Date: 11 Mar 2014 19:51 Title: Day Nine: Last Seen Wearing: I
Oh, wow. Xy. Man. I knew that was going to be the sacrifice play (Starfleet officers love that play, the good ones anyway) but I really hoped that they'd be able to find a way back without him doing it. Poor Deen. She's got to feel really guilty about all this ... the engines blew, the controls blew, the thing just blew up in her face. Srena is hurt and needs help ... this is blackmail but a voluntary kind. Brave man, Xy.
And you get the girl, too. Eh, not too bad.
Author's Response: I'm sure there is sacrifice clause in the Starfeet contract. It's the noble thing to do.
Date: 20 Feb 2014 21:19 Title: Day Eight: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: VI
Oh, a conspiracy! I'm not surprised it was Kolrami or Yunta, but I'm sad Decaux was involved. I'd had hoped that she managed to stay out of this messy business, but a woman scorned and all ...
I'm assuming Star isn't dead, otherwise Nora might be just a little happier at all this ... nice to see Clancy embracing some spirituality, too, and his words to Nora are spot on: there are some days I think my past sins hurt people I love, too, and it's a thought process that isn't unique I feel.
Author's Response: You're implying Nora would be happy if Star had bit the dust? Ouch. She ain't that cold. But it appears you're right, is she were dead she certainly wouldn't be feeling frustrated over the deal she'd made. But yeah, the conspiracy really seems like the go-ahed theory here.
Date: 20 Feb 2014 21:11 Title: Day Eight: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: V
Oh boy. Star might have just pulled a Spock here and bit the dust, but at leas the way she went out was the way of a hero. I liked the way she took charge and called out her captain for making her a glorified secretary (which she was) and came to an understanding with him.
Looks like Hopkins is the guilty party for setting this in motion, though and the question has to become what is making the people do this?
Author's Response: Yeah, if you think you're about to die, you might become less discerning with your thoughts and opinions. First her victory over Nora and now even the captain is starting to see her in a new light. This would have been a pretty good day for Star. You know, if she weren't stuck in a Jeffries tube about to be cooked alive.
Date: 20 Feb 2014 21:05 Title: Day Eight: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: IV
Hopkins is innocent of killing Gedar, which is good, but she seemed to be spaced out like Lif there earlier ... which leads me to believe that the starboard power tap problem was caused by her in that spaced out moment.
As for Nora and Star, it was a change to see Nora practically begging to save her friends and something I didn't expect. But I'm glad to have seen it and I think Star is too ... the ladies have come to an understanding which should make the rest of this trip easier to stomach.
Loved the dialogue here and the friendship on display. Well done.
Author's Response: Glad you liked it. I quite enjoyed writing this scene because it shows a completely different side of Nora. She may be a hardass but she is incredibly loyal to her friends and will gladly take a bullet for any one of them. Or worse, force herself to play nice with her arch-enemy.
Date: 12 Feb 2014 19:29 Title: Day Eight: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: III
Oh man, things are looking bad. Gedar was the spy (circling back brilliantly to the first theory proposed in this murder investigation) and Lif was covering for him. The guy's nice but he's got to be playing a role and certainly he's still covering for someone ... I think he'll go down with the ship, so to speak, to save Hopkins skin. But we'll see.
Meanwhile, Nora is just getting more and more determined for it to be anyone BUT Hopkins and poor Clancy is taking the brunt of it all. Very understandable what's going on between them and how Nora is withdrawing ... I hope he can get through to her.
Author's Response: She ain't taking this well and clearly not thinking straight now that her best friend is being implicated.
Date: 11 Feb 2014 19:14 Title: Day Eight: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: II
So, Star has herself a lead and seems to be about ready to hunt it down. There's definitely a spy aboard, but where exactly can he be? Who is he and is he connected to Gedar's murder?
Author's Response: More questions, as one has probably come to expect from this tale. Not to fear, answers are not too far away now.
Date: 11 Feb 2014 19:11 Title: Day Eight: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: I
OH, that's dirty. Dirty, dirty, dirty. Volik is a conniving SOB, I like his strategy, but man ... not fair. Xy will, of course, agree to this because they can't get off the world otherwise. Part of him wants this, no doubt, but not at the expense of being stranded there I imagine. Still, if they can get Eagle deeper into the nebula, they can rescue him ... hopefully? Man, tough choice here.
Author's Response: Tough choices are fun though, aren't they?
Date: 11 Feb 2014 19:06 Title: Day Seven: The Devil in Disguise: VIII
So, the truth comes out ... Gedar was actually the one behind the shielding and Concord was just a scorned lady who took the thing with her. But who killed him? If not Rosenthal, if not Concord, is it Hopkins? Could it really be a member of the senior staff? I hope, for Nora's sake, it isn't because I feel that would break her a bit.
Author's Response: Yeah, Hopkins looks pretty good for this and you're right, it would probably kill Nora if she was the culprit.
