Yeah I kicked Eol's tush into gear...

But the post is sooo long. LoL

Once you get the Meri-Eol-Machine running we don't know where to stop I am afraid. So get ready to read... 

M.

We must know the same birds... I heard a similar rumor...  

C2P - so sad to see you go, was enjoying working with you.  Hope all is well and please drop back in if you get some free time.   

Boss - Alright, there's a little something from Cali... nothing earth shattering (but maybe Aurora shattering lol).  I'll see if I can work up something soon with the cat-lady.  

M. 

Stardate: 2356.05.16

USS Peregrine, Shuttle Bay 2 – Aurora Angel – 01:25

A pile of chocolate wrappers lay in an avalanche across her desk back in engineering.  In her quarters a small plant lay on its side, blue petals drooping down to sweep across the floor, the ceramic pot it called home cracked down the middle.  As for California Eugene Kennedy herself?  She stood up in one of the bays of the Aurora, her hands stretched up into a panel in the ceiling.  Loud music pumped through the speakers in the little ship, making it vibrate in time with the deep beats.  

Everything, it seemed, was not going well after the staff meeting.  She was still kicking herself for lying to her Captain, even if he had understood what she was doing it for and had apparently accepted it, it still did not sit right with her.  They barely had a working relationship, and already she was staring him in the eye and lying to his face.  Grumbling she yanked on the line of wires she had in her hand, gaining another foot or so of it in her grip as she did.  

To make matters worse she wasn’t finding the solution to their problem.  Even now it didn’t come to her.  She had wanted to talk to John.  They had spent three weeks together hashing through a myriad collection of problems concerning the Peregrine.  He was easy to talk to, even easier to toss ideas around with, and there was even the (remote) possibility that he was a better engineer than she was.  She knew she couldn’t though, not yet at any rate.  The Starbase could not get a whiff of what was going on here, damn the Prime Directive.  

The solution was there, it was always there, or at least that was what she had always thought.  The issue was connecting the ideas in her mind.  Right now all of her thoughts bounced back and forth between two central ideas.  7 Billion People!  It’s the deflector shield, but… how!?    

She gave another hard pull on the wires and this time several feet gave way and she tumbled back at the sudden release in pressure on the other end.  The wire tumbled out of the open panel and coiled on the floor below.  Her feet caught on each other and she stepped backward into a wall, which thankfully stopped her backward progression and left her standing.  With a curse she kicked at the wiring.  

“Can’t even do this right!  For heaven’s sake - California!”  She growled, the anger starting to well up in her chest.  

There were only a few more hours left before she had to be on duty, but she couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t work either.  None of this was going well.  There was wrench laying on one of the nearby counters, and suddenly it was in her hands.  The metallic clang of it hitting against one of the wall panels rang out through the Aurora, followed by another and another, a few curses mingled into the distressing music she created.  

I expect nothing less from you oh great GM-man... Do terrible things to all of the players!  I love doing terrible things to my characters (It compensates for the fact that in RL I'm like saccharine sweet  .  

Keep plugging away boss!  I'll keep throwing the muse dust at you, if Eol hasn't already used up my stash recently that is.   

M. 

Hating what you are writing or how you are writing it?  Because as a player the former is much scarier... the latter is worse for you, but perhaps better for us.   

*sprinkles some muse dust at Olan*  Hope that helps!!  

M. 

It's a post... I admit I cheated, your CEO doesn't actually know a darned thing about tech or physics and it's been a rough day here, but I wanted to get something up for you.  

Hopefully we can finalize a plan and get into action, I'll do better then I hope.    

M. 

Stardate: 2365.05.15

USS Peregrine - Deck 1, Officer’s Lounge - 1635

After she had given her report (lied) to the captain she watched his expression carefully.  The first flash that she saw cross his eyes was anger, it lasted only a moment, but it was enough to cause her to curl her toes up in her steel toed work boots, preparing for a reprimand right there at the conference table.  Then it was gone, his eyes widened and she caught what might have been recognition in them.  Her toes uncurled slightly.  Resolve then came down across his face and he finally spoke, suggesting she do what she had already basically done.  She nodded and responded as such.  

“Yes, Captain.  Already relieved Alpha Shift.  I understand my orders.”  

She sat there for the rest of the meeting, listening to the suggestions and comments from her fellow officers, her own brain already firing away with scenarios and possibilities.  

----

USS Peregrine - Main Engineering - 1650

She reached Engineering a few minutes later, glancing around quickly it seemed the Beta Shift had things under control and so she made her way toward her office.  

“Sir?” A soft slightly accented voice called behind her as she went.  She turned back and found herself looking at her new Ensign, Milvov, the vulcan boy straight from the Academy.  He had a raised brow, the closest she had seen him come to surprise, likely from seeing her in Engineering at this moment. 

