[ON]

Things were finally beginning to take shape on board the Katana. With most of the repairs completed thanks to the efforts and diligence of Lieutenant Zhuri, and contact with this universe's version of Starfleet established, the Katana was now awaiting orders while its crew continued to absorb the reality of their new lives. Commander M'rayr Eisovo journeyed the lower decks on his way to the holodeck, wanting to see how one of the Katana's most recent visitors, a young Caitian by the name of K'larri, was adjusting.

The holodeck was a magical place for K'larri, and she'd spent nearly an hour just running it through as many locations as she could think of before settling on a jungle setting, warm and tropical like some southern areas of Cait. The program tag said something about Earth and the Amazon, but she paid little attention to that, too busy marveling in how the holodeck recreated not just the sights and sounds but the heavy fragrant scent of the flowers and the moisture that lingered in the air. She had known that such things existed, but she'd never had access to a holodeck before. She couldn't help being amazed by it.

Having spent the past decade on board one starship or another, it was the humidity of the simulated environment that struck M'rayr first. An instinct he hadn't experienced in years filled his senses as the corridors behind him vanished into more jungle. Somehow it made sense for K'larri to run this kind of program. Resisting the urge to climb one of the many trees and loft from above, the first officer began making his way through the dense foliage, using his nose to pick out her scent from the simulated smells.

He found her almost half a kilometer away although, in reality, the distance couldn't have been more than a few feet. The shimmer of holographic paneling faded as the computer image transitioned from two separate projections into one as they came into the same general 'vicinity'.

Gratefully, he didn't find her in what most Caitians regarded as a more native state of being; she was still wearing clothes, even that collar she claimed was for protection. What she was afraid of in this environment, however, he didn't know. "Hello K'larri," he announced.

Having heard him approach, K'larri looked over her shoulder at him. "M'rayr." She bowed her head ever so slightly to him before returning to her admiration of this new - for her - technology. "I didn't know Federation starships could create such places."

M'rayr followed the direction of her gaze, feeling strangely comfortable with the jungle. He could feel the humidity tampering with his fur, and imagined that it was doing the same with K'larri as well. As he looked back to her to examine that likelihood, he noticed how her fur shone with a little more vibrancy than it did under the artificial conditions of the Katana's environmental controls. "The complexity of our holographic technology allows for extremely sophisticated scenarios or environments," he pointed out, keeping his tone stoic and professional. "Should you desire, you can also create holographic avatars of animal life, or even members of various species. The system is quite versatile."

"It's incredible. I knew these devices existed, but I had never seen one." K'larri hadn't thought to add specific animal life to the program, but she heard birds somewhere nearby. Her ears twitched and swiveled to locate the sounds, but it was soon evident that the sounds came from various locations within her simulated jungle. A soft breeze ruffled her fur and blew her loose mane across her eyes, but she ignored it, inhaling the sweet scent of the plants. "Does your starship allow plants in personal quarters?"

"Yes," M'rayr replied tentatively, taking a large leaf in his paw and folding it between his digits before releasing it. It felt very real. He wasn't certain if she knew that holographic matter couldn't be removed from the holodeck, and that as soon as the simulation ended the plants and everything else in this room would vanish. The last thing he wanted to do was to insult her intelligence by insinuating either way, so he answered her question exactly.

The rush of smells and humidity was stirring something he couldn't quite place as well, awakening perhaps old feelings he hadn't thought of in many years. Whether it was due to this new universe and his life inside it, or because of something else, M'rayr was feeling much less like the rigid old Caitian he was accustomed to. The holodeck, even K'larri herself, certainly seemed to contribute. But those emotions were mixed in by decades of aloofness; it was like pulling weeds from a bed of herbs.

Watching K'larri and the way her mane was tossed by the breeze, M'rayr opted to elaborate on his response. "You may consider speaking with Aznihel, our resident xeno-biologist. She may be willing to part with a plant or seedlings of one."

"I will talk with her. I know these are not real and the jungle flowers may not grow well on the ship. But it would be nice to have some life in that grey cabin." K'larri gently touched a nearby flower, still amazed by how real the petals felt.

M'rayr nodded wordlessly.

It was clear to her that M'rayr was a man of few words, and K'larri didn't mind the silence that fell over the holodeck in that moment. She'd often had no one to talk to or call a friend, and she was no longer bothered by it being quiet around her.

Eventually, the silence began to stretch into something that might twist. M'rayr cleared his throat, holding a hand over his mouth to conceal the noise. When his arms went down to both seams, the Caitian bowed slightly in K'larri's direction. "Well, I believe I have disturbed you enough for the time being. I am glad that you are enjoying yourself." He turned, starting to leave. "Enjoy your even-"

"Wait, you're leaving?" Puzzled about his sudden decision to depart, K'larri gave him a curious look. "You haven't disturbed me... I enjoy your company. As friendly as the other people here are, I have nothing in common with them." She tilted her head a bit sideways, considering what she knew so far about M'rayr. "Granted I don't exactly know much about you either... you haven't even told me your family name."

Oh, right. M'rayr thought, stopping. During their last meeting, M'rayr had neglected to indicate his family name because he had no idea what sort of reputation the Eisovo tribe had in this universe. Many aspects of this universe mirrored those of his own, and yet there were tens of thousands, possibly even millions of differences. M'rayr looked back to K'larri. She was the first Caitian he'd met in years; as well as he was able to conceal his doubts and weary concerns behind a face of stone, he was worried what she'd think about him if she knew that his family were xenophobic zealots.

But the question had been asked. "It is Eisovo." M'rayr added.

"And Eisovo in Starfleet?" K'larri might be from another area of their planet and she might have grown up on the street, but she knew that name. Most Caitians did; the Eisovos were one of the most zealous tribes on the planet. "Well. I won't hold it against you. If you agreed with your family's views, you wouldn't be here on this ship."

It took M'rayr a long second to catch his mental breath. He nodded brusquely, and turned to face her. He wasn't the type of person to offer up further explanation, if even to further distance himself from his family name, and instead said, "A valid assessment." If she wanted to know more, she'd need to ask. Even still, M'rayr wasn't sure how much he was willing to divulge. Ok, so she didn't want him to leave, and wasn't repulsed by his family ties. What, then? M'rayr wasn't exactly an expert in conversation. "Do you have any further inquiries about me?" He asked eventually. Even if he wanted to know something about her, he wasn't sure what questions he'd ask. Besides, as young as she was compared to him, he thought any expressed interest in her background might be misunderstood.

"I get the feeling you don't talk much about yourself, and I'm quite all right with that." K'larri understood having a story that you didn't really want to tell other people. She wasn't terribly enthused about telling her story either. "But I can't help noticing that you're the only one I have seen here with a provisional Starfleet rank. Did you not go to the Academy?"

Touching instinctively at the elongated pill-shaped pip with three golden dashes etched into it, the Caitian shook his head but made a sound that almost sounded like a chuckle. "No. I was given a direct commission by Starfleet due to my service as part of the CSN - the Caitian Sky Navy," he filled out the acronym, not sure whether the CSN in this universe was named any different. "I have spent most of my adult life in Starfleet, regardless. There is... or rather was... a course that would allow me to receive a formal commission. But I have yet encountered a situation where my lack of conventional title has posed an issue."

M'rayr looked to K'larri and noted her fur pattern. He was intrigued, and thought of a question. "Where were you born? From the southern continent, I assume? I have not seen this..." for a moment, it looked like he was about to reach out and brush at her shoulder, but he stopped himself expertly, making it look more like he was merely pointing at her shoulder instead. "...your pattern, before."

"I'm not certain of the exact location, just that it was somewhere on that continent. I don't know my parents or if I had any siblings or not." K'larri shrugged slightly, not taking much note of his interest in her speckled fur. His curiosity was much less obnoxious that some people's obsession with her. "One of the cities, not entirely sure which one. The name of a place is much less important when you're scrounging for food."

"I see." M'rayr answered.

"Or when the local gang is peddling you for cash..." K'larri laid her ears back at that memory, clearly not one she enjoyed.

It seemed clear by what he'd heard her tell of her past that K'larri had had a very troubled young life indeed. Her near-indentured servitude to the Ferengi Captain she then killed must have been the climax to a downward spiral. He could only hope that her life on board the Katana would represent the same new opportunity that he felt now that the chains of his past were no longer tied to him. For an instant, M'rayr considered doing something he found himself doing unexpectedly when addressing Jennifer Matthew's anguish; but Matthews had been human, not Caitian. Putting a hand on K'larri's shoulder felt inappropriate.

"Perhaps your presence on board this vessel represents an opportunity," M'rayr suggested with surprising softness to his voice. "Your past makes you who you are. But now you have the opportunity and resources to do better."

"Perhaps. I haven't met the captain yet... I doubt he'll be happy that I sneaked aboard his ship, but as I have nowhere to go he can't very well kick me out an airlock." K'larri's ears twitched as she considered what M'rayr had said. This ship could be a new opportunity, but she hadn't gone to school and wasn't likely to be of much help to them.

M'rayr made a noise of amusement. True, this version of Kerouac wouldn't, but the one from this universe might have if given the chance. "Gratefully, Captain Kerouac prefers to banish stowaways on remote but habitable worlds - not vent them into space." When he saw that K'larri was on the verge of taking this seriously - this was why M'rayr doesn't makes jokes - he clarified his intention. "I apologize. I was attempting to be amusing; Captain Kerouac does not intend on forcing you to leave this vessel."

Still bristling slightly from the fright, K'larri gave him a very unamused look. "I would hope not. I might have to do something about it if he did."

M'rayr smiled thinly. Like most instances where he intended on being comical or amusing, the only person he managed to entertain was himself. Perhaps it was due to the fact that there was very little change in the inflection of his voice whether he was serious or not. Nodding slightly, he readied to attempt to excuse himself again. "I am certain you would. You have proven your resourcefulness. In time, I am sure you will find adequate means of applying those skills in productive ways on board this vessel. In the meantime, I regret that I must excuse myself. Duties."

"Of course. Don't let me keep you from your work... I know how critical each member of a starship's crew is." K'larri cheerfully turned her attention back to the flowers that had captivated her before M'rayr had come in.

M'rayr smiled again. "Enjoy your time, K'larri."

[ON]

The stars changed in two different ways after the USS Katana leaped across time and space, not only into a new part of the galaxy, but a new galaxy altogether. Deciding only to spend a few minutes trying to identify a familiar star pattern, he could not, and gave up before wandering over to his desk and opening a bottle of Nepta wine that Lieutenant Commander Maica had provided him weeks earlier. Made with real Nepta leaves, the wine had certain properties that, when consumed by a Caitian, induced an inebriating and even hallucinogenic properties.

Thankfully, both properties were mild. Commander M'rayr Eisovo desired a light buzz - not to wake up in a Jefferies tube naked...

"Computer, play music by Caitian composer, Naleke."

Subdued strings filled the ambience as the Caitian took out a glass, poured the bottle's contents into it, set the bottle down, picked the glass back up, and wandered back to the viewport. He took a small amount of the beverage into his mouth, washed it around a bit, and swallowed before smiling. Even if I did recognize them, these stars are not my own, M'rayr thought inwardly.

After a startling discovery about who she was in this reality - and not entirely certain how to deal with it - Jhu had instead turned to occupying herself with concerns about the crew. It seemed odd to her, but the person she kept coming back to in her thoughts was M'rayr. She couldn't think of a reason why she'd be so worried about him in particular, but she couldn't push the feeling away either. Still, she'd lingered over the decision for a long time before consulting the computer on his location.

"Commander Eisovo is in his quarters," the computer announced in response to her request.

At that, Jhu looked at the time and shook her head slightly. Her shift was long since over, and she was still in her office? That just wouldn't do. She needed to get away from that space for a while, so now that she knew where M'rayr was, that's where she went. His quarters were near hers, so she stopped by her cabin long enough to retrieve Lydek, who she hoped would serve as both an ice breaker and a mood stabilizer for them both. She didn't know if M'rayr liked Terran cats or not, but R'tame had seemed amused by him so she figured it was worth taking a chance.

With Lydek cradled safely in her arms, she continued on the short walk down to M'rayr's cabin and rang the chime, waiting outside for his answer.

The audible chime at his doorway very nearly went unnoticed, as Naleke's second symphony had just risen to crescendo at the electronic announcement. But M'rayr had noticed. "Computer decrease volume by 80%," the computer obliged as M'rayr approached the door. After Senior Chief Carter and Lieutenant Commander Maica's impromptu visit, he was less than inclined to simply grant entrance to a visitor. Once at the panel, M'rayr touched it, opening the door.

"Commander t'Dharvanek," M'rayr greeted, sounding relaxed and maybe even a little sleepy. The Nepta wine was already influencing him. Then his eyes drifted to the small object in her arms, which he recognized as a feline. "I hope that you aren't about to ask me to cat sit," M'rayr asked with an almost undetectable chuckle.

"No." Jhu chuckled a little, gently restraining Lydek as the cat looked over at M'rayr with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. "R'tame seemed to like him, so I thought I'd bring him with me and let him visit for a while. He does bite when he's scared, so try to be gentle with him." She paused, releasing her grip on the cat slightly and letting him lean forward to sniff M'rayr. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

It felt like an unfair moment when M'rayr, drawn by his own curiosity of the small feline, leaned in cautiously to let Lydek sniff at him. For Caitians, personal hygiene was nearly as important as family, and the telltale but subdued scent from Lydek reminded M'rayr that, while he and his race might be regarded by some as oversized felines, that there were also significant differences between the two that had nothing to do with the fact that one achieved intelligence and interstellar spaceflight while the other did not. Once Lydek seemed to satisfied his personal curiosity, M'rayr did the same, and refocused his attention to address the Commander. "I appreciate your concern. And I am quite well, thank you."

"You've been into the nepata," Jhu commented lightly, grinning somewhat crookedly. Caitians and Terran cats might be different, but there was no hiding that relaxed - maybe even dopey - expression, like a cat high on catnip. "Can't say I blame you... if I didn't have Nathan to talk to I'd probably be in the lounge drinking." Lydek mewed, sitting up in her arms and looking around, but she held onto him. Most people didn't like him to wander around in their cabin, especially if they didn't have pets of their own. "Look, I know it sounds silly, but out of all the people on this ship that I could worry about... my mind keeps coming back to you, and I don't know why."

M'rayr stretched his face into a loose approximation of a smile. Jhu had been right about one thing, at least; he was feeling more relaxed and at ease than he had in more than a decade. Although it wasn't entirely due to the Nepata. "Hmm..." he mused before reluctantly reaching for Lydek's small head and scratching it. "Perhaps it is due to your being a... cat person," he offered as a small possibility before stepping to the side, giving her an easy opening to his quarters. "Please join me. Lydek is free to explore, as well."

Jhu grinned at that as she came inside, setting Lydek on the floor. "Maybe. I mean... I know you're not just a cat, and I'm certainly not going to pet your or try to give you a catnip mouse but you have to admit... there's a resemblance." She watched as Lydek cautiously ventured across the floor, looking for things to play with or explore.

"Only as much a resemblance as one would find between Terrans and Chimpanzee, or between Romulans and Raalar." M'rayr pointed out as he followed Jhu into the living room. In truth, many Caitians were bothered by the association; M'rayr didn't seem to mind too terribly. "Would you like some wine? Or may I offer you a beverage from the replicator?" He asked, wondering whether or not Jhu would enjoy the taste of his family vintage.

"Our eyes are different from yours. To me, you look like a very large Terran lion," Jhu pointed out just as matter-of-factly. "But to you... that lion could look completely different, perhaps even a different color." She paused for a moment, considering the offer. "To be perfectly honest, I have never tried nepata wine. I haven't served with many Caitians."

"Indeed." Nodding graciously, M'rayr retrieved a second glass and poured the bottle's contents into it before evening out his own. He set the bottle, took both glasses in hand, and handed the unused one to Jhu. "You will of course miss out on some of the positive effects since you lack the necessary receptors. Nevertheless, the taste of this brand in particular is quite exquisite." He smiled thinly. It was obvious that M'rayr was inebriated by the Nepata wine, and while it was loosening him up, he didn't want to go overboard.

"Well I'm sure I'll enjoy it anyway. Thank you." Jhu accepted the glass and took a sip of the liquid, grinning appreciatively. It had a flavor unlike anything she'd tried before, but she liked it. Even if she wasn't going to get the extra positive effects.

M'rayr bowed graciously as he guided her over to a nearby couch, taking a seat himself. He set the glass down, leaned back, and crossed his arms casually. "So. You are concerned with my mental health, correct?" He asked in a way that would remind someone of their discussing an engineering report or data schematic. There had been a momentary instinct to diver the conversation away from him, as he was so accustomed to doing in the past. M'rayr tried, and succeeded, in ignoring it. "You would not be planning a career change to counseling, would you?"

Jhu chuckled, sitting down nearby but not so close as to make him feel crowded. "I'm not cut out for counseling. I just know you don't exactly have a ton of friends on the ship, and I know we're all struggling with this transition. It's... easier if you have someone to talk to about it."

While M'rayr had no recourse but to nod, he thought briefly of his last personal meeting with the Katana's Chief of Engineer -- Lieutenant Arivek Zhuri. The engineer had said something similar, and in fact had warned M'rayr about his stance against friendship. But that was in the last universe. This universe was, as far as M'rayr had been concerned, an opportune clean slate. "I regret knowing that I will never be able to see my tribe again. Not that it was a possibility even in our own universe; even if there were the opportunity to reconcile, I doubt either of us would be willing to take it. But, if I am honest with you, it is a liberating sensation." When he saw her question, he continued. "I now know that reconciliation is impossible. The decision has been made by powers unforeseen, and now I can move forward knowing the answer."

It was perhaps a moment of blunt honest that few on board the Katana had ever seen of M'rayr. But as he said everything, he did so with a casual nonchalance, as if nothing he said had any real bearing in his life. "It also means that the decisions of my past do not have to follow me in this new life. We all have received a second chance. Whether it is welcomed, or not."

Jhu kind of stared at him, not entirely certain she'd just heard that sort of wisdom from him. The one person she thought would really have trouble adjusting was also the one person who was... okay with it? "I see my concerns may have been misguided."

M'rayr bowed slightly at the neck, and seemed to purr out an acknowledgement. "Nevertheless, they are appreciated." When he came back up, he was looking at her again. "And what of you? Or Mr. Tonkin?" He asked, seeming to show interest in the personal affairs of his fellow crewmates for the first time. "How are you..." he paused, looking around as he searched for a word. "reconciling, with our new environment?"

"It's a bit weird for me," Jhu admitted a bit sheepishly. "In this reality I appear to be dead, and I've had a hell of a time convincing this Starfleet Command to activate my intelligence codes. But there's one positive thing... Section 31 barely exists here. They have no field operations... they can't come after me anymore. They don't even know who I am, which is refreshing quite honestly. And Nathan..." Jhu shook her head slightly. "I don't think he's coping well. He doesn't even want to look his name up and see who he might be here."

On one end, hearing that the Clandestine Starfleet organization was no longer prevalent was a sweet sound to M'rayr's attuned ears. The other Jhu might be dead, but it had a new one, at least. And, like M'rayr, Jhu didn't have to worry about finding her double. On the other hand, however, it concerned him to know that Tonkin was not adjusting so well. The Caitian took a small sip of his glass, and felt the slight buzz increase as result. He thought carefully as to how to respond. "Have you?" He asked. He knew that Jhu, as an intelligence operative, might have been tempted to see what her alternate lover's fate was.

Jhu shook her head. "I might not agree with him on this, but I respect his wishes. When he's ready, we'll look together."

M'rayr nodded, seeming to understand her decision. Still, he could only imagine how strongly her affinity for intelligence gathering made searching those records - with or without Nathan - all the more tempting. He let a small silence stretch before continuing the conversation. "It appears that my... doppelganger... died some years ago during one of this Starfleet's many battles against the Breen," he touched his dead eye. He grunted a sound of curious amusement. "At some point, I anticipate my... er... his tribe to attempt to reach out to me. There are so few males left in the Eisovo line, accepting a traitor from another universe may serve their interests now."

"Mine was killed on an away mission, but I don't know if it was combat or friendly fire." Jhu chose not to elaborate any further on that, instead picking up on something else that M'rayr had said. "Now why would your tribe consider you a traitor? Surely not because you joined Starfleet... there are lots of Caitians who serve..."

I wry grin crept onto M'rayr's usually stone-faced features. "There are," he agreed. "But my tribe is not one that supports the ties between the Caitian Republic and the Unified Federation of Planets. They are... as some regard them... rather xenophobic. So naturally, my joining Starfleet earned me permanent disassociation." M'rayr sipped from his glass. As casual as he was treating the topic, the memories still burned. At least he now knew that, as far as his tribe was concerned, he was dead. This tribe was simply not the same. "But there are so few males left in my tribe today, less so in this universe. The Eisovo tribe has always been politically motivated, if not incredibly short sighted."

"Your tribe is not so different from my mother's people then. They could not accept that she had fallen in love with a Trill and then had children with him." Jhu smiled a little. "I don't know if it's that way here too... honestly I'm not even sure I'd try to contact them or my mom. They probably think I'm dead, and I don't want to explain how we got here. Not yet."

"In the end, I tend to prefer to think that this tribe is not my own. It was his. As far as I am concerned, I am an orphan," M'rayr pointed out, his tone hesitantly more serious. "Were his tribe to contact me, I do not believe I would allow myself to become him." M'rayr tilted his head to the side. "Perhaps this is the best recourse for most, if not all, of us."

"I suppose that's a good way to look at it." Jhu took a few sips from her wine glass, considering what M'rayr had said. "Still, I can't help but wonder if it's different here. If I could go to Romulus. I'm almost afraid to look my mother up though. Her reputation in our universe was... pretty terrible."

M'rayr reflected on Jhu's fears for several long seconds. Of course, exploring one's past, no matter the point of origin, evoked a since of curiosity and a desire to explore. They were Starfleet Officers, after all. But maybe his stance over abandoning any inquiry into their alternate-former lives didn't fit with her as well as it did him. "What would feel right to you?" He asked.

"I don't know yet," Jhu admitted, looking into her glass as if she hoped to find the answer there. "I've been told since I was little that I wouldn't be welcomed among my mother's people... it's hard to get past that, even if it isn't true here."

M'rayr nodded quietly.

"You probably understand some of that, given how your tribe is." Jhu smiled a little, picking Lydek up when the cat wandered over and pawed at her leg. "Well, it's getting late. I don't want to keep you from sleeping."

M'rayr stood up a fraction of a second after Jhu, but wobbled slightly. Maica's Napata wine had accomplished its affect, and he'd likely be going to bed easily tonight. For a moment, he stood quietly, but then cleared his throat. "I understand. I also... appreciate, your consideration this evening..." if he sounded like he was about to end with her first name, he caught himself early on. But there had been a sound to his words that might have indicated an intent to add more to the end of them. "Have a good evening."

"Thanks." Jhu smiled a bit wider as she hooked Lydek's leash back to his harness, still keeping the cat in her arms. "You too. And I'm glad you're handling our transition to this... dimension well. It's reassuring to hear that at least one person is okay with it."

M'rayr nodded. And as soon as he did, the doors closed behind Jhu, leaving him to his own devices once again. He wandered over to Jhu's half-full glass, raised it to his nose, and downed it in a single gulp.

The effects were more than just liberating.

[OFF]

The doors to Astrometrics opened as a blue man clad in a yellow-collared uniform stormed in, his hands running through his darker blue hair. "Will I know you're in here," he said, sounding frantic. He looked around, pacing over the floor, as he pulled a PADD out from under his arm and began to scroll through information on it. "Will!"

A small metallic noise gave way to Will's location as he appeared from underneath one of the nearby consoles. He pushed himself out from underneath the console.

"I have a maintenance list at least a mile long since we made that damned TransWarp flight... Where else do you think I'm going to be?" He retorted back as he stood up and brushed himself down. Ever since the fatal TransWarp flight, it seemed like half the ship had decided to break or malfunction and Will was tired from the ever ongoing work that kept coming up.

"Whats the matter?" Will asked.

Arivek spun around on his heels and grabbed the other man by the shoulders. "The formula. The calculations..." He looked away for a moment, "I fucked up. I just..." His arms fell as he backed away slowly, pushing himself against the wall. "I fucked us all, Will..."

Will put his kit down as he could tell there was something not quite right will Arivek and their last encounter was still ringing in his ears.

"Wow, thats one hell of a sex drive for a hologram! Even I'm impressed with that statement," he said as he closed up the panel and joined Arivek at the wall.

"So...how have you managed to screw us all?" He asked, taking a more serious note in his tone as he realised something was seriously wrong.

"Did you see something wrong with these?" Arivek asked, ignoring the man's questions as he shoved the PADD in his face. "Was there an issue? i need to know!"

Will could see he was panicked and stood his ground. "If there had been something wrong, I would have pointed it out to you," Will explained to him. "However, I don't think you would have listened to me if I had pointed out an issue... Now what the bloody hell is going on?!" Will demanded from his holographic colleague.

Arivek slid to the floor and leaned his head back on the bulkhead. "The ship....we've been transported through time. Somehow, the transwarp drive catapulted us into the future. And I don't know how I managed to do it. I..." the man closed his eyes as tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. "I just don't know..."

