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Fandom Star Trek: Vigilance (IC)

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It was getting progressively more difficult for Savir to orientate himself in the chaos of the Captain's mind, but at the same time, he could not make himself stop trying. The situation resembled a trainwreck: you knew you shouldn't look at the bloody mess, but you had to, even though it was fairly obvious you were going to regret it. With increased interest, Savir noted that one of the creature's personalities appeared to be suicidal, and another blamed the (supposedly) main one for something... possibly for abandoning the predatory lifestyle their species used to lead and attempting to fit into the overly binding Starfleet mold. There was another point worthy of remembering, too: the Captain's strange kind of interest in Jack, which bordered on obsession. For some reason he wished to keep her close at all times; Savir had the feeling she reminded him of someone else, but that stream of thoughts was too weak to follow, as the repeating bloodthirsty yearnings overshadowed it.

And then, unexpectedly, Savir's mind was violently pulled down from its indifferent elevated position and sucked back into his body, because he finally happened to overhear something so off-putting that it actually made him feel. In the last 12.5 minutes, the ever so urgent wish to kill had resonated through Ke'varr's skull exactly 85 times - kill his enemies, kill the inhabitants of the ship, kill himself, kill anyone, but this time... This time it was different, because the Captain's unguarded appetite was clearly palpable as he pondered the taste of Savir's flesh, pulling out the savory memory of a similar meal he had once taken, before denying himself the pleasure. It was personal, overwhelming, sickening, and unlike anything else Savir had ever sensed from another living being.

Under different circumstances, he would have been pleased right then, proud that his posting gave him everything he could professionally desire and provided him with more freedom of decision than any of his new colleagues could possibly dream of. As it was, he could only think about how good it was that Ensign Kimberly would be the one working with the other Kraekiran officer, because due to the unsavory material she was made of, she was undesirable as a meal. "It is regrettable that Counselor Troi could not join us," he heard himself say into the silence that enveloped the room after everyone had been informed about their duties. "Working alongside her would have been most enlightening. However, I am very grateful for the opportuity." The tone of his voice was completely blank, but his eyes bore into the Captain's with unusual intensity. After a while of listening in to his chaotic, expansive mind, it was not too difficult to target it. Savir's forehead crinkled insignificantly as he concentrated on the utterance he was transmitting.

Since I am half Betazoid, it is safe to assume that my flesh tastes differently from any Vulcans you have already sampled. I hope you find the information sufficient to satisfy your curiosity.
 
Varra couldn’t believe that she had to squeeze into someone else’s boots that were far to small for her. Even though she had been wearing someone else’s boots already she could at least say they were comfortable. Varra had wondered if she should have challenged the first officer pointing out that the boots were technically within guidelines of customisation. However with her head the way it was she had just got on with it and left the sparkly boots lying on the floor somewhat in the way.

Varra was just relieved when they were finally ushered into the captains office. Though she did feel bad for Polito who had to return to the tyrannical second in command. Standing towards the back of the room Varra was thankful that the lighting was dimmer than on most starships. It almost made her feel at home. She didn’t shake his hand but she did give him a nonchalant salute. It was weird listening to the the captain speak thinking to herself that he would make a good Klingon Officer. Varra was only partly paying attention when he started answering question still fidgeting in her boots.

When he started listing what there assignments would be she perked up again and was practically beaming when he said she would posted to the helm. Even if it was only assisting she wanted to take this ship for a spin. Varra smirked when he mentioned he would be using Kraekiran tactics and would expect a high standard. Not only had she studied Kraekiran tactics she had studied multiple other flying styles from dozens of species. After all Varra didn’t get to be one of the top pilots in her class for nothing. Grinning from ear to ear she couldn’t wait to show them some of her more creative flying as she called it. Most called it bloody dangerous and stupid only a lot less polite.
 
misc1_office2.jpg

Captain Ke'varr had been beaming as he appointed his secondary bridge crew their positions, or at least what passed for beaming in Kraekiran terms. The others probably wouldn't notice his smile, as he didn't have lips. The slight upturn in the corner of his four eyes, would no doubt be the clearest indicator of his mood, but to humans it might as well be another anomaly - Kraekirans were infamous for their past wars with the Federation, their 'unsound minds' and unpredictability, and famous for their their military tradition and successes, Gothic-analogue art and blood wine (if one was a Klingon). As such, their facial expression wasn't the most widely-read.

Then everything started going wrong, and Ke'varr's unusually jubilant mood was shattered. The J'nnai seemed disappointed with his position - only Varra seemed remotely thrilled. Then Junior Lieutenant Sa'vir decided to invade his mind and take what the captain had been working hard to hide throughout the decades, since he had renounced his place in the belligerent Kraekiran Voidfleet and make it his mission to become one with the Federation.

Since I am half Betazoid, it is safe to assume that my flesh tastes differently from any Vulcans you have already sampled. I hope you find the information sufficient to satisfy your curiosity, the foreign thought invaded his mind. Captain Ke'varr could not help but to glare at the Vulcan, for seconds on end, the bad thoughts becoming all the more stronger. The captain leaned on his desk with both his hands - it was a good thing the desk was customised to fit his height - and he stared at his talons, as if wondering what to do with them.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): How could he? Kill him! How could he? KILL betrayal KILL he KILL betrayed KILL me he KILL invaded KILL my KILL mind after KILL all KILL I have KILL done KILL for him KILL destroy KILL betrayal KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL]

It was as if everything in the room was melting all around Captain Ke'varr, like in that human painting he had seen while he was touring Earth. One of the great 'Dali' works, he remembered.

"Computer, unseal captain's ready room. Authorisation Ke'varr Alpha-alpha-bravo-theta-4-4-1-3," Captain Ke'varr ordered. Apparently, he had gotten the computer to seal his room after the group entered it, stealthily. The ship's computer acknowledged the request. "Reseal on closing the next time." Then he turned to the group.

"You're all dismissed. That includes you, Yeoman. Go to the conference room; there will be a briefing in a few minutes. Sit along the corner chairs. If any of you haven't met your first officer, it would be a good time to make a good impression on him," the captain said, his voice much more severe. "Except for you, MISTER SA'VIR. You will stay."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL]

When the group had left, the computer acknowledged that the room had been sealed. Captain Ke'varr took his time to glare at his new acting counselor, before reaching below his desk and pulling something out. What looked to be a hand phaser scaled to the captain's size. The usual hand phasers were far too small to be used by a Kraekiran with any confidence - moreover, they were configured for humanoid hands. Starfleet had to include a modified version for Kraekirans when they began entering service with them. For a moment, Ke'varr held it, as if unsure of what to do with it, but then he slammed it down on his desk, before circling around it.

"It appears that skipping lunch wasn't a good idea after all," Captain Ke'varr said when he got up to Junior Lieutenant Sa'vir, his voice lowered slightly to a harsh whisper. At some point in time, he'd slipped behind Sa'vir, and put both of his clawed, avian hands on either shoulders of the Vulcan, his talons dangerously close to his neck, rough on the fabric of his uniform. Ke'varr's beak was close to his neck as well, as if ready to tear at flesh. But to Captain Ke'varr, it was a friendly gesture, all to make a point about something he hoped Sa'vir would understand. "Tell me, mister Sa'vir - take a guess as to why you're not served on a massive plate, on my desk, right now. That is what you Vulcans tend to say, am I right? We are here to serve? Take a guess as to why I haven't slaughtered you like cattle for food?"

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): KILL KILL KILL Don't KILL KILL KILL No KILL KILL KILL Don't KILL make KILL the KILL same KILL mistake KILL again KILL KILL KILL why KILL did KILL you KILL do this KILL to me KILL Ke'varr? KILL KILL KILL you KILL are KILL strong KILL don't KILL throw KILL all KILL that KILL away KILL don't KILL make KILL the KILL same KILL mistake KILL again KILL you KILL are a KILL Starfleet KILL officer KILL remember KILL the KILL past KILL KILL KILL he KILL will KILL make KILL a KILL fine KILL cuisine KILL Ke'varr KILL KILL KILL do KILL not KILL forget KILL the KILL eight KILL]

---

Outside the captain's ready room, where the rest of the group were, it was relatively quiet. Whatever simulations that were running had been put on pause. None of the senior officers were there, and all the posts were filled by substitutes; undistinguished officers and crewmen alike. The senior officers had already gone into the conference room, except for one or two. Just then, the turbolift opened, and a female Andorian of Lieutenant rank came out. She had a jacket on, with pockets filled with tools. She was the Chief Engineer. As she swept down the bridge and towards the conference room, she nodded to the group without so much as cracking a smile and went by.

((Without Sa'vir, Lieutenant Luran's thought remain unnoticed))

MechanicalSnake MechanicalSnake Epiphany Epiphany Inactive User 002 Inactive User 002 RPLongAndProsper RPLongAndProsper
 
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Kimberly frowns slightly at the Captain's flippant dismissal of her data synchronization as a 'luxury'. Off-loading data is how Galorian androids were designed and Starfleet itself had agreed to support regular updates, mission parameters permitting. Of course, all of that is logged in her personnel file. And the Captain's immediate explanation removes the confusion. Luxury or not, of course synchronization didn't come ahead of mission parameters.

"Of course, Sir," she says, and proceeds to absorb the entire exchange between Captain and her fellow officers. The promise of getting to know the captain better is an enticing possibility. In her entire series, the only time a Kimberly came into contact with a Captain or higher had been under the auspices of being researched. If Captain Ke'varr wasn't engaging in a pleasantry and actually meant it, the offer of getting to know a senior command officer was unique and very much something to look forward to.

As was her assignment! Kimberly allows herself a smile at the good news of an alpha shift posting. In her years of service, she'd only had the opportunity a dozen times and only on a temporary fill-in basis. Regular duty on the 'main' shift held great promise! Diplomatic missions, difficult navigation, anomaly investigation was often scheduled around alpha shift. It would mean many more opportunities to engage in real research. And an opportunity to learn from the career officers good enough to have the prime post.

"Of course, sir, it will be my pleasure," she says after Captain Ke'varr gave her orders.

Only Ensign Keiper's assignment surprises her, to the degree that she lifts an inquisitive eyebrow at the decision. Kimberly hadn't had the opportunity to review the files of her fellow officers but she gauged Jack as older than many, making the role assigned even more unusual. Still, presumably the Captin had his reasons?

The security precautions of Captain Ke'varr also surprise her. Still, it was the captain's prerogative, as was their brief dismissal. As the small group exits the Captain's ready room, she makes her way to the conference room. The sight of the Chief Engineer, and the absence of other senior officers, suggests the senior officers are already in attendance. And so Kimberly leads the group into the conference room, chooses out a chair and sits.

If there's a break in the conversation between the gathered senior officers, Kimberly helpfully speaks up and says "The Captain's just finishing up orienting our new assistant counselor, I expect he'll be along in a minute."
 
Savir stared at the Captain blankly, confused by the first wave of thoughts he was able to pick up after his rather impulsive act. His words had been intended as a form of self defense, a warning to stay away one would give a predator, betting on a chance it would withdraw rather than attack. And he had expected to sense a different kind of emotion in response. Anger, definitely. Shame, perhaps, since the Captain's nauseating thoughts had been loud enough to cause this. Caution, for sure. But not betrayal, not the overwhelming sense of the world falling apart, as if a rug had been pulled from under his mental feet. After all I had done for him? At first, Savir was 98,6 % certain that, just like Jack had reminded Ke'varr of someone from his past, the Captain's split mind was confusing him with somebody else. They had never seen each other before, so what could the thought possibly refer to? It occured to him a little belatedly that perhaps the good, rightful part of Ke'varr, the part that made him want to become a Starfleet officer, was genuinely disappointed in Savir. After all, he had just been granted a much desired position others would have been grateful for. And he appreciated the opportunity, he truly did, but the vastly discomforting knowledge he was being perceived as a dessert had overshadowed everything else.

Before Savir could truly begin to analyze all that, everyone else was dismissed and the door locked. And for what seemed like eternity, but must have only been a moment, all of the Captain's personalities were in unison, or perhaps one had risen to absolute dominance, with the sole desire to kill. As the moment stretched forever, Savir felt an invisible hand gripping his throat, ice-cold and inhumanly strong, and he observed that physical reaction of his body with genuine surprise, for he had never experienced fear of death before. Even as a child, as he had undergone what others later classified as abuse, losing his life had never been a option. He had been valuable. But there, for a second, he was just... meat.

The moment passed as quickly as it came - ironically, it was about the time when the Kraekiran pulled out the phaser. Savir imagined, if he were to be killed, he would be ripped apart by those talons into shreds, not be evaporated. Therefore, this was just for show. Still, it was difficult to get his heartbeat under control and an echo of the feeling stayed behind, only slowly evaporating. The Captain's close physical proximity only added insult to injury. As the talons gripped his shoulders, Savir was treated to a fresh dose of thoughts and emotions, and... all of all things in the Universe... they made him feel ashamed. Of course, the urge to kill was still there, but laced with so much restraint that it seemed like a miracle Ke'varr could even fuction without his entire willpower being invested solely into the pursuit of control. That was something he simply had to sympathize with, having witnessed so many Vulcans striving for a similar thing in a permanent struggle against their desires.

"They do say that," Savir said cautiously, subconsciously excluding himself from the lot of them, like he often did in his mind but rarely in the open. "As you know, sir, Vulcans do not guess either. Therefore I can say with certainty that I am still alive because..." he took a breath, trying to form words as clearly as he saw them in his mind, because he really had to make this right, "...because just like Vulcans, and many other species who chose to join the United Federation of Planets, you also strive to rise above your violent past and become a part of something greater. Which is so much more difficult for you, as your infinite lifespan means you cannot merely distance yourself from your ancestors to achieve that. You also have to overcome your own past self, and it is an endless effort, in which your success and persistance are admirable, worth of respect. Initially, I failed to see that, as I was under a strong influence, for which you have my most sincere apologies."
 
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When the Captain asked Savir to stay behind, something in his tone told Taris that what was to follow would not be a friendly conversation. Or perhaps id was simply growing paranoid? Either way, what went on behind the closed doors was none of ids business; there were more important things to focus on. Despite of ids earlier misgivings, id now felt careful excitement creeping back - they would soon find out details about the mission, which was sure to be challenging. It was expected that the journey would take them to the Badlands, an exceptionally turbulent area of space where several ships had been lost. Piloting inside that anomaly was dangerous even with great skill. The battles and bloodshed their Captain had spoken about with such vigour could be on the menu as well, since the area was frequented by Maquis ships, robbers and other disreputable individuals, who dared the risks of the disturbances in order to stay out of sight. Taris couldn't wait to see what lay ahead.

If only it didn't mean id had to deal with Commander Bradfield on daily basis. When they entered the briefing room, Taris was sure to avoid his gaze and chose a seat between Kimberly and Jack, where id felt conveniently out of sight. "Hello," id mouthed almost soundlessly, careful not to disturb the senior officers. "I am sorry to have missed the meeting at the bar. Perhaps we can catch up later?" There had simply not been a good time for proper introduction yet, even though they knew each other's names and postings thanks to the recent meeting with the Captain. And now wasn't a good time either. Taris crossed ids legs and propped the PADD on ids knee, ready to make notes. Hopefully if id could make a valid contribution at the briefing, Bradfield would see idre as less of an idiot.
 
VoyagerConferenceRoom.jpg

"The Captain's just finishing up orienting our new assistant counselor, I expect he'll be along in a minute," Junior Lieutenant Kimberly #49 had said. A few heads were turned in her direction. Lieutenant Krii'kii, the other Kraekiran on the ship, (who sat on the chair to the left and second closest to the head of the table) watched her with hawk-like eyes, interpreting her every word, studying her every movement. Unlike Captain Ke'varr, she was of the 'Eagle' ethnicity, and had white feathers and grey beaks, hands and feet. Commander Bradfield, who sat on the right and also second closest to the head of the table, seemed surprisingly nonchalant, working on a PADD, getting ready for the meeting. A pained look was on his face, which contrasted his earlier fury.

