Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Science Lab 1, Science Officer's Office, Deck 4 - 1538

"We're thinking of taking dinner in the Obs Lounge if you'd care to join us."

Distracted by the various pieces of information the XO had revealed and Tochi's reluctance to take any kind of initiative on the circumstances surrounding Chief Crane, the pretty Andorian woman nearly missed the invitation to dine with her superior officer. The Trill is kind enough to wait for her to gather her thoughts; a long ten seconds before she blinks and gives her head an obscure shake as though repressing a shudder.

"Of course," she offers a tentative smile, realizing that she has kept the man waiting. "It would be my privilege, sir. I'll just let Ensign Maize know that we'll need to reschedule our meeting. It will take just a moment."

(OOC: Tochi's response if you so desire it,)

Allowing the ranking officer the option to exit her newly acquired office first, Asovil soon finds herself bathed in the gentle, pale light of Science Lab 1 once again. This time the large room is nearly void of sentient life forms with only Ensign Maize reviewing something on a computer screen across the room, her back to them, obviously engrossed.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Sh'iraolnas crosses to her subordinate and rather than startle her, softly clears her throat when she draws close. Despite the kind attempt to avoid abrupt disruption and discomfort in the Ensign, Dalia starts and looks over her shoulder with a wide-eyed, opened mouth stare.

"Oh!" she breathes, her shoulders relieving themselves of the tension that had been born there. Turning on the swivel chair she is perched on, Ensign Maize smiles sheepishly. "You startled me, sir."

"I had no intention of doing so, Mr. Maize," Asovil assures her. "I've been invited to dine with Lt. Zai, so our meeting will be postponed until tomorrow morning, first thing. Unless you have need of anything further, I'd say that Alpha has most certainly come to a close. You're free to retire."

Muscles about Dalia's eyes tighten for the briefest of moments. The Andorian might have missed the subtle change in expression had she not been looking for some sign of consternation. Ensign Maize has to of known about Lt. Tesenblen's improprieties and has more than likely been filled in on Asovil's line of questioning by the others who had already been questioned. Waiting for her turn on the other side of the desk is going to be nerve-wracking and will likely result in very little sleep.

"No, sir. I've nothing further," Dalia manages a humorless smile and places her left hand on the edge of the conn she had been working at to steady herself as she slides from the chair. A full four inches shorter than the Andorian, Ensign Maize nonetheless straightens to her full height and looks up into her superior's sea colored eyes with a mix of emotions that the science officer can't immediately decipher. "Thank you, and welcome again to the Peregrine, sir."

"Then, have a good evening, Mr. Maize." She hates me. Asovil returns to the roguishly handsome XO's side and pulls down on her uniform at the waist in order to resettle it more comfortably across her shoulders.

"Ready when you are, sir," she remarks with more levity than she feels. The weight of leadership is sometimes heavier than a neutron star. Experiencing what she has over the past few days, Asovil feels the gravity bearing down on her in ways she hasn't felt since the loss of her brother some years ago. Taking a deep breath through her nose and attempting to hide the strain she is feeling with a casual smile, Lt. Sh'iraolnas motions for the door. Dinner awaits with a man she only just met who also just happens to be her superior officer on board a new vessel rife with difficulties and the immediate position of staring down the barrel of a phaser for any under the targeted captain's command. I hope Andorian Ale is in the replicator's menu.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Science Lab 1, CSO's Office, Deck 4 - 1538
While he waited for Lt Sh'iraolnas' response to his dinner invitation, Tochi watched as a curious mix of reactions ripple across the pretty young woman's face; a muddling of bewilderment, concern, revelation, and, perhaps, consternation in some way? It was difficult to read and interpret with any confidence as the feelings seemed to appear all at once as much as individually. After a moment, he realized that the content of their conversation had likely been quite a bit for her to process all at once and, perhaps, lost in her analysis of that data, she may not have even heard the invite. He was about to offer, again, but Asovil blinked, gave a vague shake of her head, and, possibly suppressed a shudder as her eyes met his, again.

"Of course," she answers, from behind a rather tentative smile, "It would be my privilege, sir. I'll just let Ensign Maize know that we'll need to reschedule our meeting. It will take just a moment."

"Certainly," Tochi nodded, getting to his feet now and returning her smile, "Take your time; we'll wait."

The Trill took up his duffel and slung the thing over his shoulder as, at Asovil's behest, he exited the office ahead of her. While the Andorian woman made her way across the lab to speak with Ensign Maize, Tochi moved to stand by the doorway to the corridor. He watched and, though he was only able to hear snippets at this distance, listened with casual interest as the new CSO interacted with her second. There wasn't a great deal to the exchange, really, but Tochi couldn't help but sense a sort of uneasiness or perhaps wariness between the two, especially where Maize was concerned - Sh'iraolnas, in the few interactions he'd had with her since she'd come aboard, seemed to be the consummate professional where interactions with the crew was concerned; observant, analytical, and unwilling to let personal feelings or opinions cloud her dealings with her subordinates,

A scientist to the core, he mused, as the two women brought their brief conversation to a close, quite a change in flavor from Horatio, though. This one, we think, is apt to be more hands on with all facets of the department as opposed to giving her staff the free reins they enjoyed under Tesenblen.

, "Thank you," he heard Maize intone, "and welcome again to the Peregrine, sir."

"Then, have a good evening, Mr Maize," the CSO responded coolly.

The two women took their leave of one another, then, Dalia returning to her console to wrap up whatever she'd been working on as Asovil, straightening her uniform, crossed the room to rejoin him.

"Ready when you are, sir," Asovil remarks, the lightheartedness of her tone attempting to mask the tension that bore in on her, a tension that was betrayed by the deep breath she took before motioning for the door.

"We're off duty, lieutenant," he smiled, cueing the door and stepping into the hallway, "feel free to leave ‘sir' in the lab or on the bridge. You can call us Tochi." As regimented as she obviously was, he imagined that his attempts to introduce a modicum of relaxation to the day might not fly as straight as he hoped. Nonetheless, given the sort of day it had been for everyone aboard the Peregrine, newcomers and old hands alike, it was the effort that mattered most to him. Countless years of life experiences had taught him that when people were encouraged to feel at ease with one another the strain that came with unfamiliarity was more easily dismantled.

As the pair strolled toward the turbolift, Tochi continued in his efforts to get a glimpse beyond the Andorian's professional veneer by offering a genuinely friendly and interested smile; "So, tell us a bit about yourself, Asovil,"

((OOC: Okay, anything, you see fit here, of course, Backposts for interaction as necessary, of course, or, if you prefer, we can collab on anything between here and the lounge.))

Deck 5; Observation Lounge - 1555
The door to the lounge opened in front of them and they had scarcely stepped across the threshold before Leah Finnley's eyes were on them. "Tochi!" she called, her smile brilliant and welcoming as she came out from behind the bar to meet them, "G'evenin', luv!"

"Hello, Leah," Tochi replied with a warm smile, "how are you?"

"Same as you, I'd expect," Leah winked, "been a bugger of a day on this boat."

"It certainly has," Tochi chuckled as Leah's eyes flitted away from his to regard the Andorian woman beside him. "This is Asovil Sh'iraolnas," the Trill said by way of introduction then,

"Our new Science Officer," Leah nodded, extending a hand, "nice to put a face to the name! Leah Finnley. Welcome aboard the Peregrine, lass, and more importantly," she made a grand gesture to indicate the lounge, "welcome to the Aerie!"

"The Aerie?" Tochi asked with an amused grin.

"Eh, we're trying it on," Leah grinned, "I've been on this ship nigh on a year, now, and no one's seen fit to name the place, yet, so, Do you think ‘Falcon's Roost' sounds better?"

"Call it what you like," Tochi smiled, "We don't come here for the name; we come for the company and the food."

"Psh," Leah swatted at him, her cheeks flushing pink as she did so, "Flatterer!" She tipped her head to indicate the duffel bag slung from the XO's shoulder, then; "Coming from or going to?" she asked, deftly guiding Tochi and Asovil to a table beneath one of the lounge's large windows as she did.

"Going to," Tochi replied.

"Nothing heavy for you, then, I imagine," Leah nodded, brushing a mote of dust that no one but her likely saw from the table, "Buckwheat and bananas?"

"We were thinking the chicken and rice, if it's still on the menu," the Trill laughed as he relegated his gear to an out of the way spot before taking a seat, "and a glass of ice-berry juice."

"Done," Leah nodded, turning to Asovil; "And for you, luv?"

