Laehval tTemarr

I am a marketing goddess. Not *the* marketing goddess, because she lives in SoHo. SoHo, New York - not SoHo, England. England is where the fish and chips come from and that has nothing to do with marketing, unless you plan on marketing fish and chips. But personally, I don't know why fish and chips need advertising because they are so yummy that they sell themselves. (Just like the working girls down on Van Buren Street. Wait... ... ... that is a marketing ploy I haven't thought of...)

Make of this what you will... :)

Darth Vader: "Those are not the Depends I am looking for. The Emperor requested Super Absorbant Plus." [Chokes the Stormtrooper to death] Darth Vader: "You have failed me for the last time."

I spent the day ripping months from desk calendars. My floor was covered in unwanted Novembers and Decembers of 2006. Bit by bit, I created my own little tiny island out of the past. And slowly the island grew. I wanted to stop adding to it, but I could not. I was a slave to my own productivity. I was trapped on that island for over an hour. And then 5 o'clock rolled around yet again and liberated me from my private hell. Tomorrow shall yield more of the same struggle. I hope the island doesn't win...

Hope everyone had a good and safe New Year's celebration! And didn't drink too much... ::coughSeibencough:: LOL Here's to 2007 and whatever it brings - good, bad, or ugly.

I know which one I'm on this year. ::evil grin:: Which one are you on? Which one do you think some of your fellow STSFers are on this year? One person I *know* has to be on the naughty list is Huff. Santa wasn't too happy when she ate the donuts she had intended to leave for him last year. D'oh! On the nice list - KBear. She offered me one of her dogs, but when I suggested she poke a bunch of holes in a box and ship it to me, she changed her mind for some reason. It would only take a few days to get here! I don't know what she was so mad about. LOL j/k

A NEW CAR!!!!! Okay... not really. I was too naughty in 2006. Next year I'll probably be just as naughty, but will hide it better. Muhahahahaha. Other than the Xbox 360 I've been playing nonstop since yesterday, my favorite gift was Season 1 of La Femme Nikita - yet another show that I wish were still on TV. But at least there are a total of 5 seasons (as opposed to Firefly's paltry 1 season), so I have something to look forward to next year.

Christmas! Rapidly approaching. Is your shopping done yet? 'Tis the season to be greedy and get away with it. Ha ha! Sooooooo... what do you want for Christmas? Sit on Santa's lap like you used to do as a kid and actually tell him what you want this time, instead of crying for your mommy. Me? I'm hoping for some new patterns for my Lite-Brite. :P

Taking "Ho, Ho, Ho" to a new level of wrong.

I just found something that Santa can bring me for Christmas 2008! (I just hope it actually gets created.)

MTV Road Rules - Sumo Style

I think t'Rex is just confused because you haven't done anything spy-like yet, so she doesn't know what to make of you. Try to assassinate her or something and she'll be more comfortable with you. :P

Yoga - So easy, even a polar bear can do it.

The bane of my childhood! Stupid springy rope! I curse you! :(

ROFL. That's an episode that never aired.

I still can't look at Garbage Pail Kids cards without getting grossed out. I loved Simon, Etch A Sketch, Barbie fashion plates (anybody remember those?), Strawberry Shortcake figures (which I still have, and they smell soooooo good), and Mousetrap. Anybody else have one of those Spin Art machines? They were messy, but made cool pictures.

I'm going to have to give it up to Dumbass for the classic Monty Python reference. :unsure: Ni! Go Dumbass! (It's your birthday.) (Get busy.) (Shake your bootay.) (Post a picture.)

Woot! Sorry for the delay. Have at it... :unsure:

The Worst Regret A venom-induced log by El’Riov Laehval t’Temarr “Laehval, look at me when I’m talking to you!” The sound of her mother yelling yanked her from the computations in her mind. Her mother was standing in the doorway of Laehval’s small workshop, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. She was surveying the room’s clutter with a disapproving frown, which did not bode well. “I’ve been talking to you for the past five minutes, and you have not heard a word I’ve said.” “Sorry. I’ve been trying to rework the power-flow matrix on the industrial replicator. By my calculations, I can bring the efficiency up another seventeen percent!” “We could order a replacement part for it and have it working perfectly by tomorrow. You’ve been in here for hours now, Laehval! How many times do I have to repeat myself? Stop tinkering! You’ve other things to do besides waste your time on silly engineering projects! It is a beautiful day and you’ve not stepped foot outside.” “But this is important! I can fix it without the replacement part and you won’t have to spen...” “Enough!” Her mother made a chopping motion with her hand as though to sever the protest before it even started. “I will not tell you again! Your father and I don’t mind you having a hobby, but this is turning into an obsession.” Laehval sighed, her shoulders sagging as she slumped in her seat. It was useless to try to talk to her mother when she was in one of her rants. She hated the thought of Laehval becoming an Engineer and was determined to see her stationed with her sister Nalhven in Ra'tleihfi. Laehval, of course, had other plans for her life and they did not include spending large amounts of time in her bossy older sister’s presence. “We’ll talk more about this later. For now, I want you to go outside and enjoy the nice weather,” Au'rial said as she pointed in the direction of the door. “And while you are out there, I want you to watch Lilet. She wants to go pick some flowers for your father. Be nice!” Inwardly, Laehval groaned. Her sister Lilet was the youngest girl and the youngest child in the t’Temarr household. One of those alone would have caused her to be spoiled, but the two combined made her insufferable. She was such a sweet and charming girl that everyone always went out of their way to do what Lilet wanted. Everyone loved Lilet. Everyone worshiped Lilet. Lilet could do no wrong. Only Laehval was disenchanted with her younger sister, but only because she was jealous that she’d never been doted upon as much as others doted on Lilet. She stomped out of the room to broadcast her displeasure and slammed the door behind her as she stepped outside. Laehval squinted against the bright sunlight and held up one hand to shade her eyes as she searched for her sister. Her other hand patted the ISD she’d slipped into her pocket and smuggled out with her. If she were lucky, her mother would not have noticed. “Laehval!” The joyous exclamation was accompanied by much bouncing. “I knew you’d come with me! We’re going to have fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!” She couldn’t help but smile as Lilet grabbed her hand and tugged her along, still bouncing with endless energy. It took her a moment to remember that she was supposed to be annoyed and she yanked her hand away, frowning. “Calm down, Lilet. We’re just going to pick flowers. It isn’t as though we’re going for some grand adventure.” “But we are! The greatest adventure of all time!” She bounced in front of Laehval and grabbed her hand again, swinging it. “The flowers, you see, are really aliens and we’re going to pluck them from their natural habitats so we can do grand experiments and discover that we are the only intelligent species in the Universe.” “I would hardly consider you to be part of an intelligent species, Lilet,” Laehval teased as they walked, letting her sister yank on her arm. “Don’t be silly, Laehval. I’m much smarter than the alien flowers. They aren’t even smart enough to know when to run,” she said matter-of-factly. Laehval just sighed and shook her head, knowing better than to get into a discussion with her sister about that was smarter, prettier, faster, better. Lilet always won. And if she didn’t win, she would dissolve into tears until you told her over and over again that she was the best of everyone in the entire Universe. It would take even the hardest of hearts to ignore Lilet’s teary-eyed expression of hurt. As the two of them neared the river, the manicured lands of the t’Temarr estate gave way to the wilder plants and trees at the fringes of their property. The area, a “cultivated wild” as her father called it, was tended only to make certain that no harmful plants flourished. Flowers of all types and colors bloomed in scattered groups, even taking hold in the cracks and crevices of the piles of smoothed boulders that littered the grassy area of the river bank. The river itself was turbulent as it crashed and rolled over rounded rocks, foaming and frothing in ever-changing eddies. “Have fun, but don’t wander off. And stay away from the river, Lilet. The floodwaters have made it much faster than usual.” Laehval plopped down on a smoothed boulder, watching Lilet for a while as she darted about the rocks, choosing flowers on some random system of her own devising. Plucking a bluish flower from a nearby cluster, Laehval rolled the stem in her fingers, watching the petals blur as they spun. Her eyes widened slightly as the movement presented her with the solution she’d been searching for to increase the replicator’s efficiency. With a brief glance to make sure Lilet was still in sight, she pulled the ISD from her pocket and entered the data into her program. The input helped, but the solution still seemed just a few steps out of reach. She had lost track of time staring at the screen when she heard the first shriek. Her head snapped up, eyes automatically scanning for Lilet. Her sister was nowhere to be seen. A sick, sinking feeling burned through her stomach, making her legs weak as she scrambled to her feet. She darted to the river, searching frantically for her sister. The second scream sounded closer, but was cut off in a coughing gurgle. Laehval twisted her ankle on a rock as she sprinted, but ignored the pain and kept running. She reached the bank of the river just in time to see her sister’s head slip under the rushing water. Lilet clung frantically to one of the larger rocks, but the force of the water continued to pound against her tiny frame, making it impossible for her to keep her head above the surface. The little girl slammed again and again against the rock, coughing and sputtering as she swallowed water. Streaks of green blood poured down her forehead where she’d been struck. A cry of anguish ripped from Laehval’s throat as she searched for something, anything, to reach out to Lilet, but there was no time. Another swelling eddy caught her sister and pulled her under, ripping her away from the boulder and carrying her downstream. Laehval ran parallel to the river, searching for any sign of Lilet and was rewarded as the younger girl surfaced, coughing. She jumped unthinkingly into the turbulence and was immediately caught by the rapids, but just managed to grab hold of her sister’s tunic as she passed by. The river had them both and Laehval found herself fighting for her own life as well as her sister’s. The water flung her time and time again into the path of protruding rocks, leaving