Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in Tentative Connections

Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in Tentative Connections

Posted by Commander David Morris (Commanding Officer) in Tentative Connections
Posted by… suppressed (16) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The morning they docked at Ogtholious IV Dradvia had a short shift in sickbay early that morning. Then she returned to her quarters. She didn’t have many Civilian clothes, but for what she was doing she didn’t want to stand out in her uniform.

While she dressed she queried the computer. “Computer what does the Betazoid word Arhaveli mean?” She would tell Noril anyway, but she wanted to know what she was saying. “IN BETZED ARHAVELI TRANSLATES TO ‘SEE YOU SOON’.” Dradvia hoped it was true.

She wore a long sleeved cotton short in a washed Grey, with dark blue jeans. A clothing item.from Earth that she found lasted a long time and didn’t need replacing. She brushed her hair so that it fell across her forehead, hiding her ja’risia, then she added a loose thin scarf. She could pull it over her hair and around her fave if needed. It also worked somewhat like a shawl and wrapped about her shoulders. She took a small bag with her.

She didn’t have time to see Sisnil before she left. That was probably better. She wouldn’t avoid him, but their conversation the night before… well he didn’t say how he felt, only that how she felt was mutual. That wasn’t really a declaration of anything. Maybe it was for him? Dradvia didn’t have the benefit of empathy to infer exactly what he meant.

When she reached the surface, she tucked her combadge into a pocket of her jeans. She didn’t want to be recognized as anything. She headed toward the main shops. She didn’t want to run straight to what she was doing. She would make her way there, she had time.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

David, unlike the majority of his crew, did not have the luxury of leaving his uniform behind. Yes, he was technically off-duty, but if anything came up, he was the one who would have to go deal with it as an official representative of the UFP. So he had arrived on the surface still in crimson-shouldered uniform and decorated with his badge and 3 gleaming pips. Despite his fairly distinct outfit, David was good at blending into crowds, and after having seen to it that the crew and department heads took time off and leaving the ship running with skeleton crew, he had shuttled down and was now passing time browsing the main shopping district.

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

Dradvia made her way leisurely through the market. She was hyper aware of everyone around her. She noticed every uniform. They were a safety net, just incase. She was also nervous of anyone who happened to be in the same shop twice and a row.

Dradvia made a few purchases before she finally came to a public conm center. She lingered across the street considering a purchase and waiting for an officer to pass before crossing and entering.

She spoke with a clerk and then moved to a private terminal. She typed out her message. ‘I met your brother on a Star Fleet ship in the Black sector. He is well, but unable to contact you. He said to tell you, Arhaveli. I will send again if able.’

Sisnil? Could he hear her? It seemed so silly trying to think at him. I need the code.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Use this comm signal. Sisnil said telepathically. Then he gave it to her. It was not Noril’s. It was a Syndicate proxy to protect Noril’s privacy. Dee… Thanks for this.

~ Zoi

He could hear her sigh in his mind. Anything. Anything that was within her ability. Dradvia had no way if knowing it wasn’t Noril’s. She would never give it away, no matter what. She pressed send, and then took a few moments to glance at the news headlines. She cleared the screen and ended the session. She thanked the clerk before she left.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

She wouldn’t, he knew that. This was to protect Noril from Starfleet. If someone discovered they had done this, and traced it, they’d get the proxy who on his loyalty to the Syndicate would never give anything away.

There was a sense of deep gratitude. Go. Have fun, Dee. He said to her. Shop or whatever.

~ Zoi

Fun? Dradvia didn’t have fun anymore. She never learned how. Well, she had fun with Sisnil. She liked to blend in to large groups, but crowds were different.

She and Kryssa had been at the market. Shopping, browsing, enjoying the food, just whatever was available. This large unknown market, full of strangers and dangers unknown terrified her. She wished Sisnil was with her. She wished she could run back to the ship. She couldn’t; she had to act normal.

A few shops down, she felt like she was being followed. She kept seeing the same two people over and over. Her hand slipped into her pocket for her combadge, it was time to go.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

David was just wandering at this point. He wasn’t particularly interested in anything the shops had to sell, but the moment he arrived shipboard somebody would need his attention, so he was just meandering through the stores enjoying the rare time where nothing was immediately his responsibility.

Noticing a somewhat familiar face glancing about nervously, he adjusted course to head in her direction. “Ensign? he queried.

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

Dradvia spun around quickly taking a step back, her hand gripping her combadge. She recognized the figure immediately. Crap. “Cmdr. Morris, Sir.” She came to attention even though she wasn’t in uniform and was officially off duty.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

David waved her down from attention. “At ease, Ensign. We’re off duty.” He laughed. “Enjoying leave? I’ve found the shops a bit lackluster, but a welcome diversion nonetheless.” It was a genuine question - small talk, perhaps, but David did care about whether his crew were relaxing and having fun.

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

Dradvia relaxed from attention but she wasn’t relaxed. She sifted foot to foot glancing about warily. “I don’t really like shopping, but I thought it would be nice to get off the ship.” Her tone didn’t really convey that she thought so.

Sisnil? Cmdr. Morris is here, what if he knows? What if he stopped the message going through?

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He doesn’t, don’t panic, Sisnil replied to her. I can sense him from here, same as you. He can guess all he likes, but he can’t stop it and he isn’t sure.

~ Zoi

“Likewise,” David said. “I’m surprised I haven’t seen Sisnil - I’d have thought he’d jump at the chance to get away from the ship for a while.”

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

Dradvia wished Sisnil was there. The market was frightening and too crowded with strangers. But what did she say? “I don’t believe he thinks he is allowed off the ship.” She just barely managed to stop herself from adding that he wasn’t a free man.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

David sighed. “I did leave instructions with security to let him off if he wanted, but didn’t get the chance to catch him and tell him as much. I should probably go back up and fix that before too long. If I do, would you like me to tell him where to meet you?”

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

The young Ensign was completely confused. She never had such a casual conversation with a superior, much less the CO of a ship. But Was Morris playing match maker?

“Ummm, no, thank you. I,” she didn’t like it there and didn’t want to stay. “I was going back to the ship.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Fair enough,” David shrugged. “In that case, would you mind passing along the message? It’s no trouble if you’d rather not, but if it’s not out of your way.”

Commander David Morris
Commanding Officer

Dradvia thought it was funny, considering Sisnil was probably already aware. “No, Sir… oh I mean Yes Sir, No…oh… It’s not out of my way. Mr. Zoi is quartered across from me.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

And then Sisnil materialized just behind Morris, grinning foolishly. “Mr Zoi heard just fine,” he said.

~ Zoi

Dradvia would never quite meet Morris’ gaze, but her eyes shifted, focusing on the swirl of transporter lights behind him. Her body language changed instantly - from on edge and anxious to something close to relaxed. When Sisnil spoke, her cheeks turned pink and she glanced down at her bags, to adjust her hold on them.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer