Count Me In
Vedek Jariel Camen
71211.20
After Favors of Fortune
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Vedek Jariel Camen
71211.20
After Favors of Fortune
-----------------------------------------
Camen stepped into the lift and ordered the doors shut. It had been all he could do to hold himself together in front of Lair Kellyn. He closed his eyes, looking for inner peace, but his hands continued to shake.
The brief glimpse he had received from the Prophets told him she was still alive, but he could tell she was only hanging on by a thread. Not knowing for sure was perhaps more agonizing then knowing she was alive and well, or lost forever. But given the finality of the latter, he was willing to endure this uncertainty for now.
*Destination?* The computer asked. Camen realized after ordering the doors to close, he had never actually told the lift where to go. He hated to admit it, but he was starving. He hadn't eaten in at least 36 hours, and when the time came and they arrived at Aertok, he was going to be of no use to anyone if his blood sugar was so low he couldn't even stand.
"Galley, I suppose."
Word was out that their "stow away", Fleur Le Marc was there preparing food for the crew when she wasn't confined to quarters. Salvek would have been within his rights to throw her in the brig, but the fact was with the skeleton crew they had, they needed all the help they could get. With the crew exhausted and working on little to no sleep, sometimes the best thing in the world was to have someone place a plate of hot food in front of you when you were literally too tired to order food from a replicator. In her own little way, Fleur was helping to keep the ship functioning.
Camen stepped off the lift and into the small galley. Fleur, it seemed, had already busied herself with setting up a makeshift stove for cooking and baking. The Alchemy was a support ship and consequently had no means for preparing foods other than the replicator, but Fleur seemed to be making herself right at home adding her own personal touch.
The only other person there was young Lair Arie. She and Fleur were giggling over a large concoction of dark colored liquid and ice cream.
"Good evening, esteemed Vedek." Arie said as she noticed him in the doorway.
"Oh, Vedek Jariel." Fleur said with surprise, as she turned to see him. He still had no idea that she had witnessed his breakdown in the room next door. She turned to whispered to Arie.
"Yes. Fleur." Arie said dejectedly, and took her desert and a PADD with her favorite game on it towards a table in the corner.
"It's okay Arie, please, sit with us." Camen said. The girl looked to Fleur for approval, and she simply nodded towards the seat. Arie set her things back down and made herself comfortable again.
"What can I do for you this evening, Vedek?"
"I have no desire to eat, but I am starving. Anything you can..." Camen wasn't sure what to say or ask for.
"Please, have a seat." Fleur said. By the time Camen made his way to the table, Fleur produced a bowl of soup, half a sandwich and a buttered baguette with remarkable efficiency.
"Thank you." Camen had always been taught to help others. It was he who always took in those who were suffering or in need of comfort and guidance. He never expected anything in return, and he found himself continually overwhelmed by how willingly everyone around him helped him in his own time of need, without expecting or wanting anything in return. They were trying to save Zanh Liis, but they knew Camen had to be saved as well. Little did Camen know exactly how much saving him meant to Fleur Le Marc.
"Has my father figured out yet what to do about the cloaked ships?" Arie asked innocently, trying to break the silence.
"He has Mr. Blane working on it. I'm sure he will come up with something." Camen answered.
"How come you can talk again esteemed Vedek?"
"Tsssssst! Arie!" Fleur narrowed her eyes.
"It's okay Fleur. She is curious. The Prophets returned my voice to me Arie. I spoke with them. Why they did, is a long story. One you are not yet old enough to hear, my dear."
"Monsieur Le Vedek, will you be going down to the planet when we arrive?" Fleur asked, the concern evident in her voice.
Camen paused, with his spoon halfway to his lips. "I hadn't considered that." He set the spoon back down in the bowl. Admittedly with all his concern for Liis, he had not actually thought about what he would do when they reached Aertok. "I guess that is a matter best left for trained Starfleet officers. I'd probably just be in the way." He began stirring his soup aimlessly, as the idea of staying aboard the Alchemy while his friends risked their lives set in, and began to make him feel sick. He knew what Salvek would say though. . .
