Star Trek: Season 4 - Family Matters

[Jen]

A collaboration between Startrekfanatic5 and Jen
----
Nathan Quinn was sitting behind his desk, reviewing new crewmember reports, when his comm badge chirped.

He tapped his badge in response, "Quinn here, "
Commander Sevryll's steady voice permeated his ready room, "I have a provisional listing of away team members ready for your review. Can you meet me in my office, on deck fourteen? I require your approval for an unorthodox candidate I included."

Quinn put down the PADD, " I'll see you in ten minutes, Quinn out. "

Nathan rose from his chair, pulled his tunic down and headed out of his ready room. As he exited onto the bridge, he noticed Ensign Iblis at the helm. "I hear Congratulations are in order Mr. Iblis"  Enoch smiled and stood from his station to shake the hand Quinn offered him. "Lt. Brant is a fine woman. I'm just disappointed that you didn't invite your Captain" Quinn said with a wink.

" Well sir, it was a spur of the moment event. " Enoch said with sheepish grin.

"I understand Ensign, I wish you the best of luck... Kapla Mr. Iblis." Enoch nodded and sat down at helm as Captain Quinn headed toward the turbolift. Ten minutes later he presses the door chime and waited for Sevryll's voice to grant him entry.

"You wanted to discuss the away team?" Quinn asked with a smile. Sevryll glanced up at the Captain, "yes sir, but first I need to explain my behavior during shore leave at your parents home." Quinn's smiling expression transitioned to a concerned frown. "Are you referring to the data PADD you were reading that made you so upset?"

"Yes sir", Sevryll answered quietly.

Reverting back to his days as a ships' counselor, Nathan opted to sit on the couch near her desk and motioned for her to sit next to him. Sevryll had been quite distressed by the matter-of-fact content of the mysterious message, which Quinn had found her reading at his parent's home. Since then, she had time to center herself. When she had considered herself ready, Sevryll accepted the invitation sent by the young woman who had called her "mother". 


Commander Sevryll tucked her hair behind her ear and described the situation to Nathan. "After obtaining her communiqué, I agreed to meet with her aboard Aurora." She narrowed her eyes as she reflected upon the meeting, "upon encountering her, I was immediately struck by our physical similarities and analogous characteristics; they are quite extraordinary. As a scientist I consider the procedure that cloned her...fascinating...yet as a Vulcan, I can not ignore the lack of regard shown for my rights as an individual."

Quinn sat there in shock; his Betazoid and El Aurian chemistry made him calm by nature, but his temper was getting the best of him for the first time in ten years. This was a violation of basic Federation law—what was going on with his crew? Quinn took a deep breath. "How did this happen?"

Sevryll intertwined her fingers and placed her folded hands on her lap, "Aria is a binary clone—an organism created from the DNA of two individuals—myself and her father, Lieutenant Areic James." Sevryll looked down at her hands as she continued, "she informed me that, in another time line, I was her natural mother and an event occurred that altered her history: my aunt, Elizabeth Tucker, died as an infant. According to Aria, we were once a family—her father affirmed this when he told me, that Aria wishes to reestablish a familial relationship." Sevryll paused, noting the wash of color that had flooded the Captain's face. She proceeded gently, "Aria explained that my DNA was taken to protect myself and my children, though I do not know that I understand, or believe their story."

Quinn sat back, his brow furrowed, as he listened to his first officer's extraordinary story. He shook his head in exasperation, " I still don't understand how this "person" took your DNA, especially if she did not exist until the hour she drew breath as a clone."

Sevryll nodded, understanding his confusion. She was not all together sure she understood it herself. "Before her temporal demise, Aria transferred her Katra to Lieutenant James and after some time, he transmitted her essence to a hologram created in her image. The hologram was somehow interconnected with the Aurora's mainframe. Aria explained that, while she was apart of the ship's computer, they are two separate individuals...Aurora created her."

Quinn sat beside her, in total shock, not believing what he was hearing. "Lieutenant James knew about this "person" and didn't bother to tell his commanding officer? We have a new sentient life form on board and no one thinks the Captain needs to know?  Excuse me one second number one."

Nathan pressed his combadge. "Security, please located Lt. James and place him in the brig. I will be down there shortly... Quinn out."

The captain turned his attention back to his first officer, "how do you feel about all this? Have you had the doctor do any tests to verify her claims?"

"I try not to feel anything...though it proves harder to accomplish with every day that passes," she stated flatly. "I have not substantiated their claims, but I have recently been given access to a computer file that may reveal more information." Without pausing she asked, "captain...is his incarceration necessary?" Though Sevryll was not at all pleased with the events that had taken place in recent days, she had no wish to create more havoc.

Nathan took in the hint of concern, emanating from his first officer. She had several days to let the fire burn down to a smolder. He on the other hand, had only now learned that his friend had been violated...it would be a while before his fire was doused.

