Species 329

by StarTrekBorderlands

Species 329 follows the story of Kal, a Kazon who wants to be assimilated, drawn to the Borg collective to the extent of crazed worship, Kal wants to escape the pain of loss and never again be alone... unfortunately for Kal, Kazons just so happen to be unworthy of assimilation... Written using posts of the PBEM RPG Star Trek Borderlands startrekborderlands(dot)com

10. Chapter 9

h1 style="color: #222222; text-align: center; margin: 0cm 0cm 3.6pt; font-family: Electrolize, sans-serif;"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"span lang="EN-CA"Chapter Nine/span/span/h1
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt;"emspan lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Location: Sentinel Station, "Holideck"/span/span/em/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"The Holodeck had been programmed with a wintery scene. There was a wintery glade, in the center was a very large bonfire. Heat could be felt from the holographic fire. Around the fire were wood benches. A leantoo structure with Pine boughs for a roof housed the bar, and bartender. A wood platformed served as a dance stage. Through the magic of holotechnology, the light snow that fell, did not fall on the wood, which remained dry and unslippery. A DJ played music, coordinating lights with the music. Ariana went to the DJ, and had the volume turned down just a bit, she wanted the guests to be able to talk as well as dance./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon thought he could hear the music down the corridor. He checked his breath, made sure his outfit was presentable and stepped up to the holodeck doors./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"A scientist wearing a lab coat over a parka, pushed his glasses higher onto his nose. "Five minutes," he muttered. "Then we're back to the lab." He pushed past the hesitant pilot, "Excuse me..."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"The marine pilot felt underdressed. His sweater was plain without blinking lights or noisy ornamentation. His entire wardrobe was black, grey and drab green. If he left immediately, he could visit a shop on the promenade and come back./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Mahlon!" called the waving blonde, seeing Avinbruch, bouncing over to greet him. She was dressed in a flirty skirt, leggings and Furry Uhg boots. She wore a red ski vest for warmth, and white gloves with the fingers removed. Her hair was let down, wavey and flowing./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh. Hey Ariana." He leaned in for a hug and regretted it even as he was doing it./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana gave a laugh, sloshing her drink, trying to get it out of the way of the advancing pilot. She held the drink high as he hugged her, she wrapped an arm around him, returning the hug./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""This place looks great."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Come on, let's get you a drink," said Ariana turning towards the bar. She didn't grab his hand, although the thought crossed her mind./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Scotch. Neat." he asked the bartender./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""All drinks come on the rocks," she said with a wink. "It's just the way we roll."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He gave her a smirk. Only hours later would be get the joke from the station's junior geologist./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Three Scientists sat huddled close together, sipping rum through straws. "Hey Ariana."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Hey Guys," said Ariana. She whispered to Mahlon. "Geneticists."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Right." He would never get that joke./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal felt uncomfortable as he came into the holodeck, he was not used to social occasions. The simulated cold air caught him by surprise. Kal had not been outside, either in real life or in simulation for a very long time, he had spent just about 10 years aboard starships or in his shuttle. He was wearing a long black winter coat and equally black gloves. He looked to the inviting fire and headed towards it having noticed Ariana, he wanted to thank her for the invitation. He stood rather awkwardly, not wanting to interrupt the conversation./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Who's that?" Mahlon had not encountered many Kazon. In the fifty years since the Federation first explored the Delta Quadrant, the Kazon had seen their territory shrink and turned towards in-fighting./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana looked over to where Mahlon had pointed out. A Kazon was standing there, an unusual sight, if one of Ariana's best friends had not been a Kazon back at the academy. "Oh, Hello there," she said./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Hello, I just wanted to thank you for the invitation." He said with a nervous smile "I'm new to the station and so it's nice to get the opportunity to meet people."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Well, welcome. I am Ariana," she paused, "DFA Ensign Ariana Serota, but you can call me Ariana." She elbowed a silent Mahlon./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I'm Mahlon." The pilot left out his rank and position. There was no need to mention he was a Marine./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Four." He said, deciding on the name he had given to Husar./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Four? That's an odd name." She paused and smiled. "Are you a Bynar?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal returned the smile, he was used to explaining (or not explaining) his unusual designation. "It's um… kind of a nickname." He explained "My given name is Kal but I hate it." he blushed, it was not often that he talked to other people... well except for Husar and she generally did most of the actual talking./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""It took a long time to appreciate my name." replied the marine. "Mahlon is an ancient human name passed down through my family."