.  All of the training she had received while on NYLA IV on that subject had focussed on her being able to prepare herself to receive her one and only bonded mate. The pain she would experience afterwards would be her body's method of confirming that the mating had been successful and that she had performed her duties in sealing their lifetime bond.

Yes they had shared a bed on many occasion, and yes they had become intimate, but for a Nylaan woman, these things meant nothing in regards to bringing a new life into the universe. That is why Ya'Han had made sure that her hair remained green every time they found themselves becoming more intimate. Jayson had asked why this had always been the case, curious as to why the Nylaan had never become affectionate while displaying black, blue, white or even purple hair. The Sec/Tac had asked him one night why he had never wondered or asked about her going 'full red' as he called it. His reply was a rapid and definitive claim that he did not want to die, as pleasantly as it might have been, in order to see the next morning. Apparently, the man had learned to fear for his life every time that particular color appeared on her head.

As amusing as that memory might have been, it failed to make Ya'Han smile, even if only a little. The pain and continued discomfort she experienced indicated that something within her had changed, and every hint pointed to that change having been the one things she had been completely unready for, this despite her feelings towards the ship's Chief of Operations.

The youngest daughter of the High Sovereign had run away from her home and family, and yet the ways she had been instructed in still remained a large part of the person she was, even if only subconsciously. As enjoyable as the time she spent with Jayson was, and as strong as their feelings for one another had grown, Ya'Han had not been ready to take their relationship to the next level. Doing so would have required her to allow him to claim her body in a way that would lead to something that she had in all honesty not been ready for.

As an Imperial daughter, being offered to some foreign trade partner of their world as a gift and mate had been expected. From there, if it was biologically possible, the bonded woman had been required to seal their joining with a child, this insuring that the link between the High Sovereign and his trade partner would be undeniable and irrevocable. That had been one of the reasons why she had chosen to run away, the other having been for no other reason that she found the Ferengi Troll she had been betrothed to utterly repulsing.

To many of her sisters, the thought of having a child had been something that they had dreamt about for as long as they could remember. To Ya'Han though, that idea had never been a strong one and remained such to this day. As a Chief of Security, the Nylaan found that idea even more troubling, fearing that it would change how she would perform her duties and been seen by others.

As she looked down at the hand still drawing circles on her belly, Ya'Han found herself even more confused then she had been before walking into the room. Had she truly without realizing it allowed this to happen? Was the biological differences responsible for this having happened without her consent? Had this actually been what she feared it was or had the pain and discomfort caused by some other reason?

With just over two hours before arriving at their destination, there was no time to answer all of these questions, so Ya'Han believed it best to ignore the situation for the time being and do her best to focus on the mission at hand. Maybe after she would be able to figure out what had happened and how to go about things from then on.  One thing had been beyond certain though, Jayson was not to know about this, at least not before she could confirm that this was actually what had happened.

For the time being, this situation was hers to handle on her own with a select few aware of her condition which for now only included Sonja.  As much as Ya'Han might have wanted to have Shar'El involved in this, right now the Sec/Tac thought it best that the line between their professional working relationship and friendship not be crossed placing the First Officer in a possibly awkward position.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P011: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 02 - 1730 ("Hidden in Plain Sight")
##########
"Hidden in Plain Sight"
Previous post "Confusion"
##########

"If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself."
- George Orwell, 1984

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32219.1730

"We are now in standard orbit of INVERNIA II," Ensign Tanith Jones, the ANUBIS' Flight Control Officer and newest member of the ship's Senior Staff announced, the first stop in their wild crystal chase having been reached.

"Be sure to set us in a geosynchronous orbit of the lower most continent," the First Officer instructed. "That is where the two IshDur Talkiir who are married to Risian women are listed as living," Shar'El added before shifting to a clearly less enthusiastic tone. "They live in neighbouring cities, at least that is what we were able to get from the medical files we were able to get access to. It took some serious digging to even get that much."

"Altering orbit as requested," Tanith acknowledged. "It will be late afternoon to early evening down there," the FCO added as the ANUBIS was brought to orbit directly above the specific landmass.

"Given everything that we have been told and learned about these people, I would count ourselves lucky that we were able to narrow our search to within two cities," the Native American offered to his First Officer, trying to keep a positive opinion on the whole affair. "Are your away teams ready?" Erik inquired, the earlier discussion with his First Officer having made it clear that in order to speed things up, two teams would be sent to the surface to investigate each of the two IshDur Talkiir.

"Commander Maya will lead Alpha team to the Eastern city accompanied by Lieutenant Paquette and Lieutenant Stark," Shar'El detailed. "Lieutenant Ya'Han and Ensign Dima will be with me on Beta team. Both teams can beam down at the same time and the IGC should not have any issues keeping an eye on us," she added. "A communications channels will remain open at all times."

The way the teams had been formed might have appeared random to an outsider, but to the Intel Liaison Officer, a very specific train of thought had been used in the creation of the two teams. First, Shar'El had elected to keep Jayson and Ya'Han separate as this seemed only prudent given their current fallen out. Next, having the Chief of Security on her team would allow for them to maybe talk about the situation, this under the encouraging watch and assistance of the Ship's Counsellor whose presence by their side the Ullian hoped would help in making the Nylaan more talkative.

As soon as the members of the away team were announced, Sonja twitched and quickly sought a direct line of sight with Ya'Han. Doing her best to keep her reaction from being seen by others on the bridge, the Chief Engineering Officer shot a cold and piercing glare at her black and red-haired friend who quickly nodded her head in both understanding and acknowledgement.

"Commander Shar'El," Ya'Han began as if her next words had been perfectly normal. "If it is at all possible I would prefer to remain on board the ANUBIS."

"Why is that?" The Native American inquired, surprised that his Chief of Security had wanted to stay on board instead of taking the chance to stretch her legs and enjoy some fresh air, even if it was on a strange world of which they knew very little about.

Turning to the Captain, Ya'Han offered her reasoning. "The truth is that I do not feel comfortable in going to the planet surface," the Chief of Security offered. Having noticed a great deal of skepticism from not only the Captain but several others around her, the Chief of Security decided to expand on her answer. "Although the Invernians are part of the Federation, the lack of information on their culture, social behaviours and even political structure could be used to hide possible threats to the away teams and even to the ANUBIS. Given these uncertainties, I would prefer to be here, on the bridge, and monitor the situation allowing me to react accordingly should something unexpected happen."

"Commander?" The Native American said, having turned to look upon his First Officer to seek her opinion. "The request is valid, would it be a problem if the Lieutenant remained on the ANUBIS and Beta team found itself one member short?"

Shar'El had wanted to argue the matter. How was she supposed to speak to Ya'Han if the Nylaan was not on the planet with them? As much as she wanted to find a reason to deny the request of the Chief of Security, the Commander found herself at odds with herself. As a friend, she wanted to take this opportunity to get to the bottom of what had been troubling the black and red-haired woman, but as the ANUBIS' ExO, the dedication and attention to the situation displayed had been worthy of praise, not challenged.

"I am sure that we will all feel that much safer knowing that you will be up here keeping an eye on us," Shar'El stated, having turned to face the Chief of Security before returning her attention to the ANUBIS' CO. "I do not believe that there will be any problems with my team being short one. After all, we are going after a single man in possession of a small crystal, not an entire fleet of Jem'Hadar."

"Perfect," Erik acknowledged with a smile. "Report to the transporter room and beam down at your convenience."

As the officers made their way to the turbolift, Sonja took extra care to find a way to send an approving thumb up to Ya'Han. The redhead Chief Engineer had been glad that their earlier chat about the possible condition the Chief of Security had found herself in required the Nylaan to take several extra precautions, one of which being to avoid using the transporter system. Without any medical confirmation as to whether or not she had indeed been with child, Sonja had made her friend promise to take such precautions, and she was glad to see the woman keep her word.

=====
Setting: INVERNIA II, Eastern City
Stardate: 32219.1820

Leading the Alpha team, Commander Maya had taken point closely followed by the Chief Engineer and Chief of Operations, who actually appeared slightly nervous.

"According to the information provided by Commander Shar'El, the IshDur Talkiir we are looking for should reside somewhere in those buildings," the Shillian Scientist explained as she pointed to a dozen or so tall structures, each one easily capable of housing several hundred Invernians. Luckily for them, they were not looking for an Invernian man but rather a Risian woman, one whose DNA would match the readout they had also been provided.

"We are going to have to be close in order to run a proper DNA scan without any actual bodily fluids," the Shillian added. "So keep an eye on any Risian woman in the vicinity, we will most certainly have to alter our course several times to get the required scans without attracting too much attention."

"This should be easy," the Chief of Operations sarcastically offered.

"What are you so scared of?" Sonja questioned of the nervous man standing by her side. "These people seem afraid of their own shadows, so I doubt that we will have to fight our way through any riots in the foreseeable future."

"In all honesty," Jayson muttered back, "I am more concerned about one specific individual over the entire population of this world."

"She may be a shapeshifter," the redhead offered as she casually pointed towards Maya, "but I would not consider her to be that dangerous. Maybe in her wolf form she would be able to scare little children, so I see where you might be coming from, but don't worry, I will protect you. Might not be able to save both your arms and legs, but I will do my best and make sure that you can at the very least crawl your way back to the ship."

"Not funny," the Chief of Operations dryly shot back, evidently unimpressed by the woman's attempt at humour. "I don't know what Ya'Han said to you. I don't even know what it is I did to make her say what she did to you, all I know is that for some unexplainable reason she suddenly decided to completely shut me out and again in complet honesty, I am worried that you will take this opportunity to get revenge for whatever it is she believes I did to her."

There had been no questions in Sonja's mind that he had been the one responsible for the situation Ya'Han had found herself in, this according to her friends own account of not having been with anyone else. That along had been more than enough to have the redhead display what little she had learned from the other 'redhead' when it came to inflicting physical pain on an adversary. On the other hand though, Ya'Han had made it clear that she had feelings for him, and because of that, her friend and confident had decided to not hurt him. At least not right now. Depending on how things turned out, she silently reversed to herself the right to deprive him of the ability of ever doing the same again, be it with Ya'Han or any other woman foolish enough to want to be with him.

"This way," Maya said, drawing the attention of the other two towards a small park where several people had gathered. "Maybe we can get lucky and find a few Risian women to get close to and scan their genetic makeup to see if they are the one we need."

"I know what she meant," Sonja said shaking her head, "but what she said just wasn't right. It wasn't right at all and I hope that no one overheard her say that or we might find ourselves in a lot more trouble or a lot more people than we were hoping to find."

=====
Setting: INVERNIA II, Western City
Stardate: 32219.1830

Commander Shar'El and Ensign Dima made their way through the city, this one clearly having been a much less prominent metropolis than the one Alpha team had gone to. Although the population of the two cities had been nearly identical, the Western community had appeared to be far more relaxed.

"I gather that you are disappointed that Lieutenant Ya'Han chose to remain on the ANUBIS," Nicole pointed out, the joint Trill displaying once again her uncanny ability to read people.

"It is becoming painfully obvious to me that I have been an ExO for far too long now," Shar'El explained.  "As an ILO, I was able to travel through a crowded room without even being noticed; now it seems that I am unable to keep my thoughts private."

"Again Commander," Nicole said in a reassuring tone, "I do have several lifetimes of experiences to draw upon, not to mention that as an ILO you found yourself to be completely detached from those around you. As the ExO of the ANUBIS, you have developed both a professional and personal attachment to many members of the crew. Ya'Han is clearly one of the latter, so your friendship with her is amplifying your concerns making them that much more difficult to hide, especially from someone who, like me, knows what to look for."

"Thank you Counsellor," Shar'El grinned. "I believe you are trying to tell me that I am becoming too human in my display of emotions?"

"I would not go that far," Nicole quickly clarified, "but I fear that your days of being an unemotional Intel agent driven by nothing else than the completion of her mission are long behind you, a fact that I can reasonably say the rest of the crew is very grateful for."

"Speaking of completing our mission," the First Officer interjected, "maybe we should start over there. I see a few shops and restaurants and they may be a good place for us to start looking for a married Risian woman."

Nicole simply nodded her head and invited the Commander to take the lead with a motion of her hand. Whatever had been troubling Ya'Han, and in conjunction their First Officer, had truly begun to pique the Counsellor's curiosity. For now though, the Trill would have to wait until they would return to the ANUBIS to see if she would be able to find out more about what this had been all about.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P012: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 02 - 1900 ("Not Fully Understanding Why")
---
"Not Fully Understanding Why"
(Previous Post: "Hidden in Plain Sight")
---

Setting: INVERNIA II, Eastern City, Park
Stardate: 32219.1900

As they wandered through the Eastern City in search of the Risian woman who would hopefully lead them to IshDur Talkiir, the Shillian Chief Science Officer and Alpha Team Leader tried to understand the reasons as to why the Professor had selected this particular individual on this particular world to safeguard the crystal they were after.  Being an accredited member of the United Federation of Planets, the Invernians had been easily reached by Professor Arken, but that alone could not explain why the scientist had selected this particular place over the thousands others equally accessible to him.

Without any indications that the Professor had known this IshDur Talkiir on a more personal level, the only possible reasons for the selection would have to be found outside of whatever relationship the two men shared. In this particular case, the clues seemed to be in the unique social attitude found on INVERNIA II whose native inhabitants were more than resentful in making any details of their everyday lives public, even amongst themselves. The most evident display of this was that even their largest cities had not been openly given names, as if such information had been highly guarded secrets.

It was not that the Invernians were xenophobes; in fact the opposite seemed rather true as the members of Alpha team were repeatedly greeted by smiles and welcoming gestures. It was evident that the general population of this world had no trouble seeing and dealing with non-Invernians, be them in Starfleet uniforms of not. This could explain why a visible portion of the public the away team had encountered had not been native residents, this world likely offering an odd yet friendly tourist attraction to curious travelers.

Taking all of this into consideration, the Chief Science Officer began to formulate a possible understanding as to why Professor Arken had chosen this world to protect the data crystal the crew of the ANUBIS was currently after. Without the help of the information they had been able to decipher from the first crystal, there would not have been any way for them, or anyone else for that matter, to even come close to identifying the general location of their objective. Even with the decoded data in their possession, the quest to locate IshDur Talkiir would prove to be quite a challenge given the idiosyncratic attitude and behaviour of the indigenous race of this world.

As friendly as these people appeared to be, it was impossible to not become rapidly aware of the extent of their aversion to divulge any information about themselves, regardless of how insignificant. No street signs and names of any sort could be seen, and while overhearing conversations between Invernians, it had been easy to pick up that no names or locations could be heard having been mentioned. All of this left the Shillian to question, on a purely scientific level, how such a race could actually function as they obviously did?

=/\= ANUBIS to Alpha Team, =/\= the voice of the Chief of Security who had remained on board came over the sub-dermal communication implant interrupting the train of thought of the Chief Science Officer. =/\= Any luck with your search? =/\=

"Negative," the Shillian replied in an atypical manner, Maya having been well known for her overly verbose answers and subsequent explanations. After what would have been considered to be a lengthy pause for the woman, the Scientist expanded on her report. "So far we have only come across three Risian women. None of them were a genetic match to the one we are looking for. As friendly as they are, the local population also does not seem overly interested in helping us."

"I doubt that the Professor would have gone through all this trouble to keep the information a secret only to have the person we are looking for have a giant neon-flashing arrow pointing down at here," the redhead Chief Engineering Officer stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "I am sure that the deeper we get into this wild mission, the more we will all agree that the Professor is as loony as it gets, and this even by my standards against which I judge others," Sonja added, casting a narrowed eyes glare at Jayson who had been walking right next to her.

=/\= Understood, =/\= Ya'Han quickly acknowledged, the secret code between the two women having been unintelligible to anyone else. =/\= We will check back in an hour. ANUBIS out. =/\=

"I thought that they were supposed to keep an open channel with both away teams?" Lieutenant Stark wondered out loud, thinking that maybe he would have been able to share a few words with the woman currently keeping a watchful eye on them.

"The channel might be open," the Engineer coldly explained, "but I am pretty sure that someone up there decided to turn down the volume so as to avoid having to hear your constant ramblings."

The possible explanation offered by Lieutenant Paquette was clearly not well received by the Chief of Operations who had still been completely unaware of the reason or reasons why the Chief of Security had begun to behave the way she had towards him. What made matters worse was the fact that the redheaded woman who clearly knew something had been on the same away team and that she had not been overly kind in her words and actions towards him. In fact, Sonja seemed to go out of her way to take various verbal shots at him whom the Shillian had noted with a few quick glances in the direction of the Chief Engineer.

"Looks like we have found two more on a 0-8-0 heading," the Shillian announced, indicating their next destination and targets with a movement of her head while at the same time trying to interrupt the conversation between the members of her team that had the risk of quickly degenerating into something that might hinder or flat out interfere with their current mission to find the Risian wife of the Invernian names IshDur Talkiir.

Whatever situation had been brewing between Jayson and Sonja, Maya could only hope that they found a way to quickly resolve it allowing the ANUBIS to carry on with their mission, this having been but the first of seven other crystals they were on a quest to locate and take possession of.

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P013: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 02 - 1930 ("On Edge")
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"On Edge"
[previous post was "Not Fully Understanding Why"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32219.1930

From orbit, the world of INVERNIA II appeared just like any other M-Class planet possessing a thriving culture, but upon closer scrutiny certain oddities could not be missed.  One such obvious difference was the complete absence of any orbital stations, forcing any visiting vessel to either land on the planet or remain in orbit as the ANUBIS had no other option to do.  It was clear to see that any such structure would have made the culture's desire to keep the details of their world hidden that much more difficult, providing a bridge that they would not be able to control to the extent required by their beliefs. 

Now, from a tactical aspect, the Sec/Tac would have strongly recommend that the ANUBIS not dock at any orbital station as this would reduce their ability to maneuver should something happen, but the lack of any such structure had been strange as far as Ya'Han had been concerned.  The technology had obviously been there and the federation would have more than likely offered any sort of assistance in establishing such stations should a request be made.

The next oddity that had drawn the attention of the black and red-haired Nylaan was the small number of communication satellites found in orbit around the planet. Obviously, the government of INVERNIA II believed that these had not been of a great necessity to a world that appeared to pride itself in keeping its own affairs out of reach. A few relay satellites could be seen on the tactical sensors, but all of them appeared to be unilateral in their communication purpose, allowing for signals to reach the planet surface and not the other way around. In fact the number of outbound signals had been negligible to say the least.

Although Ya'Han could imagine that this lack of data transfer network and minimal communication traffic would prove to be a bore for the IGC technicians, the Sec/Tac found it refreshing in that it allowed her to scan the surface of the planet without having to deal with an excessive number of obstacles and distractions. What this further solidified was the Invernian's deep-rooted desire to be as private a people as could be while still being part of an interstellar community such as the Federation.

The complex social balancing act seemed to be something that should have been impossible to accomplish, but a simple scan of the planet and its people indicated that INVERNIA II had clearly succeeded where other would have surely failed.  The attention of the Sec/Tac was drawn back to her instruments as one such outbound communication reached the ANUBIS.

"Beta team just reported in Captain," Ya'Han said, the report from Commander Shar'El and Counsellor Dima having just been received. "No luck on their end either. It looks like the search for the wife of IshDur Talkiir may take some time."

"I'm not complaining," the Flight Control Officer stated, Ensign Jones having been very much like the Invernians in that she had kept her comments and opinions to herself up until now. "The view is actually quite nice and relaxing."

Ya'Han found herself nodding in agreement. The scene as displayed on the main view screen had indeed been quite charming, the clouds floating over the blue and green surface of the planet appearing as a living painting that simply wished to be admired by anyone and everyone who cared to take a moment.

"I can see why this world attracts a fair number of tourists," the Captain voiced, he too having fallen under the spell of the planet's peaceful appearance. "Unfortunately, such traffic is only going to make the task of the away teams that much more difficult."

"Maybe not that much," Ya'Han countered. "I have been tracking the movements of the ships arriving and departing from the surface, although there are two landing stations on the continent we are in orbit over, the two cities currently being visited by our away teams are actually not that close to them. The traffic from tourists should be minimal and not play that much of a role in our reaching our objective.  I am sure that Commander Shar'El and Commander Maya will be able to find the Risian woman matching the DNA readout we have in no time."

"Feeling optimistic I see," the Captain said as he turned to look at the Sec/Tac, not trying in any way to hide his surprise at the origin of the statement. "Given that your argument to remain on the ANUBIS was to be ready to respond to possible unknown threats from a world that we actually know little about, I find it odd that you have suddenly adopted a more relaxed tactical posture. Has something changed to make you feel this way?"

Ya'Han found herself mentally scrambling, wondering if somehow the Captain had figured out what she had been trying to hide. It took the black and red-haired Nylaan a few seconds to calm herself, having realized that he had been referring to the scans of the planet and its surrounding as having changed, and not anything to do with her body.

"No Captain," the Sec/Tac confirmed as calmly as she could, realizing that she had almost allowed her fears to take control of her. "Sensors are not picking up anything unusual, but I do stand by my decision to remain on the ANUBIS. For all we know, the INVERNIANS might have an entire fleet of warships ready to pounce on the first vessel that they would perceive as a threat to their privacy."

"Now, that's the Chief of Security we all know and love," the Captain said laughing.  "Keep monitoring and immediate report any development."

"Yes Captain," Ya'Han acknowledged as the Captain made his way to his ready room, casting a glance and smile in her direction.

With the CO now off the bridge, Ya'Han found herself wondering if he had actually been looking at her or had been trying to see if the rumors of her conditions had been true. Quickly, the Sec/Tac dismissed those thoughts reminding herself that as of right now, only the Chief Engineer knew of the possibility. No one else even suspected that she might have been in the earliest most stages of being with child, and even Jayson had been at a lost to explain why things had changed between them.

It seemed that she would be her own worst enemy in this matter, letting her mind fabricate things that would actually lead her to reveal something that might not have actually been there.  After having taken a few lengthy breaths, the Sec/Tac refocused her attention on the peaceful and calming display visible on the main screen.

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P014: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 02 - 1920 ("She Who Shall Not Be Named")
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"She Who Shall Not Be Named"
[previous post was "Not So Crystal Clear" by the puzzled Jayson]
=-=

Setting: INVERNIA II, Western City, Cafe
Stardate: 32219.1920

Searching to a single Risian woman in a city, even one as quaint as this one was, presented the away teams with some rather several logistical issues. Now, the ExO / ILO could have made used the resources of the IGC to locate every Risian life forms in both cities, but that would have only provided the teams with *where* the women were, not *who* they actually were. As great as the sensors were on the ANUBIS, being able to discern specific DNA had unfortunately not been within their reach.

From what Shar'El had gathered, the other away team led by Commander Maya had opted for a more direct approach in their search, hunting down Risian women and performing a close-range scan to see if they matched the DNA sample they had on record. The Counsellor and ExO / ILO on the other hand had decided on a much different approach, one that had been less strenuous not to mention far more passive.

"How is the search going?" Nicole quietly inquired, sitting at a small circular table with a Risian sunrise in her hands.

"I have come across some very interesting memories," the Ullian admitted without breaking contact with the Risian woman whom she had been focussed on. "Unfortunately, none of them have anything to do with a man they are married with. What I do find interesting is the fact that I have yet to pick up on a single name being remembered. It is as if the entire culture operates without the use of individual names."

"When considering that the cities, streets and even the local establishments that we see around us have no signs displaying a name, it is not entirely unexpected to see the same in people," the Counsellor noted with interest. "For us, such a system would be perceived as an impossible way to function, but these people are a living proof that it can be done."

"If you like to refer to someone as 'that person over there' or 'what's his name'," Shar'El sighed finding the lack of a common personal identification to be quite a hindrance in her telepathic search. "Guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we have IshDur's name at all, now if only there was some way to use that information to help us locate him we would be half way home. The medical records we were able to have a look at did not contain any mention of an address, not even a general location within this city. How do they find one another like this?"

"Given what we have observed of this culture, you have to wonder how Professor Arken was able to obtain the man's name," Counsellor Dima said, thinking aloud about their predicament. "Then again, we are going on the assumption that IshDur Talkiir is in fact the name of the person in possession of the crystal."

"That is not at all a pleasant thought," the ExO / ILO sighed, this time actually lowering her head, breaking the telepathic link that she had been in the middle of. "I may not know this Professor Arken, but I can honestly say that I am starting to dislike him. Whatever these crystals contain better be mighty important for him to have gone through all that trouble to hide it."

"Admiral Koniki seems to believe it is," Nicole shrugged.

"Honestly, that does not make me feel any better about this," Shar'El said, shaking her head in unhappy disbelief. "Did you hear that Ya'Han?"

=/\= Yes, =/\= the Chief of Security replied through the subdermal communicator. =/\= The Captain had mentioned that possibility earlier but unfortunately that is all we have to go on. We have little other option but to hope that the name is a valid one and not some fake trail. =/\=

"Doubtful," Nicole commented. "Why would Professor Arken put a fake clue inside his own crystals that was meant to help locate the others? Given the difficulty we encountered to get the information, it is more likely that the name is accurate and just enough to put us on the right track leaving the rest to us."

"Anyone coming to this place and starting to ask for anyone by name would raise a lot of red flags, that much is certain," the ExO / ILO noted. "At least we were able to uncover a little more, allowing us to be a little more discreet in our search," the raven-haired Ullian said as she focused on another Risian woman who happened to walk by them.

"Is everything alright Commander?" The Counsellor inquired having seen a sudden change in the ExO / ILO's posture.

"I might have found her," Shar'El said with some hesitation. "The surface memories are those of a man she is married to, and I thought I saw him hold a small crystal in his hand. I need to dig deeper to confirm."

To anyone watching, it appeared as if the visitor had been interested in the Risian who was several meters away, the woman having for an unexplained reason stopped walking as if having suffered from some sort of vertigo.  As soon as the telepathic link was severed, the woman shook her head and dismissed the malaise she had just experienced before resuming her walk.

"So?" Nicole asked; glad to see that the Commander had also returned to a more natural appearance.

"You might want to finish that drink," Shar'El said in a rather serious tone. "Looks like we are on the move. Lieutenant Ya'Han, we have located the woman in question and are following. Please have Alpha team beamed to our location as soon as possible. It might also be helpful if the IGC made a lock on her, just in case we end up losing her trail."

=/\= Understood, =/\= the Chief of Security acknowledged.

"Are we expecting trouble?" Counsellor Dima inquired, not having seen any reason to have the other team join them in such a rush. "Did you see something in her memories that might indicate that there is more than we had expected to find?"

"I am not entirely certain Counsellor," the ExO / ILO replied. "Normally, when people are walking about like this, their memories are causal ones, drifting back and forth on people and places that they have just interacted with. In her case, the images and feelings I picked up on were far more emotional and specific. The man holding the crystal is her husband, but she is worried for him. Right now though I am unable to see why she would be so concerned, as if that memory is being kept away from her conscious mind on purpose."

"Could someone else be looking for the crystals and have gotten here before us?" The thought that this had somehow become a race sent a shiver down the Trill's back.

"I don't see how that is possible without there having been another crystal for them to use and decipher in order to locate this one, but it would explain why Admiral Koniki was in such a rush to see us take this mission," Shar'El noted. "Right now though, I have no proof to support that there is another player involved in this game of 'hunt the crystals', so the best we can do is to follow that woman and see what happens next."

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P015: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 02 - 1955 ("Who's Following Who")
"Who's Following Who"
[previous "She Who Shall Not Be Named"]

[/\]
Setting: INVERNIA II, Western City, Street
Stardate: 32219.1955

The news that their search for the crystals might possibly turn into an all-out race made a few members of the away team look upon the mission in a different light. At first the OPS Officer had thought that this had been just another way for the Admiral to keep them from returning home, but now it seemed that the urgency, and accompanying dangers, had been real.

Thanks to the ANUBIS' transporters, the two teams had regrouped in a matter of minutes and now all five officers were tracking the Risian woman, being careful not to make their presence known. What appeared strange was the way the woman in question had been wandering the streets, as if she had no actual goal or destination.

"I smell a trap," Jayson said, aware that his words would be hard by not only the other members of the away team but also the Chief of Security and Captain who had been in orbit.

=/\= Her path is erratic, =/\= Ya'Han said on the open communications channel. Although the statement had not been meant for him, he found himself enjoying hearing the sound of her voice, even if it was only for a second or so.

=/\= There is something wrong, =/\= Commander Shar'El added. =/\= She is purposefully suppressing memories. =/\=

=/\= Do you think it is because she knows that someone might be looking in on them? =/\= Lieutenant Paquette suggested.

=/\= Doubtful, =/\= Nicole said, joining in on the whispered covert conversation. =/\= It is more likely that she is doing this to avoid falling into some sort of emotional collapse that would force her into a public display. If she is doing that, it does support the theory that we are heading into a trap, possibly because she is being followed by someone else than us. =/\=

Having heard this, Jayson decided to stop following the Risian and see if he would be able to identify the individual or individuals that were following her to see who would make contact. If they were listening in on their conversation, it made sense for him to remain silent and not inform the others of his intent. Although the odds had been next to impossible for whomever they were to have tapped into their encrypted communication channel, there were other ways to listen in on some.

Having pulled back, Jayson scrutinized the surroundings, trying to see if someone stood out. The more he looked, the more he found everything to be as expected for this world, everyone minding their own business in an annoying manner.  What had appeared to be permanent smiles on some proved to be a nearly fool-proof method to identify the locals, so the OPS Officer decided to focus on those people not displaying this exuberance of happiness.

When his survey of the surrounding people revealed no one that fit the bill, Jayson decided to further expand his search by pulling even further back, so much so that he could barely see the Risian in question.

=/\= As anyone seen Jayson? =/\= Commander Shar'El asked of the away team, having noticed the absence of the Chief of Operations.

=/\= Wasn't my turn to keep watch on him, =/\= Sonja replied as if referring to a lost child.

=/\= Lieutenant Stark, can you hear us? =/\= The Commander asked, knowing that under normal circumstances he would be aware of everything that was being said through the open channel.

He debated about answering and giving his location, but the possibility that those interested in the Risian woman had somehow managed to track them forced him to remain quiet. That was when he noticed a shadowy figure along the tree line. They had been set in a perfect row to provide a natural decorum to the street as well as provide some cover from the sun to the walking visitors, but they had also been in a perfect position to provide a good hiding place to someone wishing to follow another.  Not sure if this unknown figure had actually been interested in the Risian woman or those following her, Jayson decided to follow the follower to see what would happen next.

=/\= Away team to ANUBIS, we seem to have lost Lieutenant Stark, =/\= the Commander announced, a hint of concern in her voice.

=/\= Let me see if I can get a more precise sensor lock on the away team members, =/\= Ya'Han said forcing Jayson to make a decision. Either he needed to tell them what he had been up to, or he needed to act on his hunch and expose the shadowy individual for what he or she was.

=/\= Do you have his location? =/\= Shar'El asked, clearly not liking the idea that a member of her team had gone missing.

=/\= I did, =/\= the Chief of Security replied, her voice echoing far more concern that the Chief of Operations would have expected to hear given the way she had been behaving towards him. =/\= He was about 50 meters back from your current location on the walkway, but his signal just vanished. Something might have happened to him, =/\= she added, clearly upset and concerned as to his well-being. In fact, given the way she had spoken, Jayson believed that she would have beamed down had she been given the opportunity to do so to help deal with the situation of his disappearance.

As Jayson approached the unknown individual while rejoicing in the knowledge that she did still care for him, this despite whatever had happened, he noticed an odd looking box affixed on the shadowy individual's belt. Given the small visible lights, it was evident that the box was a device of some sort, one that the OPS Officer suspected might have been responsible for him having vanished from the ship's sensors.

As soon as he was close enough, Jayson reached for the box, yanked it off the individual's belt and smashed it onto the ground.

=/\= I have him on sensors, =/\= the Chief of Security announced seconds after confirming the OPS Officer's suspicions. =/\= His life signs are strong, and there is someone else with him. They are by the tree line some 45 meters ahead of your current location and heading. =/\=

=/\= We see him, =/\= Commander Shar'El confirmed as she and Lieutenant Paquette came running in his direction.

Obviously having been discovered, the unknown individual turned to confront the Starfleet Officer who had made them, but before Jayson to act further, the cloaked figure pushed him clean off his feet with a single, powerful strike against his chest.  By the time Shar'El and Sonja arrived by his side, the shadowy figure had vanished from sight.

"What happened?" Shar'El inquired of the man currently on the street, flat on his back.

"Don't you ever get tired of getting knock down by others?" The Engineer teased. "Are you injured?" She asked, not for her own benefits, as she actually did not truly care if he had been hurt or not, but Sonja knew that the woman listening in on their conversation would want to know.

"Someone was following us," He explained. "They had some sort of sensor shield device on their belt. The moment I destroyed it, Ya'Han was able to see both of us. I suspected that they would try to run, but did not anticipate that they would strike at me the way they did. I will admit that it was with a lot more strength than i thought the person had given its size and general shape.

=/\= Ya'Han, can you track the assailant? =/\= The Commander asked as she helped the man back to his feet.

=/\= I have him. They are heading for the residential buildings, and they seem to be in quite a rush to get wherever they are going, =/\= the Chief of Security reported.

"Looks like we need to step things up," the away team leader noted with dismay.  "Commander Maya, you and Counsellor Dima will need to make contact with the Risian woman and explain the situation. See if she can provide us with any information as to who this individual is and why it seems they were following her. Might be an idea to also fetch that broken device used to hide them from our sensors. A quick scan of the components might give us a clue as to whom we are dealing with. The rest of us will go after that individual and see where they are heading," Shar'El ordered, not wasting any time to start running after the individual who had been following them.

"Did you have fun scaring poor Ya'Han by not answering our calls?" Sonja said, giving Jayson a piece of her mind while not breaking her running strides. Although the Engineer had not been there by her side, she knew that her friend would be sickly concerned and would also not dare to let it show while on the Bridge with the Captain likely right there over her shoulder.

"I thought that our communications were being monitored," he said in his defence. "I didn't want to take the risk whoever they were knowing that we might be onto them."

"Well you did a wonderful job with that," the Engineer pointed out as all three officers ran as fast as they could to catch up with the individual who had attacked their Chief of Operations.

As much as he may have wanted to defend his actions and reasons for having done so, Jayson realized that whatever he would say would only make matters worse, not only as part of the away team but also as a man. It was easy to imagine that Ya'Han would use this to see her anger towards him jump by several points.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P016: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 02 - 2015 ("From Above")
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"From Above"
[previous post was "Who's Following Who"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32219.2015

She was happy to hear that Jayson was alright, but if Sonja didn't kill him after what he did, the Sec/Tac surely would upon his return to the ANUBIS. As the head of the security forces on board the ship, the now bright red-haired Nylaan could understand the way of thinking the man had used to justify his actions. In fact she could even find it within her to support his having remained silent to avoid being detected by the unknown individual he had been following. On a more personal level though, Ya'Han could not so easily forgive him for having scared her, and everyone else, the way he had.

The Sec/Tac would have to deal with him in that regards at some point following his return, if she could manage to actually face him. In the meantime, Ya'Han needed to focus on tracking the unknown individual who had followed the away team and given them the slip after momentarily taken Jayson out of the chase.

"What are the sensors showing?" The Captain asked, hoping to get an idea of what they were dealing with and who might have also been after the professor's crystals. What had started as a simple mission had quickly taken a turn towards something potentially more involving. It all depended on what race or organization had been on the quest to reunite all of the crystals.

"Thanks to Jayson disabling that sensor cloaking device, we are now able to track the individual. The problem is that the computer is unable to identify the species based on the readings we are picking up. Either their bio-signs have been modified in a way that we cannot identify or this is a race that we have never before encountered. What I can tell you though, through what I am seeing, is that whoever they are, they are quick and agile. I suspect that the members of the away team may not be able to actually catch up."

"Quick and agile," the Captain said to himself trying to narrow down the possibilities of those who might have had a reason to be involved in this search.

=/\= Don't forget strong, =/\= Jayson added to the description of the unknown individual who had knocked him to the ground with a single strike. =/\= That thing nearly crushed my rib cage with that blow. =/\=

"Are you in need medical assistance?" The Captain asked, seeing that one of his officers might be in some sort of trouble. "We can beam you back to the ANUBIS, the others can continue with the pursuit."

=/\= No need, I'm fine, =/\= Jayson quickly replied, sounding out of breath. =/\= Oh yea, they are quick. =/\=

"Then quit complaining and keep up with it," Ya'Han suggested, a hint of discontentment in her voice. "They just took a right into a narrow passage way, they may be trying to lose you although this will greatly reduce their ability to alter their course, this should help you gain some ground."

"Everything alright?" The Captain asked in a whispered tone of the Sec/Tac, curious as to why she had sounded irritated without having to broadcast it to the others listening in on the open channel.

"Just believed he needed some encouragement to focus," she explained without any hesitation. "He's endured worst during our sparing matches, and usually needs a push to get him to exceed what he believes to be his limits, which are much higher than he gives himself credit for," Ya'Han added hoping that this would prove to be a sufficient answer for their Captain.

The truth was that, has her hair color indicated, the Sec/Tac had shifted into her combat mindset and in so doing had allowed her anger about the situation she found herself in to be externalized, even if only a short time. Right now, Ya'Han needed to forget about her situation and dedicate all of her energy and thoughts on helping the away team catch-up and apprehend the unknown individual.

"Commander Shar'El," the Sec/Tac called out through the open channel. "The individual is back tracking using another passage way. Take the next right, you should be able to intercept. Jayson, stay on course to block them from using the way they came as an escape route. Them taking that turn was a tactical mistake that has given us the advantage we were hoping for."

Ya'Han watched with growing anticipation as the indicators on her tactical screen displaying the positions of each person closed in on one another. Thanks to the narrow passages, the outcome of this chance had been a near certitude in their favor. Shar'El and Sonja would intercept while Jayson would effectively block any possible retreat, that was if he was more ready than he had been the last time.

=/\= Stop! =/\= Commander Shar'El ordered as everyone came to meet at the same intersection of the passage ways. What followed drew concerns from both the Sec/Tac and Captain as the sounds of a physical struggle were clearly heard.

"Commander, report!" The Captain demanded as soon as the channel became quiet, but instead of Shar'El or even Sonja answering, it was Jayson whose voice was heard next.

=/\= They're okay. Looks like they both got the wind knocked out of them. Do you have a direction to point me in? I can't see where that individual went. =/\=

Ya'Han looked at her instruments with confusion. From the moment that all of the indicators had come together, none had left meaning that as far as the sensors had been concerned the unknown individual should have still he there.

"I can't explain it but it looks like they vanished," the Sec/Tac reported. "Sensors are not showing any indication that the individual has moved from your current location. Is there a door or some other access point they could have used to get out of the passage way?"

=/\= Not as far as I can see, =/\= Jayson reported.

"Make sure Commander Shar"El and Lieutenant Paquette are all right then regroup with Commander Maya and Counsellor Dima," the Captain instructed. "Let's hope we will have better luck getting some answers from our Risian guest."

Frustrated with the unexplained disappearance of the unknown individual, Ya'Han continued with her sensor sweeps of the area where Shar'El, Sonja and Jayson were. Certainly, there had to be an explanation as to how someone could have just vanished from existence without leaving any traces.

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P017: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 02 - 2030 ("Not One Bit")
"Not One Bit"
previous post was "From Above"

=====
Setting: INVERNIA II, Western City, Street
Stardate: 32019.2030

Sonja had not been happy, not one bit. To see Jayson on his back, as he had a habit of being when sparring with Ya'Han, had been amusing and entertaining, but to be in the same position as he had been not that long ago had not been at all pleasant. Not one bit.

Having returned to her feet without having accepted the assistance offered by Lieutenant Stark, the redhead Engineer tried to work the soreness from her body, the one and only blow she received having been as powerful as earlier described. To make sure that the Chief of Operations would not get any ideas about saying something in regards to what had happened, the Chief Engineer was quick to meet the man's gaze with her own narrowed eyes making it crystal clear that should a single world escape his lips, he would find himself with his back to the ground once again. This time though, being unable to get back up as easily as he had done the last time, if at all.

"Shar'El to Maya, we are heading your way," the Commander reluctantly stated as she too shifted and stretched her body in odd ways to work the soreness out of her bruised muscles and bones. The description of the unknown individual had been understated in saying that he or she was quick, agile and strong. Their short-lived close-range encounter with it having been more than proof enough of that.

"No need Commander," the Chief Science Officer said, her voice having come not from the subdermal communicator but rather from a few meters away. "While you were given chance, Counsellor Dima and I thought it best to keep the distance between us as small as possible in case the developing situation required our being near to render assistance. Miss Allahi was more than happy to follow us once we introduced ourselves and explained the reason for our presence on INVERNIA II."

"What is even more interesting is that it appears that she was expecting us," the Trill Counsellor added, a tone of suspicion in her voice. Obviously, while the other three had been running after the individual who had been following them, Maya and Nicole had taken the opportunity to gather some additional Intel from the Risian woman.

"To be more accurate," the Chief Science Officer said, poising herself for one of her legendary lengthy descriptive explanations, "Miss Allahi was trying to make contact with the Federation ship and crew that had been expected to have been sent to search for IshDur Talkiir and the crystal in his possession. Her wandering the streets was nothing more than a ploy and trap set by those who are holding her husband captive in their apartment. Unfortunately, she is unable to provide us with any more information about who these people are, all four of them having gone through great efforts to keep their specific, as well as general identities a secret."

"That would explain the concerns that I picked up from you," Shar'El stated looking at the Risian, leaving the method of her having obtained this feeling a secret to the woman. The statement had also served to interrupt Maya before she got her second wind and continued her explanation on some barely relevant tangent.

"Can you give us the exact location of your apartment?" Sonja asked, an updated plan of action having formed in her mind. After having lost the only lead they had, it made sense to find a way to get to the destination as quickly as possible, and hopefully doing so before their missing spy got there to warn the other three of what had happened.

"We live on the fifth floor of the third building in the second row set in the first quadrant of the intersection where the statue of this city's founder is on display," Allahi explained, giving a hint as to how this culture went about identifying any specific locations.

"Ya'Han, is that enough for you to get us there using the ship's transporter?" Commander Shar'El asked of their Chief of Security.

=/\= Using the statue's forward orientation to figure out which is the first quadrant, then identifying the second row of buildings, and the third structure in that row, I can beam you to the fifth floor without any problems,  =/\= Ya'Han reported. =/\= Entering the coordinates into the transporter system. Stand by to beam six. =/\=

"Maybe it would be safer to beam us in front of that building instead," Jayson cautiously suggested. "We have no idea of what we are going to run into. As we discovered, whoever those guys are can shield themselves from our sensors."

"Will you just relax," Sonja sighed. "I realize that Ya'Han may not be here to protect you, but I am sure that the rest of us can handle things. If you are that worried, you can stay here and see how it's done. "

"That is not what I meant," the Chief of Operation said in his defence. "There might me traps waiting for us there. Let's not forget that she was sent to meet us and trigger a trap, it makes sense that they took into account the possibility that things would not have gone the way they had planned."

Sonja glanced at Commander Shar'El, not ready to openly admit that he had made a valid point.  With a nod of her head, the First Officer decided to make one small modification to their plan of attack. "Ya'Han, set the transport coordinates to a new location."

=====
Setting: INVERNIA II, Western City, Fifth floor of specified building
Stardate: 32019.2045

The away team along with the Risian woman materialized into the corridor of the fifth floor, as far away from any stairs or elevators detected by the ANUBIS' sensors.  With the team together, the Commander thought it best to maintain complete silence and instruct the others through military-style gestures.

Once Allahi figured out her bearings, she motioned to one corridor and indicated that the apartment they were aiming for was the third one on their left. With Sonja in the lead, checking for any signs of a trap, the away team carefully approached their destination, unable to know if they had managed to get here before the individual who had given them the slip back in the passage way.

With a quick motion of her hand, the redhead Engineer brought the entire team to a complete stop, having detected a small beam of light crossing the corridor a few centimeters above the floor. Showing her discovery to the others, everyone was silently instructed to step over the alarm trigger, thus maintaining the element of surprise that they hoped was still theirs to make full use of.

Seconds away from crashing through the door, Maya took on the form of a wolf. It was clear that she intended in jumping first and using her animal form to further increase the effect of the unannounced arrival, a decision that everyone seemed more than supportive of, with maybe the exception of the Risian woman who seemed to be in shock after having witnessed the transformation.

Timing their effort as best they could, Jayson and Sonja kicked in the door, allowing the wolf-shaped Maya to burst into the apartment followed by the rest of the team.  One by one the rooms were checked, both by Maya's heightened sense of smell and the rest of the away team's eyes. After an intensive search, no one was found other than a man tied to a chair and appearing to be in a rather rough shape.

"Are you all right?" Allahi asked with immeasurable concern as she rushed to who everyone else could only guess had been the man they were searching for, IshDur Talkiir.

"Where are those who did this to you?" Commander Shar'El asked.

"They're long gone," Sonja replied instead. "I've just discovered a set of long-range transporter enhancers. My guess is that the moment the trap failed, they high-tailed it out for fear that we would do what we did and possibly capture one or more of them, thus uncovering who they were and how they managed to find out about the crystals," the redhead explained, not at all happy that their assault had not been as successful as she might have liked. Not happy one bit.

"Did they get the crystal?" Shar'El inquired, fearing that their quest had come to an end. Without the second crystal there would not be any way for them to know the location of the next one in the sequence.

As the Risian woman, who also happen to be his wife untied the bonds, IshDur nodded his head yes, leaving the away team to understand that the crystal had indeed been taken by whomever these people had been. "I am sorry," he added using all of his strength to push himself up. "Professor Arken trusted me with the crystal but I could not hold its location secret against their torture."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Sonja offered, the marks left on his face and body having been more than enough to hint as to the level of punishment he had endured to safeguard the crystal.

"Agreed," Shar'El confirmed. "We are just glad that you are alright. If you wish, we can beam you back to our ship and have our medical staff take care of you."

IshDur shook his head no and turned away, making his way through the room, staggering to such an extent that everyone feared that he would fall at any moment, which he eventually did sooner rather than later. Luckily, his fall was partially halted as he took hold of some sort of art piece, likely native to INVERNIA II.  Having been the closest, Sonja reached out and offered the man some help which he at first ignored for a few moments before turning to the redhead and taking hold of her hand with his to help him get back up.

"We both appreciate what you are trying to do, but I think it would be best if you all left," he sternly suggested.

"Please," Nicole pushed, "allow us to help in some way as a show of thanks for what you did."

"I believe that we have already gone through enough because of that blasted crystal," IshDur snapped, his anger having been completely unexpected, taking everyone by surprise.

"Counsellor, I believe that he is right," Sonja stated, glancing over to Maya to make sure that she had regained her clothing. "Ya'Han, as soon as you are ready, beam us back up."

Shar'El appeared puzzled but when the redhead quickly shook her head, the Commander knew that there had been more to this story than it appeared. 

Without anyone saying anything else, the away team waited for the transport sequence to begin and take them back to the ANUBIS, their quest having apparently failed.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room
Stardate: 32019.2100

As soon as the transporter sequence had been completed, the Commander turned toward the Chief Engineer. "What happened?"

"My guess is that there was still one of those guys there or the room was bugged," Sonja explained as she turned towards Maya and placed something into her hand.  "IshDur gave me this when he got back up, I'm guessing that it was hidden in that hideous art work of his. That is why he wanted us to leave right away; this may give us the advantage and allow us to stay ahead of whoever those guys are."

The Chief Science Officer kept her hand open, allowing everyone to see the crystal that had been placed there, a crystal that perfectly matched the first one they had in their possession.

"Commander Maya, if you would please decipher the crystal, we can move on to the next step of this mission," Shar'El happily said before returning her attention to the redheaded Chief Engineer. "Thank you. We were fortunate that IshDur trusted you with handing over the crystal."

"I was just at the right place at the right time," Sonja shrugged. "Trust I believe had no part in this. Not one bit."

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P018: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 02 - 2200 ("Understandings")
##########
"Understandings"
Previous post "Not One Bit"
##########

"There are things known and things unknown and in between are the doors."
- Jim Morrison

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 32219.2200

The Native American sat at his desk, his attention on the streaking stars visible through the window of his office.

"Captain's Log, Stardate 32219.22. To keep up the appearance that the mission to obtain the second crystal had failed, the ANUBIS has left INVERNIA II and set a course for the nearest Federation Starbase. As soon as Commander Maya deciphers the data contained within the new crystal to have come within our possession, we will alter course accordingly. That is right after we engage our cloaking armour to make sure no one can follow us."

"Based on the reports from my First Officer, Commander Shar'El, as well as the rest of the members of the away team, it is clear that someone else is after these crystals. Unfortunately, as of right now, we have no idea who they are or why they are interested in the work of Professor Arken, work that we ourselves have no idea what it involves.  What we do know for fact is that what had been believed to be a simple mission setting us on a quest in search for clues has turned into a race against an unknown adversary for a yet to be determined final objective. Although the mission is meant to seeing us gather all eight crystals, myself as many others on the senior staff, know that this will only be the first step in whatever this whole story is about. Computer, pause recording," the Captain said before adding a troubled sigh.

Erik leaned back in his chair, trying to make sense of what had happened on INVERNIA II. Thanks to the help of IshDur Talkiir, the crystal had been kept safe until it was covertly handed over. This seems to have given the ANUBIS and its crew a tactical advantage, but it also served to show that the content hidden within these crystals had been far more important than Admiral Koniki might have hinted to. As it was all too often the case in situations such as this one, there was a great deal of information missing to allow for the Native American Commanding Officer to fully understand what was going on. The Head of Starfleet Intelligence and senior most officer of the NEW ALEXANDRIA complex, it seemed, liked it that way.

"Computer, resume recording," the Captain said, having regathered his thoughts. "I have tasked Commander Shar'El, with the help of Lieutenant Ya'Han with, to review all sensor logs and try to identify who the individuals were who tried to appropriate the second crystal. Hopefully, a clue as to their identity or even possibly their reason can be uncovered. If not, the best we can hope for is for us to remain ahead of them as we press on with our initial mission objective."

Just as the Native American ended his log entry, the sound of the door chime echoed through his office. "Come in," Erik said, wondering who might be on the other side of the door, not having expected anyone and knowing that if something important had happened or been discovered, he would have been made aware of this in a far more direct and rapid manner.

"I hope that I am not interrupting anything Captain," the 5'5" Trill woman in charge of the crew's emotional and mental health offered as she stepped in.

"Not at all Counsellor," Erik promptly reassured. "I just finished a log entry about our current situation."

"Bet it was not one of those 'short and simple' entry," Nicole chuckled as she made her way to the couch to sit down, the Captain having always invited his Ship's Counsellors to make themselves as comfortable as possible, the Native American never having had any problems or hesitations in confiding in the person holding that position. "I saw Shar'El and Ya'Han meticulously looking over the sensor logs covering their time on INVERNIA II. Do you truly believe that they will be able to find something that might help us figure out who is after the crystal?"

"Do you personally enjoy asking questions that you know the answer to or is this just a professional way to get inside my head?" Erik teased from the other side of his desk.

"Well," Nicole grinned back, "as the ship's Counsellor, it is in my contract that I have to get inside the head of at least one member of the Senior Staff every day. With Shar'El, Ya'Han and Maya way too busy to even acknowledge my presence, and Jayson still overly preoccupied, I figured that you were my next best option."

"Why not set your sights and claws on Sonja?" The Captain inquired, expertly managing to balance seriousness and hilarity with his question.

"Main Engineering was too far," Dima dismissed with laughter.

"Actually, while I have you here counsellor," the Native American continued, but this time coming across as completely serious and professional. "You mentioned Jayson being overly preoccupied. Do you have any ideas as to why?"

"Now it's your turn to ask a question that you already have the answers to," the Counsellor pointed out, having easily noticed that look in the Captain's eyes that hinted that he knew, or at the very least suspected something.

"Ya'Han displayed a brief moment of what I referred to as an 'optimistic' opinion on her part when she made a comment about the outcome of the mission on INVERNIA II," Erik explained. "It took her no time at all to correct this and go back to her usual self, but I was still surprised by her unusually positive outlook. The woman seems to go out of her way to find conspiracies and danger wherever we are."

"I did notice that Jayson was preoccupied for the majority of the mission," Nicole stated. "Not enough to hinder his ability to perform his duties, but it was clear that his head was not 100% where it should have been."

"Well, looks like you have a couple of other heads for you to get into," the Captain said in a rather jovial manner. "That should give me some time to relax and not have to worry about you pocking in there too much," he added gently tapping the side of his head with his forefinger.

"Don't think that this gets you out of range of my claws," the Trill stated, gladly using the same term the Native American had used earlier to describe her counselling methods. "I will have a chat with both of them tomorrow," Nicole continued in a more serious tone just as the Captain had.

"Good luck, and good night Counsellor."

"Captain," the Counsellor acknowledged with a nod of her head, and with that the Trill woman exited the Native American's office with a quest of her own.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P019: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 03 - 0215 ("Alone")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Alone"
[previous post was "Understandins"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32220.0215

Following the away team's return from INVERNIA II, and their debriefing led by Captain Morningstar, Ya'Han had returned to her quarters, alone. Jayson had chosen to spend the night in his quarters, a decision that Ya'Han could hardly hold against him based on the way things had evolved between them. Granted, the way she had ignored him when he tried to get her attention after coming onto the bridge had more than likely helped him make that decision.

With all of the conflicting emotions that filled her mind, and the changes she anticipated in her body, Ya'Han believed that it had indeed been best for them to stay apart for the time being. She found herself struggling with the possibility of her being with child, and having to try and explain this to him would have only made things worse. Him being happy about this would leave the Sec/Tac to wonder if he had actually been truthful in his reaction or had only done so to be supportive accepting responsibility for his role in this. If he delayed showing any display of joy, she would interpret this as him not being keen on the possibility leaving her to figure out what she would need to do next. If he showed any signs of displeasure or maybe even fear, she would likely go 'full red' on him for not being man enough to face the reality of the possibility of them becoming parents. So no, being alone in her quarters right now had been best for both of them, in more ways than one.

Following a light dinner, the black and red haired Nylaan sat on the couch to relax, using the time to catch up on the reports from her department. With the ANUBIS in orbit of INVERNIA II and nothing much happening beyond the events that had taken place on the planet's surface, the activity had not lasted as long as the Sec/Tac would have liked it to.  Not wishing to go to the gym to train, in case she ran into Jayson and because she now needed to be more careful about herself, Ya'Han had decided to remain in her quarters.

It had not taken too long before she found herself pacing the full length of her quarters more times than she had managed to keep count of, her body quickly following the aimless wanderings of her thoughts. For fear of actually creating a path on the carpet of her quarters, Ya'Han decided to go to bed early and get some rest. If she was indeed with child, she would need to get as much rest as she could.

As great as the idea might have been though, it had proven to be a much more difficult goal to achieve. Her body might have been willing to indulge in this rest but her mind had been much less cooperative. By the time the sheets of her bed had found their way onto the floor of her bedroom, Ya'Han had come to the realization that rest would not be something she would be able to enjoy tonight, or more accurately in the early hours of the following day.

Having resigned herself to a sleepless night, she sat on the edge of the bed, catching herself looking back over her shoulder at the vacant other half. As much as she might not have been ready to admit it, Ya'Han did feel herself missing him, more now than ever before, not truly wanting to be alone at this time.

In a brief moment of weakness, she found herself looking down at her hands which had once again come to caress her belly. As she did so, she noticed that the locks of hair that had dropped to either side of her face displayed a much more royal hue, a color that as established by her training had needed to have been present during conception and during the entire duration of her pregnancy. It had been made perfectly clear to every daughter of the High Sovereign that baring a child had been their first duty to their husbands as well as to their father.

Ya'Han could only guess to the universe consuming rage her father would unleash on her and Jayson if the High Sovereign of NYLA IV came to learn of this situation, Ya'Han never having officially bonded with her mate. Then again, she had run away from him and everything he stood for, so it was another possibility that he would not even care about this child if he somehow even came to learn about it. Then again, given his overwhelming desire to control everything around him, it had been a much greater possibility that he would want this offshoot branch of the family tree cut down and burnt out of history altogether.

That thought sent Ya'Han into a crying fit, a reaction that she had never before had when thinking about her father or his all too frequent fits of rage. She hted him for what he had done to her, forcing her to leave as she did, yet she still found it in her heart to love him for being her father. As much as she might have fared him for coming after her, she always considered herself ready to fight for her freedom, but now her ability to live as she wanted had taken a backseat to protecting her would-be child.

The purple-haired Nylaan found herself looking at her full body reflection, her hands covering her belly in a loving and protective manner. Her motherly instincts had already begun to surface, which despite there not having been any proof of her condition other than the physical pains she had experienced earlier that morning and the stories that went with them. Such evidence would be easily obtained by someone on the medical staff, but Ya'Han had to admit to herself if anyone else, that this frightened her more than she had ever thought possible.

The worst part was that she was not entirely certain if this fear was based on the results coming back positive or negative.  As much as she might have believed herself to not being ready for this, part of her feared that this had all been some sort of biological mix up caused by the fact that never before had a daughter of the High Sovereign been with a Human.

Gently caressing her belly, Ya'Han fought back her tears. Although she had been alone in her quarters, the truth was that she would not be alone as the situation progressed. Even if Jayson was somehow not considered in all of this, the Nylaan woman knew that she would be able to count on friends such as Sonja and Shar'El. Oddly enough one of them had yet to be made aware of this possibility, something that she would need to address sooner rather than later.

After that, even if unfolding events would see both of them leave her side, not that she would ever wish for that to happen, the purple haired woman knew that she would not be alone, never again, not as long as she would be there to care for this child.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P020: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 03 - 0215 ("Alone")
"Solitary Confinement"
[previous "Alone"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Stark's Quarters
Stardate: 32220.0455

He lay on his bed, wide awake, thinking about what had happened on INVERNIA II amongst other things. The mission had been a success in that they had found IshDur Talkiir and recovered from him the crystal they had been looking for. So why had he not been happy?

Yes this had been only the second crystal in their quest to reunite the entire set and given how buried and distorted the information had been from the first crystal, it was natural to expect that things would not get any easier from this point on. As annoying as that might have been though, the OPS Officer knew that with the combined efforts of Commander Shar'El in the IGC and Commander Maya in the science labs, the secrets of the crystals would not remain hidden for very long. So his current mood had to have been caused by something else.

Thinking back to the encounter with the individual who had been following Allahi and the away team, Jayson felt his muscle start to ache once more. Whoever they were, their speed and strength had been quite formidable and he did consider himself lucky to have gotten away from that with only a few external bruises. Had the hit been slightly lower, or just a hint more powerful, the OPS Officer did not doubt that he would have never been able to get back up.

As intense as the sparring sessions with Ya'Han were, they had never left him feeling the way he had been made to feel after that one blow. The comments from the Chief of Security had only served to add a few emotional cuts to the physical bruises he had received.

He let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes. As much as he tried to force the reason for his feeling as he did onto something else, he always found his way back to the actual cause, the woman who from one day to the next had seemingly shut him out of her life for no apparent reason. Having Sonja aware of this reason, this being beyond evident by the way she was acting around him wherever they were in the same general vicinity only added to his feeling like everything had been his fault.

If he was to be made to feel like some sort of infectious leper though, Jayson would have appreciated having at the very least been told why by someone. Each time he had said or done something to incur the anger of Ya'Han, she had not hesitated to let him know why, usually seconds before slapping some sense into him, or flat out making him see the error of his ways as he looked up at her from the floor. This time though, not a single word had been said. In fact she had gone out of her way to avoid him and keep the wall of silence that had been erected between them untouched, even by a simple glance in his direction.

Whatever it was that he had done, he had truly outdone himself, not that he could find any pride or joy in that accomplishment. His reward of an emotional solitary confinement had been one that he was ready to do anything to break free from, but that decision had not been his to make. As long as Ya'Han felt it necessary to not speak to him, there was nothing he could do other than wait. He knew her well enough to understand that pressuring or pestering her on this matter would only make matters worse. So as much as he hated it, he had no other choice but to wait, doing his best to continue performing his duties as the Chief of Operations for the ANUBIS hoping that the CO or ExO would not come to investigate the rift that he was sure everyone had been more than aware of between the two lovers.

=/\= Commander Maya to Lieutenant Stark. =/\=

Jayson actually smiled; glad to see that at least someone had wanted to speak with him. "Go ahead Commander."

=/\= If you can spare some time from your duties, I would like your help and opinion on something concerning the crystal we obtained from IshDur Talkiir. Actually, to be more accurate, I would need your input concerning a particular encoding process used to safeguard the data, =/\= Maya explained.

"Commander, it's a little after 0500 hours, I am not on duty at this time," he stated.

=/\= I am so very sorry Lieutenant. I have been working on this crystal through the night and lost track of time. It was not my intention to wake you but given the unique properties of what i have come across I believed that you would be the person to ask. Please, disregard my earlier request; I will continue to work on this until such time as you are back on duty. =/\=

Seeing that the scientist had been more than ready to continue with her apologetic excuse, the OPS Officer quickly interrupted. "No need to apologies Commander, I was actually not sleeping, so you did not wake me. I just had too many things on my mind to be able to get any sleep, so I would be happy to lend a hand instead of being here, alone, with my thoughts. Give me a few minutes and I will join you."

=/\= Thank you Lieutenant. I personally enjoy reviewing and analyzing my own thoughts, but I guess that is something unique to me and sets me as the exception rather than the rule, although I fail to see why more people do not take part in this activity. It is a very enlightening and educational view into what makes us sentient life forms. Anyway, I am currently in the Quantum Physics Lab on deck 12, =/\= Maya said, again sounding as if there had been a great deal more she had been ready to say.

"I know where the lab is Commander; I will see you there shortly. Stark out."

He felt bad cutting the Commander short the way he did, but he had believed this to be better than spending the next half hour listening to her going on about anything and everything. Half hour if luck had been on his side, and given that had had been in his quarters instead of Ya'Han's, it was easy to see that luck had not been on his side at this time.

As he jumped out of bed, he instinctively turned to see the woman who had occupied his thoughts for the majority of the night. Instead of seeing her though, he saw the empty bed set in the chaos that had been his own room. The lack of order had never truly bothered him, but today he found it to be another reminder of how alone he felt without her in his life in some way.  Hopefully this situation would be quickly resolved, even if it meant for him to continue being this way, if he at least knew why.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P021: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 03 - 0515 ("A Whole Different Puzzle")
---
"A Whole Different Puzzle"
(Previous Post: "Solitary Confinement")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Quantum Physics Lab
Stardate: 32220.0515

The Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS had unbeknownst to herself spent the entire night working on deciphering the encoded data contained within the crystal obtained from the Invernian IshDur Talkiir. Having already manage to decode the data from the first crystal, Maya had expected the process to be similar with the second one. It had not taken the Shillian very long to realize that this would not be the case as the expected data clusters did not appeared as they had the first time around. The more she worked on this puzzle, the more the head of the Science Department admired Professor Arken for his intellect, an exceptionally paranoid intellect, but a genius level intellect nonetheless.

The data in the first crystal she had been given to decipher was encoded using a multi-layered progressive password system. Getting through the first few levels had proven difficult enough, requiring some fancy decryption algorithms, but without any sort of key to understand the code used, there had been no way for the Shillian scientist to break through the deeper protective layers. Taking into account that the crystals had also been meant to work together, it made perfect sense that the main data hidden within could only be accessed when all of the crystals were finally brought together.

When Maya began working on the second crystal, she noted that the way the data had been protected was not the same as the first. Initially, she believed that this had been because of a shift in the orientation of the crystal or maybe because of a different molecular crystalline formation. Once all of the most likely possibilities to explain the discrepancies had been disqualified, the Chief Science Officer was left with the unpleasant realization that the encoding method used by Professor Arken for the second crystal had been completely different from the first. It took several hours for the Shillian to understand that this new process included some rather complex encoding at the quantum level, hence confirming that the man responsible for this had indeed been a paranoid and eccentric genius beyond what anyone could have believed him to be.

"You called?" The Chief of Operations asked as he walked into the Quantum Physics Laboratory where the Chief Science Officer had been forced to relocate to, in order to properly address the work done by Professor Arken.

"Yes I did," Maya confirmed, barely looking at the man while calling up a holographic display of the molecular structure of the second crystal. "I am in need of your assistance in order to figure out the line of thought used by Professor Arken to create the barrier he used to protect the data contained in the crystal. The man obviously thinks on a completely different level than we do and I find no shame in admitting that I am unable to understand the specific ideas he is using to accomplish the security barriers he has put into place in these crystals."

"So you need *my* help?" Jayson questioned with visible puzzlement, not able to figure out how he would be able to assist the Shillian. As the Chief Science Officer, her knowledge in this particular domain had been expected to exceed his, and her dedication to the field made that expectation a certainty beyond any reasonable challenge.

"The clue to breaking the encoding barrier was set-up at the quantum level within the molecular structure of the crystal," the Shillian Science Officer explained making the Terran Chief of Operations even further doubt his ability to being able to help in any way.  "It took me some time to make sense of what this quantum realignment was meant to do, but once I figured it out I knew that I would not be the right person to understand how to go beyond it. As much as I delight in all things found within the realm of science, there are still a great deal of things that are beyond my understanding and knowledge."

With a few press of the controls, the Chief Science Officer enlarged the holographic image to the point where the quantum fluctuations of each atom within the crystal could be visible.  Jayson stared at the image, trying to make sense of the chaotic sight, and after a few seconds, he shrugged and took a large step back.  "I am truly sorry Commander, but I am unable to see anything, let alone something that I would be able to help you with."

"I had the same reaction the first time I was looking at this," Maya admitted, almost overly happy in her words. "When I detected these unusual quantum fluctuations, I immediately focused in onto the smallest possible details, I mean why else alter the quantum fluctuation if that was not the intent? It was only when I decided to look at these odd oscillations on the larger scale, larger being relative to the size I was observing at the time. When dealing at the quantum level, anything beyond the atomic range becomes, for obvious reasons, a *much* larger scale. Anyway, it was when I reduced the magnification that I was able to see something I believe falls into your sphere of understanding, far better than it would ever be in mine."

The Chief of Operations resumed his scrutiny of the image as the scientist gradually reduced the extreme visual amplification until a certain pattern appeared; one that Jayson took a few extra seconds to recognize for what it was.  "That is impossible. How could he have forced the quantum elements to create that?"

"Professor Arken is a true genius," Maya admitted without hesitation. "I have no idea how he managed to accomplish this amazing feat, but it is clear that he did so to create a very specific clue for whoever obtained the crystal, and my guess is that he did so in order to show the observer as to how to access the identity of the owner of the third crystal. At least, it is the only explanation that I have and which makes sense given what it is we are seeing. I truly doubt that the Professor would have gone to all of this trouble to create something that was not significant to this quest and mission in some way."

Although he had not been ready to sing the praises of the Professor as Maya had repeatedly done since his arrival in the laboratory, Jayson had found himself silently admiring the skills of the man. The pattern he could not see within the quantum fluctuations becoming increasingly clearer the longer the Terran Chief of Operations stared at the image. "Not sure how he did it either, but he managed to have the layout of an isoleniar control circuit to be rather accurately displayed by the fluctuations."

"This is why I called you here," the Shillian Scientist explained. "The computer was unable to lock in on the pattern created due to the quantum fluctuations making any sort of automated recognition of that circuit impossible, which meant that I needed to have someone who would be able to identify the specific circuit by simply looking at it. As I said, Professor Arken is truly a genius, making sure by this unorthodox process that the clue he placed in this crystal could only be understood by someone possessing the proper knowledge. I suspect in this case that he was expecting a Starfleet Officer with the proper knowledge to be looking at this enlarged scene, or that the person performing the research would be able to call upon someone with the required technical expertise. Very much as I did. Anyone else, even if they did manage to identify the pattern as having been that of some sort of circuit, would not be able to properly identify it, even with the assistance of a computer which as explained earlier would not be able to help in the least thanks to the inability to lock in on the pattern created and camouflaged by the quantum fluctuations."

"The circuit is a very specific one," the Chief of Operations pointed out, still not willing to openly acknowledge the skills of the person who had thought of this and made it possible. "It is part of the communication interface between the core computer processor in Sickbay and the main diagnostic array right over the primary examination table. That is the only place you will find that particular circuit because of the specific type of data being transmitted through it."

"See," Maya happily grinned. "I knew that you would be able to help me. As the Chief of Operations, I suspected that you would be able to identify that circuit, which you obviously did. I know that it would have taken me hours, if not days, to visually scan through all of the similar patterns found within a Starfleet vessel, unable to use the computer to help. Now, all we need to do is to figure out how this particular information helps us to decipher the data we will need in order to locate the third crystal and obtain the identity of the person who has it in their possession."

"The medical array uses a very specific compression rate due to the unique nature of the biological data being collected," Jayson explained. "Given all that we have so far seen about the way Professor Arken does things, I would not be surprise that the compression rate is the key that you are looking for. Now, as to how this applies to you getting to the data inside that crystal is, I am afraid to say, well out of my field of expertise."

"Together, I believe that we can figure this out well before breakfast time."

---
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32220.0645

Not everyone had been thrilled with an early morning call requesting an urgent senior staff meeting, but when it was announced that the location of the third crystal had been figured out, the level of interest in most made them forget just how early it had been.

"Good morning everyone," the Captain offered to the gathered officers, seeing a wide mixture of expressions that made him believe it best to not stretch this unexpected any longer than it needed to. "I will make this quick. Commander Maya, with the help of Lieutenant Stark, were able to identify the location of the third crystal. It seems that we will be heading for DATHIS II, the homeworld of the Dachlyd."

"The name does not sound familiar to me," Lieutenant Paquette said, her inability to immediately recognize the race actually causing her some concerns. If she did not know them, or even about them, things would obviously not be that simple. "I am guessing that they are not members of the Federation, or even remotely involved in their affairs, be it good or bad."

"You are correct Lieutenant," the Shillian scientist confirmed. "The Dachlyd are an unaligned bipedal reptilian race possessing what would be considered to be average space travelling capabilities. The main source of income for the whole of their planet is based on gathering, refining and trading various goods and items gathered from the neighbouring world of GEMARIS V, this using remote ships and drones for both their collection and transport for trade."

"Remote?" Ensign Tanith Jones repeated, wondering why a race would use remote drones and ships to conduct trades with other species. Using remote drones on dangerous worlds made sense, but to conduct any kind of business transaction seemed to be a little excessive.

"The Dachlyd are considered to be a highly anti-social race," Commander Shar'El explained, her knowledge of races and worlds not limited to those directly involved with the United Federation of Planets. "They are right on the edge of xenophobia, disliking direct dealings with any other species, hence why they use drones to complete the trades they take part in. It is a small detail that I am sure will make our task of locating the crystal that much more challenging."

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P022: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 03 - 0700 ("Cold Blooded")
=-=
"Cold Blooded"
[previous post was "A Whole Different Puzzle" by the amazing Jessica]
=-=

Setting: ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32220.0700

The briefing had ended and everyone was making their way out of the Observation Lounge, their thoughts on DATHIS II, the reptilian Dachlyd as well as a well-deserved breakfast and for most it would not be in that particularly order. Commander Maya and Lieutenant Stark had done an amazing job in deciphering the surface data of the second crystal giving the crew their next objective. Although the details of their accomplishment had not been made public during the briefing, the ExO / ILO had been informed of the complexity of their success by the IGC techs who had been keeping a close watch on their work and progress.

Shar'El had been pleased to see that whatever issues had been present between the ship's Chief of Operations and Chief of Security had not hindered their abilities to perform their respective duties, at least that was the ExO's stand on this matter. As a friend to both Ya'Han and Jayson, and in her capacity as the ANUBIS' ILO, the raven-haired woman had been consumed with curiosity as to what it was that was currently not bothering them.

The way they had avoided each other's gaze hinted that he matter had not been settled, but both had made a conscious decision to not allow things to get in the way of their work. For that, both Officer needed to be praised.

"Course has been plotted and laid in for DATHIS II," Ensign Jones reported from the Flight Control station. Every time Tanith spoke, it took people by surprise as most seemed to forget that she had been there in the first place, despite performing all of the tasks her position required and more. "We should reach our destination in just over 26 hours."

"Good," Sonja exclaimed as she boarded the turbolift. "That will give me the chance to supervise the maintenance schedule I had prepared for my team," the redhead said as she turned to face those remaining on the bridge. "Canna wait to see their faces when I show up in Main Engineer this early in the morning," the Chief Engineer adding in  thick Scottish accent, the devious smile that had appeared on her lips making Shar'El almost feel sorry for her people.

"She can be scary that one," Jayson muttered as he walked by the ExO / ILO, not having expected the Commander to overhear his words.

"Something about the red hair I believe," Shar'El offered in a playful manner, hoping to see some sort of reaction from the man that would help her understand what it was that was going on between him and Ya'Han.

"If you say so," the Chief of Operations agreed, this without offering any additional input or even casting a quick glance in the direction of the other redhead on the bridge who Shar'El had been sure her comment would have caused him to look her way.

"Lieutenant," the ExO / ILO began as she stood next to the Chief of Operations. "In order to make it as easy as possible for us to find the current owner of the crystal, I would like your assistance in reviewing the data thus far gathered. A fresh set of eyes, bot in regards to DATHIS II and the crystals in general could prove useful."

"Of course Commander," Jayson acknowledged. "I have a few things to take care of here first, but I will be happy to assist in whatever way i can. Will you wish me to report to the IGC."

As strange as it might seem to some, the ExO / ILO had become rather possessive of that part of the ship, claiming it as her own and restricting access to those who were absolutely necessary to its continued functioning, "How about Stellar Cartography on Deck 13? I can have the IGC link in allowing us to use the large screen to get a better idea of just how we would need to effectively proceed."

"Stellar Cartography it is," the Operations Officer nodded. The way he had done that, Shar'El believed that she could have suggested the Black Hole Lounge or even the main gymnasium to obtain the exact same reaction. "I will be there, say in about an hour? If that is alright with you Commander?"

"Of course," the ExO / ILO confirmed. "We do have 26 hours before getting there."  With that, Shar'El made her way towards the turbolift, Captain Morningstar having taking charge of the bridge by sitting in the central chair. As the raven-haired woman was about to vanish inside the transport pod, she met the gaze of the ANUBIS' Chief of Security who gave the impression of being emotionally distant for a reason that had still managed to evade the Intel Operative's best efforts.

=-=
Setting: ANUBIS, Turbolift
Stardate: 32220.0715

Alone in the small pod, the ExO / ILO began to wonder if this ability to remain cold and distant being displayed by both Ya'Han and Jayson had in some way been her fault. Knowing that she could pick up on stray memories, maybe the two had made a conscious decision to insure that no such image would be picked up by the Ullian. This Shar'El found both impressive and disturbing at the same time, making it clear that the crew had grown accustomed to the natural abilities of their First Officer.

=-=
Setting: ANUBIS, Deck 13, Stellar Cartography
Stardate: 32220.0730

Wanting a head start, Shar'El stood on the platform that extended to the middle of the spherical room. Extending multiple decks above and below, Stellar Cartography had been an amazing area to be in, giving those inside the impression that they were part of the display in a way that could not be compared to the holodecks. Here, an observer was not meant to become part of the simulation, but rather to enjoy it from a perspective that made one feel far more than they were. If one's imagination was good enough, the feeling of freely floating through space could be achieved with little effort. A sensation that the ExO / ILO found rather soothing and calming.

Having instructed the computer to display all known locations where the Dachlyd could be found, the ExO / ILO was surprise to see several off-world trading stations in addition to the race's home planet. As Xenophobe as the reptilian race was, they had still managed to stretch their influence to nearby systems including the GEMARIS System where their primary source of trade material originated from.

"Computer," Shar'El began, "using long-range sensors, tracking transponders and any other means at our disposal, display the location of every Dachlyd ship found within the area surrounding both DATHIS II and GEMARIS V."

In a very rapid sequence, numerous dots appeared on the curved display of Stellar Cartography, showing just how extensive the trade industry and routes of the xenophobe race were.

"This could prove to be even more of a needle in a haystack search than the search for the second crystal was," the ExO / ILO sighed to herself, truly hoping that the information they had, as well as the input from Lieutenant Stark would narrow down the number of possibilities which at this time easily stood in the hundreds.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P023: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 03 - 0745 ("No Pressure")
"No Pressure"
[previous "Cold Blooded"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 13, Corridor
Stardate: 32220.0745

This would not be the first time he would work alone with the Commander, so why had he felt so nervous this time compared to any other time? Ya'Han's friendship with both Shar'El and Sonja had been well known by everyone on the ship, and the Engineer had already lashed out at him while on INVERNIA II. If the Commander had wanted to do the same in retribution for what he had done to Ya'Han, whatever that might have been, surely she would not do so like this. It would be nice is someone had the decency to inform him of what he had actually done to warrant the cold shoulder from the color-changing woman and the anger of her closest friends.

No, the odds were more in line with the Commander actually wanting his assistance in locating the Dachlyd who had the third crystal in his possession. Today seemed to be his day for lending a helping hand, a welcomed change from what had become an all too often recurring pattern of him finding his way on the wrong side of some attack.

Yes, it made more sense, and would be far safer for him in the end. As much as he found comfort in his own reassurances though, Jayson could feel his apprehension growing with each step that took him closer to Stellar Cartography. Ya'Han was a very passionate person and seemed able to enlist that same passion in others when it came to defending her from whatever might have been perceived as a threat.

With only a few more steps before he would reach his destination, Jayson stopped and quickly reviewed the information contained in the PADD that he had been carrying. 

The Dachlyd that they were looking for had an illegible name comprised of over 20 characters, some of which the OPS Officer could not even begin to guess as to how to be pronounced. The reptilian overtone though had been inescapable, nearly half of those characters looking and sounding like an 's'.

The rest of the information that had been found in the crystal had been an odd sequence of letters and numbers that were hoped to be some sort of coordinate that could be used to pinpoint the individual's exact location. Given their luck so far though, that possibility had been unlikely.

Glancing at the time displayed on the PADD, Jayson carefully timed his entrance to be exactly when Commander Shar'El had requested him to meet her.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 13, Stellar Cartography
Stardate: 32220.0800

"Commander Shar'El," Jayson offered to make his presence known, adding a greeting nod of his head as he walked in to find the First Officer standing on the platform leading to the center of the spherical room.

"Impressively punctual," the Commander noted. "Let's get to work. I took the liberty of starting, having the computer lay out a general geography of the proverbial terrain we will be dealing with. With the Dachlyd using remote drones and ships to conduct their trades, we have only a few possibilities outside of their home world."

Jayson's eyes widened as he glanced at the displayed image on the curved screen, guessing that each of the smaller dots indicated one of the remote crafts used by the Dachlyd while the larger ones likely indicated the location of control stations and worlds upon which members of the species could actually be found on. 

"Locating Sam may not prove to be that easy I'm afraid," the OPS Officer pointed out, joining the Commander at the control station located at the end of the platform.

"Sam?" Shar'El asked confused, not recalling having heard that name in reference to their search for the third crystal.

"I am sorry Commander, but that is the best way I can say *this*," he explained, presenting the PADD to he First Officer on which the lengthy hissing name had been highlighted.

"How did you get *Sam* from that?"

"With all due respect Commander, you tell me how to actually pronounce that name and I will be more than happy to refer to the current owner of the crystal by that name," he pointed out, actually handing over the PADD so that Shar'El could carefully study the name in question.

The Commander took the PADD and appeared ready to read out the individual's name, that was until she realized just how impossible the task had been. After several silent attempts to make some sense of that name, Shar'El handed the PADD back to Jayson. "So what do we know about Sam?"

"Aside from his name," he said holding back his laughter, "not a great deal. The data contained in the crystal gave us the name of the individual holding the next crystal, just as the previous crystal had with IshDur Talkiir. In this case though, the additional information was an odd set of numbers and letters that I can only guess are some sort of coordinates based on a local system. Either that or they refer to some specific location by means other than a name, one that we would likely be equally unable to pronounce.

"If these are indeed a set of coordinates, we will have to wait until we can scan one of the remote probes or actually be in orbit in order to have the IGC link in and figure out if we can work out where those numbers and letters point to," the Commander explained. "In the meantime, we could see if there are any similarities with what we currently know about the way the Dachlyd work. These numbers and letters might be some reference to a trade route or maybe even a point of origin for one of the remote probes and freighters."

"That is a possibility," Jayson agreed. "Professor Arken had to make contact with Sam in some way, and since the race appears to be highly xenophobe, it would make sense that the crystal was handed over using one of those remote ships. For all we know, Sam may not even have the crystal but is merely the one in charge of the probe or remote freighter on which it will be found."

"An interesting proposition, but I doubt that the Professor would have taken that kind of risks with his creation," Commander Shar'El refuted. "Far too much work and precautions have been invested into these crystals to have one of them simply be wandering through space on an unmanned craft. If anyone learned of its location, they could easily intercept and take possession of it. My guess is that somehow, Professor Arken actually managed to meet this Sam face-to-face to hand over the crystal knowing that anyone trying to retrieve it would have a hard time doing so."

"Yea, that fits perfectly with what we already went through once," the OPS Officer agreed. "I doubt the good professor is planning on making anything easy for anyone at this rate."

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P024: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 03 - 0945 ("Detour")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Detour"
[previous post was "No Pressure"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32220.0945

The morning might have started early and quickly, but so far the rest of the day looked like it would be a slow and easy one. With DATHIS II still over 23 hours away at their current speed, and with no signs that the ANUBIS was being followed or tracked by whomever had also been after the crystals, there had been no need for the Sec/Tac to be on high alert. Yet, the black and red-haired Nylaan felt a heightened sense of concern, her eyes constantly glancing over to the internal sensor display of the two officers working in Stellar Cartography.

As a friend, Shar'El had been understandably curious as to the division that had taken place between Jayson and Ya'Han. Because he actually knew nothing about the reason for it, the Sec/Tac did not fear the Terran revealing the specifics of her possibly being with child. On the other hand, Shar'El had been smart enough to put the pieces of that puzzle together if he allowed his memories of their last few nights together be picked up by the Ullian woman.

Ya'Han had confined in Sonja, the other redhead having been the obvious choice for this so as to not drag Shar'El into a situation that might force her to act as the officer she was. To be completely honest the black and red-haired Nylaan hated having to keep one of her friends in the dark, but until the possibility was confirmed beyond any doubt, this had been the best course of action.

=/\= Shar'El to bridge. Yahan? =/\= The voice of the Commander sent Ya'Han into an instant panic, certain that she had managed to get something from Jayson that had led her to suspect what this had all been about.

"Yes Commander?" The now full black haired Nylaan replied, wishing that she could have denied having been both on the bridge as well as her station.

=/\= We are picking up one of the Dachlyd remote freighter flying in an erratic way. The IGC sensors linked to Stellar Cartography are not picking up anything to explain this, what are your tactical sensors showing? =/\=

Ya'Han let out a quiet sigh of relief. The Sec/Tac would need to tell her friend and Commander the situation that she had found herself in the middle of soon or risk giving herself a heart attack each time the First Officer called upon her for ship-related business.

"The ship is pretty far, beyond the range of our tactical sensors," Ya'Han relayed while carefully studying the data that had been picked up by the more sensitive sensors linked to the IGC. "According to what I am seeing though, I would have to say that the ship is using basic evasive maneuvers. My guess is that it is either being followed or is already under attack."

=/\= Captain, this may be our chance to be in the local government's boog books, =/\= Shar'El stated. =/\= Could go a long way to make our finding Sam a lot easier. =/\=

"Sam?" The Captain and Sec/Tac asked at the exact same time.

=/\= Will explain later. Right now though, we need to figure out if we are going to render assistance, which would be my recommendation. =/\=

"Ensign Jones, set an intercept course. Lieutenant Paquette, we need emergency speed," the Captain stated before turning around to look at his Chief of Security. "Lieutenant Ya'Han, bring all tactical systems to battle readiness as soon as we are in range."

"There goes our nice and easy approach," Ya'Han whispered to herself as the ship jumped into high warp on an intercept course for the remote freighter.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32220.1115

Even with Sonja pushing the engines as much as she could, it had still taken several hours for the ANUBIS to intercept the Dachlyd freighter. Having been an unmanned craft, no one had been overly concerned about the potential lost of life, but still the general hope had been that they would make it there in time to save the ship and whatever cargo it was carrying.

"Long-ranger sensors are not picking up any ship other than the freighter in the area," the Sec/Tac reported. "Whoever or whatever was behind the attack left their mark on the freighter's hull before leaving. I have to admit that although small, those Dachlyd ships are though. Despite the pounding that it clearly received, the greater majority of the outer hull is still in one piece. I would guess that it would be able to be brought into active service in less than a day's worth or repairs"

"The outer hull of the freighter appears to be composed of an alloy very similar to the ablative armor we are currently using," Maya added, the scientist of course looking at the situation from the perspective that was truly hers. "The ship is clearly designed for durability over speed or maneuverability."

"It does make sense given that the ships are remote and might be carrying something valuable," Shar'El offered, both she and Jayson having returned to the bridge the moment the ANUBIS had changed course to intercept.

"Having unprotected freighters flying about like this has to present possible thieves with an opportunity that they simply cannot resist," Ya'Han theorized, finding the entire idea of unmanned vessels like this to be strange and highly ineffective.

"The value of the cargo is likely of lesser importance to the Dachlyd desire to avoid contact with other species," Counselor Dima offered, she too having come up to the bridge to see what all of the commotion had been about. "Races, like most individuals, make decisions based on what is most important to them, even if said decision may appear to be completely without logic to someone else."  The statement had been wise, and given that the Trill woman had made a point to glance in the direction of the once again black and red-haired Nylaan, Ya'Han felt targeted as well as informed by her words.

"The heavy armor could also be a deterrent to would-be thieves who do not possess the technology or firepower to quickly get through by making the rewards of their actions not worth the time and effort required," Jayson added, obviously not finding anything wrong with the system used by the xenophobe race.

"We have the opportunity to learn more about the race through their technology," Shar'El pointed out. "We could bring the freighter on board and resume our course for DATHIS II. The authorities hopefully will be happy to get one of their freighters back, and we might get to learn a few things about them in the process."

"The Dachlyd may interpret our actions as hostile, seeing our bringing the freighter on board as being no better than the thieves who attacked it," Nicole offered, stating basic opinions while still leaning towards the side of caution.

"Not being members of the Federation does reduce our options," the Captain added. "We are in no obligation to render assistance, but we are also expected to not interfere in the affairs of other words. Being a race capable of space travel does not mean that the Prime Directive is out of the equation here.

"Maybe so, but all Starfleet ships do have standing orders to help others whenever possible," Shar'El countered. "We would simply be extending a gesture of friendship to a race according to our own rules and perception of a need for said assistance in that we responded to an attack detected by our instruments and are returning to its rightful owner the property we discovered."

"Do you truly believe they will see it that way?" The Captain asked, voicing the question that many others on the bridge had.

"Only one way to find out," Shar'El grinned.

"Lieutenant Ya'Han, bring the freighter into Shuttle Bay 1 and have a security detail stationed around it. I want you to personally see to it that no one gets anywhere close to it," the Captain ordered instantly drawing the objection of his First Officer.  "Please have Lieutenant Paquette join you and Commander Maya. I would also like to make sure that there are no leaks or emissions that might prove to be hazardous to the ship and crew."

"Of course Captain," Ya'Han acknowledged, understanding what the man had planned. Sonja and Maya would be able to scan the ship under the pretence of confirming there being no danger for the crew while maintaining that the freighter had not been touched beyond the condition in which it had been found. This could be easily confirmed by the sensor data as well as the ship's own internal records, should either be required as evidence.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P025: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 03 - 1145 ("Concerns")
=-=
"Concerns"
[previous post was "Detour" by the overly kind Hanali]
=-=

Setting: ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32220.1145

The ExO / ILO requested a private meeting with the Captain, stating that she had wanted to discuss certain concerns she had about the way their mission had developed. Of course, Erik had been more than happy to accommodate Shar'El, even appearing a little concerned himself as to the request that had been made.

"What's troubling you?" He asked as the doors closed behind the raven-haired woman, the Captain sounding as friendly as he could, making it understood that right now he had been there as an equal and not as her Commanding Officer.

"Maybe I am simply being paranoid, but there is something about the attack on the Dachlyd freighter that is sending red flags all over the place," The ExO / ILO admitted right away, knowing that the man leaning against his desk disliked people 'beating around the bush' as the expression went. He was someone who respected and admired frankness and honesty, and Shar'El could not see any reason not to abide by his ways.

"Go on," Erik said adding a smirk, inviting the woman to freely make her feelings known, be they paranoid or not.

"We were sent on a mission to collect crystals that were scattered to every imaginable regions of the galaxy in order to keep them safe. We were also told that Professor Arken did this to safeguard the data contained in those crystals to make sure it would not fall into the hands of some undesirable group or individual. This means that in theory, no one even knew of the crystal's existence, let alone their location other than the Professor and those directly involved with him. So why do I feel like we are being played?"

"The fact that someone was following Miss Allahi, this to set up some trap to have IshDur Talkiir reveal the location of the crystal indicates that someone else is after them. That said, I think you may indeed be edging on the side of paranoia by claiming that this is a proof that we are being played," Erik pointed out in good humor, the Captain actually finding the ExO / ILO's idea interesting if not farfetched.

"The Dachlyd may be a xenophobe race, but the other races they trade with are not," Shar'El added. "I did some research."

"*Some* research?" The Captain repeated with emphasis on the first, clearly hinting to his skepticism as to how limited the woman's research had been. "How many dozen databanks did you and your IGC team have to break into this time?"

"Not that many," the ExO / ILO grinned. "The information was actually easy to get to, especially when you know where to look. Did you know that Dachlyd transports are considered to be amongst of the safest and most reliable in the quadrant? There are actually several mention of this reliability by neighboring governments. All of them sing the praises of the way this race conducts business, so much so that I am sure the Ferengi would be jealous. The heavily armored transports have proven to be far too difficult to breach for any would-be pirates or thief. It just does not make it worthwhile for them to even try, so they avoid them, opting instead for easier targets. The attack that we witnessed and rushed in to investigate was the first in over a decade."

As much as the Captain could see where the ExO / ILO had been leading to, Erik decided to play devil's advocate. "Maybe the Dachlyd are dealing with a new group of outlaws trying to cut their teeth on something that would have made a name for themselves?"

"That would be like the Boraalan going head-to-head with one of the Romulan's new War Birds," Shar'El said making a clear comparison. "Wanting to make a name for yourself is one thing; going up against an opponent that is certain to defeat you is pure madness. There is also the fact that it was *that* particular freighter that was attack, the only one that was within our sensor range to be noticed as being under attack. As of when this occurred, there were 112 freighters, so why attack that particular one over any of the others? From what Jayson has been able to extrapolate from the ship's manifest, there was nothing of any real value inside."

"I have the feeling that my trying to claim that it might have been the furthest away from any inhabited world is going to get shut down," the Captain theorized, still managing to be taking all of this in good humor despite the seriousness o the entire affair.

"You are starting to think the way I do," Shar'El teased. "There were five other freighters that were more distant from any planet or trading post, all of them would have offered a much more enticing target, but none of them would have been noticed by us until it would have been far too late to do anything about it. In fact, we might not even have noticed a powered down freighter figuring that it was there for a reason unknown to us. The one that was attacked was the only one that would have drawn our attention and forced us to divert from our flight plan."

"Alright, I am starting to see where you are coming from, but there is one major flaw with your train of thought," the Captain pointed out, surprised that the ExO / ILO had not noticed what he was about to say. "We had to increase speed to get here as quickly as possible, and even with the delay in bringing the freighter aboard, we are still going to make it to DATHIS II ahead of schedule. This detour is not going to delay us but will in fact make us arrive at our intended destination faster than we would have normally done."

"Yes we will reach DATHIS II ahead of schedule, but we will now have to deal with a xenophobic government because we have one of their freighters on board. The idea that this will make things easier for us to find *Sam* might be true, but I have the feeling that it will make our presence in orbit a very noticable one which could quickly be made to play against us," Shar'El explained in a much more serious tone. "Without our needing to contact the local government, we could have sent in a shuttle or the SPHINX, but now we have to arrive on a much larger and impossible to miss *uncloaked* ANUBIS. If whoever is also looking for the crystals figured out that the next one is on that planet, seeing a vessel like ours arrive might cause the inhabitant including Sam to panic, causing him to reveal his identity to the others searching for the crystals. If they are already on the planet, this will give the head start they need to get the crystal and force us once again to play catch up."

"So we have to find a way to bring the freighter back without making a spectacle of it," the Captain sighed. "You seem to have given this quite a bit of thought, so I am guessing that you have a plan."

"Don't start guessing," Shar'El grinned. "It doesn't suit you, but you are right. I do have a plan, one that would put us back on even level with whoever our adversaries are."

=-=
Setting: ANUBIS, Shuttle Bay 1
Stardate: 32220.1215

The ExO / ILO made her way through the imposing security detail stationed by the entrance as per Ya'Han's orders, and walked into the Shuttle Bay to find Commander Maya, Lieutenant Paquette and Lieutenant Ya'Han completing their thorough scan of the damaged Dachlyd heavy armored freighter.

"Commander," Sonja said, greeting the raven-haired woman with a smile. "Came to make sure we didn't scratch the paint, did ya?" The redheaded woman had mastered her Scottish accent, leaving one to wonder if maybe she had originated from that part of the world instead of the western most Canadian province as her Starfleet records showed.

"Lieutenant, the hull of the freighter did not display any signs of color additive, and given the highly resistant nature of the armored hull which we just finished analysing, you should be very aware that it would have been nearly impossible for us to scratch said hull, if that is what you were referring to," Maya quickly jumped in with. "Even using the most powerful tool at our disposal, it would have been highly unlikely that we would have been able to leave any sort of mark on the hull."

"Sonja was using a Terran expression," Shar'El explained, shooting a quick smile towards the Chief Science Officer before turning her attention back onto the Chief Engineer before rolling her eyes in amused disbelief.  "How difficult would it be for you to have the SPHINX appear as one of those freighters?"

"Being sneaky, are we?" Sonja asked, maintaining the accent that she had started with the moment Shar'El had stepped into the room.

"We believe that the attack on the freighter was meant to make sure our arrival in orbit of DATHIS II would be as noticeable as possible," the ExO / ILO explained.

"You are thinking that our arrival at DATHIS II could force the current owner of the crystal to reveal himself to someone other than us," Ya'Han said, the Chief of Security with the mixed colored hair having figured things out very quickly. "So making our arrival as unnoticeable as possible would hopefully counter that."

"Only if we are able to make the SPHINX appear as one of those freighters," the ExO / ILO specified. "The actual plan would be to allow us to have a small team get to the planet ahead of the ANUBIS and monitor the reactions the ship's arrival would create. From there, we would be able to find Sam before anyone else. Also, by the time we get there, I hope that the additional data we discovered in the crystal will further assist us in finding him first."

"Well, the holo-camouflage of the SPHINX will easily be able to take care of the appearance without any problems," the Chief Engineer offered, having returned to her normal voice. "We can have the Mobile Command Unit emit the needed sensor signature easily enough. What is going to be the hard part will be to mimic the actual weight and density of those freighters. That armor shell is nearly a full meter thick and any close-range sensor scan won't be fooled, labeling us as frauds."

"We also have no way of knowing how the freighters communicate with one other or with their central control system," Maya added. "Even if we did manage to make the SPHINX appear as one of those freighters, including all aspects, the arrival of an undocumented freighter might cause just as much of a reaction than the ANUBIS will."

"It is very likely that this situation has happened before and forced the Dachlyd authorities to be ready for such an occasion," Ya'Han continued. "We actually have no knowledge of the defensive forces and abilities of that world, and it would be foolish of us to base the entire planetary defence abilities on what we have been able to obtain from our scan of this particular freighter."

"Do your best, I have the utmost confidence in all of your skills and abilities. You have one hour to make this happen so that we have the highest possible chance of success," Shar'El said, the raven-haired woman sounding almost jovial about the whole thing. "We can't afford to give whoever was responsible for this detour to get too much of a head start on us, so the Captain and I are counting on you."

"Might be easier to change the laws of physics," Sonja sighed having reverted to her thick Scottish accent. "What you are asking for us is borderline impossible given the time frame stated."

"Borderline," Shar'El quickly repeated with a smile while pointing a single finger up, mimicking the gesture that Sonja had grown fond of using. "You did not say completely impossible, so there is way to do it, and I know that you three will have no problem finding it."

The three officers watched in stunned silence as the raven-haired Commander made her way out of the Shuttle Bay.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P026: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 03 - 1230 ("Borderline")
"Borderline"
previous post was "Concerns"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Shuttle Bay 1
Stardate: 32020.1230

How could she have done that? How could Shar'El believe that it had been all right for her to use *the* finger? How could the woman she considered to be not only a friend but a drinking partner use *HER* finger against its very owner?

In some cultures, that commanding single digit would have been revered as a sacred sign, the instrument of an all-powerful goddess whose unleashed wrath could lay waste to an entire continent in mere minutes. The gesture so carelessly used by the ANUBIS' First Officer belong to another and she would soon enough show the unworthy creature the price one paid for such blasphemy. That is of course as soon as Sonja figured out a way to meet the challenge that they had been given, at which time the finger would be thrown back right into the woman's face.

"We have scanned every centimeters of the outside of the freighter," Maya reported. "It should not be at all difficult to extrapolate the required information to account for the damaged section of the freighter to insure that the holographic camouflage that will be projected by the SPHINX is perfectly accurate. I should have the required algorithm figured out in five minutes, maybe even less."

"Good," the redheaded Chief Engineer nodded with delight. "That leaves us three with 55 minutes to figure out the rest."

"Is it at all possible that the Commander was not serious about the time frame she stated?" Ya'Han asked, the black and red-haired Nylaan sounding hesitantly hopeful, but the expression on Sonja's face quickly annulled that.

"Rainbow girl, this is Shar'El we are talking about," Sonja pointed out, appearing less than thrilled. "The woman would not be able to find a joke inside an overcrowded clown car if she tried. Unless she was drunk, then *she* would be the joke, but I think it is safe to say that the Commander is in full 'spy-girl' mode, which means that she is not kidding around. I will admit that she has gotten better with not being as serious, or having a stick-up her nether regions, but I am sure that the one hour deadline we were given was not an attempt at a joke."

"Why would the Commander try to wish to create any level of hilarity at this time?" The Chief Science Officer asked in all seriousness. "The facts stated by Commander Shar'El clearly show that we are dealing with a very tight timeframe, if the assumption that the attack on this freighter was actually an effort to insure that our arrival at DATHIS II be as visible as possible. even should the Commander's assumptions prove incorrect, our using extra precaution can only result in greater odds of our achieving our mission objective; which is to locate this *Sam* and retrieve from him the next crystal."

"With all do apologies Commander," The Chief Engineer offered to the Chief Science Officer, "I thought you said you would have the programming ready for the holo-emitters of the SPHINX by now."

Those words proved to be more than enough to send Maya into a rush to get the task she had stated accomplished as quickly as possible so as to not go over the estimate she had given.

"Guess that leaves us with figuring out the communication protocol used by the remote freighters and how to make the SPHINX appear to the Dachlyd orbital sensors as being a lot heavier than it actually is," the Chief of Security stated, their tasks appearing to be clear if not all that simple.

"Alright," Sonja nodded. "You take care of giving the SPHINX a few extra tons and I will see if I can get inside that freighter's head and figure out what language it speaks, all that without actually setting foot inside that armoured monstrosity."

"You want *me* to look at the *engineering* of making a ship appear heavier than it is?" Ya'Han questioned, not understanding why Sonja had decided on assigning the tasks as she had. As the Chief of Security, her expertise were far more in lines with the isolating and decoding of the communication protocol while the Chief Engineer had been far better skilled to deal with the other matter they needed to address.

"Fine!" Sonja exclaimed, throwing her arms up as if she had been forced into doing something that she had been completely unable to do. "The things I have to do for you people, you are lucky that you are my friend and that I know about... that," the redhead dramatically said, adding a grandiose gesture of her hands that encompassed all of the Nylaan woman just to make sure that no one would get any clues should they be watching. "You take care of the communication protocol, *I* will see what kind of high tonnage diet I can put the old girl through to make her fall into the ultra-heavy weight category for the next match."

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 32020.1300

Sonja had enjoyed giving her friend the Nylaan a hard time, after all wasn't that what friends were for? From the start, the redheaded Engineer knew that she would be the one addressing the weight issue of the SPHINX while Maya and Ya'Han took care of the rest. Now all that the Chief Engineer needed was to actually figure things out.

"Altering the sensor emission to make the SPHINX appear heavier will not be sufficient," ANI announced, obviously having been listening in on the conversations which as the ship's Avatar she had been able to do from anywhere within the vessel.

"I know, do you think I'm new or something" Sonja noted with a tone of irritation while working at the Engineering Control Island located in the middle of the main diagnostic area. "I'm trying to see if I can modify the structural integrity field to actually make the SPHINX be heavier."

"Such a modification would cause those inside the SPHINX to be affected by the increased gravitational pressure," the Avatar pointed out, looking surprised. "Based on the readings collected by Commander Maya, Lieutenant Ya'Han and yourself, the required modifications to match the actual weight of the freighter would be fatal to anyone on board."

"I know, this is not my first rodeo," the Chief Engineer confirmed. "Every simulation so far has managed to turn Maya into a paper thin pancake under three seconds."

"Maya?" ANI asked, unable to understand why the simulations performed by the Chief Engineer had been so specific as to who needed to be inside the SPHINX. Did the Shillian possess some sort of resistance to higher gravity that had not been mentioned in the Officer's records?

"What? You didn't actually expect me to run these tests with *me* in there, did ya?" Sonja explained. "I have absolutely no intention of seeing myself be reduced to a puddle of biomatter, even if only as a simulation, plus I could hardly use Ya'Han for those simulations. I would have had to add an entirely new set of variables to account for..."

The Chief Engineer stopped herself before saying too much, especially after having realized that someone new had come to join ANI and her at the Engineering Control Island.

"Account for what?" Shar'El asked, obviously having heard more than the redhead had hoped.

"For her medical file being out of date," Sonja instantly said knowing that the best way to lie was to keep things as close to the truth as possible. "Since Doyanne's departure from the ANUBIS, none of us has had our medical files updated. Maya appears to be the exact same as she has always been, but thanks to some late night snacking, I am afraid that our resident Chief of Security might have put on a few pounds. I am sure that you have noticed her being less than pleased, now you know the reason. I am sure that you would feel the same way if you found yourself in that same situation."

Sonja made sure not to make eye contact with the Commander, using her working on solving the problem at hand as the best and only excuse to explain why she had not looked up. As an added bonus, the redhead could bring back in her mind the memories of the late night sweet snacks mentioned, the endless images of miniature cakes and pastries only serving to solidify her claim.

"It's all my mother's fault you know," Sonja added, summoning the woman's image and voice to mind. "Commenting that Ya'Han needed to *round-up* her figure to attract the proper man. She even managed to hack my replicator to create pastries every time wine was requested, and you know me... I's like me wine. So we ended up with a lot of extra pastries, which i have to admit weren't half bad."

Shar'El seemed unconvinced by the story given by Sonja, but unfortunately for the Ullian, the memories she had picked up from the redhead matched her claims to near perfection leaving her with nothing to use to claim that she was being deceived.  Abandoning her quest to understand what was happening with Ya'Han, at least for the time being, the Commander proceeded with the reason why she had come down to Main Engineering.

"You have less than 15 minutes to figure things out," the solid black-haired woman said, clearly unhappy with her inability to get more than she currently had concerning their Chief of Security.

"Would be easier if I wasn't pestered," the redhead snapped back causing the Commander to rise an eyebrow and pivot on her heel before walking out. An awkward silence filled the area as Shar'El walked away under the scrutiny of both the Chief Engineer and ship's Avatar.

"I believe that the Commander is less than happy with you," ANI pointed out once the woman in question had fully stepped out of Main Engineering, thus making sure that Shar'El would not overhear the comment.

"Less than happy?" Sonja repeated in a quizzical manner. "That would be the understatement of the century. I would be more inclined to say that she is flat out pissed. I hate keeping her in the dark like that, but Ya'Han is right, it would not be fair to force our friendly neighbourhood First Officer to have to make a decision between dealing with this matter as an Officer or as her friend. That would simply be borderline cruel."

