Jylliene

((Joint log, Jylliene and Jorahl. Log events transpire during the sim of 5/13/2016.)) With the station on lockdown, Jylliene had not anticipated going anywhere; the summons to the shipyard, though, was approved. The officer therefore soon found herself transported off Aegis, all appropriate documentation having been filed with security to cover herself as the investigation continued. Exhaling as she stepped off the platform, the Trill made her way to the shipyard command center. I wonder how many monitors he has here? she thought to herself with a slight smile as she neared her destination. Jorahl stood by one of the holographic design stations. Work on the Aegean-class ships could be seen on all the monitors and down in the drydocks below. A different ship design seemed to have the SubCommander’s attention at the moment, though. Jylliene’s presence hadn’t gone unnoticed -- he waited for her to formally present herself before looking up. “SubCommander,” she greeted. “How may I be of service?” “Lieutenant Commander.” He stood tall, folding his arms behind his back. “I am needing preparations made for the assignment of a Romulan ship to this section. While their assignment will have them working throughout the sector, Aegis will be their home base.” She nodded slightly. A Romulan ship? Perhaps to see to the security of the refugees? “Of course. Is Starfleet aware yet of their assignment?” “The assignment is not going through the normal channels. Romulan Fleet Command has much of their time taken up with seeing to Romulus. Certain affairs are being left to Senatorial and other independently operated fleets.” He lifted an eyebrow waiting to see what deeper questions this might entice. “It will draw attention, and tensions are slightly elevated with the investigation of the An-Ward representatives’ death and disappearances, not to mention the Nei’rrh’s mission. I am sure you have some idea in mind of how you would like this handled from my end?” “The vessel has yet to depart Romulan space so I am quite sure we will be on to some other disaster by the time it arrives. In other regards I will be responsible for the upkeep and welfare of this ship and its crew. Repayment of any burden on Aegis will be handled by myself. This however is not to be publicly known.” Jylliene nodded. “You may speak freely of the matter with Captain Ramson. She is aware of the arrangement.” That unnerving look Jorahl could get crept onto his face. “This will not be shared with anyone else. Anyone. Understood?” “I understand, SubCommander. Captain Ramson and no other,” she replied. Yep, there was the Jorahl she remembered. Jorahl turned and took a PADD from the nearby console. Handing it to Jylliene, he explained, “These are the specifics of the vessel, her crew, and typical supply load outs. Please provide quarters on Aegis for those who wish to stay over when in dock. All other documentation will come through Captain Ramson.” “Of course, sir. Is there anything more I should know?” she asked. I am going to need a drink when I get back. How the elements does he plan to keep this from Chirakis? “Not at this time.” With that, the SubCommander returned his attention to his work. Jylliene nodded again, even as he had already turned away. “Have a good evening,” she added, and proceeded back toward the transporter. Elements. This should prove interesting.

[Jylliene - Sometime during TBS of 2/12 - 2/19/16] It had been a very unusual turn of events that had led to Jylliene being in command of the away team. She was used to holding down the CnC from time to time, but there was a distinct difference between “You have the conn” while the captain or commander were accessible and taking command when they were not. She liked seeing how everything fit together. It was why she had chosen to pursue Operations versus Science. While she enjoyed studies in science as she grew up, she also tended to be a gofer when it came to her teachers, family, friends - always willing to go fetch whatever. Though it seemed petty, over time, she came to anticipate what was needed in familiar situations, and would be the one to remind her parents that they were out of this, or low on that, in anticipation of a coming event. She was a planner, and taking care of such responsibilities led to learning more and more of the network of needs that had to come together for a larger purpose. It wasn’t that far removed from what she liked best of science, all told - seeing the interconnectedness of things. Operations, then, was her choice. She saw it as a logical extension of those proclivities. Make sure everything is coming together, is prepared for whatever may come, as best one can determine it. She was nearly wishing for something akin to Commander Jorahl’s bank of screens - it would come in handy given life on Aegis, which had been a lesson in expecting the unexpected (understatement). She had to consider where she would go from here. Eventually, there would be opportunities (if she didn’t screw things up, that is). What did she want to do, beyond Aegis and/or beyond Ops? What would she say if she had the chance to advance in command? And how would such opportunities affect or be affected by a husband and child? Nijil and Annisha would limit her options. Cold, she thought. No, just admitting the obvious. What you do about it, that’s what makes it cold. She supposed she hadn’t really thought about any of that before pursuing their relationship to this level. She would not sacrifice her family for - Her family. She smiled slightly. It was a welcome and a sobering realization. They already felt like family, acted like family, were family, save for official vows and signatures and paperwork (and dresses, and food, and guests, and making sure Annisha doesn’t get herself into trouble during the event, and…) Stop. Anyways. She would not sacrifice them for advancement. If opportunities arose that she could accept with them, fantastic, whether on Aegis or elsewhere. But she knew anything of a more typical Federation posting would likely be out. And when it came down to it, she liked serving here, whether it had been under Captain Chirakis or under Captain Ramson. Two very different styles, but both effective, and ones she meshed with. Where else would she experience sentient tree peoples, droid cores, Horta, past civilizations blasting them with some Elements-forsaken mix of disparate musical styles (she could have done without that), and so on? Things could never be described as dull here.

[Joint log, Jylliene and Nijil, shortly after the events of the sim of 1/22/16] Jylliene sat at the captain’s chair, sorting through her thoughts, recording them in a personal log for the later report that she was sure she’d be making to Captain Ramson, at the very least. Though the tree people and cores had been friendly on the planet, they had entrapped Ramson in order to communicate with her. As they found her back where she had originally been held, Jylliene inferred that the droid core was already impersonating Ramson when “she” had helped them out of the chamber and accompanied them out and to the Aegean. Captain Ramson was not a hostile person, in her experience, and Jylliene could only assume that the Tree people would have, had they asked, been told what kind of aid the Federation could lend. Either they didn’t ask, she presumed, or they didn’t like what they heard. Their actions seemed to be of a desperate people trying to fight back against the attackers, but in doing so, they had kidnapped/held Ramson, impersonated the officer and attempted to persuade Aegean to attack - no, not persuade, but coming from the apparent captain, order. Hm. Well, no, not quite that. The core had not ordered an attack as Ramson, but had said it was their - no, your only chance. You could set back their war effort, it had said, and that it would lead if they would follow. It did stop short of actually just ordering Aegean to attack, though such a suggestion carried a different weight coming from the impersonated captain versus, say, an impersonated Ops officer. The droid cores had infiltrated Aegis previously. And they stole the cloaking technology, decloaking Aegean in a very vulnerable position. At least they did try to shield Aegean from the blasts from the attackers while the captain was recovered, but… well, at least they did do that. Jylliene regretted not having caught on a bit faster, as well as not having tried to ask the core for some explanation before it fled. Now, with the additional security of the task force escorting, they were heading back toward Aegis and leaving the newly found race to their fate. Not knowing what led to this fight, she just could not have imagined jumping in the middle. They may have sent cores elsewhere, and had been seen as aggressors, triggering such a retaliation. Surely the past events of the miners vs. the Horta were a reminder that there were at least two sides to each story. Taken out of context, their actions could indeed have been grounds for an attack, and yet, she was still seeing them as the victims of the attack they had just witnessed. Who were these other beings? And when back on Aegis, would they someday find themselves regretting not having gone along with the core, who would have known more about the others’ strategies and weaknesses, and seizing the opportunity they had? Jylliene hit the com. “Bridge to engineering. Status of the cloak, Subcommander?” A hint of frustration slipped out in Korjata's response. "It will be a few more minutes. Beaming out something is easier than placing it exactly where you found it. The device shut down as it was beamed over there, which is good since as active it could overreact. Clearly they knew a little bit about how the technology operates." A crash was heard in the background. He spoke to someone away from him. "Hey, <muffled> to watch that. Sever that connection and this repair is ten hours." His voice was louder. "Sorry about that...engineers," he huffed. "You should have the cloak at 90% function in 15 minutes." She smiled slightly. Engineers like you, e’lev, she thought. “Intact and reliable is more important than fast in this case. We’re under escort; there’s no rush. Thank you, Nijil. Bridge out.” Moments later, just enough time for Jylliene to sit down, a message came to her on the Captain's station. Nijil: The cloak technology was copied and likely reverse-engineered. Let's hope these droid cores are on our side, or not captured themselves. Please note this in your talks with Captain Ramson once she returns. Jylliene: Already planned to. So far, they seem to be non-hostile, but it will be noted. Should make for an interesting talk, Jylliene thought, and wondered what she would learn from Ramson about her experience.

(Joint log, Nijil and Jylliene - takes place sometime overnight between 2388.029 and 2388.030) Space is many things... Vast. Dangerous. Silent. Contained within a single galaxy among one hundred billion galaxies, within a single asteroid field among countless others, and spinning within the confines of one of thousands of space stations located in said asteroid field lay a lifeform unable to rest. While the remainder of the universe continued in a state of constant motion, this particular ceiling appeared to be frozen in time. He sensed motion however. Not in the visible movement of his environment, but in the incessant hum throughout the station. Most people couldn't hear it if they tried, but an engineer could. Especially Nijil. Even simply shutting his eyes did not hold back his restlessness. Tossing and turning stopped over an hour ago. "Jylliene?" he asked softly. Stirring in the bed beside him. “Hm?” came the reply. "Are you awa-," he stopped himself, realizing she'd not said that if she was indeed asleep. "I can't sleep." “Something bothering you?” she asked, stretching slightly, then rolling over to look at him. "No. I mean not really," he let his answer drift off, then abruptly restarted. "It's just work, or the amount of work. It's not really harder, just more work. More people? Station is the same size, problems are the same generally. Well, maybe it's not work." He swallowed. "You can tell me honestly, am I a good father?" Jylliene peered at him, then rubbed his shoulder. “Yes. Annisha is a challenge, but you love her, and she loves you.” "I hope so." He frowned, albeit out of her view. "I'm not her real father as you know and he is still al-." He stopped himself in case Annisha had bugged the room. “Doesn’t matter, e’lev. I mean - I know it matters to you, but you are still her father. Elements know it’s a bigger job than keeping this station running, but you aren’t in it alone.” The Trill reached out and squeezed his hand. For a moment he poured all his stress into her warm touch. He let out a nearly inaudible moan, the timing of "not alone" and her contact just right, "Thank you. I never really thought I'd be a parent just a few years ago and then take in a child not of my own blood. I was not prepared." “With your own, you’d at least have a few months’ warning,” she mused in agreement. With a slight smile, she added, “She only made me love you more.” Nijil squeezed her hand this time. "For some days I was worried things were moving too fast, that you think I would bond to you immediately and leave for the remains of the Romulan empire. I was in knots." “No, I’ve seen your orders. You’re stuck here,” she replied with a grin and a wink. “No, I didn’t get that sense from you at all.” "Really? I sure felt it. And I'm feeling the same all over again when she had this relapse. I could feel how vulnerable she was. I could taste the fear." “It may not be the last time she’ll do that. But we’re both here for her. And I’m here for you now - and will be.” Nijil grasped Jylliene's hand and brought it up to his lips, pressing a kiss onto the back of her hand. He then began to move her hand back to her side as he felt a wave of contentment flow over him, but not before falling fast asleep.

(Just before the sim of 6/19/15) Another away team mission down to the planet, but this time, without the subterfuge - save perhaps for the dual-approach as they considered both the Horta and the new government. And this time, Jylliene was at Ops, not in the chair. That was a bit of a relief, though she knew that the opportunities to command were good ones for her continued career. And the way things had gone so far, she could definitely understand why Chirakis had kept a stock of Romulan Ale in her office. Jylliene wondered how well - or poorly - this mission was going to wrap up (though she was confident in the abilities of the team members to come to the best resolution possible, anything could happen). And in the back of her mind, she also wondered if perhaps she and Nijil needed to have a conversation about arrangements for Annisha - a thought that had been in her head for a few days now. There would be more missions in the future that they would both be on; some they may know in advance would be risky, and some that may run into unforeseen circumstances. For that matter, even on the station, an attack could endanger both of them. They would need to consider what they would want for their daughter should something happen to them. At the same time, they should consider what would become of any future children of theirs. Annisha would not have to have the same arrangements as their biological children, but it would probably be better if she did. Or would it? All something to discuss with Nijil. The past few days had been too quiet. With Annisha on Aegis, and Nijil on the away team, the quarters felt empty. She missed both of them. She hadn’t slept as well - well, okay, the first night, she slept very well. But the next two, not so much. Which is why she was awake already, at 0430. With no decent chance of any further useful sleep, Jylliene got up, got ready for duty, and made her way to the mess for coffee.

