#Star trek OC Zed

[archersxartxblog]

Trying put a Lower Deck style lately

[stars-n-zeds]

so because i keep talking ab lucky when it comes to my ocs and actual canon lucky is extremely ambiguous, i felt like making my own iteration of the character, or at least the one that's in my version of canon.

Captain Edith Lucky is the first female captain Bigg City Port has ever seen, serving as the owner of Lucky's Repair Yard and as leader of the newly established Clover Fleet. The only daughter of her father, the late Captain Alan Lucky, she was left to be raised by him alone after her mother passed away shortly after she was born. So Edith was raised on the water, learning how to repair ships, navigate the seas, and how to respect and care for the massive machines that aided them as sailors. While many outsiders disapproved of Edith's more "boyish" behavior and knowledge, thinking that she should be taught how to be a "proper" woman and housewife, she pushed through those critics and became someone that other male sailors gained a healthy respect for. She would work alongside her father until he passed from brain cancer when she was 25, leaving her to inherit his yard and role within Bigg City Port. But because of period-typical notions, there was the very real threat of the business simply being carded off to some distant male relative instead of to Edith, but thankfully she had the help of her father's close friend, Captain Star. He helped her get through all the annoying legal trouble to ensure that Lucky's Ship Repair & Towing stays firmly in her grasp.

She's served as Captain Lucky for 11 years now, doing her job exceptionally well. She's gained a lot of respect throughout Bigg City Port and serves as a big role model for lots of young girls who want to trek off the beaten path set for them by society. Hardworking, stubborn and bold, Lucky isn't someone you try talking back to or underestimating, otherwise she can and will kick your ass. She always rises to any challenge put before her, using her intelligence and experience to find solutions to problems that she faces. Lucky's someone who sees the ability to improve in everyone, both tug and human, and keeps a neutral position to the rivalry between the Zeds and Stars.

She's very protective of her tugs, but she also knows that they can look out for themselves just fine. She knows when to be firm with them, but also when to let loose to ensure they feel heard and cared about. Her style of leadership is a lot like Captain Star's, whomst she still has a strong friendship with.

Some extra little appearance details about her that I can't really show through the picrew of her are that she has a lean, muscled build and stands at around 5'8 in height. She also only has four fingers on her left hand after she accidentally sliced her pointer finger off. She also has a clover patch on the sleeve of her father's old jacket that she usually wears.

Her voice claim is Rebecca Ferguson - more specifically, her role as Ilsa Faust in the Mission Impossible movies.

[warsamongthestars]

A group of TCW 99 Project OCs of mine! ... with Emerie Karr as adopted, because TBB show did not treat her well.

Meet... the Nintey-niners.

I've done a few HCs regarding my Nintey-Niners.

Starting from the top.

Zedzy, 9907. A technical jack-of-trades, but primarily pilot. He has this terrible habit of making deals, stealing credits, and generally delivering contraband throughout the GAR. If you want something, you go to Pilot Zedzy for it, but expect to trade in either chits, favors or credits. Befitting of a jack of trades master to no one, and in such irony in being a pilot, he's an Earth Pony. Named Zedzy out of the letter Z (which the number 7 can replace in Leet Speak), and both pronunciations of Z "Zed" and "Zee".

"Emerie Karr" - 990? Number and Nintey-Niner name pending. "Karr" is a mix of our science officer and medical officer here, think Spock if he was more Evil (Prepare your goatees, pals). "Karr" doesn't have an enhancement, she was a designer baby made to be Nala Se's assistant, and thus emphasizes desirable traits such as Kaminonian intelligence and perceptions. ( She has been asked at least several times if she sees shrimp colors. ) Strict, professional, doesn't let emotions get in the way... But also likes classy things, probably wants to be responsible for causing the first Star Wars zombie apocalypse. She's an original pony race I call Pegasides, basically bat ponies.

"Brexpy" - 9905 Nicknamed Brexpy, full name is "Breakspeed". Designed for Agility, Speed and Quick Reflexes--where Wrecker would be the Strong One, and Tech the Smart One, Brexpy is the Fast One. In a nice foil to Hunter, Brexpy has Active Electromagnetic Sense--in that he can sense the immediate area and react with quicker than thought accuracy (helps when you're running the fuck away). Brexpy is the sergeant and leader of the Nintey-Niners. He's short tempered, moody, easily frustrated, extremely cynical, but is going to be one of the most lawful good troopers you'll ever meet--even if it fucking kills him. ( He's also my first and oldest 99er OC. ) As such, he's also a Lake Pony--Its like a sea pony, but only resies in Freshwater (which is where Electric Eels can be naturally found... who also have Active Electromagnetic sense.)

Gauze - 9902 ( Yes, I know the show wanted to say that Tech is 9902. Tell it to fuck off. ) Gauze doesn't have an enhancement persay, he was a "gene patcher baby"--a clone baby explicitly placed in "Gel-Stasis" to keep live but halt aging and bio processes, in order to test and receive "gene-updates" for the clone army--perfecting situations such as removing the "glitches" in growth tubes, or preventing DNA from growing wisdom teeth or the appendix... ... or in Gauze's case, growing specific biochips. Through him and one other clone, Nala Se created the 99 project. Gauze is the trained medical officer. He's the Star Trek McCoy of Star Wars, which means he's moody, bitchy, overly self sacrificing, and he'll save your life even if it kills him--but gods he's not going to be fucking happy about it. Of course he's a Unicorn.