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He handed Ariana a box of cupcakes he had copied into the replicator from his gift from Seket the other day "The database said it was appropriate to bring a gift?" He explained unsurely "I don't know much about this holiday I'm afraid but I hope that you like them."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""They look delicious," Ariana said appreciatively. "Thank you, Four."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Have you stopped by the bar?" Mahlon wasn't sure he liked his scotch on the rocks./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Yeah, Grab a drink, they have a volcano that is flaming, and you could warm up by the fire." said Ariana./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal smiled and took the offered drink. emSo many things I've been consuming lately/em he thought but it was so nice to taste actual food and drink, it made him doubt his self-imposed restrictions… but soon the overwhelming madness and worship which induced them would return to put him back into his dietary prison./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""It's really good." he commented, sitting close to the fire and warming his hands./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"emspan lang="EN-CA"Oh can't you just let me enjoy it?/span/emspan lang="EN-CA" Kal silently asked the voices in his head but of course the answer was no./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""So what do you two do?" he asked "On the station I mean?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Geo-physicist," responded Ariana. "Studying the physics of the Dyson Sphere. And an exchange officer for the DFA," she said with a bit of pride./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh a geologist? I'm um... I'm a scientist to... but I guess you knew that from finding me for the invite… um..." He blushed again and inwardly chastised himself for his awkwardness./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana sighed. Geologist...She was trying to impress Lt Avinbruch, Four was not helping./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I'm a pilot. Mostly ferrying scientists." Mahlon described the most non-threatening part of his job. After dropping Ariana off in Oka after the quake, he had lead a Strike Group, boarded an intelligent alien ship, rescued it's sole living inhabitant and then utterly destroyed it. "What is your area of specialty?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Xenobiolgy." Kal said "I'm using the deflector array because there's a Borg cube in the area and that's my specialty." he replied honestly, but carefully, always having to be careful not to say too much was another reason Kal was so isolated./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Cool."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Yeah...cool." She added, trying to remain cheerful./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""You said you're from the DFA right?" Kal asked the women mostly to move the conversation away from himself, he'd feel very awkward if people asked for the reasons for his... interests./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Yes," said Ariana. "We pride ourselves on our independence, and our offer of assistance to any that ask for it," said Ariana. "What about you?" she asked, glancing over to Mahlon, encouraging him to help in this awkward conversation./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Must be a difficult area of study, Borg xenobiology." Mahlon wondered if the Kazon was putting the moves on Ariana. He had struck out twice but he didn't want to lose her to the new kid./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal would have laughed had he known what Mahlon was thinking. Of course he couldn't deny an attraction to the pretty bubbly girl, her personality seemed so counter to his miserable state, but he was pretty sure she was way out of his league. He had little self-confidence and couldn't imagine Ariana would have even the slightest interest in him, and even if she did, Kal would not allow himself that kind of relationship. He would not even allow himself close friends... it was too risky... they might die and leave him, like everyone else he'd ever cared about. /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Well I've been in and out several Borg vessels and..." Kal began but was cut off/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana jumped on Kal's comment. "Really? That is so interesting." She put her hand on his arm. "When did you meet them?" A xenobiologist's encounter with another species must be an interesting occurrence./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh getting onto Borg vessels isn't so difficult." He said "If you go alone and aren't threatening they just ignore you." He sighed "and I'm unworthy of assimilation anyway so there isn't much risk of that."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I don't think I could voluntarily beam aboard a Borg Vessel." said Ariana truthfully. "But you have?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""My first encounter was 10 years ago, the vessel I was on was attacked." He said "They took everyone... except me, I was rescued by a DFA vessel actually"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Really? Was it the Cromwell?" Ariana asked. Not that she believed it would be, but she was homesick./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I don't think so..." Kal said, trying to think "But I don't remember that well, I was thrown by a drone of a wall... at least I think it was a wall... and I hit my head pretty bad, I was in and out of consciousness"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""You were manhandled by a Borg without being assimilated?" Mahlon couldn't believe the story. He had seen holo-recreations of Borg assimilation right down to the nanotubes./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""When I woke up the doctor told me that the Borg didn't take me because my species is unworthy of assimilation." He said, he tried to his best keep his expression neutral but the memory was clearly a very painful one./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana glanced at Mahlon. "It's not that you are