(After the events of the log “Leave It”, between sims of 6/5 and 6/12/15) While Nijil may have been more worried at her disappearance, Jylliene was more worried after what would have appeared to have been the most dangerous part was over. During the moments following the transporter, while she was being dragged to Ramson’s location, she was focused on the immediate situation - there was no time to think of anything else. But once she was inside the room with Ramson, and had started to relax, the Aegean was in the back of her mind. What would they be doing? Still, with the conversation she, Ramson, and the planetside officials were in, even those concerns were kept at bay. When she and Ramson were released, that’s when things began to sink in - when she was able to simply follow the commander as they made their way back. Would the Aegean be waiting? Would the team have already been picked up by the ship and left? Somehow she doubted that. Orders or no, the best Jylliene could guess, she hadn’t been gone long enough for Nijil to have picked up the team and left, even if it was what by orders he should have done. For that matter, had the roles been reversed, she couldn’t be certain she would have left very quickly. So now that everyone was back on the Aegean - now she couldn’t get the possibilities out of her head. Jylliene lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Where could this mission have left Annisha? Where might it still leave her? After all, she and Nijil were still here, and the Trill knew better than to assume that all would be well. The situation here at the planet was still a bit too unknown, though she did generally feel that the government would not want to risk conflict with the Federation. After tossing, turning, and replaying scenario after scenario, Jylliene eventually snuggled closer to the Romulan beside her, allowing his rhythmic breathing to lull her into sleep.

[2 November 2387 - Stardate 2387.306 - About an hour after the beginning of Alpha shift (immediately following the sim of 5/30)] - Jylliene Jylliene sat at her station, scanning through items on her console screen, a nearly empty coffee cup in one hand. Workworkworkworkwork. The reports are so much easier to read more quickly now. I really am flying through these. I wonder what the explanation was for the whiskey and the florist? Why does a florist need whiskey? Well, though, maybe I’d need whiskey too if I were selling flowers all day. “Did you anger your wife? Your girlfriend? Your wife about your girlfriend? Is it your anniversary? Her birthday? Was it yesterday? Do you need something to encourage your superior to give you that promotion?” That probably wouldn’t work with the captain. She doesn’t seem like the flower type. A nice dagger in a display case, perhaps. Or maybe that’s what the whiskey is for. Branching out. Black is a good color on the captain. Dark blue or green or red might be too. But it would need to be very dark. Have I seen her out of uniform? Surely I have at some point. Maybe not. I don’t remember at the moment when it would have been, though. Wow, I’m already done with these reports. Nice. Now to review supplies. Can’t imagine we’d be needing supplies this soon, but who knows? Always good to be sure. The SubCommander probably would know right off the top of his head, if this were his duty. He’d look good in black too. In most of the same colors, really. I wonder if the tailors on board have enough of their material? But that’s why I’m going through this. Make sure. We’ve been going through a lot of coffee, too. Might need to check on those levels. Can’t run out of that. It looks like we have a fair bit. Good to know. Wonder how fast we’ve been going through it? What was the inventory level at last record - ah, there it is. Hm. We are burning through pretty quickly. Might need to order some now, before things get desperate and we need to ration or something. How would they decide on those rations? I mean, it’s not like this is a desperate survival - well, perhaps it would be. I mean, if security isn’t alert, they might miss something important. Or any of us here. Might try bringing two vessels to the same docking port. That would be bad in a number of rather large ways. I wonder if the SubCommander drinks coffee? He misses nothing. But that’s why all the monitors. What does he drink? Eh well. Where was I? Oh, supplies. This all looks pretty good. Only thing that stands out is that florist request. Security has that handled. I’ll let it stand until I find out what the outcome was. Maybe there is a sensible reason. I don’t know what it would be. Unless to numb one from sales. That must be it. Or maybe she’s hosting a meeting. A Floral Symposium. Wonder what that would be like? “The Latest Trends in Tulips. Arranging Azaleas for Fun and Profit. Rare Roses and You: A Study in Conservation.” Wait, they sell them, not raise them. That would be more of a gardener or arboretum topic. “The Best Vases for Violets.” I don’t think violets are really much of a florist flower. Pretty, though. Nice color, too. Do I have anything in violet? I wonder if you would try to match your clothing to your topic? Might be too much. Or might be the perfect gimmick. What was that quote? Gotta have a gimmick… Something like that. What would I host if I were at a symposium? Nothing exciting, I’m sure. Well, not to anyone outside the job. Let’s face it, it’s a bunch of monotony punctuated by moments of sheer chaos. Only hopefully organized chaos. I mean, that’s what all this record keeping directing ships stuff is for, right? So that we have the information and supplies in hand when everything goes haywire. Hard to see how cleaning materials or furniture might matter in the middle of a possible station siege, but maybe building barricades. Who knows? Ours is not to reason why, or something. We keep our stuff straight and don’t worry about why. Other than when a florist orders whiskey in bulk. My cup is empty. Here comes the Ensign. Cute kid. Probably not much younger than I am, all told, just has the youthful type of look. Ensign Lackey approached with another cup. Jylliene smiled at him, then shook her head. “No thanks, that was plenty for now. Thank you again, Ensign.” She watched him step away, then returned her attention to her console. Workworkworkworkwork...

If Pillows Could Talk (You’d Never Get to Sleep) - (Jylliene/Nijil) [sD 2387.191] Jylliene cradled a cup of tea and gazed out the window of her quarters. Out there, somewhere, was Annisha. And out there, somewhere, she had to hope, she had to believe, was someone working on a way to find her and, if she were indeed in danger, to bring her back safely. She had told Nijil as much, and would continue to do so. But without knowing what exactly was being done, she was unsure that she could say anything that would give him any real assurance. She hoped her trust and her feelings were not misplaced on the matter. If she didn’t really believe it, she’d be just as eager as Nijil to do...something. Anything. Not that there was much they could do. The woman turned her attention from the window to Nijil, who seemed to be napping peacefully for now. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she gazed down at him in thought. He had called her mother. He had called her mother to arrange this visit he hoped to surprise her with. She reached out and stroked the side of his face softly. If Annisha were indeed in danger - and the ship were not merely disabled - and she were returned to the station, what then? Well, there was no question that Nijil would likely jump to offer to take her in. Would they let him? He might be the only one Annisha would trust after this, but Jylliene was unsure if they’d allow a single officer to adopt. They could try to adopt her together, but as an uncommitted pair, that was less likely than Nijil on his own - and rightly so. Besides, what kind of family would they make? She nearly chuckled, but then glanced down at Nijil again. A happy one, she increasingly began to think. Placing the empty cup on the table, she lay back down beside him. Her eyelids drooped, and she drifted back into sleep. “Nijil!” shouted a voice off in the distance. The world started devoid of sights, smells, and touch. With no warning, he found himself in a darkened room, perhaps an alley. A mist hung over the ground extending over his head. The distant lights above glowed an eerie green. It was hot and humid. “I’m coming Annisha! Stay where you are!” Nijil shouted as he ran. The voice seemed just ahead. After fifty meters of running no girl appeared. He stopped and twisted around to see if he missed something. Frantic he called, “Annisha!” A beat in time passed. Her voice wailed, “Nijil!” The sound came from another direction some fifty meters or so away. Nijil ran even faster this time. “Annisha stay there!” The mist made breathing more of a challenge. The faster he ran the more it taxed his lungs. Running further this time only claimed the same result. His body spun around. His eyes darted all around. Annisha was not there. Nijil cried out again, but a voice interrupted. “Nijil, help me!” He asked again. “Where are you? I can’t find you!” “I’m right here,” a little voice said right behind him. He spun around, looking down. “I’m right here, or at least I was Nijil. I asked if I could live with you on the station, but you said you were too busy.” Annisha dematerialized into the fog. “Now I’m gone,” she exclaimed from an unknown distance. “I’ll come find you!” Nijil shouted. “No you will not Centurion tr’Korjata,” said the distinctive voice of Chirakis at the back of his neck. If distance mattered here, he would have jumped out of his skin. He turned to face her, but something seemed wrong with her face. Her pronounced nose ridge and evil glare caught the engineer off guard. He screamed. “Ahhhhh!” he exclaimed, finding himself in a bed with someone holding him. “Nijil?” Jylliene asked. “Are you okay?” “Wha, where am I. Oh, elements...” Nijil soon realized he had been dreaming - or more like having a nightmare. “Bad dream?” “Annisha, I could not find her. It was dimly lit. I told her I would find her, but then our Captain said I would not.” He covered both eyes with his hands. “Sometimes naps are refreshing, sometimes...less so,” Jylliene remarked. “Anything I can do to help you relax...?” she said, quirking an eyebrow at him. Nijil agreed, “Yeah.” Then he realized what she meant. “Ohh yes,” with a sly grin.