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P027: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 03 - 1345 ("Artificial Intellect")
"Artificial Intellect"
[previous "Borderline"]

[/\]
Setting: SPHINX, Flight Deck
Stardate: 32220.1345

=/\= Bridge to SPHINX, you are ready for launch. =/\=

This had been the unpleasant new norm for him as far as being able to hear Ya'Han's voice, and even then, her words had never been specifically addressed to him. How things had so quickly changed for reasons that he still knew nothing about.

"Shar'El here, we are almost ready to go." The Commander sounded hesitant, glancing over her shoulder to the Chief Engineer who had been part of the team dispatched to make their way to DATHIS II aboard the camouflaged SPHINX.

"I know you are looking at me," Sonja growled. "We can either take a few extra minutes or be all turned into two-dimensional mush cakes. Your choice."

"Just give us a few minutes," Shar'El said, informing the Captain and Chief of Security of the delay in their departure.

=/\= Is everything alright? =/\= The Captain's question seemed almost humorous as if he knew about the friction between the First Officer and Chief Engineer.

"Everything is fine," Shar'El confirmed. "Just making a few last minute modifications to make sure that everything is perfect."

Jayson had been ready to say something, but given the way he had been made an outcast, the OPS Officer thought it best to keep to himself. With both Shar'El and Sonja in close proximity, he rightfully feared that any comment might result in his finding himself in even less a desirable situation than the one he was already in.

"That should do it," Sonja said as a weight came pressing down on Jayson and the others as if the air itself had become a solid mass.

"Atmospheric pressure inside the cabin now reading at 131.5 kilopascals, and increasing" the Avatar announced, the artificial woman not at all appearing bothered by the sudden change.

"No worries," the Engineer noted as she found herself sinking into her seat. "You are built to be able to function in environments close to ten times that pressure.

"I was more concerned about all of you," ANI stated, the android actually sounding worried. "At the rate of increase, you will all lose consciousness in less than two minutes and suffer from internal organ damage a few minutes later."

"Thanks," the Engineer growled. "Did you make sure that the comm channel was open to the rest of the ship? Wouldn't want anyone to feel left out in not having been aware of this." Sonja paused for a moment as she allowed her body to adjust to the increased pressure. "The pressure should stabilize once the modifications to the inertial dampeners kick in."

"And if they don't?" Jayson asked, feeling the weight on his chest growing with each second.

"We pass out and ANI scrubs the mission, hopefully before our organs are turned into squished Jell-O."

"I am starting to understand why you chose to keep that part from us," Commander Shar'El said, finding it increasingly hard to swallow.

"Atmospheric pressure stabilizing at 163.8 kilopascals," ANI reported.

=/\= The modifications appear to be working. As far as the sensors are concerned, the SPHINX is nearly matching the weight and mass of the Dachlyd freighter, =/\= the Chief of Security reported from the safety and lighter pressure of the bridge.

"We were pressed for time, so I had to rush through the testing phase," Sonja explained. "Just hope the rest of you managed to get your parts done."

Jayson gave a nod of his head, confirming that the communication between freighters and the base of operation had indeed been figured out. What they had not been able to identify was how the ships navigated on their own, but given that the SPHINX had a crew, that part had not been a problem.

"We are ready to go," the First Officer reported to the Captain.

=/\= We will be taking the long way in, that should give you more than enough time to reach DATHIS II and take up position to observe the reaction to our arrival. Good luck, ANUBIS out. =/\=

As the channel was closed, he found himself wishing that Ya'Han had said something, anything. Even if she was not talking to him, he still enjoyed hearing her voice, but even that had been denied to him.

"As soon as we have cleared the ANUBIS, set a direct course for DATHIS II," Commander Shar'El ordered, through labored breathing thanks to the atmospheric pressure that was much higher than they were used to.

[/\]
Setting: SPHINX, Flight Deck
Stardate: 32220.1515

Matching the speed of a Dachlyd freighter, the SPHINX would take almost a full day to reach its destination, but that time would be put to good use by the team as they tried to better understand the reptilian race as well as trying to make sense of the rest of the data obtained from the crystal. Using the communication link between the freighters, it was also hoped that they would be able to make some sense of the additional data that had been retrieved from the crystal. So far though, the long string of numbers and letters seemed to be an unsolvable puzzle on its own.

It had taken a little while but after an hour or so of exposure to the heavier atmosphere, things had returned to pretty much normal with the exception that those aboard the SPHINX seemed more than happy to remain seated instead of wandering about. No one complained about this as everyone was busy with their own affairs, monitoring communications, freighter flight paths as well as some odd energy bursts coming from the DATHIS II.  The theory that seemed the most likely was that these burst were used as an echo location system to keep track of the freighters.

"Any luck with the additional data?" Commander Shar'El asked. It was easy to see that she missed being on the ANUBIS surrounded by her team from the IGC. He also missed being on the ship, but for an entirely different reason, one who seemed bent on ignoring him to the fullest extent of her abilities.

"The sequence appears to have no significance, even when compared to some of the data we have intercepted through the freighters' communication network," Jayson replied. "Whatever those numbers and letters are for, it doesn't appear to have anything to do with the freighters or the way they are controlled."

"It was worth the try," Shar'El hoped aloud. "My guess is that there is some sort of encryption key required to make sense of that data, a key that we are unfortunately lacking. Keep trying, who knows we might get lucky."

"Someone already got lucky. Once too many times if you ask me," Sonja muttered under her breath, but not loud enough for anyone to actually hear her words.

"Found something?" The First Officer asked, having turned to look in the direction of the Chief Engineer. Once again, Sonja found herself having to find a way out of the verbal trap she had walked herself into.

"Was only saying that luck has nothing to do with any of this," the redhead began as if that had actually been her words and thoughts all along. "All of the pieces of the puzzle are right there in front of us, we just have to figure out what the overall picture actually is."

"Easier said than done," Shar'El noted with a sigh, referring to her own inability to find the underlying cause of what had been bothering Ya'Han despite her repeated efforts. As Sonja said, the clues and hints had been right there in front of her but without a more specific picture, there had been little for the First Officer to base any guesses on.

[/\]
Setting: SPHINX, Flight Deck
Stardate: 32220.1630

Another hour had gone by and nothing new had been discovered about DATHIS II or the reptilian Dachlyd. Their complex language had proven to be a challenge unto itself and despite their combined efforts, the team on board the SPHINX had not been able to get any closer to even getting an idea of where 'Sam' could be found.

"Commander," Jayson started as he looked as the lengthy string of letters and numbers that he had been at the centre of everyone's efforts. "We have run this sequence through every thing we have been able to think of including some decoding system that I actually never knew existed. What if this was not some sort of code but part of the way the freighters communicate with one another?"

"We would have already noticed some similarities had that been the case," Sonja said in a dismissive manner. "Where have you been since our departure from the ANUBIS, asleep?"

"The possibility was explored early on when we were able to intercept the navigational signals between the freighters," ANI explained, siding with the woman responsible for her physical upkeep and maintenance. "We identified no parallels that would hint to the additional data found in the crystal as having anything to do with the freighters."

"I was not referring to the navigational data sent to the freighters," Jayson clarified. "I am referring to the ships actually talking to one another."

"Great!" The Chief Engineer exclaimed. "The higher atmospheric pressure has gotten to him and turned whatever brain he had into mush."

"I am being serious," he quickly countered, shooting an unhappy glare at the redhead.

"So was I," Sonja returned without any hesitation.

"Explain your idea," Shar'El requested. At the very least, the explanation he would give could prove to be a nice way to pass the time, and there was always the possibility that he might have stumbled onto something worth listening to.

"We suspected from the very start that the freighters possess some level of artificial intelligence based on how they make course corrections without receiving instructions from an outside source," the OPS Office explained.

"Referring to those things as possessing artificial intelligence is like comparing ANI here to a tricorder," Sonja said. "No insult intended," the redhead Engineer added looking up at the Avatar.

"None taken," ANI replied, even going as far as adding a smile. "My programing does not include such emotion, although you have threatened to create such additions on numerous occasions."

"I have been studying the flight patterns of the freighters. As we draw closer to DATHIS II, we are able to monitor more and more of them in more detail. Some of those freighters have displayed adaptive and even intuitive course corrections, things that would not be possible without the freighters possessing some level of artificial intelligence."

"Alright," Sonja shrugged. "Even if we do grant these heavy weight monsters out there any level of intellect, what does have to do with the extra data obtained from the crystal?"

"ANI," Jayson began after turned his attention to the Avatar. "I need you to answer me honestly. Do you find yourself ever speaking to yourself or even to the computer?"

The Avatar paused for an instant, searching through her digital memory in order to locate the mentioned events. "Technically, both are the same as I am an extension of the computer, but to answer your question, yes I can recall instances when i was speaking to the computer instead of using my internal communication link."

"All entities, be they living or artificial, when possessing a certain level of intellect will seek out to communicate with others for no other reason than to share thoughts or events. ANI does it and we have noticed the Exocomps do the same. I am suggesting that the Dachlyd freighters do the same, well at least some of them. Maybe this is due to a difference in their programming or even an electronic evolution that the Dachlyd themselves are unaware of, but based on what I have seen, I am sure that the freighters speak to one another."

"That's one farfetched idea," Sonja said, but instead of shooting the idea down, the Engineer glanced up at the standing Avatar next to her and smiled. "Still, we do have more then enough time to investigate this before we reach DATHIS II."

"So, how do we go about testing this hypothesis?"

"We send the string using a direct line of sight transmission beam and see if we get a reply," Jayson answered. "That way we will be able to identify which of the freighters have this artificial intelligence, but I am hoping that the code we were given will be accepted only by one of them."

"Not counting the one that is currently on board the ANUBIS, there are at least 111 others out ther," the Engineer gasped. "Are you really suggesting that we send a transmission to each and everyone one of them?"

"It is the only way to test if that part of the theory is right," he replied.

Sonja sighed and reached for the nearest tricorder, which she opened and pointed to the OPS Officer.

"What are you doing?" Shar'El asked.

"Sending a direct line of sight signal," the Engineer replied.

"The tricorder does not have the range to reach any of the other freighters," Jayson pointed out.

"It's doesn't have to. I am just testing my own theory, and so far the results are in line with what I expected. No intelligence on the other end, be it living or artificial."

Jayson let out a soft groan of despair, realizing that the device currently in the hands of the Chief Engineer had been pointing directly at him.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P028: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 03 - 1700 ("Keeping An Eye Open")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Keeping An Eye Open"
[previous post was "Artificial Intellect"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32220.1700

With the damaged Dachlyd freighter secured in their cargo bay, the ANUBIS had set course for DATHIS II using the scenic route to allow for the SPHINX to get there first. The plan had been a simple one; the team would reach the planet and observe the reaction to the imposing Federation ship's arrival and see if they could pick up clues as to where this 'Sam' fellow could be found.

Although they were on a separate path, the ANUBIS had kept a close watch on the camouflaged SPHINX and its crew, making sure that everything went according to plan. Officially, the Sec/Tac had been interested in the specialised craft, but personally the black and red-haired Nylaan could not help but think of the man aboard that ship.

Maybe it was because of her emotions, or maybe it was the hormone-induced uncertainty that seemed to claim her thoughts more and more, but she felt guilty about keeping Jayson out of the proverbial loop. His having been selected to be part of the mission had made things easier, giving the Sec/Tac the opportunity to think about her decision without having to deal with him being right there, silently questioning her with those puppy eyes of his.

Unfortunately, as much as Ya'Han might have wanted to explore this situation, her role as Chief of Security and her being on the bridge at this time meant that her thoughts and attention needed to be on something else. "Nothing new to report," the black and red-haired Nylaan reported from her station, "the SPHINX has made a few minor course alterations but nothing significant. My guess is that they were either avoiding or getting closer to another freighter."

The Captain had ordered a radio silence to make sure that nothing could compromise the SPHINX's camouflage, too much having been hanging on making sure that the recon-mission went without a hitch. Knowing so little about the Dachlyd meant that they needed to be that much more careful, especially given the situation that they were right in the middle of. This inability to communicate with the away team meant that the could not inquire as to he reason for the course changes, but given how insignificant they actually were, no one seemed overly troubled by them.

What suddenly drew the Sec/Tac's attention a few moments later was not another course change by the SPHINX but rather a change of flight path by one of the freighters. Unlike all of the other course correction done by by the remote ships, this one had been far more pronounced, so much so that it had completely deviated from its general heading to set a new course to intercept with the SPHINX.

"Captain," Ya'Han called out. "We may have a problem. One of the freighters has changed course and is now on an intercept course with the SPHINX." As son as she had said this, the Sec/Tac wondered as to what kind of danger the freighter might actually pose to the undercover Intel craft. The SPHINX was faster and more agile, and even if it was not armed, neither had the Dachlyd freighter, at least not as far as they had been able to tell from scanning the one that was on board the ANUBIS. "Actually, it might not be a problem," the Sec/Tac added with hesitation.

"Explain," the Captain requested.

"The SPHINX has not altered course," Ya'Han explained. "It appears that they are actually wanting to get closer to that freighter. I have not detected any fluctuations in the energy output of the ship that might indicate some sort of malfunction, so I have to assume that Commander Shar'El and the others on board are wishing for this meeting to happen."

"An unscheduled meeting with a remote freighter?" The Captain asked to no one in particular. "Leave it to the Commander to arrange something like that. Maybe they have discovered something, the best we can do is to keep an eye on them to make sure that this meeting does not end up being more than they are ready for."

"I am tracking the flight path of both the SPHINX and the Dachlyd freighter. If needs be we can be right on top of them in a matter of minutes," the Sec/Tac announced, drawing a faint smile from the Captain.

"Stand-down Lieutenant," he ordered in a friendly way, pointing to his own hair to indicate that the Nylaan had gone full red. "I am happy to hear that we are ready to jump in to the rescue if there is a need, but in the meantime there is no need to have the ANUBIS or its Chief of Security go on full battle readiness. I would like for this part of our mission to happen without starting an interplanetary conflict."

"Of course Captain," Ya'Han confirmed, a sheepish smile having appeared on her face. "Sorry, it was not my intent to over react to the situation."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," the Captain explained. "I appreciate your readiness and enthusiasm, as i am sure Commander Shar'El and the others will if this meeting of theirs requires us to intervene in any way."

Glad to see that the Captain had not taken her sudden jump into battle mode as a sign of emotional or psychological imbalance, the Set/Tac returned her attention to her tactical monitors, keeping a very vigilant eye on the two ships to see what would happen next.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P029: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 03 - 1715 ("Surprises")
=-=
"Surprises"
[previous post was "Keeping An Eye Open" by the dedicated Hanali]
=-=

Setting: SPHINX, Flight Deck
Stardate: 32220.1715

There was no harm in trying out Jayson's theory. Even if it failed, it had the potential of revealing some unknown aspect of the inner workings of the alien freighters. Therefore, it was with some disappointment that Shar'El watched as the first few Dachlyd ships completely ignored the line of sight signal sent to them. The process had even been repeated on specific ships to make sure that the signal had indeed reached the intended targets, but still no reaction.

Everyone was beyond surprised when one of the freighters actually acknowledged the signal. It was with even more astonishment that the team aboard the SPHINX watched as the alien ship changed course. It appeared that the Dachlyd freighter intended to rendezvous with the vessel responsible for sending the odd sequence of letters and numbers.

"Could it have been some encoded request for assistance?" The redheaded Engineer theorized, trying her best to make sense if what was happening.

"An unlikely possibility," the nearly human Avatar replied. "Why would all other freighters have ignored the signal? As far as we can tell, there is nothing setting that particular freighter apart from any of the others we attempted to communicate with."

"If we go according to Jayson's idea, maybe those freighters just didn't have the artificial brain power to understand the message," Sonja said before shooting a sideways glance at the man in question. "Then again, it's not like we have the brain power in here either."

"I have the feeling that the extra data was meant to attract the attention of that particular freighters," the Chief of Operations further theorized, completely ignoring the Chief Engineer's latest stab at him. "The professor likely expected whoever is looking for the crystals to just open broadcast the string to see what would happen. We got lucky with our finding the one it was meant for using the means we did."

"I don't believe in luck," the redhead admitted without restraint. "We have no clues as to why that freighter decided to turn and head our way. For all we know it might self-destruct the moment it is close enough to drag us down with it. This could be an embedded defence system used by the Dachlyd to make sure no one steps into their trade business."

"You sound like Ya'Han," Jayson pointed out in all seriousness. "She always looks at the worst possible outcome whatever the situation may be. You have been spending too much time with her and listening to her ways of seeing the universe. Both of you need to relax and see that not every single person out there is trying to hurt you in one way or another. In fact there are quite a few out there who would be more than happy to lend a hand if given half a chance."

Sonja shot a quick glare in the direction of the Chief of Operations, knowing that his words had been meant much more for the redhead who had not been here with them. Shar'El on the other hand could only use what Jayson had said to try and better understand the rift that had so suddenly appeared between the Chief of Security and himself.

"The freighters is slowing down," the Avatar reported, breaking the tension that had been created on the flight deck. "It appears that it is aiming to come along side us, on our starboard."

"If we all die in a huge explosion, I will personally hunt your ghost down and point out that we were right," the Engineer threatened leaving Jayson to actually believe that the woman would haunt him, but for an entirely different reason, one that most certainly involved Ya'Han and which he still knew nothing about.

The team on board the SPHINX watched in nervous silence as the freighter slid in next to the camouflaged Mobile Command Unit. The uncertainty grew with each passing second, everyone expecting something to happen, and at this point, the team might have actually settled for the earlier mentioned explosion.

"We are being hailed with a single question," ANI reported. "Who sent us?"

"A trick question?" Jayson wondered.

"A last effort to confirm the reason as to why we sent that signal," Sonja suggested, that possibility making more sense. "Give the wrong answer and we all go BOOM."

If the idea had not been troubling enough, the added hand gestures made by the Engineer only managed to make a tense situation worse.

"Koniki was the one who sent us on this mission," the ExO / ILO stated, believing that the Admiral name would be the correct answer.

"No one other than us would know that," Jayson pointed out. "Would make more sense to say that it was Arken who sent us. These crystals were after all his idea and creation."

"We could, in theory, also claim that it was IshDur and Allahi who are responsible for us being here since they were the ones in possession of the previous crystal," Sonja added, bringing the list of possible answers to three.

A simple question with multiple valid answers, only one of which able to be the right one. The problem now was to figure out which of the three would allow them to move forward with the mission, hopefully with another crystal in their possession.

"The question is being repeated," ANI announced, the Avatar having closely monitoring the freighter and any signals coming from it.  "I doubt that we will be given a third chance to answer."

For a machine, the artificial woman had been rather intuitive, and in this instance quite correct. An answer had been required in the briefest possible delay, and the ExO / ILO knew this. There had been no time for them to debate this forcing the senior most officer to make a final decision. She had already heard their arguments, as short as they were, and those would be what the Commander needed to use to make her decision.

"IshDur Talkiir," Shar'El suddenly said, instructing the Avatar to send those words as their reply to the question wit a nod of her head. Of the three options, the name of the last crystal's owner seemed to make the most sense. It proved in a way that they had made contact with the Invernian without directly implicating the professor or the Head of Starfleet Intelligence.

Everyone waited for a reaction, Sonja appearing as if she had actually been waiting to hear and feel the earlier mentioned explosion. After several eternal seconds, another communication from the freighter was received, this one on an open audio channel.

=/\= How is the professor? =/\=

Everyone clearly heard the reptilian intonations leaving no doubts in anyone's mind that no universal translator had been used or that the voice heard had been mechanically generated.

"Another test?" Jayson asked in a whispered voice, puzzled by how this encounter had evolved.

"What is more interesting is the lack of any other signal reaching the freighter," Sonja pointed out. "What we are hearing is not a bounced signal and by the sounds of things it is neither a pre-recorded reply. My guess is that there is an actual Dachlyd aboard that freighter and who knows, it could very well be Sam."

"Alright," the ExO / ILO nodded with understanding, obvious willing to accept what the Engineer had offered as a very likely possibility. "How do we answer?"

"Saying that he is 'doing well' seems too simple," the redhead offered, "and too vague. My guess is that Sam wants to make sure we know the professor and did not simply come to be in possession of the previous crystal by accident or through some deception."

"The fact that he is speaking common and asking about the professor would hint that he actually knows him," Jayson pointed out. "It is likely that the two spent some time together."

"It would explain why the professor chose him to safeguard one of his crystals. It also means that the answer will need to be much more personal, leaving no doubt in Sam's mind that we are speaking about the same man," the ExO / ILO said, thinking out loud.

"So, if we actually knew the Professor personally, which we don't, how would we describe him?" Sonja asked, summarizing the dilemma they were currently faced with. 

"We may not know him personally," Shar'El confirmed, "but we do know him through his work. He is without a doubt very smart, a genius in his own field. The level of protection he has put into place clearly makes him to be at the very least eccentric or flat out paranoid. So, how do we actually describe him? How do reply to the question of how is he?"

"Saying that he is 'smart' would be impersonal," Jayson pointed out.

"Claiming that he is a 'genius' would be feeding into the man's ego or showing us as being nothing more than some lovesick admirers," Sonja added thinking back to Maya and the way she kept referring to the professor in that manner.

"A friend would not describe him in such a way," Shar'El said with a grin, a better answer having come up to mind. Opening the channel to offer a verbal reply, the ExO / ILO stated what she believed to be the perfect answer without any hesitation. "Professor Arken is as crazy as he has always been," the raven-haired woman said, a tone of amusement intermixed in her words making it evident that her words had not been meant as an insult but rather as being the observation of a friend, or at least someone who knew him well enough.

Again, several seconds went by in silence, leaving the team to wonder if the answer had been the right one. On the bright side, the redheaded Engineer had remained somewhat frustrated in not having heard or felt any sort of explosion.

=/\= I am happy to hear this, =/\= the Dachlyd on the other end of the communication channel offered, and from that point on the conversation went on in a much friendlier manner, which of course took everyone by surprise given how the race had clearly been labeled as being a xenophobic one.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P030: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 03 - 1845 ("Different Ideas, Different Ways")
"Different Ideas, Different Ways"
[previous "Surprises"]

[/\]
Setting: SPHINX, Flight Deck
Stardate: 32220.1845

For being a member of a xenophobic race, 'Sam' had been quite the talkative sort. The transfer of the crystal, which should have happened in only a few minutes, had taken over an hour. Had the alien, whom they never actually saw, had not clearly sounded reptilian, Jayson and the others might have sworn that the Dachlyd had been some long lost relative of their Shillian Chief Science Officer.  At least there was one good thing that had come out of all this; they were heading back with the third crystal in their possession.

Having confirmed the flight path that would be taking them back to the ANUBIS, Jayson found himself enjoying the silence that filled the flight deck. Not that long ago, all that could be heard was the detailed accounts from Sam as to how he and Professor Arken had become friends. Before that, the Dachlyd had gone into an elaborate explanation as to how he had been exiled from his home, condemned to be inside a freighter for the rest of his natural life.  Apparently, accepting or seeking direct contact with any other life form had been a crime worthy of such a punishment.

"Still can't believe that they exiled Sam like that, just for wanting to see another life form, someone different from what he was," the OPS Officer thought aloud, the idea having been more than common for anyone even remotely attached with the Federation and Starfleet.

"Different world, different views, different culture," Shar'El explained in a few words. "The Dachlyd may be willing to trade with other worlds and races, but it is evident that they do not wish to see their culture in anyway influenced by the concepts of others. Although we may not agree with their ways, we do have to respect them."

"By the way Sam was endlessly going on, not everyone seems to believed the way their leaders do," Sonja pointed out, the Engineer unable to fully understand the reasons behind the race's stubbornness in remaining isolated from the rest of the universe while still wishing to do business with them.

"The Neo-Essentialists were in a way very much like the Dachlyd as a race," the Commander added. "Although aware that there are other races out there, their wish is to insure that their ways remain such and do not change or be tainted by the ideas and beliefs of others."

"You almost sound like you are supporting such a way of thinking," Jayson stated, finding it hard to believe that the ANUBIS' First Officer could support such an isolationist way of behaving.

"Understanding a way of belief and supporting it are two different things Lieutenant," Shar'El sternly pointed out, not wanting anyone to erroneously believe that she was in any way a supporter of the ideals of the Neo-Essentialists or of any other similar group or race.

Before the OPS Officer could comment or even offer an apology for what he might have implied, some sort of impact rocked the SPHINX violently.

"Report!" the Commander ordered as she scanned her console to identify the cause of what had felt like a weapon's impact.

"Hull integrity is intact, but we lost the holo-camouflage," Jayson reported.

"Looks like someone didn't buy in on our being just another Dachlyd freighter," Sonja added, her fingers moving quickly over her console to insure that they would be ready should there be another attack, and it took no time for that to happen.

"How are they managing to remain invisible to our sensors?" Jayson exclaimed in frustration.

"ANI!" Shar'El called out.

"The ANUBIS has already been notified of our situation and have set an emergency intercept course. They will be here in less than a minute," the Avatar announced as the SPHINX was rocked once again causing the artificial woman to actually lose her footing and go flying towards the back of the craft.

"My guess is that the ship attacking us is the same one that disabled the freighter we collected earlier," the Chief Engineer reported in a less than happy tone. "Unfortunately for us, the armor that surrounded us was only holographic unlike the weapons used against us. I have diverted all available power to the shields but it won't last."

"It only needs to last for a minute or so," Shar'El stated, knowing that the moment the ANUBIS would be in range, the unseen attacker would either have a much larger and more powerful target to deal with.

Another hit shook the ship, this one causing the lights to fluctuate and the team to reach for whatever they could to stabilize themselves.

"That's it, we just lost shields," the Engineer reported. There was no doubt that the ship attacking them had been far more powerful than they were. Given the damage that they had inflicted on the heavily armored Dachlyd freighter, it had not been a surprise to see them making short work of the SPHINX, this despite its state of the art defensive systems.

Another hit soon came, this one knocking the lights out and causing several of the console to explode. "Another shot like that one and we will lose the hull," the OPS Officer reported. "Those energy pulses are nasty, and I would go as far as to say that they may be a match for our own pulse cannons."

"How about you spend more time fixing it so that we don't die instead of admiring the power of the weapons of those who are trying to kill us?" The Engineer snapped. Even with the ANUBIS inbound, they needed to stay alive until then, and not being able to check on the fallen Avatar had not helped her mood any.

A steady hiss filled the flight deck following the next hit, indicating that the hull had been breached and the air was venting into space.  As maneuverable as the SPHINX was, especially after Sonja had restored all of the systems to their original setting, the small craft had not been a matched for the attacking vessel. The only thing they could do was to wait and hope that the ANUBIS would arrive in before it would be too late.

The pounding that they had been the target of had proven to be relentless and relatively rhythmic, so when the expected next shot was neither heard nor felt, hope began to reappear. With sensors off line and communications disabled thanks to the last few shots, there had been no way for those inside the SPHINX to know what was happening. The sounds of metal-on-metal had likely been from some sort of device being used to secure the ship; the problem was that no one could confirm if it was the ANUBIS or another ship responsible for it.

When the hissing sound began to subside, the team understood that they had found their way into a pressurized environment, but again unable to know if this was due to the efforts of a friend or foe.

"We are home," ANI announced, the Avatar having on her own returned. "Sorry, I had to perform a reboot, the unexpected fall and collision with the bulkhead caused a system error that I could not ignore."

"Just glad that you are back with us," Sonja admitted, the woman sounding far happier than she had not that long ago.

"Not as glad as I am to being back on the ANUBIS," the OPS Officer added, hoping that Ya'Han or someone else on the bridge had managed to hand over some well-deserved payback to the ship that had nearly destroyed them.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32220.2030

As soon as they had stepped out of the battered SPHINX, the away team made its way to the Observation Lounge for a quick debriefing. Judging by the expression on the faces of those they encountered along the way, the ship that had attacked them had escaped.

"Glad that you are all back in one piece," the Captain said as he took his place at the head of the table.

"Not as glad as we are," Shar'El offered in return, the First Officer meeting the grateful eyes of the other members of her team. "That attack came out of nowhere."

"We know," the Captain unhappily agreed. "Our sensors were unable to detect the ship. All we could lock on was the high-energy discharges that were being shot your way, and by the time we got close enough to act the ship was nowhere to be found."

"Could the ship have been cloaked?" Sonja asked.

"Commander Maya and Lieutenant Ya'Han are reviewing the sensor log, but as of right now all we have are guesses as to what that ship was," the Captain explained. "What we are near certain of is that they were after the crystal."

"They must have been watching us the entire time, waiting for us to have the crystal and be far enough not to draw too much attention," Shar'El theorized. "My guess is that they figured they would have enough time to destroy us, get the crystal from the rubbles and leave before the ANUBIS showed up for the rescue."

"The almost succeeded," Jayson said. "Our only advantage was that they did not know the configuration of the SPHINX to target with more accuracy our primary systems. In addition, Lieutenant Paquette managed some quick work to strength our hull. Without her, we would likely not be here."

The Chief Engineer looked at the OPS Office, not sure how to take the compliment that she had just received. As a friend to Ya'Han, Sonja needed to remain as angry as she could at Jayson, but right now, she would give him a few seconds respite for what he had just said.

"Any ideas as to who attacked you? Were they someone displeased with the Dachlyd or maybe Dachlyd themselves?" The Captain asked, their inability to lock on the attacking ship having left them without any answers as to the identity of the ship or its crew.

"Based on what Sam said about his own people, they look upon any physical or even visual contact with another race as a severe crime. The situation that Sam himself was in being proof of that, having been exiled to a freighter for the rest of his life for having simply wished to actually see someone belonging to a race other than that of his own people," the Commander explained. "That said, I doubt that the Dachlyd would have mounted such an attack. As far as their sensor net was concerned, it was two of their own freighters being one next to the other. My guess is that it was the same people who tried to obtain the second crystal on INVERNIA II."

"That's a stretch," Jayson offered. "From what we saw on the planet, they appeared as loosely organized thugs. Here, we had to deal with a heavily armed ship."

"In both cases though a sensor hiding technology was used," Sonja pointed out. "It would not be that much of a stretch to have the technology adapted either way, from personal use to hiding a ship or the other way around. What it does show though is that whoever else is after those crystals means business."

"You two get some rest," the Captain said to the Engineer and OPS Officer.

Understanding that the Captain wanted to have a more private discussion with his First Officer, Sonja and Jayson made their way out of the Observation Lounge and back onto the bridge where the Chief of Security greeted the with a heart-warming smile the Engineer. For a split second, that smile seemed to also have been directed to the Chief of Operations leaving him to believe that how ever angry Ya'Han might have been at him, she had still been happy to see him alive and well.

With that belief in his mind and heart, he made his way off the bridge and headed for his quarters in compliance with the orders he had received form the Captain. If he pushed, or even assumed that the smile had meant what he thought it did, Jayson risked making the situation between them worse, something that he truly wanted to avoid at all costs.

All he could do was to hope that Ya'Han would see that he was sorry for whatever it was that he was being blamed for and that he would be there to make it better in whatever way he could.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P031: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 03 - 2130 ("Complicated Thinking")
"Complicated Thinking"
previous post was "Different Ideas, Different Ways"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 21, Robotics Lab
Stardate: 32020.2130

Some might argue that the redhead Engineer had not been abiding by the orders to rest given by their Captain, but Sonja would obviously argue otherwise. To the Chief Engineering Officer of the USS ANUBIS, being in this particular location and checking up on the Avatar had been as much a relaxing activity as any others enjoyed by members of the crew. The Chief of Security enjoyed working out in the gym and repeatedly flipping the Chief of Operations onto his back, the Chief Science Officer enjoyed spending every available free second she had locked inside one of the many labs found throughout the ship, and the Captain had made it evident that he found a solitary walk on the outer hull of the ship relaxing. Tinkering on the android tasked with being a physical representation of the ship easily fell within that same range of 'relaxing activities'.

Of course, the fact that Sonja had been concerned for ANI had only made the Engineer's decision to come here a 'restful necessity'. Following the fall and self-reboot of the ANUBIS' Avatar while aboard the SPHINX, no one could claim having been surprised in learning that the Chief Engineer had decided to spend her time in this particular location.

"According to my latest self-diagnostic, I am functioning well withing my established base parameters," ANI reported, the naked form of the artificial woman standing inside the diagnostic chamber.

"Be quiet for a moment," the Chief Engineer ordered, the redhead clearly sounding irate. "Can't you see that I am trying to relax here."

"Might I suggest an alternate activity," the Avatar said, sounding oddly playful and maybe even a little concern given that the Engineer's bio-readouts had not shown any indications to confirm that the woman was in a state of physical or mental rest.  "It would appear that you working on me is not achieving the state you claim to be aiming for."

"I am as relaxed as I can be," the Chief Engineer argued back, sending an unimpressed glare in the direction of the Avatar. "Don't think because you have access to the ship's medical and psychological databanks that it makes you an assistant to the Chief Medical officer or Ship's Counsellor. Back on the SPHINX you fell and were forced to perform a self-reboot. As the ship's Chief Engineer it is my duty to make sure that you are not injured."

"As the Chief Engineering Officer, I should not have to remind you then that I am an artificial entity incapable of suffering from an 'injury' as you have just stated," the Avatar said having apparently decided to go full Vulcan on the redhead. "The best, or in this case worse, that I could display the signs of would be some sort of malfunction."

"ANI!" Sonja snapped, clearly the woman having reached her limits in dealing with the Avatar in such a way.

"Sorry. Maybe I am suffering from a programming error that I was unable to detect during my earlier self diagnostic. You may proceed with your relaxing work."

"Thank you," the redhead Engineer said, not sounding in anyway pleased, or relaxed.

Just as Sonja resumed her work on the Avatar, someone entered the room unbeknownst to the Engineer, at least that was until the visitor spoke.

"Sonja?"

"Jesus H Roosevelt Christ, what the frozen balls of hell is wrong with you?" The redhead exclaimed immediately after having let go of the tool that had been in her hand causing it to fly clear across the lab to impact against one of the control panels. Quickly turning to look at the person who had frightened her so, Sonja saw the all too familiar face of her friend. "You rainbow-headed fool, are you actually trying to give me a heartattack?"

"Sorry, I did not meant to startle you," Ya'Han apologetically offered, not having expected to find her friend in such a wound-up state. "I was just hoping that we would be able to talk a little."

"That would be a good idea," ANI stated. "Lieutenant Paquette is actually trying to relax while performing a system diagnostic, and I am afraid that I am proving to be more of an irritation than a relaxing influence on her at this time."

"You," Sonja snapped after having turned to look at the Avatar once more, waving the infamous finger in ANI's face. "Don't make me deactivate your vocal processors. I am not in the mood for you commentaries right now."

"Is everything alright?" Ya'Han cautiously asked, causing the redhead Engineer to once more turn her attention back ono the Chief of Security.

"I'm fine," she said, trying to convince all those within hearshot of the truthfulness of the statement. "Being shot at, seeing ANI go flying back like a rag-doll, nearly dying and having Jayson actually pay me a compliment might have been a little more than I was ready to deal with at that time."

"Jayson paid you a compliment?" Ya'Han repeated with surprise.

"I like the way I just finished saying that I almost died out there but *that's* the part that you focus on," the Chief Engineer said in as much a serious tone as she could but unable to hide the fact that she had been teasing her friend. "Yes. He was kind enough to give me credit for making the SPHINX able to weather the assault long enough for the ANUBIS to come to the rescue."

"Why is that bothering you?"

"I am mad at him, remember?" Sonja angrily explained, pointing to the woman's belly with a rapid gesture using both hands. "You know that I am on your side, but the guy is actually concerned about you. I can't even get a rise out of him now, he just takes whatever I send his way as if he was a defeated mass of goo. Tell me, where is the fun in verbally abusing and beating up goo?"

"So you are suggesting that I tell him?" Ya'Han asked, the question taking the Chief Engineer off guard.

"Are you completely mad woman? I think all of those colour changes are starting to affect your ability to think," Sonja said, pointing to the woman's now solid black hair.  After a few seconds, the Engineer calmed herself and took hold of the visibly troubled friend.  "I'm sorry, I guess I am more on edge than I realized. I need to rest and you need to talk, so there is only one way to address this."

Before Ya'Han could say anything she was being dragged out of the Robotics Lab towards an undisclosed location, one that the Chief of Security suspected she knew rather well.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2, Paquette's Quarters
Stardate: 32020.2200

"Now, this is much better," the redhead Engineer offered as she deposited two 'Sonja' sized wine glassed on the living room table right in front of her guest. "This way I can actually relax and you can talk."

"I don't need the wine anymore," the Chief of Security admitted, recalling the first few times she had been here. Sonja had discovered rather quickly that the intoxicating effects of the beverage allowed the Nylaan to not be as reluctant in sharing the parts of her life that haunted her, be them from her past or present.

"I never said that *you* needed it," Sonja smiled. "It's for me so that I can relax, and frankly I really hate drinking alone, so while you talk I will drink and if for one reason or another you have not touched your glass by the time I am finished mine, I might have to resort to another, more physical way to relax."

Ya'Han playfully tilted her head to one said, both the Engineer and Chief of Security knowing that in a physical confrontation the Nylaan would have the upper hand. That said though, Ya'Han had not wished to insult her friend in any way, so she reached out for the glass that had been placed in front of her and allowed a small sample of the  crimson liquid to pass by her lips.

"Good rainbow girl," Sonja smiled. "I would have truly hated hurting you," the redhead jokingly added before taking a sizable gulp from her wine glass. "And you have nothing to worry about, I would not have given you the real stuff while you are in *that* condition," the Engineer said again pointing to the woman's belly using a dramatic two-handed gesture. "Now, let's talk."

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2, Paquette's Quarters
Stardate: 32021.0615

Sonja rolled off the couch and forced her eyes open, actually finding the brightness of the already low illumination in the room to be painful. "Computer, reduce lighting intensity by another 50%."

As the lights further dimmed, the Chief Engineer scanned her surroundings, easily recognizing the room as being hers, the half dozen empty wine glasses resting on the living room table a further indication that this had in fact been her quarters.

"Ya'Han?" Sonja called out, unable to recall if her guest had still been here or if she had retreated to her own quarters at some point during the evening.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," the green haired woman said as she stepped out of the bathroom obviously just having enjoyed a shower.

"Green?" The redhead inquired, the one word question carrying with it a few hundred more through the silence that quickly followed.

"You drank, I talked and in the end we both enjoyed some relaxing time. I truly hope that you remember what we shared last night?"

Sonja froze for a moment, desperately trying to recall the events of the previous evening while making sure that she was still fully clothed. Was the green-haired Nylaan entertainer hinting to what the redhead feared she was? Certain that this had been some sort of mistake the host started in complete disbelief at her guest until she saw it. It was small, barely noticeable but it was there, hinting to a universe of possibilities.

A faint smile danced in the corner of her Nylaan's lips.

"*That* was mean," Sonja sighed, adding a smile of relief.

"You fell asleep on the couch and I stayed to make sure you would rest," Ya'Han admitted sounding rather pleased with herself for having managed to frighten her friend the way she had. "I used the time to think about what we talked about, and not being in either my quarters or his made it a little easier."

"No memories or feelings getting in the way of your thinking," Sonja nodded with understanding. "So why the green hair and the second attempt at giving me a heart attack? I am truly starting to think that you wish me I'll," the Engineer concluded in a thick Scottish accent.

"I was in the shower, heard you waking up and the thought came to mind, nothing more," the Nylaan admitted, now displaying an ear-to-ear grin.

"I seem to be a bad influence on you," the redhead added, shaking her head in disbelief.  "I think even Shar'El would have been proud of you on that one, you have me going for a few too many seconds."

"Maybe you are right," Ya'Han offered. "You are a bad influence on me," she added with a smile.

"Let's try to start the day on a better note, How about we can have some breakfast before returning to our normal lives. We could always drop in on Maya, who I am sure spent the whole night in one of the labs and see if she has made any progress on the third crystal that we were able to secure."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Ya'Han agreed as her hair changed from the entertainment green to the more customary black and red mix that everyone had come to know her for.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P032: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 04 - 0645 ("Green, Eggs and Ham")
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"Green, Eggs and Ham"
[previous post was "Complicated Thinking"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2, Paquette's Quarters
Stardate: 32221.0645

For the Sec/Tac, breakfast had always been a small meal, one meant to give you the energy to start the day without being weighted down. That had been the way back in the Imperial Palace and Ya'Han had not seen the need to change this after having made her way out of Ferengi controlled space, and especially not after having joined Starfleet. In fact, her morning routine had proven to be exactly what had been required by the Academy.

With that in mind, the black and red haired Nylaan watched with bemused wonder as the Chief Engineer put plate after plate on the table, having requested from the food replicator what Ya'Han could only describe as being an elaborate morning feats.

"Isn't that a little too much?" The Sec/Tac inquired while standing next to the table as another plate was forced onto the table's surface requiring a few others to me shoved out of its way.

"This?" Sonja chuckled looking at the numerous plate scattered on the table. "This is a light breakfast. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and given how some of our days go, it tends to be more often then not the *only* meal we get, if we get that much. Plus you have to think of your new dietary needs," the redhead pointed out, shooting a quick glance at her guest's belly which Ya'Han had once again been absentmindedly rubbing.  "Your little bowl of fruit is not going to cut it anymore."

"But I don't feel hungrier than I usually do," the woman said in her defence.

"You can't play both sides of the fence on this one," the Engineer said, not accepting the argument of the Sec/Tac in the least. "You claimed that you felt different the morning after, that you knew that it had happened even if you didn't recall how. I blame Jayson for that for not making that night as special for you as it should have been, but that is no longer important, what is important is that you take care of yourself and of that little rainbow girl or boy that is growing inside of you."

Ya'Han suddenly felt dizzy and light-headed; the words of her friend having hit her like a runaway shuttlecraft. Up until now, she had managed to convince herself that this might have all been an error, a biological oddity caused by the differences between Humans and Nylaans. As adaptive as her biology was in that regards, there had never been a case where one of the daughters of the High Sovereign had been given as a life mate to a Terran. In fact, as far as she could remember, no Nylaan, be them of royal or common blood had ever been with a native of EARTH.

The exiled daughter had used all of this along with whatever else she could think of to downplay her situation, going as far as to almost completely manage to convince herself that all of the changes and feelings she experienced had been solely in her head. What Sonja said though had turned everything upside down forcing the Nylaan to consider, even if only for a short period of time, that this had been as real as could be and that in 10 months of so she would be giving birth.

"Are you alright?" Sonja asked as she helped her friend to reach the nearest chair. "I know that you can change your hair color, but I was not aware that you could do the same with your facial skin. You look almost as green as one of those Orion slave girls."

"I'm fine," Ya'Han said, stuttering through the simple two words as if she had been about to lose consciousness at any moment. "I'm... I'm pregnant."

"Wow, took that long for you to come to terms with that?" The Engineer chuckled. "Can't wait to see how hard its going to hit you when you actually accept the identity of the father."

"No," the now fully black haired woman said, her voice having been filled with a fear that had never been there before, for *any* reason. "I can't raise a child. I have no one to guide me through this. As the daughter of the High Sovereign I would have had maids and servants to help me, not to mention whoever my mate would have assigned as a tutor to insure that any child be properly brought up in the ways of their world as well as mine. I am no longer that."

"You may no longer be the daughter of that sorry excuse of a father, but you are a full fledged member of this crew, and as such you have friends who will give you all of the help and support you could ever wish for," Sonja reassured. "Think of all the games Shar'El will be able to play with rainbow junior. Maya will be a wonderful teacher, which is as long as she manages not to bore the child into an eternal slumber. Then there is Nicole, as a joined Trill, she must have more than a few lifetimes of experiences to share. You are not alone," the Engineer continued, kneeling next to her shaken friend. "The moment you came on board the ANUBIS you became part of this crew, part of this family and as such you will never be alone, no matter what may happen."

"I'm going to be a mother," Ya'Han mused aloud, her thoughts evidently a million light-years from where she was at the moment.

"Congratulations," Sonja said, appearing a little stunned by the fact that her friend had managed to detach herself from the situation to such an extent. "Now, are you ready to have a real breakfast?"

Ya'Han turned her head every so slowly, eventually meeting Sonja's gaze with her own, the realisation of her condition having taken solid root. The advantage was that now the Sec/Tac would actually conduct herself accordingly, taking care of herself and her unborn child. The disadvantage though would be that the same woman would conduct herself according to her condition making it that much more difficult for her to keep it hidden from the rest of the crew. The reality of the situation was that Ya'Han would not have been able to keep this a secret forever, but for now at least she no longer tried to hide it from herself.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P033: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 04 - 0730
("Some Puzzles Are More Difficult Than Others")
---
"Some Puzzles Are More Difficult Than Other"
(Previous Post: "Green, Eggs and Ham")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Quantum Physics Lab
Stardate: 32221.0730

Another crystal had been obtained which led the Shillian Chief Science Officer to spend another night in the Quantum Physics Laboratory trying to access the information hidden therein. So far, Professor Arken had used a different method to keep the information in the first three crystals from being easily retrieved and this latest puzzle appeared to be no different. Of course, for Maya, this was not a source of frustration but rather an enticing challenge that she had been more than happy to tackle as well as dedicate however many hours or days it would require to be solved.

"How are things going Commander?" The Chief Engineering Officer of the USS ANUBIS joyfully inquired as she walked in, closely followed by the Chief of Security.

"The configuration of this latest crystal is completely different from the others we have, which has made it much more difficult to access the surface information. Given how impossible the task of reaching the deeper data was for the other crystals, I have not even tried with this one, focussing instead on the primary upper levels." Maya paused for a moment before continuing, "The man is a genius," the Shillian said, once again singing the praises of the man she knew nothing about aside from his work to protect the data within the crystals safe.  "I believe that I will have figured out how to proceed with this particular crystal in a few minutes at which time I will take a few minutes to rest. I might indulge in a bite or two as well as maybe even catch a short catnap before resuming my work. My guess is that breaking the surface encryption will only be the first part of this latest puzzle, but if I have to, I will spend the entire night working on this until I can identify our next destination as well as the identity of the holder of the next crystal."

"The whole night?" Ya'Han repeated in a quizzical manner, not having understood that the scientist had lost track of time and that she had already done as she had claimed her readiness to do.

"Excuse me, Maya?" Sonja interjected, trying to no avail to pry the focus of the Shillian away from her work. "Commander!" The Chief Engineer continued, this time with a much stronger tone, which proved enough to get her attention. "You have already spent the night on this. Not only having you probably skipped dinner last night, but you worked through the night and are about to go right through breakfast as well.  If Doctor Doyanne was here, I am sure that she would be less than happy with how you are taking care of yourself."

"I agree, you do need to take care of yourself," Ya'Han added in support, recalling very similar instructions spoken to her not so long ago by the red-haired Engineer standing by her side. It was true that the reasons for this were entirely different, but the wisdom still applied.

"I will," the Shillian reassured in a dismissing manner, returning to her work, "that is as soon as I manage to figure the upper level encoding of this crystal."

"Why do I have the feeling that you have already said that to yourself more than once?" The red-haired Engineer sighed with frustration. Sonja politely forced her way next to the working scientist to insure her next words would not be ignored nor dismissed. "Alright, let's make a deal. You let us help and if we have not found anything new in say the next 15 minutes, you come with us for some breakfast and rest. That or I unleash rainbow girl here who will goes full red on you."

Ya'Han gasped in horror as she glared wide-eyed at her friend. The fact that the expression of 'going full red' had been spreading through the ship had been bad enough, but to imply that the Chief of Security would actually do so against a superior officer had been something the Nylaan would never have considered.  Sonja quickly reassured her friend with a shake of her head and a similar motion of her hands. The friendly threat, called upon by the situation they faced, had only been meant to show the Shillian that this had been a serious matter, nothing more.

"All right," Maya reluctantly conceded, the hunger and fatigue she could no longer simply dismiss having made the point much more than the threat uttered, although the idea of being on the receiving end of the skills and strength of the Chief of Security had proven to be a close second as far as reasons for the scientist to comply. "Professor Arken as displayed an uncanny habit of encoding the surface data pointing to the owner of the next crystal using a wide range of encryption system. So far, I have been able to break these with relative ease, but this latest lock is proving to be beyond my ability to comprehend. Maybe it is the fatigue or hunger, but I fear that I may not be able to break through this time."

"Well, let us have a look at it," Sonja suggested with reassurance. "A fresh set of eyes might be just what is needed. After all, you have spent the entire night looking at this, so by now I am actually surprised that you can seen anything at all. When I get like this, working on the warp core or even on ANI, after a few hours I find myself unable to tell which way is up. So, taking a break or getting someone else to have a look could make a huge difference." With that, the Chief Engineer and Chief of Security began to scrutinize the three-dimensional holographic enlarged recreation of the encoded surface data contained in the fourth crystal."

"If there is some sort of pattern in this mess, I am unable to see it," Ya'Han admitted after a few minutes of intense scrutiny. As much as she had been willing to help, the fact of the matter was that this was well outside her usual skill set which tended to be far more physical than scientific.

"There is something in there," Sonja quietly countered, the Chief Engineer focusing with an unmatched interest on the way the crystalline alignment appeared. "I know it may sound weird, but although I am unable to actually point out what it is that I am seeing, I can tell that there is something in there, something almost familiar."

"Maybe you could instruct the computer to focus on that particular aspect," the Chief Science Officer suggested, finding herself more than eager to see some sort progress being made with this puzzle.

"I have a better idea," Sonja smiled before spinning on her heels and bolting out of the laboratory to the stunned surprise of both Ya'Han and Maya.

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P034: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 04 - 0745 ("Alien to Alien")
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"Alien to Alien"
[previous post was "Some Puzzles Are More Difficult Than Others"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Quantum Physics Lab
Stardate: 32221.0745

Sonja had left in such a hurry that the Sec/Tac never had the chance to say something. Ya'Han had not minded being left alone with Maya, but still the black and red-haired Nylaan would have preferred not to be in this particular situation. Still, this offered the nervous Lieutenant with an opportunity that she needed to take advantage of.

"Commander, could I have a world with you? From one non-Terran to another?"

"Of course," Maya answered, still trying to solve the puzzle that she had been working on through the night. "Terrans do have some strange and peculiar ways, both as a race as well as individuals. As a scientist I have noticed this on many occasions and I can only imagine that you have done the same while on the bridge."

"I was thinking on a more personal level," the Nylaan clarified, gently rubbing her belly as she tried to find the words she would use to bring Maya into the group of those who were aware of her condition, which for the moment only included Sonja.

"Interspecies relationships can be a difficult thing," the scientist said, obviously believing that the Sec/Tac had wanted to discuss her relationship with the Terran Chief of Operations.  "I am not sure how much help I would be, I mean I am like you a non-Terran but that would be where the similarities and knowledge end. In regards to relationships, I have to sadly admit that you have more experience than I. Color-changing hair may be attractive to some, maybe even alluring, but being able to shapeshift into a small monkey or toothy wolf is unfortunately not looked upon with the same admiration, not even close, especially in private."

As informative as this discussion had been, the Sec/Tac wished that the Chief Science Officer would stop rambling on and grant her the chance to say what she had tried to for the last several minutes. After all, how difficult could it be to say that she was pregnant?

"Have you even thought about motherhood?" Ya'Han asked, the statement she wanted to make having transformed into a distantly related question. Hopefully the answer the Sec/Tac would receive would make divulging the information a little easier.

"Every female, no matter the species, has those thoughts at one point or another. I mean, that is as long as it is the female of the species who is burdened with the biological complexities of reproduction. Not every race falls within that pattern, and examples of this can easily be found within the Federation. If you are asking if I have ever had such thoughts though, I have to sadly admit that I have not. Being the last of my race, you would think that I would be driven to have a child, to somehow keep my race alive, but without access to a viable genetic Shillian male counterpart, the best I could hope for would be to create a clone of myself, and somehow I find that idea less than appealing. You would think that as a scientist I would be the first one to embrace that idea, but my knowledge and experience in that domain have actually done the opposite. The possible complications, both during and after the gestation period have also made the prospect a less than attractive one. I mean, there are already countless things that can go wrong when two people of the same race choose to have a child. Those possibilities multiply a hundred fold when the parents are from different species. So much so that Starfleet Medical created a list showing the numerous incompatible genetic matches, this to save would-be couples the pain of discovering this on their own after several failed attempts. Based on all that, I have happily dedicated my life to science and accepted harsh truth that I am the last of my race."

Thinking of everything that had been said from a purely scientific perspective relating to her condition, Ya'Han's hair turned blue, a color that she rarely displayed. Up until now, the Nylaan had not considered the possibility that something bad might occur as the fetus within her grew. However much Ya'Han might have wanted to keep her condition secret, it became increasingly evident that she could not afford to do so for her sake as well as that of the child within her.

That she liked it or not, she would have to tell the others if for no other reason than to enlist the help and expertise of everyone to insure that everything regarding the pregnancy went as smoothly as possible. All that the Sec/Tac needed to do now was to break the news to Maya, the Chief Science Officer being the first of many she needed to inform.

"Commander?"

"Yes?"

"What if I were to tell you that I was with child?"

"I would say that you need more rest than I," Maya coldly replied, not having flinched in the least, her attention still more than focused on the three-dimensional holographic display. "I am observant enough to know that you and Lieutenant Paquette were the only ones to enter this laboratory. In addition, had there been a child with you, I am sure that I would have heard or seen them by now. As I have mentioned before, I do consider myself to be quite observant, and I am sure that I would not have been able to miss a child, regardless of age or size, had they been with you."

"Of course," Ya'Han sighed while still rubbing her belly. The Nylaan found it almost impossible to believe that the Scientist could be as smart as she was, as observant as she claimed, and yet be unable to see that was there right next to her, easily within arm's reach. Maybe informing other would prove to be much more complicated than the Sec/Tac had expected, especially if she was to use this attempt as a guide to what would be her success.

For the time being, the Nylaan thought it best to momentarily abandon her quest, at least until the return of her friend Sonja. Maybe with the redhead Engineer by her side, the Sec/Tac would have better luck in accomplishing what she had thought would be a simple task.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P035: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 04 - 0745 ("Really Complicated Thinking")
"Really Complicated Thinking"
previous post was "Alien to Alien"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Corridor
Stardate: 32221.0745

"You could have simply instructed me to join you and the others in the Quantum Physics Laboratory," the Avatar stated as she was being led by the Chief Engineer who had come to fetch her without offering any sort of explanation.

"I needed to disconnect you from the diagnostic platform, plus, if I said for you to hurry and join us, I feared that you would skip getting dressed before making your way through the ship," Sonja explained with a smile. "I did program you to be as efficient as possible."

"My programming also includes a complete set of modesty protocols," ANI pointed out.  "According to the ship's own engineering and robotics work log, you were the one who created and added these specific subroutines to my base personality."

"Alright," the red-haired woman sighed in defeat. "I just thought it safer to be with you then with Maya. The odds of her going through some long winded explanation about something or rather would have driven me clean up the wall and down the other.  Also, I thought that Ya'Han could use the practice."

"The practice?" The Avatar questioned a la Vulcan, raising a single eyebrow to display her puzzlement. "What could Lieutenant Ya'Han be able to practice on Commander Maya? Aside from being officers on board the ANUBIS, there is little the two have in common. The obvious differences in their respective fields of knowledge and expertise leaves them with little to share on a professional level, and although both do possess some cellular transformation abilities, the differences between the two are again far too great to allow for any common ground."

"I wanted Ya'Han to practice speaking to someone who is not listening as closely as they should," Sonja grinned.

---
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Quantum Physics Lab
Stardate: 32221.0750

The plan had been simple. If Ya'Han could inform Maya of her situation and actually have the scientist acknowledge the news in any way, the Chief of Security would be able to easily inform anyone else, drawing on the recently gathered experience in order to do so. At least that had been the plan, a plan that had appeared to have failed miserably by the looks of things.

"Maybe you are right, I do need more rest," Ya'Han confirmed, based on the words spoken by the Chief Science Officer who had managed to completely miss the purpose of their talk as well as the visual hints that had been right there for her to see.

"I am," Maya reinforced without hesitation. "I do consider myself to be quite an observant person, after all it is somewhat of a prerequisite given my field of work. Simply based on your words and claim, I do believe that a good night's rest would do you, as well as myself, a great deal of good."

Ya'Han sighed. In the field of science, or even anything remotely touching on it, the Chief of Security was certain that the Shillian had been more than observant, but when it came to more social aspects of life around her, the same could hardly be claimed.

"Is everything okay?" Sonja asked as she and the Avatar approached the stunned Chief of Security, the Chief Engineer quickly having noticed the new hair colour of her friend, which she pointed out by pulling a single lock into view.

"My mind went onto a different aspect of my condition," the Nylaan with the blue head of hair replied, a worried tone in her words.

"Guessing you tried to tell her and things didn't go quite as planned?"

"Not as easy as one might think," the Chief of Security replied, her hair having returned to the black and red mix that everyone knew her by.

"ANI," the Chief Engineer said turning her attention onto the Avatar, the matter of her friend's condition would have to wait for the moment; after all they did have a little while before things really began to show forcing their hand.  "Can you have a look at this holographic image and tell me if it means anything to you?"

The Avatar did as instructed and even leaned in closer to display the interest and fascination she expected had been required from her. "This is very interesting. The alignment of the crystalline structure is a nearly perfect recreation down to the tricenary accompanying harmonics. I am detecting less than a 0.01% diviation from the original piece."

"Recreation of what?" Sonja and Maya asked in frustrated unison, Ya'Han having remained silent, still finding herself somewhat distraught by her recent failed attempt to tell the Shillian that she would be an aunt soon.

"The Infinite Symphony," ANI stated as if this should have been identified and known by all present. "It was composed by Gadrelf Ix Rowshesh, the renowned Zobral composer," the Avatar further explained. "It is said that out of the 3165 instruments required to play this, 1886 of them are impossible to play by non-Zobral hands, feet or lips. The symphony itself requires a minimum of five conductors to insure that every instrument follows the proper cadence and rhythm, which at times can reach in the excess of 480 beats per minutes."

"That's why it looks so familiar," Sonja exclaimed with disbelief and amusement. "I remember comparing that monstrosity to one of my instructor's evaluation grid back at the Academy. Both made absolutely no sense whatsoever no matter how much anyone tried to understand it. I think I had nightmares about that piece of music trying to assimilate me back in the days."

"So this was not some sort of encoding?" The Shillian inquired, clearly not at all happy by the fact that she had not been able to identify the mess for what it was.

"No, only a recreation," the Avatar confirmed. "A very accurate one that must have required a great deal if work and patience to create on a scale as small as what would have been required to place inside one of these crystals," ANI added. For an android, the artificial woman could from time to time sound and appear almost human in her reactions.

"How does this information give us a clue as to the location of the next crystal?" Ya'Han inquired, voicing the question that had been on the lips of everyone in the room.

"If the pattern was meant to be the clue," Maya offered, "one that was evident for someone who knew what to look for, it would be fair to consider that the significance of the presence of this symphony is just as equally obvious."

"ANI, access all of your databases and find out everything you can on that cacophony," the Engineer ordered.

"The Infinite Symphony of Gadrelf Ix Rowshesh," the Shillian Scientist corrected, obviously holding the musical creation in higher regards than the Terran Engineer.

The Avatar momentarily closed her as she complied with the order given by the Chief Engineer. "The musical masterpiece was composed by Rowshesh some 750 years ago, the exact date of the creation not having been recorded. The piece gained increased fame as the Zobral stretched their influence to other planets. The original music composition was traded and sold over those years, going from merchants to musicians to collectors."

"Who is the current owner of that *masterpiece*?" Sonja inquired, reluctantly using the term to appease the Chief Science Officer.

"According to the planetary official records, the original composition was brought back to its home world following the expert dealings of an eccentric collector known only as the 'Grand Maestro'," ANI reported. "He owns an island continent where he keeps all of his collected items safe and out of reach of would be thieves and prying eyes."

"Sounds like it would be the perfect place to keep one of those crystals safe," Ya'Han pointed out.

"Great," Sonja sighed. "Looks like we will be heading to ZOBRA PRIME and that I am not done dealing with that blasted wannabe musical composition." The redhead paused for an instant before adding, "Wonder how professor 'Loony Toon' came to know the Grand Loony Maestro and trust him enough to give him one of his crystals?"

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P036: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 04 - 0830 ("All About Feelings")
=-=
"All About Feelings"
[previous post was "Really Complicated Thinking" by the imaginative Lorraine]
=-=

Setting: ANUBIS, Observation lounge
Stardate: 32221.0830

"We started with a Federation member, went to an unaligned world and now we are heading back to another Federation world?" The ExO / ILO rhetorically asked after having been informed of the findings made by Commander Maya, Lieutenant Paquette and Lieutenant Ya'Han who had come as a group to the bridge to give the good news. "This professor Arken sure got around quite a bit for a recluse scientist."

"Those he worked with and knew him might have considered him as such," Counselor Dima pointed out. "Being considered as a recluse could have easily been by design in order to keep his research and work safe. The less people around him there was, the safer his work was, at least as far as he saw things. It is very possible that once out of his normal work environment, the professor sought out people with similar interests or even social attitudes believing that he could trust them more than others."

"It does seem to fit the pattern with the selection of Sam and this Grand Maestro, both are outcasts from their own people, but IshDur Talkiir was just a normal Invernian, living in an apartment along with his wife like countless others." Ya'Han pointed out, finding it strange that the first person to have a crystal seemed so normal when compared to the others.

"IshDur was not a member of the majority on INVERNIA II," Shar'El explained, the ExO / ILO having had some time to have her IGC team do some research on the man. "It is actually uncommon for Invernians to marry outside of their race, so that fact that he was legally wed to Allahi made him an exception to the social rules of that world. Maybe it was enough to have the professor look upon him as a kindred spirit."

"Maybe," Jayson chimed in. "Either that or he saw something he liked in Allahi. Being a recluse as he is said to be, it is not unlikely that he felt the need for companionship. To feel the soft touch of a woman, even if only for a short period of time. As much as we might all hide behind the veil of evolution, we are still slaves to our most basic needs, and feeling loved has to be up there amongst the most basic and needed of feelings."

Although the gaze of the Chief of Operations had been directed towards the ANUBIS' Trill Counsellor, his words had clearly been meant for the Nylaan Chief of Security, a distinction that only those directly involved in the current matter had been able to notice.

"We might be able to confirm or refute this theory as to how Arken selected these people once  the mission has been completed, but for now it might be best for us all to focus on the task at hand," the Captain stated, not wishing for the attention of his officers to be split amongst multiple ideas and theories.  "Ensign Jones, set course for ZOBRA PRIME, best possible speed. Last time we needed to not make our approach to evident and it looks like we might have given those after the crystals the opportunity to get ahead of us, I would like t avoid that from happening again."

"Best possible speed, aye aye Sir." The FCO acknowledged, the woman keeping her presence in whatever situation she was in to an absolute minimum, something that Shar'El, as the ExO had found a little troubling but as the ILO found endearing. Should Tanith ever wished a transfer to another department; the Commander would be more than happy to welcome her into the IGC's family.

"Since we are going to be pushing the engines, I better get back to my department and crack the whip," The Chief Engineer noted. "All of this wandering space at normal speed was getting boring anyway," the redhead added with a smile.

"In the meantime I would like for you two to review all that we have on the Zobral," the ExO / ILO said as she looked at the Chief Science Officer and Ship's Counsellor. "The data collected may not be required during our visit, but it might be nice to know what is socially accepted and what is not. There is no need to antagonise this Grand Maestro for no other reason than to prove our ignorance of their world and customs."

"As a member of the Federation, this should not be too much of a problem," Nicole offered, glancing to Maya who appeared to be in complete agreement with the statement.

"All right then," the Captain said as he rose from his chair. "Let's get to work!"

=-=
Setting: ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32221.0900

Normally the ExO / ILO would have returned to the IGC given that the Captain had been on the bridge. During their journey to ZOBRA PRIME, even at the highest possible velocity they could manage, there had been no need for both the CO and ExO to be here. In this particular instance though, Shar'El had wanted to stick around and see if she would be able to get to the bottom of the situation that had developed between the ANUBIS' Chief of Operations and Chief of Security.

"How are you doing?" Shar'El asked of Ya'Han, the tone of the question making it evident that it was meant to be a personal and not a professional query.

"I'm fine," the black and red-haired Nylaan replied, even adding a smile to confirm her condition.

"Glad to hear it," Shar'El joyfully grinned. "Spending the night in Sonja's quarters can have a very tiring effect, especially when she breaks out the wine. We both know that for a fact, some more than others."

"Are you having the IGC keep track of my travels or do you actually have one of your spies following me and report to you directly?" Ya'Han asked, looking at the woman not as her superior but as a friend who had gone too far.

Shar'El actually took a half step back, shocked by the animosity in her friend's voice. After a few seconds of gathering her thoughts and feelings, the ExO / ILO returned to the exact position where she had been, appearing to those looking as having taken on a much more official posture. 

"The IGC keeps track of every single member of this crew, including myself, not because I or anyone else needs to know where everyone is but for the crew's general protection and safety," Shar'El coldly clarified. "This allows us, as the crew of the ANUBIS, to better react in the case of unexpected internal issues. The Captain himself suggested this idea and it was made possible thanks to the IGC and its personnel. I can assure you that I have not singled you out to be followed, be it electronically or physically. I would never invade yours, or anyone else's, privacy in such a way, and you know that I can do much, much worse should I truly wished to," the Ullian added, narrowing her eyes indicating that she had taken direct offence to the accusation of wrongdoing made by the Nylaan.

"Then how did you know?" Ya'Han asked, having realized to her great dismay that she had overreacted and that through that might have lost a very good friend at a time when she needed them the most.

"I might not be looking into your memories, but you did broadcast that particular one rather strongly," Shar'El sternly replied as she took in long deep breaths, forcing herself into a calmer state than the one she was rapidly heading towards. "I am glad that you are feeling well, and I am equally glad to know that I am not the only one who passes out on Sonja's couch. Now, if you will excuse me, we have a long trip ahead of us and I have several other stations and departments to visit."

Ya'Han was powerless to act. She had hurt Shar'El's feelings and based on the way the Commander had left, the person who had approached the black and red-haired woman as a friend had left as a superior Officer and the ship's ExO. Trying to explain why she had reacted the way she had would require the woman to reveal the details of her situation, but that was something the Chief of Security had not wanted to do, not like this. The announcement needed to be in a more private setting and be a celebration, not in the open and offered as an explanation and excuse

After the quick and unfortunately cold exchange they had just shared, Ya'Han wondered if she would actually get the opportunity to share the news with Shar'El. The best the Nylaan could hope for now was that learning about the pregnancy would restore their friendship, at part if not in whole, and that all would be forgotten in time.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P037: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 04 - 0915 ("No Choices")
"No Choices"
[previous "All About Feelings"]

[/\]
Setting: ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32221.0915

Over the many days he had spent with her, at least before he was kicked out of her private life without any warning or explanation, he had become verse in identifying the emotions she felt simply by looking at her face and posture. The color-changing hair helped quite a bit, but while on duty, Ya'Han made sure to control this visual indicator as best she could. That was one of the reasons why Jayson had taken the time to study the various telltale signs that the Chief of Security could not hide or control when feeling a certain way.

When she was happy, the corner of her lips always twitched, as if Ya'Han had subconsciously wanted to smile but knew that this had not been the place or time to do so.  If she were sad for one reason or another, she would press her lips together as if holding back tears, not that he had ever seen her cry.  When troubled or worried, the Chief of Security had a habit of biting her lower lip, not much, but enough to be noticed if you knew what to look for. When she was angry, and her hair had not gone full red, that emotion could be identified on the Nylaan woman by simply looking at her eyes and perfectly straight body posture. That was when you knew to avoid her, as she looked ready for a fight to end all fights.

After her chat with Shar'El, a discussion that he had not heard a word of, Ya'Han had not appeared happy, sad, troubled, worried or even angry. The only emotion Jayson could associate to the way she appeared was the rarest emotion for the Chief of Security to display, and the hardest one to identify. The unfocused stare, the barely visible twitching fingers and the slightly more shallow breathing could only mean one thing; she was scarred. What could the two women have said to one another to lead to this?

"Lieutenant?" The First Officer asked, actually having come up to the Operations' station without Jayson seeing or hearing her.

"Sorry Commander," he quickly apologised. "My mind was elsewhere."

"Your mind, as well as your attention need to be on this mission and nothing else," the First Officer sternly said, taking the OPS Officer off guard. However scared Ya'Hay might have been, Shar'El had been 10x angrier, and the fact that he had been distracted would insure that he would not feel part of that now. "I know that Commander aya and Counselor Dima are working on the social aspects of the Zobral, it might be useful to have a technical overview of the race as well, especially surrounding this Grand Maestro. What kind of obstacles can we expect in trying to contact him or even reaching the surface. What kind of defences might we encounter? Let us face it, this eccentric collector has an entire island continent to call his. It would be nice to know what we can expect."

"Of course Commander," Jayson said, considering himself lucky to have made it through with nothing more than a standard research on a single individual and his properties, as extensive as they may be. "I will have a report ready for you by the end of the day."

The Commander said nothing more, only glancing quickly in the direction of the Chief of Security before staring straight into the soul of the OPS Officer. For a moment, Jayson wondered if maybe the telepathic woman had been scanning his memories to figure out something about Ya'Han, unfortunately for her, he likely knew less about any of this than anyone else on board the ANUBIS.

[/\]
Setting: ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32221.1100

He cared for her, there was no denying that, and he wanted nothing more than to be able to reach out and comfort her. The fear he had earlier seen had vanished from sight, but he could tell that it was still there, gnawing away at her from the inside. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it.

Ya'Han had made it clear that she wanted her space from him, that whatever the reason was, it was something bad enough that she did not want to have to deal with him as well. That might have been a hard pill to swallow, but it was something that Jayson had started to accept. If they would even have a chance to get back together, it would have to be on her terms. Anything else would doom him to endure this solitude permanently.

On the other side of this story was Shar'El who had come across as meaning business, more so then she had ever did before. That alone had been enough to almost explain the fear that he saw in the Chief of Security. As nice as the First Officer / Intel Operative could be at times, the woman was a terrifying person when you took a moment to consider who and what she was.  Being the First Officer of the USS ANUBIS was intimidating enough, but to have her perform the additional duties of an Intel Liaison Officer elevated her to a completely different level. When she looked at you, one could never be certain if whether she was doing so as the ExO or as the ILO, and being a Ullian who could scan your most private memories didn't help matters any.  To say that no secrets were safe from her was an understatement, so it was with a small amount of relief that the crew was glad that she was on their side.

In order to avoid summoning the wrath of the First Officer upon him, Jayson focussed all of his attention onto his research. Although Ya'Han had been right there, he needed to distance himself for both of their good.

Thanks to the Zobral being a member of the Federation, accessing the information had been relatively easy. What had been the problem was that there was not a great deal of useful data in regards to this Grand Maestro and his island continent. According to official records, the continent was originally part of a disputed are between three major planetary political powers. Over the decades that followed, ownership of the landmass shifted from one power to another.

According to those same records, all who had been fighting over it suddenly abandoned the island, as if something terrible had happened leaving the land open for claims. Within a few days, the entire land mass was purchased at a ridiculously low price by an anonymous individual whom the OPS Officer could only guess had been the same person who currently held the title of Grand Maestro. Since no other names appeared on any files in relation to the island continent's ownership, it seemed to be a logical conclusion to make.

That is where things started to get weird as Jayson pressed on with his research. With the island continent under the undisputed control of a single individual, the entire landmass was made inaccessible to everyone else, visitors requiring special permission to even be in orbit over it. Whoever this Grand Maestro was, he certain appeared to enjoy his privacy.  Of course, this also meant that getting specific information on him was proving to be quite the challenge, everything having been secured or classified. In some cases, the information had been so vague that it might as well have been classified for all the good it did.

Frustrated with another dead-end search, Jayson dared to raise his eyes for a brief moment, glancing at the Nylaan who still appeared as he had last seen her two hours ago. Seeing her this way was breaking his heart, but to say or do anything about it might shatter whatever she had left intact of his feelings. As much as he hated it, he had no other choice but to wait and be patient. At least the work he had been assigned should keep him busy enough over the rest of the day to avoid him fighting with himself over this.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P038: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 04 - 1330 ("Hurry Up and Wait")
"Hurry Up and Wait"
previous post was "No Choices"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 22, Main Engineering
Stardate: 32221.1330

The redhead Engineer watched the heart of the ship as it beat. With the ANUBIS trying to break every speed record ever recorded, the warp core was pulsating at a dizzying rate, enough to have the Chief Engineer actually be concerned.

"You can do it girl," Sonja lovingly whispered as she gently caressed the edge of the nearest warp control station. "Don't mind the big bad man sitting on the bridge. I know you can do this."

=/\= Bridge to Main Engineering, =/\= the voice of the Captain was heard echoing through the room.

"Speaking of the devil," the Chief Engineer muttered to herself before reaching for her communicator to open the channel. "Go ahead Captain."

=/\= Ensign Tanith is reporting some speed fluctuations and Lieutenant Stark mentioned that the sensors have reported some sort of vibration from the main deflector dish. =/\= The report from the Captain had not been news to the Chief Engineer, in fact the list of *issues* had been much longer than the one he had called her for. Sonja had not been ready to admit that *her* ship had not been capable of performing to the limit and beyond those given by the man sitting in command on Deck 1, so the redhead remained calm keeping her thoughts in check, at least for the most part.

"We are pushing the transwarp drive to an extent that we have never even come close to," the redhead pointed out with a sigh. What did he expect? Those limits were so named for a reason, and going beyond them was sure to cause some problems. The engineer team had managed to address the majority of the problems before they would show up on one of the bridge's displays or be felt by someone like the FCO, but there was just so much they could do.  "The speed fluctuations are due to the deflector dish vibrations, we are having a few problems maintaining the integrity of the conduit. Maybe if we dropped out of transwarp for an hour or so, we could get the systems back to normal."

=/\= Can the work be performed while we are at transwarp speed? =/\=

Sonja slouched forward in despair as she closed her eyes. What did he think the engineering team had been doing for the last three hours or so?  "We can patch up some of the problems but the vibrations of the main deflector will require a full realignment, which can only be done while we are not rushing through space as if trying to outrun the devil himself."

=/\= I would like us to reach ZOBRA PRIME before whoever else is after those crystals, =/\= the Captain explained. =/\= We made that mistake once which lead to the SPHINX being attacked. I would like to avoid a similar situation occurring again. I am not sure how they are managing to keep up with us without knowing what the crystals hold, but we have to take control of this situation and get ahead of them. =/\=

"We will do what we can Captain," Sonja offered as she recalled one of her engineering professors back at the Academy claiming that starship Captains always asked for the impossible and it was the job of the Chief Engineer to make that impossible a reality.  "Engineering out."

"Should I stop hiding the warp core instabilities from the bridge consoles?" ANI asked, the Avatar had doing this as per the redhead's request. "Maybe that would convince him to allow the ship to return to normal space so that the engineering staff can perform the required repairs and realignment."

"Nooo," Sonja replied, elongating the sound for emphasis. "If anyone on the bridge sees this, it will be my fault that we had to drop out of transwarp speed and I am not ready to accept having the blame for us not getting to ZOBRA PRIME as quickly as we could fall on my shoulders or on anyone in this department. Keep the bridge from seeing what we are dealing with here; I will go take care of the main deflector dish myself. Maybe I could reinforce the structural integrity field with an inverse sonic vibration to offset the one detected by the bridge."

"But that would not solve the problem of the fluctuating speed we are experiencing and which Ensign Tanith detected," the Avatar explained.

"I know that," Sonja snapped back. "I can always blame some unseen and undetected field variation in the transwarp conduit for the shifting speed. At least that way, and without the instruments on the bridge showing all of the error messages we have been dealing with, it will be the Captain's fault if we return to normal space causing us to not reach ZOBRA PRIME within the timeframe set."

"I am unable to understand the different in what you are explaining," ANI pointed out. As great as her programing was, the reality was still that she was a machine, an extension of the ship, an artificial entity that struggled on a daily basis to understand the finer subtleties of human emotions and behaviours.

"I force us to return to normal space is bad. The Captain telling us to return to normal space is good. It's really not all that difficult," the Chief Engineer explained before grabbing the nearest engineering repair kit and making her way to Deck 24 where the Navigational Main Deflector Control Room was located.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 1, Bridge
Stardate: 32221.1930

To say that the last six hours had been hell would have been beyond an understatement. From the vibration in the main deflector dish, the Chief Engineer had been forced to deal with a coolant leak in engineering; a unexpected misalignment of the coils in the starboard nacelle caused by the fluctuating transwarp speed; a power failure in the waste management system of the ship as well as a power surge in the secondary computer processor. This last issue from the computer sub-processor, which was dedicated for the IGC, had caused the department to deal with a tidal wave of false data to display on their consoles. By the looks of things, Shar'El had accepted the excuse given by the Chief Engineer, but there was something in the First Officer's voice that hinted to her having been less than pleased.

Arriving at ZOBRA PRIME could not have happened soon enough, but at least the Chief Engineer had been happy that the ordeal had finally been done and over with. Not only had they arrived, but also they had done so in one piece, well mostly.

"Well done Lieutenant," the Captain said, greeting the redhead who had just walked onto the bridge. "You look like you had a rough time down there, but you did it."

"What he means is that you look like hell," the Chief of Operations whispered to the Chief Engineer. Jayson had not wanted to miss such a golden opportunity to strike back at the woman who had taken more than her fair share of shots at him since his relationship with Ya'Han had begun. The fact that Sonja had enjoyed that pastime even more since the relationship had been put on hold had only made the revenge that much sweeter.

The redhead glared at the man with an intensity that threatened to rip right through him. Had she not been so exhausted, there was no doubt that the Chief Engineer would have done more than simply glare at him.

"Helm, set up in a geosynchronous orbit over the island continent belonging to this Grand Maestro," the Captain ordered. "Lieutenant Stark, open a communications channel. Lieutenant Ya'Han scan the surface and report on anything that might prove to be a potential problem to us."

"Captain, there is an energy field surrounding the *entire* continent," Jayson reported. "The power is nearly off the chart making it impossible to send any sort of transmission to the continent."

"Sensors are also unable to penetrate this field," Ya'Han added. "Our scans are being deflected back to the upper atmosphere."

"Now I understand why we had such a hard time gathering information on this individual," Shar'El joined in with, not sounding in the least bit impressed. "The Grand Maestro is said to enjoy his privacy, but I never expected that it would go to this extent."

"Sensors cannot reach beyond the field, but with a few modifications we should be able to scan the energy barrier itself," the Chief of Operations reported as he made the modifications in questions. "Based on these readings, the generated field is as powerful as that of a space station, and it seems to have several added subharmonics resonances covering pretty much all of the known spectrum. I don't even think that a telepath would be able to scan beyond that shield."

"Well isn't that just a wee bit excessive," Sonja noted aloud in her Scottish accent.

"So how do we get in to negotiate for the crystal?" Ya'Han asked, not sure what they would be able to do, the power readouts of that shield making it evident that it would easily counter an attack from a starship, even one as powerful as the ANUBIS.

"I guess there is little else for us to do but to wait and hope that our presence will cause someone down there to reach out to us.

After having nearly killed themselves getting here as fast as they could, the crew of the ANUBIS found themselves stuck, having to wait for the Grand Maestro or some else on that island continent to acknowledge their presence and make contact.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P039: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 04 - 2200 ("Patience")
##########
"Patience"
Previous post "Hurry Up and Wait"
##########

"To a trained warrior, there is scarcely a more potent weapon than patience."
- Gideon Jura

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 32221.2200

The Native American had returned to his Ready Room to take care of a few matters concerning his ship, but mostly because he had wished to spare his officers the unpleasantness of his pacing about the bridge as they waited as patiently as they could. Erik had thought that someone would have noted their presence over the island continent by now and made contact, but that had not been the case. Even after contacting the planetary authorities and informing them of their intention and need to speak to the individual only known as the Grand Maestro, the Captain was notified that the Zobral eccentric never responded to requests for communication. The man it seemed always initiated any type of exchange, and that was when he felt ready or inclined in doing so.

Every effort to contact the surface had been made, but as expected following the reports from the planetary authorities, nothing had worked. Either their attempts had simply failed thanks to the impenetrable energy barrier surrounding the continent or whoever was there had ignored the ship in orbit over them. In either case, the results were the same, the ANUBIS and its crew would have to wait and be contacted by the individual they sought.

Maybe this had been some sort of show of power, a way to set the tone between the owner of the island continent and the outside world. What it did do was to test the patience and resolve of those wishing to speak to this unconventional character, and after over an hour of waiting, everyone's patience had been put to the test.

When the door chime announced someone at his door, the Native American smiled with hope, thinking that something had changed and that someone had finally decided to acknowledge the presence of the ship and its crew. The moment Nicole appeared in the doorway, the expression on Erik's face flickered for a split second, but as short lived as the disappointment was, the Counsellor had been more than experienced to recognize the shift for what it was.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Dima offered in a serious tone while still managing to add a grin as she walked in to allow the doors to slide close behind her. "It was not my intent to cause you any sort of dissatisfaction."

The Native American Captain knew that this had been a ploy by the Trill Counsellor to have him open up and discuss what was on his mind, and in all honesty, he had been more than willing to indulge.  "It is I who should apologise for my reaction. Getting here as fast as we could only to be made to wait is proving to be far more frustrating than I had expected it to be."

"It does seem that lady luck has taken her leave from us, at least for the time being," Nicole said as she made her way to the couch. Although she had not been told to do so, the Counsellor knew that she had a standing invitation and that the Captain had always been more than happy to have her counsel, no matter what the situation was.

"Honestly, I doubt that luck would help us in this case," Erik unemotionally noted. "Even the planetary authorities of ZOBRA PRIME seem to know very little on this Grand Maestro and are just as powerless to contact him as we are. For someone as active as the records show him to be, the man is a near complete mystery outside of his business dealings and transactions."

"The man has obviously gathered a deal great of wealth and power," Nicole pointed out. "In doing so there is also the possibility that he drew upon himself the disapproval and maybe even hatred of others. One only needs to look at the defensive system in place to protect the island continent to see that. His being a very private individual might be a side effect of his being where he is today.  Based on all that, it is not entirely unexpected to find out that the Grand Maestro is on the upper rung of the eccentric ladder."

"To be honest, that is something that also concerns me quite a bit," the Captain voiced from behind his desk. "Being rich, powerful and eccentric, the man may not be overly willing to part with the crystal entrusted to him by Professor Arken. As a collectible, the crystal is only 1 of 8, making it exceptionally rare and possibly very valuable, especially to someone trying to complete the set."

"I would not worry about the others who are also after the crystal getting this one before us," Nicole reassured. "When those in charge of this world are unable to reach the Grand Maestro, I doubt that anyone else would be able to get to him, especially with us as an imposing presence in orbit over the continent. It is more likely that they will try to do as they have done before, which is to let us get the crystal and try to take it at that point."

"Point taken," the Native American agreed. "So it's going to be a challenge getting down there as well as coming back up. That is not counting on the difficulties we may be faced with in trying to obtain the crystal."

"If he is as much of a collector as the limited data we have on him indicates, all we need to do is to offer him something that is more valuable as a collectable," the Trill Counsellor casually noted as if the entire matter had been as simple as stated. "Now, if you have a moment, there is something else that I would like to bring to your attention."

"Go ahead," Erik offered, giving Nicole his complete attention while welcoming the opportunity to focus his thoughts on something other than the Grand Maestro and the game of patience that had forced upon them.

"Normally I take care of inter personnel issues and coordinate with Commander Shar'El when there is a need to do so," the Counsellor explained.

"More issues between Ya'Han and Jayson?" The Captain inquired with a chuckle, their rollercoaster relationship having been anything but secret or private.

"Actually, it seems to have evolved to include Shar'El herself," the Counsellor explained. "I received a few reports showing that the two had a disagreement on the bridge and that since then our First Officer has been more distant and cold when dealing with other members of the crew."

"Shar'El *more* distant and cold?" Erik half grinned. The woman had grown quite a bit from the dark ILO he had welcomed on board the ANUBIS to become a much friendlier First Officer, but still the shadows of her past still lingered on. As much as this darkness made her the dedicated and skilled Intelligence Operative that their mission profile required her to be, her dual role as the ANUBIS' ExO also required her to keep such coldness out of her dealings with the rest of the crew.  "I'll have a talk with her."

"Good luck," Nicole said, adding a playful grin suspecting that the discussion would be an interesting one, but still one that needed to happen to avoid something simple to grow into an issue that would not only affect a few members of the senior staff but the crew as a whole.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32221.2230

The Native American exited from his Ready Room and made his way directly to the station of the Chief of Security, a fact that quickly concerned the woman with the colour changing hair.

"Lieutenant, after speaking with Counselor Dima I was made to realise something," Erik began, further worrying Ya'Han who had been sure that his conversation with Nicole had been about her conflict with Jayson and more recently Shar'El. "We may have to deal with those who are also after the crystals once we manage to secure this one. I would like to see the ANUBIS at its highest battle readiness. We have been caught off-guard too many times for my liking and want to avoid a repeat of what happened to the SPHINX."

"I will make sure that no one gets even close with the idea of getting in our way," Ya'Han quickly stated, glad to have not been on the receiving end of her Captain's displeasure with her performance as Chief of Security.

"Good," Erik smiled before turning to the Chief of Operations. "Is Commander Shar'El in the IGC?"

"Yes Captain," Jayson promptly replied.

"Have Commander Maya report to the Bridge," the Native American ordered. "She will be in charge. I'm heading up to the IGC, if there is a problem or the Grand Maestro decides to look up and see that we are actually here waiting for him, you know where I'll be."

Stunned by the announcement, the members of the senior staff who had been on the bridge watched in silence as the Captain headed up to the IGC, something that he rarely did.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P040: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 04 - 2245 ("Headache")
=-=
"Headache"
[previous post was "Patience" by our one and only lead writer Francois]
=-=

Setting: ANUBIS, Deck A-4, IGC
Stardate: 32221.2245

Since their arrival in orbit of ZOBRA PRIME, Shar'El and the rest of the IGC had been turning the planet's databases inside-out in search of information about the man only known as the Grand Maestro, but aside from a long list of transactions and deals, the man was a complete mystery. Nothing about him, about his appearance, or even about his general likes and dislikes was known. The list of open and public trades he had been involved with covered every possible area, from rare experimental medical devices deems too hazardous to be used to the most unique and rare of items. It seemed that nothing was outside of the man's sphere of interest.

As an individual, the man was an extreme recluse who held onto his privacy with every cell in his body, that is if he even had a body. Without any medical files attached to his preferred alternate identity, there was no way to even confirm that he was Zobral. The Grand Maestro had gone through a great deal of effort to be only known for his name and deals, and by the looks of things he had more than succeeded in that aspect.

The man had been an enigma long before taking possession of the island continent he now called home. He had come out of nowhere to scoop up this prime real estate deal, a style that he had employed on several previous occasions to secure the rights of some truly remarkable artifacts and collectible. The full extent of his wealth and possession had been unknown, but given the extent with which he had gone to protect the content he resided on, it was easy to imagine that the reality of his belonging went far beyond the list that had been pieced together by the ExO / ILO and her team.

"Commander," one of the IGC Techs called out. "The Captain is on his way here."

The relationship between Erik and Shar'El had been a good one, the CO and ExO having reached a very effective work dynamic. It was rare that the Captain would inquire about decisions made by the First Officer, and in turn she made sure to consider his point of view of the cosmos in everything she did. So to have him coming up to the IGC had been an unexpected turn of event, one that normally would not have been an issue. Unfortunately, today was not a normal day for the raven-haired woman.

"Captain Morningstar," Shar'El said as she welcomed the man into her domain. "What can we do for you? If you are here wondering about what we have been able to discover on the Grand Maestro, I am sorry to say that we have little more than what my earlier report contained. The man is more secretive than the Tal'Shiar and just as good in behind the scenes dealing as the Orion Syndicate. I might even start looking into the list of known operatives for both organizations to see if there are any mention of this Grand Maestro."

"Shar'El," the Captain said, his almost whispered voice indicating that he had wanted to say something meant for the ExO / ILO alone. "I'm here t talk to you about something else."

The raven-haired woman turned to look at her Captain and instantly saw the man's most recent memory involving a discussion with the ANUBIS' Ship's Counsellor, Nicole Dima. "The technicians of the IGC are sworn to the highest level of confidentiality in regards to personal matters they encounter on board the ANUBIS. I trust them all implicitly and would prove myself to be a hypocrite if I withdrew myself from their presence for any reason."

The Captain nodded his understanding, respecting the woman's integrity and beliefs. "What's going on between you and Ya'Han? I know that you two are friends and that she is having some issues with Jayson, but to hear that you had an open disagreement with her while on the bridge is troubling. To be informed that this has made you to be less than the First Officer I have come to admire is honestly bothering me more, hence why I am here. What's going on?"

The ExO / ILO met the Captain's eyes with her own for several seconds. As his First Officer she needed to be honest and truthful, but as a friend to Ya'Han Shar'El found herself conflicted in what she could and should reveal, not that she had as much as she wanted to say. As an ILO, that bothered her just as much as the conflict that had erupted between the Chief of Security and her had troubled the Captain.

"I have been trying to help Ya'Han and Jayson," Shar'El began with, thinking it best to stick to the truth as much as she could while not making the situation worst for anyone involved. "Something has been troubling her, enough that she completely distanced herself from Jayson and so far the only person she has confined in about this is Sonja."

"You you trying to tell me that you are jealous of our Chief Engineer?" Erik gasped in disbelief.

"No," Shar'El quickly said setting the record straight. "I was simply setting the scene. It was only later that I was able to identify what happened, not that I am trying to justify my actions, but at least I am able to explain why."

The expression of concern on the face of the ExO / ILO made the Captain understand that this went far beyond any interpersonal friction common between two people. With a nod of his head, Erik encouraged Shar'El to continue, which she did.

"Do you remember when we arrived in orbit and Jayson reported the presence of subharmonics in the energy field protecting the continent?"

"Of course," the Captain acknowledged. "He even said that he suspected that even telepaths would be unable to breach the barrier because of them."

"He was only partially right," Shar'El clarified. "I have found myself affected by the energy field. Not through any active method, the field is not reaching out in any way, but our proximity to it has caused me to have more and more difficulties concentrating. It would be like you being next to a room with music so loud that you cannot focus on what you are supposed to. At first I thought that being here in the IGC, where the shielding is more effective, would help, which it did but not as much as i would have liked it to. There is something about those subharmonics that is affecting me and I believe that it was the cause for my unacceptable behavior with Ya'Han on the bridge."

Yes, the subharmonics had been discovered and had indeed affected the ExO / ILO, enough so as to give her a throbbing headache, but that had not been the reason for her outburst with Ya'Han. The reason had been an entirely different one, but for the time being it had been best for the Captain to believe that this had been the cause.

"Can anything be done to help?" The Captain asked, not at all liking the idea that the ExO / ILO had not been able to operate as her usual effectiveness and standards.

"Anything that could help would render me unable to perform my duties, so it is best for me to remain here and wait for this part of the mission to be over with so that we can leave," Shar'El explained.

"We could always move into a higher or different orbit," the CO offered, wanting to have his ExO / ILO back.

"I appreciate the offer, but it would place us in a position of great disadvantage," the raven-haired woman said. "With us no longer being directly over the island continent and forcing our presence to be known, both for the Grand Maestro and those also seeking to gather the crystals, our negotiating position and advantage would be lost," Shar'El countered, actually allowing her pain to be visible for a split moment. "The ANUBIS has to remain in low orbit and be as close as possible to the energy field, asserting ourselves as being the ones to be dealt with first. I will remain here in the IGC and monitor the situation but I am afraid that I will not be able to lead the away team. If this headache is only a sign of how those subharmonics will affect me, I would be unconscious long before reaching the surface."

"Are you sure?" The Captain asked more to see if there had been any other possibilities to handle the situation as it had been presented. All in all though, Erik had to admit that the situation could have been worse, and having Shar'El restricted to the IGC had not been such a bad deal.

"Fine, I will lead the away team," Captain Morningstar conceded, but before he could say more, the ExO / ILO jumped in with an argument against his decision.

"There might not be a great deal that we have been able to discover on the Grand Maestro, but we do have a few things that will prove useful," Shar'El explained. "The first is that it should be a woman to lead the team. According to all of the transaction records we were able to find and link to him, the Grand Maestro has a soft spot for exotic women. According to certain reports and accounts, he has even been known to accept trades that were clearly not in his advantage."

"Are we dealing with a Zobral or a Ferengi?" The Captain chuckled before adding a long sigh. "This is not leaving us with a great deal of choices."

"We do have a bargaining ace up our proverbial sleeve," Shar'El pointed out. "We actually have two women who many would consider to be exotic. A Shillian and a Nylaan, hopefully one of them will be able to negotiate the trade of the crystal without having us give up some distant moon rich in rare minerals."

"Think Koniki would mind if we traded NEW ALEXANDRIA for the crystal?" Erik suggested in good humor. "Who else would you recommend for the away team? I would feel better knowing that there are more than two of them down there, everyone keeping an eye on the others."

"You could send Sonja and Nicole," the ExO / ILO suggested. "Both have skills and abilities that could prove useful while the away team is on the surface, that is if we actually receive permission to be there. So far, the Grand Maestro appears not to be overly welcoming to visitors."

"You are right, but the information you have just given me has given me an idea," the Captain said. "You stay and keep an eye on everything, I will take care of getting the away team to the surface."

=-=
Setting: ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32221.2315

As the Captain returned to the bridge, he was very pleased to see Maya sitting in his chair.

"Captain," the Shillian offered as she prepared to vacate the chair, but Erik quickly cancelled that idea with a motion of his hand.

"Open a hailing frequency to the surface and introduce yourself personally," Captain Morningstar said. "The Grand Maestro needs to see that you are the one making this deal. Since the automated hails are not working, and with what Shar'El said, I now believe that a more direct and personal approach will be successful."

"Captain," Jayson began, an expression of puzzlement now in his face. "We are not even sure that our communication attempt are reaching the surface."

"As eccentric and reclusive as this man is, I strongly doubt that he is the type to not have more than one way to listen in on what is going on around him," the Captain countered. "When you are ready Commander," Erik added as he gave the go ahead to the Chief Science Officer while removing himself from the central part of the bridge so that he would not be seen should a channel be opened.

"This is Commander Maya of the USS ANUBIS. We are here to negotiate for the trade for the trade of an item that we know is in your possession."

The silence that followed seemed to indicate that the latest effort had met with the same result as all previous one. That was until a strange booming voice suddenly filled the bridge.

=/\= An interesting proposition, =/\= a distinctly male voice said, the volume used having likely been amplified to insure that those on this side of the conversation knew that he was still the one in charge. =/\= To be honest I have had dealings with Trills before, are you joined? =/\=

"We are transmitting both audio and video but we are only receiving an audio reply," Jayson reported in a whispered voice meant to the Captain who acknowledged with a nod of his head followed by a quick movement of his hand instructing the Counsellor to step forward. After a second or two of hesitation, the Trill woman did as ordered this even without knowing what the plan had been all about. "No, I am a joined Trill. My name of Nicole Dima."

=/\= Dima? I am not familiar with that symbiotic, but if you are a Trill, to what species does the other lady standing by your side belong to? =/\=

Hesitant to reveal her true lineage, Maya glanced at the captain who nodded his head in silence. This was the ace he believed they needed to use in order to secure their ability to reach the surface and carry out the trade for the crystal.

"I am Shillian," Maya stated. "The last of my kind."

Again a lengthy silence spread, leaving some to wonder if this admission had not actually been a hindrance to their efforts. Like before though, the pause was followed by a booming voice, this time showing a much greater level of interest. =/\= You may take one of your shuttles down to the surface. The protective energy done will be opened long enough for you to pass through. =/\=

With some rapid and fancy motions of his hands, the Captain instructed his Chief of Security to jump in on the conversation in order to have herself and their CEO be also included in the away team.

"Grand Maestro, my name is Ya'Han. I would like your permission for myself and one other whose name is Sonja Paquette to be permitted to accompany Maya and Nicole to the surface."

=/\= What species are you? I do not recognise your features. =/\= The man inquired, clearly more interested in the Chief of Security than the other woman mentioned by her.

As before, the Captain motioned for his officer to reveal her true lineage, his reaction to Maya's announcement almost insuring that he would be more than happy to hear what the woman with the black and red hair would say.

"I am Nylaan."

=/\= Nylaan? I was not aware that a Nylaan had made it out of Ferengi controled space, let alone into Starfleet. This must be my lucky day, =/\= the voice seemed more than thrilled. =/\= By all means come and visit me, I am most anxious to meeting you all. =/\=

"The channel has been closed," Jayson reported, not entirely certain as to what had just happened.

"Well, that worked," Nicole pointed out in surprise. "Maybe we should open up like that from now on?" The Counsellor added, trying to break the general dazed mood that had taken over the command deck.

"I just hope that this is not his regular voice," Tanith offered from the Flight Control station. "I think I am starting to develop a headache. Aside from being loud, that voice was actually quite annoying."

"Just wait," Ya'Han quietly sighed. "I have the feeling that those of us heading to the surface might all end up with a lot worse than headaches by the time this *trade* is done and over with."

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P041: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 04 - 2345 ("Not as Planned")
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"Not as Planned"
[previous post was "Headache"]
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Setting: Runabout ISIS, Forward section
Stardate: 32221.2345

One moment the Sec/Tac had been on the bridge, scanning the Zobral system for any ship that might prove hostile. The Captain had made it perfectly clear that he did not want anything to happen once the away team obtained the crystal and were making their way back to the ship. Ya'Han understood that he wanted to no longer be on the defensive, and she agreed wholeheartedly.

Suddenly, the Nylaan found herself to be part of said away team, on board the ISIS heading for the surface along with Commander Maya, Lieutenant Paquette and Counsellor Dima. The sequence of event that had led to this had happened so fast that the Sec/Tac still tried to get a grip of it all. From waiting patiently for the silence from the surface to end, they had all of a sudden made contact and immediately afterwards jumped into the runabout. Within minutes, the craft had left the ANUBIS and was heading straight for the energy field protecting the continent that was home to the Grand Maestro.

As they were making their way to the planet surface, the Sec/Tac could not help but think back as to the way she had been dragged into this story. To enjoy or even seek out exotic items for a collection had been one thing, but to react the way the Grand Maestro had upon learning that a Shillian and Nylaan had been wanting to see him had been an entirely different matter. What exactly had he planned to do with them? At least with Nicole and Sonja by there side, the odds of them falling to some foul play had been reduced, but that still did not answer the question of the collector's sudden interest.

"Hold on everyone," the Chief Engineer said from the co-pilot's station. The opening in the energy field is just wide enough to allow the ISIS to make it through, but we are going to be passing close enough to feel our fair share of turbulence."

"You would think that he would have opened the door a little wider knowing that a Shillian and a Nylaan were heading his way," Ya'Han stated, unceremoniously making sure that she was properly secured in her chair. In the condition that she had found herself to be in, the Sec/Tac could not afford to take any risks with her safety as well as that of the child growing within her.

"As eager as he may be to seeing you and Maya," Nicole said, presenting her theory to the rest of the away team. "My guess is that he is more concerned about protecting his privacy. The allure of meeting a couple of women belonging to races he would not have normally been able to see was enough to have him open the door, but his fears are still very much there. We will need to keep that in mind once we reach the surface as we all know how powerful fears can be."

"Just something else for us to keep an eye open for," Ya'Han said with a sigh, liking this less and less with each moment that passed. The mission objective had been to seek out and collect all eight crystals, but so far, this one had been her least favorite for no other reason that she had been singled out for being Nylaan.

"Everything will be alright," Nicole reassured, having noticed an expression of concern on the face of the Sec/Tac. "With your combat skills, Maya's shapeshifting and Sonja's ingenuity, I really don't think we have anything to worry about.  In fact, I feel like the outsider in this group."

"Having several lifetime's worth of knowledge and experiences should not be so easily dismissed Commander," Sec/Tac offered, surprised by the words of the Ship's Counsellor. Why had she downplayed her own value and importance on this mission?  Then, after a few seconds, it dawned onto the Nylaan; the Trill had wanted Ya'Han to realize the full extent of their collective strengths and resources. With everything they knew and could do together, it was the Grand Maestro who should have been concerned, and not them.

The smile that appeared on Ya'Han's face indicated to Nicole that her trick had been discovered, but it had still managed to achieve its intended goal.

The discussion between the Counsellor and Sec/Tac was put on hold as the runabout began to shake even more than it had before, the ISIS making its way through the narrow opening of the energy field protecting the island continent and the man residing there.

"Ya'Han, we are through that blasted energy shield, see if the tactical sensors can pick up anything worth while," Sonja suggested, the Engineer appearing more than busy in keeping the runabout on a controlled approach this despite the turbulences caused by the energy barrier they had just made their way through.

"We are receiving a set of landing coordinates," Nicole announced, the Counsellor having been put in charge of the communications station. "There is also a very detailed flight path that I am guessing we are meant to follow."

"I would suggest that we do just that," Ya'Han quickly added. "Tactical sensors are picking up several high energy guns locking in on us. Passing through the energy field polarized the hull and is making it impossible for us to raise shield, and judging by the power output of the defence batteries, there is more than enough firepower down there to blow us clear out of the sky."

"Not exactly the warm welcome you two were expecting I wager," Sonja said as she glanced at Maya and Ya'Han, taking a few extra seconds to point out to the Sec/Tac that she had been holding onto her belly as if trying to protect it from whatever hell they were about to go through.

Ya'Han quickly removed her hands from where they had been; not having realized that she had instinctively protected her child the moment the ISIS had passed through the heavy turbulences.  The Sec/Tac understood the power of a mother's instinct to protect their child, but she had never expected that she would display such behavior, then again, she had never been in such a situation before nor had she ever been as a child in a predicament that required her to be protected by her mother.

As a daughter of the High Sovereign, Ya'Han had been protected from all outside dangers thanks to the imposing walls that surrounded her while she was in the palace.  The countless guards when they ventured beyond those walls provided the same protection, insuring that noting got close to any of them.

Her child would experience an entirely different early childhood, one that stood in complete contrast to he one the exiled Nylaan experienced. As great as the differenced were though, the black and red haired woman could not find it in her to be disappointed, in fact, she found herself looking forward to giving the child in her the childhood she had never been permitted to have.

Of course, long before being able to do this, the Sec/Tac needed to focus on the immediate requirements of their current mission. The away team needed to confront this mysterious and eccentric Grand Maestro in order to secure the 4th of 8 crystals. A task that Ya'Han silently believed would be far more difficult than she had just made is sound to be.

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P042: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 05 - 0030 ("A Bad Joke")
"A Bad Joke"
previous post was "Not As Planned"

=====
Setting: Runabout ISIS, Forward Section
Stardate: 32222.0030

A Shillian, Nylaan, Trill and Terran woman rush into a runabout and take off.

As much as it might have sounded like a joke, this had been the reality of their situation, at least it was as of half an hour ago. Now, the joke would have started with a slightly different line.

A Shillian, Nylaan, Trill and Terran woman land their runabout on a heavily guarded platform.

No doubts about it, this was the making of a joke, a very bad one.

Slowly, cautiously, the away team comprised of Commander Maya, Lieutenant Ya'Han, Counsellor Dima and Lieutenant Paquette exited the runabout to set foot onto the landing platform. A cool breeze welcomed them onto the foreign soil, making them forget for a brief moment that they were now beneath an energy dome that for all intents and purposes isolated them completely from the ANUBIS.

"Based on the way this Grand Maestro reacted upon hearing that we had a Shillian on board, I was half expecting there to be a fanfare to greet us," Sonja said as she look around the landing platform that they had been directed to. "At the very least there should have been a red carpet waiting for you," the Chief Engineer added, glancing over to Commander Maya who did not appear overly thrilled by the fuss that was being made about her and her race.

"I think we can add severe paranoia to the list of descriptors for our host," the Chief of Security added, pointing to the high power energy weapons currently aimed at the runabout. Although they were relatively far away, Ya'Han suspected that they possessed more than enough firepower to turn the runabout into scrap metal, leaving only dust as a proof of the away team having been here.

Nicole nodded in agreement, the psychological profile of the man who had permitted them to come becoming more complete and complex, not to mention disturbing.  "We need to be careful," the Counsellor quietly offered. "It might be in everyone's best interest to avoid upsetting this man."