[ao3feed-ds9]

Favors

https://ift.tt/lufQBih by SoyuzSovietsky A Betazoid science officer is jokingly curious about her 3/4 Klingon, 1/4 Betazoid best friend’s anatomy. Except she’s not joking. Just gals being pals lmao… Words: 2512, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English Fandoms: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F Characters: Original Female Character(s), Original Betazoid Character(s), Original Klingon Character(s) Relationships: OC/OC, Original Betazoid Character(s)/Original Klingon Character(s) Additional Tags: Friends With Benefits, Klingon/Betazoid Hybrid, Klingon Anatomy (Star Trek), Just gals being pals, Xenophilia, Oral Sex, Face-Fucking, Companionable Snark, Forced Orgasm, they were both raised on betazed, Betazed more like BAY ZED

[neon-nocte]

Arielle reads Call Down the Hawk

(Spoilers)

Part 1: Adam & Ronan

Love them

Adam’s contact in Ronan’s phone is MANAGEMENT? iconic, hilarious, also very true

Any sentence involving Adam Parrish and motorcycles is a happy sentence for me

Sitting back to back in a labyrinth on Harvard’s campus. Turning to face each other, and Adam wiping a tear from one of Ronan’s eyes and a dab of nightwash from the other. I mean. The IMAGERY!!

If my translation is decent, “tanquam” “alter idem” means something like “as one of the same” which made my heart MELT

Adam driving his motorcycle 8 hours each way just to see Ronan for 3 hours for his birthday. We love to see it

Ronan dreaming about Adam in summertime. Need I say anything further.

Part 2: Declan

Never was a huge fan of Declan as a character until this book but damn did that change

I like how happiness looks on him

His little attic space and everything it represents (incl. how Jordan is the 1st to see it) is EVERYTHING

Btw when he realized Jordan was a dream, that was a gasp out loud moment. He didn’t have it in him to love another dreamer. My verdict: too bad, y’all already in love

For someone who’s never had a real romantic attachment before, Declan is so easy it’s funny. All Jordan has to do is identify the artists of the prints he owns & he pops the biggest romantic boner of all time. These Lynch brothers fall so easily I stg

let Declan be a normal 21-year-old who didn’t have to grow up early 2k20

That art museum date with Jordan I was like “this is an unexpected pairing but I dig it” and by the attic scene I was like “god can you PLEASE just fucking kiss already

And to think I thought this would be the second time a Lynch brother kissed his crush for the first time in his bedroom/secret attic after feeling seen based on the contents of the bedroom/secret attic

Ok but seriously i ADORE Declan Lynch as much as Ronan now who’d’ve guessed

Part 3: the new characters

I fucking love Carmen Farooq-Lane. She’s amazing. Kinda picked the wrong cause there, but she kinda was forced into it. We all know she’s gonna desert to the Zeds’ side anyway.

Liliana & Farooq-Lane are Definitely gonna be lovers, let me tell you

Jordan reminds me a lot of my oc Josie. They want different things but in the same way.

The Ronan & Hennessy friendship is something I am 1000% here for

It was verrrrrrry interesting to see Ronan from Hennessy’s POV — how he seemed powerful but also in control, knowledgeable, confident.

Request for the second book: some very cute conversations between Jordan & Matthew about what it means to be a living dream

Part 4: the dreams

Ronan had some pretty fucking funny dream objects towards the beginning. The cow levitator. Murder crabs. A minivan-sized boar named Gasoline

It was a privilege and a treat to watch Ronan evolve and realize he had the power (& necessity) to actually save his brother with those sundogs

Prediction: at the end of the series, the whole nightwash thing will be resolved & Ronan will be able to follow Adam up to Cambridge. There, he gathers up dreamers from the greater Boston area and teaches them how to use their abilities. Kinda like an X-men thing except I’ve never seen x-men so I don’t really know how that all works. But it will be a parallel to Adam’s Crying Club

Also the Visionaries are so fucking cool. What an expansion of the world building.

You are made of dreams and this world is not for you. There’s a lot of amazing fiction these days about what it means to be other than human or a singular self, esp for those who appear human. I’m thinking of Star Trek: Picard, of The Bright Sessions, of Orphan Black.

Fuck those moderators. Oh one (1) zed is supposed to destroy the world so let’s just murder in cold blood every zed we find, even the ones that are confirmed not a threat. Gross

Umm there’s a lot more to say but I’ll leave it here. This book was amazing. So suspenseful. 10/10. One silver lining of social distancing is that I finally had time to read it

[pyroflyer23]

I wonder what would happen if I told y’all that I self-ship. Cause I do. I have a list of F/Os who I love dearly. Y’all wanna see it? No? Too bad.

Romantic F/Os:

Starscream. (Transformers franchise)

Blizwing. (Transformers Animated)

Wreck-Gar. (Transformers Animated)

Robot Devil. (Futurama)

Nick (Left 4 Dead 2)

David (Left 4 Dead Screamer OC)

Merasmus (Team Fortress 2)

Sniper (Team Fortress 2)

Medic (Team Fortress 2)

Fritz Ludwig (Emesis Blue)

Christian Brutal Sniper (Freak Fortress 2)

George “Digger” Harkness/Captain Boomerang (DC Comics)

Oswald Cobblepot. (ANY VERSION OTHER THAN THE SKINNY ONES.) (DC Comics)

Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow, (Batman/DC Comics)

Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter (Arkhamverse games)

Joker (Young Justice version and Injustice 2 version)

Arthur Fleck (Joker 2019)

The Amazing Mumbo/Mumbo Jumbo (Teen Titans)

Blade (Puppet Master)

Caine (The Amazing Digital Circus)

Erik Destler (The Phantom of the Oprea, 1989)

Inkubus (Inkubus, 2011)

The Doctor (Doctor Who)

Agent Smith (The Matrix)

Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters franchise)

Peter Venkman (Ghostbusters franchise)

Ron Alexander (Ghostbusters IDW comics)

Dr. Caligosto Loboto (Psychonauts)

Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)

Sir Pentious (Hazbin Hotel)

Vox (Hazbin Hotel)

Father/Benedict Uno (Codename Kids Next Door)

Lou Pottingsworth III/The Toiletnator. (KND)

