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Annisha

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  1. Girls Just Wanna Have (Lockdown) Fun (Miana, Alexis, and loveable Annisha) Miana, Alexis, and Annisha quickly arrive at Annisha's quarters after the red alert is sounded. They are having an impromptu sleepover party since the station is in danger...again. They get out a game or two. Alexis sat down on the floor between Miana and Annisha and looked over their selection of board games, as well as a few that she brought over from her quarters. “Let’s see here, I brought over…” Lexy said perusing the box full of games she brought over. “The Game of Drones, Sorry! Galactic Edition, Parcheesi Cubes? A couple of others in here too.” Lexy rummaged through at the few games sitting in the bottom of her box. “Let’s see which game we want to start with first.” "Oh come on Lexi, let's not forget," Annisha said as she turned around, "Cloaks and Daggers. Well, two of the pieces are still cloaked, or missing and...the Daggers were recalled for being too sharp." She jumped excitedly. "I also have Dabo: Kids Edition, Spin the Dagger. That last one is fun. You have to tell a dark stinging secret or accept an embarrassing dare." She stacked some other games, all seemingly genuine Rihan games, but with surprisingly similar layouts to Earth games. She turned to Miana who was still looking at all of the games. "What are the games like on, whatever your planet is called?" “Mithra…” Miana quietly replied. She seemed to be in her little world for the moment. The red alert was still going on, and she had just contacted her mother to let her know where she was. That didn’t seem to calm Yda down much, but at least she had known her daughter was safe. Miana glanced between the other two girls. The fact that they were both so relaxed helped the little Mithraan calm down. "Oh oh!" Annisha gets up and grabs a marker off of her desk across the room. A desk by which everyone could see she was working on homework and not playing in her room. She came back and went to the wall to the right of where they were playing games. She crosses a series of four vertical lines with a diagonal one. "That makes fifteen red alerts since I got on the station." She hopped back over to where she sat before between her two friends. "I think they are going for a new record here, from what father said. Oh, that's a cool planet name. Doesn't mean anything in Rihan though, but then you do have a planet. Mine's, well..." She makes a 'poof' sound with her lips and a matching gesture with her hands. "You know, there is the Ferengi Games of Pure Skill in that box. Not a chance to cheat on those games." She smiled at Miana. “I think I must be up to ten myself. I haven't been on the station as long as Annisha has,” Alexis replied. “Sometimes they can be convenient. It did get us out of school early.” She looked at the Pure Skill box. “Hmm. Yeah that's true”. Alexis looked over at Miana and smiled. “Do you have any preferences?” “This happens often?” asked Miana. “No wonder you are both so calm.” She still appears to be quite nervous. Miana carefully looks over the choice of games, fluffy white tail waving back and forth as she tries to make a decision. “Umm...I do not know which to pick,” she said with a slight frown. “Uhh, Pure Skill is fun, but I think it'd be better if we left that for later. I guess we should start with something more simple, like Sorry or Targ Trap. But I'm open to anything” shrugged Alexis. “What about you, Annisha? What should we start off with?" "How...," she stopped. A deep sound rumbled from beyond Annisha's quarters. It erupted from well below their feet, pulsing towards them, then extending above into the distance. Miana had never heard such a strange metallic sound before. Clearly she was frightened, she screeched, "Aaaahieeee!" Then all of her fur poofed out. "Whoa!" Alexis shouted, jumping back. "Oh, cool!" Annisha watched in wonder. Alexis went over to Miana just as quickly as she jumped back. "It's okay Miana. It's just the station getting ready." She hugged her from the side, trying any mental ability she had to calm her down. "Father said it is the defenses moving into place, something new for the station." Annisha said. She smiled all-knowing, folding her arms in front of her. "It allows us to keep track of how many red alerts keep us in our rooms. Now relax Miana and let's play!" Miana had buried her head into Alexis for a moment as she tried to relax. It wasn’t long before a relative calm came about and she began to pur. Her fur also began to depoof as her tail once again started to wave. “Alright…” "Hey," Annisha said brightly, "At least your homeworld did not get irradiated." She placed a hand over Miana's hand. "This is nothing compared to that." Annisha bent over to Miana's ear and cupped her hand, whispering, "I'm scared every time, 'bout lots of things, so bad I have to take an injection to sleep." She went back to sitting as she smiled at Miana at her own admission. She looked tough on the outside, but more fragile on the inside than she let on. This red alert was no different.