"Way ahead of you there Counsellor," Sonja chuckled dryly. "I have not met this guy but I can already tell you that he is the type that I would not turn my back to. I would not be surprised to find that he is going to meet us behind a bullet-proof pane of energy-resistant transparent aluminum."

"The continent is huge," Maya pointed out as she too looked around to see what appeared to be an endless land mass. "I find it hard to believe that this Grand Maestro would be the only one living here. As eccentric and a recluse as he may be, it would be impossible for him alone to manage this entire continent. Maybe he does want to be alone with his belongings, but the requirements in maintenance alone make that unrealistic. Based on that alone there has to be more people than him here."

"There are," an unexpected presence announced, a distinct tone of reverence in his voice. "Although every building is maintained by robots, there are workers entrusted with the supervision and protection of everything on this continent. Now, if you would be so kind as to follow me, the Maestro is waiting to meet for you in the audience chamber."

"It might not have been the fanfare I was expecting or even hoping for, but it will have to do," Sonja sighed in mocked frustration as she followed the oddly dressed muscular man as he led his master's guests into the nearest structure.

=====
Setting: ZOBRA PRIME, Maestro's Island Continent, Primary Public Building, Welcoming Area
Stardate: 32222.0100

A Shillian, Nylaan, Trill and Terran woman walk into a strange building.

It was easy to see that Maya was fascinated by everything that surrounded them. Ever the true scientist, she took in and analysed everything that her eyes fell upon. Ya'Han, being the Chief of Security, had made a point to look around every corner they came across, as if expecting something to jump out at them. Nicole, on her end, was interested in the style of the building and its corridors, hinting to the Grand Maestro being someone with more refine tastes. As for Sonja, she had been content to keep her eyes on their escort, the medievalesque white shirt he wore not in the least hiding the rippling pectorals the Herculean man displayed without a second thought.

"I would love to see some of the robots you mentioned earlier," Maya requested, again the Shillian proving that she was a scientist first and above all else.

"You will have the opportunity to see some of them at work," the man explained as they moved into another room, this one as large as a grand hall surrounded by imposing windows . "If you will look over there," he stated pointing to his right, "you will see a group of maintenance robots taking care of the eastern rampart which werr slightly damaged during a recent land-quake."

Everyone had been quick to follow the man's direction although the redhead Engineer found herself returning her attention back to the man rather quickly, or more specifically to his arm. "I think I am feeling some aftershocks of that quake as we speak," she muttered to herself prompting Ya'Han to gently elbow her friend.

As they arrived at the other end of the immense room, the away team was greeted by two more men, these ones dressed in far more militaristic attire, which to Sonja's not entirely silent delight still allowed for their impressive physique to be observed. With a nod of his head, their escort gave the two guards the all clear, causing them to step aside to allow the visitors to enter into the next room.

"This is the main audience chambers, the Maestro is waiting for you at the end," he stated, inviting the four women to step in.

"You will not be accompanying us?" The redhead asked, trying her best to hide her disappointment.

"Remember why we are here," Ya'Han whispered as she pulled on her friend's hand so that she would follow the others who had already stepped in.

=====
Setting: ZOBRA PRIME, Maestro's Island Continent, Primary Public Building, Audience Chamber
Stardate: 32222.0115

A Shillian, Nylaan, Trill and Terran woman walk down a long elegantly decorated corridor.

This would be where the punchline of this joke would certainly happen. As they made their way further down the corridor, everyone found themselves enthralled by the various pieces of art that were discovered in the protected alcoves lining the two walls.

"The Grand Maestro likes things on a large scale," Nicole pointed out, the corridor they were in easily measuring several times the size of any of the ANUBIS' shuttle bays. "It is odd that someone who is such a recluse appears to enjoy displaying such exuberance."

"Maybe he is not as much a recluse as we were led to believe," Ya'Han countered, the eyes of the Chief of Security still darting from location to location as if trying to locate something that could be considered as a threat to them.

"Possibly," Nicole agreed. "People who display their possessions and wealth in such a matter are usually doing so to impress others and make it clear to them that they are of a higher status or class than those invited in."

"I do not know the reason or reasons for his wanting to make such a display," the Shillian Commander began, "but I cannot deny being impressed by the extent of the man's collection of ancient artefacts. Most, if not all of the ones here belong in museums across the Federation and beyond.

=/\= I am glad that you approve of my collection, =/\= a booming voice said, startling the away team who had not expected to hear anything given that they had not seen any signs of someone else having been present in the corridor with them. =/\= It has taken me several decades to gather the items on display in this hall. The rest of my collection has taken me a lifetime to put together and I am afraid that I may still be missing some unique pieces by the time the coldness of space comes to claim by body. =/\=

With a motion of her hand, Ya'Han pointed to the end of the corridor where a set of large stairs could now be seen. Atop the dozen or so steps, a large throne-like chair could be seen, but still there was no sign of the Grand Maestro.

"If that throne is made of metal swords, I swear I'm leaving right there and then," Sonja sighed in discontent before continuing in a whispered voice. "Guess I should be glad that there are no dragons around, although there seems to be plenty of room for one," the redhead added as she looked at the distant ceiling overhead in somewhat of a panic.

"That would be highly uncomfortable," Maya pointed out as she led the away team closer, hoping that maybe they had failed to notice the Grand Maestro or that he would be joining them as soon as they arrived at the base of the elevated platform.

Sonja sighed as she shook her head. One day she would have to get the ladies all together and teach them all about some of the finer entertainment available in the early days of the 21st century.

"Grand Maestro," Maya announced as the away team reached the stairs which now appeared to be far more imposing then they had a few minutes ago. "We are here to negotiate the trade of the crystal which was placed in your care by Professor Arken."

=/\= Why in such a rush? =/\= The same booming voice inquired, the loudness and echo not giving any hints as to where the man actually was or even if he had been in the room with his guests. =/\= Surely you can spend a moment to enjoy my hospitality. I do have quite a few possessions that I am sure you would find most interesting. =/\=

"Thank you for the offer, but we are on a mission and time is of the essence," Maya explained, trying her best to be as diplomatic as possible. The Shillian shot a quick glance in the direction of the Ship's Counsellor, silently requesting her help in this particular matter.

"No disrespect is meant Grand Maestro," Nicole offered. "It is only that we are not the only ones after the crystals and it would be safer for all of us to be able to complete this trade and return to our ship with haste."

=/\= I assure you that you are as safe as can be here, =/\= the man announced, still not having displayed any signs of his physical presence. =/\= If no disrespect is intended, then you will accept my invitation. According to the internal clock in your ship, it is the early hours of the day for you, so please accept my hospitality and rest. After breakfast we can discuss the details of the trade that will allow you to leave my home with the item you so anxiously desire. Consider your accepting my invitation as a condition leading to the trade. =/\=

"See! I knew we could not trust this guy," Sonja exclaimed before finding herself in a three against one stare-down.

"Ladies," another Herculean man dressed in the same manner as their earlier escort said as he appeared from an alcove hidden in the far corner of the hallway. "If you will be so kind as to follow me, I will take you to your rooms."

"It looks like we have little choice in the matter," Maya said, inviting the other members of the away team to comply. Given their current situation, there was little else they could do, and with the knowledge that they needed the crystal to complete their mission, the four women had been forced to accept the invitation.

A Shillian, Nylaan, Trill and Terran woman are taken to rooms in order to rest, this against their wishes.

No doubts about it, this was the making of a *very* bad joke.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P043: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 05 - 0200
("This Is No Room, It's A Space Station")
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"This Is No Room, It's A Space Station"
[previous post was "A Bad Joke"]
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Setting: ZOBRA PRIME, Maestro's Island Continent, Primary Public Building, Guest Room 2
Stardate: 32222.0200

Ya'Han had been in the room for several minutes now and she had yet to move from where she stopped. It had taken a few steps for her to feel the full impact created by where she had been. As the daughter of the High Sovereign, people would have expected her to be used to being in rooms such as this one, but the fact was that she had never seen or even imagined anything like this.

The room was immense, gigantic, incredible, overwhelming, in short, it was huge. Like the previous rooms and hallways the away team had passed though, this location had been large enough to house multiple shuttles side by side and stacked one on top of another. How a single person was expected to occupy the space made available seemed an impossible task. After several more minutes, the Sec/Tac finally managed to put one foot in front of the other once again, venturing into the expanse that had been assigned to her for the remainder of what would have been the night.

Although the members of the away team had been instructed to rest, Ya'Han found it impossible to do so at this time. The fact the giant bed appeared to be quick a walking distance away, the Sec/Tac found herself studying the numerous features of the room she was in.

One wall was completely dedicated to old style hardcover books which easily numbered in the hundreds if not thousands. If the sheer number of these had not been enough to amaze, the intricate carvings that had been made into the wooden shelves and ladder had been by themselves enough to have someone stop in their tracks. Very much like she did after having entered the room.  For a moment, the Sec/Tac studied the imposing ladder, thinking that a single climb to the top would prove to be a formidable exercise in strength, endurance and height management. 

The second wall had windows that stretched from floor to high ceiling, providing an astonishing view of distant mountains reaching up to touch the sapphire sky. The scene appeared as a living tapestry capable of losing anyone within its charms and beauty. It was only after a few moment that Ya'Han realized that she had once again been rubbing her belly, this time looking at the enchanting scenery and thinking how nice it would be to raise a child in such an environment.

Forcing her thoughts back onto the task at hand, the Sec/Tac resumed her visual scan of the immense room. Ya'Han had no idea what it was that she was looking for, but the Nylaan was certain that there had to be more about this room than books, a view beyond description and a bed that appeared to be increasingly more comfortable and inviting with each step she took towards it.

Childhood memories filled her mind as she approached the bed. Although nothing in this room appeared familiar or even similar to what she had known, the Nylaan found her mind wandering back to those distant days. By the time she reached the bed, her hair had changed to display the symbol of her imperial heritage, this despite knowing that showing that particular color outside of the ANUBIS could lead to a great deal of trouble.

As she reached the bed, Ya'Han noticed a beautiful vanity, very much like the one she had always dreamt of having back when she was a child. Again, as one of the High Sovereign's children, the demands placed on them meant that they had not been permitted such luxury, not that their father could not afford it. The only indulgence she had been permitted back then was a single hairbrush that she used every day to keep her hair in the manner her station demanded. To the Nylaan's surprise, an exact copy of that brush sat on the vanity.  At first, the purple-haired woman believed it to be the same, but that possibility was quickly pushed aside as she clearly remembered having left it behind the day she ran away from the only life she had known.

Even knowing that this could not have been *her* brush, Ya'Han approached thinking of nothing else. When her hand wrapped around the handle of the item, very specific memories flooded her mind, the Nylaan remembering how it felt for her to brush her purple hair. Driven to do the same now by forces she could not understand, she sat at the vanity and reached back around her head to have her hair cascade over her shoulder in order to be able to brush it.  As she did so, thoughts of the child within her surfaced, leaving the would-be mother to hope for the first time for her child to be girl.

Away from NYLA IV, a daughter would be able to enjoy the life that had been denied to her mother, and be able to enjoy the wonders of this universe like the one that Ya'Han had been delighting in as this very moment.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: ZOBRA PRIME, Maestro's Island Continent, Primary Public Building, Unknown Room
Stardate: 32222.0220

The attention of the Grand Maestro was on eight large active screens amongst countless others in this room, four of them displaying a live feed of one of his guests. On the one focussed on the Nylaan, the camera had zoomed in onto the woman as she carefully brushed her hair, the memories she experienced at that time being displayed on a nearby screen for the observer to see and study.

The offer for his guests to get some rest had been genuine, if not somewhat misleading, allowing the host to get a better idea of who he was dealing with in this trade for a simple crystal. To the Zobral, any advantage had been worth taking and exploiting, and dealing with these four women had not been any different, no matter the reason for them being here or the item they wished to have in their possession when leaving.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P044: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 05 - 0200 ("Impossible Forgotten Memories")
---
"Impossible Forgotten Memories"
(Previous Post: "This Is No Room, It's A Space Station")
---

Setting: ZOBRA PRIME, Maestro's Island Continent, Primary Public Building, Guest Room 1
Stardate: 32222.0200

The Grand Maestro had not given them a choice, not if the goal of their mission on ZOBRA PRIME was to be met. Reluctantly, all four members of the away team retreated to the individual chambers that had been assigned to them under the pretence of getting some rest.

When Maya stepped into the more than spacious room, her first thoughts were of Stellar Cartography back on board the ANUBIS, a room that shared many aspects with this particular location simply by the sheer size it occupied. Compared to her quarters back on the SCARAB-Class Intel cruiser, the room provided to her by the Grand Maestro had been worthy of a ruler of some galactic empire.

As curious as the scientist was, the Shillian wasted no time in approaching the hard-covered book-filled wall wondering as to what kind of literature the Grand Maestro had been interested in. Had the unknown individual decided to place these books here for nothing more than show or had he had an actual intellectual reason for having them here?  As Maya scanned the various titled displayed on the bindings of the books, the Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS found herself surprised by the subject matter that every book appeared to be about.

'Inside Quantum Fluctuations by the Gallamite Besail'

'A Brief History of Time by the Terran Stephen Hawking'

'Matter and Mind by the Jorelan Yenaw Grihix'

Those were but a sample of the book titles the Shillian had perused, each one appearing more impressive than the previous. Each had been written by renowned experts in their respective fields but what truly surprised the scientist was the fact that the books all gave indications of being original prints in their respective languages. The more Maya scanned the titles of the volumes on display, the more she found herself thinking of the one person who had instilled in her an admiration and love for all things relating to science.

It had taken the last daughter of SHILLIA PRIME several years to bring herself to stop thinking of the man who had taught her so much, but from that moment on she had dedicated herself to the field of science, acknowledging the memories of her father through the skills of transformation he had passed on to her. Maya had made a point to never think of him aside from that in order to avoid being distracted by a past that no longer served any purpose. She was the last of her people and the implications of that harsh reality had long ago forced the woman to keep her gaze and thoughts to the future.

Maya suddenly stopped reading the titles of the books, her eyes having locked on a particular volume, one that she had never actually seen yet knew of its existence all too well. Sonah had spoken of writing this book for as long as she could remember, this having been an ambition of her father, a goal that he had unfortunately never had the chance to complete due to the calamity that had befallen their world and civilisation. So if he had never had the chance to complete this manuscript, how could have made it here in this library along all of these other books?

The Shillian hesitated to reach out and retrieve that one book over any of the others, uncertain if she feared the possibility of the book having been some sort of forgery or it actually being the genuine article. Could her memories have been wrong? Could she have, through stress and psychological barriers meant to protect her mind and emotions, blocked the knowledge that such a legacy from her father had been out there? If this was indeed a book written by his own hand, about the unique transformation skill of their people, could she forgive herself for not having known of its existence and done everything in her power to seek it out?

The hand of the Shillian woman hovered in front of the book for several minutes, the last few centimetres separating her fingers from the leather bound covers stretching far more than the physical distance between them. Images of her childhood flashed in her mind as the gap grew ever so smaller, the memories that she now relived having been so deeply pushed back that Maya believed even Shar'El would have been incapable of reaching them.

Gently, fearing that the book might crumble as her world had so many years ago, the Shillian retrieved the volume without daring to open it. Instead the Scientist carefully studied the markings on the cover, trying to find some proof that this had been an elaborate hoax, but instead Maya found herself confirming that this appeared beyond doubt that it was the genuine article.

Taking the still unopened manuscript firmly in her hands, the Shillian made her way to the bed, ignoring everything else in the room. Without any visible chairs or tables, Maya had opted to take the book back with her at a location where she would be able to sit and properly study the content of this mystery.  Holding onto her scientific philosophy with every bit of mental resolve she possessed, Maya refused to fully accept what her hands and eyes were claiming to be true.

Sitting at the feet of the bed, the Shillian slowly ran her fingers over the title and intricate seal that had been branded into the leather cover, a common practice of her world to indicate the status of the book by displaying the family crest of the author. This had been another memory that Maya had forced to the farthest recesses of her mind, her family name having vanished along with her world on that fateful day.  Every line and markings had been as she remembered them to be further indicating that the book within her hands had been written by her father.

From distant memories long ago forgotten, the Chief Science Officer recalled a far more recent sequence of words that had been repeated many times during her Academy days by one professor of science.  **Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.**  The words had not been his own, but the quote had been one that he delighted in using to prove his point; that in the world of science one needed to keep an open mind regardless of what the evidence might indicate.

The book had been by itself a physical impossibility, the last physical remnant of a world and civilisation long gone, but so far everything she had seen pointed to that being wrong. The book was real as confirmed by the weight she felt in her hands. The engraving had indeed been Shillian as verified by the last living member of that race, and the branded family seal had indeed been that of her own family as Maya clearly recalled having seen it every day as a child on the door of their home.

As she opened the book to read the first page, the Shillian woman was shocked to find a inscription appearing to have been written by her father in his own handwriting. The dedication of the book had been to his one and only daughter whom he hoped would one day become a scientist who not only studied the stars but also travelled amongst them.

Maya closed the book and held it tightly against her chest as tears flowed from her eyes. Even if this had been some sort of skillful forgery it had been enough to undo the years of work the Shillian had done to distant herself from a world and people who no longer existed.

---
Setting: ZOBRA PRIME, Maestro's Island Continent, Primary Public Building, Unknown Room
Stardate: 32222.0230

The Ferengi who still followed the ancient ways of seeking profit had several rules pertaining to trust, and the Grand Maestro followed them all as well as several others of his own making.  'Hear all, trust nothing,' was one of his favourites, although at this precise moment it was more about the owner of this continent *seeing* all that mattered. Through his review of the most repressed memories of his guests, he had already learned a great deal. The Nylaan was more than twice whom as she had claimed to be while the Shillian had proven herself to being exactly who he had hoped her to be.

As interesting as the hidden memories of the Trill and Terran women would be, they would pale in importance to those he had already uncovered, and those memories would set the tone for his upcoming negotiations with them all.

Thinking of what he would be able to obtain in exchange, giving up the crystal seemed a small price to pay for what he would get in return.

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P045: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 05 - 0800 ("Cutting A Deal")
"Cutting A Deal"
previous post was "Impossible Forgotten Memories"

=====
Setting: ZOBRA PRIME, Maestro's Island Continent, Primary Public Building, Dinning Area
Stardate: 32222.0800

The night had been relatively short. After retreating to the rooms they had been assigned and agreeing that it had been safe enough to go their individual ways, the away team had managed under six hours of rest. That is if they had not wandered around their colossal room or spent the entire night reading books as one particular Chief Engineer had done.

Although tired, the redhead Engineer had considered the time well spent, not allowing her fatigue to show as she regrouped with the others for breakfast. She could always catch up on her sleep once they returned to the ANUBIS, but for now the redhead seemed to be riding a high created by the knowledge and expertise she had gathered over the hours spent in the technical library that had been her room.

"Good morning ladies," Sonja joyfully announced as she walked into the dining area where a sumptuous breakfast waited for them, a distinct bounce in her step.

"You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood," the Trill Counsellor pointed out from the other side of the table where she was already sitting. "Looks like you and I were the only ones to get any sort of rest," Nicole added, casting a glance in the direction of their fellow shipmates who clearly appeared exhausted.

"To be entirely honest, I didn't sleep a wink," the Engineer admitted as she pulled out a chair. "There was just too much to read about the technical specifications of the equipment found all over this continent. There was an entire line of books completely dedicated to the water reclamation and purification system which is part of the weather control system.  Even the Risians would be jealous of this place, and I am not referring to the library part either.  That said, I will admit having been more than taken aback when I found the exact same technical encyclopedia grandpa loved to show me when I was a little girls to teach me about the wonders of engineering. Sure brought back some cherished memories."

Hearing this, both Ya'Han and Maya turned to look at Sonja but neither said a word. Although very different and unique to the individual, the memories they had experienced had been of a very personal and private nature as well, hence their decision not to share at this time. Still, the mention of these memories by the Chief Engineer had not gone unnoticed by them.

"The only memories I experienced were those of my joining with the Dima symbiont," the Counsellor noted aloud. "As interesting as it was in my finding all of the known books on Trill joining, I was not overly interested by them since I had already read every single one well before I applied to Symbiosis Commission."

"I didn't pay attention to the books," the Chief of Security admitted without revealing the reason why. Although she had woken up without the brush being anywhere to he found, the black and red haired Nylaan could still feel its presence in her hand, which only partially distracted her from listening in on the ongoing conversation.

As for Maya, the Shillian remained completely silent, a state that by itself had been a rather strange yet oddly welcomed change for everyone else sitting at the table. Evidently, something had been occupying her thoughts but no one dared to ask what it was for fear of triggering a extensively long-winded and overly detailed explanation.

"We better get moving and have a bite to eat before heading back to see the Grand Maestro," Sonja suggested, reaching for a handful of pastries. "I can just imagine how our Captain and First Officer must be going bunkers right now not being able to make sure we are alright."

"Are we sure this food us safe?" Nicole asked, not entire certain that they could truly trust their host, especially given the way Maya and Ya'Han appeared to be this morning. As a Trill possessing several lifetime of experience, it had been easy for the Counsellor to recognise the signs that indicated the women had been in an entirely different reality of their own making.

"I got to read all about the multi-environment hydroponics that operate on this continent," Sonja stated sounding like a kid in a candy store. "Did you know that this entire land mass is completely self sufficient? The hydroponics make more than enough food for everyone; the solar and thermal generators pump out nearly twice the required power to maintain the energy done at its highest setting. The best part is that these are cleaner and more efficient than anything I have seen before, be them real of theoretical. Then, there is the Master Control computer that monitors and regulates everything on this continent including all of the robots and automated factories. I think ANI would be jealous if she was down here seeing that thing in charge of so many other peripherals. The Grand Maestro also built a state-of-the-art medical research facility here that would put all of Starfleet Medical to shame. This place is beyond belief," the Chief Engineer said, only now realising that she had been going on for quite some time, making herself sound like the Shillian scientist.

"That could explain your verbal exuberance as well as Maya's silence," Nicole chuckled as she shook her head. "Maybe part of your brains were switched while you two were in your rooms."

"Funny," Sonja huffed in a less than amused manner before continuing, but this time displaying far less exuberance. "The scary part is that I am pretty sure that based on what I read, the medical facility here has both the equipment and technology to make than happen."

"I believe that it is time for us to leave this room and complete our mission," the Shillian woman suddenly said as if she had not heard or paid attention to anything that had been discussed up to this point. A feeling that was clearly echoed on the facial features of the dazed Nylaan woman.

=====
Setting: ZOBRA PRIME, Maestro's Island Continent, Primary Public Building, Audience Chamber
Stardate: 32222.0830

The journey to the audience chamber proved to be just as impressive as it had been the first time, the corridors still as spacious and grandiose as they had been the last time they had seen them.

"I hope that you all were able to get some well deserved rest," a cloaked figure sitting on the throne stated. Although he had not been introduced as such, the posture and location of the man hinted that this was none other than the Grand Maestro himself.

"We did," Sonja said, not entire certain that Maya or even Ya'Han had been in a state of mind to lead this trade negotiation. "There are people back on our ship waiting for us, so can we get on with this?"

"Of course," the man agreed, sounding rather eager as compared to the last time they had spoken with him. "I can appreciate that your Captain will be worried despite my having contacted your ship to reassure him that you were all quite safe and well taken care of.  Now, let's discuss the details of this small exchange."

"We are curious as to what we can offer you in exchange for the crystal," Nicole stated, trying her best to make sure that all the proverbial cards were displayed from the get go.

"There is nothing that either you or your Engineer friend can offer me that I would find interesting," the Grand Maestro bluntly admitted. "But there is a great many things that I would love to ask for in exchange from the Nylaan and Shillian."

"I was afraid of that," Sonja muttered under her breath.

"Alas," he continued. "In this particular case, one of these previous items I would have requested is worth nothing to me as a collector because of it being tainted as it is. It is truly a shame though as it would have become one of my most cherished possessions, but I will have to make due with the other which will be my crowning achievement."

"And that would be?" Nicole and Sonja inquired in unison, Ya'Han feeling a certain sense of injured pride as well as relief understanding that the Grand Maestro had likely been referring to her unborn child as having been *tainted*, due to the fact that half of its genetic code had come from its Terran father.

"Miss Maya, I would be honoured if you accepted to stay with me here as my guest. I can assure you that your every needs will be instantly met and that you will discover a new joy and purpose in life, one that would make your father proud."

The members of the away team quickly looked at one another, uncertain if they had heard the proposition correctly. Had the Grand Maestro actually offered to trade the crystal that had been placed in his care in exchange for their Shillian Chief Science Officer?

"Are you out of your blooming, over-inflated, egotistical, sick and twisted mind?" Sonja snapped as she moved to stand in front of Maya as a display of unity and defiance.

"We cannot accept such unreasonable terms," Counsellor Dima added, joining the Chief Engineer to shield the Shillian, not that either one of them expected their gesture to make any real difference other than to show that they had all been in this together and not as separate entities.

"No," the man sighed, "I guess you would not. You cannot begrudge me trying to make this deal the best possible one of my career and life."

"Let me get closer to you and I can assure you that I will make you feel a lot more than begrudging," the redhead claimed, clearly sounding ready for a fight.

"There is no need for you to be upset," the Grand Maestro said. "The crystal is yours. It has never been my intention to hold it for any sort of ransom, after all it was entrusted in me to safeguard, not to make any sort of profit on. Still, I do consider myself to have ended up with the better end of the deal thanks to you all having been my guests. I shall cherish this for the rest of my life."

"Lonely little troll ain't he?" Sonja said, once again muttering under her breath. "Can we have the crystal now?" The Engineer added, this time voicing her demand at full volume.

"Of course," he replied as he made a motion with his hand. A few seconds after this, a small robot appeared, carrying what appeared to be a set of five delicate glass boxes. "Please accept these as thanks for your having spent some time here as my guests," he explained as the automaton came to stop right in front of the four women.

Each box appeared to be made of some sort of crystal that reflected light in such a way that a rainbow of colours was created. Four of the boxes, which contained what appeared to be computer memory chips, had been inscribed with the individual names of the members of the away team while the fifth and last one simply contained their mission objective.

"What are those?" Sonja inquired, Maya and Ya'Han appearing to be in too much of an emotional shock to voice the question themselves, while Nicole attempted to ease the concerns visible on their Shillian friend.

"Copies of some of the books you had the pleasure of reading in your rooms as well as information that I hope you will find interesting," the man explained. "Nothing grandiose, just my way of saying thank you."

"Fine," Sonja said, not in the mood to try and understand the man's motives or reasons. The redhead Engineer quickly reached for the box containing the crystal as well as the one with her name inscribed on it. This prompted Nicole, Ya'Han and Maya to doing the same.  When the Shillian took hold of the box it shattered into a multitude of sharp, pointy shards which cut or embedded themselves into the woman's hand.

"I am so sorry," the Grand Maestro quickly offered. "I will summon a medical droid right away."

"No need," Sonja spat as she quickly removed the blood stained shards from the Shillian's flesh. "We will head back to our runabout and take care of this matter there. We do have access to a medical kit."

"As you wish," the Maestro said, not pressing the matter further as he ordered with a movement of his hand the robot to exit as quickly as it could.

"Time to go," the Chief Engineer suggested as she ushered the others out of the room, making sure that Maya applied as much pressure as she could to her injured hand.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P046: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 05 - 1000 ("Returning Home")
=-=
"Returning Home"
[previous post was "Cutting a Deal" by the amazingly talented Lorraine]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck A-4, IGC
Stardate: 32222.1000

Despite the medication obtained from the infirmary and her repeated attempts at meditation, the throbbing headache caused by their proximity to the energy dome protecting the island continent on ZOBRA PRIME had not subsided in the least. As much as she hoped for the away team to return quickly for their own safety, the ExO / ILO had begun to wish for their speedy return for no other reason than to see the ANUBIS warp out of orbit as soon as possible.

Shar'El might not have known anything about this Grand Maestro, but her dislike of him had gradually grown into fully blow hatred for no other reason than because he had subjected her to the adverse telepathic effects of his protective energy done.

"Sensors are picking up an opening in the dome," one of the IGC Techs reported to the now nearly cheering ExO / ILO.  Shar'El quickly scanned her console and screens to confirm what she had hoped was happening. After a few seconds, everything checked out leading the raven-haired woman to contact the Captain.

"IGC to Captain Morningstar, the ISIS is heading back up, and sensors have confirmed that the entire away team is on board," the ExO / ILO announced, already looking forward to seeing the ANUBIS leave orbit as soon as the runabout docked. "Nothing out of the ordinary is showing up on tactical sensors, so it looks like we will not be encountering any problems this time."

=/\= Great news, =/\= the Captain noted. =/\= We will keep the ship on battle readiness just in case. Have the away team report to the Observation Lounge for debriefing as soon as they disembark. After that, we will set a heading to our next objective, of course that is as soon as Commander Maya deciphers the data on the new crystal. =/\=

Shar'El hesitated for a few moments. "We will not be leaving orbit right away?

=/\= The ANUBIS will remain in orbit around ZOBRA PRIME for the time being, =/\= Captain Morningstar stated to the ExO / ILO's great chagrin. =/\= Distant orbit, =/\= the man added a few seconds later as if actually teasing the woman. =/\= As soon as the ISIS is on board, have the ship take a high orbit over the planet, one that will avoid us going over that continent. =/\=

"Will do," Shar'El said with a smile. "Thank you."

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 29, Ventra Access Bay
Stardate: 32222.1030

From the nearly top of the ship, the ExO / ILO had come down to the lowest deck to greet the returning away team. Although the Grand Maestro had contacted them to report on his guests' condition, Shar'El had wanted to see for herself, and it gave her an excellent excuse to see what memories the four women had come back with for the Ullian to pick up on.

Instead of images or feelings from the negotiation debate, or even some interesting sights that had stayed on the forefront of their thoughts, all four women had been remembering the incident that led to the Shillian's injured hand. It was easy to see that the injury had been taken care of already, but the thoughts and concerns that it had created in the members of the away team lingered on still. What seemed even stranger was the way Maya kept looking at her hand, as if it held some never before realized significance.

"What happened?" The ExO / ILO inquired. As much as the memories from the other three women had been vivid, those of the Shillian had only been about her injured hand. Regardless of whose memories the Ullian was picking up on, they lacked a certain level of context that Shar'El needed to better understand what it was that caused the Chief Science Officer to be injured and be so fixated.

"Our benevolent host decided to offer us gifts after playing some nasty mind games with Maya," Sonja explained, making it abundantly clear that she held no affection or admiration for the man in question. "He wanted her to stay with him in exchange for the crystal. Can you believe that? The nerve of that man to ask for something like that."

"He claimed that it was only a lighthearted offered," Nicole quickly amended. "He did say that he was not intending to keep the crystal."

"You cannot tell me that you actually believed him when he said that?" The Chief Engineer countered. 

The Trill Counsellor eventually shook her head. There had been no reason to deny her feelings and opinions, and since the crystal had been in their possession, trying to keep the reputation of the Grand Maestro to be anything other than the truth was no longer an issue.

"Alright then, so we have the crystal and all four of you are back safe and sound with the exception of a few cuts," the ExO / ILO pointed out still a little confused. "Why the long faces?"

"You are going to have to ask Maya on that one," Sonja said as she looked at the dazed Shillian. "Since our departure from ZOBRA PRIME, she's been oddly quiet, and for her that's saying a lot. After getting the crystal, we returned to the runabout and took care of her injury while making our way back. Maya was looking at her hand and just went dead silent. Nicole and I ran every tests we could think of using the equipment we had, but we found nothing physically wrong with her. Even the Counselor's Jedi mind tricks failed to get anything out of our resident brainiac, so it is all up to you spy girl."

"I will need the Captain's permission for that," Shar'El explained, keeping to the promise she made to not invade the memories of any members of the crew without their express permission or emergency need.  "In the meantime, she can be escorted to Sickbay."

"There is nothing physically wrong with her," Nicole reiterated. "It might be best for Maya to be escorted to my office; there I can try to get to the bottom of this while you inform the Captain of the situation. The atmosphere in Sickbay may prove to be a hindrance in finding out what happened. I believe that my office is more conducive to reaching her in her current state.

"Point taken," the ExO / ILO agreed with a nod of her head. "I will take the fourth crystal to the bridge while you and Sonja take care of Maya. Maybe we can get luck and break the base encryption without her expertise, but I would feel more confident in our chances if she was back to herself."

"I will see what I can do," the Counsellor said, taking Maya by the arm and leading her out of the ventral access bay with Sonja following close by just in case another set of hands was required.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P047: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 05 - 1100 ("Grateful")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Grateful"
[previous post was "Returning Home"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2, Corridor
Stardate: 32222.1100

Ya'Han felt bad for Maya and the way she had been made to feel, but in some ways the Sec/Tac had been grateful for the distraction that this had created, allowing her to exit the ventral bay without being scanned by their First Officer and her personal friend Shar'El.  The way the Nylaan woman had been feeling following her time on ZOBRA PRIME, it was a surprise that she had managed to maintain her now normal red and black hair color. She knew that given her current thoughts and emotions, memories of time spent brushing her hair and rubbing her belly would be openly broadcasted for the Ullian to pick up on, and that Ya'Han had not been ready to share, at least not yet.

With Sonja and Nicole escorting Maya to the Counsellor's office, Ya'Han had taken the opportunity to return to her quarters. Heading straight to the bridge for the debriefing session as instructed might have again left her vulnerable to her own feelings and memories, so the Sec/Tac was again grateful for this chance to get a hold on herself.

With the door to her quarters in sight, the Sec/Tac picked up the pace, almost running into a fellow crewman in the process. Up until now it had already been difficult for her to keep her emotions in check, but with the privacy of her quarters in sight, the task had grown increasingly more difficult with each remaining step. By the time she reached the door, her self-control had all but left, tears already slipping onto her cheeks.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32222.1110

She collapsed onto the floor, her back sliding against the wall next to the door as it hissed closed. One hand pressed against her mouth in an attempt to muffle the sounds of her crying while the other carefully cradled her belly thanks to the motherly instinct growing within her.  Without knowing why, Ya'Han felt the need to protect the unborn child she was carrying, a primal drive made irresistible due to her heightened emotions.

Dark purple locks of hair fell to encase her face, hiding the rain of tears she could no longer hold back. It had been difficult enough for the Nylaan to accept the fact that she had been with child, and that said baby had come from an unofficial bonding, but to have this innocent life be referred to as being *tainted* had been just too much for the would-be mother to deal with.

According to everything that she had been taught about this required biological event for a woman of her lineage, Ya'Han believed that the child would be born possessing every genetic aspects of her species. Although the bonded mate did contribute some genetic material, the mother would see her contribution far surpassed that of her partner according to the Imperial medical experts. At least that was what the daughter of the High Sovereign had been told, and this only when dealing with a partner with whom she had been properly bonded to. The rest, the Sec/Tac believed, had been nothing more than scare tactics use to frighten defiant little girls like her, but what if it was all true?

Beyond the question of how the Grand Maestro had come to know of her condition, could the mysterious man have actually been able to identify a genetic flaw in her unborn child? Could this unexpected deformity be enough for the use the hurtful label, as far as the exotic collector had been concerned, tainted? This of course raised a whole different set of questions, such as what did that particular word mean? Was it just a reference to the child's genetic identity not being pure Nylaan or was is about something more, something that might actually affect the child's ability to be born and live?

There was no way for Ya'Han to ask any of this of the Grand Maestro, at least not without making it public that she was with child and that Jayson was the father. This had truly not been the way she wanted to inform the others, not that she had a specific method in mind at this time, but calling upon the Zobral collector had certainly not been it.  All that the purple-haired woman could do right now was to give in to her emotions and cry until she could no longer do so.  Fighting this would only further delay the Sec/Tac from heading to the bridge as report as ordered.

Ya'Han ignored the door chime the first time it rang, desperately trying to regain enough composure to answer the door, but by the time the sound echoed through the room a third time, the Nylaan knew that there was no hope for her to achieve this goal. The emotions she had finally allowed to break free would not be so easily returned to the confinement of her mind. That was when the door opened causing the Sec/Tac to scamper in fright along the wall in a way that no one had every seen before.

"I figured that what he said got to you," Sonja offered, looking down onto the woman with sadness and disbelief. "I just had not realised how much of an effect his words had," she added, kneeling down next to the still crying Nylaan.

"How did you know?"

Sonja smiled as only a friend could in times such as these. "If you mean about your feelings, it was not all that difficult knowing you and that you were likely as hormonal as could be. The deafening silence you maintained during the journey back to the ANUBIS was also more than a hint. I figured that you were trying to keep control to make sure Shar'El would not be bowled over by one or more of your memories." The Engineer paused for a moment, gently brushing the purple hair away from the woman's face to get a better look at her. "Now, if you mean how I knew that you were here," the redhead continued, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder to the Avatar who appeared puzzle at the display she was currently witnessing.

"I'm sorry."

"You can be sorry later," Sonja said pulling Ya'Han back onto her feet. "Right now we have to get your  uniform cleaned up, your eyes and face dried up, and your hair fixed up to a less obvious color. Captain Morningstar will be waiting for us in the Observation Lounge, and I suspect Shar'El will be curious to see if either you or I will give her a hint as to what happened to explain our delay."

Ya'Han tried to smile, grateful that she had such a great friend in Sonja and wondering if maybe, just maybe, it had been time to let Shar'El in on this little secret that seemed to be increasingly more difficult to keep hidden from everyone else.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P048: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 05 - 1200 ("Something's Afoot")
"Something's Afoot"
[previous "Grateful"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32222.1200

It had been a while since Captain Morningstar had vanished inside the Observation Lounge for the post mission debriefing. The OPS Officer had heard the instructions given very clearly; the away team was to report to the bridge immediately following their disembarking the runabout ISIS. Commander Shar'El had gone down to greet the team and as far as he had been concerned, Jayson had expected the First Officer to escort the other four women to the command deck.

The plan it seems had change between then and now. According to internal sensors, Commander Shar'El, Commander Maya and Counsellor Dima had detoured by the Nicole's office while Ya'Han and Sonja had also made an unexpected stop, this one in the quarters of the Chief of Security. The best Jayson could do was to guess that something happened during the time the away team had been on ZOBRA PRIME or during their journey back to the ANUBIS. Either way, he had no way of knowing what happened, and all he could do was to wait as the Captain was.

The advantage of being the OPS Officer was that he could keep tabs on *where* everyone was from his station. The disadvantage was that he could not know *what* they were doing there. The computer was for obvious reasons programmed to maintain some level of privacy for the crew, so anyone looking could tell that a specific was in a general area, like their quarters without knowing exactly where in that area they were. It made sense when considering his own habit of spending the night in Ya'Han's quarters, at least before she had shut him out.

When Jayson noticed that Ya'Han and Sonja had exited from the quarters, the OPS Officer half wondered if they would be heading to the bridge or make another unscheduled stop. Without knowing what this was all about, the possibilities were endless. What made things even more strange was that seconds later the other half of the away team accompanied by Commander Shar'El exited the Counsellor's office. Was this some weird coincidence or had they planned this from the start?

Again, there was no way for him to know.

With Sonja and Ya'Han having been the closer ones to the bridge, it was not surprising to see them walk out of the turbolift and onto the bridge first. The OPS Officer met the cold glare of the Chief Engineer, making it clear that he was not to ask any questions, or even wonder about anything regarding their lateness. Following that, Jayson silently followed the two women with his gaze, keeping any question that he might have had to himself, going as far as to push them out of his mind when he could.

Ya'Han appeared troubled, almost sad, but within the caring hold of her friend, the Nylaan also seemed to accept the fact that she was safe. Jayson wondered what could have happened to cause her to be like this, but again those questions never came out into the open. Sonja had taken on the role of protector and there was little doubt in his mind that should the engineer ever wished to explore working in another department, the field of Security would be a natural fit for her.

Within a minute or so after Ya'Han and Sonja joined the Captain in the Observation Lounge, Commander Maya and Counsellor Dima stepped out of the turbolift closely followed by the ANUBIS' First Officer, Commander Shar'El. Unlike the Chief of Security who appeared emotionally distraught, the Chief Science Officer gave the distinct impression that she had been rattled to her very core. Even as they walked from the turbolift to the Observation Lounge, the OPS Officer could tell that the woman had been struggling with some inner demon.

"Are Lieutenant Paquette and Lieutenant Ya'Han already in the Observation Lounge?" Shar'El asked, looking straight at Jayson knowing that the question would trigger those memories to be brought to the surface.

"They came in not too long ago," he replied, noticing a hint of disappointment on her face, as the memory she saw did not give her anything new to work with in regards to what had happened on ZOBRA PRIME that would explain why the away team had returned in such an unravelled state.

With the entirety of the away team now with the Captain in the Observation Lounge, the OPS Officer was once more left to wait. At leas Captain Morningstar would get some sort of answers to his questions during the debriefing while Jayson would be left in the dark with the exception of whatever detail he would need to be made aware of to facilitate the completion of their mission.

With four crystals now in their possession, the quest to reunite all of the pieces of this puzzle had been halfway completed. As great as that achievement might have been though, the OPS Officer suspected that their problems had only started and that the remaining four crystals would prove to be even more challenging to get then the first ones had been.  With an unknown set of individuals also after the crystals, it was easy to imagine that they would be that much more determined to obtain them, resorting to increasingly more desperate methods to achieve that goal.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P049: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 05 - 1330 ("The Price")
##########
"The Price"
Previous post "Something's Afoot"
##########

"I think it's because it was an emotional story, and emotions come through much stronger in black and white. Colour is distracting in a way, it pleases the eye but it doesn't necessarily reach the heart."
- Kim Hunter

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32222.1330

The Native American sat at the end of the conference table, his thoughts not only on the meeting that had just ended but also on the events that had led the ANUBIS and its crew to be where they were now. The information gathered and shared during the mission briefing, as little as there was, had proven to be very interesting, more so in the fact that most of what was said had little to do with the fourth crystal.  Erik might not have been a Counsellor, but he knew enough to see that what had happened during the away team's time on the surface had severely rattled his Chief Science Officer and Chief of Security to their individual foundations.

Being invited to remain on ZOBRA PRIME in exchange for the crystal could not have been easy for the Shillian, but did not explain the Nylaan's current state.  As much as both women tried to hide the implications of what had been said, the hints of their troubled thoughts had still been evident. For Maya, her silence during the meeting had been all that the Native American required to know that something was not as it should be. For Ya'Han, it was the way she appeared focused onto something else, something far beyond the confine of the room they were in that showed the Captain that something was wrong with his Chief of Security.

In both cases, the troubled officers had been given support as well as an avenue to deal with whatever the core of their respective situations was. The Trill Counsellor had barely taken her eyes off the Shillian while the Terran Engineer had held the Nylaan's hand throughout the debriefing. As the Commanding Officer, Erik believed that he had been entitled to know what all of this was about, but in the end the Captain thought it best to allow his officers to deal with their issues on their own. The fourth crystal was safely in their possession and despite some interference from an unknown group of individuals; their mission was still well on track.

At least that was what the Native American told himself as he gazed at the stars visible through the large windows of the Observation Lounge. They had successfully gathered four of the eight crystals scattered throughout space by Professor Arken, but at what price?

Of the first four crystals, this latest one had relatively been the easiest one to get. No complicated search, no struggle or even armed conflict had taken place, yet Erik suspected that the quest for this latest crystal had been the most demanding and damaging one so far. Although a few of his officers had walked away from INVERNIA II with a few physical bruises, those had quickly been medically dealt with. The battle near DATHIS II had left the team on board the SPHINX a little out of breath, but again there had not been any lasting scares of their conflict. This was not the case now as both Maya and Ya'Han showed distinct signs of emotional scars that would remain with them for quite some time. The words and offer made by the Grand Maestro might have been innocently made, but their sharpness and aim had been beyond damaging to half of the away team.

The attention of the Native American shifted back onto his First Officer as she walked back in, Shar'El having escorted the away team out of the Observation Lounge following the end of the meeting.

"Were you able to get anything more from either one of them?" Erik inquired, knowing all too well that the unique skills of his First Officer might provide them with answers that would have been otherwise unreachable.

"Whatever happened on that Island Continent has affected them so much that they are actively not thinking about it," Shar'El replied. "They are suppressing the memories of those events making it impossible for me to know what happened, that is unless you authorise me to dig in."

As curious as I might be," the Captain began. "As much as I want to know for sure that whatever happened down there is not going to be an issue for our mission down the line, I have to respect them, their privacy and their professionalism. I cannot start doubting my officers at the first sign of trouble. Ya'Han has Sonja to help her through whatever happened, just as Maya has Nicole, and in both cases I have to concede that they are in good hands. We just need to be patient, at least as far as it does not interfere with our mission."

"Agreed," Shar'El noted with a nod of her head. "Since we did not detect any signs of those who are also after the crystal in the vicinity, I gave Ya'Han the task of helping Maya decipher the data contained in the fourth crystal. Counsellor Dima is accompanying them to the lab, so maybe while working on breaking the surface encoding of the crystal they will talk their way through whatever happened on ZOBRA PRIME. I suspect that Sonja will also be there to offer assistance as well as be a sounding board, and I do believe that leaving them alone for a while will be conducive to resolving whatever the situation may be. The journey back on the ISIS was likely too short and the event far too fresh for them to properly address the impact of what happened and to figure out how to deal with it. I am confident that giving them a couple of extra hours won't do any harm and may even make a huge difference in the long run."

"Alright, keep an eye on them though," Erik suggested. "We are still dealing with a hostile force trying to gather these crystals and we have no idea how they are managing to keep up with us, this despite no having access to the data contained in these crystals.

"I was planning on doing so," Shar'El confirmed. "I will keep you up-to-date with any developments, be them in regards to the crystals of our officers."

"Good, in the meantime, the ANUBIS will remain in high orbit of ZOBRA PRIME while making sure that we avoid being anywhere close to that energy barrier," the Native American explained. "We already have two members of our Senior Staff dealing with issues; there is no need to put ourselves in a position to add another to the mix."

"Thank you," the Ullian woman said, again adding a nod of her head, this one reflecting gratitude before exiting the room leaving the Captain alone in the room once again.

Returning his gaze to the distant stars visible through the windows of the Observation Lounge, Erik quietly offered a few words to the Great Spirit, something that he did only in occasions when others than himself needed a little extra help from the universe. "Spirits of life, Spirits of water, grant my friends your blessings and help them through this time or personal hardship. Like the water of the sacred river, allow their thoughts to flow around and over their problems. Grant them the clarity to see that there is nothing they cannot overcome and that they are not now, nor ever will be alone in their struggles."

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P050: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 05 - 1430 ("The News")
"The News"
previous post was "The Price"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 11, Science Lab
Stardate: 32222.1430

With the latest crystal in hand, Commander Maya had made her way to the science lab on deck 11 followed by Lieutenant Ya'Han who had been asked by Commander Shar'El to lend a hand. Counsellor Dima had tagged along under the pretence of wanting to make sure that both women had not been overly tired, but the truth was that she was concerned for them both given the extensive silence they had been the source of during their return to the ANUBIS.  Something had happened on ZOBRA PRIME, something that the Trill knew beyond a doubt had been caused by the Grand Maestro, the only problem was that Nicole was unable to figure out if this was solely due to the man's invitation or something else. The odd request might have been enough to explain the behaviour of one of the two women, but failed to account for the reaction of the other.

The mystery was as puzzling as it was when they had left the planet surface and Nicole had been at a lost to fully understand what it was that had happened. Hopefully that and several other answers would be discovered in the Science Lab where the three women had just stepped into.

"Is there room for one more in this little party of yours?" Sonja asked as she squeezed between the closing doors of the science lab. As grandiose as her entrance had been, only the Counsellor had taken note of it, the other two officers so lost in their own thoughts that they had failed to realise that someone had unexpectedly joined them.

"I am actually glad that you are here," Nicole replied, letting it known without actually saying so that she had been more than happy to have someone else here to help get to the bottom of what was troubling the Shillian and Nylaan. With the Chief Engineer present, the Counsellor would be able to dedicate her attention to better understand the Chief Science Officer while the Engineer worked her magic on her friend the Chief of Security.

The two women acknowledged their role with a nod of their heads and moved to their respective objectives. Maya had wasted no time in getting to work allowing for the officers with similar hair colour to take a few steps to be more out of the way. After having placed a hand on Ya'Han's shoulder, Sonja tilted her head in a concerned manner that left her friend unsure as to what to say or do.

"Are you alright?" Sonja asked of Ya'Han, not actually voicing the words but only mouthing them. Right now there had been no need to advertise to anyone else the fact that the redhead knew exactly what had been troubling her friend. A quick glance over the shoulder of the Chief of Security was enough to see that the other pair had been far too busy with their own conversation to pay any attention to the one happening here.

Ya'Han offered a weak smile and nodded her head, confirming that she had been as *alright* as could be given the circumstances. After all, they had obtained the fourth crystal, made it back to the ANUBIS without any incident and were now working on breaking the surface encryption to discover the location of their next target. Well, to be more accurate, Maya was working on that part while Nicole tried to talk to the scientist leaving the other two women to quietly whisper to one another without any risk of being interrupted.

"Thank you," Ya'Han quietly offered to her friend. Without Sonja's earlier intervention, the Nylaan knew that she would not have been able to make it to the debriefing on time, something that would have led to a great many questions being asked, questions that she was not ready to fully answer at this time.

"There is no need for you to thank me," the redheaded friend playfully dismissed with a smile as well as a waving gesture of her hand. "What are friends for if not to be there to help when someone close to them becomes a complete crying mess on the floor of their own quarters?"

"I'm Sorry," Ya'Han quickly added, her eyes opening to their widest. Although she knew that the position in which she had been discovered by Sonja had been a less than prestigious one, the Chief of Security had not considered the extend of how the display had been such an unexpected display that stood well outside of what would have normally been expected from the Nylaan.

"Listen," the redheaded Engineer playfully snapped at her friend. "You need to stop saying that you are sorry or I will have no choice but to file a legal motion with the Captain and Starfleet to have you officially declared as being a *Canadian*. No one else in the whole of the Federation is allowed to apologise that much and right now you are pushing the limits even for them."

"I am sorry," Ya'Han quickly followed up with, sounding in somewhat of a panic. "I had not realised that there was some sort of legal restriction on your world as to how much someone who is not Canadian can apologise. You would think that such information would have been mentioned at the Academy."

Sonja sighed, and shook her head in disbelief. "Aside from proving my point by *again* apologising, I was only kidding. Canadians are known for being sorry for everything, even when it is not their fault, just as you have been doing, but there is no law that governs that aspect of our over-friendliness."

"But it is my fault," the Nylaan quietly countered as she rubbed her belly. "This is my body, my hormones and more important, my inability to control said hormones that is causing me to be the mess that you described earlier. I have to apologies for that and need to find a way to be in better control of my emotions." As a Canadian, Sonja found this humorous but had not expected the joke to have such an impact on her friend

"Good luck with that," Sonja grinned dismissing the previous attempt at hilarity to instead focus on this latest one. "It may not be the same throughout the universe, but the general rule does seem to be that when someone is like that," the Engineer said pointing to the other woman's belly, "any control of emotions tends to go right out the nearest airlock.  As I recall, the only women able to still maintain some semblance of control are those pointed ear Vulcans, but that is likely because they are major control freaks in that domain. So, again, you have nothing to be sorry about, at least not yet, give it time."

Ya'Han froze as she glared at her friend, silently asking for an explanation which the Chief Engineer had been more than ready to provide.

"By the time rainbow-junior is ready to make its grand entrance, I am sure that you will have come up with one or two valid reasons to apologise to me as well as the rest of the crew. I just hope that it won't be while you are on the bridge manning the tactical station after having fired a volley of torpedoes on some poor sap who just happen to say the wrong thing at the wrong time."

"That is not helping," Ya'Han pointed out appearing somewhat discouraged by the scene presented by her friend.

"How are you two doing?" Nicole inquired as she joined the Nylaan and Terran.

"We are fine," Sonja snapped, not at all pleased to see the Counsellor unexpectedly getting involved in the chat that Ya'Han and she had been in the middle of. "Shouldn't you be taking care of Maya?" The redhead asked, trying to politely tell Nicole to turn around and go back from where she came.

"Maya is in full research mode," the Trill pointed out, glancing over her shoulder at the woman in question. "She is not hearing anything that I am saying and seems completely lost in her own world. Right now the only thing she cares about is to decode the data contained in that crystal.

"Guess I can't really be angry at her for doing that," Sonja admitted. "She and I react pretty much the same way when something is troubling us. She just loses herself in whatever science puzzle is available while I tinker with ANI or the ANUBIS."

"We all have our own ways of dealing with troubling situations," Nicole explained. "The invitation made by the Grand Maestro to Maya had to be something very traumatic to her, but I am not convinced that it is the only thing responsible for her silence during our journey back. My guess, given that she will not speak to me beyond what she already mentioned in my office, is that something happened in her room while we rested."

"It must have been hard for her to be considered as a *collectable*," Ya'Han pointed out. "It just made the fact that she is the last of her kind that much more real."

"Agreed," the Counsellor offered. "I also came to the same conclusion but everything that I saw and heard does not explain why the offer made by the Grand Maestro caused you to shut down in the same manner as Maya."

It seemed that Counsellor Dima had decided to change her game plan and gone for the kill shut against the Nylaan without informing or even warning anyone else in the science lab. It made sense to believe that the element of surprise and shock could turn the table on this situation and cause Ya'Han to reveal something that she would not have otherwise, but Nicole could not have expected what followed.

"I'm pregnant."

The entire room became as silent as space itself, all three women now appearing to be frozen in time.

"Pregnant?" Nicole repeated, not sure if she needed to welcome the news with joy or with concern.

"Relax," Sonja said having noticed the uncertainty in the Trill's face. "It's Jayson's, hence the use of the word *tainted* by our ever so sensitive Zobral host."

"I am guessing that he does not know," Counsellor Dima continued, now understanding the personal friction that she had noticed between the Chief of Operations and Chief of Security.

"No, I have not told him," Ya'Han confirmed. "Not yet at least. In fact I am not even sure how to tell him. There are so many questions that I need answered first."

"No one else but you and I know," Sonja pointed out. "Can you imagine Jayson finding out? The last thing the ANUBIS needs right now is to have a crazed Chief of Operations," the Engineer added. "The man is already having enough trouble focusing on his work now, what would it be if he knew that there is a rainbow junior in there," the redhead concluded as she pointed to her friend's belly.

"Congratulations," Nicole eventually said with a beaming smile, having decided to address the news instead of its implications on the Chief of Operations and the rest of the ship. "You are going to be a mother."

"YES!" Maya exclaimed, startling the others so much that everyone actually jumped from where they had been standing. "I knew it. All of the clues were right there in front of my eyes."

"Well, guess Maya knows too now," Sonja playfully sighed. "Come on," the Engineer added inviting the scientist to come closer. "Bet you two want to give Ya'Han a huge."

"Why would I want to give her a huge?" Maya inquired, appearing genuinely puzzled.

"Because of the news," the redhead pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The news? You mean my having deciphered the directional data of the fourth crystal?"

"Sonja was just overly happy and surprised that you were successful in your work so quickly," Ya'Han amended, understanding that the number of people now aware of her condition had gone up by only one and not two as earlier expected. "Where are we heading next?"

"According to the decoded data, the next crystal can be found in the Dolbargy system," Maya announced, the smile on the woman's lips appearing rather out of place given that not so long ago the Shillian had appeared beyond sad to the point of being depressed.

"The Dolbargy system?" Sonja gasped. "Isn't that..." the Terran Engineer's question trailed into silence as she turned to look straight to the Nylaan Chief of Security.

"Yes," Ya'Han confirmed with a lengthy sigh. "The Dobargy system is inside The New Ferengi Alliance."

"Well," the Engineer said as she threw her arms up in the air, "Ain't that just peachy. Of all the gin joints in all the sectors in all the universe, that's the hole in the wall that we have to go into... *again*."

"I can only imagine that the Captain is not going to be any happier about this," the Counsellor added, wondering who amongst them would relay the news of their discovery to their Commanding Officer, and if that announcement would be joined by a far more personal announcement from their own Chief of Security in regards to her being pregnant.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P051: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 05 - 1515 ("Taking Proper Steps")
=-=
"Taking Proper Steps"
[previous post was "The News" by the super amazing Lorraine]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 32222.1515


The ExO / ILO stood in front of the sitting Captain, the man visibly troubled by the news that his First Officer had just given him. Commander Maya had been beyond thrilled at having made the discovery so quickly, but that was where the excitement ended.

"Are we sure?" Captain Morningstar asked, trying to find some way to avoid them returning into Ferengi controlled space.

"Maya was very adamant and according to the others who were there when the encoding was broken, there is no reason to doubt the validity of the information," Shar'El confirmed. After having been told about the location of the next crystal, the ExO / ILO had gone through the same questions the Captain had asked. The ANUBIS had been more than equipped to deal with this matter, able to fly into and back out of the specified region of space without being discovered, but still it would be better for everyone if they did not have to do so.

"How much of a resistance can be expect to encounter?" Morningstar asked, forcing himself to face the fact that there had been no way around this. The mission to gather all eight crystals had been classified at the highest possible level of importance and there was simply no way that the Captain could justify to the Admiral abandoning the mission because of where the fifth objective had been located.

"Do you mean resistance from possible hostile forces we might encounter along the way or from our own Chief of Security?" Shar'El asked in return, trying to bring some level of lightheartedness to the current situation.

"Both," the Captain replied, not at all sounding amused. The fact that Ya'Han had been itching to return to her home world to see how the conflict between her father and brother had unfolded only added to the complexity of the latest portion of their current mission.

"From what I was able to gather from Ya'Han, she genuinely appeared concerned," the ExO / ILO reported. "When it was discovered that her brother Ya'Kun was planning to assassinate their father so that he could ascend to the throne of NYLA IV, she had wanted nothing more than to return home to warn the High Sovereign, this despite her having run away from the man in question. Today, after learning that the next crystal was within Ferengi controlled space, she gave the distinct impression of not wanting to cross the border."

"What changed?" Erik wondered, the reaction from the Chief of Security having been contrary to what it had been.

"I have not figured that out yet," Shar'El unhappily admitted. "I know that something has changed, the coldness between Jayson and herself making that abundantly evident, but she has managed to keep the reason for this from me."

"If we have to look on the bright side of things, at least the crew has learned to better control their thoughts and memories," the Captain offered as a possible silver lining.

"Maybe so," the ExO / ILO offered. "To me though, it appears that this control is very specific on that particular subject."

"Whatever the reason or reasons may be for Ya'Han to have changed her position on the political situation of her home world, and that it or may not include her relationship with Jayson does not change the fact that we have to go to the Dolbargy system. What is our best ETA?" The question made one thing clear, the Captain had been focussed on their mission and that was just fine for the ExO / ILO.

"Using the most recent Intel data on the patterns used by the Hirogen patrols as well as the standard Ferengi Alliance border patrols to create the safest possible flight path, we can reach the Dolbargy system in 35 and a half hours," Shar'El reported. "That is of course as long as we don't run into any unexpected problems."

The Captain understood right away what his First Officer had meant by her last words. It was within Ferengi controlled space that the ANUBIS had encountered and confronted the ship of the shadowy race known as the Lokustaar. Based on that race's ability to have their ships remain undetected from sensors, the risks of running into them once more while in that region of space increased exponentially.

"Set course and take all necessary precautions to insure that we don't run into anything," the Captain instructed. "I would like this part of the mission to go without incident if at all possible."
"Aye aye Captain," the ExO / ILO acknowledged before making her way out of the Captain Ready Room in order to take care of the task she had been given.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32222.1530

Ensign Jones had set the course and heading according to the instructions given by Commander Shar'El which meant that if everything went according to plan the ANUBIS would reach their destination by Stardate 32224.0445. Unfortunately, that was but the first of several more obstacles they would need to deal with. While inside Ferengi controlled space, the ship would have to remain under the protection of its cloaking armor making staying in orbit of the planet that much more complicated.

An away team would have to be sent down, that is as soon as a more specific location of the crystal was provided by Commander Maya who was still working on getting all available data from the crystal. From there, those selected to be planet side would have to be as inconspicuous as possible in order to avoid drawing any attention onto them.  Not only were they fighting against an unknown adversary to retrieve all of the crystals, but in this particular part of their mission they would also be going against the Ferengi, Hirogen and Lokustaar, placing the odds of them making it through this part undetected a near impossibility.

Having confirmed that the ANUBIS was on course for the Dolbargy system, the ExO / ILO turned to look at the members of the away team who had been present on the command deck.  "The next part of this mission is going to be a difficult one in a multitude of ways, therefore I would like for all of you to get some rest, and that includes you as well Lieutenant," Shar'El said aiming her last words to the Chief of Operations.

"Commander? I was not part of the away team," Jayson pointed out.

"No, but the Captain and I do need our senior most officers to be as clearheaded and rested as possible," Shar'El countered. "Going back into Ferengi controlled space is not going to be an easy task, and given the problems we encountered the last time, we believe it best that everyone gets as much rest as possible. As of right now, you are all off-duty until further notice."

Shar'El could see the conflict in the eyes of some of the officers. Some, like Jayson, wanted to stay on duty and work their way through, others, like Ya'Han, appeared almost relieved in having been given time to rest and sort whatever issues they had been dealing with. Based on what the ExO / ILO say, she believed it best if she went to see Maya herself and inform her of the compulsory rest that had been imposed on the whole of the senior staff, that they had been part of the away team or not.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 11, Science Lab
Stardate: 32222.1600

The official reason of her visit here was to inform Maya that she had been placed on indefinite leave from her duties in order to get some well-deserved rest following their away mission to ZOBRA PRIME. Unofficially, the ExO / ILO had hoped that the Shillian would be taken by surprise by the news and allow some memories of her time with the others to flow out freely.

As Captain Morningstar mentioned, the crew had become far more efficient at keeping their thoughts and memories from being openly broadcaster, but Shar'El suspected that this improved skill had been due to a very specific necessity to keep a particular piece of information hidden from her. Normally, knowing that something had been hidden from her would have been enough to motivate the Ullian to rip the information out of someone's mind, but these had been her fellow shipmates and friends, so alternate methods needed to be employed.

"How is the deciphering going?" Shar'El asked as she walked into the science laboratory to find the Shillian hard at work, as she usually was.

"A few more minutes and I should have the name and specific location of the individual Professor Arken entrusted the next crystal to," Maya replied. "I do find it fascinating that the professor managed to make it all the way to the Dolbargy system located deep inside Ferengi controlled space. So far the professor had selected people and places easily accessible to Federation personnel, but this is a feat onto itself. As the man we believe him to be, I find it hard to believe that the professor would have been able to make his way into Ferengi space claiming to have been anything else but a scientist. Now, maybe that was enough to convince someone that he had something valuable to trade, but in the end the fact that he made it there is no longer important. What is important is for us to identify the person he gave the crystal to and find a way to get it back, not only onto the ANUBIS but back into Federation space."

Shar'El grinned. Given the lengthy reply, it appeared that the Shillian had been back to her usual self; namely a very dedicated, long-winded scientist who seemed to be completely taken by the intellect of the man responsible for the mission they were all on.  "Commander, I wanted to inform you that the Captain has ordered all senior staff members to get some rest. Given that we will be heading into Ferengi space, both he and I believe it best for everyone to gather their thoughts and strengths beforehand. Do you believe that Ya'Han, Sonja and Nicole will have a problem with that?"

The question had been nothing more than a bait, a ploy meant to trick the Shillian to think back to when all four of them had been here in this room. Surely the Chief Science Officer had been part of whatever conversation had taken place, or at the very least overheard something that the ExO / ILO would be able to use to finally put the pieces together as to what was happening with their Chief of Security.

To Shar'El's great disappointment, the memories that came to the surface of Maya's mind had been on her initial breaking of the crystal's primary encryption and of her informing the others of her discovery. Nothing in the memories of the Shillian indicated that she had been part of any such conversation or that she had been in any way aware of what had been troubling Ya'Han.

It seemed that the ExO / ILO had lost her touch. Taking on the role and responsibilities of a First Officer on board the USS ANUBIS had dulled her skills as an investigator, and having allowed herself to become friends with those keeping this secret from her had made things even more complicated.  As much as she hated it, it was evident that Shar'El would have to take more drastic measures to get to the bottom of this matter while trying her best to maintain her friendships intact in the process. As a Friend, she could accept that certain things had not been meant for her ears. As a First Officer, she understood the need to keep one's private affairs out of the ship's official business. As an Intel Operative though, Shar'El found it exceptionally difficult to accept that something had been kept from her, and that she had been unable to breach the walls of silence that surrounded it, this regardless of the reasons those involved might have been holding on to in order to justify their actions.

One way or another, she would get to the bottom of this mystery.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P052: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 05 - 1830 ("Thinking")
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"Thinking"
[previous post was "Taking Proper Steps"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32222.1830

The meal that had been replicated almost an hour ago sat on the dining room table untouched. The Sec/Tac had returned to her quarters to rest as ordered but the task had proven to be more difficult than the expecting Nylaan woman could have imagined. The moment she had set foot back into her quarters, her mind jumped into high gear making the woman think of everything she was directly or indirectly involved with, that she wanted to or not.

It was nice that Counsellor Dima was now amongst those who knew about her being with child. It had not been easy for Ya'Han to make that information known but in hindsight the Sec/Tac was happy and somewhat relieved that Nicole was told. Things might have been easier had Commander Maya heard the announcement instead of being buried in her work, but that would be another obstacle to deal with at a later time.  Right now, the Nylaan woman needed to figure out what to do next so as to not lose her mind by thinking too much about everything.

Sitting on the couch and rubbing her belly, Ya'Han's thoughts locked in on the one person who had been directly involved in this situation.  Sooner or later she would need to speak with Jayson, letting him know the reasons why she had distanced herself from him. Then, Ya'Han would have to deal with his reaction, one that the Sec/Tac figured could and likely would be somewhere between silent stunned surprise and agitated angered disbelief. Which ever way he would choose to acknowledge the news of his being a father, she expected his one question to her to be this: Why had she waited so long to tell him?

What Ya'Han found troubling was that she could not easily answer that particular question, at least not in a few simple sentences. The reasons had been numerous and seemed to multiply with each passing day that the Nylaan delayed informing him of the situation. Irrational fears combined with unsettling hormonal changes made the task nearly impossible.  Now that Counsellor Dima was aware of the situation, the Sec/Tac hoped that she would be able to call upon her for advice, that is as soon as the purple-haired woman knew what exactly what to ask for guidance on.

A chime rang from the communication station announcing that a message had arrived, this caused the Sec/Tac to lower her head in defeated exasperation. As if there had not already been enough things bouncing in her head, it now seemed that something else would be added to the mix. Due to her position and responsibilities on board the ANUBIS, the Nylaan made her way to the desk to see what the message was about. As the Sec/Tac she could not ignore her duties, this regardless of her having been put on compulsory rest or that she was with child.

When Ya'Han noticed that the message came from Maya, the Nylaan smiled knowing that this was what many of them had been waiting for; the information as to the specific location of the fourth crystal. Rest or no rest, it was expected by all that the Chief Science Officer would continue her work until the data was decoded.

Reading the report, Ya'Han quickly noted that the earlier statement made by the Chief Science Officer was confirmed; the crystal would be found on the homeworld of the Dolbargy, an EARTH-like planet known as DOLBAR. The more the Nylaan read the Shillian's report, the more she found her thoughts drifting to the world that the former daughter of the High Sovereign of NYLA IV had visited earlier in her childhood.

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FLASHBACK
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Setting: DOLBAR, Botanical Garden
Stardate: 15314.1130 (Ya'Han is 9 years old)

While their father, the High Sovereign and his sons discussed the new trade agreement between their two worlds, the daughters enjoyed the colorful displays and aromas of the flowers that had been gathered from all over this world. As daughters, they had no need to being involved or even learning about the ruler's political dealings, their task being nothing more than to follow their father where he went and to make him proud by becoming a perfect mate for whoever was selected for them.

"It is hard to imagine that a people like the Dolbargy are capable of creating anything this beautiful," Ya'Jun said, the second youngest daughter said as she scrutinized the extensive flowery display stretching as far as the eyes could see in every direction around them.

"Watch your tongue," Ya'Rin, the next elder sister after Ya'Jun venomously spat, the two sisters holding polar opinions as to what they believed their roles in Nylaan society should be. "You would be wise to keep that offending appendage were no one can see or hear it unless you truly wish to have father cut it out once and for all."

Ya'Han instantly coward back in fear, all too easily imagining the scene as described by her older sister. The High Sovereign, their father, had never been known to be a patient or forgiving man, especially when dealing with his own daughters. His son's were granted an unparalleled level of leeway while the daughters where forcefully held to the strictest set of rules and expectations.

"I meant no disrespect," Ya'Jun quickly offered in hopes of calming her angered sister, her voice as gentle and sweet as could be. If anyone would report back to their father about what had been said or done by someone else, Ya'Rin had been the one to do it, but she also was the more gullible of all the sisters. "I was merely stating my observation in the fact that I find it difficult to comprehend how a race without any official gender classification is capable of seeing any sort of beauty. Would you not agree that our brothers are completely unable to appreciate any sort of beauty, this not counting the physical attributes of a woman showing off her skills or batting her eyes in a suggestive manner at them? I am making reference to being able to see beyond what is directly in front of them, to see beauty within and in something that has not yet been created."

Ya'Jun paused, trying to ascertain as to whether or not her explanation was being actually accepted or dismissed by her sister. Seeing some hesitation in the eyes of Ya'Rin, the 12th child of the High Sovereign decided to add some more.

"It would take an exquisite understanding of the unseen beauty of these plants to create the visual masterpiece that we are currently standing in the middle of. Something that in my observation can only be accomplished through the vision of someone who is either a woman or a man who considers himself to belong to that classification. Since the Dolbargy do not have any such official gender classification, I was stating my surprise that such true appreciation of beauty, as it would have been required for this display, is very unexpected from this remarkable and puzzling people. Do you not agree?"

"Can you imagine Ya'Kun or Ya'Del trying to create something like this?" Ya'Han joined in, adding her support, as little as it may count, to her sister's opinion. Over the years, the youngest daughter had learned to listen carefully to her next older sister who had a way of presenting the universe in a way that all too often challenged their father's views while still managing not to enlist his wrath, something that seemed reserved for the youngest and most vulnerable amongst them.

"You are right," the High Sovereign's 10th child eventually agreed, having accepted the explanation offered by the 11th child as an acceptable explanation for her earlier statement. "We do have a much better sense and appreciation for what true beauty is," Ya'Rin confirmed.

"Ladies," a gentle, almost whispered voice said calling the attention of all the sisters upon her. "You should never judge anyone by their appearance, by the color of their skin, by the texture of their scales or fur, and not by their gender or lack thereof. The universe is filled with endless wonders and to judge anything in this way will close your mind to the unique hidden charms that are all around you."

Ya'Han smiled, this trip had been one of the very few occasions where their mother had been permitted to come along. Maybe it was because the Dolgarby were a genderless race that the High Sovereign had allowed her to come, or maybe it was because he had not seen any need to keep her away in order to hide his after work and late night celebrations. Whatever the reason was, the youngest daughter had been very happy to have her mother here with them, even if she chose to remain on the outskirts, barely visible or noticed by anyone.

It did not take too long for the sisters to return to their individual scrutiny of the surrounding flora. After all, this was what their father had required of them. They were to remain in this location and entertain themselves as best they could through admiring the various colorful flowers. This had been easy enough to accomplish for most of the daughters, but to some the call for adventure had simply been too great to be ignored. The youngest daughter had been able to fight back the urge to wander off, at least that was until Ya'Han felt someone taking hold of her arm to pull her down a small, unpaved path.

"Come," Ya'Jun said as she urged on her younger sister to venture down onto the pathway which seemed to lead to a distant building.

"Where are we going?" Ya'Han demanded, fearing that this course of action would land them both in trouble.

"Exploring of course," the older sister replied. "There is just so much I can take of colorful flowers that smell like our brother's shoes at the end of a long day. Come, wherever we end up has to be better than this place is, and I know you want to go just as much as I do."

As scared as Ya'Han might have been, she had to agree that the visit to the garden had quickly become boring, so despite her fears, the youngest daughter followed without offering any other objections.

Following some sneaking around the local patrols, the two sisters found their way in what appeared to be a hatchery of some sort, dozens upon dozens of eggs neatly and carefully cradled in individual nests. The size of the eggs, along with the medical equipment that accompanied each station, made it evident that these had not been for nourishment.

"Are these Dolbargy eggs?" Ya'Han gasped.

"What did you expect from a genderless race?" Ya'Jun chuckled back in a whispered voice.

The sisters quietly wandered through the aisles, taking special care not to touch anything, at least that was until one particular egg caught the full attention of the youngest daughter. The markings were unique, leaving the Nylaan girl to wonder if maybe this egg held some sort of special significance as compared to all of the others.

"Wonder why this one has different markings on it," Ya'Han asked as her hand slowly, carefully reached out towards the ovoid.

"You should not be here," a thundering voice said, startling both girls into quickly retreating back the way they came. As great a hurry as they were, the two girls still made sure not to touch anything as they rushed for the exit. To their great dismay, as soon as they once again crossed the door that had earlier attracted the attention of Ya'Jun, the two sisters collided with one of their father's Imperial guard tasked with their safety.

Although this meant that they no longer needed to fear whoever had been after them, the two youngest daughters of the High Sovereign would now have to face the wrath of their father for having left the location they had been instructed to remain at for the duration of the diplomatic talks.

Escorted back to their mother, the sisters remained as quiet as they could, trying not to draw the attention of one particular member of their family. If Ya'Rin was to learn of their escapade, it would be a foregone conclusion that their father would learn of this insuring his fullest wrath on all those he would consider as having been responsible.

"Where have you been?" Their mother asked the moment her eyes fell upon the two terrified looking girls, concern the likes of which only a mother could have for her children clearly visible on her features.

"I'm sorry," both Ya'Jun and Ya'Han said at the same time. "We wandered of and got lost," the second youngest added, having noticed their snitching sister in the corner of her eye.

"Please tell me that you did not touch or break anything," the mother begged, knowing that should they have actually broken something it would have made their little adventure an impossible one to hide, and only insured the severity of the punishment they would all receive.

"You have nothing to be concerned about your Imperial Highness," a Dolbargy dressed in scientific robes said. Althouh neither Ya'Jun or Ya'Han had seen the man who had called out to them, it was a safe bet that he had followed them all the way back. "I can assure you that the girls have not caused any harm or damage."

"Thank you," Na'Rin gratefully offered, relief now visible on her face. "I am sure that the girls are also very grateful for your assistance in seeing them back where they belong."

"I am sure that their youthful curiosity has been more than fulfilled, at least for today," the alien offered smile before adding a low and respectful bow.

"May we have the honor of knowing your name in thanks for all that you have done on this day?" The mate to the High Sovereign inquired. Although she had no power in bestowing any sort of reward, knowing the name of the Dolbargy who had secured her daughter's alibi would go a long way to insure that the girls would remain safe. Plus, the mention of his name to the High Sovereign might lead to some sort of recompense to be given depending on how the situation was presented to him by his wife.

"My name is Soturemol," the Dolbargy replied, again adding a low bow to show his respect. "The honor was mine to have met such adventurous girls. May your stay here continue to be a safe and enjoyable one."

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End of FLASHBACK
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Ya'Han was surprised to see the same name listed as the current owner of the crystal they were after. At least, the Nylaan knew him to have been a honorable man, but that was 16 years ago, surely the guardian of the incubation chamber had changed over those years, but at least it would give the crew of the ANUBIS a starting point as to locating the alien's whereabouts.

"Ya'Han to Commander Shar'El," the Sec/Tac said after having tapped her communicator.

=/\= Go ahead Lieutenant. =/\=

"When you have a moment I would like to speak with you," Ya'Han began. "I have read the information provided by Commander Maya and have additional data to provide."

=/\= Additional data? =/\= The First Officer repeated sounding surprised.

"Yes," the off-duty Sec/Tac confirmed. "I know who this Soturemol is and where we can start looking for him. He was in charge of an incubation centre near a botanical garden some 16 years ago. Unfortunately I can't give you more as I did not know where exactly we were then."

=/\= I am heading down to see you, =/\=Shar'El stated. =/\= Looking forward to hearing more about this Soturemol and how you came to knowing him. See you soon, Shar'El out. =/\=

The Nylaan woman actually found the enthusiasm in the woman's voice somewhat disturbing. Why had the Commander been so delighted in coming down here to talk about this Dolbargy?  Had there been another reason for Shar'El to want to come and visit Ya'Han? Gently caressing her belly, Ya'Han wondered if maybe this would be a good opportunity to add Shar'El to the still very short list of shipmates who had been made aware of her situation.

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P053: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 05 - 1845 ("Pacing")
"Pacing"
[previous "Thinking"]

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2, outside Ya'Han's quarters
Stardate: 32222.1845

From the bridge he went to his quarters where he paced from one end of the room to the next, stepping over whatever mess had been left unattended. Although he had been spending a lot more time there since being kicked out by Ya'Han, the quarters had not improved in their appearance in the least. In fact, Jayson was ready to admit that things had gotten worse. At this point, he might even have to call upon ANI to help clean things up, but for now his mind had been on something else.

After about an hour of aimless wandering through his quarters, the OPS Officer stepped out, tired of tripping over the same things. The idea of actually cleaning up his own quarters had crossed his mind, but doing so would lead to him thinking about the person who was always on his case to do just that, the person he was trying his best not to think about, the person that his thoughts always returned to no matter what he was doing. This was the curse of being off-duty and not having anything official to occupy his thoughts.

Now in the corridor, Jayson found himself doing the exact same thing that he was doing before. At least this time there was no mess for him to step over or trip on. Each time he walked by Ya'Han's quarters, his steps grew shorter, not that he was debating making his presence known to the occupant. The best he could hope for was to have her step out and find him there. Surely, she would ask for an explanation for his being there, but the OPS Officer could only think of telling her the truth. He missed her. A lot.

He had discovered first hand that the old saying had been as true as could be. You don't know what you have until it is gone, and in this case he had come to find a new appreciation for how much Ya'Han had come to fill his life. Jayson missed her so much that he even found himself wishing that she had been there to flip him onto his back, without even sparing. At least in doing so she would acknowledge his presence, even if only for a few seconds.

Jayson must have passed in front of her door several dozen times before he actually stopped in front of it, looking at the closed and sealed doorway. How easy would it be for him to just reach for the chime and let her know that he was there? How easy would it be for him to look into her eyes and state how much he missed her? How easy would it be for him to ask what he did to warrant being here, on this side of the door instead of in there with her?

The more he thoughts about all of that, the more he realised that none of it would be easy. Making his presence known by using the door chime might not be a physically demanding task, but it was something that he could simply not bring himself to do, as it would place the ball squarely into her hands as to how the discussion he hoped would follow unfolded. From there, he would likely not get the chance to ask what he did wrong, being on the receiving end of whatever angered blast she would unleash in his direction. Of course telling her that he missed her so much at that point would only make things worse, not to mention make him appear as some lovesick puppy, which in all honesty he knew he was.

"Lieutenant Stark, is everything alright?"

The question took the OPS Officer by complete surprise. He was so completely focussed on the door and the person beyond it that he had forgotten that he was standing in the corridor, likely looking lost and confused, feelings that he had become more than familiar with over the last little while.

"Commander Shar'El," Jayson acknowledged after having turned to see the person who had called out his name. "What are you doing here?" He asked, only realizing the tone of his words after they had been spoken. "Sorry Commander, I did not meant to imply that you are not allowed to being here, or anywhere else on the ANUBIS for that matter. I am just surprised to seeing you here at this time."

"Just came to see Ya'Han," Shar'El informed the clearly nervous man, easily picking up his memories of having been pacing through his quarters and corridor. "Commander Maya finished deciphering the location data of the latest crystal and after having read the report our Chief of Security contacted me to inform me that she has additional information to provide."

"What possible additional information could she have?" Jayson asked, genuinely unable to think as to how Ya'Han could have anything to add.

"We were told that the crystal would be found in the Dolbargy system which is located inside Ferengi controlled space, do you not recall this?" The Commander asked in return.

"I remember," the OPS Officer quickly said in his defence, still not making the obvious connection. "How does that explain Ya'Han having additional information?"

"Maybe it would be best for you to return to your quarters and get some rest instead of creating a path in the floor plates," Shar'El grinned. "That way you will be able to clear your mind and avoid enlisting the discontent of our Chief Engineer would will have to replace said floor plates."

Jayson stared at the Commander for a few seconds, still unable to make sense of anything until it hit him like a runaway shuttlecraft. Ya'Han was Nylaan, which meant that she was born on NYLA IV, a world also located inside Ferengi controlled space, a fact that he knew as well as everything else, but something that had slipped his mind at this precise moment.

"I am truly sorry Commander," Jayson sadly stated. "I just can't think straight."

"I understand why," Shar'El offered. Since the entire Senior Staff had been off-duty, the lack of focus from their Chief of Operations had not been something that needed to be noted or even officially addressed by the First Officer.

"May I ask a favor of you Commander?" He asked, trying his best to regain whatever composure he could manage.

"You can ask but I cannot make you any promises," the woman replied, suspecting that the favor in question would focus on the Nylaan woman she had been about to see.

"If Ya'Han should mention anything about why she has locked me out of her life, or if some stray memory should make its way out for you to see, could you please tell me," Jayson pleaded. "I need to know what I did wrong so that I can at the very least try to make amends."

"As much as I would like to help in that regards," Shar'El explained, "this situation is a personal matter between you and her. As much as I doubt that she will say anything about it, or even permit her memories to betray her current silence, I would not be at liberty to tell you this. What I can do though is to mention your need to speak to her, at least that way you will not have to wait out here for her to come out so that you have an excuse to run into her and start the conversation."

"Thank you Commander," the OPS Officer said. Although it was not what he had wanted, the offer made by the First Officer had been far more than he current had, which was a step in the right direction.

"Now, go back to your quarters and focus on something else," the Commander suggested. "You might want to straighten up your quarters; I truly doubt that Lieutenant Paquette would appreciate having the ship's Avatar asked to help with such a task, a feeling that I have to admit I am sure both the Captain and myself would also find less than appropriate."

"Of course Commander. Thank you," Jayson said. With that, the OPS Officer quickly made his way back to his own quarters, a glimmer of hope in his heart at the possibility of getting some answers in regards to the situation he had so suddenly found himself in the middle of.

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Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P054: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 05 - 1900 ("Plotting")
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"Plotting"
[previous post was "Pacing" by the slightly preoccupied Jayson]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 32222.1900

Jayson might have been surprised to see Shar'El there in the corridor, but the ExO / ILO had not at all been surprised to find the Chief of Operations where he was. The IGC Tech tasked with keeping an eye on the Lieutenant had already reported back on the officer's pacing up and down the corridor, having noted the change of pace every time he would make his way across the doorway leading into the quarters of the Chief of Security.

Shar'El watched with interest as Jayson made his way back to his quarters, a distinct hope present in his steps. The Chief of Operations asked for a favor that the ExO / ILO had already been ready to do, although not for the same reasons. Like him, she had been curious as to why the couple had so unexpectedly split, especially considering that the decision had been unilateral and forcefully imposed by the Nylaan. Going to see the woman under the pretence of receiving the new information, she had mentioned provided the Ullian with the excuse she needed to ask questions that would hopefully trigger some memories. Now that Jayson had provided her with the excuse to mention his name, those memories would almost certainly be dragged to the surface.

As soon as the Chief of Operations vanished from sight, the ExO / ILO made her presence known by pressing the controls on the wall next to the door. The door hissed opened almost immediately, the Nylaan having expected this visit, a fact that Shar'El found amusing given that the occupants of these quarters had nearly been surprised by an entirely different guest.

"Come on in Commander," Ya'Han said, inviting the woman in.

"Commander! Really?" Shar'El said. Aside from the fact that the senior staff had been put on leave until further noticed, the ExO / ILO had found the use of her rank instead of her name a little disturbing. Had whatever been bothering Ya'Han made it so that she no longer considered her guest as a friend?

"I'm sorry," the Nylaan smiled, brushing back the black and red-colored hair over her shoulder in a way that hinted that this had not been the color her hair had been before the door was opened. "It's a force of habit. Please Shar'El, come in and make yourself comfortable. Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm fine," the Ullian stated, noticing with ease the untouched meal still sitting on the dining room table. "I hope that I am not interrupting anything? You seem to have been about to sit for dinner.

"That was about an hour ago," Ya'Han admitted as she scooped the plate and returned it to the food replicator so that it could be properly disposed of. "I replicated something out of habit but I just wasn't hungry."

"My guess is that you were thinking about our heading back into Ferengi controlled space," Shar'El said while making her way to the couch in order to sit. "Don't worry," the Ullian quickly added, "I was not picking up on any memories, just using common sense. With what happened on MARKALA PRIME, you are more than the right to feel apprehensive in our heading back, but when we add to this your own personal history, I can only venture a guess as to how difficult it must be for you to cross back the border that you spent so long doing everything you could to escape beyond."

"I will agree that it is not entirely easy," the Nylaan admitted, casting her gaze onto the streaking stars visible through the nearest window, "but I am not the scared little girl that I was back then."

"No you are not," the raven-haired woman confirmed with certitude. "I am sure that many of those you knew you back then would now find you to be a force to be feared."

"Feared?" Ya'Han asked with puzzlement, uncertain as to how to take the statement made by her guest.

"Not feared in he way your father is," Shar'El clarified. "You left this region of space as a girl under the constant shadow of your father and his influence, but now you return as a trained warrior, a Starfleet Lieutenant and the Chief Security and Tactical Officer of a ship that, should its full combat potential be known to outsiders, would send many scrambling to get out of our way. Maybe I should have used the word *respected* instead of feared in this case, I am sorry."

The truth was that Shar'El had not been sorry, in fact her words had been very carefully selected to set the groundwork for certain specific memories to be summoned, be them intentionally or not. From there, it would only be a matter of finding the right words say, the right questions  to ask, to link one memory to another allowing the Ullian to reach those that would provide her with the answers she sought.

Shar'El knew that this was not the way a friend should act, but as a counter argument the Ullian believed that as a friend, Ya'Han should have been able to step forward and discuss whatever had been on her mind. It was evident that the Chief of Security had problems looking upon the ExO / ILO as a friend for this particular matter, so the raven-haired woman had no other choice but to use her training as an Intel operative to get to the bottom of this.

All Shar'El could do beyond that was to hope that Ya'Han would understand that this had been done to insure that she was alright. Whatever tricks used to have her finally divulge what was bothering her had been done for her own good, at least that was what the Ullian kept repeating to herself as the justification for the process the Intel Operative had already started.

"I was 9 years old when my father took us to DOLBAR on a diplomatic mission," Ya'Han explained, taking a seat opposite to the one Shar'El had taken. "My sister Ya'Jun and I ended up venturing beyond where we were meant to and we met one of the caretakers of a Dolbargy hatchery. His name was Soturemol."

"Ya'Jun?" Shar'El asked, forcing the Nylaan woman to reach into her mind for more memories. "Wasn't that the sister whom we encountered on the MASQUERADE DREAMS?"

"Yes," Ya'Han confirmed, images of the woman in question now flashing through her head, spanning decades of shared moments together including the unpleasant meeting on board the Risian luxury cruiser.

"Alright," Shar"El continued, not giving the woman sitting in front of her the time or chance to find some sort of mental footing that would enable her to stop recalling memories as freely as she was currently doing. "So you suspect that this Soturemol may be the same individual as mentioned in the decode data found by Maya?"

"There is no sure way to know, but it does give us a starting point," the off-duty Chief of Security proposed, recalling her meeting with the Dolbargy. "What I do remember of him is that he was very kind, something that I would not be surprised attracted Professor Arken into befriending him to the point of trusting him with the next crystal."

"The professor does seem to have a way about making friends," Shar'El said keeping the conversation bouncing from subject to subject.  "You said that this Soturemol you met when you were 9 was the caretaker of a hatchery?"

"Yes," Ya'Han confirmed, her memories returning to that time where the two sisters had barely escaped the consequences of their escapade. "It was almost two decades ago, and the worst part is that I cannot even tell you the exact location of the hatchery, other that it was located a few hundred meters away from an impressive botanical garden. Back then, I followed, as well all did. without asking questions and considered ourselves lucky to see any part of the worlds we went visiting."

"Think back to that garden," Shar'El suggested, moving her plan into the next phase, which required the subject to dig deeper into their own past, focusing on specific memories, images and feelings. "Can you remember any details; anything that might help us set that particular garden apart from any other that is surely on that planet?"

"I was young," the Nylaan admitted while remembering a time that seemed to belong to another life. "I remember the brightness of the colors, the strange shapes of the flowers, but other than that I was just happy in being out of the Imperial Palace and trying not to get into trouble. The one thing I due clearly remember is how kind Soturemol was to both Ya'Jun and myself. Of my trip to that world, he is the one thing I remember the most."

"A single show of kindness can have a lasting effect on someone," her hypnotic words were meant to lure the Nylaan into a deeper emotional state, one that would make it that much more difficult for the Chief of Security to block the memories the ExO / ILO had been searching for. Again Shar'El felt a twinge of guilt gnawing at her soul but as she had told herself before, this was for Ya'Han's own good that she was doing this.

As planned, Ya'Han began to recall the instances when someone had shown her kindness above and beyond what she had expected at the time. As a runaway who had encountered more hardships than she could have ever expected along her journey, those pleasant instances had remained with her even if she had lost track of them over the years.

From the Federation Starbase PARASIDIO, the Nylaan's memories quickly travelled to her time at Starfleet Academy and to the ANUBIS to finally land on the person the investigating Intel Operative knew had been at the centre of this affair. Jayson had shown a unique type of kindness to Ya'Han, so it was no surprise when memories of his involvement in her life surfaced.

"It is unfortunate that at times, this kindness leaves us vulnerable," Shar'El added, ready to read the memory she expected to follow, the one that would explain what had happened between the two lovers to result in the current state of their relationship. What the ExO / ILO had not expected was the mental resolve of the Nylaan who quickly shutdown her thoughts and emotions from not only the Ullian, but from the universe as a whole.

"I'm sorry," Ya'Han offered in a cold and distant tone. The controlled breathing of the Nylaan was proof that the efforts of the Ullian had been successful in triggering the emotional response she had desired, but alas the now purple-haired woman had proven to be more capable at controlling her mind than the ExO / ILO had anticipated.

"It is I who should be sorry," Shar'El offered, accepting that this would not be the time she would break through to discover the reasons for the distance between the two officers. "I forced you to relived memories that I am sure you would have rather not. I have images of the garden as well as the hatchery and their surroundings from your memories, enough for me to have the IGC run some comparative searches. I am sure they will be able to find something, especially when we add in the name of the caretaker, even if he held the position some time ago. In the meantime rest, you earned it."

"Thank you," Ya'Han acknowledged, the emotional fatigue she felt clearly visible on her features. "Shar'El?" The still purple-haired Nylaan added, as if she had been about to say or ask something of her guest.

"Yes," the Ullian replied, silently hoping that this would lead to the personal reason why she had ventured here and why Jayson had been pacing through his quarters and corridor.

"Just, thank you," the Chief of Security stated, her hair gradually returning to the mixture of black and red that indicated the return in full force of the woman as well as her control of her emotions.

"My pleasure," Shar'El confirmed. "You know that I am here for you should you need me, no matter the reason?"

"Again, thank you, you are a good friend," the Nylaan said. Whatever reason Ya'Han had used to convince herself that this had not been the time to reveal her secrets had been powerful, enough to frustrate the Ullian on a professional level, but yet her last words had been sufficient to make the raven-haired woman smile.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P055: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 05 - 2000 ("Seeking")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Seeking"
[previous post was "Plotting"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32222.2000

Ya'Han had wanted to tell Shar'El, to bring her into the small group of friends who knew about her being with child, but the more she considered that possibility, the more the Nylaan found reasons not to do so. As the ship's First Officer, the Commander would have to officially address this matter to insure that everyone was safe and not a potential liability to the ANUBIS or its crew. As a friend, the Ullian might find herself becoming protective of the mother-to-be, especially given the role and duties the expecting woman help. How guilty would she feel if the unborn child was lost because of some security emergency?

Knowing Ya'Han as Shar'El did, the only way to insure the safety of the child within her would be to remove the woman from active duty, but that risked sending the Nylaan into a tailspin from which neither might come out alive. So by keeping this knowledge from the Commander, she would be saved making a difficult decision and possibly shouldering the consequences of said decision. She hoped that in time, the Ullian would understand that this had nothing to do with them being friends, but rather because it would put the First Officer in an undesirable and awkward position. The continued silence on that subject had been for her benefit, since it was certainly not for the mental comfort of the pregnant woman who now found herself desperately needings someone to speak to.

First though, the Nylaan needed to actually rest a little. The guided journey through those distant memories of her time on DOLBAR had proven to be quite draining, and somewhere in her mind, Ya'Han could not help but wonder if Shar'El had not been fishing for more than she had stated. The black and red-haired woman had felt her mind slipping towards other, far more recent emotional events. That it had been intentional or a simple side effect of her remembering the kindness shown by Soturemol, the Sec/Tac was quick to end things before it was too late and the unwanted memories surfaced to be seen by the other woman in the room.

As much as Ya'Han wanted to bring Shar'El into the know, the Nylaan would do so only when she deemed the time right, and would not do so through broadcasting memories but rather with her words. That, her friend deserved, especially after having been kept out. So in the meantime, since the Sec/Tac.

With a renewed wish and need to rest, the Nylaan woman sat onto the couch, closed her eyes, slowed her breathing and allowed her hands to once again caress ever so gently the home of the growing child within her. Having spent so much time by herself while traveling from freighter to freighter as she did her best to escape from the grasp of her father, Ya'Han found comfort in no longer being alone. That said, the resting woman managed to find her quarters to still be missing something, a presence that she had grown oddly accustomed to, despite its source having been more than annoying at times.

Ya'Han could easily justify her reasoning for not telling Shar'El, but the expecting woman found it much more difficult to do the same in regards to Jayson. As the father, he should have been the first to be told the news, but something had held her back. Maybe she feared his reaction, that he would not be happy in the way their lives would certain be made to change. Maybe she was concerned that he would use this as an excuse to leave her, or maybe this was just her hormone driven fears talking. Maybe what she feared the most was that he would be happy beyond her understanding, which would change the way he looked at her, from the strong and self-assured warrior to a simple woman needing his protection.

To be entirely honest Ya'Han was not sure what she feared, but the end result remained the same, Jayson had not been told nor would he be, at leas not until there was no way for her to hide it from him.  With that certitude in mind, the Nylaan realized that she would not be able to get any rest, no matter how tired or desperately needed it became. She needed to speak to someone, to voice her concerns, that they made sense or not. She needed to not be alone but with someone who would listen and accept that she was, for the moment, emotionally unhinged.

The first person to come to mind was of course Sonja who had been there, supporting her through everything since the very beginning of this new chapter in her life. The problem was that the Nylaan woman knew she needed rest and that it would likely be the last thing she would get while in the company of the redhead engineer.  Being the energetic type that she was, the concept of rest for the Chief Engineering Officer of the ANUBIS usually involved some sort of tinkering or partying. At worst, the dancing and general enjoyment of life would be put on display in the ship's Black Hole Lounge, and at best it would be contained within the limits of her quarters. Either way, actual rest would not be part of the equation.

Considering this, Ya'Han realized that she now had another choice, another friend who would be there for her during this unusual time of need. Nicole might not have been as much of a friend as Sonja was, but at least the Trill would not find some way to drag the expecting woman into some sort of activity that would more than likely involve drinking, dancing or both. It was far more likely that the Counsellor would offer exactly what the Sec/Tac needed; a place to sit, rest and talk about whatever came into her mind, no matter how strange or off topic it might all seem.

"Ya'Han to Counselor Dima," the Sec/Tac said, right after having tapped the location on her chest where her communicator should have been. The absence of a metal presence beneath her fingers and the lack of any sort of mechanical chirp afterwards quickly reminded the Nylaan woman that the small device had been removed earlier.  "How I manage to continue performing my duties on board the ANUBIS is proving to be a rapidly expanding mystery," Ya'Han giggled in amused disbelief as she continued to rub her belly. "Very much like what I will be doing at some point."

With this little humorous interlude behind her, Ya'Han returned to her feet and went directly for the small table upon which the communicator had been placed. As soon as it was locked back into place, the Nylaan woman took in a long, deep breath.

"Computer, please locate Counselor Dima."

=/\= Counsellor Dima is currently in her offices on deck 7, =/\= the computer promptly replied.

"Guessing that I am not the only one that is finding it hard to just rest," the Nylaan woman laughed thinking of the other members of the senior staff who, for the most part, appeared to have great difficulties in just taking a seat and putting up their feet for any amount of time, herself included.  With that, the Sec/Tac exited her quarters and headed straight for the Counselling department to see Nicole. Even if the Counsellor was busy, this would give Ya'Han an excuse to stretch her legs and go for a walk instead of sitting in her quarters trying to find some way for her to actually get some rest.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P056: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 05 - 2000 ("Researching")
---
"Researching"
(Previous Post: "Seeking")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Maya's Quarters
Stardate: 32222.2000

The Shillian had become a near expert at breaking through the surface encoding of the crystals, this despite each of the four she had worked on utilizing a completely different system to keep the information within concealed. With each crystal came a new exhilarating challenge, and with each also came a renewed sense of admiration for the man responsible for their creation. Professor Arken was a genius in more ways than the Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS could describe, and for that, she was grateful to him.

As long as she worked on the puzzles the crystals presented her with, Maya did not have to think about anything else. The details of her earliest shattered memories could remain hidden in the further recesses of her mind. The inescapable fact that she was the last of her kind could be ignored for the time being and pushed aside allowing more important and relevant matters to take priority. As long as she remained busy, the Shillian could forget for a short period her journey to ZOBRA PRIME and the offer made by the Grand Maestro.

For some, being elevated to the status of a rare collectible might have been something to instil pride or even bolster confidence, but for Maya it had only served to remind her of how alone she truly was. As an officer in Starfleet and as a member of the crew of the USS ANUBIS, Maya understood that she would never be alone, not in that definition of the word, but as the last surviving member of the Shillian race, her solitude would be guaranteed until her final days.

In order to avoid slipping into a depression of her own making, the Chief Science Officer had focussed, as she always did, on her work, on her scientific research of whatever seemed to be most urgent. At this time finding out everything possible about DOLBAR and the Dolbargy had been her goal, explaining the countless number of PADDs scattered all over her quarters.

With the world located so deep inside Ferengi controlled space, the Federation possessed very little information, but that did not mean the details of DOLBAR and the Dolbargy were inaccessible through other means. The team of highly skilled technicians working in the Intelligence Gathering Center under the supervision of Commander Shar'El had already begun to put many of the puzzle pieces together. Added to this their ability to tap into the Imperial communication network of NYLA IV, a feat made possible thanks to the insight of their own Nylaan Chief of Security, the veil of secrecy surrounding that world were being gradually removed.

Some of the pieces of this exo-cultural puzzle that had been discovered included the knowledge that the Dolbargy were a genderless race, reproducing through oviparous means. What remained a mystery to date was how these eggs become fertile given that every single member of this race seemed to lack the ability to do so. If the process was entirely self-contained, the hatchling should be noting more than a perfect genetic clone of the parent, but so far, nothing pointed to that being the case. This single mystery amongst countless others was more than enough to have the Shillian Scientist anxious to seeing this world and its inhabitants.

Information concerning the global political landscape of DOLBAR could be found on many of the scattered PADDs, Maya having taken some mental notes on the subject. As much as one might claim that political sciences could be as interesting as anything else the Chief Science Officer dealt with, the Shillian had always been far more fascinated by the pure and applied aspects of the universe and the endless multitude of life found therein.  Still, she could not escape the fact that the planet was ruled by one of eight regional government that rotated as the main power each solar rotation; a system hat was as intriguing as it was unique.

The advantage of such a political system was that each region would become the center of attention once every eight years, insuring that no segment of the population would be suppressed or ignored knowing that retribution would come sooner or later. The same system held some drawbacks, as any others did none being perfect, this one being that the accomplishments of one region could be halted or even reversed once their time in control came to an end. However strange and alien as this system was, it had functioned for countless centuries meaning that it needed to be studied and not criticized.

Another aspect of the Dolbargy and their culture, one more along the interests of the Chief Science Officer, dealt specifically with their eggs and the markings found on them. Although the data was incomplete, the information reviewed by the Shillian pointed to there being a very specific significance assigned to these darker spots and blotches. Understanding biology as she did, the Chief Science Officer found it odd that such randomly created patches could be looked upon as having any sort of significance beyond the health and possible exposure of the parent to possibly harmful chemicals, be them naturally occurring or otherwise.

Without more data on this particular subject, there was little more that the Shillian could do other than speculate as to how these markings were being looked upon by the genderless race. Had this trend developed over time out of superstitious beliefs or had there been another reason, one buried in the political foundation of the current Dolbargy way of life? Again, Maya found herself anxious to reach their destination so that she would be able to learn more about this race, their culture and everything that made them unique as compared to the rest of the universe.  What also piqued the curiosity of the scientist was that no images of individual members of this race could be found. It was as if every member of the race had decided to be camera shy.

Aside from the fact that this made it impossible to know what a Dolbargy actually looked like unless standing before one, it also meant that there would be no way for the away team to alter their physical appearance to be less noticeable while on the surface. This unexpected aspect of the race could prove to be an important obstacle for the crew to overcome as they searched for the fifth crystal.

"How can a race able to travel from one star system to another manage to keep their appearances unknown," Maya noted to herself, being alone in her quarters. "This makes no sense. I would be willing to entertain the possibility that they refuse to engage in visual communications, but there are no indications in any of the data collected that DOLBAR is made to be off limits to visitors and traders alike. Therefore, it should be an accepted fact that many have dealt with the Dolbargy and could have reported on their appearance even if a direct image was never actually be taken. This of course opens up an entirely new set of possibilities to explain this, but there is no way for me to research those here," the Shillian added, giving her quarters a quick glance over. "I should clean up first before someone makes a report to the Captain as to a sudden shortage in PADDs. Then again, I suspect that Captain Morningstar and everyone else on the senior staff would know where to start looking should such a report actually be made."

---
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7, Exo-Biology Laboratory
Stardate: 32222.2200

Normally, the Chief Science Officer would have passed on this specific research to the Chief Medical Officer, or at the very least asked for their assistance given the unusual details of this mystery, but with Doctor Doyanne currently stationed on NEW ALEXANDRIA, Maya had decided to tackle this by herself. Enjoying being as busy as she could meant that this was not an issue for the Shillian Scientist who appeared more than at ease as she moved from one station to another.

"Maya?" The voice of the First Officer echoed through the room, prompting the woman in question to look up so that Shar'El could see where exactly the scientist was.

"Yes Commander? How may I help you?" The Chief Science Officer replied having returned to her research.

"Are you not supposed to be resting?" Shar'El asked, the rhetorical question made to be as obvious as possible.

"I am. I mean I was. Actually, you could still consider this my resting as I am only working on a single aspect of a much greater mystery," the Shillian explained, or at least tried to. "Did you know that there is no picture or image anywhere that could give us an idea as to what a Dolbargy actually appears like? I mean, as the head of the Intel Gathering Center and the First Officer of the USS ANUBIS I am sure that you already knew this, but I meant to say that despite some excessive research, I have not been able to find anything. As far as images of that race are concerned, those people might has well be invisible. Now, I have already dismissed that possibility as I have come across many written accounts of merchants and diplomatic envoys to DOLBAR claiming to have *seen* the Dolbargy. What is odd is that none was able to give any sort of description, be it specific or general, on their appearance, which leads me to believe that there may be some unique biological element at play. The Federation is already aware of certain xenophobic races who generate memory-altering fields around them to insure that no one can remember even having encountered them. Other races go through a great deal of work to hide their presence through technological means. Again, based on some of the written counts I have come across, that explanation does not fit here, as there are many accounts of merchant transactions. That led be to wonder if maybe the race was just that visually unappealing. Most humanoid races tend to enjoy looking at something or someone they consider to be pleasant and avoid things and they deem to be less attractive. It could make things difficult when dealing with other races, but even that explanation seems lacking on many points. Why would Dolbargy hide their own appearance from one another? Somehow, I doubt that an entire race could be so physically unattractive that they manage to scare each other into hiding. Of course, that would go a long way to explain how the species developed over time to be genderless."