[sD 2387.180 - joint log, Jylliene and Nijil, a few hours after the events of Turning Rihannsu, Part II] Nijil felt right at home on the Nei’rrh. Given enough time, however, even a home can feel like a prison. The shuttle was dark even at its brightest illumination. His quarters on the Aegean, although small, were a nice change. To his delight, Jylliene had absorbed the language and controls quite well. Reading a manual on how to fly a Romulan shuttle was no substitute for actual flight time, however. Other than the shuttle’s simulator sessions, she would need to rely on her Starfleet training. Nijil needed to not get distracted by his own memories. Eating in the shuttle triggered a strong memory of his mother’s disapproval of his entry into the Galae. Jylliene’s comfort came at the right time. If not for the mission he’d have stayed with her until the next day. Without more preparation this day is all they’d ever get. “This section of the Nei’rrh is the key to this mission and our biggest problem.” Nijil remarked, pointing to the nose of the shuttle on his PADD display. Jylliene watched intently as they sat on the small couch. “So what specifically is the issue with it?” “The radiation it may give off after using it to punch a hole in the shielding of the M-2,” he said with worry. “I just don’t know what we are dealing with here.” She pondered that. “Did science have any ideas what might come of it? Or did you have any ideas about shielding the Nei’rrh or its occupants?” Nijil smiled. “Well, they frankly don’t have as much experience as I with this shuttle. The singularity can be tricky for starters.” He flicked to another image. “My idea is to install a lead-based alloy barrier then seal it with yet another lead substrate of polymer foam.” The engineer seemed proud of his idea. “I believe if I need to run the navigational deflector intensity up to, say, 130% this should block about 95%.” The image zoomed and panned. “Will you be able to compensate for that addition?” “Well, during the firing of this beam sensors will be compromised. Electromagnetic bands surely, and a bit lesser on the subspace bands. The good news is once we light it up we can crank the active scanning systems.” He turned to smile at her. “I have drawn up some sensor profiles, but I need your knowledge to check my figures.” “I’d check your figures anytime,” Jylliene replied with a wink. “Show me the profiles,” she continued, looking over at the PADD. Nijil opened up the files, a simple view that one could dig down further for the gritty details. He got up from the table to get something for them to drink. Truthfully he turned a shade of green. “Coffee or tea?” He asked. “For this? Coffee, I believe,” she replied, as she started to review his work. Nijil got two coffees, as strong as the computer could replicate. He brought the serving tray with two cups, sugar and cream over to their table. The aroma filled the air around the table as if they jumped into a bin of roasted coffee. He inhaled deeply. “Oh...whew. That’s very aromatic,” he said as he sat the plate down. “It is,” she agreed, and took one of the cups, adding some cream, and sipped as she continued. “It all looks reasonably within specs, though I know as much about the Nei’rrh as anyone else but you - that is, next to nothing.” He nodded. “I wanted to show you more, but this mission came up, plus I don’t know how much you cared for these kinds of things. She’s a good little ship, better shape if I do say so then when I first met her. Didn’t even have a name. So, if the numbers are alright choosing the place to strike will be...interesting.” He sipped. “I’d say at their weak spot, but I guess we don’t know where that is yet,” she sighed, taking another sip of her coffee. “Too bad it is not your weak spot,” he quipped. “Corny Engineers?” “Are you making light of my ears? Our kids would have them, I, er mean if we...” He brought the cup to his mouth and drank to stop himself from talking. His eyes focused back to the PADD. Jylliene grinned at him. “So...back to the mission. Was there any information in any of the scans that gave any hint of a good approach to that rock?” “We know they have fine-tuned any cloaked surface features. Probably the first thing the Romulans in the past made sure to hide. My guess would be one, perhaps two small craft sized openings. Those would be the cloak or hologrammed features. I can only guess at how many weapon points are hidden. If the Aegean and Narada hit the rock just right a place for us to hit will become evident.” “We’ll have to hope so. If not, I suppose it’s just pick a place and cross our fingers.” “I want to impress on you something,” he said intently, grabbing both of her hands in his. “Once we light up the beam we will become a giant target in the asteroid field. They will have countermeasures and will react pretty quickly. Not that I doubt your abilities, but if anything is wrong alert me immediately. My people can be very vicious.” He let her go and gave a stare of concern. “I expect no less of anyone defending their base,” she calmly replied. “Shall we run through some flight simulations, perhaps?” He gave her a look. “You wish to go back to the shuttle? I thought it was getting depressing in there.” “Well, a change of scenery was definitely nice. I think we both needed a break. But if I’m going to be flying that thing during this mission, I want us both to feel as confident as we can about my doing so.” The woman paused briefly, then continued, “So I suppose that means going back to the shuttle, yes.” “Only if you desire.” “It’s not a matter of desire, it’s a matter of being prepared. Just like spending every moment I had reviewing the layout of Aegis as we were inbound to retake the station. This is what I think I need to do.” “Well, then. How would you like to travel?” She peered at Nijil quizzically. “...I’m sorry?” “Allow me.” Nijil tapped his comm badge. “Nei’rrh, moraere.” Before she translated his command in her head they both disappeared in a swirling green transporter beam. Then instantly, for them, they reappeared at the shuttle’s transporter pad. “Needed to test it anyhow.” Jylliene grinned, and sat down at the helm. With a deep breath, she ran her hands down the controls and said, “Let’s get started, then.” ----------- “That was very good for your first simulation run. At least they never found out who crashed into one of their asteroids.” A few hours of simulations tired both of them. Nijil teased her all the way back to his quarters. “Come on, I’m only joking.” Jylliene rolled her eyes. “You’re fortunate I’m your guest, or I’d throw you onto the floor and out of the bed for the night,” she grumbled. “At least by the end things were a fair bit smoother.” He bellowed out a laugh. “Throw me on the floor? I must be tired as well.” “You think they don’t teach us hand-to-hand in the academy, e’lev?” she replied with a smirk. “Oh I bet they do,” he said, grinning ear to pointy ear. “As you can imagine, we have several classes in daggers. They aren’t just for ceremony.” Grumbling, Jylliene entered the quarters and prepared for sleep. Nijil let her get ready first. “I’ll be a minute, are you alright?” “Mhm,” she murmured in response, as she collapsed onto the bed. Exhausted too, Nijil slipped in as best he could without waking her. Minutes later he was fast asleep. ---------- Jylliene sat bolt upright. That was..what, the third dream ending with them crashing spectacularly into the asteroid? She sighed and glanced over at the sleeping figure next to her. Kissing him lightly on the cheek, she got up and threw her uniform back on. After quietly requesting coffee from the replicator, she tapped her comm badge. “Nei’rrh, moraere.” With a shimmer, she appeared on the shuttle, and sat down at the controls to begin another simulation.

[Joint log, Jylliene and Nijil - after sim of SD 2387.180] Jylliene sat at the controls of the Nei’rrh. She ran through the commands again, reading the controls aloud to Nijil, with their translations. Glancing over at him, she waited for confirmation or correction. “You are correct,” Nijil said with a slight grin. If this had been anyone else the gesture would be a bit out of place. She exhaled. “That’s a relief. Now what, rekkhai?” “So the controls are readable. How are your response times? What if I do this?” The engineer completely changed the control locations. He waited for her reaction. She took a deep breath and ran through them again. “Though perhaps, if I could make a suggestion," she added, when she was finished, "call out the commands and I’ll indicate the control? I’ll need to be able to react immediately.” He considered her request for a moment. “I can simply use Federation standard. No need to complicate things further. Getting the controls is important though - unless your interest spans beyond this mission.” Jylliene pondered that. “Let me make sure I have it down from Standard - but I’d like to practice Rihan as well,” she responded, with a glance at him. Nijil put the console into simulator mode. “Daom Itheil idh!” he exclaimed with some measure of urgency. Her hand flew to the control, activating left thrusters on full. “Ie!” She grinned. “Hann’yyo. Onre?” Nodding, he continued, “Hnahn aeh’lla!” Jylliene activated the cloak. They kept at this for some time. What she hesitated on, Nijil repeated later, and she improved. The only one she missed entirely, they repeated several times immediately, and then later. “Siu?” she eventually asked. He pulled up his PADD and answered, “A few minutes past 13:00 ship time; does not feel like it, though.” She nodded. “How long do you want to continue?” “I’m even tired of Rihan,” Nijil said while laughing. “I didn’t know that was possible,” Jylliene replied with a grin. “We have been at this for...what, four hours or so now? I *am* getting hungry.” The teacher agreed. “How about something from the shuttle replicator? Strange as it sounds this...thing reminds me of home. Can’t imagine it does for you.” He looked out the cockpit window to a gray wall at the other end of the cargo bay. The gray and green seemed to clash somehow. The longer Nijil remained in Federation facilities, the more distant Romulus became. “That sounds good. I should try to get comfortable here on the Nei’rrh.” “Good,” Nijil replied, relieved. “Let’s go to the table in the back. A little more suitable.” Jylliene nodded and followed Nijil. “Will you have to be transformed into a Rihan for this mission, or did they decide?” His curiosity was genuine. “Not that I’ve been told. I’m on loan for operating the shuttle, not so that you have yet another non-Rihan “Rihannsu” to worry about on the station.” “Is there an option to buy? You could be my slave.” He joked, only partially teasing; another part dipped in reality. She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. “You wish. What’s on the menu here?” He tapped on the console of the replicator, honestly uncertain of what the vessel offered in the way of food. “A wide selection of dinners, soups and drinks. No Romulan Ale, sadly.” “Probably good that it doesn’t,” she interjected. “I’ll take whatever you have, unless you’re getting soup. I’m a bit hungrier than that.” So was Nijil, and for other things. He perused the menu items for something she’d like as well. If they did indeed take what they had farther, he’d want her to experience what he remembered. Not the current Romulus, now a giant wasteland. The air in the shuttle felt chilled. Of course, he recalled. Earlier he had to take the life support system offline in order to implement the changes. “I think I have something you should like. Are you cold by chance?” “It’s a bit cool in here, yes." One plate of hot food materialized in the replicator. Nijil grabbed the edges carefully and placed it on the table. Then he got his own plate and sat it down. Instead of sitting, he went out of view for a moment. He came back with a blanket of some unknown material and placed it around Jylliene. “There you go, now let me get some tea.” Back to the replicator he went to order his favorite hot tea. Jylliene started to eat. The food was indeed good, and the blanket, nice; she hadn’t really noticed how cool it was in the shuttle while they were training. Now, however, she did. The tea was excellent. She did feel comfortable in here with him, though now more than any other time on the Aegean or on Aegis, she felt like she was in his realm. Nijil dug into his food as well. Some of the tastes he remembered, some not. Even with the hot tea goosebumps could be seen on his arms. Only one blanket was in that compartment - something he’d have to change later. For a moment, he merely stared at his plate as a memory crossed his mind. Nijil suddenly recited, “Don’t you go off to the Galae, Nijil, like your brother. You should stay here and help us on this farm. Business is looking up. You’d do well here. Your brother is chasing a dream and he does not need to bring you along. Now eat your greens, we’ll be getting up early tomorrow.” Jylliene looked at Nijil. “E’lev? Are you okay?” “She didn’t want me to join. Afraid I’d die out here, away from the comforts of home and Romulus.” His eyes started to water. “My brother had already gotten his commission.” She stood up, moved her plate and tea over to sit next to him, and spread out the blanket to wrap over them both. Putting her arm around him, she kissed his forehead. He took the blanket and leaned on her shoulder. “I guess this time she was wrong, even if her heart was in the right place. I really hated her for saying that, but I’d give anything to see them now. I don’t even know if I’m an uncle.” He let out a long sigh. “You are all I have and maybe that little girl back at the station. My apologies.” “No, no you don’t - no apologies for this. I’m here for you.” Nijl, in this for him fragile state, only nodded. “I believe you have the language part down. Do you have a background in linguistics?” He wiped something from his eye. “My mother studied linguistics. I learned a little of several languages. Mostly long dead ones, but root languages of others. It’s not that I knew any Romulan before coming to Aegis - but I’ve learned how to learn languages, if that makes sense? If you learn enough, you’re likely to find one that you already know that has a similar structure that you can plug the new one into." She considered this for a moment and the added, "Don't be too impressed, though. Matching commands to controls is just a matter of vocabulary. Save the compliments for when I'm able to carry on a conversation." “Sort of like understanding foreign ship systems,” he quipped while tilting his head back and forth. “I think I understand.” He then asked, his head still resting on her shoulder, “What element are you?” “Hm? What do you mean?” she replied, stroking the side of his face. “Rihans believe each of us are forged from one of four elements: Air, Ground, Fire, and Water - Jaeih, Avilh, Okhala, and Ihhuein.” He drew each elemental symbol in her hand as he spoke. “I think you can guess my parents.” “Ground - Avilh?” “Yeah. Brother was air. Sister, fire. And I... I was water.” She drew the symbol for water with her fingertip against his chest, over his heart. “I think I can understand that. What would you think I am?” “I don’t believe Fire. At least I don’t think so,” he said, grinning. “You don’t share many traits with my parents, so Ground is not likely. That leaves only Water or Air. I’d hope for a Water, but would gladly take an Air.” He looked up at her and laughed. “I guess it’s all a bit silly once you think of it.” Jylliene chuckled. “Maybe, though recognition of one’s temperament is hardly useless." She pondered that. “I fled everything that was settled and expected of me, and yet, I’m happy here in the security of the rules and directives of Starfleet and the captain - I don’t know that an Air could say that, do you think?” She pondered. “Probably Water - but I suppose perhaps we’ll find out more when we get back to Aegis..?” she added, with a grin. Nijil looked into her eyes and smiled.