Will could see his reaction as he sat down next to Arivek on the floor and took in the news he'd just imparted. "What? We time travelled instead of TransWarped? How the hell..."

Will could see how upset Arivek was with all this and the blame he was laying on himself. Will put an arm around the hologram. "Listen, uts not your fault... I told you as I said to Andy, Borg Tech is unstable at the best of times...unless your a borg drone. Theres no way either of us could've known this would happen...We checked and double checked all the figures and equations," Will explained in a soothing understanding tone

However, he was trying to cope with the time travel issue. "How far into the future did we go?"

"4 years," Arivek replied, wiping his tears away with the sleeve of his uniform before he laid his head on the other man's shoulder. "I don't even know if we can get back, though. The transwarp drive, it's gone. All that's left is a hole in the bulkheads where it was ripped from the floor."

Will took in what he said and thought for a moment. "If the drive is gone, then its a good bet that we're stuck here after all. The Borg use location devices in their technology just in case of recall and there is no limit to the range on these things," he explained. He carried on, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Its highly possible that when the drive was activated, the recall kicked in as it was such an old piece of borg tech, but the fact it powered up meant it was useful and thus recalled...leaving us with a hole in the bulkheads," he finished, using his previous experience to make sense of the situation.

Arivek nodded, understanding what the man was saying.

"So, four years in the future. Ok, but did we make it to the Delta Quadrant? We surely made some headway during Transwarp and Starfleet is bound to want to know if we were successful," he asked Arivek.

"I honestly don't know, Will. The last Andy and I knew, we were launched into the future. I've been purifying the warp core since then." Arivek sighed, but left his head leaned on Will's shoulder. "I'm sure the Bridge would know more about where we are than I would."

Will patted him on the shoulder and let him rest his head. It was obvious that this was all a lot to take in and Arivek was blaming himself for it.

"Listen, you weren't to know that this was going to happen. This was uncounted for. We didn't expect this to happen. Its not your fault ok?" Will said reassuring him. He now understood how Val felt when she dealt with himself on a downer.

Then Will realised. "Wait a bloody minute!!! We're in Astrometrics! I can check our position from here!" He cried out, realising he'd lost his train of thought. He helped up Arivek and went over to the main console. "Computer, show our current position on the main display," he ordered. The large screen zoomed in the graphic of the USS Katana and stated co-ordinates, of which Will checked twice.

"Bloody hell... That was some trip... We're in the Alpha Quadrant, in the year 2392... Damn that was really some trip!" He said. The display also showed two other ships nearby, one of them a Breen vessel. He looked at Arivek. "We transwarped four years into the future and 70,000 light years from a last position," Will said, slightly in shock.

Arivek stared at the screen, "Wrong time and wrong place. Looks like I'm two for two." As the man's eyes dropped to the console Will was at, he scrunched his forehead. "We've got a data link request from Starfleet Stellar Cartography." With the tap of a button, the request was approved and before their very eyes, the entire layout of the map shifted, if only slightly.

"I don't understand. Certainly the political borders of the area couldn't have changed that drastically in the last four years. And what about..." Arivek pointed to the screen, an area of the Romulan Empire that no longer was marked as a quaranteed zone. "Romulus and Remus aren't marked as destroyed anymore. What the hell?"

Will ran a diagnostic on the Astrometrics Systems and a few moments later it came back complete. "Thats confirmed it. The Astrometrics Systems are fully functional and the data link from Starfleet is authentic," he said as he read through the data.

"The Hobus star never went Supernova. Romulus and Remus are still where they should be, completely intact and in orbit," Will said as he ran various checks whilst reading. He stood back for a second as a thought dawned on him. "What if we didn't just shift in time and space...what if the drive caused us to shift to somewhere else...not in position but an different reality," he surmised as he sat in one of the chairs by the console.

"What if we moved into some sort of Alternate reality? That would explain the Hobus system and the political shift of borders..." Will explained to Arivek.

Ari shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Three for three. Can this get any worse?"

Will turned to face Arivek and placed his hands on the mans shoulders. "Ok, listen. You didnt plan this. Between you, me and Andy we checked everything possible related to that damn TransWarp drive to make sure it would work and no one... Including me, you or her saw this coming," Will explained. "Now snap out of it. You're the Chief Engineer on this Starship so start acting like it and lets see what we can do to fix up the ship," he said sternly but fairly to him.

Arivek stood there, his mouth slightly ajar as the man spoke. "I-uh..." He thought about it for a moment, and the man was right. They did everything they could, everything they could think of, to make this a success. With a nod, he closed his mouth with a click of his teeth. "You're right. Thank you." Ari placed a hand on the man's bicep and stood there for a moment. "I wonder if there's a way back. I know we don't have the transwarp device anymore, but maybe we can acquire another one. Or we can use our own systems to simulate it..."

Will stopped for a second. "Whoa there, now hang on. We need some common sense and direction. We need to find out where we are, when we are and what Universe we're in and find out whats different before we start looking for more Borg Tech," he advised with caution.

"Probably a good idea. Just our luck, the Borg are worse than here than in our universe..." Arivek gave the man a weak smile.

"Indeed," Will agreed. "Right then, lets get on with it. I'll get back to finishing of the maintenance schedule and you can get back to figuring out what this ship needs to get back together in one working piece," he suggested, before going and picking up a tool and heading back under the console to finish up his work.

With a nod, Arivek left the room in silence. He had a lot of work ahead of him and Will was right. Right now wasn't the time to wallow in pity.

[ON]

Arthur sat in his office, reading over personnel files for new crew members. He was mostly checking criminal records, but he also took the times to read many biographies. There was a new Chief Engineer, several new Sec officers, and a new XO to boot. Arthur sighed, a quarterly report of a security petty officer displayed on his screen. There was a lot of work to be done, but there was ample time to do it.

His comm-badge chirped.

Arthur glanced down at his badge. Who was this, he wondered.

On the other end was M'rayr Eisovo. Like Arthur, M'rayr had been busying himself over the past several days with crew reports and status updates, making sure that he was completely familiarized with the Katana through and through before their next mission. One name popped up during his latest research - Chief Warrant Officer Arthur Waterson. A veteran of both the original Federation/Cardassian war and the Dominion War, Waterson possessed a long and decorated career in Starfleet. While he'd been generally limiting his 'meet and greet' sessions with members of the senior staff only, Arthur was interesting enough for him to want to meet face to face.

"Please come to my office at your earliest convenience, Chief. Eisovo, out." And the comm-link cut out.

"Aye aye, sir. I'll be there within a few minutes." And within a few minutes, indeed he was standing outside M'rayr's office. Knocking on the door, Arthur waited for an answer.

"Come," M'rayr ordered from the other side of the door. As the dual panels hissed open, the Caitian looked up from the small table where only a single computer and several PaDDs sat neatly, catching Waterson in his gaze. "Chief," he greeted with neither pleasure nor distaste in his tone. "Have a seat." M'rayr gestured towards the chair at the opposite end of the desk.

As Arthur stepped through the doorway, he nodded with approval, noticing how immaculate and organized the place was. He had to hand it to M'rayr, he certainly had spruced up this office. Sitting down, Arthur looked over at the XO, his facial expression neutral. "You needed me, Commander?"

M'rayr set aside a PaDD he'd been reviewing and interlaced his paws. "It is less a matter of need and more one of curious intrigue," the Caitian pointed out.

"Intrigue?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. Smiling curiously, he asked "What is it that intrigues you, Commander?"

M'rayr waved a paw in an up-to-down fashion, palm up. "You are a veteran of the Dominion siege of Betazed. The USS Gates, correct?"

Arthur stared at M'rayr, mind flashing back to the Battle of Betazed. "Yes, I served on the Gates during that battle. Why do you ask?"

M'rayr pursed his lips and interlaced his paws. "I was there as well." He said neutrally. "Aboard the Caitian Atrox-class carrier, the R’toroa. It was a grim outcome, that battle; one I do not discuss openly or often. But for another veteran, it is different."

Arthur nodded wearily. It had been many years, but he still vividly remembered the Battle of Betazed. "From your history, I take it you were an engineer at the time?"

M'rayr nodded, inviting Arthur to take one of the open seats. "A trade common with my species," the Caitian made a sound that approximated a snort. "We are either communications officers or engineers; you don't see many Caitian helmsmen, or even Security." As M'rayr spoke, he felt like he was trying to make a joke despite the fact that his tone was panned serious. "We arrived in orbit over Betazed and began transporting personnel to the surface, helping to shore up planetary defenses and evacuate survivors. At the time, we were unaware that the second fleet was out of position, and would not be in a position to support our effort."

Arther grimaced, remembering the terrible position the Federation ships were in. The USS Gates was heading out to another assignment, when we got a distress call from Betazed. We made it there just as the battle started getting heated." His look changed to one of slight confusion. "Many of the Caitian ships were destroyed, weren't they?"

M'rayr nodded grimly. "The Resea, Sh'tiross, and the R'toroa were capable of responding. Only the R'toroa remained warp capable when the order to retreat was given. The others were... ultimately destroyed."

"So, what made your ship and crew different from the other two ships, and able to escape the battle?"

Shrugging, M'rayr thought for an answer but couldn't find any. But it was strange to be asked such questions. He shrugged. "The Jem'hadar made a choice to focus their firepower on the Resea and the Sh'tiross instead of the R'toroa, damaging their warp engines, inertial dampeners, and main reactor. I do not pretend to fully understand their tactics. Why they chose them instead of us." he looked to Arthur. "What do you think made the Jem'hadar focus on the Gates?" He asked, turning the question around. He knew from Arthur's service jacket the sheer hell and horror that the Gates went through during the battle.

Rubbing his chin, Arthur considered his answer thoughtfully. "The USS Gates was a Sovereign class ship, a class that had only started being produced a year ago. They most likely saw us as a threat, which would be quite understandably. Luckily, we made it out of the battle without many scratches. Too many scratches, anyway." Face contorting from a serious grimace to a bemused smirk, he declared "How interesting it is to find that two men who served during the same battle serve on the same ship almost twenty years later, no? Fates works in mysterious ways, it seems."

M'rayr nodded, musing. "Indeed it does, Chief. Indeed it does."

Standing up from his chair, Arthur nodded to the Commander. "My apologies, sir, but I must get going. Duty calls, you must understand."

Not bothering to glance at the chronometer, M'rayr instead kept his eye on Arthur. He nodded curtly. "Of course. Thank you for your time." And with that, Arthur Waterson exited the same way he came.

[OFF]

Arivek stood in the middle of Main Engineering, staring at the Warp Core with his hands on his hips. So far, the flushing process was slow, but the intermix champer was starting to turn blue-er and blue-er by the minute. There was an estimated 4 hours left until they would have full function of the warp drive again. no doubt this would make the Captain happy.

"Don't forget to keep an eye on the magnetic constrictors," Arivek said to the Ensign who was lying on the floor, leaned against the Warp Core. Ari somewhat felt bad that he couldn't jump in and help the young man. Unfortunately, the magnetic constrictors could possibly destabalize his matrix, so that was one system he had to keep his distance from.

Commander M'rayr Eisovo seemed to move with an extra jump to his step. He was no longer that brooding and socially reluctant creature that the crew of the Katana had gotten to know for the last several weeks. While far from a total change in personal -- he was still brusque -- it seemed that he was far more at ease with his place in this world, and the Katana in general, than he ever had been before.

Carrying a PaDD with the contents of the latest helm diagnostic report, M'rayr found the Engineering Chief in his Caitian gaze, and moved to rendezvous. His mind wasn't terribly concerned over how his last meeting with Arivek had gone; it had been in his personal quarters, and M'rayr had, in a way that could not be miscomprehended, advised Arivek that the ship's Executive Officer had no desire for friends. Those words might have been true... then. But like the rest of the crew, M'rayr was adjusting to this new universe. And adjustment always meant change. Simply put, what was yesterday was no longer.

"Lieutenant Zhuri," the Caitian greeted in announcement as he came to a halt about a mater from Arivek. As soon as the engineer turned, seemingly distracted from his work, M'rayr held out the PaDD. Nothing about his action up until this point was out of character. At least not until M'rayr appeared to smile.

Arivek scrunched his forehead at the man's awkward attempt at a smile and took the PADD. It was obvious that smiling wasn't something he did very often, so this attempt was borderline concerning. Wordlessly, the hologram glanced at the PADD and wrote a few notes on it before handing it back to the man. He turned back to the Ensign and cocked his head, "Be careful of the flow regulators. You don't want them slipping."

"How are repairs progressing?" M'rayr asked, his left ear flicking erratically at the sound of metal scraping against metal.

"Slowly," was the short reply.

M'rayr nodded understandingly. It was no easy task for any Starship engineer to repair damage caused by the transition from one universe to the next. Most of the crew were still coming to terms with the fact that they would never see their loved ones again, and that, if they chose to meet with their loved ones from this universe, that they'd be several years older. "I see. And how are you progressing?" The Caitian asked, then sought to clarify. he had no idea if the once-human hologram had any family back in their universe. Arivek's holographic existence still made it difficult for M'rayr to reconcile the fact that he had, at one time in his life, been a Bolian/Trill. "Many of the crew are still in the process of accepting our new..." he reached a paw into empty air, as if reaching for something, twisted it, and withdrew it. "... circumstances. I want to know if you are adjusting."

"I'm doing my job to the best of my abilities, sir. I will keep you apprised of the repair efforts and let you know the moment we have warp capabilities back," Arivek stated without turning around.

"Your abilities are not what I am questioning, Lieutenant." M'rayr said, using the strangest blend of formality with genuine concern that anybody might have encountered. "Between everybody on board this ship, you have probably faced the most change of all. Not so long ago, you were flesh and blood. Now you are an isomorphic projection of what once been flesh and blood making due in a universe as alien as any world we might explore." M'rayr paused. "I want to know how that is affecting you, if at all."

"Sir, this new scenario will not affect my ability to do my job." Arivek turned to face the man, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Any questioning beyond that would be more appropriate coming from the Chief Counselor, not the Executive Officer. I'm sure you have more pressing needs to attend to than my mental and emotional wellbeing."

M'rayr took a mental step backwards. Arivek seemed - looked, even - rather defensive. He was an emotional hothead even before he stepped aboard the Katana; that much was evident from what M'rayr had heard about his meeting with Captain Kerouac and Chief Carter. The Caitian surmised that he was receiving the cold shoulder as a result of when M'rayr had told Arivek he didn't want to have friends. Understanding this, M'rayr heaved an inaudible sigh, and then pressed on with his inquiry. "More appropriate, perhaps. Nevertheless, I am responsible for the members of this crew, and that includes both conduct and morale," M'rayr reported with a nonchalance. "I am asking you a question."

"Are you ordering me to answer you?" Arivek asked, knowing full and well what the man was about to say. The truth was, Ari was hoping the Caitian would come around and finally open up. But this wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

"No, I am not." M'rayr replied very matter-of-factly. "You can refuse if you so desire."

"Then I refuse," Arivek stated, turned back around to face the warp core.

For a time, the Caitian stood there watching Zhuri's backside, wondering if the Chief Engineer planned on changing his mind. He realized that he could have addressed Arivek's insubordination at the very least, particularly since M'rayr held a high value on custom and courtesy. He had, however, given Arivek a choice, which the now-holographic being took. But when Arivek didn't indicate any expressed interest in doing so, M'rayr took the signal for what it was, and turned to leave.

This bridge, it seemed, would take some time to mend.

[ON]

R'tame Evoss had worked diligently over the past several hours in making the simulation as close to what he'd seen depicted from images and sensor scans from the southern region of California, the United States of America, Earth. There were palm trees sitting on a nearby cliff overlooking the sandy beach behind him, and a crisp blue ocean lapping lazily against the shore with only periodic chirping from seagulls overhead.

The twenty-four year old (and, at the moment, very nervous) Caitian stood next to an almost archaic design of a grill; he would have never believed had he not read it that Terrans still preferred to cook their food on top of dry charcoal. With all the advantages of modern technology – (plasma-induced heating units, for example) – using charcoal seemed incredibly primitive. Nevertheless, it was, according to his research, what most people used during what Terrans called “grill outs”.

“They could at least do away with these ridiculous looking outfits,” R’tame complained to himself. The Hawaiian-style shirt he was wearing was comprised of the same fabric material that Ensign Valerie Circe had recommended, made to accommodate his fur coat with little to no risk of excess shedding. Nevertheless, he felt very silly wearing it. The tan shorts were simple enough at least, although he had to modify it with a small hole to lodge his tail.

Approaching the grill, the Caitian surveyed the glowing lumps of charcoal and held his paw close to the heat. If he had a tricorder, he could at least determine how hot it was; he didn't want to accidentally burn the burgers he had prepared. While R’tame typically ate his meats raw, he doubted Paige would appreciate an uncooked meal. A few meters behind him was a large towel, a container filled with ice and various alcoholic beverages that Terrans called “Beer”, plates, bowls, and a large umbrella to keep the sun off her skin should Paige desire.

“Computer, time.” R’tame asked.

“The time is currently 14:23 hours,” the synthesized voice told him, ruining, at least for a moment, the illusion that R’tame was on a California beach.

“She should be here any minute now,” R’tame told himself. He felt his nerves increasing, and caved to opening a bottle of beer before Paige arrived. This was technically going to be their first attempt at a date. He was nervous enough since, up until a few days ago, he’d regarded Paige as one of his best friends – if not his best friend. But certainly not a romantic option. And yet, since Valerie Circe had revealed R’tame and Paige’s own concealed feelings for one another, he was having a difficult time thinking back to a time when he wasn't attracted to her.

Tonight was supposed to allow them the opportunity to "test the waters" on a date, and after R'tame insisted on setting things up, he was determined to make it a date that Paige would enjoy. She was born in California, and had frequently told him about how much she loved the ocean. This scenario made the mot sense.

He just hoped that he got enough of the details right.

Paige had spent the last hour getting ready for her date with R'tame. All she knew was that it would be in a warm climate and water might be involved. Absentmindedly, she began twirling a piece of hair around her finger as she debated what to wear. She settled on a royal blue swim suit over which she put khaki shorts and grey tshirt.

"Computer, time," said Paige.

"The time is currently 14:23 hours," the computer replied. Paige started. She slipped on some sandals and hurried out the door toward the holodeck. She didn't want to give him a bad first date impression even though they were best friends. She paused for a moment to really let it sink in that she was going on a date with her best friend. At that thought, her palms began to sweat and she unconsciously wiped them on her shorts. Her stomach felt as though she were going over a large hill on a roller coaster. "This is silly," she muttered to herself. "I shouldn't be so nervous."

Looking up she was startled to see that she had arrived at the holodeck. Paige took a deep breath and entered the holodeck. She saw R'tame and waved at him, smiling shyly as she walked toward him. "Hey, Rev," she said as she stood on tip toe to give him a hug.

This feels weird, R'tame thought initially while he placed his paws on her hips, holding her during the brief hug. When they parted, he cleared his throat sheepishly and closed his paw over his mouth. "Hello, Paige. Uh, thank you for being prompt." As soon as he said it, he realized how appreciating her timeliness had sounded so much better in his mind. He coughed again, and turned as if to give her a tour of the program. Coincidently, it was exactly what he had in mind; anything to keep his focus on something else and not her. "I, uh - recreated this scene of Corona del Mar using the Katana's database," the name of the locale took some effort for him to pronounce. Caitian tongues weren't meant to move that way. "It's in California. But of course you know that."

Paige gave R'tame a quick smile. "It's my favorite," she said. She looked around and pointed at a spot in the distance. "There are usually tide pools over there. Have you ever seen a tide pool?" Paige unconsciously started twirling a piece of her hair; she should not feel so awkward, R'tame was her best friend. She glance over at R'Tame and saw that he looked uncomfortable. She felt her face turn red. Maybe this was a bad idea. They should have just stayed friends.

R'tame shrugged as he turned to the lapping waves in the distance. "Uh, I'm not exactly what you would consider a water-cat." He suggested, wondering if he'd somehow mis-stepped by creating a program based on a scene where there was a lot of water. He finally realized at that moment that Paige was wearing a swim suit, so the possibility was warranted. Realizing he hadn't fully answered her question, he concluded. "I haven't seen a tide pool, no." He brushed his paws down his shirt. "I'm not even sure what they are." He said, trying to make it sound like a joke, although he could tell he... hell... they... were nervous.

Paige brightened. "I'll show you," she said. Grabbing his paw she led him closer to the water edge and towards the far side of the holodeck. The tide pools would keep them occupied for a little while but she wasn't sure what they were going to do after; the whole date felt awkward. As they walked, an idea came to her. Poor R'tame, she thought, as she grinned. She looked sideways at him to make sure he wasn't't paying attention and, when she thought he was sufficiently distracted, gave him a quick push that sent him into the water.

R'tame's world went sideways, and his disorientation was soon matched with a very heavy and disconcerting sensation as up became down, and left became right; he knew he was underwater, although Paige's culpability in that was moving at a snails crawl since he was more concerned with finding his footing without drowning first. His claws extended and retched through the blue ocean, scraping against sand and bits of shells, frightening any fish or underwater dwellers from his thrashing. The light bulb caught up with him as he looked up... or rather down and to the left... and saw a glowing strobe of light, recognizing the bulb as earth's sun - Sol. That nudge on his rib hadn't been just anything. Paige had pushed him over the edge and into the water!

Right now, R'tame couldn't concern himself with wondering whether she'd done it because she was upset with him, or because she was trying to be funny. Heading towards the yellow-white ball of light, the Caitian breached the water and took a heavy gasp of air while continuing to swipe at the horizon between sky and water for balance and buoyancy.

He rotated, found the shore, and then looked up to Paige. At first, she looked back to him with sheer surprise, even mortification. And then something she saw on him made the woman burst into a major fit of laughter. Even though he was still struggling to stay above water, he saw her face turn into a bright shade of red.

"What is it?" He growled, still confused, a little upset. He swished about, trying to reach for his back and shoulders in full belief that he'd brought something back up with him - a jelly-fish or something. He was aware that such creatures stung, but the holodeck might have programed that particular aspect away since this had been intended as a romantic venue and not a survival course.

Paige struggled to catch her breath from laughing as R'tame continued to thrash around. "You could try standing up!" Paige shouted over the splashing. As some of the splashing subsided, Paige got a better look at R'tame and immediately burst out laughing again. It wasn't far from the truth to say that wet cats looked like drowned rats.

"What is it?" R'tame asked as he worked for a piece of footing. Finally finding it and standing up and out of the water to his knees, the Caitian slid a paw into the ocean and sent a piece of it out at her. If he was going to be wet, so would she!

Paige jumped back out of range of R'tame's splash he sent her way. "I grew up around the water. Remember? You'll have to do better than that!"she teased.

"You're as agile as a Caitian," R'tame replied to her challenge. She'd surprised him twice now; he'd been sure that he would have hit her with the water he threw. Heaving himself out of the ocean and ignoring the heavy weight of his coat -- (thank Mraownr he wasn't wearing his uniform!). His footing felt heavy, and he blamed her for that since she was the one who pushed him into the ocean in the first place. "But not agile enough," R'tame was hardly aware of the calls of seagulls above as he scurried up to Paige, put his arms on her waist, picked her up over his chest, and started carrying her towards the water.

"Hey!" Paige yelped between laughs. "Put me down!" she yelled as she swatted his back.

Paige unfortunately had no choice in the matter. As soon as R'tame was back in the water to his knees, he prepared to heave his weight forward and throw her in. But Paige, being rather dexterous and cunning for the petite woman that she was, caught his elbow in both hands on the way down, dragging him down with her.

Splash!

"You are incorrigible!" R'tame growled as he came up, completely soaked and covered in sand again.

Paige came up spluttering to find R'tame looking defeated. "I suppose I deserved that," she laughed. "Although, I'd say you came out a little worse for the wear," she said, eyeing him.

At that point, R'tame wasn't sure exactly what came over him. All he knew was that they were extremely close, touching, and that Paige's hands were around his neck so she could remain buoyant. He moved towards her, not quite sure exactly how to do what he desired to do. This was the part that always concerned him. How exactly did a Caitian kiss a human? But with their accident in the ocean, all those feelings of angst or nervousness seemed to have faded somewhere in the water, and all he knew was that he wanted to express his affections for her in a physical manner.

First, his nose curled itself into her neck, brushing in an upward direction towards her ear. Then he licked her at the cheekbone gently.

Paige turned her head in surprise as warmth flooded her limbs. She certainly hadn't expected anything of the kind. She moved a little closer and smiled at R'tame before gently kissing the top of his nose. "Do you want to go dry off and maybe warm up some?" she asked as she snuggled into him as close as the water would allow.

R'tame thought about it, and was trying not to tremble as he nodded his head. Either he was cold from the water, or he was feeling a mix of nervousness and exhilaration from having kissed Paige before being kissed back. Suddenly, her throwing him into the water seemed as though it had been a good idea, despite the fact that there would certainly be consequences once the sun began to dry his fur. "I am going to look like a marshmallow," he urged, a sound of soon-to-be mortification in his voice. He raised one leg up while holding onto Paige and saw sand stuck to his fur. "A wet, sandy, marshmallow."

He turned to her and stretched his snout to form a smile. "This is your fault."

