Away Team: City of Light [2/2]

Posted on Wed Sep 30th, 2026 @ 11:00pm by Commander Cornelius 'Kit' Hanlon & Lieutenant Commander Christopher Evans & Lieutenant Commander Daniel Masters & Lieutenant Azree Kar & Lieutenant Rosaleen O'Donnell & Lieutenant B'Lakkam Slichez & Lieutenant JG Riaothren (Ren) ch'Shaorhs & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark

1,846 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Behind the Curtain
Location: Selo, Apsloe
Timeline: DAY 1

Continued from Part 1

Laietta seemed pleased by that. “Yes,” she said softly. “Nothing here is without purpose.”

The water moved beside them in its perfect channel, the light softened across the white stone, and Laietta’s voice had a calm warmth to it that seemed to settle over the sharper edges of thought.

And now the continuation:

The table had been set beneath a wide white canopy that was not quite fabric and not quite glass, its surface translucent enough to turn the light pearly. Calling it a small table was either humility or a joke the universal translator had failed to catch, because it stretched in a long curve beside the water, covered in dishes arranged with the same artistic precision as the rest of the city. Tall moulded jellies caught the light in layers of gold, rose, blue and clear green; pale cakes sat in spirals and domes; carved fruits had been shaped into improbable blooms; and glossy savoury things rested in little cups that looked too perfect to have been made by hand.

For one brief, helpless second, Kit wondered whether anyone had warned Gabriel Stark not to touch anything before it was explained.

Laietta’s aides moved ahead of them, graceful and silent, indicating where the guests should sit. Smaller vessels had been set beside each place, each containing a clear liquid with a faint opalescent shimmer. “The food has been prepared with your biology in mind,” Laietta said, as if anticipating the question before anyone could ask it. “Our scanners reviewed the information your vessel transmitted. Nothing here should harm you.”

“That is reassuring,” Kit said, and meant it. Or at least, he found that he wanted to mean it. The distinction flickered briefly, then softened before he could properly examine it. Standing beneath the pearly canopy, with the water moving beside them and Laietta watching them with those warm amber eyes, he felt the tension ease from his shoulders. Not vanish. Not entirely. But enough that his smile came more naturally when he looked back at her. “You’ve gone to a great deal of trouble for us,” he said. “Thank you.”

B'Lakkam wondered why he felt suspicious. Maybe it was just his Orion nature. These people had done nothing but been pleasant to all of them and now had taken the precautions to make sure that none of them were harmed. Certainly, all that consideration could not have a knife behind it. B'Lakkam silently considered all the facts and listened to the teachings of Slichez. He would consider everything more carefully. "The consideration is appreciated."

The nightmares Ren had been experiencing were still an issue he was dealing with. They had, for the moment, subsided into the background, but they were still there. Today, though, he wasn't thinking much about them. He was more relaxed than he had been for a while. He wasn't quite sure why, but he wasn't going to complain.

The people he'd come into contact with had been nice so far; he hoped the day would continue to be pleasant.

Gabriel Stark looked over the offered feast with awe. And the more he looked at the tempting baubles of colour and breathed in the scent of food, the heavier the phaser in his holster felt. And for a brief moment as he drifted closer to the table, his hand fell from its place on his thigh, where he kept it close to the weapon. A small smile brightened his features, and he looked on with awe as he took the seat offered to him. How could the First Contact team have written so little about the place? He could write an essay and he'd barely been there ten minutes.

Something had Christopher Evans feeling extremely relaxed, he figured it was just the hospitality and the smell of the food.

As Rosaleen took her seat, She couldn't escape the feeling that something was off. She couldn't quite pin it down though, and every time she tried to she found herself distracted. Rosaleen took a deep breath, and...

Something smelled amazing! It instantly reminded her of her home back on Earth in New Galway. Fresh bread, cooked meat...all of her favorites! The final vestiges off uneasiness quickly melted away, being replaced by another feeling. A feeling of coming home. Rosaleen leaned back and closed her eyes, just enjoying the moment.

As the others began to sat down and visibly relax Daniel stood near the outside of the group finding a spot where he could keep his eyes on the unusual surroundings and the equally unusual inhabitants of the planet.

Azree's gaze fell over the spread in front of the group. The food looked to die for. She too couldn't explain why she suddenly felt so at ease. Her anxieties washed away. Hell, this was the longest she had gone without thinking about her accident. It was suspicious, but like the others the feeling went away as soon as her mind arrived to that concern.

Hanlon looked at Daniel for a moment, a slight frown coming to him. "Masters. You're being rude...come and sit down," he said, his voice cutting through.

"I'm not hungry Commander." Daniel replied, a part of him did want to sit down but it was having trouble fighting against his strong desire to observe and pay attention to the unusual and oddly suspicious situation.

