Posted by Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Shuttle Bay 1 (Open RP opportunity)

Posted by Civilian Khabal (Civilian) in Shuttle Bay 1 (Open RP opportunity)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Faye Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Shuttle Bay 1 (Open RP opportunity)
Posted by… suppressed (33) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Khabal sat on top of his ship, meditating. His senses were stretched out taking in the universe around him. His ship looked like a deep black shadow beneath him.

• Khabal

It was a stupid idea, right? Well, she had had plenty of those before and survived to tel the tale, so this couldn’t be that much worse.

Stepping into the bay, she found her quarry and tilted her head as she studied him from behind. Moving with quiet (but not silent) steps, Calloway came to stand so she was facing him as she gazed up at Khabal. She didn’t want to disturb his peace but she wasn’t sure what to do here. What was the right answer? The hell if she knew. And wasn’t that a part of the whole problem? If their suspicions were correct, then there were explanations, but that didn’t help her now as she tried to figure out to to navigate this complicated social situation.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

“How may I be of assistance Commander?” Khabal asked.

Khabal’s facial expression was calm like someone who had just woken up from a really good nap but his eyes had a gaze that looked like they had seen indescribable ancient things.

• Khabal

Faye shifted her stance, trying to steady the nervous energy in her body. “We… should talk. I can come up there if you’d like, or you can come down here. I… want to explain about the other day on the asteroid.” It was such a shift and in this moment she could acknowledge just how much she had grown. It didn’t make any of this easier, but she could admit that the Faye Calloway standing here now was going to handle this much better than she might have in the past.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal smiled warmly.

“If you want to come up here, I can come down and lift you as there isn’t really any way to get up here without jumping from above, a ladder, or shadow gating. Well, maybe a site to site transport. Oh, and don’t touch the leading edge of the ship, it’s very sharp.”

Khabal could sense Faye’s tension and didn’t want to spook her.

• Khabal

Faye was ever the impulsive venturer, but this situation required trust, something she did not have for this person, but was trying to find a modicum of for her own sake. “Understood,” she said as she moved around the side of the ship and found one place to step up to so she was off the ground. She reached her hand up so her could pull her up, all the while she yoga came in handy as she stabilized her core and prepared to climb up as if this were a rock wall.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal laid down on the hull and stretched down to assisted Faye up onto the ship. His grip was firm and he seemed to have little issue with her weight as he helped her up. Once standing on the ship, she could see that it reflected no light at all, a deep pure formless black.

“This way.” Khabal said returning to the place he was sitting while pointing to a spot Faye was approaching, “Watch your toes, there’s a slight rise there.”

• Khabal

She navigated the hull with deft steps, her yoga practice giving her impeccable balance. “Understood,” she said, stepping up the rise. Faye came to where he had been before and sat down, more than weirded out but the knowledge that outside of this shuttlebay, the vessel would blend in with space. It created a wave of unease that had nothing to do with the ship itself but her own sensory experiences.

Looking out over the bay from this height, Faye propped her feet flat on the hull and wrapped her arms around her knees. “Do you use honorifics in your culture? I have no idea, so I’m not sure if I should address you as Mister Khabal, or just Khabal.” She knew so little about him.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal shrugged.

“No, no honorifics. I am called by my race or my name but you may address me as is comfortable for you. Marishka addresses me as Mister Khabal of her own choice, not because of any requirement or cultural custom on my end.”

“I’m good with Khabal if you are. If it’s just us talking on our own, I’m fine with you calling me Faye, but with anything official when I’m on duty, I prefer the formality of rank. Or at least that’s what people expect.” Calloway shrugged.

Khabal leaned back, his hands on the hull supporting him as he stretched his legs out.

“Forgive my rudeness, I’d offer refreshments but everything I have in my ship is tailored to my specific nutritional needs and could quite possibly be incompatible with your biology.”

• Khabal

Faye shook her had. “I’m fine, I don’t need anything.” And it was true.

She drew in a deep breath and gazed out over the shuttlebay, appreciating the unusual view it granted both of them. “I think… I feel like I owe you an explanation for that other day in the Lounge after the asteroid thing. I know I had a reaction that didn’t make sense to everyone else and since no one came to me about it, I could assume it’s fine, but I know better. You are here, at least for the time being, and I feel like I need to clear the air so that we can coexist here in a reasonable way.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal nodded, “As you wish”. he said turning his gaze to her.

“So, are we being official or casual?” Khabal asked.

“No, this is not official. This is personal. At least for me,” she said softly.

Khabal was intrigued, he didn’t usually get further associations with people after such a reaction as Faye had. He was very interested in what she had to say.

“The reason I didn’t come to you afterwards is because I thought, possibly wrongly, that under the circumstances, I would be the last person you’d want to see. It’s not an uncommon reaction considering my life path in relation to the multiverse.”

• Khabal

Faye tilted her head and gazed at him. “What exactly do you mean by that? You have to understand that in social situations I can… struggle with nuance. Sometimes I just need people to lay things out clearly.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal shrugged.

“You were upset by the translocation as it was unexpected in manner and location. It upset you and as I was the cause of said translocation, I thought you would prefer to avoid me for the time being or permanently.” Khabal said simply, “I do try not to complicate people’s lives outside of contracts.”

