[RA4] Lt. JG. Alora DeVeau - "Back Again" (Away Team, Ananja)

[Amanda Nordstrom]

(( Antechamber, Crystal Temple, Rho Aurigae IV ))

::With another sweep of darkness, the forest faded and when she could
see once more, her companions stood, each with an expression of
confusion or startlement colouring their faces.::

SHRYKER: Where am I now?

::Alora's eyes blinked several times, a shadow of the forest floating
before her before it finally faded completely from her mind's eye. She
eyed Shryker, then shifted her attention to the Captain.::

EGAN MANNO: (shaky) I'd like an answer to that, too.

DeVeau: I think we're back in the cave again.

SHRYKER, JOLARA, MACKELLAR: ?

ANANJA: ?

EGAN MANNO: Where were all of you? Somewhere -- besides here -- I think?


SHRYKER - I was in a dungeon, trapped by a large shapeless creature.
Then I was here, sitting by the stream. ::Jade smiled, and pointed to
her abandoned boots by the side of the water.:: If that is the only
trial, I think we will be ok.

::Rune slowly nodded. She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned
forward.::

Jolara: I was back at the Sabahnuor Attitude Readjustment Center.

DeVeau: A forest. A beautiful forest in the fullness of Autumn.

::Her experience had been quite a bit more positive than the others had
been, it seemed. In a sense, she was sorry that she had to leave. It had
been a pleasant experience. Had it been a trial? If so, which one?::


ANANJA: ?

EGAN MANNO: Then I do not understand what this trial is. Or was.

Shryker: I don’t know either, Captain. My experience was not pleasant,
but I have been through much worst. I think they are bluffing with us?


DeVeau: Are we meant to really understand it? I mean, it's not like we
understand who's instigating this or how it works.

::She offered a half grin then a shrug.::

DeVeau: Might be better to just go with it.

Jolara: What I experienced had nothing to do with what you said these
trials were about. You have pried into private thoughts and memories.
You have to already know why we came here and that we meant no harm.

RESPONSE?

DeVeau: We made the choice to barge in without waiting for an answer.
Because of our ignorance, we have insulted their culture. Look, we've
gone through the first trial, right? Only three left to go.

::But which ones? Alora honestly wasn't sure what she'd been tested on
in her previous trial. Honour? Courage? Beauty? Wisdom? Those were the
four Ananja had listed, but there had been no bulletin or program to
announce in what order they would be presented to her. However, unlike
her first away mission, she felt a certain peace about this one. As if
she was meant to be there, to be a part of...well, whatever was
happening. The fear that had almost overwhelmed her on Nygel II was
completely absent there. They were prisoners, captured by these strange
yet beautiful people. Yet she did not tremble or quake with any sort of
trepidation.::

SHRYKER – What do we have to prove? ::Jade went towards Ananja – staring
at her.:: What are these trials? I demand to____ ::Jade stopped as she
watched her left arm move up by itself. She was not controlling it.::
Captain? ::she cried.::

::Shryker jerky and erratic movements did, however, prove alarming.
Alora froze and stared at the officer as her arms stretched out toward
the Kubarey woman.::

DeVeau: Shryker, what are you doing?

::Rune got to her feet, suddenly concerned about what Shryker was going
to do.:: Egan Manno: What are you doing, Lieutenant? Stop this at once!

RESPONSES: Any?

SHRYKER – It is not me! I am not controlling my arms. ::Jade moved
forward, her legs also not under her control. She grabbed at Ananja.::
Please, stop me! ::She screamed::

DeVeau: Ack!.

::DeVeau's response was slower than the Captain's. The commanding
officer launched at Shryker and effectively took her down - for the
moment.::

Jolara: ::to Ananja:: Are you alright?

Egan Manno: Help.

::That moment passed quickly. The next thing Alora knew, Shyrker was
attacking the captain! The call for help spurred both Alora and Rune
into action, but the Counselor reached her first. The science officer
had no idea that Jolara's people possessed such strength. She fell back,
but eyed the struggle closely.

Jolara: Enough! Lieutenant, please, do not make me hurt you.

DeVeau: I don't think she can control it!

RESPONSE?

::Shryker writhed against Jolara's grip, her body in the throws of some
sort of control.

Jolara: Forcing us to do things against our will is not a true test of
who we are. We agreed to your Trials not to be pawns in whatever
sadistic game you are playing!
DeVeau: I'm not so sure it's her.

::Alora cast a quick glance at the Kubarey woman, then to her fellow
officers, her irritation growing.::

DeVeau: Look, we're all going like 'me me me, you're doing this to me!'
but you keep forgetting we were the ones who trespassed first!

::With her jaw set, Alora approached Shryker.::

DeVeau: Try to fight it!

Shryker:?

::The young woman blinked. Worse? Fighting it made it worse? So what did
that mean?::

DeVeau: Then STOP fighting it! Relax! Let it go! Let it go!

::She didn't dare reach and try to help - Jolara had a firm grip and
Alora was obviously nowhere near as strong as she. Her hands clenched.
The attitude which her fellow officers, particularly her captain and
Shryker, had displayed had continued to grate upon her. Within, her
annoyance flared into anger and their constant whining continued to fan
the flames of her temper. The ball that welled up within her breast
expanded and pressed upward until finally, as it grew and constricted,
she could hold it back no longer! ::

DeVeau: You guys ever stop to consider that maybe all this is happening
because we're resisting? We barge in here because we didn't get an
answer when we knocked, we expect to be forgiven for some sort of
offense when we really have no clue how bad our actions were in their
culture. We've done nothing but to insist upon our rights and we have
done nothing but complain! We're acting like babies. So maybe we should
start acting like adults!

::The words echoed through the cave and bounced back over and over and
the word adults range several times, as if the very rocks accused them
of the same crime. They weren't acting like adults, that was for
certain. But whatever the reaction from the other officers, whatever
words might have passed between them, they were cut off. Darkness and
night swirled around them, and the next moment they were in its grasp to
be taken to their next scene. The next trial had begun - and that time,
Ananja was swept up in its grasp.::

Ananja: [tag] Egan Manno / DeVeau / Mackellar: [tag]

**************

Lt. JG. Alora DeVeau
Science Officer
USS Garuda