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"Friends' Faulty Fortune"
Previous post by the watchful hunter Mark ("Fearless Fiend Finder")
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Friendship is a horizon - which expands whenever we approach it.
-E.R.Hazlip

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Setting: MASQUERADE DREAMS, Main Dining Room
Stardate: 30152.1930
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Drinks with Fenix had become less obnoxious than the Tarellian had thought it would be with the presence of the Operations officer within the room. Lillie felt more at ease knowing that one of the ANUBIS crew had been in such close proximity, even if it had been because he was on a 'date' of his own.

"So tell me about yourself?" the Rutian coaxed, swirling the liquid in his glass around hypnotically.

"You asked me here, wouldn't it be more socially acceptable for you to tell me a bit about yourself first?" the Ensign responded, hoping that her quick response was enough to avoid a lengthy explanation about her colored past.

"If you insist... I was born and raised on Rutia IV by my mother's family. My father had been indoctrinated into an organization when I was very young after my mother had passed away due to a political dispute." Fenix indulged, purposefully leaving out the name of the organization he himself now was a part of.

"That sounds... horrible, I'm very sorry you had to go through that" Lillie sympathized, not daring to imagine the pain of losing both your parents at such a young age "So you're here on the cruise because...?"

"It was something my father always wanted to take my mother on, beyond that it's simply a luxurious vacation from the day-to-day grind" the terrorist lied, not yet willing to divulge his plans.

"A toast to their memory?"

"I couldn't think of anything more appropriate."

The soft clink their glasses made upon contact made the Terran-like woman shiver slightly, perhaps the drink had done more than the doctor wanted to realize.

"So... I've told you a bit about myself, now it's your turn" Fenix probed, hoping to learn more about his potential target.

"W-well" the Tarellian stammered "I grew up on a small farm out on Earth, it was in a bit of a backwater town. My parents eventually raised enough to send me into the city to train as a doctor's assistant."

Lillie was sure none of the crew knew a story that was any different, besides the Captain and Shar'El of course. It seemed in the Ensign's best interest to hold true to the story she had gotten used to repeating while undergoing training in Starfleet.

"Very interesting, so do you know about a lot of species or did you specialize in treating your own."

"A bit of both, my primary focus is my own race but I know enough to treat others as well" this was not a lie, the blonde woman found herself able to make eye contact again while speaking.

=/\= Ensign Stark is not responding, =/\= the Captain stated, drawing everyone's attention to his next words.  =/\= I need however is closest to report in his condition and intervene to get him out of Ya'Jun control.  As of right now, Ensign Stark is to be considered as an extreme security risk, and he is to be apprehended and contained until we can find out more about what as happened. =/\=

The familiar voice came over her subdermal communicator in a rush, the Tarellian having been so enveloped in the conversation that she had barely noticed the others speaking until now. Rising from her chair suddenly, Lillie scanned the dining area looking for the table at which Jayson and Ya'Jun would be seated at.

"Is something wrong?" her Rutian companion questioned, standing as she did and grasping lightly to her arm. The Ensign wondered if it was meant to be a supportive hold or a restraining one.

"That friend of mine I saw earlier... I just realized I have something I needed to ask him, it'll only take a moment."

"He's in good hands with his lady friend already it seems, no need to rush" Fenix charmed, a soothing tone entering his voice.

"No really, I need to go. I'll come back afterwards..."

"How can I be sure?" the grip around her wrist tightened, slowly Lillie began to feel afraid.

"Let go of me..."

"I can't do that, we just started our date."

"Let go or I'll... I'll...

"Or you'll what?" the Rutian said, a hint of underlying menace finding it's way into his tone.

"I'll scream... you wouldn't want to make a scene now would you?" the doctor challenged, barely keeping her pounding heart at bay.

A moment that lasted forever seemed to come over the two as Fenix contemplated his next actions. Releasing his prey now would make it hard to reconnect with her afterwards, but if he pressed the issue then the blonde woman's trust may be out of his reach forever. Regrettably the Rutian allowed his grasp to loosen and release it's hold.

Seemingly grateful, Lillie left the false gentleman's company to seek out and apprehend her mind-controlled crew mate. Hopefully the Operations officer would be glad for the rescue, but if bewitching was somehow involved the Tarellian doubted his compliance would be forthcoming.