"Yes yes, that is probably best. Who knows how dangerous it will be with those awful Ferengi." Fleur said. Arie began speaking, almost to herself as she fiddled with the straw of her root beer float.
"When the Borg took my father, my mother went to save him. All by herself, without permission. The Borg were everywhere, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to let them take my father. I bet she could have taken on a whole cube all by herself. No, the whole collective! It's amazing what people can do for those they love."
Camen sat with his jaw hanging open slightly, shocked at how profound the young girl was.
"I'm just sayin'." Arie said, in between slurps.
Camen broke off and ate the last few bites of his baguette, and stood up from the table. "Thank you for the food, Fleur. And thank you too Arie, for your council."
"Good evening, Vedek Jariel."
"Walk with the Prophets, esteemed Vedek."
Camen once again returned to the bridge, and approached Salvek in the command chair. "I'm going with you, to the planet."
"Ready room." Salvek instructed, not wanting curious eyes around the bridge to witness the conversation.
The pair stepped into the ready room. Camen spoke as soon as the doors closed. "I know what you are going to say, Salvek."
"I'm sorry Vedek, but this is a tactical operation. We will be carrying weapons you are not qualified to handle, and will likely engage at best, the Ferengi, and at worst, the Romulans."
Camen held up his hand. "I do not need a weapon, Salvek. While Starfleet is busy engaging the Ferengi and Romulans, as you put it, someone is going to need to find Liis and make sure she doesn't get caught in the crossfire. I'll leave the enemy to you, just let me worry about getting Liis out of there safely."
"This goes against my better judgment."
"We are already tucked in between two cloaked Warbirds. I think better judgment is a lost cause, Commander."
"A logical analysis. The truth is, we are understaffed for this type of rescue as it is. We could use all the help we can get. Just keep your head down Vedek. I suggest you prepare yourself. We will arrive within the next two hours."
"Understood."
"Dismissed." Salvek made his way back to the bridge, to see if TC had determined how they were going to avoid colliding with the lead Warbird the moment it dropped out of warp.
The brief glimpse he had received from the Prophets told him she was still alive, but he could tell she was only hanging on by a thread. Not knowing for sure was perhaps more agonizing then knowing she was alive and well, or lost forever. But given the finality of the latter, he was willing to endure this uncertainty for now.
*Destination?* The computer asked. Camen realized after ordering the doors to close, he had never actually told the lift where to go. He hated to admit it, but he was starving. He hadn't eaten in at least 36 hours, and when the time came and they arrived at Aertok, he was going to be of no use to anyone if his blood sugar was so low he couldn't even stand.
"Galley, I suppose."
Word was out that their "stow away", Fleur Le Marc was there preparing food for the crew when she wasn't confined to quarters. Salvek would have been within his rights to throw her in the brig, but the fact was with the skeleton crew they had, they needed all the help they could get. With the crew exhausted and working on little to no sleep, sometimes the best thing in the world was to have someone place a plate of hot food in front of you when you were literally too tired to order food from a replicator. In her own little way, Fleur was helping to keep the ship functioning.
Camen stepped off the lift and into the small galley. Fleur, it seemed, had already busied herself with setting up a makeshift stove for cooking and baking. The Alchemy was a support ship and consequently had no means for preparing foods other than the replicator, but Fleur seemed to be making herself right at home adding her own personal touch.
The only other person there was young Lair Arie. She and Fleur were giggling over a large concoction of dark colored liquid and ice cream.
"Good evening, esteemed Vedek." Arie said as she noticed him in the doorway.
"Oh, Vedek Jariel." Fleur said with surprise, as she turned to see him. He still had no idea that she had witnessed his breakdown in the room next door. She turned to whispered to Arie.
"Yes. Fleur." Arie said dejectedly, and took her desert and a PADD with her favorite game on it towards a table in the corner.