Jack O'lantern. (Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy)

Dr. 0/Zero (Fallout New Vegas: Old World Blues)

Stu Macher/Ghostface (Scream 1996

Johann Kraus (Hellboy franchise)

Demongo. (Samurai Jack)

Scaramouch the merciless. (Samurai Jack)

Jack Frost (The Santa Clause franchise)

Snow Miser (Rankin/Bass specials)

Springtrap (Goes by “Spring”) (FNAFB and FNAF world cannon mix)

Foxy (FNAF/FNAFB cannon) 

Dr. Insano (Atop the Fourth Wall/The spoony experiment)

Captain Buggy! (One Piece)

Soul King Brook (One Piece)

Sir Crocodile (One Piece)

Ryuma (One Piece)

Señor Diablo (JTHM)

Richard (Looking For Group)

The Terror (The Tick 2017)

Guerrero (Human Target 2010)

Willie Loomis (Dark Shadows 2012)

Pyramid Head (Silent Hill)

Albert Wesker (Resident Evil)

AM (I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream)

Herbert West (Re-Animator)

HP Hatecraft (Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated)

Captain James Hook. (Peter Pan. I like the cartoon version)

The Mask/Stanley Ipkiss (The Mask movie and animated series)

Kowalski (Penguins of Madagascar)

Murdoc Niccals (Gorillaz)

The Spine (Steam Powered Giraffe)

Lore (Star Trek TNG)

Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture (The Venture Bros) 

Zed Blanco (Borderlands)

Ned Blanco (Borderlands)

Giovanni (Pokemon) (It’s complicated.)

Lex Luthor (Justice Leauge Action)

Rorschach (Watchmen)

Dr. Ian Malcom (Jurassic Park)

Eckert (EleTRONica) (It’s a former Disneyland park show)

Spiderman Noir/Peter Parker (Into The Spiderverse)

Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze (Marvel, 2007 movie)

Papyrus (Most of the Papyruses) (Undertale and it's AUs.)

Gaster (Undertale)

Spamton G Spamton (Deltarune)

Professor Membrane (Invader Zim) (I liked him before the movie. It just reminded me.)

Wade Willson/Deadpool (Marvel) (Both dating and friends with benefits depending on the day)

Cell (Dragon Ball franchise)

Jeice (Dragon Ball Z Abridged)

Skeletor (He-Man)

Cobra Commander (G.I. Joe)

Skullmageddon (Double Dragon Neon)

Remus Sanders (Sanders Sides)

Hades (Disney’s Hercules)

Platonic F/Os:

Jervis Tetch /Mad Hatter (Batman the animated series)

Grim (Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy)

Nergal (Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy) (Friends with benefits type)

Reg Barclay. (Star Trek TNG)

Ray Stanz, Winston Zeddamore, Rookie (Ghostbusters franchise) 

The Scooby gang (Scooby-Doo franchise)

Toulon’s Puppets (Puppet Master)

Bubba Sawyer (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

Chop Top Sawyer (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

Slimer (Ghostbusters franchise)

Q (Star Trek) (IDK but you could put Discord from MLP on here as well. I like them both for the same reason.)

Jervis Tetch (DC Comics/Batman the animated series.)

The Eds (Ed Edd n Eddy.) (Childhood friends type.)

Rrazputin Aquato (Psychonauts)

Milla Vodello  (Psychonauts)

Sasha Nein (Psychonauts)

Morceau Oleander (Psychonauts)

Stolas Goitia (Helluva Boss)

Hazbin Hotel staff (Vaggie, Angel Dust, Husk, Charlie, Nifty) (Hazbin Hotel)

Sir Pentious (Hazbin Hotel)

Guzma (Pokemon) (He is friend shaped.)

Sans (Undertale and it’s AUs.)

The robots and Water Workers (Save The Spine) (Steam Powered Giraffe)

All of the Straw hat crew (cept Brook cause we’re dating) (One Piece)

All the Sanders sides save Remus and Deceit. (Deceit might become platonic more we learn about him.)

Gnarl (Overlord games) (Leader and advisor type relationship.)

The Minions (Overlord games) (One-sided devotion on their end. I hold very little attachment to the majority besides appreciation.)

Familial F/Os:

Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas) (Big brother)

Mad Mod. (Teen Titans) (Father)

Master Splinter (TMNT franchise) (Father)

All the Ninja Turtles. (TMNT franchise) (Brothers)

Freddy Kruger (A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise) (Uncle)

Lord Fathom. (Jake and the Neverland Pirates) (Father)

Brewster (Animal Crossing) (Father)

Mad Mod (Teen Titans) (Father)

Bill and Mandy (Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy) (I just kinda adopted them.)

Nergal Jr. (Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy) (Adopted nephew)

Irwin (Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy) (Son)  I'm not as attached to Irwin as I am to the others but he's still my son and I love him.

Nigel Uno/Numbah One (Codename Kid Next Door) (Nephew)

Delightful Children From Down The Lane (Codename Kids Next Door) (Children)

Webber (Don’t Starve) (Son)

Hank and Dean Venture (Venture Bros) (Sons)

Bowser Jr. (Mario) (Son)

Heat Miser and the rest of the Miser family (Rankin/Bass specials) (family in-laws)

Serena (Pokemon) (Daughter)

Silver (Pokemon) (Son)

Yellow (Pokemon) (Daughter)

Toriel (Undertale and it’s AUs) (Mom)

Thor (Marvel) (Brother-in-law)

Charles (Looking for Group) (Adopted son)

Dib Membrane (Invader Zim) (Son)

Gaz Membrane (Invader Zim) (Daughter)

Zim (Invader Zim) (Adopted son)

Shin Godzilla (Godzilla franchise) (Adopted child)

Pet F/Os:

Sparkles (Pikachu) (Pokemon)

Rex (Quagsire) (Pokemon)

Richard (Houndoom) (Pokemon)

Froggy (Greninja) (Pokemon)

Zigzig (Zigzagoon) (Pokemon)

Fifi (Xenomorph, Runner type) (Alein franchise)

Sparky (Licker B) (Resident Evil)

[startrekingenuity]

Star Trek: Ingenuity - Episode 1: Constant Stars (Prologue + Chapter 1)

Welcome to a preview of Star Trek: Ingenuity, my first OC Star Trek fic! My goal was to create a Star Trek fic focusing primarily on queer characters that explores themes the show missed and revisit some worlds and species the show has not had the opportunity to explore. I’ve been drafting the first “episode” in what I hope to be a series for about six months but I’m finally ready to release the first part. I’ll be posting these to Ao3 as well (and will update this post with a link) but I’m still waiting on my invite...

