Nexi had just been released from the brig and was on her way back to her quarters to check on her sister. She could not believe she had been about ready to shock Amelia last night. She must have had more to drink than she realized. Being called a tribble fucker had hardly been the worst thing she had ever been called, she didn't know why she had let that get to her. Nexi sighed. It had to be this stress, the pressure of taking care of her sister; that had been the reason she decided to pick a fight and blow off some steam in the first place!

Ven was more busy then normal. Hera was infested with tribbles of all things. Someone's idea of a practical joke gone wrong or something. He had been rushing about the ship all morning trying to round up the little fur balls. He came flying around the corner of the hall and ran right into Nexi, Ven fell back on the floor looking up at the ceiling wondering what he had just hit.

Nexi stared up at the ceiling. 'Fuck my life...' Here she was, hung over and on her way to take care of her sister which abso-fucking-lutely no idea what the hell she was doing... What the hell was she doing with her life?! She was a free woman, why the fuck was she tethering herself down?! She should be out there, living it up, but instead here she was, covered in tribbles and wondering what she was doing with her life. Why did it feel like things couldn't get any worse than this?

"Ohhh..." Ven groaned and sat up to see Nexi laid out on the floor in front of him staring up at the ceiling with a disgruntled look on her face. "Uh hey Nexi...sorry about that."

"I know, Ven," Nexi said in a defeated tone. Before Aewia, she would have killed him for sure, no questions asked. What the hell was wrong with her?! She sat up and looked at the tribbles piled around them. "If these little varmints shit on my jacket, you're cleaning it."

Ven rolled his eyes and started picking up the tribbles. "What ever Nexi..." he said with a defeated voice. He had tried, he really had. But after last night he was done trying.

Nexi didn't need to be a telepath to read that attitude all over his face. "You know what Ven, I don't need that kind of attitude from you," Nexi barked out as she stood and checked her nice leather duster for tribble shit. "You were having fun watching last night, so don't you fucking complain!"

"What ever Nexi..." he said again grabbing up the last of the tribbles. "And if you think I enjoyed your ridiculous display last night it only shows how little you actually know me."

"You sat there drinking my drink instead of doing something about it!" Nexi barked back. "You know you-" Nexi stopped cold as she sensed her sister's presence. They were just around the corner from Nexi's quarters, so she was close enough to feel her sister finally waking. "Oh no, don't wake up, no no no no no no...." Nexi immediately took off down the hall.

Well that was an odd reaction. Mad at her or not, and maybe not willing to admit it right this second but Ven still thought of Nexi as a friend, one of his very few. So he charged after her, dropping most of the tribbles along the way. He was hoping she was racing off to a fight...bit if so he could at least call for backup.

Nexi made it to her door and went in, not bothering to secure the door after her. Aewia was awake and looking around for Nexi, so confused. Shit... "Hey, kiddo, sorry I didn't pick you up from your therapy last night, something came up," Nexi said to her sister.

Aewia ran to Nexi and hugged her tightly, still in her pajamas. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry."

"Fuck, Aewia, you didn't do anything bad, you're a good girl," Nexi said, hugging her sister tightly, uncomfortable with the contact. "I was the bad girl, I did very bad things last night..."

Ven was just standing there with a tribble in each hand watching this. He didn't enter Nexi's room, but stood just on the other side watching the exchange with a confused look.

Aewia just clung to her sister for a moment, relieved she was ok. "I thought the yellow cake had gotten you." Then she noticed the trilling balls of fur. Grabbing one, she sniffed it and tried to put it in her mouth to see if it was tasty or edible.

"No no, out of your mouth," Nexi said, taking the tribble away from Aewia. "You pet them, don't eat them," she explained, showing her sister how to pet the tribble. It was then that Nexi noticed her door was still open and Ven was looking at them. Fuck! "Oh, hey Ven..." Nexi said uneasily. "Um... I uh... shit!" Now she needed another drink!

Aewia noticed Ven as well and waved at him happily. "Hello new person. Are you here for breakfast and drinks?" She wasn't sure why or how she realized her sister needed a drink, but she paid it no mind. It was natural to know things like that, wasn't it?

Ven smiled warmly to the woman, but his eyes betrayed his confusion. They darted back and forth between Nexi and the unknown woman. "Ummm..."

Nexi smiled half-heartedly, a certain tiredness lingering in her eyes. "Ven, this is my sister, Aewia Larani," Nexi said as she led her sister to the table. "She was at the Romulan penal colony we raided." Nexi had no intentions of giving Ven the full run-down of what happened, but hearing she came from a Romulan penal colony should be explanation enough. "Now are you staying for breakfast?"

Suddenly so much made sense to Ven. Clearly the Aewia was suffering in some way, and having come from the penal colony it must have been very traumatic. Was Nexi caring for her alone? "Yeah, if I'm not intruding..." his adituide from earlier in the hall was gone. He stepped into the room and over to the table. He handed the other tribble to Aewia. "It's a tribble, you pet it and love it." He explained to her.

Nexi nodded to Ven that it was alright for him to stay for breakfast. Nexi even pulled out a chair for him to sit. "Alright what do you want for breakfast?" she asked her sister once she was settled at the table with what Nexi could only assume was now their new pet tribble.

Aewia sat at the table and pet the tribble as it crawled across the table towards her. "Banana pancakes with jalapeno jelly please. What do tribbles eat?"

As soon as Nexi's turned her back to Aewia, Nexi made a gagging face, then proceeded to order that ridiculous meal from the replicator along with her own breakfast of biscuits and gravy. "I don't know what tribbles eat, but if you wanna keep one I'll find out for you," Nexi said as she set Aewia's breakfast before her. "Ven, whadya want?"

Ven took the seat that had been offered to him. "Thanks Nexi. I'll have the same as Aewia, but instead of the jelly I'll go with plain old fashioned maple syrup and a green salad with no dressing."

"Maple syrup? What's that?" Aewia looked up at Ven curiously as she let the tribble crawl up her arm. "Is it tasty?"

Nexi didn't miss a beat. She replicated Ven's breakfast and set it out for him, then a bottle of maple syrup for Aewia to try. "Here, now don't forget to drink all your sunshine today," she said to Aewia as she set a glass of juice before her, then took a seat to eat her breakfast. She wasn't all that comfortable doing family things in front of Ven, but Aewia had invited him and he accepted, so she would suck it up for one meal. But really, all she wanted to do was to get hammered and then go crash.

"It's very tasty!" Ven said with a grin. "It's sweet so I'm not sure how well it will go with your jelly. I love exotic foods. Trying them is kind of a hobby. When it comes to breakfast foods the best come from Earth." He proclaimed.

Aewia grabbed the bottle and poured a little on her pancakes, forgoing the small bowl of jalapeno jelly. Taking a bite, her eyes widened and she dug in. She'd tell them it was awesome, but she was too busy eating.

Ven grinned. "You should try cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning." He glanced at Nexi.

Pausing in her eating, Aewia glanced at both Nexi and Ven curiously. "Sinny mandrels? I need to remember that."

"If you do your therapy puzzles today, I'll let you try one for your snack," Nexi said in between bites of her biscuits and gravy. Then she shot Ven a look that could kill. Cinnamon rolls?! That was nothing but sugar! She'd never get Aewia to do anything with that much sugar for breakfast!

Aewia nodded happily, the tribble now sitting on her shoulder. "I'll wait until then. I hope today's puzzles are like yesterday's. The memory games are fun and I've learned a lot."

"Good. I'll tell the doctor you like them and maybe he'll give you more of those games," Nexi said with just a hint of an optimistic smile.

Ven sat quietly eating his pancakes while this exchange went on. Clearly he and Nexi were going to need to talk after this, but he would save his questions till later.

"Oh hey, don't forget to get that thing neutered. and you might want to find that other one she had." He said glancing around the room a little.

"Yeah, I'll do that..." Nexi said, taking a glance around the room as well. She couldn't see the critter, but she could feel it, it was definitely nearby. "Hey Ven, about last night..." she started, but then kind of went blank. She felt like she should say something but once she got down to it she didn't know what to say. "Fuck, I got nothing. I know this is one of those moments where I should say something but I ain't gotta clue 'bout what needs to be said..."

"Sorry..." Ven said with his goofy grin. "The word you are looking for is 'sorry'."

"is it?" Nexi asked, thinking about it for a moment. "No.... No, that's not it..."

Finishing her pancakes, Aewia thought about what they were talking about as strange and confusing things started to pop into her head for some reason. "Maybe it has something to do with being hungry? Ven, is your wife hungry after last night? She should eat pancakes too."

Nexi looked at Aewia, stunned by what just came out of her mouth. "Aewia, Ven ain't married... and how did you know he was with anyone anyway? Are you starting to hear stuff in your head again?" Nexi asked. If Aewia's telepathy was starting to return, then that had to be a good sign!

"Telepathy?" Aewia thought about that for a moment. "I've been hearing voices not here with us now and then this morning." Glancing around the room nervously, she leaned in towards Nexi and whispered a question. "Does that mean I'm crazy?"

Nexi leaned in and whispered back, "No, that means you're a telepath. You're a Betazoid, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Aewia whispered back before sitting back up and smiling at Ven secretively.

Ven just ate and watched the two interact. He grinned to Aewia when she smiled to him.

"So anyway..." Nexi said as she finished off the last of her breakfast. She leaned back in her chair, balancing on the back legs of the chair in deep thought. "About last night... I don't really see where I gotta apologize, especially not to you, so all you're getting is a 'my bad'," she said bluntly. "If you wanna know more, ask Amelia. I told her why I did it before Security stunned me."

Ven looked between the two women again then shrugged. "You're right. I'm not the one who needs the apology. I asked Ameilea, she has no idea what you were doing or why and she's very confused and hurt. She considers you a friend, like the only one other then I." Ven shrugged again. "I don't understand what that was but I think Amelia deserves an explanation at the lest."

"Is she the pretty blue lady?" Aewia asked as she pulled the tribble off her shoulder and petting it. "I think you should kiss and make up." Nodding as if nothing could be more logical, Aewia smiled at her little tribble.

"I'll kiss Amelia if it'll make her feel better, but I don't think that'll be necessary," Nexi said, standing to take hers and Aewia's dishes back to the replicator. "Drink your juice, kiddo," Nexi reminded Aewia. "From what I could sense in the brief moment before I got knocked out last night, Amelia didn't seem all that confused and hurt. I said what I needed to say to her last night."

Ven shrugged again and took the last bite of his food and then brought to over the the replicator. "It's your friendship to ruin as you see fit. I can only tell you what she told me." Once he was done recycling his dishes he turned back and looked at Nexi. "We are all the out casts on this ship though, none of us have very many people we can call friends." Ven just left it at that and started searching the room for the rogue tribble.

FInishing her juice, Aewia got up to get her PaDDs with her puzzles. "I think these tribbles are hungry. Do you think they'd like some cake?"

"I think they'll eat just about anything, but I'll see if they have a preferred diet," Nexi said, moving over to the computer terminal at the desk, but she cast Ven one last glance before turning the computer on. "Ven, I wasn't trying to ruin a friendship, I was actually trying to help. Now, if that hurt her feelings, then I'll apologize, but she can come tell me herself."

"Computer, we need Amelia. Please bring her here." Aewia demanded of the computer. Receiving a confirmation beep, she smiled satisfactorily as she looked down at her PaDD.

"You little brat!" Nexi barked out, but there was a smile on her face. Now way could she actually get made at Aewia, and she had to admit that it was even a little bit funny. "I cannot believe you just did that!"

Ven could not help but laugh at what Aewia had just done.

It wasn't long before Amelia was at the door, toolkit in hand and ringing the door chime. "Come in!" Aewia called, the blue woman peering in, now even more suspicious now that she'd seen who was in the room. "The computer just told me there was an emergency in here..." Amelia said, stepping in far enough for the door to close.

"Yeah, that wasn't my idea..." Nexi said from the desk terminal. "Apparently Ven and Aewia have teamed up against me and think you and I need to chat."

"Do we?" Amelia asked, looking around suspiciously.

"I tried to tell 'em we were cool, well except for the part where you called me a tribble fucker, but really, that ain't even close to the worst thing I've been called," Nexi said with a lopsided grin. "Oh, and sorry for nearly frying your antennae off right at the end."

Amelia grinned lopsidedly at Nexi. "Thanks. And sorry for egging you on like that. It was unprofessional of me."

Aewia hummed a little, working on her puzzles. "Ok now kiss her." She said, surprising Amelia a bit.

"Well, my sister has spoken, we must now kiss," Nexi said with a resolved tone, standing and striding over to Amelia.

"Umm, oh my... ok..." Amelia wasn't sure what was going on now, but she didn't retreat.

Well this was turning out to be a interesting visit with Nexi. Ven had been quiet, letting Nexi and Amelia talk themselves. Now he could not help but laugh. But he didn't interrupt either. Just leaned back on the wall and crossed his arms over his chest and watched.

Nexi smiled inwardly, thoroughly amused by Ven's reaction, but she approached Amelia with a serious gaze. She reached up to cup Amelia's face with her hands, offering just the smallest hint of a caress with a thumb, then brought her lips to meet Amelia's, a slow, sensual meeting of their lips that lingered for far longer than should have been appropriate for friends.

Amelia couldn't help but respond in kind, moaning just slightly as she pressed her lips to Nexi's, her antenna waving slightly at the pleasant kiss.

"That is so much more enjoyable to watch then the two of you trying to beat the hell out of each other." Ven said while the girls were kissing each other.

Nexi finally pulled away from Amelia, then looked over at her sister. "Have I done enough to prove I'm sorry or should I slip her the tongue?" she asked Aewia. She still looked serious, but inside she thought this whole situation was hilarious.

Aewia had her tribble to her ear, listening to it coo. "Yep, all good now. Tribble is happy."

"Well, as long as Tribble is happy, then it's all good," Nexi said casually, resisting the urge to laugh at Ven and Amelia as she returned to the desk. "Oh, i almost forgot, Amelia, this is my sister Aewia."

"Ah... a pleasure to meet you." Amelia said, still recovering from the kiss.

Ven just leaned against the wall watching Amelia swoon from the kiss with a shit eating grin on his face.

"Yeah, just laugh it up over there, Ven, I bet you've never gotten that kind of reaction out of her before," Nexi jabbed.

"You are right, I have not tried yet either." Venough said compleatly unfazed by Nexi's jab. "But I'd bet I could."

Turning bright blue, Amelia was blushing bad. "Are we done? I need to get back to work."

Ven walked over to Amelia and took her free hand. "See you after work?" He asked with a little sheepish grin.

Squeezing Ven's hand, Amelia nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you then."

"Have fun and think of me!" Nexi teased, bringing a PaDD over to Aewia and bopping her on the head lightly with it. "Here you go, kiddo, everything you need to know about keeping Tribbles. They're your responsibility now. Okay?" Of course, Nexi would learn how to care for the Tribbles too, she knew Aewia could barely care for herself let alone another creature, but she wanted to encourage her sister to grow beyond that and what better way than with a pet.

Amelia took this chance to give Ven a quick peck on the lips before slipping back out. As soon as the doors closed, she leaned against a wall, her fingers gingerly touching her own lips and blushing brighter.

Aewia waved at the PaDD before taking it and clicking it on. "These 2 need names, don't they? How about Soda and Malpractice? Are those good names?"

"Whatever makes you happy," Nexi said, giving Aewia an approving pat on the head. "Aewia, I'm gonna go walk with my friend for a bit to talk, but I'll be right back. Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone."

Aewia nodded happily. "Right. Get into trouble but not too much."

"Sounds good," Nexi said with a chuckle, then headed for the door with a gesture to Ven to follow.

"It was really nice to meet you Aewia. Hope to see you soon!" Ven said following Nexi.

Nexi waited until they had put a bit of distance between them and her quarters before speaking again, helping Ven pick up Tribbles he dropped earlier. "I hope you can understand now why I was drinking alone last night," Nexi said, only once she was certain that Aewia's telepathy wouldn't allow her to pick up on this conversation. "I don't do well with people, so you can prob'ly imagine what it's like for me having to take care of someone else who's as helpless as she is right now."

"Helpless?" Ven questioned, but he quickly continued. "Why don't you ask for help?"

"Yeah, that kinda goes hand in hand with the 'not good with people' detail, I have trouble asking for help," Nexi said. "Anyway, Aewia don't take to just anyone, but she seems to like you so I guess I could ask you to watch her for me from time to time."

"Yeah!" Ven said with an arm full of tribbles. "Why does someone need to watch her?" Aewia seemed pretty normal to Ven.

"They cut out pieces of her brain in that prison camp," Nexi informed Ven sadly. "They took away her telepathy, though she's showing signs that she's getting it back. When we first brought her back, she was a lot worse off, couldn't remember things, could barely feed and clothe herself. She's been getting better, but she still needs someone to look after her."

"They did what?!" Ven said with a look or horror. "Why would someone do something like that!"

"It was a Romulan prison camp and she was Starfleet Intel. Do they need any more reason than that?" Nexi said with a shrug "Anyway, try not to tell a lot of people about Aewia and me being related. I know it'll get back to Starfleet and the Betazoid government eventually, but the longer I can put that off the better."

Ven still didn't understand why that would be a good reason to literally pick apart someone's brain while they were still alive. "I won't, I swear." He said to her.

Nexi sighed and chose to answer his unasked question. "I'm a bastard in both definitions of the word," Nexi said as she picked up the last of the tribbles and found a place to tuck them in the pile Ven's arms. "I was... an accident, and our father was a prominent political figure on Betazed. Was, he's dead now, but if his little 'accident' was discovered it could bring shame to his house and cause problems for Aewia and her right of inheritance. Captain knows of my relationship with Aewia, but she's doing what she can on her end to make sure our connection goes unnoticed."

"I swear." Ven affirmed. "And I'll make suse Ameila knows not to say anything."

"Thank you," Nexi said quietly. "Well, I gotta get back. No telling what trouble that girl has gotten into since I've been gone."

"Nexi, seriously, if you need help just ask. Aewia seems like a very sweet girl, I'm sure she's fun to get into trouble with." Ven said with a little grin as he set the pile of tribbles on the floor. He pressed his com badge. "Transporter room two, got more for ya." The pile beamed away.

"I'll walk you back to your quarters." Ven said to Nexi.

Nexi nodded and walked back down the corridor to the quarters she shared with her sister. She hit the button to open the door and it swished open to reveal... "You know, I joked about her getting into trouble, but this is why I can't leave her alone..."

When Nexi and Ven came back, there was no sign of Aewia. There were at least three dozen bowls of various grains scattered around the room and a giggling sound coming from under Aewia's bed. Apparently she had tried feeding the tribbles all sorts of things and had just given up and crawled under her bed with them.

"Oh wow..." Ven said looking around the room.

"Yeah..." But Nexi didn't miss a beat, she just started picking up the bowls as though there was nothing wrong. "Anyway, you take care and I'll talk to you later," she said to Ven.

Yeah, cause Ven was going to just ditch Nexi like this. He just started picking up the bowls with her. "Yeah, ok..." was all he said as he helped.

As soon as they got all the bowls back through the replicator, Nexi went looking for Aewia, following the sound of child-like giggling that led her to Aewia's bed. Nexi peeked underneath. "Hey, you three okay under there?"

Pausing in her giggling, Aewia peeked out at Nexi. "Yeah, they're helping me with my puzzles."

"Smart tribbles," Nexi commented with a grin. "If you're willing to get out and get dressed, then we can take 'em to Sickbay, get 'em fixed up so they don't breed. How's that sound to you?"

Crawling out from under the bed with a PaDD and the 2 tribbles, Aewia nodded sagely. "They can't be broken."

"Right, not broken," Nexi said. "We just wanna make sure they don't make a lot of tribble babies. The babies are cute, but they can have too many for us to take care of," Nexi explained carefully.

"Are tribble babies that bad? I think 2 is enough. One for you and one for me." Aewia rationalized as she set them aside and started changing.

"Tribble babies ain't bad, but there can be a lot of them. Two's more than enough," Nexi said, grabbing a brush to run it through Aewia's hair. Damn, she was hung over. She didn't want to go to Sickbay right now, she just wanted to kick back on the couch for a little while.

Pulling her jumpsuit on, Aewia zipped up and finished getting dressed as Nexi brushed her hair. Aewia loved having her hair brushed, her mind calming and almost melting. "We could go after a while maybe?"

"You're not supposed to be reading my mind, kiddo," Nexi said with a playful tug on Aewia's hair as she secured it with a hair tie. Not that she minded Aewia regaining her telepathy, but it was still something of a surprise considering how damaged her brain was when she was rescued. "Think maybe you could let Ven take you down to Sickbay? By the time you get back, I should feel better and I can help you with your games."

As Aewia started changing, Ven found something to fiddle with to advert his gaze. When he heard his name he looked up. "Huh what?"

"Ven, can you take Aewia and her tribbles down to Sickbay for me?" Nexi asked as she and Aewia came back out to the living area. "I know it's kinda last minute, but I'm still hung over and I could really use a shower and a power nap."

"Yeah!" Ven said with a big goofy grin "if that's ok with you Aewia."

Aewia snuggled her 2 tribbles and nodded to Ven. "Yeah, that's ok with me. I think it's ok with them too. They need to be fixed."

"Thanks, Ven," Nexi said, then reached over to ruffle Aewia's hair. "Now you be good and listen to Ven," she said to Aewia. "Wen you get back we can play."

It had only taken Rhett Beaumont a little over half an hour to gather some of his belongings, luggage for his trip home. He had also taken liberty to head down to the shuttle bay to perform a quick but thorough pre-flight inspection of the mustang class Bast. Rhett had already taken the liberty of loading the Bast with the necessary supplies and other cargo needed or wanted. Though he had not been given any approval to take the Bast or any other shuttlecraft or runabout. Rhett would have to seek permission as much as he disliked having to do so.

Afterwards, the Chief Engineer navigated the desolate corridors of the USS Hera in the middle of the night, approaching the early hours of the morning. He hopped onto the nearest turbolift that would take him to where he needed to go. In this case, it was deck eight to the Captain's quarters. He did not want to bother the woman at this hour, but it was between her and the XO, and regardless, Enalia would have the final say if Rhett got to take leave and have the Bast. This was just saving time to go directly to the Captain.

As he approached the door to the woman's quarters, Rhett prepared himself for what he was going to say or rather how much he was willing to tell her. He did not like opening up about his personal life, his family, or anything that had anything at all to do with him outside of Starfleet and being Chief Engineer. Despite his want to keep everyone at bay and in the dark, Enalia would want a damn good reason for this request and to have been bothered at this hour.

Taking a deep breath, Rhett reached out and pressed the door chime. He stood there waiting and worrying. He was worried that she would say no to his request if he did not give enough detail or truth, worried that this would force him to do something that would cost him his career in Starfleet. If she said no, he would get home by any means necessary. If that meant taking the Bast behind her back, he would. Hell, if it meant having to hijack the USS Hera, he would do so. Why? Because of Matilda. They had killed Rhett's mother and father. Whoever they were. Tilly had been lucky but Rhett feared that her life was still in danger.

Having just clicked her desk terminal off, Enalia was leaning back in her chair and contemplating the latest reports Starfleet had felt the need to wake her up about. When the door chimed, she had 3 guesses who it could be but none of them were who it was. Standing and wrapping her robe tighter around her, she headed to the door and opened it manually, surprise flashing on her face for just a moment as she realized it was her Chief Engineer. "Is there something I can do for you Ensign?"

Ensign Rhett Beaumont nodded simply and held out a PADD that he had carried on his way to the Captain's quarters. "I am requesting immediate leave, Captain. I also request that I be permitted to take the Bast from the shuttlebay" added Rhett, looking at her as he tried to keep himself composed and together.

He knew that she'd want more than just requests. She would want reasons or an explanation. "My parents were killed and I need to go home for a while. I need to make funeral arrangements and tend to my sister. She has nobody but me" he explained as simply as he could.

Taking the PaDD and moving towards her desk, Enalia waved for him to come inside as she read the PaDD. "I'm sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, I can't let you take the Bast alone like that. I'm not in the habit of handing out runabouts like that." Changing direction and heading to the replicator, she punched up some tea and pastries, moving them to her dining table. "Care for anything?"

"Just the Bast" replied Rhett with a sigh. "No, Captain. I am not really in a mood to eat or anything. I just want to get to my sister. I'm a capable pilot and as Chief Engineer, I have the technical skills to operate and maintain the Bast" countered Rhett. "I understand not handing out runabouts, but this isn't for some joy ride."

"No, not a joy ride... More of an away mission. As a department head, you should know the policy on that. 2 person integrity. Is there anyone you want to take with you or do I need to assign someone?" Enalia said as she handed the PaDD back and sat at the table.

Rhett scoffed and shook his head. "Hardly a mission, Captain. A trip, yes, a mission? No." He thought for his moment. He really did not want to take anyone away from Hera, and did not want anyone that he did not feel comfortable with if he had to take someone. "The EMH. Does he count? I can download his program onto a PADD or something."

"He doesn't." Looking up at the green man, Enalia paused for a moment. "Which is it then? An away mission or a joyride?"

"Hologram aside, I can have my choice of who you send as my chaperone?" asked Rhett. Who the hell are you woman? My Captain or my mother?! he thought the Orion bitting his lip and trying not to lash out at his Commanding Officer.

"Chaperone? No, as your copilot and someone to return the shuttle if you get yourself killed trying to tangle with the Orianis Group." Turning her attention to her tea, Enalia sipped at it. "I'd like you to take the ship's chef. She can fly a shuttle and she might be able to keep you out of trouble enough between meals."

"Me? Tangle with someone...get myself killed? You must not think very highly of me, Captain" said Rhett shaking his head. "I'll take her, but she better not try to feed me that plomeek soup shit."

"I'll let you discuss your diet plan with her." Enalia said simply, knowing he'd be in for a world of hurt if he underestimated her culinary skills. Literally. The woman could almost turn water into salsa with a glance. "Good luck with the assassins."

"Who said anything about assassins?" he said with a shrug. "In the Orion Syndicate, it could have been anyone. Hell, it could have just been some idiot killing the wrong family" added Rhett with a sigh.

"I didn't say Orion Syndicate. Though the Orianis group is supposedly a part of them... " Enalia said before munching on one of her pastries.

Rhett nodded "Probably. The Syndicate has a lot of relations with other groups and business associates" replied Rhett. He looked at the Captain "I will do my best to stay safe, but the family business can be rather risky."

Enalia sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Do you want to know why I'm up at this hour? Starfleet intelligence just sent me a briefing on our next mission. By their count 47 entire families were murdered in one night and they all have... had... ties to the Orion Syndicate in some way. They've linked a lot of them to the group I mentioned. I may not like you. I may even outright dislike you. But in the end, you're a damn good engineer and a member of my senior staff and part of the Hera family. Come back alive, ok? That's an order."

"I'll see what I can do. No promises about the Chef. She's best off just staying far away from me once we land" commented Rhett. "Orion space is no place for an officer or noncom in Starfleet...especially one with a nice rack" added Rhett.

Enalia broke her composure for a moment to grin lecherously. Just for a moment though. The thought of that hot Vulcan woman really got her going on cold nights. "Yeah, try not to get her killed either. There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this galaxy and hers are about as perfect as you can get."

"She has nice ones, Captain. However, you do not have to look fair to find a nicer rack" replied Rhett with a small smile. "I am sorry that you've been kept up so late, but what the hell difference does 47 Orion families make to Starfleet? Why care? They aren't Federation citizens."

Enalia raised an eyebrow at the nicer rack comment. Was he trying to be smooth? "47 families, if they were random, probably wouldn't show up on any reports. Those 47 families all had ties to the Federation in various ways. Some prior informants, some through family.

"Fair enough, but I doubt that Starfleet Intelligence will find who was responsible for those deaths. It would be difficult to find much cooperation from the Orions, and even less from those tied to the Syndicate" said Rhett. "I am fortunate to know people and to have the ability to work around the shadows of the Syndicate" added Rhett as he reached up towards his chest and pulled off his comm badge.

Rhett handed it over to the woman with an almost apologetic expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Captain, but you may want to hold onto this. I do not want you held responsible for what may happen in Orion space."

Refusing to accept it, Enalia shook her head. "If I accepted that I'd have to accept your resignation with it. Leave it in the runabout or something. Besides, under my command or not, while you're assigned to me I'm still responsible for your actions and conduct whether you're wearing it or not."

"Then, I'll make sure to clean up any messes that I may or may not theoretically make" said Rhett with a flash of a smile.

"You do that. And remember to take Petty Officer T'pel with you." Enalia said with a wink.

Rhett nodded. "Yes, mom..." replied Rhett who quickly cleared his throat. "Ma'am" he said correcting himself.

"Good. Now hurry up and go before I change my mind." Enalia said, sipping at her tea again.

"Aye, Captain" said Rhett, turning around and headed for the doors. Pausing for a moment, Rhett looked back. "I'm borrowing some things for this mission" he added.

"Fill out a hand receipt." Enalia said automatically, not entirely caring what it was he borrowed.

