compile summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Star-date: 2408.07.22 (USS Hades - Deck 7, Tactical Chief's Office - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 20:48) (USS Hades - Deck 2, Personal quarters - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 20:52) (USS Hades, Deck, 9 Personal Quarters, ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:09) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 21:37) (USS Hades, Deck 9, Ten Forward , ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:39) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 21:50) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:52) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 2153) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:54) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 21:56) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 21:57) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:58) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes- 21:59) (USS Hades - Gymnasium – aTAC/CSEC - Lt. Baylon Trinin- 2200) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 22:04) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 22:06) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 22:07) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 22:08) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 22:09) (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 22:10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 14 Stardate: 2408.07.23 (USS Hades – COPS Office – COPS Lt. Maraht, NPC Yeoman Calley McDevish – 1130) (USS Hades - Main Engineering - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 12:49) (USS Hades – COPS Office Suite – NPC Yeoman Calley McDevish - 1250) (USS Hades – Main Engineering – NPC Yeoman Calley McDevish - 1251) (USS Hades Main Engineering ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 1252) (USS Hades - Main Engineering – Yeoman Calley McDevish - 1253) (USS Hades - Main Engineering ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 12:54) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ begin compile Star-date: 2408.07.22 (USS Hades - Deck 7, Tactical Chief's Office - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 20:48) Sitting at her desk, Lo'ren wrote her report for Lt. Trinin. She also signed off on the requisition forms for new phasers, they hadn't destroyed the whole lot she'd pulled from the stores but they'd gone through a few, with interesting results. Lo'ren now had an idea the counter the effect, but she needed a little more time to flesh it out. She mentioned it in her report, but didn't go into details. She typed in the last few words. [Futher report to follow. End Report.] She sighed, she was done. For now. ~By Surak's katra, I'm famished.~ She wanted to get something to eat, but she didn't want to go alone so she sent off a message to Jericho Haynes. [Care to join me for a bite to eat to reward our hard work today?Lo'ren.] She closed the terminal and headed out the door. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 2, Personal quarters - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 20:52) Jack was sitting at his desk with his back turned to it and his feet up on a small stool, even though it was starting to get late he couldn't relax, too many things were going through his head. The bottle he had rescued from ten forward the night of the party was on the ledge dividing the living quarters of his small room from the bed along with a curtain of intricate patterns of blue, green and turquoise. Sometimes when he stared at the curtain he had the urge to tear it down and replace it with something less "busy", when he really wanted desperately to relax it seemed to mock him with its loud colors. The bottle had now a little less than half its total volume in liquid, a casualty of Jack primarily since the only other one he had remembered taking a drink of it besides himself had been Dr. Trommashere but he had imbibed liberally, everyone else had shied away from the potent liquor. Interestingly enough he wasn't having to fight the memories of his dead family tonight, rather he was making a concerted effort to not remember that night and the fact she had run off after Harry. Given a choice though had you asked him he would far rather have been trying to forget that incident as it meant that perhaps... just perhaps the healing he had been desirous of for so long was finally starting to take hold. A combination of factors went into that no doubt; the new ship and greater responsibilities along with the new faces and relationships not to mention the ongoing march of time which dimmed all memories eventually. The dark liquid returned his gaze evenly, not blinking of course but matching his look with cool detachment. The grim thought brought a mocking smile to his lips. His boots were on the floor beside him and his shirt undone, to make a glass now would mean he was all in for the night, he might even forego his shower till the morning. ~But what about your work Jack? The nebula and the debris, space graveyards and drifting hulks... what about the science ... your passion?~ "Sometimes you've just got to let it go and take the edge off." He got to his socked feet and moved toward a cabinet for a glass, he was moving toward the bottle when the monitor on his desk chirped. The sound got his attention all right but he shrugged it off at first, he had picked up the bottle and was about to pour when his curiosity got the best of him. Walking over to the monitor he crossed his arms and looked at the screen. "Computer what was that?" [Incoming message received.] "Hmmmm." ~What the heck?~ "Play message," It wasn't video or audio, just a short typed message. [Care to join me for a bite to eat to reward our hard work today? Lo'ren.] Jack looked at it for a moment as though it might have some concealed message then shook his head as a small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Why I'll be! Why the heck not?" He looked back at the bottle with a smirk for an instant. "Sorry my friend, some other time." Then began stripping as he headed for the shower. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades, Deck, 9 Personal Quarters, ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:09) Lo'ren stopped off at her quarters long enough to change out of her uniform into something more comfortable. She felt so much more relaxed in her black skirt, white top and royal blue scarf. She finished off with black sandals, remembering her D'jarra earring and adding a silver chain around her neck with a Haren Bird pendant. Nothing fancy, just comfortable and relaxed - but the outfit would do for an impromptu concert if anyone asked. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 21:37) Eoin took another sip of tea, as he looked over the reports from the debris scan. ~Perplexing,~ he thought to himself. He put the PADD down, and picked up the other one. He pressed a couple of buttons, and began a cross reference of the T'chkairn markings. He put the PADD down, ran his hands through his hair, and rubbed his eyes. It had been such a long day. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades, Deck 9, Ten Forward , ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:39) She walked into Ten Forward and caught a server right off the bat, "Can I get a Spiced Jumja tea and a pizza with pineapple, bacon and double asparagus? Not a small pizza, mind you." Archie smiled back at her, the joke had gone around the servers that Ensign T'Vof could eat the entirety of the Ship's stores in two days if not for the replicators. "Oh, and I ran into Lt. Shayhiloosh, I've been promised and apple from the Captaon's Arboretum. Could you cut it in half and bake one half? I'd like the other half raw. But that'll be dessert, so, no rush." Lo'ren let the server get on with his work and entered the main area of Ten Forward. She noticed Eoin sitting at a table surrounded by work and looking a bit frazzled. She walked over, put her hands on her hips and jokingly chided him. "Ten Forward is a place to relax, Stretch. Not to get all bunched up into knots." (reply Eoin) She smiled at him, "Can I join you? I invited Lt. Haynes to come down, but he's not here at the moment, so I figure I'll bug you." (reply Eoin) I was working in the Physics Lab with Jack on the debris, I may have a way to counter the mechanism shortly. Of course you know I don't do well on an empty stomach, so I decided to get into something more comfortable and get some food. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 21:50) "Ten Forward is a place to relax, Stretch. Not to get all bunched up into knots." Eoin took his face out from behind his hands, and noticed Lo'ren standing near his table. "Yes, generally that's true. But I've got so much work ahead of me. I'm not sure whether I'll sleep tonight. You know how it is." She smiled at him, "Can I join you? I invited Lt. Haynes to come down, but he's not here at the moment, so I figure I'll bug you." He smirked. "Well, I suppose I can tolerate you. What have you been up to today since the debris came on board?" "I was working in the Physics Lab with Jack on the debris, I may have a way to counter the mechanism shortly. Of course you know I don't do well on an empty stomach, so I decided to get into something more comfortable and get some food." "Ah, that's good news. I was working on the metallurgical scans that we took as well. I was also running the markings through the database that we had. We've more or less deciphered the T'chkairn spoken language, but we should get a handle on their written language as well." He paused, and then chuckled a little to himself. "And to think I wanted to do some work on my book tonight. You know that Roman book that I'm working on, right? The one following the Londinium family through several generations?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:52) "Ah, that's good news. I was working on the metallurgical scans that we took as well. I was also running the markings through the database that we had. We've more or less deciphered the T'chkairn spoken language, but we should get a handle on their written language as well." Lo'ren thought that might be something to cross reference with him at a later date, but for now she wanted to relax so she left off her questions. Eoin paused a moment, obviously laughing at a private joke. "And to think I wanted to do some work on my book tonight. You know that Roman book that I'm working on, right? The one following the Londinium family through several generations?" Eoin had so many PADDs surrounding him, Lo'ren wondered if Eoin had any free time left for his writing. She made a face and asked "You actually thought that with all this," she waved a hand at the stacks, "you could write about Sigeberht and Renata's romance? Are you still writing about them? Or are you onto a new generation yet?" (reply Eoin) "What happened to Callixtus? Did he ever find that, uh," Lo'ren paused and shook her head, trying to remember what the youngster had been looking for, "what was it he was looking for?" (reply Eoin) Lo'ren's pizza arrived, piping hot and smelling heavenly. She lifted a piece from the large plate and bit into the hot, cheese-laden pie. She looked at Eoin and grinned, waving a piece at him while she chewed, as if to say 'Help yourself'. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 2153) Jack walked into the lounge and spent a moment looking about before spotting Lo'ren who was sitting with Eoin, he shrugged and walked briskly toward them. It appeared she had already ordered which was good, last minute details in the labs had cropped up which had taken up twenty minutes of his precious time, he hated to leave a woman waiting. Stepping up to the table he smiled and nodded at them both before taking a seat. "Sorry I'm late, hello Eoin. Sorry for interrupting." He took a seat next to Lo'ren and sat back waiting comfortably for them to finish the thread of their conversation as he motioned a waiter over. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:54) Lo'ren smiled as Jack walked over to the table she was currently sharing with Eoin. He nodded at them both and sat next to her, making himself comfortable as he spoke. "Sorry I'm late, hello Eoin. Sorry for interrupting." He waved at a waiter to come over as Eoin continued to speak. (reply Eoin) She shook her head, "Not at all, Jack. Please help yourself to a slice of pizza, I told them not to bring a small one but they overdid it - even with my appetite." She laughed lightly and took another bite of the pizza, which was - of course - done to perfection. (reply Jack, Eoin) "Eoin was just telling me about his novel set in Londinium while I waited for you. It's a major project he's been working on ever since I've known him at the Academy and he likes to bounce it off me because I know so little about Earth history." She said this in a slightly wry tone, poking fun a little at her friend. (reply Eoin, Jack) Lo'ren really wanted to get to know Jack more, but now she'd gotten herself into a spot and she didn't know how to extract herself and Jack from the situation. She hoped that one of the gentlemen would offer a way out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 21:56) "Not at all, Jack. Please help yourself to a slice of pizza, I told them not to bring a small one but they overdid it - even with my appetite." She then gave a tinkling laugh and took a bit off the slice she was holding in her hand. Jack leaned forward to take a look at the immense dish and took stock of its contents, heavy on the cheese which was a plus but the other ingredients were kind of esoteric in nature. The asparagus was odd though it might actually be tasty but pineapple wasn't something he liked on dough. The meat appeared to be breakfast bacon which was another plus in its favor so the score was set at two for, one against and one maybe. ~Well Jack you only live once.~ Reaching out with his right hand he picked up a warm slice with little pineapple on it just as the waiter arrived. "How may I help you?" Jack turned his head and nodded. "A glass of chianti with my Italian dish waiter." He smiled at the man who shook his head with a twinkle in his eye. "No seriously bring me a large glass of sweet iced tea." The man nodded and turned away as Jack took a bite from the end, the crust was crisp but not overdone. ~Three for.~ The breakfast bacon was crispy as well. There was a bit of asparagus in line for the next bite. ~That should be an interesting taste test.~ "Eoin was just telling me about his novel set in Londinium while I waited for you. It's a major project he's been working on ever since I've known him at the Academy and he likes to bounce it off me because I know so little about Earth history." It sounded like she was teasing Eoin a bit and Jack nodded as he chewed. After swallowing he ventured. "I'm not an expert on Earth history myself but that sounds like an old roman name for London England if I'm not mistaken, set in the fourth century AD?"He directed the question to Eoin. (Reply: Eoin) Jack moved aside so the waiter could place his glass then took a bite of the asparagus with a bit of bacon mixed in, as he chewed he made a pleased grunt. The asparagus meshed well with the cheese, sauce and bacon, surprisingly well. ~ 4 for and one against. All in all not bad, I'll just steer away from the pineapple as much as possible.