In 2386, Terik “Eric” Verity, an accomplished Human/Vulcan linguist, and Seadken “Ken” Zed, a skilled Betazoid computer specialist, are called back to Starfleet to confront an emergency on a Federation world few outsiders have visited. This capable couple is given a brand new ship, the Ingenuity, by their old CO, Admiral Agu. The initially apprehensive Verity finds himself revived by an unforeseen mystery on the isolated planet. He must confront his insecurities, family and past to find the strength to move forward, but, with a staff from all over the Federation and his husband and XO at his side, the slapdash crew of the Ingenuity must dig deep and work together to unveil a plot that stinks of coppery blood...

Prologue

The dank caves of the brood caves echoed unevenly as the broodmaster’s claws clicked against the stone floors. The insectoid had been pulled out from their rest period early by the night shift carers on reports that something strange had been found on a recently laid clutch. These irregularities were not uncommon, but it was uncommon to be called up in the middle of the night to attend to such an issue. The broodmaster turned a corner to find the night carers huddled about a sizable sack of eggs sagging down the wall. With an angered click, the night carers scattered, revealing the state of the clutch.

The eggs had fallen from the wall. The hatchlings that managed to escape the weight of the clutch collapsing on top itself struggled on the ground, wheezing and flittering, on the brink of death. The broodmaster was shocked. They knelt to try to help a hatchling as it writhed on the ground, trying to clean it of the embryonic fluids to help it to respirate. However, it was no use - after a few moments, the hatchling became still. Only moments later did the rest of the clutch follow suit. The remaining eggs fell to the ground as the clutch collapsed, the bodies of hatchlings and half-formed larva now littering the floor. The broodmaster shuffled back as the wave of infant bodies and slime advanced, stumbling and slipping on the fluids. Another angry series of clicks summoned the night carers again, who helped the broodmaster to their feet. 

The broodmaster stood and watched, stunned as the night carers scrambled to begin cleaning up the horrific sight, many cringing as they collected the bodies of the dead hatchlings. Some flitted about busily, trying to triage the remaining eggs, but the clutch was doomed - the gold glow that shone from the thin membranes was fading one by one as the eggs melted onto the stone floor. The broodmaster could no longer stand the sight. They took off deeper into the caves to find a quiet spot to contemplate next steps.

The broodmaster found an ideal place to assess the situation away from the frantic, morbid sight - the main brood chamber. The ceiling stretched meters and meters into the air, with eggs hanging down on pillars of web and slime, the only light supplied by the eggs’ subtle glow. But, upon casting eyes on the scene, it was like they had never seen it before. The glow of the brood was much fainter - a muddy gray instead of the golden yellow. It only took moments to find the cause. Eggs, suddenly unviable, falling from every pillar, piled on the cave floor, dead and unmoving. The broodmaster chitters echoed through the cavern as they recoiled in horror, their worst nightmare coming true.

The broodmaster had only a few moments to absorb this discovery, however, as a carer soon came up from behind, panic evident in their rapid and uneven clicks. The carer dragged them both back to the main passage to find another terrible scene. A fellow carer was curled up on the rough floor, compound eyes bulging and body straining as they wheezed and gagged. The dying Insectoid was slick with greenish blood, coughing it up from between their mandibles. The other carer identified them as one of the ones on watch a few days prior, their shiftmate.

As the carer writhed on the ground, the broodmaster leaned down to try to help their dying comrade, but another convulsion caused them to recoil instinctively. As they lurched back, a glint caught one of their eyes. A slight irregular line, only visible against the coppery blood. A single black hair was lodged in the Insectoid’s wing, only released as the carer gasped for air. The broodmaster gingerly plucked the fiber out, examining it closely. Whatever this was, only one thing was clear - this didn’t come from a Xindi.

Chapter 1

The sunrise on Alpha Centauri IV was like nothing else in the quadrant. The morning is heralded first by the rise of the yellowish orb of the first sun breaking the horizon, only just flooding out the night sky, filling the horizon with a dim, murky glow, lighting the night with a subtle shade of blue. As the distant sun begins its journey to the sky’s center, the navy sky turns from a warm blue to a golden hue, the rays from Centauri A peaking over the mountaintops as Centauri B, bathing the landscape in yellows brighter than a Vulcan citron. Eric Verity knew this scene well, having made a habit of hiking the 30 minutes just before dawn, taking the brush-filled path from his small cabin. The lookout faced the shore of the largest continent, the most idyllic spot on the hilly island he had called home for the past two years. He found this spot not long after he and his husband settled on the planet. He had sought out an isolated place to practice the meditation he had resisted for so long, but he had long since abandoned any attempts. Instead, he preferred to watch the suns reflect off the quiet strait separating the island from the mountainous mainland. 