  2. Annisha’s Log Journal Thingy Stardate 2388.038 BEGIN LOG Sorry it has been so long, but my father was in an accident in some reactor room. He came into sickbay all messed up and sleeping. They won't tell me what happened to him. I started to cry and went over to him, but he was full of electricity. He shocked me. The doctors said they would try to discharge him. Lexi asked if he was going home like that, asleep, but I think they meant they were going to try to get the electricity out of him. Lexi said we should blow up some balloons and rub them on his head, but I think she was trying to make me feel better. Wait, would that work? Let me ask Lexi. No, she laughed at me. Big meanie. I sure hope he wakes up. I'm trying to plan something for he and Jy's bonding. Perhaps if I bring my tiny guitar back and play it he'll wake up. I've not had a lot of practice, but I think I have the basics down. I try not to think of losing someone again. It would be like Niji to complete a circuit with him in it. I mean I'd be okay. I overheard my father and Jy, my mother, saying things were covered, plans made. Maybe on that planet his parents have the farm. It's been a long time since I smelled fresh planet air, but the air on Aegis is just fine. In case my father can crack my journal code (doubt it). Please wake up. Annisha
  3. Annisha’s Log Journal Thingy Stardate 2388.033 BEGIN LOG What an adventure Alexis and I have had…in boredom! Most of the past few days were spent in our quarters because something else was doing something to the station. This time some kind of misty thing was outside of the station, then the power went out again. I think it was something my father did, again. He’s either slipping in his old age or guaranteeing some kind of permanent job here fixing the lights. I demand an answer when he returns. Top it all off some people claim they saw voices and heard faces, or wait, the other way around. I did not see a thing, though Lexi said she could feel it in people. What a bunch of ninnies. Unless I see it with my own eyes or some space blob takes over Lexi’s body I don’t believe it. You know something else I can’t believe? That for our emotional trouble we still have homework to do. What a bunch of &*(*($. Wait…&*9*$. There’s a ()&% filter on my PADD. Can’t I say anything in my own journal. Must be a little baby mode. Something to break into later. Seriously though, having Lexi around to watch holo-movies with me and help me in my investigations around the station sure has been great. My real mother and father kept me in my house, said there were dangers out there. Well of course there were, probably worried I’d die of embarrassment, or kidnapped by someone. My mom told me there were evil people in the universe set on trampling on the Rihan way of life. Federation, Klingon, Gorn… all out to get us. I’m starting to have my doubts. Mister Kulge sold me a miniature Targ because he would not have been good eating and he helps me get things to feed him with. Lexi is part of the Federation and she’s on the level (I think…spy?). Now the Gorn… I’ve not met one of those, so perhaps I should watch out. I should see if any are on the station. I have some questions for him, her or it. Well, Lexi just jumped out of the tree, so I think it’s time to go. She said she’d help me plan more of this bonding ceremony thing for Jylliene and father, but I think she just wants more Jumja sticks on the menu. Does she think she needs to be sweeter? Laters log. END LOG
  4. Death and Ponies - Alexis and Annisha Alexis sat in her bed watching Annisha prance around in her nightgown. She was waiting to hear if there was any more news feeds from that planet. It was annoying at first, since it woke her up, but they did get pretty interesting later. “Is that a silk nightgown you’re wearing?” Alexis reached out and touched Annisha’s nightgown. Felt like silk, she thought, but it could have been another weird Romulan fabric of some sort. “So soft…” she said, voice trailing. Annisha stopped. "It's something Jylliene's mother got me when I visited Trill. I was out of it since they removed that thing from my neck." She looked Alexis in the eye, knowing she had stories to make her friend's hair curl. She ran and jumped on Alexis' bed then sat cross-legged with the headboard to her back. "Come over and look, I still have the scar." She turned and lifted her hair with her hand. "Do you see it?" Alexis moved closer to examine Annisha’s scar. Given that she was half-Betazed, Alexis could feel that Annisha went through a lot in her short life, which made her feel bad. “That’s a pretty big scar there” replied Alexis. She nodded. "Yep, I thought I found new parents and they took me to a new place to live, but I knew something was up." Annisha turned to her friend. She placed her hands on her knees. "They locked me in a room with only a tiny window. They drugged my food. T-then they must have..." She stopped for a moment. "They must have done it when I was sleeping, because I woke up groggy." Alexis frowned. “Sorry to hear that” she said of her friend. “I can’t imagine how it was like,” she replied. Alexis was unaccustomed to such things, having lived sheltered from such awful events. She admired Annisha’s bravey and was only on Aegis because she complained of Andoria. Annisha brushed her bangs out of her face. "They put in a control device. It shocked me." FLASH: Annisha remembers reeling at the first trigger of the device. Her entire body jerked upward, the implant taking random control of her muscles. She only knew pain. She looked less chipper than moments ago, staring into the air. "I...could not control myself. I peed all over myself. My teeth all hurt really bad, like they were being pulled out of my head. it burnt my eyes. I think I vomited. I know I did because they made me clean it up." Her eyes started to water, her head began to shake. "I wasn't strong enough to stop it." Alexis crawled towards Annisha. She felt sad for her friend. “Wow, gosh. I’m sorry you had to go through all that at your age. I wouldn’t be as brave as you” Alexis said and hugged Annisha. “But, at least you are in a safe place now” she said, trying to be as reassuring as possible, knowing she wouldn’t last that long, if she were in Annisha’s shoes. Tears flowed as Annisha hugged Alexis with vigor. "I thought I would die out there. They had me pick stupid rocks!" She was breaking down, having put on a face of strength for her father and others. "I s-started to get u-used to the pain, or so I thought." She began to stutter. "I-I tried to disobey, but the pain. It's from the inside out. A lot of time passed. Then I saw my opening." Annisha gripped her friend with her fists in repressed anger. Alexis continued holding Annisha, not saying anything; just listening. She couldn’t comprehend the contrast in their childhoods so far. So much in common, yet so different. Alexis winced as Annisha began squeezing her. “Ow…. uhh… it’s okay… It’s all over now. What opening was that?” Alexis asked, with a grimace, her curiosity still evident despite the growing pain. "To escape." She released her hug and instead held her friend's shoulders firm. "All those shuttles were running. I knew could get it off the ground. So I ran, a-and grabbed a gun. He was in my way. I never held a gun before, but I had no time. I just pointed and..." “You killed him?” Alexis asked, relieved Annisha stopped squeezing her. Annisha nodded sheepishly, looking at Alexis with her big hazel eyes. “Wow” exclaimed Alexis. “You had to do what you had to do, I guess. You’re very brave to be able to do that. I never knew.” "Yeah, but enough about me, how about those ponies?" She asked, pointing at Alexis' pajamas. "Do you own one?" The sudden shift of topic threw Alexis off guard, but Annisha’s experience unsettling her. A welcome change. “These ponies?” she asked. “I don’t own any ponies, but one of my uncles has some horses on his farm in Montana. I’ve ridden some before” "Ohhh, there's a bird on Romulus one could almost ride if it didn't want to claw you. These horses sound safer." She moved to the left side of the bed and laid down. The pillow was exceedingly soft, much more so than hers. She looked up at the ceiling, still talking of horses. "I heard a story of horsemen coming to Earth bringing death and things. I hope your horses aren't those." “I’d like to ride a bird, but if you aren’t careful, some horses could kick you, which would really hurt” Alexis replied. She looked at Annisha then pondered. “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? I think that’s what it’s called? I remember reading about that somewhere.. probably in school or something” Alexis shrugged. “ And yes, I think that was the story. I hope my uncle’s horses aren’t like that, but they are very friendly, especially if you give them carrots or apples to eat, so I doubt that.” Annisha grabbed her hand, urging her to stare at the ceiling with her. "Perhaps I can visit Earth and see these horses. Like ch'Rihan was to the Romulans, so is Earth to the Federation. I'd like to see a world spared of something like the Great Fire. Can you ask next time you go if a little Rihan can tag along?" Alexis smiled and looked at the ceiling, wondering what they were staring at, perhaps that light bulb that looked like it was going to flicker out. “I’d love to show you around Earth. I’m sure Dacia would be happy to take you along, if your parents are okay with it. There’s not much to see in my hometown, but there’s lots to do in London where Dacia lives and my uncle likes having visitors at his farm, so you could ride the ponies there if you want. Though I don’t know the next time we go to Earth.” Annisha's eyes started to close. "I'd like that a lot."