“Ensign.”  For a moment she considered bringing him into the office with her so she had someone to bounce ideas off of.  But then she reconsidered, the Ensign did not need a possible blemish on his record if things went south with this.  The less he knew, for now at least, the better.  If anyone was going to go down for what she had said in the meeting, or what was going to be done here soon, it would be her, not her crew.  “I’m going to work in the office, just reworking some design plans on the Angel for Commander Zai, continue on with your work.”  

“Yes Commander.”  He responded with his usual lack of curiosity.  “Is there anything that my shift needed to do for the beacon?”  

“No, that project has been stalled, I’ll be working on it in the morning.  Just go about the regularly scheduled tasks.”  

Again he nodded to her.  “Understood, sir.”  Then he turned and let her finish her trip into the office.  

---

USS Peregrine - CEO Office - 1900

The cups of raktajino were stacking up on her desk, along with the dark little paper cups that held the bite sized chocolates she had been popping in between the sips of coffee.  Her fingers ran through her short dark hair and she scowled a little.  The asteroid was simply too close and too large, and their ship was not equipped for this mission.  

“Seven Billion People… California.  Seven Billion People.”  She frowned and turned to the diagnostic table again.  Scenario after scenario that she had run, however, failed to give her the results she wanted.  Nothing she came up with gave the planet more than 75% chance of survival.  A line of expletives spewed from her, barely heard over the heavy pounding of the rock music she had pumping through the office while she worked.  

They needed a report though, despite the fact that her findings were not yet perfect.  She pulled up her PADD and began to click her fingers across it.  The best course of action was a combination of setting of timed photo torpedoes on one side of the asteroid, timed to go off simultaneously… the ship could then be situated safely on the opposite side and lock the tractor beam onto the asteroid once it began to shift off course and help it along a bit further.  However, the missing torpedos could cause problems for them later on.  A similar plan could be done by using shuttle crafts or phaser beams but the impact would not be as successful as the photon torpedoes.  The report went on to discuss several other lesser options that would be less likely to work, but she wanted to be thorough.  At the bottom she added a small after thought of a note, a post script almost. 

'The deflector shield could be recalibrated to emit a single burst from the dish... aimed at the asteroid it could provided a powerful push, we would be vulnerable for sometime afterward, however.'

It was not the report that she had wanted to send up the chain of command, but time was short and it was what she had.  

Sighing as she popped another chocolate into her mouth she sent it off to Commander Zai, with a note that she would be available at his discretion to go over any points that needed to be, and that after his review he was to send it to the Captain.  

Got caught up with life as well... hope to get something going tomorrow, ideas bouncing around.  

And Eol... I've been trying to get ahold of you, need some help with these Trek terms, but I just can't get you to respond...   So... you know when you get a moment, PM me or something.  

M. 

She got away with it... it was close though.   

I'll have to work up my response here soon.   

M. 

A light rain was still drizzling from the thinning clouds in the sky when Nyx and Cay ducked out of the tavern and into the night.  The simple pale blue dress that Cayrimsa had slipped on after their bath, something else she had procured while Nyx had been scaling the cliffs no doubt, fluttered around her legs in the light breeze as they walked hand in hand toward the edge of the coast.  

Now and then the thin crescent of the moon slipped out between the shifting clouds, stars also danced in and out of view.  The breeze carried on it the crisp salty smell of the ocean.  As they left the streets of the town and moved out into the open fields beyond they could see the choppy waters of the Daranjaya beyond the hazardous line where the earth fell off. 

 As the toes of Nyx’s boots tested the limits of that line, his eyes lifted skyward and the fingers of one hand sought hers. The breeze blowing in from the sea caught the fabric of the silver-gray tunic that hung from his shoulders and, as her fingers interlaced with his, he let his eyes close and welcomed that breeze into his lungs with an uncharacteristically relaxed sigh. “It has been a long time since I have heard a night so quiet,” he whispered, “I had almost forgotten…” Another slow, prolonged breath filled him before his eyes opened again and turned to where Cay stood at his side, “...It is nearly as beautiful as you are, elen en cormamin.” 

Her thumb ran across his fingers as she looked out over the rolling waves.  “Yes… I have forgotten many things as well it seems, something I worked hard on…” she sighed and then turned toward him, looking up into his pale face, the features so elven and yet so dear to her.  Fingers fell from his and then rose up to touch his cheek lightly before turning to the twisted plaits she had made earlier.  “So much has already been reawakened being out here.”  

“Mmmm,” he rumbled, his own hands lifting to feather fingers over the face that had turned up to his, “I anticipate much more to come.” He pressed his lips to hers, then, lingering there tenderly for a long moment before hesitantly breaking away. One palid thumb traced over her lower lip as he smiled adoringly and said; “I hope you will be at my side for it all, Cayrimsa Shyndyn.”

“Oh… Nyx…” she sighed, voice almost pained with the words.  Between them her left hand sought out his left hand, gently entwining their fingers and pulling them close to her breast where her heart had begun to beat wildly.  “I have been thinking about that… a great deal… especially if we are heading east.  I…” her words faltered a little as she lifted her eyes up toward his.  