Paige looked at him innocently and grinned. "Whatever could you mean?" she asked. "Besides, you"ll at least be a cute marshmallow," she said as she slowly started to swim back to where she could stand. "Are you coming?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

So far, these people had been accepting of her. It wasn't what K'larri had expected when the seemingly half-mechanical woman had found her hiding in the cargobay, especially once she'd told people why she was there. It was strange to her that no one had expressed disdain or disapproval over her killing the Ferengi troll, but it seemed that this crew was not the typical 'do-gooder' Starfleet crew. K'larri wasn't sure if she liked that or not, but she wasn't complaining. They'd given her a place to sleep and a means to get food, and for that she was thankful.

M'rayr had arranged for her to have a computer to use, and after a small amount of research she found that the most likely person to discuss the possibility of asylum with was Lieutenant Commander Maica, a diplomat assigned to the ship. It hadn't taken long to find Maica's quarters, but K'larri lingered outside for a moment before she finally rang the chime to request entry.

"Come in," Maica called, looking up from her desk terminals and pulling the glasses off her face. She hadn't been particularly busy but she had at least talked one of her old contacts into being her new contact in this universe and had gotten some limited access to the Federation and Starfleet databases. Therefore, she was trying to match up each crewmember with their counterpart in this universe. She was also compiling a report for this universe's Diplomatic Corps so they could figure out how to tell the rest of their universe in case they were stuck here.

K'larri went inside as bidden, but before she greeted Maica she was struck by something odd. Though Maica looked like an Orion, she did not smell like one. She didn't smell like any species that K'larri had met before, and she couldn't quite hide her confusion as she approached the desk.

Standing and holding her hand out in greeting, Maica recognized that look from others with sensitive noses she had met that didn't know of her background. "Hi, I'm Lieutenant Commander Maica, an android. What can I do for you?"

Oh, an android. That made sense. K'larri relaxed a little, giving Maica an approximation of an apologetic smile. "My name is K'larri. The computer suggested that I speak with you regarding asylum on board this ship."

"That I can. The final decision will be up to the Captain, but I can help you with any paperwork." Maica said as she motioned to one of the chairs next to her desk.

"Do you think he will approve of the request?" K'larri hadn't met the captain yet, but she did worry that he would not be as accepting of her as his crew. As she waited for Maica's response, she sat down in one of the indicated chairs.

Sitting down and pulling up the paperwork Maica smiled comfortingly. "We're in a different universe so he has some pretty good motivation to approve it. We can't very well not give you a place to live without knowing if we're even in a universe we can stay in or if we can even get home."

"I suppose that's a good point." K'larri hadn't really considered that since she didn't know much about their situation. "What does the paperwork entail?"

"Normally, it involves personal ID, professional history, reason for asking asylum, and 10 years of personal history." Maica said, leaning back in her chair. "But I think we can dispense with a lot of that, given the circumstances. Let's start for the reason for your request, shall we?"

"I have nowhere else to go," K'larri said quietly. "Before your ship left the ice planet, I came aboard to hide from the crew of a Ferengi ship."

Maica's expression turned a bit darker when she said 'Ferengi' and she dreaded the answer to the next question she had to ask as professionally as she could. "And why were you hiding from them?"

"Because..." Seeing Maica's expression change, K'larri hesitated. She remembered the security ensign mentioning something about Maica and Ferengi. "Their Daimon had backed me into a corner with a chain and a whip. First, he was going to chain me so I couldn't fight him. Then he was going to force me to service him. Obviously I disagreed with him, and my claws are quite lethal when they need to be."

"Did you kill him?" Maica asked as professionally and as emotionlessly as she could.

"Not fully intentionally but yes." K'larri hated admitting to it, especially to someone who likely knew that Caitains were pacifists by tradition. "In retrospect, if I hadn't killed him he likely would have killed me eventually."

Maica nodded slowly. "Caitian propensity of considering using claws as weapons something only the mentally insane would do aside, I would have killed him too if I were you." Turning back to her terminals, she started typing the info in and muttering to herself. "Wish I had killed my creator..."

"Your... creator, ma'am?" K'larri didn't comment on the Caitian belief regarding using one's claws as weapons, and she took the opportunity of Maica's muttered words to distract from it. Then it occurred to her that perhaps it was supposed to be a private comment not meant for her ears. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry... I just can't help overhearing."

Sighing and leaning back in her chair again, Maica decided she'd better explain. "My creator was Ferengi. He made me to be a cheap sex slave. When I escaped, I did have to kill one of his Nausicaans by overloading my reactor at the time and electrocuting him through the shuttle deck plating."

"Creative... and kind of nasty, but I understand why you would do it." Knowing this about Maica, K'larri relaxed considerably. "I suppose you really do understand my position then."

"Shira does too. We rescued her from a Ferengi slaver. There's a Ferengi Starfleet officer aboard and even she hates other Ferengi." Maica thought for a moment, wondering what else she really needed from the young looking Caitian. "Do you have any ID registries or anything like that? Anything to go on while looking for your counterpart in this reality?"

K'larri shook her head. "I don't even know what my tribe's name is... I've been alone as long as I can remember."

"You've got us now," Maica said softly, placing a hand on one of K'larri's paws.

"I know. It's just... strange for me." K'larri approximated a smile, the tip of her tail twitching slightly.

"Do you at least know your birthday or general area you were born?" Maica asked, trying to find any identifying detail.

"Early spring of 2367, I believe the Terran date would be March 29?" As far as she'd been able to tell, that was the correct date and the date that K'larri had always called her birthday anyway. "And I was born on the southern continent, outside one of the major cities. I have an arrest record, if that helps."

Maica smiled warmly and squeezed her paw tenderly before letting go. "It's a good place to start." Punching up the data from the Federation datalink she had, she found something pretty quickly. Pulling up the profile, Maica looked it over. "This is the closest match to you in this universe. What do you think?"

"She looks like me." In fact, the resemblance was downright eerie, right down to where her earring had ripped free when fighting with the Ferengi troll. "Does it say what happened to her?"

Scrolling down the file, Maica paused every so often, looking for what happened to this K'larri about 4 years ago. Finding it, she stopped there and waited for K'larri to read the fate of this universe's version's attempt at escape and requesting asylum. "Let me know when you want to read more."

Curious, K'larri read over the file, her expression mimicking a human frown as she did so. What she read was not encouraging; the Ferengi government had demanded extradition, claiming she had intended to murder the Ferengi Daimon and that she'd stolen a large sum of latinum from the ship. "If this is true, I want to see my latinum stash," she growled, laying her ears back. Now she liked Ferengi even less than she already did! "Perhaps I do not really want to know..."

Scrolling down a bit further, Maica watched K'larri's reaction. "Would you rather I forward this to your quarters so you can read it privately?"

"...yes, I would appreciate that. Thank you." The offer suggested that it might not be something that she wanted to see, and K'larri wasn't ready to sort through that problem. Not yet.

Closing the file, Maica forwarded it to K'larri's quarters and brought the amnesty forms back up. "Back on the amnesty request, is there anything else I should know?"

"Criminal record for theft and prostitution, but neither of those is going to be a problem here. I did it so I would have food."

"Now for the big question... Are you dedicated to living a better life and are you willing to be helpful aboard the Katana?" Maica asked almost dramatically.

"Does anyone ever say no to that question?" K'larri laughed, the sound midway between a purr and a mewing noise. "I want a better life, and if being helpful to this crew means I can have that... then yes, I am willing."

"You'd be surprised..." Maica muttered as she typed the statement into the forms, adding her own witnessing signature and statement that no deception was detected. "I have pretty sensitive systems so I can normally tell when most races are lying. Or ovulating... Or had sex within the past several days... Anyway, secrets are hard to hide from me."

"Really? That must be a useful trick... knowing when someone's lying, I mean. I don't think I'd want to know when someone is ovulating, but the sex thing, that's unavoidable with a Caitian nose." The look on K'larri's face could only be a wry smile. "Not something I usually want to know about."

Maica had to smile at that as well. "Yeah it's sometimes a bit too personal for me as well but things are the way they are." Looking the file over one more time, she turned back to K'larri. "Do you have any personal comments to add before I send it up?"

"Just that I know I shouldn't have sneaked on board, but it was a rather desperate situation and I didn't see much other choice."

Adding that to the record, Maica packaged up the amnesty request and sent it off to both the XO and the CO. Sighing and leaning back in her chair, Maica sighed softly again. "Well, it's in their hands now. I don't foresee any issues, but I'd be thinking about what you'd be best at onboard."

"I don't have any formal education. Or any education at all, really. I mean, I can read and do some basic things..." K'larri sighed a bit, leaning back in her chair. "But skills needed on a starship? I don't think I have any."

Maica nodded, thinking. "What about as a secretary or a yeoman? Have you ever sorted paperwork or inspected cargo?"

"Um... sort of? I mean, never officially but when you're surrounded by a bunch of hardheaded males who need to keep their money straight and can't figure out what came from where..." K'larri's ears pricked forward. "I know that's not the same as starship paperwork, but it is similar, yes?"

"It is," Maica said with a smile. "The forms are easy enough, if repetitive."

"I can probably do that then." K'larri nodded slightly. "Or I can learn something new, if I have to. I don't mind."

"There's plenty of time to figure it all out. For now, relax and get used to things." Maica said with her warm smile.

"I've been doing that. M'rayr gave me some limited computer access and I'm allowed to visit the recreation areas. At least I'm not trapped in that cabin anymore, slowly going crazy." K'larri didn't know if other people on this ship shared her dislike for being confined, but she thought it might be a common annoyance to others. "There's a lot to get used to on this ship."

"There is," Maica said with a brighter smile. "But I think you'll do well. Is there anything else I can help you with? A bottle of something to take with you that isn't replicated maybe?"

"A... bottle of something?" It was then that K'larri's eyes traveled up to the shelves with their myriad bottles of varying designs. "Oh, I wouldn't know what to ask for. I don't think I've ever had nepata, and the other alcohols tend to disagree with Caitian stomachs."

Standing, Maica rounded her desk and reached back into a secluded shelf for a bottle of distilled nepata tea. "This might suit your fancy then. It's a light nepata tea ale from the southern islands." Handing the bottle to K'larri, she waited for a yes or no from her.

"I didn't know the southern isles had their own nepata blend!" Oh there was so much that K'larri didn't know, even about her own planet. Even with a feline face, there was no mistaking the look of pure glee as she cheerfully accepted the offered bottle. "I will try it. Thank you!"

Smiling brightly, Maica giggled a little at K'larri's reaction. "Any time hon. I have a couple other bottles of Caitian and Klingon brews if you want more later."

"I'll think about it after I try this one." A Caitian grin was a toothy one, and nearly all of K'larri's teeth were visible at this point. "If there's nothing else we need to discuss, I would like to return to my cabin. There is so much to get used to here... it's very tiring."

"I'd imagine so. If I need anything else, I'll let you know. Rest well, ok? And be sure to visit the holodeck. You can stretch your legs pretty well there." Maica said, heading to the door to see K'larri out.

"I've been there... it's a fantastic piece of technology." K'larri cheerfully followed Maica to the door, carefully cradling the bottle in her paws. "I think I will be there quite a lot until I have a place to work."

"I can't blame you," Maica said knowingly. "If you need anything at all, just let myself or Cadet Masterson know, ok?"

"Okay. If I need anything, I will let you know."

The cabin she shared with Nathan was empty - except for the cat - when Jhu got home, which was just as well. She'd just spent the better part of the evening in the gym, burning off the energy that had built up over these few days. She petted Lydek briefly then headed into the bathroom, turning the shower on to heat the water while she disposed of her gym clothing. Unusually, it was nearly soaked through with sweat, a sure sign that she'd overdone it in the gym and would be paying for it later when the muscle soreness set in. As wisps of steam snaked out of the shower into the bathroom, she unbraided her hair and left the elastics on the sink to dry before climbing into the welcome heat of the water.

A few moments passed when Arivek Zhuri, the blue-skinned Engineer, materialized in the large shower area, water rolling down his holographic form. "Shit!" he said, stepping backwards and slipping, falling to the floor.

Arivek's sudden materialization startled her, and Jhu screamed in a rather girly fashion, grabbing for her towel and wrapping it around herself despite the spray of the water instantly soaking the material so that it clung to her skin. At least it was thick enough to hide her spots! "What the hell are you doing?!"

"I-I dunno!" Arivek pushed himself across the floor, away from the woman, fearing that she'd lash out in some way. He turned his head to avert his eyes from looking at her.

"You don't know?!" Jhu shut off the water so fast she feared she might have harmed the controls, but she didn't care all that much at the moment. "I swear to the Elements and the Trill Goddess... if Andy put you up to this, I'm going to kill her."

"She didn't. She didn't!" Arivek peeked through his fingers to see if the woman was decent yet. "I was trying to transfer my program to Main Deflector Control. I don't know how I was rerouted here."

"Considering this is deck two, I'd say you're off by a few decks," Jhu muttered darkly, grabbing her bathrobe off a hook and wrapping it tightly around around herself before dropping the wet towel on the deck. She tied the robe's belt in a knot, which felt more secure than simply tying it in a bow. Without the heat of the shower, she felt rather cold and crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to warm back up again. "I didn't know I had holoemitters in my bathroom."

"Honestly, I'm quite surprised by that myself. I haven't been in the bathroom of my own quarters." Arivek stood up and brushed his uniform off, out of habit as his uniform couldn't get dirty anymore. "I'm Lieutenant Zhuri."

I know who you are, Jhu thought but didn't say. "Commander t'Dharvanek. You're lucky Nathan isn't home or he'd be threatening to delete your program."

"That's the most unintelligent thing I've heard all day," he said to her as he stepped out of the bathroom back into the bedroom.

"He wouldn't actually do it." Jhu rolled her eyes, following Arivek out into the bedroom to find Lydek staring at him with his fur bristling. "But you have to admit, randomly appearing in my shower could be seen as... well. Lewd."

"It could be seen as a lot of things, but as I didn't do it on purpose and had zero intention of doing it, don't you think a reaction like that would be a bit overdramatic?" Arivek recoiled from the cat, entering into a staring contest with the creature.

"What would be your first thought if you walked in on your lover with someone else?" Jhu smirked a little. "I know it's not what you intended, and yes it would be overdramatic."

Arivek gave a half smile as he thought of Jolyn, his most recent boyfriend. "I'll give you that. But at least I'm fully clothed."

"True." Jhu made a clicking noise at Lydek, which only briefly drew the cat's attention before Lydek hesitantly moved close to Arivek and gave the hologram a confused sniff. "You scared the hell out of me, by the way."

"I'm sorry about that," Arivek stated, turning back to face the woman. "I promise I don't make it a habit to transfer myself into random officers' showers."

"Then I suppose you're forgiven. Though if it happens again, I might have to wonder if you're telling the truth." Jhu grinned at him, having decided it wasn't worth staying annoyed with him over a mistake. "And I might put in a work order to get those holoemitters pulled. Nothing against you, Lieutenant... it's just kind of weird that they're in there.'

Arivek nodded, "I don't blame you. I can have that taken care of for you tomorrow if you'd like?"

"Please. I really don't have anything in there that routinely breaks, and since we got rid of the Section 31 devices most of my technological malfunctions have stopped anyway." Jhu looked at Lydek, who was experimentally tapping a paw against Arivek's leg to get attention.

"We got rid of Section 31?" Arivek asked, picking up a tricorder he saw on the side table and began to scan the upper corner of the bathroom for the emitters.

"Just their devices. But then again they don't exist in this dimension anyway, at least... not how I know them. Won't have to worry about them anymore."

Arivek squeezed his eyes together in confusion, "I don't understand. How do you know that? Do you know where we are?"

"Please. I'm an intelligence officer. I have my ways of finding information." Just as she was about to roll her eyes, Jhu picked up on his confused expression and gave him a baffled look. "Fvadt, no one told you?"

"The only thing I know is that we've traveled through time, and problem I discovered with Andy, and that we're in an alternate timeline, a problem I discovered with Will. Other than that, I was working to get warp drive back online. I know nothing."

"Okay, good. You've got the basics. Anyway..." Jhu sighed, shaking her head slightly. "My codes weren't working with the databases, so I called headquarters. Which was a mistake given we haven't officially reported our presence yet... poor guy looked like he saw a ghost. And once I told him who I was and asked about Section 31's presence here they said, 'Section 31 is a glorified intelligence-gathering group with an outdated computer'." She had to smile a little at that. "I thought word had gotten out by now."

Arivek closed the tricorder with a snap. "Was the Captain planning on holding a staff meeting? Are there plans to try and get us back home?" As hard as he tried, Ari found it impossible to keep the sound of frustration and annoyance out of his voice.

"I'm afraid I don't know about any of that." Jhu frowned a bit. "I would hope the answer to both questions is yes, but I haven't heard anything about a meeting or a plan."

A slight sigh and Ari's shoulders relaxed. "At least I'm not the only one." The truth was, ever since he came aboard, he felt like he was being kept in the dark by the Command Stafff as to what was going on. Unless he seemed to ask the right question, their information was never forthcoming. I suppose that's what you get for being an outsider, he said to himself as he leaned against the doorframe.

Seeing his posture, Jhu smiled a bit tightly. "I don't think anyone really knows what's happening on that front, but I've been where you are. The person no one talks to unless they have to. It gets better, Arivek."

"What do you mean?" he asked, not wanting to reveal what he was thinking.

"I've seen that look you have on your face half a million times, in my own mirror. That soul-weary 'why does no one acknowledge me' feeling mixed with 'screw this, I hate you all anyway'." It wasn't natural for her, but Jhu managed to keep the words gentle. Somehow. "Difference between us is I've dealt with it my whole life, being half Romulan. This crew's not so bad about it, if you give them time to adjust."

"And yet every person I've met, aside from Andy, seems to have an issue with me being a hologram. Like I'm a science project that they want to study." Arivek shoved his hands into his pockets and decided to stop talking. He'd said more than he wanted too.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm terrible at science and have no desire to study you." Jhu smirked a bit, hoping that would cheer him up. "My best friend is an android. A hologram isn't so different from that."

Arivek gave a slight smile, "Thank you," he said. He did feel better at what she said. "The holoemitters will be easy to remove. I should be able to do them in less than an hour. Just let me know what time would be best for you."

"Would you feel better about it if we put a privacy block in place rather than removing them?" Though she'd initially wanted the emitters completely out of her bathroom, Jhu could see now how that might upset a holographic member of the crew. "Then it's no different than locking the door, and it can be undone more easily if something in there did break and you had to fix it."

"Honestly, I don't feel either way about the situation. If something in your bathroom broke, I probably wouldn't be personally repairing it anyway, so lack of emitters wouldn't be an issue. The choice is ultimately yours."

"That might be true, but I don't want you to feel like I'm keeping you out strictly because you're a hologram." Jhu smiled a little. "A privacy block or a simple 'off' setting will be fine. Hell, for all I know those settings already exist and I'm just not engineering-savvy enough to see it."

Arivek smiled. As much as he really didn't care about removing the emitters, just the fact that this woman was going out of her way to make sure he felt comfortable made him feel very good. He definitely liked her. "I can get a privacy block installed in ten minutes. I will give you and your husband sole control over them as well."

Husband? Jhu giggled at that, not realizing that's how it had sounded when she told him that Nathan lived with her. "Fantastic. But Nathan and I aren't married... it was just easier to have him move in since he was sleeping here all the time anyway."

"Oh...I apologize. I certainly didn't mean to assume."

"Don't worry about it... easy mistake to make. Most couples who live together are married... and I think it's technically against regs, but Kris can't say anything. He lives with Doctor Cohen."

Arivek nodded in silence. Honestly the last thing he wanted to think about was all the couples on board, reminding him of how alone he was, even more alone now that he was separated from the only man who ever loved him. "I will get your privacy block taken care of right away, Commander. If there's nothing else?"

"Nope, nothing else. Just try not to have any more surprise visits!" Jhu grinned crookedly at him, knowing it wasn't his fault but deciding to have a bit of fun about it anyway. "I would recommend checking the hologram transfer protocols though. Something's clearly gone a bit... weird with them."

"Yes ma'am," he stated, heading for the door. He was about to walk through when he realized he was about to steal her tricorder. He turned around and held it out, "Wasn't trying to take this," he stated.

Jhu had forgotten she had a tricorder in her cabin, and her grin went a little sheepish as she took the device back from him. "I hardly use the thing anyway."

Arivek nodded, "Have a good evening, Commander."

"I will, you too." Setting the tricorder down on her dresser, Jhu picked Lydek up so he wouldn't try to follow Arivek out.

Jenni slowly zipped up the black uniform tunic while studying her form in the mirror. She missed the vibrance of her Engineering uniform, and now even the stark Command color she'd worn for the past few days. Now, here she stood wearing nothing but black. Black boots, black pants, and the black shirt belonging to Intelligence officers.

She thought back to a few weeks ago, the first time she contemplating undertaking a change in venue, finally escaping from her suffocating assignment. If she'd acted on it when she had the chance, she might still be wearing Engineering gold.

Instead, she ran her hand down her stomach, noticing how well the uniform was fitting. It was all standard, issue, sure, but she could swear the black was a half-size smaller than what she was used to wearing. She turned and shifted her head, taking note of her figure and how the uniform complimented her small frame. Until yesterday, she owned an amazing little black dress that complimented her the same way this uniform was now doing.

Except this was not the way to mingle in the off hours.

Earlier that morning, she'd begun to make a list of items she'd have to replicate or gather. Tolietries, underwear, personal items. And tools, a tricorder, spare supplies. Whether anyone would acknowledge it or not, Jenni was still an engineer at heart, and she would have to keep a few things of her own. Hopefully this stint as an Intelligence officer wouldn't require her to go undercover or into the unknown by her lonesome. Still, there was no crime in being prepared. She would have to look into required equipment for someone in this line of work and start collecting those items.

And at some point, she'd have to find a TR-590 X. She'd kept her originally issued tricorder when it was replaced by the XI several years back. It was an antique, but it was one she really loved.

Jenni picked up her uniform jacket and walked over to the desk to retrieve her freshly cleaned combadge and pips. A quick look at the terminal informed her that her work that she'd spent several hours on the night before had not been submitted.

All off-ship communications have been suspended per Command instructions.

She'd paused putting on her jacket (one arm was already in a sleeve and the other awkwardly bent and prepared to enter its sleeve) as she read the message. Jenni was far from annoyed. It made sense really. The last thing anyone needed to do was contact a friend or a loved one who was already associated with a living counterpart. Fortunately, that number was minimal.

Regardless, this ship was not native to this universe, nor its command crew. Jenni had a responsibility to those who were living and dead to make her final report, not to mention that the longer this report was kept out of Starfleet's hand, the level of danger this ship would face would only increase. Jenni quickly finished dressing and affixed her badge and pips.

"Computer," she said and then paused, wondering which of the command staff to approach. As friendly as Captain Kerouac was, it was perhaps inappropriate for him to face Starfleet Command. After all, it would take a lot of convincing that he was a duplicate. "Locate Commander Eisovo," she requested. When the location came, she thanked the computer and departed her quarters. It did not take long for her to travel a couple decks upward and find her way to the First Officer's quarters. The shift hadn't started yet, and she wanted to handle this conversation in private as much as possible. Surely both crews did not need additional stress on their plate, even though it was something they could do nothing about. Jenni tapped the door chime and awaited its answer.

***

At this time in the morning, the artificial lighting within Commander M'rayr Eisovo's quarters were set to a low dim. A perimeter of candlelight further illuminated the living room, but only just barely; M'rayr preferred a more subtle ambiance during mealtime than humans and many of other sentient races did typically. Squatting on the floor next to his table, the first officer gently casted a sliver of replicated fish into a burning goblet of fire. The meat began to burn almost instantaneously, but the smells of incense dulled the odor with great effect. As soon as the smoke diminished, M'rayr knelt forward over the table, and began to pray. "Mraownr, I commence this meal into the sacred fire as a gift to you. In the name and glory of your kindred spirit, and of all your sacred text. Bless this food for our use, and commit me to thy service. Fill my heart with peace. In your name, I speak to you. Ahrai."

Reaching for a cover, M'rayr then sealed the goblet, allowing the flame to suffocate. He then pried out a pair of tools that most humans mistook for chopsticks, caught a ball of uncooked fish wrapped in rice and seaweed -- which humans typically mistook as sushi -- before tossing the meal into the back of his throat. He chewed meagerly, enjoying the flavor provided by the artificially produced cuisine for a moment before swallowing. A glass of water sat idle on the table next to the plate should he grow thirsty.

As M'rayr began to reach for a second piece of fish wrapped in rice and seaweed, the chime at his door activated. The Caitian looked to the chronometer on his wall. His duty shift was not to begin for another half an hour, but he had hoped to tour main engineering before heading up to the bridge; he wanted to check in with Arivek Zhuri, and assess repairs to the ship which, by this time, were still ongoing.

Setting the tools neatly on the plate, M'rayr interlaced his digits, resting his elbows on his knees, and looked to the doorway.

"You may enter," the Caitian grumbled. As Caitians used deep purring resonances and soft tones to communicate with one another, the result for his effort at approximated Federation speech was equipped with an underlying grow that seemed to reverberate in the back of his throat. The doorway hissed to an open, revealing a woman backlit by the bright corridor lighting. Still, he recognized her immediately. "Lieutenant Matthews," he greeted with neither pleasure nor impatience in his voice, even though there was a subtle warmness in it.

Jenni paused in the doorway, not sure what to make of what she was seeing. The hour was not that early, but she was definitely aware that she had interrupted something. "I..." she stammered. Jenni bit her lip, quickly collecting herself. "Sorry, Commander. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." Jenni began to back away, intending to catch him at a better time.

"Lieutenant," M'rayr added with a little more firmness, stopping her. He wordlessly gestured towards a pillow on the opposite end of the table on the floor. "You may join me for breakfast if you would like. We may discuss your visit over this meal."

Jenni cautiously entered the room, still feeling awkward, though the Commander's invitation did minutely soften that feeling. She wasn't hungry either, but if there was one thing her parents taught her was to be polite whenever you were at the table. "Thank you," she said, pumping an extra bit of confidence into her voice to mask what remained of her awkwardness.

Nodding, M'rayr took out his P'kakra sticks so that he could resume eating. "As a reference, you may consider what you see before you similar to human sushi, although I believe the comparison does Ipre a disservice," he gestured towards an extra set of P'kakra sticks lying on the opposite end of the table closest to Jenni. "It is also customary that Caitians be prepared for a guest during mealtime. Should you desire, you are free to have some." M'rayr paused to pick up part of his meal, holding it expertly between his P'kakra sticks while he looked to Jenni. "Now, what is it that you wished to discuss, Lieutenant Matthews?"

She had never sampled Caitian cuisine, nor did she have a habit of consuming Sushi. Nevertheless, she attempted to pick up the sticks and give the meal a try. "I did it last night," she said, fumbling while reaching for an Ipre roll. "Took the first step and completed my first and final report as a Commanding Officer." She paused, concentrating for a moment and finally locking onto one of the rolls. Her hand shook, feeling the imbalance of the gesture coupled with the slight bit of offset weight, as she slowly lifted the roll upward.

"I submitted it to Starfleet, at least I tried...!" The roll slipped from her grip and fell back with the others. Jenni's shoulders slouched ever so slightly, feeling another ping of defeat. "It seems, however, communications to Starfleet Command directly have been blocked."

M'rayr didn't act as though he'd noticed the difficulties she was having with her food, and kept the conversation strictly on topic as he lifted his roll into his mouth and bit down on it. "All off-shore communication has been restricted to command personnel only," He admitted. "Contacting Starfleet Command of this universe will be a delicate task. There are several variables to consider, and we must take great care in how we address our current situation." Somehow, detailing the facts didn't sound sufficient in his mouth. He wanted to give Jennifer some sense of reassurance that her message would eventually get out to them. "It is a necessary albeit temporary precaution," he continued. I'm sure that you understand."

"It is understandable," Jenni assured, giving the P'kakra sticks another try. After a second, she was able to withdraw the troublesome roll and bring it towards her mouth. The smell was pleasant, but she would wait to take a bite, not because she was unwilling or hesitant to try it, but in fear of dropping it on a clean uniform. "One might take into consideration, however, the situation we just fought out of. The Breen may be ruthless when put in a corner, but they don't take kindly to Starfleet commanders who destroy planets. Until Starfleet Command is contacted, this ship and her captain are atop the Quadrant's Most Wanted list."

"Which is why it is my intent to notify Starfleet Command this morning," M'rayr interjected almost immediately. "In the meantime, we will do everything in our power to remain undetected by either Breen or Starfleet forces," he looked up to Jennifer and examined her. "I would like you to be present as well, Lieutenant. As Captain Kerouac will likely be mistaken as a war criminal, we have agreed that I should be the one to make contact with Starfleet Command. And I believe it would help to convince whomever we establish contact with that we are telling the truth if you are there to corroborate our data."

That almost sounded rehearsed. Jenni thought of the quick interjection. "I will do whatever's necessary," she replied with a smile. Anything to keep the Breen from firing again. Jenni then sampled the Ipre roll, finding the taste to be more flavorful than she expected. "Let's just hope we can keep Starfleet security from taking the Captain away in cuffs and from searching the ship stem to stern to verify our story."

If Jennifer Matthews knew the circumstances in which M'rayr was first assigned to the Katana, and the suspicions he was under at the time, she would have understood why he found that notion of Kristopher Kerouac being hauled off in irons amusing. Nevertheless, his face remained relatively impassive as she spoke. After a moment, he said, "Yes, well. I intend to establish contact with Starfleet Command at 0900 hours. Please be sure that you are on the bridge prior to that time." He tossed another roll into the back of his throat and swallowed. "Now, was the delay of your communique to Starfleet the only matter of business you wished to discuss?"

Jenni was impressed by the feat she just witnessed. It wasn't until this Katana that she'd actually met a Caitian, let alone see one move about and act. But it was the timing of her morning that she was not plotting. With it being nearly the start of the shift, she still had to report in to Commander t'Dharvanek. Though she had accepted Kerouac's offer to stay on board, it would have to take the blessing of Starfleet to make it official. After all, she could very well be whisked away once Katana was safely in Federation hands. She even halfway wondered if they'd even try to use the unusual connection between her and this crew to secretly keep an eye on Kerouac. She, after all, was now the only person in the quadrant with the means to determine whether or not he was alike his counterpart. "It was," Jenni said. With her short tenure on board, she had few areas in which to strike conversation.

"I don't suppose we'll be able to put into a starbase soon, or the possibility of having a few extra replicator rations," she did ask. Jenni didn't exactly want to come out and say she needed a few things, but she could easily imagine the state of the other survivors who all had taken nothing but the clothes on their back from their Katana and the strain it would put on the ship's stores.

M'rayr gave her a strange look, then set his utensils down neatly on the table mat, his face turning passive again. "I am not certain what the conditions were on board your Katana, Lieutenant Matthews. However, this Katana is sufficiently stocked with enough replicator matter to accommodate the needs of its crew... and its visitors," he eyed her, making a rare deduction towards a rationale motivation behind her inquiry. "While we may be in foreign lands, we are by no means isolated. You may forward any bulk replication requests to Senior Chief Petty Officer Andrea Carter. She will assist you further in that regard"

"Oh," Jenni replied, almost surprised by the answer. She had grown accustomed so many years ago to live out of a trunk, but finally planting roots on the Katana broke that habit. It was an odd feeling, starting over from scratch, even having somone else's belongings passed off as her own. There were some things, however, that a replicator just wouldn't properly do for. "Of course," she added, having finished her roll. "I'll certainly keep that in mind."

Nodding, M'rayr sat there, still cross-legged and otherwise motionless. Only a day ago he'd done something with Jenni that he hadn't done before; it was an act of compassion that, as far as he was aware, had begun to spread. She needed much more than just a senior officer, she needed a confidant, and he'd given her that... at least briefly. And to a degree, it made him feel differently about her. But now, M'rayr felt an obligation to maintain the professional boundary he was so accustomed to keeping. "Good. Now is there anything else?" He inquired.

Jenni smiled. The Ipre roll was tasteful, but a hot mug of coffee was calling her name, and she was very hopeful that the black elixir was just as bland as what she'd grown used to over the last four years. No matter where she was assigned, it took her an average of six weeks to perfect the sweetening process. If anything, she hoped to avoid that here. "Not for now, Commander. I'll see you on the bridge at 0900."

M'rayr added a final nod, returning his full attention to his plate while Jenni stood up, straightened her uniform out, and walked out of the quarters. When the doors closed behind her, however, there was a telltale change in his expression...

One he would have never admitted to in a thousand years.

[ON]

First Officer M'rayr Eisovo occupied a desk in his office. A small but manageable stack of PaDDs were arranged neatly to the right of his desk, while condensation from a mug of steaming tea fogged up a small corner to the left. Directly in front of the Caitian was a PaDD that currently displayed the service jacket of the Katana's Yeoman, a 4th Year Cadet by the name of Mizuki Masterson. It seemed that M'rayr's predecessor, Cameron Tegan, made a discovery regarding the Yeoman -- some sort of alien artifact was absorbed by her, giving her strange and disconcerting abilities.

Tegan wanted to approach the matter with Kerouac, but was reassigned before that could happen.

Thumbing a paw at the young woman's image, the Caitian didn't so much as look up when his door chimed. "Enter," he said, noting the time. It was exactly 11:00 hours; time for his appointment with Ms. Masterson.

The new XO had summoned her. And as she stood outside the door, she stared at the file before her. The Caitian's public record after all. Word around the ship was that he wasn't the best of people. While not believing everything she'd hear...it served her to be wary.

Dusting off her skirted uniform a bit, that clung to her frame, she rang the chime, and entered upon request. Standing tall and regal, with little sign of nervousness. "You wanted to see me, Commander?"

Matching the Yeoman's face to the image on his PaDD, the Caitian nodded. "Yes, Yeoman Masterson," said M'rayr. He gestured to the seat opposite of the table, inviting her to it. "First thing first, I have these for you to take. They are signed requisition orders that need to be submitted to Starfleet Provisions at your earliest opportunity. It seems the Katana's orders will be changing, soon." M'rayr waved a paw at the neat stack of PaDDs. He reached for his mug and took a slow sip. "Would you like something?"

"Understood." She replied crisply, taking the proffered seat at the table and receiving the orders on her PaDD. "I'll get it done. Mint tea, warm, and unsweetened, please."

M'rayr nodded, stood, and made the order from the replicator behind his desk. He returned a few seconds later, setting the cup down on the table. It was an unusual display of politeness and courtesy from the Caitian. Then again, a lot had changed in the past few days. Maybe M'rayr had more reason to be nice. "How are you transitioning, Cadet?" He asked neutrally. "The Katana is by no means a traditional vessel for cadets; we operate in rather deep portions of space."

"I am transitioning well. It was my father's idea to have me put here. Seems that some other people agreed with him. It isn't the traditional vessel, but out here one can learn things that can't be taught by a text PaDD, or a class." Mizuki replied. "Thank you, by the way." she added, for the tea.

M'rayr pursed his lips into a loose Caitian smile. He knew about her father -- at least the parts of his service jacket that weren't classified. "Several of the senior staff members have reported you to be a capable cadet, if not a little young and naïve. But experience out here will certainly help you to improve. Your desire is command, yes?"

"Correct. While being young and naive may be frowned upon, maybe someone who can be a little naive is what's needed from time to time. To remind us of where we came from, of what our ideals in starfleet were." Mizuki replied, being sincere in that aspect.

"You can't help that. Young and naïve was where any experienced officer aboard this starship began, cadet." M'rayr pointed out, not wanting her to think that he was looking down at her due to her inexperience in Starfleet. "You will undoubtedly learn and acquire much during your tenure aboard this vessel, and will bring your experiences with you after your commissioning, and through the course of your career. The former first officer, Lieutenant Commander Tegan, had you shadowing several department heads, correct?"

Mizuki nodded, listening to him. "That's right. I didn't get to say good-bye. But I believe he was a good man." she gave, continuing. "I've continued to shadow what department heads I could, and in addition to being a Yeoman I am also Lieutenant Commander Maica's diplomatic assistant."

There was no doubt that the yeoman had several responsibilities running in tandem, M'rayr thought inwardly. "I would like your opinion of your performance in each department."

"I'm not one to brag or boast, sir. But if you want my honest opinion, I have done the best I can, and have had no complaints thus far. Thus, I imagine I am doing something right." Mizuki replied coolly.

M'rayr waved a paw towards Mizuki's mid-section. "And what of the alien artifact currently inhabiting your abdomen? I understand that my predecessor intended on arranging a meeting between you, him, and the Captain to discuss the matter."

"You've got a good nose for all of the right things.." Mizuki muttered, paying him a compliment while not being surprised. "I spoke with Kerouac about it myself after events conspired to render the original meeting idea implausible, and compiled the results of that meeting. You'll find it among the files I've given to you."

The Caitian's features didn't change, despite the fact that he was indeed pleasantly surprised that Mizuki had elected to see Kerouac personally. Had she not, presumably in the hope that the next first officer wouldn't be aware of the artifact, it would have indicated to him that she was willing to keep secrets secret. "I will be sure to examine it," M'rayr added, it becoming clear that he wasn't aware of that report. He quickly moved on, reaching for a PaDD. "We will be receiving another cadet, Cadet Sophomore Grade Aila Gilmore, shortly." The Caitian looked up. "As the senior-most cadet onboard, I would like for you to work with Cadet Gilmore. Help her to get situated."

"I see." She nodded. "I will do my best to ensure she feels comfortable and welcomed here. In addition to helping her get situated." She remained silent about the rest, figuring that he would question her about the report further once he saw it.

M'rayr nodded passively. "Now, do you have any questions at this time, cadet?"

"Just one. I'll understand if you decline to comment, but.." She looked square at him. "I've heard a lot of speculation about why you're here. My dad taught me to trust but verify...and who better to verify with than the man himself? So I ask you, sir...why are you here? To be on our side? Or on the side of some Admiral somewhere?" A loaded question...asked with youthful naivete. No hidden motive. She just wanted to know.

M'rayr bristled at the direct question. This cadet was direct and forthcoming if nothing else. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself prematurely before answering. He stood up, indicating that their meeting was extremely close to being concluded. "I advise you to heed your duties more than whatever the rumors of the day might be, cadet. I am here because powers greater than you or I decided that this is where I am needed. Beyond that, there is nothing to know."

Mizuki stared at him for a moment, not scared of his attitude or bristling. "You know sir, that's exactly how the rumors are kept going. But I'm not going to contribute to them. You're a nice person under what you show to us..of this I'm certain." She stood up elegantly, and bowed with a small curtsy. "Was there anything else you needed from me, sir?" She was going to believe the best of him. Whether he appreciated it or not.

"Noted, and no, cadet. Thank you for your time." M'rayr stated simply.

"Then, excuse me sir." She bowed her head and turned, heading out the door and letting it shut behind her.

Cadet Senior Grade Mizuki Masterson
Yeoman
USS Katana

Commander M'rayr Eisovo
Executive Officer
USS Katana

[ON]

The cybernetics lab on deck nine was one place that Commander M'rayr Eisovo had yet to visit since coming aboard. Apart from his revulsion of synthetic augmentation of any sort -- (hence the reason he refused an artificial eye after his original was lost during the Rigel Beta incident) -- he knew of the one person most likely to be there if he ever stopped by for a tour. While his professional relationship with Senior Chief Petty Officer Andrea Carter had since thawed slightly, the 6'5 Caitian never quite felt as though they were more than meager comrades.

As the Caitian turned a corner from the turbolift, however, he thought back to that night when both Andrea Carter and Maica entered his quarters and unceremoniously admitted him into their tribe. Not sexually, of course. The last time M'rayr had been with a woman in such a way was more than five years ago now, and he had little interest in changing that. But the three of them drank together, talked together, and eventually slept in the same bed together.

Although M'rayr refused to later admit to enjoying the experience -- (even though Maica and Andy somehow managed to take up most of the bed space, and were equally ruthless when it came to the sheets) -- a considerable part of him had felt for the first time in a long time a sense of belonging and purpose as a result of that night.

Pivoting one last time on his heel, he approached the doors leading to the cybernetics lab which opened automatically in response to his proximity. Andrea Carter. He found the woman he once threatened with reassignment due to her reckless habit of insubordination busily occupied next to a workbench. For the sake of not appearing to have come for conversation alone, he extended a large PaDD towards her. "The latest repair log from engineering. The EPS conduits on decks four, five, and six have been confirmed. There still appear to be issues on deck seven, however. Until deck seven is addressed, we risk losing subspace communications as well as the auxiliary computer core. What do you believe would be a reasonable ETA on finalization of that deck?"

"I'll have to take a look at what's going on down there before I can give you a 'reasonable' ETA," Andy said distractedly as she took the PaDD and looked it over, "but worst case scenario... end of the day maybe?"

If the Caitian thought they were only 'meager comrades', then he was over thinking the situation. As far as Andy was concerned, they were okay in terms of friendship. Sure, she was still a bit put out at the threat of reassignment, but what's in the past is past and Andy had no problem leaving it there after their little cuddle fest. Clearly, she hadn't been reassigned, nor was she going to be reassigned now that they had been thrown into the ass-end of another reality... They needed to stick together now.

"So, what's bothering you, Grumpy Cat?" Andy asked as she leaned back in her chair and read the reports on the PaDD, treating M'Rayr as though they had always been buddies. It was just kind of how she operated; they were friends now and that was that.

Not answering right away, M'rayr glanced neutrally at all the cybernetic prosthesis, bits and parts that was messily arranged on the workbench before pulling an empty chair around and sitting in it. He instantly felt awkward, as though he were being too informal. Not sure whether it was the fact that he one threatened her reassignment, or because of the fact that he'd been generously aware of the contours of her body at one time, M'rayr managed to keep his discomfort from bubbling into the surface of expression at least as far as basics went. Of course, Andy was anything but basic. Aware that she could read his body thermals, pulse, even the twitch of his irises if she wanted to, he knew her to be very good at reading people.

Eventually, he made a sound that loosely approximated a snort. "Your hair, as usual." He suggested, sounding almost serious even though the fact of the matter was that the unruly state of her head was something he'd recently managed to ignore. But the fact of the matter was that very little seemed to bother him anymore. Ever since they came to this new universe, he simply felt... different.

Being able to let go of his past had that effect. "Requisition whatever resources you need, but it is my intent to contact the Starfleet of this universe tomorrow morning in order to explain our situation. It would be unfortunate if the connection were disabled mid-transmission," M'rayr added, diverting the conversation back to the task at hand... more so because "business" was something he felt more natural at discussing.

"Nice deflection. Smooth..." Andy commented with a lopsided grin, though she had no intentions of pressing him for more on what was bothering him. If he didn't want to talk about it, she had no intentions of making him do anything he didn't want to do. "I can guarantee uninterrupted communications by then," Andy said as she finished browsing the PaDD, then began tidying up her workbench, quickly putting tools and parts away into their appropriate place; for as untidy as she kept her workspace while she was working, she was meticulously neat and organized when it was time to clean up, and soon her workbench was spotless.

"So, what are you gonna say to Starfleet Command of this reality?" she asked, glancing over him as she cleaned up. It was something that weighed heavily on her thoughts, especially since she felt responsible for their predicament.

The Caitian didn't hold back a shrug as he watched her reorganize. "That we are a Federation starship from an alternate universe. That we rescued nineteen survivors from the Katana of this universe before it's destruction, and that those survivors will be able to corroborate the events as we described them once a more thorough investigation is conducted." M'rayr paused; it sounded so much easier when he put it that way. But the reality of the situation was that he'd been developing and rehearsing his speech, plus any argument and counter-argument as needed, ever since it was decided that he'd be the one to present their case to Starfleet. "Most importantly," M'rayr continued. "We will likely need Starfleet's assistance in finding a means of our returning to our universe."

That last sentence betrayed M'rayr and he knew it. The way the words had an edge to them, almost as if they tasted badly in his mouth. If one thing couldn't have been more obvious, it was that M'rayr Eisovo was not looking forward to a possible return to the universe he came from.

"I don't know that we can get back," Andy said with a hint of sadness. "Short of going back to the Twig's world and finding the same transwarp drive we used and recreating the jump, I don't think it's gonna happen. And I don't even know where I went wrong in my calculations... I thought it would work, it shoulda worked, but... I don't think recreating the jump would safe." Her voice was thick with the guilt she felt at her part in getting the Katana to this universe. She had little to no past to grieve over, she hadn't lost much coming here, but she knew others on this ship had lost so much... and it was all her fault. "I don't want us to try to get back... This situation is so messed up, but it could be so much worse, and I don't think I could live with myself if I was responsible for making it worse."

A tall silence stretched. M'rayr found himself looking directly at Andy, not sure what to say or what to tell her. Somehow, telling that it wasn't her fault felt like a disservice. It wasn't as though he blamed her for what happened; as far as he recalled, she'd been vehemently opposed, ordered by none other than her two most superior officers, to make the device functional. She did the best she could. Nevertheless, somehow it felt to him like telling her that would sound empty. "The situation is what it is," he admitted finally, quietly. "We are all responsible for what happened, Senior Chief. The blame does not stand on you alone." Somehow, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to find a way home failed to reach his tongue.

"But I shoulda noticed something wasn't right, I could have done something..." It was hard for Andy to let go of her guilt, there was so much in her head left over from the Collective, it should have helped make this trip successful, but that information had failed her which in turn had shaken her to her core. That lack of faith in herself and what she knew nearly ended with her resigning, but Maica had convinced her to keep working, to keep moving forward, but this guilt was still eating at her. "And I won't help send Katana into another universe trying to get back to our own. I mean, what if we get sent to that one mirror universe with the Terran Empire or whatever it is? No thank you, I won't do it, this universe is just fine." Andy knew that to help ensure success if they tried that she would be needed to improve their chances, but she wouldn't do it.

"We've been looking at the data for days, Senior Chief." M'rayr said, sounding a little gentler than he usually did around her. It felt oddly uncomfortable, he wasn't accustomed to providing a shoulder to cry on. When he next spoke however, his tone had reverted to its typical firmness. "We have yet to account for the variable... or variables, that led to our displacement from our space-time. There was nothing there for you to notice." He had to agree with at least part of her argument, however. They were here, in this universe, and attempting to change that posed the risk of sending them deeper into what humans traditionally called "the rabbit hole". M'rayr wasn't all too familiar with the history of multiverses, but he did know of the Terran Empire.

Nevertheless, his role on this ship was not to dictate policy. It was the follow the man who did. If someone was going to make the decision as to whether to stay or go, it was him. Considering Andy's state, however, M'rayr felt that this was not the best time to point that out. It was likely she already knew it.

He reached out and put a paw on her shoulder which, given a man his size and a woman hers, might have been large enough on her to serve as a piece of armor. Touching her felt unusual, particularly given his earlier weariness. But as strong as the ex-borg named Andy seemed on the surface, it was clear by now that even she had moments of doubt and vulnerability.

"I know," Andy replied with a weary nod, "but I still can't help but feel responsible." Andy didn't do touchie-feely crap all that well, so she was understandably surprised by how comforting his paw was on her shoulder. As if that one gesture had somehow absolved her of her guilt, and he had been right that there was plenty of blame to go around, it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she sagged in relief. "Can I ask you to consider something for me?" Andy asked, suddenly looking as weary as M'Rayr felt.

M'rayr nodded reluctantly.

"I'm afraid what the Captain will do," Andy confessed. She knew about Kris' fiancé and what he had had done trying to find his lost lover. What if he went to those kinds of extremes trying to get the crew home? "He can obsess like you wouldn't believe. If he goes off the deep end trying to get this ship home, I need you to consider alternatives." Andy was loyal to Kris, almost to a fault, but that didn't change what she thought Kris was capable of.

"I am aware..." M'rayr bit off a little faster than he expected to. That was one thing that genuinely worried him. How exactly would Kerouac handle the fact that he was the man in charge, the man who ordered the ship through that singularity? realizing that his paw was still on Andy's shoulder, he gave it a short squeeze before withdrawing it back into his lap. "If there is one thing that Kristopher Kerouac has that no other Starship captain can lay claim to, it is this family. Should he... stray," the Caitian uttered the last word uncomfortably. "Together, we will return him to the path."

M'rayr wouldn't have believed himself to be capable of saying what he said unless he'd heard it out of his own mouth.

"I've got a mean right hook if you think it would help," Andy said, clenching her biosynthetic hand for emphasis.

Andy managed to elicit a chuckle from the traditionally-aloof Caitian. He nodded, or rather bowed slightly at the neck in her direction. "We shall see." With that, M'rayr glanced at the metric chronometer on the wall and realized the time. Standing, he pulled his uniform straight. "I must depart. My duty on the bridge is set to begin shortly." He looked at the ex-borg. His next words felt equally strange to use. "Will you be alright?" He asked, adding "Senior Chief?" at the end as a professional necessity.

"I'll be fine," Andy replied, flashing her trademark smirk. "Don't work to hard, Boss."

Nearly everyone said it was inevitable. At least that's what Jenni assumed.

She didn't care really. Despite the couple days she'd been aboard, only one thing was absolutely clear. This was not the ship she'd grown to love and care for for the last four years. Just knowing that make it easier to make it through each day. Jenni was settling in just nicely to the strange crew that inhabited this ship, and she was starting to forget she wore a different department's color.

But this night was far from sleepless, and in times like this, she had the perfect cure. Jenni stood on the upper level of Engineering, leaning on the railing and gazed down into the warp core. The effect was strangely hypnotic, watching the glow of matter and antimatter cascading through the M/ARA, intermingling before marrying at the altar officiated by a dilithium crystal and merging to become the volatile warp plasma that the nacelles harvested for the energy to propel the ship forward at faster-than-light speeds. Jenni smiled at the thought, thinking of all of the various components that would interface and carry this plasma to its fatal mission.

And then tried to push those thoughts from her mind. This M/ARA wasn't hers, nor the responsibility.

For now, she'd settle remaining stationary as she observed the core, drawn like a moth to a flame.

"Can I help you?" a pleasant voice asked from behind her.

Jenni heard the voice behind her, pulling her out of trance she'd been in for who knew how long. She didn't turn around to see who it belonged to, instead gently replied, "Just enjoying the view."

