Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in One Step at a Time

Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in One Step at a Time

Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in One Step at a Time
Posted by… suppressed (46) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Dradvia had done some shopping on her little excursion. She had completely forgotten about it though in the awkwardness of Cmdr Morris trying to set her up with Sisnil and then Sisnil appearing immediately afterwards. She had gotten some things for Sisnil but wasn’t sure if she should give them to him. She didn’t know what to do about him saying her feelings were mutual.

In the end though, knowing how lonely he was, and how inadequate of a friend she had been to his request, allowed her guilt to propel her put her door and across the hall. She held the bag in her hand as she reached for the chime. She pressed it quickly, but the moment her finger released the button, she turned back for her room, chickening out.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Unfortunately for her, Sisnil had sensed her coming and the door opened fairly quickly. “Dee? Where are you going?” He asked, seeing her turned around and heading away. He grinned, making a joke, “Don’t tell me you’re ding-dong-ditching me?”

~ Zoi

She stopped when she heard the door hiss open, and her eyes closed like she was trying to be brave. Well she was, wasn’t she? She turned around, chewing the inside of her cheek. She had played that game once as a kid. They would have gotten into a lot of trouble if they had been caught.

She shook her head, “No. I just…” she looked down at her hands and the bag. She was nervous and scared. What if he didn’t like it? What if it made him feel more isolated and hurt his feelings? What if Morris found a way to stop the message, or she sent it wrong? What if it never arrived, and it was her fault. What if now that she sent it, he didn’t want a friend anymore? (That thought, the feelings behind it, were insulting to herself and not even a hint of negativity toward Sisnil).

After being awkwardly quiet for a moment she jammed her hand in the bag, and then thrust one of the contents at him. “I… I got this for Simon.” It was a robotic mouse that moved around on its own for him to chase.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil took the toy and grinned. “Oh, he’ll love this. Thanks, Dee.” Then he took her hand and guided her into his quarters. “Come on, don’t just stand out there.” That ought to end the ‘he doesn’t want her’ ridiculousness he sensed in her.

~ Zoi

She was too startled that he was holding her hand to refuse to go inside his quarters. “Oh, okay.” Dradvia looked around, more looking for Simon. Like her quarters his were utilitarian, or they were the last time she was here. She was curious what he had built for Simon. She followed him past the door instead of stopping the way she normally did. “I hope he does. I told you I would bring something back.” She clutched the bag nervously. She had offered to get him something too, but he had declined.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He already knew there was something for him, he sensed it. He wasn’t going to ruin the surprise though. He’d built for Simon shelves along the walls, secured both to withstand the cat’s weight even when he was full grown, as well as anything that might happen to the ship. They were set up in a way that Simon could race about the top of the room and jump up and down along several points in the room. A ‘cat highway’ to be sure. He turned the mouse on and set it on the floor. Otherwise, his quarters were much the same as always.

Dradvia looked up, her eyes tracking the highway until she spotted the kitten watching them. She didn’t know a whole lot about engineering, but it looked sturdy. Dradvia was positive Sisnil had done all the work himself. He wouldn’t trust anyone to help him. “I didn’t realize you were an engineer too.”

“Well… I’m not, really,” Sisnil said bashfully. “Did my best, though.”

His bashfulness made a funny flipping bubble of amusement and longing float through her. “It looks good to me.”

Before long, Simon had noticed it and begun to stalk it.

“Thanks, by the way… For taking care of that business.” He said, glancing back at her.

~ Zoi

Dradvia grinned with delight as Simon noticed the toy. A ping of very simple happiness flashed through her - she did something good. She glanced at him and then back at the cat. “I really hope it went through. I… I wish I could have waited so you would know.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I’m glad you didn’t, you did it right.” Sisnil told her. “I’ll know before long.” He said. He hugged her gently. “Really, thank you.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia immediately missed the warmth of his hand around hers when he let go. Then, she was suddenly being hugged. She went still out of utter surprise. Then the warmth returned, seeping all around her, lulling her slowly to relax. “You’re welcome.” She would do anything for him. “How will you know?” Would they come for him? She tried to do as he asked, but thought she was vague enough to not break her oaths. Of course pirates were some of the smartest, most innovative people she had met. She probably could have told his brother some random location and he would still figure it out.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Probably, eventually,” he said, accidentally answering her thought, “Through no fault of yours. I’ll likely get a confirmation from the proxy signal I had you use.”

~ Zoi

“How do I check that?” She hadn’t sent her contact information and they wouldn’t be back to this stop, wellwho knew when. It wasn’t on their regular patrol.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“You won’t, it’ll be to me,” Sisnil said. “Now that they will be able to find me, we have ways of communicating the Fleet won’t pick up on.”

~ Zoi

That was good. They would come get him. Take him home. Dradvia would be in serious trouble, but that was okay. A prison sentence was better than being a syndicate slave. What… what if his crew wanted the money her bounty would bring? What if they had a tracer with them?

