Dean Braxton "
By: Kelly Forrester, Assistant Chief Operations Officer, [RNPC]
Dean Braston, Marine Fighter Pilot, [NPC]

Stardate: 58204.27 0900

Ensign Forrester watched as Dean Braxton materialized on the transporter pad. She let him have a moment to gain his composure and then approached him. She held out her hand to greet him, "Welcome aboard Second Lieutenant Dean Braxton."

Dean put his bag down. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Do you have your orders?" asked Forrester.

"Yes, right here." Dean handed the PADD to her.

Forrester took the PADD from Braxton and looked it over. "Everything seems to be in order....A fly-boy?" she said asked with a wink of an eye and a smile.

"Yes ma'am, best there is," Dean said,

She placed the PADD under her arm and handed Braxton a new PADD.

"You have a physical scheduled with Dr. Dane on deck at at this morning...deck 8. The information is on your PADD, after which you should report to the MXO.

"The marine barracks are on deck 11, aft section, would you like me to show you the way?" she asked.

Dean shook his head. "No thank you. I need to find my way around the ship sometime, and what better time than now," he answered as he left the transporter room.

Ensign Forrester smiled as she watched the marine head off.

He walked down the corridor and into the turbolift. "Deck 11," he said. The computer beeped in compliance and descended.

Upon arrival to Deck 11, the doors slid open and Dean walked out. A little down the hallway, he found the door for the Marine quarters, and walked in. No one was in there, but he put his stuff down on a bed. After taking a second to look at his PADD with his orders, Dean walked out of the room to look for Sickbay.

Into the Sunset "
By: Miranda, Lounge Manager, [RNPC]
Giuseppe Silvio, Chief Engineer, [RNPC]
Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58204.27 1605

Patia settled into her seat. Just a couple days before, she had sat in this same spot when she had dinner with Teilani. The stars painted a brilliant picture outside. She leaned back in the seat and drew her leg up to her chest. Her head tilted back. As she watched out the window, her eyes slowly drifted shut.

Silvio entered Miranda's and looked around. The place was busy with activity. He has arrived early and was surprised to see that Patia had already arrived. As he approached her table he noticed that she appeared to be sleeping. Silvio watched her sleep for a few moments then he carefully reached out and tapped her on her shoulder. "Patia," he said.

Vaguely, she heard someone say her name. Her eyes fluttered open. Quickly, she sat up. "Hi," she attempted to stifle a yawn, but didn't quite stop it. "Have you been here long?"

Silvio smiled, "Just got here. You look tired," he observed.

"Been a long few days for everyone, I am sure. Have a seat," Patia waved her hand at the bench on the opposite side of the table.

Silvio sat down. "Yes, it has been a hard few days. Are you hungry?"

"Not really, but I suppose I should. I don't think I ate lunch," she chuckled. "What are you in the mood to eat?"

Silvio was not very hungry either but he was looking forward to getting to know the counselor better. "I think I am just going to have a sandwich. My stomach still has not returned to normal after that stuff Miranda gave me last night. Silvio Chuckled.

"Probably won't for awhile either. How was Engineering?" Patia pulled her leg back up and clasped her hands around her shin.

"Busy," replied Silvio. "How about counseling, I would imagine that the crew world need you now more than ever.

"Busy as well. I had several drop ins today, which is unusual. I am hoping the Moral Officer and I will be able to set up a program for group activities to help everyone work through this situation. You better get your sandwich."

Silvio looked around the room for Miranda. He waved at her and she came over to their table. "Well, hello. How are you two doing?"

Silvio put a pained expression on his face, "I managed to survive that dreadful stuff you gave me last night."

"That is good, I knew you could handle it." Miranda looked at Zoei, "Hello counselor, how are you today?

Patia smiled slightly, "Better than the whiner over there," she nodded toward Silvio. "Methinks he doesn't handle his liquor so very well," Patia chuckled. "How are you?"

"Not true counselor, he had three shots of Rigelian Fire Whiskey, not many can even attempt that." Miranda chuckled, "As for me, I am doing very well."

"Perhaps, I can get you a shot of Fire Whiskey," suggested Miranda, who noticed Silvio pale at the suggestion.

"Can I just get another glass of tea, please?" Patia extended the empty glass to Miranda.

Miranda took Patia's empty glass and Silvio's order and then left for the bar.

"It doesn't look like you will be having Fire Whiskey again anytime soon, eh?" Patia winked so subtly it could easily have been missed.

"Ah, well, let's just call it a once in a lifetime experience." Silvio smiled. "You are not eating?"

"No, I don't feel up to it right now. Actually, the thought of going back to my quarters and going to sleep is sounding rather appealing at the moment. Last night was a late one and I had the first appointment at 0600. Someone felt they needed to check in before they reported for duty at 0700. I slept for a bit on one of the couches in my office. I never even made it back to my quarters." Patia shifted slightly in her seat, stretching the muscles in her lower back.