her bloodied and bruised. With all her might, she swam sideways against he current, letting it sweep her diagonally to one of the banks. As she neared the shore, Lilet’s sodden form swept past her, nearly yanking her arm out of socket, but Laehval kept her fingers clamped around the fabric of her sister’s collar. In one mighty heave, she flung herself onto the bank and hauled her sister up out of the water to lie beside her. Lilet didn’t move. Her eyes remained closed. She wasn’t breathing. Panting, Laehval pulled the girl into her arms and pounded on her back to make her cough up the water. She lay her back in the grass and pumped on her chest to push the water free. But Lilet still did not move. Blood oozed from several cuts on her forehead, streaking the young girl’s face. “LILET!” The shriek of terror came from her mother, no doubt drawn by Lilet’s screams for help. She fell to her knees and pulled the tiny form away from Laehval, attempting the same procedures to bring life back to her daughter. Laehval’s older brother Pritus, and younger brother Mornot, arrived a few moments later and clustered around the three females. “She fell in…” Laehval sobbed, gasping for breath. “I told her not to wander! I told her not to go near the river! But she fell in!” “Let us take her, mother. She may yet be saved.” Au'rial shook her head. “It has been too long. She’s gone…” “Let me at least try.” Pritus gathered up the limp body in his strong arms and took off at a run toward the village, Mornot only a few steps behind. Her mother continued to kneel in the grass, robes soaked with water and her daughter’s blood. She stared at the river, unfeeling and unseeing. Trembling with overwhelming emotion and exhaustion, Laehval crawled forward to touch her mother’s hand. “Mother,” she whispered. “Two children of mine are gone. Two children, and both of their deaths are on your head.” Her mother turned her head to gaze at her, hatred marring her features. “If I had not been pregnant with you, I would not have lost Jalen. I would have been with him the day he died and could have saved him! And now you’ve killed Lilet! You! I told you to watch her, but you ignore her for your precious replicator project.” She pulled Laehval’s discarded ISD from her robes and brandished it at Laehval like a weapon. “THIS! My precious daughter died because of this!” She flung the device against a pile of boulders where it shattered into dozens of pieces. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to!” Laehval wailed, clutching at her mother’s hand. “I only looked away for a second! She was fine! I told her not to go near the river!” “DO NOT DARE BLAME LILET! It was your fault! You killed her! It should have been you that died from your carelessness!” The slap her mother delivered to her cheek had enough force behind it to leave an angry welt. Laehval’s face jerked to one side, tears renewed at the stinging sensation. She covered her face with both hands and crumpled, sobbing hysterically as her mother pulled away. “I have lost two daughters today. As Lilet is dead, so are you dead to me.” Whispering coldly, her mother turned and ran, silent tears streaming down her face. ------------------------------------------------ "It really was your fault, Laehval,” the shrouded figure beside her said. “I know,” she whispered, oblivious to the tears sliding down her cheeks. “That was rather harsh of mother, though. She did not really disown you. I think she was in shock.” “No, she didn’t disown me, but she has never forgiven me. Even now, I can feel the tension hiding beneath the surface of any of our conversations.” “She loved me…” “Yes. Everyone loved you…” “Do you think she’ll be sad now that you are gone?” “No. I think she’s secretly wanted me dead ever since that day on the river bank. If you had lived and I had died, she would have mourned me, but she would not have been so devastated.” Laehval turned to peer at the veiled figure beside her, wiping tears from her face. She could just barely make out Lilet’s features beneath the burial shroud that covered her from head to toe. A tiny hand reached for her and she gripped it gently in her fingers. Chin trembling, tears began to fall once more. “Do not cry, Laehval. I forgive you. You did not wish for it to happen. You even risked your life to try to save me.” “That day was my worst regret.” She brought Lilet’s small fingers to her lips and kissed them gently, unable to speak through her tears. The younger girl rose from the ground and slowly pulled the shroud off of her head. Once she was free of the confining material, she placed one hand on either side of Laehval’s face and lifted it so that Laehval was forced to look into her eyes. Lilet leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, then released her and pulled the shroud back over herself. Head bowed, the older sister continued to weep. “It is time for us to leave,” said a third figure. The young boy that had appeared beside Lilet took her hand in his own. He peered down at Laehval. “Will you come with us?” Wiping tears from her eyes, she looked up to the little boy, recognizing him from holovids that her mother kept. Slowly she pulled herself to her feet, sad gaze on the two young children as they moved forward, each taking one of her hands in their own. “Mother was wrong about my death. You were not to blame for that,” Jalen said, giving her hand a squeeze. Dark brown eyes gazed up at her lovingly. “I know that as well. I wish I could have known you in life.” “You will know me now. Come. It is time for us to leave.” The two siblings dropped Laehval’s hands, but still held on to one another. They turned and walked a few steps toward a newly materialized wall. The surface of the wall glowed in a soft golden hue and shifted and changed as thought it were made of water. Her mouth dropped open slightly as the hypnotic wall showed her flashes of wondrous things that lay beyond. She took an automatic step in its direction. “Vorta’Vor?” “Yes. And you have a place waiting with us. We shall all be together from now until always.” “Vorta’Vor,” she whispered, her mouth barely moving. But when she attempted another step, she found that her feet were firmly mired in the white expanse on which she stood. She looked down and then behind her, her gaze following a thin verdant ribbon of energy that flowed from her to another shimmering wall. Beyond the wavering surface, she could see scenes from the Talon and the people there. Swinging her head back to her siblings, she found that they were already to the wall, peering back at her. “You have to sever your ties if you want to come with us.” Turning again to the glowing ribbon, she took it in both hands and pulled as hard as she could. Rather than snapping, it seemed to expand, strengthening and pulling her further away from her dead siblings. She let out a soft moan of despair and fell to her knees. “It is too late. They won’t let you go.” “I know,” she murmured, her gaze locked on them both. “Laehval?” “Yes, Lilet?” “That day? Your worst regret. Why? Because I died, or because you were not able to save me?” “Both… and more. You died and I could not save you. You died because I was more concerned about a broken replicator than my own sister’s safety. I shattered my mother’s heart. And your precious life was cut so short. You would have grown to be something great. I regret all those things, but…” “But?” “… but my main regret was that I lived.”