As interesting as the exploration of the numerous possibilities was, Shar'El thought it best to interrupt before the Shillian found her second wind and went into another lengthy explanation.  "Maya, as much as we all appreciate you being so dedicated to your work, the Captain and I need everyone t be well-rested. Our being back into Ferengi controlled space, even under the cover of the ablative cloak, is likely to be a less then tranquil journey. We need everyone to be sharp and ready to act quickly, not fighting off mental or physical fatigue."

"Of course," Maya agreed. "You are correct. I was just in my quarters and one thing led to another. When I realized there was not a single visual account of the Dolbargy I just had to come here to look into some of the biological possibilities to explain such a strange phenomenon. I thought that it would be useful for us to know this about them before arriving at the DOLBAR system."

"Maya," Shar'El said, walking around one of the laboratory workstations in order to be right next to the Shillian. "We all appreciate all that you do. Your dedication to all things scientific has never been in doubt, but I also know why you are doing this right now," the black-haired Ullian said, gently tapping the side of her head.

"Speaking with Counsellor Dima following our return from ZOBRA PRIME did help quite a bit, but it does not change the fact that the Grand Maestro is correct," Maya said, jumping from one subject to the next without any hesitation showing that this particular matter had been on her mind even if she had not been actively thinking about it. "I am something of an oddity, a creature that should studied for what I am; the last specimen of a race that no longer exists."

"You are being far too harsh on yourself Maya," the Commander said, thinking that another visit to the offices of Counsellor Dima might be in order.

"Just being realistic," the Chief Science Officer said, even adding a faint smile to show that her words had not been born of some misplaced despair or depression. "Maybe overly so, but as you can see I have been thinking about this, but not in the manner you might believe."

"All right," Shar'El grinned. "How exactly have you been thinking about this?"

"Thought I would write down the details of what I remember of my time on SHILLIA PRIME. Sort of a personal historical account of the last days of a world and the civilization that called it home," the Shillian said, unable to hide the sadness in her voice. "The problem is that right now, I am unable to clearly focus on that task, not with so many other things happening, namely our quest for the crystals and more specifically the mystery that the Dolbargy are proving to be. I can only guess that after having forced myself to look ahead for so long, that I am ill prepared to look back with the objectivity required to accomplish what it is I wish to do. Maybe in time, but for now, occupying my thoughts with work is, as Nicole mentioned, a valid and productive method of dealing with my personal issues. That I may be able to solve parts of the mystery of this peculiar race would only be a bonus, but I will take your concerns into account and make sure that I get as much rest as needed so that I can be as ready and alert for our travels through Ferengi space."

The Commander paused for a moment, looking at the Shillian and carefully considering her words. As the First Officer, Shar'El could easily order Maya back to her quarters, going as far as to make sure that she had no access to anything or anyone beyond the limits of her walls, but that would have been more than excessive. The scientist had done nothing wrong other than to deal with her own issues as best she could, which actually proved to be beneficial for the ship and crew.  How could anyone fault her for that?

"Keep up the good work, but do take it easy," Shar'El said, her words more than a suggestion but just below being an order. "I will admit that it would be nice to know more about the Dolbargy and their culture, but not at the expense of having any member of the senior staff being in the slightest way tired."

"Thank you Commander. I will make sure that my research into the race and there being no images of them does not interfere with my ability to perform when we cross over into Ferengi controlled space."

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P057: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 05 - 2230 ("Contemplating")
=-=
"Contemplating"
[previous post was "Researching" by the workaholic Jessica]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7 Corridor
Stardate: 32222.2230

Shar'El understood all too well how difficult the situation could be for Maya. As much as the Shillian had done her best to keep her emotions and memories in check, both had come out loud and clear for the Ullian to pick up on. How could anyone ask of someone to not be emotional when dealing with the reality that the Chief Science Officer faced every single day?

The fact that Maya used this defining moment in her life to push herself to be whom she was today was a credit to her character and dedication. In the same position, many would have simply given up and embraced their sadness as excuse to not finding any reason to keep going. The Shillian on the other hand had made it her goal to seek out anything and everything that gave her purpose. Any reason to challenge herself as an individual and as a scientist was quickly accepted and enjoyed to its fullest in ways that no one else could have. The search for an explanation as to the lack of any image of the Dolbargy being a perfect example of this scientific drive.

Now, if only Ya'Han had been so easy to understand. Unlike the Shillian, the Nylaan had been an impenetrable fortress when it came to her emotions and memories, which was also a credit to her character. The woman's strength was remarkable making it clear as to why she had become the Chief of Security for a ship such as the ANUBIS. As frustrated as the ExO / ILO might have been with the black and red-haired Nylaan, the raven-haired Ullian had to admire the level of self-control that she displayed to hide the reasons for her current behavior.

Making her way down the corridor, the ExO / ILO returned her thoughts on the Shillian and the work that she had accomplished despite having been told, like the other members of the senior staff, to get some rest.  Combining the information obtained from Ya'Han and the cultural details uncovered by Maya's research, the Dolbargy began to step out of the shadows of the unknown to be seen as the complex race they were. The enigmatic race, which the crew of the ANUBIS would have to deal with soon enough if they wanted to take possession of the fifth crystal on their quest to reunite all eight pieces of a much larger puzzle, could prove to be a very interesting diversion or a more than demanding obstacle to overcome. 

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 32222.2245

Sitting at her station, the ExO / ILO scanned the displayed information on the Dolbargy. The single-gendered race, which laid eggs as their means of reproduction, had created a rather unique planetary governmental system that saw the ruling power shift from one group to the next every solar rotation. Although this still left a lot to be uncovered about the eight groups who shared this power, the ExO / ILO could see the benefits of such a balanced system. Should any one group decide to lash out at any of the others, be they in power or not, they would risk drawing the wrath of the remaining seven and forever lose their chance to return to power when their time came.

The only political drawback that Shar'El could see in such a system was that any suggested idea, any proposed change, and any expansion on the ways things were being done required a small and progressive implementation. To make any grandiose changes would risk upsetting everyone else, or even risk being undone by the next group when it was their turn to take over as the planetary ruling body.

Had their mission be one with a more political undertone, knowing more about the groups and their respective focuses and style while in power would have been a top priority, but this was not the case. Their immediate goal was to locate Soturemol, secure the trade of the crystal and have the ANUBIS leave Ferengi space before being discovered. Thanks to the specialized equipment on board the SCRAB-Class Intel Cruiser, doing so should not prove to be overly difficult, unfortunately, the Hirogen patrols that could now be found around NYLA IV and in the neighboring systems added a far more dangerous set of variable.

As sensitive and fine-tuned as the Ferengi sensors might be, they could not compare to those of found on board the Hirogen hunting party. Designed and calibrated to find even the most elusive of preys, they enabled the hunters to track down anything and everything they set their sights upon.  Of course, this would make the task of keeping the USS ANUBIS undetected that much more difficult, and even more imperative. The unrest that had been created with the assassination attempt of the High Sovereign of NYLA IV by none other than his own heir had sent shockwaves throughout the entire sector. To have a Starfleet vessel discovered within their border would only add fuel to the fire and drag all of the Federation into a story that they had been best to remain as far away as possible.

The one advantage the crew of the ANUBIS had was that the Hirogens did not seem overly preoccupied with keeping their presence a secret, patrolling in medium to large sized groups that could be seen more than full light-years away. This would allow the Intel Cruiser to make any necessary course changes to insure that the ship, under the cloak of its protective armor, would remain unseen and undetected. The real test would be while the away team was on the planet, forcing the ship to remain nearby in order to quickly respond should an emergency arise.

"Commander Shar'El," one of the IGC techs called out. "We are about to enter within maximum sensor range of the New Ferengi Alliance border markers."

Shar'El smiled. This had been another reason why she had returned to the IGC, knowing that this moment was coming. "Full sensor sweep and confirm that there are no other ships in the area.  As soon as this is done, secure all stations, place the ship on yellow alert and engage the ablative armor. Make sure that our power signature is brought down to absolute minimum and lock down all communications. We are going in dark, at least that way the Admiral will be able to deny any knowledge of our activities should we run into trouble."

=-=
Setting: Space
Stardate: 32222.2300

The silver-gray hull of the modified NEBULA-Class Cruiser, which appeared like so many other science vessels in Starfleet, was in the span of mere seconds cloaked from view and sensors as the ablative plates were replicated over the entirety of the external hull. From a single distant blip on whatever long-range sensors might have been aimed in their general direction, the ANUBIS became an unseen ghost. Only the fact that some of the stars had become hidden through some unexplained spatial anomaly hinted as to the ship's presence and heading, the later having been changed the moment the it was confirmed that the ablative armor had been fully operational.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 32222.2310

"Ghost protocol is now in effect," another IGC tech reported. "Helm as acknowledged the new flight path and will confirm each course corrections as they are implemented. The revised ETA to entering Ferengi space at our current speed and heading is 50 minutes. We are still on track to reach DOLBAR by stardate 32224.05."

The raven-haired woman gave an acknowledging nod before clearing the information from her screen and standing. She had hounded nearly every member of the senior staff to make sure they rested, and now it was time for her to listen to her own advice. As well planned as everything might be, there were simply too many variables to account for in order to insure that nothing happened. So it was best for the ExO / ILO to get the same rest she had prescribed to everyone else.

Under the guidelines of Ghost Protocol, both the Captain and ExO would be notified the moment something unexpected was detected, be it inside or outside of the ANUBIS.So there was no need to remind her team as to what they needed to do should something come up, instead Shar'El took the current stillness in the IGC to make her exit.

At best, she would be able to get a good night's rest, waking refreshed and ready to tackle the next day.  With their destination just under 30 hours away, there was still ample time to continue the research into the Dolbargy without to many concerns.  At worst, the ExO / ILO would be called back in less than an hour as they flew into Ferengi controlled space, their crossing the invisible line between the two powers having triggered some unexpected response.

Based on what she knew of the Ferengi, of their way of working and even taking into account the presence of Hirogen patrols, the raven-haired woman was more than confident that she would get the full night's rest. The USS ANUBIS had been built and equipped for such perilous missions, and it crew trained for just the same. Nothing in this universe was ever certain, but had Shar'El been a betting woman, she would have placed the odds well in their own favor.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P058: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 05 - 2315 ("Resting and Laughing")
"Resting and Laughing"
previous post was "Contemplating"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 32222.2315

Yes, the redhead Engineer had been told to rest, in fact she had been ordered to do so as every other member of the senior staff had. To Sonja though, just being near the beating heart of the ANUBIS was as relaxing an activity as it got. She found the steady rhythm of the warp core to be exceptionally soothing, and if she allowed it, there was no doubt in the mind of the Chief Engineer that with such a pleasant lullaby, her ship would be able to lure her into an angelic sleep in only a few moments.

"Lieutenant?" The Avatar asked, sounding almost concerned as she came to stand next to the entranced woman who had been at that exact spot for sever hours now.

"Yes ANI?" Sonja softly replied, the woman sounding far more relaxed than anyone could have expected her to be, or ever heard her to be before.

"I thought you should know."

"Know what?" the Engineer offered back as she extended her hand to actually touch the core's outer casing. "That the ablative amour has been deployed? That the ANUBIS is currently under Ghost Protocol? That all of our systems are currently working in *whisper* mode as I like to call it, or that my hair is currently standing on end?"  The smile on Sonja's face made it evident that the questions had been irrelevant, and that using the warp core's electrostatic field to cause her red hair to stand on end had been for nothing more than a show.

As the Chief Engineering Officer, the redhead knew things about the ship without having to see any consoles or be told by anyone else.  The vibrations of the deck plates and the subtle changes in the pulses coursing through the matter / antimatter reaction assembly had been all that she needed to know what was happening beyond the confines of the ship's Main Engineering. That she could also tap into the static field with such precision so as to avoid suffering a severe electrostatic jolt was yet another indication that her connection to the ANUBIS had been unlike any other crew member on board.

"My apologies," the Avatar sincerely offered. "I believed that in your current state you would have been less perceptive as to the actions around you as well as the state of the ship, obviously I was mistaken."

"You were only mistaken about me my dear," Sonja casually clarified, having withdrawn her hand from the core allowing for her hair to return to a more natural style. "Most humanoids become detached of their immediate physical surroundings when they allow their thoughts to wonder to another place, to another time. Take Maya for example, when you find her completely lost in her thoughts, you could actually move her to an entirely different section of the ship without her realizing it."

"I do not believe that she would find such a move amusing in the least," ANI pointed out, suspecting that this would be true of everyone, not only the Shillian scientist.

"Of course not, and I would never do that to her, not unless she decides to ask me to re-calibrate the Astrometrics sensors again," the Chief Engineer sighed just as her right eye twitched ever so slightly. "If she asks me to do that again, which would make it the twelfth time inside a month, which I will admit would push me over the edge, I would not hold back.  I would right there and then transport that skinny shapeshifting body of hers clear off the ship and have her sit on the outer hull where Captain Morningstar can, at one point or another, find her while he enjoys one of his lost-in-space Native American spiritual walk."

"Of course," the Avatar said, understanding that the woman had not at all been serious but in fact was joking, a contempt that the artificial woman was becoming increasingly more adapt with thanks to the constant and repeated efforts of the ship's Chief Engineer.

"As for you making a mistake," Sonja continued with a smile dancing on her lips. "Just think of me as another you. When I stand here, looking as lost as you believed me to be, it is because I am communing with the ship, listening to her, to her stories and needs. I used to do this quite a bit more but as of late things have been just too hectic for me to take the time to just stand here and listen. So, we've been catching up."

ANI looked at the redhead woman with puzzlement, unsure if this was another joke or if Sonja had actually been serious. Judging by the intonations in her voice as well as her biological readings which the Avatar could easily monitor through the ship's internal sensors, everything pointed to the Chief Engineer having been quite serious in her latest claim.

"You will have to explain to me how you are able to accomplish this link as well as why you choose to do so," the artificial being said, clearly appearing perplexed. "As I am the physical extension of the ANUBIS, you could just as easily speak to me and ask me to relay to you any mechanical requirements needing your attention or to answer any questions you may have as to the status of any system on board."

"Yes you are an extension of the ship," the Chief Engineer confirmed, "and yes you are directly linked to every system on board, that is how you were designed, but to me you are a separate entity in your own right. You are ANI, she is the ANUBIS, the two of you may share a great many things, but to me you will always be my two girls needing my individual time and attention."

Although she was an artificial being, the expression on the Avatar's face hinted to something that would have normally been only expected from an entity possessing feelings. As faint as it might have been, the confusion displayed by ANI was as real as she was.

"No need to fry any of those sensitive neuro-circuits of yours," Sonja said, reaching to take the Avatar by the shoulder. "I really don't have the time right now to replace them, so you will just have to wait until we get out of that dead zone known as Ferengi controlled space to have your system meltdown. It's either that or you get to spend the next few days in the robotics lab with your brain directly linked to a descrambler."

ANI hesitated for a moment as she tried to figure out how she needed to react to the latest statement made by the Chief Engineer. It was only after several seconds that she understood that this had been yet another joke and that no reply or acknowledgement had been required.

"Come, you can escort me back to my quarters. That way I will have an alibi should Maya suddenly finds herself in another section of the ship," Sonja said before starting to laugh, a reaction that the Avatar acknowledged with nothing more than a smile.  "Remind me to add a laugh-track subroutine to your programming. It will make my telling you all these jokes a lot more fun for everyone."

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P059: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 06 - 0500 ("Drinking")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Drinking"
[previous post was "Resting and Laughing"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Black Hole Lounge, Upper Level
Stardate: 32223.0500

The night had not been as restful as she might have wanted it to be. The discussion with Nicole had helped, that there was no denying it, but Ya'Han still found herself burdened by thoughts, both from her past and would-be future.

The Nylaan kept looking out the nearest window, expecting to find familiar stars and constellations, but with the ablative armor active, the only thing she could see was the cold darkness of the inner plating. The strangest part of all this was that it did not bother her nearly as much as she expected it to. Most would have felt some positive feeling associated with returning home, or in this case in the general neighborhood, but her past and the events that had taken place on MARKALA PRIME had made certain the Nylaan would not experience such feelings.

"Will you want another?" the waitress asked of the pensive woman, the empty glass cradled in her hands as if she had wanted to make sure it would not suddenly escape.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Ya'Han replied, releasing her two-handed grip on the glass.

"Isn't it way too early for you to be drinking?" Sonja scowled her friend as she pulled out a chair. "You know me, I am all for a good drink, but you being the way you are, you should not be indulging in such a way. At least, please tell me that it was synthehol?"

The Nylaan shook her head, making it perfectly clear that the drink she had enjoyed had not been the synthetic alcohol mentioned by the Chief Engineer. The redhead had been ready to launch a verbal beating that would have left the pregnant woman with no other choice but to never again touch the now offending substance, but just as the infamous finger was pointed to he Sec/Tac the refill was placed onto the table between the two women.

"Would you like me to bring you something Lieutenant?" The waitress asked of the second woman, figuring that if one had been drinking, the other might be inclined to do the same.

Sonja sighed as she retracted the finger, the weaponized digit having no longer been required. "No, thank you," the Engineer replied, "I think I am going to have enough to swallow for a while."

Ya'Han smiled as she reached for the glass and brought it to her lips, taking a rather sizable gulp of the white liquid it contained. "Told you, it was not synthehol," the Sec/Tac confirmed, a clearly visible milk moustache gracing her upper lip.

"Yes you did," Sonja reluctantly agreed, "but I am not sure this is any better. Why not advertise to the entire ship that you are pregnant. No one gets up at 0500 to come here for a glass of milk, especially not the Chief of Security."

"Relax," the Sec/Tac suggested before taking another large gulp of her non-alcoholic drink. "Aside from the staff of two, there are only four people in the Black Hole at this moment. You and I make the first two, the other two are on the primary level well out of sight. We are alone here, so no one will see me enjoying my drinks. Plus, Nicole said that it would do me good, both physically and emotionally."

"Well," Sonja playfully huffed, "who am I go contradict the Ship's Counsellor. Still, you need t be careful, anyone could have come in the way I did and seen you drinking this vile white concoction. Unless you suddenly decided to go all Jem'Hadar on us and drink ketracel white, someone would see this and be asking a lot of questions."

"Because they would not ask any questions if I was drinking ketracel white?" Ya'Han laughed, downing the remainder of her glass of milk.

"That is not my point," Sonja dismissed with an exaggerated gesture from her hands. "What if it was the Captain who had walked in instead of me? Could have also been Maya or heck even Jayson. What would you have said to them?"

"That I felt homesick?" The Sec/Tac replied as serious as could be.

"You! Homesick?" Sonja challenged, not giving the slightest hint that she believed the woman's claim.

"It is possible," Ya'Han proposed, again sounding as serious as could be. "After a lengthy discussion with Nicole, I could have been made to see my past in an entirely different way which led me to feel homesick, and drinking milk is helping cope with those feelings."

"They don't give milk to Nylaan babies, certainly not those of the High Sovereign," Sonja argued back. "You yourself told me that. Babies are given some weird mixture of proteins and vitamins that would make a Klingon sick."

"No one else knows though," the Sec/Tac grinned. "I appreciate you wanting to make this as easy and simple as possible, but the rest of the senior staff will need to find out at some point. Each time I see Shar'El I am torn between telling her that I am with child and knowing what that knowledge will force her to do. Not telling her now is just delaying the inevitable and risks my losing her friendship, and I don't have that many friends to gamble with their feelings."

"Shar'El will understand," the redhead Engineer reassured. "I will make sure of that. As for friends, you have me. Do you truly need any more?"

"I guess not," Ya'Han giggled.

"Good, because it would have made this awkward," Sonja said as she fetched a PADD from beneath the table and slid it towards her milk-drinking friend. "I had ANI do a full passive scan of the communication network, the same thing that the IGC always does when we enter a different region of space. The difference is that I had her focus on any mention of your homeworld. This is what she was able to find."

Ya'Han stared at the inactive device, not complete certain that she wanted to see the information contained within.

"Relax," Sonja said, trying her best to imitate the Nylaan when she had said that exact same word to her. "According to the chatter out there, your father is safe and sound and appears to be doing quick well with his new personal guards."

"Personal guards?"

"I can't tell you more than what ANI was able to intercept," the Engineer specified. "Seems that he enlisted 150 elite troops to make sure nothing would happen to him. The Hirogens are just providing air support making sure that no one gets any ideas and tries to attack the whole planet. Right now, your father is one of the better protected individuals in this galaxy."

"Thank you," the exiled daughter of the High Sovereign said, placing her hand on the still inactive PADD. As much as she might have detested the man for all that he had done as well as what he had forced her to do in order to keep some level of self identity, not to mention not having to marry that Ferengi troll, she still found it in her to miss her father.

"Don't mention it," Sonja said, placing her hand over that of her friend. "ANI was also able to get some additional information on that Soturemol fellow. There was a planetary announcement made a few months ago, and by the looks of things, he has been doing well and was promoted to the rank of Chief Master Supervisor for all of the hatcheries for the southern region. If this is the same guy who Arken gave the crystal to, finding him may not be as difficult as we expected."

"One can hope," the Sec/Tac said. As great as the news about Soturemol was, it still failed to get the Nylaan excited, her thoughts having lingered on the previous news concerning her father, something that Ya'Han truly would have rather avoided. Aside from her own personal issues, the ANUBIS being inside Ferengi controlled space made things far more dangerous and unpredictable. Therefore, she needed to keep her wits about her and focus on the only thing that mattered. The now Chief Master Supervisor Soturemol and the crystal that was said to be in his possession.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P060: USS ANUBIS: Dima: DAY 6 - 0800 ("Drifting")
“Drifting”
(Continued from “Drinking” by the patient Hanali)

=/\=

“No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

=/\=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Morningstar’s Office
Stardate: 32223.0800

The new day had broken with the ship carefully cloaked in its armor, running silently into an area of space where they wouldn’t necessarily have wanted to go, except for the promise of the next crystal that resided there. The senior staff had been ordered to rest, but those orders were more easily said than followed. As much as the Dolbargy were a potential danger, the people also held fascination. It was this, as much as the away team’s dealings with the Grand Maestro, that had prevented compliance.

“Good morning, Nicole,” the CO of the ANUBIS said with his customary authoritative friendliness. “I took the liberty of getting the coffee this morning.”

“Thank you,” she said, taking a sip of the caffeinated drink, willing the aroma to make her more alert than she currently was. “Mmm.”

“I hope you slept well,” he prompted, a glimmer of concern in his eyes.

Nicole shifted awkwardly in her seat. It hadn’t been a blissful amount of sleep, but she guessed it had to have been more than Ya’Han or Maya.  “I got enough rest.”

Erik Morningstar may or may not have been satisfied with the answer, but he chose to let it drop, letting his observations lead his judgement rather than his words. “Let’s begin with Shar’El’s latest report. As you are aware, the ship entered Ghost Protocol due to the possibility of Hirogen…”


=/\=

Setting: Counsellor’s Office
Time Index: Yesterday evening about 2005

Ya’Han was unexpectedly quiet. Nicole had replicated some tea and scones, and the Sec/Tac appeared content to sample both, while examining her surroundings with a forlorn look. It was like she’d never been in Dima’s office before.

“When are you planning to tell Jayson that you’re pregnant?” Not exactly a soft opening question, but Nicole felt it was one of the most important ones. As far as duty was concerned, the little one’s existence didn’t need to be disclosed until it became a concern or a danger to either the ship or the mission. The tiny, growing collection of cells in Ya’Han’s stomach wasn’t a threat to anyone. Even then, since it was a personnel issue, Shar’El would be privy to that announcement before the Captain. But the child’s father was a different story in Ensign Dima’s mind. The times her other hosts had children, there was no subterfuge, and frankly, the Trill woman was finding Ya’Han’s secrecy difficult to understand.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

“You *are* happy about this, right?” Nicole asked as she raked her hand through her short crop of dark brown hair. Maybe that was the question she should have led with.

“Oh, yes, of course.”

“Then what’s holding you back?”

Ya’Han touched her mid-section instinctively, though there were no outward signs of the life inside her... yet. “Everything’s going to change.”

“It’s a little late to be worried about that, isn’t it? Weren’t you thinking of the possible consequences?”

“I’m not in the mood to be scolded,” Ya’Han said.

Nic frowned. “That’s not my intent. But the truth, is your world and your life as you know it has already changed. Refusing to say it out loud doesn’t make it any less so.”

Ya’Han set the cup of tea down, her eyes narrowing. “I came to you expecting compassion. Perhaps I have made an error in judgment.”

Dima’s face softened, her large blue eyes growing wider as she regarded the Nylaan woman with caring wrapped with frustration. “There are times when compassion requires honesty. Since you aren’t being honest with yourself, it falls to me. Where is your mind going that you can’t share this joy with Jayson? That you don’t seem to be expressing this joy for yourself?”


=/\=

Setting: Morningstar’s Office
Time Index: Present

“Ensign?”

Nicole suddenly became aware of the Captain’s prompt. “Yes sir… I was just wondering how a genderless race could procreate by laying eggs.”

Her comment proved she had been paying attention somehow, but for a minute it seemed like she was light-years away. “You seem preoccupied.”

**Cornered is more like it** she thought, glancing down at the carpet.  “Maybe I am. What do you think about families?”

“Without them, none of us would be here. So in that sense, I’m in favor of them,” Erik quipped.

Nicole smiled. “No, I mean having children of your own, becoming a family.”

Erik Morningstar leaned back in his chair. “There was a time when that exact thing was something I wanted and worked for. Relationships take as much work as starships do- possibly more.”

“I know.” It felt odd to hear such gravity from the young woman, but it was easy to forget the lifetimes of experience that dwelled within the Dima symbiont.

“It was a chance. A chance for that kind of happiness. And chances are for taking. Don’t let anyone tell you any different,” he said wistfully.

“What happened?”

“Things don’t always work out the way we want or the way we planned. And that’s what happened. It didn’t work out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I wouldn’t call it a blessing in disguise, but I consider my calling to be on the ANUBIS a cause worth the sacrifice. I couldn’t go back now. Nor would I want to.”

“It doesn’t make the loss of opportunity any less difficult.”

“I think it does,” Morningstar said with relative ease. “Not many know the feeling of finding a family of sorts among a crew as dedicated as you all are.”


=/\=

Setting: Cns’ Office
Location: Last night

“I feel… traumatized.” It was hard to come up with any words for the black and red haired officer to express herself, and this was the closest she could manage.

“By getting pregnant?”

Ya’Han struggled. “Not exactly.”

“Let me try to make this clear to you. Being treated the way we were in the Grand Maestro’s presence was a trauma. The danger you faced in escaping your homeworld to give yourself a better life was a trauma. The extremes of training and discipline your father subjected you to, those were a trauma. Making a baby with someone *isn’t* a trauma.”

Ya’Han nearly interrupted. “Don’t speak ill of my father. I still love him.”

Something clicked in Nic’s head. “Just because you love Jayson doesn’t mean he’s going to mistreat you. Shutting him out of this child’s life before he has the chance to prove that to you isn’t fair to either of you.”

The newly pregnant woman shook her head. “That’s not what I’m doing. This... isn’t the right time.”

For as small as she was, Nicole possessed an adamant determination. “There is no right time. There never will be a “right” time. And just because you love your father, doesn’t mean you have to accept the way he raised you. He might not ever understand that but it’s not your job to make him understand. It’s your job to make peace with it.”

Ya’Han sighed. As far as she had come, as emotionally strong as she was learning to be, she still had far to go before everything was sorted. “What’s the next step?”

“We all have pasts and we all have futures. And we have right now, this moment. You have a choice to make. Where do you want to live?”


=/\=

Location: Morningstar’s Office
Time Index: Present

“So, would Mister Confirmed Bachelor, married to no one other than his vessel, be able to handle the pitter-patter of little feet aboard the ship? Would the croup and dirty diapers prove to be the true nemesis of the ANUBIS?” Nicole teased.

“And how do you childproof a warp core? Hopefully Sonja knows.” Erik thought out loud, amused but wondering how a morning briefing had gone from DOLBAR to this. He then had an odd hunch and decided to play into it. “Counsellor, might I ask when you’re expecting?” he asked with a laugh.

“What?” she asked, nearly inaudibly, her voice almost squeaking.

“More importantly, perhaps I should ask who the father is?”

Nicole’s face turned beet red everywhere her Trill spots weren’t, and she struggled to drink another taste of coffee without sputtering. “No,” she uttered, trying to formulate a coherent sentence that didn’t betray Ya’Han’s secret. After a couple of deep breaths she got an idea. “I was just... reminiscing about childbirth experiences that I felt through the symbiont’s former hosts.”

“I see,” he replied simply but with mischief.

Nicole stood up. “If there isn’t anything else, I’ll be on my way... Good day, Captain.”

Erik smiled. Even if they weren’t finished, she hadn’t given him a chance to say otherwise before heading towards the door at the equivalent of warp eight. “You as well, Ensign.”


=/\=

Location: Bridge

Jayson Stark looked up to see the petite form of Nicole Dima exiting Morningstar’s ready room with a strange but unfathomable facial expression. He inwardly berated himself since he hadn’t noticed her arrival in the first place.

The Ops officer had busied himself with preparations for the hunt for the next crystal, making sure his console was properly calibrated and he was up to date on any information coming from Maya, but the many unknowns associated with Ya’Han were still a painful preoccupation. It was this feeling that made him feel compelled to follow the joined Trill.

Jayson practically leaped into the turbolift with her. “I need to talk to someone,” he bluntly confessed. “Are you busy?”

After a lengthy pause, Dima answered, trying to push the awkwardness from her meeting with Erik out of her mind. “Not at all.”


=/\=

Location: Cns’ Office

“I’m worried I’ve made a terrible mistake,” Jayson blurted out as soon as they crossed the threshhold into Nicole’s office. It sounded as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Ensign Dima began to speculate the reasons why, but realized Stark was more than willing to explain- all she had to do was ask.

“What’s wrong? What do you think you did?” She eased behind her desk and sat down while Jayson continued to pace.

“It’s about Ya’Han.”

Nicole’s mouth drew into a thin line. She felt stuck in the middle, needing to keep both parties’ interests at heart without sharing details. Had she come clean with him? The struggle for balance was real. “Did something happen?” she tried to ask innocently.

“That’s just it. She’s broken off contact with me, other than the bare minimum needed to perform our job duties responsibly. Which leads me to only one conclusion.”

“Which is?”

He hung his stubbled head. “I have done something to offend or anger her.”

Nicole considered this, careful to keep her expression neutral, and Jayson continued. “What’s worse is that I can’t come up with a way to approach her to begin to ask why.”

“I apologize that this is causing you to be stuck.”

“That’s a good way to put it.” After nearly wearing a hole in the floor, the Operations Officer sat on the couch. “I need a way to get un-stuck.”

“First, try not to be so hard on yourself. You and Ya’Han have come together through many cultural differences. You’re still learning how to communicate with each other. Think of how different your family lives were. How’s your relationship with your father?”

Any implication Nicole was trying to make sailed over Jayson’s head.  Regardless, it seemed to bring back happy memories judging by the grin he had. “When I got old enough to understand, he would take me on trade runs with him. I learned about merchandising, alien races, and eventually  got comfortable behind the helm of the different types of ships he would use. He taught me a lot of things that I use day-to-day without even thinking about it.” His face fell again. “Ya’Han’s father taught her to be Royalty. Those skills have been useful, too, but completely different. Maybe too different for us to see eye-to-eye.”

Nic got up and walked over to Jayson, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Remember, it takes two people to have and build a relationship. You can’t always place the blame on yourself.”

Stark wanted to believe what Nicole was saying, but he wouldn’t feel better until he heard it from Ya’Han.

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter
Writing for

Ship's Counselor
USS ANUBIS NCC-18501
M09-P061: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 06 - 0900 ("Talking")
"Talking"
[previous "Drifting"]

[/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counsellor's Office
Stardate: 32223.0900

He sat there scared, hoping, remembering. As much as the Counsellor was trying to make him feel better he could not help himself. He had spent too much time analyzing and thinking about this from every angle.

After a while Jayson had returned to the bridge to keep busy and stop thinking instead of doing. Although still off-duty he had come here to 'clean house' as it were, all this in keeping in line with what he had thought about earlier, what he had decided to do.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Stark's Quarters
Stardate: 32223.0500 (Four hours earlier that same day)

They were one day from DOLBAR, 24 hours away from the next stop which just happened to be located deep inside Ferengi controlled space. He turned in his bed, reaching around to cuddle the woman he had expected to be there, suspecting that she might need some comfort. Instead of finding someone next to him though, the off-duty OPS Officer found nothing more than a tear-stained pillow.

"I hate dreams like that," he muttered to himself as he realized that nothing had changed, he was still alone, in his quarters, unable to speak or even touch Ya'Han other than in a professional manner, and even then she did everything she could to make sure he had the shortest possible moments to do so during the more than rare occasions that she granted him.

After speaking with Commander Shar'El and asking for her help, Jayson had returned to his quarter and gone straight to bed, at least as straight as he could manage while stepping around the messes that had seemed to multiply since the last time he had been in his quarters.  It took him some time to fall asleep, but when he did the heartbroken hope-filled man dreamt that the Ullian had come to see him, to explain what the situation was and to tell him that she had been in her quarters waiting to see him.

That is where he should have realized that this was nothing but a dream as he found himself in her quarters less than a heartbeat after. If that had not been enough, the way that Ya'Han had welcomed him with open arms should have been another glaring hint that he had been nothing more than a flight of fantasy.  Still, the physical sensations he experienced had felt so real, so much so that the passionate kiss she had greeted him with still lingered on his lips.

"I can already hear Counsellor Dima now," Jayson sighed as he turned onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. "I am falling into an emotionally induced fantasy world that I need to get away from before I am no longer able to tell the difference between reality and dreams, or some psycho mumbo-jumbo like that.  All this dream means is that I miss her, aren't I allowed to?"

Being alone in his bed, no answer came to address the question he had asked. Maybe the universe might have decided to take pity on him and answer his query, but figuring his luck to be what it was, Jayson suspected that it would have been some big-eared Ferengi that would have appeared to tell him what he already knew. In short, that he needed to get a hold of himself and stop being the emotional basket case he seemed to be most of the time.

Trying his best to accept this realization, Jayson turned to look at the time display located on the side table. 0510 was the displayed time, a sequence of number that the off-duty OPS Officer found rather offensive. After all, was he not ordered to get some rest? Certainly getting up at this ungodly hour would be a violation of said order.

That excuse managed to work for the next 15 minutes or so until Jayson could no longer bare being in bed and fully awake. Reluctantly, he tossed the blanket off and swung his legs to the side. "I need to find a way to rest," he noted to himself. "If i am seen by the Commander or the Captain looking anything less than well rested, I am going to be on the receiving end of yet another blast."

As he tried to come up with some sort of relaxing activities, the OPS Officer got up and made his way to the dining area. If he was not going to get some rest sleeping, at least he would be able to get something to eat. From experience he knew that his mind worked much better with a full stomach beneath it.

The journey to the replicator was unfortunately not as simple as the man had hoped it would be. From trying to avoid stepping on an unknown mess on the floor right in the middle of the bedroom's doorway, Jayson lost his balance as he tried to kick a plate that had somehow found its way directly in his way. With it being so early and his not having obtained nearly enough sleep, it was easily to understand why the off-duty officer had been unable to navigate the expert-level obstacle course that his quarters had become.

By the time Jayson had stopped to move all together, he had found his way to the floor in front of the couch, one arm pinned beneath him while the other seemed to desperately be trying to grab hold of whatever would be in range. Having abandoned all efforts to affect his fate, he just laid there, his eye closed and oddly enough finding the position he had fallen into to be not all that uncomfortable.

"This is where I actually say that I am glad Ya'Han is not here," he muttered to himself. "This would be more then enough of a reason for her to give up on me." With that thought in mind, Jayson finally decided to return to a more presentable position, which in this case was nothing more than him sitting on the floor, his back against the front of the couch.  "How the mighty have fallen," he added, surveying the shamble mess that his quarters had become.

If something should happen and Ya'Han did find it in her heart to at the very least explain what had caused them to drift apart as they had, how would she react to seeing him quarters in such a way? He had never hidden the fact that he was not the best at keeping things clean, hence why they spent the greater majority of nights in her quarters instead of his, but this was a far cry from what things were then.

Not knowing what he had done wrong had bothered him more than he could say, but as he looked around Jayson realized that he had only made a bad situation worse. How could he claim being ready to change and fix whatever it was that had happen if he was unable to take care of what anyone could see was wrong?

He knew that cleaning his quarters would not bring her back, but at the very least it would give him something to do and show that he could learn from his mistakes instead of letting them pile one on top of another until he was unable to walk through a room without crashing down. Maybe Nicole would be proud of him for this self-discovery, and maybe she would be even appreciate seeing that he was not as much a basket case as he believed himself to be.

With that, Jayson jumped to his feet and began cleaning his quarters. With him being off-duty until further notice, he had plenty of time to dedicate to this task, and he might even have the time to invite the Counsellor for a friendly visit. By now is was a foregone conclusion that she knew he was having issues dealing with the breakup, and he believed that her seeing him picking up the mess that his life had become might win him some points, the news of which in a perfect might even make its way to Ya'Han who would allow him to know what had happened.

"Keep your head in the world of the real boy," Jayson said to himself. "Cleaning up this place is not going to have her running back into your arms. The best you can count on is at least not tripping over plates and splitting your head open. I have to do this for me first and above all else, the rest will just happen as it would have any other way. At least with clean quarters, I might not be so down on myself each and every time I walk back in here."

Having found a new purpose for the time being, Jayson grabbed whatever dirty dishes had been scattered around and made his way to the food replicator to dispose of the unsightly plates and glasses. Once that job was completed, he would move on to the dirty clothes and then to the those messes he was not entire certain of their composition or origins.

After an hour or so of non-stop cleaning, straightening and disposing of things that he could not recall having ever asked for while it its untouched or unspoiled state, the quarters of the OPS Officer were actually looking livable, at least for the most part. There was still a lot of work to be done, but the first steps had been taken.

All that remained was for him to manage to continue the task he had started while not driving himself completely nuts with thinking about what had happened and how he had come to be in his quarters, alone, and cleaning a mess that appeared to have been created by a group of drunken teenage Nausicaan who had been at the time fighting an equally incapacitated group of Klingons while a third set of rambunctious Cardassians were taking bets on who would cause the most damage to the room.

Yes, there was a lot of work for him to still get done, but the more he dedicated to the task, the more Jayson came to realize that he needed to start with himself. The quarters had only been a reflection of his inner self, and that is where he needed to truly start working.  It was now clear to him that he had done something wrong, something beyond description and that he needed to do whatever he needed to fix it, not for him, but for Ya'Han.

Fixing his quarters would be the easiest part, but he also needed to fix himself and in order to do that he needed help, and there was only one person on board the ANUBIS who could help him with that.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32223.0700 (An hour before Nicole walks into the Captain's Office)

Cleaning his quarters had been only the first step, and as much as he had managed to do, the cleaning had been only been on the surface. Jayson needed to cleanse the every system attached to his quarters, some of them having been damaged or become filled with substances that again he could not identify, or wished to. He had made a decision to accept that everything had been his fault, and that in order to rectify the situation he had to fix *everything*.

In order to convince Ya'Han that he had changed, this regardless of what it was he had done, he needed to show her that his decision had not been like his initial cleaning -- nothing more than a surface job. From the bridge he would be able to get everything as it needed to be and from there he would seek out the Counsellor when she came in for the usual morning briefing with the Captain.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counsellor's Office
Stardate: 32223.0915

He sat there with the Counsellor by his side, scared and confused.

Jayson wanted to believe everything that she had told him but he knew that the ultimate test would be to actually speak with Ya'Han. There was so much for them to say, all he could hope is that he would have the opportunity to do so before reaching DOLBAR.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P062: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 06 - 1000 ("Accepting")
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"Accepting"
[previous post was "Talking"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Block Hole Lounge, Upper level
Stardate: 32223.1000

Ya'Han sat at the exact same table where Sonja had earlier found her, but instead of a non-alcoholic white-colored drink in her hands, the Sec/Tac was holding the PADD that her friend had given her.  The news that her father was safe triggered a wide range of mix emotions that made the Nylaan think back to her conversation with Nicole.

The Counsellor had brought a great many things to the surface, things about the relationship she had with her father, the fears that this had created and that had now been instinctively transferred onto Jayson. Granted, the Chief of Operations was not perfect and had his fair share of issues and troubles, keeping his quarters remotely clean being but one of many, but he and her father could not be compared.

Jayson was attentive, caring, loving, things that her father could never have been. As the High Sovereign of NYLA IV, the man's responsibilities were to his people, not to his family, although his demands and expectations were far higher for those of his lineage. At least that was the way it felt for Ya'Han, growing up in the Imperial Palace fearing that each day could be her last should she disappointed him.

A tear made its way down her right cheek as Ya'Han recalled defending her father to Nicole. The Nylaan held onto the hatred that had driven her to run away, not only from the world she called home, but as far away as she could taking her beyond the boundaries of Ferengi space. So why had she said that she loved him when the Trill Counsellor had pointed out the truth?

There were so many things to consider, to think about and try to fit neatly into the small box that was her life. Being a Starfleet officer was a large part of what her life was thanks to her having run away, but as different as things had come to be, she still found herself seeking for his approval. Something that she would never obtain as an officer on board the ANUBIS and certainly not as the unbond mother of what the High Sovereign would certainly consider to be an abomination and insult to their bloodline.

Again, Ya'Han recalled what Nicole said, more specifically in regards to 'Where do you want to live?'  The question was not about a location, but rather a time. Did the Nylaan wish to live in the past or accept the course of events that had led her to be here and move forward? Carefully considering the options, the Sec/Tac closed her eyes and slowed her breathing as well as her heart rate, calming her body and mind as she had learned to do as a child. She needed to make a decision and waiting to do so would not help in anyway.

When her eyes reopened, the intense look in her eyes showed that a decision had been made and that she would see it through to the bitter end. Without any delays or hesitation, the now bright red-haired Nylaan woman reached for her communicator.

"Ya'Han to Jayson."

There was a notable delay in his reply, likely from him trying to make sure that he had not been dreaming. She had denied his every effort to speak to her, so Ya'Han could easily understand the confusion that the man must have been experiencing at that very moment.

=/\= Ya'Han? =/\=

"Yes Jayson," the Nylaan replied, sounding more serious than she would have liked to, but given the situation and what she wanted to say to him, the tone had been expected. "Can you meet in in the Black Hole Lounge, upper level. We need to talk."

=/\= Oh, =/\= the one word reply came through the open channel, filled with fear and sadness. That was not the way she had wanted to make him feel, the matter they would be discussing was serious but certainly not one that should have triggered such a reaction. That was when the Nylaan understood that it was not the subject that was the problem but the way she had presented their need to speak. Jayson had likely gathered by the tone of the unexpected call that Ya'Han was about to break his heart as only she would be able to.

"It's not what you think," she gently reassured. "We just need to speak, and I have to explain a few things to you that I hope will make everything clear as to why I have been acting the way I have."

=/\= I will be right there! =/\=

The channel closed before Ya'Han could even think of saying anything else, the Sec/Tac easily imagining the Chief of Operations forcing the doors to the turbolift open so that he could jump in to freefall the 16 decks that separated them. The Nylaan smiled as she thought of the man as well as some of the odd things he did. Yes, he might have some issues, but in the grander scheme of things his paled in comparison to her own, but hopefully together they would be able to make things better for the family the three of them would come to create.

When Jayson exploded into the upper level of the Black Hole Lounge, Ya'Han had been caressing her belly. Maybe she had hoped that he would notice this gesture and pick up on the hint, but given the emotional state of the man, the Sec/Tac had to be content with the fact that he had made it here without injuring or even killing himself along the way.

"Have a seat Jayson," she stated, inviting him to take the chair where Sonja had been not that long ago.

"I am so sorry," he immediately began with, seeing the bright red colored hair as a confirmation that all of this had indeed been his fault. "I know I did something wrong, but I am doing everything that I can to make things better between us, which is not easy given that I don't know what I did wrong, but still I am trying."

Ya'Han sighed, closed her eyes and instructed the man to calm down through slow and gentle gestures of her hands. Doing so also caused her hair to revert back to the black and red mixture everyone had come to know, a simple change that made Jayson understand that this had not been as simple as his having done something wrong as he had convinced himself.

"Let me speak," she said, her eyes still closed fearing that she would not be able to go through everything she needed to say if her eyes met his to see whatever fear and confusion would more than likely be discovered in them. "We come from very different backgrounds and upbringings, but that is not a reason why things cannot work between us."

"I know," Jayson said, recalling his own session with the Counsellor, only now realizing that she had been guiding him along a path that had been presented by Ya'Han and whatever discussion the two women had shared before his meeting with Nicole. "You are a daughter of the High Sovereign, ruler of an entire planet while my father is nothing more than an interplanetary trader. I mean I am not ashamed of who he is or what he does, but your father is an important figure."

"Jayson!"

"Yes Ya'Han?"

"Have you been speaking with Maya recently?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because you sound awfully like her right now," Ya'Han pointed out clearly irritated. "I asked you to come here so that I could explain things to you, and in order for me to be able to do that, I need you to be quiet. That means no talking, no commenting, no sounds what so every. Understand?"

"Absolutely," he replied, instantly drawing an angered glared from the woman sitting across the small circular table from him. "Sorry," he added in a whispered voice as his shoulders visibly slouched down.

"As I was saying," Ya'Han resumed, "we come from very different backgrounds and went though very different upbringings, but beyond that we also come from very different cultures and biologies."

"We seemed to be doing quite well on the biological aspect of things," Jayson said, unable to hold back the comment, Ya'Han's words having flooded his mind with memories of their nights together.

"Maybe too well," Ya'Han sighed as she rolled her eyes, realizing that it would be impossible for him to remain quiet while she tried to explain everything.

"Too well?" He asked in a way that made the expecting mother hope that maybe, just maybe he would be able to understand what this had all been about without her having to literally spell it out for him.

"Yes, Jayson," Ya'Han calmly confirmed. Unfortunately, the confused expression on the man's face showed that he was not anywhere close to linking all of the hints he had been exposed to. She eventually sighed, accepting that this was another of his quirks and that all she needed to do was to say three simple words - I am pregnant.

Nicole had made it perfectly clear, there would never be a right time. Something would always get in he way and to avoid this Ya'Han needed to embrace the moment and jump in without hesitation. As the Sec/Tac of the USS ANUBIS, this should not have been a problem, the Nylaan having trained long and hard to confront and overcome obstacles no matter their shape and size.

"Jayson?"

"Yes Yahan?"

"I'm..."

=/\= RED ALERT! All hands to battle stations. All senior officer are to report to the bridge immediately. =/\= The urgency in Shar'El's voice made it beyond clear that this had not been a drill and that the ANUBIS was facing a grave situation.

Nicole might have been right that there would never a right time, but in this particular moment the time had been as wrong as could be. Both Jayson and Ya'Han looked at one another and nodded their understanding, they would need to continue this discussion at a later time, but in the meantime the two of them needed to act as the officers they were.

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P063: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 06 - 1045 ("Confronting")
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"Confronting"
[previous post was "Accepting" by the masochist Hanali]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32223.1045

The flashing red lights of the alert condition filled the bridge, confirming to everyone on board that the situation had been real and that everyone needed to be at their stations and ready to act and react accordingly.

"As the ship changed course again?" Captain Morningstar eagerly asked, trying his best to avoid a confrontation that would very likely reveal the presence of a Federation ship inside Ferengi space.

"Yes," Ensign Jones, the Flight Control Officer, quickly confirmed. Three times the Captain ordered the ANUBIS to change course, the first time thinking that the heading of the Hirogen scout that would intercept their own was a mere coincidence. After the second change of heading, and the subsequent corresponding change by the other ship, the possibility of this having simply been a fluke had quickly vanished. Following the third change in heading by the cloaked SCARAB-Class cruiser and the near immediate course correction by the Hunters, there was now no doubts in the CO's mind.

The Hirogens were tracking the ANUBIS, this despite its cloaking armoring armor being active and all of the systems on board being at their absolute lowest working power levels.

"Reporting as ordered," the Chief of Security and Chief of Operations said as they both stepped onto the bridge before heading for their respective stations.

"We have a Hirogen scout apparently able to track us," the ExO / ILO explained to the two new arrivals. "According to the IGC there is nothing out there to explain how they are managing to see us, but the fact remains that they have so far altered course three times to stay on an intercept course with us."

"The Hirogens do have very sophisticated sensor technology, but at this distance I can't imagine them being able to see us, let alone be able to know who or what we are," Jayson stated as he sat at his station. To say that he was glad that all of the maintenance work had already been done to insure that every system would be operating at their highest possible level would be a huge understatement.

"The Hirogen scout is closing in with weapons fully armed," Ya'Han reported, ready to have the ANUBIS respond in kind. Although the ship heading their way was quite smaller, the power signature of its active weapons had been a near match for those of the ANUBIS

"As the trigger happy hunters they are, the Hirogens always have their weapons armed," Shar'El countered, her research into the race having made that point abundantly clear. "That is not an indication that they perceive us as anything more than something worth investigating. Personally though, I am more concerned with them being able to track us as precisely as they have been doing. We have no intel concerning any improvements made to their sensors that would account for this."

"Commander," the bright red-haired Chief of Security called out from the tactical station. "At their current speed, the Hirogen will be within optimal firing range in 1 minute 40 seconds."

"We may not have a choice," Shar'El said as she looked at the Captain sitting in front of her. "It is either we destroy that scout ship and avoid as best we can the others that will be coming to investigate or we turn around and head back to Federation space as we try to figure out a way to be better cloaked from their improved sensors."

"Their ability to track us may not be due to improved sensors," the Chief of Operations announced. "According to the sensor logs, the ANUBIS managed to barely miss running into an small ionized energy cloud at 0344. According to our instruments, the ablative armor was not touched or affected, but the Hirogen sensors might be picking up some residual ionization that was transfer to the outer plating. This would explain how they are able to track us and make corresponding course changes in order to get close enough to see why an ionized field, as small as it may be, is moving erratically at warp speed."

"Bridge to Lieutenant Paquette!" The ExO / ILO called out, hoping that the Chief Engineer would be able to work her magic to save them from a confrontation that would expose their presence, if not their identity and purpose, in Ferengi space.

=/\= ANI told me what's going on and I have been listening in. It will take me at least 20 seconds to send a polarize pulse through the ablative armor that in theory should rid us of whatever ionized residual energy we came in contact with. The problem is that there is no way for us to know if it worked as our sensors cannot detect whatever it is the Hirogens are currently locked on. =/\=

"Do your best, Lieutenant" the Captain ordered. "We are running out of time."

"The hirogens will be in optimal firing range in 60 seconds," Ya'Han reported. The Chief of Security suspected that their ablative armor would be more than enough to ward of the scout's attacks, but it would confirm beyond contestation that the ionized particles they were tracking was attached to a cloaked ship. As suggested by Commander Shar'El, they could engage the scout ship, but this would require the ANUBIS to retract the ablative armor in order to allow the use of weapons. Even if only specific parts of the ship were to no longer be covered by the armor, the sudden rise in the ship's energy signature could alert many others as to their presence making a bad situation worse

All eyes were on he main view screen as well as the countdown that had been added in the upper right corner to make sure everyone understood the restrictive time frame they were faced with. The number, which had started at 60 seconds, went down faster than everyone would have liked this despite the reality that the rate time passed had not changed in any way.

"Lieutenant!" The Captain abruptly said as soon as the countdown showed there only being 50 seconds remaining.

=/\= Listen, =/\= the Chief Engineer replied in her best Scottish accent. =/\= I said 20 seconds, and that's how long it will take. You calling me like this only slows me down. If you wanted a bloody miracle, ya should have asked for one in the first place. Right now, give me another 10 seconds and change course. =/\=

An awkward silence filled the bridge as everyone watched with growing trepidation the numbers on the displayed countdown drop below the 40-second mark. The Captain had to fight back asking what was happening when the displayed showed 30 and when 35 actually appeared on the screen, a general sense of panic was added to the already eerie silence that had taken over the bridge.

"Helm, new heading. 3-2-4 mark 1-4," the Captain ordered causing Shar'El to tighten her already solid grip on the armrests of her chair. The heading provided by Morningstar placing the ANUBIS on a near collision course with the quickly approaching Hirogen scout ship.

To her credit, Tanith did not seem at all phased by the heading she was given to follow, in fact the always quiet Ensign proved to be the one most relaxed on the bridge having understood perfectly what the Captain had intended to do. As Shar'El looked in the direction of the Flight Control Officer, she caught a very quick image of a memory that placed the woman in a very similar situation.

In order to remain hidden from sensors, the ANUBIS had not made any of its offensive or defensive systems active, this with the exception of the ablative armor. This would remain so as the two ships crossed path hoping that the scout would simply follow the course it was on as it tried to figure out what happened to the lost sensor signal. This maneuver would also permit the ANUBIS to test the full extent of the effectiveness of their cloaking armor against the more sensitive sensors found on the hunt dedicated Hirogen ships.

"Hirogen scout is now at point blank range," Ya'Han nervously announced. "If they see us, there will be no way for them to miss their shot." As much as she had absolute confidence in the ANUBIS being able to survive this confrontation, the Nylaan woman could not help but wish that she had told Jayson what she had wanted to say. Now, should something unexpected happen to either one of them, the woman might never be given another opportunity to share the great and happy news. One of the problems in being on board a vessel such as the ANUBIS was that things always seemed to happen and get in the way of plans, delaying some and fully cancelling others.

The command deck was again plunged into a complete silence as the view screen showed the Hirogen ship flying directly below them. The reverse angle, which was brought onto the screen immediately after, showed the ship continuing along the course that it was one, not given any indication that it could actually track the ANUBIS, which apparently no longer displayed any signs of having encountered any type of ionized energy cloud.

"Looks like it worked," Shar'El said with a sigh of relief as the Hirogen ship grew increasingly smaller on the main view screen. "It can't see us."

=/\= Yar welcome, =/\= Sonja chimed in from Main Engineering still sounding as if she was a trueborn Scottish lass, obviously the communication channel having been left opened. Given the absence of frantic screaming and the ship shaking and rocking thanks to whatever weapons the scout ship had at its disposal, the Chief Engineer knew that all had gone as planned.

"Stand down from red alert, and bring us back to Yellow alert and on course for DOLBAR," the Captain ordered, allowing himself to let out a sigh of relief as the ExO / ILO had done. "Thank you all for your quick responses. Given this unexpected turn of event I am sure that you will all agree that it would be best for all *vacations* to be cancelled effective immediately. I hope that we can all enjoy some R&R once this part of the mission is completed, but until then, I want everyone back on full duty."

"Of course Captain," Jayson joyfully complied, the odd cheerfulness in his voice drawing the attention of several people including the Ullian who quickly understood what had happened thanks to the man's memory of his interrupted chat with Ya'Han. He might not have known why she had wanted to speak to him, but the simple fact that she had done just that was more than enough to have him be on cloud nine. Due to this latest change in he two officers' relationship, Shar'El quickly turned her attention onto the Chief of Security hoping that her broadcasted memories would reveal more than those of the Chief of Operations.

Her mind being far more disciplined than that of Jayson, the current memories coming from Ya'Han did not deal in any way with the Chief of Operations. Instead, the Nylaan was happily recalling some of the Academy starship tactical training she had gone through, none of them having offered what the Captain had selected to do as a valid option. It seemed that the ExO / ILO would have to wait in order to uncover what it was that had kept the two of them apart as well as learn what had changed to see them back together, if in fact this was what had happened. With all due respect to the Terran man, his perception of this particular situation might not be entirely based in reality or facts, opting instead to desperately hold onto hopes and dreams. Still, the Nylaan did appear to be calmer, more relaxed, going as far as to allow a faint smile to appear when she would glance in his direction. 

"Commander," Captain Morningstar said, pulling the ExO / ILO out of her current train of thoughts. "I would like for you to return to the IGC and make sure that our little encounter with the Hirogen ship is not causing too many people to wonder what happened. Our journey to DOLBAR is already dangerous enough without risking running into an entire fleet of hunters trying to find what the scout might have reported on."

"Of course," Shar'El acknowledged from ExO / ILO's station located directly behind the Captain's chair. Truth be told, the Ullian would have preferred to stay on the bridge, keeping an eye on the couple to see if one of them would allow some useful hint to escape their thoughts. Now that they apparently reunited, the mystery as to what this had all been about had only grown thicker which of course meant that the Intel Operative had been that much more driven to discovering what it had all been about.

Solving that mystery, it seemed, would have to wait to another day.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P064: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 06 - 1900 ("Planning")
"Planning"
previous post was "Confronting"

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 32223.1900

Following the too close for comfort fly-by with the Hirogen scout that had been tracking them earlier that day, the senior staff was drafted back into active service, something that the redheaded Engineer had, in all honesty, not been entirely against.  Those who knew Sonja had no problem describing her as an overly active individual, always striving for perfection and not shy to put in the time and work required to achieve it.  The Chief Engineering Officer of the USS ANUBIS was also someone who was known for keeping herself busy with all sorts of work and tasks, be them directly related to her duties or not.

One such project that stood well outside of her duties and responsibilities as Chief Engineer was the exiled Nylaan whom Sonja had taken under her wing. Ya'Han had been a force of nature in many aspects, able to easily best the strongest and fastest of them, but alas the poor lass had been rather naive in the affairs of the heart, not to mention on how to really have a good time.

It was due to this wanting to protect her friend that Sonja enlisted the assistance of the ship's Avatar. With the android fully integrated into the systems of the ANUBIS, it was child's play for ANI to keep track of the Nylaan and insure that nothing bad happened to her, or the little growing rainbow sprout within her.

"May I ask you a question?" ANI said, a puzzled expression visible on her face as she slid next to the Chief Engineer.

"I always cherish these moments when I get to bestow my knowledge and experience to you my dear," Sonja replied, severely overacting the overbearing joy she felt.

"I have been keeping watch on Lieutenant Ya'Han as you requested, monitoring her actions and reactions throughout the day," the artificial woman explained. "What I am puzzled by is that you clearly stated that she was keeping her distances from Lieutenant Stark, thus making sure that he would not be able to ask too many questions pertaining to her continued silence towards him."

"A little blunt but accurate," Sonja smiled. Despite all of the additional subroutines and effort to teach the Avatar about emotions, the task had truly proven to be a work in progress. "So my dear, what has you so puzzled?"

"Internal sensors showed an increased rate in her respiratory and cardiovascular systems every time she turned to look in his direction," ANI explained. "According to my understanding of humanoid physiology, this kind of biological response does not fit the description of someone who is attempting to keep any sort of distance between themselves and someone else. In fact, all of the data collected from Lieutenant Ya'Han over the last several hours seem to indicate that she is more than considering reducing this gap instead of keeping the status quo or even increasing said distance."

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap," Sonja unleashed as she prepared to scramble out of Main Engineering only to stop dead in her tracks after a few steps to turn around and look at the Avatar who had been left behind. "I don't even know where she is. Are they still on duty or have they finished their shift on the bridge?"

"Lieutenant Ya'Han and Lieutenant Stark are currently in a turbolift heading to Deck 2, their bridge shift having indeed ended a few minutes ago," ANI relayed, sending the Chief Engineer into an even more frantic outburst.

"What in the name of the darkest pits of hell are you doing rainbow girl? I can't believe that you fell for whatever charms that guy thinks he has. Must be those out of control hormones, yes that has to be it. I need to get there now before she says something that she is going to regret," Sonja blurred out, quickly running back to the Avatar who had not moved an inch. "Site-to-site transport. Get me as close to Ya'Han as possible. NO! Get me in *between* Ya'Han and that lovesick puppy. Every second wasted is just another opportunity for her to spill the beans."

The Avatar looked back at the agitated redhead, still trying to make sense of all these conflicting emotional displays.

"ANI? NOW!"

"Initiating site-to-site transport."

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2
Stardate: 32223.1915

The Avatar did the best she could to comply with the order she was given, but thanks to the two Lieutenants holding hands, ANI had been unable to materialize the Engineer directly between the Chief of Security and Chief of Operations. Although unable to comply to the exact specifications given, Sonja was still made to appear close enough for her to break their hold on one another with a rapid chop of her hand before grabbing the Nylaan by the wrist.

"Sonja! What are you doing?" Ya'Han argued but to no avail. As for Jayson, he found himself suddenly alone and completely flummoxed by what had just happened, the hand that the Nylaan had been holding still opened and now stinging from the Engineer's forceful chop against his wrist.  By the time the Chief of Operations had regained enough of his wits to react, the two women had already vanished inside the quarters of the apparently crazed and clearly frantic Chief Engineering Officer.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Paquette's quarters
Stardate: 32223.1916

"Computer! Engage emergency containment seal. No one comes in or leave these quarters," Sonja ordered as the door slid shut behind the Engineer.

"What are you doing?" Ya'Han demanded, the Nylaan not in the least bit appearing impressed by her friend or the fact that she had, for the lack of a better term, abducted the Chief of Security.

"I am making sure that you do not make a mistake that you will end up instantly regretting," the redhead explained to the other bright red-haired woman, the Nylaan appearing ready to verbally and physically lash out at her friend in a most unpleasant of ways.

After insuring that the door had been sealed as ordered, Sonja shifted her fullest attention to her guest, who it appeared, would also be an unwilling prisoner.

"Ya'Han," the redhead pleaded, not liking the fiery glare being sent her way or the flowing extra bright red coloured hair framing the visibly pissed off woman standing in front of her. "I had to act. ANI was monitoring your vitals and from what she reported to me it was clear that you were going to tell Jayson everything."

"I was going to tell him," the Chief if Security confirmed through clenched teeth.

"See," Sonja cheered feeling vindicated in her quick actions. "What would you have done without me there to help?"

"I would have told him," Ya'Han stated in a slow and controlled manner. "Just as I was about to tell him when we were in the Black Hole Lounge, at least that was before the red alert was called."

"Wait! You actually *want* to tell him?"

"Yes," the Nylaan confirmed adding an unimpressed look.

"Just so that there are no further misunderstandings here," Sonja started feeling rather uneasy. "We are talking about you telling Sir Lovesick Puppy that you are 'with child', right?" The Engineer asked using the exact words the Nylaan had grown fond of using in describing her condition.

"Yes Sonja," Ya'Han confirmed. "I want to tell Jayson that I am pregnant with his child, and that I want us to be a family, no matter what this will mean to my career."

"Oops," the redhead Engineer said, the full scale of her mistake having become painfully evident.

"Now, just unseal the door so that I can get back to Jayson and share the good news with him," Ya'Han instructed, but instead of seeing Sonja comply, the Chief Engineering Officer appeared increasingly more troubled. "What's going on?" Ya'Han asked, her anger mounting rapidly.

"I wanted to make sure that lover-boy was not going to find a way to barge in an interrupt us," Sonja sheepishly explained. "Remember, I thought you were going to just tell him everything because you had foolishly fallen for whatever sap excuse he sent your way whiles the two if you were working on the bridge. I didn't want to take any chances and it is not like I had a whole lot of time to come up with a plan."

"Sonja," Ya'Han softly growled. "Unseal the door."

"I can't," the Engineer said not having any other option but to admit to the flaw in her plan.

"Fine, then just beam me out of here," Ya'Han suggested. "Make it my quarters, or even just to the other side of that door. Just get me out of here."

"Can't do that either," Sonja sadly announced. "The emergency seal completely isolates a specific section of the ship from everything else. No one can come within the specified area or leave it for as long as the proper authorization is not given.  No transporter, not even the food replicators will be operational for as long as the seal is in place. Since I called for my quarters to be the specified area, we are stuck in here and there is only one person who is authorized to release an emergency containment seal, and unfortunately that ain't me."

"Then contact whoever it is who can unseal this door," the Chief of Security instructed having moved to the specified locked passageway to tap it with a single, demanding finger.

"The only person who can do that is the Chief Medical Officer," Sonja pointed out, actually taking a small step back to increase the distance between the brightly red coloured woman and herself. "The emergency seal was designed to stop any type of biological contingent to spread through the ship."

"Wait! What? Since Doyanne disembarked to NEW ALEXANDRIA, the ANUBIS has been without an official Chief Medical Officer," Ya'Han pointed out, stunned and in complete disbelief.

"Now you see my problem," the Engineer cautiously said. "There is one advantage though; the seal will only last for 8 hours. After that, any command-level officer will be able to unseal the door. I am sure that Shar'El will be more than happy to do this for us, that is as soon as we explain what happened to her. Hope you don;t mind her knowing as well."

"So I'm stuck in here? For 8 hours?!?"

"Yup. Sorry," Sonja offered, adding a beaming smile. "Hey, it could be worse. At least I have a few bottles of wine in the cupboard for such an emergency, and I am sure I can find some crackers in there as well. They might be a little old, but the wine will make it all better, it always does."

Ya'Han glared back at her friend and pointed to her belly, reminding Sonja that she could not indulge in such beverages due to her being pregnant.

"Oops," the redhead Engineer gulped. "I really didn't think this plan through did I?"

The fiery haired Chief of Security began to walk towards the Chief Engineer, the intensity in her eyes along with the way her combat-red hair flowed being more than enough to have Sonja truly and honestly fear for her own life.

"Listen, all I wanted to do was to help. If you decided to tell Jayson you should have told me. How was I supposed to know? When I am left to my own devices I come up with plans, granted not entirely thought out plans, but plans none the less. After all, a plan is a plan, no? It is better than not having a plan and letting your friends make a mistake that they would regret, which apparently was not the case here. I just wanted to help, that has to count for something, no? Ya'Han? You are still walking. Ya'Han!"

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P065: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 06 - 1915 ("Wondering")
"Wondering"
[previous "Planning"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2, Corridor
Stardate: 32223.1915

Today had been a day of surprises, that much was certain. Starting with the call from Ya'Han to the ANUBIS going to red alert and playing chicken with a Hirogen scout, things had moved from one unexpected to another. To see her smile each time he looked in her direction had been an equally unexpected surprise, but one that the OPS Officer had been more than happy to experience.

It felt like an eternity that they had held hands. Heck, it felt like an eternity that they had been in the same general area without feeling this awkward distance between them. Therefore, when their shift on the bridge ended and the two of them found themselves in the same turbolift, the unexpected surprise of the kiss that followed as soon as the doors were closed was again a more than welcomed experience.

As strange as the day was, as unexpected as things came to be, there was no way for Jayson to expect the attack from the Chief Engineer. It was clear that Sonja had taken more than a few things from the pages of Ya'Han's combat training manual, the woman having appeared out of nowhere to slash at his wrist to break his hold on the Chief of Security. The entire attack had taken place in only a few seconds, and left him completely stunned and lost as to understanding what had just happened.

=/\= IGC to Lieutenant Stark. =/\=

He heard the call but was too stunned to reply, his gaze locked on the door through which the two women had so unexpectedly vanished as if the end of the world had been upon them.

=/\= Jayson! This is Shar'El. Are you alright? =/\=

"Yes," the OPS Officer hesitantly replied. As much as his wrist might have hurt due to the precise hit he had received and the mental confusion he was dead in the middle of, Jayson had to confirm that he was actually 'alright'."

=/\= What happened? We just received a report that an Emergency Containing Seal was triggered in Sonja's quarters. Internal sensors did not pick up any signs of a contingent being present anywhere on board the ANUBIS, let alone in her quarters. We have no indications of any type of trouble up here. What's going on? =/\=

"I wish I knew Commander," he mumbled, shaking the stinging sensation from his wrist. "Sonja just appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Ya'Han and rushed into her quarters like a crazed lunatic. I was not even aware of a containment seal being requested. Maybe our Chief Engineer has finally lost it, her mind that is."

=/\= There has to be more to this than someone having a breakdown, =/\= Shar'El commented. =/\= Why would Sonja call for an Emergency Containment Seal, this *after* having run into the location she sealed? Grabbing Ya'Han and dragging her in with her makes even less sense, something strange is going on. Ya'Han has been acting weird and so has Sonja, more so than usual. =/\=

"You don't need to tell me Commander," Jayson said, not having the slightest clue as to what this was all about. Had Sonja's unexpected attack out of nowhere been in some way related to what Ya'Han had wanted to tell him earlier that day? Was there something between the two of them that no one else knew or were suppose to know about? If that were the case, it would go a long way to explain the manner with which the Chief of Security had been behaving when around him. This possibility though failed to explain the sudden change that Jayson had experienced first hand with Ya'Han. Why would she call him to speak and why would she smile the way she did throughout the day if this was what was going on between the two women? Had something happened between them, was Sonja caught in the throws of a jealous rage? If so, why had she spared his life? This would have been the perfect excuse for the Engineer to put actions to words having made it clear numerous times that she held no special affection for him.

No, this made even less sense than the sudden end to his exile to a world of silence by Ya'Han. There had to be another explanation, one that would sense of everything he had endured and experienced. Somewhere in this wild universe they were in a reason for her acting the way she had while still feeling for him had to be found. He could still taste the sweetness of her lips on his, a sensation that was far from hinting to whatever he had been thinking of at that precise moment. The answer had to be something else, either that or Ya'Han was suffering from a severe case of split personality causing her to switch sides without even realizing it.

Whatever had happened, Jayson was now alone, again, more confused than he had ever been. He would need to return to his quarters with the added bonus that they had now been cleaner than they had ever been, but that achievement would remain unknown for the time being. He could only hope that this matter with the Emergency Containment Seal would be resolved before they reached DOLBAR so that they could continue with their mission. At best, he might even come to learn what all of this was about, not that the OPS Officer actually expected it to make any sort of sense.  After all, the Chief Engineer was clearly involved in this, and that alone made it a near certitude that he would never anywhere close to understand either woman's reasoning behind their respective and collective actions.

Maybe Counsellor Dima would have some time to give him. This would not be his first visit, not by a longshot, nor did he expect it to be his last. At the very least, the OPS Officer would be able to share his confusion with Nicole and find some comfort in the knowledge that he would not be the only one baffled by the unexplainable events that had just taken place.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P066: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 06 - 1920 ("Accepting, Part 2")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Accepting"
[previous post was "Wondering"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Paquette's Quarters
Stardate: 32223.1920

The bright red-haired Nylaan took a single slow step forward, followed by another, and another, each time cutting down the distance that stood between the Sec/Tac and Chief Engineer who had gone as far back has her quarters permitted. Sonja appeared scared, terrified even, and judging by the way Ya'Han was clenching her fists, there was ample reasons for the natural redhead to feel the way she was.

"I only wanted to help," Sonja said, pleading with her friend. Not knowing that Ya'Han had decided to tell Jayson about the child within her had led to a sequence of misunderstanding that led to the two women being locked inside the Engineer's quarters for the next 8 hours. It was easy to see that the Sec/Tac had not at all been pleased about this and sought some sort of retribution against the one responsible for doing this. "Coma on Ya'Han, it was nothing more than a misunderstanding. You know that I would never do anything to place you or little rainbow sprout in there at risk."

Sonja pointing to Ya'Han's belly proved to be enough to instantly stop the forward progress of the Sec/Tac and divert her attention there. With both hands cradling the area where a baby bump would soon appear, the Nylaan rose her head and met the nervous gaze of her friend.

"I'm sorry. I know that you are only trying to help," Ya'Han said, the anger and rage that had been present in her eyes having all but completely vanished, even her hair had forgo the bright red to return to the purple of the woman's lineage. "I was just so focused on telling Jayson. We spent the entire shift on the bridge, exchanging glances without being able to actually speak. When my duties permitted it, I was trying to come up with the exact words I would use to tell him, but it seems that Nicole was right."

"Nicole?" Sonja repeated, trying to understand how the Counselor had found her way into this discussion. "You failed to tell me that you were going to tell Jayson, which led to my acting as I did to protect you and somehow the credit of being right goes to Counselor Dima? How did that happen?" The Engineer asked, having playfully placed the blame for this entire misunderstanding squarely onto the shoulder's of the Sec/Tac.

"Something always happens," Ya'Han seriously replied. "No matter our intentions, no matter what we do or what we plan on doing, something always gets in the way."

"Welcome to life in Starfleet," Sonja giggled. "Imagine how boring things would be if nothing unexpected ever happened. I will agree that we could all actually get our work done if this was the case, but you also have to think about all of the adventures we would not have been a part of. Our training mission to the moon of PI ALPHA III would have been just that, a training exercise instead of our finding ourselves stuck in the middle of an inter-dimensional war. Our trip on the MASQUERADE DREAMS would not have led to you running into your sister and us stopping a terrorist attack. We would not have been. We certainly would not have met Kai and helped him return to his home. Along that same train of thought we would also not have fallen in disfavor with Admiral Koniki and exiled to every corner of this universe," the Chief Engineer listed, glad to see the murderous red-haired Nylaan having been replaced by the much gentler runaway daughter of the High Sovereign.

"I know," Ya'Han noted with simplicity, her attention having once again dropped to her belly and the hands that were gently caressing it.

"Of all the unexpected things that this universe could have chosen to add to that already lengthy list or yours, you have to be at least a little happy that *this* is what happened to you," Sonja added, smiling as she pointed once more to the belly of her friend.

Ya'Han smiled as she looked down, considering how much her life would change, how much all of their lives would change. "So," the Nylaan said, looking up at the Terran woman, the smile that had appeared on her lips still very much there, "what do we do for the next 8 hours or so?"

"Wine is obviously out of the question, and with all systems cut-off with the exception of the bare essential power and life support,, we could always play cards. I hope you know *fetch* and *goldfish*?" Sonja suggested.

"With 8 hours to kill, I actually believe that it might be better if I do not know those games and you teach me," Ya'Han playfully smiled.

"Or you could teach me some of the games you played as a child," the redhead Engineer offered in return.

"I was the youngest daughter of the High Sovereign of NYLA IV, remember?" Ya'Han teased. "Games were not something that was on my list of things to learn, and even less on my daily schedule of things to do."

"Well," Sonja grinned=, rubbing her hands together vigorously. "We are going to have to change that, aren't we. Can't have little rainbow sprout in there grow up without his or her mother knowing how to have fun, now can we?"

"I have the feeling that all fun activities will be amply taken care of by a certain aunt," Ya'Han pointed out, casting a pleased look at Sonja.

"You really think we will be able to track Ya'Jun and that she will actually want to play aunty?" Sonja teased back. Upon seeing the expression on the Nylaan's face change to something far less pleasant, the Engineer quickly corrected herself. "Oh, you mean me! I may not be all that good with playing 'peekaboo' or 'where's your nose', but I can play a wicked game of hide and seek through the Jefferies tubes of the ANUBIS. Either that or I could teach the little rainbow sprout how to play jump frog over the magnetic coils in the warp nacelles. Bet that would make everyone hair stand on end," she continued breaking out into full blow laughter afterward.

"I think I would like that," Ya'Han said, her smile having actually grown larger. "Thank you for being such a good friend, at least when you are not keeping me locked in your quarters for an 8 hour stretch."

"Only 7 hours and 40 minutes to go," Sonja corrected. "In between my teaching you how to play cards and finding more ways to bestow my knowledge and expertise onto mini you, I am sure that we won't see the time pass."

Ya'Han simply smiled and shook her head. The universe might always sent things to get in the way of plans, but it also seemed to find a way to send along with those obstacles a way to make them more interesting and acceptable, at least that was the way the purple-haired Nylaan was seeing things at that moment.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P067: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 06 - 2010 ("Understanding")
=-=
"Understanding"
[previous post was "Accepting, Part 2" by the accommodating Hanali]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 32223.2010

Every indicator showed that all was as it should be throughout the ANUBIS, that is with the exception of the Emergency Containment Seal being in effect, isolating the Quarters of lieutenant Paquette from the rest of the ship. The account of Lieutenant Stark as to what happened had not been helpful in the least, raising more questions than it answered. One thing was certain though, Sonja was at the center of whatever it was that was going on, and would be the one to give the ExO / ILO the answers she needed, one way or an other.

"Can we talk now?" Shar'El asked, her previous several attempts to get any sort of information from Sonja or even Ya'Han having been flat out denied.

=/\= I am sorry, but the party you are trying to reach is not available at this time, =/\= a very bad imitation of a computerized voice said, the tone of the voice hinting that it was the Chief Engineer trying to be funny.

"Sonja!"

=/\= Come on Shar'El, we are stuck in here for another 7 hours, at leas let us have some fun, =/\= the Chief Engineer proposed, clearly indicating that there was no need for the Emergency Containment Seal that she had herself called for.

"I will be more than happy to grant you those hours of tranquility and peace, that is as soon as you tell me why you called for an Emergency Containment Seal of your own quarters," Shar'El offered, the sternness of her voice hinting that this was much more than a friendly request. As the ANUBIS' ExO / ILO she was *required* to know about every situation taking place on board the ship so that she could report back to the Captain with any pertinent details that could possibly affect a mission, even in the slightest possible aspects. In this case, having both the Chief Engineering Officer and Chief of Security locked up in quarters without any way to get out for the next 7 hours certainly qualified as having more than a possible impact on their current mission inside Ferengi space.

=/\= Can't a girl want to spend some quality and quiet time with a friend? =/\= Sonja asked, trying to sound upset, as if this had been something that was, for one reason or another, owed to both her and Ya'Han. Now, there might have been an actual valid reason for this, but since Shar'El knew of nothing that could justify this, the ExO / ILO had no other choice but to play the game without mercy.

"If you two wanted some private time together, you could have asked," Shar'El said in all seriousness.  The ExO / ILO knew that this was not the case, neither women having given any hint of a possible affection towards the other beyond that of being friends, but this was the best way to force Sonja and Ya'Han to reveal the true reason behind this increasingly puzzling behavior of theirs. "I am sure that you are well aware that neither the Captain nor I discriminate or enforce our personal opinions on the crew when it comes to personal life choices. That said though, I truly hope that you have taken Jayson's feelings and position in your decision as he is clearly upset and confused following what happened in the corridor."

=/\= What? =/\= Sonja gasped, her sentiment quickly followed by an equally outraged expression from her fellow cellmate.

=/\= That is not what is happening here, =/\= Ya'Han frantically exclaimed. =/\= Come on Sonja, tell her. =/\=

=/\= Tell her what? =/\= the Chief Engineer continued, her voice having shifted back to being as serious as could be. =/\= That Jayson is not the *man* you need, the one who can take care of you the way you have always wanted to be? That as soon as this mission is over you and I are planning on stealing a shuttlecraft and make our way to the nearest habitable planet and create a life of our own there, away from the judgemental glares of the universe? =/\=

=/\= SONJA! =/\= The sound that followed the Nylaan's screaming the other woman's name in clear discontent left no doubt in anyone's mind in the IGC that the Chief Engineer would have more than her hair show a distinct red hue.

"I should not need to remind you ladies that you are on an open channel and that everyone here in the IGC can hear you," Shar'El continued, further forcing the women locked inside the Emergency Containment Seal to consider clarifying the situation with the truth. "Although I trust each and every one of my techniciens implicitly, I cannot control what they do or say outside of the IGC."

=/\= You don't play nice, you do know that right? =/\= Sonja stated, the serious tone of her voice having drastically shifted to reflect a more submissive one. =/\= Fine, but understand that we cannot just say it. So, stand-by, you should be getting something on your monitor shortly. =/\=

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Paquette's Quarters
Stardate: 32223.2030

"She truly did not give us any choice," Ya'Han said, coming to the realization that Shar'El would be the next member of the senior staff to know about her pregnancy.

"She's the Intel Operative for a reason," Sonja noted, rubbing her shoulder where the Chief of Security had hit her earlier. "She can hit as hard as you, although her weapon of choice is her mind instead of her fists. Either way, I seem to be the one with the bruises."

"Sorry about that," Ya'Han said, apologising for the rapid strike hit she unleashed against her friend for what she was saying, the Chief of Security not having held back as much as she maybe should have, but in some ways Sonja had deserved it for all that she had done and said up to this point. "How were you planning on having me tell Shar'El without letting everyone in the IGC know? I think that writing a note is a little impersonal, don't you think."

"I agree, that is why I was thinking along the lines of something that would challenge her in a way that an Intel Operative would actually appreciate while at the same time making it perfectly clear as to what is happening," the Chief Engineer explained, a devious grin planing on her lips.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 32223.2045

Shar'El waited patiently for whatever it was that Sonja had mentioned to appear on her monitor. It would be easy enough for the Chief Engineer to request a secured transmission to this particular station, but that did not give any additional hints as to what the ExO / ILO should be expecting.

Would Sonja chose to send her a written message explaining the situation? Would she try to be funny as she always tried to be and send some sort of image that might or might not easy detail the specifics of this story to clear away the veil of mystery surrounding it?  Knowing the Engineer as she did, the ExO / ILO knew that there was nothing that could be classified as being outside of the woman's range, so she waited.

A few minutes later, an image created by a tricorder scan appeared on the central monitor of the control station of the IGC. The image appeared blurry at first, without any distinguishable details, that was until Shar'El was able to identify the colors and shapes as being found within the humanoid body, more specifically a woman in the earliest stages of pregnancy.

It actually took the ExO / ILO several moment to let the significance of this image sink in. One of them was pregnant but the tricorder scan had not been details enough to reveal the identity of the mother-to-be. Obviously, both had been biologically capable of becoming pregnant, so the answer would have to be found elsewhere. With Ya'Han being in a relationship with Jayson, the odds had quickly shifted in her favor as being the one, but Shar'El had not been ready to so quickly dismiss Sonja's candidacy.

Whoever had taken this scan had been hyper careful to hide any details that might identify the person, likely to insure that the secret remain that should the image find its way to the general population of the ship. That by itself hinted the need for the mother-to-be in wanting to keep this a secret, and between the two possibilities, Ya'Han's name once again came to the top. As the Chief of Security, it would make sense that she wanted to keep this a secret, not to mention that fact that this festive news might draw some less than desired attention onto her from people whom she had distanced herself from many years ago. Now, the odds of anyone beyond the ANUBIS finding out that she was pregnant had been next to nil, but Shar'El could understand the psychological need to insure that possibility never came to be.

Reviewing all of the hints that she had gathered over the last few days, the ExO / ILO narrowed the possible candidate to a single woman. It explained everything including the isolation the poor Chief of Operations hd been subjected to without knowing why.

"Ya'Han?", Shar'El called out after having reopened the communications channel.

=/\= Yes Shar'El? =/\= The Nylaan replied, sounding a little nervous, wondering what kind of reaction the ExO / ILO would have to the news.

"I will see the both of you as soon as the Emergency Containment Seal is removed," the ExO / ILO said in a mildly joyous tone, letting it know that she knew and was happy for her friend without revealing anything to the staff of the IGC.

Ya'Han and Shar'El would be able to discuss this further in a more private setting then, so for the time being the ExO / ILO had been more than content with leaving things as they were. This simple image allowed the Ullian to understand why their Chief of Security had been acting so strangely as well as explaining why their common friend had been in such a high geared protective mode.  The timing for the containment's unleashing would make it tight as they would likely be near or already within the DOLBAR system, but that would hopefully only delay by a few hours the chat they the two of them would have.

What Shar'El needed to remind herself was to speak to Ya'Han as a friend first before shifting the discussion onto the more serious and official matter of how this would come to affect Ya'Han as the ANUBIS' Chief of Security?

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P068: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 07 - 0320 ("Laughing")
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"Laughing"
[previous post was "Understanding"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Paquette's Quarters
Stardate: 32224.0320

The echoes of the laughter from the evening before could still be heard, having stretched into the night and early morning hours of the next day. Captain Morningstar had wished for his officers to get some rest, and that was exactly what Sonja and Ya'Han had done. The method in which they accomplished this might not have been what the Commanding Officer had expected, but the final result would be the same. The two women locked in these quarters had made the best of a bad situation and would not find any reason to complain by the time it would come to an end.

Sonja had set up a small timer on the edge of the table. At first, it was meant to show them how much time they had left, but the slow countdown had turned into a game with rules changing every time they glanced at the lowering numbers. Feeling more relaxed than either had in a long time, the women eventually fell into a restful slumber that would be unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival of a third woman inside the sealed quarters.

"Good morning ladies," Shar'El said, looking down at the two sleeping women who had passed out on the couch, a strange collection of blankets, feathers and shredded pillows covering the near entirety of the room's floor. "I hope you *all* survived the war that I am guessing took place here last night," the Commander said, adding the emphasis to confirm that she did understand that there were more than two people in the room before she stepped in.

"We had to shift to pillows," Sonja muttered still in the process of waking. "My shoulders couldn't handle any more of the abuse they were being subjected to by the 'Mad Mother' over there."  The accusing finger that was directed towards the Nylaan was suddenly retracted as the redhead Engineer realised what she had done. Ya'Han being pregnant was a secret, the knowledge of which was highly restricted to a select few.

Sonja was the first to be trusted with this secret, followed by Nicole, and now the Engineer feared that her statement and gesture made while half-asleep would see another to be added to this very small list. That was when the redhead looked up and her vision cleared enough to identify the person whom had been a witness to this little display.

"Shar'El? What are you doing in here?" Sonja asked, recalling that the woman had also been informed of the Nylaan's condition thanks to a small little picture that no one else could have understood the significance of. "We are locked inside my quarters for 8 hours due to the Emergency Confinement Seal."

"I know," the Commander laughed as memories from the night before were broadcasted by the Trerran for the Ullian to see. "It's been 8 hours and after that time elapsed, a Command Level officer such as I myself was able to break the seal, which I did. So, here I am."

"Is it morning?" Ya'Han groggily asked, the discussion between the Chief Engineer and First Officer having drawn her out of her slumber.

"The time is 0330," Shar'El announced. I would have left you two sleep in longer but the Captain wanted an update on the situation and would like all senior officers at their post by 0500, which is when we will be entering the DOLBAR System."

"Does the Captain know?" The Sec/Tac asked, having fully woken up in the blink of an eye.

"Know what?" The Commander teased, "That the Emergency Containment Seal was triggered by mistake or that it is becoming increasingly evident that we are in a desperate need to have a Chief Medical Officer on board the ANUBIS?"

"You convinced him that this was all a mistake?" Sonja giggled, a little shocked that the Captain would not have pushed the issue more than he had. Over the course of the previous evening, the Chief Engineer had plenty of time to realize the scope of her actions. Having so little time to act, not knowing that Ya'Han had intended to tell Jayson of her condition, the redhead Engineer had gone with the first thing that came into her head to meet all of the specifications she had wanted to enact. The Emergency Containment Seal had been at that time the perfect method to insure that Ya'Han would not be able to leave and to make sure Jayson, or anyone else for that matter, would be able to come in.

"I might not have *convinced* the Captain of anything," Shar'El clarified. "What I did do was to reassure him that all was under control and that I would see it personally that every member of the senior staff would be ready for duty before we enter the DOLBAR system, which now gives you ladies about an hour to freshen up and report to the bridge."

"An hour?" That's not a lot of time." Sonja argued.

"It's the best I could do given that your entire quarters were sealed just as tightly as Ya'Han's mind," Shar'El said, sending a smile to the Nylaan. "Once this latest crystal is in our possession, you and I will need to talk."

"I know," Ya'Han sighed. That had been the main reason why she had decided to delay telling Shar'El about being pregnant, but after what happened there was no other choice. "Before then, please know that I wanted to tell you, that I wanted to share this with you, but I knew that it would put you in an awkward situation being not only my friend but also the First Officer. After telling Jayson we were going to go and see you together and accept whatever decision you deemed necessary."

"You should have trusted me to be your friend first," Shar'El said, actually finding it strange to hear herself say those words. Up until she had come on board this vessel, friends were a luxury that the ILO could never indulge in, being as she believed, at the time, a waste of time and a weakness that could be exploited. Oddly enough, that way of thinking had so gradually changed over her time on the ANUBIS that she had no even realised just how precious her friends had become to her.

"I'm sorry," Ya'Han said, hoping that this would not change the way their friendship had evolved.

"Don't be," Shar'El smiled. "You reacted as a mother, wanting to protect yourself and your child to the best of your abilities. I cannot fault you with that; no one could, not in the least. I can only hope that my recent actions and reactions will prove to you that I am here for you as a friend first. We will figure out the rest after."

"Thank you," the Sec/Tac said, grateful once again to be surrounded by so many wonderful friends.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.0500

The Captain welcomed the Sec/Tac back onto the bridge without any fuss. Evidently, as far as he was concerned, the matter of two of his officers having been locked in a room had been a 'done and over with' issue.

"Our journey to DOLBAR proved to be far easier than expected," Shar'El announced. "For reasons that we are not yet aware of, the Hirogens are clearly avoiding this system. This meant that we did not have to play hide-and-seek with their patrols and were able to take a straight line in at maximum speed. This allowed up to make up the time we lost after that first scout ship was able to track us."

"Confirmed," the Sec/Tac announced. "Tactical sensors are not detecting any Hirogen ships anywhere in the vicinity of the DOLBAR System."

"I'm not sure if this a good thing or if it is something that we should be concerned about," Jayson said, glancing over to Ya'Han who simply smiled.

She wanted to tell him, but again now was not the time. Maybe it would have been easier if Ya'Han made a ship-wide announcement, but that would certainly cause more commotion than the ANUBIS needed to deal with at this time. There would be plenty of time after they obtained this crystal for them to talk and celebrate, that she would make sure of.

"Captain!" Ya'Han exclaimed, something having appeared on her tactical console. "We are being scanned."

"The planetary system appears to be surrounded by numerous small satellites no larger than a half a meter in circumference," Jayson reported. "Our sensors did detect them earlier but given that there was no energy output noticed coming from them, it was assumed that these were nothing more than inert markers. One of the reasons we suspected would explain why the Hirogens are avoiding this area."

"Helm, full stop!" The Captain ordered, wanting to figure out what was happening before heading deeper into the star system.

"Our problem is that we know very little about the Dolbargy or their technology," Counselor Dima noted. "Those small satellites could have easily been nothing more than the markers we thought them to be, placed there to warn outsiders that they are about to enter a restricted region of space."

"From what I can recall of this race, they are not the xenophobic or isolationist type, in fact I clearly remember them having extensive trade and tourism industries," Ya'Han said, clearly puzzled by what they just encountered.

"Well, whatever they are and whatever they are meant to do, they know we are here," Shar'El noted with great disdain. "I don't think that even a cloaked vessel would be able to cross this border without being detected. That might be the reason for this, and it would explain why the Hirogens are staying away."

"Should we go to red alert Captain?" The Sec/Tac asked, her fingers already hovering over the controls. After having made it this far without being detected, this latest unexpected turn of event was sure to make things more difficult than they already were for them, Ya'Han easily envisioning every Hirogen ship in Ferengi space rushing in to intercept.

The Captain shook his head no, waiting to see what would happen next. Seconds grew into minutes and still their instruments showed nothing new.

"The IGC has confirmed that no transmissions were sent to alert the Hirogens as to the presence of an unknown ship at our current location," Shar'El reported. "Those ships that our long-range sensors are able to track have not shown any indication of changing course or in any way responding to some emergency. The fact that we were scanned and detected might be nothing more than an early warning system to let the Dolbargy know that they are about to have visitors."

The Captain sighed, clearly unhappy with this latest bump on their journey to retrieve the fifth crystal. Why had Professor Arken made things so complicated? Their orders though had been very precise; they were to get those crystals, no matter what.  "Wouldn't want to keep them waiting," the Commanding Officer said, not hiding his discontent that the ANUBIS was scanned and detected but having little choice in what they could do about it. "Ensign Jones, resume course for DOLBAR, but take us in at half impulse. If something is going to be there waiting for us, I want to make sure we see them before they have a chance to act. Lieutenant Ya'Han, hold on to that red alert for the moment. Let's see how this plays out first."

"Yes Captain," the Sec/Tac confirmed, glancing at the Operations Officer for a brief moment. The more things got in their way, the more driven the Nylaan was becoming in telling Jayson about her situation in the quickest possible way so as to avoid something else interrupting her. Maybe the rapid reveal would take away from the sweetness of the moment, but judging by the endless sequence of things happening, she would need to make the best of whatever few seconds she would get. Those seconds though would not be for a while as everyone on the bridge was on edge as they pushed further into the DOLBAR System without knowing what would happen next.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P069: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 07 - 0530 ("Arriving")
##########
"Arriving"
Previous post "Laughing"
##########

"In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth."
- Patti Smith

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.0530

Since the ANUBIS discovered the first set of sensor satellites at the outer edge of the DOLBAR solar system, the ship had encountered two more such detection net making it impossible for the Federation vessel, or any other one for that matter, to make it to the inner system without being thoroughly tracked. The best the Native American could hope for was that the cloaking armour would still hide *who* they were if not *where* they were.

"We will be in orbit of DOLBAR in just under 4 minutes," Ensign Jones reported from the Flight Control station, breaking the silence that had taken over since they forced their way through the last sensor net.

"I will admit that with all of the sensor scans we have gone through to get here, I was expecting some sort of welcoming party," Commander Shar'El said, the sarcasm in her voice loud and clear.

"Getting scanned as many times as we did is more than enough for my liking," the Native American unhappily stated, clenching at the armrests of his chair. Being in command of a ship designed to be as stealthy as possible given its size and tactical capabilities had made the Captain somewhat uncomfortable with the reality that they had been scanned and tracked all the way from the edge of the system to where they were now. Experience told him that this could not end well.

"Captain," Lieutenant Ya'Han called out from the Tactical station. "It appears that we have one more sensor net to go through before we can actually reach the planet's orbit."

"For a race claiming to welcome outsiders, as their extensive tourism industry would indicate, they are sure coming across as being on the far side of paranoia," Erik pointed out, rolling his eye, thus further displaying his frustration with the whole situation.

"As friendly as they may be," Nicole chimed in. "You do have to keep in mind that they are inside Ferengi space, and that should be more than enough to make anyone a little paranoid."

As humorous as the comment was meant to be, in the hopes of lifting some of the stress felt by everyone, Ya'Han readily nodded her agreement confirming the statement as being genuine and correct. As a Nylaan, she had experienced such feelings and reactions first hand in her youth when dealing with the Ferengi. What followed next proved to cancel whatever levity was created by the Counsellor's comment as a powerful energy wave swept through the bridge causing some of the officers to actually feel a sense of extreme dizziness.

"What happened?" The Native American quickly inquired certain that all of his misgivings were about to be proven true.

"It appears that we have been scanned, again, but this time the sensor beams actually went through the ablative amour," the Chief of Operations reported with astonishment. "That said, it appears that the energy wave had no effect on any of our systems. According to our own sensors, the sweep was more along the type used for medical scans than anything else, although it did travel through the entire ship as if we had not even been there."

"Confirmed Captain," the Chief Science Officer continued. "The amplitude of the energy wave that was used for this most recent scan covered the full spectrum used to complete a medical examination, a thorough one at that. The energy used though was tachyon based, which explains how it managed to pass through the ablative armor and the ship's hull without any difficulty. I would suspect that based on the range and complexity of these readings, the scan, as short as it might have been, likely has provided whoever created it with very detailed information as to the full crew's physical and medical condition."

Shar'El and Nicole simultaneously glanced at the Chief of Security who could do nothing more than shrug her shoulders, the two women being two-thirds of those who were aware of the woman's condition. That the Nylaan might have liked it or not, it seemed that someone else had possibly become aware of her pregnancy.

=/\= Main Engineering to bridge, =/\= Sonja's voice came over the channel, the Chief Engineer sounding more than a little upset. =/\= What the heck was that scan that went through the ship? I have several people down here saying they feel dizzy and can barely stand straight, and this is without my giving them any wine. How did that energy wave get passed the ablative cloak and all the way down here? Are we under attack? =/\=

"This was not an attack," Maya quickly pointed out, the scientist making an observation in order to not risk some sort of misunderstanding that would led to this turning into an armed conflict. "Although the scan was thorough, as mentioned by Lieutenant Stark, none of our systems were affected in the slightest. All computer functions show to be exactly as they were prior to the scan. It is possible that due to the strength and amplitude of the tachyon-based sensor sweep, some of the crew were made to experience a sense of dizziness, nothing more."

"I for one can vouch for the effects of that sensor sweep," Shar'El said, having reached out to whatever was closest to steady herself, the dizziness she experienced having nearly caused her to tip over.

"Captain," Jayson called out once more. "We are being hailed."

"There goes the idea of us being up here in orbit incognito," the First Officer sighed thinking, as best she could due to her dizziness, that the ANUBIS might has well have not bothered using the cloaking armour in an effort to keep their presence in Ferengi space a secret.

"I guess our trying to deny that we are actually here would be pointless at this time," the Native American said, reluctantly accepting the fact that all of their efforts at stealth had failed to a never before imagined level. "Fine, put them on main view screen. Our only way out of this mess is to get the crystal as quickly as possible and limit our exposure while within Ferengi borders."

With a nod of his head, the Chief of Operations acknowledged the order given before opening the communications channel. A second or so later, a humanoid figure appeared on the large screen located at the front of the command deck.

[/\] Welcome to DOLBAR, we do apologies for any discomfort our sensor sweep might have caused any members of your crew. It is meant only as a precautionary measure to insure that everyone who visits our world is without any sorts of contaminants or anything that could be harmful to our ecosystem. Now, how may we help you today? [/\]

"At least they do sound like a friendly bunch," Jayson noted under his breath.

"My name is Erik," the Captain began making sure to keep his last name, rank and ship he commanded out of the conversation. "I would like, if at all possible, to set up a meeting with a gentleman by the name of Soturemol. According to my information, he was some time ago the supervisor of a hatchery but as we understand it, may have recently been promoted to the position of Chief Master Supervisor. We would require only a few minutes of his time to discuss a business exchange."

[/\] I will see what I can do. Please stand by and keep this channel open, [/\] the man pleasantly replied before the image switched to the orbital view of the planet.

"You do have to admit that not needing for us to hide is making this a lot easier," Nicole pointed out, trying her best to keep a positive spin on their current situation.

"Short-term gain as compared to the long-term hell we and the Federation might very well end up facing," Erik countered with. "Imagine the uproar from the New Ferengi Alliance the moment they learn about a Federation ship having not only breached their border without permission but made it to orbit of one of their worlds under the pretense of conducting a business transaction. They would likely be less upset if we had come here looking to start a fight, but this is going to rub those overgrown ears of theirs in every wrong way imaginable," the Captain paused for a moment, considering the full extent of what he had just detailed. "Whatever is in those crystals better be worth the war we might have just started by being here."

"Captain," Jayson called out. "We are being hailed once again, this time by Soturemol himself."

"See," the Counsellor grinned, showing off the main view screen a la Vanna White. "This is a lot easier than if we were sneaking around. Stay positive and the universe will provide."

Ya'Han could not help but briefly chuckle. "That's an interesting twist on the Ferengi's belief of the Great Material Continuum."

"If it works," Nicole giggled back, glancing at the Captain as she did so.

"Ladies," the Native American said, calling order back onto the bridge. "On screen," Erik instructed as soon as he was satisfied that the command deck had returned to display a more proper protocol.

[/\] Welcome to DOLBAR Erik, I am Chief Master Supervisor Soturemol, how may I assist you? I was informed that you are seeking a meeting with me in regards to a business exchange. [/\] the humanoid asked, his eyes scanning the members of the crew he could see to stop on the Chief of Security.

"If possible we would like to meet with you and discuss your terms in regards to the transfer of a certain item that was placed in your care by a scientist and common friend of ours," Erik explained, doing his best to be as vague as possible in case the communication was being listened in on by others."

[/\] You have nothing to worry about Erik; this communication is secured as is your ship. No one knows that you are here. All of the sensor nets you encountered are only for the protection of this world and are not monitored by any outside forces including the Ferengi Alliance. You, your crew, and your ship are safe. [/\]

"Thank you for your reassurances, but I would still prefer if we took care of things quickly," the Native American clarified. Despite the claims made by the Chief Master Supervisor, the ANUBIS was still deep inside unfriendly territory without any authorization.

[/\] You are Nylaan, are you not? [/\] Soturemol asked, his attention having remained on the black and red haired woman.

Ya'Han quickly checked with her Captain to make sure she could answer truthfully, which the Native American agreed to, again reluctantly but seeing any deception as a possible hindrance to the successful completion of their mission. They had simply come too far to be delayed or even stopped by something so simple.

"Yes I am," the Chief of Security confirmed.

[/\] You have grown from the little girl I saw back then, and your hair, not the colour I would have expected from a daughter of the High Sovereign, [/\] the Dolbargy announced, clearly showing that he had recognized the Nylaan for who she was, or at least whom she had been when he had last seen her. [/\] I would be honoured to have you come down. We can discuss this exchange you mentioned over dinner. [/\]

With a gesture of his hand, Captain Morningstar instructed his First Officer to get an away team ready but before Shar'El could even start to move, the Dolbargy jumped back in.

[/\] Erik, I would much prefer if it were you who came down, along with your Nylaan friend. I would feel far more at least discussing this exchange with people I have become familiar with, even if only by a few quick moments. If you wish, you can bring down one other, say the lady sitting right there at the front. [/\]

"Tanith?" The Native American said, not having expected the Flight Control Officer to have been selected

"Me?" The Ensign said, echoing the Captain's surprise.

[/\] Yes, [/\] Soturemol happily confirmed. [/\] I promise that no harm will come to any of you. You will be my honoured guests and will be delighted in having such grand company. I understand that you are in a hurry, but please, indulge this old man in his simple and innocent request. It will make our discussion of the exchange of the item you seek that much quicker for you, and pleasant for me. [/\]

"Very well, we will beam down shortly," the Native American reluctantly agreed.

[/\] Wonderful! I will transmit the beam down coordinates shortly. I anxiously await your arrival. [/\]

The moment the main screen returned to the orbital image of the planet, Shar'El immediately voiced her objection. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I but we have no other option," the Captain pointed out. "Lieutenant Ya'Han, do you believe we can trust him?"

"I met the man once many years ago," the Nylaan woman replied. "My first impression of him was that he was kind, but as we all know, time has a way of changing people."

"Ensign Jones, Lieutenant Ya'Han, you are with me," the Captain said motioning to the two women to follow. "Commander, the ship is yours. Keep your eye open."

"We will," Shar'El acknowledged before turning to the Chief of Security who was walking right by her. "You take care of *everyone*," the Commander said as she glanced down at the woman's belly. As the First Officer of the ANUBIS, she had been clear in her instructions to safeguard the other members of the away team, but as a friend she had also wanted to make sure Ya'Han knew to take care of herself and protect the life growing within her.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P070: USS ANUBIS: Dima: Day 07 - 0535 ("Avoiding")
“Avoiding”
(Continued from “Arriving”)

=/\=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.0535

Ensign Dima watched as the three-person away team left the Bridge. As much as she had tried to keep the mood light, the ANUBIS was in a very tenuous position. They had successfully avoided the Hirogen, an obvious military threat, only to find their presence and actions heavily tracked and documented by DOLBAR, a Ferengi Alliance world. Morningstar’s assessment that the Ferengi would not take kindly to this intrusion was spot-on. If she were a gambler, Nicole would put their chances against the Ferengi as better than those against the Hirogen, but the reality was she would prefer not to face either of them.

Soturemol, their apparent host on the planet below, had not acted in any way other than similar to the the old memories of Ya’Han’s description of him, but that could been merely a display, designed to lure the Captain and others into some kind of trap. It seemed clear that all of the senior staff were thinking that in their own ways, but those misgivings could not prevent them from seeing their duties through.

Shar’El had said something to Ya’Han before the Nylaan entered the turbolift. The Counsellor observed the connection between the two women. It was clear to her now that the Intel operative was in on the secret, that before Sonja’s little lockdown stunt, was only known to Nicole and the Engineer.

The joined Trill’s heart sank when she realized that Jayson was still unaware of the life growing inside of the woman he loved. Nic also remembered Ya’Han stating she had been waiting for an opportune time to inform him. And even though Dima believed there was no such thing, there was a certainty that the during the middle of a crystal gathering stop was most definitely *not* a good time.

It was then that she noticed Stark staring at her. She was not especially good at hiding her feelings, and the facial expressions throughout her inner narrative had caught the man’s attention. “What’s wrong?”

She stiffened. Professional confidentiality was one of the tenets of her position. She looked to Shar’El and Maya with a concern that she was able to voice. “Is there any way to scramble the scanning technology, or render it inert, so we can make a quick escape if we need to?”

The dark haired ExO nodded slightly at the young woman. “Is your optimism being traded for realism?”

“Maybe,” Nicole admitted. “I am hopeful with the away team’s experience they can obtain what we are seeking, but there is a saying I’m reminded of also: ‘hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.’”