While Asovil placed her order, Tochi's gaze wandered about the place, taking in the faces of the handful of crew members who were already there. Several of those faces he recognized instantly, and they, of course, recognized him, acknowledging his presence, sometimes with a simple nod and sometimes in a more vocal fashion, others, though, were wholly unfamiliar,

More new transfers, he presumed, scrutinizing each new face he encountered for a moment and appending a mental note to each so he'd not forgot to introduce himself, later.

,Another of these unfamiliar faces arrived in the form of a curvaceous red-head clad in MED blues. Tochi watched her as she ordered something from the replicator and made her way to an empty table.

One of the nurses that accompanied Dr Moore aboard, most likely, he thought, offering a smile and a nod as the nurse's gaze met his. I suppose we should visit the medical department, as well, he surmised.

Just as Asovil was finishing her order, Tochi loosed an unintentional sigh at that last thought. It had been a long day, already, A true bugger of a day, as Leah says, and, he realized now that it was still a long way from being finished for him. Any concern the thought raised, though, disappeared into the air along with the ends of the sigh, We're not thinking about work for the next hour or so, remember?
"Okay," Leah was saying, "Be right back with your orders." She flashed them both a smile, turned, and made her way across the lounge. As she went, she, too, noticed the newly arrived Ardanan.

"My, aren't you the looker, though," she beamed at the copper-tressed nurse, "Welcome to the Aerie. I'm Leah. If there's anything I can do for you, you just let me know, lovely."

"Friendly to a fault, that one," Tochi grinned, his gaze abandoning the interaction between Leah and the nurse and returning, again, to the Andorian woman seated across from him. "So, where were we?"

((OOC: Bam!!! Sorry for the delay. Meant to post yesterday but got sidetracked by some other issues. I think this is a good place to stop for now, where it goes from here is entirely up to Brom and/or BooBoo. Room for interjections, interactions, and edits, throughout, of course.))

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Science Lab 1, Science Officer's Office, Deck 4 - 1538

"We're off duty, lieutenant," the XO smiles, cueing the door and stepping into the hallway, "feel free to leave ‘sir' in the lab or on the bridge. You can call us Tochi."

"Theoretically speaking, Tochi," Asovil attempts humor as they begin their stroll through the brightly lit hall. "One cannot leave a moniker anywhere. The very nature of the name and its association with the individual makes its presence constant, provided it is remembered, of course."

Her face visible only from the profile by the Trill, the science officer maintains a slight, playful smile while mentally wincing as her humor falls flat.

Lt. Zai offers a genuinely friendly and interested smile and says, "So, tell us a bit about yourself, Asovil,"

"That's a trick question," the Andorian plays with the thumbnails on both hands with the fingers of the same hand as she walks. "I'm not sure that a summary of a person's life is sufficient enough to really get to know them, so I feel deficient in that function.

"However," she breathes in deeply through her nose and glances up at him from beneath white lashes before returning her gaze to the sparse decoration and sleek lines of the corridor styling. "I suppose the best effort is all I can give, but as you've indicated that we're off duty, I'll demand similarly of you for each aspect of my life I share. Measure for measure."

(OOC: Assuming a positive and light answer.)

"I don't suppose I can get you to go first?" the woman playfully presses, continuing with the assumption that he wasn't going to bite. "You did ask first, so I guess it's only fair that I share before you.

"I've never wanted anything more than to be in the service of the Imperial Guard's Science Division. I wanted that with all of my being from my first memories until I joined as soon as I was old enough to be accepted. However, the Universe had other plans for me.

"How about you?"

(OOC: Tochi's scintillating answer pending,)

Deck 5; Observation Lounge - 1555

Lt. Sh'iraolnas stands just behind and to the right of Tochi Zai as the doors to the Observation Lounge slide open. Decorations are surprisingly plain. A few tables with bench and chair seating are scattered across the room placed strategically in front of the gaping windows revealing the immense span of space the Peregrine is traversing, but none of the interior accoutrements that the Equinox's Observation Lounge had been lovingly adorned with were present. Asovil's immediate impression is that the room is lonely; inviting, yes, but lonely nonetheless. Speculation that the crew has been unable to address this particular necessity of ship life occurs to her, but even with that thought flitting across the front of her mind, the Andorian woman can't help but wonder if this is a less-than-social ship. After all, the Equinox is filled with scientific minds, and they had found time and desire to decorate the Observation Lounge.

"Tochi!" a friendly human woman as tall as Asovil calls from across the room with a brilliant and welcoming smile. She spreads her arms apart in welcome as she steps out from behind the bar to meet them. Wearing the gold uniform associated with security or ops, she has curly brown hair done up in a bun on the back of her head. Broader in the shoulders and wider in the hips than the Andorian scientist, she is a striking figure. "G'evenin', luv!"

"Hello, Leah," Tochi warmly replies and from just behind him, Asovil can tell he's smiling that charming, friendly smile, "how are you?"

"Same as you, I'd expect," Leah winks, "been a bugger of a day on this boat."

"It certainly has," Tochi chuckles. Leah's eyes drift from the XO's handsome face to the slim, blue-skinned beauty by his side. "This is Asovil Sh'iraolnas," the Trill says by way of introduction.

"Our new Science Officer," Leah nods, extending a hand, "nice to put a face to the name! Leah Finnley. Welcome aboard the Peregrine, lass, and more importantly," she makes a grand gesture to indicate the lounge, "welcome to the Aerie!"

"The Aerie?" Tochi asks with an amused grin as Asovil accepts the extended hand.

"Eh, we're trying it on," Leah grins and returns her attention to him. "I've been on this ship nigh on a year, now, and no one's seen fit to name the place, yet, so, Do you think ‘Falcon's Roost' sounds better?"

What a flirt! Though Asovil maintains a smile, she immediately begins forming a cautious opinion of the woman. As the Trill and the human woman continue to play the age-old game, the Andorian watches with a calm smile on her full lips, noting each move that Leah makes to ingratiate herself with the XO as a spectator might note the plays made in a sport.

"Call it what you like," Tochi smiles but his tone is quickly recognized by the scientist at his side as somewhat disinterested. "We don't come here for the name; we come for the company and the food."

"Psh," Leah swats at him, her cheeks flushing pink. I wonder how long she's practiced that particular affectation. "Flatterer!" Leah tips her head to indicate the duffel bag slung from the XO's shoulder, then; "Coming from or going to?" she asks while deftly guiding Tochi and Asovil to a table beneath one of the lounge's large windows.

"Going to," Tochi replies. Lt. Sh'iraolnas takes in the bag for the first time with any interest. Long, not particularly voluminous, similar in texture to the gym bags we had at the Academy, Tochi must be planning on a workout after dinner. What a fantastic idea! A good sweat ought to alleviate some of the stresses of the day.
"Nothing heavy for you, then, I imagine," Leah nods, brushing a mote of dust that no one but her sees from the table. "Buckwheat and bananas?"

"We were thinking the chicken and rice, if it's still on the menu," the Trill laughs as he relegates his gear to an out of the way spot before taking a seat. "And a glass of ice-berry juice."

"Done," Leah nods and momentarily bites at her bottom lip while looking at the rugged Trill from beneath her lashes before turning to take Asovil's order. "And for you, luv?"

"After the day I've had, I was going to see if you've any Andorian Ale on hand," the science officer settles into her chair before gracing Leah Finnley with an innocent look. Asovil has noticed the stocked bar and is praying that her request can be fulfilled.

"Of course we do, deary," Leah reaches out and barely touches the top of Asovil's hand with her fingertips. "It really was a brute of a day, and I hear it was just by the skin of your teeth that you made it on board before we locked down!" Clicking her tongue with what the Andorian interpreted as mock pity, Petty Officer Finnley forces her lips into a pout before continuing. "Would there be any food with that, honey? Or are you on a diet?"

People calling out greetings to her dinner companion from across the room distract Asovil from the fact that Leah had hinted at her inglorious arrival. "Everyone is on a diet of one kind or another, Leerah," she says accidentally mistaking the woman's name and missing the meaning of her question, answering instead with the textbook explanation. "So, I'll have anything with protein so long as it is not the prime rib. I've heard that there's a problem with that dish."

Another crewman arrives drawing Asovil's curious gaze away from those about the room making various efforts to acknowledge the XO. The new arrival is another woman, Ardanan if Asovil remembers her xenobiology studies correctly. This one wearing a blue and black uniform that the Andorian immediately assumes places her in Medical seeing how she doesn't recognize the face, and she's spent the afternoon meeting with her staff. Red haired and curvaceous—A very sexual woman, how do the Terrans refer to her kind? A man beater? No, that's not right, but it's close. A man-eater. That's it. Asovil leans back in her chair and continues to order while analyzing Tochi's expression, his eyes locked onto the newcomer as she makes her way to the replicator.

"And I'd like a cherry jubilee to follow, if you don't mind." Something sweet is definitely going to hit the spot and the added sugar will help with her energy levels during her workout later. The practiced, kind smile that sits upon the Andorian's lips slowly spreads to a full-fledged smile showing white, even teeth. He's enjoying that one, she muses, continuing to watch her companion.

Asovil looks down at the table and bites her top lip to remove the amused smile she's wearing as Tochi releases a heavy sigh and tears his eyes away from the Ardanan. She can only imagine what was going on in his mind as he watched the nurse collect her dinner, but she is positive that whatever those thoughts are, they aren't to be discussed.

"Okay," Leah says with a bright clip to her tone apparently aware that the blue woman with white hair isn't going to play anymore. "Be right back with your orders." She flashes them both a smile that makes the Andorian mentally picture a Bel'cheenok—an Andorian hunting cat—eyeing its next meal.

"My, aren't you the looker, though," Leah beams at the copper-tressed nurse once she catches sight of her. "Welcome to the Aerie. I'm Leah. If there's anything I can do for you, you just let me know, lovely."

"Friendly to a fault, that one," Tochi grins, his gaze abandoning the interaction between Leah and the nurse and returning, again, to the Andorian woman seated across from him. "So, where were we?"

With a barely disguised smile on her face, eyebrows just slightly raised as she regards her dinner companion, Asovil responds with a question of her own, "The Peregrine has her own wait staff?"

(OOC: I await your conversation, sir.)

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Sickbay, Deck 4 - 1545

No one has bothered to ask his opinion of events that had just taken place in Sickbay a few hours earlier. Had they, Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Bachmann is confident that he would have been able to calibrate systems in such a way as to determine the actual reason for Chief Thorson's condition. Such short-sightedness on the part of the new Chief Medical Officer is an annoyance to the lab technician. He hadn't even been given the opportunity, and he is dead certain that the disregard shown his expertise is the reason the Peregrine is now en route sans the chief.

Normally on duty for Alpha, Petty Officer Bachmann has returned to Sickbay to prove his theory. Stepping through the doors, he acknowledges the staff on duty with barely anything more than a nod or a grunt before moving to the table that Chief Thorson had been on during his brief stay this morning. Approaching the wall conn, Ryan begins entering in the proper commands to call up the registered diagnostics recorded during the emergency procedures. Data streams begin to flow before him, the bottom right corner of the screen displaying an overhead view of the chief's inert body and the medical staff working over him in hurried, frenetic fashion.

Ryan syncs the PADD in his left hand and begins running his custom programs diagnosing various samples of the chief's bodily fluids, scans, and imagery. A few minutes pass, and Petty Officer Bachmann frowns at the anomalous reading his PADD spits back at him. Looking back to the viewscreen on the wall, the non-descript man's frown deepens. That smudge wasn't there before, was it? he wonders, noticing the blurred portion of the navigation menu on the screen. Filthy people, he grumbles mentally as he reaches up with his excessively dry right hand to wipe the screen clear. Dry your bloody hands, for crying out loud!
Shock and pain shoot through his arm into his shoulder and up into his neck the instant his skin makes contact with the blur. Forest green eyes wide as a nebula, Ryan gasps and goes completely rigid with his fingers glued to the conn for all intents and purposes. The electrical pulse through his appendage and neck feels like a thick mass of energy at the end of which hundreds of tiny tendrils wriggle about reaching up into his neck, jaw, and skull. The muscles in his cheeks begin to contract and he feels helpless as his eyes bulge from the sockets. And then, it's gone. The sensation retracts, sliding from his neck into his shoulder, down his arm, and out through his fingertips releasing the medical technician gasping and struggling to stand.

Sinking towards the table, head lowered with the heavy weight of exhaustion washing over him, Petty Officer Bachmann blindly fumbles with his communicator.

"Petty—" he chokes on his words his throat still thick. Swallowing, he tries again. "Petty Officer Bachmann to Security." Coughing, he awaits an answer, his knees weak and his colleagues finally taking notice and rushing to help him.

=/\= Security here. =/\=

"I need a security team to Sickbay, stat." Ryan hautily pushes the samaritan hands of the medical staff on duty away from him and forces himself to take a couple of shuffled steps away from the conn. "We have an unknown threat here."

=/\= Could you say again, Petty Officer Bachmann? An unknown threat? =/\=

"Just get a bloody security team down here!" Bachmann yells in response. Grabbing the uniform shoulder of the nurse closest to him, Ryan pulls the Vulcan away from the dangerous conn. "Don't go near that! It tried to kill me."

"That seems highly irregular—" Crewman Toriak begins to counter the petty officer's assessment, but is cut off by security's response.

=/\= A security team is on the way, Petty Officer Bachmann. Is the threat still local, or does it have the potential to migrate? =/\=

Ryan blinks. His mind is struggling to maintain clear thoughts. "Um, the threat is, I mean to say," Coughing again, Ryan looks in surprise at the blood in the palm of his right hand as he pulls it away from his mouth. "A threat," he finishes weakly.

"Lie down, Ryan," Toriak takes the weakened man by the shoulders and directs him to the same table Thorson was on, but panic fills Bachmann's entire being as his eyes fix on the conn.

"No! No!" he screams, struggling under the much stronger Vulcan's hold. "Not there! Not there!"

Though not understanding his colleague's irrational fear, Toriak helps the hysterical man away from that table to an adjacent table and forces him to lie back.

"Crewman Toriak to Chief Cook," the Vulcan taps his combadge and calls on the on-call command staff. "We have a situation in Sickbay. Please join us post haste."

Ryan's heart rate is increasing with his rising panic. He casts his eyes about the ceiling and then looks up over his right shoulder towards the conn he had been working. "It's in there," he whispers. "It was in there and tried to get in me, but it's back in there. It's in there,"

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Security, Deck 5 - 1555

Crewman Apprentice Clint Myers shuts down the communication from sickbay and immediately connects with Lt. Berk. "Sir, there's been a reported security threat in Sickbay. A request has been made for a security team on site. Your orders?"

(OOC: Assuming something akin to, "Send them!")

"Aye, aye, sir," Clint pulls up the roster and activates the comm to the security team on duty. "Security Team Beta 2, report immediately to Sickbay. Repeat, Security Team Beta 2, report immediately to Sickbay. Potential security threat reported."

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - Sickbay, Deck 4 - 1556

=/\= Crewman Toriak to Chief Cook, We have a situation in Sickbay. Please join us post haste. =/\=

The door to the sickbay opened and PO Cook stormed in not looking too happy. She had been on her way to her quarters when she received the comm call from Crewman Toriak.

"What in the Bloody Hell is going on in here?" She bellowed as she paused just inside to access the situation.

She sees Toriak holding PO Bachmann back on one of the tables. Bachmann appears to be agitated about something. He is mumbling something which PO Cook can't quite understand. She walks over to the two and as pulls a hypospray from a pouch on her belt just in case PO Bachmann becomes violent she can 'calm him down' a bit.

"Care to explain yourselves gentlemen?" Cook askes as she eyes the two of them.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - Observation Lounge, Deck 5 - 1605

Miraan had just sat down and picked up a strawberry from her fruit plate and was taking a slow bite out of it, savoring the flavor, when her wandering eyes happened to catch the gaze of an Officer across the room. Chewing the bite slowly, she winked at him when he smiled and nodded at her. Yes it wasnt appropriate behavour towards a superior officer maybe, but she had a flirtatious nature and sometimes couldnt help herself.

As the officer returned to talking with an Andorian officer seated with him, Miraan turned and happened to catch the eye of the woman who seemed to be part of the Lounge staff.
"My, aren't you the looker, though," Leah beamed at the copper-tressed nurse, "Welcome to the Aerie. I'm Leah. If there's anything I can do for you, you just let me know, lovely."

"Thank you Leah," Miraam answered in a smooth, almost sultry voice, "My name is Mirram. I'm new aboard as I'm sure you know." She beamed right back at her.

"I think I am fine for now," she went on, "But if I do need anything I will let you know."