Also this exit: Restaurant Next Right: Hospital Cafeteria Restrooms Next Right: Botanical Gardens Childcare Next Right: City Zoo

The new Erein is a fast learner! Perhaps he'll survive longer than the last one... Muhahahahaha.

In-toxic-ating A med-bay log of El’Riov Laehval t’Temarr - Rated “D” for Disturbing (Any resemblance to known characters, living or dead, is probably intentional and most definitely the work of a delusional mind.) Laehval imagined that she could feel her life draining away, bit by bit, but it was probably her over-active imagination at work. The poison in her system was real, but she wasn’t attuned enough to feel it as it crept through her body, attacking her internal organs. What she could feel was the pain. The bite from the reptile had seemed innocuous enough at the time. She ignored the initial sting for as long as possible, more anxious to get the deceased creature to the Science department to be analyzed. The Talon, like any other ship, had had an infestation or two. Any time a ship physically docks with a station, lands on a planet, or has goods transported aboard, it is at risk for vermin. Many times Laehval had ordered exterminations to be conducted throughout the ship when evidence of such infestations was present. Why should this one reptile be any different? Perhaps Laehval had made a fatal mistake in not associating the reptile with the recent attempts at assassination. After all, who would use a poisonous animal as a weapon? The idea was far-fetched. Unless the animal was specifically trained for a specific task, the probability that it would succeed was extremely low. Even if the animal had the training required, there still remained the possibility that it would deviate once it was no longer in a controlled environment. She had plenty of time to think about the ridiculous state into which she’d been thrown. How humiliating it would be to die of one small reptile bite. She wasn’t important enough for such a thing to be considered an assassination. No, her death would probably be reported as accidental, due to her own carelessness. Another wave of pain washed over her, seeming to radiate upward from her leg. She doubled over as the stabbing sensation drove through her gut, threatening to rip her in half. Panting through her clenched teeth, she tried to turn her mind inward, but concentrating was extremely difficult. As her intestines seemed to twist and turn, she curled into fetal position and waited for the pain to subside as it had before. This time, however, it did not go away. Instead, it started to grow. Laehval choked down the sob that threatened to escape, squeezing her eyes shut as tightly as she could as first her stomach, then her lungs, overflowed with the burning feeling of hot coals. She held out as long as she could until the pain finally overwhelmed her and threw her into unconsciousness. When she awoke sometime later, she found that the stabbing sensation in her gut was still present. Looking down, she could see why. She was impaled with a wickedly curved sword which was pinning her to the floor. Her mouth opened in shock at the sight of seeing herself skewered. She was covered in her own blood and lying in a puddle of the dark green liquid. When she tried to move to free the sword from her body, the excruciating feeling of the metal carving through her flesh ripped a scream from her. “Ooooooh. Not a good move. You really aren’t that bright, are you?” Someone whispered in her right ear. Panting for breath, Laehval opened her eyes, searching for the source of the voice. She found Sar’vek next to her, only a few inches away. The Science officer was lying on her stomach, her chin propped up in one hand. She smiled sweetly as she was recognized, though the smile did not reach her glowing green eyes. “t’Jhiin. What happened? Help me!” “Oh, I could certainly help you. It would be nothing to painlessly yank the sword from your body. But, that wouldn’t be fun, now would it?” She pouted mockingly, then broke into a broad smile and laughed. “I only just put it there! Why would I remove it so soon?” Laehval stared at her incredulously, mouth slightly agape. Then, the realization dawned on her. She narrowed her eyes and frowned. “This is a dream, isn’t it?” “Perhaps. Or you could call it a delusion or a hallucination. Your inability to believe in things that you cannot see will be your undoing. This reality feels real, because you believe it will feel real. Observe!” Reaching up, Sar’vek smacked the blade of the sword with the back of her hand. Laehval screamed as the movement caused the sword to slice through more of her tender flesh. Sar’vek’s maniacal laughter rang loud in her ears. When at last the metal had stilled and the reverberations had stopped, Laehval lay there gasping for air. She turned her head to the right, but Sar’vek was no longer there. “You don’t look like you are having fun.” Said the voice from the left. “No…” Laehval whispered as she turned her head in that direction. tr’Pexil sat beside her now, cross-legged on the floor. He reached forward and brushed her hair away from her face, tilting his head to watch her. “Lerak… help me. Please, help me.” He frowned and glanced to the sword as though he’d just realized it was there. “Ah. That.” He climbed to his feet and gingerly took hold of the hilt, slipping the blade free carefully to minimize the pain. Laehval gasped as it was removed and she closed her eyes, relief flooding through her. When she opened them, Lerak was still standing over her, sword in hand. He smiled at her and with a wicked gleam in his eye, he plunged the blade downward, thrusting it again into her stomach. “Is that better, Laehval?” He asked through her shrieking, flicking his wrist to give the sword a hard twist. He twisted again. “Your bitterness is going to kill you. Smile for me, Laehval! I never see you smile anymore.” Her screams echoing in her head, she surrendered willingly to darkness, hoping for true oblivion. When she awoke again, she sat in the center of a blazingly white room. Shielding her eyes from the glare, she squinted to make out her surroundings. A lone figure broke the monotonous color, standing