“Nyx…” she tried again, pulling up onto her toes so she could bring herself closer to his height, whispering into his neck.  “Nyx… we have no kin… I fear the very Gods themselves have forsaken us…”  The breeze rose up then and swept across them, but it was not the reason she trembled as she pressed against him.  

“Pach the gods,” he murmured, his right hand taking hold of hers, “I have you and I am content in that.”

The witch took a step back then, pulling her body off of his although she kept their hands entwined between them.  She took a long breath, looking down at their hands, bathed in the soft blue moonlight.  

“Sina naa camea en meldo lle, astalda ar’ naitea ar’ quanta en mela, kwarien a’camea lle re’na vanda lye a’mela n’at’ilye a’re, tul’re, ar’ ten’oio,” her voice came out in a whisper, soft and slow, reciting the old words she had heard long ago and had never felt she herself would ever say.

The mith’ganni’s eyes widened a bit in delighted surprise and, at the same time, his hold on her hands tightened a bit. “Sina naa camea en mootuva aru lle re’na, alye’, samnuva coia’lye,” he smiled lovingly in reply even as his own heart pounded in his chest at the thought of what these words meant.

“Sina naa camea en tessaya lle ar’ wayaya iire nayeeraya lle ar’ n’tanakaya.”  Amber eyes finally rose up to look into his as she continued with the vows, a warm tear sliding down her cheek as she did.  

He leaned toward her, kissed the tear from her cheek, and straightened again; “Sina naa camea en onaya lle astalda.”

“Sina naa camea en,” the breath caught a little in her chest, but after a slight pause she continued on, “kwaruva alye’nosse vee’er”

“Sina naa camea en, lanotoite lu,” Nyx continued the ancient vows, his own breath shuddering a bit as he did, even though his heart warmed all the more, “psaruva niirie tuulo’ lle elee; niirie en hiraethaya ar’ en alasse’.”

Her left hand tightened around his, while she let go of his right hand.  The free fingers roved up his arm slowly tracing over the soft gauzy material of his tunic as she did.  “Ar’sina naa camea en, linyena iirel, sal’ngwaya ten’lle, sal’onyayad atya’milya n’queyaya a’ mauva.”  

“Iire e’a i’huine en gurtha lye yallume lumuva” Nyx sighed softly, his right hand lifting to her cheek, “ta nauva yassene naa camea sal’nardane, ten’nute lye taminaya n’naaya lacarina.”  

Her fingers had continued their journey up his arm, along his neck and then up to the gentle slope of his ear.  Running along one of the most prominent elven features of the man she loved as she whispered the final lines of the vow.  “Amin sana, verno’amin, quenat, fea, ar’corm, ten’oio.”  

“Amin sana, verne’amin,” Nyx answered, the light of the moon and the stars of Raama sen Estla dancing in the ecstatic tears that had begun to pool in his own eyes, “quenat, fea, ar’corm, ten’oio.” 

Keeping his hand clutched in her own she stepped forward again pressing tightly against him.  Her free hand moving off of his ear to entangle in the braided locks of his hair as  she pulled his head  down to press her lips against his.  

“Amin mela lle,” he whispered, his lips brushing every word against hers before he indulged in the kiss that sealed their oath, “verne’amin.”

The kiss lingered on, tender and loving, before she finally pulled her lips from his.  “Verne… I do like that.  Oh Nyx… you are never going to get rid of me now…”  a light tinkle of laughter came from her as she rested her head against his chest.  

“I never so much as thought such a thing,” he chuckled, his arms sliding around her and holding her to him as he buried his face in her hair, “My life is yours, now, Cayrimsa. Completely and until the stars fall from the sky.”

She smiled at that, her eyes turning to look out over the ocean and the stars beyond.  “If they ever fall, it will be because we’ve brought them down…” she murmured against his chest, the amber in her eyes burning with the thought.  

The End.

Martin is actually going to publish another GOT book?  I figured that after what... 20 years and all the money HBO threw at him that he was done.  

I'm off topic.   

M. 

“Anything?”  Kylo Bensington rose up in his saddle, calling out to Yuri as his horse came galloping back across the field.  

The other man shook his head, ran his tongue along the line of his teeth and then spat into the ground and he pulled his horse back onto the road near where Bensignton had stopped his own.  “Nah… I don’t see hide nor hair of either of them.  I’m not sure they came this way…” Yuri grumbled, looking back down the road they had come along.  

Brooding clouds swept over the darker man’s countenance and he narrowed his eyes, giving his head a small shake as he panned back to the couple of men who were pulling the large oak out of the road.  

Shortly after sending Gregorum back to Drasnia with the cart they had decided to camp for the night on the road, the night had been hot and uncomfortable for all, but had otherwise passed by without cause for alarm.  They had risen early and restarted their hunt, the trail had been easy enough to follow, at first.