unworthy..." she said. She looked to Mahlon to give a reasonable explanation./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""The Borg must have already assimilated all of the technology of the Kazon, and, um, don't need any more people." Mahlon had heard about a species or two in the same boat. He tried to remember a case study, Brunali maybe, that lived near a transwarp junction but had never been wholly assimilated. Even then a few individuals got assimilated from time to time/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh but I am unworthy." He said with a sigh "Our whole species is unworthy, I think it's because of all the wars and because of the Trabe... we were freed from the Trabe only to keep trying to destroy ourselves with civil wars so we haven't really made much advancement... there's nothing the Borg would have any interest in assimilating." He gave Ariana a despondent look, it was a difficult topic for him./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Nonsense," Arana contradicted. "It's more like you are a secret agent and able to sneak aboard enemy vessels," said Ariana. "Think about it. Sneaking aboard the Borg cubes, planting devices to spy on the enemy who seeks to destroy individual's lives..."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal offered something of a forced smile, he couldn't very well tell her that he worshiped the Borg, he felt very jealous of those individuals whose lives were 'destroyed'./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Then he shook his head, it was something he tended to feel conflicted about, some lives emwere/em destroyed, how could he argue that? He wanted to be assimilated so that he didn't have to think, or feel, about his loss anymore, and so that he didn't have to be so alone… but he couldn't help but empathize with those people who had lost their friends and families to the Borg./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He didn't really feel much sympathy for those who were assimilated, but he felt a great deal for those who were left behind, those who would never be with their families again./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He tried to push the thought away, not wanting to criticize the actions of those he worshiped, but he felt guilty. Kal was not really someone who wanted to cause others pain, he just wanted to escape his own./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I'm sorry." was all the marine pilot could offer in response./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Perhaps we could change to a lighter subject" he said trying to shake away the pain "It is Christmas after all." he grinned, wondering if he ought to have said that… he'd only just learned about the holiday's existence./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""How about a dance?" asked Ariana./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon shook his head. He was not a dancer. Not even for a girl as pretty as Ariana./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""You asked if I was rescued by the Cromwell, is that where you served Ariana?" Kal asked./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon was sure the Kazon was trying to put the moves on his girl. He shouldn't've felt threatened. "I'm a Marine."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""A Marine pilot," Ariana said trying to bolster Mahlon's standing, and confidence. She was still a little unsure since he turned down her offer to dance. What was it with boys and dancing?/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Thanks." Mahlon emwas/em a pilot but he wanted to leave that part out. He was more imposing if people thought he was a ground-pounder. "I'm going to take Ariana on a trip around the Sphere. Picnic lunch."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""We're looking for impact craters," said Ariana, as if that was such a typical thing to do on a date. Suddenly she let out a high pitched squeal. /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Eiwan waved at the geologist from across the room./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana bounced across the room and gave Eiwan a hug hug. "It is has been Ages!" the geologist said. "And that is saying something from someone who thinks an epoch is just a chapter of time." she said with a grin. "Come and meet Mahlon, and Four."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Hi." Eiwan had traded the PaDD that seemed glued to her forehand for a drink. It was a swirling mixture of fruit juices. She had a smaller PaDD in a concealed pocket just in case. "I'm Eiwan. Engineering."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""My name is Four, it's nice to meet you." Kal said shaking her hand "Eiwan?" Kal asked trying to remember where he'd heard the name. "Oh!" He exclaimed "I believe it was you who helped me last night with the deflector array?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""It was. So nice to put a face to a voice." Eiwan beamed./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I would have introduced myself as Kal, that's my official name." He admitted a bit reluctantly "So that's what's on the system, it was me who called up trying to find a Borg cube." He explained, wondering if the Engineer would remember him, he probably had a lot of calls, although perhaps not so many trying to find Borg cubes at 5 o'clock in the morning./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""So nice to meet you." So few Kazon lived within Federation space. "What brings you to Sentinel?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Research." Kal said half smiling, he was always quite happy to talk about his research but at the same time always worried he would give away too many details "I um... I'm a xenobiolgist and I specialise in the Borg, I was attracted here because of rumour of a cube in the area."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon raised an eyebrow. He wasn't going to enter the conversation. He knew full well there had been a Cube in the vicinity. "Not exactly a lighter subject."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I didn't find it exactly but I got a good idea of where it is." He said enthusiastically but then his mouth quickly closed "Of course I'll need to go through the proper channels to go there." He lied./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal had every intention of heading straight for the location of that cube in his shuttle, he would probably be disappointed to find it was no longer there./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""You study the Borg?" Eiwan questioned./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh um... just for the err… thrill." He said telling a half truth, he couldn't very well tell them about his plan to create a nanoprobe virus!/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon looked over to Ariana. He was hoping for some alone time./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"The look was missed by Ariana. "We could talk about where we come from..." suggested the scientist, thinking Mahlon still wanted a lighter subject./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal had been glancing around the room for some time, looking frustrated./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Are you looking for someone?" asked Eiwan. She wasn't sure how to read Kal. He seemed so inwardly focused./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I'm waiting for someone." He explained "A friend... and my employer."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He wondered if Husar was late or if she just wasn't coming, she had after all only given him a 'maybe'. He suddenly realised with surprise that he cared. He felt uncomfortable at the thought, was he getting too close to Husar? He couldn't allow that to happen, she might die and leave him!/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal looked very agitated and distracted as he continued to argue with the demons in his head. He tried to shake them away and returned to his conversation./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""It is pretty thrilling." He said with a grin "Any if you are welcome to come."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"emspan lang="EN-CA"Did I just say that?!/span/emspan lang="EN-CA" The Kazon thought emNo one else can come, it's a nanoprobe extraction mission not a holiday!/em/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Inwardly he chastised himself and hoped no one would actually accept his offer, maybe they'd think he was joking./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"emspan lang="EN-CA"Four of Six you must think before you speak! /span/emspan lang="EN-CA"He thought irritably to himself./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Your employer?" Eiwan followed Kal's gaze./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""This looks like a private party...I trust the invitation has not been rescinded." Husar came from behind the Kazon, trusting he would not jump too much. She had decided he was rather too nervous and jittery to be approached without caution - then again most none Cardassians were weird and baffling./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Husar!" Kal said, pleased to see the Cardassian women "I was afraid you wouldn't make it."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Husar gave a vaguely apologetic bow, "I would have been here sooner but you know...work...work… work. People always wanting those last minute gifts, why I would swear there was some Federation holiday or something." She deliberately looked around the room at the decorations, "Why perhaps there is, it looks quite splendid!"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""It's called Christmas, a celebration from Earth." Kal explained, although he knew she probably knew that and was probably trying to make 'contacts'. "Ariana arranged everything I think." He smiled and thought suddenly that it might be a good idea to help Husar make her contacts... perhaps if he did well... she would let him have something from the box./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Excuse me, where are my manners?" Kal said turning to face the others and attempting to sound confident (a failed attempt but he did try) "This is Husar, she has a wonderful shop on the promenade, you should come by and visit sometime" He looked at Husar like a puppy performing a trick, hoping that she would be pleased with him "And Husar, this is Ariana, Eiwan and Mahlon."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Eiwan was sure she'd met Husar before but couldn't remember the circumstance.. "Hello."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Hi." said Mahlon with a nod. He wasn't having any luck leading Ariana away./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""We've met," said Ariana, perhaps a bit coolly. Let her figure out when and where. But Ariana continued on a lighter note. "I am glad you were able to come," she told Husar. "Although I don't think we ordered up any Kanar for the party, would you like me to replicate you some?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""How gracious!" Husar bowed rather more deeply than usual, "However in the spirit of good fellowship, I would be willing to try something none Cardassian. I have heard of something called punching...or is it punch?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Lieutenant Commander Favor stepped inside the Holodeck amused by the temporary respelling of the room. As he looked around, though, it made sense. The simulation could pretty well be described as a winter wonderland. /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He wore a parka. It was bright green with white fur around the inner hood lining and at the cuffs. His pants were dark and he wore heavy boots with deep treads. He had after all been told that it would be snowing. /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He noted who was there and several notable people who were not. Ensign Serota was amidst a group that was very actively discussing something. They looked to be having a very enjoyable and engrossing conversation. /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Well, he wasn't one to bust a party. He walked off in a different direction. Ultimately he wanted to get to the bar. Did they serve hot chocolate? Inquiring minds wanted to know./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Favor remembered the last time he'd been invited to such an