[Joint log, Jylliene/Jorahl/Ramson - takes place shortly after the sim, SD 2387.179] Jylliene ran the simulations of a scenario in which the Aegean would use the asteroid to block the link with the Narada, and use that link as a scan. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem terribly hopeful. When she had the computer compare the type of information they were likely to get to what had already been gleaned from the Narada, the probe, the Nei’rrh, and the Aegean's brief “mineral” scans, it calculated a ten-to-fifteen percent chance of finding anything further. How significant that information would be, if they got it at all, would be unknown. There was also the distinct risk of those on the Mist Station finally figuring out that such a scan was far from innocent, and being compelled to act. The communication link was indeed predicted to result in a spike in the station's communications system, which would be rather the opposite of subtle. Wait, a spike in the station's systems? Jylliene re-ran the simulation to confirm. She checked into the load capabilities of the Aegean and Narada, and ran the simulation again; this time, with the ships intentionally ramping up their output to 60% of their maximum. Then again, at 80% of their full load. The resulting spike predicted for the station was something that seemed quite probably capable of disrupting systems fairly significantly. Which systems might be a little bit of a gamble; but if they wanted a distraction on the station, this could do it. The Ops officer grinned slowly as she amended her report to add the last simulations. "SubCommander? The report, sir," Jylliene said, still with a lingering smile on her face as she handed him the PADD. Jorahl took the PADD, other thoughts obviously on his mind. The numbers played out more or less as he had figured, a shot in the dark. The last data set, however, gained more than a passing glance. An eyebrow raised as he glanced at the young Ops officer, then back to the simulation data. “Almost Romulan thinking here. Though, I guess a few things can be picked up when in close quarters for long enough.” Jorahl turned quickly without another word. If the wording took the Trill off guard, he didn’t have time to enjoy it. After a few brief words with Commander Ramson, both turned and headed towards the port bridge exit. As she stood, Kallah said, “The SubCommander and I will be in astrometrics. Lieutenant Kital, you have the bridge.” “Yes ma’am,” Jylliene replied as calmly as possible, watching as they left. The SubCommander’s comment, coming from him, she would take as a compliment. That she now also had the bridge? This was definitely quite a day. Jylliene sat down in the command chair, watching as the relief ops officer stepped up to the console, and exhaled quietly.

[The evening/night after the (so far, what seems to be) temporary return of the Nei’rrh – SD 2387.179. Joint log, Nijil and Jylliene] Jylliene walked down the corridor toward Nijil’s quarters. She was pleased that she’d be able to see him again. Well, and not pleased, at the same time. She thought that the next time she’d see him, the mission would be complete - at least, the part that involved the most direct, immediate danger to them separately - and that she’d be able to relax. Instead, the risk is still before them. They’ll need to grapple with their decision again. They’ll need to say goodbye again. She entered the code and walked through the door. Nijil was lying down, with something over his eyes and ears. Running simulations? Reviewing feeds from the Nei’rrh? Jylliene pondered. She considered interrupting, and walked over to him, slowly, quietly, considering her possible tactics. Nijil remained motionless with his hands across his stomach. He also changed into something far more casual than his uniform. His chest moved up and down, slowly, so he was alive at least. The room seemed less lit than normal, but the engineer always kept things overly dark, only using spot lighting when needed. Jylliene crept up beside him, knelt down beside him, and softly kissed his cheek. A smile emerged over his face, then a laugh. Soon he was back to his dream state. Whatever covered his eyes and ears kept his attention. “A challenge..?” the woman intoned softly. “I think I’m up for that.” She grinned slowly. She eyed the man’s sides and then tickled him. It occurred to her that she actually had no idea if he WAS ticklish, though. Nijil of course heard none of this. The light touch of her lips on his cheek piqued his senses, but the bombardment of pink noise and light kept his body very relaxed. The adrenaline of flying would have kept him up all hours. Months had passed since he last flew. This was his first real mission with a vessel more than a light shuttle. The strange headphone/eyewear combination appeared to be working. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Seeing that he was apparently fairly deeply into the relaxed state he seemed to be in, Jylliene stopped - and instead, she stretched out beside him on the bed, and snuggled against him. Whether he’d respond or not didn’t matter - she suddenly felt greatly comforted simply being with him. The machine started to wind down its magic and bring the young engineer out of his deep relaxation. The lights kept blinking, so nothing looked different from the outside. The pink noise drew down in volume. His vision through the glasses returned to black. In moments Nijil rejoined the universe in a silent dark void. Something seemed different this time. A warmth at one side. He started to move his hand from his colder side toward the warmth. His other arm seemed pinned down, but all at once and in one quick motion he brought his hand together and attempted to retaliate with a tickle of his own. Jylliene squirmed and laughed. “You’re awake?” “I am now. This thing knew someone was around and roused me, albeit slowly.” He returned the kiss and flopped back down on his side of the one-person bed. “Sorry we did not blow the M-2, but it is good to be back.” ‘Even if just for a while,” she replied. “But ie. It’s very nice to have you back at least for tonight, e’lev. “So, how was the Aegean? Not waiting for an explosion of the Nei’rrh on the side of a rock I hope.” “Na. We were simply continuing to gather information from the feeds from the Narada and the probe. I think you gave the SubCommander an idea when you broke our link to get our attention, but I don’t know that it will work out.” Nijil looked surprised. “Oh, I gave him an idea? That’s a first. My other plan was to tap the Aegean, but I did not want hull repair duty after I got back.” “That’s assuming you’d survive to take that duty on,” Jylliene replied, and winced. “I think what you did was the better idea.” “I’ll have to thank myself,” he turned and smiled. “You seem a little tired,” he said raising a brow. “Turn around and face away from me, please.” Jylliene turned over. “Just what do you have in mind?” “Nothing sultry (?) or anything.” He began applying pressure to points on her back. One thing he did not know was if Trills were arranged the same as Romulans, but it would not hurt to try. Both on their sides also not the best position for this, but both were tired as well. “I’m tempted to say that’s a pity, but this is very nice,” she said, exhaling into a relaxed sigh. “Let me know if any of this hurts too much. Some of it will,” he smiled unseen. “Would have been nice to have you onboard, but probably not a good idea. I don’t mean you are not qualified. You had no ears.” He indicated her lack of ears by drawing two fingers along her ear and extending the touch to where the Romulan point would be. The Trill chuckled. “I think we’re all better off leaving that to those who come by them naturally, and have the accent and mastery of the language to match - instead of trying to make me into a Romulan.” “Pity,” Nijil replied in the same tone she said from before. “This is hard, the waiting, isn’t it?” Jylliene sighed, and replied softly. “It is. I was hoping the next time I’d see you would be on our way back to Aegis, and we’d be looking at only a day or two before...being home. But regardless of any of that, I’m very glad to have you here.” Nijil stopped the pressing into her back and gave her a caress. “I have an idea, but I’m not very good at it. Get up.” He released her and started to get up on his side of the narrow bed. Jylliene stood up, wondering what he had in mind, watching him. He moved into the center of the room and urged her to do the same. “Computer, music, um... human music, ah, something to dance to.” The computer chirped and began a song. Some lively music started. “We’re no strangers to love, You know the rules and so do I...” Nijil spoke quickly, “Next!” Another beat. “Young man, there’s no need to feel down...” Jylliene, this time. “Next.” Nijil shrugged. Humans had more eclectic music than he thought. Another song started. “You can’t see it, it’s electric! You gotta feel it, It’s electric...” “Um, computer, next.” A rather different sound this time. “It’s astounding...Time is fleeting...Madness takes its toll...” “Next, please, computer. Something softer, perhaps?” Jylliene ventured. The computer let out an extra chirp and a new beep as if tired of looking. A big band sound started. “Somewhere beyond the sea, somewhere waiting for me...” As the music started Nijil held out both hands. “I’ve only watched this a couple of times.” Jylliene took his hands. “That’s more than I probably have. Do lead on.” He placed one hand on her waist and held her hand with the other. As the unknown song played he tried his best to formulate a slight sense of rhythm or at the very least keep her close. The whole time he kept his eyes on her. Elements he must look a bit foolish. He had no idea what his legs were doing. This is not exactly the kind of song he wanted, but perhaps the next one. The music went on, “If I could fly like birds on high...” She felt a bit awkward, but focused instead on feeling his presence. As in the arboretum, Jylliene tried simply to remember this, to have this memory to keep. It was a good song, whatever the title, but another slow song started. Nijil would later learn it was La Vie En Rose, which did not seem to be in Federation standard. Even still, the universal translator seemed to have trouble with this one. He looked directly into Jylliene’s eyes and made a slight nod. He pulled her close and rested his head beside hers. He laid both hands on her waist and hoped she put her hands in the proper spot. He closed his eyes and started what he hoped was a slow dance. Jylliene had no idea where one’s hands WERE supposed to go, but they seemed to work around his waist. The song was pretty. There was something soothing about the language. Before the song ended he whispered something in the old tongue she’d not understand. His little friend back on the station, if she was still there, would. Maybe Jylliene would later understand it, but he meant every word. After the song finished he had the computer cease playing. He tilted his head toward the bed. “Another big day tomorrow. Let’s get to bed.” She wanted to ask him what he had whispered, but instead just kept them in her mind. Nodding, Jylliene changed and prepared for bed, climbing into what had become her side, and sat up to wait for Nijil, lying down when he was ready. He wasted no time crawling into bed and holding her once more. As they lay in silence he could hear her breathing and heartbeat. “Khnai'ru rhissiuy,” he said to her softly. “Au are more than I deserve.” As he inhaled he held her even closer. “E’lev,” she whispered back to him. “I hope I can live up to that.” Jylliene felt his hold on her loosen as his breathing slowed into peaceful sleep. She closed her eyes. They would have to say goodbye again, yes. But this was worth it. He was worth it.

“I am half-sick of shadows,” said The Lady of Shalott. -”The Lady of Shalott”; Alfred, Lord Tennyson For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. I Corinthians 13:12 There are secrets that people simultaneously want - and never want - to reveal. Things that people long to keep hidden, to protect themselves from the imagined consequences of such revelations. Sometimes, they are proven right; sometimes, also, the consequences are not as dire as predicted, but deepen over time. Perhaps then it’s actually worse: in the immediate aftermath, the listener tries to act as though nothing has changed in their perception of the teller; but over time, the shift is apparent, and perhaps all the more damaging for not occurring, and being faced, immediately. Sometimes, however, the teller is proven incorrect, and is just as intimately and completely accepted as before. The risk is rewarded, and the secret-bearer rests safely knowing that their true and complete self is loved - or at least, this layer of the self; who has but one dark secret from the world? For the teller, though, as well as the listener, there really is little way to know in advance. Is it better to have no secrets? Ever? All things are known before they can build up into a fantasy of walls, towers, dungeons, in which the most sensitive, secret self is protected - or, if one prefers, in which the inner monster is locked safely away. Barely can one erect even a single stone atop another before the Thing That Must Be Hidden is known. And yet, and yet, aren’t there those who reveal such things later, who open the keep to the right person in time, because they can see that sometimes it is best to give that person the time to know the other self - the better self - before the baser side is shown? Is that not what all courtesy is? Perhaps even what all self-improvement is - hiding one’s worse self until that worse self no longer exists, or at least, is no longer a serious portion, but is left merely as the minor temptations faced, and defeated, by nearly all? Is a world where nothing is hidden better? --------- Jylliene stood at the ops console on the Aegean, watching the light on the display signal that the cargo bay doors had closed. Nijil was gone, and she didn’t know if she’d see him again. His last little message had been a sweet gesture on his part, but it left her shaken inside. She - they - had already said their goodbyes that morning, before the start of the shift. She had mentally braced herself for this moment, knowing it was coming. And then he had to send that message. Focus, Jyll. It was hard. She could put on a pretty fair front of being professional about the situation. But that didn’t necessarily extend to how she was doing internally. Deep breath. She felt the house emblem in her pocket and watched the display as, well, nothing pulled away from the Aegean. Nijil inside a hidden shuttle on a hidden mission. Her own hidden emotions in a (hopefully) professional exterior on a ship with a hidden agenda secreted within its professional escort duty. “The Nei’rrh should be clear of the Aegean,” Jylliene reported quietly. After a brief moment, Ramson nodded, apparently utterly focused on the task at hand; barely responding to Jylliene’s verbal report and, if she sensed the emotions from the officer, not responding to those at all.

(Joint log – well, short log. Branch? Joint branch? Loggette? Twig? Joint Twig? – Jylliene and Nijil) [sD 2387.178, immediately following Nobody’s Fool] Jylliene woke with a start and sat bolt upright. She looked around for a moment, disoriented, then noticed Nijil blinking sleepily up at her. “What do you think of Dr. Davis?” she asked. Nijil stared at her in puzzled bewilderment. “Forget I said anything. Night, e’lev,” Jylliene responded to his questioning look. She lay back down, and fell asleep. Still confused, Nijil quipped, “What did she tell you, e’lev? Jylliene?” The only answer was the sound of peaceful breathing.