placidly in front of the only exit of the room. “Morgana,” she breathed, relieved that the doctor was not holding a sword or other sharp instrument. “Guardian of the insane?” “You are hardly insane. Just delusional. I would help you if I could, but you did this to yourself. I cannot save everyone, Laehval.” “A stasis chamber for me, then?” “No, I have none to spare. Not for you. You’re going to die. There’s no hope for you. But have no fear – all who live will face death. You are not special.” “Ah, Vorta’Vor at last,” she said, bemused, still pleased at the lack of pain. t’Ksa laughed softly, her eyes dancing as she peered down at Laehval. “Vorta’Vor? No. There will be no Vorta’Vor for you. You will only see Areinnye. In fact, you are already there.” She smiled again and stepped to one side of the door. “I won’t harm you, but I can step aside for those who would. You’ve done as much for others. Your inaction will be the death of you… and others.” Laehval rose slowly to her feet, scowling as she waited for the next round of torture. She backed away from the open door, only to find herself backing into the open door. Strong hands caught her arms in a crushing grip and she found herself pushed back to the center of the room. Spun around, she was caught once more in that strong grip and found herself face-to-face with Koga. He smiled down at her. “Not hurting you, am I?” He asked, his concern anything but genuine. “No, not at all,” she said sarcastically, struggling in his grip. She brought one knee up to strike him in the groin, but he was somehow able to avoid the blow. “You are hardly a challenge,” was Koga’s response. “I’ve demolished strong males three times your size without breaking a sweat. My strength has no limit. Does this hurt?” The force on her arms increased to such a level that she felt her knees buckle. She bit down on her lower lip to keep from screaming as she heard bones crack. As she continued to writhe in his grip, another hand grabbed her by the hair and wrenched her head back. She stared up at tr'Psichore. As usual, his face was an impassive mask, but his eyes shone a deep red. He released her hair long enough to slip a loop of metal rope over her head and around her neck. “Your struggles are useless.” tr’Psichore murmured in her ear, tightening the metal rope slowly. “Resistance is futile?” Laehval rasped, already finding it hard to breathe. “Cliché, but true.” Slack on the rope decreased as tr’Psichore tugged on the opposite end, hauling her into the air. Koga released his grip as she rose and she lifted desperate hands to her throat to give herself breathing room. Clawing, she managed to dig her fingers between the unforgiving metal and her tender flesh. Dangling in the air with only her toes touching the ground, she trembled with the effort of keeping herself from choking. “Going to… watch me… die?” She gasped, eyes flitting between S’Bien and tr’Psichore. “Don’t flatter yourself. You aren’t worth my time. I’ve assassinated important political figures and squashed uprising before they started. I’ve hunted down the most dangerous Imperial criminals and killed them all. You’re a non-entity in comparison.” “We’ve something much better in store for you,” Koga grinned. “Hope you enjoy yourself.” The two of them disappeared, only to be replaced by a very smug t’Ditsy. She began to talk, rambling on and on and on about her petty problems and difficulties on the ship. She outlined her grievances and whined about the demanding tasks Laehval had unfairly set for her to do. As she continued to drone, Laehval could feel the sharp pressure building inside her skull. Each word from J’stal’s mouth was like a dagger driving deeper and deeper into her brain. If she removed her hands from the rope about her neck, she would choke, but soon the pain was so blinding that she no longer cared. She clamped down on her ears to block out t’Ditsy’s voice just as she felt her legs collapse beneath her. The jerk on her neck sent her reeling into darkness again. “Wake up, sleeping beauty.” A hard slap to her face brought her to consciousness with a jolt. Dark spots danced before her eyes as she opened them, trying to focus on her surroundings. Another slap struck her on the opposite cheek, blurring the room for another few moments. She shook her head to clear her vision and blinked as she found the N’Dak brothers staring at her with malicious grins on their insipid little faces. She was strapped upright to some sort of table, secured at chest, arms, waist, and legs. Balling her hands into fists, she tugged at the straps pinning her wrists. “Good of you to join us, Laehval. Issaha and I were beginning to worry you wouldn’t make it.” “We’d hate for you to leave before we had a chance to show you this…” Issaha held up a green crystal, a little larger than his fist. It was covered with a fine layer of frost. “And that is?” Laehval asked, despite herself. She had a feeling that she didn’t want to know. “Your heart, Laehval. Don’t you recognize it? We checked and found that it is, indeed, made of ice.” Destorie smirked. “It will thaw, eventually, but we have a use for it in the meanwhile.” “We decided that since you weren’t going to make use of it, we might as well toy with it for our own amusement.” “The distance you keep between yourself and others has slowly been killing you inside. Dear brother and I thought we would simply speed that process along.” Issaha wrapped the heart in a large blue cloth as he moved to the nearby table. Holding the corners of the cloth to secure the object inside, he lifted a hammer and glanced over his shoulder at them, still smiling. Destorie nodded and turned to watch Laehval. In one quick strike, Issaha slammed the hammer down onto the covered heart and shattered it into dozens of pieces. Inside her chest, something exploded and Laehval screamed in agony. She continued to scream as Issaha brought the hammer down a second and third time, pulverizing the heart. When done, he carefully opened the cloth and scooped out two handfuls of the crushed ice, filling two glasses with the pale green crystals. He brought them back to Destorie who filled them with ale, then took one of the