Act One, Scene One

[Akirapryde]

Ensign Hedril's bright eyes shifted back between Lieutenant Noonia and her boss, Lieutenant Amadaeus.

She wanted to go back to dancing. It was something she wasn't all that good at and wanted to learn more about it. But she also didn't wish to be rude to either man. For the moment she only smiled and allowed her eyes to wait with baited anticipation for what was going to be said next.

[Nightmares Echo]

Hedril and Noonia with Increase

Watches them interact, and speak in answer to his own own question. Eye brow lowered and a faint smile came to his face. A slow look around, taking it all in...then the statement about his uniform. He glanced down and as Hedril talked and got dismissed for the moment. Attention slowly lifted back to Noonia. A few moments came before words filled the chilled air "You mean...there is something else to wear?" was the question he posed.

He laughed lightly inside as a few memories pass, the ones about family asking the same thing when home on the holidays. Increase never really took of his uniform except when cleaning himself or one ends up with holes or burns on it from an experiment gone wrong. Which caused his attention to say, letting thoughts rove over any experiments in need of tending to...

"Hedril...do not go into the Science lab anytime soon." he chuckled softly

[Akirapryde]

She tilted her head to the side slightly at the odd comment. She hardly ever found herself in the Science Lab where experiments were conducted. After all her field of study was in the Social Sciences, primarily inter-species communication. The after a few awkward moments for her, she realized the joke. " Oh, yeah" she said with a soft laugh and smile and added "Got it."

She turned to Noonia still holding on to his arm and looked up in to his eye. Her artificial voice still seemed odd but her mannerism really took any edge off of her voice. She turned back to Lieutenant Amadaeus, "I was hoping that Lieutenant Noonia could share how he was able to crack the holo-programs which led to findingand removing the virus."

[NinjaPanda127]

Bonham & Lylliana

Lylliana turned to look at him blinking a few times, not sure what to make of his statement.

I don't see why you would have been surprised. Doors always seemed to open for you, didn't they" he said without thinking.

she busted her ass to prove herself at the academy and show that she would be a worthy component to any outfit. She didn't ride on any shirt tales left behind by her parents. She opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it as his second statement rolled out hitting her like a ton of bricks. She flashed a shade of crimson having nothing left of her drink to preoccupied her.
She cleared her throat before speaking, "yes, well, I'm sure many a junior officer would oblige, perhaps Ensign Gerhardson? I hear she wants to have your babies. .." she kept her statement short and sweet. "keep it professional" she thought to herself with a nod, " like I said however, sparring dummy..." she tried to pull the conversation back to a lighter tone.

[Akirapryde]

'What the hell am I doing?' he thought as he looked down in his near empty mug and sighed.

He turned to Lylliana and nodded, "I am sorry, my comment was not appropriate" he said softly with a slight bow. It wasn't like he could use the excuse of being busy. In fact, he has had so little to do that he was going stir crazy. But still, he had enough of this event already. All he wanted to do was just crawl in a hole and die. But then again, he try that already and failed at it.

"Maybe I should be going" he followed with. He managed to work a smile on his face, "Please be well Ensign" he added as a parting statement. He waited for her to bid her farewells before starting to leave.

[NinjaPanda127]

Bonham & Lylliana

She shook her head with a bit of a smile.she could tell he wasn't himself and whatever he was drinking had an obvious effect on his morale.she put a hand on his shoulder as he bowed in apology, "Look, no harm no foul, okay?" She offered up a smile to show no hard feelings.

as he straightened up and followed with his suggestion of leaving she withdrew her hand. "Please feel free to stay. dont leave on my account..." her voice trailing off.

In truth, she was enjoying his company. He wasn't like the others trying to force themselves up on her. It was nice and different change of pace to actually have somebody to relax around. She looked at him, a bit concerned.
" this event is for all of us to relax after all the devastation that has happened." she pulled back, straightening up a bit. She looked over the crowds, seeing all the people enjoying themselves.

she began to just talk, " I know it's hard. When everyone around you seems to be moving forward around you but you just seem to be stuck in the moment." She swallowed hard, "the loneliness creeps in even when the room is crowded. the alone time is great! No one there to constantly nag you to get over it, or to move on. However, it's also the worst time. When all you want to do is crawl into a hole, curl up, and die. You're stuck, and not going anywhere, so why even try to continue to move forward? Why not just end it all? No one left to miss me anyways..." her last statement trailing off into a whisper.

[a magical taco]

The mention of his damaged ship and the rouge carrier turned the Captain's expression a shade darker. He couldn't wait for another shot to take down the ship that had attacked them and next time he did not intend to allow her retreat. The captain looked at the helmsman, "As soon as we are at 100% i intend to track down the blasted ship and destroy it but I am still waiting for the new reports from engineering to know exactly when we can get back on our feet. I am hoping it will be soon. Our engineers have done a fine job at putting us back together." the captain turned to look at Bonham, he wondered if the Commander was putting himself back together.