As Leah started to withdraw, Miraan did stop her, "Oh wait, there is one thing you could tell me Leah. Who is that gentleman over there, speaking with the Andorian Officer?" She nodded her head slightly towards Tochi.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - Deck 2: Corridor - 1555

The day had been somewhat long considering the events that had taken place. The engineering staff managed to get the consoles back together in engineering and they tested out well, aside from a few minor maintenance things the day shaped up to be pretty well.

Haemis stepped out of his quarters, he had taken the time to stow his gear and after today's earlier frustrations and stress he needed a release. He had not had time to schedule any time in the holosuites aboard just yet so that was out and he had decided that what he needed right now, very badly was a run. Having dawned his normal work out cloth which consisted of essentially padded armor, he pulled on a weighted back pack. The padded shoes he wore ensured that he wouldn't disrupt anyone while he ran he put in two small plugs in his ears and activated the music, if you happened to hear it you might consider something like today's 'dub step' primarily instrumental music which changed beat and frequency. He stretched his muscle and turned heading clockwise with the ships corridor at a fair jog allowing the weighted pack to settle in. He jogged lightly down the corridor his feet barely making a sound as he moved. His pace was not unsafe, just enough to get his heart rate up.

This ship was a good bit smaller than he was used too but it was all the same to him, just a few more trips around. He often times did the same on the lower decks of the Coronado and that was mostly because the Captain never came down that far regularly without reason. There was technically no regulation against it, and he knew the ship had a gymasium but he hated the things, they were so impersonal. This allowed him to see faces, which right now was what he wanted so he could acclimate to this new crew. Eventually he would have to get up the gumption to start talking to them, but part of Hameis knew this might be very temporary. Oddly enough he feared that now, not just for loosing the job but the curiosity that had suddenly grown from watching the Captain and their breif earlier exchange.

After having made a few circuits he turned into one of the Jefferies tube access doors, and began climbing down toward the lower deck. He would go all the way down, circle the lower deck a few times and climb back up. Then it was time for food.


USS Peregrine - Deck 2: Corridor - 1635

The doors to the ships lounge sprang open as he came to a stop, taking a moment to catch his breath before crossing into the room. He surveyed the lounge, there wasn't too many people and of course he didn't yet recognize anyone but that would likely change soon. He dropped into a chair at an empty table and nodded as the waiter came by.

"Can I get you anything?" regarding Hameis for a moment. "Water perhaps?"

Haemis nodded. "Aye. Room temp ifna ya please!"

The waiter nodded and disappeared to return just a few moments later setting the glass down in front of him along with a glass pitcher. "Anything else?"

"Give me about twenty, then I'll take a Cesar salad! No bloody fish!" he said nodding.

"Alright, i'll be back if you need anything before then just wave." he said walking off leaving him sitting there dabbing his forehead with a towel. He looked down at the backpack on the floor next to him, it was designed to simulate the weight one would carry into combat wearing armor and could be adjusted for other medieval devices. He had used it a lot since his father had gotten it for him many years prior. He had a lot of fond memories with the thing. He smiled taking a long drink from the glass of water. "That's the spot, right their!" he said to himself.

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Deck 4, Corridor - 1545(ish)
"So, tell us a bit about yourself, Asovil,"

"That's a trick question," the Andorian replied, the faint click-click-click of her fidgeting fingers all but muted by her voice, "I'm not sure that a summary of a person's life is sufficient enough to really get to know them, so I feel deficient in that function.

"However," she breathes in deeply through her nose and glances up at him from beneath white lashes before returning her gaze to the sparse decoration and sleek lines of the corridor styling. "I suppose the best effort is all I can give, but as you've indicated that we're off duty, I'll demand similarly of you for each aspect of my life I share. Measure for measure."

"That seems fair," Tochi agreed, an accommodating smile playing on his lips.

He chuckled softly when she said; "I don't suppose I can get you to go first?" she didn't let him so much as draw the breath for a reply, though, before she continued; "You did ask first, so I guess it's only fair that I share before you."

"I've never wanted anything more than to be in the service of the Imperial Guard's Science Division. I wanted that with all of my being from my first memories until I joined as soon as I was old enough to be accepted. However, the Universe had other plans for me.

How about you?"

As they stopped before the turbolift and Tochi cued the door, he seemed to take a moment to contemplate what Asovil had just shared, rubbing thoughtfully at the spots that dappled his neck. His green-gold eyes took her in, too, and, as the door to the lift opened, he offered the faintest of shrugs before ushering her aboard. "Well, measure for measure being the condition," he smiled, "I never wanted anything more than to pilot starships and see as much of the galaxy as I possibly could. That worked out well enough, though, not precisely as I imagined it might,"

The lift door closed and the Trill ordered it to deck five. During the pause in his narrative, his smile took on a somewhat pensive quality and he seemed to mull his next words very carefully before continuing.

",I was, different," his tone matched the reflective set to his features as he chewed on that last word for an instant, then, with a near imperceptible nod, repeated it, "I was different, in my early career, than we are now. Reckless, some might have said, and, had very little ambition as to climbing through the ranks beyond where doing so might get me seated at the helm. Then, as you have said, and as it is wont to do, the Universe stepped in and made a course correction." The set of the Trill's features had gone enigmatic, then, almost as if he had somehow lost himself in the thought, and one hand drifted absently up to rest on his abdomen. He blinked, after a long moment, and, just before the door opened onto deck five, he smiled at her. "We became more," he shrugged, almost chuckling the words, "We've seen more of the galaxy than I could have ever have hoped, and our career, our life, veered into what I might have once considered uncharted territory."

The door whisked open, then, and Tochi followed Asovil into the corridor that appeared behind it. "So," he said, motioning her in the direction of the Observation Lounge, "measure for measure, yes?"

((OOC: I don't imagine the lounge is too far a walk from here, continue as you like, my friend, or, if you prefer, just assume this gets them to the doorway of "The Aerie" and the interaction with Leah.))

Deck 5; Observation Lounge - 1605
"My, aren't you the looker, though," Leah beamed at the copper-tressed nurse, "Welcome to the Aerie. I'm Leah. If there's anything I can do for you, you just let me know, lovely."

"Thank you, Leah," Miraan purred in reply, "My name is Mirran. I'm new aboard as I'm sure you know."

Leah nodded, still smiling; "There's been quite a lot of that, today."

"I think I am fine for now," Miraam went on, "But if I do need anything I will let you know."

"You do just that, luv," Leah grinned, "Pleased to meet you, Miraan."

As Leah started to withdraw, Miraan did stop her: "Oh wait, there is one thing you could tell me, Leah..."

"Hm?" Leah paused and arched a curious brow, "What might that be?"

"Who is that gentleman over there," Miraan tilted her head to indicate the Trill, "speaking with the Andorian Officer?"

Leah's gaze flitted over to the indicated table for a moment and, as it came back to Miraan again, a shrewd smile danced on her lips. "That, lovely," she cooed, "is Lt Tochi Zai; Peregrine's Flight Control Officer and Captain Drake's right hand. Pretty, isn't he?" She flicked the nurse a wink.

"He's quite the charmer, too," Leah said, her voice lowering a bit, "and, from what I hear, something of a ladies-man, I've not personally seen any true evidence of that, mind, but it is delicious to think about."

((OOC: Tag, Boo Boo))

Across the lounge
"So, where were we," Tochi asked, attempting to respark the conversation he and Asovil had been having before they had entered the lounge.

There was a thinly veiled look of amused curiosity on the Andorian's face - the ghost of a smile on her lips and her thin, silvery brows arched just so - and, rather than respond to the question he had asked, posited one of her own. "The Peregrine has it's own wait staff?"

His immediate response was a rapid series of blink and a mildly confused expression. Then, his gaze tracked from Asovil to where Leah, apparently having stopped to speak to the Andaran nurse, was now taking her leave of the table. "Ah," he chuffed softly, his eyes returning to frame his dinner companion, again; "Not officially, no. Petty Officer Finnley is technically a Catering Specialist in our Ops department. As a patrol vessel, though, the Peregrine hasn't had much of an opportunity to apply that particular specialty, beyond adding some variety to our replicator menus, so, she's often here, playing host. Adding a bit of color to an otherwise sparse lounge, we suppose."

Tochi chuckled, then and added; "With the ambassadors on board, though, we imagine she'll actually have occasion to cater an event or two. That should make her happy.

Anyway," he shrugged, folding his hands together atop the table and leaning forward just a bit as he smiled interestedly, "we were in the midst of a measure-for-measure thing, weren't we? Was it your turn or ours?"

((OOC: And tag, Brom.))

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Deck 5: Shuttle Bay 2 - 1318
The Peregrine was "at sail" once more, Starbase 118 in her wake by nearly twenty minutes, and the hubbub and hullabaloo surrounding her departure (and taking up her position as escort for the Coronado) had ebbed off to a dull drone in the background, especially here, in the recesses of Shuttlebay Two, beyond where the even the shuttles on maintenance cycle loomed and where the spare parts and fuel pods were stowed, in the shadow of the special project on which Lt Zai and LtCmdr Thorson had spent so many hours in the past months.

Wonder wha' the Lieutenant's gonna do, now, Megan pondered, running a hand over the unfinished hull of the vaguely manta-shaped craft, Cmdr Thor an' he'd worked so close on this,
She heaved a wistful sigh as her hand fell away from the structural members that, she'd heard, were supposed to support the starboard imbedded warp nacelle and, then, unceremoniously plopped down on an unopened crate of universal transition sensors and stared, for a moment, at the half clad skeleton of the tiny ship. As she did, she wondered what she might miss more now that Thorson was gone; watching he and Lt Zai work on the thing they called the Aurora Angel or, rather, listening to them talk about it in the Obs Lounge whilst they played cards and drank mead.

Probably th' latter, she grinned, blinking away her focus on the unfinished shuttle and turning it, instead, to the PADD that now rested across her knees. Sometimes got invited ta play an' sample some o' Thor's mead in tha' scenario. She accessed the files for her coursework, then, and, after a cursory glance at the next unit, found herself staring at the spaceframe, again, telling herself that, no, in fact, she'd much rather have watched the pair bring the thing completely from design simulation to spaceworthy craft. They'd never invited her to help, but, as she'd sat in this typically quiet space of the bay and studied for her certifications, she'd also half-paid attention to what Zai and Thorson got up to as the craft started to take shape and, as a result, had learned so many things that, she imagined, she would have never picked up from simple, academic instruction,

A clatter and a muffled curse, both issuing from just outside the partition separating this area from the shuttle bay proper, snatched her away from her thoughts and drew her gaze toward a crewman in golds was muttering to himself and gathering up the scattering of tools and equipment he had apparently just dropped. "Oi," she called, setting her PADD down and getting to her feet, "are ya alright, there?"

"Yeah," the crewman puffed in reply without looking up, "I was just trying to get all this stuff here without having to make two trips. Should've stacked it better."

"Or, y'know, used an AG sled," Megan grinned as she moved closer, "or, I dunno, made that second trip?"

"Heh! Yeah, I guess," the crewman chuckled, stacking a carton of ODN couplers atop a spool of conduit before finally glancing over his shoulder in order to see who he was talking to. He blinked once when he saw the tiny, elf-like woman with wild, red hair and a dazzling smile sauntering toward him. Then, blinked again as he swallowed the words which had somehow just gotten stuck in his throat. And blinked once more before he was able to sort through the suddenly mad jumble his thoughts had become and found enough clarity to get to his feet.

"You, You're Megan Owen," he stumbled over his own tongue, unaware that a goofy, almost smitten grin had begun to peels his lips away from his teeth.

"Aye," Megan snickered, stopping to pick up a wrapped set of spanners that likely belonged with the crewman's scattered things, "I know tha'. An' who're you, then?"

"Uh," The crewman wiped his hands on the front of his tunic, wiping away any dirt they might have picked up from the deck and, also, the nervous misting of sweat that had suddenly appeared on his palms. "Lincoln," he ran one of those hands through his neatly trimmed yet tousled brown hair, "Lincoln Alder," He timidly extended the other hand as he continued to fumble with his own name, "Crewman Lincoln Alder, Engineer's Mate, Computer Systems Specialist, uh, Hi?"

"H'lo, Lincoln Lincoln Alder," Megan laughed sunnily, slapping the spanners into the palm of Lincoln's outstretched hand, "These're your's, I reckon?"

"Uh," he blinked, blushed, and closed his fingers around the spanners just before Megan's tiny hand let them go, ",Yeah, Thanks, I, I,"

"Yer a bloomin' nervy mess, is wha' ya are," Megan giggled, striding past him and stopping to pick up a small box labeled Transition Module, Primary. "Relax, Lincoln," she smiled, offering the module back to him, "It's not's if ya went an' dropped all this in front o' th' Cap'n or anythin'!"

"Heh, Yeah, Oh," Lincoln chuckled, taking the box without looking at it, "Thanks, again, I just, ummm," He seemed to become suddenly aware that his hands were full and, after a split second of trying to figure out what he was holding, blinked at the items, smirked, and set them atop the pile of things he'd already managed to restack. "I mean, I've seen you before but, I just never thought our paths would cross, I, uh, You're going for your bridge certification, right?"

"Aye," Megan answered, laughing softly and shaking her head as Crewman Alder sputtered his way back into gathering his scattered gear, "An' if ya walk like ya talk, Lincoln, it's no wonder ya dumped all o' this. Lemme give ya a hand."

In just a matter of moments, between the two of them, they had the remainder of Lincoln's things gathered up into two stacks, now, instead of one. The somewhat less nervous engineer's mate hefted the bulkier of those and the grinning shuttle pilot took up the other. "Right, then," Megan chirped, "Where were ya to with this?"

Lincoln nodded toward the Aurora Angel; "Just right there." He didn't feel quite as anxious, now, as when he'd first seen her but something in the span of time between when he said that and his feet decided to carry him that direction still seemed awkward. When his eyes let her go and his feet finally did start moving, though, he was glad of it as it gave him the opportunity to turn his face away and, hopefully, hide the fresh blush that had heated his cheeks.

"Really," he heard her ask, the tone of her voice attesting to her genuine interest, "you've been workin' on th' Angel?"

"A little, yeah," he smiled faintly as they reached the forward end of the incomplete craft. He set his load down and let his eyes skim over the thing before turning back to Megan. His own smile broadened and his confidence might've been bolstered a bit by the expectant grin on the shuttle-pilot's face. "Not a lot, really, but some." He nodded to the stack of items she still carried in her arms; "Commander Thorson had asked me to run some ODN relays if and when I had the chance, There are about 50 sub-nodes in this thing; that's a lot of relays, Anyway," he shrugged and, then, reached out to unburden her of the items she carried, "Thorson asked me to do it a couple of days ago and I hadn't gotten around to it, yet. I figured that, seeing as how things went for him, today, the least I could do was make some time."

"That's sweet," Megan smiled, her eyes sparkling.

Lincoln's cheeks reddened a bit, even if his confidence just got another little boost. "Yeah," he said, "I guess. The commander's a good guy. I liked working for him, I'll miss him, I guess, I didn't get to see him off so this was the next best thing, I guess."

"I guess," Megan nodded, her eyes sweeping past Lincoln and taking in the Angel; "Ya think Lt Zai'll keep workin' on her? Now that Cmdr Thor's not on board, I mean?"

Lincoln thought about that for a minute, then offered a vague shrug. "I don't see why not," he answered after a moment, "I mean it's Lt Zai's design, for the most part. Commander Thorson helped, of course, tweaked a thing or two here and there, but, yeah, this is Zai's baby when it comes right down to it. I mean, look at the shape of her! And, hell, I don't know any pilot in this day and age outside of our XO that'd install a manual FCS by choice,"

Megan looked stunned. "It's got manual controls?"

"Yeah," Lincoln nodded, "Control yoke, throttle levers, the whole nine parsecs, It's got the standard LCARS interface, too, of course, but, Heeeey! You've never been inside, have you?"

"Uh-uh," Megan shook her head slowly, gawking at the Angel, now, with newfound wonder.

Lincoln's confidence suddenly soared and he smiled a decidedly assured smile when he asked; "Wanna help me install some relays? I'll give you the tour."

"Are ya off yer blinkin' nut," Megan squeaked, her excited smile taking up what seemed to be a majority of her pixie-like face, "O'course I wanna help!!!"

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Deck 4 Lift to Deck 5 - 1545ish

The lift door closes and the Trill orders it to deck five. Looking a bit reluctant to relive what's tumbling around in his head, the XO has a faraway gaze that momentarily worries the science officer. Did I go too far in asking? Relief floods her being the moment his quiet voice elaborates on his thoughts.

",I was, different," his tone matches the reflective set to his features as he chews on that last word for an instant, then, with a near imperceptible nod, repeats it, "I was different, in my early career, than we are now. Reckless, some might have said, and, had very little ambition as to climbing through the ranks beyond where doing so might get me seated at the helm. Then, as you have said, and as it is wont to do, the Universe stepped in and made a course correction." The set of the Trill's features has gone enigmatic, then, almost as if he has somehow lost himself in the thought, and one hand drifts absently up to rest on his abdomen. He blinks, after a long moment, and, just before the door opens onto deck five,smiles at her. "We became more," he shrugs, almost chuckling the words, "We've seen more of the galaxy than I could have ever have hoped, and our career, our life, veered into what I might have once considered uncharted territory."