"Will do" he said heading out through the door, quite pleased that she did not ask.

Ethan rubbed at the stubble on his chin. ~I really do need to shave,~ he thought to himself. He was sitting in Sick Bay allowing himself a quick rest. He’d just dealt with a sprained ankle and an Ensign who had decided to play around with a real sword, a souvenir from another era. The man had almost severed his wrist. There were of course a variety of other ailments and minor incidences, it had been a long day, especially since he was the only one working there. He closed his eyes and tried to relax.

“Damnit!” Dylan cursed as he slammed the locker to the phaser rifles shut and caught his finger in it. As pain coursed through his body, he gingerly opened the locker door and extracted the injured hand groaning as he saw blood and lots of it. Not seeing anything to wrap it with, he held his hand against his chest and fought back the nausea that the pain was causing as he staggered out of the armory trying to recall where sickbay was.

By the time he reached his target, blood had soaked into the front of his uniform good and proper and he was starting to feel a little faint. Stepping through the doors he said weakly “Doc?” before promptly falling to the floor.

Ethan looked up at the sound, dropping the PAaD he’d been holding, then he saw who it was, the man he’d been dreading seeing. The man he’d been prepared to tell the Captain he didn’t want to be roommates, if having roommates with, or have anything to do with and his face drained of color.

He dropped to the floor beside his former love, momentarily panicking before the doctor in him took over from the boyfriend in him.

He bent down and began examining, his patient.

“E-Ethan?” Dylan gazed up into the once beloved eyes of the man he had given everything to before his vision began to tunnel and he passed out.

“Damn,” Ethan said to himself. He found the problem quickly enough, Dylan’s left index finger. He’s severed a digital artery and the bleeding had to be stopped. He wasn’t much of a trauma specialist, but he could get by. So he grabbed a trauma kit and lay it out then tied a tourniquet around the top of Dylan’s arm glad to see the gush of blood drop down to a slow trickle. Running a quick scan gave him an estimate of how much blood the other man had lost though it wasn’t hard to see given how much blood was soaked into his uniform. Clamping off the artery as a temporary fix, he set about fluid resuscitation. If he didn’t get Dylan’s blood pressure up he was going to be close to dead in no time.

“Damn it Dylan don’t you die on me you bastard, I still love you.” Ethan wasn’t sure where the words came from, or what they really meant. He picked the other man up and got him to a biobed. He wished someone else was around to help, but there wasn’t. So he’d have to do it himself.

Though he wasn’t a trauma specialist, his mother was and he’d seen plenty of impromptu field fixes, so he grabbed a tube and a couple of needles. If Dylan needed blood and he did, he could give it to him because fortunately he was a universal donor, O negative. Finding a vein in both their arms. He stuck himself and then Dylan.

A soft grunt of pain escaped Dylan’s lips as the needle punctured him, the stemming of the bleeding bringing his blood pressure up enough to bring him around. Then, as the life giving blood flowed into him his eyelids finally fluttered open and his eyes immediately fixed on the man beside him.

“Don’t say anything, just lay there. Or I’m going to tell you I told you so.”

Ignoring that order, Dylan groaned and said in a croaky voice “Did I wreck your floor?”

“The floor can be cleaned, God what did you do to yourself?’

“Slammed my hand in the weapons locker.” Dylan replied, lifting his head a little so that he could look at his hand, “Did I lose any fingers?” he asked with concern before spotting the tube running from his arm to Ethan’s and asked “W-what are you doing?”

“You lost a lot of blood, I had to give you some of mine. I didn’t really have a chance to ask.”

“Is it safe?” Dylan looked shocked.

“It was better than the alternative, and if you’re wondering, I don’t have any diseases.”

“Hopefully that works both ways.” Dylan quipped before asking “So what’s the verdict on the hand, will I be able to use it?”

“Yeah,” came the reply, “you should be able to. I think you’ve had enough blood now though. He gently removed the needles, first from Dylan’s arm, then from his own. He got up then, getting a couple of small butterfly bandages and applied them.

“You may need to have surgery, I don’t know I’m not the one to do that, but I don’t think you’ll have any permanent damage.”

He traced the other man’s chin with his finger, “I shouldn’t have let you go.”

Dylan closed his eyes and swallowed hard before looking at Ethan and saying “I’m no good remember?”

“Dylan, I never said that. I never thought it. I should have respected your decision, but I was just scared. I didn’t want to lose you.”
“That turned out well then didn’t it?” Dylan replied sarcastically before sighing and saying “A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then...I’m a different person now Ethan.”

“Different in what way?”

“As in I do what I want, when I want with who I want and I don’t care about the consequences.” Dylan replied finding himself getting agitated despite his weakened state, “You taught me that doing everything by the book gets you nowhere but a broken heart.” he looked away.

“That’ s not what I meant to do. I never meant to hurt you. I should have trusted you and not your sister. Dylan what can I say, how do I make it up to you?”

Dylan frowned and said “My sister? What the hell does she have to do with it?”

Ethan cocked his head slightly, “She’s the one that told me you were switching to Armory and she told me about the whole being married to your career thing. Told me that was your priority, you know all the things we talked about, or tried to talk about.”

“It was her?” Dylan’s anger rose deep inside, “So it was my family.” he spat out bitterly, “Well the joke was on them because since I left you I’ve had more lovers than a hooker.” then he blushed and said “Sorry...I...uh…” then he shook his head and added “Never mind.”

His words stung Ethan deeply both for the thought that the man he loved had found comfort, or at least release in the arms of so many others and because he was at least partially responsible for Dylan’s actions.

“Dylan, look at me. It’s okay. Alright maybe not okay, but I understand, You do know, I never stopped loving you right?”

“Why?” Dylan simply asked. If the tables were turned, he’d hate him.

“Because we both made mistakes that night, you say you don’t care about consequences, but I don’t believe that.” He tapped the other man gently on the chest, “ because I know what’s in here.”

“There’s nothing in there anymore Ethan.” Dylan tried to fight the rising panic deep within him. He couldn’t go back. He couldn’t be hurt like that again.

Ethan got up and checked Dylan’s finger to make sure it was wrapped properly. Then he leaned in quickly and stole a kiss. “Are you sure Dylan? Are you really sure?”

Dylan savoured the kiss and swallowed hard before lying through his teeth and saying “I’m sure...I’m dead as a doornail inside.”

Ethan sat back, unable to speak for a time, “Did I do this to you Dylan?”

“Partly.” Dylan admitted, “But apparently my sister had one hell of a part to play in it too, as well as a few years of self destructive tendencies.” he rubbed his forehead with his good hand and sighed.

Ethan took the man’s good hand in his, “Then let me make it up to you. I lost you once, I don’t want to lose you again.”

“But I’m no good.” Dylan replied, “You deserve someone better than me Ethan, someone who can make you happy.”

“I haven’t been quite as active as you say you have, but I haven’t exactly been celibate either. But I haven’t found anyone else but you who can make me happy.”

“But I didn’t did I?” Dylan raised his head to look at him, “I tore your heart out and left you.” he added, “How do you know that I wouldn’t do that again?” he challenged Ethan.

“You’re right, it did tear my heart out. It hurt, I can’t deny that. I kept expecting you to come back, i tried to reach you, I sent a hundred messages to your PAaD, tried calling you and everything. Eventually, I just gave up. I blamed myself, because I know I should have trusted you. Its just when the first thing checked out, I figured there might me some truth in the rest of it too.

But you wouldn’t have run off like you did, you wouldn’t have lived the life you’ve lived, if I hadn’t pushed you. I know I hurt you too. Its just as much my fault, no its more my fault than it is yours. I already told you we both made mistakes.

I can’t know you won’t hurt me again, so maybe we start off slow.” Then he paused looking into the other man’s eyes, “But I’m willing to take a chance again, if you are.”

TBC

A joint post by

Lieutenant Ethan Chaparral MD
ACMO

&

Lt. Dylan Santiago
Chief of Intel

Previously on Part 1“You’re right, it did tear my heart out. It hurt, I can’t deny that. I kept expecting you to come back, i tried to reach you, I sent a hundred messages to your PAaD, tried calling you and everything. Eventually, I just gave up. I blamed myself, because I know I should have trusted you. Its just when the first thing checked out, I figured there might me some truth in the rest of it too.

But you wouldn’t have run off like you did, you wouldn’t have lived the life you’ve lived, if I hadn’t pushed you. I know I hurt you too. Its just as much my fault, no its more my fault than it is yours. I already told you we both made mistakes.

I can’t know you won’t hurt me again, so maybe we start off slow.” Then he paused looking into the other man’s eyes, “But I’m willing to take a chance again, if you are.”


AND NOW THE CONTINUATION

Resting back, Dylan closed his eyes as a million confusing messages bombarded his brain. A huge part of him wanted to tell Ethan to go to hell but there was a secret, hidden part of him that he’d locked deep away inside that belonged to the man by his side and its voice was getting louder, protesting the need to be with its only love. Sighing in defeat, he said “Fine...we go on a date and see how it goes but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“A date works, but I have a confession of my own. It might make you change your mind.”

“Oh?” Dylan felt a sinking feeling deep in his stomach as he braced himself for a disappointment.

“When I was on the Forrest, the deep space station, I witnessed a murder. Not just some random mugging gone bad, but like a professional kind of thing. The victim bled out in my arms, I couldn’t do anything to save him.

Then I was approached by some man from a group called Section 31. It was one of them that had done the killing. Wanted me to work for them. I told them to go to Hell. That’s why I was sent here. And as a parting shot, just before I was to leave, I got a message on my PAaD that said you were being assigned here too. So I may have a target on my back. It might not be safe to be with me.”

“Well, considering I haven’t cared less whether I lived or died this last few years I’m thinking that wouldn’t put me off.” Dylan replied, the look on his face telling its own tale. Since losing Ethan, he’d lived fast and hard with barely any thought to his own safety. In fact, if it weren’t for the love of his job he was fairly sure he would have entered a downward spiral of drink, drugs and debauchery. “Besides, you know that I’m badass right?” he grinned at Ethan, “I’ve learned a thing or two about defence and security since I last saw you.”

Ethan relaxed a little. “Badass is good, though I’m not sure how accurate you are. I always thought you had a rather nice ass.”

“Trust me...the way I work out nowadays? It’s better.” Dylan grinned, allowing himself to flirt a little.

“Well you might just have to show me. You know just so I can compare the before and after.”

“Not so fast.” Dylan chuckled, “I don’t do that until after the first date.” he added. Of course that was a lie, he’d done that without even having a date before but hell, it was fun to flirt.

“Well that’s good to hear, I suppose,” Ethan countered,”So what would you like to do on our first date, I am free this afternoon.”

“Won’t I be recovering from surgery?” Dylan raised his bloodied hand.

“Well then I’ll sit by your bed and we can talk. How about that?”

“Yeah, and work on stopping me from discharging myself.” Dylan replied cheekily as he turned to look at Ethan properly, a soft smile playing around his lips.

“The only way you’re going to be discharged is in my custody. I do have a great bedside manner, you know.”

“I remember.” Dylan replied as his eyes locked with Ethan’s.

Ethan leaned over and kissed Dylan again, this time a little deeper and more forcefully than the first time.

“Watch it or the other doc will wonder what’s going on when he or she gets here.” Dylan murmured against the other man’s lips.

Ethan broke the kiss and said, “He and he’s pretty smart. I think if he saw us he’d figure out.”

“You have an answer for everything don’t you?” Dylan reached up with his uninjured hand and ran his fingers through Ethan’s hair.

“Not everything. I missed the way you did that.” he said referring to Dylan’s playing with his hair.

“Yeah?” Dylan smiled, “What else did you miss?”

Ethan snickered, “I bet you have some pretty good ideas. If not I am sure I could help fill you in on the details after we have dinner.”

“Now, now, who said about anything happening after dinner?” Dylan countered.

“Before works for me.”

“You’re incorrigible did you know that?” Dylan shook his head, “What happened to take it slow?”

“Well, you seemed to be flirting, so I thought I’d join in the fun. I was just joking, mostly anyway. But why don’t we take this at your speed. I’m willing to wait.”

“We both need to take it slow...neither of us can go through what happened last time again. If you didn’t get it by now it almost destroyed me.” Dylan sighed and shook his head, cringing at the memory of those dark, lonely days.

‘“I do get it. So why don’t I schedule your surgery and we’ll have breakfast together, or dinner if you’re up to it. And I promise to keep my hands to myself and avoid flirting with you.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Dylan smiled at Ethan and added “It’s good to see you looking so well Ethan.”

‘It’s just good to see you again period Dylan. And just so you know. As far as I’m concerned all those other guys you said you were with. It never happened.”

“You can’t just bury it Ethan.” Dylan sighed, “Like it or not I have a past and a reputation and I’m sure that it’ll come back to haunt me some day.”

“Then we’ll deal with it together.”

“Forever the optimist huh?” Dylan replied, “I see that never changed either.”

No, it hasn’t. Would you have it any other way?”

“If I had my way in the first place we would never have been apart.” Dylan sighed, realising that they were starting to go around in a circle.

‘You know something Dylan, sometimes you talk too much,” Ethan said, then leaned in and kissed him again.

And this time, Dylan didn’t have one thing to say back as he returned the kiss. Despite his injury, his body ignited with feelings that he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Ethan found his body responding as well. Despite his promise to wait, the blood was rushing to all the right spots. “Damn that was so good,” he said, “I missed that more than you know and its all I can do now not to go further.”

“Well I don’t think it’ll do much good for your career if you gave in.” Dylan smiled, keeping hold of Ethan nevertheless.

“Yeah, they might frown on such a blatant display of affection. Holding hands is one thing, making out is something different. He couldn’t help but notice his former lover hadn’t let go of him. “So what do we do now?”

“Well, I’m going to get some rest and you’re going to go back to work.” Dylan replied, avoiding the real answer to Ethan’s question.

Ethan looked him in the eyes and decided not to pursue things. “I guess I can live with that for now.”

“Thanks for fixing me up and everything.” Dylan said softly, wondering just what was going to happen between them in the long term.

Ethan, reluctantly broke the embrace, “That’s what I’m here for.”


“Guess I’ll see you later then.” Dylan whispered, still holding on to Ethan’s hand and wishing that the intervening years had never happened.

Ethan could not help but smile as he released Dylan’s hand. “We are going to meet later and have a serious discussion.”

A joint post by

Lt. Ethan Chaparral MD
ACMO

&
Lt. Dylan Santiago
Chief of Intel

Heading out onto the bridge from her ready room, Enalia walked out to the area between the 2 forward consoles and handed a PaDD to the ensign at the helm. "Set course for these coordinates. Warp 8. Have the people listed report to the briefing room as soon as possible."

Turning on her heels, Enalia headed straight back to the conference to await the arrival of the others. A few of them were optional, but she needed to see Nexi, Aewia, her new XO and CMO, her chief of security, and her ops chief. The fewer that knew about this, the better and that was her list of people she thought needed to know for now.

Getting a cup of tea, Enalia sat down at the head of the conference table to wait for everyone to arrive, looking over another PaDD. This wasn't how she liked doing meetings, but the sooner it was over, the better.

And fortunately Trevor had not been in the middle of any sort of major treatment when he received the summons to the briefing room for a meeting with the Captain. Making sure to save his work and close his console, he got to his feet and left sickbay in the hands of his nurses, and then headed for the briefing room. He arrived a short time later, cup of coffee in one hand and a PaDD. in the other. "Captain." he said as he walked in, moving to take his seat at the conference table.

Having been on the bridge when Enalia came out, Angelica was surprised to see her summons appear on her console as text rather than Enalia just asking her to follow just then. Whatever was going on, it was something strange. Paging one of her officers up to take over the tactical console, she went into the conference room a moment later. Already there was a human male with a teal collar, the new doctor they'd picked up. That was odd. How had he gotten from sickbay to the conference room so fast?

Aelyn left her office upon receiving the summons and headed for the bridge, crossing it swiftly to arrive at the conference room. Taking a seat at Enalia's right side, she looked to her Captain questioningly. Aelyn was still getting caught up on the recent events, but she felt confident that she could get through a briefing without an update first.

Enalia wasn't saying anything, a grim expression on her face. Setting the PaDD she had been looking at on the table, she slid it over to Aelyn. It contained the entire mission briefing regarding the Romulan virus cold storage and research facility R-134A. It wasn't going to be pretty. Once again, she'd be asking an away team to volunteer for a probable one way mission. "As soon as the last three get here, I'll start."

Aelyn simply nodded and took the PaDD, looking it over as they waited for the last three...

Ven came in only moments later. He was glad to see he was not the last one. He took his seat while nodding to everyone. "Captain..." he said to Enalia.

Richard entered quietly, nodding to the captain before sitting down in his chair.

It took a while longer for the last two individuals called to arrive. The door to the conference room opened, but no one entered. The occupants of the room could see a couple of shadows in the doorway, but they weren't entering.

"It's okay, I promise, you're not in trouble," Nexi said to her sister to try to coax her into the room.

Aewia wasn't having any of that though. "No. I remember what they do. Conference rooms are bad. People yell in them. I don't want to be yelled at anymore."

"What if I told you it wasn't a conference room? Would you go in there if it was a... um... a dining room? I know you just ate, but they're... they got pie and ice cream in there," Nexi said, hoping someone in there would hear her and take the hint to get some pie and ice cream for Aewia.

Which Enalia was inclined to do, getting up and punching the order into the replicator. Betazoid berry pie topped with chocolate fudge ice cream. Taking the plate and sitting back down, Enalia had it ready for Aewia.

Aewia, on the other hand, was starting to come around to the idea of entering the room. "You say it's a dining room... but it feels like a conference room. There's really pie and ice cream inside? And no one will yell?"

"I promise, no yelling," Nexi assured her and tried once again to urge Aewia into the door.

The half-Caitian sitting to the right of the Captain had heard clearly this unusual exchange. Aelyn's ears were erect and twitching curiously. She leaned closer to Enalia and asked in a hushed tone, "Does it usually require bribery with pie and ice cream to get your crew into a staff meeting?"

Leaning in closer to Aelyn, Enalia whispered back. "First time that I know of."

Peering into the room, Aewia spotted the plate waiting for her. The ice broken, she went in and took the plate Enalia was holding out for her, taking a seat towards the end of the table. "Thank you."

Relieved that Aewia was finally cooperating, Nexi sat down beside her sister, dipping her finger into the ice cream for a scoop, then licking it off her finger. "Sorry we took so long getting up here, I had to frisk her for tribbles," Nexi offered in explanation for their tardiness.

Enalia smiled softly at Nexi and Aewia. "Understandable. There seem to be a lot of them on the ship for some reason." Clearing her throat, she started the meeting. "Thanks to Aewia we now know what we're looking for and where it is. The Romulans have a virus cold storage and research station deep in a nebula where they're developing a virus that can mobilize corpses as soldiers. It seems to be based on a cross between Borg nanotech and a virus that a race in the Delta Quadrant uses for reproduction. Last night a probe was launched and the location and defenses of the station has been confirmed. There's thankfully no guard ship in sight, though there is an antique Romulan ship docked with the station. There's minimal weaponry on the station, but the shielding and armor seems to be pretty thick over most of the station. We'll again need an away team to go in and destroy the research and data. Resistance is expected to be light so I'm asking all of you to go. The down side is that you'll have to wear EV suits. Any questions so far?"

EV suits? Somehow, Angelica managed to maintain her composure and not groan. "Just the big one... what sort of weapons do we think are going to work against reanimated corpses?" Oh lord, that sounded like a terrible horror movie. How could this be remotely real?

"Anything effective against Borg, I'd imagine. I'm authorizing one TR-116B be replicated for now. I advise everyone use physical and energy weapons for this mission. And please watch your aim." Enalia replied.

Gee, that's helpful. Angelica nodded slightly. "We'll manage. One of the weapons lockers has a few projectile pistols in it... I'll have to see if they still work."

Re-animation? What is this, Apocalypse now? Trevor thought, then sighed. "Am I going to be completely destroying this virus or does Starfleet want samples of it?" he asked, leaning back slightly in his chair now. "We have the facilities to maintain a virus in cold storage, but honestly I would prefer that we not do that if we don't have to."

"Are we certain it's wise to bring something like that back onto the ship?" Aelyn asked. "To a point, I can understand needing to study it so as to devise a way to stop its effects should it ever get loose among an unsuspecting population, but this isn't a science ship, we don't have the facilities for that kind of in depth study."

Nexi said nothing as she leaned back in her chair listening to the crew talk. All she could think about was why it was necessary to bring Aewia up here for this when it was just gonna upset her, though she seemed content with the pie for now. 'Fuck, for that matter, why am I here?' Nexi thought as she stole another bite of Aewia's ice cream. 'I ain't gonna be all that useful in an EV suit...'

"We have enough facilities for what we need to do. If it's feasible to contain a sample of it, do so. If there's any risk, destroy it. Destroy everything. I don't care if that means destroying the station itself. I'd just order the station destroyed from the Hera, but according to the probe, our complement of four tricobalt torpedoes wouldn't even scratch the surface of that station." Enalia said, looking to each person in turn. "The next order of business is the Romulan language. Does anyone here besides Aewia know how to read it?"

Hearing her name, Aewia looked up from her pie and ice cream. She was in the middle of offering Nexi a bite of pie. "I remember Romulan. Dirty nasty letters."

Nexi ate the bite of pie offered to her, then looked to Enalia. "I have a device that translates everything to Ferengi for me. Does that count?" Nexi said around a mouthful of pie.

"If it can translate Romulan medical jargon, sure." Enalia said, grinning at the 2 sisters.

Oh no. Both of them? Angelica didn't do as good of a job hiding her apprehension about that. From experience she knew Nexi was hard to work with, more like impossible to work with, really. And Aewia... yeah, this was shaping up to be one hell of a mission, and not in a good way.

Trevor sighed heavily. "I won't need help translating what I'm reading," he finally said after a few moments. "I have a working knowledge of the Romulan language. I'm not fluent enough to speak it, but I can read it."

Richard smirked. "I attended a few Vulcan language seminars when I was an ensign. Romulan and Vulcan aren't exactly the same, but Romulan originated from High Vulcan."

Angelica shook her head. "They're different enough that you won't be able to read it, Lockheart. A modern Vulcan can't even read it, that's how different it is."

"It would be akin to a human trying to read ancient Latin. Aewia, can we count on you to help with this away mission? You don't have to go, but I'd like you to be on the bridge watching over Nexi while she's on that station." Enalia said with a soft smile in Aewia's direction.

Aewia nodded, mouth full of pie. "I can watch. I can help too. I can even eat pie and pet tribbles."

Nodding, Enalia was satisfied with that answer. "Excellent then. Once we get there, we'll launch the away team in a shuttle while the Hera takes out any patrols or defenses. Other than Nexi, Doctor St. John, and Lt Fairchild, do any of the rest of you feel like going?"

Richard nodded his head at the question. "If you think another guy will help, I'll go with them."

They get a choice, huh? Angelica bit her lip, not sure she wanted to go, but she knew she wasn't granted the luxury of a choice in missions like this. She was always going to be the first choice, given her position on the ship. "Whether or not it helps will depend on what we find. And I have a feeling what we're going to find is a lot of things that need to be shot, so extra firepower might be beneficial."

"Excellent. You'll all have to know how to use kinetic projectile weapons in an environmental suit so try to get a little practice in. Fairchild, do you think you'll need a couple security crewmen as well?" Enalia was glad the meeting was going so well, though she wondered how.

"Yes," Angelica replied immediately. "We'll need someone watching our backs."

"Then fill the shuttle if you feel it's necessary." Enalia said grimly. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah," Nexi spoke up around another bite of pie that Aewia was force feeding her. "Why are we going in? If we know this place has this virus thing, why don't we just wipe the place off the map?"

"For 2 reasons. To make sure it's there and to destroy it. As I said earlier, none of the Hera's weapons can penetrate the hull of the station. You'll have to destroy it from within." Enalia explained.

"Good thing I'm good at blowing up shit," Nexi said with a crooked grin.

Ven had kept his head down and his mouth shut. He was in charge of keeping Hera running. Not to go running about a virus infected space station with possibly reanimated dead. Yeah, not a place for someone like Ven.

"If there's nothing else, you're all dismissed. We'll be at the station in 22 hours." Enalia said. She may have dismissed them but she herself made no moves to go anywhere.

"Anyone who needs to brush up on projectile weaponry should meet me at the firing range in ten minutes," Angelica said curtly, getting up from the table and heading for the door. They didn't have much time to spare, and if they wanted to practice, they'd better do it quick.

Ethan's last assignment had not ended well. That was of course through no fault of his own. Witnessing a murder, especially for someone who hates death so much, is never easy, especially when the one who committed the That was the reason for his transfer, at least partially, for his own protection.

To Ethan, that was something like being thrown from the frying pan into the fire, given the nature of the missions that Hera was rumored to be involved in. Not that he minded, aside from being in small, tight spaces-something that almost caused him to fail the Academy entrance exam- there was little he feared.

The only real negative was that he had heard that his ex-boyfriend Dylan was supposed to be joining the crew too. That was all he needed. A possible assassin stalking his six and Dylan.

The Universe was just so wonderful. Of course rumor also had it, though he had not heard from her to confirm the stories, that his mother would also be joining the crew. Yeah that would make for a nice three ring circus if that happened.

But right now he couldn't worry about any of that speculation. He had a job to do, and after reporting to his boss and getting his physical, he decided to report into to the Captain.

He checked himself out in the mirror before leaving Sick Bay and then made his way to the Bridge. Glancing around as he stepped off the turbo-lift he saw a typical busy bridge crew doing their duties. He spotted the Ready Room and crossed over to it where he pressed the chime and waited for a response.

Hearing the chime, Enalia clicked her terminal off and slid her tea to the side. "Come in," she called, directing her attention towards the doorway.

Ethan walked into the room, with a confidence he hoped was not seen as cockiness. "Good afternoon Captain," he said as he gave her a salute, "Lieutenant Chaparral reporting in. I'm your new Assistant Chief Medical Officer."

"Please, have a seat. I'm not overdue am I?" Enalia said, stiffening slightly. She was pretty sure she was current on her physical. "Welcome aboard, none the less."

"Oh no ma'am," he replied a bit sheepishly as he took a seat crossing his feet at his ankles, "I've just come aboard, so I wouldn't know anything about your status with your physical, I just thought it would be appropriate, if I came and introduced myself to you."

"Ah, in that case, how are you settling in? Everything is going well I hope." Enalia visibly relaxed, leaning back in her chair and smiling politely.

'Well, I've only just gotten aboard," he replied noting with interest that the Captain, like so many Starfleet officers had an aversion to physicals. "but everything is fine so far. I'm looking forward to serving here. I've been on a station recently. It was okay, but I'd rather be on the move rather than stationery."

Enalia couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Yeah we're on the move a lot. Odds are good most of our missions will take us to places we're not supposed to be."

it was Ethan's turn to chuckle, "Being places we're not suppose to be sounds fun. Though I think my mother warned be about girls like you." He paused color rising to his cheeks, "Sorry ma'am that wasn't exactly appropriate to say to a superior officer. Sometimes my inner smart-ass runs away from me."

"Don't let it run too far. You might need it with some of our crew." Enalia said with a wry grin. More seriously, she continued. "So what do you hope to get out of this assignment? Any goals set up yet?"

He allowed himself a small, half smile at her remark. "Well from a professional stand point, I'd like to get more administrative experience. This is just my second assignment as an Assistant Chief. I'm doing a research paper now on genetically enhanced bio-weapons, focusing on Cardassians, but other hostile races as well. Very nasty stuff. Anyway, I'd like to complete that and have it published. Personally, staying alive would be at the top of the list and it would also, assuming shipboard romance isn't against policy, be nice to find someone. Especially someone who's more interested my heart than my a... other parts of my anatomy. Thanks for asking, but what about you? By that I mean do you have any goals or expectations that you'd like to see from me?"

Enalia nodded sagely as he spoke. "Staying alive would be good. Don't get thrown out of any airlocks. I'd love it if you aided us with this virus thing we're going after that the Romulans made. Doctor St johns will have all the specifics so I'll let you two pore over that."

"Yes, I had heard rumors about the virus. That is in my wheelhouse as they say and I will talk with him about it. Does the ship have a counselor?"

"You have a couple people well versed in psycho-babble if I remember right, but no dedicated counselor unless you count the holographic ones." Enalia explained. "Why do you ask?

There were several seconds of uncomfortable silence as the doctor fidgeted slightly. Then taking a small breath to center himself he said, "Well, aside from expertise in epidemiology, there was another reason I was reassigned here. I was on the Forrest Station and I found myself wandering late one night after I'd gone out for drinks. I... I uh, saw someone killed, murdered actually, by the time I got to him, it was too late and he bled out.

It won't effect my carrying out my duties, but it does help, or so I'm told to talk with someone about it."

Enalia was silent for a moment, considering what he had said. "That's what I've heard as well. If you need to, I'm also told we have a rather good set of holodeck programs just for that. Pretty darn good confidentiality in that, I'd think."

'I may just look into those. One more thing. The last ship I was on, was a smaller ship and we shared quarters. What about here?"

