Rise. . .
by TC Blane and Zanh Liis
71227.13
The morning after Reckoning Part Three
--=On Bajor=--
by TC Blane and Zanh Liis
71227.13
The morning after Reckoning Part Three
--=On Bajor=--
TC stood gazing out the window of the hotel where Starfleet had set him up. It was a magnificent view of the sweeping hills and temperate forests of Bajor.
It had been several days since his encounter with his former CO and he was still not at ease with the event.
He had wanted to go back to the hospital to check in on Captain Zanh, but the orders on his PADD were very specific. He was to report to this hotel and stay in isolation until transportation back to Earth was arranged. He could only assume that this had something to do with keeping the details of the Alchemy and her most recent adventures under wraps.
Starfleet had seen to it that TC received a ton of information to keep him busy during his incarceration. Since he would be taking on the role of Operations chief on the Sera they sent several unclassified technical white pages on the ship for him to read.
Like a studious school boy, he dove into the information and began to absorb it. He already was getting duty logs set as well as standards and procedures for his department. But that was days ago, and now he was going stir crazy and he still had no word about the captain other than she was "recovering".
Just then the communication panel beeped. Pulling his attention away from the view of his window, TC made his way over to it. He tapped the accept button and was greeted by the spinning Starfleet logo. The screen then switched to a face of an older gentleman wearing the standards of an Admiral.
[Lt. Commander Blane I am Admiral Vox.] The face explained.
TC, who up to this point had only seen the man's name on his newest orders, was pleased to know that there was an actual man that belonged to the name. “Yes, sir.”
[I must apologize for the delay in contacting you directly. It takes a while to verify a truly secure connection.]
“I understand, sir.”
[I knew you would. I also am sorry for keeping you cooped up like this.] He smiled. [I am sure you understand the reasons for that as well.]
TC nodded. “Affirmative.”
[Well I have good news. You will be leave there tomorrow evening, along with Captain Zanh. The USS Atlas will arriving in orbit to transport you both back to Earth for debriefing and new orders.]
TC nodded again. “Aye, sir.”
[During your trip you are to avoid any discussion about the Alchemy or the Serendipity as well as the recent events. Understood?]
“Affirmative.”
[Good. Now since it is Christmas, why don’t you get out of that room and stretch your legs. I think that is the best gift I can give you right now.] Vox grinned.
TC returned the smiled. “Aye sir, and thank you.”
The screen blinked out and TC stood stretching, happy to have been freed of his confinement. The only question was, what to do with his freedom.
It had been several days since his encounter with his former CO and he was still not at ease with the event.
He had wanted to go back to the hospital to check in on Captain Zanh, but the orders on his PADD were very specific. He was to report to this hotel and stay in isolation until transportation back to Earth was arranged. He could only assume that this had something to do with keeping the details of the Alchemy and her most recent adventures under wraps.
Starfleet had seen to it that TC received a ton of information to keep him busy during his incarceration. Since he would be taking on the role of Operations chief on the Sera they sent several unclassified technical white pages on the ship for him to read.
Like a studious school boy, he dove into the information and began to absorb it. He already was getting duty logs set as well as standards and procedures for his department. But that was days ago, and now he was going stir crazy and he still had no word about the captain other than she was "recovering".
Just then the communication panel beeped. Pulling his attention away from the view of his window, TC made his way over to it. He tapped the accept button and was greeted by the spinning Starfleet logo. The screen then switched to a face of an older gentleman wearing the standards of an Admiral.
[Lt. Commander Blane I am Admiral Vox.] The face explained.
TC, who up to this point had only seen the man's name on his newest orders, was pleased to know that there was an actual man that belonged to the name. “Yes, sir.”
[I must apologize for the delay in contacting you directly. It takes a while to verify a truly secure connection.]
“I understand, sir.”
[I knew you would. I also am sorry for keeping you cooped up like this.] He smiled. [I am sure you understand the reasons for that as well.]
TC nodded. “Affirmative.”
[Well I have good news. You will be leave there tomorrow evening, along with Captain Zanh. The USS Atlas will arriving in orbit to transport you both back to Earth for debriefing and new orders.]