[Joint log, Nijil and Jylliene] SD 2387.178, evening. At the table, Jylliene sat eating dinner. Nijil should be back anytime; she heard that he was inbound from the trial run of the shuttle. She had a plate ready for him as well. She had dressed up a bit, and was glad she had thought to take one of her dresses. If this was to be the last night before he took the shuttle out for the mission, then, she wanted this night to be at least a bit special. Usually, Nijil would insist on checking out the shuttle after a run, but not this time. The mission called for this level of attention, but something, or someone else did too. Leaving the shuttle checks to others he rushed back to his quarters. A ship this size meant getting there in only a few moments. After only those moments he stood at his door, nearly walked right in, but thought otherwise. The chime rang. Jylliene looked up, and replied, “Enter.” “Are you decent?” Nijil asked with a grin, happy to be back. He looked for her. Laughing quietly, she replied. “As tempting as it would have been, I think it would have been disastrous for our agreement not to be. Dinner,” she said, gesturing to the table. Flight weary, the engineer gleamed. “Is that the ship special I see?” He walked over to the empty seat and sat. “I ran back as fast as I could.” “Of course,” she said, grinning. “Oh, it looks delicious. I’ve only had one ‘nutrition’ bar all day.” He looked up, matching her grin. “I’m still wired from my flight. On edge on the bridge today?” “Oddly calm. I think everyone coming to terms with things...plans and such. Somber.” Picking up his knife and fork, he replied, “No anticipation of an explosion as I drive the shuttle into the side of an asteroid? Not even close today. Felt great being out there.” Jylliene could definitely see the glow to him. “Flying seems to agree with you. I’ve not seen you this happy in a while.” “You,” pointing a fork at her, “Don’t know half of it and don’t get me started on the thrill of low altitude atmospheric flight. Clears the mind. I’ll have to take you out sometime. Unless you are afraid of heights plus speed,” he remarked with a slight evil smirk. She chuckled. “I’d love to go on out sometime.” “You’d love it.” Nijil drank a good helping from his glass. “Mmmm, this is good, what is it?” “A tea infused with a light mead. Had to bring it in from Aegis. One of the barkeeps acquired it for me.” Jylliene grinned. “It IS good,” she added, and ate a bit more of her meal. “This makes the special a bit more, special. Though I’m surprised this is not synthohol, given the mission.” He too ate. “It’s a very light wine. Low content. Far less than the ale, especially once you mix it with tea as well.” She continued eating. “Do you think you’re prepared for tomorrow, then?” “I think me and the ship are ready to go. I mean look at me.” Nijil beamed even more. “What could be better. Fit for a dangerous mission with a shuttle I’m quite familiar with, my e’lev here in front of me and another waiting for me back on the station. “...I..I’m sorry, I must have misheard. Say that last part again..?” Jylliene looked confused. “My e’lev here...?” He took another bite. “No, the part about back on the station. Unless I utterly misheard you.” Jylliene was peering at him quizzically. “Oh, you mean another waiting for me? Well, I hope she’s waiting for me. We hit it off so well I just...you know perhaps she’s bonded, but it sure didn’t seem so.” He grinned and took another drink. “Is this..the norm for Rihannsu relationships?” Jylliene’s stomach was clenching into a knot. “Well, it’s not mainstream, but far from abnormal.” Nijil finished his bite. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” “..desperate?” She poured more of the drink, and gulped half the cup down. “The Breen dealt us a severe blow. Families gone. Lineages broken. Family is very important to us. In truth this is a main tenant of our culture. This disaster has set our people back for generations. I can’t imagine having my family line snuffed out before its time.” Jylliene finished the other half. “So..I am a ‘desperate measure,’ who is intended to be one of several?” She set the cup down on the table rather firmly. And loudly. “More like highly desired. You know I love you as much as anyone. That will never change. I hope the good Doctor feels the same about me.” “Just a question - wait, Doctor? Doctor Davis, you mean?” Jylliene’s mind reeled. “I fell for or over her in the Arboretum a while back. Whatever they taught her at the Federation medical school worked wonders for me.” He took another drink. “She could get me to talk about anything. Spoke of my family at great length. She was quite the interrogator, by any standard.” “Arboretum seeems to be a good place for you,” Jylliene replied, wincing as she thought of what she had previously imagined had been a special location for the two of them, now apparently just another good place to take his women. “Jussst one question,” she added, downing half of the fresh glass of the infusion she had just poured for herself. “Yes my dear?” “If this whole thing is so deshperate, why the agreement about returning to Aegis? I’d think you’d not want to rishk your lineage dying out on the mission,” she paused, then added, her stomach adding a new knot to its collection, “...or did you alrrrready begin working on that with others...?” “Oh no, nothing like that yet. Our time should be special. Just as my time with her would be. And if I can get over my fear of telepaths, well, who knows. Yes, I should have thought about this before heading out on this mission, but an agreement is an agreement. However, if we agree to ignore our arrangement.” Nijil’s wandering eyes matched his sly smile. “As it is, I have the perfect sholution for you, then,” Jylliene replied cheerily. Pausing, she she stood up, grabbed a padd, and made a few quick entries. “Read thish...thish...is where my quarters were. I’ve got the code here. Let’sh see if the little yogaurt enthushiasts would be happy to shtart your little collection off.” Flinging him the padd, she grabbed the back of his tunic, yanked him out of his chair, and, calling for the door to open, threw him through it. “Off on your misssshion, flyboy! Good luck!” she called out as the door closed. “Out with the basht..bas..guy,” she added in a mutter as she walked back to the table, grabbed the bottle of mead, and took a swig. “Let’sh see...three for three with the men,” she grumbled to nobody. She collapsed across the bed, then added, “Maaaaybe whatshername is shingle. I’ll hafta assshker...” as her eyes closed in sleep.

(or, Not The Log You’re Looking For) [Joint log, Jylliene and Nijil] Jylliene returned from her shift to the quarters she was sharing. She was looking forward to getting to know her roommates a bit; it almost felt like the Academy again. Both were junior grade Lieutenants, just as she was. The Elasian, Miraen, was in science, and the Human, Leanne, was in engineering. They had taken their meal back to their quarters, and enjoyed talking about their roles on the station. Leanne was typically gamma shift, and Miraen, beta - so although they likely would have crossed paths numerous times, their shifts meant that they hadn’t worked together before. Jylliene, of course, had seen their names on manifests, but that was the extent of it. Miraen and Leanne did know each other, though. A little too well for Jylliene’s comfort, as it turned out, as she awoke that night and became aware that the two were *not* sleeping. ---------------------- In the corridor, her bag over her shoulder and her pillow and blanket under her other arm, Jylliene juggled a padd and looked up the quarters assignment for Nijil. Yes, it did look like he had a room to himself. Privileges of rank, she thought, as she walked to the correct deck, and down the hall to his door. She rang the chime and looked down. Trill equines again. Oh well. Right now, she just wanted sleep. The sound of someone singing stopped at the sound of the chimes. Nijil had not expected anyone at his quarters this hour. Must be some engineer trying to adjust the engines in ways they didn’t understand. Too embarrassed to call over the comm system no doubt. “I told you once before not to touch the eng... oh, um...Jylliene?” His mood wind-down mood came to a halt. The family dagger lay blade down in his right hand. “Is something wrong? I thought you were asleep.” “I am apparently rooming with limber liplocked lovers. Also, I need to take up yoga. I’ve never been anywhere near as flexible as they are. But not right this moment. Sleep. Can I use a corner of your quarters, please? Or if not, do you have any of that ale with you, so I can go back, drink myself to sleep and ignore them?” “Elements, get in here.” He moved her in quickly and poked his head outside, and looked both ways. “You will not use a corner of my quarters to sleep nor will you drink any of my ale. Do you think I could sneak any of that onboard under Jorahl’s nose?” Nijil made his way to the bathroom sat down the dagger then got something out of the sink. The sound of ice in water. He held up a fresh bottle. “This is not as good as the one I gave you earlier. And about where you will sleep...” he stopped talking, he could see she meant to get more words out. She was about to protest, but stopped. “Go on. But if you mean to give me your bed and take the floor yourself, you’ll find yourself in an argument. These are your quarters, and a patch of floor in here is more than generous enough for me.” Nijil growled and smiled at the same time. “Very well, e’lev, perhaps I’ll have a sip of this and not share.” He went to grab one, or perhaps two small glasses. “Let’s not be hasty, then. Go ahead, say your piece, whatever it is,” she replied with a half-grin. “I would not dare turn you away. I’d give you the bed and you know that.” He looked at her directly. She’d already taken his mind off of Annisha’s unexpected outburst. He held both glasses in one hand and poured some ale in the other. He offered a glass to her. Jylliene accepted the glass and took a small sip. “Nijil, you have to fly a massive so-called-shuttle that barely fits through the cargo bay doors. I have no idea how you managed to get that behemoth IN, but I know you’ll also need to be rested and alert to get it back OUT without wrecking it and the Aegean. And the floor isn’t going to do that. I have ops. I man ops at Aegis every day. I need sleep too, yes, but believe me, I’ll be able to do that fine in here on the floor versus back in my room listening to those two,” she sighed, “and wanting you while they’re...” she waved her free hand, and took another sip - this one a bit larger - looking away from him. “Why...what were they doing? Wait, I don’t want to know.” Or do I? he thought. The bed had been calling his name and he sat at the corner. His hair lost its straightness and his mind too. Another sip. “I told you. Lovers. And not much trying to hide it, though I suppose they didn’t expect me to wake up while they were so occupied.” “Or while someone was in the middle of his favorite music.” His smiled extended. Jylliene gave him a very confused look, then looked at her glass, then back at him. “...wait, what?” Nijil shook his head. “I was singing. I know, when was the last time you had the notion of a Rihan singing?” “Depends, are we talking about battle songs, or some kind of romantic ballad? The first, I could easily see. The second, admittedly, not as easily. But even Klingons have their opera.” “It’s a song about betrayal from a long-time love. I don’t know if it’s translatable, yet. Not the best song to take one’s mind off of a little crying girl.” “Annisha.” She winced. “Poor thing.” “Yes. There’s a good chance I’ll not see her before she’s gone off to A’tari IV.” Nijil closed his eyes a moment. “I hope we make it back in time to see her. She said there’s still a fair bit of red tape tying things up, and that it was likely to take some time before she’d actually leave. We had a nice conversation last night. Which reminds me, you might want to change your security code. She was jumping on the bed chanting it.” “She’s very observant and has great recall.” Jylliene nodded. “That’s quite clear.” Nijil’s attention drifted to his talk with Annisha before leaving. She didn’t understand what was happening. No indication of a second thought about being adopted, but she’d expected her hero to see her off to her new home. He fell into a brief silence. A glance back at Jylliene’s dark green eyes pulled him back to now. “Elements, I must be tired. Earlier did you say ‘wanting me?’” She took a larger drink of the ale. “I think I recall saying that, yes,” Jylliene replied, quietly. She had wanted to tell him before they left Aegis, but couldn’t make the words come out. This time, she couldn’t stop them. “H'tah-fvienn...” Not so much a command, more of a request. Jylliene put her glass down and took the few steps forward toward him, her eyes lowered, then finally looked up. Nijil in turn stood up and approached. He pulled her close and held her tightly. No words. In time he broke the silence. “I think we both know what the other wants, but this is neither the time nor the place.” He led her to the bed. “No one sleeps on the floor. We both use the bed the way it’s intended, for restful sleep. It’s been a rough time for both of us.” Now they were at the blanket’s edge. After nodding, Jylliene replied, “Just one question. If - When we get back to Aegis...what then?” Nijil bent over and softly whispered...