"Officers get their own quarters, families get their own quarters. The only ones that have to share really are cadets and most of the crewmen." Enalia said with a smile. "Is there anything else?"

"No ma'am nothing else. Thank you for seeing me."

"Any time," Enalia said with a polite smile. "Again, welcome aboard. If you need anything, let me know. Dismissed."

Ethan stood to go, smiling a little more broadly as he did so. "Thanks again,"he said as he exited from the Ready Room.

Ethan had checked Dylan's chart and knew he'd recovered from the minor hand surgery and had been discharged. So he decided to pay him a surprise visit. He was off duty and he figured that Dylan probably was too. So dressed in a pair of gray slacks, a white buttoned down shirt with blue gray and black stripes and a gray v-neck sweater he headed to Dylan's quarters, but the man wasn't there so he headed to the Intel office instead, hoping that his ex would be there. He had brought a bottle of Betazed wine, from the Beggin's vintage, a 84.

He stepped into the Intel office and looked around.

The Intel office was not occupied by Lieutenant Santiago but rather a woman who wasn't even in uniform. She was leaning back in the chair, her feet kicked up on the desk as she read a PaDD. "That bottle of wine better not be for me," she said in a gruff tone without looking up from her reading material.

The corners of his lips turned up, "No, it isn't for you its for my b... it's for Dylan, uh, Lieutenant Santiago."

Nexi hadn't had a chance to meet this Dylan Santiago, but she sure as hell was going to go find him now. "Well, as you can see, I am not the Lieutenant nor is he here," she said idly, thumbing through the different documents on the PaDD. "Is there something else I can help you with?"

His smile turned into a smirk. "Yeah. I can tell you're not him, more attractive and has better manners. Is this the way you treat everyone that comes to visit?"

"I don't usually have people 'come to visit'," she replied bluntly, tossing the PaDD on the desk and removing her feet. She stood and strode right up to him. "What are your intentions with my boss?" she asked, just to be weird about it.

What was he going to say to that? I want to fuck his ass or have him do that to me? That response was probably not going to endear him to the woman and besides it wasn't any of her business.

"We're old friends and haven't seen each other for a while. Just trying to renew that friendship. Look, I'm sorry, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. I'm Ethan Chaparral. Dr. Chaparral. And you are?"

"What friendship? The one that involves an '84 Beggin's and a distinct lack of clothing? Nice vintage, by the way," she said with a smirk, pointedly ignoring his query for her identity.

He noticed she hadn't given her name, but he was too amused by her comment to really care. "Well, I don't know if we're back to the distinct lack of clothing yet, but that is the general idea. He has really kissable lips and eyes that you could get lost in."

"No boinking my boss! Or I will find you and cut you," Nexi threatened with a sadistic little grin when really she couldn't care less who her boss was or who he screwed.

He cocked his head to one side trying to decide whether she was pulling his leg or she actually intended to carry out her threats. He paled, but only slightly,then recovered. "Don't you think he should have the right to decide who he's going to boink or who's going to boink him? I really don't see how that's any of your concern."

"Fuck, chill out, I was just messing with you," Nexi said with a snicker. "Though you should be careful. People in our line of work can't afford to be distracted, or have anyone that can be used against us," she added a bit more seriously.

"Then I guess we better be careful, not let our relationship get out, "he said, "or maybe I better learn how to be something more than be a doctor. My mother did teach me a few things, but I could always learn more."

"I knew and I've never met either of you before," Nexi replied. "And go learn all you want, just be careful." Nexi gave a tug on her leather duster to straighten it out and headed for the door.

"How did you know, I mean other than the fact I made it obvious," he called out to her retreating figure.

"I'm surrounded by dumb-asses! How the hell do you people not figure it out just by looking at me?!" she said with out stopping.

He watched her walk out and then did the same. He was going to say something more to her, but she was gone by this time. So he went in search of Dylan, not thinking to use the ship's computer to track him down.

He returned to his cabin and put the wine away.

Having nothing else better to do, he headed to the lounge. Some guy named Ian Storm had been sending messages to his PADD wanting to meed and against his better judgement he had agreed to meet with him.

"I don't trust her," Aelyn said to Enalia as they walked down to the shuttle bay to see the team off onto their mission.

“Trust her or not, she has the skills we need. As long as we have something she wants, we can trust her.” Enalia had a grim expression on her face as they walked. She trusted Nexi to a limit and she wasn’t about to reveal to her what that limit was.

“And just what do we have that she could possibly want?” Aelyn said as they came to a stop just outside the shuttlebay doors.

Pausing and waiting for a crewman to pass out of earshot, Enalia leaned in and spoke softly. “The agent we rescued? It’s her half sister and only surviving family. Don’t let anyone you know that.”

Aelyn’s eyes widened in disbelief at that fact, but nodded her agreement to remain silent. She had seen Nexi’s type from her time at DS12 and knew that kind of crowd couldn’t be trusted, but recalling how that vagrant had acted around the former Lieutenant Larani during the staff meeting was something promising. “I still don’t trust her, but I will tolerate her,” Aelyn answered as she walked through the doors to the bay. “So long as she remains useful.”

Following Aelyn into the massive main shuttlebay, Enalia nodded. “Fair enough. Let’s see if the shuttle is ready to go. We should be dropping out of warp soon.”

"Damn it, Jones, how many times do I have to tell you? If you can't carry it in a pocket or on a belt or attached to your rifle, it stays here? No rucksacks!" If Angelica was capable of starting fires with her brain, the young security officer would have disappeared in a mass of flames and smoke.

"Sorry," Jones squeaked, disappearing behind a crate where Angelica couldn't glare at him anymore.

"These kids! I swear, it's like they don't teach--" Catching sight of Enalia and Aelyn approaching through the shuttlebay, Angelica quickly went silent, busying herself with checking over the replicated TR-116 they'd be taking along on the mission.

"Everything ok, Lieutenant? All the EV suits ready?" Enalia said as she walked up. She may have had a pilot's rise through the ranks but she could still look over that rifle admiringly. It was certainly a fascinating weapon no matter how you looked at it.

"Everything's fine except the dummy who keeps trying to bring along a whole locker's worth of stuff with him." Angelica shot the ensign a look as he peeked out from behind a crate. "EV suits all test out as pretty well perfect, so once everyone's geared up we should be good to go."

Enalia chuckled softly at the troubles, glancing towards the ensign in question. "You're authorized to do EV suit training whenever you need to. Toss him out an airlock with that pack sometime so he'll learn to pack light."

"No way, really?" Angelica snickered a little, ignoring the pained noise Jones made at the suggestion. "I think I got the point across already, but I'll keep that tactic in mind."

"Ooh, can I play this game?" Nexi said, wandering in from her ship across the pad. She was without her heavy leather jacket or the extra bulk of the knives concealed under her clothes. Instead, she held in her hand a Ferengi energy whip. "I wanna toss someone out an airlock!"

Nodding to Nexi, Enalia smiled a bit mischievously. "That might be good training while at warp too. The bottom of the saucer is generally safe."

"Sweet!" Nexi said with a big grin. "Normally, I'd use my own gear for this sort of thing, but I can't remember the last time I maintained my EV suit, so if you don't mind I'll be borrowing one of yours. Otherwise, I'm good to go."

"I feel better with you in one of ours too. We have the frequencies for the cameras already and if there's a risk of contamination, they're all going to be destroyed anyway." Enalia said more seriously. "In fact, you might need to spend some time in quarantine after this if things go poorly. If things go bad... well... Let's hope for the best, shall we?"

"Fine, fine..." Nexi said with a nod. "Just take care of my girl," she added, pointing her thumb over her shoulder to her ship, but between the two of them there was no mistaking what she really meant: Aewia.

"That reminds me..." Turning to her XO, Enalia had that mischievous look in her eye again. "Commander Radt, can I count on you to keep Aewia calm while she's on the bridge?"

Aelyn raised a brow, perplexed by this request. What did she look like, a babysitter? "I suppose?" she said, having no clue what she was supposed to do to keep the brain-damaged Betazoid calm.

"If you need some advice, she likes soft, fluffy things," Nexi said with a snicker and a pointed glance to Aelyn's tail. Aelyn's only response was a huff, her tail fluffing up in agitation. She really did not like this Nexi woman.

Angelica snorted, easily seeing the signs of feline agitation. "Welcome to the club. She annoys everyone... no idea why we put up with her." She gave Nexi a bit of a grin. "Now where the hell are Lockheart and Commander St. John?"

As she finished saying that, Richard walked into the Shuttlebay, carrying a phaser rifle and looking quite sweaty. Despite volunteering for the mission, he was still quite nervous about the outcome. It was a dangerous mission they were embarking on, one he might not return alive from.

Walking over to where everyone was gathered, he asked "Are we ready to go?"

Her expression turning grim, Enalia decided to break the news to the team since they were all here. "Commander St. John may not be able to make it now. Our Assistant Medical Chief has gone missing. Yes at warp 8. Nexi, after you get back I'll need you prepped immediately to deal with our pirate friends."

"If we have to, we'll leave without him." Angelica hated the idea of going into a possible biohazard zone without medical personnel, but if Trevor's assistant was missing the ship couldn't afford to spare... anyone really. She glanced over at Richard, noting with some hidden amusement how scared he looked. "You volunteered. You're not allowed to be nervous," she needled him, smirking a bit.

"If I'm flying this thing then he's got every reason to be nervous," Nexi said, nodding in Enalia's direction in acknowledgement of the additional order.

Trevor had been about to head out for the mission when his assistant had been reported as missing. With a heavy sigh he considered his options. Finally he decided to activate the EMH and then hurried to attend to the away team. As he walked in, he apologized, "My apologies, my assistant suddenly disappeared. I have activated the EMH."

"Well if you're still coming along, get suited up." Angelica pointed him toward the waiting EV suits. "Everyone else too. There's not enough room in the shuttle for us to be trying to change in there."

"Or for a rucksack," Enalia added with a wry grin. "As soon as we drop out of warp we'll send you any new sensor data. Good luck."

"That too!" Angelica agreed with a bit of a laugh as Ensign Jones scrambled into his EV suit and sulkily boarded the shuttle. "Thanks. I have a feeling we'll need it."

Trevor nodded his head and quickly slipped into the EV suit. Looking up, he nodded hi head slightly. "I'm ready."

Once her team was situated with their suits, Angelica put hers on, taking care with the seals to be sure they were air tight. "All right, people. Let's move."

Suddenly Enalia's comms clicked on with a male voice. "Captain, this is the bridge. We've arrived in system and we've found another obstruction. Do you want to come up and look at this minefield yourself or should I just describe it to you?"

Tapping her comm badge, Enalia replied. "I'll be up shortly. Hold position until then."

"Sounds like you've got more fish to fry. Let's get this shuttle launched so you can take care of that." Angelica flashed Enalia a smile and ushered her team inside the shuttle, pausing in the shuttle's airlock. "Try not to have too much fun without us, Captain."

"See you all soon." Enalia said with a lopsided grin. When the door closed, she turned back towards the shuttlebay entrance and headed back towards the bridge.

Ethan wasn't an athlete, at least not in the traditional sense. Tennis, baseball, football (of either variety), rugby, held little interest to him, though he would watch an occasional game if it were on. On the other hand, rock climbing, marathons, free running, hover-boarding, were things that he not only enjoyed, but was good at. He would never be mistaken for a weight-lifter, but it was clear he took care of himself. His frame was lean and sinewy and his muscles, while not bulging were taut and corded. He was by no means a vegan, but he did keep his diet balanced. He rarely splurged or binged on good food, but he did have a weakness or two in that regard.

He'd been getting mysterious entries on his PAaD for a couple of days now from someone named Ensign Ian Storm. Ian had indicated that he was attracted to Ethan and wanted to meet him. Ethan was a little reticent to do so, with Dylan back in the picture, but since it was still unclear what that picture was, and since Ian was insistent Ethan was slowly giving in. Then when Ian had suggested meeting in the ship's lounge, the Crown, for their midnight buffet, Ethan had finally agreed.

As Ethan approached the doors to the lounge, little alarm bells started going off in his head.~What in hell am I doing? I wasn't kidding when I told Dylan I still loved him that I wanted to start dating him. This is just so wrong, I can't do it, I won't do it.~ He turned on his heel ready to return to his cabin, and there right in front of him was Ian. He recognized him from the photo that had accompanied the invitation, although now Ian had all his clothes on.

"Whoa!" Ian placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder, "Not gonna stand me up were you?" he asked in a charmingly light hearted way, his eyes twinkling.

Part of Ethan wanted to push past Ian and just keep going. But, that would have been rude and probably necessary. Yes, it was still probably a bad idea. but what could possibly happen in a bar. Still he was undecided. His mouth moved for a few seconds with no words coming out. Then finally he said, "I uh, I guess not. But just one drink, okay?"

"One drink." Ian nodded as he put an arm loosely around Ethan and guided him back towards the bar, "That's all I ask." he added as he walked them over to the bar.

"Fine," said Ethan acquiescing. After all, it was just a drink. No connection, no going back to Ian's cabin, or having him come back to his, it was just going to be a libation. Colleagues do that all the time. Right? "Just out of curiosity Ian, why me?"

"Why not you?" Ian countered, then chuckled as he turned to look at Ethan, meeting his gaze and adding "I think it's those amazing blue eyes."

Ethan blushed slightly as he found a small round table, somewhat out of the way, that had two chairs. "Thanks," he said with a smile he could not help. You're pretty attractive yourself." ~Damn it Ethan what are you doing?~ he thought to himself.

"You think so huh?" Ian smiled warmly as they sat down, "I'm glad...I really didn't think that you'd noticed me."

"Well, its kind of hard to ignore the pictures you sent, but I must confess, I haven't seen you around before. Which is why I was surprised that you contacted me."

"I keep myself to myself unless I see a gorgeous guy." Ian grinned before adding "So you liked the pictures?"

"It was kind of hard not to, though I'm a bit surprised that you would send me ones that were so, uh explicate. But look, I need to tell you something before this goes any further. Yes you are cute, more than cute. And of course I was rather impressed by the size of , well I'd by lying if I didn't admit to being impressed.

But, and this is a big but. My ex, Dylan Santiago, is on the ship too. And I'm.... I'm still in love with him."

"Wow..." Ian sat back in his chair and shook his head as their drinks arrived and were set before them. Once they were alone again, he asked softly "So are you saying that there's no chance for you and I?"

Ethan smiled at him and shook his head, "You know, I think it took some balls, sending me an invitation like that and inviting me here, but to me honest I was getting ready to leave when you walked up. Even though we're no officially back together again, Dylan and I, this feels enough like cheating to me to make me fell guilty and we're just having a drink.

So no there really isn't. If he wasn't back in the picture then probably, but even then, even if this were really a date, date. It probably wouldn't be ending in sex, if that's what you had in mind."

"Well at least you're being honest with me." Ian sighed and sat back in his chair running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Look, I'm sorry Ian, I really am, I just don't want to lead you on, or give you the wrong impression. I can't help how I feel. I want the chance to get back together with him and that won't happen if I'm involved with someone else." Then to soften the blow further he added,"even someone as good looking as you are."

So engrossed in his conversation with Ian, Ethan, normally pretty observant, did not see Dylan enter the lounge.

Still reeling from his encounter with Ethan, Dylan had gotten off of duty and headed straight for the bar in search of real alcohol. He had no idea if they served it on board this new ship but nevertheless, he figured it didn't hurt to ask. Taking a seat on one of the bar stools he flagged down the waiter and was pleased to hear that they had a bottle of real scotch stowed underneath the counter.

"So," Ethan continued, taking a sip of his glass of wine, "do you still want to have the drink with me?"

"Of course, might as well make sure this evening isn't an entire bust after all." Ian replied, spotting the man at the bar over Ethan's shoulder who had just looked their way and was frowning, the look on his face making it appear like he wanted to kill them. Putting two and two together, he smiled and leaned forward, "And given that it'll never happen again, how about just one kiss on the lips for good luck?" he leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips against Ethan's, well aware of their audience.

Ethan didn't want to make a scene, not here in front of others, but the truth was he resented the kiss. Ian was a good looking man, he'd never denied that, but despite his many attempts to make things clear, the other man didn't seem to get it. Still, he didn't push him away. He allowed the kiss. Brief as it was, it was good. Not quite chaste, but nothing too sensuous either. Had Dylan not been a factor he might have allowed it to linger longer than he did.

As enjoyable as it was, however immediately afterwards guilt flooded him. This was definitely crossing the line, even if he did not initiate it and his face no doubt reflected it. All he could say was, "Satisfied?"

"Very." Ian replied with a disarming smile as he watched the man at the bar, storm off, a thunderous look on his face. Not only had he accomplished that little feat, but the kiss had given him an opportunity to slip a little something into Ethan's glass unnoticed and now he just had to wait for its effect to kick in. "But it makes me sad because now I know what I'm missing." he sighed dramatically.

"I'm sorry," Ethan replied some his rising anger dissipating. He took a long swallow of his drink. It tasted funny to him now for some reason and wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't all that unpleasant of a taste, so he dismissed it. "So what department are you in?"

"Science." Ian replied quickly having memorised every detail of his life here on board the Hera, relief flooding through him that Ethan had sipped the drink. Now all he had to do was wait for the inevitable results. "It's kind of boring when you're a junior officer, they give you all the rubbish jobs." he shrugged, "But it'll get better as I climb the ladder." he took a sip of his own drink, glad that the man at the bar had decided not to make a scene.

Ethan nodded his head, suddenly feeling light headed. He didn't know why he was feeling that way, it was almost as if he were getting drunk, but that couldn't be possible. He blinked a couple of times, trying to concentrate on what Ian was saying. "I'm sure it will be," he agreed. He took another sip from his drink and sat it back down, or tried to set it back down, but misjudged where the table was and barely avoided sending the glass crashing to the ground. "What the hell?" he asked turning his eyes to Ian,"I'm feeling weird, I don't know what's going on."

"You alright there buddy? Can't take your alcohol huh?" Ian said amiably as he stood and moved to Ethan's side.

(you play a convincing conniving bastard) - LOL I can be when I want to be ;-)

The room had started to spin for Ethan and he didn't know what was going on. He couldn't be drunk, he told himself. He'd only had one drink not even that, more like half a drink. There were little alarm bells going off in his head, but they were fuzzy and coming from along way away.

Still something didn't seem right and he tried to push away from Ian, who suddenly didn't have the strength to do so. "Wh... who are you?" he asked his voice sounding funny even to himself.

"I'm Ian remember?" the other man smiled as a waiter passed by and he moved to help Ethan stand up, "Come on, let's get you back to quarters, you can sleep it off."

The doctor still felt as if something were wrong. He almost voiced his concern to the waiter, but was finding it more and more difficult to speak. He allowed himself to be half led, half carried out of the lounge.

"I've got you." Ian murmured as he led Ethan to the door. Once they were out of the lounge, he ducked around the corner of the next corridor and seeing it was empty let Ethan crumple to the floor, a sneer on his face as he said coldly "Guess you really are going to be mine now...say goodbye to your ship blue eyes." Ethan could feel himself hit the floor, but everything was moving in slow motion for him and he was feeling no pain. Somehow in the back of his mind, he knew he had to do something. So he rolled over and tore the necklace that Dylan had given him so long ago and dropped it in the hallway.

With a final smirk on his face Ian tapped his combadge and said "I have the package, get us off here right now before someone spots us."

In a shimmer of light, Ian and the ailing man at his feet disappeared off the Hera and just as the imposter had planned, not one person noticed.

A joint post by

Lt. Ethan Chaparral
ACMO

&

Ian
Pirate Imposter

Dylan paced his quarters like a caged animal. After everything that Ethan had said in sickbay, he was out with another man and engaging in public displays of affection without a care in the world. He'd told him that he still loved him but he loved him so much he was carrying on with another man.

The Hera's new intelligence chief had been left broken hearted once by Ethan and he wasn't about to let it happen again. So why did he feel so wretched? As another wave of anger rushed through him, he decided he'd go and give Ethan a piece of his mind. How dare he hurt him like this?

Storming out of his quarters, he located his ex lover's quarters and pressed the door chime again and again, his finger jabbing angrily at the panel. True to his heritage, the Spaniard was quick to temper and he was well and truly spoiling for a fight. Frowning when the door was opened, he barked at the computer. "Computer, location of Ethan Chapparal."

The unflustered monotonous voice replied "Ethan Chapparal is not on board the Hera."

A deep frown marred Dylan's forehead as he asked "Where did he go?"

"Unknown."

"What was his last known location?" Dylan asked, his temper waning.

"Deck ten, section (14?), corridor 21." came the reply.

Before the computer had barely had time to reply, Dylan set off in search of Ethan's last location, virtually running along as a feeling settled deep inside of him that something was wrong. Minutes later, he found himself in the corridor where Ethan had disappeared and looked around, his eye catching something glinting near to the bulkhead. Bending down he picked up the necklace. It was a necklace he recognised. It was the one he'd given Ethan on their first month anniversary. And he still had it? None of this made sense. Tapping his combadge, he contacted the bridge.

"Bridge, this is Dylan Santiago, has Ethan Chapparal been sent on any away missions? Because he isn't on the ship and he disappeared from a corridor on deck ten."

Having been sitting in her command chair working on a few PaDDs rather than in her ready room as they flew towards the Romulan station R-134A, Enalia looked up, waving the ops Ensign on duty down and replying herself. "This is Commander Telvan. I don't tend to send people on away missions while at warp 8. Come up to the bridge and we'll see what we can find."

"On my way Ma'am." Dylan replied and with necklace in hand, he headed for the bridge.

Standing and heading to the back of the Galaxy model bridge, Enalia glanced at the science crewman currently on duty at one of the rear bridge stations. "Activate our primary sensor array and scan for tetryon bursts and excess background radiation. I'm betting that if those pirates are still following us, their engines are getting warm by now. Also, see if you can get a general query comm response from Dr Chapparel's comm badge." Nodding, the young woman at the console set to work as Enalia looked over the rest of the bridge for a moment. "Tactical, I want you to discretely load torpedoes in all launchers, but don't power up weapons or shields for just now. make it look like we're loading probes." Nodding, the Tactical ensign got to work as well.

"Reporting as ordered Ma'am." Dylan said as he exited the turbolift and moved to the CO's side, "I found this in the corridor, it's Ethan's, uh, Lieutenant Chapparal's, I think he left it as a clue that he's in trouble." he held out the man's necklace to show her.

Glancing at the necklace briefly, Enalia turned her eyes back to the science station. "Clue or not, he's missing and we need to get him back."

"Permission to start an investigation Ma'am." Dylan looked at his CO, unable to hide the look of concern for the man he once loved, hell, maybe the man he still loved.

Enalia didn't miss that look. It wasn't something she had experienced herself but she could at least understand it and recognize it as something more than concern for a fellow officer. "Granted. I'm betting the pirates that have been following us have him and even if they don't I bet they know who does." Pointing to the tachyon blip on the science officer's console, Enalia nodded. "It looks like they're following us at a decent pace. I had hoped that old bird couldn't keep up with us at warp 8, but it seems even with her cloak on she can."

Turning to the front of the bridge and leaning on the bridge rail a moment, the Trill woman debated what to do next for just a moment. "Helm, reduce speed to warp 5 as soon as we enter the nebulous region." That should change their arrival time at the station to just over 3 hours from now... Turning back to Dylan, she placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. "I'm sorry but now we're going to have to play their cat and mouse game until they decide to show themselves. We also need to proceed with our current mission."

"But Ma'am!" Dylan protested before remembering his place and backing off as he uttered "Yes Ma'am."

"Don't worry, we'll get him back. It just might take a little while is all." Enalia said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"I hope so Ma'am. I really hope so." Dylan replied with a shake of his head, dealing with just how much of an impact Ethan's disappearance was having on him at the same time as trying to remain professional.

TAG


A joint post by
Commander Enalia Telvan
CO
USS Hera

Lt. Dylan Santiago
Intel Chief
USS Hera

Mature Content

After breaking every single one of his fingers and toes, Ian had left Ethan alone in pitch black darkness for several hours to let him stew about what had happened to him as well as endure the pain of his untreated injuries.

After taking a meal and enjoying the pleasures of his personal cabin boy, he returned refreshed and eager to continue. Though this time he was not alone as he entered the chamber and the single bright light was turned on once more, illuminating the sorry excuse for a doctor strung up and naked against the wall.

Ethan had wanted to fall asleep, had fought to do so, but no matter how much he tried he just couldn't do it. He was in deep agony, beyond anything he had ever endured, or thought he would ever endure. He knew that Hell was a reality, because he was experiencing it.

There were scores of individual points of pain, but they all seemed to flow together into a raging river of fire.

His body sagged against the chains, he was incapable of supporting himself. His mind played out again and again, the breaking of each bone. This was no reprieve and he knew it. Reliving the events was almost as bad as going through them the first time. Perhaps worse.

Then the light came on and he knew a new round of unspeakable atrocities were about to be forced on him.

"So Ethan...are you ready to tell us all about the bioweapon yet?" Ian asked cheerily as he walked up to the doctor and flicked one of his broken fingers spitefully. Behind him, the other man who had joined him seemed to be setting up some sort of glass container in the centre of the room.

His eyes watered anew as Ian snapped his finger. "I, I ca can't do that. You'd use it, uh you'd use it .. or sale..sell it I won't give it up. You can't make me. No matter what you do, so ple please jus end it. Please."

"Now where would be the fun in that?" Ian replied with a shake of his head. He turned to the man behind him and said "This is Doctor Prentiss...he's going to help me with this next part because, well, I just don't have the medical skills for it." Ian grinned and stepped back, "But rest assured I'm really gonna enjoy watching it."

Prentiss moved over to Ethan, carrying a hypospray which he roughly pressed to his neck and muttered "Muscle relaxant."

"You see, for this next part it's important you don't move." Ian explained as the drug began to paralyse Ethan.

Next the doctor unshackled his 'patient's' right arm which flopped helplessly to his side as he pulled over a trolley laden with surgical instruments.

Ethan thought he'd seen everything, been through everything that Ian had to offer, but his eyes grew wide as he watched the preparation. Then as his arm went numb and he eyed the instruments on the tray, he put two and two together in his head and his bladder released.

"I've heard that being a doctor can be really quite difficult when you haven't got your dominant arm anymore." Ian pulled up a chair and took a seat as the doctor picked up a laser scalpel and began to cut around the circumference of Ethan's arm.

"Oh my God, stop please. I... I'll do anything. Anything you want me to, except talk. I.. I.. ca... can't do th...that, but, but anything else. Please I'm begging you to stop."

"Sorry Ethan but the only thing that ends this is you singing like a canary." Ian replied before nodding to the doctor to continue.

The surgeon worked quickly, dividing muscle and tendon, clamping off major arteries and veins until there was just bone to go. He picked up an old fashioned surgical saw and grinned as he said "I hear the sound of this stays with the victim for his entire life." He lowered the saw to the exposed bone and drew it across, the rough scraping sound echoing around the large barren room.

Ethan knew what it would take to stop this. All he had to do was talk. Give them what they want. It wouldn't be his fault what they did with the information. He'd be dead, he had no illusions that they would keep him alive once he broke, once he was no longer useful.

Even thinking like his mother wasn't helping him. The sound of the saw slicing through his bone and sinew echoed in his mind. What if he only gave them partial information? What if he gave them false information. But he'd already rejected both of those ideas as untenable. If he started talking he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. Not at this point. If he tried giving them false information, well they had a doctor, they'd see through that.

"O Okay I'll..." he stopped himself. What was that Vulcan saying,'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one?' "No, I can't. I won't."

A loud snapping sound heralded the severance of Ethan's limb as the doctor, by now covered in his victim's blood, carried the arm over to the glass container, complete with mangled fingers and gently placed it inside then sealed the lid. Tapping a few buttons on the control panel fixed to the side, the unit buzzed to life and the arm was suspended in the middle, still dripping blood from the gory procedure.

"What's it like seeing a part of you separated from your body?" Ian asked as he stood and moved over to Ethan, grabbing his head and turning it to face the stump, "Or to see a grizzly stump where it used to be hmmm?" he let go and moved away. "So what's it to be? Give us the information and the doctor here will reattach your arm. It's in stasis so it's perfectly preserved...if you refuse, you can watch me burn it to a crisp so it can never be reattached and then you can watch whilst we repeat the process on the rest of your limbs." he grinned wickedly, "I doubt if life is much fun if you're just a torso and a head."


Ethan was close to the breaking point, unsure of just how much he could endure. He knew that Ian would do exactly what he said he was going to do and that if if he didn't say anything he would be forced to watch as his arm was utterly destroyed and the rest of his limbs followed.

His resolve was slipping away. There was just so much a person could take. There was a point where philosophies and principles took a back seat to survival. A point at which instinct overcame and overwhelmed morality and values.

His tears were flowing freely now and he really didn't give a damn.

"How do I know you'll really reattach my arm?" he heard himself saying.

You don't." Ian laughed, "You'll just have to take a leap of faith won't you?" He picked up a blow torch and lit it as he asked "So what will it be? Talk or barbecue time?"