TC nodded again. “Aye, sir.”
[During your trip you are to avoid any discussion about the Alchemy or the Serendipity as well as the recent events. Understood?]
“Affirmative.”
[Good. Now since it is Christmas, why don’t you get out of that room and stretch your legs. I think that is the best gift I can give you right now.] Vox grinned.
TC returned the smiled. “Aye sir, and thank you.”
The screen blinked out and TC stood stretching, happy to have been freed of his confinement. The only question was, what to do with his freedom.
=^=Central Vedek Assembly Sanctuary=^=
It had not been easy to track down where the captain and the Vedek had gone once the captain had been released from the hospital but it had not been impossible. Not for someone with TC's talents.
He was truly impressed with the Sanctuary, but also just a little uneasy. TC was far from a religious man; he had never been comfortable with the idea of a greater power meddling in the affairs of men, either directly or indirectly.
History was riddled with the disastrous tales of the horrors committed by men in the name of their god. Not just on Earth but across the universe, it seemed. TC had a distrust for organized religions in general, and always found he became tense when entering into places like this.
It wasn’t that he did not see the importance or the good that most of the major religions did, it was that he feared the damage that blind faith could cause. One should always question authority, and most religions always asked for unquestioned obeisance.
It didn't take long for him to find the guest quarters where Jariel and Zanh were staying. Soon, he found himself standing at their door. He knocked softly, hoping that he would not be disturbing them.
He heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching in reply to his knock, and a grumbling voice emanated from the other side of the door.
"I already told you people three times!" Zanh's voice was angry, but hushed. "Vedek Jariel is not attending the prayer service this morning, he is fast asleep and if you try to wake him one more time-"
TC's eyes widened as he heard the lock release and the door creaked open a crack.
Zanh caught sight of one crystal clear blue eye through the opening, and stopped speaking. She pulled the door open the rest of the way, and she looked him over, up and down from head to toe once.
"You are not Prylar Antira."
"Not last time I checked." TC whispered back. "Look, if my timing is bad,"
"No, no. I'm eating breakfast and they sent up enough food for ten people. Please, come in."
TC stepped through the door and Zanh led him into what appeared to be a very well appointed guest suite. There was an elaborate settee and pair of wing chairs in the main room, situated in front of a roaring fireplace. There was a door off to the right, which he guessed was the bedroom where Jariel was sleeping.
Liis motioned with her hand toward a pair of sliding doors. She slid them open and she and TC stepped out onto a small, glass enclosed porch. She closed the doors behind them- they could talk here without risk of disturbing the slumbering occupant of the other room.
TC's eyes lit up as he saw a table spread with all manner of baked goods, fresh fruit, and various fruit juices as well as two carafes of Zanh's beloved coffee. Still, he didn't like the idea of eating another man's breakfast, and hesitated. "Are you sure? The Vedek-"
"The Vedek." Liis said with a sigh, the sadness of which surprised TC. "Is exhausted. Hopefully he'll sleep through lunch. He needs the rest. Please, have a seat and help yourself. I certainly can't eat all of this alone."
TC grinned and took his place across the table from her. "If you insist."
This was, he realized, the first time he had seen Zanh wearing anything other than a uniform, a hospital gown, or the Halloween costume that was now a thing of legend. This morning she wore a simple outfit, black pants with a long sleeved shirt in white. A heavy belt was slung low over her hips. Over it all she wore a brown leather jacket and boots of matching materials. Her attire was something that reminded him of the sort of clothing that aviators wore back on Earth in the early days of flight.
It suited her.
She looked for a moment like any Bajoran woman- not a starship captain who had barely survived her last on-the-job incident.
"I don't know where to begin." He said with a laugh, trying to form a plan of attack on the food. “Oh well, as good old General Patton once said. ‘In case of doubt, attack'."
Zanh pointed to some of the plates one at a time. "Those are Kava rolls. They're sweet and sticky, you'll like them. That purple fruit over there, kind of tastes like a pear. These little things are the Bajoran equivalent of grapes. Over here, the closest thing we have to pineapple." She handed him an empty plate and the pair of silver tongs that rested next to the fruit. "Don't be shy."