(Joint log, Jylliene and Annisha [Nijil] - SD 2387.174, night) Stepping out of the shower, Jylliene wrapped a towel around herself. It felt strange to be getting ready for bed after already having slept much of the day away - that ale had quite a kick - but she did want to try to keep to her normal sleep schedule. She walked to her wardrobe and looked through her pajamas. Reaching for a cozy pair, she stopped, her eyes falling on a recent purchase, and instead selected her new red silk nightgown and matching robe. She had purchased it with other things in mind, admittedly - but she wasn’t going to pass it up for a restful night. A little luxury before the mission. She stretched out on the couch, a fresh cup of tea - ginger and jasmine - cradled in her hands. “Computer - music, Jylliene ambient three.” The sounds of Trill flute and Vulcan harp blended in a light, soothing harmony that Jylliene found utterly relaxing. Up and down the corridors, crew members were abuzz with activity, packing and making ready to move to the Aegean or the Narada as per the crew assignments SubCommander Jorahl had given her the previous day to send out. Indeed, Jylliene was already packed as well, her bag in the corner, near the door. She was unwinding now - grabbing a night of tranquility before who knows what, assuming she was indeed still to be on the Aegean. She hadn’t heard otherwise yet. The door chime rang. Nijil? Or someone with a change in her assignment? “Come in.” A little Rihan girl stood at the doorway. Brown eyes framed by straight black hair looked up at the Trill. “Hello? Is this Nijil’s quarters?” Jylliene smiled warmly at her. “No, he’s down the corridor. Would you like me to take you to his door?” “I tried others doors and he wasn’t there either, guess he’s a busy man,” Annisha continued. Without a prompt she walked in, found the closest chair, and plopped herself down on it. “I’m Annisha.” “I’m Jylliene. Let me find out where he is for you, sweetheart.” She tapped the panel on the table. +Nijil+ “Jylliene to Nijil. Annisha is looking for you.” The female voice of the computer answered, “Sub-Centurion tr’Korjata is not onboard the station.” Jylliene pondered this. “Odd, it should have gone to his personal communicator if he wasn’t on board.” She looked over at Annisha. “Is there anything I can do for you?” “Where did he go Jyllie?” “I’m not quite sure - I imagine he may be working on one of the docked ships. That might put him out of range of the communicator.” Perhaps he’s moving that shuttle, she thought to herself - she imagined that if it were cloaked, they might get that response. “He told me he fixes things, but you do not. What do you do?” She flexed her legs in the chair she sat in. Her eyes looked all around. “I’m one of the operations officers. I monitor incoming and outgoing ships, communications, who is working where, and so on.” She paused. “Would you like something to eat or drink?” “Oh, do you have anything sweet, but not that tea?” Annisha looked excited at the prospect of not having dried leaves shoved in a cup. “Of course. Hmmm...” Jylliene scanned through a suggestions list on the display of the replicator. “Hot chocolate?” She glanced at Annisha. “Have you had that before?” She turned her nose slightly. “Tea is hot too. Sounds bitter.” “Hm. Ice cream soda?” “Ice dream soda! I’ve heard of that. No...what is it?” Jylliene pulled up the description. “Let’s see...ice cream, mixed with seltzer water, with any desired flavors - strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla are the most traditional - topped with whipped cream.” Annisha got out of her chair now. “That one. Ie, ie.” The translator had trouble with her last excited phrases. Jylliene grinned. “Which flavor?” “Choocoolatte.” “Chocolate it is.” The woman gave the commands to the replicator, which produced the drink. Jylliene took it over to Annisha and handed it to her. “Enjoy,” she said, smiling. Not knowing exactly what to expect from this drink, she took a big suck through the straw. Her face turned a different shade. “It hurts...ewww. It’s tasty though.” She kept on with the drink. “Did you hear? Someone’s taking me in! They said it could take a while. Something about tape.” “Nijil mentioned it, yes. He said you were very excited,” Jylliene replied with a smile. She felt a pang of sadness, though - somewhere in the back of her mind, she had briefly pictured the girl as being adopted by Nijil - and perhaps being hers as well one day. “I’m very glad to hear it.” “The dad seemed very quiet, stood back talking to other grownups. My mom talked all about the Tari planet. The farms, trees and open air. Lots of kids.” She studied her drink with genuine curiosity. The sound of slurping could be heard from the bottom of the glass. Jylliene nodded. “I looked up the planet on my console. It sounds like a wonderful place. I’m sure it will be nice to be able to play outside and to have a home again.” She remembered the evening in the arboretum. It WAS nice to be around trees and flowers. You could almost forget you were on a station. She liked the station, but there was something calming about natural surroundings. Annisha’s eyes widened as she remembered something. “Can you give this to Nijl? I stole back the knife from the medical place so he’d have something to remember me by.” She presented the knife once embedded in Nijil’s back. It had a makeshift bow on it. Jylliene stifled a laugh. “I’m sure he’ll be very happy you thought of him.” She accepted the knife and laid it on her table. “I’ll give it to him as soon as I see him. He still has the picture you drew for him hanging up in his quarters.” She grinned at the girl - and wondered how she managed swiping it. She’d tell Dabi just to see his reaction, if she weren’t afraid of getting Annisha in trouble with him. She smiled a big smile and let out a burp. “What? Ow. That hurt.” She put the empty glass on the table then bolted for the bed. “Wheee!” she cried and plopped on the blanket. Jylliene laughed. “Is there anyone who will be looking for you tonight? Will you be expected back anywhere? I should tell them where you are so that they don’t worry.” “They don’t know I’m gone. Two pillows and a ball are sleeping in my bed,” she replied, jumping up and down. The woman was actually beginning to get a little worried about whomever was directly overseeing the children. “You are certainly a very resourceful young lady,” she said, watching the girl. “Adults keep on telling me I’m too much a smarty. I like to watch people. I watched Nijil open a door once. One seven three three two. One seven three three two.” Jumping and jumping she went. Higher and higher, until she landed on her back on the safety of the bed. “You’d be a perfect engineer - or perhaps security officer - with those observational skills of yours.” Smiling, she replied, “I’d like to be a thought-stealer, like that one lady.” Jylliene thought about that. A thought-stealer? “The one with the little device on the side of her head? Or was it one of the people in medical?” “I never got her name. She doesn’t speak with her mouth. It’s weird.” Jylliene nodded. “Commander Ramson. I’ve had the privilege of serving under her on a ship a couple of times.” The girl appeared a bit shocked. “She knew I thought she was weird.” The Trill grinned. “Well, I don’t think that’d necessarily be an unusual thought for someone to have, if they haven’t met a Minaran before. I’m sure she wasn’t offended. She’s always been very nice when I’ve spoken with her.” “I,” she yawned. “Sure she did.” Annisha remained sprawled across the bed. “Do you need me to get you back so that the pillows and ball aren’t found in the morning?” Jylliene asked. “I don’t want to get you in trouble with security.” “What pillows? Oh, the me pillows. That’d be nice. Oh.” Annisha nearly hurt herself yawning once more. Her eyelids were harder for her to keep open. Her movements slowed to nil. “Nijil said...” Looking at the sleeping girl, the woman added in a whisper, “Or you can stay here, and I’ll take you back in the morning. Your choice - which I think you’ve already made.” She stood up, and pulled a blanket over Annisha, then sat back down at her console and sent a quick message to security. “If those in charge of the orphans realize they’re missing one - Annisha showed up here and is asleep in my quarters. I will see her safely back in the morning. -Lieutenant Jylliene Kital” Jylliene got another cup of tea and reclined on her couch. There was something that felt decidedly right about the girl being there. She hoped that her adoptive family felt similarly.

(Joint Log, Jylliene and Chirakis) The Control Tower usually felt like home to Jylliene. As she crossed toward the doors to Chirakis’s office, though, it felt ominous. She wasn’t really looking forward to the meeting, but the issue had to be raised. She paused at the door and rang the chime. From inside the office a voice called, “Come,” just as the doors opened. Jylliene stepped inside and approached the desk. “Captain. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me.” “Of course, Lieutenant. Please sit while I finish this report,” said Chirakis, waving Jylliene into one of the easy chairs that faced the desk. She breathed a sigh of relief as she sat down. Comfortable. It would perhaps make this easier. A little. Within a few minutes, the captain pushed a padd aside and leaned back, her chair giving its customary squeak. “The privilege of command,” she remarked with a weary smile, “or so they say. How may I help you, Lieutenant?” “Could we secure the office, please?” she asked, looking at Chirakis with concern. The captain’s weariness dissolved as she regarded Jylliene for a long moment. “Computer, secure the office to condition one.” Lights on the door blinked red, security cameras darkened, and a heavy, almost palpable silence descended. “I wondered if you had thought about what my being a Trill means for maintaining confidentiality of the mission so far - and anything we discover out there,” Jylliene began, as she gazed at the captain. “Should I be thinking about it?” Her hands folded easily in her lap. “I’m currently unjoined. But if there were to be a joined Trill who were to be incapacitated, and I were the only viable host in the area, I would be expected to become the symbiont’s new host. That symbiont would gain my memories - and would carry them to any future hosts.” “Which tells me that you are a trained Trill host who is able to receive a symbiont.” She left off with a tone of finality, her expression not quite readable, but obviously concerned. Her hands gripped tight; her jaw clenched. Jylliene nodded. “I would likely not be a first choice, since I left the program, but in an emergency, I’d be considered better than the death of a symbiont. Or than an untrained Trill host, for that matter.” “Tell me, Lieutenant,” the captain began in forced calm, “why exactly are you worried about a future host gaining your memories?” “There’s no guarantee,” she began, “that a future host would hold any memories or information from this mission confidential. There’s no guarantee that the host would be a Starfleet officer, or that they’d be a morally upstanding Trill - certainly, we screen hosts, but it’s not a perfect system. A future host may be tempted to give up information if it would be advantageous - or may be forced to do so.” Jylliene paused, then continued, “I’m not sure I can guarantee the security of the information beyond myself, were I to accept a symbiont.” After a long silence, the captain sighed, “I see,” and slowly rocked to a stand. “This does present a problem,” she said, turning to walk slowly toward the observation window that ran the length of the wall behind her. Arms folded across her chest, she spoke into space. “Before this mission began, Lieutenant, you were informed that the mission given to us by Starfleet would be dangerous and highly sensitive. You were also instructed to make a choice: leave the room or stay and forever hold your peace. The consequences of revealing anything about this mission... or the results of this mission... are so far-reaching that even I am bound to not discuss them. The subject of future symbiont joining should have been discussed before your decision to join the mission, Lieutenant.” She paused, but gave indication she was not quite finished. It was also evident she was not pleased, yet she did not seem angry. “However, that time has passed and we cannot legally return to that moment.” She turned to face Jylliene, her expression stern, but non accusatory. “What do you suggest we do?” “Unless there are conventions already in place for Trills in this kind of situation, I had a couple of possible ideas,” she replied. “The first would be the simplest - I flatly refuse any joining. I certainly have no intention of seeking one anyways, but should an emergency arise, I refuse to serve as even a temporary host. This would endanger the symbiont, and it wouldn’t do wonders for my reputation with anyone unaware of my reasons, but it’s the most straightforward option.” She looked up at the captain. Seeing that she had no immediate comment, Jylliene continued. “The second would be to agree only on condition that I am the final host for the symbiont. Though it does at least give the symbiont one more host lifetime, it’s not as secure an option as the first, as I would need to be able to refuse further transfer. If I’m incapacitated before I can indicate those wishes, I can’t guarantee they’d be followed. It’s not really a great choice.” After a pause, she added, “I could also bow out now to reduce the potential damage, but that’d be putting Commander Ramson in a bind with her staffing of the Aegean. And it doesn’t completely eliminate the threat.” She paused, then added, “If there were a way to be certain of Starfleet oversight to any symbiont transfer, that may be another option, but I don’t know what kinds of regulations might be in place for such a thing.” “Nor do I,” the captain replied. “If you do ‘bow out now’ you may be able to remain within the bounds of the mission and assist from the station. Your knowledge would be limited to the initial briefing, and Lt Cdr Ramson could find another operations officer.” Jylliene nodded. “I’d be willing to do whichever you think would be the best.” She sighed, then continued, “I suppose I didn’t include the option of taking a spacewalk without the benefit of an EVA suit, but...I hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.” Captain Chirakis’s expression remained focused, despite the apparent lighthearted comment. She raised a brow, as though she had actually considered the possibility. “...could I get a stiff drink first, if that’s your choice?” Jylliene replied weakly, before slumping forward, her head in her hands. “And what would you request, if that were offered?” “Not sure. I hear the Humans on the station talk about brandy, but I think I’d prefer Romulan ale.” “Romulan ale it is.” Chirakis’ arms dropped to her side as she moved toward an ornately carved cabinet on the opposite side of the room. “Chilled is best, though some like it warm,” she said as the contents of the cabinet rose through a panel on her approach. “I recommend chilled for discussions, warm for funerals... or, in this case, unprotected space walks.” Within moments she returned with two glasses of chilled Romulan ale, handed one to Jylliene, and settled into the easy chair next to her, regarding her curiously. Then she raised her glass. “It seems you have quite a decision to make, Lieutenant,” she said introspectively. “Q’plah.” Watching Jylliene closely, the barest hint of a grin accompanied her first sip. Jylliene almost believed that she was going to be taking that walk, until the toast. “Q’plah”, she replied, and took a somewhat larger swig, which she followed with an appreciative glance at Chirakis. “This is very nice. Thank you.” She paused in thought. “I would be leaning strongly toward the first option. It’s not ideal for the symbiont, but hopefully, it would never come to that. It’s the most secure, and I think I owe the team that, especially as I didn’t speak up when you first put the choice before us. If, though, you find out later that there is some other protocol in place - let me know?” “Of course. You should know that Mr. Roberts and SubCommander Jorahl will be in command of the mission, so I am obligated to discuss your situation with them. I will remain on the station. If they decide that your situation should be handled otherwise, you will be informed.” Jylliene nodded. “Of course, Captain.” She took another sizable swig, then glanced out the observation window herself. “I wonder if there are any non-Romulans on that station.” “Or if there is anyone at all,” added the captain. “True. Unknown at this point. It would just figure, though, after having had this conversation, that we’d end up finding a joined Trill sympathizer out there.” Jylliene took another swig and felt her head buzzing a bit. Let’s not get drunk in the Captain’s office, Jyll. “Which is the purpose of the mission, Lieutenant. There may be occupants of Mist Station Three; there may be none. There may be ordinary prospectors, miners, or a vacationing family. We have no idea what may be found. Take care that you do not manufacture demons before they appear. It tends to confuse and twist the mind into unimaginable fantasies.” She nodded. “Well spoken. Point taken, Captain.” She looked at the glass. There was still some in there, but she did want to be able to walk. If she could. She thought she could feel her legs. Maybe? She wiggled her toes in her boots. Tingly. The captain’s smile broadened, bemused. “And next time you drink Romulan ale, Lieutenant, take care to sip. Slowly.” Then she stood, placing a hand on Jylliene’s shoulder. “Do not even attempt to stand. Stay seated and I will call an escort. Report to your quarters, as you are definitely not fit for duty. The break will give you time to consider your options.” Jylliene grinned sheepishly. “Yes ma’am. And thank you, again, for this,” she indicated the glass in her hand, “and for the consultation. And for not ordering me out the airlock, or any other such means of removing the situation.” “Oh, the airlock is always there, Lieutenant. It’s just not that hungry at the moment. Computer, stand down condition one.” Jylliene chuckled, took the last drink from her glass, and awaited her escort. ---- Back in her quarters, Jylliene laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. What if they did find a Trill..? No. No no no. Chirakis was right. That way lies...what was it she said? Something. Bad things. Fantasies? Here there be dragons, et cetera. Jylliene sighed. Next time, SIP the ale. S-L-O-W-L-Y. She fell asleep, and dreamt of large spotted dragons bursting out of asteroids...