Miranda came back with Silvio's food and Zoei's tea, "Any thing else?"

"No, thank you, Miranda." Patia cradled the glass of tea between her hands.

"Well, I will try not do keep you out too late tonight." Silvio gave her an appraising look. "You do look beat."

"Just one of those weeks. So, tell me a little more about Silvio," she leaned forward slightly and propped her chin on her hand.

Silvio looked at Patia momentarily captivated by her gaze. Silvio chuckled. "What's to tell? My parents are retired teachers living on Earth, I am a computer genius and love engineering. Here is something that you might not know, I am a classical pianist," he paused, "or at least I was. It was my father's idea. I think he wanted me to be a musician. I have not played for many years though."

Patia laughed. "I noticed you didn't say you were modest," she teased. "How come you quit playing? I understand there is a holoprogram for a concert symphony. Where are your parents on Earth?"

"I just haven't had time to play. Perhaps will I take it up again." Silvio shrugged his shoulders. "My parents live in Italy on earth. I tried to get them to leave but they would not go."

"My parents spent a great deal of time in the United States. As soon as they were able, back to Betazid they went. Although they will visit other places, they aren't leaving home again for any length of time. It is their safety zone, I think. Do you ever hope to get back to visit them there?" Patia shifted slightly.

"I would love to see them again. This war has kept us apart way to long." Silvio sighed. "Someday this will all be over."

"So what is it like on Betazid? It is a good place to live?"

"Actually, I have never lived there for an extended period of time. Well, I was there for University, but I was raised on Earth. Betazid, itself, is very beautiful. The culture there is very different than any I have ever seen. When I leave the Maquis, I will most likely settle down somewhere else, though." Patia sat back and pulled her leg up against her chest again. Her shin rested against the edge of the table.

"It sounds like a nice place to live." Silvio took a bite of his neglected sandwich. "So, what does Patia Zoei do for fun?"

"Patia Zoei works. Occasionally, I go to the holodeck to go bobbing in the ocean, but that just doesn't seem as appealing since Commander Wright's accident. How about you?"

Silvio remembered the commander's accident. "I have restored that program. I removed all of Birkoff's changes. I like the Ocean too much to not use the program again." Silvio paused, still thinking about that shark that came out of no where. "I have a spectacular sunset programmed. I would like to show it to you sometime."

"I would enjoy that. I miss watching the sun set. When I was a little girl, we lived in San Francisco. I used to sit and watch the sun set over the Bay. When my brother was home, he used to take me swimming in the ocean. As the sun went down, it would turn the water iridescent. I hadn't thought of that in years." Patia smiled at the memory.

"Would you like to stop by the holodeck after dinner," asked Silvio.

"That would be lovely. I haven't seen the sunset in years."

"Whenever you are ready we can go," said Silvio looking at his half eaten sandwich. "I am not very hungry either."

"I am ready whenever you are. Is there something wrong with your food?" Patia raised her eyebrow with the question.

Silvio stood up. "I'm full," he said with a smile. "Besides, now I am excited to show you my program. Shall we?"

Patia slid out of the booth. She brushed her hands down the front of her pants. "Of course."

"Great," said Silvio said getting up.

Patia and Silvio left Miranda's and made there was to holodeck 1. Silvio check to make sure that there was no one using it and then called up his program and set the time index for sunset. It was the exact same program that he and the commander had used except Silvio had removed Birkoff's changes.

The holodeck doors opened and the two of them walked out onto a pier. The wind blew softly in off the ocean. The waves lapped off the side of the pier. At the end of the pier was a bench. Silvio pointed to a fishing boat tied up near the end of the pier. "That's my boat."

"Beautiful, what's her name?"

"I have not named her yet," said Silvio. "Have not thought of a good one yet." Silvio led Zoei to the bench. The sun was already approaching the horizon and it's orange fingers were spreading across the ocean.

Patia settled on the bench and looked out over the water. The salt was in the air as the wind ruffled her hair. She leaned back into the bench and tilted her head back. She closed her eyes as the gulls called in the distance.

Silvio sat down next to her on the bench. As he did so he carefully ran his arm along the bench and around her shoulders. The sun dipped lower towards the horizon and the sky was now colored bright orange.

It felt as though Patia were floating on the waves. The water lapped beneath her, the gulls cried and the breeze blew lightly around her. She slipped into a light sleep. As she dozed, the air cooled. She shifted toward the warmth next to her before she settled again into slumber.

As night time slowly claimed the ocean Silvio could hear the rhythmic breathing of Zoei on the bench next to him. Silvio looked out over the ocean and watched the very last of the light fade away, then he to fell asleep.

Log Index | Go to Stardate 58204.28