“Morris is allowing you off the ship. Next time, you should disappear and not come back on board. Find a way back.” That would keep everyone, on all sides, safe.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil looked at her. She was suggesting he abuse Morris’ trust? Leave her behind. “Yeah, I should. But, Dee… Whatever happens, I won’t leave without saying goodbye. Unless you decide to come with me.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia shook her head. “I can’t, Sisnil. You know that.” She looked sad and lonely already. “Even the most incredible and awesome pirate of all time can’t protect me when they find me on your ship. No amount of latinum will spare me my punishment. If you fight them, you condemn your whole crew to similar fates as mine.” She shook her head again as she stepped back. Her arms wrapped around herself, already feeling cold and alone. “I won’t do that.”

She swallowed around a lump in her throat. “I’ll know you wanted to say goodbye. Freedom is the ability to choose, but it’s also an illusion. Staying here or returning to the Syndicate aren’t really free. But you can choose to return to where you would rather be.” She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll know you wanted to say goodbye. I won’t forget you either. If the opportunity comes, you take it.” She would be lonely and sad and scared, but she was used to that. Dradvia would have these memories to hold on to.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil hugged her tight to him, resting his head on her. He was going to pay her bounty, she’d see. Then she’d be free. “I would miss you.”

~ Zoi

She shouldn’t like him holding her so much, but she did. It was going to hurt horribly no matter what when he left. “I will miss you, Sisnil. Don’t forget me.” It was said lightly as if it was playful banter, but the truth of that fear was deep inside her.

After a long conflicted moment, her arms hesitantly wrapped around him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I could never,” Sisnil said softly. Simon chose just then to deliver to them the mouse toy he’d caught.

~ Zoi

Dradvia’s head was resting on his shoulder, but when Simon bumped their legs, she pulled back. She smiled, “Good boy,” though her voice sounded sad. “You’ll catch all the rodents on that pirate ship. Here,” she knelt taking the toy and giving Simon scratches. She reset the toy and set it on one of the shelves where it sat quietly and then randomly squeaked. Then the tail twitched and so forth.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Let’s not think about that right now,” Sisnil said. “It’ll be a while before we stop somewhere I can get away from.” He looked at her, “So let’s focus on what we have now.”

~ Zoi

Maybe. She would have to plan and think and study to do it. Sisnil could probably do it in his sleep. She glanced up at him, knowing he was watching her and then quickly back at Simon. “Alright.” She lifted the playful kitten into her arms and nuzzled his fur. Standing slowly, she then held him up to see where she had put the toy. Simon began to squirm and wiggle until he got his claws in the shelf and hauled himself out of her arms to go after the toy. Dradvia laughed softly. “How is training him going?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“So far, so good,” Sisnil said. “He likes his harness, he’s associated it with getting to go out.” He leaned back on the bed and smiled. “He likes to ride on my shoulders.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia watched Simon as he stalked the mouse, “Well can’t blame him for wanting to go explore.” She turned her head to look at him. “Well your shoulders are much higher than his feet. And it’s a secure place to be.” She felt safe next to him, so she could see why Simon would.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “True. There’s no place safer in all the universe than next to me.” He said and gave her a goofy look.

~ Zoi

Her cheeks flushed. She knew what he was getting at. Dradvia wasn’t stupid, but she had a hard time believing she deserved it. “The galaxy is big and full of danger. Simon needs someone to take care of him.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil laughed. “Simon is a pirate all on his own, he’ll take care of himself.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia scooped the kitten up and nuzzled him. “He’s just a baby. He has to learn how to be a pirate. He can’t take care of himself yet.” Simon didn’t agree, he wanted his new toy, but the clingy woman wouldn’t let him go and flopped him over to his back in her arms. He mewled pitifully. “See! He’s pitiful.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil laughed, reached over, and scratched Simon’s belly. “He will learn fast,” he said. “He already tried to rewire engineering.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia turned quickly and looked at him. “Oh no! He’s lucky he didn’t get hurt.” She grinned though, rubbing Simon’s ears. Her look turning suddenly worried, her emotions apprehensive thinking about what Stevens would do to Sisnil’s cat. “There are mean people down there. You stay away. You come visit me in sickbay instead.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Simon mewed as if agreeing he would indeed do that. Sisnil laughed. “Stevens wouldn’t dare. The man’s terrified of me,” he said. “Admitting it would bruise his pride.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia looked over at him. Nervous unease tinged with fear rolled in her stomach. “Morris came and asked me about Stevens.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“What did you tell him?” There wasn’t an ounce of tenseness in his voice.

~ Zoi

She pet Simon, focusing on him, gently playing with his paws and ears. “He said Stevens accused you of controlling me. I told Morris he was lying.” Morris had even offered to transfer Stevens if Dradvia wanted. She had been too afraid to make a complaint about Stevens harassing her and owing Morris a favor. That was dangerous.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Morris is a total pansy, you shouldn’t be afraid of him,” Sisnil said. He nodded, “Stevens would claim anything to get me in trouble. I’m not worried about him.’