[sD 2387.173] The warmth of the night air reminded Nijil of nights on Romulus. The lights were carefully controlled to be just this time somewhere on Trill’s temperate regions. The computer had all of the answers, since other than the planet name, he knew little of Trill. Any city names she threw out held no meaning. He did not mind. Now, had she been Andorian, none of this would have worked. The thought of those temperatures reminded him of the Breen. The engineer minutes before had drug a large case of items with him for this occasion. “The transporter,” he thought to himself. Lugging around that large case must have made him the laugh of the evening. Anyhow, the largest item in the case was a very nice blanket. Supposedly it was woven by a Bajoran Vedik some years ago, but the Ferengi who sold it guaranteed its origin. Soft at least, he lied on it for a few minutes and nearly drifted off to sleep. Lucky for him some mental process jerked him back. “She’ll be here soon,” he said aloud to an empty room. He settled minutes ago at a clearing close to the large willow tree. With the blanket laid flat he started to unload the rest of the case. The items had scattered along the inside due to his bumping as he carried. Nothing appeared broken. One by one he laid the contents along the outer edge of the blanket. He got a fire going. Well, not a real one. The gardener would have never let him in again if a flammable heater burned down the entire garden. The heater took no time to warm. He continued preparing for her arrival. At the entrance to the arboretum the gardener quietly told passersby the place would be closed for the evening. No woman matching the Romulan’s description had yet passed by. “Maintenance tonight, the Arboretum is closed. Come again tomorrow,” he said. Over and over, at least half a dozen times. In a break he looked both ways down the long hall stretching from the entrance. He shook his head. Perhaps that young man’s friend would not show. Still, a deal’s a deal, and the garden would be getting a new Romulan section. He waited for others to ask if it was closed. Jylliene hurried down the corridor and slowed as she neared the entrance to the Arboretum. It didn’t look open - she saw someone at the entrance turning away a couple of other visitors. She nearly turned back herself, until the gardener caught sight of her and waved her over. “Miss, come here a moment, let me get a look at you,” said the old man. She approached the gardener. “I was supposed to meet someone here - is the Arboretum closed?” “Why yes it is, young lady. What brings you here?” he asked her. “A friend - a Romulan engineer here - asked me to meet him here at 2000.” She frowned. He smiled. “I don’t know of any engineer, but you are welcome to take a look around inside. Go on in.” The old gardener turned and logged into the panel. The large doors hissed open. Jylliene smiled and nodded to the man. “Thank you,” she said, then walked inside. Starting down the main pathway, she looked around, wondering where Nijil might be - or if he were inside at all. In the background, she heard the doors close. After glancing back for a moment, she continued on her way. “Nijil? Are you in here?” Looking around, she happened to catch a glimpse of a star on the horizon of the dome. Jylliene gazed upward, immediately recognizing constellations from home. A smile spread over her face. Engineers, she thought. When they get it right, they get it *right*. “Nijil?” Nijil had been in his own thoughts; it took a moment to realize someone was calling out. “Jolan tru?” Not the best choice. He should have paid attention to more of the Trill language. He stood up and waited for another response. Hearing his greeting, she turned along a side path and hurried toward his voice. “Jolan tru - where are you, e’lev?” She turned a corner and saw the willow tree ahead, a familiar figure beside it. Jylliene grinned at Nijil as she approached. “I’m glad you made it. Things were busy all of the sudden in the Control Tower today. Welcome.” “That they were. And thank you,” she replied, looking around again. “It’s perfect. What do you have planned?” she continued, smiling. “A few things here and there for one stressed out operations officer aboard the busiest station in the sector. Come sit, I think the fondue is warmed up enough.” Nijil sat in front of the warm pot of chocolate. One of the midway restaurants got this for him, not that Ferengi. Beside the pot was an assortment of fruits. All colors and even more varieties. He speared one he thought was made of straw. Turned out just to be the name. “Here,” handing over a speared fruit. Nijil speared one of his own. Jylliene accepted, dipped the red fruit into the chocolate and tried it. “Wonderful,” she said, licking the chocolate from her lips. “Oh, you have to try that one,” she added, as she speared a bright yellow star-shaped slice. “One of the ones I recall having during my time at the Academy,” Jylliene explained as she dipped the fruit, then ate it. “And just as good as I remember. Better, perhaps.” “To be honest I don’t know what any of these are,” he said spearing the star-shaped fruit. One dip and a bite. “Oh,” his face twisted at the flavors. “Romulan food is decidedly less tart. This is...mmm very good. Mmm.” He looked her over, wondering if she translated the note fully. “You look very nice,” he complimented, his grin widening. Blushing, she replied, “Thank you. Hann’yyo, ie? You’re a very welcome sight. Not likely to be many more moments like this before we move to the Aegean.” “No, I think not,” he said undeterred. “Seems we’ll be on the same ship. Unless the Captain wants me to wait in the shuttle the duration of the trip.” He grabbed a long blue fruit and peeled its sides. “Denobulan banana, so they say.” He handed a section to her. “Very sweet. Oh - I almost forgot, the tea.” Nijil turned to the other heat source where the teapot sat. He poured some into each cup. Jylliene tried the banana section. Very sweet, indeed. But very good. She gazed at him as he poured the tea, trying to lock away each motion, recall every moment. She wanted them both back safely from the upcoming mission, but if that wasn’t to be, she was determined to try to recall every moment of a night he went to so much trouble to make for her. She took a sip of her tea and tried to remember. What was that phrase...? Arhem rruieh...something. Come on, Jylliene, one more word, what was it... “Hope you like the tea. It’s something new.” Nijil took more than a sip in of the tea. It made him a little light-headed. He told himself to take smaller drinks. “How is your wrist? I was concerned, but did not want to bother you.” She snapped out of her reverie. “Oh, it’s improving well. Barely a concern working at a console. I wouldn’t want to be trying to do anything too intricate, but I’m no surgeon,” Jylliene replied with a grin. Hwaveyiir? No, that’s not it... He looked down into his cup. “Actually I tried to see you the other night. It was too early in the morning, and I hope I did not wake you.” Another piece of chocolate-dipped fruit reached his mouth. This one popped in his mouth, the seeds bursting with flavor. The tastes should have been vetted, perhaps. “I’m sorry I missed you. You didn’t wake me. Obviously,” she replied with a grin. --- Their picnic complete, Jylliene helped Nijil pack the blanket, warmers and utensils back into the case. “It was a beautiful night, Nijil. Thank you,” she said, smiling warmly at him. Inside, she still struggled to remember that one word. “Shall I help you get this back to your quarters?” “Please, if you would. I could have had this beamed earlier, but like a madman I dragged it all over the station.” Jylliene smiled. “Gladly. It’ll give me a few more minutes walking back with you.” She picked up the case. Nijil grabbed the other end, the one without the handle. “I’ll get this end. Oh, I could have gotten an anti-grav one from cargo bay three. I do not think these things through.” Hwav...hwav..hwavhel - that was it. Jylliene smiled and helped him out with the case. ----- They stopped outside of Nijil’s quarters. “I hope you liked everything. I owe the gardener,” Nijil said, smiling as much as ever. “Absolutely,” Jylliene replied. “It was all wonderful.” She gazed at him. Arhem rruieh hwavhel. Say it. He stood there simply staring at her dark green eyes and realized the wonderful scent earlier was her. He smiled again, but said nothing about it. Moments passed. “Busy day tomorrow?” She nodded. “It will be. Oh - one thing, e’lev...” Arhem rruieh hwavhel. It’s not that difficult to say. Just say it. Before she completed her sentence, he took another chance, held her and kissed her. After some time, he let go. “Thank you and good night.” Nijil smiled the biggest smile then dragged the case into his quarters “Good night,” she replied quietly, then walked to hers and entered. As the doors closed, she collapsed onto the couch. Arhem rruieh hwavhel. Please gods, elements, prophets, fate, fortune, and everything else, we see each other safe again afterward and I get another chance to tell you.