Life was simpler here, away from the problems of the galaxy. His emotions were stable, or at least stabler, and he could find calm at a moment’s notice. This morning, like many mornings, perched on the flat rock on the hilltop, he looked to the stars as they faded behind the suns’ light and pined for his time on sailing among them. He closed his eyes and imagined the hum of the warp engine and whine of the LCARS, and for a brief moment, this nostalgic vision brought him happiness. But it was fleeting. That sense of longing he had only just begun to feel was still  haunted by his last mission, the one that grounded him, the image of it throbbing and red in his mind’s eye. 

Behind that scene was a distant restlessness, a familiar urge to run to the stars again. He could never stay grounded long. His land legs were always shaky, and the sensation of artificial gravity was one he longed to return to - the man-made perfection, feeling just as it should. He found stability on the decks of a starship, drawn back to their pristine halls and celestial views. But the past pulled in two directions.

His final mission, before the leave of absence narrowly obtained for him and his partner, sowed doubt - in his ability, in his fitness, in his confidence to serve and lead. 

Eric.

His own name rang in his head, clear and calm.

Good morning.

Verity took a deep breath, smiling slightly.

Morning, Ken, he thought.

Breakfast in 30 minutes.

Headed back now.

~*~*~

Eric pushed through the door just as the suns began to shine through the windows in earnest. Ken could hear him inhale deeply as he shut the kitchen door and swung around behind him.

“When you said breakfast, you really meant it,” Eric commented with a smile as he sat at his plush stool in front of the long countertop.

“Good timing, it’s just about done,” Ken met his smile briefly as he looked back, his loosely coiffed curls bouncing as he turned back to tend to the eggs, “Coffee’s in the pot.”

The screen caught Eric’s eye as he waited impatiently for his breakfast, pouring himself a coffee mindlessly as he watched the FNN’s daily broadcast. The caster had just moved on to a fluff piece about a Romulan refugee taken in by a Martian family, dressed up to evoke a sense of unity between the displaced Romulan populace and Martian victims.

“Picard’s people are good at PR, I gotta say,” Eric noted offhandedly.

“Yeah,” Ken concurred, coming from the stovetop with two plates in hand, “I’ve noticed an uptick in pro-Romulan stories.” 

“It’s gonna take a lot more than positive press, especially with all the fallout from him resigning,” Eric stopped midstream as the food entered his sightline. The plate was filled from edge to edge - silver dollar pancakes, fried eggs on toast, bacon and sausage, and, for the suggestion of health, a half of a citron.

“A good old American breakfast!” Eric cheered, “You shouldn’t have.”

“But I did,” Ken joked.

“You know, if we were still on active duty, you’d be reported to Medical for trying to fatten me up like this,” Eric quipped as he wagged his fork, mouth full of pancake.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

The two ate in silence as they watched the remainder of the news program. The remaining stories were fairly dry this late into the lineup - Admiral Picard receiving the Crystal Planet Award (“they’re really trying to keep him happy!” Eric interjected), a space weather report focusing on turbulent subspace in the Sigma Draconis sector, a story about a Federation-Klingon summit, and some profile of Captain So-And-So on the USS Whatsitsname doing god knows what. As the anchor signed off, Ken switched off the screen.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Ken asked, picking at his much more sensible breakfast of two pancakes, an egg and the other half of the citron.

“Nothing,” Eric replied, “Same as yesterday, and the day before, and the day before…”

“I’m sure you can do better than that,” Ken replied, “Oh, don’t forget, Dr. Antiax is coming today.”

Eric groaned, “Why can’t we just do a holovisit again?”

“I wanted to meet her,” Ken said, “Even if she’s your therapist it doesn’t mean we can’t treat her like a person. She’ll be here before lunch time.”

“Fiiiine,” Eric complained, getting up from the stool, “I’m gonna go… I dunno, read or something.”

“At least take a shower before she gets here!” Ken called after.

“Yeah, yeah,” Eric dismissed it, walking back out the door.

Ken glanced down, noticing the citron half untouched. He grabbed the half and walked to the window, throwing it open.

“And eat the damn citron!” Ken called again, chucking it at Eric, who, with inhuman reflexes, caught it. He took a messy bite as it sprayed everywhere, winking as he walked away.

~*~*~

Verity set half-dressed on the bed. He could hear the hiss of a distant shuttle approaching. He stalled, shirt in his fist, waiting until the last moment to put it on and go downstairs. It didn’t take long, however, for Ken to catch on.

“Eric!” he called, “She’s here! Get dressed and come down.”

He threw on his shirt, standing as he grumbled. As he trudged down the stairs, he could hear the shuttle landing, the engines whirring as they disengaged. Ken’s muffled greetings barely made it through the sturdy wooden walls of the cottage as he entered the sitting room, deciding to not go to the door and take a seat instead. He stewed silently, massaging the back of his neck gingerly as he waited for Ken to come back in with the doctor.

“Thank you for coming all this way, Doctor,” Ken said as he led Dr. Antiax into the room. Keeping his friendly smile, he shot a glance at Verity as if to say “stand up.” Verity followed the nonverbal order, getting to his feet somewhat sheepishly.

“It’s no trouble,” the Denobulan woman replied in her soft, kindly voice as Ken led her to a plush armchair, “I was planning to be in the system for a conference on Centauri VII, so it felt like a good time to make a house call.”

She made eye contact with Verity, who smiled politely as they both sat.

“I was going to make some Tarkelian tea if I could interest you in some,” Ken offered, headed towards the kitchen.

“That sounds lovely,” she agreed, setting her briefcase aside.

Ken entered the next room, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind.

“It’s so nice to finally meet Ken,” Dr. Antiax remarked after a few moments.

“Uh, yeah, he’s been eager to meet you too,” Verity commented, shifting in his chair a bit.

“I hope none of this is making you too uncomfortable, Eric,” she said, leaning forward a bit.

“No- well, no, I guess I did invite you,” Verity countered, “No reason for it to be awkward.”

“Though if I recall,” Dr. Antiax noted, “it was at Ken’s suggestion.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Verity agreed.