"This should not have happened to you, Sevryll. I can't let it go unpunished—Lieutenant James is the only individual I can hold accountable and I will make sure he pays the consequences." Noting that Sevryll's concern had grown since she first began her conversation with him, he forced a comforting smile. I am your friend Sevryll...I'll take care of this. Can we discuss your team later? I would like to take care of this matter straight away."

Sevryll nodded in defeat as she watched the captain briskly leave her office. Her computer chimed as a message from the doctor crossed her screen. Accessing the message, she skimmed its contents and  sent a reply.

[X]

Aeric stretched as he entered turbolift two. It was finally the end to a long duty shift. With all of the work going on to make sure the new systems were running smoothly, he had found himself working double shifts to get his tasks done.

He had already informed Aria that he would be running late and it would be best if she started dinner without him. She had been eager to discuss some of her theories about the new modification and just to have someone else to talk to.

Aeric exited the on deck 12 and found himself met by armed security officers. This puzzled him as he had not experienced any temporal changes.

"Sir, we have been ordered to escort you to the brig," Crewman Bowers said as he placed a hand on his phaser to show the seriousness of the situation. There were two other security officers with Bowers, but James had yet to meet them so he didn't know their names.
"Who ordered you to do that and what are the charges?" Aeric asked as he mentally prepared himself for a longer night.
"I was not informed of the charges, but it is the captain's orders," Bowers replied.
"If it's the captain's orders, who am I to argue?" Aeric said as he returned to the turbolift with Bowers in tow. "I'm sure he has his reasons."
"He's not resisting, I can take it from here." Bowers said as he and Aeric watched the doors close.  "Deck four, brig."

Aeric sighed softly and mentally activated his comm. "Aeric to Aria. There is a situation that has come up. I am going to be later than expected."
"Situation father?" came Aria's reply over the comm.
"I've been arrested. I will speak to you when I find out the charges."
"Understood, Aria out."

Aeric waited calmly for the lift to reach their destination. It wasn't the first time he had been arrested for something. That was part and parcel of his journey. It was the first time that he had been arrested in this timeline, but there was always a first time.

Lt. James and crewman Bowers made their way to the brig once the doors to the lift opened. Not wanting to cause a problem, Aeric had already removed his combadge and set it on the table as they reached the holding cells. Aeric, still tired from the long shift, headed straight for the bunk and barely had time to lay down before the forcefield hummed into life.

"Thank you for your cooperation sir," Bowers said. It wasn't often that someone entered the brig so willingly. Seeing how the lieutenant seemed to be quite familiar with the process, Bowers assumed that this wasn't his first time being arrested.
"There was really no need to make your job any more complicated. I am sure there is a misunderstanding and I am quite confident that it will be worked out," Aeric replied as he closed his eyes. At least he would be getting a few hours of rest.

[Jen]

Colonel Khev found Admiral Talbot to be a cunning man. He wasn't about to prematurely reveal the details of the mission, even to his elite marine guards. Despite this fact, the Section31 agent respected Talbot for his prudence. A wise man once said; "strategy requires thought; tactics requires observation." Agent Lock was confident that Talbot was constantly thinking in terms of strategy—he also knew that that the half Romulan Admiral was an extremely observant man.

Thought and observation were two very important skills required in the games of chess and espionage. By the way the Admiral analyzed his every move, the agent decided that Talbot most likely had some measure of experience... in both sports. He would have to be very careful.

"Check," declared the Admiral Talbot in a low baritone.
"Fvadt," swore Khev under his breath.
The admiral offered him a wry smile and a friendly suggestion, "when you see a good move wait - look for a better one."

The Admiral was wise and "Khev" was certain that if he gained anything at all from this assignment, he would most likely learn a great deal about his own craft.

When the game was over, Khev went to Five Forward for dinner—he didn't much care for Romulan food, but he wasn't about to blow his cover ordering some namby-pamby Terrain dish. Agent Lock ordered the most disgusting plate he could think of: Jumbo Romulan Mollusk... a gourmet delicacy to the Romulans. The steaming pile of slime wiggled distastefully as Khev stabbed it with his fork. He took care to savor its nauseating taste, forcing a very convincing smile as he swallowed the gelatinous blob down piece by piece. "Ummm...I'll never get enough of Romulan Mollusk. Even replicated, its sumptuous flavor inspires dance," he said sarcastically to J'Dan, as the waiter wiped down a table near by. 

[3 Ducks in a Man Costume]

Remor woke slowly, his eyes cracking open into little slits. Outside the window, the stars whizzed past. Once again he had underestimated the power of Romulan ale. Oddly, he hadn't been particularly intoxicated when he had made his way back to his quarters the previous night. There was just something about the beverage that refused to agree with his body. But for some reason, he found it irresistible.