event. He had gone, but in a wheelchair due to the handicap of being an Elaysian in a heavy gravity environment. Friends of his had been saddened by the prospect that he wouldn't be able to ski or take advantage of other winter events, so they had offered to lower the gravity within the holodeck. The result had been that the entire simulation acted like a shaken snow globe. White powder drifted in all directions. So did several of the people. The partygoers loved it for about 10 minutes, then several requested gravity be restored. It had been fun while it lasted./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Toraith had appeared wondered where he was "Now I'm looking around he called out where am I" no one could hear him, he went over to Ariana and tapped her on the shoulder, his hand went right through her as if she was a hologram./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana noticed Commander Favor arrive and was pleased. She really didn't think he would have come to a party with so many less important people. She had taken a chance sending him the invite./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"On Cromwell, it was always informal on the holodeck, then back to business on the working decks. Starfleet was (much to Ariana's annoyance) always formal and military. She involuntarily fell into the formal role as she turned to the group she was chatting with, walking right through the Gorn/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""If you'll excuse me a moment, I have to greet my supervisor, Commander Favor." /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Eiwan had already taken off to speak to him, she hoped that would not make her look like a poor hostess. Eiwan felt a chill. It wasn't the simulated snow. There was an odd relationship between Kal and Husar. It would be rude to step away. "Lionin."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Chief!" The Elaysian called loudly. "Good to see that you're here too." His smile seemed a little off. Though he had a white mustache, his upper lip was colored brown.../span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""What are you drinking?" asked the Himpanwei engineer./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Hot chocolate." Favor said. "It's the perfect drink for a Christmas party. "How about you?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Blended fruit pulp with ice." Eiwan's people could tolerate some fermented drinks. Human wine was so devoid of texture. The more exotic ales were entirely unsuitable for her species. "A virgin daquiri."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Commander Favor, Thank you for coming," said Ariana in an even pleasant voice while she stood at ease, hands behind her back./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""It is my pleasure, my dear." The Lt. Commander lifter her hand to his lips and kissed it. His eyes rose to meet hers finding a look of shock in them when he got there... "What? This is a party. We're not on duty, today, Ensign."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I thought Starfleet was so careful about keeping the vertical hierarchy out of the, um, horizontal exercises," said the DFA officer./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"A woman in a stocking hat came over to the group with Husar, Four and Mahlon... /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Merry Christmas," she said with only a hint of a slur. Her tone was more controlled than her alcohol level. But perhaps the clue was the small fishing pole sprouting from the front of her cap which held a twig of leaves dangling in front of her, that only caused her to look cross eyed when she tried to focus on the mistletoe./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Um... Merry Christmas..." Kal said awkwardly, noting that the women was getting far closer to him than he was comfortable with "Your hat is ... interesting..." He said, awkwardly backing away... she was getting very close! /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"The woman moved in close, so the Mistletoe hung over the pair of them. She was just a few inches from the Kazon. "It is a tradition, when you meet someone under the mistletoe, you have to kiss them." She glanced up at the mistletoe, giving Kal a knowing look, which to most bystanders came across as hoping she would remain upright... She puckered up, ready to accept the kiss.../span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal blushed so much that his cheeks looked unusually scarlet against his relatively pale complexion, he didn't want to cause any offense so he quickly pecked the women's lips and then felt even more awkward./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal was not great with people, he had spent the past ten years in isolation... He looked shyly away and opened his mouth a few times to speak, but no words came out, he was clearly very relieved when she moved her attentions to Mahlon, he used that moment to sneak away to the bar./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"The woman with the mistletoe hat moved to Mahlon's personal space, and looked up expectantly./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"While Favor answered Eiwan's question, Ariana glanced back at Mahlon, her expression falling seeing him with the woman./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon raised a hand and stepped back. "I have a contagious, um, virus. I have to follow medical advice."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal walked uncomfortably to the bar, still looking as though he was recovering from a phaser blast. He stared at the bartender, realizing he had no clue what to order and had really just came here to escape./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""What'll it be, son?" He had been waiting for someone to come over and drink (and tip generously of course). His good ol' buddy Gaspar had told him of this party and he had known the man before he became French or Japanese or whatever it was he claimed to be. So Oskar played his part, finished cleaning the glass (which didn't really need it) and waited./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh... uh... yeah...I…um... I don't really know... anything you'd recommend?" He asked, not knowing what he wanted to order, he was used to his nutrient supplements so anything would have been new./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""How's about a beer...that might be a safe starting point." Not waiting for a response he located the weakest synthehol. The kid looked like a sneeze would knock him over so Oskar was not about to give him something strong./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Thanks." Kal said "That'd um… that'd be great."