  5. “Girl Powered Squared” A joint log of Annisha & Alexis Friday, 6 November, 2387. Just before start of sim. Alexis spent a quiet morning in her room playing with Chester. Dacia had enrolled her into the Federation school before her arrival, but processing delayed her first day until Monday. A long weekend of play. No complaints. By the time the afternoon rolled around, Alexis grew bored and found herself in the park. She found herself alone after Dacia took Chester to the children’s home to continue his career as a therapy dog. Everybody had a purpose on the station, furry pets included. Alexis wore an outfit Dacia bought the day before; a light blue dress, a pair of white opened toed sandals, and a gold-pressed latinum anklet. Though Alexis visited only a fraction of the station, the park was definitely her favorite. The simulated breeze felt good as it tossed her hair about. It was quiet, save for a handful of families and some Starfleet officers on their breaks or off-duty. She walked towards the pond in the middle of the park, and stopped to take off her sandals. She quite liked her new sandals, but they were not broken in yet. Better was the feeling of the cool grass under her bare feet. Picking up her sandals, she walked closer to the pond and took a seat in the grass in an empty part of the park. Alexis reached into her bag and took out a can of cola which Dacia left for her in the fridge. She opened the tab and took a sip. Exploring the station was thirsty work, and the caffeine would keep her energized. Alexis stretched out her legs and looked at the pond and the rest of the park, enjoying her free time while she could. Annisha, the sneaky devil she was, crept behind a bush some meters behind Alexis. This “half-breed” was easy prey, relaxing next to her favorite watering hole. The Rihan girl looked all around for any competition stalking her prize. Two humans off in the distance holding hands. A Klingon...not sure her business, and a Vulcan male scanning. Such squares. Expecting nothing, Alexis took another sip of her cola. She thought she might have something behind her, but dismissed it as the wind or something. Alexis looked at her wrist chrono and wondered when the other school got out, and if that weird Romulan girl would show up. She sighed. Unsuspecting of her impending doom, she took another sip of her cola and brushed aside a strand of hair from her face. Annisha remained crouched down behind the bush. Tucked behind her between her belt and pants was that dangerous boomerang. She’d not throw it of course. Not at this close range. She slowed her breathing and took her first light steps towards her victim. Closer. Closer still. Clo-. “Hand over the goods you mind-reader,” insisted Annisha, holding the tip of the boomerang against Alexis’ neck. “What say you?” One side of her lip smiled. Alexis jumped out of her skin, covering her mouth to muffle her scream. She looked around the park, nobody paid any attention. “What did you have in mind, my cola? You wouldn’t take that from me, you fiend.” Alexis responded. “Or did you want my pressed latinum plated anklet?” she said. “Anklet? I do know a Ferengi at the shops.” The Rihan withdrew her boomerang and holstered it. She sat down beside Alexis. “Dacia bought it for me yesterday.” Alexis pointed to her right ankle. “Hey, nice seeing you outside of sickbay. Why that place is so popular is beyond me.” “Lots of clumsy people I guess, my father being one of them. I think he gets a discount now.” From her pocket she pulls some kind of wrapped bar. She rips open the package with her teeth, rips it in two, and then offers it to her friend. “Ooh, thanks,” Alexis said, taking the offered package. “What is it?” she asked. Her new Rihan friend took a bite. “Mmm, sour and full of energy. So, why are you here on this station? Your planet blow up too?” Alexis bit into the citrusy morsel. It tasted like a lemony granola bar, complimenting her Coke. “Not yet, at least not that I know of,” mused Alexis. “The Federation assigned my parents to Andoria. They thought the cold wasn’t the best place for me, so they sent me here to stay with Dacia. My other family had commitments, so here I am.” “Mmmhmm, frigid.” muffled Annisha. “You missed the fun here on the last station.” “Yes, way too cold in Andoria for my liking,” she said gazing at the simulated sun’s reflection off the man-made pond. “Dacia told me a bit about the old station and her having to stay in the shipyard. I’m kind of glad I missed it.” “So sixth-sense, what do you do for fun when your folks aren’t shipping you off to parts unknown?” “Soccer, swimming...Ooh, shopping, playing with my dolls and stuff. I’m also a pretty good singer, if I do say so myself.” She smiled and looked back at Annisha. “What about you, pointy-ears?” “Poi-,” she felt her ears. “ I’ve kicked a ball around a bit at the old place. I like weapons and getting into things.” She thought for a moment. “I can’t sing, but my dad does, but he doesn’t want anyone to know, so don’t tell anybody.” “Like Romulan songs and stuff? Eh, I won’t say anything” shrugged Alexis. “Come to this park often, other than to stalk sweet, innocent little girls?” she asked sweetly. She gave her friend a funny look. “I don’t sweet talk just anyone, but I pick a mark, and then follow them around the station. Klingons, Admirals, you name it. If you are like other humans or betazoids you won’t be innocent for long, no offense.” Alexis chuckled. “None taken I guess. There are mean humans and betazoids out there, especially out here in the middle of nowhere. You must’ve been watching me since I arrived. I never noticed. I sometimes like people-watching too. Though I’m not as covert as you are.” “Covert? Can’t your mind reading powers sense when I approach? I mean, what am I thinking now?” She gave Alexis a look out of the corner of her eye. “I don’t always use my telepathic powers, as I’m still learning them. I can sense that you are trying to gauge my abilities and how you could use them to exploit other people, perhaps your father. I’m okay at mind-reading and empathic stuff, I guess, but I’ve only really just started training for that.” Alexis sighed, knowing she still had a long road ahead of her. “Na, my father is an easy target, I’d not need your powers.” She smiled at the times she could pull on over on him. In the end he took her in when she had no one, making up for any of his flaws. With no warning, Annisha jumped up. “Hey, this park is great and all, would you like to see a real Rihan shuttle?” Alexis smiled as well, she didn’t need her empathy to see that Annisha cared for her father. She looked at Annisha. “A Romulan Shuttle? Ooh, I never seen one of those before. Interesting.” She finished the rest of her cola and looked for her sandals. “I’ve done more than that, I’ve flew it before.” She waited for her friend to gather her things. “I have a secret way in.” Alexis smiled, impressed with her new Romulan friend. “That’s pretty cool. I’m just starting to ride my hover bike,” remarked Alexis, as she put on her sandals and picked up her bags. “Well, lead the way.” She began to walk out of the park. “Na,” she said in Rihan. “I have a faster way in. Hold my hand.” She extended her hand. Alexis reached and took Annisha’s hand. She reached to her chest and took out a necklace with a tiny hummingbird attached. She squeezed both the bird and her friend’s hand. “Moraere!” Soon a sparkling green light enveloped both Annisha and Alexis and they vanished.