The Ullian agreed that caution was the word of the day. “Trust from these people is not a guarantee, and they currently have the crystal *and* the upper hand.”

The Shillian Scientist chimed in, eyes focused on a stream of information at the console. “I have been studying our readings of their readings and scans and compiling all the data. Their quantum field mechanics are advanced, but perhaps there is a way to generate a competing signal or field to distort the information they are getting. I will continue to analyze.” The abalative armor was usually infallible, but the full vessel sweep had passed through it like a knife through butter.

Shar’El looked somewhat reassured, knowing they had Maya’s intelligence and resourcefulness on their side, as the Science Officer continued to manipulate the energy signatures and explain.

“I must warn you: besides deciphering the beacons and coming up with a solution to resolve them, we must be mindful of any emanations coming from the ship, as the Hirogen could potentially use that as a tracking mechanism.”

Jayson was grateful that Ya’Han wanted to have him in her life again, even though the frustration of seeing her leave for DOLBAR was just setting in. “We’re caught between a rock and a hard place,” the Ops Officer confirmed.

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter

Ship's Counselor
USS ANUBIS NCC-18501
M09-P071: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 07 - 0545 ("Analyzing")
=-=
"Analyzing"
[previous post was "Avoiding" by the talented Susan]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.0545

The ExO / ILO let out a lengthy sigh as the report from the transporter Chief came in to her console. The coordinates had been received, confirmed and the away team transported down without any problem. With Captain Morningstar, Lieutenant Ya'Han and Ensign Jones on the planet surface, all they could do was wait for their return and plan for a speediest exit possible. With that in mind, and still feeling somewhat dizzy, Shar'El decided to also investigate something that had struck her as strange and unnatural during their chat with the Dolbargy.

"Lieutenant Stark, when you have a moment, can you playback both transmissions we received from DOLBAR, side-by-side if you would please. You can mute the audio, I am more interested in the visual," the ExO / ILO requested.

"Saw something that bothered you?" Jayson asked, doing his best to focus on his work as he had done as of late, this being his one and only escape. Things had changed for the better, there was no denying that, but still he needed to keep himself busy so as to not dwell on the Nylaan being on the planet surface with their Captain without having told him what she had wanted to say.

"I'm not sure," Shar'El replied. "There was something about the way everything looked, maybe it is the way that this sensor sweep made me feel dizzy, unable to stand, but I need answers." The ExO / ILO paused for a moment, thinking through the mental cloud that had so suddenly debilitated her. "Shar'El to Lieutenant Paquette."

=/\= Yea, what do you want?. =/\= The Chief Engineer replied in a quasi-humorous tone.

"You reported that some of your people had suffered from dizziness following the Dolbargy sensor sweep. Can you tell me what species those affected are?"

=/\= Species? =/\= Sonja repeated, clearly sounding confused. =/\= I never pictured you as the racist type, =/\= the Engineer added in jest. =/\= What's going on spy-girl? This is not one of your routine questions. =/\=

"I have a theory that I need you to confirm, and at the moment everyone is busy trying to find a way for us to get out of here without drawing the attention of the entire Hirogen fleet currently patrolling Ferengi space," the ExO / ILO bluntly explained.

=/\= Hang on... Well that's interesting. I had not noticed this before, but now that you mention it, every single Vulcan and Betazoid down here nearly went down for the count. That's not saying much since I can have at least those overly serious Vulcans become dizzier than a spinning top with a few well-placed joke, but still, that is odd to say the least. Why do you think... =/\=

"Thank you Sonja, bridge out." Shar'El said, closing the channel before the engineer could finish her counter question.  "Commander Maya, I know that what you are currently working on is of the utmost importance, but I need you to please compile a list of all crew member who reported feeling dizzy immediately following the Dolbargy scan. I am suspecting that you will discover that everyone affected in this manner is a telepath, or is at the very least more susceptible to telepathic contact than others."

"You are quite correct," the Chief Science Officer confirmed, her skills in multitasking allowing her to run several complex jobs with relative ease. "This could be a simple side-effect of the type of energy used by the Dolbargy for their scan. Although nothing to indicate this was detected by our own sensors. Based on the limited information we possess it is quite possible that the wavelength of the energy used for the latest scan interfered with the brain chemistry of anyone possessing telepathic affinities or abilities."

"Commander, I have that side-by-side playback that you requested ready," the Chief of Operations reported, Jayson having also managed to perform multiple tasks with ease.

"On the main screen at your discretion Lieutenant," Shar'El instructed. "Maya, if you can spare a moment, you might want to have a look at this as well. I would appreciate all of your input on this."

As the images of the two Dolbargy appeared one next to the other on the main view screen, the remaining officers on the bridge focused all of their attention on them, not entirely certain as to what it was that they were supposed to be looking for.

"The backgrounds are similar, very similar, although not identical," Jayson commented. "It might just be due to a really bad taste in decor that is shared by this world's inhabitants. Not everyone is cut out for interior decorating."

"Speaking from personal experience?" Nicole teased.

"True," Shar'El agreed with the Operations Officer. "Put the playback on auto-replay. There is something strange in there, somewhere; I just can't seem to put my finger on it."

"The images also appear to be equally out of focus," Maya added after the playback had gone through a complete full sequence. "There is a barely visible haze around the contour of each individual, but this could be caused by their technology or the method with which they transmit visual signals through the atmosphere of their planet."

"A race with extensive trade and tourism industries would want to make sure their off-world communications are as sharp as possible," the Commander noted. "As much as we could claim that their technology, based solely on their ability to scan the ANUBIS through its ablative armor, should be more than advanced enough to create a sharper image. That is not what is bothering me though.  I agree, the fuzziness is there but that is not what is bugging me."

"They don't blink," Nicole suddenly pointed out. "Obviously Commander Shar'El was suspecting something, so I figured I would look to see if either one showed any signs of being untruthful. In most Humanoids, as the ones being shown on the screen, the rate of blinking tends to increase as falsehoods are being told. Both of these Dolbargy did not blink once during the entire course of their respective discussions with us, a detail that I had not noticed during the initial exchange. Maybe the energy type used for the scans has also affected me, although in a different manner due to my having a symbiont inside of me."

"Maya, could these be false images?" The ExO / ILO theorized, her suspicions having been nearly confirmed.

"It is very possible that the Dolbargy have superimposed another image on their visual communication feed to us. The process, if it is what they have done, appears to have originated at the source though, making it impossible for us to reveal anything that would be found beneath the superimposed image. Of course, the only reason to do something like this would be for them to hide their true appearance. The question is, why would they wish do that?" The Shillian replied.

"Why indeed?"

"What's going on?" Sonja asked, the Chief Engineer having come to the bridge to investigate what all of the questions about the species of those having felt dizzy had been all about.

"The images we received from DOLBAR appear to have been at best altered or worst completely fabricated," the ExO / ILO explained. "Added to this the fact that everyone on the ANUBIS who possesses the slightest telepathic ability was affected by their sweep leaves me to believe that they are hiding something big. Remember, we were unable to find a single confirmed image of them anywhere prior to seeing them on the main view screen."

"Ya'Han has seen them," Sonja pointed out, looking around the bridge in search of the woman in question. "By the way, where is she?"

"On the surface with Ensign Jones and Captain Morningstar," Shar'El replied, her attention having reverted back to the images of the two individual they had spoken to earlier.

"She went down to the surface?" The Chief Engineer gasped causing both Shar'El and Nicole to quickly turn to look at the Chief of Operations, warning the Chief Engineer to be careful with her next words.  "I mean," Sonja resumed, amending her thoughts, "I'm all for rainbow girl protecting the Captain and such, but should we not have our Chief Tactical Officer here on the ANUBIS in case those Hirogens decide to come rushing in to investigate the armored cloaked ship in orbit of this planet?"

"We did not have a choice in the matter," the ExO / ILO stated. "Ya'Han was requested to beam down after having been recognized by Soturemol and he also specified that the Captain be the one to go down to secure the exchange of the crystal. Of course, the Captain was more than happy to comply thinking that I was not in any shape to go down to the surface. Now, I am starting to understand why. Their scan is likely meant to identify and possibly even make any and all telepaths unable to go down there, thus keeping whatever secret they have down there intact."

"Hyper paranoid or they clearly have something to hide," Sonja concluded. "So why not just send another team down or contact the Captain to let him know what you found?"

"The Dolbargy have us pinned between a rock and a hard place as Lieutenant Stark earlier stated," Counselor Dima sadly pointed out pointed out.

"Nicole is right," Shar'El concluded. "As friendly as they sounded during their communications with us, a single call from them to the Hirogen would expose our presence and drag the Federation into a war with the New Ferengi Alliance. Closer to home, it would also instantly jeopardize the lives of the members of the away team and the successful completion of their mission. As much as I hate to say it, they are on their own."

"Ya'Han is down there," Jayson quickly added with unwavering confidence. "This is not her first time on that planet, so she is somewhat familiar with their culture and besides that, she is the one who is the best qualified to make sure nothing bad happens to any member of the away team. However bad these Dolbargy can be, or whatever it is they are trying to hide from everyone, she'll find a way to get passed it all to keep everyone safe."

"Agreed," Shar'El noted, turning back to face the main view screen once again, thus insuring that only the Chief Engineer and Counsellor now standing by her side would be able to hear her next words. "I am just worried about the cost our Nylaan friend might have to pay to make that happen."

"They'll make it back safe and sound," Sonja said with reassurance.

"They'll *all* make it back," Nicole amended. "That I am sure of. Ya'Han won't let anything happen to anyone, I am certain of that."

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P072: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 07 - 0545 ("Trading")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Trading"
[previous post was "Analyzing"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: DOLBAR, Beam down site
Stardate: 32224.0545

The air was fresh, and filled with the aroma of a thousand flowers, each sweeter than the next. As soon as the transport sequence was completed, Ya'Han took in a long deep breath that caused memories to fill her mind. As distant as those images of her visit to this world had been, it now felt as if it had been yesterday, everything appearing so familiar.

"I am starting to understand why the Dolbargy are so protective of this world," Captain Morningstar announced in awe, the man of Native American descent possessing a unique perspective on the appreciation of unblemished beauty as found in nature.

"Welcome to DOLBAR," a voice greeted them making the three officers turn towards the approaching man. For a split second, the humanoid walking towards the away team appeared as a strange hairless beige-skinned alien, possessing not two, but four black eyes, two smaller orbs below two larger ones. This nightmare given form also possessed two mouths as well as three-slits where a nose would normally be on most humanoids. The image was troubling to say the least but it lasted for no more than the blink of an eye, being replaced by the likeness of the Dolbargy who had been seen on the main view screen and who the away team had come down to meet.

"Soturemol, you have not changed a bit," Ya'Han said with joy, feeling an instant connection with he man who had saved her and her sister so many years ago from the wrath of their father.

"Unlike you your highness," the Dolbatgy said, going as far as to add a bow of his head to show respect to woman he knew to be the youngest daughter of the High Sovereign of Nyla IV. "You have grown into a beautiful woman, and judging by the color of your hair and company that you keep, you have grown in many other ways as well."

"Forgive me," the Sec/Tac said, realizing that she had stepped well outside of her role as a member of the away team. "Please allow me to properly introduce to you my Captain, Erik Morningstar and our Flight Control Officer, Tanith Jones."

The Captain twitched at hearing his full name used. He had purposely omitted revealing that detail before to make it that much less likely, that the ANUBIS and its crew would be traced as having been in orbit of this world. What the Captain found odd though, for a split second, was that the discomfort he experienced vanished the moment Soturemol extended a welcoming hand towards him.

"It is an honor to have you all here," the Dolbargy politely offered, as he shook the Captain's hand before moving to do the same to the ANUBIS' FCO. "I hope that you will find our world to your liking."

"With all due respect, I don't think RISA could compete with your world," Tanith said, surprising herself by the boldness and forwardness of her statement.

"You honor us all with your high praises," the Dolbargy stated as he displayed visible pride. "Now, you have been most kind in agreeing to my terms to come down and share a meal with me. So, it would be only polite of me to not delay you any more than this will cause you to be. I understand your need to return to your vessel and resume whatever quest brought you here."

As the group walked down the steps of the platform they had appeared on to step onto a stone path lined with colorful flowers, the Nylaan found her memories once again traveling back to her first and only other visit to this world. For a moment Ya'Han actually found herself glad that Shar'El had not been here with them, the Ullian likely would have suffered from some sort of extreme mental discomfort due to the tidal wave of images coming from the Sec/Tac. As the group followed their host, Ya'Han scanned their surroundings and noted a small building in the distance. To anyone else the building would have been just another structure, but to the Sec/Tac it had been one of her strongest memories of this world.

"Captain, I know that we are in a rush, but could we spare a moment or two to visit one of the hatcheries," the Nylaan said, surprising herself by the request she just voiced. As the Sec/Tac she was in a perfect position to know exactly how precarious their situation was, having the ANUBIS in orbit of a world so deep inside Ferengi space. Every second they delayed only increased their odds of being detected by the Hirogens or the Ferengi themselves, something that would only make a bad situation as bad as could be.

"It would be interesting to see," the Captain noted as he looked at Soturemol. "The only information we have on your people is what Ya'Han was able to provide us, and I will admit that I find myself strangely curious as to these eggs of yours."

"I would be delighted to show them to you," Soturemol said with a smile, appearing more than happy to comply with the request.

With that said, the three officers followed the Chief Master Supervisor down another path without hesitation, finding themselves unexplainably more than happy to take a few extra minutes to indulge the curiosity of the Nylaan Sec/Tac.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: DOLBAR, Hatchery
Stardate: 32224.0610

No widows could be found on the walls of the building, and still the lightning inside appeared to be natural as could be, bathing the individually cared eggs in a blanket of bright warmth. The light was a welcomed change from the complete darkness the away team had travelled through, even if only for only a few seconds, as they crossed into what Soturemol described as a cleansing room.

"Your people do not take any sort of chances when it comes to contaminants," Ya'Han pointed out. As detailed as her memories were of her first time on DOLBAR, the Sec/Tac could not recall having passed through such a room on her first visit. Then again, it had been quick a while and her focus back then had been to explore an unknown while keeping up with her sister,

As the away team entered the hatchery, everyone paused and surveyed their surroundings. From the outside though, the building might have appeared small, but inside it seemed to stretch beyond reason.

"I know someone who would love to be here right now," the Captain said, knowing beyond a doubt that Maya would have been beside herself here. The location provided everything that the Chief Science Officer was always searching for, something new, something scientific, and all wrapped into a mystery that simply begged to be discovered.

"Soturemal, may I ask you a question about these eggs?" Ya'Han inquired, unable to control her mounting curiosity.

"Of course," the Dolbargy replied joyfully. "What do you wish to know?"

"I clearly remember seeing similar eggs when I was here the first time," the Nylaan explained. "I also recall seeing one particular egg with marking that did not seem to match anything else. Are the colored blotches on these eggs naturally occurring or do they have a particular significance."

"Your keen sense of observation is only matched by your radiant beauty," Soturemal said, not wasting a single opportunity to flatter the woman who found herself blushing. "The marking on the eggs indicate the general status and position the unhatched Dolbargy will have when they reach maturity. We have been able to isolate certain genetic markers allowing us to identify a pup's strengths and weaknesses. This makes it easier for them to grow up and meet their fullest potential as they are not placed in situations that they would find overwhelming and impossible for them to overcome."

"Most impressive," Captain Morningstar said, again thinking that their Chief Science Officer would spend months if not years in such a place. If the botanical range they had already seen were not enough to keep the Shillian's interest, these eggs would surely do the trick.

"What about the eggs that show very distinct patterns, like miniature works of art?" the Nylaan further inquired. "I remember seeing one such egg before but I cannot see any now, so I can only guess that they are quite rare."

"You would do your father proud," the Chief Master Supervisor said. "Your mind is as sharp as I am sure your years of training both on your world and beyond have toned your physical skills and strength."

Ya'Han blushed once more, the Dolbargy's compliments finding their target with the accuracy of an expert shooter. As she lowered her head in an effort to hide the increased redness of her cheek, purple locks of hair fell from her shoulders and into view. For a split second, the Sec/Tac was horrified by what she saw, such a display not having been in any way proper at this time and place. The feeling the Nylaan experienced though vanished as quickly as it had come. After all both Captain Morningstar and Ensign Jones knew of her royal heritage, as did Soturemol, the Chief Master Supervisor having recognized who she was the moment he had set eyes on her through the visual communication they had shared.

"Yes, these are very special eggs," the Dolbargy confirmed. "The different pattern indicates a genetic background different from that of my people," he explained without going into more detail. As friendly as he had been before, this subject matter appeared to be one he was not ready to explain in any more detail than he already had. "Now, if you would, I believe that our dinner is ready and waiting for us."

There was no hiding that these eggs fascinated the away team. No one could explain it, but they had been drawn to this place and now found their curiosity fade with each step they took as they followed their host out of the main incubation chamber. After a few moments, the away team found itself in an adjacent room, which proved to be another cleansing room.

Complete darkness surrounded the away team for only a few seconds, and when the lights returned and the outside door opened, the fresh aromatic air welcomed the group back into the paradise that DOLBAR seemed to be.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: DOLBAR, Dining Hall
Stardate: 32224.0815

Although Soturemol had said that the meal would be a simple one, the display of each dish rivaled those usually presented to visiting heads of state. Ya'Han could easily imagine that such would have been offered to her father, but certainly not to her, not under any circumstances.

"That was delicious," Tanith said, tapping her lips with the cloths that sat on the table next to her plate.

"There is enough food here to feed a starship," the Captain added.

"You have nothing to be concerned about Captain," the Dolbargy reassured. "Nothing on this world goes to waste, I assure you that. Now, again you have shown to be people of your word and I should not abuse your kindness. As promised, here is the crystal you came here to get. I hope that Professor Arken is still well."

"He his," the Captain confirmed. "On his behalf as well as that of my crew and especially those present here, I would like to thank you for your generous hospitality."

"The pleasure was all mine," Soturemol said, once more adding a bow of his head as a show of respect. "If you wish, I will escort you back to the beam down site at which point your ship will be able to bring you back so that you can be on your way."

"That would be most gracious of you," Ya'Han said, finding herself happier than she had been in a very long time. Not a care in the world could be found in her thoughts, and even though they were about to leave this wonderful place, the Nylaan found herself looking forward to returning on board the ANUBIS and being with her friends and lover.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: DOLBAR, Beam down site
Stardate: 32224.0945

"I hope that your journey was a pleasant one," Soturemol said to the three visitors standing on the transport platform. "May your journey be a safe one, and I wish you luck in all of your endeavors. Your Highness, I hope that we will have the pleasure and honor of another visit at some point in the future."

Ya'Han smiled and nodded her head. As impossible as the offer was given who she had become, the Nylaan and former daughter of the High Sovereign found herself actually hoping that she would, one day, be able to return to this enchanting world.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room 2
Stardate: 32224.0950

"Captain Morningstar to Bridge, report."

=/\= Glad to have you back Sir, we were starting to worry. =/\=

"There is nothing to worry about," the Captain reassured. "We have the crystal. So, at your earliest convenience, we can head back to Federation space at maximum speed."

=/\= Yes Captain, I know several here who will be happy to hear this. =/\=

"Let us head back to the bridge. I am sure that Commander Maya will be happy to get her hands on the fifth crystal," the Captain offered. "We might even be able to add a picture of the Dolbargy to our database."

"I'm sorry Captain, I never even thought of using my tricorder to get a visual image of the Dolbargy, or anything else for that matter," the Sec/Tac said, stunned that the small handheld device had actually never left her side during their entire time on the planet surface.

Ensign Jones shook her head, indicating that she too had not even thought of using her tricorder to scan their surroundings and host. It would seem that the missing image of the Dolbargy would have to wait for another visit to be resolved.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.1000

"Welcome back," Nicole said, greeting the away team back onto the commander deck. "I gather that everything went well despite whatever hard time Soturemol gave you."

"Hard time?" Ya'Han repeated. "Soturemol was the perfect host, caring for our every need and request. He even went out of his way to give us the crystal as quickly as he could while still meeting his own request to have some company for dinner."

"With all due respect, you three were gone for over 4 hours," Shar'El pointed out. "What did you do during that time?"

"We enjoyed the scenery and a very delicious meal," Tanith replied as she took her station at the Flight Control Station.

"We did," the Captain confirmed as he approached Maya and handed her the crystal, a smile of content on his face.

"Ya'Han, is *everything* alright?" The emphasis on the question had been meant to ask about the Nylaan's own personal condition as well as maybe what had taken place to account for the away team's apparent detachment from the away mission they had just returned from.

"Of course," the Sec/Tac shrugged, not displaying any concerns what so ever. "What would there be a problem with? I feel better than I have been in a long time, I think our visit to DOLBAR was very refreshing. I feel *unburden*."

The Counsellor could do nothing more than to watch as the Sec/Tac returned to her station, a bright smile on her face, and appearing oddly happy. Nicole could only fear as to what happened and what the away team hd given in exchange for the crystal.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P073: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 07 - 1015 ("Investigating")
=-=
"Investigating"
[previous post was "Trading" by the gutsy Hanali]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.1015

The away team was back and the ANUBIS had not wasted a second in leaving orbit and rushing back to Federation space, but as far as the ExO / ILO was concerned, the ship was faced with an entirely different problem. The Captain, Chief of Security and Flight Control Officer had returned feeling as happy as could be, and no one needed to be a telepath to pick up on that. Shar'El would have expected them to be this way following a week's vacation on RISA or any other pleasure planet known to the Federation, but not DOLBAR, and certainly not while they still were so deeply inside Ferengi space.

"Captain?" The ExO / ILO said, making her way to the centre section where the CO had gone to in order to sit in his chair. "What do you remember of your away mission to DOLBAR?"

The question was meant to force the man to recall anything so that the Ullian could pick up on those images without having to pry into his mind. As much as Shar'El wanted to do just that, the raven-haired woman needed to keep her promise, especially to the Captain, no matter what the situation was.

"Why do you ask Commander?" The reply was dismissive, and the smile that seemed frozen on his lips only made the entire thing that much more unsettling. Something was wrong, very wrong and she needed to get to the bottom of it. If not for the sake of the crew who might be in danger because of this, or even the mission itself, Shar'El needed to understand this for the sake of the three officers directly affected.

"Just curious," Shar'El casually replied. "Usually, the away missions are headed by the ExO, so I thought that maybe you would be able to share with me some of what I missed. From orbit, the planet did seem to be quite beautiful."

"It was beyond beautiful," Erik mused, the memories of the aromatic flowers, the clear blue skies meeting the distant mountains beyond the horizon, the sense of walking into a forbidden land. All of those memories flooded the man's mind and in so doing Shar'El's as well, with such intensity that the Ullian had to brace herself for fear of becoming overwhelmed by the passion contained in those images.

"What else do you remember?" Shar'El cautiously asked after having regained her mental footing, expecting another wave of memories to surface as the first did.

"Dinner," the Captain said nodding his head, recalling the exquisite tastes that he had enjoyed as well as the lavish display of food that the away team was presented with while sitting at the table along with their host.

"Yes," Ya'Han and Tanith confirmed in unison. What truly caught the ExO / ILO off guard was the fact that the memories experienced by all three officers were the exact same one, down to the point of view of the table they had been seated at. The only difference was that the other two members of the away team could be seen sitting on the other side of the table opposite the one remembering. Aside from the physical impossibility of such memories, the sense of complete euphoria that accompanied those images was almost too much for Shar'El to manage, especially when experiencing said memory in triplicate. 

"Maya, can you confirm that the crystal is genuine," Shar'El requested, this after having once again regained her mental footing. For obvious reasons the ExO / ILO now feared that the memories she had seen from all three members of the away team had not been the only thing fabricated.

"The surface encoding does match the general style used by Professor Arken," the Chief Science Officer reported after having perform a quick scan of the crystal in question, allowing everyone to let a sigh of relief escape. "Like the others, I suspect that it will take me some time to decipher it though."

"That is quite alright Commander," Shar'El said, still feeling relieved that the crystal had been the genuine thing. "I was just concerned that we might have to turn around and head back to DOLBAR to confront Soterumol and get some answers."

"That would be unwise Commander," Ya'Han pointed out from the Tactical station, causing Shar'El to question if she was referring to the Dolbargy or some other reason. "Long-range sensors are showing increased activity from the Hirogen patrols. Some, in fact, appear to be heading our way."

If the news was not bad enough, the way it had been relayed by their Chief of Security proved to be that much more of a concern. Ya'Han sounding not at all troubled by the fact that their return home might be cut short thanks to the hunters closing in on them.

"Can we get out before they trap us in?" The ExO / ILO asked, hoping that they would be able to avoid a full out conflict, which of course would only serve to confirm that they had in fact been on the wrong side of the border.

"As long as we remain on our current course and speed, we should be able to make it out of the DOLBAR System with room to spare. We won't be able to avoid a fight if we remain here for any amount of time though. Even if the modifications made to the ablative armor do work against the Dolbargy detection net. we may not be able to full avoid all of those cruisers and their combined scanning power. A single scout ship was one thing, but the Hirogens are heading in for more than a hunt," Jayson explained. "They appear to be gunning for a kill, ours!"

"The Dolbargy had us exactly where they wanted us the entire time," Shar'El unhappily noted. "Now they made sure that we can't stick around to ask questions and figure out the game they play. That is of course unless we are willing to start a war with the Ferengi, something that I suspect those Romulan-wannabes knew we are not willing to do."

Shar'El paused for a moment, carefully considering what few options she had. Leaving the DOLBAR System was a priority, closely followed by the ANUBIS making it back to Federation space safe and sound without attracting the attention of the rapidly approaching Hirogens. "Counsellor, may I speak with you in the Observation Lounge for a moment?"

Nicole nodded her agreement before making her way to the specified location while the Commander gave clear instructions to the rest of the bridge staff that the ANUBIS was to do everything possible to avoid any sort of confrontation with the Hirogen.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32224.1025

"What the hell happened down there?" Shar'El rhetorically asked, evidently frustrated beyond her ability to remain calm.

"Without a closer look into the psyche of the members of the away team, the best we can do is guess as to what happened using all of the information we gathered so far," the Counsellor offered. "We strongly suspect that the last sensor net and sweep we went through was design to identify and disable anyone possessing some sort of telepathic ability. The only logical reason for this would be that the Dolbargy want to keep something hidden from those who would be able to discover it."

"There is more to this than just that," Shar'El offered, gently pounding her closed fist onto the conference table. "The shared memories I picked up from Captain Morningstar, Lieutenant Ya'Han and Ensign Jones could only have been created by a powerful telepathic implant. My guess, the Dolbargy don't want any other telepaths around them because they would easily detect what it is they are and do. Those creatures are telepaths, and again based on the memories i witnessed, able to create very powerful illusions."

"You mean like the Talosians?" Dima offered, the race mentioned having been known to her thanks to the collected knowledge of several lifetimes.

"I believe that the possibility is very likely," Shar'El confirmed.

"Forgive my intrusion." Commander Maya said as she quickly stepped into the Observation Lounge. "I can only guess as to what you two are discussing at the moment, but I thought that maybe this additional piece of information might prove useful. I ran some tests on the energy used to create all of the sensor nets protecting DOLBAR, using the added research parameter that the Ferengi appear to be giving this system absolutely no attention whatsoever. As I am sure you are aware, the composition of the Ferengi brain makes them completely immune to any type of telepathic scan or influence. On the other hand, the energy of the sensor nets seems to be specifically calibrated to elicit the highest possible amount of discomfort and pain, going to the point of being potentially fatal should any Ferengi venture too far into the planetary system."

"That pretty much settles it," Shar'El sighed. "The Dolbargy are a race of telepaths and in order to maintain their control on their own and advantage over everyone else. they had to find a way to keep the Ferengi as well as any other telepaths at bay. Thank you Commander, the information you provided was indeed very useful. Please return to the bridge and continue working on the fifth crystal while keeping a eye on our current situation. It would be nice for us to have an idea as to where we will be heading next so that we can take the proper precautions."

"Of course Commander," Maya acknowledged. "Ensign," the Chief Science Officer said as she nodded to the Counsellor before making her exit.

"That may give us the *how* and a partial *why*," Counselor Dima said as soon as Maya had left the room and the door closed behind her. "The problem is that it does not help us in dealing with the situation we currently have. We have no idea what happened to them and if the effects of these illusions are permanent?"

"Very good questions Counsellor," Shar'El noted. "I am going to need you help to figure it all out. I am hoping that the Dolbargy never expected to have to deal with a Ullian before, especially one as pissed as I am right now."

Nicole grinned, never having seen this side of the Commander before, but the Counselor also found herself grateful that she was not on the receiving end of this newly discovered anger. The raven-haired woman was a mystery in many ways, but it was beyond contestation that she was very protective of those she considered to be close to her.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32224.1040

Ensign Tanith Jones sat alone on one side of the conference table while Commander Shar'El and Ensign Nicole Dima sat on the other. The pretense of this meeting was to insure that all was well and also to permit the members of the away team to offer their own personal accounts as to what had transpired on the planet surface.

The FCO was the first to undergo this, allowing for her compliance to ease the others to accept. Given how willing Tanith had been though, both Shar'El and Nicole suspected that this might not be as much as issue as they had expected.

Over the next few minutes, the FCO recalled as best she could the away teams journey to DOLBAR. Again the description of the surrounding nature and it beauty was stated, along with the dinner they had shared, but any sort of detail about the world or their host could not be given. It was as if the memories of her journey to the planet had been carefully selected to insure that no specifics could ever be given.

Lieutenant Ya'Han was next to be called into the Observation Lounge and as Ensign Jones had done, the details given by their Chief of Security proved to be exceptionally vague. Without having been able to obtain any useful information from the two first members of the away team, the ExO / ILO and Counsellor focused their attention on the Captain, although their hopes had not been high that he would provide any more than the others.

"Captain, is there anything more you can give us on your visit to DOLBAR?" Shar'El inquired, trying to push the man into remembering something other than had already been stated by all three members of the team.

"I am truly sorry Commander, but that is all I remember," Captain Morningstar apologized. "Maybe we should have taken some pictures. You would have seen just how beautiful the world was."

"I understand why no pictures of the Dolbargy or their world could be found," Shar'El muttered to herself although Nicole had been lose enough to overhear.  "Captain," the Ullian continued, leaning towards the man with her hands flat on the table. "Which your permission, I would like to scan your memories and see if maybe I could find something that you are unable to recall."

The effort had been a gamble. In the implanted memories, there might have been some sort of hidden command meant to protect the information she sought, if it was there at all. On the other hand, the overly abundant feeling of happiness that was still coming from the Captain left the possibility that he would be more than happy to allow this. To Shar'El's and Nicole's relief, Erik readily agreed to have his memories scanned.

"Be careful," the Counsellor stated. "We have no idea what they did to him or the others. You might find yourself trapped or cause a cascade reaction that could leave them in a worse condition than they are presently.

"Thank you Counselor," Shar'El huffed. "Nothing like giving me a good pep talk before going in."

"Thought it would be wiser for you to be ready for possible trouble," Dima countered.

"You are right," the Ullian admitted before turning her fullest attention to the man sitting on the other side of the table, slowly forcing her mind into his, one memory at a time.

=-=
Setting: Mindscape

The Ullian was forcing her way back passed one memory after another, from the return to the bridge of the away team, to their beaming back from the surface, to their lavish dinner with Soturemol, their witnessing the breathtaking spectacle of the planet's natural beauty and then to their beaming off the ANUBIS down to DOLBAR.

Within the realm of memories, time did not have the same significance as in the real world. Some people able to clearly remember only a few seconds as if they had stretched over hours, while others remembered only moments of days they experienced. Regardless of this though, Shar'El could also get a fair sense of the passage of time through various cues and hints, but in this case the raven-haired woman felt as if she was looking as scattered snapshots of a much larger sequence.

** Commander? **

The voice of Counsellor Dima came in loud and clear, allowing Shar'El to remain grounded, not that there was any risk of her becoming lost in these scattered memories which she made sure to only look at in passing.

"I am afraid that this will not be as easy as I had hoped," Shar'El said aloud, knowing that Nicole had been right there sitting by her side in the real world. "The memories we are looking for appear to have been buried deep inside his mind, or worst completely erased. I am still counting on a telepathic blockage, the problem is that I actually have to find it in order to break through it."

** Commander, it might be more prudent to try this at another time with someone specializing in such telepathic investigations. **

The suggestion made Shar'El think of the new Director of Section 31, Selyara Chen. Together the two of them had managed to take down a full size Lokustaar ship, so finding and breaking through whatever barrier would be here should prove easy. Unfortunately, the Vulcan / Betazoid hybrid was nowhere near, leaving the task to be accomplished solely in the hands of the Ullian.

"Let me try something else first," Shar'El said, focusing on the space between the memories instead of the memories themselves. It was clear that something was there, hidden in the darkness between the light, but the efforts of the Ullian proved futile for the longest time until she managed to find a literal crack in the void. Ignoring any potential danger, she forced her mind in, prying the opening wider and wider until another image could be seen.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32224.1100

"COMMANDER!" Nicole screamed as she dropped to her knees to render assistance to the woman who had fallen out of her chair as if pushed by an unseen force. "Are you alright? Please talk to me."

"I'm alright," the ExO / ILO confirmed, forcing herself back into the chair from which she had fallen.

"Are you sure Commander?" The Captain asked, although his words had displayed some level of concern, the expression on his face told an entirely different story, one of near complete apathy.

"Thank you Captain, I am fine. Thank you for asking," Shar'El said, holding her hand to her head.

"Any luck with the memories?"

The raven-haired woman simply shook her head, obviously fighting back some sort of great discomfort, "As I said, I will be fine. I only need a few moments to recuperate, in the meantime I am sure that your presence on the bridge would be more than welcomed as we continue to make our way our of the DOLBAR System and Ferengi space.

The Captain nodded his understanding and made his way out of the room under the watchful scrutiny of the two women staying behind. As soon as the door closed behind him, the Counsellor turned to face the still visibly shaken ExO. "What happened? What did you see?"

"Something beyond troubling," Shar'El admitted. "We need to bring Ya'Han in here. I need to do the same to her and discover if what I saw in the Captain's mind is truly what happened."

"Tell me," Nicole urged, the focal point of the suspense not having been something that the Trill enjoyed at this moment.

"No," the Ullian forcefully replied. "I can't. Not before I am sure. Not before I actually see this with her own eyes."

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P074: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 07 - 1045 ("Hoping")
"Hoping"
[previous "Investigating"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.1045

He was happy to see her back on board the ship, safe and sound. He was even happier to see her so completely carefree. At first glance, it seemed that the away mission had gone very well, despite the four hours those who remained on the ANUBIS were forced to wait without knowing what was happening. Still, the fifth crystal was now theirs and they could move on to the next destination, whatever that may be. At least that was what the OPS Officer silently believed and hoped.

It did not take long for those thoughts to be thoroughly challenged by the reality of their situation. The way Captain Morningstar, Ensign Jones and their Chief o Security were acting, something was clearly not right. Adding to this the sudden shift in the patrol pattern of the Hirogens, and there was no doubt that things had taken a turn for the worse.

Jayson kept a very close watch on the long-range sensors as well as the members of the returned away team. It was not hard to imagine what Commander Shar'El and Counsellor Dima were talking about in the Observation Lounge. What was hard to believe was that the Captain, Chief of Security and Flight Control Officer seemed clueless about the whole affair. What happened on the planet's surface?

That Ya'Han appeared so unaware was even more troubling to Jayson, knowing how observant and constantly alert she was no matter the circumstances. As the ANUBIS rushed at best possible speed towards the safety of Federation space, Stark found himself more concerned about a single member of the crew over anyone else on board, including his truly.

"Ya'Han, can I ask you a question?" He nervously inquired following the woman's return to the bridge and her station. It was easy to see that the debriefing had not shaken her joyfulness and relaxed state in the least.

"Of course Jayson," she lovingly replied, causing him to smile. The Lieutenant should have been confused or maybe even a little upset at seeing his emotions so blatantly played with. One day she had all but said that she loved him, the next he was thrown out into a proverbial deep freeze. Now, she acted as if nothing bad had happened between them, as if the last several days of his emotional exile had never happened. If this was how Nylaan women with royal lineage normally behaved, Jayson was starting to understand why their father was in such a rush to marry them off.

He was about to ask if this was a good time for her to tell him what she had wanted to say. With the Hirogens closing in on all sides, they might not get another chance, but Jayson quickly reconsidered. Whatever Ya'Han wanted to tell him was clearly important and very likely private. Therefore, forcing her to say it now would not play well in showing that he had changed, and most importantly, matured.

No, patience was the best course of action. Even Nicole would agree had the Trill been aware of his current thoughts, so he decided to not ask that particular question. At least not yet. That was when Captain Morningstar returned to the bridge, his meeting with the First Officer and Ship's Counsellor having obviously come to an unexpected end judging by the expression on his face.

"What question did you want to ask me?" Ya'Han queried having left her station to join Jayson at his. Her voice as sweet had honey and her proximity made his knees week. Whatever hell she might have put him through; there was no way for him to stay angry with her. Not that he had ever truly been that towards her, it was just not within him to be so. His heart was hers to do with as she pleased, all he wanted was to see her happy. Very much as she appeared to so completely be right now.

A flashing light on his console drew his attention down for a brief moment. Long-range sensors had picked up another set of signals, a new group of Hirogen Hunters on a rapid intercept course. Luckily, they would not make it to the region in time, but this served to further solidify their need to leave Ferengi space with all possible haste.

"Lieutenant Ya'Han?" Commander Shar'El said, having come out of the Observation Lounge just far enough to make eye contact with the Chief of Security who was now standing at the Operations station.

"Yes Commander?" Ya'Han replied, not a care in the world reflecting in her voice, causing Jayson to smile once again, both in longing admiration and puzzlement. He enjoyed seeing her this way, but it also was hard to accept her to be such a different person.

"Would you mind coming back to the Observation Lounge and joining Counsellor Dima and myself? We would like to try something with you. Something we hope will allow us to better understand what happened to the away team while on DOLBAR," Shar'El said in a way that sent shivers down Jason's back. It was not what the Commander had said, but rather the way she had said it. Although Ya'Han did not appear in the least bit concerned, Jayson would be that and much more, enough for them both.

"I'll be right back," she lovingly whispered at him, gently touching the back of his hand closest to her, this before adding a quick teasing wink just to make sure he was beyond rescue from her charms.

With a racing heart, he watched Ya'Han vanish once again into the Observation Lounge, a cold sweat crawling down his back. He could not understand why he felt as he did, but Jayson now feared that this would be the last time he might see her as she was now. Truly happy and carefree.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P075: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 07 - 1115 ("Understanding")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Understanding"
[previous post was "Hoping"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32224.1115

Ya'Han walked back into the Observation Lounge, a joyful bounce in her step. Life was great, and in the back of her mind, she wondered why she had not realized this before today. Her life had purpose, her days were filled with friends and her skills and wits were constantly tested. What else could she possibly asked for?

"Sorry form bringing you back in Lieutenant," Commander Shar'El said, the concerns on her face invisible to the Nylaan woman but unacknowledged as the Sec/Tac took a seat on the opposite side of the conference table.

"There is nothing for you to apologise for," Ya'Han merrily clarified. "I am happy to help in whatever way I can."

"Alright then, let's begin," Shar'El somberly said, positioning herself directly in front of Ya'Han, her hands placed flat against the surface of the table, her eyes locking in on those of the Sec/Tac.

"Please be careful," were the last whispered words the Ullian heard as she pushed into the mind of the Nylaan, Counselor Dima reasonably concerned following what happened when the same thing was done to Captain Morningstar.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: Dreamscape

Shar'El moved back through the most recent memories, noting in passing the closeness Ya'Han and Jayson openly shared on the bridge of the ANUBIS. Whatever had taken place on DOLBAR, it had given the woman the freedom to fully enjoy the feelings she had for Jayson. As good as this could be though, the Ullian could not help but fear that the price for this feeling of being completly carefree had been too high, but right now she only had suspicions. The facts and proofs she sought, the specific memory she needed, was in here somewhere and the Commander had every intentions on finding it.

From the point when the away team had stepped onto the platform to return to the ANUBIS, all the way back to their initial arrival onto the planet, the memories Shar'El could see had been identical to those found inside the Captain's mind. As unsettling as that might was, experiencing indistinguishable memories from two different minds, this oddity also proved to be a very useful turn of events. With a map of the memories already set, it allowed the Ullian to navigate with ease through the repeated memories to find the point between images that had troubled her so while in the Captain's mind.

This is where Shar'El saw a glimpse of what she believed to be the real reason as to why the away team had been requested down, and why all three members had been there for over four hours. The Ullian mentally prepared herself before forcing her way through the blockade, knowing that the odds had been against her in regards to what she would find.

"Counselor," Shar'El announced. "I found the location of the hidden memory," the Ullian said before pausing for a few eternal seconds. There was no turning back, not that she would. "I'm going in."

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

[Memory as seen through the eyes of Ya'Han]

Setting: DOLBAR, Medical Facility
Stardate: 32224.0630

Something happened when they went through the second cleansing chamber, something that knocked out the entire away team. The Sec/Tac had done everything she could to fight the effect, even lashing out at their host, but despite her training and resolve there was nothing Ya'Han could do other than surrender to the darkness that forced its way into her mind.

When she woke up, the Sec/Tac found herself secured down onto what felt like a medical bed, a sensation that was confirmed when she looked to her sides to see the Captain and FCO in the same predicament.

"What happened?" Tanith Jones groggily said, the FCO struggling to regain consciousness.

"I would guess that we were subjected to some sort of energy stun field," the Sec/Tac reported. "One that I would guess rivals that of our own phasers judging by the way my body and mind fells. In fact, my head is still spinning."

"Any ideas as to why they might have done this to us?" The Captain asked, his efforts to break free from his bonds having been unsuccessful.

"A trade my dear Captain, nothing more, nothing less," a beige-skinned alien replied, the reflection in his four black eyes giving the impression that he was looking straight into their souls. "We have something you desire, and we saw an opportunity to take something that you have," the creature said, turning his attention to the Nylaan woman making it clear that she was the reason of his words.

Looking up at the beast, the image of Soturemol flashed in her mind, overlapping what she was seeing. At first the illusion would remain for only a few seconds, but over time it became steady, permanent, as if it had been meant to be there all along.

"You?" Ya'Han gasped in disbelief. "How? *WHY?*"

"My species have been able to create illusions through telepathy for thousands of years, how else do you think we manage to be one of the most successful world in trades and tourism while competing against the Ferangi? From the moment someone sets foot onto DOLBAR, we make them see what they want to see, make them experience what pleases them most. We can also make them live through what we need them in order for us to obtain what we want from them."

"You won't get away with this," the Nylaan threatened, trying to free herself from her bonds, but like those of Captain Morningstar, they were simply too strong for her to overcome, no matter how strong of skilled she was.

"My dear, we have been *getting away with it* for longer than you can imagine, and today will not be any different," Soturemol said, almost laughing. "The best part of it is that you and your fellow shipmates will not remember any of this. You will leave here feeling rested, refreshed and happier than you have been in a very long time. That, my dear, will be our *gift* to you."

"All we want is the crystal, nothing more," the Captain said, trying to negotiate as best he could despite his current restraint position. "I am sure we can arrange for an equitable trade."

"Captain, you have nothing to offer us that we need or want, but she does," the Dolbargy, appearing once again in his true form said, looking down at Ya'Han in a way that made her pull away as much as she could.

"What is it that I have that you could possibly want?" The Nylaan demanded. "I am in exile from my home, and I know for a fact that my father wants nothing more than to see me erased from history. I am a black mark on his lineage, an insult to his rule and a blemish to his name. He will not give you anything for my return, and I would venture that he might not even offer you a 'thank you' for disposing of me, even if it was in the most cruel and painful way imaginable."

"How little you understand," Soturemol said, a playful grin appearing on both of his sets of lips. Whatever thoughts, whatever fears the Nylaan had were confirmed when the alien placed his hand on her belly. "You are not the prize we seek."

"NO!" The Nylaan screamed at the top of her voice, struggling against her bonds with every ounce of energy and resolve she possessed, summoning everything that a mother could in order to protect her offspring.

"Ya'Han, what is going on?" The Captain asked, still trying to free himself from his bonds, but not understanding what had triggered such a violent reaction from the Sec/Tac.

"I'm pregnant!" She admitted through her tears, still trying to break free from hr restraints. "They want my child."

"Relax," the Dolbargy calmly said, his four black eyes opening to their widest causing the woman on the medical table to feel a wave of peace to wash over her. "You will not feel any discomfort and will neither remember that any of this ever happened. I will even grant you an additional gift. You will not remember even having been pregnant in the first place; this will allow you to return to your simple life, free of this burden that your daughter would have created."

"No. please. I beg of you. Please don't do this." Ya'Han pleaded in a gentle, whispered voice, the fight in her having been all but vanquished by the telepathically feelings of peace and tranquility implanted in her mind by Soturemol.

"Relax my dear; it will all be over soon," he said, Ya'Han reflection in his black eyes quickly becoming blurry until she found herself lost in the void of those four orbs. Once again, darkness claimed her mind, only echoes of feeling her body being moved and positioned came to rest on the edge of her conscious thoughts as if all this had been nothing more than a dream.

When Ya'Han reopened her eyes, Soturemol stood by her side, a delighted smile on his lips and an egg cradled in his hands. "Here you go," he said appearing to the woman as the humanoid she knew him to be. "Another gift from me to you in memory of our first meeting so many years ago. Your daughter will be fine and will grow up to become more than you could have ever hoped her to be, that I promise you."

"Please," Ya'Han begged once more, feeling weak, drained, without the energy to even object or fight against her own thoughts, which repeatedly dictated her to let go. All she could do was to watch the Dolbargy take the egg to an incubation pod like so many others they had seen while in the hatchery. She wanted to cry, to scream, but found herself too weak to do either.

"It is done," Soturemol said as he returned, this time appearing as he truly was, the woman's own reflection visible in each of the four large black eyes looking down at her. "Remember, this is a good thing. You are happy. Your life is great and with purpose, your days are filled with friends and your skills and wits are constantly tested by your work. What else could you possibly asked for? You are no longer burdened by your past, nor this innocent life that was within you, a life that would have taken you into a path that you are not destine for. Remember this and forget the rest. I promise you, everything will be fine."

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32224.1145

Shar'El pulled away, both physically and mentally, trying her best to come to terms with what she saw, with what she experienced through the eyes and memories of her friend. The emotions proved to be too much for the Ullian to contain and caused her to breakdown crying, a reaction that Ya'Han soon echoed as the memory of what happened took hold in her mind.

"Shar'El, what did you see?" Nicole demanded, almost begging to be told so that she could understand what was happening. With several lifetimes of experience, the Trill could easily imagine what this was all about, but she needed to know beyond doubt. Had her fears been founded or was all this because of something else, something that she had not considered or imagined? The Counselor wished, inside a single beat of her heart, that she had in fact been wrong.

"They took my baby!" Ya'Han cried out, broken-hearted as only a mother could be when faced by such a situation, her tears flowing without restraint as he head rested on the conference table cradled by her arms.

"I am not sure how, but they took the embryo and transferred it into one of those blasted eggs we heard about," Shar'El explained. "We have to go back, we have to get that egg and somehow put the child where it belongs."

"Commander," the Counselor sternly said, having no other choice but to be the voice of reason at this time. "We cannot go back, no matter how much we might want or need to. The Hirogens are closing in. Lieutenant Stark reported, while you were in Ya'Han's mind, that there is a new set of ships coming to join the hunt. If we delay in the slightest way, we lose everything. We have to leave, escape and return to Federation space. Maybe one day we can come back, but not right now. With the Captain in the state that he currently is, the decision is yours, but you need to consider the crew and the whole of the Federation."

Shar'El was ready to dismiss Nicole's sound advice, to claim that she knew nothing of being a mother, or what it meant to lose a child. The truth was that as a Trill and a Counselor, Nicole Dima had more experience in that regards then most, and as a Ullian, the First Officer had seen through countless memories how reacting with emotions could prove disastrous in situation such as the one they were in.

Eventually the Commander nodded her understanding, reluctantly agreeing that there was nothing they could do about the egg or the life that it now contained. When Ya'Han forced herself off the table, the other two women turned their attention to the sobbing woman, her face wet with free flowing tears, while the hands held the outside shell of the now vacant womb where her daughter had been not so long ago.

"Shar'El," Nicole whispered as she turned back to the Commander. "Is there anything you can do for her?"

The Ullian slowly nodded her head, the sadness of the situation making it impossible for the First Officer to verbally voice her answer.  After wiping the tears from her eyes, Shar'El took position, placing her hands flat on the table before calling her friend's attention back onto her. "Ya'Han. I know this is hard for you, but you have to. Look at me. Just look up for a second. I promise you, everything will be fine."

Tear soaked eyes forced themselves up to meet those of her friend. A quick smile of support and understanding was shared between them before the Ullian did the only thing she could, the one thing she needed to do. Shar'El needed to save her friend from the void that had been created within Ya'Han, an emptiness that went far beyond the physical realm and reached deep into the emotional world. This void would cripple the woman in ways that could not be imagined, and even if they all believed that the Sec/Tac would survive and rise about this hardship, there was no need to force her to endure this when a solution was within reach.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: Dreamscape

Shar'El easily found the memory that she had unsealed, the memory responsible for all of the pain Ya'Han now experienced, the sense of loss that she would never be able to fully overcome. There was only one way for the Ullian to fix this, she needed to seal that memory and return it to the world of the forgotten. It was best for the Nylaan, and the memory of her child would remain there until such time as one day, maybe, they would come back seeking the mother's missing daughter.

Carefully, Shar'El closed the path that she had forced open, sealing the painful memory out of reach of the woman whose mind she was in. The task had not been an easy one, but it was necessary. Now, if only the Ullian could do the same for herself. As Ya'Han's friend, it would be her burden to remember in silence what she had seen, what she had lived through in order to keep the memory of the child that was taken away so that  one day the forgotten image could be brought back into the world of the real.

Revenge and justice would not see the light of day on this date, and likely not for quite some time. This needed to be done and as a friend, something Shar'El reluctantly understood, something that needed to be done regardless of how much it pained the woman. As the memory slowly vanished behind the restored mental seal, the Ullian allowed for a sliver of an image to still be there, visible only to the unconscious mind. The words would become nothing more than a dream, an unexplainable wish that Ya'Han would remember without knowing its origin. A fantasy that had taken form without actually being real. Two words that would make her smile whenever she thought of them, two words that would keep her smiling as she looked to her future when things became tough. Two words that would mean more than she could say without understanding why.

Her daughter.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P076: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 07 - 1300 ("Continuing")
=-=
"Continuing"
[previous post was "Understanding" by the amazingly talented Hanali]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.1300

Shar'El sat in the chair in the center of the bridge, her mind focussed on the task at hand as best she could. Even though the DOLBAR System was now well behind them, the danger had not been avoided, far from it. With the Hirogens closing in all around them, the ANUBIS would barely make it back to the border in time to avoid the risk of being detected, and this was as long as nothing unexpected happened between now and then.

If that was not problematic enough, the crew also faced the apparent uncaring attitude displayed by the members of the away team since their return from the Dolbargy homeworld. Whatever telepathic implant the Captain, Chief of Security and Flight Control Officer had been subjected to, it  had given them an unparalleled peace of mind. Unfortunately, this also left them without the character edge that made them the skilled and dedicated Starfleet Officers the current situation called for.

To avoid any problems, should a crisis come to befall them, the Captain was easily convinced to return to his Ready Room while both the FCO and Chief of Security were offered to take some time off to recuperate from their time on DOLBAR. Again, both officers were more than happy to comply, not showing a single care in the world as they were escorted off the bridge by Counselor Dima. It was hoped that maybe Nicole would find a way to break their current state of mind without having to reach into their minds and scramble things as raven-haired Ullian would likely be required to do.

If all of this had not been enough, Commander Shar'El had to fight with the echoes of the memories she had uncover, witnessed first hand, and forced to seal once more while inside Ya'Han's mind. The ExO / ILO almost envied the Nylaan's current state of peace, which shielded her from the trauma of the assault she had endured. An assault that the raven-haired Ullian had lived through twice, once from the perspective of their Captain, and once from the point-of-view of the woman who had seen her own child be taken from within her.

Normally, and while in the quiet quasi-isolation of the IGC, the ExO / ILO would have been able to meditate, to calm her own thoughts and sort through the memories she had been exposed to. During a regular memory scan, Shar'El could protect herself from the images and emotions encountered while searching through someone else's mind. The scan performed on Ya'Han though had been anything but regular, forcing the Ullian to ignore most if not all of the protective barriers that should have been there to safeguard her own mind. 

An hour, maybe two would be all Shar'El needed to fight off this gnawing desire to scream and cry, but taking that time was a luxury that she could not afford. Placing the ANUBIS under the command of Commander Maya was an option that the ExO / ILO simply could not accept. As much as the raven-haired woman trusted and respected the Shillian, placing the scientist in command while on the edge of a confrontation that could drag the Federation into a war was just too risky. Beyond that, they needed Maya to break the crystal's encoding to establish their next stop in this seemingly endless quest for the crystals.

"Why are you still here?" Counselor Dima asked, Nicole having returned from her escort duties and psychological evaluation of two-thirds of the overly happy and at peace away team. "You need to rest and clear your mind."

"No time to rest Counselor," Shar'El coldly pointed out, keeping her eyes on the main view screen. "With the Hirogens on the hunt for us and our Captain, Chief of Security and Flight Control Officer unable to operate at their best, any mistake me make could be amplified a thousand fold. I appreciate your concerns but my own mental state will simply have to wait to be addressed."

"Commander," Nicole forcefully whispered. "I do have the authority to declare you mentally unfit for duty."

"Yes, you are right, you do have that authority Counselor," Shar'El calmly agreed, channeling for a very brief moment the complete lack of care they both heard in the members of the away team. "The question is, are you ready to use it and place the ANUBIS and everyone on board at risk in doing so. The list of combat ready senior officers is at this moment drastically low, and removing one more might just tip the balance clean off the proverbial table."

Nicole stared at the raven-haired woman, carefully considering how she would proceed. "It was an empty threat, and you know it," the Counselor not so calmly clarified. "I just wanted to make you see that I am seriously concerned for you and your well-being. After all that you have recently seen and experienced, you need to rest."

"I know," the ExO / ILO noted, actually adding a faint smile. "I do appreciate what you are trying to do, but we cannot afford to have everyone affected to be out of commission at this time. Speaking of which, I am gathering by your lack of a positive report that the situation with Tanith and Ya'Han has not changed."

"I will say this,"  the Counselor sighed. "We won't be having any sort of trouble from either one of them. Although they are aware of their surroundings and of events happening around them, neither seemed to care in the least about what might happen to the ANUBIS, its crew or them as individuals."

"The Captain is behaving in the exact same way," Shar'El admitted, allowing some despair to show. "When I escorted him to the Ready Room, I scanned his memories, trying to find something that might indicate how to break this, but there was nothing useful. I'm afraid that I might not be able to help."

"That's alright," Nicole said, placing a caring and reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder. "I might." This instantly drew Shar'El's fullest attention onto the Counsellor. "While I was escorting Ya'Han and Tanith to their quarters, I had the chance to speak with them, to get to see just how 'mellow' they were. Using what you told me about what you saw and the way the away team has been behaving, I believe that their behaviour is nothing more than a telepathic suggestion and not a hardset way of thinking."

"So you believe that it can be reserves?" The ExO / ILO said, not in the least trying to hide her hopefulness.

"It is only a theory, but one that psychologically makes sense," the Trill Counselor explained. "Right now, this suggestion is at the forefront of their psyche, dictating how they process everything around them, but what if we managed to tap into something more primal, more instinctual? My guess is that the suggestion would be pushed aside allowing for the normal behavior to reassert itself."

"I am very much liking the sound of that," the raven-haired woman admitted. "How do we proceed? What do we do?"

"We will need to trigger some sort of basic reaction from each one of them using a specific scenario tailored to each," Nicole explained, sounding almost evil as she did.

"Counselor," Shar'El grinned. "I believe you have officially become one of us."

"One of you?" Nicole questioned, even adding a raised eyebrow to display her surprise and confusion.

"Yes, you are starting to think and consider darker ways of doing things. As some Terran would say, welcome to the dark side," the ExO / ILO said, the devious grin on her lips only adding to the tone of her words.

"I'm not sure if I should be happy about this," Nicole chuckled, realizing that the Ullian was teasing her.

"Tell me what you have in mind and I let you known if you should be happy about this or not," Shar'El chuckled back, even adding a playful wink to show that the ExO / ILO approved of this and that she had not been as stressed as the Counselor believed her to be. Of course, in all honesty, this had been a flat out lie, but the Raven-haired woman needed to keep up appearances for the sake of the already troubled and burdened crew.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ensign Tanith Jones' Quarters
Stardate: 32224.1330

Ensign Tanith Jones, a quiet, unassuming woman who was recruited by Starfleet Intelligence and forgotten while undercover, sat in one of the living room chairs, staring at the blackened window, the inside of the ablative armor blocking any possibility of seeing the streaking stars. The woman seemed undisturbed by this and appeared more than happy to simply gaze onto a black metal-like plate.

"Ensign?" Nicole said, drawing the woman's attention onto her. The plan was simple, to enlist a basic and primal emotional reaction, a plan that was explained to Commander Shar'El and readily approved. Now all that Nicole needed to do see if it would actually work.

"Yes Counsellor?" Tanith replied in a singsong voice that actually made the Trill Counselor wince.

"We received a communication from someone that we believe you might know, someone who is apparently eager to reconnect. He did not say why, only that he had spent quite some time tracking you to the ANUBIS. He joked that you were a hard woman to find, but now that he had, he would be able to pick things up where you two had left them," the Counsellor said. This was a gamble, a huge one at that, but based on what Nicole had read on the woman's file, this would likely be the best way to trigger the sort of primal reaction that was required to test the hypothesis.

"Someone was searching for me?" The concern in Tanith's voice hinted that the Counsellor was on the right track. The question remained though, would the name she found in the woman's personnel file be enough to push the ANUBIS' FCO over the edge in order to break through the telepathic suggestion that had made her to be as she was now?

"Yes," Nicole casually confirmed, hoping to make the mentioning of the name that much more potent. "Tella Yavin. I believe he said that you and he worked closely together while on LIMBO space station and that he has been searching for you since your rushed departure. He seemed quite happy to have located you, so I can only guess as to how much trouble he had to go through in order to find you here."

Tanith instantly froze to the Counselor's mixture of joy and concern. The proverbial gears were turning, faster and faster by the looks of things and all Nicole could do was wait and see if the anticipated reaction would be triggered. If this scene, as Shar'El had put it, would have the desired effect in snapping the woman out of this trance she had found herself in against her will.

"How did he find me?" The Ensign nervously demanded; panic having appeared on her features and posture as she bolted out of the chair, frantically seeking a way to escape.

Self-preservation was amongst the most basic of reactions; this regardless of species, gender or history, and Nicole had done her research to make sure that this would be the most powerful way to trigger this from the FCO. As soon as Tanith was standing, the Counsellor rushed to her side confident that the goal had been achieved.

"Relax, he did not find you, no one has," Nicole quickly reassured. "I just needed to get passed the telepathic suggestion of peace and tranquility that was implanted in your head by Soturemol," the Counselor explained.

"Telepathic suggestion? Implanted in my head? What happened? All I can remember is the beautiful sceneries and sharing a dinner with that Dolbargy before returning to the ANUBIS. How did this happen to me?"

"Have a seat," the Counselor offered, guiding the woman back down into the chair she had been sitting in earlier. "It might take a few minutes to explain," the Trill stated, glad to see that the woman had essentially returned to normal. Whatever that truly meant for her or anyone else on board the USS ANUBIS.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P077: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 07 - 1400 ("Smacking")
"Smacking"
previous post was "Continuing"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 32224.1400

The Chief Engineer looked at the rapidly pulsating warp core. With the ANUBIS rushing through space in order to avoid running into the Hirogens, the poor girl was being put through her paces. So far though, the redhead had expertly managed to keep things from flying apart, this even with every single part of the propulsion system working well above established safety limits. Then again, those limits were set by wussies sitting behind a desk somewhere far away from where the action was.

"You!" Sonja called out, the infamous finger of doom having locked in on the crewmember. "Get me a reading on the port-side junction of the primary power transfer conduit. I'm feeling her pulling to the left." As a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding shuttle, the crewmember just stood there, confused and dazed. "Are you waiting for a bloody engraved invitation? Now would be good," the redhead snapped. When she noticed that he was still frozen in place, the Chief Engineer unleashed  a powerful and loud "NOW!" causing the man to literally jump out of his shoes and head for the specified area.

"The power flow sensors on the port-side conduits are not showing any discrepancies with those on the starboard side," ANI reported, the Avatar having been keeping a close watch on every system since their rush departure from the DOLBAR system.

"ANI, trust me," Sonja countered with. "She's pulling to the left."

"If I may," the Avatar offered. "You may be displaying a psychological manifestation of fatigue and heightened stress, causing you to externalise your own senses of unbalance."

"Leave the psycho-mumbo-jumbo talk to Nicole," the engineer sighed. "One, she does it better, and two, there is more to doing that then just matching symptoms to some vague description found in a databank. Plus, you are forgetting one of the most important rules."

"Which would be?" The artificial woman asked, visibly curious as to this rule she had apparently omitted to consider.

"That kind of psychology doesn't apply to Chief Engineers," the redhead explained with confidence. "At least, not the good ones. Ain't that right baby girl?" Sonja says, addressing the pulsating warp core. "See, she agrees, but then she likes me."

ANI just stood there, silent and motionless, trying to make sense of what she had just been made a witness to.

"You were right Lieutenant," the crewmember said as he rushed back, his tricoder firmly in hand. "The port-side junction showed a 0.3 millimeter flow misalignment. It has been corrected."

"0.3 *millimeters*?" ANI repeated.

"Yup," Sonja gleefully grinned. "And the power flow sensors are set to trigger at 0.5 millimeter or higher. Told you, she was pulling to the left. So don't doubt me again or I will have to pull the plug on you," she said before sticking out her tongue out and turning to walk away from the bemused Avatar.

Happy to have solve a problem, this even before it became such, the Chief Engineer decided to take a few minutes for herself and check in on her friend. The ANUBIS, being the strong and resourceful lady that she was, would manage well without the redhead hovering over her for a few minutes.

"Sonja to Ya'Han, how are you doing rainbow girl?"

Sonja had expected there to be a possible delay, the Chief of Security likely being busy on the bridge making sure that they did not suddenly run into a Hirogen scout or cruiser that were looking for them. When the silence extended into more than 30 seconds though, the redhead woman began to be concerned.

"ANI," Sonja began as she turned back to look at the Avatar. "The com system is working, right?"

"Of course," the artificial woman replied.

"Why is Ya'Han not answering? Is there something happening on the bridge?" The Chief Engineer inquired, concerned that maybe another catastrophe had landed on their proverbial plate.

"Internal sensors are not showing anything unusual taking place on the bridge," ANI reported. "The reason why Ya'Han may not be answering your call could be that she is not on the bridge but rather in her quarters."

"Her quarters?" The Chief Engineer echoed. "What in the name of those blasted lazy woolly sheep is she doing there?" Sonja added in a thick Scottish accent.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32224.1430

The moment she rang the chime set next to the entrance way, the door opened and Sonja walked in to find the Nylaan twirling around, her green hair flowing freely through the air as one pirouette led into another, and another, and another.

"Are you feeling alright rainbow girl?" The redhead Engineer asked of her oddly behaving friend.

"Life could not be better," Ya'Han replied in a hyper joyous manner, still twirling to the sound of whatever music was bouncing in that green-covered head of hers. "I just can't understand why I have not realized this earlier."

"Wow," Sonja gasped. "I have heard of people going through some strange hormonal shifts, but you must be setting a new record." The engineer paused for a moment, observing the woman who was still dancing, lost in a world of her own making. "Guess that rainbow sprout is doing alright."

Ya'Han stopped, looked at Sonja, tilting her head to one side. "Rainbow sprout?"

"Yea. You!" The redhead bluntly clarified, pointing in a general manner at the Nylaan's belly.

"I am touched that you think of me as being so young, but I would say that I have not been a *sprout* for quite some time," the green-haired woman said, resuming her dancing, not showing as having the slightest care in the world.

"You are not funny," Sonja growled, easily timing the twirling woman's dance pattern to land a firm open-handed playful strike against the back of Ya'Han's head.

"Ouch!" The Nylaan exclaimed, having suddenly stopped dancing to rub the location of where her friend's hand had made contact with her head. "What was that for?"

"For you joking about junior," the Engineer said, clearly not at all amused.

"Junior?" Ya'Han repeated, appearing genuinely confused. "I will admit that I have always wanted a girl, in fact I can't even remember when I did not, but I can assure you that I am not with child.  I could not be, not having been properly bonded to a mate."

"What's wrong with you?" Sonja demanded a la Ruby Rhod as she quickly bridged the gap between them to land another strike against the back of the green-haired woman's head, this one far more precise and powerful.

While she was dancing, Ya'Han had travelled back in her mind to simpler days when she lived in the Imperial Palace with her sisters and brothers. Through all of the training classes she endured as a child, those that dealt with the skills required for someone displaying the colour of hair she currently showed had been amongst her favourite. The first hit to the back of her head had forced less pleasant memories to surface, and the second one had made the youngest daughter recall all of the punishments she had endured at the hands of her father.

Fear first flashed in the eyes of the Nylaan woman, but that lasted a short time as anger and determination quickly came to take over. Ya'Han might have had no choice in taking whatever punishment her father had seen her worthy to receive, but this was not NYLA IV, and the redhead woman standing before her was not her father.

"STOP!" Nicole screamed, having forced the door to Ya'Han's quarters to open after her repeated attempts to make contact with someone inside had failed. "What is going on in here?" The Counsellor demanded, seeing one brightly red coloured-hair woman ready to strike back with all of her strength and skill at the other redhead who appeared both upset and confused.

"Don't look at me," Sonja said in her defence. "She's claiming to not being, you known," the redhead explained as best she could with hand gestures, too upset to actually voice the actual term.

"Sonja, could I see you outside please?" Nicole quietly, calmly, respectfully asked, not truly giving the Chief Engineer an option in the matter.

"What's going on?" the redhead demanded, clearly not understanding what was happening. "First Ya'Han was not at her station on the bridge. I come down here to check up on her and find miss loo-loo-baggins here dancing around like a wood nymph claiming to not being pregnant as both you and I clearly know her to be."

"Something happened on DOLBAR," the Counsellor began in a whispered voice, glancing over the Engineer's shoulder to make sure that now bright red haired Nylaan was all right and staying out of reach. "The embryo was taken from her and placed into an egg by Soturemol who apparently belongs to a race of powerful telepaths able to not only create telepathic illusions similar to those of the Thalosians, but they also possess the ability to erase and implant memories. In Ya'Han's case, she no longer remembers ever having been pregnant."

"WHAT!" Sonja exclaimed, still trying to figure out which part of all this made her most upset.

Nicole quickly took hold of the enraged woman shoulders in an effort to calm her down. "I know you are angry, we all are, but you have to think of Ya'Han. Right now, she does not remember anything, and her overly happy mood is just another side effect of whatever telepathic implant the Dolgarby placed in her head. I was able to snap Tanith out of it by having her face a darker part of her past, and I was coming here to see if I could do the same with Ya'Han. That said, judging by the colour of her hair and the expression on her face, I would say that you have already done just that."

"What happened?" Ya'Han asked, now appearing confused and far less happy. "The only thing I can remember right now is beaming down with the Captain, meeting Soturemol and enjoying a rather lavish dinner with him. Everything else is just blur."

"Sonja," Nicole said having as she turned to face the Chief Engineer once again. "Thank you for getting Ya'Han back to herself, but right now I need to speak with her and explain what happened without further traumatizing her. It would be best if she did not have to deal with the rest of what happened."

Sonja nodded her head to claim understanding, but the truth was that she was beyond mad. Why had the ANUBIS not turned around and blasted a hole straight through that planet in order to get that egg back? An egg? Who would put an embryon inside an egg? Clearly, she had missed a great deal while being in Main Engineering and the first thing that the redhead needed was to get some answers. Since Ya'Han was in no condition to do anything, and Nicole was obviously busy with dealing with the Nylaan, there was only one other person who could provide the answers she needed.

"Sonja to ANI," the Engineer called out, already making her way to the nearest turbolift in a rage drive hasty step.

=/\= Yes Lieutenant, how may I help you? =/\=

"Just tell me where Shar'El is," Sonja requested through clenched teeth.

=/\= Commander Shar'El is currently on the bridge. =/\= The Avatar quickly relied.

"If anyone is looking for me, that's where I'll be," the Chief Engineer said, her voice filled with an anger that threatened to consume the ANUBIS whole. Whatever had taken place on DOLBAR would not be forgiven, and Shar'El would have to give one heck of a solid reason to explain why the heavily armoured and cloaked ship had been heading *away* from that planet instead of towards it.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P078: USS ANUBIS: Dima: Day 7 - 1600 ("Reckoning")
“Reckoning”
(Continued from “Smacking” by the intuitive and feisty Lorraine)


=/\=

Setting: ANUBIS, Corridor leading to crew quarters
Stardate: 32224.1600

Nicole, utterly drained, walked towards her quarters, her feet on auto-pilot as the day’s events replayed in her mind. She and Shar’El had said more to each other in the last day than they had in the weeks before. They had shared an openness that Counsellor Dima had wished for with everyone on the crew, but the reason for the breakthrough had not been an expected or welcome one.

Sorrow again flooded her senses; having to tell Sonja what had happened to Ya’Han on DOLBAR had almost been as difficult as seeing Shar’El’s expression after uncovering the hidden memory. Nicole’s darker feelings interspersed with the relief at knowing that both Tanith and Ya’Han’s original personalities had been restored. But as hopeful as that was, it was still dwarfed by the intense desperation at knowing the fate of Ya’Han and Jayson’s child, and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Dima’s conversation with the Sec/Tac had been somewhat simple, and confirmed that Sonja’s horseplay triggered enough normal behavior to perform her duties without being in a constant state of artificial bliss.

The many conversations played back in the Trill’s mind. Often she became the voice of reason, the voice of gentle but firm authority. In these recent scenarios, it was clearly her voice speaking to Shar’El, but the Cns didn’t recognize the hard advice and orders. This calm, this absoluteness had not come from Nicole. She was convinced it was definitely the Dima symbiont’s lifetimes of experience, speaking from a place much more worldly and mature than that of the young, inexperienced Counsellor.

Shar’El had repaired the Pandora’s box of remembrance that she had opened in an effort to help Ya’Han and the others, and to understand what really happened in the first place. Something unspeakable, harsh, and brutal had been reworked, rendered into an imprint that wouldn’t harm the Nylaan woman. Nic could still recall the pained look on the Ullian’s face as she withdrew her attention from Ya’Han’s subconscious, the mental collateral damage piling up, much like the crystals they were duty bound to acquire.

The trip to DOLBAR had nearly incapacitated the entire crew. The away team had been placed under a strong psionic block to mask what happened when they received the crystal. And Shar’El, Nicole, and Sonja were aware of Ya’Han’s prior status and would now be unable to ignore the stolen life at the hands of the Dolbargy.

The door opened on the simply furnished quarters of Ensign Dima. She’d gotten there. She took the few steps through, and the panel swooshed shut behind her. There was solitude, and quiet. Maybe a cup of tea would help her steady--

Nicole heard a noise, and it startled her, until she realized it was a gasping sob rising from deep within her chest. And another. All of a sudden she couldn’t make it to the replicator and she didn’t care anymore. She sank like a stone into the short couch that defined the main living space, tears welling up and streaming down her cheeks, punctuated with the occasional gasp and high-pitched whine.

The former hosts were there with her, as they always were and always would be, but they were no match for a frightened Ensign, far away from home, who felt completely overwhelmed and ineffective at being able to help the crew fully. Shar’El’s abilities, which were far superior, were barely a match for the Dolbargy deception, and Nicole was certain that the Ullian required some down time to restore her balance. But this meant she could not hide her own need to take emotional inventory and allow herself this release.

She grabbed one of the throw pillows, burying her face in the material, and gently rocked, hoping to soothe the torment she held inside. After another minute she lifted her head. “What good can come of this?” she asked the room in a raspy tone, trying to rub the tear stains off of the pillow but only managing to press them further into the fabric. This irrationally made Nicole begin crying anew, and for the next several minutes she did so, until her throat became dry. She was silent for a longer time after that, trying to understand why this had happened, and coming up empty. The only saving grace was that Jayson was spared the hurt of this travesty, and for all intents and purposes, so was Ya’han. For now. That would have to be sufficient.

The petite woman rose and got a glass of cold water, downing almost all of it at once. There was the still the matter of the Captain and his rose-colored glasses. They needed to bring him back to who he was. There had to be something they could use to jolt him, like what was done with the FCO and with Ya’Han. But what?

Nic set the nearly empty glass on the table and rubbed her cheeks on her sleeve. She needed to talk to Shar’El immediately. She had an idea.

=/\=
Setting: Bridge
Stardate: 32224.1700

Nicole looked disheveled, her eyes red-rimmed. “What’s wrong?” Shar’El found herself asking the young woman, who earlier had a solid handle on the abundant chaos that seemed to follow the ship like a Ferengi chasing a bar of latinum.

“I think I know how to help Erik, but you might not like it,” Ensign Dima replied, sidestepping the original question.

“How?”

The petite Trill looked exhausted and ready to fall in a heap, but there was excitement in her explanation. “Put him on the Bridge. It’s where a Captain belongs.”

The ExO/ILO looked skeptical. “He’s not fit.”

“He doesn’t know that.”

“I know it. You know it.”

“But, being in the thick of things will trigger the return of his skills and his demeanor. Keep in mind it took unpleasant events for both Ensign Jones and Lieutenant JG Ya’Han to come back to a semblance of their former selves. By sequestering him in his Ready Room he’s never going to experience anything.”

They were still in the midst of fleeing from the last crystal’s location. “There is some risk until we clear this area. A CO having an unknown mental acuity is not a risk we should be taking.”

Nicole looked exasperated. “Wait until we are safe, then get him out here and... make something up. A yellow alert maybe?”

“Fabricate an emergency. What would Admiral Koniki say?”

“Oh, I don’t know, how about ‘thank you for your insight and master plan for bringing your esteemed Captain back to normal’? Besides, we’re still in the doghouse with him. We have to save ourselves.”

Shar’El raised an eyebrow. “How long were you talking to Sonja?” sensing a touch of sarcasm that hadn’t been there earlier.

Nicole feigned offense. “Not *that* long. I’m sober, if that’s what you’re asking.” She didn’t want to admit it, but a ‘Ladies’ night’, sometime very soon, was sounding pretty welcome right now.

The Ullian paused, then reluctantly agreed to keep the idea on the table. “I will consider it.”

“And after that, rest for you? Understood?”

“You’ve already said that.”

“I mean it, okay?” she said, squeezing Shar’El’s hand.

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter

Ship's Counselor
USS ANUBIS NCC-18501
M09-P079: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 07 - 1730 ("Remembering")
=-=
"Remembering"
[previous post was "Reckoning" by the wise and patient Susan]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.1730

Shar'El sat in the center chair, again wishing that she could be in the IGC instead. Even though the ExO's station was right behind that of the CO, overlooking the forward section of the bridge, the command deck appeared quite different from down here. In the center of the bridge, the weight and pressures of every passing second was crushing. This gave the raven-haired woman a new appreciation for the man who normally sat here and the job he did each and every day with apparent ease. Not everyone was cut out to be a Captain, but others like Erik Morningstar were meant to do nothing else.

Sitting there, the ExO / ILO thought back, amongst other things, to what had been said to her by both Sonja and Nicole. The two women had made their respective points clear in a very distinct and individual manner, leaving Shar'El thinking, remembering.

=-=
(Insert 80s flashback screen blur effect and cheesy soundbite)
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.1450

The timing had been perfect, for all the wrong reasons. Lieutenant Stark had decided to venture away from his station to confirm something at the ExO's station, which because Shar'El had been sitting in the Captain's chair, was vacant. Just as he was making his way in front of the turbolift, the door hissed opened and the ship's Chief Engineer exploded onto the deck, knocking the poor fellow clear off his feet as Sonja bowled through with the speed and strength of a photon torpedo.

Now, this was not the first time the Chief of Operations was sent flying through the air to land onto his back by a feisty redhead, but it was the first time that this happened on the bridge and by someone other than Ya'Han.

"Mind explaining to me what we are doing heading *away* from DOLBAR?" Sonja angrily demanded, standing toe-to-toe with the ExO / ILO. The redhead Engineer had clearly allowed her emotions to take over, causing her to forget her place in the chain of command as well as who could easily overhear the argument they were about to engage in.

"LIEUTENANT!" Shar'El snapped back, not holding back in the least. Sonja might have been her friend, but while on the bridge, such familiarity could not be permitted. The commanding tone of her voice also made sure that the enraged Engineer could not say anything more and risk revealing details of an event that needed to be kept a secret for the sake of all involved. "Observation Lounge," the ExO / ILO instructed, adding a quick motion of her hand to make sure there would not be any misunderstanding. This had not been a suggestion but an order.

Sonja glared at the raven-haired woman through narrowed eyes for several seconds, but eventually complied, stumping in the indicated direction with Shar'El following close behind.  As soon as the two stepped into the room and the door closed behind them, the redhead spun on her heals and once again face the raven-haired Commander.

"You want to boot me down to Ensign and have me scrub the plasma manifolds, then fine, do it, but I cannot stay quiet while Ya'Han's baby is out there trapped in some eggs," Sonja blasted, the infamous finger she had become known for having been directed in the exact direction where the planet could be found. Directly in their wake.

"It's not that simple," the ExO / ILO said, recalling being in the exact same position not that long ago against Trill Counsellor who had been her voice of reason as Shar'El needed to be now for Sonja. "We head back now and we will have an entire fleet of Hirogen cruisers on top of us."

"So, we fight our way through those hunters and show them was a real prey can do," the redhead woman stated, leaving no doubt in the raven-haired woman's mind that Sonja had been ready to fight anything and everything that dared to get in their way.

"Fine," Shar'El conceded with a sigh.

"What?" Sonja stuttered before blinking several times, never having expected this debate to end so quickly and in her favor.

"We can turn around right now," the ExO / ILO said in all seriousness. "We will have to deal with whatever Hirogen ships catch up to us, but we can fight our way back to DOLBAR leaving nothing but a trail of broken ships and dead Hirogens in our wake. Once we reach orbit, we create an away team from whoever survived the pounding we are sure to get and beam down in search of Soturemol. Let's face it, he won't be making it easy for us to find him, so this might take a while. My guess is that we will only lose half of the team to the Dolbargy thanks to their powerful telepathic illusions that will cause some of the members of the away team to fire upon one another, but if we are lucky, one of them will be able to find the egg. Of course, the ANUBIS will have likely been destroyed by then forcing whoever has the egg to find another way back to Federation space, but we do have a very dedicated and resourceful crew, so I am sure they will be able to do just that. The question is; will they make it back in time to join the war effort against the New Ferengi Alliance who will have allied themselves with the Hirogens to teach the Federation a lesson in respect of sovereign borders?"

Shar'El paused for a moment before finishing with what she suspected would be the coup-de-grace in this once sided discussion. "As I said, we have some very dedicated and resourceful people, not just on the ANUBIS but throughout the Federation. I am sure that we will make it through this war, after all, we did manage to win against the combined forces of the Dominion and Cardassian Union, and so the Fereni and Hirogens should not be too much of a problem. I am also sure that the people who will have died during this conflict will be honored and happily remembered for having given their lives so that one child could be rescued and returned to its home to live its life as an orphan."

"That is not what I meant, and you know it," Sonja spat back, clenching her teeth afterwards as the level of her rage began to visibly go down several notches.

"Maybe a little over dramatic I admit," Shar'El said, the memory of what she had seen in Ya'Han's mind making her wish that she could actually agree with the woman standing before her. "Unfortunately, that is the reality of the situation we are faced with. Soturemol played this with the finesse of a Romulan Tal'Shiar operative, leaving us with no choice what so ever. Either we leave the unborn child behind or we start a war between the Federation and the New Ferengi Alliance."

Sonja spun around and slammed her fists onto the conference table, unleashing whatever remained of her rage and newly discovered frustration. "The Dolgarby just made the top of my list of most hated people," the redhead snarled.

"As they did mine," Shar'El confirmed. "We have to be patient though. This round is theirs, there is nothing we can do about it, but the game is far from over. That, I can guarantee," the Ullian clarified, the memories of what happened having been hers to hold and keep safe until such time as Ya'Han would be ready to face what had taken place on this dark and sorrow-filled day.

"So Jayson still doesn't know and Ya'Han doesn't remember, just peachy," Sonja grumbled, slowly turning to face the ExO / ILO once again. "Guess I should apologise, or will it make a difference in my being cast back down to Main Engineering so that I can start scrubbing the plasma manifolds?"

"That would be an awful waste of your skills *Lieutenant*," Shar'El said, even managing to add a faint smile afterwards to make it clear that no official reprimand would be placed in her service record. "All of our emotions are on edge, for obvious and understandable reasons, but we have to keep our sights on he larger picture. As I said, this is not over, but for the time being we need to focus on getting ourselves out of harms way and back to Federation space so that one day we can come back."

"Alright, you win, this time," the redhead admitted, keeping her anger in check. "I want you to promise me one thing though, the day we go back, the day we get our hands around that Soturemol's neck, I will be there with Ya'Han and the rest of those going."

"Of course, I would not have it any other way," the raven-haired woman confirmed. "Now, about Jayson."

"What about him?"

"You did knock him down when you came onto the bridge," Shar'El said. "Might be nice if you apologised to him."

"You are right," Sonja grinned. "It would be nice *if* I apologised," she added before making her way out of the Observation Lounge, clearly not having the slightest intention of doing what had just been mentioned.

=-=
(present)
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32224.1745

Shar'El glanced over to the Operations Station, Lieutenant Stark not giving any indication that the event had caused him any physical harm, although the ExO / ILO suspected that he would be given the Chief Engineer a wide berth from now on.

"Commander?" An all too familiar voice called out from inside the turbolift that had just opened. "Permission to return to duty?"

The expression on Jayson's face was priceless and displayed more joy than could be voiced. If Ya'Han asked him to, he would gladly put himself in her way so that she could send him flying as Sonja had earlier, this time though he would do so of is own free will, if only to make her smile.

"How are you feeling Lieutenant?" The ExO / ILO asked, having stood from the center chair to face the woman with the black and red mixed colored hair.

"A little disoriented given that the memories I have of the mission to DOLBAR are not actually mine," Ya'Han admitted, "but I am anxious to return to duty. I know that we are dealing with a fleet of approaching Hirogen ships, and thought that you might require my presence here on the bridge."

"Welcome back Lieutenant," the ExO / ILO said, glad to see the Nylaan able to resume her duties after what happened, not that she actually remembered any of it.

"I will admit that I am puzzled as to why the Dolbargy did this," the Chief of Security voiced. "If Soturemol wanted to keep the crystal to himself, then why give it to us after having put the entire away team through these fabricated scenes."

"I am sure that he must have had his reasons," Shar'El said, the memory of what Ya'Han had lived through resurfacing with vengeance. The Ullian had taken on this burden, the memory would be hers and hers alone to relive until she would be able to control it like so many others locked away in that head or hers. "In the meantime, we need to focus in getting ourselves back to Federation space safely and without being detected."

"Of course Commander," Ya'Han gladly said, but not so much so as how she would have not that long ago.

Shar'El quickly returned to the center chair, feeling somewhat relieved that the Tactical station was once again manned by the one who needed to be there during this crisis, of course this led the ExO / ILO to think of the man whose chair she was occupying and the argument made by Counselor Dima. This was where the Captain belonged, and now the raven-haired woman needed to make this happen.

The question was simple though. How?

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P080: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 07 - 1730 ("Meditating")
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"Meditating"
Previous post "Remembering"
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"Meditation is to be aware of every thought and of every feeling, never to say it is right or wrong, but just to watch it and move with it. In that watching, you begin to understand the whole movement of thought and feeling. And out of this awareness comes silence."
- Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 32224.1730

Banished to his Ready Room by his First Officer, the Native American made the best of the opportunity he was given. The universe had become still and quiet like never before, and he would use this tranquility to insure that the joy he felt would remain within his grasp for as long as possible. Within the darkness of the room, Erik Morningstar could meditate and contemplate the whole of the universe through the flickering light of the small candle on his desk.

There were 785 souls on board the USS ANUBIS, each one under his command and therefore his responsibility. Every decision he made, however simple it might seem, affected them all in one way or another. The pressures of command were always there, weighing down his every step even when he felt at his best. A single wrong decision could cause someone to be injured or worse to never return home, and such possibilities constantly played on his mind. At least, it normally did.

Since his return from enchanting world of DOLBAR, the Native American felt like never before. All of the cares, all of the worries, all of the concerns that were his throughout every day and night had vanished. Right now, in this place of tranquility and meditation he was nothing more than a man able to enjoy each passing second for what they were, a unique moment in time that could never again be relived.

Erik could clearly remember trying his best to do just that, to enjoy the precious moments as best he could, but alas too many simply slipped through his grasp unnoticed and unappreciated. Sitting at his desk with the illumination turned off, watching the flickering light of the candle resting right in front of him, he was finally able to pay proper tribute to each of these fleeting moments.

As he gazed into the flame, the Native American found himself contemplating a great many questions. Why had he not been able to do this before? Why had he not taken the time to enjoy the simplest of joys the universe offered in abundance? As the Commanding Officer of a ship such as the ANUBIS, surely he could make the time required to accomplish such a worthy goal. Those souls under his command were certainly capable enough to manage for a short while without him, could they not? Would they not also benefit from having a Captain more opened to the endless possibilities of the cosmos in which they were but a minuscule spec of? Would the universe itself not wish all creatures living within to seek a better understanding of the whole, and would they not be happier in doing so?

The Native American found himself nodding in agreement to his own unspoken thoughts. Several seconds had passed since this line of thinking had started and yet the universe had not come crashing down around them. This was proof enough; there was no need for Erik to acknowledge the guilt that was trying to return into his mind. Life was good and the best he could do was to enjoy the moment instead of trying to defy the universe itself.

"Captain?"

He instantly recognized her voice. His First Officer who, in her wisdom had seen it fit to isolate him here so that he could better commune with the universe. Maybe she wanted to share in his enlightenment, to find peace and tranquility as he had. Surely the cosmos would be happy to welcome another into the ranks of those who shared in this universal understanding of all things.

"Captain!"

Her insistence beckoned for his attention, for him to look away from the flickering light of the candle even for a second, but that would deprive him of being witness to the majestic beauty and maybe cause him to miss another universe of possibility altogether. Shar'El had more than earned the right to be where she was, so there was no need for him to look up. She knew what needed to be done thus allowing the Native American to continue on with his quest.

"It's the ANUBIS," she persisted.

Why had she placed him here to delight in the mysteries of the universe if she was going to interrupt his meditation, to hinder his quest for absolute understanding and peace? Erik then smiled, the heavily burdened woman did not *want* to be here, in this room with him, she *needed* to be in this temple of tranquility. Here, in the darkness, she would be able to focus in the light of the candle as he had and find the answers to those questions that troubled her so. Here she would become at peace and accept life in all of its perceived flaws and chaos as being perfect.

"The crew is in trouble."

How could the crew be in trouble? Peace and tranquility surrounded them like a caring protective force. Surely the universe would not permit anything to happen to anyone, especially when they were so close to understanding it all.

"Captain!"

There was that word again, a meaningless title that was meant to establish a set hierarchy, a chain of command where he sat at the top with 785 souls beneath him. This is not where he needed to be? Did he truly *want* to be in charge, responsible for so many lives? Did he find peace and tranquility in making sure that each of these souls was safe as they dealt with one catastrophe after another?

"They need you."

The answer to his questions, past, present or future, came in the form of a simple yet defining gesture. The Native American slowly move his gaze onto the flickering flame one last time before looking up to meet the eyes of his First Officer.

The absolute peace he had felt and delighted in slowly began to fade, his mind desperately trying to hold on to whatever it could, but like the dream it was, the tranquility could not be held onto no matter what he did. How had he come to be here, not thinking of his crew, of those who depended on him? How had he managed to focus so much on a single aspect of the universe that he had stopped looking at the cosmos as the chaotic, ever changing force that he had known it to be since he was a child?

The Native American struggled to make sense of his conflicting thoughts, trying desperately to understand how he had, if even for a single heartbeat of the universe, consider that all of the answers could be found inside the faint and flickering light of a candle?

"Captain?" Shar'El asked, not sure as to what was happening inside the mind of their Commanding Officer.

"Yes Commander?" The Native American groggily replied, a certain heaviness reflecting in his words.

"How are you feeling?" The First Officer cautiously inquired.

"A little disoriented," Erik admitted before adding, "and in the dark."

"Computer, restore normal illumination within the Ready room," Commander Shar'El instructed.

"What happened?"

"It appears that the Dolbargy are a race of very powerful telepaths capable of creating and implanting illusions into the mind of those who go to the planet surface," the Ullian explained. "That is why the orbital sensor net was designed to disable anyone with telepathic abilities as well as all Ferengi."

"I guess it does make sense. The Ferengi being immune to telepathic abilities would make them a danger to the Dolbargy who would be unable to affect them with their telepathic illusions," the Captain noted.  "Thank you for bringing me back," the Native American added. "I do recall feeling far more relaxed that I have even been, but I also remember not overly caring about whatever was happening on or to the ANUBIS, at least that was before you brought me back."

"Honestly, it was easier than I thought it would be," Shar'El admitted.

"Easy for you maybe," the Captain said.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P081: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 07 - 2230 ("Looking")
"Looking"
[previous "Meditating"]

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32224.2230

They were not out of danger, far from it, but the closer the ANUBIS got to the border of Federation space, the better things were all over the ship. It was easy to see that everyone was looking forward to putting as much distance between them and the Dolbargy, Hirogens and Ferengi. Jayson even went as far as to openly state that he hoped to never again hear about any of those races for as long as he lived. The odds were not in his favor on that and he knew it, but still the hopes were there. IN fact, over the last few days, an increasing number of fellow shipmates had come to know him as being an overly hopeful man, maybe too much so at times.

For the time being though, things had returned to a semblance of normality. As the latest shift came to an end, Captain Morningstar was on the bridge, Commander Shar'El was back in the IGC, Commander Maya was working somewhere in one of the science labs, Lieutenant Paquette was tinkering down in Main Engineering, Ensign Jones was at the Flight Control Station and Ensign Dima was in her counselling office. Everyone was back, at least in appearance and that made Jayson feel a lot better. Amidst all of the chaos, it was nice to be able to count on certain things being the same.

Things had been even better after Ya'Han invited him back to her quarters once their shift had ended. He wanted to show her how clean his quarters were, but given the choice to return to where he felt most comfortable, Jayson did not hesitate a second to agree. Just stepping back into her pristine part of the ship made him feel like he was coming home, the reasons for his exile no longer important. There was no hiding that he was curious as to what happened, but for right now, he was just thrilled that it was all over.

The couple sat on the couch and talked for a little while. Shoptalk was the first on the unofficial agenda, and Jayson was happy to follow along. Whatever question he had could wait, what was important was that they were together, him in her quarters and she in his arms. Whatever trauma was caused during the away mission had taken its toll on her, Ya'Han falling asleep soon after he had begun to play in her hair. He knew that she was enjoying and relaxing the moment the red and black locks that his fingers were passing through began to change to the purple of her lineage. This was when he knew she was at her most relaxed, and that was the hint for him to take her where she would be more comfortable.

Now in her bed, he could look at the sleeping woman in quiet admiration and adoration.  Jayson could only smile and believe that life had truly returned to the way it was meant to be. Human nature was such that one needed to lose something in order to realize just how much it meant to them, and in this case, she meant everything to him. There was nothing she could ask of him that he would not do. There was nothing he would not give up for her if she asked. He wanted to say all this to her, but he thought it safer to wait and see what she wanted to say to him. If he made such a claim to her, she might feel pressured into saying something different then what she initially intended. The ball was in her proverbial court and he would wait as long as it was needed. As things stood right now, while gazing at her as he was, he would wait an eternity if that were required of him.

As tired as he was, he feared laying next to her in case he would wake up and find himself back in his quarters, alone. He even fear closing his eyes for the briefest moment. The possibility that this was nothing more than another dream had been terrifying, but he could not help it. It was impossible to ignore that something happened, and this, long before the away team beamed down to DOLBAR.  The fact that she had wanted to talk to him before that supported this, but so far, she had said nothing since her return.

Jayson accepted that this might have been because of whatever trauma Ya'Han had gone through while on the away team. Maybe soon she would be able to tell him what she wanted, but for now he was just content to have her back in his life. Therefore, he just sat there, looking at her sleep, looking at her breathe, and just plain looking at her, as creepy as it might seem to others.

It was nice seeing her like this, so peaceful, so relaxed. Earlier in the day, the Chief Engineer had knocked him to the floor of the bridge, and Jayson had actually thought back to all the times Ya'Han had done the same. As strange as it may seem to be, he missed it. There was no denying that the physical strength and training of their Chief of Security made her to be far better than he could ever hope to be. That did not stop him from looking forward to the next morning when he would offer the woman currently sleep in her bed to go to the gym for some sparring.

Whatever bruises he would end up with would be proof that this was not a dream as he feared, and maybe, just maybe, she would be in a better mindset to tell him what she had wanted to say to him before the away mission.

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Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P082: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 07 - 2230 ("Dreaming")
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"Dreaming"
[previous post was "Looking"]
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Setting: ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32224.2230

The Nylaan was not complaining in the least. On a professional level, the Sec/Tac was pleased, if not a little disappointed, that ANUBIS had out-flew and out-maneuvered all of the Hirogen ships that were sent to intercept them. Apparently Soturemol wanted to insure that the ship and its crew did not stick around. Unfortunately, no one seemed to know why he had gone to such extremes to accomplish this. The away team had returned with the crystal in their possession as well as a head full of overly happy thoughts and feelings, so there was no reasons whatsoever to warrant this.

On a personally level, Ya'Han was pleased to see Jayson so attentive, so enamored, showing every signs of being regretful and remorseful for something, but without making it clear why. What the Nylaan found even more strange was that she could remember wanting to avoid him, to keep her distance from him, but she could not recall the reason why she felt this way. She hoped that maybe he would say something that would give her a hint as to what happened between them, but so far his silence on this matter had been impossible to breach.

Being in his arms though, the black and red haired woman found herself not worrying about it. Ya'Han was not entirely certain if this was how she truly felt or if this was all some residual effect of the Dolbargy telepathic implanted thoughts, but she felt happy. Sometimes the greatest joys come from the simplest of things, and right now the Nylaan had made a conscious decision to enjoy the moment in all of its facettes.

As he played in her hair, Ya'Han felt her thoughts gradually drift as her consciousness slipped beyond her grasp. She knew that she was falling asleep, and did nothing to hinder this. In fact, she was more than happy to welcome it, feeling an uncanny sensation of love and protection coming from the man closest to her in many more ways than physical proximity.

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FLASHBACK
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Setting: NYLA IV, Imperial Palace, Courtyard
Stardate: 15325.0530 (Ya'Han is 9 years old)

The youngest daughter of the High Sovereign woke up before the sunrise feeling a sense of loss on this day. Since their return from DOLBAR, she had dreamt of beautiful flowers and even more breathtaking landscapes, but last night her dreams had returned to their usual mundane sorts.  Whatever joy she had managed to bring back with her from their most recent off-world visit had completely vanished, leaving the young Nylaan feeling sad, depressed.

Over the last few days Ya'Han and her sisters had spoken, in private of course, about asking their father if they would be able to return to that wonderful world. Of course, their plan never went beyond that of their discussing it amongst themselves, none of the High Sovereign's daughters wishing to anger their father with such a selfish and undeserving request.

The sister did their best to hold on to the memories and feelings they shared from that journey, but it was not to last. As she had done so many times before, Ya'Han escaped from her room and made her way to the courtyard where she could enjoy the start of a new day.

"Not quite the same as on DOLBAR," Ya'Jun said, not quite sneaking up on her younger sister.

"No," Ya'Han agreed. "It is like the color is missing in these flowers, and yet they are the same ones we found on that world."

"Maybe it is because unlike their cousins here, those flowers on DOLBAR were free," Ya'Jun said, the older sister always having a way of expressing thoughts and opinions that made her younger sister think beyond the limits imposed on all of the daughters.

"How can freedom change the color of a flower?" The nine-years old, purple-haired Nylaan asked, knowing that voicing such a question would never have been permitted by their father.

"How can freedom make the air smell sweeter? The light of the sun feel warmer? The water from a spring taste more refreshing? It's all up here little sister," Ya'Jun said gently tapping the side of her head. "It's all up here and one day, maybe you will come to understand this, hopefully before it is too late."

"GIRLS!" A servant bellowed as she quickly rushed to the sides of the two daughters of the High Sovereign. This had not been the first time they escaped their rooms before a servant could help the girls with their daily routines, and the smiles visible on their faces hinted that it would not be the last. This did not change the fact that the servants could not stop them and always were in a panic the moment they discovered the rooms empty of their occupants.

"Time for us to return to our captive lives and lose a little more of our colors," Ya'Jun stated as she turned to meet the rapidly approaching servant, who seemed terrified as if her life depended on finding the girls as quickly as possible.

Before joining her sister, Ya'Han glanced once more at the Dolbargy flowers set at the foot of the towering protective wall of the Imperial Palace, the words of her sister echoing with repetition in her mind. The concept of freedom was not unknown to them, but it was labeled as the cause of conflicts and wars, as people gave a higher priority to their own needs over those of the common good as stated by those in charge. Luckily for the daughters, the burden of leadership and diplomacy would never be theirs to be concerned with, their only task being to solidify alliances through marriage and childbearing.

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End of FLASHBACK
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Setting: ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32224.2330

Ya'Han woke up, this time in the real world, with Jayson sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed.

"What are you doing there?" She asked.

"Just looking at you," he replied, the love in his voice palpable.  "Just admiring you in all of your colors," he added, a teasing smile having appeared on his lips. "Enjoy what might be nothing more than a dream."

She wasn't sure why but his words made her touch her belly, of course there was nothing there and her thoughts of being a mother had been nothing more than an echo of the dream she just had. She was not ready to take such a step, regardless of her feelings for the man looking at her in such an amorous manner. The fact that they were not bonded made the entire thing impossible, but even if they could, Ya'Han feared what this would mean. Childbearing for those of her lineage meant something different than for those of his people and she still needed time to better understand the subtle differences between these thoughts and ideas.

"This is not a dream Jayson,"Ya'Yan confirmed. "No come to bed," she added, inviting the man with a gentle pat on top of the sheets. If that was not enough to convince him, the smile she offered him would certainly make the difference, and if not she could always tease him by changing her hair color to something she knew he liked.  When he showed some level of hesitation, she wasted no time in acting according to her thoughts.

"You know," he chuckled as he stood from the chair. "I will never fully get used to you being able to do that."

"Do what?" She teased, flicking her now green hair over her shoulder."

"That," he playfully huffed before putting an end to their talk with a passionate kiss that would last until the early hours of the next day.

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P083: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 08 - 0115 ("Not Sleeping")
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"Not Sleeping"
(Previous Post: "Dreaming")
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Astrometrics Laboratory
Stardate: 32225.0115

The fifth crystal sat on the flat and horizontal section atop the work console, held in place by a gravitational field while the Chief Science Officer reviewed and confirmed everything that she could in regards to the data the Shillian had so far decoded and retrieved. Maya was not expecting to break through the lower protective layers, but still she small crystalline form was being looked at from every possible angle possible.

Here, in the Astrometrics lab, the Chief Science Officer could continue her efforts on the crystal, while simultaneously further research the data she already had while keeping an eye on the progress of the ANUBIS as it made its way towards the safety of Federation space. On a wide-range stellar map, a small planet was identified by a circular indicator indicating their next destination.

The sixth crystal would be found within the DELOS system on BREKKA, in the care of a scientist named Tianna. As little as this information was in the greater scheme of things, it proved to be more than sufficient to have the Scientist start her thorough investigation. Although unaligned with the Federation, the proximity and heavy trade with the Ornarans meant that a fair amount of information was available on the Brekkians, and that proved to make all the difference.

Knowing that the woman called Tianna was a Brekkian scientist had narrowed down the search parameters quite a bit, then cross-referencing with any Federation visitors to that world, in this case Professor Arken, the researcher in question was easily located. This led the Chief Science Officer to find several additional piece of information on the forty-something woman who was heavily involved in the general scientific community of her home world of BREKKA.

Something else that the Shillian found of great interest was the ability of both the Brekkians and Ornarans to generate a bio-electrical discharge. Although not overly powerful, this ability was more than enough to disable most other humanoid races and could, with prolonged exposure, cause severe to permanent physiological damage. Should the discharge be more specifically directed, such as directly over the heart of a would-be target, this unassuming ability could even prove to be fatal  making both of these races people that should not be underestimated.

Based on her extensive social research on the races, there was no reason to believe that this could be an issue, neither the Brekkians nor Ornarans having any reason to assault an officer of Starfleet. That said though, and given the track record of the USS ANUBIS, it was prudent for the Chief Science Officer to come up with something to insure that any such issue would or could happen to whoever would be part of the away mission.

With the ANUBIS still a fair distance away from Federation space and then an even longer journey to BREKKA, Maya had more than enough time to formulate a method to protect the away team from these bio-electrical discharges or anything else that the Brekkians or Ornarans might throw their way.  Having the time did not mean that the Shillian would take such time to do her research or anything else for that matter, the Chief Science Officer always favouring the idea of doing something now instead of waiting to do it later.

"Commander Maya?" The First Officer said, having quietly walked into the Astrometrics Laboratory, confirming what the internal sensors had reported. "Do you ever sleep?"

"I do," the Shillian confirmed, sounding almost shocked by the question. "Why would I be sleeping so early though? Aside from the fact that we are still inside Ferengi space, and therefore in possible danger, and that I am working on deciphering the data contained within the last crystal we obtained, I am not immune to fatigue. Granted, I might get carried away when doing some of the more interesting or demanding researches, pushing myself to get as far as I can using whatever momentum I have accumulated in my favour, but again I do sleep like everyone else, that I do not have a choice in the matter as such a behaviour is hardwired into out psychological and physical makeup."

Shar'El quietly chuckled and grinned. It was clear that the Shillian had not looked at a time display in quite some time or she would not have answered as she just had. "Maya?" The First Officer resumed, trying to break the news as gently as possible. "You do know that time it is?"

"No," the Chief Science Officer replied, again sounding shocked by the question. "I'm sorry, but knowing the time has no direct or indirect impact on my current line of work. When I am dealing with time sensitive matters, I do my best to keep track of each passing second, but when such work or research does not have a specific time factor, my keeping track of the passage of time would only serve to distract me from the objective of whatever it is I am trying to do."

"It is currently 0125," Shar'El announced, thinking it best to use the short and direct approach, especially when the Shillian Scientist was in one of her hyper-explanatory moods, which was to be honest the greater majority of the time.

"0125?" The Scientist gasped, quickly calling the time to appear at the work station she was at. "That's impossible! It was 2145 the last time I looked at the time. Are we sure that the ANUBIS did not cross through some sort of temporal anomaly? It is possible that with our sensors busy tracking all of the Hirogen ships that we could have missed a small distortion in the fabric of space-time, although I will admit that I would be very upset with myself if I failed to see it despite of how busy I might have been. Imagine all of the data we could have collected and analysed having gone *through* such a phenomenon instead of observing it from a distance? Now, we are left with nothing more than missing time to account for what happened."

"Maya," Shar'El interrupted, certain that the Scientist would easily be able to continue on that track and possibly even jump to several others along the way to explain something that had not actually happened. "There was no temporal anomaly. Internal sensors and chronometers reported no missing time or even any change in the rate at which time passed. What happened was simple; you have just been working too hard."

"Too hard?" The Shillian said, evidently feeling targeted by the statement as if it was meant to be some sort of negative comment against her or the work she did.

"This is not meant as an insult," Shar'El clarified. "Once you get going onto something, it is very hard for you to stop, and we are all very grateful for all of the work you do, there is no denying that. I can only image how certain of our missions would have ended had you not been there to give us all of the available information."