He signed and took another drink from his mug, he anger was more help than the beverage at helping him forget the cold. He turned back to the Neuman, "You did good for your first time in action, Ensign. I've seen many officers freeze up during their first combat but you held it together just fine. Tell me, do you feel any different since the battle?"

[Akirapryde]

Commander Bonham looked down in to the snow as if he was looking back in to time itself. He heard her words but couldn't understand why he was feeling the way he was. He felt so alone, but at the same time he knew that he was needed. It was the reason why he was still here. There was that lingering feeling of something left undone. He nodded a bit, "Okay, I guess I could stay for a bit longer" he said softly and relaxed his stance.

He paused as she continued talking about the event and how people were suppose to relax and enjoy themselves. He pondered how they could enjoy themselves knowing that so many of their shipmates had been lost in the line of duty just over a week ago. He couldn't understand why no one morned those that were lost. Then it dawned on him what was going on. He knew this all too well. During the war, loosing shipmates had become almost a daily thing. 'Had the legacy of this ship spanned in to a new crew?' he thought to himself.

He was once more lost in thought as she continued to talk. He realized that she was speaking from the heart and something she said just hit a cord with him. He listened carefully to her statement and replayed it in his mind. "You're stuck, and not going anywhere, so why even try to continue to move forward? Why not just end it all? No one left to miss me anyways..." she said as her voice trailed off in to a whisper.

He turned his head at her and looked once more deep in to her eyes. His presence almost commanded her eyes not to look away. He timed his statement just right for when he had her full attention and not a moment before. "Listen carefully. No matter where you were in your life. You were always looked after. Making sure that you were not alone even if you might had felt completely alone" he could see the pain in her eyes. He took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh, "Often wonder why those charges were dropped two years ago. When you and your roommates got a bit too rowdy. It could have ended your career or at least been a nasty black eye to it." he lowered his voice so that it was only between them. "You were not alone then, and you are not alone now" he said softly.

[jkeilt]

Ensign Neumann appreciated the Captain’s comment. He felt sincerity in his words, thinking it was not ‘just another’ canned comment for ‘just another’ ensign. And as an ensign, it was rewarding to hear approval from another crew member, and more so from his Captain.

Although the stop for repairs at DS9 provided a welcome break, Neumann had not yet stopped to think about how he was feeling after the recent events. With his shifts at the helm and continued training since arriving aboard, he had not been feeling much at all, he thought, but only reacting.

“Thank you, sir. I’m glad to hear that. I’m actually relieved to have gotten my first combat behind me now and knowing that I can do it is encouraging. Even with the preparation and training, you never really know how you will respond until the moment arrives." Bram thought about it a little more. "As much as our training simulates the real thing, this felt more, well, real. I only wish the outcome had been a little different.”

Bram watched the Captain’s expression, hoping he had not struck any sour notes within him. He knew a Captain must take the loss of any crew pretty hard.

[Akirapryde]

Ensign Étaín Noguerra walked up to the Captain and Helms man. She walked with confidence and a bit of spring in her step. It was clear she was enjoying the event by the smile on her lips. Both knew the young woman for different reasons. 

Captain Campbell knew the Ensign by reputation alone. She made a name for herself at the Academy for her skills on the stick. While originally entered the Academy to learn to pilot large starships, Ensign Noguerra demonstrated skills far beyond any other cadet while piloting small craft. She was hand picked for training in the Federation's new Valkyrie program. During her time aboard she more than proved that she belonged here assigned to Starfleet's first full time fighter group. With five confirmed kills from the last battle Ensign Noguerra was the kind of pilot this ship needed in future conflicts.

But this wasn't always the case for her. For Ensign Neumann knew another Noguerra. The two had been friends since the first year at the Academy. Born of Irish parents and raised in Manchester, she was always caught between two worlds. A freak for reading, Étaín would spend countless hours in the lush fields of the Academy curled up with a book. During those days, she was hardly sure of herself and lacked confidence. When she spoke her voice was always considered meek and her mannerisms was timenned.

However those days of the Academy are long gone as Étaín found her place. She walked with her head held high as she approached. "Excuse me Sir," she said looking at the Captain. She turned her head slightly and smiled as she gave her old friend a hug. "Long time" she had long missed her close friend. When she was selected for the Valkyrie Program, she spent nearly the rest of her time at a classified training base away from Earth and her only friend.

After the hug she pulled back a bit. She pulled up an official face and gave him a nod as she said, "Ensign Neumann, I hope you don't mind. I had a quick question for the Captain."