  6. Nijil...father...daddy. The bad ship shook the station for a long time. The lights flickered. I tried to be brave. I cried. I was scared. I wanted to sleep. Doctor Davis and Kat stayed with us. The rumbling stopped, but the room was dark. Davis helped me fall asleep. Daddy came and turned on the lights, but I didn't see him. We had POWER! We were told to stay. I played and played. I heard a rumble. I wanted daddy. I called him. Someone else answered. Where’s daddy? Kat looked sad. Daddy, are you there? Daddy, I miss you.
  7. But Fear Itself An Annisha, Schawnsee, and Amanda Log Annisha wanted to talk to Dr. Davis, but she was busy with Dr. Kitty Kat. She’d hurt her knee and couldn’t walk. Annisha watched for a while, but the hurt knee reminded her of her hurts, and that reminded her of who hurt her, and that reminded her of who she hurt…. She had to say it. She had to, had to, had to… “I…” she bit her lip and looked up at Schawnsee, “...I’ve hurt someone dead.” There. She said it. “What did you say?” Kat looked up shocked at what the child had just said. Annisha turned to Dr. Shawnsee. “I killed someone dead.” The Rihan girl’s expression dropped to a new low. She had been holding this inside that for her seemed like forever. With haste, she teared up once more and ran to the furthest corner of the Children’s Center to hide. She stopped in front of a big container of stuffed toy animals and dove in. She closed the lid behind her. “Amanda, go see to her. She will speak to you. She will not talk to me or wouldn’t earlier. The child likes you. Use it to your advantage. I can wait.” Kat says as she takes Amanda’s hand, keeping her from continuing. Amanda looked up, then back at Kat’s knee. “All right,” she said lowly with a quick glance toward Annisha as she reluctantly handed the medical equipment to a technician and washed up, “I’ll see what I can do.” Annisha started when Amanda approached her. The girl was clearly distraught, but did she actually mean she'd killed someone? Amanda hoped they misunderstood. “Annisha,” Amanda called softly into the pile of stuffed animals, “Annisha, don’t you think the animals need a little breathing room? Why don’t you come out so I can see you.” The lid opened to reveal only her eyes. “It’s safer in here. I don’t wanna.” Her eyes closed and the lid flipped open. “Oh, and it looks safe, Annisha. In fact, I’d love to join you in there, but…” she sighed, “...I just don’t fit.” Amanda looked longingly at the chest, the 10-year-old’s head barely visible among the toys. “I’d really like to sit with you for a while. I need some company... I really do. Would you come sit in my lap? It’s not as snug as the animals, but it’s just as safe.” Annisha looked around at the animals and nodded in agreement. She used both hands and pulled herself out, tumbling into Amanda’s arms, then snuggling into her lap. They sat there in silence as Amanda plaited the child’s hair while she waited for the story that was sure to come. “We were led back to our cells after digging in the mine. I was so tired and dirty. They laughed at us as we walked by, the ones who took us. One was laughing really loud.” She looked up at Amanda. “He laughed at me. I was so angry and ran up to him. There was something on the rock he was sitting on. I just picked it up. I tried to hit him with it. I swung it at him, calling him a Veruul.* He jumped back. Then a big flash of light knocked me down. The man stopped laughing and fell to the ground. I didn’t know what happened. I just ran. There was a ship up a hill. I ran towards it. I don’t know how I got inside or why they did not get me.” Kat looked over as Annisha talked with Amanda. She tried making out what she was saying, but the child was too far away. She just sat there allowing her knee to rest. After some time Amanda glanced in her direction and gave a reassuring nod. “Annisha, you said you killed someone.” Amanda’s casual plaiting seemed to be relaxing both of them. “How do you know he died? If he stopped laughing and fell to the ground, couldn’t he have just been hurt? You know, when you fire one of those things, people get stunned so they can’t move and they only look dead.” “Maybe. I was too far away to see. I was right at him when it went off. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, just wanted to get away. They hurt me so bad.” She recalled the shocks to her and the others. “And you did get away, Annisha. And when you did, you saved the rest of the children, you saved all your friends who were being hurt, because we found out about their plans and rescued them. You’re a hero, Annisha, not a murderer.” Their eyes met, then Annisha hugged her tightly and breathed softly. She remained motionless for a while, clutching her friend. Her grasp loosened; her head remained buried at Davis’ side. Soon the deep, regular rhythm of her breathing signaled sleep. Amanda shifted ever so slightly to cradle the child’s head and body comfortably in her lap. “You’re a hero, Annisha,” she whispered into her hair, “a true hero.” ---------------------- * Veruul: A profane Rihan word, loosely translated as “fool.”