“I sense that you might not want me to be here,” she proposed, words toned with that subtly inquisitive tone therapists wielded like a scalpel.

“No, no, I’m glad you’re here. It’s not that, or you, really. It’s just…” Verity sighed, “I’ve been thinking about what happened on the Dido again.”

“I see,” Dr. Antiax said, sitting back into her chair a bit as she placed her hands on her lap, “It’s been quite a while since we’ve discussed the Dido.”

“Yeah, it hasn’t exactly been top-of-mind lately,” Verity grimaced, “If my mother wasn’t busy with her campaign, I’m sure I wouldn’t be thinking about it at all.”

“What has made you think of it now?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I guess I’ve been thinking about it for a while. After the attack on Mars, I’ve felt like I should do something.”

“I believe we’ve discussed this before,” Dr. Antiax noted, “But before you said you weren’t ready. Has something changed?”

“Maybe? I want to get back out there. I don’t know if I’m ready, but I feel more… normal. More in control. And I want to do something. Living here is nice, but it feels like retirement. I’m too young to retire.”

“Do you want to return to Starfleet?”

Verity didn’t answer immediately, instead rubbing the nape of his neck and looking into the corner as he considered his response.

“Yeah. I think I do.”

“In that case, I may have something that will interest you.” 

Dr. Antiax reached into her bag, presenting Verity with a PADD - he instantly recognized it as standard issue Starfleet.

“I understand this is a little unconventional, but Ndidi- rather, Admiral Agu requested I deliver it.”

Unsure of how to respond, Verity took the PADD, just as Ken returned with a tray holding a translucent glass tea set.

“What’s that?” Ken asked, clearly recognizing the providence of the PADD.

“Oh, I have one for you as well,” Dr. Antiax said, pulling out an identical PADD. Ken set the tray on the side table to receive it.

Verity turned it on and recognized the contents immediately - reinstatement papers for Terick Verity and Seadken Zed.

“We’re being called back?” Ken asked, clearly a bit taken aback. Verity noticed Dr. Antiax look a little shocked herself.

“It’s a hell of a way to get called back to service,” Verity remarked, slumping back in his chair.

“I am no expert on Starfleet regulations, but I believe this bends quite a few,” Dr. Antiax remarked.

“How did Agu rope you into this?” Verity asked, trying to hide the suspicion in his voice.

“She and I are longtime friends, as I’m sure you know,” she began, “If I’m not mistaken, she referred you to me.”

Referred is generous, Verity thought, more like insisted.

“Well, she called to chat, as she does, and she asked about you. Of course, I’m bound to not reveal anything from our sessions, but I mentioned I was visiting the system, and she requested I deliver the PADDs. She didn’t tell me the contents and I felt it improper for me to read them - I didn’t expect that though. All she told me was that it was urgent.”

“I wish she had sent us a communiqué or something at least,” Ken remarked, crossing his arms, “She knows how to find us.”

“I asked her why she didn’t call herself, but she said it would be easier to discuss in person.”

“Mysterious,” Ken said, brow furrowing, “Well, the Admiral has always been one for a show.”

Verity sighed, glancing back at the PADD, something catching his eye.

“Wait - this says this is effective in two days. And we’re to report to HQ ASAP.” Verity felt the anxiety bubbling up. Ken came to his side, rubbing his shoulder.

“Well, I’m sorry to be the unwitting bearer of such news,” Dr. Antiax said, “Perhaps I should get going - let you sort this out.”

“No, nonsense,” Ken said, “Stay for lunch at least. I don’t want it to go to waste.”

~*~*~*~

Commander Verity paced the polished floors of Starfleet HQ. The regulation soles of his uniform squeaked as he dug his heels into the tile.

“Eric. Sit.”

“What?”

“You’re pacing. You’re going to ruin your shoes.”

“Huh? Oh, they’re fine, Ken, they can handle it,” Verity dismissed the comment.

“Those shoes are designed to be silent on all surfaces.”

Verity froze in place, grumbling, and took a seat next to his partner.

“Eyes.”

With that singular command, Verity locked eyes. His partner’s voice rang in his head.

You’re spiraling. Center.

Verity took a deep breath, eyes drifting to the wall ahead. I’m here, I’m fine.

Good.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Verity’s arms crossed tightly over his chest. His calm quickly faded.

“Why did Agu call us here? Why now?”

Ken sighed, placing a hand gently on Verity’s back. “If she’s bringing us in this urgently, it must be something important.”

“This uniform is itchy,” Verity squirmed in his seat, tugging at the fabric as if to straighten out nonexistent creases.

“No, it’s not.”

“Maybe not for you,”

“It literally can’t be,”

“Yeah, but-”

“Eric.”

Verity’s squirming intensified. He rolled up the pointed cuffs, a small band of red still peaking through the black.

Eric.

“What?!”

You can’t go in to see Agu this riled up.

“I know, I know,” Verity rubbed his temples with his palms, grinding the point of his ears into his short, dark hair. His partner seized his wrists, his touch gentle but firm, and drew Verity’s arms to his lap.

Look at me.

They locked eyes again. Verity’s nerves subsided as he stared into his partner’s deep black pupils. Their foreheads touched.

“I’m sure Agu has a good reason for calling us up. She’s the one who got us the leave in the first place and kept the brass off our backs in spite of everything. We can trust her.”

“And I do.”

“I know you do. That’s why we have no reason to get worked up. She’ll look out for us.”

Verity sighed. He took two deep breaths, eyes closed, and focused. The fog of mania began to clear.

“Commander?”

Verity nearly leapt out of his seat. A man stood in front of him, yellow shoulders clashing against his pale purplish skin. “Oh, sorry if I startled you. The Admiral is ready for you and Lieutenant Commander Zed.”

Zed rose to his feet, hand on Verity’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. We’ll be there momentarily.”

