[Paradise-IV] SD:961129.22 The XO's First Assignment Pt 1 (Vilqa, T. Blake, C. Blake, Saladin, Lox, Cho'lu, Nix)

[Paradise-IV Logs]

(( OOC Note: This JL and it’s parts takes place before K`y’s promotion. ))

[Captain's Office]

After having determined that the XO's office was in need of some cleaning. Mostly of the things that had been shoved in there for storage, and some
furniture brought in, and the fact that nothing worked in there, yet, Toby decided to hold the meeting of Senior Staff and some other key personnel in Vincent's office, he was pretty sure the Captain wouldn't mind, he wasn't using it after all, and it did have all the relevant information.

His head swam for a moment as he hit the comms, and he took a deep breath to center and steady himself before he spoke, "All senior officers, report to the commanding officer's office, sirs." Then he chuckled audible over the comms, "Sorry about that couldn't resist, one of my favorite lines from long ago, would senior staff, Justin Lox and Yim'Bar Cho'Lu join me in the Captain's office. Immediately, we have a situation." Per Vincent's words, which Toby did not doubt, he had not bothered to waste the time to change out of the blues back into the reds yet, but that didn't much matter right now.

He sat down behind Vin's desk, and looked things over, gathering his thoughts and telling his Ensign self to go play in a plasma stream, that now was not the time to try to take charge yet again, for both their sakes, and it was proof that what Cait had given him to balance his delta waves and hopefully stop it, was wearing off or not that effective after all. So he fought with himself, and waited for the others to show.

Vilqa tapped her badge, "Commander Blake, Vilqa here." She waited acknowledgement, "Is my presence required?"

Never bothering to open his eyes, Toby answered his previous captain, "Yes Captain, it is."

"Very well. I will meet you there as soon as possible." The part Klingon closed the comms and rubbed her temples. She had a headache beyond headaches self induced by the half drunk bottle of Aldebaran whiskey the night prior. Vilqa had planned remaining in silence in her quarters and evading all persons but it seemed this would not be the case today. If the drink couldn't squelch the memories of her dreams perhaps keeping busy would.

"Security to Commander Blake, we just responded to an incident at Ops and have Commander Saladin in custody. What do you wish us to do?"

"Let me guess." Said the new XO as he opened and then closed his eyes, "Commander Saladin suddenly took a dislike to high number of aliens in his department? Bring him to the Captain's office, we'll deal with it." This was getting worse by the minute.

Some time later, dressed in uniform with a permanent squint to block out the light K`y walked into Vin's office and silently took a seat and waited. Soon enough others would arrive and the silent serenity would evade her.

Thanks to the Ensign Toby, the Commander had no trouble picking up on the fact that K`y too was having the nightmares. He wondered if her nightmares were coming alive yet, but he would wait to ask them all that question.

Justin walked in. He looked like he hadn't had a night of sleep in at least the past week. "You caught me on the way to sickbay Commander." He said before anyone could comment on how he looked.

Kylee walked in right behind Justin, having been walking with him to sickbay. She yawned as she looked around at the others gathered. She could see from the looks of those gathered that many others were getting as much sleep as her. She reached a hand up to rub her eyes as she moved over to lean against the wall.

The beep of the communications device affixed to Yim'Bar's chest startled him every time it chimed he was still unused to it.  Hearing his name called once more brought him back to the reality of this future world, The Federation of Peace.  Everything was still so confusing he understood this world he fit here but it was a dream, it had to be.  He only waited for the vision to end and his return to The Rebellion.  He remained exhausted, afraid to sleep.  He had to go to the senior officers otherwise they would come 'hunting' him.  As he entered the room he respectfully nodded to all gathered and quietly took his seat.  His comfort level lifted as he saw many non humans in the room.  "Good Morning" he said hesitantly to all gathered.

Toby still sat with his eyes closed, he didn't need to see, he could feel them well enough to navigate by their feelings. This was. bad, and if something wasn't done soon they'd have a war for sure. 

Cait dropped a very reluctant Rose off at the Day Care Center before hurrying to Vin's office. As she stepped into the office, she got slammed with everything and it took a moment for her to get her shields up. Moving first to K'ylana, she pulled out a hypo, dialed up a mild analgesic, and pressed the hypo to her neck. "You need a lot of liquids, Captain." She looked over at Toby next. "Do you want a block?"

"No, I'm fine. and I'd rather you not knock people out just yet. We need people alert and aware at the moment. Even if it means we might not be entirely ourselves." Toby opened his eyes to look at his wife, eyes that couldn't seem to make up their mind if they were crystal blue, or the darker blue of an evening sky, "By the way dear, I didn't have a chance to tell you, but the Captain offered me the Executive Officer position and I took it."

Fear gripped Yim'Bar, as the veterinarian made her way down the table.  He knew she was going to attack him with the device in her hand and everyone around him seemed nonchalant about the attack.  He leaped from his chair and placed his back into the corner.  "You will not take me so easily I am a warrior.  I will not allow you to touch me!  You are working with the Hunters, you are a traitor to the rebellion." he shouted at the doctor.  His cheeks were gaunt, his body obviously feeling the effects of sleep deprivation and dehydration.  His entire appearance was pathetic and panicked.