  8. “The Longest Day” A Joint Log by Kat, Mimi, Amanda, and Annisha A ten summers old Rihan girl sat motionless at the far end of the other huddled children. Annisha escaped from the center to join her father, only to be beamed back. Nijil told her it was much safer there. Main engineering had been a target after many attacks as did other Aegis points of interest. The Children’s Center thankfully remained undamaged. “Doctor Davis,” Annisha spoke, breaking her long silence. “Hello, Annisha.” Her arms loaded with supplies, Amanda turned and smiled. “You’re here to help, I hope?” “My father told me to not be afraid, but I am. He sent me away from his work. I’ve been here for hours. I’m really sorry.” She looked ashamed for not being stronger, but the attack broke her spirit far more than she let on. “No need to be sorry,” countered Amanda, crouching to Annisha’s height. “Fear is something that is built into us to keep us safe when something could hurt us. But your father is a wise man. He knows that fear can be conquered. Everyone has fear, but it’s called courage when you are afraid and you do what you need to do anyway. Does that make sense?” “My father said it took ‘guts’ to do what I did to get away from those bad people.” They did not know all she did that day. She derived no pleasure from the act allowing her to escape. “That’s his way of saying you had courage. You conquered your fear. That’s what he wants you to do now.” “Why don’t we have the courage to leave the station like I left that planet? I could get us on the shuttle and run away,” she offered. Though her father did not give her permission, she was certain she memorized the start codes.. “Well,” Amanda began after considerable thought, “if you took the shuttle, about how many people would you be able to escape with and save?” “Fourteen standard crew with an emergency capacity of twenty more...sir,” she answered with certainty. Nijil gave a long talk regarding all manner of interesting and boring Nei’rrh facts during his one-on-one engineering class. “But those are grown ups.” She looked into the air, her tiny parallel processors in her brain crunching numbers. “We’re just kids, so maybe five more? Oh no! I’m leaving JyJy and NiJi behind. I can’t be their daeftan lagga at their bonding if I leave them here.” "So fourteen plus twenty... with another five if we're talking about children... and that makes how many altogether?" “Thirty nine, but it would be a lot of unhappy kids and you know how us kids get. Nijil said the scrubbers would be scrubbing the air so hard they’d fail in a day or so.” Annisha seemed proud of her knowledge, fat bit of good it would do to a 10 year old not allowed to fly. The look on Doctor Davis’ face suggested more questions. "And how many people will you be leaving behind on the station to fend for themselves?" “There are hundreds,” she said with delight, but realized, “The shuttle only...holds a little bit.” She frowned, knowing she’d have to leave many behind. “Hey, aren’t there other ships? My father said there were two big starships to defend the station.” Her fear began to change. “Did they abandon us?” The girl looked indignant. “This is just like the Rihan Galae. They couldn’t save my home any better than Starfleet!” Annisha balled her hands into fists. A fire burned in her eyes as she readied a strike at the counselor. She rushed the doctor. “Ahhhh!” She cried as she ran. She raised her fists in fury. She swung them towards Davis. Then, as if crushed like a grape, Annisha broke down, crying. “I,” she sniffed. “Don’t,” she sniffled. “Want.” Her tears flowed. “To be...” Her face buried into Davis, arms wrapped tightly around her. “Afraid!” Amanda returned the hug, dropping to her knees to gently rock Annisha, a comfort they all needed but often resisted in the name of courage. Some, like Ejiul, yielded to resignation, some hid their fear behind a wall of bravado, but those who realized their fear and overcame it were the ones who truly survived. Amanda knew that with the right encouragement Annisha would come out courageous, like her father, like Ejiul, and like the rest who, even though they were afraid, did what they were supposed to anyway. Kat’s eyes teared up hearing the little girl cry. That was one thing she couldn’t fix no matter how she tried. She stepped back watching as Amanda rocked the child, resting her knee in the process. Amanda cradled Annisha’s head and began to hum a Celtic tune that was strangely similar to a Romulan song she had heard not long ago: Sleep, O babe, for the red bee hums the silent twilight's fall; Eeval from the grey rock comes to wrap the world in thrall; A lyan van o, my child, my joy... my love and heart's desire; The crickets sing you lullaby... beside the dying fire.* Not far away, Kat wiped her eyes dry and managed to make her way over to the huddle of children sitting in the middle of the floor. She sat down amongst them and started softly speaking to them trying to find out if any of them had been injured in any of the raids that the station and been fighting through. What she was finding, seeing, were mostly scrapes and bruises. At least these poor children were not dealing with injuries that she had seen up in medical. Kat sighed a sigh of relief. Until klaxons split the silence and, “ACTION STATIONS, ACTION STATIONS. SET CONDITION ONE THROUGHOUT THE STATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!” sent everyone scrambling for cover and Kat reaching towards Amanda for a hand up. ----Meanwhile---- Mimi was frantically was trying to keep up with demand in sickbay. It just seemed like there was a never ending line for those needing surgery. Also, on top of that, she had make sure that the children were alright in the Children’s Home, based on the reports she was receiving. It was all a major headache and somewhat of a burden she had to bear. Knowing that children had a doctor and counselor over there made a bit of weight lighter. When she heard the klaxons sound off, it pretty much became routine to secure patients and any loose items down. - -------------------- *Gartan Mother’s Lullaby, by Seosamh MacCathmhaoil, can be heard on YouTube, sung by Orla Fallon.