"Thank you, lieu-tenant," one of the senior officers said. It was the Nausicaan, and clearly so, for he had dragged his voice out, and his appearance was hard to miss. Some would say that Nausicaans were ugly, but somehow, Lieutenant Ma'Juk seemed at home in his yellow Starfleet uniform, and quite fair too. "Al-ready playing the game I see. I hope you play it well." He gave a smile, his tusks pulling wide with his inner mouth.

Meanwhile, Junior Lieutenant Robert Polito was sitting on the other end of the conference table, clearly a position selected as it was as far away from the Captain, the First Officer and the Chief Engineer as possible. He was staring at the table as if it was the next bestselling holo-novel. Beside him was the Tellarite, Junior Lieutenant Hronn, who was positively beaming in anticipation of what might happen next. Opposite them was Lieutenant Jack Kwan, the Chief Medical Officer of the ship, sucking on one of his own lollipops and reading from one of his PADDs. It was a list of names that he was editing. Beside him, Lieutenant Luran the Andorian was reviewing a schematic on an expanded PADD, going over what appeared to be a weapons system of some kind.

Then the doors to the conference room opened. Everyone turned to stare at it, in anticipating of their commanding officer, but it turned out to be a false alarm. The voice was a dead giveaway in the first place, so it didn't fake anyone into standing at attention. It was a deep, brooding voice, clearly human. Then there was a second voice, a female, nasally and deliberate voice. And even a third, headstrong and brash one.

It was the representatives from Deep Space 9. Commander Benjamin Sisko, Lieutenant Jadzia Dax and Major Kira Nerys.

"-the Borg, and not to mention the Cardassians, Romulans. The Dominion decided to jump into the ring and if that's not enough, the Krae-" the Commander of Deep Space 9 was in the middle of a conversation when the door opened. He stopped himself when Lieutenant Jadzia Dax stopped him:

"We're here, we can talk about this later," the Trill said, and from the look on her eyes, was a little alarmed.

"Yeah, like back in Ben's office. This place looks like a memorial service," the Bajoran, Kira Nerys added, referring to the 70% lighting and lack of excitement, energy and enthusiasm on the part of the Vigilance's crew.

---

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"-You also have to overcome your own past self, and it is an endless effort, in which your success and persistance are admirable, worth of respect. Initially, I failed to see that, as I was under a strong influence, for which you have my most sincere apologies," Junior Lieutenant Savir had said, and by the time he was done, Captain Ke'varr had already circled around him, back to his desk.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): Kill He kill is kill patronising kill me kill condescending kill condescending kill condescending kill]

"You have no idea, Mister Savir," the Captain said, his voice still severe. "You have no idea. Imagine a Vulcan stripped of all control, with a long history of strong emotions and memories. Imagine him with an instinctual, overpowering need to hunt and feed on meat. Now imagine putting him on a ship packed to the brim with prey." He paused for a second, staring down the Vulcan before him with his four eyes.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): He betrayed you! Kill him! Kill him! KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL hold KILL on KILL think KILL stop KILL betray KILL betrayal KILL He betrayed you KILL no KILL he KILL is KILL inexperienced KILL young KILL needs KILL nurturing KILL my child KILL needs KILL]

"And now imagine another Vulcan, who was supposed to be there to advise him, who turned on him instead, and toyed with his struggles," the Captain went on, without even a crack in his voice, or blood welling up in his eyes.

"When you were available for posting, I requested you without hesitation," the Captain went on. "You seemed like that rare sun ray from the heavens to fall upon this ship, considering... The people I have to make do with. Do not make me regret my decision, lieutenant."

"There is such a thing as privacy, Savir. You've violated that," Captain Ke'varr finally said, and he picked up his customised hand phaser... And held on to it for a while before attaching it to his hip.

MechanicalSnake MechanicalSnake Epiphany Epiphany Inactive User 002 Inactive User 002 RPLongAndProsper RPLongAndProsper
 
Savir's eyebrow moved up slightly as he followed the Captain's stream of thoughts. Alright, yes, he was -somewhat- patronising, but he meant what he was saying and besides, it was a legitimate approach that sometimes helped placate people in a couseling session. Of course, it didn't work with everybody, which generally meant he had to come up with a more elaborate method. Or he could just step back for now and accept a punishment, hoping the voyage would provide him with ample time to redeem himself at a later point. Except the situation was making him gradually more and more uneasy. It was taxing not to lower his eyes as the Captain reprimanded him, even more so because now that Savir could see his action from a different angle, he had no choice but admit that he had indeed violated a superior's privacy. He had chosen to perform a defensive attack on the base of a single premise, where he should have been wise enough to wait until he gained a more complex picture of Ke'varr's character. Why hadn't he waited?

Savir reminded himself of the profoundly abhorrent experience of sensing the Captain's desire for flesh, of being the focus of it and almost feeling the taste of the unlucky Vulcan Ke'varr had dined on all those years ago. It had been... so undesirably raw, personal and intense. Just as everything else that happened between them since. Because all the positive expectations the Captain had of him, the implict trust and immense sense of disappointment when it was broken, were new to him, too. His relationships with others had always been shallow, even after several years of coexisting in the same household or workspace. Some came to him for help, some wanted to use him, others appreciated his efficiency at work, his caretakers expected him to respect the norms of Vulcan society, his professors were proud of his results, but none of them would have ever compared him to a ray of sunlight.

"You are right," he agreed, once more confroted with the possibility of Ke'varr using the phaser against him after all. "I have tresspassed and I will accept any disciplinary action you see fit." That was where the Vulcan customs urged him to stop, but the undue damage he might have caused to the Captain was like an open sore he felt the need to patch up. He was still a counselor as well, after all, and there were things he could try. Honesty being one of them, even though he usually tended to avoid it. All the Betazoids he had encountered were revealing their inner selves all the time - how difficult could it be, just this once? "However, I would like to add that it was not my intention to play with your struggles. I cannot pretend to be able to imagine what you are going through, but I understand it better now."

He shifted his weight uncomfortably from one leg to the other, looking up to the Captain's impossible-to-read face again. "The fact is that I, too, have my struggles, sir," he said firmly, the non-expression on his face in stark contrast with the confession. "I was bred for specific abilities and trained to violate the privacy of others in ways Starfleet can hardly imagine. For the past 17.5 years, I have been learning to find a different, honorable purpose for these abilities, and to be able to unfailingly recognize when it is appropriate to use them. I have come to know and safely keep hundreds of secrets during this time, some of which could destroy families, relationships, careers or entire governments, and because I have an eidetic memory, I never forget any of them. Yet I made an error of judgement today, because I felt threatened. That was new to me. As was making an error, and I wish to learn from this experience. Your mind is unlike any I have experienced before. However, I will most certainly adapt to it and find ways to make your struggle more bearable in the future."
 
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'I felt threatened.' Those three words had been haunting Captain Ke'varr ever since he was shuttled into Starfleet Academy. He remembered that his bunkmate had vehemently requested a transfer to another room the first thing before nightfall, on the first day.

Ke'varr starred at the floor of his ready room when he heard it, his mind travelling back in time then forwards, to every occasion when those words were uttered. He returned his gaze on Savir, and it was no longer a glare. Walking around his desk again, he sat down on top of it, an easy feat considering his size - it was a human gesture, one that he learnt as an Ensign. Biologically, Kraekirans could stand for days on end, and whatever rest their legs need could be achieved in sleep. His four eyes searched Savir's, and when he wasn't sure if he could find anything, he looked to the stars outside his window - something every race in the universe would surely understand.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): The stars kill are beautiful kill perhaps things are fine tear things will be rend fine I just need to calm kill down you better not be kill reading my mind kill right now Savir or I swear I will KILL you!]