"Speaking of available information," Maya said, jumping back into the thick of things at warp speed, causing Shar'El to let out a sigh of despair. One of the rules of speaking with the Shillian was to never give her any sort of opening that she could use to jump into any sort of explanation. "I am sure that you are aware that the Brekkians and Ornarans are capable of generating a mild bio-electrical discharge. Of course, mild being relative as it is still powerful enough to inflict permanent damage if the target suffers a prolonged exposure. Anyway, I was thinking that we could have the away team, whomever they may be; wear a protective undershirt similar to those the engineers working near the magnetic coils must wear. I am suggesting the undershirt over the body armour usually used by the tactical security teams and Marines as I suspect that our appearance on BREKKA may play some role as to the smooth progression of our mission. You did get my preliminary report stating the location of the next crystal?"

"Yes, and I agree," Shar'El said, realizing that at this point it was best to just join with instead of trying to fight against the Chief Science Officer. "I can imagine that the away team would not be kindly received by he Brekkians if they appeared like a bunch of Marines looking for a fight."

"Exactly, that is why I thought that the undershirt would be better," the Shillian continued without skipping a beat. "Although the appearance of the two options may be different, their primary purpose are the same, which is to disperse any high powered discharge coming in contact with the crewman. The advantage of the Security Tactical Armour is that it is designed to defuse a single high power bolt while the engineering insulation shirt is meant to protect the wearer from lower energy, long-term exposures to milder electromagnetic fields. These, based on what I was able to discover by searching through both the medical databases of BREKKA and DELOS III are far more similar to the bio-electrical discharge the Brekkians and Ornarans are capable of producing."

"Could a standard uniform me modified to offer the extra protection as an engineering shirt?" The First Officer suggested, the answer having been almost too simple.

"Of course," Maya exclaimed. "Why did I not think of that before? It makes perfect sense. It would provide the members of the away team with a full body protection while keeping said armour nearly invisible to the general public. Of course, the modified uniform would be thicker, heavier than a normal Starfleet uniform, but it should not hinder the ability of the away team to go about their mission for the duration of their stay on BREKKA. I could come up with a formula within the hour and possibly have the computer replicate a sample uniform in less than three."

"Maya?" Shar'El said, trying her best to not only draw the attention of the Chief Science Officer onto her but also have her actually stop doing whatever she was trying to do. "It is now 0130. We still have not gone through any temporal anomalies although I suspect that if you jump into this line of work, you will be complaining of more missing time. We have more than enough time before we reach BREKKA, so you can take a moment and rest. Tomorrow morning, you and Lieutenant Paquette can tackle the creation and testing of these modified uniforms."

"Tomorrow morning?" Maya gasped. "You are expecting me to rest for an entire day, to do nothing for 28 to 30 hours? Commander, I understand that you wish for me to rest, but being inactive for that long may actually be more of a problem than my being overly fatigued."

"My apologies Commander," Shar'El grinned. "My saying *tomorrow* morning, I meant this morning. Go back to your quarters, take a nap and tackle this latest project with a fresh perspective and renewed invigoration."

"A nap?" Maya questioned aloud, sounding as if the idea had actual merits as far as she had ben concerned. "I could use a couple hours of sleep."

"Maya," Shar'El softly growled. "I do not want the IGC reporting back to me saying that you have left your quarters before 0800. I would appreciate you not making me make this an order. You need to rest. Whatever time you take now will be well used as it will avoid you redoing work that may have been compromised and affected by your fatigue."

"Very well Commander," the Shillian said, admitting defeat, not that this was a battle in any way. Maya would not resume her work until later that same morning at the specified time given by Commander Shar'El.  This of course did not mean that the Chief Science Officer would not be thinking about this modified electromagnetic shielded uniform or of ways to make it lighter. In fact, it was a near certainty that the Chief Science Officer would, using nothing by her mind, be searching for a way to offer the maximum level of protection to the members of the away team who would be wearing the modified uniform while making it as comfortable as possible.

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Jessica Solarik (maya992003@gmail.com)

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P084: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 08 - 0330 ("Self-Guilting")
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"Self-Guilting"
[previous post was "Not Sleeping" by the super dedicated Jessica]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Shar'El's Quarters
Stardate: 32225.0330

Following the discussion with Maya, Shar'El felt guilty about not having been following her own advice to rest. Although the reasons were different than those of the Chief Science Officer, the ExO / ILO had remained on duty well past the end of her shift, even going as far as to making sure that everyone else on the senior staff was taking the overdue R&R. The raven-haired woman saw doing such as being part of her duties and responsibilities as the ANUBIS' First Officer. This of course led the Ullian Commander to venture down to the Astrometrics Lab in order to confront the Shillian Scientist.

There was no denying that Maya was a clear and tremendous asset to the ANUBIS, her dedication to her work going well beyond what anyone could have asked or even hoped for. However annoying her overly long explanations could be though, they were a small price to pay to have such a talented and resourceful scientist on their team. Shar'El felt bad giving her the 'time of day' as it were, but it needed to be done as the ship could not afford to have any of its officers falling over or operating at less than peak performance due to excessive fatigue. This was a rule, that she liked it or not, applied just as much to the ExO / ILO as it did everyone else.

With the task of speaking to Maya done and over with, and after having made sure that the Shillian had actually returned to her quarters, Shar'El could finally do the same. The journey back to her own quarters having proven to be a very lengthy one, filled with obstacles that only the raven-haired Ullian could have encountered or come close to manage to dealt with.
  
With the Captain back to his usual left, the ExO / ILO had gone from the bridge and returned to the IGC to make sure the ANUBIS would not encounter any surprises, be them Hirogen or otherwise. There, the raven-haired woman also oversaw the monitoring of all sub-space encoded communications to see if any mentions of a Federation vessel inside Ferengi space were being made. To Shar'El's surprise and relief, no such message had been sent, giving the impression that the Dolbargy had simply wanted to see the ship and its crew leave without starting an interstellar war. 

While inside what was for all intents and purposes her domain, Shar'El also dedicated her time and efforts to a more private and equally demanding task, that of quieting her mind and offsetting her emotions, even if only a little bit. The Ullian found herself on the verge of breaking down crying more than once over the many hours of her work when certain recently acquired memories surfaced despite greatest her efforts to keeping them under control.

Again, had the raven-haired woman properly prepared, this would not have been an issue, allowing the Ullian to isolate her own memories and emotions from those of the Nylaan. Unfortunately, this was not the case, Shar'El never having expected to discover what she did inside the mind of Ya'Han this even after she explained what happened through her free-flowing tears. This now meant that the heart-wrenching feelings the once pregnant Chief of Security would have had been forced to deal with had become the ExO / ILO's problem, that she liked it or not.

In acting as she did to protect the Nylaan, the Ullian had placed herself in a precarious position, one that she could not espace from no matter how hard she might try. Shar'El simply wanted to help a friend, one that was clearly in pain and in need, but now these descriptive applied her just as well.

In the peaceful tranquility of her quarters, Shar'El could focus solely on those painful memories and the overwhelming emotions that came with them. The raven-haired woman had never been pregnant and she had certainly never been obliged to deal with the loss of an unborn child, but suddenly the Ullian found herself experiencing the full emotional range in a single heartbeat. Being in her quarters, the ExO / ILO hoped that the task of dealing with these memories would become easier, but as time passed she had to realize that this would not be the case.  When it came to dealing with such a personal and tragic loss, nothing could nor would be easy.

Getting any actual sleep had proven to be an impossible task, Shar'El's mental barriers collapsing the moment her subconscious mind asserted itself, forcing the exhausted woman to relive the memories of a heart-broken mother. This, for obvious reasons, would cause the raven-haired woman to instantly wake. a few times catching herself holding onto her own belly as if the experienced had physically been hers.

Once again Shar'El glanced at the time display, and once again she dismissed the thought of calling upon someone for help. Only four people knew of the Nylaan being wish child, and following the telepathic mind-wipe Soturemol had put Ya'Han through, only three remained. Of them, one was the one in need which meant that whatever assistance could only come from one of two others. As great friends and the Chief Engineer and ExO / ILO had become, it made sense that the responsibility of providing said help would come from the ship's Counsellor.

Shar'El did not know how this assistance would even be requested, let alone how it would be offered, but one thing had been for sure; 0400 had not been the time to even attempt in making such a request.  What the ExO / ILO needed to do was to rest, to sleep. Only after this would she be clear minded enough to explain the reasons for her request while at the same time to be aware enough to understand whatever offered methods of dealing would be offered. That is, if there was an actual way to deal with the pain caused by the memories of something that happened to someone else whom at this time did not even know that said event had taken place.

Taking a page from their Captain's book, Shar'El made her way to the replicator and requested a single candle to be produced. The Ullian made her way back to the living room, place the candle on the central table and sat on the floor, her gaze locked on the flickering flame.

As she tried to clear her mind while focusing on the light of the candle, Shar'El realized how much guilt she felt. Guilt in having spoken to Maya the way she had, guilt in not having been able to help Ya'Han more than she had, guilt in feeling that she was unable to handle the situation on the bridge while the Captain was incapacitated, guilt in that she now needed to call upon Nicole to find a way to deal with these inescapable memories and emotions. Most damning was the guilt she felt for simply being less than whom the raven-haired woman believed herself capable of being, not only for herself but for the other members of the crew who depended and relied on her skills, knowledge and expertise.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P085: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 08 - 0615 ("Fixing")
"Fixing"
[previous "Self-Guilting"]

[/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Gymnasium
Stardate: 32225.0615

There were no doubts in his mind as he looked up at the grinning redhead standing over him that things had indeed returned to normal. If the scene was not enough, the general pain and discomfort in his back was that much more of a hint that this was as real as it got. The best part of all this was that he actually enjoyed, at least in this particular instance, being where he was and feeling the pain he did.

"Are you sure you are even trying?" Ya'Han sighed, offering a helping hand to Jayson so that he could return to his feet once again, this having been the 6th time he had found himself in that exact position in the last 3 minutes. At this point, the Chief of Security was questioning the validity of their morning training sessions, which now consisted of nothing more than her standing over him after a quick take down.

"What can I say?" He joyfully replied, stretching out the kinks in his back as he got back up. "You are just too good for me."

Ya'Han growled ever so lightly. "These exercises are meant for both of us to train, to improve our combat skills as well as to help keep us in peak physical shape, not for me to find increasingly less demanding ways to flip you onto your back. I need you to fight back, and I mean to truly put an effort in it. You just offering yourself as a punching bag, this regardless of how much of a gap there may between your skills, is not helping either one of us."

He understood what she meant, and even agreed with it, but their situation had not been that simple, at least not as far as he was concerned. Had he been sparring with anyone else, he would not have hesitated to give it his best and even more, but with Ya'Han, he just could not bring himself to doing that. The odds of his even coming close to landing a strike, let alone injuring her, had been beyond stacked against him, but even with that knowledge, he could not bring himself to fight her as she requested. Certainly not after what had happened between them, something that he still had no idea what it had all been about.

"I'm sorry," Jayson offered, mentally struggling to find an acceptable excuse for his behavior. "I guess I just don't want to hurt you."

The words sounded just as weird by him saying them as it was for her hearing them, and the expression on their mutual faces made that perfectly clear to everyone else who might have overheard the exchange. Anyone now knowing the history between the two might have taken the spoken words as a boast, one that would be immediately challenged, but everyone knew of the relationship between them, even if they could not fully understand the odd complexities that seemed to be part of this romantic association.

"Not physically," Jayson eventually corrected. "There is no way that I can even land a shot against you. I know this just as well as you do. Whatever training you went through as a child back on your home world followed by the security training you clearly aced back at the Academy makes you an expert beyond measure. Everyone knows that who can take down anyone you set your sights on, no matter their size or skill level, and I am grateful that I have never truly been on the receiving end of you going full *Red  Dragon*."

"Call me that one more time and I will happily make you feel the full extent of what it is I can do," Ya'Han growled, her hair having visibly grown to be a brighter red. The term had been meant to be an endearing one, reflecting both the Nylaan's skill, ferocity and color of hr hair when she got into such a state, but Ya'Han had not liked being compared to a mythical flying lizard. The worst part of all this was that Jayson already knew this and was now chastising himself for having used the offensive term.

"Please," he quickly continued, his voice on the verge of breaking and his head having dropped due to the weight of the unpleasant thoughts that had come crashing into his mind. "Don't be angry at me, please. I don't think I could make it through this time around."

Ya'Han's hair immediately change upon hearing and seeing this, the man standing before her appearing broken beyond what she could have ever expected to see. Now, if only she could recall what had caused her to keep her distances in the first place. As annoying as this memory blank was for her, it only made the task of mending their relationship that much more difficult. How anyone could be expected to fix something when they were unable to know what the problem actually was made absolutely no sense.

"I'm not angry at you Jayson," Ya'Han said in as much a reassuring manner as she could, her solid black hair framing her now lovingly smiling face. "Tell you what, let's call this morning's training session over and we can head to the Black Hole for breakfast. Once there, we can talk about maybe going to see Nicole together. It is clear to me that there are issues at play and maybe she can help us, both individually and as a couple in order to make things easier for us."

Jayson had no issues sitting down and speaking with Counsellor Dima, or any Ship's Counsellor for that matter; he was an old pro at that. What he found oddly strange though was the idea of sitting down for a session with Ya'Han right there by his side. Would it make things easier or more difficult? After thinking about this for a little while, Jayson smiled and realised one very important thing. The suggestion came from her, not out of any sort of pressure or need other than to see this relationship work, and that was all the reason he needed to agree.

"We can contact Nicole and ask for her availability," Jayson said, nodding his head to show his agreement and commitment. "All that will be left will be for us to hope that she can squeeze us in before we reach our next destination. Getting those crystals has proven to be one massive headache after another."

Ya'Han chuckled dryly. She agreed that there seemed to be quite a few headaches involved in this mission, but what troubled her the most was that these were not the usual ones normally associated with difficult missions. Strange dreams, missing time and memories, there seemed to be a great deal of missing pieces to this particular puzzle, and this aside from the crystals themselves.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Black Hole Lounge
Stardate: 32225.0645

Although early. The Black Hole lounge had already been busy, several crewmen and officers having made their way here to enjoy a first meal before making their way to their respective departments and duties. One of them was none other than the Trill Ship's Counsellor Nicole Dima.

"How about we go sit with her?" Jayson suggested. "Maybe we can skip the session all together and have a chat with her here."

"Jayson!" Ya'Han said, elbowing the man with some unexpected force. "We are here for *breakfast*, not to impose on Nicole or anyone else for that matter. Yes, she may be the Ship's Counsellor but she is entitled to having some time for herself, especially when it comes to enjoying a nice peaceful breakfast."

"Alright, you win," he quickly conceded before making their way to the nearest available table.  As soon as they were seated, one of the servers approached and asked what they would like. "Let's try something different," Jayson said with a grin. "How about half a dozen blueberry pancakes covered with some nice and thick Risian syrup, with a side order of English cream and a few orange slices? I'll need a nice tall vanilla milkshake to wash it all down. I'll see what I will after for desert afterwards."

"And for you miss?" She said, turning to Ya'Han without batting an eye at what Jayson had just finish saying.

Ya'Han found herself hesitating for a moment, partially because she could not believe the order that Jayson had just made, but also because she found herself considering a drink that she had no reason to actually consider.

"Just a bowl of sliced fruits with a glass of milk please."

The answer seemed to take Ya'Han just as much by surprise as it did Jayson.

"Milk? Since where do you drink milk? What happened to the usual Risian tea?" Jayson asked. "Was it my asking for a milkshake that made you change your mind?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, unsure and visibly questioning her own reasons for having said what she had. "Just felt like the right thing to order."

Jayson simply shrugged. Who was he to question her choices for breakfast, but still the selection did leave him with a puzzle that he wanted to get to the bottom of. Was this truly just an isolated oddity or was it an indication of something more, something that he was almost afraid to mention for fear that he would be wrong.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P086: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 08 - 0900 ("Evaluating")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Evaluating"
[previous post was "Fixing"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32225.0900

With breakfast behind them, Jayson and Ya'Han returned to the bridge to resume their duties at their respective stations. The border between the New Ferengi Alliance and the Federation was in sight, and without any Hirogen cruisers directly in their way, it appeared that they would be able to cross this invisible line without any further trouble. This was welcomed news by all, the journey to DOLBAR having been an oddly demanding one for the Nylaan woman.

With her attention still very much on the Hirogen ships rushing about, the Sec/Tac began to work on evaluating the tactical situation surrounding BREKKA. As an unaligned word of the Federation, there were several possibilities as well as potential for trouble, and as armored as the ANUBIS was, it was prudent to consider all perceived threats.   Before evaluating the planet itself though, the brightly red haired Nylaan needed to look at the whole DELOS System first. With two M-Class planets, the planetary system provided some unique variables.

BREKKA, home to the Brekkians, a technologically advanced race who, despite their ability to travel through the emptiness of space, were far from being as advanced as the Federation. None of their ships, at least those still functioning, had ever ventured beyond the limits of the planetary system. Instead of exploration, the race seemed entirely focussed on maintaining the trade routes between themselves and the other M-Class planet within the DELOS System.

ORNARA, home of the Ornarans, a subjugated race forced into a state of chemical dependence by the Brekkians. With the entire race once addicted to Felicium, technological advancements came to a complete stop, the society even regressing on many levels. This of course left them to be even more dependant on the Brekkians who did not waste time to make full use of this advantage.

As the Sec/Tac of the ANUBIS, Ya'Han could not see any real threat coming from either race. Those vessels equipped with weapons would prove to be no match for the ANUBIS, even with the ablative armor inactive. The shields alone would be more than able to deflect whatever the Brekkians and Ornarans could throw their way.

As a Nylaan, the now solid black-haired woman felt a certain sadness and pity directed towards the inhabitants of ORNARA. Like many people of her own world, the Ornarans were forced into a situation from which there would be no escape. Had they been a Federation member, he race could have received social and technological assistance, but as an independent world, the relationship between the two M-Class planets fell squarely into the jurisdiction of the Prime Directive. However much anyone might have wanted to help, their hands were tied.

"Ya'Han? Are you alright?" Nicole asked, the Counsellor having tasked herself to keep an eye on the woman who had gone through a great ordeal, this despite the fact that she could not recall any of it.

"I'm fine," the Sec/Tac replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Your hair," the Trill said, quickly pointing to the telltale sign that something was happening inside the head of the Nylaan.

"I really need to get a better control on that," Ya'Han half chuckled. "I was reviewing the tactical situation of the DELOS System, and when I looked at the Ornarans I began to think of my own people, the commoners, those forced into the most dangerous or demanding tasks."

"Those who are only able to display black hair," Nicole noted, this not having been the first time the Trill and Nylaan had discussed this, although this would be the first time they had done so on the bridge.

"Like the Ornarans, they are forced into a way of life from which they cannot escape, those above them making sure that the status-quo is never challenged," the Sec/Tac said, allowing some anger to be present in her voice. "The specifics of the situation may be completely different, but the results are the same. A predetermined segment of a population, in this case an entire race, is kept under control by another, depriving them of whatever means they could use to better their own lives."

"Don't get me wrong, I am not defending this," Jayson said as he joined in. "The Ornarans have been given the short end of the stick, there is no denying that, and the people of your world unable to display anything but black hair are in the same predicament. The problem is that they are not the only ones trapped in such a system. The Ardanans come to mind, those sent to mind zenite finding themselves locked in that way of life because of the effects from the fumes in the mines. Of course that problem was easily solved."

"I think a better comparison would be the Remans and Romulans," Nicole suggested. "As the labor force of the Romulan Star Empire, they rarely, if ever, enjoy the benefits of their work or the freedoms that their counterparts take for granted. That said, Jayson is correct, this sort of subjugation is not unique to BREKKA and ORNARA, although the particular method used to enforce this in this case is a rather unique one, locking both sides into a situation that is exceptionally difficult to escape from.

"We might be in for a surprise," the Captain added, evidently having overheard the conversation. "The intel we have on both BREKKA and ORNARA is somewhat outdated.  Although the Federation did send several sciences teams with mandates to observe, the Brekkians were not overly happy to have their every move questioned. As an unaligned world, they had every right to restrict access and even expel those teams. As for the Ornarans, as a protectorate of the Federation, our options are limited as to what we can do and say. The best we can do is hope that over the last few decades the situation has rectified itself through mutual need. That they may like it or not, these two races are very much intertwined their individual futures resting in the hands of the other."

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P087: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 08 - 0900 ("Compartmentalizing")
=-=
"Compartmentalizing"
[previous post was "Evaluating" by the always ready Hanali]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 32225.0900

The night before had not been as restful as she might have wanted it to be, and it was certainly not as long or restful as her body and mind needed it to be. It took everything she had to return to her duty station that morning, leaving the ExO / ILO thankful that this was where the Captain and rest of the senior staff expected her to be instead of the bridge. Here, in the quiet workings of the IGC, the Intel Techs would go about their duties while she sat peacefully at her station without drawing any attention onto herself. The occasional glance from her workstation would confirm that she was still there and alive and right now that was pretty much the extent of what her performance would be.

The thoughts of the raven-haired woman went back to several hours ago, when she was sitting on the floor of her quarters, trying to clear her mind as she focussed on the flickering light of a candle. She witnessed Erik doing this and believed it to be a simple task, but it seemed that looking into the light of a candle in search of mental clarity and peace required training and skills that the Ullian seriously lacked in. Had it been for any other reason, Shar'El might have playfully inquired as to how the Captain managed to do this seemingly simply task, but right now the ExO / ILO was not ready to answer the questions that would sure follow.

Shar'El would need to find the peace and tranquility she sought elsewhere, and this after the end of today's shift. As demanding as life could be on board the ANUBIS, it appeared that luck was finally on their side. Long-range sensors showed the border between Federation space and that of the New Ferengi Alliance without a single Hirogen ship anywhere near their path. Even at maximum speed, the hunters would be unable to catch up to the cloaked armored vessel before it would cross into safer and more familiar territory.

Hoping that keeping busy would help her ward off the troubling memories that kept resurfacing, memories that were not her own, Shar'El decided to focus her attention on their next destination. The planet was named BREKKA, one of two inhabited worlds located inside the DELOS System. Thanks to the research done by Commander Maya, all available information on that world was at their disposal.

The situation surrounding the Brekkians and Ornaran was interesting to say the least, and Shar'El found herself fascinated by the way the two cultures had evolved, developing a symbiotic partnership that placed one race at the mercy of the other. One side did everything they could to maintain the chokehold they possessed on the other while this other side found itself unable or unwilling to find the means to break the cycle of dependency.

In her report Maya had made it perfectly clear that neither race could be considered as a threat, so there were no concerns in that regards. Socially though, the people of BREKKA and ORNARA would prove to be an extreme of humanoid behavior that the ExO / ILO was looking forward to observe. It certainly would make for a change of pace from what the crew of the ANUBIS had faced during their quest to obtain the first four crystals. Professor Arken had gone out of his way to select individuals who would make things difficult for anyone in getting these items, so there was no telling what hurdles they would encounter this time around. The problem was, would these obstacles be enough to keep Shar'El from remembering and reliving the ordeal that Ya'Han had endured?

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7, Corridor
Stardate: 32225.1900

The day had been quiet, and maybe that was the problem. Had the ship and crew been required to deal with some sort of issue, maybe her mind would not have kept returning to the one things the raven-haired Ullian had wanted to avoid. This was also the reason why the ExO / ILO found herself where she was, standing in front of the offices of the Ship's Counsellor, Ensign Dima.

With the Trill knowing what has transpired with the Nylaan Chief of Security, the ExO / ILO hoped that maybe talking about it would help. Unfortunately, Nicole had not been in her office, a fact that Shar'El scolded herself for not having checked first. There were no doubts that her mind had not been as sharp as it had been before encountering Ya'Han's troubled memories concerning the thief of her unborn child.

"Computer, locate Counsellor Dima." The request had come out before Shar'El had even thought of it, further hinting to her current state. The raven-haired woman was troubled, and she came to realize it a little more with each passing minute.

=/\= Counsellor Dima is in Lieutenant Paquette's quarters, =/\= the computer informed.

The odds were that the two women were relaxing and chatting while enjoying a bottle of wine or some other concoction that the Chief Engineer was known for. For a moment, Shar'El debated inviting herself to the little unofficial meeting, but the Ullian quickly thought against it. Aside from imposing herself, the ExO / ILO did not want to have to explain how she felt to an audience, even if they were friends and were already aware of the situation.

Actually, only the Counsellor knew the extent to which the ExO / ILO had gone to save their Chief of Security from having to deal with the burden of remembering what had been taken from her, and as far as Shar'El was concerned, the fewer number of people knew about this, the better it would be for everyone.

With that in mind, Shar'El made her way back to her quarters. Maybe tonight she would be able to find another way to quiet her mind, one that did not involve staring into the flickering light of a candle or having to resort to some sort of brain numbing sedative. As inviting as that last option might have been, it was something that the Ullian would have much rather not use. That type of medication had a nasty habit of having long-lasting lingering effects making it exceptionally difficult for members of her race to control their telepathic abilities after even a single mild dosage.

For the sake of the rest of the crew and the privacy of their most cherished memories, it was best for Shar'El to not use any medical means to achieve the mental peace and quiet she so desperately desired.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P088: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 08 - 1930 ("Relaxing")
"Relaxing"
previous post was "Compartmentalizing"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Paquette's Quarters
Stardate: 32225.1930

"Are you sure I can't interest you in one of these?" Sonja asked as she returned from the food replicator with her second steaming beverage contained in a distinctly Klingon cup.

"I'll pass," the Trill Counsellor chuckled, able to smell the vile drink long before the redhead Chief Engineer had been half way back to the couch where she had been sitting. "What do you call that thing again?"

"Chech'tluth," Sonja happily replied, doing her best Klingon impersonation as she raised her hand well over her head before bringing the edge of the metal drinking cup to her lips to down a fair sized gulp.

Nicole, thanks to the multiple lifetime experiences of the Dima symbiote, knew exactly what the drink was, so the question had not been meant to fill a lack of knowledge, but rather to allow the Counsellor to once more see the Engineer at her most uninhibited state. While on duty and in Engineering, Sonja was all business, a fact that every member of the ANUBIS' engineering staff would be quick to confirm, but when off-duty, the redhead was en entirely different person. Her "joie de vivre" was something that the Trill Counsellor delighted in seeing, making her almost wish that others amongst the members of the senior staff were this easy going.

"You might want to take it easy with that," the Counsellor cautioned. "At this rate you won't make it to the snacks you promised me earlier."

"No worries about that lass," Sonja countered in the thick Scottish accent she loved to use when making a point. "It'll take a wee more than a few of these to make this gal see stars that aren't there."

"If you say so," Nicole grinned as she took a conservative sip from the oversized wine glass that Sonja had provided some time ago. Yes, the Counsellor had accepted the invitation for a drink, knowing that the two of them would be able to talk about what happened to Ya'Han's child, but neither one of them seemed in a rush to address the subject at this point. The non-synthehol drinks were meant to take the edge off and allow them to speak without reservation, but for now they both appeared to be content with just being able to enjoy each other's company.

"Something is missing here," Sonja suddenly said, sounding especially serious, as if the realization had been one that should have been made long ago and which played a vital role in their current ability to enjoy the moment.

"Yes, snacks," Dima pointed out in good humour before taking another conservative sip of wine. At their respective rates of consumption, the Counsellor would be finishing her first glass by the time the Engineer would be on her fourth or maybe even fifth cup of Chech'tluth, and oddly enough Nicole believed that Sonja would be able to double that feat with little effort.

"I agree, we do need those snacks, but that is not what I was thinking about," the redhead admitted before draining the cup of its content and forcefully tapping her communicator. "Computer, locate Commander Shar'El."

"Computer, belay that request," the Counsellor promptly ordered before turning to face the Engineer. "Do you truly want to have our First Officer here at this time?" Nicole teased.

"Spy-girl is a good lady, and within these walls, there are no ranks, just friends enjoying a drink," Sonja explained with a smile. "Normally I would also have Ya'Han here, but that would defy the purpose of our being together to talk and drink, or is it to drink and talk? Maybe just drinking for the time being, we can deal with the talking afterwards. See, if rainbow girl was here though, there would also be dancing, lots of dancing, maybe more dancing than talking, but that's the way she swings. Get it? Swings?"

Nicole laughed, apparently rapidly ingesting two cups of Klingon Chech'tluth had proven to be enough to take more than just the edge off for Sonja, but truth be told, and given the reason for them being here in the first place, it was exactly what the redhead needed at this time.

"Yes," the Counsellor confirmed, "I saw what you did there. Maybe you need to get a third drink, I have seen Ya'Han dancing and *that* swing would have made her feel shame," Nicole added, pointing to the redhead with a playfully descriptive digit.

"You're right," Sonja said, instinctively reverting back to her thick Scottish accent, "I should. Computer! Another Chech'tluth, the night is too young for my cup to be so empty."

As Sonja went to fetch the newly replicated drink, Nicole reached for a nearby PADD and repeated the request for the location of Commander Shar'El, this time though in a non-verbal manner. When the computer reported the Ullian as being in her quarters behind a sealed door, the Counsellor thought it best to leave her to enjoy the rest and tranquility she had earned. There would be ample opportunities for the three of them to enjoy time and drinks together, but for now it would seem that the evening would be reserved for the trill Counsellor and Terran Engineer.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P089: USS ANUBIS: Dima: Day 9 - 0830 ("Arriving")
“Arriving”
(Continued from “Relaxing” from the impeccably timed Lorraine)

=/\=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32226.0830

Nicole sipped on a strong cup of coffee, silently greeting the day. The only sign of her time spent with Sonja the night before (other than a slight headache) was a desire to squeeze a little more social time in her routine. While having drinks and snacks with the Engineer wasn’t what one would call productive in the conventional sense, the joined Trill found her mood lightened. Duty would always be the most important reason for their journeys, but each person aboard the ship was more than merely an officer or the position they held. Her evening with Sonja was a reminder of that.

Meanwhile, the Counsellor hadn’t noticed that an M-Class planet dangled below as the ANUBIS found a standard orbit. The world in the DELOS system looked rusty brown and tan colored, a far cry from the rocky surface of NEW ALEXANDRIA or the blue and green marble that was EARTH. If there had been more time, it would be easy to continue pondering what changes had taken place on BREKKA since the last official Federation contact, but collecting the next crystal was a priority.

"Thank you, Ensign Jones," Erik said to the FCO, as the ship seamlessly transitioned into its current vantage point. He turned to look at Lieutenant Commander Maya. "What information do we have on the scientist in possession of the next crystal?"

The Shillian tapped her console instinctively. An image came up on the screen, replacing the view of their destination. It was of a blonde, blue eyed woman who appeared to be in her early forties. "This is Tianna. Despite the fact that BREKKA is not a Federation-aligned world, She has been published in several journals regarding advances in agriculture and medicine. Her last study findings were released eighteen months ago. That source places her location in the capital city of Kimmarnan. While the city is somewhat large, it is also the most technologically advanced and is the hub of their interplanetary commerce. They won’t be surprised by the arrival of non-natives."

"Canvassing an entire city could be time consuming," Shar’El pointed out.

"You are correct," Maya agreed with a small smile that revealed the depth of her preparedness. "That is why I have run a series of algorithms to assess which areas might be classified as industrial, for example where someone might have a laboratory. There is such a quadrant on the west side of the city, approximately two square blocks where a concentration of such buildings can be found. That should be a proper place to start our search."

Morningstar seemed satisfied with the recon. "Shar’El, select two officers and prepare to beam down."

The Ullian thought she might have faced a challenge, if Erik wished to go to the planet’s surface. Luckily, the chain of command appeared to be restored to something approaching normal after their trip to DOLBAR. "Yes, Captain. Lieutenant Stark, Ensign Dima, you’re with me."

Nicole didn’t flinch when Shar’El asked her to be part of the away team. They both seemed to agree that Erik, Tanith, and Ya’Han deserved a rest, even if the three of them didn’t fully comprehend why. The Counsellor looked to Jayson Stark. He stood, unquestioning, as ready to go to the planet’s surface as the two women were.

"Maya, how successful were you at developing a means of protection from the Brekkians’ ability to injure us through an electric discharge?" Shar’El asked, knowing that a positive answer was a near guarantee.

The CSciO handed them each an isolinear chip. "I have made modifications on a cellular level to the standard fabric options offered by Starfleet. Already known for their durability and insulatory capabilities, they are now enhanced to absorb the energy levels consistent with an electric shock delivered by touch. We have no reason to believe they would attack us, but the majority of the information we have about the Brekkian people is outdated. We cannot be too careful. These chips contain replicator instructions to make garments to fulfill this new requirement."  The crew and the away team would not be physically compromised this time. Perhaps it was going too far, but the brief encounter with the Dolbargy had given them a need to be wary and overprotective.

"Should we wear uniforms for our visit, or should we pose as civilians?" Stark asked. "I guess what I am asking, is do the Brekkians harbor ill will towards Starfleet due to their last meeting?"

The Intel certified ExO considered the question. "You have a good point, Lieutenant. Staying inconspicuous might improve our chances of making contact with Tianna, and also hearing us out as to why we are inquiring about the crystal given to her by Professor Arken."

Shar’El paused for any dissension of opinions, but there were none. "Both of you take an hour to prepare, then meet me in the transporter room."

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter

Ship's Counselor
USS ANUBIS NCC-18501
M09-P090: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 09 - 0845 ("Ridging")
"Ridging"
[previous "Arriving"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Stark's Quarters
Stardate: 32226.0845

He studied the reflection in the full-length mirror, unimpressed by his new appearance. The customary Brekkian outfit was not something that he would normally have worn, but all things considered, it was still much better than some other more exotic local garments that he might have been forced to put on depending what world they would have been in orbit of. Now, if only they could manage to find their way to RISA and for him to be on *that* away mission, things would be different.

With three more crystals to find after this one, there were still some chances that the ANUBIS might be required to visit a world where the away team would be able to enjoy some actual leisure time. Even if it would be only for an hour or so, it would be a welcomed break in their rushing from one place to the next all thanks to some eccentric professor and his weird way of keeping these crystals safe.

Forcing his mind back on the tsk at hand, Jayson ran his hand over the fabric now covering his arm. The shirt might have seemed Brekkian in appearance, but to the touch there was no denying that it was not locally made. The texture and tightness of the replicated garment using the specifications provided by Commander Maya made it feel far more like a modified Starfleet uniform than a civilian piece of clothing, but there was a good reason for that. There were no reasons to expect the away team would fall under attack, but so far, nothing about getting these crystals had gone according to plans. With each world they visited, a new set of obstacles were encountered making the outcome of their mission that much more unpredictable. After everything that they had gone through up until now, a little bit of extra precautions was warranted and gladly welcomed.

Giving one last tug at the replicated shirt currently on his shoulders, Jayson sighed and decided that this was a good as it would get. The only thing left for him to do was to report to Sickbay and submit himself to the cosmetic addition of a nose ridge. This would make him, along with the other members of the away team, appear to be as Brekkian as could be.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 32226.0915

The procedure took no time at all and once more Jayson gazed into a mirror, studying his own reflection. This time though, the reflective surface had been a simple handheld mirror and the focus of his scrutiny had been on nothing more than the newly added ridge to his nose.

"I will admit, they actually look cute on you," Ya'Han announced, the Chief of Security having appeared in the room without the OPS Officer having been the wiser. Either she had done it on purpose to be stealthy or his attention had been so focused on his nose that he had failed to realised that someone had stepped into Sickbay.

"If you say so," Jayson amusingly dismissed as he put the mirror down. "Guess I should consider myself lucky that we are not in orbit of the Algonian home world or MEGGANON I. Those ridges would have taken a lot longer to add and I suspect that you might not have find them to be as *cute* as these," he said, gently touching the prosthetics additions to his face. "Not that I find these cute, but at least they are not all that apparent. Now, it is not that I am not happy to see you here, but should you not be on the bridge making sure that nothing bad happens to the ship and its crew?"

"As Chief of Security, it is part of my duties to insure that the members of an away team is properly equipped for their mission. Whatever that may be," Ya'Han explained, sounding oddly joyous. "I reviewed the specifications provided by Commander Maya as to the energy dispersing fabric and was curious to see how it actually looked on someone."

"It *looks* just fine," he pointed out, tugging at the shirt. "A little stiff though, but it is far from feeling like a Marine body armor. Those things are as uncomfortable as it gets. I should know as I have worn them on occasion. This feels a lot lighter but certain does not make me feel like I am wearing any sort of heavy duty protection."

"Nor should it," Ya'Han said to Jayson. "The material is meant to protect you and the other members of the away team from a relatively low intensity bio-electrical discharge, not a full fledge phaser blast. That said, we will be keeping a sensor lock on you three at all times, and there will be a security detail ready to beam down at a moment's notice. They will be equipped with full body armors, therefor, if there is any sort of trouble, we will be ready to intervene and take control of the situation."

"Is there something about this away mission that I am not aware of?" The OPS Officer asked, clearly concerned by the words of the Chief of Security. The measure mentioned by Ya'Han appeared to be a little much for what the goal of them beaming down to BREKKA was intended to be."

"Not at all," the woman with the black and red mixed hair color said in as a reassuring tone as she could. "Just doing my job as Chief of Security, which includes making certain that nothing bad happens to you or those cute nose ridges of yours."

Ya'Han shot a beaming smile in his direction before making her way out of Sickbay. Jayson could not help but grin as he watched the woman leave, waiting for the door to close behind her before running his finger once again on the new ridges of his nose. It felt strange to have her refer to these small prosthetics additions as cute, but he had to admit that he liked the way she used them to tease him. Maybe after the away mission, he would keep them for a while longer, if only to see how she would react.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room
Stardate: 32226.0925

Jayson walked into the transporter room to discover that he was the first one here. The Trill Counsellor and Ullian Commander would certainly not be long in joining him, but in the meantime he would just have to be patient and continue stretching the energy defusing outfit he was wearing, if for no other reason hat to give him something other to do than to think about the ridges on his nose.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P091: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 09 - 0930 ("Prepping")
=-=
"Prepping"
[previous post was "Ridging" by the now nosy Jayson]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Corridor outside the Transporter Room
Stardate: 32226.0930

The raven-haired woman stood just outside the sensor trigger area, this meant that he door in front of her would not open until she move forward. The modified clothing she worn fit and felt just fine, the cosmetic changes to her nose had been done without any problem, and no immediate issues or danger hovered over their heads, yet the ExO / ILO felt particularly uneasy with taking the next step. This both literally and figuratively.

Despite her greatest efforts, Shar'El still struggled to maintain control over the Nylaan's memories now in her head, the emotions attached to them proving to be overwhelming at the best of times.  More than once the Ullian had to stop herself from crying or rubbing her belly as if both the pregnancy and lost of the child had been hers and not Ya'Han's. As much as she did not experience the physical void that would have been left behind by the event, the ExO / ILO found herself going through the full range of emotions linked to such a traumatic ordeal.

The Ullian called upon all of the training she received on her home planet in an effort to push the memories of their Chief of Security as far away from her conscious mind as possible. Even her experience as an Intel Operative was drawn upon to help Shar'El emotionally distance herself from those events that repeatedly clawed back to the surface of her mind. As horrible as it was, as unsettling as it might have been, she was not the one who had become pregnant and lost the child to a demon by the name of Soturemol.

Now, if only things had been as easy as her ignoring the memories she constantly relived and the emotions that accompanied them. Whatever mental barrier the Ullian put up would last for only a short time before collapsing under the crushing weight of how a mother should and would feel upon having her child ripped from within her.

"Commander Shar'El," the Ship's Counsellor said as she approached the standing raven-haired woman. "Is everything alright?"  The joint Trill had easily recognized the telltale signs of someone being completely distracted by their own thoughts, so the question had been both meant to be from a curious friend as well as a concerned Counsellor.

"Just going through the list in my mind to make sure we are not forgetting anything," Shar'El replied, not missing a beat. As emotionally burdened as she was, the woman was still an experienced Intel Operative, which meant that she could rapidly think and react in a self-protective way during the most demanding of situations. "I know that this away mission should not pose any problems, but the fact that we are wearing specially modified clothing is a hint that things have not gone at all the way we might have hoped they would up until now."

Nicole looked at Shar'El for a few seconds, trying to ascertain if the words spoken had referred to the troubles the crew had come across in gathering the crystals they had so far or if the significance of those words had been for something else. The tone of her voice as well as the expression on the face of the ExO / ILO hinted to something more troubling, more personal. Nicole could only guess that all this was because of the situation surrounding their Chief of Security.

"Shall we wait for Jayson or go in?" the Trill asked after a few seconds of silence, making a mental note to corner the Ullian in order for them to have a good chat after their return from BREKKA.

"Knowing our Chief of Operations, he is likely already inside waiting for us," the ExO / ILO noted as she took a confident step, the one that she had been so hesitant to take only a few seconds ago.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room
Stardate: 32226.0935

"Commander, Ensign," Jayson said, greeting the other two members of the away team as they walked into the room.

A short-lived grin appeared on Shar'El's lips, finding comfort in that at least there were some aspects of this life that she could still predict as if having some level of control over them. Instinctively, the ExO / ILO wanted to glance over her shoulder and share the smile with the Counsellor, but the raven-haired woman stopped herself believing that doing so would only further confirm what Nicole suspected. Something was not entirely right with the Ullian Commander and leader of the upcoming away mission.

"Do we have everything we need for this mission?" Shar'El asked, focusing her thoughts and doing her best to stay in line with the excuse she gave Nicole before entering the Transporter Room. As much as she might have liked to think otherwise, the ExO / ILO doubted that the Counsellor had fully accepted the excuse given, if only by the way the joint Trill had responded immediately afterwards.

"Energy dispersing clothing, check. Subdermal communicator, check. Tricoder and phasers set on stun, check." Stark listed as he touched each item as it was called out.

"Let us not forget our nose ridges," Counsellor Dima playfully said, mimicking Lieutenant Stark by touching her own surgically altered nose. "By the way, those ridges look cute on you," the Counsellor added, casting a smile in the direction of the Chief of Operations.

"Let me guess," Jayson sighed. "Ya'Han spoke to you."

"Why would you say that?" Nicole teased. The fact was that the Counsellor had indeed crossed path with the Chief of Security on her way here and that Ya'Han had mentioned how cute she found the new ridges on his nose to be. Knowing all that she did about the Nylaan, the joint Trill had been very glad to see the woman with the changing hair color seem so jovial and carefree. It was a true shame that Ya'Han had lost her child, even more so by the way this had taken place, but Dima could not ignore the positive aspect in that the woman did not remember any part of what had happened.

The problem was that the same could not be said for Shar'El whom Nicole suspected was having some difficulties in dealing with that issue, for obvious reasons.

"Looks like we are as ready as we can be," the ExO / ILO said, inviting the other members of the away team to step onto the transporter platform. "Commander Shar'El to bridge," the raven-haired woman said knowing that the Captain and other officers on the command deck were listening in. "We are ready to beam down."

=/\= Good luck Commander, =/\= Captain Morningstar replied.

=/\= We'll be keeping a close watch on all three of you, =/\= Ya'Han added, a certain calmness in her voice that hinted to her not having any real issues with the current away mission.

"Energize!" Shar'El ordered, giving the transporter chief a nod of her head to confirm that they were ready to proceed.

The bodies of the three civilian-dressed Brekkians vanished from the transporter platform in a dance of shimmering light, their thoughts focused as best they could on their quest for a scientist by the name of Tianna and the fifth crystal that was said to be in her possession.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P092: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 09 - 0945 ("Running")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Running"
[previous post was "Prepping"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32226.0945

The Sec/Tac watched her instruments with an intensity that perfectly suited someone in her position, the Nylaan making sure that nothing unexpected came to affect the arrival of the away team to the surface of the Brekkian homeworld.

"Captain," Ya'Han said. "Sensors confirm the safe arrival of Commander Shar'El and the rest of the away team."

"Good to hear," the man in charge offered in return. "Now let's hope they can find this Tianna quickly. How is our orbital tactical situation?"

"Sensors are tracking the movements of 8 freighters in our immediate vicinity," the Sec/Tac reported. "Half of them appear to be working below optimum power efficiency while the other half are well below the 50% mark. None of them have any operational weapons and I suspect that their shields would not be able to withstand anything we might throw their way, even at our lowest possible settings."

"We are not here to start a fight," the Captain said, clarifying their situation and how the black and red haired woman was meant to react should something actually happen. They were here in search of a crystal, nothing more. "We just managed to avoid what would have been a nasty fight, and I would very much like to not risk starting anything on this side of the border."

"Wouldn't be much of a fight," the Chief Engineer giggled, Sonja having made it to the bridge once the ship had made orbit. "According to these sensor readings, it is as if none of those ships have any engineering staff on board. Alright, maybe they do have someone, but the way those freighters are being kept together, I would guess that the one poor soul in charge of that department has never managed to pass Basic Engineering 101. I am actually amazed that we have not seen any of those ship suddenly explode, the detected power fluctuations from the engine rooms of most of those ships are *scary*."

"Maybe we are looking at an unproportioned sample of their fleet," the Sec/Tac said, expanding her sensor sweep to include the freighters heading or returning from ORNARA. As more ships were scanned, Ya'Han was forced to admit that the greater majority of the ships involved in the trade between the two inhabited planets of the DELOS system were in the general same shape. "Never mind," the Nylaan sighed.

"Respectfully suggest that we activate the ablative armor," Sonja said, not quite as seriously as she might have wanted to. "They may not have any weapons, but a bulkhead from any of those freighters could put quite a dent in the outer hull."

The Captain just rolled his eyes, knowing that his Engineer was joking. At least it appeared that the mood on the bridge was of a lighter sort, something that the ANUBIS' Commanding Officer was not entirely against. It was nice to be able to look on the more humorous side of things and not make larger issues of what was already around them.

"Captain!" The FCO called out. "One of the freighters from ORNARA appears to be having trouble."

"Confirmed," Ya'Han said. "Flight path is highly irregular. It looks like they lost navigational control."

"I'm reading a power surge in their portside engine coils," Sonja added. "I would have that issue resolved in a few minutes, but I suspect that they won't be able to fix it that easily. They might end up crashing into any of the other freighters or worst be completely unable to set themselves up for a proper atmospheric entry."

"Is the freighter Ornaran or Brekkian?" the Captain asked, not wanting to do something that might offset the delicate political balance that was reported being present in this system.

"The markings on the freighter are clearly Ornaran," the Sec/Tac reported.

"I was afraid of that," Morningstar said, visibly unhappy with the answer he had been given. "As a Federation Protectorate we are bound to render assistance. Helm, set course to intercept the freighter. Lieutenant Ya'Han, contact Commander Shar'El and inform her of our situation. We will not be very far but our response time will not be what we hoped it would be. Lieutenant Paquette..."

"I know, I know, I have to get a team together and ready to beam over. Once there we will have to fix their problem before it becomes a bigger problem that may blow up into a full situation. It is a near certitude that someone will make into a predicament that will no doubt be looked upon as a conundrum for no other reason that we are here in the system," Sonja said exasperated, again not sounding nearly as serious as she had wanted to.

"The freighter is not responding to any of our hails, but they did activate an automated emergency beacon requesting assistance from anyone able to do so," Ya'Han reported. "By the looks of things though, none of the other freighters appear to be acknowledging the call for help. In fact it looks like that freighter is being left to deal with its issues on their own, the other ships giving it as much room as they can."

"You have to admire the overflowing kindness and willingness to help of these people," Sonja sarcastically said as she quickly made her made to the turbolift.

"You and your team should wear the modified clothing as per Commander Maya's specifications," the Sec/Tac suggested. "The Ornarans are just as capable of producing a bio-electrical discharge and they may not be overly accepting in your just beaming on board, even if it is to render assistance."

"That's why you are coming with me," the Engineer bluntly said before turning her attention to the Captain. "The ANUBIS is in no danger in this system; our shields alone are more than able to handle anything that a hot headed Brekkian or Ornaran may think to send our way. With Ya'Han there with us, she can make sure that nothing happens while my team and I work on fixing their engines before they end up crashing into something or blowing themselves up."

With a nod of his head, the Captain agreed with the stated logic, allowing both Sonja and Ya'Han to leave the ship to help the troubled freighter.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: ANUBIS, Corridor, heading to the Transporter Room
Stardate: 32226.1000

"Do you believe we might run into trouble once we beam over?" Ya'Han asked, easily keeping up with the running Chief Engineer.

"You were the one who suggested wearing the modified clothing," Sonja replied. "I'm just the crazy one heading into a ship that might blow up seconds after we beam on board."

"Seconds?" The Sec/Tac gasped, now concerned that she was being dragged into this rescue mission. "Did I do something to warrant you wanting me dead?"

"Not at all," the Engineer chuckled. "I was just thinking that wherever we end up, which I suspect will be somewhere dark and hot, following our not so unexpected demise, that things will be far more fun if you are there with me."

"I'm not sure if I should be happy that you think of me like that, or troubled that you are so conformable with sending us both to our death," Ya'Han said, knowing that her hair had changed to reflect the current mood she was experiencing.

"Don't go all black on me," Sonja said as they ran into the transporter room. "You know that I would never allow anything to happen to you. Well, at least from this point on."

The statement caught the Nylaan by surprise, unable to recall any instances when her friend had failed in protecting her, but right now was not the time to inquire. They needed to put on the new shirts and make their way to the freighter, before it was too late.  

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P093: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 09 - 1010 ("Fixing")
"Fixing"
previous post was "Running"

=====
Setting: Ornaran Freighter, Engineering
Stardate: 32226.1010

The moment the transporter sequence was completed; Lieutenant Paquette and Lieutenant Ya'Han were greeted by the loud sounds of alerts and flashing lights. Absolute chaos reigned in the smoke filled engineering section of the troubled Ornaran freighter, so much so that no one seemed to notice the unexpected arrival of two new individuals.

"I was not expecting a grand welcome, but this?" Sonja sarcastically growled as she reached for her tricorder to identify the most urgent need.

"This may be the perfect cover," Ya'Han offered. "With all of the chaos, we might not even have to introduce ourselves or try to diplomatic approach the situation."

"Who are you?" An Ornaran said, obviously having noticed the presence of the two women who clearly appeared out of place. "What are you doing here?"

"We are just here to help," the Chief of Security explained as the Chief Engineer made her way to one of the control stations.

"Get away from there!" The Ornaran bellowed as he went for what appeared to be a weapon. With the reflexes that those who knew her had come to expect, Ya'Han quickly disarmed the man before knocking him to the ground with a single strike to his upper chest. Had it not been for her open-handed hit, the man might have suffered serious injuries, but thanks to the method used as well as the subdued forced employed, the man was merely winded, hopefully long enough to allow for Sonja to perform her engineering magic.

"What happened to us using a diplomatic approach?" The kneeling redhead Terran inquired of the standing Nylaan redhead.

"Remember," Ya'Han sighed in all seriousness. "You were the one who wanted me here."

"I know," Sonja giggled as she pulled a panel off from the wall next to the control station she had made her way to. "You just proved my point as to why I needed you here instead of anyone else.  Now, keep those frantic lunatics off me while I get these power couplings back to a quasi-operational order."

Even with the dampening field generators working, the rapid spin the Ornaran freighter had fallen into could be felt by those inside, that was until the Chief Engineer of the USS ANUBIS modified the power-flow to the port-side engines allowing for whoever was on the bridge to regain control of the craft.

"This is not a repair," the engineer noted to no one in particular. "The coils are still severely depolarized, but at least this way the ship won't be forced into an uncontrolled spin that would have led it to crash into whatever got in its way. Namely, the nearby planet."

"Maybe we should return to the ANUBIS now," the Chief of Security suggested, noticing that with the freighter being out of immediate danger, their presence had become far more noticed by the crew.

"Give me a couple more minutes," Sonja countered, not having realized that Ya'Han what the only thing standing between her and a growing number of Ornarans. "I should be able to get these atmospheric filters back to full operating status, whatever that means for this ship. At least they'll be able to see and breathe clearly as they replace the engine coils."

"Sonja!" Ya'Han called out, forcing the redhead engineer to look over her shoulder to see the situation that they were now in the middle of.

"Alright," the engineer whispered as she came to stand next to her friend. "I'll take the ugly one, and you take care of the others. Once they are all down for the count, we can request a beam out back to the ANUBIS."

The Nylaan woman huffed as she shot a quick glare in the direction of the Terran. "That would leave seven of them for me while you take care of only one."

"I know," Sonja chuckled. "Don't ever say that I don't do anything for you. I know you, it would take you only one arm to take down *all* of them, but then you'd get all the fun."

"What happened to using the diplomatic approach?" Ya'Han queried in return.

"I thought *this* was the diplomatic approach," the redhead engineer said, pointing to the Ornaran man who was still on the floor desperately trying to catch his breath.

"We just came to help," the Nylann stated, opening both her hands to show that she was unarmed. Or course had any of them truly known the woman, they would have quickly realized that this was not as innocent or harmless gesture as it might have appeared, the Chief of Security of the ANUBIS having been more than capable of using only her hands to win this conflict. "We are from a Federation vessel and noticed your ship go out of control. The moment we received your distress signal, we came on board to assist."

"Contact your bridge," Sonja added. "You'll see that I didn't do anything other than stop this ship from putting on a ballerina show that would have ended with a crash into the planet. At least now, you will be able to perform basic navigational corrections while you change the engine coils."

The Ornarans looked at one another as if the two women before than had been speaking some unintelligible language.

"Is my universal translator broken?" The redhead Engineer asked, visibly looking exasperated by the situation. Had she used terms referring to the creation of an inverse sub-space trans-warp field, maybe she would have given them the benefit of the doubt. Another possible excuse to explain their current state might have been if Maya had been here trying to explain to them anything, but this had not been the case.

"Your universal translator is working fine," one of the Ornarans stated. "We just do not have any replacement parts or the means to creating them here."

"Well then," Sonja sighed, glad that at least there was no language barrier in their way. "You'll need to get one of your friends out there to bring over a full set of coils to replace those on the port-side," Sonja added taking the time to point in the direction of said engine, just in case these people could not tell the difference between port and starboard.

"There are no friends here," another Ornaran explained. "We might be able to find replacement parts in one of the junkyards in orbit of our home planet, but here, no one will help us, not even our own people."

"A truly friendly bunch of people," the engineer exclaimed in her customary thick Scottish accent.  "There is no way they are going to make it back to their planet with the coils the way they are," Sonja added in a whispered voice, having turned to Ya'Han so that the Nylaan would be the only one to hear her words.

"We have two choices," the now black and red-haired Chief of Security offered. "We beam back to the ANUBIS and let them figure it out on their own or we get the ANUBIS to send over the needed parts for you to help install."

"Why would I have to install those coils?" Sonja demanded in complete shock. "It's their ship, let them figure it out," she added as she glanced over her shoulder to see the complete and utterly lost expressions on the faces of the Ornarans. "Never mind," the Chief Engineer growled, realizing that they would likely not have a single clue as to what to do with the engine coils if they were provided to them.

"You are the ranking officer here," Ya'Han pointed out. "The decision is yours."

"Paquette to Morningstar," the redhead huffed after having tapped her comm badge, using the Captain's name instead of the ship to avoid possibly making a bad situation worse.

=/\= Go ahead Lieutenant, =/\= the Captain quickly replied. =/\= You two are ready to be beamed back? =/\=

"Negative. The freighter is in very bad shape and would be stranded here if we do not render more assistance. Can you have ANI scan the freighter and have her replicate a full set of engine coils to be beamed over at quickly as possible," Sonja explained.

=/\= Are you sure that it is safe for you two to remain on board? =/\= The Captain asked.

Ya'Han and Sonja exchange a quick glance before looking at the dazed and confused looking Ornarans near them. "Yes Captain," the Chief Engineer confirmed. "Rainbow girl has the humanoid elements well under control. These people are harmless, not to mention without an apparent clue as to what engineering is all about."

=/\= Very well, =/\= the Captain acknowledged. =/\= Will you be requiring anything else? =/\=

"Could use a set of IKEA instruction for the replacement of those engine coils if we have them available, if not looks like I'll be stuck with the job."

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P094: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 09 - 1030 ("Voicing")
##########
"Voicing"
Previous post "Fixing"
##########

"The universe is driven by the complex interaction between three ingredients: matter, energy, and enlightened self-interest."
- Ambassador G'Kar

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32226.1030

The Native American sat in his chair, in the center of the command deck of the USS ANUBIS, his mind bouncing from one subject to the next in rapid succession. As much as he tried to keep his thoughts on the here and now, Captain Morningstar could not help himself.

"Captain's personal log," Erik began after having pressed the appropriate control on the arm rest panel. Given his thoughts, he believed it best to put on record his concerns about their current mission. "Since the very start of our quest to gather Professor Arken's scattered crystals, things have not felt right, not one bit. From the way we retrieved the first crystal from the Invernian IshDur Talkiir and his Risian wife Allahi, to the odd journey to and from DOLBAR, everything about these crystals seems to not fit as they should.  Of course, our not knowing what those things are actually needed for only adds an entirely other level of uncertainty that just rubs me the wrong way. We currently have half the crystals in our possession, and yet I can't help but feel that we are far from half way to our goal. With every new stop, the mystery surrounding these crystals thickens. What could the professor have encoded in them that would require these seemingly simple crystals to be dispersed so extensively? Well, I hope that by the end of all this we will finally have an answer, but for now I need to concentrate on two more immediate and more pressing issues."

The Native American ended his personal log by pressing the same controls that he had used earlier. As stated, Erik needed to focus on the two matters that were currently taking place around him, one being the away team to BREKKA led by his First Officer, the other being the rescue and repair efforts on board the Ornaran freighter spearheaded by his Chief Engineer.

"Captain," Ensign Jones called out just as the Native American had been about to speak, the Flight Control Officer having been keeping an eye on the away team that had gone over to the distressed freighter. "Sensors are showing that Lieutenant Paquette has begun installing the new engine coils that the ship's Avatar replicated and beamed over as per the Chief Engineer's request."

"What I truly find interesting is the fact that every other freighter within sensor range has become single-mindedly focused on the work of our Chief Engineer," Commander Maya relayed, the state-of-the-art sensors of the ANUBIS easily tracking the specific target of interest displayed by the others ships.

"My guess is that they are hoping to get a few hints and tricks as to how to perform that particular repair," the Native American theorized with a sigh, using what he knew of the Brekkian and Ornaran as a starting point.

"The fleet of freighters may be aging, but I am detecting several replacement parts including engine coils on the other operating ships," the Chief Science Officer pointed out. "Therefore, it would be safe to assume that they are quite capable of performing this type of repair and should not be so interested in seeing someone else do it."

"Doing the repair is one thing," Erik chuckled, Maya focusing too much on the mechanical aspects instead of the social and technical ones. "Doing it with the speed and efficiency customary to our own highly trained and experienced Chief Engineer is an entirely different matter. I would not be surprised if the other ships suddenly offered to pay for her services on board their own respective vessels. Just performing an alignment of those coils could easily boost the freighter's fuel efficiency as well as speed and maneuverability," the Captain added, allowing his own experience as a former Engineer seep through.

"The Ornaran freighter on which Lieutenant Paquette and Lieutenant Ya'Han are current on was in immediate and urgent need of assistance," Maya explained. "As stated earlier, due to the fact that the planet ORNARA is a Federation Protectorate, we had no choice but to render assistance. Unfortunately, the Prime Directive does prohibit our rendering any sort of assistance, similar or otherwise, to the Brekkians as they have repeatedly declined any and all efforts to have more formal contacts and relations with the Federation. Even if one of their freighters were to be in critical need, our helping them could be interpreted as a clear violation of that directive," the Shillian clearly stated, leaving no doubts as to which side of the debate she would be on, should there actually be one.

"They have a sweet deal going here," the Flight Control Officer chimed in. "They don't want to take any risks with the Federation messing things up for them," Tanith added.

"Agreed," the Captain sighed. "By the looks of things, the situation has not really changed between those two worlds, and even with the offered assistance of the Federation to the Ornaran, they have elected to keep the status quo for the greater part. As bad as we may consider the planetary relationship between these two worlds to be, I am afraid that it will take a far more serious catastrophe to change anyone's mind and force things to change."

"I am sure that Counsellor Dima would point out that it is an unfortunate psychological drawback that for the most part, larger groups of individuals tend to follow an already established course of action, regardless of how harmful or even dangerous it may be proven to be for specific individuals," the Shillian explained. "Breaking out of an established routine, especially one socially accepted and anticipated, is exceptionally difficult."

"Again, I agree," the Native American noted with a hint of sadness in his voice. "The history of my people, both as a separate culture and as a planetary entity, is filled with such examples. Conflicts, which at times even evolved into fatal engagements, were created because of the inability of governments and general masses to change their ways, this even when such a change would have proven to be beneficial for all. Humans, in general, might have finally evolved beyond that restrictive mindset, but it took a great deal of work, time, patience and suffering before we were able to accomplish this. I am afraid that the Ornaran and Brekkians are unfortunately nowhere close to being there, still more than willing to accept their current situation and suffering as the price for keeping things as is."

"Another psychological reality that I am sure Counsellor Dima would point out," Maya added. "As long as the price in time, work and even life to create any social change is greater than the one currently being paid to maintain the status quo, there is no reason for anyone to push for said changes, no matter how beneficial they me actually be to everyone involved."

The Native American sighed once again, realizing that the although the universe was filled with an endless number of diverse looking species, the social and psychological similarities were still very much present, especially when one took the time to look for them.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P095: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 09 - 1035 ("Protecting")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Protecting"
[previous post was "Voicing"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: Ornaran Freighter, Engineering
Stardate: 32226.1035

Directly behind the Sec/Tac, the Chief Engineer was hard at work installing the replacement engine coils that had been beamed over from the ANUBIS. Sonja could be clearly heard mumbling to herself, cursing in both Klingon and a Scottish accent about nearly everything she was encountering while working. The parts created for the repairs had been, according to the not-so-pleased woman, too *new* requiring her to make numerous additional modifications to make them fit. Never had Sonja expected to find things in such disrepair beyond the panel that she had crawled into.

In front of the black and red-haired Nylaan, the number of onlookers had gradually grown, so much so that Ya'Han suspected that the entire freighter's crew had now been in the engineering department.  Everyone it seemed was trying to get a closer look at the handy work of the Federation benefactor who had come to rescue them. The Sec/Tac could not help herself in feeling nervous, but despite this, she did not experience any feelings of danger. As numerous as the Ornarans had been, they appeared far more like curious children than a mob ready to lash out for whatever reason they would deem adequate.

The Sec/Tac could only guess that the requirements and training for being part of a freighter's crew involved very little engineering work, if any at all beyond the most basic fixes for the type of ship they would find themselves on. Ya'Han actually grinned as she thought back to her Academy years and the dizzying amount of training and study every single Cadet had to endure. Just by the way the Ornaran's looked on, the Nylaan could guess that even fresh first-year Cadet would hold more knowledge and experience than they did.

"OUCH!" Sonja exclaimed, this less than a second after a loud and hollow *thump* echoed through the inner frames of the freighter's engineering.

"Are you alright?" Ya'Han immediately inquired, not taking her eyes off the gathered Ornarans. As much as she might not have considered them a threat, her training still required the Sec/Tac to keep a vigilant watch on them, just in case.

"NO I AM NOT ALRIGHT!" The redhead Engineer snapped back, screaming through the inner workings of the freighter. "I am about to blast a hole into the nearest wall that gives onto space and jettison every single piece of junk out, and that includes the new engine coils."

"I would strongly recommend against that," the Sec/Tac said, trying to calm the Engineer as well as the gathered crewmembers, seeing a great deal of concerns flashing on the faces of the gathered Ornaran. "That would result in a very unpleasant atmospheric decompression that would kill everyone in this room, including you and me. Do you require assistance?"

Ya'Han knew that she would be unable to help, her knowledge and skills being nowhere close to what Sonja might need, but maybe, just maybe, one of the Ornarans might be able to help. At least that was what the Nylaan believed until she saw the entire gathering actually take a half-step back as if fearing any anyone of them might be called upon.

"I don't need no stinking help," Sonja growled. "What I do need is some half decent parts to work with. Trust me, if I were to send this mess into space, it will be a drastic improvement. Half of the power conduits in here are as useful as glass of water to a Klingon. The moment I try to put any real amount of power through these pipes, they almost instantly rupture. We thought replacing the coils would fix their problem; well that was our first mistake. These conduits are the cause of an entirely new set of issues that I now have to deal with. Would be easier to trash the whole blasted ship and rebuilt it from the ground up."

"How long would that take?" One of the Ornaran engineers asked, the man appearing more frightened than excited by the possible answer that would be given by the barely visible woman.

"I was not offering you sorry excuse for a..." The Terran Engineer snapped back forcing the Nylaan Sec/Tac to jump as quickly as possible in in the hopes of muffling the colorful insult Ya'Han knew was coming next.

"We are truly sorry, but we do not have the time to rebuild your ship. We are simply here to help you get back on your way and resume your work until such time as you are able to effect more permanent repairs to your systems,"  Ya'Han said in as loud a manner as she could. By the time she was done, Sonja had resumed her quieter self-mumbling, although there seemed to be far more Klingon insults being spoken than before.

"We do appreciate everything that you are doing for us," another Ornaran said, the man appearing cleaner, if not more important than the others around him. "Our problem is that we have to reach BREKKA and take on our shipment as quickly as possible so that we can return to ORNARA to be there in time. Countless people are depending on us completing this delivery."

**In time for what?** Ya'Han silently asked, not letting her words be spoken aloud. Based on everything the senior staff of the ANUBIS was told about the Ornarans and Brekkians, the odds were that the Sec/Tac knew exactly what the rush was all about, and inquiring about it, to only confirm her suspicions, would only elevate the stress that was already more than present in this room. In order to protect the crew from the Chief Engineer's mounting frustrations, and to protect them both from the unset of panic in the crew, the Sec/Tac figured that that silence was the best course of action for the time being.

"Ya'Han," Sonja bellowed. "You might want to remind them that if it was not for us, they would have been lucky to reach the surface of BREKKA as a melted clump of metal that would have not been going anywhere beyond the crash site. Based on what I have seen of this freighter, my guess is that this sorry excuse for a rust bucket would have broken apart at the seams long before reaching the surface. Therefore, whatever delay they are currently enduring is far better than the fiery death they would have experienced had we not showed up."

The Sec/Tac saw no need in repeating the message, the entire gathering of Ornarans having clearly heard the Engineer's account of their situation. What took Ya'Han by surprise though, was that Sonja's blunt and untempered words did not trigger the expected reaction. Instead of relief or even gratitude, those who had come down to see the work being done actually appeared scared, almost terrified. The Nylaan could only guess that this fear originated from the possibility of the crew not being able to meet their delivery deadline, something that apparently was more important than their own lives.

How could anyone find themselves in such a dire situation? To value any physical possession above one's own life was reprehensible, and even more so sad. Ya'Han might have understood, at least in some small way, that this situation was not of their own conscious choice, but that did not counter the feeling of pity she felt for them, both as individuals and as a people.

The Chief Engineer and Sec/Tac had come here to help the crew of the freighter, but in the grand scheme of things, how much help would the repairs prove to be? In a month from now, maybe a week, or maybe even a few minutes after the ANUBIS would resume its quest for the crystals, would the work done here make any sort of difference?

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P096: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 09 - 1045 ("Searching")
"Searching"
[previous "Protecting"]

[/\]
Setting: BREKKA, City Street
Stardate: 32226.1045

He found himself looking at the structures with a hint of admiration as they continue their search for the owner of the fifth crystal. For some reason, Jayson had not expected to find the city looking so nice or modern. Maybe this particular city was the odd duck out in regards to Brekkian culture but it still managed to surprise the OPS Officer of the ANUBIS based on what they had all been told.

For some reason, Jayson had expected to find rundown buildings, broken tech everywhere, and a society in near complete shambles. In all of those expectations, he was pleasantly surprised as this would make their search that much less problematic, although it would not help in making it any less difficult. Searching for a single person by name only in a city of this size was a challenge to say the least. Finding a single woman named Tianna was never going to be that simple.

Thanks to their clothing, and the added ridges on their noses that Ya'Han found so cute, the away team easily blended in to the general population, allowing them to wander about without any additional difficulties. Since their arrival, the three undercover Starfleet officers had been able to narrow the search parameter to within a three-block area, but that was where their luck ended.

"Might have helped if we had some additional detail on this Tianna person. Anything would be better than the nothing we have," Jayson said, not overly fond of this 'needle in a haystack' search they were in the middle of.

=/\= We do know that she is a scientist, =/\= Maya pointed out, the subdermal communicator allowing the ANUBIS to monitor what was being said by the members of the away team and for them to privately hear any replies.

"With all due respect, that is not helping all that much right now," Jayson said, drawing a quick glare from the away team leader, Commander Shar'El. Although no one else could hear the comments of their Chief Science Officer, the same could not be said for the only male Brekkian in the group of three wandering individuals. "Sorry, but with nothing more than a scientist by the name of Tianna to go with, it could take us weeks if not months to find her."

"Excuse me," a Brekkian woman said, having obviously overheard the man's outburst of frustration. "I could not help but overhear you. Are you looking for professor Tianna?"

"Yes we are," Shar'El said as she stepped up. "There is a matter that we would like to discuss with her but we were in such a rush to make it here to see her that we forgot to get more specific details as to where she actually is."

"I can understand that," the youngish Brekkian woman acknowledged with a beaming smile. "She usually gives her public university lectures at the grand auditorium, but her next one is not scheduled for a few days. You missed her last one which was yesterday."

"We are so sorry to hear that," Shar'El said, playing the part to perfection. "Guess we'll just have to wait for the next one, we were so looking forward to hearing her and sharing some of our thoughts. Guess that all good things come to those who wait. Thank you for helping us."

"You are very welcome, have a great day. If you are lucky you might run into her while on campus, she is known for walking the grounds from time to time."

As the woman left, Jayson stepped up to stand next to the undercover Commander. "Why did you let her go like that? She might have been able to tell us where to actually find her."

The Brekkian looking Ullian woman slowly turned to face the puzzled man before gently tapping the side of her head. "Not only do I have the exact location of the auditorium, but I also have the room number of her office. The young lady we were just speaking to is a student of hers and through her memories I was able to get all of the information we require."

"Oh. Sorry," Jayson sheepishly offered, having forgotten the First Officer's unique ability to look into the memories of others.

"If we have the location of her office, we should get going," Nicole added. "If our luck holds, we might find her there allowing us to have a private conversation."

"Given the full extent of what we refer to as our luck, I would suggest that we hurry up," Jayson continued. "If we know where she is, it is very likely that someone else also could. Unlike our more recent locations, this one is far more public and accessible."

=/\= Jayson has a point, =/\= Captain Morningstar said using the subdermal communicators to be heard without drawing attention to the away team. =/\= Let us not forget that there are others after these crystals. We have no idea how they are managing to keep up but we have to proceed with the possibility in mind that they are already here. =/\=

"With us knowing the room number all we need is to locate the actual building, which should not be all that difficult," Shar'El said in a whispered voice, her eyes darting all around them in an effort to identify anyone that might have shown them a little too much interest.

"We can start with the science faculty building," Jayson pointed out. "Knowing that she is a professor *and* that she gives both classes and lectures, we have managed to narrow our search field even more."

With that the away team changed their heading and made their way to the university campus as quickly as they could without drawing any attention onto themselves. From here finding the science faculty building should be more than easy. The only thing was to hope that they would find Professor Tianna before anyone else. 

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P097: USS ANUBIS: Dima: Day 09 - 1230 ("Greeting")
“Greeting”
(Continued from “Searching” by the talented and helpful Jayson)

=/\=
Setting: BREKKA, near University
Stardate: 32226.1230

Shar’El placed one foot in front of the other as the three officers, posing as civilians, arrived on the outskirts of the campus where Tianna was an instructor. They had canvassed the neighborhood that Maya had indicated was a good place to begin the search for her, and had received an unexpected and welcome tip as to the scientist’s whereabouts. Their disguises had continued to work; nobody appeared to be paying any special type of attention to them. Jayson walked to the left of the ILO/ExO while Counsellor Dima fell back on the right side, the away team forming a rough triangular shape to help detect and defend them from any sudden physical threats, should they arise. There were several large buildings framing a courtyard.

Nicole glanced at a couple of students sitting on a bench, sharing a digital notebook between them. “Excuse me, would either of you know the location of the Science building where Tianna teaches? We understand we missed one of her lectures yesterday,” she said apologetically, nodding to her cohorts.

“Yes,” the male student answered, gesturing across the quad to a two story building on the far right side of the campus. “The lecture halls are on the lower floor, while administrative offices are on the upper floor.”

“Thank you,” The Trill-in-disguise replied, as they headed towards the unremarkable building.

The two women trailed behind the Ops officer. Jayson moved ahead with determination as they had nearly reached their goal. “What are you expecting?” Nicole asked Shar’El.

“Frankly, I’m not expecting this to be easy,” the ExO/ILO admitted quietly. “Tianna would have the necessary background to possibly know the nature of Arken’s work and may not wish to simply give us the crystal.”

“Well *if* she has deciphered it, would Maya be able to continue if we were able to get a copy of the information and not the object itself? That might be easier to request.” They entered the double doors on the west side of the building, finding the stairs on the left.

=/\=That is an uncertainty,=/\= the CSciO chimed in through the subdermal link. =/\=We don’t know the acumen of this woman or if her field of study was anything similar to Arken.=/\=

Nicole winced, forgetting the Bridge staff was essentially ‘there’ with them, so speculation was unnecessary. “True,” she agreed.

Once they had made it to the second floor, Shar’El began to examine the door markings for the number she had gleaned from the bystander’s mind. “Here,” she said as they had worked their way down half of the corridor. The Ullian pressed the chime. There was no need to hesitate.

“Enter,” an authoritative voice replied as the door opened and allowed them access. The blonde woman, who looked exactly like the image provided by Maya, looked up from a stack of PADDs, adjusting the sweater that was draped over her shoulders in the chilly room. She was wearing a pair of eyeglasses which she removed and placed on her desk. “Are you my students?” she queried, not recognizing them.

“No, but we were given reason to believe you may be able to assist us. Are you Tianna?” Shar’El asked.

“That is correct.” She seemed flattered but confused. “In what way can I be of service?”

“My name is Shar’El.  My colleagues and I received an encrypted message of whom the sender was discovered to be Professor Elijah Arken. I understand he was an associate of yours?”

Tianna smiled. “Yes he was, but I have not heard that name in quite some time. What did Arken ask you to do?”

“We weren’t exactly sure at first,” Jayson continued, “But after careful study of his communication, it was a quest to locate and collect information crystals that he had placed in varying spots scattered across several quadrants.”

This piqued the scientist’s attention. “Did he provide the goal of what would happen should they all be brought together?”

Shar’El shook her head. “Arken is a brilliant man, but somewhat eccentric, as you must be aware. We hope that discovering the meaning of his research will benefit many. However, in order to know what he was aiming for, we can only begin that at the end of our search, provided we are able to find all the crystals.” The raven-haired woman did not want to give too much away, but she did want Tianna invested in their intense need to have the crystal. Perhaps appealing to her sense of discovery would help them persuade her to relinquish it.

Ensign Dima stepped in. “It was indicated that you were the recipient of one of these crystals from the Professor at some point in the past. Might we discuss that possibility with you?”

Tianna smiled even wider. “Absolutely. You must come to my house for lunch. I would be happy to tell you anything I know.”

Shar’El gently probed the mind of the woman, looking for high quality information similar to what she found with the other Brekkian earlier, but this time she met some unforeseen resistance. It was not violent in any way, but it was troubling. Had Tianna hidden some psychic ability to hide her thoughts? Or were all Brekkians not identical when it came to their brain structures? Regardless, they could not ignore this invite. “That sounds wonderful. I am Shar’El, and these are my associates Stark and Dima. Lead the way.”


=/\=
Setting: Tianna’s home- Dining Room
Time Index: about an hour later

The modest home of the woman who appeared to have firsthand knowledge and possession of one of Professor Arken’s crystals was within a short walk from the campus, and was plainly furnished in mostly neutral colors. She set a table for the four of them and served a brightly colored salad along with a dense loaf of whole grain bread.

The food was arranged family style, and informally, allowing each guest to serve themselves. Tianna began to explain her field of study as the large bowl was passed around the table.

“My specialty is botany and horticulture. I am working on diversifying the types of crops that can be grown safely and free of disease. The soil on BREKKA has a particular mineral profile that makes it easy to harvest the plant that Felicium is made from, but can be lacking when it comes to feeding our people. We are still heavily dependent on trading with the Ornarans for vital resources." She referenced the meal they were about to enjoy. “Four of the vegetables in this dish were created because of my research. But we still have a long way to go to be more self-sustaining.”

Nicole took a couple of bites, savoring the crisp freshness of the ingredients. “Felicium,” she echoed.

“Yes,” Tianna responded, looking a little embarrassed. “It is a powerfully addictive drug, which originally was used to cure a plague that affected our neighbors, the Ornarans. After the disease was eradicated, we continued to trade it to them for the means to survive.”

“A symbiosis where your people have fared better than they have, I suppose,” the Counsellor continued.

Tianna was silent. It did not look like she was ready to admit the amount of truth in that statement.

Shar’El took a sip of water. The room felt a little warm. She had persisted in trying to read Tianna’s thoughts, but even with effort nothing was coming to her. It would make it more difficult to perform the mission, but not impossible. She made a mental note to document this issue, since they had so little background knowledge of the Brekkians. This had not been part of the research Maya had obtained in such detail.

Tianna, being a good host, filled their glasses and went back to her food.

“May I ask if you’ve been able to decipher the crystal given to you by Elijah Arken?” It was a bold question by the Ops Officer, but the way that he asked it made it harder for Tianna to answer without revealing something she might not have wanted to, without putting a little more thought into her response.

“He did give me an item that fits that description. However, he explained to me that I was merely holding it for safekeeping. I did not consider trying to unravel its secrets. He advised me that when the world was ready, someone would come to collect it. It appears that ‘someone’ was the three of you.”

“You were expecting us?” Nicole asked.

Tianna demurred. “Not in so many words, but I was expecting to be asked about the crystal.”

“Tianna, we have been mandated to piece together Arken’s research. We believe whatever he took such great lengths to separate must have a higher purpose for good. It is our intent to reveal this purpose.” Shar’El pulled at the collar of her jacket. It felt restricting all of a sudden.

The blonde nodded, her blue eyes sparkling. “I will give you the crystal… but you must do me a favor first.” She handed Shar’El a PADD with a short list.

“What’s this?” the ExO/ILO asked, pushing her hair back from her forehead.

“It’s a list of plant samples I need to continue my research. The problem is they are all located on ORNARA. If you are of such advanced prowess as you claim, then it should be much easier for you to obtain the samples than I would be able to.”

“What if we cannot?” The Ullian found herself asking, even though in essence Tianna was correct.

“Then I will not provide the antidote,” she replied firmly.

“The antidote for what?” Nicole asked, trying to get up from the table but finding her legs weak and unsteady.

“Unfortunately, although your story matches the one Elijah told me would come to pass, that doesn’t mean I can trust you. So I arranged to have some ‘insurance’ of my own that we would both benefit from.”

“We’ve been drugged,” Shar’El spat, her anger tempered by the feelings of unease washing over her.

=/\=You are correct… vital signs on all three of you have shifted into an altered state=/\= Maya’s voice in their ears confirmed the worst.

“But how? It couldn’t have been the food,” Jayson said at first, with realization slowly dawning on him. “It was on the plates.”

Tianna rubbed her hands together. “Very good, Stark. You are correct. Felicium is working through your bloodstreams at this moment. The substance is so strong that even though you were only exposed to a trace of it, you are now addicts. You will not be able to break the addiction without the antidote. You will not be able to soothe the addiction without more Felicium.  However, this is not a fatal condition. Let’s just say it will keep you mindful of your promise to collect those samples for me in exchange for the crystal.”

“If you have an antidote, why have you not shared it with the Ornarans?” Dima inquired.

“She can’t,” Sha’El replied. “Not yet. Their economy is still dependent on keeping the Ornaran people addicted, until she is able to make her people more self-sufficient. Then they can allow the Ornaran’s addiction to be broken.”

“So you *do* understand,” the Brekkian Scientist said.

=/\=Do you need an emergency beam out, Commander?=/\= Morningstar sounded concerned, but was managing to remain calm.

Shar’El was utterly disgusted by Tianna’s behavior, but she did understand. “Then we shall take our leave under our own power… Good day Tianna. We will be in touch.” Shar’El said awkwardly, not wanting the subdermal communications or the fact that they were able to beam out to be known by their backstabbing host.

“I await your return,” was all the Brekkian woman came back with.

They exited the cottage, queasy and unsteady. The daylight was now too bright, their thoughts laced with paranoia that they were being watched, which was untrue.

“Where do we go?” Nicole asked, looking pale.

“To the nearest secluded alley or place where we can beam back to the ship unseen,” Jayson Stark said. “Little help?”

=/\= Sensors indicate approximately thirty meters on your left there is a cul-de-sac which should work,=/\= Maya answered.

“We’ll get there as fast as we can,” he answered, making sure they were all moving under their own power.

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter
Writing for

Ship's Counselor
USS ANUBIS NCC-18501
M09-P098: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 09 - 1400 ("Reeling")
=-=
"Reeling"
[previous post was "Greeting" by the intoxicating Susan]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 32226.1400

To say that she was angry would not scratch the surface of how the ExO / ILO felt at this time. How could she not have seen this coming? They all had been so preoccupied with the possibility of an outside threat that they had become blind to anything else, and as the one responsible for the safety of the away team members, Shar'El could not stop badgering herself for what happened.

"I am sorry Commander, but there is nothing we can do at this time?" Maya informed the three officers who had become unwilling patients due to their having been drugged against their will. "Whatever we have on record in regards to this Felicium drug is not enough for us to create an antidote as claimed to have been discovered by Miss Tianna.  That said, I will continue my research and keep you informed should any progress be made. In the meantime you are all best to remain here and rest."

As much as Shar'El trusted and even admired the Shillian scientist, the raven-haired Ullian wished more then ever that they had an actual Chief Medical Officer on board. As vast as Maya's knowledge and expertise may have been, it fell short of her being able to take on all of the responsibilities of a medical Doctor, and right now that is exactly what they needed.

The words spoken by Maya had been perfectly heard by Shar'El, but yet the raven-haired woman could not ease her mind. Since their return to the ANUBIS, everything seemed to be moving slower than usual and that the ExO / ILO found increasingly frustrating. "I need to return to the IGC," the Ullian suddenly declared, her legs already off to the side of the medical bed.

"Commander!" Nicole called out from her bed after having prompted herself on her elbows to make is easier to follow and speak to the visible troubled and agitated woman. "I understand your feelings, but Tianna made it clear that although we were only exposed to a trace amount of the drug, the potency of it will be more than enough to have us experience the full range of effects. This feeling and need to move is likely one of the primary effects of the drug's addiction. We can only guess that as time passes we will begin to experience increasingly more powerful expressions of unsteadiness, delusion and paranoia. As the Ship's Counsellor, it is my recommendation that we three remain in sickbay until the antidote can be acquired and administered."

"Only the Chief Medical Officer has the authority to override the orders of a command level officer," Shar'El angrily snapped. "You are not this ship's CMO, in fact no one is. You are just afraid that my team might find something about that antidote and that I will keep it for myself."

With her feet now on the floor and her defiant gaze locked on the Trill, the ExO / ILO took a moment to think about what she had just said, quickly realizing that it was not her but rather the drug that had made her see conspiracies where now should have ever been.

"Commander, please, return to your bed," Maya said to Shar'El, not doing so in a commanding manner but still making it clear through the tone of her voice that she would do whatever was required to make the ExO / ILO comply.

For a moment, the raven-haired woman debated as to wherever or not she would be able to win a physical altercation with the Shillian and anyone else currently present in Sickbay. This led the woman to think of what would happen next, imagining that the next person she would have to fight would be none other than the ANUBIS' own Chief of Security.  At 5'6", the woman with the color-changing hair did not appear to be all that formidable, but those who had come to experience her skills, speed and strength when her hair was bright red knew just how tough she could be. If Ya'Han was to respond to a report for a fight in Sickbay, it was a foregone conclusion that she would arrive as the Red Dragon many had referred her to be when in that mindset.

As Shar'El thought about Ya'Han, an unexpected sharp pain pierced her lower abdomen, as if something had suddenly been yanked from her insides. The pain lasted only for a split second, but it was more than enough to have the ExO / ILO display an outward reaction for everyone to see.

"Commander! Are you alright?" Maya asked, the confrontation in her voice having given way to concern and compassion. "You need to lie back down on the bed. You appear to be suffering from more serious side effects than the others. Felicium was designed and refined over several decades to be a most potent drug for the Ornarans, so we have no data on how it might affect other Humanoids."

"I can tell you this," Jayson chimed in, the Chief of Operations having remained quiet up until now, barely paying any attention to the commission taking place in Sickbay. "This drug we were exposed to is working more than you know. I'm feeling ants crawling all over my skin, and in some cases even *under* it. Trust me, I have no intentions of going anywhere right now and would in fact appreciate if you could give me something to ease this feeling before I start ripping my skin off."

"Maybe I can synthesize something to ease the effects of the drug without actually further exposing you to Felicium," Maya offered, still trying to convince Shar'El to return to the medical bed she just bounced off from. "It may not completely cure your symptoms but I am sure it will help while a better solution, or the antidote itself if found."

Shar'El could feel the paranoia clawing at her thoughts, imagining that everyone was after her for one reason or another, than again that sharp pain hit, this time with even more force causing her to bend over and holding her belly fearing that something my come bursting out. At that point, whatever thoughts of returning to the IGC were gone; all she could think of was the reason for this debilitating pain. As much as her conscious mind could not make sense of any of this, something in the back of the Ullian's mind kept bringing up the face of the Nylaan woman into view. The pain she felt was her fault, but not in a way that most would have expected.

As the ExO / ILO accepted the assistance from the Chief Medical officer, now acting as an emergency Doctor, Shar'El glanced over to Nicole. The expression on the counsellor's face indicated that she knew what this was all about, and the fear in her eye showed concerns that the raven-haired Ullian might not be able to keep the specific details of this pain hidden for much longer.

While focusing on a single point on the ceiling of Sickbay, Shar'El could feel the pain growing with each passing second until, that was until the cold kiss of a hypospray was felt against her neck. Suddenly all of the pain vanished as well as any memories of where it had come from. Since the moment the Ullian had witnessed the unshielded memories of what had happened to their Chief Of Security, this had been the first time that her mind was completely at rest, not burdened by the emotional scars of the event.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Shar'El did not feel the pain, sorrow and emptiness that had become hers. She wasn't sure why this was so, but one thing was certain, she delighted in the feeling of rest, vowing to hold on to it for as long as she would be permitted to.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P099: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 09 - 1415 ("Adapting")
##########
"Adapting"
Previous post "Reeling"
##########

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."
- Leonardo da Vinci

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32226.1415

The Native American Captain sat in his chair, his gaze fixated on the main view screen, his hands clenched into fists, his mind questioning everything.

"Captain," Ensign Tanith Jones, the ANUBIS Flight Control Officer began. "We will reach ORNARA is less than 10 minutes.

"Thank you Ensign," Erik acknowledged, the three spoken words filled with a disapproval that the officers on the bridge knew had in no way been directed at them or anything that they might have done. Everyone understood where this had originated from, and for most, the sentiment was shared. The method used by the Brekkian  scientist Tianna were reprehensible as there was no need to drug members of his crew to insure their cooperation. Granted, the Native American might not have been so quick to have the ship go on this side venture, but doing as she had, the scientist had insured a less than friendly compliance.

"Do you realize that the Ornarian freighters take over a month to make this same journey," Sonja said aloud, the Chief Engineer having stationed herself on the bridge following her return from the rescue and repair mission. "No wonder they have never even tried to venture outside of their own system."

"I suspect that the reasons for this is far more than a simple lack of mechanical capabilities," the Chief of Security pointed out, casting a concerned glance at the currently vacant Operations station, the man who should be there having been restricted to Sickbay for the time being.

"You are quite correct Lieutenant," Maya said as she further stepped onto the bridge, the Shillian Chief Science Officer having heard both the Terran's comment as well as the Nylaan's response as she came off the turbolift. "The very high dependency of both the Brekkians and Ornarans on the trade of this Felicium has had a very restrictive effect on both races, locking them into a symbiotic relationship that will take centuries for them to get out of, that is, if they actually work together to achieve such a goal, which at the moment does seem highly unlikely."

"How are the member of the away team doing?" The Native American inquired, forcing his own anger and displeasure of the situation to the side so that the concerns for those under his command took center stage as it should.

"Counsellor Dima and Lieutenant Stark are both displaying the expected signs associated with a substance dependency, and I can only suspect that their symptoms will worsen this despite my efforts to synthesize an adequate replacement for the Felicium," Maya reported, continuing to make her way towards the siting Captain to hand over a PADD. "Here is the list of plant samples Miss Tianna is requesting we obtain for her in order to secure the antidote. I have taken the liberty to identify the most likely areas for us to find them according to the Ornaran botanical database which I will admit it far from being impressive. Based on a purely mathematical model, using the expected density and diversity of flora on other similar words, the database covers less than 40% of the planet's surface. There might be other, more prominent locations where we could find these samples, but it would take us several hours to make a proper planetary survey, hours that I fear could result in our crew members currently in Sickbay to suffer a great deal as symptoms of withdraw start to kick in."

"How is Shar'El?" Erik asked, the fact that Maya had not specifically named her in her report not having escaped the Captain's attention.

"I am not a Chief Medical Officer, as she was so kind to herself point out, so I can only offer the most likely reasoning based on my personal and professional general scientific observations," The Shillian began before being interrupted by the Captain who simply offered a silent open handed gesture to indicate that he wanted her to stop and get to the point.  "She is not doing well," Maya said, for once going directly to the point without adding more than had been required by the initial question. "Felicium is too complexe of a substance to be easily researched and understood, and even less so replicated. The drug was understandably designed to have a maximum effect on the Ornarans, which could explain the varying effects on Trill and Terran physiology, but for Ullians, the drug is clearly just as effective if not more so than for the people it was originally designed for."

"Commander," Erik began, doing his best to keep his personal feelings out of whatever reaction he might have shown in regards to this situation. "We all appreciate what you are doing and I am sure that Commander Shar'El did not mean anything by her comment about you not being a Chief Medical Officer. We are all very appreciative for what it is you are doing for them at this time."

"Thank you Captain," the Shillian said, adding a grateful and rather subdued nod of her head. "Still, it will be nice for us to have a more qualified officer in that role."

"Agreed," the Native American noted, "but for the time being we have to do what we can with what we have. Thank you for this list, we will come up with the most efficient way to collect them all, in the meantime please return to Sickbay and see what you can do for your patients."

Maya froze for a few seconds, never having expected to hear the words 'your' and 'patients' spoken in the same sentence that was directed at her. "I will do my best," the Shillian added before making her way back to the turbolift.

"Captain," Ensign Jones called out once again. "We are entering Ornaran space."

"Good, place us in high orbit of the planet's equatorial line, from there we should have the best possible access point to reach all of the listed locations provided by Commander Maya," Erik stated before turning to his Chief of Security. "Lieutenant Ya'Han, keep an eye on the Ornaran ships. I doubt that they will pose us any problem but I would rather avoid that risk. We are already dealing with more than we bargained for when we set course for the DELOS System."

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 32226.1430

Fifteen minutes was not a long time, but for someone under the unforgiving hold of a never before experienced drug induced psychoses, it might as well have been an eternity. The synthesize component created and injected by Maya had not provided the slightest relief for the ANUBIS' First Officer who felt more than ever this drive to move. The more she tried to remain calm as she laid on the medical bed, the more the woman went through a torture the likes of which she never could have imagined.

Whatever the rest of the crew had been up on was no longer any concerns of her, she needed to move, to act, to do whatever she could to quench this thirst that her entire body was increasingly desperate for.

"Commander," the Counsellor called out, seeing the First Officer once again getting up from her bed, this time without the Chief Science Officer around to stop her. When the Ullian failed to acknowledge her call, Nicole decided to try something more direct, more personal. "Shar'El!"

That proved sufficient to have the woman turn to face the Trill who had just called out her name. Instantly, the Counsellor noticed the expression on the other woman's features, a look of despair that in all honesty Dima had never expected to see in anyone, especially not to normally cold and stoic Intelligence Liaison Officer.

"You look like you are about to run right though the nearest bulkhead," Jayson noted, sounding as if he was slightly under the influence of an intoxicating substance, which actually he was.

"Shar'El, go back to bed," Nicole urged. "You need to rest and let Commander Maya help you as best she can." Be it true or not, the joint Trill gave the impression that she was handling this drug induced need the best, a clear contrast to the way the Ullian was fairing.

Hesitation flashed on Shar'El's face, the woman clearly debating between what she felt and what she had been told, at least that was until the door to Sickbay opened and the Chief Science Officer in question returned. Caught proverbially red-handed, the highly trained ILO took hold of Maya and flipped her clear across the room with so much force that the Shillian's head impacted again the frame of the bed where the attacker should have been, knocking the scientist out cold.

By the time Nicole had jumped out of bed to assist Maya, all under the drugged dazed scrutiny of the Chief of Operations, Shar'El was long gone.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32226.1435

"Captain, I am getting a security alert from Sickbay" Ya'Han reported. "It seems that Commander Shar'El assaulted Commander Maya."

"What?" Erik exclaimed. "Get down there and restrain Shar'El. Looks like she is handling the drug in far worse manner than Maya reported."

"I believe it may be too late for that," the Chief of Security added. "I am detecting a transport sequence to the planet surface. According to the transporter log, it's Commander Shar'El."

"Beam her back!" The Native American ordered.

"Sorry, but I am unable to do so Captain," Ya'Han reluctantly reported. "All transporters have been disabled by the Commander. Clearly, she did not want anyone to do what we just tried."

"Fine, I'll head to Sickbay," Erik snapped as he pushed himself out of his chair, evidently more than just a little displeased.  "You and Lieutenant Paquette get to the transporter room, fix it and beam her back. She needs to be stopped before this situation gets even worse."

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P100: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 09 - 1445 ("Tracking")
"Tracking"
previous post was "Adapting"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room
Stardate: 32226.1445

Ya'Han gazed at the dark and powerless transporter alcove in disbelief as Sonja worked her magic at the transporter controls.

"Why did she do this?" The Chief of Security asked, more to herself than the Engineer working behind her.

"Did what?" Sonja sarcastically asked. "Leaving Sickbay, knocking Maya out, beaming down to the surface of ORNARA or disabling the transporter system so that we would not be able to just bring her back?"

"All of them," Ya'Han sighed, still trying to make sense of each individual event mentioned by the Chief Engineer instead of the global issue of their First Officer having gone AWOL.

"We know that Felicium is a powerful narcotic," the redhead said while her hands danced over the transporter controls. "We also know that it is very addictive. What we didn't know was just how badly it would affect none-Ornarans, and by the looks of things I would say that it should now be on the 'way too nasty' list for Ullians."

"I hope that it is the drug that is affecting Shar'El this way," Ya'Han said, her attention still focused on the currently empty and inactive transporter platform. "At least it would give her some sort of excuse if we can prove that she was not in full command of her functions."

"Trust me," Sonja half grinned. "Spy-girl is not playing with a full deck right now."

"Why do you say that?" The Chief of Security asked, turning to look at the smiling woman who had stopped working for a brief moment, contemplating the handy work of the woman they were talking about.

"I know Shar'El," the redhead clarified. "I know how meticulous she can be, and this is far from the quality of work she is known for. She might have disabled the transporters, but the work is dirty, no finess to it, and Shar'El is all about finess. That is more than enough to let me know that she's is not herself," Sonja added as the power returned to the entire transporter system.

"That was quick," Ya'Han pointed out with surprise.

"As I said, it's dirty," Sonja stated. "It's almost as if there is some part of Shar'El that wants us to follow and find her."

"Can you lock on her comm signal and bring her back?" The Chief of Security asked, hoping that this would be the end if this unexpected turn of events.

"It's going to be easy," Sonja said, a smirk appearing in the corner of her lips. "She didn't even bother disabling the transporter sensors or to have the transporter logs erased following her beam down. It will take only a few seconds to find her and get her back," the Chief Engineer said, her fingers moving over the controls almost faster than could be observed. "Got her! Time for us to bring our lost sheep home. Energizing!"

As much as she might not have wanted to, Ya'Han reached for her sidearm. After the assault on Maya, it was impossible to know how Shar'El would react to being brought back on board the ANUBIS, especially given her compromised mental state.  As the transport sequence near its completion, both the Chief of Security and Chief Engineer allowed a sigh of frustration to escape their lips.

"All right, I'll take it back," Sonja said. "Spy-girl is not as loopy as I thought she would be. She was smart enough to remove her communicator after thr beam down was complet," the Engineer said as she and her friend looked at the small device that had been beamed up from the planet surface. "Even when she is not all there, Shar'El is someone that you don't want to go up against."

"This means that she tempered with the sensors enough for us to not be able to track her from orbit," Ya'Han explained. "We need to beam down after her, the more we wait, the more of a head start she has on us."

"Running a diagnostic on the entire transporter system now," Sonja announced. "I under estimated her once. I am not about to do it again, especially with us about to use the same system she just disabled. Give me a couple of minutes Rainbow girl, than we will be cleared to beam down after her."

"Lieutenant Ya'Han to Captain Morningstar," the Chief if Security said after having tapped her comm badge. "We were unable to beam Shar'El back. As soon as the transporter system passes Lieutenant Paquette's inspection, we will beam down after her."

=/\= Understood. If there is anything we can do to help, let us know. =/\=

Sonja and Ya'Han paused for a moment as the door to the transporter room opened to reveal the Trill Counselor standing in the doorway.

"You should be in Sickbay," the Chief of Security pointed out, clearly not in the mood to deal with another officer under the influence of some blasted drug.

"Unlike Shar'El, I am not feeling confrontational or even irritated," Nicole explained. "I will not claim that I am not feeling the effects of the Felicium, but it does appear that I am not as emotionally and psychologically crippled by it as Shar'El appears to be. Right now she needs a friend, and she may be more receptive to listen to someone who is like her under the unwanted influence of this drug."

"The transporter is ready," Sonja announced.

"We don't have time to argue this," Ya'Han added, again making it clear by her posture that she was not in the mood to have to deal with two compromised officers. One, especially being the ship's First Officer, was more than enough.

"Ya'Han, Nicole might have a point," the redhead Engineer countered with. "We really don't have any way to know how Shar'El is thinking and unless we want to turn this into a full-fledged firefight, having a mind-game expert might prove useful."

"Mind-game expert?" the Counselor repeated, fainting being insulted by the redhead's words.

"Fine, let's go," the Chief of Security said, giving in knowing that each second spent arguing was one second more that Shar'El got, making their ability to track, find and retrieve her that much more complicated.

With that said, all three women stepped onto the platform after Sonja set-up a time delay on the activation of the transporter system. All that the redhead engineer could hope for was that bringing Nicole along would actually help in their search for the First Officer and not prove to be a hindrance as the Chief of Security feared it might become.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P101: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 09 - 1500 ("Hunting")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Hunting"
[previous post was "Tracking"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone
Stardate: 32226.1500

The general feel of their beam down locating was dark, dirty, unwelcoming, so much so that the Sec/Tac believed for a moment that they had found their way back onto the Ornaran freighter, or another just like it. Of course, the open skies above them and the lack of ominous walls closing in around them made it clear they were on a planet, a distinction that Ya'Han did not find in the least bit comforting.

Following the beam down and the away team getting their bearings, Ya'Han quickly studied the nearby buildings, all of them appearing as belonging to some sort of run-down factory. Given the mental state of their First Officer, the Sec/Tac could only guess that Shar'El would seek refuge in one of the structures as she searched with increased desperation for the addictive substance Tianna had exposed her to. Feeling that something was not quite right, the Nylaan glanced over her shoulder, noticing that one member of the away team had not yet moved from the spot where they had materialized.

"Are you alright Counsellor," the brightly red-haired Nylaan asked of the Trill, Nicole appearing hesitant to take even the slightest step forward.

"Just trying to get used to the feel of this place," Dima quickly replied, trying as best she could to ease the concerns of the Sec/Tac. Nicole had figured out that Ya'Han believed the witnessed reaction as having been caused by the Counselor having been exposed to Felicium. "Comparing ORNARA and BREKKA is like comparing night and day," the joint Trill added. "I was not expecting there to be such an overwhelming difference between the two worlds, but you have nothing to worry about, I am fine."

"Luckily for us, we are not here on a sightseeing mission," Sonja said in a stern whispered voice, her tricorder already in hand prompting Ya'Han to do the same. So far, Shar'El had proven herself unhinged while still maintaining some of her expertise and knowledge base, and that meant the woman could prove to be exceptionally dangerous. Most would consider an ILO to be someone who only dealt with classified reports, making sure that those involved in whatever situation was afoot were kept properly informed as to relevant details. As the ANUBIS' Sec/Tac, Ya'Han knew better. She understood that their First Officer could be just as dangerous in the field as she would be behind a desk, maybe even more so.

Ya'Han easily recalled one of the few sparing matches the two women had shared. Having become far too used to the routine of sparing with Jayson, Shar'El had easily taken the upper hand making the Sec/Tac experience what the Operations Officer had been more than accustomed to by now. That single memory was enough to make the Sec/Tac cautious as they searched for the missing First Offcer.

"Tricorder readouts are limited to about 100 meters," the Sec/Tac reported, this making a bad situation worse. "I suspect that this range will drop as we get closer to those buildings and the piles of trash surrounding them, which according to these readings is where Commander Shar'El headed to."

"There must be some material or residue in all this junk that is interfering with our instruments," Sonja unhappily sighed, kicking a small piece of metal out of her way. "Looks like we'll have to do this the old fashion way," the engineer added, holstering her nearly useless tricorder.  With a motion of her hand, Paquette instructed Dima to start walking forward along the path Shar'El had been said to have taken. In the meantime, the other two went out and around hoping to increase their chances of seeing the woman before she saw them. The Counselor had come down hoping to talk to their escaped First Officer and that was what she would get the chance to do.

Nicole waited a few seconds before doing as instructed, wanting to make sure that both Sonja and Ya'Han had gone far enough to be able to detect any movement or reaction. When the Counsellor was satisfied that they had reach a viable distance and location, she started walking towards the build indicated by Sonja.

"Shar'El! It's me, Nicole. I'm just here to talk, to help," the joint Trill said as loud as she could hoping to have the woman in question reveal her location. Normally she would have addressed the higher-ranking officer by her position on board the ANUBIS, but given the situation, the Counsellor thought it best to try a more personal approach. Nicole could not deny that she was experiencing the effects of the Felicium, and if the paranoia currently edging on Dima's mind were any indication of how their First Officer was feeling, presenting herself as a friend instead of a shipmate would be the only way to even have the slightest chance to make any sort of connection.

As the Counsellor tried to get the First Officer's attention, the Sec/Tac quietly and as stealthily as possible made her way through the piles of trash. Heading for the building that the tricoder had indicated was the location towards which Shar'El had gone to was not all that easy thanks to the troubling amounts of debris along the way. What concerned Ya'Han even more though was the ample numbers of places the women they were after could ambush them from, that was if this is was what the woman actually intended on doing.

Whatever effect the Felicium had on Shar'El, it had made her attack Maya before beaming down to the planet. Ya'Han could only wonder if this was because their First Officer had sought refuge or if it was due to driving forces beyond her control. Maybe all of this was the result of a more basic instinctual drive.  It was not hard to understand that a narcotic substance such as the one she had been exposed to could change the way the woman thought and perceived the world and people around her. This unpredictability was what made the situation as well as the woman they were after that much more dangerous.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P102: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 09 - 1520 ("The High Ground")
=-=
"The High Ground"
[previous post was "Hunting" by the fabulous Hanali]
=-=

Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Abandoned Building, Third Floor
Stardate: 32226.1520

Her back was against the cold stone-made wall, her heart was racing within her chest, her breathing was shallow and labored, but most important was that her mind was going through countless possibilities at warp speed. Shar'El knew that her friend would follow, somehow the raven-haired woman knew, but the ExO / ILO never could have expected that she would have beamed down with others. 

To think she considered her a friend, an ally, someone that she would be able to turn to when dealing with difficult situations such as the memories of their Chief of Security. Those memories haunted her every waking moments, as well as her dreams. She would have been the one to help her deal with this nightmare, if not the ExO / ILO risked going mad.  As soon as time permitted, Shar'El would have gone to her, asked for the help of a friend as well as that of a Counsellor.