~ Zoi

“Maybe not, but responsibility can make even the weak drink power like water. It is dangerous to owe favors to those with power over you.” Dradvia buried her face in the kittens fur and then finally put him down. “Stevens… would hurt Simon to get to you.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shook his head. “I don’t think he’s got it in him. Hurt a kitten? Have you heard anything more evil?” He wasn’t going to be overly reckless either, but the chances that Stevens did something.... Maybe he was being cocky, but he didn’t see it.

~ Zoi

“No, not really.” Well she could, but she knew what Sisnil was getting at. Stevens scared her. Maybe he shouldn’t, but he did. People who knew they couldn’t win, like Stevens couldn’t win against Sisnil, would find other victims. Dradvia shook her head. She didn’t know Stevens and had no idea what he might do.

She looked at Simon chasing the mouse, “Well, either way, engineering is dangerous. You stay out of there, Simon.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil laughed. “Hopefully he does, last time Morris called me to go get him.”

~ Zoi

“Well, at least he didn’t make you get rid of him. I would have to stage a protest.” Dradvia watched Simon a moment. “You know, children are given special combadges that restrict where they can go on a ship. Maybe you could convince Morris to let you set up something similar for Simon.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Simon, young Starfleet officer,” Sisnil fake-gagged. “I guess I could ask though, for Simon’s safety.” He said.

~ Zoi

Dradvia rolled her eyes. “You aren’t Star Fleet, and you have a combadge. Besides a badge would be too big to fit on his collar or harness. But you could work with a similar concept. Also, if he somehow manages to get into the Jeffries Tubes, you could track him.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil laughed, honestly glad to see her roll her eyes and give attitude. “Wearing it makes me wanna cry,” he said, grinning. “I’m sure engineering could put the innards of a comm badge in something that that would fit on his collar.”

~ Zoi

“I’m sure. Or give you the parts I bet you could do it. It’s just programming.” She looked at him a flash of honesty in her eyes. “I hate them. The combadges. It’s like the tracker chips they put in us. Except I can take it off, but we aren’t allowed. Even off duty we have to wear them.” She looked out the window. “Sometimes I want to release it out an airlock and disappear.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil chuckled lightly. “Sometimes I think you’d be happier as part of my crew. No trackers, no commanders, just us.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia shrugged. “Maybe, probably. Just two captains.” She wouldn’t be safer. It wasn’t that she thought Sisnil would turn her in. But her presence would put him, Noril, and his crew in danger. Here, she had the entirety of Star Fleet between her and the Syndicate. As long as she stayed on board she was safe. Well… mostly. She didn’t love seeving or the idea of exploring; it was just safer than being on her own. She had nowhere else to go. She was still subject to a life of servitude, but at least Star Fleet didn’t beat her when she messed up or use her for… personal reasons.

“I don’t know that I would fit in, Sisnil. There really isn’t anything I can do to be useful. I’m afraid all the time. I would just be in the way.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“All of my crew are people who don’t fit in elsewhere,” Sisnil said with a shrug. “Only Noril and I are Syndicate, the others aren’t. Yet,” he sighed. He feared for the day the Syndicate ‘helped’ them because he knew the cost would be forcing them all to join it.

~ Zoi

“So is Vash.” That poor woman. What had happened that her family hadn’t bought her freedom or put her in charge of something very lucrative? Orion women were highly prized in their culture. To be owned by a non-Orion was below dirt for them. Dradvia could only imagine how awful her life had been to bring that about.

She looked at him sadly. “Yet. And when it happens… I wouldn’t be with your crew anymore.” She sighed fiddling with the edge of a self. “I imagine I would be happy, until then. I’m too afraid to risk it. I’m not happy, I’m not really living now, but at least… well it’s easier, less painful here.” She was thinking about it though. Her mind fantasizing about what it would be like to run away with him, to belong with him, just for a little while. To exist on the peripheral of his family.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I wouldn’t let them take you away, Dee. Just like I’ll never let anyone take Vash away. Her family was wealthy you know,” he said, reading her thoughts. “But deeply entrenched in Orion crime. She was given to me because she wanted it, and because it would be better for her than other options.”

~ Zoi

He seemed so sure of it, it eased her stress some. “Orion women are powerful and respected. The only slaves that are allowed to buy their freedom. They can even own other slaves. She could head her family.” She wasn’t telling Sisnil anything he didn’t know. She wasn’t really talking to him. She was thinking outloud. Trying to imagine the life Vash led and why staying a slave was better than other options. Dradvia lived that life, but her knowledge and understanding was limited.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“She was the head slave in her family,” Sisnil said. “She could have done many things. This is what she wanted.” He shrugged, “Perhaps, if I see her again, I will ask why.... I never did.”

~ Zoi