glasses in hand. “To the Ice Queen,” Destorie said, lifting his glass. “And her ice-cold heart,” replied Issaha, his own raised in reply. The two tapped their glasses together in toast and sipped their frosty beverages. They were smiling wickedly at Laehval as they faded from sight. As they left, the room darkened until only a bright spotlight remained, illuminating her and a small area around her. Exhausted from her ordeal and hoarse from screaming, she sagged against her bonds and lowered her gaze to the floor. Two sets of feet entered her vision a few moments later and she groaned as she looked up, wondering who was next in line to torture her. Arrenhe tr’Khev and Rhean t’Valae stood there, unsmiling. “What do the two of you want?” She managed to bark out. “Attitude. I told you she had a bad one.” Rhean turned to Arrenhe, the disgust evident in her expression. “So I see.” Arrenhe’s cold gaze remained fixed on Laehval. “I had a hard time believing that a Senior Officer would act this way, but the evidence cannot be denied.” “What are the two of you talking about? I don’t even know you that well. I’ve done nothing to you!” “That’s the problem, Rekkhai.” Rhean said with a sneer. She approached the table to which Laehval was pinned and tightened one of the leg straps enough to cut off the circulation. “You don’t know us. You haven’t even made an attempt to get to know us.” “You think that you are far more superior that you do not even realize we exist.” tr’Khev unmercifully tightened the strap on the opposite side. “But we do exist, and you do not even care.” “Your attitude of superiority makes you no friends.” t’Valae said, pulling hard on the strap at her chest until Laehval gasped, her lungs constricted. “We could have been your allies, but instead you ignore us.” Arrenhe tightened the strap at her waist, yanking so hard that she yelped. “Now we are your enemies, but you could have prevented this.” The two of them continued to tighten all of the remaining straps until her entire body, from her neck down, was numb from lack of circulation. Ignoring her feeble gasps for air, they disengaged the locking mechanism on the table so that it swung free of its vertical position. They let go and it crashed down to lie flat so that Laehval was now looking up at the ceiling. Her head cracked against the unyielding surface as she landed, sending a wave of spots to dance in her vision once again. From this vantage, all she could see was the blinding light above her. The two officers disappeared, leaving her alone for a short while. Sometime later, she heard movement. “My how the mighty have fallen.” A figure blocked out a portion of the light, silhouetted against the glow. As it moved closer, it resolved into t’Rexan. She peered down at Laehval with mock sadness, her laser eye glowing but not active. “I’ve had trouble with you ever since I first came aboard, Laehval. It does not surprise me that you are now in this position. You have deserved every bad thing that has happened to you. You hold the blame. You and you alone.” She leaned forward until her face was inches away, her eyes searching for something. A few moments later, she shook her head, evidently not finding what she sought. “There is no help for you in this form. You are unacceptable.” “What will you do, Rekkhai?” t’Aehjae moved out of the darkness to stand opposite t’Rexan. Her narrowed gaze studied Laehval’s face. “She does not deserve your attention.” “Perhaps not, but I think she may still be useful to our cause.” “A wise use of available resources,” t’Aehjae agreed, nodding. “I will assist you. We can rebuild her.” “Yesssssssssss. We have the technology. We will make her stronger.” “Where will you start?” A third figure emerged beside t’Rexan, materializing into t’Oo. “The eye, I think. A good place to start. She’ll only need one.” “A good idea!” t’Oo smiled, peering at Laehval’s face. “Let me assist you.” Still smiling, she dumped a mug of steaming hot liquid on one side of Laehval’s face. “I told you that HOT tea was the best!” Yelling over the screams. “Now the leg,” t’Rexan commented, turning her bionic gaze to the leg where Laehval had been bitten. “It cannot be saved. It has to be removed.” Activating her laser eye, she sliced a clean cut through flesh and bone directly below the knee, ignoring Laehval as she writhed in pain. Her throat was so torn and raw that she could no longer scream. t’Aehjae moved to stand beside her, affixing a wooden disk to the cauterized stump of her leg, twisting on a tapered wooden peg that Laehval could use as a surrogate leg. At her head, t’Oo slid a strap about Laehval’s head and fixed the eye patch to cover the now-empty socket. “There! Perfect!” “Now she is worthy,” t’Aehjae nodded. “Laehval t’Temarr!” t’Rexan raised her hooked hand into the air. “You are now one of my minions and cannot defy me. You will join me as a Pirate of Space and the Known Universe and we shall be the scourge to any that stand in our way! You will serve me for time and all eternity! Laehval? Do you hear me? Laehval t’Temarr!” The dark oblivion had returned to reclaim her and she willingly surrendered to it, the last scene perhaps the worst torture of them all. “Laehval? Laehval t’Temarr! Do you hear me?” tr’Paine bent over Laehval’s unconscious form, glancing up briefly to check her vitals. “We’re losing her…” “Her heart is elevated, her breathing ragged. Her body temperature is a full five degrees higher than before. She is still fighting, but she isn’t winning.” Aife shook her head sadly, one of her hands resting on Laehval’s arm. “If they do not find or create the antidote soon, she will not survive. I do not think she will be able to last much longer. Her leg is already beginning to turn septic and we may have to remove it to give her more time. The Daise’Maenak should be informed of her rapidly deteriorating condition.” “I’ll go. You stay with her and see if you can get her to respond.” Aife gave Laehval’s arm a gentle squeeze and then left the biobed, hurrying to find t’Ksa. “Laehval? Can you hear me?” tr’Paine studied her face, one of his hands smoothing her sweat-soaked hair away from her forehead. “Laehval… don’t give up…”