"It's okay Arie, please, sit with us." Camen said. The girl looked to Fleur for approval, and she simply nodded towards the seat. Arie set her things back down and made herself comfortable again.
"What can I do for you this evening, Vedek?"
"I have no desire to eat, but I am starving. Anything you can..." Camen wasn't sure what to say or ask for.
"Please, have a seat." Fleur said. By the time Camen made his way to the table, Fleur produced a bowl of soup, half a sandwich and a buttered baguette with remarkable efficiency.
"Thank you." Camen had always been taught to help others. It was he who always took in those who were suffering or in need of comfort and guidance. He never expected anything in return, and he found himself continually overwhelmed by how willingly everyone around him helped him in his own time of need, without expecting or wanting anything in return. They were trying to save Zanh Liis, but they knew Camen had to be saved as well. Little did Camen know exactly how much saving him meant to Fleur Le Marc.
"Has my father figured out yet what to do about the cloaked ships?" Arie asked innocently, trying to break the silence.
"He has Mr. Blane working on it. I'm sure he will come up with something." Camen answered.
"How come you can talk again esteemed Vedek?"
"Tsssssst! Arie!" Fleur narrowed her eyes.
"It's okay Fleur. She is curious. The Prophets returned my voice to me Arie. I spoke with them. Why they did, is a long story. One you are not yet old enough to hear, my dear."
"Monsieur Le Vedek, will you be going down to the planet when we arrive?" Fleur asked, the concern evident in her voice.
Camen paused, with his spoon halfway to his lips. "I hadn't considered that." He set the spoon back down in the bowl. Admittedly with all his concern for Liis, he had not actually thought about what he would do when they reached Aertok. "I guess that is a matter best left for trained Starfleet officers. I'd probably just be in the way." He began stirring his soup aimlessly, as the idea of staying aboard the Alchemy while his friends risked their lives set in, and began to make him feel sick. He knew what Salvek would say though. . .
"Yes yes, that is probably best. Who knows how dangerous it will be with those awful Ferengi." Fleur said. Arie began speaking, almost to herself as she fiddled with the straw of her root beer float.
"When the Borg took my father, my mother went to save him. All by herself, without permission. The Borg were everywhere, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to let them take my father. I bet she could have taken on a whole cube all by herself. No, the whole collective! It's amazing what people can do for those they love."
Camen sat with his jaw hanging open slightly, shocked at how profound the young girl was.
"I'm just sayin'." Arie said, in between slurps.
Camen broke off and ate the last few bites of his baguette, and stood up from the table. "Thank you for the food, Fleur. And thank you too Arie, for your council."
"Good evening, Vedek Jariel."
"Walk with the Prophets, esteemed Vedek."
Camen once again returned to the bridge, and approached Salvek in the command chair. "I'm going with you, to the planet."
"Ready room." Salvek instructed, not wanting curious eyes around the bridge to witness the conversation.
The pair stepped into the ready room. Camen spoke as soon as the doors closed. "I know what you are going to say, Salvek."
"I'm sorry Vedek, but this is a tactical operation. We will be carrying weapons you are not qualified to handle, and will likely engage at best, the Ferengi, and at worst, the Romulans."
Camen held up his hand. "I do not need a weapon, Salvek. While Starfleet is busy engaging the Ferengi and Romulans, as you put it, someone is going to need to find Liis and make sure she doesn't get caught in the crossfire. I'll leave the enemy to you, just let me worry about getting Liis out of there safely."
"This goes against my better judgment."
"We are already tucked in between two cloaked Warbirds. I think better judgment is a lost cause, Commander."
"A logical analysis. The truth is, we are understaffed for this type of rescue as it is. We could use all the help we can get. Just keep your head down Vedek. I suggest you prepare yourself. We will arrive within the next two hours."
"Understood."
"Dismissed." Salvek made his way back to the bridge, to see if TC had determined how they were going to avoid colliding with the lead Warbird the moment it dropped out of warp.
Vedek Jariel Camen
Chaplain
USS Alchemy NX-53099
Chaplain
USS Alchemy NX-53099