Kylee's eyes opened as she heard Yim'Bar shouting, her eyes watching him. "Calm yourself already, not like the hum.." she paused, her brow furrowing in confusion as she completed the thought in her mind. "Just, sit down before you make this headache I have worse. No one is working with any Hunters, so just sit before you pass out."

"I wasn't going to knock.." Cait turned and blink as Yim'Bar came to his feet making his declaration for baseball and apple pie. For one moment, her face seemed to change. Gone was the compassion and the lines reflecting a happy life with lots of smiles and laughter. Instead, there was a mad light in her eyes and the smile she turned on Yim'Bar was cruel and calculating. All of that was gone in a flash as the good Cait exerted control. She blanched and backed up from the man.

Vilqa had attempted to stop Cait but by the time her hand got to the doctor's wrist the medication was penetrating her bloodstream. "Everybody shut up and let Toby say whatever he has to bloody tell us!" It was clear, despite the medication Vilqa was in no mood and looked through the room with and unexplained distrust.

There was no warning but Toby's hand came down hard on the desk, the smack nearly as loud as a thunderclap, and he looked at Yim'Bar, "Yes! You are a warrior, now act like one instead of acting like a terrified sheep afraid to be sheered. Sit down, she won't touch you." Toby pointed at Cait and then as far away from Yim'Bar and himself as possible in the room, "You, there. just take your happy hypo and go right over there for now." He was starting to wonder if it would be wise after all to have Marcus brought here with the rest but the Captain said senior officers.

"As you wish." Yim'Bar stated, he pulled the nearest chair towards the corner sat on the edge of the chair and watched attentively.  "Please excuse my outburst I am not quite sure what has come over me, something is wrong." Yim'Bar stated, "I am afraid."

Marcus arrived, escorted by two security guards, he looked partially out of it, as if he had recently been sedated and then quickly revived. He scowled at the room, his eyes floating from first one alien then to another. Not one human among them he noted. Each of them was responsible for the death of his sister in his mind, and he made sure they knew it from the look on his face.

That was as good a place to start as any, Toby nodded to Yim'Bar, "Yes, I know and I understand. I'm sure if the Captain knew how far things had gotten he would not be as calm as he was when we spoke. This has happened before, at least to him, a nightmare where he lived in a universe where humans were hunters to rival the Hirogen, several of us who'd been on the Vimy Ridge are familiar with alternate realities. I believe these are related, but with different methods of reaching across. I don't have to ask if any of you have been having the nightmares, I can see it and feel it, you aren't alone. What we need to do, is one. make sure that fights don't break out over this among our own people or the civilian population. Two, make sure the civilian population knows we have it under control, and three, make sure we get it under control. There has already been one alteration to our reality from what I see here among the Captain's papers, and that would be with the counselor Jobel. We need to do everything we can to stop it from happening to others. As much as I admire the strength of my nightmare self, his lack of control makes my toes curl. So. that said, any
suggestions, or ideas or observations they want to put forth?"

Kylee quirked a brow as she looked from first Toby, to Cait, and then to Yim`Bar. "And I'm the one with issues," she muttered softly to herself, not
really bothered how much of her feelings were read. "You might want to look at that tunnel we just unburied, and then reburied," she pointed out to the group.

"An interesting thought, but if this has happened before. Before Captain Dharmajiva ever came here, then how could that tunnel play a part of things?" Toby had started tapping one hand on his thigh, a complicated rhythm meant to give him something to focus on to help block out the wash of emotions, something he might well need even if he wasn't having other issues.

"I've been considering that.  There could be some sort of ore that crosses over, and that tunnel may contain such ore.  We may have made things worse by opening it up." Justin stated.  He hadn't moved since sitting down, and even now barely moved as he spoke. "It also could be that whatever is causing this crossover is using the tunnel as some sort of focus."

Yim'Bar sat quietly listening watching for danger.  His senses on full alert.  He felt these people were safe.  They knew him, he had knowledge of who they were and they seemed to get along with one another.  He felt like he was in a rebellion meeting.  This place still felt different to him.  They were speaking of alternate realities, a concept he understood, somehow.  The problem was he was having difficulty deciding which reality he fit into.  "There was...is a friend of mine named Bal.  She speaks often of the tunnel system under the colony here and mentions a source of great power.  I am not sure if that is helpful to any of you but I offer this information as a means to usher in Freedom for All."  Yim'Bar said adding emphasis as he spoke the slogan.

Kylee looked to Justin, staring at him curiously. She opened her mouth to speak, before stopping and changing what to say. "Might want to ask the absent Captain what's in that tunnel," she said, not able to say without breaking orders. "Where is he anyway?" she asked.

"Who the hell knows where he is?" Vilqa frowned while her fingers drummed the table impatiently, "Has anybody barely seen the Captain lately?" Vilqa's sunny disposition was overabundant today. "You," she pointed to Yim'Bar, "Expand on what you know? This 'Freedom for All' movement and the power..." She didn't intentionally want to take away from Toby's authority it was just a natural reaction for her, especially with those in the room being of such familiarity.

(tbc)