Date: 11 Feb 2014 19:01 Title: Day Seven: The Devil in Disguise: VII
Oh, Deen is pissed. She's very pissed and has every right to be especially consideirng the way poor Srena was treated. Her anger just reverberates off the page and her frustration with it all is clear. Xy is obviously torn, especially with Tela, and wants to stay (at least a little) but knows he can't. Who attacked Srena is the question I want answered ... if not the Vulcans, then who? Has someone gone even more native?
Author's Response: It is very likely the angriest she has ever been. And Xylion, for all his Vulcan logic, is clearly regretting this outcome quite a bit.
Date: 06 Feb 2014 02:01 Title: Day Seven: The Devil in Disguise: VI
The plot thickens. Who did it? Colcord is back on the radar and Hopkins appears innoncent, but who did it? ARGH, the questions continue to pile up and the murder investigation is tearing my shipping couple apart. COME ON, someone be guilty already so Alex and Nora can hook up completely. Clancy, do this thing!
Well done. The tension is thick and in the air, but the murderer is close to being captured. Just a little more.
Author's Response: It's a twisted little murder tale, ain't it? I'm glad it keeps you guessing, that was certainly the intention.
Date: 04 Feb 2014 19:48 Title: Day Seven: The Devil in Disguise: V
Rosenthal! I knew it, he's dirty, he's the killer! Great interrogation and what a name drop with Stadi. Would that be a Stadi related to the poor Stadi killed aboard Voyager in Caretaker? If so, I'd like to hear more from this guy.
Like the pointing out of ethical things here by Clancy: mind reading against a person's will definitely can't be admissable in a court, but it's pretty damned useful a skill. Now, the real question left is Hopkins or Rosenthal?
Author's Response: Yeah, he's supposed to be her younger brother. I had a back story in mind for Stadi but ultimately decided to leave it out here as it wouldn't really have fitted in. Perhaps I'll bring him back in the future. I don't usually do a lot of canon name dropping in my stories but for this one I brought in connections to both Voyager and TNG with Kolrami, the son of the Zakdorn tactican.
Date: 04 Feb 2014 19:41 Title: Day Seven: The Devil in Disguise: IV
Ah, Clancy. Boy, you got a situation on your hands. The girl likes you, dude, but she can also snap your neck. This is what dating a Klingon must be like in some respects ...
But the investigation seems to have finally had a breakthrough. We have a liar, clear as day, identified in the simulation (which I was thinking was a flashback of sorts till I was told it was a simulation). Have to say, the Zakdorn now looks like a prime suspect. I doubt he did the deed himself but he left Gedar there alone for someone I'm sure.
Author's Response: The Nora/Clancy relationship is one I would classify as "complicated". But yeah, Kolrami has clearly not been completely honest here.
Date: 04 Feb 2014 19:34 Title: Day Seven: The Devil in Disguise: III
Six Degrees of Lt. Gedar, it seems everyone is connected in some way to the guys death. I saw how Nora didn't even bother t bring up Hopskins name as a potential suspect, which I hope won't be a mistake later on when they catch the killer, whomever it may be. You can feel the frustration and chillyness come off the page here between Nora and Star -- I want to see those two trapped in a confined space for just a while ... just to see the fun.
Author's Response: Yeah, Nora is ignoring, for now, the rather important detail that Hopkins was seen with Gedar shortly before he was killed. As for Nora and Star, put them into a small room together and only one will probably emerge alive.
Date: 27 Jan 2014 19:41 Title: Day Seven: The Devil in Disguise: II
Well, Deen has feelings for Owens (but he doesn't know) and she's got that on her plate, but with Srena down for the count it seems Deen is tapping into some frustration and getting ready to lay the smack down on someone.
The settlement is clearly responsible, though the who remains a question ... since it wasn't Xy (I thought, briefly, they might have turned him) perhaps it was his girl. Srena seemed to recognize the attacker and I bet you money the girl doesn't want Xy to leave.
Author's Response: Poor Deen has a couple of issues and things will actually come to a head in a later story set after war. (mini plug: Vignette Series Two: Crossing Over - What Happens on Risa) For now her frustrations may be justified.
Date: 25 Jan 2014 19:22 Title: Day Seven: The Devil in Disguise: I
CLANCY, my BOY! Way to go, dude. You did well. Liked the interaction between these two and loved the way they continued to work even while they were at play. Nora definitely has some feelings here and Alex does, too, and they hit the gym and looked like they were gonna hit each other ...
But she got a bit of cold feet and that's probably because of her past love biting the dust. This is gonna make things more awkward between them but I was totally pleased that the two managed to hook up, even if briefly.
Still betting on the Professor, with the hyperspanner, in engineering.
Author's Response: Yeah, the tension between these two was starting to become obvious. In fact it may have even been better if they'd gotten the chance to truly release it. On the other hand that would have made for a seriously awkward meeting at the replicator the next morning. Things are going to be complicated enough moving forward.
Date: 23 Jan 2014 19:23 Title: Day Six: Military Justice: VII
Hopkins, oh, Hopkins, why? You lied to the investigative team. This isn't going to end well. Nora's gonna take this hard, of this I have no doubt. I don't know if she did it (still betting on the Professor or Colcord) but she looks mighty suspicious now ... I bet she was rolling with Gedar too, which is probably why she didn't mention anything before.