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""No problem kid," Almost casually he pushed forward the tip jar and just waited. In vain. Quietly Kal sipped his drink. There were so many people… for someone who wanted to be assimilated Kal felt very uncomfortable in large groups of people, they tended to make him nervous./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He suddenly realized that he was being rude, he had invited Husar after all... he should probably return and talk to her, he ordered another 3 of what he had and brought the drinks back to the group./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""You are drinking." Husar said with a tone that was partially judgmental and partially disbelieving… "You had better not show up inebriated tomorrow"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal grinned, he was a little surprised with himself, but he figured that if he was going to be inefficient and attend a party then he might as well try some new tastes as well "I'll be showing up perfectly sober, and I might even be awake tomorrow as well." he promised./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon managed to step far enough from the mistletoe-bearing woman that she had chosen a closer, easier mark. He breathed a sigh of relief… He looked around for Ariana hoping she hadn't seen him just then… She had disappeared into the crowd.../span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""F..four..." Kal answered the missletoe women "W..wh.. whats your name?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Whomever you wish it to be lad," slurred the woman. "Could I wash your hair?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Wa..wash my hair?!" Kal asked, wondering if he'd heard her right, he looked rather desperately at Husar and thenawkwardly back at themistletoe-toe women, not quite knowing what to say "I'm um... its meant to be shaved but it grows back so quick.." He trailed off, really having no idea what to say and wishing he could turn himself invisible…/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Husar sat down at the bar, "Either fruity punch or kanar..." She said, stirring the humanoid bartender into action. He looked rather sluggish and dull, rather like something found at the bottom of a pond. Then again she felt the same way about many sarrku. "You can put it on my tab."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""So... what do you do on the station?" Kal awkwardly asked the women, he really wasn't good with small talk and was beginning to wish that he was back in his lab dwelling in his own comfortable misery rather than out here... with all of these… people./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon looked around for someone he knew. The room was feeling stuffy. There was a balcony that might offer some fresh air./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"The Woman with the mistletoe frowned and Mahlon deviated his course. Instead she set her sights on a pair of twins on the far side of the fire. She headed around the fire, sloshing drink in hand. She would wonder where one would have gone when she arrived, despite the man's insistence he had no twin./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Husar leaned back to study Kal and the female, "Is this some mating ritual amongst humanoids..." She said, more to herself than anyone but Oskar shrugged and put down some beer in front of the pair./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"If Husar was any judge Kal was looking out of his depth and uncomfortable. So much the same as always. She snorted and sipped at the fruit concoction which was actually good. And the entertainment was a bonus./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal's earlier blush returned at Husar's comment and all he could think was emFrak I hope not!/em Husar was right, he was uncomfortable and WAY out of his depth.../span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"He didn't know anything much about basic social interactions, let alone 'mating rituals'! But no... surely she could not be flirting with emhim/em. Kal had virtually no self-confidence, he was unworthy of assimilation and so he tended to think he was probably just unworthy in general./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Unworthy of even existing. There was no way in the universe that this beautiful women was flirting with him, even drunk, Husar must have been joking.. emI hope she was joking/em he thought, wishing he could hide./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"The woman paused to look at the three eyed green alien, and a tall reptilian. "Okay, now I know I had too much," and decided to return to Four, Kal...Kalfore? Something like that.../span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Toraith Come on let's go and in a flash they were gone," Imgers said../span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh leave the kid alone...he's far too young for you." Husar drained the punch and was rewarded with a glare from the woman, "Besides if you go praying mantis on him I will lose a useful employee." he laughed to herself and ordered more punch, this time telling Oskar to make it stronger./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Again the Kazon blushed but he felt inwardly thankful of Husar, hopefully her colourful metaphors would scare this women away. He couldn't leave, it would have been rude to leave when Husar had only just arrived, but he was VERY uncomfortable being surrounded by so many people./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Eiwan hadn't spoken with Ariana for so long. "I did hear. It was completely inexplicable?