JP Commander Katsim Peri and Lt. JG Roxanne Queen - The Trilldorian Upgrade Bacchanalia Part 4

[Don K]

((OOC - apologies this one is a bit lengthy))

((Lumina Coves Ecological Retreat, Lolagi IV))

Rox:  So then out of nowhere she grabs a bowl of beans and lobs it at me.  I had beans in my hair for hours.  Every now and again when I moved my head one would fall out.

Rox cackled loudly.  It was so good to see Peri again and she had been regaling her with all sorts of stories of her time back on the Ronin.  

While the trip to the Ronin was because of Kel’s promotion, a man who had served with her on the Thor before his transfer, Peri had to admit she was just as excited to see her friend Rox.  In many ways, Rox reminded her of Ayna.  In many ways, the two cuoldn’t be more different.  Regardless, she missed her friend, and like others, took advantage of the proximity to visit.  Now, she lounged happily in a flora filled room, reclining on a couch and listening to her friend recount her adventures. 

Nearby, another creature stirred.  Echo, who would not be left so long on a ship without her owner, flitted in and out of the leaves and branches that somehow was both shelter and decoration for the lodging where Rox was staying. 

Katsim: Then what happened? 

Rox: Well after we were both arrested they put us in a cell together.  Come to find out we had quite a bit in common.  I’m hoping you’ll be able to meet her later.

Nodding, Peri knew they weren’t goin to leave that very day.  A trip from the Gamma Quadrant might be shorter thanks to the Prophets allowing passage through the doorway of the Celestial Temple, but that didn’t mean they could go and return all in one day.  Besides, she wasn’t the only one who had old friends to see.  Evidently tired of playing around, Echo angled back down to settle upon Peri once more. 

Rox looked around the room and took another drink of her blue squale; she'd not been able to tempt Peri with one, which was expected.  She had placed a small dish of fruit on the table in the hopes of coaxing Echo off Peri’s shoulder.  Evidently it had worked, but the dragonet had only grabbed a piece of fruit on her way to play within the foliage. 

Rox:  So how’s the Butler?  Or do you call it the Octavia?

Katsim: The Butler. 

The scientist confirmed.  

Katsim: I’ve heard some call it the ‘O E B’.  

For Peri, she simply referred to it as the Butler or by its full name.  

Peri might have said OEB, but all Rox heard was OMG and she smiled at the thought.  She wondered what name she could choose for a ship to get the acronym.  The USS Ocular Myasthenia Gravis was interesting.  

Katsim: It’s fine.  It’s home.  

It was home not only because that was where she lived, but that’s where Wes was.  It was funny how much a difference that made.  

Rox was not sure “fine” was a ringing review of the OEB.  The Ronin was her home and she could think of many adjectives to describe it.  Fun, lively, convivial, agreeable, enjoyable, interesting.  

Katsim: We’ve had some interesting missions. 

Rox: Regale me with a tale.  

While Rox imbibed with her squale, Peri kept to simple juice.  She had no idea what kind it was, but it was very good.  It would never replace moba, but it was definitely something she would drink again.  

Katsim: Well…there was the mirror universe. 

She had told Rox about that, of course.  While Peri might not be verbose, she talked more with certain people.  Rox was one of those people, but Rox was one of her closest friends.  Thus, she received the letters with more details about adventures, and conversations were actually conversations rather than one word answers. 

Katsim: I told you about that.  

Rox: Wait.  I’m not sure you did.  Was there a Mirror Katsim Peri?  Was she like me, would I have been like you?

Rox wondered what it would be like if she were a super serious scientist while Peri was a fun loving jokester.  It would certainly call a number of probability models into question.  

Katsim: More recently, we came across a machine that had a directive to help anyone who needed it - even to the point of breaking the Prime Directive.  We also discovered that the Butler is also sentient. 

That had been a surprise to everyone but one person.  Evidently Toxin had known, though Peri wasn’t sure of all the details surrounding that.  

Rox furrowed her brow and cocked her head to one side, then to the other.  The implications were staggering.   She thought she vaguely remembered the Enterprise’s computer becoming sentient and of course there was Voyager’s hologram, generated by the computer.  

Rox: Does the ship go by Octavia too?

Katsim: She calls herself Stella. 

Rox opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it and closed it once more.

Rox:  So ::pause:: shouldn’t they change the name to the USS Stella?  

Stella was a lovely name, but Peri also understood why it had been chosen.  After thinking a moment, she shook her head, and Echo darted back to a nearby tree, then chirped from her perch above them, as if trying to provide more of an answer. 

Katsim:  Evidently it’s based upon the middle name - Estelle.  So…a nickname.  

Rox shuddered.  

Rox:  Doesn’t it seem creepy.  I mean I know the computer is always listening, but it's something else if the computer realizes what it’s listening to.  What if Stella doesn’t like the music you listen to?  ::gasping::  What if you have a hot date?

