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The Oncoming Storm (RP)
prierin
Member Posts: 7 Arc User
[OOC]Hey all! I saw this RP thread and thought, sure, why not? Its been a while since Ive actually RPd like this so what the hell
Below youll find my introductory chapter of my character, an orphaned Romulan struggling with life on Earth and finally recruited by a young Drake for reasons unknown. Hopefully the format is acceptable and everyone who opts to join in will enjoy.
Obviously I will be handling certain primary characters but how your characters interact is entirely up to you. There are only a few rules:
1: All posts must adhere to the EULA for these forums.
2: I prefer [OOC] text to be prefaced with [OOC] and in GREEN and [IC] text in WHITE.
3: IC arguments, etc. are permitted as the story unfolds. OOC arguments are not.
4: feel free to PM me with any questions, comments or concerns.
5: Have fun!
Thanks all I look forward to seeing how this develops.
[/OOC]
She lay in bed, arms folded beneath her head, staring at the ceiling of her room, her cheeks still wearing the bruises and dirt from her melee with The Boy. She would never call him by name, always The Boy.
You have no home! You dont belong here! The Boy had said to her between classes. You dont even have any parents!
It was true and she knew this. She was fully aware. As a Romulan she had no home world to call her own. Hers was obliterated by the destruction of their star. This had all happened before she was born; she had never actually took a single step on Romulus nor swallowed a single breath of ch'Rihan air. Her parents, her mother pregnant with her at the time, fled Romulus before the Hobus disaster. She was born in a dark corner of a Xindi trade vessel, completely ignorant of the past and, for better or for worse, completely oblivious to the future.
She could hear her adoptive parents talking from the other room, their voices strained and with only the fleeting remnants of patience as they discussed her fate. She was thirteen. By Human standards she was just coming into the troubling phase of her life; hormones, angst, the blossom of independence Romulans, however, age slower than their Human counterparts, making them smaller and less physically developed in all areas but one: her physical strength. Like Vulcans who opt to live on Earth, Romulans are genetically built for a harsher atmosphere and higher base gravity. Their bones and muscle makeup is far more dense and, as a result, they possess greater physical strength. The Boy knew this too, but for some stupid reason he decided to press his luck. In truth, he had been tormenting her for months now, singling her out and focusing his spiteful, hateful comments at her, whether it be the fact her ears were pointed or her blood was green.
Words can never hurt you, Elizabeth, her adoptive mother, had once said. unless you allow them to. They have no power over you but what you give them. Always remember that.
She reminded herself of this every day as The Boy continued to sling insults at her. She also reminded herself of Marcus, her adoptive father, told her, You have to be strong. Never fight back. Stand tall and stand proud but never lay a hand on another. Resist, disagree, and refuse to cooperate, but never act out in violence. These words were much harder to follow. Especially today.
The Boy had gone too far. It was as simple as that. He opened with his usual barrage of insults, goaded further by his chortling companions. Green blooded orphan! Youre parents are dead! You have no home world! She ignored most of this, as she has done since the beginning, but the line had been drawn with the following
You should have died along with your real parents!
She stopped and looked at The Boy, her blood boiling. She didnt know why, exactly, this statement caused such a reaction when all the others had not. She was trapped; her legs would not obey her, her eyes would not tear away from his. Her hands balled into tight, little fists.
This was what The Boy wanted, what he had been fishing for all these months; a reaction. He had finally struck a raw nerve and locked on. A sinister smile spread along his face as he took a step forward, his eyes burning into hers. Your entire race should have been killed. Wiped off the face of the galaxy for good! When Im a Starfleet Captain, Ill make sure to accidentally blow up any Romulan ships that I come across. Hopefully youll be on one when I do!
Move! Turn away now! She thought to herself, Hes just an idiot. Just walk away
The Boy moved closer. Her body disobeyed her. She couldnt walk away. Just a little closer A strange voice in the back of her head whispered.
What happened next happened too fast for her to realize until The Boy lay on the ground before her, broken and bleeding, his friends looking at her in stunned fear. She looked at The Boy, her hands still clenched in fists, her breath coming in short rasps, blood on her fists. Red blood. His blood.
He had reached for her. Or did she reach for him? She couldnt remember, it was all a blur. She remembered swinging her fist connecting with his jaw, satisfied with the sound and feel of the bones shattering. Satisfied, but not sated. As he lay before her she pulled back and kicked, breaking at least four ribs and knocking the wind out of him. One of The Boys friends, a tall red-haired kid, moved to help his friend. One look at the fire in her eyes froze him in his tracks. They fled. They all ran, leaving The Boy broken and wounded on the ground at her feet.
Run! Was all that went through her mind and she did just that. She turned on her heels and bolted to the only haven she knew. Home.
It wasnt much longer before a knock came to the door. Elizabeth answered and knew, exactly, what had happened at the sight of The Boys parents accompanied by the local law enforcement.
Alone, on her bed, she rolled on her side as the conversation in the other room reached a pitch that told her the inevitable was coming. She would be punished, and harshly so. She wondered what it will be like to survive on Rura Penthe. The answer came almost immediately: she wouldnt. She stared out the window of her room and considered running. This thought almost brought a smile to her lips. To where would she run? How far away is safe? Her thoughts were shattered by a soft knock on the door, followed by Elizabeth. She didnt appear to be in a murderous rage, outraged by the events with The Boy. In fact, she seemed perfectly calm, as if all of this was expected.
Aiel, would you come out here, please? was all she said before turning back to the other room. Suddenly, the fear and worry Aiel felt was greatly overshadowed by another feeling: sheer terror.
She made her way, timidly, into the room. Elizabeth took a seat next to Marcus who appeared equally calm and collected. This only made the terror all that much stronger. There was no sign of The Boys parents or the police. Just one man, his back to her, seated across from her adoptive parents.
Come over here, Aiel, Elizabeth patted the seat between she and Marcus. Aiel did as she was told and stared up at the strange man in her home. He was somewhere in his early thirties, the lightest touch of grey just beginning to appear at his temples. His eyes were intense but not threatening, and he gave a brief nod and the slightest of smiles to her as she sat down.
Jolan tru, The Man said softly to her. Truth be told, she had never heard this expression. It seemed familiar, somewhat natural, but all she could do was stare at the man in the only manner she could muster, that of a frightened thirteen year old girl. My name is Franklin Drake. Im with Starfleet. Dont be afraid, Aiel. I am not here to punish you.
Confused, she looked up to Elizabeth and Marcus, who offered her nothing but a comforting smile.
No! Again!
Aiel huffed to catch her breath as the holosuite reset itself. The Klingon warrior shed been fighting dissolved as another one appeared it its place. She winced at the growing pain in her side. She knew the suites safety protocols wouldnt allow her to suffer a fatal wound but they did nothing to alleviate the pain. She wiped her palms on her gi and put herself in the ready position, knife held in a defensive posture.
She was seventeen now. Physically a woman. Her strength and speed had increased with her age, as did her skill, putting her in the top five per cent of her class. She could down almost any human opponent. Klingons, on the other hand, were proving to be a much more difficult challenge.
She swallowed and controlled her breathing. Begin. She uttered. The Klingons eyes suddenly became aflame with life, anger and bloodthirst. He drew his batleth and screamed into an attack. Aiel dodged, knowing any attempt to parry the larger weapon would be pointless with a knife. Even if she did manage to block part of the blade, the Klingon would immediately counter with a sweep or a kick to knock her off balance. Manoeuvring around to flank the Klingon was nearly impossible; his eyes locked with hers, his movements mirroring hers exactly. A frontal attack was equally impossible.
The Klingon smiled at her, baring his crooked teeth in an imposing, predatory manner. Are we going to dance all day, little Romulan bird, or are we going to fight?
A hundred tactics went through Aiels mind, none of them seeming to give her the edge she needed. Then a thought fluttered across her mind, one as good as any and one she had yet to try. She took a deep breath, relaxed her pose, and dropped her weapon.
The Klingon paused, confused. What game are you up to, little bird?
Attack me if you must, but know that there is no honor in killing an unarmed opponent. That was it. She laid out her bluff. All that was left was to wait.
The Klingon regarded her warily, the tip of his batleth dropping slightly. Then I shall gain no honor today.
This is it! Passive resistance lower his guard she thought to herself.
The Klingons eyes narrowed, that same predatory smile coming to his lips. But I shall take your life!
Aiel winced as the Klingon leapt into an attack, the batleth piercing her chest and sending her to the floor. She cried out in agony, the pain all too real. Did they turn off the safety protocols after all?