"Thank you, Captain."
Zanh smiled wistfully as TC loaded his plate. She didn't know if she even had any right to that title now as things currently stood, but she appreciated him using it just the same.
He was truly impressed with the Sanctuary, but also just a little uneasy. TC was far from a religious man; he had never been comfortable with the idea of a greater power meddling in the affairs of men, either directly or indirectly.
History was riddled with the disastrous tales of the horrors committed by men in the name of their god. Not just on Earth but across the universe, it seemed. TC had a distrust for organized religions in general, and always found he became tense when entering into places like this.
It wasn’t that he did not see the importance or the good that most of the major religions did, it was that he feared the damage that blind faith could cause. One should always question authority, and most religions always asked for unquestioned obeisance.
It didn't take long for him to find the guest quarters where Jariel and Zanh were staying. Soon, he found himself standing at their door. He knocked softly, hoping that he would not be disturbing them.
He heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching in reply to his knock, and a grumbling voice emanated from the other side of the door.
"I already told you people three times!" Zanh's voice was angry, but hushed. "Vedek Jariel is not attending the prayer service this morning, he is fast asleep and if you try to wake him one more time-"
TC's eyes widened as he heard the lock release and the door creaked open a crack.
Zanh caught sight of one crystal clear blue eye through the opening, and stopped speaking. She pulled the door open the rest of the way, and she looked him over, up and down from head to toe once.
"You are not Prylar Antira."
"Not last time I checked." TC whispered back. "Look, if my timing is bad,"
"No, no. I'm eating breakfast and they sent up enough food for ten people. Please, come in."
TC stepped through the door and Zanh led him into what appeared to be a very well appointed guest suite. There was an elaborate settee and pair of wing chairs in the main room, situated in front of a roaring fireplace. There was a door off to the right, which he guessed was the bedroom where Jariel was sleeping.
Liis motioned with her hand toward a pair of sliding doors. She slid them open and she and TC stepped out onto a small, glass enclosed porch. She closed the doors behind them- they could talk here without risk of disturbing the slumbering occupant of the other room.
TC's eyes lit up as he saw a table spread with all manner of baked goods, fresh fruit, and various fruit juices as well as two carafes of Zanh's beloved coffee. Still, he didn't like the idea of eating another man's breakfast, and hesitated. "Are you sure? The Vedek-"
"The Vedek." Liis said with a sigh, the sadness of which surprised TC. "Is exhausted. Hopefully he'll sleep through lunch. He needs the rest. Please, have a seat and help yourself. I certainly can't eat all of this alone."
TC grinned and took his place across the table from her. "If you insist."
This was, he realized, the first time he had seen Zanh wearing anything other than a uniform, a hospital gown, or the Halloween costume that was now a thing of legend. This morning she wore a simple outfit, black pants with a long sleeved shirt in white. A heavy belt was slung low over her hips. Over it all she wore a brown leather jacket and boots of matching materials. Her attire was something that reminded him of the sort of clothing that aviators wore back on Earth in the early days of flight.
It suited her.
She looked for a moment like any Bajoran woman- not a starship captain who had barely survived her last on-the-job incident.
"I don't know where to begin." He said with a laugh, trying to form a plan of attack on the food. “Oh well, as good old General Patton once said. ‘In case of doubt, attack'."
Zanh pointed to some of the plates one at a time. "Those are Kava rolls. They're sweet and sticky, you'll like them. That purple fruit over there, kind of tastes like a pear. These little things are the Bajoran equivalent of grapes. Over here, the closest thing we have to pineapple." She handed him an empty plate and the pair of silver tongs that rested next to the fruit. "Don't be shy."
"Thank you, Captain."
Zanh smiled wistfully as TC loaded his plate. She didn't know if she even had any right to that title now as things currently stood, but she appreciated him using it just the same.
Lt. Commander TC Blane
Chief of Operations
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
-=/\=- Captain Zanh Liis
Chief of Operations
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
-=/\=- Captain Zanh Liis