~ After swallowing he looked at Lo'ren. "You've got quite a few interesting tastes, how did you come across this combination?" (Reply: Lo'ren) "Have you ever tried gakh before?" He grinned. "If you close your eyes the consistency is a bit like sushimi tuna though of course a lot more lively." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 21:57) "You actually thought that with all this," she waved a hand at the stacks of PADDs, "you could write about Sigeberht and Renata's romance? Are you still writing about them? Or are you onto a new generation yet?" "I've moved on. Sigeberht married Renata, remember? But it took a bit to convince Antonius. They've got their own villa now in Pecto." "What happened to Callixtus? Did he ever find that, uh," Lo'ren paused and shook her head, trying to remember what the youngster had been looking for, "what was it he was looking for?" "It was that stray dog. Yes he eventually did find it, but he's all grown up now. He's got a farm in Bristelmestuna. The story's revolving around Lucius now. He's turned into a bit of a womaniser, much to Antonius' dismay." Lo'ren's pizza arrived, piping hot and smelling heavenly. She lifted a piece from the large plate and bit into the hot, cheese-laden pie. She looked at Eoin and grinned, waving a piece at him while she chewed, as if to say 'Help yourself'. "Sorry I'm late, hello Eoin. Sorry for interrupting." "Hello, sir. How are you?" She shook her head, "Not at all, Jack. Please help yourself to a slice of pizza, I told them not to bring a small one but they overdid it - even with my appetite." She laughed lightly and took another bite of the pizza. "How may I help you?" Jack turned his head and nodded. "A glass of chianti with my Italian dish waiter. No seriously bring me a large glass of sweet iced tea." Eoin couldn't help but chuckle at that. "All this talk of food has made me hungry. Could you bring me a pizza as well? With sausage, bacon, onion, and extra cheese. Thanks." "Eoin was just telling me about his novel set in Londinium while I waited for you. It's a major project he's been working on ever since I've known him at the Academy and he likes to bounce it off me because I know so littleabout Earth history." She said this in a slightly wry tone, poking fun a little at her friend. "I'm not an expert on Earth history myself but that sounds like an old roman name for London England if I'm not mistaken, set in the fourth century AD?" "Unfortunately I'm only up to AD 104, but I'm going to follow the family through the entire Roman period of British history." "You've got quite a few interesting tastes, how did you come across this combination?" (Reply: Lo'ren) "Have you ever tried gakh before?" He grinned. "If you close your eyes the consistency is a bit like sushimi tuna though of course a lot more lively." "That would make sense, seeing as how much Klingon cuisine is 'lively' to say the least. I think I'll stick to more conventional dishes myself." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 21:58) "You've got quite a few interesting tastes, how did you come across this combination?" Jack seemed a little taken aback by the interesting, but good taste of the pizza. Lo'ren smiled and swallowed before she answered, "I guess I just enjoy trying new things. I was introduced to some various dishes when I first came to Earth as a linguistics student and from there, I started mixing and matching." "Have you ever tried gakh before?" He grinned. "If you close your eyes the consistency is a bit like sushimi tuna though of course a lot more lively." "That would make sense, seeing as how much Klingon cuisine is 'lively' tosay the least. I think I'll stick to more conventional dishes myself." Lo'ren looked askance at Eoin, she knew he wouldn't have been the one to volunteer for an experimental meal. "To Klingons, it is conventional, Eoin."She chuckled a little at her young friend. To Jack she replied. "I've not tried gagh, but I have grown particularly fond of sushi. When did you try gagh?" (reply Jack) Lo'ren picked up her drink as she finished off another piece of pizza and took a sip, relishing the flavour and texture juxtaposed against those ofthe pizza. "I have a mixed heritage and my father often tried to make tradtional Vulcan dishes while I was growing up on Bajor. Unfortunately he had to use Bajoran equivalents for all his ingredients as there was very little traffic of items from outside the Bajoran system while the Cardassians were there. So I learned early in life to try new things, especially in the culinary sense." (room for more, iyw) Lo'ren looked at Jack, feeling there was something distinctly sad about him.She decided to switch tracks a bit, "Tell me a bit about yourself, Jack. How did you get to be such a brilliant scientist?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes- 21:59) "To Klingons, it is conventional, Eoin." She chuckled a little at her young friend then spoke to Jack. "I've not tried gakh, but I have grown particularly fond of sushi. When did you try gakh?" Jack would never forget that. "It was after the first battle for Geneva, we picked up the surviving crew of the Vorcha class Hq'Nos which was dead in space." He took a long sip of tea before continuing. "Their ship had taken down three attackers so they were in a festive mood." he grinned at the memory. "I knew a little klingonese so I used it to introduce myself." *Flashback* The Ensign heard the roar of laughter as he entered the lounge and was unsurprised to see a number of the crew of the Hq'Nos clustered at three of the tables in the center of the room, the klingons were already deep into their cups it appeared and there were more than a dozen of them. Shaking his head at their brutishness wasn't going to make the noise go away nor stop the aching in his heart but Jack decided to try to eat though it wasn't going to be in peace. ~Will there ever be peace again? Especially for me.~ Everywhere he looked he seemed to see Shilae but not tonight, not here in a crowded lounge with a gaggle of drunken klingons. Taking a seat he had to almost shout to make himself heard to the waiter who had to lean close. "Bring me a surf and turf with the steak medium rare and a baked potato with everything on it and a whiskey sour to drink." After ordering he put his hands over his ears in an effort to drown out the noise, had he not been ravenous he would have given up and left but you couldn't survive on Jack Daniels and ice alone forever. " tlhTngan maH! " The shout from the nearest table was punctuated by the slam of an empty tankard back down upon the table, the explosion of noise caused Jack to swing his head toward them. ~Yes I know you are Klingons.~ He thought. ~Where the hell is security? They need to be watching these animals.~ Normally he was actually interested in klingon culture but not tonight, tonight he just wanted to be left alone and eat his meal in peace. ~The way they're drinking someone is going to wind up in the brig if not hurt or dead.~ But that gave rise to another idea which that a****** of a counselor would no doubt understand since he claimed Jack was self destructive anyway. "Sujatlh 'e' yImev!" His shout caught the attention of everyone in the room including the inebriated klingons and brought instant silence as they swiveled their heads to see who had been so foolhardy as to cast an affront toward some of the Empires mightiest, most honorable and vicious warriors. (Considering they had been in on three victories the thought was justified in their minds.) The scrape of a chair signaled the beginning of Jack's troubles. ~It would have to be the biggest and baddest of them wouldn't it?