Obviously, something had changed. The joint Trill, through the experiences gathered through all of her merged lifetimes had for some unknown reason decided to turn against the Ullian.  The one person she believed to be able to trust above any one else had come down, her words claiming that she was here as a friend and to help, but her actions claiming the complete opposite. Why did she have to beam down with them of all people? Nicole could have simply lied, and Shar'El might have even been able to forgive her for that in time, but to be accompanied by them changed everything. How could she ever trust the woman again following this?

Shar'El took a long deep breath, trying to steady her heart and breathing before looking over her shoulder and through the window she had taken position next to once more. The moment she had beamed down to the planet, the ExO / ILO had taken notice of this particular spot, identifying it as the best possible vantage point to see who would be coming after her. From there, she could see the beam down location and easily keep track of the movements of those who sought to find her.

The ExO / ILO could have made it a lot more difficult for anyone to follow, but that would have actually placed her at a disadvantage. This way, she would be able to identify who her friends truly were and gage at the same just how desperate her adversaries could be. Never had Shar'El expected to count the Ship's Counsellor amongst the later group, but judging by what she saw there were no doubts. Nicole's selection of beam down companions had made her position and intents perfectly clear. Thanks to this, the raven-haired Intel Operative knew that she was on her own, that she liked it or not.

From the highest floor of the three-story building, the ExO / ILO could keep track of the three groups heading in her direction, or so they believed. Although it had been a while since she had played this sort of game, Shar'El was far from being a greenhorn in tracking others while not being tracked herself. The target location they were converging upon was exactly where the raven-haired woman wanted them to be.  It had taken some swift acrobatics for her to walk the cable stretching from the other building to this one, but the result was well worth the risks.

"Shar'El! Please! I am here to help you."

The raven-haired woman huffed in muted anger before slamming the back her head against the hard stone-made wall she was leaning on. The force of the impact had been more than enough to cause her pain and maybe even drawn out blood, but that did not matter. Being betrayed the way she had was all that the woman could and would allow herself to think about from now on.

Had Nicole beamed down alone, Shar'El might have believed her claims of wanting to help, but not now, not after what she had done. There were so many others the Counsellor could have selected to beam down with that the ExO / ILO might have accepted, but not them. Their presence here meant that she was not here to help, but to hunt her down like some sort of rabid animal. Well, if this was the way they wanted to treat her, this would be the way she would act in response. They had left her no other choice.

Staying well out of sight, Shar'El followed the wall to a section she had earlier noticed as being far less stable than the rest. A single well-placed push could and would topple that section down on top of whoever was under. Normally, the ExO / ILO would never have considered such a drastic course of action, but they had left her no choice. It was now a question of pure and simple survival of the fittest, and she intended to remain on top and victorious, no matter the cost the others would have to pay.

=-=
Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Near an Abandoned Building
Stardate: 32226.1530

She moved like a cat, stealthily, quietly, keeping her eyes on the building on the other side of the narrow passage while staying as hidden as she could behind the piles of trash that were omnipresent all around them. From this location, there was a chance that she would be able to spot Shar'El and end this mess quickly. The other two had aimed to reach the structure quickly, but she believed it to be more tactically sound to keep a larger view on the situation.

According to the limited range of the tricorder, the raven-haired woman had selected that building over any other, but something felt wrong about that selection. Yes, the building would provide a good hiding place, but the windows and access to the inside were in all of the wrong locations to make it an easily defendable location. Had Shar'El truly not considered this, even in her drugged fueled madness?

That thought remained in perfect focus as her eyes scrutinized every aspects of the building across the passageway, trying to find a reason as to why it was selected over the others. That was when she noticed the cable strung between the two structures. Easily accessible from the windows of the other building, it could have been used by Shar'El to make her way to the one she was closest to.

That was when an odd sound made the woman look up to see a section of the wall crashing down directly on top of her.

=-=
Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Abandoned Building, Third Floor
Stardate: 32226.1530

They had left her no choice. Had Nicole come down alone this would never have happened, but instead she had decided to bring down more Marines than the ExO / ILO believed were actually present on board the ANUBIS. She hoped that this would make it clear to her pursuers that she would not go down without a fight and that they would take their lives into their own hands if they chose to continue coming after her.

She had taken the high ground and they still came after her, for that they paid the price. Maybe they would learn from this and leave her be but the raven-haired woman doubted that this would end so quickly or easily. This was but the first strike in a battle that Shar'El knew would continue, but as long as she kept control of the high ground, no matter her location, Counsellor Dima and those whom she had brought along would never be able to win.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P103: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 09 - 1520 ("Wandering")
"Wandering"
[previous "The High Ground"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 32226.1520

Sickbay was quiet, maybe a little too much so. With Shar'El and Nicole gone who knows where, the OPS Officer was left to his own merry self. At least if the ANUBIS had an active CMO on staff, they would have been here keeping an eye on him, at least they should have, but without a Doctor on board, the nursing staff had not thought twice to leave the man on his own. It was true that he was not ill, his the only reason for his being in Sickbay was that he had been exposed to whatever this Felicium was.

At first, he had been happy to enjoy the multicolored sparkling lights that filled Sickbay, thinking that maybe they had been some sort of holographic creation meant to keep him entertained. Even the strange rainbow colored miniature dragon that had come to land on his chest had been an enjoyable distraction while it was there. Jaysons suspected that it had been created by none other than Ya'Han, who had decided to play on the nickname that he did his best not to use in her presence.

Now, without any holographic lights of flying winged reptile, the OPS Officer found himself once again bored and itching to move. With no one around, he figured that it would not be an issue if he checked himself out of Sickbay and returned to his duty station. At least on the bridge, something would keep him occupied and he would have the opportunity to spend a little time with Ya'Han. Just her being in the same room as he was in was enough to make him smile, and right now, he could use a smile.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Corridor
Stardate: 32226.1525

As he walked, Jayson made a mental note to check the artificial gravity plating in this section of the ship. A few meters back it felt as if the system had been working at only half strength, causing him to feel exceptionally light on his feet. Now, it felt as if the ship was heavily banking to portside, causing him to keep running into the left wall despite his continued efforts to walk a straight line. Had he not known better, the OPS Officer might have believed that he was drunk.

Luckily, no one else believed him to be intoxicated, Jayson managing to not appear like a complete fool when he encountered someone in the corridor, of course coming to a full stop and leaning against the nearest wall had helped quite a bit in accomplishing this. As he finally reached the nearest turbolift, Jayson made another mental note, this one to check the intercom system in the same section of the ship as soon as he reached the bridge. Somehow, the computer had decided to play strange bird-like sounds that although had been nice at first, had quickly become irritating. Had he been in possession of a side arm, the OPS Officer believed that he might have actually fired at the speakers to silence the annoying computer generated birds.

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Turbolift
Stardate: 32226.1527

Jayson stepped into the pod and turned to see the doors slide shut. The silence that immediately followed was odd yet very welcomed. At least the computer malfunction had not reached the turbolift system and would spare him going over the edge of sanity as he made his way to the bridge.  Just as he was about to state his intended destination to the computer, the OPS Officer felt something odd beneath his feet. As he looked down, he noted that the customary carpet was no longer there, but had been instead replaced by what appeared to be a remarkable recreation of natural grass.

Of course, he knew that this could have been real grassy flooring, but still he decided to remove his shoes and socks to experience the full sensation first hand. Well, first 'feet' to be more accurate. The feeling on his now bare feet was remarkably realistic, so much so that he stared down at his toes for the longest time, trying to get as many blades of grass as he could to stand between his toes.  Whoever came up with this idea needed to be applauded, not only did it make the ANUBIS feel less like a cold and lifeless tin can, but it also helped to add some desperately needed color to the normally darker decor found throughout the ship.

His attention shifted to the pod's ceiling after Jayson stated where he wanted to go, which was the bridge. As interesting as the grass beneath his feet had been, the OPS Officer was even more amazed by the star filled nightscape that had been created overhead. It was as if the entire upper section of the ship had been broken off to allow the crew to witness first hand the beauty and vastness of the cosmos.

As he stared at the twinkling stars over him, Jayson could not imagine how anyone could have managed to do so much in so little time. As good as their Chief Engineer was the OPS Officer doubted that she would have been able to accomplish so much in so little time, even with the Avatar's assistance.

The mystery of how all of this came to be would have to wait for another time though, the turbolift coming to a stop and the doors opening onto the command deck. The journey to the destination stated by he OPS Officer had seemed to take far less time then usual, but Jayson dismissed this believing that he was simply distracted by the view of the starts overhead.

There appeared to be some sort of commission as he stepped out of the pod, so Jayson decided to waste no time and make his way to his station, forgetting all about his shoes, the green grass or the twinkling stars left behind. From the Operations Station, he would be able to help, that is as soon as he figured out what was happening, but in the meantime he was happy to just being here. As suspected when he left Sickbay, this is where he needed to be to keep busy. Even when there was nothing but the usual routine to occupy his time, there was more than enough to insure he would not get bored. The way everyone was acting though, he was certain that something else was happening, something that he would be more than happy to assist with, that is as soon as he figured out how to turn his console back to displaying the information in English instead of whatever language it had been set to.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P104: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 09 - 1530 ("Surviving")
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"Surviving"
[previous post was "Wandering"]
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Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Near the Abandoned Building
Stardate: 32226.1530

The air was filled with dust, and not a single ray of light could reach her beneath the rocky mountain she was now under. The wall came crashing down directly on top of her and it was only because of a great deal of luck that the Sec/Tac had avoided being crushed by the falling stones. Ya'Han had noticed a small opening in the pile of trash that she had stopped by to observe the other building. The way the discarded items had been dropped, two large broken support beams and a sheet of metal had come together to create a simple shelter. The space beneath it had not been all that large, but apparently it was sufficient to accommodate a hurried Nylaan as she desperately dove for cover.

Space was very restricted, as was the air she breathed, so Ya'Han had no choice but to remain as still as possible and not risk shifting the structure that had for all intents and purposes saved her life. The Sec/Tac could feel the crushing weight pressing down on top of her, pinning her to the ground and making it impossible for her to reach her communicator. On the positive side, the beams and metallic sheet were thankfully the one supporting the majority of the pressure caused by rocks.  All the Nylaan could do was hope that Sonja and Nicole would be able to get to her before the unintended protective barrier gave out under the weight of the wall now resting on top of it.

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FLASHBACK
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Setting: NYLA IV, Beyond the Walls of the Imperial Palace
Stardate: 15295.1600 (Age of 8)

This was a special treat. With their father, the High Sovereign of NYLA IV off world on some secret meeting, some of the children had been permitted by their mother to enjoy an afternoon of frivolous fun. The majority were happy to enjoy the quiet stillness and solitude found within the walls of the palace, but the two youngest daughters were quick to jump at the opportunity to be something they rarely were given the chance to be. Children.

Na'Rin had not been a fool, insuring that the girls would remain safe was her top priority if she was to not incur the full wrath of her husband. So the mate of the High Sovereign had tasked not one but eight guards, four for each girl, to keep an ever vigilant watch on the daughters of their ruler.  As much as the presence of these guards made it clear that they would not be able to do *everything* they might have wanted to, just the fact that they were permitted to venture beyond the protective walls of the palace made this a dream come true for Ya'Jan and Ya'Han.

The forest found on the gentle slope of the mountain they had been taken to gave the girls more than enough to play several games including hide and seek with. The trees gave the impression of being more alive than those found within the palace's walls, and even the air that filled their lungs tasted fresher, sweeter. Both Ya'Jan and Ya'Han could have sat by any of those trees and delighted in the feelings of being free, but the call of nature that surrounded them proved too strong for either sister to resist.

After several rounds of seeing who could climb the highest the fastest, the two girls decided to indulge in a game of hide and seek. Playing this simple game had always been difficult while inside the palace, but out here the possibilities were nearly endless, allowing the girls to enjoy this activity for several hours without rest.   As the sun began to set, Ya'Jun and Ya'Han decided to go at it one last time, the youngest sister being the one to hide this once again.

In the hopes of thwarting her sister's efforts in beating her ever decreasing search time during this latest round of 'find me if you can', the youngest daughter decided to seek out the most challenging hiding place possible. Finding refuge behind one of the large trees, which measured several meters in diameter, or amongst the branches of a smaller one, which she was able to reach, no longer proved to be enough. Ya'Jan had proven herself to be exceptionally gifted at this game and Ya'Han needed to find a location that would not be so easily discovered by her sister. She needed to find a location that would also be unknown to their protectors, so as to further insure that her sister could not find her.

A quick survey of the forested mountain slope revealed some sort of burrow. The entrance appeared just a little too small but that was not going to be enough to stop the youngest daughter of the High Sovereign who was determined to find a hiding place that her sister would never be able to identify. Knowing that she had only a few minutes after slipping away from all four of the guards following her, Ya'Han began to frantically dig at the opening. The goal of this frantic effort was to make it large enough for her small frame to slide in feet first. With some well-placed branches and leaves, the opening as well as the girl hiding therein would be impossible to see.

Through the small spaces left between the natural camouflage placed at the entrance, Ya'Han saw her sister pass by more than once, Ya'Jun growing increasingly more frustrated with her inability to find the youngest daughter with each passing. The plan to hide in this borrow had proved to be a resounding triumph, at least until the eight years old Nylaan realized that she was unable to crawl back out.

Hit by a sudden jolt of panic, Ya'Han tried as hard as she could to set herself free, but her frantic efforts made the situation worse by collapsing the entrance of the burrow on top of her. Now unable to breathe, let alone scream for help, the youngest daughter feared that this would be her last day in this world. 

First, she started to cry as fears swept through her mind, but it was when she realized what would happen to her mother upon the return of her father that she began to calm down. Ya'Han could easily imagine the sweeping rage the High Sovereign would envelop the palace in and how he would punish his mate upon learning of the death of one of his preciously valuable trade commodities. For the sake of her mother, she needed to find a way out, or at the very least remain alive until someone else found her.

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End of FLASHBACK
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Near the Abandoned Building
Stardate: 32226.1535

Ya'Han smiled as the memories and feelings of that day washed over her. Obviously, the youngest daughter of the High Sovereign had been found and rescued, and through that experience the Nylaan girl had learned the benefits of remaining calm even in the most dire of circumstances.

The guards and her sister had been driven by a sense of self preservation, a will to survive, in order to find the mission daughter as quickly as possible. The situation was far from the same now, but the Sec/Tac believed that the same survival drive would be just as important today as it was back then. The only difference was that on this day, it would be her friends' drive to see her live that would drive them to quickly find a solution to this predicament she had fallen beneath.  All Ya'Han needed to do was to remain calm and wait.

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Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P105: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 09 - 1545 ("Hallucinating")
=-=
"Hallucinating"
[previous post was "Surviving" by the encouraging Hanali]
=-=

Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Open Area
Stardate: 32226.1545

No matter how fast or hard she ran, the sound of footsteps continued following her, drawing that much closer should she take a moment to catch her breath or get her bearings. Never could Shar'El have expected Nicole to head such a task force, but at least now, the Counsellor-led team should have realized that catching the ExO / ILO would not be easy.

"Shar'El, what are you doing?" The joint Trill asked, having suddenly appeared directly in front of the running Ullian, startling her clean off her feet to fall backwards onto the ground.

"You won't get me that easily," the ExO / ILO claimed, quickly looking around to see where the Marines she had seen earlier where. Surely, the Counsellor had not been so foolish as to confront her prey alone.

"Get a hold of yourself," the Trill forcefully suggested. "Why would I want to *get* you?"

"I don't know," Shar'El reluctantly admitted, pushing with her hands to increase the distance between them. "Maybe you see this as your chance to get even with me, or maybe because you want to take over the IGC. Heck, why stop there? Once I am out of your way there would only be one person standing in your way for you to take control of the ANUBIS.

"Why would she want to command the ANUBIS?" Sonja asked, the Chief Engineer standing directly behind the woman interrupting her efforts to escape.

"I don't know," Shar'El said once again, jumping to her feet in order to find a safer spot than being directly in the middle of the two officers currently after her.

"You are not thinking straight." This time it was Ya'Han, the Nylaan Chief of Security having suddenly appeared directly behind the panicked Ullian.

"Get away from me!" The raven-haired woman screamed, easily noticing the fiery red colored hair of the last person to speak to her. Ya'Han had never been good at hiding her emotions, and that color made it clear that she and the others were after her for more than simply wanting to help.

"You are not thinking logically," Maya said, joining the other three women and closing the trap by standing directly in front of Shar'El, giving her nowhere to run.

"You too?" the ExO / ILO demanded, spinning on her heels to see everyone closing in on her. "Why? Why are you all after me?"

Out of sheer desperation, Shar'El closed her eyes and wildly swung in all directions, hoping to hit and knock one or more of them out thus opening an escape route. The punches flew through the air with such force and randomness that the ExO / ILO managed to lose her balance. Even while on her knees, she continued to fight, trying to make sure that no one would be able to get close enough to touch her. When she again lost her balance forcing her to land on her hands and knees, the raven-haired Ullian started sobbing. That was when she opened her eyes and saw through the distortion of her tears that she was in fact completely alone.

Confused and disoriented, Shar'El remained in her current location and position, not even bothering to dry her flowing tears. Something was happening to her, there was no denying that, but at that precise moment, the ExO / ILO could not understand what that was.

"Commander Shar'El!"

She recognized the voice, but how could he be here? Was his being here the missing part to this puzzle? Had it all been a carefully organized ploy to see her broken beyond repair?

"Commander Shar'El, I am speaking to you."

His voice was deep, commanding, and gave no indication of compassion in the least, not that she had expected it from him. For a man in his position, emotions were a weakness that he could not afford to have.  As she forced herself back onto her feet, Shar'El wondered if all of this was because she had become a weakness for him, an unknown variable that no longer served the purpose she had been meant to accomplish.

From NEW ALEXANDRIA, as an Ensign, Shar'El was assigned to the ANUBIS to keep track of the crew, to insure that their secrets did not conflict with that of the organization they worked for or the man they worked under. Never had it been planned for her to become friends with them or to help in their struggles as she had done with Ya'Han. Had all of this been meant to show her just how much of a liability she had become to him.

"I am very disappointed with you Commander Shar'El," the Admiral said once the woman had finally decided to stand and face him. "After everything that I did for you, after giving you command of the IGC and your promotion to the ANUBIS' second in command, this is how you repay me.  I should have known that you would not be able to perform as I wanted you to, as I needed you to.  I should have put someone else on the ANUBIS instead. Someone like Janeel or even Gemma who would not have disappointed me the way you did. Now, you have left me with no other choice but to fix the mistake I made by trusting."

Shar'El drew a long deep breath, knowing exactly what was about to happen, or so she thought. The ExO / ILO expected the Admiral to produce a phaser or some other energy weapon in order to shoot her dead where she stood. Instead, it was a long glimmering sword that she noticed in his hand, an imposing blade already stained with the life essence of several other victims.

As she silently questioned the origin of this blood, Shar'El saw the lifeless bodies of the women whom had been around her before the man's arrival. It seemed that he had killed them all while she cried, leaving their bloodied, broken bodies to stand as witness to what he was about to do to her.

"They are all dead because of you," the man hissed as the blade was pulled back as far as it could. "By betraying me, you have killed them all," the Admiral added just before plunging the sword right through Shar'El's abdomen all the way to the cross-guard. As their gaze locked, the man viciously turned the sword, insuring the greatest possible damage and pain for the woman to experience.

The agony was such that she could no longer stand, but Shar'El was only permitted to fall to the ground when he pulled the blade out of her body, doing so in a way that she could see her own blood dripping from it. Finally collapsing to her knees, her hands cradling the fresh wound from which more blood was gushing out of, Shar'El looked at the lifeless bodies around her that she would soon be joining.

"Such is the price of betrayal," the man said as he towered next to the dying woman. The raven-haired Ullian could only look up at Admiral Koniki in disbelief, but even then she could not find it within her to feel regret. If she was given the opportunity to start it all over again, Shar'El admitted with her last dying breath that she would do and act the same way she had before, even if it ultimately led to her life ending here and in this way.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P106: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 09 - 1545 ("MacGyvering")
"MacGyvering"
previous post was "Hallucinating"

=====

Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Near the Abandoned Building
Stardate: 32226.1545

"My tricorder isn't picking up anything," Nicole reported almost in tears, standing as close to the newly formed mountain of rocks, her hands unable to keep the tricorder from trembling. By the desperate tone in her voice it was evident that the Counsellor was convinced the woman under all that rubble had been crushed to death.

"You are forgetting two very important things," Sonja countered as she visually searched their immediate surroundings for something, anything that might be of help in removing all of the stones that now stood where the Chief of Security and friend had been only a minute ago.

"What am I forgetting?" The joint Trill asked, trying her best to remain calm, which despite possessing the knowledge and experiences of several lifetimes had proven to be a nearly impossible task.

"First, our tricorders are useless here. Whatever material or minerals are present on this world makes it impossible to get any readings beyond whatever physical barrier we come up against," the redhead Engineer explained before shifting into a distinctly more Scottish accent to continue. "Second, its Ya'Han we are talking about lass, and she's as tough as it gets. I woonna worry about her so much, given time I am sure that she would be the one to find her way out all on her own."

"Are you suggesting that we just stand here and wait?" Counsellor Dima inquired, still in shock as to what had happened. Not only had Ya'Han been buried beneath a mountain of rocks, but it was almost certitude that the collapse of the wall had not been a random event, or an accident, but rather one planned and triggered by none other than the ANUBIS' own First Officer, Commander Shar'El.

"Of course not lass," Sonja sternly replied as her eyes darted from location to location in an effort to locate something useful. "In fact, I might have found exactly what we need." With that the Chief Engineering Officer dashed across the small passageway and followed the building's edge until she reached an open yard, closely followed by the Ship's Counsellor who thought it best to try and help instead of just standing there.

"That thing looks like it has not been in working order for decades," Nicole pointed out as she saw what had draw Sonja here. Although the general shape was different than other similar purposed devices, the large hydraulic-powered joints attached to lengthy metallic arms made it clear that device was meant to be some sort of cross between a bulldozer and an excavator.

"If I was able to fix that blasted freighter the way it was, trust me, I can fix this thing even if I only have a paperclip and some bubble-gum," the redhead said with confidence and drive. As certain as she might have sounded in regards to Ya'Han and her still being alive, Sonja knew that time was of the essence and they both needed to act quickly to insure that their hopes would come to be reality.

"Dima to ANUBIS, Captain Morningstar," Nicole said after having tapped her communicator.

=/\= Go Ahead. Morningstar here. =/\=

"Commander Shar'El as escaped and in doing so buried Lieutenant Ya'Han under a large pile of rocks."

=/\= Give us the coordinates; we will beam her out and straight to Sickbay. =/\=

"Don't even bother Captain," Sonja said from the decrepit machine she was on. "If our tricorders can get a reading at point blank range, there is no way the transporter will be able to lock on anything. Best you can do right now is to beam things down to us. We're working on a plan to save Ya'Han."

=/\= Understood. What do you need? =/\=

"I could defensively use an Engineering tool kit, and all-purpose portable power supply, and some WD-40. This thing is one solid piece of rust," the redhead Engineer listed. "I'll need more, like some sort of power adapter or phase differential, but until I can get a better look at whatever this thing calls an engine I have no way to know what the exact specifications will be."

=/\= ANI is taking care of sending you the requested items, =/\= Erik confirmed, glad that the Avatar was the one doing this as the Captain had not the vaguest idea or clue as to what a WD-40 was, and this despite him having been an Engineer at one point in his career.

"Nicole," Sonja called out, pointing to some long metallic bar a few meters away from the Counsellor. "Can you get me that pole? Hopefully it's going to be strong enough to allow me to pry this panel open."

The Trill quickly complied, stepping over a few piles of junk before extending the pole so that the Terran could take hold of it.

"Way too long, I need this as a prying bar, not a blasted dancing pole. That said, if this works, I'm willing to give it a spin. Beggars can't be choosers, but it's not like we have all that much to work with," the redhead sighed. "Come on, be a nice hollow stick and bust this thing wide open for mama," Sonja mumbled as she forced the small pipe in one of several openings before pulling with all of her might.

After decades of neglect and exposure to the elements, the panel easily gave way to the Engineer's efforts, but not before the pipe that was in her hands snapped in half. At least it did so after revealing what the woman had been looking for, the engine compartment.

=/\= ANUBIS to Dima and Paquette, =/\= the Captain said as the three previously requested items materialized not too far from the Counsellor's location. =/\= ANI should have just sent you what you requested. =/\=

"Confirmed Captain," Nicole stated. "The Engineering kit, a portable power supply as well as a cylindrical container are now here."

=/\= Good. Keep us informed as to your progress or if you need anything else. =/\=

"Sonja?" The joint Trill asked, not wanting to take what she needed to do next for granted.

"Bring it all here," the redhead instructed. "I have the feeling that this is going to work, but I still need to get through all this rust first."

As soon as Nicole climbed on board the old and abandoned machine, Sonja reached for the cylindrical container and vigorously shook it before applying her finger on the small trigger located at the top allowing for the contained liquid to be released as a spray.  Several seconds went by as the Chief Engineer coated one rusty surface after another under the curious and bemused eyes of the Ship's Counsellor.

"What exactly does this WD-40 do?"

"It's a twentieth century invention that went out of style as newer, none-ferrous compounds were used in everyday constructions," Sonja explained. "With the invention of more resistant, durable and malleable materials, this little gem was all but forgotten. I keep a can of this stuff in the robotics lab because it reminds me that there are no problems that cannot be loosened up with the right tools. In this particular case, old-fashion rust needed a quick and equally old-fashioned fix."

The Counsellor watched with growing interest, actually believing that this plan might work and that they would be able to quickly remove the debris that Ya'Han was currently under.

"The power connections appear to be basic enough, I might be able to plug this baby directly into the engine and see if it works," Sonja announced as she proceeded to doing exactly what she had said. As soon as the portable power source was connected to the machine's engine, lights turned on and a low, steady hum could now be heard.  "Alive! It's ALIVE!" The redhead exclaimed, casting her hand up in the air.  "Hang on Ya'Han, we're on our way," the Engineer yelled in the direction of the recently fallen wall.

=====
Lorraine Paquette <chippers68@gmail.com>

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P107: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 09 - 1600 ("Breathing")
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"Breathing"
[previous post was "MacGyvering"]
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Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Near the Abandoned Building
Stardate: 32226.1600

How long had it been? Without light and barely enough air to keep her from passing out, Ya'Han knew that she would not be able to keep accurate passage of time. As far as she was concerned, it could have been mere minutes since the wall had collapsed on top of her, or it could have been hours.  What she did know for a fact was that the makeshift shelter had started to give way to the weight on top of hit, causing it to cave in ever so slightly but enough to make it that much more difficult for the Sec/Tac to draw in breath.

Ya'Han tried to dig through the trash beneath her, but without any room to maneuver, the Sec/Tac was unable to move anything in order to give her more breathing room. At one point, she stopped trying in order to keep what little breathable air she had available. Giving up was not in her, but there was little more she could do than wait and hope that Sonja and Nicole would be able to get to her before either the support beams or the metal sheet over them broke.

When she felt the ground beneath her rumble, Ya'Han first believed that it was due to rocks shifting heralding her demise, but as the Sec/Tac waited, she realized that the sound and vibration were too steady for what she thought it was. Something heavy was moving closer, but that was as much as she could tell, unable to determine if this was help heading her way or something else that would cause her to no longer have to worry about anything.

Through the barely audible steady hum, Ya'Han could hear hints of voices, one of them being the same she heard earlier. Counsellor Dima was saying something, but the Sec/Tac could neither understand what was being said or reply to it. What the Trill's voice did though was rekindle the hopes of the trapped Nylaan. The problem was, would their efforts to free her actually work or would it cause a shift in the rocks that the support beams would be unable to hold back?

Ya'Han did her best to control her breathing. Panic would only make a bad situation worse, and this had already been bad enough. The Sec/Tac needed to remain as steady as possible so as to not hinder the efforts of her friends, not that she could do that much at the present. Still, the fact that she was focussing on her body and breathing meant that the black-haired Nylaan would not be thinking about her immediate situation.

She suddenly felt the weight on her back increased, forcing the air out of her lungs. The added pressure had not been all that much, but it proved to be more than sufficient to insure that the Sec/Tac could on exhale. As much as she might have wanted to, as much as she might have needed to, there was no way for Ya'Han to reverse the process and fill her rapidly aching lungs.

With her eyes as large as they physically could become, and her mind on the edge of blacking out from lack of oxygen, Ya'Han noticed a small beam of light landing on her extended arm, followed by another, and another. What she heard next was the enchanting, relief-filled sound of her lungs filling to their absolute fullest.

"She's alive!" Nicole exclaimed in a joyous mixture of unbridled happiness and gladly disproven surprise.

"Told you she would be," Sonja said, sounding relieved although she had tried not to.

With the majority of the collapsed wall having been removed, the remaining stones were quickly picked up and tossed aside allowing for the Nylaan to be reached by a visibly excited Trill. "Are you alright? Are you suffering from any injuries or possible fractures? We can carry you to somewhere where the ANUBIS will be able to lock on your signal and beam you back."

All of this was said before Ya'Han was pulled from the shelter she had sough refuge under, the Counsellor wanting to make sure any medical needs were quickly addressed without giving the Sec/Tac the slightest chance to offer a reply, confirming or denying her possible injuries.

"Believe it or not, I'm fine," the solid black-haired Nylaan informed, forcing her lungs to fill to their fullest once again, a feeling that as uncomfortable as it might have been at that time, proved to be a most welcomed and enjoyable one. "Thank you," Ya'Han added. "Not sure I would have been able to manage that much longer. I'm guessing that there was no way to use the transporters?"

"Nope," Sonja confirmed as she jumped off the bulldozer-like machine that was used to free Ya'Han from the living tomb she had found herself trapped in. "Just another thing to truly dislike about this planet. Whatever is in these rocks makes any sort of sensor scan useless. Unless we stand in a clear open area, I suspect that there would be no way for the ANUBIS to get a lock on any of us. How are you doing by the way? You seem to be quite three-dimensional."

"For a moment, I was not feeling all that three-dimensional," Ya'Han declared, adding a faint smile afterwards. "I am grateful that you were able to get whatever that thing over there, whatever it is, to work," the Sec/Tac said as she looked at the rusty machine.

"It may not look all that great, but with some power and the right tools, it quickly figured out who the boss was," Sonja smiled, tapping the broken pipe in her open hand as if daring anyone or anything else to challenge her resourcefulness.

"Are you sure you don't need to go back to the ANUBIS?" Nicole asked, now wanting Ya'Han to set unrealistic goals or expectations on herself after the traumatic experience she had quite literally just emerged out of.

"I'm fine," the Sec/Tac adamantly confirmed. "We still need to find Shar'El. We can all go back to the ANUBIS then, not before."

"Counsellor Dima to Captain Morningstar," Nicole said after opening a communications channel with her comm badge, her voice far more relaxed than it was the last time she had contacted the ANUBIS.

=/\= Go ahead Counsellor. Judging by the sound of your voice, I would guess that everything worked out. =/\=

"Better than expected Captain," the Trill confirmed.

=/\= As soon as you reach a more opened area we will be able to beam you back up. =/\=

"No need Captain," Ya'Han cut in. "As I have said to both Sonja and Nicole, I am fine and we still need to locate Commander Shar'El. It is clear that she is not thinking or acting as she should and in so doing is a danger to herself as well as others. We will signal for beam out as soon as we have located her."

=/\= Are you sure Lieutenant? =/\= the Captain asked, wanting to confirmed that the Sec/Tac was indeed in a condition to carry out their mission.

"I am," the Nylaan said, her hair having returned to the usual mixture of black and red.

"She does appear uninjured and my tricorder is not detecting any signs of internal injuries, a few bruises, but nothing life threatening," Nicole added.

"Come on Captain," Sonja joined in. "It's Ya'Han we are talking about here."

=/\= Fine. Proceed with your mission. ANUBIS out. =/\=

"Was it me or did he not sound all that happy?" Ya'Han asked.

"He's just concerned," Nicole theorized.

"He's just jealous that we are down here having all the fun while he's up there," Sonja corrected. "Now, time for us to get moving. Without tricorders working at more than limited range and effectiveness, we need to move quickly and cover a fair amount of ground if we are to locate Shar'El before she does something bad."

The Sec/Tac glared at the Engineer.

"Sorry," Sonja huffed. "We need to get to Shar'El before she does something bad, *again*."

With that said, the three women headed out in search for the mission First Officer, unsure as to her exact mental status.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P108: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 09 - 1620 ("Waiting")
##########
"Waiting"
Previous post "Breathing"
##########

"Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting."
- Joyce Meyer

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32226.1620

The Native American stood in the middle of the bridge, relieved that his Chief of Security had come out of the most recent mishap in one piece, and driven more than ever to complete their mission to locate and bring back Commander Shar'El. As delighted as he was though, Erik could not help but hope that the dedication demonstrated by Lieutenant Ya'Han had been due to her sense of duty and responsibility, and not from a desire for revenge for what had happened to her. If it was the case thought, the man could hardly begrudge the woman's need for some payback, but as Starfleet Officers, such thoughts could not be openly condoned.

Patience, it seemed, had been an ally up until now, and the Native American suspected that it would continue to be so as long everyone remained calm and remembered their roles in this increasingly more complex adventure.  Focusing on their most immediate objectives was probably the best and safest course of action. Taking in a long, deep breath, Erik slowly turned to face the Operations Station where Lieutenant Stark had returned of his own accord almost a full hour ago.

The Captain had been ready to question him on his presence then, but the situation on the planet's surface involving Commander Shar'El had demanded his fullest attention up until now. With his Chief of Security now safe, his Chief Engineer and Ship's Counsellor back on track, Morningstar could finally address the situation on his bridge as it currently was.

"Lieutenant Stark, may I ask what it is you are doing here?" Erik asked, actually willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt although he did appear as if his thoughts were several lightyears away from where he stood. "Should you not be in Sickbay?"

"It was boring down there," Jayson casually replied, his gaze wandering the entirety of the bridge, never making direct contact with the Captain. "At least here there are some nice flashing lights and cute little flying multi-coloured dragons. Also, wanted to say 'good job' to whoever came up with the idea of having real grass in the turbolift, it tickled my bare feet and toes as I came here."

Erik had always considered himself to be an observant man, but until the Chief of Operations had mentioned his bare feet, the Native American had not realized that Jayson had indeed not been wearing any shoes or socks. As the Captain of the ANUBIS, Morningstar was ready to verbally run up one side of the man and down the other, scolding him for such an unprofessional display, but again the Commanding Officer reminded himself of the virtues of patience, not to mention the fact that Lieutenant Stark was still under the effects of the Felicium.

"Commander Maya, please escort Lieutenant Stark back to Sickbay," Erik ordered, not letting this minor incident trigger an out of proportion reaction.

"With all due respect Captain, I am right in the middle of pinpointing all of the plant samples requested by Miss Tianna," Maya explained, never taking her eyes from her work station on the bridge. "Due to the high concentration of some very interesting mineral combination throughout the planetary crust, it is exceptionally difficult to maintain any sort of steady sensor lock, requiring constant adjustments. Given the large number of different samples asked for, it is requiring all of my concentration to maintain these locks on one hand while completing the search on the other. Since time is against us, I would believe that you would rather me continue with this work instead of having to start back from scratch following my return from Sickbay. Of course..."

"That will be quite all right Commander," Erik quickly interrupted, sorry that he had even considered his Chief Science officer for this particular task. "You may continue with your current work."

"I will take him back Captain," Ensign Jones offered, the woman manning the Flight Control Station having either taken pity on the Native American or decided to distance herself from the rambling of the Shillian.

"Thank you Ensign," Erik said, offering a grateful nod of his head as the FCO walked by him. "It might be safer to secure him to his bed this time around," he added in a whispered voice.

"Of course captain," Tanith acknowledged in the same tone before reaching the Operations Station and gently taking Jayson's arm into her hands. "Let's go Sir, time to get you back to Sickbay."

"Are we going back into the grassy fields of the turbolift?" the Operations Officer asked in an overly happy tone. "Goodie. I like the feeling of the grass between my toes."

The Native American could do nothing more than to shake his head and watch in complete dismay and disbelief as Jayson was escorted back into the turbolift, his eyes darting all around him likely as he gazed upon those flashing lights or flying multi-coloured dragons he had spoken about earlier.

"It might be best for me to forgo mentioning this part in my report to Admiral Koniki," Erik noted to himself. "As much as I believe he might actually find all of this in some ways amusing, I fear what his final take on the members of my crew would be. No need to tempt fate, we already have more than enough issues to deal with without adding anymore."

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P109: USS ANUBIS: Dima: Day 09 - 1650 ("Shooting")
“Shooting”
(Continued from “Waiting” by the patient Francois)

=/\=
Setting: ORNARA, Industrial Zone, Near the Abandoned Building
Stardate: 32226.1650

Nicole sighed as she fought a mild wave of drug-induced nausea while glancing upward. She presumed by the way Ya'Han had been attacked, that Shar'El had a vantage point much higher than the street level. So as for position, she had the upper hand. Her physical strength appeared to be unmatched as well. And her mental and state was manic, paranoid, and vengeful. And at this moment, the young Counselor did not know how the three of them would be able to overpower the woman and bring her home to the ANUBIS.

There was no way to rationalize with a madwoman. That was painfully obvious. But the brute force option had also appeared to fall flat. That meant some kind of stealth attack. But with what could they mount an attack on a seasoned Intel Officer who just happened to be completely off her rocker?

Ensign Dima trailed off into the dark alleyway nearby, scavenging for materials to help with the Shar'El ‘situation’, as Sonja had done to find a way to successfully free Ya'Han, hoping that inspiration would strike her. Her greatest skill was not her creativity though; it was her ability to communicate, helping people work through their problems. The Ullian was having none of that though, the Felicium wreaking far more havoc than it had so far with Nicole or Jayson.

The joined Trill fought to push the sadness and concern out of her mind. Worrying wasn't doing anything to help any of them survive until they could deliver the plants to Tianna and be provided with the panacea for the illness that the scientist herself had caused, due to her misplaced distrust.

Nicole saw a form in the shadows that appeared to be moving, and let out a yelp. She quickly pressed her frame against the outer wall of a building out of instinct, thinking it might somehow be Shar'El, and focused on the movement more carefully. It was only some paper trash that had been piled up next to a waste receptacle. She let her shoulders relax until the swirling paper moved again, unveiling a dead body.

“What’s the intoxicated pixie up to?” Sonja thought out loud. She and Ya'Han quickly noticed that something was wrong with Nicole who was frozen in place, her gaze trained on something. It was only when the other two got closer that they realized the something was actually a someone. All three women stared at the motionless form, confirming that the Ornaran was indeed dead, but to avoid any possible error and to abide by the rules of any decent 20th century horror flick, Sonja poked the body using the small pipe she had been carrying since the rescue of their chief of Security.

"He's dead Nic," Sonja announced, sadden by their discovery but glad to see that the man had been in this condition for quite some time, thus freeing Shar'El from any possible implication in the death.

"We should do something," Nicole said, not ready to just leave the deceased man as he had been found.

"There is nothing we *can* do," Ya'Han pointed out. "He's dead, and whatever time we take here, we lose on Shar'El. She may not have been responsible for his death, but in her current state of mind, there is no telling if she will not try to kill someone else."

Reluctantly, Nicole agreed, but before resuming their search, the Counselor decided to at the very least try to place the man in a more comfortable position for his final rest. That was when a small vial with a needle at one end rolled out of his hand. It was then that any doubt was erased as to the cause of the man’s demise. It was clearly some kind of overdose, and while Nicole wasn’t sure the drug was Felicium, logic indicated that was probably the case. Her hand trembled as she pocketed the substance.

“I think our only way to Shar’El is up,” the petite Counsellor admitted, looking at a metal fire escape. The ladder that led to it was reachable if they were able to get on top of the waste receptacle. “Maybe from this side we can keep the element of surprise?” Nic asked hopefully.

“She can’t keep up that pace indefinitely,” Ya’Han asserted, as if she was trying to convince herself of that. “And we don’t have the time to create a diversion.”

Sonja nodded. “Let’s go, Rainbow girl.”

=/\=
Setting: Rooftop

Three flights of narrow framed stairs wouldn’t have normally been so physically taxing for Nicole, but she found herself straining to take a deep breath as they made their way to the flat roof of the run-down building. She struggled not to make noise, so that they could at least locate their wayward ExO without being noticed.

Ya’Han led the group down the left side near the edge of the structure, using air vents and temperature control features that jutted up as camouflage, sticking to the shadows and crouching down when necessary. About two-thirds of the way towards the front of the building, the Sec/Tac silently motioned to both of them the presence of a huddled figure.

There was no doubt about it, the woman they found sitting on her knees, holding her belly as if she had been mortally wounded was the one they had been searching for. Although motionless and perfectly quiet, no one dared to approach closer for fear that Shar'El might strike out at them the moment she became aware of their presence.

"We need a plan," Sonja said in a whispered voice, tapping the pipe in her open free hand.

"Would be nice if we could take care of this without resorting to a full blown fight," Nicole suggested in the same soft spoken tone. "She already looks hurt."

"I don't see any blood," Ya'Han bluntly noted, matching the quietness of the others. "You two can stay here, I'll confront her. At least there is no wall to be toppled over me this time."

"There has to be a better way," the Counselor voiced, not at all liking the idea of anyone physically confronting the visibly troubled woman who also happened to be their friend. "She is likely going through withdraw from the Felicium. Giving her another dose should greatly pacify her, hopefully enough for her to accept coming back with us without a fight."

"Somehow, I doubt that she is going to let us pour the content of that vial down her throat," Ya'Han said, the now brightly red-haired Nylaan more then ever ready for a fight she figured was unavoidable.

"I might have another option," Sonja said, handing over the pipe she was holding to the Chief of Security. "With a good enough set of lungs, we could deliver the content of this vial without ever getting close to her."

Ensign Dima took the substance-filled cylinder and confirmed that it matched up to the tubing, making sure it would slide like a dart in a blowgun. The three women exchanged glances. “I’ll try to draw her attention,” Nicole said sotto voce. “I need one of you to try and tranq her.”

“Is that a good idea?” Ya’Han asked, with all signs pointing no.

Nicole sighed. “I don’t want to answer that. She was completely fixated on me as being the cause of her problems when we came after her. I’m hoping for her undivided attention for that reason, so that either of you can get that drug into her. Also, I’m not the biggest or strongest of us by any means. If she goes at me, I need the two of you unencumbered so that you can either help me, or if things go wrong, you can free yourselves.”

“It’s not going to come to that,” Sonja said, her Scottish accent a little more pronounced.

“I hope not.” The Trill began to move before she allowed herself to doubt any part of this last-ditch effort..

“Wait,” Ya’Han hissed quietly. “When are we supposed to do this?”

“Whenever you can. The sooner the better.”

=/\=
Time Index: A few minutes later

Nicole had travelled around the perimeter of the roof, with the thought that Shar’El would think all three of them were on that side of the building, and not be expecting an attack from the other flank, where Ya’Han and Sonja were lying in wait. Nicole spent a couple of minutes trying to regain some stamina, and also study the posture and expression of the woman they had chased down to the planet below. Was she hallucinating? Was she in any better frame of mind than when she attacked Ya’Han with a concrete wall? There was only one way to find out.

“Shar’El, how are you? Are you alright?”

The Ullian blinked as she looked upward, not sure she believed the Counselor was there in front of her. “How are you here?”

“I was worried about you. The Felicium is impacting us all, but your physiology is the most affected. You need to be in Sickbay so that Maya can monitor your condition.”

Shar’El pulled herself up into a standing position. “That would be impossible... as you are all dead. Koniki made sure I was a witness to that.”

Nicole looked puzzled for a moment. “The Admiral is on NEW ALEXANDRIA. And I am alive. We need to work together to get the antidote to the Felicium. Please come with me, Shar’El. I promise, I am here to help.”

Shar’El flinched when she heard the word ‘help’. Her rage at the betrayal she perceived was renewed, even as she attempted to sort out what was real and what was an illusion. “You’re not dead?”

Nicole came closer, reaching out her hand as if to touch and show her physical form was true. “Here.”

Shar’El touched Nicole’s hands and arms, and relief briefly flooded her features. All too quickly, however, her face once more became angry. “How did you make me believe you were dead? Why?”

The two women stood transfixed. “Tianna is the responsible party. I am only here to bring you to safety,” Nicole pleaded.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? If I came back with you willingly, it would corroborate your story that you didn’t betray me, even though you know full well you did!”

Nicole attempted to back away in fear, trying to direct Shar’El into position for Sonja or Ya’Han to take their shot. “That’s the drug talking. This isn’t you.”

Shar’El did not release her hold, so the two women moved in tandem. “You have done nothing but manipulate me since we arrived back from BREKKA. You’ve turned against me, and persuaded the rest of the crew to turn against me too! They were my *family*,” she sobbed, as she overpowered the joined Trill and began to choke her, throttling her with tightly clenched hands. Nic’s hands pressed and pulled against her superior’s grip, but the Ullian was far stronger and more motivated in her pursuit.

Dima’s airway was blocked and she realized struggling wasn’t helping. It was a clumsy combination of going limp so Shar’El would think she had lost consciousness, along with the very real possibility that was happening before she could implement the charade.

For several seconds, things went hazy and dark as Nicole succumbed to an exhausted state of calm. She didn’t hear anything as her faculties slipped away, but she felt a tremor go through the ExO/ILO’s body like an electric shock. Unbeknownst to Nicole, Ya’Han had landed the makeshift dart into the fleshy part of Shar’El’s shoulder, and the effects utterly mollified her.

Nicole coughed and sputtered as the subdued body of Shar’El fell slackly against hers, no longer trying to squeeze the life out of her. Sonja and Ya’Han helped both of them up, the Sec/Tac then activating her communicator. She didn’t want to take any more chances.

“We have her, Captain. Get us out of here.”

=/\=
Susan Ledbetter

Ship's Counselor
USS ANUBIS NCC-18501
M09-P110: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 09 - 1715 ("Realizing")
=-=
"Realizing"
[previous post was "Shooting" by the plotting Susan]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room
Stardate: 32226.1715

The sensation was strange, and the feeling sweeping through her body was almost surreal. The moment the needle had lodged itself into the muscle mass of her shoulder, the ExO / ILO felt the effects of the liquid coming from it.  There was no denying that Felicium was a potent narcotic, but never had Shar'El expected her reaction to be so powerfully overwhelming. Having had only a few seconds' exposure was more than enough for her to understand why the Ornaran were so desperate to do everything they could to continue feeling this way.

The Brekkian scientist Tianna had exposed the members of the away team to only a trace amount of the drug, and that proved to be more than enough to send the Ullian into a tailspin in which reality and fiction came crashing together beyond the woman's ability to tell them apart. Now, with a full dose of this powerful narcotic coursing through her system, Shar'El discovered an entirely different aspect of the drug. Her body had become so relaxed that she could not walk without the assistance of two of the three members of the away team that came after her.  What the ExO / ILO found even better than hr body feeling this way was that her mind had been just as relaxed, if not more.

The pain that Shar'El had been fighting against since discovering the memories of what Ya'Han had endured had been constant, unrelenting and most important all encompassing. The emotions attached to those specific memories hindered the ability of the ExO / ILO to focus or even think of anything else. Whatever she tried to remedy this situation proved ineffective in easing the heart wrenching feelings she repeatedly experienced. Dealing with such issues and memories was not something uncommon for the uniquely telepathic race, but this time around, the raven-haired woman had failed to properly prepare herself. How could she have? There was no way to know what the Nylaan woman had endured before the memory scan and at the time all that the Ullian wanted to do was to help in whatever way she could.

The decision made by Shar'El led to Ya'Han being able to continue with her everyday life as if nothing happened, unburdened by the trauma of losing her child. On the other side of this, the Ullian now struggled every second to remain in control of her emotions in what she knew would eventually be a losing battle. At least that was until that needle pierced her skin and the refined Felicium was released in her system, exposing her body and mind to its fullest intoxicating effects.

"We are almost there Shar'El, hang in there."

For some reason, she easily recognized who had offered those reassuring words. The sound of the Counsellor's voice was like that of an angel, accompanied by musical tones that Shar'El had never until now been able to hear, let alone appreciate.  Ullians did not believe in such entities, but the ILO had seen enough memories concerning them that she knew about these fabled creatures and how most perceived them to be powerful spiritual beings. It was an odd contrast to the way the raven-haired Commander clearly recalled feeling about the Counselor not so long ago. Interestingly enough, as of this moment in time, there was not a iota of anger or distrusts to be found within her.

As the ExO / ILO slowly turned her head to look at the Trill walking a few steps ahead, Shar'El noticed something strange about Nicole. The Commander could not identify why she had been able to notice this, but she was beyond certain that something was not entirely right with the Counselor based only by her posture and the way she walked. When the Trill glanced back to look at the Ullian, the raven-haired woman could clearly see a weight, a concern, an unhappiness visible on her features.

Something was obviously bothering the Counsellor, but the mind of the ExO / ILO was so at peace that she could not even bring herself to peer into the memories of the joint Trill to see what might have been the cause of her troubled expression. Maybe if Nicole was given a full dose of the drug the women currently being helped walking had received, the concerns of both he host and symbiont, whatever they might be, would vanish as had those of the raven-haired woman.

"How is she?"

Shar'El looked up, the question having originated from a short distance in front of them. Upon seeing the marking along the woman's neck, the ExO / ILO immediately figured that they had met another Trill, likely a friend of the troubled Counsellor, someone who might actually be able to help the woman. Clearly, based on the question asked, they were concerned about her.

"Physically she appears to be alright."

"Her mind on the other hand is as scrambled as an Orion omelette."

The first reply had come from the Counsellor, hinting that the initial question had not been *about* her but rather directed *at* her. The second reply originated from the redhead holding and helping the Ullian on her left side. Putting the pieces of this puzzle together, as clumsily and slowly as she unintentionally could manage, Shar'El realized that they were all talking about her.  When the ExO / ILO looked at the woman standing before them once again, who luckily had taken a few steps forward to bridge the gap that had been there at first, the Ullian recognized the inquiring person to be the ANUBIS' own Shillian Chief Science Officer.

"What happened?" Maya asked, her voice filled with a sadness that Shar'El had again never been able to fully hear before now.

"She was behaving erratically, and we suspected that she might be a danger to herself." Sonja's word were almost as concerned as the expression on the Counselor's face.

"Not just her. She did try to crush me under a wall."

Shar'El blinked several times, only now realizing that someone else was on her right side, someone who apparently had been holding onto her arm and who had helped her make it this far. Someone who judging by the rough tone of her voice had not been pleased at all. Turning her head to see whom this unknown person was the Ullian was surprised to see that it was the Nylaan Chief of Security. For a brief moment, the memories of the woman in question resurfaced in the mind of the ExO / ILO, but unlike before, no crushing emotions accompanied them. In fact, even the memories felt as if they were only a distant recollection of something that had not been very important,

"Ya'Han!" Shar'El exclaimed with a smile, confirming to all those present that her mind was not in any way as it should have been.

"Like I said, scrambled like an Orion omelette. Would not be surprised if there were a few pieces of egg shells in there somewhere as well," Sonja added.

"We had to use a Felicium dosage injector to pacify her," Nicole explained to Maya. "Without transporters being able to easily lock in on our position and effect a rapid beam out, we had no other choice but to find a way to subdue her. Given her state of mind it was deemed safer to attempt this from a distance, and even that proved to not be all that easy."

"A Felicium dosage injector?" Maya asked, curious as to how they managed to get a hold of such a highly sought after subjected, especially on ORNARA.

"Nicole discovered a dead Ornaran in one of the abandoned buildings. In his hand she found an unused vile filled with what we could only guess was Felicium. A quick tricorder scan confirmed our suspicions. The man appeared to have died from an earlier overdose possibly days before," Ya'Han clarified.

"We did the best we could with what we had, and that was not all that much," Sonja pointed out, her Scottish accent coming across loud and clear.

"You look well," Shar'El suddenly said as she looked at Ya'Han in a dazed manner. "I am glad," the Ullian continued obviously not listening to the conversation concerning her, being more enthralled by the Nylaan standing next to her.

The Chief of Security dismissed Shar'El's statement not at all considering that it could have been about anything else other than the fact that the ExO / ILO pushed a wall on top of her and that the Nylaan had escape that attack without any notable injuries. There was no way for Ya'Han t know that the words had referred to how the woman appeared after what the Ullian remembered.

"Bring her into Sickbay and secure her onto the main diagnostic table," Maya instructed, the Shillian also not aware of any other possible reasons that could have triggered what Shar'El said.  "Hopefully the antidote will be strong enough to counter this full-on exposure to Felicium."

"Why would it not?" Sonja asked, never having considered that possibility when the three of them came up with the plan to inject the full dose into their friend.

Maya simply shrugged, not wanting to further entertain the possibility that what the away team had done could lead to an entirely different problem instead of providing them with a quick and relatively easy way to deal with the situation the ExO / ILO had forced them into.

"Once in Sickbay, I would like for you Counselor to take back your place. Although you clearly appear to be handling the initial exposure better than everyone else from the away team to BREKKA, you are displaying signs of fatigue. Even without proper medical training, I am able to see this." The Shillian scientist said, not enlisting any sort of objection from the Trill Counsellor.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P111: USS ANUBIS: Dima: Day 09 - 2130 ("Dealing")
“Dealing”
(Continued from “Realizing” by the intrepid Tiffany)

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 32226.2130

The ANUBIS was back in orbit of BREKKA, but instead of calling down to Sickbay to let everyone know, the Native American decided to go down and check on his officers.

"How are they doing?" Erik inquired of the Chief Science Officer who had taken on the mantle of Chief Medical Officer for this particular situation, further reminding the Captain that the position needed to be filled even if Admiral Koniki continued to denied them a return to their base of operation.

"As best as can be expected," Maya said. The shortness of her reply hinting as to just how out of place she was.

"Captain?" Nicole called out, summoning the man's attention to her.

"Yes Counsellor?"

"Have we arrived back at BREKKA?"

The Native American nodded his head, glancing over to the other beds, confirming the report given by Maya that Nicole was handling the exposure to the Felicium far better than the other two.

"We might have a situation," Nicole said, looking over at the other two patients. "All three of us are supposed to head back down to the surface to receive the antidote, but Maya is saying that neither one of them are allowed to leave."

"I may not be a Doctor, but I do agree with her assessment," Erik said.  "If you are up for it, you can lead a team down along with Maya and Ya'Han. As the Chief Science Officer, Maya can confirm the authenticity of the gathered samples and as our current acting Chief Medical Officer she can also confirm the state of the others. I want our Chief of Security to accompany you to make sure that everything goes without a hitch. Use diplomacy first, but if that fails in the slightest way, but hesitate to make a show of strength. Miss Tianna decided to do this down and dirty and when it comes to the safety of my crew, I have no issues responding in kind. Whatever you decide to do, i will support and the official record will show that it was my call from the start.

The Counsellor nodded her head, confirming that she understood the instructions.

--==/\==--
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room
Stardate: 32226.2145

An unsteady Nicole stood on the transporter platform with both Maya and Ya'Han behind her, the two women ready to act should the Counsellor give any indication that she could not stand.

=/\= Bridge to away team, =/\= the Captain who had returned to the bridge to coordinate this part of the mission said. =/\= We have confirmed with Miss Tianna that she is ready for the exchange. Coordinates to her office at the university are being relayed now. Stand by for transport, and Counsellor, do what you have to do. This is no longer a matter of our being polite or fair. =/\=

"Understood Captain," Nicole confirmed.

"No worries Captain," Ya'Han added. "We'll be back with the antidote in no time."

The Counsellor glanced over her shoulder at the eager Chief of Security who more than appeared ready for a fight. After trading a quick smile with the Nylaan, the joined Trill glanced over her other shoulder to see the Shillian standing ready with a transparent crate containing all of the samples that the Brekkian woman had requested.

--==/\==--
Setting: BREKKA, Miss Tianna's Office
Stardate: 32226.2150

“The samples are here,” Ensign Dima conceded. “Now please provide us with the crystal and three doses of the antidote, as per our discussion.”

Tianna looked inconvenienced. “This was not part of the arrangement. Where are your other companions?”

Nicole stepped forward, pale and weary but also angry. “The moment you decided we couldn’t be trusted to make the trade in an above board manner was the moment the arrangement changed. My associates are too ill to travel back here.”

Tianna scoffed. “The amount of Felicium I subjected you to was hardly debilitating.”

Nicole was sorely tempted to reveal more than she should, but instead of a lengthy explanation, she chose to demonstrate the results of Tianna’s little experiment. “Really?” the diminutive Counsellor asked, pulling down the collar of her garment, revealing the fresh bruises around her throat where Shar’El had unknowingly tried to choke her to death. “I was nearly killed because of your actions. If you want I can bring my thoroughly inebriated friend down here and see if you fare any better with her than I did.”

Tianna pondered this briefly, still not believing she could have made a mistake. “Thank you, that won’t be necessary.” The Scientist then looked to Ya’Han and Maya nervously. “Your new friends aren’t Brekkian.”

“How else did you expect us to honor your request without some outside help? If we had hitched a ride on an Ornaran freighter, it might have taken two months or more to return.”

Tianna inserted a cartridge into the hypospray and pressed it to Nicole’s arm. “If I give you two additional ampules of the antidote, what prevents you from creating more of the serum to reverse the addictions of all the Ornarans, or sell the formula on the black market?”

“We practice a policy of non-interference as a general rule.”

“And I should believe you? Why?”

“For the same reason we’re going to hold you to your promise. We both have something the other needs in order to move forward. I won’t feel sorry for you or hold your hand now that you’re having regrets.  Ethics are something you should always have, even when you think no one else is watching… not only when it’s convenient for you.”

“Very well.” Her face looked calm but her blue eyes flashed with comeuppance. Tianna closed the lid on the padded box containing two more cylinders of the precious antidote, and gathered the container that held Professor Arken’s crystal, placing them in Nicole’s arms at the same time Maya provided the plant samples.

Nicole looked to Maya, who nodded her approval for both the crystal and the medication. They appeared to be legitimate.

“Is that everything?” Tianna asked, annoyed.

“Yes.” Ensign Dima acknowledged Tianna one last time. “If we ever happen to cross paths again, don’t expect it to be pleasant.” The three women then filed out.

--==/\==--
Setting:  USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room
Stardate: 32226.2200

The away team materialized, and with the trade now completed, the Counsellor felt the last remaining bit of her energy waning as she stepped down from the transporter pad. Nicole was making every attempt to get to Sickbay under her own power, but her legs were unexpectedly weak, and she collapsed from the fatigue. She’d been fighting to stay upright since well before the beam down. The antidote to the Felicium had already started working on the nausea, but she was far from being well. Nicole tried to reach out her arms to brace herself, expecting to land on the floor, but instead the Trill found herself in the arms of the quick thinking and even faster moving Nylaan Chief of Security.

"I've got you Nicole. Time for you to get some rest. Maya can take care of the others.”

--==/\==--
Susan Ledbetter

Ship's Counselor
USS ANUBIS NCC-18501
M09-P112: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 10 - 0700 ("Detoxing")
"Detoxing"
[previous "Dealing"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 32227.0700

The bed did not feel as comfortable as usual, and the lights were certainly brighter than what he expected them to be first thing in the morning. The only thing the OPS Officer could come up with to explain this was that he was not in his quarters and that Ya'Han had gotten up without his noticing. As he went to roll to his side to confirm the woman's absence from the bed, he realised that he could not move.

That was when he realised where he was and remembered what happened to bring him here, in Sickbay.

"Good morning sunshine," Ya'Han said, an amused smile on her face as she stepped up to the medical bed. "You look better."

"Guess I should say that I feel better, but to be entirely honest I am not entirely sure that I am. What happened?" He asked, the most recent memories he could recall not making a great deal of sense.

"What do you remember?" She asked, almost as if knowing that this was the one question he could not answer, at least not without making a complete fool of himself.

He hesitated for a moment, and then replied. "Commander Shar'El, Counselor Dima and I were on BREKKA searching for Tianna, the one who Professor Arken gave the fifth crystal to. She invited us for dinner and told us that we were exposed to trace amounts of Felicium to insure our cooperation in getting some hard to get plants."

"That's the *last* thing you remember?" Ya'Han asked, crossing her arms in front of her and shooting a disapproving glare in his direction. There was no mistaking it; she did not believe for an instant that he was telling the truth.

"No," he was forced to admit, knowing better than to go up against the woman. Luckily for him, she was still displaying the usual mixed hair color meaning that she was not truly been angry with him, at least not yet. "I remember my thinking that there was something wrong with the deck plates after I walked out of Sickbay, and I also remember walking barefooted in grass while in the turbolift."

She laughed. "By the way, your shoes and socks are by the side of the bed. Thought you might want them here so as to avoid having to walk back to your quarters barefooted as you did back on the bridge."

"So I did walk on the bridge barefooted, therefore I also remember the Captain not being overly happy with that," Jayson sighed in shame. "I hope that I didn't cause too much trouble."

"You did try to change the display language of the Operations console to Klingon," she explained, her smile indicating that nothing came of it. "At least we think it was Klingon, at one point it looked more like a mix of Cardassian and Breen, but you have nothing to be concerned about. Nothing exploded and no wars were started while you were on the bridge. Although we did get a report from SFI concerning the Romulans, but I really doubt that you had anything to do with that."

"Thanks. I'm not entirely certain that this is actually making me feel better," he said to Ya'Han, still trying to make sense of what he did recall.

"We are all just glad to see you back to normal," the Chief of Security added as she released the old fashion restraints that were holding the man in place to the bed, allowing him to sit up and stretch his aching muscles.

"Where is Maya?" He asked, looking around Sickbay in search of the woman whom he knew had taken on the role of Chief Medical Officer for the time being.

"She's working on deciphering the latest crystal," Ya'Han replied. "The moment the trade for the antidote and crystal was completed, we returned to the ANUBIS and she supervised the administering of the antidote before leaving with the crystal tightly in her hand. I think she was more than looking forward to returning to doing something she is far more comfortable with."

"Where are the others?" Jayson asked, only now realizing that Commander Shar'El and Counselor Dima had not been in Sickbay.

"Last time we checked, they were both in their quarters recuperating. Captain Morningstar granted them some time off, as he did you. Since you were sound asleep, and appearing quite relaxed, I could not bring myself to wake you only to have you return to your quarters to sleep some more," Ya'Han explained, helping Jayson to his bare feet.

"That was very considerate of you, although I suspect that you also enjoyed seeing me all tied up like a sausage.

"I don't need you to be tied up for me to have my way with you," she teased in a whispered voice, her hair switching momentarily to green before reverting back to the standard two-tone black and red.

For the first time since he woke, Jayson was glad that no one else, other than Ya'Han, was in Sickbay, as they would have witnessed his surprise, discomfort and rapid blushing.

"Let's go," she continued, holding back her amusement as best she could. "Put on your socks and shoes, and then I will escort you back to your quarters. You need to get as much rest as you can, as I am sure Maya will not waste any time in figuring out our next destination. With three more crystals to get, this mission is far from over and after all that we have gone through so far, it is unlikely that things are going to suddenly get easier for us."

"Whatever secrets those crystals hold better be something huge," Jayson said as he reached for his socks and shoes. "I would hate to have seen miniature flying rainbow dragons and walked barefooted through a grassy turbolift for nothing."

"You saw miniature flying rainbow dragons?" She asked, clearly puzzled and interested in hearing more all at the same time.

"I was under the influence of a powerful narcotic," Jayson quickly said in his defence. "I cannot be held responsible for what I saw or did."

"Maya said that the trace amount you three were exposed to was minimal. The real problem was your individual physiologies; Felicium was created and over time refined to have very specific effects on the Ornarans. You three reacted differently because your biology and brain chemistry are different. Nicole handled it best, this likely because of her symbiont while Shar'El was the worst hit. You just seemed to be completely out of it as if you had drank too many non-synthohol drinks."

"I have been drunk before, and never did I take my shoes and socks off," Jayson argued.

"Or saw flying miniature rainbow colored dragons, but you did this time. I wonder why?" She teased, consciously changing her hair color to be in line with the nickname she so completely despised, but since they were alone in Sickbay the Chief of Security saw no reason why she could not have a little fun with Jayson.

Ya'Han watched as Jayson hurried in putting on his socks and shoes, always keeping a vigilant eye on the fiery haired Chief of Security, just in case.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P113: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 10 - 0720 ("Crashing")
=-=
"Crashing"
[previous post was "Detoxing" by the clear headed Jayson]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Shar'El's Quarters
Stardate: 32227.0720

The antidote obtained by Counselor Dima worked as stated in cancelling the effects of the Felicium, this even after the ExO / ILO had been subjected to far more than the initial faint exposure designed by Tianna. Shar'El felt no urge or desperation to obtain more of the drug and even found that her body welcomed the sensation of not being under the influence of the addictive substance. There was one problem though, the memories of their Chief of Security had returned, with even more insistence than before.

As troubling as the hallucinatory side effects of the Felicium were for the Ullian, there was one distinct benefit that the drug had unexpectedly provided her with. The absence of foreign memories had provided Shar'El with a mental tranquility that she had not been able to enjoy since having come across the troubling visions found within the Nylaan would-be mother. 

Yes, she had slept through the night, but that sleep proved to be far from being restful. The almost painful fatigue the ExO / ILO felt throughout her mind and body hinted to the nightmare-filled night she had experienced. Luckily, for the raven-haired Ullian, the Captain had granted the members of the away team some off-duty time to recuperate from their drug-induced ordeal.

As soon as her body and mind would permit it, Shar'El would seek out Ya'Han and apologise for what happened on the surface of ORNARA. In her demented state, the ExO / ILO attacked the Chief of Security with every intentions of killing her along with the imaginary Marines that the Ullian's mind had created. Before doing this though, the ExO / ILO needed to check in with Maya with the hopes that the scientist would be able to help with a personal matter.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Astrometrics Laboratory
Stardate: 32227.0745

Here was Maya, back in her natural environment, the first five crystal sitting on the table by her side arrange in a perfect row while the sixth and most recent on top of the workstation, several narrow beams of light trying to reach the secrets it held.

"Commander?" The ExO / ILO said ever so quietly, not wanting to startle the woman whom she expected to be lost in her thoughts.

"Commander Shar'El?" Maya replied, appearing somewhat surprised to see Shar'El standing where she was. "Are you alright? Are you experiencing some side effects of the antidote? Were the readouts that indicated that the antidote was working only a temporary result, one that I should have following up on more closely?"

"Everything is perfectly fine Maya," Shar'El quickly reassured. "You did wonderfully as acting CMO and you have nothing to be concerned about. In fact, we all owe you a debt of gratitude for having stepped up into such a foreign role for no other reason than to help those who were in need. Everyone exposed to the Felicium, including myself, are doing just fine now, having weathered the storm thanks to you."

"It is Counselor Dima that deserves the praises," the Chief Science Officer stated. "She was the one who secured the antidote from Miss Tianna."

"That she did, but you were the one responsible to making things as easy as possible for those who were exposed to the Felicium by Miss Tianna," the ExO / ILO said as a counter argument. "Without a CMO on staff, the Captain could have just as easily locked each one of us in our quarters until the antidote was obtained. Instead, you stepped in and accepted to help in whatever way you could. Do not sell the importance of your involvement short Maya. That is part of the reason why I am here to see you now as I am in need of your expertise as a scientist and dedication as an officer."

"How can I help?" The Shillian asked, appearing bright eyed and bushy tailed about the prospect of her being given another scientific mystery to solve.

"We have a record of the molecular composition of both the Felicium and the antidote, am I correct?"

"Absolutely," Maya confirmed instantaneously. "I have not had the time to look more closely at the way the two interact with one another, but i suspect that the antidote is designed to breakdown the Felicium into inert proteins that can be easily absorbed by the body."

"I am actually more interested in the Felicium itself," the ExO / ILO explained. "More specifically the way it affected Jayson, Nicole and myself so differently. I realise that this may fall more under the field of medical research, but I was curious to see if you might be able to isolate the active chemicals that led to all three experiencing such a wide range of effects."

"Although Felicium was never designed to be a psychotropic substance, at least according to everything I was able to obtain on the drug's manufacturing from the Brekkian medical database; it was evident that a part of the complex biochemical structure of the substance achieved that effect due to some interaction with Ullian and Terran physiology. My guess is that Trill, more specifically joint ones, are not affected as such due to the symbiont either cancelling the effects or because it generates some hormones that counteract Felicium. May I asked as to why you are curious about this particular aspect of the drug?"

"Believe it or not, my interest is actually a medical one," the raven-haired woman said, not lying but neither revealing the whole truth. "Having had a first-hand experience with the substance, I believe that it may possess some useful medical applications, especially if the psychotropic elements can be removed."

"You want me to re-engineer a chemically engineered drug?" If Maya sounded excited before, this time she appeared ready to drop everything she was working on to dedicate herself to this new challenge.

"I believe that the benefits would well be worth it and who knows, maybe through your research we could find something that would help countless others," Shar'El said, setting the bait. "Of course, that research would need to happen after you have identified the location of the next crystal."

"Of course," Maya eagerly confirmed. "It should not take me that long to decipher the data in the latest crystal, although the pattern does change from one to the next, I am starting to understand, at least in some ways, the thought process used by Professor Arken. As soon as I have completed that task, I will start right away on identifying the possible psychotropic components of the Felicium that interacted with Terran and Ullian physiology and using the data we have on the antidote, try to come up with a way to remove those elements from the drug. I will let you know as soon as I have found something."

"Thank you Maya," Shar'El gratefully offered. "You are an asset to this crew and I have the utmost confidence in your scientific abilities. I will be anxiously waiting to hear back from you on your progress."

With all that said and done, the ExO / ILO exited the Astrometrics lab, confident that her search for a way to deal with the Nylaan's memories stuck in her head, and the pain they constantly caused her to experience, would be dealt with sooner rather than later. In some way Shar'El felt bad in her deception, but she knew that revealing any of this publicly would not only create issues for her personally but also for Ya'Han who would learn of what happened to her. This would meant that the nightmares and hell the raven-haired woman had endured so far would all have been for nothing.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P114: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 10 - 0815 ("Multitasking")
---
"Multitasking"
(Previous Post: "Crashing")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 12, Astrometrics Laboratory
Stardate: 32227.0815

The challenge presented by the First Officer of the ANUBIS to the Chief Science Officer was just too alluring for the Shillian to ignore, even if she was already busy working on another completely different and more important matter. Shar'El knew exactly what to say to pique the full interest of Maya, not that this was such an impossible mission. This was not the first time Maya worked on multiple projects at the same time, and given her ability to tackle more than one demanding task at once, it would certainly not be her last.

While the computer scanned the structure of the sixth crystal for a pattern that would give the crew of the ANUBIS a clue as to where to head next, the Shillian Scientist was reviewing the data collected on both the narcotic known as Felicium and the antidote provided by the Brekkian Tianna. As much as medical knowledge might have helped in this research, the analysis into the biochemical comparison and interactions of the two liquids had not been that far outside the knowledge and expertise of the Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS.  The more Maya studied the complex structures though, the more she acknowledged that some level of actual medical knowledge would have made things easier in identifying the element or elements responsible for causing the hallucinations in both the Ullian and Terran.

Without that knowledge readily available to her, Maya concentrated on locating known biochemical compositions that, once absorbed by a bio-neurological system, would cause some sort of reaction leading to the creations of false visual and auditory perceptions. So far though, the Chief Science Officer had not been able to isolate such chemicals when her attention was summoned back onto the crystal sitting on top of the workstation thanks to a repeated short beeps.

From studying one set of chemical composition, the Chief Science Officer found herself suddenly looking at the atomic composition of a base element, one that she quickly recognized thanks to the 118 neutrons located at the core and the 79 electrons scattered around the center.

"Gold? Why would Professor Arken hide the atomic description of a base transition metal as the primary clue to the location of the next crystal?" Maya asked aloud, the question obviously not directed to anyone else since she was the only one present in the Astrometric Laboratory. "Gold is a relatively common metal and is found on a large number of planets, planetoids and moons, so this cannot be the only clue, unless..." the thoughts of the Chief Science Officer trailed off as she considered a possible explanation.

A rapid search cross referencing the significance of gold to the beliefs and cultures of other races provided a starting list for Maya to work with, unfortunately, the list provided by the computer proved to be far lengthier than the Chief Science Officer expected. At the top of this list was the Ub-Hani, a race of self-absorbed scientifically and artistically inclined individual who covered everything they owned and created with this malleable metal to match the colour of their own skin. At the bottom of this list were the Ferengi, a race that acknowledged the metal but considered it worthless. Unfortunately, without more information from the crystal, there would be no way for the Shillian to even known if she was on the right track, and if so which end of the list to consider over the other.

So far, Professor Elijah Arken appeared o favour hiding additional information into the rearranged atomic structure of the crystal, so hoping that the pattern would continue the Chief Science Officer used her scanners and dug deeper to reveal the composition of a second base element. Cross referring the newly obtained data with the computer, Maya discovered that the described atomic structure pointed to the most stable isotope of a normally unstable element known as Unbinilium. What the Shillian found most interesting was that the letters used to identify this element on the Periodic Table were none other than 'U' and 'B'.

Using the two pieces of this puzzle, namely Gold and the Unbinilium, the Chief Science Officer could only conclude that he sixth crystal would be found on the home planet of the Ub-Hani, or at least that was what she hoped given that no other information was discovered within the fifth crystal.

Wishing to obtain a second opinion while not disturbing the Captain or those who were resting form the Felicium exposure, Maya decided to seek the counsel of the Chief Engineering Officer. All of these atomic specifications might have been outside the field of expertise of the redhead, but Maya was confident that Sonja would offer an impartial and honest opinion to this possibility.

---
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 22, Main Engineering
Stardate: 32227.0930

"Wow," Sonja said, slowly blinking several times as she absorbed and processed all of the information that Maya had relayed to her over the last 20 minutes so. "You got all that from the atomic description of two elements found inside the crystal we managed to get from Tianna?"

"The descriptions were very clear and perfectly identified Gold and Unbinilium," the Chief Science Officer clarified. "The rest, I have to admit, came from me using what I believed to be the most logical connection between the two elements given that we are searching for the location of the next crystal which so far have been provided to us through the names of a specific planet. Professor Arken went through remarkable efforts to keep the information as secret and hidden as possible, and based on the pattern we have so far observed, it does make sense that this is the planet where we will find the sixth crystal."

"Who has it?" Sonja asked, leaning back on the nearest engineering station.

"What?"

"No who?" The Engineer corrected in a teasing manner. "So far, Arken has always given us the name of the person who has the crystal, even if it is only the first name. This gives us *something* to work with as we reach the orbit of the planet."

"Actually, in the case of the second crystal, we did not have the name of the individual to whom the crystal had been entrusted to," Maya clarified.

"All right," Sonja conceded. "We still had *something* to help us narrow the search. Right now, all you have are speculations as to the *world*, even if this is the right place, how do you suggest we start searching for the crystal? Are we expected to search for someone with gold skin or would you rather we made a planet-wide announcement about our searching for that crystal?"

"Everyone on the planet has gold skin," the scientist pointed out unamused. "That is one, or more accurately the most, defining aspect of the Ub-Hani. Other known traits of this race are that they consider themselves to be far superior to all other life forms in the galaxy. According to their core cultural beliefs, they are the point of origin of all scientific knowledge and art forms in this galaxy, going as far as to claim ownership for several artifacts that have been theorized of belonging to entirely other dimensions."

"Gold-skinned, beyond conceited and hyper arrogant," Sonja said shaking her head in disbelief. "This Arken fellow sure likes his friends to be well off the edge of strange and unusual, and that is of course if you are correct about the Ub-Hani being where the next crystal will be found."

"It is the only possibility based on the data I was able to decipher," Maya said, wishing that she could provide more but unable to doing so.

"All right, let's go talk to the Captain."

"So you agree with me that the next crystal is in the hands of the Ub-Hani?"

"I am neither agreeing nor disagreeing," Sonja said, appearing rather pleased. "I just want to see his face when you tell the Captain that we are heading for the homeworld of those gold-skinned Ub-Hani without as much as a name to help us in our quest."

"You believe that he will be displeased?" Maya asked, now reconsidering informing the Captain of her discovery.

"Believe?" The Engineer chuckled. "Not in the least, I am not one to act on beliefs. I just know." Sonja explained before pushing the Shillian towards the nearest turbolift to insure that the Chief Science Officer would not have a sudden change of heart in regards to informing their Commanding Officer of their next destination.

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P115: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 10 - 1000 ("Hoping")
##########
"Hoping"
Previous post "Multitasking"
##########

"Gold is a treasure, and he who possesses it does all he wishes to in this world, and succeeds in helping souls into paradise."
- Christopher Columbus

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 32227.1000

The Native American man sat at his desk, a stunned expression on his face as he looked down at the PADD that was now in his hands. The device had been provided by his Chief Science Officer and strangely enough displayed a single word.

"Ub-Hani?" Morningstar inquired as if the word was something that meant absolutely nothing to him, which was not the case in the least.

"It is the name of a race," the Shillian Chief Science Officer explained, but before she could go on the Captain looked up from the device in his hands and met the Lieutenant Commander's gaze straight on.

"I know who they are," Erik calmly stated in a way that made it unclear if he was upset with the Shillian or with her one-word report. "Are you certain?"

"As certain as she can be," the Chief Engineer confirmed. "Although I will say that her findings are based on 'basic elements'." Sonja added, realizing all too quickly that her attempt at a joke had fallen flat, crashing well before liftoff without triggering any reactions from the Native American Captain.

"Professor Arken has employed a wide range of methods to hide the clues to the next crystal within the structure of the previous one," Maya explained. "Within those methods I have been able to identify a recognizable pattern. Based on that, the stated destination is the most likely one."

"Commander, I am in no way doubting you or your findings," the Captain clarified. "I am simply aware of the kind if people the Ub-Hani are and it surprises me that Professor Arken not only managed to speak to one of them, but to do so to an extent that allowed him to entrust one of the 8 crystals to them."

"I know," Sonja noted, indicating that she too knew of the particulars of the Ub-Hani. "The worst of it is that we don't even have a name. That is not going to make our getting that crystal any easier."

"We will have to address that problem once we are there," the Native American said, allowing a long exhale to escape from his lungs as he glanced down at the PADD to again gaze at the displayed name of the race. "How fast can we reach the Ub-Hani homeworld?"

Maya glanced over to the Chief Engineer, the question evidently having been directed at her.

"The engines are working at peak level, so at maximum warp, and if we don't run into any unexpected problems, we could be there in a couple of days," Sonja reported. "This Arken fella is bouncing us all over the known galaxy. I'm actually surprised that he didn't find a way to hide one of those blasted crystals in the Gamma Quadrant."

"I would not say that too loudly," Erik warned with a sigh. "After this one, there are still two more crystals for us to obtain, so the possibility still exists. In the meantime, Lieutenant Paquette please have Ensign Jones set a course for the Ub-Hani home and get us there as quickly as possible. Lieutenant Commander Maya, please continue with your research on our most recent acquisition, maybe you can find something additional between now and then that will make our attempts to locate the next crystal somewhat easier."

"Yes Sir," the two officers replied in unison before leaving the Captain to his affairs which now included finding a way to deal with the members of the race they were heading towards.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 2, Corridor
Stardate: 32227.1100

The Native American Captain stood in front of the door leading to the quarters of his First Officer. As bad as he felt for being here, he realized that he had no other choice, so he reached for the door chime to announce his presence.

=/\= Yes? =/\= Shar'El quickly acknowledged, sounding less than happy by the unexpected visitor.

"My apologies Commander," Erik promptly offered. "I didn't mean to interrupt your off-duty time. We can speak another time."

=/\= Captain! =/\= The First Officer exclaimed, never having expected him of all people to come knocking at her door. =/\= Please, give me a minute, I will be right there. =/\=

The Captain wondered what his First Officer might have been doing at this time of the day which prompted her to ask for some extra time. After a second or so though, the Native American dismissed his curiosity as he reminded himself that the woman had been given time to herself in order to get some rest. The situation with the Felicium had not been an easy one for those involved, especially her.

A few minutes passed before the door hissed open, revealing the solid black-haired woman dressed as he would have expected her to be any other day while on duty.

"Please tell me that you didn't get dressed in your uniform on my account," Erik playfully pleaded.

"You have nothing to worry Captain," Shar'El reassured. "I got dressed this morning out of simple habit. Also, if something did happen, I am sure you would appreciate having your ExO properly attired while on the bridge. One barefooted Officer was likely more than enough for you to deal with for a while."

The Native American laughed aloud; glad to see that Shar'El appeared perfectly fine. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, that said though I truly hope that I am not interrupting anything."

"Not at all Captain," she confirmed inviting the man in. "I just wanted to straighten out my quarters. I am afraid that I allowed them to become quite unsightly over our last few frantic searches for the crystals. Now, what brings you here?"

The Captain waited to make sure that the door had closed behind him, not wanting what he had to say to be broadcasted through the ship and crew. "I need your expertise as this ship's Intelligence Liaison Operative," Erik explained after having returned his attention back onto the woman. "Commander Maya has identified the location of the next crystal."

"Wonderful," Shar'El announced, glad that Maya had been as efficient as always. The fact that this also freed her to work on the project the First Officer had given her only made the news that much more welcomed.

"It's the Ub-Hani home planet," Erik cautiously announced.

"Oh. That could be *interesting*," Shar'El said after a short pause, adding a half-smile.

"Interesting? That was not the first word that came to mind," Erik admitted. "I was hoping that you could provide me with some recent Intel on them, if there is such a thing. I am hoping that you might be able to find something that will make it easier for us to find who actually has the crystal since Maya as yet to discover a name or anything beyond the identity of the planet where the sixth crystal is located."

"How long do we have before we arrive?" The First Officer asked, taking it for granted that the ANUBIS had already been placed on the quickest and most direct heading for their new destination

"According to Lieutenant Paquette, a couple of days," the Captain replied.

"Which means that we will get there sooner," Shar'El chuckled. "Might be cutting it close but let's see what I can offer," the Intelligence Liaison Officer added as she invited Erik to sit on the couch while she fetched one of several PADDs resting on the table before him."

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P116: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 10 - 1115 ("Chatting")
=-=
"Chatting"
[previous post was "Hoping" by our illustrious leader Francois]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Shar'El's Quarters
Stardate: 32227.1115

Shar'El positioned herself in the chair opposite the couch allowing her to face the Captain while keeping a close watch on the PADDs that sat between them. There were no reasons for Erik to look through any of them, but the ExO / ILO felt a chill of nervousness sweep through her body and mind. As long as she kept the man's attention on something else, there would not be any need for him to scan through the half-dozen hand-held devices and discover what the raven-haired woman had been so deligently researching.

"Let's see what the most recent Intel the IGC has on our friends the Ub-Hani," the ExO / ILO said, tapping the PADD currently in her hands with a calmness and ease that perfectly hid her current state of mind. "As I suspected, there nothing new since the initial report. Every attempt to communicate with them was met with complete and utter refusal from the part of the Ub-Hani. Just getting them to acknowledge that a Federation vessel was in orbit was a major victory, but that is as far as the exchange went."

"I thought the Ub-Hani were a technologically and socially evolved race?" The Captain said, not fully grasping the situation despite his having some knowledge of that particular eccentric people.

"They are," Shar'El confirmed. "The problem is that they consider the greater majority of the rest of the galaxy to be lacking in wisdom and knowledge to properly use the technology at their disposal while being nothing more than social infants. The first time we were able to speak to them, they made it very clear that they consider the Federation, as well as any other similar organization, to be nothing more than kindergarten groups meant to give all of the child races somewhere to go in order to not feel alone."

"What a charming way of looking at us," Erik noted, not trying to hide the fact that he was not impressed. "How did Professor Arken ever managed to reach the planet surface, let alone actually talk to one of them enough to trust them with one of his crystals?"

"As Maya has been more than happy to say every chance she gets, the man is a genius. Many others have claimed the same thing, although granted not with the same level of admiration displayed by our Chief Science Officer. I can only guess that the Ub-Hani agree with this evaluation of his intellect and considered him to be worthy of spending time amongst them," the ExO / ILO theorized. "Unfortunately for us, our good friend the Professor decided to keep all accounts of his time there off any official records, so there is nothing on file about his visit or what he saw. The fact that he went to the Ub-Hani homeworld on his own and cleared the ship's automated log leaves us without the slightest proof that he did in fact reach the surface. For all we know, he lied about his claims of having set foot on the 'world of living gold' as he described it in a discussion with Admiral Koniki."

"All of that is not helping us," the Captain added, trying to find a way that would help them in securing the sixth crystal. "We can only hope that Lieutenant Commander Maya will find something more in that crystal to help us establish some sort of dialogue with them. Searching for a needle in a haystack would likely be easier than what we will be attempting to do once we reach the planet. Looks like all of our hopes are resting on Maya's shoulders."

"Speaking of Maya," Shar'El said, jumping back in. "Am I to gather that she is back in one of her laboratories? Working on the latest crystal we have acquired?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Erik inquired, not entirely certain as to where this line of questioning was going.

"With you and I here, and with Lieutenant Commander Maya working in one of her labs, I was just curious as to is manning the ship? Obviously Lieutenant Stark and Counselor Dima are off duty as I am, this leaves Lieutenant Paquette and Lieutenant Ya'Han, whom I suspect have both found some valid reason not to be sitting on the bridge. Best guess is that Sonja is tweaking the engines to get us to our destination as quickly as possible, and Ya'Han is making sure to keep an eye on that one member of the away team she has access to in order to insure that the antidote is working as intended on a long-term basis."

"For someone who is officially off duty, you sure have done a lot of thinking," the Captain said laughing gently. "That said, I have to admit that you are quite correct. Since we are well inside Federation space and at least a full day away from the home of the Ub-Hani, I thought I could give Ensign Jones some time in the big chair."

"Sorry for 'thinking too much', but after all that is what an ExO and an ILO are meant to do," Shar'El pointed out. "I am sure that our Flight Control Officer is loving every second of that," the ExO / ILO sarcastically said, knowing all too well that Tanith was not the type to enjoy being in charge, preferring to be left to do her job while not attracting any attention from anyone, including her fellow shipmates."

"She is a member of the ANUBIS' Senior Officers," Erik proclaimed, "and as such I will not treat her any differently from anyone else under my command. We have no idea what we might be called to deal with and it is to everyone's benefit to have some command experience under their belts. Still, I know that everyone else, including yourself, would be back on the bridge in seconds if something actually happened.  Wasn't that the reason you gave me for being in uniform despite being off duty?"

"Touche Captain," Shar'El smiled. "I agree with your reasoning, but that will not change the fact that Tanith is more than likely hoping for the hasty return to the bridge of yourself or anyone else with a higher rank."

"She will be just fine," the Captain said, sounding both certain and reassuring. As he had stated, the ANUBIS was not in a situation where anything could or should happen, and even if it did, there were more than enough resources available to make sure that control of the situation would quickly be reclaimed.  "Now, back to the Ub-Hani. Can I ask you to tap into your Intel network and see what you can get? Every little thing that you can give us will be of tremendous assistance."

"Of course Captain," the ExO / ILO said, standing just as the man did. "I will get to it right away."

"Thank you Commander. I am sorry to step in on your private time as I know that you have more than earned it, but I suspect that you would not have been getting that much rest judging by the number of PADDs there," the Captain said, shooting a quick glance down at the pile sitting on the table.

"Hard to stop being an Intel Operative," Shar'El claimed. "If I do not stay on top of things, I would risk giving you outdated information that could prove to be dangerous to the ship and crew."

Erik smiled. "Again, thank you Commander. We all appreciate your dedication."

"No need to mention it Captain, it is my pleasure," Sha'El said adding a respectful bow for good measure.

With that said, Erik left Shar'El's quarters, permitting the raven-haired woman to drop the veil of falsehood she had summoned. She would still asked for the IGC to perform a thorough research on the Ub-Hani, but on her hand, the ExO / ILO would tackle a completely different research, one that she considered far more important and urgent if she was to be able to function in any capacity on board the ANUBIS.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P117: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 10 - 1230 ("Reviewing")
---
"Reviewing"
(Previous Post: "Chatting")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7, Sickbay
Stardate: 32227.1230

She had dug as deep as she could, looked into the crystal in every way imaginable and even gone as far as to bring it to Sickbay to see if the medical scanners might be able to detect something that had been overlooked. Maya doubted that this would make any sort of difference, but she could not allow any stone to remain unturned.  If putting the crystal into the heart of the matter/antimatter reaction assemble might reveal something new, Maya would not have hesitated to do so.  Of course, this was not a valid option, and the Shillian doubted that their Chief Engineer would even permit such an effort.

Regardless of how much she tried though, or what unusual method she used, the only information the Shillian Scientist was able to get from within the crystalline structure was the atomic composition of two base elements. These led the Chief Science Officer of the USS ANUBIS to the same single possibility that she had reached before; the golden world of the Ub-Hani.

Unable to find anything more within the crystal, Maya shifted the focus of hr research to what little information was available on the members of the race described as being as gifted as they were arrogant. Maybe, just maybe, she would find some sort of clue hidden in what little social-political data collected by the Federation delegates dispatched to that world. Since every diplomat sent to the homeworld of the Ub-Hani after the initial contact were turned away immediately upon arrival, the odds of the Shillian discovering anything new was at best next to non-existent.

The first Federation envoys were the only one who managed to collect any sort of useful data, the Ub-Hani having actually spoken to them. The Captain of the research vessel, in his official log, reported making contact with a highly advanced civilization of gold-skinned humanoids possessing a remarkable intellect. What little planetary scans they were able to obtain at the time indicated that the culture possessed technology at the very least equal to that of the Federation. What surprised the research team the most though was the discovery that every structure, no matter its location on the planet, was entirely covered in gold. Due to the near complete cloud cover. This discovery unfortunately could not be visually supported, especially given that no one from the crew, or any other crews afterwards, were permitted to set foot on the planet.

According to the official report, once contact was made with the inhabitants, the command staff of the research vessel was subjected, as a group, to an endless list of questions theorized to test the extent of their knowledge, and this in a wide range of subjects. During the lengthy interrogation, the bridge crew was required to provide detailed answers on questions dealing with advanced quantum mechanics, cellular and genetic medicine as well as mechanical and engineering situations that would have required a team of skilled scientists hours if not days to address.

During that time, the social research team scanned the planet as best they could, encountering countless artistic displays visible from orbit. They were instantly impressed by the sheer size and number of these artistic works found all over the planet which included statues in excess of 100 meters in height, monuments the size of a starship with moving parts that appeared to be as graceful as they were complex. Several outdoor symphonic shows were also found, the music being played defying all known rules of acoustics. Due to whatever interference field surrounded the planet, likely from some unknown substance present in the clouds, not a single clear image of these wonders was captured. Even audio recordings of the music could not be properly made due to an unexplainable system overload reported by the computer each time they attempted to keep an audio sample for mission log. Although no proof could be obtained of their discoveries, the report of the research team made it clear that the Ub-Hani were a race possessing a remarkable sense of artistic creation.

Back on the bridge, the command staff and senior officers faced the impossible task of answering all of the increasingly more difficult questions presented to them. After several hours and despite their greatest efforts and knowledge, the crew of the research vessel was unable to meet the level of expertise expected by the Ub-Hani who all of a sudden terminated all communications. As if that were not enough, they triggered some sort of bio-chemical reaction in their atmosphere that shielded their world to be beyond the reach of the Federation sensors.

It was only after this, while compiling their final report to be submitted to Starfleet, that the Captain of the research vessel realised that they had never been given the name of the planet, forcing everyone to refer to it as the homeworld of the Ub-Hani.

As the Shillian finished reading this report, the admiration Maya held for Professor Arken only grew that much more as she realised that he was the only outsider to have ever been permitted to set foot on the unnamed planet. That he had not made any official statement of his visit was a shame, but the Chief Science Officer could not help but wonder if this was intentional or if the omission had been due to a request made by the Ub-Hani. Either way, this meant that the professor would be the only one able to cherish the golden charms of that particular world, that privilege having being denied to everyone prior and following his visit.

Obviously, Professor Arken had said or done something uniquely special that endeared him to the Ub-Hani and granted him access to the surface. What Maya needed to do was to discover what this was in order to grant at least one member of the crew of the ANUBIS to beam down and have some minute chance of locating the person to whom the crystal was entrusted to by the professor.

Maya was lost in her own thoughts about the Ub-Hani and the next crystal that she forgot where she was, working in Sickbay as if she was in any of the other laboratories on board the ANUBIS, not paying attention to the hissing of opening and closing doors, or the sounds of footsteps closing in on her.

---
Jessica Solarik (maya992003@gmail.com)

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P118: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 10 - 1245 ("Sparring")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Sparring"
[previous post was "Reviewing"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 7, Corridor
Stardate: 32227.1245

It took everything for the Sec/Tac to convince the Chief of Operations to spar with her in the gymnasium. Jayson was sure that Ya'Han would take advantage of his weakened state despite her repeated reassurances and that fact that she did not need any sort of advantages to prove that she was a better fighter than he could ever hope to be. The best part in all this was that he knew this all too well, and that was why she insisted so much.

Jayson was fine and this by his own admission over lunch. Every time the Sec/Tac showed any concerns about his physical and mental state, the Operations Officer would quickly counter stating that he was fine. If it was not for the Captain giving them time off to recuperate, Jayson said that he would have been more than ready to return to duty. All of that was until Ya'Han suggested testing his motor reflexes in the gym with a gentle session of sparring.

From that moment on every excuse he could find became a valid point to postpone the activity suggested by the black and red-haired Nylaan. His attempt to find a way out of this became a game that Jayson quickly found himself ill prepared to engage with again Ya'Han who found countless reasons as to why he should come to the gymnasium with her.

By the time their lunch was done, the Operations Officer had finally given in and reluctantly agreed to follow the Sec/Tac. Once there, a new debate surfaced in regards to him joining her on the mat as she was -- barefooted. Ya'Han could have called Jayson a coward unworthy of her affection and still not trigger as much a reaction as had come to be after she told him t take his shoes and socks off. It was as if the universe had rang a bell calling for the end of all things.

The Sec/Tac could understand why the Operations Officer would have some reservations to do as he had been instructed, his trip to the bridge barefooted having left a clear mark that he wished to distance himself from as much as possible. Even her efforts to point out that they were nowhere near the bridge and that she too would be barefooted had proven to be of little success in convincing him.  Forced to rely on her feminine wiles to convince Jayson to remove his shoes Ya'Han was next soon obliged to deal with the man who refused to go the extra step to see his feet be as bare as hers.

Ya'Han gave up at that point, realizing that she would never be able to win this battle and willing to grant him this small victory since she had won all others leading to his point. In hindsight though, the Sec/Tac thought that maybe she should not have been so willing to give in.

As much as she was holding back during their sparring, trying to ease him into a more confident posture, her combat instincts were still there even if her fiery hair had not been called forth. In an effort to be more than just a form standing there on the mat, Jayson launched a strike against Ya'Han that she easily deflected out of pure reflex. Normally, the traction of bare feet with the mat would have been enough to allow her adversary to remain standing, but this time, thanks to the socks he had chosen to keep on, the Operations Officer lost his balance, crashing down in a manner that the Sec/Tac knew would not be without worries.

With a sprained wrist from the ungraceful manner he landed on it, Jayson was against his will escorted to Sickbay by Ya'Han with he hopes that someone there would be able to help him with this latest unflattering incident.  Upon seeing the acting Chief Medical Officer, the Operations Officer let out a sigh of disappointment having hoped that no one would be here to witness his disgrace. As for the Sec/Tac, she was more than happy to find the Shillian here.

"Commander Maya, we need your help," Ya'Han said, failing to trigger any sort of reaction from the woman who was clearly busy with some all-encompassing research concerning one of the crystals.

"She's too busy for us," Jayson said having already turned around and taken a long stride towards the door they had just walked through.

"Nonsense," the Sec/Tac argued. Yes, Maya did appear busy, but there was no way that Ya'Han would let that be the excuse Jayson would use to get out of getting the medical attention he required. "Commander!" the black and red-haired Nylaan insisted while holding onto the Terran's wrist to insure he would not escape. This time the Chief Science Officer reacted, looking back at the couple with surprise as if they had appeared there out of nowhere.

"Sorry," Maya said looking a little dazed. "I was trying to get a better sense of who the Ub-Hani are and how we are going to get the next crystal from them. Although advanced in terms of technology, they are rather uniquely anti-social when it comes to dealings with other species."

"The Ub-Hani? Never heard of them. Do you expect there to be a problem for us to get the crystal?" Jayson said, hoping to direct the discussion onto something other than his current physical condition.

"Commander," Ya'Han interjected before Maya could start on the explanation the Chief of Operations had hoped for. "Before you tell us about these Ub-Hani, could you have a look at his wrist. I believe that it might be sprained."

"Of course," Maya agreed, reaching for the nearest medical tricoder before looking down at both Jayson's and Ya'Han's feet. "Let me guess, you two were sparring and someone refused to go barefooted? You do realize that the Captain, as well as the rest of the crew, do not hold you in any way responsible for having walked onto the commander deck barefooted? There is no shame in you exposing your feet, and you know that it is preferable to do so when engaging Miss Lieutenant Ya'Han in any sort of sparring exercise."

"I will keep that in mind for next time Commander," Jayson said, offering his wrist to the Shillian. The quicker she could get to fix his injury, the quicker both Ya'Han and he could leave Sickbay and pretend that none of this had actually happened.

"While you work on his wrist, please tell us about these Ub-Hani," the Sec/Tac suggested, shooting a rapid look at her sparring partner further indicating that she was a force to be reckoned with, be it in the gymnasium in a physical confrontation or anywhere else in a battle of wits.

"The entire civilization appears to revere gold although there is no way for us to know why at this time," Maya began. "The first team to encounter them reported the members of this race to have gold-colored skin. The sensors of their vessel also reported that every single building was covered in gold. The problem is that they seem less than willing to open their wold to visitors, unless they display an amazing level of intellect."

"Well, that puts the odds against us," Ya'Han teased in a whispered voice as she again glanced in Jayson's direction.

"You didn't have enough hurting me physically, now you have to take shots at me emotionally?"

"I'm sorry," Ya'Han offered, the sad eyes and pouty lips she instantly displayed being more than enough to make the man accept her apology. After this short exchange, both the Sec/Tac and Operations Officer returned their attention to the acting Chief Medical Officer who did not notice in the least that she had lost the ears of her audience.

"Although several diplomatic missions were sent to their home planet, the Ub-Hani have refused to open any sort of dialogue with the Federation," Maya continued as she ran the tissue regenerator over the injured wrist. "The only exception appears to be Professor Elijah Arken who not only was permitted to set foot on the planet but also seems to have made personal contact with someone, trusting them enough to give one of his crystals to them."

"You have to admit that from a tactical stand-point, the decision made by the professor is a sound one," the Sec/Tac proposed. "If the Ub-Hani are that selective of the people they interact with, it is a safe assumption that the crystal is safe in their possession."

"Our problem is that the professor is not here with us," Jason added. "That means we are likely not going to be able to get it. As hurtful as you comment to me was, it is unfortunately accurate in a more general sense. As Commander Maya pointed out on several occasions, the man is way smarter than any of us, and likely smarter than all of us combined. It will be difficult for us to get down there to locate the next crystal."

"That is what I was working on," Maya explained, running the medical tricorder over Jayson's wrist. "You are all done here. The wrist may be a little sore for a day, so I would advise you two to be careful during any upcoming sparring.

"No worries about that Commander," Jayson said with absolute certitude. "I don't see any sparring in our collective future anytime soon. We will let you get back to your research. Good luck in finding a way to get us down to the planet. If anyone can do it, it has to be you."

As sweet and thoughtful as the compliment was, Maya had already returned to her work meaning that she had not heard a word of what the Chief of Operations said.

"You have to admit that she is a dedicated officer," the Sec/Tac voiced, allowing her admiration of the woman to be heard.

"At least she works to help and heal the members of this crew, unlike some others who seem to get pleasure in injuring them," Jayson shot back, taking their sparring session out of the physical realm and into the verbal one.

Jayson," Ya'Han warned as they made their way out of Sickbay. "Do not underestimate my abilities to injure you just as much or maybe even more verbally than I can physically. I may not be a diplomat, or even a Counselor, but I was brought up as the daughter of a planetary ruler, and as such I am more than equipped to defend myself on this battlefield as I am on any other."

Jayson debated for an instant the validity of the warning he was given, and after a few steps down the corridor, the Chief of Operations thought it best to heed the words of caution spoken by the Sec/Tac. To underestimate Ya'Han in any form of combat, be it sparring or not, was a huge mistake, and to do so on any other field of battle, be it physical or verbal, had likely been equally dangerous.

In addition, since he was in his mere socks, Jayson believed it best to concede this latest sparring match to Ya'Han before he suffered another injury, one that might not be so easily fixed by the scientist turned temporary medical officer.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P119: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 10 - 1400 ("Computing")
"Computing"
previous post was "Sparring"

=====

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 32227.1400

"What's the power output efficiency ratio now?" Sonja asked of the Avatar who, despite just standing there next to the woman tinkering beneath one of the workstations, was keeping a constant watch on every systems of the ship they were on.

"Power output ratio now at 96.2%," ANI reported. "Given that we are actually exceeding the safe sustainable maximum warp speed, the mark that you have been able to reach is a very respectable and noteworthy achievement. Most ships would not be able to reach 92% under these conditions, this even if their Chief Engineer did everything you did here."

"Don't you try buttering me up young lady," Sonja huffed as she returned to a full upright stance to point the now infamous digit of doom at the artificial woman. "The ANUBIS is not 'most ships' and I certainly am not a one of those run of the mill Chief Engineers, and don't you ever forget it."

"My apologies," the Avatar said, appearing a little surprised by the engineer's reaction. "I did not mean to disrespect you or the ship, although I am at a loss to understand how my words were taken in that manner. My intent was to simply acknowledge your work that is allowing us to reach the home of the Ub-Hani nearly a full 12 hours ahead of schedule."

"Not that it's going to make any real difference," Sonja noted followed by a long, deep sigh. "Let's face it, even if we were able to instantly get there in the blink of an eye, it would not change anything in how we are going to be greeted. Those golden-skinned holier-than-thou arrogant SOBs are not going to give us the time of day, let alone the crystal we need. All of this," the engineer added showing the entirety of the room with a grand gesture of her arms, "is not going to impress them."

"The Ub-Hani do appear to respect higher level intellect, which may explain why Professor Arken was permitted to reach the surface of their world," ANI theorized.

"Just another reason for me to despise that man," the Chief Engineer softly growled. "I understand in some way why Maya admires him, but the fact that the Ub-Hani accepted him on their world is just another proof that he's nothing more than a pompous brainiac. I mean come on, we have five of those blasted crystals and we are not one step closer to understanding what they are for.  All we are supposed to do is be Koniki's dogs and fetch these things without asking any questions."

"This is not the first, nor would I suspect it would be the last, mission that the ANUBIS is sent on by the Admiral without the Captain being given all the details," the Avatar explained. "Analyzing the official mission logs of the last several missions, the lack of disclosure from the Admiral does appear to be a strongly reoccurring pattern."

"As much as I might personally hate it, we have to accept that it is part of our mission profile," Captain Morningstar said as he approached his Chief Engineer and ship's Avatar. "In our field of work, information is power. So, in order to maintain the fragile balance, it is safest to have those operating in the field with all of the knowledge and information they absolutely need, everything else would just be extra baggage that could risk falling into the hands of an adversary should things go wrong."

"Of course you are right Captain," Sonja agreed reluctantly. "Still doesn't mean that I have to like it."

"You and me both," Erik said, adding a faint smile. "On another note, I have to admit that I envy you Lieutenant. This is where the real action takes place on a ship like this one. I remember spending many hours just tinkering with whatever system I could get my hands on."

"That would be the primary reason as to why I will never, ever be a Captain, no offence meant." The Engineer stated as she met the Commanding Officer's gaze

"None taken," Erik offered in return, enjoying the woman's candor.

"Good, now, why are you here?" Sonja asked, feeling a little nervous in having the Captain invade her domain as he had.

"I received the latest report from Commander Maya as to her work on finding a way to deal with the Ub-Hani," Erik explained.