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General Information | Name | Laehval Ullho t'Temarr Preferred Name | Laehval Sex | Female Race | Rhinnasu (Romulan) Age | 57 Marital Status | Unfettered ---------------------------------------- Homeworld | ch'Rihan (Romulus) / Northern Province / Village of Pril'in Currently Resides | Serving aboard the R.E.S. Talon Rank | Daise'Erei'Riov (Commander) Post | Executive Officer (XO) Physical Description | Eyes | Black Hair | Brown Height | 1.6764 meters (5'6) Weight | 52.3 kilos (115 lbs) Body Type | Slight Build Service Record | 0009.07 - Joined RES Talon as Erein 0102.01 - Awarded Bronze Good Conduct Medal 0103.22 - Promoted to Ne'Arrain 0104.26 - Awarded Service Stripe 0106.21 - Merit Award 0106.25 - Merit Award 0107.05 - Promoted to Arrain 0108.09 - Awarded Bronze Good Conduct Medal 0109.06 - Merit Award 0111.29 - Service Stripe 0201.10 - Awarded Bronze Good Conduct Medal 0201.24 - Merit Award 0204.04 - Demoted to Ne'Arrain (SL demotion) 0204.04 - Merit Award 0204.11 - Merit Award 0204.17 - Awarded Bronze Good Conduct Medal 0204.18 - Demoted to Erein (SL demotion) 0204.25 - Merit Award 0206.06 - Merit Award (Only ½ due to budget cuts) 0206.13 - Service Stripe 0209.05 - Reinstated to Arrain (Finally) 0209.12 - Promoted to El'Arrain 0210.10 - Awarded Bronze Good Conduct Medal 0301.16 - Service Stripe (100 Sims!) 0303.20 - Awarded Silver Good Conduct Medal 0402.24 - Promoted to El'Riov 0405.13 - Merit Award 0406.24 - Service Stripe (150 Sims!) 0407.29 - Merit Award 0409.09 - Service Stripe (175 Sims!) 0410.14 - Merit Award 0506.02 - Merit Award 0605.04 - Merit Award 0606.01 - Merit Award Family | Father ~ Trilus tr'Temarr / City official and magistrate for the small village of Pril'in Mother ~ Au'rial t'Litlus / Primary education instructor Siblings ~ Yilte (older brother) - Miner / Bonded (3 children) Nalhven (older sister) - Port Authority of ch'Havran / Bonded (2 children) Pritus (older brother) - Galae communications specialist / Bonded (2 children) Jalen (older brother) - Deceased Mornot (younger brother) - Pril'in Peace Officer / Unbonded Lilet (younger sister) - Deceased Background | Perhaps if Laehval had been born into more fortuitous circumstances, her life might have developed in an entirely different direction. As it was, Laehval's birth was heralded by the death of her brother Jalen. It was a tragedy that had nothing to do with her birth, of course, but it altered her family from what it had once been. A pity that Laehval could not have known her family before, but, then again, she never knew what she had missed. It was only later in life that she realized, with some sense of longing, that she had been denied something great. The reason that Laehval lived a different life from what could have been had to do with her mother. Au'rial was the daughter of a commoner and had been raised as such. The House of Temarr had neither wealth nor connection and all were perfectly content to keep it that way. The Tal Shiar had no reason to visit the village of Pril'in and so those that lived within were safe from any political intrigue and assassination attempts. They were not immune to accidents, however, and it was such that claimed Jalen's life. The shock of his death sent Au'rial into labor and Laehval was born two months earlier than expected. Technology ensured that she would thrive, but no amount of medical equipment could ease a grieving mother's wounded soul. So it was that Laehval lived her first hours in the world without her mother's love, caring, or acknowledgement. Little changed in the years to come. Though Laehval had two older brothers and one older sister, she often found herself alone. Her other siblings were several years her senior and had little time to amuse an overly curious infant. Consequently, Laehval was a very independent child and often let her curiosity land her in trouble. She had a natural mechanic ability and an extreme need to discover how things worked. After the third time her father found her dismantling this personal communications array, he and her mother decided that it was time she be formally trained. They apprenticed her to the engineering repair crew stationed in their village and let her be. Laehval learned much over the next few years, though she was never satisfied with the rudimentary and often out-of-date technology that Pril'in possessed. After exhausting all outlets available to her, her parents shipped her off to the capital city of Ra'tleihfi and enrolled her into the Engineering academy there. They expected her to train and return to Pril'in to live and work. Laehval had other ideas, however. Once she tasted the freedom of the city, she could have never been satisfied in such a small village. Upon her graduation from her engineering courses, she enrolled herself into the Galae academy and the engineering program there, intrigued with the Empire's starships and technology. Up until Laeh's appointment on the R.E.S. Talon, her military career was very uneventful. She served as one of the Galae's quality control agents, working in their many shipyards to update current propulsion systems and bring recently installed systems to their peak efficiency. The Talon caught Laeh's attention during one of her assignments to the fleet's provisioning stations. The sleek designed intrigued her and, because she never had the pleasure serving as a starship crewman, she put in for a recently opened assignment in the ship's Engineering compliment. The Talon became her home... and her worst enemy. Personal Profile | It is no surprise that Laehval's personal Element is Fire. She shows unbridled passion in every aspect of her life. When she loves, she loves with her entire being. When she is angered, she will not listen to reason. Her emotions rule her if left unchecked. When in control, her passion drives her to personal greatness. If allowed to consume her, the effects are often devastating. When consumed by her emotions she often ignores her better judgment and rejects the most logical course of action. Her strong, unwavering opinions usually hinder rather than help her, especially her career. Because of this, Laehval has learned to keep most of her emotions contained by presenting an icy, cold-hearted, or anti-social demeanor to those around her. Her volatile temper does flare at odd intervals, however, and there are many that have felt her wrath. Laehval would never consider herself to be beautiful and lacks confidence when dealing with the opposite sex. This is only compounded by the fact that all of her romantic entanglements have ended badly. Because of her poor luck with the male species, she has all but given up on finding a worthy mate with which to bond. Consequently, she usually either ignores or rebuffs sexual advances. She is also of the mind that any relationship she might willingly enter would probably negatively interfere with her duties or her career. Updates | 0106.01 - Due to some rather traumatic events that occurred during one of the Talon's shoreleaves, Laehval has become further withdrawn from other people. Though she is usually congenial on the surface, she has formed no deeper relationships with any other crewmembers, preferring to spend most of her spare time tinkering in engineering. If matters do not improve, a full psychological review is suggested along with a possible leave of absence. 