The door whisks open and Asovil steps into the corridor and Tochi continues, "So," he says, motioning her in the direction of the Observation Lounge, "measure for measure, yes?"

But I have so many questions about your symbiote and the joining! Using her left hand to brush her soft, white hair over her ear, the Andorian woman takes up step next to Lt. Zai and considers what to share next. She isn't one to just open up to people and small talk has always been difficult for her. She has always been approached by men in different settings due to her appearance, but aside from one or two relationships in her life, has never found a man to hold her attention for very long. But that is not something you share with a superior officer who is just doing his duty and welcoming a girl on board a new ship.

"Fair enough," she manages. Two crewmen in ops colors deep in conversation barely manage to move aside before colliding with her. Even with their avoidance tactics, Asovil is forced to turn sideways and barely skims past. "Have you ever—in your vast travels, and through all of your lifetimes—wondered what's on the other side of a black hole, or what would happen if you could fold the Universe, or what uses a small measure of a neutron star's energy could have?

"I grew up with my father asking ‘what if' about everything. The first real questions of any importance that I remember formulating had to do with our solar system. The first paper I wrote for publication (it was rejected, in case you're wondering) had to do with stellar formation and the evolution of our star. My curiosity hasn't subsided either. I'm currently working on a dark matter/dark energy theory with some colleagues from various facilities throughout the Federation. I hear that these Saber class vessels have the latest technologies in Stellar Cartography. I'm looking forward to spending time there and putting some of my theories to test."

Her reveal has the two of them approaching the Observation Lounge's doors. Falling quiet, Asovil falls into a subordinate position slightly behind Tochi and to his right.

Deck 5; Observation Lounge - 1605

"So, where were we," Tochi asks, returning his distant thoughts back to the present.

"The Peregrine has it's own wait staff?" Asovil finds herself very amused by the interactions taking place in the lounge, particularly between the XO and the various women. Is he interested in me that way? The thought nearly rolls her antennae into curls and she ushers it away with haste.

Lieutenant Zai blinks through a mildly confused expression. Then, his gaze tracks from Asovil to where Leah is speaking to the Andaran nurse. "Ah," he chuffs softly, his eyes returning to frame his dinner companion again. "Not officially, no. Petty Officer Finnley is technically a Catering Specialist in our Ops department. As a patrol vessel, though, the Peregrine hasn't had much of an opportunity to apply that particular specialty, beyond adding some variety to our replicator menus, so, she's often here, playing host. Adding a bit of color to an otherwise sparse lounge, we suppose."

Tochi chuckles and adds, "With the ambassadors on board, though, we imagine she'll actually have occasion to cater an event or two. That should make her happy.

Anyway," he shrugs, folding his hands together atop the table and leaning forward just a bit as he smiles interestedly, "we were in the midst of a measure-for-measure thing, weren't we? Was it your turn or ours?"

"Most certainly yours," Asovil states and folds her own hands on the table in front of her. Leaning forward a bit conspiratorially herself, she asks, "Do you retain all of the memories when you are joined?"

(OOC: Pokin' Eol.)

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Sickbay, Deck 4 - 1556

The door to the sickbay opens and admits a flurry of frustration in the form of PO Cook. Toriak is practically lying across the medical technician and looks back over his shoulder with a bland expression on his Vulcan face. Bachmann hears the door and struggles to sit, but being held down as he is, can't manage anything more than mumbled futility.

"What in the Bloody Hell is going on in here?" Petty Officer Cook bellows pausing just inside the door. Turiak assumes Cook is taking her time to figure out what's going on before descending further into the madness. An assumption that is confirmed as she produces a hypospray from her belt and approaches.

"Care to explain yourselves gentlemen?" Cook asks while eyeballing the two of them.

"Chief!" Ryan squirms again and attempts to look at his superior around the broad shoulder of the yeoman holding him down. "There's something in the wall. It attacked me, but I fended it off—I think."

"Petty Officer Bachmann was engaged in some work on Station Two when I noticed him almost collapse," the Vulcan explains in a calm voice that is in direct contradiction to the frantic nature of the man he's holding down. "When I approached him, he began to speak of this attack and would grow more terrified the closer to the station conn one came. I moved to lie him down, but he refused to take the bed at Station Two, so I moved him to Station Three and contacted you directly.

"He has already requested a security detail, Chief Cook. I estimate their arrival any moment."

"There's something there," Ryan croaks, gripping the Vulcan's left forearm with his right hand, but dropping his head back on the bed. "Something in the wall, in the conn, it attacked me."

"If I may make a suggestion?" Yeoman Turiak raises his eyebrows in askance. (OOC: assuming an affirmative.) "With Lt. Thorson's cybernetic failure, the strange container taken on board earlier, and the presence of the ambassadors; perhaps it would be wise to have Engineering take a look at the conn."

(OOC: Back to you, BooBoo, and here's an opening for including Haemis. Brennus_Stagborn, feel free to bring Security into the picture as well!)

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine; Corridor, Deck 5, Turbolift to Lounge
"So, measure for measure, yes?"

When he volleyed the conversation back to Asovil with those words, Tochi thought he caught a hint of disappointment flicker across the Andorian's features. It was difficult to tell for sure as, when he turned to look at her, her hand had moved to brush her hair behind her ear, precluding a clear view of the fleeting expression. It appeared, too, when her hand fell back to her side and he was able to see her face again, that it was her turn to muse on how best to express her next thoughts. He watched her as she contemplated; closely enough, in fact, that he failed to notice the oncoming OPS crewmen until they and Asovil nearly collided,

They're not paying attention to where they're going, either, he smirked inwardly, mentally chastising himself as much as the crewmen.

As the OPS boys finally realized what was happening and initiated their evasive maneuvers, Tochi readied a hand to steady or even catch Asovil should they actually crash into her. For her part, though, the pretty Andorian deftly avoids the collision by turning sideways, pressing closer to him by necessity for a split second, as they pass. Even in doing so, Asovil, apparently unfazed by the near miss judging by her even tone said; "Fair enough,"

"Mind your course, gentlemen," the XO gently rebuked the crewmen as they passed by and Asovil non-chalantly resumed her stride

"Sorry, sirs," one of them answered in concert with the other's; "Excuse us, sirs."

"Carry on."

"Aye, sir."

,"Have you ever - in your vast travels, and through all of your lifetimes - wondered what's on the other side of a black hole," Asovil was saying as Tochi's attentions returned to her, or what would happen if you could fold the Universe, or what uses a small measure of a neutron star's energy could have?"

Absolutely, he found himself - or was it just Zai? - thinking, All of those things and more. That's why we chose you. He said nothing aloud, though. Instead, Tochi nodded and offered a bit of a sagacious grin as she continued.

"I grew up with my father asking ‘what if' about everything. The first real questions of any importance that I remember formulating had to do with our solar system. The first paper I wrote for publication (it was rejected, in case you're wondering) had to do with stellar formation and the evolution of our star. My curiosity hasn't subsided either. I'm currently working on a dark matter/dark energy theory with some colleagues from various facilities throughout the Federation. I hear that these Saber class vessels have the latest technologies in Stellar Cartography. I'm looking forward to spending time there and putting some of my theories to test."

"Despite our different career paths, Asovil," Tochi said as they drew up outside the Observation Lounge, "it sounds as if we share quite a few similar interests.

And, for the record; yes - in all of our vast travels and in all of our many lifetimes - we have wondered about many things," he offered a playful wink along with his grin and, as the lounge door opened, added, "We may have even found answers to some of them along the way."

Deck 5, "The Aerie," Tochi and Asovil's table - 1606
",Anyway," he shrugs, folding his hands together atop the table and leaning forward just a bit as he smiles interestedly, "we were in the midst of a measure-for-measure thing, weren't we? Was it your turn or ours?"

"Most certainly yours," Asovil states and folds her own hands on the table in front of her. Leaning forward a bit conspiratorially herself, she asks, "Do you retain all of the memories when you are joined?"