  9. Dear Jylliene, My name is Annisha. You may know me from the space station or perhaps you see me with Nijil. Some months ago I lost my family and home to the Great Fire. My parents sent me off the homeworld, far away from the danger. Many of my friends died. I’ve tried to keep strong for these many months, hoping for their return. I was taken far away from my home on a journey of many days. All of the boys and girls with me lost someone. The ship dropped us off at Sky Harbor Aegis. This is not a Rihan space station, but one formed from enemies of our people. I did not know what he ship Captain or our caretaker were thinking. She said we would be safe. I was so scared, but stayed strong. One day while out on what they call the Midway we ran into some stinky Klingons. They were angry, but aren’t they always. A fight broke out. They threw things at people. Some of it was heading our way. One person was a strange Rihan man who jumped between me and the Klingon throwing knives. As he turned to me his face got really funny. He then fell to the ground with a butter knife in his back. I couldn’t leave it in there, so I pulled it out as hard as I could. I’m not sure if doing that was the right thing to do. He screamed like a little girl, then I saw the blood. The medics came and took him and myself to the medical bay on the station. You know this already, but did you know I asked a lot of people at the station if they would take me. No one said they would, not even the Rihan who was hit by the knife instead of me. He was too busy. After a time a man and woman filled out a bunch of forms to be able to take me to their home on another planet. I left with them, but they were bad people. They implanted something inside me that caused great pain. They had me and other children mining for some amber colored gem they said was very valuable. I thought I was going to die in the mines all alone. Then the bad people left one of their shuttles running. I remembered everything Nijil showed me one day about how shuttles work. Their shuttle was old, but what he told me worked. I sped off and went to outer space. It was fun, until they chased me. Then I ran into you and Nijil. How did you know I would be there? Then you took me to your planet. A happy place. Your mom and dad had an old play set from when you were my age. We then left for the station again. Even though the thing they put inside me was removed, I had bad dreams. Both you and Nijil held me and told me I was not alone. Nijil really watched me when he could. He teared up a lot. I asked him what was wrong but he wouldn’t say. He said I wouldn’t be alone any longer. I also saw how he looked at you. He smiled a lot. I couldn’t get close enough, but I think he likes your eyes. Also he looked at your butt. That’s silly. I’ll ask him about it later. What I mean to say is he likes you a lot and he seems to like me a lot. I think you like me too, but I don’t read non-Rihans as well. He showed me this ring for your finger he’s having some Bolian make. He got the metal himself he told me, something from those rocks floating around the station. The shiny thing in the middle was special too. He went on and on about it, but I didn’t understand it all. Something about the four elements. He talks about you all of the time when not talking about his work. If I did not like you so much I’d tell him to stuff it. Sometimes he gets nervous talking about how he likes you. I think he wants to ask you into bondage. He’s afraid to ask you, but I’m not afraid. Will you do that thing that makes you my mom and dad? My real parents are gone, but I really want to make you two my new ones. I’ll keep asking him to ask you and not to be a dolt. In my culture studies I think my dad needs to “grow a pair.” I don’t know why growing anything would help, but if it works for humans. I’ll make sure he talks about you more and I’ll drop hints as best I can. If he won’t bond with you I would. Your girlfriend, Annisha
  10. Where the Wild Nijil’s Are (Apologies to Maurice Sendak and those that love children’s literature. Also to Nijil, who does not yet know the dangers he will face.) The night Nijil wore his uniform and made repairs to the Nei’rrh of one kind And another His e’lev called “Dinner’s ready!” And Nijil said “I’ll eat when I’m finished with the shuttle!” So she went to bed without cooking him anything. That very night as Nijil slept in the Nei’rrh, a coldness grew And grew – And grew until its ceiling hung with ice And the bulkheads became the world around And an airlock appeared with a private shuttle for Nijil And he flew off through night and day And in and out of nebula And almost over a sector To where Annisha was And when he came to the place where Annisha was Her masters fired their terrible guns and slashed their terrible knifes and shocked with their terrible implants and showed no mercy till Nijil said “Give me back Annisha!” and phased them with the hat trick of transporting them high into the air and they shrieked as they fell to their deaths and they grudgingly gave up Annisha and all others “And now,” cried Nijil, “let the revenge start!” ::: Shooting, stabbing... :: “No more!” Nijil said and sent off the masters without their starship. But Nijil, now beaten down was dying and wanted to be somewhere where someone could heal him best of all. Then over his comm from high above the Nei’rrh signaled it was close and cloaked, so he gave up his thirst for revenge. But the masters cried “You have nowhere to go-- we will rip you up-- we hate you so!” and Nijil said “No!” Her masters fired their terrible guns and slashed their terrible knifes and shocked with their terrible implants and showed no mercy but Nijil crawled into the decloaked Nei’rrh and waved goodbye And almost over a sector And in and out of nebula And through night and day and into the sickbay of Sky Harbor Aegis where he found his e’lev waiting for him and she was still hot.