"Let me guess, she turned that crystal inside-out and still found nothing, not that she should have expected the scanners in Sickbay to make a difference," the Chief Engineer chuckled.

"Keeping tabs on our Chief Science Officer?" The Captain asked, a little puzzled by the fact that Sonja was doing just that. Had he been speaking with Shar'El, the announcement made would not have even registered as strange, but coming from his Chief Engineer did make it sound somewhat out of place.

The redhead closed her eyes, smiled and shook her head as she pointed to the Avatar. "I'm not keeping tabs on anyone, but ANI here does like to report on certain happenings throughout the ship."

"Captain, I feel the need to clarify that I am bound by the same privacy protocols that the ANUBIS' main computer uses for any internal scans," the Avatar explained without having been prompted to doing so. "I simply relay information that would be just as easily accessible through any of the workstations throughout the ship. The only difference is that I am able to do so in a verbal and hopefully more personal manner."

"Having the 'ship-made-flesh' standing right next to you does have some advantages," Sonja pointed out. "I get to have an instant report on the results of whatever I am working on while at the same time able to see if our resident shape-shifting smart girl was able to find something useful."

"It is a great advantage to have someone like you on the ANUBIS," Erik agreed as he looked at ANI. "Your ability to access every systems and knowledge contained within the memory banks of the ship has proven useful on more than one occasion." The Captain paused for a moment as he gazed at the artificial woman with an unmatched intensity, so much so that Sonja actually became nervous.

"Captain? What are your intentions with my ANI?"

"Your ANI?" Erik inquired visibly puzzled.

"Yes *my* ANI," the Chief Engineer reasserted. "That giant bald-headed Oltharian might have had something to do with her creation, but I was there the day she came online and have been working on her programming and upkeep ever since. If putting her together makes Elan her *father*, everything I have done since surely makes me her *mother*, and as such that makes her *mine*."

Erik grinned. He could have challenged the claim Sonja had just made but that would have served no purpose, so instead he simply continued with the idea that came into his mind before the Chief Engineer stated her ownership of the Avatar.  "ANI, you have near instant access to every piece of data on board the ANUBIS, am I correct?"

"Yes Captain," the Avatar confirmed. "If we are close enough to a communications relay, I can also access the complete archive of NEW ALEXANDRIA as well as that of Starfleet Head Quarters, minus any restricted files beyond the normal access of the ship's computer. Of course, there may be some delays in retrieving said information but it should not display itself to be more than a few seconds."

"What are you up to?" Sonja cautiously inquired.

"Maya has been trying to find a way to bend or circumvent the rules of the Ub-Hani in regards as to whom they are willing to talk to," the Captain explained. "The first research vessel to make contact was not equipped with an Avatar, and the same can be said for the diplomatic vessels that followed. If the Ub-Hani consider intellect as a mark of worthiness, I believe that ANI could prove to be our key to reach the surface, or at the very least have them actually talk to us while we are in ordit."

"She does have access to the ship's complete accumulated knowledge," Sonja said, nodding in agreement. "Would have to tweak her processing algorithms to make both the accessing and relaying of that information smoother, more natural, but I don't see why that could not be done."

"How long would it take?" The Captain asked, pleased that a possible solution had been within their grasp.

"Just about the same amount of time we have before we reach our destination," Sonja quickly replied. "So, you get back to the bridge and do whatever it is you do and let me work on what I need to do. ANI," the Engineer continued as she turned to face the Avatar. "Get ready to get turned into a smartest robotic nerd anyone has ever seen."

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P120: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 10 - 1500 ("Fearing")
=-=
"Fearing"
[previous post was "Computing" by the fabulous Lorraine]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Shar'El's Quarters
Stardate: 32227.1500

The Chief Engineer was not the only one able to keep track of the whereabouts of specific individuals on board the ANUBIS. Sonja had ANI, and Shar'El had the IGC which was not obliged to follow the privacy restrictions the computer, and through it the Avatar, were restricted by.  The technicians were morally bound to respect the privacy of other members of the crew and so far, this had not been an issue for the ExO / ILO.

What did bother Shar'El though was that according to the live report being relayed to one of the PADDs that was on the table when the Captain was here, the Chief Science Officer had no been in Sickbay or in any of the ANUBIS' labs. For some reason Maya had decided to join Sonja in the Cybernetics / Robotics Lab along with the ship's Avatar.

How was the Shillian suppose to find a solution to the problem given to her by the Ullian if she spent every available moment gallivanting about and dealing with other issues? It appeared that the ExO / ILO needed to bring both the Scientist and Engineer back on track.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Cybernetics / Robotics Laboratory
Stardate: 32227.1520

"Commander!" Sonja chirped. "We have been expecting you."

Shar'El froze in the opened doorway, wondering why she would have been expected here of all places. Was the Chief Engineer keeping a closer watch on her movements than the ExO / ILO had anticipated her to?  "You were expecting me?" The tone used was borderline accusatory, the Raven-haired woman ready to prosecute them for the crime of knowing something she did not.

"After Captain Morningstar left, I figured it would be only a matter of time before you came to see what the plan entailed," the Chief Engineer said. "I was actually surprised that Maya beat you here, but she was quick to remind me that you are off-duty and that as such you had no official reason to come and check up on us. I am glad to see that I was ultimately right about you and your desire to keep on top of everything that happens on board the ANUBIS. You have never struck me as being the type of person who just sits around and lets others do things, that's why I like you Spy-Girl," Sonja said, adding a playful wink for good measure after she concluded her explanation.

The ExO / ILO took a mental step back. This had all been nothing more than a misunderstanding blown out of proportion by a strange sense of paranoia. The Ullian could not immediately identify the source of this sensation, but mattered little. These were her shipmates, her colleagues, her friends, so why had she reacted the way she had? The most important thing to do now was to make sure neither one of them suspected the thoughts that Shar'El had entertained.

"How far are you on this plan? The Captain was rather vague in his details," Shar'El said hoping that the subterfuge would be enough to get her up-to-date with what was going on.

"Nothing much to be vague about," Sonja shrugged. "We need to upgrade ANI's link to the ship's computer so that she is able to access and relay any part of the available information in as a natural manner as possible."

"Since the Ub-Hani value intellect above all else, or at least give the appearance of this to everyone who has come in contact with them, it is our hope that ANI will be able to meet their expectations by presenting herself as an equal," Maya further explained. "If not an equal to them, at least an equal to Professor Arken. That is why all of his research papers and lectures are being downloaded into a special external data device. This can then be incorporated into the Avatar giving her instant access to any and all of his work without having to rely on the subspace link between her and the ANUBIS' computer."

"In short, poor ANI here is being turned into the absolute nerd," Sonja sighed. "The plan is to have all of this scientific mumbo jumbo stored in a separate memory bank that will allow her to access it only when she absolutely needs to so as to not interfere with her day-to-day interactions with the ship and crew."

"Or for you to remove it should you deem it bothersome," Shar'El figured.

"I would never to that!" The Chief Engineer quickly said in her defence, motioning for her raven-haired friend to stop talking so that Maya did not overhear more and realise that this was exactly what Sonja had intended from the start. "Maya, can you make sure that the quantum connections to the new storage matrix are properly polarised. It will make it a lot easier to fix anything that is not perfectly as if should be now before we get too far into the modifications."

As Sonja sent the Chief Science Officer onto a specific task that would keep the Shillian busy for quite some time, the Chief Engineer took hold of the ExO / ILO's hand and escorted her out of the lab.

"Come on Spy-Girl, I thought you were on my side," the CEO snapped in a blunt yet friendly manner. "Can you imagine ANI wandering the ship with all of that scientific nonsense floating in her artificial brain? That thought honestly scares the antimatter out of my pods and I want to make sure that no one on board the ship comes to fear our Avatar as some have come to fear Maya."

"You fear Maya?" Shar'El asked with a raised eyebrow, unable to visualise this no matter how hard she might try.

"Of course not," Sonja said waving her hands to show that the idea was complete nonsense. "Maya is a wonderful person and we all love her for her dedication and skills, it is just that at times she tends to be a little too eager to explain things. I think having one brainy type on board the ANUBIS is more than enough, so there is no need to turn poor little ANI into someone that would prove to be a truly annoying know-it-al. Have you seen the size of the file containing Professor Arken's research and lectures? I don't think that the complete medial database comes even to half the size of what we are shoving into my poor little baby."

"Poor little baby?" the ExO / ILO repeated, finding it strange that the Chief Engineer was referring to the Avatar in such a personal manner.

"I already had this discussion with the Captain and frankly I don't have the time to do through it again," Sonja said already heading back into the Cybernetics / Robotics Lab. "If you want details, go see him, he's likely on the bridge. In the meantime, Maya and I have work to do, work that needs to be done before we reach he Ub-Hani and their golden paradise."

Shar'El could do nothing more than watch as Sonja vanished behind the doors that slid behind her. As annoying as her drive to complete her work might have been, it gave the ExO / ILO the perfect excuse to explain away what had taken place earlier. Until the situation with the Ub-Hani and the latest crystal was resolved, the raven-haired woman would be on her own to find a way to deal with her chaotic emotions brought on by the lingering effect of the cure to the Felicium exposure. A cure that had a most unfortunate side effect as far as the Ullian was concerned.

One way or another, Shar'El needed to find a way to isolate the Nylaan's memories from her mind, this before they drove her into a state of madness from which the Ullian would never be able to return from while still being the person she was.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P121: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 10 - 1830 ("Dining")
"Dining"
[previous "Fearing"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32227.1830

His wrist might have felt better but his spirit still wore the bruises of the last couple of days. No harm had come from his stepping onto the bridge in his bare feet, but the experience proved enough to make him regret that ever happening. After the failed sparring attempt earlier this morning, Jayson figured that he would never again take off his shoes. As serious as he was about this, his dining companion visibly found the entire thing quite amusing.

"You are over reacting," Ya'Han said, joining the man already sitting at the dining table. "The incident on the bridge was not your fault; you were under the influence of Felicium. No one on board is holding you accountable for that. In fact, I am sure that many, including the Captain, are rather happy that it was the worst of it. No one was injured; no damage was caused to the ship or its systems. All that happened was that you just took a nice relaxing stroll onto the command deck."

"I am still not happy with what happened," he argued, his fork moving the food on his plate around as if its simple presence had been offending to him. "The fall in the gymnasium was just the icing on the cake. As the OPS Officer, I should be an example for others to follow, not the officer that they can make fun of behind his back.

"Like it or not, you are not perfect," Ya'Han snapped, the Nylaan clearly having had enough of this self-indulging guilt Jayson had been pushing. "None of us are. Do you think anyone makes fun of the Captain because he likes to take a walk on the outer hull?"

"Of course not," he answered. "He's the Captain. No one would dare to think anything about what he does to relax."

"Exactly," she continued, this having been but the first example of the point she wanted to make. "What about Maya? Do you believe that anyone mocks her for wandering the ship late at night in animal form?"

"Of course not," Jayson said. "That's a natural ability of hers, although I thought that she limited her activities in animal form o the holodeck. I am sure that no one would even think twice about it, believing that there was some logical or scientific reasoning for her doing so. Guess you have spotted her on internal security sensors on a few occasion?"

Ya'Han dismissed the question and pressed on. "What about Sonja?"

"What about her?" He counter asked. "She hates me and takes every chance she gets to insult me."

"Maybe so, but have you or heard anyone else make fun of her for talking to the ship as if it were a living entity?"

"Of course not. She's the Chief Engineer, it is expected for them to act a little nuts when it comes to their ship," he replied, already suspecting as to where all of this was leading to.

"It's called respect," the woman sitting across the table from him stated. "It is something that we all have for each other, not only because of our professional standings as member of the same crew, but also because we have gone through too much to consider each other to be anything less than what we should be. This, regardless of what might happen. No one will say anything about you walking onto the bridge bare footed or because you sprained your wrist because you were sparring with me. People respect you and it will take a lot more than those two insignificant events to undo that."

"Except for Sonja," he sighed. "She will use it every chance she gets."

"That's just the way she is," Ya'Han said, knowing that her friend loved to take shots at Jayson. "Tell you what; I'll talk to her first chance I get. It might cost me one or two of that awful steaming Klingon drink that she is so fond of, but if it makes you happy, it will be well worth it.

He was about to argue the matter, claiming that he did not need her help or protection, but instead of continuing down this self-depressing road, Jayson decided to take the more productive and supportive path. As long as they were in a relationship together, he needed to stop thinking of things that one or the other needed to deal with. This would be the first or several more to come that they needed to face together, and in the grand scheme of things, this one was truly a nothing deal.

"I'm sorry," he offered. "Thinking too much about things that don't really matter. I should be grateful that you and the others secured the cure for the Felicium. I should also be grateful that I am part of a crew the likes of the one on the ANUBIS. Not everyone is as fortunate."

"You are right," Ya'Han teased with a smile. "You should be grateful for everything that you have, including that meal that you have been pushed around for the last half hour or so. You said that you were willing to try something new but you have not even taken a single bite out of it."

"That might be the one thing I am most grateful for," Jayson laughed. "This looks like something that a Klingon cook would have thrown away after seeing it."

"That is a dish served to important dignitaries and something that my mother enjoyed giving us every time she could, getting the Imperial cook to make several extra servings for us," Ya'Han explained.

"I thought your mother loved you?" He chuckled; stabbing his fork into some unknown piece of what he could only guess was meat.

"That was not funny," the Nylaan grumbled, her hair slowly turning purple, which made Jayson grateful for one more thing, that it had not turned bright red.

"Sorry," he apologised again. "You have to admit hat it does not look all that appetising."

"None of the guests who were offered this dish ever complained," she said appearing annoyed by his reluctance to try the dish. "In fact, none of my brothers or sisters complained either."

"For the same reason no one would complain about the Captain," Jayson laughed. "It's all about respect. Something that I am not entirely sure you have for me based on the fact that you want me to eat this."

"JAYSON!" Ya'Han sternly said, her purple hair showing hints that it was about to shift into a much brighter, redder color.

"Alright, alright, no more kidding around," he said knowing that this little lover's quarrel could quickly turn into an unsightly bloodbath of which he would be the one and only victim. Gathering all of his courage and will power, he impaled a few pieces onto his fork and brought them to his quivering lips before closing his eyes. The dangers of a life in Starfleet were numerous, and all too often presented themselves in unexpected forms that in this case he could not risk stepping away from regardless of his thoughts and feelings.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P122: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 10 - 2030 ("Upgrading")
---
"Upgrading"
(Previous Post: "Dining")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Cybernetics / Robotics Laboratory
Stardate: 32227.2030

With each modification made to the access and processing abilities of the Avatar, ANI became something... someone new.  With each upgrade, the artificial woman came across as being less of a collection of sophisticated parts and programming, and more as a living, independently thinking entity.

"ANI?" Sonja asked after the android was returned to functional status.

"Yes Lieutenant?" The artificial woman replied, her voice cold, deprived of any sort of personality.

"Run a level 3 diagnostic of your primary processing matrix as well as your subspace link to the main computer," the Chief Engineer requested, hoping that this would either reset the systems mentioned or identify the reason for this apparent step backwards in their quest to make the Avatar come across as being more than a mere extension of the ship they were on.

"I am operating within established parameters," the Avatar reported after a few seconds, her speech pattern not showing the slightest change from what it was before. The disappointment on the faces of the two women who worked so hard for so long on this project was unmistakable. ANI suddenly titled her head to one side and smiled as she continued. "I gather by your facial expressions that you would have preferred an answer along the lines of 'I feel fine' instead of the one I first provided."

"Looks like the modifications did work," Maya gleefully said, the Shillian appearing more than ready to jump out of her shoes, cheering for joy.

"Processing all of these extra variables, namely facial expressions and shifts in my verbal communications, is proving to be quite taxing. Although I am still unable to experience pain in a physical sense, I can honestly say that it feels like my head is ready to explode."

"We anticipated that," Sonja stated as she confirmed a long list of formulas on one of the nearby consoles. "We just wanted to make sure that the modifications to your processing abilities we're actually working. No need to go further if this first step proved to be a bust."

"I can confirm that the modifications are indeed working, and I have the headache to prove it," ANI reported in a manner that made the Avatar appear more human than she had ever done before.

"All right, power down and let us deal with the next part," the Chief Engineer ordered to which ANI instantly complied. "We have no other choice but to add a secondary processor to deal with her emotion emulator and speech synthesizer," Sonja added once she confirmed that the Avatar had no longer been active. Whatever the artificial woman was now, there was no need for her to listen in on the gruesome details of their plan.

"Even if we are able to add such a complex secondary processor, there is no guarantee that we will be able to have everything working in perfect harmony," Maya announced, the joy and happiness that she displayed not that long ago having completely vanished.

"We still have several hours to deal with that," Sonja casually dismissed, the plan having already reached a point that the Engineer was not entirely certain could be attain.

"It may not be sufficient," the Chief Science Officer added.

"We have more than enough time," the Chief Engineer reassured. "Trust me with that. If I have to spend the entire night working on that head of hers, I will do so. It's not like this would be the first time anyway," Sonja concluded with a chuckle.

"That is not what I meant," Maya clarified. "I am simply concerned that all of this work may not be enough to sway the Ub-Hani into allowing ANI or anyone else on board the ANUBIS to reach the planet surface and seek the guardian of the crystal we seek."

"You have to have faith," Sonja suggested. "We are doing everything we can to make her act as closely to a human nerd as we can. She will have access to everything we know as well as to all of the research papers and lectures of Professor Arken."

"That is part of the problem," Maya clarified. "We only have access to what the professor has written papers or given lectures on. Even with full and nearly instant access to everything we have on record, the information concerning the crystals for example will not be at her disposal. Those gaps in the knowledge we are trying to have her emulate could be rapidly detected by the Ub-Hani and might even make our situation worse as they realise that we have attempted to trick them."

"We are not trying to trick anyone," the Chief Engineer reassured. "All we are trying to do is to stack the deck in our favour by putting all of our proverbial eggs in the same basket," Sonja said, gently tapping on the head of the Avatar. "It would take everyone on the crew to sit together and try to answer whatever questions those golden-skinned aliens throw our way to get the slightest chance to actually speak to them. With ANI playing the middle man, or in this case the middle woman, I think that our odds are going to severely increase. In the end, all we are trying to do is to open a line of communication that will permit us to figure out where the crystal is. It's not like we are trying to become members in their gold-card club."

"I am simply concerned as something could go wrong," Maya added, clearly the Shillian being nervous about the possible outcome of their efforts.

"Relax," Sonja said with a smile. "The simple fact that Professor Arken was able to get to the planet surface means that the Ub-Hani consider people as individuals, allowing for some to surpass the intellectual limitations of the general population. All we are trying to do is to have ANI here be considered along the same line. I personally wouldn't want to go down there; all of that gold would drive me nuts."

Maya silently nodded her understanding and agreement although, unlike the Chief Engineer, the Chief Science Officer found herself more than willing to venture down to that world and discover the mysteries that the first research vessel had only been able to glance at before being shut out. However distasteful the Ub-Hani might appear to be to some, the Shillian woman was drawn by the possibility of any number of scientific discoveries that could be made on that world.

Whatever missions they were on, whatever obstacles they encountered, Maya would remain the scientist that she had always been since long before her graduation from Starfleet Academy.

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P123: USS ANUBIS: Ya'Han: Day 11 - 0545 ("Working")
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
"Working"
[previous post was "Reviewing"]
[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32228.0545

Following the emotional dinner, the couple had shared and the quiet evening that followed, the Nylaan found it impossible to fall asleep when it was time to do so. Taking a hot shower and sitting down to read a good book had not changed the situation in the least, the Terran being the only one to enjoy the relaxing peace of slumber. The Sec/Tac could have easily gone to Sickbay and asked or something to help, but with Maya busy helping Sonja in the robotics lab through the night, Ya'Han felt it best to not add to their list of problems.

So now, she sat in the living room, a glass of warm milk in her hands, looking through the doorway to the sleeping man who had come to be an important part of her life. Instead of feeling grateful or happy though, the black-haired woman felt strange, as if something was not right or something important had been missing. At first, Ya'Han believed that the way she felt had been due to the argument Jayson and she had during dinner, not that the quarrel was all that much of one. She would make a mental note to never serve that particular dish from her childhood to him again, admitting to herself that the taste had not been what she remembered it to be.

The odd thing about memories such as the one concerning her mother making sure that her children enjoyed this special dish whenever it was created for others was that the memory of the person meant more than that of the dish. A fact that the Nylaan had only come to realise now, years after the fact. As a child, she cherished the thought of enjoying the same dish that her father and his guests were, but now Ya'Han came to terms that the most important part of that memory was her mother's efforts towards her children and not the dish itself.

As she gazed into the white liquid contained in the glass now in her hands, Ya'Han understood that the way she felt had not been because of what had happened between Jayson and her, but rather because of what she perceived was missing in her life. The question though was did she truly want to have her life and that of Jayson turned upside-down by them becoming parents? As tempting as the idea might be, the reality of which would be an entirely different story. What the Sec/Tac found even more interesting was that she could not explain why such thoughts had come to be in her mind.

The ANUBIS was rushing at maximum speed for the home of the Ub-Hani in search of the sixth crystal, the encounter with the recluse race having nothing certain about it. The odds were not leaning to there being any sort of conflict arising from their request, if they were actually able to make it. Instead, everything pointed to the ship and its crew being simply ignored leaving them unable to complete their mission. The success of this part of the mission rested squarely on the shoulders of their Chief Engineer and Chief Science Officer.

"What are you doing up so early?" Jayson asked as he walked into the living area, surprising Ya'Han who was lost in her thoughts.

"I couldn't sleep," the Nylaan with the black hair replied.

"What's wrong?" The Terran lovingly asked, kneeling next to the sitting woman who was visibly troubled. "Not only do you have black hair, which by itself is enough to make me ask what's going on, but you are drinking *milk* of all things. Therefore, I *know* there is something wrong. You never drink milk, so talk to me."

Although concerned there was a hint of hope in the man's voice, hopes that she understood and maybe even shared, but today was not the day to talk about such a possibility.  "Sonja and Shar'El both mentioned that warm milk is a natural relaxant that in many cases helps someone go to sleep."

"Well," Jayson grinned. "Looks like that method is not an effective one for Nylaans. How about I make you breakfast. Some nice Milwaukee-style pancakes?"

"Trying to get back at me for last night?" the Sec/Tac asked as her hair gained the red highlights to bring it back to the normal color mix that everyone had become used to.

"I would never do that," he smiled. "Plus, you already had them and claimed that they were good. I promise that I will make them as tasteful as possible so that they keep you smiling throughout the day, no matter what the Ub-Hani throw our way."

"Easy for you to say," Ya'Han said to Jayson, twisting a smile of amused discontent. "You are not going to be on the bridge."

"Of course I am," Jayson advised. "Even if the Captain decides for whatever reason to extend the time off beyond our arrival to the Ub-Hani homeworld, I won't take him up on that offer. Of course he could order me to, that would be another story, but if he's okay with it, I intend to be back at my station before we reach orbit."

"That is as long as you have your shoes on, right?" Ya'Han teased, unable to pass up such an excellent opportunity to have a little fun with him.

"You're getting just as bad as Sonja," Jayson huffed before making his way to the food replicator to order the pancakes he had promised the Sec/Tac.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32228.0800

They stepped onto the command deck together, calling the attention of the Captain long before either one of them had reached their station.

"Back on duty?" Captain Morningstar asked, glancing ever so quickly at the man's feet, just in case.

"Yes Captain," Jayson replied.

"We thought it best if we were both back before our arrival to the Ub-Hani's world. Every tactical reports from that region of space indicates that our journey should be uneventful, but why take a chance?" The Sec/Tac explained to their Captain, hoping that he would agree.

"Glad to having you back. Let's hope that we can prove those reports right."

Jayson and Ya'Han shared a quick smile before making their way to their respective stations. Before the end of the day, they would reach their intended destination and discover if the efforts of Commander Maya and Lieutenant Paquette would provide the intended results. Everyone hoped that all would go according to plan and ANI would be able to reach the planet surface and locate and retrieved Professor Arken's sixth crystal.

[/\] [/\] [/\] [/\] [/\]
Hanali Han

Lieutenant JG Ya'Han [Access Character BIO for Ya'Han]
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P124: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 11 - 0800 ("Waking")
=-=
"Waking"
[previous post was "Working" by the supportive Hanali]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Shar'El's Quarters
Stardate: 32228.0800

=/\= The time is zero-eight hundred hours. =/\=

The computer's announcement was followed by a high pitch buzz that was meant to wake the dead, and it worked perfectly causing the ExO / ILO to bounce out of the couch where she had fallen asleep the night before. Actually, the term 'passed out' would be more accurate given the large amount of non-synthehol drinks Shar'El had consumed. It was the only way to keep the memories she had seen in the mind of their Chief of Security at bay, memories that haunted the Ullian's every waking moment.

"Computer, cease the alarm and link with the IGC personnel locator program. I need the current whereabouts of all members of the senior staff," the ExO / ILO ordered, rubbing the back of her neck and quickly counting the number of glasses and bottles scattered throughout her living quarters. Shar'El suspected that had Sonja been here, the woman would have been exceptionally angered at her friend, not for having drank as much as she had, but rather for having done so without her here to share in the debauchery.

=/\= Captain Morningstar, Lieutenant Stark, Lieutenant Ya'Han and Ensign Jones are on the bridge, =/\= the computer reported. =/\= Lieutenant Commander Maya and Lieutenant Paquette are in the Cybernetics and Robotics Lab. Ensign Dima is in her quarters. =/\=

The ExO / ILO thought for a moment as to why Jayson would have reported to the bridge. As far as Shar'El was concerned, the Captain had not rescinded their leave from active duty and the home of the Ub-Hani was still quite some time away. A quick scan of her messages and of the ship's status confirmed all this, in addition to the fact that her skull felt several sizes too small for her brain.

"There has to be a better and easier way for me to not have to deal with Ya'Han's memories," Shar'El said aloud to herself as she grabbed three bottles, leaving at least an equal amount behind. "I'll have to deal with the clean up later, I need to freshen up and get to the bridge. I can't have the Captain question his ability to count on me, not now," the ExO / ILO said again to no one but herself, glancing over the chaos that had claimed her personal living space.  "What has happened to me? Jayson manages to clean his quarters to near perfection and I become the slob that he was. I have to speak to Maya and get her to find a solution," she added referring to the request made of the Chief Science Officer to investigate possible ways for the Ullian to benefit from the memory blocking properties of the Felicium without having her suffer from the addictive and psychotics side effects.

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32228.0830

It had not taken Shar'El long to take a quick shower, straighten her raven-colored hair and get dressed in a fresh uniform before making her way to the bridge where she was joyfully greeted by the Captain, Chief of Operations and Chief of Security.

"Good morning Commander," the Captain chimed. "I am glad to see that my officers are so keen to return to their duties. I will admit that the bridge does feel different without the senior most officers of each department at their stations."

"There is just so much rest that a person can truly enjoy," Shar'El offered as her excuse for being on the bridge. "You seem well rested Lieutenant," the ExO / ILO continued as she turned to look at the Chief of Operations. "How is your wrist?"

"How..." Jayson began but was interrupted by the raven-haired woman who had asked the question.

"Lieutenant, I am the head of the Intelligence Gathering Center and the ANUBIS' Executive Officer, both of these positions requires me to be aware of everything that goes on, and this even if I am officially off-duty," Shar'El said, her voice as dark as her hair to add a level of emphasis that proved to have the intended effect on the one whom the comment was directed to.

The Captain and Chief of Security both chuckled a little while the Chief of Operations fought back any feelings of shame that he might have been experiencing.

"There is nothing to be concerned about Lieutenant," Shar'El said in an effort to ease the man's visible worries. "You are not the sole person that I keep track of, in fact even the Captain's every move are monitored by the IGC."

"I know this, but the fact that you are saying it aloud does make me feel a little uncomfortable," Captain Morningstar explained. "At least leave us with the illusion of our privacy."

"Again, I did not meant to imply that the IGC, and through it me, knows everything that everyone does. Keeping track of every member of the crew is simply meant as a precautionary measure in the event that something unexpected happens or that somehow a member of this crew was abducted."

"That would be something that I would like to see," Ya'Han announced, challenging the universe to find a way to pierce through the defensive systems of the state-of-the-art Scarab-Class Intel cruiser of which she was personally responsible for the safety and security of its crew.

"As would I Lieutenant," Shar'El said to the eager black and red-haired Nylaan whose blocked memories rushed into the Ullian's mind the moment their eyes met. "That said, we both know that there are a great many things we do not know about this universe, and it is arrogant to believe ourselves safe from everything that is out there."

"Ya'Han may simply be practicing being more like the Ub-Hani," the Captain said clearly in jest as he looked at both at the ExO / ILO and Chief of Security. "Speaking of which, have your team in the IGC been able to find anything that we might find useful in dealing with the race we are heading for at such a breakneck speed."

"Unfortunately," Shar'El sadly admitted, "nothing new was found. The Ub-Hani are as much a mystery as they are arrogant in their beliefs of being the origin of all forms of art and science.

"Well, let us hope that Commander Maya and Lieutenant Paquette will have better luck in their modifications to our Avatar," the Captain said, making himself as comfortable as he could in his chair. "Dealing with the Ub-Hani would be simple if it not for us so desperately needing to convince them to give us that crystal, which requires us to actually be able to talk to them beyond the initial contact."

"That will be our biggest obstacle," the ExO / ILO agreed. "According to all of the diplomatic envoys that were sent following first contact, the ships were contacted to acknowledge their presence and immediately upon failing to prove their worthiness in regards to their intellect, they were simply ignored. Once vessel, which remained in orbit, was even pushed out by several hundred kilometers by a force that no one was able to identify or understand."

"Guess the Ub-Hani are not excessively fond of unworthy guests and visitors," Ya'Han said, realizing as did everyone else that they would only get one chance to impress the race in order to complete this part of their mission.

"Talk about having to make a good first impression," Jayson added. "Almost sounds like I would have an easier time with meeting your parents."

Although he had meant this as a joke, everyone present on the bridge including the Captain looked back at the Chief of Operations for several seconds wondering if there was some news that had not been shared with the crew.

"I think we need to focus on the Ub-Hani problem first," Ya'Han huffed back thinking that at some point, one maybe closer than she had expected to be, the two of them would need to talk about the evolution of their relationship."

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P125: USS ANUBIS: Paquette: Day 11 - 0900 ("Beaming")
"Beaming"
previous post was "Waking"

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Cybernetics / Robotics Lab
Stardate: 32228.0900

Judging by the looks on the faces of both women, the night had been a long one. Sonja had said from the very start that they had just enough time to make this work, unfortunately, she had failed to mentioned that they would be working double-time through every second. Had Elan Fairborn, the co-creator of the Avatar been here with them, along with a full team of programmers, the task of upgrading ANI as intended would have easily been completed in the time frame stated. Since the only ones working were Maya and Sonja, some extra speedy work was required to meet the deadline set by the Chief Engineer.

What clearly played in their favour was the absolute dedication both women displayed in their desire to achieve their goal. The Avatar needed to be far more than she had ever been, and this before the ANUBIS reached the home of the Ub-Hani.

"I should never have pushed the engines as much as I did," Sonja sadly admitted. "We could have given ourselves a few more hours to get this done."

"You have never been one to take the easy road to anything," Maya said while working on the exposed inner cranial section of the Avatar's head which had been removed from the body. Sonja had initially opposed doing this, making her vivid opposition clear, but in the end the arguments presented by the Scientist and their general lack of time made the Engineer reluctantly concede the point.

"Not wanting to let you take ANI's head off was not my wanting to make things more difficult for us," Sonja said in her defense as she laboured on the secondary processor that was meant to be incorporated into the Avatar's inner workings. "To me, ANI is a member of this crew and a friend. I just find it disconcerting to see her like this. Just imagine how you would feel if, as this ship's acting Chief Medical Officer, you were told that the head of a patient needed to be removed in order to perform some important surgery."

"As long as the scientific reasoning was sound, and that there were no foreseeable complications with either the removal or reattachment of said head, I would proceed based on the knowledge that time was an important issue that could lead to the entire work done beforehand being made useless due to our not having met the required deadline," Maya explained in a single breath.

"Why do I bother?" Sonja said exasperated as she rolled her eyes. "You are worst than a Vulcan when it comes to things like this. All you see is the scientific angles and gains. You see nothing beyond the work and never consider the possible emotional implications. You are stubbornly driven to the ultimate final objective and are willing to do whatever it takes to get there."

"I am not a Vulcan," Maya sternly clarified, sounding upset thus further making her point. "I may be driven by my love of science, a love that was instilled in me by my father. I will admit that I often push myself as a way to honour his memory, but I assure you that doing so does not render me insensitive to any emotional implications of my work."

Sonja stopped working, realizing that her thoughts had not translated as they should have been into the words she spoke last. A quick glance at the nearest time display provided the Chief Engineer with both an explanation and a way to offer an excuse.

"Look, we have been working on this project for over 18 hours straight," the Engineer stated, realizing by the same account just how much time they had been at this and how tired the two of them had likely been. "Neither one of us has taken a break nor eaten anything. I also have this strange recollection that the cup over there was used more than once as a peepee cup. I didn't mean anything by what I said, in fact I am thrilled that you are here working with me on this because I would have had to sabotage my own engines to give me the time I needed to get this donr. I will admit that the thought alone of doing something like that to the ANUBIS makes me sick to my stomach, either that or the lack of food is really getting to me."

"Maybe we should take a quick break," Maya suggested. "We could go to the Black Hole Lounge for a bite and return immediately after. I have found that a change of focus does help in keeping a fresh perspective on things."

"So that's why you seem to always be working on multiple projects at the same time," the Chief Engineer chuckled. "You do understand that doing that though does not count as getting any actual rest?"

"Rest would require my being able to stop thinking about what it is that I am working on, something that I have found to be exceptionally difficult," Maya explained.

"I know the feeling," Sonja grinned back. "Why do you think I go back to my quarters and drink?" The two women shared a quick laugh before the Chief Engineer made the call. "All right, let's take 15 minutes, and then we come back here and continue our work."

"Fifteen minutes will not be enough time for us to get to the Black Hole Lounge, have something to eat and return," Maya pointed out.

"Ye of little faith," Sonja grinned. "ANI, initiate engineering sight-to-sight transport protocol. Set internal coordinates to the main floor of the Black Hole Lounge, right by the order counter. Two to beam there with a 15 minute timer on our return."

"Engaging protocol," the detached head of the Avatar confirmed.

"Ew," the Chief Engineer let out. "That was more troubling than I had expected it to be this time around," she manage to add before the transporter sequence started, removing both women from of the room in a swirling dance of shimmer lights.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Black Hole Lounge
Stardate: 32228.0925

"You are sure that she will be okay?" Maya asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time since their arrival, the Scientist visibly concerned for the headless Avatar, or more specifically for the bodiless head that had spoken to them before their beam out.

"She will be fine," Sonja reasserted once more. "As much as I hate to admit it, this is not the first time that I have left her this way."

"So why did you give me such a hard time when I suggested doing the same thing?" Maya asked, clearly puzzled by the revelation.

"As I explained to the Captain, ANI is mine. I am her mother and as such I am able to deal with figuratively and literally snapping her head off. I just have issues with someone else doing the same, just ask Elan. That Oltharian giant got more than one bruised knee from me because of him trying to doing just that," Sonja said before finishing the last bite of her rushed breakfast which was nothing more than an 'egg in a basket'.

With the two women still chewing on their last bites, the beam-back transport sequence automatically engaged returning Maya and Sonja to the Cybernetics / Robotics Lab with time quickly running out on the goal.

=====
Lorraine Paquette

Chief Engineering Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501
M09-P126: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 11 - 1100 ("Preparing")
##########
"Preparing"
Previous post "Beaming"
##########

"There is no fixed physical reality, no single perception of the world, just numerous ways of interpreting world views as dictated by one's nervous system and the specific environment of our planetary existence."
- Deepak Chopra

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32228.1100

The Native American sat in his chair, becoming increasingly aware of the growing nervousness of around him. Nothing indicated that the Ub-Hani would welcome them with hostility, in fact is was quite the opposite that everyone expected. It was feared that the judgmental race would just ignore any and all attempts made to contact them bringing their question for the sixth of eight crystals to an abrupt end.

Conflict was not something new to the crew of the ANUBIS, but failure on the other hand had never been a term used to describe their missions. Understanding this, and knowing the imposing obstacle they would be facing very soon, the Captain could sympathies with the members of his crew, and even silently join them in their feelings.

Erik glanced around the bridge and noticed everyone hard at work at their respective stations, everyone with the exception of his First Officer Commander Shar'El who appeared on edge. The usually stoic woman gave the clear impression that she needed to do something more physical than what she had been doing, so the Native American decided to help.

"Ensign Jones," the captain began as he stood from his chair to stand in the middle of the commander deck of his ship. "What is our ETA to the home planet of the Ub-Hani?"

"At our current speed and heading, we will reach our destination in just over three hours," Tanith calmly reported, the Flight Control Officer not given any indications that the situation with the golden-skinned aliens had been in the least troubling her.

"Commander Shar'El," Erik continued, turning to look at his First Officer who unlike the FCO appeared visibly troubled. "Please head down to the Cybernetics and Robotics lab to check on the progress of our Chief Science Officer and Chief Engineer. I would like for ANI to be ready before we actually reach orbit."

"Yes Captain," Shar'El quickly acknowledged, not wasting a single moment to make her way to the turbolift and comply with the Captain's orders.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Cybernetics / Robotics Lab
Stardate: 32228.1115

"The Captain has sent me to check in on your progress," Shar'El announced as she walked into the room, the usually quiet and stealthy woman acting more like a bull in a china shop this time around.

"We are running a few last-minute tests," Maya replied, her attention on her work and not on the higher ranking officer who had just walked in.

"They are just about to reattach my head to my body," the detached part of the Avatar said while being under the Engineer's right arm. "Would you care to assist?"

"Sorry Commander," Sonja apologized. "Since the addition of the secondary processor, ANI has become rather chatty. "I was hoping to address this issue if we have some time before our arrival."

"We are just about three hours away from the home of the Ub-Hani and the Captain, as well as I, would very much appreciate seeing her on the bridge before then," the First Officer bluntly clarified. "Although he did not expressively said so, I am pretty certain that he would like to see her in whole and not in detached pieces. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I do find you holding a severed talking head a little unsettling."

"Would this make it better?" Sonja asked after having moved the Avatar's head to rest on her shoulder, thus presenting herself to the First officer as some strange two-headed humanoid."

"Judging by the expression of displeasure on her face, I would say that she does not find your effort to reduce the tension of the moment through humour agreeable," ANI pointed out.

"Remind me to make sure that the auxiliary power supply located in that thick-skull head of yours is removed as soon as I have a minute to spare," Sonja sighed. Mechanically speaking, the power supply had been meant to insure that the brain of the Avatar would never be without power, thus risking a potential lost of recently acquired data, but with the new upgrades to her processing abilities, the extra power source only appeared to cause issues with other members of the crew.

"Will she be ready?" Shar'El asked, without bothering to set up the scene first, displaying a lack of patience that was very atypical for the head of the ICG.

"She will be ready," Sonja confirmed as she began the process of reattaching the artificial woman's head to the rest of her body.

"Physically she will be perfectly fine," Maya added. "Our current and most important problem is the way ANI is accessing all of the data made available to her. Instead of access information relating to what she is exposed to, the Avatar appears to be processing *everything* all at once. My guess is that one of the upgrades caused damage to the data access filter, but we do not have the time to do a full system's diagnostic, and even less time to perform a program restore that would see us having to restart from scratch."

"Will this affect the way the Ub-Hani might see her?" Shar'El asked, not at all sounding impressed by the news she had just been given.

"You know what they say," Sonja offered in as much a lighthearted manner as she could. "There is a thin line between genius and madness, and right now I think that poor ANI is walking that very fine line as best she can."

Shar'El and Sonja gazed at one another for several seconds, the redhead Engineer failing to see the friend she had expected to find standing in front of her.

"No worries Commander," the Chief Engineer offered, thinking that this was too important of a matter for the First Officer to allow herself to relax even if only for a few seconds. "ANI will be on the bridge before we reach the home planet of the Ub-Hani. I have a few programming tricks up my sleeves that should help her be a little more in her *right* mind."

"Very well," the First Officer acknowledged. "I will make the report to the Captain. You have 2 hours and 45 minutes left, don't waste any of it."

Maya waited for Shar'El to exit the laboratory before speaking. "Was it just me of did she sound a little more abrasive than usual?"

"It has to be the stress of our having to deal with the Ub-Hani," Sonja theorized with a fair amount of hope. "This is the largest unknown we have had to deal with since the start of this mission, and I'm guessing that none of her peeps in the IGC were able to get any kind of useful information on them. That's what's bothering her," the redhead explained before finishing in a whispered voice meant only for her to hear. "At least I hope that's what's bothering her."

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32228.1130

With his First Officer taking care of checking in on the status of the Avatar, the Native American focused instead on the ship. "Lieutenant Stark, are we picking up any sort of signal going or coming from the Ub-Hani homeworld?"

"No Captain," Jayson replied. "I have been monitoring that region of space and there is absolutely nothing in that system. Long-range sensors are not even detecting any artificial satellites in orbit."

"That would be in line with what the science and diplomatic missions to that world reported," the Chief of Security added. "Every vessel who has ventured to that world reported a complete absence of orbital technology, but yet we know them to possess scientific knowledge that matches if not goes beyond what we have."

"It is not common but there are examples of technologically advances species not using any orbital satellites." Counsellor Dima said, Nicole having come to the bridge to experience first-hand their arrival. "Given how tightly the Ub-Hani are protecting their world from outsiders, it is very possible that this lack of artificial satellites is by design, making it that much harder for any visitors to get any sort of information on the planet and its culture."

"I would not be surprised if this went beyond that," the Chief of Operations theorized. "According to long-range sensors, the planet comes across as being nothing more than a barren world deprived of any civilization. It's almost as if they don't want to be found. The only reason we know to go there is because other ships have gone there before us."

"Xenophobic?" Erik inquired of Nicole who simply shrugged.

"I would be more inclined to say eccentric and very peculiar as to whom they chose to interact with," the Counsellor added after a few moments of quiet consideration. "They did speak to the first research team without displaying any of the usually signs of a xenophobic race, plus they did welcome Professor Arken to their world, at least by his own account.

"I really hope that this was not some flight of fantasy on his part," Ya'Han said, not wanting everything they had gone through up until now to have been for nothing.

"We'll be finding out soon enough," the Native American stated. "Helm, maintain course and heading. Operations, continue monitoring the system for any type of signal either going or coming from the planet's surface. Tactical, keep an eye open for anything unusual. No one has ever reported the Ub-Hani as being hostile, and I would like to not be the one surprised by something that everyone else has missed up to this point."

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA
M09-P127: USS ANUBIS: Maya: Day 11 - 1300 ("Dying")
---
"Dying"
(Previous Post: "Preparing")
---

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Cybernetics / Robotics Laboratory
Stardate: 32228.1300

Although the visit from Commander Shar'El, the First Officer of the USS ANUBIS had reminded the two officers working on the Avatar of how little time they actually had left, it had also served to increase to a crushing level the pressure they were both under.

"If the ship continued on the course and speed they were previously on, as we both suspect we have, we will be entering orbit very shortly," Maya declared. The nervousness in her voice and the trembling of her hands left no doubts that the goal they had set for themselves for the upgrades to the Avatar of the USS ANUBIS had not been reached.

"You are right," Sonja agreed. "The vibrations of the deck plates have changed which means that we just dropped out of warp speed. Standard orbital approach means that we will be in actual orbit in less than five minutes."

The Chief Science Officer wanted to share how impressed she was as to the ability of the Chief Engineer to know that she ship had dropped out of warp speed without looking at any instrumental readout. Maybe has Sonja been any other person, Maya might not have taken her words as factual, but knowing the woman as she did, and having witnessed her skills and expertise in the field of engineering more than once, the Shillian did not for a second doubt the claim made by the woman.

"What do we do?" Maya inquired, hoping that maybe Sonja would pull a proverbial ace from her sleeve to give them the extra time they would need to complete their task.

"The only thing we can do," Sonja said, giving the Avatar standing before her one last look over. "We go to the bridge."

---
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32228.1310

"Cutting it a little close," Captain Morningstar said as ANI, Maya and Sonja stepped onto the bridge.

"We did what we could in the time available," the Chief Science Officer said to the Commanding Officer, the Shillian hoping that the man would understand and accept this as their apology for not having completed everything they had set to do.

"Installing the secondary processor was relatively easy. Integrating it into her processing system proved to be a lot more difficult they we both could have anticipated," the Chief Engineering Officer added. "The problem is just that there is too much information for her to make sense of now that we have opened every data bank and source of information to her. We did everything that we could to make her functional for the encounter with the Ub-Hani, but I am afraid that we may lose her in the process."

"Captain Morningstar," ANI interrupted before continuing in native Okanagan to acknowledge their coming together as seekers of knowledge and peace.

"What was that?" Nicole asked, never before having heard ANI speak any other language but the one that she had been programmed to us for the benefits of the crew.

"Okanagan of course," the Avatar replied with an air of superiority that everyone present on the bridge found to be more than just a little out of place. "As the Counsellor for the ANUBIS, I would have believed you to recognize it as I am sure you have done a thorough revise of his psychological profile and personality." ANI paused for a brief moment before continuing in native Trill which meant that no one else both the two of them could understand what had been said.

The way Nicole reacted though; it was easy to imagine that what ANI said had been less than what would have normally been expected from the Avatar.

"ANI is accessing everything all at once," Sonja explained as quickly as she could so as to avoid this situation to degrade even faster than it already was. "As much as we have done our best to give her more processing power, the fact that she has all of our combined knowledge including everything that we could find from Professor Arken is just too much for her to sort through."

"Every attempt to place a filter to help with this situation failed, the flow of information being simply too much for the subroutine," Maya added. "In order to make her appear as human as possible for the Ub-Hani, the usual link between her and the main computer was replaced with a direct access to the memory banks. Although this gives her full access, it has also caused a cascading catastrophic failure of her systems. Whatever happens here will be the last thing she will ever do."

"Maya is being a little over dramatic," Sonja said, clearly controlling her emotions. "Her body will be fine. I will just have to reinitialize the complete processing system including all of the additional personality subroutines that have been added over the years. "ANI will live; she just will no longer be the Avatar we have come to know."

"I am truly sorry," the Captain said, but before he could continue a loud and commanding voice came over the communications system.

=/\= Why are you in orbit of our world? =/\= The Ub-Hani might be a great many things, but being overly friendly did not appear to be one of their greatest qualities.

"We are here to get the crystal left in your care by Professor Elijah Arken," ANI replied before turning to the Captain. "They dislike anything they perceive as a waste of their time. Therefore, the direct approach was best. They also evaluate the person who spoke expecting the brightest amongst us to be the one in charge. I am sorry but..."

"ANI!" Sonja gasped, the Avatar having suddenly vanished from the bridge before she could finish her sentence.

"REPORT!" Captain Morningstar demanded.

"ANI has been beamed off the ship," Lieutenant Ya'Han, the Chief of Security reported. The energy readouts indicate that the transport sequence took place in only a fraction of a second."

"There was another signal before the transport energy spike, if you can call it that," Lieutenant Stark, the Chief of Operations added. "It looks like it was a scanning beam of some kind, directed straight at ANI. The transport sequence occurred less than a second after, although none of these readings make any sense to account what we just witnessed."

Hoping to offer a better explanation to their Captain, the Shillian Scientist quickly made her way to the science station and reviewed the internal sensor data mentioned by both the Chief of Security and Chief of Operations. "Everything happened in less than a single second," Maya reported. "I am unable to identify the source of the scan or how it was so precisely targeted onto ANI, but from what I can see of the energy spike mentioned by Lieutenant Stark, is would seem that our Avatar was taken off the ANUBIS through the use of some sort of space folding. This would officially place the Ub-Hani as being well above our own technological and scientific level."

"That's all fine and dandy, but what do we do next?" Sonja demanded, not trying to hide how upset she was with the abduction of their Avatar. Knowing that the personality of ANI would for all intents and purposes die due to this mission was one thing, but to lose her body in addition to this was proving more than the Chief Engineer could accept. "We have to get her back."

"How do you suggest we precede, Lieutenant?" The Captain asked, trying to make the woman see the reality of their situation.

"Sonja, there is nothing we can do," Shar'El said, the First Officer sounding far more like herself now then she had during her visit to the robotics and cybernetics laboratory. "I know that this is very upsetting to you, but there is nothing we can do. Whatever barrier the Ub-Hani have created in their atmosphere makes it impossible for us to scan the surface. We have no idea where ANI had been taken and even if we did know her exact location we would not be able to beam down. Now, given what we have just witnessed by the way they took her off the ship, I can only guess as to what they would do to a shuttle or VIPER if we tried to force our way down. Like it or not, there is only one thing we can do."

"We wait," Captain Morningstar said, making it clear by his words and his tone that this was a direct order.

---
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32228.1400

It had almost been an hour since the disappearance of the Avatar from the bridge, and as of yet no signs or signal from the home world of the Ub-Hani had been received to hint as to what might have been happening.

"We have tried everything we could come up with," Commander Shar'El, the First Officer of the ANUBIS said. "There is no way to get any sorts of readings from the surface and they are refusing to acknowledge any of our attempts to open a line of communication. At least if we were trying to talk to a wall we would get our own echo back, but here we are getting *nothing*."

"The atmosphere of the planet does appear to have been specifically modulated to counter our technology as well as that of any other races we know of that have technology similar to ours," Maya detailed. "It would truly be fascinating to understand how they have come to create this."

"ANI is down there somewhere, and all you can do is be fascinated by the way they are blocking all of our efforts" the Chief Engineer snapped, her anger and frustration having only grown since the disappearance of her creation. "We need to do something more than this."

The Captain had been ready to confront his Chief Engineer once again, but as he turned to face her he instead found himself face-to-face with the cause of all their concerns.

"ANI!" Sonja exclaimed in pure joy. "Where the hell have you been? We have all been worried sick about you. The least you could have done is sent us some sort of signal, some sign of life, something."

"Are you all right?" Maya asked, thinking it best if she were the one to give the Avatar a preliminary examination instead of the woman who now appeared more angry than happy at the return of her creation.

"I am functioning with normal parameters," ANI replied.

"What happened?" The Captain asked; glad to see the artificial woman back and appearing intact physically.

"I am sorry Captain, but I am unable to recall anything that took place over the last hour," ANI reported. "My internal chronometer indicates that there is a gap of 58 minutes in my memory, but I do remember one thing," the Avatar added as she extended her right hand out and opened her clenched fist to reveal the sixth crystal.

"What did they do to you?" Sonja demanded, running her tricorder up and down the full height of the Avatar. "The secondary processor is gone, and all of the modifications appear to have been removed as if they had never been done in the first place."

"Captain," Commander Shar'El began as she walked up to stand next to the Captain. "It might be wise not to linger in orbit too long. It appears that we have successfully completed this latest part of our mission."

"Agreed," the Captain said turning to the Ensign Tanith Jones, the Flight Control Officer. "Helm, take us out of the Ub-Hani system at full impulse. Lieutenant Stark, please send a thank you to them. As much as they not want to speak to us, let's hope that they were at least listening.  Commander Maya, you have a new crystal to decode and Lieutenant Paquette..."

"I'm heading back down to the robotics lab to run a full diagnostic on ANI," the Chief Engineer interrupted. "If you need me, that is where I will be."

---
Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya [Access Character BIO for Maya]
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson [Access Character BIO for Selene Iverson]
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
M09-P128: USS ANUBIS: Jones: Day 11 - 1500 ("Getting Involved")
"Getting involved"
(Cont "Dying")

Setting: IDANA, Intel Coordination Complex, Level 12, Room 431
Stardate: 32228.1500

The Idanian agent stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by dozens upon dozens of wall-mounted monitors displaying reports in various languages coming from across the galaxy. She was one of countless operatives calling this complex home, but there was one thing that separated her from all of the others. She knew something that no one else did.

Befriending Elijah Arken started out as being nothing more than a mission to collect data on any of the projects he was rumored to be working on. In the end, the agent had learned a great deal and walked away with more than she could have expected. As memories of her time with him came to her mind, she looked down at her slowly opening hand to reveal one of the crystals he had so fondly spoken of.

Perhaps it had been a mistake getting so close to a target- not perhaps, it had been a mistake. If any of her fellow operatives had known that she'd allowed herself to become emotionally compromised, the punishment would have been swift- 'reconditioning' at the academy to wipe her memories and re-enforce her training, and she would have had to start over as a probie. The reconditioning wouldn't have been so bad, but she had no desire to set her career back to zero. 

She had always been professional before, but Elijah had reminded her of her father- or more precisely, what she imagined her father would have been like, if Idanians didn't send their children off to begin training for intel as soon as they could walk. She only had vague recollections of her father, but over years of undercover operations she'd seen enough families to form a hazy sort of daydream about what her family would have been like, and somehow, Elijah had ticked all the boxes. It had been fun, a brief diversion and even briefer fantasy about what life could have been, but of course, it couldn't last.

Elijah was good at keeping secrets, especially about those crystals and their ultimate purpose. He also was pretty good at keeping the details of their location a secret, but the skills and expertise of the Idanian agent in gathering Intel without people knowing she was doing so was better. She'd teased the information from him, slowly, probably more slowly than she could have, not wanting her assignment to end. She'd hit a wall then, and with no further information being forthcoming, she had been recalled to IDANA. But she'd kept the crystals and Elijah in the back of her mind, and she'd kept an ear to the ground for any strange goings on in the places she knew the other crystals were located.

Reports from INVERNIA II, DATHIS II and BREKKA pointed to something having happened, but no one knew what exactly. She could not confirm that these events had been in anyway related, but the coincidence was too great to ignore. Someone was after the crystals and sooner or later they would be looking for her. As an Idanian Intel Operative, this knowledge should have sent her into hiding, but her time spent with the professor had made her at least in some way understand the importance of these small items.

He made her promise to safeguard her crystal until such time as it and all of the others would be needed. Judging by the Intel reports she was reading, it seemed that the time had come. The question remained, would she honor her promise or push her mission to gather information further by discovering what the crystals were meant for?

She stood up from her cubicle, the agent in the cube next to her looked up from her feed inquiringly. 

"I've got something," the Idanian said, logging off her computer, and putting on her jacket. "I need to check it out in person."

"Lucky," the woman said with a sigh, and turned back to her intelligence feeds. The Idanian picked up her IDs and headed towards the outfitting and cover identity department. She hoped to keep this quiet, but she needed to be prepared if the people looking for the crystal found her. Fortunately, she knew where the other remaining crystal was, so she could direct whomever it was towards it, diverting attention from hers, and giving her time to observe them, figure out who they were, and what they wanted with the crystals

* * *=(/\)=* * *
Alix Fowler

Flight Control Officer
USS ANUBIS
M09-P129: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 11 - 1600 ("Decorating")
=-=
"Decorating"
[previous post was "Getting Involved" by the kind and understanding Alix]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, Cybernetics / Robotics Laboratory
Stardate: 32228.1600

Shar'El followed Sonja down to the ANUBIS' engineering section. Truth be told, the Ullian wanted to follow the Shillian to see if maybe she had made any progress in the research sanctioned by the ExO / ILO, but given all that had happened with the Avatar, the raven-haired woman knew that speaking with Maya would only lead to frustration.

"How is she?" The ExO / ILO asked of her friend. Focusing on ANI meant that Shar'El could maintain her professionalism while forcing her thoughts onto something other than the memories that still haunted her.

"The secondary processor that Maya and I installed is *gone*. It's as if it was never there in the first place," Sonja reported with pure astonishment. "Hours upon hours or work just *gone*."

"I can understand your surprise and displeasure in seeing your work so readily erased," Shar'El said, trying to calm her friend. "Look on the bright side, according to your own words, the modifications you and Maya made were going to cause a catastrophic system's crash our ship's Avatar. Somehow the Ub-Hani fixed this problem, hopefully saving ANI's personality."

"The personality subroutines do appear to be intact," the Chief Engineer reported, not having stopped going through the endless string of code she had been studying since they left the bridge. "That doesn't mean that ANI is who she was. She is far more than a collection of programs and experiences. There are unique links that have formed over time, associations that can never be duplicated or even forced into her systems. The Ub-Hani might have saved her, or they might have made the situation endlessly worse. I have to do a complete systems analysis to make sure. Don't worry, I will let you and the Captain know what's going on as soon as I figure it out myself. Now if you will excuse me, I would rather tackle this on my own."

Shar'El carefully stepped back through the opened doorway of the Cybernetics and Robotics Laboratory which Sonja forced closed as soon as she could do so without injuring the ExO / ILO. As much as the raven-haired woman might have wanted to object, or maybe even feel hurt by this, she could understand the concerns the redhead Engineer was experiencing. So the second in command left her friend to her work.

=/\= Lieutenant Commander Maya to Commander Shar'El, =/\= the Chief Science Officer said through an open communications channel.

"Perfect timing as always," the ExO / ILO replied with a audible grin. "What can I do for you?"

=/\= Can you meet me in the Astrometric laboratory on Deck 12? =/\=

"I know where the Astrometric lab is Maya," Shar'El said, ever so gently shaking her head from side to dies in disbelief. "Is everything alright?"

=/\= I will let you be the judge of that? =/\= That was the reply that was given which greatly troubled the ExO / ILO.

Shar'El wanted to ask what the matter was. She wanted to know if this was about the latest crystal they had secured of it was about something else? Maybe Maya had discovered something that the Ub-Hani had done to ANI, or to the ANUBIS. Whatever the discovery was, the ExO / ILO knew better than to try and verbally figure it out with their Chief Science Officer. As detailed as the explanation might end up being, it was best for the Ullian to comply with the Shillian's request.  "Alright Maya, I'm on my way. Shar'El out."

=-=
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Astrometrics Laboratory
Stardate: 32228.1615

The ExO / ILO walked in to see what she easily recognized as the whole of the Cardassian Union displayed on the large screen at the back of the room, a sight that was clearly out of place in this location.

"An interesting decor you have chosen," Shar'El stated as she approached Maya.

"It's not a decor," the Chief Science Officer countered. "The data in the crystal was a set of complex spatial coordinate that specified a single planet not only in space, but also in time. It took some work to figure it all out but I managed to do so."

"Maya, there was never any doubts in anyone's mind on board the ANUBIS that you would figure it out," Shar'El reassured. "You may sing the constant praises of Professor Arken, but as far as I am concerned, you are the smartest one."  The ExO / ILO paused as she carefully studied the stellar map of the Cardassian Union. To the Ullian's great relief the planet being specified by the computer was not CARDASSIA. "Is that IDANA?"

"It is," Maya confirmed. "According to the decoded data from the sixth crystal, that is where the next one will be found."

"Inside Cardassian space?" Shar'El rhetorically asked aloud. "The crystal is on a planet with a culture that prides itself to be amongst the best Intel operatives of the galaxy? We have to deal with a race of people who, according to unofficial reports, go even where the Obsidian Order refuses to venture? How did Professor Elijah Arken ever manage to set foot on that planet to hand over one of his crystals?"

"That's what I was curious about as well, so I tracked the professor's whereabouts through every possible clues he left behind, and as far as I can find, he never set foot *inside* Cardassian space. The best I can come up with is that he somehow met an Idanian and gave him or her, the seventh crystal."

"Knowing the Idanian as I do, I would not be surprised that he never realized who the person he so blindly trusted truly was," Shar'El said clearly exasperated. "For all we know, the crystal has been destroyed or is in a security vault that no one even knows exists. We are never going to be able to track that crystal."

"Without the seventh crystal, we will never be able to locate the eighth and last one," Maya pointed out. "This means that we do not have a choice if we are to successfully complete our mission."

Shar'El stared as the single white dot meant to represent IDANA. A planet that as Maya said, they had no choice but to head for and hope they would be able to locate the next crystal before. If any of the previous crystals could be said to have been difficult to obtained, this latest one stood well beyond the line of the impossible.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P130: USS ANUBIS: Stark: Day 11 - 2100 ("Bitching")
"Bitching"
[previous "Decorating"]

[/\]
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ya'Han's Quarters
Stardate: 32227.2100

"You've got to be kidding me? Of all the places we are heading to, it has to be Cardassian space!" He exclaimed the moment he stepped into the room, not even giving the door to close behind them. "What is wrong with him? That man should have been thrown in the coldest, darkest cell instead of being praised and admired."

"Jayson, you need to calm down," Ya'Han said. Since the announcement of their new destination and the change of course made by the ANUBIS, the OPS Officer had been remarkable in maintaining his cool. Even after their bridge shift had ended and the couple had gone to the Black Hole Lounge for a nice little supper, he had remained as composed as could be.

Ya'Han could see that something was bothering him, and it was not all that difficult to know what. She admired him for his calmness in the face of the latest ordeal they would be called to face. That all ended the moment the door to her quarters opened. That was the moment he decided to let it all out.

"I can't calm down! We were attacked on INVERNIA II, something weird happened on ZOBRA PRIME, we had to dodge countless Hirogen hunters going to and from DOLBAR, the away team including myself were exposed to an addictive drug while on BREKKA and you almost died while on ORNARA. Now we are heading into Cardassian space! Why didn't that sorry excuse for an old man hide all of those blasted crystals on RISA?"

"Because he wanted to keep them safe," Ya'Han said, trying to reason with the agitated man. In all honesty, she did agree with him, but the tantrum he was in the middle of did seem to be a little excessive. "Whatever is in those crystals was important enough for him to make sure they were as safe as could be. For him, that meant scattering them far and wide."

"So? He could have given one or two of them to the Vulcans and kept the rest safe on EARTH," Jayson ranted, storming into the bedroom.

"I understand that you are upset, but you have to agree that after what happened on EARTH with the Neo-Essentialists, things are not the way they once were. Imagine what might have happened if Edgerton got hold of those crystals," Ya'Han proposed as she followed, making sure that there was ample room between them in case he decided to jump back. Which he did, appearing all of a sudden from around the corner.

"That's part of the problem!" He bellowed, now standing less than an arm's length away from her. "We are doing all this, putting ourselves in danger at every stop for what? We have absolutely no idea what those crystals do. All we have are claims of their importance, but as far as I am concerned, they might as well be part of an incomplete set of chess pieces. Who know, once we have damaged to get the first eight, we will be sent on another wild chase for the other eight to complete the first half of the set. For all we know the SEKHMET, the HORUS and even the SCARAB are out there looking for the other 24 pieces."

"You are being irrational," Ya'Han softly growled, her hair slowly shifting to reflect her family heritage, this usually indicated that she was stepping into whatever was happening on a far more personal level. "Ours is not to question our orders, but to go as far as to believe that these crystals are nothing more than chess pieces in some elaborate game that the Admiral wants to take part in is completely ridiculous. In fact I might go as far as to say that making such a claim is childish."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Jayson said, throwing his arms in the air and returning to the bedroom. "I just have an issue with us not knowing what those crystals are for. What bothers me even more is that we are risking our lives in trying to get them. You could have been killed down there on ORNARA! We could have all died while in the Ferengi space thanks to those Hirogens. Now we are heading into Cardassian space, how long is our luck going to hold?  I just can't deal with the thought of losing you."

The two of them stop and stared at each other is silence. Nicole would have been proud, it might have taken a while but Jayson had finally revealed the real reason as to why he had been so upset. Facing the unknown was a normal part of their daily routine; in fact it was often preferable to the monotony of routine. Danger was an integral part of life in Starfleet, even more so when working under the shadows of NEW ALEXANDRIA and the covert operations issued from therein.

Ya'Han wanted to reassure him, to tell him that everything would be fine, that nothing would ever happen, but she knew better. The future was unknown and there was no way to be certain that nothing bad would come to pass, the events on ORNARA had proven that much. The best they could do was to hope and be as ready as could be. Aside from that, they all needed to make the best of the time they each had.

"Come," Ya'Han softly said to Jayson, taking his hand into hers. "We'll be crossing into Cardassian space tomorrow, but until then the night is ours. Let's not ruin it with thoughts of what might happen, instead focus on the moment at hand."

"Easier said than done," he grumbled

"Is it," she teased as her hair changed to the bright emerald green of the entertainers of her home.

"That's not fair."

"Are you complaining? Would you rather I reverted back?"

"No, no!" he quickly amended. "I was just saying that when you get into that color mood, I even forget my name."

"That is kind of the point," she grinned before turning the lights off and leading him into an early evening during which the crystals and the location of the latest one would be the furthest thing from his mind.

[/\]
Jayson Sousa

Lieutenant JG Jayson Stark [Access Character BIO for Jayson Stark]
Chief of Operations
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
M09-P131: USS ANUBIS: Shar'El: Day 11 - 2200 ("Scanning")
=-=
"Scanning"
[previous post was "Bitching" by the upset Jayson]
=-=

Setting: USS ANUBIS, IGC
Stardate: 32228.2200

The moment the location of the next crystal was announced, the tension throughout the ANUBIS became palpable. As the Terran expression went, it could have been cut with a sharp blade. No one thought that the crystals would be easily reached or obtained, but it was a safe bet that the reality of their mission so far had greatly exceeded everyone's expectations. This latest twist only solidified what everyone was already thinking.

With the ship now on route for the planet IDANA located inside Cardassian space, the ExO / ILO thought it prudent to return to the IGC and see if more information could be gathered. The next crystal would be hard enough to get without making the task that much more impossible due to a lack of Intel.

According to all available information, Professor Elijah Arken had never set foot inside Cardassian space or anywhere near it. This meant that the crystals had been given to someone who brought it over the border, with or without the Professor's knowledge. The test for the personnel of the IGC was to figure out who this individual was. Once they would get a name, even is if was nothing more than an alias, it would make things a lot easier for them to figure out where exactly on IDANA the crystal might be found.

The key was to identify the Idanian whom had been entrusted with the seventh crystal, and that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Renowned Intel operatives, the members of this race would certainly not make this task an easy one, in fact the ExO / ILO suspected that they would be lucky to find the slightest clue. Finding a needle in a haystack would be child's play when compared to locating the true identity of an Idanian undercover agent, especially one who had made it that deep within Federation territory.

Over the last hour, the personnel of the IGC had compiled a list of 22 possible locations and events where the Professor might have met someone, and spent enough time with them to trust them enough to hand over one of his crystals.  With several hundreds of people present at each of these events, the list of possibilities quickly grew into the thousands.

Using a basic process of elimination, taking out known Federation personnel and people who would never have given the professor a second look, the list of people still read 1933 names. Out of those, they needed to find one Idanian who under an assumed identity had befriended the mad scientist.

One by one the names on this list were researched, their lives investigated to the fullest extent of the capabilities and resources of the IGC. Shar'El was confident that this list would be made smaller soon enough, but the problem was that by the end it was likely that they would not be able to narrow it down to a single person.

The ExO / ILO scanned the list of the 22 events, trying to see if one of them might mean something more than any of the others. Shar'El read this list forward and backwards countless times, finding it harder to focus each time she started over. The Professor was keen on taking part in Federation hosted science symposiums and scientific exchanges with current allies and even potential enemies, all in the name of establishing a more comprehensive universe. Based on that alone, it was easy to see that the professor did not possess a single clue as to the political landscape of the universe he wanted to unify.

Shar'El narrowed down her list to two conferences where the Cardassians had been invited. It would be a foregone conclusion that the Obsidian Order would have been present, which also explained why Admiral Koniki had also dispatched several of his own agents to attend these events.

As easy as it might have been for an operative to get close to the Professor during either one of these events, it would have equally been easy for Koniki's own agents to intercept anyone who might appear to have an over abundant interest in the man. When Shar'El started comparing the guest lists of these events, she noted a pattern; seven individuals had been present not only at both events but also at the ones immediately before and following them.

A quick scan of those seven individuals whose files the ExO / ILO had called up her monitors revealed something very interesting, that is as soon as she dismissed three of them. As organizers and supervisors of scientific events, all three had been expected to be there, so their presence was not really a surprise. The other four though proved to be far more interesting for the head of the IGC.

The first of the remaining four was an envoy of the Vulcan Science Academy who vanished without a trace from a runabout heading for VULCAN a few months after the last conference. According to NEW ALEXANDRIA Intel, it was suspected that the scientist was in fact a Tal'Shiar operative who had been discovered and eliminated before being able to return to Romulan space and report on her findings. The second was a Cardassian scientist known to the general scientific circle as an eccentric visionary with views that conflicted far more than aligned with those of Professor Arken. Because of that it was unlikely that one of the eight crystals would have been placed in his care, unless it was attached to some sort of explosive device.

Obviously these two could not be the Adanian agent Shar'El was searching for, but the next two could not be so easily dismissed as potential candidates. The first was a Risian woman whose face and name immediately struck the raven-haired woman as being suspiciously familiar. A quick cross-referrance of the ANUBIS' own official mission log revealed her to be none other than Allahi, the wife of IshDur Talkiir, the entrusted protector of the first crystal. Even more interesting was the fact that the Invernian had not been in attendance to those scientific events. So why would his wife choose to be there while her husband and friend to the Professor was not?

Keeping this most interesting oddity in the back of her mind, Shar'El moved on to the second individual she had isolated from the list of nearly 2000. Also a woman, there was little information available other than she did manage to spend a fair amount of time alone with the professor, this before and after each lecture and gala. Like the Vulcan scientist though, she too vanished without a trace, but this time the disappearance had taken place far quicker following their last encounter. In fact, the woman appeared to have left this plain of existence mere hours after the last event she and Professor Arken had been together at.

"She is good," Shar'El noted to herself, her preliminary scans unable to uncover the slightest bit of information about the woman. It was as if she had come into existence one day and simply vanished into a bottomless void the next. "You may be good, but I am not so easily defeated," the ExO / ILO said in a whispered voice as if the woman in question had been right there by her side, listening in on this odd conversation.

=-=
Tiffany Reeve

Executive Officer / Intel Liaison Officer
USS ANUBIS

Lieutenant Commander Janeel [Access Character BIO for Janeel]
Intel Liaison Officer / Mission Specialist
USS BASTET
M09-P132: USS ANUBIS: Jones: Day 12 - 0800 ("The Cuckoo")
"The Cuckoo"
(Cont "Scanning")

Setting: Federation Outpost Charlie-Alpha-Romeo, Promenade
Stardate: 32229.0800

The Bajoran Ensign stood by one of the large windows giving an amazing view of the stars, many of them belonging to the Cardassian Union. The outpost had been built and placed here to keep an official watch over the border to insure that political tensions would not spill over either side of the border. Over time though, it had become a port of call for traders on both sides making it almost seem as if the two sides were actual allies.

She knew that a ship was heading for her side of the border, and thanks to some cleaver dealings, she had made sure to be assigned on board prior to their crossing over. How they planned on reaching Cardassian space without being detected was no concern of hers, the plan being simple enough. Board the ship and start dropping hints and clues as to the whereabouts of the remaining crystal. This would divert the attention away from her and at the same time provide a perfect opportunity to observe and learn without anyone even knowing that she was there as she had done countless times before.

"Ensign?" One of the space station's personnel said, tapping the young-looking woman on the  shoulder. "Your ship will be in transporter range in less than 20 minutes. You would do best to report to the transporter room now as we have been informed that they will not be stopping. In fact, they are making just enough of a detour to be in transporter range. It seems that their Captain is in quite a rush to get wherever he and his crew are heading."

"Thank you," she casually replied, the mild surprise on her features being nothing more than a show for the benefit of the station's personnel and anyone else looking in her direction at the time. She had not expected anything else from the Commanding Officer of the ship in charge of gathering the crystals, in fact she would have been very disappointed had he acted any differently.

She made it here just in time, not having a minute to spare, but everything had perfectly fallen into place. The message she sent had reached Elijah and he had taken care of the rest. Now she would board this ship as a special envoy possessing crucial information on the crystals. That alone insured she would make it on board, from there though the rest of her plan would have to be handled one step at a time.

=-=
Setting: Federation Outpost Charlie-Alpha-Romeo, Transporter Room 3
Stardate: 32229.0810

The Ensign stood on the platform, her hands fighting to display the nervousness she was meant to display. Boarding a vessel in such a mysterious manner was after all a very unexpected course of action for a Starfleet Officer. While portraying the troubled, nearly terrified young woman, the covert Idanian operative reviewed all of the possible ships that might have been involved in this ship.

The fact that she had been unable to find any information about this mission could only mean that Elijah's research on these crystal had been taken over by NEW ALEXANDRIA. The ghost Intel agency of the Federation being the only one able to maintain such a project so perfectly hidden from the rest of the Intel world.  Using that high probability as her starting point, she deduced that one of the more massive vessels operating from that based would be the one to beam her aboard.

Little was known about those ships other that they were large and equipped with defensive and offensive capabilities meant to rival a small fleet. Those ships were also equipped with the means to search entire planets without anyone ever having to set foot on them. Given that they were heading for IDANA and that they wanted to remain undetected by the Cardassians, that choice had been the only possible one.

She stifled a smile as she felt the energy of the transporter sequence dance over her body. Whatever guilt she might have felt in taking on this crystal was replaced by the thrill of going on board a ship that was at best fabled to exist. If everything went according to plan, not only would she be able to discover what these crystals were capable of, but she would be able to return home with invaluable data concerning one of NEW ALEXANDRIA's most secretive weapons.

=(/\)=
Setting: USS Anubis, Mess hall.
Stardate: 32229.0810

Tanith was not usually one given to nervousness, or overreaction, but the idea of going in to Cardassian space was enough to make anyone antsy, unless they were Vulcan, or maybe dead. Ostensibly, she was eating breakfast. Most important meal of the day, and all that, but in reality, she'd merely pushed the food around and thought broodingly of all her trips into that space with the Orion Syndicate, trying to recall anything that might be of use now, any code words, any special routes, that sort of thing. She fiddled with a heavy medallion, removed from its chain, spinning it on one edge and watching its blurry spinning meditatively until it fell over. 

"You've got an unusually serious expression on your face, Ensign Jones," Shar'El's voice broke into Tanith's thoughts, derailing her train of thought. She looked up to see the Commander and Counselor Dima standing politely next to her table. Tanith awkwardly consolidated her half eaten breakfast onto one plate with one hand, and stacked the rest to give the two women space at the table, assuming that they wanted to join her.  With her other, she stopped the spinning of the medallion and flicked it back towards herself.  

"It's an unusually serious situation, Commander," Tanith said, unconsciously starting the piece of jewelry spinning again. "I've been into Cardassian space before, but never when the stakes were this high. In that, if we're caught, I'm fairly sure they'll kill us all. When I was undercover, they might have been willing to negotiate for us."

"Not many Federation citizens have been into Cardassian space and lived to tell about it. Do you remember anything of use?"

=(/\)=
Setting: Orion Syndicate Vessel Fnarr,
Stardate: 6 years ago

Of course the small vessel would have had to have trouble the moment she actually entered Cardassian space. Murphy's law, and all that. The secondhand Cardassian runabout had blown an engine coil, requiring that she choose between speed and all the bells and whistles that one normally took for granted in a space ship. Bells and whistles like climate control, full power air scrubbers, and ambient light that didn't require a flashlight to see by.  It was hot, she was sweating, and to add insult to injury, the lack of scrubbers meant that the smell of her sweat and breath stayed in the now fetid, musty air. 

"I shouldn't be here," Tanith said aloud to no one in particular. "I wasn't supposed to get involved in the business side of things, dammit. Why wouln't they extract me? What's he thinking?"

It had been pure bad luck that she'd been in this position, she knew. A lot of bad luck on Harad Sar's part was the only reason she'd been marked for this task. First his A-team had gone missing, presumed and actually dead, if they had any sense at all. Then his regular couriers had been requested by someone higher up in the food chain, and his second string of up-and-comers, made mostly of Orions from well connected families that were not good enough to be trusted with work of their own, were too valuable as assets to risk. That left her and a gaggle of other very low ranking security guards, most of which didn't know how to pilot. It came down to her and a few disposable others, and being by far the most innocuous of the remaining lackeys, was chosen despite her protestations. Well, less chosen, and more like told that she would do it, or she'd face a messy end right then and there. Not much of a choice.

She glanced over at the locked cargo area, mopping her brow with a handkerchief. What if whatever it was was perishable? She hadn't been given any instructions regarding that, but then again, it wasn't supposed to take this long, and it wasn't supposed to be this hot. Maybe she could check. At least if it was something heat sensitive, she could replicate ice, and pack it around the shipment, hopefully keep it in good condition. She had been told not to open it... But she was fairly sure that the penalty for letting the shipment be destroyed would be far worse than disobeying that order.  Especially since the clients would likely be meting out the punishment when she came bearing faulty goods. Shoot the messenger and all that. 

She walked to the door. Locked, no doubt with a code only the client had. Good enough to keep your average thug from getting in, but not much of an obstacle for her, a trained intelligence operative. She popped the panel next to the door open, and wired in a padd, carefully hacking into the lock program. It took about an hour, but she managed to get it open. The door hissed open, and she peered in.

Her stomach sank, and she was immediately sorry that she'd opened it. Inside slumped an elderly Risan. It was even hotter than the rest of the shuttle in there, and there was barely any air. Thinking quickly, she ran to the replicator and brought back a cold water and doused the man's clothing before pulling him upright and pouring some of the liquid down his throat. He stirred, coughing up some water that had gone the wrong way.

"You okay mister?" Tanith patted him gently on the cheeks until he was sitting up, blinking as he looked around at her. The danger to the man passed, and the enormity of the situation was beginning to sink in. She was trafficking sentient beings, she was selling someone into slavery.

"As okay as can be expected under the circumstances," the man said gravely, looking her up and down. "I believe I'm doing better than you."

"I didn't expect- I didn't know... Nobody told me what I was transporting-" Tanith found herself stuttering. The man smiled sadly and patted her hand.

"Looks like this is an uncomfortable for both of us. Who are you working for and where are you taking me?"

"The Orion Syndicate, and to someone in Cardassian space, not sure who. But- forget that. I'm not taking you to them. I didn't sign up for this. Screw this, it'll be slow, but we can make it back to Federation space-"

"And then the Orion Syndicate will be after you for the rest of your life," the Risan shook his head. "No, *I* won't have that on my conscience. I'm a renowned scientist, if someone has paid to get me, they'll treat me well, and they'll likely have the money to fund whatever research I want to do. No, your hands are clean, child. I'm choosing to go. You don't have to feel responsible."

"You say that, but I can't-"

"Yes you can, and you will," he reached a hand out. "My name is Sarel Ptemmon."

"Tammy-Jo," Tanith took his hand and shook it ruefully. "Nice to meet you."

=(/\)=
Setting: USS Anubis, mess hall. 
Stardate: 32229.0815

"Not really," Tanith muttered into her coffee mug, glancing apologetically at the two other women. "It's different when you're working with an illegal operation, and- I..."

Nicole sensed her discomfort and exchanged a glance with Shar'El.

"It's okay, you don't have to talk about it until you're ready," Nicole's comforting words were punctuated by the clatter of the medallion onto the table.

"I know," Tanith stared at the medallion and was quiet for an awkwardly long amount of time. 

"So, uh. That's an interesting uh, piece," Nicole said, trying to break the awkwardness that had set in. Tanith picked it up and handed it to Nicole. It was a heavy piece of bronze, flying saucer shaped, with concentric circles punctuated by some blue diamonds set in a tubular bezel. "I don't think I've ever seen something like it before."

"I got it from a friend."

=(/\)=
Setting: Orion Syndicate Vessel Fnarr,
Stardate: 6 years ago

"Sarel, I-"

"I know, I've got to go back into the box. Wouldn't do for them to know you'd got too chummy with the cargo." Sarel paused, then removed his necklace, and placed it over her head. "I want you to have this. This isn't the best of circumstances, but I'm thankful that you were willing to help me, even if I didn't take you up on it. I know you'll treasure it and keep it safe for me."

"It's not too late to head for Federation Space..." Tanith said half jokingly. It was a conversation they'd had multiple times, and every time he had refused.

"Be safe, Tammy-Jo, and get out when you can. You're too young to be in this deep with people this bad."

"You be safe too."

=(/\)=
Alix Fowler

Flight Control Officer
USS ANUBIS
M09-P133: USS ANUBIS: Morningstar: Day 12 - 0820 ("Blinking")
##########
"Blinking"
Previous post "The Cuckoo"
##########

"The unknown is what we are here for. Like the pieces of a puzzle, it is only when we manage to put all of our findings together that we can start to understand what it is we were actually searching for."
- Professor Elijah Arken, Open address of the Bajoran Science Simposium

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Transporter Room 2
Stardate: 32229.0820

"Welcome aboard Ensign," Commander Shar'El said as she greeted the newest arrival aboard. "As I understand it, you have some important information for us."

The woman's first impressions; pleasantries were not a high priority on board this ship, not that the undercover Idanian had expected to be received with a red carpet and fanfare. Taking on a more politically visible identity would have hindered her search for details about the crystals. As a grey uniformed Ensign though, she would be able to move about the ship with relative ease, her questions not raising any suspicions. After all, she did wear the colours of an Intel Officer.

What she had expected, was the vessel to be one of the flag ships of NEW ALEXANDRIA, and by the looks and feel of things, she was right on the money. The transporter room did not appear to be that of a smaller ship, and the solid-black haired Commander did not come across as being an officer in charge of only a few dozen officers. This would also play well in her favour.

"I am sorry that the information had to be relayed this way," the Ensign said as she stepped down from the transporter platform and handed over a data chip to the Commander. "The Admiral was very concerned that the transmission might be intercepted, especially with you being so close to the Cardassian boarder."

"The paranoia of Admiral Koniki will never cease to surprise me," Shar'El sighed, unintentionally confirming that this was, as the covert Idanian suspected, a ship operating under the banner of the NEW ALEXANDRIA complex. Although there was nothing official placing Admiral Charles N. Koniki at the head of the shadow Intel organization, all of the rumours and half-clues gathered to this point by the Idanian pointed in that direction.  "Come with me," the cosmetically altered Ullian instructed, "best we speak to the Captain right away."

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 3, Corridor
Stardate: 32229.0825

As they walked, Shar'El studied the small data storage device now in her hand as if she was able to read its content. There was something about the chip that she found interesting, almost odd, but the First Officer quickly dismissed this as just her being as she had just described the Admiral. As of late, the Ullian had felt an increased sense of paranoia which she blamed on her inability to stop the memories of their Chief of Security from invading her mind.

As they boarded the turbolift, Shar'El leaned at the back of the pod, a position that easily allowed the First Officer to study both the data chip and Ensign all at the same time. The journey to the command deck proved to be both a short and quiet one.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge|
Stardate: 32229.0830

As the two officers stepped onto the bridge, they found the Native American sitting in his chair, his gaze locked on the stars being displayed on the main view screen. With the Cardassian border so close and their intentions to cross it being undeniable, there was no reason to question the Captain's focus.

"Here is the data that was brought over as per Arken's request to Koniki," Shar'El announced as she handed over the data chip. The undercover Idanian kept her reaction to herself, the last words of the First Officer having confirmed both her suspicions that the Professor's work and this ship fell under the oversight of Admiral Koniki, nearly confirming that this was one of the flag ships of the shadow Intel agency known as NEW ALEXANDRIA.

Erik studied the data chip, very much in the same manner that his first Officer had done only seconds before. Not having the time to voice his questions out loud, the Captain stood and made his way to his Ready Room accompanied by his First Officer and the Bajoran courier.

"Lieutenant Stark, you have the bridge," the Captain stated before vanishing into his office.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain's Ready Room
Stardate: 32229.0835

The Native American wasted no time and made his way around the  imposing desk before sitting down and inserting the data chip into an open port. After a few quick security verification, the data appeared on a three-dimensional holographic display located on the Captain's desk.

Shar'El appeared somewhat stunned as she read the data while the Captain appeared more perplexed. The Bajoran Intel Officer simply stood there, her hands clasped behind her back, looking anywhere but the holographic display. After all, she had been invited into the Captain's Ready Room but had not been officially permitted to see the data she had brought aboard.

"Did Admiral Koniki say anything to you about the content of this data chip?" The Native American inquired of the courier.

"He did not, Sir," the rapid and all so professional reply was offered. "My instructions were to simply make sure that this data reached its destination before 0830 today."

"The Admiral likes to cut it close," Shar'El voiced. "Well, we have the information, what do we do about it?"

"Bring the ship to a full stop," Erik ordered. "We need to check this out before we cross into Cardassian space. If one of those crystals was actually here without our knowledge all this time, I would like to know who has it and how they came to have it in their possession without knowing it." The Captain stated before turning his attention to the Bajoran courier. "Thank you Ensign, Commander Shar'El will assign you to quarters. You are free to wander the ship until such time as we can address your official assignment on board."

"Thank you Captain," the Bajoran acknowledged before following the Commander out of the Ready Room, again keeping her feelings to herself. With the crew busy trying to figure out who had the eighth crystal, she would be able to investigate the purpose of these small little items.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Black Hole Lounge, Upper level
Stardate: 32229.0900

Sitting at one of the tables near the edge, the Bajoran Intel Officer could keep an eye on the hustling and bustling of happening on the level below. This location was perfect for her to observe the reaction of the crew as news of the location of the last crystal spread like wildfire.

It also gave her the opportunity to gather quite a bit of information as to the make-up of the ship's personnel. Patience was after all the one most powerful weapon at the disposal of any Intel Operative. It would likely take them some time to even come close to identifying the owner of the last crystal, especially given that she did not know it herself, which gave the Bajoran more than ample time to mingle with the crew and gather as much as she could about the mighty USS ANUBIS.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Stardate: 32229.0930

As per the orders of the Captain, the members of the senior staff had gathered to discuss this latest twist in their quest for the eight crystals.

"Would have been nice for Professor Arken to give us more than 'someone on board as one of the crystals'," Lieutenant Stark said sounding rather exasperated.

"The message received was much wordier than that," Commander Shar'El corrected. "He did go on to say that according to the information he and Admiral Koniki were able to obtain, the crew member is not aware of being in possession of said crystal."

"The perfect hiding place," Lieutenant Commander Maya chimed, all of this not having diminished her admiration for the man in the least. "Think about it, the last crystal is as safe as could be given that the person who has it is not even aware of this fact."

"Why tell us now?" Lieutenant Ya'Han inquired. As the Chief of Security, the Nylaan always held on to a certain amount of suspicion no matter the situation, a skill that Commander Shar'El had noted and commented upon more than once thinking that the woman with the changing hair colour would be a great addition to the Intel community.

"Our getting that message now is not mistake," Captain Morningstar added. "I know that the Admiral likes to play games when it comes to telling us only what we need, but I also know that he never does anything without a good reason. He knew that I would bring the ship to a full stop and not cross into Cardassian space upon receiving this information.  I can only guess as to why, but I suspect that finding out who has the last crystal is going to help make it all clear."

"It won't be that easy," Lieutenant Paquette admitted, the redhead leaning back into her chair displaying a certain air of disbelief. "With a crew compliment of 780, it might take us years to figure out who amongst us has the crystal. I for one am not at all looking forward to searching through everyone's sock drawers, especially my own. Last time I was in there I had to call for an emergency decontamination of my quarters."

"Sonja," Nicole said, rolling her eyes at the Chief Engineer.

"I actually agree with her," the Captain continued drawing looks from everyone present. "We do not have the time to search the whole crew for an item that the individual themselves do not know they have in their possession. What we need to do though is to narrow down the possibilities starting with the members of the senior staff. Given all that we have learned and dealt with thanks to Professor Arken's efforts to safeguard the crystals, it is unlikely that he would have selected a mere crewman."

"That is if the crystal was given to them directly," Ensign Jones argued. "From what you have said about the message, there are no specifications that the Professor gave the crystal to one of us. It is possible that any of us came to be in possession of the eighth crystal through some trade, exchange or even gift."

The Native American nodded his head in agreement. There were still far too many questions and even more possibilities to consider. "All right, let's start with ourselves," Erik instructed. "I want everyone here to return to their quarters and search through *everything*. Keep in mind that the crystal may very well be hiding inside something that is shielding it from scanners, so don't rely on any instruments. Go through all of your belongings, recalling how it came to be in your possession and set aside anything that might, regardless of how small the probability may be, contain the last crystal. We will have to tackle the seventh crystal after this since missing even one crystal makes all of this useless. Dismiss."

As the members of the senior staff made their exit from the Observation Lounge, Commander Shar'El remained behind, waiting for everyone to leave before speaking to the Captain.

"I need to speak with you," the First Officer bluntly said.

"About?" The Native American questioned back.

The solid black-haired woman sighed and simple tapped the side of her head as she looked into the Captain's eyes.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Stark's Quarters
Stardate: 32229.1000

"Any luck?" Counsellor Dima asked as she walked into the private living area of the Chief of Operations, this after having announced her presence and granted access by the owner of these quarters.

"Not really," Jayson replied from his bedroom. "You can't tell me that you managed to go through all of your quarters already?"

"As a joint Trill I actually have very few personal possessions as it is customary for a new host to separate themselves from the life of the previous host, this includes physical mementos as well as acquaintances," Nicole explained. "So it was relatively easy and quick to go through what Nicole has since nothing from Carrina was carried forward."

"That's interesting," Stark continued. "Now, that leaves me to wonder if I should be thankful or insulted that you decided to come and help me instead of anyone else on the senior staff."

"My being here is actually a decision based on logic," Nicole stated. "Please do not feel singled out or specifically targeted by my being here with my offer to assist. The truth is that I would not feel comfortable offering this help to Captain Morningstar or Commander Shar'El, and I also know that Commander Maya's quarters are beyond spotless, every item or trinket she owns placed on shelves in a very specific order and manner rendering any sort of assistance pointless."

"What about Ya'Han or even Sonja?" Jayson asked, wanting to hear the full *logical* excuse the Counsellor had come up with to end up in his quarters. "I am sure that their quarters have more than enough trinkets to warrant some sort of assistance from you."

"Jayson," the Counsellor smirked. "You know that Sonja is already getting help from ANI, and franckly I would not be able to tell the difference between something from her past or a piece of machinery fshe brought back from Main Engineering or even the Robotics lab. As for Ya'Han, you of all people know just how little she actually has when it comes to anything she has from her past. The only thing she carries with her from that time are memories, many of them the sort that she wishes she could forget.

"All right," Stark said realizing that he was clearly going to lose this argument, but he still had one last chance to prove some sort of bias from the Counsellor. "What about Ensign Jones? Being the quiet sort that she is, I would not be surprised that her quarters are filled with odd items, any number of which could hide the last crystal."

"It is a valid point," Nicole admitted.

"So why come here first?" The Chief of Operations demanded as if seeking some sort of justification for having apparently won this contest.

"Honestly," Nicole chuckled. "Because I know you and clearly recall seeing your quarters in a state that would have scared many in the Emergency Relief Force of a great many worlds, some of which are not even part of the Federation."

"That's not fair," Jayson huffed. "True, but not at all fair. Plus, as you can see I have managed to keep my quarters clean after having gone through so much trouble sorting through the mess that they were in."

"It was another reason why I wanted to come here," the Counsellor admitted. "We have not had the chance to speak for a while, and thought that maybe this would be a good opportunity. Speaking of which, where did all of the small items that were scattered throughout your quarters vanish to?"

"In that box on the right of the couch," Jayson replied. "There is nothing in there that could hide one of those crystals though, but they were items that I could not recycle.

With her curiosity piqued, the Counsellor made her way to the side table by the couch and opened the box to see what sort of item Jayson had elected to keep. The collection was small, all of the trinkets clearly having some specific significance to him. That was when Nicole noticed a delicately decorated hair pin, something that she clearly did not remember ever having seen on Ya'Han.

"Jayson, who is the hair pin from?"

"That was a gift from Sofia Andersson," Stark said, his voice suddenly sounding sad. "She's the woman we met back in Paris; the one we received notification not so long ago that she was dead."

"I do remember seeing her name on the report," Nicole said, matching the man's sadness with her voice. "I am sorry. I had not realized that the two of you were close."

"Not really," Stark said in a dismissive manner.

Although she did want to talk about this more, Nicole believed it best not to press the issue at this time. There would be a better time and place to explore this matter, and those were neither here nor now. As she was about to place the item back into the box, a general call from Ensign Jones came over the communications channel.

=/\= Tanith to whoever is closest, could someone come to my quarters. =/\=

Before she could realize what was happening, Jayson had stormed out of his bedroom and grabbed hold of the Counsellor on his way out forcing Nicole to place the delicate hair pin into her pocket for fear of losing it. As soon as she would be given the chance, she would return the item to its rightful owner that is of course as soon as they would all figure out what the call from the Flight Control Officer had been all about.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Jones' Quarters
Stardate: 32229.1020

One by one all of the members of the Senior Staff rushed into the Ensign's quarters, unsure as to what to expect. What they found was their Flight Control Officer sitting at the dining table staring at a large and heavy medallion.

"What are we looking at?" Ya'Han asked, the Chief of Security having been the first to respond to the Flight Control Officer's general call.

"Something that was given to me a long time ago," Tanith replied. "The more I thought about the crystals Professor Arken sent us to retrieve; the time frame we are speaking about; and the odd symbols on it, I started to wonder if maybe this was what we all have been searching for."

"May I Ensign?" Commander Maya asked, requesting permission to take hold of the medallion and visually inspect it. "The markings on it are clearly Risian in nature," the Chief Science Officer noted just as both the Captain and First Officer came to stand by the Shillian's side.

"We know that Arken is fond of RISA," Shar'El detailed to the crowd.

"He did attend and gave a great many number of lectures on that world," Maya confirmed.

"After getting the first crystal from IshDur Talkiir, we never even considered the possibility that a second crystal might be on that world," Jayson offered.

"Maybe we should have," Nicole sighed. "It would fit the man's psychological profile to have this chance for the crystals start and end on the same planet.

"This is nothing more than speculations," the Captain pointed out. "We need to confirm that the crystal is indeed inside that medallion before we consider this search over with. Commander Maya, do you have any ideas as to how to open it?"

"The thickness and size of the medallion do allow for the possibility that the eighth crystal is inside," the Chief Science Officer offered. "That said, I am at a loss to see any means to gain access to a hidden compartment. Given how careful the Professor is in coming up with ways to protect his creation, it is unlikely that we will be able to simply open the medallion."

"Could the other crystals be of some help?" Commander Shar'El asked, trying to come up with something, anything that might help them in discovering if whether or not the medallion actually contained the crystal they were looking for.

"I have noted a certain magnetic interaction between the crystals, one that has only grown stronger the more of them we have obtained," Maya clarified. "It is possible that bringing the medallion close to the other six crystals might reveal the presence of another inside."

"Let's give it a try," the Captain said. "At this point we have little to lose."

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Astrometrics Lab
Stardate: 32229.1040

The Senior Officer gathered in the lab, all of them very curious to see if this little test would actually prove Ensign Jones' suspicions as to the presence of a crystal inside the medallion which she had gone through great length to keep the origin of a secret.

Maya placed the medallion near the six crystals previously obtained and everyone was disappointed when nothing happened. Neither the large disk nor the smaller crystals appeared to react to the presence of the other.

"Looks like we are going back to search our quarters," Sonja sighed, not actually finding anything amusing in her search through all of the items she had collected over time.

"Captain," Shar'El quietly said as she leaned in closer to Erik. "There is one thing we are not taking into account. Maybe the medallion, or more specifically the crystal inside, would react to the proximity of the remaining seven crystals?"

"Are you sure you are willing to tip your hand at this stage in the game?" Erik inquired, leaving everyone else in the room to wonder what this discussion was all about.

"I do not believe that we have much of a choice at this time," the First Officer pointed out. "It's either that or we resume our search for a crystal that we may already have found. In order to not waste our time, it would be best to make sure and use all available resources to doing so."

"All right," Erik agreed although somewhat reluctantly. "Take Ya'Han with you and do what you need to get to the bottom of this. I'll be on the bridge with the others to make sure nothing unexpected happens."

Although she had absolutely no idea as to what was going on, the Nylaan Chief of Security followed the First Officer while she inquired from the computer the location of the Bajoran Intel courier.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Black Hole Lounge, Upper level
Stardate: 32229.1100

Over the last two hours the undercover Idanian had learned a great deal about the ship through simple listening in on various conversations, but not it was time for the Bajoran Intel Officer to see if she could find out more about the crystals and their intended purpose. As she was getting up from her chair, she noticed several members of the security department take position at the entrance of the establishment. That by itself had not been enough to concern her, but when she saw the Chief of Security and First Officer making their way towards her, concerns quickly mounted, not that she allowed anything to externally show.

"Is there a problem Commander?" The Ensign asked, one Intel Officer to another.

"We can do this the hard way or the easy way," Ya'Han said, having been brought up to speed by Shar'El while on their way here.

"I am sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking about," the Bajoran said in her defence. "I have done nothing since my arrival on board, other than sit here and have a couple of cup of raktajino."

The Nylaan's hair turned fiery red, displaying for all to see that she was more than ready for a fight. Had Jayson been here, he would have certain warned the Bajoran of what was about to transpire, but in his absence, it was the Shar'El who spoke.

"As a Bajoran, I am sure you are aware of Ullians and their unique ability to scan someone's memories," the First Officer said.

"I am," she confirmed, looking around to see if she could see any member of the mentioned race. "Did I manage to offend a Ullian in some way?"

"No," Shar'El stated. "Especially given that you had no reason to believe that there was one nearby," she added as her mind bored into that of the woman who was quickly made to understand that the Ullian mentioned had been none other than the ship's own First Officer.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Captain Ready Room
Stardate: 32229.1200

"We now have all eight crystals," Shar'El announced as she walked into the Captain's office. "Maya has them all in the Astrometrics lab."

"Guessing that our guest did not give you too much trouble," Erik said, glad to hear that their search for the crystals had finally come to an end.

"She's Idanian, and no. Once she realised that her plan to get information on both the crystals and the ship had failed, she actually proved to be quick accommodating," Shar'El explained. "What has me troubled somewhat is the fact that she actually brought the seventh crystal instead of leaving it behind. I was able to pick up on some memories of her and Professor Arken that may offer an explanation, but since we have all of the crystals in hand, I thought it best to leave that investigation to the interrogation team on NEW ALEXANDRIA."

"Speaking of which, I'm guess that there is nothing holding us back from returning home?"

"It will be nice to finally go home," Shar'El admitted.

"A sentiment shared by everyone on board I am sure," the Native American stated. "Set course back to the GIZA Nebula, I will take care of contact Admiral Koniki and informing him of our successful completion of the mission as well as the bonus we are bringing back.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Astrometrics
Stardate: 32232.1000

It had almost been three full days since all eight crystals had been reunited, and still the Chief Science officer, despite spending every waking hours working on them, had been unable to figure out what the crystal did.

Yes the magnetic force generated by their proximity to one another had been strong enough to attack the together to form a circle, but from there the Shillian had been unable to figure out what purpose this circle was meant to accomplish. Every test, every effort to shed some light on this mystery had completely failed and Maya was saddened by the fact that she would have to turn over the result of their completely mission without any sort of explanation. It seemed that Professor Arken had managed to keep their secret even beyond them being reunited.

"Don't feel so bad Maya," Nicole offered. "We'll be back home in less than an hour and those crystals will be turned over back to the Professor whom i suspect might not even tell Admiral Koniki what they do, so we will not be alone in our ignorance."

"Thank you Counsellor," Maya offered, forcing herself to sound happy. "It would have been nice for me to have discovered what these things were meant to do though."

As she nodded her understanding, Nicole put her hands in her pockets and realized that the delicate hair pin she had unwillingly taken from Jayson's quarters had still been in her possession. Of course with the ANUBIS now making its way back into the asteroid housing the NEW ALEXANDRIA complex, the Counsellor would have to wait to return the item to him.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 32232.1100

"All moorings secured," The Chief of Operations cheered, this making it official. The ANUBIS was finally home.

"Professor Arken is requesting permission to come aboard via the umbilical connection," Ya'Han announced. "It seems that he is in a rush to see all of his crystals back together again."

"Permission granted," the Native American said. "Please keep an eye on him while Shar'El and I meet with the Admiral. As soon as I have news, I will let you know the details of the prisoner's transfer. I almost forgot, the Professor is uncomfortable with Command type Starfleet Officer, so to avoid problems please have Counsellor Dima accompany you while he is on board."

"Of course Captain," the Chief of Security replied before opening a comm channel. "Yahan to Nicole, could you please meet me at the umbilical connection? We are to greet and escort Professor Arken. Both Captain Morningstar and Commander Shar'El will be unavailable due to a meeting with Admiral Koniki."

=/\= On my way, =/\= the Counsellor said sounding rather amused.

"Is there something funny?" Ya'han asked, chuckling herself.

"Just imagining the Captain and First officer and how thrilled they must be at this meeting, especially after nearly 200 days of absence from our base of operation," Nicole explained.

"Agreed," the Chief of Security said. "I for one am happy to be escorting the professor instead."

=/\= See you there, Dima out. =/\=

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Umbilical Connection port
Stardate: 32232.1120

"Welcome aboard the ANUBIS Professor," Nicole said greeting the aged man. "You must be happy that we have managed to gather all of the crystals."

"You do not have all of them," Arken coldly said as he produced a ninth crystal from his pocket, showing it off to the two women standing in front of me. "Now, I need you to escort me to your Bajoran prisoner, who we all know is not as she appears to be. I need to speak to her. I need to see her NOW!" He added plowing his way pass both Nicole and Ya'Han, giving the crystal he was holding to the Counsellor as he bumped into her. Clearly his need to see the Idanian woman had been far more important than dealing with the reunification of the nine crystals

Ya'Han found herself rushing after the professor, not wanting him to do something that the Captain might not be all that agreeable with. Finding herself alone with a new crystal, and knowing how upset Maya was, Nicole figured that she could at the very least let the Chief Science officer in on the fact that the eight-piece puzzle they all had been working to reconstruct had in fact been incomplete.

=====
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Astrometrics
Stardate: 32232.1135

Nicole walked in to find Maya working at the back of the room, the Chief Science Officer having obviously decided to focus her attention on a new mystery instead of dwelling on the one that she had been unable to figure out over the course of their last mission.

"Maya! I have something for you," Nicole announced as she made her way to the workstation where the other eight crystals rested in a circle. As the Counsellor went to fetch the crystal from her pocket, she instead pulled the delicate hair pin that once belonged to Sofia Andersson. Keeping the item in hand as she pulled the crystal, Dima reminded herself once more to make sure to return the item to its rightful owner.

With the hair pin in one hand, and the ninth crystal in the other, Nicole noticed that the shape left in the center of the circle created by the other eight crystals seem to perfectly match the bottom section of the one she was holding. Just as the Scientist was coming to join the Counsellor, the joint Trill placed the ninth crystal into the opening left by the others and simply vanished in the blink of an eye to the Shillian's absolute horror.

=====
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section A – Level 6, Admiral Koniki`s Office
Stardate: 32232.1430

"Those crystals do what?" The Native American demanded, their creator pacing through the Admrial's Office.

"When placed together, they create a focal point that allows instant travel from one place to another without the use of any transporter technology," the Professor explained. "I call it *blinking*."

"Blinking?" Erik repeated, appearing on the verge of an emotional blowout. "I really don't care what you call it. Just explain to my Chief Engineer how to integrate them into the ANUBIS so that we can go after my mission Counsellor."

"The ANUBIS is way too large for that," Arken said waving his arms in the air. "Plus, you need to figure out where she went, and even I don't know that. I was playing with the idea of controlling the crystals with brain waves, but I never managed to get far enough in my research before I decided to split the crystals to insure their safety. Obviously the system works, which means that she has been taken to wherever her mind was focussed on at the time.

"Admiral, we need to go after her," Erik pleaded to his superior. "We can't leave Nicole out there by herself, wherever she may be."

"Until further notice the ANUBIS will be staying home," Koniki said. "I will have all available resources search for her whereabouts, but in the meantime you and your crew are to take some time to rest. You all need it after all this."

"What about that 'blink drive' of his?" The Native American said in a most accusatory manner, pointing to the scientist responsible for their creation.

"The crystals will remain here, on NEW ALEXANDRIA, in a safe location until we can figure out how to safely use them to retrieve your missing Counsellor, if that is in any way possible. Now Erik, go back to your ship and let me take care of this."

Not truly having any other choice, the Native American exited the Admiral's office, making sure to cast a threatening glare at the Professor as he passed next to him.

--==(/\)==--
Francois Charette

Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn [Access Character BIO for Elan Fairborn]
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA

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