Head pounding and stomach churning, he dragged himself out of bed and to the sink, where he splashed water on his face. Grabbing the towel off the hook on the wall, he dried himself off. As he straightened his hair in the mirror, he ran his hands over his slightly pudgy Vulcan face, under which was a slightly less doughy Romulan mask. He couldn't wait to get his bony Cardassian body back. These other creatures had such frustratingly soft features.

Throwing on a simple brown suit, Remor left his quarters and began making his way to sickbay. Perhaps the doctor would have something for his stomach. He, of course, didn't allow his discomfort to show through his cold Vulcan front. At some point he would need to find someone in the Federation to whom he could reveal his identity (at least his Romulan one at first), but not today.


In the corridors, he made a point of reviewing in his head the names, ranks, quarters, and duties of every crewmember he passed. The crew and passenger manifest hadn't been terribly difficult to get his hands on; he had learned over the years that a little latinum, nimble fingers, and a certain one-armed Ferengi friend were often worth more than all the covert training in the galaxy. The access codes to the Tiberius' minor systems had been significantly harder to obtain. Not even the one-armed Ferengi could get those. No, this had been when his time in the Order really paid off. The best part—what made him most proud of this particular piece of snooping—was that no one had died in the process. It was clean and methodical, just the way it had been in the good ol' days.

Finding himself finally outside of sickbay, he stepped through the door.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Isaac Starstriker walked quickly away from Margon.  He cursed the blue being for being so rude.  'Dumb Margon, how dare he intrude upon me.  I don't need his help....I don't need anyone's help!!!'  He strode quickly into the nearest turbolift and shouted a floor level that he didn't know or care about.  When he exited he stopped and cursed himself.  'What is wrong with me??  Why am I acting like this??  I've never been so emotional.'  With that thought, he sat down in a hallway that was between the two main hallways of this floor.  He thought he heard someone, but as he looked around he saw nothing. 

As he sat, he became depressed again.  Some part of him began to wonder what was wrong but was consumed by the flood of emotion that seemed to be pouring into him.  He felt even more depressed as he had no one to turn to.  No friends...no one that respected him anymore.  He had embarrassed himself in front of his own captain.  'And I have reaped the rewards'  As he curled into a ball, his body rocked with silent sobs and tears fell down his face.  'Why me??!!'


King Linksr

[wraith1701]

On the bridge of the Defiant Class U.S.S. Ranger, Lt. K'Tan gazed pensively at the field of stars streaking by on the forward viewscreen. He glanced furtively at the sealed door of the readyroom, where Capt. O'Neil, the commander of this vessel, and Fleet Admiral Santana were discussing his future, or his lack thereof.

It had been 3 days since he almost came to blows with the ships XO, Commander Madden.  At the time, he had wanted nothing so much as to wipe the smug look of superiority off of the pompous idiot's face; preferably with the aid of his boot-heel.  Now, thinking back on the incident, he marveled at the fact that he wasn't in the brig awaiting court-martial.  His face burning with shame, K'Tan thought back on the latest in a string of unfortunate incidents...

As Tactical Officer of the Ranger, K'Tan had been tasked with finding the optimal power-sharing ratio for the ship's cloaking device and shield generators.  The trick was to determine just how much power could be diverted from the cloaking device to the defensive shields to provide the maximum coverage possible without jeopardizing the stability of the cloaking field.  Having trained on several different Klingon ships before leaving the Empire and joining Starfleet, K'Tan was very familiar with cloaking technology, and had come up with the desired equations within a relatively short time.

While briefing the XO on his recommendations, the commander had made an offhand comment about how ironic it was that a technological advancement like the cloaking device had made its way to the federation via a brutish, non-research oriented race like the Klingons.  He had further intimated that the Klingons had most likely stolen the technology from the Romulans.

Apparently oblivious to the inherently racist tone of his remarks, the Commander had attempted to shake K'Tan's hand and congratulate him on a job well-done.  He was therefore quite surprised when K'Tan had grasped the extended hand, and with a snarl of rage, twisted it up and around behind the Commander's back.  Without pausing, K'Tan had then slammed the XO against the bulkhead, pinning him in place.

From behind the immobilized XO, K'Tan had snarled into his ear- "You are an ignorant petaQ!  I may appear like any other human, but I assure you; In my heart, I remain Klingon!"  As the enormity of what he was doing dawned on K'Tan, he had released the XO. 

K'Tan struggled to regain his composure.  "The Klingons are an intelligent and honorable race!  They were exploring the stars long before humans discovered warp travel. I recommend that you keep that in mind before you think about spewing further insults."

After taking a moment to straighten his uniform, the Commander had whirled around in outrage.  "Are you crazy, Lieutenant?!?  How dare you lay hands on a superior officer!  I'll see you court-martialed for this!"

