PNPC Ensign Akani Xira - A Soft Prayer For A Person Lost
Renaie Shortrith
((Salt Caves, Endicronimas V))
Xira's drifting was interrupted by a voice she swore she recognised.
Dohna: Hello? Do you remember me? I'm Lieutenant Dohna T'Alia, I was an engineering officer on the USS Compass Rose.
Xira wasn't sure who the Lieutenant was talking to.
Holley: Dohna T’Alia. I remember you, yeah. ::gesturing to herself:: Ensign Georgia Holley.
Akani: Lieutenant Dohna? I… You're alive… I'm Ensign Akani Xira, if you remember.
Dom: ::nervously:: Ensigns’, El-Tee. It’s good to see you all recovering, sirs. It’s Crewman Ślimak—uh, Dom, engineering tech.
oO I remember you. Oo
Dohna: It's good to see you. ::pausing:: I'm glad I'm not the only survivor.
Holley: It is nice to know I’m not alone. I’m sorry we had to go through it, though.
Akani: I… I honestly don't know how we're alive.
The group was silent before Lieutenant Dohna spoke up again.
Dohna: Are there drinks down here? Maybe something that isn't one of Doctor Beck's vitamin concoctions? ::laughs::
Holley: ::a snort:: God, I hope so.
Akani: I… ::softly and quietly:: There should be.
Dom: ::cheaky grin breaking out:: I think I can help with that, sirs. Leave it to an NCO to know where to procure the real supplies.
Crewman Ślimak disappeared, Xira assumed she was going to go find something.
oO Good luck, I dunno if they'll even allow us to have any alcohol here. Oo
Akani: Have you interacted with Doctor Beck? I… I don't know what to make of him, but he seems… nice.
Holley: I know, he’s very nice. But he could do better about having some taste.
Xira said nothing, but shrugged.
Dohna: Man, I'm jealous, I mostly got this crazy black haired nurse. I think she needed more help than me. ::chuckling:: What was Dr. Beck like?
oO She sounds… intense. Glad I don't have her. Oo
Dom: I don’t know, he was nice enough. I like that Chief Nurse, Lt. Lavender—uh, Avae. She has style! ::unscrewing the cap:: Anyway, I’ve got something better than vitamin water. We could go find a bar, but first, I have this… ::holds up the flask:: It’s one of the last bottles of Crewman Evan’s Cargo bay Moonshine. ::eyes glistening:: I think it’s fitting if we drink it in his honour.
oO Another one we've lost. Oo
Xira bowed her head in silent prayer, adding Crewman Evan to the mental list of those lost.
oO May the Prophets give them safe travels. Oo
Any: Response
Holley: So… ::she tapped her fingers against her leg:: done anything fun while we’ve been here other than this? I could use some recommendations. I haven’t really… gotten out much.
Akani: Not really…
oO Small talk? Really? Oo
The bottle of moonshine was passed around.
Dom: Here, sir. ::passed the flask to Dohna::
Dohna: Thank you. ::taking a sip:: And T'Alia is fine. There is no logic in standing on ceremony at this point. So have any of us left our quarters?
T'Alia passed the bottle to Xira, and the ensign nodded thankfully before lifting the bottle to take a sip.
Any: Response
Akani: I… I suppose so… I guess I'm not really one to say. When I vaguely interacted with one of the medical officers and the counsellor… Neither of them had any suggestions.
Dom: Well…if you officers are interested in some establishments of luck, there’s a Dabo speakeasy somewhere down here…or so I’ve heard. Or a Betazoid meditation circle, if you like humming and incense. ::shrugs:: if you prefer that sort of thing.
oO I'd much rather a speakeasy than a mindfullness thing at a time like this. I don't want to have to think too much about all I've lost, not really. Oo
Dohna: I'm not sure I could be any more mindful at this point.
Holley/Any: Response
oO I have to stick with small talk though, right? Oo
Akani: Should we ask around later?
Dom: I can show you the spot, if you’re game. But first… ::eyes drifting to the steaming mineral pool:: that looks amazing.
Xira's eyes shifted to the pool. oO It looks gorgeous. Oo
Dohna: That's nice, but I think if I get all the way in I'll never get out.
Holley/Any: Response
Akani: Yeah… I suppose so.
The group now gathered around the pool was silent for a moment. Then Dominika spoke again.
Dom: ::passing the flask again:: That feels wonderful. Can I ask something? What do you all want to do now… after everything?
Dohna: I'm not sure. I've wanted to be in Starfleet since I was a kid. I don't know who I'd be if I left.
Akani: I… I don't know. Probably stay to work on the Ronin? Depends on what Starfleet decides.
Holley/Any: Response
Dom: Honestly? I think I’m done with space. Done fixing things that’ll just break again. ::voice tightens:: Boldly going… straight to disaster. It all just feels like a cosmic scam now.
Dohna: It's like the Emissary said, none of our experiences prepared us for this consequence. ::pausing:: I'm paraphrasing of course.
Akani: Everyone reacts to things differently.
Holley/Any: Response
Dom: Sorry, sirs—uh, El-Tee, Georgia, Akani. I just… feel bad about all of it. ::whispering:: About surviving.
Dohna: I think we all feel that way.
Akani: Just call me Xira, and you're not wrong to do so.
Holley/Any: Response
Dohna: The prophets teach us that we need to move on. We cannot exist here forever.
Xira nodded her head slowly. She tried to live by the Prophets every day.
Akani: Hear, hear. The prophets teach a lot of things.
Dom/Holley/Any: Response
Dohna: What if ::she stopped:: What if we asked to join the Ronin crew?
Akani: That's what I'm planning on doing.
Dom/Holley/Any: Response
Dohna: ::gently offering:: We'd know where we were. We'd have a purpose then.
Akani: We'd be still able to do what we've been doing before this… I'm gonna call it what it is, a plague, with support systems in place.
As if logical thinging was what Xira wanted to do at the moment.
Dom/Holley/Any: Response
Akani: And… I feel like I owe it to the two people who helped me. Lieutenant Syrex and Lieutenant JG Om-Zora. They were nice, and Om-Zora helped out when I had a panic attack.
Dohna/Dom/Holley/Any: Response
Akani: They helped Georgia, too.
Xira reached out and gave Georgia a hug, half because she needed one, half because she thought Georgia needed one.
Dohna/Dom/Holley/Any: Response
Xira teared up a bit, not knowing how to act.
Akani: They… They didn't leave us.
Dohna/Dom/Holley/Any: Response
[Tags/TBC]