~ He had known his shout for them to shut up would not go unchallenged and here was the proof as a particularly ugly specimen stood to his feet and snarled toward him. He wasn't quite as tall as the human but he was heavily muscled as warriors of Kahless tended to be, he was weaving a bit though which was to Jack's advantage. His voice was heavily accented as he spoke. "You are brave human but foolish! Qo', I will not be silenced! I have fought bravely this day and gained great honor! I have lived and secured my place in Sto'Vo'Kor!" His teeth gleamed as he half-snarled, half-smiled at Jack. "Do your people have a QI'tu' for warriors human? I have heard not which is a pity, when I kill you your Dol! will have no place to rest but will wander restlessly till the war at the end of time!" Jack cursed inwardly as the klingon kicked the chair away and moved toward him, he spun out of his chair as well and set himself for the attack as the other klingons were snarling and rising to their feet. He hoped in their inebriated state they would remember it was dishonorable for more than one to fight him at a time but he needn't have worried, after gaining such honor today they would not have sacrificed it for one puny human and the crewmen that had been in the lounge would be of no help, the sound of the door opening and feet hastily beating a retreat spoke volumes about that though he did hear someone shouting for security as they left. "Qovpatlh!" The klingon snarled as he neared Jack. "I will break you in half!" The klingon bull-rushed him as he expected, thinking him intimidated and befuddled which he was not and expecting an easy victory but Jack danced out of his way nimbly, eluding the mans grasp and turned quickly back upon him. The sideward blow of his clenched fists upon the back of the klingons neck barely fazed him but it did add momentum to his charge and catapulted him willy-nilly into the table and chairs beyond. While the klingon was falling over the chair and into the table Jack took a running leap and dove for him, pressing his momentary advantage for all it was worth, he came down upon the klingons back and the added momentum of the both of them snapped the synthetic table in half. One half of the table came back upon him and gave him a glancing blow upon the side of his head and stunned him for an instant, long enough for the son of Kahless to gather himself beneath him and explode out of his grasp. One hand upon his arm flung him away and gave the klingon time to rise back to his feet, a trickle of purple blood oozing from his left nostril. As Jack shook his head and rose to a crouched position the klingon smiled at him, a wicked, gloating smile. "Maj! You are not a coward and you fight well! Your death will bring me batlh!" Jack saw this was not going well but perhaps he could think his way out of the situation if he could clear the cobwebs from his brain, the klingon was moving slowly toward him this time, not underestimating him as he had done before. Even if he could take down this one the others would probably want a shot at him, he had to defuse the situation before it went any farther, his death wish was suddenly sublimated by his survival instinct. ~That's it!~ "It would be DavHam!" He shot back at the klingon who stopped in sudden befuddlement. "False honor! I am an ally in our war against the Federation of the madman Doenitz, a warrior who fights with you! To kill me would be yem! It would dishonor you!" The klingon stared at him in confusion for a moment before grinning in sudden understanding, the smile was scarier than his snarl. "MajQa'." And then he laughed, a booming sound that reverberated around the room. "You are not only brave, you are also intelligent." The klingons respect for this lowly human grew immensely as he realized that Jack was giving him an honorable alternative to destroying him which he found he did not want to do, he had answered the challenge as a warrior should here on this Federation ship therefore it had been met and satisfied. "HIqhos! To my table." He strode back there and sat down as the others watched and nodded then returned to their own seats. Jack smiled at the invitation and was about to step toward them when he remembered the overturned chairs and broken table and another idea occurred to him. " When security arrives they're going to want to know why we broke the furniture." "It does not matter." The klingon H'od (Captain) spoke from his seat as he smiled again at the man. " Your security will not arrest me and you will eat with us as a klingon for you have earned my respect." Jack laughed at the thought of what eating with klingons entailed. "Then when the waiter returns I'd better cancel my order." *Return to the present* Jack laughed at the memory. "They insisted I dine with them and under the circumstances I wasn't in the mood to argue. I can say though that while it's not on my list of favorite foods I know that should the necessity arise I could eat it, it's actually not all bad." Lo'ren finished her mouthful and took a drink then told him a little about herself. "I have a mixed heritage and my father often tried to make traditional Vulcan dishes while I was growing up on Bajor. Unfortunately he had to use Bajoran equivalents for all his ingredients as there was very little traffic of items from outside the Bajoran system while the Cardassians were there. So I learned early in life to try new things, especially in the culinary sense." He smiled. "It's always good to broaden your horizons, I'm impressed at the resiliency of yourself and your family. Sometime when we have more time I'd like to hear more about them if you're game." She gave him a searching look before taking a different tack. "Tell me a bit about yourself, Jack. How did you get to be such a brilliant scientist?" He almost choked on the sip of tea at the question then gave her a wan smile. "You must have me confused with Harry Doorman, now that is a brilliant fellow in my opinion. As for myself and my profession..." He shook his head. "I'm probably middle of the road though give me time, maybe one day I'll make a name for myself." He leaned back in his chair and cocked his head at her. "For now though I'm taking what I've learned both before, during and since the Academy and putting it to good use just like you yourself and Eoin are doing. One of these days you'll make your own mark." (Reply: Lo'ren, Eoin) Once again she wasn't about to let him off with a flippant answer, she had a way of being penetrating and insightful he had already noticed and it didn't surprise him since he knew her to be very intelligent herself. "All right then, when I was young I wanted to be out among the stars and was drawn to the sciences so I decided that would be my ticket out with starfleet. And I haven't let up since the academy either, to be a scientist you have to stay current on everything so I'm constantly reviewing the papers and reports from all over the fleet. It isn't possible to memorize or understand it all so I just try to absorb as much of it as I can and go back and study further on it later." He shook his head a bit. "So basically I'm just doing my job, primarily the only reason I look smart is because I speak a different jargon and use different tools which I've been trained to do, any monkey could do the same." Self deprecating humor was one of his specialities. "Science has also been helpful to me since my wife and children were killed, I really threw myself into it and it's helped me cope therefore I tend to be a workaholic at times. But that wasn't why I was late." He smiled at her. "I got a call from lab three, they were having equipment trouble which I had to oversee. After talking with the lab supervisor I shut it down for the night, I didn't want to miss your invitation." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Gymnasium – aTAC/CSEC - Lt. Baylon Trinin- 2200) The blade slid just a matter of centimeters past the curve of Baylon's left eye. the Betazoid security chief allowed gravity to claim his already off center body and pull it to the ground. As he landed, he exhaled sharply and kicked his left foot out, striking the Andorian crewman solidly in the solar plexus. His opponent staggered backwards under the blow a few steps, which although not a great distance, allowed Baylon a moment to regain his footing in a kung-fu style prone spring. Trinin resumed his attack posture, left hand out in a guard position, with the right slightly held in towards his body. The blade in his right hand turned to a horizontal underhand orientation to prevent it from sticking in his opponent's ribs. Ilis was incredibly fast and one of the best duelists Baylon had ever encountered. The Andorian assumed a more relaxed stance, keeping his body oriented to minimize his exposure to Baylon's stance. "You still using marine tactics, lieutenant?" he said casually, as the two men began to circle each other. "I'd ask you the same thing, but I wouldn't want you to be insulted Mister Ilis." Baylon replied. Ilis, feinted with his blade, took a step to the left- Baylon's weakest side, and turned to thrust the blade between the Security Chief's ribs. Baylon twisted, although too late to completely prevent injury. The edge of the blade cut through his work out tee-shirt and made a small cut in his skin. He started to spin his body so that his own blade would find it's way into the crewman's exposed back, but Ilis was too swift for such a maneuver. In the blink of an eye, he had changed his position again, Baylon had overextended himself, and with a little assistance from the Andorian crewman, spun over Ilis' back and onto the matted floor with a hard thud. Baylon thrust upward, tracing the edge of the blade upward along the crewman's outer thigh, drawing blood and cutting fabric. Ilis didn't even blink, instead, he gripped Baylon's wrist and extended arm, and promptly levered them into a painful arm lock. Baylon lost the grip on his Chakra, and Ilis, to follow up, levered Baylon's arm downward, bringing the Andorian's own chakra dangerously close to the Betazoid's throat. "Perhaps you'll think twice before squaring off with me again lieutenant." he said coldly, just as the tip of his dagger was pricking the skin on Baylon's throat. Baylon maintained an undisturbed demeanor through all of this before replying, "Point taken crewman." Ilis immediately released Baylon and withdrew his blade. He stood before reaching down and offering Baylon a hand up from the matted floor. Trinin accepted it and allowed the Andorian to help him to his feet. "Well?" the Betazoid asked. "Much better Lieutenant. You're getting faster, although you still telegraph your moves. You need to work on a more relaxed stance if you're going to improve." Baylon nodded. "I'd like for you to show me that throw. It happened so fast I'm not even sure it happened." Ilis chuckled, his antennae twitching with humor. "I don't want to reveal all my tricks to you just yet lieutenant." "Fair enough." Baylon replied," I'll work on those fluid movement exercises you gave me last week. anything else specific I need to focus on?" Ilis nodded, "Although you did much better with your breathing exercises, you could still improve there. I can still see the tip of your blade wobble when you inhale." Baylon nodded, "Okay so I'll work on those some more as well." Ilis continued. "If you improve just a little more, you might be fit enough to actually compete in the dueling arenas for young adults" he added with a hint of a smile. "Certainly I'm better than that?" Baylon said, rising to the occasion. "Not yet, but you could be." The Andorian replied before breaking into a chuckle. Baylon looked at the Andorian a moment before joining him in a laugh. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 22:04) Jack sputterred into his drink, causing Lo'ren to giggle. ~I think I said something funny.~ "You must have me confused with Harry Doorman, now that is a brilliant fellow in my opinion. As for myself and my profession..." He shook his head."I'm probably middle of the road though give me time, maybe one day I'll make a name for myself." He leaned back in his chair and cocked his head at her. "For now though I'm taking what I've learned both before, during and since the Academy and putting it to good use just like you yourself and Eoin are doing. One of these days you'll make your own mark." (reply Eoin) Lo'ren blushed and ducked her head slightly, "Thank you, I'm sure that will be the case - especially for my friend Eoin, if only for his writing skills- but that wasn't what I asked." Her eyes continued to sparkle at the compliment. Jack capitulated and spoke candidly about his learning in science and the sad situation that had turned him further to his work. She smiled back at Jack, "I'm glad to hear that there are some things that can pull you away from duties." Lo'ren teased the scientist easily. "I'm sorry to know about your family, there have been way too many losses in recent years." She shook her head slightly. "When I started my own exploring past Bajoran space, I had hoped that things would be idylic. I've learned much since those years." (reply Jack, Eoin) "I've spent a good number of years watching and listening to people of many species. Language is a window into a culture and way of thinking. Even music, to me. is a form of language." She came alive as she spoke, framing her thoughts with her hands and her eyes lighting up. "I love to hear the sounds of different cultures - the power and strength conveyed in a Klingon Opera, the honour and ice in an Andorian fugue, the heat and logic of a Vulcan cantata, the spirit and emotion of Bajoran arias and lyric poems." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 22:06) Lo'ren smiled back at him. "I'm glad to hear that there are some things that can pull you away from duties." It was good to see she had an easy-going sense of humor, he tended to be quick with his wit which was something his losses hadn't been able to completely eradicate, since Shilae's death it had become a means of survival. "I'm sorry to know about your family, there have been way too many losses in recent years." She shook her head slightly. "When I started my own exploring past Bajoran space, I had hoped that things would be idyllic. I've learned much since those years." "Exploration has always been my passion." Jack agreed. "It's what started me on the course I'm on." His voice trailed off as his gaze turned inward for a moment then he looked back at her, almost forgetting that Eoin was sitting there. "I think that if I hadn't had this to do then I might just have folded up and wasted away rather than continuing to stretch and forcing myself to expand my horizons. As for idealism don't discount it." He gave her a wan smile. "Idealism is what drives us to reach out and gives us hope for the future despite our circumstances, while it may seem to fail us for a time it invariably surfaces again after a while when we least expect it." He sighed and wondered if what he was saying was convincing, he had