Lieutenant Vailani Zoyara - Sacrifice for Peace
Luxa Lorana
((Turbolift USS Artemis-A, deck 1, Bridge))
After an awkward encounter on the bridge, in which Zoyara almost let her passion spill over. A tension headache began to form in the temple of her, she resisted the urge to massage it, instead crossing her arms. It was wrong of her to make parallels between the Grunden and the Bajoran people. Her training told her this, and she knew it on the level of her thinking that was logical, cold and dispassionate.
Underneath that in the deeper territories of her consciousness she had stepped beyond empathy, she had begun to relate to the Grunden but she wouldn't allow that to blind her to the evidence that they had discovered on the surface. Two of which they were en route to meet.
She regretted referring to them as prisoners, only meaning that somehow they had been held as prisoners by the Grunden and this Grand Marshall.
Sadar: D-Doctor Nesin is an Astrophysicist and Engineer Griil is... W_Well, an Engineer. He was the designer of the first Kobyar Slingship. Th-They’re not antagonistic, b-but they seem... S-Scared, or perhaps paranoid? I-I think we need to be, uhh, ‘sympathetic’, even if we can’t outrightly take their sides. ::pause:: We’re their first encounter with alien life, so they’re understandably on edge.
Vailani: Okay :: taps combadge :: =/\= Mister Bergmen can you meet us in Sickbay =/\=
Bergmen: =/\= Understood, ma’am. On my way. =/\=
The doors opened and she let Gila and Silveira exit ahead of her, she took one calming breath, away from prying eyes before following them. Her demeanour had returned to the distant professionalism she was well known for.
((Primary Sickbay - Deck 7, USS Artemis-A ))
The doors to Sickbay opened with a gentle swoosh, and they were met with the irritating beeps and him of Sickbay. Her stomach knotted slightly as she was reminded of her own forced internment within it's walls. Sickbay was just an unappealing place to be.
Gila took charge, or as likely a charge she was able to make, and seemed to get the attention of an Ensign. Zoyara was happy to see that Bergmen had made it to Sickbay ahead of them.
Hawkins: Ah, Doctor Sadar. ::nods at the others:: Sirs.
Sadar: Hello Ensign. How are our, uhh... ‘Guests’?
Hawkins: All things considered, they’re in great shape. We’re keeping them here since they’re an odd twist on the ‘First Contact’ notion, but health-wise, they’re good to be discharged.
She couldn't see them in Sickbay so she assumed they'd been placed somewhere else. She really hoped it didn't seem like a prison to them, her own words haunted her.
Silveira: Well, let’s see them.
She nodded in agreement and in greeting to Bergmen. Apparently he was on the other side of the battle, and she'd appreciate his perspective.
Bergmen: Ma’am, Sir, Doctor…
Vailani: Gila, you should take point here. They are familiar with you.
Zoyara followed at the heels of Gila as she made her way through Sickbay to the isolated area, the same ICU suite she had received treatment in. Was that hesitation in her step as she stepped over the threshold?
((ICU Suite - Primary Sickbay - Deck 7, USS Artemis-A ))
Sadar: H-Hello Engineer Griil, Doctor Nesin... I, uhh, I don’t know if you... Remember me?
Zoyara surveyed them. A Grunden was seated on a biobed, she was struck by their size. They were stocky, and broad witb billowing fur around their shoulders. She thought that some cultures would consider that fearsome.
Nesin: Doubt anyone ever forgets their first aliens. ::toothy grin:: Especially with that kind of meeting.
It was a good sign that he was telling jokes, she had half expected them to be more resistant. She felt the tension in her temple abate a little and her shoulders relaxed..
Griil: I don’t think we’ve met your new friends, though?
Lieutenant Silveira stepped forward and slightly bowed.
Silveira: Lieutenant Vitor Silveira. A pleasure to meet you both.
Bergmen then attempted to mimic Silveira’s bow. What was it with this crew doing performances for guests? It was a peculiar trait, and one that she most certainly wouldn't be adopting for herself.
Bergmen: Junior Lieutenant Ollie Bergmen. Honored to meet you.
Vailani: Lieutenant Vailani Zoyara, chief of operations. We're glad to have got you onboard safely, as our welcomed guests.
She glanced towards Gila as a way of apology.
Sadar: And, I, uhh, m-my name is Doctor Sadar.
Nesin: Doctor?
Gila was quick to correct any misinformation as to her skillset, which was more vast than even the Mizarian realised herself.
Sadar: Medical Doctor. ::looks between them:: I, hm... Our scans indicate you’ve been kept in the tanks for a couple of years. I-I thought, maybe, you’d like to... Know what’s happened in the meantime?
Griil: Gladly. When Grand Marshall Vef-Lai managed to get aliens involved would be a nice place to start.
Silveira: It wasn’t only the Grand Marshall. We were contacted by both sides.