Several hours ago they had run into the scene of the slaughter on the road.  Blood dried in thick dark patches across the road, the stench as it rotted in the bright light hitting them hard.  Scraped into the hard packed earth in between the markings of blood were the imprints of feet and horse hoofs, telling the tale of their comrades last moments.  Each man found that the brightness of the day could not remove the darkness that entered their hearts upon the sight.  The scrapings in the earth led back down the road and they had followed the trail of two horses, one with an obviously heavier load than the other, for perhaps another mile or so from there.  Then they had lost the trail.  It felt as if the couple had simply vanished into thin air at that point.  Bensignton knew that simply wasn’t possible, though.  So he had pushed the group on.  

It was around the time that they had lost the trail, though, that the paranoia began to eat at him.  He kept catching shadows in the corners of his vision.  With each one he clutched at the reigns of his horse and jolted in his saddle, certain that he would turn his head and see the grinning skull of the Mith’ganni leering at him over a dark flashing blade.  Again and again, though, he turned his head and found only the empty road, the fields of crops, the empty grassland.  The unease kept building the further down the road they got, and while he said nothing about it, he noticed the other men jumping in their saddles occasionally as well. 

After several hard hours of riding with the paranoia biting at their heels they came upon an ancient tree that had fallen, directly across the entire expanse of the road.  The band of riders came to a halt there.  This development had done nothing to ease their growing fears.  A quick inspection of the tree made it clear that it had fallen recently, and the metallic taste that still lingered in the air around it was not settling well.  

“Get it off de road!”  Bensignton had barked at the men, then singled out Yuri from the pack, “ye go an check de’s fields, see if der’s anything indicatin’ they’ve been thru here.”  

The tree was nearly off the road now and Yuri had returned empty handed.  “De’ Imperial Way should be jus’ a little ahead.  Let’s reach dat… if we donna see any sign o’ dem by den we take it back te Drasnia.  Mebee if we git movin’ we git back a’fore it’s too dark…”  He hailed to the men, thinking to himself that he did not want to be on the road once the sun began to go down. 

“I don’t think that I have ever actually seen him as upset as I did this afternoon.”  Erik smirked and brought the glass of brandy up, swirled the goblet and took a long breath of the heady fumes before taking a drink.  The remnants of their dinner still sat uncleared on the table behind where the two men were sitting.  Both were now sitting comfortably in the high backed chairs near the fireplace, feet up and resting on the small table, sipping on their brandies.

“I can only imagine.  You really brought those heads to him in a basket?”  The other man asked.  He had his pair of long lean legs crossed at the ankles, his feet were bare and the robe he wore was spread open so that the pale skin of his legs were exposed. 

“Just as I said, dropped it right on his desk and demanded an explanation.  Dear Tyban, it was truly priceless.  I swear he stuttered for a moment.”  Erik laughed at the memory of Dmitrova fuming over the delivery of the heads. 

Tyban was settled back in the high backed chair, his one arm draped over the back, the crimson robe edged with gold piping spread open at his chest as well.  “I still don’t understand why he wouldn’t have brought the information about the Mith’ganni and the witch to your attention earlier.”  

Erik shook his head and leaned forward in his own high backed chair to pluck at the cluster of grapes sitting in a bowl on the little table.  On the back of his chair his uniform jacket hung.  His undershirt was loosened at the neck and the sleeves pushed back to his elbows.  “No, not his style.  That arrogant prick doesn’t think he actually needs my help.”  Erik glanced over at Tyban, taking in an eye full of the other man’s delicate features, the pale blue eyes with the slightly almond tilt to them, the soft lips.  

“But you are the Captain of the Imperial Guard.”  Tyban’s shifted and stretched his toes out toward Erik,  allowing them to run along the coarse wool of Erik’s trousers, a playful smirk on those soft lips.  

Toscani swatted at the foot lightly.  “I’m aware.”  

“Are they really a threat?”  The robed man asked, resting his foot on Erik’s thigh comfortably, his tone more serious now.  

Erik shrugged and set down his glass of brandy, taking Tyban’s foot into his hands and kneading his knuckles into the sole.  “Honestly?  I don’t know.  The Mith’ganni has always concerned me.  If he’s done half of the things he’s reported to have done then, yes, he’s a threat.  As for the witch?”  He shrugged a little, “She’s a dark horse, hard to say, she enjoys torture, we know that, but her skills and her crimes have been relatively small to my knowledge.  I am not convinced it is her, though.  I think he’s probably killed her, that woman he was seen with leaving is most likely just some harlot.  However, it’s obvious that Dmitrova’s nervous.”  

Tyban flexed his foot a little under Erik’s manipulation.  “So how do you use that?”  

“Right now?”  He continued the massage, “Nothing.  I’ll just keep my eyes on everything.  However, if this Mith’ganni ever returns to Drasnia I’ll have more to think about.  Dmitrova doesn’t want my help with the situation, though.  I think it’s personal between them.  Nyx left those two desiccated Hellkites out where they would be found, he’s sending a message, but it’s to Dmitrova, not to me.  I might just want to sit back and let the two of them go at each other.  I can clean up whatever is left, if there is anything.  It might be time for Drasnia to get cleaned out anyway, sometimes a good war can get rid of the bad blood.”  