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Guess that depends on if you believe in the Writers and other god like beings." shrugged Ariana. "I couldn't explain it, but I didn't have a chance at really trying either."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon noticed the station's top scientist. "Commander."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Lionin followed the voice to its owner. He'd run into the man before, but couldn't rightly recall his name. Fortunately, he had given Lionin his out. "Lieutenant? Are you enjoying your evening?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I am..." Mahlon kept an eye out for the roving woman with mistletoe... She had wandered off but would be back, he was sure. "The party is bigger than I expected. I thought it would be a bunch of geologists and drinks."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I'd say it's a pretty good party." The Elaysian lifted his hot chocolate to his lips. It had already lost some of its heat, but it was still good. When he brought it back down, he used the half empty cup as a pointing device, using it to sweep the room./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""An open guest list has given us quite the eclectic group." Bringing his eyes back to the lieutenant, he added... "It's a fair representation of the station's population, I'd say."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Yeah." Mahlon had also lost track of Ariana in the crowd as well. "Very fair representation..."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Lionin Favor wasn't exceptionally good at small talk but he could employ it from time to time. He chose to do so now. "What are your feelings about the decor?" /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Very nice." Mahlon really didn't have anything in common with the lead scientist. He saw Ariana and started to move in her direction until he saw the leaves and berries moving just above the heads in the crowd… "You?/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""It's very nice." Favor said, somewhat nonchalantly. "But I think I would shake it up a bit. Literally." His eyebrows did a little dance as he thought about the snow globe this would turn into if the gravity were shut off. "I might even try it, if it gets boring later." He pointed towards the mistletoe prowler working her way through the crowd. /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Great." Mahlon wondered if the scientist could help with the woman bearing mistletoe. He took a step back. "Have you met Ariana?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Have you?!" Again the Elaysian was mirthful. Tis the season and all that. "She's in my department."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"emspan lang="EN-CA"Stupid. Of course they had met/span/emspan lang="EN-CA". Mahlon wanted to get Ariana on her own. "She's great."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Whose great?" asked Ariana returning with steaming dumpling on a platter offering them to Mahlon and Commander Favor./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""The Sphere is great.." Mahlon hoped the commander would play along./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"A line of scientific inquiry made itself readily available and Lionin couldn't help himself. "Upon what empirical evidence have you based this conclusion, Lieutenant? Or are you still gathering data?" /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Nope... "I've only been to the Sphere a few times. Um. I've taken Ariana to the Sphere twice. She tells me the Sphere is great."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Really?" asked Ariana holding forth the plate. She looked to the Commander, "Sometimes I wonder if he ever hears what I say," she said playfully./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Thanks." Mahlon picked up a dumpling with his fingers./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Careful, they are hot..." warned the young DFA Ensign./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon popped it into his mouth but it was just as steaming hot. Maybe it was better he couldn't form coherent words. He took a swig of his drink to cool his mouth down./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Yeah, like that..." Ariana turned to the commander offering the plate of steamed dumplings. "Careful, They. Are. Hot." she said slowly, smiling watching Mahlon./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana gave a brief curtsy and took the plate to Kal and Husar... /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Steamed dumplings," she said. "And they are still hot." she added./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh thanks!" Kal said eagerly accepting a dumpling he had not eaten this much actual food in years and though he kept telling himself that it was just to blend in, he knew fine well that he was enjoying it./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Husar for once was too mellow to make a comment about human food, instead she gave a brief bow of the head, "Why, how kind." She took one, studied it before giving a cautious sniff./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I'm glad you call came, Are you enjoying yourselves?" asked Ariana, she held forth the plate to Kal, who had already finished one dumpling, and offered him a second./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Yeah we're having a great time." Kal half-lied... he was enjoying the food so it was sort of true but he felt so awkward, there were probably replicators with better conversational skills than Kal./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh good," said Ariana happily./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I know I am enjoying myself." Husar said dryly and waved an empty glass./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Refills all around?" Oskar said and poured for Husar without waiting for a response. As far as the kid...well Oskar suspected he would probably do better sticking to the light stuff./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh I'm good but thank you." Kal said to Oskar. He had eaten and drank far more than he was used to all ready, his body wasn't used to this much solid food and so he was starting to feel sick./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""You