Nodding, the Lieutenant turned the corner, leaving them alone again.

“That was embarrassing,” Verity remarked, gritting his teeth slightly, “Alright, let’s put me out of my misery.”

~*~*~

“Eric, Ken, thank you for coming on such short notice. Sorry for having to put you back into uniform so suddenly.” Admiral Agu stood from her desk, arms extended. Verity stood stock still, soldierly. 

Zed matched the Admiral’s welcoming gesture, locking arms in a familiar embrace, smiling slightly as he looked down on her short but well-built stature. “It’s good to be back, to be honest.”

Zed’s gaze fell to Verity, who instinctively loosened up, going from attention to at ease. The Admiral turned to the commander, reaching out and smiling softly.

“Come now, Eric, we’re family here. I may be your superior officer, but I’ll always be your friend first.”

Verity dropped his military poise, halfheartedly returning the gesture.

“Sit, sit,” Agu motioned them to seats in front of her desk as she returned behind it, choosing to stand over her own chair, resting gently on its head.

“I have to say, we were both surprised to hear from you,” Zed led as he sat back in the low chair, crossing his legs but maintaining a sharp posture, “And special delivery via therapist is a new one.”

Agu chuckled, “Sorry, I saw my opportunity and I took it.”

Verity slumped down next to him, his body betraying his nerves as he sat on the edge, elbows on his knees.

“Why all the mystery? Are we being court martialed? Were we out of the service too long?”

“No, nothing like that. They’d let you stay on leave for a thousand years if they knew what was good for them.”

Zed chuckled lightly, but Verity was yet to be satisfied.

“I wouldn’t have called you in, but I think you’re the only ones I can trust with the job.”

Verity’s single-minded suspicions were quickly replaced with a parade of theoreticals, the next worse than the last.

“What can we do?”

“I think what Eric means is, how can we help?”

Agu handed the pair PADDs from her desk. An image of an insectoid with large compound eyes and distinctive ridges meeting between them occupied a large portion of the screen. The words “Xindi Virus Type I-9” headlined the report.

“We received a priority-one message from the head of the Xindi Medical Consortium.”

“The Xindi?” Verity perked up at the mention of this enigmatic Federation world. It was rare to hear its name outside of history lectures.

“The Insectoids are undergoing an unprecedented crisis. A disease is rapidly spreading through their population and has already killed thousands.”

“Seems like a rather low death toll for Insectoids,” Verity interjects, “My xenobiology is rusty, but isn’t their population turnover the highest in the Federation?”

“They must be truly desperate if they’re reaching out to Starfleet. I don’t think there’s been anything beyond a small embassy on New Xindus since they joined,” Zed adds.

The Admiral turns to the screen behind her, bringing up an image of a long hall. Tangles of what resembles netting dangle from the ceiling, reaching the floor. The nets hold orbs, some a warm gold, but many a sickly gray and covered in lesions. On the floor, obscured by the dangling threads, are small insectoid bodies, curled up and facing towards the ceiling.

“The Xindi Council reports that the infection is not just killing adults, but their nymphs as well, even before they hatch.”

Zed’s posture stiffened as Verity leaned forward, turning his PADD over in his hands.

“Starfleet has always maintained a limited presence in the sector due to the proximity to Romulan space, and since the Romulan star has begun to expand, the region has become even more unstable. Starbase 15 is near enough to provide support, but they’re already stretched thin managing the sector as it is, being on the edge of the Neutral Zone.”

“And with the evacuation still underway, it must be hard to keep up,” Verity speculates.

“The head of the Xindi Council is well-known for being less friendly towards the Federation than his predecessors. The council is already hesitant to allow a swarm of Starfleet to descend on the planet after all these years as it is, and with his influence, if we don’t present a complete solution, we might as well send nothing at all.”

“What about a hospital ship?” Zed asks, “Is there an Olympic-class that can take charge?”

“There are some medical ships in the sector, but they have their hands full with Romulan refugees. The USS Salk is the closest Olympic to the system and is on its way, but they’re not designed for high warp. It’ll be a while before they can get boots on the ground and hyposprays in necks.”

“We’re not doctors,” Verity began, Zed shrugging with a bit of a smirk, “Ok, medical doctors. How are a linguist and AI expert going to help?”

Agu begins to pace slowly as she elaborates, “Well, the biggest barrier has been communication. While there are medical teams working on treatments, the disease is spreading fast and mutating rapidly. But it’s been difficult for them to extract much information from the population, especially those deep within Insectoid territory,” the Admiral stops in her tracks, locking eyes with Verity, one eyebrow raised, “I wonder, how much do you know about Xindi languages, Commander?” 

“Only what I’ve read from the records, but they’re basically 200 years out of date. And -” Verity smiles with understanding, pointing at the Admiral as if she just told an especially clever joke, “Oh, I get it.”

Zed furrowed his brow. “Fill me in.”

Verity got to his feet and began to pace again, like the Admiral only much quicker. “The language of the Xindi-Insectoids is notoriously complex. Due to their generational turnover rate, their language diversifies and changes more rapidly than nearly any other language in the galaxy, to our knowledge.”

“What was it Sato said back then? They had sixty-seven dialects?” the Admiral added.

“And that was in 2154,” he agrees, pointing to her as if to confirm, “when the Xindi were still largely living on cramped ships and narrow caves. Who knows how many there are now. Even if there was just one, their language is so complex and unlike humanoid or cetacean language that the standard UT would struggle to keep up even under the best of circumstances. Hell, in the negotiations with the Council, Sato mostly just used her own prowess to make sense of any of it. Her linguacode was hardly able to give her a baseline.”

“So you see our problem. The crews already there have tried their best to work with interpreters, but the Xindi can’t spare enough and even those they have can’t decipher some of the dialects of the inner Insectoid provinces.”