heard it before and it had made so much sense at the time but that was a long time ago, he wondered if he even believed it any more. For him at least time would tell but would he even recognize it when it returned? "Your mother passed to you a passion for music Lo'ren unless I miss my guess which becomes you, I assume from your varied interests you also have an eclectic interest in the musical arts of other cultures?" (reply Eoin) "I've spent a good number of years watching and listening to people of many species." She began in agreement to his supposition. "Language is a window into a culture and way of thinking. Even music, to me. is a form of language." Her next actions completely validated his theory. "I love to hear the sounds of different cultures - the power and strength conveyed in a Klingon Opera, the honour and ice in an Andorian fugue, the heat and logic of a Vulcan cantata, the spirit and emotion of Bajoran arias and lyric poems." His breath caught in his throat at her manner, it had been a long time since he had seen anyone so passionately declaring their interest in anything, it infused her and threatened to tear through his cynicism. ~What a paradox in human form, the ears and coloration of a Vulcan with the emotions and mind-numbing experiences of a Bajoran living through the Cardassian occupation.~ He shook his head in admiration. "So music then is something that has given you a love for other cultures, they say that to understood a cultures' music is to understand the heart of the culture itself because music is distilled directly from its soul." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 22:07) Lo'ren smiled at Jack. "I'm glad to hear that there are some things that can pull you away from duties. I'm sorry to know about your family, there have been way too many losses in recent years." She shook her head slightly. "When I started my own exploring past Bajoran space, I had hoped that things would be idyllic. I've learned much since those years." "Exploration has always been my passion." Jack agreed. "It's what started me on the course I'm on." His voice trailed off as his gaze turned inward for a moment then he looked back at her, almost forgetting that Eoin was sitting there. "I think that if I hadn't had this to do then I might just have folded up and wasted away rather than continuing to stretch and forcing myself to expand my horizons. As for idealism don't discount it." He gave her a wan smile. "Idealism is what drives us to reach out and gives us hope for the future despite our circumstances, while it may seem to fail us for a time it invariably surfaces again after a while when we least expect it." He sighed and wondered if what he was saying was convincing, he had heard it before and it had made so much sense at the time but that was a long time ago, he wondered if he even believed it any more. For him at least time would tell but would he even recognize it when it returned? "Your mother passed to you a passion for music Lo'ren unless I miss my guess which becomes you, I assume from your varied interests you also have an eclectic interest in the musical arts of other cultures?" "The factor that drove me to pursue a career in Starfleet were a bit haphazard myself. Though the one constant was language. It fascinated me, ever since my first day at primary school. My parents had taught me Standard, but to hear other children speak it was strange. It was an unfamiliar language, a language of outsiders." Eoin trailed off. He chuckled. "Just goes to show how often I was away from the family farm in my early childhood." (room for more I suppose) "I've spent a good number of years watching and listening to people of many species." She began in agreement to his supposition. "Language is a window into a culture and way of thinking. Even music, to me. is a form of language." "I love to hear the sounds of different cultures - the power and strength conveyed in a Klingon Opera, the honour and ice in an Andorian fugue, the heat and logic of a Vulcan cantata, the spirit and emotion of Bajoran arias and lyric poems." "So music then is something that has given you a love for other cultures, they say that to understood a cultures' music is to understand the heart of the culture itself because music is distilled directly from its soul." "Music is a wonderful way into a culture's soul. Language is another way. But to really experience a culture, you have to live it. That's why I took every opportunity to go offworld when I was growing up and in the Academy. I spent a whole term on the Trill homeworld during my Academy days. It was an experience I'll never forget. They are a remarkable people; they have such long memories. Not to mention suck a wonderful lyrical language and very moving music." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 22:08) "So music then is something that has given you a love for other cultures,they say that to understood a cultures' music is to understand the heart of the culture itself because music is distilled directly from its soul." "Music is a wonderful way into a culture's soul. Language is another way.But to really experience a culture, you have to live it. That's why I took every opportunity to go offworld when I was growing up and in the Academy. I spent a whole term on the Trill homeworld during my Academy days. It was an experience I'll never forget. They are a remarkable people; they have such long memories. Not to mention suck a wonderful lyrical language and very moving music." Lo'ren nodded, "Quite right, music is a way into the soul of a culture, and to truly experience it one should be immersed in it as much as possible.That was one thing my father asked me to do once I'd left Bajor. He asked me to return to his family home on Vulcan. I was able to study at the Vulcan Academy and experience my Vulcan heritage - though I proved too Bajoran to complete the Kohlinar training." She laughed at her little joke. (reply Jack, Eoin) "As for the soul, I don't think I've yet met a species that does not hold to some form of soul - the Vulcan katra, the Bajoran Pagh, the Klingon qa'"Lo'ren nearly spat out this word, "Even the Ferengi have stories about theGreat Vault." (reply Jack, Eoin) Lo'ren was very comfortable talking, but she wished for something else. She could sense, through intuition, that Jack was dealing with difficult things and she knew that her own mental barriers were weak lately - she'd had a rough time of her mental excercises - but she longed for him to hold her hand, touch her cheek. ~Anything!~ She mentally begged, but kept these things to herself. She watched every move he made as he spoke, drinking in and savouring each little nuance of his face, his motions, his thoughts.~He's got such a beautiful mind.~ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - CSO, Lt. (jg) Jericho Haynes - 22:09) "Music is a wonderful way into a culture's soul. Language is another way. But to really experience a culture, you have to live it. That's why I took every opportunity to go offworld when I was growing up and in the Academy. I spent a whole term on the Trill homeworld during my Academy days. It was an experience I'll never forget. They are a remarkable people; they have such long memories. Not to mention suck a wonderful lyrical language and very moving music." Jack turned his attention to the Irishman for a moment, there were few people who had the strength of character and interest to get out and among what was considered such an 'alien' culture, to hear that he had done so spoke volumes to his credit. He gave the man a nod of respect then turned his attention back to Lo'ren when she spoke. "Quite right, music is a way into the soul of a culture, and to truly experience it one should be immersed in it as much as possible. That was one thing my father asked me to do once I'd left Bajor. He asked me to return to his family home on Vulcan. I was able to study at the Vulcan Academy and experience my Vulcan heritage - though I proved too Bajoran to complete the Kohlinar training." She laughed after finishing. He smiled at that revelation which didn't come as a surprise, she was obviously a very vital ... and emotionally alive young woman. "As for the soul, I don't think I've yet met a species that does not hold to some form of soul - the Vulcan katra, the Bajoran Pagh, the Klingon qa'" Lo'ren nearly spat out this word, "Even the Ferengi have stories about the Great Vault." Jack knew a bit about Vulcans and Klingons as had been mentioned before but he knew little about Ferengi and liked it that way, the whole race from his point of view was more than a bt distasteful. He didn't know if it was more because of their greediness or treacherous reputation, he kept quiet though letting her carry the conversation as he found he enjoyed the sound of her voice. As she spoke though he couldn't help but notice the inaudible signals, the way she watched his every move, the light in her eyes, the flush that was rising in her cheeks and the way her eyes had narrowed as she wound down. The electricity between them was becoming almost palpable and was causing his breath to catch in his throat and he knew she was feeling the same. The question in his mind though was along the lines of what should he... what did he want to do about it. He could think like a scientist, a man of logic or he could take advantage of the situation, neither of those two extremes though were palatable. The middle ground of course was to just let it flow, something he had not allowed himself to do in a long time, was he really ready for it? ~Will there ever be a perfect time Jack?~ There were some things to consider but they could work themselves out, the bigger question was did he want this. And the answer was.. ~Yes.~ He didn't want to be rude but it was time to break up this party. Standing to his feet, his eyes leaving hers for an instant he spoke to Eoin. "Pardon me Eoin but I need to stretch my legs." he gave the man a smile and nod then turned his attention back to Lo'ren. "Would you care to join me? There are a number of hydroponics labs on deck 11 that Shayhiloosh keeps in immaculate condition and I feel like wandering through them, we could continue our conversation there." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (USS Hades - Deck 10, Ten Forward - ATAC Ensign (jg) Lo'ren T'Vof - 22:10) She couldn't take her eyes off him, and when his pulled away - even for ani nstant she felt a little lost. It was so strange, in her 47 years of life there had never been a connect quite like this. Palpable, so close and yet she could see somewhere that there was a fight going on within him. Something that made him hold back just as much as she held herself in check from physical contact. ~ What is it about you, Jericho Haynes, that is causing my heart to leap? I think I'd like to find out.~ He rose and she very nearly leapt up of her own accord - almost begged him aloud, ~Please, stay... or take me with you.~ Jack spoke to their other companion, giving him a small smile in apology."Pardon me Eoin but I need to stretch my legs." (reply Eoin iyw) Jack turned back to Lo'ren. It was all she could do to keep from leaping up."Would you care to join me? There are a number of hydroponics labs on deck 11 that Shayhiloosh keeps in immaculate condition and I feel like wandering through them, we could continue our conversation there." ~Thank the Prophets, I think I'd have chased you if you hadn't asked and that might have been embarrassing.~ Lo'ren smiled up at Jack as she rose and replied, "I'd love to." She turned to Eoin for but a moment, "Thanks for the company, Eoin. Good luck with the written language - and don't work too late." She teased and admonished himl ike a younger brother - they'd done so many language studies, late night cram sessions and shared so many interests that they might as well be. (reply Eoin iyw) She turned to Jack, "Any special plants in the hydroponics labs, or is it the overall atmosphere that draws you?" She guess the scientist would like the specific plants, but the man... well that she would discover. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stardate: 2408.07.23 Day 14 (USS Hades – COPS Office – COPS Lt. Maraht, NPC Yeoman Calley McDevish – 1130) Twisting his phalange uncomfortably, Maraht tried to shift his oblong rocky bulk to a more comfortable spot behind his low desk. He had been working on the ship duty rosters for some time, but couldn’t seem to correctly assign the delta shift so that it was adequately covered. Frustrated with himself, he pressed a button on his desk. “Yeoman, could you bring in the revised roster list you have been working on? The one with the newer crew that have been added?” =/\= Yes Sir. I just finished it up. =/\= The door opened from the adjacent office and Yeoman Calley McDevish walked in. Bending, she placed a PADD on his desk in front of him. “Here you go, Sir.” “Thank you, Calley,” said Maraht gratefully. “The Great Lava has blessed me with you. Whatever would I do without you?” “Probably better,” mumbled the yeoman miserably. Maraht studied her surreptitiously as he scanned through the new roster and began adding names to his schedule he had been working on. He noted her eyes were red and her face looked puffy as though she had been weeping large amounts of saltwater. ~Tears,~ he corrected himself hastily. “This is just what I needed, Calley. Sit down please.” Maraht waved his main phalange in the direction of one of the chairs in his office. The yeoman sat uncertainly on the edge of the chair, looking as if she were about to bolt. “Relax a moment or two will you? You have been hard at it ever since you got on board the Hades,” said Maraht. He set aside the PADD. Calley tried to look straight-faced, and forced a relaxed look to her body. She leaned back in the chair. “Yes Sir.” “Tell me, how are things going for you?” said Maraht quietly. “You appear unhappy.” Calley’s face fell at the gentle request. “What do you mean Sir?” “You look as though you have been weeping. How can I help you?” asked Maraht. Calley shifted her eyes away from the perceptive Horta and looked down, her mouth twitching unhappily. “Are you discontented with your new post here with me? Do you need to have some time off?” asked Maraht. “Is the crew treating you well?” Calley looked up at the Horta with widened eyes, startled. “No, everything is great with you. You are wonderful to work with and I like the job just fine. I haven’t met a whole lot of the other crew yet and I don’t think I need any extra time off.” Calley shook her head disconsolately. “Then why have you been weeping? I know that humans particularly do that during times of great loss, stress, or joy. Why are you unhappy?” Before Calley knew it, the words started tumbling out of her, right along with her hurt and tears. She found herself telling Maraht all about Lt. Joseph Mueller and how he had duped her, using her personal feelings for him as a way to pump her for all sorts of information during the war, and how he had turned out to be a Doenitz spy. She told him about losing her father on Earth and her sister on Andoria, during all the battles that had raged. She told him how helpless and lonely she was without her family. She even told him how quickly she had