End program! The voice rang out again. The holosuite dissolved to its neutral yellow grid on black. Aiel pushed herself up on to her elbows and rubbed her chest. No blood on her fingers, at least.
From the observation room she saw Lieutenant Mavis, a short, bespectacled woman in a Starfleet uniform making notes. A familiar masculine silhouette stood behind her. The woman leaned forward and spoke into the comm. That will be all for now recruit. Pleas exit the holosuite and report to your team leader.
Aiel stood and moved towards the arch leading back to the main hall. A feeling of immense frustration welled up inside her with every step. How could she have failed each and every time? She stopped, turned towards the observation booth. Let me try again.
Your trial for today has ended. Please exit the holosuite and report to your team leader.
Aiel prepared herself for a rebuttal, but it was cut short by Drakes voice. That will be all, Aiel. Dissatisfied and angry with herself, she left the suite.
Salik, a young Vulcan male about the same age as Aiel waited stoically as she approached. He wears the same recruit uniform as her, simple black with an embroidered Starfleet emblem on the chest but unlike her he wore the gold laurel identifying him as the team leader. She came to a top before him and saluted.
At ease, He said emotionlessly, then began to review her test result son his padd. You attempted the hand to hand trial four times and failed four out of four. In the final trial you dropped your weapon and exposed yourself to attack intentionally. Can you please explain the logic of this decision?
I was attempting to appeal to his sense of honor as a Klingon warrior. She said.
To what end?
To get him to lower his defence and expose himself to attack.
Salik arched an eyebrow, So your intention was to reward his honor with dishonor.
No, she began, but knew that is exactly what she was attempting to do. She fell silent.
Salik made a note on his padd as he spoke. The Klingon honor system is extremely complex, cadet. Further, it not always applies to non-Klingons. Your attempt to deceive the Klingon into exposing himself to an attack was not lost upon him and as such, he seized the opportunity for an easy kill. It would benefit you to take this into consideration next time. Dismissed.
Had it been anyone other than a Vulcan she would have taken his demeanour as insulting. Instead, she offered a quick salute and about-face. The pain in her chest was still throbbing. Maybe a hot shower before mess would help soothe it somewhat.
In the observation booth Mavis turned to Drake. Dont you think youre being too hard on her, sir? Youre setting her trials at least twice the severity as the others.
Drake folded her arms behind his back, his expression blank. Call in the next cadet for the trial. Ill be in my office.
Mavis watched as Drake left. She shook her head, then did as she was ordered.
Below youll find my introductory chapter of my character, an orphaned Romulan struggling with life on Earth and finally recruited by a young Drake for reasons unknown. Hopefully the format is acceptable and everyone who opts to join in will enjoy.
Obviously I will be handling certain primary characters but how your characters interact is entirely up to you. There are only a few rules:
1: All posts must adhere to the EULA for these forums.
2: I prefer [OOC] text to be prefaced with [OOC] and in GREEN and [IC] text in WHITE.
3: IC arguments, etc. are permitted as the story unfolds. OOC arguments are not.
4: feel free to PM me with any questions, comments or concerns.
5: Have fun!
Thanks all I look forward to seeing how this develops.
[/OOC]
She lay in bed, arms folded beneath her head, staring at the ceiling of her room, her cheeks still wearing the bruises and dirt from her melee with The Boy. She would never call him by name, always The Boy.
You have no home! You dont belong here! The Boy had said to her between classes. You dont even have any parents!
It was true and she knew this. She was fully aware. As a Romulan she had no home world to call her own. Hers was obliterated by the destruction of their star. This had all happened before she was born; she had never actually took a single step on Romulus nor swallowed a single breath of ch'Rihan air. Her parents, her mother pregnant with her at the time, fled Romulus before the Hobus disaster. She was born in a dark corner of a Xindi trade vessel, completely ignorant of the past and, for better or for worse, completely oblivious to the future.
She could hear her adoptive parents talking from the other room, their voices strained and with only the fleeting remnants of patience as they discussed her fate. She was thirteen. By Human standards she was just coming into the troubling phase of her life; hormones, angst, the blossom of independence Romulans, however, age slower than their Human counterparts, making them smaller and less physically developed in all areas but one: her physical strength. Like Vulcans who opt to live on Earth, Romulans are genetically built for a harsher atmosphere and higher base gravity. Their bones and muscle makeup is far more dense and, as a result, they possess greater physical strength. The Boy knew this too, but for some stupid reason he decided to press his luck. In truth, he had been tormenting her for months now, singling her out and focusing his spiteful, hateful comments at her, whether it be the fact her ears were pointed or her blood was green.
Words can never hurt you, Elizabeth, her adoptive mother, had once said. unless you allow them to. They have no power over you but what you give them. Always remember that.
She reminded herself of this every day as The Boy continued to sling insults at her. She also reminded herself of Marcus, her adoptive father, told her, You have to be strong. Never fight back. Stand tall and stand proud but never lay a hand on another. Resist, disagree, and refuse to cooperate, but never act out in violence. These words were much harder to follow. Especially today.
The Boy had gone too far. It was as simple as that. He opened with his usual barrage of insults, goaded further by his chortling companions. Green blooded orphan! Youre parents are dead! You have no home world! She ignored most of this, as she has done since the beginning, but the line had been drawn with the following
You should have died along with your real parents!
She stopped and looked at The Boy, her blood boiling. She didnt know why, exactly, this statement caused such a reaction when all the others had not. She was trapped; her legs would not obey her, her eyes would not tear away from his. Her hands balled into tight, little fists.
This was what The Boy wanted, what he had been fishing for all these months; a reaction. He had finally struck a raw nerve and locked on. A sinister smile spread along his face as he took a step forward, his eyes burning into hers. Your entire race should have been killed. Wiped off the face of the galaxy for good! When Im a Starfleet Captain, Ill make sure to accidentally blow up any Romulan ships that I come across. Hopefully youll be on one when I do!
Move! Turn away now! She thought to herself, Hes just an idiot. Just walk away
The Boy moved closer. Her body disobeyed her. She couldnt walk away. Just a little closer A strange voice in the back of her head whispered.
What happened next happened too fast for her to realize until The Boy lay on the ground before her, broken and bleeding, his friends looking at her in stunned fear. She looked at The Boy, her hands still clenched in fists, her breath coming in short rasps, blood on her fists. Red blood. His blood.
He had reached for her. Or did she reach for him? She couldnt remember, it was all a blur. She remembered swinging her fist connecting with his jaw, satisfied with the sound and feel of the bones shattering. Satisfied, but not sated. As he lay before her she pulled back and kicked, breaking at least four ribs and knocking the wind out of him. One of The Boys friends, a tall red-haired kid, moved to help his friend. One look at the fire in her eyes froze him in his tracks. They fled. They all ran, leaving The Boy broken and wounded on the ground at her feet.
Run! Was all that went through her mind and she did just that. She turned on her heels and bolted to the only haven she knew. Home.
It wasnt much longer before a knock came to the door. Elizabeth answered and knew, exactly, what had happened at the sight of The Boys parents accompanied by the local law enforcement.
Alone, on her bed, she rolled on her side as the conversation in the other room reached a pitch that told her the inevitable was coming. She would be punished, and harshly so. She wondered what it will be like to survive on Rura Penthe. The answer came almost immediately: she wouldnt. She stared out the window of her room and considered running. This thought almost brought a smile to her lips. To where would she run? How far away is safe? Her thoughts were shattered by a soft knock on the door, followed by Elizabeth. She didnt appear to be in a murderous rage, outraged by the events with The Boy. In fact, she seemed perfectly calm, as if all of this was expected.
Aiel, would you come out here, please? was all she said before turning back to the other room. Suddenly, the fear and worry Aiel felt was greatly overshadowed by another feeling: sheer terror.
She made her way, timidly, into the room. Elizabeth took a seat next to Marcus who appeared equally calm and collected. This only made the terror all that much stronger. There was no sign of The Boys parents or the police. Just one man, his back to her, seated across from her adoptive parents.
Come over here, Aiel, Elizabeth patted the seat between she and Marcus. Aiel did as she was told and stared up at the strange man in her home. He was somewhere in his early thirties, the lightest touch of grey just beginning to appear at his temples. His eyes were intense but not threatening, and he gave a brief nod and the slightest of smiles to her as she sat down.
Jolan tru, The Man said softly to her. Truth be told, she had never heard this expression. It seemed familiar, somewhat natural, but all she could do was stare at the man in the only manner she could muster, that of a frightened thirteen year old girl. My name is Franklin Drake. Im with Starfleet. Dont be afraid, Aiel. I am not here to punish you.
