[ACT 3] Mother Perennial Rivi Vataix: The Stardust of Yesterday

[Roshanara Rahman]

Though I dream in vain

In my heart it will remain

My stardust melody

A memory of love's refrain.
—"Stardust," Hoagy Carmichael & Mitchell Parish

((Edge of the Nuriootpa solar nebula, Delta Quadrant))

Rivi gripped the railing on the bridge of the USS Glacier as the experimental Starfleet ship began its final approach towards Amity Outpost. It had been over three decades since the Federation had abandoned the station, and even longer since Rivi herself had been back here. She did return to the Delta Quadrant once after stepping down from her ambassadorship shortly after Wil's death. It was just a few years later, in 2404, when Charlena and Kaito wed. Against the backdrop of the Hirogen civil war and political turmoil in the region and across the other side of the galaxy, the celebration of the happy couple was a welcome reprieve, even with absent friends and former colleagues like her chief of staff.

Rivi looked over at Keehani and then at Wil. The contrast in age was no as striking as the contrast in emotions as the two cousins stared at the viewscreen. For Wil, this was all just morbid curiosity about what had changed since he had last seen the Delta Quadrant only weeks ago. For Keehani and Rivi, though, it felt like remembering a distant dream. Perhaps it *had* all been a dream--their hopes for forging new friendships and making new connections out here.

A sensor proximity alert sounded, and Rivi looked over to Nathan sitting in the captain's chair.

Vataix: That should be our contact, Nathan. Aurelio Sakon Igre. He's a Son of the Fourth House.

She then gave a playful smirk at the director-turned-captain.

Vataix: As a matter of fact, Kyri Taival's son-in-law. You remember her, don't you, Nathan?

Richards: Response

Vataix: I'm sure...

Rivi turned back to the viewscreen and spoke.

Vataix: =/\= Dr. Igre, this is Mother Rivi Vataix of the Eleventh House of Betazed. =/\=

Igre: =/\= Response =/\=

Vataix: =/\= Please dock in the shuttle bay and come to the bridge at once. =/\=

Igre: =/\= Response =/\=

After the comline closed, Rivi turned to the others gathered on the bridge.

Vataix: After the Talaxians took over the administration of the Idrustix Colony, several Betazoids remained, including Kyri. Her son-in-law's mother happens to be a veteran Starfleet Intelligence officer, who helped supply crucial information about the Lattice Alliance's moves in the Delta Quadrant since the FDC and Starfleet left.

She looked over at Wil.

Vataix: It's how we know the Hirogen's eventually were conquered by the Lattice Alliance.

Ukinix: Response

Vataix: More importantly, the Talaxians have managed to stay out of the crosshairs of the Lattice Alliance. They've kept careful logs of Lattice Alliance patrols, which Dr. Igre has agreed to share with us.

Richards/Ukinix/Keehani/Hopper/A. Hopper/Carter/A. Reade: Response

A little while later, the turbolift doors opened, and Rivi smiled as she greeted the quarter Betazoid, quarter Vulcan, and half Risian man. She'd only met him and his mother once at his wedding.

Vataix: Welcome to the Glacier, doctor. Allow me to introduce many of the former crew of Amity Outpost: Nathan Richards, Robin Hopper, Keehani Ukinix, Wil Ukinix, and John Carter. We also have with us here Alexis Hopper and Amara Reade.

Richards/Ukinix/Keehani/Hopper/A. Hopper/Carter/A. Reade: Response

Igre: Response

Rivi then gestured towards the front of the bridge, where Amara was sitting.

Vataix: If you could share the patrol data with Lt. Cmdr. Reade, our helm officer, we're eager to get underway.

Igre: Response

A. Reade: Response

((Later, approaching Amity Outpost))

On the viewscreen, the light from the distant sun at the center of the solar nebula reflected off of the abandoned station, finally bringing it into view. It was surprisingly mostly intact, with no remarkable signs of destroyed terminals or other sections. There were decade old battle scars evident across the hull, likely when the Hirogen forces who had held the station finally fell, but it seemed the Tholians and Sheliak found no use for the old space station and let it remain adrift in space, spinning slowly on its axis.

Vataix: Is there anyway to restore environmental systems on the station?

Richards/Ukinix/Keehani: Response

Hopper/A. Hopper/Carter/A. Reade: Response

Igre: Response

Rivi nodded and then looked over at Nathan.

Vataix: Even if there haven't been recent Lattice patrols in the area, the sooner we find what we need, the better for us to get out of here.

Richards: Response

Vataix: I suggest we send several teams to the station. Survey the condition of the station and what we can find.

Richards: Response

(OOC: Here are your team assignments. Do not show any "prep" time on the Glacier. Begin your act 3 sims with you and your team beaming onto the abandoned Amity Outpost. There are no life signs, no remaining Hirogen survivors. Think completely abandoned with lots of junk and equipment lying/floating around, maybe some corpses from the final battle between the Hirogen and the Lattice Alliance in 2434. Do not wait for your scene leader to start the scene. Feel free to establish what you see when you beam over if you're one of the first to sim on your team!)

AWAY TEAM ONE: Visiting Rivi's Office and the former Copernicus Center

• Wil Ukinix/Keehani Ukinix, scene leader
• Alexis Hopper/Niev Galanis
• Rivi Vataix
• John Carter

AWAY TEAM TWO: Visiting the Science labs

• Robin Hopper, scene leader
• Sam Dakora
• D'Cyra Varati
• Aurelio Sakon Igre

AWAY TEAM THREE: Visiting the Habitat Ring

• Jansen Orrey, scene leader
• Ikaia Wong
• Kaito Moore
• Amara Reade
• Caliban Ylvor

AWAY TEAM FOUR: Visiting the Engineering Levels

• Nathan Richards, scene leader
• Charlena Vanlith
• Esma/Kiada Ukinix
• Molly Williams

All other characters are assumed to remain offscreen on Glacier and should not be played for now.)

((Chief of Mission's Office, Amity Outpost))

As the transporter beam shimmered Rivi and her team into her former office at the top of Copernicus Center, she felt a visceral disgust at seeing what had become of the place she had called home at the turn of the century. The welcoming furniture and decorations of her office were gone, replaced by cold metal benches that were overturned and various PADDs and crates scattered throughout the room. Blast marks from Hirogen tetryon rifles could be seen still etched into the walls.

And there, floating in the center of the room was the preserved corpse of the Hirogen Alpha Ravarj. Rivi approached his body, the magnetic boots of her EVA suit gripping the floor with a thud on each step as she approached.

Wil Ukinix/Keehani: Response

A. Hopper/Carter/Galanis: Response

She studied the wounds on the Hirogen Alpha's body closely until she found the fatal cut, made with his own blade.

Vataix: It looks like he took his own life rather than be captured or killed by the Lattice Alliance.

Wil Ukinix/Keehani: Response

A. Hopper/Carter/Galanis: Response

She looked over at the blade that was still clutched in his hand, recognizing it from when he had tried to hunt her and Tani Lekasa.

Vataix: All those lives lost for what... ::She shook her head and looked over at the others.:: Can you access his logs or any other data from the computers up here?

Wil Ukinix/Keehani: Response

A. Hopper/Carter/Galanis: Response

TAG! TBC...

Mother Perennial Rivi Vataix
Matriarch of the Eleventh House of Betazed
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