Fortunately for K'Tan, Fleet Admiral Santana, who was being ferried back to Earth on board the Ranger after attending a summit near Beta-Zed, had intervened and diffused the situation.  He seemed to have come up with a solution that would appease the XO's demands for punishment without resorting to a general court-martial.  At least, K'Tan hoped that it wouldn't involve a court-martial.

After being confined to his quarters for the past 3 days, K'Tan had received a summons to meet the Admiral and the Captain on the bridge.  He had made his way to the bridge quickly, eager to see the situation resolved, one way or another.  It appeared that the resolution was going to be delayed a bit longer, however- the Admiral and the Captain were still in conference in the readyroom. 

As a nerve-induced bead of sweat slowly followed the trail of the old scar on the left side of his face, K'Tan heard the readyroom doors whisk open.

"In here, now, Lt. K'Tan" the Captain's voice called out.  Steeling himself for the worst, K'Tan stepped inside.  As the door whisked closed behind him, he turned to face the Admiral and Captian, his back ramrod straight and his eyes focused on a point behind the two officers.

The Admiral looked up from his PADD and quietly regarded K'Tan for a few painfully long moments, then mercifully broke the silence.
 
"You have had quite an interesting career, Mr. K'Tan.  Your jacket has more black marks than I care to list.  There are many former officers who have been tossed out on their behinds for accruing far less infractions than you have accumulated."

The Admiral switched off his PAAD.  "Nevertheless, there are those among the Admiralty who have been watching your career with interest.  They are impressed with your past.  Not many human children would be capable of living in the Klingon Empire, and as a Klingon no less, and survived to reach adulthood. In addition, we have been receiving requests on a regular basis from some of our friends in the Klingon Defense Fleet.  They would very much like to see you serving on one of their ships." 

The admiral stood and approached K'Tan.  "Let me be frank, Lieutenant.  There are some very influential people who think that you have quite a bit of potential.  If you could resolve whatever personal issues you have that are interfering with your performance, you could go far in Starfleet.   But if you can not pull it together, I assure you; you will soon find yourself and all of that potential tossed out like yesterday's garbage."

The admiral turned to the Captain and gave a nod.  Returning the nod, the Captain tapped his communicator.

"Helm,this is the Captain.  Take us out of warp at sector Y6-45-055-14, and hold that position until further notice.  Ops, the Admiral has recorded and logged a subspace communiqué for the Captain of the U.S.S. Tiberius.  Please dispatch it and notify me when you receive a response.  Captain out."   The Captain glanced at K'Tan, and shaking his head in resignation, took a seat.  The Admiral gestured for K'Tan to take a seat as well.

"You are being given one final lifeline, Mr. K'Tan," the Admiral said. "I have requested your transfer to the U.S.S. Tiberius. Assuming that Captain Quinn accepts the transfer, this will be your final chance to save your career.  I strongly suggest that you take this opportunity and straighten up your act."

[Geekyfanboy]

***this is a collaboration between X and I***

Quinn walked briskly down the hallway, nodding here and there to passerbies. When he reached the brig he stopped at the door, pulled down his tunic, took a deep breath and entered.

Aeric lay quietly on the bunk of the cell as he mentally processed the last data from the ship's diagnostics. Hearing the brig door open, Aeric glance to see the captain enter. He didn't look happy to see the lieutenant.

"Sir!" Aeric said as he popped up and snapped to attention. Aeric steadied his thoughts and he waited to be informed of the charges facing him.

Quinn stood in front of his new officer, his mind racing. How was he going to handle this? What he did was wrong and a clear violation of Sevryll's civil rights as a member of the Federation. "At ease Lt.." Quinn said with a stern look. " I'm sure you are wondering why you are now sitting in the brig. Well let me enlighten you Mr. James. I was just informed by my first officer that you have been performing experimental and I might add illegal cloning without the authorization of the DNA donor?"

"You have been informed incorrectly sir. I have not performed any illegal actions nor has anyone on the Aurora." Aeric said curtly trying to control himself with the accusation. "A procedure was performed by the hologram aboard the Aurora without my authorization, but it was done in accords to several Starfleet regulations. My daughter's physical form was destroyed by a temporal incursion and the hologram resolved that issue."

Quinn didn't need to be telepathic to know that Lt. James was getting angry, but he wasn't going to let him get away with what he did.  "You may not have authorized it but you are responsible for that ship and it's actions. If you can not control it then it will be removed from my ship.  As for Starfleet regulations, where does it say that it is okay to steal DNA from someone without his or her permission?

"Sir, you are correct about this being my responsibility and I have been addressing the issues to the best of my ability. You are also correct that there is no law stating that it is okay to steal someones DNA without their permission, but there are also no laws that say that it is illegal to use 50% of someones DNA in what is deemed a necessary medical procedure." Aeric said with a sigh. "I agree that what was done could have been handled better, but I am sure that it was done out of necessity and not malice."