Confused, she looked up to Elizabeth and Marcus, who offered her nothing but a comforting smile.
No! Again!
Aiel huffed to catch her breath as the holosuite reset itself. The Klingon warrior shed been fighting dissolved as another one appeared it its place. She winced at the growing pain in her side. She knew the suites safety protocols wouldnt allow her to suffer a fatal wound but they did nothing to alleviate the pain. She wiped her palms on her gi and put herself in the ready position, knife held in a defensive posture.
She was seventeen now. Physically a woman. Her strength and speed had increased with her age, as did her skill, putting her in the top five per cent of her class. She could down almost any human opponent. Klingons, on the other hand, were proving to be a much more difficult challenge.
She swallowed and controlled her breathing. Begin. She uttered. The Klingons eyes suddenly became aflame with life, anger and bloodthirst. He drew his batleth and screamed into an attack. Aiel dodged, knowing any attempt to parry the larger weapon would be pointless with a knife. Even if she did manage to block part of the blade, the Klingon would immediately counter with a sweep or a kick to knock her off balance. Manoeuvring around to flank the Klingon was nearly impossible; his eyes locked with hers, his movements mirroring hers exactly. A frontal attack was equally impossible.
The Klingon smiled at her, baring his crooked teeth in an imposing, predatory manner. Are we going to dance all day, little Romulan bird, or are we going to fight?
A hundred tactics went through Aiels mind, none of them seeming to give her the edge she needed. Then a thought fluttered across her mind, one as good as any and one she had yet to try. She took a deep breath, relaxed her pose, and dropped her weapon.
The Klingon paused, confused. What game are you up to, little bird?
Attack me if you must, but know that there is no honor in killing an unarmed opponent. That was it. She laid out her bluff. All that was left was to wait.
The Klingon regarded her warily, the tip of his batleth dropping slightly. Then I shall gain no honor today.
This is it! Passive resistance lower his guard she thought to herself.
The Klingons eyes narrowed, that same predatory smile coming to his lips. But I shall take your life!
Aiel winced as the Klingon leapt into an attack, the batleth piercing her chest and sending her to the floor. She cried out in agony, the pain all too real. Did they turn off the safety protocols after all?
End program! The voice rang out again. The holosuite dissolved to its neutral yellow grid on black. Aiel pushed herself up on to her elbows and rubbed her chest. No blood on her fingers, at least.
From the observation room she saw Lieutenant Mavis, a short, bespectacled woman in a Starfleet uniform making notes. A familiar masculine silhouette stood behind her. The woman leaned forward and spoke into the comm. That will be all for now recruit. Pleas exit the holosuite and report to your team leader.
Aiel stood and moved towards the arch leading back to the main hall. A feeling of immense frustration welled up inside her with every step. How could she have failed each and every time? She stopped, turned towards the observation booth. Let me try again.
Your trial for today has ended. Please exit the holosuite and report to your team leader.
Aiel prepared herself for a rebuttal, but it was cut short by Drakes voice. That will be all, Aiel. Dissatisfied and angry with herself, she left the suite.
Salik, a young Vulcan male about the same age as Aiel waited stoically as she approached. He wears the same recruit uniform as her, simple black with an embroidered Starfleet emblem on the chest but unlike her he wore the gold laurel identifying him as the team leader. She came to a top before him and saluted.
At ease, He said emotionlessly, then began to review her test result son his padd. You attempted the hand to hand trial four times and failed four out of four. In the final trial you dropped your weapon and exposed yourself to attack intentionally. Can you please explain the logic of this decision?
I was attempting to appeal to his sense of honor as a Klingon warrior. She said.
To what end?
To get him to lower his defence and expose himself to attack.
Salik arched an eyebrow, So your intention was to reward his honor with dishonor.
No, she began, but knew that is exactly what she was attempting to do. She fell silent.
Salik made a note on his padd as he spoke. The Klingon honor system is extremely complex, cadet. Further, it not always applies to non-Klingons. Your attempt to deceive the Klingon into exposing himself to an attack was not lost upon him and as such, he seized the opportunity for an easy kill. It would benefit you to take this into consideration next time. Dismissed.
Had it been anyone other than a Vulcan she would have taken his demeanour as insulting. Instead, she offered a quick salute and about-face. The pain in her chest was still throbbing. Maybe a hot shower before mess would help soothe it somewhat.
In the observation booth Mavis turned to Drake. Dont you think youre being too hard on her, sir? Youre setting her trials at least twice the severity as the others.
Drake folded her arms behind his back, his expression blank. Call in the next cadet for the trial. Ill be in my office.
Mavis watched as Drake left. She shook her head, then did as she was ordered.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
You will forever be missed and never forgotten.
Post edited by prierin on
0
Comments
[OOC] Please do!
[OOC] Heh I understand and thats perfectly fine. I dont plan on keeping her in the academy forever so that would be fine. Any time you want to jump in feel free. All I ask is that we dont leap ahead and have conflicting timelines/stories at the same time, if that makes sense. [/OOC]
[OOC]Absolutely.[/OOC]
Stelam was starving. Not starving like when those privileged worts in the Federation got a little peckish. Starving as in he hadn't eaten anything but the dirt on the trail and scraps he could steal from idiots that wouldn't notice.
He had been left here by his parents when they couldn't afford to pay for him on the ship. They had been fleeing from the Hobus disaster, and the ship they were on had had a merchant in the guise of an officer for a captain, and each week the price had gotten higher to get to the destination.
Anyway, he was now on a no-name colony planet that didn't have enough resources to take care of themselves, let alone make an orphanage. So he was left wandering in the street, fifteen years old and starving, practically dead on the street. No hope, might as well die, but nope, his body wouldn't let him. So, he was having a pretty bad day already. Then the only thing that could make it worse happened. The damn idiot Klingon boy that was the son of the damn idiot Klingon governor that had also founded this damn place came by. He had taken to abusing Stelam by the second day he was here. Kicking him, punching him, even resulting to mind games, which he did rarely because he lost them, every time.
"What do you want, klivam?" said Stelam, reveling in insulting his enemy.
"To watch you die slowly, you green blooded peta'Q!" the Idiot said.
Stelam rolled his eyes, and said "Wait two more days. I'll die of starvation...
That's when the Idiot got angry. He commenced the beating with kicks and punches. But he didn't get what he wanted. For Stelam to scream, to whimper, to beg for mercy. All Stelam did was keep a stone face and grunt when something hurt. When the Idiot stopped, he looked down at Stelam
He screamed "Why don't you cry!? You coward Romulans always beg when you're beaten! Why won't you?!
Stelam looked at him with contempt. "Because I've had worse things happen to me..." he whispered.
The idiot was angry again. He about to kick again when his face grew surprised, and he looked down. There was a hole through his heart, and pick blood was spurting out. He then whimpered "Oh" and fell down. On top of Stelam.
Stelam: Elements damn! Get this carcass off me!
A stranger did just that, then held a hand down to him and picked him up. He was a human, around thirty or something like that. He smiled and Stelam got a good look around finally. The town was burning. Apparently, pirates had started looting. Stelam had a feeling he was just rescued by one.
The stranger finally spoke. "My name is Captain Hyulan, commander the privateer vessel the War Hawk." He bowed with his introduction. When he straightened, he looked Stelam in the eye. "And you are?" he asked.
Stelam looked him in the eye and said "I am Stelam Jhaelaa, orphan and pickpocket extraordinaire." Stelam bowed with his.
The Captain laughed. "I like you, boy. How would you like to be part of my crew?" he asked.
Stelam raised an eyebrow. "And get away from this pile of s***? I would be honored!" he exclaims.
The Captain laughs again, and puts his hand on Stelam's shoulder. They walk to a shuttle, or rather, the Captain walked and Stelam limped. They loaded on with others, and they welcomed Stelam to the crew. They smiled and sang all the way to the War Hawk
Five years later
Stelam was walking among the ashes of the latest pillaged world, looking for some more loot. In the years he had quickly become the second best fighter, after the Captain, and been elevated to Second mate. He'd done well. He looked around, his pistol in his hand, sword on his hip, and loot back over his shoulder. He walked into an abandoned house, and heard whimpering. He looks over at some malnourished kids, that would most likely die in hours.
He aims his gun "May you find peace in Volta Vor.." He says quietly, and shoots.
He takes everything he can find and returns to the ship. The Captain greets him with a smile
"Good haul?" the Captain asks.
"Yep. I'll be taking an early leave, Captain. Secure my items and take a nap. Is that all right?" he asks.