Kit looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Masters," the warning was clear in his tone. A part of him, which seemed not to be really...listening...knew he shouldn't push. But he felt that he had to, because this was such a beautiful place with beautiful people and here was Masters being rude. So it became an order. "Sit."

Daniel had only ever disobeyed an order once in his life, an impossible one during the war that would have led him and his entire unit to their deaths, he knew the next words out of Kit's mouth would be making it an order, one he couldn't reasonably reject. So he somewhat reluctantly pulled out one of the chairs and sat down.

Kit looked at him before he gave a small, grateful nod, some tension releasing at having him done it. It certainly calmed him and when he looked at Laietta he saw her smiling at him. So he smiled back. "Thank you, for inviting us to the table. Mister Evans..." he looked over at Christopher. "Please, could you and Slichez present the gifts."

"But of course, Commander," B'Lakkam responded smoothly. He opened the crates and said, "Please accept these Betazoid scarves as one of our gifts of gratitude for receiving us. I am more than certain that they will look lovely on you...." He took one and placed it into his hands as a direct offering.

Evans opened a second crate full of Vulcan orbs and a few other goodies from the people of Vulcan. “We are thankful for your hospitality” Chris added as he pulled out some scented oils from Bajor.

Laietta's amber eyes widened slightly as she moved closer, her attention going first to the scarves and then to the Vulcan orbs and scented oils. "Oh..." she said softly, a smile touching her lips as she ran her fingers over one of the sheer fabrics. "This is not what I expected. You honour us." She inclined her head to them before lifting the scarf carefully, letting the light pass through it and watching the colours shift against her golden skin. After a moment, she looked back to B'Lakkam, her smile warming. "Do you think it would suit me?"

B'Lakkam smiled warmly, only a slight raise of his eyebrow giving away some of his thoughts. Well, this is interesting. If I am reading this correctly, she is flirting with me. Our mission is to get more information. What better way to do so, then having someone who is attracted to you and vying for your attention? Smoothly, he told Laietta, "Though the scarves would pale in comparison to you, I am certain that it would compliment your amber eyes and your coloring beautifully." Slightly daringly, he asked, "Would you like me to place one on you?"

Laietta's smile grew at the compliment, her amber eyes remaining on B'Lakkam for a moment before she offered the scarf back towards him. "I would," she said softly, turning slightly so that he could place it around her shoulders. There was no hesitation in the movement, only that same easy warmth she had shown them since their arrival. "Although now I wonder if your Federation brings such beautiful gifts to every world you visit, or if Apsloe has been particularly fortunate."

Hanlon chuckled warmly, watching them with an easy smile. "In the spirit of unity, we usually bring gifts representing some of the cultures that make up the Federation," he said, glancing briefly towards the other offerings. "We would never put one world above another. It is the United Federation of Planets, after all."

B'Lakkam echoed Hanlon's comment with a sly tone to his response, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, there is much here to behold and the scarves pale in comparison." As he spoke, he placed a shimmering blue scarf around her shoulders.

Laietta looked down as the shimmering blue settled against the pale gold of her skin, one hand lifting to touch the edge of the scarf. "Then I shall treasure it," she said warmly, looking back to B'Lakkam before her attention moved across the rest of the gathered Starfleet officers. "Although there is far more of Selo than I could show you all on a single walk, and I would wish for you to see different parts of our city, rather than only what one path might offer." She lifted one hand, gesturing towards two Apsloens who had remained nearby during the meal. "Aevorin and Ilyara will guide some of you, while the rest may remain with me. Between us, perhaps we can show you a little more of what Apsloe has to offer. Once you have finished the meal, of course."

Kit glanced towards the two guides before looking over the away team, still feeling considerably more relaxed about the idea than he probably should have. But there was some sense to it. They had limited time on the surface and rather a lot to learn. "Sounds sensible to me," he said, giving a small nod before looking around the table. "Take the opportunity to see as much as you can. We'll compare notes when we're back aboard. Once...we have finished this delicious meal."


OFF:

Commander Kit Hanlon
First Officer
USS Fenrir

Lt. B'Lakkam Slichez
Chief Counsellor
USS Fenrir

Lt. Commander Daniel Masters
Chief of Security
USS Fenrir

Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark
Security officer
USS Fenrir

Lt. Commander Christopher Evans
Chief Operations Officer
USS Fenrir

Lieutenant JG Riaothren (Ren) ch'Shaorhs
Assistant Chief Operations Officer
USS Fenrir

Lieutenant Azree Kar
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Fenrir

Lieutenant Rosaleen O'Donnell
Chief Engineer
USS Fenrir

 

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