A man clad in an gold collared uniform slid up next to her and leaned on the railing. His blue skin shimmered in the reflection of the warp core against the darkness of the room. During the night shift, Arivek preferred the lights to be turned down. He may not sleep anymore, but this was as close as he could get to feeling the differences between night and day. "It is quite beautiful, isn't it," he replied, giving a sigh. His mind was still reeling from all the information he'd found out during the day.

She glanced down, noticing the blue hands that gripped the railing, noticing how the shimmering was dancing on them as well. Her eyes could see more than a shimmer, however. Jenni squinted, looking for confirmation on what she thought she saw, then looked back to the core. "Hmm..." she vocalized. "Looks like the Starfleet of your universe solved the issue of annular confinement beam disruption when a hologram is in the proximity of a warp core." Glancing back, she asked, "What's the secret? A narrow beam with gain enhancement?" Then she paused, looking at the image with a critical eye, looking for signs of pattern noise or distortion.

"I'm honestly not sure," Arivek stated. "My father is the holo-engineer, he's the one who created my matrix. As for being around a warp core, I'm good unless I get too close to the magnetic constrictors. Those will destabilize me." Ari looked at the woman, "How did you know? Did you used to be an Engineer?" he asked, noting that she was wearing the grey of intelligence rather than the gold of engineering.

"I don't think anyone stops being an Engineer," Jenni replied with a smile, her thoughts still spinning about how well his matrix was indeed holding together. She then noticed the rank on the man's collar. That was certainly odd, not to mention her mind asking the question why Starfleet considered designing an Emergency Engineering Hologram, like its Medical counterpart, knowing that engineers were often placed into situations unsuitable for most, and incredibly deadly for holographic matrices. And, if that were the case, why give the hologram a rank? "If you don't mind me asking," she pressed, still studying the image before her, "what exactly are you?"

"My name is Arivek Zhuri, I'm Chief Engineer of the Katana," he replied, knowing full well of what the woman was actually asking, but getting tired of explaining the origin of his matrix to people who ultimately didn't need to know. But he knew he wouldn't be able to side-step the question forever and curious minds were hard to disuade, he would know. With a sigh, he decided to tell the woman. "I was a flesh and blood man until a couple of months ago when I died. My father was able to successfully transfer my consciousness into this matrix at the last moment. So...here I am."

Jenni's eyes widened at the story, not in shock but more so in amazement. "That's... that's incredible!" She let go of the railing, and walked around to the other side of Arivek, taking one more close look at the ima--him. A full flesh and blood person converted into a holographic representation. She had so many questions, and despite her excitement, she almost missed his sigh before confessing the details of his demise. Jenni would hold her questions for now. She then opened her mouth to introduce herself, and instantly bit her tongue. Her presence on this ship was far from secret, and she had purposely kept her distance from the engine room to declare she was without an agenda. It would be best to clear the air now, once and for all. She extended a hand to Arivek. "Jennifer Matthews, Assistant Chief Intel."

A lightbulb went on in Arivek's head as he realized who this woman was by her name. She used to be the Chief Engineer of this ship before he took over, at least in his universe. According to her own confession, she was previously an Engineer in this universe as well. "A pleasure, Lieutenant," he said. "What brings you down here?"

"Can't sleep," she replied, gripping the railing again and looking to the warp core. She didn't want to admit to a person she didn't know that she was wrestling with the events that caused her Katana's demise and that's what was keeping her from her bed. "In the past, I would often slip in here and just watch. Eventually, my head would clear up enough to get a few hours of sleep. No other sleep aid works." Glancing over to the engineer, she said, "Though I don't suppose you have problems like that anymore." What she would give sometimes to just fall asleep at the flip of a switch...

Arivek's eyes slid from the woman's face back to the Warp Core, who's blue swirls were a testiment to his day's work. "You don't know how many nights I wished I could sleep..." he said softly, not honestly sure if the woman could hear, but not caring. The truth was, he wasn't adapting to his new form very well, not that he'd reveal that to anyone on board.

It seemed everyone was having troubles adjusting to this unique situation. Jenni had lost a home, but nearly a hundred and fifty people aboard had lost everything. Through the corner of her eye, Jenni took note of the Lieutenant's demeanor. For a moment, again, she overlooked the fact that he was, or had been, a flesh-and-blood being, forever doomed to be represented by a collection of photons and forcefields. Jenni marveled in the fact that even his emotions and expressions had been so perfectly captured, better than any holocreation she'd ever seen. "Has anyone tried to write a program or a subroutine that can help you do that?" she asked. "Or does it not work that way?"

"It doesn't work that way. I can deactivate myself but that's about it. As my thought process is real and not part of the matrix, it can't be altered."

Jenni nodded, looking at the man for a moment longer. Rather than turn back towards the core, she turned towards the rest on the darkened and vacant Engineering and leaned against the railing. "How about dreams? Surely the 'matrix has some sort of allowance for that."

"Dreams are a creation of your consciousness, so I still have full access to my own dream state. Unfortunately, day dreams are the extent I've been able to use, as my thought process is suspended when I'm deactivated."

She continued to ponder the technical circumstances for Arivek's dreaming as Jenni continued to gaze into Engineering. As fascinated as she was, his answers were definitive, tainted with a hint of disdain for not just the condition but by an abundance of curiosity for outsiders. If Jenni was him, she'd hate being under the microscope so constantly as well. There was one other question she had, one that she had stuck in her mind since first seeing the Katana from the cockpit of the Aeroshuttle. This engine room may not have been hers, but it was very much identical to the one she'd called home for the last four years. "So," she began, still looking inward into the dark room, "how is the Katana?"

Arivek's mouth slowly broke into a smile, partially because he was glad the line of questioning was no longer centered on him, but also because it showed him who she truly was. Intelligence or not, she was indeed an Engineer, and always would be. "She's great," he said, turning around to lean on the railing as she was.

"You know," she said with a smirk, "my Katana had a knack for self-overclocking the starboard bussard collector. I never could get it working just right. The warp specialists had a pool going to see not just how long it took for it to pull in a huge chunk of nomadic matter, but how quickly it would be ground up and deposited into the energy reserves." Jenni looked at Arivek. "I don't suppose yours has the same problem?"

Arivek chuckled, "That's a chronic issue?" He sighed. "I noticed the same thing a few days and corrected it, and then it has reappeared earlier today. I was trying to figure out how it came back, but that makes sense. Only difference is, it's our port nacelle."

Jenni smiled, relishing in that revelation and thankful that despite the differences between universes, some things just didn't change. "I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you on that, but I wouldn't take any bets either. That pool was going for more than four years." Her eyes darted back to the warp core where the blue swirls of energy continued to dance. Jenni missed the core she'd come to love, as well as the many people that served under her direction. How she wished she could crawl in a Jefferies tube just one more time! Alas, it was not to be. Arivek's story only confirmed what she knew in her heart: this was not the ship she served on for the last four years. And it was best to stay out of the way.

"I'm glad to know the issue will be more of a nuisance rather than a catastrophic problem. I'll make sure to keep an eye on it, though." Arivek continued to lean against the railing, looking at the other Lieutenant. "Do you feel like...you don't belong here?" he asked.

"That's a loaded question," Jenni replied, instantly knowing the answer. She sighed, thinking about the reasons he had for the question. Rather than dwell on it too long in fear her response would be too calculated, she confessed, "I'm thirty years old. For four of those years, I spent nearly every waking hour galavanting around an engine room almost exactly like this. Give me five minutes, and I can show you more than a hundred differences. But, despite those differences, this ship is a dead ringer for the one I just lost. It is home and at the same time, not at all."

Moving her gaze now to meet the other Lieutenant's eyes, Jenni added, "The Katana is my home, always has been. Doesn't matter if this is the same railing, or she's filled with different faces. A home is where you make it."

The hologram nodded, looking away from the woman. As his eyes stared into the darkness, her words hit home. Home was where you made it. And yet, he couldn't help but feel like a complete outsider here. "I know what you mean," he stated, quietly. He looked back at her and gave a weak smile. Of anyone on board who may understand how he feels, she and the Executive Officer would. Sadly, he was only on speaking terms with one of them at the moment.

Jenni recognized that smile, knowing it was one she'd worn dozens of times since coming aboard. She was now uncomfortable, and uncertain how to proceed as she'd never been one to press for personal details, especially from those she barely knew. Jenni didn't know if she could open this door or if she should discreetly make her exit. But it was the words of the Executive Officer that echoed in her head. This was a home for many, and that many had become a family. Her predecessor had been an integral part of that family's beginning, and now she had a responsibility to continue that legacy.

Rather than asking if he wanted to talk about it, Jenni simply offered, "Making a home is never easy, especially the family that comes with it. If you ever need to talk, I'll be there for you." Then she offered a genuine smile. "Even if it's just to compare notes on Bussard Collectors."

"Thanks," Arivek stated, suddenly becoming embarrassed that this woman seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. He pushed himself from the railing and took a few steps away, his hand running along the hand-rail. "I need to run a diagnostic on the warp coils. Feel free to stay as long as you need."

Jenni smiled. "Thank you, Arivek." She watched him walk away before turning her attention back to the warp core. Already she felt more at peace in her spirit.

The being whose identity was unknown to all but possibly the Q in a few realities had no real name. She didn't really have anything so simple as gender, either. What she was though, was a 12th dimensional entity that enjoyed watching the interactions between universes and realities. She had been watching a particularly interesting interaction involving a war between the Q of 2 dimensions that had been dragged into slightly overlapping by a singularity of her own creation.

That was when she noticed something else. Something unexpected. An ark of primitives had crossed the threshold between their originating universe and one 3 praeleks away in a different time stream. It was crude and the hole they left was rather ragged, but they managed it somehow. Quickly resealing the hole they left at the point they tore through, she decided to watch these enenterprising voyagers for a while to see what became of them and to determine if it was a fluke or if the incursion was intentional.

Tapping into the minds of such 3rd and 4th dimensional beings was trivial for her, but she had to take care not to damage them in the process. Looking over the crew of beings, she found their ark itself to be far too primitive for her to make sense of. Most of the other beings seemed way too fragile. There was one though... a mind of metals and silicon that she could temporarily modify and restore with ease.

Peering into this mind, she found it rudimentary, yet with great potential. It reminded her of her own origins when the multiverses were young.

Ah, so it was an accident. They had found a remnant of the universe they had gone to in their own and thought they could use part of it to travel across their own little corner of their own dimension. Checking the background of the originating part, she saw it wasn't from their reality set, let alone their own universe. Fortunately for them, their trip wasn't as violent as the original ark's trip. It had smashed into some sort of debris... a planet of some sort, having been displaced temporally and dimensionally by 3 praeleks and almost 200 years relative to their start.

As fascinating as this all was, she did have to do a little cleanup. Moving back to the point of incursion, she pulled that borrowed piece from the small ark as carefully as she could, leaving a small hole where it was and disolving the offending donut shaped piece into the aether between realities. Having finished with that, she moved back to her young 4th dimensional traveler and made sure she hadn't left any 'fingerprints' behind on the primitive mind.

******************************************

Suddenly waking from what felt like a really long and weird dream involving levels of reality she barely even knew existed, Maica stirred slightly, squeezing on Andy a bit before the dream faded from her memory and she fell back asleep.

Andy's eyes opened ever so slightly as Maica cuddled back down to fall back asleep. Always mindful of Maica's behavior as it pertained to how she was adapting to her new body, Andy marked this waking as an aberration; Maica's sleep subroutines should not be disrupted this way. but Maica seemed fine for now, so no sense in disrupting her sleep further to check what the problem was. Andy made a mental note to do a check on Maica in the morning, then her eyes to closed and, pulling Maica closer, Andy allowed herself to fall back asleep.

Thanks to his augmentations he hadn't required as much medical attention..and what he did require had been accepted after a little bit of stubborn effort. He still felt a little weird, but this new place wasn't going to keep him down. Now it was time to reconnect..and who better to start with than the acting CO. Derek sent a ping to her padd, asking her to meet him outside sickbay. He hoped that she was being well-received...

Having finished with the Captain and accepting an unexpected offer to remain aboard, Jenni was now roaming the corridors. Though the paint and polish appeared the same, it was certainly a ship she did not recognize. She'd been assigned quarters, and she needed to start the inevitable report to Starfleet about their demise and recovery, and the strangeness of it all. The location of the quarters were contained in the PADD she carried, alas she was avoiding looking at them, knowing the moment she'd walk in and finish her duty, the gravity of the last few hours would become very real.

It was a surprise to her then when a notification from her PADD snatched her attention. She looked down to see who it was from, and then sighed. Jenni knew the time would come when the other survivors would start asking questions of their own, and for now, she was still their guardian.

And only friend aboard.

Which is why Jenni traveled to sickbay without hesitation, still clad in the tattered uniform she wore from the Katana. "Lieutenant Gordon," she greeted with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Ma'am." He replied, giving a light salute. "I was wondering how you were getting along. The burden of all of this is stressful for those who are left..it must be doubly so for you." The last member of the anti-Breen team gave, in a soft accent, his words laced with concern and worry, while still trying to be casual.

Jenni did not salute in return, rather gave a smile and a slight bob of the head. She nearly chuckled, but held that to herself, knowing the man's character and he'd likely take offense. Jenni hadn't seen Derek much in the last few days, having been focused on activities on the bridge, and she was touched by his concern. "I'm adjusting," she replied, gesturing lightly down the corridor, indicating she'd like to keep moving. "Losing a ship is one thing. Being evacuated to a clone is another."

He took the hint, and walked with her. "Indeed. It seems that I don't have a counterpart in their universe. I'm at peace with that.." The man gave a soft chuckle. "We did everything we could about the Breen, ma'am. I was in the engineering section when I received the order to evacuate. It was run and gun after that. Didn't have a chance to grab any personal effects...just the tools of the trade." he mused softly in his accent, looking over at her.

"At least you came away with something," Jenni replied almost flippantly, though she used her hand to verify that the three isolinear chips she'd recovered before the ship was destroyed were still there in her pocket. She then mentally asked the question why Starfleet uniforms did not have pockets. Jenni was fortunate, if the word was even applicable, to have accidentally torn her uniform while climbing down one of Katana's Jefferies tubes, which now conveniently functioned as a pocket, just so long as she didn't make any drastic movements. "And you did your best, Mister Gordon. We lost a lot today, but," she fingered the isolinear chips in her pocket once more, "we have a chance to correct the errors of others."

"I'm more than just a weapon against the Breen." He replied calmly to the near-flippant answer. "And that chance means a lot to a great many. I feel like we have a second chance here." Derek smiles a bit, looking over at her. Being around her really did make him smile. Or bring out the gentler side of him, to some extent.

"Oh?" Jenni asked, her tone slightly inquisitive. There were many second chances before them, especially more so once this chapter was finally complete. She looked up and noted Gordon's smile. Shifting her view back to the corridor before them, she asked, "What do you intend to do with yours?"

"I plan to remain here." Left unspoken were the words with you, though such an implication could be made. "There are many stories that should be chronicled, so that they will not be lost to history. New friends to make, current friendships to maintain. In the blackness of space, and on a ship, it's about the person next to you." he was speaking generally, given in Tier One terms that one fought alongside their sisters and brothers, trusting them implicitly. Other meanings could be gathered as well.

Jenni smiled, thankful for the man's willingness to stay. "We have our work cut out for us then," she said, coming to a stop and facing the Marine. Her eyes darted to the left and then to the right, looking for anyone who could overhear. Finding none, she continued, "This ship and its crew... They're a fish out of water. Their universe is very different from ours. The Breen. The Borg. Just the differences in the last ten years is staggering."

He took a step closer, to reduce the likelihood of being overheard. And nodded as he listened to her account. "What have you learned, ma'am? I'd prefer to hear it from someone I trust. The Breen aren't the same in their universe? The Borg?" His inquisitive mind was active. "And, take it slow. don't feel rushed on my account. If we need to relocate in order for you to be comfortable then we'll relocate."

She shook her head. Her thoughts weren't that sensitive, and despite his willingness to help her process, she was a lone thinker. "There's nothing to worry about just yet," Jenni told him, starting to walk again. Truth be told, even her background knowledge wasn't enough at this moment to say or do anything concrete. Just like this crew, it would take herself a couple days to catch her bearings before truly being effective. "For now, find the quartermaster or Chief Ops. Everyone's busy with repairs," indicated as they turned a junction and a couple of engineers were hard at work on an exposed panel, "so I doubt arrangements have been made for everyone."

"True enough.' he noted, following her again. "And what will you do?" His question was well intended, at least, since he would carry out what was asked. "I do not mean to pry, but I felt the need to offer my company if you should need it."

Jenni cracked a thin smile, walking past the two engineers, though her eyes would not remove themselves from what they were doing. Perhaps this new assignment would prove to be more difficult than she thought. "Like you, I mean to stay," she replied, snapping her gaze back to the corridor before them. "The Captain offered me the position of Assistant Chief Intel to help get this crew adjusted. After that... well, we'll see."

"I'm glad to hear that. I have the feeling that I will be offered a position of some import in the Marine branch. I intend to take it, and hope that whoever *is* a Marine on board will have a clue." Derek replied. "Though my hopes are not high in that regard." He chuckles slightly as he notices her eyes watching the engineers. "Always an engineer, eh ma'am? If it makes you feel any better I'll leave you messages if anything of mine needs fixing." the last message was meant in humor, but he did mean it.

She continued to smile, stopping in front of a turbolift. "Thanks," she offered, fingering the chips in her pocket, reminding herself it was time to get to that report.

"You probably need to fill out that after-action report still.." he shook his head lightly and shuffled his feet. "Those are never good." Derek gave from experience, feeling for the first time..uncertainty, of how to speak around her? He bit his lip softly before looking up to her again. "I don't know what you're thinking about it...but you did good out there, ma'am. A situation that no one could have predicted would happen, and you stood up and made the best of it, with hardly any help." he frowned, referring to the evil that was aboard their ship. "Even if that best is 19 people saved..that's better than being lost with all hands and our story having to be figured out from sensor readings and conjecture." There was nothing more he could say to try and reassure her, but he hoped she could tell that he was worried about her, even if he didn't say it outright.

He took a step back from the turbolift, preparing to excuse himself. The moment of silence would be enough for her to interject a reply before he continued speaking.

All Jenni could offer now was a weak smile. No matter how thankful others were that she had saved their lives, Jenni knew deep down had it not been for the other--this Katana, they all would likely be dead, except for her and Kerouac. Kerouac for his actions destroying a planet, and her for being the senior most officer still connected to him. The Katana herself would be on public display until after the Breen had finished with her. "The report is calling my name," she replied to Gordon, removing her hand from the makeshift pocket.

"Yeah." He nodded quietly. Even her weak smile was a good point. "I wish you the best of luck. You know my communicator frequency if you need anything." With a wave of his hand, he turned, heading back down the corridor.

The assistant engineer awoke..calm, but coughing a bit. And feeling weird. She seemed more subdued now, and less boisterous. The most immediate concern was the throbbing headache she had, and the mental haze. After asking for a medical person, she was checked out, and sedated upon request. Physically she was recovering, several strained or torn muscles, headache and possible concussion, along with the subliminal mental trauma, as medical terminology would put it.

After being sedated her thoughts drifted to her human parent, and how much she loved them. And how her initial course was a mistake. Honor? there was no honor in what happened here. Seeing so many people that were her friends and crew be injured in this freak accident wasn't honorable. She needed to be different. Someone who could listen and get along better with the crew. Not a hot-head. Her brother was doing great...and seeing him hurt had made her reconsider how she was going to be.

And That first name? It had to go. Konora was the name given by her Klingon parent...and it seemed so foreign to her. Her subconscious focuses on that. A new name, a new universe. Maybe a new start. Because in her own right, she was a veteran of the dominion war..and there was a reason she didn't talk about it.

But a new name...what's in a name? Something came to mind. A character from a drama play that her mother had liked. To gaze upon her was like seeing the sunrise..

A pang of loss flowed through her mind. It'd been forever since she could appreciate a sunrise..and her last thought before she blacked out..

Asami..

[ON]

It seemed as though M'rayr Eisovo's earlier visit to the holodeck - a simple simulation in a jungle environment, quickly assembled by the computer at K'larri's request - had had a remarkable effect on the Caitian. At the end of his shift on the bridge, M'rayr retreated to the lower decks, programmed the holodeck with the requisite features, initiated the program, and entered. Almost immediately, he was again attracted to the surreal aroma of the foliage, the rapid and almost erratic movements of birds or other small animals fluttering from tree top to tree top, and the sensation of the wind and brightness of the sun on his fur.

For a moment, the Caitian simply stood in place. The doors to the real world eventually closed behind him, sealing M'rayr inside with his tiny world.

The last time M'rayr had visited this place, he'd allowed his sense of duty to override a great many desires - the urge to shed his uniform and climb atop the nearest tree he could find, perched over it like a lazy cat or one interested in stalking prey. "Computer, seal holodeck doors," the Caitian instructed as he messed with his tunic. Maybe he wouldn't go completely native considering the number of ways that his orders might be overruled, or if his time-slot on the holodeck ended and he didn't realize it until too late. Keeping his trousers on, the Caitian removed his jacket, tunic, boots and socks before moving deeper inside the jungle.

Maybe a third of a kilometer inside, M'rayr heard the sound of water lapping lazily in the near distance. Tracing the sound with his ears and his nose, he happened upon a small lake. A cliff bristling with fertile-green vegetation above the lake replenished any water that might have evaporated or otherwise sank into the soil nearby. M'rayr felt another urge; one he hadn't felt in a long time. Unlike many of the Caitians that he knew, he was certainly a water-cat. Back when M'rayr had been a mere child living on Cait, he loved swimming in the river near the capital. At least out here, there was no constable to chase him out of it!

Shedding the last of his uniform, M'rayr stepped into the lake and sank inside of it until he was swimming beneath the surface. His coat felt heavy, but the water was soothing and refreshing against his skin. He popped back up to the surface occasionally to feed his lungs with more air before vanishing again and again, each time eliciting sighs of relief and sounded foreign even to him.

Wanting to speak with the XO about a few matters, Maica located him in the holodeck so rather than calling him, she headed there. The halls were as busy as ever and the looks she got were as friendly as ever but thankfully everyone was getting used to the heavily pontooned android's looks so she wasn't turning quite as many heads as she passed. That was good - she didn't like distracting people too much. Just when she needed to.

Arriving at the holodeck door and finding it locked, she considered using her overrides to sneak in, but thought better of it. Instead, she typed up a request in the computer for it to relay a request that she enter. She knew better than to interrupt a Caitian at play.

Maica's talents with a computer did not go unnoticed. As M'rayr lie on his back against the water looking up at the clouds, a faint electronic shimmer flicked across the sky. The clouds reformed into a letters which then flowed into words and then coherent sentences.

Maica wishes to meet with you, if available

And just as quickly as the request had appeared, it vanished as the clouds became random puffs of water vapor again. M'rayr chuckled inwardly to himself; at least she hadn't completely broken the illusion with an electronic announcement using the intercom. Flipping to his belly, he swam towards the shore where his trousers lay, dried off and put them on, and commanded the computer to unlock the doors.

There we go. Hearing the doors unlock, Maica headed into the holodeck to be greeted by the dense jungle program currently running. "Commander? Am I interrupting?" she called out, walking into the forest and letting the door close and vanish behind her.

The holodeck magic of being able to bend light and energy so as to depict a scenario where the two officers were much further apart than they actually were never ceased to impress M'rayr. Maica's voice echoed off the trees and rocks on its way to the lake as though she were a considerable distance away. The simulation obviously decided to place her much closer than if she would have begun here he had, however. She would not have to trek the third of a kilometer it took M'rayr to find the lake. "Over here," he said, making his way towards her as well.

Heading through the jungle, Maica admired the scenery. She wondered if Andy would enjoy camping in this sort of forest. Calling out again, she figured she had to be getting closer. "I'd like to talk with you about a few things if you're not too busy."

M'rayr appeared out of a tree, still shirtless as he hadn't been able to locate his shirt or boots. He could have terminated the project, naturally. At which point he would have been able to locate both items instantaneously. Then again, it would have ended the scenario and returned him, and her, to a desolate grid of holo-arrays. For the moment, he preferred this.

"I am not," the Caitian indicated impassively. "What do you wish to discuss, Commander?"

Smiling as she caught sight of the shirtless Caitian, Maica waved as she headed the last few feet to meet him. "I'd like to discuss K'larri. Have you net her? Have you read the amnesty paperwork we filled out?"

M'rayr recalled the Mackerel patterned Caitian's name from yesterday and the day before. "I have," He gestured to their surroundings. "In fact, this is a program she discovered yesterday. I met with her while she was using it to see how she was acclimating." He decided not to mention the fact that his mood had been... erratic... during the meeting. It was decidedly due to the fact that she was a Caitian, the first he'd seen in decades, and an attractive one at that. But far too young for someone like him, even if he'd been willing to consider it. "I have yet to discuss the matter with the Captain. But I do not see her petition as problematic, at least not for now. I believe Kerouac will see it the same way."

"That's good," Maica said with her warm smile. "she's been through a lot and now being in an alternate reality with a counterpart living a parallel life... It would be a lot for anyone..."