The Captain shrugs. "Sure kid. You've earned it." he answers.
Stelam returns to his quarters with his share, hides his loot, and passes out.
Stelam wakes to the the ship shaking, and an angry Klingon bursting through his door. He immediately takes out the knife that he kept under his pillow every night and throws it at the Klingon. He hurries out of bed, throwing on his the long, black overcoat he wore, and his black boots. He had slept in the rest, a white shirt and black pants. He dislodges the knife from the Klingons throat and walks out.
Into total chaos. There are skirmishes in the hallways, between the crew of the War Hawk and the Klingons. Stelam makes his way carefully, taking out those that got in his way, relatively easily since they underestimated him. He eventually makes it to the armory, which is guarded by the crew. He grabs his leather vest, his bandoleer, which contained four knifes, arranged between the grenades that where on both ends. It also had a pouch in the middle with his lock picking and hacking gear. He walks out, catching his pistol and sword from the crewmate that threw it. He then asissted as well as he could in taking back the ship. Meaning he practically organizes everything and everyone and then kills at least twenty-five percent of the enemies. When all was over, he makes his way to the bridge.
When he gets there, he finds it in complete dissaray. Fires and red lights flashing. He catches the nearest crewman.
"Where the in this Universe is the Captain?" Stelam asks.
The crewman looks at him strangely. " Did no one tell you? The Captain is dead, as well as the first mate." the Crewman replies.
Stelam is taken aback. "What? The Captain's dead? How?" he asks eventually.
"The Klingon General took us by suprise. We had our shields down when he decloaked and took the Captain. He hailed us and executed him on screen. Then did the same with the First Mate."
the Crewman answers." Then the boarding parties attacked."
"So I'm captain now?" Stelam asks.
"Yes, sir." the Crewman says sullenly. Then he salutes. Soon the rest of the Bridge crew stops and salutes him too.
Stelam realises what was happening. "Stand down and get this hunk of junk operational!" he yells, imitating the Captain. " ETA on shields!" he says.
"Three minutes, sir, now that the Klingons are gone." replies the Engineering officer.
Stelam nods. "Where the hell is the Klingon ship that attacked us?" he asks.
"They retreated sir. Ready to destroy us when their parties returned." answers a crewman.
"I want our own boarding parties up and ready." he says." Is their bridge within range?"
"Yes sir. We can beam from here, if you want." replies the comms officer.
"I want two of our best fighters up here now, then." Stelam orders.
"Yes, sir." says the comms officer. He hits a few buttons on his console. " Julan and Yah, get to the bridge. Bring your weapons."
Soon they arrive and step from the turbolift. Julan is an Orion, male, and has an assault rifle. He's wearing body armor as well. Yah is an Andorian. He has a chain gun and a metal jerkin.
" I see you're ready, daehlen. What we're doing is getting revenge on the Klivam that killed Hyulan and Svenson." says Stelam, without turning.
"Yes, sir." say Yah and Julan in unison.
"Good." Stelam replies. "Beam us over then."
They beam onto the bridge of a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. The Klingons start to stand, but Stelam kills two with pistol blasts, and Julan and Yah take out everyone else but the General. The General, who is an old Klingon with gray hair and an eyepatch, stands up.
"Well, it would seem that I missed a pirate during my executions. And a green blooded petaQ, too." the Generals says. "Are you ready to die?"
Stelam smiles. "How about a deal, Klivam? You and me, one on one, witha chosen melee weapon. That sound good?" he asks.
The General laughs." Why of course. I choose the bat'leth." He says as he takes one from one of his fallen comrades.
"And I choose this sword." Stelam replies.
They start to circle, in the confined area of the bridge. The General lashes out, yelling. Stelam rolls to the side, then hops onto a console gaining the high ground. The Klingon swings at his feet, and Stelam jumps. He then brings his sword down, but the bat'leth blocks it. They circle again. Then Stelam lunges forward, trying to pierce the Generals heart. He barely blocks it, then follows up with a swing, making Stelam back up. The General roars and starts to advance, spinning the bat'leth. Stelam makes a small smile, and rolls again. Into the Klingons feet, tripping him and making him almost kill himself. The General is trying to recover when Stelam grabs him by his hair, pulling his head up with a foot in his back.
"This is for the Captain..." whispers Stelam as he cuts the Generals throat.
As the General slowly dies, Stelam taps his comm. "Beam us back. And prepare a full spread of torpedoes." he says as he takes down the ships cloak and shields.
The Team return to the War Hawk. Stelam is tired, obviously.
"Gerrard, you were third officer. Now, you're first. Organize the rest of the crew and repairs. I'm going to sleep. Also, after the boarding party, arrange a salvage party. i want this ship repaired as faast as possible." says Stelam as he walked to the turbolift.
"Have my stuff brought to the Captains Quarters. I if i find one thing missing, I will personally skin all of you..." he says as the door closes.
He makes his way to his new quarters and collapses onto bed...
[OOC]Sorry - had an emergency trip out of town and just got back. Will post more later - now at work...@_@. Besides, I'm enjoying what you're writing LOL [/OOC]
Kagome Takahasi. she said with a lilt in her voice, Third year cadet. This is Xia, second year, but dont let that fool you. Shes light years ahead of even the senior cadets here.
Greetings. Said Xia, still offering that awkward smile.
Aiel continued to stare, unsure of how to respond to this sudden invasion of her privacy. Kagome, recognizing the heavy pause, glanced to Xia, then back to Aiel.
Youre Romulan, arent you? She asked, Youre Aiel
How do you know my name? Aiel blurted. It was purely reflexive and came out much harsher than she had intended. Given the startled reaction of the others, they were equally unprepared for her sudden eruption. Kagome blinked, then gathered her tray and stood.
Were sorry to disturb you meal. Xia followed suit, rising to her full height of seven foot three inches.
Im sorry please sit. Aiel uttered, feeling wholly ashamed of herself. Kagome glanced to Xia, then slowly took her seat. We meant no offense. she offered, but Aiel waved her off. Youre not the one who should apologize. I had no right to speak to you in that manner.
Kagome smiled. Lets start over. My name is Kagome. This is Xia.
Aiel allowed herself a brief smile.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Hull breaches on decks seven through twelve! Structural integrity fields failing! Auxiliary subsystems down!
Theyre coming about for another run! Your orders, sir?!
Aiel bit her lip. The cacophony of klaxons, panicked screaming and relays exploding tinged with the smell of burned ozone was overwhelming. The Bird of Prey had de-cloaked and opened fire without any warning whatsoever. By the time Aiel had ordered the shields raised their hull had already suffered significant damage. Now it seemed the Klingons were coming in to deliver the final blow and Aiel had yet to fire a single shot.
Engineering to the bridge. Come in, Captain! Kagomes familiar voice rang over the speaker. Aiel and she grown close over the past few months, commiserating over the familiar sting of growing up as an adopted child. Xia, on the other hand, was one of three hundred and six siblings. A Celestian, as Aiel had come to learn of Xias lineage, has no single parent. An entire colonys group of matriarchs will care for the combined offspring of that colony and each are raised as family. When born, a Celestian has no gender identification of their own. As they approach puberty and their bodies begin to change, they decide whether or not to become male or female. Those who opt to become female, as Xia had, often become the dominant aggressives of the species, whereas the males will assume the more domestic duties often associated with the females of other species. They were fortunate enough to be assigned to the same crew under Aiels command. However, as the Klingon turned in a wide arc and began to bear down upon them again, it seemed that their fortune had reached its end.
Aiel, come in! Kagome repeated.
Give me some good news, Kagome. Aiel spoke, trying to mask her nerves.
I wish I could. The disruptor blasts we suffered during the initial strafing shook the core coupling out of alignment. Were seeping power and plasma. If we cant contain the leak in the next five minutes well be facing a complete core breach.
Aiel glanced at the Bird of Prey on her view screen. In any other circumstance she may have admired its raw beauty and sheer power. Staring down the barrels of its plasma cannons, however, have her a very different perspective. The good news is we wont have to worry about that breach. If we dont get our weapons and shields back online we wont last that long. Can you give me any power whatsoever?
Not without sending the core into a critical cascading failure. She offered, Even if we somehow managed to disable the Klingons, our victory would be very short-lived, no pun intended.
Aiel spat. She had been in command only for a week now. This was her first mission beyond the Sirius Block. Why hadnt they detected the cloaked ship? Not that it mattered at this point.
Eject the core. She said calmly.
Sir? Kagome asked.
Do it. Aiel turned towards the tactical officer, When the core is free from the ship, lock phasers and fire. We might as well take this TRIBBLE out with us when we go.