"On my way to Jayson now, I have a visual. The woman with him seems to be... an older version of our Chief of Security to be honest, only she's bit of a more slender build. I'd say she's about five inches taller. Ya'Jun doesn't seem to realize my approach yet." Doctor Doyanne conveyed into her subdermal communicator, weaving her way through the crowds towards Jayson's location.

=/\= Keep on him Lillie, we're on our way. =/\= Sonja's voice ensured.

=/\= I'm coming to you as well. =/\= came Shar'El's encouragement.

Somewhere in her mind the Tarellian knew that engaging the enamored Ensign Stark alone would most likely end badly for her, but she didn't care. With his new status as a high risk to security the Terran man had to be confronted as soon as possible. Lillie didn't know much about Jayson personally, besides that which he had just mainstreamed to their entire crew, but the one thing the doctor did know was that her friend needed help.

"Jayson? Can I have a word with you?" the doctor asked, tapping his shoulder to ensure the man knew she was there. Even so Stark seemed lost in the eyes of his counterpart.

Grabbing the Operation's officer's shoulders with more force then the doctor was accustomed to using, Lillie forced her friend to look her way "Jayson! Will you please answer me?!"

As if his arm had been pulled like that of a puppet's on a string, Ensign Stark's hand came up and threw his concerned crew mate to the ground before. Pain shot through the Tarellian's side as she crashed awkwardly into a nearby empty chair.

"What... what do you... Lillie?" Jayson queered, seeming to temporarily be fighting the effects of Ya'Jun's compulsive gaze.

As if correcting a fault in his programming, the raven haired woman used a single finger to drag his eyes back to hers "Who is she? Your girlfriend?"

"Of course not, Lillie Doyanne is part of the..." the Operation officer's words were cut off with a quick hand wrapping around his mouth, belonging to his previously thrown doctor.

"What are you doing Stark? Wake up!" Lillie begged, placing a hand over the Ensign's eyes as well as his mouth.

Cutting the Terran's line of sight seemed to be helping, but not by much. Being strong enough to overpower the doctor easily, Jayson attempted to pull free of the Tarellian's intruding grasp, leaving his crew mate having to hold on for dear life as he thrashed. The scene seemed to be drawing unwanted attention from around the room.

"Who are you and what do you want with my date?" Ya'Jun accused, angry that her direct contact had been blocked "Are you THAT jealous of me?"

"Jealous?! I'm not jealous, you're the one who needs to control someone to have them like you" Lillie responded in kind, hoping the low blow would stagger the Nylann's control over her own mind as well as that of the Operation's officer currently escaping her hold.

Regrettably, the snide comment seemed to have the exact opposite effect on Ya'Jun's control. The woman struck like a black viper, pushing the Ensign's hands away from the key points she needed to access in order to remain in command of their starstruck crew mate.

"Make her leave us alone, don't you want to talk with me more?" the Nylann's hexing words prompted, like angelic music to the ears of her chosen mate.

Renewed vigor overtaking his mind, Jayson managed to again throw the blonde woman off of him and turned to her. Still listening to the sound of his siren's orders, the Operation's officer raised his hand to strike the Tarellian woman where she stood. Instead it was him who was struck, like a red flag being punctured by a bull.

Uxtar's body was a rock solid mountain compared to the Ensign's slimmer build. The hunter easily pinned his target beneath him. Looking up to the blonde woman staring at him, the undercover maintenance staff nodded that it was safe for her to rise from where she had fallen.

"I'll hold him. Grab the girl." the Hirogen ordered, not unfamiliar with having multiple targets. The small framed woman before him could obviously not hold down her crew mate, so the female was her best option.

The Nylann cursed under her breath and attempted to make a quick exit, with her hunter powerless to pursue it seemed like an easy get-away. The prey had been so close... but the hunt wasn't over, not for Uxtar. He would find his target again. Yet, inches from the escape she longed for, the royal-blooded woman came face-to-face with another of her own race with hair just as dark as her own.

"Ya'Jun..." her sister pleaded, the tone of her voice reflecting as if it had been centuries since they'd seen each other.

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Ashley Shane

Ensign Lillie Doyanne
Chief Medical Officer/Researcher
USS ANUBIS