~Talk you idiot just tell them what they want to know. Just give in, no one is coming. Not Dylan, not your mom, you're on your own.~ His eyes cut between Ian holding the torch and his arm in the case. "You win, just don't burn my arm. Just make the pain stop." That was what he intended to say. But he closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see and the words that came out were, "I can't talk. I just can't." Perhaps he was thinking of all the people who would suffer a fate worse than what he was experiencing if he did talk, or perhaps he was stronger than he thought himself to be. But in any event the words were out.

"Ooooo wrong answer!" Ian crowed as he moved over to the stasis unit and slowly, deliberately lowered the flame towards the case.

Ethan's eyes opened despite himself and he watched helplessly knowing what was about to happen and that it would be irreversible. Yet again he teetered on the edge of surrender.
He began to tremble and sweat rolled down his face. He looked to the doctor for sympathy, but found none.

Ian was really going to do it. Really going to destroy his arm all for the sake of lining his own pockets, though Ethan knew that was not the only reason. The fact was, Ian was enjoying the torment.

Then, just he promised, Ian lifted the arm out of the container and with an almost maniacal laugh turned the flame of the torch up to its highest setting and set against the doctor's unattached arm.

That single act, the culmination of everything that had happened to him up unto this point, set Ethan over the edge and he let out another agonizing scream.

TBC

A joint post by

Lt. Ethan Chaparral
ACMO
USS Hera

Ian
Pirate Imposter

Adult Content

Ethan wasn't sure what woke him or at least brought him to some semblance of consciousness. It might have been his head which felt as if it had been rammed by an out of control shuttlecraft, it might have been the loud cacophonous sound blaring in his ears, the bright light shinning in his face, or a combination of them all.

Whatever it was, he was no longer drifting in the comparatively benign and relaxed state he'd left the Hera on. He slowly opened his eyes and could make nothing out, the light was so bright. He knew there were others in the room, but he was unable to make them out. They were just shadows against the glare. His limbs were tied, or chained to a wall and he was missing his shirt. He didn't know where he was, but one thing he did know is that he was in some serious trouble.

He was almost positive that they, whoever they were, knew he was awake so he didn't try to conceal the fact. "Where am I?' he asked.

"You don't need to know that." a familiar voice said somewhere behind the bright lights, "Suffice to say you're somewhere where your friends won't find you."

'I have very resourceful friends," he countered. "One in particular will take great pleasure in killing you. So, since you won't tell me where, then tell me why? I'm a doctor, not a spy."

"You don't need to know that either but you have information that we need and like it or not you'll tell us." came the response, "So, with that in mind we can do this the easy way, or the hard way, it's your choice."

"My name is Lieutenant Ethan Chaparral, my Starfleet ID number is Delta Tango 3789 Ocean," the doctor responded.

"Hard way it is then." Ian sighed as he moved close to Ethan and brushed a hand over his cheek, "A shame because I really like that face of yours." he sighed dramatically.

"Yeah, sure you do, "Ethan spat out, anger still the dominant emotion within him at the moment,"Oh and you're a lousy kisser. Just so you know."

"You know, anger doesn't become you." Ian ran a finger down Ethan's neck and over his collarbone, his face close enough that the other man would feel is hot breath on his cheek as he whispered "Now why don't we get this show on the road?"

Ethan bit back any reply. Anger was still there, but there was something about Ian's demeanor; cold and calculating but at the same time almost relishing whatever was about to happen, that stirred a different emotion in Ethan. One he didn't want to acknowledge. Fear.

"I understand you've worked on some biological weaponry is that correct? Or at least a strain of bacteria that can be used as such?" Ian began, moving around Ethan like a lion circling his prey.

Ethan shook his head. "I already gave you everything I'm going to give you, you know the name rank and ID number. You're not getting anything else." There was no way he was going to tell them how much he knew. It was too much of a risk, the weapons he researched that he fought to combat could destroy planets even galaxies.

"Oh I think you're wrong about that." Ian purred as he moved over to a trolley on the side of the room, "Have you ever heard of Lingchi?" he asked softly, "It was employed with much success in Imperial China...perhaps you know it as 'Death by a thousand cuts'?"

"I've heard of it, " Ethan admitted, trying to keep his voice calm, his eyes wandering to the trolley even though he knew that was what Ian wanted him to do. That much he knew. He had passed the mandated Academy course on resisting interrogation, but just barely. He never thought he would need it. Though with the stories his mother told him, he really should have paid more attention."

"It really is quite a masterful art." Ian replied as he picked up a rather ornate blade and turned it over in his hand, "The trick is to slowly mutilate the body whilst limiting the blood loss to an extent where the victim stays conscious for as long as possible." he moved over to Ethan and ran the blunt end of the cold, hard blade down his cheek as he whispered "Last chance to give up what you know. You really are going to be begging me for your life before long you know and wonder why you didn't save yourself all this bother."

Ethan wasn't a particularly religious man and he figured it was a little late at this point. He didn't think a deity, if any existed, would appreciate a devotion based on his own rather selfish desire. Any anger that was left in him was completely overtaken by a fear as cold as the blade that traced its way down his face.

"You know I can't say anything." he responded.

"There's no such thing as can't." Ian replied, using the knife to slice off the rest of Ethan's clothes. He carefully set the knife back down and picked up two strips of the recently discarded material. "The rest of the ship won't thank me if I make too much noise...so you just indicate to me when you want to talk okay?" he asked before grabbing Ethan's face and forcing open his jaw, stuffing one of the rags inside before securing it tightly with a gag. "Muffles the screams." he grinned wickedly at his captive before picking up the knife and tapping it against his hand as he contemplated where to start. "Now I'm guessing that there will be nothing more appalling to that pretty boy lover of yours when they find your corpse to see that you've been someone else's property don't you think?" he moved forwards and made the first deep incision into Ethan's chest.

Ethan had been expecting the pain to start since he woke up and found himself in this predicament. But nothing could prepare him for the actual event itself. He tried to stifle the scream, he'd told himself he was going to remain stoic and silent. But reality set in and he screamed out in pain and tear formed in the corner of his eyes. And he continued to scream until he became hoarse.

Slice after slice he ignored the agonising sounds of his victim as he carved the words 'Property of Ian' into his living canvas until he was finally done and he stepped back to admire his handiwork. "So...does my property wish to talk now? Or shall I continue?" he paused to remove the gag.


Ethan wanted the pain to stop, even if it meant that he died. He was almost to the point of begging for Ian to end it just as his tormentor had prophesied. He was so tempted to give in, but he just couldn't do it. One life against billions. He couldn't justify it.

As the gag was removed in a trembling voice he said, "Just kill me...get it over with... because I can' t... tell you anything... I..won't. But Dylan... Dylan is going to kill you."

"Dylan would have to find us first now wouldn't he?" Ian sneered, "Now shall we continue?" he picked up the gag and eyed Ethan, pondering on what to do next.

Ethan closed hie eyes, willing Dylan or his mother to show up, not so much to comfort him, though there was a degree of that, but to kill Ian. To stop him from continuing. But he knew that wasn't going to happen. So he steeled himself for whatever was about to happen next.

Then he opened his eyes and looked a Ian again, "Fuck you!" he declared with all the defiance he could muster.

"Sorry sweetheart, you missed your chance on that one." Ian petted Ethan on the cheek before stuffing the gag back in his mouth and securing it tightly. Beginning to circle again, he tapped a finger against his chin and muttered to himself, "So cuts don't work...what else? What else?" a few more paces and then he turned as if having a eureka moment and said "What about broken bones? I hear they're quite painful." and with that he grabbed Ethan's hand, and pulled one finger back until with a sickening crack it broke.

"SHIT!" he called out, though of course the gag prevented the word from coming out, at least in anything that might be decipherable.

It was a different kind of pain, sharper, more intense in some ways. The cuts were an indwelling fire, the breaking of his bones like a mini volcano. He managed, with the exception of some initial tears not to cry, but the culmination of everything hitting him at once caused him to began crying. He simply could not stop himself, even knowing it showed weakness on his part.

"Awwww does poor little Ethan want his mommy?" Ian chuckled, clearly loving every second of what he was doing as he added "Well too bad, she ain't coming!" And with that another finger snapped.

Another lance of pain shot from his hand to his brain and he gritted his teeth to keep from crying further or calling out. ~My mother would take you a part~ he thought to himself.

It would have been easy for him to surrender, just tell them what they wanted to know, part of his brain rationalized. Even with what he knew they'd still have to process it. He even thought of giving them false information or leaving something out. but he knew that wouldn't work.

He was on the verge of breaking, he knew that. It could have gone either way. But as he thought about Ian's words the scales were tipped in a direction the torturer couldn't have imagined. It was the reference to his mother.

He'd always been his father's son. His personality, his profession, his caring nature. His mother had been the one with the iron will, the one who would never surrender, the vengeful one.

He was just as much a part of her as he was of his father and he drew on that side of himself.

The pain of course did not diminish, but his resolve to endure hardened.

"Are you having fun yet?" Ian grinned manically at his victim, "Because I know I am." he laughed as with another sickening snap finger number three was fractured in three places, "And to think, we're only just getting started."

To be continued

A joint-post by

Lt. Ethan Chaparral MD
ACMO

&

Ian Falconi
Pirate

Ethan checked the mirror for the tenth time in the past hour. Earlier, after taking a shower, he'd shaved, though he didn't really to, dressed in a traditional though ever so slightly trendy looking grey tuxedo and fixed his hair. Jamie, his father, had helped him with his bow tie, then retreated to his study with a few words of reassurance. His mother Ulani was now looking at him a smile on her face.

"You look fine son, you just need to quit fussing, I'm sure Kyle isn't going to worry if you don't look perfect. You've been friends awhile now. And its not like you haven't gone out with him since you became... boyfriends"

Ethan blushed slightly. "I know mom," Ethan said, "but nothing formal, nothing like this and remember last year?"

Ulani nodded compassionately. "Last year was completely different. Diana was a bitch and didn't deserve you and that was before you realized who you were. Who you really liked. And besides you're a much better dancer now."

"Yeah, thanks to you," Ethan relented, "but I'm still nervous. I don't know what to do."

"Just do what comes naturally son, and it will all work out. Just be careful."

Ethan's slight flush, turned into a full-fledged one then, "Oh MOM I didn't meant that kind of not knowing what to do. Not that I do know, we haven't you know done that. Had sex I mean and I'm not intending to, tonight. And if I were I don't think I'd tell you. I just meant that I wasn't sure about the whole thing. This is all really new to me.'

"Well the advice still holds true. Just don't have any expectations except that you're going to be the cutest couple out there and that you're going to have fun."

"Okay mom, but I still need to ask you about...." his words were cut off the sound of the chime outside their door.

Outside the Chaparral house, Kyle was busy playing with his bow tie, hoping that he looked good enough for his date. Shifting nervously from foot to foot, he suddenly wondered if he was doing the right thing.

Jamie hearing the chime and guessing that his wife and oldest son were probably still busy, set down his PAdD and went to open the door. "Good evening Kyle, how are you this evening? Won't you come in?"

"I'm good thank you Sir." Kyle smiled warmly at Jamie if a little hesitantly as he stepped inside and looked around, eager to see if Ethan was there.

Ulani squeezed her son's shoulder, "Go have fun, and no curfew tonight."

Ethan raised a brow, fighting hard not to blush, or think about the the implications of that statement. He then walked out of the study and into the foyer.

"Uh, hey Kyle," he said feeling slightly uncomfortable with both his parents in the room and undecided how to greet the other boy. Then in a moment of boldness, he crossed the distance between them and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey yourself." Kyle smiled at Ethan, his hand going to his cheek where the other boys lips had just been, "You look...great." he said as he looked him up and down then blushed as he realised that they were being watched with interest.

Ulani smiled at the boys reassuringly and took out her PAaD. "Okay, here we go. Just a couple of pictures and you two boys can be on your way to the dance."

"Yes, " Jamie added, and try not to drive like a bat out of hell on your way there. And no drinking. Oh and have fun."

Ethan looked at Kyle shrugging his shoulders. "We might as well get the pictures, or we'll never hear the end of it. But it won't take long.I promise."

"So long as I can have a copy then it's fine." Kyle smiled at Ethan.

"We can do that, "Ulani said, So why don't you just put your arms around each other, then do one where you're looking into each other's eyes. And then one where you're fixing each other's bow ties. Then we'll be done."

"Feels kind of weird." Kyle whispered as they posed for the camera. He fancied the pants off of Ethan but being put on display like this for Ulani and Jamie just felt...odd.

'Yeah, I know," Ethan whispered back, "I feel like I'm in a zoo or something. Still the whole staring into your eyes thing, I could get used to."

"Yeah?" Kyle beamed, meeting Ethan's gaze and having to agree that it felt very right.

"Yeah," Ethan responded, "I think I like you, I mean rea...."

Ulani cleared her throat, "Boys, we're right here."

"Uh, yeah right mom, " Ethan said as he turned from Kyle to his mother.

"Sorry Mrs Chaparral." Kyle flushed bright red.

"Yeah, sorry mom," Ethan agreed, his face as red as his boyfriends.

They were only met with smiles from both Mr and Mrs. Chaparral and soon were released from their photography marathon.

They got out to the family hoovercar, a trendy, if somewhat boxy affair and stepped inside. Before starting the engine, Ethan turned to Kyle sitting in the seat opposite him and said, "This is what I really wanted to do, just not with them watching and he leaned in and pressed his lips to the other boy's.

Leaning in to Ethan, Kyle sighed happily and whispered "I've really wanted to to do that too. You really look good you know." he pulled back to meet Ethan's gaze.

"So do you," Ethan said giving Kyle a quick once over before returning to look into his eyes. He briefly wondered, not for the first time what he looked like under his clothes and what it would be like to do more than just kiss, which is all the two had done up until that point. He quickly subdued those thoughts, because it would be dangerous to linger on them and stated the engine.

"So, my mom showed me a couple of dances, and yeah that was kind of weird, but at least I won't be stepping all over your feet," Ethan said as he started to back out of the driveway.

"Dances huh?" Kyle smiled, "I hadn't really thought about it but it's good that one of us will know what we're doing." he grinned sheepishly, realising that he was totally unprepared for this date.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to lead, but you're pretty coordinated, I'm sure you'll catch on."

"Hope so otherwise you might end up in the ER with a broken foot." Kyle chuckled, looking sideways at his date.

Ethan began driving, "We'll be fine, " Ethan encouraged. "You know I like you don't you? I mean, uh really like you. You know like falling in love with you like you."

"Yeah?" Kyle beamed, "Well...I really like you too." he reached over and put a hand over Ethan's.

Ethan smiled as Kyle's hand closed over his. "Good, because I thought that afterwards we could, you know go to Angelino's or someplace like that. You know. " He paused cutting a glance at Kyle before turning his eyes back to the road. "Something uh, romantic. I mean if you're okay with that."

"I'm okay with that." Kyle replied before adding "You should uh..know that my parents are away this weekend so I have the house to myself if you kind of wanted to come over there later." He looked away, suddenly feeling nervous and not sure if Ethan knew what he was suggesting.

Ethan swerved suddenly at Kyle's words, but he quickly got the vehicle back on track. "you mean, like I could um, stay the night?"

"Only if you wanted to." Kyle replied hurriedly, "If not it's no big deal." he added, looking out of the window as he found himself needing to look anywhere other than at Ethan.

Ethan forced himself to breath normally, or as normal as he could. Lately he'd been thinking a lot about what it would really be like to do IT with somebody instead of just his imagination and his hand. And not just with anyone, but with Kyle.

"I really want to, Kyle. I mean I've wondered about, uh things, and you, I mean us. I uh, I'm not sure what I mean. But yeah I think it would be fun. I mean you know spending the night and all."

Kyle let out a breath that he hadn't even known he'd been holding and turned to look back at Ethan as he said "I think so too."

They made it to the High School managing to dance around the subject both boys were thinking about. Their school was small, exclusive, and expensive. Only the best and brightest were accepted there. Ethan was there on soccer scholarship. Kyle, who was more academically gifted than Ethan didn't need a scholarship as his parent were very well off.

They were the only same sex couple, at least the only openly gay couple at the dance, but no one seemed to pay them any more attention than anyone else.

After they had had gotten and drank some punch, Ethan looked over at Kyle and said, "You want to try dancing? It's a slow dance. Just follow along and stay, you know, close."

"I'd love to...just remember to mind your toes." he grinned at Ethan as he drained his glass and set it down, tentatively holding out a hand.

Ethan took his hand and led him out onto the dance floor. When they got there, he wrapped one arm around Kyle's waist and took the other boy's arm with his free hand. "Just relax and flow with the music," he said.

"Easy for you to say." Kyle replied nervously as he tried to listen to the music yet all he seemed to hear was Ethan.

Kyle's leaning up against him, was making it difficult for the teenager to concentrate on what they were supposed to be doing, dancing. His thoughts began drifting in other directions. They'd never really been this close before.

^=^This is an old, old song,^=^came over the speakers, ^=^But, we think everyone will like it.6=^

Then I Can't Help Falling In Love With You began playing. Ethan managed to remember what his mother had shown him for all of about six steps and Kyle was keeping up, then he made the mistake of looking into the other boy's eyes and lost his concentration. He forgot all about the timing and the proper steps and just moved, keeping in sync with the music only by happenstance. But at the moment he didn't really care.

"You think this should be our song?" Kyle asked softly wanting nothing more than to kiss Ethan right now as he felt his body responding to his proximity.

"Yeah, I think this should be our song, because its exactly how I feel." Ethan said. Then lowering his voice to a whisper he continued. "I, uh, I want you Kyle. I mean I want to, well you know, with you."

"I want you too." Kyle admitted, suddenly feeling very nervous as he added tentatively "Want to get out of here?"

Ethan hadn't really been sure that he and Kyle wanted the same thing, though when Kyle had informed him his parents were going to be out of town and invited him to spend the night, he had a pretty good idea. But still there had been some uncertainty.

Now he knew they both wanted to be with each other intimately. To make love to each other, though the details were still to be worked out. Part of him wanted to stay at the party awhile longer. Just to dance with his boyfriend. It was easier, safer.

However part of him was even more aroused by Kyle's sudden boldness. Being a teenage boy full of love and lust, with a vivid imagination of what his first time would be like. That was the part of him that won out and it took just under two minutes to do so.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," he declared.

TBC

A joint post by

Kyle Cross
NPC Dylan Santiago

Ethan Chaparral
Teenager

The science ship USS Bacon slowed to impulse as it approached the much larger USS Hera. Aboard the Bacon, Lieutenant (soon to be Lieutenant Commander) Sinek was readying himself for transport to the larger vessel.

Sinek was taking on a new opportunity as the CSO of the Hera. The Hera was a reconnaissance ship that was assigned to explore the Klingon-Romulan border. Sinek was certain that his abilities would assist his new team. The opportunity to be a part of the command team was fascinating.

The human at the transporter controls asked with a chuckle, "Are you ready for transport Lieutenant Cynic?"

Sinek never understood human humor. It seemed illogical for person to laugh when addressing another human being. It seemed disrespectful, especially since no one shared what the joke actually was.

Commander Houston, the XO smiled at Sinek and in an effort to make peace stated, "Lieutenant, they are saying Cynic, C-Y-N-I-C. I thought you should know that."

"How illogical," the Vulcan replied. ""Commander, I have served this ship and its crew to the best of my abilities."

The XO grinned, "I understand Lieutenant, but you haven't exactly gotten to know the crew well."

Sinek remembered a meeting that occurred just a week before while the Bacon was resupplying at Starbase 119. His Uncle Tuvek brought an older Vulcan for him to meet. When the Vulcan removed his hood, Sinek recognized Ambassador Spock. Spock was known to have entered the ranks of Star Fleet as a Science Officer, achieving the rank of Captain and moving on to be an ambassador. He was a model for any Vulcan entering into Star Fleet service.

"One thing you lack to be successful," Spock had mentioned to him. "It is more logical to open up and truly know the individuals with whom you serve. Yours and their lives may depend on it some day."

Sinek never considered this truth before that moment. He stored it away in his mind to improve his relations with other crew members.

Coming back to the present, Sinek replied, "That is understandable, Commander. I now understand that relationship is a logical necessity."

The commander grinned as Sinek stepped onto the transporter pad. "Use that logic wisely, Lieutenant. It will be of good use to you in command."

Sinek nodded, the XO gave the command to energize. Just before he faded out, Sinek lifted his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper," he said as he slowly disappeared.

The commander gave a nod at the empty pad, then whispered, "Peace and long life."

Over on the Hera, Lieutenant Sinek appeared in transporter room 1. The ensign at the controls informed him that the Captain was awaiting him in her Ready Room off of the bridge. Sinek immediately went to the turbo lift and gave the command to go to the bridge.

At the bridge, the turbo lift doors whisked open. The bridge to the Hera was a fascinating sight for the Vulcan. He had to suppress the emotion of pride as he entered, knowing he would soon be introduced to the Science team as their Chief Officer. Briskly, the Vulcan walked to the Ready Room and chimed to enter.

"Enter," Enalia called as she clicked her desk terminal off. She really needed to get someone to install more screens in her desk, but for now she'd have to make due with the one portable desk terminal and the small control cluster to her left. At least she had a good replicator, she thought as she sipped her tea and looked to the Vulcan entering through the now open doors. "Lieutenant Sinek, I presume?"

Sinek approached the Commander's desk and stood at full attention. He took a quick visual of his new Commanding Officer, her long hair, dark eyes, the spots identifying her as a trill. He could tell even with her behind the desk that she was very athletic.

"Reporting as ordered, Commander," the Lieutenant flatly affirmed.

"Please, have a seat," Enalia said as she motioned to the chair across her desk from her. "Would you like something to drink?" As she asked, she reached into one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a small black box, setting it in front of her but not opening it.

Lieutenant Sinek considered the question for a brief moment then replied, "Thank you Commander, any type of fruit juice would be adequate."

The Lieutenant took a seat in the chair that the commander pointed toward. He sat straight, but looked relaxed, not tense.

Punching up her own favorite combination of passion fruit juices, Enalia slid the drink and the box over to the Vulcan. "Congrats on your promotion, by the way."

Sinek accepted the drink and box. "Thank you, commander," came the monotone reply.

The Lieutenant opened the box and removed the pips from inside. He placed them upon his collar and became recognizable as Lieutenant Commander. The work he had down to achieve this promotion had been satisfying indeed.

Sinek turned his attention to his current tasks. He was ready for his new tasks. "How may I best serve the Hera and her crew?"

"Well, you're the Chief Science Officer aboard a science vessel. We may work for Starfleet Intel, but our primary mission is still to explore. "You should have enough just with bridge duties and keeping your department running, but I'll expect you'll have a lot more on your plate soon enough." Enalia said as she leaned back in her chair.

"I understand, Commander," Lieutenant Commander Sinek intoned. "If I am dismissed, I would like to meet with my staff. Is there anything I need to be made aware of concerning the Science Department?"

"Sciences, no..." Enalia said with a bit of a pause. "I recommend getting to know the rest of the department heads at your leisure. And watch out for the civilians we have on board. A few of them are... Unusual... Oh and get the policies straightened out on the pod sensor systems with the Ops Chief. There's been some issues with not scanning for pirates in our wake."

The newly made Lieutenant Commander wondered what unusual civilians might be aboard the Hera. Perhaps it would be good to do some observation to discover just what makes another...unusual.

"Understood, Commander," Sinek expressed. "I will meet with the Chief of Operations. We will work together and resolve any issues with the sensors."

"Dismissed." Enalia said simply. "And welcome aboard."

"Thank you, Commander," Sinek intoned, "I look forward to be of service to the Hera and her crew."

The Lieutenant Commander straightened, turned and purposely left the Ready Room.

Ethan had been released from sickbay, or more accurately, he had released himself. Being the ACMO had its privileges It would be some time before he was fitted with a prosthetic arm so in the meantime he was more or less off duty. Ian, his tormenter had been right about that, it was damn difficult to be a doctor with only one arm,

Dylan was sleeping in his room which gave Ethan an excuse to wander around, or at least try to wander. Getting dressed proved to be a real challenge. A chore he used to take for granted was anything but, in the end however he managed and he decided to revisit the lounge where everything had started.

Scrubs were the easiest to get on, so that's what he wore. Sea green scrubs and his com badge. He didn't bother with anything else. It wasn't worth it. Getting to the lounge was easy enough, the pain in his hands and feet almost completely gone. He needed the exercise, needed to be get used to the stares, needed to do it without Dylan by his side.

Just need to prove to himself he could function.

When he stepped inside, he wanted to sit at the table where he had met Ian, but the table was occupied. In retrospect that was probably a good thing. He sat at the bar and ordered a Brandy.

Sinek was in his quarters sitting crossed-legged by a meditation candle, hands resting on his knees. During his meditation, he could not help hearing Ambassador Spock's voice urging him the importance of know the individuals with whom he served. It was well known in Vulcan circles the relationship that Spock had forged with James Kirk.

Unsure of how developing lasting relationships aboard the Hera would help Sinek serve her and the crew better, the Lieutenant Commander made a decision to make the attempt. The logical place to meet the crew in a relaxed atmosphere would be the ships lounge, where groups of people would gather to unwind from their day's duties. Unwinding was a foreign concept to Sinek. However, he surmised this was the best place to begin developing relationships.

Sinek removed his hooded robe and put on his uniform. The uniform defined his role aboard the Hera as his pointed ears defined his proud heritage. Once in full uniform, Sinek headed for the lounge.

Arriving at the lounge, Lieutenant Commander Sinek entered. He stopped just inside the door to peruse the people. Scattered about, he saw several groups in various emotional states. He observed most appeared to be happy. One group seemed to be complaining about their workload. Sinek was cautious at approaching these groups, not wanting overwhelmed by the emotions so visible in them.

Glancing toward the bar, the Vulcan noticed a lone man who seemed to be missing an arm. He was in casual clothing, so Sinek could not identify how the man served aboard the ship. Sinek was briefed by the captain shortly after coming aboard about one of the Hera's doctors being abducted and tortured before the rescue team could get to him. He wondered if this could be the man.

The Vulcan walked straight and tall toward the bar. He sat two seats to the left of the man and ordered a glass of pomegranate and mango juice.

Fortunately Ethan was left handed, so drinking, the actual bringing the glass to his lips and sitting down again was pretty easy, maybe too easy if he weren't too careful. He noticed the Vulcan sit down a couple of chairs away from him and cocked his head in that direction. "Excuse me, "he said, "are you the one who helped rescue me?"

So this is the doctor that was abducted. He must have me confused with someone else.

Sinek rotated his seat to face the man to his right. "I was not part of the rescue party. I have only just arrived on the Hera as the Chief Science Officer. I am Sinek." There was no empathy or sympathy in his voice. The Vulcan realized that he could not do the traditional human greeting of shaking hands. He raised his right hand in the Vulcan salute. "Peace, and long life," he stated, matter of fact.

Ethan rather liked the fact that the Vulcan seemed to take no notice of his missing arm, or perhaps more accurately he simply chose to ignore it. He held out his hand and returned the gesture. " Peace and long life to you Sinek. It was a Vulcan that played a part of my rescue. I was in and out of consciousness at the time. Dylan, my, uh friend, had fill me in on the details of it. How are you finding the ship?"

"I am finding the Hera and her crew exemplary, from what I have observed thus far," the Vulcan's even-toned voice announced. "I am certain that my studies and skills will serve the ship, her Captain and crew adequately."

Sinek took a sip of his fruit juice. He never understood the concept of consuming alcohol and losing the ability to reason. It seemed to him that alcohol only granted the emotions free reign. Of course, he understood that non-Vulcan's relied upon and used their emotions, many of them to the fullest.

"I deduce that you are Doctor Chaparral." It was a statement, not a question.

"You deduce correctly," Ethan stated taking a sip of his own drink. Though I am not sure how difficult it was. I am sure that you will prove yourself worthy and be an asset to the crew. Do you have a special field you practice?"

"I studied Astrobiology and Cryptozoology at Starfleet Academy," Sinek affirmed. "I have interests in other fields of Science and Mathematics as well."

"That is interesting, math was never my strong suit. But I enjoy biology and the forensic scientist. My father is a pathologist."

"It would seem you have somewhat followed your father's path in life," Lieutenant Commander Sinek observed. "Did you esteem your father?" It was the closest thing to love that the Vulcan's mind would allow.

Ethan cocked his head slightly and studied the other man, "Yes, I do. I esteem him a great deal. We are very close. Share some of the same interest. He, and my mother were not too keen on my joining Starfleet, but they respected my decision and eventually agreed with it. How about yourself? What does your father do? Do you esteem him?"

Sinek considered how best to answer. He did not understand the doctor's concept of closeness.

"Vulcan children are taught to respect and esteem our elders," he started. "My father may believe I do not esteem him because I did not follow his path, but he errs in his logic. My father is Ambassador Vesik. He is a great ambassador and a great Vulcan. I do esteem him."