“That sounds dangerous…”  

“Don’t worry love, if I get wind of anything I’ll be sure to get you word.  Get out of town, go to your parent’s villa.”  

“What about you?”  Tyban worried.  

“I can take care of myself.  I promise you.”  Erik grinned and began to run his hand up Tyban’s calf slowly.  “Enough talk about those heathens, though.” 

Mouse wandered down the dark hallway, his grey robes fluttering against the damp stones as he walked.  He rolled his right shoulder while he walked and flexed his right hand, feeling the tension in the shoulder muscles and his hand as he did.  The pain was pleasurable, though, and he found he was more relaxed than he had felt in several days.  A rare smile touched at his lips as he walked.  The rumors that were buzzing throughout the Hydra when he had come out of his room for dinner were that two of the Hellkites sent out after the Wharf Witch and the Moon-elf had returned, or at least part of them had.  Mouse had been careful to avoid Dmitrova, knowing he would be in a bad mood and not wanting to lose the good feeling that he had worked so hard late this afternoon to develop.  

However, a bit of questioning had led him to understand that the heads had been deposited in one of the interrogation rooms downstairs, and so he was here to pay them a visit.  Silently he slipped into the room and eyed the wicker basket hiding under the stained cloth as it sat forlorn on the table in the middle of the room.  He moved over and took on the chairs dragging it across the floor until it sat near the basket and then he sat in it and squared off with the basket.  

He narrowed his eyes and allowed himself to simply take in the presence of it for a moment before he began to pull the cloth off the top of the basket to reveal what was underneath.  The two heads stared back up at him with their three dead blank eyes.  Young white maggots crawled over the pallid flesh leaving trails of mucus behind them as they went.  

The first thing he sensed from the pair was the raw emotions of those who had come into contact with them after they had lost their bodies.  Disgust more than anything else radiated out from them, undercurrents of fear and anger rang out in waves under the disgust.  Mouse pushed those aside, though, they were not what he was interested in now.  He wanted to get at whatever had caused the current state of these heads.  

Slowly he reached out his fingers and touched the image that had been branded into one of the foreheads, and he gasps slightly.  His vision fogged over and a bright pain erupted in the back of his skull as a child’s voice whispered out a song.  Mouse pulled his hand back as if he had burned it and stuck the finger in his mouth, running his tongue over the tip and tasting the sour saltiness. 

“Yes… Ettelenya… I can taste you.”  He sighed as he let his tongue rove around in his mouth, letting his senses explore the flavor deeper.  “With your Dark One… his taste is all over yours.  As I was expecting.”  The sensation hit the back of his throat and he winced a little as it began to slide down his throat.  “Yet… yet I was not expecting the strength of this.”  He let his eyes wander back over the heads.  “No, something has changed, you could not have done that only a few days ago Ettelenya.”  

His long fingers tapped against the top of the table while he considered the implications of what he was sensing.  “When you return I shall have to be careful, won’t I?”  

“Very careful…” He used the table as he pushed up out of the chair.  The cloth dropped back over the basket, and he began to mutter to himself as he swept back out of the room.  “Very… very careful… but have no fear Ettelenya, I shall be ready for you, and your Dark One.  We have unfinished business…” 

This was an interesting article... www.csmonitor.com/Science/2018/0817/How-to-deflect-an-asteroid-hurtling-toward-Earth

Maybe all we need to do is give it a push, or a tug... so the planet and it won't line up when the time comes.  

Or we could paint it white and see what happens...   I lean toward the tug, maybe a tractor beam on it for a few hours, it won't stop it but if it slows it down enough the planet passes out of if's path before it hits... 

Hmm.... 

M.

I lean toward the redirect it.  Less likely to have any major ramifications and/or notice by Starfleet or the Callicans.  Probably also the easiest... we are in a time crunch.  

Also... there have alredy been issues with the memory banks on the Peregrine after Chimera, so whose to say that the earlier scans of the trajectory made by the Peregrine don't somehow become corrupted in the process of trying to fix the memory banks.... Oh Kennedy is just going to dig herself deeper and deeper...    But basically... who knows what the original trajectory was... 

Once she's certain that Drake isn't going to throw her in the brig for lying to him she's likely to make that suggestion.  I've just been holding on until she gets a pass from the Captain before doing anything further.    

M.

Cayrimsa sat on one of the warm stones on the edge of the spring.  Water dripped from her bare skin and dripped onto the stone.  A light breeze came up and brushed along her skin causing goosebumps to rise.  She glanced up and noticed that the bright blue skies had a gathering of small clouds off in the distance.  For now though the sun still shone down brightly and she leaned back a little, taking a long breath as she soaked in the sunlight and the beauty of the spring that Nyx had brought her to.  The pool was small but deep.  The mineraly water held a wide range of gem colors as it’s depth changed.  Near the edge where she was dipping her feet in the water was tourmaline, out in the middle where Nyx was lazily swimming back and forth it dove into deep sapphire.  Around them dark cliffs rose on two sides, there were small veins of lighter rock that glimmered in the late morning sun.  