Xia turned from her station at the sciences console. Sir, I may have another option. If we can concentrate our entire shield strength to the prow and initiate a sustained burst of the impulse engines we may be able to disable the Klingon ship upon impact.
And whats to stop them from tearing at our shields before we reach them?
That will be a calculated risk. Additionally, in order to reroute sufficient power to the shields and engines as well as reinforce the structural dampeners, the inertial dampeners themselves will go offline. We will undoubtedly suffer some heavy injuries and perhaps even some casualties, but we would be alive to request assistance from Starfleet as our medical teams treat the wounded.
Aiel weighed the alternative in her mind. You said it would disable the Klingon ship, not destroy it.
That is correct, Captain. Xia offered.
How badly?
Sir?
Two disabled ships. It would be a race, victory to whomever was able to bring their weapons back online first. What are the chances wed come out alive using your alternative?
Approximately two hundred thousand, one hundred sixty one against. Xia rattled off without pause.
And with my plan?
Considerably less in our favor.
The bridge rattled under plasma fire as the Klingon Bird of Prey closed in. They were out of time. Aiel pressed the call button on her chair. Eject the core.
The safety hatches on the aft section of the ship exploded outward, followed by the early quarter of a mile long warp core with enough force to jettison it away from the ship and towards the oncoming enemy vessel. The Klingons ceased firing and attempted to break off their attack but just then Aiels ship fired its phasers, striking the core dead-center. It erupted in a brilliant white thermonuclear blast, the shockwave of which caught the Bird of Preys bow, shredding the armored plating and snapping the neck, resulting in an explosion of its own which left the ship nothing more than scattered debris.
The Klingon ship is destroyed, Sir, the Tactical officer reported.
Aiel grinned. She had won. After everything they had faced, she had snatched victory from the closing jaws of defeat.
The blast wave from the Klingons explosion has altered the forced direction of the core. Impact in ten seconds. Xia looked up from her station, emotionless.
Shields!
No can do, Captain. The tactical officer offered, the ejection of the core has left us without sufficient power for even manoeuvring thrusters, let alone anything for the shields. Pardon the expression, but were dead in the water.
Aiel looked at the fiery mass of undulating energy screaming towards them. She sat back in her chair and shook her head. So close this time, too.
The bridge shook again as it was engulfed by a white light.
The light faded. The klaxons went quiet. Overhead lights came on, exposing the bridge for what it was: a training simulator. The bridge crew left their stations and moved toward the exit. Xia looked over her shoulder to Aiel, still slumped in her chair, then exited with the others.
Aiel counted down on her hand four three two one.
Cadet Llwyn please report to the Training Officer.
So tell me, in clear, concise words, what you were thinking by ejecting the core in the middle of a firefight? Lieutenant Mavis stared at Aiel over her glasses and awaited a response. Aiel took in a deep breath, released it, then asked, Why were we unable to detect the cloaked ship, Lieutenant?
I dont understand what this has to do with your report, cadet. Mavis blinked.
Our sensors were tuned to pick up any discrepancies and subspace anomalies, including concentrated tachyon radiation surges and power spikes. We should have seen that Klingon ship and had time to react. Why didnt we? Aiel looked to her superior calmly and expectantly.
Mavis adjusted her glasses. The nature of this debriefing, cadet, is to go over your actions as acting Captain during the simulation, not to enquire about the specifics of the programs parameters.
So you dont know either. Aiel spoke matter-of-factly. Dont you find it odd?
Cadet, are you going to provide me with a report or not? Mavis said flatly.
Aiel shrugged. Does it really matter? We were ambushed by a predator we should have seen coming. We may have lost a fair fight but in the end it would have been just that a fair fight. If the programmers feel they need to cheat to ensure their victory over ours then what does it really matter what decision I or any Captain makes in the end? Ejecting the core at least ensured the destruction of the Klingon ship. In the end it was as good a decision as any, given the circumstances. Wouldnt you agree, Lieutenant?
Mavis blinked. She wanted to reprimand Aiel for her brazen attitude but in the end, she was right. Mavis cleared her throat. The exercise is designed to see how you act as Captain under the direct threat of catastrophic failure. Had you detected the Klingon vessel, the exercise would have been a failure.
Whats the point? I mean, in a real situation the odds may be stacked against you but at least there isnt someone deliberately trying to go out of their way to ensure you fail. If I make a mistake as Captain and my crew gets injured or worse, killed, Ill take the blame. Ill wear that and deal with it as I have to, Aiel felt the anger rising in her voice. She took a breath to calm herself before continuing. but to know that no matter what I do my crew is going to die anyway I cant accept that. I wont accept that. If that is worth my role as acting Captain then Ill accept security detail for all it would matter in the end.
Mavis tapped her fingers across her desk. A thousands responses flashed through her mind, all of them useless. Finally, she decided on simply uttering, Dismissed and turned her attention to a stack of papers.
Aiel stood, saluted, and turned to the exit. She paused, turned back. Lieutenant, if I may ask, what would you have done?
Failed. Mavis said without look up from her paperwork.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[OOC] More to come later .[/OOC]
Stelam wakes up, not knowing where he was. When he looks around, he realizes where he was.
"Why am I in the Captains..." he trails off as the memories hit him.
He then starts to sob. He does not cry, he hasn't for years. He stops dry heaving a few minutes later, and gets up. His new quarters have a bedroom off of the main room. He walks into the main room, which consists of a couch, a viewscreen, some wall decorations, a desk, and a console. His previous rooms affects are arranged in a corner.
After taking inventory to check if everything was there, he starts to arrange it into the room. When done with that, he gets dressed and moves to the bridge. The crew salute as he walks on, waving a hand of dismissal.
"Gerrard, status report." Stelam orders.
"All of your orders have been carried out sir. I have rearranged the crew, and the ship has been repaired to the utmost possibility. I would suggest that we return to port to repair to full and pick up more supplies and crew." Gerrard answers.
"And sell the loot. Did you salvage the remains if the ship?" Stelam asks.
Gerrard nods.
"Good. Set course to New Haven, Delea." Stelam says.
Delea, a tall Orion girl, nods and says " Aye, Capn'. Layin' in the course now.
"Well, punch it then. I don't need to order you to do everything!" Stelam says with a smile on his face.
Delea smiles and punches it.
Aiel watched the crowd at the notice board at the end of the hall, all eagerly searching for their names identifying their various assignments. It had been a gruelling four years and she bore the scars, both physically and mentally, for each of them. In such a short amount of time she had managed to find her place in the top ten percent of her class in weapons training, armed and unarmed combat, shuttle piloting and tactical analysis. Despite the various challenges thrown at her she had found a way to overcome them all. Still, she made no effort to join the others at the board. She didnt need to. She found out everything she needed to know five weeks earlier.
You wont find your name on the assignments list. Drake warned her as they walked along an eerily empty corridor. Its not that you are not qualified for assignment to a starship, he continued.
Lieutenant Mavis recommended I be held back from the duty roster. Aiel interrupted, Her notes were pretty specific. A capable fighter and remarkable cadet but unsuitable for command at this stage. Aiel recited from memory. My full recommendation is that she be retained to the academy for at least two more years in the hopes that she begin to grasp the unfathomable burden of commanding a starship.
Drake chuckled. You TRIBBLE into Mavis personnel records?
No, sir. Aiel said blankly, I TRIBBLE into yours.
Drake stopped and regarded her again. Had he underestimated this Romulan orphan all this time? You do realize that tapping into the files of a senior officer, let alone one of my rank, is not only grounds for immediate dismissal from the Academy but a five year sentence to the brig?
Yes. she began, That is precisely why I TRIBBLE yours and not Lieutenant Maviss. She turned to him with a slight cocky smile. Shed have reported me. I knew you, on the other hand, wouldnt.
Then you undoubtedly saw my response, did you not?
She shook her head. I assumed you would agree with her so I didnt bother.
They arrived at a turbolift at the end of the hall. The doors opened automatically and they entered. Deck seventeen. Drake commanded. The life responded accordingly. You should not always make such wide assumptions. In fact, I havent responded to her yet at all.
Sir?
Mavis is correct. You lack certain qualities which would make you suitable for the command of a Federation starship. You are brash, reckless, hot-headed and tend to overcommit yourself when facing overwhelming odds.
Thank you for the compliment, Sir. She said sardonically.
Let me finish. You are not Federation material. However, that which would hold you back in Starfleet would serve you well in another organization. One which serves the same principles as Starfleet, adheres to the same Prime Directive, but operates in a shadow capacity. Veisae nnearh Rihan?