• Khabal

Faye snorted. “Too late, Khabal. You have complicated lives because you are an unknown presence on a Starfleet vessel. An unknown presence that we cannot truly vet from a security point of view. As someone who is responsible for the safety of the ship and crew, that makes me… uncomfortable.”

“Fair point.” Khabal responded with a nod.

“But yes, the way we… translocated to the asteroid affected me in a way I was not anticipating.” Faye sighed. “It’s very hard to explain but I was in sensory overwhelm and I react poorly. I am sorry for that. The Faye Calloway of a decade ago would have definitely avoided you afterwards, but I’m… not the same person. I’m trying to work through not only some of the difficulties I have in social interactions with people, but manage when I’m emotionally triggered in a way I can’t anticipate.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal nodded again.

“Travel through the shadow realm can be overwhelming on the uninitiated, that’s why I requested you all keep your eyes closed to minimize the potential effects. As for your work in changing yourself, it is never easy to transform into something else. There always seem to be more obstacles that assists doesn’t there?”

“Hmmm, yes. Though I’m not sure I’m aiming for transformation as acceptance and some sort of compromise. But that requires input from others and my openness to that is a rather new thing. As for our travel, I have other sensory things that can amplify what my body processes. Or so I’m learning.”

Khabal leaned back on his elbows, a relaxed and apparently vulnerable position.

“I’m used to entities being cautious, avoidant, or even unpleasant to me when they know what I am so, for me, your reaction wasn’t out of my normal experience. I do my best to understand and let these things go.”

• Khabal

She nodded. “I’m glad you didn’t take offence. But it did make for an awkward situation and now we have to figure out how to move forward. You offered the asteroid as a secure place for Marishka and Dawson and I to speak. But it requires your presence. That… does not work for me. Security-wise. Not for what I had intended, in any case.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal smiled.

“The only part that requires my presence is the travelling, otherwise I can leave a homing beacon that’s inactive until someone activates it, then I’d come to the location to provide travel back.”

Khabal produced two red triangular lozenge shaped gems. Taking one, he Pressed the center, the edge turned blue. Setting it down, a thin opaque membrane spread out as the device adhered to the surface. The whole thing was no bigger then a thumbnail when inactive and it’s operation was silent and it didn’t light up at any time.

“If one holds the center till the edges turn black, approximately a second and a half, it will camouflage itself to the surface it’s stuck to.” he said offering the second one to Faye, “Once activated, they can be placed, thrown, or dropped. Would knowing that ahead of time have helped?”

• Khabal

She took the device fully intending to scan the crap out of it. “Probably,” Faye said honestly. “I know life is not predictable, but I do better when I have more information. I’ve…” She paused and looked over the bay, letting out a long exhale. “I’ve had a difficult life, and I don’t trust easily. I’m better than I used to be, but I also take my duty seriously. I swore an oath to Starfleet and to this ship, and so I am doing everything I can to fulfill it.”

Khabal nodded, “That’s admirable and probably rarer than you think.”

She snorted.

Faye looked at Khabal. “If I ask you a rather pointed question, will I get a truthful answer?”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal shrugged, “I have no reason to lie as I’m not currently on contract.”

Khabal gave Faye his full attention, his gaze, though relaxed, seem to pierce into her.

• Khabal

“Why are you here?” Faye asked. “You required repairs but they can’t still be going on, and you are working with Marishka in the Parthenon. I’m having a hard time understanding why you are here given this is a Starfleet vessel. You are not Starfleet, nor would Starfleet actively work with you given your… line of work. So I am rather… confused.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal’s gaze didn’t falter but it did soften.

“Sure, the repairs and resupply have been done for quite a while. As for why I haven’t left yet? Well, between contracts I like to celebrate life. I know that may seem strange but, to have one’s wings continuously dipped in blood, without respite, can make one a cold, callous, possibly insane monster with no consideration for potential collateral damage. This ship seems to be full of life and I’m enjoying seeing the interplay. I may be a taker of life by race and profession but, that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate or enjoy the hospitality of those around me. At least those willing to look beyond my profession. Besides, not all contracts are about killing.”

• Khabal

Faye nodded slowly, taking in both Khabal’s honesty but also appreciating the similarities. “My life has not been about… killing, but it has bene high stakes at times. It’s hard to always feel on-guard. I get wanting to be able to drop all that for awhile.”

She looked at him intently. “There is a large crew here, but also civilians. Families. Children. This ship has attracted a lot of danger over the years, even from within. You understand why I am concerned about the presence of someone who openly admits to contract killing being on a vessel like this, yes? My job is to protect the ship and crew from threats, and while I believe you about wanting to enjoy life here for a time, it does not mean you are not a threat. What’s to stop you from taking a contract that would place this vessel and the people live here in harm’s way? Like you said, not all contracts are about killing.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal actually laughed.

“I understand and you are right, I am a threat by my very nature but, most Quarm, including myself follow a self imposed guideline not to do dark work or wet work where we’re relaxing and taking time off. I’m impressed, in my entire career, no one has ever asked me that. The travel demonstration was a contract between myself and Marishka but it was merely for transportation, nothing malicious was intended so, by that guideline, it was not prohibited.”