"When a Kraekiran Captain - a Wing Lord - takes command of a ship, he becomes a father to its crew, and the crew, his children. Hatchlings. He would vow to nurture and protect them, to lead them down the right path... To glory," Ke'varr said, his eyes returning to Savir's. He started forward, bending low so that his eyes would be at the same level as Savir's. "You have nothing to fear from me. Whatever I do - I do it for you and the crew, my children."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): My children why must they kill suffer like this? kill they are rodents, rats, weak, cowards kill they are different kill they are inferior kill they are different kill they showed me so when kill Captain Christopher Pike kill showed me that kill humans can be predator and prey kill at the same kill time and so kill I must be capable of being kill both the Enterprise kill the Enterprise-B kill no]

"We are both alike, you and I. I am bred for war, and I have been a warrior for most of my existence. Like you, I seek to turn my talents to more honourable ends," the Captain said further, for once unsure of where he would lead his words to. Then he continued: "But that is where our similarities end, supper munchkin. I am beyond the help of any counselor, Vulcan master or some alien mystic, but you - you are still young, and you will learn and grow. Savir, you are here not to aid me in my struggles. You are here to aid my crew - my children - with their hardships. Many of them are still young, but many of them have lost that spark in their eyes. You will know more about this in our first meeting."

MechanicalSnake MechanicalSnake
 
Entering the conference room awkwardly behind Kimberly like a kitten following its mother, Jack sits down next to her. She'd heard quite a bit about the heroic escapades of the Deep Space Nine crew before, and didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of the senior officers as well. She looks around the room looking for some way to escape the anxiety of waiting for the conference to begin, until her gaze landed on Taris. She pulled out a chair for Taris to sit next to her, brimming once more with energy despite her obvious anxiety.
 
It was impossible to tell whether or not he Savir was still intruding on the Captain's private thoughts. His face was a mask of absolute indifference, schooled to perfection by the means of lifelong exercise. Now that peace had been reinstated, he had to be careful not to ruffle its fragile surface. He vowed to himself that from then on, he would be more discreet than ever before in Kevarr's presence and that nothing he had found out, or been directly told, would leave the four walls they were locked in. And should he fail to alleviate the stress constantly wrecking the Captain's mind, then he would at least attempt to make his job somewhat easier by making certain that everyone on the ship was in good physical and mental state, using their full potential to serve their common goal.

"I no longer feel threatened, sir," he replied, allowing himself the tiniest of smiles at Kevarr's newest pet name idea. "I respect you." If the Captain had any knowledge of Vulcan customs, which seemed to be the case so far, he would know Savir could not have said more meaningful words of praise. A Vulcan typically didn't use the phrase more often in a lifetime than a human said I love you while actually meaning it. It seemed simultaneously completely strange and oddly fitting that of all the creatures who passed through Savir's life without making an impression, the Captain should be the one to inspire such loyalty. A unique, alien mind yearning to nurture and destroy with the same breath, both streams so intense that they threatened to engulf anyone brave enough to step into them, put in stark contrast with Savir's detachment from life. Yet he felt a sense of kinship that was entirely new to him.

Neither of them completely belonged into the normalcy of Starfleet life, but they could both be invaluable to it. Savir considered the concept of a star ship perceived as a nest, where the crew formed a family with a fatherly figure leading them towards greatness, the hopelessness the Kraekiran must have experienced while trying to apply it on individuals foreign to him, who could neither understand his ways nor replace the clutch he once had, enemies turned into children. And a small part of him wished for others to feel so inspired as he was in the moment, because then, perhaps, they could make this work somehow and he could be an integral part of it. He could be a part of something instead of standing on the outside looking in.

"In my experience, no one is truly beyond help," he said with a touch of that emotion under the smooth indifference of his voice. "Some things, of course, can never be fully overcome or forgotten. Nor should they be, as they typically make us who we are. However, coping mechanisms can always be developed and perfected. I hope to be able to aid everyone on the Vigilance, who is in need of help and willing to accept it. Now... shall we discuss battles and bloodshed?"
 
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Varra was glad when she was finally allowed to leave the captains office and go to the briefing room. There was just something about the captain that had her on edge. However she was grateful for the position he had given her. In the end she put it down her uneasy feelings to the way he projected his strength and first day nerves. Well that and the fact he looked like he could tear someone apart in a second if he put his mind to it.

Moving across to the briefing room Varra swore she could see the crewman who had to give up her boots giving her a dirty look. Though she couldn’t be sure as when Varra did a double take of what the crewman was doing the girl had her back turned to Varra. She would have to remember to do something nice for the crewman when she could. On the way to the briefing room Varra also took the time to scoop up the sparkly boots that she left on the floor. Varra realised she would have to try and return them but, that was easier said then done as she didn’t even remember the room let alone the person.

Stepping into the briefing room Varra plopped the boots down in a corner. After which she took up a spot standing by the window. Looking over at her senior officers Varra started to take mental notes about them from what she could observe. To say they were an interesting mix would be an understatement. Varra was also unable to look at the first officer for to long worried that he would tell her off for staring. Waiting around she felt bad that Savir was all alone with the captain wondering to herself what was going on. She hoped it was just a private medical talk. Clearly Kimberly was also thinking of Savir stating that he was just finishing up with the captain. A Nausicaan replied thanking Kimberly for her statement. Varra found what he added next very interesting and she would ask him later to clarify what he meant later.

Upon hearing the door open Varra spanned to attention saluting expecting the captain. Varra quickly realised her mistake soon after seeing Sisko, Dax and Kira of DS9 standing in the doorway. However this did not stop Varra from saluting, in fact she even tried to straighten out her body even more. Varra had read everything she could about Sisko and his team after they discovered the wormhole. I mean what self respecting Starfleet officer wouldn’t. Varra admired how even though Sisko was in charge of a space station he had still found a way to be an explorer. Major Kira was also impressive having fought the Cardassians of her world. Varra even saw some of her people’s hardship in the majors eyes. She also liked how the major kept her hair short as she always wondered how those with long hair coped with something so messy. Having no hair she would never truly understand though she had tried a few wigs at one point, but she had not enjoyed the feeling. Then there was Dax having lifetimes of knowledge in her head and potentially even more lifetimes to come.
 
Settling into her chair, Kimberly nods politely when Taris joins her and Jack. Then id held her attention at id's cordial invitation, and she smiled automatically in response. "I'd love that!" she says back, managing to project some real enthusiasm at the prospect while still matching id's volume precisely. "Once our schedules are confirmed, it'd be nice if all of us met up in the next day or so to see how it's all going for us. Especially you, Jack," she adds, pitching up her voice enough to reach the Ensign. "Yeoman offers a great opportunity to learn from our captain, I'd love to hear your experiences!"

Meanwhile, Kimberly returns her attention to studying the other officers in the conference room. Lieutenant Krii'kii's interest is returned in kind, for the two are to spend most of their time with each other and it's useful to notice one's immediate superior. The Kraekiran looks rather rather striking, she thinks, intrigued by the prospect of working with a representative of a species she hadn't worked with before.

The Nausicaan's thought to thank her results in a smile and a nod. Gauging the room, and her own relative newness to it, Kimberly opts to not extend the conversation in the interest of not distracting the crowd of senior officers who all seem intent on preparing for this briefing. Perhaps I should ask Lieutenant Ma'Juk later which game he had in mind.

Only the arrival of Deep Space Nine's senior officers distracts her from people-watching. Their arrival, and their reaction, is intriguing and amusing...or should be according to her Emotion Emulation software. Humor is often a remedy for a serious situation and she chooses one option among hundreds presented to her.

"I prefer a good wake personally," she says to Major Kira. "Hopefully our mission will be neither of those things though. Welcome aboard, sirs!"
 
Taris smiled at Kimberly, because her mood - although most likely just a result of clever programming - seemed so genuinely excited that a bit of it rubbed off on idre. Then id smile at Jack, too, because id thought she needed it. Unlike Kimberly, who seemed to draw something positive out of any situation, the J'nnai didn't think the post of a Yeoman offered such an amazing opportunity. Quite on the contrary. It had been cancelled for a reason, after all. Assigned uniquely to female officers, who usually performed no more than a secretary's job despite their undeniable qualification for one or more specialisations, the post of a Yeoman bowed out of existence over a hundred years ago. Starfleet stood unified in the opinion that it didn't correspond with contemporary ideals of equality and was, in it's nature, quite sexist. That, however, was definitely not an attribute Taris would subcribe to the Captain after meeting with him briefly, and so id was not sure what to think about that.

"Yes, let's meet the next day," id agreed in a hushed voice, still mindful not to anger their superiors. "And if you cannot find me, it probably means I'm cleaning the toilets." That was when the Deep Space Nine's senior officers made their entrance. Taris leaned forward on ids chair, so as to get a better look at the famous trio. It was a one-of-a kind chance, almost as great as meeting Captain Picard in person, and suddenly ids the foul mood was completely dispelled. The atmosphere of comradeship and positive attitude those officers brought on board made the overall gloom in the conference room more apparent than it had been before, but at the same time, their joking relieved the clouds a little. Taris couldn't help idself but chuckle, amused even more by Kimberly's response.
 
"Why, thank you," Major Kira replied with a cute smile when one of the secondary bridge crew welcomed her, though she couldn't keep it up for long. Apparently, the Galorian gynoid had no idea what she had implied at all. "Just make sure you keep your necrophilia tucked away in the holodeck, and you should be fine." Jadzia could barely stifle a laughter at the exchange. Despite all that was happening, they were able to maintain a good mood. Before long, the three Deep Space 9 officers were seated at the foot of the table.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Lieutenant Jadzia Dax): *Playfully* What an oddball!]

That was when the door opened, and beyond the threshold stood Captain Ke'varr, who was hunching just so he could see into the the conference room. Those who could see him jumped to their feet immediately and stood at attention, the others followed very quickly. The Deep Space 9 crew reacted last, unused to this sort of excessive discipline on their station.

"As you were," the Captain said as he hunched further and clambered through the door, as if it was a hatch in a claustrophobic submarine. From the Captain's perspective, it was indeed claustrophobic - something he would have to get used to, and he had been trying for many years to come to terms with the fact that Federation ships would never expand in size... Without success. After he was in, the counselor, Junior Lieutenant Savir, followed behind him. Commander Benjamin Sisko came up to him with a hand out:

"It's good to see you again, Captain Ke'varr," Sisko said. Ke'varr shook his hand, his avian hands completely and delicately enveloping Sisko's.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Commander Benjamin Sisko): The Scourge of the Federation... It's a long time ago, but can I find it within me to forgive him for what he's done to us? He's yet to prove himself, but everyone deserves a second chance.]

"And I you, commander," Ke'varr replied. "Now, let us speak of battles. Time is of the essence, considering the dangers looming beyond the light of this nest."

"Yes, of course," Sisko then returned to his seat, holding his hands together in contemplation. Captain Ke'varr then proceeds to the head of the table, his footsteps heavy and reminiscent of velociraptors, and just stood there - the Kraekiran had never liked these humanoid chairs, due to the way they were shaped; far too short, with no indentations or openings for his wings and rudders.

"Computer, load file display sequence for my briefing, authorisation Ke'varr-Alpha-Alpha-Theta-3-8-1," the Captain ordered, and the display screen in the conference room first showed the USS Voyager, from a top-down view. The ship's name and registry code was clear, and it was the only thing differentiating its look from the Intrepid, Vigilance and Bellerophon. "This is our objective. Just two weeks ago, the voidship Voyager flew into the badlands, on a mission to neutralise the Maquis. She was to maintain constant communication, but she was never heard from again."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): I kill pray to the Goddress of Pain she's kill alright kill please let her be kill rend alright will this kill crew be good enough to kill save her?]

The picture on the display screen had switched to that of a slowly rotating mugshot of Captain Janeway. Her strong jaws and a tightly wounded bun were most immediately apparent. "The ship USS Voyager, NCC-74656, is commanded by Captain Kathryn Janeway. Her service records confess a background in the sciences, with limited but exemplary performance in the command division." Captain Ke'varr took a deep breath, his eyes going distant. "I, personally, know her. My first memories of her was in the academy. We were fellow aspirants there, and she was one of the first to accept me for who I am. She is a natural scientist, always inquisitive and protective of the truth. We didn't see much of each other again until on Earth, when we were both waiting for our voidships. We exchanged wisdom and knowledge. I gave her advice on warfare and tactics, and she gave me... Stability. She is a captain worthy of her throne, and her many values will serve her well. I believe Captain Janeway is still in the badlands, in need of help. Her story couldn't have ended." There was a period of silence before Ke'varr spoke up again.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): My dear lost cut Janeway kill I hope I'll kill be able to repay kill the kindness that you've kill showed me rend for all that you've kill done for me kill not just the cultural kill explorations and walks in the parks kill but for convincing Starfleet Medical murder of approving kill my treatments kill and talking to me and kill accepting me past and kill present kill I will find you kill Janeway]

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Lieutenant Krii'kii): There he goes with Janeway again, why can't he talk about me more? He practically ignores me in favour of these rodents!]

"Please continue the briefing, First Officer," he said plainly, before searching for the tiny humanoid seat behind him and, after rotating the back of the chair to his right, sat down with an arm on the back, as if it was a stool with a single arm.

Commander Bradfield stood up and walked to the screen in front of them. He wore the same pained expression as before. After pressing a few buttons, a map showing the local sectors appeared, with a flight path drawn towards the Badlands. Before he said anything, he scanned the room in an attempt to find anyone who might be displaying even a hint of disinterest or lapse in concentration. Having found no one to target, he continued the briefing: "Owing to the possibility that Voyager could be in immediate danger, we will proceed to their last known coordinates of the ship at maximum warp. But there is also the matter of a distress signal - from a Cardassian Ship near where Voyager was, from one Gul Evek. While those reptilian scumbags deserve every evil thing coming to them, we are obligated to assist. I'm just hoping that they'd know the whereabouts of USS Voyager to justify the effort. If they know nothing, we'll send them packing for Cardassia Prime and begin search pattern Hunting-Hawk-Alpha."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Commander Mercer Bradfield): Damn this headache to hell, those surgeons back in Starfleet Medical don't deserve their pips for all the Borg implants they left in me! Starfleet - all they've ever done for me is to kill me little by little! And for all I've done for the Federation! That incompetent Jack Kwan better give me some of the stronger stuff next time!]

"Any questions? Or are some of you spacing out?" Bradfield snapped at the room.

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Jack, after being prevented from starting a conversation with the J'nnai, was spacing out throughout the mission briefing, keeping her eyes trained on the Captain as he spoke, pretending to listen, but not hearing much. She felt, in all honesty, exhausted. Exhausted from meeting new people and starting a new adventure and going on a new ship and saying goodbye to her dogs to leave them with her sister. She was again filled with thoughts and questions, but this time on a more somber note. Her regular spontaneity was replaced with regular one-ness, that any empath in the room would clearly notice. Not clear thoughts or feelings, just boundless chasms of loss and fear. She didn't even take notice of the former borg standing and yelling at everyone. Upon his snap, she returned to reality, only just realizing her visibly shaking hands and putting them to rest. She made no response to the Commander.
 
Because the conference was already starting when Savir entered, he greeted the crew of DS9 only with a polite bow and immediately withdrew into the group of officers closest to him. Unable to find an empty chair without making his way across the entire room, he opted to remain in a formal stance instead and folded his hands behind his back. The Captain had hinted that he would have a chance to get a better idea about the mental state of his colleagues during the briefing, wherefore Savir decided to make that the focal point of his attention, even though he was naturally able to keep track of the presentation at the same time - enough to notice that the Captain had called the Voyager a voidship again. Since everyone else had their eyes pinned on the screen, he made sure to keep the Janeway bust in his field of vision and started to make mental notes of any observation he made.

- The crew of DS9 was composed of stable, seasoned officers with a positive attitude...
- ... which was not the case for anyone else in the room.
- Sisko had his reservations regarding the Captain, but he was willing to give him the benefit of doubt.
- The Captain was personally invested in their task, as suspected. Probably a good thing?
- Everyone, perhaps with the exception of Lieutenant Krii'kii, was afraid of Commander Bradfield to some degree. Even the new people were afraid of him.
- Lieutenant Krii'kii was not actively displaying such massive personality shifts like the Captain. Something to look into? She was, however, displaying signs of envy.
- Out of the new officers, Jack was the one to be most concerned about, if the current depression was any indication.
- BRADFIELD.

The First Officer's issues didn't fit into a single note. He was being his unpleasant self again, but his anger seemed somewhat tamed in comparison with the show he had put on earlier. Savir could only guess the man was holding back because he didn't want to lose face in front of Sisko, who was known for his fairness. What did Lieutenant Polito say... that he never pushed hard enough to actually be demoted? Whatever the case, he was somewhat more relatable now, because he was suffering. That put Savir in a less than enviable position, as it was becoming obvious to him that he would actually have to try and help Bradfield before attempting to declare him unfit for service, he would have to fight the man to make him accept any kind of help, and most likely still fail in the end. As he pondered that grim prospect, the pictures in the presentations changed; danger, Gul Evek, Hunting-Hawk-Alpha noted.

There was a pregnant pause in the small lecture, Bradfield's provocative question hanging in the air. Savir felt several people did want to ask about a detail or two, but nobody dared to. His eyes curiously shifted from the map to the DS9 crew in order to estimate if they were put off by this display.
 
Taris listened to the Captain's speech intently, pleased that id had been correct in ids assumption that there was some sort of bond between Ke'varr and Janeway. Hearing about it from the Captain's own mouth added more gravity to the friendship between the two members of very different species and revealed a lot about its nature. Taris felt id could relate; id knew too well what it was like to be ostracized due to being different. The first person to accept you regardless, to care who you were inside... you remembered them forever. Taris would certainly never forget ids person, even though they had not seen each other since the Academy. Id truly hoped that Janeway was still out there and that they would find her and the crew in time. The Voyager was a hi-tech vessel, equipped for a variety of unforeseen circumstances, and if the "homemade" Maquis ships could brave the anomaly and live, so could she.

The animated representation of the Voyager was making its way across the map as Commander Bradfield took over. Taris noticed that while he could not scream at anyone in the room at the moment, he still used the opportunity to offend the Cardassian Commander and his entire species at least. Currently in charge of the CDS Vetar, Gul Evek was also a renowned poet, and a respectable person, Taris imagined. Id sighed, concentrating on duplicating the map in ids PADD instead, idly zooming in on the area where the Voyager had been spotted last. If the dotted trajectory were to continue in the same direction, the Voyager would arrive at the orbit of one the 3 M class planets that had been charted in the Badlands. Taris frowned subtly, recalling what little information was known to idre, and - to ids own surprise - raised a question in a casual, yet respectful tone.

"I would like to ask if we have received any recent reports regarding Maquis activity in the area," id said, looking up to the animation on the big screen. "I couldn't help but notice that the Voyager might have been headed towards Sindorin, which is likely being used by the Maquis for mining purposes." The latter was more of a rumor, honestly, because the planet's rich supply on unknown minerals didn't allow for a confirmation using standard scanners, but worth a shot.
 
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The Major's response is nonsensical. Despite searching her memory banks, Kimberly can't find a reason why mentioning a wake, which was generally a positive funereal experience for the living, indicated sexual attraction to the deceased. So, it what is rapidly becoming a normal experience with this crew, she files the paradox away for uploading to her people. Maybe they could figure it out.

In the meantime, she simply smiles and says "Yes ma'am."

The arrival of the Captain switches everyone present, including their guests, to a more formal mode and Kimberly joins the formality without hesitation. She smiles slightly at the exchange between the Captain and the Commander, but maintains an otherwise professional expression while listening to the senior officers talk. The mission briefing itself is useful information, providing parameters for their purpose. And Captain Ke'varr's revealed history with the Voyager's Captain reveals a capacity for compassion and respect for a prey species, something she understood could be difficult in predator species. It suggests a higher xenotolerance than she might otherwise have guessed.

Bradfield's part also provokes interest. Permission to exceed the maximum warp is rarely granted, and that it was given for this mission suggests how seriously Starfleet took the Voyager's potential predicament. As if her sudden reassignment to the Vigilance hadn't been enough of an indication. Bradfield's ad hominem attacks against the Cardassians remained characteristic of a Zaldan, and the his final abrasive characterization of his audience's attention span made her wonder if he hadn't undergone some kind of surgery to appear Terran.

Taris' countering question is excellent and Kimberly eagerly listens for the answer. When delivered, she asks her own. "The Badlands are known for gravitational anomalies and intense plasma storms, up to and including what's been termed 'plasma tornadoes'. Sensor navigation in particular may be reduced to little better than visual range. I have a few theoretical ideas I'm certain Lieutenant Krii'kii could improve on but, before spending time on solutions, may I ask if Starfleet has provided any direction on how one searches for anything out there?"
 
When Kimberly responded to Kira, Varra was pretty sure Kimberly hadn’t understood what the Major had said. Which made Varra smirk a bit and break her salute to cover her mouth. She pretended to yawn so as not to draw attention. What was surprising was that she hadn’t noticed the low lighting earlier. In fact Varra had missed a lot of things that had been said around the table, because of her almighty headache. Though it had gotten a lot better. In fact the lighting was probably helping and it made her feel more at home like she was on one of her people’s ships. The whole back and forth that happened between Kira and Kimberly still had Varra holding her laughter in causing her to shake. When the DS9 crew took their seats Varra couldn’t help but stare with admiration.

Suddenly the door opened again and Varra had to snap back to attention saluting the captain as he came in. She waited for the more senior officers to stop saluting before she followed suit, not wanting to rub Bradfield the wrong way if she could help it. She was relieved when the captain told them they could be at ease and that Savir wasn’t to far behind the captain looking no worse for wear. Varra returned to her previous position leaning up against the wall where she had a good view of the room.

As the briefing got underway Varra made sure to take in as much information as possible. Making sure to note that the captain felt very close to the captain of the missing ship. Varra wondered if Ke'varr and this Janeway might be something more between these two then just friendship. It jus seemed odd to Varra the way Ke'varr talked so informally about Janeway. Then again it might just be in her head as she had been wrong about these things in the past. In fact she had been wrong multiple times when it came to romance even when it was in her own love life.

When the captain passed the briefing onto Bradfield it was interesting to see how awkward the captain had it sit down. Thinking to herself that maybe someone should redesign the chair so he could looked more dignified. Moving her attention over to Bradfield she listened to him continue the briefing. Noting his distinct dislike for Cardassians, however this was normal for a lot of Starfleet personnel. When he asked if anyone had any questions Varra felt insulted by his tone and the assumption that people weren’t paying attention. Varra waited for her fellow officers to speak and maybe she would wait until the end of the briefing before, she would put her opinions forward on the matters hand. Both Taris and Kimberly put forward some good points.
 
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Commander Bradfield had noticed Ensign Jack even during his briefing, the way she reacted to the briefing: the lack of intelligence in her eyes as her eyes went distant while he was dispensing some important information. He gritted his teeth with barely-contained anger, only to be distracted by someone else.

"I would like to ask if we have received any recent reports regarding Maquis activity in the area," the J'nnai said. Bradfield shifted his gaze unto him. "I couldn't help but notice that the Voyager might have been headed towards Sindorin, which is likely being used by the Maquis for mining purposes."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Commander Mercer Bradfield): Oh hell, it's this idiot again, and his questions weren't any smarter. I hope he doesn't crash the ship with the power of his stupidity alone.]

The First Officer paused, and just stared at Junior Lieutenant Taris Noor, as if he could be seeing into his soul. The young officer reminded him of all that he hated, as did Ensign Jack. There were always something in each and every Starfleet officer which reminded him of how he and his wife were assimilated by the Borg, and how he had suffered ever since. Even the senior officers of Deep Space 9, as veteran and thick-skinned as they were, became tense.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Commander Benjamin Sisko): *Images of the USS Saratoga falling apart and his wife dead* This Bradfield has sure brought up some bad memories! Captain Picard was at least civil, and his behaviour, refined and a virtue. Now this man, on the other hand... Is still a damn Borg drone.]

"It's common knowledge among Starfleet officers by now that the Badlands are swarming with the Maquis," Bradfield said, barely able to hold back on the aggression. Sarcasm took over very quickly. "And I was just about to get to Voyager, thank you very much." At the feet of the table, Commander Benjamin Sisko was looking at him with intent, even disgust. His own accompanying senior officers were just as unimpressed.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): KILL poor Bradfield kill and my crew kill I wish there is kill a way to help him kill but perhaps all he kill needs is this mission, kill this ship kill Starfleet Medical certainly kill weren't of any help kill a good meal]

Right at that time, Captain Ke'varr stood up once more, and the First Officer turned to him, ready to listen to what he had to say - he himself was just about to continue, but on board the Vigilance, the only person he had ever come to respect, or might even ever come to respect, was Captain Ke'varr.

"Perhaps I should speak of Voyager, First Officer," the Captain said. "There have been some developments just this morning - previously classified information regarding Voyager has been cleared for circulation by the admiralty." He ordered the computer to display a file on the Maquis before continuing. The face of a man of Native American descent, with a tattoo on half his forehead appeared. "Voyager was assigned to apprehend a key leader of the Maquis. This man-" He pointed a sharp finger at the screen. "-is Chakotay. Formerly Lieutenant-Commander Chakotay of Starfleet Academy. He taught advanced tactical training, a prestigious position, and one that makes him dangerous as a traitorous turncoat. In securing him, the admiralty hopes to interrogate him for information - names, cells, hideouts and planets."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): Yesss... Traitors do not deserve kill mercy kill lowest of the low kill He will be bird food if I ever catch him]

"To answer your question, Mister Taris, no," the Captain continued. "Voyager was meant to keep a low profile, especially considering that this very ship - the Vigilance - was meant to accompany it but could not. And if I know Captain Janeway enough, she would not risk the life of her crew unnecessarily, as a mother would protect her hatchlings. Sindorin would be heavily guarded and dangerous even for a flotilla of Federation voidships. She would most likely have avoided Sindorin, and stayed far out of its detection radius."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): Janeway kill where are you? kill I am so sorry kill for what I've done kill at the eve of your kill departure kill I must find you]

When the Captain was done answering, he handed the room back to Bradfield and sat back down awkwardly on his chair. Commander Bradfield was about to move on to the next agenda, but then Kimberly asked another question:

"The Badlands are known for gravitational anomalies and intense plasma storms, up to and including what's been termed 'plasma tornadoes'. Sensor navigation in particular may be reduced to little better than visual range. I have a few theoretical ideas I'm certain Lieutenant Krii'kii could improve on but, before spending time on solutions, may I ask if Starfleet has provided any direction on how one searches for anything out there?"

At this, Lieutenant Krii'kill opened her thin beak in anticipation to answer the question. However, someone beat her to it.

"I can help with that," Major Kira contributed. "the Bajoran resistance used the Badlands as cover just like the Maquis back in the day when the Cardassians don't ask for help from their neighbours. We used a form of sonar to navigate the region. There's enough gas particles in the Badlands to make it work. I'd gladly help your science officer, what's your name again? Kii'ki, to set it up."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Lieutenant Krii'kii): This four-limbed cripple-monkey dare challenge me in my own ship!? If this was a century ago, I'd KILL her, split her from end to end! KILL HER!]

"It's Krii'kii, you-" the Kraekiran Eagle shrieked, her feathers ruffled, and bloomed a little with anger, increasing her visible size like what a predator would do to send its prey running. It took a clearly visible amount of effort for her to calm down and soften her feathers. Major Kira had unknowingly hit some alien nerve with her words. "I do have another method for navigation involving subspace reflections, which, I believe, is superior to your primitive method, and I don't have to ape my predecessors to do it."

"Primitive!? Ape!?" Major Kira exclaimed with incredulity.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Major Kira): Wow, Starfleet should have stuck this Kii'ki in a bird cage where she belongs!]

"I want both methods at my disposal, you two," Captain Ke'varr, whose own feathers were instinctively raised, ordered. "Major Kira, provide the sonar method to my Chief Science Officer immediately. We will be departing within the hour. Miss Krii'Kii, how soon to get your subspace reflection method ready?"

"Within the hour, my lord-" Lieutenant Krii'Kii said, and only realised her blunder a little too late.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): *Images of 23rd century Federation prisoners became clear. They sat on the floor of some metal dungeon, their hands and feet bound. Ke'varr brings one of them, a human female with thin bouffant hair, standard issue command yellow short skirt uniform and high boots, to her calves. She stares at him with terror in her eyes. Ke'varr proceeded to tear a Starfleet sleeve away and lick her upper arm* tasty kill someone I must eat but kill the questioning kill awaits no Krii'Kii you bitch kill reminded me kill of-]

"It's Captain, Lieutenant. We are not of the Kraekiran Voidfleet anymore," the Captain corrected his science officer, as he stabbed at her with his four eyes.

"Slip of the tongue, Captain," Krii'Kill explained.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Lieutenant Krii'kii): And here we go again, my dear Raven captain betraying his own kind. He's such a hard Flock Lord to love. Why does he have to be so severe with me all the time? I'll get back at Kira someday. Wish I could know how she'd taste like, but I'm starting to hate that smell of hers]

"Do not repeat that 'slip of the tongue' again, Miss Krii'kii. Prepare your navigation methods immediately after briefing. And Lieutenant, get some air between your feathers. We will need both you and your method," the Captain said - and by that, he meant for his fellow Kraekiran to cool it - he then turned to Kimberly. "Thank you for your pertinent question, Kimberly #49."

"Now, if there's nothing else, let us move on to the next matter at hand..."

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"Of course, sir," Kimberly says to the Captain.

She makes a point of not looking at her immediate superior. While embarrassment is an optional emotion, one she doesn't routinely use her Emotion Emulation Engine to mimic, experience has taught the Kimberly series that looking at people after they've been reprimanded by their superior never results in a positive interpersonal outcome. So instead, she sits and looks fixed on the continuing conversation.

Building a relationship with Lieutenant Krii'kii may be more challenging now but she won't know until they're out of this briefing room and working together, out of the public eye.
 
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Taris was sure that if thoughts could kill, id would have been dead in an instant. The look Bradfield was giving idre really didn't leave much space for interpretation. What the fuck was the point of giving others the opportunity to ask questions if you didn't welcome them?! Of course id hadn't meant to ask whether or not there were any damn Maquis in Badlands, everyone knew that to be a fact. What id meant was, had there been any news of recent attacks or conflicts the Voyager might have been sucked into or dealing with the aftermath of. It was going to be impossible to work on this ship, because Bradfield would undoubtedly keep disregarding all ids ideas... which was by far not the worst thing he would do.

As the Captain replaced the First Officer again and supplied them with actual information, Taris found id could only force less than half of the enthusiasm from before. Yes, id still very much wanted to do everything within ids power to help save Voyager, but since there was little id was actually allowed to do, id saw zero point in making notes or trying to look for connections. When the face of ex-commander Chakotay appeared on the screen, Taris caught itself staring at it with intense disdain that was actually reserved for Bradfield. Normally, id would have asked idself, how could a promising Starfleet offcier turn his back on the Federation in such a traitorous manner, but now it occured to idre that perhaps Chakotay also had to deal with a Bradfield at work and needed to get away.
 
As the briefing progressed, Savir felt the beginnings of what was certain to turn into a raging headache creep upon him. Listening to all these deranged minds was somewhat tiring even for a seasoned telepath like him, especially since the negativity represented by some of the senior officers kept spreading like cancer. Those, who had previous experience with how briefings usually went on the ship, seemed adequately jaded. The new junior officers were slowly becoming either depressed, or angry. Even the android was successfully emulating shame. And it wasn't only the crew of the Vigilance. Sisko was terribly displeased with Bradfield, while also having his reservations about the Captain, and Krii'Kii pettiness managed to put Major Kira out of temper.

In a twisted way, it was incredibly interesting to witness the disruptive influence a select few high ranking individuals could have on a large group of sentient beings within such a short frame of time, especially when several members of the group were predisposed to a negative response due to prior experience or mental problems. However, the scientific value immediately faded when he tried to imagine spending monts on board of the Vigilance. In all honesty, a fortnight seemed too long for comfort. Admittedly, Savir was short on ideas when trying to figure out what he could actually do here to ensure smoother cooperation and daily life on the ship, safe for replacing most of the bridge crew. Which was most definitely not within his authority.

Instead of trying to find out more background information, Savir decided enough was enough and turned his attention to the object of the briefing, which was Commander Chakotay at the moment. He was familiar enough with the man's records to know that denoting the him as a traitor was a little shortsighted. Chakotay had been born on a Federation colony in what later became the Cardassian demilitarized zone; the planet was a target more often than not and Federation would not go out of its way to protect it in favor of keeping peace with the Cardassians. Joining the Maquis may well have been the only chance for the Commander to do something for his people, rather than sit with his hands folded in his lap. Now, however, was not the time to point out that every coin had two sides.

He might have kept thinking about that for a while longer, if a memory from the Captain, strong enough to interrupt everything else, hadn't invaded his mind. For a moment there, he had to fight a wave of nausea, half certain that he was about to witness one of the eight victims of Ke'varr's appetite being eaten alive. Savir truly hoped that the picture wasn't vivid enough for the woman's fear to reflect in his face, but he still lowered his head for a moment, trying to avoid with anyone. He had come to genuinely respect the Captain, but knowing he would never be able to unsee this was making it somewhat more difficult. In his chidhood, he had done a number of distasteful things to others, but he'd never enjoyed them.
 
Looking at the reaction or the lack of it on the part of the bridge crew, both primary and secondary, Captain Ke'varr could only continue to be disappointed. Starfleet had promised to give him a fine, large ship befitting a former Kraekiran admiral, only to throw him into an ill-prepared small cruiser. And then there's the matter of crew morale, which was abysmal - he had expected the crew to tolerate each other well, but now they were barely holding it together.

At this moment, he was thankful that few could read his expression, rather than the opposite.

"We will need to talk about the crew. As most of you may ken, we left Earth Station McKinley with a skeleton crew of 91, 60 of whom were sourced from the psychiatric department of Starfleet Medical. Had it not been for the special dispensation from Starfleet, none of them would have been fit to step into a voidship at all. Doctor?" the Captain handed the room to the ship's Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Jack Kwan, who seemed lost in his PADD previously. In the meantime, Commander Bradfield was looking out the window, staring intently, as though he was trying to snuff out life on a distant star system.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Lieutenant Jack Kwan): If I couldn't save them, what makes me think I could help a ship full of adults? How did I even get this post in the first place? Should I even have left my pediatrics clinic in the first place, like a coward?]

The doctor jumped when Lieutenant Luran, the Chief Engineer, grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him.

"Yes, yes, sorry. I was just thinking," the Chinese man said and then cleared his throat. He immediately put on a smile and swept aside a fringe. Commander Bradfield had long tore himself away from the stars outside, and he gave an audible sigh of displeasure.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Commander Mercer Bradfield): Of all the doctors in Starfleet, we get a hack and a child killer who isn't even experienced in treating adults in the first place. I'll square off with him later for my meds.]

"Where were we? Yes. He started scrolling through his PADD. Of the 60 officers and crewmen Starfleet Medical has released to us, 47 of them are suffering from two or more diagnosed psychological problems. PTSD and clinical depression, some with evidence of self-harm and unnecessary risk-taking are the most common, and most commonly found in those from the Cardassian wars. We have 30 of those veterans on board, one from the initial Borg encounter made by the Enterprise-D at the J-25 system, and two from the battle of Wolf 359. Next to these issues, several types of Dissociative disorder, mostly Depersonalisation and Dissociative Identity Disorder, are the next most common. The third most common are various forms of OCD and bipolar and manic disorders," the doctor briefed the meeting room. The doctor then got up and handed the PADD to Junior Lieutenant Savir. "Right, this belongs to you. It's a list of those who will be seeing you for therapy."

On the PADD was a list of those suffering from mental disorders. Oddly enough, there weren't 60 of them on the list. None of the senior officers were in it. In total, there were 54 patients in the manifest.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Major Kira): No wonder this place is such a madhouse.]

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Commander Benjamin Sisko): And Starfleet actually allowed this!? The admiralty never ceases to amaze me with their decisions.]

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Lieutenant Jadzia Dax): So they were more than oddballs. I hope they'll be fine regardless.]

"This brings us to you, Commander Benjamin Sisko," the Captain stood up once more and hunched over the table, both clawed hands on the table, looming over everyone else. His wings spread, increasing his perceived size. Even the legendary Commander Benjamin Sisko appeared at least a little intimidated. "I asked for a 100 new crewmen and officers to fill my ship-" Captain Ke'varr raised his massive talon-ed ring finger that represents a hundred in Kraekiran arithmetic, or at least what could be converted to human understanding. "And you gave me 10-" and the Captain replaced it with his massive talon-ed pinkie, which represents a ten in Kraekiran arithmetic. "I asked for your finest, and you gave me unproven hatchlings. Explain yourself, commander."

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): This miserable kill buzzard kill a miser kill when there is kill trouble in the kill badlands and a ship that kill needs immediate kill assistance]

Commander Sisko stood up, and straightened his uniform.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Commander Benjamin Sisko): Have I given my benefit of a doubt to this... Buzzard, all for nothing?]

"Our situation in Deep Space 9 is unprecedented, captain. You've read the report on the Dominion? Yeah, I'm sure every captain have by now. I can't just give away personnel like candy, not right now, not when we have plans to fortify the station. Captain," Sisko said, a little tense. What fear there was in him was completely wiped from his face, which was as firm as rock. "Even with what I have right now, we will still have to work around the clock just to get things started."

"So, we go to the badlands with a hundred-and-one soldiers. Will there be guilt at all if we never return, and Voyager is never found?" the Captain replied.

"I've thought about it, and I've come up with some alternatives," Benjamin said.

"Right, let's hear these alternatives from our resident bureaucrat. This ought to be good," Commander Bradfield chimed in with his ever-present disapproval. His fellow commander did not remove his eyes from Captain Ke'varr's four to even regard him.

"I have a list of... Prospective 'jobseekers' who would fit very well on a starship, and it's neatly tucked away in my office. A 'bureaucrat' like me would know to keep tabs on things like these. While I can't entertain most of them, I'm sure you might," the Commander said. "For starters, I have about 20 Klingon adventurers who are formerly warriors under the empire, always looking for glory and ever-curious about the Federation... 9 Earth Cargo Service officers who are on an exchange program - I could release them to you, and- How many final year cadets are there, Old Man?"

"19, and they are dying to try their hand at running a starship," Jadzia Dax said, with an unabated smile.

"Right, and the Bajorans, I'm sure, wouldn't mind a stint on a shiny, newly-minted Federation starship. Don't you think so, Kira?" Commander Benjamin Sisko turned to his second-in-command, Major Kira, whose surprised face said the latter.

"I'm not-" and she was about to voice her disapproval when the Sisko's smile turned into a frown. Kira smiled back when she understood, and her CO returned to smiling as well. "I'm not opposed to that idea. I can spare 10 of them-"

"And what about the militia from Bajor?" Sisko corrected.

"10 and 20, so 30 of them, at your disposal," Major Kira agreed.

"*Ahem* I can't help but to listen in on this channel as I am volunteering to help with the maintenance of the station's communication array like a good community leader would, but," a voice came through from the station, on the comms. It sounded untrustworthy, slimy and annoying. It sounded Ferengi. "I know a few fellow Ferengis who would love to have a place on a fine ship such as the Vigilance. For a small reference fee, I can point a few Ferengi eliminators and prospectors your way."

"Quark! Get the hell off this channel!" Benjamin shouted.

"It's only a few bars of latinum per head, and I'll even throw in a 10% discount if you take all of them. Bye!" and with that, the Ferengi, which some would know as Quark, chimed out.

"There's also a group of 8 Cardassians who are on the station, investigating Gul Evek's transmission and disappearance. Garak, our resident tailor, tells me they wouldn't mind taking a closer look at their query," Benjamin said further, as if to sweeten the deal. "They could be useful in the Badlands, and in dealing with Gul Evek."

The Captain straightened up, eyes still staring daggers at Commander Benjamin Sisko, deep in thought. It was clear that he's had opinions on the subject.

[Tele-Empathic Reveal (Captain Ke'varr Sel'kir): Mercenaries kill and freelancers kill and little more than bandits kill is this really the kill Federation kill and this Commander Benjamin Sisko kill gets on my nerves kill though he kill is no doubt effective]

"Opinions?" the Captain decided to ask the crew first, both senior officers and secondary bridge officers, before stating his opinions and decisions and exposing them to holy, plain light.
 
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