Lieutenant Doz Finch - When All Is Right and Just
Doz Finch
((Festival of Yelvala: Courtyards, New Cyndriel — Time Index: Early 2367))
After opening one of the folded pages of the book they had found stowed in a box, Doz discovered something scribbled into the top corner of it. The name of a shop: ‘arkets’ hysleria’. Just as curious as the book's title. Denshar’s trail had led them then to the lush courtyards in-between the buildings themselves, suggesting that the Antosian had strayed from the main streets.
Finch: They’re like inward-facing little gardens with different access points. Rather lush and decorated, fountains and flowers, that sort of thing.
Bendyn: What an odd location for a tech shop, one would think a flower shop or a gardening shop would flourish more in a corner like this and not some establishment that sells electrical parts. Like the flower shop we revived back on Nassau.
Taelon: Could be a small business run out of a home…?
The courtyard they had spilled into was just gorgeous; carefully tended to with a myriad of flowers spiralling down the upper-deck galleries and staircases, and along the decorated and latticed walls beneath. The place was rather wet-looking to her own eyes, suggesting the residents kept everything watered during a hot festival day. And beside Doz, Meg was…well, beside herself.
Bendyn: Will you look at this? How beautiful! This is exactly what I was looking for. ::It was only at this point that Meg lowered her arm and she walked towards the first potted plants on the right, admiring them in all their beauty. She looked up and moved to the left.:: Imagine this, having a cup of tea or some spring wine after a long day at work sitting at those cute chairs and table?
Taelon: That would be nice, yes…
The tall El-Aurian threw Doz a glance before examining the details streaming down his tricorder, and she knew well what the glance meant—he was perturbed by the Betazoid’s distracted state. A state that the older Human couldn’t exactly blame. The wonderful crew of the Gorkon had been through hell and back for such a long time that any pocket of joy was just too precious to resist.
Bendyn: This is exactly what I want if I ever settle down back on Betazed. A huge house with several of these inner yards like this where I can invite my friends and we have a drink and some grilled food while we talk about our adventure we have led during our Starfleet careers. Is this not something you would want?
Taelon: Well - yes, but…
Taelon glanced at Doz again, and she gently held his arm with a subtle and understanding nod. It was a quirk of Megan’s character, that was, the innate wonderment, the tendency to float away in thought. After all, she’d had a few slips herself in those last few hours.
She hadn’t just had thoughts of Murphy, but she’d had ideas too. Ideas to send him a message, to warn him of his fate on the USS Marigold. A selfish idea. A distracting idea.
Perhaps Megan knew?
Perhaps the young Betazoid was distracting herself on purpose.
Bendyn: Do you think people would mind if I take some samples from some of these plants. ::A very tiny frown appeared.:: Or perhaps I have nothing to store them in. ::Her gaze dropped on the box and in a few steps she stood near the table and removed the lid.:: This was all part of a bigger scheme, was it not? I did bring a box along because we would stumble into this beautiful location. Will you help me collect some twigs and samples?
Local residents began peeking from windows in the courtyard, and Taelon was the first to look up at them, wide-eyed, with Doz following suit. The man cleared his throat then spoke.
Taelon: These are private gardens, I think? ::He glanced up at the growing number of eyes watching them.:: I’m sure you can buy seeds from a shop nearby, once we’ve gotten, um, our…once we’ve gotten your PADD repaired. Um, speaking of - um, which door’s the tech shop’s?
Finch: They can’t be that private, considering how easy it is to wander in and out.
Bendyn: Response
One of the residents leaned down over the railing of her home and pointed, with a degree of irritation she suspected, to the blue door on one of the bright orange walls. And right next to the door, a small sign reading ‘Whitiania’s Repair and Scrap’ in several languages could be seen through Doz’s squinting brown eyes.
Resident: Right there. ::A pause.:: And don’t you pluck my flarramrodias! Damn tourists…
Taelon blushed as he rather quickly took Bendyn by the arm, tugging her towards the door. The older human gestured at the resident in a vague “thank you, love” fashion, and followed the other two, sucking air in through her teeth again.
Taelon: Thank you!
Finch: In the correct time period, where all is right and just, we'll come back for those samples, Lieutenant.
Bendyn: Response
They moved through the verdant courtyard with its flourishing blossoms, and it's trickling fountain, rusting green tables and chairs in intricate patterns, and came upon the door in question. A tad aged, she thought, but pleasantly juxtaposed against the orange wall within which it stood; rather than waiting and planning their next move, Taelon opened it, and the team were instantly confronted by the sight of a simple counter with cabinets displaying parts here and there. One woman stood at said counter, and at the far end of the small room…
Taelon: Oh -
Finch: What is it?
Bendyn: Response
Keibren Denshar, of course. Who, obviously triggered by their sudden appearance yet again, sprinted off through the front door of the building. On a soundboard of hurried shoes and creaking doors, Taelon wasted no time and ran after him—the shop clerk yelping in surprise at the sudden chaos.
Finch: Meg, we’ll take the courtyards. ::She pointed.:: No more cat and mouse! We’re getting him.
Bendyn / Taelon: Response
She barrelled out the back door and through a tiny gated alley, emerging onto a street again. The sun glaring down, the smell of food, the occasional shimmer and glimmer of a reflective vibrant outfit shining in her eyes. In the distance she spotted Taelon on Denshar’s trail, who seemed to be heading for another courtyard one street over, and that’s where she ran.
Finch: =/\= Mister Taelon! He’s heading for the courtyard one street over! Meg and I will enter through the alley on the opposite side if you stay on his tail! =/\=
Bendyn / Taelon: Response
Lungs pumping, bushy brows pressed together with fervour, Doz ran at a steady pace, the shadow of the alley looming over her as she raced into the next courtyard, one that lacked all of the care and personal touches of the previous; dying and dried flowers, a broken and unused fountain, yellow walls diminishing and covered in algae. This courtyard was abandoned, the windows within it boarded up with no on-lookers.
As she emerged into it, she could hear and then see Denshar steamrolling his way in her direction on the opposite side, and she instinctively reached for her phaser, lifting it in his direction, her brown eyes bulging.
Her heart thumped…and he was surrounded.
A tense moment of quiet followed. His eyes boring into hers. Hers into his.
Finch: There's nowhere else to go, love.
The Antosian continued to stare, his chest rising and lowering with each focused breath. A degree of acceptance etched into his features, marred only a touch by what she could only guess was frustration.
My god it was odd seeing him there fully and without the pretence. Without him running away. All indigo-hair and eyes, young and so utterly full of life. What on earth was he doing? What had the Commodore said to him? What had he promised him?
It was a damn shame.
Bendyn / Taelon: Response
Finch: Keibren Denshar. I am arresting you for violations against the Starfleet Temporal Prime Directive.
Keibren swallowed and then shrugged, his eyes still glaring into Doz’s.
Denshar:…Fine.
She stared back at him, still finding her breath…bewildered by his response.
Bendyn / Taelon: Response