Lt. Alieth - If you come as tigers, we'll face you as Lions with blue mane
Alieth
((Transporter room 3, Deck 9, USS Thor))
Alieth: Well, no, it would be unwise and a certain fatal to let you walk through the Vulcan Forge with no experience nor skill, so I have agreed to lend us a pack of Vai-sehlat so that we can ride them.
del Vedova: (incredulous) You want us to ride sehlats?!
Jehe: One of my roommates told me that selhats are the um...Vulcan equivalent of a teddy bear. ::Looking at del Vedova, then to Alieth.:: I've seen teddy bears. I think I'm missing something.
Alieth: Certainly Sehlats bear some resemblance to Earth Ursids, but as far as I know none have ever been given the name of Theodore. ::Tilting her head:: In any case they look like predators, but my ancestors have ridden them for generations and they are one of the most common animals to traverse the desert.
del Vedova: (skeptical) I suppose you know best. They are, um, tame?
Jehe: Kinda hard to ride untamed beasts. Just, for the record.
Alieth:::with a nod: Indeed.
del Vedova: response
Shrugging, and adjusting the light blue hood from her garment, which currently hung loose around her neck, Saja asked her next question.
Jehe: I assume that they'll give us something to view the birds with? Unless they're going to come sweeping down to pick us off?
Alieth: I have arranged for some equipment to be left on our mounts, as well as provisions and water for the desert passage, all of which awaits us on the surface.
del Vedova: Response.
Jehe: And that's what I get for asking questions. ::She let out a pained sigh.:: Very well..
Turning on heel, she headed up onto the transporter pad and swept her hair back, letting out a puff of air to blow a few stray strands away from the tip of her nose.
Jehe: Shall we?
Alieth: Come on
The petite Vulcan followed the Bajoran to the transporter pad as she wrapped the dark cloth around her head, exposing only her dark eyes and, somehow, the pointed tips of her ears. Only then did she turn to the other doctor and, in the shadowy darkness under her headdress, her eyes sparkled mischievously.
Alieth: Come on doctor, you certainly do not want to miss out on the affair that you have arranged, do you?
del Vedova: Response
She gave no reply and, barely a second later, their bodies vanished from the ship, wrapped in a waterfall of gold and blue sparks.
((Canyon outside Chi-Ree, North Wadi, Xial, Vulcan))
As soon as they materialized on the surface, the contrast between the cold starship environment and the mild local temperature was stark. The weather was absolutely springlike, the early morning temperatures as low as 36 degrees Celsius within the shadows of the tall walls of the ravine.
Just a few metres from where they stood, a tall Vulcan was waiting, dressed in clothes almost identical to those Alieth wore. Loitering behind him prowled half a dozen Vai-sehlats. It was a particularly large subspecies of sehlat, with dense, tawny fur over their shoulders, longer, slender limbs and the profile of an animal adapted to long-distance running. Their heads were more elongated than the typical sehlat, with a dark, aquiline muzzle. All of them sported long, powerful saber-like fangs, much longer than the domestic subspecies. Despite the laid-back attitude, they had a more feral look.
Without waiting for her companions, the petite doctor advanced towards the group, and exchanged a few quick words in her native language with the man. Several minutes into the exchange, he handed her a pair of saddlebags and a 3 blankets with black and white geometric patterns.
The man turned around without saying a word to the offworlders, placed his hand on the forehead of one of the animals, and then jumped to its back.
A moment later he had vanished.
Alieth walked back to where the other two starfleeters stood, as if she had not left their side for a second.
Alieth: Well, my uncle has everything ready. This pack has had contact with aliens so they should not have much issue with you.
Jehe/del Vedova: Response
She handed each of them a blanket before she replied
Alieth: These animals are not exactly telepathic, but they are sensitive to both telepathic contact and to the emotions and thoughts of the rider, which is how they are guided. So keep a positive attitude.
Jehe/del Vedova: Response
She tilted her head to one side gently, in deep thought.
Alieth: Well, I was bitten once, but I only had to stay in hospital for a week, nothing too serious.
Jehe/del Vedova: Response
Alieth: What you should focus is the process: you should place your hand on the animal's forehead and ask for permission to mount them. If they accept you, they will let you know, if they are not willing, move on to the next one. Once one accepts you, place the blanket on its back and climb up, holding on to the mane.
Jehe/del Vedova: Response
She let out a tiny huff which, of course, was not one of frustration.
Alieth: I will show you.
Handing the saddlebags to Saja, Alieth approached the group of animals once more. She picked out the nearest, one that seemed to be napping on a patch of grass. The petite Vulcan squatted beside it, placed her hand on the animal's long snout and whispered something in one of its rounded ears. The animal wagged its tail slightly, pressed its heavy head against the Vulcan's hand, and then rose to its feet. With calm movements, Alieth spread the blanket over the animal's broad back, then grabbed a handful of the animal's shaggy fur and used it to propel herself onto the predator's back.
Alieth: See? It is simple
Jehe/del Vedova: Response
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Lt. Alieth
Chief Medical Officer
USS Thor NCC-82607
E239702A10
Image Collective Facilitator /Art Director
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