It was not lost on the half Elasian that the Vulcan had side stepped his question. "So you're father was pissed that.... Sorry that is probably not an accurate term for Vulcans. So your father did not approve of the path you took, because it was different from the one he chose.

Wouldn't it be logical to let you decide for yourself the path that was best for you?"

"As I said," the Vulcan explained, "He erred in his logic. He had thought my career path should follow his, because I was his son. However, my interests were similar to his brother's and my uncle. Perhaps you've heard of Captain Tuvek of the USS Tesla."

Again, a statement and not a question. Sinek logically assumed everyone would know the exploits of the science ship and her captain.

"I think I heard the name of the ship but not much else I'm afraid. Of course I'm familiar with the 19th century scientist the ship was no doubt named for."

He wanted to ask if Sinek loved his father, but that would have been a rude thing to do and he didn't want to offend the other man."Well I hope your father has rethought his hypothesis and his flawed logic. But tell me, why are you hanging out in a bar. I mean it could just be me, but it doesn't seem like you've been in too many."

Sinek pause to compute the doctor's last statement. It is that obvious? Fascinating. The thought never crossed Sinek's mind that he would look out of place.

"I have been given some advice by another esteemed Vulcan ambassador. Actually, half-Vulcan." Sinek took another sip of his juice. "How does one appear to have been in a ...," he looked around, seeing emotions abound, "...lounge?"

"It's just that the experience seems new to you. And you're drinking fruit juice, something I really like myself. Just not in a bar. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but its just different. And whoever this other... Wait a minute. Half Vulcan? Do you mean Ambassador Spock? You know Spock?"

Lieutenant Commander Sinek flatly confirmed with a slight nod, "Indeed. I have met him."

The Vulcan took another sip of his juice and placed the half full glass on the bar. "As for the juice, I only partake of what is necessary to refuel my body. Alcohol feeds emotions and is not required to energize the body."

"Wow, that is really cool. I mean, I have always admired the man. I am half Elasian and not only was he one of the first hybrid species to be part of Starfleet, but he and Kirk helped bring my people into the 23rd Century.

As far as the juice is concerned, to each his own. But emotions are not a bad thing you know. It depends on whether you control them or they control you."

"Indeed," was the only reply from the Vulcan. Spock was admirable; he was one of the first hybrids to serve Star Fleet; what one drinks is his own choice; and, emotions must be suppressed.

Sinek thought about Spock a moment longer. One of those with whom the ambassador developed a relationship was also a doctor. Perhaps it would be the same with Sinek. Nodding at Chaparral's arm he asked, "What is your next course of action, Doctor?"

"Well, I'm still not fully recovered from my ordeal. I have had a few nightmares about it.So I guess that's the first thing. Then get a prosthetic arm. I've heard they are as good as a biological one, though I have my doubts. After that, well my ex has asked me to marry and I've agreed. After that I don't know.

And thanks for not making a big issue out of it, the arm I mean."

"I assure you, Vulcans do not make big issues of anything," came the emotionless response from Lieutenant Commander Sinek. "It is a mere obstacle, which we will help you to overcome."

The one comment - the term "ex" registered in Sinek's mind. In his culture, the mate is chosen for them by their families. Sinek had not sought his family's choice, knowing in choosing a Star Fleet career, he would not see her.

"What makes the choice of a mate significant in your culture?" Sinek inquired.

"Love does," Ethan replied, "when two people love each other they want to be with each other. To share their lives with another, the good and the bad. I don't know how I would get through all this sh, uh stuff I'm going through without him."

It seems that Lieutenant Commander Sinek still had a lot to learn about human culture. For the Vulcan, it seemed logical that mating would be for procreation. Sinek had managed to stay out of sexual unions, except for the pon farr episodes. Those times, it was logical to stay alive. Of course, the union could occur outside of pon farr. However, Sinek had devoted his life to his studies and his service in Star Fleet. He never took the time to develop a relationship with a female counterpart. The idea of love was as foreign to him as the Borg were.

"How does it work in Vulcan culture?" Ethan asked, "Do you have a mate? Some to care for you and you for them?"

"Our families arrange for our mates," Sinek flatly explained. "However, the relationships are not founded upon...love. Our care is shown in...mutual respect."

Sinek thought of the bond between his mother and father. It was logical they would be paired; they had being ambassadors in common. They were able to serve together most of the time. They showed respect and honored each other. Was that care? Was that the same as the human emotion of love?

Up until this time, Sinek had not sought out the mate his family chose for him. However, as he listened to the doctor, he was considering it. However, his mind would return to the fact that he had chosen his own path - Science and Star Fleet. Perhaps his chosen path would cross paths with a suitable mate.

"Your parents chose your mates for you?" Ethan asked incredulously. Such a concept to him was totally foreign to him. He had heard about that kind of thing of course, the practice had been common on Earth at one time, even more recently on his other home world, but it just didn't seem right to him.

"I'm sorry Commander, I just don't get it. A friend, a colleague, another officer, and I can all have mutual respect for each other, that doesn't mean I love them or they love me.

Dylan and I have been through a lot together. At one time, up until recently to be honest, we were apart. Physically and emotionally. But now we're back. Mutual respect couldn't achieve that. Only love could."

"Through observation, it seems emotions do not last," Sinek stated, trying to wrap his mind around the concept. He bent his elbows, his hands meeting before him, fingers forming a triangle.

"I don't know, " the doctor replied, "look at us, Dylan and me, it looked like things were over between us. Which would have proved your point, at least been some empirical evidence. But we are back together again. How do you explain that?"

The Vulcan thought of how better to pose his last statement. "Emotions seem to be up and down, either hot or cold. Logic is a constant. But I do understand that you and I will never come to an agreement on this matter. I do wish you well on your endeavors and look forward to serving aboard the Hera alongside you."

"Well, while I understand what you're saying about emotions being hot and and cold, and can't say I disagree with your assessment, I am willing to put up with the cold, because the hot is what we call passion. And passion, at lest in relationships seems so much preferable than cold logic, or mere reason.

You're right that we won't come to an agreement about this, I look forward to working with you too."

The Lieutenant Commander took the last sip of his fruit juice and affirmed the Doctor's words with a nod. He looked forward to future interactions with the Doctor, at least this one had a better bedside manner than Spock's Doctor McCoy. Sinek found the discussion on emotions fascinating and decided it may be intriguing to make further inquiries into them, although he would never come to apply them.

"Thank you for your information, Doctor. It was rather intriguing. May your recovery be quick and painless."

He nodded again to Doctor Chaparral, then stood up from his seat and exited the lounge. Sinek's mind registered an achievement never registered before. It seemed this was the most personal he had ever allowed a human to become in a conversation. Sinek wondered, as he walked to his office, if Spock's experiences with humans were similar.

A joint post by
Lt. Commander Sinek
CSO

Lt. Ethan Chaparral
ACMo

Waking up slowly, Enalia pressed her hand to her eyes. Her head was pounding like a drum, pain coursing through her as she tried to move. She was laying on something hard and uncomfortable and as she tried to roll to a sitting position but instead fell to the floor. The sudden jolt cleared her head and glancing around, she saw that this wasn't on the Hera. This was a Klingon cell. She figured she knew exactly where she was now – on the Raptor.

Standing, she studied the cell. It was an old bar type cage system, no doubt installed by the pirate leader to store her victims in. Thankfully it seemed to use an antique locking mechanism as well. She just needed something to pick it with and a little luck.

Then she noticed something else. Someone in Starfleet gold in another cell. "Hello? Ensign Veltarin, is that you?"

The Vulcan groaned softly and nodded his head. "Yes Captain, I am Veltarin. As you have no doubt concluded, we are prisoners, I have not been ill-treated, at least not yet. But I have heard screams. So perhaps we are next, the screams did stop not long ago. So perhaps whoever was screaming is no longer useful to them and is dead. We may be next."

Checking her hair for the bobby pin she hoped was still there, Enalia muttered to herself for a moment. "Fucking pirates kidnapping my fucking crew... I'm going to stab that fucking bitch in the face then piss on her mother's grave..."

Finding the pin, she moved to the old physical lock and started working on it. "Let's not give them the chance to do any more damage, shall we?"

Veltarin flinched ever so slightly at the Trill's words and the venom behind them. Neither were logical and neither would actually help the situation. It struck him, not for the first time, just how emotional Trill were.

His face however remained impassive as he kept those thoughts to himself. "I would suggest that you hasten your actions, the guards do randomly patrol this area. I am not sure how much time you have left."

"Almost got it..." Suddenly with a click, Enalia's bars swung free, her cage opening. Glancing around and not seeing the keys, she got to work on the Ensign's cage as well. "Second time is always easier, right?"

"Yes ma'am, that's what they say."

He moved out of his cell, just as they heard the outer door began to open.

Grabbing a pipe laying nearby, Enalia quickly struck the white coated woman that entered. Thankfully, she went down like a sack and no one was behind her. "She looks like she might be their doctor," Enalia said, motioning to the medkit the alien woman had been carrying. Grabbing the disruptor, she tossed it to her Vulcan companion. "How's your aim?"

"I scored a 97.3456 on the Academy range and a 94.212 in the simulated battle function." the man replied.

"Better than me." Enalia didn't want to say by how much though. she had barely passed the advanced combat arms courses needed to be in command. Peeking out the door a moment, she moved into the hall. "Which way did those screams come from?"

"They were rather faint. Haunting but faint. I believe they were on the deck below us." The Vulcan began moving down the hall, "But it can't be too far."

Haunting? Enalia supposed even Vulcans would be affected by the torture of a likely crew mate. Following him, she stopped by a wall mounted maintenance kit and grabbed the plasma torch from it just in case. "If I remember the deck plans for these old ships, there should be a crawl way coming up soon here on the left."

Just as Veltarin was nodding his head, they heard another fresh scream, that was like nails across an ancient Terran chalkboard.

Cringing at the sound, Enalia paused for only a moment before hurrying on towards the sound. "We need to hurry. Lead on."

The Ensign found the hatch to the crawl way just where the Captain said it would be and rather effortlessly lifted in and entered, trusting that she was right behind him. They had gone about four meters when they came to a junction. one passage curved to the left and continued on the same level they were currently on, while the other ended rather abruptly with a ladder one portion ascending and the other descending.

Enalia was right behind him, closing the hatch behind them. "Still say it's one deck down?"

"That would be my estimation, but you heard the lase scream, what do you think?"

"I think your ears are better than mine. I could barely tell which direction it came from." Enalia said as she hopped on the ladder and made her way down to the next deck.

The crawl way here was slightly narrower than on the deck above, but still manageable. The two made their way to the hatchway leading out into the main corridor and heard voices on the other side. There were more than two, but beyond that is was difficult to tell how many. "What no ma'am?" Veltarin whispered in her ear."

Enalia motioned a bit further down to another hatch. It likely led them to a place they didn't want to be, but it was bound to be better than next to several pirates. This ship only held a dozen people or so normally and 3 dozen tops so they were rather unlucky for finding more than 2 at a time. Listening at the other hatch, Enalia didn't hear anything offhand so she pushed it open and ducked down so her Vulcan companion could shoot over her if need be. The sight before her though... well they found the torture room...

Chained against the wall brutal sight confronted them, it was Dr. Chaparral. His face was battered and bruised, there were letter etched into his skin, dark blood around each letter. The Vulcan could just make out the words Property of Ian ,that were scrawled in the poor man's chest. It was rather obvious from the angle of the feet and one arm that bones had been broken. How many it was hard to tell.

Veltarin swallowed bile as the real horror of the situation hit him full force. The doctor's right arm was missing from the shoulder down. Just a stub was there. Blood covered the man and the floor around him. And what made it even more difficult not vomit was the smell of burning human, or half human flesh.

There were two other occupants in the room, beside the chained man. The first was an older looking man who was looking between Ethan and the other man with an almost neutral expression on his face. The other man had a blow torch in one hand and a smoldering mound of tissue that had at one time been an arm.

The mask of inscrutability the Vulcan had been wearing dropped away and a look of barely suppressed rage replaced it. "What do we do now?" the Ensign asked.

Biting back her desire to throw up, Enalia pointed to the torturers. "Shoot them." She was strangely calm at the moment, the stench of burnt flesh assaulting her sinuses. "Preferably in the face."

Ethan didn't see his would be rescuers all he could see was Ian's gloating face and the doctor preparing his instruments to remove Ethan's other arm, or leg, he didn't know which, nor did it really matter to him then.

"All... alright...you, you ...win!" he relented between sobs. "Just stop. I, I give up. I'll I'll tell you what you want to know. Just, please....please stop."

Equally as oblivious to the invasion, Ian sneered and dropped the charred remains of the arm in disgust as he said "Finally, you see the light." he wandered up to Ethan until his face was mere inches from his and said harshly "Now talk."

"Fi fine, I'll talk. Ju...just please stop the pain first."

"Nuh uh uh." Ian shook his head, "Talk first, pain relief after if you're a good boy."

Spotting a nearby stolen phaser rifle, Enalia stepped out of hiding, grabbed the rifle, toggled the safety, and fired a concentrated volley into one of the pirates. As that one dropped to the deck, Enalia didn't care if he was dead or alive - she hadn't even checked to see what setting the weapon had been left on. Turning the rifle to the other one, she wanted to shoot him repeatedly too. She barely kept her rage in check though. That one had nowhere to hide and nowhere to run and he was less than 3 meters from the business end of a smoking phaser rifle.

She did her best to keep calm, slowly growling out an order to the filthy scum that had kidnapped her people. "Surrender or die," was the single order she gave.

The second pirate had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender.

"You're going to escort us to whatever passes for a shuttle or escape pod right now." Enalia ordered, shoving the barrel of the rifle against the pirate's neck. "Ensign, I need you to carry the Lieutenant out of here. I don't think he's in any condition to walk."

Without hesitation Veltarin approached the poor man chained to the wall. He found a set of discarded keys and tried not to wrinkle his nose at the odor emanating off of the human. He freed him from his restraints and caught him as he collapsed. He easily picked him up. "I have you now," he said, "You're safe." Then he turned to the Captain and the pirate she was holding at bay. "Speed is again of the essence. I estimate our odds at surviving this at, well you don't want to hear the odds."

"I'm making the odds one to one." Grabbing the pirate by the scruff of his jacket, Enalia pressed the rifle to his back and walked him out of the torture room.

Thankfully, it was clear on the way to the cargo bay where an older model Ferengi shuttle was sitting. It looked like they had barely gotten it in through the door but since it was in here, that meant Enalia could get it out. Hitting the door controls, the hatch slowly slid open and the internal lights flickered on. "Ensign, check the inside and get Chaparral situated."


The Vulcan, slightly bemused by the Captain's words and actions moved silently. The doctor whom he was carrying had passed out, but as they entered the shuttle he came awake fear radiating from his eyes. Eyes that were a deep crystal blue that the communications specialist thought fascinating. "It will be okay," he whispered reassuringly as he lay him on the floor. "We're set here ma'am. I'll hold him while you fly the shuttle."

Turning the pirate around, Enalia pressed him up against the hull of the shuttle and struck him as hard as she could in the face with the butt of the rifle, the pirate crumpling to the floor. Finished with that business, she headed into the shuttle and started getting it running, the engines snapping to life quickly. "Let's see if we can get that door open..."

Setting the shuttle to reorient to face the door, she started punching at the comm panel, trying to get the door to open. After a few seconds, she finally got it, the large hatch slowly lowering.

"Ma'am, you have no doubt triggered an alarm of some kind, I think it would be safe to assume that the Pirates would take precautions and would set up an alert system to notify them when someone opens the shuttle bay doors. We may only have one shot at this."

Noticing another odd looking panel, Enalia punched up the controls on it as the doors took their time opening. A cloaking device? Jackpot! Hitting the activation sequence, the outer skin of the shuttle vanished, leaving engine wake to be the only sign it was still there.

"Just a little more..." The door finally opened wide enough, then stopped. Enalia didn't care though. She just gunned it, barely scrapping the top of the shuttle hull on the ceiling as they rocketed out of the shuttle bay. "Now let's see if we can find the Hera, shall we?"

Veltarin did his best to keep his face impassive, but he could not help a small smile that played at his lips. Then as he took a closer look at the man laying at his feet, he said, "Do we have a medical kit? He is in a lot of pain."

"I hope so. Check the storage locker in back. It'll probably be in Klingon or Ferengi if there is one so good luck." Typing at the flight controls with one hand and the sensors with the other, Enalia brought the shuttle about and started flying back along their course. Thankfully they were still in that nebula so hopefully she could pick up the Hera... and there it was. The duck egg blue hull plating of her ship never looked so beautiful.

Tapping her chest, she realized her comm badge was missing as soon as she did so. "Great... Now to figure out the comm system... How much Ferengi do you know?"

This time Veltarin did allow a smile. A small one that played at his lips for an instance and then was gone. "Ma'am, I am a Communications specialist, I am fluent in seven languages and know and there are an additional six that I can carry on a conversation in. Providentially Ferengi is one of those that I am fluent in. Just let me get this poor man something for his pain and I will send a message to our ship."

Noticing a blinking light on a random panel, Enalia had a sinking feeling about it. "Take your time. I think we might have a tracker on this thing. I'll see if I can figure out the more advanced flight controls so we're not quite so easy to find." Enalia may have been an exceptional pilot and the controls may have been laid out in a standardized pattern, but they were still in Ferengi and without a tricorder, she couldn't exactly read it too well.

Veltarin felt compassion for the man lying on the floor of the shuttle. It was clear from the broken bones in his feet and remaining arm that he had been through a lot. He found a med-kit. He wasn't really a proficient medical practitioner and certainly no doctor, but he did have basic first aid skills.

Still, even with those the injuries were worse than he could comfortably handle. The best that he could do was use the hypospray and give him a sedative to ease his pain. When he had administered it, he went back to check on the Captain's progress.

Enalia had figured out the autopilot and had set it to do a large corkscrew pattern towards the Hera as they flew along the edge of the minefield. "Ready to figure out the comm system?"

"Of course ma'am." The Ferengi was easy to read, but the communications system itself was another matter. It seemed that Ferengis were less organized than Humans. Their whole system was a chaotic ball of tangled twine. But Veltarin was moderately bright, even for one of his species, and after about 90 seconds, he had it figured out enough to work.

"One minute and I should be able to transmit on a narrow high frequency wave. Then all you have to do is call the ship."

"Excellent. Hail them and send them a docking request in shuttlebay 2 with my signature." Coming up on the Hera, Enalia slowed the shuttle's roll to bring it in line with the shuttlebay door. As soon as she was lined up, she maintained a slight distance so they wouldn't slam into the massive ship's shields.


The Vulcan inserted the ear bud, which was rather large and odd shaped, which didn't make it easy to fit, but he made it work.

After a few moments he looked up, removing the device from his ear with the barest hint of a frown as he wondered where it might have been. "They are expecting us ma'am and will have a medical team standing by."

"Excellent." Seeing the rear shields drop and the shuttlebay door slide open, Enalia turned the cloak off and hit the thrusters, driving the craft quickly into the hangar bay's waiting tractor beams. From there, the shuttlebay door closed and the tractor beams secured the shuttle near a waiting medical team. "Welcome home gentlemen," she said as she started powering down the Ferengi shuttle.

Ethan stirred slightly and groaned. The sedative he'd been given had dulled the pain some,though not enough. "Where am I?" He asked.

"You're safe, back on the Hera," Veltarin explained.

"Dylan, " the doctor requested, "I want, is Dylan around?"

As the shuttle door slid open and the medical team rushed in to help the doctor, Enalia stood and oversaw his care. "As soon as you're in sickbay, I'll send him to see you, ok?"

"Just tell him I'm sorry." Ethan said, though it wasn't clear what he was apologizing for.

Enalia nodded as the medics carried Ethan out of the shuttle. "I will. Just get some rest for now, ok?" Following the team out of the shuttle with Ensign Veltarin, Enalia turned to him for a moment. "You get some rest as well. Good job out there."

"Okay," he said flatly not feeling like he'd done a good job at all.

There was a commotion at the entrance to the shuttle bay as Dylan barged in, pushing people out of the way in his haste. He had heard whilst on the bridge that the shuttle had arrived and had run all the way there. "Ethan! Ethan!" he called as he ran towards the medics. Skidding to a halt as he spotted his ex laying on the gurney, all of the blood drained from his face as he saw him and he staggered backwards, "W-what happened?" he asked in a shaky voice as he looked around at the others.

Before anyone else could reply, Ethan said, "Dy, Dylan, I'm sorry. So sorry."

"For what?" Dylan frowned, his eyes focusing on Ethan, unable to look away from the grisly sight of the carvings on his chest, "I'm pretty sure that you're not the one who should be apologising here." he added, forcing himself to smile for Ethan's sake.

Ethan was finding it difficult to focus, "But I never should have gone to see him."

"Well let's just concentrate on getting you better right now okay?" Dylan took Ethan's only hand and gave it a squeeze, trying to fight back the lump in his throat.

"Okay," Ethan managed to say before losing consciousness.

Looking at the medics, a tear finally escaped Dylan's eye as he said "Keep him alive okay?"

As the medics nodded and rushed Ethan off for treatment, Enalia came up and stood beside Dylan. "I told you we'd get him back. I just wish we had gotten all of him..." she said morosely.

"Believe me Ma'am, you're not the only one." Dylan replied as he swiped angrily at the tear that streaked down his face. With a deep sigh, he headed towards sickbay, intent on being there the minute Ethan regained consciousness.

At the beginning of Bridge Duty, Lieutenant Commander Sinek was a prime example of how an officer should look while on the Bridge. His uniform was crisp and clean; he looked sharp to the tip of his ears.

As Sinek began monitoring at the Science Station and taking mental notes, he noticed a slight odor begin to envelope around him. Suddenly, he realized that he did not remember what he had been doing. Sinek shook his head. Curious... was all he could think when his eyes rolled back and the Vulcan collapsed to the deck.

Eight hours later, just before shift change, Sinek came conscious. Gathering himself, he sat up. Looking around the bridge, the Lieutenant Commander realized he was alone. Sinek arched a brow, suddenly realizing he no longer wore his uniform. In fact, he had no clothing on at all.

"This is illogical," Sinek stated to the abandoned bridge. It couldn't be a dream; Sinek never slept long enough to have a dream. "There has to be a logical explanation," the Vulcan stated as he heard the turbo lift door swoosh open. Glancing to the turbo lift from his seated position, the nude Vulcan saw Commander Telvan entering the bridge.

"Good morning Lieutenant Commander Sinek." Enalia said as she plopped down in the center of the 3 command chairs and punched up the ship's status on her console. "You're out of uniform and the rest of the bridge crew is missing. Do you have an explanation or should I just check the security logs?" Looking up at the nude Vulcan, she stared him in the eyes, her gaze not straying.

Sinek stood up with his arms down to his sides. The was no embarrassment showing; Vulcan's do not feel embarrassed. The Lieutenant Commander flatly responded, "There is a logical explanation, Commander..." He thought back upon his day, but not much registered.

"...I am at a loss as to what that explanation would be at the moment. I arrived for bridge duty in uniform. I went to the Science Station. I remember a foul scent and that is all I remember. I became conscious just shortly before you entered. It is rather curious, Commander. Perhaps a look at the security logs will help determine what has occurred."

Heading to the security station at the back of the bridge, Enalia pulled up the logs, displaying the video feed from last night. "Let's see if we can see anything then."

Sinek purposefully walked to stand just behind the Commander. He stood there, centimeters away, hands straight down to his sides, still no embarrassment registering in his demeanor.

The security logs began just when Sinek arrived upon the bridge fully clothed in his officer's uniform. Sinek greeted the staff on the bridge, who were all present, all male and fully clothed. The log showed Sinek approaching his station, then showing confusion and falling to the floor. As the others on the bridge began to respond, a female, appearing to be Deltan, entered the bridge. She appeared to be mischievous. All the men on the bridge fell under her spell. He voice is heard saying, "If you men truly love me, you will leave the bridge now for the rest of your shift." All the men leave, arguing which loves her most. She then approaches the fallen Vulcan, sneers with a laugh and says, "Did I not tell you I would find revenge?"

Enalia watched the security log with a look of disdain on her face. A Deltan was aboard her ship?

Sinek raised his left brow in recognition. "The female you see is Sela, a Deltan from my past. She was a tender in the lounge of the ship I served. Sela helped me through a rather difficult time in my life...pon farr...about twenty years ago. When the actual pon farr ended, Sela realized that I truly did not feel for her in the way she thought I did....Vulcans do not feel...Sela went away, but vowed to get revenge. Commander, I was not aware that Sela was aboard the Hera."

As Sinek was offering the explanation the security logs continued to show Sela taking a utility knife and cutting away Sinek's uniform. She left the bridge with the rags, exclaiming, "Perhaps now you will know embarrassment like I felt."

Sinek stood in the flesh directly behind the commander unable to feel. "Vulcans do not embarrass; Vulcans have nothing by which to be embarrassed," came his matter-of-fact reply to Sela's final statement.

"Bullshit. I know Vulcans have emotions. You just bury them like most people bury their dead. Forever." Enalia said. "Find that woman. I want her in the brig. Phaser her and everyone she has under her thumb if you have to. And get my bridge crew back on the bridge."

"Understood, commander," the Vulcan affirmed. "Security, I am sending a file of a female Deltan aboard. Apprehend secure her in a cell. It is highly important that only female security personnel apprehend and guard her."

Opening a ship wide channel, the Vulcan announced, "All on bridge duty, please report to the bridge."

Lieutenant Commander Sinek glanced down at himself. "Commander, may I make use of the replicator in your Ready Room so as not to bring embarrassment to the crew?"

"It barely gets the drinks I order right. I doubt it could make a uniform. Use the one in the conference room." Enalia said as she headed down to her chair. "Computer, yellow alert." Sitting down, Enalia punched up ship's status on her console. "Lieutenant Commander Sinek, I want this bridge crewed in three minutes. I suggest expedience."

"Yes, Commander," Sinek stated as he steadily walked toward the conference room. The door barely whisked shut, enclosing the nude Vulcan inside, as the first of the on duty bridge crew began to arrive. Two and a half minutes later, the bridge was fully staffed, including the oncoming Science Officer, and Lieutenant Commander Sinek exited the conference room in full uniform.

The CSO briefed the oncoming bridge crew on their current status. Seeing that he was relieved as the Science Officer on the bridge, Sinek looked to Commander Telvan and stated, "There is now a Science Officer on the bridge. I would like to assist security in the apprehension of Sela."

"Permission granted," Enalia said as she looked up from her chair console for a moment to make sure Sinek was clothed. "The sooner she's in the brig, the happier I'll be."

Sinek gave a nod of affirmation toward her and stated, Aye, Commander."

The Vulcan turned and started toward the turbo lift doors. As he approached a quiet swish was heard as the door opened. Sinek left the bridge to perform his duty in cooperation with the Hera's Security Team.

Lieutenant Commander Sinek departed the bridge and immediately headed to Security. He did not hurry, but he did not lag. Each step was precisely measured to walk in an emotionless demeanor.

Entering security, Sinek spotted a human female of average height, appearing to have considerable athletic abilities. Her brown hair was offset by the gray eyes. Her uniform was crisp and meticulous. It matched the description of the profile for Lieutenant Fairchild. He had studied up on all the profiles of the Senior Staff.

"Lieutenant Fairchild," the Vulcan stated without questioning who he was addressing.

Angelica didn't answer Sinek right away, in the middle of an impromptu unarmed combat lesson. "Good, but drop your shoulder further. If you can't flip me, you can't flip a Romulan or a Klingon, and I need you to be able to do that. Practice." She released the young officer, hoping he would take her advice to heart. Then she turned to her visitor, a Vulcan officer she hadn't met yet. "Something I can help you with, sir?"

The Vulcan stood with his hands locked behind his back, head slightly cocked, watching the Lieutenant finish the lesson. It was sound advice and purely logical. Her movements were fluid and impeccable as she demonstrated the action she requested. Sinek arched a brow at the notion that a non-Vulcan female could perform so well at hand-to-hand. Quite impressive.

"Lieutenant Fairchild," Sinek calmly expressed, "The Commander has asked me to assist security in the apprehension of the Deltan Female by the name of Sela. You may view the bridge security logs at 0800 this morning for an explanation. I have also sent a close-up of her facial features to security. Due to her being Deltan, it would be imperative to detain her with female officers."

"Bridge security logs..." Angelica hadn't checked those yet today, so she took a few steps to a nearby console to review them. She couldn't quite suppress the smile that came to her face, but she did manage to refrain from laughing. She knew that Sinek wouldn't be embarrassed by it, but laughing in front of him would be rude. "Oh my. Well we can't have her doing this to anyone else... or doing it to you again. We'll find her... and I appreciate the tip about detaining her with women. I don't deal with a lot of Deltans."

"In my previous dealings with the female," Sinek's flat tone continued, "she was a civilian employed in the ship's lounge. Perhaps that is the logical place to begin." The last of what Sinek said was stated in a manner to imply that, yes indeed, it is the logical place to begin. "Shall we investigate." Again, not a question.