For a minute, all Peri could do was stare and blink at Rox.  She wasn’t sure she liked where the woman was going.  

Rox:  I don’t want other members of the crew spying on me. I certainly don’t want the Ronin checking in.  

Katsim: Um….

Of course she would bring up such things and that sent her thoughts in a spiral, so many what ifs dropping like raindrops in her mind.  And then, Rox did as Rox does - she changed the subject.  

Rox: Speaking of hot dates, how are you and the Greave Reaper?  Any movement in that area?

Katsim: Wes? 

Rox had always enjoyed coming up with clever names for Wes Greaves.  Her first experience with him had landed him in the middle of a Tsunkatse ring and Rox fancied herself as something of a manager for him.  Greave Reaper, Greave Digger, General Greave-ous, Grave-ious Ending.  There were endless possibilities.  Wes Greaves however remained a Starfleet Officer through and through, no amount of latinum would tempt him back into the ring.  

Peri didn’t particularly like that nickname, but Rox had used it so often, and nothing Peri could do would stop her.  

Rox: Is there another Greave Reaper in your life?

Katsim: What about him? 

Rox was far too interested in her love life.  While Ayna had always tried to get Peri to meet ‘boys’, or other cadets, to go out on dates or at least talk to one, for Prophet’s sake, she had never really pushed too hard.  However, had she been alive, she and Rox probably would have had a field day gabbing about Peri’s romantic pursuits.  Well, pursuit.  After all, there had only been one, and…well, it hadn’t been a pursuit - more of a mutual growing closer. 

Rox was closer to Peri than perhaps anyone she’d met and while she maintained her crazy, mercurial ways, deep down Rox wanted to protect Peri and see her happy more than anything else.  She suspected there was much more she would say to Wes if she was not so reserved.  Rox wanted to see Peri happy and from what she’d seen part of that happiness was Wes’s presence in her life.  If she pushed her in the direction some, Rox had no regrets.  

Rox:  I know he’s posted on the Butler, I just wondered if you two were still ::pause::  together?

Katsim: Well…we moved in together last shore leave. 

Yeah, that was going to make someone happy.

Rox jumped up from her seat, grabbed Peri’s shoulders and shook her.

Rox: ::loudly::  O E B!  I mean O M G! Are you serious!?!  That’s so great!  I’m so happy for you two.  

Wincing, Peri cringed at the volume coming from the woman.  Rox was nothing if not emotive, and Peri very much the opposite.  Despite that, she couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s enthusiasm.  

Katsim: Thank you.  

Rox sat back down on her seat, unable to tone back the broad smile on her face.  

Rox:  Does he snore?  ::snapping fingers::  He doesn’t make you do all the cleaning does he?  That’s not cool.

Katsim: We both clean. 

She stated without actually answering the first question.  Likely she wanted to know more about the first question than the second.  

Rox pursed her lips together and gave Peri a suspicious look.  

Rox:  Fine, keep your secrets

Katsim:  Not a secret.  Just…

She didn’t necessarily want someone to talk about her like that, so she wasn’t going to do so with Wes.  Besides, he probably would argue that no, he didn’t snore.  She knew the truth, though.  

Rox took a sip of her drink and noticed V’Len coming toward her.  

Rox:  Eh, What’s up Doc?

Kel: Hello Rox.  Commander Katsim, thank you for coming.  

The appearance of the blue doctor was not unpleasant, and he even received a smile from his fellow hybrid.  

Katsim:  Hello Doctor Kel.  Congratulations on your promotion.  I wish you the best. 

The words were rehearsed, mainly because Peri was never very good at speaking, though she certainly did wish him all the best in the world.  He was a good doctor, and he’d taken great care of his crew in the past.  

Kel: Well I’ll take any pointers I can get on being chief science officer.  I’m not sure I could tell a quantum string from a dark matter storm.

Katsim: Oh…you’re no longer a physician?

That wasn’t completely unheard of, but Peri had imagined Kel would always be a doctor.  Evidently, she was wrong. 

Kel: ::smiling at Katsim::  Well our Chief Science officer was injured and had to leave the Ronin.  I was tapped to take the spot as well as become second officer.  

It had been a surprise opportunity and while V’Len felt like he was not the most well rounded scientist, he has embraced the job as best he could.  He relied on the computer and on his staff to aid him and thus far things had worked out fairly well. 

 

One of the strongest characteristics of scientists were their curiosity, and Peri was certainly a scientist. Although generally she curbed it in the face of others, the news that he was not a Chief Science Officer instead of a Chief Medical Officer, spurred a question from her lips. 

Katsim: Why the change? 

Rox: They needed a warm body.

Kel: ::giving Rox an annoyed look::  She’s half right.  Captain Niac needed someone dependable and I was there.  We already had a strong medical staff so it made sense for me to lead elsewhere.   