"Indeed it would be," M'rayr added in agreement. "Was there anything else that you wished to discuss?"

"One other. There's another Caitian aboard now, from the other Katana. Have you met her yet?" Maica asked hopefully.

Two Caitians? M'rayr shook his head, admitting his ignorance. "I have not. What can you tell me about this... individual?"

"I was hoping you had. She refused to speak with me when I approached her. Do you think you could try?" Maica asked a bit pleadingly. "Her name is Dekusa and as far as I can tell, she's from an old aristocratic family. She's registered as a Chronicler - a sort of science based writer."

So this Caitian was a civilian, M'rayr realized. He was still in the process of accepting the fact that in all his years of Starfleet, he'd typically been the only Caitian on board. Now there were not two, not three, but now four other Caitians on the Katana. Strangely, he felt a little closer to home. But at the same time, more like an outsider than ever before. Any of these Caitians would recognize his family name, just as K'larri had. But how the others would respond to that name was a matter of question. "I will try to find time to, yes." He answered after realizing that Maica was still waiting for a response.

"Good," Maica said with a mischievous grin. "It's just a hunch, but I think you two might have a few things in common."

M'rayr looked at her skeptically. "How so?"

"She's originally from the Shusoe'nora'tekli royal clan and I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure their policy on people leaving Cait is excommunication or exile." Maica said softly.

That fact was distinguishing. "We are both exiles then," he said more than asked.

Maica nodded solemnly. "If I'm right, yes."

"Interesting," said M'rayr. Then he looked up and saw the strange look in Maica's eyes. It didn't take long for him, knowing her, to put two and two together. "I predict that you have some sort of ulterior motive for pointing this out," he asked.

"Who, me?" Maica said with her warmest smile. "I'm a diplomat. Why would I have an ulterior motive?"

"I am not interested in female companionship, Commander." M'rayr pointed out, neutrally but with just a hint of exasperation. He started searching for his uniform top, which, in terms of the simulation, was nearly a kilometer away. Nevertheless, as long as he moved around the contours of the holodeck enough, it would have no choice but to reveal itself. The holodeck didn't extend a full kilometer.

"I'm betting she isn't either." Maica said, wondering what he was looking for. "Lose something?"

The Caitian glanced up at the Green Orion and, without shrugging, said, "My uniform is in this holodeck, somewhere." Finally, he accepted defeat and relented, giving Maica his full and undivided attention once again. "So you are not attempting to put your talents as..." M'rayr rolled the next word around in his mouth a few times before trying it out, "... sex therapist."

Pulling a PaDD out of her pocket, Maica started programming a little something into it. "Can't give someone therapy if they're happy not having sex. I've never even smelled morning wood on you." she muttered, hitting enter and putting the PaDD back in her pocket. "I guess these PaDDs are handy to an extent." Suddenly, a large bird flew over them, dropping M'rayr's clothes between them.

The Caitian bent down and picked up his tunic and jacket, and then gave Maica a look. "Your assistance is appreciated."

Maica nodded politely with that warm smile of hers as she moved to leave the holodeck. "Any time. Let me know if you have any troubles though." She had some plotting to do and some holo-programming to set up. She just hoped she still had some of those nepata leaves left.

[ON]

As the Katana's First Officer, Commander M'rayr Eisovo was responsible for managing the crew duty roster as well as attending to crew morale and needs. Since the Katana was plucked from one universe and deposited in another, there were a lot of people on board who were still coming to terms with the translation out of their native environment. Some, like M'rayr, were handling it exceptional well. In some cases, leaving the old universe was as much a change as it was a blessing. But for others, the thought of never being able to see friends or loved ones again was incredibly disheartening.

M'rayr pivoted on his heel as he turned a corner. He'd been keeping himself mindful of crew interactions as much as any good First Officer could. But who better to get the straight shoot from than the ship's Chief Counselor - Lieutenant Commander Grae?

Lia was in her office staring at her computer monitor. On the screen was the biographical information of her father, Arlo Grae. When Lia returned to her office after her stint on this universe's Katana, she couldn't resist her own curiosity about her own counterpart. Instead of outright searching for her directly, she decided to look up her parents instead. And just like in her own universe, her father was a skilled diplomat. He had a much more distinguished career than her own father. She continued reading his bio until she came across information pertaining to his daughter, Lia Grae, Senior Aid to Diplomat Arlo Grae.

She tapped the monitor off and leaned back in her chair, letting out the breath she wasn't aware she was holding. "Well it looks like in this universe you got your way father..." she muttered to herself.

M'rayr would have usually had to wait for Ms. Grae to acknowledge his tapping at the chime. Seeing as how she was the Chief Counselor sitting in her office, however, the computer automatically triggered the doors as soon as he approached them. The tall Caitian stopped a few feet past the door and looked at the Ventaxian-Xenexian female. "You seem like you've seen a ghost," M'rayr pointed out brusquely. Then he tilted his head to the side in a manner that closely mimicked feline curiosity. "I would suggest that as unusual if not for the fact that many people on board the Katana are as well."

Lia glanced at her visitor and smiled, "Commander Eisovo. Please have a seat." She gestured to the empty chair in front of her desk. "And no, not a ghost this time. Curiosity got the best of me and I looked myself up. Apparently in this universe I never joined Starfleet and am serving as an aid to my father." She looked at him, "Long story, so I won't bore you with the details. So how may I help you today, Commander?"

M'rayr acknowledged her invitation and took the nearest chair to her desk. He laid his paws out over his lap, and pivoted the chair so he was facing her at a slight angle. "Many are sharing your predicament. I wanted to speak with you on what your opinion is of the crew's... progression... through the transition of crossing universes. The senior staff in particular."

Lia looked at him as she leaned back in her chair. "It's too soon to tell how well they are progressing; the shock of the moment is only beginning to fade now." She leaned back in her chair as she continued, "right now, the crew is most likely doing what I just did, looking their counterparts up. I don't think the full impact of our situation has hit yet."

"I understand," M'rayr began, keeping his tone neutral. He looked past Lia's head and studied the wall behind her. Her office was decorated with a counselor's attention for aesthetics; the scene was calming. "And using your professional training, do you have any specific concerns regarding any member of the senior staff once they do feel the full impact?"

"It depends on what they feel." She sighed, "some, will look at this as a fresh start. Excited for the challenge and eager to move forward with a new life. Others, will take time to mourn the loss, but try to adapt as best they can, in the end they'll be fine. Now...there will be some who...will not accept our situation is permanent. They will do whatever necessary to return to our time and our universe. As for who would that include, I don't know."

That last thought concerned M'rayr, particularly when he thought about Kerouac. The captain would no doubt consider their present situation to be his fault, and would strive to return them home. At what cost, was something left to debate. The Caitian nodded and sighed reluctantly. "Understood," M'rayr replied after a moment. "And at this point, there is no member of the crew who you are watching more particularly?"

She studied the Caitian before she answered, "At this point no, however I do intend to visit the Captain sometime soon."

The fact that she was mentioning Kerouac caught M'rayr by surprise. It took him a moment to recall that she was neither telepathic or empathic. "As do I. May I inquire as to your reasons?" He hesitated on asking if she shared his concerns directly; given that M'rayr had up until only a few weeks ago been highly suspect in his motivations on board the Katana, he didn't want to line his questions in a way that would lead her or anybody else to suspect any ulterior motives on his part.

Lia looked at him, "Kerouac is very protective of his crew, he will be undoubtedly feeling guilty over this incident; any Captain would. He is also the type of person who would go to great lengths to accomplish his goals. It's been noted in my predecessor's logs where she suspected the only reason Kerouac accepted a Gamma Quadrant assignment was to find the whereabouts of a former lover. If true, this would mean he has an obsessive personality. If the Captain doesn't accept that this universe will be our new normal, then he will most likely obsess over bringing this crew home." Lia explained her reasons and then added, "Not to mention the predestination issue. He has met his counterpart, and the Kerouac of this universe is certifiable. The Captain, may think lunacy is his future... so nothing will hold him back."

"A disturbing notion if ever there was one." M'rayr admitted, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. While he might have perceived Kerouac at one point as a danger to the crew, he's since come to see the man as a strong -- if not unconventional -- officer, and a friend. To have to go back to the former opinion was not something the Caitian wanted to think about. Plus, he came here to speak with Lia about the crew... not to learn that she was more concerned with the Captain than anybody else. "What is your recommendation?"

Lia can tell the Caitian was uncomfortable with her concerns for the Captain. In her opinion, Kerouac maybe unorthodox, but he is a good and passionate man who cares for his crew. Sometimes passion and caring for the crew can lead to bad decisions and that is what Lia is hoping to avoid. "My recommendation is simple. We head to Earth and begin our adjustments into this universe and finally accept this is our home. This crew has also been overworked and stressed and well all need some time to decompress."

M'rayr nodded, but a doubt snuck into the back of his mind before coming forward. Given that Andy shared this same concern, the Caitian couldn't disregard it. "What if the Captain believes that returning to our universe at all cost is preferable?" he asked, knowing that he shouldn't doubt Kerouac like that. Then again, if one of his closest confidants and the chief counselor were telling him that a bomb was about to go off, it made sense to believe them.

"It's not a belief that is dangerous, it's the actions that stem from beliefs. If Kerouac believes the he owes it to the crew to find a way home wouldn't by itself constitute a danger. It's if the Captain uses his authority and purposely puts the ship in harms way to satisfy his...obligation, then he'll have to be temporarily relieved of command." Lia answered honest, but lifted her hand to keep M'rayr from replying to add, "with that said, Captain Kerouac is in his right to try to find a way back home. He has the right to feel guilty and indulging in a futile en devour is part of the mourning process. Just be aware of the difference between reflection and intent."

Hayley woke up. Her shoulder was sore and her head was pounding from the stun. "Bloody Starfleet asses," she said groggily as she sat up, holding her head, blinking several times to clear her vision. She saw she was in the brig, with a guard sitting at the control desk. In a near adjacent cell, she could see James who was already up.

Before she could say anything, the doors opened to reveal Jhu, Nathan, and Capt. Kerouac entering.

"I don't know who you are," Jhu began, taking a casual position leaning against the console where the brig controls resided. "Or why you're here. And frankly... I don't care. What I care about is you shooting at me. And trying to blow a hole in our hull. Nathan's going to ask you some questions, and I suggest you answer honestly before that force field comes down and one of us has hands on you."

Who's playing good cop? wondered Kris as he observed Jhu taking the lead on this thus far, and clearly quite pissed at Hayley...this Hayley at least. He noticed that Jhu seemed tense, more tense than usual. He looked at the woman they were holding and about to question. "I'd answer honestly, last time she was this fired up...there was an unfortunate accident and the man didn't live" said Kris, shrugging. "Take your choice. However if you value your life, you'll answer our questions and do so honestly."

"Oh, zip it, you bastard," Hayley pointed at Kris. "And save your empty threats. I don't fear death. You abandoned me! Or do your crew mean so little to you that you don't bother to remember them?" Hayley stood and started pacing, keeping her eyes locked on Kris.

"This again? Really? It was stupid the first time around and now it's getting old." Whoever this person really was, they were really starting to annoy her, and Jhu was making no secret of that. "You were never a member of this crew. You called me 'lieutenant', and I've never been a lieutenant on this ship."

"Thats enough..." Nathan said to Jhu and Kris. "we know what's going on here, this Hayley is completely in the dark. She's not stupid, she's ignorant as to who we truly are." Nathan walked over to the cell and stood before the Hayley that was being held within.

"My name is Nathan Tonkin, I'm am a lieutenant of security in Star Fleet and am Chief on the USS Katana. This Katana anyways. I know you don't know me because in this dimension I never made it past the age of 7. This crew, this ship came through a collapsing Trans warp tunnel into this dimension and time frame. We moved ahead in time a bit as well." Nathan paused a moment to let this sink in.

Kris nodded. I am aware he thought casting a look at Tonkin. Can't I have a little bit of fun around here? Kris then looked at Hayley Collins. "If you can't tell, he's quite serious. We've tried to get him to change up his facial expressions but it is a work in progress" said Kris as he slowly approached the holding cell.

"If you do not believe us, I may be able to arrange you to meet yourself. Unlike you, she's very much part of Starfleet and a fine officer under my command" explained Kris.

Jhu rolled her eyes at them. "Neither of you knows that's the truth. There are a lot more possibilities than that... you're just picking the one you like best."

Kris glared at Jhu. "I haven't committed to one possibility or another. I'd still like to prick her and see if she bleeds. I've had enough bad experiences with the Founders" countered Kris. "However, Lieutenant Tonkin has a point in the path he's choosing. It is the most direct to the situation. I don't even want to begin to think we are dealing with an alternate of an alternate...from the future or past...or you know, I don't even want to give myself a headache over this."

Jhu glared right back at him. "He may have a point but so do I, one you're ignoring. You can't go offering to let her meet Collins until you know for a fact who and what she is."

"Is there really any harm having the two meet in here. This one is in a holding cell, with security watching her. I'm not suggesting lowering the force field for a girls night out" said Kris. "However, I do appreciate your suspicion and concern. Do you have a theory on who or what she may be?" asked the Captain.

Jhu shook her head. "If I had a theory I would offer it. Right now all I have is someone claiming to be Collins who obviously can't be from this ship. And now you two are telling her how we got here without even investigating why she was in our cargo bay or how she got there. You shouldn't be telling her anything until that's done."

"Noted" said Kris with a nod. "We'll proceed with more caution then. For now, let's get to the bottom of who she is or what she is and how she got aboard. Though given our present situation and power failures, it's plausible she found a pocket of weakened shielding and took advantage" Kris suggested.

Hayley looked at the trio and then at James who seemed to be as confused as she was. She looked at the three again. "Are you all on drugs? You really expect me to believe you're from an alternate universe? "

"Once upon a time, I may have very well been on a vast assortment of drugs and substances" said Kris with a scoff. "Not these days, and certainly not now. What you believe or what you don't isn't really my damn concern right now. You were aboard my starship, Ms. Collins and stealing Federations and Starfleet property. Who are you working for? The Ferengi? Breen? Orion Syndicate? Androssi?" asked Kris naming several potential species and groups.

"Obsidian Order, Tal Shiar, Tholian Assembly," Jhu added to the list, though she had no way of knowing if any of those groups existed here.

"I work alone... and make it my goal to kill every Ferengi I come across and taking advantage of idiotic Starfleet who are on drugs trying to pass an alternate universe story on me. If that makes me friends in some of the organizations you mentioned, then so be it, " she shrugged.

Kris looked at Jhu and Nathan "Our friend here doesn't seem very compliant. She likes to make reference to us being on drugs...perhaps that's not a bad idea?" he asked, quickly adding "Not us I mean." He looked at the woman in the holding cell. "It would be best if you simply answered questions truthfully and without the attitude."

His focus returned to his two officers. "It's been done before. Kazon, Cardassians, even we have used it once in a while. Should we have Sickbay work on developing a truth serum?" he asked.

"Will Cohen do it? It's not exactly ethical, you know." Jhu had no doubt that Liam would do anything Kris asked, but she figured the question of whether or not the doctor would do it might help their story a bit.

"Reluctantly" replied Kris. "It isn't ethical and he will have objections, but I am rather desperate and if I explain the situation, I may be able to get him to comply without ordering him to do so."

"Same ol' Kerouac, " she said, crossing her arms.

"So you're the bastard who abandoned Hayley to that Ferengi. You have any idea what she's endured thanks to you?" James said, glaring at Kris.

"Elements... are you sure it's not the two of you on drugs? Abandon our chief helm officer? That wouldn't be very bright, now would it? And to a Ferengi..." Jhu had to laugh at that, but the sound was hollow and harsh. "No one here would give anyone to the Ferengi. We're not monsters."

Hayley now had a confused look. "I was never the Chief Helm Officer on this ship. I was assigned as the shuttle craft pilot out of the Academy. I did my duty until I crashed into Ferengi vessel and taken captive by Daimon Qark. I was then traded on the Orion Black Market as a sex slave. For months I hoped--prayed for Starfleet to come and rescue me. But nobody came. I finally was able to escape due to James. Since then I have made it my goal to kill every Ferengi I see and make life a living hell for every Starfleet ship I encounter. "

"So have you figured out yet that this can't possibly be the ship you left yet? Because this is getting a bit old, going in in circles." Jhu crossed her arms, still leaning on the console.

"Exactly how would you act, if you were in my situation? Would you readily accept the word of people you don't trust? "

"Maybe not the people but the facts. My uniform is black, not yellow. I hold the rank of commander, not lieutenant. Therefore I am not the same woman you supposedly knew." Jhu thought all that was common sense.

Kris shook his head and looked at Jhu. “Simple costume play” he said to her, looking at the woman being held. “I know that you are too suspicious, too well trained at survival to easily take and accept that. What difference does it make if she put on a black uniform and threw a few more pips on her collar. Hell, she could walk in here as an Admiral and you wouldn't believe a word of it” said the Captain.

“Hayley, we're telling you the truth. You were a Starfleet officer, you went to the Academy and had at least a basic understanding of physics and theoretical sciences. You were a helmsmen, a pilot like I was. How many documented cases in Federation history are there of time travel, crossing into parallel universes or alternate realities? Too damn many and you know it” he said looking back at Jhu. Yes, I know...be careful what I say or tell her he thought, but at this point he did not care.

“I'm not at liberty to disclose what happened, but I need you to look at me. Look into my eyes, Hayley. I can't speak for the man that you knew as Kristopher Kerouac, but I would have never left you behind. I would have risked my own life to bring you back. I know what it is like to held captive...The Breen had me and they tortured me like many couldn't even imagine. I was in hell and I began to give up on Starfleet. I didn't think they would come for me, and that's a feeling I never want anyone to go through. During the war, I lost my fiance. The starship that he was on is missing, presumed destroyed til this very day...and a huge part of me never wants to call an end to my search until I bring him home, even if it's just confirmation that he and the others didn't make it.”

Hayley was silent for a moment. She was good at reading people and this Captain Kerouac was either a very good liar or telling the truth. She closed her eyes, allowing her mind and thoughts to slow down. "Very well, Kerouac. I'll take your word for it. But what happens to me and James? Returned to Starfleet so I can spend my life in some stupid labor colony that I will likely escape from?"

"I do not know" he admitted shaking his head. "Your crimes...they would land you there, but my ship and crew don't belong here. Is it my place to even bring you into justice?" He looked at Tonkin and Jhu for some insight.

"You're kidding, right?" Jhu stared blankly at Kris, not quite believing what she was hearing. "Whether we belong here or not isn't the point. We let her go without reporting this and it'll be us they come after."

Kris looked at Jhu and nodded. "I know, but she may be of use to us" he said hesitantly.

"If you want my honest opinion, I disagree. We caught her in our cargobay trying to steal from us. When given the option to surrender peacefully, she chose instead to fire on us. I believe that she is a liability, and I cannot recommend keeping her on board." Somehow, Jhu just knew that Kris didn't want her honest opinion though.

"I used stun. None of your people were hurt, " Hayley commented.

"Doesn't matter. You still fired on us." Whether the weapon was on stun or kill, Jhu didn't care. She still saw this version of Hayley as a threat, and she wasn't changing her mind any time soon.

Kris looked at the woman and shrugged. "When she puts her foot down...she's puts it down. I have come to typically rely on Commander t'Dharvanek's decisions and recommendations. Therefore, you'll be remaining...detained for the time being. We will turn you over to proper authorities when the opportunity presents itself. For the time being, the more you cooperate with us, the less likely Jhu or the others will shoot you."

"Your mistake, Kerouac." Hayley crossed her arms.

[ON]

Commander M'rayr Eisovo drummed the claws of his one paw against the surface of his desk while the other held up a PaDD. On that PaDD represented the entire service jacket of one Lieutenant Hayley Collins; born on Earth in Australia, both her parents were members of Starfleet Security at the time. Hayley's youth, it seemed, was perpetuated with several skirmishes with the law. She was falling into a dark path. Had it not been for her mother, Hayley might have continued to fall.

Somehow, Hayley Collins ended up in Starfleet. She flew shuttle pilots for a number of years before her assignment to the USS Kennedy, and later on the Katana.

M'rayr's eyes drifted from the raw data to an image taken presumably after Hayley Collins graduated out of Starfleet Academy. She was wearing the familiar grey/black uniform with a red collar and a single golden pip, wearing a small but proud smile.

At the chime at his doorway, the Caitian set the PaDD down and then deactivated its screen. He reclined a few degrees into his seat, interlaced his paws, and grunted out an "Enter". His tongue, like all Caitians, wasn't meant for speech in the way that Terrans or most other Federation species used them. Caitians used deep purring resonances and soft tones to communicate with one another. It often took a Caitian many years to mater the use of syllables. The result was what approximated for Federation speech, but with an underlying grow that seemed to reverberate in the back of his throat.

The doors parted obligingly. Another blonde hair-blue eyed woman stepped between the space of the doorway, still wearing a red tunic uniform but now with two solid golden pips on her collar. Out of the corner of his gaze M'rayr checked his chronometer. She was right on time for their appointment.

"Reporting as ordered, sir, " she stated. She hadn't had the time to really get to know the commander. So much had been going on lately.

M'rayr nodded curtly and waved a paw to the empty chair across from his desk. "Lieutenant. Thank you for a prompt arrival. Please have a seat." He interlaced his digits over the desk and waited until Hayley was settled into the chair before resuming. "What is your department status?"

Aboard an Intrepid Class vessel, the flight department was possibly one of if not the smallest department aboard with no more than four officers--three helm officers and one shuttle pilot. "All officers are well and on duty. Shuttle craft are all in operational condition with two on alert status should we need to use them immediately," she stated.

"Very good," M'rayr replied. For a moment it looked like he was about to continue on with his questions, but something held him back. He paused, watching Collins with neutral thoughtfulness. Now it was time for him to discuss a matter that concerned him. Not quite as much as department readiness, but it was nonetheless and object of crew morale. Over the past several days, he'd been overhearing rumors over a variety of topics and issues. Most pertained to whether or not they'd be able to return home, to their universe. Other conjecture focused on what this universe looked like, exactly. As far as M'rayr was concerned, most of that was harmless. But he'd heard at least one related to the ship's helm officer and a certain cadet. "Please describe your relationship with Cadet Masterson," M'rayr phrased more like a blunt instrument than a scalpel in search of the truth.

"We're friends," she stated simply, wondering what the XO was trying to get at.

M'rayr nodded, and let a small silence stretch between them. He found that awkward silences usually had an effect of convincing the other person in the room to further elaborate. When Hayley didn't, he resumed. "Understood. So there is no reason for me to cite Starfleet regulations prohibiting intimate relations between Starfleet Officers and enlisted or cadet personnel?"

"Like I said, Commander, we're friends, " she stated. "You're bound to make friends on a ship this small."

"Very true," M'rayr admitted, watching Hayley for an indication of a tell. After a moment, he began to conclude that she was either telling the truth, or she was very very good at hiding information. Picking up the PaDD with her service jacket, he acted as though there was pertinent information written upon it. "There have, however, been some reports that your... friendship... with Ms. Masterson, how shall I say? That it may have come close to violating Starfleet regulations." He waved a paw up at the air. "Naturally, it is my duty to investigate such reports."

Hayley bit her tongue at the commander's remarks. She didn't like having her word questioned. Would he be jealous? "Coming close and going past that line are two entirely different things, sir. So if you have something you're getting at please get to it."

"What I'm getting at," M'rayr said sternly, "Is that I suggest you make sure that that particular line is never crossed for as long as Mizuki Masterson is a cadet on board this ship. As long as that is something you are willing to adhere to, I believe we are done."

"Sir. I am a Starfleet Officer, I have busted my ass to get to where I am and I will not be told how to live my personal life as it is just that--personal. I will be friends with who I want and screw who I want. "

There was the behavior that M'rayr had anticipated since reading her file. Collins portrayed Starfleet colors, but on the inside, she was as rebellious as much of the rest of the crew were. He sat there and stared at her, his expression completely passive, as though nothing she said had struck the sort of nerve that she perhaps had been aiming for. "Provided you are not in a position in which you may directly influence the career progression of that individual," he stated flatly. "Which in Cadet Masterson's case, you would be as the Chief Navigational Officer on board this ship."

"I believe she is also studying engineering, not just flight control. I have no say on her promotion, just if she is doing a good job, and so far, she seems to be doing just fine, sir. So respectfully, back off. "

If it were possible for M'rayr to let loose a low growl, one of annoyance, he did so. The sound, as subtle as it was, still reverberated throughout the room. Perhaps he was pressing the point a little too hard; Haley had flat out told him that they were friends and nothing else. But there was something in her demeanor and defiance that, when coupled with her history and service jacket, unsettled him. "She is a child, Lieutenant. And you will treat her as such." He pressed a button on his table, and the doors behind his office opened automatically. "You are dismissed."

Hayley sighed and stood. "Aye, sir. " She the turned and exited the office.

0900. It was only an hour away, but every minute seemed to last a year. And, as familiar as Jenni was with the Deck Five corridor, the trek to the Intelligence Office was long and arduous. Even now that she stood in front of the closed entrance, Jenni could not help but sense that an era was truly over. It hadn't hit her that morning when she put on the new uniform, or even the moment yesterday evening when she accepted the offer to stay aboard from the Captain.

But this was it. No more Engineering.

Thankfully, no more bridge duty either.

Just a desk job. But it was only for a season, right?

With a sigh, Jenni tapped the open button beside the door, and stepped inside. It wasn't as big as she thought it would be, but it definitely seemed sufficient for the ship's small department.

Jenni spotted Commander t'Dharvanek almost instantly, though she wasn't that hard to spot in a room like this. She tugged on the bottom of her jacket and stepped forward. "Commander," she said, getting Jhu's attention. "Per Captain Kerouac, I've been assigned as your new Assistant Chief." Jenni held out the PADD the Captain had given her the night prior that contained not just the orders, but a message from the man himself for Jhu.

"Aren't you an engineer?" Jhu chuckled a little, taking the offered PaDD. "Well, I need all the help I can get, so that's fantastic."

Jenni cocked her head slightly to the side with a weak smile. Leaving the engineering comments aside, she said, "I'll be honest, intel is definitely something new for me. It's not filtering drive plasma or rigging an emergency power feed to the deflector array, so I imagine it's a little less stressful." She did not add a little less fun to the remark, but it was too early to give up hope.

"I think right now just the fact that you know this dimension better than I do is going to be a big help." Jhu read over the message that Kris had left on the PaDD, snorting at it. That man always had something sarcastic or smart-assed to say. "And I won't lie... there's lots of tech-y engineering stuff that goes wonky in here. Might be nice being able to fix it ourselves instead of calling Andy or Arivek up here."

"That so?" Jenni asked, eyeing the room once more. Maybe having a bit of a private playground wouldn't be a bad idea. "Does it go wonky on its own, or is it provoked?"

"On its own, usually. The ship's system and I don't always get along."

"We can fix that," Jenni smiled, still focused on her surroundings. Snapping back to the situation at hand, Jenni looked to her new supervising officer. "What's first, Commander?"

"First, I'm trying to sort out what sort of changes I'm looking at between my universe and yours. And it's giving me a helluva headache too." Jhu dropped the PaDD on her desk, rubbing her eyes.

"I doubt that headache will go away anytime soon," Jenni replied. "In what little I've learned about this crew, it seems that for a few exceptions, our universes have developed quite differently. It might be best to start anew."

"Somehow I had a feeling you were going to say that." Jhu didn't relish the idea of trashing all her old files, but it was starting to look like she just might have to do that.

"And I'm sure the re-education won't stop in this office." Jenni shuddered at the thought of having to teach nearly twenty years of history to a crew of one hundred and fifty. "The most important thing to know is that alliances aren't strong in today's Alpha Quadrant. And the Breen aren't to be trifled with."

"Breen aren't to be trifled with where I'm from either. Bunch of assholes in tin cans. But weak alliances... that's a change. Sort of. I mean, we're not all buddy-buddy back home but we're not trying to kill each other either."

With a nod, Jenni assessed her surroundings once more. "The best thing to do is probably start a cross reference of our records against my Starfleet's. Knowing there are sane versions of me in both universes, it'll be very difficult to say what is and isn't different. I should be able to take it from there."

"Good plan. Let's do that." Jhu rubbed her eyes some more as she picked up a PaDD to see if she could start working on the cross referencing. "There are some obvious differences, but I think most of it's going to be pretty subtle..."

"Let's hope." There were a couple of options in the room from where she could work. "Any of these stations spoken for?" Jenni gravitated towards one with a smaller screen, and quite an amount of desk space.

"Nope. It's just the two of us, so sit wherever you like."

Jenni smiled, running her fingers across the vacant desk. Yes, this would do nicely, and it was time to start collecting some tools to work with. "We should focus first on the political climate," she said, starting to tap a few buttons on the screen. "Diplomatic matters, territorial boundaries, outstanding claims and conflicts. Especially with the areas around our current location."

"Whatever you think is best. I'm beyond making decisions at this point, Jenni."

Jenni instructed the computer to begin the cross referencing. She looked back to Jhu, who seemed to be struggling more than she wanted to be. Without a word, Jenni crossed the room to the replicator and worked the controls for a minute, then set a mug in front of the Commander. "Hot tea with a dash of ginger and lemon. Should help with that headache."

"You're an angel. Thank you." Jhu took a grateful sip of the hot liquid, and just the warmth of it seemed to help at least a little.

Jenni nodded with a smile. "If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ask." She then moved over to her desk to start monitoring the computer's work.

The dog named Riley was in a bit of an agitated state. He'd tried going through the Jeffries tubes, but those had only taken him so far. The female that he had been left here to protect was in peril..having made it about halfway to his destination, the dog pawed at the turbolift door on the deck in which a visiting Doctor and his own dog were on, whining a bit.

In the Briefing Room, the Yeoman was left laying, out like a light, her body shaken up. Everything had happened too fast to even trigger her armor. Having been thrown across the room and into a wall at high speed would do that to anyone. There were cuts on her legs and arms, a big bruise on her back, her uniform was torn, and the same exposed legs were a bit red from the force of being propelled like that. She wasn't dead by any means, but she was in no position to free herself from being trapped in the office with everyone else being focused on bigger problems.

The USS Katana had come to what some would have called a screeching halt if there could be sounds heard in the emptiness of chilling space. Regardless, there were plenty of noises and chaos aboard the starship. Dr. Landon Milo, Chief Medical Director of Ophinias Colony was only a passenger aboard. He was hitching a ride aboard the Katana as she was intended to make an experimental transwarp jump to the Delta Quadrant. Where the hell they were now was yet to be confirmed or even speculated upon.

However, medical alerts were being issues all across the starship from deck one to the lower decks. There had been several surges and power drains, but emergency power had kicked in and primary turbolifts were still operational. Though he was simply a guest and passenger aboard, the call for all medical personnel and trained medics did not go unnoticed and Landon could not simply ignore the call nor would he.

He and his colleague, the Search & Rescue St. Bernard, Julian both shot out of their VIP guest quarters like cannon balls after Landon rolled out of bed and slid into a uniform. "Come on" called Landon, but Julian was already sitting at the door patiently, but Landon could subtly sense eagerness from the trained canine. Starship situations and crises were not part of Julian's usual usability. Though they had served aboard starships before such as the USS Venture and USS Black Hawk, Julian was used in situations involving snow and mountainous terrain, and essentially when tricorders or other scanning devices were rendered inoperable or useless.

Together, with Landon taking lead aboard the foreign starship, the duo made their way to Sickbay as patients and medical offers were piling up. Patients were being placed on bio beds while doctors, nurses, and technicians buzzed around the busy Sickbay. Landon did not know many of the medical personnel, but a human woman with darker skin and the rank of ensign spotted him. "Dr. Milo?" she asked as she approached.

Landon nodded. "May I be of assistance?" he asked the woman whom he was pegging as a nurse.

"Dr. Cohen, Dr. Rose, and several others have already been dispersed to various decks. We just received a call from the Bridge" explained the nurse.

Landon looked at Julian and then at the woman. "We'll head up there" said Landon as he proceeded to grab an emergency medical kit. Dr. Landon Milo grabbed what he needed and no sooner had he and Julian entered Sickbay, they were out the doors and speeding down the corridors into the most direct turbolift to the Bridge.

No sooner had the doors closed behind them had Landon heard the pawing and delayed in calling out his destination. He opened the doors and allowed the other canine into the lift. Guess Julian isn't the only dog aboard thought Landon as he pressed commands to be taken to the Bridge. When the lift came to a stop and the doors parted ways. Landon waited to see where this other dog would go.

The dog remained quiet as a mouse through the turbolift ride. Biding his time. Once the lift opened however, Riley snapped to his feet, looked back to the man, barked, and then padded across the bridge's upper level, avoiding shrapnel and debris as he went. He came to a stop in front of the dented briefing room door, which was presently locked and wouldn't open electronically. Pawing at the door and a few whines ensue. This was the place.

while Mizuki the princess still remained knocked out...

Landon noticed the dog's actions, and Julian followed Riley. They had both gathered at the door, the dog that Landon had only just met, Riley, was pawing at the door. Julian, however, was calmer and began to circle before sitting down and looking back at Landon. Someone's in there thought Dr. Landon Milo. He knew Julian and knew what to look for. This was an indication that someone was in there.

Dr. Milo approached the door and tried to open it. "Damn" he muttered. It was locked or jammed. Something wasn't functioning properly. He looked around the Bridge. It was abuzz with life. He noticed an engineer's mate at work at a nearby console.

The enlisted woman looked up at the Doctor. "We had some power failures, Sir. It is likely locked" she explained.

"Did someone go in there before the power failures?" asked Landon.

"I don't know. I just arrived here a few minutes ago" she answered. Landon nodded and reached into the woman's engineering kit, picking up a a device, a tool that would help him get the door open. He latched the device onto the locking mechanism of the door, placed his hand on the devices handles and gave it the hardest turn he could, hearing a pop. This allowed him to start to pull the doors apart, enough for the two dogs to slide in before he could.

Riley was in first, and padded over through the debris, coming to a sitting stop next to the prone body of the girl. He barked once and then whined, letting the other two know that he had found her. Remaining a bit calmer, now that he was with the girl.

With the doors opened wide enough, Landon squeezed in with his medical kit and rushed towards the desk in the room. A small frail young woman lie motionless against the back of the room. Landon reached in his medical kit and pulled out a tricorder, moving it over the woman and assessing the damage. It wasn't too bad. She had some bruises, scrapes, and likely a concussion. However, Landon was concerned about the room he was in. So much disarray, he was cautious of leaning shelves. I don't know how stable this room is he thought.

Given the recent power failures and the warp core offline. Landon was concerned about relying on transporters. I'm going to have to move her he thought, taking a deep breath as he placed his tricorder back in his kit and pulled out a hypospray. He readied it for two ccs of Netinaline, a stimulant used to revive patients. He pressed the hypo against her neck and waited for her to come to and open her eyes.

"Easy...easy" he said in a calm voice, placing a hand on her to keep her from trying to move. "My name is Dr. Milo. Do you know where you are?" he asked the woman.

"M-milo.." she mumbled, dizzy and disoriented, though the reviving agent had done its work. Some scrapes and cuts were definitely on her exposed legs. "I'm..in my office...I think. Wha- happened?" Her words slur together a little bit.

"Men thought they could be Gods and built wings and flew too close to the sun" he said shaking his head. "I'm a doctor, not an engineer. I am afraid that I cannot tell you what happened. All that I know is that the starship's transwarp jump failed, we're dead in space...engines are offline and their are multiple power failures around the ship" he explained.

"Not..good.." She murmured, not moving for the moment. "I'm thankful that..you found me." Her voice was a little hoarse. "Have any water, doc? And how bad is it?"

"Not really that bad" he said reached into the medical kit and pulling out a small flask. He handed it over to the woman "You're going to feel a bit stiff and achy in coming days, but nothing some good rest and relaxation can't fix. However, you may have a small concussion and I'd like to have you in Sickbay for further examination" explained Landon.

She gulped from it gratefully and leaned back to her original position. "A-alright. I'll go willingly..do we go now or later?" Mizuki asked him. "Oh..I'm Mizuki. The Yeoman.." she whispered, in introduction.

"Now" replied Landon just as more items began to fall in the room. "Oh yeah, definitely now" he added with a smile. "Can't use transporters though. I am going to probably going have to carry you back to Sickbay, Yeoman" explained the Doctor.

She nodded quietly. "Alright. I don't feel capable of moving right now, so..I consent to being carried." The girl tensed a bit as things started falling. "Oh crap.."

"Don't worry, we're gonna get out of here" said Landon as he bent down and scooped the girl up in his arms. "I don't look like much...my arms could use some work but I was on the track and field team at the Academy" added Landon looking down into the girl's eyes, turning and heading out of the room and back onto the Bridge.

"Reassuring to know, Doc." She smiled a bit looking into his eyes and then she relaxed. Best to let the tension drain, and trust that the medical professional could do his job. Riley would trot after them.

Indeed both the dogs came trailing behind them as Landon, carrying the yeoman stepped into the turbolift. Landon gave the computer a command to take them down to the deck in which Sickbay was located. "We'll find you a nice bio bed and have a look at that head" said Landon.

"Thank you." She replied with a smile, and managed to keep herself awake as they approached sickbay.

In the past 48 hours since emerging in this new universe, coming to an area different in both the sense of time and space, the crew of the Intrepid-class USS Katana had been coming to terms with the nature of their circumstances. Some, particularly with loved ones back home, were handling the change very hard. Commander M'rayr Eisovo had been taking an unusual amount of care speaking to those personally affected individuals. It was a good habit of a ship's first officer to be a hard ass, and yet, it was in times like these that a more delicate hand... er... paw... was needed.

M'rayr Eisovo was walking through deck two, heading towards Captain Kristopher Kerouac's personal quarters to give him his summary of crew morale: while struggling, the Katana would endure and eventually progress beyond all of this.

Reaching the doorway, the Caitian checked his uniform against the console, and then pressed the audible chime at Kerouac's quarters.

In the Captain's Quarters, Kris had been standing at a great view of space looking out into the blackness of space. I brought us here he thought with a sigh. And I have to get us out of here. Kristopher was not even bothered by the disruption of the chime of his door. He didn't move, not an inch. "Computer, release the lock on my quarters" said Kris knowing that his visitor clearly wasn't the Chief Medical Officer he shared quarters with.

"Come" he called out strongly. "It's open" he added as he waited for his visitor to enter, leaving his back towards them. The blackness of space had him occupied and engaged. He had no need to break away from that. He noticed the reflection of the tall Caitian in the reflective surface. "Commander Eisovo" he said calmly making note of the man's presence.


"Captain Kerouac," M'rayr greeted in return. The Caitian glanced around the room. Everything seemed in order, although the lighting was low for human standards. Thankfully, M'rayr had no difficulty taking notice of nearly every detail given his superior eye sight. For a split second, M'rayr looked like he was about to continue, but changed his mind at the last second. "Is this a good time?"

"Kris" replied Captain Kerouac. His gaze lingered for a while longer out at the blackness of space before he turned around and saw the large Caitian. "Time" said Kris with a scoff. "All time is a good time, Commander. We've lost enough of it. We've lost a lot."

That might be a matter of opinion, M'rayr thought as he joined Kerouac near the middle of his quarters. The Caitian assumed that Doctor Cohen was elsewhere, otherwise he might have announced himself. "That is the matter I came to discuss with you. I have studied crew reactions to our new circumstances, and have consulted Doctor Lia Grae."

Lia thought Kris, a small smile swept across his face and a glow in his cheeks. He looked at M'rayr and nodded. "Good work, Commander. I have been having concerns about the crew and how they are holding up" admitted Kris. "How bad is it, Commander?" he asked, bracing himself for some bad news, but hoping for the best.

M'rayr thought over some way he could preface what he was about to say in order to soften the blow. But the fact of the matter was that there were still a lot of unknowns. "Our combined opinion is that most of the crew are still in what might be regarded as a state of shock. Most are looking up the alternate version of themselves. Many are concerned about whether this universe will be our new home or whether we will be able to return to our universe. But the overall impact to crew morale has yet to occur."

Kris took a deep breath. As to be expected. Damned human curiosity. Why must they look into who they are here. It's bad enough I am apparently an asshole and psycho here he thought as he reflected on his own counterpart.

M'rayr realized that he was sounding rather apathetic - presenting his report as though he were announcing a family member's imminent demise. The fact of the matter was that he felt very differently. To him, this universe was a chance to start anew; the consequences of the past didn't matter here. "Nevertheless, both Doctor Grae and myself are confident in the resilience of the crew," M'rayr continued, finishing with "As long as the senior staff possesses resolve, the rest of the ship will as well."

"It's a good crew...a damn good crew" said Kris shaking his head. "Can we last out here? No, not on our own and I know that. However, that means we have to make contact with the Federation and Starfleet Command here. That isn't going to be easy" said Kris.

The Caitian turned his head in what was distinctly feline-curiosity. "Why shouldn't it be?"

"We don't know anything yet about this Starfleet or this Federation" said Kris. "I am treating this Miss Matthews as a welcomed guest and I have offered her a place on our crew. However, that doesn't change the fact that I'm cautious. She's been offered a position under Commander t'Dharvanek for a few reasons, more than the reasons that I gave her" explained Kris. "Even if this Federation and Starfleet are good and clean. It's going to be awkward for them and us approaching them. 'Hey, we know that we look like people you know, but we aren't. We are from an alternate reality, universe...whatever. Oh and we are also a few years behind you."

"This does not appear to be a version of the universe similar to that of the Terran Empire as encountered back in the mid-22nd century and later the 24th. In fact, it seems to be quite like our own according to information we've already gathered. Commander t'Dharvanek was quite please to learn that Section 31's presence is significantly reduced here," M'rayr pointed out neutrally. "And while explaining our precise circumstances to this universe's Starfleet Command will undoubtedly be... haphazard," Secretly, M'rayr was glad that it would be Kerouac and not him to have that conversation. "I believe it would be irresponsible for us not to report our presence. We will undoubtedly need their assistance in mitigating the potential impact of our existence."

Strange, M'rayr thought. A few weeks ago there'd been nothing but mute apprehension between him and Kerouac. Now all he could detect was notes of two senior officers working out a common problem together. The Caitian managed a small but wry grin. "Worst case scenario, the Admiral Jethro Hayes of this universe hates you as much as he did in the last one."

Kris let out a small chuckle. "I think that is a given. Were you brought up to speed on my evil counterpart?" asked the Captain. "I am personally curious what you do in this little universe of theirs."

"I am not," M'rayr admitted. He'd been too preoccupied with the rest of the crew to look up many details of their alternate selves. Who are you in this universe?"

"Disgraced First Officer removed from duty and tossed into the Brig for a long hull back to Federation space" said Kris shaking his head. "I put the crew's life in danger and destroyed a Breen planet, likely killing thousands, millions of innocent lives. I also apparently wanted to kill Matthews" said Kris.

The revelation was dawning on M'rayr. Now he understood a bit better what Kerouac had meant about how difficult it would be to approach Starfleet Command. How exactly would they take the news if it were coming with someone they'd recognize as being responsible for wholesale genocide?

"In this universe, I appear to be dead." M'rayr pointed out. "Killed in a battle against the Breen. From my understanding of the engagement, the situation was extremely similar to the battle I participated in against the Gorn. Perhaps it would be appropriate for me to approach Starfleet Command? Until Starfleet grasps the situation fully, it may be better for them to hear about our predicament from a dead man... instead of a mass murderer."

Kris nodded and shook his head with a sigh. "Yes, I suppose that may be the wisest course of action. You may not necessarily be Starfleet, at least not in the typical sense. However, our options are limited. It's either you or one of the other more senior officers. My being a mass murder rules me out. I don't know how well a Trill/Romulan with an attitude will go over with them, and a large breasted Android who looks like an Orion sex slave may be a bit too much for them to handle. You are my First Officer. So, I concur with your approach."

M'rayr nodded. It looks like he'd be the one to speak with Starfleet Command first, after all. He wondered if Kerouac would have afforded him the trust that he is now if only a few weeks ago. "We have identified a subspace communication relay approximately twenty light years from our present location. Commander t'Dharvanek has already made use of her intelligence gathering capabilities to assemble a more comprehensive picture of this universe. Using our comm-array, it should be no problem to reach the regional task force."

"Make it so" replied Kris, a small little smile tugged at his mouth. Always wanted to say that he thought before focusing his attention back on his First Officer. "Are you quite sure that you are dead, Commander? You seem more mellow than when you first came aboard. Some may queston if you were replaced by the other M'rayr" said the Captain.

The large Caitian loosed a short chuckle, then cracked his neck with a sideways tilt. "It's a complicated matter, Captain. Sufficed to say, I consider this universe a chance to begin anew. Where decisions and mistakes of ones past are no longer there to burden him." M'rayr looked back to Kerouac, and wondered exactly how many ways he planned on taking advantage of this new potential reality. Given that Kristopher Kerouac was a psychotic killer in this universe, the Kerouac that stood in his place today was certainly a step up. "I have made the decision to use this universe as a place to start over."

Kris silently nodded for a few moments, taking in everything that M'rayr, his most recent First Officer was saying, and some of it was striking Captain Kerouac exactly where he needed to be struck, at his heart, his soul, his inner most core. It was a part of himself that he had numbed for year with booze and sex, but in recent months, especially in the most recent days had become reachable again. He felt again or rather he allowed himself to feel again. However, for the first time in a very long time, Kris felt vulnerable.

My crew and my starship are my responsibility he thought taking in a deep contemplative though with a breath, releasing the breath shortly thereafter, but holding onto to dear life with the thought. “I know how you feel, Commander” said Kris, almost with the tone of a ship's counselor. “I consider this punishment and opportunity” began Kris as he drew a few steps closer to his companion. “Punishment for my carelessness, my willing to do whatever it took to satisfy my own personal needs and wants. Though it was Starfleet Command that was sending us to the Delta Quadrant with our experimental reverse engineered Borg transwarp technology, I could have made an effort to put my foot down, demand more time, more testing, more resources. I did not” said Kris shaking his head.

“I did not because I did not care. I was eager to make history and show skeptics that we could reverse engineer Borg transwarp tech and make it work. I wanted so fully to be correct, to believe that we'd make it. Then, the harsh punishment came for my carelessness, my thirst to do the damn near impossible and try out our new wings lead me to my Icarus complex and our fall for we burned too brightly too fast” explained the Captain. “But punishment allows for penance, an ability for I and others to make up for past transgressions and mistakes, to rid myself of my demons and drive them back to abyss” added Kristopher shaking his head.

He looked at M'rayr somewhat tearfully as he struggled to continue. “I have also decided to make this place a chance for me to start over. I have to be the best Captain I can be, Commander. I have to rely on my knowledge and respect for some of the best men and women to command starships. Some of the greats...they would never stand for this, never lie down and accept defeat. Kirk would have fought to get his crew him, Picard would have kept his crew loyal until a solution was presented, and Janeways would have been intellectually cunning in doing whatever it took and then some. I have to do the same” finished Kris.

Something about what both Lia Grae and Andy Carter had warned M'rayr about the Captain's potential for obsessiveness sank into the forefront of M'rayr's thoughts. He wrestled with his responses for a few quite seconds, trying to think mixture between encouragement and caution, before settling on. "You are both a fighter as well as intellectually cunning, Captain." M'rayr began, regarding Kerouac's tenacity for pursuing unconventional methods as close as fit as any. "And most importantly, the crew is loyal to you. Be this universe or the one we left behind, we have a home - a place we belong. This ship. Nothing else matters."

Everything matters thought Kris, but he said nothing to counter his First Officer. Instead, he simply nodded and looked at the Caitian. "Did you have anything else that you wanted to discuss, Commander?" asked Kris.

M'rayr shook his head. "Nothing at this time, sir."

"Then, you are dismissed" replied Kris flatly. I need some time to just think thought Kris.

Commander M'rayr Eisovo felt a palpable change in the atmosphere on the bridge as he entered through the turbolift. Rounding the perimeter, he passed Lieutenant Nathan Tonkin at Security, and Lieutenant Arivek Zhuri at the Auxiliary Engineering station. The rest of the senior staff were present as well - albeit one. Contrary to typical Starfleet protocol for ships about to contact Starfleet Command for orders, but for appropriate considerations nonetheless, Captain Kristopher Kerouac was observing events through a live feed from his Ready Room nearby. It would be none other than M'rayr himself to deliver his report to Starfleet Command.

One Federation Starship, USS Katana, Starship Registry NCC-74757 had been destroyed in combat against a Breen cruiser, most of its one hundred and fifty crew compliment killed. Nineteen survivors, including the acting commanding officer, Jennifer Matthews, were evacuated to a seemingly identical USS Katana, starship Registry NCC-74757 shortly after the former's destruction. And now this new ship, and its crew, needed Starfleet's help to return to their own universe. It hadn't mattered how many times M'rayr Eisovo had practiced his speech earlier. He'd yet to fully convince himself of what he was suggesting; he literally had no idea how an Admiral several dozen light years away would handle it.

Taking his seat at the center of the bridge, M'rayr glanced over to Lieutenant Matthews whom in the next few moments would be his living witness as well as a means of validating their story. From where he was sitting, Matthews hardly reminded him of the broken young woman he met with in the corridors, and then later in his personal quarters to formulate a plan towards contacting Starfleet. Her uniform was fresh, her jacket and collar no longer singed around the edges, and her pips as shiny as his own. But the gaze behind her eyes still reminded him of remorse and uncertainty.

"Are you prepared, Lieutenant Matthews?" The Caitian First Officer-made-acting Commanding Officer asked under a low breath.

Jenni took a deep breath before answering. She wasn't exactly thrilled that residual duties tied her to a vessel that no longer existed, nor that she was once again sitting in the chair belonging to one who bore the title of Executive Officer. In fact, just prior to the Commander's arrival, Jenni had made it a point to avoid sitting in the chair for as long as she could. It wasn't until the Caitian sat that she had followed suit. One could only hope this conversation would not last long.

With a non-descript expression, Jenni eyed the bridge crew, recognizing the faces of those who had rescued her, and doing her best not to question why a Hayley Collins was sitting at the helm. Dopplegangers of Verak and Kerouac had been enough excitement for her, but knowing this ship's Cohen was nearly identical to one she once knew, Jenni was ready to give Hayley a strong benefit of a doubt. Maybe in this universe, she'd been rescued in time before suffering a brutal life, or maybe she hadn't been in that situation to begin with.