For once, Angelica was glad she had such a good poker face. She understood that Sela had to be stopped before the Deltan woman caused any more trouble, but it wasn't like she could just drop everything on a whim and go after someone based on one incident. "I agree that the lounge is the most logical place to begin, and that she needs to be found quickly. But I can't just drop everything I'm doing with such short notice, sir."

The Vulcan arched his left brow again. Did the Lieutenant not understand that this command was coming from the Commander herself? Of course, he did not refer to the security log involving Commander Telvan discovering the discovered Vulcan on the bridge. The log would show the Lieutenant that the order was coming not from him, but her.

"I suggest that you review the bridge log at 1600 hours."

He played the log up to and including he Commander pronouncing, "The sooner she's in the brig, the happier I will be."

Angelica smiled tightly, but inwardly she groaned. What was this guy's problem? He wasn't just pulling rank; he was throwing a 'the captain said do it, so do it' order in her face. In front of her officers, no less. "Of course, sir," she said coolly, trying not to let her annoyance show through the icy facade she'd hastily constructed. "I would recommend that you get a phaser out of the locker by the door before we go down there. You might need it."

Give Sinek a tricorder and he was a pro. However, he was not handy with weapons. "A phaser could be useful," the Vulcan insisted, "but I am trained in Suss Mahn and koon-ut-kal-if-fee."

"This isn't a Vulcan boxing match, and she's already taken advantage of you once. You'll take the phaser or you won't be coming with me. Besides which, it's in the regs, Commander. You don't apprehend a subject without all members of the team being appropriately armed, and in this case that means phasers." Angelica pointed at the weapons locker. "All due respect, sir, but when a security officer recommends you get a phaser, you go get a phaser."

The Lieutenant's command voice was impressive. Sinek ran the logic through for a second and could not come up with an alternative to what she had said to him. He simply nodded, grabbed a phaser and replied, "I find logic in what you say." Sinek inspected the weapon, felt the balance and looked at the COS. "I will follow your lead, Lieutenant."

"Wise choice, sir." She didn't work with many Vulcans, but Angelica was starting to wonder if they were all as infuriating as Sinek was proving to be. "Keep your distance when we get to the lounge. Should limit her power over you, at least a bit." She did not wait for him as she left the security office area, trusting him to follow without being told.

Lieutenant Commander Sinek closely followed Lieutenant Fairchild, a brow arched. "Vulcan's are immune to the pheromones released by the Deltan people. To be precise, pheromones rely on emotions. If Sela had not used a gaseous substance, I would not have become subject to her ploy."

Sinek began to wonder what the gaseous compound was. He would have to run some tests, do some investigating. He seemed to remember it had a peculiar odor.

"Oh please. You might be able to sell that to Commander Telvan, but I know better. 'Vulcans don't feel emotion', my ass." Angelica snorted at him, none too concerned about his rank at that point. Vulcans were so ridiculous about emotional things. "I believe you about the gas though... and I don't have a way to fight that, so you'd better hope she doesn't have it."

Lieutenant Commander Sinek raised a brow. If his hearing wasn't as great as it was, he would have thought she had said something about feeling her ass, but it seemed more like a human curse coming from an emotional response.

I did not intend to offend the Lieutenant. The way that she handles herself is rather curious.

The trip to the lounge was a short and quiet one, which suited Angel just fine. Once they arrived, she glanced over the crowd in search of bald women, knowing that Deltans generally did not have hair.

Sinek entered behind the Lieutenant, his phaser held down to his side. Following, her lead, the Vulcan began to scan the area.

"If she has not taken her pheromone inhibitor, she will have a group surrounding her from the male gender," Sinek offered. As he finished this statement, he noticed a likely table with men standing all looking at the same subject in the center. Sinek's eyes met Lieutenant Fairchild's cool gray eyes. He motioned with a nod in the direction of the table.

"I see her." Hoping that this woman wasn't likely to be violent, Angelica headed over to where the group of men was gathered. As she approached, she could see the bald-headed Deltan woman in the center of the group.

Sinek was at Lieutenant Fairchild's side, phaser still down to his side. He was not a violent person, believing all things done logical can be handled peacefully.

The Deltan felt their presence before their shadow graced her table. As they approached, she looked at the men around her and proclaimed, "I'm sorry boys, but I'll have to catch you all some other time. I have business to discuss with my friends here."

The men appeared deeply disappointed by her words. Each of them had imagined that it would have been him with whom she left. Their hearts were broken, but they obeyed her wishes.

After the men cleared, Sela gave a mischievous grin and shot a vivid mental picture to Sinek's mind of the time they shared together twenty years ago. She nodded at the phaser in his hand and stated, "That's not the gun you used the last time."

"Your attack on my mind is unsuccessful, Sela," the Vulcan flatly stated. "I cannot give you what you desire."

"And don't even try it on me, lady. I'll just stun you," Angelica said bluntly, her hand resting on her phaser. "Sela, you're under arrest for assaulting a Starfleet officer."

Sela smiled in amusement at Lieutenant Fairchild's remarks. "I'm sorry, honey, but you're not my type. Let's just say you don't have the right parts." The Deltan tilted her head toward Sinek as she snickered. "Is this your new partner?" she asked the Vulcan.

If anyone were as alert to detail as Sinek was, the would have noticed his cheeks get a slight darker green tint to them. What he had experienced with the Deltan may have saved him. It was an extremely difficult pon farr. However, logic told him that Sela's constant drive from the lustful nature of the Deltans gave evidence to Sinek that she would not be a good candidate as a mate.

Sinek had been impressed with Lieutenant Fairchild since he met her a few minutes ago. She seemed to keep calm under the circumstances. Her communication had been direct and she seemed to take a logical course of action. Sinek quickly suppressed the feeling and dismissed the Deltan's question.

"We are not compatible," Sinek expressed, his cheeks tincture normalizing.

"We were so good for each other," Sela pronounced. "I finally had a lover that was not drawn to me by my pheromones. One to whom I could not send a psychic picture. Do you realize how boring all these," she motioned to the men in the lounge, "are. They could never live up to a Deltan's drive."

"This is not the place or the moment," Sinek stated.

Sela directed her gazed to Lieutenant Fairchild, "Do you want him, honey. He's all yours!"

The Deltan pulled a phaser from under the table and pointed it toward herself.

"Whoa, let's not get too carried away. This isn't about me stealing your love interest. It's about you using a gas to incapacitate him on the bridge." Angelica's grip on her phaser tightened ever so slightly. Her weapon was set on stun, but she had no way of knowing how Sela had hers set. "There's no need for this. Give me the phaser, Sela." She held her free hand out to take the weapon.

"It is only logical," Sinek stated, his hand still at his side. "Life matters to you. If you want someone that is not attracted to you by your pheromones, take your inhibitor. You are a young, vibrant Deltan female, who is pleasing to the eye. There are numerous males aboard that would be attracted to you without the assistance of the pheromones."

The look upon Sela's face became one of confusion. She dropped her hand slightly, her hand loosened around the phaser.

"He's right. If you want men to be attracted to you without the pheromones, use the medication." Angelica gingerly reached for Sela's phaser, hoping to get it from the other woman before she changed her mind.

Sela dropped the phaser into Lieutenant Fairchild's hand. It was set on kill. The Deltan lowered her head as the shame for what she had done washed over her. She held her hands before her, ready to be cuffed.

"I don't intend to cuff you unless you make it necessary," Angelica said gently, smoothly changing the setting on the acquired phaser from kill to stun.

Sinek found the way the COS performed her duty as fascinating. She stayed steady, used logical tactics and had a sense of mercy. She was quite impressive at how she handled herself.

The CSO nodded at Lieutenant Fairchild, then looked to Sela and gave a monotone, "After you."

Angelica nodded, gently ushering Sela out of the lounge and trusting Sinek to follow them.

Sela bit her lip, a nervous habit, and began to slowly walk toward the door of the lounge. Sinek quickly fell in behind, the phaser still down by his side. The Vulcan was conscious of this fact; he just never found much use for pointing a weapon at a person.

Finishing typing up the short and brief message, Enalia fired it off to Angel's terminal. It wasn't anything special, but she had rearranged the chain of command after herself and Aelyn and felt she should at least inform her new second officer that they were indeed now a second officer. With the old Intel Chief now back at HQ acting as a liaison and with recent changes in settling responsibility placements, She felt her Security Chief, with all her ties, would be a good 2O. She just hoped she wouldn't get an earful for not telling her in person, especially having just seen her a short time ago.

A console in the security center beeped, breaking Angel's concentration and causing her to drop the PaDD she was holding. Looking around to be sure no one saw her, she scooped it back up and found the beeping console. An unread message sat there waiting, and she opened it. Her eyes widened rapidly as she read over its contents, twice just to make sure. That woman is going to be the death of me. Caught in a strange mix of elation and annoyance, she fired off a reply that basically amounted to 'thanks, but why didn't you tell me earlier,' though she refrained from tacking on any sarcastic comments. She didn't know how Enalia would respond to that sort of sarcasm over a text communication, and she wasn't about to try finding out!

Grinning at the response that interrupted her game of solitaire, Enalia typed up a quick reply of her own. I didn't feel it was worth bothering you with at the time and the paperwork wasn't done. Did I mention you're also at risk of being promoted? Enalia figured that would give her something to think about, grinning widely in expectation.

Angelica stared at that response for longer than she would have liked, completely at a loss for a response. She hadn't expected a promotion; actually, she thought her next one was still a few years off. After a few minutes she sheepishly sent a brief 'thank you' message, worded a bit more nicely than her previous reply. I appreciate your confidence, ma'am.

Grinning, Enalia couldn't help but toss some more fuel on the fire. You're very welcome. How goes the search for that Deltan, by the way?

Angelica groaned at the mention of the Deltan woman, rolling her eyes since Enalia couldn't see her and she could get away with it. For a few moments, she contemplated not answering but finally she typed back, She's in the brig.

Excellent. Your office or mine? Enalia typed back before pulling a small black box out of her desk.

And what did that mean? Angelica stared at the message for a moment, not really catching on to what Enalia was saying. Finally she tapped in, I'll come up there. It didn't take long to drop the PaDD she carried on her desk and find a turbolift, but the wait for the next car felt like forever, giving Angelica plenty of time to wonder what exactly was going on. The thought that it might be a good reason to meet didn't cross her mind until the turbolift reached the bridge and she was halfway across to the ready room. Trying not to laugh at her own apprehension, she rang the chime and waited to be admitted inside.

"Come in," Enalia called out, a serious look on her face. She expected this to take no more than a few minutes, though with the questions she had to ask... "Lieutenant Fairchild, please have a seat. I had some questions on your report concerning the recent away mission."

Oh boy. Again, thoughts of positivity fled as Angelica sank into an empty chair. So much had gone wrong on that away mission, and she knew how that must look. "Of course, ma'am."

Picking up a PaDD and glancing it over, Enalia let silence fill the small office for a moment before starting. "My first question is this... what are your personal feelings on the loss of so many of your team and professionally, what do you think could have been done to prevent these losses?" Finished asking the question, Enalia looked up into Angel's eyes and set the PaDD back down.

"The only way to prevent those losses would have been not to go on that mission," Angelica replied firmly, ignoring how her heart seemed to flutter in her chest. "Cooper and Jones died doing their jobs. In fact, Jones gave his life to save Nexi and myself from those creatures, and he deserves a commendation and a few medals. And the doctor..." She sighed, remembering how Trevor had slipped from the ladder when the turbolift car had rushed past them. "His death was an accident, and I do feel terrible about it. But there was nothing I could do. I was above him on the ladder, and the others tried to catch him. It was just too late."

"Cooper and Jones will be posthumously promoted and awarded medals of valor. As for the doctor, Starfleet already has a candidate for his replacement en route. He's our 3rd CMO in as many months so I'd like to not lose him too." Enalia paused and gazed at Angel, waiting to see what her response would be to that knowledge.

"Thank you, their families deserve that bit of comfort." Enalia's steady gaze was getting to be unnerving, and Angelica shifted just slightly in her chair, wanting to look away but not daring to, lest Enalia think she was being disrespectful. "I'm sorry about Doctor St. John. Really, I am. And I have no intention of taking the medical chief on any more away missions."

Enalia sighed softly and broke her composure just slightly, leaning back in her chair. "You may not get too many more away missions at all after that one." She was almost done testing Angel...

At that, Angelica winced. It wasn't something anyone wanted to hear, but she had lost half of her team. And the remained half had nearly been eaten or assimilated by the zombie things. As she was considering what Enalia had just said, her thoughts went back to the conversation they'd been having via text communications... and then it dawned on her that something wasn't quite adding up. "I see..."

Holding up the small black box that had previously been out of sight in her lap, Enalia had to ask one last question. "Do you feel you deserve a promotion or a demotion after all that?"

Angelica made a tiny distressed noise, finally looking away from Enalia as she tried to figure out just what was going on. She knew that either Enalia had been taunting her over the text communications or was taunting her now, but she didn't know which it was. And she didn't like that feeling of not knowing. "I don't think that's my decision, ma'am."

"You're right, Lieutenant Commander," Enalia said, finally relaxing and setting the small box in front of Angel. "It's my decision."

"I... what... that was cruel!" Angelica glared fiercely at Enalia for a moment, trying to decide if she was amused or pissed at the clever trick the commander had pulled on her. "Commander Telvan, you are a devious, twisted woman..."

"And one that wants a background check on the two hundred plus people that came in on the USS Bacon." Enalia was grinning widely now, having enjoyed the game and glad that Angel had passed her little test so well. "Is there any reason we can't jettison that Deltan in an escape pod? Or find some remote world to dump her on?"

"Beyond it being unethical, immoral, and just plain wrong?" Angelica sighed, picking up the tiny box with a bit of a grin. "Not that I can think of. And I'll get the background checks as soon as possible."

"I'll leave her up to you then. Do what you see fit." Enalia said, her grin fading slightly. "Congratulations, Commander. You pulled off a suicide mission and got a promotion out of it. Whether you feel you deserve it or not, you came out ahead."

"Thank you, ma'am. And you honestly have no idea how bad that mission was."

Enalia became serious again, an eyebrow raising in curiosity. "If your report is complete and your suit recorders weren't tampered with, I should have a pretty good idea. Is your report complete?"

"I may have left out the minor detail of throwing up all over the inside of my helmet once we got back into the shuttle," Angelica admitted sheepishly, her cheeks flushing bright red.

"Considering the suits were destroyed anyway, I don't think that's an issue." Enalia said, her mood lightening back up.

"Still embarrassing," Angelica mumbled, not quite looking at her.

Enalia could only nod at that. She could pretend to respect her embarrassment. "If you have nothing for me, I guess you're dismissed. Good luck."

"Thank you. I have a feeling I'll need it." Making sure to take the little box with her, Angelica got up to leave and headed for the door. Someday she'd figure out how to tell when Enalia was screwing with her...

Arriving back on the bridge with her XO, Enalia strode confidently to the area in front of the command chairs and looked at the viewscreen. The view showed the station, yes… but other than the surrounding nebula of frozen gases and stellar debris, there was something else they hadn't counted on. A mine field. “Report,” Enalia called out shortly.

From the ops station, an Ensign piped up. “It seems to be a standard Romulan minefield, Captain. It seems it de-cloaked because of nebular gases blowing through the area. That’s likely why our probe earlier didn’t pick anything up.”

“I guess we're lucky we didn't run into one then.” Enalia replied.

“Do we have a full layout of the minefield, Ensign?” Aelyn asked as she stood by her Captain’s side.

Glancing back over his shoulder, the young ensign replied. “We've mapped most of it with sensors and where there are gaps I think we can plot where the still cloaked mines are. They're all about 500 meters apart at their closest.”

“Make sure the shuttle is updated on these mines. They should be able to navigate the field without incident, but a heads up is definitely in order,” Aelyn said as she studied the minefield on the viewscreen.

“Not something I’d feel good about taking the Hera into. If anything happens, they'll be on their own.” Enalia moved back to her command chair and sat down, pulling up her console and looking it over. “Let’s hold here for now at red alert. When the shuttle is updated, have them launch.”

“We should find a safe route in and out, just in case the team requires assistance,” Aelyn suggested to Enalia. As she paced in front of where Aewia was sitting, the ex-Intel Officer became enthralled by Aelyn's bushy, calico tail and gave it an experimental stroke, sending a chill down Aelyn's spine, but she didn't make any attempts to stop the young woman, letting Aewia do whatever kept her calm for the moment.

“I agree. And see if there’s a way we can deactivate the mine field too.” Enalia said.

Nodding, the young ensign started typing at the ops console rapidly, looking for a way through it.

Dylan, who was on his first duty shift on the bridge said "Can we hack into their control systems? I'd be willing to have a go."

Enalia considered it just a moment. "Romulan systems are tricky. Go ahead but be careful. Don't do anything to endanger the shuttle."

"Yes Ma'am." Dylan nodded before turning his attention to his computer terminal. Hacking computer systems was part of his training in intel and he knew that he had as good a chance as any at deactivating the mines remotely.

Standing and moving closer to the screen, Enalia was thoughtful for a moment. The person at ops looked up at her and spoke after a moment. "Captain, the away team reports ready and is requesting permission to launch.'" Nodding, Enalia motioned to do so. "Permission granted."

Several tense moments passed when suddenly the captain was engulfed in the red sparkles of a Klingon transporter system. In less than a second, she was gone.

Tapping at his console furiously, the Ops Ensign checked sensors and for a moment he had something. "I have that pirate ship on... wait... it's gone again." Tapping some more, he looked up incredulously at the rest of the bridge crew. "I've lost her."

"Pirate ship? Get her back, now!" Aelyn demanded. Aelyn's recent arrival on the Hera meant that there were some things on which she was out of the loop, and this was one of those moments. What pirate ship was this Ensign talking about? "I need some answers," Aelyn said with a hint of a growl.

Cringing slightly, Aewia gripped Aelyn's tail a bit harder than she intended with a squeak. Something bad had happened and she didn't like the sound of it.

Aelyn had to bite back a growl at the mistreatment of her tail and instead settled on freeing her tail from Aewia's grasp and sitting close beside her, letting her bushy tail curl around Aewia's waist. Aelyn gently stroked Aewia's hair as if the Betazoid woman were a frightened kitten.

Turning back to the XO, the Ops Ensign did his best to explain it all. "Ma'am, we've had a pirate ship, an old Klingon bird of prey, following us since our last mission. Their cloak was acting up earlier but it seems they've fixed it since there's no tachyon blip. The best I know to do is to scan for the exhaust doppler and hope we pick something up."

"Release a burst of tachyons," Aelyn ordered as calmly as she could so as not to upset Aewia further. "It may not show us the ship, but there should still be enough of a wake that the disruption of the tachyon field may give us a direction. And start working on a way to find the Captain."

Turning back to his console, the Ensign tapped away furiously. "Activating tachyon burst from the pod now." After a few moments of scanning, he shook his head. "The only wake I'm picking up so far is our own heading into the area." A moment more and sensors were coming up with something. "There it is. It looks like they ran as soon as they got the Captain. Heading 42 mark 18, presumedly around the minefield."

"Well that's a start," Aelyn said, somewhat pleased they at least had that much going for them. "Lay in a course to pursue. And I want phasers and torpedoes armed, we will be ready once we find them."

Tapping her console, the helm officer punched in the course, steering clear of the mines they had mapped. "Course laid in ma'am."

Behind the command chairs, the tactical officer quickly armed weapons, the ship automatically going to red alert.

"I've hacked into the mines control systems." Dylan looked up from his station, "They're dead in the water so if you want to travel through and cut them off you can." he added, giving the new acting Captain an option. He was pretty sure whoever took the Captain also had Ethan and he was just as eager as any of them to get them back.

"Make it so," Aelyn said with a nod.

Dylan looked over at the helm and said "So long as you don't directly hit one, you'll be fine."

The young ensign at the helm looked nervous as she started skirting the minefield closer and closer, going so far as to dip the saucer in between the mines at the edge. She just didn't trust herself enough to fly THROUGH a minefield, active or not.

Ven literally had no idea what was going on, it was just the start of his shift. So he came onto the bridge and made it about halfway down the ramp before he noticed the tension on the bridge, the mine field on the view screen and the fact that the Captain was no where to be seen. Still he made his way over to his station and relieved the Ensign.

Standing, the Ops Ensign pointed out the various scans and things going on before completely surrendering his post to his boss. "If you need me for anything, Sir, I'll be at one of the back stations."

Ven took his seat and logged into his station.

"Mr. Nosplet, thank you for reporting in in such a timely manner," Aelyn remarked to draw attention to the fact that they had been in an emergency situation for some time without their Chief of Operations on the Bridge. "Would anyone care to bring Mr. Nosplet up to speed on the situation?" she added as she watched the young ensign at the helm pilot the Nebula-Class ship through the partially de-cloaked Romulan minefield.

The relieved ops officer paused for a moment on his way up the ramp to the back of the bridge long enough to look a little confused. "Ma'am, I just briefed him. I'm not sure what else I could add other than that the Captain was beamed off the ship by pirates when the shuttle launched."

The turbolift door opened a few moments later, and a slightly peeved pilot stepped out, her arm was feeling a lot better, but it had taken time! Time that they didn't have. Her signature pistol was strapped on her right thigh and she looked around for Talvan, who she didn't see. "Lieutenant Commander...Radt, was it? Chief of Flight Control reporting in." She lofted the words over, already in motion. "Ensign, your knuckles are white. What're you doing? Go have a seat and calm down. I've got this."

With that the fighter pilot that doubled as Chief of Flight Control offered her hand, helping the Ensign up smoothly before sliding in to her seat and taking a deep breath before linking herself in. She would become one with the Hera in mind, and know her relative position in relation to the mines. It'd be a smoother ride from here on.

Ven nodded to the helmsman as she took her seat next to him. He had not had the opportunity to really meat her yet. Thus was their first shift together.

Ignoring Aelyn's tail for a moment, the brain damaged Betazoid punched up something on the console she had the away team's helmet cams pulled up on. It sounded like Aewia but a bit more lucid than usual. "Nexi? I remembered how to encrypt channels! The nice captain lady was kidnapped and we're chasing pirates through the minefield. You might be on your own for a few but I still have your helmet cams up on this computer, ok?"

After listening to the barely audible reply, Aewia spoke again to the console. "Will do. By the way, if you entered from the shuttlebay, I think it's a deck above you. Either that or on some ring platform below you? I don't remember..." Aewia was a little confused, but she was ok with that for now. "Anyway, if you need anything, say my name three times!" Clicking the comm line off for the moment, she waved to Aelyn. "Cat lady, our team is still looking for things but they're aboard the station ok."

"The mines are remaining dormant," Dylan filled in from his station, "Looks like my hack is holding." then he looked to the acting CO and asked "How much longer until we intercept that ship?"

"My name is Aelyn, sweetie, and next time you need to ask before doing something like that," Aelyn said to Aweia, then she addressed the CONN officer, "What's our ETA?"

Snapping her hand to her forehead in a salute, Aewia smiled a bit goofily. "Roger that Aelyn. Just trying to watch out."

"Without an exact fix on the pirate ship, I can only give you my best guess. An hour. Hour and a half tops. Will inform if it changes." The helm controller replied, looking over from her workstation.

"Lets get a better fix on that ship," Aelyn ordered. She didn't like the idea of leaving the Away Team alone for that long. the Captain was important to the ship, but she also had to think about their mission.

"Working on it." Dylan nodded, eager to chase down the bastards that had taken his one true love.

After about 10 more minutes of trailing the aged pirate bird of prey, a new signal was picked up. It seemed it came from the captain from a cloaked shuttle and that there was wounded aboard.

"I'm picking something up on sensors." Dylan commented having been running detailed scans from his station in the hope of picking up something that could help them deal with the pirate ship. "It's an encrypted message!" he added excitedly, "And it's a Starfleet encryption."

"Confirmed, new tachyon signature, shuttle-class. No exact fix but I can maneuver us in between the pirate ship's signature and the smaller one if so ordered." Airi spoke up, fully concentrated on her console.

Aelyn's ears perked up at this new information. A Starfleet encryption? Could the Captain have managed to escape? "Do it," Aelyn said to Airi, rising from her chair in the command pit to watch the view screen and the wavering tachyon readings. "And lets see if we can get the sensors to penetrate the cloak on the smaller vessel." She wanted to know for certain if that was the Captain calling for help.

Ven turned in his seat, "We could try the dekyon scanners coupled with a tachyon burst from the main deflector, it should cut right through a small cloak. If that does not work we could wash the area with a proton burst and just look at where they don't go." He offered.

"Gotcha." Airi gave a two fingered salute before her fingers expertly moved over the controls, and the Hera changed course to match. Within a couple of minutes, the starship would be in between the two signatures.

Aewia was humming to herself, softly singing about there only being 3 active cameras from the away team left.

Aelyn's eyes went wide as she looked over at Aewia. "Ms. Larani, I hope your little song is only in jest," the Caitian woman said. This situation just kept going from bad to worse...

Aewia looked confused for a moment. "Is it a chest? I saw it on the monitors. The doctor went splat and the 2 guards were eaten. One camera is still working in a belly."

Though she looked remarkably composed, inside Aelyn was a bundle of raw nerves. Crew abductions, a dying away team, pirates and Romulan minefields and viruses that could reanimate the dead, this was one mission the Caitian Commander would not soon forget.

"Helm, turn us about," Aelyn said, crossing her arms over her chest as she made a decision that Enalia would likely question later. "Let's open the shuttle bay, get that shuttle aboard. We can deal with the cloaked Bird of Prey later, but for now we need to deal with the mission at hand. As soon as the shuttle is secured, take us back to the station." She was just really hoping that it was the Captain on that shuttle...

After a few more minutes, Aewia listened closely to the audio feeds on her monitors for a moment before waving to get Aelyn's attention. "The away team is returning! And the station is about to go boom."

As if on cue, every ship sensor lit up like a christmas tree as the station singularity core exploded spectacularly, causing a chain reaction in the minefield and blowing up every mine in a giant wave, the shockwave of that tide of destruction rocking the ship. Thankfully, the unknown shuttle had decloaked, docked, and been secured by then.

From the shuttlebay, Enalia had pressed her comm badge and called the bridge. "Bridge, this is the Captain. We've returned. What's the status of the ship and the away team?"

"Helm, intercept with the Selune. Everyone else, prepare to recover and decontaminate the shuttle," Aelyn ordered the bridge staff as she returned to the Command chair and sat, opening the comm panel to speak with the Captain. "Good to hear your voice, Captain," Aelyn said, relieve beyond measure that her gamble had paid off. "We're on a course to recover the Selune. The away team is... They were successful in destroying the station, though they weren't able to retrieve any samples." Aelyn didn't know how to tell her Commanding Officer that only half of the away team had returned.

"Understood. As soon as we have the away team and we're clear of any debris, get us out of here. make best possible speed to our scheduled rendezvous with the USS Bacon. If you have everything up there, I'm going to stay down here and make sure our people are ok." There was relief in Enalia's voice as she spoke, settling her attention on getting the final pieces of this mission completed.

"Captain... There were some casualties," Aelyn warned Enalia. "I don't know all the details, but Aewia said their cameras went down, that there were only 3 left. And given the haste in which the team left, I don't think they were able to recover the fallen officers." Aelyn was almost positive that breaking that news over the comm was a bad idea, but it was still better than finding out the hard way when Enalia met with the away team in the shuttle bay.

Enalia was silent a moment before replying. "Thank you for letting me know." was all she said before clicking her commbadge back off. They lost way too many people this day. She didn't want to lose any more and she just hoped at the very least Nexi wasn't one of the casualties. Not that she wished for any of the team to not return... She was just extra worried over Aewia at the moment. Sighing heavily, she headed towards the decon area the Selune was going to be set down in.

Aelyn released a sigh as she closed the comm panel and leaned back in the chair. What a day... "What's our ETA on the shuttle?" she asked of the Bridge staff, not really caring who answer at this point. She just wanted to put this day behind them.

An on duty tactical officer, still rather shook up but still alert, piped up as quick as he could. "Ma'am, we should have them in the shuttlebay within seven minutes at our current speed."

"Good good," Aelyn said, looking over to Aewia. Poor kid... Brain scrambled and she still managed to make herself useful. Aelyn gave the Betazoid woman a friendly pat on the hand, a gesture to show that she had done well. "Lets finish this up, nice and neat, then adjust heading to rendezvous with the USS Bacon."

As the tension on the bridge finally started to ebb, for some strange reason all Aelyn could think was, 'Who the hell names a ship Bacon...'

It had been a really long day, Ven came into his room and pulled his duty jacked and tool belt off and tossed them to a chair near the door. "Amelia?" He called out hoping she was here.

"Welcome home. I'm in the bedroom." Amelia called out. She'd been there for a few minutes, settling in a few of her belongings, including a crystal ice sculpture from Andoria. "I'm just trying to make your quarters look more like a home."

Ven walked over to the bedroom door and leaned on the frame. "Hey!" Then he glanced around at the trinkets she had brought and set out. "Making yourself at home huh?"

Sauntering over to Ven and wrapping her arms around him, Amelia grinned sheepishly. "Can you blame me? I have 3 roommates in my assigned quarters now."

"Three?" Ven asked shocked. His arms slid around her waist. "Well you are welcome to do what ever you feel like." He said to her with a grin.

"It's rumored we got over 200 new people when the USS Bacon docked with us. If it's ok, I'd like to move in officially." Amelia said softly, kissing Ven on the cheek.

Ven blinked, officially move in. "Um well...yeah sure." He had never been in a relationship before but this one seemed to be progressing very quickly. He found himself liking the idea of waking up beside her every morning. " Yes," he said more sure of himself, "please move in with me."

"With pleasure, snowmuffin." Amelia said with a smile and a soft kiss to his lips. She liked the idea of living with him almost more than he did. "So what would you like for dinner?"

Ven kissed her back with a grin. "Snowmuffin?" He shook his head with a little laugh. "Surprise me with dinner...just nothing that's going to make me feel like I slammed my head into a block of ice."

Giggling, Amelia pulled gently away and headed to the replicator. "Nothing Andorian then. How about Earth food? Something oriental, perhaps."

"Does everything from Andorian makeg you feel like you just got brain freeze from hell?" Ven asked, walking behind her. "Something from Earth will be perfect."

Punching up a selection of dishes she remembered, Amelia had to nod at the question. "A lot of it will. Even our hot foods are considered cold by all but the Breen." Pulling the dishes out of the replicator as they were materialized, she set the table with a variety of fried meats and veggies served in an oriental fashion.

When she set the last plate down, Ven slide up behind her and wrapped his arms around her again. "You don't, so I guess not everything does." He whispered into her ear.

Resting her hands on his, Amelia couldn't help but purr a little at the attention. "Well... We Andorians can be very hot blooded. It keeps us from freezing, you know."

Ven kissed the back of her ear, then let her go. "What ever all this is it smells really good!" He glanced over the table.

"Then let's eat it and see if it lives up to our expectations." Sitting down, Amelia started scooping samples of things onto her dinner plate.

Ven joined her, taking the seat next to her. He started also scooping little bits of the different dishes onto his plate. "How was your day?"

That was a bit of a loaded question... Amelia sighed before answering. "On the bright side, the chief engineer is away, but that just means more crawling around inspecting EPS conduits and manifolds for me... How was yours?"

Ven had a bit of a sheepish look on his face. "Really great...I got to crawl around and inspect EPS conduits and manifolds all day." He grind and shrugged.

"Better than lewd comments and staring, I suppose." Amelia admitted, poking a bite of a pepper and vegetable dish into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

"I am not a fan of your boss...wish there was some way I could get you transferred into ops..." Ven admitted. "But now that we are dating I doubt that would happen."

"Yeah, it's bad enough we're fraternizing. That would be a conflict of interest. I'd be good in shuttlebay ops too." Amelia munched on a few more bites of various dishes before pointing to a cabbage and meat roll. "You need to try that with this mustard."

Ven grabbed a roll and dipped it in the sauce. "Ohhh!" He cooed as he chewed his bite. "Try this triangle thing with crab in it and dip it in this red stuff." He held out a cup of the sweet and sour sauce to her.

Tearing one of the triangles in half, Amelia dipped it in the red stuff and munched on it, savoring the taste. "So good..." she drooled out. "What about another department? Are there any others I might fit in?"

"I bet you would look good in medical blue." Ven joked. "But really, maybe command? You are very assertive."

"Me? In command? I'm not an officer... I'm not sure I'm very good enlisted, either..." Amelia grumbled as she ate.

Ven gave her a sideways glance, "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"My last performance review was dismal." Amelia replied simply, hoping Ven didn't want to get any further into it for now.

Ven looked at her for a long moment, but he could see she didn't really want to talk about it. He was not interested in pushing an unpleasant topic tonight, so Ven happily changed the subject for her. "So if you are going to be living here, does that mean I get more of your awesome massages?"

"As often as you like," Amelia said with a soft smile.

Ven grinned big, "Great...I love having your hands all over me." He said to her with a little wink.

Poking a fork full of fried goodies into Ven's mouth, Amelia giggled a bit. "And I bet you want your hands all over me as well."

Ven chewed the food, that grin still on his face. Once he swallowed he said "Well it's rude to receive and not give right?"

Amelia nodded at that logic. "Just please go slow, ok?" She said looking down at her plate to pick out the next thing to eat.

Ven looked over at her with a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Amelia paused a moment to decide how to say it. "What I've told you about Andorian reproduction and their expectations of me isn't the whole story. That's all."

"Thats all?" Ven said more confused now then he was a moment ago.

Now Amelia felt like she had said too much. She didn't really want to talk about her history with her colony's policies on mating and what they had put her through growing up. Poking at her food, she was silent a while before sighing and finally giving in a little to Ven's curious gaze. He deserved to know a little at the very least. "A lot happened growing up in my old colony..."

"Ok..." Ven nodded and took another bite. He was not the most social person, but he could take a hint. After a moment he said "If you ever want to share with me..."

Looking up into his eyes, Amelia wasn't that strong Starfleet crewman right now. She was the scared young girl she used to be. The one that escaped from her compound when she could so she could try repairing an abandoned shuttle. "I will. Thank you, Ven."

That look startled Ven. Amelia had always been so strong and confident around him. Hell she proposed to him after only a few hours of them knowing each other. What could have happened to cause this lioness to quickly turn into a frightened house cat?

"Anyways," he said changing the subject again "slow is the only speed I know. Cause that's how fast you go when you don't know what you're doing."

Nibbling on her food some more, Amelia nodded. "I think that's another thing I love about you. You're not afraid to admit you don't know. It's refreshing."

"I just try and be honest. I mean, you know you are my first...well everything! I hardly even had a friend before I met you. If I tried to lie and act like I knew what I was doing you would see right through it. You are too smart to be fooled." Ven acknowledged.

Amelia smiled and poked Ven on the nose with one finger. “And that’s another thing I love about you. You’re so pure and kind.”

Ven chuckled a little. "Pure...is that really how you thinking me?"

"Am I wrong?" Amelia asked, spearing some veggies with her fork.

"I guess not." He shrugged. He had never really thought about himself like that. Then a grin spread over his face. "You going to corrupt me?"

"Not if I can help it," Amelia said with a similar grin.

"Awww to bad. It could have been fun." He said with a little laugh then he took the last bite off his plate.

Finishing off her own plate, Amelia leaned back and sighed heavily. “That was good food.”

"Very good choice Amelia. Thank you." Ven said with a content sigh.

“We’ll have to try more of this oriental stuff.” Amelia said, getting up to clear the table.

Ven stood and helped her with the dishes, "I agree, I have noticed a very large library of the oriental foods in in the replicator. Just never tried any of it."

“I really want to know how those meat rolls would taste cold now.” Having stuffed the dishes into the replicator and setting it to recycle, Amelia took Ven’s hand and squeezed it softly. “And I want many more meals with you.”

Ven squeezed her hand back. "Well since you live with me now I think that won't be a problem."

"It looks like things are getting better." Amelia had that tender smile on her face again.

They lost way too many people this day. She didn't want to lose any more and she just hoped at the very least Nexi wasn't one of the casualties. Not that she wished for any of the team to not return... She was just extra worried over Aewia at the moment. Sighing heavily, she headed towards the decon area the Selune was going to be set down in.

It was only a few minutes before the heavily damaged arrow class runabout settled to the deck under the power of tractor beams, the decon team erecting a level 10 force field around the area as soon as it touched the deck and the tractors were off. As the decon team professionally went about their duties, stripping the 3 remaining members of the team and immediately destroying the suits as the members were moved to a holding area, Enalia could only wait. Nexi, Angel, and Richard were the only survivors, Her heart sank as the decon team entered the shuttle to perform a baryon sweep of the entire interior. She realized the CMO wasn't going to climb out of the shuttle. Her heart sank more so at the thought of the 2 missing security guards.

After a few more minutes and all medical scanners popping up negative on any form of contamination, Enalia was waiting for them at the end of their decon gauntlet, a grim expression on her face. "Welcome home. I don't want to see any of you back on duty for at least 24 hours."

"You won't hear any complaints from me about that," Nexi replied with her signature smirk, but the truth was she didn't know what to do about the loss of their teammates. She had never really been much of a team player before nor had she ever lost someone while on a job. Oh sure, she'd had people die while on a job, but it was usually someone she didn't care if they lived or died. It wasn't like she cared for the Doctor or the Security officers, but it wasn't like she wanted them dead either, and their deaths didn't sit well with her.

"Me neither." Angelica wasn't normally so quiet, but having lost the doctor and two of her own people on this away mission, she wasn't up for much talking. Her stomach still protested even the gentle motion of the Hera, and the last thing she was thinking about was working anyway. She just wanted a shower and a nap.

Motioning all 3 towards a turbolift, Enalia muttered to herself. "I just hope Starfleet is happy..."

"Well, we didn't exactly get what we came for, but at least they can't use it now that the station went boom," Nexi said as she followed Enalia. And she had to admit, it was pretty satisfying to know that 'Bonnie-kin' bastard died a painful death a la singularity explosion. But knowing those tight-assed 'Fleeter Brass, nothing would make them happy...

"I don't much care if they're happy." And Angelica really didn't care... not after watching two people get eaten by those... things.

"I know I'm not happy... Nor am I looking forward to reading your reports... And I really want someone to figure out how they beamed me right off the bridge like that." Enalia said sourly, leading the small troupe into the waiting turbolift.

"How do you think I feel about writing it?" Angelica shuddered slightly, still rattled from the things they'd seen on that station.

"Probably worse once you find out I'll need it on my desk by morning." Enalia grumbled. "There are admirals waiting on the outcome of this mission."

"By morning?" Angelica made a distressed noise similar to a groan. "You'll have it then."

"Wait, you mean I gotta do officer-y things like writing reports?" Nexi asked.

Enalia shook her head. "For now, it would be nice but not required. She led the mission so I need hers."

"Mission report: Shit happened, it was fucked up, end of story," Nexi dictated as though she were writing a report. "By the way, did Aewia behave herself while I was gone?"

"No idea," Enalia's expression sank grimly. "As soon as your shuttle launched, I was beamed right off the bridge and spent the entire time escaping our pirate friends. We have another cloaking shuttle now but I have yet to get back to the bridge."

"Wait, what?!" Nexi's expression darkened as she took in Enalia's words. Those pirate fuckers had the gall to beam people off the Hera?! Oh, they would not live to regret that choice... "Where are they now?" Nexi asked seriously.

"When we escaped they were skirting the minefield. The logs are in that Ferengi shuttle near your ship and the bridge probably knows more." Enalia replied. "On top of losing our CMO, our ACMO will be on medical rest and recovery for some time as well. The EMH might have to take over Aewia's care for a while..."

Nexi didn't much like the sound of that! Aewia deserved better than an EMH. But she had more important things to deal with, like taking care of this pirate menace before they could try something like this again. "I'll deal with them," Nexi said, turning on her heels to head back to the shuttlebay. "When I'm done with them, you won't ever have to worry about running into them again."

"Try to at least get some rest maybe? And please be careful." Enalia pleaded. She didn't want Aewia to lose the last of her family, especially after that mission.

"The longer I wait, the more chances they have of trying again; I won't give them that chance," Nexi replied with murder in her eyes. There was no rest in this sort of business, nor being careful... "If I'm not back in 8 hours, assume I've failed and go on without me."

"We should be meeting the USS Bacon about then. Be safe and be quick." Enalia said.

Nexi offered a nod in response, then stormed off, but there was nothing safe or quick about what she had planned for Azrhianna and the crew of the Raptor...

"That girl's trouble. I think I like her." Angelica sighed, shaking her head. "Well. I have a report to write and a very important date with my bed..."

"You and me both..." Enalia grumbled, heading off in her own quest to find some rest.

After a few final words to Enalia, Angelica joined her team inside the shuttle, sealing the hatch behind her. "Nexi, are we ready?"

"Ready!" Nexi replied, working through the last of the start up sequences for the shuttle. Before them, the great shuttle bay doors were opening as they received clearance from Flight Control to leave. "Alright people, better hold onto your seats!" Nexi warned as she lifted the shuttle off the pad and punched it out of the bay.

When she said hold onto your seats, she wasn't kidding. Trevor grunted softly, then made a joking reply. "Where'd you get your license, a crackerjack box?" He was only teasing of course.

"What is this 'license' thing you're talking about?" Nexi asked, exaggerating her words to sound like a Ferengi who'd never interacted with a human before. But if she had to be honest, she didn't have any kind of formal certifications to be a pilot, and though she was actually a really good pilot, one would never guess it with all those sharp turns at high speeds. "Getting an update from the Hera on this minefield," she informed her team as she plotted a safe course through the minefield.

"You don't have a license? We're so screwed." Angelica shook her head, trying not to laugh at that. Nexi might be an annoying bitch sometimes, but damn she could be funny when she wanted to be. She took a moment to survey the rest of the team, hoping she'd chosen her security escorts wisely. Then again, it wasn't them she was worried about. It was Lockheart. She didn't know much about him, but the waves of anxiety were almost visible in the air... and she was pretty sure he hadn't seen much combat, if any at all.

Richard squirmed in his seat, clammy hands folded in his lap. He had finally came to the conclusion that this was a bad idea, but there was nothing to be done now. He just had to cross his fingers and hope his limited training in combat would suffice for the mission. The phaser fire, the danger, the fear, this is why he had gone into Strategic Operations, not Security. But alas, here he was, sitting in a shuttle heading off into danger. It didn't sit ll with Richard, not at all. So he sat back in his chair, closed his eyes, and prayed to whatever deity would listen.

The flight to the station was just long enough to give everyone a good chance to seriously regret coming on this mission, but not so long that anyone really had a chance to voice those regrets. Soon they were on approach, and instead of hanging back and sitting down with Trevor and Richard, Angelica stood behind Nexi's chair, one hand on the chair's back and the other on the console. She leaned forward enough to look out at the station as they approached but not close enough to hinder Nexi's piloting. "Put us down in that open shuttle bay."

"Yeah, I see it," Nexi said and slowed the shuttle for a smooth landing. She kept the shuttle on standby, then looked back at Angelica. "Time to suit up."

"You heard the lady." Picking up her own helmet, Angelica sealed it in place and looked back at Richard and Trevor. "Seal those helmets up tight, boys." She noted that despite outranking her, Trevor immediately moved to follow her instructions, and she looked at Richard, expecting him to do the same.

Nexi quickly donned her EV suit, securing her whip at her side. She felt naked without her knives or the ability to use her natural electric charge, but her whip would have to do. "I hate this thing already," she said as she put her helmet on and sealed it, but she was ready to go.

"I don't like them much either. They're bulky... hard to maneuver in." Angelica double-checked the settings on the TR-116B she'd replicated before slinging it over her shoulder, where it didn't want to stay. "Typical, slick Starfleet armor plating..." She rolled her eyes, looking over at Richard. "Hurry up, Lockheart, we don't have all day."

"My apologies, Lieutenant." Richard was slow to put on his EV suit, having only brief training on how to don one. Finally sealing his helmet, he grabbed his phaser rifle and nodded. "I'm ready."

Angelica gave him a look that spoke volumes; she was obviously not very happy that he was so slow to respond. This one clearly needs to spend some time in training drills. She kept that thought to herself for now, though Nexi probably overheard it. "Let's go then. Keep your eyes open out there." Pausing to check that everyone's helmet was tightly sealed, Angelica popped the hatch and jumped out of the shuttle, bringing her rifle up to sweep the bay for any signs of trouble. Seeing nothing, she lowered the rifle to a better carrying position and motioned the others out of the shuttle. "Stick together, but not so close that a grenade will take us all out." She didn't really think anyone would be throwing grenades at them, but it was usually a good way to tell people the right distancing. "You see movement that isn't anyone on this team and you shoot them. Got it?"

Stepping out of the shuttle, Richard held up his rifle, to be doubly sure there wasn't anything there. "So what exactly are we looking for, again?"

"Anything that looks like biohazard storage." Angelica had thought that was fairly obvious in the briefing, but she kept her tone level. She did not wait for him or anyone else, steadily forging ahead toward the door that would take them into the station itself, where they could begin looking.

Suddenly the comms in the helmets of the away team popped to life and through the static, a female voice came through. It sounded like Aewia but a bit more lucid than usual. "Nexi? I remembered how to encrypt channels! The nice captain lady was kidnapped and we're chasing pirates through the minefield. You might be on your own for a few but I still have your helmet cams up on this computer, ok?"

Hearing that, Angelica froze for a moment. Pirates? Captain kidnapped? If it wasn't for Aewia sounding so lucid she might have thought it was all imaginary. "Keep watching us, Aewia. Tell Commander Radt... er... the lady with the tail we're still looking for the storage units... once we destroy them we'll come back, okay?"

"Will do. By the way, if you entered from the shuttlebay, I think it's a deck above you. Either that or on some ring platform below you? I don't remember..." Aewia was a little confused, but she was ok with that for now. "Anyway, if you need anything, say my name three times!"

"Got it, thanks." Worried about Enalia being captured off the ship, Angelica started forward again, quickly reaching the shuttlebay's exit and shoving that door open. No one greeted her in the corridor she went went out and looked down each length of the corridor there, looking for a turbolift shaft.

Following Angelica, Richard stayed close behind, visibly shaken from the news of Enalia's capture. "Do you think we should split up?" He asked.

"As much as I prefer working solo, I ain't a fan of splittin' up right now," Nexi replied.

"I said 'stick together' and my order stands until I personally say otherwise," Angelica said very levelly, with a firmness she usually reserved for training exercises within her department. "We'll check below first, and if it's not there we'll go up." Spotting what looked like an open turbolift shaft, Angelica went toward it and looked inside. Though the doors stood open, there was no car to be seen, and the lift appeared to be without power. "Looks like we're climbing. Hope everyone's good with ladders." There were some answering groans from the two security officer's she'd brought along, and a snicker that sounded like it came from the doctor's direction. "Jones and Cooper, you head down first. Rest of us will follow." The two ensigns made that groaning sound again, shuffling to the ladder. "Lighten up," Angelica said brightly, thumping one of them on the head. "Not like I'm standing at the bottom with a paintball gun. Get moving."

As the two ensigns laughed begrudgingly and started on their way down, Angelica motioned Trevor forward, indicating he should go next then pointed at Lockheart and Nexi. "You two follow St. John. I'll be right behind you."

Suddenly, the stations PA system crackled to life and a static laced voice came through. It spoke slowly and as it did so, the lights in the corridor flickered a few times as if to punctuate the words he was saying. "Bonnie-kin, bonnie-kin, I see you! Bonnie-kin, bonnie-kin, what will you do?" When it was finished, the voice dissolved into cackling laughter before the intercom cut out.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Nexi said in response to the strange call.

"I don't know and I don't want to know." Visibly rattled, Angelica made sure the doctor was securely on the ladder before letting go of him and turning back to Nexi and Lockheart.

Richard reluctantly started making his way down after the doctor. "I think someone knows we're here," he moaned. "This isn't good at all."

"Less whining, more climbing." It might be rude, but Angelica wanted to get out of this place... fast. "Believe me, I don't like it either. Nexi, you're up."

"Ayup," Nexi replied and mounted the ladder without complaint. This was the sort of thing that she was used to. Ladders leading into the unkown depths she could handle, but team members were an unknwon variable for her. Angel could definitely hold her own, but what of the others? "Hurry it up down there!" she barked out when the guys didn't move as swiftly as she would like.

"Sorry," someone below Nexi mumbled as they scrambled out of the way. Angelica smirked slightly, waiting for a few moments to give Nexi a few feet of space before she followed the rest of the team down the ladder.

Crackling to life again, that static laced voice came on again over the station's intercom system. "Bonnie-kin, bonnie-kin, dress all in red! Bonnie-kin, bonnie-kin, soon you'll be dead!" Again disolving into maniacal laughter and static, the system clicked back off. Following that click, a rumbling sound could be heard in the distance far above the away team. Growing louder, it became apparent that an out of control turbolift was falling. Within moments it was upon the Starfleet team, rocketing past them along the adjacent turbolift shaft, the wind whipping between the 2 open shafts.

Angelica couldn't help it, she shrieked as the turbolift car went roaring by them. Somehow, she clung precariously to the ladder despite the rush of wind, but a startled shout from below proved someone to be not so lucky. She looked down, spotting the blue-trimmed EV suit tumbling down into the darkness of the shaft below them. "St. John! Dammit, Jones, catch him!" The young ensign grabbed at the doctor's tumbling body, but it was too late. He vanished into the bottom of the shaft, with only a faint thump to mark his landing. Oh my god...

Richard hung on tightly as the turbolift rumbled by, shuddering in fear. Looking below, he saw St. John, who was right below him, get swept down the shaft by the wind. "What the hell do we do now?"

"We do what we came here to do," Nexi said coldly. "We can come back for him when we're done, but there's nothing we can do for him now."

"Keep moving!" Angelica could see Jones and Cooper swinging off the ladder onto the deck below them. "Quickly, but... be careful. Let's not lose anyone else." She clung tightly to the ladder as the others continued their descent, terrified of following the doctor to her own death or accidentally knocking someone else down the shaft. And she felt terrible about leaving the doctor's body behind, but Nexi was right. There was nothing they could do from here. Still, she wanted to throw up and likely would once they were out of the EV suits.

Before long, the way below was clear and Angelica quietly joined the rest of the team on the next deck down, briefly peering over the edge toward where Trevor had fallen before sighing a bit and waving the team forward. "Hera, we're on the station's lower deck. We... lost Doctor St. John in the tubolift shaft."

Suddenly, that voice came back again over the PA system, this time with more vigor in it, slicing through the static like a crooked knife wielded by Gollum. "THEY sent you, didn't they, my little bonnie-kin? To halt my WORK! To destroy my CREATIONS! You'll not survive to perform such tricksies, oh no, my pretty bonnie-kin..." Then there was the sound of doors sliding open and the 'plop... plop... shuffle...' of flesh against deck plating...

"This can't be good...." Nexi said, drawing her whip when she heard the approaching footsteps.

"No, it can't." The sound of footsteps alone was enough for Angel to ready her rifle, but these footsteps were strange. When their new adversaries drew close enough to be seen, she understood why. Twisted, grotesque, slimy... and dog-like. She stared at them in horror for a moment, until one suddenly leaped toward her. Reflex took over and she shot it in the face, with an accompanying startled scream. Yes, like a little girl. From the corner of her eye, she saw Cooper charge forward, firing his weapon with almost wild abandon... until one of the dog-things pounced on him with a guttural growl.

Cooper screamed like a monster born of hell, writhing as the zombie... dog... thing ripped through the armor of his EV suit and tore at the flesh underneath. "Help!" he whimpered piteously between screams, looking toward Angelica and the team with pleading terror in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Angelica whispered, expertly putting a bullet into the stricken boy's head. He fell limp, and the creature looked up at her and her team.

Panicking, Richard turned his phaser up to a setting much higher than kill, and starting blasting wildly at the dog zombie things. "They'll kill us all!" he hollered, caught up in a terror-driven manic fury.

Firing so wildly was a danger to the team, but Angelica was too busy trying to take down the strange zombie-dog creatures to yell at him. "Fall back to the turbolift shaft!"

Nexi was a flurry of movement with her Ferengi whip as she covered their exit back to the turbolift shaft. And she did not limit her attacks to simply the creatures; she fired upon bulkheads and plasma conduits, anything that could fall and provide barriers and obstacles between the team and the creatures, or anything that could explode and take out large numbers. But it wasn't going to be enough! They needed to get back up that shaft or they were all fucked! Forget that, they were fucked anyway. She'd bet her ship that this asshole could release these things on any deck, so with their luck there'd be more zombies waiting for them on the same deck as the shuttle bay.

While Angelica focused on taking out the nearest creatures, Ensign Jones followed Nexi's example, using his pulse rifle to breach conduits and drop heavy sections of bulkhead and ceiling plating on them. Still, Angelica could see it wasn't going to be enough, and she was hoping these things couldn't climb because if they could... well what was left of her little team would be screwed. It felt like forever until she glanced over her shoulder to find the shaft only a few feet away. "Lockheart, go! Start climbing!"

"Got it!" Turning on his heels, Richard started bolting towards the ladder.

As Lockheart darted for the ladder, more of the strange zombie-dog creatures came pouring into the corridor, and between the three of them left with weapons the margin of safe space they held was terribly tiny, so small that Angelica feared that once she sent Nexi up the ladder she and Jones wouldn't be able to hold the tide back. Their odds of survival weren't good if she sent Jones next and kept Nexi for backup either, but between shots she did notice that the creatures recoiled more from Nexi's whip than Jones' pulse rifle. "Jones! Get moving!"

"No fucking way!" the young ensign yelled back, resolutely standing his ground. "Whoever's here last is going to get eaten, just like Cooper!"

Those words stung, but Angelica knew he was right. However, she also knew what it would look like if she lost half her team to this infernal station! "Boy, get on that ladder!"

Instead, Jones shoved Angelica and Nexi back toward the open door of the turbolift shaft. Stumbling through, Angelica barely caught hold of the ladder, clinging to it for dear life as she grabbed for Nexi to keep the other woman from falling.

Nexi yelped as Angel grabbed her, but was so glad that she did. Those things were practically on top of her and she barely had time to grab for the ladder and start climbing by the time the dog-things reached her.

Once Nexi was on the ladder, away from the attacking creatures, Angelica looked for Jones. Instead, all she saw was a hungry pack of those things, growling and trying to reach the team through the open turbolift door. A brief glimpse of a broken helmet was all that remained of the young ensign.

As soon as the remainder of the away team was back in the turbolift shaft, once more that voice came across the intercom, barely audible over the sounds from the undead dog creatures. "Oh my Bonnie-kin... Your flesh is so sweet... Please let us dine on you, tasty Bonnie-kin..."

"Fuck me..." Nexi muttered as she assessed what seemed to be a hopeless situation. "I say we forget recovering whatever it was that made those things and just set charges, vaporize this asshole!"

"I concur!" Exclaimed Richard, as he clambered up the shaft. "We just need to get out of here!"

"Agreed!" Angel's breath came in somewhat ragged gasps as she clambered up the ladder behind them. "Nexi, this is your specialty. Take point."

"Do we have a layout of the station's interior?" Nexi asked as they made it back to the deck where they had docked, practically pushing Richard out of the turbolift shaft, then helping pull Angel out. Then she dug around the many pockets of her EV suit to see count many charges she managed to bring along. If she remembered correctly, the lift shaft was at the center of the station and was the only lift that ran along the full height of the station. They could set charges along the length of the shaft which would weaken the structural integrity of the station, then a well placed charge on the generators should do the rest, but she needed to see a layout of the station first to be certain.

"Yeah, here." Angelica pulled a PaDD from a pouch on her belt, handing it to Nexi with the schematic already pulled up.

"okay..." Nexi said as she looked over the schematics. "Alright, I was hoping we could just run charges up through the turbolift shaft, but the structure is too big... However-" Nexi showed Angel the padd and began to point out areas of the station, "if we can set charges at these points, then we should have a significant enough boom that nothing'll be left. But if you think it's too much of a risk to go crawling through the station, then we can rig the turbolift shaft to break it apart, then the Hera can take care of the rest."

"Not a fan of taking on more of those... things. I'd like to avoid them if we can." Angel looked at the blueprint and shook her head slightly. "But we need to hit the generator to be sure..."

"If we can ignite the primary exhaust line here-" Nexi said, pointing it out on the schematic, "then it should take out the generators. that would be the next best thing to taking out the generators themselves, and the ruptured line will help break the station apart."

"All right, that'll work. Let's get moving." Angelica had little desire to go poking around the station, and if they could get the job finished without running into any more zombie things, that was the option she wanted.

Nexi handed out a few charges to Angel and Richard showed them where to plant them throughout the shaft, but she only kept two for herself. Although, her two would be the most difficult to plant seeing as she would need to get to the exhaust line, but at least that would be easier than getting to the generators which would no doubt be guarded. "Once your charges are planted, get back to the shuttle and be ready to get the hell out of here. Use the emergency transporter if you have to."

"Got it. We'll meet you there." Angelica paused long enough to secure the charges to her EV suit before clambering back into the turbolift shaft. "I'll handle the lower portion of the shaft. Lockheart, you go up. Don't open any doors, just get those charges planted and get the hell out of there, understood?"

"All right." Taking the charges, he started up the shaft, searching for the right location for the charges.

Nexi followed Angel through part of the shaft until she reached a crawlspace that would take her to the exhaust line she intended to blow up. These crawl ways were much more confining than Starfleet Jefferies tubes, but eventually she found the access junction and peeled back the bulkheads to expose the line, breaking a valve so the exhaust leak into the junction. She planted the charges, then hurried back through the crawlspace before the exhaust could eat through her EV suit.

=/\="How are you two doing?" Nexi asked over the comm as she crawled back to the turbolift shaft.

=^="Fine,"=^= Richard stated as he continued up the shaft. He was almost at the location he was supposed to lay the charges. Placing them on the wall, Richard started going back down the shaft.