  11. 1000 Lonely Stars Darkness did not suit her. The warp field outside a rectangular window provided the only light in the room. Very little light. Her mother told her to wait in this room as they had business to attend. “Fine,” she thought. “I’ll bring up the lights.” “Computer, lights.” Nothing. “Computer! Lights!” Nothing, again. Annisha got up from the chair to... “Ouch!” She tripped onto the floor. A thin layer of carpet lined the room and softened her fall. Undeterred, she picked herself up. “Hello?” No response. She put her hands in front of her as she walked forward. Soon her hand pressed against a metal wall. The seam between two plates felt cold against Annisha’s tiny fingers. She moved to the left, keeping her hands on the wall, until she reached what should have been the door. It was as best as she could figure, but her approach did not cause it to open. “Hey!” Annisha shouted. She began to pound on the door with her closed fists. The metal doors were constructed such that very little play allowed sound to travel very far. A person three times her size could not do any better. “I want my mom and dad!” She pounded rapidly, her breathing lined with a bit of panic. Nothing. Her assault against the door ceased. She rested her forehead against the door and closed her eyes. *** “How is she,” the Romulan named Lovan asked. He remained seated in the command chair of the Tecora. He stared at the observation screen, the warp field display a welcome diversion. “She’s...resting in the guest quarters,” spoke Maivei. “In the dark. I’ve been told she’s a clever girl. The darkness will retard any attempt of escape.” Lovan wrinkled his brow. “Surely you disabled all of the room’s devices from which she could gain access.” “Yes, the first thing I did.” She stopped at the foot of the command chair, then turned to look at Lovan. “It has been hours, Annisha will need food and drink. If she arrives ill they will severely reduce our payment, or cut us off altogether.” “Very well,” he said with a sigh. “Feed her something, but neither of us should do it. I don’t want any more emotional attachment than she already has for us.” “I’ll see to it.” Maivei said sharply with a nod. Soon she stepped into the lift and commanded it to head to the galley. *** Nearly an hour had passed since Annisha ceased pounding on the door. She was lead into the room and it opened then. Perhap it was a trick door, only opening one way. Now she merely laid on the bed, curled up with nothing but the calm of the starfield out the window. It has been her only companion during this lonely journey to her new home. Nijil told her this meant she was traveling faster than light itself. Light shifted into the blue when flying towards it, red when it was going away. From the side as Annisha could see it, the streaks remained nearly all white. It looked like... Surprisingly the door hissed open. She was right. Earlier she had reached the door. At its threshold stood a large imposing Rihan. Shoulders broad and a large head to boot. The door closed soon after he stepped through. A tiny sliver of light from the outside shown through to reveal the corridor she walked through hours earlier. “Hello?” She asked into the near darkness. “Food and drink,” boomed the man. The dark allowed her to be night vision adjusted. Even though his uniform black she could see two things: One, a metal tray with a cup and bowl, and two, and most distressing, a gun. He placed the tray on the table near to the door. The metal on glass should hurt her ears considering all of the silence she endured. Annisha winched in response. “Can I see my mom and dad?” She queried into the dark. “No! They are very busy. Eat.” He turned. “But...” Before she could get another question out the he stepped through the door. The hiss it made closing echoed. The girl got out of the bed and made her way to the table. The metal tray felt cold as the door. She felt around carefully for the cup. The water within she welcomed without hesitation. Same for the contents of the bowl. It tasted like oatmeal mixed with dried vegetables. Anywhere else and she would have complained. After about two minutes Annisha gobbled up the food and finished the last of the water. She licked the spoon clean and placed it in the only pocket she had. Seemed the only friend she had now. The trek back to the bed did not result in her running into anything along the way. Again she laid on her side. She curled up as tightly as she might, but kept a view of the window on the other side of the room. The stars now streaked from top to bottom. They reminded her of rain on Romulus, shortly before she left for a field trip off world. The last time she would see her home. Her father spoke of how the universe could be a cruel place even to the best of people. Cruel seemed an apt description of right now. Why, what was happening? Where were her parents? Perhaps they were making preparations for her new home and wanted to surprise her. As much as she wanted to think that, in her heart it seemed unlikely. She felt sleepy, but not before a realization. The stars streaking out her window were not raindrops on a window, but tears from the heavens.
  12. Lost Bloodlines From her vantage on the midway’s second level, Amanda could see two Romulan adults with a young girl who looked very much like Annisha, the Romulan child she had seen with Nijil. The captain was adamant about keeping the children safe, and, lack of parenthood experience aside, it seemed like an enormous task. Still, she would do her best. Annisha seemed preoccupied with her amulet, so Amanda gave her a quick smile and turned to the two adults. “Hello,” she said, nodding in customary Romulan greeting. “I am Amanda Davis, Counselor in residence for the station. Are you Annisha’s adoptive parents?” The as-yet parents looked at each other. “Yes,” the tall male spoke first. “I am Jolar and this is my mate T’Nari.” Both nodded simultaneously. The woman watched Amanda carefully, shifting her glance to Annisha. Jolar continued. “Background checks and other administrative matters delay the adoption, but so is the way of bureaucracy. It is so sad to see so many children left parentless after the Great Fire. T’Nari is unable to have children, so this is our only route. Have you known Annisha long?” “No, not long,” Amanda replied, “but I have watched her quite a bit. She’s very bright, you know. Very capable. I do hope you have plans to further her education in that regard.” Jolar nodded in agreement. “There are indeed good sources of education in the A’Tari system. The fourth planet has a rich agricultural base, but there are others avenues for her to learn as well. I am trained in administration and my mate has background in finance.” He turned and gave a slight smile to her, then turned back to Amanda. “She has lost months of study as it is, so the sooner the papers go through the sooner she can grow.” “Oh, I certainly agree,” said Amanda. “Unfortunately the holdup comes with the horrible devastation of your home world. My deepest condolences.” She paused briefly. “Along with the tremendous loss of life came the loss of records, of course. We are doing our best to get that all sorted out. I hope you understand.” “We both thank you for the words. The loss of life and home is truly regrettable.” Jolar searched for his own words. “I don’t know a single Romulan who did not lose someone or something of value to them. While we are not as passionate as Cardassians in our record keeping, backups are scattered across the colonies. It should be only a matter of time before loose ends, as humans say, get tied up.” T’Nari remained silent, her attention now towards Annisha. She studied her movements and mannerisms. “Our transport will be here in a few days. We are hopeful that within that time all can be finalized.” Jolar smiled once more. His smile seemed genuine enough, but for a moment Amanda’s attention was drawn briefly to Annisha, still toying with the amulet. “I’m sure you are excited to get a child, T’Nari. It will be so wonderful for your house.” “Our house will indeed benefit from her addition,” a silent T’Nari