“The Insectoids aren’t exactly famous for their patience either,” Zed notes, “I’m sure it’s been even harder with them when slowed down by interpreters.”

“All of this is to say,” the Admiral continues, leaning forward on her chair, “Starfleet is in need of a language expert and someone who can update the UT accordingly to account for the complexities of the Insectoid language. You two are the only ones with the qualifications.”

“My new algorithms could use some field testing,” Zed turns to Verity, who has stopped in front of the broad window overlooking the bay, lost in thought, “But only if you’re up to it.”

Verity ignored that final condition. Zed frowned.

“How are we going to get there? New Xindus isn’t exactly next door.”

“I’m glad you asked. I have a surprise for you.”

~*~*~

The San Francisco Fleetyards were buzzing with their usual activity as Starfleet personnel of all stripes boarded and disembarked their shuttles and maintenance teams swarmed about to attend to repairs. But today, the air felt electric, swimming with nervous energies and the warmth of anticipation. Admiral Agu, taking her long, graceful strides, parted the crowds as she led the pair through the halls of the orbital office complex, beelining for a far point overlooking the drydocks. 

“See that ship right there?” She pointed out the massive viewport to a skeletal dock floating just on the edge of a cluster, a bit more compact than its neighbors.

Verity squints against the light while Zed presses his face against the glass, cupping his eyes.

“Looks sort of like an Intrepid,” Zed comments, “I’d recognize that saucer shape anywhere.”

“The nacelles are way too high. They’re basically Sovereign-style. She seems long too.”

“And the secondary hull - it can’t be more than three decks high!”

“Good eyes, gentlemen - She’s an Intrepid kitbash, one of the first Sojourner-class to leave drydock. These ladies are built for speed.”

Verity chuckles - “Yeah, I can tell. She’s the thinnest starship I think I’ve ever seen.” 

“Her low profile reduces subspace drag substantially. She can maintain a cruising speed of 9.6 without breaking a sweat.”

Verity whistled.

“Quite the mare,” Zed agreed.

“The Engineering Corps tells me this is the future of starship design. I managed to snag the last one of her line by calling in a few favors,” Agu proudly reports, hands on her hips.

“You’ve got the entirety of Starfleet wrapped around your finger, Admiral,” Verity beams, patting his mentor on the shoulder.

“I wouldn’t say that,” the Admiral denies, her wry smile matching Verity’s.

“What’s her name?” Verity asked, an eyebrow raised.

“The USS Ingenuity NCC-81080.”

“Oh after the Mars rovers!” Zed’s excitement turned to sadness as he realized the likely fate of the ancient explorers, “I guess it’s a fitting memorial.”

“It was a recent name change. The class was in development prior to the attack on Mars, but the designers wanted to dedicate the class to their fallen colleagues at Utopia Planitia, so it picked up the name of the old rovers.” Agu explains.

“Ingenuity was a space helicopter, actually,” Verity corrects, garnering a glare from Zed as he turns to the Admiral.

“Anyway... who’ll be commanding the little racehorse?”

“That’s the surprise.”

~*~*~

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Ken assured his partner, rubbing at a particularly tight knot in his shoulder as he fidgeted with his sleeves again.

“It’s not that I don’t want to do it,” Eric’s gaze was fixed on the floor of the runabout.

“We need to, I know - but if you’re not ready for commanding the Ingenuity, I’m sure Agu can arrange a ship to get us there.”

“No, it’s not that either,” Eric grumbled again.

“If you’re concerned about our relationship becoming an issue-”

“No, well, I mean, yeah, that is part of it I guess. And it just makes this all the more precarious, everyone questioning our judgment and commitment and whatever. But I-”

Eric groaned, pulsing with nervous frustration. He jumped to his feet and plodded to the other side of the tiny craft. Eric rubbed the nape of his neck, the tiny hairs audibly scratching his palm, and glanced down over his shoulder. Ken recognized the signal immediately.

I can command a starship. This is what I’ve been trained for. I am a Starfleet commander. And Agu wouldn’t ask me if she didn’t know I could. She’s set me up for this - us up for this. She got us the leave and all these accommodations because she knows this is where we needed to be and how we needed to get there. It’s just-

It won’t happen. Ken stood, embracing his partner from behind, resting his head between Eric’s firm shoulders. That’s why I’m here, to support you. I trust Agu’s judgment, and I trust yours, too. But even if you are capable like I know you are, you should only do this if you’re ready.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ken noticed the crewman in the pilot seat staring at them through the reflection in the glass. The crewman averted her eyes the moment she was found out.

I’ll do it, Eric affirmed, his voice clear in Ken’s mind, back straightening as he looked ahead, as long as you’re at my side, I’ll do it. Despite his resolve, Ken could sense Eric stuffing down his anxiety and fear. Eric rarely resorted to the Vulcan discipline he so often fought against, but Ken knew when he pulled from that deep well of Vulcan training that sat in the recesses of his mind. But unlike his brethren, Ken noticed his mood shift immediately, replaced by the nervous excitement from before.

“Good,” Ken spoke aloud, severing the link as he kissed the back of his neck lightly, not wanting for Eric to sense his worry.

“Sirs, we’ve arrived,” the crewman reports stiffly, staring straight ahead at the shuttlebay wall.

“Thank you, crewman,” Ken replied, straightening his blue striped cuffs, “Let’s go meet our new baby.”

[archersxartxblog]

here we go, this is Lt Commander Zed Soong from Coppelius, one of the first Androids to be made after the death of Bruce Maddox and Altan Soong.

Zed was not made using one of Data's positronic neurons, but was created from the neuron of one of the other androids on the planet.

Zed is a nickname given to him by the others, due to the 'Z' like pattern on him face. he has since taken it as his actual name, as well as adopting the last name Soong when he joined Star Fleet.

this is kind of all the information I want to give right now cause, I am working on an actual story for him.