=/\= "Almost done," =/\= Angelica tacked on as she set her final charge. The nearest turbolift door to her stood open, and she watched it nervously from the corner of her eye as she attached the device to the bulkhead.

As soon as the charges were placed, as if on cue, that voice crackled to life over the station intercom once again. “Bonnie-kin, Bonnie-kin, what do you do? Bonnie-kin, Bonnie-kin, please let us eat you. Bonnie-kin, Bonnie-kin, it won't hurt much. Bonnie-kin, Bonnie-kin, you'll be our lunch.” After the short speech, the voice trailed off in ravenous laughter at some sick joke before cutting back out to be replaced with an electronic clicking noise and a familiar shuffling sound. Red laser lights shown through the now darkened hallways as the new threat appeared... Borg assimilated versions of those dog-zombie creatures.

=/\= "Shit! Stay away from the turbolift doors!" =/\= Angelica barely had time to shout the warning over the comms as she scrambled up the ladder, far out of reach from the assimilated creatures. As she climbed, she looked down to find the red laser beams following her. She gave a startled yelp and scurried further up, hoping to escape before they got close enough to touch her.

=/\= "Do I even wanna know?" Nexi asked as she scrambled down the crawlspace. She was almost back at the turbolift shaft....

=/\= "No! Just get back to the shuttle!" =/\= Angelica hoped Nexi was either in the tubolift shaft or close to it.

Nexi finally reached the shaft and maneuvered herself back onto the ladder. She could see Angel well above her, and as she made her way up the ladder, she passed the corridor with zombie Borg dogs and nearly lost her shit right there. "Oh shit..." Nexi murmured as she climbed the ladder as fast as she could.

Finally reaching the shuttlebay, Angelica hauled herself up out of the shaft then turned around to look for Nexi and Richard. Nexi was only a few feet below her down the ladder, with assimilated zombie-dogs not far behind. "Nexi, hurry! Where's Lockheart?"

Nexi looked up the shaft. She could just barely see Richard in the darkened shaft and from what she could see, so far he was okay. "I can see him, he's almost here," Nexi said, then finished climbing the ladder and pulling herself up onto the deck plating next to Angel. "I'm gonna need a good stiff drink after this shit!"

"No fucking kidding!" Shoving Nexi toward the shuttle, Angelica stayed near the tubolift shaft, unslinging her rifle while she waiting for Richard to climb the last several feet down to them. "Hurry up, Lockheart! You're racing assimilated zombies!" It might not be what they really were, but that's what she intended to call them for now. To give him some more time, she took a few careful shots at the zombie creatures below her, aiming carefully so that as they fell they knocked some of their brethren down with them.

Clambering up the shaft, Richard barely made it up before the zombie things could get him. Reaching where it opened up into the landing site, he climbed into the doorway.

As soon as Richard reached her, Angelica pulled him through the open door and pushed him toward the shuttle. "Go!" A Borg-zombie crawled out after him, and she swiftly put a bullet in its head, sending it hurtling backward into the shaft. Then she turned and ran after him and Nexi. She ushered them into the shuttle ahead of her, then dove through the open hatch and shut it just as one of the creatures came nearly close enough to grab her. Panting heavily, she pushed herself up off the deck, reeling slightly. "Get us out of here!"

“NOOOOO!!! MY BONNIE-KIN!!!” The voice suddenly screamed, reverberating through the shuttlebay and clearly heard within the shuttle. “Look what you've done! My CREATIONS! You've ruined everything, my tasty Bonnie-kin!” The raving continued on, degrading into random shouted drivel as it progressed. “You'll not get away, Bonnie-kin!” Was the last he said before the computer's voice took over and what little lighting was left outside the shuttle turned red. “Singularity core breach in 30 seconds. Please evacuate to the nearest zzz..." Then the computer's voice died with a buzz and a pop.

No one was complaining about Nexi's piloting skills as she took off like a bat out of hell, putting as much distance between their shuttle and the station as possible, navigating around the cloaked mines almost recklessly in her haste to get out. She did not want to be caught in this field when the singularity blew and set off all these mines!

Angelica shuddered at the screeched message that came through only a few seconds before the shuttle lifted off, and she had no comment on Nexi's flying. She had no desire to stick around while the station exploded! Thirty seconds might give them time to clear the field, if Nexi could keep their speed up. =/\= "Selune to Hera, we're coming out of the mine field but the station is about to--"

Fifteen seconds early, the station's singularity breached, and the station exploded in spectacular fashion. The mines quickly followed suit as the shockwave rippled outward, slamming into the shuttle and sending it reeling through space and skimming against explosions as it went.

Already fighting a losing battle with her stomach, Angelica threw up as the shuttle's tumbling knocked her back down to the deck. Oh god that's gross... Swallowing and hoping that wasn't going to happen again, she propped herself up to see if anyone was hurt.

"Sound off if you're still alive," Nexi said as she pulled herself back into the seat of the cockpit, having been thrown out when the shuttle skipped through an exploding mine. The shuttle was beaten all to hell and the stabilizers were out, but she could still fly, enough to return to the Hera.

"I'm okay. More or less." Throwing up hadn't made her feel any better, so Angelica opted to just stay on the floor for now. "Do we still have comms?"

Nexi shut off the cacophony of alerts and alarms sounding off on her console. Several vital systems were knocked out with the blast, but as far as Nexi could tell it was nothing imminently life threatening. "That's a negative on the comms," Nexi said as she checked. "But the Hera did receive our call and they are adjusting course to intercept us.

"Mission complete, right?" Richard nervously wipes sweat from his brow. He did not want to go back there.

"Yeah. We're done." Once the Hera picked them up anyway. Angelica sighed lightly, settling in to wait.

"Hang tight, people, we'll be back on the Hera soon," Nexi assured her teammates as she set a course back to the ship. They would come back limping and with fewer officers than what they started with, and that left a sour taste in Nexi's mouth...

The first sensation Ethan noticed was nothingness, that is to say the absence of pain It was as if he was floating. He had, had a really, really bad nightmare. It had all started in the lounge with meeting some bimbo of a guy that wanted to ravage his body, and steal him away from Dylan. Then things had spiraled downhill from there. But it had all must been a fantastically realistic nightmare Nothing more than that.

Then as he fully awakened, there was a return of sensation. Pressure, perhaps even some pain, though that was held in check by all the drugs coursing through his body. He slowly opened his eyes then quickly closed them against the perceived glare. It suddenly came to him, that it had not been a dream at all, but Andorian moon cold reality. But he was safe now wasn't he? He'd been rescued. That was the last thing he remembered anyway being carried out and into a shuttle. He opened his eyes again. This time the light was a little less harsh. He looked to his right and felt as if someone had just kneed him in the balls. His right arm was missing.

Without thinking, he let out a scream.

Dylan had fallen asleep by Ethan's bed. The Intel chief hadn't left his ex lover's side from the moment that they had brought him back on board. The scream however, had proven a rude awakening and in less than a second he was up and out of his chair, reaching for Ethan as he said "Hey! Shhhh....it's me Dylan. You're all safe now and I'm never going to let anyone ever do anything to you ever again." He had seen Ethan when they had arrived back and to say that he'd been traumatised himself was an understatement. That someone could be so evil as do that to another sentient lifeform was abhorrent beyond belief. To think that they had done it to the man he loved was more so. Dylan had shed his own tears whilst Ethan was unconscious so now it was his turn to be strong.

Ethan's heart had started hammering in his chest when he'd seen he really was missing his arm. In his mind he was back in that torture chamber with Ian gloating and taunting him. Until he heard his lover's voice. There was no thought of ex any longer. He felt safe, hearing that voice, well safer anyway, he wasn't sure if he would ever feel truly safe again.

His eyes opened again and he forced himself not to look at his missing limb, but only at Dylan.

"Am I in trouble?" he asked, "I was going to talk. Give Ian everything he wanted. I was going to give him the information on the bio-weapon."

"Course you're not in trouble." Dylan met Ethan's eyes as he held him, "The fact is you didn't talk and even if you had no-one could have blamed you...I'd have sung like a canary way before you that's for sure." he leaned down and kissed his forehead tenderly as he added "I thought I'd lost you."

The kiss and the reassuring words helped him relax just a bit, his heart rate to slow down. He believed that Dylan would keep him safe, or at least try. "You're stronger than me. You always were. You wouldn't have talked, you would have found a way to escape. But thanks for saying that. I can't believe I even went to meet him. I mean I went looking for you and you were busy, so I figured what the hell. Its just a drink.

But then I got there and I wanted to leave, before I even met him. All I could think about was you. And how much I loved you. I even let him kiss me." He shook his head. You know I never wanted to kill someone. Not really. But Ian, Ian I want to kill that bastard."

"Well you're gonna have to get in line because I'm getting him first." Dylan growled, "No-one does this to the man I love and gets away with it." he added, finally at ease with the fact that there was no-one else in the entire universe that he wanted more than Ethan Chaparral. "When I saw him kiss you...I thought I'd lost my mind. I was so angry." he commented, forgetting that Ethan didn't know that he had seen them together.

"You, you saw that?" Oh gods, Dylan I'm so sorry. It wasn't my idea. I mean I'd just finished telling him that I was already in a relationship. that I loved someone else and that's when he kissed me. I can't believe he did that, I can't believe I didn't stop him."

"Relax...the man was a pro. I know that now." Dylan whispered, "Even if you and I had been properly back together he probably still would have managed to seduce you. Sociopaths are like that. They can put on a show yet not mean a word of it." then he paused before admitting "I won't deny though...hurt like hell at the time."

"I didn't intend that, I didn't want to hurt you. I never want to hurt you. But are you saying that we are properly back together now? That would mean the world to me. But you don't have to you know. I mean look at me, the bones, they'll heal. They've already started to but I only have one arm now and did you see what he did? Ian's property is carved into my chest. How can you stand to see that staring you in the face every time you look at me?"

"First of all whether you're missing an arm or not, I love you." Dylan kissed him on the cheek, "And secondly, you should take a look." he raised the sheet a little to reveal Ethan's chest and smiled as he added "Your boss does good work...you'd never notice it was ever there."

The barest hint of a smile crossed Ethan's face. "Well thank God for that. The miracles of modern medicine. And I love you too. I never want to lose you again. I want to be with you forever."

"Marry me." Dylan said softly, pulling back so that he could search Ethan's features for a response.

Ethan's eyes lost their focus for a moment. He didn't believe he was hearing those words and wasn't quite sure what to say. He wanted to ask if Dylan meant it but that was stupid. Of course he meant it. Dylan had his faults, but he would never say something he didn't mean. He blinked a few times than stared into the other man's eyes. Finally he nodded his head.

"Well I never thought I'd get a proposal like this, " he said, "but yeah, yeah, of course I'll marry you. You're the only man I've ever really loved. How could I say no?"

"I'm sorry...guess I should have waited for a better moment than this." Dylan replied, Ethan's answer not really computing "I understand if you need time...hell you've just been tortured. I picked a really, really bad time to do this didn't I?" he groaned and then looked up sharply as he added "Did you just say yes?"

"Of course I said yes,"Ethan replied, the smile growing marginally larger, "I don't need any more time. And I'm not going to change my mind. We uh may have to sleep with the lights on, but I never want to sleep with anyone else but you. I don't want to be with anyone else but you."

"Then I guess once you're better we're getting married." Dylan grinned widely as he gazed into Ethan's eyes and whispered "I love you so much it hurts."

"Well then I better get better fast, now shouldn't I? And if you love me, you better kiss me again. Just carefully."

"You're gonna be the bossy one in our marriage aren't you?" Dylan murmured before tenderly kissing Ethan on the lips a warmth spreading through him that had been missing since the day that he had left the other man.

"You have no idea how good that feels," Ethan said after the kiss had broke, "and I will try to control myself. I mean about the bossiness. Now could you ask someone to give me something to sleep. I need the rest and I want to dream. Dream about you, about us and not Ian."

"Of course." Dylan nodded, letting Ethan go and standing up, "I'll go fetch the doc but I'll be right here by the side of you if you need anything during the night okay?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Just don't neglect your duties or the Captain is going to get pissed at both of us."

"Oh hush...she knows the score." Dylan chided Ethan gently before heading off to find the doctor.

Ethan's eyes followed Dylan out of the room and had to force himself to keep calm as he left the isolation area. He was back almost immediately with a nurse in tow. When they got closer Ethan looked at his fiance and said, "Stay here now. Promise you won't leave me. I know it sounds stupid, but I don' want to... I'm afraid of being alone."

"They'll have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming." Dylan smiled, reaching out to caress Ethan's cheek, "I won't go anywhere I promise and I'll be here when you wake up."

Ethan smiled again and let the fingers of his remaining hand entwine with Dylan's. The nurse came over then and pressed a hypo to the man's neck. As he started to drift off, all the tension and fear that had been etched in his face slowly dissipated. The sedative had little to do with Ethan's relief, almost exclusively it was the proximity of his lover.

A joint post by
Lt. Ethan Chaparral
ACMO
USS Hera
&

Lt. Dylan Santiago
Chief Intel Officer
USS Hera

WARNING MATURE & GRAPHIC CONTENT

Previously:Ethan hadn't really been sure that he and Kyle wanted the same thing, though when Kyle had informed him his parents were going to be out of town and invited him to spend the night, he had a pretty good idea. But still there had been some uncertainty.

Now he knew they both wanted to be with each other intimately. To make love to each other, though the details were still to be worked out. Part of him wanted to stay at the party awhile longer. Just to dance with his boyfriend. It was easier, safer.

However part of him was even more aroused by Kyle's sudden boldness. Being a teenage boy full of love and lust, with a vivid imagination of what his first time would be like. That was the part of him that won out and it took just under two minutes to do so.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," he declared.

The Cross' lived about ten minutes away from the High School. Ethan lived in a nice home, but Kyle lived in a mansion. Specifically he lived in the pool house. In a way he always had the run of the place to himself, though his parents often walked in unexpectedly if they were home.

The trip to the house was spent mostly in nervous silence. Once inside the room Ethan found himself divided. Part of him just wanted to jump Kyle, to begin kissing him and just go from there, but part of him was just afraid.

"Kyle, are you, are you really sure about this?"

"No, but I know that I can't stop thinking about you, about what it would be like." he answered, a soft blush gracing his cheeks as they walked up to his front door and he entered his key code to get in.

"I can't help thinking about you either, but to be honest this is scary." Ethan said as they stepped inside, hella scary. I mean I know it would be fun, or at least I'm pretty sure it would be, but I don't want to do if just for that reason. It, it just has be right for both of us."

"My mum always tells me that if it's right, then you'll just know." Kyle shrugged, "So I guess, if we don't get that feeling that we should back off." he undid his bow tie and headed for the kitchen.

Ethan followed him into the kitchen touching him on the shoulder, "Let me, uh let me help you off with that," he offered, "I mean, you know if you want me to."

Turning to face Ethan, Kyle met those gorgeous blue eyes and said "I want you to."

Ethan smiled at Kyle's willingness."Good," he said as he slid the jacket off of the taller boy and laid it on the island and then began to unbutton the shirt. He fumbled, rather pitifully with the first button, but by the time he got to the bottom one his hands were no longer shaking, or at least they weren't shaking as badly.

Kyle had more hair on his chest than Ethan did, a fact the dark haired boy noted, but did not dwell on. What really interested him more than looking, is what it would be like to touch Kyle, touch him for the very first time. Tentatively he ran a finger down the center of the other boy's chest.

"God that feels good." Kyle breathed as he reached out to undo Ethan's bow tie.

He let his finger trail all the way down to Kyle's waist then using his entire hand began moving up again. He watched as his tie came off. "It feels pretty good to me too," he said as he leaned in for a kiss.

Feeling his body respond to the touch, Kyle kissed Ethan back, his fingers fumbling with the shirt buttons as the teenager found himself hungering to feel skin against skin.

While Kyle was fiddling with his shirt buttons, Ethan tugged at the other boy's shirt till it fell to the floor, "This is right Kyle, I know it now. I want you so bad. I love you."

"I love you too." Kyle groaned as Ethan's shirt fell open and he tentatively ran his hands over him.

Ethan groaned slightly with pleasure, Kyle's touch was incredible and he knew it was only the beginning. He could feel himself growing harder as he stepped back slightly so that his own shirt slid off his body and joined Kyle's on the floor.

"Guess we're not grabbing a drink first." Kyle smiled at Ethan as he began backing him towards the door, eager to get to the bedroom, his whole body aching for the other boy.

Ethan allowed himself to be manipulated towards the bedroom. He wanted this as bad as Kyle and if he wanted to take the lead, it was fine with him. "I want you more than I want a drink," Ethan admitted.

"I was hoping that you'd say that." Kyle replied as he kissed Ethan, all the while leading them through the pool house.

After the kiss broke the dark haired teen said, "I don't uh know what, you know I want to do, I just know I want to do it with you."

The comment made Kyle stop for a moment then frowned, "You mean like uh...who gives and who takes?"

"Yeah, I guess and you know other stuff," Ethan turned a bit redder than he already was, "Like, well I don't know just other stuff. But I guess, for the giving and taking, we could take turns?"

"Works for me." Kyle replied as he reached for Ethan's waistband, not really knowing what 'other stuff' he meant.

Ethan kicked off his shoes and let his hand wander over Kyle's pants cupping his hardness through the material.

A sharp intake of breath escaped Kyle's lips. No one had ever touched him there and it felt...amazing. Undoing Ethan's fly, he dropped his trousers and gaze down, happy to see that Ethan was just as aroused as he was.

Ethan smiled then released his grip on Kyle's groin as much as he could tell how it made Kyle react, then he kicked his pants off and stepped closer to the slightly taller boy until the skin of their bare chests touched. A little thrill went though they hybrid teen, which only served to make him harder.

"You wanna go first or shall I?" Kyle breathed, his arms pulling Ethan so close that he could feel his hardness pressing against him.

"Well before we do that, let me try something else first,"Ethan said as he slid down the other boy's body, till he was on his knees in front of him. He helped Kyle out of his pants, then removed his underwear.

"God you're huge, " Ethan said, "I'm not sure I can do this,"

Then he tried.

A loud groan escaped Kyle's lips as he felt the heat of Ethan's mouth envelope him. Never before had he felt something so amazingly pleasurable and he felt emotions he'd never been aware of flood through his mind.

This was as new to Ethan as it was to Kyle, and he was no doubt clumsy and had to tell himself not to use his teeth or gag. But he could tell how much the other boy enjoyed it, which was part of the reason that he too was feeling so good. He continued to experiment by changing his pace and the placement of his tongue.

Being a teenager, Kyle wasn't capable of much self control and he gasped "Oh god I'm gonna come."

Ethan was in no position to say anything, being rather occupied, but his words brought a combination of excitement and curiosity as to what it would be like. But just then Kyle's PAaD began buzzing insistently with the unmistakable tone of his mother.

"Not now!" Kyle whined, screwing his eyes shut as he fought for control and tried to ignore the fact that his mother had to call now, of all times.

Ethan too recognized the tones, he'd heard it enough times. But he didn't want to stop what he was doing, he wasn't sure if he was doing things right, but he couldn't have been too bad, Kyle sure seemed to be enjoying himself. Though he did seem little smaller than he had just a second ago.

The ringing stopped for an instant, then started up again.

"She won't stop until I answer it." Kyle growled, unable to believe that his mother was ruining his first sexual experience.

"Shit," Ethan said as he pulled away, "Go ahead and answer, just try to be quick. This was getting good."

The ringing continued until Kyle picked it up.

"Son," came the all too familiar voice, "You were supposed to call when you left the dance. Are you home yet?"

"Yeah...I'm home." Kyle replied, trying to calm down and hide the breathless note to his voice.

"Well good, I'm glad you are. You know I'm really trying to understand you're liking boys instead of girls, but if you're going to like boys, does it have to be that Chaparral kid? Really. Couldn't you do better? I mean his family is Starfleet."

"Mum...shhhh!" Kyle shot back before adding "He's here and he can hear you."

Ethan's face drained of color and a disappointed look crossed his face, but he remained silent.

"What do you mean he's there," Shelia Cross continued ignoring her son's admonishment to be quiet.

"I mean he's right here by the side of me." Kyle replied, sounding more and more annoyed by the second.

"Should I go?" Ethan mouthed still looking stricken.

"By your side doing what exactly. You haven't kissed him have you?" his mother continued sounding a bit irritated herself.

Kyle's hand shot out to grab Ethan's and he shook his head, indicating that he wanted him to stay. "Yes mum, I've kissed him and right now I'm naked so I'll let your imagination fill in the rest." he answered her, getting angrier by the second at how his mother was treating him and annoyed beyond belief at what she was saying about Ethan.

"Kyle Joseph Cross, you will get your clothes on right now. You just wait till your father and I get back from Mars tomorrow. You are so grounded. I will not have you getting fucked by him. I want him out of my house right now. Do you understand me?"

Ethan broke away from Kyle and started walking out of the bedroom towards the kitchen.

"One day, you'll get it through your stupid head that I like boys mum. And I love Ethan so no, I won't tell him to leave." Kyle replied, "And don't worry about tomorrow because by then I'll be gone." he added hotly.

Ethan's hand was on the door when he heard Kyle's words. He stopped, moved his hand away from the doorknob and turned around slowly.

"I am going to have your father call you back in half an hour, to give you time to think about those words, because if you leave, you're never coming back."

"Tell him not to bother." Kyle replied, forcing himself to not show the emotions he felt right now in the tone of his voice, "I won't answer and I'll be long gone before you get home."

The call disconnected without warning as Ethan crossed the room, "Oh God, Kyle I am so sorry. You know I really love you. I mean I know we've told each other that before, but not anyone else. And what you did, the way you stood up to your mom, well that is just the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. But is it worth it? I am worth it. I mean I don't know. Are you willing to give up everything for me...for us?"

"Ever since I came out to them they've been totally unaccepting of who I am." Kyle replied, clearly still angry as he swiped at a tear escaping his eye, "Well, I won't stand for it anymore, they can't accept me, then I'm going." he looked at Ethan and reached for his hand as he added "And yes...you're worth it. I love you so much it hurts."

'I love you too, and you could live with me if you want, my mom and dad wouldn't care." Ethan replied taking the other boy's hand."In fact they'll be glad to have you. I mean they get it, you know what I mean? My dad was gay, or thought he was till he met my mom.

I'll never hurt you, I promise and you know we can finish what we started. Maybe that will make you feel better."

Kyle smiled and pulled Ethan into his arms as he whispered "I'd like that."

"Well, we might as well use the bed while we can. Mine's smaller. Uh the bed I mean." Then with a certain boldness he pushed Kyle onto the bed and fell on top of him.

"Someone's horny." Kyle grinned up at Ethan, his arms snaking around him before he kissed him deeply.

Ethan drank in the kiss, thoroughly and completely enamored with Kyle Cross. The fact that he had a killer body and a larger than average, at least comparatively speaking package, only adding to his desire.

After the kiss, then a subsequent one broke, he said, "Well there better be two of us horny here or I'm wasting my time." He then began laying a trail of kisses down Kyle's chest.

"I'm pretty sure you can tell that I am." Kyle groaned and rested back, his arousal obvious.

"And I think I can remember where we were when we got interrupted."

"You do huh?" Kyle grinned as Ethan worked lower down his body.

"Pretty sure," Ethan quipped back and then to prove it he took Kyle into his mouth.

"You definitely remember." Kyle groaned as Ethan began to work his magic on him once again. The other boy was a natural.

Being with another boy in this way for the first time, just seemed so right. Especially since it was kyle. The thought that he would be moving in with him and they would have a chance to do this over and over again, just made him all the more excited.

He still not really sure exactly what to do, but he was enjoying himself nonetheless and Kyle seemed to be too.

Pushing aside the pain and hurt of the conversation with his mother, Kyle gave in to Ethan's advances, the other boy once again bringing him closer and closer to climax.

Motivated by both lust and young love, Ethan continued his ministrations until they had both achieved climax.

"It's never like that when I sort out myself." Kyle groaned as he relaxed back against the pillows breathing hard.

Ethan crawled up to lay beside him, "Yeah I know what you mean. It felt really good to me to. Uhh. do you, do you want to try, or do you , you know want to do something else?"

"You mean like uh...real sex." Kyle asked tentatively.

Ethan swallowed hard, "Uh yeah like real sex."

With a nod, Kyle was quiet for a moment before saying "Well then, I volunteer for you to take me...after all, I just had some fun. Now it's your turn."

Ethan smiled nervously. Kyle's proposition sounded good to him but at the same time he had only a vague idea of what he should do. "Okay, just don't get your expectations too high, I can't make any promises regarding my lovemaking prowess."

Then kissed the other boy deeply and moved his hand down to his new target.

"Hey I'm new to it too remember." Kyle sighed happily as the kiss broke and his own hand drifted southwards.

"Wow, that feels incredible. You're good at this." Ethan let the other boy continued to play with him, till he was fully aroused. "Okay," he said, "I, uh guess, I'm, or we are going to have to move to the end of the bed."

"Hell if I know." Kyle managed a nervous smile, "Tell me how you want me and I'll get into position." he added, still fondling Ethan.

"Well, I guess at the end of the bed and, uh, well I guess spread your legs and, you know, maybe wrap your legs around me. Maybe? I don't know."

"Okay." Kyle replied, suddenly feeling really nervous as he positioned himself just as Ethan suggested.

Ethan looked down at the boy he knew in his heart he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He then moved his legs a little wider, adjusted himself, and then slowly entered him.

Crying out in pain, Kyle screwed his eyes shut gasping for breath as it was replaced with other sensations that were much more acceptable.

Ethan's face grew concerned when saw that he was causing Kyle pain, but his concern was relieved when the other boy's expression changed. "This feels so good, " he called out as he experimented by moving partially out and then slowly back in.

"Yeah." Kyle grunted, trying to work out if he liked it or not before finally deciding that he did in a weird, painful kind of a way, "Really good." he gasped as Ethan hit one of his erotic zones.

"Uh.. cool... yeah.. this...is... fun. I think it's.... your turn .. next... and... I'm pretty sure... that's... going to be... soon."

Kyle couldn't answer as Ethan took him and he forced himself to enjoy every exquisite sensation, even the painful ones. He was with the man he loved and they would be doing this until the day they died, he just knew it.

After he had climaxed. Climaxed as he had never done in such a powerful way before, Ethan rolled over on his side, his hand finding Kyle's, he entwined his fingers with the other boy's. "Oh my god, that felt good, " he said. "Do you want to have a go?"

Still aroused and aching for release, Kyle said "Only if you're okay with it."

"I love you, of course I am okay with it. I want it. Well at least I think I do. But I do know i want to try. Because its you."

"It hurts...at least at first." Kyle warned him, knowing that he was bigger than average too.

Ethan glanced down at Kyle's member then back into his eyes. "That's not how the holovids portray it, but yeah I could kind of tell it didn't feel the same for you as it did for me. But its okay, I still want to, just uh, just be careful. Okay?"

"I will." Kyle promised before grinning and asking "You have holovids?"

"A few," the other boy admitted blushing slightly, "I have them stashed, though it wouldn't surprise me if my mom knew. I don't think she or my dad really mind. They're not too uptight about those kind of things."

"Wish I could say the same about my parents." Kyle sighed, "Maybe we could watch some together some time?" he grinned, kissing Ethan briefly before standing up so that he could take his boyfriend and learn exactly was it was like to make him his.

Ethan grinned through the kiss and waited with anticipation and a bit of uncertainty and fear as to what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of things.

Slowly and tenderly, Kyle gingerly entered Ethan, remembering how it had felt and hoping that his boyfriend wasn't going to be put off by it.

Ethan grunted in pain, this really wasn't what he'd been expecting at first. But he'd seen the expression on Kyle's face, so he really wasn't too surprised. Then he'd seen it change, if ever so slightly.

"it's not fair," he teased,"you're bigger than me."

"I can stop if you need me too?" Kyle replied as instinct took over and couldn't help but thrust against Ethan.

Ethan was considering Kyle's offer when the other boy moved suddenly deeper in him. The pain increased sharply, but at the same time felt right. "No, don't stop, I want you. I want you to come in me."

Thinking that he probably couldn't stop now even if he wanted to, Kyle picked up the pace. Ethan felt so tight and the feel of him against his skin was sexy as hell as he got closer and closer to doing just want Ethan wanted him to do.

As Kyle continued to move in and out, the pain subsided. It wasn't quite pleasure that replaced it, with occasional exceptions, but it was better than the pain. "Oh yeah, " the teen encouraged, "don't stop that."

"I won't." Kyle grunted just before he climaxed hard. The experience was one of the most profound he had ever had and he collapsed forward, breathing hard as he whispered "Wow..."

"Wow," is right Ethan echoed as he climaxed for a second time. "We'll have to do that again. But maybe we could just hold each other and fall asleep. I think that is almost as sexy as what we just did."

"Sleep is good." Kyle nodded, suddenly feeling that his eyes were heavy.

TBC

A joint post by

Lt. Dylan Santiago
Chief Intel Officer
USS Hera
&
Lt. Ethan Chaparral
ACMO
USS Hera