Quietly she watched Nyx’s lithe body move through the water, and couldn’t help but feel a slight increase in her heartbeats as she did.  Smiling a little she shook her head and tried to pull her thoughts back.  Dragging her eyes from his figure she looked again at the spring itself.  It had been many years since she had actually spent any amount of time out in nature like this.  It was bringing back memories.  For once though, those memories were not painful.  

Something about the day, the colors in the spring, the breeze upon her skin, perhaps even Nyx himself, was stirring memories of a warm day from her childhood.  She closed her eyes and let her mind wander.  The gentle notes from an elven song tugged at her.  Bright colors from the woods and from the costumes that had been worn that day swirled around.  A feast had been set out and her mouth watered at the memories of the way it had smelled and tasted.  Most of all, though, she recalled the young couple that had been the reason for the celebration.  She had been young enough at the time, perhaps only a year or two out of her swaddling dresses, that she had actually taken time that day to imagine what her own joining ceremony might one day be like.  Even now, all these years later, she could recall the pale purple gown she had imagined, the wreath of flowers around her head, and the vague impression of a male elven boy standing beside her in dark blue.  How foolish that had been.  It had only taken a few years for her to realize that that was never going to be her fate.  A woman like her did not get a wedding day, at all, let alone a day in the sun with some kind elven boy who would build her a tent and make her a fire.  

She opened her eyes and took a breath, letting the present wash back over her in waves.  Finally she sat back up and found that Nyx was swimming up to her.  

How does he compare with those childhood fantasies?  

She smiled warmly at him and beckoned him over. 

There was want in his eyes as he rose from the spring and shoved milk-white fingers through raven-black hair. It wasn’t a necessarily lascivious want - though there was a tinge of lust to it - rather, it was more a longing, a satisfaction, and a love that shone from those typically cold yellow eyes. Smiling, he waded up between her knees, rested his hands on her thighs, and leaned in to kiss her rose petal lips. “You summoned,” he purred softly, “my Mistress?”  

“Turn around… come sit here…” she spread her legs and patted the rock between them indicating where she’d like him.

As she opened the gates, Nyx waded closer, stooping to playfully nip and flick his tongue along her inner thigh as he advanced.

  “No… you behave…” Cay chastised, swatting at him in the midst of his antics, “...I want to do something.  Come sit with your back to me.”  

When he complied she curled her legs around his thighs and ran her fingers down his back, letting them slide carefully down the roots of her tree and then rising up along the growing trunk.  She placed a kiss on the blade of his shoulder and then pulled back slightly.  Her fingers began to pull through his hair.  Gently she detangled the wet dark locks.  Memory came back to her and she began to pull the locks into strands.  With each twist of each lock and the movement of her fingers an elaborate elven braid began to weave into his long hair.  Inch by inch the braid grew until at last it tapered off and she tied it off.  

Finished she smiled at her work and then closed the distance between them again, pressing her warm still damp body up against his back and wrapping her arms under his and around to his scarred chest.  Her lips fell back to his shoulder and she sighed contentedly.  

“I didn’t know that I could still do that…” 

Nyx had languished in every stroke of her fingers as Cay wove the intricate plaits into his hair and the sigh that escaped him when she finished was equal measures of pleasure and disappointment. “Has it been so long?” he chuckled huskily, leaning back into her, “I seem to recall that it was not so long ago that you made me feel like that.”

“The braid, you brute…”  she laughed.  “I know full well what I am capable of making you feel…”  

“I don’t know that you truly do,” he chuckled, his eyes slipping shut, his fingers playing lightly along her legs, “but I’ll not argue, arwenamin.” He sighed softly, settling a bit heavier between her legs. “It has been a long time since I’ve been this relaxed, Cay,” he almost whispered, “Diola lle.”

In response she simply held him tightly for a moment then relaxed against him and allowed the peaceful quiet bubbling of the spring to say whatever else needed to be said. 

Oh... please be kind to Ken... I'm getting so nervous waiting...  

And Rer... I miss her.  No I haven't heard from her, but since I've been AWOL that isn't surprising.  

And ohh... game... although I'd have to slow down a little on Fates, which has become a bit more than an obsession lately.   

M. 

Honestly she kind of hopes he sees through it and gets what she's up to... but she knows she's walking a thin line here.  

I've been sitting on this for over a week now!  So don't get me talking about itching to get to it! 

M. 

I think she might have studied Scott's handiwork when it comes to timing  

M.

Well... Kennedy's working on some of the Prime Directive stuff... might have a bit  more up her sleeve where that is concerned if Drake doesn't read her riot act on what she just did   

As for plans for the asteroid, I really am glad that you all are doing Kennedy's job here.    I got nothing, I'm a great CEO.  