Quinn knew that Lt. James meant no harm or malice toward Sevryll and the deed was done. Quinn clasped his hands behind his back. "One other thing I don't understand Lt. Is why you did not come to me with this information. I am your commanding officer. I should have been informed of this... person as soon as you found out. I understand that our relationship is new and that I may not have your trust just yet, but I am still your commanding officer. "

"Sir, the incident happened on my watch. Once it occurred, I began an investigation on why it happened," Aeric started. "Aurora receive a command to perform the experiment. The source of that command became a possible issue due to the temporal prime directive. I could not confirm the source and to mention it might cause damage to the timeline. I remained silent because Aurora had no motive to do what she did unless Aria was dying or she was commanded to by someone with the clearance. I didn't give the order."

Aeric paused and paced in the cell. "The Commander and I found out about the events at the same time as our daughter reached out to both of her parents. I felt it was in the best interest of Sevryll and Aria if I remained silent until they resolved their issues. Once those issues could be resolved, I would have personally reported the events to you. I also needed to deal with helping a young woman adjust to her new life. I regret that it happened this way, but I didn't see the need to inform you until I had answers."

Quinn stood face to face with Lt. James with just the forcefield in-between. "Well you thought wrong Lt. This is my ship, everything that happens aboard this ship is my responsibility. You keep that in mind." Quinn took a step back. "I would like to keep you here in the brig for a while but circumstances and our next mission would make that quite impossible." Quinn turned to the Ensign on his left "Release the forcefield". As the forcefield dropped Lt. James walked cautiously toward Quinn. Quinn looked Lt. James straight in the eyes "You are dismissed Lieutenant". James gave Quinn a nod and exited the Brig. Quinn took a deep breath and exited a few moments later.

[Geekyfanboy]

Quinn entered his quarters and unbuttoned this tunic. He couldn't wait to get some rest. His conversation down in the brig with Lt. James drained so much energy.  Quinn walked over to the replicator and asked for a large glass of warm milk. As it materialized he turned to his left to look at his two rats Phil and Grant that he had inherited from his friend Lt. Peters. "Hey guys how are you doing?" Quinn said as he tapped the cage.  He smiled as he felt their contentment. "Well that's good I'm glad you guys are happy with your new living arrangements. Quinn walked over to his bed and laid down. Just as his head hit the pillow the computer spoke.

***SUBSPACE MESSAGE FROM FLEET ADMIRAL AZREAL SANTANA TO CAPTAIN QUINN, U.S.S. TIBERIOUS***

Quinn sighed and rose from the bed and headed towards his monitor. "Computer active message"  Quinn hadn't spoken with Admiral Santana in many years so it was nice to see his face. The message began.

"Captian Quinn.  I have a promising yet troubled young officer with whom I need your assistance.  I am forwarding his service record in an attached file.  This Officer, Lt. K'Tan of the House of Gal, is quite a unique case.  He is of human origin, yet due to a complex set of circumstances, he ended up being raised as a Klingon on a colony bordering the Klingon/Romulan frontier.  He was being groomed as an officer in the Klingon Defense fleet, but for some reason, he left the Empire to attend Starfleet Academy.  He is, in effect, a man with one foot in the Federation, and the other in the Klingon Empire.  I'm sure that you can see how such a person could possibly serve to strengthen our alliance with the Empire.

Lt. K'Tan is a little rough around the edges.  He has had several incidents over the course of his career, incidents which I feel are the result of cultural misunderstandings stemming from his unique upbringing. I've studied your file, captain, as well as that of your crew.  I believe that it is in our best interest to try and salvage Lt. K'Tan, and I feel that you and your rather unique crew are the only ones in the fleet capable of doing so.  I am therefore requesting that he be transferred to your ship, effective immediately.  Please rendezvous with the U.S.S. Ranger at sector Y6-45-055-14 as soon as possible.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation; the favor will not be forgotten.

Regards, Admiral Azreal Santana "

***END OF TRANSMISSION***

Quinn stared at the blank screen for a moment before pressing his comm badge. "Bridge this is Captain Quinn, we're going to make a slight detour and pick up a new officer on our way to Romulas. Please set coordinates for Y6-45-055-14 we will be meeting up with the U.S.S. Ranger. " Lt. Westling's voice responded. "Aye Captain". Quinn then pressed his comm badge again "Computer please send message to the U.S.S. Ranger and acknowledge  rendezvous coordinates."

Quinn sat back down on his bed and thought to himself,  oO Like we need another problem crewmen Oo Quinn rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath, oO but the Admiral wouldn't have asked for the transfer if he thought it was a hopeless cause.Oo

"Computer please forward the Admirals message to Commander Sevryll" Quinn asked as he laid his head down on the pillow.. the computer chirped "And lower lights".

[Jen]

The doors to sickbay obediently parted as Commander Sevryll approached, and she entered the room with a purposeful stride. Doctor Peterson met her in the center of the room and showed her the implant he referred to in his message. Over his shoulder she could see that Doctor Lucas was treating a patient...the Vulcan man that she saw that morning in Five Forward. When Lucas noticed her gaze, he nodded respectfully and lowered his voice. Sevryll's eyes turned back to Peterson—she had missed the first part of his very detailed, and very lengthy description of the device. She asked his pardon and requested that he start again.  An embarrassed smile spread across his face, "I'm sorry, sometimes I get a bit ahead of myself. The subdermal implants are composed of tritonium isotopes. In the event of capture, the implants could be activated to leave a trail that could be followed. During the Occupation of Bajor, members of the Bajoran Resistance found them quiet useful." He offered the small implant to Sevryll for her assessment and she took the microdevice in her hands and carefully examined them.

"Thank you doctor. Once I have determined the away team members, I will have them report to you."  She handed it back to him and shifted her attention to the medbay. Through the transparent wall of his office she could see that the Vulcan man was still being treated. "Who is the individual being treated by Doctor Lucas? What is wrong with him?" She asked curiously. 

[X]

Aeric retrieved has combadge and phaser as he left the brig. It had gone quicker than he expected, but there were issues that needed to be worked out.

"Aeric to Aria," Aeric said.

"Aria here."

"Everything has been worked out," Aeric said as he moved towards the turbolift. "I'm on the way."

"That's good to hear," Aria replied. "I'll start dinner."

"Change of plans. I want you to meet me on deck two. I've arranged for quarters for us on ship."

"Is that a wise course of action?" Aria asked, somewhat concerned about the safety of the ship.

"We can both maintain a link to the ship with no problem," Aeric said."She's also designed to protect herself."

"Very well father. I will meet you in our new quarters, Aria out."

"Deck two," Aeric said as he stood in the turbolift.

While he enjoyed the comforts of the Aurora, Aeric knew that his daughter needed to be near others. She needed to live outside of the Aurora's bulkheads. It didn't take much to requisition family quarters through his neural link. She would have her own room in their quarters, her own space.

He was happy that the captain didn't pry too deeply into Aeric investigation. He had made almost no progress. He had too many questions and in trying to find the answers, and he found himself ignoring the needs of his child. After they settled into their new home, Aeric could push the questions aside and start working on his part in the upcoming mission.

[wraith1701]

On the U.S.S. Ranger, Lt. K'Tan exited the turbolift and slowly made his way down the muted-gray corridor.  Shortly after The Admiral's message had been sent to the Tiberius, the Captain had ordered him to return to his quarters and await further orders. 

The Captain's last words still echoed in his head:
"You will be notified once we receive a reply from Capt. Quinn.  In the meantime, I suggest that you do some soul-searching, and ask yourself- do you truly desire a career in Starfleet?  Because if you do, there is one fact that you must keep in mind--  while you have every right to be proud of your Klingon heritage, this is most definitely not the Klingon Defense Fleet.  This is Starfleet, and you will at all times be expected to carry yourself in a manner befitting a Starfleet officer.  Anything else is unacceptable.  Dismissed."

K'Tan's reverie was interrupted by the chirp of his communicator badge.  His hand taped the badge, opening a channel.  "K'Tan here."

"Congratulations, Mr. K'Tan," the Captain replied.  "Your transfer has been accepted.  Gather up your belongings; your new home will be the U.S.S. Tiberius."

[3 Ducks in a Man Costume]

"So, what's the nature of the medical emergency?" Dr. Lucas asked brusquely, leaning against a biobed, reading something on a padd. His psychographic profile was right on the money: somewhat lax in protocol, wanting when it came to bedside manner—yet driven. Driven toward or by what seemed to be a mystery, even to the Tal'Shiar. This doctor, like Brex the barman, was one of the puzzles aboard the ship, and it bothered Remor much more than it bothered his Romulan superiors. If there is one thing Cardassians hate, it's a loose end.

"I believe I ingested something last night," Remor said, and then paused to choose his words. ". . . that did not agree with me."

"Ah, Vulcans," Dr. Lucas sighed sarcastically. "Ever so modest. Well, have a seat, and we'll see what's wrong with your tum-tum." The doctor patted a nearby biobed patronizingly. Had Remor the luxury of it, he would have strangled the man right there and then. Not even Romulan doctors are this rude, he thought, sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed. Lucas brought out his scanner and began to scan Remor up and down. Although he couldn't feel it, one of the many implants he had crammed into his body hummed to life, giving off a false bio signature.

The other doctor in sickbay, one Dr. Peterson, occasionally glanced in their direction, visibly appalled by Lucas' behavior, but seemingly resigned to it at the same time.

"Well," said Lucas, "I know what's wrong with you."