spoke. She bent down and urged Annisha to come over. “When we saw this rare element of a child without a home how could we not consider her. Intelligent, active, and those hazel eyes.” She seemed to be tearing up. Jolar placed a hand on her shoulder and muttered something. The Romulan woman turned and nodded at him. “I’m so sorry, T’Nari. I didn’t mean to upset you. Yes, she is a beautiful child and I’m sure you will be a wonderful mother.” “Yes, and thank you. Jolar says we need to head back to our quarters. If you will excuse us.” She turned to Annisha and gave her a hug. “Hold on tight to the amulet; it’s been in my family for a long time.” T’Nari kissed Annisha farewell then stood alongside her mate. “Jolan tru Amanda Davis,” said Jolar. “Jolan tru, Jolar and T’Nari.” Amanda watched them leave, then turned toward the small hand that suddenly clung to her skirt. “They seem wonderful parents, Annisha. I imagine you’re quite excited.” Annisha looked up. “Well, they told me of their home and all of the kids there. Lots of farming. My Nijil said his mother and father were farmers.” She twirled the amulet in her hand. “Waiting is the hardest part.” “Oh, yes. Waiting certainly is the hardest part. And you know what the hardest thing to wait for is?” Amanda’s eyes danced with excitement as she crouched to Annisha’s level. “What?” “Ice cream, of course! Oh, I can never wait for ice cream! Vanilla and strawberry, and especially chocolate. And I believe it’s just about that time to have some, Annisha, don’t you?” Annisha was already jumping up and down. “Oh oh, yes please.” She kept her gaze firmly on Amanda. “Where is it?” “Well, what luck! It’s right over here. Come on.” Hand in hand, within minutes they were seated at the latest midway addition, Kimbal’s Ice Cream Parlor, a replica of the old earth ice cream parlors of the early 20th century, complete with marble bar and soda fountain. Soon they had their favorite cherry-topped chocolate sundaes in tall, fluted glass dishes before them, long spoons in their hands and whipped cream adorning their lips. Half way down the dish their eagerness subsided, each taking a little more time between spoonfuls, which gave Amanda an opening to casually ask some important probing questions. “Annisha, what do you think of your new parents?” “They are nice. She is always bending down to talk to me. My new mom asks a lot of questions.” Annisha swallowed another bite. “He’s very quiet. Still nice.” “Do you believe they’ll be a good replacement for your real parents?” “Well, no, but they are all I have.” “I imagine your real parents were wonderful people.” Amanda licked her spoon casually as she waited for Annisha’s reaction. “Yes, they took me all over ch’Rihan. Parks, zoos, musty museums...lots of places. A whole lot of walking.” Annisha pushed her spoon deeper into the sundae, half of the utensil now buried. “Really? So did my parents did when I was your age.” She took another spoonful, savoring it immensely. “We went to the natural history museums - which were my favorite - and to the art museums, adorned with absolutely gorgeous paintings. Those were my mother’s favorites. What were your favorite places?” “Well...there’s a zoo at the capital with only birds in it. A large dome.” Annisha motioned with her hands. “Tiny birds, walking birds, birds of prey.... There are even birds you can ride if you are small enough.” She smiled broadly. “I was always small enough to ride them. Oh, I liked the places with the painted pictures. Some of them were scary. Monsters or people killing monsters.” Amanda shivered in feigned anxiety, picking at her sundae. “Oh, I remember some of those, too. And have your new parents said anything about going to museums and other places? Have they told you anything about your new home?” “Nomm,” Annisha said with a mouth full of cold ice cream. “Only a nice quiet home, kids in town, farms as far as the eye can see.” She cocked her head to the side and thought for a moment. “I don’t think much else. Just how much they look forward to getting me there.” “... and your new school,” Amanda added enthusiastically. “I’m sure they’re excited about getting you into your new school.” “I guess. They said there’s a school there. It’s been fun not going to school, but I miss my friends.” Annisha stared into her remaining treat while licking the remainder on her spoon. “Well, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of new ones,” said Amanda on a note of anticipation. “Finish up, now. Ms. Isha may come looking and get jealous that you’ve had ice cream and she hasn’t.” Annisha nodded with excitement and ate the rest of the sundae in no time. “Do you think my Nijil will get back before I have to go? He could not tell me where he was going.” “I certainly hope so, Annisha. I certainly hope so.”
  13. FEDERATION NON-ALIGNED PERSONNEL FILE Name: Annisha t'Korjata(t’Aldani) Birth Parents: Unknown, believed to be Tal Shiar agents lost in the chaos of the Great Fire Rank: Civilian Department: Not Applicable Species: Romulan Gender: Female Age: 9 Hair: Black, shoulder length, straight Eyes: Hazel Build: slender Interests: sports involving kicking, animals (her pet targ Mr. Cuddles), solving puzzles, working with her hands. EDUCATION: Little is known of her education due to the chaos of the destruction of Romulus in the Great Fire. Aegis personnel have observed many traits indicating academics played a large role in her early life. Upon becoming an orphan her formal education ceased. Testing indicates a high intelligence quotient for her age. Puzzle solving, pattern recognition, people study and cryptography are of particular interest. She shows signs of athletic ability: hand-eye coordination, footwork and energy. Her education has resumed under the supervision of her adoptive father Nijil, Captain Chirakis and Counselor Amanda Davis. Nijil demonstrates his abilities in engineering and applies his duties to her studies in mathematics, starship engineering and warp theory. She herself has taken up an interest in hand-to-hand combat techniques, training her targ tricks, and sneaking around the station. MEDICAL HISTORY: Records have yet to be found in her past medical history. The most recent Aegis examination showed her to be in perfect health and in the top percentiles for height and weight. She stands a bit taller than her contemporaries and expected to be taller than average. No signs of broken bones or defects in her genome. Criminals posing as adoptive parents had implanted a subdermal device in the back of her neck as a control device in order to extract minerals from extremely tight locations. The implant was removed with no lasting medical consequences. PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Displays a high happiness level considering her parents and any siblings have not been seen for months. On the surface nothing appears out of the ordinary. During an altercation on the Aegis Midway a Klingon threw a knife into a crowd of Romulan children. An engineer jumped in the fray and prevented the knife from injuring anyone. Annisha, relatively unphased, later pulled the knife out of the engineer’s back in a matter-of-fact manner. The incident startled Annisha, but she quickly returned to a calm state. While not an emotionless response, being in dangerous situations appears not to disturb her in a significant way. Observations indicate she is intensely curious and includes puzzles, technology and non-Rihan species. With her curiosity comes a naivete regarding the unknown. Further sessions with Dr. Davis and Captain Chirakis should flush out a more complete psychological and emotional profile if time permits. Doctors on Trill removed the implant, but given her nightmares it is believed she suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. Currently her adoptive parent is keeping track of these incidents for any further medical concerns. Over the past few months Annisha has befriended a Betazoid child by the name of Alexis. It is believed she has on several occasions taken her friend on unauthorized adventures around the station. They are both being watched carefully.