M. 

Stardate: 2365.05.15 

USS Peregrine, Deck 1, Officers’ Lounge - 16:30

Kennedy had been one of the last officers to find her way into the Lounge, she was still adjusting the lines of her freshly pressed uniform into place as she slipped into one of the last chairs.  She bobbed her head to everyone and moments later the Captain began to speak.

With each word her heart grew heavier, and she found her eyes wandering out toward the view screen and into the darkness where the planet in peril sat.  

“Commander Kennedy,” he spoke, “I need to know how much longer the beacon repairs will take.  You know the capabilities of the ship better than anyone, so I certainly want you brainstorming solutions to the asteroid.”

She gave her Captain a slight nod, then rose, putting up a finger to excuse herself momentarily from the table.  As she wandered over toward a corner in the room memories of a situation on the USS Gallant where the Prime Directive was up to debate came back to her.  She recalled that they had needed three things to do what needed to be done:  First, time to make the right decisions - then, a well thought out plan to follow through with - finally, after it was all said and done, deniability.  Without hesitating she tapped on her Commbadge and spoke quietly into it from her position in the corner. 

“Kennedy to Lt. Sa’eridon.”

=^=Sa’eridon here sir… what can I do for you?=^= Her aCEO spoke up quickly, sounding almost slightly surprised to be contacted at that moment. 

“I wanted an update on the progress of the beacon repairs.”  She spoke calmly and evenly. 

=^=We are making good progress, sir.  The casing has been removed and we are working on the internal repairs, Toporov is doing the rewiring right now.=^=

“Good to hear.  Go ahead and finish the wiring requirements.  Once that is done, you simply need to reprogram the unit and install the new casing?  Correct?”

=^=Yes Commander, this has been going well.=^=

She nodded to herself and then continued, “Very good to hear.  However, the replicators are malfunctioning again, I’m afraid that you won’t be able to replace the casing at the moment.  We are going to need to hold off on the new location programming right now as well.”

There was a slight pause on the other end, Kennedy stood there, her head slightly bent as she waited for the cat-woman to reply.  =^=Sir… I was unaware--- =^= Sa’eridon’s voice was laced with confusion, and Kennedy could almost see her pulling up her PADD and furiously picking at it, looking for work orders, complaints and diagnostic information on the replicators.  Before she could finish, however, Kennedy interrupted her.  Kennedy’s words came out slowly and with a firmness she hadn’t used before this point. 

“Lieutenant.  The replicators… are malfunctioning.  You will not be able to finish the repairs… for now.  Please finish the wiring.  You and your team have already gone past your shifts.  You have done an exemplary job.  Once the wiring is done you are relieved… for the evening.  I will handle anything else that comes up tonight.”

This time the pause from her assistant was longer, but finally she spoke back to her commander.  =^=Yes sir.  I understand sir.  If you need any help with the replicators let me know.=^=

“Assuredly.  Good evening.”  Kennedy finished up and then moved back to the table.  

She sat down and folded her hands neatly on the table.  A pallid expression was still on her face, any poker players in the room were surely taking note.  “Captain.  It seems that there is an issue with the replicators and a new casing for the navigation beacon cannot be fabricated at this time.  I will begin working on a fix to this problem as soon as I can.  In the meantime I believe we will need to stay in the system until the repairs can be completed, it could be a day or two.”  Now we have time to figure out our plan.

Unblinking she looked directly at Drake as she finished up.  While she had spoken to Sa’eridon she had done her best to keep up with the conversation going on behind her, and thus was ready when Zai turned to her. 

“Commander Kennedy, we need to know the impact and ramifications that a combined tractor-tow and pressor-beam push from the Peregrine and our full contingent of Heavies might have where altering the asteroid’s course is concerned.”  

Again she bobbed her head.  “Yes Commander.  I will begin looking into all of this immediately.”

The witch sat before the little campfire pulling her hair into a braid while a small pot simmered.  Before her she had spread out the little bag of dried fruit and was meticulously going through it, separating out the small dark blue colored berries from the rest and putting them into one the little cups she had found in their supplies.  After resting, and reconnecting, with Nyx the night before she seemed to be in a much better place than she had the night before.  

“Is the plan to follow along behind the caravan today?  Make sure that everything goes according to design?”  she inquired, popping one of the berries into her mouth, then going back to her sorting. 

“Uma,” he nodded, glancing at her over his shoulder before turning back to his brushing of the horses. “Ahead, behind, alongside; I suppose it shouldn’t matter so long as that wheel fails.”

“I need some things… we should keep our eyes open for them while we are out on the road.”  She paused a moment to begin a mental tab of her current list of desires, “Cinter mushrooms, a few pounds of green moss, the brighter the better although I know the colors are fading… I’d love to find some violets or dandelions, but that might be difficult this late in the season.  The wood I can probably gather here.”  She glanced around at the trees surrounding their little campsite.  “Although a good strong mahogany would probably be better.”  She glanced up at Nyx and smirked.  “Also a lake, or perhaps a wide river might also be a good idea.  And by chance can you whittle?”  