Zoyara watched the reactions of the two aliens carefully. Nesin’s eyes widened slightly, yet Griil’s Kobyar expressions were hard to read. Large unblinking eyes didn't even twitch as they remained motionless.
Bergmen: Because of the war. Between… ::gaze at Griil, then at Nesin:: …You know…
Vailani: We were asked by the governments of Kydon to investigate third party involvement in the ongoing war. 5 years ago, your people made first contact with ourselves, the United Federation of Planets. We have had limited contact outside of this.
((OOC: Nesin and Griil are general NPCs and that means you can fill in tags for them))
Nesin: :: to Griil :: It didn't work.
Zoyara could hear the disappointment in the Grunden's voice.
Griil: :: to the group :: We hoped that obtaining space travel would unify our people :: to Nesin :: If it weren't for Vef-Lai and Kraton we'd have succeeded.
Zoyara nodded, and tried to relax her fact to appear sympathetic. She had a feeling that her usual scowl would not be good in this situation.
Silveira: You will have to forgive me, but it surprises me that Doctor Sadar was your first… Contact. And that isn’t the most.. Surprising surprise… Sorry for the redundancy
Nesin: No more surprised than we are, lootenat.
Vailani: What was the last thing you remember?
Sadar: Response
Griil: I was at home, researching… :: to Nesin :: Oh, I hadn't even thought of him :: to the group :: My assistant, Ylwoo? He was with me? I hope they haven't harmed him..
The Kobyar, previously expressionless, was transformed by emotion; worry, sadness and then suspicion. The Grunden, more adept at reading Kobyar expressions and likely Griil’s unique mannerisms.
Nesin: Ylwoo was loyal… :: quietly :: he loved you.
Griil: :: swallowing the pain :: It's either that or he's dead. I don't know which I can hear to believe.
Silveira: How have you ended up together? And how long has it been?
Nesin: We've worked together for over a decade. Our governments tolerated it because they both benefited… but it wasn't easy. My mate lost her life to an attack … They were extremists and they tried to assassinate me. I'm not … sometimes I think that it was Kraton.
Vailani: High Chief Kraton?
Nesin: Yes. We were … allies then. Friends.
Griil: It wasn't your fault, Nesin. We weren't to know that our technology would … bring them together in violence… not peace.
The Kobyar seemed to raise their arms in a gesture and then spread out their extendable webbed ‘fingers’ and then waved them as if brushing away dust. This was clearly a custom that the Grunden recognised. He bowed his head lowly.
Sadar: Response
The room hit an uncomfortable lull, she was pleased when Bergmen raised his voice to ask a question of them.
Bergmen: How did you come up with the idea about using matter and antimatter for travel?
Griil: Surely we don't have to explain quantum physics to you?
The Kobyar looked around at their surroundings.
Nesin: We dreamed of this.:: to Bergmen :: It was an accident. I was hoping to make a renewable energy source for the capital. Instead I stumble upon a new form of propulsion … which lead me to Griil … the real brains behind the project :: in awe :: A genius.
Griil appeared to blush, their cheeks changing from a green pigmentation to a rosy red.
Vailani: I'd say both of you deserve that title. My people took to the stars on lightships, that discovery changed how we seen ourselves and our place in the galaxy.
Silveira/Sadar: Response
Bergmen: Interesting… Did you have any other problems? Given the current Kobyari and Grunden technological base, this must be quite a scientific journey!
Griil: It was a challenge. The materials alone took us several years. Beurocracy on both sides. We were ridiculed, our reputations destroyed. I was branded a traitor. Still, we continued :: sadness :: We paid.
Vailani: It wasn't for nothing. We're proof of that. There are forces in both your government that asked us for help. That must mean something?
She couldn't bear to see the two aliens look defeated. They should be heroes on their world instead they were scorned and made to suffer tremendously… only because they wanted to bring peace.
Silveira/Bergmen/Sadar: Response
Vailani: When Doctor Sadar and the others discovered you, they also intercepted a signal coming from off world. We believe that may belong to those third party influences. Is there anything at all you can tell us that might help us locate it?
Nesin: I remember … it might have been a dream… but there was alarms and shouts … but a scent… something alien but until now I didn't know what alien could smell like. :: ponders :: Grunden global communication terminals operate through antenna … they require authenticators… the trees never forget.
Silveira/Bergmen/Sadar: Response
Vailani: You're telling us that the trees contain information? That-
It was then that Lieutenant Gnai entered the ICU, both aliens took a step backwards and gawked at the Galadoran within the mech suit. Neither of them could contain their amazement.
The Grunden approached Gnai first, snout first.
Nesin: It's a living organis! Griil, look!
Silveira/Bergmen/Sadar/Gnai: Response
TAGs/TBC
Lieutenant Vailani Zoyara
Chief of Operations (OOC: FO)
USS Artemis-A
A240004LL2