That's refreshing, Tochi thought, Most people avoid this subject as if speaking of it is some sort of taboo, We're going to like her.
"Yes," the smile on his face when he nodded the answer might have been colored by bashfulness as if she might have heard that thought, "all of them," The smile faded a bit, just then, but didn't quite disappear. If anything, it simply waxed more toward sentimental. His gaze flitted away from her and regarded the starscape beyond the window for a long moment... "And not just the memories," Tochi's gaze was still skimming the stars when he said this and, when it finally let go, it didn't return immediately to her. Instead, the Trill's eyes fell to regard his own hands where they were clasped together on the table, "There are talents, skills, feelings," he laughed softly as he finally looked back across the table, "even the taste or distaste for certain foods or music.

Honestly, it's kind of overwhelming, sometimes. Especially at first, at first, it seemed a lot like going mad," he said, his hands letting go of one another and lifting off the table as he shrugged and looked off to the vista beyond the window, "The Commission has always said that's because I wasn't officially selected as a candidate for joining, because I wasn't properly prepared,"

It was then that Leah returned, carrying a tray with their dinner orders. "Here we go, ladies and gents," she sang as she perched the tray on the edge of their table and began offloading the items. She had placed all of Asovil's order in front of her and had already slid Tochi's plate in front of him before the Trill's stare broke from the stars, again.

He blinked, once, and almost seemed surprised to see that dinner had appeared on the table. Then he blinked again as his eyes ticked towards Leah. "Thank you," he said, almost absently, as she set his glass of ice-berry juice on the table.

"Of course, luv," Leah grinned, tucking the now empty tray under one arm and taking a step back, "Anything else I can get for either of you?"

"No," Tochi said, a grin returning to his face, now, "We're all set, Leah." He turned his eyes back to Asovil; "Anything for you?"

((OOC: Assuming a "no" or something similar that'll send PO Finnley toddling off to tend to others))

"All right, then," Leah nodded, "Enjoy." She turned, then, and strolled away.

Tochi regarded the plate of food he had been served for a second. "This looks good," he commented off hand, reaching for the glass of slightly iridescent, ice blue juice. He took an appreciative sip of the stuff as his gaze tracked back to the Andorian who shared his table.

"Anyway," he smiled, "as we were saying; yes, we retain all of the previous hosts' memories when we are joined..."

He took up a fork, then, and indulged in a mouthful of his dinner. He chewed, swallowed, and took another sip from his glass. "How is your food," he asked,

((OOC: Assuming anything other than "Oh gods, it's horrible! I think I've been poisoned! I can't feel my antennae!!!"))

"Good," he smiled before taking another bite of his.

After swallowing that morsel, he studies the Andorian CSO for a long moment and, offering a curious sort of grin, asks; "Will that suffice as our measure matching yours, Asovil, or would you be disappointed if we didn't tell you more?"

((OOC: Volley!))

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Sickbay, Deck 4 - 1557

"Care to explain yourselves gentlemen?" Cook asks while eyeballing the two of them.

"Chief!" Ryan squirms again and attempts to look at his superior around the broad shoulder of the yeoman holding him down. "There's something in the wall. It attacked me, but I fended it off—I think."

"Petty Officer Bachmann was engaged in some work on Station Two when I noticed him almost collapse," the Vulcan explains in a calm voice that is in direct contradiction to the frantic nature of the man he's holding down. "When I approached him, he began to speak of this attack and would grow more terrified the closer to the station conn one came. I moved to lie him down, but he refused to take the bed at Station Two, so I moved him to Station Three and contacted you directly.

"He has already requested a security detail, Chief Cook. I estimate their arrival any moment."

"There's something there," Ryan croaks, gripping the Vulcan's left forearm with his right hand, but dropping his head back on the bed. "Something in the wall, in the conn, it attacked me."

"If I may make a suggestion?" Yeoman Turiak raises his eyebrows in askance.

"Go ahead," Cook responded.

"With Lt. Thorson's cybernetic failure, the strange container taken on board earlier, and the presence of the ambassadors; perhaps it would be wise to have Engineering take a look at the conn."

Dana considered it for a moment. She looked from PO Bachmann to the Conn he said attacked him.

"I agree," Dana turned to Ryan and continued, "Now relax PO, I will get Engineering to look into that and see what it is that attacked you. Ok?"

(OOC: Assuming a positive or negative it doesnt matter really for her next action).

"Just stay calm," She tells Ryan as she moves up to him and gestures with her left hand raised in a calming motion, "we will get to the bottom of this."

As she drew up to him she reached out with her right hand as if to lay it on his shoulder but instead she pressed the Hypo to his bicep and gave him a shot of a sedative. As Ryan went to sleep (I'm assuming he will unless something strong is preventing it) she turned to Turiak.

"Get him on the medical bed and activate the restraints," She told him and as he tended to that she stepped over to look towards the station where Ryan says something was wrong. She hit her comm badge as she replaced her hypo in her pouch.

"PO Cook to Chief Engineer," She said and once she is answered, "There is a problem in medical. One of my Petty Officers swears he was attacked by his work station. Could you check it out?"

(OOC: Assuming Haemis will respond. I assume the Chief Tactical Officer is aware of the security detail request. So if your not busy Brennus maybe you could come in with the detail? )


(Edit: Oh, I'm lost so I don't know who to tag. Ahhh. Haemis and Brennus. )

Stardate 2365.02.08
USS Peregrine - Observation Lounge, Deck 5 - 1606

"Who is that gentleman over there," Miraan tilted her head to indicate the Trill, "speaking with the Andorian Officer?"

Leah's gaze flitted over to the indicated table for a moment and, as it came back to Miraan again, a shrewd smile danced on her lips. "That, lovely," she cooed, "is Lt Tochi Zai; Peregrine's Flight Control Officer and Captain Drake's right hand. Pretty, isn't he?" She flicked the nurse a wink.

"He's quite the charmer, too," Leah said, her voice lowering a bit, "and, from what I hear, something of a ladies-man, I've not personally seen any true evidence of that, mind, but it is delicious to think about."

A slow smile spread across Miraan's full lips as her eyes looked over Lt. Zai for a few moments.

"Yes indeed," She said and then turned her gaze back to Leah giving her a knowing grin, "Quite delicious!"

She reached out and gave Leah a pat on her arm, letting her hand rest there for a second, "Thank you dear! If I need anything, else I will let you know."

Withdrawing her hand she went back to eating her fruit as she observed the room. Her eyes kept drifting back to the ‘delicious' looking Lt Zai. There was another name she would have to add to her list of people that she would personally see to being the one to perform the physical that the Doctor had ordered on all personnel once the ship was underway. Too bad he already had a dinner companion otherwise she would make a stop at his table. Another time perhaps.

She did wonder if there was anything going on between the Lt. Zai and the Andorian? Watching them she thought possibly, if not maybe soon from the looks of it.

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Deck 5; Observation Lounge, "The Aerie," Tochi and Asovil's table - 1606

"Most certainly yours," Asovil states and folds her own hands on the table in front of her. Leaning forward a bit conspiratorially herself, she asks, "Do you retain all of the memories when you are joined?"

"Yes," the smile on his face when he nods the answer is a bashful one. "all of them," The smile fades a bit, just then, but doesn't quite disappear. If anything, it simply waxes more toward sentimental. His gaze flits away from her and regards the starscape beyond the window for a long moment. "And not just the memories," There's a pregnant pause and then the Trill's eyes fall to regard his own hands where they are clasped together on the table. "There are talents, skills, feelings," he laughs softly as he finally looked back across the table, "even the taste or distaste for certain foods or music.

"Honestly, it's kind of overwhelming, sometimes. Especially at first, at first, it seemed a lot like going mad," he admits, his hands letting go of one another and lifting off the table as he shrugs and peers into the vista beyond the window once again. "The Commission has always said that's because I wasn't officially selected as a candidate for joining, because I wasn't properly prepared,"

It was then that Leah returns, carrying a tray with their dinner orders. "Here we go, ladies and gents," she sings as she perches the tray on the edge of their table and begins off-loading the items. Asovil looks away from watching the Trill's expressions to the food placed before her. The dishes contain a white meat—Chicken, I beleive.—with a green salad mix and some long, green sticks with a spear-like protrusion on the end that glisten in the light flecked by seasoning. The smell of the meal is wondrous, and Lt. Sh'iraolnas realizes that she hasn't really eaten since her light meal that morning.

"Thank you," Lt. Zai says, almost absently, as Leah sets his glass of ice-berry juice on the table.

"Yes," Asovil leans forward and cradles her hands in her lap beneath the table as she looks up at their server and smiles appreciatively. "It smells delicious."

"Of course, luv," Leah grins, tucking the now empty tray under one arm and taking a step back, "Anything else I can get for either of you?"