Medical offers were in fact a type of science officer.  On most ships, their uniforms bore the same colour.  Peri heard on some, medical officers sported teal, but she’d never served on one that employed that difference.  Despite that, she got the feeling that Kel wasn’t as comfortable with the change as he acted like.  

Katsim: Are you worried? 

Kel: Well if you have a crash course in astrophysics for amateurs that would be great.  

A small smile flickered on Peri’s face and she nodded.   

Katsim: I have some reading materials I can forward to you.  

 

Peri did not smile much, so V’Len was pleased that he had received one.  Peri was always the person he thought of when complicated problems arose.  V’Len looked around the room once more.  More people had joined and he suspected that Niac would want to get things started soon.  

Kel:  I hope you’ll excuse me while I catch up with some other guests.  

Katsim: Of course.  

Kel:  Thank you again for coming.  

V’Len wandered off leaving Rox and Peri alone once more.  Peri’s eyes followed him even as Rox gave a little comment.  

Rox:  Off he goes.

Katsim:  Yes.  I’m happy for him.  

He’d worked hard, had done well for himself.  Now, not only was he a commanding officer, but a commander also.  Well, as soon as Niac made it official.

Rox smiled and took a drink of her squale.  It would soon be time for another

Rox:  Hey, while I’ve got you here, where did Rivka Brzezinski end up?  She was a counselor on the Oumuamua.  

Rox had been trying to contact the woman for months, but no response.  She couldn’t even quite figure out where she was posted.  Rox hoped that Peri might know.  

The question came out of the blue, and as Peri’s eyes shifted back to her friend, her expression fell.  While Rivka had been a unique individual with some unorthodox methods, Peri had seen the genius in the woman, and encouraged her interests as long as they didn’t endanger others.  However,...

Katsim: She was on the Butler too, but…

She trailed off.  

Rox:  ::anxiously:: What?

Peri’s eyes lowered to her drink, the juice half gone, it’s dark red colouring the bottom half of the glass.  Her slender fingers lightly played over the side of it, as she considered what words she could use to tell of the woman’s fate. 

Rox shifted uncomfortably.  She did not like what Peri’s body language was suggesting.  

Katsim:  We aren’t sure what happened.  During the mission to the Collector verse, she collapsed.  From what we can see, there’s no brian activity.  She’s currently in a coma…

Rox: ::jaw dropping::  You’re kidding.  ::demanding:: What are they doing for her?

Shaking her head, Peri wished she had better answers for her.  Rivka had been a valued officer, and the knowledge that she was somehow lost weighed heavily on the Bardassian. 

Katsim: I don’t know.  Right now, they have her on life support, but…

Again, she trailed off, and shook her head again.  

Rox looked deep into Peri’s eyes.  She could see that there were no further answers coming.  Rox immediately thought of Thess.  Perhaps she would have some ideas.  Rox took a breath and resisted the urge to demand more information.  

Rox:  Please replicate her some flowers from me.  

Rox was silent for a moment and Peri nodded.  

Rox: I suppose we all accept the risk when we sign up. 

The thought of Rivka brought sorrow to the conversation, and it was enough to draw Echo back to her, the dragonet curling her tail around Peri’s neck and butting her head against the woman’s jaw.  

Katsim: We do. 

She agreed, but the thought of losing one of her officers, or a friend, or, Prophet’s forbid, Wes was difficult to contemplate.  It was even more difficult to deal with.  

Rox reached over to pat her friend on the shoulder.  

Rox:  I’m glad you came.  I miss you.

That brought a smile and Peri’s hand reached up to cover Rox’s upon her shoulder and she nodded again.  

Katsim:  I’m glad I came too.  I’ve missed you as well.  

Rox noticed Niac talking to V’Len and heading for the large raised dias further away in the room.  Peri followed her friend’s eyes and realised that was the Captain talking to her former Chief Medical office.  It was time to begin.  

Rox:  Ok.  Buckle up here we go.  

Katsim: Let’s talk after.  

Peri wouldn’t have a lot of time, and she certainly did want to make sure she spent a little with Kel, at least enough for him to feel the sincerity of her congratulations, but if anyone asked, Rox was really the highlight of the trip.  As much as Peri wanted to celebrate Kel, she had sorely missed her dear friend.  

Rox: ::distantly:: Yeah later. 

It was nice, so nice, to see Peri once more.  She half wanted to jump ship and head to the Gamma Quadrant.  The news about Rivka was extremely distressing.  What would she do if something happened to Peri?  To V’Len or Mary or Beck? 

-- 

Lt. JG. Roxanne Queen

Nurse

USS Ronin NCC-34523 

T239811VK2

He/Him (player)

She/Her (character)

&

Commander Katsim Peri

Chief Science Officer

USS Octavia E. Butler

M239008AD0