One thing was sure, as uncomfortable as Jenni was, everyone else on the bridge was in the same predicament. Out of place and out of time. If there was one thing in common, everyone just wanted this nightmare to be over.

"As much as I can be, Commander," Jenni replied, just as softly as the Caitian had asked.

M'rayr nodded, running his digits over the console typically used by Kerouac. "Captain, are you online?" He asked, having established a passive comm-link between the bridge and the ready room.

"He'd better be online or I'll go in there and kick his ass," Jhu remarked brightly from her usual place in the aft area of the bridge.

Arivek Zhuri took a deep breath as he sat at the Engineering station towards the starboard side of the Bridge. He did one last run through of the systems on board, making sure everything was in place. The Communications Array was active and working at optimal efficiency, the sensor beacon was on standby. Everything was ready. He glanced back at the Caitian sitting in the Captain's chair. A man he was thuroughly upset with at the moment, but a man who was doing everything in his power to make this situation better. Right now was not the time to hold grudges, but rather put them aside for another time. There was work to be done. "Communications on standby, Commander," he stated.

“Don't make me demote your ass to Lieutenant” replied Kris, well aware of what his Chief Intelligence Officer had said. “You are no longer irreplaceable with an Assistant Chief in your department again” added the Captain as he sat in his Ready Room listening in on everything.

"You wouldn't dare," Jhu immediately shot back, grinning a bit.

Jenni nearly froze in her chair, hearing the Captain's response. Today was her first day as an Assistant Chief and already she was being used as blackmail? She could only hope the Captain was joking. If he wasn't... then heaven help her... Jenni wasn't ready for this.

“Affirmative, Commander” Captain Kerouac said, speaking up and reclining in his chair. “I am online and can hear loud and clear. I know that you have matters under control and I have the utmost confidence in your abilities to handle this correspondence” added Kris.

"I believe the human expression is 'knock on wood'," M'rayr said under his breath, tapping a claw against the console next to him. There was a lot riding on this, and him. If he did well, it could mean good things for the Katana and its crew... possibly even a means home to their universe. If things went badly, who knew where they'd end up. "Very well. Senior Chief Carter, please establish a sub-space link to relay five-three-one, destination Theta Fleet Headquarters."

Liam appeared to be late to the party, with Sickbay now back to a dull hum of routine and the impending communication to Starfleet he'd taken to the opportunity to take a rarely held position on the Bridge. He lingered near the back of the bridge, part of him had been tempted to go to the Captain's Ready Room and sit with Kris thought the ordeal but his position as a senior officer was on the Bridge.

"Relay five-three-one, Theta Fleet Headquarters," Andy echoed as she entered the commands at her console to open the sub-space link with this universe's version of Starfleet Headquarters. "Communications channel open and secured. Take it away, Boss."

M'rayr braced himself. "Starfleet Command, this is the USS Katana. Respond, please."

An awkward silence gripped the bridge as everyone awaited who would answer the call. Jenni shifted in her own seat, knowing ultimately this situation would fall on her as she was native to this timeline. It felt like minutes and minutes passed by as the call was unanswered.

Before the tension could mount any further, the starfield on the viewscreen disappeared in a flash to reveal an admiral's office. The room was typical, and the camera displayed the image of a Starfleet Admiral from the waist up, his uniform fully clad with gold piping and the pips of a flag officer on either side of the red collar. Jenni shifted again in her seat, recognizing the bald man with the gruff face as Admiral Montgomery, the director of the Task Force the Katana operated under.

Admiral Montgomery was renown for his inability to be shocked, turning every surprise into a calculation of his opponent or the poor soul who was opposite his desk or terminal screen. But even he did not expect to see a Caitian with a provisional rank no less to be standing before him as the Commander of the Katana. To his knowledge, there was not a single member of that species on board.

"Where is Captain Zanaar? Or Kerouac for that matter?" the admiral plainly demanded without so much as an introduction.

"Admiral, my name is Commander M'rayr Eisovo. I am, for the present time, the commanding officer of the Katana," M'rayr began. His ear twitched suddenly, a subtle indicator that he was nervous even though his expression had remained stone neutral since the moment Montgomery's face lit up the view screen. The Caitian pressed a button on his console, releasing the communications lockout and allowing Jenni's final report to Starfleet Command to leave the queue. "You may recognize Lieutenant Jennifer Matthews to my left; she is one of nineteen survivors that my vessel recovered after the Federation Starship Katana was destroyed in battle against Breen forces. That statement sounds extremely contradictory, I am aware.

"Sufficed to say," M'rayr continued. "-that apart from Lieutenant Matthews and the other Katana survivors currently on board, I, and every member of this ship, have arrived unintentionally from an alternate point in time and space - essentially, a parallel universe."

It was by all accounts a lot of information to take in, which was exactly why M'rayr had been so intent to say everything he just did without interruption or an opportunity for pause. Otherwise, it would have been too easy for the conversation to lean sideways before the Caitian could clearly state their circumstances. "By now, Lieutenant Matthew's final report as the acting commanding officer of the former USS Katana should have reached your terminal. It will validate what I have just told you. And Ms. Matthews is present to further corroborate her report, if need be."

Which M'rayr believed was a near certainty.

Montgomery remained stationary, save for the four fingers on his right hand that gently and repetitively tapped the desk. His cold eyes stared at the Caitian for a few seconds, before glancing downward to a notification on his terminal. He did not speak as he quickly skimmed the report.

"The Katana was reported missing a short time ago," Montgomery finally declared before looking back up at the Caitian. "Disappeared into Breen space, according to our sensor relays. That all changed three days ago when this happened."

Montgomery tapped a button and the viewscreen instantly changed, showing a yellow-green planet and Breen marking on the sensor readings. Without delay, the planet appeared to collapse inward before suddenly tearing itself apart, expelling shards in every direction. In front of those shards was a small ship. The playback paused and quickly zoomed in on the vessel. An enhancement overlay revealed an Intrepid-class starship bearing the Katana's registry.

Jenni looked away. Deep down in Engineering, she had no idea what Kerouac had been up to until the call came through for emergency warp. Only after the deed was done did she learn the truth. This, however, was the first time she had seen what happened.

The image changed back to Montgomery. "Why Kristopher Kerouac was ever allowed in that chair I'll never know. What I do know is that the slimy bastard has more than a dozen tricks up his sleeve at a time. He's gone too far this time. I'll even bet his death was faked, just to hide from the Breen."

Jenni rose from her chair and took a few steps to the viewscreen. "I watched him die, Admiral!" she exclaimed, almost in protest. There were other witnesses on this bridge to that matter. "And everything in that report is true. Nineteen people from Kerouac's Katana escaped a Breen firing squad thanks to this ship and its crew."

"Matthews I take it?" Montgomery asked, quietly pulling up her personnel file. "You're not wearing the colors of your department, Engineer." His tone indicated it was more of a slur than a statement. "And you've been with Kerouac for years. Surely you must be his partner in crime."

"Really? You haven't heard her talk about him then," Jhu cut in, not liking where this was going. Jenni might be new to this Katana, but that was her assistant that Montgomery was trashing.

With a dry tone, Montgomery spoke, "And who exactly are you? Romulans and a Starfleet uniform is not a typical combination."

Damn, am I that forgettable here? Jhu cleared her throat, managing not to look too annoyed with the question. "I think you should read that report before asking that question, Admiral."

And Montgomery had the manifest Lieutenant Matthews provided right beside him on the screen. Already his aides were verifying every name on the list, feeding him information as they went. "Exactly my point," Montgomery curtly responded. "Most of the names on this list don't exist or are dead or missing or assimilated. In fact, it seems each one of these names has had some sort of inquiry made within Starfleet records. How do I know this manifest hasn't been tampered with?"

"Have your spooks look at it," Jhu replied coolly, not terribly bothered by the question. She was well aware by now that she was supposed to be dead and that many others on board were dead, missing, or simply non-existent in this reality.

"Admiral," M'rayr interrupted as the withering exchange between his bridge crew and the admiral dropped suddenly. While he'd hoped that this conversation wouldn't fall into undertones of suspicions, it clearly had. "I understand that what we are telling you may come off as implausible. But I assure you that the data is genuine. Furthermore, radiocarbon dating of our vessel would reveal that we are at least four years out of time with your own. We are both aware that there is no scientific means of altering a radioactive isotope of carbon." He paused to let that sink in. "You will undoubtedly need time to confirm the information we have provided you, but in the end, you will have no other recourse other than to accept that what we have told you is the truth. That is not why I am contacting you."

Montgomery had many suspicions, but so far every item on Matthews' report was verified. Sensor data corroborated the details of Katana's destruction, as well as an unexplained distortion not far from that location. But, yes, he would need more time to verify the data. "What is it you wish to discuss, Commander?" Montgomery demanded, eyeing the Caitian carefully.

"Our fate, Admiral." M'rayr said plaintively, despite the fact that he was now negotiating the Katana's destiny in this universe. A temptation to stand up came about, but the Caitian forced himself to remain seated; he didn't want to pace the bridge unnecessarily. "So far, and aside from a few differences, our observations of this space-time continuum appear very similar to our own. But without Starfleet's resources, we are a vessel alone. And it seems that your task force has recently become an Intrepid-class short."

As a tactician, Montgomery knew he could not delay a response of any kind. And, though the report was being cleared each line at a time, he still had his suspicions. "It will be no secret soon what happened across the border, Commander," he warned. "And as much as I'd like for your ship to report to a starbase for full debrief, we are indeed short handed. Lieutenant Matthews?"

Jenni, still standing, clasped her hands behind her back as she met the Admiral's gaze. "Admiral?"

"I see in your report that you have elected to remain on board. Given the circumstances, I'll allow this. I cannot afford to spend resources on getting this ship up to speed. It is up to you." What he didn't say publicly was that he would expect her to keep an eye on this crew to ensure they did not follow in their predecessor's footsteps. "As soon as you're across the border, Commander, report to Task Force 23 for assignment. Further instructions will be given to you then."

The Caitian nodded. "Aye, Admiral."

And as brusque as Montgomery had been as the communique began, the view screen blinked back to a casual view of the stars ahead without another word mentioned. M'rayr had thought about announcing the fact that the Katana had a very alive Kristopher Kerouac on board. But he wasn't about to force it if the terms didn't feel right; Starfleet Command would find out, eventually. Especially once the Katana did report to Task Force 23 for their first duty assignment. Without realizing it, M'rayr let out a breath he'd been holding, causing a sound that closely approximated a grumble. "Better than I feared; worse than I hoped..." he turned to Jenni. "Thank you for your assistance, Lieutenant. Captain Kerouac, you are free to come onto the bridge at your discretion, sir."

The doors to the Captain's Ready Room parted ways, allowing the Captain to pour out of his private little room and walk across the Bridge. He did not wait a moment to address matters. "That was a cake walk compared to what will happen when he is made aware that I am Commanding Officer" commented Kris.

M'rayr agreed. "We shall cross that bridge once we get there."

Captain Kerouac turned on his heels and looked at the viewscreen. His gaze fell downward upon the flight controller. "Collins, lay in a direct course" commanded Kerouac.

Hayley was silent for a moment. They were being assigned to this new universe? This wasn't home to her. She wanted to protest. How could they not even try to return home? "Aye, Captain," she replied finally, as she typed in the coordinates into her console and engaged the warp engines.

"Full speed" added Kris with a nod as he took his seat.

Will ran down the corridor double-time, or at least that was how he had started out, but soon his pace had increased in panic as his head was a blur trying to cope with the new information he was trying to process.

He ran past other officers and enlisted personnel as he rounded the last corner and slid to a halt outside of Val's quarters. His recent conversation with Arivek and then a recent database check had revealled two shocking revelations to him.

He pressed the call button on the panel repeatedly. "Val! Val! Open the door baby, please!" He called, trying to keep some form of control as best he could.

Valerie was in her quarters changing her uniform, a victim to an injured officer's upset stomach. She had just zipped up her jacket when she heard pounding on her door. She rushed to her door and opened it. "Will? What's wrong?"

Will stood infront of her as he tried to talk and explain what he had found out. He took a deep breath for a moment. "Quite simply, we're not in Kansas anymore Toto," he began saying before trying to slow himself down again to explain more, but his mind was racing as he tried to understand the situation. He was panicking again.

Valerie blinked, "Will, calm down, and tell me what's exactly going on?" she stared at him.

"OK... It turns out that the TransWarp flight didn't work...but its caused more issues to deal with," he began, sifting through all the details.

"Basically, the Borg Device moved us forward in time... We traveled forward in time by four years... But its not only shifted the ship and crew in time, we've also moved into some sort of Alternate Universe as well where events...timelines...histories...are different and things have changed," he explained.

Val looked away as she absorbed what Will was telling her. After a few seconds she looked back at him with wide yes, "So we're in a parallel universe of the future...how is this even possible?" She asked.

Will looked back at Val as he disclosed the reason why. "Its something to do with the damn Borg TransWarp Coil that they installed into the ship," he explained to her. "From talking to Arivek, it seems that the Coil produced more Chroniton particles which then propelled the ship through time as well as space. But the Borg Tech stayed in 2388, it detached from the ship was sucked backed through time as if it was anchored here," Will explained.

He walked over to one of the chairs in the room and collapsed in it. "This is all nuts," he murmured.

Val followed him to the couch and sat down next to him. She reached out and took hold of one of his hands. "Whatever the cause, the important thing here is that we're alive and as of now, safe." she said calmly as she squeezed his hand.

Will squeezed her hand back as he carefully considered his next words, which led to a tear falling down his cheek. He looked at Val straight in the eye. "Baby... Theres something I need to tell you... Theres something you need to know," he started, trying to sort his thoughts and feelings as he tried to make further sense of things.

"Will, what's wrong?" She asked, always concerned when Will starts crying in front of her.

Will pulled out a small PADD from his inside jacket pocket and passed it to her to look at. "I ran a check in the Starfleet database at Starfleet Operations before I left Astrometrics. It confirmed that...that I went missing over six years ago on board the USS Valkyrie whilst it was charting the Delta Quadrant..." He stopped for a moment taking a breath.

"Thats when I was taken prisoner by the Borg Queen... Apparently theres a Borg Drone version of me out there... But thats not all I found out. My parents survived The Battle of Wolf 359! My parents are alive and well baby!" He explained as more tears streamed down his face, trying to take in what was happening.

She wrapped her arms around him, stroking the back of his head as she let him cry onto her shoulder. "Shhh, it's going to be ok, Will."

The thought that his parents were alive had been trying to overwhelme Will since he had found out that information thanks to the datalink with Starfleet. For years he'd been dealing with the burden of the loss of his family and his traumatic time with the Borg. Of late, his meeting Val and falling for her along with reuniting with Andy were moments he considered to be positive and finally he gave in to his emotion.

He hugged into Val tightly as he cried, feeling safe within her embrace as he came to terms with the information he had discovered.

Valerie rubbed his back as he cried. Even though she and Will only have been together a short time, she knew how much the death of his parents had affected him, and knowing now they are alive in this universe gives him a rare opportunity..."You've been blessed, Will." she whispered into his ear. "Maybe this will give you that fresh start you always wanted."

Will looked up at her and wondered for a moment. "A second chance... Wow, I've never thought of that before... This could be my way to sort things out," he thought out loud to her. Will looked into her eyes. "Would you help me?" He asked her.

Valerie looked into his eyes and for the first time since their relationship began, she hesitated. "I...I will try." she whispered. "Will... I don't know what it's like to have a family. I never experienced anything that could come close during my development at the Vulcan Institute. I may not be much help in that regard." She replied honestly but still gripped his hands.

Will held Val close to him as he listened to her. "Wow... I never knew... I'm sorry," he said, feeling suddenly sad that he had a second chance to keep his family but she had never had one. "Well... Now you get to learn with me, I'll show you," he offered.

"Why are you feeling sad?" Valerie asked him with a small smile on her face, "I have no regrets with my upbringing. It made me the person I am today."

"Well, I'm glad I met you... Your an amazing person and I am so lucky to have you," Will whispered to Val, kissing her on the cheek gently.

[ON]

Until recently, the only reason that Commander M'rayr Eisovo had ever visited a holodeck or holosuite was to run simulations pertinent to his duty as a Starfleet Officer. But ever since he met with K'larri in a holographic jungle, the Caitian had decidedly spent more and more time running various recreational programs. That being said, he wasn't here of his own volition; Commander Maica, for whatever reason it seemed, had contacted him, asking him to meet her in Holodeck One regarding a matter of some urgency.

M'rayr figured an accident must of have occurred. But when he arrived on the holodeck, he found the familiar jungle program running with a few variations. Most importantly, Maica was nowhere to be found. Instead, M'rayr stood looking at what looked like some sort of hot springs bath. The water was clearly hot as the mix between it and the air manifested in clouds of steam. Next to a collection of rocks was a bottle of what looked like Nepata wine, and a bowl of shredded Nepata leaves.

Ok, so she lured me here for some reason or the other. But why this? M'rayr thought. "Computer, where is Commander Maica?"

Commander Maica is in her office, the computer replied.

The Caitian then began to reach for his comm-badge, but ceased when he heard a short stirring in the wilderness. It didn't seem to matter that he knew that he was in a holodeck program, or that that program had certain safety features that would prevent any serious harm from coming to him. Still, between the sights and smells of what appeared to be a very convincing jungle, M'rayr couldn't help but to become alert.

"Who is there?" He asked, his eyes narrowed, searching through the darkness.

Finally finding her way out of the forest, Dekusa stepped from the brush out into the clearing with a slightly peeved look on her face. "Is this your idea of a joke? Telling your android to lure me here and get me lost while you set up this..." Waving a paw at the setup, Dekusa eyed the bottle and the leaves for a moment before continuing. "...this whatever it is?"

It took M'rayr several seconds longer to process what she thought was happening, and once he had, he was certain of one thing. He was going to have a long, private discussion with Lieutenant Commander Maica. Heaving an audible sigh, the Caitian turned his face impassive, built his posture so that he appeared as professional as possible, and then began to formulate exactly how he was going to explain all of this to Dekusa.

And then he realized exactly what she was wearing. M'rayr had already been at least subtly aware of how well she was filling out the white swimsuit she was wearing - a swimsuit possessing a miniskirt that left M'rayr at least momentarily distracted. Dammit! It wasn't just his appreciation of nature that the smells of the jungle were inspiring. It took a fraction of a second, but M'rayr got a hold of himself. "V'Dek'usa Shusoe'nora'tekli," he began, using her full Caitian individual and familial name as part of a custom meant to honor her. "I assure you that this... program is not of my design. I do apologize for the inconvenience this must have given you."

Distracted from her fuming for a moment by the mention of her full name, Dekusa stared at M'rayr for a moment in surprise. Turning away and looking back towards that bath, she was silent a moment longer before she mumbled a reply. "That's not my name anymore... Thank you though..."

The male Caitian stepped forward. "K'el'M'rayr Sel'is'Eisovo. While it may not be my name any longer in accordance with my terms of exile, I shall not forget it."

Another surprised glance at M'rayr. Dekusa wasn't expecting that at all. Turning towards him to face him fully, she curtsied lightly out of respect. "Since the doors are locked and we're lost, I suppose we should at least avail ourselves of these amenities."

"I do not believe that would be appropriate," said M'rayr.

"She invited me out here for a hot springs bath. I had assumed she would be here." Dekusa stated simply. "But if you don't think my company is suitable for such endeavors..."

"That is not the problem, Dekusa. But I am aware of Commander Maica's motivations when she arranged this... meeting," said M'rayr, noticing a little angst in his voice. She was already headed for the bath, and although he felt reluctant to join her, he knew that under Caitian customs his refusal to join her might be perceived as an insult - particularly given the fact that she was from one of the oldest families on Cait. Despite how much he tried to come up with something, even an excuse, not to join her, he found nothing to use that wouldn't have likely ramifications. Sighing inaudibly, he looked to the warm and welcoming waters of the spring, and relented. "Nevertheless, I will join you." He said, his hands reluctantly moving to remove his uniform top.

Slipping into the water herself, Dekusa purred at how sublime it felt in her fur as she slowly submerged into it. "I'm used to being a pawn for someone else's motivations. Let me guess, she wants us to become good friends, mate, and live happily ever after based on some misplaced sense of responsibility for our common familial idiocy. Am I right?"

M'rayr nodded, even though there was a telltale expression of amusement on his face. Dekusa was a chronicler, so it made that much sense not to assume that she wasn't good at reading between the lines on other people's motivations. He followed behind her, stepping into the warm and relieving waters that almost immediately had a telltale effect on his muscles which were already tense enough. Maica must have already added some of the Nepata leaves from the bowl, because a subtle intoxication had already began to work its way near the front of his skull. He was feeling more relaxed than ever, even with the beautiful red Caitian beside him. "That, and she likely believes that intercourse would make me more... amenable with the crew. Her intentions are as probably much about her concern for them as it is for us," the Caitian chortled.

Relaxing into the nepata laced water, Dekusa closed her eyes and smiled slightly in a very Caitian way. "Would that please you? Or is it something she's concocted on her own?" She too was feeling the effects of the nepata leaves already in the water and frankly, she didn't much care what the handsome male sharing the bath with her said because of that. She needed something like this to destress and she honestly hadn't expected anyone to have anything but replicated nepata for lightyears. Apparently this android officer was very resourceful.

What M'rayr wanted and what he didn't want were two very difficult things to explain. Sober, he wouldn't even consider it. This part of his life was normally so well locked away that M'rayr hardly even ever thought of it anymore. Thankfully, the leaves were doing their duty well, and were opening his inebriations. "In my life I have lost many friends to war, a few potential mates, even. After a while, it simply became easier to not let anyone in close enough that their departure or loss might do me harm. Making love to a woman became a natural casualty of that endeavor."

"That makes sense." Dekusa opened her eyes and carefully plucked a few more nepata leaves from the bowl and scattered them across the water. "It sounds like you haven't had any sort of outlet for mental stresses or anyone to share in your life at all for some time. Is that an accurate assessment?"

M'rayr shook his head, even though he knew that his would-be retort was on loose terrain. "I pursue meditation and philosophy, even exercise, as methods towards promoting emotional wellness."

"And none of those are as effective as either intimate relations or just getting high on Nepata." Dekusa said, chewing softly on one of the water soaked leaves, her eyes starting to finally glaze over.

The larger Caitian chuckled. "An appropriate assessment, indeed."

Purring softly, Dekusa dipped her head under the water for a moment, finally soaking her orange-red mane and matting it to her head, neck, and shoulders. "So are you interested in a one night romp? Or something more? Or maybe just someone to get high with?" The voluptuous Caitian was obviously feeling the effects of the nepata, saying and thinking things she normally wouldn't about the increasingly more handsome male with her.

Typically, M'rayr would have balked at the offer alone, let alone its suddenness. But, like Dekusa, he was realizing to an extreme precision just how potent this bath was. The high threatened to bring down nearly every layer of self control he had. In the far backwards reaches of his mind, he still blamed Maica for doing this. But for the time being, he simply couldn't bring himself to care. He chortled softly to himself, and came very close to losing focus on the question itself. "I doubt it would be very worthwhile for you. As I said, I have been out of practice for some time."

"And you think I'm in practice?" Dekusa asked, giggling softly.

Turning his head so that he could get an eyeful of Dekusa, M'rayr had a difficult time imagining that a Caitian with her shape and figure suffered a lack of sexual partners, provided she desired them. And if there was one thing becoming clear even to him -- (although agreeably in part due to the effects of the leaves) -- was that he did desire her. While living like a monk may have been easy in the past, he was finding it more and more difficult to accommodate that aim, now.

M'rayr sighed, a sound that was accompanied by a soft rumble in the back of his throat. "You - we both - are very high on the Napata," he tried to laugh, but it sounded much similar to her giggle than anything else. What M'rayr couldn't notice was how even his speech pattern was being affected. He was slurring, slightly. And Dekusa, while already attractive, appeared more so every time he breathed. Damn, this stuff was strong! The last threads of self restraint was leaving him. "We might regret-" he thought to finish, but felt suddenly unable to as his eyes started to roll up.

Dekusa wasn't much more coherent at this point, mumbling something about birds and nests while pawing at the floating leaves, the water up almost to her nose.

For a time, there was nothing to be heard but the subtle bubbling of the spring bath. M'rayr and Dekusa both turned lethargic, their minds thoroughly intoxicated by Nepata. One moment, M'rayr was trying to fight the urge to close his eyes and sleep. The next moment, the bath and all its surroundings vanished, and he was coughing up water. "Holodeck safety protocols have been activated, the computer alerted. "Simulation terminated.

M'rayr looked and found Dekusa lying on the deck plating. She was breathing. "Computer, report." He asked, his throat groggy.

"Internal sensors detected an imminent health hazard to occupants and deactivated the simulation per holodeck safety protocols. Subjects, Commander M'rayr Eisovo, and Civilian Dekusa Shusoe were in danger of respitory failure due to asphyxiation."

M'rayr groaned. "In other words, we were too high to realize we were drowning."

"Correct,"

The Caitian face palmed.