Mnek'nra. She responded immediately.
Your accent still comes through somewhat. Lower your voice slightly. Speak with innate authority.
I still find it odd being corrected on my Romulan by a Human, no offense. She mused.
None taken. Id find it equally odd to be corrected on my French by a Klingon. That being said, youll need to speak Romulan as if it has been your native tongue all your life.
The lift came to a stop and the doors opened. Drake moved forward, his hands clasped behind his back in his familiar fashion. Aiel gave pause, realizing she did not recognize this area whatsoever. There were none of the familiar markings on the wall or floors to indicate the level and no personnel whatsoever other than she and Drake.
Are you coming, cadet? Drake asked, not pausing in the slightest.
What did you mean by that? She asked, catching up to him, That I will need to speak Romulan as if I had been all my life?
Ever since the Hobus disaster destroyed Romulus and scattered your people across the galaxy it has been increasingly difficult to monitor the comings and goings of relatively high-levelled members. We have been watching a few, Dtan, for one, as they attempt to reconstruct what once was lost as well as those who would seek to destroy it.
Sela. Aiel muttered.
Indeed, Drake continued. and a few more. The ever-present problem is that despite the assistance offered by both the Federation and the Klingon Defence Force the Romulan people are stull guarded and suspicious of outsiders. Even of Romulans who have aligned themselves with either of these two forces.
Aiel arched an eyebrow. So if I were, for example, a Starfleet officer, even I would be distrusted by my own people?
If you heard rumours of involvement by the Federation or KDF in the very apocalypse which shattered your home world, would you trust a Romulan in either uniform? Drake asked. They came to a stop at an unmarked door. Drake alpha zero zero Delta.
Voice pattern recognized, came an electronic voice from the door. Prepare for genetic verification.
Drake stood perfectly still as a beam of light shone down and scanned his entire body from head to foot and reverse.
Genetic pattern verified. Secondary personnel detected. Species, Romulan. Female. Please state your name.
Um She stuttered. Drake nodded to her to continue. Aiel Llwyn.
Do you wish to store Aiel Llwyns genetic profile?
Yes. Drake uttered.
Prepare for genetic recording. Please hold still for the scan.
Aiel froze as the light washed over her. She knew there was no real physical sensation with the scan but the thought that this light was looking at her on a genetic level made her feel uneasy and, for some reason, made her nose itch. Finally the scan ended and Aiel allowed herself to scratch the tip of her nose.
Genetic pattern stored, security protocol one echo. Secondary personnel admitted only with the presence of a senior officer with alpha omega one clearance.
The doors opened. Drake made a sweeping gesture. After you.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Hello! Earth to Aiel!
Aiel shook her head and was pulled from her reverie by Kagomes waving hands. Im sorry, what?
I said Im going to file an official complaint against Mavis. That battle-axe has had it out for you since you started! Now shes held you back from graduating with your class. Kagomes face was flushed with genuine anger.
Xia blinked, her reflective eyes displaying no emotion whatsoever. I believe the correct term to use is, damn her to hell.
Aiel couldnt help it; she broke into laughter. Kagome stared at her, then felt herself laughing as well. You sound like a Vulcan when you talk like that, Zee. If Xia was offended or amused by the comparison, she made no visible effort to acknowledge the fact.
Its alright. Aiel said, I was already told I wouldnt make it on the board and no, its not Maviss fault. Entirely. What ship did you guys get?
Ironically we both found ourselves stationed aboard the Warburton, a refitted constitution class. Xia responded.
An oldie but a goodie, apparently. Kagome added, New warp core, dutronium hull plating and auto-modulating phaser arrays. As far as shields go, theyre pretty standard but Im thinking of tweaking them with a multiphasic regulating algorithm, see if we can boost their base strength somewhat.
Let me guess. Chief engineer and sciences officer. Aiel grinned.
I wish. Kagome rolled her eyes, Ensign Takahashi here to scrub the commodes and realign the replicator coils, sir! Although Zee here did get assigned to the bridge crew.
Aiel beamed. Congratulations!
Thank you, sir. Xia offered, but I would much rather be serving under you.
You dont have to call me sir any more, Zee. In fact, you outrank me now. I should be saluting you.
Xia blinked at her emotionlessly. I would rather you did not.
Kagome shook her head and laid a hand upon Aiels shoulder. Give us the word and well refuse our posts.
Aiel narrowed her eyes. What are you talking about?
If youre staying behind, were staying behind. Were a team. Kagome began.
And you are our captain. Xia finished, then added Sir.
Aiel felt a sudden rush of emotion. She never had friends growing up and didnt expect to find any here in the academy, let alone two of the closest friends she would ever know. She shook her head firmly. No. I refuse to hold either of you back. Take your posts and enjoy your new careers.
Kagome opened her mouth to argue. Thats an order. Aiel quickly added. Ill be on the observation deck to see you off before Aiel bit down. She couldnt believe she was almost so reckless.
Tell no one of your assignment. Drake had instructed her. No one. The more that know only lessen the chance of success and heighten the chance of your capture or worse.
Before what? Kagome enquired.
Before I return to my studies. Aiel quickly recovered. Thankful that an announcement chime came over the comm before either of them could question them further.
Cadets. Upon reviewing your placements please report to your quarters and prepare for departure to your assigned ships. All cadets are required to report to the main shuttle bay by seventeen hundred hours for a final debriefing. All shuttles depart by seventeen thirty. That is all.
Kagome gave another pleading look to Aiel, then pulled her into a deep embrace. Write! No matter what. The first chance at shore leave we get well head to Risa!
Okay, okay. Aiel laughed. As Kagome released her, Xia placed both hands on Aiels shoulders and offered a warm smile. May the fortune of our ancestors warm us all and keep us in their safe embrace. She then proceeded to lean down and kiss Aiel deeply.
The first time this had happened Aiel had panicked, not sure exactly what was going on. Celestians, she later discovered, like Vulcans, supress their emotions. Unlike Vulcans, they reserve their emotions for very specific and very personal moments with those whom they feel particularly close. There was nothing sexual in the act between Xia and herself and Aiel knew this. It was merely Xias way of saying Ill miss you.
As the two parted Aiel smiled and caressed Xias hand. And may the ancestors carry us each into the eternal seas. She offered a slight bow then smiled. Now get going. You dont want to miss your shuttles.
Kagome gave her friend one final silent offer of desertion, to which Aiel simply shook her head in response, then the two shipmates turned and walked away, leaving Aiel alone in the corridor. It was a feeling she knew shed have to get used to, being alone. Shed keep her promise of watching their departure from the observation deck. After which, shed begin her own journey. One which began with leaving Starfleet.
The shuttle touched down in the Staging Area with a gentle bump. The engines whirred as they forced excess heat exhaust through the vents and soon the few other passengers began to collect their belongings and prepare to disembark. Aiel retrieved her simple satchel containing everything she now owned in the world and stood in line with the others as the doors opened.
Aiel took her fest step onto New Romulus and allowed the heat from the sun to wash over her as the scent of strange, native plants filled her nostrils. This was the closest she had ever been to actually stepping foot on Romulan soil. She wondered if Romulus smelled anything like this before the Hobus disaster. The moment was shattered as a Caitain refugee pushes her aside with a gruff outta my way! She sighed, repositioned her satchel on her shoulder, and followed the other new arrivals to Processing.
State your name, system and planet of origin. A male Romulan asked flatly in Galactic Standard without even looking up from his paperwork.
Aiel Llwyn. Sol. Earth. She responded.
What is the purpose of your visit?
I am not here to visit. I have come home. She offered.
He looked up to her, regarding her with a combination of curiosity and suspicion. Home? What makes you think this is your home?
Rhhaea Rihanha. Aihr arham ei'krih. She said. I am Romulan. This is my home.
Pretty words from a tangled tongue. He quipped. You havent even been speaking the language for long and yet you call this place home? How presumptuous. He quickly stamped a note in her papers and handed them back to her. As she took them, he tightened his grip. You will have to do more than merely be greenblooded to call this haven home, girl. Much more.
Aiel could feel her temper starting to rise. She tore the papers from his grip and stared him down. Are we finished here?
He glared at her with tangible disdain and contempt then gave a curt nod. Report to Foreman Kylor for temporary housing and your work roster. As I said, if you want to call this home youll have to learn to work for it.