Nyx made mental notes as Cay listed off the things she wanted to gather - very few of them would be hard to come by, he imagined - when she got to the bit about the wood, though, and asked if he could whittle, he spiked a curious brow and stopped his tending of the ponies. “I suppose, melamin, that all depends on what you want crafted,” he offered as he padded across the clearing and settled onto the blanket next to her.

As he sat down she put her hand over the top of the cup full of berries and moved it so it was no longer between them.  Pointing a finger at him she warned, “You eat these, I kill you.  No questions asked.”

He chuckled, lifting his hands in acquiescence. “I’ll not even look at them again.”

“ I need a loom,” she continued, “ Nothing elaborate, something small.  I think I can manage with one, perhaps a foot square?  It’s really not much more than a square with heddles cut out of two sides.  A few wefts to hold the thread would also be nice.”  

“I think I can manage that,” he nodded, offering a bit of a nostalgic grin, “It has been quite some time but I do have some experience in crafting looms.”

She leaned forward and checked on the coffee she had boiling in the pot.  “Almost ready.  The horses doing well?  I hope I didn’t scare Devil too much last night.” 

“I think they’ll be fine,” Nyx returned, lifting his eyes to the animals for a moment, “Devil is a bit skittish, yet, but…” he shrugged vaguely as his gaze returned to Cay, “...I’ll break him of that soon enough.”

“No doubt…”  She smiled and found two cups not overloaded with dried berries and began to pour them each a cup.  “I had a dream this morning.  I was with Taellyn… we were weaving.”  She handed him a cup and then blew over the steam rising from her own.  “The details are a little fuzzy this morning, no thanks to you…” she gave him a light nudge and then tried to sip the hot dark liquid.  “But… I need something to ground myself, the spells, they keep slipping, they need to be tied off, tucked into the fabric of what I am doing…”  The coffee was warm and comforting as it went down and she smiled.  “So I need to build that, and I think it’s going to be better if I don’t use any magic to make it… if that makes any sense,”  struggling a little. 

Another soft smile played at his lips when she told him of her dream. He blew the steam from the cup of coffee and took a sip, nodding as she made her analogies where her weaving and magic were concerned. “Amin rangwa,” he said, cradling his cup between his hands, his gaze scanning the trees lining their camp for a suitable specimen, “My knowledge of magic is nothing compared to yours but the bit about weaving makes sense.”

“Hopefully it will work…”  She gave him a smile, knowing all too well how much he’s been worried about her recently.  “So don’t eat these berries.  I need them to dye my threads.  I suppose we should finish up around here though, get back on the road, not that that camp was going to be moving too quickly this morning I have a feeling…” 

Mahogany may be difficult to come by, Nyx had been thinking, perhaps walnut or maple? He set the thought aside, though, when she expressed her hopes that a loom would serve the purpose she thought it might. “Well, if that old crone visited you in your dreaming,” he smiled around the lip of his mug, “I have little doubt that it is just so.” Nyx’s smile turned almost mischievous, then, and he nodded at her cup of prized berries; “I promise, too, that those will be safe from my lips, arwenamin… I cannot make the same promise where you are concerned, though.”

She wrinkled her nose slightly and shook her head.  “Not until we find that lake I mentioned…”  

He leaned toward her, kissed her cheek and, then, rose smoothly to his feet. “The Reyal is behind us,” he said, “but I believe I can manage to find somewhere passable for you to bathe close by.” He sipped at his coffee again, and padded a few steps toward the horses. “After the night the senator’s camp had… not to mention the sheer size of the thing… I imagine it will be another couple of hours before they’re on the road; we should have plenty of time, yes?”

She took an extra moment at the blanket to clean up from her berry sorting and then rose as well following after him.  When she reached the little filly she ran her fingers through her mane and offered up a small handful of the berries she wouldn’t be using for dyes to the creature.  “Plenty of time, he says… of course we’ll have to see if he just lets me bathe or has other things in mind.  He keeps getting distracted, doesn’t he?  I know… Quilde’Er… you’ll be content either way though.”  Turning to Nyx,  “Well then, lead the way…”  

“Quilde’Er,” Nyx nodded, smiling as he watched her with the filly, “Very fitting.” He drained the rest of his coffee away, tossed the empty mug back toward the blanket, and then took Cay’s hand in his. “Come, melamin,” he said, leading her to the edge of the clearing, “ When I was hunting, yesterday, I believe I saw a spring that should suit your purpose. I’ll try to not get too distracted, yes?”

Lacing her fingers in his she grinned.  “Liar…”  And then lets him lead her out to the spring.  

Did you send Kennedy an invite?  

Although, after what she's going to do at the meeting she might get that revoked.   

M.