should talk to Commander Favor. He is the science division head. He may be able to help you on your research," Ariana told Kal. She held the plate forward to Husar again, who looked like she wanted more, considering how often she looked at the plate in the brief moments she had been here./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""That's a great idea!" Kal said thinking. He couldn't divulge the true purpose of his research to Favor of course... but he could let him know he needed nanites, and perhaps get permission from Starfleet to visit the cube! He grinned to himself, something of an evil grin. emI'll let him think I'm trying to make an assimilation antidote rather than a virus/em. He thought. emIt would be considered high priority research because it'd be a great weapon... really a great weapon for the Borg of course... but what he doesn't know won't hurt me./em/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Any event that combines food and drink is acceptable to Cardassians after all. And watching humans like that female -" Husar nodded to the rather inebriated female wandering around with mistletoe, "- make a fool of herself is delightful."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal grinned at the comment. He was just pleased that the intoxicated women had found someone else to ... give her attentions to./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""She seems rather free, doesn't she," said Ariana. "I'll send her your way so you can learn her secrets." said Ariana excusing herself. /span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Husar laughed at the idea, "Now this will be interesting my young Kazon. I expect you will survive the experience." She downed the drink and asked for more, determined to stay./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal shuddered slightly "I don't know about you but I think she seemed rather too free." He said thinking about the women with the mistletoe./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Exactly. And while such behavior is unCardassian and shameless...I will enjoy watching her throw herself in your direction. I would advise watching out for the mistletoe, I have heard there is some Terrna custom involving it." Husar pushed another drink in Kal's direction but to her disappointment he seemed reluctant./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to head back to my quarters… I feel a little sick." He said. While he wasn't keen on leaving the party early, and he felt guilty leaving Husar when he had invited her… he really did feel sick. He had barely slept at all that day and he'd eaten so much more than his stomach was used to./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""What? But...but..." Husar blinked, trying to think of the rest of her sentence, "The night is young."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning at the shop, enjoy the rest of the party." He smiled. Husar didn't look like someone lacking in confidence, and he'd only mess up her attempts to make contacts anyway./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Fine." Husar snorted, helped herself to a handful of nuts and barely noticed when her employee left. She was determined to finish her drink and then make it back to her quarters before the alcohol really started to hit her./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Kal made his way back to his quarters and just about collapsed into bed, it had been a long day./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"span lang="EN-CA"Making her way around the fire, Ariana instead found Mahlon holding his drink…/spanspan lang="EN-CA" /spanspan lang="EN-CA""So what did you finally decide on?" asked Ariana./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""What?" Mahlon./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Your drink, what are you drinking?" asked the geo-physicist./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh. Um." Mahlon glanced around for the woman again. "I have a drink. Thank you."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Oh, Mmm." she said rocking on her feet./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""You have one too." Mahlon longed to be in a cockpit. He was not good at these social events. Maybe it was his training as a pilot but he always needed something in his hands. "Great party."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Were you serious about the picnic on the sphere?" asked Ariana. "It sounds nice," she said smiling./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I was." Mahlon smiled back. "What are you doing tomorrow?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""To...Tomorrow?" repeated Ariana startled. "Um, Rocking my dust collection..."/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Sorry?"/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"It was sudden, the request and Ariana had frozen. Trying to gather her self-confidence, Ariana said "Don't be sorry. My collection can wait another 100,000 years or so," attempting another Geology joke. It felt flat, sort of like shale, so she just added. "Tomorrow would be nice." Her excitement lifted her on her toes as she spoke to him./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""I'll sign out a shuttle." said the pilot./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Tomorrow...Lunch." stammered Ariana. She had to give him something for the effort. She would provide lunch, he had specified a picnic hadn't he?/span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;""Of course." Mahlon had never prepared a picnic lunch. He'd have to get some advice on that one./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Ariana smiled, "Yeah, that'd be nice. She turned away, blushing. emRocking her dust collection?! /em She went for the geologists joke about dusting her rock collection and totally flubbed it when he looked at her that way./span/span/p
p style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; text-align: start; font-family: Varela, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 3.6pt; text-indent: 18pt;"span lang="EN-CA"span style="color: #000000; font-size: medium;"Mahlon suddenly felt very warm. He had asked Ariana out for a third time and it was going to happen./span/span/p