She turned away from the little man and walked in the direction he had nodded. She allowed herself to slow her gait somewhat to take in the scene in greater detail. A flurry of people, both Romulan and Alien alike, were busy with their individual tasks and duties, some conducting simple scans and basic maintenance, others hurriedly rushing up the stone stairway leading to the Great Embassy, a monolithic building which towered over everything else. Aiel considered this building as the obvious great achievement of New Romulus to date and assumed that somewhere within its halls sat DTan going over the daily reports and planning the future of the colony as a whole.
Her attention was torn from this building by the sound of young men and women in mid-argument. Apparently, from what she could glean from the rushed, heightened voices screaming over one another, one of the few Ferengi present had procured a set of tools somehow and was auctioning them to the highest bidder when the owner of said tools, a Human man with a dark beard, appeared to accuse the Ferengi of theft.
You stole them from me and now you have the audacity to offer to sell them back? Yelled the Human.
I stole nothing. Said the Ferengi in the usual cocky manner befitting a master barterer. I merely happened upon a set of tools lying abandoned in the street. What do you expect of me, to just leave them there to rot? This way you get your tools back and I make a few scraps in exchange. Its a win-win.
For who? Demanded the Human, his face flushing red. Not for me! I already paid for those tools once and you expect me to pay for the same tools again?
The Ferengi turned away from the Human and addressed the others who had gathered at the sound of the excitement. If you arent going to bid on them then stop wasting my time. Who will give me four credits for this fine set of tools? Do I see four? Yes, you in the back for four! Do I see five? Five credits?
Several feet from the goings on, Aiel noticed, stood a trio of Romulans in the uniform of Civil Law. They shook their heads and went about their own business, only looking up occasionally to show their displeasure that the argument had grown so loud as to force them to lean in closer to one another in order to carry on their own conversation.
Thats it! Give me my tools you little thief! Screamed the man as he reached for the Ferengi. Immediately, a tall, powerful Gorn who had somehow managed to remain hidden in the shadows stood and closed a clawed talon on the Humans shoulder, pulling him back.
The Ferengi looked to the Human, then to the Gorn. Tliss, why dont you take our friend here down to the river and help him cool down?
Tliss lifted the Human and effortlessly tossed him over his shoulder, then marched off to fulfil his orders. The Ferengi gave a crooked, toothy smile before turning to the others. Where were we? Yes, five! I have five credits to the man in the back. Do I hear seven? Surely these tools are worth much more in the hands of fine artisans such as yourselves. Who will be the lucky one of you to call them your own?
Aiel watched the Human dangle helplessly over the Gorns shoulder as he was taken to whatever fate awaited him by the river, then continued towards the elevated stage where Foreman Kylor spoke to other new arrivals.
Youll find the housing in the Risu quarter fair and clean. Kylor was speaking to a young Human couple. Rent will be due every fifth of the month. Keep your duty rosters on you and be sure to have the team leaders sign off at the end of each day to receive rental assistance credit for work completed. We believe in fairness here; work hard and you will be rewarded. Welcome to New Romulus and please enjoy your stay.
The two moved off. Kylor turned to Aiel and smiled. Welcome home, young one. May I see your arrival documentation
She handed him her papers, subconsciously noting how he spoke, with a warm familiarity and gentleness leagues apart from the man she had dealt with stepping off from the shuttle. He was tall for a Romulan, his elegantly pointed ears framed by short greying hair. His eyes were a soft steely grey that regarded her, and all new arrivals regardless of species, with the same welcoming glint of promise and honesty. Aiel had never met one of her own kind quite like this before and wasnt entirely certain why this affected her so.
She was so caught up in her thoughts she almost didnt realized he had asked her a direct question. Im sorry, what? She shook her head.
Its been a long trip, I understand. He chuckled. I merely asked how long you intend to remain here on New Romulus?
To be perfectly honest, Id like to make it my home. She lied.
I see. He said, his voice still warm. Well, we are always happy to welcome our lost starlings back to the nest. Of course, there will be plenty of work to do. A new colony has more than its fair share of broken plasma conduits, burned out relays and the like. And then theres always lending a hand in the various fields throughout the valley. Youre not against the idea of working with your hands, I trust.
No, sir. She said. Not at all.
Good. He smiled again. I am going to assign you to the Val quarter. The residents there are predominantly Romulans such as yourself and, like you, many have come from Federation-allied systems. Who knows? You may even bump into someone you know.
I doubt that, sir. I havent met many other Romulans until today.
He shrugged, then handed her the papers. Rent is due the fifth of every month. You can subsidize your rent through completed tasks, small jobs and the like. Just make sure the team leader youre assigned to for the day signs off on your roster so you are appropriately credited. Theres no shortage of work so it is entirely possible to accumulate enough credit to completely cover your rent if youre willing to work hard enough. That, if course, is entirely up to you.
Yes, sir. She took the papers from him and gave a short bow.
Theres no need for ceremony here. He said. Bowing isnt necessary. Now, if you follow this road here towards the warehouse, then continue up that path for some distance youll come to the Val. May the elements protect you, Young Starling.
Aiel took her leave and followed his directions, glancing over as Tliss returned from the lake sans the Human. His green, scaly chest was wet with what she hoped was mere water.
The bulky lines of a federation battlecrusier dropped from transwarp. Her form hidden from sensors by her cloak. Few starfleet vessels were even allowed to operate a cloak but Captain William Deveros was one used to the shadows and he understood the tactical advantages of being unseen. His mission wasnt one of battle this day however. This was a mission of recruitment. William, "Will" to his friends, commanded the U.S.S. Sun Tzu. She was a new Avenger class warship...and thanks to the iconians, she no longer had a war to fight, not yet anyway. If what Will had seen about the iconians were true, there would be plenty of fighting. Which is why Will had taken the mission he had taken but it was completely unofficial. Starfleet had given Will special dispensation for his service and allowed him to operation far from federation space. He worked as one of starfleet's "Eyes" He explored but it wasnt new life he was seeking, but threats to Starfleet safety. HE worked in the darkness to ensure the existence of Starfleet and he did so, by the book. It was his personal mission to prove that the methods of Section 31 were not needed, that one could be covert and moral. Most importantly remaining covert could be done while following to book...mostly.
Will sat on the bridge of his ship, staring out the forward port. He hated this brigde. there was no large screen before him. Instead there was a large port which he could see through. The port was flanked by two screens but they were small and to Will, they seemed too far away. He would kill for the Bridge on one of the Odyssey class ships. Loved his ship, hated his bridge... Couldnt win them all. Before Will, the stars transformed from lines to points of light as the Sun Tzu dropped from transwarp.
"Sir, we have arrived at New Romulus." the helmsman reported.
"Good," Will paused, "Now lets see why i troubled yet brilliant cadet would abandon her home and career. I am beaming down. Keep the ship cloaked. I would rather our presence not be known. the romulans may not be our enemies but staying hidden from them will be good practice. If you can hide from a romulan, you can hide from anyone."
"Sir," Will's first officer started, " I know captains have been taking liberties as of late but i still dont like you-"
"Beaming down alone, i know." Will finished, "But I dont want a detail announcing the feds are here. i will allow you to beam down three operatives to shadow me. They, like me, must not be in uniform. If our target is here form the reasons reported then it wont be a problem, if she is here for different reasons... Lets just say i would like to play our cards close to the chest." Will stood and headed for the turbolift, "Oh, maintain transporter lock and keep the engine running. if we have to leave in a hurry, i want to be able to."
Will disappeared behind the doors of the turbolift on his way to his quarters to change. That cadet showed promise even though she was ballzy. Ballzy as hell in fact. Will though about one of her tests, one where she opted to eject and then destroy her own core to use it as a weapon....if she had only thought i but further along she would had survived and passed the test...if the lights are on, you still have power and its not how much power you have, but how you use the power you have. That bloody lieutenant, against his wishes, held her back even though he asked for her by name... How else was he to apologize for rigging the test in the first place? but the test wasnt the 'test' how she reacted to it was and that she passed with flying colors.
Some minutes later:
William followed the path to a small prefab building. He had been told these were the living quarters assigned to Aiel Llwyn. He had knocked on the door but there was no answer. He decided to wait. Patients is a virtue.
"We have arrived at New Romulus, Captain.," his first officer, the alien Sheecoyoo said from the back of the bridge. They were here to pick up even more alien tech, this time two scorpion fighters that the Republic had agreed to provide to the Federation.
"Thank you for the update Commander," Jacob replied, "I will be in my ready room until we arrive over the beam down point, contact me there if you need me."
OoC: Will post more when I gat back home
New Haven was a formerly abandoned Federation starbase in the middle of a nebula. Ithad plenty of weaponry to protect, and all of it was currently trained on the War Hawk. It was a custom between the crew of the base and the crew of the Hawk. It had started when Captain Hylian had been drunk when entering the Haven and fired off a few weapons.