• Khabal

“Self imposed guidelines are easily broken, and quite frankly that doesn’t reassure me much. Not when so many lives are at risk here. It might sound paranoid to others but I have good reason to be cautious,” Faye said. “I don’t know how I am supposed to trust you. “

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal shrugged.

“That’s for you to decide. I feel that nothing I say will ease your mind and it’s never a good idea to lie to placate someone’s feelings. You will or will not trust at your whim or you can guarantee that your concerns are assuaged by creating a contract with me.”

• Khabal

OOC: That is brilliant! lol. Some lovely Faye-fu.
IC:
Her expression shifted as her mind went off in a multitude of directions. Branching in its usual orderly way. She followed a couple which left silence between her and Khabal until she brought herself back to the present setting.

Faye leaned towards him ever so slightly and gazed at him rather a fierce intensity. “Tell me more about this sort of contact and what it would entail.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal sat up appearing more attentive. He had a feeling she was thinking about a non aggression contract for the crew of the ship in order to protect them from Khabal. It was understandable but, would it be reasonable.

“Well first we discuss and set the parameters of the contract then negotiate for payment. Payments can’t really be determined until the details of the contract are settled on. It’s a pretty standard business transaction.”

• Khabal

She snorted. “Standard is relative. I’ve been party to contracts that others would have thought unconscionable. But also, this seems one-sided. Could it not be a reciprocal contract with consequences?” Faye wasn’t sure how all this would work and so she needed to gather more information in order to see what was feasible.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal nodded.

“Contracts can be as such but that’s all in hammering out the details. First I need to know your goal with the contract.”

• Khabal

That was a very good question. What was her goal? Faye wasn’t entirely sure other than to quell the well of anxiety that came up when she thought of the situation. But it was more than that too. This was a lot about her figuring out how to handle a situation that had been distinctly uncomfortable for her and finding an appropriate solution. Some might say it was an exercise in growth and leadership. Somehow she thought Alex would be proud of her when she told him about it all.

“The goal is to remove some of the concerns your presence brings. Starfleet vessels don’t randomly take on unknown passengers for no reason, so this is well outside the norm for us. I trust the captain, but it’s also my job to see potential danger where others might not be looking for it. My goal then would be to have some reassurances about your activities here and in turn I can give you a greater benefit of the doubt than I’ve been able to give you so far.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal turned to directly face Faye as he moved to sit cross legged. She could tell he was taking her seriously as his eyes had that intense look that appeared to be able to see deep into her soul.

Faye couldn’t keep her eyes locked on him, it made her too uncomfortable. It wasn’t him though, it was always this way with her.

“I understand your concerns. How do we alleviate your discomfort in this situation?” Khabal asked.

• Khabal

“Is it reasonable to ask for limitations on your ability to move people to and from the ship? The whole shtick in the Parthenon doesn’t bother me, but people coming and going from the Athena without key people knowing is a huge problem. If you’re going to stay for any length of time further, it has to stop, or we have to have an agreement about who is involved and under what circumstances.” Faye wasn’t going to beat around the bush, and she appreciate that he was equally open and blunt. It didnt make her trust him more, but she didn’t trust him less. A small difference, but a key under the circumstances.

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal smiled and his gaze softened.

“Well that’s different. I was expecting a non aggression pact of some kind. So you want to impose a restriction requiring authorization from a member of the command staff before gating anyone to or from the ship, is this correct?”

• Khabal

Faye was careful with her words right now, and thus she took extra time to work through what he was saying and whether it fit her own thoughts. “Well, it’s a piece of it yes. You are here because of the generosity of our Captain. It seems only fitting that someone authorize a gating, as you call it. The other piece of this is what you already said- a non-agression pact is actually a nice way to put it. It requires something of both of us. Which I think is fair.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

Khabal nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment.

“I can agree to getting authorization to gate anyone to the ship. Gating from the ship I only agree for Star Fleet personnel, civilians wishing to leave the ship via gate, and no, I won’t advertise, should be free to go unless they’re being legally detained under Federation law.”

She nodded. It was a reasonable compromise.

Khabal considered for another few moments.

“A non aggression pact is more complicated. I cannot agree to something like ‘no killing ever again’ or ‘never accepting a contract on Federation citizens and their allies in perpetuity’. Such things are unreasonable and, understanding the structure of authorities within Federation command, any contracts made by you and I under this system can be overridden by by a higher ranked member of your organization.”

• Khabal

Faye shook her head. “No, my concern is for while you’re here. It’s not my job to police your activities. What would make me feel maybe slightly more at ease is a limitation on contracts involving violence while you are here. I’mhonestly not sure what all can be in a contract, so I’m not sure what’s reasonable to ask for restriction-wise.”

~Faye Calloway, CIO

“A shipboard non aggression contract with exceptions for defense of myself, and/or the ship and/or it’s crew, while I’m here would be something I could consider reasonable.” Khabal explained.

Khabal smiled at Faye.

“I’m hungry, are you hungry?”

• Khabal