[Joint log: Jylliene and Kallah] Her mother had once said, “Be careful about whom you place on a pedestal. They do not tend to stay there.” The first real memory Jylliene had of Jorahl - other than fleeting moments in passing - was seeing him hit by the disruptor blast. That image from the Aegean viewscreen was vividly burned into her mind as the fight to retake Aegis began. To discover later that he had carefully constructed a way to survive was mind-boggling, and added to her respect for the chief engineer. It was one of Jylliene’s first tasks once back on Aegis to rewrite the shift rosters and duty assignments - to undo numerous things, actually, that Jorahl had done while the renegades were there. In doing so, she became aware of just how carefully the SubCommander had prepared for their retake of the station. She almost felt like she really knew him. It all added up to quite an internal admiration of the Romulan officer. Her vision of him warped upon truly seeing him in his element. Jylliene was well aware, and kept trying to tell herself, that it was his intimate knowledge of the details of the station’s operations that allowed him to do what he did for Aegis those weeks ago. But until now, her view was comfortable. She had admired the results without knowing what it took to produce them. Jylliene stepped out of the lift onto the Control Tower. Any attempts to hide this uncomfortable feeling Jylliene now had were in vain as Kallah Ramson stepped towards the Ops console. "You've been to Engineering." The Trill looked at Kallah, likely still with a somewhat dazed expression. “You can tell..?” The words were no more out of Jylliene’s mouth before she realized what she said. “Of course you can.” She leaned on the console, the slightest smile briefly appearing on her face. Ramson returned the smile. "It's an amazing amount of data coursing through there," she said as she casually stepped over to lean against the station. Jylliene didn’t dispute that at all. Instead, the image of the SubCommander standing at the displays flashed back into her head. She glanced at her console. “I suppose it’s what I get,” she sighed, running her hand through her hair, then wincing as she turned her injured wrist the wrong way. "I suppose I can relate well with an engineer’s insight into the systems they maintain. It's not too unlike Minaran telepathy. Our nervous system extends much farther than most species. It's more than just reading thoughts; that's almost just a byproduct. All those around me, I can hear their heartbeats, sense the same tastes and smells, be swayed by the same emotions, and..." glancing towards Jylliene's hand, "feel their pains." The Trill glanced at her helplessly. “I’m not sure that makes me feel better.” "Sorry." Kallah tried to give a reassuring smile. "But, understanding doesn't always mean feeling better. Sometimes you just have to learn from the pain." Jylliene nodded in reluctant agreement. "It's just going to take time to see this all as a safety net and not as a snare to fall into.” "Isn't it like that with so much in life. You see it in work, in families, in... love." A cheeky grin spread across Kallah's face. The Trill smiled at Ramson. “Remind me after the shift - I owe you a drink.” "Oh, what for?" Kallah asked with a grin. “Counseling fee, if nothing else. But I’d rather just call it a drink among friends.” "The latter sounds better to me. I'll take on the Athra, Breen, or Renegade Romulans. I'm not up to caring for the mental well-being of half the crew of this station." The laughter from the Ops console drew the glances of the others on the Control Tower. For the first time that day, Jylliene didn’t particularly notice - or care about - anyone watching.

(Joint log, Jorahl and Jylliene) (Events take place about 2387.172) The turbolift sped its way down to Engineering. Inside, Jylliene tried to forget seeing the bank of monitors behind which SubCommander Dabi had been seated, intently watching the goings-on all over the station. She didn't really like the atmosphere in main security - she gave them their PADD and left - but then, she wasn't a security officer. They did definitely know their jobs. As the door opened, she stepped out into engineering and looked about for Jorahl. He was standing before his own array of screens, maps and status updates continually refreshing. She pulled the final PADD from her reclaimed satchel - a cross-body leather case she had found in a crate of old supplies that had been moved from place-to-place for who knows how long. When Jylliene had inquired about the items, she had been told they were terribly outdated and could be cycled back to the replicator. This, though, which had apparently once been used to carry a medical tricorder, she had kept. She liked the feel of it. So when she was handed the PADDs for hand-delivery, Jylliene retrieved it. She felt much more comfortable having them in something versus simply held. "SubCommander? Secure report," Jylliene said, as she approached him. Jorahl slowly turned his attention towards the young Trill. He had not dealt directly with the Ops officer much, though he was quite familiar with her. By nature of the position every action at Ops had an instant reaction in engineering. The shifting patterns of energy demands and computer functions, activation of sensors and the communication array, even what subfiles were activated by the Control Tower replicator told Jorahl about the actions and intent of whomever stood at the Ops station. And each officer had a unique rhythm. The Trill had not been on the station long, but the SubCommander felt he had a fair grasp on the nature of the young officer. "Thank you," Jorahl said simply as he took the Padd, his attention returning to the boards. Jylliene eyed the displays. She recognized several portions, due to their duplication at Ops. Others were unfamiliar, though she had at least some vague sense of the type of data being monitored. The Master Display Board could be much like a giant spider web. Everyone on Aegis pulled on its threads. Security's monitoring was obvious by intent. Those who know they're being watched tend to behave themselves. Engineering's vantage point could be more subtle, which Jorahl found more advantageous in most situations. More subtle and, as evidenced by the sudden chill Jylliene felt, more ominous. While cameras along the corridors and public areas of the station were practically an expectation, this seemed like something more. It made perfect sense that engineering had the capability to monitor what was displayed, but the attitude of the SubCommander standing before the board was something akin to the the person behind the scenes, pulling the strings of his puppets - whether to entertain children, slyly manipulate a ruler, or plot the end of empires. It was one thing to hear such stories; quite another to witness it - and to realize that you yourself are upon his stage. With a nod and a quiet thank you, she turned toward the lift. The Romulan engineer nodded, keeping his eyes on the boards. Even after the lift doors closed, however, Jylliene could still feel the unseen gaze.

Jylliene sat at Ops, watching the activity in the area about the station. Things seemed tense on the control tower. It was understandable, given the coming plans, and the secrecy. The mission would have been enough of a challenge anyways, but with that as well - it meant that planning had to be done either in hinted phrases or while locked down. It wasn’t the type of situation that lent itself to a relaxed crew. It took Jylliene a little while to unwind at the end of a shift. She focused on the console in front of her. She was increasingly tightly strung. It happened earlier with each successive shift, and took longer to unwind each time. While Jylliene liked her posting, and the command staff, she found herself sometimes dreading the shift when she got up in the morning. She just wanted to be able to DO something. The day she spent assisting Ramson with interviews had been such a relief in that sense; she felt like she was directly assisting the coming mission. Which was ridiculous, in a sense. She knew that what she was doing right now, here at Ops, the usual things, were just as important as ever. Moreso, almost. Regular station operations did need to continue, and smoothly, while so much was going on under the surface. A lot was happening ON the surface, for that matter. Jylliene sent another of her regular reports to Chirakis, detailing the number and type of ships in the area, the amount of subspace communications, and the like. This time, the spike in subspace chatter prompted a quick message to the captain to be sure to note that portion of the report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OOC/Background Notes: Starfleet frequency 1486 was the comm channel the USS Enterprise-E tied into to listen to the fleet's battle against the Borg in 2373. (Star Trek: First Contact). Assumed 1000-1900 around it. Max transfer rate of 18.5 kiloquads/sec over subspace channels as per ST Tech Manual, Next Gen 11188800 max kq per 7 day standard week 11188800000 max q per wk; therefore 11.19 max Gigaquads - assuming this as ideal, using 10 as an actual use max Ops report 2387.172.pdf

Jylliene stepped out of the shower. That worked better than anticipated, she thought. Even the one thing she thought would be most difficult, washing her hair, went relatively smoothly. Not *easily*, but it worked. It did help that she had her hair cut - just shoulder-length now, which seemed to her like it would be simpler. Easier to comb, definitely. All kinds of thoughts had been passing through her mind about dealing with the next couple of weeks. Admittedly, the chance that maybe she’d actually need to ask Nijil for a little help with bathing had not *exactly* been an unpleasant idea. She paused. Stop it, stop it, stop it. Jylliene changed into her pajamas - NOT the Trill equine ones this time. Solid color. Safe. Safe, she thought to herself as she got a cup of tea. His quarters were just a few doors down. And here she sat, safe on her safe couch in her safe quarters. The same safe couch that he’d slept on each time he’d been there overnight. Sure, it had been a bit soon to risk more by sharing a bed instead. But would they, in another month, in another year, still be safely holding to status quo? She looked at her tea. Her nice safe tea. I could use some of that ale right now, she thought inwardly.

Silver Merit Award [Following the duty shift after the events in Shattered] The door to Jylliene’s quarters slid open, and she entered - and sighed. She had nearly forgotten about the glass all over the corner of the room. Walking to the control panel by the replicator, she pushed a few buttons to signal the cleaning cycle,* then walked over to the desk to examine the damage to the console. Thankfully, it was minor. It looked like her wrist took the worst of it. Some blood, a crack in the desk’s surface, but other than that, fine. Fetching a cloth from the bathroom, she cleaned up the blood, and then activated the console. Still in proper working order. That was a relief. She did NOT want to fill out a requisition form to replace that. Jylliene could see it now: Part: Quarters personal console Damage (give details below): Cracked. It turns out that there is an inner Klingon in all of us, waiting to emerge if sufficiently enraged. The desk cleaned, and the carpet apparently so as well, Jylliene rinsed out the washcloth and sat back at the desk to look for any incoming messages. There were a few of the usual, she saw, as she scanned the screen - then one notification caught her eye. It was from her mother. It was the book she had asked for at the beginning of their conversation. Jylliene hadn’t cried after their argument. She did now. ---------------------- *based on an assumption that by that time period, they at LEAST have something akin to a Roomba they can start up to vacuum.

Silver Merit Award [Events take place just before the upcoming (3/8/2013) sim] Jylliene sat at her desk, waiting for the connection. Her mother's face appeared on the screen. "Jylliene!" Lanyi exclaimed, smiling. "It's so good to see you," Jylliene replied, her grin just as wide. "How are you and father?" "We're doing well. Your father was just named head of his department. I've been offered a research position at Rensh'a'misrel." "Congratulations! I knew they'd see eventually. The book on ancient Trillic?" Her mother nodded. "They called it a breakthrough. Your father said they probably feared their board if they were to find out they let someone else get me and thereby their university’s name on subsequent research." Jylliene grinned. "It's about time they saw that. I'd better get a copy transmitted out here." Her mother laughed. "Of course, of course. But enough of that. How are you?" "Doing well. I wanted you to know that I, well, met someone stationed here." She blushed slightly, and her mother laughed happily. "So who is he? And when might we see him?" "He's an engineer here. His name's Nijil tr'Korjata, and he has been a..." Jylliene stopped. Her mother's expression had changed completely. "That's a Romulan name..." Jylliene nodded slowly. Her mother leaned back. "You've left everything behind? Is this how we raised you? We tried to understand when you left the program, and then when you ran off to Starfleet, and now this?" "You raised me to see the best in everything, to look beyond the surface. You pointed me to the tenderness in the language of even..." "And how is this the best in anything? You've thrown away our joining, our world, and now even the people of your own Federation for...some Romulan engineer? Not even a Senator, at least?" "What does it matter what his position is? Or that he’s a Romulan? He’s been loyal and such a good...” "It doesn't. They're all traitorous!" She softened her voice and continued in a plea, "Jylliene, he'll toss you aside as soon as it's at all advantageous. And then what? And what if you have children? Think of them." She had, actually. Having seen how Nijil immediately acted to protect Annisha during the flight in the Midway, and the picture she drew for him that he hung on his wall, she could hardly avoid seeing the possible children in her mind. Jylliene replied, equally pleading with her. "They would be cherished. You should see him with children, mother, he's caring and protective. He would absolutely adore and..." Lanyi's voice raised again. "I do not want grandchildren of mine in the care of one of those..." Jylliene snapped back. "He's not like that! He's a man of as much honor as anyone from home!" "Are you pregnant? Did you already marry him?" "What? No! We've not been seeing each other nearly long enough for anything like that. How could you think...” "Then end this now, while you can!..." her mother loudly demanded. "No! Mother, I -" "...I will not have my daughter being some treacherous Romulan's harl-" "You will not have a daughter at all!" she shouted at the screen, then slammed her hand down on the console with a crack, closing the transmission. She barely noticed the pain radiating through her wrist as she grabbed the family picture and threw it against the wall, the frame shattering and showering the carpet in glass. Shaking, Jylliene leaned back against the chair, staring at the blank console. What have I done? What do I do *now*? Her hand throbbed. She looked down at it and winced. Sickbay, it would seem.