"Identification, and a promise not to try to kill any of us this time." says New Haven's portmaster.
"The is the War Hawk, and I am her Captain. We promise not to fire off any weapons this time." Stelam replies.
The portmaster was confused. "Hylian, you sound different. Did something happen?" he asks.
"John, this is Stelam. Hylian is..." Stelam trails off.
"It's okay, buddy. Dock the ship and come tell me what happened." The transmission ends and the dock doors open.
"Delea."
Delea nods and docks the ship.
"Gerrard, tell everyone I want them back on this ship at 1600. Got it?" ordered Stelam.
"Yes sir." replied Gerrard. He was a vulcan, and didn't ever argue an order. Unless it was unlogical.
Stelam nods and leaves the ship. He takes a winding path around the ship to the dock and walks onto the starbase. He then takes a slow, but straight path to John's office. He takes a breath and opens the door. John stands, tears in his eyes, and rushes over to Stelam. He engulfs him in a hug, lifting him from the floor. John was twice his height, weight, and strength. He was also pretty emotional when it came to the death of a friend, especially when it was a close friend. And he knew that Hylian was like a father to Stelam, so that's what warranted this reaction.
"Oh my God. I'm so sorry for your loss, Stelam. He was a great man an-" he stops as he is overtaken by sobs.
"John. John. John, you're crushing me. Please let go." Stelam gasps.
"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. You know how I get." he let's Stelam down and takes a breath. He then sits behind his desk. "Okay. Why don't you tell me how it happened."
"Okay." Stelam says and sits. He then relates the whole story to John. When he was done, he looks at John.
"You know John. I think I need break from privateering. Do you think the crew would do well enough without me for a few weeks, with Gerrard as Captain?" Stelam asks.
"It'd only be a temporary thing?" John asks.
"Yeah. Iwas thinking about helping on mol'Rihan. I mean New Romulus." Stelam says.
"Hmm. I think that would be possible. I'll talk to Gerrard if you want." John offers.
"No, no. I'll inform the crew, after selling my stuff for some credit. Though I'm taking a shuttle to mol'Rihan. The War Hawk is too well known." Stelam says.
"Of course." John replies solemly.
Stelam nods at John and leaves the office after goodbyes and walks to the ship. He boards, grabs his loot and sells it to the vendors he trusts. He returns to the ship at 1600 and gets on the comm. He had already gotten the bridge crews acceptance. Now it was time to inform the rest of the crew.
" This is your Captain speaking. Or rather, your Captain for now. I have decided to take some shore leave for a few months, or weeks depending on how I like it. I will be at mol'Rihan, to help with the construction. It'll help keep me humble. I hope you all have a great pillaging season while I'm gone, and Gerrard will be your Captain. I hope you won't try to kill him while I'm gone. Anyway, Captain out." he terminates the transmission, then looks at Gerrard. " I'll have a communicator with me in case I need early extraction. Okay?" Stelam raises an eyebrow.
"That is a logical decision sir. I hope you will have a relaxing time." Gerrard replies.
"More like a taxing time. Elements, why did I decide to do this. I could have gone to Risa..." Stelam mutters as he walks off the bridge.
He goes to his quarters, changes into refugee clothes and grabs a few knives. He leaves the ship and goes to the shuttle dock. He flashes his ticket to mol'Rihan and gets on. He sits in his spot, ready for the journey.
"mol'Rihan, here I come." he mutters as the ship takes off.
Starfleet Intelligence was monitoring his base waiting for a time to strike, but a complication had come up, Connors and his crew had managed to acquire classified information. This is why the Competitor had been dispatched, it had a perfect reason to be here, and Downy was secretly trained for espionage. Only he and the command staff of the Competitor knew the true reason for their presence, and they were all informed of their jobs.
He would send down his Chief Engineer and a crew of engineers and fighter pilots to retrieve and inspect the Scorpions. While this was happening, Downy and a team of 3 of his senior officers would beam down to retrieve and wipe out the information from the traitors' computers.
"Okay Sir, we are ready to beam down," He heard Sheecoyoo say through his combadge.
"I'll be to the transporter room in a few minutes, inform the fighter crew to report to transporter room 3, while the secondary team will be in transporter room 4," Downy replied, "Downy out." Jacob gathered up the supplies he would need from the table, a hacking kit and some combat supplies, in case things got messy, and he used his secret personal transporter to beam to transporter room 4 without being detected. Once there, he waited for his team to do the same, and they got on the pad, and beamed down.
OoC: Haha, cliffhanger, wait until tommorow. PS, I promise we can connect this to Aiel somehow on the surface, just not sure how yet.
Aiel watched the goings on of the Staging Area with mild interest as she sipped her cappuccino. She found it strange yet welcomed that this far from Earth she would stumble across someone who actually knew how to make the drink. An antiquated drink, she knew, but one she had become quite accustomed and fond of over the years. She had tried raktajino once, as a freshman dare. It took her nearly a week to get the smell of burned, thick sludge from her nostrils and a full week longer for her taste to return to normal. No wonder the Klingons were always so uptight, she thought to herself.
She finished the coffee and paid her tab to the young Arcadian woman serving her. Young, Aiel assumed, for the Arcadians seemed to be perpetually youthful looking, given their oversized doll-like heads and immense eyes. Will there be anything else? asked her host in a light, sing-song voice.
No, thank you. Aiel responded, then stood from her chair and stretched. She had moved what little belongings she had taken with her into her new living space but had yet to explore the neighbourhood which she now called home. Today seemed the perfect time to do so as tomorrow she fully expected to be working somewhere. The way Kylor preferred to assign work was odd, to say the least. Every new arrival would essentially seek their own means of employment by simply asking around in hopes that there was work to be done. She preferred a more structured system and perhaps she would learn to develop her own schedule.
She walked, allowing herself to enjoy the afternoon sun as she went, and climbed the path to the Val. She was so caught up in the sheer beauty of it all she almost failed to see a strange man standing at her door. She did not react, did not pause. She had been trained to respond to unexpected contingencies without telegraphing her movements. This man wasnt Romulan and wore no distinguishable uniform to insignia that she could see. It was possible, she thought to herself, that he was just another refugee that happened to be housed in the same district as her and decided to be neighbourly, but given the fact Kylor had stated the Val was predominantly Romulan this wasnt a likely scenario. Her training instantly took over and she continued walking along the path, past her own home and the man, showing no obvious interest whatsoever. If this man recognized her, shed know. If he didnt, then she would make a very conscious effort to pay closer attention to him in the future.
"Your name, system and planet of origin." said the Wort.
"Stelam Jhaelaa. Hobus and ch'Rihan." Stelam says in perfect Rihannsu.
"Duration of stay?" the Wort continues in Rihannsu as well.
"Four weeks to a month." Stelam says.
"Short stay. You plan on working?" the Wort asks.
"Yes. I hope to help build the new home of our race." Stelam replies, using the backstory he had concocted.
"Uh huh. Alright. Report to Foreman Kylor for temporary housing and your work roster." the Wort says as he hands over the papers.
"Hann'yyo. Jolan'tru." Stelam says as he walks away.
"Jolan'tru." the Wort mutters.
Stelam gets in line for the Foreman. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see a young Romulan girl pay for a capuccino and walk off.
"Uh. Pretty, but a little young for me... maybe." Stelam mutters.
OOC: Could you tell me how old Aiel is? I think Stelam is 19 to 20, and at this point it's either an older brother relationship or boyfriend that I can see for them. If I decide they should have a positive relationship.
[OOC] Um, yeah.... Aiel is about 20 - still very young for a Romulan. About 5'6", dark hair, grey eyes, somehwat tanned skin.
However, please take not that although Aiel is female, I am male. A straight, married maile... I can RP romantic interest for the sake of the story but feel I need to address the elephant in the room before anything like that begins... some people may find a problem with that, spo it's best ot be clear from the onset rather than surprise them later on... [/OOC]
[OOC]Play it by ear then. If, however, at any time (and this goes for ANYBODY here) the RP becomes uncomfortable, PM me and we'll work around it.
I play ONLY female characters.... always have. If I have to stare at pixels for hours on end they might as well be attractive pixels LOL[/OOC]
[OOC]That's entirely up to you... :cool: Just look at chrisbrown12009's intro... how you set up a possible meeting is entirely up to you... where it goes from there will be a joint effort.
OoC: It appears Starfleet is not the only faction with spies, Nathan has them too. Really, this was just a way to describe Downy without breaking context.