Still, things look messier. Nice work with Clancy here, loved the way he calmly led the crewmen into dropping the info without being overbearing or forceful. Sometimes people do need a counselor.
Author's Response: Oh yeah, this is bad news for Nora. These two are really tight.
Date: 20 Jan 2014 21:48 Title: Day Six: Military Justice: VI
Oh, Srena. You seem to have been baited into a trap that's gonna mean bad things for you, I'm sure. Don't die! I like Andorians in Starfleet (says the guy who write a half-Andorian in Starfleet). Who's the face? I'm guessing it's Xys girl ... or is it?
Author's Response: I like Andorians, too, but sometimes even Andorians have to die.
Date: 20 Jan 2014 21:45 Title: Day Six: Military Justice: V
Well, well, well, seems Yunta did beat the living hell out of Gedar and things did get out of hand. Things look damning for her but it can't be ALL bad if she's still got her CO on her side. I liked the back and forth here between the suspect and Clancy/Nora and I'm glad to see the two continue to operate well ... they'll be good later on with one another, I'm sure. ;)
As for the murder itself, the Professor seems to be in need of some more questioning ... I wonder if Gedar swung both ways and if the Professor got a wee bit jealous? Hmm.
Author's Response: I think there is an inherent code of loyalty among the marines and they generally frown on an outsider coming in and trying to break up the unit. It's the same reason why Nora, as an ex-marine, is having such a tough time initially going after Yunta.
Date: 16 Jan 2014 17:45 Title: Day Six: Military Justice: IV
Hmm. I wonder if the nebula has some sort of effect on Vulcan minds and that's why this colony of Vulcans is so strange. Then again, the lack of children and the way they tossed Srena out that building ... something is off, I agree.
I like the way Dee was on a mission here and didn't let anyone stop her for anything; her lines with Leva were priceless and the way she tore into Xylion was better. I like it when she gets snappy. Well done.
Author's Response: And snappy Deen is actually a rarity. One of the reasons everybody is so surprised at Deen's attitude is that she is normally the more gentle sort. Not this time.
Date: 14 Jan 2014 00:24 Title: Day Six: Military Justice: III
So, Yunta was abusing Gedar? Or were they having some seriously rough good times? Whatever the case, Yunta seems a little too cocky about all this. She's guilty in some way, I'm with Nora (who is looking more and more like she wants to be with Alex -- oh yes).
Author's Response: Ot maybe both?
Date: 14 Jan 2014 00:20 Title: Day Six: Military Justice: II
Well, at least Star told the truth. Admittedly, Owens is pretty MIA and I'm beginning to wonder if his irregular sleep patterns (IE, the lack of sleep despite going to bed) is somehow connected here. Could this be some sort of dream manipulation? I wonder. I wonder.
Author's Response: You're right, Owens has been pretty absent in this tale since all this started. Mostly this is because I wanted to focus more on Star and Nora in this story. At least he's trying to get involved here.
Date: 14 Jan 2014 00:16 Title: Day Six: Military Justice: I
Well, Nora laid out Yunta pretty easily. Nicely done. I'm not sure who the murderer here is, but looks like Yunta just jumped up atop the list. Alex and Nora are still a completely shippable couple, so I'm pleased. Very pleased.
Author's Response: Not, too easily. She got sucker punched pretty good at first, perhaps too overconfident that Yunta wouldn't dare lay a finger on a superior officer. Of course after that she mobbed the floor with the younger Bajoran. Still it's not an encounter either is likely quick to forget.
Date: 14 Jan 2014 00:08 Title: Day Five: Presumed Innocent: VII
I laughed a loud. I knew it. This is some weird Vulcan cult that has trapped our valiant crew in something very, very strange. They're not going to be allowed to leave. I hope Tela decides to come along when the crew does manage an escape ... but it's gonna be a mess until then.
Great, somber scene with Xylion and Tela up on the mountain top. I enjoyed the conversation between the two and the little hints here and there that they like one another. I hope it works out between them, even if her family is apparently quite crazy.
Author's Response: The attraction is definitely there. Even Xylion can probably not deny liking her a little bit. Not that he would admit that publicly, of course.
Date: 14 Jan 2014 00:01 Title: Day Five: Presumed Innocent: VI
Gedar and Rosenthal? You're kidding me. I'm continuing to love the interplay between Nora and Alex, very much enjoy both. But I can't believe Rosenthal was a lover of Gedar. Now, was he a lover of Colcord? That I could believe. In a jealous rage he kills Gedar ... yeah, I can see that.
Author's Response: Or mayhap Rosenthal could have had a different motive all together ...
Date: 13 Jan 2014 22:28 Title: Day Five: Presumed Innocent: V
See, I KNEW the Vulcans were up to something. This is not a standard thing. Something is strange here and Tela being the only young one also screams of strange. Further, why wasn't she taught any of the Vulcan ways? What is it with these guys?
Klaxons are going off in my head. Red alert, this is weird stuff.
Author's Response: Just because they hunt animals, eat meat, have no children and are unwilling to help with repairs. Nothing wrong with this picture.