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"Thoughts and Feelings"
[Previous post: "Fear in Any Form is The One True Enemy"]
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Setting: YUDARA Asteroid Field, Planetoid, Trade Center, T'Kon Temple
Stardate: 63073.2120

Adriana sat on the steps of the temple, her thoughts so lost on her injured Kzinti friend and the other members of the away team that the Kerelian betrothed had actually forgotten what her current attire had represented and meant to others.

"Do you really think it is safe for you to sit like this in view of everyone, alone?" The Betazoid woman playfully said, lowering herself down next to the visibly troubled woman.

"What?" the aCMO replied having been drawn out of her thoughts.  It was only then that Adriana noticed that Mortina had sat down next to her.  "You mean this," she continued as she looked down at her torn dress.  "Guess I wasn't thinking."

"It's alright," Mortina offered with a gentle pat on the Kerelian's shoulder.  "This temple is a safe haven for those in need and I doubt anyone would dare to get close to it wanting to stir up trouble."

"Still," Adriana said with a smile.  "I should get back inside and check on my friend."

"There is no rush," Mortina said in a very calming voice.  "You did an amazing job back there and now your friend is being cared for by Ojall, so you have nothing to be concerned about even if that huge Kzinti hunter is there with them.  That priest could sooth a Klingon with a raging tooth ache.  So relax, you have nothing to worry about, your friend will be back on her feet by the time you are ready to return to your ship."

The aCMO turned her head to look at Mortina with puzzlement.  Ensign Lopez had never mentioned a ship and certainly not that Hex and her had been on the same crew.

Having felt the sudden wave of confusion from the Kerelian, the other woman offered a warm, reassuring smile.  "Relax, first I'm a Betazoid and although I don’t usually pry into the minds of others, your feelings for your ship and crewmates were impossible to ignore. Second, you have nothing to fear from me, I am also from Starfleet.  I was kidnapped and brought here for a reason that I have yet to discover, but like yourself right now all I want is to be able to go home safe and sound."

"Going home will be nice," Adriana admitted.  "But there is something we need to do first, for all of our sakes."

"Something relating to what has been happening here on this asteroid?" Mortina asked.  "There has been a lot of strange things happening here lately, an no one seems able to explain any of it."

"Like this temple," Adriana chuckled as she looked at the structur behind them.  "The temple looks exactly as it was described to be thousands of years ago."

For a brief moment the two women enjoyed the simple sight of the imposing structure, its ageless appearance filling them both with a strange sensation of awe.  That moment was brought to an end when Mortina took hold of the Kerelian's arm before speaking.  "Someone, a Starfleet officer, is in trouble."

Adrianna jumped to her feet and went to run inside the temple only to be stopped by the Betazoid's hold on her arm.  "Let me go, Hex needs me."

"It's not your friend that is in trouble," Mortina explained.  "It's someone else, and they are in pain."

"We need to go, *now*!" the aCMO said as she rushed back into the temple dragging the Betazoid with her.  Hopefully the Kzinti Sec/Tac officer  had recuperated enough for her to get back into action and deal with whatever Mortina had telepathically picked up.

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Marissa Montonera-Lombardi (mmlm24@gmail.com)

Ensign Adriana Lopez
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS