From: Sarah Albertini-Bond (serendipity77_at_gmail.com)
Date: Thu Jan 17 2008 - 19:45:54 PST
It's Not A Lack Of Feeling... <continued from Joy's "I'm Going To Install A Rotating Door"> =/\= Location: USS MCINNIS Scene: Main Engineering Mendar Talev was not enjoying this. Oh he had no problem introducing the Commander to people on the ship whom she might not know. But really this was....well this officer was "special". For her part, Xana was walking, reading a PADD and commenting on the contents of said PADD. "He's an Ensign but his last CO tried to have him demoted? And he's been an Ensign for...seven years? That can't be right." "It's right," Tal sighed. "No, no this can't be right," Xana continued as she read things. "He shot his CEO and then claimed that the CEO ordered him to do that...he burned through activation circuitry because he forgot to switch the relays...he was outwitted by a child on a Away Team? No gentlemen, this has to be kind of joke." "FIRE! FIRE!" The two senior officers' heads snapped up at the screams. Xana, by virtue of being closest, grabbed the fire extinguisher and hosed off the fire on the Ferengi's uniform. Tal seeing this ran to grab the med kit; once he came back inspected the area. "Right well it's starting to blister," he nodded, "so I'll do what I can now but you need to go to Sickbay." "No, no it's not that bad," the Engineer protested. "Look the last time I set myself on fire it was much worse. This I can live with." Tal spared a glance over at Xana who for once had dropped her stoic face and simply stood there with her mouth slightly ajar. "What in the name of 88 hells is going on?" she asked. "The Commander saw me on fire?" the Ferengi moaned. Looking over at Tal he whispered, "Why didn't you tell me that? I would have run the other way!" Tal looked "the other way". "That's towards the warp corp," Tal pointed out. "We'd all be dead if the fire got that close." "Yeah but then she wouldn't have seen me," Klepp pointed out. Tal shook his head. "Commander Bonviva please meet Ensign Klepp." Looking at the Engineer the Bajoran said, "Klepp, Commander Bonviva." When Klepp kept muttering about making a bad impression the Ops Officer hissed, "Say something, man, before she thinks you're totally daft." For once in his sad life Klepp really wanted to do well but he just couldn't get it together. So Xana shook her head and sighed. "Why should I let you stay on this ship when there's a good chance you'll blow us up before we get to the Dominion?" "Because Commander McInnis always stood up for me," Klepp said as he pulled himself up, "and I thought I should stand up for him." Before this she had been...not quite herself but she wasn't trying to be this noble stoic person. But when Gene's name was mentioned her face just shut down and suddenly all emotion went away. "As you were...well before you were on fire," Xana said softly with a nod of her head. With that she spun on her heel and left Engineering. =/\= Scene: Bar Every ship had to have a bar. It was one of those things that Starfleet recognized after awhile – if you were going to send people out to do unmentionable things then you should at least give them a place to get some liquor. It seemed only fair. Right now there was no decor or anyone in the room aside from two people sitting at a table by a window. The blue woman looked out the window. "Why are you here?" she asked. Tomas Vukovic folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. "I need a job," he said simply. "I'm thirty years old so I most definitely was not born yesterday," Xana replied, her voice never rising. She never stopped looking out the window as she spoke. "Give me another reason." "I don't have a good reason," Vukovic admitted. Xana nodded at that. At least it was honest. "Why this ship?" "You know the answer to that," Vukovic replied. The CO looked at the man and studied him for a bit. "There was no love lost between you and Gene," she said. "So I have to assume it's because of me." "And Dahlia," he replied. "She is my goddaughter." Xana nodded at that. "Family can't be the only reason, though," she said quietly. How unlike Xana that was, Tomas thought to himself. Still he went with the flow – all that time as her Chief of Staff that dealing with Xana went a lot better if you went with her emotional direction than against it. "Use me," he offered up. Leaning in he said quietly, "You know what I can do...I'll leave it in your hands how you'll use that information." Xana said nothing to that but raised an eyebrow in a silent question. When she got nothing in return for her look she stayed quiet. Nodding to herself she said, "The bar is yours. There is an officer mess and that's to stay as it is. But Ten Forward...hire who you want, within reason. Do with it as you please." Standing up she looked over at her old Chief of Staff. "As to the other thing...well I'll take that into consideration." "You don't trust me because of this," Tomas replied indicating to his appearance which they both knew was a facade of sorts. Xana gave him a look. "I don't trust you because you lied to me," she announced. "I didn't trust you the first time because I didn't know you. Now I do know you and it's not all good." Tomas said nothing as he watched the azure woman leave. Silently he conceded that it might be more difficult to gain Xana's trust this time. Sighing he got up and went looking for a liquor list. He had a job – it would be best to see to that. =/\= Scene: CO's Ready Room "He's off the ship!" Kat yelled. "I'll toss out his thick Slavic Borg-nanite arse out myself!" Xana, who was lying on the hammock in her office and looking out the window, shook her head. "I'm going to overrule you here, Kat. He stays." Kat growled and began pacing. "This is not the time to overrule me," the XO replied. "I beg to differ," Xana replied softly. "We disagree and I'm invoking my status as CO to overrule you. It's the perfect time." The Englishwoman muttered at that and continued her pacing. "We're going to restrict his access – he can only go in the public areas." "Agreed." "And I want a Security detail on him," Kat said. Xana gave Kat a look. "We're stretched thin, we can't afford to lose someone trailing our bartender." Kat growled low in her throat at that. "You just got over telling me that not only is a former member of the Borg going to be our bartender but due to some freaky-deaky mojo he got when visiting some alternate Borg he can, with some limits, transform himself like a Founder. And you don't want this information to go beyond this room. Somehow I'm supposed to be fine with this? In what reality did you think I'd be fine with this?" "The one we're living in," Xana replied in a subdued voice. "If you're that bothered by it you think of something but I think he could be an asset and I want him on board." Looking out the window she said, "He was loyal before. I think he can be again." There was a long pause before she conceded, "But I am known to be a poor judge of men, so perhaps you should think of a way to ensure this doesn't blow up on us." Kat muttered at that, but didn't disagree. However, she wasn't ready to agree. "I'll think of something," she warned. Prowling around the office she paused long enough in front of the cookie jar to grab out something for herself and then for Angus who looked up hopefully. After tossing the dog his biscuit Kat ate her cookie and contemplated things. "Why did you decorate your office?" she asked, changing the subject. Xana said nothing to that, and just continued her looking out the window. Kat walked over to the hammock and jumped on it, sitting next to Xana's feet. "Move your big feet," Kat muttered. As Xana complied the XO sat there and looked at her friend. "I can't figure you out anymore, Bols," she said softly. The azure woman said nothing to that too, but just nodded her head. =/\= Scene: Holodeck 2 "Let's go people! I said shoot not play with phasers," Eilean ordered the Security grunts who were in the training program with her. "Ma'am," one of the officers yelled with a nod towards the door. Eilean looked over and saw Xana standing at the door. "Keep shooting, you need the work, Gustave." With that she walked over to the door. "Did you need something?" she asked. Xana nodded at that. "I just wanted to let you know that we need to restrict the access for our new bartender, he's a civilian. I put the notice into Security but I thought I'd give you a heads up." Eilean nodded at that. "Anyone I know?" she asked, feeling there had to be more of a reason why Xana was here and not holed up away from civilization. Not that the Xenxenian felt up to being around people but....Starfleet didn't give you off because you felt blue. "Tomas Vukovic," Xana replied. Eilean was going to say something at that but figured it wasn't her place. Things weren't right, it didn't feel right. "Understood," she replied. They watched the officers for awhile before the Chief Sec/Tac inhaled. "Well I should go back," she said. When her friend didn't respond she nodded and started to go away. Eilean got a few steps away when she heard. "It wasn't your fault." Eilean turned and looked at Xana. "Whose then was it?" she asked. "Because you and I both know that things happen for a reason, because someone did or didn't do something. So tell me, Alatariel whose fault was it?" Xana nodded at that. "There is someone whose fault this is...but it's not yours." =/\= Scene: CNS Office Zach looked around the sparse office and thought to himself that maybe he should liven it up a bit. Then again it was really a very neutral setting and perhaps that's what people needed when they came here. And thanks to Kat, everyone on the ship was about to come. "When should I make an appointment for?" Zach turned around at the question, although he already knew who it was. "Whenever you want Xana," he replied. Seeing her still stand there he waved his hand in inviting her. He watched her for a moment as she considered the offer. She seemed to be considering something before nodding to herself and walking in. The half-Deltan leaned against the desk as the azure woman walked around before settling at the window, just looking out. "How are you, Xana?" he asked. "Oh just fine," she said. "Liar," Zach replied. When Xana said nothing to that the CNS shook his head. "Really how much longer are you going to do this?" Xana said nothing for awhile before saying, "For as long as I can, Zach. For as long as I can." Well that was something Wen thought to himself. "Why?" he asked. "Being numb is good," she said quietly. "It's a calm neutral. It's just....coasting. Things happen around you but they don't happen to you. I can live in neutral." "Why would you want to?" Zach asked. Xana finally stopped looking out the window and stared at Zach. Her violet gaze was unblinking as she stared at him. "Because I hate myself otherwise. I become consumed by it and it justs-justs-" She waited a long time, still staring at him, still looking at the man who she once called the future of the Federation and wondered if even he could help her. Or if she was truly just beyond reach. He didn't know any of that. All he knew is that for a moment there was a spark. There was emotion flickering in her eyes, and written all over her face. "I hate myself. And more than that I hate Gene. If he wasn't dead, I'd kill him myself. And I don't mean that in the metaphorical angry sense. I mean so help me, Zachary, but if Gene McInnis walked in that door right now I'd take out my phaser and aim for the kill. And he'd die," she promised. "And then I realize he's already dead, and what kind of evil woman wishes her husband dead? So then I hate myself. I'm neutral because it's safer." Looking out the window the passion died down from Xana's face as she continued one, "For all of us." =/\= NRPG: Hopefully this works for everyone. I tried to hit up everyone at least once – except for someone who hasn't brought his characters on board yet (I know that was as subtle as a Mack truck *grins*). People have asked me questions about writing for NPCs and the like – feel free to create as many as you want in whatever position you want (first come first serve basis). The only thing I'm going to say is that if we get someone with a pulse who wants that position your NPC might have to step down after awhile. But since that probably won't happen for a VERY long time (if ever) then feel free to create as many members of the ship that you want. Also I wanted to introduce a comic foil for those moments you don't want to write about misery – Ens. Klepp. He is the most hapless officer you ever met, so have fun with it. I'm thinking we're going to start a small mission of sorts before we begin our big mission. How do you all feel about that? Let me know about that or anything else you've got going on in those heads of yours LOL =/\= Sarah Albertini-Bond Lt. Phia CNS USS STONEHENGE and Commander Xana Bonviva CO USS MCINNIS (novella unit) From HyperNews_at_youth.net
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