"No," Tochi responds with a grin returning to his face. "We're all set, Leah." He turns his eyes back to Asovil; "Anything for you?"

Asovil shakes her head, her white hair rolling over her right shoulder to fall down and drape her uniform in the process.

"All right, then," Leah nods. "Enjoy." She turns and strolls away.

"This looks good," Tochi comments off hand, reaching for the glass of slightly iridescent, ice blue juice. He takes an appreciative sip of the stuff as his gaze tracks back to the Andorian who shares his table. Asovil nods again, reluctant to be the first to dig into her food she almost sighs with relief when the lieutenant picks up his drink. Sitting up straight, the lithe woman reaches for her Andorian Ale unconsciously allowing her tongue to wet her lips.

The alchohol in her drink burns all the way down her throat and warms her stomach. Andorian Ale will knock a lightweight drinker down, spin them around, and then roll them in a carpet for delivery, but to an Andorian, it generally takes a number of drinks before they are affected in such a way. The little Asovil is having with her meal won't do much more than provide a warmth akin to a mother's hug.

Setting the mug at the top right of her dinner plate (something she learned to do at Star Fleet Academy as Andorian custom demands the beverage to be placed center above the plate), the scientist takes up her fork and knife, cuts a piece off of one of those green stalks, and delicately places it in her mouth. Butter, a little pepper, rosemary, and, what is that? Flavors caress her tongue as she chews the crisp vegetable. She has learned a lot about Terran cuisine since joining Starfleet, but the last flavor eludes her.

"Anyway," the charming XO smiles, "as we were saying; yes, we retain all of the previous hosts' memories when we are joined..." He gently places the glass down and takes up a fork taking in a mouthful of his dinner. He chews, swallows, and takes another sip from his glass. "How is your food," he asks.

"Delightful, Tochi," Asovil says after swallowing. "I've not seen this—" She points at the stalks with her fork. "—Vegetable before. We don't really have many vegetables on Andoria. There are some, like the vor'tehl and the fr'ollenta, but nothing like this." Casting about for Leah, the Andorian finds her working behind the bar once again. "I can't believe this is replicator food. Leera is very good at her job."

"Good," Tochi smiles before taking another bite of his dinner.

"How about yours?" Asovil turns her attention to her dinner companion's salad.

(OOC: assuming something that I've never said, like: This salad is excellent.)

Nodding, the science officer picks up her knife and cuts a piece of the chicken. "Good," she mimics Lt. Zai's response.

After swallowing another bite, Tochi falls quiet and still for a moment. The silence is definitely awkward for the beauty seated across from him, but she's able to focus on the flavorful juices produced by her fowl to ward off being overcome by the unease his stare is bringing. From beneath her lashes, Asovil catches him offering a curious sort of grin

"Will that suffice as our measure matching yours, Asovil, or would you be disappointed if we didn't tell you more?"

Swallowing her food, she retrieves her cloth napkin and dabs at her lips. "This was your idea, Tochi," She smiles a bit timidly, her antennae perking up a bit at the humor she's finding with the situation. "I don't know if I should release you from the challenge yet. After all, you've mentioned certain events without expounding upon them, and curiosity is a scientist's greatest tool." Motioning to her meal with her knife, she meets his gaze and continues, "We've a lot of food to go through still. We can eat in silence, or we can converse. My vote is for conversation.

"To which, I'll add, we once had a Trill tradeship land at the port city where I grew up. That was my introduction to your people. I can remember sitting at the table with my father while he talked about the technological wonders offered by that merchant and how excited he was for the opportunity to inspect a Trill Diagnostics Tool. He went on for hours about the complexity of the Trill brain, the two separate sections, I was very young and only remember bits and pieces as most of the conversation was over my head.

"But, my father's enthuesiasm entices me to this day, so forgive me if I seem too forward," she shrugs her little shoulders a bit apologetically and cuts another piece of chicken from the breast. "And please stop me if I get too personal." Lifting the chicken towards her mouth, she pauses and finally asks her question, "What did you mean when you said that the Commission said that you weren't officially selected?"

(OOC: Fodder for your posting needs, Eol.)

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Sickbay, Deck 4 - 1558

"I agree," Dana turns to Ryan and continues. "Now relax PO, I will get Engineering to look into that and see what it is that attacked you. Ok?"

"You've got to destroy it, Chief," Petty Officer Bachmann relaxes under Yeoman Turiak's weight once he's confident his warnings are being taken seriously. "This wouldn't have happened in the first place if you people would have called on me to help with Thorson.

"Just stay calm," the head nurse's voice is much calmer and sweeter than when she first arrived in the room. "We will get to the bottom of this."

Her shadow casts over the medical technician as she draws up to him and reaches out with her right hand as if to lay it on his shoulder. To his surprise, he feels a sharp pressure on his arm instead. Looking down at the hypo unit Nurse Cook is moving back to her belt, Ryan's eyes widen. He wants to ask why, to protest, to be aware and awake as Engineering gets to work. They need his expertise! He's the one who encou, Petty Officer Bachmann drifts off into a sedated slumber against his will.

"Get him on the medical bed and activate the restraints," Dana orders Turiak before stepping away towards Conn 2. The yeoman complies by lifting the deadweight of the technician's legs up onto the bed at Station 3 and easily positioning his body to accept the ankle, chest, and wrist straps that are made available with a simple command being punched into Conn 3.

"PO Cook to Chief Engineer," Turiak listens as Dana makes her orders over the ship's communication systems, but this is secondary to strapping the poor Bachmann to the table as he's been instructed to do.

"There is a problem in medical," Cook continues, still staring at the rather benign-looking conn. "One of my petty officers swears he was attacked by his work station. Could you check it out?"

=/\= This is Engineering, Petty Officer Cook. Did you say that he was attacked by his workstation? =/\=

(OOC: assuming an answer confirming the question. Is Astrid still with us?)

=/\= Okay, Someone will be right there. =/\=

Yeoman Turiak finishes making sure his colleague is properly secured and steps over to Conn 3. Punching in a couple of commands, he brings up Ryan's vitals and begins studying them.

"Mr. Cook," his monotone voice calls out to her. "There does appear to be some minor damage to the nerves in Petty Officer Bachmann's right arm." Standing slightly to the side of the conn screen, the Vulcan draws the finger of his right hand along the diagram of the arm for emphasis. "The damage is very slight and will not likely cause Mr. Bachmann anything more than slight discomfort while it heals, but it is most certainly present. It would also appear that it did extend into his neck, and up into the mandible and possibly the zygomatic arch; though we'll need to perform a more intensive scan to be sure."

(OOC: Tag all you alls!)

Stardate 2365.02.08 (Monday)
USS Peregrine - Sickbay, Deck 4 - 1559

"PO Cook to Chief Engineer," She said and once she is answered, "There is a problem in medical. One of my Petty Officers swears he was attacked by his work station. Could you check it out?"

=/\= This is Engineering, Petty Officer Cook. Did you say that he was attacked by his workstation? =/\=

"Yes," Dana replied testily, "that is what 'he' said."

=/\= Okay, Someone will be right there. =/\=

Yeoman Turiak finishes making sure his colleague is properly secured and steps over to Conn 3. Punching in a couple of commands, he brings up Ryan's vitals and begins studying them.

"Mr. Cook," his monotone voice calls out to her. "There does appear to be some minor damage to the nerves in Petty Officer Bachmann's right arm." Standing slightly to the side of the conn screen, the Vulcan draws the finger of his right hand along the diagram of the arm for emphasis. "The damage is very slight and will not likely cause Mr. Bachmann anything more than slight discomfort while it heals, but it is most certainly present. It would also appear that it did extend into his neck, and up into the mandible and possibly the zygomatic arch; though we'll need to perform a more intensive scan to be sure."

"Yeoman Turiak," Dana says as she turns to him with a frown, "I am not an officer and even if I was I wouldn't wish to conform to the outdated policy of referring to all Officers as Mister regardless of their Gender. Refer to me a Petty Officer or Nurse."

She stepped up to check out the vitals of PO Bachmann and frowned, "Yes... it kind of looks like some sort of current passed through his body from his hand up to his brain." She sounded puzzled by what she was seeing.

"Yes," she said and nodded, "lets perform the intensive scans, especially in his cranium. I want to see if there is any sort of damage there that might explain his behaviour."

She turned back to look at the conn that Ryan had said 'attacked' him. Maybe he isnt so crazy after all.

(Edit: To correct a minor mistake.)