fallen for Ensign Eoin Mac Liam while on Geneva, now stationed on the Hades. Though she had successfully been transferred to the same ship, she had been so busy that she had been unable to see much of him. And she was still unsure of where she stood with him. “It sounds as though the two of you had better have a talk about things,” said Maraht. “Why not schedule a date with him to have a meal or meet in Ten Forward to visit so you can have the chance to catch up with each other?” “I haven’t had the chance to do that, Sir. With trying to prepare for the Borg and meeting a new species, things have been very hectic for the OPS department,” protested Calley. “This has been exciting and we need to be ready to meet a new species.” “Yeoman, I am ordering you to take some personal time off to see your young man,” said Maraht. “I can do that, you know.” Maraht waved his main phalange merrily at Calley, letting her know she wasn’t in trouble. “Sometimes I get so buried in work myself, I forget that other species need more rest and time off than I do. Don’t worry; we will be ready.” Calley looked at the Horta with grateful watery eyes. “Thank you Sir,” she said tremulously. She raised a shaking hand to her face, wiping away some of her tears. “I am so sorry to have bothered you, Sir.” She felt embarrassed. “You are always welcome to talk with me, my dear Yeoman,” said Maraht. “You can also talk to the Counselor if things get rough for you. That’s why we have them on each ship. Now go make yourself scarce.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Main Engineering - ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 12:49) Eoin took another sip of his tea as he punched in another calculation onto his PADD. The data was loaded into the ship's main computer, and the PADD face displayed the word [Processing.] ~Well, might as well not waste time,~ Eoin thought to himself. He minimized the data transfer, setting an alert when the transfer had finished, and called up the T'chkairn character fragments once again. He stared at them intently, hoping they'd make some more sense. The computer hadn't confirmed it yet, but he was willing to stake his reputation as an Exolinguist that the characters were syllabic in nature. He began pressing various buttons, attempting various decoding algorithms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades – COPS Office Suite – NPC Yeoman Calley McDevish - 1250) After the kindly Lt. Maraht dismissed her to take the day off, Calley paused at her desk. “Computer, locate Ensign Mac Liam.” [Ensign Mac Liam is in Main Engineering.] Having the excuse of picking up some power consumption reports, Calley headed off for Main Engineering. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades – Main Engineering – NPC Yeoman Calley McDevish - 1251) After nearly running the whole way, Calley slowed her steps, smoothed back her gleaming dark hair in its French roll and entered Main Engineering at a more sedate pace. She headed for the main office, and after picking up the power consumption reports for the Chief of Operations to sign before she filed them, she looked around for a certain handsome Engineer. She spotted the lanky Eoin Mac Liam over at a console, his red head bowed, his brows furrowed in thought as he worked. She sighed. He still looked good enough to eat and she fought the urge to run her fingers through his hair and touch…….! Gark! She abruptly shook herself mentally. The way her thoughts were going, he might not leave Engineering still looking reasonably decent and clothed. She chided herself. ~Come on Cal! You have to talk to him about where things stand between you and him. Don’t lose your nerve now.~ Her heart pounding, she approached him, aware of other departmental personnel nearby. Her cheeks reddened. “Ensign Mac Liam? I had hoped to meet with you over lunch in Ten Forward to talk to you.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades Main Engineering ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 1252) "Ensign Mac Liam? I had hoped to meet with you over lunch in Ten Forward to talk to you." Eoin looked up from his PADD, slightly relieved at the interruption of a puzzle that wasn't getting any easier. He saw a face that he hadn't seen in quite a while. "Calley? Uh, well, I... Sure, I could use a meal. And a break come to think of it. What's on your mind?" (reply McDevish) Eoin turned to her as they began to walk towards the turbolift. "I had heard that you had been transferred, but I thought it was to the Flamsteed. How long have you been here?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (USS Hades - Main Engineering – Yeoman Calley McDevish - 1253) Eoin looked up from his PADD. He looked surprised. "Calley? Uh, well, I... Sure, I could use a meal. And a break, come to think of it. What's on your mind?" “I would like to see you. And I happen to be hungry,” said Calley with a chuckle. She studied him, drinking in the sight of him, wanting to memorize every detail. The butterflies in her abdomen were chortling with excitement, trying to persuade her ovaries’ eggs into a revolt to make her just jump him where he was standing. ~Kiss kiss kiss~ they kept whispering to her mind. Addressing both the butterflies and her overly excited eggs, Calley sternly admonished them all. ~This is no teenager wet behind the ears. This is the one I have been looking for, so shut up!~ They left Engineering through the main door and stepped into the corridor. Noting how the changing light hit his fiery curls, and the wiry muscles flexing in his lanky arms and legs, Calley mentally sent out a memo to the butterflies and eggs that this was no mere cherry picker, but a cherry tree chopper downer. ~Be careful or he may break your heart, girl. Watch yourself.~ Eoin turned to her as they began to walk towards the turbolift. "I had heard that you had been transferred, but I thought it was to the Flamsteed. How long have you been here?" “I have been onboard since the Hades left Geneva Station,” said Calley. “But I got buried in work what with the mission we are all on. And command seems concerned that we might run into the Borg.” She shivered, thinking of that possibility. Shoving thoughts of the Borg out of her mind, Calley decided to turn the tables on him. “How do you like the Hades so far yourself? Is it tough in Engineering with Lt. Wright in charge?” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (USS Hades - Main Engineering ACEO Ensign (jg) Eoin Mac Liam - 12:54) Eoin looked up from his PADD. He looked surprised. "Calley? Uh, well, I... Sure, I could use a meal. And a break, come to think of it. What's on your mind?" "I would like to see you. And I happen to be hungry," said Calley with a chuckle. They left Engineering through the main door and stepped into the corridor. Eoin turned to her as they began to walk towards the turbolift. "I had heard that you had been transferred, but I thought it was to the Flamsteed. How long have you been here?" "I have been onboard since the Hades left Geneva Station," said Calley. "But I got buried in work what with the mission we are all on. And command seems concerned that we might run into the Borg." "How do you like the Hades so far yourself? Is it tough in Engineering with Lt. Wright in charge?" "Well, she can be hard sometimes, a real stickler for the rules. But, if you know how to deal with her, she's very amicable." They reached the turbolift, he turned to her and smiled. "We've both been on this ship for six months, and we haven't seen each other at all? That's got to be a new record." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- end compile