"Do you, now?" Remor said darkly, his stomach still churning.

"Hey, hey. Leave the sarcasm to me," Lucas said. "It just doesn't sound right coming from a Vulcan. You're a little hungover and having a mild allergic reaction to . . . let's see. . . ."

Just then, a Vulcan female walked through the door. The ship's first officer, Remor knew. The daughter of the rodent handler in the bar. She glanced in his direction before turning to Dr. Peterson.

"Romulan wheat?" Lucas asked in a whisper. "Let me guess: you sampled something from Brex's not-so-secret stash."

"Perhaps," Remor said.

"Right. Well, apparently you're mildly allergic to Romulan wheat," Lucas whispered. "It's odd that you are, being a Vulcan and all, but I've seen Cardassians who were allergic to yamok sauce—the poor suckers—so I suppose it's really not that odd. Anyway, it's nothing serious. I'm not going to give you anything for it. Just go back to your quarters and rest. Maybe have some warm milk."

"When did you meet these Cardassians?" Remor said, trying not to sound too excited.

"Oh, a long time ago, when I was a young medic," Lucas began, "I served on the front lines during the border wars. You see all sorts of strange stuff out on the frontier. I got a chance to meet that shapeshifter on that space station. Nice guy. A little gruff, though. I even met some of the Maquis. Now those are some nice folks—or were, anyway, before the Dominion wiped them out. I heard that a few survived, though. Hid out on Earth and on starships."

Remor had heard only rumors of these survivors, and might have doubted the veracity of the claim had the doctor not seemed so proud. For an instant, although he kept his mind shielded, his body betrayed him. The Maquis had killed his cousin Serick in a raid.

"Odd," Lucas said. "Your blood pressure just rose a few points."

"It's probably my head," Remor said, standing up. "I think I will take your advice and have some warm milk. Thank you, doctor."

Remor got up and left sickbay, brushing by Commander Sevryll on his way out. "Pardon me," he said, barely breaking his stride.

What would an ex-Maquis or Maquis sympathizer be doing aboard a Federation starship? he asked himself.

[Jen]

Doctor Peterson did not know the Vulcan patient that his counterpart was treating, so he escorted the Commander out into his medbay, to ask Doctor Lucas for an introduction.

As they neared, Sevryll noticed that Lucas seemed puzzled by something the Vulcan man said. He then watched, with fained concern, as the man swept past Sevryll on his way out of the facility.

She stopped where she was, and allowed the Vulcan to leave. Keeping her eyes on Doctor Lucas, she waited for the doors to shut before she asked her questions. Sevryll did not particularly like or trust Lucas—his arrogant persistence that she carry out a mind meld, resulted in her unremitting wariness. Before she went on shore leave, he had insisted quite brusquely, that she perform a meld on Ensign Starstriker. The fact that she was a melder was confidential information, known only to one individual aboard Tiberius: Counselor Margon. Sevryll did not wish her ability to be common knowledge—melds were deeply personal and she never performed them at random or with those she was not closely acquainted—so she had that part of her record classified. Often, when it is known that a Vulcan is capable of such an art, his or her skills are requested regularly...Sevryll did not want the intimate procedure to become a cure-all practice that would result in constant appeals for her services.  She was not certain whether Doctor Lucas had accessed Margon's records, pertaining to her psionic abilities, or if he had simply made a supposition based on the fact that she was Vulcan. She had yet to discuss the matter with Margon and until she did, Sevryll would keep her accusations to herself.

"He just had an adverse reaction to a dish he tried in Five Forward. It seems that carrots give him painful gas," offered Lucas in a tone dripping with sarcasm.

Sevryll lifted an eyebrow in a high arc, in response to his candid answer. She already knew he was a bit rude—crudeness apparently was another of his endearing qualities. "I presume that detail is not protected under doctor-patient privileges," countered Sevryll allowing a hint of her own sarcasm to chide the doctor.

"Nope," he replied haughtily. Doctor Peterson smirked disapprovingly at the other physician as Sevryll thanked him again for his help. She then gave Doctor Richard Lucas a sidelong glance and left Sickbay.

Sevryll was now off duty as an officer and on duty as a mother.  As she entered her quarters she found Dennis, the hologram/guard dog programmed to watch her children during the day, restraining a Romulan man on the floor with a Mok'bara choke hold. "You're just in time Sevryll. I was just about to render this man unconscious, would you care to do the honors? Go ahead and do that pinch thing, " said Dennis.

"GET OFF OF ME YOU IDIOT!" Grunted a red faced Colonel Kehv, through clinched teeth.

"Where are the children Dennis?" asked Sevryll—the concern bubbling up from deep within and breaking the surface like ancient Earth submarine. "Your mother took them to dinner in Five Forward a few minutes ago... she asked me to have you meet them there. When they left, this bozo entered our quarters," replied the hologram nonchalantly.

Release him Dennis," she said.

"Oh...of course," he said with a smile, "you want to take him out while he's standing up...that's the honorable thing to do and quite admirable I might add," said Dennis with a wink as the Romulan continued to struggle futilely to break the hologram's grip.

"The command I issued... to end it's program... failed...I...can't...breath. Get... it... off ...m-". The Romulan said as he started to pass out.

"Let him go Dennis," repeated Sevryll, a little more sternly.

"Aye aye commander," replied the hologram crisply.

"I altered your command codes David," Sevryll said as her husband gasped for air. "what are you doing here? You should not be in my quarters."

"Aren't you going to do the Vulcan nerve pinch thing?" asked Dennis disappointingly.

Sevryll and David both turned to face the hologram, and shouted in unison, "NO!"

[PepperDude]

Johnny Manrique's shift was now over. He wanted to pay Dr. Peterson a visit. They'd spent a dangerous time together on Altair III where the Dr. witnessed Lt. Peters death.

But first, he was going to go to the brig and ask one of his officers why Lt. James was put in there suddenly and then quickly released. There were certainly all kinds of things going on in the ship already; most of them were due to personnel matters. There was the incident in the briefing room with Admiral Talbot  verbally reprimanding Ensign Starstriker for mind-probing. On top of that, Manrique did notice his sugar-gliders and how Commander Sevryll saved him from further trouble. Johnny shook his head in disbelief and a degree of condescension. He wondered how a Starfleet officer could come into the briefing room with pets. Then there was the last minute course change in order to pick up a new officer.  What other crew-related things could happen?

Manrique entered the brig and turned to see the empty and turned back to face, the young Trill security officer, Ensign Thesh.. "Interesting day today Ensign Thesh?"

"Actually, yes lieutenant. It's strange to have had a Starfleet lieutenant in the brig."

"So what was all that about?" inquired Manrique and then listened intently as Thesh told her narrative. "So there's a Vulcan girl on this ship who is technically Commander Sevryll's daughter? That is other than the small little girl we all know?"

"Apparently, sir."

"The people in this ship are so. . ."

"Strange?" said Ensign Thesh completing Manrique's sentence.

"Yes. . .I suppose you could say that. Thank you Thesh for all the information."

"Anytime."

The young chief of security walked out of the brig and proceeded to sickbay on deck 8. As the turbo-lift doors opened, he noticed a Vulcan man enter it as Johnny walked out. Manrique observed him very carefully. He was obviously not a crew member and Johnny wondered why a Vulcan was aboard the ship. Perhaps he was here to help with the mission to Romulus? Johnny didn't know and he continued to watch the Vulcan until the doors closed. Manrique then proceeded to walk towards sickbay. Commander Sevryll exited sickbay, Johnny greeted her then walked in.  He saw Dr. Peterson, in his office. It looked like Johnny was going to find out who that man was.

"Good day doctor," said Manrique.

"Hey, how's it going Manrique?"  said the doctor gladly.

"Interesting day, doctor. For example, who was that Vulcan who walked out of here? I haven't seen him before and I haven't had time to go over the ship's manifest." 

"I don't know either. I didn't treat him but Dr. Lucas said carrots made him sick.  His name is Ramore Farock."

"I just keep finding out strange things about the crew and now I find out about a Vulcan I've never seen before. I'm going to have Lt. Tain keep a close eye on him. In fact, I'll do it right now before I find out about more strange people. Give me a second doctor." said Manrique as he pressed his comm badge. "Lt. Tain."

"Go ahead lieutenant."

"Do a background check on a  Ramore Farock, a Vulcan male civilian. And keep a close eye on him. Find out why he's on this ship."

"I will do, sir."

"Oh, by the way, I just came in here to say hello doctor," said Manrique.

"Thank you Manrique. . ."

[X]

Aria wandered through the quarters that she now shared with her father. She had her own room as she did on the Aurora. In fact the room was larger than her other quarters. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Perhaps it was the air or the hum of the ship. She had spent the last few hours redecorating the room and replicating various texts that she had found both interesting and comforting. Between the redecorating, she and her father had discussed her interacting more with the crew.

Aeric had left a few minutes earlier to go over some issues on the flight deck. She was actually proud that he had been getting out more. She held the same concerns about her father's personal life as he did for her's. She had even been half tempted to play matchmaker, but found that many of those single females aboard the ship weren't quite worthy of her father. She would have to work on that. The sooner that she could help him find a personal life, the sooner that he would focus on it rather than hers.

"Computer, locate Aeric James." Aria said as she moved out of her room.

"Lieutenant James is currently located in the CAG office."

"Thank you," Aria replied.

At that, Aria adjusted her newly replicated azure dress and headed for the door. She had decided it was past time to visit the bar at five forward. She needed to get out of her shell and get to know the people aboard her new home.