<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-a45d1a81-7fff-2d14-4b93-0a46aa580016"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Mission:  An End and a Beginning</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Day: 2</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Stardate:  2446.03.17</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(32,31,30);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(Vulcan - Capital City - Nivar Institute - </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">CSRD Lieutenant </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">T'shalaith</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> - 1247</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(32,31,30);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"T'shalaith, how long were you aware of Sath's Katra inside of you?"</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Vulcan did a calculation.  She had discovered his presence on March 2nd. “Fifteen days…”  It had felt like an eternity to her.  She had experienced so much in such a little amount of time.  She was certain whoever she had been before would change without the influence of her father pulling her strings without her knowing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Well, I think if we can find her, we can explain what happened.  If there's one thing I can tell you about us emotional beings, we can be stubborn but also forgiving, especially if there are extenuating circumstances.  And having another Katra inhabiting your brain certainly qualifies. as an extenuating circumstance.  It will certainly make it much easier to start there at the Colony.  If she's not there, we should be able to find where to go from there.  There will be records. Now, we have to figure out how to get you out of here..  Are you okay here, if I go find a nurse or a doctor?"</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">T'shalaith gave him as much of a nonplussed look as she could, “I am able to handle myself within this bed.”  She watched him as he walked to go find someone.  She thought back to how she had fallen into the orbit of Tegian Pex.  How had her father been unable to prevent her finding him somewhat attractive and sharing her situation and life story with him?  She thought for a moment.  It was an old Human adage that the power of love was not something you could measure with scientific instruments or studies.  Perhaps, she considered, something within her had kept her father at bay while her feelings for the Trill had sparked and then become a warmth within her?  That what had kept her true to Pex and able to engage with him…was something pure that had acted as a natural defense against the darkness of Sath?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Her feelings and experience with Pex defied anything that had occurred previously.  The only comparison she could recall amongst her repairing memories had been her first bond mate before it had failed.  She wondered what the future held with Tegian Pex…and if what she had found in him was telling her to seek further time with him?  So much to consider, she decided.  She would need to take it one step at a time.  She knew, having studied some of Earth’s reading materials on the subject, that desperation was not a good look on anyone, at least that’s how the humans phrased it.  She wasn’t sure where she fell on that spectrum…and human relationship advice materials were notoriously filled with inaccuracies.  She would have to find her own way.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(reply Tegian)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(reply Tegian,any)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(posted by Aaron D)</span></p><br></span></div>