0204.18 - Though rumors indicated that Laehval's solitary demeanor had lightened significantly due to the nature of her relationship with another crewman, a dangerous side of the woman has emerged. Her records clearly indicate that she has never been deviant, but recent happenings aboard the R.E.S. Talon have proven otherwise. Though she was recently promoted to the post of Daise'Engineer, she has now been demoted to the rank of Erein because of insubordinate behavior. She has been heard to be mutinous, especially concerning certain figures of authority. If such activities continue, appropriate action is highly recommended. 0307.17 - Laehval's mood swings continue to fluctuate as she varies between contentment and depression. Her depression seems to stem from lack of social activity, though she makes no effort to interact with any except those in her department. Occasional flares of anger are still present during highly charged situations, which have included harming other crewmen that have threatened her and also a short period of incarceration in the brig. Other than the brief lapses in judgment, she has otherwise been a model crewman and seems to be making an effort to serve as a loyal officer should. 0406.01 - Until she learns to overcome the loss of her former lover, Laehval's Shoreleaves should be restricted to short visits in her home province. Her record indicates a denied request of transfer from the Talon. The Head Administrator's office indicates poor behavior on her behalf when her transfer was denied, citing an unwillingness to consider the other options open to her. She has been signed for another tour aboard the R.E.S. Talon, albeit grudgingly. Her relapse in attitude does not seem to be aimed only at the Enarrain this time, but also at the Talon's Daise'Dheno, Destorie N'Dak. Reports indicate that the Engineering staff and the Dheno staff collided in Engineering. That confrontation turned into a brawl involving the two Daise and ended with the disfigurement of the Daise'Dheno. All parties were incarcerated and the incident was recorded in their permanent Galae file. It is unclear how or why the hostilities began, but it has been speculated that Laehval holds a grudge toward the Daise'Dheno, not because of who he is, but because of who he has replaced. 0505.22 - Recent evaluation of Laehval had turned up surprising results. It seems her rebellious nature has been quashed and she has transformed herself into an efficient senior officer. There have also been no reports of hostile behavior. Reports show that her department rarely has cause to be scrutinized. Not only has she become a loyal crewman, setting aside any personal feelings she may have for Enarrain t'Rexan, but she has also been cooperating with other departments in various projects. She had taken command of the Talon on more than one occasion and serves as the Second Officer when needed. The changes in her can only be attributed to the responsibility she had been given and the tempering that comes with command. 0606.06 - Political shiftings have been noticed aboard the Talon, no doubt in part to the scandals that seem to happen so frequently aboard the ship. At the present time, the Enarrain t'Rexan has been temporarily replaced by Daise'Erei'Riov Destorie N'Dak. Though Laehval and the former Daise'Dheno were once known to be the worst of enemies, rumors abound that the Daise'Engineer has allied herself with the new Enarrain and openly supports his command. Could this be the first sign of a coup or simply a Daise doing her duty to maintain a cohesive and cooperative crew? 0706.07 - As an assassin attempted to dispose of an injured and weakened t'Rexan (later restored as Enarrain), Laehval became an unfortunate victim to their treachery. Bitten by a poisonous lizard planted on the Talon, she fell victim to its toxin and nearly died. Only the anti-venom produced by t'Jhiin of Science and t'Ksa of Medical was able to stop the total shut down of her organs. She lived but was left with a wound in her leg that will probably plague her for the rest of her life. Her brush with death has seemed to have changed her outlook somewhat. Not only has she confronted her haunted past and accepted responsibility for the death of her sister, she has also been more friendly and personable. 0806.05 - The Talon was thrust into another universe -- a dark mirror version of their own where Laehval was mistaken for her alternate self, the Preator of that universe. The Talon crew learned that Preator t'Temarr had allied herself with a power-hungry species called the Sheillak and a rogue branch of the Tal Shiar from their own Empire in order to control both universes. The crew decided that an attack on their main base of operations would cripple them enough to put an end to their plans for good. Posing as the Preator, Laehval and her chosen team gained access to the planetary station through subterfuge, taking the control room, and extracting all important data before destroying the base. Like most of those on the team, Laehval was injured in the process, but recovered with no lingering affects. Shortly after their return to their own universe, whispers began. If an alternate Laehval was ambitious enough to rise to Preator, what was to stop their version of Laehval from doing the same? 0906.11 - After the Talon's escape from the Mirror Universe, the crew returned to ch'Rihan for some much deserved rest and relaxation. Out of character for her, Laehval embarked on a vacation by herself, visiting the Firefalls of Gath Gal'thong and a smaller tourist city nearby. Though whispers of a hidden agenda continue, there has been no signs from her of a need to rise above her chosen station. Her personable nature continues to surprise others and reports say that she has become friendly with several crew members including the Executive Officer and one of her own subordinates. 1006.10 - The Talon's current mission has taken them into the Gamma Quadrant through the Federation-held wormhole near Bajor. In a stroke of luck, the ship happened upon a plant rich in latinum, much of which was extracted by the crew and brought aboard to take back to the Empire. However, some of the crew disliked the lack of personal riches allotted to them and mutinied. Laehval was taken captive along with the rest of the command staff, but seemed to side with the mutineers. When forced to prove her loyalty by killing Enarrain t'Rexan, Laehval brutally stabbed her in the gut with a blade. This later turned to be a ploy as Laehval and those in her department planned to use as a distraction to retake the ship. Unfortunately, another group aboard the Talon had the same idea and gassed everyone, leaving the Enarrain bleeding and close to death. Laehval was interviewed by acting Enarrain Destorie N'Dak and all charges were dismissed. After a brief period relieved of command, she eventually resumed her duties as Daise'Engineer. Rumors of Laehval's personal relationships have continued to increase over the past year. One in particular hints that she and another crewman in her department are engaging in romantic activities. Despite this and whispers of her treacherous behavior (some still believe her to be a true mutineer) , she has continued to do her duty, running her department efficiently despite the lighter hand she now wields over her subordinates. 1106.09 -

Updated - September 28, 2006